THE SIMULATION AND CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 25, 1998 THE SIMULATION AND CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES Denise R. Markovich University of North Dakota ABSTRACT BankExec, an interactive bank simulation, is used to illustrate how a simulation may be adapted to assessment. Based on Classroom Assessment Techniques and feedback from students and practitioners it appears the BankExec experience contributes to student learning more so than quantitative measures indicate. INTRODUCTION Simulations require students to apply concepts they have learned and often they serve an integrative function. In capstone courses they are holistic and inclusive of learning across disciplines. How effectively simulations enhance learning is subject to some debate. Richard L. Dukes (1994) describes gaming as “a masterpiece of teaching, learning, and scholarship” whereas Malik, Howard & Morse (1996) challenge the effectiveness of simulations as a learning tool. To assess student learning, most studies rely on objective measures such as stock price; however, this paper explores Classroom Assessment as a way of evaluating student learning. CHARACTERISTICS OF CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT Classroom Assessment is an individualized approach to evaluating student learning which is directed by the teacher, involves student participation and evaluation, is typically brief, ongoing, anonymous and ungraded. According to Angelo and Cross (1993), to qualify as a good CAT, a technique should be context sensitive, be an appropriate technique in many disciplines, provide information on ways to improve learning during the semester, be easy to administer, provide feedback that is easy to organize and use, and enhance learning. CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT PROJECT CYCLE AND TECHNIQUES The project cycle for Classroom Assessment consists of planning, implementing and responding. The first table provides examples for each cycle and illustrates how BankExec satisfied each of the stages of the cycle. The second table lists several CAT’s and corresponding applications from BankExec. Planning Focus on an assessable goal Plan a CAT based on that goal Evaluated four areas of bank risk Decision exercise Implementing Direct lecture towards the goals Collect and analyze data Focused course content, lectures, and reports on risk Output & reports were critical sources of information Responding Interpret results and formulate appropriate response Communicate results Evaluate effect on teaching and learning From output & reports, evaluated performance of each team; reviewed relevant financial concepts. Class & team debriefing: compared and contrasted specific areas of financial performance. Distributed an evaluative questionnaire Requested evaluations from bank examiners. interviewers, & employers. 27 Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 25, 1998 Classroom Assessment Technique Student Activity Focused Listing Listed knowledge of a specific term (spread, gap etc.) Memory Matrix Categorized kinds of loans and investments Pro and Con Grid Compared conservative and aggressive strategies Class Modeling Presented Shareholders’ Report to FDIC examiners Minute Paper Outlined a Strategic Plan Analytical Memo Wrote a Strategic Plan & a BankExec Paper Group-Work Evaluations Evaluated all team members Exam Evaluations Essay questions related directly to BankExec CONCLUSIONS BankExec. an interactive simulation, gave students insights into the dynamics of managing a bank, and also enhanced basic academic skills. The simulation also contributed to higher-order thinking skills. Students learned to apply principles to problems, to draw inferences from observations, to synthesize and integrate information, and to think holistically. With each decision, their systematic completion of reports, and the classroom and team discussions, students began to think comprehensively as they evaluated output, discussed various “what if’ scenarios, and reviewed competitors’ performances. By the end of the semester, decisions which initially took teams several hours to make were made in minutes. Most importantly, during bank examinations and job interviews students were able to discuss financial management of banking confidently, articulately, and precisely. In sum, BankExec helped develop all skills important to learning. The BankExec experience suggests that the quantitative evaluations of simulations provided by authors such as Washbush & Gosenpud (1993) and Peach (1996) which focused on decision output. may overlook some aspects of student learning Identifying different objectives, examining qualitative measures, and accumulating evidence from CATs would provide an additional way of evaluating simulations as a learning tool. REFERENCES Angelo, Thomas A. & Cross, K. Patricia (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2nd. Edition, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Dukes. Richard L (1994) , “An Appraisal of Simulation and (laming on the 25th Anniversary of S&G,” Simulation and Gaming (June 1994), p.’ 96. Malik, S. Dolly, Howard, Barbara J., & Morse, Kenneth, O. (1997). Business plans, case studies and total enterprise simulations: As natural co-existence. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 24, 158-163. Peach, E. Brian (1996). Enhancing simulation learning through objectives and decision support systems. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 23, 6 1-67. Washbush, J. & Gosenpud, J. (1993). The relationship between total enterprise simulation performance and learning. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 20, 141. 28 Table of Contents Volume 25, 1998 Marketing Goes to the Movies Bringing Experiential Learning to a Principles of Marketing Course Investment Analysis Application Using In-house Spreadsheet Models SugarCoated Statistics: An Exercise for the First Day of Class Improving Undergraduate Student Involvement in Management Science and Business Writing Courses Using the Seven Principles in Action Establishment and Funding for Interuniversity / Multidisciplinary Student experiences The Prospects of Creative Teaching: A Discussion with Patricia Sanders The Simulation and Classroom Assessment Techniques Developments of Management Skill Assessment Games as Instruments of Assessment: A Framework for Evaluation The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Business Curricula Threshold Solo Competitor: A Management Simulation (V1.0) a Windows-Based. Play Alone, Total Enterprise Simulation and Assessment Instrument Toward An Understanding of One's self-concept Total Enterprise Simulations and the Internet: Improving Student Perceptions and Simplifying Administrative Workloads The Expatriate an Assignment Orientation Game An Expatriate's Nightmare: An Experiential Exercise in Coping with Overseas Assignments Analyzing Experiential Exercise: Using the Scientific Method for Problem Solving The Second Component to Experiential Learning: A Look Back at How ABSEL has handled the Conceptual and Operational Definitions of Learning Predictive Models of Learning: Participant Satisfaction of Experiential Exercises in Business Education Accelerating Moral Development through Use of Experiential Ethical Dilemmas Ethical Dilemmas to use with Business Simulations to Teach Ethics The Class Approach in Behavioral Simulation in a Business Policy/Strategic Management course: A Progression toward Greater Realism An Exploration of the Emergence of Process Prototypes in a Management Course Utilizing a Total Enterprise Simulation How Organizations Are Improving Their Performance Utilizing Electronic Commerce: Examples From The Internet The Market Access Planning System (Maps): A Computer-Based Decision Support System For Facilitating Experiential Learning In International Business An Excel Workbook For Student Planning And Interface With A Simulation Game Design Of Multi-Media Based Pedagogy For Leadership Training Panel Discussion On Using The Internet For Courses Valuing And Enhancing Teaching: Sharing Tips Via The Web The Buddy Project: A Semester Long Project Aimed At Developing An Appreciation For Diversity Enhancing The Excitement And Learning Retention In The Classroom: The Power Of Magic The Supervised Management Internship: A Job Or Learning Experience Team Ware™ An Online Moderated Class Discussion Facility And Beyond A Neophyte Distance Educator's Experience Learning Management By Practicing Management: A Report Of Significant Student Service In 1997 Integration Of Academic And Service Learning: Students' Perceptions About Its Effects And Outcomes The Value Of Incorporating A Service Learning Component Into Course Content: A Presentation And Roundtable Discussion Business Games Teach: Thoughts on the Sources of Conflicting Conclusions on their Effectiveness Antecedents Of Learning In The Simulation: A Replication Using Student Journals To Enhance Learning From Simulations Technological Change And Intertemporal Movements In Consumer Preferences In The Design Of Computerized Business Simulations With Market Segmentation Integrating The Marketing Curriculum Using Collaborative Learning Teaching Time Management In A Sales Program: The Application Of A Computer Simulation Game Adapting Interactive Computer Simulations For Content Based Esl Instruction Multimedia And Student Expectations Synthesizing Data For Media Simulations Composing A Team Health Promoting Behaviors-A Decision Making Exercise Does it really Work? An Application of the Group Interaction Framework Administering the MIT Beer Game: Lessons Learned A Paperless Economy? Instructing Students on the Aspects of Successful Electronic Commerce Maximizing Learning Gains in Simulations: Lessons from the Training Literature Observing General Ability in a Total Enterprise Gaming Simulation FReach Teach: A Computer-Based System for Teaching Advertising Media Planning An Integrated Business Instruction System An Experiential Exercise you can Tinker With Experiential Exercises or Computer Simulations? Cash Flow Statements: Are They Important in Business Simulations? Holistic Cognitive Strategy in a Computer-Based Marketing Simulation Game: An Investigation of Attitudes Towards the Decision-Making Process Barnga: A Game on Cultural Clashes The Many Faces of Culture: Understanding Country and Corporate Culture Students' View of the Use of Business Gaming in Hong Kong Assessing General Management Interest What is the Future of Business Gaming? Starting a Small Music Trivia Business Exercise and Other Innovative Icebreakers An Integrated Approach to Behavioral Skill Development Career Focus: A Student and Business Learning Experience The Use of Concept Mapping in Teaching Strategic Management An Experiential Approach to Developing Mission Statements Business Games in Brazil-Learning or Satisfaction A Simulation within a Simulation: Job Layoff's and Emotional Reactions