About online learning, at BusinessBecause

Simon Lovick from BusinessBecause called me a week ago to talk about IE University’s 20 years’ experience in high-quality hybrid teaching formats, and today has published an article entitled “How online learning is preparing MBAs for remote work” (pdf).

In my conversation with Simon I tried to highlight the fact that online learning can be implemented simply by using media and a clear awareness of what you want to convey, as well as adopting methodologies that makes sense via the internet. Above all, I wanted to stress the fact that for a business school, adopting these methodologies implies preparing students to develop their professional activity in this new context, one we will undoubtedly live in for quite some time.

Especially interesting is the case of Germany, which is considering enshrining work from home in labor law. We have to accept that for a long time, there will be many reasons why we might undergo another lockdown or practice extreme social distancing, and that it will be fundamental to provide those affected by such situations with adequate environments. This will require not only the physical means, but also a culture of trust, as well as developing the skills to use them.

Online education, when developed with the right media, is a perfect environment for the development of those skills. Getting used to interacting in online environments, to arguing one’s ideas and proposals, or using synchronous or asynchronous media with ease are the new curricular skills. For a business school, education must reflect the nature of its traditional methodologies: the case method may require discussions that require the appropriate tools, while others allow for more in-depth arguments that work extraordinarily well in discussion forums.

Increasingly, we must assume that participants in learning activities will use the tools provided by the institution for their interaction in class, along with others for coordination, from simple emails to instant messaging, shared documents or video conferences, and that this will involve developing skills that they will continue to use in their professional lives.

This will mean disruption for many educational institutions, especially those that do not have serious or advanced plans for their digital transformation. The pandemic has brought the future faster than many of us thought. It will be interesting see how we all adapt to it.

(En espa?ol, aquí)

?