What do students learn from a role-play simulation of an international negotiation?

Abstract

This article uses pre- and post-surveys to assess learning outcomes associated with a role-play simulation set within a fictionalized extension of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Quantitative and qualitative data suggest that the simulation increased student appreciation of the complexity of international negotiation, but decreased student interest and self-assessment of skill proficiency. These results underscore the learning potential of the role-play simulation: it challenges notions of student idealism, leaving students with a more realistic sense of why Multilateral Environmental Agreements are so difficult to negotiate in the real-world.

Keywords::

• role-play simulation
• student idealism
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Multilateral Environmental Agreements

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the various contributions made by our Research Assistants, Reza Shams and Alanna Taylor. We also want to the thank Steve Mannell for his constant support of this project, as well as the many students of SUST 2001 who were the single biggest reason for the simulation's success over the years. This research was supported by two Teaching with Technology Grants, administered by Dalhousie University's Centre for Learning and Teaching. The first (Type 2 grant) was awarded in 2010. The second (Type 1 grant) was awarded in 2012.

Notes

^1. For reviews of different kinds of role-play simulations, see Lean et al. (2006) and Wheeler (2006).