The work’s objectives

The work aims to present an innovative model of learning that has been applied in two consecutive years, 2007 and 2008. The model represents a complex combination of modern methods of teaching and learning (simulation, role play, creative groups for problem solving, learning through virtual interaction). The final result is the reconstruction of an environment close to the real environment, and learning in a motivating and meaningful context.The work presents: the model’s first format and intention, the applied methodology, the reactions of the participants, the uncontrolled variables that appeared, the results and the limits of the experiment, and elements to be studied in the future.

The objectives of the experiment

The experiment „Intelligent Communication” began in 2007 as a response to the needs of first year’ students. At the course „Introduction in the theory of organizations” the students accused the lack of experience (most of them had never been employed before attending university) and considered the theories as being too abstract, asking permanently for examples. Even with examples and using role play and simulations, the means were ineffective to motivate the students. First version referred to a unified perspective on course simulations. Later appeared the idea of building a hypothetical organization with dimensions and rules of functioning close of the real organizations.

The development of the experiment

The hypothetical organization had been built as a PR agency (named „Intelligent Communication”) and had functioned on the duration of a course (from 19 February to 31 May). The size of the organization was 72 members in 2007, 93 members in 2008. The "employment" has been voluntary, through mail inscription. The antreprenorial structure was the same with the structure of a real organization: a number of departments (12 in 2007, 14 in 2008) each department with 3-8 work positions. Each department had his own task, with a medium level of difficulty, and all members should cooperate for the solving of the tasks. The „employees” had face to face interaction and virtual interaction (the working groups could choose the way and the frequency if interactions). Simultaneously, the course simulations (one theme every week) presented aspects from the life of the hypothetical organization (the weekly aspects were tied in fact with the theme of the current course ).

Integrated methods of teaching

- Building of groups for problem solving. The tasks were solved through own resources of information (the coordinators of the project assured orientation when asked). However, members indicated the interaction in the groups as being a useful experience.
- Virtual communication: the members where not friends or in the same group before the experiment, so it was necessary to find best ways of additional communication. In 2007 it was founded a Yahoo group as main path of communication (for transmission of tasks and of course simulations’ informations) . In 2008 there were created a blog and a separate topic in the students’ forum (with a better quality and efficiency of communication).
-Survey for feedback : it was realised a survey for identifying the satisfaction of the students and the efficiency of the methods used in the experiment.
-The teaching simulations at the courses were recorded and commented in two stages: without the video material and with the video material.