Management Students Making Sense: Scaffolding Grand Challenges Through Threshold Concepts and Concept Maps
Date
Authors
Hurd, Fiona
Dyer, Suzette
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
SAGE Publications
Abstract
In this article, we demonstrate how the iterative use of concept mapping develops business students’ competencies to analyze the complexity, uncertainty, and diverse views inherent in wicked problems and grand challenges. Focusing on the interconnectedness between business, government, and social actors, coupled with the iterative use of concept maps (as both a teaching technique and assessment tool) proved to be effective and powerful techniques to scaffold transformative deep learning in an international business course. Each subsequent experiential concept mapping exercise supported layers of sensemaking that resulted in deep learning. These layers included: (1) recalling pre-requisite foundation international business concepts and applying these to contemporary grand challenges, (2) sensemaking analytical interconnections between prior knowledge, and relationships between concepts, actors and institutions underpinning wicked problems, and (3) making connections between personal values, actions and worldviews and wicked problems, and drawing on current learning to conceptualize and construct possible future solutions to grand challenges. Our work reveals between-course and within course sensemaking obstacles that can be effectively overcome through scaffolding. We invite management educators to use visual pedagogies to scaffold deep learning and equip students with the confidence and skills necessary to sensemake complex wicked problems and address the grand challenges of our time.Description
Keywords
35 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services, 3507 Strategy, Management and Organisational Behaviour, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy, 1503 Business and Management, 3505 Human resources and industrial relations, 3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour, 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy, grand challenges, scaffolding, threshold concepts, visual mapping, visuo-textual assessment, wicked problems, learning outcomes, sensemaking
Source
Journal of Management Education, ISSN: 1052-5629 (Print); 1552-6658 (Online), SAGE Publications. doi: 10.1177/10525629261417326
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