Improving STEM Graduation Rates in the U.S.

STEM education is becoming more important for nations that desire to foster their innovative flames for higher economic development.  The problem is that the U.S. is falling behind many countries in their approach to the basics of scientific development. Research by Soldner, et. al (2012) offers some solutions for encouraging STEM students to continue their goals until graduation. 

One out of seven American students, one out of two students in China and one out of three students in Singapore are  engage in core STEM education such as science, math, and engineering (National Academies, 2007). The shift marks an unsustainable path for American innovation and ingenuity that may rear its ugly head 30 years down the road. As a nation, we are losing our dominance on multiple fronts starting deeply in our educational progressiveness. 

Students who start college in the STEM fields often leave for other fields based on a whole range of reasons related from skill to interest. Minorities and women are even less represented in such fields. It is believed that our primary and secondary educational systems are to blame for the inability to prepare students to study and graduate in the scientific fields. 

Social Cognitive Theory is one way in which to understand how students prepare, persist, and graduate in such fields. The three social cognitive variables are self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals. Students who are likely to stay in programs believe they can, expect positive results, and believe their goals will be achieved. 

The researchers collaborated with approximately 46 universities to understand how life-learn programs and traditional residency programs influence the graduation rates of STEM students. They found that those who were part of live-learn programs with others of similar STEM fields were more likely to graduate than those who were living with the general population. They also found that those who were not in the core STEM programs did not receive much of a benefit from live-learn programs. 

The report does not discuss online education. However, it is possible envision how personal profiles, cohorts in the STEM fields, and a pseudo-online community networking could influence the graduation rates of online STEM students. Through personal expression with peers, students can develop personal relationships that supports them throughout their academic time.

National Science Board. (2007). A national plan for addressing the critical needs of U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education system. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.

Soldner, et. al. (2012). Supporting students intentions to persist in STEM disciplines: the role of living-learning programs among other social-cognitive factors. Journal of Higher Education, 83 (3).

Wine Review: Kinsen Plum Wine

Kinsen Plum Wine is a grape wine with plum and caramel flavors. It is inevitably sweet to taste and often served at Asian restaurants that offer plates associated with sushi. It is smooth white wine with a taste as sweet as apple juice but with a 12% alc./vol.  It pairs well with hot and spicy Asian food such as Tia, Korean, or Chinese. Most plum wines are artificial with flavors to maintain lightness as real plum wines are course and relatively thick. 

Asia is not well known for wine and until the Russians brought grapes to the region wine was relatively unknown. However, different forms of wine can go back 2,000 years using different forms of fruit. What is now known as plum wine is actually plum liquor. This is made by soaking unripe plums in water and adding sugar into the fermentation process.  Most Asian food is served with beer.

Distributor 

Sushi Pairing Video

Call for Papers: International Journal of Manpower

International Journal of Manpower

Deadline: September 2^nd, 2013

International Journal of Manpower (IJM) is pleased to announce a special issue focused on labour market flexibility and spatial (labour) mobility. The special issue will examine different aspects of labour market flexibility, spatial mobility of workforce and its effects on labour market flexibility, factors influencing both labour market flexibility and spatial mobility, role of education and/or life-long learning for certain aspects of labour market flexibility and spatial mobility. The special issue aims to offer a range of economic, social and cultural perspectives on issues of labour market flexibility and spatial mobility in different countries (country groups) during different economic cycles (e.g. booms and crises). Special issue will focus on three main research fields: how labour flexibility is linked with spatial mobility; how formal education and lifelong learning affect labour market flexibility; and how educational and labour policy and different institutional settings contribute to labour market flexibility and mobility during different economic cycles.

Key Themes:

-different aspects of labour market flexibility such as: occupational mobility, working time flexibility, functional flexibility, wage flexibility, and their effects on links to spatial mobility and education

- role of human capital in labour mobility processes during different economic periods (e.g. booms and crises)

- interactions between labour market flexibility and spatial mobility

- role of formal education and lifelong learning for certain aspects of labour market flexibility

-knowledge and workers' flows in Europe

-``brain-drain'', ``brain-waste'' and ``brain-gain'' in East-West migration.

Submissions to　the　International　Journal of　Manpower　are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts, the online submission and peer review system. Registration and access is available athttp://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijm. 　Full information and guidance on using ScholarOne Manuscripts is available at the Emerald ScholarOne Manuscripts Support Centre: http://msc.emeraldinsight.com. Please also look at author guidelines at journal home page http://www.emeraldinsight.com/ijm.htm.

Website: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/calls.htm?id=4558

Managing Teams through Identity-Base and Knowledge-Based Difficulties

What is in a group? Organizations seek to manage the workplace where encampment, us versus them, and self-seeking group formation does not limit the overall functioning of the organization. Such groups can limit the ability to see outside of one’s own perspectives and further encourage poor choice making based upon this limited perspective. Research by Carton & Cummings (2013) discusses the nature of identity-based subgroups and knowledge-based subgroups and how their identities influence the operation of the workplace. 

Work teams are more popular than ever. Over 80% of Fortune 1,000, companies are using work teams to maintain productivity (Garvey, 2002).  In an effort to improve, overall functioning of teams there has been a level of effort to understand how subgroups and group member interaction impact the overall process. When team members function well together, they are more likely to be productive in their approaches.

Subgroups can form based upon fault lines that are based on differing characteristics of the group (Bezrukova, et. al., 2012). Those characteristics could be age, race, ideology, religion or any number of other factors. Each subgroup has their own way of viewing problems and manners of interacting with other groups.

 A team with more fault lines may be better than a group with only two. Two large groups can make decisions ineffective as they protect their turf through in-group and out-group dynamics while a number of different fault lines could improve effectiveness by offering a rounded perspective but ineffective turf protection.  Think of three people making a decision and creating a natural tiebreaker versus two people with completely different vantage points. 

There are two broad categories of sub-groups:

Identity-Based Subgroup:  A group based upon a person’s characteristics or other social defining categorization (Hogg & Terry, 2000). These groups see themselves as similar based on social characteristics and will generally disparage the identities of others.  You may view religion, race or age as a difference that may create a sense of shared identity. 

Knowledge-Base Subgroups:  A group based on how people view and process information (Galbraith, 1974). This group could view and see information through an educational or occupational background and define information based upon this vantage point. For example, engineers and social workers will naturally view information different and therefore break into groups based upon these vantage points. 

The Carton & Cummings (2013) study used teams selected from a multinational firm in the food processing business. Three hundred twenty six teams were formed throughout a number of different locations. Teams were engaged in a tournament that determined how their output met the needs of the organization.  They may work in operational improvement, customer service, or product development. 

The researchers were able to integrate subgroup type with subgroup configuration. Teams should be designed so that identity based teams would be imbalanced and knowledge based teams would be balanced.  Rifts in identity-based groups should be mended by relation development, positive norms, and respect for other subgroups. Knowledge-based rifts can be improved through boundary expanding and finding value in decision-making through acknowledging different perspectives.  Knowledge-based groups outperformed identity based groups in the samples.

The study encourages executives to think about how subgroups are developed and to make better design of group formation. They can encourage imbalance to foster decision-making by not allowing dominance of a single group, encouragement of balanced in-out group mentality, and integrating those who are more identity with those who are more knowledge based. This research seems to indicate that knowledge-base subgroups are ideal performers when compared to identity-based subgroups.

Bezrukova, K., et. al. (2012). The effects of alignments: Examining group faultlines, organizational cultures, and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97, 77–92.

Carton, A. & Cummings, J. (2013). The impact of subgroup type and subgroup configurational properties on work team performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, doi: 10.1037/a0033593

Garvey, C. (2002, May). Steer teams with the right pay: Team-based pay is a success when it fits corporate goals and culture, and rewards the right behavior. HR Magazine, 34 (5), 33–36.

Galbraith, J. R. (1974). Organization design: An information processing view. Interfaces, 4 (3)

Hogg, M. A., & Terry, D. J. (2000). Social identity and self-categorization processes in organizational contexts. Academy of Management Review, 25, 121–140.

Pappalecco Gelato Lounge San Diego

Pappalecco Gelato Lounge is an eclectic café near Little Italy in San Diego. It is not a large place but seems to be popular with local people. There is a few tables inside but an abundance of seats street side. People pile into the café and make their way to the sidewalk to enjoy the California sun. All types of visitors and locals make their way to the café in an attempt to get their morning shot of caffeine or a quick bit to eat. 

The storefront may be small but the menu is large. Ranging from breakfast to evening meals one is sure to find what they are looking for. In the morning one could opt for Mare, which is eggs, mozzarella, smoke salmon, zucchini or mixed green salad, or could come in the early evening and walk away with a pizza. They also have a large selection of cakes, ice cream and other snacks. 

My visit was pleasant. With book in hand, a cup of coffee, and a Pollo (type of sandwich) I made my way to the street where tables were easy to find. It is possible to sit, socialize, read, and watch the street traffic move through. The area is full of people walking around the sidewalk and locals appear to be friendly and outgoing.

Pappalecco Gelato Lounge

619-238-4590

1602 State St

San Diego, CA 92101-2512

Neighborhoods: Little Italy 

Menu