The Multi-Actor Simulation 'Podocarpus National Park' as a Tool for Teaching and Researching Issue Framing

We present the development of a multi-actor simulation that fosters learning about issue framing and can be used both for training and research. We start from a discussion of games and simulations and review existing multi-actor simulations that are presented in the literature. Then the development of the "Podocarpus National Park" simulation is presented, based on a case from Southern Ecuador, and tailored to be flexibly usable for learning about issue framing. The simulation consists of a sequence of six interaction phases, in which participants representing different actors having a stake in the management of a national park interact in internal, bilateral and multilateral meetings. An entire simulation run is analyzed in detail to show that relevant issue framing processes occur in the simulation. These analyses yield some further insights into the process of issue framing by tracking how an open issue framing conflict about halfway in the simulation was gradually and interactionally built up in a process of assembling, upgrading and challenging issue formulations throughout different meetings and interaction moments. Two processes played an important role in the evolving issue definition throughout the simulation: (1) changing the framing by switching from one issue element to another; and (2) changing the framing by reformulating the meaning of the same issue element. Finally we discuss the possibilities for using this simulation for research and training purposes.