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They can be used in conjunction with authentic
learning environments to provide students with
the opportunity to develop “real world” skills
(Jones, 2006; 2007). For example, in the context
of human services practice there is growing use of
the online environment such as in online human
services counselling (Chechele & Stofle, 2003;
Goss &Anthony, 2003). This type of development
makes online training even more relevant to the
authentic learning experience of human services
students.
Some role-plays can be played out anony-
mously which may have benefits for participa-
tion in that players are not inhibited (Bell, 2001).
However, there is a need to carefully monitor
online behaviour in anonymous contexts (Chester
& Gwynne, 1998) due to the possibilities of anti-
social behaviour. There may be designs where
combinations of the use of technology and face-to-
face role-plays are utilised. For example, Dracup
(2008) reports on a blended learning approach
where character information and background is
electronically distributed to students prior to role-
plays in a face-to-face environment. This approach
highlighted the benefits of students engaging in
storytelling through role-plays. Online role-plays
can also be used in field practicum settings to pro-
vide assessable tasks that provide the opportunity
for interaction and reflective dialogue with other
students and field tutors (Ogivlie & Douglas,
2007). Role-playing online can be used to assist
students to develop ethical practice in contexts
such as public relations (Demetrious, 2007).
In a survey of assessment used in the online
environment Byrnes and Ellis (2006) found that
online role-plays formed only a small part of the
assessment for university subjects. This may be
due to the extensive time usually required to set up
online role-plays and the fact that these are mostly
customised to particular learning disciplines and
contexts (Wills & McDougall, 2008). However,
even given the length of time setting up a role-play
of this nature there are unique benefits including
the slower pace of the environment which can
enable students to give more time to the applica-
tion of a particular theoretical approach (Douglas,
2007a; Wills & McDougall, 2008). Limitations
of role-plays online relate to the lack of visual
cues (Spencer & Hardy, 2008) but students can be
briefed regarding the need to provide visual cues
through symbols. Potentially students could use
such symbols as a sad face to replicate non-verbal
and body language responses. Students unfamil-
iar with technology may also need to be briefed
how best to use technology and the possibility of
the technology breaking down (Douglas, 2007b;
Spencer & Hardy, 2008).
laurillarD'S “converSational
frameWork”
A theorist who provides a framework for teach-
ing in the online environment is Diana Laurillard
(2002). Her work has been widely used in online
learning and teaching and we have applied her ap-
proach when developing a range of online role-play
models and strategies. According to Laurillard it
is rhetoric, dialogue with a student, which is the
key to learning generally and in particular in the
online environment. There is no certainty that
utilising dialogue will ensure learning in the online
context, but it is a principled approach that gives
us the best opportunity to give rise to learning.
Interaction is important to this approach. Students
and teacher are involved in the dialogue and the
process is a partnership in learning. To achieve
this kind of dialogue Laurillard offers a “conver-
sational framework” of four parts. These parts are
described as: discursive, adaptive, interactive and
reflective (Laurillard, 2002). By utilising Lauril-
lard's conversational framework we ensure that
there is a structured approach to online role-plays.
As indicated earlier in this chapter other role-play
simulation designs tend to be more open-ended in
their organisation (see for example McLaughlan
& Kirkpatrick, 2008, p. 301). We have chosen a
structured learning and teaching design to allow
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