To accomplish the above goals, each of the instructors deployed semester long
experiential learning activities. Each instructor selected a different experiential activity to
integrate into their ‘traditional’ course activities consisting of lectures, mini-assignments and
exams. Whereas each instructor chose a different activity (personal marketing plan, marketing
simulation, and bake sale) the common course goals and the desire to improve the learning
process facilitated the collaborative action research process for evaluation and change. While all
of these activities were experiential, they differed in the degree of realism introduced into the
classroom. Because of predetermined decision choices and competitive structure, simulation
exercises offered the least amount of realism and a learning environment where students are less
active in their learning (Smith and Van Doren 2004). The bake sale, where students are
responsible for their decisions, and the competitive market changes with these decisions, was
thought to provide a more active learning environment. This paper, then, illustrates the action
research process by describing the evolution of the more realistic of the experiential learning
activities – the bake sale.