Holixec Education: Experiential and Personalized Learning Implemented with Mindfulness

Abstract

This commentary reflects on the valuable ideas presented by Dr. Batat, particularly her recognition that business education requires a new paradigm to remain relevant in the face of rapidly changing technologies. One of the key ideas in her paper is the shift from “interpretation” to “action,” where learners play a more active role in their educational journey. This focus on execution is increasingly important as the rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows computers to handle much of the data analysis, shifting the human role toward understanding, contextualizing, and executing the insights derived from that analysis. We agree that business education must evolve to emphasize doing—encouraging students to apply an execution mindset and leverage AI to analyze data. With AI's growing ability to identify patterns and perform complex analytics, students should focus on the critical implementation of these insights, turning them into actionable outcomes. While the ability of computers to process and analyze data is growing, humans need to bridge the gap between insights and real-world application. While the need for this paradigm shift is evident, several obstacles must be addressed to make it a reality with measurable benefits. One challenge is that business schools must move beyond prioritizing publications in top-tier disciplinary journals and recognize interdisciplinary contributions that may not always align with traditional disciplinary boundaries. We propose that embracing a broader recognition of scholarship and contributions can foster connections between research and the larger, more complex human challenges that business education needs to address. We also propose that business schools will need to provide support to faculty as they update their teaching pedagogy with strategies for including AI and experiential learning opportunities for students.