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The teaching techniques and teaching philosophy of the BBA Program are driven by the focus on students as learners, and creating a peer-to-peer learning environment which maximizes their potential. The best learning happens in a community whereby every learner is a curious enquirer, including the teacher. Therefore, in every course we teach, independent of the content of the course, we strive to create environments whereby students are motivated to join us in taking part as members of this learning community. Depending on the nature of the course, this objective is achieved through class participation, expository writing, creation of e-Learning tools, projects, problem-based learning, and assignments, quizzes, and exams with examples relevant to Singapore, Asia, Australia, and the larger global context. In fact, instead of every class session being led by the professor, some class sessions are led by students, who have engaged in their own independent search for information (not just reading of a textbook) and met in a study group before class in order to prepare. The long-term goal is helping students acquire the skills for learning how to learn, by becoming critical evaluators of information, engaging in perspective-taking, and using newly-acquired knowledge to refine their thought processes. All our courses are designed and evaluated for rigor in terms of difficulty level, skills acquired, and improvement in communication ability. While knowledge acquired remains important, it is the ability to use that knowledge that is emphasized in our curriculum and teaching approach.
Some teaching techniques from our curriculum include:
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Ivy-League Standard
Students find that our educational environment is a rigorous, challenging academic experience, set with an Ivy-League Standard, which incorporates global examples and interdisciplinary angles to set a foundation for understanding culture as a context in which business operates.
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Small group discussions
Students meet for additional discussion groups outside of normal class time, so they can improve participation skills and oral discourse.
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Significant writing assignments
Students learn to critically analyze issues related to business through an advanced writing assignment in their non-quantitative coursework which augments the basic writing skills they learn in the basic core course, Business Writing Skills.
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Geography Wizard
Students use an e-Learning Tool to master geography facts and figures, important for forming a global mindset.
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Scientific Method
Students learn Organizational Behavior from a scientific perspective of understanding human behavior, and students organize a mini-conference on the topic of "Science vs Pseudoscience".
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Jeopardy Game
Students partake in a peer learning environment, such that students act as social detectives during class time, which culminates in a competitive game, Jeopardy, which challenges their mastery of the business concepts.
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Meetings with Corporates
Students meet with our corporate partners in Singapore and Sydney to have site visits to understand how business operates in these two distinct geographies, and they also discuss their projects with corporate mentors and engage in an Action Learning Project.
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Certificate Programs
Students choose from a menu of Certificate Programs, which build mindsets and capabilities, which gives them the Smart Skills to succeed as a working professional. These programs include Personal Effectiveness, Influencing without Formal Authority, Learning a Foreign Language, Creating a Winning Attitude, Advanced Negotiation Skills, Innovation Lab, and Polished Professional Skills.
Few examples of Out-of-Class Activities:
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SIIA Memberships
Students become members of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, which allows them to attend events such as dialogue sessions with ambassadors, speeches by CEOs, and other informal receptions hosted by SIIA.
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Mediacorp visit
Students have the opportunity to visit the Mediacorp facilities to learn about journalism in Singapore and how news is produced, with a specific focus on business journalism and how business stories are reported, both in print and television formats.
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Social Projects
Students engage in community-service projects in various sectors, which inculcates in them empathy, social responsibility, civic awareness and being a good citizen.
The combination of in-class activities and out-of-class activities support our students in becoming self-confident professionals capable of leading cross-cultural teams and succeeding in business that operates in the global arena.
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The BBA Educational Culture
