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SCORP (Scenario-based Collaborative Online Role-Playing) is a platform that lets you run interactive roleplays where students take on different roles, make decisions, and experience realistic consequences. A roleplay is like a roleplay script you write once, and then run multiple times with different groups of students.
1. You write a simple, readable outline of your simulation (using this guide) 2. We convert your outline into a technical format the platform understands 3. Students use the platform to play out your simulation
You don't need to know any coding—just describe your simulation clearly using this template.
---
This section tells SCORP what your simulation is called and what it's about.
``` roleplayName: The name of your roleplay (e.g., "Peace Negotiation Summit") roleplayVersion: 0.0.1 ```
What this means: Version numbers help you track updates (0.0.1 for first draft, 0.1.0 after first test, 1.0.0 for final version).``` roleplayCopyright: Your copyright statement (e.g., "Copyright 2026 My University") roleplayCreatingOrg: Your organization name (e.g., "Center for Conflict Studies") roleplayCreatingOrgLogo: your_logo.png ```
What this means: This gives credit to you and your organization when students see your roleplay.``` lifecycleStatus: ALPHA ```
What this means: Use `ALPHA` (draft), `BETA` (testing), or `PRODUCTION` (ready for students).``` roleplayBlurb: A one- or two-sentence description shown in the catalog ```
Example: "In this simulation, you negotiate a trade agreement between three fictional countries while managing domestic political pressures."---
This section explains what you want students to learn from your roleplay.
``` reflectionPage: true (Do you want a reflection page at the end?) schedulePage: true (Show students the timeline of phases?) learningObjectives: - Students will understand how international negotiations work - Students will experience competing interests and stakeholder management expectedAudience: - Upper-level undergraduate students - Participants should have basic knowledge of international relations introduction: - This simulation puts you in the role of a country negotiator. - You will work with other students to reach a trade agreement. - Pay attention to your country's interests and political pressures. plannedPlayIdeas: - Have students debrief in groups by country - Show the negotiation transcripts afterward debriefQuestions: - What surprised you most about the negotiation process? - How did you balance your national interests with building relationships? - What would you do differently if you ran this again? ```
Why this matters: This helps students and instructors understand the purpose of your simulation and how to get the most from it.---
You can show or hide different parts of the interface for your students. This keeps them focused on what matters.
``` showAnnouncements: true (Can you send messages to all students?) showIntroduction: true (Show the introduction page?) showSchedule: true (Show the phases/timeline?) showYou: true (Show which actor the student is playing?) showCast: true (Show the list of all characters?) showPhase: true (Show which phase they're in?) showEmail: false (Allow email messages? Usually false.) showChat: true (Enable chat between students?) showReminders: true (Send reminder notifications?) ```
Pro tip: For your first roleplay, just use all `true`. You can adjust later based on what works.---
A phase is a time period in your simulation. Most roleplays have 2-4 phases.
Example: "Peace Negotiation"- Phase 1: Opening statements and initial offers - Phase 2: Closed-door bilateral negotiations - Phase 3: Final negotiations and agreement
```
phaseName: Opening Statements phaseDescription: - Each country gets 10 minutes to present its opening position. - The mediator will then summarize the key interests and concerns. - This sets the stage for more detailed negotiations.
phaseName: Negotiations phaseDescription: - Countries can negotiate in pairs or small groups. - You have 45 minutes to reach preliminary agreement on key points. ```
What students see: They'll see the phase name and description when they move to that phase. Keep descriptions clear and short (2-3 sentences).---
An actor is a role a student can play. A facilitator is an instructor or teaching assistant who watches and guides the simulation.
```
actorName: Prime Minister of Eastland actorAssumedName: (leave blank) actorPublicDescription: - You lead a country that depends heavily on agricultural exports. - Your constituency wants jobs and stable prices. actorSemiPublicDescription: - You've been instructed by your cabinet to secure trade terms that benefit farmers. - You can make limited concessions but must protect agricultural interests. actorPrivateDescription: - Your country is in debt and needs to increase exports by 20% within 2 years. - If negotiations fail, opposition parties will call for your resignation. - You have authorization to offer technology transfer in exchange for agricultural access. actorImageFilename: primeministereastland.png actorImageThumbFilename: (leave blank for now) actorDefaultColorChatBubble: chatNameColorClassBlack clone: false controlActor: false npc: false isShown: true isPrototype: false defaultNumberOfCopies: 1 cloneNumber: 0 ```
What these fields mean:- actorName: The title/role the student will play - actorPublicDescription: Information everyone can see - actorSemiPublicDescription: Information shared with some students (e.g., your country's official stance) - actorPrivateDescription: Secret information only you have (your hidden agenda, personal pressures) - actorImageFilename: A portrait image of this character (optional) - controlActor: Set to `false` for student roles. Set to `true` only for facilitators. - clone: Keep as `false` - Other fields: Keep the defaults as shown
```
actorName: Mediator actorPublicDescription: - Neutral facilitator who keeps the discussion on track actorSemiPublicDescription: (leave blank) actorPrivateDescription: - You see all discussions and messages - Intervene if any country is being unreasonably aggressive actorImageFilename: (leave blank) actorDefaultColorChatBubble: chatNameColorClassBlack clone: false controlActor: true npc: false isShown: true isPrototype: false defaultNumberOfCopies: 1 cloneNumber: 0 ```
Key differences:- Set `controlActor: true` so you (the instructor) control this actor - You'll see all private chats and can monitor the simulation
---
If you want students to have public chat where everyone can see messages, add this section.
```
pageChatName: Public Negotiation Room pageChatDescription: All countries can see all messages here
pageChatName: Eastland Private Room pageChatDescription: Only Eastland team members see messages here ```
Tips:- One "public" chat for everyone - Separate private chats for sensitive discussions - You can have as many as you need
---
A decision is a choice students make that affects the simulation outcome.
```
decisionName: Agricultural Tariff Proposal decisionFinal: true decisionText: - As Prime Minister, you must propose an initial tariff level for agricultural products. - This will set the tone for negotiations. responses: - name: Aggressive text: Propose 40% tariff (protects farms but may antagonize trading partners) - name: Moderate text: Propose 20% tariff (balanced approach) - name: Open Market text: Propose 5% tariff (opens markets but faces domestic pressure) ```
What happens: Students see this decision prompt, choose an option, and their choice is recorded. You can use these responses to shape the narrative.---
```
roleplayDocumentName: Country Profile - Eastland roleplayDocumentText: - Geography: Island nation, 500 miles east of Westland - Population: 12 million - Primary industry: Agriculture (35% of economy) - Government: Democratic republic with bicameral legislature ```
Students can read these documents during the roleplay.
---
This is where you specify what students actually DO during each phase.
Common activity types:- Read Document: Display a document or briefing - Answer Poll: Ask a multiple-choice question - Chat: Public or private discussion - Decision: Make a choice - Show Information: Display background info about other actors - Inject: Send a surprise message (e.g., "You just got a call from your minister")
```
pageName: Read Country Profile actorRef: A1 phaseRef: P1 reactComponent: ShowDocument associatedObjectType: DOCUMENT associatedObjectRef: R1 placeInOrder: 1
pageName: Opening Statement Chat actorRef: A1 phaseRef: P1 reactComponent: Chat associatedObjectType: CHAT associatedObjectRef: C1 placeInOrder: 2
pageName: Facilitator Control Panel actorRef: A2 phaseRef: P1 reactComponent: Control placeInOrder: 1 ```
Reading this:- pageName: What students see as the tab title - actorRef: Which actor sees this (A1 = student in role A1, A2 = facilitator) - phaseRef: Which phase it appears in (P1, P2, etc.) - reactComponent: What type of activity it is (see "Available Activity Types" below) - placeInOrder: The order activities appear (1 appears first, 2 second, etc.)
---
Below is a complete list of all the activities you can add to your roleplay. For each phase and actor, you can include any of these activities. Just create a Page entry and set the `reactComponent` to one of these types.
- What it does: Display a broadcast message to all participants - Best for: Major updates, phase transitions, surprise developments - Example: "Breaking news: Trade talks have been suspended due to political pressure" - In your template: `reactComponent: Announcements`
- What it does: Private chat between a student and the instructor/mediator - Best for: Students asking questions, getting guidance, reporting problems - Example: "I don't understand the tariff rules. Can you clarify?" - In your template: `reactComponent: AskTheMediator` - Note: Only works if you have a Mediator actor (A2)
- What it does: Collaborative table where each team writes their needs and solutions - Best for: Group problem-solving activities - Example: Each country team brainstorms what they need from the trade deal - In your template: `reactComponent: Brainstorm`
- What it does: Show all characters and their public descriptions - Best for: First phase—let students see who they're negotiating with - Example: Display all country leaders and their roles - In your template: `reactComponent: Cast`
- What it does: Let students create an assumed name (like a stage name) - Best for: Optional—makes roleplay feel more immersive - Example: Student in role "Country A Leader" sets assumed name to "Minister Shah" - In your template: `reactComponent: ChangeNames`
- What it does: Discussion area where actors can chat with each other - Best for: Negotiations, group discussions - Links to: A Chat object you defined earlier (C1, C2, etc.) - In your template: `reactComponent: Chat` with `associatedObjectType: CHAT`
- What it does: Private chat between two specific actors - Best for: Bilateral negotiations - In your template: `reactComponent: PrivateChat`
- What it does: Instructor dashboard to monitor simulation, send announcements, advance phases - Best for: The facilitator/mediator role (only set actorRef to mediator) - In your template: `reactComponent: Control`
- What it does: Students answer reflection questions at the end - Best for: Last phase—capture learning and insights - Example: "What was your biggest challenge in this negotiation?" - In your template: `reactComponent: DebriefQuestions`
- What it does: Present a choice and record student responses - Best for: Key decision points that shape the narrative - Links to: A Decision object you defined earlier (D1, D2, etc.) - In your template: `reactComponent: Decision` with `associatedObjectType: DECISION`
- What it does: Display a document or briefing - Best for: Background info, rules, scenarios - Links to: A Document you defined earlier (R1, R2, etc.) - In your template: `reactComponent: ShowDocument` with `associatedObjectType: DOCUMENT`
- What it does: Let instructor edit and push updates to students - Best for: Responding to simulation events - In your template: `reactComponent: EditDocument`
- What it does: Send/receive email messages - Best for: Optional—can add realism but also clutter - In your template: `reactComponent: Email`
- What it does: Surprise event sent by facilitator (e.g., "Your minister called") - Best for: Unexpected developments that force students to react - Example: "Breaking: Your opposition party threatens a vote of no confidence" - In your template: `reactComponent: Inject`
- What it does: Show the introduction you wrote in Part 2 - Best for: First phase—set context and learning goals - In your template: `reactComponent: Introduction`
- What it does: Show when each student was last active - Best for: Instructor monitoring - In your template: `reactComponent: LastLogins`
- What it does: Table where actors share their top priorities and concerns - Best for: Getting students aligned on their character's motivations - Example: Eastland lists "2% GDP growth" as a need and "Mass unemployment" as a fear - In your template: `reactComponent: NeedsAndFears`
- What it does: Display negotiation positions and interests of groups - Best for: Making the information architecture of your roleplay transparent - In your template: `reactComponent: PartyInformation`
- What it does: Show all phases and timeline - Best for: First phase—help students understand the flow - In your template: `reactComponent: Schedule`
- What it does: Technical testing page (ignore for now) - In your template: `reactComponent: TestPage`
- What it does: Display external links or embedded resources - Best for: Linking to research articles, maps, external tools - In your template: `reactComponent: WebLink`
---
For each activity you want to include, create a Page entry:
```
pageName: Read Negotiation Rules actorRef: A1 phaseRef: P1 reactComponent: ShowDocument associatedObjectType: DOCUMENT associatedObjectRef: R1 placeInOrder: 3 isTemplate: false hasAssociatedObject: true associatedObjectName: Negotiation Rules Document ```
Key fields:- PG1, PG2, PG3, etc.: Unique IDs for each activity - pageName: What students see - actorRef: Who sees it (A1, A2, etc.) - phaseRef: Which phase (P1, P2, etc.) - reactComponent: The type (ShowDocument, Chat, Decision, etc.) - placeInOrder: Order students see activities (1 first, 2 second, etc.)
---
If you want to link to external resources:
``` webLinkSets: - id: 1 webLinkSetName: Research Resources webLinkEntries: - id: 1 webLinkSetId: 1 linkText: UN Trade Policy Database linkURL: https://example.com/trade-policy ```
---
These features are optional for your first roleplay. Ignore them for now.
``` injects: [] injectEntries: [] partyInformationSets: [] partyInformationEntries: [] askTheMediator: null voteInformations: [] voteEntries: [] ```
---
- [ ] Part 1: Title, version, copyright, organization, status, blurb - [ ] Part 2: Learning goals, audience, introduction, debrief questions - [ ] Part 3: UI options (mostly just set to `true`) - [ ] Part 4: 2-4 phases with names and descriptions - [ ] Part 5: 3-5 characters (actors) with descriptions - [ ] Part 6: Chat areas (if you want discussion) — OPTIONAL - [ ] Part 7: Decision points (if you want choices) — OPTIONAL - [ ] Part 8: Documents for students to read — OPTIONAL - [ ] Part 9: Activities for each phase (Introductions, Chats, Documents, etc.)
---
1. Fill out this template with your roleplay content 2. Send it to us along with any images or documents 3. We'll convert it into the technical format 4. Test with students and refine 5. Share with others — your roleplay can be reused by other educators
---
- Keep it focused: 2-3 learning goals max - Make roles distinct: Each actor should have different interests and constraints - Include conflict: Best learning happens when students face real dilemmas - Use phases: Break the simulation into 3-5 distinct time periods - Give secret info: Private descriptions create tension and realism - Plan debrief: Reflection is where deep learning happens - Test first: Run a draft with volunteer students and get feedback
---
For help with this template, contact the SCORP team or visit our website.
For examples of completed roleplays, see: [Link to SCSW library]
Videos on how to use this guide: [Coming soon!]
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Version: 1.0 for Educators Last Updated: August 2026 Available free on: [SCSW website]