How Capsim Addresses Assurance of Learning Goals
Targeted Learning Goals
Academic courses and corporate training seminars often have similar learning goals, although they may be worded differently, and targeted for different audiences. The Capsim Client Management team works with instructors and corporate trainers to determine the targeted learning goals, and how components of Foundation, Capstone, and Comp-XM address each set of specific goals. The chart below offers samples of typical learning goals in line with nationally recognized standards of accreditation for business schools.
Sample Comp-XM exam questions
Samples questions are included below to illustrate how Capsim addresses each learning goal. For a complete listing of sample questions, please call: 877-477-8787 (Outside US and Canada call 1-312-477-7200).
Balanced Scorecard results address learning goals
Balanced Scorecard measures the results of student business decisions.
Activities in Capstone and Foundation
These programs address many learning goals. Comp-XM measures attainment of these goals.
| Typical Learning Goals | Sample question addressing this goal | Balanced Scorecard results addressing this goal | Activities in Capstone and Foundation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Innovation and technology: Develop graduates who can foster innovation in organizations, respond effectively to new circumstances; and through their actions, enable organizations and society to realize the potential of new technologies. | Sample Question | Total Balanced Scorecard | Successful completion of the simulation. |
| 2. | Effective business management: Develop graduates with rigorous understanding of core business functions and with problem-solving skills reflecting an integration of functional perspectives. Graduates should be prepared to assume positions of leadership and contribute immediately to the improved performance of their organizations. | Sample Question | Total Balanced Scorecard | Successful completion of the simulation. |
| 3. | Management use of information: Develop graduates with the capability to organize, describe, and make intelligent inferences from empirical evidence. Graduates should be able to apply sophisticated statistical techniques to data; make informed forecasts of business trends; and formulate, solve, and interpret quantitative business decision models. | Sample Question | Total Balanced Scorecard | Successful completion of the simulation. |
| 4. | Human Values and Team Work: Develop graduates who understand and value individual differences and have collaborative skills for working effectively in functionally and culturally diverse teams. | N/A | Learning & Growth: indication of person’s values regarding investment in human capital. | Peer Evaluations, Shareholder’s Debrief, and working as a management team in the simulation. |
| 5. | Communicate effectively and professionally in business situations through physical or virtual presence, writing, speaking, listening, and electronic media. | N/A | N/A | Shareholder’s Debrief and homework assignments |
| 6. | Appreciate the benefits of experiential learning by displaying good work habits, time management and self discipline. | Successful completion of Comp-XM in a timely manner | Successful completion of Comp-XM in a timely manner | Peer Evaluations and meeting deadlines for team decisions. |
| 7. | Recognize opportunities and evaluate potential for business success, and consider implementation issues including financial, operational and administrative procedures involved in running a business venture. | Sample Question | Total Balanced Scorecard points | Situation Analysis: - Demand Analysis - Capacity Analysis - Margin Analysis - Consumer Analysis |
| 8. | Describe the concept of competitive advantage and how it may be achieved through strategic and tactical methods. | Sample Question | Customer Subtotal + Learning & Growth points from Balanced Scorecard | Situation Analysis: - Demand Analysis - Capacity Analysis - Margin Analysis - Consumer Analysis |
| 9. | Define markets and apply marketing concepts and principles using a customer focus to effectively sell products and services. | Sample Question | Customer Subtotal points from Balanced Scorecard | Situation Analysis: - Perceptual Map - Demand Analysis - Capacity Analysis - Margin Analysis - Consumer Analysis |
| 10. | Interpret and analyze accounting information for internal control, planning, performance evaluation, and coordination to continuously improve business processes. | Sample Question | Financial portion of the Balanced Scorecard Or Total Balanced Scorecard points. | Successful completion of the simulation: Using the financial data to analyze their company to make improvements for the next round. |
| 11. | Quantitative Learning Skills: Understand, analyze and use quantitative data to make business decisions and report to stakeholders, identify quantitative characteristics of a problem, examine and interpret numerical data and analyze numerical data to derive conclusions. | Board Queries Scores: All questions require some analyzing of numerical data. | Financial, Internal Business Process, and Customer Scores | Successful completion of the simulation: The simulations requires analyzing the company’s reports and using that information to make business decisions. |
| 12. | Critical Thinking Skills: Critically evaluate, analyze and interpret information to solve problems and make business decisions. Students will interpret and evaluate unstructured situations, define the problem, apply theories to ambiguous situations, draw conclusions and implement solutions. | Sample Question | Total Balanced Scorecard points. | Successful completion of the simulation: Requires using, evaluating and interpreting annual reports, production info, market segment data, stock and bond market data, etc. Situation Analysis to make sound business decisions. |
| 13. | Utilize business decision support and productivity tools: Demonstrate ability to utilize spreadsheet technology to enhance analysis and presentation of data related to a specific business issue, the use of computer-based productivity tools to enhance an oral presentation of a business issue, the ability to locate and use internet data sources | Sample Question | Total Balanced Scorecard points. | Successful completion of the simulation (simulation is computer based and requires understanding and usage of spreadsheet technology and the Web) + Shareholder’s Debrief |
| 14. | Acquire and utilize knowledge of behavioral, policy and strategic issues to improve the effectiveness of the organizations. | Sample Question | Total Balanced Scorecard points. | Situation Analysis: - Demand Analysis - Capacity Analysis - Margin Analysis - Consumer Analysis + Successful completion of the simulation |