Ajax Persaud: Enhancing classroom exchanges

Ajax Persaud

Professor Ajax Persaud has taught many business courses ranging from finance to organizational behaviour to marketing. However, his most popular offering is a fourth-year course on digital marketing technologies, which deals with how businesses use cutting-edge technologies to better understand and serve their customers.

Rather than simply dispensing a mass of dry material, Persaud's aim is to nurture the lively atmosphere that shaped his own undergraduate experience in the Caribbean. His students are fascinated by the subject and find that the most compelling exchanges are the ones that take place in his classroom.

“I do not have a monopoly of knowledge,” Persaud tells his students by way of introduction. There are only three rules,” he explains. “First, there are absolutely no friends in academic discussion. Secondly, you say things that are defensible; they must never be personal, and thirdly, learning is fun.”

Persaud believes fervently in the value of a setting where students feel free to criticize and express ideas without personal reprisal. And he has made believers out of many of his students, too. Their comments played a large part in Persaud becoming one of the recipients of a 2005 Excellence in Education prize.

The award recognizes an instructor’s outstanding work in the classroom, which is complemented by similarly accomplished research activities. In Persaud’s case there was plenty to present in both categories.

Persaud has taught a number of courses in the emerging field of electronic business, reflecting his more general interest in technology. He has explored the potential of various educational technologies, making skilled use of those that further his goals. He makes extensive use of systems such as electronic discussion forums, and has even taught entire courses online, a prospect that is daunting for many people.

“I evaluate technology from a pedagogical point of view, asking how it enhances the learning experience for everyone involved,” Persaud says.

Toward that end Persaud recently received grants from the School of Management and the Centre for University Teaching to integrate Web-based technologies into his courses. He is planning to use the education prize money to create an online community for students, faculty, alumni, and visitors of the University of Ottawa to generate and share knowledge. The ultimate goal of the community is to be the spawning ground for innovative ideas. At the same time, he is part of the multi-university, interdisciplinary team making up the Ontario Research Network for Electronic Commerce, which is examining the interaction between information technology, business, and law.

“My key interest is in how technologies are developed, how they are used by organizations and individuals,” Persaud says. “What impact does it have on people’s lives?”

As for the impact of this award on his own educational outlook, Persaud adds that he was pleasantly surprised to receive it. He notes that since he arrived at the University a few years ago, he would have expected such a distinction to go to someone with a greater length of service. The fact that he won speaks volumes to the emphasis on a candidate’s overall qualifications.

“It is about excellence in what you are doing,” Persaud concludes.