MODELLING A ROLE-PLAYING GAME AS A UNIT OF LEARNING TO ENCOURAGE COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Laura Mancera, Silvia Baldiris, Ramon Fabregat, David Huerva{lmancera, baldiris, ramon, dhuerva}@eia.udg.eduA3H, 29/09/09 Nice

Outline

Approach Motivation Collaborative context Phases of a cooperative lesson Games applied in the classroom RPG Cooperative RPG lesson IMS-LD Scenario Conclusions and future work

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Aproach

Use Role-Playing Games as a strategy that encourages cooperative learning supported by the IMS Learning Design specification.

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Motivation

College teaching is undergoing a paradigm shift. Teaching must be in accordance to nowadays

challenges: Adapt to changes successfully Perform teamwork effectively Take decisions appropriately Communicate efficiently ...

The new teaching paradigm needs to add specific activities to the process of teaching in order to develop these collaborative competencies

Highly valuated student competencies

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Collaborative context

A cooperative context of interaction amongst students can help to develop the required competencies.

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Collaborative context features

Positive interdependence: Group members realise that they can’t succeed unless everyone succeeds.

Individual and group accountability: The group must be accountable for achieving its goals but each member must be accountable for contributing her share of the work.

Promotive interaction: the members share resources and help, encourage and praise each others efforts to learn.

Interpersonal and small group skills: groups cannot work effectively if members don’t have the needed social skills.

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Collaborative context features

Group processing: Group members discuss about how they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships.

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Phases of a cooperative lesson

1. Make Preinstructional

Decisions

1. Make Preinstructional

Decisions

2. Explain the Task and

Cooperative Structure

2. Explain the Task and

Cooperative Structure

3. Monitor and Intervene

3. Monitor and Intervene

4. Evaluate and Process

4. Evaluate and Process

Formulate Objectives

Decide the size of groups

AssignStudents to groups

Assignroles, room, materialls

Explain the academic assignments to students

Explain the criteria for success

Structure positive interdependence, individual accountability

Explain the expected behaviour

Emphasize intergroup cooperation

Monitoring each learning group

Intervene when needed in order to improve taskwork and teamwork

Feedback about the activities.

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Games applied in the classroom Games applied in the classroom have

become a well accepted proposal amongst teachers and students to promote cooperation.

Technological innovation has enabled the development of virtual environments which involve: Virtual learning communities Interaction through collaborative activities

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RPG

A Role-playing Game (RPG) is a special type of cooperative game which: encourages reading, builds vocabulary, encourages teamwork, builds problem solving habilites and promotes creativity and imagination

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RPG phases

1. A Game Master (GM) prepares a fictional setting and a set of rules in which players can act out their roles.

2. Players create characters whose roles they will play in the game and write in a “Role Record Card”.

3. GM begins the game defining the setting and characters. Players describe their characters actions and the GM describes the outcome of the actions.

4. The game continues until the characters meet the last challenge.

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RPG goals

Solve the situation proposed in a cooperative way which favours interaction and teamwork.

Even in the players’ roles motivations are different they should have a common aim.

If players don’t work together they won’t be able to succeed

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CollaborativeCompetencesCollaborativeCompetences Learning StyleLearning Style

Role 2

Role 3

Role 1

Topic definition

Topic definition

Teacher

Master

Objectives definition

Objectives definition

Definition and assignament of

roles

Definition and assignament of

rolesProcess

definitionProcess

definition

FeedbackFeedback ExecutionExecution

RolesRoles

ActivitiesActivities

InstructionsInstructions

ResourcesResources

Students

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Cooperative RPG lesson

IMS-LD

IMS Learning Design (IMS-LD) is a widely accepted specification which enables the modelling of learning scenarios.

Core concept of LD: Regardless of pedagogical approach a person gets a role in the teaching-learning

process. In this role, she works towards certain outcomes performing activities within an environment

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IMS-LD

Characteristics of the roles Activities to be carried out Characteristics of the environment

Specific learning scenario

Unit of Learning (UoL)

Define

IMS-LD models

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Conceptual Structure of an IMS-LD

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Particular scenario: Project development Scenario: Project development Cooperative task: Carry out a SW

development project Roles:

GM (Teacher) Client Project manager Analyst Designer Programmer Client

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Particular scenario: Project development

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Conclusions and future work We presented a process to describe RPG

as UoL in order to support Learning Coopeartion.

The project management scenario UoL will be proposed in courses of the UdG.

Working on measuring the students collaboration level.

Working on being able to generate RT adaptable IMS-LD automatically given RPG specifications

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Thank you. Questions?