Webinar Series
5 August 2015: 07:00AM GMT
A 3D virtual business simulation for experiential
learning in first year accounting
A/Prof. Julie Walker (University of Queensland, Australia)
Your Hosts
Professor Geoff Crisp,
Dean Learning and Teaching, RMIT University
geoffrey.crisp[at]rmit.edu.au
Dr Mathew Hillier,
Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation,
University of Queensland
mathew.hillier[at]uq.edu.au
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e-Assessment SIG
A 3D Virtual Business Simulation for
Experiential Learning in First Year Accounting
Julie Walker
Robyn Parry
Anthea Leggett
Institute for Teaching and
Learning Innovation,
University of Queensland
Part of an ITaLI-BEL faculty
partnership project on
blended learning at the
University of Queensland
THE COURSE
• Large (800-1000 students per semester)
first year accounting course at an
Australian university
• Core course for 3 undergraduate business
programs
• Also elective course for many students
from science, law, engineering and arts
• Diverse cohort including approx 35%
international students.
THE COURSE
• Course title is ‘Accounting for DecisionMaking’
• Not intended as a technical debit/credit
course
• Focus on accounting information to
support business decision-making, not
account preparation.
PREVIOUS LEARNING APPROACH
• Weekly face to face lecture and
tutorial.
• Assessment consisted of two
invigilated written exams and a
company analysis and valuation
group project.
REVIEW OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE
A review of the course in 2014 revealed:
• Students satisfied with the course
overall (SECaTs, 2014)
• But low engagement levels
(SECaTs 2014)
• And few students found the course
content interesting or relevant
(survey data 2014)
REVIEW OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE
• Analysis of a sample of final exam
scripts found many students
approached accounting problems at
a superficial level, providing rote
and/or incomplete responses
• This occurred even after repetitive
in-class rehearsal of similar
accounting problems
CHANGE IN LEARNING APPROACH
• In 2014 decision was made to
introduce an active learning
approach to the course to improve
learning outcomes for students
• Active learning defined consistent
with Bonwell and Eison (1991) as
any activity which “involves students
in doing things and thinking about
the things they are doing”
CHANGE IN LEARNING APPROACH
• The entire course was rebuilt in 2015
• A web-based/digital simulation an
important component of the active
learning approach
• Other changes included introduction
of a collaborative tutorial program
and the introduction of online tests to
replace a written mid-semester exam
THE 3D VIRTUAL BUSINESS WORLD
• International Education Services
(IES) had developed a 3D virtual
business world for use in their
foundation year program for
international students.
(http://piersim.com/about)
• We collaborated with IES to develop
and adapt the virtual world for use as
an experiential learning resource for
first year accounting at university.
THE 3D VIRTUAL BUSINESS WORLD
• The VBE is a small virtual economy
consisting of 20 student-operated
‘businesses’ and supported by a central
‘bank’
• There is an associated VBE Control
Panel that allows users to control a range
of things, for example setting prices for
products.
• Each virtual business is operated by a
student group across a number of in-world
trading sessions during the semester
THE 3D VIRTUAL BUSINESS WORLD
• In addition to the VBE world and Control
Panel, a VBE communications App and a
VBE Dashboard were developed
• The VBE App allows students to
communicate with others in their virtual
business and those in competing
businesses in their “instance” of the VBE
• The VBE App is available continuously and
so allows players to continue to plan and
organise their business between trading
sessions
THE VBE APP
THE VBE DASHBOARD
The VBE Dashboard is a web site where
students can undertake a number of tasks
related to their VBE activity:
• Selecting a “job” within their virtual
business (to join a group at the start of
the exercise)
• Viewing financial reports generated
after each trading session
• Managing their user profile
ACCESS TO THE VBE
• To access the VBE, students
download the VBE Viewer and the
VBE App
• The Viewer was also installed on
library computers across campus
• Students could enter their
scheduled trading session from any
location with access to the Viewer.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A VBE TRADING SESSION?
• One avatar represents each business
and is controlled by one student from the
group to trade in the VBE economy
• At any given time there are only ever 20
avatars ‘in world’ together, executing
their teams’ plans and competing with
one another
• 50 min trading sessions ‘in world’ each
week for six weeks.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A VBE TRADING SESSION?
• Each avatar performs pre-planned and
agreed tasks as well as making in
session decisions on running their
business, including purchasing inventory,
advertising and trading
• Meanwhile, the other team members
simultaneously be operating the VBE
Control Panel and the VBE App even
when the team members are in entirely
different locations.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A VBE TRADING SESSION?
• At the end of each session, financial
statements are generated for each virtual
business
• These are downloaded by students and
used to monitor progress and formulate
plans for the next trading session
• The financial statements from the final
trading session are used as the basis for
the financial plan section of the business
plan assignment
VBE EXTERNAL VIEW
GAME SCREEN
1. Money
2. Attributes
3. Avatar
4.Text Chat
BUYING INVENTORY
OBTAINING A LOAN
ATTRIBUTES
LAW COURT
Link to Youtube: Inside the VBE (4:34)
http://youtu.be/cYDaYgt7i-M
THE VBE – LINK TO ASSESSMENT
• The VBE exercise is run alongside
lectures and tutorials – it doesn’t
replace conventional classes
• Related assessment is a business
plan assignment which each
student group prepares for their
virtual business
THE VBE – LINK TO ASSESSMENT
• Success in the VBE requires
successful teamwork by the
student groups
• Students also complete an
individual online reflective journal
about their planning and execution
for each trading session
LOGISTICS
• Over 900 students enrolled in first
semester 2015
• 12 weekly trading sessions each
week for 6 weeks
• All students attended an induction
session for the VBE prior to the first
trading session
Link to Youtube: VBE Induction session (0:57)
https://www.facebook.com/uqbusiness/videos/988464357871851/
OBSERVATIONS FROM SEMESTER 1 2015
• Enhanced student engagement with
the course material
• Improved skills in using and
interpreting financial statements
• Improved decision-making skills
• Enhanced teamwork skills
• Students very receptive to change
Link to Youtube: Student interview VBE (2:24)
https://youtu.be/Y-y6WhIhrLc
OBSERVATIONS FROM SEMESTER 1 2015
• Some technical problems occurred
during the semester- e.g. a few
sessions failed and some individuals
experienced difficulties in navigating
their avatar
• Generally student feedback is positive
• But some students critical, especially
if they experienced a technical
problem with the VBE
SEMESTER 2 2015
Based on semester 1 experience:
• Fewer trading sessions will be run
(4 rather than 6)
• The VBE financial statements
improved for better alignment with
in world activity
• Technical issues resolved
Questions
Webinar Series
Session Feedback Survey
With thanks from your hosts
Professor Geoff Crisp,
Dean Learning and Teaching, RMIT University
geoffrey.crisp[at]rmit.edu.au
Dr Mathew Hillier,
Institute Teaching and Learning Innovation,
University of Queensland
mathew.hillier[at]uq.edu.au
Recording available
http://transformingassessment.com
e-Assessment SIG