From the teacher centred and learning centred to the

development centred paradigm

Towards a rationale for business education in the 21st century

‘Beyond Teaching and Learning’

Introduction

What is the most viable way to approach higher education in the coming years and decades? How do we extract maximum value for learners as well as for other stakeholders in the educational enterprise? How do we best utilize the educational process to help human beings develop toward their full potential and become highly functional and appropriately mature members of the human community?

Some questions

The teaching centred model The learning centred model

The way of education so far:

TCM focuses on the instructor’s role, behaviors, and impacts. This model makes the instructor the focal point of the educational process; it is about the transmission of information and knowledge from the wise, omniscient sage to eager students who hoover up this knowledge.

Teaching centred model

LCM focuses on cultivating students’ capacities to solve problems, to guide their own learning (especially on a life-long basis), and to seek information on an as-needed basis.

Learning centred model

TCM V LCM

Which is the best approach and why?

Frank McCourt’s answer

The learner often has some influence on how he/she learns, but what he/she is expected to learn is set by professional and institutional standards. Students failing to meet these standards are deemed unfit for the field of study or the resulting profession

Possibly the LCM, but..

‘to help people develop their capacities to deal with future uncertainties,’ or ‘to help people develop the capacity to balance their pursuit of self-interests with their obligations to the broader societal community,’ or ‘to help people to develop their character,’ or ‘to help people acquire the competencies needed for the profession of their choice,’ or ‘to help people develop their capacities for guiding and leading people and change,’ or ‘to help people develop their capacities to transcend cultural boundaries in a global society,’ or ‘to help people develop into the best human beings that they can be,’ or ‘to help people learn to live and love well.’ The key operative word here is develop!

Alternative educational ends

Development depends on each individual’s initial educational capacities and motivations, and the outcomes that are achieved become diversified.

Development

DCP focuses on the fundamental universal process of how human beings develop from immaturity to maturity, from less capable individuals to highly functional individuals

The Development centred paradigm

Imagine a world with a strong emphasis on natural human development and facilitation of that process and doing so just-in-time.

Development viewed as a process of ‘figuring out’.

Development is also fueled by curiosity and disbelief without curiosity and

disbelief the world would still be be perceived as flat!

The foundation of the DCP

“In a nutshell, we assert that the purpose of education especially higher education is to facilitate and foster the development of human beings into functionally mature individuals. When people become functionally mature individuals, not only do the learners themselves directly benefit but many other stakeholders directly benefit as well.”

The DCP and purpose of education – back to Mike and Sandra

“We define a functionally mature individual as a person who knows who s/he is, knows what s/he wants, and is not afraid to go out and get it without forgetting to consider others or the bigger picture. Functionally mature individuals are extraordinarily capable of independent thought, decisions, and actions. Still, they recognize and appreciate their interdependence with other human beings. They provide the quintessential example of people who develop their interests, curiosities, and talents so that they are effectively equipped to lead meaningful, productive, satisfying, high quality lives as members of the human community.”

Functionally mature individuals defined

are self-aware proactively reflect on situations, attitudes,

and behaviors, and use those reflections to guide decisions and actions

are actively aware of the synergistic relationship between emotion and intellect.

consider alternate perspectives. are aware of the moral implications of their

decisions and actions.

Functionally mature individuals...

balance self-interests with the interests of other individuals, communities, and society at large 

are genuinely willing to risk making mistakes and to learn from them

know when to let go of disappointment, anger, and/or grudges that get in the way of achieving their goal, that cause them to lose focus, and/or that might significantly change the desired solution or outcome.

can deal effectively with uncertainty.

Functionally mature individuals...

are flexible in switching between behaviors and knowing when a specific behavior is appropriate or inappropriate

know how to act in any type of situation, either personally or professionally

Functionally mature individuals

Implications for the role of the teacher?

Perhaps not the Gove way....

  To inspire a passion among learners for self-

determination of, personal control over and personal responsibility for their own development.

To help students assess their interests, talents, and curiosities.

To trigger students’ interests. To challenge students. To facilitate the development of the learners’ self-

determined personal educational format. To guide/help students figure out which

competencies are critical for credentialing purposes.

Implications for the role of the teacher

To encourage learners to meaningfully and substantially expand their developmental horizons by incorporating into their personal educational format those activities which capitalize on the learners’ interests, curiosities, and talents.

To facilitate encounters with ‘role models’ that fit the student’s desired development.

To serve learners by effectively responding to their requests for information, guidance, and/or needed specialized instruction.

Implications for the role of the teacher

To respond to learners’ requests for instructional modules that address their interests, needs, and desires, and/or are critical for credentialing.

To offer reflection opportunities, both guided and unguided.

To collaborate with learners in assessing their progress toward fulfillment of the learners’ self-determined personal educational format.

To be effective role models of the defining characteristics of functionally mature individuals.

Implications for the role of the teacher

How close to achieving this are we in the Business School?

The dissertation at level 7 and the project at level 6 provide ownership of the ‘what’ as well as the ‘how’

‘Working in the lifestyle sector’ at level 5 encourages students to pursue their interests in the food sector outside of the university

Consultancy projects at level 7 immerse students in the collaborative, messy, and situated process of personal knowledge development

The Venture Matrix emphasises collective creativity and engagement with the outside world

Some examples...