Inviting industry contacts or guest presenters into your course
Encouraging an authentic & active learning environment
Introduction
Learning Context
Inviting an industry contact, or guest speaker, into your learning space can provide an important experience for students. These people expose students to real-world experiences and varied workplace contexts so that they experience the insights and perspectives of experts in their field of expertise (Riebe et al., 2013).
Strategies to Invite Industry Contacts or Guest Presenters
Ask an RMIT specialist to help you source the contact:
- Obtain industry contacts through RMIT’s Industry Engagement Unit
- Obtain European industry online projects through RMIT Europe
- Connect students to industry projects worldwide through Riipen
Hone your selection:
- Select a speaker/contact who is credible
- Ensure the guest lecturer/industry contact fits into the flow of the class (the topic covered by the guest lecturer, is consistent with what that is being taught to students in the course)
- Brief the speaker/industry contact
- Ask them to use personal examples or narratives
- Seek feedback from students on the value of the guest lecture/industry contact
Obtain Industry Contacts through the Industry Engagement Unit
The objective of RMIT’s College of Business Industry Engagement Unit is to help provide industry engagement to improve student experience outcomes, by embedding industry and enterprise throughout the student journey, and by supporting academics to connect to industry for teaching and research. They can connect you with industry, including alumni, to provide guest lecturers, industry challenges, partner for WIL projects and mentors. The team can also support you to deliver industry events, campaigns and communications
Use the contact form to help the Industry Engagement Unit understand your requirements and a member of the team will be in touch with you shortly.
Use RMIT Europe
Through RMIT Europe, you have a vehicle for connecting students with European industry online projects.
How does it work?
1. Brief RMIT Europe on your needs
Provide RMIT Europe with an understanding of the key information about your course, the profile of your students and the type of project you’re seeking. Working in small groups, they aim to have your students meeting a client online at regular, pre-determined intervals, and present the deliverable at the end of the semester.
2. Your students will work on authentic projects with international clients
Students will gain valuable experience in managing remote projects and clients, which they can certify by completing the RMIT micro-credential, Working with global clients online.
3. Receive ongoing support from the RMIT Europe team
We support you to develop your project brief, source and connect you with our European industry contacts who can provide suitable projects for your students, and support with the implementation of the project as required.
Obtain Guest Lectures from European Industry and Alumni for Canvas Content
How does it work?
1. Brief RMIT Europe on your needs for a guest lecture from industry
We leverage our network of industry and alumni leaders in Europe. The guest lectures can be anything from two-minute insights through to 30-minute presentations – all recorded and packaged up for you to embed in Canvas.
2. Your students hear from experts in Europe
You can diversify the online content you deliver to your students and complement your lecture materials with alternative perspectives from the global marketplace.
3. A packaged video is delivered ready for you to embed in Canvas
All you need to do is provide us an overview of the topic/format you would like an industry or alumni leader to speak about. We support the delivery of the video content – from liaising with the partner on the video recording format through to packaging it up into the format you require for Canvas.
Your contact for European industry online projects and guest lectures
Dimity Hyde
Global Experience Advisor
RMIT Europe
Connect Students to Projects Worldwide through Riipen
RMIT subscribes to Riipen, a platform which hosts ‘projects’ from industry worldwide. The projects are described by industry and you can choose the one/s groups from your class may be interested in. You can also describe the type of project you are interested in, and see whether any of the businesses respond. Again, students have live interaction with the businesses while they undertake the projects. Allow an average of about six weeks to line up a project.
Your contact for the Riipen platform
Howard Errey
Snr Learning Designer,
Global Experience
References
Riebe, L., Sibson, R., Roepen, D. and Meakins, K. (2013). Impact of Industry Guest Speakers on Business Students’ Perceptions of Employability Skills Development. Industry and Higher Education, 27(1), pp.55-66.
