Interdisciplinary Teaching Project on Poverty

 In June of 2007 a group of faculty (Drs. Druen, Engler, Jacob, Ligon, and Steck) in the Behavioral Science Department met to discuss opportunities to collaborate on an interdisciplinary (sociology, behavioral science, psychology, and gerontology) experiential learning project.  Poverty was identified a significant issue that cuts across all disciplines in the department.  After some research the group discovered the “Missouri Community Action Poverty Simulation.”  This packaged simulation immerses participants into the experience of impoverished families.  The simulation takes approximately three hours where participants must survive in a state of poverty through four 15 minute “weeks.” Participants are later debriefed on their experiences.  During the month participants do their best to provide for their families while facing many real-life situations that negatively impact their financial and emotional well-being.  As many students in the behavioral sciences will pursue careers in service professions, the simulation offered an opportunity for participants to develop empathy and insight into the lives of many of the clients they are likely to be serving when they later graduate.  With the generous support of the Department Chair (Dr. Landau) we purchased the simulation with departmental funds. 

In the Fall Semester of 2008 the team of faculty met to discuss how the simulation would be integrated into the seven different classes in four different academic disciplines that would participate in the project.  The team identified an experiential learning model that involved reflections of personal experiences while synthesizing class learning.  All seven classes adopted a similar assignment based on this model.  In addition the team felt it was very important to conduct an extensive evaluation of the simulation as the project represented a significant amount of financial resources, class time, and faculty effort.  As such a pre and post-test instrument was designed to assess student attitudes and knowledge of the poor before the simulation and the post-test instrument was designed to capture any change as a result of the experience.  The instrument consisted of approximately 120 items that belong to existing and newly developed indexes relevant to sociological, psychological, and gerontological research.  The instruments were submitted to college’s Institutional Review Board and approved for use along with an informed consent form. To assess the potential long-term impact of the simulation, participants were asked to provide an address or phone number at which the researchers could contact them in the future. The evaluation will not only assess the value of the simulation as a learning tool but will form the basis of a journal article coauthored by the team members.