An overview of the main design characteristics of simulation games in Software Engineering education

Simulation games supporting students´ education and training are being described in an increasing number of works. Simulations are accepted as a complementary mode for the traditional teaching methods by stimulating and motivating learning through providing a realistic environment for the students to practice. They can engage students in a more enjoyable simulated experience of the real world. This article explores the use of simulation games in Software Engineering education. We focus on simulation games that were developed to bridge the gap between the theoretical learning and real life practice of software development. Following a review of the literature, we present a discussion of the simulation games, showing their main characteristics and differences regarding their design. Our findings identify some dimensions that provide an integrated view of simulation games in the Software Engineering field. Our main contributions are the criteria and results of our discussion. These criteria are based on the interaction aspects of simulation games which can assist instructors during game selection and provide some insights for Software Engineering simulation games developers.