Recurrence Unveils Business Game for College Students
Seattle Area Start Up and University of Washington develop software to bring a time-tested teaching tool into the 21st Century
SEATTLE, July 6, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Recurrence (www.recurrenceinc.com) has launched a new business game for college students in partnership with the Center for Leadership & Strategic Thinking (CLST) at the University of Washington. The software – an interactive, multiplayer, online game – serves as an alternative to traditional pencil-and-paper business cases. It employs a concept called "gamification" to bring a time-tested teaching tool into the 21st Century.
"We are attempting to revolutionize the way students learn in the classroom and online," says CEO Brayden Olson, "We believe games will be essential to the future of college education."
In the game, The Signature Case Study, students enact high-level executive roles, such as CEO or CFO, as they guide an airline through a series of challenges and crises: a labor strike, a plane crash, a fuel crisis, and a hostile takeover attempt.
Students quickly realize the airline must undergo serious reforms, such as changing its budget and business culture, or face dire consequences. Derived from an in-depth, multi-year research study conducted with a major airline, the challenges in the game are based on real-world data and reflect decisions that actual senior executives face.
Furthermore, the game provides students with a report documenting their leadership style, and real-time feedback on key performance indicators like employee and customer satisfaction. The principle goal is to teach students the consequences of their leadership and managerial choices, with the aim of providing insight on how to improve their leadership in the real world in a fun and engaging way.
"This game is great for students to meaningfully experience the issues of teamwork, leadership, and decision-making," says Rick McPherson, a management lecturer at the University of Washington, "I was impressed by how quickly students understood how the game worked and were able to get into their roles and start making decisions. It establishes a new standard for teaching leadership and teamwork." Echoing the sentiment of a group of students from an evaluation study, one student remarked, "[It] should be implemented in all business schools."
The Signature Case Study is currently used in classes at the University of Washington. The game will launch at Stanford, Penn State, Johns Hopkins, Northeastern University, University of Illinois, Florida International University, and dozens of other schools later this year.
Media Contact: Alex Berezow ([email protected])
SOURCE Recurrence, Inc.
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