A Review of 'High Stakes Diplomacy': Fostering Effective Negotiation Skills through Experiential Learning (original) (raw)
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How to efficiently teach in an increasingly complex field like European Studies is subject to a burgeoning literature. At the same time, the use of simulations to convey fundamental concepts and theories at an undergraduate level is catching on particularly in international relations (IR). To complement more traditional forms of teaching at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as lectures, the broadening of pedagogical methods to include simulation-based learning has the potential to impart important competences to the student body, including public speaking, debating, communicating and negotiating skills.
2006
The most common challenge confronting instructors of international relations is engaging "resistant populations" in meaningful dialogue. The use of simulations has long been touted as an effective way to overcome challenges associated with student learning. Simulations provide experiential learning, which helps students develop the crucial skills required for the study of the international politics. While this claim seems logical, there have been few studies that have actually measured the impact of simulations on student learning in the classroom. Additionally, the "resistant population" is often absent from discussions of this kind. A preliminary study of the effect of simulations on the "resistant population's" learning was conducted in the Introduction to International Relations (POLS370) course at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the Fall 2005 semester. Doug Eder, Vice Provost and Director of the Office of Undergraduate Assessment and Program Review, provided support for this project in the area of assessment. In addition to discussing the characteristics of the "resistant population, this paper discusses the simulation mechanism and assessment devices used in this study. The paper also provides an overview of the preliminary findings of the study.
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One of the challenges of teaching American undergraduates in an "Introduction to International Relations" course is fi nding a way to make topics and themes seem relevant to students. This article recounts the author's experiences using the board game "Diplomacy" in his course. The game places students in the role of decision makers in the international arena and simulates the international politics of pre-World War I Europe. In addition to being a powerful simulation of the diffi culties of international relations, the game teaches students about one of the most debated wars in the history of the discipline.
International Studies Perspectives, 2013
This article reviews experiences from a large-scale student simulation, which concluded the Istanbul Conference on Mediation: Enhancing Peace through Mediation that took place in February 2012. We share insights on two unique aspects of the simulation. First, the paper examines a rare case where the simulation crossed paths with real life: a number of the impersonated officials (and offices) including the president of the General Assembly of the UN, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, and the Director of the Policy and Mediation Division of the UN Department of Political Affairs were in the audience and shared their impressions. Second, the setup of the simulation was more complex than its typical in-class counterparts. Our insights from this multiday, multi-stage, and multi-issue simulation can inform colleagues who plan to run larger scale simulations. Besides sharing experiences on a number of logistical points, we especially draw attention to the constructive role facilitators can play in augmenting the learning benefits accruing to the students from simulations.
Using Hybrid Simulations to Enhance Student Learning of International Relations Theories
Issues in Educational Research, 2021
The theoretical frameworks explicitly or implicitly employed by diplomatic historians and international relations scholars can lead to significantly different explanations for the same historical events. Therefore, a sound understanding of the basic international relations theories is required for a more comprehensive understanding of international politics. However, students tend to shun theoretical topics and debates, considering them irrelevant to practical issues and problems that they face in their daily lives. This paper argues for employing simulations as a way of enhancing student learning of international relations theories. It provides a justification and outline for the organisation and development of a hybrid simulation using the Council on Foreign Relation's Model Diplomacy interactive platform. Hybrid simulations integrate components of both face-toface and cyber simulations, with students physically interacting during the more formal simulation procedures (e.g., making formal policy statements and voting) and using the cyber environments for informal activities (e.g., as negotiations). Ultimately, hybrid simulations transform the learning environment by restructuring the interaction process between instructors and students and can contribute to enhancing student learning and their understanding of the main theories underscoring international relations theories. The use of hybrid simulations becomes more relevant as universities continue to promote more online educational opportunities for students and as unanticipated disruptions require them to have more options available to continue providing students with the best educational experiences possible.
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The essay describes new way to evaluate variation among simulations through six distinct categories. The six points involve the content of the simulation, the integration of the simulation with other aspects of the course, the length of a simulation, the strictness of rules, the interaction among students during the simulation, and assessment techniques. The essay assesses the benefits and costs of the simulation and course design through student feedback and instructor evaluation. In addition, the essay uses these six points of variation as a framework to explain a sample simulation integrated with course objectives, goals, lecture material, two short research essays, and other class activities designed to teach game theory applied to current international problems. The simulation uses current world issues to help students incorporate class content, game theoretic modeling, and strategic interaction into an international negotiation conducted in class.
Playing games with international relations
International Studies Perspectives, 2005
After reviewing the advantages and disadvantages in using simulations to teach International Relations, this paper develops pedagogy for using simulations to teach International Relations (IR) theory. After discussing methods for integrating simulations into a class on IR theory the paper then goes on to present three simulations and the theories that they can be used to teach. The three simulations are the Classical Realism Game, Prisoner's Dilemma to the Nth degree, and Diplomacy. Finally, the three simulations are compared.
Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning: Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL conference, 1991
Caught up in the international experientialism found at the 1990 ABSEL Conference in Honolulu, we developed an extended role play for use in an international marketing course. Unlike most existing international simulation games, the role play does not emphasize issues such as transportation, tariffs, pricing, or exchange rates. Unlike most negotiation exercises, the role play does is not intended to eventuate in a contractual relationship. Instead, the role play is designed to emphasize the familiarize ion stage of negotiations, and to demonstrate that the typical "get down to business" approach taken by Americans will lead to frustration. In ABSEL, as in nearly every other area of business related academe. we have consistently heard the admonition to internationalize. However, before the 1990 conference, ABSEL has stressed international issues only sporadically. Many of these efforts were due directly to Dan Brenenstuhl,
IR Teaching Reloaded: Using Films and Simulations in the Teaching of International Relations
International Studies Perspectives, 2009
This article reflects some experiences in teaching International Relations (IR) by using films to supplement the use of simulations and role play scenarios. The authors have used simulations and role play scenarios in order to teach complex issues and theories, and to engage the interest of students. By using films to supplement the use of simulations in classrooms, it is suggested that students become more active in their own learning. A number of ways in which simulations and role play can be used in teaching are established here alongside an array of films that can be shown to students to complement such teaching approaches. The use of films to teach IR theory is also listed. It is concluded that the use of simulations, role play, and films in teaching IR can aid student learning especially in terms of IR theory.