Learning by playing – A long-term study of simulation games

Simulation games in higher education are common and becoming ever more widespread. However, there is little empirical evidence on the effect of simulation games on the participants’ learning behavior. This paper presents a long-term study that uses a panel design to examine students’ competence increases. The results show a significant effect, especially on participants’ knowledge acquisition. However, this effect can only be achieved if the simulation games are implemented in an appropriate manner, which is discussed in the final part of the paper.