The Business of Learning


Book Description







The Case Study Companion


Book Description

The Case Study method of teaching and learning, adopted by business schools and management centres globally, provides an important function in management education, but employing it effectively can often be a challenge. This book provides practical insights, tools and approaches for both case teaching and writing, drawing on perspectives from expert practitioners around the world. This book aims to critically examine different approaches to using case studies in group-based, participant-centred learning environments, exploring good practices for case teaching and learning. It provides guidance for case writers on various approaches to structuring case data, presentational formats, and the use of technology in the construction of different types of cases. It also demonstrates the use of the case method as a tool for assessment, supporting students’ own development of cases to showcase good practice in organisations. The final section of this book showcases some of the resources available, providing links and reviews of additional material that can support future case teaching and writing practice, including publication. The Case Study Companion is designed for lecturers using cases within their teaching across all management disciplines, as well as those training for Professional Development and Management Education qualifications. It will also be useful for postgraduate, MBA and Executive Education students wanting to make the most of case studies in their learning and assessments.




Developing a Business Case


Book Description

How do you decide on the best course of action for your company to take advantage of new opportunities? By building a business case. This book provides a framework for building a business case. You'll learn how to: Clearly define the opportunity you'll want to address in your business case Identify and analyze a range of alternatives Recommend one option and assess its risks Create a high-level implementation plan for your proposed alternative Communicate your case to key stakeholders




Too Big to Ignore


Book Description

Residents in Boston, Massachusetts are automatically reporting potholes and road hazards via their smartphones. Progressive Insurance tracks real-time customer driving patterns and uses that information to offer rates truly commensurate with individual safety. Google accurately predicts local flu outbreaks based upon thousands of user search queries. Amazon provides remarkably insightful, relevant, and timely product recommendations to its hundreds of millions of customers. Quantcast lets companies target precise audiences and key demographics throughout the Web. NASA runs contests via gamification site TopCoder, awarding prizes to those with the most innovative and cost-effective solutions to its problems. Explorys offers penetrating and previously unknown insights into healthcare behavior. How do these organizations and municipalities do it? Technology is certainly a big part, but in each case the answer lies deeper than that. Individuals at these organizations have realized that they don't have to be Nate Silver to reap massive benefits from today's new and emerging types of data. And each of these organizations has embraced Big Data, allowing them to make astute and otherwise impossible observations, actions, and predictions. It's time to start thinking big. In Too Big to Ignore, recognized technology expert and award-winning author Phil Simon explores an unassailably important trend: Big Data, the massive amounts, new types, and multifaceted sources of information streaming at us faster than ever. Never before have we seen data with the volume, velocity, and variety of today. Big Data is no temporary blip of fad. In fact, it is only going to intensify in the coming years, and its ramifications for the future of business are impossible to overstate. Too Big to Ignore explains why Big Data is a big deal. Simon provides commonsense, jargon-free advice for people and organizations looking to understand and leverage Big Data. Rife with case studies, examples, analysis, and quotes from real-world Big Data practitioners, the book is required reading for chief executives, company owners, industry leaders, and business professionals.




Teaching with Cases


Book Description

Case method teaching immerses students in realistic business situations--which include incomplete information, time constraints, and conflicting goals. The class discussion inherent in case teaching is well known for stimulating the development of students' critical thinking skills, yet instructors often need guidance on managing that class discussion to maximize learning. Teaching with Cases focuses on practical advice for instructors that can be easily implemented. It covers how to plan a course, how to teach it, and how to evaluate it. The book is organized by the three elements required for a great case-based course: 1) advance planning by the instructor, including implementation of a student contract; 2) how to make leading a vibrant case discussion easier and more systematic; and 3) planning for student evaluation after the course is complete. Teaching with Cases is ideal for anyone interested in case teaching, whether basing an entire course on cases, using cases as a supplement, or simply using discussion facilitation techniques. To learn more about the book, and to see resources available, visit teachingwithcases.hbsp.harvard.edu.




Learning with Cases


Book Description




The Business Case for AI


Book Description

AI is much more than a sexy marketing gimmick. At its core, it’s a powerful business tool that can make operations more efficient, employees more productive, and customers delighted. Unfortunately, leaders who want to take advantage of AI often don’t know where to start. The process can feel overwhelming—from choosing where to apply AI to preparing every tier of the organization for the transition. In this practical guide for business leaders, Kavita Ganesan takes the mystery out of implementing AI, showing you how to launch AI initiatives that get results. With real-world AI examples to spark your own ideas, you’ll learn how to identify high-impact AI opportunities, prepare for AI transitions, and measure your AI performance. Simple and compelling, The Business Case for AI gives leaders the information they need without the technical jargon. Whether you want to jumpstart your AI strategy, manage your AI initiatives for better outcomes, or simply find inspiration for your own AI applications, The Business Case for AI is your blueprint for AI success. Topics covered include: -Real-World AI Use Cases -What's AI in Business -The B-CIDS: The 5 pillars of AI preparation (or readiness) -The Jumpstart AI Approach -The HI-AI Discovery Framework -Measuring AI Success And more throughout the book…




Professional Practice in Learning and Development


Book Description

Professional Practice in Learning and Development guides learning and development professionals and students in designing and delivering effective people development in the modern organization. It is a core text for those studying for learning and development qualifications such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Intermediate level, and a useful handbook for those in learning and development roles looking to develop their understanding of the latest developments facing the profession. With a particular focus on digital, blended and social learning it will help you deliver more for less. Starting with an introduction to learning and development, it shows how to make the business case for activities, use metrics to demonstrate the value add, and engage the right stakeholders. Drawing on the latest research, Professional Practice in Learning and Development highlights the new opportunities made available to the learning and development practitioner by technology, new media and the networked world in which we live. It looks at approaches to helping people learn and how to develop tailored solutions. Case studies and reflective questions develop skills in facilitating collaborative learning, working in teams, and communicating effectively with all stakeholders. This book also equips you to measure and communicate the value of the programmes and, drawing on insights from neuroscience, demonstrates some practical new tools for engaging learners to improve the effectiveness of their work. Online supporting resources include multiple-choice questions and answers for each chapter.




How to Plan and Manage an E-learning Programme


Book Description

This book looks at the practical steps that need to be taken to create the infrastructure for an e-learning initiative. The implications for adopting new learning strategies or delivery methods are far reaching and usually require major developmental input. The book is suitable for those responsible for managing e-learning schemes such as human resource and IT managers, managers of learning resource centtres and team leaders.