Adopting Digital Pedagogy in Management Courses

Abstract

The Supply Chain Management exercise called the “Beer Game” is based on experiential learning and a team game educational approach (Sterman, 1992). The Beer Game has been adapted in several of our university’s undergraduate courses, however, there were some challenges with its implementation. Specifically, the game date is scheduled based on venue availability (a room with capacity of 400 seats on or off campus). Previously, up to 25% of students would have time conflicts with other university courses, illness, a failed commute to campus, or sporting extracurricular activities. These students would miss the game and lose out on this learning opportunity. To provide fair and flexible learning opportunities for students, the author pioneered an on-line Beer Game. Although learning benefits of face-to-face board games are widely reviewed in literature (Treher, 2011), on-line options can be successful and allow for more student access to the learning activity (Li, 2000, Chen et al., 1999). Extended search of industry providers identified a vendor for an on-line simulation version of the game: Responsive. The first round of the on-line game was successfully completed in the Fall 2018 semester and is planned to be extended to Winter 2019 for undergraduate and graduate courses. The author achieved IRISS approval for a student survey with Big Question: how student’s Performance (effectiveness of learning), Engagement (participation and team interaction), and Satisfaction (appreciation of the course subject) vary between a group of students who completed the game face-to-face and students who played on-line. Survey results will be presented. Sterman, J. D. (1992). Teaching Takes Off: Flight Simulators for Management Education. OR/MS Today, 40-44. http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/SDG/beergame.html Treher, E. (2011). Learning with Board Games. https://www.thelearningkey.com/pdf/Board_Games_TLKWhitePaper_May16_2011.pdf Li, Y. (2000). Computerized Beer Distribution Game Management Flight Simulators: A Review. https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/8733/48036027-MIT.pdf;sequence=2 Chen, F., Samroengraja R., (1999). The Stationary BeerGame. https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/mygsb/faculty/research/pubfiles/4345/stationary beer game.pdf Responsive (2018, July 25). http://www.responsive.net/