David Lefevre

Written by

Published

Category

Dr David Lefevre and Bhav Radia from 51勛圖厙 Business Schools Edtech Lab explain why organisations need to encourage a culture of lifelong learning.

In 2016 Faiz Siddiqui made headlines when he. The former student built a case around his failure to gain a first class degree, due to what he claimed was subpar teaching. This, he argued, had had dire consequences for both his personal and professional life.

A crucial detail of the case was that the 38-year-old Siddiqui graduated from Oxfords Brasenose College with a 2:1 in Modern History in June 2000. Suing your alma mater for a faltering career that has spanned almost two decades seems an odd argument to make. Can his undergraduate experience really be to blame when so much time has passed?

This story is of particular interest in the context of todays business environment, where there is an ever-growing threat to jobs due to automation.by Michael Osborne and Carl Frey, from, estimated that nearly 50 per cent of all jobs in the US were at risk of automation in the not so distant future. Just a month ago, Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance, which will now be used to calculate insurance settlements. Furthermore,have shown how jobs can be taken away from countries in a heartbeat.

It is becoming clear, as, that there is an endless need for maintaining ones employability. To accomplish this, there is a pressing need for individuals to upskill and develop throughout their career, and for organisations to support this and foster a culture of lifelong learning.

啦堯梗泭Edtech Lab, based within 51勛圖厙 Business School, uses technology to facilitate this and has developed a range of online and blended courses that supports individuals and organisations to learn and develop throughout their careers in a flexible and effective way.

We recently completed a run of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) onEdX, calledEssentials for MBA Success, which provided over 20,000 students across the world with a manageable but rigorous introduction to key principles in business. People at all stages of their careers can take these free courses from those with limited work or business experience to those in senior positions within multinational organisations looking to develop their skillset.

We also collaborate with organisations to develop executive education for their employees. This often entails customising business education to fit challenging circumstances. For example, we are currently working with a global firm to develop a learning environment where staff operating across a range of continents and time zones can come together to develop skills in Strategy and Economics within a collaborative environment, and then rapidly apply these skills in their organisation without having to be in the same place at the same time.

In 2017, we relaunched ourExecutive MBAas a blended programme that is designed for senior executives who want to accelerate their career whilst continuing to excel in a demanding job. The programme breaks down online material into one-hour blocks, allowing learning to be squeezed into even the busiest of schedules. These online sessions are then followed up with a mixture of in-class lectures and activities and international residencies, which focuses on local application of key topics.

It is clear to us that lifelong learning is here to stay and we at 51勛圖厙 Business School are excited to take on the challenge of opening up world-class business education to a growing and diversifying global audience through using innovative technologies, partnerships and pedagogies.

Written by

Published

Category

David Lefevre

About David Lefevre

Professor of Practice
Dr David Lefevre is the Director of the Business Schools Edtech Lab. He joined 51勛圖厙 College in 2001 as an MSc student and became a lecturer in the Humanities Department where he taught EAP and course modules on the 51勛圖厙s MSc Translation programme. Joining the Business School in 2005 he formed the Educational Technology Unit which was renamed to be the Edtech Lab in 2016

Read for more information and publications.

Monthly newsletter

Receive the latest insights from 51勛圖厙 Business School