Roehampton Learning and Teaching Conference 20 th April 2016 Dr Steven Howlett and Dr Christina Evans

What we plan to cover today Programme based approach to re-designing Business School UG programmes Incorporating concept pf ‘Business readiness’ into the programme design and structure Opportunities, challenges and lessons learnt – thus far

Business School UG Programmes BSc Business Management (BM) Principal Programme – BSc Business and Economics (EC) – BSc Business and Entrepreneurship (BE) – BSc Retail Marketing and Management (RM) BSc Human Resource Management (HR) BSc International Business (IB) BSc Marketing (MKT) BSc Accounting (AC)

QAA Business and Management Benchmark ‘skills’ People management; research, problem solving & critical analysis; commercial acumen and numeracy Business Graduates have the ability to: Act entrepreneurially to generate, develop & communicate ideas. Network, work collaboratively & build positive relationships with people from a range of cultures. Conceptual & critical thinking, analysis, synthesis & evaluation. Articulating & effectively explaining information. Communication using a range of media & listening. Emotional intelligence & empathy. Self-awareness, self-management & self-reflection.

Graduate Attributes 'Graduate attributes are the qualities, skills & understandings a university community agrees its students should develop during their time with the institution. These attributes include but go beyond the disciplinary expertise or technical knowledge that has traditionally formed the core of most university courses.

Employability A set of achievements: skills, understandings & personal attributes that makes graduates more likely to gain employment (ESECT based on Yorke 2006). Not just about getting a job. Its more than developing attributes, techniques or experience to get a job. Its about learning, with less emphasis on ‘employ’ & more on ‘ability’. In essence, developing critical, reflective abilities which empower & enhance the learner (Harvey 2001).

The Roehampton Business School Graduate Emphasis on individual development of the student as a person & not just knowledge transfer. The development of ‘abilities’ alongside knowledge, will be the aim of all RBS business programmes. Programme based design framework. Programme learning outcomes will specify the ‘abilities’ for individual modules. Programmes thus ‘direct’ the modules to embed specific ‘abilities.’

Are ‘business ready’ (combination of experience, knowledge & abilities); Are confident about their personal values & application of knowledge & become the kind of graduates that can add- value (to organisations and society): 1.An independent thinker, with confidence in their own potential & values, able to effectively express their views; 2.Able to adapt to & have a positive impact on a changing world with the ability to apply knowledge and skills required by organisations; 3.Curious & value new learning & its application. Roehampton Business School Graduates

Concept of ‘Business Readiness’ … Combines experiences, knowledge & ‘abilities’ Students will be able to demonstrate the following ‘abilities’ - practical skills, techniques & capabilities: Problem solving; critical analysis; investigation; interpretation & research; commercial acumen; innovation & enterprise; managing projects & change; numeracy; people management; collaborative working; inter-cultural working; communications; emotional intelligence; conceptual & independent thinking; self- awareness/management; self-reflection & self-development & continuous learning & development.

By the end of the Programme [Learning Outcome 1]: An independent thinker with confidence in their own potential and values, and the ability to express their views sensitively and effectively. Self-aware and understands what they are thinking and why. Can utilise a range of methods to communicate effectively to a range of audiences. Is able to operate effectively in diverse roles within multi- cultural teams. Can professionally challenge current orthodoxy and present realistic alternatives.

By the end of the Programme [Learning Outcome 2]: Be able to adapt to & have a positive impact on a changing world with the ability to apply knowledge & skills required by organisations Knowledge of business and management. Innovative application of knowledge of business and management with critical analysis to effectively solve a range of problems. ‘Professionally/business ready’ through a range of specific and transferrable skills. Self-confident, resilient, enterprising and determined with ethical awareness in finding solutions.

By the end of the Programme [Learning Outcome 3]: Be curious and value new learning and its application Can analyse complex problems and use initiative to identify their own investigation and address issues. Understands and can apply the processes of investigation through robust and appropriate methods. Can apply these skills to qualitative and quantitative problem solving related to the discipline and to practice. Can use skills of synthesis and critical analysis to generate outcomes. Assessed through final year modules and ‘capstone’ project or dissertation.

SEMESTER 1 – TRANSITION TO BUSINESS DEGREE SEMESTER 2 – TRANSITION TO BUSINESS DEGREE Programme- long Module BUSINESS READINESS (supported by Personal Tutors) (Non- accredited /compulsory) NEW YEAR 1 Module 1 Business Organisations & Environments in a Global Context Module 2 Introduction to Finance & Accounting for Managers Or BSc Accounting Accounting for Organisations Module 3 Understanding Self & Others Module 4 Introduction to Management (Year 1 guest speakers practising managers) Module 5 Analysing Information & Data for Problem Solving Module 6 Principles of Marketing & Communications in a Digital World Business Readiness Knowledge I can apply knowledge to understand business organisations in their environments I have knowledge of how to assess whether an organisation is operating in a financially sustainable way I am developing independent thinking and confidence in own potential and values I am developing mgt understanding and techniques to solve problems with awareness of commercial acumen I am curious and value new learning and can apply quantitative analysis for problem solving I understand marketing and digital communication techniques and can apply them Abilities Basic environmental analysis techniques Commercial acumen. Numeracy. Decision making. Self-Dev, team- building, diversity, emotl intelligence, interpsl skills Report writing, team working IT quantitative, problem solving techniques, numeracy Commercial acumen. Methods for effective communication

Assessment Learning outcomes of module which has been defined by the programme Must show how meets ‘business readiness’ which in turn helps inform assessment These must also cover different skills and roles that students practice through the assessment In turn this also implies a variety of assessment which is co-ordinated Only one summative assessment per module – more than one formative if desired Formative must scaffold summative Must be set out in a Learning, Teaching, Assessment, Feedback Plan Lastly: – Must be in place before summer break

Opportunities, challenges and lessons learnt, thus far …. Its an opportunity to start new Challenges: – Team teaching – Greater degree of coordination – Nervousness over assessment timing and number New approach while other years being covered as before.

References Harvey, L. (2001). Defining and Measuring Employability. Quality in Higher Education, 7(2), pp Holden, R. and Hamblett, J. (2007). The transition from higher education into work: tales of cohesion and fragmentation, Education and Training, 49(&), pp Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education. In: EUA bologna handbook. Berlin: Raabe Academic Publishers.