Presenter(s) Information

Teresa WilliamsFollow

Start Date

3-16-2020 4:20 PM

End Date

3-16-2020 5:00 PM

Author(s) Bio

Teresa Williams is the Business Librarian at Butler University in Indianapolis. As Liaison to the Butler University Lacy School of Business (LSB), she provides instructional and research support to LSB undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff. Teresa received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and a Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University, and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University. Her research interests include embedded librarianship, faculty-librarian collaboration, and business information literacy skills in the workplace.

Keywords

experiential learning, graduate business education, Master of Business Administration, MBA students, applied learning, information literacy instruction

Description of Proposal

The Lacy School of Business at Butler University (Indianapolis) has embraced an experiential approach for the school’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program by combining traditional classroom instruction with opportunities for students to learn through partnerships with local businesses. Beginning with the MBA Gateway Experience course, graduate students are tasked with conducting team research to present informed recommendations to business owners and community leaders. The related support provided by the Butler Business Librarian for MBA students complements the experiential nature of the program by engaging students with the real-world challenges of collecting and evaluating business information for applied problem-solving. The proposed poster presentation will illustrate how graduate library instruction for Butler MBA students has transitioned from a 10-minute orientation to a required two-session workshop. Scheduled each semester for cohorts of incoming graduate students, the training is delivered in a hybrid format with the first session completed online followed by an in-class meeting. The poster will feature visual examples of online learning objects, including tutorials and worksheets on company and industry research, and outline an in-class activity designed to simulate the research and presentation tasks the students will encounter for the experiential Gateway project. The poster will also address lessons learned and highlight the collaborative efforts of the librarian and graduate faculty in providing critique and assessment of student team performances.

What takeaways will attendees learn from your session?

Attendees will learn about the following:

  • The challenges and rewards of creating and delivering an instructional program for incoming business graduate students
  • The unique information needs of graduate business students engaged in experiential coursework
  • The online and in-class learning objects and instruction formats designed to address those needs

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Mar 16th, 4:20 PM Mar 16th, 5:00 PM

Supporting MBA students in a team-based experiential learning environment

The Lacy School of Business at Butler University (Indianapolis) has embraced an experiential approach for the school’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program by combining traditional classroom instruction with opportunities for students to learn through partnerships with local businesses. Beginning with the MBA Gateway Experience course, graduate students are tasked with conducting team research to present informed recommendations to business owners and community leaders. The related support provided by the Butler Business Librarian for MBA students complements the experiential nature of the program by engaging students with the real-world challenges of collecting and evaluating business information for applied problem-solving. The proposed poster presentation will illustrate how graduate library instruction for Butler MBA students has transitioned from a 10-minute orientation to a required two-session workshop. Scheduled each semester for cohorts of incoming graduate students, the training is delivered in a hybrid format with the first session completed online followed by an in-class meeting. The poster will feature visual examples of online learning objects, including tutorials and worksheets on company and industry research, and outline an in-class activity designed to simulate the research and presentation tasks the students will encounter for the experiential Gateway project. The poster will also address lessons learned and highlight the collaborative efforts of the librarian and graduate faculty in providing critique and assessment of student team performances.