Search

Introduction: The role of reflection in experience-based learning is discussed widely. This paper researches the effects of a reflection assignment as part of debriefing with qualitative and quantitative methodology in five simulation game-based seminars. Research Design and Methods: The intervention (reflection assignment) used in this study consists of three reflective questions that are discussed in groups. We aim to find out the effects of adding this intervention to the regular in-between-debriefings (three times during the whole seminar). The methodological setup is quasi-experimental and so, consisted of a test group and a control group. Two different types of simulation games were used, one a general management game and the other a change management game. Data used in this study is gathered from three different sources: First, we used in-game-performance data from both games. Second, we used two types of questionnaires to evaluate game experience and self-reported learning (MEEGA+ and ZMS inventory). Third, the reflection notes from the treatment-teams were used for qualitative analysis. Results: In several dimensions (game-success, game-experience and self-reported learning) significant differences were found between treatment and non-treatment students. Qualitative data show a deep level of reflection for treatment teams differentiating for the two simulation games evaluated. Discussion: Supported by the qualitative reflection data we assume that the better results for treatment-students are routed in the repetitive reflection. The permanent circular reflection helps treatment students to understand the games better and gain deeper insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In the use of simulation as a learning approach, a structured debriefing is important for students to achieve learning. The facilitator's feedback style and abilities in facilitating are crucial, and have a great impact on the learning environment. The facilitators should facilitate for student active learning, and provide helpful feedback to empower students as self-regulated learners. The aim of the study was to explore the Steinwachs structure and the Critical Response Process structure when used in debriefing in medical simulation, and how each of them affected the facilitator's role. Method. A multi-method, comparative quasi-experimental design was used. Results. Structuring debriefing in accordance with the Critical Response Process facilitated a facilitator role that coincided with factors highlighted in theory on how to facilitate student active learning and the development self-regulating learners. Structuring debriefing in accordance with the Steinwachs structure revealed that debriefing seemed to be based more on the facilitator's frames and dominance than the students' frames and involvement. Conclusion. The results of this study showed that Critical Response Process (CRP) can be an appropriate structure to use in debriefing in medical simulation. It reduced the facilitator's dominance and frames, coincident with what is empathized in collaborative, active and learner-centered learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Wildlife management is becoming a more challenging problem throughout the world. One of the main difficulties it encounters is that residents tend to have ambivalent attitudes regarding whether wildlife should be eliminated or conserved. Aim. We made a consensus building gaming scenario for promoting creative solutions to wildlife management dilemmas. In this article, we aim to show the prerequisites for high performance of this gaming. Method. The gaming consists of three phases: a game playing phase, a presenting dilemma phase, and a game remodeling phase. The game playing phase consists of playing the game which is based on the actual wildlife management problem in Japan. Players can learn the difficulties of real wildlife management from the perspective of farmers. In presenting the dilemma phase, they are presented with the dilemma structure of wildlife problems and motivated to solve the dilemma. In the game remodeling phase, the players remodel the played game to design a new society wherein the residents can coexist successfully with wildlife. The remodeling phase is a kind of well-constructed debriefing process. With this game remodeling process, players can use their creativity for consensus building. Results. The gaming society functioned well especially for players with high pragmatic attitudes or those good at generating ideas especially through talking with others. Conclusion. The prerequisites for high performance of this gaming were verified. But further research is necessary for producing creative consensus building theory and objectively evaluating the quality of players' ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This article reports on pedagogical experiences of designing and teaching an active learning international relations (IR) course utilizing the classical board game DIPLOMACY, with added game elements and modified game rules to make the game better suited for educational purposes.Aim. Game adaptations include team play, a dedicated peace mediator team, altered win rules and a post-game debriefing discussion on different cultures of anarchy. These elements were designed to overcome a shortcoming that the game approximates a worldview akin to offensive realism, which is not practical in contemporary international relations, and also normatively objectionable to many IR scholars.Method. Teacher experiences designing and modifying the course, coupled with student feedback on the course concept from three consecutive years.Results. Student feedback has been exceedingly positive, with a 4.61 average grade (n = 210 grades) on a five-point Likert-type scale, where 1 signifies poor and 5 excellent.Conclusions. Through game modifications, students turned a game infamous for its backstabbing and breaking of promises into a game that resolves in a mediated and negotiated outcome. The findings suggest that DIPLOMACY can be useful beyond teaching the realist worldview, and adapted to create a more accurate microworld approximation of international relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience is the most important part of the learning process. For learning to occur, the learner must do something with the information and reflect on the content throughout the process. To maximize the learning experience, we need to provide opportunities for reflection, both in-action, and on-action. As Montessori showed us long ago, the resources and experiences provided in the safe, properly prepared learning environment can create multiple opportunities for growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective.Simulation-based medical education may aid to standardize clinical performance measures, though there is little evidence for using an immersive, mannequin-based simulation for knowledge acquisition. We predicted that residents who had participated in an immersive simulation exercise illustrating the use of a clinical decision rule plus routine instructional methods (experimental group) would understand and implement this tool better than interns who participated in an immersive simulation focused on traumatic brain injury with intracranial hypertension plus routine instructional methods (control group 1). We further predicted that interns in the experimental group would understand and implement this tool as well as senior residents with more clinical experience (control group 2).Methods. This was a single center, prospective, simulation-based, randomized controlled trial. Pediatric interns were randomly assigned to clinically integrated teaching, plus a single, immersive simulation and structured debrief aimed at teaching this tool in minor head trauma (intervention), or clinically integrated teaching plus a related simulation on intracranial hypertension. Senior residents were used as an historical control arm and did not participate in a simulated encounter.Results. 20 interns (ten per group) participated in the study. Senior residents (n=40) served as historical comparisons. Interns in the intervention group scored similar to senior residents on a structured clinical observation score (median 64% vs. 57%), and better than interns in the placebo group (median 64% vs. 43%).Conclusions. In this study, a single immersive simulation improved resident learning and application of a clinical prediction rule when compared to standard resident education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Due to the challenge of conducting observations of drilling team behaviours on an offshore installation during actual operations, a high fidelity simulator provided the opportunity to observe team behaviours when managing complex and uncertain situations. Aim. This article describes how such observations were used to develop a team behavioural marker framework subsequently used for debriefing. Method. Team behaviours and interactions were recorded during 25 simulator-based training exercises which had been integrated into a technical training course. These were then analysed, and four dimensions, with example behaviours, were identified. Results. The behavioural markers formed the basis of training objectives, and provided structure for debriefing team performance. The use of the simulator provided concrete examples of both effective and ineffective behaviours. Conclusions. Notable improvements in drilling team interactions and behaviours were noted over the course of five exercises, which ranged in complexity and uncertainty, throughout the training course. Enhancing team non-technical skills will lead to safer and more effective performance, and facilitate the transfer from training to actual operations. Team members also became more familiar with the concepts and terminology of non-technical skills and integrated behavioural markers into workplace practices such as Tool Box Talks, Stop Work Authority, and Time-Outs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. At the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global warming to a maximum of 2 degrees, climate activists and researchers began to look for alternative measures. Climate engineering (CE) - the deliberate manipulation of the planetary environment to decelerate climate change - emerges as a possibly effective, albeit risky and conflictual, option.Aim. This article aims both at simulating a plausible international scenario of negotiation over solar climate engineering deployment, and at utilizing the rules of Model United Nations (MUN) for collaborative learning in a university class. Furthermore, the article intends to provide a framework for simulations about CE that could easily be reproduced.Method. MUN is an established and well-tested foundation for a simulation with students, including preparation leading up to the simulation and feedback rounds afterwards. We repeated the simulation three times, recorded the sessions as well as the debriefings, and gathered interesting insight by comparing the results.Result. For our CE simulations, we discovered: 1. Divergent interests (e.g. global north vs global south). 2. Power struggle (e.g. role of the veto powers). 3. Scientific and political ignorance (e.g. decision-making under uncertainty). 4. Risk politics (e.g. trade-offs between climate change risks vs. CE risks).Conclusion. MUN qualifies well for simulating a CE crisis. However, known lacks in MUN settings (like underrepresentation of non-state actors) must be discussed during the debriefing. These simulations illustrate possible future conflicts over CE without being prescriptive in any way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Social dilemmas are situations in which following personal interest leads to collective disasters. Pollution, tropical deforestation, and the sustainable use of natural resources, can be characterized as examples of social dilemmas. In the negotiation literature, social dilemmas are known as tacit negotiations as individuals negotiate through moves rather than verbal communication. These negotiations are difficult to manage because of the absence of binding contracts and the interdependent nature of decisions of the parties involved. Therefore, it is important for participants to learn from activities addressing these issues. Although several negotiation exercises are available, it is difficult to find educational games or simulations specifically devised to allow several participants to face social dilemmas.Purpose. In this article, we present a negotiation game based on a well-known social dilemma, the Braess paradox. The Braess paradox has been observed in many real situations and is particularly suited to highlight the core concepts of social dilemmas.Approach. We will review the main negotiation activities focusing on the number ofparticipants they are implemented for. Then we will present an activity which allows to accommodate up to thirty participants and allows them to understand some interesting aspects of social dilemmas.Findings. Through the lessons gained by experiential learning, and the discussions emerging during debriefing, this activity may provide participants with a better understanding of urgent real problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to propose a new debrief checklist for the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS®) curriculum.Background. The current debrief checklist provided in the TeamSTEPPS® curriculum focuses on how the team performed, while leaving out the order of events that transpired during the team’s time together. A failure to discuss the order of events can lead to improper or inadequate documentation, which can result in clinical error and increased litigation.Aim. In this article, I explain how the shared mental model, acquired during an actual or simulated clinical event needs to progress to the team debriefing to improve documentation. I propose an improved debrief checklist that is based on practice in numerous healthcare facilities and simulation centers worldwide.Conclusion. The TeamSTEPPS® curriculum should be updated to the new debrief checklist with the shared goal of reducing litigation and billing errors, while increasing patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This article reflects on the use of a simulation of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinians in an upper-level undergraduate course at a liberal arts university in the United States. The university was commissioned to test an externally developed proposal and implementation plan for peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinians (the “IMPLEMENTATION PLAN”).Aim. (1) To contribute to student’s academic learning and understanding of the conflict; (2) to find strengths and weaknesses of the model.Method. Analysis of data collected using a convergent parallel mixed method approach involving surveys, exit interviews, and guided reflection papers.Results.Student Learning Outcomes. The data supports a deeper understanding of the nature of the conflict as well as the complexity of peace negotiations. Students reported a higher level of engagement with the subject matter as a result of the simulation. The model encouraged innovative thinking and new solutions, which might be of interest in real life application. Challenges to student learning were mainly related to (1) student identification with their roles and (2) a need to compromise and finding quick answers.Model. The simulation demonstrated the strengths of the IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, namely to the focused, structured negotiation process with narrowly defined “tracks.” Challenges include the structure of the simulation, the question of applicability of the model to a real life situation, as well as the long-term implementation strategy of negotiation outcomes.Conclusion. The simulation of the IMPLEMENTATION PLAN greatly benefited student learning and led to thought-provoking outcomes concerning negotiations. However, the findings suggest the need for flexibility and modification of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Previous research has highlighted the pedagogical effectiveness of a simulation-based approach to EAP (English for Academic Purposes) instruction.Aim. The purpose of the article is describe the use of the ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW simulation in some EAP courses and examine its benefits and drawbacks.Method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the instructors and written questionnaires with the students.Results. The findings suggested that although the simulation raised some challenges in terms of design and accessibility of the topic, it brought three benefits to the EAP courses: developing students’ academic language skills, conducting research as a pathway for knowledge construction, and strengthening students’ abilities as critical thinkers.Conclusions. These findings underscore the usefulness of a simulation-based EAP pedagogy to promote students’ use of the language skills to identify the main points of an argument, research and evaluate sources, defend well-organized arguments, and co-construct knowledge of a timely issue.Recommendations. The author concludes with some implications for simulation design and adaption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation & Gaming (S&G) remains a valuable source of information for researchers and practitioners throughout the world. Our authors contribute to the literature in numerous ways that show us the value and enjoyment of learning across multiple fields, disciplines, academic settings, and venues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Playing Escape from Diab (DIAB) and Nanoswarm (NANO), epic video game adventures, increased fruit and vegetable consumption among a multi-ethnic sample of 10-12 year old children during pilot testing. Key elements of both games were educational mini-games embedded in the overall game that promoted knowledge acquisition regarding diet, physical activity and energy balance. 95-100% of participants demonstrated mastery of these mini-games suggesting knowledge acquisition.Aim. This article describes the process of designing and developing the educational mini-games. A second purpose is to explore the experience of children while playing the games.Method. The educational games were based on Social Cognitive and Mastery Learning Theories. A multidisciplinary team of behavioral nutrition, PA, and video game experts designed, developed, and tested the mini-games.Results.Alpha testing revealed children generally liked the mini-games and found them to be reasonably challenging. Process evaluation data from pilot testing revealed almost all participants completed nearly all educational mini-games in a reasonable amount of time suggesting feasibility of this approach.Conclusions. Future research should continue to explore the use of video games in educating children to achieve healthy behavior changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The majority of bidding models, such as those developed by Friedman and Gates focus on the mark-up decision. Despite a large body of literature, particularly related to the construction industry, these bidding models largely ignore human behavior.Aim. This article has two aims. The first is to contribute to the potential use of business games to study the results of auction behavior in a construction business environment. The second is to investigate the winner’s curse and its effects on individual companies and the market.Method. The methodology for this study is rooted in game theory. The reasoning which leads to the winner’s curse is explored through a behavioral multi-actor experiment. I developed a database-driven, online multiplayer auction game which served as a laboratory experiment. The study included 42 participants. Data were collected during the game, and debriefing results were analyzed.Results. The results show that contractors suffer from the winner’s curse for a variety of reasons including their own bidding strategy, strong competition within the construction market, and inaccurate estimates of project costs. These reasons affect the behavior of contractors and the intention to win the project’s bid as well as their willingness to take risks.Conclusion and Recommendations. The approach outlined in this article contributes to decision-making research in the context of the ‘reverse’ auction low bid method. I recommend that future researchers consider second-price, sealed-bid auctions (Vickrey auctions); this type of auction is also easy to implement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Debriefing is an intrinsic part of games for learning and proper debriefing can also be beneficial to research games. However, the literature on how to debrief research games is sparse and only provides the professional with an abstract topic guide.Aim. The purpose of this study was to design a framework for the debriefing of research games that are used in ongoing innovation processes.Method. We used the literature on debriefing and experimental research and our experience as game designers to build a framework that tackles the context, substance and method of debriefing research games.Results. Our framework provides three contributions. First, it shows how the context in which a research game is applied sometimes impacts the functionality of the game in negative ways. This can be helped by designing both the game and the debriefing together. Second, we operationalize validity to a greater extent, as this is the core of a good research game. Third, we provide a methodology for debriefing professionals that opens up the black box of the gaming simulation session.Conclusion. The debriefing framework provides a method to collectively assess the validity, reliability and robustness of the causal claims associated with the research conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Over the past ten years, we carried out several comprehensive studies in the area of entrepreneurship education using business games that simulate the business processes of startups. The studies researched the learning effects of these games on German university students.Aim. The studies we present investigated if the simulation game-based educational entrepreneurship programs in Germany reached their goals. These goals included the fostering of participants’ entrepreneurial competencies and desire to create a startup.Method. We show traditional summative output-oriented results and more profound results based on our theory-based evaluation approach. A so-called logic model provides a framework for the interpretation of what takes place during the entrepreneurship business simulations. Currently, we have conducted research on more than 50 regular university courses with more than 1000 students. Another part of our studies is the evaluation of entrepreneurship education in the German national business game-based competition, EXIST priME Cup (further called EPC). More than 12,000 students attended more than 500 of these cup seminars. We also show new results from an online survey that was carried out to measure the long-term effects of the startup simulation-based seminars.Results. The results of five studies are summarized, and show an overall increase in the participants’ knowledge of business administration and business plan preparation skills (required in start-up context). Apart from other results, significant gender-based differences are identified. The differences relate to entrepreneurial attitudes and motivation. Some test scenarios with cup seminars for women only with extended debriefing seem to reduce this decrease in the motivation of women; further research with larger samples is necessary. A new study on the long-term effects shows a very high acceptance rate and demonstrates the satisfaction of former students. The simulation game-based program resulted in participants starting startups at a rate that is approximately twice as high (around 16%) as the normal rate in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Digital badges are used in games and simulations for purposes such as incentivizing learning, identifying progress, increasing time on task, and credentialing. Designing effective badges is complicated by psychological factors mediating the processes of recognizing, orienting toward, and acquiring badges.Aim. This article analyzes digital badges through mechanics and psychology. This approach involves understanding the underlying logics of badges as well as the experiential nature of badges-in-use. The proposed model provides additional insight about badges and recommends design strategies to complement existing scholarship.Procedure. This article examines an existing model of completion logic for digital badges. This model is expanded upon by pairing these formal mechanics with relevant psychological theory, summarizing key principles that pertain to how people interact with badges. It then considers three dimensions of badges-in-use—social, cognitive, and affective—reviewing examples and analyzing the relationship of badging to debriefing.Outcome. Understanding the relationships between formal completion logics and the psychological experience of badging allows designers to better design, deploy, and critique badging systems, leading to more effective implementations within simulation and gaming contexts. A design matrix and a series of design recommendations for badging are derived from the presented perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Video-assisted debriefing is commonly used in healthcare simulation. The ability to conduct video-assisted debriefing during in situ simulation is limited by the capacity to quickly and easily record and playback video in the clinical environment.Methods. We developed the Synchronous Mobile Audio-visual Recording Technology Cart (SMART-Cart) to improve the ability to conduct video-assisted debriefing during in situ simulation. The SMART-Cart is composed of a compact metal cart, integrated dual wide-angled pan-tilt-zoom cameras, microphones, high-performance audio-video computer with two rear facing video monitors, and a large front-facing video screen positioned for easy video playback and review.Results. During pilot-testing involving 75 simulations with the capture of over 10 GB of audiovisual data, the SMART-Cart functioned extremely well with no technical issues. Setup and take down speeds were significantly faster using the SMART-Cart as compared to traditional in situ video debriefing methods. Use of the SMART-Cart was also resulted in a 50% reduction in the overall foot-print of the simulation recording equipment.Discussion. Based on our experience, the SMART-Cart provides a fast and reliable option to facilitate video-assisted debriefing during in situ simulation. Further investigation into the process of video-assisted debriefing using the SMART-Cart are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Gaming simulation allows decision-makers to experiment with sociotechnical systems, similar to computer simulation. However, the value of these tools in comparison with each other remains uncertain, especially when focusing on their real-life application in systemic innovation processes.Aim. This article builds a framework based on the literature related to innovation of complex systems in a multi-actor environment and intends to use this framework to differentiate between the value of computer simulation and gaming simulation in innovation processes.Method. Using a case study of the introduction of gaming simulation to ProRail, the Dutch railway infrastructure manager, this article explores the advantages and disadvantages of using the two tools in situations where radical innovations need to be invented, explored, tested, and implemented in an incumbent system.Results.Computer simulations, as closed exercises, allow for more radical innovations to be studied. The openness of gaming sessions as well as the need for gamers to interact with a recognizable system inhibit the use of gaming simulation in envisioning radical innovations. However, they are more suitable for the joint commissioning of research and the stepwise testing of small-scale improvements. Gaming simulation is therefore a more appropriate tool for planning a concerted transition in a multi-actor setting.Conclusion.Computer simulation better allows for the building of experimental niches, and gaming simulation better helps in the concerted planning of the implementation of innovations. The article ends with concrete directions for further research as well as ideas about combining the two tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Research shows that learning and task performance improve when participants in management exercises understand the structure of the system they control. However, the majority of business simulators are black-boxes.Aim. This article introduces structural debriefing, which is a debriefing activity aimed at helping students learn about causal relationships, feedbacks, accumulations, and delays within a black-box simulation.Method. A structural debriefing can be prepared and facilitated by following the Structural Debriefing Protocol.Results. A pilot study was conducted in which undergraduate students participated in a structural debriefing of The LITTLEFIELD TECHNOLOGIES, a popular simulation for teaching principles of operations management. The students were able to complete all eight steps of a structural debriefing, but required considerable time (three academic terms) to do so. Not every instructional simulation will require all the steps or such a large time commitment.Conclusion. The successful completion of the pilot study demonstrates that structural debriefing is a useful debriefing technique. However, to be effective, the scope and format of a structural debriefing activity must suit practical and pedagogical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation is but one learning strategy among many. Likewise, many theories guide simulation-based instruction as a learning tool and the wise facilitator is familiar with the theories that support best practices. This symposium issue of Simulation & Gaming explores a few of those theories of learning and concepts that can help us enhance the experience of our learners. Several themes emerged from the articles in this symposium, many of which are interconnected, including the awareness that people, tools, and roles serve to influence, guide, and assist us in the learning environment. In addition, the role of the facilitator is reflective in nature – reflective of the needs of their learners and their own actions that they use to facilitate learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to show how the group-dynamic approach, as developed by the social psychologist Kurt Lewin in his field theory, deepens learning during the debriefing phase.Design/Methodology/Approach. This article offers insight into Lewin’s field theory and its main principles for social learning within groups by addressing the group dynamics of simulation and gaming. We discuss the potential gains of using emerging group dynamics, and present concrete methodological suggestions.Findings. Seen from a systemic-constructivist view, group conflicts often mirror those in organizational, contextual, or social settings. These conflicts and contradictions can be made visible through emotions. Connecting emotions and simulation dynamics makes the insights for participants more relevant and easily transferable to real life situations.Limitations/Implications. Lewin’s ideas have spread widely, and many researchers have worked to develop them further. Lewin’s thoughts seem to be integral to Simulation & Gaming, although links to his work are not often cited or mentioned explicitly. Despite his theory’s apparent impact on much of gaming and simulation, many gamers still fail to integrate principles of group dynamics in game and debriefing design.Originality/Value. Group dynamics during simulations are often close to real life experiences and can be very demanding. Facilitators may link group dynamics to the content of the simulation, thereby deepening social learning and the understanding of complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of this theoretical article is to demonstrate how activity theory, a neo-Vygotskian sociocultural theory, can be used to analyze learning during simulation-based activities.Background. Simulations are complex, dynamic environments that evolve and change throughout implementation. Moreover, simulations simultaneously support multiple participants’ assigned different roles. This means that the learning within them is often co-constructed, rather than individually derived. These characteristics complicate understanding the learning within them.Method. This article presents a summary of the basic tenants of activity theory (AT), followed by a worked example to demonstrate how AT can be used as an analytic lens to generate rich description and analysis of participant activities as embedded in a complex dynamic simulation.Conclusions. Activity theory can be used as a theoretical lens in order to account for how participants partake in simulation-based learning contexts, which supports the rich description and analysis of how participants accomplish their goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brain-based learning (BBL), also referred to as educational neuroscience, examines learning as a biological process. Teaching to support BBL requires blending of understanding of neuroscience with the practice of education. With BBL, the learning environment is designed to enhance the brain’s natural ability to learn. Aim: This manuscript describes the fundamentals of brain-based learning, translates the basic tenets of BBL to the simulation learning environment, and presents practical application strategies for simulation-based learning.Method: Focusing on the work of Renate and Geoffrey Caine, this article examines their approach to BBL, including the three core elements of brain-based learning experience: orchestrated immersion in complex environments, relaxed alertness, and active processing. The three elements of the Caine and Caine model are well-embedded in the larger BBL literature and have particular utility with simulation-based education.Results: The three core elements of BBL have direct application to simulation as a teaching and learning practice. This paper presents several specific strategies designed to enhance both the simulation event experience and the debriefing.Conclusion: The simulation learning environment can be adapted to capitalize on the tenets of BBL. Several instructional strategies are available to enhance the biological process of learning while utilizing simulation-based learning practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simulation game FOUNTAINS was designed to help young students understand that we have more than one way for ethnic groups to tackle the task of becoming acculturated to the context in which they have chosen to live. The design principles and process are described in more detail in this issue. While its original objective was to explore cultural integration strategies, the game may also be used for other purposes. Although the FOUNTAINS was designed to be used in upper secondary schools in the context of regular learning activities it can also be played with younger learners and naturally also with university students and adults. The suggested number of participants is 12 to 18, but the game can also be played with as few as 6 or as many as 24 participants. The operational rules of the game are quite explicit. The participants’ rules are available in Dutch, English, Estonian, German, Hebrew, Italian, Russian and Spanish. The game-kit includes a set of simple cardboard shapes that are easy to make. FOUNTAINS needs no computer support and is playable in regular classroom settings. Guidelines for both in- and post-game debriefing are outlined in this article and the written rules for the players are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual worlds provide a new methodological framework for conducting emergency response exercises. The research attempts to evaluate whether the use of virtual worlds avoids recognized weaknesses of traditional emergency response exercises and facilitates further learning outcomes. The objectives of the article include, first, to examine whether the virtual worlds contribute to learning experiences for the emergency response exercises; second, to use a case study to evaluate and synthesize preliminary findings of the strategic flood response exercise; and third, to make recommendations for conducting a larger scale emergency response in an online Virtual Learning Environment. The preliminary findings suggest that the use of virtual worlds could potentially facilitate better learning outcomes and provide as an effective training methodology to the emergency communities. It also identifies the challenges of developing virtual world exercises, for instance, the need for better collaboration and communication between developers, academics, and end users. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background.: Simulation gaming sessions can be understood as a sequence of briefing, game play, and debriefing - with feedback loops and iterative steps in between. Often, these sessions are supported by a facilitator, who organizes the session, sets learning goals, and guides the players through briefing, game play and debriefing (Taylor, Backlund & Niklasson, 2012), which we call facilitation. Debriefing is a vital part of the facilitation process, as according to Crookall (2010) and Kriz (2010) , it facilitates learning. Contrary to many traditional models that locate the debriefing phase at the very end of a simulation gaming session, we conceptualize debriefing as reflection moments during the whole session, in which participants have the opportunity to reflect on their game play, experiences, and learnings. Facilitation is the process of enabling participants to address challenging situations of the game play, and make connections between the game play and the real environment the game refers to throughout the simulation gaming session. Method & Results.: We analysed existing debriefing literature within the Simulation & Gaming journal. This review revealed that many existing approaches do not sufficiently consider changing needs of participants during a simulation gaming session to allow for a direct reflection on what is happening. Instead, a large number of debriefing approaches focus on a post-action reflection only. Moreover, the approaches analysed in our article often are abstract and only provide scarce practical recommendations. In addition to the literature review, we draw conclusions from observations of our own work in and with simulation gaming sessions. Based on the related and our own work, we propose a new model for simulation game facilitation, which better connects moments of reflection with the game play - the Impulse-Debriefing-Spiral. Conclusions.: We provide a holistic understanding of debriefing that helps facilitators when implementing simulation games for learning purposes. Our model, called the Impulse-Debriefing-Spiral, conceptualizes the role of facilitation between briefing and debriefing throughout the whole process of a simulation gaming session - starting with its planning to reacting on emerging needs of the participants in between, up to closing the session as last step before transferring new knowledge and competencies into a new context (learning transfer). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this editorial, I thank the guest editors and authors for their excellent and pioneering work. I set the topic of engagement within a broader area of learning and debriefing, and of the transformation of simulation/game engagement into learning. I suggest some broad areas for research on engagement in simulation/games (in both gameplay and debriefing) and in other realms of life. I emphasize that, only with properly engaged debriefing can a simulation/game have or maximize the positive learning outcomes than we aim for. Also, running simulation/games without debriefing them fully is unethical. I suggest that engagement in debriefing is as (or more) important as (than) engagement in gameplay, and more worthy of attention and research, given that the learning happens in the debriefing, not (much) in the game. I end with some quotes from the articles in this symposium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Training simulations provide opportunity for users to repeat actions in order to master a task. Once a mistake has been identified, however, difficulties may arise in replicating the exact sequence of previous actions, particularly in complex, open-ended environments.Technology. Alongside the advent of virtual 3D environments for learning, technology can more easily support a focus on the error in ways that were previously arduous.Purpose. This research represents an investigation of student learning, reflection, and metacognition when using a 3D simulation with built-in functionality that allows students to redo their actions by focusing on the point of error instead of restarting from the beginning.Methods. Interviews and observations were used to gather qualitative data, illustrating that starting at the point of failure within a complex, multiplayer simulation holds advantages and presents obstacles for student learning.Findings. Two key findings were identified: (a) the first relating to the influence of reflection on learning in that participants used reflection with varying degrees of complexity as a scaffolding mechanism; and (b) the second was that the students’ abilities to orient themselves in the problem space contributed to the amount of contextual information they needed to be successful—in this case, either starting from the beginning or from the point of error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education reformer, Horace Mann once suggested that trying to teach a learner without creating interest is like hammering cold iron. All too often, health care educators begin an instructional session while the mind of the learner is focused on places other than on the subject to be learned. Regardless of specialization, understanding situational interest and ways to nurture it in the facilitation process is important for educators. However, it is especially important for the health care community as it helps us to develop best practices in instructional design and facilitation that can improve simulation-based instruction. This article defines situational interest and explains how instructional design can generate such interest with the use of advance organizers, active learning strategies, and the practices of effective reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. Developing situational interest may lead to an individual interest or passion for the subject, foster lifelong learning, and encourage learners to return for additional simulation-based learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article explains how a role-play game (RPG) can allow participants to get insights on the dynamics of incorporating scientific advice into adversarial policymaking. A RPG called GROUND-LEVEL OZONE (GLO) simulates a multi-stakeholder negotiation based on the recommendations of an integrated environmental assessment (IEA) for urban air quality management. Structured debriefing of the RPG used questionnaire survey of participants’ perceptions of IEA usefulness as well as participants’ feedback about the use of the IEA and performance of the facilitators during negotiations. By linking those perceptional and behavioral patterns to the negotiated outcomes, the debriefing drew much broader insights on the importance of upstream engagement for enhanced legitimacy of the IEA and constructive roles of a facilitator in a multi-stakeholder negotiation. This article also critically reviews the debriefing method and suggests a new design of more sophisticated debriefing method and a new RPG for more effective learning of the dynamics of the use of IEA in a multi-stakeholder negotiation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three outstanding teachers stimulated my interest in alternative methods of education and made me receptive to simulations and games. At my first gaming conference, I discovered the value of simulations and games by playing games rather than by listening to lectures. I found the spirit of play and cooperation at NASAGA and ISAGA conferences refreshing and my games owe a considerable debt to the experienced gamers I met there. My experience facilitating games has taught me that allowing a few players to judge the work of their peers using subjective criteria leads to negative emotions, which may cancel any potential benefits of a game. I have also learned that the NEW COMMONS GAME, which illustrates the tragedy of the commons, may leave players feeling helpless and fatalistic about solving real-world commons problems. Several strategies are presented that counter negative feelings and instill optimism in players that commons problems can be solved. Recent developments in the video gaming community provide grounds for optimism about the future of educational gaming. However, it is imperative that video game designers who have an educational goal incorporate the knowledge that educational gamers have acquired over the past 50 years, such as the need for debriefing. A hypothetical, long-term, large-scale game is described that has the potential to educate students campuswide about how a commons resource can be sustained for the benefit of all. In addition, if the game is conducted across semesters or years, players’ responsibility to future generations of players could be studied and enhanced. However, the hypothetical game would require revising current thinking about debriefing. A brief description of the games I have designed is included. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article proposes a business game taxonomy. The taxonomy creates a comprehensive definition of business games in general and identifies their parameter-defining characteristics. A successful taxonomy can facilitate the comparison of different game-based educational tools and can direct application-based research to a game’s most learning-associated components. The field’s existing taxonomies within the literature are inadequate for both purposes. The genesis of our five-part taxonomy of business games was both literature-based and intuitive. It is hoped that this taxonomy will serve to develop a global database to be built collaboratively by the community of business game users and developers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although games—including board games, video games, and Massive Multiplayer Online Games—have garnered significant attention in recent years for their impact on educational outcomes, a primary focus of this interest is the transfer of knowledge from game to nongame settings. Building on this literature, our research explores how game designs that promote either competitive or collaborative play may lead to differential outcomes including dramatically different and social dynamics. Using video transcribed for speech and gesture, we developed a grounded coding scheme to compare the experiences of a group of 40 early elementary students engaged in a uniquely designed board game, called HIVEMIND, to teach advanced science content to young children ages 6 to 9, which were organized around either (a) individual or (b) collective play. Findings indicate that, in collaborative mode, players were significantly more likely to make positive comments to others, talk on-topic, read instructions to other players, gaze toward the board as well as other players, and take shorter turns among other findings. Implications of this work for designing games and promoting collaborative and positive learning experiences are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This editorial outlines a number of connections between climate change and simulation/gaming/debriefing. First, the development of this symposium is mentioned, including appreciation for contributors, especially Klaus Eisenack, James E. Hansen, Dennis Meadows, and Diana Reckien. Second, a wide range of climate change dimensions is outlined, with emphasis on the increasingly important role that simulation/gaming and debriefing should play in educating people to combat climate change. Climate issues include anthropogenic warming, due largely to ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in massive and irreversible upheaval of the biosphere and the socioeconomic system. Given the massive direct and indirect negative impact of climate change on health and mortality, due largely to the lethargy of politicians and big business, such people, in a saner world, could be facing accusation of crimes against humanity. The topic of climate change needs to become the backbone of education round the world, with simulation/gaming and debriefing being one of the main methods for learning to survive in ‘pockets of resilience’. Topics for simulation/games and debriefing could include resilience, urgency, climate change science, indicators, and effects (feedback loops, rising sea levels, storm severity, food scarcity and security, water, war, denial, nuclear power, irresponsibility of politicians, etc.). Third, the absurdities of the push for growth in a finite world and of the burning of more coal are highlighted. Simulation/gaming and debriefing provide opportunities for learning to survive with a dangerously changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I characterize violence as falling into two types, using Arthur Koestler’s two tendencies: integrative and self-assertive. It is the integrative tendency, the belief in a cause and the abrogation of one’s identity and obedience to a higher authority, that leads to integrative violence and wars. The principal cause of violence is not individual aggressiveness, but submission to ingroup, cause, ideology, or country. Simulation/games and debriefing protocols need to take into account a wide spectrum of research on the springs of violence if they are to promote durable peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Playing With Conflict is a weekend course for graduate students in Portland State University’s Conflict Resolution program and undergraduates in all majors. Students participate in simulations, games, and experiential exercises to learn and practice conflict resolution skills. Graduate students create a guided role-play of a conflict. In addition to an oral debriefing, students wrote a debriefing report following the Description, Interpretation, Evaluation (DIE) model of debriefing. The written debriefing report gave all students an opportunity to reflect, analyze, and evaluate their experience in depth. The use of two facilitators allows one to facilitate while the other observes and rests, makes 2 points of view available for the debriefing, and offers a model for resolving minor disagreements between them. Trust among students increased across the weekend as evidenced by an increase in cooperative choices and estimates of the likelihood that others would cooperate in the TAKE-A-CHANCE game, a version of PRISONER’S DILEMMA. Most reported having fun while they learned about themselves, interpersonal conflict, and some large-scale social conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DEVELOPMENT MONOPOLY is a simulation game that allows players to experience how power relations influence the agency of different socioeconomic groups, and how this can induce poverty and inequality. Players alter the original rules of the MONOPOLY board game so that they more accurately reflect social stratification and inequalities in the context of developing countries. After the game, the players reflect on how they could be made more inclusive and pro-poor. In an individual debriefing, they are invited to think about the connections between game dynamics and contemporary evolutions in developing countries. In a final collective debriefing phase, participants discuss the ways in which the simulation experience enhanced their understandings of poverty and inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research project investigated student reaction to playing the DIFFUSION SIMULATION GAME (DSG) and how an instructor, who is a novice in playing online games, implemented the DSG in an online higher education course. The goal of this research project was to determine whether playing the DSG helps students learn and apply course content. In addition, the authors sought to understand how to implement and use the DSG effectively as an integral part of the online Managing Technological Change course. Results indicated that student reaction to playing the game was very positive and students felt the game helped them better understand the change process. For example, students felt the DSG provided insight into school culture, the amount of time needed to implement a change, and the need for a change agent to be flexible. The instructor learned the importance of clearly identifying learning goals when using the DSG in an online course and realized that debriefing is a critical component of using games or simulations for learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military organizations have a long history of using simulations, role-play, and games for training. This also encompasses good practices concerning how instructors utilize games and gaming behavior. Unfortunately, the work of instructors is rarely described explicitly in research relating to serious gaming. Decision makers also tend to have overconfidence in the pedagogical power of games and simulations, particularly where the instructor is taken out of the gaming loop. The authors propose a framework, the coaching cycle, that focuses on the roles of instructors. The roles include instructors acting as game players. The fact that the instructors take a more active part in all training activities will further improve learning. The coaching cycle integrates theories of experiential learning (where action precedes theory) and deliberate practice (where the trainee’s skill is constantly challenged by a coach). Incorporating a coaching-by-gaming perspective complicates, but also strengthens, the player-centered design approach to game development in that we need to take into account two different types of players: trainees and instructor. Furthermore, the authors argue that the coaching cycle allows for a shift of focus to a more thorough debriefing, because it implies that learning of theoretical material before simulation/game playing is kept to a minimum. This shift will increase the transfer of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Change processes in organizations and specifically change involving multiple stakeholders can be challenging. Participants in the simulation are grouped and tasked with making a success of a project involving the building of simulated rabbit cages. Certain groups have complete power and control, particularly by way of possession of valuable resources, whereas the group tasked with producing the cages relies on communication from the other groups regarding the required strategy. Participants thus have to navigate through immense complexity, which arises from the existence of multiple stakeholders, each with their own mental models, values, goals, and perceptions. The simulation can be used for students in classes that focus on change management, project management, strategic management, and even general management, as the scenarios are characterized by turbulence, which sets the scene for a rich debriefing regarding these critical areas. The simulation can also be of benefit to employees and managers undergoing such processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

REEFGAME is a computer-assisted role-playing game that explores the interactions among management strategies, livelihood options, and ecological degradation in subsistence fishing communities. The tool has been successfully used in the Philippines and a variety of student workshops. In the field, REEFGAME operated as a two-way learning tool, helping local fishers better understand their collective impacts on the marine ecosystem and providing researchers with insights into fisher livelihood strategies. This demonstrates the game’s ability to serve as powerful springboard for social learning and discussion among stakeholders, while providing useful scientific insights into decision-making processes. Although not specifically designed for the purpose, REEFGAME has also been used in the university setting to facilitate student engagement and demonstrate a range of social and ecological concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]