PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

This book is aimed at MBA or executive students and deals with the topic of project-based learning. Project-based learning is involves a different way of gathering knowledge than traditional lectures and requires students to behave differently than they would in the traditional classroom as well. A similar example of this change comes from the Harvard Business School, which is known for its case-based teaching approach, which is focused on solving cases. Ellet (2007) provides help for students to understand how this case approach is different from the traditional lecture and what is expected of students and how to approach cases. This book is similar to Ellet (2007) but instead of providing students guidance on case-based instruction, it provides guidance on how to engage in learning within a project-based instruction format. This book focuses on projects that are conducted over at least one academic term, e.g. a semester, where learning takes place primarily through involvement in the project. In such an environment books and other information sources are secondary as a learning source to project activities: they serve as reference guides for students, whereas instructors serve as advisors or facilitators rather than lecturers. Different types of projects such as an academic research project, a client-oriented consulting project, and a simulated environment project are discussed to explain to students what to expect, how to approach the project, how to interact with students in groups, and how to interact with the instructor. The discussion will include examples from projects that have taken place in our courses.