Creative teaching approaches

Creative Teaching Approaches
International Training Programme
ESD in Higher Education
Rhodes University 8 November 2012

http://simulations4africa.wordpress.com/

Roddy Fox, Rhodes University, South Africa. R.Fox@ru.ac.za
Thursday 15 November 12

Preliminary Ideas

Boyer, E.L. 1990: Scholarship Reconsidered. Priorities of the Professoriate. Jossey Bass: San Francisco.


Learning theories
Social and
Behaviourist Cognitivist Humanist Situational


Simulations in the Curriculum


‘Simpler’ games


‘Complex’ games 1


‘Complex’ games 2


Location of Games 1990-2010


Curriculum context: Honours (level 4)
5 week module


Educational theory context:
experiential learning


African Catchment Game
Swampfire Reflection Exercise
African Development Game Feedback and Free Writing
Kat Role Play
Feeling, creative emotional

Thinking, logical
Concept Mapping
Riskmap
Essays
KatAware
Reconnecting to literature


What students learnt


I had always assumed that the
challenge for a rural person was to
uplift themselves and progress
forwards. After this game I now
understand that for many people the
challenge is survival, successfully
supporting oneself and family. I
realise that (not recognizing) this
paradigm shift from upliftment to
survival is one of the major stumbling
blocks of aid policies.


The game highlighted the need for themselves and progress
uplift
alternative options in order to tackle land After this game I now
forwards.
degradation..…If land is to be left to fallowthat for many people the
understand
so that it can recover from use, then there is survival, successfully
challenge
has to be other income generating activitiesoneself and family. I
supporting
available for people to take part realise that (not recognizing) this
in.


The game case, as refugees we for themselves and progress
In our highlighted the need only had two plots
uplift
of land and this had to be used to feed
alternative options in order to tackle land After this game I now
forwards.
ourselves. To survive, soilunderstand
erosion preventative
so that it can recovernot alwaysthen thereand this led successfully
measures were from use, challenge is survival,
adopted
has to be other income generating activitiesoneself and family. I
supporting
to our land steadily declining from high to low
available for people to take part realise that (not recognizing) this
productivity levels. in.


uplift
of land and in order
this had to be used to feed
alternative options aversionto tackle land After this game I now
forwards.
I think risk survive, is the
ourselves. most important understand
single To soil erosion preventative
so that it concept thatnot alwaysthen thereand this led successfully
measures were from use, challenge is survival,
can recover I have adopted
has to begainedincome generating activitiesoneself and family. I
supporting
to our landfrom this declining from high to low
other steadily course,
productivity levels. part realise that (not recognizing) this
availablethat is why I believe thein.
for people to take
catchment game is a paradigm shift from upliftment to
vital teaching tool survival is one of the major stumbling


uplift
forwards.
so that it concept thatnot this (game) highlighted in led successfully
measures were from use, then thereand this terms of
What always challenge is survival,
supporting
to our landfrom this declining from highlocal
rural development was that to low
availablethat is why I believe thein. dynamic andrecognizing) this
communities realise that (not internally
productivity levels. partare
for people to take
catchment game is a paradigm shift from upliftment to
differentiated, and their environmental
vital teaching tool and survivalresource claims are stumbling
priorities natural is one of the major
positioned differently and governed by
varying institutional dynamics, as well as
differing and sometimes conflicting power
relations.


uplift
forwards.
so that it concept thatnot this (game) highlighted in led successfully
measures were from use, then thereand this terms of
What always challenge is survival,
supporting
to our landfrom this declining from highlocal
rural development was that to low
availablethat is why Ime think are dynamic andrecognizing) this
productivity levels. part realise that (not internally
for people to take thein.
It made believe about how we as environmental
communities
catchment game even begintheiraddress the problemsto
professionals is a paradigm shift from upliftment of
differentiated, and to environmental
vital teaching tool andand landresource claims are stumbling
rural development survival is one of the major we are
priorities natural degradation when
dealingpositioned differently and governed byWhere do
with such a myriad of problems.
priorities lie when addressing the problems related to
varying institutional dynamics, as well as
rural development sometimes degradation? This is a
differing and and land conflicting power
question that I definitely cannot answer.
relations.


To return …

and so …


Nested Approach


Simulations and Complex Adaptive Systems
• Since Chapman developed his ﬁrst Green
Revolution Game our knowledge of systems
and complexity has developed.
• African Catchment Game can be understood
as a Complex Adaptive System
– Simpliﬁcation of reality with all elements of a
CAS
– CAS used by our own senior students to
understand ACG, gives different understanding
of space


Wikimedia Commons 2010 Complex Adaptive Systems [Online]
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Complex-adaptive-system.jpg [Available: 25/10/2010]


• Two game runs of Swampfire – models multiple concurrent partnerships in HIV/AIDs
diffusion
• 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27, 32, 37 start with AIDS
• 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36 start with gloves/condoms
• Players shake hands, collect autographs 1, 2 or 3 times
• Some are told they may ignore instructions
• Different patterns are emergent


Simulations and Futures Studies

RESEARCH

FUTURES RESEARCH


Forecasting the future
• Consensus (eg Delphi).
• Trend extrapolation.
• Historical analysis and analogy.
• Systematic generation of alternative paths to the future.
• Simulation games are different, they allow you a safe space in which
to play out alternative forecast or backcast futures.


Postscript: Quo vadis?


Creative teaching approaches

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