Modern education has so many aspects entailed in it– lecture, theory, research, homework, tests, quizzes, and much more. Arguably though, the most important aspect of education is practical application –finding ways to put the knowledge gained into action. That is just what the students in Dr. Helena Hannonen’s Business Management 310 class are experiencing: the chance to use the skills learned in the course outside the classroom.
Coupling with the BYU–Hawaii Student Association or BYUHSA, students in Hannonen’s Leadership and Management class are preparing training modules to be presented to both class members and other interested students. BYUHSA has long sought ways to train and empower students outside of their organization with leadership skills, but due to the many responsibilities already faced by their officers, this goal has never come to fruition. Even so, the need still exists to teach students leadership skills to be used in all walks of life – outside the normal scope of classroom theory.
Enter Dr. Hannonen’s class. Students learn ethics, communication, human resource theory and law, public relations, and most importantly, how to be an effective manager and leader. They separate themselves into groups of up to four students and are given flexibility in deciding, researching, and presenting a topic.
The presentations are meant to be more than simple PowerPoint lectures; rather in the words of Dr. Hannonen, “they have to tell, show, and do in each presentation to encourage the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities.” Students who attend the trainings can expect to be more than just taught; they will also feel a connection to the subjects as they will be asked to move beyond passive listening to participation.
While those in attendance will be instructed and enlightened, it could be said that the student presenters benefit the most. They will learn to apply the subject matter to an audience of their peers, and train them in such a way as to improve their leadership capabilities.
Schedule of Trainings:
March 30, 2011: 11:00-12:00 Noon ACR 155-165
Time Management
Intra- and Intercultural Unification
12:10-12:40 p.m. Effective Presentations
April 1, 2011: 11:00-12:00 Noon McKay 177 Decision Making
12:10-1:10 p.m.
Positive Communication
April 4, 2011: 12:10-1:10 p.m. McKay 177 Technical Innovation
Technical Collaboration
April 6, 2011: 11:00-12:00 Noon ACR 155-165 Ethics - Vital to Success
Proper Etiquette and Techniques for Team