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COURSE NUMBER: Ed.0 487OI4
COURSE NAME: Special Topic: Simulation Games in
Education
SEMESTER: Summer/1974 (Summer Session)
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION: The study of simulation-gaming, its rationale, and
role in education at all levels.
COURSE INFORMATION:
Instructor
Dates
Day(s)
Time(s)
John C.
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Attig July 2 - Aug.9 M, W
8:30-12:30
Range of Topics
The course will cover the history of simulation-gaming; the use of gaming
in research; the use of simulation-games in classrooms, business ,and the
military; types of simulation-games; evaluation techniques; and game
design.
Rcnmmridd R.ding
Abt, Serious Games, New York: Viking, 1970
Raser, Simulations and Society, Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1971
Walford, Games in Geography, London: Longman, 1971
Stoll & Inbar, Simulation Games for the Social Studies Teacher, New York:
Free Press, 1973
Zuckerman & Horn (eds.) , The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education
and Training, 2nd ed., Lexington, Mass.: Information
Resources, Inc., 1973
Regui rements
Most of the classroom will be devoted to the demonstration and play of a
wide variety of simulation-games. Regular attendance is a must. Partici-
pants enrolled in the course will be expected to design their own simulation-
game. Essentially this is a workshop course in which students will actively
participate in the playing and evaluation, as well as design, of many
simulation-games.
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COURSE INFORMATION SHEET
Course number: ?
Ed.0 487
Credit: ?
4 hours
Title:
?
Special Topic: Simulation Games in
Education
Instructor: ?
John C. Attig, Faculty Associate.
13.A., DePauw University, Greencastle,
Indiana. M.A., U. of Chicato.
Majors: Political Science and History.
Author of several articles on
simulation-games and designer of
several simulation-games currently
in use.
Prerequisite: ?
Education 401-402 or the equivalent
or current status as a classroom
teacher. Permission from the
instructor may be granted as waiver
of this requirement.
Course Content: ?
Simulation-games are operating models
of social systems. They are widely
used as teaching devices by business
firms, government agencies, univer-
sities, and schools.
The course will survey the history
of simulation-gaming, its rationale
characteristics of its use in
educational settings, problems
associated with simulation-gaming,
and game design. Simulation-games
of all types and levels of sophistication
will be demonstrated with students
in the course as actual participants.
Emphasis will be placed on workshop
activities stressing student partici-
pation. 85% of the classroom time
will be devoted to non-lecture acti-
vities. Students will be required
to design their own simulation-games.
Meeting times:
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Inter-session. Thursday evenings
4:30-9:00 and four Saturday sessions
9:00-4:30 on May 12, May 19, June
9 and June 16.
.
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-7/73
evied Course iroecription.
rJ T:i?G
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IN' ?
ON
ulitonariini
is a teachint technique widely uod in business,
ovornrncct,
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schools. It fcatui
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ciiuiatiori oi
l
Gccj
L
), yte!m'
on
terct
a oei
accori.
scale
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and
to
devuloping
scunarloc7,.
tho
roles,
xnoels
and
into
rule
gatnoe
corr000nding
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amne layer
to thi rea'ity being Fi!uiated,
io course wil eurvey
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mc theory,, appiicatLori of the tohn1quo,
and
actual
a
C).-"
ocitod
- '
Y o
problorni,
iovral typos
Major
of
eipha'i
liuLationame
will be placed
included
on the
will
be thoce used in busineec, teacher education, environmental
CdU©
ation, eocial ntudio,. and ianEuao arts at primary,,. intermediate,
condary, arid
pOtocOfldary
levole of irutruction, k3tuden",
1 ,8
will
acquire experience in c1muid.tiongae design..
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John ,
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MEMORANDUM R: Course Descri
p tion for
ex
p
erimental course in
Simulation-Gaming to be offered during the 1,073
second term.
FRO::: John C. Att-ig
BeLow is the title and course information
1 wish
to see included
in literature iistributed by Simon Fraser.
Course Title: Simulation-Gaming in Social 3tudies and Education.
Course Dscript1on: Simulation-gaming is a technique used for both
research and instruction in business,. government, and schools,.
particularly in the social sciences. It Involves-the simulating
on- a model sca1es1gnficant'.aa,eotsof social systems and patterns
of human behavior and developing them into games that involve
the interaction of players according to roles, scenarios, and set
rules corresponding to the reality being simulated.
This experimental course will emphasize the theory and application
of simulation-gaming in intermediate and secondary schools, Particular
stress will be placed on Its:-use in social
studies.
The course will cover the theory of simulation-gaming,, rationale
for its use,.different types of
simulation-gaines,
evaluation
techniques, and problems connected with the method. Game design
will be a major feature of the course with each student being
required to
assist
in the development of a stulation-game. It
Is hoped that a Series of simulation-games will be developed that
will be immediately applicable In courses of Canadian history and
geography.
The instructional approach will emphasize actual participation In
selected simulation-games and involvement of students in research
and game design. Vicarious experiences will be kept to a minimum.
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1-MORANDW4 ES:
SUIlSR
SCHOOL COtJRSS PROPOSAL
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2 Jan 73
TO:
SEIILA
O'CONNELL
FROM: JOHN C. ATTIG
This is in regards to our phone conversation of last week. I
have discussed the situation with n'.y family and Ian Alien and
have arrived at the following conclusions.
I prefer to offer the course onSimulaUor-Gaming during the first
part of the summer term, the'.1.xter-Session. £ven though we: ili have
no difficulty extending our Burnar houathg arrangements, we are
concerned about our own house: in Palo Alto,; Cal ifornia.
We:
are
leasing it for the year, but the tenant will complete his stay on
June 15. We will be here until July 1 anyway in crder to permit
the children to com
p
lete the school year. I would like to spend
the interval between the completion of the
3FU
term in April and
the end of June
in a
profitable activity. We also have made some
tentative travel plans: for July and August that are exciting to us
and which we are reluctant to forego.
There are several ways the
Session. I have listed
own preference. There
Alternative 1 -- Seven evening sessions of four hours each and
four Saturday sessions of seven hours. An arrangement of
this sort will permit some extensive workshop and labor-
atory activities and a degree of continuity difficult to
implement in a conventional class time scheme. This schedule
should encourage the enrollment of classroom teachers.
Alternative 2 -- Seven Saturday sessions. This will do the
same thing as alternative 1, but has the drawback of
committing students to a long succession of weekends which
many people are reluctant to tie up.
Alternative
3 --
Two four hour sessions per week to be held
late afternoons or evenings-. This may tend to discourage
all but the most dedicated of
p
art-time students. Few
classroom teachers will be willing to make this commitment.
Alternative 4 -- Offer 'the course in two segements with the time
allotment being tht of Alternative 1. Permit students to
sign up for either 2 or 4 hours of credit. The 2 hour
course would consist of the Saturday sessions. These would
emphasize simulation-game theory,. laboratory experiences,
and im
p
lementation. The 4 hour course would include the
evening sessions in addition. These sessions would emphasize
the simulation-game design aspect of the course, This
type of arrangement would reach the greatest number of
prospective enr011ees, but may cause some logistical problems.
Alternative 5 -- Offer the course during the normal working day.
This would preclude the enrollment of classroom teachers.
I personally believe the course should be offered for 4 hours credit'
My reasoning is that the students working on simulatlo game....ésiris
for the Canadian social studies curriculum must have time to try out
their works, find out what problems exist in, the original designs,
correct the problems, and develop a more finished product.
my
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course could be offered during
some of the alternatives below in
may be other ways of scheduling
the Inter-
order of
it.
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EDUCATION C487
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Simon Fraser University
Simulation Games in Education
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J.C. ATTIG
CALENDAR AND A SS IGNMENTS
Purpose:
This course will attempt to survey the history of simulation-
gaming, the rationale for simulation-gaming, types of games
and their characteristics, problems of gaming, and game
design. Stress will be placed on the use of simulation-games
in education. It is hoped that students will acquire a com-
prehensive understanding of simulation-gaming, become confi-
dent users of simulation-games, and acquire some skill at
designing their own simulation-game materials.
Personal Contacts:
Regular office hours for the instructor will Monday and
Wednesday, 1:30-2:30 and by appointment. The phone number of
that part of the education complex is 291-3620 and the office
is in Building #5.
Required Assignment:
Each student enrolled in the course will be rquired to
design a simulation-game to be used for educational purposes.
If they wish several students may combine their efforts and
work together.
Small portions of the intial sessions of the course will be
devoted to brainstorming and consultation on game design problems.
Portions of the final four sessions of the course will be
allocated to student games designers trying out their creations.
All simulation-games being designed should include an instruc-
tor's manual, participant manuals, and, if needed, control
manuals and scoring forms.
Attendance. Because most of the in-class activities of the
course will be of a workshop nature in which many types of games
will be demonstrated and because simulation-games require
considerable numbers of players in order to be effectively
demonstrated, attendance at sessions of this course can not be
of a casual nature. Failure to attend course sessions will be
reflected in the final grade of the course. Missing one evening
of the course is the equivalent of missing one week's work in
a normal semester. Absense from more than one course session
will probably result in penalties.
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Grading Scale:
Evaluation will be on the following basis:
A - Design of a good simulation game with a minimum of detec-
table bugs and excellent attendance.
B - Design of a simulation game and excellent attendance OR
design of a gopd simulation game and fair attendance.
C - Design of a simulation game and fair attendance.
D - Signs of life
F - Failure to meet course requirements
