Using a Simulation of Homelessness in a Human Development and Family Science Course: Student Reflections on Spending a Night in a Car

A vehicular homelessness simulation was used as a transformative learning activity in a family crisis course. The 17 students who completed the assignment spent the night in their cars, kept a journal throughout the night, and wrote a reflection paper that addressed what it felt like to be unsheltered, how realistic the experience was, and how the experience impacted their thoughts, feelings, and knowledge about homelessness. Analysis of student journals and reflection papers indicated that spending the night in the car was cold, uncomfortable, exhausting, and anxiety-provoking. Students identified more differences than similarities between the simulation and the experiences of those who are unsheltered, though they all classified the simulation as “eye-opening.” Finally, the simulation increased their awareness of the prevalence, causes, and difficulties associated with being unsheltered and increased their empathy toward those who are unsheltered.