In military training simulations is a necessity. How else could you practice warfare? In other courses you need simulations as well researcher Kristen Betts says. Students need to get more opportunities to practice their future profession during training.

10-11 December a conference was held on work-integrated learning at University West. The keynote speaker on Thursday was Kristen Betts, Drexel University, USA, internationally renowned researcher in the field. She said it is essential that students acquire professional skills and not just theoretical knowledge in their courses. One of the methods for this could be simulations and she gave a few examples. In a socio-drama student may act before a group, for example, do a presentation before a board. In a psychodrama two people are involved, such as in an interview.

Ethics game
You can also use different types of games in education. An example from Drexel University is an ethical dilemma game. The student is presumed to be in a managerial position. She gets an email about an ethical problem that she must consider. Depending on the answer the game is headed in different directions in which the student is constantly forced to make difficult trade-offs and make decisions. The whole thing can at worst lead to her committing simulated offenses and creating a hostile work environment. At best, she handles the situation in an exemplary manner, and the ethical problem gets a good solution. All of it takes place from beginning to end as an email exchange.

Film producer students in socio-drama
Another example of a simulation within training was presented during the conference by the researchers Margaretha Herrman and Carina Kullgren, University West. Students in a film producer course at University West exercise their professional capacity by simulating pitch in the classroom. A pitch is when filmmakers briefly present an idea for a movie to potential financiers. The financiers then decide if they want to put money into the film. The film producer students simulate pitching in front of representatives of the film industry who visit the university. Margaretha Herrman and Carina Kullgren have studied the pitch both as role-playing in the classroom and in the film industry.

Many participants
About 70 researchers from 15 Swedish universities and a number of foreign guests attended the conference. Examples of other issues discussed were assessment of student performance, mentoring and coaching.
One reason for University West hosting the conference is that the university since 2002 has been commissioned by the Swedish government to develop forms of work-integrated learning. University West also has a large research group that is active in this field.

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Latest update: 11 dec 2009