Brand-New Interactive, Cloud-Based Simulations for Teaching College Hospitality Courses

HADLEY, Mass., Dec. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowledge Matters, the leading provider of cloud-based, interactive educational business simulations for high schools, colleges, and corporations, today announced the launch of the Case Simulations™ Hospitality Collection.

Case Simulations, designed to engage digitally-native students, are the natural evolution of interactive, online teaching curriculum - cloud based, and accessible from any browser or device. As students take control of their own virtual hotels in the Hospitality Collection simulations, they see the impact of their management decisions in a rich, visual virtual world. If hotel guests are unhappy with management policies, students will see negative social media feedback within the simulation.

The Hospitality Collection's underlying simulation technology development was aided by a longtime partnership between Knowledge Matters, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, and the non-profit career and technical student organization, DECA. Industry executives consulted on key elements of the simulation model, to support improved training across the industry.

The constant feedback loop within the simulations engages students and cements learning of hospitality management concepts and theories. Case Simulations' Hospitality Collection includes 11 Case Simulations that each focus on a specific discipline (revenue management, engineering, front desk, etc.) and three "General Manager" projects that challenge students to tie them all together.  The Case Simulations and projects enable students to go beyond learning a hospitality management concept via a textbook and learn via a simulated, virtual hotel experience.

"Hospitality management education has traditionally been taught two different ways - via a textbook/classroom experience or job shadowing at an actual hotel. Case Simulations' Hospitality Collection uses technology to expertly meld those two experiences," said Peter Jordan, founder and CEO, Knowledge Matters. "The simulations are a perfect bridge between textbook, lectures and real-world hotel interning. The simulations enable students to discuss or read about a hospitality management concept, and then put that concept to the test by running their own virtual hotel. If hotel customers are upset with their service, students can make new business decisions on the fly as they learn about the complex business of smoothly running a popular hotel."

Designed for two-year and four-year college hospitality management classes, Case Simulations' Hospitality Collection is modular and extremely affordable, allowing professors to integrate business simulations with their current textbooks and curriculum as homework or in-class assignments. In addition, the Hospitality Collection can be used as a turn-key, full online course platform for online college hospitality courses.

The Case Simulations' Hospitality Collection features automatic grading for teachers and integrates with the most popular college Learning Management Systems(LMSes) - Blackboard, Canvas, and Moodle. At launch, the Case Simulations' Hospitality Collection features 11 different Case Simulations that each focus on one specific hospitality management concept (Revenue Management - Basics, Guest Services - Social Media, Sales & Marketing - Group Sales, Operations - Engineering, etc.) and three Case Simulations' Manager projects - lengthier exercises that put students in full control of a hotel or hotel restaurant and in charge of multiple business decisions and concepts.

Case Simulations are available for purchase immediately. Cloud-based and visually immersive, Case Simulations are designed for easy implementation. Professors can begin using Case Simulations within minutes without an extensive instruction manual or training session.

About Knowledge Matters
Knowledge Matters is the leading provider of simulation-based educational content for business, marketing, and personal finance. Knowledge Matters' visual sims allow students to control their own virtual businesses - learning valuable business and marketing concepts using simulation game technology. In the past year, Knowledge Matters served more than 3,750,000 simulation-based exercises. The company's Virtual Business line of simulations have been used in over one-third of all the high schools in the United States. The company's Case Simulations are used by leading universities globally. Knowledge Matters also delivers corporate training solutions to Fortune 500 clients.

For additional information or to interview Knowledge Matters, please contact:

Jeff Rutherford
Director of Marketing, Knowledge Matters
[email protected]
413-203-4431, ext. 105

About DECA Inc:
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe through a comprehensive learning program that integrates into classroom instruction, applies learning, connects to business and promotes competition.

DECA Inc. is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit student organization with more than 235,000 members in all 50 United States and nine foreign countries. The United States Congress, the United States Department of Education and state, district and international departments of education authorize DECA's programs.

Follow DECA on Twitter @DECAInc.

SOURCE Knowledge Matters