The effectiveness of consultancy
projects as a learning tool for
students
Liza Pybus and Julie Rosborough
NTU ALTC Conference
1st April 2014
History
• Over time % of international students has
increased to 90% on these courses
• Many struggled with previous individual
dissertation project:
– To find a research topic
– To find a research base
– To work in isolation on a project
• In 2010 we revalidated the suite of MScs
with an Applied Consultancy Project
2
Support for using consultancy
projects as a learning vehicle
• Connecting theory and practice
(Stringfellow et al, 2006)
• The role of consultancy projects as action
learning (Heriot et al 2008)
• Skills development (Ardley and Taylor,
2010)
3
The Applied Consultancy Project
• Final stage of the course
• 40 credit point module
• Students work in teams of 5
• We provide:
– a client with an issue
– an initial brief
– a supervisor
• The students spend around 7 weeks
working on the project
4
Consultancy Project Aims
•
To enable students to:
– integrate theory and practice to demonstrate creativity in
problem solution
– engage with a complex, real project by applying theory
to the workplace
– understand and apply project management theory and
tools
– develop as researchers, critical thinkers and professionals
•
To encourage personal development through
reflection
•
To develop capacity to work together as a
professional consultancy team through active
participation in a live consultancy project.
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Project Assessment
•
1000 word proposal/work plan
Pass/Fail
•
3000 word Group Report
25% weighting
•
Group Presentation
15% weighting
•
3000 word Individual Reflective report
30% weighting
•
3000 word Individual Literature review
30% weighting
6
Nature of Projects
• All unique and real but often involve:
– Potential of new market/ competitor analysis
– Advice on development of new product or
service
– Developing a business plan
– Designing a marketing strategy
– Reviewing of marketing approach
– Reviewing a current process
– Advising on future business direction
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So do staff and students think we achieve these
aims?
Research sample
• 5 students on the MSc students who
graduated in 2012 or 2013
• 1 employer interview
• 1 staff focus group with 5 consultancy
project supervisors
9
The view from students
Learning Outcomes
• All of the students interviewed felt that
they met all learning outcomes
‘Different learning outcomes came out of the
different assessment types like essays and
presentations gave you different things but I
felt we covered them all’
10
The view from students
Employability
‘I got from it what you’d get from doing a
dissertation but it’s fun and practical. In
terms of employability, it was the best thing
I did on the course. I don’t think I could go
into an interview and talk about a
dissertation and that get me the job. The
consultancy project was the main focus of all
of my interviews until I got this job.’
11
The view from students
Challenges
• Group work was identified as one of the
biggest challenges
‘While at the start I wanted to work with my
friends looking back I don’t think I’d have
got as much out of it if I had. In hindsight
having problems with the team is a great
learning opportunity and you can learn about
this in the classroom and we did but doing it
really makes you learn about it.’
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The view from staff on aims
• Integrate theory and practice to
demonstrate creativity in problem solution
• Engage with a complex, real project by
applying theory to the workplace
• Understand and apply project
management theory and tools
• Develop as researchers, critical thinkers
and professionals
• To encourage personal development
through reflection
Not always
• To develop capacity to work together as a
professional consultancy team through
active participation in a live consultancy
project.
Very complex and
difficult process
Not always
Not always
Yes
Sometimes superficial
or a blame game
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Challenges
• Setting client expectations and managing
the relationship
• Maintaining momentum
– Excited at the start but can lose interest in the middle
• Getting students to use project
management techniques
• Managing group dynamics and personality
clashes
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Suggestions for Success
Setting client expectations and managing the relationship
• Ensure you set realistic expectations and
develop knowledge of the nature of the
client
• Tie down the brief and get sign-off
• Appoint one student as main liasion
• Be clear that students are there to consult
15
Suggestions for Success
Maintaining momentum
• Weekly supervisor meetings with progress
reports
• Client progress updates at 2 key points
• Clear team roles/responsibilities
16
Suggestions for Success
Project Management
• Encourage students to review their Gantt
charts regularly and set small milestones
• Think carefully about the project
management tools you introduce
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Suggestions for Success
Group Management
• Give credit for process as well as output
• Have clear policy in place to
reward/penalise participation/non
participation
• Encourage students to think as this as an
opportunity to manage others
• Emphasise the importance of developing
global team working skills fro future
careers
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Conclusions
• Disconnection between staff and student
views on learning achieved
• Overall agreement that this type of
learning vehicle is worthwhile
• Useful CV addition
• Careful planning needed about many
dimensions to ensure success
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