2020 #DTA: #VWEDU: Learning in role-play: Can you do that online? Yes you can. But you gotta know the territory.

Learning in role-play:  
Can you do that online?  
Yes you can.  
But you gotta know the territory.

Virtual worlds have both scenes and characters.  Roleplaying as a hobby is a well-established activity there.  For entrepreneurial instructors it offers an instructional method that taps into imagination, motivation, and social behavior. 
This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0).

• Watch on YouTube
• Immersive theater in OpenSim: Scenes from Antony and Cleopatra

• The territory in this case is a digital world.  A MUVE . A virtual world.
• Online learning does not have to be solitary in a digital world.
• People can play a role relevant to the learning context.
• In an avatar that fits the role.
• In a scene that fits the story

• Update 10/8/2020 OpenSimulator Community Conference 2020 Call for Proposals. Empire State College (ESC) virtual residency Oct 10 in Kitely. BURN2 2020: The Multiverse Oct 9-18.

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Where would you use role-play in teaching? 

• The obvious place is literature: Theater and fiction.  
• Creative writing: Role-play is writing in action. 
• History: Controversy, presentation planning.
• Science: Controversy or presentation planning. 
• Second language: Any theme, but in the second language.
• Fine arts:  Art critics discussing an art object.  

How would you create roles?

Literature

• The roles are the characters in the story.

Controversy

• If the figures in the controversy are not identified, create characters for each major position.
• In many controversies, there will advocates for the old ideas, others for the new ideas, and the compromisers.
• Add one or more reporters expecting to write news items about the discussion.

Presentations

• Resource person
• Organizer, top view
• Fact checker
• Audience representative

Creative writing

• Characters from one or more stories (existing or in writing)

How would you create the scenario? 

Literature

• Reenact a scene from the literature, but in your own words.
• Bring the characters together to explain why they did what they did.
• Bring characters together from two different stories to discuss who won.

Controversy

• Stage a debate

Presentations

• Gather the information resources
• Select a theme
• Organize the content into a sequence.
• Review the content sequence from the standpoint of the audience.

Creative writing

• Mystery Manor (1), a game of games. Solo solving, group roleplay, scene stories.
• Write on site. The scene as a story prompt. Mystery Manor as a story source
• Ever heard of writer's block in role-play? Role-play in virtual worlds as practice writing
• Hogwarts Forever: Roleplay in virtual worlds is writing in draft. Does writing create magic?
• Exercises for a 3D writers workshop: place and characters

What would the DTA do?

• Present the scenario.
• Assign roles.
• Record the text or speech. 
• Take a role that guides the play (probably asking questions)

Related

• The Chronicles of Lisianthus: A Medi-Fantasy Roleplay Sim
• Rockville: Life on the Margin, an experience roleplay game
• Themed place: roleplay adventure: Clothing, combat, crafting, farming
• Starfleet Astraios, in the Gamma quadrant. Roleplaying
• UFGQ United Federation of Planets, Gamma Quadrant, Starfleet.
• Tessin: Themed place: roleplay adventure: sailing, combat, farming. Utrechtse Statenjacht
• The myth of Asgard. Role play: Norse mythology characters. Could people learn about mythology here?
• Konk Combat Game Builder, with NPC interactions. The Metaverse Tour investigates
• Writer's 3D online workshop: Meet in your browser. Meet in a story scene. Working together apart.

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Visit me on the web

• Drop by my web offices Weekdays: 12:-12:30 pm Central time (US)
• I am available for free consulting on any topic in this blog.
• Cybalounge and 3DWebWorldz (Orientation room)
• I will be in both places, so you may need to speak to get my attention.
• Web-worlds, 3D virtual worlds running in a browser. Summary
• And we can visit the Writer's Workshop on the Web
• Don't register -- enter as guest.  

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License

• Original text in this blog is CC By: unless specified public domain.
• Use as you please with attribution: link to the original.
• All images without attribution in this blog are CC0: public domain.
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• Annotated screenshots made with Jing
• This blog is not affiliated with anything.   Ads are from Google.
• Selby Evans in Kitely and hypergrid, Thinkerer Melville in Second Life.