Game Based Learning improving leadership skills

Abstract

This research intended to identify leadership skills in Game Based Learning (GBL) context that were developed in the project GREAT implementation. This project was developed within an international partnership including Portugal, Austria, Italy, Romania and Turkey and the main product was a GBL course. The course and the learning process was supported on the SimCity Social game. The trainees had to assume the Mayor role with the goal to construct and manage a city with 5000 inhabitants, assuming a leadership style encouraging the collaboration of the others trainees to accomplish their the learning goals. The main findings of this research were the diverse skills of leadership that emerged from the reflections of the trainees on the discussion forums about the game situations and the analogy they made to real life in organisations.