The article by Edelson, D, in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching; titled Learning-For-Use: A Framework for the Design of Technology-Supported Inquiry Activities; describes a program that allows students to input their own data to create a new Earth. This program makes the students actively learn the processes of the Earth and how theses processes interact to make a stable planet. I think this same type of 'Learning-for-use model' can be used for government or economics study.
If this program allowed students to create different scenarios for governmental ideas, and then showed how their models fit together, it would be a great tool for showing how our current government works with its many functions. I would put the students in group and have them discuss how they think a government should function, the specific powers they want to give the government, and the systems they would put in place to keep it from becoming a dictatorship or anarchical. If the students did want a system that was undemocratic it would open up a great opportunity to discuss the benefits of democracy compared to other forms of government. This activity would create a greater appreciation for our current government and the problems the founders faced when they first developed it.
In economics the students could input their own ideas about a number of variables, such as currency, state and federal banks, interstate and international trade. If the students input scenarios that would not work well, such as only having state-run banks, the program could show them the reasons why this is defective. After each group made their models we would, as a class, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
This is all speculative and would need a software designer to make happen, but I just modified the original science related model, described by the author of the article, Edelson, D., and made it applicable to American government or economics. It seems this would be a very interactive way to show the intricacies of government and economics. Would this turn into a simulation type game that students did not take seriously? Would this be profitable as a learning tool compared to the cost it would take to develop? Has an interactive program used specifically for U.S. government/economics already been developed?
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I think your ideas of making a government and economics based learning of use model would be extremely beneficial to students. Governement and Economics are two of the hardest subjects for students to grasp because of the abstract ideas. I think students would take the game seriously as it would help them understand the concepts while still providing them with technology and visual representations. The cost to produce such a simulation game would be great in the beginning, but I believe the cost is worth the benefit to students. I have no idea if programs like this have already been created, and since I'm technologically illerate I am not the person to discover it!
ReplyDeleteI think I definitely would have appreciated this kind of model as a government/economics student. When I started taking gov and econ, I came in with very little knowledge and often had trouble understanding some of the concepts. A game like this would have given me an anchor for the concepts. I am a very visual learner and for students like me, sometimes a teacher's description and a definitely in a textbook allow only a superficial understanding of the subject matter. Due to the cost though, I think it will probably be a while before programs like these can be implemented in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think a simulation software like this would be extremely beneficial in teaching government and econ. These two subjects have some of the most abstract concepts and I think a game/software program like this would allow students to see these concepts in action. I think this software would be really profitable for a software company. It's not an entirely new concept (it might be as simple as a mod of another program) so I don't think it would be that complicated for software creators to make. I also think this program would be widely successful as I could see many teachers wanting to use a program like this to help their students master concepts.
ReplyDeleteThere is always going to be a group of students that do not take an assignment or project seriously so we shouldn't let this distract us from focusing on the main point; getting the majority of our students involved in learning. I personally believe this is a great project to incorporate in a government or economic classroom because students can be creative in coming up with their own government. They will learn to value and appreciate their government and recognize how difficult it most have been for our founding fathers to have developed the governmental system. I'm not aware of any interactive program that is used in U.S. government or economics but one should definitely be created.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of students creating their own world. They would learn so much about the effects of government on society and about the interdependence of nations. This could be a good assignment for collaboration amongst econ and gov't students. They would be able to visualize the effects of economic policies in action. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI think this would be a great program. It might help bridge our own social studies gaps a bit, since it would be teaching both government and economics and we love trying to put both of those in their own little boxes. There is a little bit of potential for students just to joke around with it, but I think they would still be learning the causes and effects of certain things. Think of the Sims and how boring it would be if you just made them live "normal" lives - I always made the characters do ridiculous things but the game sort of keeps itself in check... one time I made my character swim al night and then he fell asleep in his front yard on the way to work and got fired! I think if students tried to test the limits of their own creativity they would still get a lot of value from it. And even if schools couldn't pay for it, it might be marketable to the general public.
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea! I don't know whether something like this has been done before, but I think it could be really beneficial to have students try to set up their own government. Rather than try to help them set up a government that would have defenses set up against it becoming an anarchic or totalitarian form of government, however, I think it would be more of a learning experience if you were able to throw different situations at them and see how it goes--where they could either alter the course they've chosen as unfavorable events unfold, or let it go to help them understand how governments like that form.
ReplyDeleteGetting software for this might be an expensive undertaking that a school may not want to take on, but if need be you could make this a low-tech group project that would still be fun and a good learning activity for students.
Students creating their own government? I think this is an exceptionally exciting idea. First of all, it hooks the students into the actual lesson. The attention will be caught from the get go, and that is always an integral aspect of teaching a lesson. More importantly, it requires some collaboration and corroboration among the students. Students would learn how to be flexible and work with the ideas of other students if done in a group setting. Also, this is a superb exercise to draw out the critical thinking skills of students. Students would be able to learn and enjoy the process of government, as well as giving them some development insight.
ReplyDeleteThis is a cool idea and I am all for it. Mostly for the fact that ot would be fun to see the kids' differing ideas on a perfect government. I would have fun with this as a student, especially if I was younger and thought I knew everything. The only thing that I could see as a problem (and in my mind, it wouldn't be because I would enjoy it) would be the students really getting into it and having some big fights. Another fun part would be to see how kids who are "liberal" and "conservative" would react.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I’m just repeating the comments of those before me when I say; I wish such a game had been implemented in my government or economy class. I also love the idea of the students producing these scenarios and generating their own conclusions. Not only will this utilize their critical thinking skills, but it will also make the subjects more comprehensible. Although I know next to nothing about gaming, I think our class should come up with the software ourselves and make the big bucks!
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