Role-Playing in Education: An Experiential Learning Framework for Collaborative Co-design
Cristo Leon, James Lipuma, Sirimuvva Pathikonda, Rafael Arturo Llaca Reyes
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Cristo Leon
Jordan Hu College of Science and Liberal Arts, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States
James Lipuma
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States
Sirimuvva Pathikonda
Entrepreneurial Lead - Renewable Energy Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States
Rafael Arturo Llaca Reyes
Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Mexico
Cite this paper as:Leon, C., Lipuma, J., Pathikonda, S., Llaca Reyes, R. A. (2025). Role-Playing in Education: An Experiential Learning Framework for Collaborative Co-design.
Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 23(1), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.54808/JSCI.23.01.30
Online ISSN (Journal): 1690-4524
Abstract
This paper presented the Components of Role-playing in Experiential Learning (CREL) Framework. This framework aids educators and researchers in planning, implementing, and evaluating Experiential Learning scenarios to promote learner attainment of the needed competencies for 21st-century skills. Unlike traditional models, CREL leverages role-playing as a tool for simulation and simulacra, enabling participants to engage in "as if" scenarios through suspension of disbelief. This approach allows learners to navigate complex, dynamic, immersive challenges, bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application. The article began with an introduction to role-playing as a method for Experiential Learning. This helped situate role-playing within the broader context of meta-research and meta-education. Next, the article explored the limitations of current educational practices and the critical need for frameworks that bridge these gaps through innovative, experiential approaches. The paper examined the need to address the gap presented by the lack of a coherent understanding of role-playing and, more broadly, Experiential Learning. The article then presented the CREL framework in detail. Finally, it closed with a discussion of the meta-level outcomes, implications, and overall application of the CREL for education and research.
