Learning Through Experience: Using Simulations and Game-Design Mechanics to Teach International Relations to Non-Politics Students

Understanding theories and concepts from International Relations (IR) can appear alien for students from other disciplines. However, the insights gained from the study of IR hold real cross-over relevance for other subjects: How does power work? What prevents two parties with mutual interests from cooperating? What are the conditions under which parties will act morally, even if it is against their material self-interests? The question is how to engage non-politics students to effectively interact with the subject matter. The paper proposes using experiential simulations as an accessible tool for knowledge acquisition. It draws on insights from the academic literature on the merits of active-learning techniques and gamification in education. It is also based on several years of practically applying these strategies to teach IR in classrooms for non-politics students in universities in London and Geneva. This paper proposes using experiential simulations to meet several objectives: as a hook to inspire non-politics students to engage in the subject matter; to develop key transferable skills; and as a pedagogical technique to successfully achieve knowledge acquisition of IR theories and concepts. Active-based learning techniques are an effective complement to teacher-centred practices. Students retain only 10% of what they read and 20% of what they hear. However, it rises to 90% retention if activities are based on what they do and say together. Thus, simulations and games hold real educational merit. The value of designing lessons to empower students to be active thinkers through role plays and simulations is increasingly recognized as an effective way of introducing Politics and International Relations.These techniques are especially valuable for teaching non-specialized students. From the author’s practical experience, student enjoyment of a well-designed simulation can lead to buy-in from otherwise sceptical students. Such buy-in is further evidenced if the simulation marries understanding how political processes work in practice with the development of transferable skills such as critical thinking, coordinating with others and problem solving (Smith & Boyer 1996); skills which are deemed of essential importance by future employers. With the increasing popularity of board games, there is real scope to apply game designs to these types of educational activities. Politics & International Relations as a field of study lends itself particularly well to game design mechanics such as dice-rolling and card drafting. For instance, in elucidating the operationalization of relative power as a concept relevant to understanding the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, players in a game can understand geopolitical risks and opportunities through dice rolls. Card drafting can be a means of performing cost-benefit analyses on exchanging resources with other players. Tile-laying can signal China’s de facto acquisition of the Scarborough Shoal. There are an abundance of game mechanics suitable for easing non-specialized students towards understanding concepts such as the prisoner’s dilemma, the shadow of the future, free-riding and the power of international norms. These strategies can be further optimized if the IR topics centre on issues that have crossover relevance to other subjects, such as artificial intelligence, trade and models for internet governance.