Millennials have become a hot topic. Even the word itself has become a trigger which sets off comments from older generations. However, the reality is “it is what it is” and those working with the millennial generation must learn to adapt. So when it comes to education, colleges and universities must also adapt to meet the needs of students or risk losing enrollments to other schools or the booming online learning industry.
Gamification: modern education for a modern generation
Sitting in a lecture theater and listening to theory alone fails to engage students and results in poor pass rates. The best way to appeal to millennials is through technology. Twenty-somethings grew up with video games and the online world, so “gamifying” courses is a great way to make learning more engaging, motivating and challenging.
Gamification of a business course means to create active, experience-based learning activities which provide students with interaction with other players, immediate feedback and an award system. Gamification encourages discovery at a student’s own pace, while giving them the ability to make choices and face consequences in a simulated environment. Gamified courses, such as those using a marketing simulation or management simulation, have been proven to boost engagement and produce more successful results. And why wouldn’t they? They are fun, rich in content, relevant, flexible and easily accessible.
This is why colleges and universities across the world are introducing strategy simulation courses, such as business simulation games.
Using business simulations for gamification and experiential learning
The purpose of educational business simulations, at their core, is to create an experiential learning environment to improve learning outcomes and student success. These multi-sensory learning environments enable students to put theory into practice as they manage their own virtual company. This creates an active experience where students must take ownership over their learning, helping them to gain a more meaningful understanding of theory and concepts. The benefit of this approach is increased engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes are genuine. As they are in charge of their own company, the experiences become their own, rather than someone from a case study.
Smartsims offers a range of business simulations which deliver gamification and experiential learning to business courses in over 20 countries. To learn more about the benefits of gamified courses:
Smartsims: Real-world Experience for Tomorrow’s Professionals!