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Chad Raymond, Elon University
Denise Vaughan, Bellevue Community College

The Simulations and Role Play I track examined a broad range of approaches to classroom simulations and role-playing exercises. The presentations covered designs that operate online and face-to-face, model decision making at local and international levels, and run from only a few minutes to an entire semester. Participants and discussants identified several elements that are common to successful simulations. These elements included establishing clear objectives for a simulation prior to its use in a course, designing simulations to actively engage students in the learning process, and using simulations to develop professional skills, empathy, and intercultural understanding among students. The track members agreed that simulations need not be time intensive in preparation or presentation, but can be flexible and made to fit unique situations. Finally, while simulations may not increase student perceptions of the quality of instruction, the simulations do seem to increase student empathy and student decision-making skills, which are worthwhile achievements.  

Track members agreed that simulations are often time and labor intensive, particularly when the instructor designs brand new simulations of contemporary events. Although these current events simulations often provide students with a high degree of contentment and excitement, the heavy workload for instructors requires a large payoff. Rebecca Glazier from the University of California, Santa Barbara, presented “Using Current Events to Develop Classroom Simulations,” in which she encouraged participants to design simulations within their research areas of interest in order to maximize the use of their time and resources. She also encouraged faculty to assign students some of the design and research, which decreases the instructor workload and also engages students.  

Tim Wedig from the University of Maryland in “Getting the Most from Classroom Simulations: Strategies for Maximizing Learning Outcomes” emphasized the use of online and pre-existing simulations with little or no modification. He emphasized the need to carefully match the simulation to the needs of the course as well as the instructor and suggested that faculty make use of the presentation method that best works for their situation.  

William J. Stover from Santa Clara University designs large scale international simulations that he runs fully online with open source software. His simulations include students at a variety of academic levels and across the world. Stover’s goals include increasing student empathy and competency. His simulations often include mentors from the country students represent. In his paper “Information Technology and International Relations: Using On Line, Interactive Simulations to Transcend Time, Space and Attitudes” Stover emphasized the benefits of students representing cultures other than their own. Tests of student attitudes before and after his simulations indicated that his programs increase both understanding of other cultures and knowledge of the simulated events.  

Brian Cook and Kristen Willis from Clark University also create transnational crisis simulations. Their simulation, described in “National Security Crisis Simulation: Stage II,” unites students in the United States and the United Kingdom. Their paper emphasized a three-phase simulation that focuses on the decision-making process and utilizes loose instructor controls. Willis emphasized the role of debriefing to allow students to understand their own and other students roles in the simulation and their individual decision-making process. 

Several of the presenters work with extraordinary populations. Thomas L. Kolasa from Troy University, in his paper “Simulations, Iraq, and Teaching Political Science,” described the challenge of working with an extremely small number of students in evening courses, which limits the number of possible actors. His simulations also address major international events including crises in the Middle East. Frank Franz uses simulations in high school Advanced Placement courses. In “Running against the Odds” he uses a problem-based learning approach in which students create campaign advertisements for candidates. The group work and oral and written reports allow his students to approach politics in a novel and effective way. Anne Marie Baylouny from the Naval Postgraduate School in “Keeping It Real: Teaching Middle East Conflict with Simulations” discussed teaching motivated mid-career military officers. She stressed the value of simulations in allowing students to take roles they are not inherently familiar with. Simulations allow her students to develop an intimate knowledge of events, often through the representation of organizations and interests that are usually neglected.   

Lynda K. Barrow of Coe College also uses Middle East simulations. In her presentation, “Simulation on the Conflict over Palestine,” she underlines the importance of a strong framework for the simulation. Her courses often lead up to a simulation and stress student motivation. Her goals included encouraging students to view conflicts from a variety of perspectives and increasing students’ cultural understanding.  

Ann M. Cullen from Bond University in her paper “Virtual Total Immersion” encouraged simulations that are decidedly low tech. She avoids technology to give students the real world experience many diplomats face in practice. She encourages students to fully represent the culture they are assigned and has found that students exceed her expectations in their self-generated learning. They conduct high levels of research and exercise clear thinking and, by the end of the process, demonstrate empathy.   

In contrast, Katy Crossley-Frolick from Denison University creates multilevel, multiplayer games covering topics like international HIV/AIDS policy. These, she argues in “Beyond Model UN: Simulating multilevel, Multiactor Diplomacy with the Millennium Development Goals,” allow students to understand the difficulty of cooperation. Her focus is on the process that groups take, rather than the agreement the group reaches or fails to reach.
 Chad Raymond from Elon University and Patrick Van Inwegen from Whitworth College finished up the track with papers on assessing student learning outcomes from simulations. Raymond compared student performance on exams and evaluation of teaching in courses that experienced a simulation with those that did not. He found that neither evaluations nor exam scores were higher in courses with a simulation, contrary to conventional wisdom. Van Inwegen also found that a simulation did not significantly increase student test scores and that scores may even be slightly lower on essay tests after a simulation. Van Inwegen focused on low-preparation simulations and emphasized that, regardless whether simulation increased test scores or not, the simulations seem to increase student enjoyment of the course and engagement with the material. 

The group ended with a discussion of the commonalities that the group felt transcended individual approaches. The group agreed that a focus on clear objectives upon entering the simulation greatly enhanced the simulation’s effectiveness. The group also highlighted the need for debriefing after simulations. The track members also agreed that simulations engage students and instructors alike. Problem-based learning allows students and faculty to be creative in the use of alternative technologies and, while simulations can be time consuming, they are worth the costs. Simulations develop empathy, decision making skills, and teamwork skills, as well as an understanding of the course material. The track members agreed that the necessary commitment of time and resources, class size, student skill sets, and technology can function as impediments to the successful use of simulations. Outcomes assessment indicates that simulations are useful but not to the degree that many instructors would have predicted. The questions used to assess simulation do not get at many of the skills that simulations highlight such as critical thinking, empathy, group work, and active citizenship.