Simulation System Dynamics

Although our designs are anchored on over thirty years experience designing and running simulations, the designs are engineered based on systems dynamics concepts. Concepts that involves a feedback system and it's dynamic process.

Simulations used for management development involve a similar feedback process to systems dynamics and servomechanisms [1] .

Diagram of the feedback process.

Conventional Simulations involve the team entering decisions that are submitted to the model and processed producing results.

Our designs envelop the model in a tutoring support system that places the tutor (or trainer) in the loop. The tutoring support system provides the tutor with extra information in the form of a decision screen, tutor's audit and team commentaries. Additionally, these simulations provide some results as qualitative comments.

Systems Dynamic Process

Our research shows the learning process involves three interacting dynamics:

Workload

Cognition (understanding)

Affection (feelings)

How work load, cognition and affection change during the simulation.

Work Load: At the start of the simulation, work load is high as participants familiarise themselves with the task. Then, as they make decisions and their understanding grows, the work load declines. This presents a design paradox. If, initial work load is too high, teams are discouraged and demotivated. However, if initial work load is reduced, this may mean that, later, the work load is too low and participants feel their time is wasted. Our designs overcome this in three ways - through economic calibration, ramped complexity and tutor intervention. Economic Calibration means that economic problems and pressures are designed into the simulation to increase as it progresses. Ramped Complexity means that the number of reports (and, often, decisions) are increased as the simulation progresses. Finally, we believe to ensure learning the Tutor must intervene to coach and challenge and so provide a tutor support system.

Understanding: As the simulation progresses participants move from being (slightly) confused up the learning curve. Our economic calibration, ramped complexity and tutor intervention ensures that the most learning is done in the shortest possible time.

Feelings: Finally, participants get emotionally involved. Simulations are fun. But, because they challenge participants business knowledge and measure success in hard, financial terms a badly designed or run simulation can be demoralising for some. Again our designs take this into account.

1 Hall, Jeremy and Benita Cox (1993) Computerized management games:the feedback process and servomechanism analogy The Simulation and Gaming Yearbook 1993 Kogan Page London

Most recent update: 05/09/08
Hall Marketing, Studio 11, Colman's Wharf, 45 Morris Road, London E14 6PA, ENGLAND
Phone & Fax +44 (0)20 7537 2982 E-mail jeremyhall@simulations.co.uk

Simulation System Dynamics

Feedback System

Systems Dynamic Process