Incorporating Smartsims' MikesBikes Into A Two Year Diploma Programme

Harold Lowe of Nova Scotia Community College recently wrote about his experience incorporating the MikesBikes Business Simulation into his two-year diploma programme. He has used MikesBikes for many years as an essential part of the capstone program. Lowe says it allows students to put into practice their entire learning over the two years they have spent at College. This is an excellent way for them to apply their knowledge and provides a sense of continuity to the theory that they are exposed to during the course. They get to see how each of the chapter topics are interrelated and how a decision made in one area, i.e. pricing, will affect sales and inventory levels. As a bonus, they also utilize the knowledge they have received in other courses such as Marketing, Strategy and Accounting. 

It is amazing how engaged the students become.  Lowe has noticed over the years that students will be online up to the last minute prior to the decision deadline (rollover) to see how their shareholder value is compared to the other teams. Those who made decisions that did not work in their favor will realize what went wrong and what they must do to rectify their situation.

Once they have completed the simulation competition, students present an analysis of their strategy and decisions; what worked or did not and the reasoning behind those decisions. “I find that students who study the many reports that are available, develop their critical thinking skills, which in my opinion are vital in today’s workplace”. They also receive a grade for their overall performance in the simulation.

Lowe says, “I would recommend Smartsims to any instructor who wants to engage their students in a process that ties all of their learning into one package”.

For more information on Smartsims and their business simulation games, marketing simulation and strategy business games, please go to http://www.smartsims.com/