a gaming approach to the comprehensive approach
DESCRIPTION
A consortium of TNO, T-Xchange and National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands developed a serious game ‘’Go4IT’ aiming at increasing awareness of the Comprehensive Approach(CA). The game design consists of a game world (a failed state where a UN intervention takes place after massive conflict). It is played with four syndicates (Task Force, Local Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and Opposing Forces) with their respective strengths, mandates and roles. The syndicates can play 240 prototypical interventions, either alone or collaboratively, that affect reconstruction parameters of the game world, such as Security, Displaced persons, Basic living conditions, Agriculture, Health Care, Economy as well as Political Support from supporting nations and Hearts and Minds. The former parameters are also affected by about 40 external events. We used specialized domain knowledge from mostly the military, but also from diplomats and NGOs, to construct and validate the relations between interventions and effects, resulting in a simulation model (named GCAM) underlying the game. In this paper, we describe the results of field testing of GCAM2.0. GCAM2.0 was extensively field-tested in eight sessions with between 12 and 20 participants each, aiming at assessment of the perceived realism of the GCAM model and its learning effects. With regard to the realism of the GCAM2.0 model, it was found to provide a sufficiently authentic experience to obtain awareness of the CA in novices. With regard to improving the understanding of the dynamics and complexity of the CA for a more experienced target population, the results were to a certain extend inconclusive. Where the military experienced groups reported that they did not have a valuable learning experience, in contrast, the experienced civilian parties did report improved understanding.TRANSCRIPT
Anja van der Hulst
Rudy Boonekamp
Marc van den Homberg
Third World Conference on Humanitarian Studies,
24th of October 2013
Applied (Serious) Games“Designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment”
It’s not the Game, it’s the Value, stupid!
Serious Gaming: a powerful intervention method
Playing is LearningInteraction - Collaborate and competeFeedback - Trial and error Motivation - Intrinsic motivationRetention - Experience and rememberEmpathy – Role changeComplexity – Strategies, scenario’s
Flow: The mental state of being fully immersed in an activity
Design for use
Design for purpose
Fidelity/Evidence based models Validate for use
Validate for purpose
Making sure the game does what it should do
Openbare orde Game
Levee Patrol: train dike monitoring staff
Engagement Game
Virtual Tactical Trainer Counter-IED
Mayor game: effective crisismanagement Self-directed e-learning
In international missions to conflict zones safety, development and diplomacy must go hand in hand Dutch coalition agreement 2012
“The concept of cooperation between civilian and military partners is the most promising approach to dealing with contemporary crisis. We believe cooperation should start before we meet abroad in a crisis and should include all elements of mission preparation, including common exercises and training.” 1 German Netherlands Corps
Comprehensive Aproach
“Comprehensive approach” mostly trained through large scale exercises or more formal curricula
A gaming approach?
Key CompetenciesSituation AssessmentSituational Decision makingLiaising and negotiating
Objectives Game Go4it (GCAM)
Location: Xona: Sub-Saharan AfricaConflict: Eruption of violence after a bomb-attack on the alternative government, militias on the loose;Present situation:
Humanitarian crisis; displaced persons, no functioning camps;No functioning government, agriculture nor economy;Violence against population, recruitment of child soldiers;
Aim : Clear, Hold, Build and Transfer
Scenario
OPFORTask ForceNGOsLocal Government
The game: Four Roles
For all SyndicatesTargets
Assessments (60)Interventions (240)
Defined and derived effects (quantitative and qualitative)PreconditionsCostsDelay
Game leaderEvents
Defined and derived effects (quantitative and qualitative)
Domain model: Actions
Reconstruction areasSafety Displaced personsBasic living conditionsAgricultureHealthcareSecurity ApparatusGovernance Rule of LawEducationEconomic development
Political support
‘Hearts and minds’
Domain model: Effect Parameters
Domain model: Simulation
Questions:Fidelity
Realism of the model?
ValidationAwareness?Deeper understanding?
Field Tests:Five groups (12-16 pp) of novices Four groups of experienced users
Field tests
Realism model
Sufficient
Awareness
Yes
Deeper understanding
In competitive setting: no
In collaborative setting: yes
Outcomes
Go4it board game with computer-based GCAM for:
Awareness of the comprehensive approach
Strategic Decision Making in the comprehensive approach
Leadership training
Influencing (Netherlands Defense Academy)
To conclude: applications of Go4it
Adaptive and flexible formats:
Board game (resource-less environments)
Board game with computer-based GCAM simulation
On line game with GCAM simulation (distributed teams)
For new context: disaster management?
Current and future developments of Go4it
Questions
