Simulation as a Technique for Teaching Collective Bargaining

Abstract

A primary goal of the course in question is to provide students with an understanding of the realities of the world of collective bargaining. The issue here is how best to bring the “real world” into the isolation of the classroom. Simulation appeared to offer the greatest potential for accomplishing that transfer. The concern, however, was over whether that technique is as effective at transferring knowledge as it is at transferring situations. The purpose of this study is, first of all, to assess the effectiveness of simulation as a technique for teaching an undergraduate course in collective bargaining, but also to examine the relationships between the learning effectiveness of the simulation technique and certain student variables, such as measured mental ability and selected personality characteristics.