An Innovative Hybrid Approach in Teaching and Experiencing Sport Event Management through Serious Gaming: Bridging Theory and Practice

Integrating commercial serious games into higher education offers a robust pedagogical framework for bridging the divide between theoretical instruction and practical application in sport event management. By utilizing the game Top Eleven as a central platform for a Virtual Intramural Football Tournament, educators can create immersive, scenario-based environments that require students to engage in real-world project planning, marketing, and complex problem-solving. This hybrid approach, supported by the Unified Model of Event Management, transforms standard gaming software into a structured, replicable tool for developing professional managerial competencies.

The efficacy of this model is evidenced by the performance of 44 student organizers and 328 participants, who demonstrated significant knowledge acquisition and high levels of satisfaction throughout the intervention. Assessment data, derived from a combination of practical deliverables, written examinations, and virtual environment evaluations, indicates that the pedagogical scaffolding surrounding the game is the primary driver of success. While students with prior experience in the field achieved higher scores on theoretical assessments, the hybrid model successfully democratized practical skill acquisition, ensuring that all participants gained relevant professional experience regardless of their background or gender.

Although the study is limited by its exploratory nature and reliance on convenience sampling, it provides a validated, evidence-based alternative to traditional lecture-based instruction. The findings suggest that when commercial games are embedded within a rigorous educational framework, they serve as powerful catalysts for student engagement and skill development. Future research should prioritize randomized controlled trials and longitudinal studies to further confirm the long-term retention of these competencies and establish the broader causal effectiveness of serious gaming within the sport management curriculum.