Games and Other Tactics for Teaching Millennials in MBA Programs
There’s a lot of money in business schools. Maybe it’s all the rich alumni who generously bestow gifts to universities that helped get them started in the world of big money and important connections. Or maybe it’s money flowing from big corporations in general, that have a vested interest in seeing well-taught MBAs graduate from universities and help corporations solve vexing business dilemmas. Regardless of where the money comes from, there’s a lot of it flowing in and around business schools. So, we tend to pay attention when b-schools start changing things around. The business press picks up its ears, too, and duly reports on noteworthy developments.
So it is in a story from The Wall Street Journal this morning. Ron Alsop discusses changes b-schools are making to better serve youngsters now starting to attend.
The millennial generation’s leading edge — 24- to 26-year-olds — has finally arrived in many M.B.A. programs, especially those that have started admitting younger applicants. Track columnist Ron Alsop recently interviewed Daphne Atkinson, vice president for industry relations at the Graduate Management Admission Council, about the millennial generation’s career interests, its likely impact in the workplace, and how business schools and the council are adjusting to the millennials — and their parents.
Ah, yes … millennials. Those youngsters using Web 2.0 in every facet of their social lives; those cell phone texting, IM’ing, Facebook-using young people. Issues Alsop and Atkinson discuss include “helicopter parents,” social sites, the pro-technology attitudes young people bring to work environments, job expectations of youngsters, and how to deal with teaching millennials in college environments. This last point provided the most interesting paragraph:
Some schools are looking at new approaches in the classroom, such as the use of a talk-show format that allows for different points of view and more interaction than a straight lecture. There also are classroom role-playing simulations that are more personal and interactive than a printed case study. And some schools are even introducing games to engage millennials …
Atkinson concludes the paragraph by noting issues profs have with students multitasking and using laptops in the classroom. If a student doodles on paper, professors don’t have a problem. But, if a student plays solitaire on their laptop (or checks e-mail, or surfs the web) while listening to the lecture, profs have a hard time dealing with the multitasking.
It’s good to see b-schools embrace games and simulations. Of course they always have, even in the distant past (say, the 1950s). The difference now is the games are digital.
References:
Alsop, R. (2007, December 4). Welcoming the new millennials. The Wall Street Journal. p.B9. [Online.] Available: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119672143267712295.html
Tags: b-schools, business schools, Daphne Atkinson, Facebook, Graduate Management Admission Council, helicopter parents, Millennials, social sites
Business Games, Business Lit, Game Discussion, Serious Games, WSJ | John Rice | 
December 4, 2007 6:35 pm
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