This blog post aims to illustrate how business schools can use simulation games as an assessment tool to provide authentic real-world situations. In essence, simulations and games replicate real-world situations, processes and scenarios to enhance the learning experience (Lean et al., 2020). As a result, simulations offer students a space to experiment, apply their knowledge and skills without facing real-world consequences. Collaborating with students overseas would additionally allow for a simulation of a real global working environment.

Authentic assessment

There is a need for assessment practices in higher education (HE) to be diversified (O’Neill & Padden, 2022) and this opportunity to diversify assessment practices within business school programmes could be achieved by including more authentic assessments. Authentic assessment is a form of assessment where students can apply their learning and abilities in a real-world setting (Campbell, 2023). This type of assessment provides a space where students can showcase what they have learned in a different way instead of assessing students using traditional assessments such as written exams and essays (O’Neill & Padden, 2022).

Simulation as a tool for authentic assessment and intercultural awareness

Advanced simulation games can help educators to diversify assessment practices and can simulate ‘real-world’ situations in an authentic and engaging way (Lean et al., 2020). To explore this further a pilot project through the lens of a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) was funded by the School of Business, Operations and Strategy at Greenwich Business School, led by Dr Sathees Kunjuthamby in collaboration with Guy Giffin in November 2023. Using COIL, students from different geographical and cultural backgrounds interacted with each other to learn and work together in a virtual environment. Students from South Korea, Malaysia, Germany and the United Kingdom participated where they played a simulation game on stakeholder management.

Figure 1: Stakeholder management simulation. Workshop by Prendo at University of Greenwich

This simulation experience was developed in collaboration with Prendo Simulations Ltd, an advanced simulation provider. Students have collaborated in culturally mixed group work by participating and working on a collaborative task through a half-day simulation. Even though participants were from three different countries with each operating in their respective time zones, the simulation was conducted synchronously, again to imitate the current global working environment. Within the context of the simulation, students transformed into project managers and worked as a team on a large-scale mining project in Venezuela using the Prendo simulation player. The simulation provided students with a variety of materials (such as 12 stakeholder profiles). In teams, students worked together to gain the stakeholders’ support using a mixture of consultation, communication and modifications to the development plan.

This form of learning delivered through a simulated game offered students a space to gain insights about a project management setting and allowed them to experience the complexity of managing different stakeholders and to see the outcome of their decisions without interacting with the real stakeholders.

‘The simulated game offered students a space to gain insights about a project management setting and allowed them to experience the complexity of managing different stakeholders and to see the outcome of their decisions without interacting with the real stakeholders.’

Some student feedback following the business simulation was collected through feedback forms to understand in what ways students have benefited from the simulation experience and to inform the action research that has been applied. This would help to make more informed decisions when the simulation is delivered again to new participants. A PhD candidate from South Korea said that this simulation experience ‘provided a refreshing shift from traditional textbook learning to practical real-world applications’, further validating the findings and benefits discussed in the extant literature on simulations and games (see Narayanan & Turner, 2019; Scholtz & Hughes, 2019).

Nevertheless, this experience raises several questions and points for consideration for future researchers and approaches to teaching and learning. Some key questions that may arise from this immersive experience include:

1. How does this remote setting of the simulation impact the effectiveness of learning outcomes compared to in-person simulations?
2. What could be possible challenges and benefits of students from different countries collaborating in mixed groups and how does this impact on their learning experience?
3. What are the best practices for facilitating business simulations remotely to provide student engagement and participation from students of different cultures?

Conclusion

It is also worth identifying areas for future consideration regarding the ethical implications of using advanced simulation games. Future conversation and consideration could be around fairness and equity, cultural sensitivity and diversity. Are all students treated equally regardless of their cultural background? Were cultural differences and diversity considered when the simulation was designed? To what extent does the simulation promote inclusivity and respect for all participants? Future conversations on managing and delivering simulations could try to address these areas.

References

Campbell, A. (2023, June 13). What is authentic assessment? Bringing authentic assessment to life. Turnitin blog https://www.turnitin.com/blog/what-is-authentic-assessment-bringing-authentic-assessment-to-life

Lean, J., Moizer, J., Derham, C., Strachan, L., & Bhuiyan, Z. (2020). Real world learning: Simulation and gaming. In D.A. Morley & M.G. Jamil (Eds.). Applied pedagogies for higher education. Palgrave Macmillan.

Narayanan, E., & Turner, J. J. (2019). Perceptions of simulation games and the role they play in creating an enterprising and employable graduate. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling, 4(30), 179–196.

O’Neill, G., & Padden, L. (2022). Diversifying assessment methods: Barriers, benefits and enablers. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 59(4), 398–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2021.1880462

Scholtz, F., & Hughes, S. (2019). A systematic review of educator interventions in facilitating simulation based learning. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 13(5), 1408–1435. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2018-0019