Global Faculty Insights on Active Learning via Live Case Projects

Abstract

Active learning via Live Case Projects prepares business students for successful professional careers. In the age of AI, active learning has a new and critical role, as through direct engagement with real-world challenges presented by experienced managers, students learn to frame problems, develop hypotheses, propose data-driven solutions, and develop strategic mindset skills crucial for navigating an AI-driven business environment. This study focused on the Live Case Project (LCP) teaching strategy for business students. We defined an LCP as a project-type academic course or element of a course in which students were introduced to a current real-life business challenge presented to them by a company’s manager(s). While there are opportunities to embed LCPs in the university and business school curricula, failure to comprehend their benefits by faculty and administrators, combined with the perception of excessive workload, often results in its non-implementation. This study examines global faculty perspectives on LCPs, highlighting the implementation challenges. The results indicated that the primary motivation for using LCP was its efficacy as a teaching strategy. This was followed by school’s requirements, which often included a strategic focus on immersive learning. We found that faculty observed a significant improvement in their students’ knowledge and skills as a result of including LCPs in their curriculum. The paper contributes to the existing literature by compiling faculty experiences in implementing LCPs globally, highlighting commonalities and differences across various countries, and providing recommendations on implementing live case projects.