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RealGame business simulation effectiveness is supported by academic research

RealGame has been part of scientific studies about game-based learning, online teaching, leadership skills and many others. 

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Research with RealGame

After RealGame...

62,2 %

of students were able to name more concepts

+50 %

increase in accuracy of concepts

65,5 %

of students described more cause-effect-connections between processes.

More peer-reviewed articles on RealGame

Learning leadership skills in a simulated business environment

The effects of computer-simulation game training on participants' opinions on leadership styles

Generating Research Questions from Digital Trace Data: A Machine-Learning Method for Discovering Patterns in a Dynamic Environment

Decision-Making in a Real-Time Business Simulation Game: Cultural and Demographic Aspects in Small Group Dynamics

RealGame business simulation was used to to explore if participation in business simulation gaming sessions can make different leadership types visible and if the simulation gaming sessions provide students with experiences beneficial for the development of leadership skills. 

The results have shown that that simulation gaming environment has the potential to be used in higher education to exercise leadership skills relevant in real-world work contexts.

RealGame business simulation was used to elucidate new information on the possibility of leadership training through business computer-simulation gaming in a virtual working context.

Results indicate that a realistic experience, when teams were running simulated companies, resulted in changes in participants' opinions about leadership styles. Gaming sessions increased team members' awareness of different aspects of leadership and the difficulties in applying ideal leadership models in real situations. 

Real Game business simulation was used to demonstrate viability of a novel method developed to combine quantitative process mining approaches with a variance perspective. 

Results were generated through looking at teams’ decision patterns from a dynamic business-simulation game. This exploratory data-driven method represents a promising starting point for translating complex raw process data into interesting research questions connected with dynamic decision-making environments.

Organizing for collaboration in simulation-based environments: An affordance perspective

This study focused on characteristics analysis of the decision-making groups, such as cultural orientation, education, gender and group size, and their relationship to group performance in a real-time processed simulation game.

Results reveal that the profile of the decision-making group influences the outcome of decision-making, the final business result of the simulation game. In particular, the cultural and gender diversity, as well as group size seem to have intertwined effects on team performance.

This study contributes to the scarce empirical research on affordances for organizing collaboration in computer-supported learning environments. RealGame business simulation was used for understanding how different affordances for organizing in the learning environment were perceived and employed by the learners during a simulation-based learning task. 

Results of the study yield four types of organizing affordances: (1) organizing the division of work, (2) managing information and resources, (3) managing tasks, and (4) strategizing. The findings of this study have theoretical and empirical implications and can contribute to both the development of pedagogic and educational practices as well as the design of learning tasks and environments.

The Design Principles for Flow Experience in Educational Games

This article presents a flow framework that describes the building blocks of a flow experience that can be used to design appealing and effective educational games for formal and informal learning contexts. 

Flow framework was used in the RealGame case study that revealed that  RealGame business simulation game was well designed and effective at engaging students. It was established that the university students’ flow experience in the game was high and the findings indicated that sense of control, clear goals and challenge-skill dimensions of flow scored the highest, but a rewarding experience and feedback dimensions also scored highly by the students. 

Flow framework for analyzing the quality of educational games

Technological, Organisational and Socio-Interactional Affordances in Simulation-Based Collaborative Learning

This article proposes a flow framework that describes the dimensions of flow experience that can be used to analyze the quality of educational games.

University student’s experiences participating in RealGame business simulation game were analysed. It was found that the students’ flow experience in the game was high. The empirical analysis of the RealGame business simulation game indicates that the framework is useful.

RealGame business simulation was used to examine technological, organisational and socio-Interactional affordances in a simulation-based collaborative learning environment from the learners’ viewpoint. 

The findings show how teams of learners employ the different types of affordances in their collaborative tasks. In addition, our analysis illustrates the interdependent and interlinked nature of the affordances. 

The Role of Instructional Activities for Collaboration in Simulation-Based Games

RealGame business simulation was used to examine the role of instructional activities facilitating collaboration in game based learning (GBL) and discuss the role of instructional activities promoting collaboration in the context of simulation-based game environments.

The study concludes that simulation-based games in work contexts have potential to serve both as an environment in which to learn work life skills (such as collaboration) and as a platform for illustrating the concept of sustainable learning. 

Formation of Novice Business Students’ Mental Models Through Simulation Gaming

The article discusses the need for research on the actual learning outcomes of business simulations in contrast to students' perceptions of such simulations. The case study focuses on a clock-driven business simulation (RealGame) used to teach 133 novices in business studies at the University of Turku, Finland. The study evaluates the cognitive learning of students through pre- and post-game concept map tests, revealing that simulation games contribute to novice learning by enhancing comprehension of the complexity of business organizations and related processes.

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