Course number: HROB101 Management of Contemporary Organizations Interactive, Collaborative, Engaging

Reflection on Instructional Change:

One practice from the ACUE course that I implemented was using groups to ensure active learning. To apply this practice, I designed an activity around the topic of equity theory in motivation. I began with a short, interactive lecture introducing the theory’s main concepts and engaged students by asking how they would respond to specific workplace situations involving perceived inequities. I then divided the class into small groups and assigned two short case studies for team analysis. Each group discussed the cases, developed answers to the guiding questions, and then two teams presented their findings to the class. Other teams provided feedback and additional insights. I took these steps to ensure that students were not only learning theoretical content but also applying it collaboratively and critically—an essential part of fostering deeper engagement and understanding through active participation.

Implementing this group-based active learning practice significantly enhanced both student engagement and comprehension of the material. Students were visibly more invested in the discussion, and their analyses reflected a stronger grasp of how equity theory applies to real-world workplace dynamics. During the debrief, several students commented that working in teams helped them “see the same problem from multiple perspectives” and that “talking through the case made the theory easier to understand.” The quality of student responses also improved; for instance, reflections demonstrated more nuanced understanding of fairness, motivation, and leadership challenges. Overall, the activity encouraged students to delve deeply into the concept, sparked a lively exchange of ideas, and fostered collaborative learning environment.

My participation in the Faculty Learning Community (FLC) activities played an important role in shaping how I implemented this practice. The collaborative discussions on active learning strategies and the demonstrations of peer facilitation techniques were particularly influential. These experiences helped me recognize the value of structured group work—not simply as a way to increase participation, but as an effective approach to deepen conceptual understanding and promote student accountability. To ensure purposeful learning, I redesigned the course using the backward design framework. I aligned activity-level learning goals with class learning goals, which in turn align with module and overall course learning goals. This semester, I also developed a jigsaw learning activity on job performance. Students were highly engaged, and I am now incorporating this activity into my course assessments and syllabus. Although I have been allowing students more time for note-taking, I plan to introduce additional note-taking strategies in the future. Overall, the techniques I learned through the Promoting Active Learning course have proven highly effective, and I am eager to continue refining and applying them in my classes.

During my "Observe and Analyze Session" with colleagues, one key takeaway was the importance of allowing students more time to process information during mini-lectures. My colleagues suggested giving students additional time to take notes and to ask or answer questions, which can enhance comprehension and engagement. Another valuable insight was the benefit of encouraging other teams to provide feedback to the team leading the discussion. This not only fosters a more collaborative learning environment but also promotes active listening and peer-to-peer learning. Overall, the session helped me recognize that creating more space for reflection and interaction during class can significantly deepen students’ understanding and participation.

**Evidence of Instructional Change**
Using Groups to Ensure Active Learning Using the “Using Groups to Ensure Active Learning” teaching technique, I designed an activity to teach the concept of equity theory in motivation. I began with a short lecture introducing the key principles of the theory, during which I asked students guiding questions to elicit their opinions on how they might respond to various workplace situations involving perceived inequities. Following the mini-lecture, students were divided into small teams and given two short case studies to analyze. Each team worked collaboratively to discuss the cases and answer the accompanying questions. Afterward, two teams volunteered to present their analyses of each case to the class, while two additional teams provided feedback and supplementary insights. To conclude, we connected the discussion to real-world experiences and examined the leader’s role in addressing issues of motivation and fairness in organizational contexts. This group-based approach promoted active engagement, peer learning, and the practical application of theoretical concepts.	Using the Active Learning Cycle Using the Active Learning Cycle, I implemented the tower exercise to demonstrate the punctuated equilibrium model of team development. Students were divided into small groups and tasked with building the tallest free-standing structure possible within ten minutes, following a five-minute planning session. They were provided only paper and tape as materials. Each group had an assigned observer whose role was to complete an observation sheet detailing the team’s planning process, individual member roles, communication patterns, coordination methods, and overall teamwork dynamics. After the activity, we conducted a debriefing session where teams reflected on their process and challenges. I then facilitated a discussion connecting their experiences to the punctuated equilibrium model, highlighting how periods of stability and sudden bursts of change were reflected in their teamwork behaviors. We then apply the concept to the workplace and discuss implications to workplace examples.	Sac State AL_Shao.pdf I am truly grateful for the opportunity to take part in the ACUE Promoting Active Learning course. It has been exciting to see how much students have enjoyed learning actively through collaborating with their teams, the instructor, and their peers.

Practice and Reflect on: A3 Implementation_ReflectionGuide.pdf

Course Syllabus

HROB101 Tyra Shao FtF syllabus.pdf

Faculty Bio

Faculty Biography
	Dr. Shao is a Professor of Management at California State University, Sacramento. She is also the EMBA Program Faculty Director. She earned an MBA degree from the University of Sheffield in England, and a Ph.D. in Management degree from Drexel University. Her primary research interest lies in examining leadership processes in organizations. Her scholarly works appear in journals such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Human Relations, Leadership Quarterly, International Journal of Stress Management, Journal of Vocational Behavior and Journal of Business Research. Dr. Shao has taught various organizational behavior, leadership, and human resource management courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and executive levels. She has chaired MBA theses and supervised MBA and undergraduate students’ independent studies. She is a recipient of the university’s Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activities Award, and a number of teaching awards. Dr. Shao has created, facilitated, and instructed at a variety of management and executive level training and development seminars. Additionally, she has successfully delivered consulting projects for a variety of organizations ranging from small for-profit to large governmental organizations.

Sponsors
	This work was supported by: National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM Zone DUE 1832335 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project Degree with a Purpose P031S210061 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.