Abstract
Simulations and games have been shown to improve student learning and increase class engagement. They also encourage students to develop critical thinking skills and evaluate contending perspectives regarding complex real-world problems. However, implementing these projects in the classroom can be difficult for instructors and may have mixed results. In this chapter we first discuss the value of active learning approaches that involve both student game creation and game playing. We then outline our experience with a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project in which undergraduate students created a series of human rights games, reflecting on what worked and what did not. Finally, we provide some tips highlighting best practices for instructors regarding how to successfully achieve student learning goals through creating future games.
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Notes
- 1.
This project was approved by the Kennesaw State University Institutional Review Board, Study # IRB-FY21-663.
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Butcher, C., Hallward, M.C., Tillman II, F.W. (2023). Facilitating Student Learning Through Games on Human Rights. In: Butcher, C., Bhasin, T., Gordon, E., Hallward, M.C. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Teaching and Research in Political Science. Political Pedagogies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42887-6_6
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