James Fielder

Mark Harvey

Ryan Gibb

Derek Glasgow

As political science instructors have increasingly turned to games and simulations in the classroom to educate and engage their students, scholars have worked not only to demonstrate their effectiveness, but also to justify their use to occasionally skeptical colleagues. With instructional time always at a premium, this book focuses exclusively on short games and simulations: activities that are limited to one class period. These powerful activities demand less instructional time and deliver substantial pedagogical benefits. Additionally, this book provides ready-to-use activities for teachers to utilize across Political Science subfields. It covers activities that can be categorized in American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Public Policy and Administration, Political Theory, and activities that are not easily categorized into a field.

Beating the Clock

Short Games and Active Learning in Political Science

This book is premised on the assumption that games and simulations provide welcome alternatives and supplements to traditional lectures and class discussions—especially in political science classrooms, where real-world circumstances provide ideal applications of theory and policy prescriptions. Implementing such an active learning program, however, is sometimes daunting to overburdened professors and teaching assistants. This book addresses the challenges of using games and simulations in the political science classroom, both online and in person. Each chapter offers a game or simulation that politics teachers can use to teach course concepts and explains ways to execute it effectively. In addition, the authors in this volume make a proactive case for games and simulations. Each chapter offers research to evaluate the effectiveness of the activity and pedagogical design best practices. Thus, the book not only serves as a game design resource, but also offers demonstrable support for using games and simulations in the political science classroom. Aimed at teachers at all levels, from high school through college, the book may be especially appealing to graduate students entering teaching for the first time and open to new teaching and learning approaches.

Ryan Gibb

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