Innovation Diffusion

Abstract

This research project investigated student reaction to playing the DIFFUSION SIMULATION GAME (DSG) and how an instructor, who is a novice in playing online games, implemented the DSG in an online higher education course. The goal of this research project was to determine whether playing the DSG helps students learn and apply course content. In addition, the authors sought to understand how to implement and use the DSG effectively as an integral part of the online Managing Technological Change course. Results indicated that student reaction to playing the game was very positive and students felt the game helped them better understand the change process. For example, students felt the DSG provided insight into school culture, the amount of time needed to implement a change, and the need for a change agent to be flexible. The instructor learned the importance of clearly identifying learning goals when using the DSG in an online course and realized that debriefing is a critical component of using games or simulations for learning.

Utilizing a Simulation within an Online School Technology Leadership Course

“…This case study offers an additional example of simulation use in higher education, specifically in the area of school technology leadership education. The DSG dates back many years (Molenda & Rice, 1979) and is continuing to find use in additional higher education settings (e.g., Huang & Kapur, 2012;Kovalik & Kuo, 2012) beyond the class that this case study focused on. Some researchers (Kwon et al, 2013) have indicated that educational supports may be necessary to get the most out of the DSG.…”

“…Simulations have been widely used in different fields, such as business, medical, military, and science (Kovalik & Kuo, 2012). Some simulations have included civil engineering (Ebner & Holzinger, 2007), firefighter training (Backlund et al, 2009), leadership development (e.g., Ross & Exposito, 2014), physics (e.g., Chen, Hong, Sung, & Chang, 2011, medical clinical training (e.g., de Giovanni, Roberts, & Norman, 2009), statistics (e.g., Liu, 2010), and medical education.…”

“…In the 2014 version of the report for higher education, the New Media Consortium speaks more broadly about gaming and gamification, including simulation use, as being within two or three years of adoption (Johnson, Adams-Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2014). Despite the past usage, and projected future use of simulations in education, a search of the literature found only limited research (e.g., Kovalik & Kuo, 2012) addressing the use of digital simulations in online school technology leadership courses, though some research has been conducted on using simulation with school leaders (e.g., Huang & Kapur, 2012). Like this study, both Kovalik and Kuo as well as Huang and Kapur also utilized a simulation called the Diffusion Simulation Game.…”

Motivating Game-Based Learning Efforts in Higher Education

“…However, while there are many positive arguments for promoting GBL, there are also a number of substantial concerns. Some think that simulation games may be more effective in incorporating meaningful content and increasing relevant skills (Sitzmann, 2011;Kovalik & Kuo, 2012). Some think that simulation games may be more effective in incorporating meaningful content and increasing relevant skills (Sitzmann, 2011;Kovalik & Kuo, 2012).…”