Application of computer games in public administration: Learning system analysis and technology society politics with Sid Meyer’s Civilization

Abstract

In this paper we explore how Civilization, one of the most popular turn based strategy games, enhances public administration (PA) education for entry level students. We pose the research question, how computer games in PA studies can be aligned systematically with curriculum design, and how they make educational experiences and processes more successful than standard teaching. We present an experiment which ran at the National University of Public Service in Budapest during the academic year of 2017/18 written up in a case study format. We describe the learning objectives of the Government Studies program and the objectives of the Information Society and System Analysis courses, where the students had been exposed to playing Civilization. Our findings suggest promising results using computer games in four aspects of PA: a) effectiveness and efficiency of learning, b) implications of advanced technologies in government studies, c) further applications of computer games (different uses of Civilization and others), d) PA problems that can be solved by games and how this idea is being receipt.