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Modifying Popular Board Games to Illustrate Complex Strategic Concepts : A Comparison With a Professional Computer Simulation
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DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-781-7.ch015
ISBN13: 9781615207817
ISBN10: 1615207813
EISBN13: 9781615207824
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Author(s): Scott Gallagher (James Madison University, USA); David Cavazos (James Madison University, USA); Steven Harper (James Madison University, USA)
Pages: 226-234 pp.
Source Title: Design and Implementation of Educational Games: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Pavel Zemliansky (James Madison University, USA); Diane Wilcox (James Madison University, USA)
Copyright: 2010
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AbstractSimulations can be powerful tools in helping students learn about strategic management. This chapter discusses the value of simulations in helping to illustrate the importance of contingency, the impossibility of a perfect strategy, planning ahead, and aligning internal resources to external environments in strategic management classes. The authors also discuss the benefits that simulations can offer in going beyond the book and class, being interesting, and the importance of instrumentality in facilitating student learning. This chapter then compares self reported student learning results for each of these variables for two simulations, a professionally packaged simulation and a “home-brewed” one based on a popular board game. The authors expected the professional simulation to do better on every variable except instrumentality. Surprisingly, the “home-brewed” simulation scored better on most of the dimensions. Therefore, they conclude by encouraging management educators to aggressively explore their instincts for simulation learning opportunities.
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