Short-Duration Campaign Simulation Increases High School Students’ Civic Engagement Skills and Knowledge

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Digital Technology in Social Studies

Abstract

Research on campaign simulations usually involves long-term collegiate activities. Adapting materials from American Association of University Women and Running Start's "Elect Her" college workshops, our research created a short-term campaign simulation for use in secondary-level social studies classrooms. Sixty-six students in three Advanced Placement US Government classes engaged in a two-day communications-focused elections simulation workshop. Differences in civic engagement knowledge between pre- and post-surveys reached statistical significance. Students' qualitative responses revealed comprehension gains regarding student government's role in allocating money, low-cost advertising, and using "surrogates" to disseminate campaign positions. Student's knowledge of elevator speeches improved substantially. Results indicate short-duration simulations can improve students' civic engagement knowledge when the knowledge is actively used during the simulation exercise.

Authors

• Taylor Ezra Tillotson, Northern Michigan University

• Judith M. Puncochar, Northern Michigan University