Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/406930
46 November/ December 2014 BizEd shower products designed for new mothers to automobile upgrades that will appeal to Millennials. For detailed examples, visit www.cmu. edu/integrated -innovation/mii-ps/ industry/index.html. Boatwright has observed many times when the multidisciplinary nature of a team has helped a group solve problems. "An engi- neering student will put the brakes on a design by saying, 'We can't make it work exactly like that.' Or a business student will ask, 'How might we distribute that to our cus- tomers?' Or a design student might say, 'That approach doesn't fit into lifestyles, but if we…'" The degree programs are aug- mented by a pilot innovation laboratory where grad students tackle real-world cases sponsored by corporations or work on social- purpose endeavors funded by the institute. A recent sponsored proj- ect was a prototype for a self-sus- tainable water purification system that utilizes the weight of water to destroy harmful bacteria. "Increasingly," notes Ander- son, "organizations recognize the impact that engineers, designers, and marketers who understand one another's thinking can have work- ing together at the 'fuzzy front end' of a project." ■ In 2011, Denmark's Aarhus University formed its School of Business and Social Sciences (BSS), which merges the business disci- plines with social sciences such as law, psychology, communication, and political science. Formed to recognize the growing intersection between the public and private sectors, particularly in many Euro- pean countries, the BSS anticipates BSS also makes teaching port- folios mandatory for every person applying for a faculty position. In addition, teachers at all levels at BSS—from student teachers and PhD candidates to assistant and full professors—must complete a certain number of hours of the CUL's pedagogical training mod- ules specific to their level of experi- ence. Each year, these courses are attended by more than 130 student teachers, 35 doctoral students, 40 assistant professors, and 85 associ- ate and full professors. "A common professional lan- guage is developing among the lecturers at BSS relating to peda- gogical choices and shared know- how on teaching," Jensen says. The goal, he adds, is "to ensure the same professionalism around teaching that is considered self- evident around research." ■ In 2013–2014, ESADE Busi- ness School in Barcelona, Spain, implemented the Global Integrative Module (GIM), an online cap- stone course. The school created the module with support from the GMAC Management Education for Tomorrow (MET) Fund and the partnership of NYU Stern in the United States, SDA Bocconi in Italy, and Sogang University in South Korea. As part of the module, students from each partner school—who come from undergraduate, masters of science, and MBA programs— are assigned to diverse teams to solve a current social, political, and economic challenge. The challenge is organized to accommodate each school's different academic calendar, administrative requirements, and grading system; the schools apply C M Y CM MY CY CMY K "Organizations recognize the impact that engineers, designers, and marketers who understand one another's thinking can have working together at the 'fuzzy front end' of a project." —Eric Anderson, Carnegie Mellon University that its students will go on to careers that touch down in both arenas. As part of this dual focus, the school's faculty believes teach- ing to be crucially important. As a result, it has formed "a large- scale educational development" approach, says Torben Jensen, director of the school's Centre for Teaching and Learning (CUL). The school has adopted a number of teaching-related initiatives. The CUL supports 22 faculty members who conduct pedagogical research and develop best practices in pedagogical approaches. The CUL also develops initiatives related to blended learning, digital exams, learning management systems, and course design.