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Course, academic year 2024/2025
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Professional Simulation & Wargaming - JTM407
Title: Professional Simulation & Wargaming
Czech title: Profesionální simulace a válečné hry
Guaranteed by: Department of North American Studies (23-KAS)
Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
Actual: from 2024
Semester: summer
E-Credits: 6
Examination process: summer s.:
Hours per week, examination: summer s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
Capacity: unlimited / unknown (15)
Min. number of students: unlimited
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: English
Teaching methods: full-time
Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan
enabled for web enrollment
priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
Guarantor: Mgr. Vojtěch Bahenský, Ph.D.
Zakir Rzazade
Teacher(s): Mgr. Vojtěch Bahenský, Ph.D.
Zakir Rzazade
Class: Courses for incoming students
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download Sim&Game_syllabus_summer25.pdf Course syllabus - summer semester 2024/25 Mgr. Vojtěch Bahenský, Ph.D.
Annotation
Simulation and gaming are almost ever-present in our lives. From games children play among themselves to board games and role-playing games including famous Dungeons & Dragons to compute games a multi-billion globe spanning industry. While the games are most commonly associated with pleasure, they are also an important tool for professionals of many walks of life. They are valuable tools for teaching and instruction, enabling learners to lean by doing and experimenting in a safe environment. They are instruments of brainstorming and designing new policies and exploring various courses of action. Finally, they are increasingly also becoming tools of research. The aim of this course is to introduce students to various uses of professional simulations and games, enabling them to better understand those tools, participate in them, analyse and interpret their results and finally, through trying to create a professional game, get a glimpse of how such games can be designed.
Last update: Bahenský Vojtěch, Mgr., Ph.D. (31.01.2025)
Aim of the course

The aim of the course is to:

  • Educate students on the history of professional (serious) gaming;
  • Inform students on different possible uses of professional gaming and simulation;
  • Enable students to better participate in simulation and gaming and competently analyse their outcomes;
  • Gain insight into the process of designing professional simulations and games. 
Last update: Bahenský Vojtěch, Mgr., Ph.D. (31.01.2025)
Course completion requirements

The final grade will be based on three elements of the student's grade: Active participation, game reports, and final project. Each of the parts is described in detail below. Students need to score more than 50 % on each of the three elements.

Their relative weight is as follows:

·        20 % Active participation

·        30 % Reports

·        50 % Final project (40 % Created simulation/game quality; 10 % Review of the other team’s creation)

The final number of points is converted to the final grade through the standard method:

Points

Grade

91<

A

81-90

B

71-80

C

61-70

D

51-60

E

<50

F

Active participation

Active participation will be graded at the end of the semester after the last of the classes. It will be based on overall attendance and – primarily – on the active contribution and participation of the given student in discussions held in the classroom. 

Reports

Students are required to submit reports on the examples of simulation & gaming they tried in the classroom. Specific requirements for each report will be available on Moodle. Overall, students will be reflecting upon the game design, its relation to the real-world & its outcome from various perspectives, with an emphasis on possible shortcomings and suggesting changes. While the reports form will differ depending on the simulation/game in question, they will be roughly 600 words long. Individual students submit reports.

Final project

The final project consists of a group effort to design their own simulation or game. Groups of students will be tasked with designing their own professional simulation/game.

Groups will be created by the second class of the semester through Moodle.

The idea/aim of the final project has to be clear and consulted before or during the 4th class.

The first draft of the final project has to be submitted to Moodle before the 5th class of the semester. During the 5th class, the teams will have an opportunity to playtest their own game and discuss it with instructors. The purpose of the playtest is to refine the game mechanics and instructions.

The final project has to be submitted before the final (6th) class.  During the last class, each group will try to play another team’s simulation. Each team will subsequently write a review of the simulation.       

Both the draft and the final submission are to be in written form and must include:

·        Intro outlining the purpose of the simulation

·        Instructions/rules for the game (that are clear enough for the game to be played without the creators)

·        Design of physical components of the simulation/game if there are any

·        Study on the real-world subject of the game, linking the game design to real-world concepts and theories, including scholarly literature references (as Annex 1)

·        Commentary explaining the design process, outlining other products used as inspiration & commenting on and explaining the design decisions (as Annex 2).

The game itself must conform to the conditions set out in detail in Moodle and during the first class, primarily with regard to a number of players and maximum playtime.

Last update: Bahenský Vojtěch, Mgr., Ph.D. (31.01.2025)
Literature

●       Required reading

o   Banks, D. E. (2024). The Methodological Machinery of Wargaming: A Path toward Discovering Wargaming’s Epistemological Foundations. International Studies Review, 26(1), viae002. https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viae002

o   Bartels E. M. (2019). The Science of Wargames: A discussion of philosophies of science for research games. Workshop on War Gaming and Implications for International Relations Research. http://www.elliebartels.com/uploads/1/1/0/6/110629149/bartels-the_science_of_wargames_nwc_mit.pdf

o   Chapter 1 & 2 from UK MoD (2017). Wargaming Handbook. GOV.UK https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82e90d40f0b6230269d575/doctrine_uk_wargaming_handbook.pdf

o   DiCicco, J. M. (2021). The Security Dilemma Exercise: Hawks, Doves, and Moles. Journal of Political Science Education, 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2020.1795872

o   Kofman, Michael. (2016). Fixing NATO Deterrence in the East, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love NATO’s Crushing Defeat by Russia. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2016/05/fixing-nato-deterrence-in-the-east-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-natos-crushing-defeat-by-russia/

o   Lean, J., Moizer, J., Derham, C., Strachan, L., & Bhuiyan, Z. (2021). Real world learning: Simulation and gaming. Applied Pedagogies for Higher Education: Real World Learning and Innovation across the Curriculum, 187-214.

o   Lin-Greenberg, E. (2022). Wargame of Drones: Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Crisis Escalation. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 66(10), 1737–1765. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220027221106960

o   Mueller, Karl & David Shlapak, Michael Johnson, David Ochmanek (2016). In Defense of a Wargame: Bolstering Deterrence on NATO’s Eastern Flank. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2016/06/in-defense-of-a-wargame-bolstering-deterrence-on-natos-eastern-flank/

o   Shlapak, D., & Johnson, M. (2016). Reinforcing Deterrence on NATO’s Eastern Flank: Wargaming the Defense of the Baltics. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RR1253

●       Recommended reading:

o   Brynen, R. (2015). Role-play games and simulations in International Relations: an overview. Revista Española de Desarrollo y Cooperación35, 15-26.

o   Gandziarowska-Ziołecka, J., & Stasiak, D. (2019). Simulation and Gaming for Policy Advice. Handbuch Politikberatung, 563-582.

o   Joldersma, C., & Geurts, J. L. (1998). Simulation/gaming for policy development and organizational change. Simulation & Gaming, 29(4), 391-399.

o   Kainikara, S. (2003). Effective wargaming: Impact of the changing nature of warfare. Aerospace Centre.

o   Kainikara, S. (2003). Effective wargaming: Impact of the changing nature of warfare. Aerospace Centre.

o   Lin-Greenberg, E., Pauly, R. B. C., & Schneider, J. G. (2022). Wargaming for International Relations research. European Journal of International Relations, 28(1), 83–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540661211064090

o   Mayer, I. S. (2009). The gaming of policy and the politics of gaming: A review. Simulation & gaming, 40(6), 825-862.

o   McCall, J. (2022). Gaming the Past (2nd edition). Routledge.

o   RAND (2023). Revisiting RAND’s Russia Wargames After the Invasion of Ukraine: Summary and Implications. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2031-1

o   Ruben, B. D. (1999). Simulations, games, and experience-based learning: The quest for a new paradigm for teaching and learning. Simulation & Gaming, 30(4), 498-505.

o   Sabin, P. (2012). Educational utility (Chapter 4) In: Simulating war: Studying conflict through simulation games. Bloomsbury Publishing.

o   Sabin, P. (2012). Simulating War: Studying Conflict through Simulation Games. Bloomsbury Publishing.

o   Schneider, J., Schechter, B., & Shaffer, R. (2022). A Lot of Cyber Fizzle But Not A Lot of Bang: Evidence about the Use of Cyber Operations from Wargames. Journal of Global Security Studies, 7(2), ogac005. https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogac005

o   Smith, R. (2010). The long history of gaming in military training. Simulation & gaming41(1), 6-19.

o   Smith, R. (2010). The long history of gaming in military training. Simulation & gaming41(1), 6-19.

Last update: Bahenský Vojtěch, Mgr., Ph.D. (31.01.2025)
Teaching methods

Course Philosophy

The design of the course is not based on frontal lectures, with subsequent exams based on learning the lecture content. Lectures are among the least effective methods of learning.

Instead, the course is designed around creating the best possible environment for the students to learn and develop their knowledge of the course subject on their own, through reading and hand on experience with various examples of professional simulations and gaming. To that end:

·        The lectures are conceived more as an introduction to the given topic, providing a necessary overview of the subject and enabling students to further their understanding of the particular topic through further reading.

·        Reading of the required readings is, as the term suggests, required, but reading beyond the required readings is encouraged. The student is welcome to ignore the recommended readings and find their own sources to develop their knowledge further.

·        Students will play games in each class to get greater experience with varied serious games and will be required to reflect on those examples afterwards.

·        As the professional gaming depend on ability to translate real world processes into a game, it is absolutely necessary for students to study the real world mechanism for their game on their own.

·        To make the readings less lonely and more purposeful exercise, the classes feature ample time for students to discuss their questions or comments on both required reading and other relevant items with the lecturer and the rest of the class.

·        The students are encouraged to develop greater interest in some aspect of the course subject. This will make the class discussion more interesting and individual contributions to discussions complementary. The final exam is designed to encourage such specialisation.

Last update: Bahenský Vojtěch, Mgr., Ph.D. (31.01.2025)
Syllabus

1.            Introduction & history

●        Content:

o   Course overview

o   Topic introduction

o   Overview of historical development

o   Simulation vs. gaming

o   Online vs. desktop simulations

o   Types of games

o   Gaming for fun vs. gaming for work

o   PC games, boardgames and simulations

●        Game:

o   Short Kartenspiel game as designed by Philip Sabin

●        Required reading pre-class

o   Syllabus

●        Required reading post-class

o   Banks, D. E. (2024). The Methodological Machinery of Wargaming: A Path toward Discovering Wargaming’s Epistemological Foundations. International Studies Review, 26(1), viae002. https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viae002

o   Chapter 1 & 2 from UK MoD (2017). Wargaming Handbook. GOV.UK https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82e90d40f0b6230269d575/doctrine_uk_wargaming_handbook.pdf

●        Recommended reading post-class:

o   Sabin, P. (2012). Simulating War: Studying Conflict through Simulation Games. Bloomsbury Publishing.

o   Brynen, R. (2015). Role-play games and simulations in International Relations: an overview. Revista Española de Desarrollo y Cooperación35, 15-26.

o   Smith, R. (2010). The long history of gaming in military training. Simulation & gaming41(1), 6-19.

o   Kainikara, S. (2003). Effective wargaming: Impact of the changing nature of warfare. Aerospace Centre.

2.            Simulation for teaching and learning

●        Content:

o   Advantages of simulation and gaming for teaching and learning

o   History of (war)gaming as preparation tool

o   Practical examples

o   MUN

●        Deadline for group selection

●        Game:

o    Guns-versus-butter game

●        Required reading pre-class

o    Rules for the game (see Moodle)

●        Required reading post-class

o   DiCicco, J. M. (2021). The Security Dilemma Exercise: Hawks, Doves, and Moles. Journal of Political Science Education, 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2020.1795872

o   Lean, J., Moizer, J., Derham, C., Strachan, L., & Bhuiyan, Z. (2021). Real world learning: Simulation and gaming. Applied Pedagogies for Higher Education: Real World Learning and Innovation across the Curriculum, 187-214.

●        Required report post-class:

o   Reflection on the security dilemma game

●        Recommended literature

o   McCall, J. (2022). Gaming the Past (2nd edition). Routledge.

o   Smith, R. (2010). The long history of gaming in military training. Simulation & gaming41(1), 6-19.

o   Ruben, B. D. (1999). Simulations, games, and experience-based learning: The quest for a new paradigm for teaching and learning. Simulation & Gaming, 30(4), 498-505.

o   Sabin, P. (2012). Educational utility (Chapter 4) In: Simulating war: Studying conflict through simulation games. Bloomsbury Publishing.

3.            Simulation for policy making

●        Content:

o   Uses of games for policy

o   Understanding and misunderstanding of policy simulations

·       Game:

o   TBD

·       Required reading pre-class

o   Game rules

·       Required report post-class

o   Report on insights on possible policies based on the game

·       Required reading post-class

o   Preferably, read in the order of 1) Shlapak & Johnson (2016), 2) Kofman (2016) and Mueller et al. (2016), in order to trace the debate chronologically and see arguments in favor and against wargaming in the context of Russia threat to NATO. Then reading RAND (2023) after the invasion of Ukraine will provide deeper insights and lessons for wargaming.

§  Shlapak, D., & Johnson, M. (2016). Reinforcing Deterrence on NATO’s Eastern Flank: Wargaming the Defense of the Baltics. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RR1253

§  Kofman, Michael. (2016). Fixing NATO Deterrence in the East, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love NATO’s Crushing Defeat by Russia. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2016/05/fixing-nato-deterrence-in-the-east-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-natos-crushing-defeat-by-russia/

§  Mueller, Karl & David Shlapak, Michael Johnson, David Ochmanek (2016). In Defense of a Wargame: Bolstering Deterrence on NATO’s Eastern Flank. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2016/06/in-defense-of-a-wargame-bolstering-deterrence-on-natos-eastern-flank/

·       Recommended reading

o   RAND (2023). Revisiting RAND’s Russia Wargames After the Invasion of Ukraine: Summary and Implications. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2031-1

o   Kainikara, S. (2003). Effective wargaming: Impact of the changing nature of warfare. Aerospace Centre.

o   Joldersma, C., & Geurts, J. L. (1998). Simulation/gaming for policy development and organizational change. Simulation & Gaming, 29(4), 391-399.

o   Gandziarowska-Ziołecka, J., & Stasiak, D. (2019). Simulation and Gaming for Policy Advice. Handbuch Politikberatung, 563-582.

o   Mayer, I. S. (2009). The gaming of policy and the politics of gaming: A review. Simulation & gaming, 40(6), 825-862.

4.            Wargaming as a research method – collecting and analysing the data

●        Content

o   Experimental methods and gaming

o   Logics of inference

o   Problems (replicability)

●        Deadline: Aim & theme of group project

●        Game:

o   Wargame of Drones

●        Required reading pre-class

o   Game rules

●        Required report post-class:

o   Reflection on the drones wargame

●        Required reading post-class

o   Bartels E. M. (2019). The Science of Wargames: A discussion of philosophies of science for research games. Workshop on War Gaming and Implications for International Relations Research. http://www.elliebartels.com/uploads/1/1/0/6/110629149/bartels-the_science_of_wargames_nwc_mit.pdf

o   Lin-Greenberg, E. (2022). Wargame of Drones: Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Crisis Escalation. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 66(10), 1737–1765. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220027221106960

●        Recommended reading

o   Lin-Greenberg, E., Pauly, R. B. C., & Schneider, J. G. (2022). Wargaming for International Relations research. European Journal of International Relations, 28(1), 83–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540661211064090

o   Schneider, J., Schechter, B., & Shaffer, R. (2022). A Lot of Cyber Fizzle But Not A Lot of Bang: Evidence about the Use of Cyber Operations from Wargames. Journal of Global Security Studies, 7(2), ogac005. https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogac005

 

5.            Trial game

●        Game:

o   Your own designed game

●        Deadline: First complete draft of the game

 

6.            Presentation and experimentation

·       Deadline: Final complete game submission

●        Game:

o   Assigned game of another team

●        Required reading pre-class

o   Rules for the assigned game

●        Required report post-class

o   Review of the game

Last update: Bahenský Vojtěch, Mgr., Ph.D. (05.02.2025)
 
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