A New Model of the Business School/Student Relationship and an Example of Its Implementation

Abstract

Business schools have used two models of their relationship with students: student as product and student as customer. Neither is satisfactory because neither leads to the development of skills and networks that students need for success in business. A model of "Student as Achiever" is proposed and its implications are discussed. For preparing students to be achievers, Experiential Learning and Authentic Learning methods show promise as being superior to the traditional lecture method. End-of-term surveys show that students place the highest value on the most authentic learning experience, and that the value assigned to exams increases when the exams are changed from a traditional to an authentic learning format.