What is the biggest challenge facing business schools? Pearson attends CABS Learning, Teaching & Student Experience event
How can lecturers use AI to tackle some of the big educational challenges?
This was just one of the questions posed at the Chartered Association of Business Schools event in Manchester. Pearson sponsored and attended the event, hearing about developments in AI, inclusion and student engagement as well as running workshops.
Over the two-day event, delegates were also asked to respond to our poll which asked the question: What’s the biggest challenge facing business schools?
Student Satisfaction topped the poll with 14 votes, second place went to Widening Participation with 10 votes then Resource Costs with 8, Personalised Learning 6, and Employability 3.
The conference’s keynote speakers were:
- Professor Julia Clarke, Pro-Vice-Chancellor & Dean, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School
- Professor Rose Luckin, Professor of Learner Centred Design at UCL Knowledge Lab
- Dr Phil Newton, Head of Learning and Teaching at Swansea University Medical School.
Professor Luckin explored how AI is being used to support education and training.
She shared insights into how educators can best prepare and mitigate risks while enjoying the benefits AI can bring to the classroom. She compared the quality of AI data to crude oil - useless until it is organised and cleaned.
In healthcare, AI is already used successfully for prediction (where patients are likely or unlikely to turn up for appointments).
45 ways of engaging students
Pearson representatives attended many sessions over the course of the conference and one of the talks we attended was by Jonathan Sandling from Coventry University London who spoke about “45 ways of engaging students”.
It proved a popular talk and one attendee asked if it would become a book!
Some of the tips included:
- Challenge students to think abstractly by writing a joke about that subject
- Create “empathy maps” to reflect on learning
- Summarise what students have learned in one sentence only
- Passing post-its to other students to read out questions
Using Revel in business schools
Sarah Owens, senior lecturer at Swansea University, discussed how their business school uses Pearson’s Revel programme in MSc Management to promote engagement and participation.
She explained how the majority of students are digital natives and expect feedback constantly and immediately.
It also addressed problems lecturers have in getting students to do reading and ensures gaps in knowledge are identified.
Students responded well to the multiple choice questions and the dashboard allowed lecturers to see the results and understand what students are finding challenging.
Play
Critical Success Factors in Online Learning
John Roberts, Pearson Online Learning Consultant, and David Walker Head of Technology Enhanced Learning at Sussex University, ran a workshop looking at the critical success factors in online learning.
Find out more about the Chartered Association of Business Schools and upcoming events, on their website.
For more information about Pearson’s products for HE educators, click here.
You can read the key takeaways and a checklist to score your approach to online learning by downloading the document below.