Given the importance of developing innovative higher education teaching practices in order to engage low-performance students and improve their results, this study evaluates the impact of using role-playing simulation activities in a Chilean higher education institution. In a context where pedagogical innovations have mostly been evaluated based on student perceptions, this study applies a rigorous impact evaluation on academic results using Propensity Score Matching and Differences in Differences quasi-experimental methods. Results show that students taught using role-playing simulation activities achieve better final marks and have better pass rates than students taught using traditional methods.