When 18-year-old Lance Staggs graduates from high school in May, he will have experienced running a business, choosing vendors for a festival, and negotiating a $3,000 cash payout for United Way.
And Staggs didn’t even have to leave his computer desk.
With a few keystrokes, Staggs can command his virtual avatar to complete a mission that will earn him money and move him and his teammates a step closer to the top of the virtual-business ladder.
Call it the virtual “Apprentice” for high school students.
Classrooms are increasingly turning to gaming concepts or video simulations to aid in student learning. Arapahoe High School is doing exactly that, with the Deloitte Virtual Team Challenge 2008.
“The program supplements the business classroom curriculum with a focus on four key business skills: finance, ethics, communication and promotion, and how they come together in planning a virtual-charity event for the United Way,” said Jim Wexler, the vice president of Brand Games, the developer of the simulation game used in the challenge.
Several hundred high schools compete in the challenge. At each high school, students are divided into teams and compete to earn the most “virtual” money for United Way. At the end of the competition, Deloitte will match the winning team’s earnings with a donation to United Way.
“However, the simulation shows that there is a lot to be said of young learners oriented to PCs and how that impacts how they process information,” Wexler said.
Arapahoe High School, which is participating in the Deloitte Challenge through its accounting and marketing classes, is discovering firsthand what the 21st-century high schooler needs — and it’s not in a textbook.
“I find students expect a lot more entertainment and interaction,” said Caroline Swank, school accounting teacher.
Swank’s student teams are required to take on one of four player roles. Each student must make business decisions comparable to those he or she might make in the real world by using an avatar. Choices are limited by prompts on the screen.
“I think the simulation is a good use of technology,” said Nicholas Parker, 17. “It keeps learning interesting, more true to life than a text, and not so cut and dry.”
In fact, as children continue to become more tech-savvy, schools are scrambling to catch up, Wexler said.
“Kids, having grown up with computers, have always been interactive,” he said. “Textbooks are not exciting to them, but with a simulation, kids are participating in a way that is relevant to their interests.”
Swank agrees that teaching methods must adapt to engage students.
“In the past, we emphasized working alone. Now, especially in business, we are stressing the importance of teamwork,” she said. “Teamwork is what makes students accountable for their actions, and that is crucial in business.”
Some students, however, aren’t sure video learning prepares them for a job.
“I am taking more risks in this than I think I would in a real situation,” said Kyle Bobkowski, 17.
Anna Haislip: 303-954-1638 or ahaislip@denverpost.com
