STUDENT REACTIONS AND EVALUATIONS TOWARDS DIFFERING ASSIGNMENT LEVELS IN A MARKETING SIMULATION COMPETITION


Computer Simulation and Learning Theory, Volume 3, 1976 

 537 

Student Reactions and Evaluations Towards 

Differing Assignment Levels in a 

Marketing Simulation Competition 

By: A.J. Faria, University of Windsor and R.O. Nielsen, North Kentucky State College 

This paper will report on some research currently in progress at the University of Windsor and 

Northern Kentucky State College. The purposes of the research are to measure student opinion of the use 

of a marketing simulation game as an educational device, to examine student opinion of the Use of certain 

assignments in conjunction with the simulation competition and to measure student performance in the 

simulation competition with and without the use of these assignments. 

As an outgrowth of the final purpose stated above, we are also attempting to measure how the best 

results can be achieved from the use of a marketing simulation game. Specifically, we are attempting to 

measure whether the best results (in terms of team performance, intensity of competition, achievement of 

objectives, consistency of decision making, etc.) can be achieved when using the simulation alone, with 

reading assignments, with written assignments, or with reading and written assignments. The 

experimental design for this research can be summarized as follows: 

 

Various sections of undergraduate marketing management courses have been included n each of 

the cells of the above 

 



Computer Simulation and Learning Theory, Volume 3, 1976 

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design. Student questionnaires were administered to get student reaction concerning the benefits of the use 

of a simulation competition versus the lecture and course methods of teaching and whether (and how) the 

benefits of a marketing simulation game can be enhanced through the use of additional classroom 

assignments in conjunction with the simulation competition. 

In addition, the performance of student teams in each of the cells is being measured to see if there 

is a significant difference in the performance of the teams across the four cells. It is hoped that this will 

indicate whether student performance in the marketing simulation competition can be enhanced through 

the use of additional assignments along with the simulation competition or whether additional 

assignments detract from student performance in the competition by taking student time away from the 

simulation game. The purpose of this, of course, is to attempt to determine the best learning environment 

so that the benefits of a simulation competition can be fully exploited. 

 

A.J. Faria 
Associate Professor of Marketing 
University of Windsor 

 

 
R.O. Nulsen 
Associate Professor of Marketing 

Northern Kentucky State College