Week Eight Role Play Strategy

       Week Eight

           Role Play Short History

     The founder of the role play is Physician Jacob L. Moreno (1889-1974) in Vienna.             The    term "role" comes from the "rolled-up" script actors used to use over two thousand years ago in Ancient Greece. It is very important to use role play in the classroom while teaching because it is fun and motivating, the quieter students get the chance to express themselves in a more forthright way, and the world of the classroom is broadened to include the outside world, teaching communication skills, Develop students' self-confidence, self-esteem and self-image and encourage students to take a deep approach to learning (Cope & Horan, 1996). Role play will help the students to learn and understand more about the particular topic.

           Definition

          Role playing is unprepared, unrehearsed dramatization. By role playing situations the  participants are able to “rehearse the future.” (Grambs and carr, 1991, p.184).

          Principles of role play

               > The principle behind role-playing is that the student assumes a particular personality of a different person, such as a historical character.

                > According to Jones(1982), students “must   accept the duties and responsibilities of their roles and function, and do the best they can in the situation in which they find themselves.”

                   Roles of teacher

                  :) Instructor

                  :) Provides accessories for play

                  :) Spectator

                  :) Feedback provider

                  :) Let the student play the role, where the child is comfortable.

                  :) Facilitator 

                   :) Participant

       Role of students

• Active listener

•Seek guidance from advisor

•Assume responsibility for your own learning

•Develop effective interaction with teacher

•Evaluate and judge your own performance

•Spectator and provides feedback

 Purpose of Role play

         i.To stimulate interest among the students.

              Children have always enjoyed learning through mimicking and duplicating the actions of others including their parents and peers.

       ii. For long term retention (learning by acting).

              People enjoy playing, especially young people. If the students are already motivated to play, learning through play would become even easier.

        iii. For cognitive learning method (critical thinking).

             Role playing encourages the use of critical thinking because it involves analyzing and problem solving, there fore role play is a cognitive learning method.

        iv. Role playing teaches many lessons.

             Some of the most important lessons. It teaches  the lessons that are needed in  society, competition, cooperation and empathy.

         v.  For the exchange of knowledge.

              Role play allows for the exchange of knowledge between students.                                The teacher is also able to see the various capabilities of students at the same time.

  

           Procedural-steps in enacting the role play

             1.Warm up group.

          In a role play, a group has to be formed and needs to choose a situation for a role play, in which situation they are going to play and also how they are going to play.

2. Select participants.

   It has to select the participants for the role play individually about what role they want to take.

For example. If we play a role in situation of animals, then have to select who wants to take a role of a cow, dog, buffalo, tiger etc…

3. Set the stage.

  Stage needs to be prepared unlike usual ones. Moreover what need to prepare is   how the individual roles are going to act and speak according to the particular role that they are taking.

4. Prepare the observer.

    When the role is going to play there also need to have some public watching the play. And also need to have observer or judge to observe and note down how far the role players can act and speak accordingly and also what mistakes they are committing because they need to improve next time.

4.Enact

  Here it is playing a role in reality according to the particular roles that the individuals took.

6. Discuss and evaluate.

    Discuss about the positive and negative feedback’s but mainly focuses on the negative points.

7. Re-enact.

    After making perfections against the mistakes that they made, again they are going to enact the role- play.

8. Share experience and generalize.

    Needs to share about what good experience that they gained after acting such a role-play. Good experiences like working in team/groups, cooperation with friends, confidence and etc… also need to convey the message to the public that, what moral they gained from the roles they took.

  

Advantage of Role Play Strategy 

1. Student interest in the topic is raised.
2. Active Participation.
3. Long-term retention.
4. It enhances communication and interpersonal skills.
5. Can be used with individuals or in group situations.
6. It teaches empathy and understanding of different perspectives. It help individuals to learn to accept both their own feelings and those of others.
7. Develops confidence and self-efficacy.
8. Provides teacher immediate feedback about the learner’s understanding and ability to apply concepts. 

Demerits of Role-play Strategy
1. Role play may awaken previously subdued or suppressed emotions.
2. Less effective in large groups (Chaos).
3. Teacher must accept her new role where she/he does not dominate the class anymore.
4. Embarrassment for some students.
5. Can lack focus unless well planned and monitored.
6. Can be unpredictable in terms of outcomes.
7. Can be time-consuming.