Curriculum – Pedagogy/Andragogy
Articles in this category focus more on how the curriculum is delivered that on what is delivered. Content is listed in chronological order by publication date.
Number of content items in this category is 914.
The DIY M.B.A.: How Four Dropouts Built Companies Without a Degree
Summary: The article explores how several successful entrepreneurs—college dropouts—have bypassed traditional MBA programs by learning directly through real-world leadership experiences in the C-suite. It highlights the value of hands-on management challenges and authentic communication styles, such as weekly unfiltered emails from leadership, that foster transparency and engagement. These founders emphasize innovative hiring practices and developing personal leadership approaches outside academic settings, challenging the traditional MBA pathway. Graduate business programs might reconsider the rigidity of curricula and focus more on experiential learning and adaptability to better prepare students for evolving business realities. Observations: Real-world leadership experiences can rival...
Employers everywhere are using AI – but business schools aren’t preparing students for the shift
Summary: As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms routine corporate tasks like drafting correspondence and managing customer service, business schools face mounting pressure to bridge a critical curriculum gap. While many educational discussions focus narrowly on promoting responsible AI utilization, institutions frequently overlook structural changes required to prepare graduates for modern entry-level roles. Cultivating workforce readiness demands a fundamental evolution in program design to align technical competencies with ongoing shifts in employer expectations. Observations: Artificial intelligence is deeply embedded across routine business operations, reshaping daily responsibilities and entry-level career environments. Current business school discussions have largely...
Turning AI Use Into Active Learning
Summary: Educators must shift from treating AI as a topic to integrating it as a catalyst for critical thinking within an active-learning framework. By embedding AI into experiential tasks—such as campaign development—students move beyond passive consumption to active evaluation. Using structured approaches like the Active Curriculum for Excellence (ACE), faculty can guide students to experiment with AI tools while simultaneously debating the ethical implications of synthetic content. This practice-oriented shift ensures that graduates develop the judgment, skepticism, and strategic vision required to shape technology’s role in business rather than merely relying on it as a shortcut. Observations: Pedagogical Integration: AI becomes a powerful tool for deeper inquiry only when it is...
Students as Conscientious Objectors to Generative AI
Summary: Some students conscientiously object to using generative AI in their academic work, citing concerns about cognitive dependence, bias, environmental impact, and academic integrity. These students seek assignments that respect their decision to avoid AI, demonstrating strong moral and critical reflections on the technology’s costs and benefits. Graduate business programs should acknowledge that not all students embrace AI and consider accommodating conscientious objectors when feasible, balancing academic freedom with student autonomy. The growing skepticism among younger generations highlights the need to integrate ethical and reflective discussions about AI’s role in education rather than mandating its use universally. Observations: Not all students are willing to use generative...
What Business Schools Can Learn From Medicine
Summary: The podcast explores how business schools can learn from medicine’s integration of research, education, and practice, focusing on the FutureNeuro center at RCSI. FutureNeuro successfully bridges research and application through multidisciplinary collaboration and sustained patient involvement from research design to dissemination. This approach ensures alignment with real-world needs and measurable impact, which is rigorously evaluated by funders. Business schools can adopt similar models by fostering strong connections among researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders to enhance the societal relevance and impact of business education and research. Observations: Medicine integrates research and practice through multidisciplinary teams focused on real-world impact. Patient...
NSF Supports AI, Cybersecurity Training at 14 Universities
Summary: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding 14 universities through its CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service program to integrate AI and cybersecurity education. These programs offer scholarships, hands-on experience, internships, and partnerships with government and industry to prepare students for careers addressing national security challenges. The initiative expands traditional cybersecurity training to include AI’s growing role in cyber threats and defense. Universities receive funding through two tracks: Scholarship Track supports tuition in exchange for public-sector work, while Innovation Track enhances professional preparation. This reflects a strategic response to evolving cybersecurity risks driven by AI technologies. Observations: AI integration is becoming...
Entrepreneurship Expos Build More Than Businesses
Summary: Entrepreneurship expos offer graduate business students immersive, real-world experiences that extend beyond launching ventures. By engaging diverse stakeholders—entrepreneurs, investors, alumni, and community members—students develop critical skills like adaptability, judgment, communication, and relationship-building. These expos focus on building entrepreneurial capabilities through rapid feedback cycles, reflection, and iterative learning rather than just performance or business outcomes. Case studies from Florida State, Rowan University, and University of Tampa highlight how expos accelerate students’ entrepreneurial growth and confidence, preparing them for varied career paths by fostering transferable, higher-order capabilities essential in today’s dynamic business...
Building skills isn’t enough for young people: what the future of work is missing
Summary: Developing skills alone is no longer sufficient to ensure young people’s success in the evolving workforce. While training programs and skill-building are foundational, barriers such as lack of startup capital, limited market access, and inadequate mentorship hinder sustainable employment and entrepreneurship. The future of work demands a holistic approach that integrates skills development with financial resources, mentorship, and enabling economic environments. Graduate business programs need to recognize these interconnected pathways, providing students not only with competencies but also with access to networks, funding, and ongoing support to navigate the complex journey from learning to opportunity. Observations: Skills development is necessary but not sufficient for youth...
Why degree apprenticeships are more competitive than Oxford
Summary: Degree apprenticeships have surged in popularity, often outstripping prestigious university offers such as Oxford’s, driven by concerns over university costs and student debt. These programs blend vocational training with academic study, allowing students to earn while they learn and avoid loans. However, high demand has made entry extremely competitive, while the specialized nature of training means apprentices often have limited choice over universities or traditional campus experiences. Additionally, the application process can be complex and less accessible for disadvantaged students, who must manage logistical challenges more independently than their university counterparts. Observations: Degree apprenticeships offer a compelling alternative to traditional university routes...
We Went to the Boot Camp Where KPMG Teaches Auditors to Think Critically
Summary: KPMG is transforming traditional auditor training by focusing on critical thinking alongside technical skills. Their immersive boot camp, hosting nearly 1,000 interns, uses real-world scenarios—such as detecting potential fraud—to sharpen judgment, reduce bias, and develop problem-solving agility. In an era where AI automates routine tasks, KPMG recognizes the growing importance of human skills like business acumen, professional demeanor, and interpersonal abilities. This comprehensive approach reflects a proactive response to the evolving demands in auditing, emphasizing adaptable thinking and ethical judgment, thus setting a new standard for preparing future professionals in a technology-driven environment. Observations: Technical knowledge alone is insufficient; critical...
Is It Time to Change How You Grade?
Summary: The Chronicle’s July 23, 2026, newsletter explores evolving grading practices in higher education, spotlighting alternatives to traditional points-based systems. It highlights a biology professor’s shift to standards-based grading that emphasizes mastery over point accumulation, reducing student anxiety and encouraging deeper learning. This approach reframes grades as clear indicators of competency rather than arbitrary scores, fostering better student motivation and engagement. The piece raises critical questions about grading’s purpose and effectiveness, encouraging educators to reconsider entrenched assessment methods to better align with modern learning challenges, including issues posed by AI and grade inflation. Observations: Traditional points-based grading often...
MIT Sloan School of Management launches Evening MBA
Summary: MIT Sloan has launched an Evening MBA program to offer working professionals the opportunity to earn a rigorous, cohort-based MBA while continuing their careers. The primarily in-person, 22-month program features the same core curriculum and selective admissions as the traditional MBA, emphasizing innovation, analytics, and applied management. Designed to serve a growing market of career-focused individuals, the program connects students deeply with MIT’s ecosystem and local industries, particularly in Greater Boston’s tech and healthcare sectors. Classes meet evenings twice a week, enabling immediate application of learning at work, benefiting both students and employers. Observations: The Evening MBA targets professionals who want to advance careers without pausing work....
How 4 Programs Instill Learning by Doing
Summary: Experiential learning is increasingly prioritized in higher education as institutions respond to student demand for hands-on, work-integrated experiences critical in a rapidly evolving job market shaped by AI and automation. Four programs illustrate this trend: Santa Clara University’s AI Kitchen fosters collaborative, accessible AI fluency; Stevens Institute’s AI in Biology and Chemistry program connects students with industry leaders; Jacksonville University’s Formula SAE team blends engineering and business skills through motorsports; and University of New Haven’s Connecticut Invents helps K–12 inventors commercialize innovations, linking education to entrepreneurship and real-world impact. Observations: Experiential learning initiatives enhance student engagement by...
What are students really paying attention to?
Summary: Student attention is a finite, fragmented resource challenged by digital distractions and personal pressures, undermining engagement and learning. Traditional educational models assume unlimited attention, resulting in wasted cognitive capacity. To better support students, four strategies are recommended: recognizing attention as a resource, designing circular learning systems with reflective pauses and interaction, applying continuous improvement through student involvement (Kaizen philosophy), and introducing productive friction to foster deep focus and flow states. These approaches help regenerate attention, enhance engagement, and improve learning outcomes by nurturing rather than depleting student cognitive energy. Observations: Student attention is limited and easily...
The Man Who Disrupted Entrepreneurship Education Says AI Just Disrupted Him
Summary: Steve Blank, the pioneer of the Lean startup movement, argues that AI has fundamentally disrupted entrepreneurship education by necessitating a shift from "executing business plans" to validating complex, AI-driven hypotheses. The rise of generative AI allows for rapid prototype creation and synthetic customer discovery, which, while efficient, risks producing "hallucinated" feedback grounded in illusion rather than reality. Consequently, educators must raise the bar for evidence. Blank now emphasizes "agent-outcome fit"—ensuring autonomous systems deliver real-world results—urging faculty to move beyond traditional methodologies and embrace AI to challenge students at a deeper, more rigorous level. Observations: The ease of AI-generated content can mislead students into...
The Self-Knowledge Course: A Pedagogical Model for Student Leadership Development
Summary: The "Self-Knowledge Course" pedagogical model represents a shift from traditional skill-based instruction toward deep, identity-focused leadership development. By prioritizing reflective practice, students gain the emotional intelligence and self-awareness necessary to navigate complex professional environments. Unlike standard management curricula that emphasize external competencies, this model requires students to examine their personal values, behavioral triggers, and historical development. This introspective process creates a stronger foundation for ethical, resilient, and adaptive leadership. Ultimately, by centering self-discovery, business schools can cultivate leaders who are not just technically proficient but also profoundly aware of their influence on organizational...
We Have Never Taught Critical Thinking
Summary: The authors argue that higher education has long assumed critical thinking develops naturally through disciplinary instruction, but evidence suggests this approach is insufficient. The widespread use of AI exposes an existing weakness rather than creating a new one. They contend that colleges should explicitly teach critical thinking through structured instruction, deliberate practice, feedback, and metacognitive reflection. Rather than treating critical thinking as a by-product of coursework, institutions should make it a measurable learning outcome embedded across the curriculum to better prepare graduates for an AI-enabled workplace. Observations: AI has revealed longstanding shortcomings in how colleges develop critical thinking rather than creating the problem itself....
Many college students already have well-formed cheating habits – that, not AI, is the real problem
Summary: The article argues that concerns about AI-driven cheating may overlook a more fundamental issue: many students already develop cheating habits before arriving at college. Drawing on research into academic integrity, the author contends that dishonesty often stems from established behaviors, pressures, and attitudes rather than from any specific technology. AI may provide a new tool for misconduct, but it is not the root cause. The article suggests that institutions should focus less on policing technology and more on fostering ethical decision-making, strengthening learning environments, and addressing the underlying conditions that encourage academic dishonesty. Observations: Academic dishonesty often predates students’ use of AI and reflects broader behavioral patterns. AI is...
Teaching Sensitive Geopolitical Topics
Summary: The article examines how business school faculty can effectively teach sensitive geopolitical topics in increasingly polarized and globally interconnected classrooms. It argues that avoiding controversial issues is not a viable option because geopolitical developments directly affect business, markets, supply chains, and organizational decision-making. Instead, educators should create structured environments that encourage respectful dialogue, critical thinking, and evidence-based analysis. The article emphasizes the importance of establishing classroom norms, acknowledging diverse perspectives, focusing on learning objectives, and helping students navigate complex issues without requiring consensus. The goal is to prepare future leaders to engage thoughtfully with geopolitical...
Time for Class 2026: The AI Tipping Point: From Monitoring Students to Engaging Them
Summary: The report describes higher education as reaching an AI “tipping point,” with artificial intelligence reshaping teaching, learning, assessment, and institutional operations. AI adoption has increased among administrators, faculty, and students, and many educators report that their roles are changing significantly. Faculty who integrate AI into assessment design report stronger student engagement, while students increasingly use AI to manage academic challenges and develop career-relevant skills. The report argues that institutions must move beyond debating whether to adopt AI and instead focus on how to integrate it effectively to improve learning outcomes and workforce preparation. Observations: AI is moving from experimentation to mainstream adoption across higher education....
Students Remain Higher Ed’s Cybersecurity Weak Link
Summary: Higher education institutions face significant cybersecurity risks, with students frequently identified as the primary vulnerability. Recent survey data reveals a critical disparity in institutional preparedness: while the vast majority of faculty and staff receive formal cybersecurity training, only a small fraction of students are similarly equipped. This gap is exacerbated by behaviors such as prioritizing digital convenience over security, the widespread use of unsecured personal devices on campus networks, and a surge in sophisticated, AI-driven phishing campaigns. To mitigate these exposures, institutions must move beyond passive awareness and implement systemic, proactive cybersecurity education for students. Observations: There is a systemic imbalance in cybersecurity...
When Post-it Notes Are Not Enough
Summary: Traditional design-thinking models, while foundational, are becoming insufficient for addressing modern, data-rich innovation challenges. Business schools must upgrade their curricula to include AI-augmented processes, moving beyond simple ideation to teach "orchestration"—the ability to critically direct intelligent systems. The proposed "Augmented Double Diamond" framework integrates specialized AI agents into standard innovation stages, requiring students to maintain human judgment, empathy, and ethical authority. By shifting the focus from automation to augmentation, programs can train graduates to leverage AI's speed and pattern recognition while retaining creative and strategic control over complex, sociotechnical design problems. Observations: Traditional workshop-based...
Turmoil prompts fresh teaching on change management
Summary: Business schools are evolving their approach to teaching change management to address modern, constant disruption. Rather than relying on rigid, linear models, educators are increasingly integrating insights from psychology, neuroscience, and critical thinking. The curriculum now emphasizes creating psychological safety, fostering purpose, and encouraging experimentation to drive employee commitment rather than mere compliance. Experts stress that there is no universal framework for change; instead, leaders must cultivate humility, self-awareness, and the ability to diagnose messy, unpredictable organizational problems. This shift recognizes that human engagement remains the primary driver of successful transformation in an era of rapid AI integration. Observations: Traditional,...
How Business Schools & Industry Can Collaborate To Support Societal Impact Leadership
Summary: The article argues that business schools and industry must work more closely together to develop leaders capable of addressing complex societal challenges. The authors contend that societal impact leadership cannot be taught effectively through classroom instruction alone and requires partnerships that provide students with real-world exposure to sustainability, social responsibility, and stakeholder-focused decision-making. The piece highlights collaboration between businesses and business schools as a means of connecting academic learning with practical experience, helping future leaders understand how organizations can balance financial performance with broader societal outcomes. Observations: Societal impact leadership requires experiential learning in addition to...
I (Mostly) Quit the LMS
Summary: The article reflects on one professor’s decision to reduce reliance on the Canvas learning management system after concluding that convenience sometimes came at the expense of student engagement, responsibility, and learning. The author argues that digital tools can unintentionally encourage passivity by removing productive forms of effort, planning, and interaction. By restoring selected points of friction—such as distributing assignments in person and requiring more direct communication—the author observed greater student accountability and engagement. The article advocates for intentional use of educational technology, encouraging institutions and instructors to evaluate whether technology serves learning objectives rather than simply improving efficiency. Observations:...
AI is reshaping accounting, but automation bias threatens audit quality.
Summary: As artificial intelligence increasingly reshapes the accounting profession, audit quality faces new risks stemming from "automation bias"—a tendency for practitioners to over-rely on AI-generated outputs. While technical proficiency remains a cornerstone of the field, the rapid adoption of these technologies highlights a critical gap in professional education: the historic neglect of formal skepticism training. To maintain integrity in an AI-driven landscape, accounting educators must pivot, ensuring that the next generation of professionals possesses not only technical capability but also the critical judgment necessary to challenge and validate algorithmic results. Observations: Automation bias poses a significant threat to audit quality as professionals increasingly defer to...
New state moves combine power of college and the workforce
Summary: The article examines how states are restructuring higher education and workforce systems to better align academic programs with labor market needs. States such as Missouri, Colorado, Virginia, and Connecticut are consolidating agencies, coordinating workforce planning, and integrating data systems to improve educational and employment outcomes. These efforts aim to strengthen talent pipelines, support employer-driven program development, and create clearer pathways between education and work. The article notes that while stronger alignment can improve workforce responsiveness, institutions must balance workforce priorities with broader educational goals, regional needs, and student interests. Observations: States are increasingly linking higher education policy, funding, and...
EDUCAUSE Horizon Report Finds AI Reshaping Trust, Future of Learning
Summary: The 2026 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report identifies AI as a driving force reshaping teaching and learning, particularly by challenging trust and credibility between students and faculty. As students increasingly rely on AI for tutoring and academic support, institutions are rethinking assessment, academic integrity, and the role of human relationships in education. The report urges colleges to establish clear norms for ethical AI use while strengthening mentoring, judgment, and student engagement. It also highlights emerging developments such as AI-generated learning materials, AI governance systems, and highly automated workplaces, encouraging institutions to prepare for rapid and uncertain change. Observations: AI is changing student-faculty relationships by shifting how students seek...
AIC Launches Redesigned MBA, New Data Analytics Graduate Programs
Summary: American International College (AIC) has redesigned its MBA and launched new graduate programs in data analytics to prepare professionals for leadership in increasingly data-driven organizations. The MBA integrates leadership development, analytics, and evidence-based decision-making across core business disciplines rather than treating analytics as a separate specialization. Designed for working professionals, the program is offered in online and hybrid formats with accelerated seven-week courses and multiple annual entry points. AIC also introduced a Master of Science in Data Analytics and a combined MBA/MS in Data Analytics pathway, reflecting employer demand for leaders who can combine strategic thinking with advanced analytical capabilities. Observations: Business schools...
The 5 faces of human readiness for AI adoption – and how to work with them
Summary: The article argues that the success of AI adoption depends less on technology and more on workforce readiness. Drawing on research into employee attitudes, the authors identify five AI-readiness profiles—enthusiasts, curious users, cautious users, skeptics, and those opposed to AI. They contend that organizations often fail because leaders focus on technical implementation while overlooking employee concerns about job security, trust, ethics, and changing work roles. The article recommends prioritizing cultural change, human-AI collaboration, and transparent communication to build trust and encourage meaningful adoption rather than superficial compliance. Observations: Human behavior and organizational culture are stronger determinants of AI adoption than technical capability...
From Funnel To Forever: Why Business Schools Must Stop Managing Pipelines & Start Building Communities
Summary: Business schools are shifting from fragmented, siloed operations toward integrated "community ecosystems".Traditionally, schools managed transactional pipelines—admissions, enrollment, and placement—but stakeholders now demand continuous, lifelong engagement. Static databases and disconnected departments hinder schools from tracking evolving professional trajectories, leading to a "living database problem". To remain competitive, institutions must transition from managing distinct stages of a student’s career to functioning as platform builders that connect alumni, employers, and students into a single, dynamic network capable of facilitating ongoing mentorship, reskilling, and strategic industry collaboration. Observations: The traditional "funnel" model, where interactions are...
UC Riverside launches online MBA program
Summary: UC Riverside’s A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management has launched a new online MBA program designed to provide professionals with flexibility and career advancement. The program emphasizes a curriculum equivalent to its in-person offering, focusing on leadership, analytical decision-making, and strategic management. Targeted at working professionals, the initiative leverages digital delivery to expand access to high-quality graduate business education without requiring residency. This launch reflects a broader institutional strategy to meet the rising demand for accessible, remote learning options that balance rigorous academic standards with the practical needs of modern students. Observations: Business schools are increasingly prioritizing digital delivery models to...
As more jobs demand AI skills, some colleges may fall short in prepping students: ‘Why would we train them using the skills of yesterday?’
Summary: The article examines how AI is reshaping the labor market for college graduates by automating entry-level tasks and changing employer expectations. Companies are increasingly seeking workers who can use AI tools effectively, interpret outputs critically, and focus on higher-value analytical and interpersonal skills. The shift is raising concerns about reduced opportunities for early-career workers while increasing pressure on colleges to adapt curricula quickly. The article suggests that higher education institutions must better align programs with emerging workforce demands, emphasizing AI fluency, adaptability, and practical experience alongside traditional academic preparation. Observations: AI is altering the value of entry-level work traditionally used to train recent...
Why Systems Thinking Matters in Business Education
Summary: The article argues that systems thinking is becoming essential in business education because leaders increasingly face interconnected economic, social, technological, and environmental challenges. Rather than teaching problems in isolation, business schools should help students understand relationships, feedback loops, and long-term consequences across systems. Systems thinking supports better decision-making, collaboration, and adaptability in complex environments. The article also emphasizes integrating interdisciplinary learning and experiential approaches to prepare graduates for uncertainty and global complexity. Observations: Complex global challenges require integrated rather than siloed business education. Systems thinking strengthens decision-making in uncertain and...
IESE redesigns MBA for the age of AI
Summary: IESE Business School has redesigned its MBA for the age of artificial intelligence, embedding AI throughout the curriculum rather than treating it as a standalone subject. Beginning in September 2026, the program will focus on three capabilities: personal AI fluency, redesigning AI-enabled workflows and operating models, and developing strategic judgment for leading human-AI systems. AI concepts will be integrated across 18 first-year courses and more than 40 sessions addressing real managerial dilemmas. The redesign emphasizes that future leaders must not only use AI tools but also redesign work, evaluate AI outputs, manage risks, and exercise sound judgment in increasingly AI-driven organizations. Observations: IESE is treating AI as a leadership and management challenge that...
Navigating the AI Integration Imperative: Lessons from 48 Business Schools
Summary: The article analyzes how 48 business schools across seven countries are integrating AI into curricula, operations, governance, and pedagogy. The study identifies eight recurring themes behind successful AI adoption, including institution-wide AI literacy, faculty development, ethical integration, strategic partnerships, and leadership commitment. The report argues that AI integration is no longer optional as student expectations and employer demand accelerate faster than institutional readiness. Schools such as University of Leeds, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, and Stanford Graduate School of Business are adopting different but intentional approaches to AI transformation, emphasizing coordinated institutional change rather than isolated experiments. Observations: AI...
Faculty Concerned About ASU’s ‘Frankensteinian’ AI Course Builder
Summary: Faculty are raising concerns about a new AI-focused course introduced by Arizona State University and supported by ASUS, questioning its academic rigor, corporate influence, and potential impact on faculty roles. Critics argue the course may prioritize technical training over critical thinking and lacks sufficient faculty oversight. The initiative reflects a broader push to scale AI education quickly through industry partnerships, but also highlights tensions around governance, curriculum quality, and the role of external providers in higher education. Observations: Industry partnerships are accelerating AI curriculum development but raising concerns about academic control. Faculty are wary of reduced oversight and the potential erosion of traditional academic standards. Rapid...
A New National Group Promotes Better College Teaching
Summary: The Alliance for Better College Teaching has launched to expand the use of evidence-based, student-centered teaching practices in higher education. It argues that teaching has been overlooked in student success efforts, which often focus outside the classroom. The alliance aims to unify fragmented initiatives, build a national coalition, pilot teaching improvements across colleges, and develop better measures of teaching excellence. Leaders emphasize that improving teaching can boost retention but remains underrecognized. The initiative builds on growing momentum from other national efforts to strengthen teaching quality and evaluation. Observations: Teaching quality is underemphasized despite strong links to student success and retention. Efforts to improve teaching have been...
Gen Z Increasingly Skeptical of — And Angry About — Artificial Intelligence
Summary: A 2026 Gallup survey shows Gen Z is increasingly skeptical and even angry about artificial intelligence, despite continued use. Compared to 2025, excitement and optimism have dropped sharply, while anger and anxiety have risen. Many believe AI harms learning, weakens critical thinking, and threatens job prospects. Nearly half see workplace risks outweighing benefits, and fewer trust AI for accurate information or creativity. Still, most accept AI as unavoidable and expect to use it in education and careers, creating a tension between reliance and distrust. Observations: Student sentiment toward AI is deteriorating even as usage remains steady. Learners increasingly associate AI with reduced cognitive development and weaker learning outcomes. Career anxiety is a major driver of...
Teaching students to write (and think) is still possible
Summary: The article argues that academic writing remains essential but must evolve in the age of AI. While AI tools can accelerate writing, they risk weakening students’ cognitive development and critical thinking if overused. Educators should shift assessment away from speed and output toward reflection, reasoning, and ethical AI use. Teaching must emphasize writing as a process tied to thinking, requiring redesigned pedagogies, AI-literate faculty, and new evaluation methods that prioritize depth of understanding over production efficiency. Observations: AI is reshaping not just writing tasks but how students think and learn. Traditional assessment methods (speed, output) are increasingly misaligned with learning goals. Faculty capability in AI use is now a prerequisite for effective...
Converting Experience Into Real-World Impact
Summary: AACSB’s article highlights a shift in business education from knowledge delivery to measurable societal impact. Schools are aligning teaching, research, and engagement with real-world challenges across people, economy, and environment domains. More than 1,000 institutions report nearly 12,000 initiatives, increasingly integrated into strategy, curriculum, and partnerships. The focus is moving from activity tracking to outcomes and accountability, with growing use of KPIs and frameworks like Theory of Change. New 2026 standards emphasize strategic alignment, evidence of impact, and continuous improvement, positioning business schools as active contributors to societal progress rather than passive knowledge providers. (AACSB) Observations: Societal impact is becoming a core...
How Experiential Learning Signals Career Readiness
Summary: Experiential learning signals graduates’ career readiness by demonstrating their ability to manage ambiguity, accountability, and real-world challenges. The strongest signals come from activities involving direct execution for external stakeholders with measurable outcomes, while weaker signals arise from hypothetical or internally focused assignments. AI tools can enhance experiential learning but require faculty oversight to ensure true skill assessment. Business programs should differentiate experiential learning by signal strength, which depends on authenticity, feedback, iteration, and accountability. Recognizing these nuances helps align curriculum design with employer expectations in a changing educational and technological landscape. Observations: Employers prioritize...
The Connected Campus: A Secure, AI-Ready Digital Ecosystem for Higher Education
Summary: Higher education institutions are building connected campus ecosystems that integrate secure infrastructure, data systems, and AI-ready technologies. The goal is to enable seamless digital experiences for students, faculty, and staff while supporting advanced analytics and AI applications. Leaders emphasize that security must be embedded from the start, not added later, as institutions modernize systems. Success depends on aligning IT strategy with institutional goals, improving interoperability, and ensuring data governance to support innovation and protect privacy. Observations: Digital transformation is shifting toward fully integrated, AI-ready campus ecosystems. Cybersecurity is becoming a foundational requirement, not a secondary concern. Data integration and...
How are finance teams really using AI and automation?
Summary: Finance teams in 2026 are cautiously integrating AI and automation, focusing on practical uses that solve complex problems such as predicting late payments, unifying fragmented financial data, and automating manual processes. While AI adoption is widespread, only a small fraction of CFOs report significant impact. Success depends on combining AI tools like recommendation engines, generative AI, and robotic process automation with strong data governance and human oversight to ensure accuracy. These approaches enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and support strategic decision-making, demonstrating how AI can be a practical enabler rather than a disruptive force in finance operations. Observations: AI in finance is moving from hype to practical, problem-solving applications. High...
Iran Targets U.S. Universities in the Middle East
Summary: Following alleged U.S.-led attacks on Iranian universities, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared U.S. universities in the Middle East as “legitimate targets,” urging staff and students to maintain safety distances. American institutions with regional campuses, including those in Qatar’s Education City and the UAE, have shifted to remote operations out of precaution. The IRGC demands U.S. condemnation of attacks on Iranian universities to prevent retaliatory strikes. This escalation introduces significant geopolitical risks directly impacting U.S. international university campuses, prompting rapid adaptation to secure students, faculty, and operations in volatile regions. Observations: U.S. universities abroad are becoming entangled in geopolitical conflicts,...
Colleges face a new rival in teaching: AI chatbots
Summary: As AI chatbots become widespread in higher education, graduate business programs face challenges in maintaining their role as primary educators. Institutions are adapting by redesigning curricula and assessments to emphasize critical thinking, ethical AI use, and collaboration. Programs like Wake Forest’s management degree focus on advanced skills such as leadership and ambiguity tolerance, while educators adopt frameworks balancing independent thought with AI-assisted learning. These shifts reflect recognition that AI tools are here to stay, requiring nuanced approaches to equip students with both foundational knowledge and the ability to critically engage with AI-generated outputs. Observations: AI use is pervasive among students, prompting skepticism about AI's impact on...
Integrating AI Strategically in Challenging Times
Summary: As AI reshapes business education, institutions must shift from reactive measures to strategic, integrated frameworks using the 4P model: People, Policy, Pedagogy, and Platform. Successful AI adoption hinges on building faculty confidence through safe experimentation, developing clear, values-driven policies, embedding AI literacy across disciplines, and aligning technology with learning goals. Leadership roles, such as a dedicated dean of AI, are critical for bridging academic and operational domains. This strategic approach promotes ethical, equitable, and sustainable AI integration that enhances teaching, research, and administration in graduate business programs. Observations: Early AI adoption was reactive; now, strategic integration is essential for long-term success....
Rising AI Adoption Spurs Workforce Changes
Summary: AI adoption is accelerating across workplaces, driving significant shifts in how work is performed and managed. Gallup finds more employees are using AI tools regularly, leading to increased efficiency but also concerns about job displacement and changing skill requirements. While some workers report productivity gains, many feel unprepared for AI integration and lack clear organizational guidance. Leaders are beginning to adapt by redefining roles, emphasizing upskilling, and integrating AI into workflows, but gaps remain in training and communication. Observations: AI use is expanding rapidly, reshaping daily work and job expectations. Employees are adopting AI faster than organizations are providing guidance. Skill gaps are widening, particularly in AI literacy and...
10 Books for the Evidence-Based Professor
Summary: This article recommends ten foundational books focused on evidence-based teaching to improve higher education instruction. Emphasizing quality over quantity, these accessible, research-backed texts offer practical strategies like retrieval practice, curiosity cultivation, and motivation techniques. Books such as James Lang’s Small Teaching and Brown et al.’s Make It Stick provide actionable insights grounded in cognitive psychology. The curated selection encourages deliberate application of learning science principles to enhance teaching effectiveness, promote student engagement, and foster a shared vocabulary among educators, supporting continuous improvement in graduate business education. Observations: Teaching expertise stems from deliberate practice and applying...
The Power of the Co-Created Learning Experience
Summary: The article highlights how co-created learning experiences, such as the Digital Book Project, transform graduate education by engaging students as active partners in their learning. Students conduct original research, communicate findings to industry, and collaboratively produce a digital book, bridging academia and practice. This approach enhances research skills, employability, digital literacy, and professional confidence. By shifting from traditional teaching to participatory pedagogy, graduate programs can better align academic learning with real-world challenges and empower students to take leadership roles, fostering motivation, accountability, and practical relevance. Observations: Co-created learning boosts student motivation, engagement, and accountability. Integrating...
Why the Rubric Generation Won’t Be Ready for Work
Summary: Graduate business education’s heavy reliance on rubrics trains students to focus on explicit criteria and compliance, leaving them ill-prepared for workplace ambiguity where judgment and adaptability are essential. Rubrics reduce grading disputes but foster dependency, discouraging critical thinking and comfort with uncertainty. Educators must redesign assignments to promote decision-making without predefined criteria, encouraging students to define success and navigate tradeoffs independently. This approach builds resilience and practical judgment, better aligning academic preparation with real-world leadership challenges that lack clear-cut solutions or guidelines. Observations: Rubric-driven education encourages students to seek explicit criteria, limiting their ability to...
Developing judgement for business: an AI-based model of independent management learning
Summary: Management education faces a critical tension: while generative AI can quickly produce content, it often fails to foster the nuanced judgment required for navigating business uncertainty. This research introduces a ranking-based, explainable AI model grounded in Adaptive Comparative Judgment (ACJ). By shifting from traditional absolute grading to a comparative framework, the system provides students with frequent, personalized, and dialogue-driven feedback within dynamic simulations. This approach helps learners distinguish between varying levels of uncertainty and develops deep self-reflection skills, moving AI's role from a simple "answer engine" to a sophisticated partner in experiential management learning. Observations: Judgment vs. Automation: Modern AI should be utilized...
Roanoke launches online MBA program
Extracted Content: The online MBA program was built on the success of Roanoke’s accelerated MBA program, which launched in 2023. Students in the online program will take five courses each year — two in the fall, two in the spring and one in the summer — and will be able to focus on one class at a time through the program’s seven-week course modules. Through these courses, students will develop in-depth knowledge of various pillars of business, including accounting, leadership, ethics, economics, management, marketing, finance and data analysis. Citation: Marketing and Communications Office. “Roanoke Launches Online MBA Program.” Roanoke College, January 30, 2026. https://www.roanoke.edu/news/online_mba. How about adding a comment below letting me and other readers know your...
A Holistic Reimagining of the Student Journey
Summary: This piece highlights a transformative approach to graduate business education, emphasizing a holistic, flexible, and meaningful student journey. Integrating real-world projects, industry collaborations, and global perspectives, the program nurtures critical reasoning, digital fluency, and a sense of purpose aligned with evolving career landscapes. By connecting classroom learning with practical experience, it prepares students not just to graduate, but to thrive and innovate in a digitally connected, sustainable world. Observations: Coherent and personalized learning journeys increase student engagement and success. Embedding global issues like sustainability enriches curriculum relevance. Industry partnerships in capstone projects enhance career readiness and networking....
Our Gadgets Finally Speak Human, and Tech Will Never Be the Same
Summary: Our relationship with technology is evolving as voice-powered AI transforms communication. Advanced conversational interfaces now allow users to engage naturally with devices through speech, improving accessibility and freeing hands for multitasking. From capturing meeting notes to language practice, these tools foster greater productivity and creativity. Emerging wearables, like voice-enabled rings, promise discreet, ongoing dialogues with AI, supporting cognitive and organizational tasks in real time. For graduate business education, this shift offers opportunities to enhance learning experiences, streamline administrative tasks, and embrace inclusivity by integrating voice AI for richer interaction and support. Observations: Voice AI advancements greatly improve natural,...
The Secret Sauce to Enhancing Student Engagement
Summary: The article introduces the E2P2 teaching philosophy—empathizing, ensuring transparency, preparing, and promoting inclusivity—as a flexible, empathy-driven approach that enhances student engagement in graduate business education. Emphasizing psychological safety, clear expectations, meticulous preparation, and diverse learner support, E2P2 fosters motivation, confidence, and collaboration without sacrificing academic rigor. It is adaptable across subjects and delivery modes and addresses student fears, reduces uncertainty, and creates inclusive environments where all students can thrive. This philosophy encourages educators to prioritize connection and care as foundational to transforming learning experiences in complex, technical, and diverse graduate business programs....
The AI Challenge
Summary: The rapid integration of generative AI tools in higher education presents both opportunities and challenges for learning and scholarship. Faculty largely see AI’s role as a legitimate aid when used ethically—such as drafting syllabi or enhancing student work—though concerns about misuse persist. Institutions are responding by developing frameworks that emphasize core educational values while fostering digital literacy and critical thinking. This balanced approach helps prepare learners to navigate AI responsibly, ensuring their academic integrity and adaptability in a transforming landscape. How might your program adapt to support both innovation and ethical use of AI in learning? Observations: Faculty differentiate between ethical AI use and cheating, but uncertainty about...
Duke revisits offering online courses during academic year
Summary: Duke University is revisiting online course offerings 13 years after narrowly rejecting credit-bearing online classes during the academic year. A 2024 ad-hoc committee proposed a pilot for synchronous, for-credit online courses in Fall 2026, emphasizing faculty voluntariness and data-driven evaluation. While past concerns focused on quality, prestige, and faculty autonomy, current discussions highlight flexibility benefits and potential drawbacks like student disengagement. The council’s February 2026 vote will decide next steps, aiming to balance innovation with Duke’s liberal arts values through careful faculty input and comprehensive assessment of online pedagogy. Observations: Faculty buy-in and voluntary participation are critical to successful online course adoption. Data...
Why the real revolution isn’t AI — it’s meaning
Summary: The article emphasizes that the true revolution in business is not artificial intelligence itself but the search for meaning in a technologically advanced world. AI is a tool, but its impact depends on how people interpret and apply it to create purpose and value. Graduate business programs should focus on cultivating critical thinking, ethical judgment, and meaning-making rather than solely technical AI skills. This approach helps students navigate complex, uncertain environments and lead organizations with a human-centered, purpose-driven mindset. Observations: AI’s significance lies in how humans assign meaning to its use. Graduates benefit from education that balances technology with ethics and critical thinking. Meaning-making skills are essential for leadership in a...
A Framework for AI in Business Education
Summary: Artificial intelligence (AI) is swiftly moving from experimental pilots to strategic integration across business schools globally. This shift reflects AI as a foundational skill, embedded throughout curricula, teaching, research, and operations. Leaders now prioritize coordinated governance, faculty development, ethical frameworks, and industry partnerships to build sustainable AI ecosystems. Not only well-resourced institutions but all AACSB-affiliated schools can adapt this inclusive framework, which embraces innovation while grounding efforts in mission and values. This transition underscores AI’s role as a core factor in shaping educational quality, relevance, and the future of business education. Observations: AI literacy is evolving from an elective to a core competency...
Four Futures for Jobs in the New Economy: AI and Talent in 2030
Summary: The World Economic Forum presents four 2030 job market scenarios based on AI progress and workforce readiness. While advanced AI can drive soaring productivity, the risk of mass displacement is high if education systems lag. The report advocates for "no-regret" strategies, such as aligning talent with technology and investing in human-AI collaboration. For graduate programs, success requires shifting from teaching task execution to training "agent orchestrators" who can manage complex AI ecosystems. Ultimately, human capital investments today will determine whether societies flourish or face economic fracture. Observations: The Orchestration Shift: Future roles will move from manual task execution to the design and oversight of AI ecosystems, requiring graduates to act as "agent...
5 education innovation trends to watch in 2026
Summary: As we look toward 2026, education innovation is focusing on bridging skill gaps through competency-based learning, integrating social networks with skill data, and rethinking pathways to the workforce. While technology aids personalization and efficiency, programs must also address the human side of learning—networks, experiences, and connections that unlock real opportunities. Graduate business programs have the opportunity to deepen collaboration with employers and embed new architectures that better align skills with career outcomes, all while fostering equity and access. This blended approach promises to prepare learners not just to fill jobs, but to thrive in evolving careers. Observations: Competency-based models are gaining traction as they more directly align skills with...
Finnish children learn media literacy at 3 years old. It’s protection against Russian propaganda
Summary: Finland incorporates media literacy into its national curriculum from an early age as a defense against misinformation, including Russian propaganda. With a history of prioritizing this education, Finnish students learn to critically analyze media and identify disinformation from as young as three years old. The program has expanded to include artificial intelligence literacy, responding to heightened misinformation campaigns and the growing challenge of distinguishing AI-generated content. This holistic approach equips the Finnish population, across all ages, with vital skills for navigating today’s complex information landscape, ensuring the nation's safety and the integrity of its democracy. Observations: Finland’s educational system places a strong emphasis on media literacy...
Your Key Survival Skill for 2026: Critical Ignoring
Summary: In the evolving landscape of global business education, "Your Key Survival Skill for 2026: Critical Ignoring" proposes a strategic approach. It emphasizes the importance of discerning what information, trends, and tasks to prioritize amidst an overflow of data. By focusing on relevant changes and dismissing distractions, program leaders can better adapt to current educational demands and prepare for future challenges, thereby ensuring that their programs remain pertinent and forward-thinking. Observations: Information overload is a pressing challenge; recognizing what to ignore is as crucial as knowing what to focus on. The ability to filter relevant versus non-essential information could determine the agility and resilience of a program. Adaptation strategies centered around...
Rethinking the MBA: How AI Is Shaping Future Professionals
Summary: AI is profoundly reshaping MBA education, with most programs integrating AI and analytics deeply into curricula to equip future leaders with both technical fluency and strategic business skills. Business schools are adopting flexible, modular learning formats and emphasizing experiential learning, soft skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration. As AI automates traditional tasks, MBA roles evolve to focus on leadership, ethical decision-making, and managing AI-driven innovation across industries. Programs that embed AI comprehensively and balance it with human-centric skills are positioning graduates for success in an AI-driven economy. Observations: AI integration is increasingly foundational in global MBA programs, not isolated to standalone courses. Flexible, modular program...
The Divided Demands of AI Literacy
Summary: Graduate business education is at a crucial juncture, with AI reshaping skill demands across industries. Business schools are challenged to balance technical AI education with the cultivation of soft skills. Surveys reveal a gap between student and employer priorities, with students emphasizing practical AI skills and employers valuing socioemotional abilities. This evolving landscape calls for business schools to integrate AI into curricula pragmatically, aligning education with both immediate employability and future leadership requirements. Observations: There is a noticeable divergence between the skills students prioritize and what employers demand, particularly in balancing AI proficiency with human-centric skills. Employers are increasingly valuing socioemotional skills...
Why AI-driven education must replace an outdated learning model
Summary: As STEM education shows its age, unable to keep pace with AI and automation, a new approach arises—AI-driven education. This model emphasizes skills over degrees, personalized learning over standard curricula, and adapts to real-time industry demands. It proposes a shift to mentoring and ethical guidance roles for educators and modular, micro-credentialed learning for students. Addressing AI bias and ensuring equity are necessary to transform education and meet the needs of a technologically advanced society. Observations: The traditional STEM education model is too rigid and does not align with the skill sets required in an AI-driven economy. AI-powered educational systems promise customization of learning experiences, catering to individual strengths and career objectives. The...
Accounting Education at a Crossroads
Summary: Graduate accounting education faces a paradox: U.S. legislative shifts are relaxing the 150-hour CPA requirement to combat talent shortages, potentially devaluing traditional master’s degrees. Simultaneously, rapid AI integration is automating entry-level clerical tasks, demanding that new hires possess the supervisory and critical thinking skills typically honed in graduate programs. To remain relevant, accounting curricula must pivot from compliance-focused credentialing to high-level talent development. By embedding AI-accelerated competencies, business schools can ensure the Master’s in Accounting remains an essential bridge to leadership in a technologically transformed profession. Observations: Legislative changes relaxing the 150-hour rule threaten the enrollment pipeline...
Coursera to buy Udemy, creating $2.5 billion firm to target AI training
Summary: Coursera's acquisition of Udemy forms a $2.5 billion educational powerhouse aimed at dominating corporate AI and tech training. Amid post-pandemic industry consolidation, the all-stock deal offers an advantageous merge of complementary services, with Coursera's university partnerships and Udemy's marketplace model. The transaction, closing in the latter half of next year, addresses corporate reskilling demands in AI, software development, and data science, yet faces investor skepticism over competition and AI investment returns. Observations: The Coursera-Udemy merger illustrates the trend of consolidation in the online education sector. There is a significant focus on reskilling employees in cutting-edge technologies like AI, which graduate business programs should note....
You Can’t AI-Proof the Classroom, Experts Say. Get Creative Instead.
Summary: In response to AI's growing presence in education, experts suggest embracing creative assessment strategies rather than attempting to AI-proof classrooms. Technological advancements, including AI-enhanced gadgets like wearables, are challenging traditional assessment methods. Experts advocate for diverse assessment types, real-time oral exams, critiquing AI, and hands-on projects that integrate learning and practice, which AI currently cannot replicate, to complement technology's rise. Observations: Traditional assessment methods are being undermined by AI, necessitating a shift towards more creative, AI-resistant approaches. Multi-format assessments, such as oral examinations and hands-on projects, are less susceptible to AI assistance and more indicative of student learning....
Skills development is vital to bridge the digital talent gap
Summary: The World Economic Forum emphasizes the critical nature of skills development in addressing the accelerating digital talent gap. This gap poses a challenge to global economies, necessitating immediate and strategic action. By prioritizing the elevation and diversification of skills among the workforce, we can foster a dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready labor landscape. The content advocates a pro-active approach, highlighting the necessity of aligning educational outputs with evolving technological demands to ensure economic growth and sustainable social advancement. Observations: The digital skills gap is expanding more swiftly than the global supply of skilled labor can accommodate. There is a significant emphasis on the need for business leaders to reassess their...
Stop Blaming AI. Start Preparing Students for Work
Summary: Economic shifts, not just AI, are transforming the job market for college graduates, narrowing the employment gap between high school and college graduates. Employers increasingly expect graduates to have real-world experience, emphasizing skills like teamwork and adaptability. Experiential learning initiatives, including internships, apprenticeships, and co-op programs, are critical to preparing students for successful employment. Institutions responding with embedded career-ready programs strengthen student employability and regional economies. Colleges must build employer relationships and integrate practical learning into curricula to position graduates for long-term success amid AI's impact and economic challenges. Observations: AI is influencing the workplace, but broader...
How Business Schools Are Filling the Soft Skills Gap
Summary: Employers report significant gaps in soft skills—specifically communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership—among new graduate business hires. Business schools are adapting by shifting from a purely theoretical model to one that emphasizes regular, practical application and continuous engagement with employers. Programs are embedding soft skills practice directly into the curriculum through experiential activities like solving corporate challenges and presenting to executives. This "practice makes perfect" approach, combined with informal interactions like "Meet the Firm" events, aims to increase student comfort and competence in professional communication before graduation. Observations: Soft Skills as a Core Gap: Critical thinking, communication,...
The practicalities of co-creation with students
Summary: Co-creation with students is a transformative approach in higher education that empowers learners to contribute to curricula, classroom activities, and assessments. It fosters authentic, inclusive, and engaging learning environments by centering the student voice and emphasizing partnership. Universities are leveraging co-creation to enhance critical thinking, diversify curriculum content, and support experiential learning. Though challenging due to reduced instructor control, evidence highlights its benefits, such as increased student belonging, collaboration, and creativity. Practical implementation ranges from collaborative course design to using feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement. This model addresses diverse learning needs while building inclusive and dynamic...
Can B-Schools Teach Creativity Beyond AI?
Summary: The paradigm shift in business education towards fostering human competencies like creativity, empathy, and ethical reasoning marks a significant departure from the traditional analytical curriculum, driven by the rise of AI automating analytical tasks. Innovative pedagogical methods, including improvisation classes and AI tools, aim to bolster these distinctly human skills, challenging the conventional grading system and emphasizing qualitative over quantitative assessment. Observations: Business schools are evolving to prioritize human skills such as creativity and empathy as key leadership qualities in the AI era. The incorporation of non-traditional teaching methods, like improv classes, reflects a broader pedagogical shift towards experiential learning. Qualitative...
AI Adoption: From Compliance to Capability
Summary: Business schools are shifting their approach to artificial intelligence (AI) from focusing solely on compliance to embracing it as a tool for enhancing learning and leadership capabilities. Royal Holloway Business School at the University of London has developed a five-stage framework to guide students in using AI responsibly and critically. The framework emphasizes student agency, ethical judgment, and purposeful collaboration with AI. By incorporating transparency, reflective practices, and real-world applications, schools can prepare students to utilize AI in creative, ethical, and socially beneficial ways, equipping graduates with the critical skills necessary for leadership in AI-driven workplaces. Observations: Business schools initially responded to AI with...
Vanderbilt University Unity Poll: Americans say college should teach “how to think,” not “what to think”
Summary: The Vanderbilt University Unity Poll reveals a consensus among Americans that higher education should focus on teaching core skills like logical thinking and understanding others, rather than imparting specific ideological views. Amidst ongoing debates about the cost and political neutrality of higher education, the poll finds strong support for colleges avoiding political entanglement while emphasizing critical thinking and civic utility. It highlights a persistent desire for universities to remain apolitical, especially in subjects directly affecting their educational mission, reflecting broader concerns about the influence of politics and the financial burden of pursuing a college education. Observations: Americans prioritize logical thinking and understanding people over...
Learning with AI falls short compared to old-fashioned web search
Summary: A study led by professors Shiri Melumad and Jin Ho Yun reveals that learning through large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, results in shallower knowledge compared to traditional web searches. In experiments involving over 10,000 participants, those relying solely on LLMs generated less substantive and less helpful advice, as LLM syntheses bypass active engagement with information. While LLMs provide ease and efficiency, the lack of “friction” in learning reduces cognitive processing, critical for deeper knowledge acquisition. The study suggests users should adopt strategic approaches when using AI, complementing LLM-generated content with active research methods to develop broader learning outcomes. Observations: Learning through LLMs tends to foster passive engagement,...
School of Business Announces New One-Year MBA Program, Cutting the Time to Completion in Half
Summary: The University of Connecticut’s School of Business is introducing a fast-track One-Year MBA program designed for professionals who need a flexible option to balance career advancement with academic growth. Starting in summer 2025, the 42-credit program maintains academic rigor while offering flexibility through online, hybrid, or in-person formats. With seven concentrations—ranging from Business Analytics to Supply Chain Management—the program emphasizes accelerated learning without compromising academic integrity. Leaders of the program aim to meet the growing demand for condensed MBA options. Features such as flexible entry points, priority course registration, and personalized career support enhance accessibility for busy professionals. Observations: Accelerated MBA programs...
Reprogramming the MBA: Why business schools must go all-in on AI
Summary: Dr. Srinivas Pingali highlights the urgent need for MBA programs to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) fully into curricula to prepare future business leaders for AI-driven industries. AI is transforming operations, strategy, marketing, and HR, requiring graduates to understand and apply AI technologies strategically and responsibly. The article suggests foundational and advanced AI courses, industry collaboration, and experiential learning through AI labs. Prominent innovations, such as adaptive learning platforms and AI-powered learning tools, enhance student engagement and lifelong education. Business schools must adopt multidisciplinary teaching models and weave AI throughout the MBA experience to meet recruiters' demands and remain competitive. Observations: Recruiters...
An MBA Reimagined From the Ground Up
Summary: Manchester Metropolitan University Business School reimagined its MBA program from the ground up, focusing on agility, collaboration, and buy-in to meet the evolving needs of business students and the modern workforce. By redesigning the academic curriculum, incorporating HyFlex delivery technology, and enhancing professional services support, the program fosters innovation and adaptability. Operating like a startup within the institution, the process emphasized trial-and-error, alignment with global trends, and the importance of personalized, immersive learning experiences. The initiative reflects a deep commitment to continuous improvement to better equip students for the dynamic global business environment. Observations: Agility and experimentation are essential for...
5 Reasons Faculty Should Collect Class Data
Summary: The article from Inside Higher Education emphasizes the importance of faculty collecting class data, detailing five key reasons supporting this practice. Class data collection helps enhance teaching methods by providing feedback on what strategies are most effective. It also aids in personalizing student learning experiences, tracking progress, and fostering a proactive teaching environment where faculty can anticipate student needs and adjust accordingly. Importally, it supports accreditation and funding requests by supplying tangible evidence of successful teaching outcomes and areas needing improvement. Observations: Data-driven decision-making is becoming essential in education to tailor and improve teaching strategies. Continuous collection and analysis of classroom data...
Opinion | Stop Pretending You Know How to Teach AI
Summary: Colleges are rushing to implement "AI fluency" requirements for graduates, a strategy of defining "technology literacies" that has historically failed because technologies arrive faster than we can learn to teach them. The problem is that no one knows what effective AI use looks like; there are no disciplinary experts who can demonstrate best practices for original or clear writing with chatbots. Instead of issuing declarative pronouncements, institutions should lead with uncertainty and prioritize deep domain knowledge, which is the skill truly needed to evaluate AI output and discern good ideas from "hallucination". Observations: Unverified Curricular Mandates: The institutional rush to mandate "AI fluency," as seen with Ohio State University's Class of 2029 program, is a...
AI Is Teaching the Next Generation of M.B.A.s the Classic Case Study
Summary: Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management is reimagining the traditional MBA case study by integrating AI-driven simulations. Rather than passively consuming information, students actively engage AI-powered, personality-driven chatbots representing different stakeholders to uncover data through dynamic conversations. This approach mirrors real-world business challenges, encouraging critical thinking and deeper analysis while preventing easy shortcuts that generative AI might enable. The novel method fosters over 50 conversational exchanges per character, replicating consultant-client interactions and preparing students for strategic problem-solving in complex environments. Observations: AI can transform passive case reading into interactive, investigative learning...
Ask Your Students Why They Use AI
Summary: An article on Inside Higher Ed explores the motivations behind students' use of AI to complete assignments, particularly in the context of community colleges. Even though the context is not graduate programs, there is applicability. It highlights cases where students employed AI due to feelings of inadequacy and past educational failures. The author notes these cases are significant among marginalized and first-generation students, suggesting a deeper issue with self-esteem and educational experiences. This points to the broader implications of educational equity and the correct implementation of AI as an ethical, supportive tool in education. Observations: Students often turn to AI out of a perceived lack of writing skill, driven by negative educational experiences and...
Mount Union Announces Three New In-Demand MBA Programs
Summary: The University of Mount Union has expanded its MBA program with three new concentrations: artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and finance. These programs address the growing demand for professionals skilled in emerging technologies, digital risk management, and complex financial environments. The AI concentration focuses on ethical AI adoption and management, while cybersecurity prepares students to tackle digital threats through proactive strategies. The finance concentration emphasizes analytical skills for career advancement to leadership roles like CFO. This initiative aligns with Mount Union’s goal of preparing forward-thinking professionals to lead across industries and complements its existing MBA offerings. Observations: Mount Union is responding to market...
Designing research methods for adult learners: Beyond the textbook
Summary: The article emphasizes a practical approach to teaching research methods for adult learners, advocating for methods that build confidence and connect theory to real-world experience. Programs should move beyond traditional textbooks, using applied activities, accessible literature reviews, hands-on research projects, and clear scaffolds to foster learner engagement and persistence. These strategies help transform abstract concepts into usable skills, equipping adult students to become active knowledge builders in their communities . Observations: Adult learners benefit from applied activities that link research concepts to their own experiences. Accessible, step-by-step strategies for literature reviews increase academic confidence. Hands-on, low-stakes research projects...
The AI Dilemma: When Innovation Outpaces Integrity
Summary: The AACSB article, "The AI Dilemma: When Innovation Outpaces Integrity," discusses the ethical challenges arising from the use of AI in educational settings. Highlighting two cases from an anonymous institution, the report illustrates how AI tools can unintentionally promote dishonesty and misunderstanding unless properly managed with ethical guidelines. The piece emphasizes the necessity of integrating ethical reasoning within AI applications to ensure that metrics enhance real learning and do not simply reflect performative measures. Observations: 1. AI tools can create ethical blind spots and foster dishonest behaviors if not carefully managed with integrity at the forefront.2. Metrics produced by AI tools, such as readiness scores or automated quizzes, may not accurately...
Is there a better way to teach business?
Summary: Business education faces a fundamental schism by universally teaching students to base decisions on rigorous data analysis, a method only valid if the future is identical to the past. Since the world of business constantly shifts, this inconsistency contributes to a continuing secular decline in MBA applications. The strategic imperative is to stop creating data technocrats and instead pivot the curriculum to focus on developing students' logic capabilities. This involves teaching the Aristotelian distinction and equipping students to imagine possibilities, then argue logically for the most compelling future path. Observations: Logical Schism in Curriculum: Business schools teach students to use data analysis appropriate only for a stable world, creating a fundamental schism...
Students Learn Best When They’re Not Handed a Map
Summary: Structured discomfort is a powerful tool for fostering meaningful learning, especially in disciplines like business, policy, and law, where ambiguity often plays a critical role in decision-making. By introducing uncertainty, encouraging reflection, confronting ethical consequences, and allowing tension to linger, educators can enhance students’ ability to reason through complex scenarios. This approach emphasizes the process of building and defending evidence-based judgments rather than finding “correct” answers. Graduate programs can benefit from adopting this model to better prepare students for navigating uncertainty, refining their reasoning, and grappling with the ethical complexities of real-world decision-making. Observations: Learning through discomfort helps students...
Using Ancient Frameworks to Navigate the AI Era
Summary: Graduate business schools can draw on ancient Greek frameworks—ontology, epistemology, and ethics—to navigate the disruptions caused by artificial intelligence (AI). By reimagining research and curriculum to address questions about reality, knowledge, and virtue, schools can help students cultivate critical skills like ethical reasoning, epistemological humility, and the ability to analyze shifting business models and AI-generated insights. Additionally, integrating governance and communication skills rooted in collective decision-making and persuasive rhetoric will prepare students for complex AI-driven organizational challenges. Simulations and debates offer practical methods to foster thoughtful deliberation and prepare leaders for managing AI’s transformative impacts on...
What our body’s response reveals about AI in the classroom
Summary: The article explores the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) tools, like chatbots, on students' learning experiences in university settings, particularly focusing on emotional and physiological responses compared to interactions with human teachers. While GenAI aids in the educational process, fostering motivation and broadening perspectives, human interaction remains irreplaceable due to its ability to evoke stronger positive emotions and ensure deeper recall from students. The study suggests a blended model that combines the emotional intelligence of teachers with the cognitive stimulation of chatbots could enhance student learning. Observations: Students engaging with human teachers exhibit stronger positive emotions than those interacting with GenAI chatbots. There's a wide...
Women’s MBA Peers Affect Their Course Choices, Career Paths, and the Gender Pay Gap
Summary: Research shows that female MBA students’ peer groups significantly influence their academic and career decisions, ultimately affecting the gender wage gap. Women assigned to peer groups with more women are more likely to choose quantitative and finance courses, pursue higher-paying careers, and experience reduced wage disparities post-MBA. This suggests that peer dynamics play a critical role in shaping long-term outcomes and that increasing the proportion of women in MBA cohorts can help close gender gaps in both education and earnings. Observations: Peer group composition impacts course selection and career choices. Female-majority peer groups encourage women to enter higher-paying fields. Gender balance in MBA cohorts has measurable effects on wage outcomes. Social influences...
10 Ways AI Is Ruining Your Students’ Writing
Summary: AI tools like ChatGPT are producing student papers with ten predictable flaws, undermining the quality of writing—and thus, critical thinking. These flaws include generating banal arguments, bloated yet empty sentences, fragmented unity due to excessive variation, and misstating causation. Furthermore, AI-generated work often displays a concerning racism problem (e.g., blaming victims), plagiarizes arguments, and contains factual errors about core subjects. The core issue is that AI predicts the next most likely, or obvious, word rather than engaging in the non-obvious analysis required for quality academic writing. Observations: AI Corrupts Core Business Communication Skills: AI writing is fundamentally flawed, yielding banal, disconnected, and factually incorrect prose, which...
Decline in reading is inhibiting learning, academics warn
Summary: Educators warn that students increasingly struggle with deep reading—opting instead for quick, surface-level consumption driven by smartphones, AI, and social media. Business faculty report that many students lack factual grounding or context, undermining critical thinking. To address this, some courses now require students to consume and discuss quality journalism, integrate current business news into curricula, and use tools like AverPoint to gamify media literacy. These efforts aim to rebuild reading habits and analytical skills essential for tomorrow’s leaders. Observations: Attention and context gaps: Students often possess fragmented facts without understanding their sources or relevance. Digital distractions hinder reading: Smartphones, social media, and AI are eroding...
This professor decided to teach his college students Fact-Checking 101 — here’s what happened
Summary: A professor at Georgia State University, responding to the surge of misinformation among students influenced by social media, integrated a Civic Online Reasoning curriculum into an American Government course. The program, which focused on teaching fact-checking skills like lateral reading and evaluating credibility, was delivered through short, asynchronous modules tied to course content. Over two semesters, 3,488 students showed an 18% improvement in identifying unreliable sources and reported increased confidence in evaluating information. This low-effort curriculum adaptation highlights how small, scalable interventions can enhance critical thinking and digital literacy, addressing a growing gap in students' ability to navigate unverified online content. Observations:...
Use of generative AI tools to support learning (University of Oxford Guidance)
Summary: Oxford’s guidance frames generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini) as learning-supports—not replacements for critical thinking, strong evidence-based argument, or subject knowledge. Students are urged to use AI tools ethically, with clear attribution, departmental approval, and critical review of outputs. The guidance offers practical advice: checking accuracy, choosing prompts carefully, understanding tool limitations, using AI to support reading, writing, note organization, and study planning—but always alongside active personal effort and discipline-specific standards. Observations: Ethical integrity and academic honesty are central: misuse of AI can count as plagiarism. Oxford expects faculty and departments to set specific rules for AI use per course or...
A Custom GPT for Executive MBA Students: A Case Study in Enhancing Learning
Summary: The Wharton School introduced a custom GPT-based chatbot, “Lecture Recall,” to enhance learning in its Executive MBA core statistics class. This tool, based on OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, allows students to query course content and review specific moments from lectures, providing targeted and dynamic academic support. Security and privacy concerns were addressed by leveraging an educational version of ChatGPT, ensuring proprietary class materials were not shared. Emphasizing a minimum viable product (MVP) approach, the project evolved iteratively to meet user needs efficiently, demonstrating the potential of AI-driven enhancements in graduate business education. Observations: Custom GPT tools can enhance learning by offering students tailored support, such as querying past lectures and...
Meredith MBA Launches New Curriculum with Community-Building Orientation
Summary: Meredith College introduced a revamped MBA curriculum on August 25, 2025, focusing on contemporary workplace demands while upholding the institution's educational integrity. The program transitioned to 1.5-credit courses over seven weeks, offering hybrid or entirely online formats for greater flexibility. A community-oriented two-night orientation fosters collaboration through discussions, skill workshops, and networking events, emphasizing leadership, innovation, and continuous learning. This holistic approach aims to cultivate a tightly-knit community among students, faculty, and alumni, ensuring adaptability and personal growth. Observations: Meredith's MBA program reflects a shift towards more dynamic, flexible learning structures responsive to the modern workplace and...
The Surprising Truth About Which College Majors Are Actually Useful at Work
Summary: Corey Moss-Pech’s research, featured in Major Trade-Offs, challenges assumptions about the usefulness of college majors. While business and engineering graduates often earn more early on, their entry-level roles frequently involve clerical tasks unrelated to their studies. Conversely, English and communications majors, though lower-paid initially, more often apply their academic learning in substantive ways. Internships—particularly “career conveyor-belt” ones in business and engineering—play a pivotal role in securing jobs but don’t always translate to meaningful work. The study underscores the trade-offs between pay, skill use, and satisfaction, while defending liberal arts as preparation for adaptable, long-term careers. Observations: ROI-focused narratives oversimplify the...