Distance Learning Master Classes for Professors and Staff Took Place at GSB
On December 10 and 24, 2020, regular master classes were held for lecturers and employees of Graduate School of Business. The purpose of the master classes was the exchange of experience of implementation of the distance learning format. These master classes are becoming a tradition of GSB as a response to the need for continuous improvement of skills of GSB lecturers in conducting classes in an online format.
On December 10, Academic Supervisor of the Master's Program ‘Strategic Management and Consulting’, Associate Professor of the Department of Strategic and International Management Mikhail Antropov shared with the audience of the master class his experience in organizing teaching in project teams and the methodology for preparing and conducting tests in the ‘Open book’ format. This format is used within the disciplines ‘Strategic Analysis’ of the ‘Strategic Management and Consulting’ programme and ‘Strategic thinking and strategic analyses’ of the ‘Investment Project Management’ programme.
During the master class, Mikhail Antropov spoke not only about applied teaching methods but gave them a psychological grounding. Its essence lies in the fact that a master's degree is a phase in the formation of professional identity and the formation of a willingness to work, assuming responsibility in the ego-state "Adult-Adult". It is the elimination of the dysfunctional habit of symbiotic relationships: ‘I am a child; you are a controlling or caring parent’. Master's students are not children, but adult partners in the education process. Therefore, Mikhail Antropov urged to transfer from supervisory control and a full assessment to the ‘Open book’ mode and self-assessment of works and the level of a master’s student himself.
On December 24, Valeria Ustinova, professor of practice at GSB, theatre educator, director of a series of audiobooks with leading actors of Moscow and St. Petersburg theatres ‘Echo of Heaven. Voice as therapy’ spoke within the master class on the topic ‘Voice and speech of a teacher as a resource for dialogue and self-adjustment’.
It's not a secret that online teaching requires additional resources from the teacher in order to ensure the engagement of an audience. Should a teacher become a showman? In the frames of the master class, Valeria Ustinova talked about the peculiarities of perception of the teacher's voice and image, also she shared with the audience of the master class the best practices of getting ready for online communication. The participants of the master class heard practical advice on how to work with the audience in the ‘black window’ mode (off cameras), how to prevent burnout of lecturers in conditions of long online work. The advice and practices presented by Valeria Ustinova were based on many years of personal experience working on stage, online, as well as on facts about the biological structure of a person and the features of the structure of organs responsible for speech.
We hope that the best practices demonstrated at the master class will be included in the ‘tool cases’ of the lecturers of the Graduate School of Business and will become their ‘faithful assistants’ not only in teaching classes online but also in the regular teaching format.