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The most exciting doing today in management education is action learning. Therefore, I was quite interested to see a segment of an article on cnn.com report on Jim Theroux’ “real-time” entrepreneurship cases at U. Mass suggesting a connection to MTV and reality TV:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/08/13/b2s.elearning/index.html

Excerpt:

Embracing the medium

Online instructors say they embrace technology not just to reach those who otherwise may not be able to take classes, but also to engage students.

"That sentiment and an appreciation for reality shows like MTV's "The Real World" spurred University of Massachusetts Professor Jim Theroux to experiment with his business classes for undergraduate and MBA students.

After years teaching "case studies" -- real and embellished examples of business problems -- he planted a writer inside a company to sift through reports, interview employees and set up chats and videoconferences as students tackled a new, real-time problem each week.

"Most distance learning classes are just regular classes put on the Web," said Theroux, referring to professors who post syllabi, discussion questions, images and more online. "But this could not have been done before the Web."

The approach gave students an inside look at a company in a way no other class did, said Keith Richardson, who attended one such class and later assisted Theroux in another.

"Students appreciated the connectivity of getting to know the players," he said. "We began to feel as if we were a part of the company, and the solution to their problems."

Administrators say they must juggle the desire to embrace new technology with the need to keep costs down, especially given the precarious nature of state and federal aid.

"We have to really stay alert as to what's available, but we can't make premature decisions," Wahlstrom said. "We're not after getting what's cool, although it's a nice bonus."



I read more about this at:

http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/jaln/v8n3/v8n3_theroux.asp



And spoke with Jim Theroux on the phone last night. He invites us to visit:

http://intra.som.umass.edu/theroux



Having a full-time case writer in an organization sounded expensive to me. It is. Jim got foundation grants to have a professional business journalist there.



Send your comments on this to Mg-Ed-Dv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu perhaps cc-ed to theroux@som.umass.edu .



Cybercollegially,

Charles Wankel

Mg-Ed-Dv List Director

http://management-education.net/l

From: James Theroux theroux@som.umass.edu



oops, just one more thought about the cost of doing a real-time case. it's

expensive compared to a do-it-yourself case, but not compared to a full

semester's worth of hbs cases. people at hbs tell me that it cost them on

average $20,000 for one case. at one case per week in a typical 13-week

course, that's $260,000. the real-time case consists of 13 case

installments and can be produced for much less. the idea of rtc is not for

individual professors to make their own cases, but to utilize the one or

more rtc's that might be produced in a given year. right now costs of rtc

are mainly subsidized by foundations, but students are also covering part of

the cost by paying $60 each. if enough schools sign up for the real-time

case, the student payments could cover the cost, just as student payments

cover the cost of hbs cases. this year we have 11 schools using the case.

next time we plan on 30, then 60 and so on. hope that helps. thanks again

charlie. jt

Do you really mean "action learning" is only now getting into management education? Haven't some people been using it quite a while? I know Chris Argyris followers have!

Edryce

Charles Wankel <WANKELC@stjohns.edu> wrote:The most exciting doing today in management education is action learning. Therefore, I was quite interested to see a segment of an article on cnn.com report on Jim Theroux??? ???real-time??? entrepreneurship cases at U. Mass suggesting a connection to MTV and reality TV:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/08/13/b2s.elearning/index.html

Excerpt:

Embracing the medium

Online instructors say they embrace technology not just to reach those who otherwise may not be able to take classes, but also to engage students.

"That sentiment and an appreciation for reality shows like MTV's "The Real World" spurred University of Massachusetts Professor Jim Theroux to experiment with his business classes for undergraduate and MBA students.

After years teaching "case studies" -- real and embellished examples of business problems -- he planted a writer inside a company to sift through reports, interview employees and set up chats and videoconferences as students tackled a new, real-time problem each week.

"Most distance learning classes are just regular classes put on the Web," said Theroux, referring to professors who post syllabi, discussion questions, images and more online. "But this could not have been done before the Web."

The approach gave students an inside look at a company in a way no other class did, said Keith Richardson, who attended one such class and later assisted Theroux in another.

"Students appreciated the connectivity of getting to know the players," he said. "We began to feel as if we were a part of the company, and the solution to their problems."

Administrators say they must juggle the desire to embrace new technology with the need to keep costs down, especially given the precarious nature of state and federal aid.

"We have to really stay alert as to what's available, but we can't make premature decisions," Wahlstrom said. "We're not after getting what's cool, although it's a nice bonus."



I read more about this at:

http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/jaln/v8n3/v8n3_theroux.asp



And spoke with Jim Theroux on the phone last night. He invites us to visit:

http://intra.som.umass.edu/theroux



Having a full-time case writer in an organization sounded expensive to me. It is. Jim got foundation grants to have a professional business journalist there.



Send your comments on this to Mg-Ed-Dv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu perhaps cc-ed to theroux@som.umass.edu .



Cybercollegially,

Charles Wankel

Mg-Ed-Dv List Director

http://management-education.net/l
















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