BUSINESS POLICY SIMULATION AND THE INTENSE COURSE STRUCTURE Insights into Experiential Pedagogy, Volume 6, 1979 157 BUSINESS POLICY SIMULATION AND THE INTENSE COURSE STRUCTURE Nancy S. Sampson, University of Denver Constantine E. Sotiriou, University of Denver ABSTRACT A business policy simulation/course was investigated under a normal term and under an intensive term schedule. Students enrolled in the same course under the two scheduling formats were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the academic content, instructor contact, likes and dislikes concerning the course. (Normal N=150; Intensive N27) Students in the normal term course more positively related to the integrative and practical aspects of the course, and a high proportion indicated no dislikes. Students in the test group or intensive term course strongly liked the course duration and Instructor. These students had more dislikes, especially that of working in groups. INTRODUCTION One of the cited benefits of simulations is that they provide a dynamic environment for decision making. The impact of the dynamics may, however, be diminished by the constraints of a standard academic term such as the 10 week quarter. In other words, decision- making activities are spread over approximately two months with several days to a week separating decision inputs to the simulation. It is hypothesized that a more concentrated, intensive effort in the simulation will accomplish the same educational purposes, and, at the same time, bring about a greater sense of educational value for the students. BACKGROUND Since the first business simulation was publicized in 1957 [1], the primary focus of most research has been in the area of justifying the simulation as a good learning tool [2]. Student learning, measured through the use of accepted techniques, was used as the criterion to compare simulation to traditional teaching/ learning methods. However despite the plethora of research in this area, a number of experts believe that no conclusive results have been obtained indicating that simulation is a superior teaching method to traditional teaching methods, or an even adequate teaching method [2]. There is no question that the majority of writers have a favorable opinion toward simulation as a teaching device [3]. in addition many of these writers mentioned that student interest and motivation toward simulation courses contributed to learning [4,5]. Prior to 1975 no writer had asked the students directly to comment on their perceived learning and/or motivation in a simulation course versus traditional courses [3]. However 1975 marked the appearance of articles that looked at simulations from the point of view of either the student [3,6] or the simulation administrator [2]. These research studies were initiated either because these authors believed that the traditional studies tried to measure something that is non-measurable or because they felt that students’ opinions were very valuable. This article compares students perceptions regarding a simulation offered under two scheduling formats; a normal term and an intensive term. To date, no research has been published addressing this topic. METHODOLOGY The following method was used to test the hypothesis. Student evaluations and demographic data were compared for two distinctive time-duration offerings of the same business policy course using a single simulation [71. The control group was composed of students who participated in the simulation during a normal academic quarter of 10 weeks. The test group participated in the simulation during a concentrated term of 2 1/2 weeks. Perceptions of the control group were compared with those of the test group. The only change in the test case was duration of the course. Prerequisites, course requirements and the simulation were the same between the two cases; however the overall duration of the test case is 25 percent as long as for the control group. The questionnaire used was brief and primarily open- ended to achieve unbiased responses. Students were surveyed regarding their likes and dislikes of the course. They were asked to rank the academic content and an instructor Contact factor on a Likert-like scale. Demographic data Included educational level, and a course/hour load for the term at hand. All students involved participated in the same simulation under the same faculty member. COURSE ENVIRONMENT The specific environment of the policy course under consideration is a unique one and must be noted. The course is a required capstone for all business undergraduates and first year MBA candidates. All core courses arc prerequisites to the policy course. Due to the fact that the course is based entirely on a computer based simulation, it carries two quarter hours of pass/fail credit. This further leads to using the term “course” to imply the use of the simulation. Exams in this environment are limited to testing for knowledge of the simulation rules and statements. These exams are completed before the end of the first year’s decisions are completed (Total duration is 4 years). All required reports (initial, updated and post- simulation statements of objectives, policies and plans) are graded on a pass/fail basis by group. Groups or firms are composed of three to four self- selected student members. No attempt is made to test the students following the simulation. A debriefing technique is used to arrive at closure. An eight-hour Saturday session is used at the end of the term. During this session students complete a year and a half of decision making (6 decisions) in rapid succession. The stated purpose of the course focuses on the integrative aspect of a capstone course. It is intended Insights into Experiential Pedagogy, Volume 6, 1979 158 to acquaint the students, in a dynamic environment, with the interrelationships between decisions made by the managers of a company. FINDINGS Demographic Data All students were either seniors or graduate students, as the course prerequisites should indicate. The proportion of graduate students in the intensive course, however, was significantly higher with 44% of the intensive class make up being graduates as opposed to 8% of the normal class make up being graduates. Data on course/hour load effectively related to University regulations. During the intensive term, a student is limited to 6 credit hours. The maximum for a normal term is 20 credit hours. These restrictions obviously provide a significant difference between student course loads per term category. Evaluations Related to Other Courses Using a 5 point Likert-scale (1 = one of the best; 5 = one of the worst), student evaluations show no important difference between the groups in the intensive versus the normal term. (Figure 1) Regardless of the course duration students rated both academic content and instructor contact highly. In both cases, more than 57% of the students rated these factors above the average category, and at least less than 17 percent rated the factors below average. Likes and Dislikes In the areas of likes and dislikes student responses were categorized under common headings suggested by the responses. In no case did a student provide three responses. The first listed response was most important. Owing to limited responses (42 for likes, 13 for dislikes), the second listed factors were not evaluated. Likes. Figure 2 summarizes the findings of the factors which students indicated they liked about the course and its environment. The Chi-Square test indicates statistical significance at the 99 percent level. Empty cells and the relatively sample size in the test case indicate a need for more data. Striking differences do, however, appear as follows: 1) Students enrolled in the intensive term a. overwhelmingly liked the short duration of the course as 52 percent of them identified that factor first. b. felt a greater affinity for the instructor. 2) Students enrolled in the normal term more positively identified with: a. the integrative nature of the course b. competitive aspects fostered during the course c. practical aspects of the course. Insights into Experiential Pedagogy, Volume 6, 1979 159 Dislikes. Aspects which students disliked about the course are shown in Figure 3. Again empty cells and the test group sample size lead to incompleteness. A strong difference between the opinions of those in the intensive term versus those in the normal term may be questionable. The following areas may be important: 1) Students enrolled in the intensive term appear to have disliked group work more 2) Students enrolled in the normal term apparently: a. disliked the Saturday session more b. felt they spent too much time on the course. A major portion (almost 30%) of the students in the normal term indicated no dislikes whatsoever. Several factors have too limited a response to be of value. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A comparison and contrast of student opinions relating to the business policy/course simulation under the intensive or normal term structure, the following factors are noteworthy: 1) Regardless of the term duration students rate the academic content and instructor contact highly. 2) Intensive term students a like the course duration b. felt greater affinity with the instructor c. disliked group work more than those enrolled during a normal term. 3) Students enrolled In the normal term identified a. the integrative nature and practical nature of the course and competition as positive features b. the Saturday session and time spent on the course as undesirable (although many indicated no undesirable aspects). It was anticipated that the intensive term offering of the course would have a more positive benefit to the student both from the standpoint of liking/enjoying the course more and of benefiting from the integrative nature of the course. It would appear that students enrolled in the normal term benefited more from the integrative aspects of the course; furthermore, they related to the practical implications. A high proportion of these students also related no dislikes relating to the course. These factors seem to speak more in favor of the normal term scheduling than do the student identified factors relating to the intensive term schedule. REFERENCES [1] Ricciardi, F. M. et al, Top Management Decision Simulation: The AMA Approach, (New York: American Management Association, 1957). [2] Faria, A. J. and R. O. Nelsen, Jr. , “The New Research Focus: An Analysis of the Simulation Game User,’ 1978 ABSEL Proceedings, 25-31. [3] Roberts, Ralph M. and Steven E. Field, Using Student Opinions in Evaluating Results with a Business Game,” 1975 ABSEL Proceedings, pp. 92-99. [4] Cohen, Kalman J. and Eric Rhenman, The Role of Management Games in Education and Research, Management Science, Vol, VII, No. 2 (January 1961), pp. 131-161. [5] Dale, Alfred C. and C.R. Klasson, Business Gaming: A Survey of American Collegiate Schools of Business, (Austin: The Bureau of Business Research, The University of Texas, 1974). Insights into Experiential Pedagogy, Volume 6, 1979 160 [6] Sampson, Nancy and Constantine E. Sotiriou, Student Perceptions Regarding the Need for Refresher Lectures in Various Functional Areas of Business Before Making Decisions in a Corporate Policy Simulation Class.” A paper presented in the 15th Annual Meeting of the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA), October 13- 16, 1976, Raleigh, North Carolina. [7] Cotter, Richard V. The Business Policy Game (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.), 1973. Table of Contents Volume 6, 1979 The Use of Cases with Role Plays in a Research Methods Course Debugging and Implementing the Live-Case Approach to Marketing Research in the Australian Environment Using a Case as the Basis for a Modified Debate Using Cases in Business Communication Classes A Structured Approach to Case Analysis and Reporting Intercollegiate Case Analysis Competition as an Experiential Learning Experience Attributes Germane to Student/Live Case Situations Understanding Dispute Resolution Through Experiential learning Personality Development and Conflict Dynamics: An Experimental Design to Study the Effects of Teaching Methodologies on Conflict Resolution Interpersonal Competence and the Digital PDP-11:40 The process of Writing a Collective Bargaining Simulation: A Case Study in Practical Pedagogy Simulating Negotiations in an Educational Context Simulations as a Technique for Teaching Collective Bargaining Experiential Processing of Differing Managerial Perspectives: The Use of a Game Show Format Individual Self Report vs. Group consensus in Small Decision-Making Groups Effects of Sex-Role Stereotypes on Promotion Decisions: An Exercise Computer Aids to Planning: The Budget and Forecasting Module Use of a Microcomputer in a Decision Analysis for Investment Portfolio Selection A Game of Investment Strategy: Description, Use, Criticism and Modification Coping with Future Uncertainties Through Probabilistic Budgeting Administration and Design of Simulation Materials for a Specialized Management Training Program Managing Stress in Organizational Life Banksim: The Bank Management Simulation Issues in the Organizational Application of Simulation and Experiential material Games Within Games: The Role of the Glitch Experiential Learning from Classroom to Business An Evaluation of the Small Business Institute Program as an Experiential learning Exercise Conversations with Top Management (Simulated) Experience in the Use and Assessment of Simulation in Management Education A Statistical Analysis of Simulation Users: Relationships between Stress and Human Subject guidelines Group Decision Making in a Computer Game Analysis of Demographic and Psychosocial Variables Comparing Performance During Three Managerial Accounting Simulation Schedules Business Policy Simulation and the Intense Course Structure The Use of Intensive Simulation in Executive Development and Academic Settings The Use of Experiential Exercises in the Undergraduate Consumer Behavior Course A Personal Marketing Strategy Approach: Framework and Application Teaching PERT Experientially in Marketing Research Discovering the Majority Fallacy An Experiential Approach to Studying International Business A Demonstration of the Business Simulation Game as a Curriculum Assessment Device Relating Teaching Methods with Educational Objectives in the Business Curriculum The Junior Achievement Applied Management Program as a Compromise Situation Between the Simulation and the Internship Who is Using Computerized Business Games?: A View from Publishers' Adoption Lists Trials and Tribulations in Testing Educational Innovations An Examination of the Perceived Effectiveness of Computer Simulation in a Classroom Setting as Affected by Game, Environmental and Respondent Characteristics Game Administration: A Life Cycle Analysis Research on the Effectiveness of Using a Computerized Simulation in the Basic Management Course Gaming and Attitudinal Change The Teacher-Student Relationship in Experiential Classes and the Student's Perception of Course Effectiveness An Exploratory Study of Student Characteristics and Educational Processes in Programmatic Experiential learning General Incongruity Adaption Level (GIAL) as a Predictor of Risk Preferences in a Simulated Management Game The Cap-Stone Opportunity: Combining Business Simulation and Experiential Learning Incorporating MIS/DSS into Policy Courses Via Simulation Who Benefits Most from Participation in Business Policy Simulations: An Empirical Study of Skill Development by Functional Areas The Use of Program NAMEX in Teaching the Accounting for Nonmonetary Assets The Use of Program CVP in Teaching Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis Experiential vs. Traditional Classroom Approach in the Basic Management Course: A Puerto Rican Experience A Guide to the Successful Use of Business Simulation Games The Dynamic Aspects of Interactive Gaming Puts the Realism into Gaming System Representation of SIMORG The Design of a Database System to Support Business Simulation and Experiential Learning A Data Entry and Retrieval System for a Computer Simulation (DERS) Simulation - An Advantage for Accounting Research Computer-Aided Project Performance Control Simulation: An Interactive Experiential Gaming Technique for Managerial Decision Making Utilization of Manual Simulation Games to Develop Scenarios of Future Events - An Exploratory Study Foundry: A Foundry Simulation Customized Debriefing: The Achilles Heel of Experiential learning? Computerized Business Simulations and Experiential Learning Exercises: An Instructional Interface The Baseball Game: A Group Role Observation, Problem Solving Experience A Practical Design for Experiential Learning Exercises: Roles, Technical Equipment and Alternative Debriefing Formats