A simulation based game approach for teaching operations management topics

Simulation games have been utilized as an educational tool in order to complement the traditional teaching methods. They have been widely applied in the teaching of different subjects such as business management, nursing, and medicine. This paper proposes a new simulation game which simulates a production system that consists of a set of machines, conveyors, and other components. The objective of the proposed game is to enhance the teaching of some concepts of operations management such as capacity utilization and maintenance planning. The game decisions are repeatedly made in two consecutive steps of playing in order to enhance the learning of students. This framework of decision making can be utilized to evaluate the progression of students learning and the educational effectiveness of the game. Students showed a positive response to the game and learning through gaming in an evaluation conducted after playing the game.