Video Game-Based Economic Development Courses and Social Impact Assessment

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"Serious games" are everywhere it seems. From nursing to managing a baseball team, from law enforcement to economic development, video game-based simulations and role-playing games are increasingly easy to download and learn.

Video game-based simulation can be extremely effective in courses that involve analyzing and evaluating the social impact of decision-making, particularly when learning objectives involve equipping the students to be able to practice interdisciplinary thinking skills, problem analysis, and cause-and-effect relationships. For example, courses in economic development, globalization and its local impacts, or community development could incorporate the following “serious games.” They could be implemented as individual player games, or as multiplayer games – even massively multiplayer games (MMORGs).

A good example is a global economic development course offered online. Because people who take the class usually have an interest in applying the knowledge and concepts learned, they tend to be highly motivated to read articles, participate in discussion boards, and collaborate on group projects. However, there is always something missing. The individuals who have spent time in the field, or who have volunteered or worked for organizations that provide humanitarian aid or technical assistance are generally eager to bring their experience to the learning space and to apply it to new problems, or to look at their own struggles through new lenses.

One new game, free and available for both Mac and Windows platforms, allows students to simulate trying to solve the problem of world hunger. Granted, this is a tall order, especially in a global sense. So, to make it doable, the simulation focuses on specific scenarios, and it allows the players to move materials, transportation, and vehicles in order to resolve a crisis situation.

World Hunger: Force Food

One of the more interesting games of this nature is World Hunger: Force Food. Developed in conjunction with the United Nations World Food Programme, it encourages students to look at the problem from a complex systems point of view.

This is a video game-base simulation which educates individuals about world hunger. Developed in relation with the United Nations World Food programme, it is designed to educate individuals about about world hunger and to make people aware of what the United Nations is doing to combat it.

Premise (from the website): A major crisis has developed in the Indian Ocean, on the island of Sheylan. WFP is sending in a new team to step up the World Food Programme’s presence there and help feed millions of hungry people.

The game is very realistic, and makes the player very aware of what is known in educational development circles as “food insecurity.” Food insecurity relates to the amount of food available to individuals in a community, and it measures it not only in calories, but also in necessary nutrients. Access to clean water and sanitation is also factored in. Players manage World Food Programme teams which deliver food aid using not only airplanes but a fleet of ships and thousands of trucks.

This game involves a fairly large download, 277 MB, the game is fairly robust and customizable. The avatars are engaging, and the narrative is realistic. One starts to think immediately of recent crises in Darfur, Zimbabwe, the tsunami-affected regions.

This game was developed by Deepend, a computer design studio based in Rome, and game developers Playerthree in London. http://http//www.food-force.com

The Peter Packet Challenge

The next interesting game, The Peter Packet Challenge, is one that is intended for younger players, but which is informative enough for adults.

“The Peter Packet Challenge” is a video game-based simulation that concerns itself with fighting global poverty, while incorporating fund-raising for humanitarian aid.

The protagonist of the game, Peter Packet, is a superhero whose role is to deliver life-saving messages via the Internet that will help young people help fight poverty.

The primary objective is to improve conditions in order to save children’s lives. Some of the methods involving improving the water supply, providing access to health care and medicine, improving schools and education. The locales range from Haiti to Zimbabwe, and the conditions are eye-opening, particularly for young learners.

Incorporating this game in an economic development for lesser developed nations is very effective in helping make students aware of the scope of the problems, the impact on children’s lives, and possible logistical and financial challenges faced when attempting to solve problems.

http://peterpacket.netaid.org/youth/peter_packet/game.pt

Quandaries

This game was developed for the U.S. Department of Justice in order to help Federal workers become familiar with the types of ethical dilemmas they might face, and to develop a personal strategy for dealing with it.

The game, Quandaries, gives the player the opportunity to simulate being a federal worker with a federal career. The player can choose a role among the fifteen possible choices, and can ascend through five levels of responsibility. To begin, the player chooses on of several entry-level jobs. In order to progress to the next level, the player must demonstrate enough knowledge about federal ethics to be “promoted.”

http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/ethics/quandary.htm

Drug Wars

"Drug Wars – Underworld” gives the player a chance to role-play in a persona that is extremely damaging to society.It gives individuals the chance to see how and why a drug dealer perceives the world in a certain way, and how his/her decisions are made. From Geek Phase Corporation, “Drug Dealer” is a shareware game where the individual plays the role of drug dealer. The goal is to make as much money as possible in the time allowed through buying and selling. Along the way the players will face challenges from loan sharks, gangs, mafia enforcers and the cops.

The objective is to make as much money as possible in the time allowed.Starting at the street dealer level, the player must buy and sell a variety of products, fend off gangs, mafia enforcers and cops. Drug Wars is based on a classic 1980's dope wars game, but incorporates many new twists and allows one to develop a new strategy. Character creation lets the player tailor his or her character to fit one’s playing style.

There are a number of challenges for the players. Gangs, mafia enforcers and cops try to derail the player, but there are ways around that, including running, offering bribes, or fighting back (a non-violent combat style is enabled by default). Banking options allow the player to manage his or her money throughout the game.

Complete in-game statistics cover every detail of the game, and let the player track progress over time. The shareware edition is free, and it includes the standard length game, and can be played forever.

URL: Drug Wars

Psychological Climate in Online Learning Organizations

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“We had started calling our online course production department “The Revolving Door,” because things had gotten so bad. We couldn’t keep student support staff if our lives depended on it. They used to stay with us until they graduated. Now, some would bolt as soon as the semester was up. In the meantime, they would call in and leave long, detailed voice messages about the various maladies that afflicted them. It was horrible. I just hope that this semester will be better.” Kelsen, the manager of support staff for the department’s online programs was describing the situation in the office. The tension in her voice was notable, and she twisted a piece of paper in her hands.

“It didn’t make sense. Enrollments were at an all-time high, we were getting all sorts of positive publicity, and we had been approved for an increased budget. We had money for professional development, new equipment, even travel for professional development. Yet, all I heard was bickering.”

Why is morale so bad when business is so good? Many institutions experiencing a boom in their online course enrollments are confronting this issue. Because of the rapid growth and rate of change that characterize most online learning programs, morale within the support staff, faculty, and administrative personnel tasked with developing, delivering, and maintaining the courses and the infrastructure may be very low. Vroom’s expectancy theory helps explain it, as does the concept of “psychological climate.” This article explores the theory and applies it to the online learning program.

For many years, V.H. Vroom’s 1964 classic, Work and Motivation, has been pointed to as a model for how the expectations that individuals have of their workplace, their coworkers, and their employer, can deeply influence motivation. In the second edition of Work and Motivation, Vroom writes that “the choices made by person among alternative courses of action are lawfully related to psychological events occurring contemporaneously within the behavior” (Vroom 1982: 14-15). In other words, there are psychological “laws” that govern the way a person feels and acts.

Kelsen’s experience supported what Vroom found. “It starts with absenteeism, but then we see bad communication, turf wars, divisive and destructive talk, and finally, they simply leave. Then, we spend the next first half of the semester training the replacements. Once they’ve gotten trained and have spent a month or so being fairly productive, they’re out the door. I’m going crazy.” She looked down at her backpack. “I even bought a pack of cigarettes and contemplated taking up smoking.”

Vroom goes on to articulate his “expectancy theory”: “The force motivating a person to exert effort or to perform an act in a job situation depends on the interaction between what the individual wants from a job (valence) and the degree to which he/she believes that the company will reward effort exerted (expectancy) on that job with the things he/she wants. Individuals believe that if they behave in a certain way (instrumentality), they will receive certain job features (Vroom 1982).” This definitely helps explain why it is so important to not arouse expectations unnecessarily, and that if managed well, expectations can be huge motivators, and can connect to one’s behavior and/or performance.

Recent studies have expanded Vroom’s expectancy theory, and have pointed out that expectations have a great deal to do with how the “psychological climate” is formed in the workplace. The psychological climate, which can be positive or negative, is made up of various aspects which contain expectations. Lawler and Suttle (1973) developed various categories of expectations, and many researchers, such as Darden, Hampton and Howell (1989) and Sims, Szilagyi, and McKerney (1976), further connected them to leadership qualities. According to Litwin and Stringer (1966), leadership style is critical in managing expectations and one of the most important determinants of psychological climate.

In 1988, researchers Good and Sisler conducted a study of individuals in retailing to determine the components of psychological climate. Here are the resulting categories:

Role clarity

Role harmony

Job autonomy

Job variety and challenge

Job importance

Role assignment

When Kelsen heard the description of psychological climate, she gave a wry smile. “Yes, that’s precisely it. We have a very toxic psychological climate. I’m not proud of it, but that’s what it is. I’d like to know what to do.”

She also related to later studies. For example, Woodard, Casill, and Herr (1994) completed a study which required employees to rank the components of psychological climate and to assign relative importance to each one. The results are strikingly applicable to the management of an online program team which includes support staff, administrative personnel, faculty, and administration. Here they are, with comments that make connections between the original results and apply them to the online learning organization:

#1---Role Assignment: Team members are given sufficient time, training, and resources are provided to perform an assigned task so that it is clear what outcome is expected of them.

#2---Role Harmony: Employee receives information about what is expected of him or her in the execution of the job, and it is compatible with job expectations; and later, when detailing the behaviors involved in the performance of the job, expected behaviors are consistent with the employee’s understanding of the job. The job expectations, requirements, and desired outcomes are clearly spelled out and updated regularly. Models of successful behaviors and outcomes are provided.

#3---Role Clarity: Expected role behaviors have been clearly defined to the employee, and everyone involved has the same expectation. When cross-training occurs and teams blur turf and responsibility areas, the opportunity for all team members to discuss roles and responsibilities is provided and leadership focuses on continuity and stability.

#4---Organizational Identification: In reviewing his or her role in the organization, employee believes his/her organization performs an important function, and in doing so, offers unique opportunities for growth and reward, resulting in the fact that the employee takes pride in the organization. Risk-taking is encouraged, and if an idea does not work, team members are encouraged to explore how their expectations were different than the outcome, and how lessons learned can help salvage or repurpose the results.

#5---Leader Goal Emphasis and Work Facilitation: The supervisor encourages and stimulates individuals to become personally involved in meeting group goals by stressing high performance standards, creating an atmosphere that rewards high performance, and then participating in the work himself or herself, therefore setting an example. The leaders does not co-opt or deliberately outperform the individuals.

#6---Job Challenge and Variety: Individuals are encouraged to use their skills and abilities on the job, and their initiative is rewarded as they engage in a wide range of behaviors on the job in order to meet objectives. Individuals are encouraged to share their unique approaches, and to heighten a sense of affiliation and accomplishment through sharing their experiences.

#7---Leader Trust and Support: The supervisor takes the time to become aware of the needs of the subordinates, does not co-opt or distort what the employee I s saying to him or her by misinterpreting, ignoring, or punishing open communication. The supervisor is both aware of and responsive to the needs of his/her subordinates.

#8---Workgroup Cooperation, Friendliness, and Warmth: The working atmosphere is open, and relationships are characterized by cooperation, sincere friendliness, and warmth.

#9---Management Concern and Awareness: The organization attempts to assess and respond to the employees’ needs and problems. This is done frequently, and response times are quick.

In conclusion, the idea of psychological climate can be a breakthrough strategy for online learning organizations suffering from low morale, high turnover, loss of coordination, communication and teamwork problems, despite experiencing huge growth and financial success.

Kelsen said that her next step was to try to develop a strategy for cleaning up a bad psychological climate. “I’m afraid it’s not going to be easy. I’m going to do some research and give it a shot, though,” she said.

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