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

Position:

Principal Lecturer

Organisation:

Douglas Mawson Institute of Technology, South Australia

Email:

mariejas@
bigpond.com

Since 1992, I have been involved in a number of Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) e-learning projects and have significant experience at both strategic and operational levels in change management, teacher development, resource development, course delivery and evaluation.

I spend a good proportion of my life online. At the moment, I am teaching online, studying online, mentoring online and facilitating a range of online events for the Australian Flexible Learning Community. My particular interest is the creative use of simple technologies like email, bulletin boards and chat rooms.

Currently, I am a member of the national Management Group for the Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s Professional Development Program and a member of the national Reference Group for NET*Working 2003, the major vocational education and training conference in Australia.

My working life is split in two. As Director, Design Planet Pty Ltd I work on a range of research and professional development projects and regularly tour Australia presenting workshops on diverse topics ranging from “Harnessing the Power of the Innovative Practitioner” to “Fuzzy Flexibility: Is Ordinary Best?”

I also head up MindMedia, a research and professional development unit at the Douglas Mawson Institute of Technology in South Australia, which has a brief to enhance flexible delivery through effective integration of new learning technologies.

I have a Bachelor of Education, Grad Dip in Applied Psychology, Grad Dip in Clinical Hypnosis, Grad Cert in Facilitating and Managing E-Learning and I am currently studying a Master of Arts in Complexity, Chaos and Creativity. I was an inaugural Flexible Learner Leader in 2000 and I am a registered Psychologist.

Designer as Learner

My friend and co-conspirator Dr Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan once said to me: “Never be an expert, always be a beginner”. The one thing I’ve discovered about web-based role-play is that you are always beginning! So we’re not here to present to you as experts, but rather to share our learning as beginners. A second thing I’ve learnt through experiencing the many dimensions of web-based role-play is that you can’t be good at everything. Web-based role-play requires technical, instructional design and moderation skills and this is why a collaborative approach is invaluable. That’s why a mob of us are sharing this keynote. I hope you appreciate the diversity of perspectives.

Current involvement with role-play

Currently I’m reviewing and documenting what I’ve learnt over the last few years and this is what you are invited to explore. Louise, Margaret and I will soon be designing and facilitating a role-play for a Graduate Certificate in Facilitating and Managing e-Learning. In May I’ll be facilitating the Depolarizer email role-play game for the Australian Flexible Learning Community. If you’d like to join in, email me and I’ll put you on the list. I’ll also be conducting some one day introductory workshops on web-based role-play later in the year.