Through role-play learning, a neurodivergent student found work practicum success

When students move from academic courses to real-world applications like internships, practicums, or clinical rotations, it’s not just about what they know, but also how they use what they know.

These experiences are often the first time students apply classroom learning in unpredictable, high-stakes environments.

For students with disabilities, this jump can be particularly difficult. Structural barriers, inaccessible learning environments, and past negative experiences can make these transitions more difficult.

Simulation-based learning can help students overcome obstacles: Through role-playing, students practice key skills, test strategies, and learn from mistakes without facing real-world consequences. It is an approach practiced in fields such as health care, business, and social work education.

We decided to explore the use of simulations with students facing disability-related barriers, drawing on research related to simulation learning and with students with disabilities in internships.

From participants to partners

We have adopted a “students as partners” approach, which views students as active collaborators in designing their own learning experiences.

In this case study, we sought to design simulations that were practical, empowering, and tailored to a neurodiverse university social work student. We also wanted simulations that reflected his particular concerns and were grounded in his unique lived experiences.

The student had encountered obstacles during a previous work-integrated learning internship. Before starting another one, he needed a safer way to build his confidence, practice communication and prepare for the professional environment.

A team approach

The project was collaborative. As faculty members, we worked with the social work student involved in the field training course and with a theater student hired as a partner to co-create the simulations. Other participants came from MacEwan’s Access and Disability Resources and the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Together, the group designed two realistic and tailor-made simulation experiences aimed at helping the social work student prepare for their next internship.

How it worked

The team came together over a summer to co-design the custom simulations:

• A workplace conversation, in which the student practiced setting expectations with a supervisor.
• A client-facing scenario, in which he was responding to a telephone inquiry, something he was likely to encounter during his internship.

Each simulation followed a three-part process:

• Briefing: The student reviewed the context and objectives.
• Role play: The drama student played a realistic role based on the script.
• Debriefing: The student watched a video of the simulation, reflected on what worked, and received encouraging feedback.

By repeating the simulations several times, students were able to gradually develop their skills, adjust their strategies and become more confident with each trial.

The theater student also gained valuable experience learning and practicing how to respond authentically and adapt to unexpected moments – skills that carry over into their own performance training.

What has changed

When determining the learning objectives for the simulation, we focused on aligning the course learning outcomes with the specific needs of the social work student, such as communication skills. During each role play rotation, we measured the time it took for the social work student to clearly communicate their question or thought to the client (played by the drama student).

The duration decreased with each rotation. In the end, the social work student said he felt more confident moving through situations. He became faster, more confident and more comfortable in professional communication.

Most importantly, he said he felt included and respected throughout the process. He said: “Being involved in everything helped me feel more prepared. I made mistakes in the simulation and learned from them, so I didn’t have to make the same mistakes in real life.

The theater student echoed this: “I wasn’t just performing, I was helping someone grow. It made me realize how powerful theater can be beyond performance.”

Beyond skill development, it was about building capacity, confidence and community, all made possible by student-centered design. A year later, the disabled student successfully completed two field placements and graduated.

Why it matters

When universities design learning experiences with, and not just for, students – especially those who are often excluded from the process, such as those facing disability-related barriers – opportunities for student engagement and empowerment are enhanced.

Simulations give students the opportunity to:

• Practice real-world scenarios without real risk.
• Learn from feedback in a supportive environment.
• Develop your self-advocacy and professional communication skills.
• Develop strategies tailored to their unique needs.

This type of tailored preparation can make the difference between simply completing an internship and truly thriving in it.

Looking to the future

This project shows that personalized simulations, grounded in student experiences and supported by interdisciplinary collaboration, can pave the way for more equitable and empowering education.

It suggests that when students are treated as co-creators, not mere consumers or beneficiaries of education, learning becomes deeper, more inclusive and more meaningful. This also highlights the relevance of wider use of co-created simulations across disciplines. Future possibilities include:

• Adapting simulations for group settings or online delivery.
• Partnership between departments, such as theater and business or accessibility and STEM.
• Design from the ground up for diverse learning needs, using the principles of universal design for learning.

The approach is flexible, scalable and above all human-centered. Sometimes the best way to prepare for real life is to practice it.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.