The innovative “Student in the Lead” (SitL) approach at the International Business School Maastricht transforms traditional education by placing students at the centre of their own learning journey. Responding to fast-changing global and educational demands, SitL replaces traditional exams with experiential, student-led learning. Students set personal objectives, work on real business challenges, and learn in mixed-level communities, supported by coaches. This paradigm shift redefines the lecturer’s role and fosters skills such as critical thinking and adaptability. Despite challenges in implementation, SitL empowers students to take ownership of their education, preparing them for complex global careers as globally minded business leaders.

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“There’s good news and there’s bad news, the good news is that we have no traditional exams. The bad news is … we have no traditional exams.” This is how we welcome prospective International Business students and their parents on our open days when they join an information session. The remark always leads to an initial sigh of relief, followed by puzzled looks of disbelief. If you don’t have exams, how do we know what we know? And how do our parents know what we know? A further explanation inevitably leads to chuckles of recognition amongst the parental crowd, who, from their own work experience understand one thing to be true; knowledge is best gained and retained in practical experience and what’s even more important is the ability to creatively and critically solve problems when they arise, accommodating all stakeholders involved. Not an easy feat, and not something that can be learned through textbooks. Or exams for that matter.

In our Student in the Lead (SitL) educational concept, we address the work field’s increasing need for graduates with real-world experience and fresh perspectives who take charge of their own learning.

The Need for Change

It all began during a team meeting in 2017, a moment that proved to be pivotal for us at the International Business School Maastricht (IBSM) of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, located in the south of the Netherlands. As we shared our thoughts, it became clear that the world was and is changing faster than ever. We identified three major drivers as to why a change was necessary. Firstly, knowledge is evolving at an unprecedented pace, driven by technological advancements, globalisation, and new business practices. Secondly, the new Dutch educational framework of international business programmes adopted a much bigger focus on skills and attitude, demanding lifelong learning skills of graduates with the ability to continuously attain the latest knowledge. And thirdly, the rise of digital platforms has led to a changed student profile, with them becoming more tech-savvy on the one hand, but also becoming more distracted because of it on the other. We realised that traditional teaching methods simply couldn’t keep up with these rapid shifts, nor could they equip students with the necessary skills to thrive in such a dynamic environment. It was a turning point that demanded action.

As a team, we came together to craft a shared vision rooted in flexibility and responsibility. We wanted to create a learning environment where students take ownership of their growth, stepping away from rigid, test-focused models. By placing students in the role of consultants, addressing real international business problems, they can immerse themselves in interdisciplinary collaboration. Through this process, they not only gain deeper knowledge but also develop essential skills like research-mindedness, critical thinking, and adaptability – skills that prepare them to excel in the fast-moving business world.

We built a dynamic educational framework designed to empower students. The entire transformation was driven by a multi-stakeholder approach, involving students, lecturers, industry professionals, and researchers. With a focus on feedback, collaboration, and continuous growth, our new didactical approach – Student in the Lead – was born.

The Student in the Lead didactical approach

SitL steps aside from passive student learning and creates an environment that gives students ownership and purpose in their learning. This model is built on six key elements: holistic and integrated learning, freedom and responsibility, community learning, personal guidance, experiential learning, and assessment as learning. SitL implies that allowing students to create their own learning path, promotes commitment and responsibility, instilling a sense of ownership, and drawing on students’ self-regulation abilities.

It is the students themselves who take the lead in connecting with real companies to find challenges to work on, following his/her own ambitions and interests. Based on this, each student creates their own set of individual learning objectives. To enhance knowledge sharing and collaboration skills, students learn in vertical communities consisting of peers ranging from those just beginning their academic journey with us to those nearing graduation, and all stages in between. Within their community, the student is structurally guided by coaches, providing them and their group with feedback to help them achieve the learning objectives they set, and in the end viewing assessment as a learning tool. Students build portfolios that include their professional products, feedback gathered and their overall learning journey. This journey is supported by various learning activities next to community learning, such as attending workshops and lectures, company visits, and industry lectures to name but a few. They gain in-depth knowledge and research skills by going through the problem-solving loop within each challenge. Throughout this process, students gain ownership of their education through experiential learning and develop essential skills for their future careers.

The Challenging Implementation of SitL

Our journey to fully implement the SitL approach began in September 2018 with the introduction of a semi-structured curriculum, marking the first step towards our innovative educational approach. By September 2019, we launched a flexible pilot allowing us to refine our methods and gather valuable feedback. The significant transition to a fully-fledged SitL approach occurred in 2021, revolutionising our educational framework.

Although all steps taken prior to 2021 paved the way for SitL, the final step of granting students the freedom to shape their own studies marked the most fundamental change, or even a paradigm shift. To understand this transformation, we can best compare traditional education and SitL in terms of ownership, authority, and organisation. Previously, education was characterised by a content-based approach, where small groups of lecturers collaborated to deliver knowledge. Lecturers held ownership over the content, operating within a top-down structure that emphasised their authority and expertise. Pride in the teaching role was evident, as lecturers perceived control over the transmission of knowledge and skills.

In contrast, SitL empowers students to take charge of their own learning process and requires lecturers to transition into a coaching role, facilitating learning rather than delivering content. This has meant that lecturers have had to undergo a significant change in their professional identity. Shared leadership and co-creation with students has meant that they have had to step down from their authoritarian roles as knowledge holders. Coaches have recognised the impossibility of predicting future knowledge needs and have instead prioritised student self-regulation, personal growth, and meaningful learning experiences.

IBSM accommodates a diverse student body and most students need time and guidance to adjust to SitL. Onboarding students, teaching them how to learn within the SitL system, and ensuring they have positive learning experiences from the start are important to help them embrace the completely different way of learning. Students appreciate the freedom to pursue their passions and understand how SitL helps them in developing the attributes needed to thrive in the future complex business world.

Looking Ahead for More Co-creation

Initiating this radical change required both courage and perseverance, alongside a learning and daring attitude. With our Student in the Lead approach, we believe to have created a robust and futureproof educational system designed to successfully face the unprecedented challenges of our era, such as technological disruption, societal change across industries, and climate change.

We see exciting opportunities for us to co-create with other business schools and act as future business educators to train the next generation of resilient business leaders with a global mindset. In a rapidly changing world, education must evolve to equip future business leaders with the skills and vision needed to navigate new challenges and opportunities, ensuring they can truly make the world a better place.