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Methods for Activating Lessons in Politics
Differentiation: Business game and role-play |
Role-play and business game
According to the standard typology role-play and business games belong to the group of simulation games, which, as such, already makes reference to an essential characteristic of the methods: Reality is simulated in the lesson or seminar. The complexity of reality is reduced here, but at the same time the model has to remain realistic, i.e. correspond to reality at its centre. This basic relationship is suitable to all simulation games.
Whereas business games as a rule usually involve representing an institution or a specific position on a political problem (usually abstract), the participants in role-play take on the role of a particular person (usually concrete). Both methods are, of course, closely related and intersect, which is why we are presenting them here together.
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A business game is richer in
requirements |
One could also define a business game as a specific sub-form of a role-game: Accordingly business games represent "complexly formed games of role-play with clear contrasts of interest and high decision pressure".
[source: Hilbert Meyer, "Unterrichtsmethoden II" (Teaching Methods II): "Praxisband" (Volume in Practice), Frankfurt/Main 1987, p. 366]
Whereas role-play can simulate almost anything (a talk show, dispute in the classroom etc.) business games are richer in their requirements: one requires a controversial political situation, several players with different interests and above all a decision-making situation that can be used to simulate the business game (conference, council meeting, UN general assembly etc.). The dispute is to be solved in the game, so that one can speak of a test action of serious character.
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Goal of the Business Game |
"Goal of the business game is to make complex political and/or social reality, difficult to penetrate interrelationships and processes transparent."
[source: Peter Massing, "Planspiele and Entscheidungsspiele" (Business Games and Games of Decision); in: "Methodentraining für den Politikunterricht" (Method Training for the Politics Lesson). "Themen und Materialien" (Topics and Materials), "Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung" (Federal Centre for Political Education), Bonn 2004, p. 165]
As a rule business games are not used at the beginning, but at the end of a teaching unit, if sound information is already available on a topic. Business games and role-play take a similar course and as a rule comprise the following phases:
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Course of a Business Game
4 phases |
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Phase 1: Communication of the starting point
In order to work through the situations of dispute in a business game, general information on the starting point for the dispute is given. The dispute is described in broad strokes and the groups dealing with the dispute are sketched out in their specific positions, functions and roles.
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Phase 2: Adjustment to the roles
This involves becoming familiar with the roles taken on in the dispute. What is the starting point, what function and position is taken, what skills are available and what is the task in this specific dispute. Identification with the individual role and the development of a viewpoint is then moved on to and then finally strategies for the approach are developed (allies, measures etc.).
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Phase 3: Playing the game
This represents the heart of the business game. This is where the various groups and representatives of interests confront one another, debate on the dispute and make decisions on a solution to the dispute. Depending on the design of the game there in a phase in which the groups interact, form coalitions etc that takes place prior to the simulated decision meeting, so as to optimally influence the decision in advance to the advantage of all concerned.
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| Phase 4: Evaluation
The game is then evaluated in relation to the immediate experiences and recognitions made. The contextual evaluation forms a decisive aspect of this method. Depending on the topic its transferability to reality can and should be discussed.
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Materials for a Business Game |
The success of a business game stands and falls with the quality of the game material. The following documents at least are required to play the game:
| Case study: This involves a short and comprehensibly written and clearly structured introduction to the problem, which also names and describes the most important players at first view.
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| Game card: This provides general tips on the course of the game and contains questions on planning and decisions that are to be dealt with during the course of the game. It should be kept brief and clearly understandable.
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| Role cards: Whereas all participants in the game receive the same case study and game card, the role cards are different for each group. The roles are described that the group should take on here. In addition it can also contain tips on possible activities, with the help of which the corresponding players can follow their interests during the course of the business game. It can also comprise additional information or tips for additional thoughts on these tasks.
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| Information material: Supplementary material is frequently required as a fourth element, which contains important background information so as to provide the business game with a sufficient basis at the factual-contextual level. This can be made up of a range of completely different sources: Cuttings from primary sources such as administrative guidelines or legal regulations; Real letters from the authorities or those made up for the business game; Charts and caricatures; Real or imaginary readers' letters or newspaper reports; Cuttings from lexicons, real government opinions, interest groups etc. These documents are given to all the groups. Important and interesting information relevant to them can be pointed out to the individual groups on the role cards. |
Besides these game documents it can be useful to have a set of event cards available, with the help of which the game management can influence the course during the game. Another frequently used element are
work forms, these being technical aids for the interaction phase. These can take the form of minute forms for meetings which the groups use to record the results of negotiations etc.
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Potential for
Use |
"Acting in business games above all means analysing problems, weighing up alternatives, developing strategies and tactics, and making decisions for implementing the aims set up. Business games can therefore generally be used where formal political processes and system-mechanisms need to be made clear, where individual and group dependencies on prescribed structures and systems need to be illustrated and where insights into positions of interest, power structures and compulsory decision-making need to be clarified. For this reason business games are always oriented towards problems and not knowledge."
[source: Peter Massing, "Planspiele and Entscheidungsspiele" (Business Games and Games of Decision); in: "Methodentraining für den Politikunterricht" (Method Training for the Politics Lesson). "Themen und Materialien" (Topics and Materials), "Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung" (Federal Centre for Political Education), Bonn 2004, pp. 165-166]
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Advantages of Business Games |
If one does something oneself thelesson learned is particularly lasting. This finding speaks in favour of action-oriented methods such as business games. In addition a higher level of learning motivation can often be observed. Pupils and seminar participants make experiences in business games that they would otherwise not have. During the course of the business game they practice a wide range of key qualifications, which considerably extend their democratic skills (expressing disputes, recognising interests, defining problems, formulating aims, making decisions, negotiating, debating, analysing, researching etc.).
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Disadvantages and Dangers |
These advantages are contrasted by a series of disadvantages which are linked toghether by playing a business game. "As a result there is always a tendency to transfer the business game uncritically onto reality thus communicating an incorrect picture of political reality, into which a series of factors flow would need to remain unconsidered in the game."
[source: Peter Massing, "Planspiele and Entscheidungsspiele" (Business Games and Games of Decision); in: "Methodentraining für den Politikunterricht" (Method Training for the Politics Lesson). "Themen und Materialien" (Topics and Materials), "Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung" (Federal Centre for Political Education), Bonn 2004, p. 166]
Business games can be un- and over-complicated. In the first case reality is not reflected sufficiently, and in the second case, the game fails due to great degree of effort. Without doubt business games make high demands (contextually, methodically, socially) of teachers and pupils, and because of this teachers frequently do not trust their pupils to implement methods so rich in requirement.
This can develop into a vicious circle which needs to be broken. "Pupils have no method skills, or social and speaking skills, and for this reason teachers are scared of using appropriate methods; with the fatal consequence that pupils do not have the opportunity to attain them. This cycle can only be broken by using action-oriented methods."
[source: Peter Massing, "Planspiele and Entscheidungsspiele" (Business Games and Games of Decision); in: "Methodentraining für den Politikunterricht" (Method Training for the Politics Lesson). "Themen und Materialien" (Topics and Materials), "Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung" (Federal Centre for Political Education), Bonn 2004, p. 168]
In addition what needs to be taken account of, of course, is that business games can only be integrated into the organisational course of everyday life with difficulty (amount of time needed, several rooms required, the lively debate etc.) Many experiences speak in favour of the - admittedly - large amount of effort. "In the encounter with the other groups in the game the participants experience the form that social and political interaction can take, the information they require for their actions and what conditions and structures solutions promote or hinder. (...) Business games promote learning in its entirety and self-determined action. They are designed to give creative problem solving, strategies for solving disputes and decision alternatives the necessary kick."
[source: Günther Gugel, "Praxis politischer Bildungsarbeit" (Practicing Political Education Work). Methods and Working Aids,
Institute for Peace Education Tübingen, 4. 1996 edition, pp. 245, 247] |
[Authors: Ragnar Müller/Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schumann]
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