- Introduction
- What is Business Simulation?
- Who is Mrityunjay Tiwary?
- The Brainstorming Sessions
- Convincing the Management
- Learning Management Concepts while playing Games
- Wrapping up
Introduction
Nobody would’ve thought that they can learn Management Fundamentals with the help of fun board games! But, Mrityunjay Tiwary came up with this offbeat method to teach students.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow offers a Business Simulation course in the final semester, which is actually the concept of learning through play. Instead of attending lectures or watching PowerPoint presentations, students play Monopoly and other board games. And at the end of each class, Mrityunjay connects these games to the business subjects being learned.
Students are Professor Tiwary’s fans. According to them, his teaching methods have made his lessons the most effective in the program. Thanks to his fascinating teaching methods, the elective course has earned the ‘Most Unconventional Course’ award.
What is Business Simulation?
Business Simulation is a unique course that aims to provide students with a one-of-a-kind experience where they can learn and apply different management theories by playing specific board games in an environment similar to how real-world business scenarios operate. This out-of-the-box concept increased the curiosity of students and even helped them in improving their decision-making abilities and conceptual tools in business management, where experience-based learning is crucial.
Who is Mrityunjay Tiwary?
Professor Mrityunjay Tiwary teaches Finance and Accounting at IIM Lucknow. During his Ph.D. days at IIM Bangalore, Mrityunjay loved playing outdoor games. But his friends were board game buffs. He confessed that he joined board game meetups after repeated requests from his friends and gradually got interested.
The idea of using board games to teach occurred to him when he realized that while discussing and analyzing the game, they are talking about some of the concepts of the management curriculum. That is when this idea struck him to reverse engineer the experience and create a course that uses board games to replicate management concepts.
The Brainstorming Sessions
Mrityunjay decided to create a course that would allow students to practice management concepts using board games. It was not a cakewalk. He spent almost one-and-a-half years tweaking the rules of these games and introducing variations to conduct numerous trials before launching the course with the help of the volunteers.
These were not the only challenges he had to overcome. Board games are typically played by 4-5 people. But an average class has 25-60 students. To meet the requirements, he modified the single-player games to team games.
Convincing the Management
The college administration cooperated with him, as they liked the concept and approved the budget for getting the games and other props required. They made sure Tiwary succeeded in carrying out the course as planned.
But this course also required a little bit of freedom from rules. For instance, an average class duration is 1.5 hours. But, a game takes about 4 hours and has to be played in one go. The B-school approved Tiwari to extend the class for 3 hours.
After the successful implementation of the course for a year, the management permitted 4.5 hours, so there is enough time for a game followed by a discussion.
Learning Management Concepts while playing Games
IIM Lucknow Professor used board games like Monopoly to simulate real-life business problems
Mrityunjay clarifies that these games don’t teach students new concepts. Instead, it assists them in applying the concepts learned in a simulated situation. While playing these games, learners can make business decisions and see their outcomes. That is why this elective is offered only in the last semester of the course.
Professor prefers not to disclose the names (of games) he uses for teaching, except Monopoly. He wants the originality of the course to be maintained. But here’s a sneak-peek into how it works: the class is divided into groups, where each group has a CEO. He delegates responsibilities to other members. The members participate in business practices, decide things, and evaluate the results of their actions.
Wrapping Up
The UGC entitled MBA degree program offered by Shiv Nadar University, Delhi, NCR, follows the same functional learning approach. Learners apply the management concepts in Business simulations and Capstone Projects offered in the last two semesters of the program. This helps them gain experience of management principles in action. The course grooms students in one of their chosen industry-relevant specializations out of the 4 offered to make them ready for real-world business problems. After successful completion of the course, you’ll also receive ‘Alumni Status’ of Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR, and all benefits associated with it. Don’t miss this opportunity. Register today!
