The purpose and motivation behind the creation and administration of a renewable energy policy creation simulation was to test the usefulness and feasibility of a participatory simulation as a way to teach concepts of policy, negotiation and energy strategy. The learning objectives of the simulation were illustrate the challenges associated with developing comprehensive policy, to teach the content of the simulation in an effective and meaningful way, and to provide a chance to practice discussion and negotiation skills in a practical setting.
I chose to place the simulation in the setting of Ukraine to avoid preconceptions about energy policy on behalf of the participants, to utilize Ukraine’s energy policy structure, to use Ukraine’s need for energy policy reform to contextualize the discussion, to illustrate a manageable scenario of cooperation and competition among the participants, and to use Ukraine’s imminent shift in energy policy as a way to frame the need for the fictional conference to develop a comprehensive energy plan. I also chose to place the scenario within Ukraine because of Ukraine’s myriad energy challenges and the diverse problems facing the country as it moves forward with securing safe, affordable and sustainable energy.
Included in the project is a discussion of Ukraine’s energy production, consumption and potential – both with conventional and renewable energy resources. Important events shaping both national regulation and private practice are also included to provide basic political, economic and social background.
Qualitative and quantitative findings are discussed, ranging from similar behaviors discovered in each trial to trends illustrated by collected data. Although a section explaining the process by which I tested and calibrated the simulation is not explicitly included, I do make note of interesting lessons I learned about the creation and administration of simulations as a result of developing and completing the project.
Both examples from past simulations and interviews from experts in the use of simulations have been included and drawn from in developing a rationale for the simulation aspect of the project. The pretest, posttest and data have been included as appendices, along with the transcribed text from the interviews with experts
