Wargaming in the Lecture Room
| “Those in Higher Education do not play enough. As such they are living in a cultural lag.” (Guerts and Duke 2012, p x).In higher education we aim to teach complex concepts to students that can be difficult to understand. In social work and nursing education students do have valuable placement learning experiences, but students often find linking theory to practice to be elusive. The emotional, complex and psychological learning that comes with being part of a real-life situation are difficult to replicate. At graduate and undergraduate level teaching we are looking for a higher level of analysis and not just a description of systems and processes.
This session will explore how techniques used in wargaming (such as pressured decision making, negotiation, secret, and often competing objectives and a scenario in which there could never really be an easy conclusion) can be utilised, through facilitation, to help create rich learning experiences in a classroom. It is based on three classes in which I facilitated and evaluated a simulation of multi-agency safeguarding processes. Using simulation and roleplay is not in itself new to higher education, and has long been a feature of social work and nursing education, but the concepts of gaming are less utilised and studied. What are sometimes known as Serious Games can add new elements into roleplay and simulation – a set of rules and a time-limited, outcome-based competitive atmosphere. Creating an experiential learning experience around what Guerts and Duke (2012) call the five C’s: Complexity, Communication, Creativity, Conflict resolution and Commitment to Action. These approaches help students develop their understanding of systems thinking. Could these techniques be transferrable to your students and teaching? |
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| Strand | Student attainment |
| Type | Campfire |
| Learning Objective(s) | Participants will be able to:
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| References | Guerts, J & Duke, R (2012). Foreword. Nygaard, C, Courtney, N & Leigh, E, Simulations, Games and Role Play in University Education, Farringdon, Libri. |