BYU-Idaho Faculty Conference

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Bridging the Gap Between Theory Application

• BYU-Idaho Faculty Conference
• Jason Scott Earl
• Business Management Dept
• Brigham Young University-Idaho
• September 1, 2009

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Recent Report from Carnegie Foundation
Majority of Universities in the U.S. fail to
provide students with a coherent body of
knowledge by the time they graduate.
Too often the freshman curriculum is a bore and
freshman instruction is inadequate.
Professors tend to teach majors in advanced
courses and as a result, freshmen the students
who need the very best teaching may actually
receive the worst.
Boyer, Ernest, L. (2009) Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching. Boyer Commission on
Educating Undergraduates in the Research
University.
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After Reviewing the Report
President Shirley Strum Kenny, President of the
State University of New York at Stony Brook and
Chairwoman of the 11-member commission stated
What we need to do is create a culture of
inquirers, rather than a culture of receivers.
Boyer, Ernest, L. (2009) Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching. Boyer Commission on
Educating Undergraduates in the Research
University.
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Hoover Dam
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The Problem
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Pure Theory
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Pure Application
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Theory and Application
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Closing the Gap
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Using Simulations to Close the Gap
The xbox playing, ipod toting Generation Y of
today has an incredible ability to gain knowledge
and understanding through the world of
simulations

• Design the Learning Experience
• Allows Student to Embrace Failure
• Real-World Context (to reinforce student
  learning)
• Allows students to Teach One Another
• Takes the learning experience outside of the
  class
• Allows for direct application to real world
  problems
• Increases interactive engagement in classroom
• Moves class from direct instruction to student
  inquiry

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Present The Lecture Curve
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Future The Learning Frontier
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How Do We Know if This Works?
Evaluation of classes with and without the
simulation over the last 5 semesters based on
Kirkpatricks 4-Level Model

• Reactions Do the students enjoy the experience?
• Learning Pretest and Post-Test assessment. Is
  there a significant increase in learning?
• Transfer Are newly acquired skills/knowledge
  used based on the comprehensive exam (Comp-XM)?
• Results Post-class survey. What is actually
  applied in later classes and their internship
  experience?

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Course Evaluations
Vary significantly based on the instructor and
whether or not the students are required to use
the simulation
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7 Characteristics of Effective Learning

• An environment where students feel safe
  supported
• An environment that encourages experimentation
  and creativity.
• An environment where faculty treats adult
  students as peers--accepted and respected as
  intelligent experienced adults whose opinions are
  listened to, honored, appreciated.
• Such faculty members often comment that they
  learn as much from their students as the students
  learn from them.

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7 Characteristics of Effective Learning

1. Self-directed learning, where students take
   responsibility for their own learning.
2. Pacing, or intellectual challenge. Optimal pacing
   is challenging people just beyond their present
   level of ability. If challenged too far beyond,
   people give up. If challenged too little, they
   become bored and learn little (tennis example).
3. Regular feedback mechanisms for students to tell
   faculty what works best for them and what they
   want and need to learn--and faculty who hear and
   make changes based on student input.

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7 Characteristics of Effective Learning

• Student centered learning. Students grow more in
  student-centered as opposed to faculty-centered
  programs.
• Note These findings support the thinking of
  Malcolm Knowles, recognized as the father of
  adult learning. He reminded us that in optimal
  learning programs, where adults learn best, both
  students and faculty also have fun, for it is
  exhilarating to REALLY learn.
• ReferencesBillington, Dorothy D. (1988) Ego
  Development and Adult Education. Doctoral
  Dissertation, The Fielding Institute.
  Dissertation Abstracts International, 49 (7).
• Knowles, Malcolm. (1986) The Adult Learner A
  Neglected Species. Houston Gulf Publishing.

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So What are We Talking About?
We need to design an experience that takes the
students out of classroom and forces them to walk
into the dark

• Safe Charity allows for failure and they need
  to fail
• Intense Overwhelming but not too overwhelming
• Real Do not water down or dumb down the
  jargon or the application. Students know what
  feels real.
• Reflection Experience should allow for intense
  reflection and an ability to compare their
  results with a standard so that the disparity
  allows for a change in behavior and development
  of a new skill set.

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Failure
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Next Time
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Business Simulation Running a Company
We use several Harvard Business Simulations as
well as CapSim by Management Simulations, Inc.

• Student Groups Form into Companies of
  approximately 5 students and compete with one
  another as well as nationally
• Intense Full access to Company Industry
  results from their management decisions (i.e.,
  Finance, Operations, Marketing)
• Financial Statements Stock charts which change
  every week, and balanced score card comparisons
  with other Universities
• Board Presentation Students reflect on
  everything they have learned during the semester
  and put together a 5 minute video explaining to
  the Board what they are proud of and what they
  will do differently in the future. (show video)

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Closing the Gap
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Simulation Complete
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The Most Durable Monument

• It so happens that the work which is likely to
  be our most durable monument, and to convey some
  knowledge of us to the most remote posterity, is
  a work of bare utility
• not a shrine,
• not a fortress,
• not a palace,
• but a bridge.
• Montgomery Schuyler (1883)

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BYU-Idaho has been a great experience