Exploring Interpersonal Dynamics Through Role Play

Abstract

Exploring Interpersonal Dynamics Through Role Play provides educators with the foundational materials required to facilitate simulations for students and professionals. Simulations offer an intensive form of experiential learning and professional development, allowing participants to apply concepts to practical scenarios in real time. Much like real life, participants initially have limited information and time to prepare, but can experience how a situation might play out, experiment with their own responses, and reflect on their performance individually or in groups in a safer, low-stakes environment, before encountering a similar situation in their careers. Simulations provide rich opportunities for learner-driven dialogue, critical analysis, and engagement. Although many instructors like the idea of simulations, they may not know where to start, and live-actor or fully digital simulations can be costly to develop and to run. The simulations offered here create an inexpensive and effective experience to engage participants in real-time simulations and can be customized by the instructor with course-specific content. Each template consists of notes to the facilitator including set-up, the foundational scenario and initial prompts for participants, notes for debriefing both interpersonal elements and issues revealed during role play, resources, readings, and assignment suggestions. These textual materials are supported by videos portraying how a scenario might be established, how it might evolve, and how a post-simulation debrief might run. Between them, the contributors have decades of simulation experience they are excited to share with a broader audience via this open learning resource.