Effectiveness of simulation games in forming intercultural competence

Abstract

The article describes the effectiveness of simulation games as innovative means of forming intercultural competence (ICC) of youth in the conditions of growing cultural diversity and active migration processes caused by the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to the pedagogical potential of storybased simulation games that recreate real situations of intercultural misunderstandings, conflicts, manifestations of discrimination and social exclusion. The article presents the results of the analysis of the simulation game “Become Agent of Social Changes” and describes the effectiveness of its impact on the formation of ICC of youth from three countries of the European Union and forcibly displaced youth from Ukraine. “Become Agent of Social Changes” is a type of a simulation game in which learning occurs through making decisions in simulated intercultural situations and experiencing the consequences of these decisions. The simulation game offers unique educational material that recreates situations of social tension that forcibly displaced Ukrainians face. The simulation game was developed and tested within the framework of the international Erasmus+ project “UTOPIA: intercultural training to support displaced Ukrainians”. Based on qualitative and quantitative data collected during surveys of educators, youth workers and young people in Romania, Greece, Poland and Ukraine, it was demonstrated that simulation games provide deep emotional immersion, promote the development of empathy, critical thinking, the ability to resolve conflicts in non-violent ways and significantly increase the level of readiness of young people for constructive interaction in multicultural groups. The results confirm the importance of simulations as an effective tool of non-formal education and create a basis for updating the programs of socio-humanitarian training of youth in Ukraine.