Gaming techniques and the product development process : commonalities and cross-applications

The use of computer-based tools is now firmly embedded within the product development process, providing a wide range of uses from visualisation to analysis. However, the specialisation required to make effective use of these tools has led to the compartmentalisation of expertise in design teams, resulting in communication problems between individual members. This paper therefore considers how computer gaming techniques and strategies could be used to enhance communication and group design activities throughout the product design process

Using the markstrat business simulation to develop strategic management behaviours

It is well understood that experiential learning provides an incentive and impetus for accelerated learning, especially in humanities and business-focussed studies. ICT-based synthetic and virtual environments can provide a rich and varied context within which to achieve this. Specifically, this paper attempts to provide empirical, survey-based analysis of the application of a business simulation game, MarkStrat, on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in this vein. The paper subsequently posits the pedagogic benefit of using such business simulation games for the development of strategic management behaviours across student sample populations and derives subsequent results to highlight associated learning behaviours

Educational Games in Geriatric Medicine Education: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the medical literature to assess the effect of geriatric educational games on the satisfaction, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of health care professionals. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review following the Cochrane Collaboration methodology including an electronic search of 10 electronic databases. We included randomized controlled trials (RCT) and controlled clinical trials (CCT) and excluded single arm studies. Population of interests included members (practitioners or students) of the health care professions. Outcomes of interests were participants' satisfaction, knowledge, beliefs, attitude, and behaviors. RESULTS: We included 8 studies evaluating 5 geriatric role playing games, all conducted in United States. All studies suffered from one or more methodological limitations but the overall quality of evidence was acceptable. None of the studies assessed the effects of the games on beliefs or behaviors. None of the 8 studies reported a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of change in attitude. One study assessed the impact on knowledge and found non-statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. Two studies found levels of satisfaction among participants to be high. We did not conduct a planned meta-analysis because the included studies either reported no statistical data or reported different summary statistics. CONCLUSION: The available evidence does not support the use of role playing interventions in geriatric medical education with the aim of improving the attitudes towards the elderly.Society of General Internal Medicin