INTRODUCTION

Leaders, governments, and whole societies must sometimes respond to problems or crises that are a threat to the society or the well being of its citizens. In such situations, decision making becomes both very important and very complex, with every decision having its particular consequences, which often lead to further tough choices. How does analysis of crisis decision making help reveal some of the fundamental aspects of governance and political life? How can experiences of virtual decision making push students toward more thoughtful consideration of public policy issues and the cause-and-effect relationships of policy decisions?

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Students begin this project by taking on the role of a U.S. president who must respond to a simulated crisis set in the future. After brainstorming ideas for similar scenarios, groups each select and develop a scenario, and then create simulations that allow others to respond to the scenarios by making a series of decisions. The simulations, created in mPOWER, require the students who create them to analyze their scenarios, and the underlying real-world issues, in depth.

Phase 1: Analyzing a public policy dilemma of the future

Invite students, working in groups of four, to explore the simulation in Decisions, Decisions: Colonization, which puts students in the position of a U.S. president forced to make decisions about a space colonization crisis. During its simulation session, each group traces its path, recording (in AppleWorks) the choices it faces and the decisions it makes each step of the way.

With the whole class, discuss the structure of the simulation and what it reveals about public policy decision-making processes in general (every decision has its particular consequences, each of which leads to new choices). Based on each group's experience of a different decision path, work with the class to build (on the board) a tree diagram representing the choices and paths built into the Decisions, Decisions: Colonization simulation.

Phase 2: Exploring and selecting scenarios

With the whole class, brainstorm a list of potential scenarios that could precipitate a public policy crisis, and thus lend themselves to simulations like the space colonization scenario in Decisions, Decisions: Colonization.

Students then meet in their small groups, discuss the class list, add their own ideas, and finally settle on a scenario on which they want to focus. To become familiar with the issues underlying the scenario and the various possible stakeholders, students research World Book Encyclopedia, library resources, and the Internet (using EdView). Groups then use Inspiration to map out tree diagrams showing at least three layers of choices and consequences relating to the handling and resolution of their crises. (See the tree diagram "Who gets the water?" for an example.)

Phase 3: Building simulations

In their small groups, students use the Inspiration tree diagrams created in Phase 2 to guide them in making their own simulations in mPOWER that represent the various choices and consequences involved in their respective scenarios. Each simulation, by exploiting mPOWER's hot buttons, mimics the hierarchical branching structure of Decisions, Decisions: Colonization.

Phase 4: Sharing the simulations

Groups rotate through each other's completed simulations, learning about the issues each deals with, taking note of the various public policy paths, and relating choices and consequences.

In a closing discussion, students compare the simulations they have experienced and express what they have learned.