Action Lab - a team learning methodology integrating generations of learners

Purpose and goal

The project aims to develop the Action Lab (AL) methodology in a collaborative way between Volvo Group and Chalmers University of Technology. AL is a methodology for work-integrated learning for students, researchers, and professionals. The development of AL takes place in the context of purchasing & supply management and the goal is to create a method of team-learning that improves the matching between university education and the needs of industry and simultaneously accelerates competence development and lifelong learning.

Expected results and effects

The project result, the Action Lab (AL) methodology, will contribute to the renewal of educational collaboration and work-integrated learning at Chalmers. At Volvo Group it will serve as a new process for dynamically connecting business to education of and in teams, supporting continuous development and fostering an optimal relationship with universities. AL connects business challenges with state-of-the-art university learning and can address very specific problems within a single company setting or challenges on an industry, multi-company or regional/national scale.

Planned approach and implementation

Firstly, the state-of-the-practice in purchasing and supply management is focused and then the state-of-the-theory is addressed. Thereafter follows a concept mapping session to jointly create ideas and hypotheses. In four subsequent labs the students, professionals, and faculty together explore these ideas and test solutions before presenting suggestions indicating the allocation of resource to scale-up. AL is based on three mechanisms for learning: (1) experimental learning, (2) peer-learning and peer-to-peer learning, and (3) the generation of situated knowledge.