Building momentum for business school curriculum change: Measurable lessons from a pilot course in real business experience

Curriculum change requires thoughtful planning and a willingness to experiment with different modes of content delivery. While many business schools are experimenting, few measure student outcomes against the traditional courses they replace. One element of Butler University's College of Business Administration curriculum revision was a pilot course, "Real Business Experience ", in which students developed a professional business plan, sought and received funding from a professional level funding panel, and ran their businesses. To determine whether the pilot course was successful in reaching its goal of "teaching students about the messiness of business and developing more adaptable and confident business leaders" assessment instruments were used to identify student development in both the pilot and traditional courses. The analysis presented in this article suggests that the pilot course utilizing the constructivist approach was successful in achieving its goal, but not always in the ways expected.