LAUNCHING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND CASE METHOD APPROACHES IN CZECH BUSINESS CLASSES

1. LAUNCHING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND CASE METHOD APPROACHES IN CZECH BUSINESS CLASSES Eva Jarošová Martin Lukeš Department of Managerial Psychology and Sociology Faculty of Business Administration University of Economics, Prague Joan Winn Department of Management Daniels College of Business University of Denver USA

2. Two Courses, some suggestions • Social and Managerial Training • Entrepreneurial Skills • Guidelines for introducing interactive teaching methods for maximum success.

3. SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: Social and Managerial Skills Training Course Aims of the course: • Combine social competence and training of specific managerial skills • Use the group as a learning resourse • Enhance learning – especially learning from each other.

4. SOCIAL AND MANAGERIAL SKILLS TRAINING DESIGN: • 4 sessions hours a week • 13 weeks • groups of max.18 students METHODOLOGY: • Experiential learning “Experiential learning exists when a personally responsible participant(s) cognitively, affectively, and behaviourally, processes knowledge , skills and/or attitudes in a learning situation characterised by a high level of active involvement (Hoover, 1977).”

5. SOCIAL AND MANAGERIAL SKILLS TRAINING Course Content • Self-awareness, Interpersonal Perception and Empathy • Communication Skills • Managerial Skills for Leading Individuals • Leading Groups And Teams

6. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR COURSE SUCCESS Tone-setting: • Explain the course methods, Kolb´s learning cycle and importance of feedback and reflection • Establish desirable rules of group cooperation • Explain the modified role of a teacher as a mediator • Establish clear connections from theoretical concepts to “real world” situations.

7. ESSENTIALELEMENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE COURSE SUCCESS • Curriculum: designed around actual job demands (surveys of Czech managers) • Assessment: focus on enhancing self-efficacy beliefs of individual participants (pre/post testing using self-efficacy scale) • Outcomes: Individual student action plans to enhance transfer to real world situations

8. New course: PSYCHOLOGY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP • 4 hrs per week, 13 weeks, lecture + seminar • format: • 9 lectures • 3 case studies • 1 lecture + 1 seminar given by entrepreneur • 2 business concept preparation and presentations • 5 teamwork activities • 2 self-diagnostics

9. PSYCHOLOGY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Course Content Part 1: The entrepreneurship decision • Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship • Entrepreneurship framework • Entrepreneurial personality Part 2: The entrepreneurship process • Recognition and development of business opportunities • Social capital, networking and staffing • Negotiation, sales, and product presentation Part 3: Business management and growth • Managing growth • Self-development, time management, health and stress Part 4: Succession • Exit Planning

10. PSYCHOLOGY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Course Requirements “deliverables” • Principle “do something!” • Interviews with real entrepreneurs • Criteria: at least 3 years in business, at least 5 employees • Observe: how the entrepreneur has changed his/her values, plans, behavior over the course of running the business • Learning: what critical situations had to be solved • “Elevator” pitches • Presentation of business plan idea in front of the class • Active participation – self-evaluation • Students evaluate their own performance in each seminar • Rating scale: (1) active participation with a major impact, (2) active participation, (3) passive participation, (4) not present

11. PSYCHOLOGY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP Students’ views • Anonymous feedback from students (N=23) • on scale from 1 (the worst) to 7 (the best) • Results • usefulness (6.1), interesting (6.5), form of evaluation (6.5), recommendation to others (6.9), lectures (5.6), seminars (6.6), teacher’s approach (6.9) • self-reported increase in probability to start a business (5.1; 3 students reported “7”) • The most useful topics and issues • coping with stress and time management (6.4), team acquisition and selection (6.4), analysis of own strengths and weaknesses related to entrepreneurship (6.3) • interview with entrepreneur, overview of entrepreneurship pros and cons • The most interesting • business concept creation, business idea “elevator” pitches

12. GETTING STARTED • TEACHERS AS STUDENTS: EXPERIENCES WITH INNOVATIVE LEARNING METHODS • GOALS AND CONTENT OF TRAINING COURSE • GUIDELINES AND CAVEATS FOR NEW TEACHERS

13. TRAINING COURSE FOR YOUNG TEACHERS • Participants: N=10 • Pre-course questionnaire: • Most often used various kinds of questions (8x), visual aids (7x), examples in relation to the interests of the audience (7x) and supplemental written materials (6x) ,  • Least often used: role playing (0x), simulation (0x), debates “for and against” discussions (1x) , discussion in pairs (snow-ball discussions) (1x), case studies (2x) and cognitive maps (2x).  • Previous exposure (as students): supplemental written materials (8x), visual aids (7x), examples in relation to the interests of the audience (6x), various kinds of questions (5x). • No previous exposure to brainstorming (0x), simulation (0x), cognitive maps (0x), role playing (1x), discussion “for-and-against” debates (1x).

14. TRAINING COURSE FOR YOUNG TEACHERS • Introduction and “mapping” of participants’ expectations and training needs • Learning styles and learning methods • Development of students’ critical thinking • Informal Feedback: how to “detect” and “collect” feedback from students • Demands and stress on teachers: mental hygiene principles • Demands and stress on students • Developing student presentation and teamwork skills • “Micro-teaching:” video-recording and peer critique

15. Training Course Feedback • Participants: N=10 • Pre-course questionnaire: • Least often used: role playing (0x), simulation (0x), debates “for and against” discussions (1x) , discussion in pairs (snow-ball discussions) (1x), case studies (2x) and cognitive maps (2x).  • Previous exposure (as students): supplemental written materials (8x), visual aids (7x), examples in relation to the interests of the audience (6x), various kinds of questions (5x). • No previous exposure to brainstorming (0x), simulation (0x), cognitive maps (0x), role playing (1x), discussion “for-and-against” debates (1x). • Post-course feedback: • Intention to try: role playing (5x), case studies (4x), interactive discussion with a teacher (3x) and other forms of "small" discussion methods.  • Some of the respondents complained that because they had no "models" in using these methods in teaching, they are afraid of the students reaction: will they accept these methods, how will they react? 

16. TAKE-AWAYS • Appeal to self interest: students want to be successful! • Avoid contradictory assessments: • Measure and reward new skills • Balance the workload • Overcome resistance to change: • Training • Support • Encouragement • Reward

17. Contact us: Eva Jarošová evajar@vse.cz Department of Managerial Psychology and Sociology, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic Martin Lukešlukesm@vse.cz Department of Managerial Psychology and Sociology, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic Joan Winn jwinn@du.edu Department of Management, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver USA