Dr. Veronica Kitchen explains how low-tech simulations and games in a world politics course cultivate experiential learning, decision-making under pressure, and theory application through structured debriefs.
📊 Quick Facts
| Type | Interview |
| Author | Dr. Veronica Kitchen |
| Published | April 1, 2026 |
| Source | Visit Source |
| Location(s) | PANSIM World Organisation |
🖼️ Illustrations
📝 Abstract
[Summary generated by AI] In this interview, the person interviewed outlines a practical framework for integrating low-tech simulations and games into a second-year world politics course to promote experiential learning. Resources include custom-designed crisis scenarios based on the person interviewed’s research (e.g., a multi-actor response to an attempted terrorist attack at Montreal’s airport), simple materials such as playing cards and rock–paper–scissors mechanics to model classical realism and the state of nature, and concise role briefs and group handouts for role-play (e.g., officials from Canada, Quebec, and the United States, or UN and refugee representatives). Methods differentiate between large-class games (approximately 90 students) to introduce or reinforce concepts and small-group tutorial simulations (approximately 20 students) for deeper, role-based problem solving under constraints of incomplete information and strict time limits. Activities emphasize intra- and inter-team coordination, decision-making under pressure, and post-activity debriefs that guide students from lived experience to abstraction (e.g., groupthink, collective action problems). Outcomes include heightened engagement, stronger retention of concepts, improved collaboration and communication skills, and students’ capacity to articulate theory from practice. The person interviewed also addresses facilitation strategies, including minimal pre-briefing to maximize discovery, targeted priming for role fidelity, and instructor intervention when simulations diverge from intended learning goals.