Resumen de Educating ‘through’ Science Using Multi‐disciplinary Simulation‐Games
The place of science in the educational system is discussed, and it is argued that science education should do more than deal with purely scientific content but should contribute to the development of other general skills required in later life. Since traditional science education does not appear to be succeeding in this aim at present, a case is presented for supplementing traditional science teaching methods with suitable science‐based simulation‐games; these offer a means of achieving a wide range of educational objectives that transcend those that would normally be associated with their intrinsic scientific content.
The article discusses the general characteristics and main educational strengths of games and simulations, dealing first with those characteristics that are common to all types of educational games and then with those that are a specific feature of multi‐disciplinary exercises.
Two specific examples of science‐based multi‐disciplinary simulation‐games designed to achieve a wide range of non‐cognitive objectives ('The Amsyn Problem’ and ‘Point Fields Public Enquiry') are then discussed in detail in order to illustrate the points raised in the previous sections.
