Intro 2 Biz: An Introduction to Business and Life Ideas Workbook

Many of us would agree that there is an opportunity to improve the traditional college textbook. As a professor, I have observed that we often ask students to pay too much for a book they aren’t interested in reading. Instead of continuing to criticize these long, boring, $100-$200 books that come with tons of extra bells and whistles (that students don’t use!), I decided to attempt to do something about this experience.

Intro 2 Biz is an important class to reach students. This is a “sampler platter” for students to help them decide on what they may want to major in. A brief, to-the-point, inexpensive book that intends to prepare students for the next class meeting, and uses a blog URL for current topics to supplement the text just made sense to me as an instructor. The pages are perforated so instructors can make the short chapter readings mandatory, with short assignments that students can be requested to tear out and submit as they walk into the next class. This serves as a reward to students for being ready with the material. This is my attempt to fix the problem that many teachers face in deciding how they can get students to read a textbook. The book also has an emphasis on the students’ resume and career. This is done to keep students interested in the material. If a class can demonstrate how the material benefits the individual student, I think we have a better chance of being a class that they care about, more than just credits and GPA.

The Wordle visual provides instructors and students with key terms for each chapter. More importantly, in an era where colleges are demanding that all classes undergo assessment activities, I have included a sample Learning Objectives page for each chapter to assist you in staying focused on outcomes we are measuring.

I think you will find that this is a workbook, not a textbook. The format used encourages students to take notes on the blank pages provided and be part of the class material. Active and collaborative learning makes for engaged students who contribute to excellent class discussions. Fun and learning are not mutually exclusive topics. I find that without fun, students won’t be engaged—if they don’t care, they won’t learn. I hope you give this style of workbook a try in your introduction to business class.