London MBA Flips the GMAT Classroom by: Jeff Schmitt on September 13, 2013 | 2,069 Views September 13, 2013 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit London B-School MBA Aims To Flip The GMAT Classroom We’ve all heard the term, “Flipping the classroom.” In this model, professors deliver online lectures and assignments before class. That way, classroom time can be devoted to discussion, hands-on learning, group projects, and remediation. By exposing students to concepts early, professors can use class time to zero in on where students need help. With professors acting as guides, students benefit by receiving greater personal attention and becoming more active participants in their learning. Martin Smith, a London School of Business graduate who scored a 780 on his GMAT, is applying this model to preparing students for the GMAT. He has founded Upskill GMAT, a test preparation company that focuses on bridging the gap between understanding content and applying it to answering GMAT questions. During his tenure as a tutor for GMAT Pro 121, Smith watched students spend their time absorbing concepts for up to $200 an hour. When they took the GMAT, they struggled with higher level reasoning skills needed to answer the questions. According to Smith, “There’s a big gap on the GMAT between knowing the concepts and being able to answer the questions.” As a result, Smith developed an approach where students would learn concepts online, using their time with the tutor to better understand test-taking techniques, reasoning skills, and addressing specific content questions. Smith views this approach as both effective teaching and the best use of time. Smith notes that, “If you are going to pay someone with a 780 GMAT at the hourly rate they charge, would you rather be paying them to show you ninth grade Mathematics, or to show you how to actually master the questions with all their kinks and traps?” He adds that his program offers this unique benefit: “A smart program starts you at your own level, shows you the content as many times as necessary until you really get it so that you can do it without thinking, works out what is stopping you progressing, and identifies problem areas for which you really need expert help.” Although Smith’s website doesn’t cite prices or share success stories, his method shows promise. To learn more about his course, click on this link: Upskill GMAT Source: Business Because Starting a Company? Skip B-School Think two years is too long to sock into business school? And would a six figure tuition dry up your seed money? Well, you might be in luck. This week, The Wall Street Journal reported on the emergence of schools like General Assembly, Startup Institute and Starter School. Designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, these programs provide courses on various aspects of launching a business, such as financial operations, coding, and pitching investors. Best of all, these schools can teach these skills in three to nine months Prices vary, with General Assembly starting at ten weeks at $3,900 and Starter School offering a nine month program for $33,000. Although the programs aren’t accredited, they are drawing students. Over 65,000 students have taken General Assembly courses since 2011 – and Startup Institute is adding sites in New York City and Chicago this year. So do these schools represent a threat to existing business schools? Not so much. Ankur Kumar, MBA Admissions Director at The Wharton School, notes that such programs “generally attract a different audience.” She adds that Wharton recently had General Assembly speak to students about entrepreneurship. But Kumar is quick to remind students that the Wharton brand is more attractive to potential investors. And employers are taking note of these schools too. The ever-selective McKinsey and Company has already hired one General Assembly graduate this year. And Jules Pieri, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Harvard Business School, admits that she hired a half dozen graduates of Startup Institute for an online store she launched. And Startup Institute has placed graduates in well-known companies like Bluefin Labs and EdX. In the end, would aspiring entrepreneurs be better off choosing a Starter School or a Harvard? Noah Wasserman, who teaches entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, sides with the former: “The name of the place you went, or that you even went to a place, is just about irrelevant.” However, Janet Strimaitis, executive director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson, echoes the long-term view, emphasizing that an MBA teaches everything students need to run a company, not just start one. It looks like the MBA is here to stay. Source: The Wall Street Journal Continue ReadingPage 1 of 4 1 2 3 4