AMBA & BGA EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Having said that, it’s critical to focus on the learning takeaways and ensure students stay motivated when the entertainment e ect dies down.” Soum Chowdhury “Edutainment can help make complex business concepts more engaging and relatable, which can motivate students to participate more actively in their learning and acquire a deeper understanding. However, the entertainment aspect must not undermine or overshadow the educational content. Otherwise, the risk is that students will focus on the former at the expense of the latter. “For example, the traditional teaching method of the case study o ers depth and rigour. Yet, the way case studies are presented can make learning more interactive. It can also improve students’ memory retention of key topics. They might, for instance, focus on storytelling by bringing in characters from the Marvel or DC worlds, or visuals through the use of images and videos. Integrating edutainment can align teaching methods with students’ evolving preferences and allow them to benefit from applications across a variety of multimedia sources, including video, interactive simulations and games.” Are there any other edutainment initiatives in place, or in the pipeline, at TBS Education that you can share? Soum Chowdhury “Yes, we are currently working on a project for an introductory e-commerce class around another well-known TV show, called Celebrity Charades . In it, students will convey essential business concepts and ideas by acting them out (in other words, miming) rather than relying on traditional verbal and textual descriptions. The approach aims to increase engagement and motivation to learn and participate, as well as to improve the retention of key concepts. “We want to challenge the prevailing notion that digital technologies are the sole avenue for enhancing student engagement through edutainment. Indeed, under the central theme of ‘digital detox’, we intend to incorporate familiar physical games and artefacts into the educational sphere. We will, for example, leverage Lego bricks to provide students with a tangible, engaging and enjoyable medium for understanding abstract ideas. This hands-on approach will not only stimulate creativity and imagination, but also promote critical reflection and teamwork through a non-digital medium.”
“Students have to boil down complex ideas into concise, interesting messages – a valuable skill for any career path” Cameron Guthrie “Yes, absolutely. Edutainment is important to maintain student attention and engagement. Should business schools focus more on educational entertainment (edutainment) to engage and motivate students? Cameron Guthrie “Yes. It’s completely up to programme directors to adopt the initiative; ahead of the 2023/24 academic year, several programmes asked to participate.” Soum Chowdhury “We believe the initiative can o er a fresh and engaging approach to the learning experience across diverse academic platforms. The MBA, with its broad curriculum and emphasis on strategic thinking, leadership, innovation and critical thinking, is an excellent candidate for such an integration.” are rooting for them. The Blind Search is more than pitching and supervisor selection; it’s a show.” Soum Chowdhury “The format is versatile and, with slight modifications, could be adapted to other learning modes and aspects. For instance, it could be used when students present business plans in a setting reminiscent of the TV show, Dragons’ Den , persuading clients to adopt digital tools or in competitions that involve audience voting. Crucially, the approach emphasises the substance of what an individual communicates, shifting the focus to the content of a student’s words, rather than their physical appearance.” The initiative launched on TBS Education’s digital marketing and e-commerce MSc programme. Will you extend it to other programmes, such as the MBA?
BIOGRAPHIES
Soumyadeb Chowdhury is an associate professor of digital analytics, technology and sustainability management in the information management department at TBS Education, France. Chowdhury also leads the TBS Research Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility. His current research focuses on digital sustainability, digital responsibility, emerging technologies and non-traditional pedagogical innovation
Cameron Guthrie is an associate professor in decision and system sciences at TBS Education, France. Guthrie is also programme manager of the school’s MSc in digital marketing and e-commerce. His current research focuses on technology adoption, digital strategy, complex
problem-solving and innovative learning
Ambition NOVEMBER 2023 | 25
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