Abstract:

The experience of delivering remotely MBA management consulting projects sponsored by major corporations is described, as it evolved during the pandemic in Spring 2020, and continued for over a year into Spring 2021. The traditional experiential learning approach, involving student teams working in-person (both in class and with company personnel), was severely disrupted and had to drastically change to an online experience.
Results show that the pivot to this mode was largely successful, based on positive feedback from all stakeholders (students, company personnel, school administrators, and faculty). Limitations included team difficulties coordinating project tasks effectively and missing out on developing stronger ties with their colleagues and with the companies.
As conditions evolve, such experiential learning courses will need to adapt accordingly, using technology and new ways of managing individual and team tasks. It is also expected, that these experiences will possibly generate hybrid approaches to learning, involving combinations of in-person and online elements, that will result in even better models of teaching and learning.