Examining Adaptations in Case Study Development to Enhance Participant Centred Learning in Management Education

About the project

About the Project The University places a significant value on collaboration in learning and Worcester Business School, like other schools across the University, has built its strong reputation as a learning community invested in management education, on the delivery of opportunities for learning through collaboration and participation, working and co-creating with students. For more than 100 years, the case study method lies at the very heart of participant centred learning and has been adapted widely for use in management education across all scholarly levels, and within business schools and management centres across all continents. This research proposal focusses on examining contemporary adaptations to the case method as a pedagogical tool for participant centred learning in a post-covid context, which extends its use to embrace learning in online and hybrid/hyflex contexts as well as in face-to-face delivery. The research proposes to evaluate the impact of these adaptations to teaching and learning in management education and including professional education. One specific area of examination for this research would be how future digital case studies could be designed, especially when employed in highly interactive and immersive learning environments such as Virtual Reality (VR). Supervisory team Director of Studies: Dr Scott Andrews, Participant Centred Learning Research Group, Worcester Business School, University of Worcester Supervisors: Dr Scott Andrews and Dr Sajad Rezaei, Participant Centred Learning Research Group, Worcester Business School, University of Worcester Research Group: Participant Centred Learning in Management Education (ParCeL) Research Group Application Process To begin the application process please go to https://www.worc.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/applying-for-a-phd/ . The Interview All successful applicants will be offered an interview with the proposed Supervisory Team. You will be contacted by a member of the Doctoral School Team to find a suitable date. Interviews can be conducted in person or over Microsoft Teams. Funding your PhD For information about Doctoral Loans please visit: https://www.worc.ac.uk/study/fees-and-finance/doctoral-loans.aspx During your PhD you can access the Research Conference Support Scheme to support the costs of presenting your research at an external conference. Research at the University of Worcester Research is central to the University’s mission to make a difference in everything that we do. We are committed to delivering excellent research which extends the boundaries of human knowledge but which also improves people’s lives by enabling better health outcomes, improving food security, developing environmentally sustainable solutions for crop production and socially sustainable solutions to our ageing population, enhancing public knowledge and understanding of the past and present. The University hence focuses its research around five high-level challenges facing society, locally, nationally and globally: Human Health and Wellbeing Sustainable Futures Digital Innovation Culture, Identity and Social Exclusion Professional Education The success of our research is reflected in our continuous improvement in external research assessment processes. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework, REF 2021, the University saw a near 50% increase in the scale of its research and 12% increase in quality, building on its performance in REF 2014 when it was the UK’s most improved university in terms of Research Power, a combination of scale and quality. Research Degrees at Worcester Our research students are central to our overall mission for research. They are working at the cutting edge of their disciplines and driving forward the quality of our research whilst enriching our research culture. We are looking to increase our research student numbers as a strategic imperative. Our commitment to our students is reflected in the results of the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2023 in which we ranked 3 rd for overall research student satisfaction nationally. Key to our success in his area is the Doctoral School, a focal point for all our research students. It provides: day-to-day support for our students, both administrative and practical, through our dedicated team a Research Student Study Space with both PCs and laptop docking station a comprehensive Researcher Development Programme for students and their supervisors a programme of student-led conferences and seminars Participant Centred Learning in Management Education Research Group Participant Centred Learning in Management Education Research Group vision is to promote participant centred learning in management education through impactful collaborative research focussing on how we understand and deliver impactful teaching and learning in management education and how new signature pedagogies are emerging to re-imagine learner development in new management contexts. The main area of focus for this group examines complex pedagogical questions involving learning, approaches to management education and the learner experience. Widening Participation As part of its mission statement the University is committed to widening participation for its higher degrees. Although most candidates will have an undergraduate and/or a Masters degree, the University is happy to accept applications from candidates with relevant professional qualifications and work related experience. For further information or an informal discussion on this project, please contact Dr Scott Andrews (Director of Studies) via email at s.andrews@worc.ac.uk

Research areas