Role-Playing Games for Fostering Communication and Negotiation Skills

Author(s)

Fioravanti, Maria Lydia ^[1] ; de Oliveira Sestito, Camila Dias ^[1] ; de Deus, William Simao ^[1] ; Scatalon, Lilian Passos ^[1] ; Barbosa, Ellen Francine ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Math & Comp Sci, BR-13560970 Sao Carlos - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION; OCT 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Contribution: In this article, an experience applying three role-playing games in the context of an Entrepreneurship final project is presented, discussing the challenges, and the lessons learned. Background: Soft skills have been expounded repeatedly as a crucial factor to thrive in the workplace, as opposed to mere knowledge of content only, since the increasingly importance of practitioners being able to adapt to new situations. Also, soft skills have the ability to categorize specific career attribute which an individual has, such as team spirit, written and oral communication, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Literature provides evidence of areas in which graduates most frequently do not meet industry expectations, including technical and also soft skills. Intended Outcomes: Considering the aforementioned scenario, an active learning strategy was adopted aiming to foster soft skills, particularly, oral communication, and negotiation in an Entrepreneurship course. Application Design: The course final project comprised the development of fictional business plans, their corresponding minimum viable products, and also negotiation rounds with fictional potential investors. Among the active learning strategies, role-playing games were chosen as they have shown to be useful in similar contexts. Findings: This experience shows that active strategies, especially role-playing games, support the development of soft skills and engage students as active participants in their learning process. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/26636-2 - Software Engineering and Learning Technologies: Establishing Supporting Mechanisms for Teaching and Learning
• Grantee: Ellen Francine Barbosa
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/15163-6 - An experiential learning framework for software project management education
• Grantee: Maria Lydia Fioravanti
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate