Enterprise Resource Planning Teaching in Post-Pandemic using Gamification

Abstract

the past decade has been witnessing a considerable technological evolution, gearing companies towards a constant competitive sense. One of the ways to maintain a competitive edge has been the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to streamline business processes, therefore setting a high demand for ERP professionals. Although universities have ERP in their curricula, there is still a skill mismatch regarding ERP skills with industry. Existing teaching methods for ERP consists of numerous challenges that must be addressed to ensure learning and skill acquisition take place. Furthermore, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the populace to revert to online behaviors, including online teaching. This paper proposes a gaming approach to ERP teaching, with the aim of complementing existing traditional teaching methods, if not replace them. The game exposes the user to basic concepts through online lectures and then engages the user in different types of games such as crosswords, quizzes, scenario-based games and a simulation game. This game was experimented with a group of university students from the University of Mauritius who already had exposure to an ERP related subject. Overall, the game was much appreciated by the students and they were positive about its implementation in the teaching curriculum that is gradually metamorphosing into distance learning.