additional module role-playing games – Münster questionnaire for evaluation (MFE-ZRo)

Abstract

The additional module role-playing games – Münster questionnaire for evaluation (MFE-ZRo) is a 7-item supplementary instrument designed to assess the effectiveness and quality of role-playing games utilized as a didactic method in Higher Education seminars. This module forms part of the broader Münster questionnaire for evaluation (MFE) system, developed at the University of Münster, Germany, specifically for online administration. The MFE-ZRo focuses on the student experience, measuring the application of theoretical knowledge, communicative and teamwork skills, and the clarity of instruction and feedback provided by the lecturer. As of the latest documentation, the scale is still in a developmental status (“unerprobt”), meaning comprehensive psychometric data regarding its reliability and validity are not yet available.

Keywords

Teaching Evaluation, Role Play, Higher Education, Seminar Assessment, Didactics, MFE, Psychometrics.

Authors

Ina Grötemeier, Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Meinald Thielsch.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the MFE-ZRo module is to provide specialized feedback on the implementation and student experience of role-playing games within academic settings, particularly seminars. This instrument allows teaching staff to tailor their evaluation process, focusing specifically on the effectiveness of this interactive teaching technique in promoting practical application of theoretical knowledge, improving communicative skills, and enhancing teamwork.

The development of MFE supplementary modules, including MFE-ZRo, was motivated by the need for short, economical, and flexible evaluation tools suitable for web-based administration at the University of Münster. This approach ensures that students are only presented with questions that are relevant to the specific course format being evaluated, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing respondent burden, a key goal in web-based Teaching Evaluation (Haaser, Thielsch & Moeck, 2007).

Construct

The scale measures aspects related to Teaching Evaluation, specifically focusing on the perceived quality and effectiveness of role-playing games as a learning activity. Key areas assessed include the students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge, the clarity of learning objectives communicated by the instructor, the perception of personal inhibition or comfort during the activity, and the self-reported improvement in communicative and team-related skills. The scale also includes an item evaluating the quality of feedback received from the instructor or tutor.

Validity

Empirical data concerning the validity of the revised MFE-ZRo module are currently unavailable, as the scale was recently modified (Summer 2010). The scale was constructed based on theoretical analyses of characteristics associated with effective teaching practices (Grabbe, 2003) and institutional needs for comprehensive Teaching Evaluation, suggesting strong initial content validity. However, specific indicators of criterion or construct validity have yet to be reported.

Reliability

As the MFE-ZRo module underwent a significant revision in 2010, resulting in the merging of two items (Item 4), comprehensive reliability analyses have not yet been reported. The status of development is currently listed as “unerprobt” (untested). Future documentation is expected to include psychometric results, such as internal consistency measures (e.g., Cronbach’s Alpha), once sufficient data using the revised 7-item structure are collected.

Factor Analysis

Information regarding the specific dimensional structure or results from any factor analysis of the MFE-ZRo scale is not currently documented. The initial development of the broader MFE system aimed to capture eight dimensions of teaching quality (Grabbe, 2003). Given the highly specific focus and short length of this 7-item supplementary module, it is typically treated as a single factor assessing the quality of the role-playing games didactic method. Empirical confirmation of its factor structure awaits further data collection and analysis.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, supplementary module for web-based Teaching Evaluation.

Format: 7-item Likert scale. Response options range from 1 = “stimme gar nicht zu” (strongly disagree) to 7 = “stimme vollkommen zu” (strongly agree). An additional option, “nicht sinnvoll beantwortbar” (not meaningful to answer), is provided.

Language Available: Deutsch (German).

Population Group: University students.

Age Group: Adults (typical age of students in Higher Education).

Population Details: Students enrolled in specific courses (primarily seminars) at the Department of Psychology, University of Münster, who participated in role-playing activities.

Test Methodology: Web-based administration via the online evaluation platform (http://www.uni-muenster.de/PsyEval). The MFE-ZRo module is typically presented immediately following the core evaluation modules for seminars (MFE-Sr) or lectures (MFE-Vr).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale is part of the MFE system developed and maintained by the Institute of Psychology at the University of Münster. The initial framework for supplemental modules was introduced around 2003. The MFE-ZRo module received a critical item revision in Summer 2010. No information regarding usage fees or commercial permissions is explicitly provided in the source documentation, though it is primarily an institutional evaluation tool.

Reference’s

Rindermann, H. (1996). Evaluation der Lehre als Instrument der Qualitätskontrolle und -entwicklung an Hochschulen. Hochschulwesen, 44(5), 291-295.

Grabbe, M. (2003). Entwicklung eines Fragebogens zur Evaluation von Seminaren. Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Universität Münster.

Moeck, S. & Thielsch, M. T. (2004). Der Münsteraner Fragebogen zur Lehrevaluation (MFE): Beschreibung und erste Ergebnisse. Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Universität Münster.

Göritz, A. S., Soucek, R. & Bacher, J. (2005). Online-Befragungen in der Sozialforschung. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.

Haaser, J., Thielsch, M. T. & Moeck, S. (2007). Lehrevaluation an der Universität Münster: Effekte des Umstiegs auf eine Online-Befragung. Zeitschrift für Evaluation, 6(2), 273-289.

Schmidt, L. & Loßnitzer, K. (2010). Instrumente zur Lehrevaluation im deutschsprachigen Raum. Zeitschrift für Evaluation, 9(1), 1-28.

Thielsch, M. T. & Weltzin, L. (2012). Web-based evaluation of teaching: Effects of response incentives on response rates and data quality. Computers & Education, 58(2), 793-801.

Items of the additional module role-playing games – Münster questionnaire for evaluation (MFE-ZRo)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.