Immersive Game-Based Experiential Learning for International Business Challenges

This paper presents an educational innovation designed to address declining access to real-world international trade environments in business education. The authors propose two immersive virtual reality simulations at Tecnológico de Monterrey that combine game-based and experiential learning. The first is a solo escape-room scenario in which students coordinate the export of automotive parts from Puebla to Germany through the Interoceanic Corridor, handling documentation, customs, and logistics decisions. The second is a team-based activity in which one student navigates a VR environment while teammates use printed manuals to guide the production and export of the Caja de Olinalá, a handcrafted item with a protected designation of origin from Guerrero, Mexico. The paper's central argument is that these simulations can serve as scalable substitutes for field visits that have been restricted since 2023 when Mexican customs zones were militarized.

The rationale rests on Kolb's experiential learning cycle and on a review of recent literature linking game-based learning and immersive VR to engagement, critical thinking, and retention in higher education. The authors also describe the institutional foundation for the project: the Mostla innovation network, which operates VR zones across 20 campuses, and the Business School's 2024 International Business Laboratories at four campuses, each equipped with HTC Vive Pro 2 headsets and omnidirectional treadmills. The authors identify a central gap: this hardware lacks curriculum-specific software for international business, since the only current application is a container crane simulator.

The paper is a conceptual proposal rather than an empirical study. It reports no outcome data, learner sample, or evaluation results, and it states that implementation and impact assessment are future work. Its contribution is therefore the design rationale and pedagogical framing of the two prototypes, along with a case for aligning existing VR infrastructure with international business curricula.