1. 8 DIMENSIONS Characteristics of Role Play Design – 77 design decisions Political Science Online Role Play
DESIGNERS Designed by a team: Multi-discipline Multi-institution Educational developers
Branding/naming 
CONTEXT Student enrolment status: All on-campus All off-campus Mixed Cross Campus Cross Institutional Cross Disciplinary Cross Borders
Total duration including online and f2f components plus final assessment task 5 weeks
Duration of online role play interaction only 3 weeks
Function of f2f with teacher: Briefing & role adoption Computer lab time scheduled Regular progress meetings scheduled Regular meetings
scheduled in role Culminates in peace delegation or formal meeting in role to aid consensus
Culminates in presentation but not necessarily in role Culminates in a debrief
Approximate number of students in largest class 340
ROLES Maximum number of roles 15
Type of role: Stakeholder organization Stakeholder organization - name changed or removed or composite to protect identity
Stakeholder title Stakeholder title & fictitious name Real person Real person - name changed Real person – historical
Fictional Private agendas as well as public agendas
Students publish role profile: None Position statement only Profile “in” role Profile “about” role
Student chooses own role 
Roles are played anonymously 
Moderator plays “in role” 
Students in multiple roles 
Teams play one role:  note: team members are thus not anonymous to each other Single site Multi site
PROBLEM Types of scenario: Real & current Based on real world Real & historical Fictional Multiple Episodes
Daily News Money Transactions
ASSESSMENT Role play optional e.g. can opt out & take exam instead 
Percentage of total assessment 35%
MODERATION Resolution process: Moderator decides Moderator in role decides One student role decides
Derole & Debrief: Stay in role Face to face group debrief Videotaped group debrief Written reflection
Permission needed from moderator for some actions 
Tutors as extra moderators 
Interventionist moderator 
RULES Participant obligations 
Private meeting spaces 
SUPPORT Student Guide 
Moderator Guide 
Team building activities 
Materials or Learning Objects provided: Real documents Fictional documents Grey literature (from academic’s research)
Based on real world Created by students Multimedia/video
Platform: LMS Yahoo/Hotmail Custom built in-house Hosted service e.g. Fablusi Second Life/3D Virtual World
1