Gaming in Education

Realityworks Teaches Business Ed with Online Simulation Games

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 04/02/10

A company that made its mark in developing education products for substance abuse and social services, among other topics, has turned its attention to business education for high school students. Realityworks recently launched Business Education Simulations, a set of online games that tests students' knowledge of business strategies. Users create their own company and product and participate in simulations, including The Business Game, The Entrepreneurship Game, and The Finance Game.

The Business Game gives students the chance to experience a business scenario, in which they develop and market a new product. This provides training in pricing issues, product positioning, sales and marketing budgets, stock levels, and production versus demand.

The Entrepreneurship Game explores pricing strategies, marketing budgets, product quality, sales channels, and production levels. The simulation requires students to complete particular tasks before moving on in the program and teaches them about product launches and responding to market and consumer demands.

The Finance Game, intended for more advanced classes, provides a simulation of a turn-around situation involving a medium-sized manufacturing company, in which students learn about profit and loss statements and other corporate performance reports.

Students build relationships with simulated mentors and co-workers through daily interaction using e-mail and video phone calls. The programs are adaptable to single class sessions or semester courses and align to National Business Education Association standards and curriculum topics. The Association focuses on business-related professional development.

The company said a site license for access to all three games is priced at less than $1,000.