Handbook of Simulation Gaming in Social Education / Constitution Today

The Handbook of Simulation Games in Social Education, presents the "What," the "Why," and the "How" of Simulation Games.

• What are Simulation Games?
• Why use Simulation Games?
• How do I create and use Simulation Games?

When this book was first published in1974. Ron Stadsklev was one of the few pioneers seeking to introduce Simulation Games as a new teaching technique. Now Simulation Games are in the mainstream and this expanded edition is even more salient than ever. Role playing, games, and social simulations have been around for a long time. In order for the game process to be educational, it must reward participants who understand and interact within the social model effectively. The Model of Autelic Inquiry presented in this Handbook shows how all these elements are incorporated into a Simulation Game. The biggest challenge is developing an entertaining and playable game element without distorting the isomorphism of the social model.

This handbook includes several experiential learning techniques. These techniques can be implemented directly from the material contained within the handbook and do not require a computer. The collection of essays which comprise this handbook illustrate how these teaching techniques are used. This handbook also discusses how to avoid the many pitfalls of Simulation Game design.

For example:

In the T Puzzle game, participants will experience how frustration effects a person's ability to accomplish difficult tasks and the emotional change that accompanies certain activities.

"The Land Use Simulation" is a social simulation, designed to demonstrate a process by which people can determine the best way to use their public land.

"The Constitution Today" is a simple simulation game, designed to motivate students to study the constitution in a meaningful and personal way. Students will also be using a parliamentary process called log rolling in order to achieve a high score. This simulation game was used in a comparative study of simulation gaming and lecture-discussion method to determine the amount of knowledge retained over time.