10 Years of Evaluation Research Into Gaming Simulation for German Entrepreneurship and a New Study on Its Long-Term Effects

Background. Over the past ten years, we carried out several comprehensive studies in the area of entrepreneurship education using business games that simulate the business processes of startups. The studies researched the learning effects of these games on German university students. Aim. The studies we present investigated if the simulation game-based educational entrepreneurship programs in Germany reached their goals. These goals included the fostering of participants' entrepreneurial competencies and desire to create a startup. Method. We show traditional summative output-oriented results and more profound results based on our theory-based evaluation approach. A so-called logic model provides a framework for the interpretation of what takes place during the entrepreneurship business simulations. Currently, we have conducted research on more than 50 regular university courses with more than 1000 students. Another part of our studies is the evaluation of entrepreneurship education in the German national business game-based competition, EXIST priME Cup (further called EPC). More than 12,000 students attended more than 500 of these cup seminars. We also show new results from an online survey that was carried out to measure the long-term effects of the startup simulation-based seminars. Results. The results of five studies are summarized, and show an overall increase in the participants' knowledge of business administration and business plan preparation skills (required in start-up context). Apart from other results, significant gender-based differences are identified. The differences relate to entrepreneurial attitudes and motivation. Some test scenarios with cup seminars for women only with extended debriefing seem to reduce this decrease in the motivation of women; further research with larger samples is necessary. A new study on the long-term effects shows a very high acceptance rate and demonstrates the satisfaction of former students. The simulation game-based program resulted in participants starting startups at a rate that is approximately twice as high (around 16%) as the normal rate in Germany.