Thursday, March 23, 2023
Presenter:
-
Jason Thistlethwaite - School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
Do you teach public policy, political theory, social science, environmental studies, or business management courses? Does your course address topics such as ‘Engaging and Managing Stakeholders’, ‘Corporations and Society’, ‘Business Strategy’, and ‘Business Negotiation Skills’?
Are you curious how simulations might be used in your course to engage students and help them achieve learning objectives you’ve set for them?
During this session, Jason Thistlethwaite discussed his use of the Northern Gateway Pipeline negotiation simulation. Participants had the opportunity to consider how they might integrate simulations into their courses to provide an engaging active learning experience to their own students.
Simulation can be used in undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses at both introductory and advanced levels. Students value active learning opportunities based on real scenarios as it helps them experience how different stakeholders might act and transcends their own personal, and often limited experience with the particular topic (Susskind, & Corburn, 2000). Using scenarios and simulations encourages learners to connect theory to practice, engage with real world contexts, and develop research, writing, reasoning, and speaking capacities. The use of role playing in negotiation simulations helps students appreciate the multiple layers, competing interests and complexities associated with multiple stakeholder negotiations in a way that studying cases does not.
Case - The Northern Gateway Pipeline: Seeking Consensus Is a Slippery Business