Fostering Project Management and Entrepreneurship with Applied Games

www.fh-joanneum.atINFORMATIONSDESIGN

INSTITUT FÜR DESIGN & KOMMUNIKATION I Prof DI Dr. MAJA PIVEC

Fostering Project Management and Entrepreneurship

with Applied Games

Maja Pivec

EIF 2014, 18-19 June 2014, Vilnius, Lithuania



Introduction



GREAT Project

EU Leonardo da Vinci funded project October 2011 – September 2013http://www.projectgreat.eu/

• Co-ordinator: APG (Portuguese Association of Human Resource Managers), Portugal

• Partners: AIF (IT), FH JOANNEUM (AT), GAZI University (TR), I.ZONE (RO), MERIG (AT)

• Associated and media partners

http://www.projectgreat.eu/



GREAT Project

to provide methodology and guidelines for using Game-Based Learning (GBL) in education and training

•Aim of the Research Phase

- to develop a common vision for the role for GBL in training and education

- to elaborate a detailed Needs Analysis of Skills and Competencies in Small and Medium Enterprises from participating countries



Results from the Online Survey

• 542 responses from 34 countriesEurope, America, Asia, Africa and Australia

• 76,6% respondents were teachers/trainers

GBL is a relevant method for learning

• 26,2% (111) of private Training Organization are using in 79,7% (153) serious / educational

games




• communication in foreign languages• conflict management and resolutions• social and cultural sensitivity• ethical competences • interdisciplinary and cross generation learning • sustainable behaviour • learning alone and in groups• learning to learn competence• learning from experts and with pears


INSTITUT FÜR DESIGN & KOMMUNIKATION I Prof DI Dr. MAJA PIVECConflict Management: Global Conflict


INSTITUT FÜR DESIGN & KOMMUNIKATION I Prof DI Dr. MAJA PIVECSustainable Behavior: Power Up




GBL – Strengths• richer learning experience • contextual learning• linking theory and practice• stimulate pro-active behaviour and participation

GBL - Barriers for Usage• duration time of game-based activities• meeting the learning objectives• technical equipment needed/available• access to the resources, costs



Conclusions

To improve training methods and introduce innovative learning approaches teachers / trainers need competences to be able to integrate digital games into the teaching, familiarise themselves with the game-based methods and the games themselves.

GREAT SOLUTION• Workshops and blended learning courses for trainers• Materials for trainers



Project Management for Entrepreneurs



The Course – Learning Objectives

• Acquire various competences for project management• professional competences in project management • gain methodological competences

(using communication platforms, giving feedback to team members, link expertise to on-going projects of the own company)

• practice your on-line social skills (communication and interaction, reflection, self-initiative and taking your own responsibility)

• enhance individual competence for pro-active behaviour (learning to learn, defining goals, assessing its achievements, developing customized solutions)

• Learn from and with each other• Transform learned competences to their problem area



The Course – Effective Learning

1) having a concrete experience (doing / having and experience) followed by

2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to

3) the formation of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalizations (conclusions) which are then

4) in the phase of active experimentation used to test hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences.

As summarized in McLeod, S. A. (2010), based on Kolb model (1984) on experiential learning theory



The Course

Training of Leadership and Time Management competences & increasing their soft skills, using GREAT training material http://www.projectgreat.eu/

Course Delivery:Two weeks, E-Learning and GBL, Moodle Platform

Games used:Dina DashTiny TowerSims free play

http://www.projectgreat.eu/



The Course – Diner Dash

PM competences: resilience and stress management skills, time management.



The Course – Tiny Tower

PM competences: leadership, people management, cost management, planning.



The Course – Sims free play

PM competences: planning, time management, cost management.



Participation Overview

Dynamic of the Course Activities by 10 students



Participation Overview

Overview on the posts per each E-Tivity



Reflections on GBL

„When I started the next game I thought about what I would do, if I wanted to start working at an agency. I took one office space, byed many plants and a wonderful painting, a coffee machine (a coffee machine has to be in every office where cretivness should happen!) and after some days I really made benefits. My staff stayed happy (100 percent) and after some time I had enough money to enlarge my office. ... “



Reflections on GBL

„... By doing the second system - starting step-by-step I had a better overview of all - over the staff and over the funds.

That's a thing I can keep in mind also for real projects. You can have a big vision - but you should start small and should think in a way where you always have the right overview. Because if you as the head loose this basic, your company only can go under.“



Reflections on GBL

“The major difference between my game #1 and game #2 was this: At first, I treated my enterprise like a dinner party with friends: I hired three, four people - obviously a friendly atmosphere where no one must be strangers, right? - and got caught up in the details. I wanted plants and a coffee machine before I even built an elevator; I hired researchers before I had enough workers to even realize innovation. ….



Reflections on GBL

“… At my second go, I followed the game's advised steps and suddenly things fell into place: there is a chronology to management. Certain infrastructure and investments are the start of every business - be it one of three people, or three hundred.“



Reflections on GBL

“You learn how to keep the balance between investing and earning. Maybe you get a feeling of how much work and time is necessary in relation to the growth of your office building and still having benefits.”

“Of course a game like this isn't able to simulate social aspects in a realistic way. Even if there is a scale for the happiness of the worker, there is no space for social interaction and communication between the employees.”



Reflections on E-Learning

„I think it's easier to write about what you think. So you have time to structure your thoughts. “

„Wow! Two weeks are over (like the wind). In this weeks I learned a lot – big outcome with a expenditure of time, but paid off. “

„Reflecting the last two weeks simply two words pop up in my mind: Thank You. ...I guess that most things during the course, I did not only learn by reflecting on my own management behaviour, but even more by gaining insights into the ideas and feelings posted by others.“



Conclusions



Conclusions

Success Factors• familiarity with the e-learning platform• course and content structure• timing of the course• intensive moderation

Improvements• improving the e-learning platform• extending the course to three weeks• mentoring & additional individual assignments at the end

of the course



Conclusions

“...Furthermore, the teacher as an "adviser" rather than an "instructor" is a wonderful and functional concept for academia. …

I hope it doesn't sound pathetic, but - e-learning made me feel re-transported to that child I used to be And it certainly helped that one of my tasks was to play a game! ..“



Conclusions



researchanddesign.fh-joanneum.at

[email protected]

Fostering Project Management and Entrepreneurship with Applied Games

Education

Transcript of Fostering Project Management and Entrepreneurship with Applied Games