Assessing Business Learning by Analysing ERP Simulation Log Files

Business education is facing increasing pressures to equip graduates with both practical competencies and functional knowledge. In addition to developing authentic learning environments where one can learn those competencies, we need to develop authentic assessment methods. Computer-assisted learning environments, such as business games and simulations, assist in achieving the intricate learning goals, and at the same time, provide copious quantities of data. In this paper, we present an authentic assessment approach to measure the students’ practical hands-on activities rather than their theoretical knowledge. We analysed the log file data of an ERP-supported simulation to assess learning in a full year case study with first year BBA students. The analysis firstly demonstrates how and when log files can be used, and secondly indicated positive learning results on the cognitive and psychomotor domains of Bloom’s taxonomy. The log file analysis holds potential particularly for formative assessment to guide the student’s learning process during the simulation. These findings and our lessons learned can be applied to assessing learning in computer-supported learning environments, particularly in business simulations.