Table Of ContentProfessional and Practice-based Learning
Peter Bursens · Vincent Donche
David Gijbels · Pieter Spooren Editors
Simulations
of Decision-
Making as Active
Learning Tools
Design and Eff ects of Political Science
Simulations
Professional and Practice-based Learning
Volume 22
Series editors
Stephen Billett, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Christian Harteis, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany
Hans Gruber, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
Professional and practice-based learning brings together international research on
the individual development of professionals and the organisation of professional life
and educational experiences. It complements the Springer journal Vocations and
Learning: Studies in vocational and professional education.
Professional learning, and the practice-based processes that often support it, are the
subject of increased interest and attention in the fields of educational, psychological,
sociological, and business management research, and also by governments,
employer organisations and unions. This professional learning goes beyond, what is
often termed professional education, as it includes learning processes and
experiences outside of educational institutions in both the initial and ongoing
learning for the professional practice. Changes in these workplaces requirements
usually manifest themselves in the everyday work tasks, professional development
provisions in educational institution decrease in their salience, and learning and
development during professional activities increase in their salience.
There are a range of scientific challenges and important focuses within the field of
professional learning. These include:
– understanding and making explicit the complex and massive knowledge
that is required for professional practice and identifying ways in which this
knowledge can best be initially learnt and developed further throughout
professional life.
– analytical explications of those processes that support learning at an individ-
ual and an organisational level.
– understanding how learning experiences and educational processes might
best be aligned or integrated to support professional learning.
The series integrates research from different disciplines: education, sociology,
psychology, amongst others. The series is comprehensive in scope as it not only
focusses on professional learning of teachers and those in schools, colleges and
universities, but all professional development within organisations.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/8383
Peter Bursens • Vincent Donche
David Gijbels • Pieter Spooren
Editors
Simulations of Decision-
Making as Active Learning
Tools
Design and Effects of Political Science
Simulations
Editors
Peter Bursens Vincent Donche
University of Antwerp University of Antwerp
Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp, Belgium
David Gijbels Pieter Spooren
University of Antwerp University of Antwerp
Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp, Belgium
ISSN 2210-5549 ISSN 2210-5557 (electronic)
Professional and Practice-based Learning
ISBN 978-3-319-74146-8 ISBN 978-3-319-74147-5 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74147-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018933454
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of
the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation,
broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information
storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors
or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims
in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Printed on acid-free paper
This Springer imprint is published by the registered company is Springer International Publishing AG
part of Springer Nature.
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Series Editors’ Foreword
This book series comprises volumes that aim at contributing to understand how best
to secure the development of professionals’ occupational competence in various
fields and domains of their practice. These volumes often focus on workplace expe-
riences and their importance for those workers’ learning and development in occu-
pational domains and particular work settings. This particular volume adds to this
series by introducing a new perspective through focusing on simulations of decision-
making as tools for preparing future professionals for their fields of practice and its
requirements. This decision-making is held to be central to their competence and is
often shaped by factors pertaining to occupational requirements but also how both
those requirements are manifested in particular circumstances. Moreover, the act of
engaging in decision-making is generative of cognitive legacies (i.e. learning) asso-
ciated with higher-order functioning such as complex and nonroutine problem-
solving of the kind required for effective occupational performance.
In the last decade, educational processes associated with occupational prepara-
tion have been changing from those emphasizing more teacher-centered to more
student-centered approaches. This transformation is consistent with the use of learn-
ing environments that require students’ active participation, such as the kinds of
simulations referred to in this text. The use of such simulations is also associated
with challenging learners in an activating way to deal critically with their knowl-
edge to solve authentic problems that involve interrelations between various actors
and levels (i.e., decision-making). The advantages of using simulations as learning
tools are also expected learning outcomes as improved study results, the develop-
ment of critical thinking, and negotiating and understanding the complexity of the
real world.
This volume presents examples from the domain of political science and dis-
cusses accounts of successful implementations of simulations that can inform their
use across all domains of professional and practice-based learning. Research about
professional learning in areas like the domain of political science is still underrep-
resented. This volume may initiate fruitful discussions between political science
and other professional domains because it presents advice and instantiations about
how best to organize simulation exercises on a larger scale. It also addresses
v
vi Series Editors’ Foreword
methodological issues and those from the perspective of educational science. In
addition, it provides empirical evidence of participation in simulations on students’
learning outcomes and illustrates contemporary practices in decision-making simu-
lations. Thereby the volume offers instances and examples for those wanting to
develop simulations in other professional domains or those who are interested in
investigating effects of stimulating learning environments such as simulations.
The contributions to this volume will be of interest for people organizing and
enacting higher education as well as further education. They introduce interesting
examples for simulations in political science that can inspire educators and practi-
tioners in other domains, and they also report empirical investigations of different
effects on students’ cognitive, regulative, and affective learning outcomes. The
chapters are supplemented by conclusions from the perspective of educational sci-
ence. Hence, this volume may initiate awareness in the field of professional and
practice-based learning.
Paderborn, Germany Christian Harteis
Regensburg, Germany Hans Gruber
Brisbane, Australia Stephen Billett
December 2017
Contents
1 Simulations of Decision-Making in Political Science Education . . . . 1
Pieter Spooren, Dorothy Duchatelet, Peter Bursens,
David Gijbels, and Vincent Donche
Part I Design and Assessment of Simulations
2 Learning from Simulations of Decision-Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Peter Bursens, David Gijbels, Vincent Donche,
and Pieter Spooren
3 The Costs and Benefits of Organizing a Multi- institutional
Simulation on the European Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Andreas Sobisch, John Scherpereel, Peter Loedel,
Gretchen J. Van Dyke, and Nick Clark
4 Do Simulations Enhance Decision-Making in the EU
Financial Services? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
John T. Ryan
5 What’s the EU? Achieving Learning Outcomes
and Preparing US Students for EuroSim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Rebecca Jones
6 Mission Impossible? Verisimilitude in EU Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Pierpaolo Settembri and Marco Brunazzo
7 “Will It Blend?” Combining Online and On-Site
Elements in Simulation Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Simon Raiser, Björn Warkalla, Annegret Schneider,
and Konstantin Kaiser
vii
viii Contents
8 Oranges and Apples? Using Comparative Judgement
for Reliable Briefing Paper Assessment in Simulation Games . . . . . . 93
Pierpaolo Settembri, Roos Van Gasse, Liesje Coertjens,
and Sven De Maeyer
9 Assessment Strategies in Simulation Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Simon Usherwood
Part II Effects of Simulations
10 How Simulations of Decision-Making Affect Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Vincent Donche, David Gijbels, Pieter Spooren, and Peter Bursens
11 Simulating European Climate Policy Negotiations
in a Teacher Training Seminar: Which Effects
Can Be Detected? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Sophie Wulk
12 Effects of EU Simulation Games on Secondary School
Students’ Political Motivations, Attitudes
and Knowledge: Results of an Intervention Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Monika Oberle, Sven Ivens, and Johanna Leunig
13 Learning Effects of Negotiation Simulations:
Evidence from Different Student Cohorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Morten Kallestrup
14 Simulations Are No ‘One-for-All’ Experience:
How Participants Vary in Their Development
of Self-efficacy for Negotiating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Dorothy Duchatelet
15 Simulations of Decision-Making in Political Science
Education: Premises, Promises and Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
David Gijbels, Pieter Spooren, Peter Bursens, and Vincent Donche
About the Contributors
Peter Bursens is professor of political science at the Department of Political
Science of the University of Antwerp and senior member of the Antwerp Centre for
Institutions and Multilevel Politics (ACIM). His research interests include
Europeanization, federalism, democratic legitimacy of multilevel political systems,
and active learning tools in political science. He teaches on the topics of European
integration, EU negotiations, and multilevel governance at the University of
Antwerp and the Antwerp Management School. He also holds a Jean Monnet Chair
ad personam from the European Commission, focusing on the introduction of skills
teaching in European Studies curricula. He also serves as vice-dean for teaching.
Marco Brunazzo is associate professor of political science at the University of
Trento. He has written books and scientific articles on several aspects concerning
EU integration. With Pierpaolo Settembri, he has organised simulation games on
EU legislative process and written a book titled Experiencing the European Union
(Rubettino 2012).
Nick Clark is an assistant professor of political science at Susquehanna University.
His research focuses on public opinion, political representation, and electoral
behavior within the European Union, seeking to empirically assess theoretical
claims about the quality of democratic citizenship and governance in multilevel
political systems such as the European Union. His research has appeared in such
publications as European Union Politics, the Journal of Common Market Studies,
the Journal of European Integration, European Politics and Society, and Political
Studies.
Liesje Coertjens is a Professor of Assessment for Learning at the Université
catholique de Louvain. Her research interests include student learning and (peer
assessment of) performance assessment. More specifically, she investigates the effi-
ciency and reliability of rubrics rating and comparative judgement.
ix
