Abstract for: FishBanks in Teaching

FishBanks is a computer-assisted, operational game, based on a system-dynamcis model that conveys insights about sustainable use of renewable resources, systems behavior, team work, and decision making under uncertainty. The game has been translated into 15 languages and is used by hundreds of teachers around the world. It was the first game to be certified as an effective teaching tool by the US Department of Education. Dennis Meadows, developer of the game, will conduct a workshop to introduce the simulation and discuss its use in teaching. The session will include participation in an actual game session. This session will be useful for those who regularly use the game in their teaching as well as for those who are seeing it for the first time. Because the game is based on a system dynamics model of resource harvesting and regeneration, it is widely used to introduce the field of SD to new students. Every participant will receive a free set of the materials that they require to conduct game sessions back in their home institutions. Those who already use the game in their teaching will be invited during the workshop to comment on their own experiences with it.