Episode 04: Theory to Practice | 16 December 2025

Trent and Stephen tackle The Worldbuilding Workshop’s third chapter, “Theory to Practice,” including:

• How their personal K12 and university experiences influenced their perspectives on instructional design;

• Challenges associated with lecture-based instructional environments;

• How school is structured (or not) for 21st-century learners;

• Differentiation and alternative ways to organize education;

• Grade bands and tracking vs. skill- and performance-based classrooms;

• The broad misunderstanding of “learning styles”;

• And the empirically-demonstrated benefits of richly authentic, case-based instruction.

Episode References:

• Hayes, C. (2025). The sirens' call: How attention became the world's most endangered resource. Penguin Press.

[BONUS] Worldbuilding in Education: Game-Based Learning with Stephen Slota & Trent Hergenrader (Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast) | 9 December 2025

What if students saw themselves not just as learners, but as world builders, empowered to design, problem-solve, and imagine new possibilities through playful learning?

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Cindy Burnett and Dr. Matthew Warwood dive into the dynamic potential of game-based learning and world-building with guests Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader. Together, they unpack how treating students as designers—rather than passive recipients of information—fosters creativity, critical thinking, and authentic engagement. Drawing from their experiences as educators and co-authors of The Worldbuilding Workshop, Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader share insights on leveraging narrative, choice, and playful contexts to deepen learning, regardless of technology access or subject area.

The conversation explores the difference between true game-based learning and surface-level gamification, emphasizing the power of agency, narrative, and exploring “messy,” real-world problems. Listeners will gain practical insights on aligning classroom activities with learning goals, infusing creativity, and adopting a facilitator mindset. Whether you’re game-curious or an experienced educator, this episode highlights how worldbuilding can transform classrooms—and help students make meaningful connections to their own lives.

https://fuelingcreativitypodcast.com/

Episode 03: Road to Contemporary Learning Theory | 9 December 2025

Trent and Stephen discuss The Worldbuilding Workshop’s second chapter, “Road to Contemporary Learning Theory,” including:

• How they think about philosophies of education, pedagogical design, and what it means to be a “good” teacher;

• How to treat learning theory as active and actionable rather than static and inert;

• Why and how to center students as the primary beneficiaries of pedagogical design;

• And what it means to align learning objectives with activity objectives at a one-to-one ratio.

Episode 02: Around the World in 300 Pages | 2 December 2025

Trent and Stephen dive into The Worldbuilding Workshop’s first full chapter, including:

• Why the duo chose to open with a comparison between surgical suites and classrooms;

• Why education lags behind other domains and disciplines;

• How every worldbuilder should think about their morning cup of coffee;

• And what it means to teach critical thinking and empathy.

Episode 01: Prologue | 2 December 2025

Trent and Stephen introduce the podcast, their goals, and themselves. The duo then deconstructs the book’s Prologue, including:

• How they fell into academia and, specifically, the playful learning community;

• How they met one another through the Games + Learning + Society Conference;

• And their perspectives on the playful learning community’s evolution since 2010.