“Reacting to the Past” (RTTP) consists of elaborate games, set in the past, in which students are assigned roles informed by classic texts in the history of ideas. Class sessions are run entirely by students; instructors advise and guide students and grade their oral and written work. It seeks to draw students into the past, promote engagement with big ideas, and improve intellectual and academic skills. | Watch streaming videos of actual classes. . .

All of the games are set in the past, and thus might be regarded as history, but each game also explores multiple additional disciplines. Part of the intellectual appeal of RTTP is that it transcends disciplinary structures. In addition to games in the published series, the consortium seeks to expand the curriculum by supporting faculty workshops and collaboration on new game designs that explore a variety of historical moments in the humanities and sciences. | Learn more about the Curriculum | Download our press packet (PDF). . .

Pioneered by Professor Mark Carnes at Barnard College in 1996, the RTTP project is supported by a consortium of colleges and universities. The consortium seeks to foster the development, implementation, and assessment of the RTTP pedagogy through curriculum and faculty development activities. | Read more about the project and special initiatives . . .

The main program office at Barnard offers a wide array of faculty resources, including an interactive web site / discussion board, regional workshops, and an annual conference to introduce the pedagogy to new faculty and to build a network of scholar-teachers. | Visit the Faculty Resources page . . .

RTTP was honored with the 2004 Theodore Hesburgh Award for pedagogical innovation. The project has received support from the National Science Foundation, Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, Teagle Foundation, and FIPSE, U.S. Department of Education. RTTP has also been featured in Change magazine, the Chronicle Review, New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education; and elsewhere. | See more News & Media. . . .