How to Facilitate a Role Play

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How to Facilitate a Role Play
(Draft)
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Objective for This Session

• Participants will be able to -
• Identify important steps in facilitating a role
  play

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Definition of a Role Play

• A role play is a simulation or demonstration
  method. A real-life situation is presented as a
  skit by 2 or more volunteer participants (or the
  facilitators) to the whole group. It allows
  participants to experience attitudes, actions,
  and communication with others.

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Why Use Role Plays?

• Foster understanding of problems that might be
  encountered in the work place
• To appeal to different learning styles
• Allow participants to experiment with various
  types of behavior in a safe setting where
  mistakes can serve as a learning experience
  without the risks of real life. Participants can
  explore
• Personal interactions and behaviors (good, bad,
  or controversial)
• Communication skills
• Decision-making skills
• Emotions
• Attitudes
• Processes or procedures

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4 Steps to Facilitate a Successful Role Play

• Prepare for,
• Introduce,
• Conduct, and
• Summarize the role play

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Step 1 - Prepare for the Role Play

• Review the role play to understand it
• Determine what the actors will do
• Determine what observers (other participants)
  will do
• Observe certain behaviors
• Observe a process or procedure
• Complete a checklist
• Answer specific questions about the role play

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Step 1 - Prepare for a Role Play (cont.)

• Choose a location for the role play that enables
  all participants to see and hear the role play
• Collect all of the materials, equipment, and
  supplies
• Set up the room ahead of time (if possible)
• Practice describing the role play

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Step 1 - Prepare for the Role Play(cont.)

• Estimate realistic time frames
• Determine how much time it takes for each part
  of the role play. For example
• 10 minutes - Selection and preparation
  of actors
• 5 minutes - Introduction
• 10 minutes - Conduct role play
• 10 minutes - Discussion and summary

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Step 1 - Prepare for the Role Play(cont.)

• Select the actors
• Ask for volunteers (the facilitators may also be
  the actors)
• Determine actors ahead of time so they can
  prepare

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Step 1 - Prepare for the Role Play (cont.)

• Prepare the actors by discussing -
• The purpose of the role play
• The situation/scenario/problem
• Each role and how each actor should act (the
  characteristics of each actor and how they should
  respond)
• How much time the role play should take
• The time signals you will use during the role
  play
• What the observers will do

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Step 1 - Prepare for the Role Play(cont.)

• Prepare the actors (cont.)
• Provide scripts, outlines, props, and other
  necessary items to the actors
• Encourage the actors to let themselves feel and
  act like the characters
• Emphasize that they will need to speak loudly
  enough for everyone to hear
• Provide an opportunity for actors to practice
  ahead of time

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Step 2 - Introduce the Role Play

• Provide VERY CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS
• Verbally
• Visually in a handout and on a flipchart,
  slide, or overhead transparency
• Describe the following -
• Purpose of the role play and why it is important
• Situation/scenario
• The actors
• Who the actors are and what their roles are
• Explain that the actors represent roles that do
  not necessarily represent their own attitudes or
  situations

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Step 2 - Introduce the Role Play (cont.)

• Describe the following -
• Tasks for other participants (the observers)
• Time allowed for the role play(include both
  number of minutes and clock time)
• Location of the role play
• How the role play will be reviewed
• Check for clarification. Repeat appropriate
  information as needed
• Ask actors to speak loudly enough for everyone to
  hear

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Step 3 - Conduct the Role Play

• Facilitate the role play
• Note whether the actors are raising issues that
  are appropriate to the main problem
• Watch to see if the participants stay engaged
• Keep the role play on time

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Step 3 - Conduct the Role Play(cont.)

• End the role play
• Stop the role play when -
• Time is up
• Actors have provided the feelings and ideas that
  are important for the role play
• Participants become restless
• Role play is not working
• Give signals (if necessary) to the actors to end
  the role play (visual or verbal)

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Step 3 - Conduct the Role Play (cont.)

• Debrief the actors
• Thank the actors for their help and good work
• Always ask them
• How do you think the role play went?
• How did it feel taking on the role?

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Step 3 - Conduct the Role Play(cont.)

• De-role the actors
• Relieves the actors of their roles and brings
  them back to who they are in real life
• Is especially important for role plays with
  strong emotional content such as HIV and TB
• To de-role actors, ask them several questions
  about themselves
• What their name is
• Where they work
• What their job is
• They should state that the role they played does
  not represent who they are in real life

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Step 3 - Conduct the Role play (cont.)

• Manage problems
• If the role play doesnt go as planned
• Discuss what went wrong (without embarrassing
  anyone)
• Make positive situations out of negative ones
• Turn the problem into a learning situation

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Step 4 - Summarize the Role Play

• Discuss the role play
• Ask observers
• What they observed
• What went well
• What they learned from the role play
• How they might apply what they learned to their
  job
• If observers were given a specific task, review
  it with them
• Clarify questions and concerns

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What Happens if You Dont Follow the Steps?

• Time can be wasted
• Participants can be confused about what to expect
• Things may not go as expected
• Desired outcomes of the role play might not be
  achieved

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Review

• What are the 4 steps for facilitating a role
  play?
• What are some things you should consider when
  facilitating a role play?

Note The How to Facilitate a Role Play Handout
includes information on how to develop a role
play