Technology in Management Education
The use of Technology in Management Education will grow leaps and biounds while offering greater equity in spreading knowledge and startup opportunities.
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Technology in Management Education- Paradigm Shift
New technologies have also changed how a Professor teaches. On the one hand, in the classroom the teachers have to adapt teaching methods to tech-savvy and “technology-addicted” students. Students come to class with their laptops, smartl phones, and other electronic devices. On the other hand, advances in technology have impacted how one delivers knowledge in a more diverse classroom—with options for hybrid courses, distance courses, MOOCs, etc.
Technology adoption may be at different stages in each institute but it is inevitable that class room lectures or traditional assignments will no longer be used as the sole method.
The fear that technology may make the teachers redundant or reduce their role has been proved wrong.
Technology has improved student engagement and has facilitated the teaching learning process.
Technology in Management Education - Enablers
The technology revolution has created opportunities for startups. Smartboards, Simulation games etc. have already created many startups.
Cloud based solutions help in leaning anytime and anywhere. The following areas provide opportunities for a startup to provide technology platform.
· Platform to connect teachers & students
· LinkedIn type of platform for teachers
· Content sharing platform
· Discussion portals exclusively for teachers or students
· Content curating & aggregation
· Game based learning
Technology in Management Education- Simulation
Simulation is a very effective tool in experiential learning and ability of students understanding the business as a whole. It can help in understanding how decisions in any function can affect the overall company performance.
Strategy and marketing are potential areas for applying simulation games.
Some of the companies use simulation as a part of selection process for entry level jobs. The management colleges using simulation as a part of their learning process has an edge in campus placements.
Technology In Management Education - US Universities
Source: CEEMAN survey
ü Close to 70% of schools include technology-facilitated content delivery in their programs, either in full or partially
ü Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) are used by about a quarter of respondents as an additional resource or reference material rather than as an integral part of courses or being developed by institutions themselves.
ü About half of the institutions have considered using MOOCs, but have yet to make any formal decisions.
ü On average, the schools use about six different technology tools at the same time to support teaching and learning, the most popular being collecting student feedback online, computer simulations, and online quizzes and exams.
ü Over 50% use various learning management systems, including Blackboard, Moodle, and digital whiteboards.
ü Recorded video lectures, videoconferences and webinars are also used by about half of the respondents, while gamification is used the least out of all technology tools mentioned in the survey.
ü LinkedIn and mobile app advertising is considered least effective and is also used relatively less (by less than half of respondents).
ü Over 80% of schools use YouTube for posting videos online (compared to using their own video repositories) and consider it quite effective
ü Mobile apps and tablet applications are the least used in educational processes
Technology in Management Education- Application
Improving Soft skills
The students opt for Management education, predominantly, to get placements. Group discussions and Personal interviews are part of any selection process. Videos of group discussions or mock personal interviews can be prepared. The students can watch the videos to understand the areas of improvement. Technology facilitates remote group discussions away from class rooms. It eases the pressure.
Teaching & Learning
i) Online Quizzes can be conducted in the class with students getting instant feedback
ii) Using Smart phones in the class, students can read case studies and discuss; prepare their analysis and share it with the rest of the class
iii) The Professor can convert all their lectures into videos and put it on cloud platform. Class rooms can be used for discussions and peer learning
iv) A renowned Professor can conduct classes using technology benefitting remote location students.
Technology in Management Education- Conclusion
Technology has revolutionized the way we do many activities in our day to day life. The Educational institutions can deploy technology to improve teaching and learning processes. Student feedback can be instantaneous. This also helps in preparing the students for their corporate jobs. Entrepreneurial opportunities abound both for campus startups and for startups to provide support services, content development to management education.
