EXPERIENTIAL VS. TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM APPROACH IN THE BASIC MANAGEMENT COURSE: A PUERTO RICAN EXPERIENCE Insights into Experiential Pedagogy, Volume 6, 1979 266 EXPERIENTIAL VS. TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM APPROACH IN THE BASIC MANAGEMENT COURSE: A PUERTO RICAN EXPERIENCE Marta Calás, University of Puerto Rico INTRODUCTION In the second semester of the academic year 1977-1978 the College of Business Administration of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, offered for the first time one experiential section of the basic management undergraduate course. Palmer and Randolph [1] indicate that experiential learning is based on the premise that concrete experience precedes learning and that the meaning to be derived from any experience comes primarily from the learner himself. Armstrong [2] goes one step further to emphasize the importance of the learning environment in which the learner himself takes responsibility for learning when: setting objectives, finding active learning tasks, obtaining feedback on performance, and applying what was learned. In this sense, the traditional lecture-based course does very little for placing the learning responsibility upon the learner, Because of the substantial differences between both methods of instruction, consideration was given to comparing the experiential section with a traditional, lecture-based section of the basic management course taught by the same instructor during the same semester. It was hypothesized that the experiential section would attain better grades and gain a more positive perception of the course. The experiential section was conducted as such during most of the semester. The textbook used provided all the exercises and about 80% of the content material. The regular method of instruction in the conventional section was through lectures given by the instructor and the textbook was a recent edition of a regular basic management text. Course outlines and required readings for both groups were identical. Moreover, the same examinations were administered to all the sections together outside regular class hours. The elements taken into consideration in making •the comparison were percentages of grade distributions from tests and the students' perception of the instructor, the course and their own performance. A Student Council evaluation provided the information to estimate this latter element. RESULTS Grade Distribution In the experiential section the grade distribution followed a pattern closely approximating a normal distribution, in which 23% obtained As and 35% each received B’s and C’s. Additional observations on the grade distribution, using the criterion of students’ CPA before entering the course, indicated that in the experiential section only 1/3 of the students had a CPA of 2.5 or better; the corresponding proportion in the conventional section was almost 2/3. Nevertheless, only 82% of the students in the conventional Section with above average CPA’s attained B’s (there were no A’s) as compared to 100% A’s and B’s for similar GPA’s in the experiential section. Student Council Evaluation The students in the experiential section gave a more positive evaluation than the conventional group to the course, the instructor, their own performance and their interest in the course, but also perceived their own absenteeism as higher. Discussion Expectations of better grades and a more positive perception of the course by students in the experiential section were realized, in spite of what a priori might have been considered as limiting characteristics. Williams et al. [3J mentioned that culture and past learning experience may affect present expectations and performance of students. This supported results of a rather unsuccessful experiential course taught in Australia. Puerto Rican culture, with its deeply rooted Latin traditions, does not rapidly adopt innovative educational techniques or foster participative learning environments either formally or informally. The students in the experiential section were engaged in this kind of learning experience for the first time and, most likely, were not aware of such techniques before entering the course. Nevertheless, results indicate some Hawthorne effect since the experiential group knew they were a kind of pilot unit for a new learning system. Also, the course instructor had a high regard for experiential learning and therefore her attitude toward this group might be responsible for inducing a self- fulfilling prophesy. Furthermore, this study pointed toward achievement within only the content and classroom application dimensions. The development of interpersonal abilities, the transfer to external situations and the perception of own values were not considered or measured. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The present study has shown that Students in the basic management course can achieve higher grades and a more positive perception of the course when experiential learning techniques are used. Cultural factors, which may have inhibited the participative and responsible learning environment appear to be of no consequence. Moreover, lack of previous similar experience, homogenous backgrounds and high performance records did not affect the experiential group in a negative manner. Nevertheless, the results reported should be analyzed with caution, for the methodology employed did not prevent or limit the influence of possible biasing forces. REFERENCES [1] Palmer, D.D. and W.A. Randolph, ”What is Experiential Learning?’ CUBIC Review, Vol. V, No. 1, pp. 12-19. [2] Armstrong, J. Scott, “The Natural Learning Project”, 1978 ABSEL Proceedings. [3] Williams, Trevor A., Gary E. Popp and William F. Muhs, “The Use of Semi-autonomous Work Group in Graduate Management Education” 1978 ABSEL Proceedings. Table of Contents Volume 6, 1979 The Use of Cases with Role Plays in a Research Methods Course Debugging and Implementing the Live-Case Approach to Marketing Research in the Australian Environment Using a Case as the Basis for a Modified Debate Using Cases in Business Communication Classes A Structured Approach to Case Analysis and Reporting Intercollegiate Case Analysis Competition as an Experiential Learning Experience Attributes Germane to Student/Live Case Situations Understanding Dispute Resolution Through Experiential learning Personality Development and Conflict Dynamics: An Experimental Design to Study the Effects of Teaching Methodologies on Conflict Resolution Interpersonal Competence and the Digital PDP-11:40 The process of Writing a Collective Bargaining Simulation: A Case Study in Practical Pedagogy Simulating Negotiations in an Educational Context Simulations as a Technique for Teaching Collective Bargaining Experiential Processing of Differing Managerial Perspectives: The Use of a Game Show Format Individual Self Report vs. Group consensus in Small Decision-Making Groups Effects of Sex-Role Stereotypes on Promotion Decisions: An Exercise Computer Aids to Planning: The Budget and Forecasting Module Use of a Microcomputer in a Decision Analysis for Investment Portfolio Selection A Game of Investment Strategy: Description, Use, Criticism and Modification Coping with Future Uncertainties Through Probabilistic Budgeting Administration and Design of Simulation Materials for a Specialized Management Training Program Managing Stress in Organizational Life Banksim: The Bank Management Simulation Issues in the Organizational Application of Simulation and Experiential material Games Within Games: The Role of the Glitch Experiential Learning from Classroom to Business An Evaluation of the Small Business Institute Program as an Experiential learning Exercise Conversations with Top Management (Simulated) Experience in the Use and Assessment of Simulation in Management Education A Statistical Analysis of Simulation Users: Relationships between Stress and Human Subject guidelines Group Decision Making in a Computer Game Analysis of Demographic and Psychosocial Variables Comparing Performance During Three Managerial Accounting Simulation Schedules Business Policy Simulation and the Intense Course Structure The Use of Intensive Simulation in Executive Development and Academic Settings The Use of Experiential Exercises in the Undergraduate Consumer Behavior Course A Personal Marketing Strategy Approach: Framework and Application Teaching PERT Experientially in Marketing Research Discovering the Majority Fallacy An Experiential Approach to Studying International Business A Demonstration of the Business Simulation Game as a Curriculum Assessment Device Relating Teaching Methods with Educational Objectives in the Business Curriculum The Junior Achievement Applied Management Program as a Compromise Situation Between the Simulation and the Internship Who is Using Computerized Business Games?: A View from Publishers' Adoption Lists Trials and Tribulations in Testing Educational Innovations An Examination of the Perceived Effectiveness of Computer Simulation in a Classroom Setting as Affected by Game, Environmental and Respondent Characteristics Game Administration: A Life Cycle Analysis Research on the Effectiveness of Using a Computerized Simulation in the Basic Management Course Gaming and Attitudinal Change The Teacher-Student Relationship in Experiential Classes and the Student's Perception of Course Effectiveness An Exploratory Study of Student Characteristics and Educational Processes in Programmatic Experiential learning General Incongruity Adaption Level (GIAL) as a Predictor of Risk Preferences in a Simulated Management Game The Cap-Stone Opportunity: Combining Business Simulation and Experiential Learning Incorporating MIS/DSS into Policy Courses Via Simulation Who Benefits Most from Participation in Business Policy Simulations: An Empirical Study of Skill Development by Functional Areas The Use of Program NAMEX in Teaching the Accounting for Nonmonetary Assets The Use of Program CVP in Teaching Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis Experiential vs. Traditional Classroom Approach in the Basic Management Course: A Puerto Rican Experience A Guide to the Successful Use of Business Simulation Games The Dynamic Aspects of Interactive Gaming Puts the Realism into Gaming System Representation of SIMORG The Design of a Database System to Support Business Simulation and Experiential Learning A Data Entry and Retrieval System for a Computer Simulation (DERS) Simulation - An Advantage for Accounting Research Computer-Aided Project Performance Control Simulation: An Interactive Experiential Gaming Technique for Managerial Decision Making Utilization of Manual Simulation Games to Develop Scenarios of Future Events - An Exploratory Study Foundry: A Foundry Simulation Customized Debriefing: The Achilles Heel of Experiential learning? Computerized Business Simulations and Experiential Learning Exercises: An Instructional Interface The Baseball Game: A Group Role Observation, Problem Solving Experience A Practical Design for Experiential Learning Exercises: Roles, Technical Equipment and Alternative Debriefing Formats