The use of a business game to improve first-year student motivation at the faculty of economics and business (university of the basque country)

Resumen

Business simulation systems are considered effective tools in the context of management training to motivate students and engage them in learning experience. Besides, they are highly aligned with the competency-based approach fostered by the EHEA (European Higher Education Area), which considers the student as the core of the teaching-learning process and highlights the use of active methodologies to achieve a deep learning. For these reasons, during the first term of the 2019/2020 academic year, a pilot experience was implemented at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The initiative involved the use of a business game in the “Business Administration: Introduction” subject that is taught in the first year of the degree in BMA (Business Management and Administration) and the double degrees in BMA plus Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering plus BMA.The use of a business simulation system in the aforementioned subject aimed:1) to improve the performance of the students in the specific and transversal competences assigned to the subject and2) to increase their motivation towards learning. To achieve these goals, the simulation process was developed in three phases: skills construction, skills integration and skills evaluation.The experience was evaluated through the considerations made by the teachers involved based on the informal feedback received from the students during the simulation and on their final exam results. The students’ opinions, collected through an online survey, were considered as well. Teachers and students assessed very positively the experience: the grades in the subject were higher than in previous courses and the students considered that business simulation increased their interest and motivation for the subject and contributed to learning more than other traditional teaching methodologies. They would also recommend the experience to other students.