(Page 2 of 36) - ICONS and 'Resistant Populations': Assessing the Impact of the International Communication and Negotiation Simulations Project on Student Learning at SIUE authored by DeGarmo, Denise.

“students were students were students.” In other words, despite differences in
socioeconomic status, geographical location or educational background, college students
possessed the necessary tools and knowledge to engage in the intellectual exploration of
international relations (IR). I worked tirelessly to put together my introductory course on
the subject. I took extra care to pick out interesting reading assignments and written
work that would engage and heighten student interest in the subject. Believing I was well
prepared to face a new group of students, I entered the classroom full of confidence and
enthusiasm.

Things appeared to be going fairly well for the first couple of weeks. Then, it happened!
In the middle of a lecture on global poverty, I showed several overheads identifying
regions around the world where a majority of the population lived on less than a dollar a
day.

Immediately, one student’s hand shot up. Pleased by what I thought was going to

be an intellectual observation, I was floored by the student’s comment:

“Dr. DeGarmo, how do those people afford to put gas in their cars?”

I stood in the front of the class speechless for what seemed to be an eternity. I was not
prepared for nor had I anticipated that students might have difficulty grasping this
concept. Needless to say, I was perplexed. Why was it so difficult for students to
understand poverty in this context? As I would soon discover, observations such as these
were characteristic of the student population at SIUE - a population that I refer to as a
“resistant population.”

Many scholars in the international relations community have asserted that the use of
simulations in the classroom provide one avenue for students to better engage in the
complex world of international relations. Simulations affect learning by providing
students with the necessary experiences to develop the crucial skills required for the
study of international politics. It seemed like a reasonable assertion. After all, I had used
several simplistic simulations in my international relations courses to illustrate some of
the more difficult concepts. I had always assumed these exercises had provided students
with additional insights but did not actually know for sure if they had made a difference.

Since most of the claims regarding the effectiveness of simulations are normatively rather
than empirically grounded, I decided to put the aforementioned assertion to a preliminary
test by introducing the International Communications and Negotiation Simulation
(ICONS) into my introductory course on international relations. By administering a series
of assessments, I would able to collect preliminary data on the affects of simulations on
student learning. This paper, then, explores the use of simulations as an effective way to
address the challenges posed in teaching international relations to a “resistant population”
while improving student learning overall. It begins with a general overview of my
conceptualization of a “resistant population.” Given the extensive literature on the
subject of traditional teaching methods coupled with discussions regarding simulations, I
will only briefly explore the reasons why traditional approaches to international relations
fail to provide an adequate learning environment for this specific population of students.
I will briefly discuss the simulation mechanism used in this study, as well as the
assessment devices used to gather data about student learning. I will then move to a
discussion of my preliminary findings. Finally, I will discuss how simulations can

For more information see: http://www.developmentgoals.org/Poverty.htm#percapita