Discusses how simulation technology for the analysis of information systems (IS) supports human decision making. Examines online help and knowledge-based support, graphics, and visual interactive simulation (VIS) and animation. Concludes that there are opportunities to improve the decision support role of simulation technology in IS with enhanced…

This personal narrative traces the background of instructional gaming from 1958 to 1995. The advantages and disadvantages of gaming as a disciplined activity are considered. The evolution of professional organizations, related academic activity, the game design process, and the need for consistent use of terms are addressed. Contains 57…

Describes a study that examined the relative impact of 44 independent variables on performance in a business simulation used in an administrative policy course. Categories of variables include ability, motivation, interest, confidence, cohesion, and organizational formality; and results indicate that motivation and interest have the most effect on…

Investigates the relative contribution of computer simulations and case studies for improving undergraduate students' self-efficacy in strategic management courses. Results of pre-and post-test data, regression analysis, and analysis of variance show that simulations result in significantly higher improvement in self-efficacy than case studies.…

Reviews some of the cross-cultural factors that should be considered in the design of interactive learning environments such as computer simulations and games. Highlights include cross-cultural differences in learning and the use of technology; cross-cultural attitudes toward technology; computer anxiety; and a methodology for culture-centered…

Presents an overview of the evolution of experiential instruction theory and practice from its popular emergence in the late 1960s through the present. Simulations, games, and other experience-based instructional methods have had a substantial impact on teaching concepts and applications during this period, and have influenced traditional…

Emergency management training programs have been developed mostly for trainees from high-risk environments such as aviation or the chemical industry. This article describes a training program for staff members from low-risk environments such as hospitals or hotels, where the awareness of potential dangers is usually low and emergency plans are…

Presents five studies on the relationship between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality types and performance in a total enterprise simulation. Subjects were business students at a Midwestern university. Findings indicated no statistically supportable relationships and differed from previous research, possibly due to differences in population,…

Examines design and evaluation of computer-based role-playing. University students (n=41) were divided into two groups to use instructional programs with and without computer-based role-playing. Findings indicated that computer-based role-playing enhanced interpersonal skills development by employing a conversational model, offering opportunities…

Reviews 10 computerized business simulations used to teach business policy courses, discusses problems with measuring performance, and presents a statistically based approach to assessing performance that permits individual team goal setting as part of the computer model, and allows simulated firms to start with different financial and operating…

Examines implications of specific subject matter intervention by faculty members in economics and marketing on the choices made by students and the consequences of those choices in an online finance simulation. Findings, although mixed, suggest that interdisciplinary intervention in an online finance simulation has the potential to improve the…

Training firefighters is a difficult process in which emotions and nonverbal behaviors play an important role. The authors have developed a mixed reality environment for training a small group of firefighters, which takes into account these aspects. The assessment of the environment was made up of three phases: assessing the virtual agents to…

The RECEPTION GAME teaches conversation skills to adult foreign language learners with positions in international business and diplomacy. The design combines elements of simulation and experiential learning and takes into account conversation's rapport-building function, turn-taking mechanisms, open-ended structure, listening demands for following…

Describes the development of a collaborative Internet-based simulation game for learning to solve knowledge management problems. The game builds on two starting points: on psychological and pedagogical developments in learning and instruction, and on a perceived need for better training of people working in the emerging field of knowledge…

Reports results of surveys of faculty and students in Australian universities that were conducted to examine the use of computerized business simulations. Factors influencing the adoption of simulations are discussed, the effectiveness of various teaching methods are examined, evaluation of courses and simulations are described, and further…