Group Communication & Decision Making

Simulation Overview

The Group Communication and Decision-making simulation requires players to balance their interests, the interests of their constituents, and their team members to create a wildfire mitigation plan.

Time Requirement

• Introduction - 20 minutes
• Game Play - 1 to 2 hours
• Debrief - 45 minutes to 1 hour

The Story

Nestled in the mountains of the Western United States, surrounded by forests, players work on a special task force of 5 players to create a wildfire mitigation plan for the fictional town of Westmount. Each player is given a role and specific interests and outcomes for the wildfire mitigation plan. These goals, fueled by their personal & professional interests as well as the interests of their constituents, provide them with an ideal plan. With its mix of burning and thinning, each player works with the other members of their task force to decide how much of the forest to mitigate, and how to enact the mitigation.

Players will play as:

• A representative of a local coalition called Westmount United
• The U.S. Forest Service district ranger
• The mayor of Westmount
• A representative from an environmental organization called Save Our Forests
• The manager of the municipal water authority called Metro Water

The multiplayer synchronous simulation takes place over five rounds, which correspond to five months in the scenario. Each round includes an in-class meeting where participants meet face-to-face for ~30 minutes, resulting in specific decisions about the relevant regions on the wildfire mitigation map.

Learning Focus

• Strategic communication
• Group decision making and conflict management
• Managing stakeholder interests
• Negotiate favorable outcomes over multiple rounds
• Manage and adapt a plan based on available information

Topics Covered

• Communication and Group Decision making
• Conflict Resolution
• Teamwork and leadership
• Time and Crisis Management

See it in Action

Each simulation comes with a Teaching Guidebook for the facilitator along with 1:1 facilitator training and free trials.

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This simulation is by Matthew Koschmann, College of Media, Communication and Information, University of Colorado Boulder, and Forio