Games, Simulations and Other
Learning Exercises
USA Canada Youth Exchange Network Conference
March 9-12, 2006, Houston, Texas
Dennis White
[email protected]
www.yeoresources.org.
The challenges of
teaching about culture
Teaching about culture is, in fact,
challenging, since the most significant
aspects that shape how we perceive our
environment, other people, space, and
time are hidden from view.
The challenges of
teaching about culture
These aspects are comprised of largely
unconscious assumptions, based on
lessons learned in childhood from our
families and societies. Simply telling
students about cultural differences is often
not enough – they must experience them
as well.
The challenges of
teaching about culture
Simulating cross cultural situations can be
a very effective way of accomplishing this.
There are a great number and variety of
cross cultural simulations available,
ranging in complexity and length.
The challenges of
teaching about culture
What they all offer is for participants to
experience intercultural interaction,
including the uncertainty, frustration, and
related emotions that arise.
The challenges of
teaching about culture
The main teaching goals center on:
1. Increased self-awareness of personal
reactions to ambiguous, cross cultural
situations
2. A deeper understanding of how
cultural assumptions influence our
perceptions, behaviors and reactions.
The challenges of
teaching about culture
The main teaching goals center on:
3. Most importantly, the goal is to teach
participants to look for cultural
differences and anticipate them.
What is a simulation?
• A game that imitates life, or a
particular aspect of life.
• It often involves completing a task.
• It often involves extended roleplaying.
Examples of Commercially available
Simulations




Bafa Bafa
Barnga
Econtos
An Alien Among Us
May be found at sites like
www.interculturalpress.com
Examples of Free Simulations
 Broken Squares
Broken Squares.doc
 Build a Tower
Build a Tower Culture Exercise with facilitation directions.doc
 The Anthropologist
The Anthropologist- A Cross Cultural activity.doc
all posted on www.yeoresources.org
Basic Principles



Participants go through an activity.
A discussion follows.
Learning points attempt to link the
simulation or game to real life.
Discussion/Debriefing Outline:
People don’t learn from experience; they
learn from reflecting on their experience.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How do You feel?
What happened?
What did you learn?
How does this relate to the real world?
What if? (example – what if you had known why
they were acting that way?)
6. How can you apply your learning?
Discussion/Debriefing Outline:
People don’t learn from experience; they
learn from reflecting on their experience.
The most common mistake in doing simulations
is to spend too much time on the simulation
and not enough time discussing it.
Discussion/Debriefing Outline:
People don’t learn from experience; they
learn from reflecting on their experience.
My rule of thumb: The discussion should last
as long as the simulation.
If that seems too long, then maybe the
simulation itself is too long.
Demonstration
Discussion/Debriefing Outline:
People don’t learn from experience; they
learn from reflecting on their experience.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How do You feel?
What happened?
What did you learn?
How does this relate to the real world?
What if? (example – what if you had known why
they were acting that way?)
6. How can you apply your learning?
Documents available at
www.yeoresources.org
• Cross-cultural simulation scripts.doc
• Six Phases of Debriefing.doc
• Simulation Games.doc
• Broken Squares.doc
• Build a Tower Culture Exercise with
facilitation directions.doc
• The Anthropologist- A Cross Cultural
activity.doc
Games, Simulations and Other
Learning Exercises
USA Canada Youth Exchange Network Conference
March 9-12, 2006, Houston, Texas
Dennis White
[email protected]
www.yeoresources.org.