designers as learners:
igniting the spark for web-based roleplay

Position:

Institute Women’s Strategy Officer and Teacher of Communication and Business

Organisation:

NSW TAFE Commission Riverina Institute

Email:

jess.chalmers@
tafensw.edu.au

Website

I am a passionate teaching and learning junkie. This passion was kindled whilst working for three years at Macquarie University in the area of educational psychology.

As you can imagine the opportunity to participate in an online role play was right up my street. I jumped into the opportunity boots and all. Being an online learner in a roleplay activity was a bizarre and enlightening opportunity. I immersed myself totally in the experience and learnt much about the topic ‘communication’ around which the role play was designed and even more about myself as a communicator and the potential of online communication.

Designer as Learner

Since being a learner in an online roleplay I feel a deeper understanding of the importance of simulation, play, problem centred learning, collaborative learning strategies, creative online communication and the power of the debrief.

Current involvement with role-play

I facilitate the Communicating Online topic in the Graduate Certificate of Facilitating and Managing elearning (FAMe)
to challenge the notion that ‘soft skills’ need to be delivered face-to-face. I have integrated role plays of learner scenarios to bring a playful, authentic component in which the FAMe learners experience the situation and feel, think and explore their role within it.