The Power of Role-based e-Learning: Designing and Moderating Online Role Play

Written for educators seeking to engage students in collaboration and communication about authentic scenarios, The Power of Role-Based e-Learning offers helpful, accessible advice on the practice and research needed to design online role play. Drawing on the experiences of world-leading practitioners and citing an array of worldwide examples, it is a readable, non-technical, and comprehensive guide to the design, implementation, and evaluation of this exciting teaching approach.

Issues discussed include:

• designing effective online role plays
• defining games, simulations and role plays
• moderating engaging and authentic role-based e-learning activities
• assessment and evaluation.

The Power of Role-Based e-Learning offers a careful analysis of the strengths and learning opportunities of online role play, and is realistic about possible difficulties. Providing guidance for both newcomers and experienced professionals who are developing their online teaching repertoire, it is an invaluable resource for teachers, trainers, academics, and educational support staff involved in e-learning.

Professor Sandra Wills is Executive Director of Learning and Teaching at University of Wollongong and founder of Project EnRoLE.

Dr. Elyssebeth Leigh is Director of FutureSearch, a learning games and simulations design business in Australia.

Albert Ip is Technical and Development Director of Fablusi P/L (Australia), a company specialising in online role play simulation platforms.