A Powerful Tool--For What?

Abstract

" Much of the research on simulation has probed the questions of whether or riot simulations should be used, and if so, how they should be administered. This paper reports exploratory research based on the proposition that simulation (and other teaching techniques, both experiential and passive,) may be much more useful for some learning objectives than for others. The simulation, “Cartels and Cut- throats” was implemented in a business policy class, after which the students were asked to reflect on their entire undergraduate program and score six different teaching techniques for each of nine separate learning objectives. The results, while preliminary in nature, strongly suggest that students perceive a significant difference in the effectiveness of teaching methodologies, and further, that the effectiveness of all of the techniques is very much a function of the students learning objectives. "