Iterative Improvement: Part II

Tai Chi Chuan by Ponto de Cultura Vila Bruaque

To my classmates:

The past week has seen rapid movement among students to encourage BGI to integrate SW4SX into the MBA curriculum.  A number of creative and passionate voices are already contributing to this effort, making me feel that this endeavor is in very good hands.

So, I'd like to offer another perspective:

Its not the content; its the pedagogy.

Like many of you, I've spent a fair amount of time and effort developing my skills at facilitating and leading meetings in all types of venues.  We all know that an online meeting or even a conference phone call can be an unproductive and confusing experience when not led with techniques that involve and engage the group.  

Upon entering BGI, I was impressed that instructors would spend so much of their teaching time online, since I believe business will demand more and more online communication skills from all of us.  I was then surprised to find few good examples set by my instructors online.  Instead, I've been disappointed that so many of our instructors struggle to teach in the online environment, and worse, I did not see an active endeavor on the part of BGI to help instructors learn and share better techniques.

This impression changed the first time I attended an online class taught by Christopher Allen.  Here was a teacher who had not only thought a great deal about the engagement his students experienced in his online classroom, but he actively experimented with new techniques of making the online classroom more dynamic and experiential.  This is such an important part of the SW4SX experience that it is difficult for me to critique the course and its content without recognizing the success of Christopher's teaching methods.  He provided an excellent example of online teaching, facilitation, and community-building.

A new kind of mentor for a new age of teaching

Like others, I do believe that SW4SX belongs as core curriculum at BGI, either in its current form or integrated throughout other courses such as Marketing, Social Justice, and Leadership & Personal Development.

Still, while working with classmates to communicate this idea, I realized that I don't think the SW4SX class can be easily transferred to another instructor.  Its not that Christopher is an instructor without peers at BGI - we are blessed with many inspired and talented teachers.  Instead, I believe the challenge will be in transferring the unique pedagogy that Christopher practices.

In this light, Christopher's greatest value to BGI may be as a mentor to other instructors.  The experience of participating in Christopher's online classes is an experiential lesson for every student.  Experiencing and studying the pedagogy of SW4SX would be instructive and inspiring to BGI's faculty as well.  

Its not the media; its the messaging.  

Christopher is introducing BGI students to a new pedagogy for a new era of communication, practices that we will now emulate not only in online classrooms, but throughout our increasingly-online lives and careers.

Using the techniques and teaching methods of Using the Social Web for Social Change could help lead a social change and pedagogical change for the better at BGI.  I hope to see it happen.