Simulation Games
While playing Simulation Games, students become involved in a simplified version of the work done by real professionals. Hence, in these cases, the discourse community is not built around the game itself, but rather around the profession being simulated.
The case for simulation games in the classroom is made by Shaffer et al. in their article, "Video Games and the Future of Learning." They argue that situated learning is essential to the practice of modern professions:
"The way of thinking — the epistemology — of a practice determines how someone in the community decides what questions are worth answering, how to go about answering them, and how to decide when an answer is sufficient. The epistemology of a practice thus organizes (and is organized by) the situated understandings, effective social practices, powerful identities, and shared values of the community. In communities of practice, knowledge, skills, identities, and values are shaped by a particular way of thinking into a coherent epistemic frame" ("Video Games and The Future of Learning" 107).
Then, if this knowledge is essential to practice, it should be among the goals of education to provide means of developing it. This is exactly what Shaffer and the Epistemic Games Group did with Nephrotex, a game designed to teach undergraduates how to think like engineers. In the game, students play the part of interns at a firm where they focus on helping with design ("Teaching first year students to think like engineers"). Ultimately, they found that the majority of students using the simulation self-reported a better understanding of the engineers' work after playing the game ("Teaching first year students to think like engineers").
There are, of course, some possible criticisms made of this model such as a fear of the commercialization of the education system (the idea that we are simply becoming commodified job training). While important, we will not be able to settle such criticisms here (far more words have been dedicated to this concern than I could ever type in a lifetime). One mediating comment might be made however: even while my thoughts on using simulation games specifically includes games that teach students to act within particular professional fields, the purpose of these exercises in a composition class is not actually to make the students better employees. As first year composition courses are comprised of a wide range of students, and as no simulation could hope to capture all of their professional aspirations, the goal is instead to have them gain active knowledge of what it is like to act within a discourse community (or communities) and develop strategies for adapting to future situations. One possible alternative is to use a simulation generalized to their experience, such as a "student simulation," but this honestly seems redundant. Another possibility is to develop a simulation based directly on the content of a traditional composition classroom, like rhetoric, but this has the combined problem of being an unrealistic simulation and also being unlikely to encourage active engagement. It is discussed further in the review of Rhetorical Peaks.
All these concerns aside, we might discuss this method for a moment longer. Shaffer et al. locate their concept as one opposed to the traditional fetishization of fact learning in classrooms: "Thus we can imagine epistemic games in which players learn biology by working as a surgeon, history by writing as a journalist, mathematics by designing
buildings as an architect or engineer, geography by fighting as a soldier, or French by opening a restaurant" ("Video Games and The Future of Learning” 108). This last example is particularly interesting for our discussion. Content is being learned that does not relate directly to the profession being simulated (i.e. students are not necessarily learning how to run a restaurant). This would have to be the expectation within composition classrooms, though it would take some appropriate orientation of the students by the instructor. The goal, ultimately, must be effective transfer. A concrete example of a simulation that works with writing is discussed in Land Science.
Works Cited
Shaffer, David et al. “Video Games and The Future of Learning.” Phi Delta Kappan 87.2 (2005): 104–111. Print.
Shaffer, David et al. "Teaching First Year Students to Think Like Engineers." Poster presented at the Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) PI Conference, Washington D.C.
Additional information:
Headquartered in Madison, WI, this group develops simulation games for classroom use. Of particular interest should be their publications page which includes many articles written by the group members.
"Classroom Simulation Games." WV.gov
Developed by West Virginia, these simulations designed to help teachers in classroom environments.
Wilson, Lee. Best Practices for Using Games & Simulations in the Classroom: Guidelines for K–12 Educators. Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), Education Division, 2009. Web. 8 Dec. 2012.
A 64 page booklet detailing best practices of using simulations in the classroom. Strategies for implementation begin on page 37 and include idea like: making failure fun and maintaining flexibility.