Blending Technologies for Breakthroughs in

Interactive Learning
Mukund R Dixit
dixit@iima.ac.in
 What is Learning?
• Addition to KASH
• Knowledge
• Attitudes
• Skills
• Habits
• How does addition happen?
• Autonomously: Some learning happens all the time
• Induced: Provide triggers to induce learning
• Informally
• Formally
• Class Room Setting
• Work Organisation Setting
 Class Room Setting
• The learner is a participant in a programme
• Long Duration
• Short Duration
• The learning Facilitation is through a pedagogy
• The pedagogy links itself to the following
• Facilitator - Learner
• Infrastructure provider and Administrator
• Learning Resources builder
• Documents and Videos
• Exercises and Assignments
• Projects
• Live interactions
• Regularity Agencies
 Role of the participant
in the
Class Room Setting

• Passive
• Listener – observer
• Inter Active
• Listener – observer – builder – Summariser – Integrator
• Our focus is on interactive learning
• Both the learner and the facilitators are in conversation to realise the learning
objective of the session
Pedagogy: How of facilitating learning
 Are Pedagogies same
across all fields of study? Why?
• Liberal Arts
• Social Sciences
• Engineering
• Medicine
• Science
• Management
• Performing Arts: Dance, Drama and Music
Each field of study has its dominant
pedagogy
and Each pedagogy has its history and story
Let us build the history of a pedagogy
Case Method in Management Education
Let us build the history of Case Method of
Learning
 KASH Promised to the participants in a
Management Education programme
• K: Contextual and Conceptual knowledge
Frameworks, models, checklists
• A: Positive Attitudes to uncertain, ambiguous, volatile and complex
decision making and execution situations
Sensitivity to ethics, human values and the society
• S: Comprehension, Analysis, Diagnosis, Alternative Generation, Evaluation,
Decision Making, Communication and Thinking through execution and
Integration
• Habits: Working with both sides of the brain: Qualitative and Quantitaive
Being prepared after doing the needed homework
What is the purpose of building this KASH?
Develop Decision Makers who can take charge and lead their
organisation through their decisions, actions and reflections
The Pedagogy options for Building the
Promised KASH
• Lectures
• Presentation - Discussion
• Field visits and Reflections
• Field comes to the class:
• Guest Sessions from industry executives
• Documents on the field and videos
• Field ‘Imagined’ in the class
 How will you choose?
• Fit with the learning promise in terms of KASH
• Awareness and Preparedness to absorb the pedagogy at both the
learner and facilitator levels
• Shared realisation of the fit and the homework needed
• Physical and monetary Resources available and possibilities of
additions and modifications
• Openness of the Institute to experiment and learn
The need in Management Education
 Build KASH through Repetitive Active
Involvement

• How do we involve?
• In which situation?
• In which role in the situation and in the class?
• How long?
• How frequently?
Field comes to the class: Birth of the case
method of learning
 Actors
• The case provider
• The case writer
• Administrator
• Case Teacher
• Colleagues
• Participants
• Academic Associate
Involvement of Actors in three distinct phases
• Preparation before the class
• Participation in the class
• Reflection after the class
• Each phase makes its own demands on resources of the Actors
 Glorious Days of the Case Method
• Pre Class: Participants prepare comprehensively as individuals and in small groups

• In Class: Facilitator walks in and asks one of the randomly identified participants : What will you do as Alok
Gupta Do? Why?
• The class takes off.
• Organised discussion
• The facilitator records the salient aspects on the Board intervenes minimally
• A participant volunteers to abstract and integrate the learning. Others add wherever needed
• Facilitator announces the next day’s case and readings
• Post Class: both the participants and the facilitator reflects on the deliberations, make notes on KASH earned
in their learning diary and get ready to prepare for the next day’s cases and readings

• During the Programme: The participants receive offers of appointment well before the completion of the
programme
• Post Programme: The employer is very happy with the contribution of the participants to the functioning and
growth of the organisation
Did the glorious days last long?
The Pedagogy was disrupted marking the beginning
of the decline of the effectiveness of the pedagogy
Who is the Villain?
 Villain
• Numerous developments in ICT hardware and software technologies
• Instant recording and playback
• Internet and access to global information and 24x7
• Remote conferencing soft wares
• More powerful hand held devices
• Large cloud storage and access
• Networks of Educational Institutions
• Media and Entertainment opportunities
• Alternative Education formats that have harnessed ICT to their advantage

• Emergence of New career opportunities owing to innovations

Emergence of Alternatives to the Actors
 Alternatives for the participants

• Learning opportunities
• MOOC etc
• Webinars
• Distance education programmes
• Modes of engagement of the participant
• Informal groups outside
• Self study
• The methods of involvement to build KASH
• Simulation
• Remote Conference
• Sources of Learning Resources
• Google
• Social Media Notes and Videos
• International Universities’ lecture notes and videos
 What have the Alternatives done to the
pedagogy?
• Diversion of time and resources available for learning to
• Entertainment
• Engagement with Internet for social activities
• Private Planning and Income earning activities
• Before, during and after the sessions
• Would it be different for other actors?
• Diversion has led to
• Little or no preparation
• Lack of interest in class participation
• No reflection
• Waiting for the completion of the programme
What should the facilitator in charge of the
learning agenda of the Participant Do? Why?
 Options to the facilitator
• Block all the alternatives through regulations and hold on to the
pedagogy: Behave as if nothing has change
• Borrow the alternatives and replace the old ones with them
• Blend meaningfully without losing the learning and programme
purpose
 Blending options
• Simply add: The components of alternatives chosen are not synergised
• Synergise and prepare a portfolio of linked engagements
• Remote support for preparation: Query window and dynamic guidelines
• In class record and feedback
• In class videos to supplement comprehension or update the case
• Quizzes and instant feedback
• Remote post class support
• Accumulated feedback
• Integrated feedback
• Post programme contacts
When will the breakthroughs happen?
Implications for the facilitator
• Become Aware
• Developments and limitations
• Best practices
• Learn to experiment and innovate
• Build flexibility in terms of skills and styles
• Review and Improvisation
 Administrators
• Rethink the supportive infrastructure
• Wi Fi provision
• Break out rooms
• Access to Data bases
• Rethink time table design and standard units of class sessions
• Rethink interface with stakeholders
• Build new networks
What will you do for your course and
programme?
• Leave it as it as
• Look around as a curiosity
• Learn and experiment
Any Questions?
All the best