A Systemic-Constructivist Approach to the Facilitation and Debriefing of Simulations and Games

Abstract

This article introduces some basic concepts of a systemic-constructivist perspective. These show that gaming simulation corresponds closely to a systemic-constructivist approach to learning and instruction. Some quality aspects of facilitating and debriefing simulation games are described from a systemic-constructivist point of view. Finally, a structure for debriefing, and some concrete examples of systemic-constructivist debriefing-methods are presented.

Debriefing Research Games

“…Topic guide. Based on the literature review in the previous sections, we identified eight phases that need to be addressed in a debriefing session of a research game, in which a large overlap exists with existing literature by Kriz (2010) and Peters and Vissers (2004). However, this paper recognizes the gap in the existing literature regarding the specific topics that need to be addressed within the validity and reliability analysis phase.…”

“…For a more in-depth look at how we applied part of this framework in specific cases in the Dutch railway sector, we refer to Van den Hoogen et al (2014a). The framework incorporates existing notions from the literature (Peters & Vissers, 2004;Kriz, 2010) and adds a more thorough operationalization of validity and a methodology by which to actually study validity in the debriefing. The table also shows the ideal roles of each participant.…”

“…The debriefing is the ideal means of controlling these factors. Kriz (2010) was one of the first to apply a systems perspective to the debriefing process where games are intended to say something about referent systems or designs in the large scale. The systems perspective pervades the framework as it acknowledges complex features of systems, including its multi-interpretability and path dependence.…”

A Framework for Clarifying “Participation” in Participatory Research to Prevent its Rejection for the Wrong Reasons

“…As described in the literature on debriefing gaming simulations, after every participatory event the researchers should create an opportunity for participants to express their feelings about this event (Kriz 2008). This typically takes the form of an open-group discussion about what happened during a participatory event, prompted by questions such as: "how did you feel during the session?," "do you wish to express some specific messages to your fellow participants?," or "when did you not feel at ease and why?".…”

Constructing Knowledge in an Interactive Game-Like Design Environment for STEM Education

“…In addition to the value of the use of the theory of constructivism for gaming design purposes, instruction with games central to pedagogical practices resulted in higher levels of learning [6], [12], [14]- [20]. Researchers noted that instructional games, when supported by instructional practices using constructivism, netted increased learning across multiple instructional settings, including nursing, social studies, and science.…”