Suchergebnisse

Management studies have been criticized for lagging behind the actual needs of organizations, ignoring experiential dimensions. We address this issue by applying experiential learning theory using an accountancy-oriented board game designed to help participants learn about cost management. The game was played in a pricing course with an enrolment of 104 accountancy students. We examined the impact levels of game entertainment and comprehensibility on the course material comprehension as well as the game's impact on the final grade in the course. Results show that game participants had significantly higher grades than students that did not participate in the game, and that entertainment and comprehensibility of the game predict the understanding of course material. We also found that managerial employment capability can be predicted by level of challenge participants derive from the game. This study addresses the gap between traditional management education and practice. It provides empirical evidence of the value of hands-on gameplay experience for assimilation of course concepts and strategies. The results confirmed the importance of exposing players through an entertaining game simulation to challenges that arise in the business world. In addition, we lay the ground for future studies on the novel usage of the game as a tool to assess management skills.

Management studies have been criticized for lagging behind the actual needs of organizations, ignoring experiential dimensions. We address this issue by applying experiential learning theory using an accountancy-oriented board game designed to help participants learn about cost management. The game was played in a pricing course with an enrolment of 104 accountancy students. We examined the impact levels of game entertainment and comprehensibility on the course material comprehension as well as the game's impact on the final grade in the course. Results show that game participants had significantly higher grades than students that did not participate in the game, and that entertainment and comprehensibility of the game predict the understanding of course material. We also found that managerial employment capability can be predicted by level of challenge participants derive from the game. This study addresses the gap between traditional management education and practice. It provides empirical evidence of the value of hands-on gameplay experience for assimilation of course concepts and strategies. The results confirmed the importance of exposing players through an entertaining game simulation to challenges that arise in the business world. In addition, we lay the ground for future studies on the novel usage of the game as a tool to assess management skills.

Experiential activities are a powerful pedagogical tool that have grown in popularity. But there are a series of ethical issues (the "shadow side") that such activities raises. These include (a) inadequate (informed) student choice, (b) bias in what is covered, (c) lack of adequate debriefing, (d) personal exposure in class and community, (e) issues of deception, (f) role behavior being personalized (by self and others), (g) the negative impact of feedback (planned or spontaneous), and (h) the degree of "boundedness" of experiential activities These problems are not inevitable, but with instructor awareness can be lessened. This article also suggests other ways to address these issues.

This paper discusses an arms control simulation that formed a central
part of the course, Controlling Chemical and Biological Weapons.
Based on the experiential learning approach this simulation sought
to (a) provide an active learning context for students to acquire an
in-depth understanding of central aspects of biological arms
control, and (b) gain an appreciation for the complexities of
multilateral diplomacy in general and arms control negotiations in
particular. I taught this course in spring 2006 to a group of 16
final-year undergraduate students. The arms control simulation
complemented the weekly one-hour lectures and replaced the standard
one-hour student-led seminar sessions. At the beginning of the
simulation I supplied students with a set of confidential country
instructions to approach the simulation, which was subdivided into
two negotiating rounds of three sessions each and a drafting
exercise towards the end of the semester.

In this issue we reexamine an old but unresolved problem, that of linking experiential learning to practical application. What makes our focus different from the many earlier treatments of this problem is the specific form of experiential learning examined: the Tavistock Group Relations Conference.

In this paper, we describe a case study of an undergraduate course on research methodology, in which lecture was reduced to a minimum and replaced with experiential learning activities. The course design was project-based and spiraled through four phases: a mini-lecture on a given research method, an "early practice" activity, and "reflection on practice" tutor-guided small group collaborations which led to deeper understanding of the given research method. This particular course design constitutes a paradigm shift in comparison to the predominant in Greek higher education didactic pedagogical model. How this paradigm shift was received and experienced by the participating students? In order to get rich insights into the lived experiences of the participants (N=15), we adopted a blended qualitative research approach: thematic analysis combined with students' critical reflections on their experience, aiming to produce a thick description of our intervention. The course design and implementation positioned students and their tutors as knowledgeable actors able to contribute research insights through their transactions.