THE CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES OF INTRODUCING
NEW TAUGHT PROGRAMMES
Colin Ashurst
The Newcastle Global MBA
Flexible Learning for 21st Century
Business Leaders
Outline
• Global MBA: timeline
– Initial idea: Sept 13
– Approval: Aug 14
– First students: Sept 15
• Lessons learned: challenges and
opportunities
Creating a Vision
start with the end in mind
An Exceptional GMBA Graduate…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Will demonstrate an ability to…
Will come across to others as…
Will be respected by colleagues for…
Can be trusted by an employer/investor to…
Has the potential to…
Is renowned for…
Will be proud of their MBA because…
MBA Home
Learn by Doing
Teaching Team
Employer Partners
Alumni Network
Careers Coaching
The Project Approach. The best way to test out
what you’re learning is to apply it at the earliest
opportunity.
Your MBA projects will:
• Cover all the key areas of successful business
practice;
• Cover many different business sectors;
• Be based on actual business issues and
challenges (not case studies!);
• Allow you to draw on up-to-date, relevant
resources.
Measuring Your Learning
A key component of the MBA is
the record you keep of what you
have done. You will discuss this
regularly with your mentors to
identify gaps and ways of filling
them.
We assess through reflective
narrative, interviews, peer
feedback, personal career
planning reviews and employer
feedback.
Assessment
There are two key areas that are
assessed:
1. Output: reports, presentations,
web pages, case studies you
Testwrite & papers you author.
2. Process: how you and your
team reach decisions, the
choices you made and why,
possible solutions explored and
why. We also look for evidence
of skills and attributes you have
developed.
Peer Network
Teaching Team Mentors
You’ll join a dynamic on-line
community comprised of fellow
students, from across the Globe.
Your teaching team make up a
network of reflective learning
coaches. Our leading thinkers are
also skilled in guiding you through
best project, learning and
reflective practice.
They will curate sound and
grounded academic knowledge
when you need it and will
stimulate the on-line debate
about emerging and relevant
business issues.
You’ll work in virtual teams and
learn to contribute knowledge,
ideas and feedback across the
network.
https://global.ncl.ac.uk/en/
Strategic Focus
distinct by design
Learning in Context
• Persistent business
challenges drive
learning
• Skills are acquired in
action based settings
• Students bring own
business projects
• Educators unlock the
learning
Coherence, Progression and Integration
Leadership
Basecamp
Consulting
Project
Year 1: Leadership Foundations
International
Project
Entrepreneurial
Project
Year 2: Leadership Horizons
Research Competences
Leadership Competences
Digital Literacy
International Curriculum
Contemporary and Pervasive Issues
Major Project
(40 credits)
Leadership
Launch Pad (20)
Year 3: Leadership Impact
Building the Team: excellence at
programme level
Initial
workshop
Building
core team
Module
leader
engagement
Module Development
a creative journey for a multidisciplinary team
Roles
DPD
Using
Technology
Module
Leader
Team
Active
Learning
Leadership
Development
Process: e4+1 Project Framework
Engage
Explore
Evolve
Evaluate
Expand
Pushing the Boundaries
creativity and innovation within an established
framework
• Using the deadlines and deliverables
• Consider constraints early
• Focus on the student & the learning
Learning Outcomes: Global MBA
Aim: Business leaders of the 21st Century are agents of change, working
collaboratively to make a positive and lasting impact on the world.
Outcomes: The graduate of Newcastle University Business School Global MBA:
A1) Demonstrate disciplinary competence by drawing on a critical understanding of relevant business
disciplines and awareness of current issues to explore and clarify complex problematic situations
B1) Applies relevant research methods to develop understanding in complex problematic situations.
C1) Has the ability to take on a completely new and unexpected situation and do something with it.
C2) Can go beyond analysis and strategy to work with others to make things happen.
D1) Has the ability to learn and develop by reflecting on and in action.
D2) Shares their knowledge with colleagues, team and organisation to develop their ability to make a
difference.
D3) Has developed as a management, leadership and business professional with integrity, ethical awareness, a
global perspective, confidence in what they know and insight into what they do not know.
Pushing the Boundaries
creativity and innovation within an established
framework
•
•
•
•
•
Using the deadlines and deliverables
Consider constraints early
Focus on the student & the learning
Programme specification as a core document
Maintaining the innovation after approval
In Summary
1. Creating a Vision: start with the end in mind
2. Strategic Focus: distinct by design
3. Building the Team: excellence at programme
level
4. Module Development: a creative journey for
a multi-disciplinary team
5. Pushing the Boundaries: creativity and
innovation within an established framework
QUESTIONS?