Students’ Perceptions of a Simulated Store Planning Project Set in a Brick and Mortar Retail Research Lab

Student perceptions of a simulated store planning project set in a brick and mortar retail research lab were examined using the Concrete, Active, Primary-Abstract, Passive, Secondary Learning Potency Scales for Real and Simulated Situations by Bergsteiner and Avery (2014) as a framework. Quantitative seven-point Likert-type survey data (N = 30) and qualitative student reflection paper data (N = 27) were simultaneously collected and analyzed using SPSS and NVivo Qualitative Coding software. Students perceived the project’s environment and most of the activities performed within it as realistic or having a real-world connection, except for the large number of individuals involved in store planning, which led to an implication for designing simulated projects: To be concrete, simulated learning activities must have three specific tangible elements: a realistic environment (mock retail store), realistic activities (folding, hanging, and displaying merchandise), and realistic outcomes/consequences related to activities performed (increased or decreased foot traffic among visitors).