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Integrated Diplomacy course design alternating lectures and game sessions

Design · All designs
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

A university international relations course built around the board game Diplomacy, with alternating "1.5-hour lectures and 2-hour game sessions" in a weekly cycle of reading, lectures with small-group discussion, game sessions, and online discussion tasks. Students played in two-player teams including a peace-mediator team, a feature added by the teacher; game performance formed one-quarter of course evaluation. Three revised win-conditions correspond to offensive realism, liberal-institutionalism and constructivism.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

  • Same teacher (a co-author) taught or supervised all course elements
  • Negotiation success is central, making it a combination of strategy game and conflict negotiation simulation

Constraints

  • Course design allows only a very limited number of participants
  • Findings are specific to this particular game, as the authors state

Target Learners

  • University political science students

Learning Goals

  • Understanding international relations concepts such as the security dilemma, trust-building, and diplomatic negotiation

Claims

Examples

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Key Sources

  • Ketonen, E. E., Kruskopf, M., Lonka, K., & Mattlin, M. (2026). Dynamics of university students' epistemic emotions during game-based learning in an international relations course. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-025-09771-2
Page metadata
Field Value
type design
id diplomacy-integrated-ir-course-design
title Integrated Diplomacy course design alternating lectures and game sessions
description A university international relations course built around the board game Diplomacy, with alternating "1.5-hour lectures and 2-hour game sessions" in a weekly cycle of reading, lectures with small-group discussion, game...
status review
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-18
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — ketonen-2026

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