Teaching Group Work At a Distance Using An Asynchronous Online Role-Play Joanne Levine MPH, DSW, LCSW- R, Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Interim)

SUNY, Empire State College Center for Distance LearningSaratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866

INTRODUCTION THE ONLINE ROLE-PLAY EXERCISE

SUGGESTED GUIDELINES

The current mental health and educational

landscapes are colored by helping

professionals, mental health consumers, and

students engaged in online activity. There is a

proliferation of online self-help and support

groups with thousands of participants while in

the educational arena online learning continues

to expand both in numbers and innovative

modes of delivery.

Role-play has been used as an experiential

method in education for many years.

(Crookwell et al, 1987; Jones, 2007). Role –

play therefore helps participants change and

grow regarding knowledge about themselves

and their psychosocial environment by

engaging in an experiential and interactive

experience . This experience constructs new

knowledge by challenging participants to

modify their preexisting conceptions

(Roschelle, 2010) .

This poster is based on having developed

and taught this online course and my article in

Groupwork::

Levine, J.(2013).Teaching groupwork at a

distance using an asynchronous online role-

play. Groupwork. 23 (1), 56-72

STUDENTS’ REFLECTIONS

• Students’ reported that the role –play

increased their knowledge and skills about

group work practice through both theory

and practice.

• The role –play, an experiential and

interactive exercise, challenged their

preconceptions about groups while learning

new skills and knowledge.

• Students also felt that being part of a group

experience gave them insight into how their

clients would feel throughout the various

group stages .

• The peer supervision role-play further

enabled students to discuss issues in

managing group dynamics while

simultaneously learning theory and skills.

“ This course has also given me some

insights into my own behavior in a group. I

have learned from some of my fellow

students how to respond appropriately and

sometimes I have witnessed responses that I

would not want to emulate.”

“ I know that even if group members aren't

looking at me as someone who can help

them, they are still watching every move I

make and that I need to be aware of what I

say, how I say it…”

•Decide if the role-play will be synchronous or

asynchronous – consider time zones and

schedules and can poll students about their

preferences.

•Allow ample time for students’ preparation for

the role-play and introduce this only after

foundational knowledge of group dynamics

and states have been discussed.

•Require students who are discussing “real”

groups to remove all identifying information.

•Establish boundaries; this is a role-play not an

therapy group.

•Provide the class with clear description of

what the role-play will be about, the duration,

and detailed descriptions of the characters,

including that of the instructor. https://moodle.esc.edu/course/index.php?categoryid=4

REFERENCES

Crookwell, D, Oxford, R., & Saunders, D. (1987). Towards a reconceptualization of simluation: From representation to reality. Simulation Games for Learning. 17 (4),147-171

Jones, S. (2007). Adding value to online role - plays: Virtual situated learning environments. Proceedings Australasian Society for Computers in Tertiary Education Singapore , 468- 477

Levine, J.(2013).Teaching groupwork at a distance using an asynchronous online role-play. Groupwork. 23 (1), 56-72

Roschelle, J. (2010). Learning in Interactive Environments: Prior knowledge and new experience. Retrieved from:http://www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/resources/museameducation/priorknowledge.html

• Students enrolled in an upper level

undergraduate course on group work

theory and practice were randomized into

small groups for participation in a six

week asynchronous online peer

supervision group role-play.

• The instructor had two roles: course

instructor and also participated in the role -

play as the mental health team coordinator.

• The online role-play was a peer

supervision group for group workers

discussing either a fictitious group or

actual group they were facilitating.

• Topics included: how to establish trust in

their groups, how to handle intense

feelings and conflicts that emerge in their

groups, and termination issues.

• The peer supervision role – play was

structured so that it complemented the

course lectures and readings about group

dynamics and stages of group

development. This includes viewing a

DVD (Groups in Action --Student Media

Workbook, Corey & Corey ) where

students viewed group work skills

demonstrated in various stages of a group.