Role-Playing Across Universities: NATOs Response to the Invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

The global pandemic fundamentally reshaped how students and faculty think about education. The immediate need for meaningful instruction and learning experiences spurred innovation in online and hybrid course delivery. Even as students return to the classroom, faculty must anticipate future needs for online instruction. Students enrolled in an courses in the Fall 2022 semester at SHSU and SFASU participated in a joint, virtual simulation as a class exercise. This cross-university experience allowed students to gain perceptions and relationships outside their own university with students pursuing similar academic interests and goals. The goals of the simulation were two-fold: (1) enhance international national relations content knowledge regarding a regional intergovernmental organization and alliance behavior, and (2) develop 21st century skills such as collaboration, communication, and decision-making. This paper focuses on our rationale for the simulation, our experience as faculty members, and our plans to improve the simulation for the Fall 2023 semester.