Consultant Learning TM Consultant Learning TM : A Model for Student Directed Learning --...

Consultant LearningTM

Consultant LearningTM: A Model for Student Directed Learning

-- Introduction --

Scott W. Kunkel, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Management

University of San Diego

© 2005 Scott W. Kunkel


Consultant Learning• An innovation award-winning methodology

• Empowers students and places them in control of their own learning process.

• Turns the classroom into a laboratory for the free enterprise system, using price as the allocation mechanism for grades earned.– Students are “paid” for what they do

(attendance and preparation for class, projects, etc.) and then they “pay” for what they want (credit and a grade for the course).


Consultant Learning

• Changes the grading dimension:– from quality of work performed – to quantity of excellent quality work performed.


In the Traditional Course

• All students do the same quantity of work.

• Grading based on quality:– excellent quality = “A”– mediocre quality = “B”– poor quality = “C”

• Poor quality work is accepted and the grade is reduced.


In Consultant Learning

• All accepted work is excellent quality.

• Work that is not excellent quality is redone until it is excellent quality.

• Grading is based on the quantity of excellent quality work the student performs.

• Every student produces work of which he/she can be proud.


In Consultant Learning

• Students must redo unprofessional work.

• Students compile their work in a portfolio.

• The portfolio can be used for job search.

• The students’ completed portfolios are submitted at the end of the semester.

• The amount earned determines course grade:– Turns classroom into mini-economy.– Mimics real-world consulting environment.


Theoretical Foundation --Mastery Learning

• “Mastery Learning” by Bloom (‘71, ‘81).

• Bloom said education should no longer be about “weeding out” students.

• The normal curve is a valid predictor of random events, not purposeful events.

• Learning is a purposeful event.


Theoretical Foundation --Mastery Learning

• “Mastery Learning” is a model that must be implemented across an entire curriculum.

• Consultant Learning can be implemented in a single class without changing the assessment and grading standards of an entire institution.


Theoretical Foundation -- PBL

• “Problem-Based Learning” (Bridges, ‘92) also called “Project-Based Learning” (PBL).

• Educational objectives are built into a series of assignments or projects.

• Students complete the projects that the teacher has designed.

• In order to complete the projects, the student must fulfill the course learning objectives.


Theoretical Foundation -- PBL

• The teacher provides “just-in-time” learning, acting as a resource to help the students learn what they need to know and develop the skills they need to complete the projects.

• PBL “fits exceptionally well in multi- disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning and teaching styles” (Glasgow, ‘97).


Theoretical Foundation

• Consultant Learning structures a course as a “Project-Based” course, but allows students to choose and even design projects that are most closely aligned with their career aspirations and personal interests.

• Consultant Learning creates a strong structure in which students can feel safe to experiment while also providing maximum flexibility for student choice.


Theoretical Foundation

• Consultant Learning allows the teacher to control the content of what the student learns while allowing the student to control the context within which that learning takes place.


The Consultant Learning Process

• Students design projects based on their own interests.

• For each project, the student must submit a proposal explaining what they wish to do.

• They assign a consulting fee to each project using the Suggested Projects booklet.

• If the proposal and the fee are approved, the student is authorized to do the project.


The Proposal – 9 Items

1. Type of project

2. Topic

3. Rationale

4. Info Gathering

5. Deliverables

6. Perspective and

Audience

7. Consulting Hours

8. Consulting Fee

9. Due Date


The Project

• When the project is submitted, it is either approved or returned to be redone.

• If project is returned, the student must rewrite the project and resubmit it.

• This process continues until the project is judged to be of “professional quality” and, therefore, acceptable.


The Project

• When the project is accepted, the agreed-upon fee is marked Paid (for example, “PAID $2,000”) and it is given back to the student.

• There are no partial fees -- the project is either professional quality or it is not -- it is either paid or returned to be rewritten and resubmitted.


The Project

• When a project is paid, it is returned to the student.

• I keep no records, putting all the responsibility on the student to keep the records and I audit their records at the end of the semester.

• Some of the high school teachers have found that keeping some information themselves helps them.

• When paid projects are returned to the students, they put the paid projects in their portfolios.


Pay for In-Class Work

• Students are also paid for attending class.– A fee schedule is in the Student Guide to CL.

• “Call-on-Me” list pays students for being prepared to discuss the readings.– Signing “Call-on-Me” means they are prepared and

I can call on them without them raising their hand.– “Call on Me” list pays the student a fee for each

class they sign it.


The Portfolio

• Near semester end, the student puts two accounting sheets on top of the projects in the portfolio showing the total of fees they have earned and what grade they have earned.

• They submit the portfolio to me.

• I “audit” the portfolio to make sure that the accounting sheets are accurate.

• I assign the grade based on how much the student has earned during the semester.


Name: John Student Course: BUS 102W.01

In-Class Consulting Fees Earned

Tuesday Thursday

Week Attended Call on me Attended Call on me

0 9/5

1 9/10 9/12

2 9/17 9/19

///// ////////// ////////// //////////

12 11/26 11/28

13 12/3 12/5

14 12/10 12/14

Col. Totals 12 8 13 8

Totals Classes Attended # 25 $ 4,700

Total Call-On-Me Lists # 16 $ 3,200

Total In-Class Fees Earned $ 7,900


Name: John Student Course: GBA 537.01

Project Consulting Fees Earned

SubmittedWeek Date Description of Project

Cr/(Dr)

CumulativeBalance

3 9/24 Current Event $800 $800

4 10/3 Book Report $2,500 $3,300

///// ///// ////////// ////////// //////////

9 11/7 Bus. History $3,000 $17,500

10 11/14 Attend Prof. Meeting $2,000 $19,500

Total Projects Consulting Fees $19,500

Total brought forward from my “In-Class Consulting Fees Earned”sheet

$7,900

TOTAL CONSULTING FEES EARNED $27,400

GRADE EARNED FOR THE COURSE B+


High School Grading Scale

• Grades are assigned on the following scale:– $30,000 = A $20,000 = C +– $28,000 = A - $18,000 = C– $26,000 = B + $16,000 = C -– $24,000 = B Less than $16,000 = F– $22,000 = B -


Important Skills Students Learn• Defining a question in researchable terms

• Identifying information sources

• Collecting information

• Organizing information into a readable, professional quality report

• Writing a report that will be useful to others

• Taking responsibility for their own work

• Producing excellent quality work

• Meeting deadlines


Important Skills Students Learn:Process Skills

• A CEO guest lecturer in my class described the most common reason for firing employees as “the lack of process skills.”

• Process Skills are used to manage the expectations of others (bosses, clients, coworkers).



• Process Skills include:– Tell the client (or boss) what you will do– Do it (keeping the client informed as you do)– Track it (so you know what you’ve accomplished)– Tell the client what you did



• Consultant Learning develops Process Skills:– Students submit proposals that tell the client what

they will do and describes deliverables clearly– Students must keep the teacher (client) informed

on meeting due dates– Students track their own progress on the

accounting sheets– Students submit completed portfolios of what

they accomplished at the end of the term that are used for evaluation


Examples of Student Projects• Reviewed franchises then bought MBE (he

now owns 3 UPS Stores).

• Proposal to start an R & R band’s fan club, and they hired him.

• Proposal to manage a country band, and they hired him.

• “SnoAds,” ecologically sensitive advertising in the snow at ski resorts.

• Proposal for family to expand family farm.

• Surfing theme-park.


Will it Work in High School?

• “Beta tested” by 11 San Diego high school teachers 2004-2005.– Classes include English, Spanish, Web Design,

BACA, Cooking & Nutrition, Sewing & Design, etc. – a broad spectrum of classes

• Teachers report resounding success, no increase in their workload, more enthusiastic and motivated students

• Students report enthusiasm for method


Pros• Student centered -- highly motivating to students• Uses money/economics concepts to motivate

behavior -- it’s “real world”• Teaches important “real world” Process Skills• Students learn to write by rewriting• Course design is extremely flexible• Motivates students to work for high grades• Motivates students to strive for excellent quality in

everything they do– “Good enough almost never is.” Built to Last– “If everyone settled for good enough, would anything

really be good enough?” Chrysler commercial


Student Reactions

• Students generally love Consultant Learning, particularly the best, most creative students, and students who are usually bored with school. It is motivating and interesting.

• They can see the relevance to their lives of what they are learning because they choose the context of the learning, even though the instructor chooses the concepts to be mastered.


Student Reactions

• Two complaints from student are:– The Consultant Learning approach places too

much responsibility on students.– Allowing students to set their own deadlines

makes it too easy to procrastinate.

• Aren’t responsibility and time management skills we want our students to learn?


Where to Find Information and Materials on My Website

• <www.ConsultantLearning.com>:– Syllabi for 3 courses I teach

– Undergraduate Student Guide to Consultant Learning

– Graduate Student Guide to Consultant Learning

– Suggested Projects for 3 courses

– 80/20 Style Guide for Professional Quality Business Writing

– Shows all the materials modified for high schools

– Is gradually including materials from all the high school teachers


Consultant Learning -- Summary

• Empowers students and places them in control of their own learning process.

• Turns the classroom into a laboratory for the free enterprise system, using price as the allocation mechanism for grades earned.

• Changes the grading dimension:– from quality of work performed – to quantity of excellent quality work performed.


Examples of Family Bus. Projects

• Family Business History ($3,000)

• Business Family Genogram ($2,000)

• Resume and Cover Letter Project ($1,000)

• Book Executive Summary Project ($1,000-$2,500)

• Case Analysis ($400 - $1,000)

• Current Events Analysis ($200 - $800)

• “Presentational” Speech ($400 - $1,000)

• Interview the Owner or Junior Member of a Family Business ($2,000 - $3,000)

• Attend a Meeting of a Professional Organization ($2,000)

• Student Designed Project (Up to $5,000)


Examples of Small Bus. Projects• The Business Disc computer simulation ($4,000)• A Major Team Small Business Analysis (Up to $10,000)

– (a group of related projects)

• Book Executive Summary Project ($1,000-$2,500) • Resume and Cover Letter Project ($1,000)• Case Summary ($400-$1,000)• Current Events Analysis ($400-$800)• Presentational Speech ($400-$1,000)• Interview of a Small Business Owner ($2,000-$3,000)• Attend a Meeting of a Professional Organization ($2,000)• Student Designed Project (Up to $5,000)


Examples of Entrep’ship Projects• New Venture Feasibility Analysis ($2,000)

• New Venture PowerPoint Presentation (up to $10,000)



• Case Analysis Project ($500-$1,000)

• Current Event Analysis Project ($500)

• Presentational Speech Project ($500)

• Interviewing an Entrepreneur ($2,000)

• Interviewing a Service Professional ($2,000)

• Entrepreneurial Key Contact File ($1,000-$2,000)

• Attend a Meeting of a Professional Organization ($2,000)



Examples of Strategic Mgmt. Projects• Team Computer Simulation ($6,000 + oral report fees)

• Major Company Strategic Analysis (up to $10,000)

• Business History ($3,000)



• Case Analysis Project ($400-$1,000)

• Current Event Analysis Project ($200-$800)

• Presentational Speech Project ($400-$1000)

• Interviewing an Owner/Executive ($2,000-$3,000)

• Attendance at a Professional Meeting ($2,000)


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