Abstract

In this study, we share a classroom-based project that will be referred to as “the Talk about the system.” The “system” is a loose term used to signify the combination of economic, political, and social composites where our decisions take place. Our business students will be future business decision makers. Therefore, it is important that their assessment of the economic situation be as objective as possible. If unduly pessimistic, they will pass up on projects that could have created jobs for others; if too optimistic, they may waste resources that could have been used more efficiently in other ways. Further, subjective feelings and appreciation of the system are also important, as they indicate a personal reflection that arises when thinking about how we do in life: “Is it me, or the system?” The mechanics of the exercise are very straightforward and were inspired by investment analysis exercises where students must handle overwhelming amounts of information. Five areas are targeted: the economic-political system, the government’s role, the individual’s responsibility, culture and religion, and “the world we create” –fiction, as in movies and literature. A few items (books, readings) are assigned to groups of three-four students each, at least one for each of the areas. Each group produces a 2-3 page write-up that is collated. The final requirement is an individual reflection (3-4 pages) on the collated group materials. This exercise has been successfully carried out several times already. Both the students and the instructor found that the goals set were achieved.

摘要

在这项研究中，我们分享了一个基于课堂的项目，该项目将被称为“关于系统的讨论”。“系统”是一个松散的术语，用于表示我们做出决策的经济、政治和社会复合体的组合。我们的商科学生将成为未来的商业决策者。因此，重要的是他们对经济形势的评估尽可能客观。如果过于悲观，他们就会放弃本可以为他人创造就业机会的项目；如果过于乐观，他们可能会浪费本可以以其他方式更有效地使用的资源。此外，对系统的主观感受和欣赏也很重要，因为它们表明在思考我们的生活时会产生一种个人反思：“是我吗？还是系统？” 练习的机制非常简单，并受到投资分析练习的启发，学生必须处理大量信息。五个领域的目标是：经济政治体制、政府的作用、个人的责任、文化和宗教，以及“我们创造的世界”——小说，如电影和文学。一些项目（书籍、阅读材料）被分配给每组三到四名学生，每个领域至少有一个。每组制作一份 2-3 页的文章，并进行整理。最后的要求是对整理后的小组材料进行个人反思（3-4 页）。这项演习已经成功进行了多次。学生和教师都发现设定的目标已经实现。