Testing Strategy Simulation Efficacy
Keywords:
marketing development, business capstone course, strategy simulations, learning theoryAbstract
Strategy simulation software packages (e.g., Glo-Bus©, Capsim©, Marketplace Live©, Micromatic©, Business Policy Game©, etc.) are a standard tool in both undergraduate and graduate business capstone courses (Gove, 2012, Halpin, 2020). In the literature, there has been a call for more focus on teaching methods to assure strategy simulations are maximally effective (Clapper, 2015, Schmeller, 2019). This analysis examines foundational learning theories, particularly Novak’s (2010), to explain which elements of strategy simulation correspond to those needed for Novak’s meaningful learning (2010). This analysis will help business capstone professors who use strategy simulations to improve student learning.
References
AACSB (2013). Business accreditation standards. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Tampa, FL.
Abdullah, N.L., Hanafiah, M.H., & Hashim, N.A. (2013). Developing creative teaching modules: Business simulation in teaching strategic management. International Education Studies, 6(6). doi.org/10.5539/ies.v6n6p95
Adobor, H., & Daneshfar, A. (2006). Management simulations: Determining their effectiveness. Journal of Management Development, 25(2), 151–168. doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-10-2012-0068
Alberto, J., & Gomide, T. (2013). Merging the case method and simulation in management education: Is it possible? Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 40, 61–67.
Alinier, G., & Oriot, D. (2022). Simulation-based education: deceiving learners with good intent. Advances in Simulation, 7(1), 8.
Allaire, J.L. (2015). Assessing critical thinking outcomes of dental hygiene students utilizing virtual patient simulation: A mixed methods study. Journal of Dental Education, 79(9). doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
Alstete, J.W., & Beutell, N.J. (2014). Instructional techniques and delivery formats in capstone business courses. Academy of Management Proceedings, (1). doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2014.14446
Arnab, B.R., Earp, J., Sara, F., Popescu, M., Romero, M., & Usart, M. (2012). Framing the adoption of serious games in formal education. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 10(2), 159–171.
Ausubel, D.P. (1960). The use of advance organizers in the learning and retention of meaningful verbal material. Journal of Educational Psychology, 51, 267–272.
Ausubel, D.P., Novak, J.D. Hanesian, H. (1978). Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Clapper, T.C. (2015). Cooperative-Based Learning and the Zone of Proximal Development. Simulation & Gaming, 46(2), 148–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878115569044
Faria, A.J., & Wellington, W.J. (2023). Research into Hoover’s Three Domains of Experiential Learning: The Impact of Business Simulation Gaming. In Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning: Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL conference (Vol. 50).
Gamble, J., Thompson, A., Peteraf, M. (2022). Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 7e. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Gove, S. (2012). Increasing student engagement using client-based peer assessment in multi-role, whole enterprise simulations. In S. DuBravac (Ed.), Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Immersive Interfaces: Virtual Worlds, Gaming, and Simulation. Cutting-Edge Technologies in Higher Education. Bingley, WA, UK: Emerald Group Publishing. doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968 000006C006
Halpin, A. (2020). Content analysis of CEO letters to shareholders authored by business simulation participants. In Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning: Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL conference (Vol. 47).
Horne, C. (2005). Using simulation technology for undergraduate nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(1), 31–34.
Jones, C., Matlay, H., Penaluna, K., & Penaluna, A. (2014). Claiming the future of enterprise education. Education + Training, 56. doi.org/10.1108/ET-06-2014-0065
Karriker, J.H., & Aaron, J.R. (2014). More than just fun and games: BSG© and Glo-Bus© as strategic education instruments. Journal of Management Education, 38(5), 768–775. doi.org/10.1177/1052562914534245
Novak, J. (2010). Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge: Concept Maps as Facilitative Tools in Schools and Corporations. New York, NY: Routledge.
Schmeller, R., Stoll, R., & Lifer, J.D. (2022). Business capstone strategy simulations: Student perceptions of realism. Journal of Education for Business, 97(5), 343–350.
Shulman, L.S. (1986). Paradigms and research programs in the study of teaching. In M.C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching. New York, NY: MacMillan.
Stave, K.A., Beck, A., & Galvan, C. (2014). Improving learners’ understanding of environmental accumulations through simulation. Simulation & Gaming, 46(3–4). doi.org/10.1177/1046878114531764
Thompson, A.A., Stappenbeck, G., Reidenbach, M., Thrasher, I., & Harms, C. (2023). The business strategy game: Competing in a global marketplace. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from www.bsg-online.com.
Tun, J.K., Alinier, G., Tang, J., & Kneebone, R.L. (2015). Redefining simulation fidelity for healthcare education. Simulation & Gaming, 46(2). doi.org/10.1177/1046878115576103
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.