Re-purposing an online role play activity:
Exploring the institutional and pedagogical challenges

Migrating a proven learning design from one online teaching milieu to another is not always a simple process. Complications can arise on various fronts. From a pedagogical perspective, for instance, one of the main challenges is associated with the task of realigning the activity to adequately reflect the new curriculum context, delivery mode, target audience, learning process and anticipated outcomes. Similarly, institutional barriers such as intellectual property and the available online infrastructure and technical supports can also limit, and at times inhibit, reuse. Drawing on personal experience, this short paper discusses the challenges associated with re-purposing an online learning design across program, disciplinary and institutional contexts. Using a role play activity as the case study, this paper aims to stimulate discussion about the complexities and practicalities associated with the reuse of a proven learning design. Initially the original and re-purposed learning designs are outlined. Then, the pedagogical and institutional shifts that were required are discussed and a framework for analysing the dimensions of reuse is proposed.

Keywords: learning design, reusability, role play, pedagogical and institutional challenges