One of the products that Digital Learning Systems P/L carries is a web-based role play simulation generator called Fablusi. As such, readers and discussants are advised that the moderator has a personal interest in the software referred to in this discussion.
This pre-discussion paper contains hyperlinks. Please follow the links as part of your preparation for the discussion.
Role play as a pedagogy is not new. Back in 1966, Gamson started using his SimSoc in classes and SimSoc has been used in a large number of institutes since. Information about how Gamson still runs his class (Spring 1998) at Boston College can be found at http://www2.bc.edu/~gamson/. Soft skill trainers have been using this methodology for decades. Some insights into the design of training simulations may be found in Ten Secrets of Successful Simulations and Ten "Mistakes" Commonly Made by Persons Designing Educational Simulations and Games.
I believe (and many others too -I am just too lazy to find the references) that recent advances in technology hold out great potential for role play simulation, including:
The web as a huge resource - thus enabling information-dense learning environment (see e.g. http://www.dls.au.com/papers/NEF_Reuse.htm)
The web as a communication layer to support collaborative learning
The ubiquitous availability of web browsers as a common platform for delivery.
It is no surprise that efforts are made to make role play available via the web. Notable examples of some recent attempts are: International Communication and Negotiation Simulations (ICONS) Project and Politics and International Relations in the modern Middle East at Macquarie University, Australia.The technology used behind the "Middle East simulation" was by customizing existing generic communication software, see http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/98/11/vincent-98-11-14.html.
A search on the web using "Role Play" as keyword reveals a large number of sites devoted to role play as a fantasy game in which players are engaged in adventures. These are typically "rule-based" games in which the software depends on some algorithm to determine the "strength" of the player as s/he encounters different fantasy creatures and engages in a fight for survival. In many cases, an element of chance is introduced into the game. By way of contrast, the examples cited in the last paragraph are "communication-based". The software environment does not provide "rules" to determine the consequence of a "move" and equally important, at the end of the exercise, there is not a game to win or lose. See a discussion of the three related concepts: simulation, games and contest. I would like to focus our discussion to role playing. Role playing is not a simulation in the sense of being rule driven. It is not a game, in the sense that there is no final winner or loser. It is also not a contest. I invite a discussion on how role playing may be useful in a teaching and learning environment.
Related Discussion Question: Is Role Playing a pedagogy that can be applied to disciplines beyond politics and soft skill training?
Early 1999, a generator, based on the abstraction that interactions are communicative events was developed to support the rapid creation of online role playing simulation. Although it was an evolving process (the generator is undergoing continuous development while real courses with real students were using the system) and there were numerous late nights modifying the system to meet new demands and needs, the simulation co-ordinator, Roni Linser admitted that without the generator, he would not be able to deliver the level of activities he was doing. Our pedagogical underpinning and engine experience have been reported.
Implicit in the design of any role playing activity is the definition of roles and starting scenario. The roles define the way a player will behave in the simulated world and the scenario creates the goals to pursue in the activities. In another paper, we have identified four foundations to building a learning environment for role playing activity:
Scaffolding (tasks that lead the players to achieve particular learning outcomes);
Resources (information that is subject matter and content specific provide either as reading material for the learners or to set up the scenario for the simulation);
Interaction facilities (sim-mail, sim-conferences and private chat rooms for communication); and
Social structure (framework that supports the rules for playing the game).
Related Discussion Question:: Are there other important fundamentals in an ideal simulation to support effective learning?
The foundations are supported by software tools such as sim-mail, sim-conferences, private chat rooms, tasks, information provided to different roles and rights in the sim-conferences.
Related Discussion Question: Interested readers may following this link to find out the features available to the role play generator and comment on whether the current feature set meets the requirement. Alternately, we can engage in an imaginative situation. We can articulate what are the ideal features to support the identified or additional foundations.
In April 2000, Fablusi, the new name of the generator, supported a 48-role simulation. In 3 weeks, the students generated nearly 3000 sim-mails, participated actively in 10 sim-conferences ranging from 130 messages in the "News Agencies", 50 in the "International forums" to less than 10 in some other sim-conferences.
In May 2000, Fablusi supported another 40-role simulation. Again in 3 weeks, the students generated over 4000 sim-mails, participated actively in 8 sim-conferences and created over 130 private chat rooms.
Related Discussion Question: This volume of activity means that mechanisms are needed to help the simulation coordinator run the simulation effectively. What are the ideal features that a simulation engine should have to support this level of teaching and learning?
During the discussion, I shall describe some planned features that will be available in the near future in Fablusi.
