Simulation games in education

You are here:

Simulation games in education

Play my game . . .

“Today is October 10, I have my first class with 2nd year students in Production Management. I’m standing in front of a group of young people. They are a little curious and a little apprehensive about what awaits them. We start the class with designing the manufacturing process and how to manage it. A few students are talkative; others look at me with reserve.

I have quite a task ahead of me – I have to teach them something they have never dealt with. None of the people in the room have ever been to a factory, they know nothing about production or what is behind the management of this complex process. Everything I tell them will be pure realm of imagination for them. My classes have a very practical dimension, so I can’t leave it at that. I have to do my best to take them from the world of abstractions to the world of concretes.

I stand in the middle of the room and say:

From now on, you are a production team, developing the prototype of a new phone for the army and successfully putting it into production. Your project will either make the company's revenues go downhill, throwing us out of the competitive market, or allow us to expand in this market. Step by step, you will take on the role of product engineers, process engineers and finally become the production team responsible for managing the results and improving what didn't work out at first. Get to work!

I can see my students’ pupils dilate; some nervously straighten their backs in an unconscious gesture. They are curious – I consider the first step in the mission to draw them into the fascinating world of production management as accomplished,” thinks Joanna Czerska, PhD, from the Faculty of Management and Economics at Gdansk University of Technology.

The non-computer simulation games in question are a great way to teach highly practical subjects. They allow people to play roles borrowed from the real world, with the goal of experiencing an unfamiliar process first-hand, from start to finish. Everything is done in such a way that the game leader can react at the appropriate moments and introduce favorable or negative changes - just like they can occur in real life.

How does a simulation game go?

We start

We start our game by presenting the challenge: the business context in which it will be implemented. In the case making phones for the military, we luckily have extensive documentation of the client’s needs. But there are constraints: our company has limited resources: 7-minute production shifts, and technological challenges. All we have is machinery in the form of markers, glue sticks and a few other simple tools. We also face staffing challenges – the team’s size is the number of students in attendance and we cannot hire additional workers.

A Dose of Theory

We already know what our limits are. Now we need to get some know-how – we learn a bit of theory, i.e., the key principles of putting the customer’s needs into product design. Only the most important ones, that will help us proceed to the next step: product design.

We start production

Each student designs their product. Then, as a team, they choose the product with the lowest manufacturing cost while meeting the customer’s needs. They discuss, revise the design, collaborate with the customer (usually played by the instructor). At this stage, we break thought patterns and learn to talk about facts and data to choose the best solution. All the while, we empathize with those who will make and use the product. A little strenuous effort and we have a prototype ready! Is it perfect? That remains to be seen.

Some more theory

Now is the time to create the manufacturing process, so knowledge of the key principles of its design will also come in handy.

We design the manufacturing process

Ugh! It’s not that easy. All 15 people on the team have a different opinion or idea. We have to find a consensus . . . The presenter supports this process, showing the pros and cons of the proposed solutions. He always leaves the decision to the students – the pilot series produced will verify whether it was the right choice. It is safe in the lecture hall at the university – there is no threat of painful costs, and learning from mistakes allows reflection! Conclusions will be helpful in the course of the project, which we will carry out in class after the game.

Time to start production

“Ready? Then how many phones will you produce in 7 minutes? On what basis will you define the target? Do you know or can you guess?” These questions teach the principles of data-driven goal setting. We write the goal on a board and we start production! At this stage, it’s hard to observe without a smile on your face the involvement of the machine operators, this joy, these attempts to cooperate and the leader running around, asking “How can I help you?” The results after 7 minutes of production? Oh, poor . . . There was a plan, but it didn’t work out.

Reflection

We reach a key moment in the learning process. We start to define the lessons learned from successes and failures. We begin by summarizing the results of the process and financial calculations. You have to pay for materials, workers, factory maintenance bills, take out a loan, and announce to the workers that there will be no bonuses.

Something needs to be changed immediately! Together, we set the main priority for improvement activities, and then each employee talks about the problems we have noticed in the product, the process and our organization. Solutions to overcome our main limitation go for implementation. The rest must wait.

Improvement

15 people, divided into 3 teams, deal with solving key problems. Time passes inexorably . . . in 15 minutes you have to start production! The customer will not wait . . . The atmosphere is heated by the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Re-verification

We start production with partially implemented solutions. There was not enough time to do everything. Each person knows only a piece of the solution because there wasn’t enough time to communicate the changes . . . It’s better, but not yet the best, so we return to Reflection. We run our production process 3 more times, so that we can finally celebrate the successes and draw key lessons that will help us with the project later in the semester.

The use of simulation games in education

In what subjects can we use simulation games?

Dr. Eng. Joanna Czerska uses them in for her classes in production management, supply chain management, production planning, warehouse process management, Lean Management, employee development management, managerial decision-making or service process management. Simulation games can be used in all subjects and levels of study, as well as in primary and secondary schools. What limits us is our habits of how we teach.

Games are especially important when we need to introduce students to a world of great complexity. When lectures alone cannot explain the relationships in a world that is new for our students. The game helps them see and experience these complex processes. You don’t need many words for this. It is enough to reflect and talk about why we succeeded and what caused us to fail. Students can then draw their own conclusions and lessons for the future.

To get the most out of simulation games, I have coined a saying: Don't shovel knowledge into students' minds because it will confuse them. Use a rake to gather their existing knowledge and experience, then add some new information. That's when receptive minds learn most effectively," says Joanna Czerska, PhD.

What tools and materials do I need?

First, you need desks that students can arrange to create their own work space. In the course of the game, they themselves find the best arrangement. Materials are also needed: you can use Legos or ordinary, readily available office supplies. More important than materials, however, are the experiences of students during the activity.

The second important element is something called game metrics – specially designed large sheets of paper that are used to carry out the key reflection sessions. These metrics are a form of class notes. Their large size lets the group work together in drawing conclusions, and all participants can see each other’s work results.

You can develop your own simulation games. For many, the experience of participating in a game is enough for the ideas to form on their own. You can also buy ready-made game games (e.g., from LeanQTeam, IBD Business School or Trainingpartners), which greatly reduce the time from idea to implementation.

How do students respond to this form of learning?

They react differently. For the most part, very positively. A few, howeve, approach the experience with great reserve: “What can I learn from gluing and painting cards or putting together toy blocks?” Some hang on to their beliefs until the end of the class. When we ask them how they would prefer to learn, a typical answer is “I prefer lectures, because at least I know what to expect for a credit. The game doesn’t help me with that, because it doesn’t systematize knowledge.”

And this is true. The role of the game is to illuminate the situation and experience the processes. To lay the groundwork for lectures, exercises or projects. By itself, it is insufficient. Therefore, in games, each stage is preceded by structured knowledge (a lecture), which we then use in the simulation.

How to verify the knowledge gained during the game?

The goal of the game is not to gain knowledge, but to understand processes, gain basic experience and learn from successes and failures. The game also builds relationships and prepares you for teamwork. One may ask: "Isn't that what knowledge is?" It is and it isn't. The game is all about the power of emotions, teamwork and experience. Even with a lot of effort from the teacher, focusing students on knowledge is a big challenge. They want to try, implement, change and act. That's why it's a good idea to start classes with a game, and then refer to the experience during lectures, exercises or a project.

What is worth keeping in mind and what to beware of?

The game takes a lot of time. Depending on the type and complexity of the issue presented, it takes 3 to 9 lesson hours, so the students’ learning process needs to be planned carefully. You need to think about when and how you will refer to and draw from the game to to ensure the new knowledge stays with them.

Have fun playing!

Authors

Alina Guzik

Alina Guzik

Chief innovation and development specialist at the Faculty of Management and Economics at Gdansk University of Technology, digital education expert

Joanna Czerska

Joanna Czerska

President and Director of LeanQ Team

Share the article: