Redesigning Curriculum: Evidence from Melbourne, Singapore and Hong Kong

1. Redesigning Curriculum: Evidence from Melbourne, Singapore and Hong Kong Dr. Nattavud Pimpa and Dr. Nuttawuth Muenjohn School of Management 

2. This presentation discusses some preliminary findings from a LTIF project on the curriculum development of International Management and Leadership and management courses offering in Melbourne, Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Information Technology Services

3. Purposes • The project aims to develop curriculum structure and learning and teaching materials that improve students’ learning experience in ‘International Management’ and ‘Leadership and Management’ courses at RMIT Melbourne, RMIT Vietnam, Singapore (SIM) and Hong Kong (HKMA). More specifically the aims were to develop: Information Technology Services

4. Expected Outcomes • New Curriculum for International Management and Leadership courses. • Series of Podcast: The sound clips based on the interview with the industry people and international academics to be used for the class discussion and learning in both courses. • Series of Vodcast: The short stories based on the interviews used as the point of discussion among students. • New learning platform (possible PebblePad): The learning Platform that promotes the concept of knowledge exchange among students of four locations. • Comprehensive Teaching and Learning Package:provides a sustainable support to students and teaching staff of both courses. • Academic publicationsin the form of journal articles and conference papers. Information Technology Services

5. Methods • A combination of qualitative and quantitative research: • Quantitative questionnaire: • Students (MELB, HKMA, SIM) • Qualitative Interview: • Industry representatives (personal interview) • Students (focus group interview) • Teaching staff (personal interview) Information Technology Services

6. Quantitative questionnaire • 20-items Curriculum Development Questionnaire (CDQ) • Constructed based on 9 curriculum components • Learning outcome • Learning and teaching resources • Assessment • Teaching and Learning Strategy • Content • Internationalisation • Technological learning platform • Transferability/Global Passport • Students overall satisfaction. Information Technology Services

7. Qualitative Interviews • Industry representatives: • 12 Questions Personal Interview: Expected capability/skills of in their industries; Content, Management issues • Students: • 19 Questions Focus group Interview: Course quality; Learning activity; Content and material; Internationalisation; Assessment; Strengths/weaknesses • Teaching Staff: • 24 Questions Personal Interview: Teaching strategy/approach; Content and material; Assessment; Development/training; Strengths/weaknesses; general experience with the courses Information Technology Services

8. Quantitative Results (Melbourne; Hong Kong and Singapore) • 372students participated in the project through the Curriculum Development Questionnaire (CDQ) • Melbourne = 63 students (16.7%) • Hong Kong = 109 students (29.3%) • Singapore = 201 students (54.0%) Information Technology Services

9. Participants (Students) • Gender: • 55% female; 45% males • Study status: • 52% part-time; 48% full-time • Student status: • 14% International; 86% Local • Age: • 86% age between 21-34 yrs old • Employment: • 48% work fulltime; 16% work parttime; 36% not working Information Technology Services

10. Purpose of Quantitative Analysis • To develop a general-full model that represents the effect of curriculum factors on students’ learning outcomes and overall satisfaction • To test the general model by adopting Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to identify the links among the variables Information Technology Services

11. Factor Analysis: Regrouping components • Independent Factors • Learning experience: general experience (Q3, Q8, Q14, Q15) • Teaching and Learning approach: Teaching strategy; learning activity (Q9, Q10, Q11) • Assessment and Content: Assessment types; topics adopted (Q6, Q7, Q12, Q13) • Material and technology: Material and technology used with the courses (Q4, Q5, Q16, Q17) • Dependent Factor • Students’ satisfaction and learning outcomes: Overall satisfaction; skill development; valuable to career (Q1, Q2, Q18) Information Technology Services

12. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM): General-full Model (Melbourne, Hong Kong and Singapore) Information Technology Services

13. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM): Modified Model (Melbourne, Hong Kong and Singapore) Information Technology Services

14. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM): Modified Model Hong Kong Information Technology Services

15. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM): Modified Model Singapore Information Technology Services

16. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM): Modified Model Melbourne Information Technology Services

17. Transferability/Global Passport Information Technology Services

18. Transferability/Global Passport Information Technology Services

19. What next! • Include Vietnam data • Modify the general-full model and keep testing to achieve the ‘best-fit’ model • Retest location models: Melbourne, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam Information Technology Services

20. Participants: Qualitative Interview (students and teaching staff) Information Technology Services

21. Participants: Qualitative Interview (12 Industry representatives) • Regional Vice President (Asia), the Fairmont Hotel Group • Regional training manager, Fedex Asia-Pacific • Partner and Director, Affluenz Consulting Limited • Chairman, Business Management Committee, CPA Australia Hong Kong China Division • Chief Financial Officer, Heli Express Limited • Training Manager, CGGV University, Veritas Geophysical (APAC) • Chief Executive Officer, T3E Global • Principal Consultant, HR Virtual Consulting • General Manager, Wotif.com • Vice Principal, Institute of Wines & Spirits • Operation Manager, UGL Premas, Facility management • A/Prof., Southeast Asian Studies Programme, National University of Singapore Information Technology Services

22. Theme 1: Demand for Local Management Knowledge • Singapore • Leadership Styles that suite Singaporean mentality. • Leadership effectiveness and ways to develop this concept in Singapore. • Question on Singaporean management values. • Uniqueness of Singaporean values and its effects on leadership. School of Management

23. Theme 1: Demand for Local Management Knowledge • Hong Kong • The application of leadership in Hong Kong Context. 2) Chinese values and its effects on leadership and international business management School/Department/Area

24. Theme 2: Demand for universal knowledge and skills on leadership and international management • Western leadership concepts (transactional/transformational leadership) and their applications in the ‘international business context.’ • International leadership and management skills (i.e. influencing other people, strategic thinking, cross-cultural analysis). • Transferability of ‘Australian’ concept of management and leadership to Singapore and Hong Kong. School of Management

25. Theme 3: Issues on Cross-cultural learning in Business • RMIT Identity • Australian Contents and Local Contexts • Context in Learning Style • Space for Engagement School/Department/Area

26. Outcomes, so far… • One refereed paper was reviewed and accepted at the International Conference on Business and Management Education in 2010 • Two Journal articles (For Academy of Management and Journal of Studies in International education): manuscript preparation • New Curriculum is being redesigned • Series of Podcast and Vodcast: under development with Academic Support Group • Comprehensive Teaching and Learning Package: under development by the investigators Information Technology Services