Game Based Pedagogical Framework for Teaching Systems Approach and Disaster Resilience

Abstract

Systems thinking and System Dynamics modelling are considered essential skillset for managing resilience of society and ecosystems. Teaching of this skillset needs problem-based learning pedagogy which can be facilitated through experimentation with case studies and collaboration with students. However, students also need opportunities to engage with any problem, not only as modellers outside a system but as part of the systemic problem itself. They need to experience the existence of plurality of goals of varied actors, dilemmas and trade-offs of decision making and uncertainties associated with 21st century problems. Active learning tools like serious games can provide quasi-real yet safe environments where students can engage with surprises, conflict, negotiations-all of which can result in quantifiable outcome. Such games have an edge over normal quizzes or case studies as they can connect students socially and emotionally to the problem situation, provide opportunity to experience outcomes of the players’ own decisions, explore multiple cause-effect relations, and enrich understanding of real world problem solving. There is a growing literature on the conceptual frameworks influencing design and use of such games for social learning, empathy, systems thinking and better decision making. But there is still dearth of pedagogical knowledge i.e. knowledge that can help university teachers and capacity development trainers to design lessons with games to target learning outcomes related to attributes of systems and resilience and means to scaffold and evaluate student learning from use of such games. In this paper, we present a pedagogical framework designed with 2 games, one with freely available online game and the other co-designed with students, in Residential College 4 of National University of Singapore. The research illustrates how the framework can be implemented to use and customize games for specific educational contexts, create environments for experiential learning of dilemmas and surprises associated with disasters, use prior conceptual knowledge and data generated by playing the game to model problem situation and design and reflect on better policy strategies.