Integrative Thinking Project

BOH4M & BBI2O

Grade 12 Business Leadership & Grade 10 Introduction to Business

Google Drive

Expectations

  • Foundations of Management
    • Evaluate the impact of issues related to ethics and social responsibility on the management of organizations.
  • Leadership
    • Demonstrate an understanding of group dynamics
    • Demonstrate an understanding of proper leadership techniques in a variety of situations
  • Management Challenges
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the communication process within the workplace
  • Planning & Controlling
    • Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate planning tools and techniques in a variety of situations
    • Analyse the relationship between strategic planning and the success of an organization

Integrative Thinking is a concept where a leader looks to combine multiple elements into a novel solution. It challenges managers to be open-minded about their business practices. Instead of choosing between two opposing views, integrative thinkers craft an ingenious solution featuring aspects of multiple systems (Martin, 2017). The process is collaborative, problem-based and project-based, key tenets of Understanding by Design (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013, p. 23).

Why was this unit created?

Table of Contents

Welcome

Introduction, Breakout Groups & Icebreaker

Self-Evaluate

Create Leadership Values & Share with Group

Explore

Team Teaching, Corporate Social Responsibility Lessons

Discuss

Coffee Chat with Expert & Ethical Decision-Making

Interact

Apply Integrative Thinking to Solve a Complex Problem

Refine

Clarify Ideas, Get Feedback from Experts & Pitch Solutions

Reflect

Debrief the Project, Assist Students in Retaining their Learning

Assessments

Leadership Philosophy, Group Case Study & Integrative Thinking Project

This unit in the Business Leadership course combines leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility with a passion product. When students work together on issues that matter to them, they become engaged and motivated. While there are some lessons, the teacher serves more as a guide on the side who provides direction about how to think (Sword, 2022). It is an Experiential Learning project that brings experts into the classroom to help students polish their ideas. Lastly, it permits the teacher to introduce current events into the curriculum.

Welcome

One Class

Introduction, Breakout Groups & Icebreaker

  • Period 01: Diversity in Leadership
    • Welcome students from both classes
    • Explain Integrative Thinking unit
    • Icebreaker Activity
    • Debrief/Reflect

Resources

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Value Diverse Perspectives

Students are placed in diverse groups by the teacher. The will be a mix of prior knowledge and learning styles. Some will be more comfortable with abstract reasoning than others. They enjoy problem-solving and creativity but may be unsure how to get started. Debating business ethics throughout the unit will help students develop their cognitive flexibility, an important executive function (Tough, 2012, p. 114). It will be challenging but when the teacher holds the class to high standards with constructive feedback, the students will improve their grit (Duckworth, 2016, p. 218).

Self-Evaluate

One Week

Create Leadership Values & Share with  Group

Resources

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Collaborate & Debate Ideas

After an icebreaker, two warmup activities help the groups learn to work together. Personal leadership philosophies lead to a statement of group values. After learning about the role of C.S.R. in business, the groups develop a plan for an ethical situation, with the help of research and a community business person. This unit suits the development stage of Grade 12 students. Eighteen year-olds are idealistic and have high capacity for empathy and insight. They are also able to express their own opinions and enjoy working with others (Vanbuskirk, 2022).

Explore

Two Classes

Team Teaching, Corporate Social Responsibility Lessons

Resources

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Share Teaching Expertise

Discuss

Two Classes

Coffee Chat with Expert & Ethical Decision-Making

  • Period 06: Introduce Case Study
  • Period 07: Practice Working Together
    • Discuss Information from Case & Coffee Chat
    • Evaluate the Ethical Dilemma
    • Summarize Group Solution

Resources

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The Integrative Thinking Project involves small lessons, work periods and discussions with a teacher. Teams select a problem in the community and research all of the causes. They use “empathy experiences” to put themselves in the shoes of the stakeholders in order to see their perspective. They evaluate the merit of diverse ideas and integrate them into one of three models (hidden gem, decomposition and double-down).

Interact

One Week

Apply Integrative Thinking to Solve a Complex Problem

Resources

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Student Exemplars

Refine

Two Classes

Clarify Ideas, Get Feedback from Experts & Pitch Solutions

  • Period 13: Proofread & Polish
    • Meet with Experts to Get Feedback
    • Prepare Pitches
  • Period 14: Pitch Day
    • Make Final Changes
    • Pitch to the Class
    • Submit Assessments

Resources

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Bring Experts into the Classroom

Reflect

One Class

Debrief the Project, Assist Students in Retaining their Learning

Resources

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The teacher is able to practice Differentiated Instruction by assessing continuously, responding to the needs of each learner and helping the teams build community (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013, p. 23). Assessment of all strands can take the form of a pitch or report. The exercise will conclude with a reflection to consolidate what the students learned about innovation.

Assessments

Assessments for Learning

Assessment as Learning

Assessment of Learning

Integrative Thinking Project (Instructions & Rubric)

Strands

  • Knowledge/Understanding
  • Thinking/Inquiry
  • Application
  • Communication

Moving Forward

Lessons Learned

Issues to monitor during the project include the following:

  • Structure: Although it is a passion project, some students have trouble getting started. Teachers can provide brainstorming or collaboration tips, worksheets & scaffolding based on the needs of their class.
  • Social Loafing: When group work is done virtually or in a hybrid class, it increases the chances that someone might not contribute their share of the workload. Explain the significance of the project & let students have agency. Circulate frequently & utilize an anonymous suggest box to ask questions & report problems.
  • Attention to Detail: Use the Assessment for Learning & Assessment as Learning to monitor the students’ knowledge of concepts & their critical thinking skills. Establish routines with small projects regarding the level of specific detail. Bringing experts into the classroom can inspire students to think deeply about the issues.

Next Steps

Changes that I have made since 2022:

  • Grade 10 Culminating: Integrative Thinking develops Global Competencies & entrepreneurship.
  • Thinking Classroom: Creating a space to foster collaboration.
  • Unplugging: Practice design thinking in engaging environments.

List of Works Cited

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Google Drive

Brock Bourgase