Research in Serious Simulation Gaming

In this area of research, we want to explore the use of simulation and modeling to create a virtual learning environment which people could learn and change their mental model.

In this research focus, there are 2 main applications that we want to apply.

Collaborative Analysis and Learning

The challenge to make a group or people working together has been challenging for all organization since ages. We even sometimes dream if our brain has a communication-port that could transfer our understanding, knowledge and skills to our students without the need to use the most inefficient and ineffective ways for communications: voice and text. Our students would not require years to learn and there will never be misunderstanding of what we mean. Unfortunately, we still have to use the old ways, even with the new breakthrough medium: the internet. Internet has open up new means for communications ad breakdown geographical barriers which an addition to an already complex interactions. Language barrier, cultural barriers, and time zones are the few variables that must be considered. Our lab sees that system thinking and dynamics approach could be beneficial.

This is the focus of the research, how to create approaches, tools and methods that could help people working and learning collaboratively with effective results.

One of the approaches that we want to explore is simulation gaming. In our department, we created simulation games to support the learning of accounting, production planning and inventory control, marketing and change management (for postgraduate program). The focus of these games is still on decreasing the learning curve on understanding specific subjects with students as the center of the design. We want to expand the research for more divers target of audiences and balance the focus on collaboration.

Organization Intervention

Organizational intervention is the use of models to change not just individual mental models but also the organizational mental models.

These are list simulation for SSG – Serious Simulation Games that we are using in various class in Industrial Engineering Department,

Geneshoes Business Simulation SSG, Wine Crate Production Game SSG, The Container Game SSG,  Web Based SSG Students Assignments, Operation Management Game (OMG!) SSG, Fleet Management SSG.

Some of Papers in Serious Simulation Gaming

• Moeis, A., Hidayatno, A., & Utomo, M. (2005) Pembuatan Permainan Simulasi Bisnis “Executive Decisión” Dengan Pendekatan Sistem Dinamis untuk Meningkatkan Kualitas Pengalaman Pembelajaran. Jurnal Teknologi, edisi khusus Teknik Industri, 3, 14
• Hidayatno, A. &  Halim Y (2004). Design on Geneshoes Business Simulation Game with System Dynamic Approach. Journal of Technology (ISSN: 0215-1685). Faculty of Engineering Unriversity of Indonesia.
• Development of a Production and Planning Control Simulation Game to Enhance Learning Experience. Journal of Technology (ISSN: 0215-1685). Faculty of Engineering University of Indonesia. December 2005
• Management Simulator Design as Learning Media in Capacity Planning Decision Making in Closed Loop Supply Chain. International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Service Science (IESS), Solo , 20-22 September 2011.

Copyrighted SSG Games

• The Container Game. Simulation Gaming Prototype for Teaching about Container Placement Optimization. (No. C00200801202)
• BIEOND Management Simulator: Simulator for Testing Policy about Biodiesel Development in Indonesia (No. C00201103635)
• Franchising Simulator for Understanding Franchise Management (No. C00201103663)
• Reverse Capacity Planning Simulator for Planning Capacity Expansion in Reverse Logistics Product (No. C00201103634)

Selected Papers in Serious Simulation Gaming

Design of Geneshoes Business Simulation Game With System Dynamics Approach

Akhmad Hidayatno and Yosep Halim

Business simulation game can give an interactive, motivating, risk-free environment to learn the dynamics of system in business world and industries as well as to test decisions based on theory which has been studied. In this research, we design a case and causal loop diagram of a new business simulation game from existing simulation games. Design of business simulation game in this research
was conducted with System Dynamics approach that can support comprehensive and integrated thinking process.

Two simulation games that been used as basis in this research are Management and Economic Simulation Exercise (MESE) by Hewlett Packard (HP) Corp. and Construction Contracts in A Competitive Market (C3M) by Khaled Nassar from Bradley University. The design is initiated by making causal loop diagram of both simulation games. After that, a case and causal loop diagram of a new business simulation game, called GeneShoes Simulation Game (GSG) is designed.

“Executive Decision” Business Game with System Dynamics Approach to Enhance Learning  Experience

Armand Omar Moeis, Akhmad Hidayatno, and M.Rizky Satrio U

Business games have been long used as a learning tool.  This fact can be found in business schools throughout the world.  The usefulness of business games have been documented in many journals and other publications. The making of this game is based on similar games that have been existed, which is Management and Economic Simulation Exercise (MESE) and Executive Game.  The new business game is labeled Executive Decisions (ED).  The game have 5 input decisions for its players, which is price, marketing budget, Research and Development (RnD) budget, investment budget, and production quantity.   The player will be given a feedback from their decisions in the form of a financial statement

The learning experiences that this game wants to provide is ability to identify and understand the interrelatedness of the variable that influence the simulated industry.

Development of a Production Planning and Control Game to Enhance Learning Experience

Akhmad Hidayatno and  M.S.Mahfudz

Change is the only thing that is constant in life. Change itself has been the characteristic of doing business today. Change demands the human resources in the industry to be ready and can adapt with it. To accomplish that, people need to be prepared with sufficient knowledge and skill. As a result, a new way of teaching is needed.

Simulation game as a teaching method offers more advantages that cannot be given by a simple traditional teaching method. Simulation game allows the students to interact with the dynamic of the system they are learning. Simulation games also can give a direct feedback of the decisions to the students. Those two factors are crucial factors in an effective teaching method.
This research focuses on developing a simulation game that can complement a learning process especially in the area of production planning and control as one of the core competencies as an Industrial Engineers. That is because production planning control is one of the important factors in the area of operation management. Hopefully, by the result of this research, a simulation game can be gained and can complement the learning process in Industrial Engineering Department University of Indonesia and also in a wider area.