FERRUM, VA, April 2, 2026 — Dr. Ed Hally, associate professor of Political Science and Public Administration and chair of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Ferrum College, has written six chapters in a book published by Routledge in March. Titled “Short Games and Active Learning in Political Science: Beating the Clock,” the book provides guidance for using games in political science classrooms, including games Hally has developed for his own classes.
Hally also contributed two chapters to an earlier Routledge book, “Simulations in the Political Science Classroom: Games without Frontiers.” While that volume dealt with more of the theory behind using games and simulations in college classrooms, the new book gives details about how to play the games. Hally’s chapters include games that he designed for his classes, such as “Down with the Machine!,” which simulates party machine politics before the Progressive Era, as well as already established games that he modified, such as “The Ultimatum Game,” which is part of the book’s section on international relations.
“I’ve been using games in the classroom since my days as an elementary school teacher,” said Hally. “I didn’t know that when I brought these same pedagogies into my college classes that I was tapping into a very vibrant academic community—that of the active learning movement. I’ve seen the results firsthand—students get much more invested and capable when they’re having fun. The job of the professor then becomes to find or design a game that has that element of play but still accomplishes course objectives. It’s a tricky line to walk.”
Other chapters by Hally, in addition to the games already mentioned, are “Media Empires,” “Welcome to the Party! An Exploration of the Median Voter Hypothesis,” “The Benefits of Interest Groups: Simulating Selective Benefits of Organizations in a Classroom,” and “NIMBY Valley: The Tragedy of the Commons.”
As the publisher’s description explains, “With instructional time always at a premium, this book focuses exclusively on short games and simulations: activities that are limited to one class period. These powerful activities demand less instructional time and deliver substantial pedagogical benefits. Additionally, this book provides ready-to-use activities for teachers to utilize across Political Science subfields.”
President Mirta Martin said, “This remarkable accomplishment by Dr. Hally reflects the very best of Ferrum College—innovative teaching, meaningful scholarship, and a deep commitment to student success. His work exemplifies how engaged learning can transform the classroom experience, equipping students not only with knowledge, but with the critical thinking and real-world skills they need to thrive. We are incredibly proud of his contributions to the field and the impact he continues to make on our students and academic community.”
Hally also serves as Program Coordinator of Political Science and Director of Academic Assessment at Ferrum College. In spring 2025, while participating in a faculty writing collective led by Dr. Lana Whited, Hally utilized feedback offered by Ferrum colleagues as he worked on a book proposal and the sixth chapter of his forthcoming book on political satire, a volume intended for classroom use as well as general readers interested in politics, current affairs, or the mass media.
Later this month Hally will lead workshops about sections of the new book on games at the Midwestern Political Science Association Conference in Chicago. He will also present one of the chapters of his upcoming political satire book at the conference.
Click here to learn more about “Short Games and Active Learning in Political Science” from Routledge.
