Abstract

Developed as an interdisciplinary collaboration, the project explores a group of students’ ability to collaborate, learn, and make a worthwhile contribution socially. By using the self-determined learning and experience of the ‘Team Academy’ (TA) model of learning, which is based on the Finnish Tiimiakatemii model of learning-by-doing, the students decided upon, designed, and delivered a project that engaged with and explored the Lincolnshire visitor economy. Engaging in a series of activities and workshops aimed at the leisure and tourism sector, students increased their attributes and skills as part of their learning process by focusing on practical skills before theoretical knowledge. The process was facilitated using a
Team Coaching approach in line with TA pedagogy. This promoted ‘ripple effect’ learning where learning did not stop with the students who engaged with stakeholders in a way that created a ‘community of practice’ at a County level.

Assessment, or defining ‘success’, is difficult to quantify as traditional forms of academic assessment do not necessarily acknowledge the student’s ability to demonstrate praxis –they may ‘know of’ but can they demonstrate ‘know-how’ and can they alter responses to accommodate complexity? This ability was monitored through the project. The project was
never intended to be an endeavour in the pursuit of academic excellence, rather it was an experiment in learning – does the passage through academic process alone equip students with attributes needed to be ‘mission ready’ in a complex world? We would argue that, in many cases, it does not and that currently we are not adequately equipped to assess this.