WHAT DO FACULTY SAY ABOUT SIMULATIONS

Teaching with Simulations
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Harvard Business Publishing asked a group of simulation authors questions about their experience using simulations (aka "sims") in the classroom. Their answers show that simulations challenge students to analyze available information and make critical decisions to solve a business challenge. While sometimes perceived as "video games," in fact, the best simulations allow students to experiment with ideas and outcomes and ultimately master the application of concepts to real situations.


What does a simulation do for student learning that other methods don't?

Playing a role, not just reading and analyzing. They make decisions and see the results of their decisions in the response of other players and the outcome of the sim. Simulations generate much more energy among students than traditional lectures or case discussions.

Prof. Ernst: With simulations, students can explore the impact of multiple decisions at the same time. Simulations also allow students to validate their common sense relative to a particular situation.

Prof. Shih: A simulation forces students to synthesize and integrate what they read and make actual decisions based on facts or data presented in the case. Simulations give students a temporal dimension, an opportunity to experience outcomes that change based on their inputs over time.

Prof. Roberto: Simulations provide one way to provide some variety in pedagogy. They also provide that rapid feedback on student decision-making which is so critical for their learning.

Prof. Casadesus-Masanell: It's fun for students. There's not much preparation on their side, and it breaks the routine of cases. A simulation allows students to be in their own skin and directly experiment with ideas. It's very different from a standard class.

Prof. Edmondson: A sim requires action, and decisions. Students are right in the mix, having an experience as opposed to reading about an experience. Team-based sims have the added value of getting students to deal with team dynamics-just like in real life.



How do students react to using simulations?

Prof. Austin: Students don't want to stop playing. They play very differently. Some crash ahead, make mistakes, run through a scenario many times quickly. Others move much more slowly, deliberately, thinking carefully, studying what happens.

Prof. Ernst: Students enjoy winning. A well designed simulation includes an element of competition that encourages them to strive and to impress their classmates (and the faculty) while learning!

Prof. Shih: Students have told me that sims force them to integrate and apply material that they have learned. The opportunity to try things-test a hypothesis and receive immediate feedback-gives the sim a dimension that you can't get from a case alone.

Prof. Casadesus-Masanell: When I first started using a sim, I did not imagine the energy it would bring to the class. I've taught with sims in MBA and Executive Education and with both, the level of discussion is different than with cases-people get much more emotionally involved and competitive-they get hooked and their understanding of the learning points increases.



What surprised you the most about using simulations in your classes?

Prof. Luerhman: I am most surprised by the breadth of students' experiences. The more students talk about what they did in the course of the sim and what they learned from playing it, the more it becomes clear that the experience is a little different for everyone.

Prof. Austin: The biggest surprise is that we tend to get tremendous amounts of learning even when the results are markedly different in various runs of the simulation.

Prof Ernst: I have been impressed by how much students enjoy using simulations. It is a clear venue to convey concepts in a very friendly environment. When followed by a good debriefing session the learning obtains a different meaning.



For faculty who haven't tried a sim-what one thing would you say to convince them to try one?

Prof. Edmondson: The students love it. It's hard to get them to stop talking about it, they want to do it over and over, and to share the experience. They have fun, it's engaging, they laugh, they're surprised. And it's memorable. It sticks.

Prof. Luerhman: Your students will thank you for trying it.

Prof. Austin: I'd say "Just wait until you hear the students' discussion after they've used the simulation." It's exhilarating, really, the issues the sim gives them access to. This is a really important point: The educational power is in the debrief. A sim is not the same thing as an online course. Rather, it's a way to get students talking about what you need to teach them.

Prof. Shih: Try it, play it on a demo account, and recognize that your comfort level will rise quickly with a little bit of experience. I have talked to a number of faculty users of Harvard Business Publishing sims, and I observe that once they took the plunge, they quickly saw the pedagogical value and their comfort level rose quickly.

Prof. Roberto: I believe that a good simulation offers opportunities for rich discussion and powerful learning even if the results don't work as predicted in the instruction's manual. I also believe that a diversity of outcomes represents one of the strengths of a good simulation.



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