Edward
de Bono describes the lateral thinker not as one who digs the
hole deeper, but as one who digs many holes. The gamer who best
epitomizes this metaphor is R. Garry Shirts. If forced to use
one word to describe Garry, it would have to be "creative."
All simulation gamers are creative. Garry takes the concept several
steps beyond most.
Garry was responsible for the social studies curriculum for eastern
San Diego County. Working on the Indian reservations, he had many
cross-cultural experiences. He also realized the need for and
impact of experiential learning. When he created Simile II, his
first concern was to develop games that could be used by students
who were trying to make sense of their world. Garry's games have
also been designed for adults who want to develop a better understanding
of themselves, their culture, the dynamics of power, and how their
organizations work.
Garry Shirts has been there from the beginning for many gamers.
Active in NASAGA almost from its inception, he contributed to
both the field and the association. Garry is always ready to give
newcomers a hand-or better yet--an idea. To the seasoned gamers,
he's a friend, a colleague, and a great resource.
One of Garry's first games was Starpower. Next he created BaFa
BaFa for the U.S. Navy. Originally planned as a behavioral technique
to select uniformed members for overseas assignments, BaFa quickly
became popular for training sailors and officers for overseas
duty. Its appeal spread beyond the Navy and has been conducted
throughout the world. As Barbara Steinwachs said in 1987: "Everyone
involved in cross-cultural training uses and respects the now
classic BaFa BaFa, developed in the mid-1970's." Garry's
most recent game is Pumping the Colors, which builds tremendous
bonding for organizational teams.
Have you heard of Inventory of Hunches? Garry worked with the
team that developed Inventory of Hunches, along with its author,
Hall Sprague. It is helpful to return to the inventory from time
to time to refresh our enthusiasm for gaming and to remember why
it is that we are doing this. Garry begins modestly by saying:
"Following are some guesses about the educational value of
simulations. None of them is proved but they are more than just
idle hunches, since they were formulated by instructors and students
with extensive experience in their use. These may help you to
decide how you will use the techniques and what the outcomes might
be.”
He goes on to list ten hunches that include: 1) maybe simulation
games are motivators, 2) maybe a simulation experience leads to
more relevant inquiry, 3) maybe simulations give participants
a more integrated view of the ways of people, 4) maybe participants
learn decision-making, resource allocation, communication, and
other skills, 5) maybe simulations affect attitudes, 6) maybe
simulations provide participants with explicit, experiential,
gut-level reference about ideas, 7) maybe simulations act as an
information retrieval device since people know more than they
think they know, 8) maybe participants learn form and content
of the model which lies behind the simulation, 9) maybe the main
importance is the affect on the social setting in which the learning
takes place, and 10) maybe simulations lead to personal growth.
The twinkle in Garry's eye belies his tough spirit that has carried
him through good times and bad. We hope that from here on his
times are all good. He has earned his place in the notable ranks
of the Ifill-Raynolds winners.
---
Written by Sandy Fowler
Read by Charles Petranek at NASAGA Awards Banquet
Bloomington, IN
October 26, 2001
---
The IFILL/RAYNOLDS Memorial Award for Outstanding
Contributions to Simulation Gaming is presented by the North American
Simulation and Gaming Association at its annual conference.
---
Originally
published in the NEWSLETTER FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN SIMULATION
AND GAMING ASSOCIATION - www.nasaga.org
Volume 2, Issue 9 Winter 2002
- 196k Adobe Acrobat PDF file
Republished here with permission
