Studies on students' perceptions of learning in business simulations often suggest that students like simulations and view them more positively than both lectures and case discussions. However, research on the actual learning outcomes deriving from participating in business simulations still needs to be pursued. Consequently, the purpose of this…

In this article, the authors discuss the development of the "Sudan Game," an interactive model of the country in the time period leading up to the Sudanese referendum on the secession of the South. While many simulations are designed to educate about their subjects, the "Sudan Game" is intended to be a prototype for policy…

Research on international relations at Northwestern University in the 1960s and 1970s revolved around Harold Guetzkow's pioneering work on the simulation of international processes. As a beginning faculty member, I benefited from the insights and excitement of that special time and place. As a participant in one of his events, I experienced the…

This article combines the paradigm of social constructionism with the developing field of ludology. As games are intersubjective meaning-making activities, their study requires understanding of the nature of social constructions, and how such constructions are produced and interpreted: The formalist nature of ludological core concepts such as game…

During our 14 years together at Northwestern University, Harold Guetzkow was at the same time my colleague, creative teacher, and helpful personal friend. I used his simulation in my undergraduate courses. His research and personal suggestions provided creative insights for my research at UN Headquarters. He provided younger colleagues with…

This autobiography is an attempt to write and share the author's personal story, first as a learner, then as a teacher. It also attempts to share the educational gifts initially bestowed and then passed on from one generation to the next. The writer will talk about how games and simulations were first inherited and learned, then employed in…

The article begins with an abbreviated CV of the author and then recounts the formation of Society for the Advancement of Games and Simulation in Education and Training (SAGSET) and the early days of simulation and gaming in the United Kingdom. Four strands of elements of development are described together with the key events of the 1970s and…

This research project investigated student reaction to playing the DIFFUSION SIMULATION GAME (DSG) and how an instructor, who is a novice in playing online games, implemented the DSG in an online higher education course. The goal of this research project was to determine whether playing the DSG helps students learn and apply course content. In…

This issue of S&G is devoted to people--to the gamers who have made and are making the exciting discipline of simulation gaming possible. All disciplines that hope for a bright future must record their origins and development. This is particularity the case for a field as fuzzy and interdisciplinary as simulation/gaming. The symposium dedicated to…

Harold Guetzkow's guidance of research on foreign policy decision making was driven by a core concern: the avoidance of nuclear war and preservation of peace. He aimed to do this by supporting the creation and distribution of new knowledge through experiments aimed at simulating the processes and conditions hypothesized to influence such…

The development of appropriate scenarios is critical in high-fidelity simulation training. They need to be developed to address specific learning objectives, while not preventing other learning points from emerging. Buying a patient simulator, finding a volunteer to act as the patient, or even obtaining ready-made scenarios from another simulation…

This article presents findings from a research project that uses an interactive simulator of an imaginary fishing dispute. Subjects operating the simulator play the role of a state leader, while the computer program controls the behavior of a contending state as well as provides all the environmental data associated with the conflict. The…

Harold Guetzkow displayed great determination and a remarkable ability to push boundaries. In this article, I describe how these features have had an impact across generations, both in the social sciences and at Northwestern University. In so doing, I touch on the development of experiments in political science and the rise of political psychology.

Experimental research in business and economics has exploded in recent years in both laboratory and field settings. The generality of findings from field experiments is limited by the specificity of the experimental environment. Laboratory studies, on the other hand, are criticized for being devoid of the contextual cues that may indicate to…

Most serious games have been developed without a proper and comprehensive design theory. To contribute to the development of such a theory, this article presents the underlying design philosophy of LEVEE PATROLLER, a game to train levee patrollers in the Netherlands. This philosophy stipulates that the design of a digital serious game is a…