Game-Based Learning - Developing a Business Game for Interactive Architectural Visualization

We explored how game-based learning including open forms of teaching can improve teamwork, social skills and collaboration of inhomogeneous student groups. As open forms of teaching we used blended learning, open space technology (OST) and selected elements of gamification. Game-based learning approaches posit that learners who interact with educational materials with playful and dynamic tasks will learn better. To better understand improvement of teamwork, social skills and collaboration a specific business game with a defined amount of play tokens is introduced. Within this business game all participants (n = 22) will have to form interdisciplinary project teams to manage a professional 3D-visualization task. In three subsequent project stages (concept, development and implementation) all projects are continually evaluated and the teams are appropriately rewarded with play tokens. With these play tokens every team can purchase missing know-how or hire additional workforce. The final visualization project is evaluated by specific design criteria (qualitative) and by the remaining amount of play tokens (quantitative). The concept of a business game was a visible success. Open forms of teaching, such as blended learning and open space technology promote the active acquisition of basic knowledge, technical understanding and at least increase transfer competence. A continuous and transparent evaluation makes the individual learning progress directly tangible. Students who took part in the business game reported more enjoyment in learning the 3D visualization pipeline than students from the years before. The business game induced greater interest to the students in acquiring new content more easily and quickly than in the other courses. Also their high degree of personal responsibility led to outstanding new ideas and their own initiatives.