Fundamental technological and societal changes have pushed higher education institutions (HEI) to respond and adopt digital learning by using various digital tools and apps in serving their students. Adoption of digital learning tools is also more likely to attract more and stronger students as it enhances the quality of their courses, materials and the students' learning experience. Also, there is a crucial need to prepare students for rapid technological advancements and research shows that a change is necessary in how education is taught in universities. Many institutions in higher education have met their students’ needs and added e-learning to the curricula. It is therefore urgent for teachers to change their habits to serve a new reality which is based on digital technologies and take up digital learning tools.

An example of those tools is to use digital environments like augmented reality or game-based learning to simulate real settings for various types of tasks. Using digital game-based technologies and simulation tools in an innovative way can benefit both teachers and students. Furthermore, the application of digital technologies in HEI is more frequently associated with improved learning outcomes and processes.

The case is built on students’ experience in higher education using a digital game-based learning tool doing real tasks in brand management and earning points. The course is on a modular of 7 weeks at a graduate level in Brand Management. The aim of the research is to evaluate student´s experience and how it benefits students in their understanding, and if and how it enhances their skills in using the course material. Also to instruct universities on how to use game-based digital tools effectively for students and teachers.

The digital learning tool is a game-based simulation program that consists of an assignment divided into 11 projects for students which they could finish anywhere anytime at their convenience. After each project they got a calculated grade based on their performance and must finish with a minimum average grade of 6/10 from all the projects. The focus was to create a stimulating environment for students to enhance their learning experience and improve their skills and abilities in brand management as well as experience in using digital tools. A questionnaire was sent out to the students where they answered both scaled and open-ended questions regarding their experience. The results indicate that the students have an overall positive experience from using the game-based simulation tool. Also, it enhances their understanding as well as their skills in using theories from the course material on various situations. Using the game-based simulation tool increased their interest in brand management and they became more attached to the course and more active.

Keywords: e-learning, game-based learning tools, digital simulation, learning experience.