Online education is growing and so is the need for full-time online faculty. For those who have become accustomed to traditional educational models and the historical buildings on campus they should expect a few differences before migrating to a full-time online position. Even though online teaching is rewarding it isn't for everyone due to the differences in the nature of work.
Some simply won't be able to work for long periods of time remotely and miss going onto campus everyday. Cultural shock is one of the reasons why hopeful professors seek to transfer back to campus based systems. However, some enjoy the experience and freedom to work from home that online teaching offers.
The type of work such as teaching, research, committees, publishing, and mentoring stay the same. Differences often include:
Interaction with Students: Interaction with students will be different. Even though there is email, phone, text and many other methods the overall process is remote. This is very different than meeting your students face-to-face every day. The interaction can be just as rewarding but takes on a different form.
24/7 Schedule: Where the traditional professor has a specific class schedule and office hours the online professor is engaged throughout the day and week. He/she may not need to be connected all the time and has flexibility to work at various times they generally check in often.
Interacting With Colleagues: Professors at traditional universities interact throughout the day and many times in face-to-face sessions. Online professors also interact but do so via virtual format. They do meet each other during conferences, special meetings and events.
Pre-Designed Courses: Depending on where someone works most course are going to be pre-designed in the online world. Online professors can implement and change curriculum but not to the same extent as a traditional university. The reason being that the online format requires programming and basic shells are applied.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Marrying Business Schools and Industry for Relevant Curriculum
Business schools prepare students for business-that is what they are known for! They move through the basic business principles, theories, and skill sets needed to succeed in a highly complex world of international commerce. The curriculum is based in the needs of the business community and the general needs of society. The closer the curriculum is tied to actual business requirements, the higher the relevance of the school.
It should be noted that there is a difference between the brand of a school and the quality of its education. In many cases, brands do recognize quality but are not exactly the same thing. The best schools continue to look at, connect with, and research industry needs to develop appropriate skill sets.
Sometimes this knowledge comes through looking at larger industry reports, reviewing previous studies, and other impartial public information. The other option is to conduct surveys and research that asks industry leaders what they are looking for. Let the market lead the school!
I am advocate of generating research by connecting with industry. It does two important things. First it turns a university from a knowledge user to a knowledge generator, and secondly it advertises the university to potential employers. No harm in offering stronger collaboration when the free results are sent and published.
The more business schools can connect with industry needs the better they can prepare students to take leading jobs. The education offered by the school becomes relevant and continuously updates each time a program and/or course goes through a developmental cycle. Universities that are focused on their end users will find themselves as praised gatekeepers to higher knowledge and higher paying jobs.
It should be noted that there is a difference between the brand of a school and the quality of its education. In many cases, brands do recognize quality but are not exactly the same thing. The best schools continue to look at, connect with, and research industry needs to develop appropriate skill sets.
Sometimes this knowledge comes through looking at larger industry reports, reviewing previous studies, and other impartial public information. The other option is to conduct surveys and research that asks industry leaders what they are looking for. Let the market lead the school!
I am advocate of generating research by connecting with industry. It does two important things. First it turns a university from a knowledge user to a knowledge generator, and secondly it advertises the university to potential employers. No harm in offering stronger collaboration when the free results are sent and published.
The more business schools can connect with industry needs the better they can prepare students to take leading jobs. The education offered by the school becomes relevant and continuously updates each time a program and/or course goes through a developmental cycle. Universities that are focused on their end users will find themselves as praised gatekeepers to higher knowledge and higher paying jobs.
5 Sites That Help Student's Find Jobs
With a freshly printed degree in hands students walk off the podium in full gown and begin to capitalize on that degree as soon as possible. Their hopes and dreams are associated with providing a better life for themselves and the people they support. Reality hits when they have to find gainful employment but don't know where to use their new skills.
College often focuses on the skills needed to obtain employment but doesn't help student necessarily know where those jobs are or what they will need to apply. Sometimes students lack of employment prospects could be a direct result of not knowing where to apply. Schools that help students understand the job market may also benefit from better ratings.
Of course finding a job isn't only about the university and knowledge. It is necessary for student's to also have the motivation to apply for those jobs, communication skills, be ready for employment, and have something to sell on the market. Yet getting them in the right place to start looking can make a big difference if they are inclined to maximize their degree.
5 Sites to Help Students Find Jobs:
http://www.indeed.com
http://www.simplyhired.com/
http://www.monster.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/
https://www.usajobs.gov/
The Problem of International Online Students and Local Adjuncts
Colleges adopted online platforms throughout the higher education institutions to enhance their current models. Traditional colleges are hiring local professors for online adjuncting work while not fully considering the benefits of diverse geographical hiring online education offers. Moving beyond the traditional hiring model can help in creating an enhance educational experience.
Using local professors is great but doesn't really open the students mind to new places, ideas, and peoples. Local cultures have different values and these values are based on the way they see the world. Culture seeps through everything they do, think about, and say.
You can look around the adjunct job boards and find that many traditional universities don't post out adjunct work. Some of this is due to the influx of applications they receive but many others are a result of not yet fully understanding the online economy. They are relying on their land oriented models.
The risk is that they don't fully embrace the online economy and the potential advantages it offers. Colleges have always been slow to adapt. Very qualified adjunct, or full-time professors, are not included in their applicant pool simply because they are unaware of the opportunities. At the end of the day, the student and the university suffer from a lack of perspective.
Using local professors is great but doesn't really open the students mind to new places, ideas, and peoples. Local cultures have different values and these values are based on the way they see the world. Culture seeps through everything they do, think about, and say.
You can look around the adjunct job boards and find that many traditional universities don't post out adjunct work. Some of this is due to the influx of applications they receive but many others are a result of not yet fully understanding the online economy. They are relying on their land oriented models.
The risk is that they don't fully embrace the online economy and the potential advantages it offers. Colleges have always been slow to adapt. Very qualified adjunct, or full-time professors, are not included in their applicant pool simply because they are unaware of the opportunities. At the end of the day, the student and the university suffer from a lack of perspective.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Is Delayed Gratification the Key to Financial Success?
Many of the purchases we make are based on impulse. We see something that attracts us and our mind starts thinking about all the positive things the item offers. Sometimes this is about its utility and at other times it is more about how we perceive the item in relation to ourselves.
Positive images in our heads leads to positive feelings which increases our impulses to buy the product. We evaluate cost in terms of money and then decide on a purchase. If the item really has us salivating the money seems so much less important.
Those who can plan their purchases, save for items, and cut back spending on unnecessary items are likely to be successful because they can put their money into savings and investments. The more they can delay gratification for unnecessary things and focus on their long term goals the more successful they will be. A few tips below:
-Wait a few days to buy a product.
-Plan large purchases through savings.
-Understand what you need and what you don't need.
-Avoid using credit cards and debt.
-Put away money each paycheck.
-Cut back on fixed expenses and budget discretionary income.
-Rethink the first impulse.
-Evaluate the cost of items in terms of work hours.
Creating the "Can Do" Attitude In Your Workplace
The "Can Do" attitude can do wonders for your business and its bottom line. Human Resource managers are generally stumped about how to create an atmosphere that encourages performance. The complex nature of motivation is based upon many different factors some of which are the way in which think about the purpose of their actions, the resources needed to act on goals and how they view themselves in relation to others.
Purpose is important because without purpose there is no reason to act. If a goal has a purpose and has value to the people within an organization they are more likely to take positive actions toward that goal but also sustain necessary actions over a longer period time. When goals don't have a deep purpose they are often discarded quickly.
It is also important for a person to have resources to act on achieving a goal. If someone doesn't have the education, motivation, ability, or other resources to act they will likely not act. Each person makes an evaluation of alternatives and decides that acting is something they want to do and can do.
The "Can Do" attitude is social by nature. Self-efficacy and self-esteem are internalized social constructions. How we view ourselves is based on how other people interact with us and the cues they give us. Leadership and followership dynamics are based on how people view themselves within their social networks. Those who believe in themselves also believe in their ability to get things done.
Human Resource professionals and managers should create a purpose, ensure the necessary resources, and foster the belief they can get things done. The "Can Do" attitude is largely individualized but based upon the cues and resources of the organization. Positive attitudes are culturally based and organization leaders should do what they can to create the right environment.
Purpose is important because without purpose there is no reason to act. If a goal has a purpose and has value to the people within an organization they are more likely to take positive actions toward that goal but also sustain necessary actions over a longer period time. When goals don't have a deep purpose they are often discarded quickly.
It is also important for a person to have resources to act on achieving a goal. If someone doesn't have the education, motivation, ability, or other resources to act they will likely not act. Each person makes an evaluation of alternatives and decides that acting is something they want to do and can do.
The "Can Do" attitude is social by nature. Self-efficacy and self-esteem are internalized social constructions. How we view ourselves is based on how other people interact with us and the cues they give us. Leadership and followership dynamics are based on how people view themselves within their social networks. Those who believe in themselves also believe in their ability to get things done.
Human Resource professionals and managers should create a purpose, ensure the necessary resources, and foster the belief they can get things done. The "Can Do" attitude is largely individualized but based upon the cues and resources of the organization. Positive attitudes are culturally based and organization leaders should do what they can to create the right environment.
Investing in Firm Specific or General Human Capital Development
Learning new skills is an additive process that begets more complex skill. Organizations are faced with trying to develop either firm-specific or general human capital capacities to create competitive advantages. Knowing whether to invest training resources into firm specific or general skills helps to create stronger competitive advantages. Where to invest in training depends on the type business and its products.
The discussion should first start with understanding the nature of broad versus firm-specific skills. Broad skills as contained within a degree like engineering that can be applied across many different businesses and industries. It is a general battery of knowledge that is necessary to create a foundation of specific knowledge.
Firm-specific skills are more focused on that which directly benefits the firm and applies to the unique nature of that company. Specific skills, like using a proprietary tools, are generally not seen as transferable to other businesses. They are often taught in job specific training and practice.
It is believed that there is a current global underinvestment in firm-specific human capital that creates competitive abilities (Coff & Raffiee, 2015). This is because of the transient nature of employment, a long term recession that limited training dollars, and a general migration to relying on formal higher education.
Investing in firm specific skills is beneficial when the firm has a unique service/product that requires specialized firm-specific knowledge to maintain. Such firms may hire for general knowledge but use that knowledge to create specific skills needed within their proprietary environment. At its core, all learning, even on the micro level, can be applied to other places due to the additive process of learning. Investing in firm-specific or general knowledge will depend on the competitive offerings of each firm to determine its return on investment value.
Coff, R. & Raffiee, J. (2015). Toward a theory of perceived firm-specific human capital. Academy of Management Perspectives, 29 (3).
The discussion should first start with understanding the nature of broad versus firm-specific skills. Broad skills as contained within a degree like engineering that can be applied across many different businesses and industries. It is a general battery of knowledge that is necessary to create a foundation of specific knowledge.
Firm-specific skills are more focused on that which directly benefits the firm and applies to the unique nature of that company. Specific skills, like using a proprietary tools, are generally not seen as transferable to other businesses. They are often taught in job specific training and practice.
It is believed that there is a current global underinvestment in firm-specific human capital that creates competitive abilities (Coff & Raffiee, 2015). This is because of the transient nature of employment, a long term recession that limited training dollars, and a general migration to relying on formal higher education.
Investing in firm specific skills is beneficial when the firm has a unique service/product that requires specialized firm-specific knowledge to maintain. Such firms may hire for general knowledge but use that knowledge to create specific skills needed within their proprietary environment. At its core, all learning, even on the micro level, can be applied to other places due to the additive process of learning. Investing in firm-specific or general knowledge will depend on the competitive offerings of each firm to determine its return on investment value.
Coff, R. & Raffiee, J. (2015). Toward a theory of perceived firm-specific human capital. Academy of Management Perspectives, 29 (3).
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