It's a heuristic technique that can be both educational and fun. And I've experienced this sort of thing myself. I once took part in a simulation of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which eventually led to the 1975 Helsinki Accords--I was the Soviet delegate. As part of a history seminar, I also took part in a conference to unite the world's socialist movements, in which I represented Stalinism.
So you’re saying you had a chance to become an expert on Stalinism without having to slog through the boring volumes of Solzhenitsyn? I know of the technique and it is as I said an exercise in practical ignorance, if it is “fun”. Education for the likes of Rachel Jeantel, by the likes of Rachel Jeantel.