Evolution of cooperation – computer simulations of trade and interaction Erasmus Project

Project Title

Evolution of cooperation – computer simulations of trade and interaction

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

HANSE: The evolution of cooperation – computer simulations of trade and interaction

The Hanseatic League, providing the project’s acronym HANSE, was a successful union of cities centuries ago. The ‘Hanse’ can be seen as an example of transnational cooperation of which neither only the rich, nor only a few cities, nor only some traders profitted. No, the wealth that was created also supported regional economic success and lead to thriving communities. Students were encouraged to re-create HANSE and produce a couple of very different model trading games. These were actually simulations of interaction, which also mirror dealing with other conflicts or competition in society, in ‘real life’.

And the rules? The PRISONER’S DILEMMA is in fact a model situation about two basic choices in life. So they are in a way ‘digital’ choices, you can usually cooperate of cheat, or you can help or refuse to help. Such choices are made by humans beings as well as plants and animals, by money making corporations as well as political or regional or social groups or individuals. In academic studies of ‘real life’ conflicts, the so-called GAME THEORY, these decisions are usually seen as examples of cooperation or defection (a term which means “cheating”), and they are made in an ‘iterative’ way, again and again, for example in early (1980s) computer simulations known as ‘Axelrod Tournaments’, in which basically cooperative strategies proved to be superior, winning the game.

We did not only wish to repeat these computer tournaments, using much improved tools in modern IT. We wished to vary parameters and study a variety of different situations as can be found in ‘real life’. We wished to design situational contexts, or learning environments, to be used by anyone, even if they think cheating pays, as people in so-called ‘asocial environments or groups’ might believe. We did NOT want to tell students that cheating is bad, we wished the students to try out strategies on their own. To EXPERIENCE what the title of Axelrod’s book, “The Evolution of Cooperation”, promises. And what mankind needs, cooperation rather than common failure.

The practical concept of HANSE was a 4-step procedure. First students created their own trading games during classes, improving teaching in vocational college courses. Then the trading simulations were converted into software simulations of interaction. After that, the best strategies and results were compared to real life situations, in order to experience and understand when and how players can profit from cooperation, not just money-wise. Eventually our material, hands-on experience, and the software were turned into ‘packages’ (webpages plus material) to be passed on to other schools, to provide ideas, instructions, lesson plans, Internet support and anything else so that classes elsewhere can relive the experience of the ‘evolution of cooperation’. Apart from our goal to enrich teaching and strengthening key competences, we also wished to point out that the teaching profession can be experienced as a thrilling passtime rather than a duty to make a living.

After all, we decided to keep all the good games and simulations, not only online simulations, because we had experienced how valuable they are, including the games played on the classroom desks. There is an overview plus teachers’ information on http://hanse-dilemmas.net/main-page.html. Because of legal issues we publish photos and personal data elsewhere, not on this internet platform: hanse-dilemmas.net.

HANSE is never finished, it will be going on for years. This stems from our ‘snowball system’ of dissemination, we mainly use personal contacts between schools to pass on the games and simulations that are best choices for the schools that we know and contact. And then HANSE will hopefully spread … Why don’t YOU join in? 🙂

Other side effects were naturally centered around EU awareness and the insight, that only democratic environments provide the grounds for success in any respect. Students from different countries came together, and they still keep exchanging ideas after the project. Naturally, cultural competences, teaching and learning languages, and developing a better command of ESP (English for Special Purposes), all these topics were all meant to play a very important role in HANSE. And did so.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 84275 Eur

Project Coordinator

Berufskolleg Niederberg des Kreises Mettmann – Europaschule – Schule der Sekundarstufe II & Country: DE

Project Partners

• The Upper-Secondary School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technical Gymnasium Ljubljana
• IES ANDRES VANDELVIRA
• OULUN SEUDUN KOULUTUSKUNTAYHTYMA OSEKK