Combining Team Simulation and Reflective
Practice: Pedagogical Pastiche and Student
Learning
Thomas A. Clerkin
Katherine V. Wills
Alejandra Solis
Indiana University Purdue University at Columbus
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
Agenda
•Background on BSG
•BSG in Our Classrooms
•Reflective Practice Across Curricula
•Combining Reflective Practice With the Simulation Game
•Implications of Reflective Writing for Teams
•Questions & Comments
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
THE USE OF SIMULATION GAMES
Pros
•Nice fit with tech generation learning styles
•Affords students a chance to practice their business knowledge at an enterprise level
•Allows for program assessment as a capstone event
•The “light bulb” effect
Cons
•Can overpower class content
•Can become just a video game that students “game”
•Can be “addictive” and too time/labor intensive for both students and faculty
•Misc hassles of technology, access, costs, labs
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
Background on BSG
GLO-BUS Software. (2008). Business Strategy Game. www.bsg-online.com/
•35,000 students…500 plus schools from around the world per year
•24/7 web based simulation administered by University of Alabama
•Class divided into management teams (3-4 per students) to compete head-on with
other teams managing simulated global athletic footwear companies (6-10 companies)
•Team members assume functional roles of CEO, CFO, COO, CMO
•Weekly decisions across ever aspect of operating and managing a business including
macro economic issues (exchange rates, interest rates, tariffs, etc)
•Teams start out identical and over 10 years (rounds) attempt to develop and execute a
winning strategy (measured by EPS, ROE, Stock Price, Image Rating, etc)
• Teams are provided extensive industry and company reports to assist in analyzing
results and making next round of decision.
•Class champs are invited to participate in a 10day Global competition against class
champs from other schools from around the world
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
BSG in Our Classrooms
•Comprehensive Company introduction presentation where they commit to the
street their Mission, Vision, and Strategy
•Weekly Earnings Releases
•Weekly Analyst Presentations
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
Combining Reflective Practice With the Simulation
Game
Guided reflective writing within projects builds team effectiveness in these ways:
•Highlighting patterns and origins of error in team decision-making
•Providing practice in team/group writing and collaboration
•Connecting business theories to practice
•Expressing affective responses of team members
•Improving individual team member self-awareness
•Showcasing successful and unsuccessful team dynamics.
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
Implications of Reflective Writing for Teams
•Since 2005, our business teams have won six global BSG Best Strategy Invitationals
(2005, 2007, two in 2008, and two in 2009); a success rate over four to five times higher
than what would be statistically expected on average for any one of the approximately
200-300 teams participating each semester.
•“is one of the best things that I have done in school, because I feel like I can relate it to
outside experiences,”
•“I think this is a great course. It really pulls together everything from all the courses
that I have taken.”
•“It provided real life situations and stimulating challenges to prepare students for life
outside of college. Of all the courses I have taken at IUPUC, I think this was the most
enjoyable class and the one that best prepared me for the real world.”
•“I think this course meets the goal of the ideal college course. The approach of
simulating running your own company and the process of evaluating company
performance and making team based decisions is a very instructive method of
applying the skills taught over the course of the program.”
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
Student Perspective: Alejandra Solis
•Team work enforcement
• BSG combined with reflective practices
• Evaluation of BG results with different tools to plan for the future
• Learned skills for in and out-of classroom
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
What is Schön’s notion of Reflective Practice?
Donald A. Schön (1930-1997) developed the theory and practice of
reflective professional learning in the twentieth century. He examined how
learning occurs within organizations and societies that are in permanent
states of flux. Schön ‘s seminal 1983 book, The Reflective Practitioner: How
Professionals Think ,argued that individuals should iteratively, regularly, and
constantly incorporate lessons from experience to enhance learning.
Applying Reflective Practice to Team Simulation
We applied multiple phases of Schön’s reflective writing
practice to the Team Simulation Project . We separated
the reflective process into three discrete phases:
--reflection-in-action (at the same time as the practice
takes place or the capacity to think what one is doing
while doing it)
--reflection-on-action (afterwards)
-- McAlpine’s (Reflection-for-action)
How can we assess the effectiveness of reflective
writing practice?
We can use Marchel ‘s (2004) rubric to evaluate the effectiveness of reflective writing
at three levels:
One: Descriptive – described situation and details
Two: Analytical – analyze the context possible interactions
Three: Integrated - discuss feelings and reactions and their impact in broader contexts
with a focus on future actions
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/Resources/workshopProfessionalDevelopment/Critical%20Reflective%20Practice/Reflection-on-action.htm
Summary
•The benefits of reflective writing are exemplified not only by the
outstanding student evaluations at the end of the course, but by
student ability to compete successfully in global contexts.
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI
Bibliography
Boyd, E. M., & Fales, A. W. (1983). Reflective learning: Key to learning through
experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 23(2), 99-117.
Carroll, C. (2006). Enhancing reflective learning through role-plays: The use of an
effective sales presentation evaluation form in student role-plays. Marketing Education
Review, 16(1), 9-13.
Dewey . How We Think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the
educative process . Boston D.C. Health. 1933
GLO-BUS Software. (2008). Business Strategy Game. Retrieved June 6, 2008, from http://
www.bsg-online.com/
Schon and Argyris. Theory in practice: Increasing professional effectiveness. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1974.
Schon. The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple
Smith, 1983.
Schon. Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987.
Thompson, A. A., Strickland, A. J., & Gamble, J. E. (2007). Crafting and executing
strategy: The quest for competitive advantage (15th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Thank You
Questions and Comments
Edward C. Moore Symposium, 2010 IUPUI