Digitalisation in schools: TOPSIM at the Linz International Business School

Due to their high flexibility, online business simulations are a great asset for digitalisation in teaching. The Linz International Business School used TOPSIM – easyManagement in its graduating class, in the course Marketing and Controlling, and got consistently positive feedback from the participants!

TOPSIM – easyManagement is our entry-level business simulation. The business simulation focuses on teaching basic business skills in the areas of production, sales, human resources, administration and finance. The business simulation is designed for business administration beginners and is therefore also very well suited for the use in schools.

Teaching concept

MMag. Barbara Strassern played with 23 students in a face-to-face format from September 23 to Ocotber 12 in 2020. All participants were between 19 and 20 years old and attended the “Seminar Business Simulation” of the focus module “Marketing and Controlling” in their graduating class.

Barabara Strassern first introduced the business simulation with a presentation and divided the students into six teams of four people each. The companies then jumped straight into a panel of experts and gave presentations on the subject. In addition, the teams were to design their own market strategy and be able to justify it. This was followed by the first simulation period.

The next step was to design and present a logo as well as a company name. Barbara Strassern then evaluated and analyzed the results of the first period with her class. Based on the results, the teams then had to think about the key numbers for the next period and to show the reasons for the decisions. Other simulation periods were similar, in which the students played and had to solve some additional tasks, such as a market analysis, a SWOT analysis and a target group analysis. At the end, a winning group was awarded!

Positive Feedback

The students were enthusiastic about the concept of the simulation-based seminar. The insight into a realistic business scenario was highlighted as positive. The students enjoyed stepping into the shoes of management and experiencing the ‘thrill’ of decision making. Here are a few impressions from the class:

“I really enjoyed the seminar because the tasks were very diverse and it was exciting to see how our company changed after each period. I gained a lot of new insights into the corporate world and also developed my ability to work in a team. I would definitely recommend this business simulation to other students, as it is a very practical form of learning, from which you also benefit in your future life.”

“Personally, I liked the game because it stimulates entrepreneurial thinking. You also learn how to calculate and deal with crucial numbers. I think it’s important that we students can roughly imagine what it’s like in practice.”

“I found this game very exciting and entertaining. Since this game is portrayed very realistically, I felt like I was really working for the company.”

“Personally, I think TOPSIM gives the younger generation the opportunity to understand how important it is to make the right decisions and that strategies that are not well thought out have consequences for the company. The game is designed very realistically and you learn to work better in a team.”

“I liked the seminar very much because TOPSIM gives you an in-depth look at the development of a company. The calculation of the key financial figures required a lot of concentration and accuracy. Since these two skills are also very important for our professional life, I think this course prepares us well for possible future situations.”

“It was interesting to try out if the strategies that we had envisioned worked out.”

We at TOPSIM are pleased about the consistently positive feedback from the players. Thanks to Barbara Strassern for this exciting insight! If you are interested in using one of our business simulations in your school lessons, please contact us and together we will work out a suitable solution for gamified learning.

Mastering Business Operations at the Hochschule Bremen

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