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Academics > Unique Teaching Methods
Unique Teaching MethodsAt African Leadership Academy, all students will be exposed to
innovative teaching methods that help them become more effective leaders.
Discussion-Based Courses
All courses at African Leadership Academy are discussion-based. Visitors to our classrooms
are often surprised to find tables arranged in a circular fashion that allows all students to see
each other and converse – rather than a traditional classroom format with rows of tables facing an
instructor.
ALA faculty members are usually seated at the table. Our teachers see themselves as
discussion leaders rather than lecturers. They are guides in the learning process,
and they seek to draw out the varying perspectives of the young leaders seated with them. This
approach to learning gives each student the opportunity to hear and understand varying perspectives
on challenging issues.
A student cannot expect to be silent or passive in an African Leadership Academy classroom.
Instead, he or she will be actively engaged in the discussion-based learning process.
Guest Speakers
African Leadership Academy will welcome a wide range of prominent guest speakers from across
Africa and around the world throughout the year. Many will visit campus and speak with students in
our beautiful, on-campus auditorium. Others will meet virtually with groups of ALA students
via our top-of-the-line videoconferencing equipment.
ALA guest speakers are leaders and entrepreneurs from a wide range of backgrounds and
professions. They will come from the public, private, and social sectors. After giving a
lecture-style presentation, each speaker will take questions from students and engage in
discussion. Many of our guest speakers will stay on campus for a meal, giving students to interact
with them at a personal level.
Our speaker series demystifies the process of leadership for African Leadership Academy
students. Students will identify and debate the traits that make each leader effective, and will
discover role models as they begin their own leadership journey.
Case Learning Program
The ALA case learning program helps students see inside challenging situations and discover
role models. Students will read and discuss case studies on a wide range of leaders and
entrepreneurs from across the African continent and around the world.
Why case learning?
ALA case studies and accompanying classroom discussions offer rich opportunities to simulate
leadership. Students are challenged to “step into the shoes” of the protagonist and think about how
they would act when faced with a difficult leadership situation or a challenging entrepreneurial
hurdle. Case discussions reflect the reality of challenging situations, in which leaders must make
decisions in complex situations with limited or ambiguous information.
ALA case studies also expose students to a wide range of leadership styles, organizations,
sectors, industries, and responsibilities. As they work through case studies, students gain
information about a broad range of careers and the confidence to lead in a wide variety of roles.
Finally, case studies allow students to discover the traits of highly effective leaders and
identify role models who challenge and inspire them to “dream big.” ALA case studies make leaders
and entrepreneurs accessible to students at ALA and beyond.
Sample ALA Case: Wanja Michuki and the Highland Tea Company
This case is written about a female entrepreneur from Kenya who started a premium, fair trade
tea brand to bring Kenyan black teas to the global market.
To read the case,
click here. (482 kb, pdf)
To read the teaching note and learn how this case might be discussed in an ALA classroom,
click
here. (83 kb, pdf)
In 2006, this case was used in a classroom of students from across South Africa. To watch a
short video of students discussing their experience,
click here.
ALA case studies will be available for download on our
ALA Publishing website beginning
in late 2007.
Mentorship at ALA
Mentorship is central to the African Leadership Academy experience. Each ALA student will
have at least two mentors during their time on campus, including a community mentor and a faculty
mentor.
Community Mentors
Each African Leadership Academy student will be matched to a community mentor – a mid-career
African professional who shares the Academy’s values and is a leader on the continent. Community
mentors will be carefully screened and matched to students according to shared interests,
backgrounds, or goals. Mentors will take a genuine interest in the holistic development of the
student, providing guidance and one-to-one leadership coaching. Many mentorship relationships will
blossom into friendships that last long after the student has left the ALA campus.
Faculty Mentors
Faculty mentors will guide students in their academic pursuits at African Leadership Academy.
They will provide personal feedback and support for students, and help students choose their
A-level subjects and think about life beyond ALA. Each student’s faculty mentor is available on
campus throughout the ALA experience to discuss challenges the student is facing in his or her
academic or personal life.
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