Using Role playing prompts and shared artefacts for learners on the autism spectrum

Background???

In a previous post, I shared our experience with using Role playing prompts - Role playing prompts used to develop scenarios for education.?

In this post, I extend the idea of role playing prompts for learners on the autism spectrum. I hope to develop this as a paper with Anjali Jain and Aditya Jaokar .?

We have been developing this idea before in this newsletter (Using knowledge graphs to create dynamic learning paths)

To develop Role playing prompts, we are primarily using OpenAI tools i.e. chatGPT and custom GPTs. We plan to also use multimodal tools in future to extend this concept

We aim to create a set of prompt-based tools based on the following principles: We create? shared artefact as a collaboration between the teacher and the learner. The learner can shape their journey through dynamic learning paths. The learner sees ‘behind the scenes’. In this case, the role of the teacher changes to creator of a shared artefacts through prompts jointly with the learner.??

There are a number of advantages to role playing scenarios for learners on autism spectrum which we list below

1. Safe Environment: Role-playing provides a controlled environment where students can rehearse various social scenarios without fear of real-world consequences.
2. Repetition and Reinforcement: Learners on the autism spectrum often benefit from repeated practice. Role-playing activities allow them to go over the same interaction multiple times until it becomes more familiar and comfortable.?
3. Understanding Different Roles: When acting as different characters (teacher, classmate, friend, etc.), students are encouraged to see the world from another person’s point of view.
4. Building Theory of Mind: Many autistic learners benefit from explicit teaching that helps them consider others’ thoughts, feelings, and motivations. Role-playing is a hands-on way to strengthen these insights through an understanding of Theory of mind.
5. Emotional Awareness: By portraying emotions in a scenario, students gain practice in recognizing how emotions look and feel, both in themselves and in others.
6. Predictability: Role-playing creates predictable routines and scripts that reduce anxiety around novel social situations.
7. Problem-Solving Skills: Students can explore different strategies for handling challenging social or academic situations, increasing their repertoire of possible responses.

Prompt

GOAL: This is a role-playing game designed to develop SCENARIO interactively. You will progressively improve the scenario based on feedback between the two PERSONAS and finally share the developed scenario.?

PERSONA: In this scenario, you play two different personas: the TEACHER and the?

LEARNER.?

SCENARIO: The scenario should be around the book Moby Dick. Choose a LEARNING OBJECTIVE for the scenario relevant to the LEARNER and develop the scenario interactively?

NARRATIVE: You will play a game of ‘20 questions’ - for the? SCENARIO. The TEACHER will ask a question to the LEARNER. The LEARNER will respond. You will show this dialogue of 20 questions. After which you will frame the scenario. Then show the scenario Also develop an ALTERNATE ENDING reflecting the LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Chat

https://chatgpt.com/share/67ad9a96-6b64-8009-a8fd-1b9caa54c7d2?

Conclusion

I am hoping to develop and validate a set of prompt based tools - each of which is a shared , reflective artefact between the teacher and the learner