QEP-Real World Problem Solving

Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice 2014, 14(3): 49-58.
One of the main expectations from university education is that it prepares student for the workplace. One of the ways many universities are preparing students is by including workplace learning as an integral part of its curriculum. Analyzing the experiences of students in a work placement course, the paper makes various improvement suggestions for Economics classrooms. The paper finds that economic classroom teaching should balance between technical aspects of mathematical modeling and the intuitive explanations behind it and include real world application of models. Economics course evaluation system should focus on building generic skills. Classroom teaching of economics should include more policy discussions, qualitative data analysis, inter-disciplinary perspectives and 'positive' economic analysis to match modern workplaces.
____________________________________

Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education 2015, 13(3): 485-512.
Continuing pressures are being placed on undergraduate business education to alter curriculum content and delivery. The anticipated product of these changes is a graduate that is capable of performing the higher order thinking skills needed to navigate a constantly changing, global business environment. This article describes the implementation of a conception-focused curriculum in an undergraduate business statistics course that has guided students to become masters of the discipline through conception learning and real world problem solving. The sample of 125 students shows that students exposed to the conception-focused curriculum perceived themselves as being higher order learners and global citizens. Recommendations are provided for other educators to implement this approach in their classrooms and suggestions made for future research.
____________________________________

Accounting Education 2009, 18(4– 5): 527– 530.
The article discusses a real-world financial statement analysis assessment task to 103 post-graduate distance-education master's level students who were based in various countries. The author states that when he first taught financial statement analysis course in 2006, he noticed that students' motivation and enthusiasm were low. He adds that the assessment task would give the students the chance to encounter first-hand concepts and tools in accounting and finance which are useful in their future workplaces. The task aimed to connect textbook problems to a real-world problem-solving tasks that students can work hands-on. The author adds that the activity proved to be enjoyable and fulfilling for him and his students.
____________________________________

Business Communication Quarterly 2009, 72(1): 21-34.
This article describes the process of planning and implementing a problem-based learning community. Business and communication students from a large university in the Western United States competed in teams to solve an authentic business problem posed by a Fortune 500 company. The company's willingness to adopt some of their recommendations testified to the professional quality of their final product. This experience gave students an opportunity to apply communication concepts to a business problem. They learned how to make vital connections between theory and practice and between shared knowledge and shared knowing. In the process, students grew personally and professionally.
____________________________________

Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education 2010, 8(2): 417-422.
Many business schools today are emphasizing experiential education (Augier & March, 2007), particularly in undergraduate instruction, where students often have had limited exposure to business settings. Perhaps two of the most popular methods for providing students real‐world experiences in the classroom are pre‐written case studies and projects for clients. Yet each method has its benefits and drawbacks. Case studies present complex problems that can highlight key points in instruction while also providing information on the context of the problem (Christensen, 1994). Case studies also facilitate active learning by encouraging discussion, interaction, problem solving, and reflection (Meyers & Jones, 1993).
____________________________________