Games, Claims, and New Frames: Rethinking the Use of Simulation in Negotiation Education

Abstract

Negotiation educators have long considered the use of role-play simulations as an essential classroom teaching method, and have had high expectations regarding their suitability and efficacy for teaching. In this article, we review the literature to examine the degree to which simulations deliver on these perceived benefits, finding that simulations enjoy only limited advantages over other teaching methods.We note three trends that have developed as part of this reevaluation process: improving the way simulations are conducted, deemphasizing the use of simulations as a teaching tool while seeking new methods, and finding paradigm-changing uses for simulations. With regard to this last trend, we describe our own experiments assigning students to design their own simulations, rather than participate in them as role players. Among other benefits of the design method, we found that designers showed greater improvements in concept learning and motivation than did role players.

Does Conflict Content Affect Learning from Simulations? A Cross‐National Inquiry into the Israeli‐Palestinian and Guatemalan Conflict Scenarios

“…Teaching in the conflict analysis and resolution field relies heavily on simulations and games (Brown et al., ; Druckman, ; Druckman & Ebner, , ; Movius, ; Wilkenfeld, Young, Queen, & Assal, ). Despite its extensive use, the effectiveness of role‐plays and simulations has only recently been assessed in a systematic manner (Brown et al., ; Druckman & Ebner, , ; Loewenstein & Thompson, ; Movius, ; Torney‐Purta, ). Yet, these studies offer some conflicting results.…”

“…For instance, research with ICONS and GlobalEd has argued that simulations are more effective for acquiring knowledge about conflicts compared to traditional lectures because they are more successful in raising interest and motivation among students (see Torney‐Purta, ; Wilkenfeld et al., , for ICONS; see Gehlbach et al., , for GlobalEd). On the other hand, Druckman and Ebner (, ) have suggested that role‐plays motivate learning when students are passive, but otherwise they are not necessarily more effective than learning through lectures and case studies. In fact, Druckman and Ebner () have shown that simulations may enhance learning if students design the simulations rather than participating in them as role players.…”

Why don’t they catch the baby? A study of a simulation of a critical incident in police education

“…Heath, Hindarsh, and Luff 2010), it placed focus on the role-players: the crowd, the injured, the journalist and the woman with baby. Role-players can present several problematic elements (see Druckman and Ebner 2013;Stokoe 2013). In this simulation, they were underacting and seemed to have trouble negotiating their assigned role.…”

“…The role-played interaction in simulation training displayed actions and talk that were exaggerated, and it also revealed that some actions took place only in the simulations and not in real situations. Based on a research overview, Druckman and Ebner (2013) highlighted the problems of assuming a role and acting it out in a simulated interaction, with problems such as over-or underacting the role. Moreover, Ebner and Kovac (2010) found in their study that in order for the role-playing to work, participants in the simulation needed support to know how to act in their roles.…”

Lärdomar från en simulering av humanitär förhandling

“…Simulering är en åter-kommande undervisningsform inom förhandlingsträning. Samtidigt måste formen kombineras med lärarnärvaro eftersom simulering i sig ej nödvändigtvis leder till att studenterna når läran-demålen (Druckman och Ebner 2013). didaktisk teori och simulering Simulering kan förstås på olika sätt. I detta sammanhang ska metoden främst förstås som en typ av interaktivt rollspel.…”