Developing a pedagogy for co-operative education in Australia

In 2016, University of Newcastle’s Faculty of Business and Law launched Australia’s first postgraduate program in co-operative management and organisation. The program responded to the findings of the Senate Economic Reference Committee’s Report on its Inquiry into Co-operative, Mutual and Member Owned Business in Australia (Commonwealth of Australia, 2016) that co-operatives were a neglected topic in University curricula and its recommendation that business and law programs should include topics on co-operatives and co-operative law. The Graduate Certificate in Co-operative Management and Organisation (GCCMO) and an MBA specialisation in Co-operatives and Social Enterprise Management (MBA Coop) offered three specialised co-operative courses, developed in collaboration with the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM). Unfortunately both programs were disestablished in 2021, due to a combination of low enrolment numbers and the economic impacts of the COVID19 pandemic. Our courses were designed using an action-learning pedagogy emphasising "learning by doing and self-reflection around learning and learning processes." The focus of the curricula was on the development of skills and knowledge to assist with the formation and governance of co-operative enterprise. The first part of this report summarises the achievements and impacts of four years of co-operative education. The second part of the report analyses student’s reflections on course design, content, and pedagogy.