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Purpose: This paper describes the implementation of and lessons learnt with an action research project on management teaching and learning in a 21st century transitional university. The project focuses on the problem of how to elicit and shape students' tacit knowing for meta-innovation and is part of a drive to find a new identity for the newly merged comprehensive University of Johannesburg (UJ).Design/methodology/approach: The project under discussion focuses on an undergraduate module, Developing and Managing Innovation, presented by UJ since 2003 as part of the B.Com Intrapreneurial Management degree. This degree has been developed in the light of the recent requirements placed upon managers by the innovation era. Creating new knowledge is not simply a matter of processing objective information but rather of tapping tacit and often highly subjective insights, intuitions and hunches. To find ways to elicit and shape tacit knowing for meta-innovation, an extensive literature study was conducted and a model identified for this purpose. An action research spiral was constructed to validate the teaching and learning interventions. Findings:The paper presents a teaching and learning framework to build theory that is in accord with the African Ubuntu spirit. The framework supports students within powerful learning environments to develop meta-cognition skills by focusing not only on the acquisition of explicit knowledge, but also on ways to elicit and shape tacit knowing. Implications:A community of practice is the bedrock of powerful learning environments in which action and learning, improvisation and experimentation, tacit and explicit knowledge feed on each other to stretch the students' capacity for meta-innovation. This enables them to continually deploy their talents, knowledge, resourcefulness and creativity to best effect as managers and to transform their life and that of their business and of others. Originality/value:The innovative curriculum and instructional design model generated in this project will assist UJ and other universities in transition to become engaged 21st century universities of excellence that can meet the societal, cultural and economic needs and interests of the national transformative agenda, aimed at shared growth and wealth in Africa.

The Quechua Indians of the Peruvian Andes are an example of a human population which has developed special cultural adaptations to deal with hypocaloric stress imposed by a harsh environment. A highly detailed human ecosystem model, NUNOA, which simulates the yearly energy balance of individuals, families, and extended families in a hypothetical farming and herding Quechua conmunity of the high Andes has been developed. Unlike most population models which use sets of differential equations in which individuals are aggregated into groups, this model considers the response of each individual to a stochastic environment. The model calculates the yearly energy demand for each family based on caloric requirements of its members. For each family, the model simulates the cultivation of seven different crops and the impact of precipitation, temperature, and disease on yield. Herding, slaughter, and market sales of three different animal species are also simulated. Any energy production in excess of the family's energy demand is placed into extended family storage for possible redistribution. A family failing to meet their annual energy demand may slaughter additional herd animals, temporarily migrate from the community, or borrow food from the extended family storage. The energy balance is used in determining births, deaths, marriages, and resource sharing in the Indian community. In addition, the model maintains a V record of each individual's ancestry as well as seven genetic traits For use in tracing lineage and gene Flow. The model user has the opportunity to investigate the effect of changes in marriage patterns, resource sharing patterns, or subsistence activities on the ability of bhe human population to survive in the harsh Andean environment. In addition, the user may investigate the impact of external technology (improved medical facilities, agricultural aide, etc.

This paper describes how a public-private partnership bolsters the quality of a business learning programme aligned to South African national transformation imperatives. This regional learning programme, empowering adult learners working and learning in vineyards in rural South Africa, was initiated by a partnership between public institutions of higher learning, AgriSETA (Agriculture Sector Education and Training Authority) and, a regional private farm company and community in the Green Kalahari. To run this Public-Private Partnership Project, a stakeholder learning collaboration was formed consisting of community leaders, agriculture practitioners, farm managers, organised business and labour, pre-, un-and employed prospective learners and knowledge workers from professional bodies and higher education institutions ensuring the provision of contextualised quality education and training. By working together, the stakeholders created a sustainable innovative learning and work environment. The paper gives an account of how the beginning (programme development and review to contribute to the transformation of a particular target group) and end of the learning process (student assessment and success) had been planned, delivered, and quality assured by social dialogue and collaboration between social partners. It examined what have been the concrete achievements.