From theory to judgement: using role play to assess students’ decision-making skills

Students can explain sustainability frameworks with confidence. Ask them to challenge a convincing claim, and the room often goes quiet.

That gap matters. In professional settings, decisions are rarely clear-cut, and the ability to question assumptions is often more valuable than knowing the theory.

So how do we assess whether students can actually use what they have learned?

Many assessments still reward explanation over application – a challenge widely discussed in work on assessing critical thinking and authentic assessment. In areas such as sustainability or public policy, this becomes a real problem. Students learn the language quickly, but applying it in messy, real-world situations is harder.

Recent regulatory warnings about “green” investment products show how difficult it is to judge whether claims are credible.

I wanted to move beyond asking students what they know, and instead see how they respond when there is no obvious right answer, incentives conflict, information is incomplete and decisions carry consequences.

Role-play as a form of assessment

I replaced a traditional seminar with a structured role-play simulation. Students work in small groups and are given a realistic scenario involving a complex decision. While my example is drawn from finance, the approach works in any discipline where students must weigh competing claims or stakeholder interests.

Each student is assigned a hidden role representing a different set of incentives. Some prioritise long-term responsibility, others focus on performance, reputation or risk. Students do not know who holds which role.

The discussion shifts quickly, often within minutes. Instead of agreeing politely, students begin to question each other, ask for evidence and push back on assumptions. They start to notice how arguments are framed and why.

• Spotlight guide: Get your students workplace-ready
• Tried and tested ways to teach your students soft skills
• Sharpen your students’ interview skills

In one scenario, a student challenged a peer’s confident claim that a “green” investment strategy was credible, simply by asking: “What evidence supports that?” It was a small moment, but it changed the tone of the conversation. The group moved from agreement to scrutiny.

After the session, students submit a short reflection analysing one moment that challenged their thinking and linking it to a real-world context. The focus moves away from describing theory towards demonstrating judgement, reasoning and decision-making.

In simple terms, we are assessing how students think, not just what they know.

How to design it in practice

This approach does not require complex technology or major curriculum redesign. What matters is structure and clarity.

A few principles made the biggest difference:

• Use realistic, ambiguous scenarios
  Design situations with no clear “correct” answer.
• Build in competing incentives
  Give students different perspectives to represent. Hidden roles introduce uncertainty and encourage engagement.
• Keep roles consistent across tasks
  This helps students begin to see how incentives shape behaviour over time.
• Support participation with light prompts
  These can help students get started, particularly in diverse cohorts, but avoid over-structuring.
• Link directly to assessment through reflection
  Ask students to reflect on one specific moment. This keeps the task focused and encourages deeper analysis.

This approach works particularly well in disciplines where knowledge is contested, evolving or shaped by different global perspectives.

What changed for students

The impact on engagement was immediate. Students who are usually quiet in seminars contributed more actively because they had a role to play. Discussions became less about giving the “right” answer and more about defending a position.

More importantly, the quality of thinking improved. You could see it.

In their reflections, students showed stronger ability to:

• question the credibility of claims
• recognise trade-offs and unintended consequences
• connect theory to real-world situations
• articulate and justify their judgement.

Several commented that the exercise felt closer to real professional situations than traditional assessments. That, in itself, says a lot.

The need for assessments that reflect the complexity of real-world decision-making and align more closely with workplace readiness is growing. Employers are not simply looking for graduates who understand concepts, but those who can apply them under pressure, communicate clearly and challenge others constructively.

This approach also supports more inclusive learning in diverse classrooms. When students bring different cultural, educational and lived experiences into the discussion, it surfaces a wider range of perspectives on what counts as responsible or credible decision-making. It creates space to question dominant assumptions and engage with sustainability as a genuinely global and contested issue. This echoes wider conversations around more inclusive and decolonised approaches to the curriculum.

A simple shift with lasting impact

The shift is small but powerful: instead of asking students to explain ideas, we ask them to use them.

Role play will not replace all forms of assessment. But it offers a practical way to bring judgement, uncertainty and human interaction into how we evaluate learning.

And in doing so, it helps prepare students for the kind of decisions they will actually face beyond the classroom.

Angela Christidis is an associate professor of finance at the University of Exeter.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.