28 Apr Experiential Learning for Strategy Courses Using Airline
FACULTY WEBINAR · ON DEMAND
A Practical Approach to Teaching Strategy Using a Business Simulation
How Prof. Calvin Lindo redesigned his capstone course to better prepare students for real-world experiences.
In this faculty webinar, Calvin Lindo, MBA, ABD, Associate Professor in the College of Business at the University of Northwestern Ohio, shares how he uses Airline in a capstone course to create a more realistic, team-based learning experience for students.
Prof. Lindo redesigned his course to help students strengthen the skills business advisory and community members often say graduates need most: communication, teamwork, real-world experience, and confidence.
Watch the Webinar: A Practical Approach to Teaching Strategy Using a Business Simulation
In this session, Prof. Lindo walks through how he moves students from passive learning to active decision-making — using Airline as the course content rather than a side activity.
Students do not simply study strategy. They run a company, make financial and operational decisions, weigh tradeoffs, respond to outcomes, and present results as if reporting to a CEO.
In the webinar, Prof. Lindo discusses:
01
How he structures his capstone course using Airline
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What students learn through the simulation experience
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How CEO-style check-ins and annual presentations help students build communication skills
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The major challenges students encounter
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Recommendations for instructors who want to adopt a similar approach
A practical, real-world approach to capstone
In Calvin's redesigned capstone, student teams are not entrepreneurs — they are vice presidents of a newly purchased division reporting to a CEO. Prof. Lindo plays the CEO. Teams bring the big calls to him for approval: aircraft purchases, leases, additional debt, strategic plans, expansion plans, and major operational decisions. Each team also manages a $4–$5 million annual capital budget.
There are no rubrics, no tip lines, and no walk-throughs of the presentation. Teams set their own strategy, run their own competitive analyses, and resolve their own mistakes — with the CEO holding back for two to three quarters before intervening, so students can experience the consequences of their decisions.
Teams are not graded on profitability or stock price. They are graded on judgment, communication, and how they recover from mistakes. A team can be unprofitable across all 12 simulated quarters and still pass the class. As Calvin puts it in the session, the focus is on whether students can think and communicate like business professionals — not whether they hit a number.
Who should watch
This session is designed for faculty teaching or considering courses in:
Strategic management · Capstone · Management · Operations
Current Airline users are also encouraged to watch. Prof. Lindo's approach may offer new ideas for structuring team meetings, presentations, assessment, and student reflection.
Featured Presenter
Calvin Lindo has taught economics, finance, management, and marketing courses at the undergraduate level since 2006. He began teaching in the MBA Program at the University of Findlay in 2007 and joined the College of Business at the University of Northwestern Ohio as an adjunct instructor in 2009 before becoming a full-time faculty member in 2018. He became an Associate Professor in 2024.
In addition to his academic experience, Calvin brings more than 30 years of professional experience in financial and business planning, marketing and planning roles in healthcare systems, and business consulting. He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and is ABD in the Doctor of Business Administration Program at Anderson University.
Calvin Lindo, MBA, ABD
Associate Professor, College of Business, University of Northwestern Ohio
Explore Airline Further
Watch the recorded webinar to see Calvin's approach, then request a free faculty demo to review the Airline simulation and instructor resources.