Student interactions in online discussion forums: their perception on learning with business simulation games

Digital technology offers new teaching methods with controversial results over learning. They allow students to develop a more active participation in their learning process although it does not always drive to unequivocal better learning outcomes. This study aims to offer additional evidence on the contribution of business simulation games to students' learning outcomes, considering student interactions in online discussion forums. We conducted a qualitative research with the online discussion forums of 5 different courses at bachelor and master levels, which involves 41 students' teams. The final sample was composed of 3681 messages posted by the students. The results reveal that some generic and specific managerial skills exert a positive influence on learning outcomes. Students mostly highlighted teamwork, decision-making, information processing, reaching agreements, and dealing with uncertainty as the most relevant contributions of the game towards their learning. These results have instructional and pedagogical implications for determining the best way to enhance students' motivation and learning outcomes when using digital technology methods, which involves recommendations that affect their design and monitoring

Confidence-Based Learning in Investment Analysis

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using multiple choice tests in subjects related to the administration and business management. To this end we used a multiple-choice test with specific questions to verify the extent of knowledge gained and the confidence and trust in the answers. The tests were performed in a group of 200 students at the bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management. The analysis made have been implemented in one subject of the scope of investment analysis and measured the level of knowledge gained and the degree of trust and security in the responses at two different times of the course. The measurements have been taken into account different levels of difficulty in the questions asked and the time spent by students to complete the test. The results confirm that students are generally able to obtain more knowledge along the way and get increases in the degree of trust and confidence in the answers. It is confirmed as the difficulty level of the questions set a priori by the heads of the subjects are related to levels of security and confidence in the answers. It is estimated that the improvement in the skills learned is viewed favourably by businesses and are especially important for job placement of students

Do business games foster skills? A cross-cultural study from learners’ views

Purpose: This study seeks to analyse students’ perception of the effectiveness of business games as an e-learning method in management training. This analysis of games’ effectiveness is centred in the generic and managerial skills acquired, through the comparison of students’ opinions in different cultural contexts within Europe. Design/methodology: The analysis focuses on 120 management students at postgraduate level who use the same business game at different universities in five European countries: Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. Findings: The results indicate that students positively assessed the generic and specific managerial skills fostered by the business game. The generic skills most valued were information and decision-making, and leadership. Regarding the specific skills, the most valued were management skills and the least valued, skills related to planning and the acquisition of theoretical knowledge. However, significant differences were found between students in different cultural contexts and education systems in the case of certain specific managerial skills. Practical implications: This finding suggests that the students’ perception of how a business game helps them acquire specific managerial skills is influenced by cultural aspects and previous exposure to experiential learning, which determine that the teachers’ role and the teaching process should be adapted to the students’ learning model. Originality/value: With this study, a better knowledge about the students’ perception of this e-learning method is obtained, not just considering a specific educational environment, but comparing opinions of students from different cultural contexts, which adds value to the analyses developed.Peer Reviewe

Les Relacions exteriors de la Unió Europea i l'Agenda 2000

Five general directorates of the European Commission, the RELEX group, are responsible for European foreign policy. A vicepresiclent of the European Commission will coordinate European foreign policy from January 2000. Each general directorate has a horizontal and a geographical area of responsibility. These are discussed in the paper as well as priorities and the future European Union strategy of the 2000 Agenda which runs to the sear 2006. The European Union has foreign relations but no foreign policy as such. President Jacques Sauter admitted that the European Union is no political dwarf but does not play a real role in the world stage. The European Union has now in operation a common commercial policy, development and humanitarian aid, amid a common foreign and security policy. This paper discusses commnon commercial policy as developed by the Brittan Empire, with details of relations with the USA through the New Transatlantic Agenda and the New Economic Partnership, with China by building a comprehensive partnership, and with the World Trade Organisation

Els Microestats europeus davant la Unió Europea : el cas d'Andorra

This presentation is a résumé of the third book published by Victor Pou on the subject of Andorra and its international relations, specially dealing with the European Union (EU). His first book was published in 1986 about the impact for Andorra of Portugal and Spain joining the European Community. The second appeared in 1994 dealing with the effects for Andorra of the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The third appeared in 2002 on Andorra?s options in negotiating a new agreement or a set of new sectoral agreements with the EU, after the success of the first customs union agreement Andorra-EU signed in 1990 and in force since 1991.Published by Credit Andorrà, an Andorran bank, the book provides information for the current debate in Andorra about the nature of the new agreement or agreements to be signed with the EU. The different options are presented: membership to the EU, association, new commercial agreement, list of sectoral agreements, joining the European Economic Espace(EEE), or standing still. The explicit will of the Andorran government is to achieve a new set of more ambitious agreements with the EU. However the opinions contained in the book only represent the personal ones of the author, not his official position in the European Commission in Brussels. The first chapter talks of the evolution of the relations between Andorra and the EU. The second chapter deals with the progressive approximation process of Andorra to the EU. The author favours this progression without reaching full membership (asymptotic model), as full membership in the EU is not of interest for Andorra nor is it possible because Andorra does not fulfil some criteria for membership such as capacity to assume all the ?acquis communautaire? or institutional capabilities (Andorra does fulfil two other criteria: a democratic political regime and an advanced market economy)