Active Learning Through Role Playing: Virtual Babies in a Child Development Course

Abstract

The authors designed an active learning project for a child development course in which students apply core concepts to a hypothetical baby they “raise” during the term. Students applied developmental topics to their unique, developing child. The project fostered student learning and enthusiasm for the material. The project's versatility makes it easily adaptable to a wide variety of courses and formats depending on instructor objectives or student population. Furthermore, the project avoids obstacles that commonly underlie instructor reluctance when considering the implementation of role-play assignments.

Keywords:

• active learning
• child development
• collaborative learning
• role play

Acknowledgments

Devereaux A. Poling is an assistant professor of Psychology at Ohio University—Zanesville. Julie M. Hupp is an assistant professor of psychology at the Ohio State University—Newark. Both authors share research interests in cognitive development.