On-line role play in mental health education
| Pages | 1-9 |
| Date | 14 March 2016 |
| Published date | 14 March 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-07-2015-0031 |
| Author | Lorna Saunder |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
On-line role play in mental health
education
Lorna Saunder
Lorna Saunder is a Senior
Lecturer at School of Health
Sciences, City University,
London, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore a method of incorporating on-line role play in mental health
nursing education. Recreation of meaningful and realistic simulations for mental health nurses is challenging.
Examination of the literature reveals there is a gap in the provision of simulations that replicate practice,
encourage the development of skills and promote responsibility. Those that exist may require significant
investment in complex technologies or a high degree of planning and time commitment.
Design/methodology/approach –An evaluation of a pedagogical design that used an on-line survey to
gather responses and thematic analysis was undertaken.
Findings –The findings identified that students engaged with the case leading to a realistic experience of
case management and development of professional communication skills.
Research limitations/implications –This evaluation could be expanded further to a more formal study
examining the students’emotional responses and learning as they progress through the activity.
Practical implications –The activity outlined in this paper demonstrates that a relatively simple approach
can result in deep learning whereby the student can fully experience the role of a qualified practitioner.
This model could easily be adopted by other higher education institutions or as a part of continuing
professional development.
Originality/value –This paper combines previously researched methods of providing role play to mental
health nursing students. It has addressed the critiques of other methodologies such as being time
consuming, expensive or lacking in realism. The end product, is low cost, manageable from the lecturers
perspective and delivers important learning outcomes to the students.
Keywords Simulation, Health, Online, Mental, Role play
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
One of the key fast moving trends in technology in higher education identified by Johnson et al.
(2014) is the integration of online and collaborative learning. This report clearly identifies that,
using techniques that build upon the students existing online presence and applying these to
problems can reinforce real world skills and encourage collaboration. This report does go on
to identify that one of the roadblocks to incorporating these technologies is a lack of expertise
amongst academics around the use of educational technology.
Oblinger (2004) points out “Games, simulations and role plays are not new to education”.Asthis
statement was made in the last decade it could be concluded that such a pedagogy has an even
longer history by 2015. Simulation has been widely used in nurse and health education and ranges
from complex and expensive simulators, mannequins and skills laboratories to simple role plays
(McCaughey and Traynor, 2010). The methodology may vary widely but the desired outcome is the
same, which is a meaningful and realistic learning opportunity that allows the students to immerse
themselves in a role in a way that presents minimal risk to them and to service users.
Received 8 July 2015
Revised 24 August 2015
Accepted 26 August 2015
Acknowledgements to Julie
Attenborough and Clive Holtham
for promoting the initial idea of
online role play. Thanks also to
Madeline O’Carroll, Tracy Lindsay
and Rachel-Anne Knight.
DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-07-2015-0031 VOL. 11 NO. 1 2016, pp.1-9, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
j
THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
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