Dungeons & Dragons campaigns aimed at building executive functions:

Dungeons & Dragons campaigns aimed at building executive functions:

Lost in Their Own Worlds: How Excessive Digital Immersion Impairs Students' Social-Emotional Skills and Stifles Executive Function 

Food for Thought: 

The prevalence of smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles has created an epidemic of digital tunnel vision in youth. Many students now spend most of their free time absorbed in small glowing screens, constantly stimulating their brains with digital content geared toward addictive engagement. 

While the immersive quality of digital worlds can promote focus and flow states, too much isolation in these narrow spaces seems to impair the capacity of young developing brains to connect on interpersonal levels. Just as overusing any muscle can limit mobility, overusing the neural pathways for digital consumption may diminish the agility for real world social cognition.

These impaired social skills then persist as distracted, disengaged behaviors in physical classrooms and school settings. Students seem less attuned to group discussions, collaborative projects and reciprocal dialogue. After over a year of pandemic restrictions further enabling isolated digital behaviours, teachers report students struggling more than ever to make eye contact, interpret social cues, balance conversations and demonstrate care for classmates. 

Excess screen time during pivotal developmental windows may literally change kids' brain wiring in ways that hinder social abilities. Breaking out of this pervasive bubble so youth can better perceive, connect and collaborate with those around them is an urgent educational and societal challenge.

Our story begins in the small village of Willowbrook, located on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. Our four young heroes - Mikael the elven wizard, Nora the halfling rogue, Reginald the human fighter, and Willow the half-orc barbarian - have been close friends since childhood. While they seem an unlikely group, their friendship has always been strong.

One sunny morning, the four friends are gathered together outside Nora's family bakery, munching happily on fresh-baked muffins for breakfast. As they enjoy their tasty treats, old magic-user Gallant comes wandering down the village streets.

"Good morning young ones!" Gallant says. "How would you like to help me with a special task today?"

I pause the story here and turn to the students. "Before our heroes commit to anything, they should consider the options and potential outcomes. What executive function does this require and why?"

[Give students a moment to respond with ideas about using self-control, planning ahead, considering consequences, etc. If needed, guide them to name and explain the executive functions.]

"Excellent ideas," I say. "Now, let's see how our characters put this into action."

The four friends look at each other quizzically. Willow scratches her head and says to Gallant, “What do ya need help with? And what’s in it for us?”

I pause again. "Good for Willow for asking important questions before agreeing to anything. What executive skill is she using here and why is it valuable?"

[Continue guiding the discussion to highlight executive functions, then resume story.]

"Those are very wise questions, Willow," says Gallant...

The story would continue with Gallant presenting the four friends with a quest to retrieve a stolen artifact, requiring them to practice executive functions like organization, time management, task initiation and more in order to complete their mission. Additional scenarios are incorporated to provide further opportunities to build executive skills.

Here are 10 quick D&D roleplaying activity ideas that take 5-10 minutes each to stimulate executive function skills:

1. The party stumbles upon a forked path. Students decide which way to go and why before rolling to see what they encounter. Teaches planning and decision making.

2. The party finds a locked treasure chest and must brainstorm creative solutions to pick the lock, like using spells in innovative combinations. Encourages flexible thinking. 

3. A complex puzzle box contains valuable gems, but requires solving visual-spatial and mathematical clues to open. Strengthens working memory and problem solving.

4. The party meets a sly merchant offering them suspicious deals. Students need to ask insightful questions to uncover the catch. Practices evaluative thinking.

5. The party finds themselves in sudden negotiations with an adversarial clan. Students must present persuasive arguments and make compromises. Exercises reason and adaptability. 

6. A magical disease begins spreading in a village and the party must quarantine and treat it before it infects them too. Teaches careful prioritization and sequencing.  

7. The scent of tasty pies wafts from a witch’s cottage. Students fight impulse control to decide how to safely investigate. Develops discipline.

8. A two-headed troll blocks entrance to a mine. Half the students pretend to be one troll head conspiring attacks while the other half strategizes defense. Builds mental flexibility. 

9. A king requests the party solve a crime quickly as a falsely accused suspect awaits execution soon. Students race against the clock, teaching time management.

10. A magic item shop allows students one purchase, but many items seem helpful. Forces thoughtful consideration of opportunity costs.

Here are examples of how the seven executive functions could be incorporated into a collaborative Dungeons & Dragons campaign, along with a brief simulation for each:

1. Response inhibition:

Example: The party is faced with a powerful magical artifact that could help them tremendously on their quest. However, it belongs to someone else. Will they choose not to take what isn't theirs?

Simulation: The DM holds up a prop and says "the Legendary Orb of Galanor is gleaming before you on its pedestal. The inscriptions indicate it is the property of the Magus of Galanorhold, but it could give the party a huge advantage on their quest." Then the DM asks "What do you choose to do?" The players discuss options and the pros and cons of showing response inhibition.

2. Working memory:

Example: The party needs to remember clues, passwords, and connections between plot threads to advance in certain areas.

Simulation: The DM reads a riddle with seven lines. After reading it once, they ask the players to recite as much of it from memory as possible. This tests and stretches their working memory in a fun way.

3. Emotional control:

Example: Party members have bonds and flaws that may cause disagreements or inflammatory reactions during tense situations. Can they keep control?

Simulation: The DM secretly asks certain characters to role play heightened emotions at certain times. The rest of the players need to try de-escalating conflicts. After, they reflect on what executive skills were used.

4. Task initiation:

Example: The party spots a possible quest hook - will someone step up and initiate the first step?

Simulation: The DM describes an abandoned campsite with mysterious notes and valuables still inside. Which player takes the lead deciding what to investigate first?

5. Planning and prioritization:

Example: The party needs to plan their questing efficiently based on locations, rumors, supplies needed and more. What takes priority?

Simulation: Provide the characters with 20 possible quest hooks of varying difficulty and importance. Have them collaboratively decide which five to pursue in what order and why.

6. Organization:

Example: Party inventory, spells, notes, maps and supplies must be organized for best use in dangerous scenarios.

Simulation: Dump a pile of random (safe) items onto a table. Have players categorize, take inventory and impose an organizational system.

7. Time management:

Example: Certain complex puzzles or dungeons will challenge how well groups allocate their time.

Simulation: For one encounter, provide a strict time limit for the players to complete as many objectives as possible. Review how their prioritization and execution aligned.

Here are some additional examples of how various executive functions could be utilized and developed in a collaborative Dungeons & Dragons adventure for middle school students:

Working Memory

Simulation: The party finds cryptic clues and riddles throughout their quest that contain key information. The DM periodically pauses the adventure and asks players to recap important details they need to remember. Students practice holding key bits of info in mind.

Cognitive Flexibility 

Example: Traps and puzzles throughout require looking at problems from different angles. To disable one trap, the rogue may need to see it from a wizard's perspective. Students practice flipping perspectives.

Simulation: A magic mirror shows players different visions of the same room when looked at from different angles. The group collaborates to piece together details from the conflicting images.

Inhibitory Control

Example: Powerful magic items could provide shortcuts, but using them recklessly may have negative consequences.  

Simulation: Place tempting props (representing shortcuts) in front of some students but not others. Have them roleplay whether or not to use the shortcut.

Emotional Control

Example: Hostile factions taunt and insult the party, trying to throw them off balance. Students practice self-regulation even when upset.

Simulation: The DM provokes emotional reactions in the players through enemy insults. Students take time to calm down before reacting.

Planning 

Example: Before starting a quest, the party puts together plans accounting for locations, terrain, resources and more.

Simulation: Provide quest details with multiple variables. As a group, students plan out routes, supply needs, timelines etc.

Prioritizing

Simulation: Present the party with 20 intriguing quest hooks but only resources to pursue five. Students debate which hooks are most urgent or important to prioritize.

Task Initiation

Example: When the party spots a threat, dungeon entrance or quest opportunity, who takes the lead to get started?

Simulation: The DM presents an event and watches to see which student initiates taking action and volunteers first.

Here is a step-by-step guide on creating an open-ended Dungeons & Dragons campaign to teach executive function in the classroom, along with a suggested title:

Epic Adventures in Executive Islands: 

A Collaborative Dungeons & Dragons Quest to Strengthen Young Minds

Steps to Create the Campaign:

1. Choose an open-ended story premise that allows ample room for students to shape the narrative direction. For example, "The land is made up of islands, each with different terrain, settlements and magical qualities."

2. Develop flexible characters without predefined backgrounds so students can customize them. Provide instruction on balancing strengths and flaws.

3. Plan a starter quest hook that encourages teamwork, such as rescuing a town from an imminent threat.

4. Design early encounters that require exercising executive functions like planning, focus and self-control. Build in natural consequences.

5. Incorporate open spaces into your maps for students to conceptualize locations using imagination and flexible thinking. 

6. Allow teams to make meaningful choices on quests, directions travel, and how to approach conflicts. Emphasize discussion.

7. Have some story threads lead to dead ends to teach adaptation and prioritization. Always offer new forked path options.  

8. Reward both small goal achievements as well as longer-term persistent progress to train sustained effort.

9. Make time for both full group and individual reflections to metacognitively track growth in executive functions.

10. Leave room to adjust the campaign based on class engagement and developing executive skill levels.

By emphasizing student leadership, creativity and responsibility while adventuring in a fantasy setting, this open-ended D&D campaign framework allows executive functions to level up in fun and immersive ways.