By Torben Haugaard Jensen, Communications Officer, AAU Business School

On March 23, 2023, six bachelor’s students at Aalborg University Business School presented and defended their solutions to the digital Kanda game. The game is based on the teaching content of a 6. semester International Business elective module on the bachelor’s degree programme in Economics and Business Administration (HA).

The students have played the game along with their lectures. They have drawn on their knowledge from the module to help Kanda to solve two practical problems which are related to two sections of the module, the home- and host- country implications in market selection and different internationalization strategies, respectively.

A teamwork effort

The students were divided into groups to play the game, working as a group of consultants. The students were selected based on the peer grading given after an online presentation to the whole group and the teachers. Such design was based on the principles of PBL, theory-practice connection, and digital learning perspective.

The students in the winning group are Amalie Falk Byrgesen, Jennifer Sølvmose Nielsen, Kristoffer Lund Breil, Larisa Nicoleta Ciocarlan, Lise Arnoldsen and Marjam Kozoulina Zaqoomi.

Commenting on his participation in the competition, Kristoffer Lund Breil states that:

“It has given me valuable insight into the practical use of applied International Business theory. It was a compelling case which enabled us to experiment with a variety of different approaches to specific challenges that prospective international enterprises may encounter. Moreover, the experience has set positive expectations for the International Business master’s programme.”

An interactive experience of learning

The Kanda game was developed by Daojuan Wang, Associate Professor at AAUBS, and Agnieszka Urszula Nowinska, Assistant Professor at AAUBS, in collaboration with Associate Professor Claus Grand Bang from Dania Academy, a Danish company (Kanda), and a teaching game development company (Actee).

The game has increased the winning students’ interest in International Business. The interactive experience of learning has made the course particularly interesting they say.

Marjam Kozoulina Zaqoomi:

“The structure of the module meant that I could interact with my peers while learning the course, which made it more interesting and fun. Furthermore, the game gave me a better insight on how to approach and prepare for the written exam itself. Besides, the course helped me giving the knowledge of what to expect in my master's.”

Amalie Falk Byrgesen:  

“I found the course interesting and useful in terms of converting theoretical knowledge into a real-life case. The Kanda Game was very well designed and made the experience of learning more interactive which I enjoyed.”