Surinder recently passed an article along to me documenting a case study of an asynchronous online role-play used in a university setting. The article set my thoughts in motion about the Leading Virtually blog and my own thinking regarding training, leadership development, and learning in virtual environments in general. We at Leading Virtually obviously believe that virtual teams can be trained and highly functioning using communication media. Not only can virtual teams be trained online, but training is often critical for virtual team success. In her recent post, Betsy discussed the necessity and demand for training for virtual team members. We have also discussed at length how many of the features available in virtual worlds might be especially effective for training and leadership development. But what if an organization or a virtual team doesn’t have access to a graphical virtual world with avatars and 3-D space, or even a way to consistently communicate in real time? Is it possible to bring involvement and effective training/learning to virtual team members? How? I think that the role-play documented in the above article gives one example of how it can be done.
In this post I discuss:
- the experiential learning cycle,
- effective experiences for learning, and
- an example of a role-play that can be conducted asynchronously
Experiential learning & experiences for learning
Exercises like role-playing are unique learning tools because they allow the learner to engage in experiential learning rather than passively accepting information that is given to him/her. The experiential learning cycle describes an active learning process whereby knowledge or understanding is derived from one’s experiences and reflection on those experiences. Kolb’s experiential learning cycle describes a 4 stage learning process, beginning with concrete experience. The learner then reflects on that experience, makes generalizations based on the reflection, tries out new behaviors, which leads back to concrete experience and starts the cycle over again. The experiential learning cycle is contrary to many currently used training and teaching methods–especially the use of PowerPoint slides, or voice-over PowerPoint slides in the case of many online trainings, to deliver information to trainees. While PowerPoint slides might deliver needed information, they don’t require the learner to engage his/her thought processes in a manner relevant to his/her own experiences.
Experiences needn’t be elaborate in order to stimulate reflection and thinking, but they should be relevant to trainees and what they are trying to learn. In his article on learning and games, James Paul Gee describes effective learning experiences as those that:
- are structured by specific goals,
- are interpreted during and after,
- provide immediate feedback to the person,
- give opportunities to apply previous experiences/feedback for improved performance, and
- allow learners to learn from the experiences and interpretations of others as well.
While some of these criteria, such as providing opportunities to apply previous experiences and feedback for improved performance, might be better achieved in a detailed, graphic, and synchronous communication setting, such as a virtual world (think of a flight simulator that allows the pilot to learn from her crashes), many of these criteria can be met even in asynchronous environments such as a wiki, bulletin board or online training site.
Virtual teams will inevitably face various constraints that limit the opportunities for synchronous communication among team members. Additionally, many online training modules are still run on platforms that only allow for asynchronous posts for discussion and dissemination of information. So, developing a repertoire of activities that engage trainees and can be used in various media types is important for successful virtual teams and virtual team leaders.
Sample Role-Play
This brings me back to that article that Surinder sent my way. The authors describe a role play that was used on an asynchronous discussion site used for a course for newly appointed professors placed into small groups. Although this particular role-play was designed for faculty and centered around grading policies (a highly relevant topic to the target group), a similar role-play could be adapted for other needs. In the role-play, participants were assigned different roles randomly such as a student, dean of students, faculty member, and concerned citizen. Participants were to discuss the topic at hand through playing their assigned roles in “letters to the editor” posted on the course site. The letters were supposed to bring critical discussion and debate to the topic from the differing point of views in order to bring a well-rounded understanding of the issue to the new teachers. Although more studies will need to be done, preliminary examination of this case indicated that the role-play was generally effective in bringing understanding of the topic, getting participants involved, bringing some empathy for others, allowing participants to learn from each other, and, because of anonymity, allowing some participants to feel more comfortable to speak out with their views.
The sample role-play the authors presented could easily be adapted for leadership training or training for working in virtual teams. The topic of discussion can be changed to one relevant to the team as well as the roles that participants play. Making the participants play the roles of different stakeholders in a virtual team project (e.g., leader, follower, sponsor, supporting staff, etc.) could be effective in bringing a more well-rounded understanding of virtual team issues to all participants and help them make well-informed and optimal decisions. This type of role-play could be very useful for virtual teams whose projects have consequences beyond their immediate teams or divisions.
Role-play is one mechanism that virtual teams and virtual team leaders can use to creatively enhance team member training and learning. Although an asynchronous communication medium might lack some of the more beneficial features available in a synchronous, graphical medium, such as a virtual world, it is still possible for virtual teams to have experiential learning opportunities through exercises such as role-play.
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6 users commented in " Role-Playing for Virtual Team Training "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbackwell role playing is so much important. I simply love them.
Useful article. Two things occur to me:
First, Kolb’s view of learning as a cycle, and the applicability of this, is hotly contested. Other models of adult learning abound, and its worth looking at the comments on Kolb at http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm. However, the contention that reflecting on experience is useful, and that multiple types of learning are useful, is a fairly safe idea. Its just that rather than a cycle it happens all the time all at once.
Second, Role Play - I also love role play, I think it is a great way of thinking differently, gaining confidence and skills. However, its drawback is that the learning is not situated, so “real play” might be better in some situations - playing yourself with a real situation, with others acting out parts that fit into that situation.
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Thanks for your comments.
Chris, thank you for bringing up the controversy around Kolb’s learning cycle and posting the link. Your comment helps me clarify what I was trying to say implicitly. I completed my master’s in a program based on experiential learning, using Kolb’s theory extensively to guide courses. The reflection aspect was very useful, and I think the usefulness of the cycle model is that it helps trainers/teachers keep in mind the cognitive work that learners do in order to learn. The problem, from my experience ;), is when teachers rely too much on it and assume that making us reflect is the gateway to all learning. So, reflection alone is not sufficient, but it is useful. However, there is a complex process that goes on for people when learning–and it might be different for everyone. Opportunities for more than reflection have to be made available as well for a successful course based on experiential learning–which is why I found Gee’s list of important criteria for good learning experiences useful.
Your second thought on situated learning is also an important point. I think the lesson here is that we can’t just throw activities at people and expect that they work because they are fun activities. Instead they have to be thought about and chosen with some mindfulness of the ultimate objectives–is it to give people confidence, expand creativity, open up new perspectives, or teach a concrete lesson about a topic. Each objective might be better suited to different activities such as role play, simulation, or real play.
Your comment has stimulated my thinking on this topic.
By the way, I forgot to mention that if you read Gee’s full article, he discusses the situated learning matrix at well. I found it to be a useful article.
I really enjoyed reading this article. The simple fact is that Role Plays and reflection are one of the best ways for, especially adult learners, to gain and retain new skills and dialog for any purposes.
I work for a company that has a patented learning module using the role play learning technique and a voice recognition engine to simulate role plays on one’s own computer.
Keep up the great posts and check out our website if your interested in finding more information.
www.dialogcoach.com
thanks.
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