Process-Oriented Research Method for Teamwork Effectiveness Assessment in Business Simulation Games

Authors

  • Anna Ruszkowska Center for Simulation Games and Gamification Kozminski University
  • Marcin Wardaszko Center for Simulation Games and Gamification Kozminski University

Abstract

The current state of the art in teamwork effectiveness research in business simulation games pictures this field to be quite ex-tensively examined already. Nevertheless, a substantial – and still growing – number of studies does not offer any explicit conclusions on effectiveness in computer-assisted learning, es-pecially in teams. Many authors point, amongst other reasons, to the lack of overarching research methodology to be the cause of this difficulty. In this paper some of the troublesome method-ological aspects of teamwork effectiveness research in business simulation games are addressed by proposing a research meth-odology that combines process- and outcome-oriented ap-proaches and measuring tools together. This paper describes the process of implementation and some sample results of a quasi-experimental comparative study based on two, compared in pairs, groups of students – participants of business simula-tion games courses. As a result, there emerges a methodology that brings particular elements of qualitative and quantitative paradigms and methods – as complementary – together in order to bring a broader picture of the research situation to the scene. The authors argue that this approach might make it possible to obtain more conclusive and easier to interpret research results with respect to teamwork effectiveness in business simulation games.

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