Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning(Texas Digital Library - TDL E-Journals)
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Developing An Online or Hybrid Course For Business Administration Internships
No full textInstitutions of higher education often require their business administration majors to complete an internship as part of the curriculum (Wheeler and Waite, 2021). Internships provide undergraduate students with opportunities to gain practical work experience through the application of the knowledge gained in the classroom (Wheeler and Waite, 2021). In the spring of 2020, many traditional in-person business internships shifted to remote work environments due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, instructors were required to adapt their internship courses to an online or hybrid modality. The purpose of this extended abstract is to provide a model of pedagogical best practices for teaching a business administration internship course in an online or hybrid learning format
Make Our Garden Grow- Cultivating Empathy
No full textAs an AACSB accredited institution, we are required to demonstrate how learning occurs, what steps we might take to ensure learning. With respect to the subject of ethics, the focus is among others, the student mastery of critical concepts. But a more expansive view of ethics is an understanding of how ethical behavior might occur and the enhancements that might motivate or inspire that desired conduct. Perhaps this is the province of psychologists and there is much that can be learned from those who have thought deeply and researched tirelessly to understand how we become attentive to the inner voice that calls us to our better selves. And so it is that psychological research suggests that empathy may be the umbrella trait required to develop our capacity for tolerance, kindness, understanding and forgiveness. Accessing our better selves has become increasingly difficult in a world in which our differences are much more obvious than what we share, but as empathy researcher and Stanford University psychologist Jamil Zaki has come to understand, empathy is the “psychological superglue” that connects people and undergirds cooperation and kindness
GEO: An Individual-Scoring Business Simulation
No full textComputerized business simulations that score teams are common, but business simulations that score individuals who may work in teams are uncommon. Scoring individuals is advantageous because it avoids the incentive for free riding associated with giving individuals credit towards grades for the performance of the team, as well as the bias associated with summative peer ratings when ratings are used to address free-riding concerns. But scoring individuals is hard for the computerized simulation because the computerized simulation must track the actions of each individual participant if it is to supply everyone an individualized performance score
Investigating Student Perceptions of Two Active Learning Methods Converted to Online Format: Role-Play vs. Case-Based Learning for CSR Communication
No full textThe Covid-19 pandemic forced rapid adjustments among university educators around the world. With millions of educators and students forced to migrate online for an extended period, teachers were challenged not only to adapt to teaching in an online environment but also to find ways of creating an active learning environment that engaged students. This challenge also created opportunities to explore the possibilities and limits of using existing active learning methods in an online mode. This research was designed to examine the learning experience of bachelor’s degree students studying corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication in two different learning groups – case-based learning and role-play learning – in a fully online teaching and learning environment. The results indicate that while students found both activities engaging, the online format created several challenges for both groups. The emphasis on team-based learning in both activities was also not optimal for the students. However, the experience of presenting their CSR communication plans to work professionals online was viewed as a key part of learning. The study offers insight into how face-to-face active learning activities should be implemented for online learning and what factors should be considered when conducting these activities
Experiential Learning, Simulation and Student Satisfaction
No full textThe simulation methods, which provide that context by creating a complex decision-making setting in the classroom, help develop students\u27 professional skills and competencies in marketing management, linking the academic and business environments. It has also been found that simulations are an effective way for students to engage actively in learning, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Simulations can build students\u27 ability to respond in a normative reasoned fashion to a decision situation or to experience the situation in its complexity and respond in a synthetic intuitive manner. Brooks, Burson, & Cox (2010) called for a research agenda to examine the relationships between student perceptions of learning and student satisfaction levels of a computer simulation project. However, limited research has been done on simulation\u27s role in student\u27s learning, as measured by the degree to which students are satisfied with intended learning outcomes. This study examines the relationship between simulation methods and student satisfaction, a unique assessment of all disciplines related to the education field
Improving Writing Skills Through Diagnosing and Treating At-Risk Writers
No full textIn 2015, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) developed the Pre-Command and General Staff Officers’ Course (CGSOC) Writing Program (PCWP) to improve students’ writing skills. This study examined how attending the PCWP affected students’ subsequent academic performance. Using a causal-comparative research design, the authors analyzed the academic performance of 720 CGSOC students, including 39 that attended the PCWP. The analysis found that attending the PCWP increased student performance on written exams later in the course. Additionally, this study found that the diagnostic essay used to select students for the PCWP is a weaker predictor of academic risk than a writing skills test and the Nelson-Denny reading test. These findings support recommendations for further study in Army communication skills, faculty development in writing evaluation, and curriculum changes throughout Army University. These findings also would be generalizable to other institutions of higher learning as well as leaders in business and government who might be interested in refining writing education through improved writing skills diagnosis
Negotiating in the Pseudo World: Designing Role-Play Simulations in the Digital Era
No full textExisting literature shows that conservative methods of teaching and assessing take precedence over the active learning methods, which emphasizes on student participation and responsibility and aims to achieve six qualitatively distinct levels of understanding i.e., knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Johnson, 2016). While online simulations and tools have evolved over the last 20 years (Russell and Shepherd, 2010), social scientists and management scholars continue to incorporate role-play simulations and accompanying readings in their curriculum, with the view to engage students in a supported learning environment before they venture into the real-world. Carrying out active-learning exercises in an online or other hybrid learning environments, can be challenging because it requires more time to set-up and structure the rules and roles, while at the same time monitor and communicate with learners in an online setting. However, with the online learning environment growing rapidly (Ibid.) especially after the covid-19 pandemic, it becomes imperative for instructors to learn the different active learning approaches that can help them provide learners with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the course materials and examine issues from a wider range of perspectives (Youde, 2008). Facilitating learning in an e-learning environment requires skills to develop active learners, who learn that problem-solving skills cannot be taught but must be discovered (Piaget, 1936). Such cognitive maturation involves decentring, a process which requires ‘shifting the focus of awareness from a limited aspect of reality to several different dimensions’ (Muuss, 1982, p. 250). In this study we use Piaget’s Cognitive Learning Theory (CLT) (Piaget, 1983) as the foundation to design our role-play simulation exercises, since it considers the learner as the focus of the design process (McLeod, 2003) and corroborates with the notion that cognitive development occurs from biological maturation and the interaction with one’s environment (Piaget, 1936). Unlike behaviourism that neglects mental activity, cognitive learning theory studies human thought processes (Carlile and Jordan, 2005, p. 7) and emphasizes the importance of problem-solving (Piaget, 1936). It can be applied to any discipline (Grider, 1993) and is based on the notion that “deep learning involves collecting and organizing experiences and information to make sense of stimuli from the environment” (Ibid., p. 38). This information could be based on previous knowledge, course materials, practical examples, and everyday experiences (Sloam, 2008). Through receiving, storing, and retrieving information, learners are exposed to strategies that can help them bridge the gap between pre-requisite skills to learning objectives, while benefitting from learning efficiently. In other words, there is a strong correlation between the mental components and the processed information that enable learners to accordingly understand and apply knowledge (Grider, 1993). Through organizing and re-organizing the new information experienced, learners can create more complex cognitive structures to help them navigate through their different levels of intellectual growth.The purpose of our study is twofold: (i) to incorporate CLT as a guide in designing role-play negotiation simulation exercises based on real-life events, which can create the flavour of real-life negotiations for students (McGrath, 1966); and (ii) to provide instructors with some instructions and suggestions on how to facilitate and moderate them effectively in the digital era. Using role-play simulation exercises to achieve these research objectives can help both instructors and students fulfil their learning objectives (Wills, Leigh, and Ip, 2011). To explain further, learners can firstly construct their own understanding of concepts and ideas, which will provide them with a meaningful learning experience. Secondly, it will provide instructors with a robust theoretical framework to tailor their simulation exercises to match the learners’ needs, while providing opportunities for them to think critically and creatively. We corroborate with the view that creating a pseudo real learning environment that encourages collaboration and communication can increase students’ interests, engaging them actively (Addison and O’Hare, 2012; Jong et. Al., 2013). Additionally, within this illusion of reality, learners can advance their understanding of the theories and strategies involved in a business negotiation setting, by exploring their own mental constructs while enhancing the perspective of management theory and practice. Providing students with opportunities to study an array of issues can hone their critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills (Sasley, 2010; Smith and Boyer, 1996). Designing role-play simulation exercises for a pseudo real learning environment can thus provide the structure to the subject that is being taught, along with the flexibility to explore different methods to solve problems. Designing these simulation exercises based on a robust theoretical foundation can facilitate assimilating new information with previous knowledge, which can create meaningful learning that is based on a variety of experiences (Lefa, 2014). Furthermore, Piaget’s constructivist view can support the cognitive development of learners in a way that helps them realize their capabilities as well as construct their own understanding of the world (Ibid.)
Use of a Digital Escape Room (DER) to Assess Student Learning, Communication Skills, and Engagement in a Corporate Finance Course
No full textThis research examines the use of a digital escape room (DER) to reinforce accounting concepts, strengthen interpersonal communication skills, and increase student engagement among business students. Upper-level undergraduate business courses build on concepts introduced in the first- and second-year requirements. In more advanced business courses such as accounting and finance, it is expected that students have a solid grasp of what data is shown on a firm’s financial statements as well as the relationships between the various documents. To aid in reinforcing accounting concepts, a hands-on digital escape room (DER) was designed and administered to students in a corporate finance course at a small comprehensive institution in the northeast of the US. This exercise reinforces content learned in basic accounting classes and promotes learning, communication, and engagement
Pan Africa Business Simulation Game
No full textEconomists have demonstrated the existence of a positive correlation between management quality and the country\u27s economic performance. In turn, business simulation games have shown their educational effectiveness in developing management skills crucial for African countries. However, its use is still incipient, although they present different characteristics favourable to its implementation, for example: The African Continental Free Trade Area, the Digital Transformation Strategy Project for Africa (2020-2030) and The Pan-Africa Games Group. They also present singular characteristics such as the predominance of the informal sector, political instability and high corruption rates, these are factors that influence the design and adoption of a Pan-African Business Simulation Games Framework suitable for this specific context. This proposal aims to contribute a gaming framework to support collaborative development and appropriation by the end-users and Multi-User with contents representative of their contextual diversity. The successful EVER project and Bootcamp created by the Mozambican firm ITIS, which adopted a lean startup methodology to add local content in Business Games, can serve as inspiration for the PABSG
Research into Hoover’s Three Domains of Experiential Learning: The Impact of Business Simulation Gaming
No full textAt the inaugural ABSEL meeting, Hoover (1974) presented a definition of Experiential Learning which has set the tone for ABSEL research ever since. Hoover conceptualized that experiential learning involved a continuum of three domains which were: cognitive, behavioral, and affective. A research review of empirical studies by two marketing educators to assess the level of impact that business simulation gaming as an instructional methodology has on the three domains of experiential learning was undertaken. The findings from the review uncovered evidence in support of an experiential learning impact from business simulation gaming as being: weak for the cognitive domain, medium for the behavioral domain, and strong for the affective domain. The conclusion drawn from this research review was that business simulation gaming has a presence in all three of Hoover’s domains of experiential learning and is thus an effective instructional methodology