TEACHER TRAINING NETWORK FOR IRAQ
Instructional Design Template
Subject ___Geology Education___
Topic __Geology through Simulation (Role Playing)__
Component
Introduction
Content (text)
Within the framework of the UNESCO Iraq Office project "Training of Trainers in
Teacher Education for Sustained Quality Education", the above lesson was prepared in
an instructional design template for Iraqi science teacher education. The project aims at
improving the quality of teacher education in Iraq through strengthening the capacities of
colleges of Science and Education in four Iraqi universities. These are draft lessons that
have been created--to be tested before use. The list of lessons is ongoing--more are
constantly in the process of being created. See the CMASTE website at UNESCO
Lessons for Iraq Teacher Education.
Introduction

Modern methodologies vary depending on changing perceptions of the nature of the
learning process. While learning at one time depended on speaking and recitation,
the process has expanded to include, for example, inquiry-based learning, studentcentered learning and paying attention to the cognitive level of the students. These
require a positive attitude of the learner towards learning in order to develop student
potential. In addition, traditional methodologies are no longer valid in contemporary
life. As a result, several educational theories emerged, which help students acquire
many intellectual and social skills. According to the modern methodologies, the
teacher's task is to enable the learner to acquire knowledge by themselves,
participate actively in learning activities, and fully engaged in the learning process—
in order to enhance their independence and self-dependence as a life-long learner.
Modern methodologies: definition
Methodologies are defined as a series of organized activities facilitated by the teacher
inside the classroom—to achieve his/her lesson goals. In other words, methodologies are
the mechanism through which the teacher organizes learning situations, using different
methods and activities according to the learning situation. The methodologies help
teachers to provide the learner with the required knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs).
The main features of modern methodologies are as follows:
1- Provide the learners with activities that involve independence in learning and with an
opportunity to think and obtain information by themselves.
2- Provide several activities to deal with the individual differences of learners.
3- Develop teacher and learner capacity in critical and creative thinking.
4- Train the senses of observation as the basis of developing evidence-based reasoning.
5- Develop the higher mental functions of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
6- Promote learners to adopt teamwork and cooperation strategies.
There are many factors affecting the teacher’s selecting of the appropriate methodology;
e.g.,
1- Subject teaching objectives (e.g. scientific, technological, societal and
Geology through Simulation (Role Playing)
www.CMASTE.ca
1/6
234567-
environmental)
Learner capacity, experience, and mental maturity
Learning methods and tools
Local environment capacity
External readings
Administrative and educational supervision at school or university
Technical guidance and educational supervision.
Teacher/learner effort-based methodologies:
These methodologies are classified based upon the effort made by the teacher and learner
as follows:
 Teacher effort-based methodologies:
1. Lecturing
2. Recitation
3. Herbert model
4. Meaningful Learning (e.g., David Ausubel)

1.
2.
3.
4.
Teacher/learner effort-based methodologies:
Collaborative learning
Micro-teaching
Presentations
Projects

ABCDE-
Learner effort-based methodologies:
Learning packages
Programmed learning
Learning compounds
Computer-based learning
Selective learning
Below is a description of a modern methodology.
The simulation (e.g., role-playing) method
Simulation is one of the methodologies which provide an example of complex nature of
the relations, whether human or non-human, that the teacher should face while teaching
in the classroom. In this case, the teacher should try to simplify ideas for the learners
using their learner experience. In a simulation game, the learners play social, historical,
or scientific characters within a dialogue-based context. Simulation in this context can be
taken to mean role playing or townhouse meetings, where students take on the role of a
member of the community who represents a particular point of view or perspective.
Importance of simulation method
1. Bridge the gap between the excellent and struggling students.
2. Enhance the decision-making capacity of students.
3. Encourage learners to express their views and build the self-confidence of shy
students.
4. Enhance motivation of the learners by getting rid of the routine recitation—shift
from listening to active participation.
5. Foster critical and creative thinking.
6. Make the learners feel accountable.
Geology through Simulation (Role Playing)
www.CMASTE.ca
2/6
7. Enhance emotional participation of the learners.
8. Display the non-academic skills of students; e.g., dance, singing drama and art.
Advantages of simulation method:
1. Involve the energy, motion, and activity for the learners.
2. Develop many research skills—searching for big ideas and supporting evidence.
3. Develop ways for expressing feelings and emotions.
4. Develop the desire to discover, innovate and create.
5. Develop many social skills.
6. Involve a multi-perspective view, pro and con.
7. Help retain and apply the lesson outcomes.
Purpose
To ask teachers to become aware of, to understand, and to act on the
concept of simulation (role-playing) in their classrooms.
Learning
Outcomes


Readings
It is important that teachers learn how to obtain and interpret the research and to obtain
and test classroom lessons from various sources.


Lesson Plan
Teachers come to understand the research and the concept of
simulation (role-playing) as it applies to science education.
Teachers learn how to act on the implications of simulation (roleplaying) for their science classrooms.
Have your students search Google Scholar or some scholarly journals for
pedagogic information on learning through simulation (role playing).
Have your students search the Internet and books for examples of how to employ
simulation (role-playing) in their lessons.
How to create a simulation game:
1. Define learning objectives and how they can be achieved through the simulation.
2. Define the main concept or process the teacher would like to focus on during the
simulation.
3. Define the simulation scope and contents.
4. Define the interaction process and player roles.
5. Define the simulation requirements.
6. Define the group participants and assign a lead for each group.
Example: How to Implement Role Playing (as an example of simulation)
1. The learning objectives for most instructional strategies are more knowledge and
skill oriented. For simulations, the learning objectives are often more attitude
oriented.
a. The knowledge objectives for simulations, such as role playing, are related
to learning a list of perspective statements, and that for every pro (for)
argument in an STSE debate there is a con (against) statement. Perspectives
that can be include depend on the level of students involved. Level 1
perspectives often include scientific, technological, economic,
Geology through Simulation (Role Playing)
www.CMASTE.ca
3/6
environmental, and political. Level 2 perspectives that can be added include
legal, ethical and social. Level 3 perspectives may be mystical, aesthetic
(esthetic), militaristic, and emotional.
b. The skills objectives for simulations are often related to the high mental
process of analysis (including classification), evaluation and synthesis—the
same processes that are often found as headings in laboratory reports.
Students can, for example, classify perspective statements made on an issue
in a newspaper, a magazine, a radio or television show, and/or an oral
presentation. Tallying the number of statements for each perspective can
lead to an analysis of the presentation. An evaluation of the presentation can
be made on the basis of the analysis; e.g., what is the bias of the
presentation. A synthesis of statements by the student (or group) can lead to
a decision on the STSE issue.
c. Respect and tolerance are attitudinal objectives that can be met by using
this instructional strategy. Additional attitudinal objectives include
commitment to understanding, confidence in thoughtful decision making,
vigilance in pursuing thoughtful decisions, and commitment to
understanding the role of science in decision making on STSE (science,
technology, society and environment) issues. Attitudinal objectives are best
thought of as predispositions to act in a certain way in a future situation.
Some argue that these predispositions are the most important objectives of
an education.
2. The processes (instructional strategies) that the teacher can focus on include media
research, library research, classroom discussions, classroom debates, townhouse role
playing, public interventions, public hearings, and case studies. Some of these
strategies are more passive (e.g., gathering and analyzing perspective statements
from media or the library), while others are more active (e.g., using perspective
statements in debates, interventions and public hearings). Using an objective of
gathering perspective statements pro and con should remove local criticism and
provides a logical defense to any objections. Many teachers and curriculum builders
shy away from STSE issues but having a systematic and logically defensible strategy
should overcome this aversion.
3. The content of the simulation in a geology context could be chosen from among,
for example, the drilling of oil and natural gas wells, the surface mining of metal
ores, the use of fresh water for golf courses, and the employment of geothermal
energy. Local issues might be left until students and teachers practice this strategy on
less emotional and politically sensitive issues.
4. The roles that the students play depend on the instructional strategy employed.
Debates might involve some students as the debaters and other students as evaluators
of the debate—both using the same list of perspective statements and both looking
for pro and con statements. Townhouse meetings might mean each student taking on
the role of a scientist, an engineer, an economist, an environmentalist, a politician, a
lawyer, a religious person, a social worker, a military person, an artist, a mystic,
and/or a very emotional person. (Note that there is a person or career related to each
of the twelve perspectives listed above.) Each issue has some more obvious choices
as to representative careers and perspectives. Reducing the number of perspectives
(roles) is advisable. Making sure that for every role there is a pro and con (for and
against) representative is very important. There can only be pro’s and con’s if a
resolution or solution is stated; e.g., “Be it resolved that geothermal energy be
supported by a subsidy from the government.” Again the knowledge objective is to
illustrate that for every issue there are many perspectives and for each perspective
Geology through Simulation (Role Playing)
www.CMASTE.ca
4/6
there is a pro and con position.
5. A home group (townhouse) of ten might have five roles pro and five roles con for
an issue (for a total of 10 students).
a. For a class of thirty there could be three home groups (townhouse meetings).
The teacher can systematically assign the roles in each of the home groups
or the roles can be drawn randomly from a hat/jar. Students should not be
allowed to choose their roles. Playing the opposite role to their current
position/belief is most often more educationally valuable for the individual
student and the group.
b. Once the roles are assigned, students move to their expert groups to begin
their research. The expert groups include only students with the same role to
play. The choice can be made to have the pro’s and con’s together in the
expert groups or separate. Three home groups of ten become five expert
groups of six (for pro’s and con’s together) or ten expert groups of three (for
separate pro’s and con’s for each role/perspective). The expert groups start
gathering and creating statements that support their argument. Starting with
anecdotal (personal knowledge) statements can illustrate the intellectual
need for library and media searches. The teacher has to decide on how much
time is to be used to meet the knowledge, skill and attitude objectives—and
especially how important/valued the skill and attitude outcomes are. If time
is employed, then homework, library work, and/or Internet access are used.
c. When students have gathered the expertise that they need to attend the
townhouse meeting, they return to their home (townhouse) group and the
meeting begins. The group is given the responsibility of moderating their
own meeting (with the teacher intervening with individual groups and/or
making whole-class interventions). The teacher sets out the rules; e.g., each
students gets two minute to speak and then each student is given a chance
for a one minute rebuttal (not unlike a debate)—this is 10x2=20 minutes
plus 10x1=10 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes.
d. Since this is a very controlled situation and the objectives are clear, the
whole lesson (if time permits) should end with a whole-class discussion
about the value of a multi-perspective (multi-role, multi-expert) view pro
and con. This is a more important outcome than ending with a
resolution/vote/decision on the issue at hand, although that can be done
(with a release from your role).
6. Materials
a. Media and library resources
b. Internet resources
c. Pencil and paper to list perspective statements, pro and con
Summary
Simulation is one of the methodologies which provide an example of complex nature of
the relations, whether human or non-human, that the teacher should face while teaching
in the classroom. In this case, the teacher should try to simplify ideas for the learners
using their learner experience. In a simulation game, the learners play social, historical,
or scientific characters within a dialogue-based context. Simulation in this context can be
taken to mean role playing or townhouse meetings, where students take on the role of a
member of the community who represents a particular point of view or perspective.
Geology through Simulation (Role Playing)
www.CMASTE.ca
5/6
Reflection
Reflection after testing a lesson plan is one of the most important activities for a teacher.
Each lesson should be thought of as action research—testing, revising, testing and
revising. Perseverance is important when there is belief in a strategy that is not quite
working, yet. Important achievements require hard, extended work.
Extension
See some of the other modern teaching strategies that are described in the context of
teaching geology; e.g., Geology through Collaborative Learning, Geology through
Thinking Skills, Geology through Brainstorming, and Geology through Play/Games.
Geology through Simulation (Role Playing)
www.CMASTE.ca
6/6