SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDENT INPUT OF DECISIONS IN GENERAL MANAGEMENT SIMULATIONS Exploring Experiential Learning: Simulations and Experiential Exercises, Volume 5, 1978 327 SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDENT INPUT OF DECISIONS IN GENERAL MANAGEMENT SIMULATIONS William D. Biggs Alfred University The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach to having student teams submit and input their decisions in a general management simulation used in a business policy course. In this course the general management simulation - TEMPOMATIC IV (Scott and Strickland, 1974) is used. This simulation requires teams to make decisions in approximately 70 areas each decision period. The decisions must be punched on six separate cards or represent six separate lines in a data file. Our specific problems in using the simulation were that we did not have key punchers readily available to punch the decision cards for the teams nor did we have ready access to a card punch for student teams to punch their own decisions. In addition, as a small institution we did not have student assistants available to handle the mechanical aspects of decision input. Since we have a time-sharing system with a fairly large number of teletype terminals at various locations around the campus we decided to have student teams input their own decisions directly to the computer. Recognizing that student input of decisions could create problems we planned around some of the more critical problems that might arise. First, we rewrote the program to accept the decision input in a format which does not require field specification by column so that students would be able to type in their decision without worrying about field specifications. Second, we wrote a detailed description of how student teams should input their decisions. Third, we required student teams to run their decisions through a “checker” program provided for the Tempomatic IV simulation. This program prints out the decision variable name and the value submitted for that variable for all decisions. If certain critical errors which could cause the simulation not to run are detected, or if certain highly unlikely decisions (e.g., zero production) are found, error messages are printed out by the computer. The checker program was operable at the terminals so the student teams could create their decision files, run them through the checker program, and obtain immediate feedback on the decision values contained in the decision files. Fourth, we assigned each student team a file name and a password so that each team’s decisions would remain confidential. And fifth, we wrote a program which would merge all the student team files into a master file for submission to the TEMPOMATIC IV program. This program was run by the game administrators. The major point to be made in this paper is that having the students input their own decisions worked extremely well. We had Exploring Experiential Learning: Simulations and Experiential Exercises, Volume 5, 1978 328 ten teams playing the simulation and each team made decisions for thirteen decision periods. Yet, we had no errors in decision in- put. This result appears to contradict the contention of Faria and Nulsen (1975) that “students should not be allowed to input their own decisions, either through punched cards or direct terminal access to the computer.” The lack of errors facilitated one of the more widely cited benefits of computer business simulations--the rapid feedback of results. Even if errors had occurred, it would be possible to argue that it was the students’ responsibility to see that decision input was correct. Thus, the student could not blame a key punch operator for an input error and request to resubmit the decision. Since we did not have to resubmit decisions we had more rapid feedback of results. We experienced only one situation where a team failed to submit a decision on time. Our procedure for handling such cases was to run the team’s decision from the prior decision period. Since the decision files created by the student teams were not eliminated when merged into the master file it was a relatively easy matter to use the prior decision. We believe that having student teams responsible to input their own decisions contributed to error free decision inputs, timely decisions and thereby timely return of results, and the placing of responsibility for accuracy where it belongs. While our experience was successful we believe that a number of conditions are necessary for students to accept the procedure and insure success. First, the students must realize that they will be responsible for their decision inputs; second, a detailed description of how to input decisions must be provided; third, a checker program must be provided and use of it required; and fourth, a detailed time table for decision submission must be provided to students. The capability of having students input their own decisions has other interesting benefits. It is possible to have students play business games right at the computer terminal much as they currently play computerized parlor games and other computerized games such as golf. A number of relatively simple business games which are designed for terminal play are provided by Frazer (1975, 1977). These games permit the students to make decisions some of which require the use of quantitative tools such as linear programming. One general management simulation which can be adapted for play right at a terminal is Integrated Simulation (Smith, Estey and Vines, 1974). The output from this simulation is concise enough that it can be printed out rapidly at the terminal. One student can sit down and make decisions for a number of teams or a group of students can get together to compete. The results would be printed back right at the terminal and students could get immediate feedback concerning their decisions. There is some Exploring Experiential Learning: Simulations and Experiential Exercises, Volume 5, 1978 329 evidence that student input of decisions coupled with output being received by the student at the terminal has some advantages over batch output returned by the game administrator (Edge, 1975). In addition, the students could experiment with different decision making approaches and compare the results. This type of experimentation, feedback, comparison and evaluation can facilitate learning. REFERENCES 1. Edge, A., “The Executive Game: A Case of the ‘Terminal’ vs. ‘Batch, “ in Elloitt, J., and R. McGinty (editors), Proceedings of the 14th Annual Conference of the North America Simulation and Gaming Association, Los Angeles, California, October 23-25, 1975. 2. Faria, A. J. and R. 0. Nulsen, Jr., “Using the Business Simulation Game in the M.B.A. Program,” Pittsburgh Business Review, Vol. 44, No.3 (March-April, 1975), pp. 1-5. 3. Frazer, J. Ronald, Business Decision Simulation: A Time Sharing Approach, (Reston, Virginia: Reston Publishing Company, Inc., 1975). 4. Frazer, J. Ronald, Introduction to Business Simulation, (Reston, Virginia: Reston Publishing Company, Inc., 1977). 5. Scott, C. R., Jr. and A. J. Strickland III, Tempomatic IV: A Management Simulation, (Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974). 6. Smith, W. Nye, Elmer E. Estey and Ellsworth F. Vines, Integrated Simulation (Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western Publishing Co.. l974). Table of Contents Volume 5, 1978 Debriefing: The Key to Effective Experiential Learning A Kiss Before Debriefing Debriefing with Serialized Theory Development for TaskTeam Learning Insights Into Debriefing Experiential Learning Exercises The Two-Step Flow of Experiential Learning: A Preliminary Investigation Programmatic Experienced-Based Learning in an MBA Program The New Research Focus: An Analysis of the Simulation Game User An Analysis of Performance in Simulation Games Compared to Performance on Structured Course Criteria: A Case Study Le's Simplify the Administrative Requirements of Computerized Educational Simulations Assessment of Sex Stereotypes Within Task Group Simulation The Use of Program BAYAUD in the Teaching of Audit Sampling The Effectiveness of Progressively Complex Accounting Simulations in Increasing Decision-Making Performance The Natural Learning Project The Application of a US-USSR Trade Simulation to the Reaching of Business Russian The Use of Semi-Autonomous Work Group in Graduate Management Education: An Australian Experience Evaluation of an Experimental Course in Organizational Behavior for Managers of Japanese Banks Berkshire II: An Experiential Decision Making Exercise: An Exercise in Hegelian Inquiry Creating a Responsible Managerial Experience A Framework for Determining the Pedagogical Value of Simulation Gaming: Implications for Future Simulation Gamin Research Emergent Simulations in Administration Courses Measurement of Administrator Role for Feedback on Structure and Goals An Experiment in Assessing the Theoretical Recognition and Application Leaning Skills of Student Case Writers Some Game Information Systems Experience Using Job Control Language (JCL) for Group and Individual Simulation Considerations for the Use of Computerized Business Simulations Assessing the Effectiveness of Learning Styles as Predictors of Performance within Three Distinct Pedogogic Methodologies Learning Style and Performance A Psychometric Analysis of Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory Learning to Identify and Satisfy consumer Wants: A Classroom Game An Experiential Exercise in Product Benefit Segmentation Sales and Sales Management: A Case/Simulation Approach The SBI Case as Experiential Learning The Use of a Live Case in Teaching Organization Theory and management Principles to Graduate Students The Residency in Hospital and health Administration as Experiential Learning The Extended Live Case Approach to Teaching Marketing Research Experiential Learning in Marketing: Student Consultants The Brazil-Columbia Coffee Marketing Negotiations: An Experiential Exercise Aimed at Highlighting the Dynamics Involved in the International Business Negotiation Process Educational Values of Simulation Gaming Business Simulation Re-Revisited Simulation and Experiential Learning as Human Subject Research An Experiential Evaluation of a Didactic - Experiential Apporach for Teaching personnel Management Experiential Learning in Wage and Salary Administration Integrating Structured Experiences into Personnel Simulation Locus of Control and Performance in a Management Simulation Correlations Between Academic Achievement, Aptitude, and Business Game Performance Suggestions for Student Input of Decisions in General Management Simulations An Exploratory Investigation of Student Perceptions of Computer Simulation as an Educational Tool Time to Sell?: An Experiential Learning Approach to Stock Market Decisions through Interactive Gaming