Adapting Game Technology to Support Individual and Organizational Learning

It is well known that traditional educational techniques can be complemented by simulation to achieve a more effective learning experience. One would expect the same phenomenon to be true in software development. However, the simulation techniques used thus far have not been effective. This paper introduces a novel approach to simulation for software development education that is based on the adaptation of game technology. Specifically, we propose to build a simulation environment that interacts with its users much like games such as SimCity and The Sims. In providing direct, graphical feedback, we hypothesize that this approach allows individuals to develop an understanding of the software processes used in their organization, while organizations as a whole benefit from the ability to explore different approaches to their software devel-