Simulation Games - Learning - Transfer of Learning. A individual-related analysis of influencing factors.

Seit über drei Jahrhunderten werden Planspiele entwickelt, um Menschen zu ermöglichen, in einer realitätsnahen Umgebung zu lernen. Es steht außer Frage, dass Planspiele oder planspielähnliche Methoden heute in nahezu allen großen Unternehmen und Hochschulen in Deutschland zum Einsatz kommen. Obwohl der Einsatz der Planspielmethode meist eine nachhaltige Veränderung bei den Teilnehmenden und in deren zukünftigem Wissen und Handeln bewirken soll, wurde die Frage des Lerntransfers im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs bislang kaum beleuchtet. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich dieser Lücke. In der interviewbasierten, qualitativen Studie wird der Einsatz der Planspielmethode als Lernumgebung untersucht. Analysiert werden die Lernprozesse während einer Planspielteilnahme sowie zwei verschiedene Lerntransferprozesse – der Transfer von Gelerntem in den Kontext des Planspiels und von dort in den Alltag des Subjekts. Im Fokus steht die Identifikation von Einflussfaktoren auf diese Prozesse, die aus subjektiver Perspektive als förderlich oder hinderlich erachtet werden. Die Ergebnisse bieten eine empirisch fundierte Basis, um zukünftige Planspielseminare aus didaktischer und methodischer Perspektive lerntransferförderlich zu optimieren.Simulation games have been developed for more than 300 years to enable people to learn in environment close to reality. Simulation games and similar methods are used in almost all big companies and universities in Germany. Although the use of such games should effect a lasting change of the participants and their knowledge and acting, the question of transfer of learning has not been discussed in science in a deep way. This papers faces this duty. With this qualitative research project based on interviews simulation games get studied as learning environment. The learning processes in between a simulation game and two processes of transfer of learning get analysed - the transfer of learning into the context of the game and the one from this context to the every day life of the participants. Positive and negative influences on those processes out of the perspective of the single participant will be focused on. The findings offer an empirically well-grounded basis to improve the transfer of learning of seminars using simulation games in a didactical and methodogical way

Design of an Impulse-Debriefing-Spiral for Simulation Game Facilitation

Background.: Simulation gaming sessions can be understood as a sequence of briefing, game play, and debriefing - with feedback loops and iterative steps in between. Often, these sessions are supported by a facilitator, who organizes the session, sets learning goals, and guides the players through briefing, game play and debriefing (Taylor, Backlund & Niklasson, 2012), which we call facilitation. Debriefing is a vital part of the facilitation process, as according to Crookall (2010) and Kriz (2010), it facilitates learning. Contrary to many traditional models that locate the debriefing phase at the very end of a simulation gaming session, we conceptualize debriefing as reflection moments during the whole session, in which participants have the opportunity to reflect on their game play, experiences, and learnings. Facilitation is the process of enabling participants to address challenging situations of the game play, and make connections between the game play and the real environment the game refers to throughout the simulation gaming session. Method & Results.: We analysed existing debriefing literature within the Simulation & Gaming journal. This review revealed that many existing approaches do not sufficiently consider changing needs of participants during a simulation gaming session to allow for a direct reflection on what is happening. Instead, a large number of debriefing approaches focus on a post-action reflection only. Moreover, the approaches analysed in our article often are abstract and only provide scarce practical recommendations. In addition to the literature review, we draw conclusions from observations of our own work in and with simulation gaming sessions. Based on the related and our own work, we propose a new model for simulation game facilitation, which better connects moments of reflection with the game play - the Impulse-Debriefing-Spiral. Conclusions.: We provide a holistic understanding of debriefing that helps facilitators when implementing simulation games for learning purposes. Our model, called the Impulse-Debriefing-Spiral, conceptualizes the role of facilitation between briefing and debriefing throughout the whole process of a simulation gaming session - starting with its planning to reacting on emerging needs of the participants in between, up to closing the session as last step before transferring new knowledge and competencies into a new context (learning transfer).Policy Analysi