The statement is more about getting a reaction. The irony of saying that in a lecture is not lost on some of the students. But it strikes me as weird, that in an age of interactivity, lectures still seem to be non-interactive and I’m at the ‘try anything’ stage.

I respect you for making efforts to invent ways to engage your students. The profs I learned most from did the same.

Your “bold statement”(straw dog) idea doesn’t sit right with me, though. Sounds like a Fox News approach… artificial and a bit condescending.

An insightful post. I am still talking to the PTB’s about our situation and trying, mainly with one person and not the other. I agree with most of what you have said. I would say in the broadest sense, no you are not a business person, but yes in the strictest sense if things were different you could be. Could be how? You are what businesses need, I only need to point to our MBA friend from last year to show you that. There are people that get it. We just don’t work with them. Now, I have been in business faculties since the year dot (well 1997) and I get it. I have three degrees in business and I get it. There others I know who run businesses, in other countries even, who get it. So I would warn you against judging your assumptions on the local environment. In my opinion, you are just what business needs… several others think so too. Business doesn’t know what it needs, until it gets it. If you read Sloan or HBR you can see what you are saying over and over again. Learning, communities, sharing and so on. It’s there.

However, I suspect your insights will take you elsewhere which is what bothers me. Who will teach businesses and ICT people to build communities? Sloan? I bloody doubt it. Businesses always get insights from artists and vice versa, the coming revolution in publishing and music is a case in point. In fact, artists build the best business plans and often win business modelling competitions. Why? Because they are creative, know how to learn and able to think critically. Business needs more artists, like you, helping them how to think. Which is what makes this the worst of all possible outcomes. Learning, teaching and community thinking are as applicable to business as any social institution.

That said, I agree, you have to do what’s right in your heart and follow whatever it is you think you have to do.

Luke out!

(but really shouldn’t you be talking about stakeholders, kpis, blah blah blah …joking!

You are significant because you built a theory of how wikis and other ed-tech can be used to support a pedadogy around practical community based learning (and mentoring). Almost noone is moving on in higher ed… but you have and there is evidence that proves your innovativeness is that area. That and your papers on literacy, and all of the above!

I do wish more of my students appreciated their lectures (It’s a hard life).