Morality Play is an innovative project course at Carnegie Mellon University. In it, students from many disciplinary backgrounds work side by side with faculty to build a creative solution to a real world problem. Each year, the project team develops a deep understanding of a complex issue—for example: economic inequality (2013), privacy in the information age (2014), or sexual assault on college campuses (2015)—before designing and building an interactive media experience that provokes moral reflection, and educates by deepening moral sensibilities. Each semester, we push the boundaries of what’s possible in the way of technologically mediated learning. What is intriguing is the potential for new technologies such as online gaming, interactive film, social media, podcasts and smartphone apps change the way people learn by promoting active, exploratory learning.
Morality Play is co-taught by Andy Norman of CMU’s Philosophy department and Ralph Vituccio of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center.