Quality management

Innovator: Brikene Dionizi,  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brikenedionizi/

Organisation: University of Shkoder

Setting of the practice: hybrid

Description of the practice:

One of the subjects I teach at the University of Shkoder "Luigj Gurakuqi" , Economic Faculty Quality Management during the 4th semester of Bachelor Studies of Business Administration. The students have access to hardcopy texts and supplementary materials for discussions, questions, and case studies. A significant component of my teaching approach involves lab work, where students research international best practices on the topic. While I provide them with specific website resources, they’re also encouraged to undertake individual research. Subsequently they delve into local contexts, investigating how businesses in the region implement quality management practices. As they conduct this on-the-ground research, students prepare assignments using Microsoft teams, a platform supported by our institution since covid time. Within our digital classroom, students actively engage in discussions with both their peers and me. 

Once they’ve submitted their work, they can showcase their findings, engage in discourse, and address questions from classmates. After these presentations, they receive feedback and evaluation for their semester’s efforts.

While not every student participates equally in every stage, this format ensures everyone has the chance to engage at their own comfort level. Both online and in-person discussions facilitate involvement, fostering individual professional development for each student.

This teaching practice is a comprehensive approach designed to address the following challenges in the realm of Quality Management:

    Lack of practical application

    Diverse learning preferences

    Need for real-world connection

    Developing research and communication skills

    Personal and professional growth

    Adopting digital transformation.

The practice employes a blend of traditional and modern teaching methods, ensuring that students get e holistic and multifaceted education in Quality Management. The methods embedded within the practice are as follows:

    Lectures using hard copy texts

    Case study approach    

    Guided and independent online research

    Field research

    Collaborative digital assignments

    Peer feedback

    Flexible engagement

    Formative and summative evaluations

    Blended learning.

In essence the innovative nature of this practice lies in its blending of traditional and modern methods, practical and theoretical approaches, and individual and collaborative work. The practice offers a holistic approach combining traditional methods with digital tools. It is very important for me to direct students to investigate local business practices to bridge the gap between international best practices and local implementation. More than 90% of the Albanian businesses are SMEs and sometimes is very difficult for students to identify quality management practices, especially for small businesses. This is an issue much discussed, and it makes students comprehend the importance and applicability of theoretical knowledge even in small businesses. They understand the quality management is implemented in top international companies but there are a lot of practices suitable also to be implemented in small scale in local businesses. Flexibility in engagement aims to potentially boost overall engagement by recognizing that students have varied comfort levels and allowing them to engage accordingly respecting individual learning preferences.

This teaching method, which combines theory, online research, field research, and digital collaboration, can be adapted to teach various subjects, not just Quality Management. The methodology is suitable for any subject that benefits from both theoretical and practical insights. And while Microsoft Teams is utilized in this practice, the approach could be transferred to other collaborative platforms or tools as they evolve or become more appropriate for specific institutional needs. The practice can also be scaled to larger classes or even to massive online open courses (MOOCs), given the digital tools involved. And while described for bachelor’s students, the practice can be modified for postgraduate students or even professionals in continuous learning programs.