The effects of role-playing on the improvement of freshman composition

Abstract

Purpose. Much of the research on role-playing in the fields of business, psychotherapy, and education indicates its effectiveness in changing attitudes and behaviors. In composition, scholars are enthusiastic about using role-playing to manipulate the speaking voice in writing; yet, thus far, no empirical data exist. The purpose of this study was to obtain empirical data on the value of role-playing as a method of writing instruction. Procedures. Four classes of freshman composition at Texas A&M University comprised the sample: one early and one late class as experimental, and one early and one late class as control. No significant difference between the two groups were found at the start of the study. Two instructors, chosen from English department volunteers, were each assigned one control and one experimental class. Detailed lesson plans for each group on five basic writing skills were followed. The experimental group was taught these skills through role-playing, with no formal rhetorical terminology. This group was asked to self-evaluate each theme, using an informally-worded checklist. The control group learned these skills directly with the use of formal rhetorical principles and terms. They were not exposed to any role-playing or self-evaluation. The pretest and posttest 1 were composition identically assigned to both groups. Posttest 2 asked the Ss to evaluate the way the writer of a composition handled the basic writing skills. Two checklist were developed which covered the skills taught in this unit. The first used formal terminology, while the second avoided formal terms and used an informal vocabulary. This latter checklist was used by the experimental group Ss to evaluate their themes. The former was used by both groups on posttest 2 and by the raters..