Educational Games and Simulations in Economics. INSTITUTION Joint Council on Economic Education, New York, N.Y

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 095 057 SO 007 685 AUTHOR Lewis, Darrell R.; And Others TITLE Educational Games and Simulations in Economics. INSTITUTION Joint Council on Economic Education, New York, N.Y. PUB DATE 74 NOTE 137p. AVAILABLE FROM Joint Council on Economic Education, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N. Y. 10036 ($4.00 single paper copy, 20 percent discount on 10 or more) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.75 HC Not Available from EDRS. PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS Annotated Bibliographies; *Economic Education; *Economics; *Educational Games; *Games; Game Theory; Literature Reviews; Resource Materials; *Simulation; Social Studies; Teaching Techniques ABSTRACT This publication was prepared to: (1) update and expand elementary, secondary, and college teacher's knowledge of materials on noncomputer-based games and simulations relating to the teaching of economics and corresponding social studies topics; (2) assist economic educators in developing criteria for evaluating the educational usefulness of exercises; (3) provide guidelines for game creation with existing resources; and (4) provide suggestions as to how one can best use games and simulations in the classroom. The book represents a substantial revision and expansion of two earlier bibliographies (1968 and 1971) which were distributed by the Joint Council on Economic Education. Selected articles and resource references are included to supply valuable information to the classroom teacher and curriculum specialists. A new section on game construction is provided to make this reference .a source of value not only for teacher workshops but also for collegiate instructional methods classes. Contents are arranged in four chapters on (1) construction, selection, and use of simulation games for teaching economics;(2) research on, instructional games and simulations in the social sciences and economics; (3) an annotated listing of 130 available simulations and games for the teaching of economics, 80 of which were not included in the two earlier bibliographies; and (4) bibliographies, journals, and publishers of educational games and simulations. (Author/SJM) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION a WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO. OUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN ATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF .EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL BY MICRO. FICHE ONLY riAS BEEN GRANTED BY 1404.3_-_redLrs"___-ve.i Xr. TOE AND ORGANIZATIONS OPFRAT NO unGaR AGREEMENTS WITH THE NA TiONAL INSTITUTE OFEDUCATION. FURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM REQUIRES PERMIS. SION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER - Darrell R. Lewis, Donald Wentworth, Robert Reinke LE-N\ CY` and William E. Becker, Jr. w Educational Games and Simulations in Economics 1974 Joint Cvincil on Economic Education rb Joint Council on Economic Education 1974 All rights reserved. Preface This publication has been prepared primarily to update elementary, secondary and collegiate principles teachers' knowledge of materials on noncomputer-based games and simulations relating to the teaching of economics and corresponding social studies topics. As a further service it also includes selected articles and resource references which can supply valuable information to the classroom teacher and curriculum specialist. This book represents a substantial revision and expansion of two earlier bibliographies which were distributed by the Joint Council on Economic Education. Eighty new games not previously annotated are among the 130 included in this edition. h is significant that the thrust of these new games is toward how society approaches solutions to problems such as environment, urban planning, economic development and distribution of wealth. A new section on game construction will help to make this reference source of great value not only for teacher workshops but also for collegiate instructional methods classes. We are indebted to Professors Darrell R. Lewis, William E. Becker, Jr., and Robert Reinke at the University of Minnesota's Center for Economic Education and Professor Donald Wentworth at Pacific Lutheran University's Center for Economic Education for their willingness to undertake this project and to provide economic education with a continuing repository of information in this area. We are also indebted to the many teachers and researchers who are currently trying out and evaluating the many games and simulations available. S. Stowell Symmes January 1974 Director of Curriculum iii Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1. Constructing, Selecting and Using Simulation Games for Teaching Economics A. Constructing a simulation game for teaching: A case in consumer economics 6 B. Constructing a simulation game for teaching: A case in economics for elementary social studies 20 C. Selecting a simulation game for teaching: Questions and criteria 29 D. Using games and simulations for classroom instruc- tion: Cautions and procedures 43 E. References relating to the construction, selection and use of educational simulations and games in economics and the social sciences 49 Chapter II.Research on Instructional Games and Simulations in the Social Sciences and Economics 61 A. Reviewing the literature: A review of research on instructional games and simulations in social science and economic education 61 B. Identifying the references: A survey of research com- pleted in the area of social science simulations and games 76 Chapter III. Annotated Listing of Available Simulations and Games for the Teaching of Economics 93 Chapter IV. Bibliographies, Journals, and Publishers of Educational Games and Simulations 129 A. Bibliographies 129 B. Journals and newsletters 130 C. Names and addresses of distributors and publishers 130 iv/v Introduction Introduction At a time when new teaching materials and techniques are being developed daily it is difficult to find innovations that capture the imagination and enthusiasm of their users to the degree which has been accomplished by educational games and simulations. In education, yesterday's innovative Fad is often as popular as yesterday's baseball hero. However, this has not been true or games and simulations. Since their introduction to precollege classrooms in the middle 1960's, their creation and use, and the discussion of their educational worth has increased geometrically each year. This public and profes- sional attention and the resulting new games make any publication on the subject quickly outdated. For this reason the Joint Council on Economic Education, recognizing its responsibility to. provide educators with up-to-date information on all facets of economic education, decided to revise and expand its earlier (1968 and 1971) bibliographies of games and simulations to include as many of these new developments as were publicly available. A second major reason for expanding this publication was to assist economic educators in developing criteria for evaluating the educational usefulness or these exercises, provide guidelines for game creation with existing resources, and provide suggestions as to howone can best use them in the classroom. No full-time teacher can be expected to remain both informed and experienced enough to read, use and evaluate everything available in this area.Itis hoped that this publication services these needs in .economic education. In September 1970, the Joint Council on Economic ,Education desig- nated the Center For Economic Education at the University of Minnesota as the national repository For games and simulations in economic education. During the past years the Center, has purchased many and reviewed all of the simulation-games relating to economics which are identified in this report. In collaboration with .other Centers, game designers and the Joint Council, an evaluation form has been developed and is currently being. used by teachers in Minnesota who are trying out many of the exercises identified herein. Criteria for Inclusion . The Following rationale established the project's criteria for including (or excluding) the simulation-gaMes found in this publication: I. The exercise had to meet a working definition established by the Center For the terms educational simulation, game, and/or simulation-game. The literature of the field abounds with controversy over what is meant by theSe words. The developers or the project Found the following definitions to he of working value to them: A learning game is a model or student interaction which usually involves a ."winner," and the winner is a person who has learned enough content to win the game. The game essentially provides a competitive setting for the learning of subject matter content. Simulations are an attempt to model a portion of reality in an artificial situation. They reproduce the social, economic or political processes of particular systems of social interaction. Students assume roles in the system and try to understand how the system operates by participating in it as a member, not an observer. A simulation-game is a combination of these models which tries to use the role-playing, modeling features of simulation for learning how a system operates and the competitive nature of games to encourage student motiva- tion. Most exercises available and identified in this publication have both of these characteristics. 2. The exercise had to involve the use of economic behavior, goals and/or concepts. This gave the project a very broad range

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