The aim of this thesis is to contribute valuable input to the process of teaching in general. New ideas and teaching concepts are required due to fast changing educational circumstances. By developing a teaching concept that increases the involvement of students throughout the whole semester this thesis adds new ideas in the area of modern teaching. Professors, students and other members of the staff have been interviewed to find out what good teaching is about.
After gathering information and interpretation of the findings, the thesis describes teaching tools that fit into a new innovative teaching concept. Especially Hidden Champions show new ways to compete in a highly competitive market. Therefore the lecture, which is the basis of the whole concept, discusses these companies. They are extremely successful and mostly unknown by the general society. Hidden Champions and their factors for success are core topics of the thesis.
Furthermore, elements like a power point presentation and the way of using the teaching tools are described. The results of the thesis show that many issues in teaching are already at a high quality level, but there are many possibilities to add new ideas. The point of improvement the thesis works on is to continuously motivate students throughout the whole semester.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Basis for developing the teaching concept
2.1 The millennial generation
2.2 Circumstances at the University
2.3 Innovative teaching tools for the teaching concept
3 Hidden Champions - Departure to Globalia
3.1 Content of the book
3.2 Adjustments for the lecture
4 Teaching concept
4.1 Introduction into the teaching concept
4.2 Teaching notes
4.3 Teaching tools and further recommendations
5 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This master thesis aims to develop an innovative teaching concept that increases student engagement and motivation throughout the entire semester. The central research focuses on identifying teaching tools and pedagogical strategies that shift student focus from final exams to continuous learning while conveying practical business relevance.
- Analysis of the "Millennial" generation's learning characteristics and educational expectations.
- Investigation of teaching circumstances and faculty preferences at the university.
- Development of an innovative lecture series based on Hermann Simon's "Hidden Champions" framework.
- Integration of interactive teaching tools such as case studies, guest lectures, and gamified quizzes to improve student participation.
Excerpt from the Book
Slide 19 to 36 - Gain and enforce competitive advantage section
Slide number 19 shows four areas that Hidden Champions have a high level of competence in. The section headings are gain and enforce competitive advantage, innovation power, realize customer proximity and unique leadership. The slide serves as table of contents of the presentation and is repeated four times and the current section is always colored dark blue. This section starts with a video from Professor Hermann Simon. According to Tesar et al. (2013), videos have a high respect to reality and supplement the presentation in an interesting way. During this video, Simon calls Hidden Champions the vanguard of Globalia. He discusses Hidden Champions and points out why they are important and successful. This video supports the start into the section and gives students a short overview over the following topics. The main goal of this video is to strengthen the fact that Hidden Champions are successful and have high level of competence in different business areas. The video serves this purpose well.
There are four important factors to gain and enforce competitive advantage. These are focus, deepness, vision and continuous growth. On slide number 21 these factors are shown in circles. Market leadership is an important goal of Hidden Champions and this goal is reached through perfectness in each of these four areas.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Discusses the need for innovative teaching concepts due to changing educational demands and the importance of motivating students throughout the entire semester.
2 Basis for developing the teaching concept: Analyzes the characteristics of the millennial generation and evaluates university teaching circumstances through expert and student interviews.
3 Hidden Champions - Departure to Globalia: Details the core content of the lecture, based on Hermann Simon’s book, and explains how this content is adapted for a twelve-session lecture program.
4 Teaching concept: Provides specific teaching notes, lecture materials, and implementation recommendations for the proposed curriculum, including case studies and gamification tools.
5 Conclusion: Summarizes the key findings of the thesis and discusses potential for future research and continuous improvement in academic teaching methods.
Keywords
Hidden Champions, Globalia, Millennial generation, Innovative teaching, Student motivation, Case studies, Competitive advantage, Guest lectures, Gamification, Teaching tools, Lecture design, Higher education, Strategic management, Continuous learning, Knowledge transfer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary goal of this master thesis?
The primary goal is to develop an innovative teaching concept that successfully increases student motivation and active participation throughout the entire academic semester, rather than focusing solely on final examinations.
Which target group is addressed by this teaching concept?
The concept is specifically designed for the "Millennial generation," which represents the current demographic of university students, focusing on their specific values, learning styles, and expectations.
What central themes are covered in the proposed lecture series?
The lecture covers the "Hidden Champions" strategy, emphasizing competitive advantage, innovation power, customer proximity, unique leadership, and internationalization within the future global economy, termed "Globalia."
Which scientific methods were used in this research?
The author conducted literature research and performed extensive face-to-face interviews with professors and students to identify common educational preferences and areas for improvement in teaching.
What role do "Hidden Champions" play in this concept?
Hidden Champions serve as the practical, real-world subject matter that grounds theoretical knowledge and provides relevant business examples to make lectures more engaging and applicable for MBA students.
Which teaching tools are integrated into the concept?
The concept integrates five key tools: case studies, guest lectures, "Think-Pair and Share" exercises, "One-Minute" papers for reflection, and gamified quizzes to incentivize attendance and performance.
How does the concept address the "Less is more" principle in presentations?
Based on Jerry Weissmann's approach, the presentations minimize text on slides (max four bullet points) and use visual aids, boxes, and graphics to maintain student attention and clarity.
How does the concept attempt to mitigate student cheating in quizzes?
The author acknowledges cheating as a challenge and suggests that competitive elements, bonus points for exams, and clear rules are essential to encourage participation while minimizing dishonest behavior.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Roman Horschig (Autor:in), 2015, Developing an Innovative Teaching Concept: "Hidden Champions. Departure to Globalia", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/306638
