screen capture of roleplay

Roleplays (online)

Assume an identity, research their views and play the game in character to solve problems and explore issues

Samples

Baudin - An Online roleplay

An online roleplay designed for foreign language students.

Source ONline roleplay by Mary Aquino and James Taylor from Central TAFE's Academic Development Centre, Perth.
URL http://members.iinet.net.au/~williamo/mary/HTML/current.html
Use Designed for foreign language students
Delivery Requires skills in the use communication tools in a WebCT and skills in the development of roleplay scenarios. WebCT or similar Learning Management System.
Customisation This site provides a model of a roleplay delivered in WebCT.
Availability  

The Christmas Party from Hell

This is a role-play simulation about sexual harassment in the workplace. The purpose was to raise awareness of sexual harassment policy and procedures.

Source The Christmas Party from Hell by Marie Jasinski and Roni Linser
URL This website has been recently taken offline. With permission, we have provided a mirrored copy of the original website
Use The purpose was to raise awareness of sexual harassment policy and procedures amongst TAFE staff
Delivery This roleplay uses the Fablusi software. Facilitators require training in the use of Fablusi softwareand in the development and delivery of roleplays.
Customisation NA
Availability NA

Direct and control traffic - Record vehicle incident

This task asks students to read the notebook entries from a security guard who witnessed an accident and prepare relevant reports. They take part in a debrief role-play.

Source The Christmas Party from Hell by Marie Jasinski and Roni Linser
URL http://tle.tafevc.com.au/toolbox/items/8e068696-4b24-3dd2-52c8-e8424b9465cd/1/ViewItem.jsp?
Use Security Students undertaking the Certificate II in Security and Investigative Services delivery
Delivery Can be delivered using a CD or loaded into a Learning Management System such as Moodle, Janisons or Blackboard.
Customisation The material in this Toolbox has been developed to allow for customisation.
Availability Available for preview and download from the Toolbox Learning Object Repository.

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Why include online roleplays?

Online roleplays create a simulated environment allows learners to consider authentic situations in a safe environment. Learners are involved in engaging and experiential learning.

Features

  • participants are allocated roles to act out within a scenario
  • participants solve problems that are introduced within the course of the roleplay
  • participants and facilitators take part in a debriefing stage, either online or in a face-to-face situation.
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Integrating online roleplays

Design steps

In the planning and design stage the teacher/designer will have to :

  1. Set up scenarios.
  2. Allocate roles. Each stakeholder role will have different issues and perspectives on the scenario. The roleplay moderator may provide all the details of the particular role OR the participant may be required to use research skill to find out about their character.
  3. Consider providing selective information to each participant. The moderator/designer may provide some participants with 'secret' information which is not available to all participants. This creates hierarchies and tensions within the roleplays.
  4. Provide resource materials for learners to manipulate and research. The website or Learning Management System used for the roleplay may include a section with useful resources for each character to access. These can include a variety of content and character information that can take the form of videos, podcasts and web-based content.
  5. provide a range of communication tools for the participants to communicate both synchronously and asynchronously (discussion forums, private topics, chats, emails, wikis, blogs).

The effectiveness of the roleplay will also largely depend on the debriefing stage. Following the roleplay timeline the teacher spends significant time in the online debriefing . This may take more time than the actual roleplay. The debriefing session can happen face-to-face or within an online discussion forum or virtual classroom. Some questions you may wish to ask during the debriefing phase are:

  • How did you feel during the roleplay?
  • What did you learn?
  • Did you form any alliances?
  • Did you need to compromise?
  • What sort of communication skills did you need to use?
  • What did you learn about the subject matter of the roleplay?

Additional resources to assist in the development of role plays are available at http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/guides/info/G1/index.htm

Assessment

There are many ways that you could build assessment into the roleplay. This may include:

  • self assessment which is negotiated with the learner prior to the roleplay and may involve detailing the skills, attributes and capacities that the learner will attempt to demonstrate during the course of the roleplay
  • teacher assessment based on a predetermined rubric of skills and knowledge
  • Use of Online Self and Peer Assessment Tools
  • reflective journal or blog by learners on the roleplay experience.

Technical notes

The roleplay takes place in either a dedicated roleplay software package, such as Fabulusi, or in a learning platform such as Blackboard or WebCT which can be configured to creat the roleplay environment. Often these software packages are set up to replicate the proposed environment and include spaces that allow for different types of communication between participants. These may include coffee shops, libraries, newspaper offices, Human Resources department etc. If you are using a learning management system you can creat these spaces in the discussion forum.

Skills

Facilitators of online roleplays will need to have skills in a range of areas:

  • development of roles, scenarios, assessment criteria
  • online moderation and facilitation skills
  • ability to develop an online environment to host the roleplay
  • Online Self and Peer Assessment frameworks
  • debriefing skills.
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See also

From the Framework

More resources from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

Tools and resources

Social bookmark for this strategy

http://del.icio.us/designelearn/roleplay

Last modified: 11/6/08