Judgment, collaboration, creativity, reflection, and authentic challenge are at the heart of experiential learning. When used uncritically, AI can diminish these elements, but when integrated thoughtfully, it can help us deepen and expand access to dynamic, contextualized learning that emphasizes student ownership.
On June 11, GBSN and co-chairs Kerry L. Laufer (Dartmouth), Michellana Jester (MIT Sloan School of Management), Shannon McKeen (Wake Forest University School of Business), and Stavros Hadjisolomou (American University of Kuwait) brought together more than 60 faculty, practitioners, and academic leaders from 20 institutions in 11 countries to explore this topic.
At a half-day virtual symposium, presenters shared insights about what constitutes high-impact experiential learning in management education and the conditions necessary for it to be successful. From there, the event moved into discussion on the role of AI in scaling and improving experiential learning and practical takeaways about designing and assessing experiential learning in the age of AI.
While many lessons from the event were relevant across borders, content focused on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Industry panelists described how AI is changing expectations and responsibilities for early-career talent in the region’s innovative technology, financial, and entrepreneurial sectors. Their insights underscored MENA’s broader contribution to the global conversation, demonstrating that as AI makes polished work products easier to produce, employers increasingly value graduates who can apply judgment, build trust, and navigate the complexities of local contexts.
Academic presenters offered guidance for clarifying how AI can or should be involved in student assignments to build foundational knowledge, provide low-stakes practice, and reflect (including on the use of AI itself). They also covered how faculty can leverage AI to access new insights about student learning and more quickly identify areas where students need extra support, and how assessments can be designed to prioritize student engagement, choice and personal experience, and in-person performance, to avoid overreliance on AI.
At the institutional level, they highlighted how experiential learning supports enrollment, retention, and alumni outcomes and engagement and how institutions can set priorities and lean on standards to help define their experiential learning portfolio.
If you attended the event, you have access to recordings and slide decks via your original access link until August 31, 2026. If you did not attend the event but would like to learn more about these topics, the following reading list contains public resources recommended by presenters.
We look forward to future opportunities to convene members of our network and connect business education leaders with the knowledge they need to inform and strengthen their work.
Reading list: Experiential Learning and AI in MENA Business Education
Designing and Defining High-Impact Experiential Learning
Presenters: Kerry L. Laufer (Dartmouth), Michellana Jester (MIT Sloan School of Management), Shannon McKeen (Wake Forest University School of Business)
- Bless This Mess, AACSB Insights
- Taking Measure of Experiential Learning, AACSB Insights
- McKeen, S., Laufer, K., & Jester, M. (2018). Assurance of learning standards and scaling strategies to enable expansion of experiential learning courses in management education. Texas Education Review, 7(1), 154-174.
Career-Connected Learning as a Foundation for Experiential Learning in the Age of AI
Presenter: Reem Jaafar (Queensborough Community College, CUNY)
Preparation, Immersion, Reflection, Assessment (PIRA): A Framework for High-Impact Experiential Learning
Presenter: Karen Velasquez (University of Dayton)
- Velasquez, Karen (2025) Preparation, Immersion, Reflection, Assessment (PIRA): A Framework for High-Impact Experiential Learning. Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Vol. 3, Article 2.
Leaping Forward: AI, Experiential Learning, and the Talent Imperative in MENA
Presenter: Michellana Jester (MIT Sloan School of Management)
- Bergenholtz, C., Vuculescu, O., Günzel-Jensen, F., & Frederiksen, L. (2026). Leveling Up or Leveling Down? The Impact of Generative AI on Student Performance in Business Schools. Academy of Management Learning & Education.
- Griffin, Hayley; James, Trixie (2025). The temptation of the silver platter: Preventing the sidestep and normalising the productive struggle. CQUniversity.
- Kapur, M. (2008). Productive Failure. Cognition and Instruction, 26(3), 379-424.
- Sweid, N. (2025). Coming of age: How technology and entrepreneurship are changing the face of MENA. Whitefox Publishing. [book]
Linking EL Assessment to Authentic, Resilient, and Relational Outcomes
Presenter: Bill Heinrich (Society for Experiential Education)
- Finley, A. (2019). A Comprehensive Approach to Assessment of High-Impact Practices. Occasional Paper No. 41. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment.
- Heinrich, B., & Green, P. M. (2025). Defining Experiential Education for Applications in Higher Education: A Call to Action. Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 8(1).
- Heinrich, B., et al. (expected July 2026). Leading Experiential Learning on Campus. Routledge. [book available for pre-order]
Building Faculty AI Capacity Through Evidence-Based Professional Development
Presenter: Stavros Hadjisolomou (American University of Kuwait)
- Fulcher, K. H., & Prendergast, C. O. (2021). Improving student learning at scale: A how-to guide for higher education. Routledge. [book]
- Hadjisolomou, S. P., & El-Haddad, R. (2024). AI for educators workshop series: Booklets, surveys, and evaluation instruments. Center for Teaching Excellence, American University of Kuwait. [licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0]
Operationalizing Responsible AI in Business Education
Presenter: Manail Anis Ahmed (Columbia University)
- Resources available here: www.manailanisahmed.com
AI and Assurance of Learning: Practical Approaches for Project-Based Experiential Learning
Presenter: Shannon McKeen (Wake Forest University School of Business)
- Johnson, M., Maitland, E., & Sofka, W. (2026). Developing judgement for business: An AI-based model of independent management learning. Journal of Business Research, 204, Article 115842.
- Poppe-Gale, K. (2026). Learning AI by doing: An experiential framework for developing AI literacy in business education. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 53.
Assessment Design for the AI Era
Presenter: Stavros Hadjisolomou (American University of Kuwait)
- Perkins, M., Furze, L., Roe, J., & MacVaugh, J. (2024). The AI Assessment Scale (AIAS).