Evaluation Methods for the Effective Assessment of Simulation Games A Literature Review

Simulation games play an important role in the area of technology-based education. They allow the simulation of real-world problems in a risk-free environment and thereby intend to increase the learning experience of students. However, assessing the effectiveness of a simulation game is necessary to opti-mize elements of the game and increase the learning effect for students. For this, different evaluation methods exist, which do not always cover all phases when running a simulation game. In this study, we conduct a literature review to ana-lyze evaluation methods for the pre-game, in-game, and post-game assessment of simulation games. In accordance with our inclusion criteria, we selected 31 peer-reviewed articles, and categorized them according to a didactic framework that describes four phases of running simulation games: Preparation, Introduc-tion, Interaction and Conclusion phase. Based on the results, we provide a con-crete evaluation strategy that can be used to assess simulation games throughout all phases. This study contributes to theory by providing an overview of evalua-tion methods for the assessment of simulation games within the different game phases. It contributes to practice by providing a concrete evaluation strategy that can be adapted and used to assess simulation games.