Reaping the benefits in DE&I Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are essential in the current socio-economic context. There is an increased need for educational institutions to go beyond conventional methods of disseminating knowledge and ideas and reach across national borders through global reach initiatives. The necessity for ongoing, lifelong learning and competency development is growing, especially given society’s shift towards digitalisation. Higher education ought to be tailored to the various needs of students and adapted to particular life stages, while also being accessible to larger segments of the populace. Flexible learning attempts to meet these demands by granting students greater freedom and control over the timing, location and mode of instruction (see Claude Müller, Thoralf Mildenberger and Daniel Steingruber’s article, Learning Effectiveness of a Flexible Learning Study Programme in a Blended Learning Design) . LSBF has used a variety of measures to ensure that programmes are designed to cater to specific student needs. For instance, individuals with different learning requirements and schedules are accommodated in the online learning sessions. Flexibility is essential since the majority of students are employed adult professionals from diverse geographical locations. The school has also made provisions for students with different professional and personal responsibilities. As a result, learners have the capacity to complete their weekly tasks asynchronously, something that facilitates the effective management of classwork, as well as personal commitments. In addition, the institution has prioritised the development of a multicultural learning environment through initiatives such as the employment of international faculty. Inclusive pedagogy is a concept that highlights how the curriculum, assessments, classroom activities and courses take diversity into account to provide all students with learning that is accessible, meaningful and current. In this respect, LSBF focuses on the inclusion of diverse viewpoints and case studies in its online learning curriculum. A significant section of the academic activities is dedicated to the assessment of case studies and assignments that address global issues to facilitate multicultural conceptualisations of specific topics and issues.
Canvas videos offer subtitles and increased font sizes while Perlego e-books include an audiobook. For students residing in ‘low-connectivity’ or ‘digitally underserved’ areas, all videos are accompanied with PDF versions of the scripts. Additionally, the school offers in-house support for students with disability and appropriate accommodation is provided following an evaluation by the disability support office. These measures ensure that each student at the institution gets the opportunity to learn. Societal impact of online practices LSBF promotes student empowerment by providing a range of resources and activities for career exploration in a variety of ways, including career tests, private counselling sessions and educational seminars that provide insight into different business and professional options. The career services officer conducts an informative induction every term and offers support when it comes to interviews and CV preparation. “The necessity for ongoing, lifelong learning and competency development is growing, especially given society’s shift towards digitalisation”
LSBF has also provided facilities and resources that respond to the needs of students with disabilities. For instance,
Business Impact • ISSUE 3 • 2024 20
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