Wharton Introduces Three New Learning Simulations in Management, Economics and Operations; Now Totaling 23, Offerings Further Wharton Commitment to Using Technology to Transform Teaching, Learning and Research

Business Wire, Sept 15, 2005

PHILADELPHIA -- With the launch of three new simulations in management, economics and operations and information management, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is engaging students with real-world exercises that provide hands-on experience in macroeconomic policy development, salary allocation and production line optimization.

The fall 2005 launch of these new offerings brings to 23 the total of simulations developed and deployed by the Learning Lab, which was founded in 2001 through a $10 million gift from alumnus Alfred West Jr.

"These new simulations enhance professor-student interaction in the classroom and allow students to see the results of their actions in real time," said Deirdre Woods, chief information officer and associate dean at the Wharton School.

Students have indicated that computer-based tools are more effective than both case-based and lecture-based classes in enhancing attention and engagement, retaining material and promoting team collaboration. In a survey conducted last spring, 87% of Wharton students said computer-based tools enhance learning in class, and 77% are either very satisfied or satisfied with the computer-based tools used throughout Wharton's curriculum.

A total of 28 faculty authors have developed new learning tools that have been used by more than 5000 Wharton students since 2001.

Three New Offerings

RAISE (Raise Allocation Interactive Salary Exercise), used by students in Wharton's Undergraduate Management 101 class, was developed under the faculty leadership of Professor Lori Rosenkopf. With RAISE students focus on allocating a salary raise pool among seven employees. The simulation gives students hands-on experience in the role of corporate managers who must allocate limited resources. Within the simulation, students make decisions about which employees will receive a raise based on quantitative and qualitative performance measures as well as a host of demographic characteristics and other idiosyncratic information for each employee.

"Before RAISE, we needed several Teaching Assistants to run the exercise manually and were not able to provide the same level of hands-on interaction for each student," said Professor Rosenkopf. "The simulation automates many of the calculations and provides scenario parameters that can vary by group. It also introduces additional prompts to individuals based on their initial responses to the scenarios."

Wharton's PLANT (Production Line ANalyzation Tool) simulation is used by students in Operations and Information Management courses and was developed with Professor Anita Tucker.

In PLANT students work through four modules to progressively improve production performance. The first module represents the "traditional" manufacturing process with large batch sizes and an assembly line layout. The second module introduces standardized work and improves the plant layout. The third module reduces batch sizes through quicker changeovers. Finally, the fourth module introduces Kanban cards to "pull" production through the plant.

"PLANT is a dynamic learning tool where students experience the financial impact of changes they might make to their production system," said Professor Tucker.

The third new simulation is a Macroeconomic Policy Simulation and was developed under the faculty leadership of Professor Andy Abel. The simulation demonstrates the challenges of making macroeconomic policy in a world where fiscal and monetary policymakers with different objectives have control over various policy tools. This policymaking exercise requires a macroeconomic model to calculate output, inflation, and the surplus/deficit, among other variables.

"All three of these innovative, new simulations are designed to enhance the classroom experience and stimulate professor-student interaction," said Woods. "Learning Lab simulations are pervasive throughout the Wharton curriculum, and are transforming the way concepts are taught and information is learned."

The Wharton School is recognized around the world for its leadership and broad academic strengths across every major discipline and at every level of management education. Founded in 1881 as the nation's first collegiate business school, Wharton has approximately 4,600 undergraduates, MBA, and doctoral students, more than 8,000 participants in its executive education programs annually, and an alumni network of more than 80,000 worldwide.