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simulations, players don't have to calculate depreciation rates. They can focus on the key issues, the crucial aspects of their role in the game." In the realm of serious educational games, say Meadows and other game designers, the term "simulation" may be a misnomer. The game itself may be simulated; but the lessons students and faculty take away from it are often real, insight- ful, and long-lasting. ■ z SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY Simulations for Sustainability The new Laboratory for Sustainable Business (S-Lab), recently opened at the MIT Sloan School of Management, will use more than scientific statistics and case studies to teach students about the effects that global warming, pol- lution, and other environmental factors have on business. It also will use the interactive computer-based simulation "Fish Banks Ltd.," designed by Dennis Meadows. In the simulation, which mixes board game play with computer support, students play the roles of entrepreneurs seeking to maximize their profits investing in companies that impact the environment. Students will be able to experiment with reshaping these external factors to promote both sustainability and the bot- tom line, says John Sterman, professor of management at the Sloan School and a professor with S-Lab. "The players must act in their own self-interest to maximize their profit, but they also have a collective interest to preserve the fish- ery—the classic public goods dilemma," Sterman says. "Students have been exposed to this concept in their eco- nomics classes. But it's one thing to know about it intellectu- ally; it's quite another to live it." The computer runs the data on how each team's actions impact the fish, but the richness of the game comes from the human interaction between students, says Sterman. Even more interesting, he adds, is to explore players' reactions when they discover that, despite their best intentions, they still kill the fish. "We've run this game with environmental activists, and it's such a shock to them when they kill their fish! We talk about what could have been done to change the outcome. Could they have negotiated an agreement with other teams to limit fishing? Could they have instituted enforcement mechanisms for those who cheated?" says Sterman. "For many players, it's a real learning moment." PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE ACCREDITATION OF THE BY AACSB INTERNATIONAL THE ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY STAMFORD • FAIRFIELD • LUXEMBOURG www.sacredheart.edu Media: BizEd Magazine Issue Date: May/June 2007 Size: 3 3/8" x 9 5/8" BizEd MAY/JUNE 2007 Ad: 381 PO: 9843 JP 43