Simulation Game: Village Life – Decision Making and Development Potentials in Uncertain and Poor Environments

The project aims to develop a simulation game for students at BSc, MSc and MAS level at the ETH Zurich to learn and experience, and therefore fully understand the implications of uncertainty and risks for the decision making and development potentials of poor households and societies. The simulation game covers many important theoretical concepts that are taught in standard development economics classes. The simulation game builds on a game (Africulture) that was originally developed by the Free University of Amsterdam. During the innovedum project phase, the simulation game will be reproduced and introduced within the MAS Development and Cooperation. In a second step the game will be improved (based on students evaluations) and extended for further risk components. In a last step it will be offered to other chairs and departments within ETH-Zurich involved in teaching in the fields of agriculture, risk&uncertainty and economics.

• Intuitive and enjoyable learning experience as a complement to lectures and literature
• Improved understanding of theories and empirics
• Higher interest in theories and empirics

• Introduction of a simulation game

• During the Innovedum project the simulation game was played and evaluated 3 times. The students were explicitly asked to make suggestion how their learning experience can be improved. This feedback was incorporated in later versions. As a result the simulation game became more complex, i.e. more realistic, and is now followed by a two hours discussion based on questions explicitly linking the simulation outcomes to the academic literature.

The simulation game was evaluated highly with regard to the learning experience. Moreover, students also seemed to enjoy the simulation, staying concentrated for seven hours and leading additional discussions during breaks. Quotes from evaluations:

• War sehr interessant wie bekannte ökonomische Probleme in «Fleisch und Blut» übergingen“
• Ich fand die Simulation sehr interessant, lehrreich und eine willkommene Abwechslung. Super Idee, vielen Dank!“

• Simulation games have to be followed by a module explicitly linking the simulation to theory/empirics.
• Simulation games not being based on an electronic platform have the advantage that they stimulate discussions among students that can improve understanding and learning. The disadvantage is that the student size has to be limited.

• Website: VillageLife