A Participatory Pedagogy for the Digital Native: The Green MBA

The main objective was to avoid going out of business. A new Education Act in Singapore has made life very difficult for educational institutions operating on a small scale. The college in question was successful in servicing a niche market, but to meet higher overheads, and to reduce reliance upon a hitherto single target market, diversification became imperative, not only in terms of the scope of course offerings, but how and where these courses could be offered.

The Green MBA is to be the flagship programme of the re-branded, re-positioned college. The course has all the usual disciplines one would expect to find in an MBA programme, but at the foundation of each, are the principles of sustainable development. Economics is ecological economics, marketing is green and social marketing, organisational behaviour is organisational transformation for sustainability, and so on. It is not a mainstream MBA curriculum with sustainability tagged on the end. On the contrary, the learning outcomes of every module focus on corporate sustainability. The course is learning outcomes driven. Having determined what a student should know and be able to do once they graduate, the next task is to settle on the assessment instruments that will measure these learning outcomes ensuring, thereafter, that learning strategies are in alignment with the choice of these assessment instruments. To illustrate the point, a case-based, problem-solving approach (which this course favours) is not constructively aligned with an assessment regime that relies heavily on multiple-choice examinations.
Curriculum design is innovative, highly flexible and low cost. In simple terms, the guiding philosophy is that there is high quality material freely available on the Internet, and it is simply of a question of assembling a collection of ‘reusable learning objects’ (RLOs) of linking to them. These RLOs take many forms including open access journal articles, e-books, video clips, podcasts, data sets, slide decks, animations and images. Module authors (subject matter experts from around the world) then utilise these resources to provide a commentary on the key concepts and theories in each module (comprising six units), together with complementary interactive, authentic learning activities that provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge. The approach to learning is one that embraces what might be described as a ‘participatory pedagogy’. Modules are delivered using a state-of-the-art, ‘Web 2.0’-enabled learning management system – or Collaborative Learning Space (CLS) – that takes full advantage of the burgeoning social networking phenomenon. The student’s personal profile page is ‘Facebook’-like in appearance and functionality, and there is an emphasis on active learning. A unique feature is that students get to be both consumers and producers of knowledge, in that the learning platform incorporates a facility that allows students to upload their own RLOs. Accompanied by appropriate commentary, these resources are peer reviewed in accordance with a 5-star rating system. This feature of the CLS is designed to enhance student engagement and contribute to a robust learning community.
Adjunct faculty from around the world facilitate all modules; the majority of whom are PhD qualified. Interaction with students is largely asynchronous through discussion boards (especially given time zone differences). A dedicated student services team that deals with a range of administrative, technical, and pastoral issues also supports the learning process. The CLS has a number of tracking tools to assist with the monitoring of student activity. Thus, student services can be proactive and identify students at risk, minimising student attrition.

A Google search will reveal that there are several institutions around the world (mainly in North America) that offer ‘green’ MBA programs. Upon close inspection, however, none are truly committed to sustainability to the extent that all core and elective courses are built solidly around the principles of sustainable development. Furthermore, none are offered globally; none have been developed by a team of globally dispersed faculty; and none can claim any innovative delivery techniques along the lines described above.