New Research
Posted on 4 septembre, 2019 by Administrator
Being a reflective piece, this is not your standard blog material, so it’s not necessarily pointing towards our day to day work of creating high-engagement, high-performance active learning resources here at Simbound. In this article we will expose fundamental values, and reading it should be interesting to anyone who has invented something or is interested in the latest research. Thinking presented here vies with the engrained digital culture of today which means that if you are content with the status quo then this article is probably not for you. You will find it is quite a distance away from the typical tech company/startup adage when corporate involvement in education is discussed.
Each statement is exemplified so as to be made easier to understand. While the writing is dense, the principles are fairly basic to comprehend and at the same time essential for grasping one likely evolution of the industry. The concluding discussion argues for a scientific approach which can help move knowledge forward and also presents a short study that we completed recently.
It is foolish to think that if one entity owns a large part of a market or a industry, they would also be entitled or indeed would even be capable to absorb all the innovation that takes place in that particular market or industry.
Think of this example:aeroplanes were invented more than a century ago, with different flight simulators being cropped up afterwards along the way. Are they the same thing? No, because they provide a different kind of utility: aeroplanes are used to transport people and cargo, while when it comes to flight simulators these train pilots how to fly planes in an efficient and safe manner. Often simulators improved the efficiency and development of planes. Was the aeroplane industry quick to claim that any simulators should be owned, influenced or directed by them? Was it not the case that aeroplanes also benefitted from the development of their static counterparts? (hint, the answers to the last two questions are No/Yes). Distinctively, they represent different technologies, built for different purposes and owned by different entities but by working together they contribute for safer flights, reducing the loss of resources and leading to overall progress.
Simbound provides never before available utility - that to be able to simulate, in a complex environment and based on game principles different digital marketing processes. That very own characteristic is what turns it into a innovation, some 7 years after it was first launched on the international market of services. For anybody who is naive enough to think the Simbound operation was simple to put together and thus would be somehow easy or entitled to be replicated then they should keep in mind that it took about 2 years of development time to put together and perfect a first working version of the product. A great deal of effort went into progressing knowledge in this field. Anybody ignoring this aspect and using alternatives which are not authorised by Simbound are not only taking part in intellectual property theft but they are actually creating impediments to further innovation. Digital marketing simulators are here to stay for as long as we will prospect and transact over the internet. Nobody can change that. As the original creators of a new class of internet service, we are facing a dire situation which is developing to our detriment, even while we continue to support and contribute to the two large industries which we touch upon mainly education and digital marketing.
Of course, some of our work was influenced by other digital systems and phenomena (after all the objective we set out to achieve is to educate people, which we successfully achieved) but the paradox I see unfolding nowadays is that Simbound risks being perceived as an imitator of some sorts. Being frank, I believe Simbound has done and will continue to do a lot of good for those who came into contact with the concept. While equipping students with actionable knowledge through a method which consistently is getting positive feedback and enjoys fast growth in adoption we, in fact, pioneered not a method but a new industry with its own characteristics. As patrons over one promising educational technology, we have a responsibility towards the greater general population of digital learners and entities to share insight and protect them against entering situations which they seem not to understand or are not able to assess in a correct manner.
Education does not need to teach people what to do or how to think, but rather it equips them to decide, to discern about the most appropriate ways of doing something
Simbound is not and never was associated with any real digital marketing platform or company. We are confident enough to strike it out on our own and not seek to benefit from any potential big brand spillover. This is an independent research and development company that has a noticeable track record in innovation while employing a lean, frugal resource base. In fact when it comes to the way it has transformed value it meets many of the prerequisites to be regarded as a classic case study for resourcefulness and innovation management. All of what was achieved with Simbound was realised with the utmost consideration and a continuous choice of non-involvement in the fundamental structures of existing industries and processes.
The versatility that the Simbound concept holds is immense as we see it right now and we are at a point in time in which we can start to improve the very structures of the industries that we initially set out to simulate. I suspect this quality of the Simbound platform is one of the reasons why others have bothered to have it shamelessly replicated.
Simply because we do not engage in cooperation with anyone corporation or individuals that would seek to influence our product strategy or shake up ownership inside our company does not make us into an adversary. What must be remembered is that our strategy does not include cooperating with companies of which values we do not agree with, of companies who do not play by the rules and that we are in the fortunate position to be able to choose our partners and clients. Not a lot of companies are able or are willing to do this: we compete on a different set of fundamentals, to which we have time and time again brought forward a winning strategy. If we did so in the past, there is a considerable chance that we can do it again in the future. Just to give you an example: soon after Simbound was released, a world-class digital marketing technology company decided to suppress its own, similar educational initiative, probably after realising that our concept and execution are superior and that they generate a positive return in both user experience as well as in realised income. When we launched Simbound, we were not even aware of the existence of their corresponding concept nor were we discouraged to learn about it later. Our intention was not to replicate or somehow compete with this but to create a complex and efficient educational experience.
Education should be independent of any commercial intent, and that is something we stand by day after day. And of course we could have not done it on our own, that’s why we can count on world-renown educational establishments as our long term partners.
Science holds the key to progress in this and in many other fields. While new scientific communities are forming in this emerging space of simulation-led instruction we will continue to strive for leadership through novel research projects which involve forward-thinking practitioners and institutions.
Recently we have collected information about the current state of simulations in business education and the expectancies of simulation games instructors. This small scale study reveals how educational clients discover and use new simulation games, and also brings forward some of the current issues they are faced with. Additionally, it provides an up-to-date view coming from senior business simulation industry leaders and other company representatives. After more than 50 years since the first simulations were used in education, this is one innovative way of carrying out research and places Simbound at the forefront of knowledge in the experiential learning field. This statement confirms our belief that we are able to further advance the body of knowledge through sound research practice and translate that knowledge into top quality products that will end up working to the benefit of all. If these values are the ones you adhere to and you recognise that it is not easy to bring about change, then we will invite you to join forces and start working together as one on the many projects of which we are now tackling. Together we are more likely to succeed, despite the many barriers remaining in the way of knowledge and progress.
Many thanks for reading so far and for all your contributions and here is to an entirely new world of research and development at Simbound, which we envision will benefit the lives of all those around us.
Louis Havriliuc - Founder & CEO of Simbound
