ERIC Number: EJ975882
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Aug
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1046-8781
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Simulating REAL LIVES: Promoting Global Empathy and Interest in Learning through Simulation Games
Bachen, Christine M.; Hernandez-Ramos, Pedro F.; Raphael, Chad
Simulation & Gaming, v43 n4 p437-460 Aug 2012
In response to an increasingly interdependent world, educators are demonstrating a growing interest in educating for global citizenship. Many definitions of the "good global citizen" value empathy as an especially important disposition for understanding others across national borders and cultural divides. Yet it may be difficult for people to achieve empathy with others who are perceived as psychologically and geographically distant. Can computerized simulation games help foster global empathy and interest in global civic learning? This quasiexperimental classroom study of 301 Northern California high school students in three schools examined the effects of playing REAL LIVES, a simulation game that allows players to inhabit the lives of individuals around the world. Compared with a control group, students who played the simulation game as part of their curriculum expressed more global empathy and greater interest in learning about other countries. Identification with REAL LIVES characters was also positively related to global empathy. These findings support claims that computerized simulations can cultivate important dispositions for global learning and citizenship. (Contains 2 figures, 6 tables and 1 note.)
Descriptors: Control Groups, Citizenship, Educational Games, Empathy, Computer Simulation, Global Approach, Global Education, Quasiexperimental Design, High School Students, Beliefs, Social Attitudes, Citizenship Education, Educational Innovation, Teaching Methods, Electronic Learning, Role Playing, Identification (Psychology), Perspective Taking, Emotional Intelligence, Intercultural Programs, Questionnaires, Followup Studies, Pretests Posttests, Student Surveys, Participant Satisfaction, Experimental Groups
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A