Hernández-Lara, Ana Beatriz

Serradell-López, Enric

Revista Internacional de Organizaciones

Revistes Catalanes amb Accés Obert

7Revista Internacional de Organizaciones, nº 18, junio 2017, 7–9
ISSN: 2013-570X; EISSN: 1886-4171. http://www.revista-rio.org
Editorial
Contemporary education involves a shift towards a paradigm focused on students, 
learning and competences. In today’s globalized environment, the educational 
context needs to add methodologies and tools to obtain high-performance 
capabilities. In the specific context of Europe, The European Higher Education 
Area (EHEA) places the concept of competence as the main element in the 
learning process, and students as the centre of the educational model.
The European Commission has expressed great concern for the gap between 
employers’ skills demands and the skills possessed by workers. Transversal key 
competencies are demanded, such as problem-solving and analytical skills, self-
management and communication skills, linguistic skills, and more generally, 
«non-routine skills». The competence-based learning model requires new and 
valuable learning tools to allow students to develop these skills and become active 
constructors of knowledge rather than just passive receivers of content.
Business simulations, games and other simulation tools provide a useful 
setting for students to acquire professional skills, which are much harder to 
acquire through traditional theory-based-learning methods. However, the final 
outcome of this useful setting is not still clear in terms of the student learning, 
with much more evidence needed to support the real benefits of these new 
educational tools.
For this special edition, we invited submissions of papers which may include 
exemplary but not limited to topics like:
• Serious games
• Assessment in games-based learning 
• Use of mobile games for learning 
• Location-based technology for game-based learning 
• Business simulation for learning 
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Revista Internacional de Organizaciones 18, 2017
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• Innovative games and tools for learning 
• Social and collaborative aspects of games-based learning 
• Competence-based learning with games and simulations 
• Cross-cultural comparison in games and simulation based learning 
• Participants’ perceptions using simulations and games
The result has been 6 papers included, four of them on the topic of the special 
issue, two included in the miscellany part, and two book reviews. 
It is worth mentioning that the four published papers on the topics of 
the special issue are quite relevant to promote and further our knowledge on 
simulation and gaming in the learning process.
The first article is a study on practice firms as a simulation tool used in business 
studies, written by Dr. Massimo Bianchi, Dr. Daniele Gualdi and Dr. Laura 
Tampieri, in order to analyse the role of organizational ties developed in practice 
firms as part of the learning process of the students. The results Highlights the 
complex pattern of ties recreated within the firm and show a certain stability 
of educational and operative-external ties and the prevalence of internal ties. 
Furthermore, the feedback, measured as the waiting time for a response, inside 
the practice firms, analysed among their functional offices was lower than those 
related to external networking.
Another interesting and original paper by Dr. Jordi Carenys, Dr. Soledad Moya 
and Dr. Mar Vila analyses the effectiveness of an accounting videogame in terms 
of attributes, motivation and learning outcomes. Results show that, regarding 
attributes, most of them were favourably assessed, being the most valued those 
related to fun, engagement and the provision of clear information about the 
goals while the less valued were those regarding feedback. For motivation, results 
show that also participants perceive the learning experience as motivating, with 
a particular focus on enjoyment and sense of success. And regarding learning 
outcomes, results show the highest values meaning that students perceive that 
they are learning with the experience and achieving their objectives. This study 
suggests that even those students that declare a low esteem for videogames, or 
don’t play it regularly) can benefit of its use in a learning environment.
The third paper written by Dr. Raquel Ferreras, Dr. Ana Beatriz Hernández-
Lara and Dr. Enric Serradell-López, aims to develop a systematic literature review 
on entrepreneurship competences acquired in business plans. The results show 
that in recent years, with the reforms involved in the Bologna Process, studies on 
entrepreneurial skills and their relationship with the teaching/learning process 
have risen considerably. Thus, there are many experiences that include the study 
of competences or entrepreneurial competences in general and its relationship 
9RIO, Nº 18, 2017
Revista Internacional de Organizaciones 18, 2017
to education. However, there are not studies that analyse the achievement of 
entrepreneurial competences by students when developing a business plan, 
which determines the suitability of going in-depth in this research line, showing 
a promising future line of research.
The fourth paper on the topic of this special issue written by Dr. Pablo 
Díaz-Luque and Dr. Cynthia H. W. Correa examines gamification and tourist 
destination, and makes a classification of games from the point of view of 
Destination Marketing Offices. The tourism sector begins to incorporate this 
tool inside its management and promotion actions. Technological companies with 
activity in tourism, the tourism sector firms itself, and the public agents develop 
online games to reinforce their processes and actions. Tourist destinations, 
through their management and promotion offices, also begin to incorporate this 
trend in their activities. This paper offers a classification around gamification, it 
will help to know more in-depth the different types of games from the point of 
view of the Destination Marketing Organizations.
We also include in this edition of the journal two studies that analyse other 
topics. The first one, an article from Dr. Ignasi Brunet and Dr. Rafael Bocker, 
presents a description of the vocational educational model in Spain. The second 
one, is a literature review written by Dr. August Corrons on complementary 
coins, money with values. 
Lastly, this special issue includes two book reviews. The first one on the book 
of Yu-kai Chou Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges and Leaderboards, 
Freemont: CA. Ediciones Octalysis Media., written by Ferran Teixes-Argilés. 
The second book review made by Dr. Ignasi Brunet, is developed on the book El 
gran retroceso. Un debate internacional sobre el reto urgente de reconducir el rumbo 
de la democracia It’s a collective work, written by Santiago Alba Rico, Arjun 
Appadurai, Donatella Della Porta,Nancy Fraser, Marina Garcés, Eva Illouz, 
Ivan Krastev, Pankaj Mishra, Robert Misik, Oliver Nachtwey, César Rendueles, 
Wolfgang Streeck, David Van Reybrouck and Slavoj Zizek. Barcelona. Editorial 
Seix Barral.
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the people involved with 
this issue. This publication would not have been possible if it were not for the 
contribution of colleagues in topics of simulation and gaming. Thank you so 
much for your valuable contributions.
Dr. Ana Beatriz Hernández-Lara
Dr. Enric Serradell-López


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