| Title: |
Using a Simulation-Based Learning Environment for Teaching and Learning About Complexity in Public Policy Decision Making. |
| Authors: |
Minyoung Ku1; MacDonald, Roderick H.1; Andersen, Deborah L.1; Andersen, David F.1; Deegan, Michael2 |
| Source: |
Journal of Public Affairs Education. Winter2016, Vol. 22 Issue 1, p49-66. 18p. |
| Subject Terms: |
Public administration; Classroom environment; Government policy; Decision making; Computer simulation; Higher education |
| Abstract: |
Public leaders and managers today are being challenged by unprecedented, complex problems. Tackling "wicked problems" requires a new way of thinking, and new methods and tools for building models that realistically account for social and natural phenomena, gather and structure convincing evidence, and predict policy outcomes accurately. To prepare future and current public decision makers for a rapidly changing, complex world, we suggest a multidimensional framework of complexity in public policy settings that encompasses both analytic and socially constructed complexity, and introduce a simulation-based learning environment (SBLE) in which the power of traditional learning environments is augmented by a computer simulation model. In this study, we report on our experimental attempt to teach students in the MPA classroom about complexity by creating and implementing a SBLE with a U.S. Gulf Coast disaster preparedness case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: |
Supplemental Index |