Abstract:
The challenge for business schools is to continue to present the
practical, applied, best practice business knowledge that they are
known for, but using an approach that sets learners up to make
connections between their learning and their personal, team,
organisational and socio-economic worlds. Therefore, the aim
of this white paper is to discuss global and South African trends
in education, principles of adult learning, and how integration
supports the classroom learning process at the Gordon Institute
of Business Science (GIBS). The writers draw upon literature, and
client and delegate feedback from GIBS’ programmes.
Integration at GIBS falls within the centre for Personal and
Applied Learning, and is designed and delivered across three
different principles, which are explained in more detail below.
For integration to be measurable, resultant programme learning
needs to be embedded in the workplace through new behaviours,
habits, skills and/or direct workplace application. This supports
the Personal and Applied Learning centre’s overarching mission
to make all learning at GIBS personally meaningful to the learner,
tangible and impactful in his/her unique environment.
Delegates experience the value of the integration process as
helping them connect the themes of the programme overall,
supporting their understanding of the world as an interrelated
set of systems, and encouraging a flexible mindset regarding
generative problem-solving, and critical and creative thinking.
The intended outcome is for delegates to reflect deeply on their
adaptive management and leadership practices.
