Using Contests to Provide Business Students Project‐Based Learning in Humanitarian Logistics: PSAid Example

Abstract

Business students appreciate working on classroom projects that are pleasurable and also prepare them for future careers. Promoting competition among project teams is often used as a method to motivate students. We have developed the "Humanitarian Logistics Project (HLP)" to teach undergraduate students the logistical implications of unsolicited material donations in disaster relief. To encourage competition, students are organized into teams of three and tasked with designing humanitarian public service announcements (PSAs) that improve the understanding of humanitarian issues in the general public. These announcements are then submitted to the national PSAid (Public Service Announcements for International Disasters) contest for American college students. This exercise is rigorous because it requires students to collect logistical data and use it to communicate the smart compassion idea with to the public in a creative fashion. At the end of the semester, not only do they learn some topics in humanitarian logistics by 2 competing with other college students nation-wide but also make a socially responsible contribution to the public. Analysis of the test results shows that students' learning outcomes and comprehension levels of the project topic "humanitarian logistics" is significantly above other operations and supply chain topics covered throughout the semester in class and student satisfaction with the HLP is quite high.

Project-based learning (PBL): outcomes of students’ engagement in an external consultancy project in Oman

“…Among additional benefits of PBL are enhanced engagements that stimulate curiosity and discovery, followed by motivation (Chu et al , 2012), and advancement in perceptions of skills, the utility value of participation, and career aspirations (Beier et al , 2019). PBL, as a multidisciplinary approach, is suitable to apply in STEM, Humanities, Business and other disciplines (Siegel, 2000; Zhao and Zheng, 2014; Özpolat et al , 2014; Duke et al , 2016; Smith and Gibson, 2016; Young and Legister, 2018).…”

Op‐Ed Writing Assignment in Supply Chain Management Courses

“…Bringing the active learning pedagogy into the social responsibility domain, Özpolat, Chen, Hales, Yu, and Yalcin (2014) required students to design public service announcements in support of USAID's smart compassion campaign to address unsolicited material donations. Wentzel (1991), upon reviewing the literature on social responsibility and academic achievement, argues that “ student social responsibility is not only a valued outcome in and of itself, but that it can be instrumental in the acquisition of knowledge and development of cognitive abilities ” (p. 16).…”

The Efficacy of Consulting Practicum in Enhancing Students’ Readiness for Professional Career in Management Information Systems: An Empirical Analysis

“…Simulation is also used in business education to mimic real‐life scenarios on the job, such as the development of a proposal and plan for a hypothetical new business (Jennings, ). Other commonly used pedagogies include internships (Callanan, & Benzing, ; Taylor, ) capstone (Payne, Flynn, & Whitfield, ) and project‐based (Özpolat, Chen, Hales, Yu, & Yalcin, ) courses, and the problem‐solving approach commonly used to enhance management learning and information systems education (Brookshire & Palocsay, ).…”

“…Completing projects in groups is a common occurrence in higher education (Bourner, Hughes, & Bourner, ) and a norm in MIS education. Providing opportunities for students to complete projects in groups is a good way for them to build interpersonal skills, and skills in team playing and leadership (Özpolat et al., ). Teamwork motivates and stimulates learning across disciplines.…”