Lynn University Model United Nations

So, there's no reason to revisit the value of Model United Nations (ok, I did a little...below). I'm also a little late in posting these pictures, however. Some of the GLOPO students participation in Lynn University Model UN back on 5 April. This was Lynn University's first year in offering a single-day, Model UN Security Council simulation for high school students. The GLOPO students represented the governments of Argentina, France, Morocco, and Rwanda. The topic for the simulation focused on humanitarian intervention and to what role, if any, should international organizations play in balancing the concepts of state sovereignty with that of human rights and the Responsibility to Protect.

  

What also made this simulation interesting for the class was that we really didn't have that much time to prepare. Students only had-after coming off of Spring Break, working out other topics in our course, and being busy 11th graders-only about 2 weeks to research their countries and the topic at hand. I actually prefer these topic-specific, single day Model UN experiences because it focuses students' attention and gives them a taste of a longer simulation, without being bogged down in 15-hour sessions with "rule hawks," or over-zealous chairs, or some of the darker sides of Model UN.

Lynn plans to offer a simliar simulation again in the fall. I suspect that we'll be able to bring a large cohort of next year' GLOPO Year 1 folks as well as some Year 2s who want to diver deeper into simulated diplomacy.

References

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Levintova, E., Johnson, T., Scheberle, D., & Vonck, K. (2011). Global citizens are made, not born: multiclass role-playing simulation of global decision making. Journal of Political Science Education, 7(3), 245-274.

Manzo, K. K. (2007). Model U.N. breathes life into often dry subject areas. Education Week, 26(39).

McIntosh, D. (2001). The Uses and Limits of the Model United Nations in an International Relations Classroom. International Studies Perspectives, 2(3), 269-280

Muldoon, J. P., Jr., & Myrick, C. J. (1995). The Model United Nations: 50+ and growing strong. Educational Leadership, 55(2).
Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? a review of the literature. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231. Retrieved from http://ctlt.jhsph.edu/resources/views/content/files/150/Does_Active_Learning_Work.pdf

Shellman, S., & Turan, K. (2006). Do simulations enhance student learning? An Empirical Evaluation of an IR Simulation. Journal of Political Science Education, 2(1), 19-32.

Smith, E. T., & Boyer, M. A. (1996). Designing in-class simulations. PS: Political Science and Politics, 29(4), 690-694.