ADOPTION OF DISCUSSION-BASED YEACHING AND ASSESSMENT IN TEACHING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN HONG KONG Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 30, 2003 ADOPTION OF DISCUSSION-BASED TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT IN TEACHING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN HONG KONG Jimmy Chang The Hong Kong Polytechnic University tcchangj@inet.ployu.edu.hk ABSTRACT This paper reports the application of discussion-based teaching and assessment to the teaching of strategic management in Hong Kong. The method is seen as effective in teaching strategic management. The method is also preferred to lectures and tutorials and the in-class assessment is preferred to written assessment. INTRODUCTION The importance of verbal communication in the process of management has long been recognised in studies of managers’ work (Mintzberg, 1973, Kotter, 1999). To some extent, teaching and assessment methods do not always reflect the importance of verbal communication and discussion skills. While Alexander, O'Neill, Snyder and Townsend's study of US BP / SM strategy professors (1986) finds class participation to be the most common means for evaluating student performance with over 94% of respondents using evaluations based upon class participation, within UK higher education such assessment, other than for formal presentations by students, appears to be little used. This is also true in Hong Kong especially students are more passive. Thus, the adoption of discussion- based teaching and assessment as the sole way of teaching strategic management subjects was launched in the undergraduate programme of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. TEACHING METHOD The common approach to teaching strategic management consists of lectures and tutorials (typically 15- 20 students). Tutorial activity centred upon papers presented by individual students, addressing the academic literature and including the consideration of case situations. The principle of discussion-based teaching and assessment was used to construct a teaching / learning / assessment strategy that replaced the lecture and tutorial, taking the form of a weekly seminar (15-20 students) lasting two hours as the sole means of teaching the subject. The method operated as follows: First, a collection of articles and case studies, was adopted for all students to use or have. Readings were preferred to a textbook in that they provide greater opportunity to gain depth of understanding and to confront the student with alternative perspectives, providing greater opportunity for discussion. The students followed a programme in which for each week there was a specific topic and readings for which all students were to prepare. Typically, for final year undergraduate students this involved up to eight hours a week of class preparation. Second, each class was based upon following a discussion sheet, a set of issues, questions and brief items of case material that added to the case material already made available. Discussion sheets were issued at the start of each class. The scope of the questions was designed to ensure coverage of the material that had been prepared. Third, the first session was used to introduce the teaching / learning / assessment method to students, recognising that being assessed on the basis of contribution to class discussion, with all students having equal responsibility for preparation, was a new situation for the students that also changed the role of the lecturer. All students were asked to provide a photo of her or him. Photos were intended to serve a purpose, to avoid confusion in assessing students. Fourth, during each class the lecturer took the role of a facilitator, principally acting to open the topic of each session, link issues and close the class and to promote discussion. The lecturer acted to encourage and enable student participation, as a class and as individuals. The students experience in class was intense and consequently the progress of the class was designed to include opportunities for relaxation and variation in the activity taking place; for example by using video to provide case material, short episodes of group working to develop views on a case or issue and periods of individual reflection to develop input to the discussion. Fifth, for each class the lecturer derived a mark for each student. These evaluations were based upon evidence of understanding, comprehension, analysis and drawing of conclusions from analysis, and the evaluation of concepts techniques and situations, criteria that had been stated in handouts for students. Students at any time, outside of the classroom session, could ask for feedback on how they were progressing. The feedback information was given individually, providing opportunities to explore the student's view of the teaching situation, their behaviour and ability, as well as to review performance. At the end of the semester the subject lecturer examined marks and recapped what had happened in the course. 152 mailto:tcchangj@inet.ployu.edu.hk Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 30, 2003 Benefits and Problems: Student questionnaires together with class and individual discussion of the teaching method provide the following benefits and problems for the teaching method. Table 1 shows some of the benefits and problems and the results are similar to Jennings’ (2001) findings. TABLE 1 BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS Benefits Problems Extensive student participation.+ Increased class preparation.+ Maintains interest throughout preparation and in class.+ Helps to develop depth of understanding.+ Encourages critical examination of concepts and situations.+ Develops recognition that other students often hold differing views.+ Provides even timing of workload and assessment, saves time by not having written course work.+ Existing group culture may involve discomfort for individuals who change their role by becoming participators.* Individuals may perceive themselves as not being able to contribute in a 'real-time' mode (self- perceptions of demonstrating nervousness, inability to express views, comparative slowness in responding).* Students may doubt accuracy of assessment, believing it reflects frequency rather than quality of contribution and may feel the situation is competitive.+ Some students may prefer direct questioning to open discussion.+ Can involve too much preparation.+ A few students remain infrequent and reluctant contributors to discussion.+* (+ items derived from questionnaire, 34 students, were asked to participate in this new teaching method, * items are based upon subject lecturer’s own opinion) For the lecturer the teaching - learning method provides certain significant benefits in this study. The proportion of students participating in class discussion was greatly increased, as was the apparent student ownership of the course material. Experience of a lecture based approach often included episodes when students would aggressively question why attention was being given to certain authors and issues. Such incidents have not occurred with the new teaching method since lecturer no longer needs to act as presenters of academic material, being free to act as part of the discussion, development and questioning of material. The new method may enable the lecturer to present a better role model for student learning by increasing student exposure to the lecturer as a stimulus for questioning rather than a content provider. Discussion-based teaching and assessment tend to provide a group experience in which academic staff and students interact in a face-to-face manner. The weekly need to derive an assessment requires greater attention by the lecturer to each individual student. New opportunities are provided to interact with students and to assist their development. In addition students in Hong Kong have also made spontaneous comments affirming that the classes are interesting, reward effort and that the process of discussion is relevant to 'real life' in business. The problems presented by the teaching method can be avoided or their effect reduced. The difficulties presented by an existing group culture, carried over from students’ previous experiences of studying together, can be addressed by forming new groups. Reluctant contributors can be identified and an element of direct questioning introduced into the teaching session. Slowness in making a response can be addressed by introducing phases of individual or group reflection, providing the opportunity for preparation in meeting a pre-announced set of questions. During individual feedback sessions many students have privately confessed to the belief that they are shy, that they project a nervous image and are poor at contributing to discussion. Often these comments have not been consistent with the student's performance and represent a poor self- image of their own behaviour. The disparity between behaviour and self-image can be discussed with the individual student to help further development. 153 Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 30, 2003 TABLE 2 STUDENT COMPARISON OF TEACHING METHODS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ineffective in teaching the subject 0 2 5 8 38 45 2 Effective in teaching the subject Prefer lectures 1 2 12 19 25 35 6 Prefer new method Prefer tutorials 2 3 10 10 25 40 10 Prefer new method Prefer written assessment 2 10 7 23 25 25 8 Prefer in-class assessment (%, Questionnaire results, Likert scale, 34 students, were asked to participate in this new teaching method) Overall, students see the discussion-based teaching and assessment method as effective in teaching strategic management. Table 2 shows that most of Hong Kong students preferred new method to lectures and tutorials and with in-class assessment to written assessment. Similar results were recorded in Jennings’ study in 2001. CONCLUSION The adoption of discussion-based teaching and assessment enables students and academic staff to develop a questioning and participative relationship to the concepts, techniques and situations examined in a strategic management course. The new method focuses upon a key managerial skill, verbal communication, emphasising discussion in 'real time', and helping to develop student's perception of their communication abilities and thus provides a very special opportunity to train students just to do that. REFERENCES Alexander, O'Neill, Snyder & Townsend (1986) “How Academy Members Teach the Business Policy / Strategic Management Case Course.” Journal of Management Case Study, Volume Two, 1986, 334-344. Henry and Walker (1991) “Managing innovation.” Open University Press, Sage Publications. Jennings (2001) “Teaching strategic management: a case study in the diffusion of innovation in education.” Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Learning, Vol. 28 , 20-25. Kanter (1983) “The change masters.” Simon and Schuster, New York. Kotter (1999) “What effective managers really do.” Harvard Business Review. March-April, 1999, 145-159. Mintzberg (1973) “The nature of managerial work.” Prentice Hall International. Quinn (1985) “Managing innovation: controlled chaos.” Harvard Business, Review, May-June, 1985, 73-87. Strebel (1987) “Organizing for innovation over an industry cycle.” Strategic Management Journal 1987, 117-124. 154 Table of Contents Volume 30, 2003 The Optimal Timing For Introducing Business Simulations Can Handicapped Students Access Your Class Web Site? The Competition Game: Decision Making In A Dynamic Environment Pan-Pacific Enterprises: Strategic Decision Making Simulation Study Of Stochastic Channel Redistribution The Impact Of Business War Games: Quantifying Training Effectiveness Experiential Learning: Introducing Faculty And Staff To A University Leadership Development Program The Feasibility Of The Balanced Scorecard For Business Games A Misuse Of Pims For The Validation Of Marketing Management Simulation Games Incorporating Technology Into The 21st Century Classroom: Are We Facilitating Academic Dishonesty? Improving The Effectiveness Of Peer Evaluations The Use Of A Simulation In An Integrated Mba Curriculum Student Portfolios In Business Education Student Portfolios In Business Education At Ashland University Using SAP ERP Technology To Integrate The Undergraduate Business Curriculum Board Games And Teaching Textile Marketing And Finance Blogging: A New Threat To Student Research? The Way We Talk! Take II Strategic Management: An Evaluation Of The Use Of Three Learning Methods In Hong Kong Adoption Of Discussion-Based Teaching And Assessment In Teaching Strategic Management In Hong Kong The Tobin Q As A Company Performance Indicator Using Representative Nominal Group Technique For Course Review And An Interactive Solicitation Of Ways To Enhance Absel's Image Making Teaching Matter: The Art And Science Of Teaching Business Communication Beyond Sex, Age, And Race: Exploring The Deeper Contents Of Diversity Teaching & Learning The Facilitation Process A Brief On Debriefing: What It Is And What It Isn't Changing Perceptions Of The Importance Of Leadership: The Contribution Of Individual Spirit Harmonics In Leadership Knowledge, Skills And Sustainable Values In Learning Organizations: Some Implications From The Multicultural Virtual Classroom Challenges Of Teaching Undergraduate Organizational Behavior In A Nontraditional Time Format Interactive Online Positioning With The Web-Based Product Positioning Map Graphics Package The Longitudinal Effects Of Entrepreneurship Training On Risk Tolerance: A Look At Similarities And Differences Between Male And Female Undergraduate Students Revisiting Strategy Learning In A Total Enterprise Simulation What Are Simulations For?: Learning Objectives As A Simulation Selection Device Gaming Agency Markets Cooperate For Profits Or Compete For Market? Study Of Oligopolistic Pricing With A Business Game The Design Of A Business Simulation Using A System-Dynamics-Based Approach Modeling The Product Development Function For An Entrepreneurial Firm Simulation Performance And Forecast Accuracy? Is That All? Business Manager Identification Of Competitors In Real World And Simulation Settings Monte Carlo Simulation Analysis On The Costs Reduction Argument Of Interest Rate Swaps Ebiz Game: A Scalable Online Business Simulation Game For Entrepreneurship Training A Model For Online Education Delivery And A Look At Online Delivery Effectiveness Incorporating "Company Reputation" into Total Enterprise Simulations The Genesis And Future Of The Absel "Classicos" Initiative