Redesign of a management subject to enhance student engagement and success by using experiential learning approach

This workshop presents the redesign of a management subject, MGT173 at the Charles Sturt University, using the Experiential Learning (EL) approach that aids in preparing “uni-unready” students to become “uni-ready” and develop skills required in the workplace. The redesign incorporates an embedded approach to teaching and assessments, where students develop the required skills for university study and beyond, but as an integral part of the subject rather than a series of add-on modules. It aims to broaden students’ view from the narrow, that of merely passing the subject, to the broader, that of developing transferable skills and enhancing employability.
The development and delivery of the subject will be explained then feedback on the success of implementation across four cohorts, together with the challenges experienced as well as known limitations, will be discussed. Finally, further enhancements to this approach will be explored such as adjusting the delivery structure to suit different durations of sessions, use of articles or other resources instead of a textbook, value of exams in assessing student learning, holistic assessment and integration of technology in teaching. Participants of the workshop will be given handouts that illustrate the delivery structure, assessment items and sample activities that illustrate the encouragement of analytical thinking. They will be invited to apply the principles of experiential learning to their own subjects to transform a narrow delivery model to a broader context of skills development, with the aims of the workshop being for participants to: apply the principles of experiential learning to their subjects and develop assessments that focus on skills development.