Professional Decision Modeling: Details of a Short MBA Practice Course

Drawing on the scholarship of writing and learning, this article motivates the use of writing assignments in analytics courses and develops a framework for instructional design that advances both writing skills and discipline-specific learning. We translate a best practices set of foundational writing concepts into a matrix of design levers for analytics instructors and propose an instructional design process that balances discipline-specific learning goals with foundational writing concepts through specific writing activities. We summarize our experience applying the framework to a particular data science course and present some early evidence for favorable outcomes. The positive effect we observe extends beyond learning course concepts and includes increased student engagement and contributions to group work.

Section: Writing In Discipline-specific Coursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Writing to Learn: A Framework for Structuring Writing Assignments to Support Analytics Course Learning Goals

Getchell

Pachamanova

2022

“…However, such statements are not effective in managerial presentations. Regan (2005) relates the blunt reaction of a senior executive to similar comments in a student presentation: "No one wants to hear how hard you have worked; that is taken for granted and is the reason professionals are well compensated. What decision makers want to hear is what they should do and why.…”

Section: Examples From Presentationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We are not alone in noticing this. Regan (2005), writing a paper regarding an MBA elective course on professional decision modeling, notes the students' tendencies to create narrative presentations and prefers managerial presentations:…”

Section: The Problem: Narrative Presentations Instead Of Managerial Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managerial Communication of Analytical Work

Grossman

Norback

Hardin

et al. 2008

W hen business and management science students graduate and have a job, they give many managerial communications about analytical work, but typically they are not taught how to give presentations in their undergraduate courses. We describe the characteristics of the "managerial presentation" and contrast them with characteristics of the "narrative presentation" that is given to technical peers and focuses on process. We then use the business analysis lifecycle to describe and contrast the real world and the model world. Implications for instruction build upon empirical data gathered at Georgia Tech for the presentation skills identified through interviews with engineers, managers, and senior executives in the workforce. We conclude by reviewing processes already used effectively for teaching the relevant presentation skills at Georgia Tech.

“…Somewhere in the process of creating the spreadsheet, users realize something they didn't know before, recognize an insight that previously eluded them, articulate key issues to colleagues, reconceptualize their problem or even figure out how to solve it." Regan (2005Regan ( ,2006discusses a decision modeling elective at a top-ranked business school where "Spreadsheet modeling of a business situation is central to the course. I want to expand the students' spreadsheet modeling tool kit and develop their ability to build models in a decision context that changes over time."…”

Section: Spreadsheets Are Advantageous For Modeling and Model Represementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The key is for each instructor to recognize that 1) there is a hierarchy of abilities, 2) Excel learning is part of a larger intellectual framework of spreadsheet engineering (Grossman, Özlük, 2004), not mere "Excel tips and tricks", and 3) they must carefully identify the Skills, Capabilities and Practices that will benefit their students in their course at their school. Hardin and Ellington (2005), Regan (2005), Powell and Baker (2004), Grinde and Kammermeyer (2003), Albright, Winston and Zappe (2001), and Bell (2000) provide useful ideas and guidance.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating Spreadsheet Engineering in a Management Science Course: A Hierarchical Approach

Grossman

2006

Business students who rely on spreadsheets can use management science only to the extent that they can build a spreadsheet model of an unstructured business situation. Spreadsheets are the primary vehicle for analytical work in business, are advantageous for modeling and model representation, and are used by management science practitioners as well as end-user modelers. There is a common misperception that spreadsheets are somehow "easy" to use. However, the spreadsheet is a powerful rapid development computer programming language that requires software engineering for serious work. People struggle to efficiently build effective, transferable spreadsheet models. Students need certain spreadsheet engineering principles that they do not know, but value highly when they learn them. Spreadsheet engineering can be taught using a hierarchical "Skills, Capabilities and Practices Model." Low-level "Skills" need to be evaluated and fixed early in a spreadsheetoriented management science course. High-level "Capabilities" and "Practices" should be integrated throughout the course. Embracing spreadsheet engineering provides a magnificent opportunity for management science instructors to increase relevance and student satisfaction while increasing the likelihood of management science application by our graduates.