My dad used to keep a big tool box at home for any time we may needed it.
You could find a high number of tools of every size and shape: thin nails, handy screwdrivers, thick hammers…
All of these tools were different as all of them fulfilled a specific function. That is why we kept so many: each one of them was used to solve a specific problem.
Most probably, you won’t use the same tools to hang a drawing on your wall for fixing your bike. For every problem, you need a special combination of certain tools . My experience in PREMIUM looks quite similar to a toolbox. Working in a multidisciplinary team with students from Business, Psychology and Social Sciences means unifying young people with different knowledge, personalities and ways of behaving. Putting all of them together may seem unprofessional at first glance: how are they going to understand each other? How are they going to work together? After five months of mutual work, I can say that there is not a better combination possible.
Imagine your toolbox have hundreds of copies of the same tool. A same unique tool replicated a hundred times. How is that going to solve the variety of problems that you are going to face in the future? Most probably, you will not able to do so. The same happens in multi-disciplinary teams. While working together, numerous and different challenges arise. For some of these, a person that is assertive and possess strong negotiation skills can be the best fit to the challenge we are facing. For others, a person that is more calm and shows more empathy is a better option. In some scenarios we will need a person with clear notions of business while for others we will need to understand better employees’ psychology. And in many cases, we may need a person who is unfamiliar with the concepts and theories we use that questions what we took for granted.
There is not a formula for being the best tool of the toolbox. There is not a way that a same tool can fix every problem that exist. What can be done, is to create a wide toolbox that welcomes a high number and variety of tools that combined together, offer solutions to the different problems that arise.
Dear future employer…I am looking forward to being your next tool in your toolbox!
Written by Anabel Quineche Valdez (FASoS)
PREMIUM Student 2019-2020
Stage 3: Align means and ends
At the Maastricht Sustainability Institute, teaching and learning in the master takes place in a ‘flipped classroom’ format. Small groups of 5 to 6 students first work independently on learning objectives, and subsequently report back in a plenary meeting with around 20 students. This puts a strong emphasis on the self-directed and collaborative aspects of learning. To prepare for this, at the beginning of the programme, students do an exercise in group work. They also draw up a Team Charter that describes how they will collaborate.
Stage 5: How are we doing?
This activity aims to get students to reflect on their experiences with PBL, especially those that have been less positive, thinking first about what caused the disappointment, then possible solutions. The activity involves a 10-15-minute individual reflection activity, followed by some 30 minutes of small group discussion of causes and solutions to problems. The tutor’s role (not described in the exercise) is to monitor the discussion and ensure suggestions are collected in a useable form.
Stage 4: Keeping up the spirit
At the MSc Learning and Development in Organisations, learning is based on the principles of constructive, contextual, collaborative and self-directed learning. The constructive and collaborative aspects of learning in particular, are seen as very similar to learning and working in a professional context. In the coaching that is an integral part of this programme, reflection on what is learned and how it is learned become two sides of the same coin. Goal setting and self-evaluation by students concerns the development of competencies and the way in which these are acquired through learning.
Stage 2: Mind the gap to previous experiences
We used a flipped format to deliver PBL information during Introduction days. We set up a canvas course dedicated to Introduction days were students could find all sort of information, including websites, contact information and student manuals related to their selected study programme. Within this canvas site, we added an Introduction days schedule with embedded welcome videos and/or documents. In the week prior to Introduction Days, participants received an email (via Canvas announcements) asking them to go over the event’s schedule on Canvas and watch a ~40 min video with a detailed explanation on how PBL works. During Introduction days the panel was organized as follows:
— Panel chair briefly summarized the main concepts related to PBL
— The tutors/coordinators and current students panelists introduced themselves and shared (informally) their thoughts and experience with PBL
— The chair opened the room for questions from new students
Unlike previous years that used a simple PBL presentation (passive listening), the flipped approach allowed us to provide the factual information before hand and opt for a more active PBM meeting for optimal engagement of participants during the event. Participants asked many questions, often building up from answers provided by the panel. Having a diverse panel answering questions was an added bonus, as the participants quickly realized that different coordinators/tutors might approach PBL differently, depending on the content and focus of the course. The current student perspective was very valuable as they provided examples of how they prepare for PBL and act as chairs or scribes. In Period 2 we asked the new students to provide feedback about Introduction Days and they commented quite favorably about the active PBL panel.
Stage 1: Mapping Teaching & Learning Styles
This activity is designed to get students to compare their expectations of teacher and student roles, with the hope of revealing underlying cultural perceptions so that all are aware of them and they can be addressed. When grouping the students, try to select diverse nationality groups. Time stage A so that students discuss their (national) cultural expectations before learning in detail about PBL. Carry out stage B after they have received some input about what PBL is.