Abstract:

This paper shares the story of how Business 101 and 102 (two large first-year and previously most paper-intensive business courses) removed all paper-based activities from their team-based learning/flipped classroom sessions for a cohort of 2300 students. It will outline the rationale, planning, implementation and results of this shift, acknowledging both the trials and tribulations of the process that ultimately saw the teaching and technical team involved win a Vice Chancellor’s Sustainability Award at the institution currently ranked as the number one most sustainable in the world in the Times Higher Education rankings. The paper will address the environmental impact of Business 101 and 102 prior to a shift to paperless classrooms, and will outline the significant improvements ultimately made with regard to each of the three pillars of sustainability – Economic, Social and Technological as a result of this shift. The paper will begin by outlining the pedagogic context in which Business 101 and 102 are embedded, and will then explain the impetus for change in the broader context of the logistical and technical challenges posed by an undergraduate cohort in excess of 2000 students. It will highlight our desired outcomes and the considerations that needed to be factored into managing the change process with regard to those outcomes, namely, maintaining quality standards and student and staff experiences in as seamless a manner as possible while embedding innovative substitutes for traditional processes. The paper highlights the use of both technological and non-technological methodologies to combat climate change by reducing carbon footprint of approximately 8.30 metric tons of C02e per year to almost zero which involved a significant paradigm shift. Timelines will be discussed with respect to planning, piloting and implementing the shift. Finally, this paper will report on the hurdles faced, unexpected consequences encountered and ultimate results of the shift before concluding with future plans and directions for continued innovation and improvement in the pursuit of enhanced undergraduate experiences in Business education.

Keywords:

Innovation, technology, Paperless, Team-Based Learning, Flipped Classroom.