Northwestern College | Classic magazine - Winter 2004-05 - Vol. 76 ...

Principles of ManagementNorthwestern ClassicOfcourseCD-based class teaches through storiesCarly Miller says having a textbook on her computer screen instead of in printtook some getting used to, but she was drawn into the presentation of managementprinciples through its story-based approach.Class:Principles of ManagementInstructor:Dr. Michael Avery, assistantprofessor of business andeconomicsWhen it came time forCarly Miller to study for herPrinciples of Managementclass, she didn’t open a textbook.Instead, she slipped aCD into her computer andbegan reading about the livesand careers of real Christianbusiness people. As she followedtheir stories, she wasintroduced to concepts suchas business objectives, financialperformance, marketresearch and forecasting.“At first, I didn’t like it,because I’m a big fan ofhighlighting things,” Millersays, “but then I began toappreciate it. The ongoingstory made what we werelearning seem a lot more realand applicable, and I reallyliked how it integrated faithand their Christian values.”That integration was themain reason her professor,Dr. Michael Avery, decidedto use the new interactivecurriculum in his class.“It’s the first managementtext I found that reallydid a good job of bringingour Christian faith intobusiness generally, andspecifically into managementprocedures, processes andpractices,” he says.Along with the text,short assignments and worksheets,the CD-ROM includeslinks to professional toolsand Web sites. One featureallows students to try outwhat they are learning: Asimulator duplicates the realworld in which there’s a constantlyshifting interplay ofinput, choices, implementationand feedback. Studentsrun businesses that competeagainst, partner with andrespond to other businesses—withthe changes theymake immediately affectingthe business environment.The curriculum also hasstudents decide how muchof their grade will be determinedby various aspects ofclass, such as assignments,class participation and tests.Avery supplements thataspect of the course byhaving students evaluatetheir fellow team membersas well as themselves, apractice he’s used in businessbut never before in a class.Avery is excited aboutthe new curriculum. Thestory-based text, he says,▼“It’s the first managementtext I found that reallydid a good job of bringingour Christian faith intobusiness generally, andspecifically into managementprocedures, processesand practices.”▲shows the real application ofwhat students are learning.“And when you add the faithcomponent, it’s really theclosest thing to faith andlearning I’ve ever seen.”Avery’s appreciation forthe course material is sharedby students, who come betterprepared and are more interactiveduring class.“I read every chapter,and I can’t say I’ve done thatfor my other classes,” Millersays. “When a chapter wouldend, I would want to keepreading. It felt like you wereexperiencing what they wereexperiencing, but you werelearning at the same time.”Reading list:There is no textbook.Instead, students in theclass work with an interactiveCD-ROM, “Managementfor a New Generation: AnExperiential LearningApproach for ChristianExecutives.” The curriculumwas written by John Cragin,a veteran business managementinstructor and internationalbusiness consultant,and published by Zondervan.Assignments:In addition to reading adigital text, students completedaily worksheets, quickassignments, or summariesof the content of businessrelatedWeb sites. They alsowork as teams on a simulatorthat allows them to test theirabilities in a real-time,competitive environment.25 ▲ Winter 2004-05