"Engaging Students for Active Learning: Using simulations in the classroom"
Tuesday, April 19
Stephen Dyson, Political Science
"Not only did I learn more substantive law than in any other course I've taken," declared an "alumnus" of a legal simulation course, "but I learned why I needed to learn all of those things."*
There is a growing interest in using simulations for teaching undergraduates in the liberal arts context. Stephen Dyson, who has been using simulations in his political science classes, will lead a discussion on the benefits and pitfalls of using teaching simulations as tools for advancing student learning. He suggests that, although simulations come in all different shapes and sizes, they have common costs and benefits. An instructor introducing simulations must keep certain things in mind to ensure that their use both contributes to course learning objectives and engages students. As with all teaching tools, simulations are good for some things and less valuable for others but, used judiciously, can be a strong addition to an active-learning based class.
*John P. Hertel and Barbara J Millis, Using Simulations to Promote Learning in Higher Education, 2002.
