Sunday, September 12, 2010

A story to tell Rahul Sharma, pg10



[caption id="attachment_227" align="alignleft" width="550" caption="A story to tell"]A story to tell[/caption]


In keeping with the vision of being a global school for thought leaders and change masters, MDI recently welcomed its new batch of management students by introducing them to distinctive schools of thought and novel means of change.

From yoga classes to interactive sessions with industry bigwigs, all modules of the student induction programme were carefully designed to familiarize the students to a system of education that encouraged learning through practice and through example.


When studies formally began the following week, this approach was seamlessly integrated into the pedagogy, in design and in execution. The mix of subjects for the first term aims to build the fundamental foundations of business education as well as to incrementally change mindsets and behaviour for the better.


As crucial as what, is how; and how the faculty aims to bring about this transformation, is primarily through the casebook method of teaching. Distinct from rote learning, it redefines the role of a teacher from teaching to facilitating. By taking up real world examples, initiating discussion and ensuring participation, the teacher aims to get from commotion to concord by only asking the right questions. Very often, it is just an innocently curious ‘Why’.


Throwing one into the deep end of the water and challenging one to swim, in the multitude of ways one might, the teachers here at MDI help one learn for life, and from the multiplicity of solutions that may exist for any practical predicament.


We may forget the complex equations taught to us in school or college, but we hardly forget the stories that our grandma told us. We may forget Sec 2(d) of Business Law, but we may never forget the curious case of a certain Khwaza Mohammed vs. Husseini Begum. This is more or less what MDI’s case method approach is towards learning; through story-telling.

4 comments:

  1. Rahul, I am happy to note that you are liking your experience of Case Method of learning. It indeed throws the ball in the student's court and as they attempt to respond and suggest analysis and decisions, learning happens. Ofcourse knowing what happened (a real story) which trails off at the climax, expecting the student to chart the way ahead..can truly be stimulating..all the best to you..and the groups you discuss your cases with..

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  2. Thank you, ma'am! There's a lot to learn in these two years, and from the best. I'll try to make the most of it.

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  3. Hi just thought we would tell you something.. This can be twice now i’ve landed with your blog during the last 3 weeks hunting for totally unrelated things. Spooky or what?

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