TY - JOUR
T1 - The difficulties of context
T2 - An exploratory study of learning transfer from a business simulation game
AU - Scherpereel, Christopher M.
AU - Williams, Susan K.
AU - Hoefle, Scott
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Schlumberger Research for some financial support, and S. H. Bittleston for his valuable contribution to this project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Decision Sciences Institute.
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - Studies show that learning is situated—or that learning in one context does not easily transfer to a new context. Because business simulations are often used to provide a learning context, we wondered if this context-specific learning would transfer. To explore this issue, we used situated learning theory to ask undergraduate students in an operations management class to apply their learning in both familiar, simulation contexts, and unfamiliar, nonsimulation contexts. Using contextually based exam questions, we empirically measured learner performance on low and high cognitive effort questions. We were able to provide some support for the constructivist learning theory's hypothesis that learners can take the principles constructed in a business simulation and apply them in other contexts. Additionally, we explored the implications of confidence/self-efficacy theory and demonstrated that transfer may differ based on cognitive effort.
AB - Studies show that learning is situated—or that learning in one context does not easily transfer to a new context. Because business simulations are often used to provide a learning context, we wondered if this context-specific learning would transfer. To explore this issue, we used situated learning theory to ask undergraduate students in an operations management class to apply their learning in both familiar, simulation contexts, and unfamiliar, nonsimulation contexts. Using contextually based exam questions, we empirically measured learner performance on low and high cognitive effort questions. We were able to provide some support for the constructivist learning theory's hypothesis that learners can take the principles constructed in a business simulation and apply them in other contexts. Additionally, we explored the implications of confidence/self-efficacy theory and demonstrated that transfer may differ based on cognitive effort.
KW - content areas
KW - experiential learning
KW - games and simulations
KW - operations management
KW - pedagogical approaches
KW - supply chain management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124899299&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1111/dsji.12259
DO - 10.1111/dsji.12259
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85124899299
SN - 1540-4595
VL - 20
SP - 89
EP - 101
JO - Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education
JF - Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education
IS - 2
ER -