Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/406930
48 November/ December 2014 BizEd POG ON ICI /TH I N KSTOCK jointly designed rubrics for student assessment. Each team must coor- dinate across time zones using web- based collaboration tools, while integrating each student's knowl- edge of economics, management, and the social sciences. In the module's first run, 74 stu- dents representing 24 nationalities were presented with the question, "Why should and how can compa- nies contribute to the reduction of economic inequality in the world?" The teams then analyzed the real- world behavior of a handful of multinational companies and wrote reports that recommended the measures companies could adopt to alleviate global poverty. As part of the project, the teams created video progress reports and final presentations; individuals produced reflection papers and peer and self assessments. For the 2013–2014 challenge, teams recommended a range of solutions to global companies such as AT&T and GlaxoSmithKline. Their suggestions included creating more business models that incorpo- rate the poor as employees, doing more to influence the regulatory and policy environments in the mar- kets they serve, and adopting more transparent and accountable corpo- rate social responsibility initiatives. GIM offers students an oppor- tunity to work outside the "com- fort zone" of the classroom and immerse themselves in a problem that requires complex thought pro- cesses and personal interactions, says Anna Iñesta, director of edu- cational innovation. When students work in such a globally distributed virtual space, it can cause inevita- ble tensions among team members. But that's ultimately the point, says Iñesta. "The obligation of having to deal with these tensions enriches the team's learning experience," she says. To read about a similar virtual team project started at the Univer- sity of North Carolina at Greens- boro, read "Grassroots Innova- tion" on page 33. Fresh Alternatives Some of the innovations described in these pages are small; some are big. Some are extensions of tradi- tional activities, and some are fresh approaches. But at a time when business schools are under pressure to offer alternatives to traditional education, meet new mission-based accreditation standards, and help organizations set off in untested directions, all are examples of how today's business schools are taking the opportunity to lead the way.