Simulation games in business and marketing education: How educators assess student learning from simulations

• The paper provides evidence of how tutors who use business simulation games support and assess their students.
• Simulation tutors use a range of teaching approaches to support student learning and these practices tend to follow an authentic assessment model.
• Authentic assessment represents a set of both teaching and assessment characteristics to engage students and develop their knowledge and skills.
• While authentic assessment offers evidence-based practices for designing assessment, students do not always engage with or perform better.

Considerable research findings have demonstrated the value of simulations in motivating and engaging students and in developing their skills and competencies. Almost no research, however, has investigated how educators assess student learning from simulations. Drawing upon the literature into authentic assessment – a body of work that provides evidence-based principles to enhance assessment practice and outcomes – this paper attempts to provide a foundation for research in this area. From the 35 surveys and 8 interviews conducted with educators who use business-related simulations, it is apparent that the majority are applying creative assessment practices and that most follow authentic assessment principles – whether they use this terminology or not – including offering students developmental (formative) assessment opportunities over the course of the simulation, explaining assessment criteria and ways that students can improve their performance, requiring students to undertake reflection on their learning and outcomes, and ensuring that higher order thinking skills are engaged. Findings also show considerable similarities in where students are performing less well and in tutor perceptions of the reasons why. The research provides ideas for simulation educators to develop their assessment as well as a basis for future research into simulation assessment and ways to improve student outcomes.