Playing to Learn: Preliminary Investigation into the Use of Serious Games for Fostering Entrepreneurial Attributes in Large Classes for University Students

This paper investigates the perceived impact of a serious game designed to enhance entrepreneurial attributes among university students within a large-class setting. Developed by a private university in Malaysia, the serious game integrates into a credit-bearing module on entrepreneurship, aiming to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and skills through experiential learning. The game’s deployment addresses the challenge of scaling high-quality entrepreneurship education across diverse student populations. This preliminary study assesses the impact of cultivating entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), grit, risk-taking propensity, tolerance for ambiguity, and creativity among students. The research highlights significant improvements in ESE and grit, with nuanced decreases in risk-taking, tolerance for ambiguity, and creativity post-gameplay, suggesting a more mature understanding of the entrepreneurial process amongst the students. The findings contribute to discussions on pedagogical strategies in entrepreneurship education, showcasing the impact of serious games in entrepreneurship education for large classes.