In light of the current speed of change and innovation in the world, business education must continue to evolve to remain relevant and effectively serve the needs of new types of learners in the classrooms of the future. With that goal in mind, the John F. Wood Centre for Innovation in Business Education recently hosted the symposium, Embracing Innovation in Teaching and Learning: The Next 100 Years, at Ivey’s Donald K. Johnson Centre in Toronto. The event was sponsored by Ivey Publishing and moderated by David Wood, HBA ’97, MBA ’12, Executive Director of Ivey Publishing.
The two-day event brought together more than 35 educators, case publishers, and academic consultants from the U.S., China, Norway, and Canada for discussions on potential business education innovations to help students navigate the changing social landscape and new technologies.
"Innovation is not to be avoided or feared, it is to be embraced,” said Wood. “Together we will explore how changes in technology and society at large are already reshaping the way our students learn."
Lyn Purdy, an associate professor of Organizational Behaviour and Associate Dean of Programs at Ivey, opened the conference by discussing the last 100 years of business education at Ivey. In particular, she highlighted the significant changes in the academic landscape, such as gender parity, growth, and innovation.
The importance of diversity
The symposium encouraged discussions on the lack of diverse representation among business educators, in response to the increasing diversity of students in North American classrooms, as well as the need for more diverse protagonists in case studies. Participants emphasized the importance of racial diversity as well as neurodiversity and gender diversity.
"I always say to my colleagues that I want every student that comes into our classrooms to feel at some point in their business school education that there was someone in front of the classroom that they connected with from a social identity standpoint," said Modupe Akinola, an associate professor of Management at Columbia Business School.
Moving beyond the fundamentals
Participants also addressed how students are often more advanced than faculty in their understanding of global dynamics. As a result, they argued business schools need to go beyond teaching the fundamentals of business and focus on equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in an agile workplace and ever-changing society.
Shimin Chen, a professor of Accounting and Director of the Case Center at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), discussed why case-based and experiential learning approaches are so effective.
"Students are looking for practical relevance in the classrooms. They don't want to listen to professors talking about textbooks; they want an integrated approach," he said.
Embracing innovation
Panel discussions explored how educators have gradually embraced new technologies, such as generative AI, in the classroom. Many highlighted how the academic sector has successfully adjusted to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They noted how educators rose to the occasion and embraced online teaching, proving that good teachers can teach in any medium. Others noted the importance of institutions providing faculty with the resources to work effectively during that time.
Participants also discussed the challenges of teaching "surface learners" and students with reduced attention spans. They addressed the difficulties of driving change in organizations and advocating for innovation, and cited constraints from strict organizational policies.
“It has been very interesting to hear all the different perspectives on these topics, get new ideas and confidence in ideas that I already had, and think about how the same ideas play out in different contexts,” said Martha Maznevski, PhD ’94, a professor of Organizational Behaviour and Faculty Director for Executive Education at Ivey. “What I also feel happening is a closer community building and I think that can be really powerful, so I am hoping to see that come out of these sessions.”
The Embracing Innovation in Teaching and Learning: The Next 100 Years symposium served as a starting point for ongoing conversations among educators and key individuals in academia. It was the first of several upcoming events aimed at connecting business education professionals and addressing common issues and opportunities. To learn about similar events organized or sponsored by Ivey Publishing, visit the website or connect on LinkedIn.
