Model United Nations and Deep Learning: Theoretical and Professional Learning (original) (raw)

The learning effects of United Nations simulations in political science classrooms

European Political Science, 2020

How do active learning environments-by means of simulations-enhance political science students' learning outcomes regarding different levels of knowledge? This paper examines different UN simulations in political science courses to demonstrate their pedagogical value and provide empirical evidence for their effectiveness regarding three levels of knowledge (factual, procedural and soft skills). Despite comprehensive theoretical claims about the positive effects of active learning environments on learning outcomes, substantial empirical evidence is limited. Here, we focus on simulations to systematically test previous claims and demonstrate their pedagogical value. Model United Nations (MUNs) have been a popular teaching device in political science. To gain comprehensive data about the active learning effects of MUNs, we collect data and evaluate three simulations covering the whole range of simulation characteristics: a short in-class simulation of the UN Security Council, a regional MUN with different committees being simulated, and two delegations to the National Model United Nations, for which the students prepare for 1 year. Comparative results prove that simulations need to address certain characteristics in order to produce extensive learning outcomes. Only comprehensive simulations are able to achieve all envisioned learning outcomes regarding factual and procedural knowledge about the UN and soft skills.

To Be A Diplomat, Why Not? (A Case Study on the Students’ Enthusiasm towards Model United Nations: An Innovative Teaching Method in the 21st Century)

2016

Model United Nations (MUN) as a teaching method is being developed to be implemented in many schools in many countries to acquire the demands of living in international community. High schools in Indonesia started practicing it in 2010. As this is quite new, its practicality is still frequently rare and quite complicated to do. Therefore, this study aimed at researching the students’ enthusiasm towards model united nations as a path to know whether this kind of teaching method is acceptable for them. The subjects of the research were 40 students of PondokPesantren Modern Darul Mursyid, Tapanuli Selatan, North Sumatera who joined the school’s English club. This is a qualitative research designed in a case study employing three instruments in collecting the data; interview, observation, and documentation. The interview showed that the students were enthusiastic to implement MUN, curious to know further, and engaged with all of the activities. The observation showed that the students w...

A reality check for students? How participating to the Model United Nations influences skills, IR perceptions, and perspectives on future career

Politics, 2019

Despite a growing number of studies on simulations and International Relations (IR), few analyses investigate how participating in a simulation affects students’ perceptions of relevant IR issues. In addition, almost none of the current analyses on role playing and IR investigate how the involvement in a simulation affects students’ views on university enrolment or future career. This article seeks to fill these gaps, addressing how students’ interpretations and expectations change after participating in the Model United Nations (MUN). This article studies how the MUN is perceived as an experience that helps improve personal skills such as language ability, negotiation skills, and knowledge related to IR issues. This article also analyses how perceptions about selected IR issues and views on future university enrolment or future career vary before and after the MUN. The article is based on an original data set from a survey submitted to high school and university students participat...

PROSIDING ICTTE FKIP UNS 2015 TO BE A DIPLOMAT, WHY NOT? (A Case Study on the Students' Enthusiasm towards Model United Nations: An Innovative Teaching Method in the 21 st Century)

Model United Nations (MUN) as a teaching method is being developed to be implemented in many schools in many countries to acquire the demands of living in international community. High schools in Indonesia started practicing it in 2010. As this is quite new, its practicality is still frequently rare and quite complicated to do. Therefore, this study aimed at researching the students' enthusiasm towards model united nations as a path to know whether this kind of teaching method is acceptable for them. The subjects of the research were 40 students of PondokPesantren Modern Darul Mursyid, Tapanuli Selatan, North Sumatera who joined the school's English club. This is a qualitative research designed in a case study employing three instruments in collecting the data; interview, observation, and documentation. The interview showed that the students were enthusiastic to implement MUN, curious to know further, and engaged with all of the activities. The observation showed that the st...

TO BE A DIPLOMAT, WHY NOT? (A CASE STUDY ON THE STUDENTS' ENTHUSIASM TOWARDS MODEL UNITED NATIONS

Model United Nations as a teaching method is being developed to be implemented in many schools in many countries. High schools in Indonesia started practicing it in 2010. As this is quite new, its practicality is still frequently rare and quite complicated to do. Therefore, this study aimed at researching the students' enthusiasm towards model united nations as a path to know whether this kind of teaching method is acceptable for them. The subjects of the research were 40 students of Pondok Pesantren Modern Darul Mursyid, Tapanuli Selatan, North Sumatera who joined the school's English club. This is a qualitative research designed in a case study employing three instruments in collecting the data; interview, observation, and documentation to dig as deeply as possible information about the objective of the research. The interview showed that the students were enthusiastic to implement model united nations, curious to know further, and engaged with all of the activities. The observation showed that the students were active, consistent and discipline in following all the activities. While the documentation showed that their success in implementing this kind of teaching method was equipped by their sufficient background of English language mastery. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the students' enthusiasm towards Model United Nations was sophisticatedly high and their capacity to follow the teaching method was satisfying. These findings imply its possibility to be implemented in the class. The suggestion is addressed for teachers to simplify the procedures to make its practicality more tangible to do.