Tailorshop microworld¶
Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 2 studies (1 review, 1 qualitative),q2· 0 of 2 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study
Description¶
Tailorshop is a semantically rich factory-management computer simulation developed for studying and assessing complex problem solving.
Components¶
- Tailorshop microworld for assessing complex problem solving: Tailorshop is a semantically rich computer-simulated microworld first published in 1981: "Tailorshop is a microworld, which realizes the production conditions of a small factory. The participant takes on the role of a manager of a small shirt factory." Participants manipulate ten exogenous input variables (workers, machines, raw material, salaries, social security contributions, maintenance, advertising, shop location, utility van, sales price) across a 24-variable connection diagram, with monthly reports and delayed effects. It stands for the broad interpretation of CPS but has weak psychometric properties. (Joachim Funke (2009))
- Tailorshop business simulation for collaborative complex problem solving: The Tailorshop is a computer-based business simulation in which "participants were required to run a shirt production company" by adjusting variables such as employee wages, storage costs, and shirt price to maximize company value. The article used its exploration phase, consisting of six simulated months, to elicit spontaneous monitoring interactions at month transitions, with each transition followed by a one-minute monitoring episode. (Haataja et al. (2021))
Claims¶
- Nasty task environments increased negative affect and improved complex problem solving performance relative to nice environments [+W]
- Computer-supported collaborative learning with simulation programs fostered conceptual change for students who were cognitively engaged and prepared to reflect on and reconstruct their conceptions [+W]
Related Products and Programmes¶
Key Sources¶
- Joachim Funke. (2009). Complex problem solving: a case for complex cognition? Cogn Process. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-009-0345-0
- Haataja, E., Malmberg, J., Dindar, M., & Järvelä, S. (2021). The pivotal role of monitoring for collaborative problem solving seen in interaction, performance, and interpersonal physiology. Metacognition and Learning, 17, 241–268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11409-021-09279-3
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
product |
id |
tailorshop-microworld |
title |
Tailorshop microworld |
description |
Tailorshop is a semantically rich factory-management computer simulation developed for studying and assessing complex problem solving. |
status |
review |
product_kind |
software |
generated |
by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-16 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
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