Imagine this scenario: the roof of the local gym has collapsed. Students from the dance class are trapped. You are the lead communicator for the local council. It’s your job to respond.
How do you develop and implement a crisis communication strategy in a challenging and complex scenarios like this?
This is the kind of scenario that students in 570007 Communicating Risks, Issues and Crises face in their final assessment. The students draw on the theories, strategies, and insights they’ve learned throughout the course to prepare for real-world situations.
In this blog we outline the advantages of using ‘simulation assessments’ to facilitate enhanced learning experiences. Using Canvas Quiz and scenario-specific illustrations, this form of assessment is one step closer to real-life applications. Significantly, simulation assessments can be utilised as a strategy to enhance assessment security for online subjects.
Background
In this subject, students develop essential crisis communication skills needed for various professional fields through an innovative simulation assessment. This assessment immerses students in a realistic crisis management scenario, which was co-designed with Dr. Kate Delmo, the Head of Discipline for Strategic Communication. This hands-on experience helps students apply key communication concepts effectively, preparing them for the complexities they will face in real-world crises. This immersive experience has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of our dedicated Media team, including Evan Betreen, Kathleen Consul, and Caroline Paik.
Simulation assessment design
The simulation assessment is a synchronous activity. The students have 90 minutes to complete the task, which constitutes part A of the assessment. Once they finish the simulation they then proceed to part B, where they review their responses and reflect on them through the lens of crisis communication theories and key concepts.
The simulation is integrated into a Canvas quiz that plays a crucial role in the assessment, as it prevents students from changing their responses as the situation develops. This well-designed series of chronological events features graphics designed by Caroline Paik which provide students with essential context and prompts to respond to. The illustrations guide students through the crisis, enhancing realism and emphasising the importance of making quick decisions under pressure.
The design also enhances assessment security by requiring students to complete the task synchronously and under time pressure. They are then asked to analyse their own crisis responses within the same timeframe. This approach adds an additional layer of rigour to the assessment process.
Learning theories and application/quality framework
Our simulation aligns with constructivist learning principles, especially David Kolb’s cycle emphasising active learning and real-world application. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle consists of four stages:
- concrete experience
- reflective observation
- abstract conceptualisation
- active experimentation.
In this context, the simulation serves as the concrete experience, requiring students to actively engage with the crisis scenarios. Once they complete the simulation, the review and reflection on their responses relate to the reflective observation stage. By analysing their decisions through the lens of crisis communication theories and key concepts in part B, they move into the abstract conceptualisation phase, drawing insights and learning from their experience. This structured approach not only reinforces their learning but also prepares them to apply these concepts in future situations, linking back to the active experimentation stage of the cycle.
How did it go?
The effectiveness of this simulation assessment is evident from the positive feedback from both teachers and students.
[The team] turned a complex task into an impactful assessment tool … careful attention to the interface and functionality led to positive student feedback, with one commenting, ‘my Fitbit was sounding off many times due to my increased heart rate!’ This demonstrates the effective use of technology in time-based assessments.
Dr Kate Delmo
Additionally, the teaching team emphasised the enhanced sense of assessment security, highlighting the rigorous and controlled evaluation process.
