What Can't Be Standardized in Higher Education?

Higher education is going through radical changes and struggling universities are moving online to increase their reach and balance their budgets. A number of studies have shown that standardization doesn't lessen educational quality and provides consistency in course instruction. Despite standardization there are two things that still need qualified faculty to complete effectively.

Grading papers and engaging in conversation require a guiding hand to fully function as intended. Both of these course activities are based in qualitative measurements that are very difficult for automated algorithms to calculate. It takes considerable experience and human insight to understand the student's current vantage point and propose new information to push their knowledge.

Each paper comes with a blend of course information, learned experience, thought processes and communication abilities. Professors must try and follow the train of thought and make judgments on the students understanding. For example, the understanding could be high and the writing skills low. The professor can make proper recommendations.

The same thing occurs in grading participation in discussion questions. The individual exists within an online conversation and it is beneficial to determine course understanding by assessing the student as an individual in a group discussion. This requires following complex group ideas and how those ideas build off of each other and create meaning for the student.

Professors ability to effectively grade and further knowledge among students is difficult to assess automatically. Someday this may not be the case yet as of now the qualitative assessments are too difficult for mechanical understanding. Professors skill in assessment and development of their courses is a learned skill that is enhanced over repeated focus and practice. Seasoned online professors are worth their weight in gold bring a human touch to the virtual learning world.

Multitasking in an Academic Environment

Multitasking entails the ability to complete two types of tasks at once in an effort to complete both by certain time frames. Conventional multitasking at the same time is different than multitasking larger projects where each has its own schedule and time. Professors that engage in multiple large projects at once, teaching students, and completing administrative duties often become skilled at multitasking offering an important lesson for industry managers.

The brain only has so much ability to process information at the same time. Eventually the quality of the work completed slows down and mistakes are made. However, this only applies to tasks that are being conducted at the same time and not necessarily projects that have smaller tasks that can be completed individually.

The same overload occurs among professors who are attempting to complete academic projects but are distracted by phones, music, interruptions etc.. A study of over a thousand professors found that when they attempted to do too many tasks with too much environmental stimuli the quality of work declined (Baran, 2013).

Larger projects are a little different as they project might be completed over the period of months or even a year. Life cannot go on hold when these large projects are in process and professors will need to find ways of handling other daily work responsibilities. Whether they are teaching and researching or writing a book and developing a course they will need to find a way to manage both simultaneously.

Large projects are typically broken down into smaller steps. Each day you may have some piece to complete to reach the larger goal. Understanding the steps in the larger process will make multitasking easier as each step can be completed in a single sitting of an an hour or more. Narrowing focus on this task will improve the quality and time taken for accomplishment.

Let us take the task of writing a journal article. Such work occurs over many days, if not months, and contains hundreds of small tasks that include research, analysis, writing, proof reading, and submission. Spending a few hours everyday reading the literature and taking notes is especially helpful in working toward the final product.

Each day will bring a new task that leads to the fulfillment of a larger goal. While engaged in these minitasks it is important to reduce other distractions that are present. This may include turning off your radio, closing your office door, or turning off your cell phone. While completing this minitask there should be no other concerns for this brief period.

Multitasking can include completing multiple larger projects at one time but focusing on specific tasks in isolation to ensure that your quality is strong and projects move forward at a brisk pace. By breaking down large projects into individual tasks and reducing distractions on these individual tasks the quality of workmanship can rise. Learning to multitask will save you time and frustration throughout your career.


Bahran, B. (2013). The effect of multitasking to faculty members' academic works. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 13 (4).

A Few Thoughts on the Free 2-Year College Degree Proposal

The White House recently announced an idea to provide free tuition for 2-year college degrees in an effort to educated the American workforce. Potentially 9 million students could save approximately $3,800 annually in student loan payments. Cost would be somewhere around $60 billion dollars and would need to be approved through the congressional budget. A well intentioned policy with a few thoughts about the benefits and detractors of the idea.

It is true that Americans need to retool their workforce to ensure that they stay competitive on the international market. This generally means that they will need to learn new skills to match the marketplace in a way that will improve upon the growth and expansion of competitive industries. Growth requires a workforce that can actually do the work without burdening companies with excessive training costs.

There is a problem with understanding which type of skills students will be learning. Those students that will be working in labor positions should be learning very focused technical skills that give them direct competitiveness in the industry. Even though Russian Literature is beneficial for everyone it isn't going to have the same impact as a metal working or industry math class at this level.

Because community colleges are designed around certain characteristics it may be necessary to encourage such colleges to offer more industry focused education with only a brief introduction to other aspects of higher education. Theoretical concepts and great literature classes may be less beneficial in occupational courses than in bachelor degrees. 

Making college an extension of high school is probably not a great idea. There is currently significant criticism of high school, its curriculum, and its ability to prepare students for the workforce. Reforming high school and ensuring that graduates can actually function in the workplace upon graduation helps to ensure that an additional 2-year college degree has some industry benefit.

Which type of institutions have access to this money will also make a big difference. At present it appears that community colleges have access but larger universities would not. In such a case it could be an advantage for community colleges. Knowing the overall impact is important to ensure that government money doesn't skew or damage the competitiveness of the entire industry or lessen the pressures for innovative change.

Free money can sometimes make institutions lazy about change. Shoring up and supporting the capacity of an industry hobbling along is great for students but does come with a problem of poor development when resources are plentiful. Colleges should not become complacent and should continually seek to develop and adjust to create greater levels of development for the future. Free money should not be a "fat cat" issue.

We know that the government budget is bloated with all types of things we don't need and don't help people move up the economic ladder. I have no personal problem with government taking the useless funding found in other locations and placing it into something beneficial like education that has a long-term impact on the nation. It will require legislators to think long and hard about what type of spending is beneficial and where it should be allocated.

If the type of education helps supply industry with the necessary skills to compete then the free 2-year college program has some merit. This assumes that people are earning the actual skills that can be employed right after graduation in engineering, service management, manufacturing, etc... The educational programs offered by community colleges should be focused specifically on industry needs and offer the greatest amount of immediate return on investment.

Few seem to have formulated a full or concise opinion on the proposal to offer free 2-year degrees. Many of the details have not been released which makes it wise to not jump into opinion making until more information is present. With such a large program the devils are all in the details as financing, impact, and outcomes still need to be discussed. The idea of strengthening America's educated workforce to maintain competitiveness has its advantages but will come with some costs. Stay tuned for additional details and debate!

A fact sheet from the White House

Stanford Study Lends Support to Online Education Models

A study presented at the American Economic Association and discussed in Times Higher Education may just tip the scales in favor of implementing online education programs at cash strapped traditional colleges. According to the large study conducted by Stanford University that included over 100,000 students from for-profit DeVry found that online class size doesn't impact enrollment, grades, or retention.

For years for-profit institutions have been the target of scrutiny and criticism. As these institutions improved their models and curriculum offerings the quality of the education began to rise. Now they are seen as one potential important method of meeting educational challenges in the future where tradition, cost, and practicality clash.

The study has some apparent limitations in terms of the range of students is limited. Very large and very small classes have not been included in the study. This means there could be a potential limit to the upper cap of student size where diminished returns begin to occur. Such limits would need to be found through additional research studies.

At present, the study does seem to point to the idea that it is possible to raise the amount of students in a class while not damaging educational quality. Administrators are likely to find such notions that more students, online courses, and economies of scale are beneficial to state budgets. As additional universities move online the study lends credibility to the strategic importance of their decisions.

A potential large problem does arise. Faculty are an important part of institutions and the generation of scientific breakthroughs within the country. Lowering the amount of full-time faculty may save money in the short run but could also damage intellectual research that has multiple benefits for society in the long run. Scholarship can be limited among adjunct workers who are more focused on their industry careers.

Pressures will likely be felt in locations where budgets are overstretched and faculty unionization is strong. The trend may be to move a percentage of the faculty, or a percentage of faculty course load, into the online world where budget pressures can be lowered without laying off faculty or disrupting faculty representation. The development of online faculty (or split faculty) may become an acceptable compromise.

That could be good news for online faculty positions where highly educated and industry experienced online faculty have been snubbed by traditional educational institutions.  In today's market online faculty that have a decade or more experience should start becoming a hot commodity for schools that are just now moving into the online world and have few current faculty with such virtual skills.

Technology is changing education in much the same way as it is changing government and society. With the speed of information transference increasing, whole societies are becoming connected to the virtual realms, thereby placing additional pressure on traditional universities to change. Those institutions that are willing to watch the trends, make adjustments, and bend will be more likely to not break when additional change is applied.

Call for Papers: Globalization of Capital Markets: Implications for Firm Strategies

The increasing integration of global capital markets now makes it easier for firms to access capital outside of their home countries. Firms access international capital markets through a variety of means such as initial public offerings (IPO), seasoned equity offerings (SEO), cross-listings, depository receipts, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACS), shelf offerings, private equity and other informal equity capital channels. Firms can also access debt resources outside their market through bank loans, and foreign bond issues. Finally, cross border flows of venture capital (VC) continue to increase rapidly. The objective of this Special Issue will be to explore the challenges firms face in capital markets beyond their domestic boundaries, be it equity, debt, or VC markets.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The deadline for manuscript submission is May 15, 2015. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with Journal of International Management’s Style Guide for Authors:

http://www.elsevier.com/journals/journal-of-international-management/1075-4253/guide-for-authors and submitted through the Journal’s submission website.
To ensure that all manuscripts are correctly identified for consideration for this Special Issue, it is important that authors select ‘SI: Globalization Cap Markets’ when they reach the “Article Type” step in the submission process.

A paper development workshop will be held at the 2015 Academy of Management conference in Vancouver. Final Drafts are due February 28, 2016. Please direct any questions regarding the Special Issue to Igor Filatotchev (Igor.Filatotchev@city.ac.uk), Greg Bell (gbell@udallas.edu) and Abdul Rasheed (abdul@uta.edu).

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-international-management/call-for-papers/globalization-of-capital-markets-implications-for-firm-strat/

B-School Communications and Development Symposium

From branding, budgeting, strategic communications and donor development, to social networking, this is your chance to gain access to information you can take back and implement at your school.

AACSB had you in mind when developing the B-School Communications and Development Symposium—the only event of its kind specifically for b-schools, which encompasses everything you need to know, including branding, strategic communications, donor development and alumni relations.

With each passing year, advancing technologies, industry trends, and demands of the business community bring about challenges that impact your everyday responsibilities – which, in turn, define the future success of your institution. You now have to do more with less – execute on tactics while still planning the strategy. And, while these challenges are formidable, now is the opportune time to energize, modernize, and transform your institutional strategy for the new digital era.

Whether you are looking for a results-driven, dynamic way to engage your audience or want to explore the latest trends and case studies shaping universities today, this symposium is the perfect opportunity for discovery.

Join us to network and exchange ideas with peers, participate in discussions, and receive best practices that you can take back and implement immediately at your institution.

http://www.aacsb.edu/events/conference/2015/building-bschools/

College Structures that are Changing to Student Needs

It wasn’t long ago that the only option for higher education was to attend classes full-time and put your life on hold. The traditional educational model was implanted from European religious models and existed in the country and unchanged for hundreds of years.  The advent of new virtual information and the interconnectedness of media tools have changed the fundamental way in which colleges operate. 

Retrofitting Traditional Structures:

Traditional structures are based on traditional mediums of learning that rely heavily on face-to-face communication. As technology made its way into the modern educational world such colleges first implemented this technology in individual classes and then into the infrastructure of their universities. Older platforms are in the process of retrofitted to handle more data and virtual learning platforms. 

Newer models do not have large physical infrastructures but are marked by their sleek and cost saving designs. Lacking a physical product like traditional campuses, the new designs provide data driven highways and greater virtual access than traditional universities can provide. Learning is not limited to campus residing students but may reach out over the globe while keeping costs low. 

Changing Demographics of Students:

Today’s world is more complex than it was in the past. A few decades ago a person would either get a job or they would attend college. College was a step into a better life where the ends were limited by the dreams of the graduate. Even though the same fundamental choices exist today, not having a college degree can be seriously limiting for one's lifestyle. College has become the new high school diploma.

Students are likely to be older and return to school at various stages of their life. They may get a bachelor degree, work for 10 years, and then go back for a Master's degree. Virtual education is matched to the needs of changing demographics and learning-living lifestyles. It is not yet a fully explored medium and will someday continue to improve speed making information limited to the capacities of the human mind.

Learning the Art of Negotiation

Negotiation is something we do every day of our lives but we may not be overtly aware of it. We often think of negotiating contracts, wages and other business related concepts but we also negotiate for many small things like household chores and car maintenance. Learning negotiation skills in college or through your own personal reading can make a large difference in helping you get what you want while not compromising your values.

American society doesn’t provide enough daily experience negotiating like you might find in Europe or other parts of the world. People that go to the grocery story may negotiate the price, find deals, and look for other ways to save money. Even though just about anything can be negotiated Americans don’t often see it this way; the stated price is the only price. This is partly the problem with a nation accustomed to large department stores.

Despite 66% of people trying to negotiate big ticket items in the past 6-months, negotiation skills are still underdeveloped (Carrell & Manchise, 2011). Colleges typically don’t teach negotiation skills within their curriculum. Occasionally the topic may be included in a broader communication course but these fail to provide even the fundamentals.

Americans do engage in teamwork negotiations during the course of their employment and education that provides them with entry level platforms for work. Business graduates often learn negotiation by engaging in group assignments that require them to interact and create terms with others (Lawrence, 2002). There are some limitations on this negotiation learning if they have not been provided a level of information that helps them reflect on their negotiation styles.

Negotiation skills are necessary whether you are looking for a raise, lowering the cost on home repair, or seeking equality in a relationship. Americans don't have the same opportunities to engage in negotiation in recent decades as much as people from other nationalities. Negotiation skills can be improved by following a few tips that can help in solidifying your positions:

-Understand Your Initial and Final Position: Everyone has something they want and in an ideal situation they can get. However, this isn't likely to happen often. Knowing your initial position and your red line position will tell you when to start and stop negotiating. 

-Understand Your Goals: Understand what you want to accomplish in your work, life, or relationships. Having goals when entering negotiations will help you stay on track when things get confusing.

-Try Power With versus Power Over: There are times when power over is the only way to negotiate but this often leads to encampment and stubbornness of both powers. When both parties can horse trade to get what they want or compromise they are likely to soften their positions. 

-Use Your Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Skills: When negotiating people watch each other and look for clues and signs in the speech and impressions of others. Using strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills will improve upon the whole process of making breakthroughs and sewing a deal.

Carrell, M. & Manchise, L. (2011). Developing bartering skills: real world exercise for a negotiation course. Business Education Innovation Journal, 3 (2). 

Lawrence, C. (2002). Integrating writing and negotiation skills. Business Communication Quarterly, 65 (2).

Two Technology Complaints in Higher Education

Technology is often seen as the savior of higher education by reducing costs and increasing access. Not all people agree and disdain the breaking of ancient tradition with venom in their words. To be fair, technology can have either a positive and destructive impact on institutions and learning. Both the pro and anti-technology supporters have strong points of argument. Two common arguments are that technology fosters shallow learning and students are not reflecting on the material.

Argument 1: Technology Fosters Shallow Learning:

Anti-technology adherents find that the use of some technologies leads to shallow learning. Student simply post comments that lack insight-fulness to ensure they are meeting posting requirements every week. The learning model becomes more of mechanical process than a deep and insightful learning experience where students must challenge themselves to learn new things.

The problem is that many traditional faculty are not sure how to use the technology properly and a number of universities are counting posts versus grading the quality of the answers and discussions. Ensuring that engagement is required earlier in the week, multiple substantive interactions are needed, and grading is based upon the quality of the answers will mitigate this problem. 

Argument 2: Students Work not Reflective of Readings:

Students can sometimes skip over the text and just learn from the classroom or from their own personal experiences. This can be frustrating for professors that want the student to have sufficient depth and understanding of the theoretical material to formulate a coherent response. Online students sometimes give shallow responses to complex concepts showing a lack of reflection. 

The problem exists whether you are teaching an online or on-ground class. Like an on-ground classroom much of it is based upon how the class is designed. If the materials to pass tests, quizzes, and papers can only be found in the book then this will raise the amount of reading required. Randomizing questions, using more reflective papers, and treasure hunting information is beneficial for encouraging more reading. 

There are natural differences between online and ground based learning but ultimately each has its own positives and detractors. Online learning is still blooming and formalizing into a standard and effective approach while on-ground learning has also experienced its share of poor performance that has led to slips in international ranking.  Higher education is changing because it must to compete. The road may be bumpy but the path is clear; technology is here to stay.