Peggy Kerr
Abstract
I use a role-play simulation to help my students, who are higher education faculty or aspiring higher education faculty, gain skills in addressing their students’ difficult questions and statements.The simulation activity is applicable across various disciplines.
Handling challenging student questions or statements is a task that no teacher finds inherently easy. However, by practicing thoughtful responses, educators can effectively reduce the stress associated with such interactions. In the first course my students, higher education faculty or aspiring higher education faculty, take in the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Doctoral Program, I use simulation to enable students to practice these important interpersonal skills. I call this lesson, “Facilitating Supportive Conversations,” and the objective is to empower my students, whose experiences with students vary widely, with the ability to respond to difficult and demanding statements and questions posed by the individuals they are instructing, fostering a supportive and constructive environment.
Role-Play Activity
Groups receive challenging questions.I begin the lesson by dividing my students into groups of three or four. I like to group experienced and inexperienced faculty with each other to help facilitate peer learning. If students have a background in counseling, I assign them among different groups because they use strong interpersonal communication skills in their profession and can be a helpful example to others. I ask my students to discuss with their group, challenging questions or statements their students often ask or state. I guide them to focus on general topics for this assignment, rather than those that are specific to their discipline.
Theory supports this part of the learning strategy in several ways. The discussion lays the foundation for the deeper learning outcome “thinking carefully/critically, and creatively for challenge-solving” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2) because the students are identifying their own problems to solve. According to Zakrajsek and Nilson (2023), students learn best when the topic is relevant to their experiences; active engagement and group work help students “learn more efficiently” (p. 5).
Groups identify especially challenging questions. After my students have discussed the problematic questions and statements for a while, I ask them to identify their top three (or four if there are four members in a group), and record each one on a different paper that I provide. I color-code the papers so that each group has a different color for their set of papers to help avoid confusion when they pass the papers between groups. The strategy of working together to select the top issues reflects the first part of the deeper learning outcome “working collaboratively and independently” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2). In addition, when students are able to focus on a few salient problems, they have a lower cognitive load and can learn more easily (Zakrajsek & Nilson, 2023).
Examples of difficult questions group members believe students ask:
Why do I have to learn this?
How is this relevant to my life?
Will this be on the test?
Can I get extra credit?
Groups brainstorm responses to questions. Next, each group passes their papers with the questions on to the next group.The goal of the next group activity is to brainstorm possible responses and write their answers on the papers below the statements or questions.The groups may decide whether to do individual brainstorming first or just collaborate and brainstorm together on all of the responses. The groups pass their papers one more time to another group to continue the brainstorming with a new set of questions.The process of brainstorming answers alone and in the group supports the deeper learning outcome “working collaboratively and independently” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2). It also supports the finding that active engagement supports learning (Zakrajsek & Nilson, 2023).
Individuals prepare to role-play responding to a question. The groups pass the papers containing the statements, questions, and responses from the dual brainstorming sessions to a different group. Each individual chooses a paper to engage in a role-play scenario as the teacher. Students take time, reflecting on the role-play they chose, to select their favorite response, combination of responses, or come up with their own ideas.This phase of the assignment relates to the deeper learning outcome “acquiring and being able to use knowledge” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2) because the students will use the ideas shared from their peers in their role-play. Considering the impact of others’ ideas and connecting them to what they already know deepens learning, according to Zakrajsek and Nilson (2023).
Guided Meditation
Before we move into the role-play step, I have the students complete a three-minute guided meditation, called “I Am Enough” by Barbara Gibson (n.d.). I believe that doing this meditation helps the students feel calmer and more confident going into the role-play. This activity supports the deeper learning outcome “social-emotional competencies” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2).
Students enact supportive conversation, in response to a difficult question. Before students begin their simulations, I explain that the role-play is an opportunity to take chances, and learn from any aspect of it that does not go smoothly, so they are more prepared when they face similar challenges in real life. I reassure them that there are no right or wrong answers, only experiences from which to gain learning. I try to motivate my students with my “inspiration and enthusiasm” (Zakrajsek & Nilson, 2023, p. 5) so they go into the role-plays with a positive state of mind. This also supports students learning more effectively in a safe environment that “evokes emotional involvement” (p. 6).
The students then take turns playing the teacher in the role-play with other group members playing the student who makes the challenging statement or question. In the student role, authentic responses to the teacher’s reply are critical to get the most out of the exchange. Any group member who is not in the teacher or student role acts as an observer to share feedback about how the conversation went. Carrying out the role-plays facilitates the deeper learning outcome of “communicating effectively” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2).
I explain that the role-play is an opportunity to take chances, and learn from any aspect of it that does not go smoothly, so they are more prepared when they face similar challenges in real life.
Debriefing
Once each scenario is complete, I bring the whole class together to debrief the role-playing: what worked well, what was challenging, and what they learned from playing the teacher, student, and observer roles.The debriefing supports “targeted feedback to improve performance” (Zakrajsek & Nilson, 2023, p. 6), and in some cases, “making and correcting mistakes” (p.6). Students can apply this learning to their professional experience to achieve the “learning and living self-agency” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2) deeper learning outcome, in addition to the prior deeper learning outcomes cited for the activity.
Students often share how helpful it is to put themselves in students’ shoes to understand from where their questions or statements are coming. They also say they learn from how their peers acted in the teacher role, and they could feel how much they cared. We often discuss challenges they experienced in the communication, and how they can overcome them.
Resource for future reference. After class, I create a document that integrates the questions and answers the students came up with on their brainstorming papers so that they have a resource for future reference. This helps support the “learning and living self-agency” (Deeper Learning Journal of Practice, 2023, para. 2) deeper learning outcome.
Amount of Time Needed
The entire activity, including my presenting the activity, possibly responding to students’ questions about the activity’s process, and debriefing typically takes one-two hours. However, it depends on the size of the group and how many questions my students have. I have done it with partners in smaller groups, which is quicker than trios or quads. I try to move with the pace of the groups, checking in, to see if they are ready for the next step.
Time Allocation
Presenting the activity and possibly responding to my students’ process questions: 5-15 minutes, depending on the group.
Groups’ brainstorming: 5-10 minutes (with me checking in on student progress before moving on).
Groups receiving and discussing other groups’ students’ questions: 5-10 minutes each rotation to develop answers to questions (with me checking in on student progress before moving on).
Meditation: approximately 3 minutes.
Role playing: 20-40 minutes, depending on the number of students in each group.
Debriefing: 10-15 minutes, depending on available time
Further Ideas and Reflections
The concepts underpinning this simulation are applicable across various disciplines, where students need to use interpersonal communication. If students do not have enough experience to generate their own ideas for the role-play dialog, the faculty member could create the dialog for each role and have the students practice it in the role-play. Another support could be to provide sample dialog and have the students modify it to feel more comfortable. The faculty member could do a role-play demonstration for the class by taking on the more difficult role and acting it out with another student. This example could help students feel more comfortable trying the role on their own.
One of the most important aspects of the role-play is debriefing. Reinforcing what went well helps students feel a sense of accomplishment, and increases their likelihood of repeating positive communications. Discussing what could be done differently can help boost my students’ confidence to try a different approach in the future. Engaging in role-playing is a potent strategy to enhance students’ learning.
References
Deeper Learning Journal of Practice. (2023). Deeper Learning Journal of Practice: Practice-focused with
bridges to research. https://dljp.org
Gibson, B. (2021) I am enough. Insight Timer. Retrieved May 1, 2024 from https://insighttimer.com/zbarbarag/guided-meditations/i-am-enough-4
Zakrajsek, T.D., & Nilson, L. (2023) Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college
instructors (5th ed.). Jossey-Bass
Peggy Kerr, EdD is Assistant Professor, in the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Doctoral Program at Gwynedd Mercy University, Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. Peggy Kerr can be reached at Rosario.P@gmercyu.edu