Piloting a Portfolio of Experiential Learning Activities for International Business Students

ABSTRACT The paper reflects on the practice of implementing a portfolio of experiential learning activities in workshops involving undergraduate students in an international business management module. The aim of the workshops was to bridge the gap between theory and practice and steer students toward an inductive and collaborative learning experience. The paper presents a series of nine activity-based workshops designed to reinforce theoretical concepts taught during lectures. Based on qualitative data from the module evaluation questionnaire, we found that the workshops significantly improved students’ learning experience, as well as enhanced their engagement with the module. This paper provides practitioners with practical materials and insights which can be immediately applied to teaching international business in a classroom environment. Moreover, by implementing a portfolio of experiential learning activities that provides a wide range of opportunities for students to experience first-hand real-world challenges, this approach is expected to aid their learning process at a crucial point of their academic careers.