Experiential Based Roleplays for Social Awareness (cont'd.)
Scarcella (1978) outlines ten distinct phases for
implementing socio-dramas in the classroom. This activity uses many of her suggested
stages, but omits "audience preparation" and an explicit overview of
the various roles prior to the simulation. I felt it was better for students to
operate in a "black box" and discover what their various roles were as they went
along. Although this is requires more role-negoiatation than situations in which
roles are clearly expounded prior to the enactment, it is closer to real life.
It is worth noting that not all of the activities in this lesson are roleplays.
Instead of immediately jumping into a simulation, a degree of warm up is necessary.
Some classes, in fact, need so much warm up that it might be better to carry this
activity over two lessons. One warm up option is to have students
design the thirty or so "consequence cards" which are placed on the floor. Based
on their understanding (and research) of landmines, they can decide which
roles to create. Although this would lack the spontaneity of a "black box" approach,
using student-generated roles has other advantages.
Student performance seems to vary during experiential roleplays.
Salisbury (1970: 331) comments that the gamelike nature of roleplays
allow students to try on new behaviors without social penalties. For some, adopting a
new persona during a roleplay makes speaking easier. Other students are uncomfortable
in their new roles. Discomfort, however, can be an integral part of the learning process.
The landmine simulation, for example, was not designed for comfort. Few of the roles
people living in a country torn by civil war experience are comfortable. The roleplay
was designed to challenge participants out of their complacency.
In addition to the handicap and landmine awareness simulations
mentioned in this article, there are numerous other options. Since 1959 OxFam
has been sponsoring hunger banquets in which the world's food allocation
is reflected in what the participants eat. Basicaly, any sort of situation can
provide material for a roleplay. If that situation is relevant to the students,
the roleplay has a better chance of seeming meaningful. Instead of merely representing
language in novel ways, experiential based roleplays are meant to present novel situations
which challange our vistas of life. Roleplay activities may seem foreign at first,
but in that foreignness participants often find new dimensions
of themselves. Simulations can point out how "identity" itself is contextual
and dynamic, rather than passive, monolithic, or rigid.
The relationship between simulation and presentation is an interesting one.
When the focus is on heightening the emotional sensitivity to an issue,
roleplays are often effective. When the focus is on acquiring background
information and detailed facts, other modes of presentation may be more
effective. Too often teachers provide detailed information about a subject
before securing an adequate interest level.
Conclusion and Further Resources
Kelly (1997) notes experiential learning activities
are not widely used in ESOL classes. Experimental pedagogy is at odds with
the prevailing educational paradigm which values the memorization of facts
and "hard" information. Unlike methodologies
which value standardization, experiential learning simulations tend to
vary significantly from time to time. For this reason grading is difficult
and the insights which arise in one group discussion may not appear in another.
An excellent source for further information about experiential
learning is the National Society for Experiential
Education out of Raleigh, N.C. Founded in 1971, this organization has
over 2,000 members and publishes a quarterly journal,
as well as many resource books.
They also hold conferences each autumn.
One of the best sources of information about visual handicaps is at
www.hicom.net/~oedipus/blind.html.
The Deaf Linx page of Amy Frasuis widely recognised as
the best source of information about auditory handicaps. Good information
about various physical handicaps can be found at the Disability Resources and Information Page.
For information about world hunger, I recommend
www.htchp.orp/hun.htm [Expired Link].
Perhaps the most useful online source of information about landmines is
available at www.care.org/newscenter/landmines/index.html [Expired Link].
It takes a degree of courage to experiment with experiential based learning
activities in class, but the rewards can be remarkable. In an age of apathy and
cynicism with education in general, it is exciting to see genuine interest in
timely issues.
References
Boud, D., Keogh, R.. & Walker, D. (Eds.) (1985).
Reflection: Turning experience into learning. London: Kogan Page.
(Nicols Publishing).
Keeton, M., Tate, P. (1978). The Boom in Experiential Learning. In M. Keeton & P. Tate (Eds.) Learning
by experience: What, why, how. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
Keller, H. (1933, January). Three days to see. Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 119.
Kolb, D. A. & Fry, R. (1975). Toward an applied theory of experiential learning". In C. Cooper & L. Carey
Theories of group processes. New York, Wiley.
Kohonen, V. (1992). Experiential language learning: Towards second language learning as learner education.
In D. Nunan (Ed.), Collaborative language learning and teaching. (pp. 14-39).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Munsell, J. A. (1995). Powell's journey: Canyon as teacher - A model for experiential education.
Master's Research Paper, Mankato State University. pp. 8-35.
quoted in M. Coats. "Experiential Education Homepage." [Online] Available:
www.missouri.edu/~c691304/biblio.htm. [Expired Link]
Newfields, T. (1994). Handicap awareness training: A pilot project. Tokai University Bulletin
20, 77 - 82. Available: www.tnewfields.info/Articles/handi.htm [1998, Jan. 26].
Salisbury, L. (1970). Role playing: Rehearsal for language change.
TESOL Quarterly, 4 (4). 331 - 336.
Scarcella, R. C. (1978). Socio-drama for social interaction. TESOL Quarterly, 12 (1),
41 - 45.
Torbert, W. R. (1972). Learning from experience: Toward consciousness. Columbia University Press, New York.
Tourunen, E. (1992). Educating relfective system designers by using the experiential learning model.
Presentation at IFIP W.G. on Jul 13-17, 1992 in Singapore. [Online]. Available:
www.cs.jyu.fi/~eero/info/singap.html. [Expired Link]
Scarcella (1978) outlines ten distinct phases for
implementing socio-dramas in the classroom. This activity uses many of her suggested
stages, but omits "audience preparation" and an explicit overview of
the various roles prior to the simulation. I felt it was better for students to
operate in a "black box" and discover what their various roles were as they went
along. Although this is requires more role-negoiatation than situations in which
roles are clearly expounded prior to the enactment, it is closer to real life.