From Teaching to Self Learning – A Lesson from JKSHIM

Until recently MBA students at JKSHIM were being introduced to ERP through a vendor who represented a major commercial ERP. Teaching was done through classroom sessions. This year we have made a departure in introducing an open ERP through the courses, Enterprise Management I & Enterprise Management II. After the initial introduction to the various modules, student groups were assigned modules and asked to try out various features in their respective modules. The modules were to be filled with students' own hypothetical figures. Their experimentation with the modules were presented to the concerned faculty and fellow students. Having experimented with individual modules, student groups were next asked to look at how the activities of other modules impacted their own modules and visa versa. Such changes too were to be incorporated in the connected modules. This created a ripple effect in learning across different modules. In encouraging experimentation and initiative we shifted the focus from teaching to self-learning. The system of evaluation too had to be changed enitrely. The pace of learning of the various groups differed. Initially what they learned too were different across different groups, However there was a gentle competition between the groups. The faculty found that, not withstanding this competition, there was inter-group teaching and learning taking place. With the next batch of students we expect higher learning curve effects whereby the students embrace greater complexity and are able to use the ERP system even more imaginatively and comprehensively. It is interesting to note that all this was possible because this course had a Seminar format and hence the VTU system of external examiners did not have to be complied with in Enterprise Management I & II.