Do Political Science Simulations Promote Knowledge, Engagement, Skills, and Empathy?

Scholars of teaching and learning frequently examine whether simulations promote content knowledge and engagement with course material. But many educators use simulations to promote additional goals. This article suggests that designers of political simulations often pursue four ends: knowledge, engagement, skills, and empathy (KESE). The article discusses the popularity of simulations and the reasons that political science educators use them. It establishes the KESE framework and pays particular attention to the ways that simulations might promote soft skills (e.g., public speaking, negotiation) and/or empathy. Then, to investigate the extent to which simulations promote KESE goals, the article examines several years of pre- and post-surveys of students who did and did not participate in the Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation. It finds that the KESE framework and intentional, systematic assessment of all four KESE components can help to capture the full array of simulations’ potential benefits.