EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PEDAGOGY - A SUSTAINABILITY MODEL FOR MANAGEMENT … · 2020. 9. 14. · The...

http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/index.asp 1379 [email protected]

International Journal of Management (IJM) Volume 11, Issue 8, August 2020, pp. 1379-1390, Article ID: IJM_11_08_126

Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=11&IType=8

ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510

DOI: 10.34218/IJM.11.8.2020.126

© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PEDAGOGY - A

SUSTAINABILITY MODEL FOR

MANAGEMENT INSTITUTIONS IN BRIDGING

THE ACADEMIA-INDUSTRY GAP

Rajesh Palayil

Professor and Research Scholar, Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship

(XIME), Bangalore, (a recognized research centre of University of Mysore), India

Dr. Selvam Jesiah

Professor and Research Guide, Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship

(XIME), Bangalore, (a recognized research centre of University of Mysore), India

ABSTRACT

Management Institutions in India, is viewed as an extension of degree program, as

it is not able to distinct itself, as a course with an objective of imparting functional

knowledge in different domains, and develop skills proficiency, to prepare and produce,

Professional Managers, Leaders, Employees, or Entrepreneurs , getting ready to work

real time in an Organization.

The objective of Management course is to nurture and equip young mind with all

the dimensions and functions of Corporate and Business ecosystem. They are trained to

learn all aspects, including hard and soft skills, so that they are productive from day 1,

for the employer.

Employers generally do not have the resource, infrastructure, or time, to spend with

young mind to educate or train them in detail about assimilation or ways of working. It

is imperative, a Management graduate is absolutely geared up to start his role with

minimum intervention when they are absorbed in an organization. But the industry

research report data indicate that it is not the case, nearly 80% of graduates are not fit

to be employed.

The impression or frequent comment from student, were echoed ‘that what he

learned in the course, couldn’t apply or had relevance to the real-life business situation

in his work or while setting up his venture. What was taught in the management school

“was too academic-oriented" for starting a company? "There is nothing in the

curriculum that prepares you to deal with most real situation that is essential in the

initial years, for instance, idea generation, handling irate customers or managing cash

flow when money is tight”. Many a times, Entrepreneurs, or any level of Leaders, could

fall victim to analysis paralysis, since overthinking can lead to bearing on decisions

Rajesh Palayil and Dr. Selvam Jesiah


little or large. It results in depending on research, rather on intuition, gut feel, kind of

instincts, which drives to make an individual and Organization successful or large. One

of the successful traits to derive and critical to do well, is the ability to think beyond.

Thus, it is perceived there is a huge gap between what is the learning in an

institution, and that is needed by a student, to be successful in real business

environment. Academic teaching and business reality are in different zones.

The interaction with the Industry, revealed that syllabus is more theory than an

application. Students are not exposed to real time market scenario challenges, and thus

they are not able to articulate solutions or handle simple process or operations. The

decision taking skill is not apt, not able to manage collaborative working etc., these

kinds of limitations is hampering the work assigned.

Students should be taught how to deal with failures, since it is such an integral to

Business. In experiential format of learning, we must use business game, that teaches

that every decision you will make, will not necessarily be right one, it’s humbling

experience for students or young entrepreneurs, who normally fly with idea or assume,

market is extremely easy to win over and scale it with ease, as projected in PPT’s and

Excel.

The study was conducted in few Institution to understand, what approach or format

of pedagogy Management Institutions should adopt that helps students to have an in-

depth and real learning and how to develop new business skills, based on what the

respective industry is seeking in a fresh Management graduate.

The Management institution should have an innovative approach of learning, which

is enabling students to think, apply and observe the outcome, and they come out with

their own interpretations and inference. Learning must be in an as much realistic

situation so that it can be self-conclusive. Experiential Learning Pedagogy practiced by

the Management Institution will have a transformational impact and optimal potential

learning for the students, thus they are enriched and well equipped to perform the task

and contribute significantly to the Organization.

Keywords: Experiential Learning, Pedagogy, Education, Management Institution,

Professionals, Leaders, Managers, Students Organization, Corporate, Industry, Gap,

Productivity, Skills, Decision, Competency, Technology, Analytical, Thinker, Creative.

Cite this Article: Rajesh Palayil and Dr. Selvam Jesiah, Experiential Learning

Pedagogy - A Sustainability Model for Management Institutions in Bridging the

Academia-Industry Gap, International Journal of Management, 11(8), 2020, pp. 1379-

1390

http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=11&IType=8

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Industry-Academia Gap

The dynamics of workplace globally is seeing a revolution in the last 10 years. The input-

output factors due to rapid technology advancements and aspirations have had an absolute

impact.

Teachers are not the supreme custodian of knowledge, but only a facilitator since a Learner

has multiple sources to acquire information.

Technology enablement has made classroom learning a different experience. The

multimedia and smart class concepts help in increasing the pace and depth learning since

Experiential Learning Pedagogy - A Sustainability Model for Management Institutions in

Bridging the Academia-Industry Gap


content is explained visually from different perspectives with video, text, animations, graphic

etc. embedded.

Students now can self-read and review the available content anytime, is expecting from

teachers, beyond the available content.

There is a sea change in the behavior of Customer expectations. They solicit a high-quality

level of product and service, not willing to compromise at all. The competitive world we are

living in offers customer a plethora of choices. Loyalty is not the buzz word today but Quality.

The high-quality expectation of customer, unpredictable consumer behavior, and rising cost

of manpower has put Organization in a fix. Since it is difficult to run organization with only

experienced & highly paid staff. It is a blend that is economically sustainable for any

organization and is also a social responsibility to provide platform for a fresher to assimilate

into workplace.

The zero-defect quality product and service has put enormous pressure on organization to

onboard highly educated and trained staff. The attrition rate is draining organizations on their

Training budget and time. The reason often as quoted by many HR Organization is the

employability factors in a Graduate fresher, due to lack of application of Knowledge and Skills

imparted at the Institution level with no real time and hands on experience, is put many

Organization life in jeopardy. Perhaps one of the reasons that can be attributed to, that not

many Entrepreneurship success has deemed to have happen, as their model of the team consist

of more freshers to execute.

Management Education is in the in threshold of uncertainty for numerous reasons.

Management Institutions must now introspect in the changing times, how to stay relevant in

terms delivering the content.

Contemporary pedagogical tools that are cost effective is the need of the hour. Student must

get a sense of confidence of the learning and application during the course, and industry must

be assured on the new hiring as a right and productive fitment. The inclusiveness approach will

be a win-win for all.

A good Management Institution has the teaching faculty represents the best in terms of

academic excellence and there is an active involvement with industry to access practical

expertise to promote skill-building .It has on its board high quality, research oriented and

corporate experienced faculty The educational context is well supported by eminent visiting

faculty from diverse backgrounds, and faculty members are committed to outstanding teaching

through the use of contemporary pedagogies. Students are mentored ably by the faculty and

industry experts who visit them in campus.

The drive for academic rigor, innovative research and holistic development receives robust

support from top management and the institution focuses on quality in terms of education

delivery, and industry exposure and students score well in University exams.

The management education in India, needs to focus to make itself relevant with the ever-

dynamic business landscape and futuristic technologies. Corporate don’t find satisfying in

terms of preparation to absorb them in their system. There is not a big learning curve between

a normal graduate and a Management Graduate. Retraining or recalibrating them to their needs

is a costly affair in terms of cost and time. The interest among corporate to hire a management

graduate is not an attractive proposition as they are not value adding them in overall scheme of

the Corporate mission.

The Management Institutions in India pedagogical process emphasizes on theory and not

on application. In an engineering education, students have labs to experiment and validate the

theoretical aspects. Management educators at best, follows only case study methodology.



The top Institutions, across the globe use multiple approach, and educators have a broad

blend of industry, teaching, training, research and consultancy experience. They leverage their

varied knowledge and share experiences with the students while teaching the content.

The course designed in Management Institutions in India are faculty dependent bookish

Learning. Curriculum should be only a broad guideline to embark. It must be a student centric

approach, that encourage and propel them to think, apply, and accomplish real answers to real

time functioning and challenges, whilst being part of business. The answer is in adopting and

practice an Experiential Learning Pedagogy.

Figure 1 The Linkage

One of the leading corporate recruiters noted “it is frustrating to interview students who

understand the academic principles well, but who are unable to link these to the real world, and

who seem to know nothing of current affairs”. Further, “There is certainly an enormous gap, in

our expectation of what we seek in a fresher while hiring and the all-encompassing skills they

should have acquired in 2 years of their course.

Qualities linked to service orientation, dependability, assertiveness, emotional control,

stress tolerance and a generalized set of “soft skills’ are mentioned often, but do these skills

really represent what employers are seeking, and how might tertiary level institutions provide

opportunities for their development.

The Indian industry needs high quality Managers to successfully Organization. The

resource should be trained at the Institution level, and as they join Organization is able to

perform the role at the earliest, as it may affect the productivity of the Organization. Many

Research conducted has clearly attributed to zero or lack of proper real time exposure and

learning at the Institution level. This attention given at the right time could as they stich in time

saves nine.

It is critical that Institutions relook at their Pedagogy of Learning for the students, so they

are productive day one and take off confidently.




Figure 2 Problems

2. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING/EDUCATION

One of a powerful and high impact learning methodology and pedagogy is Experiential

Learning.

From Management Education Perspective “Experiential learning is the application of theory

and academic content with the real-world experiences, within the classroom, workplace, market

place or in a business setting.

Experiential learning requires the student to involve actively in the experience activity, but

also to reflect upon their learning, and how their skills and knowledge garnered in the process,

through their academic studies can be applied in and beyond the classroom.

Workplace experiences such as industry visit, internships placements are only one form of

experiential learning opportunities that can be provided to students. Experiential Learning lead

on to learning outcomes that are specifically focused on employability skills.

The theory was proposed by psychologist David Kolb (1984) who was influenced by the

work of other theorists, including John Dewey (1938), Kurt Lewin, and Jean Piaget. He

developed the experiential learning theory, which is based on the idea that learning is a process

whereby knowledge is created through transformation of experience

“The strategic, active engagement of students in opportunities to learn through doing, and

reflection on those activities, which empowers them to apply their theoretical knowledge to

practical endeavors in a multitude of settings inside and outside of the classroom.”



There are other ways of elucidation to define experiential education and practices,

including:

Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by

reflection, critical analysis and synthesis.

Experiences are structured to require the learner to take initiative, make decisions

and be accountable for results.

Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged in

posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems,

assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning; and

The educators and students set learning objectives and choose experiences to meet

those objectives.

Experiential learning is often used synonymously with the term "experiential education",

but while experiential education is a broader philosophy of education, experiential learning

considers the individual learning process. As such, compared to experiential education,

experiential learning is concerned with more concrete issues related to the learner and the

learning context.

3. MODELS OF LEARNING

3.1. Kolb's Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle

David Kolb in 1994, published his learning styles model observed that Effective Learning is

seen when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages:

Figure 3 cycle of four stages

3.2. Blooms Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy can be a powerful tool to transform teaching and learning. The key is

basic knowledge, the first stage of learning, leads to the development of the skills and abilities

that are crucial to completing the pedagogical process: Comprehension, Application, Analysis

Synthesis and Evaluation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experiential_education

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy

https://www.teachthought.com/learning/what-is-blooms-taxonomy-a-definition-for-teachers/




Figure 4 Bloom’s Taxonomy

4. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

“Effectiveness of Experiential Learning Pedagogy (ELP) in Management Institutions.

Traditional classroom methods with few industry visits and Presentation will not suffice to

turnaround and prepare a graduate to be a thought provoking, idea generator, creative, problem

solving or a go getter kind of a person. Apart from the rigor in academics, students must be on

a continuous basis in an organized way needs to be experiencing many dimensions of learning

on different aspects which will transform their thoughts, attitude, approach, and perspective.

It would appear however, that “academic excellence” has not been the critical factor in

terms of selection for final placement, and employers who applaud the academic capabilities

nonetheless lament the absence of ‘employability skills’. There appears to be gap in terms of

what academia, or at least the management of academic institutions and industry consider being

important for graduates.

In this context Research looked at getting the information to come to conclusion what are

the effective ways of going about identifying and possible solutions. This required to look at

various aspects as it is interconnected for an overall transformation.

To explore what are the aspects of Experiential learning to be identified

To find measures and develop tools and techniques to see the effectiveness of these

parameters on a whole.

Identify and create a measure for manifesting transformation index

The imperative to address industry needs was clear, and a sense of collaboration

between the key stakeholders was deemed essential if the outcomes were to be of

value to graduates.



5. DATA COLLECTION

1. Information collected from Faculty and Students were on the following

2. How many times in week Experiential Learning Pedagogy is practiced

3. What is the duration of each session

4. What are the props used to conduct a session

5. Is a single topic able to finish in one slot

6. Was it participative and you were able contribute

7. How is the learning documented for individual student

8. Are students told of the objectives and Learning output

9. Do you think it had an high impact on your understanding and Learning

5.1. Scope/Limitation of the Study

Identifying aspects for Effectiveness other than academics learning i.e.

Transformation in students is at holistic level to contribute in larger scope of things

to organization, society, nation, than just at making them employable or introducing

a skill.

It is not one aspect for example Leadership or a team player, but a summation of

many ideal qualities, skills, that needs to be developed is the effectiveness looking

for in a student.

Every individual has their definition of effectiveness.

There are many variables that needs to be studied for the factors of transformation.

The behavior analysis needs to be observed periodically and evaluated, by mapping

their performance/capabilities with the opportunities/activities initiated by the

institution to measure effectiveness

5.2. Research Gap

Experiential Education impact not studied in-depth in Management Education,

though there are studies conducted on some aspects of human development in

Graduate level.

The study is not able to identify the Transformation in general of students

How to keep track of this transformation Experiential Learning

Is the Learning substance significant or non-significant?

What aspect of students/participants should be developed?

What can be the pedagogy to bring in a change?

The Research study analysis focused on, if Experiential Learning is bringing a change in

learning pattern and is it easy to comprehend better.

5.3. Setting the process in motion

How Experiential Education concept was implemented in a Management Institution

5.3.1. Setting the process in motion

Step 1: In recognition of this well documented gap, and with the intent to remedy,

Management set up a Leadership team consisting of Director of Institution, Head of Academics,

Finance and HR department and other members who had intensive corporate experience of over

10 years. The Leadership team then devised pragmatic plans through introspection and




experience-based recognition of the gaps and an understanding of these gaps in terms of student

learning and employability. The imperative to address industry needs was clear, and a sense of

collaboration between the key stakeholders was deemed essential if the outcomes were to be of

value to graduates.

Step 2: The first step of leadership team was to create a common platform known as IDF -

Institutional Development forum, whereby all staff members regardless of seniority were

required to attend every Saturday morning for 2 hours. The stated intent was to create a

common platform for the analysis of critical issues and to provide an opportunity to share

opinions, suggestions and ideas: feedback was documented and collated for review and

culminated in a collectively owned institutional Mission Statement. First, evaluation of values

needs to be an integral part of Staff, actively prioritize values-congruent behavior in hiring and

performance management. What are reasons for a gap that exist between a company’s

aspirational values, expectations of a staff etc. and the practice in reality? Though most

employees care what leadership believes in, they are quite observant to paying attention in what

leadership does, not what it says. So Experiential Education reinforcement, must come from

the top Management, as a DNA or the Academic philosophy and of an Institution, for the good

of Students.

Whatever Institution’s values are, all staff should be systematically evaluated for, how well

they imbibe and live up to these values. They must possess apart from Academic knowledge,

the behavioral traits: passion, rigor, teamwork, ownership, curiosity, so they are better trained

and traits, to spread the culture of ‘experiential learning in the Institution’

The corporate introspection and collaboration with academics led to a raft of measures and

concrete steps towards addressing the perceived gap. All parties were committed to focusing

on the most important stakeholders in an education institution: the students. It was well

understood that meaningful opportunities for them to learn should be created.

Step 3: On an experimental basis, the Institution collaborated with 10 organizations in 5

different verticals, who were interested to partner in this initiative to address the academia-

industry gap. The leadership team took advice and facts from the industry professionals,

managers, supervisors and human resource members to comprehend “what is this gap is all

about? “

The Research concluded that Change can be only effected in phases over a period of time

as it also involves behavioral changes. The institution’s connect with Industry helped students

undergo various brief projects in these organizations on a rotation basis, and feedback of their

performance in the job was monitored and maintained by the institution. This was analyzed

periodically to evaluate change in a student over 2 years, by mapping their

performance/capabilities with the opportunities/activities initiated by the institution.

The industry/academic Leadership Team of IDF identified the following skills sets as

critical in terms of employability:

a) An individual need to have a sense of ownership and have an entrepreneurial zeal.

Organizational growth and effective processes that work towards meeting challenges required

joined ownership of the ‘problems’ to be solved.

The institution proceeded with two clear objectives: one highlighted in terms of capability

building to address corporate needs, and second in its endeavor to foster a startup eco system,

created a dedicated Entrepreneurship department.

Monthly sessions held, contextualized by the ‘Power of ideas’, and focused on business and

technology idea incubation and potential opportunities., these sessions, helped propel and

inspire students towards innovative thinking and new business opportunities.



In order to support this initiative, angel investors, venture capitalist and others with

expertise in the access of capital are invited to guide new business development. Various

critical elements are explored including global business, economics, technology, time

management, cross cultural management, corporate governance, policy and legal issues are all

analyzed and discussed, and ongoing management issues are reviewed through live or written

case studies. The activities have been successful in terms of creating not only budding

entrepreneurs but also industry ready professionals who have solid business sense and a quick

starter.

b) Organizations have preference for the students having high initiative, self-motivation,

and creative, analytical and organizing skills. Student clubs-initiated activities and sessions

helped develop such a thought processes and hone skills.

5.3.2. Activity hubs and clubs

The clubs are norm in management schools, but participation was made mandatory for all

students in order for them to:

Associate enthusiastically with at least one social activity every year along with other events

conducted twice per month including stock simulation, debates, negotiation, creative, analytical

activities report writing etc.

Sessions held once in a month centered on managers from the corporate world to facilitate

an understanding of business realities.

The clubs eventually helped to tap the talents of students, and the institution encouraged

them to participate in various management fests and competitions. Faculty members supported

and trained students, and experts were brought in to train specifics as deemed important.

c) It is very important to broaden knowledge on the trends in the industry and businesses

and prepare students to understand organizational realities. The best way to learn is to listen

and interact directly with the professionals.

5.3.3. Hosting conference and seminars in campus

This is an ideal way of assimilating knowledge by the students and developing organizational

skills. The Institution hosted and partnered in many management and corporate events, and

invited professionals and personalities to interact with the students and it enabled students to

develop networking skills.

Topics ranged from managing crises, collapse of business empires, application of mind &

business decisions in unprecedented situations to simple issues such as “to do things in the first

one year of life in a Corporate “. These seminars helped students understand experts view and

perspectives.

d) The Institution recognizes it is a tech savvy era and businesses need to embrace technical

and technology to remain competitive: students need to have a technology bent of mind and

have a grasp of the tools to enhance their productivity.

5.3.4. Technical skills

The Institute made one or more certificate courses mandatory for all students in graphics,

accounts package, ERP, CRM, logistics, stock market, material management, media planning

and digital marketing, all of which focus on knowledge-based skill development.

e) Soft Skills Sessions: The lack of social and soft skills create employment challenges for

graduates and a team of HR professionals and trainers was created to promote the development

of life skills. The whole concept of “soft” or “life” skills is contentious in that it is vague, and

practitioners continue to debate whether or not they can actually be taught. Social interaction,




however, and effective verbal and non-verbal communication are generally considered to be

important and sessions were created to outline the critical features of such interactions and

provide opportunities to practice them in role plays and situational analyses.

Regular workshops were conducted on to develop certain ‘must have ‘skills like

5.3.5. Culture of ‘courtesy’

There was consensus in the team that it should instill the culture of students demonstrating

courteous and respectful behavior. They should be made aware of such good practice, it airs

positivity and is an amazing way of bonding and creating a feel-good factor with any person.

Saying ‘Thank you ‘, ‘Sorry ‘are beautiful and impactful words and helps in developing good

interpersonal skills. Students were made to realize the importance of this simple habit it can

contribute in crafting personality style. Regular short sessions were organized and practiced in

the campus to inculcate this habit

5.3.6. Moral Behavior and Character Building

With an increased national and international focus on effective governance and the exposure of

local and global unethical business practices, the critical importance of integrity and core values

has become an imperative for all management students. Although there is a paper in the

syllabus, it was deemed necessary to explore in-depth ways of highlighting integrity in action

and this is accomplished through focused case studies on corporate governance and ethics. This

is attempted through scenario planning - it is still a case study, but it requires students to outline

different outcomes from different decisions. So you can take, for example an ethical business

decision and get them to outline the repercussions of the company making a range of unethical

decisions. The other way is through role play - put them in a situation where they have made

an unethical decision and get them to defend it to their Board of Directors: essentially any

activity that makes them evaluate consequences

f) Communication & English Language Training: Many students are accomplished in

written English, but unable to converse fluently in English language. Although they have two

years to enhance their proficiency in spoken English and business writing skills, extensive

additional training was made available, but focusing on realistic business situations, which

enabled ability to create and deliver clear and effective communication and presentations. In a

modern global business environment good English communication skill is proving to be a key

factor in professional growth and success.

g) Sports was given an emphasis by the institution and students were encouraged to

participate in some activity with the intention to build a ‘fighting spirit’, competitiveness, ability

to celebrate victory and accept defeat, passion, focus, team spirit and other qualities that

promote teamwork, social interaction and application. Sports enable imbibe these virtues and

plays a decisive role in work life. A 3 -member sports coach was appointed who were actively

present in the grounds every day and it was mandatory for the students to present 3 days in a

week and involve in a sport. Different sports team including girls actively participated in

various inter college sports event. Sports really helped them to channel their energy, be

physically active and take life and work sportingly.

As a strategy integrated the training with the syllabus as part of the timetable. This resulted

in students taking it seriously and not a routine extracurricular offering by the college. The

Institute developed and standardized the training of students in the skills highlighted and, in

doing so, created a Centre of Excellence. The Institute also activated departments like Library

to play a vital role. It is not limited to students utilizing it for reading newspapers, lending

books, but plays a supporting role by organizing reading sessions every Saturday, where



students discuss topics of various authors especially in management and business field. The

department keeps them informed about news, information and interesting articles on various

topics uploaded in the Learning Management System and views are solicited and discussed.

6. INFERENCE

The Experiential nature of these training and activities showing positive impact on the students’

transformation and was evident in their outlook. Corporate acknowledged the initiative of the

institution to provide multiple opportunities to mould students and develop their competencies

was certainly showing tremendous results, and the change was reflected in placements of the

students.

The concept of Experiential Education is highly impactful when done in combination of

academics- the way each subject and topic is delivered for knowledge acquisition capability,

role plays, simulations, internships, live projects, as each of the activity brings out their potential

and talent, Skills to sharpen their problem, analytical solving, interpersonal, analysis and

decision making, and transition in the behavioral attitude and Managerial communication. The

overall approach must reflect in the Institutions Value, Culture and Belief in the Power of

Experiential Education as a Transformation in the Students - learning, development and

intellectual growth.

REFERENCE

[1] Source: Experiential Learning, Author: David A Kolb

[2] Source: A handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning Author: Jennifer A Moon

[3] Source: Art at school, is there any perspective Author: Cristiana Lopes Machado1, Tania Stoltz

[4] Source: Business Today article dated March 25th 2019-80% of Indian engineers not fit

for jobs, say survey

[5] Source:https://www.actuarialcareers.co.uk/career-advice/what-skills-do-graduate-

employers-look-for

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