Teaching Experiential Learning: Adoption of an Innovative Course in an MBA Marketing Curriculum

Abstract

Colleges of business administration are under continuing pressure to develop innovative courses to meet demands from the business community. At the same time, faculty members are facing increasing challenges in adopting innovative technologies because of the amount of risk and effort involved. This article examines the adoption of Marketplace, a purely experiential learning course, in an MBA curriculum. The investigation shows that group dynamics and product characteristics were two key factors in the success of the innovation adoption. Findings from an empirical study demonstrate that the students perceived the simulation course as a viable alternative to the lecture-based pedagogy.