The EU migration law simulation: enriching higher education through a gaming tool for knowledge exchange

Abstract

The development, testing and application of an educational simulation tool to prepare students for a complex legal practice in which co-operation across European member states is essential has resulted in the EU Migration Law Simulation. The objective of the simulation was to facilitate engagement with strategies for the protection of human rights, the guarding of national borders, and the facilitation of safe migration channels for the purpose of achieving a sustainable future in accordance with EU migration law. This contribution presents the development, testing and functionality of the EU Migration Law Simulation, along with the results of student evaluations from law schools across Europe. The study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of existing theories of educational simulation and to test the SCRIPTed Framework on facilitation design. The objective of this educational project was to implement an educational simulation, with the aim of providing European law and migration studies students with opportunities for new forms of knowledge exchange. The simulation requires a modest but well-informed facilitator, which confirms existing knowledge on the facilitation of educational simulations. Furthermore, legal cultures had a significant influence on how students perceived their roles, which in turn shaped the development of these roles during the game design and testing phase. Moreover, we found that legal professionals were just as keen on engaging in the simulation as university students as it took them outside their professional ‘tunnel vision’ on problem solving and generated novel systems insight.