Tag: simulations

Teaching Tip: Three Active Learning Strategies for Your OM Students

We would like our students to retain every bit of learned material in our OM classes. However, many students come to us having achieved academic success by memorizing the content, regurgitating that information onto an exam, and promptly forgetting a good portion of it, reports Faculty Focus (Sept. 27, 2018). In OM, as well as other disciplines where new material builds upon the previous material, it is important for students to retain what they learn and as they begin their management careers.

Here are three active learning strategies for pushing students beyond simple memorization.

  1. Case studies stimulate the student’s own thinking and reflection, both individually and in groups. Through reflection, the student gains a broader view, increased understanding, knowledge, and deeper learning. We have 41 video case studies and 20 traditional case studies in the text (plus 2 dozen more at our web site) to select from.
  2. Simulation is another  a good method to help the student apply knowledge to real world scenarios. Our five simulations have proven to be one of the most popular tools we offer in MyOMLab.
  3. One-Minute Papers – Among active learning techniques, the 1-minute paper remains a simple yet effective way to gauge student learning. These papers get students to reflect on what went on in the classroom that day. Questions should be open-ended so as to encourage reflection and feedback on the subject matter. Possible prompts for a 1-minute paper include:
    The clearest point of today’s class was:
    The muddiest point of today’s class  was:
    How I prepared for class today:
    What I liked best that helped me learn:
    What I wish had been discussed during today’s class:

We all know that lecturing is not the most effective manner of teaching OM, any more than cramming is an effective form of learning. Active learning strategies can move students from passive to active participation in learning; boosting retention in the process. As an added bonus, these methods fit well in the flipped learning environment that many of us are using today.