Teaching in the Rough AoM PDW
Saturday, August 11, 2018 Swissotel Chicago, St. Gallen Rooms 1, 2
Organizers: Alexander Bolinger (Idaho State University), Ludvig Levasseur (Oklahoma State University) and Lillien Ellis (Cornell University)
Teaching about cognition is a challenge for instructors, particularly when cognition-related topics are abstract and when students have a hard time understanding how context (i.e., cognition "in the rough") influences words and actions in organizations.
The purposes of this PDW are twofold. First is to foster group learning by sharing our own cognition-related teaching challenges, tips and successes with each other. Second is to learn exercises and activities that experienced instructors use to actively engage students and facilitate their learning of a cognition-related topic (e.g., cross-cultural collaboration, design thinking, leadership, and negotiation). The goal is for you to take away new teaching ideas that you can use in your own classroom.
Here is the schedule:
11:15 am Overview; elevator speeches by table facilitators; small group discussions; readouts from each table
11:45 am Begin table rotations for the exercises/activities (3 rotations, choose among 7 tables)
1:00 pm Wrap up, participant comments/questions, informal networking
1:15 pm PDW ends*
* Join us at 4:30 pm for MOC Connecting: Sharing Expertise on MOC Hot Topics, Swissotel Chicago, Lucerne room 1 – An informal event that gives participants the opportunity to connect with established scholars in their MOC-related research areas.
* In this session, participants will talk through their research ideas, discuss what's currently hot in the field, and even make predictions about what will be the next big thing.
* Before you leave, please take a minute to give us your feedback on the form provided.
Teaching in the Rough 2018 Table Descriptions
Table 1: Tyler Burch, Idaho State University
Title: Teaching Delegation through Mega Bloks®
Description: I will share an interactive exercise that is useful in introducing undergraduate students, particularly those with minimal managerial experience, to the principles of effective delegation. In the activity, students are assigned the role of "manager" or "employee". The managers are asked to have their assigned employees create a simple pen holder. Students assigned as managers will be asked to use different types of delegation styles when attempting to get employees to create the pen holder. During the session, I will describe the execution of the activity in detail as well as how I go about debriefing with the students afterward to ensure that key principles of delegation are illustrated. I will also discuss best-practices/caveats instructors may want to be aware of when teaching delegation through Mega Bloks® .
Table 2: Kristian Sund, Roskiilde University, Denmark
Title: Developing Video Cases
Description: I will share my experience of developing video cases, discussing how to plan, execute, and use such a case. The idea will be to encourage colleagues to consider creating their own video cases. I will provide hands-on suggestions for all stages of production and discuss best practice in terms of preparing teaching notes. Participants will be shown an example (Four Seasons strategy case) that they can use freely.
Table 3: Pernille Ryden, Technical University of Denmark
Title: Transform your business with Big Data – but mind the mental gap
Description: First, I explain why a cognitive perspective is relevant and give empirical examples of how different mindsets influence big data strategy. Participants next see how our online test can spur managerial mindset disruption, which can be a precondition for creating value with Big Data. We end with a dialog of how to use cognitive online testing for coaching and facilitating management learning in the digital age.
Table 4: Cindi Fukami, University of Denver
Title: Meaningful Links
Description: I will share an assignment that I have used to encourage the development of higher levels of learning. I will describe the assignment, which was designed to help us deal productively with the 2017 US Presidential Election, and how to debrief it during class. I will also take suggestions for renaming it!
Table 5: Kumaran Rajaram, Nanyang Technological University (India)
Title: Learning design for digital natives? Flipped classroom through blended learning model
Description: In the roundtable, I will share the philosophy and pedagogy on the design of a blended learning model through a flipped classroom that leverages technology enhanced learning interventions and "real-time" interactive experiences in management education. The discussion will focus on the benefits of creating andragogical and autonomous learning which is applicable to both undergraduate and postgraduate learners, how practically this can be done and some of the specific tools, techniques and teaching content that are being adopted to achieve this.
Table 6: Jennifer Eury, Penn State
Title: "Leadership in the News Vignette" and "Ethical Challenge"
Description: Inspired by the "Two-Minute Challenge" developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign by C. K. Gunsalus and incorporated in the University's Business 101 course, I will provide an overview of the exercise in general, as well as examples of the assignment. Although initially designed for my in-residence classes, I will also share suggestions for implementing the exercise in an online class. Furthermore, I will share student feedback on this exercise. Finally, I will encourage the roundtable participants to share and discuss other ways to incorporate current events into our classrooms, bringing course concepts to life.
Table 7: Kathy Lund Dean, Gustavus Adolphus University
Title: Framing in decision-making, or, why do $15 margaritas sell?
Description: Kahneman and Tversky showed us 40 years ago how context and framing affect buying decisions and individual utility calculations, and Ariely's more recent work extends our understanding of framing bias. This short and engaging exercise helps students experience the power of framing in making decisions. Exercise materials and handouts will be provided.
Food for Thought – Questions about the Challenges of Teaching Cognition-Related Topics
Student engagement, participation, discussion
* How do you get the current generation of learners to engage fully in class?
* How do you encourage student participation and discussion around cognition-related topics?
* In addition to engaging students in a small-class activity, how have you engaged students in cognition-related topics in a large class or online forum?
* How do you promote academic integrity (and ethical decision-making) in your classroom?
* What has worked for you in teaching cognition (and what hasn't)?
Biases
* How do you address over-reliance on rational decision making processes?
* How do you recognize and engage with your own biases? With North American cultural biases?
* How do you foster a global mindset?
Making the business case
* How do you demonstrate the significance of cognition-related topics, and relatedly, how do you connect the course material to the business workplace?
* What are some readings or video resources that can provide demonstrations or highlight issues related to cognition? (or present a debate for the students to consider)
* What is the future role of cognitive research if managerial training becomes more a question of coaching and providing or developing relevant tools for learning rather than providing clever answers to managerial problems?
Looking forward to seeing you all in Chicago!
Thanks for coming! "Teaching (about Cognition) in the Rough" is part of the MOC Division's annual "In the Rough" series at the Academy of Management Conference.
Alexander, Ludvig, and Lillien.
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Ludvig Levasseur
Post-Doctoral Researcher in Entrepreneurship
School of Entrepreneurship
Spears School of Business
Oklahoma State University
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