Board games as experiential micro-simulations: Modeling competency development in project management education

Abstract

As workplaces become increasingly complicated, a new type of teaching and learning needs to emerge that can effectively combine theory with skill development in HE. Many attention has been paid to the way in which game-based learning has developed in the context of digital simulation, and yet the vast majority of existing research focuses on that medium while not actually addressing board games from a conceptual and empirical perspective. The purpose of this study is to define how board games can be understood as experiential microsimulations that can provide a formally structured method for developing structured skills in project management education. This study is based on experiential learning theory and frameworks for competency-based education, and we will conduct an empirical study to test a conceptual model that explains the relationship between board game-based learning, cognitive activation, strategic decision-making, collaborative behaviors, and risk-based reasoning, and, ultimately, how these activities improve project management skills. The research will use a mixed-methods approach, which will consist of conducting quantitative research in the context of a fourth-year industrial engineering project management course, and gathering qualitative data through students' written reflections. The findings of this research indicate that the use of board games has proven to be an effective way of creating structured experiential ecosystems for engaging students cognitively and in cooperative processes, and that these two processes will in turn significantly predict the acquisition of competencies. Additionally, the results of the research will provide evidence of the mediation effects of active engagement mechanisms with respect to the creation of professional skill development through the experiential learning process. Through theory, this study extends and builds upon simulation theories (micro-level) and their use in non-digital gaming environments (micro-level) by providing a theoretically grounded model of game-based (non-digital) experiential learning, as well as providing action-oriented information for curriculum design that incorporates structured experiential micro-simulations into management education. Additionally, the results of this study generate future areas for longitudinal and cross-contextual research regarding competency-based innovation in higher education.