The document describes the design of a role-playing simulation about Middle Eastern politics for students. It involves 3 weeks of online role-playing interactions between a maximum of 70 student roles representing various stakeholders. Students adopt roles such as organizations, titles, or real or fictional people. The role-playing aims to culminate in a consensus-building activity like a peace delegation meeting. Moderators guide the simulation and have various options for intervention, derolement, and debriefing activities.

1. 8 DIMENSIONS Characteristics of Role Play Design – 77 design decisions Middle Eastern Politics Simulation
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 4 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 250
ROLES Maximum number of roles 70
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 40%
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
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