Classroom as Reality: Demonstrating Campaign Effects Through Live Simulation

Abstract

Scholastic research has demonstrated that when conducted properly, active learning exercises are successful at increasing student awareness, student interest, and knowledge retention. Face-to-face simulations, in particular, have been demonstrated to add positively to classrooms focusing on comparative politics, international relations, public administration, the lawmaking process, and political campaigns. While important in regards to engaging students in the practice of politics, such hands-on, active learning opportunities are even more important in an applied politics classroom, where students range from ambivalent to hostile towards theoretical arguments and academics. In this article, we assess the utilization of a campaign simulation conducted within the classroom of an applied politics program, where students enter with previous experience on how to best run campaigns and the ultimate effects on learning for undergraduate students that serve as voters in their mock elections. We find that the live simulation increased student engagement. The simulation also served to link the theoretical and practical aspects of the class as we successfully replicated the conditions of a real campaign. Finally, there appear to be important spillover effects, in that increased student engagement in the simulation was associated with increases in students' factual knowledge about politics.