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Educational Wargaming in Higher Education: A Review of Empirical Studies
Swedish Defence University, Department of War Studies, Joint Warfare Division. (Centrum for krigsspel/Center for Wargaming)ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7533-0870
Swedish Defence University, Department of War Studies, Joint Warfare Division.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0865-225X
2026 (English)In: Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies, E-ISSN 2596-3856, Vol. 9, no 1, p. 240-260Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Educational wargaming has gained increasing attention in higher education andprofessional military education as a form of experiential and game-based learning. Despite this growing interest, empirical research on educational wargaming remainsfragmented. This article presents a semi-systematic review of empirical studies oneducational wargaming published between 2014 and 2024. In addition to mappingempirical research, the review introduces a conceptual framework for analysing howlearning is articulated, operationalized, and theoretically grounded.Across fifteen peer-reviewed studies, the review examines three interrelated questions:what contexts, game formats, and learning objectives characterize educationalwargaming; how learning is conceptualized, operationalized, and empirically examined;and how learning theory is integrated with wargaming theory and practice. Theanalysis draws on the Presage–Process–Product (3P) model to structure comparisonsacross research designs, educational settings, and game formats. The findings showvariation in how educational wargaming is designed and studied. While many studiesreport positive learning outcomes, such as increased engagement, improved decisionmakingskills, and conceptual understanding, approaches to assessing learning areoften inconsistent and limited. The review identifies gaps in the literature, includinglongitudinal research, insufficient attention to facilitation and debriefing processes,and weak integration between wargaming practices and learning theory.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. Vol. 9, no 1, p. 240-260
Keywords [en]
Educational wargaming, learning, professional military education, higher education, empirical research, gamebased learning
National Category
War, Crisis, and Security Studies Pedagogy
Research subject
War Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-14764DOI: 10.31374/sjms.451OAI: oai:DiVA.org:fhs-14764DiVA, id: diva2:2061762
Projects
FoT Spel för konflikthantering och krig
Funder
Swedish Armed Forces, FoT 306 014Available from: 2026-05-22 Created: 2026-05-22 Last updated: 2026-05-22Bibliographically approved

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Bennerstedt, UlrikaSjöblom, Björn

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  • apa
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