The relationship between business simulations in capstone management courses and standardized test scores

• Sample included 1049 undergraduate students.
• Syllabi were analyzed for instructional methodology.
• Methodologies considered were case studies and computer simulations.
• Relationship between methodology and standardized assessment scores was examined.
• Case studies were significantly associated with higher scores on assessments.

Students now prefer and expect opportunities to be actively engaged in their own education. As more methods become available to engage students in experiential learning, examining the impacts of these methodologies becomes even more important. The authors sought to expand the literature by examining how various instructional methodologies may be associated with student learning in a business capstone course. This study examines the relationship between simulation and case instructional methodologies with a rarely-used outcome in the related literature, a standardized assessment of all disciplines related to the business field. Data were collected on demographics, academic performance, and instructional methodology for 1049 undergraduate students from 83 sections of the capstone strategy course from Fall 2006 to Summer 2013. The results show that the instructional methodology utilized in the course was related to scores on the standardized assessment, with the case methodology being associated with higher scores. Computer simulations were not associated with scores significantly different from sections with no experiential exercise. The implications of these findings are discussed, along with potential methods for educators using these methodologies and avenues for future research.