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For instance, schools could develop "exit exercises," in which every student, either singly or as part of a team, would be required to produce three videotaped presenta- tions in order to graduate. One might focus on manage- ment/HR, one on finance/economics, and one on produc- tion/supply chain management. Each presentation would propose a course of action, advocate a position, or simply report the results of research. mend solutions or just describe the situation, whether to use a formal or a chatty style—or, in general, just what the purpose of the paper is. But suppose the assignment is to "Write the article on Finland for the new edition of the Yearbook of European Economics." Now parameters are clear: The encyclope- dia-length piece should be formal, moderately technical, almost entirely descriptive, highlighted with graphs and tables, and directed toward an educated audience. Economics professors could ask students to write a speech to deliver to high school seniors about the importance of studying economics. In a finance class, the assignment could be, "Assume you are an analyst at Acme Mutual Fund. Write an analysis of X Company for the fund manager." Or "As a senior economist for the IMF, write your board a recommendation about what actions to take regarding the Asian currency crisis." In all of these cases, students won't merely be fol- lowing the rules or attempting to beat the professor; they'll be trying to accomplish real-life objectives. As a result, they will have a standard to shoot for and professors will have a model to judge by. For three decades, I have been giving every assignment a real-life counterpart, and I can testify to the remarkable results. But—and here's the big point of the day—I think the effects could be even more remarkable if the prin- ciple was applied more widely. In fact, schools could use this method to test whether they have successfully taught students how to apply in practice the ideas we have taught them in theory. In each instance, students would be addressing a spe- cific audience such as a client, a department, an executive staff, or a board of directors; they would be trying to persuade the audience to adopt their proposals; and the presentations would be made before a live audience con- sisting of real businesspeople, who would evaluate them from a corporate point of view. Afterwards, students could submit the tapes with job applications, and the tapes could also be kept on file at the business school so potential employers could view them. This "teach-theory-and-test-practice" principle could have a profound effect on the way we teach. It could help eliminate grade inflation, stamp out plagia- rism, foster interdisciplinary studies, and revolutionize career placement. But most important, it could change the entire meaning of the phrase "Master of Business Administration." Currently when someone has an MBA, all it means is that the graduate has taken a series of loosely related courses and made passing grades. Under this proposed system, it would mean students have been forced to practice what they've learned. I'm not calling for vocational training; I don't want to simply turn out salespeople or bookkeepers. In fact application of the "teach-theory-test-practice" principle would actually make business schools far more intel- lectual places than they are now. We would continue to teach theory, but we wouldn't stop there. We would make sure students can translate theory into practice. A systemwide adoption of this approach to teaching business education might seem too grand an idea. But teaching business from an objective-focused perspective could have a profound effect on students. If we adopt this approach, students will no longer be trying merely to ace the test and wow the professor. Instead, they'll have to show they can do something real with what they've learned. Carter Daniel is director of business communication programs at Rutgers Business School, Newark and New Brunswick, New Jersey. BizEd January/February 2012 65