I'm a Believer

Our Digital Ning role-play was just plain fun; I felt like a little girl again pretending and trying on ideas and roles.   The creative personalities of our characters, wit, and play on words are fascinating.  It felt safe and freeing to take some risks with thoughts and writing styles when in the role.  As others stretched their roles it encouraged more creatively in return and permission to be a bit more in character as Dr. Liam Mulvehill.

Besides learning about the topic of digital use it freed me to think more expansively.  When writing I’d start with an idea from my character’s position and outlook and while looking for information to support it would find that it needed to be modified to be substantiated.   The same thing happened as I read other posts. As a high engagement learning process using collaboration to share ideas, information, positions, and creativity, it’s made me a believer not only of role plays as a classroom tool but the power of the interactive space to change learning.  This was not a worksheet or essay in virtual space.  Searching the net it seems that higher ed is taking a lead in this area with conferences posted at EdITLib, blogs, books such as Creating Thinking Professionals: Teaching and Learning about Professional Practice Using Interactive Technology.   Wikipedia has a section called Roleplay simulation but lacks resources.  The articles we read for class should be there and maybe some of our reflections!

I’ll be interested to learn how deeply the teacher monitors and evaluates the depth of discussion and authenticity of links?  How do students self evaluate?  Do group members give feedback to each other based on the rubric and then use that feedback in their self-evaluations?