Teachers’ experiences of using game-based learning methods in project management higher education

The benefits and some challenges of using game-based learning (GBL) methods in project management higher education have not been widely investigated. This research employs qualitative methods and builds on in-depth interview data from 22 experienced university teachers with a project management teaching background. It shows us that teachers perceive beneficial consequences for students from gaming, such as increased interest and knowledge acquisition with a memorable learning experience. Teachers' inspirations and motivations both have been boosted by a novel method to motivate and engage students. The challenges of GBL for students manifest as increased cognitive load and stress. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of the impact of GBL methods while identifying some challenges and disadvantages, which are not as widely discussed as the benefits. The research identifies experiences from project management teachers' perspectives, covering both learners' and instructors’ viewpoints. Findings may help teachers to decide whether GBL could be used in their courses.

The degree of “objectification” in Western economies in all economic sectors indicates that approximately one-third of all economic activities are project-based. A highly skilled workforce is needed to deal with project management challenges for the success of project-based organizations. Future project managers also need to be ready to adapt to, face, and take control of project leadership responsibilities. Therefore, higher education institutes need to provide educational programs that train and equip new professionals with relevant discipline-based and generic skills.

Modern project management requires some skills for dealing with complexity and uncertainty together with constantly changing organizations and technologies. Researchers have proposed that already education should prepare project managers with a more practical approach to project complexity and skills development instead of theory. Using game concepts like GBL and simulations as teaching methods in project management education provides students with an opportunity to apply and practice their knowledge in simulative setups.

There are several papers and research results on using serious games, educational games, and game-based learning in various fields as learning solutions or methods, but teaching project management skills and phenomena with games has not been widely studied. The potential benefits of GBL are well understood, but less research exists on examining the challenges, disadvantages, and barriers to applying it. This research paper is written to analyze and understand the perceived benefits and drawbacks of using GBL methods in teaching and learning project management. Incorporating educational games into course designs is not an easy task. This article introduces typical challenges that teachers have faced.

 The fact that there is room to elaborate on and contribute to research on utilizing GBL methods in the project management education context, we formulated the following research questions:

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What are the benefits and challenges for students applying GBL methods in project management education?

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What are the benefits and challenges for teachers of applying GBL methods in project management education?

All research data were collected during semi-structured interviews with 22 experienced project management higher education teachers in Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. This article illuminates perceptions, opinions, and experiences of GBL methods among both students and teachers.

Game-based learning and their experiences:

Gamification an educational method means incorporating game elements, such as points, badges, levels, roles, and leaderboards, into teaching to engage students with content, motivate action, and influence behavior to promote learning. GBL differs from gamification both because it includes an actual game that creates the learning experience and teaches knowledge and skills. Throughout this, the term “game” is used to refer to either an analog game or a digital game that can be played on a computer or mobile device platform in educational situations. Games designed for learning purposes are called serious games, educational games, or simulation games in the literature, but we do not make a distinction between them in this study.

The following sections discuss findings of GBL experiences from extant research. Since there is a limited number of studies with a project management focus, the benefits and challenges of GBL are discussed on a generic level:

Benefits and some challenges for students are:

Cognitive learning theories suggest that play-like activities foster deep learning because learners want to spend effort and time on assignments that they feel are interesting and motivating. Student engagement is commonly believed to affect learning and motivation. Engagement is defined as the “heightened, simultaneous experience of concentration, interest, and enjoyment in the task at hand”. Games are claimed to facilitate some learning engagement on the cognitive, affective and sociocultural levels, unlike other media providing a playful learning experience.

In existing systematic literature review papers, the benefits of gaming in the education context are relatively aligned, and similar findings are reported. Collaborative play, competition, and role-play have been identified in several studies as gameplay elements that engage students cognitively and emotionally. The most significant benefits in the higher education context are improved student attitudes, engagement, and performance 

A positive impact of GBL on students' activation, motivation, and emotional behavior has been repeatedly observed. Challenges posed by games may promote student engagement and learning because working at the limits of one's abilities and skills causes continued interest and feelings of immersion. In addition, leadership skills such as motivation, facilitation, coaching, mindset changing, and communication can be developed with GBL.

These are also known interrelated disadvantages of game-based learning for both learners and instructors. Challenges for teachers usually cause negative consequences for students. For students, game-based learning may be time-consuming, and game session durations can be difficult to predict. In addition, competition, visibility, and comparison of game results can be uncomfortable for some students. Students may regard gamified classes as demanding and may prefer more traditional learning methods. For learners, incomplete technical implementation of GBL practices or disconnection from learning objectives might cause feelings of frustration. However, in addition to generating positive affective states like delight and excitement, reasonable amounts of confusion and frustration in GBL sessions may promote learning. Positive stress may increase motivation and willingness to succeed.