11 Apr Running the Simulation: Helping Students Learn by Doing
Posted at 08:18h in Blog
So, you’ve adopted a business simulation for your course. Now what?
Running the simulation is where the magic really starts to happen. It’s when your students begin making decisions, facing consequences, analyzing outcomes—and ultimately connecting the dots between business concepts and business practice. But how do you guide them without taking the wheel? How do you know they’re on the right track?
This post walks you through best practices for running our sims (with BizCafe as a prime example) to ensure your students get the most from the experience—and you get the most from your time in the classroom.
1. What Should You Look for in the Results?
This is easily the most common question we get from instructors: How do I interpret the results?
The simulation generates a lot of data, and the first instinct for many students (and instructors!) is to zoom in on profitability. That’s important—but it’s not the whole picture.
In BizCafe, for instance, the smarter question is: Are students making informed decisions? Are they investing in awareness and staffing? Are they balancing short-term profit with long-term growth? These are the signs of real learning.
Use the Simulation Results page to compare how teams are doing. Revenue, net income, and customer satisfaction are a solid starting point, but you can also create Weighted Scores that reflect the goals of your course. Just be sure to avoid over-emphasizing one measure (like unit sales), or you risk encouraging students to game the system instead of learning from it.
Pro Tip: Want to see whether a team is really thinking strategically? Look for alignment between their goals, their decisions, and their results over time.
2. How to Coach—But Not Over-Coach
This is where your role as instructor gets interesting. You’re not here to give the “right” answers (there usually isn’t just one!). Instead, think of yourself as a mentor or investor. Offer feedback, ask good questions, and nudge students to think more deeply.
A few examples of coaching without controlling:
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[You noticed that they have poor staffing levels] “How did you calculate your staff needs?”
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“Your competition has the same price for coffee as you, how will you differentiate yourselves?”
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“Is your customer satisfaction keeping pace with your revenue? How would determine that?”
These questions spark reflection—and reflection is where learning lives.
Also, expect to use the phrase “It depends.” a lot. Whether they’re wondering if they should hire more staff or raise prices, the answer always hinges on their environment and their strategy. Encourage them to make thoughtful trade-offs, just like they would in the real world.
3. Connect Simulation Play to Learning Objectives
Remember those learning objectives you built your course around? This is your chance to reinforce them in context.
Every decision your students make in the simulation ties into broader course themes: marketing, operations, finance, leadership. Use the simulation assignments and incident prompts to create a structure that reinforces those topics week by week. And don’t forget the instructor manual—it’s packed with ready-to-go assignments, slides, and teaching notes that align beautifully with course content.
Also, consider how you assess student learning. The simulation offers quizzes, team assignments, peer evaluations, and more to help you balance individual and team performance fairly.
4. Watch for Struggling Teams—and Step In Early
The simulation is also a diagnostic tool in a limited way. When you see a team flailing—unusual income statements, wild decision swings, or stagnant customer satisfaction—it’s time for a check-in.
Hold quick strategy meetings with underperforming teams. Ask:
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What goals have you set?
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How are you tracking progress?
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What decisions did you make—and why?