Role-playing and classroom real-world simulation activities are excellent ways to keep students engaged. If you see your students falling asleep when that post-lunch break fatigue kicks in, they're the perfect solution. Students don’t want PowerPoints because they’re tired of listening to lectures or doing assigned group work in the library — they’d rather scroll on their phones
Using role-play teaching method examples to help your students learn introduces variety, energy, and spontaneity to the classroom. It allows students to express themselves, understand how they'd tackle real-world problems, and actually have fun in the lecture rooms.
Read on for some proven role-playing teaching methods that work in higher education classrooms.
Group Role-Play Scenarios
Group role-play scenarios are the easiest.
There aren't many issues with using role-play as a teaching method, but one of them is that it 'isn't everyone's cup of tea,' as the saying goes. There's no denying that, for some of the less theatrical of your students, the more reserved students sitting at the back of the classroom hoping you don't notice them, role-playing is a nerve-wracking nightmare.
A group scenario takes that pressure away. A study published on ResearchGate showed that almost half of the students in a public speaking course reported less anxiety and fear after participating in a group task.
And group role-play scenarios match the real world more than any other. Unless your students go on to work from home in a remote role, almost every job will require them to work as a team.
You can set up a group role-playing scenario by creating a real-world simulation related to the course you're teaching. For example, if you're teaching sports and nutrition, you can set a task for the students to run a personal training session for a small group and let everyone take turns.
Problem-Solving Role-Play
The real world is full of problems.
In our opinion, problem-solving role-play is one of the most engaging and can be one of the most realistic. You can tie this method to learning objectives for the course you're teaching and, in a way, relate it to a setting they're likely to encounter in the field of work they're going into (if it's specific).
For example, if you're teaching a nursing degree, you can use problem-solving role-play effectively by creating a scenario they're likely to face in a hospital setting. You might set up a simulation of a patient emergency where they're the first on the scene with no one around, for example.
That type of role-play really engages students and gets them to use their thinking skills to understand how they would react outside the classroom.
You can set up this type of teaching method as a group or solo activity: both work effectively.
Non-Graded vs. Assessed Role-Play
If your curriculum allows, we'd highly recommend considering assessed role-play in higher education for course points.
Real-world role-play is such an effective method of seeing how your students would behave in the real world. A research paper shows you that they know how to Google, scan through research publishing platforms, and format a research paper, but it doesn't show you how they will apply what they know and what they're learning to the careers they'll enter once completing your course.
But we wouldn't jump right into it. As we said, role-play isn't for everyone, and it isn't fair to assume that everyone will have the confidence to perform. You can't base the assessment on performance, and you have to find a way to make your students feel confident. For example, although the study we mentioned above stated half of the students felt more confident in a group, that isn't to say they acted out the simulation with gusto.
We'd recommend starting with a non-graded, no-pressure role-play simulation to learn how your students behave and their different confidence levels and understand what type of role-play would work for accurate and fair grading. After that, you can decide whether to integrate graded role-playing into your curriculum.
Simulations of Relevant Work Environments
We've mentioned a keyword throughout this article: simulations. Many higher-education professors get confused between the two. They're not necessarily the same.
Role-playing is more relaxed and theatrical and doesn't necessarily have to simulate anything relevant to the career they're going into. A simulation brings more real-world scenarios into play (pun intended). For higher education learners, simulations might be a more effective teaching method.
For example, if you're teaching a business course, it's more effective to simulate a scenario for a deeper understanding of the course content and engagement with learning materials. It's a more effective method of replicating real-world market conditions and factors that simply role-playing a complaining customer can't do.
Some of the different types of business simulations include:
- Marketing simulations
- Business strategy simulations
- Sales and negotiation training simulations
And simulations apply to every career. Going back to nursing, again, you can simulate cardiac arrests, road traffic accidents, caseload management, etc.
How to Set Up an Effective Role-Play Session
Creating a solid structure for a role-play session makes all the difference between awkward silence and active, on-the-edge-of-their-seat engagement. When done well, a role-play session becomes the class they remember. Here's how to make sure it goes to plan:
Define the purpose clearly:
Make sure students know why they're doing this. Is it to build confidence, learn how to communicate better, or handle a specific situation? Tell them. When there's clarity, there's buy-in.
Choose relatable scenarios:
Don't throw your students into bizarre situations. Choose examples from real-life work environments or common problems they'll face. Keep it relevant. Keep it familiar.
Assign roles thoughtfully:
You know who thrives in the spotlight and who wants to melt into their chair. Mix it up. Let some students lead while others support. Not every role has to be loud to be valuable.
Give prep time:
Role-play is a performance. Give students time to think, discuss, and maybe write down a few ideas before they act it out. You'll get way more out of them.
Debrief after the session:
Reflection is where the magic happens. Talk about what went well and what didn’t. Encourage feedback. This is where learning deepens and sticks.
Role-playing in the classroom isn't about turning your students into actors. It's about helping them become doers. It's about moving from theory to practice, from notes to nuance. When done well, role-play creates energy and connection in the room.
