2021 Volume 31 Issue 1 Pages 27-37
This study developed a gaming simulation to learn a deliberative process of policy decisions and their evaluation by referring to stakeholders’ preferences in relation to a controversial issue in their community so as to arrive at a consensus. The content of the game referred to a tram system in Neuss city in Germany. There was a controversial debate on whether the tramline located in a narrow street of Neuss city center should be kept for citizens’ convenience or removed for their safety. In the game, after being provided with the background of the tram system in Neuss, players prioritized which of the six issues were important by referring to three citizen’s profile cards that reflected the results of a social survey conducted in Neuss in 2009. Thereafter, the players of small groups consisted of 2 to 5 decided which of the three options (the tram should be remove/remain/single track) to choose. Each player got a score based on whether his/her priority matched the group’s decision to promote deliberation on the opinion distribution of values not only for specific benefits but for the whole citizens. After the game, the players had a debriefing session during which they discussed the results of the decisions of the small groups and compared them to the consequences of the policy decisions that had been taken in Neuss. The results revealed that the players’ scores were based on their ability to discuss citizen profiles and their own opinion and to adjust their interests according to accept various values and views of the whole citizens. Finally, the applicability of this gaming simulation in decision making with reference to actual stakeholder opinions was discussed.
