SIMULATION EMPHASIS IN THE BUSINESS SCHOOL CAPSTONE COURSE Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 17, 1990 194 SIMULATION EMPHASIS IN THE BUSINESS SCHOOL CAPSTONE COURSE Alan J. Grant, San Diego State University ABSTRACT Recent articles are inconsistent when discussing the most effective mix of simulation, case method and lecture & discussion pedagogies in Instructing the Business Schools’ required ‘Capstone” course. An emergent type of evaluation of these pedagogies is made using a ‘naturalistic paradigm rather than the traditional ‘scientific paradigm’ on which previous research has been based. Recommendations include a suggestion that the American association of Collegiate Schools of Business make the use of simulation mandatory for the ‘Capstone course. SIMULATION EMPHASIS EVALUATION The prerequisites for Capstone course enrollment are the successful completion of the junior level “building block courses in finance, accounting, marketing and management plus Senior Standing. The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of business specifies the course content and mandates curriculum inclusion as an accreditation requirement. By far, Case Method type instruction has predominated the teaching methods. But over the last few decades, business simulation games have been gaining a stronger emphasis. A review of recent articles regarding the use of simulation as well as numerous interviews with both students and instructors of the Capstone course gives rise to a number of questions involving both pedagogical emphasis and instructors’ perceptions. In order to obtain a new and perhaps more meaningful evaluation an emergent, formative merit evaluation process along the lines described by Michael Quinn Patton in his book “Creative Evaluations’ (1987) was used. Over the last few years, the use of the business simulation game exercise in the Capstone course was qualitatively expanded by some instructors to include the elements of strategic planning, formal periodic reports by the student teams and case—like critical discussion and analysis of simulation events by the entire class. The instructor interviews brought out some interesting dichotomies which are believed to be the main reasons which have prevented a quantitative measure of pedagogical effectively. For example, it soon became apparent that “lectures and discussions, case analysis” and simulation were not being used as discrete teaching methodologies! Each pedagogy overlapped with the other! Case type reports were sometimes required of the student simulation teams and, on the other hand, subsequent lectures and discussions took place regarding lessons learned from the simulation. There are many effective general management type simulation games on the market, but unfortunately the cost of them are heavily focused on quantitative results. Richard Cotter, in his ‘The business Policy game’ (1986,ed.2) suggests that the instructor might wish to formalize the start of the game with each team preparing a “Policy Manual” followed up by annual reports at the end of each year’s play (four quarters). Thus, a qualitative element may be added to the simulation game. In particular, the criteria for determining the “winners’ of the University of Nevada Reno Games rely heavily on the quality and faithfulness of achieving the goals called out in the reports of the student teams. Outside judges (practicing business executives) not only review the originally submitted “Business Plans and subsequent Annual Reports” but actually visit the student teams in their assigned “board’ rooms in order to qualitatively judge the management team’s performance with respect to the other teams. The criterion for "winning is thus not completely quantitative but qualitative as well. This certainly is a more realistic criteria than one measuring just total sales, profits and Return on Investment at the end of play. This is where the dichotomy lies in the business simulation games. It is easily seen that with just a little more effort, the qualitative elements of strategic planning, meaningful shareholders reports and annual meeting presentations might bring a qualitative balance to the historical quantitative use of these games. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS There were three major questions posed in this article. Some answers resulting from this evaluation follow each: 1. What should be the ‘proper” balance of pedagogies used in instructing the Capstone course in order to achieve optimal learning? Both student and instructor interview data indicate an overlap of what has heretofore been considered distinct pedagogies. Thus the instructor can, and some now do, use the business simulation exercise results in a very active and meaningful set of lectures and discussions”. Similarly, the Simulation model could represent a real industry, such as the automotive, and provide not only experiential learning but the same instructional facets as those of the Case Method". 2. Will experiential methodology become the dominant element of the pedagogies used in the Capstone course? The data behind this evaluation suggests that simulation will find an equal place in the Capstone pedagogies as their quantitative use will be tempered by qualitative reasoning similar to those used in judging the University of Nevada Reno Games. 3. Should there be special pedagogical guidelines for the Capstone course Instructor? It is suggested that the AACSB review its mandates on the Capstone course in order to require simulation in this most important element of the business schools’ curriculum, the Capstone course. Table of Contents Volume 17, 1990 The Impact of Decision Support Systems on the Effectiveness of Small Group Decisions - Revisited The Relationship Between Financial Performance and Other Measures of Learning on a Simulation Exercise Use and Effectiveness of an Analogy-Based Expert System Suggestions for Computerized Business Authors Dealing with Power: An Experiential Exercise Using Movie and Personal Diary Analysis Techniques A Model for Developing Student Skills and Assessing Outcomes Through Outdoor Training Computer-Aided Exercises Versus Workbook Exercises as Learning Facilitator in the Principles of Marketing Course An Exposition of Guilford's Si Model as a Means of Diagnosing and Generating Pedagogical Strategies in Collegiate Business Education Formal Planning and Simulation Team Performance: A Cross Sectional Approach Cases: Real Organizations in Real Time in the Classroom An Empirical Investigation of the Internal Validity of Marketing Simulation Game An Empirical Evaluation of the Pedagogical Value of Playing a Simulation Game in a Principles of Marketing Course Factors Affecting Effective Teaching of Strategic Planning: Some Preliminary Evidence An Experiential Exercise for Learning About the Relationship Between Organizational Form & the Project Management Process Accounting Communication Skills can be Taught in the Auditing Course Modeling Cost Functions in Computerized Business Simulation: An Application of Duality Theory and Sheppard's Lemma A Life Cycle Analysis of Decision Making for a Strategic Management Team What's the Problem? A Dynamic Model for Teaching Problem Solving Skills Experientially International Currency Fluctuations: Money$im, A Simulation Superstores: A Specialized Retailing Simulation Within a Specialized Marketing Curriculum Factors Affecting Student Perceptions of Learning in a Business Policy Game VC + EL = VL The Name Game: An Experiential Exercise in Intergroup Relations The Effects of Experiential Accounting Work Experience on Student Performance in Intermediate Accounting Courses The Results of Using the Experiential Activity Group Performance Evaluation in a Business Policy Setting Using a Legal Database to Describe the Legal Environment of Marketing (and Business) Matching Environmental Uncertainty and Organizational Configuration An Instructional Computer Simulation of Tampering in QC Executive Evaluation of Student Learning in the Looking Glass Simulation Group Personality Composition and Total Enterprise Simulation Performance An Expert System for Selecting Analytical Techniques for Analyzing Marketing Research Data Effects of Cognitive Styles on Responses in an In-Basket Simulation A Psychometric Analysis of Kolb's Revised Learning Style-Inventory Selecting and Developing Experiential Exercises Using Movies Application of a Real-World Strategic Management Model in the Classroom Demand Equations which Include Product Attributes Consumption as the Objective in Computer-Scored Total Enterprise Simulations The Effects of Decision Format and Evaluation on Simulation Performance, Decision Time, and Team Cohesion The Effects of Computer Related Assignments on Student Performance in Business Administration The Money Game: A Dynamic Simulation Including Random Shocks for Money and Banking Courses Methods for Evaluating Performance on Business Simulations: A Survey The Effects of Synergogy on the Policy Course: Significant Improvements in Student Learning and Teacher Evaluation Conditions and Outcomes of Trust in a Two-Person Bargaining Exercise Bankgame Enhancing Computer Business Simulation with the Use of VGA Graphics An Experiential Approach to Entrepreneurship An Advanced Simulation Method (ASM) for Multiple Objective Problems The Influence of Experiential learning Techniques on Student Recognition of Non-Primary Learning Styles Negotiating Mergers and Acquisitions: A Cocktail Napkin Approach Identification of Unintended Effects in Experiential Laboratory Exercises An Experimental Comparison of Paper and Pencil and Computer Aided Decision Support Tools Porting a Simulation from the IBM World to the Macintosh World A Transaction Cost Analysis of Experiential Learning The Development of Experiential Exercises for Courses in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management The Assessment Center as and Experiential Classroom Exercise Pricing Strategy Algorithms for Playing Business Simulations Organizational Structures for International Operations: An Experiential Activity Simulation Emphasis in the Business School Capstone Course An Integrated Approach to Computerizing the Business Curriculum Cross-Cultural Business Negotiations Exercise Organizational Socialization and Gender Differences in Students at Work Understanding Student Work Experience: A Content-Analytic Approach Introducing Executive MBA Programs with Management Games An Analysis of Improvement in Business Decision Outcome with Sequential Use of Two Simulation Games Teaching Business Policy Utilizing Mass Lecture and Individual Case Labs Potholes Along the Road to Evaluating Learning Outcomes: The Case of Outdoor Management Training Experiential Learning for Interior Design Students: Using CADD, Lotus 1-2-3, and Wordperfect Cognitive Learning Using a Computer-Based, Qualitative Interactive Business Simulation Sex Discrimination: Does the Woman get the Job or Does the Best Man Win? A Search for Visual Aids to Support Experiential Learning Through the 1990's An Experimental Analysis fo the Effectiveness of Student Role-Playing in Sales Training How to Have Students Learn from their Term Projects Self-Evaluation Exercise (SEE): An Assessment of Class Contribution A Study of the Influence of Team Formation on Attitudes and Performance in Management Games A Hardware Based CIM Simulation Laboratory Model Test Substance Abuse in Organizations Micro Computer Training Models Teaching Forecasting, Cash Budgeting and Inventory Model Building Using SBTools A Comparison of the Effects of Experiential Learning Activities and Traditional Lecture Classes An Adjunct Writing Instruction Assistant, The Computer; With an Illustration Classroom Software for ABC Analysis Utilizing Information Processing Technology to Enhance the Business Policy Simulation Experience Progressive Cases Realistic Job Previews Vs. Traditional Job Previews: Experiencing the Differences and Understanding the Consequences Investment Analysis Using the Pragmatic Multiplier Approach A Computer Simulation Interface for Competitive and Firm Analysis Self-Assessment of Ethical Decision Making Predispositions Preparing Managers for Overseas Assignments An Inquiry into Japanese Marketing: Workshop on Teaching Japanese Marketing The Performance Appraisal Feedback Interview: A Role Play for Human Resources Management Teaching Counselor Selling techniques Using Experiential Techniques to Teach International Topics International Management Simulation Gaming: Current Status and Future Developments A Realism Comparison of Simulation Technologies/Methodologies A Time-Efficient Game to Illustrate Concepts Taught in Management Courses and Management Development Programs Teaching the Management of Technology The Concept of Face and the Applicability of Experiential Exercises in an Oriental Culture's