ENGAGING INDUSTRY: EMBEDDING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN THE BUSINESS CURRICULUM

ENGAGING INDUSTRY: EMBEDDING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN THE BUSINESS CURRICULUM

Overview• Project background• Project objectives• Methodology• Defining Professional Learning (PL)• PL Typology• Characteristics of PL• Good practice principles• Impediments and enablers to PL• Industry engagement• Test Drive eManual

BACKGROUND

• ALTC Discipline Scoping Study: Business as Usual?

• Recommended 3 Priority projects• Engaging Industry in PL• Generic skills• Valuing and Rewarding Teaching

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• O1: Current Practice Scoping • Output: framework for categorising PL in business

• O2: Identify good practice principles• Output: good practice guide

• O3: Development of Resources & Cases• Output: Illustrative case study for each PL category • Industry engagement strategies• Web resources – eManual

METHODOLOGY

• Case study approach• Pro forma – distribution via the AD T&L Network• Individual targeting

• Focus groups• What PL means to you• Motivation for PL• Approached to Industry Engagement• Enablers & Impediments

• Desktop Audit • Institutional Policy and Context

ENGAGING INDUSTRY

• How and at what stage does industry & the professions engage with the business curriculum?

• Development• Delivery• Evaluation

• ‘Interconnectedness is a key to competitive advantage in a knowledge-based economy because effective partnerships enable faster rates of learning and diffusion of information and knowledge’ (US Council on Competitiveness)

Describing Professional Learning

Incorporates a range of teaching and learning activities that integrates theoretical and discipline-specific knowledge with the development of skills, qualities and attributes to facilitate the development of professional capability

Motivations for PL

• Apply discipline knowledge and skills to practical business problems

• Provide a real-world context to theoretical concepts and models

• Develop graduate capabilities • Ensure the currency of the business curriculum • Adopt learner-centred pedagogy that better engages and

motivates students• Provide an effective transition and pathway to a professional

career • Engage industry

TYPES OF PL

• Industry Case Study • Industry Simulations • Industry Practitioner Delivery• Industry Mentoring • Industry Study Tour • Industry Placement • Industry Competition • Industry Project

PL Characteristics & Good Practice Principles

• Industry-referencedexplicitly linked to industry or professional bodies

• Curriculum currencyaddresses up to date issues and industry practice

• Integrated curriculumdevelops professional capability through linking practice

with theory• Self-directed learning

fosters reflective practice and lifelong learning

IMPEDIMENTS AND ENABLERS

• Institutional Context• Industry Engagement• Resources• Time • Learning culture• Learning spaces• Expectations • Recognition and reward• Curriculum• Assessment• Offshore equivalence• Evaluation• Capability• ICT• Accreditation• Geography

Multiple levels of engagement with industry

• Program advisory committees• Accreditation - development• Workplace tours• Guest lectures - delivery• Modeling industry behaviour and practice - e.g. mentoring,

simulations• Hosting experiential learning• Source of projects• Client for projects or novice consultants• Providing resources or sponsorship• Assessment• Assurance of learning

Knowledge Integration Community (KIC) model atthe Cambridge-MIT Institute

A model of industry engagement

Allen and Williams (2005) identify five levels:

• Strategic alliance• Partnership• Formal• Ad-hoc• Awareness