The eve of the 1896 revolution: experiencing Philippine history through immersive and gamified learning

Purpose: Katipuneros RPG: Bisperas ng Himagsikan (Katipuneros RPG: The Eve of the Revolution) is an immersive and gamified theater that engages its “audiences” in the initiation rites of a secret revolutionary movement in the Philippines in 1896. This descriptive qualitative research evaluates such experiential approach to learning history by investigating the experiences and insights of a group of students from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), who participated in Katipuneros RPG. Design/methodology/approach: Textual data obtained from the participants' reflection papers and focus group discussion transcripts were analyzed using open and axial coding. Findings: Three key themes summarized the participants' learning experiences as they went through the play, as follows: (1) Katipuneros RPG as an immersive, interactive and intrinsically motivating medium for learning history; (2) the knowledge, values and skills that served as facilitating factors for their learning and (3) the insights the participants gained about history and life in general. Practical implications: The research argues that in Katipuneros RPG, learners take on a more active role in studying history as the “teacher” vanishes in lieu of a learning system the allows students to think critically, reflect and collaborate. The approach integrates elements of development theater, immersive play and gamified learning, as well as the principles of constructivist, play-based and multi-sensorial learning. Social implications: As an innovative learning tool, it is a viable medium to teach history in the current socio-political context of the Philippines. Originality/value: The study hopes to contribute to literature on pedagogical approaches for teaching and learning history through immersive environments.