Poster

Title: The Small Business Experience: “Real life” Learning from an Interdisciplinary Perspective

Tim O’Donovan and Peter McGhee

Abstract

There has been much written about the need for experiential learning in education. This paper provides a discussion of “real-world” experiential learning, - The Small Business Experience (SBE) - that occurs within an introductory module of a first year interdisciplinary Bachelor of Business programme.

The module identifies, analyses and discusses, using theoretical frameworks and technical processes drawn from the foundation business disciplines, the environment in which small to medium businesses operate. As part of this process students undertake the SBE. Over an eight-week period students are put into random groups to generate, develop, finance, market and operate a viable business idea. At the end of this period students are required to present their business plan and operational outcomes to other class members and lecturers.

As part of the ethos of an integrated programme students are enabled to acquire insights into what it means to be doing business, to appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of the business world and to develop an understanding of the fundamental conceptual frameworks and technical competencies of the foundation business disciplines. The SBE contributes to this process by linking abstract conceptualisation (thinking) into real-life learning consisting of active experimentation (doing), concrete experience (sensing) and reflective observation (watching) within an integrated business framework.