31 Jan Select and Implement the Best Business Simulation for Your Class
Select and Implement the Best Business Simulation for Your Class
Incorporating a business simulation into your course can transform the learning experience, bringing real-world decision-making and strategic thinking into the classroom. However, adopting a simulation for the first time comes with its own set of considerations. Here’s a guide to help you choose the right simulation and prepare for a successful rollout.
How to Choose the Best Simulation for Your Needs
With so many options available, selecting the right simulation can feel overwhelming. Start by considering:
-
Your Course Objectives: Are you teaching marketing, operations, strategy, or leadership? Ensure the simulation aligns with the learning goals of your course. For example, Interpretive Simulations offers specialized simulations tailored to various business disciplines like management, marketing, strategy, and sustainability.
-
Student Level: Simulations can be used in a variety of levels, but it’s best to come with an idea of the level of business knowledge your students have and talk to us about that. Is it an intro class, a foundation or principles class, or an advanced class?
-
Class Size: Running a simulation for 20 students versus 200 looks very different from the instructor’s perspective. If you have a large class, look at what administrative support you will have to review simulation results for your students so that you can encourage meaningful collaboration within teams.
-
Time Commitment: Consider the length of your course and how much time students will have to engage with the simulation. Some simulations can be run through an entire semester, while others may work well within a few weeks.
-
Instructor Involvement: Expect to spend some time with your results! Instructors who do that analysis will always have a better experience with the sim than those who do not. Your students expect it and it will enhance learning as well!
What to Expect
Adopting a business simulation means integrating a dynamic and interactive learning tool into your course. Here are some expectations to keep in mind:
-
Learning Curve: The more you spend time with the simulation, the better it will go for both students and instructor! With Interpretive Simulations, we provide a Customer Relationship Manager to help you through that learning curve! For your students, we provide email support and numerous support documents and videos!
-
Increased Engagement: Never underestimate the power of competition as a learning catalyst! Once students understand the case, most of them will engage deeply with the content.
-
Performance Variation: Students will perform at different levels based on their decision-making skills. Use this as an opportunity for discussions and learning moments, and tie-ins with your class content.
-
Need for Debriefing: A crucial part of the simulation experience is the post-simulation debrief, where students analyze outcomes, reflect on decisions, and connect the simulation to real-world applications. Require your students to do a Final Report (see our blog post on this!).
Workload for Instructors and Students
A simulation can take up as much time as you want it to and that workload ranges based on what you want out of it:
-
For Instructors: Expect initial setup time to familiarize yourself with the simulation and configure settings. It is also important that you play the simulation through, yourself, or with colleagues. As your Customer Relationship Manager about setting this up! Throughout the course, you will want to monitor progress, provide guidance, and facilitate discussions. Reflection and Discussion are a couple of the major benefits of the simulation as a teaching tool.
-
For Students: Depending on the complexity of the simulation, students should anticipate dedicating time to making decisions, analyzing results, and strategizing for the next round. They should also be prepared to produce a Final Report at the end, exploring what worked well and what did not.
Getting Started
Ready to implement a business simulation in your course? Follow these steps:
-
Explore Your Options: Visit Interpretive Simulations to find a simulation that aligns with your teaching goals.
-
Request a Demo: Follow this link to this form and request a demo, which will provide you with Faculty Access (a username and password). This provides you access to Sample Course Sites and numerous resources for all of our sims!
-
Do a walkthrough with us: The best way to quickly get up to speed on our sims is to request a Walkthrough! You can easily do so by going here. We’ll spend 20 minutes to an hour with you, 1 on 1, walking you through the simulation, answering your questions. Just information, no sales pitch.
-
Adopt a Simulation for Your Course: Ready to adopt? It’s easy—just login with your Faculty Access you got from us and click the button that says “Add a New Course”, follow the instructions. You will be contacted by one of our Customer Relationship Managers to get your rolling.
-
Plan Your Course Integration: We have a number of sample syllabi that can get you started, but it’s also a good idea to talk to us about this as well. Decide how the simulation will fit into your syllabus, including how it will be graded and assessed.
-
Utilize Support: Don’t hesitate to reach out to Interpretive Simulations’ support team for guidance on best practices and troubleshooting.