1. Teaching Geoscience with Simulation: Scenario-based Role-plays
Jacqueline Dohaney
Postdoctoral Fellow
& Erik Brogt, Thomas Wilson, and Ben Kennedy

2. Teaching Geoscience with Simulation: Scenario-based Role-plays
Research and Project Goals
Basics of Simulation and Role-play
Our scenario-based role-plays
Transferable skills
Results: Communication Performance, Efficacy and Attitudes
Future Work

3. Improving Science Communication Skills in Science/Engineering Education through Scenario-Based Role Plays
Project Goals:
Design, build and assess an earthquake role-play, which aims to teach students the best practices of science communication.
Teach upper-year students transferable skills.
Develop instruments to assess communication performance.
Run the scenarios at different sites & make recommendations to the research and practitioner community.
Blog:

4. Why study this topic? → Transferable skills
Geosciences research and professional communities have recognized the deficit of quality teamwork and communication skills in their graduates (e.g., Ireton, Mogk and Manduca 1997)
Ireton, Frank, David William Mogk, and Cathryn A. Manduca Shaping the Future of Undergraduate Earth Science Education - Innovation and Change Using an Earth System Approach.

5. Simulation
Simulation includes anything that is “played” by the participants set in an exploratory, real world scenario. Including: simple games, role-plays, videogames, case-study discussions, debates, mock trials, etc.

6. E.g., Flight Simulators

7. Role-play
In a role-play, each player acts as part of an authentic social environment.
The scenario, setting and players provide a framework in that students can test out a repertoire of behaviours.
Shown to:
a) Improve problem-solving , decision-making and communication skills .
b) increase interpersonal interactions.
c) positively change student’s attitudes.
d) Increase motivation and participation in the learning process.

8. Our SBRPs:
Utilise overlapping learning strategies: authentic and applied learning, explicit goals-based structure, complex tasks, team-based Scenarios: Tongariro volcanic crisis; Auckland volcanic field crisis; Greymouth earthquake sequence (in development) Roles & Teams: Team leaders, public information officers, scientists from GNS and CDEM

9. Listening to one another
Trust one another
Delegating tasks
Equal contribution
Challenging ideas
Brainstorming
Lending a hand
Being supportive
Listening to one another
Teamwork
Critical Thinking & Decision-making
Students drew maps to plan routes, assess and quantify impacts from the dispersal of volcanic ash
Students effectively multi-tasked and prioritized many datasets simultaneously
WRITING: During the simulation, Students fill out Data logs, Media Releases, Alert Level Reports and Impacts Reports
Communication Skills
On-their-toes
Press conferences

10. Current Research: Volcanic Hazards Simulations
Increased performance of Communication Skills
Tongariro Crisis
Student Feedback
Learning Gains
Expert Interviews

11. How are we measuring Communication Skills?
Communication Performance Proxies +
Student Interviews regarding Communication
i.e., confidence

12. Communication Confidence: Measured through Communication Apprehension
Definition: An individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or perceived communication with another person or persons in given communication settings (McCroskey, 1982b; 1984)
High CA = low confidence (i.e., efficacy) in communication scenarios;
Low CA = high confidence
CA is strong predictor of/proxy to (but is not proven relationship with) communication performance (Rubin 1985; Morreale et al 2007).
New research indicates a statistically significant negative correlation between CA and cognitive performance

13. Communication Confidence Instrument: PRCA-24
Communication in different settings. E.g., Group discussions

14. Confidence: Where did the students plot?3 7
10 avg
High Confidence
Low Confidence
Cohort 1; n = 20 students
These students would exhibit: ‘stage’ fright or audience anxiety
=> linked to difficulties with group work, cognitive development and inter-social skills
These students could exhibit: over-talking and over-confidence
(which may not be matched with actual communication skills
Based on averages obtained by the author:
Norms: avg =
Group – / 4.8
Meeting – / 4.5
Interpersonal – / 4.2
Public – / 5.1

15. Communication Confidence Changes:2 6 12

16. Average % Shifts in Confidence:
Overall Average Positive Shift: 7.15 % ± 7.01
High variance in shifts
Max shift: 25% 2
Formal Meetings:
3.33 % ± 1.78
Max shift: 7%
Significant changes, when compared to semester-long communication therapy
Public Speaking:
2.36 % ± 1.87
Max shift: 7%
Group Discussions:
1.92 % ± 1.33
Max shift: 5%

17. Perceptions (i.e., attitudes) of Science Communication
To be a successful scientist, I need to be an effective communicator.
To be an effective scientist, I need to practice my communication skills.
When a non-scientist expresses an incorrect science concept to the media, I believe that scientists have a responsibility to correct this statement.
I feel that the public is better left in the dark about the level of uncertainty that scientists have about their data, during a natural hazards event.

18. Perceptions: Better Communicators

19. Perceptions: Scientific Responsibilities

20. Implications
Students are having differential experiences with role-play – some increased confidence, others not. Likely due to peer comparison effects. Some perceptions (i.e., attitudes) are becoming more expert-like, and others are not. More data is needed to understand these shifts in attitudes and confidence.

21. Future Work Develop earthquake scenario role-play
Qualitatively assess communication performance ‘interviews’.
Compare to proxies.
Explore expert spectrum of behaviour and perceptions.

22. Thank you! Contact: Jackie Dohaney jdohaney@gmail.com