Teaching Group Work At a Distance Using An Asynchronous Online Role-Play Joanne Levine MPH, DSW, LCSW- R, Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Interim) SUNY, Empire State College Center for Distance Learning Saratoga Springs, N.Y INTRODUCTION THE ONLINE ROLE-PLAY EXERCISE SUGGESTED GUIDELINES The current mental health and educational landscapes are colored by helping professionals, mental health consumers, and students engaged in online activity. There is a proliferation of online self-help and support groups with thousands of participants while in the educational arena online learning continues to expand both in numbers and innovative modes of delivery. Role-play has been used as an experiential method in education for many years. (Crookwell et al, 1987; Jones, 2007). Role – play therefore helps participants change and grow regarding knowledge about themselves and their psychosocial environment by engaging in an experiential and interactive experience. This experience constructs new knowledge by challenging participants to modify their preexisting conceptions (Roschelle, 2010). This poster is based on having developed and taught this online course and my article in Groupwork:: Levine, J.(2013).Teaching groupwork at a distance using an asynchronous online role- play. Groupwork. 23 (1), STUDENTS’ REFLECTIONS Students’ reported that the role –play increased their knowledge and skills about group work practice through both theory and practice. The role –play, an experiential and interactive exercise, challenged their preconceptions about groups while learning new skills and knowledge. Students also felt that being part of a group experience gave them insight into how their clients would feel throughout the various group stages. The peer supervision role-play further enabled students to discuss issues in managing group dynamics while simultaneously learning theory and skills. “ This course has also given me some insights into my own behavior in a group. I have learned from some of my fellow students how to respond appropriately and sometimes I have witnessed responses that I would not want to emulate.” “ I know that even if group members aren't looking at me as someone who can help them, they are still watching every move I make and that I need to be aware of what I say, how I say it…” Decide if the role-play will be synchronous or asynchronous – consider time zones and schedules and can poll students about their preferences. Allow ample time for students’ preparation for the role-play and introduce this only after foundational knowledge of group dynamics and states have been discussed. Require students who are discussing “real” groups to remove all identifying information. Establish boundaries; this is a role-play not an therapy group. Provide the class with clear description of what the role-play will be about, the duration, and detailed descriptions of the characters, including that of the instructor. REFERENCES Crookwell, D, Oxford, R., & Saunders, D. (1987). Towards a reconceptualization of simluation: From representation to reality. Simulation Games for Learning. 17 (4), Jones, S. (2007). Adding value to online role - plays: Virtual situated learning environments. Proceedings Australasian Society for Computers in Tertiary Education Singapore, Levine, J.(2013).Teaching groupwork at a distance using an asynchronous online role-play. Groupwork. 23 (1), Roschelle, J. (2010). Learning in Interactive Environments: Prior knowledge and new experience. Retrieved from: rknowledge.html Students enrolled in an upper level undergraduate course on group work theory and practice were randomized into small groups for participation in a six week asynchronous online peer supervision group role-play. The instructor had two roles: course instructor and also participated in the role - play as the mental health team coordinator. The online role-play was a peer supervision group for group workers discussing either a fictitious group or actual group they were facilitating. Topics included: how to establish trust in their groups, how to handle intense feelings and conflicts that emerge in their groups, and termination issues. The peer supervision role – play was structured so that it complemented the course lectures and readings about group dynamics and stages of group development. This includes viewing a DVD (Groups in Action --Student Media Workbook, Corey & Corey ) where students viewed group work skills demonstrated in various stages of a group.