All the world’s a stage? Consequences of a role-playing pedagogy on psychological factors and writing and rhetorical skill in college undergraduates.

Abstract

Reacting to the Past is a pedagogy involving collaborative role playing in history-based games over a semester. This article presents results from a systematic assessment of this novel pedagogy conducted in 3 phases following student focus group interviews. Interviews indicated that the method was generally popular compared with traditional pedagogies, although several concerns about the course were raised. Quasi-experimental procedures were then used to examine consequences of the pedagogy on psychosocial variables and skill development at both the host (Phase 1) and affiliated (Phase 2) institutions. In both phases, students in Reacting to the Past showed elevated self-esteem and empathy, a more external locus of control, and greater endorsement of the belief that human characteristics are malleable compared with controls. Rhetorical skills were enhanced, but writing skills were unaffected. Phase 3 investigated individual differences in predicting course enjoyment and performance. Although individual differences correlated with enjoyment of the pedagogy, they were generally unrelated to grades received. These findings suggest that this role-playing pedagogy adds diversity to student experience while producing some beneficial psychological consequences and improvement in academic skills.

21: The Reacting to the Past Pedagogy and Engaging the First-Year Student

“…Specifically, faculty noted that Reacting to the Past was "very effective" or "effective" in producing student learning or skill development in the following areas: inquiry and analysis (96.2 percent), oral communication (96.1 percent), critical thinking (96.1 percent), integrative learning (92.4 percent), and teamwork (90.6 percent). Faculty also gave Reacting high marks in developing effective learning outcomes for written communication (86.75), knowledge of human cultures (88.7 percent), civic knowledge of democracy (86.5 percent), and ethical reasoning (75.5 percent) (Higbee, 2008;Stroessner, Beckerman, & Whittaker, 2009).…”

“…Students find the Reacting pedagogy empowering. While intellectually challenging, this method opens new avenues for students to safely explore different points of view (Stroessner et al, 2009). Sometimes the experience can be unnerving, but most students rise to the occasion and appreciate the opportunity to take control of their learning process.…”

A game of faith: Role‐playing games as an active learning strategy for value formation and faith integration in the theological classroom

“…This increase in empathetic abilities for students who engage in role‐playing is supported by more than just qualitative research. A recent quantitative study found that students who took a first‐year seminar course utilizing role‐playing pedagogy demonstrated a slight increase in their levels of empathy compared to their peers in other first‐year seminar courses who actually suffered a slight decrease in their levels of empathy (Stroessner, Beckerman, & Whittaker, ). Similar findings appear in a study of medical school students where roughly half demonstrated a decline in their empathetic capacities through the course of their training (Hojat et al, ; cited in Goleman, , 113).…”

The Role of Social Group Membership on Classroom Participation

“…Active learning—instructional methods that engage students in learning, rather than simply treating students as passive vessels to be filled with knowledge through lectures—can increase motivation (Hensley 1993), foster student learning (Stroessner, Beckerman, and Whittaker 2009), and improve communication skills (Prince 2004). In order to foster active learning, many political science departments break large lectures down into smaller, weekly tutorial groups.…”