From the site: Reacting to the Past is an active learning pedagogy of role-playing games designed for higher education. In Reacting to the Past games, students are assigned character roles with specific goals and must communicate, collaborate, and compete effectively to advance their objectives. Reacting promotes engagement with big ideas and improves intellectual and academic skills."
Allows instructors to give a framework in which students can participate and run a classroom while still learning the material presented (and forging a deeper connection).