Interactive Teaching

Teaching in an old fashion “ex-cathedra” way is a long-gone concept in most of the best educational institutions. Passing on knowledge through different interactive experiences, relating to real-life cases and encouraging students to get involved in lively class discussions has become a new standard.

Giving a lecture in an old-fashioned way without engaging students might be perceived as an “easier way” for lecturers facing less unpredictable responses from the students. However, with a sincere strive towards creating the best leaders and personally developed individuals, such methods do not provide the wanted results.

It is becoming common knowledge that people remember better if they are actively involved in the process, however, how can we introduce complex business ideas and engage students at the same time? We could say that only the best professors can introduce such ideas in a simple yet effective way.

There are many ways to introduce basic accounting principles, however, it is a rare and outstandingly successful experience to introduce them through the Monopoly game. Students record transactions (buying and exchanging properties, paying rent, having different expenses and revenues, etc.) and although it seems like pure fun, the experience leads students to better understand the financial statements as they were personally involved in all the transactions and relevant accounting events that have happened.

Introducing the supply network and making students truly understand the importance of relationships we maintain with different suppliers or customers might be challenging. The answer that ensures the awareness and realization of this idea is physically drawing the supply chain model. Plotting connections among customers and suppliers stimulates students' brains in a different way than just listening does. Drawing two ways relationships help engage students and provoke their understanding of how important it is to maintain different types and levels of relationships among the supply chain network entities.

What has making paper airplanes have to do with Managerial Accounting? Introducing raw materials, work in progress, finished goods concepts and T-accounts in a physically engaging and fun way has more benefits than people might imagine after seeing a whole class of MBA students flying paper airplanes in the hallway. Getting lost while booking a transaction and moving it from work in progress to the finished goods account? Cost of goods sold? Remember empty pieces of paper, making folds and flying the planes to the finish line. That association will give students the answers.

It might not be the easiest and less time-consuming concept, however, the method of engaging students with different practical activities delivers the best results. Encouraging students to be more involved, apply knowledge more effectively and truly internalize the experience of learning – that seems to be the goal of a CIMBA MBA class experience.