In a class on populism and democracy, the students are divided into groups and each group is assigned a theorist relevant to the topic. The groups discuss how their assigned theorist would respond to the postulate “populism undermines democracy”. The students pair up with fellow students from a different group to discuss the postulate while role-playing their theorist to explore similarities, differences and common ground.
The course is very theoretical which can make it seem abstract and inaccessible from the student’s perspective. With this dialogue-based activity, I intend to create a teaching situation in which abstract theories become more concrete and accessible to the students through role-play, while teaching them how to use the theories actively in discussion.
THE PROCESS | |||
Before class | |||
Student preparation | Review of theory. The activity takes place at the end of a three-hour classroom session. Prior to the activity, the students have read and discussed theories on populism. | ||
In class | |||
In plenum | Introducing the activity (5 min.). I introduce the role-playing activity and explain the learning objectives.
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In groups | 1. round (10 min.). The students are presented with the postulate “populism undermines democracy”.
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In pairs | 2. round (15 min.). The students pair up with a fellow student from a different group and discuss the postulate while role-playing as their assigned theorist.
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In plenum | Final discussion (10 min.). I conclude the activity with a plenary discussion on the similarities and differences between the theorists. Here the students have the opportunity to voice any questions or uncertainties that came up during the role-play. | ||
Overall, the students enjoyed the activity. I observed that they were engaged in the role-playing which resulted in positive, productive discussions. When they assumed a role, they became more invested in the theoretical conflicts that had been noted in the teaching portion of the classroom session.
In their evaluation, the students said the activity helped make the theories more accessible and understandable.
Several students also mentioned that they discovered new theoretical challenges during the activity that they hadn’t noticed previously.
Some students were hesitant to fully engage in the role-play, since they thought it was too unstructured.
Some students struggled to detach themselves from the notes on their laptop since they brought it with them during the activity. This meant they were less free and playful than anticipated.
Scaffolding is crucial to ensure that the students understand the framework of the activity. Make sure to emphasise the playful element.
The scaffolding is also important since the students must feel confident and at ease to fully engage in the activity.
Consider whether the students should avoid using their laptops during the activity.
