The product owner role is one of three key roles in the Scrum software development process. Industry demand for product owners is growing exponentially, and educators need effective techniques for teaching students the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to be effective product owners. To address this need, this Teaching Tip describes how…

Feedback from companies forming a community of practice in Tasmania, Australia, is that there is a need for a framework for self-directed action learning within each organisation as well as across the action learning community. Senior management report that there is a 'falling away' after a facilitated action learning intervention concludes and,…

This paper presents a framework for teaching a complete, semester-long IT project management course with traditional PMI-based content (sans software development) while featuring Scrum as the organizing logic for accomplishing coursework. This framework adapts widely-used Scrum practices from industry for use in the classroom, including how to…

Although the annual performance review has received much criticism from practitioners and researchers alike, organizations continue to use coaching and/or reviews to maximize employee effectiveness and minimize liabilities. A semester class is a great context to practice skills relating to tracking and reviewing performance. This article describes…

This paper reflects upon a three-step process to expand the problem definition in the early stages of an action learning project. The process created a community-powered problem-solving approach within the action learning context. The simple three steps expanded upon in the paper create independence, dependence, and inter-dependence to aid the…

The value of experiential learning projects (which are usually major assessments in courses) in education has been touted since the early 1900s (Dewey, 1938). These projects have the potential to deepen students' understanding of course topics by allowing them to put concepts into practice and watch the results develop. However, experiential…

This article provides background on Louisiana State University's Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) program and details the history and logistics of its experiential learning and community outreach event--TEDxLSU. In particular, the authors provide details on the Student Creative Communications Team (SCCT) which conceptualizes, plans, and…

Student-run advertising, public relations or integrated communications agencies at colleges and universities give students hands-on client experience, help them develop their professional skills and provide students with an understanding of how to work within an agency structure. For faculty advisers, managing a successful student-run agency can…

Helping students land tech jobs after graduation may be one of the most gratifying benefits of involving students in campus IT--but it's not the only one. Student workers can reduce IT costs and, equally important, they bring to the table a useful perspective: They are, after all, the IT department's constituents and can often provide insights…

This paper describes an action learning simulation designed for a Professional Golf Management (PGM) program housed in a College of Business of a public university. The PGA Golf Management University Program, a 4.5- to 5-year college curriculum for aspiring PGA Professionals is offered at 19 PGA accredited universities nationwide. The program…

As the popularity and importance of project management increase, so does the need for well-prepared project managers. This article discusses our experiences using a project management simulation in undergraduate and MBA classes to help students better grasp the complexity of project management. This approach gives students hands-on experience with…

The present article describes the use of action learning by a group of 30 franchisees to organise themselves and work through a period of upheaval and uncertainty when their parent company faced liquidation. Written from the perspective of one of the franchisees who found herself adopting action learning principles to facilitate the group, it…

Information Systems curricula should provide project management (PM) theory, current practice, and hands-on experience. The schedule usually does not allow time in Analysis and Design courses for development oriented project management instruction other than a short introduction. Similarly, networking courses usually don't put project management…

This work proposes that a subtle combination of three learning methods offering "just in time" project management knowledge, coupled with hands-on project management experience can be particularly effective in producing project management students with employable skills. Students were required to apply formal project management knowledge to gain…

Today's marketing instructors are faced with the challenge of improving their students' soft skills to prepare them for today's business environment. Numerous authors have noted that client-based/-sponsored projects help students improve the soft skills they need to succeed in the business community. This article provides detailed guidelines on…