Streaming Video

Reacting to the Past: The Student Perspective (2012)

This film features Barnard and Columbia undergraduates playing "Defining a Nation: India on the Eve of Independence, 1945" at Barnard College in April 2012. The Reacting Consortium thanks the students and the Teagle Foundation for making this film possible.

Reacting to the Past: The Faculty Perspective (2012)

Faculty and administrators from the RTTP network reflect upon their experiences teaching with this highly interactive pedagogy.

RTTP Institute Series: 2011 Faculty Institute at Barnard College

The eleventh Annual "Reacting to the Past" Institute was held June 9-12, 2011 at Barnard College (New York, NY). 190 faculty, administrators, and students from 85 colleges and universities gathered to participate in intensive workshops on the "Reacting to the Past" curriculum. This film, produced by Lan Li (BC ’10), captures highlights from the games. Thanks to all the participants for making this institute a memorable and rewarding experience.

Game Feature: The Struggle for Palestine

In the Spring 2009 pilot (shown here) students were able to enter the universe of life in Palestine before 1948, when so much of the conflict was determined, and to learn about the positions of the Arabs of Palestine and the Zionists at the time.

Game Feature: Henry VIII and the Reformation Parliament

Footage from the Henry VIII and the Reformation Parliament game being played at Smith College. Students debate the writings of Machiavelli, Luther, More, Erasmus and all of the issues and legislation that led to England's split with the Catholic Church.

Game Feature: The French Revolution on the Hudson

Documentary video showing Barnard College students playing Rousseau, Burke, and Revolution in France, 1791. The game plunges students into the intellectual, political, and ideological currents that surged through revolutionary Paris in the summer of 1791.

Commentary: Mark C. Carnes, "Setting Minds on Fire: A New Solution to an Old Problem"

Keynote Address, 2011 Annual "Reacting to the Past" Institute at Barnard College
Mark C. Carnes, Professor of History and Director of "Reacting to the Past", describes how the world of play revives college class experiences through what appears to be an absurd, but highly effective pedagogy to motivate and engage students.

Commentary: Mark C. Carnes, "Reacting" to the Challenge of Undergraduate Education

Mark C. Carnes, creator and director of the "Reacting to the Past" project, discusses the critiques of "Reacting" and the possibilities of the pedagogy for general education.

Filmed by Barnard College Media Services for a faculty workshop at St. John's University (Queens, NY) on Saturday, April 18, 2009.