Soft Overcomes Hard: Simulation Leadership as Mediation of Choice Architectures

Abstract

Teachers, many of whom are trained to lead their students through learning activities, as a director of learning processes may find that they struggle to use simulations. Simulations—dynamic, chaordic, and often unpredictable—tax the conventional model of classroom leadership; they require instead a leadership model that is flexible, responsive, and equally dynamic. Simulations are activities that typically represent processes or systems that flow and develop from their own inertia. Teachers who use this approach to learning need not be involved as overtly in the process of the simulation as they do with more traditional teaching activities. Yet, it can be difficult for teachers to reimagine a leadership role that largely removes them from the activity. As a result, they may impose themselves in ways that are disruptive to the natural flow of the simulation. In this paper, I propose a conceptual framework to help teachers reimagine their role as leaders in simulations. This framework draws on work in the field of behavioral economics to help teachers to engage in the simulation leadership process less directly and yet more effectively by adopting a leadership approach based in libertarian paternalism through the use of design architectures.