Mediation Simulation Exercise: Instructions, Roles and Rubric
This exercise gives instructors and independent learners a complete structure for a short mediation simulation. It is useful without software, and it can also be run online in Mediate8 when learners need AI-driven parties, feedback, and logs.
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Learning Objectives
- Open the mediation with a clear neutral process explanation.
- Use open questions to move from positions to interests.
- Summarize both parties without adopting either side.
- Generate and reality-test options before closing.
Preparation and Roles
Participants: one mediator, two parties, and one observer. Give the parties separate confidential role notes. The mediator receives only the shared conflict summary.
Suggested timing: 5 minutes preparation, 3 minutes opening, 7 minutes information gathering, 5 minutes issue identification, 7 minutes option generation, 3 minutes closing, 10 minutes debrief.
Exercise Stages
- Opening: explain mediator role, voluntary participation, neutrality, and conversation structure.
- Information gathering: ask each party what happened and what impact it had.
- Issue identification: name shared topics such as access, timing, communication, cost, or trust.
- Option generation: ask for more than one possible path before testing feasibility.
- Agreement or closing: summarize next steps or remaining gaps without forcing agreement.
Try this exercise with AI-driven parties
Observer Checklist
- Did the mediator explain the process briefly and neutrally?
- Were both parties invited to describe impact and interests?
- Did summaries reduce blame or repeat it?
- Were options reality-tested for owner, timing, and fallback?
Self-Assessment and Debrief
Ask the mediator: What question opened new information? Where did you move too quickly? What would you say differently in the next run?
Ask observers: Which intervention changed the conversation? What remained unresolved? What skill should be repeated?
Instructor Assessment Rubric
| Skill | Developing | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Long, unclear, or directive. | Brief, neutral, and understandable. |
| Questions | Mostly leading or solution-first. | Open, balanced, and interest-focused. |
| Summaries | Repeat positions or blame. | Capture both perspectives neutrally. |
| Options | One solution pushed too early. | Multiple options tested for feasibility. |
Online Version Using Mediate8
In Mediate8, choose the closest dispute category, paste a one-sentence fictional case summary, set difficulty, and ask students to save one excerpt for debrief. The log supports reflection; final assessment remains with the instructor.