Types of Gaming Simulation Applications

Contents of This Issue’s Simulation and Gaming Applications

The seven articles in this issue represent the whole range of types of gaming applications. Not surprisingly, most of the articles of this issue fall mainly into the category IIa – education and training. However, some of the articles show intersections and additional impact to the other categories of gaming applications (see above).

The article “An Empirical Evaluation of Transfer-of-Training of Two Flight Simulation Games” by Hans J. E. Korteling, Anne S. Helsdingen and Ralf R. Sluimer (2016) falls clearly into the IIa category and describes gaming as an instruction and training environment to improve performance in real-life situations. The quasi experimental study was done to explore the effects of stand-alone PC-based flight simulator games. Both games used in the evaluation study were originally entertainment games. The results show near- and far- transfer of job related skills.

Another prime example of the IIa category is the article “Voluntary vs Compulsory Playing Contexts: Motivational, Cognitive, and Game Experience Effects” by Gabriela Rodríguez-Aflecht, Minna Hannula-Sormunen, Jake McMullen, Tomi Jaakkola and Erno Lehtinen (2016). The article discusses a mathematics educational game for 5^th graders and compares outcomes of the game in a voluntary context vs. use in a compulsory organized school situation. Playing the game showed positive effects on math skills, but motivation did not improve regardless of play context. It is shown that interest in the subject matter is more important than an interest toward games.

The article “Measuring the Impact of a Marketing Simulation Game: Experience on Perceived Indecisiveness” by William J. Wellington, David B. Hutchinson and Anthony J. Faria (2016) discusses a very neglected aspect in the application of business simulation games. The authors discuss the effects of management simulation games on the change of the perception of student’s indecisiveness and compare higher performance simulation decision makers and lower performance simulation decision-making. Results show that higher performance decision makers reported being less indecisive and that both groups reported significantly reduction of indecisiveness due to game play. Obviously, this article also falls into the IIa category.

Jean-Nicolas Proulx, Margarida Romero and Sylvester Arnab’s (2016) article on “Learning Mechanics and Game Mechanics Under the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory to Foster Motivation in Digital Game Based Learning” also contributes to the education and training type of application (IIa). The authors discuss digital game-based learning under the perspective of self-determination theory and present a theoretical framework where the use of digital game based learning is analyzed through the proposed learning mechanics and game mechanics mapping model. They provide examples of how self-determination components can be operationalized through their model. Here, some light interconnections with category I (developing theories) can be found, but their article is not based on an empirical study to test a theory.

A stronger interconnection and impact for category I can be found in the article “Goal-Setting in Educational Video Games: Comparing Goal-Setting Theory and the Goal-Free Effect” by Steve Nebel, Sascha Schneider, Janine Schledjewski and Günter Daniel Rey (2016). On the one hand, the article falls again in the IIa category, because it deals with optimization of instructional elements of gameplay in educational video games and the results have practical implications for the design of educational video games. On the other hand, the authors research specific elements of theories from motivational psychology (goal-setting theory) and cognitive psychology (goal free effect and cognitive load). The results of this quantitative experimental study have implications for theory building within the field of instructional psychology. Clearly, the articles bridge the gap to the use of gaming for the purpose of the analytical sciences (category I).

A different intersection is described by Jonas Rybing, Erik Prytz, Johan Hornwall, Heléne Nilsson, Carl-Oscar Jonson, and Magnus Bang (2016). Their article “Designing a Digital Medical Management Training Simulator Using Distributed Cognition Theory” link the application type IIa with categories IIb and IIc. The article shows how distributed cognition theory and concepts of simulation and gaming can be used to guide the design and evaluation of a medical simulation-based training environment. The article concentrates mainly on the aspect of medical management training (IIa). However, it ties in the potential impact for the improvement of training situations and the optimization of organizing care during real critical mass events. In such disaster situations effective management procedures and communication policies are necessary to minimize negative patient outcomes (IIb). In this way, effective strategies and workflows can be tested and medical management systems can be improved (IIc).

“COMMUTER BRIDGE: A Braess Paradox Simulation to Teach Social Dilemmas” by Hugo Merlone and Angelo Romano (2016) is a contribution for the section of “Gaming Material Ready to Use”. Here a concrete game is described. COMMUTER BRIDGE is a social dilemma game. Participants experience how individual rationality can lead to collective disaster. The game and the debriefing teach about social dilemmas and limitations of communication. The contribution can be classified as falling into the intersection of the categories of IIa and potentially IIb. It is a classical education game (IIa) and at the same time the debriefing can be used as a starting point for collective reflection and generating ideas for co-operation strategies in the specific organizations of the participants (IIb).

My co-editors and I are pleased to present this issue of Simulation & Gaming. It is pleasing to review the rich articles submitted to the journal and know that each contributes to the literature in new and innovative ways.