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In association with Barco, AMBA & BGA gathered international business school leaders at a roundtable discussion on the topic of hybrid learning to share the challenges they face and the type of technologies they have introduced. How is your business school currently using hybrid learning? Which areas are working well online and which function better in person? Kevin Johnson, MBA director, HEC Montréal “We moved towards a hybrid programme based on different studies [that involved] our faculty and students. The results indicated that our students use the flexibility of hybrid classes based on their personal and professional lives, and not based on the difficulty or nature of the class. “That’s what we made sure to structure. We’ve got classes on Monday and Thursday evenings and on Saturdays. Saturdays are 100 per cent in class, while the evenings are on a hybrid basis. The students have the choice to be at campus or not. For a great hybrid experience, online and in class, we’re equipped with Zoom rooms where the ceiling is entirely ‘mic-d’ and 12 to 15 screens surround the room. “The point is to offer a seamless experience for everyone. For example, as soon as you open your microphone you appear in one of the many screens in front of the class so the students can see, as well as in front of the lecturer. It works for us; around 50 per cent of our students are in class right now on hybrid evenings.”
recent study by AMBA & BGA carried out in association with Belgian technology company Barco looked at the ways in which business schools have responded to the pandemic. The results indicated that business school leaders are keen to keep aspects of ‘faculty teaching online’ (62 per cent) and ‘students not coming to campus’ (65 per cent), hinting at their preference for a future involving hybrid or blended models of learning. Hybrid programmes aim to deliver learning flexibly and in real time. Participants connect virtually or attend the physical classroom according to their individual preferences and needs. This enables similar levels of interaction and collaboration for those attending in-class and remotely, as well as bringing together a rich mix of local and global perspectives. But what does hybrid look like in practice and how can business schools combine the best of online delivery and in-person learning? Another recent AMBA & BGA survey revealed that some 80 per cent of business leaders believe schools are under pressure to change their value proposition and business model. In this light, the management education sector needs to consider whether those hybrid models being implemented in business schools are going far enough to compete with new entities entering the market. Another factor to be weighed up is how much further business schools need to go to remain relevant by exploring new technologies, such as the metaverse, in order to create a unique and seamless immersive learning experience that can be accessed from all over the world.
Detlev Kran, senior manager, education management/quality management, KMU Akademie & Management AG “I am in a special situation because I am
Smarter schools are trying to retain the good things that came out of the pandemic and going online
22 | Ambition | DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023
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