Using Role Play to Increase Student Engagement With Academic Literature

Abstract

This paper presents an approach developed in a course about regional planning that revolves around student role play as a method for increasing engagement with academic literature. In this paper we will outline what is meant by role play in our case, and the ways in which we saw positive benefits associated in using this method in an undergraduate course which is quite literature heavy. We will also reflect on some of the challenges or downsides of the role play approach.