Benefits of “role play” activity

In this article we focus on the process of teaching communication skills in small groups through the use of role-play. The rationale for focusing on role-play is that the most rigorously conducted studies of communication skills that demonstrate behavior change used this method. The use of role-play in small groups is an important method to help learners cultivate the skills required to engage in nuanced, often difficult conversations with seriously ill patients. To be effective, educators utilizing role-play must help learners set realistic goals and know when and how toprovide feedback to the learners in a way that allows a deepening of skills and a promotion of self-awareness.