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The Educational Review, USA

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Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2020.07.002

Enhancing the Student Experience: Simulation-based Learning in the MBA Classroom

Diane Fittipaldi *, Mark Grenfell

St. Catherine University, USA.

*Corresponding author: Diane Fittipaldi

Published: August 14,2020

Abstract

Business schools use computer-based simulations to teach students strategic decision-making skills in the context of real-world applications. Simulations fit well into the student-centered classroom where students take responsibility for their own learning and the professor offers guidance throughout. While much research focuses on students’ perceptions of simulations as well as the measura-ble student learning outcomes that result from their use, little research exists on the evolution of students’ mindsets as they move through the various rounds of a long-form simulation. This study documents the phases and shifts in students’ self-efficacy and confidence as they work to successfully complete a complex, multi-round computer simulation in the context of a graduate business course. The results show a gradual but distinct pattern of improvement in the students’ beliefs in their decision-making abilities, a dissipation of anxiety, the displace-ment of extrinsic motivations by intrinsic ones, and an increase in students’ overall confidence.

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How to cite this paper

Enhancing the Student Experience: Simulation-based Learning in the MBA Classroom

How to cite this paper: Diane Fittipaldi, Mark Grenfell. (2020). Enhancing the Student Experience: Simulation-based Learning in the MBA Classroom. The Educational Review, USA, 4(7), 150-156.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2020.07.002