Meta-Analyzing Experiential Game-Based Learning in Entrepreneurship Education

Experiential game-based learning in entrepreneurship education is examined here as a means of developing higher-order competencies, with particular attention to whether hands-on formats outperform reward-based gamification. The central finding is that experiential approaches, including simulations, role-play, and makerspace challenges, generally foster stronger development of creativity, opportunity recognition, and decision-making than non-experiential formats such as points, badges, and quizzes. The authors acknowledge the trade-off: these approaches demand more instructional time and preparation. The work positions this evidence within the EntreComp framework and identifies a persistent gap in translating game-based learning into measurable, student-centered outcomes.

To illustrate an applied response, the analysis presents the "Game It Away!" Erasmus+ programme, a roughly 22-hour curriculum organized into six modules aligned with EntreComp's competence areas and the stages of the entrepreneurial lifecycle. The programme combines analog board games, escape rooms, and prototyping in makerspaces. The authors argue that this design cultivates transversal competences such as collaboration, resilience, and strategic thinking more effectively than abstract instruction or reward-based gamification. However, these claims rest on literature review and design rationale rather than on empirical outcome data, a limitation the analysis leaves open for future validation.

The scope centers on higher education and entrepreneurship training contexts, with the supporting literature spanning game-based learning, gamification, makerspaces, and simulation research concerning student engagement, entrepreneurial skill development, and authentic assessment. The reference base is broad, though the analysis does not draw explicit quantitative conclusions from it. Overall, the work presents a reasoned case that experiential game-based learning is a powerful paradigm for transversal competence development, while signaling that its effectiveness awaits more rigorous empirical confirmation.