learning to learn
- 1. LEARNING TO LEARN Prior Knowledge Intellectual Capital Managing Intellectual Assets Morality of Teaching
- 2. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE (Article by Svinicki) Word Association - “Cardinal” Jargon - no prior experience with words Student goal - incorporate new information into existing memory
- 3. INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL (Article by Stewart) Intangible assets of skills, knowledge, and information. How do you operate and evaluate a business when knowledge is its chief resource and capital? Intellectual assets are valuable.
- 4. MANAGING INTELLECTUAL ASSETS (Article by Stewart) 1. Define the role of knowledge in a business 2. Assess competitors’ strategies and knowledge assets. 3. Classify your portfolio - what do you have? 4. Evaluate - what is it worth? 5. Identify gaps. 6. Assemble knowledge portfolio. 7. Repeat Steps 1-6 ........
- 5. LEARNING TO LEARN (Article by Boehrer) Is teaching more than the conveying knowledge? Can teachers teach anybody anything? What is the difference between knowledge and knowing ? Recommendations Learning is not passive. Learn what the problems are. Recognize that learning is your problem (opportunity).
- 6. LEARNING TO LEARN How can you calculate the return on your education investment? What will you be doing five years after you graduate from Baylor? RECOMMENDATIONS: Learn to learn and learn to like it. Study whatever subject you like, but recognize that you can broaden your skill base considerable by choosing elective courses wisely. Develop life skills that will enable you to provide value to a variety of organizations.
- 7. LEARNING TO LEARN (Article by Smith) Is it okay to make mistakes? Is competence really being able to solve problems w/o hesitation? What reactions do you expect if you tell a professor (a friend) that you do not understand something? Recommendations: Learn to ask questions. If you have a question, you can be certain that many others have the same question. True competence does not mean mistake free. It means well thought out judgment and decisions based on available information and experience .
- 8. THINKING CRITICAL THINKING THE DEATH OF MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE DESTRUCTIVE THINKING Thinking
- 9. CHALLENGE DESTRUCTIVE THINKING (Forms of Dysfunctional Thinking) All or nothing thinking Over-generalization Mental Filter Disqualifying the positive Jumping to conclusions Magnifying and minimizing Emotional Reasoning Should Statements Labeling and Mislabeling Personalization
- 10. CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Critical Thinking Identification of principles and rules which can be generalized Existence of a framework for analyzing and making global sense of incoming information School Teachers passiveness success comes from conformity, not innovativeness inability to see abstractions intellectually limited attitudes
- 11. CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Critical Thinking Model Recognize / Desire problem Gather information Form tentative conclusions Test conclusions Evaluate and make decisions
- 12. THE DEATH OF MANAGEMENT “The idea that a good executive could think through any problem is an absurdity.” Assumptions: A good manager should be able to manage any enterprise, anywhere and anytime. The best management is based on true science, resting upon clearly defined laws. All problems can be solved by quantitative analysis. Questions: Should business schools focus on general management? Can business schools take inexperienced people and educate them as “managers?”
- 13. CRITICAL THINKING (Article by Kurfiss) Questions: Must acquisition of knowledge precede critical thinking? Are students capable of thinking before they “know a lot?” Why are questions from students rarely heard in the classroom?
- 14. CRITICAL THINKING (Article by Kurfiss) RECOMMENDATIONS: Learn to ask questions. Seek classes or sections of classes that have .... writing assignments presentation requirements case analyses group work open discussion opportunities instructors who encourage questions
- 15. C r e a t i v i t y
- 16. CREATIVITY Acme Widgets SCENARIO: You are the CEO of a $6 billion dollar widget manufacturing corporation. You are walking outside and you see a groundskeeper raking leaves. You notice the rake has only five teeth. It used to have thirty-one.
- 17. CREATIVITY Acme Widgets CONVERSATION: You ask: “What are you doing?” The reply: “Raking leaves.” You ask: “Why are you using that rake? You’re not picking up many leaves.” The reply: “Because that’s what they gave me to use.” You ask: “Why didn’t you get a better rake?” The reply: “That’s not my job!”
- 18. CREATIVITY Acme Widgets What’s wrong here? Who is responsible?
- 19. CREATIVITY (Article by McCormick) “ I’m convinced that such musings are the key to business and social vitality.”
- 20. CREATIVITY (Article by McCormick) “ Creativity comes when we allow our minds to wander freely.” What impact does technology have on our creativity? How hard should organizations strive to make the work environment conductive to creativity? RECOMMENDATIONS: Time spent lost in thought is not wasted. Be wary of technology as it cannot think for you.
- 21. Imagine new products Imagine new methods Develop new ways of doing things Build unusual alliances The Frame of Mind to Be Creative
- 22. Everyone is smarter, faster Everyone is creative... only if you want to be Only if you want to be The Frame of Mind to Be Creative
- 23. TRAITS OF CREATIVE PEOPLE Powers of observation Curiosity: want to learn Ability to identify issues others missed Talent for generating large numbers of ideas Persistent questioning of the norm Ability to see established structure in new ways Perseverance through abjection The Frame of Mind to Be Creative
- 24. Think Big Seek out diverse friends Build tolerance for bad ideas Discipline your creative urges Creativity is not a sometimes thing The Frame of Mind to Be Creative
- 25. Intelligent computers are inevitable Will Silicon life transform civilization? Will machines subjugate humans? Will machines behave like people? Speed/complexity of computers doubles every 18 months It won’t take long to duplicate the brain Machines Smarter Than Us? (article by Port)
- 26. Start-up imitation winnowing Is the Internet different? Network effect; a few large players dominate Small stores cater to neighborhoods Copycats (article by Gomes)
- 27. Why the Internet explosion? Low barriers to entry register a .com name design Web pages Much capital available for Internet ventures imitation is easy Copycats (article by Gomes)
- 28. Marketing the site If you are first; market it If you are second; “new and improved” you can learn a lot by watching Copycats (article by Gomes)
- 29. No one ever becomes rich by saving money (talents). Sometimes successful business must cannibalize themselves to save themselves. Two routes other than radical technological change can lead to high growth. High rate of return opportunities sociological/development disequilibriums Making capitalism work in a deflationary environment is much harder than making it work in an inflationary environment. Building Wealth (article by Thurow)
- 30. There are no institutional substitutes for individual entrepreneurial change agents Not society that values order above all else will be creative; but without some degree of order, creativity disappears. A successful knowledge - based economy requires large public investments in education, infrastructure and research and development. The biggest unknown for the individual in a knowledge - based economy is how to have a career in a system where there are no careers. Building Wealth (article by Thurow)
- 31. B-SCHOOL REPORT CARD B-schools were (are?) behind the times. No major curriculum changes for 20-25 yrs. Tomorrow’s B-school Technology based Customer driven Cross-functional Tomorrow’s B-school Leadership Innovation Communication Entrepreneurship Global Management Multi-function Thinking
- 32. The Dumbing Down of Higher Education More and more courses devoid intellectual content Dismantling of rigorous requirements drop off in natural sciences drop off in math average length of school year reduced Professors trade off research for teaching
- 33. The Dumbing Down of Higher Education Perceived vs. real value of courses; content vs. fluff? Academic fads - do they help you compete? The value of teaching/learning methodologies
- 34. The Dumbing Down of Higher Education Timeless fundamentals High academic achievement Faculty dedicated to teaching Resistance to “silly courses”
- 35. Making Your Degree More Valuable Make sure you’re on the right flight get involved in extracurricular activities Find time for outside projects Build your rolodex Choose internships wisely Get out of the Box
- 36. WHY BUSINESS MAJORS? When you major in “X,” why do you have to take courses in “Y?” (Recognize that employers have short- and long-term expectations.) Courses outside your major help you learn to think and communicate. Recognize that professionals require a broad based professional knowledge and an ethical sense in dealing with others. Be creative. Make the education you receive at Baylor pay off for you in many ways .
- 37. KEY QUESTIONS ...... Why is a broad based education important? Where can you get a broad based education? What should be the objective of getting a college education? When does learning take place while you are attending college? Who can you learn from? How can you learn?
- 38. SPECIALIZATION ??? Why should you become a specialist? Why do you think total commitment to a job is questioned? Can a generalist be competitive? Remember that you are a business major. Thinking like a business major will allow you to become a specialist and a generalist .
- 39. Problem-Base Learning: Preparing Students For The 21st Century (Duch, et.al) Problem-Based Learning organize ideas organize previous knowledge define problem specify learning issues categorize what you know(don’t know) rank importance of issues assign responsibilities/accountabilities integrate new knowledge
- 40. ACTIVE LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM How students spend their time… Class 15 hours (or less) Work 21 hours (or more - 30%) TV 7 hours (33%) Leisure Reading 3-10 hours (38%) Organized student activity 3-10 hours (47%) Informal conversation with other students 10 hours (31%)
- 41. ACTIVE LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Active Learning Strategies: Study groups Journals and diaries Experiential learning Student research
- 42. THE END OF THE JOB The job as we know it is disappearing. The job is an artificial entity superimposed on work needed to be done. The job creates patches of responsibility. Together, but not as a team, work gets accomplished.
- 43. THE END OF THE JOB What Post-Job Organizations do ..… hire the right people - those who work well without job descriptions have a flexible organization use project teams
- 44. “ Jobs: Skills Before Credential” THE EVIDENCE - strong, long-term growth in demand for people with problem solving skills. Problem solving skills will occur at all levels of an organization.
- 45. A Short Course in Human Relations The six most important words: “I ADMIT I MADE A MISTAKE.” The five most important words: “YOU DID A GOOD JOB.” The four most important words: “WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?” The three most important words: “IF YOU PLEASE.
- 46. A Short Course in Human Relations The two most important words: “THANK YOU.” The one most important word: “WE” The least important word: “I”
- 47. Why Do Customers Leave? 1% die 3% relocate 5% buy from friends 9% prefer competition 14% judge all similar business based on one bad encounter 68% indifference, rudeness, or lack of service from employees
- 48. Generation Y (Newborne) Lexus LS400 Major League Baseball GAP ER Superbowl Ads Harrison Ford Estee Lauder L.L. Bean Jeep Wrangler Skateboard Triple Crown Delia’s Dawson’s Creek Lilith Fair Sponsorship Leonardo Dicaprio Hard Candy The North Face Boomers Generation Y
- 49. cont’d Generation Y (Newborne) Palm Pilot Nick at Nite Political Activism The Beatles Coke David Letterman Nikes Motorola Flex Pagers WB Network Volunteerism Spice Girls Mountain Dew Jenny McCarthy Vans Boomers Generation Y
- 50. Generation Y (Newborne) How do firms cope with shifts in marketplace preferences? Shift in values High brand consciousness Respond to ads differently View adds in different places
- 51. Generation Y (Newborne) Cynical Purchase Involvement Debt Pragmatic Balance
- 52. The Work Ethic Redefined (Postrel) We live in a “Knowledge Economy” Jobs Have Educational Requirements Specific Skills Employee Discretion Response to the Unpredictable
- 53. The Work Ethic Redefined (Postrel) The Quintessential Employee Decision Maker Use of Good Judgement Intelligence Charm Independent Thinking Self-Expression
- 54. The Work Ethic Redefined (Postrel) The Knowledge Economy… upsets the old career order rewards a different sort of person redistributes human capital discomfits those who view work ethic as only diligence, stoicism, patience, conformity.
- 55. WHY Life Skills? Your education should..... Free you from ignorance and prejudice Help you learn to think Inspire you to seek knowledge... continuously Stimulate a life-long curiosity to learn Your education should NOT narrow your focus.
- 56. WHY Life Skills? Work with others Learn from others Ask questions Be open to other points of view Learn to defend your point of view Don’t automatically accept fact unless you know it to be true Challenge assumptions