Lab experience hones problem-solving skills It isn’t often that a college course requires taking apart someone’s wallet and putting it back together. But that’s what happened recently during an exercise at a hands-on lab within BGSU’s College of Business. And the lessons learned there will help prepare today’s business students to be tomorrow’s business leaders. The “Take Apart Your Wallet” activity was part of the Applied Business Experience, a new course of study through the college. The lab facility was made possible by the generosity of Gene and Ronnie Poor, along with alumnus Steve Hanson ’75, and is the setting for a cuttingedge curriculum that turns business education on its head.
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In addition to learning through books and lectures, BGSU business students have the opportunity to learn through doing, which is a departure from traditional business classroom models. This year’s freshman class of 380 business majors was the first to take advantage of the hands-on method. Each year’s freshman class will be added to the roster until all BGSU business majors participate in a onecredit experience lab each year. The business labs are modeled somewhat after science labs, which help develop a student’s grasp of coursework through experimentation. The business labs will help students understand key business concepts by interviewing real customers, analyzing
products and services, and evaluating real-world companies and scenarios. Another significant advantage is that students will have a portfolio to show prospective employers. “Today’s students go about learning in different ways, and we are realizing a greater need to introduce different approaches to business education,” said Dr. Susan Kleine, an associate professor of marketing and coordinator of freshman business courses. “With this program they aren’t just sitting there listening to someone talk at them.” Dr. Poor, an entrepreneurship and business professor, says the importance of combining creativity with commerce is just starting to be acknowledged in the business world. The need for