Mathews Nkhoma, Jaime Calbeto, Narumon Sriratanaviriyakul, Thu Muang, Quyen Ha Tran and Thanh Kim Cao
Simulation games have long been used as a teaching tool in the classroom environment mainly due to the high level of participation and engagement that students are able to…
Abstract
Purpose
Simulation games have long been used as a teaching tool in the classroom environment mainly due to the high level of participation and engagement that students are able to generate from these, making the learning process more enjoyable and capable to replicate real-life scenarios. Feedback given during the simulation helps to motivate students to find better solutions to the problems being presented in the games and thus enhance their hands-on knowledge on particular subjects. The purpose of this research is to provide empirical evidence of interrelations and impacts that exist between real-time continuous feedback and simulation game performance as well as the interrelations and impacts that exist between real-time continuous feedback and both students' attitude and engagement towards learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The research focused on 60 undergraduate students enrolled at the Centre of Commerce at RMIT University Vietnam who had taken at least three semesters at various programmes. For test purposes, the research employed a 3D IBM business process management (BPM) simulation game, INNOV8 developed by the IBM Academic Initiative (more information about the game is available at: www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/index.html). A web-based survey followed at the university grounds for the collection of data.
Findings
Students showed a favourable attitude towards learning through the simulation game. In addition, the real-time continuous feedback given during the simulation game had a positive impact on the students' cognitive learning outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The sample size used was relatively small with 60 participants, most unfamiliar with the theories of BPM.
Originality/value
The originality of this research stems from the real-time and continuous nature of the feedback being given to students during the gameplay of a computer-based simulation game, and how this type of feedback could positively impact the students' learning outcomes.
Details
Keywords
Anh Thi Phuong Le, Puvaneswaran Kunasekaran, Neethiahnanthan Ari Ravagan, Hung Ngoc Le, Tuan Thanh Nguyen and Thang Vu Luong
One Commune One Product (OCOP) program, a rural economic development program in Vietnam, aims to empower local communities for sustainable social and economic welfare development…
Abstract
Purpose
One Commune One Product (OCOP) program, a rural economic development program in Vietnam, aims to empower local communities for sustainable social and economic welfare development, protect the environment and preserve tradition. This study aims to employ this program associated with tourism to support small family businesses in rural areas cost-effectively.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the geographic location mapping method to design tourist routes that connect tourism resources with OCOP producers. A stakeholder approach was employed to identify suggested practical works that need to be implemented while developing this tourism initiative.
Findings
Four rural districts of Bac Giang Province, a northern province in Vietnam known as the place of various indigenous people live and traditional craft villages. Many cultural and historical tourist sites have been chosen as sample areas for this study. By using Google map, based on the Bac Giang Tourist Map and a list of recognized OCOP products in Bac Giang Province, main tourist sites (16 locations) and small family businesses (known as cooperatives and households) that have OCOP products (17 places) in the four districts have been identified. Four notable tourist routes have been formed to propose four thematic tours (two 1-day tours and two 2 days-1 night homestay tours). Suggestions for related stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of this initiative are provided.
Research limitations/implications
This study is supposed to be a model of promoting small family businesses through OCOP programs and tourism activities in a sustainable way in Vietnam. The outcome of this study is in line with the stakeholder theory emphasizing the systematic connection of various stakeholders such as employees, suppliers, local communities, government agencies and others towards complex business sustainability. The results of the study cannot conclude the small family businesses in Vietnam because it adopts geographic location mapping alone. Moreover, this study focused on OCOP programs only. Future research can use other methods of primary data collection, especially from tourists' perspectives. Data triangulation can be done to explore and verify the tourist routes that have been formed according to the four thematic tours proposed. Future research could also compare hotels managed by family businesses with non-family businesses.
Originality/value
This study is supposed to be a model of promoting small family businesses through OCOP programs and tourism activities in a sustainable way in Vietnam.