Evaluating the Effect of Learning through Business Simulation Game on Secondary School Students

Abstract

Teaching and learning through games is an interesting and innovative method in education. The young age groups of population spend thousands of hours in playing games and it has been proved that this activity improves their cognitive skills. The rising interest in games as a tool of teaching & learning has led to the development of many serious games. Simulation games not only provide the player with the real scenarios at a low cost but also provide an opportunity to experiment which is an integral part of learning for students. Traditionally business has been taught through books and examples but has never been taught through simulation games wherein students would be able to make real life decisions and check the impact of their choices. The purpose of our study is to understand the impact of business simulation game as a tool of learning. Business is a complex subject and requires knowledge on a range of concepts such as managing finance, knowledge of market, marketing tools etc. To teach all of these concepts in an integrated environment is a challenging task. The best way to teach this subject is by taking help from the technological advances and creating an environment where all of these concepts can be taught and tested at the same time. Adopting the path of simulation games is not only inexpensive but also beneficial for a larger audience in the longer run. Our goal is to investigate the student’s level of understanding of business that this simulation helps in providing to secondary school students.