Evaluation of Simulation as a Teaching Device
The increasing use of simulation and other role playing activities as teaching devices prompted this study. It was designed to evaluate changes in cognitive learning and attitudes that could be attributed to participation in a simulation unit. Two junior college political science classes (N = 67) were used for the study. Treatment was randomly assigned. The simulation group participated in a 4-hour unit; the control group received instruction in a “lecture-question-answer” manner.There was no statistically significant difference in cognitive learning between students in the simulation group and students taught by the “lecture-question-answer” method. Within the limitations of the study design, the analyses showed that simulation produced desirable attitudes and resulted in polarization of feelings toward government.