REZULTATY – buGAM

The main result of buGAM project is game-based training tools with educational movies supporting the development of entrepreneurial and managerial skills of business students. As a consequence, the following will occur in:

Higher competencies of the target group representatives (business students) such as business system thinking, internationalisation, strategic thinking, decision making, performance management, problem resolution, strategic management, teamwork, employee and stakeholder development, communication skills;* Higher competencies of the teachers using developed curricula and business simulation games;
Higher efficiency of higher education facing the COVID-19 pandemic;
Increased understanding and interest for the business simulation games used as the teaching technique;
Increased understanding and interest in business simulations used as a teaching technique;
Enriched training resources, publicly and free of charge available for academic community.

Intellectual Outputs (IOs)

All results produced in the project are made available under an open licence.

IO1

Development of the virtual strategic game engine

The virtual strategic game engine as a fully playable educational gaming environment will be designed, implemented, deployed, tested and improved. This reflects the need for education using remote, virtual environments. Students at all levels increasingly prefer solutions with a more attractive form and greater interaction. Our virtual strategic game fits into this trend. It will allow the knowledge of economics, management and finance to be transferred to a wider audience. The educational environment we are making doesn’t need any installation packages or special access rights (files, etc.). Student (player) and teacher (game master) just need an internet connection and current web browser to access the system.

This is also in line with the trend of distance learning represented by MOOCs. To meet the growing use of mobile devices in the education process, the game interface will be designed using the latest responsiveness standards.

The game can be accessed at: https://bugam.ue.poznan.pl/en/login https://bugam.atomscript.com/en/login

IO2

New scenario of virtual strategic game

The new scenario of business game will be created, tested and improved. The game scenario requires two elements:

(1) the storytelling which means the description of market, including for example product type, target groups, sales locations etc.,

(2) the set of parameters, which are not seen by players-learners but which are implement into the game engine, these parameters are crucial to make the game playable.

In the new game scenario we will reflect the new reality of running a business in (post)-COVID-19 pandemic by implementing new market opportunities and obstacles. In the game scenario we will enlarge the possibilities of selling products of virtual company in international environment. We assume to include at least 4 countries as potential sales markets for virtual companies, these countries will be chosen.

There are different decision areas in the game such as:

Marketing and Sales (i.e. opening/closing sales offices, setting commodity prices, selecting advertising channels);
Operations (i.e. setting the volume of production for each commodity, selecting suppliers, commodity transfers in the supply chain);
Research and Development (i.e. increase/decrease the production capacity of production line/s, designing product brands);
Human Resources (i.e. number of production and sales workers, salary, extra benefits);
Finance and Strategic Management.

DOWNLOAD: buGAM Intellectual Output no 2

IO3

Movie tutorial for students to present the game logic and game interface

The use of virtual strategic games in higher education needs the introduction of the game logic and user panel of the game made by a teacher to present the assumptions and interrelations included into the game. Before the COVID-19, during traditional face-to-face course, teachers presented those aspects to students and explained all doubts. In online education in COVID-19 pandemic, such presentations and discussion between students and teacher are very limited. To overcome this problem, we will implement movie education into the gaming by creation of tutorial movies dedicated to the game logic and aspects needed to run a game. There will be created, recorded and implemented into the game movies related to following topics:

the essence of the scenario (IO2)
relationships between decisions made in different decision areas (for example, as students are to manufacture products, first they need to design a brand and create or develop the production line; as students want to sell product, first they need to produce them and transfer to sales offices etc.).
relationship regarding following decision areas will be presented:
- research and development
- operation
- marketing and sales
- finance
- human resource management
- strategic planning

Thanks to this assumption, we combine 2 innovative teaching methods: virtual strategic games and movie education.

IO4

Movie education on entrepreneurship, business and management

The use of virtual strategic games in higher education assumes the pre-knowledge of students related to entrepreneurship, business and management.

However, this pre-knowledge was impossible to check before the course with gaming but during traditional face-to-face courses, whenever students miss some knowledge, it was easily possible to discuss with them specific topics related to their needs.

In online education in COVID-19 pandemic, such additional supportive discussion between students and teacher are very limited. To overcome this problem, we will implement movie education into the gaming by creation of tutorial movies dedicated to aspects needed to run a game. There will be created, recorded and implemented into the game movies related to following topics: