Business Trips make it real Business Trips make

Business Trips make it real

Business Trips make it real Veronica Earle v. earle@herts. ac. uk Amanda Relph a. relph@herts. ac. uk

Agenda • • Definitions Why take students on trips? The trips Getting it right Discussion Conclusion References

Definition

What do we mean by “business trip”? A business trip - visit to an organisation outside the class room which may be manufacturing, service, retail, charity, tourist site or event related to module or programme

Why take students on business trips?

Learning and Teaching • Taking students on Business visits has strong benefits for Learning and Teaching – • Using Chickering and Gamson’s principles: – Encourages contact between students and lecturers – informal contact on the trip – Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students – sharing their experience, sharing photos etc – Encourages active learning – Respects diverse talents and ways of working – It can also be linked to Emphasising time on task and communicating high expectations

Benefits to students • It is generally accepted that if students have the opportunity to apply what they have learnt in practice, they will develop a clearer understanding • Beaty (2007) states “if the relevance is directly experienced by the students themselves, then the learning will be reinforced. ”

Benefits to students cont • Orion refers to Piaget (1970) who identified that the “hands-on experience” offered by trips are help the move from concrete to more abstract levels of cognition. • Dillon et al’s (2006) research demonstrated that field work which was “properly conceived, adequately planned, well taught and effectively followed up” alongside their classroom experiences offers students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills.

The trips

The Bank of England: • Introduction to Business Operations Level 4 students visit the Bank of England Museum ‘Not going to lie, the visit wasn't that helpful with the mini report. The museum was good but the woman's speech was too fast and without being able to quote her I didn't get any information to put in my mini report’ ‘I found it helpful for all my reports. It was good because I could concretely see how the museum works in all the details and it could be difficult to imagine all the functions without visiting it’ Students comments: Studynet module discussion board.

The Galleria: • Principles of Operations Management Level 5 students exhibit at the Galleria ‘It was interesting to see all of the differing aspects of Operations management, and the processes that the Galleria has gone through, and is planning in the future to improve. ’ ‘ a very insightful perspective to the 'behind-the-scenes' activities that occur on a day to day basis at the Galleria’ Students comments: Studynet module discussion board.

The Forum • Service Operations Management Level 6 students visit the Forum ‘There is so much more involved in the preparation and delivery of the food than I had initially anticipated. . . Going through the different processes with David has made me realise the importance of his role as the service operations manager. ’ Student comment: Studynet module discussion board.

Computa Centre • Supply Chain Management Level 6 students visit Computa Centre The tour helped me get a deeper and more comprehensive understanding about the supply chain and how they were operated. ……. it was a good opportunity for me to translate the knowledge I learned from the textbook into practice! - Student comment, module discussion board

Wembley Stadium: • Operations Management for Events Level 6 students evaluate the Saracens game ‘The trip was amazing. The atmosphere and the overall experience of the event was quite exhilarating. It was a first for me as I had never been to a rugby match or football match, but it was great to be a part of what could possibly be a legacy event. What I felt I learnt the most was the amount of effort that is put into large scale events like this. For example, all the different staffing that is required, from Security, to those that helped with removing equipment from the ground and clearing litter off the field. Little things like that get unnoticed but they are as equally as important to provide a successful event. ’ Student comment: Studynet module discussion board.

Getting it right

Possible barriers to taking students on visits • Dillon et al (2006) list a number of barriers to taking students on trips – “Fear and concerns about health and safety – Teacher’s lack of confidence in teaching outdoors – School curriculum requirements – Shortages of time, resources and support – Wider changes within and beyond the education sector”

9. Evaluation 8. Assessment 7. Follow up and feedback 1. Contact organisations Visit Planning and Implementation 6. Go on the visit 5. Publish information to students 2. Pre visit – recognisance 3. Devise assessment 4. Organise transport

Checklist • Early contact • Local organisations • Initial meeting – think about your assessment requirements and the students requirements for information and research opportunities • Assignment brief, grading criteria and feedback form (makes feedback quicker and easier) • Ethics/risk assessment • Student support • Planning and logistics of any related event –start early and get help

And ….

Discussion Could your students benefit? How could we give more students the opportunity to go on visits?

Conclusion • Hard work and effort but worth it! • Next stage … Operations Management Society at UH

References • • Beaty, L. (2007) “Supporting Learning from Experience” from Fry, H. Ketteridge, S. Marshall, S. (2007) A handbook for teaching and learning in Higher Education – enhancing academic practice 2 nd ed Routledge Falmer, Abingdon Chickering, A. W. , Gamson Z. F. (1987) "Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education" American Association of Higher Education Bulletin vol. 39 no. 7 pp. 3 -7 Dillon, J. Richinson, M. Teamey, K. Morris, M. Choi, M. Y. Sanders, D. Benefield, P. “The value of outdoor learning: evidence from research in the UK and elsewhere” School Science Review March 2006 87(32) Herrmann, K. , Hannon, P. , Cox, J. , Ternouth, P. and Crowley, T. (2008) Developing Entrepreneurial Graduates: Putting Entrepreneurship at the Centre of Higher Education, report on behalf of NESTA, NCGE and CIHE. Moreland, N. (2005) Entrepreneurship and Higher Education: an employability perspective, No. 6 of the ESECT Learning and Employability Series, The Higher Education Academy. Orion, N. (1993) “A model for the Development and Implementation of field Trips as an Integral Part of the Science Curriculum” School Science and Mathematics Vol 93(6), October 1993 Shane, S. A. (2003) A general theory of entrepreneurship: the individual-opportunity nexus, Edward Elgar Publishing.