Our submission for consideration for the Strickler Award relates primarily to three broad categories of insurance-classroom innovation. The first is pedagogical in its orientation, the second focuses on curricular structure, i.e. the framework employed to motivation an enhanced learning experience, and last is our synthesis of pedagogical theory and classroom structure in creating the program we refer to as the Challenge.

The pedagogical philosophy espoused in this submission adheres to the principles of deductive and experiential learning. Deductive learning (also sometimes referred to as Discovery or Constructivist Learning) asks the student to deduce meaning and structure from an experience; to create order and understanding based on deduction. This approach stands in contrast to the more traditional approach of inductive learning where an instructor provides the initial framework and asks the students to understand and apply that information. Less-direct instructional techniques work best for refining and discovering new applications for known skills and learning higher level knowledge, as is the case with our application of the pedagogy. Additionally, requiring the student to actually interact, e.g. apply, with otherwise abstract concepts also facilitates learning at higher levels (see Bloom’s Taxonomy). Further discussion on Learning Theories can be found on the Internet.

The structure we impose on the classroom experience contributes powerfully to the learning experience. We require the formation of teams and ask them to engage in friendly competition. These dynamics accomplish multiple goals for us in terms of establishing the an immediate relevance of content matter (the teams rely on understanding the content to better manage their risky environment) and motivating the students to engage with the process intellectually. We have found that the overlying competitive structure of the game heightens the energy level of the students and gives them an immediate purpose for engaging with the content. Additionally, the team structure demands interaction and discussion among the students in arriving at management decisions. Both elements contribute to the depth of understanding associated with experiential learning activities.

Our synthesis of pedagogy and course structure in the Challenge has been enhanced by our marketing of the experience. The parallels with the business world, product branding, the ability to introduce the students to the desired content in a fun and multi-dimensional environment, etc., all contribute to a unique and memorable experience for the participants. We have marshaled the numerous resources available to us in our university setting to create a learning experience unlike most any other experience our participants have ever had.