Digital serious games and simulation games - comparison of two approaches to lean training

In an increasingly competitive and globalized world, companies need effective training methodologies and tools for their employees. However, selecting the most suitable ones is not an easy task. It depends on the requirements of the target group (namely time restrictions), on the specificities of the contents, etc. This is typically the case for training in Lean, the waste elimination manufacturing philosophy. This paper presents and compares two different approaches to lean training methodologies and tools: a simulation game based on a single realistic manufacturing platform, involving production and assembly operations that allows learning by playing; and a digital game that helps understand lean tools. This paper shows that both tools have advantages in terms of trainee motivation and knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, they can be used in a complementary way, reinforcing the acquired knowledge.

Student performance analysis under different moodle course designs

This work extends a recent comparative study covering four different courses lectured at the Polytechnic of Porto - School of Engineering, in respect to the usage of a particular Learning Management System, i.e. Moodle, and its impact on students' results. A fifth course, which includes a number of resources especially supporting laboratory classes, is now added to the analysis. This particular course includes a number of remote experiments, made available through VISIR (Virtual Instrument Systems in Reality) and directly accessible through links included in the Moodle course page. We have analyzed the students' behavior in following these links and in effectively running experiments in VISIR (and also using other lab related resources, in Moodle). This data have been correlated with students' classifications in the lab component and in the exam, each one weighting 50% of their final marks. We aimed to compare students' performance in a richly Moodle-supported environment (with lab component) and in a poorly Moodle-supported environment (with only theoretical component). This question followed from conclusions drawn in the above referred comparative study, where it was shown that even though a positive correlation factor existed between the number of Moodle accesses and the final exam grade obtained by each student, its explanation behind was not straightforward, as the quality of the resources was preponderant over its quantity.