One of the hardest things about teaching is getting out of the way so the student can take control of the learning process. While this may seem to run counter current to the traditional role of the instructor, I have found it to be a very liberating and rewarding experience both for myself and for my students. This approach has been most effective in French 4335 a course entitled Business French which is required for International Business Majors in French.

The concept is very simple. From the very first day of class, students are randomly assigned into groups which in turn are charged with the task of creating a business. The group must select officers and decide on a product or service. Each group then founds a company giving it a name, designing a logo, developing a philosophy, and designing a blog to present the selected product or service.

Each company is given a stock symbol and their stock increases or decreases based on the averages of their test scores, homework assignments, quizzes, etc. The group members are dependent on each other to ensure their stock continually increases. At the end of the semester, the company with the highest stock value is exempt from the final exam.

In addition to the blog, the students must create a brochure, letterhead, develop a publicity campaign, create a PowerPoint presentation and conduct a 30-minute presentation of their company. This is done in French, in full business attire, and in a boardroom setting. The students are graded on the quality of their work and the effectiveness of their presentations.

This has worked very well for the past three courses and I anticipate it will continue to do well as we grow and change the course. If you would like to see the work from last spring, please visit our site at www.busifren.wordpress.com. Be sure and click on the links under “Les Sociétés.” These are the links to the students’ blogs so you can see their work. Please visit the entire site for each “Scoiété” so you can see how much work was involved and how well the research and presentations were done. The blog will be unlocked until March 31, 2010.