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In the Master of Social Work, we introduced simulations using professional actors, rather than only with peers. We introduced the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a 10-minute interview with a simulated client in a range of diverse settings. Watch this short video to learn more.
Role-plays with peers have been part of our Foundational units for a long time to teach the professional skill set students will need in their careers.
我们对这些角色扮演,但使用同行观察that students find it difficult to show authentic, believable emotions, and to create a credible story from a client’s perspective.
We realised that some of the counselling and communication skills could be better taught with the help of professional actors trained - and adept - at taking on a character, and providing as ‘real’ an experience as is possible in a mock clinical setting.
However, getting straight to their assessments (OSCE session) was difficult for students to face their own emotions and demonstrate skills.
The main challenge was to provide students with a simulated real session with clients in multiple settings and fields of practice (e.g. hospital, school, child protection, drug & alcohol, prison, community health centres, etc.).
The challenges, for educators, also extended to writing a broad range of scenarios, and running sessions both online and on-campus.
For students, the main challenge is to perform well in front of their peers, which can be nerve wrecking.
Image of actors performing the scenarios
We introduced a time-consuming but worthwhile endeavour that involves students, actors and instructors.
As students get anxious by having to interact with an actor in front of their peers and two examiners, we introduced Clinical Practice Labs (CPLs) where they have an opportunity to both observe and interact in preparation for their exams.
Students see their instructors interacting with the professional actors, before they are invited to do the same. Here, learning happens by doing as much as by observing.
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The first CPL concentrates on the student establishing a therapeutic alliance with the client and exploring the client's strengths/issues, current situation and precipitant events. |
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The second focuses on paraphrasing, or the ability to retell the client their story in their own words. That avoids the overuse of questions, builds warmth, shows that they hear the client and gives the client an opportunity to lead the session, instead of answering what they have been asked. |
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The third CPL session focuses on reflection of feelings, which is dedicated to identifying and naming emotions. |
Students are divided in groups of 20-25 in each session, and are invited to participate both as practitioners (interacting with the actors) and as observers (providing feedback to their peers).
During and after the session, they are given feedback on their competency in counselling skills by the actor, peers and instructor. They learn what they are doing well, and ways to improve their skills.
CPLs and the following OSCEs proved to be effective teaching and learning strategies - as certified by both students and placement partners - because their learning is scaffolded. They try, they practise, and they become more proficient.
We received great feedback from students in SETU, voluntary emails praising the initiative and reminding the team how important it was for them when going out on placement.
They appreciated the staged approach to the CPL exercise, as it provided them with clarity on the expectations of their upcoming OSCEs. It also helped them to manage their own emotions of performance anxiety and stress, and they felt they were in a safe place to practice their skills in collaboration with others.
Unexpectedly, students who failed or had to sit a second attempt, also speak very highly about this experience, particularly asking for more opportunities to engage with the actors.
Many students ask if our regular tutorials, which are run only by our tutors, could be done with the presence of actors. That shows how important it was for them to practice in CPLs, scaffolding their learning in preparation for the OSCEs.
This exemplar requires amediumlevel of effort to implement.
Recommended resources and training:
There are a number of steps that you would need in order to set up an activity. Here are the main points to consider:
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Hire and train actors This is an important step to making the scenarios come to life for students and become more authentic. It works better when you hire professional actors rather than using student actors. |
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Write various scenarios Take the time to write different scenarios. These are rewritten in different semesters to provide a breadth of situations your actors and students can role play together. |
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Setup the classroom for better visibility Set up the classroom in half a circle or a u-shaped so that everyone can see the acting equally. This will provide a better view and experience for students. You can also adapt this to online and pin the actor’s video and the student’s video for them to be the focus. |
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Foster engagement Provide opportunities for students to write their names on the board and interact with the actor. Go around the room asking for feedback to engage observers. |
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Create a safe environment Establish a safe environment for students to both perform their interviews and give/receive feedback. This is essential to help reduce performance anxiety and allow students to properly engage with the actors. |
Prepare the actors to work with students
A key element for this approach is the preparation of the actors. Having meetings with them and explaining the purpose and the process is essential.
Once they understand it, it is more likely that they will balance their acting in a helpful way, not giving too much information if the student does not show their skills, and not being too difficult and preventing them from a fruitful experience.
Write relevant and varied scenarios
Another element is to write adequate and varied scenarios that come from real clients in practice. In order to be real, the simulation needs to mimic what students will face in the field. The richer in details the scenarios are, the less actors need to improvise, focusing only on showing their emotions and telling their story.
Some students will be triggered by particular challenging scenarios (e.g. family violence, substance use, mental health issues). Debriefing and offering additional support when needed is also important in this teaching approach.
Engage students to provide feedback on the presented simulation
Engaging the group throughout the session is also a challenge.
只有一个学生与演员,the instructor needs to include the other students by asking for their feedback and offering opportunities to collaborate by asking what they observe to be helpful or what they would do differently and why. Otherwise, you would have a large group of observers disengaged with what is happening at the front.
The student, peers, actors and educators should all be fully involved throughout the session.
Here are some additional resources that you can browse to help you implement this activity.
