Despite the many theories supporting experiential learning, there is little guidance on how to design effective experiential exercises. To address this gap, we adapt insights from gamification research to devise a step-by-step process that management instructors may use to design effective experiential exercises for use in face-to-face and virtual…

A community of practice (COP) can offer learning and support as a group of people who come together to share concerns, best practices, or new knowledge about some shared interest or passion. However, creating or joining a COP may present challenges, especially for those whose networks are relatively undeveloped. In this article, we define a COP…

Work motivation is a core component of many management courses. However, its effective teaching can be hampered by the fragmentation and seeming incoherence of the various theories of work motivation. To address this challenge, we describe an interactive role-play activity that induces students to synthesize, apply, and compare several theories of…

Challenged by COVID-19, we sought ways to increase engagement in the virtual classroom, capitalizing on a popular multiplayer game to teach persuasion to undergraduate students. In the game "Among Us[R]," players ("Crewmates") work together to repair their spaceship before it explodes while being attacked by other players…

This experiential exercise teaches students what constitutes Appreciative Inquiry and how it is different from other feedback models, along with giving students the opportunity to apply their knowledge. Students practice giving Appreciative Inquiry to their peers' presentations through the use of an online platform that allows for written words…

Porter's five forces model is an important tool in strategic management. Strategy students use the five forces model to conduct industry analysis by evaluating the external conditions that impact firms in a given industry. The five forces model is deceptively simple, yet it encompasses important nuances that students sometimes struggle to fully…

Teaching leadership presents a challenge as students come into the topic with underlying assumptions of what makes for a good or bad leader. The experiential exercise described here brings together the worlds of leadership and art to elicit the students' implicit leadership theories. We have students look at works of art and relate them to their…

Universal Design (UD) involves the creation of accessible, flexible products that are functional for a wide population of users. Our problem-based learning exercise challenges student teams to create products and services guided by the principles of UD. After teams generate their new product concept, a spokesperson from each team pitches it in…

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty have had to restructure classes to new formats, and expectations of flexibility may remain if and when the pandemic subsides. Quizizz[TM] is an online platform for quizzing and interactive lessons suitable for in-person, online, and hybrid/hyflex classes. Quizizz, which is available for free or with an…

Sustainable development is a powerful, significant, and occasionally controversial topic in management education. It usually refers to "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The broad view of sustainable development is articulated on the United…

This article outlines an active learning exercise that gives students the opportunity to learn and apply the behaviors of transformational leadership theory. Students watch a brief, prerecorded "before" video depicting transactional manager--employee interactions. Students then revise the script so that the manager exhibits the four I's…

The Networking "Menu" is a customizable learning experience for online students to explore various ways to network virtually and to sharpen their networking skills. The "menu" offers four networking options for students to select from. Some networking options require that students network with their peers via virtual platforms…

General and strategic management courses frequently provide external analysis tools through which students identify, classify, and assess how changes in the general external environment impact industries and firms. In this exercise, we facilitate analysis of the general environment through a popular song from the 1980s. Through analyzing an event…

Management students conduct much of their coursework in teams, as they should. We teach them where teams can fail and how teams can become high performing. But too often, the team experience for students is solely about logistics and coordination. Students often miss the rich benefits of using their self-awareness and social intelligence to…

The 3-Step Charrette problem-solving methodology turns the classroom into a consulting firm. It trains participants to solve complex, real-world problems cooperatively and systematically. Participants identify needed information and perform several research cycles in teams to gain knowledge to examine the root causes of a presented problem.…