Identifying New Frontiers of Learning and Pedagogy

The science of pedagogy and learning in all realms of education is going through a transformative phase, with more change expected to be integrated into our learning environment due to mainstreaming and the development of transformative AI technology. As Generative AI and Large Language models (LLMs) gain acceptance in higher education and the workforce, we can confidently expect to see shifts in learning tasks, learning behavior, and performance outcomes. While we can see the short-term impact of using and adopting such tools in pedagogy, we are far from gaining a deeper understanding of their long-term impact on learning and pedagogy. More research is clearly needed to understand how transformative technologies, such as Generative AI, and innovative approaches to pedagogy, such as gaming, could be leveraged in education. These are very timely topics, and the Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education (DSJIE) is uniquely positioned to lead our understanding in this space. In addition to general submissions related to pedagogy in various business disciplines, we also encourage submissions that address novel and innovative approaches to learning in the context of Generative AI. Authors are encouraged to submit different types of submissions that elaborate on our current knowledge about the use of AI in education, teaching briefs, cases, etc. Particularly, we encourage authors to submit and share their teaching innovations through teaching briefs, studies that describe how modern AI can extend pedagogical experiences, integrate analytics in unique ways into the curriculum, etc. The 2024 fall issue of DSJIE begins with an empirical article by Price comparing a compressed-format course in economics to a traditional-format course that was taught in the summer. In “Effectiveness of Compressed Online Undergraduate Course,” the author presents findings from a research study to assess student performance in a compressed course based on different contexts, rigor, and perceived experiences. The study contributes in three important ways. First, it examines effort-based and master-based educational outcomes beyond the final grade to examine student performance. Second, the study controls for course rigor by analyzing outcomes on individual assessments. The study also compares a compressed 7-week summer course to a traditional 14-week summer course. The study focuses on a required course on the Principles of Microeconomics, where the same material from the 14-week course was condensed to create the 7-week course. T-tests were conducted to estimate if there was a statistical difference between the mean outcomes on student performance between the two-course lengths. A regression model was then used to perform on the final grades while controlling for observable characteristics of students. These two methods were used to examine the average difference in the outcomes of a compressed 7-week summer course compared to the traditional 14-week summer course. Then anonymous and aggregated student evaluations were used to examine the perceptions or experiences of the students in these courses. Students were offered small amounts of extra credit for completing the online feedback form. The results indicated no statistical difference in mean scores between courses on effort-based assessments. Similarly, the results indicated no statistical difference in mean scores between courses on effort- and mastery-based assessments. The study concludes with an understanding of the impact of compressed courses on student performance. The remainder of this issue of DSJIE offers three teaching briefs with experiential class exercises on teaching systems thinking: a role-playing game, and Blockchain technology in supply chain management. Guthrie presents a teaching note for a project called Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Thinking, which is designed to introduce students to systems thinking for sustainability in “Teaching systems thinking for sustainable development in business schools: A hands-on project using the online news.” Their approach presents five phases of the student learning journey: (1) find and frame the problem, (2) tell the story, (3) model the systemic problem, (4) look for leverage points, and (5) design a multi-stakeholder strategy for systemic action. The author provides PowerPoint templates, brief instructions to help structure the project, a checklist to auto-evaluate the quality of the model, instructions on how to use the social matrix, and a grading rubric. Data were collected from MBA students to evaluate learning outcomes. Students were asked to reflect on their learning experience. Results showed evidence that training provided statistically significant improvement in mechanics-related skills. Overall, student perceptions of the effectiveness and utility of the project were extremely positive. This project can be adapted for use in any business course at either the undergraduate or graduate level to help prepare students for effective communication and presentation in virtual contexts. Readers teaching supply chain management use a role-playing game using TagScan to teach information flow developed by Wang and Enstroem in “Teaching Information Flow in Supply Chains: A role-Playing Game Using TagScan.” Undergraduate students in a supply chain management course use an augmented reality barcoding and logistics system to track information throughout the game. The purpose of the role-playing game is to involve students in a simulated scenario to understand the types of information being tracked, from receiving a customer order to delivering the customer order. The authors provide materials needed for the classroom setting, the game scenario, and student feedback. The game is played in groups where the students assume roles such as Sales Office, Warehouse, Assembly Center Shipping Department, and Destination. Pre- and post-survey results demonstrate the effectiveness of the game. Survey results indicated that most students found the role-playing game fun as they their understanding of (i) information flows within supply chains, (ii) types of information that is tracked in the supply chain, (iii) information flow dynamics, and (iv) available technologies for tracking information flows in the supply chain. The article's supplemental files provide student instructions for the role-playing game. The last teaching brief in this issue of DSJIE also contributes to supply chain management education. In “Blockchain Technology in the Supply Chain Management Classroom: Proof of Attendance Protocols,” Dreyfus presents an exercise that uses Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAPs) and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to introduce blockchain technology. The students are given an engaging and active learning opportunity in blockchain technology by using POAPs. The author provides guidelines for the instructor to create a POAP and then steps on how to distribute the POAP to the students. A glossary of blockchain-related terms to introduce the technology is also provided. An assessment of the activity was conducted in two parts. First, a survey was given to MBA and undergraduate business students during the first week of the semester. A second survey was conducted after the POAP was used. Student surveys showed a significant change in their knowledge of blockchain technology and how it may be used in supply chain management. Increases of 34% - 49% between the first and second surveys indicated significant improvements in learning about blockchain technology in the supply chain. A complete set of teaching materials can be found in the article's supporting information at the end of the article.