University of Strathclyde
Strathclyde Business School
- Michael Hughes
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Using pen-tablets to support interactive learning and teaching — We introduced the use of a WACOM pen–tablet in the class and conducted an experiment to investigate its usefulness in terms of increasing level of engagement, interest and concentration during the delivery of the content.
We developed video lectures for the teaching content using the pen-tablet so interactive learning can be facilitated.
We integrated the delivery of such videos with the wireless mode of the pen-tablet so these videos (if taught in class) can be played, paused and rewound while teacher is moving around freely in the class.
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Advanced Undergraduate Entrants: Enhancing employability and supporting positive graduate destinations — Students entering university at second year or above face a number of challenges, such as integrating into pre-existing social groups and adjusting to pedagogical changes. The literature on advanced college entrants tends to focus on transitions into university but there is limited evidence on the career prospects of this student group at the point of graduation. This project aimed to fill this gap. Our research focused on City of Glasgow College (DipHE Business) students articulating into Strathclyde Business School (SBS) at third year, with a view to informing policies and practices that will enhance employability and support positive graduate destinations.
This work was supported by Enhancement Theme funding from the Quality Assurance Agency Scotland
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Embedding industry engagement into an MSc programme — The use of external speakers, field trips and industry-facing outputs to embed industry engagement in the MSc in Global Energy Management.
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Industrial engagement in the MSc Project Management and Innovation — MSc Project Management and Innovation (PMI) includes a number of industrial engagement activities integrated to the taught classes, e.g. a consultancy based class called Consulting in Practice (CiP) that provides students with an opportunity to work on a real client problem. There are also industrial visits, TIC engagement as well as a summer placement, with organisations such as Babcock, Honeywell, Thales and AFRC.
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Video Assessments —
The end of semester group presentation was replaced with a 3-minute video. -
Video Feedback for Assignments —
MBA students received video feedback for their group and individual assignments -
‘Speed dating’ – As An Innovative Learning Method — One of the Honours Classes for the Human Resource Management degree is HR402 ‘Perspectives on Work and Employment’. Professor Taylor took over co-ordination of the class for academic year 2014-5. As the class content and modes of assessment had not changed for several years, it was decided to undertake a thorough revision. While maintaining the theoretical emphasis that had characterised the module and was an undoubted strength, innovation involved a lecture programme more focused on the application of theory to the empirical domain. For example, in the first section of the course on the theme of ‘The Global and the Local’, lectures on globalisation and the varieties of capitalism were accompanied by case study examples of Transnational Corporations’ (TNCs’) activities and HR and employment relations policies and practices in a number of different countries.
Another example of this inter-relationship of theory and practice forms the subject of this particular ‘Sharing Effective Practice’ case study. In the last section of the class on ‘Trade Unions and Employee Representation’, change consisted first of a reconfiguration of the lecture programme, and second of innovation in respect of the related assignment. A formal lecture on ‘Trade Unions and Representation’ was followed by a session entitled ‘What Do Trade Union Reps Actually Do?’. At this session, six trade union officers and reps were invited to attend. The idea was that each of the reps/officers sit at a desk and students in turn, for a set time, sit opposite the rep and ask questions of them. Students then visit another table and so on. On the basis of the notes taken, students were obliged to complete a report which answered that general question. This report constituted the final assessed assignment of the class.
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Business Clinic — The Business Clinic is a business consultancy project in which cross-disciplinary teams of 4/5 students from across the Strathclyde Business School departments (including entrepreneurship, marketing, HRM, Finance, Accounting, etc.) craft detailed, implementable solutions with measurable impact for the client organisation.
Client organisations come from a wide range of industries but they all share similar characteristics in that they are mainly SMEs facing growth or sustainability challenges. Very many of our clients are in the third sector, thus they have a focus on solving social issues as opposed to maximising returns.
In 2014-15, 104 students worked with 23 client organisations coming from the Greater Glasgow area.
The students involved in the project are in their 3rd year of a Business degree, thus they already possess substantial knowledge which can be applied to solve the issues faced by the client organisations. Moreover, Business Clinic students receive training on consultancy tools and business modelling in the form of workshops at the beginning of the project.
By the end of the project, each team of students produced a comprehensive report with a detailed strategy and recommendations for each of the 23 client organisations.
Much of the work also took on a practical element such as attending trade fairs on behalf of the businesses or redesigning websites to make these more effective in promoting the business.
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Engaging Web 2.0 to Enhance Class Participation —
In my 4th year Hons class Family Business: Theory & Practice I engage students in a variety of different ways, both traditional (lecture) and non-traditional (web 2.0). In the latter I have used online polling software that shows live voting by students who can register their vote for a particular answer by text message or by visiting a website with their computer/tablet/smartphone. I will set up a question on the online polling software website, pose it to the students at the start of the class and make a note of the composition of responses (it is typically a yes/no question for ease). I will then deliver the class session, and then ask the students to participate in the online poll again and tell them how the class responses have changed to show them the overall change in the class view in light of the teaching they have received.
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Management Development Program (Level 3) — We piloted a scheme where students are challenged to undertake placements in various socially-minded projects. The students were placed based on their expertise and on the needs of grassroot-level organisations. Last year we placed students in 13 different projects in the greater Glasgow geographical area, in the following academic season we will have students placed in 29 different projects.