Game-Based Learning Using the Example of Finanzmars

The shift towards digital teaching is leading to an increased need for interactive teaching methods. Game-Based Learning combines teaching content with a motivating application. The learning simulation Finanzmars uses elements from Game-Based Learning to prepare the contents of a classical lecture in the field of economics for a learning game. The simulation is aimed at students of business administration or similar courses of study. The contents can be edited and extended directly by the teaching staff using an external configuration tool. The knowledge transfer is flanked by Micro Learning, systematic introductions to increasingly complex subjects, interaction with game elements and increased motivation through in-game successes such as a premium currency. The player finds himself in an economic simulation with the goal of exploiting the resources of Mars in a profitable and optimized way. In the game, construction, upgrading and repair of buildings, the development of future technology through research, the export of resources and expansion to other celestial bodies are available. The functionalities are based on possible courses of action in the real world, whose mechanisms play a central role in the lecture on the topic of finance. By means of logging and the evaluation of in-game objectives, the teachers can track the progress of the students. Our evaluation of 12 Master's students in Business Administration shows that there is an increase in economic expertise. Furthermore, the evaluation of the associated standardized AttrakDiff questionnaire according to DIN EN ISO 9241–11 certifies that the application is action-oriented and user-friendly. The description of the environment with regard to the course of studies and the teaching concept was largely done in the publication “Finanzmars im Kosmos von Blended Learning” by Marc Ritter, Christian Roschke and Volker Tolkmitt, who received the Best Paper Award in Teaching at the CARF Lucerne Conference in 2019. This publication focuses on the systematic elaboration of game design and implementation with a view to increasing learning success.