Is there a word/phrase?

[Thadeus]

Continuing with the questions:
Everyone in the US has heard the phrase "Good Cop / Bad Cop" regarding an interrogation technique whereby two law enforcement officers work as a team with one being rough on the suspect and the other offering the suspect comfort from the first.

There is an educational technique that is similar and has been used extensively to teach children in Drug Abuse Resistance Education classes as well as in those educational short films of the 1950s and 1960s. Following on my analogy, this roleplay technique could be called "Smart Guy / Dumb Guy", whereby two educators work as a team with one educator being an expert (smart guy) and the other educator playing a 'regular guy' (dumb guy) currently uneducated about the topic.

The dumb guy often plays a buffoon doing things incorrectly with the smart guy trying to correct him as he goes... The comedy (or storyline) of the situation is considered a major factor in the learning process.

So imagine dialogue such as:
Dumb Guy - I really enjoyed camping here this weekend. The forest is so beautiful this time of year. But I've got to get back by this evening.
Smart Guy - Yeah, I hate to see it end. You're not leaving just yet are you?
Dumb Guy - Yes, I've got the car packed and we're heading out. Why do you ask?
Smart Guy - Well I see that you have not completely extinguished your campfire... Do you know why it is important for you to always put out your campfire completely before leaving the campsite?
Dumb Guy - Gee, I didn't know! I thought I was helping the next guy out by leaving the fire for them to use. Should I just pour my water on it?
(etc)


QUESTION: Does this teaching technique actually have a specific name or phrase that is used when writing about it?

~thadeus

 

[rjoubert]

So the "dumb guy" is a plant, put there to ask the right questions.

 

[Thadeus]

re: being a plant
Not necessarily, as the 'dumb guy' could simply be an audience member who does what any uneducated person might do in a given scenario. There may or may not be humor involved.

Smart Guy / Dumb Guy allows the audience to feel secure in the knowledge that they are either smarter than dumb guy or at least on even footing with him.
They could be a plant in that they are both role-playing the situation or the 'dumb guy' may honestly be ignorant about the topic... doesn't really matter so long as he can play his part. In the old movies, the 'dumb guy' might be Little Billy throwing litter on the ground, while the 'smart guy' voice-over says something like, "Come on now Billy, is that where we put trash?"
On Sesame Street, Big Bird has often played 'dumb guy' with the adults in the neighborhood playing 'smart guy'... I don't think of Big Bird as a plant, though.

 

[rjoubert]

... two educators work as a team with one educator being an expert (smart guy) and the other educator playing a 'regular guy' (dumb guy) currently uneducated about the topic.

I would suggest he's a plant since they're working together, and one of them is playing the dumb guy.

 

[kwbMitel]

I thought the question was asking for a word or phrase for the teaching technique, not the participants.

How about: Alegorical Drama

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[stackdump]

Felder calls it "embracing contraries". I think you'll find this interesting

http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Columns/Contraries.html

 

[gbaughma]

Mmm... I think that "Road to Mars" described it as "White face and red nose".

But that doesn't exactly apply.

"Plant" could fit, overall, but when I think of a "Plant" I think of someone "picked at random to help with a magic trick, who's actually in on the trick".

Maybe "Straight man", although that leads more to humor (see "White face" above).



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com