From Knowing to Doing: Role Play as a
Method of Academic Advisor Training
Yvette Morales
College of Science & Engineering Advising Center
Texas State University
Deborah A. Benavides
Arts & Humanities Advising Center
University of Texas—San Antonio
2016 NACADA Annual Conference
Atlanta, GA
October 5-8, 2016
From Knowing to Doing: How to
Implement Role Play as a
Training Method
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Have you ever tried to implement new
techniques in your office and found difficulty in
changing habit patterns?
Have you ever exposed your new advisors to
correct methodology and found out that they just
were not doing what you thought you had taught
them?
Have you ever identified an error in your own
skills or that of others and found out that it just
somehow did not get corrected?
Advising Research Tells Us

Academic Advising—A Comprehensive Handbook
The lack of comprehensive advisor training identified as
one of the major weaknesses in advising programs in
national surveys. (Habley & Morales 1998)
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Common form of training is a half day or a single-day
workshop. (Habley 2004)
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Prominent topics tend to be most informational –
academic regulations, policy, and campus referrals.
Advisor Training “Must-Haves”
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Comprehensive advisor training &
development should be an intentional,
ongoing process that supports advisors in
the acquisition of the perspectives and
tools needed to expand their
understanding, knowledge, and skills to
enhance student learning engagement,
and success. (Advising Handbook)
Experiential
Learning
“Must-Haves”
Continued
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Training of advisors must include
methods, strategies, practices to teach
advisors, in a safe space, how to explore
and handle the complicated issues and
topics that can come up during advising
sessions.
“Must-Haves” Continued
 Training
of advisors must always
include both the application
“experiential” practice as well as
the “informational” practice.
 For example role play.
“The step from
knowing to
doing,” wrote
Emerson, “is
rarely taken.”
Defining Role Play
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Role play is a useful technique for thinking about
difficult situations before they occur, so that you
have good responses for the different
eventualities that can arise during any advising
exchange.

Role play happens when a group of people act
out roles in a particular scenario. The scenario is
usually based on a problem that needs a
solution, a situation that needs to be more
closely examined, or an issue that demands a
different perspective.
Why Role Play?
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Role play helps advisors excel.
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Role play is one of the most effective training
methods used to achieve a number of benefits
for academic advisors.
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Role play allows an advisor to practice out loud,
but more importantly, it allows a group of
advisors to act out different scenarios.
Why Role Play Continued
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Role play allows for advisors to actively
participate and those watching have the
opportunity to offer constructive criticism and
immediate feedback.
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Role play is done in low stress environments,
which makes it easier to learn.
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Role play helps advisors to analyze problems,
develop teamwork, cooperation, and creative
problem-solving among advisors, and it helps to
greatly improve listening skills.
Learning Pyramid
Experiential Training is Effective
Told
Told & Shown
Told, Shown &
Experienced
Recall after 3
weeks
70%
72%
85%
Recall after 3
months
10%
32%
65%
Cautions About Role Play
Participants may be shy & reluctant.
 Role play can be threatening to some.
 Too much fun may disrupt the task.
 Too involved; may lose objectivity.
 Observers may take “sides” based on their
pre-conceptions.

Rules & Objectives of Role Play
are Important
Remember – the first few times an advisor
“role plays” they will be nervous.
 May hear “this is harder than working with
a real student.”
 Be clear about what you want advisors to
learn and get out of the experience –
muddy thinking at the outset will result in
muddy outcomes, whereas, clear thinking
results in clear outcomes.
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Rules for Role Play
Step 1: Establish the Rules of Role Play
 Be respectful of each other.
 Participate & offer constructive feedback.
 Be conscious of time allotted for role
plays.
 Shared time speaking—do not monopolize
time.
Rules for Role Play
Step 2: Identify the Situation
 Introduce scenario, encourage feedback,
coaching, and think about all relevant
issues in scenario.
Rules for Role Play
Step 3: Determine the Roles
 Identify the character(s) and coaches in
the scenario.
Rules for Role Play
Step 4: Add the Details
 Advisor in Reader role sets up scenario by
reading the card. Attendees should be
clear about problem trying to be resolved;
what we want to achieve by end of scene.
Rules for Role Play
Step 5: Act Out Scenario
 Advisors assume their roles, act out the
situation, trying different approaches
where necessary. (Try a good/positive
approach to problem solving or try a
negative approach to show the “wrong”
way to handle a situation).
Rules for Role Play
Step 6:
Coaches, Attendees & Provide
Feedback
 Coaches provide feedback as scene
progresses.
 Attendees provide feedback after each
role play scenario.
Rules for Role Play
Step 7: Discuss What Has Been Learned
 When all role plays are complete, discuss
what has been learned. Ask attendees to
write 1 or 2 items down. Share as time
allows.
Role Playing
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Role playing activity.
References
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Alvear, Jose Role Play as a Learning Strategy. Fast Facts. May 2006.
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Blatner, Adam Role Playing in Education. October 18, 2009.
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Buelow, John 3 Benefits of Making Role-Play Part of Training. Training, February 6, 2014.
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Finkel, Steve. From Knowing to Doing: How to Implement. Professional Search Seminars, 2016.
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Frost, Susan H. 1994. "Advising Alliances: Sharing Responsibility for Student Success." NACADA Journal: The
Journal of the National Academic Advising Association 14 (2):54 - 58.

Harbour, Edward, Jill Connick and Alan Chapman. Role Playing Games and Activities Rules and Tips.
Businessballs.com
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Suen W, Hughes J, Russell M, et al. From Role Play to Real Play: Teaching Effective Role-Playing Facilitation
Skills. MedEdPORTAL Publications. November 2, 2011 vol. 7.
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Kumar, Mohan How to Use Role Play in Teaching and Training. September 25, 2015
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Role Playing As A Training/Learning Activity. The Training World. August 19, 2016

Van Hasselt, Vincent B. and Stephen J. Romano. Role Playing: A Vital Tool in Crisis--Negotiation Skills Training.
Thank You For Attending
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Questions?
Yvette Morales
 [email protected]
 Deborah A. Benavides
 [email protected]
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