Does <i>Reacting to the Past</i> Increase Student Engagement? An Empirical Evaluation of the Use of Historical Simulations in Teaching Political Theory

Weidenfeld, Matthew C.; Fernandez, Kenneth E.

doi:10.1080/15512169.2016.1175948

Cited by 16 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…46 Even studies that have advocated the pedagogical value of interactive role-plays have discovered that 'student time spent reading and preparing for class declined during the simulation'. 47 Nevertheless, most of the challenges associated with historical simulations can be overcome if a well-scaffolded activity is provided that is oriented towards precisely defined learning outcomes that are, in turn, articulated clearly to the students involved. 48 In such a manner, particularly in the current political environment, which is often defined by a degree of narrowmindedness and ideational inflexibility, the positives appear to outweigh the negatives and the pedagogical benefits of interactive simulations that 'challenge [students] to think critically and develop empathy for people who lived in the past' should not be readily dismissed.…”

Section: Interactivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching Modern British Political History in a Politically Polarised and ‘Post-Truth’ Environment

Jobson

2023

Trans. R. Hist. Soc.

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This article assesses the challenges that university-level teachers of modern British political history currently face in what is often described as a ‘post-truth’ and polarised political environment. It argues that, whilst these challenges do not always present entirely new pedagogical considerations, the sociocultural and political terrain in Britain today requires careful navigation, particularly in an academic field which addresses recent historical topics that are routinely politicised and contested in contemporary discourse. Although there is a lack of scholarly literature on the topic of teaching modern British political history in a higher education setting, this article draws upon a wide array of educational studies to map out the contours of a successful pedagogical strategy that could facilitate ‘deep’ learning in the current contextual environment. To this end, it suggests that by utilising modern British political history's interdisciplinary foundations, applying teaching techniques that help students to explore topics from multiple viewpoints, devising new and stimulating interactive tasks, and capitalising on the opportunities afforded by the Internet age, learning can be enhanced and many of the more academically problematic features and characteristics of the current political climate can be counteracted.

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Section: Interactivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching Modern British Political History in a Politically Polarised and ‘Post-Truth’ Environment

Jobson

2023

Trans. R. Hist. Soc.

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“…5 For Ehralnder and Boylan, simulations "bridge theory and practice together, improving learning outcomes" (2017, 5). Simulations seem to have positive effects for stimulating also students' interest and satisfaction about the courses (Weidenfeld andFernandez 2017, Toomey et al 2019). Shannon (2019) illustrates how role-play simulations may foster even 1.…”

Section: Article's Contribution To the Literature On Role-playing Simmentioning

confidence: 99%

I love this game: the interplay between experience and background in role-playing simulations: insights from MUN participants in Italy and the Netherlands

et al. 2020

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“…Within the field of history specifically, simulations have been shown to promote learning in a variety of ways: simulations energize students, increase student engagement with course material, and build peer community (Arnold 1998;Howard 2017). 5 This is especially evident in studies of the popular program Reacting to the Past (RTTP), with RTTP practitioners documenting increases in student energy and engagement in classrooms that utilize these role-immersion games (Carnes 2014;Higbee 2009;Webb and Engar 2016;Weidenfeld and Fernandez 2017). 6 But these are not the only benefits to student learning that may be accrued through participation in history simulations.…”

Section: Goal Of the Avatar Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Thinking with Avatars in an Undergraduate Course on Early Christianity

Dingeldein

Wheatley²,

Stewart³

2020

Wabash Journal

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History simulations have been shown to promote student learning in classrooms throughout higher education. In an undergraduate course on the New Testament and early Christianity, we sought to foster student learning by having students participate in history simulations that involved the use of fictitious personas known as avatars. In this paper we describe the avatar activities in these simulations, and we examine the effects of our simulations on students’ abilities in “historical thinking”: that is, engaging in the interpretive practices that historians use to reconstruct the past. We argue that our avatar simulations helped our students build upon, refine, and deepen their abilities in historical thinking in small but perceptible ways. We end by noting the extent to which our findings align with research on the use of history simulations and by identifying ways to develop our project moving forward.

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Does Reacting to the Past Increase Student Engagement? An Empirical Evaluation of the Use of Historical Simulations in Teaching Political Theory

Cited by 16 publications

References 24 publications

Teaching Modern British Political History in a Politically Polarised and ‘Post-Truth’ Environment

Teaching Modern British Political History in a Politically Polarised and ‘Post-Truth’ Environment

I love this game: the interplay between experience and background in role-playing simulations: insights from MUN participants in Italy and the Netherlands

Historical Thinking with Avatars in an Undergraduate Course on Early Christianity

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