Study Guide

Objective

The student is able to
- realize the cultural aspect in communication
- observe his/her own as well as others’ behavior in various contexts
- find explanations in theories and models
- analyze the similarities and differences and is able to explain reasons behind them
- interact with someone from different culture - create inter-cultural business contacts

- learn from each other and see different viewpoints

Content

- networking locally in-campus and out-campus
- hosting international guests, students, teampreneurs at least in one event
- examples: campus events, student cruises, visits to local business organizations (Yrityssalo, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Salo Entrepreneurs, companies)
- joint and guided workshops
- building required networks for upcoming projects

Materials

Learning materials are indicated throughout the:
- planning and implementation of trainings and reading cricles
- monday team meetings
- learning agreement
Selection of high quality readings is done at the begining of the semester.

Teaching methods

Intercultural networking takes place in multicultural situations such as training sessions, project meetings, meetings with clients or representatives from working life, discussions with TUAS staff members, student tutors and other Finnish students and exchange students.
Different situations/feelings/observations are noted in a learning diary and discussed in training sessions as for the student to get a better insight of what happened and why, and to learn the reasoning behind it. After reflection, a better understanding should result in better behaviour leading to better co-operation. The student will learn more about different cultures as well as his own culture also trough studying relevant theory.
Business Academy is a learning environment which building blocks are:
1. Training Sessions: Each team has training sessions twice a week. The contents and topics come from the team’s own business and learning goals. Training sessions are students’ active learning by innovative methods. The planning, preparing and implementation are students’ responsibility.
The coach supports and enhances the learning in the training sessions, in which knowledge is shared, built and deepened. The requirement level in training sessions grows as the learning progresses.
2. Reading Circles: Every students prepares for the Reading Circle by choosing the topic area as well as a book that boosts both the business and the learning. The book should be read and the relevant tasks should be done before the Reading Circle in which the lessons learnt are discussed and shared. The personal reflections are elaborated further and a common product that summarizes and supports the learning is made.
3. Learning Agreement: The Learning Agreement crystalizes student’s prior experience, current state, goals and ways to measure them. The students tries to actively reach the set goals and develops him/herself towards the chosen career.
4. Project Work/Running Business: The student team sets up a co-operative company and develop the business according to their own plans. Knowledge and skills are put to direct and immediate action. Continuous feedback helps the students to learn and develop further.
5. Markets/Customers: Student-teams operate in open business markets. Genuine customer contacts and co-operations with companies make it possible to apply the theories in action.
6. Networking: Students have excellent opportunities to build relationships and networks with business decision-makers, stakeholders and partners during their BusinessAcademy studies.
7. Coach: The students are supported in finding their best way of learning by their team coach. The basic role of the team coach is to support the team and its individual members to learn and develop themselves, so eventually everyone can find his/her own way. Hence the concept: guided self-organized learning. The team coach has the most important role in the educational program.
8. Team: The team is the most important learning unit. Team-learning gives possibilities to become a versatile business expert. The team starts a company creates its own business and is responsible for theoretical learning process. The coach supports and challenges the team which co-works with other teams.
9. Feedback, Evaluation and Continuous Development: Continuous feedback is part of BusinessAcademy best practices. Each project and learning situation is analyzed by using a four-square model. Based on the feedback and assessment learning is summarized and adjusting actions points and /or development ideas are agreed.
Teaching methods include:
Problem based learning.
Student centered flipped classroom.

International connections

This course is based on the working culture of BusinesAcademy including training sessions, learning agreement, projects and reading.
Students present the learning outcomes in their portfolios.
Other activities include the collaboration with CARPE members, with own campus Erasmus students, with Salo Campus Erasmus students. with the international affairs (e.g. internaitonal week). Working on import and export projects.

Completion alternatives

Course is targeted for students working at the BusinessAcademy. The student can specify in its learning agreement the importance of achievements done either individually or in the context of a team. Work may be achieved through the organization team or project sub-teams.

Student workload

On a 5 ECTS workload basis. on average, the workload unfolds as follows:
Lectures, project meetings: 45 h
Study Guidance: 20 h
Self-Learning, project work: 70 h
Project hours related to this competence are counted. The rest of the hours comes from reading and training sessions as well as from networking with representatives from different cultures. All projects should include a project plan with pre-motorola followed by post-motorola. Project hours constitute of project planning, execution and reporting as well as of reading and implementing theories (books, TED talks, research material) chosen by the student.

Content scheduling

Networking in-campus and out-campus
Hosting international guests, students, teampreneurs at least in one event,
for example: campus events, visits to local business organizations, companies, student events
joint trainings with international teams
Building required networks for upcoming projects
Contacting international companies

Further information

Academic studies in Business Academy model are based on active learning process as individual and as part of a team. The elements of the learning process are intertwined, i.e. both theory and tools are learned by activating methods in training sessions and reading circles. The theories are put in immediate action in each co-operative’s business. The reflections of business, continuous feedback and development enhance deeper learning and bring up new needs for further theoretical learning. Positive cycle and the flow-feeling of doing business yield more knowledge, skills and competences. In Business Academy model learning is both theoretical and practical.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Students receive feedback on their activities from clients, team mates and coaches. He also makes continuous self-assessment and reflection on his activities. The assessment focuses on the student's activities in the team(s) and the projects. Students compile a portfolio of their activities and outputs. The portfolio includes his/her hourly records, book reflexion, and output from activities (documents, reports, pictures, links, videos, etc.). The student confirms his / her skills and learning with his / her portfolio and report.

The semester portfolio is an organized presentation of an individual's: acquired knowledge, developed attitudes, developed skills, and developed competences in the matter of evaluation, Concretely it is everything that has been thought-through, achieved, executed or learnt by the participant in the topic of evaluation.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Grade 1 -2, the student is able to:
-work in multicultural environments as a team member
-identify the main concepts related to international networking and communication and different working practices

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

Grade 3 - 4, the student is able to
-work efficiently in multicultural environments towards commonly defined goals
-interpret cultural situations and assess the effect of his/her behavior to team work and intercultural meetings.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Grade 5, the student is able to
-network efficiently and goal oriented in an international environment
-solve evential conflicts in international groups
-combine theories, outcomes of training sessions and personal experiences in multicultural teams
-acknowledge personal development areas and work on them
-see the benefits of multiculturalism.