The Use of Online Role Play in Preparing for Assessment

Abstract

This chapter sets out a number of ways in which effective use of the online discussion board in a virtual learning environment can contribute to the preparation of assessment tasks. In particular, it examines the specific advantages of the use of online role play as a means of effective task preparation, and reviews various examples of its application in different academic areas and contexts. The primary emphasis of this chapter is the use of the VLE in general, and the use of role play within the discussion board in particular, as a means of preparing assessment rather than undertaking assessment online using a series of automated processes.