Want engaged Gen Z students? Bring experiential learning into first year courses

Based on research by  Randall, G., Wysong, S., Dilla, B., & Stodnick, M. 

This study investigated the influence of experiential learning (via business simulations) on student engagement in an undergraduate Introduction to Business class. Results demonstrate that simulations increased participation engagement. The authors posited that student participation with decision making and problem solving was stimulated through simulations as it was self-guided, rather than team based. By employing this experiential learning approach into a first year course, students had richer interactions with the instructors and fellow students. Indeed, as a result of the simulation experience, students feel more at ease in asking questions in class or discussing topics with fellow students if they have some context of the concepts due to practicing with the simulations.

Key Points

• Administrators and educators have debated how to improve the student learning experience for decades.
• Today’s students have shorter attention spans than cohorts in the past, and capturing their attention can be problematic.
• Experiential learning, on the other hand, places the student at the center of learning, whereby the student takes on an active role.
• The authors evaluated students in an introductory business course and found that simulations increased participation engagement.
• Study participants valued simulations as a hands-on learning tool that prompts enhanced student involvement and understanding to academic lectures.

Why This Matters

• The results of this study are especially beneficial for instructors leading Gen Z students. There is value in simulations as an educational tool as they provide a risk-free environment for learners to replicate managerial decision making and problem solving in a pseudo business world. Educators should continue to consider simulations use as evidenced by significant findings with participation engagement and positive student remarks about their experiences. Although engaging students in the classroom can be challenging, it is essential for effective learning.

Based upon the following peer-reviewed manuscript: Randall, G., Wysong, S., Dilla, B., & Stodnick, M. (2025). Thrown into the fire: Do simulations in an introductory business course increase student engagement?. The International Journal of Management Education, 23(2), 101149.