The TV show MythBusters (2003 – 2016) took popular myths – can a car engine run on Coca Cola? – and put them to the test. I will swap MythBusters’ engineering for social science to put a myth about learning and Warhammer under a metaphorical microscope: “Doing Warhammer is a waste of time because you won’t learn anything useful from it”. The problem with this myth is it nudges us to downplay the extraordinary amount of Warhammer-related learning we do. That’s why busting it will help us recognise the wonderful learning opportunities Warhammer offers – opportunities that are often hiding in plain sight. I will debunk the myth in three stages. First, I will introduce what learning is and question what it can be useful for. Then, I will describe how the Learning Hierarchy (our main antagonist) imposes blinkers on what we think learning can be useful for. Finally, I will reveal the antidote to the Learning Hierarchy by summarising formal, non-formal, and informal learning using the metaphor of the Learning Iceberg. Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that doing Warhammer is not a waste of time. In fact, Warhammer-related learning is exceptionally useful to enjoy life and flourish as a human being.
Author bio
Dr Ioannis Costas Batlle is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education at the University of Bath (UK). He explores young people’s out-of-school learning experiences using a combination of education theory, sociology and psychology. In 2025, Ioannis edited The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Warhammer, a collection of essays exploring Warhammer’s social and cultural relevance.
