Teaching evidence-based management with a focus on producing local evidence

We present an approach to teaching evidence-based management (EBMgt) that trains future managers how to produce local evidence. Local evidence is causally interpretable data, collected on-site in companies to address a specific business problem. Our teaching method is a variant of problem-based learning, a method originally developed to teach evidence-based medicine. Following this method, students learn an evidence-based problem-solving cycle for addressing actual business cases. Executing this cycle, students use and produce scientific evidence through literature searches and the design of local, experimental tests of causal hypotheses. We argue the value of teaching EBMgt with a focus on producing local evidence, how it can be taught, and what can be taught. We conclude by outlining our contribution to the literature on teaching EBMgt and by discussing limitations of our approach.

El problema terminológico de la tutoría entre iguales y la afirmación de su especificidad didáctica

[spa]La tutoría entre iguales ha adquirido un interés creciente en la institución universitaria dentro de la reforma de la educación superior impulsada en las dos últimas décadas. En este contexto, están siendo exploradas las relacio-nes posibles entre el aprendizaje formal y otros tipos diferentes de aprendizaje que se habían mantenido ajenos a la tradición universitaria. Es con la consideración del aprendizaje informal, y en relación con las teorías de las co-munidades de práctica y del aprendizaje situado, que cobra especial relieve la tutoría entre iguales. Este artículo es un estudio teórico sobre dicho recurso didáctico que se centra en dos asuntos fundamentales. Por un lado, el dilu-cidar el complejo problema terminológico que la afecta. Por otro, el subrayar la importancia de sus aportaciones específicas al aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Los dos son esenciales para reivindicar su singularidad y la relevan-cia de sus resultados y, acto seguido, para impulsar su meditada integración en la enseñanza universitaria.

Impact on assertivity of a social skills training with adolescents suffering from psychotic or anxiety/mood disorders: An exploratory study

During adolescence numerous of important social abilities are acquired within interactions with peers. Severe psychiatric disorders interfere with the acquisition of these social skills. For example, due to excessive shyness, adolescents with psychiatric disorders may not experiment positive social interactions. Social skills training (SKT) may help adolescents to remediate to these diffi culties. This exploratory study aims to assess the SKT's effect on assertivity, in a population of adolescents presenting psychiatric disorder and attending a day care unit for adolescents. The SKT, delivered in group, deals with different themes such as contact, conversation, problem solving, confl ict, fail, success, learning, effort, separation, breakdown, and project. In this context, 38 adolescents (19 suffering from anxiety / mood disorder and 19 suffering from psychotic disorder) rate their level of assertivity before and after a SKT with the Rathus assertivity scale. This scale allows to differentiate between inhibited, assertive and assertiveaggressive adolescents. Results showed a general improvement on assertivity after the SKT. More specifi cally, adolescents suffering from anxiety disorder and the 'inhibited' adolescents showed the higher benefi t from the SKT. Thus, two hours per week of SKT seems to enhance social abilities in a population with severe psychiatric disorders. More specifi - cally, adolescents with anxiety / mood disorders reported more benefi ts of the SKT on their assertivity. Nevertheless, adolescents with psychotic disorders did not report strong benefi ts from the SKT despite the improvement observed at a clinical level. This observation raises questions about the usefulness of self-reported questionnaire to measure such benefi t for adolescents with psychosis.

Spatial relational learning and memory abilities do not differ between men and women in a real-world, open-field environment

This study assesses gender differences in spatial and non-spatial relational learning and memory in adult humans behaving freely in a real-world, open-field environment. In Experiment 1, we tested the use of proximal landmarks as conditional cues allowing subjects to predict the location of rewards hidden in one of two sets of three distinct locations. Subjects were tested in two different conditions: (1) when local visual cues marked the potentially-rewarded locations, and (2) when no local visual cues marked the potentially-rewarded locations. We found that only 17 of 20 adults (8 males, 9 females) used the proximal landmarks to predict the locations of the rewards. Although females exhibited higher exploratory behavior at the beginning of testing, males and females discriminated the potentially-rewarded locations similarly when local visual cues were present. Interestingly, when the spatial and local information conflicted in predicting the reward locations, males considered both spatial and local information, whereas females ignored the spatial information. However, in the absence of local visual cues females discriminated the potentially-rewarded locations as well as males. In Experiment 2, subjects (9 males, 9 females) were tested with three asymmetrically-arranged rewarded locations, which were marked by local cues on alternate trials. Again, females discriminated the rewarded locations as well as males in the presence or absence of local cues. In sum, although particular aspects of task performance might differ between genders, we found no evidence that women have poorer allocentric spatial relational learning and memory abilities than men in a real-world, open-field environment.

Vibration Study for Consolidation of Portland Cement Concrete, Preprint, MLR-95-4, 1997

The Iowa Department of Transportation has discovered an increase in the occurrence of excessively vibrated portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements. The overconsolidation of PCC pavements has been observed in several projects across the state. Overconsolidation is also believed to be a factor in acceleration of premature deterioration of at least two pavement projects in Iowa. To address the problem, a research project in 1995 documented the vibratory practices of PCC slipform paving in Iowa in order to determine the effect of vibration on consolidation and air content of pavement. Paver speed, vibrator frequency, and air content relative to the location of the vibrator were studied. The study concluded that the Iowa Department of Transportation specification of 5,000 to 8,000 vibrations per minute (vpm) for slipform pavers is effective for normal paver speeds on the three projects that were examined. Excessive vibration was clearly identified on one project where a vibrator frequency of 12,000 vpm was discovered. When the paver speed was reduced to half the normal speed, hard air contents indicate that excessive vibration was beginning to occur in the localized area immediately surrounding the vibrator at a frequency of 8,000 vpm. The study also indicates that the radius of influence of the vibrators is smaller than has been claimed.

Författningsändring och problemlösning: en studie av kvalificerade majoriteter i 34 stater

Abstract: Constitutional amendment and problem-solving: supermajorities in 34 states.

Remote collaborative multi-user informal learning experiences: design and evaluation

This paper presents a customizable system used to develop a collaborative multi-user problem solving game. It addresses the increasing demand for appealing informal learning experiences in museum-like settings. The system facilitates remote collaboration by allowing groups of learners tocommunicate through a videoconferencing system and by allowing them to simultaneously interact through a shared multi-touch interactive surface. A user study with 20 user groups indicates that the game facilitates collaboration between local and remote groups of learners. The videoconference and multitouch surface acted as communication channels, attracted students’ interest, facilitated engagement, and promoted inter- and intra-group collaboration—favoring intra-group collaboration. Our findings suggest that augmentingvideoconferencing systems with a shared multitouch space offers newpossibilities and scenarios for remote collaborative environments and collaborative learning.

Functional remediation for bipolar disorder

Neurocognitive impairment constitutes a core feature of bipolar illness. The main domains affected are verbal memory, attention, and executive functions. Deficits in these areas as well as difficulties to get functional remission seem to be increased associated with illness progression. Several studies have found a strong relationship between neurocognitive impairment and low functioning in bipolar disorder, as previously reported in other illnesses such as schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation strategies, adapted from work conducted with traumatic brain injury patients and applied to patients with schizophrenia, also need to be adapted to individuals with bipolar disorders. Early intervention using functional remediation, involves neurocognitive techniques and training, but also psychoeducation on cognition-related issues and problem-solving within an ecological framework.

CIRAS News Annual Report 2000, January 3, 2001

CIRAS professionals, the equipment they use to do their jobs, and the latest in technical support equipment. With these investments, CIRAS continues to meet the needs of Iowa manufacturers, whether in doing routine problem solving, long-range planning, or transferring newer technologies. In all of its services, but most notably in product development projects, one of the strengths of CIRAS lies in bringing ISU students into the picture, both to help reach project goals and as real-job learning experiences for the students.

CIRAS News Annual Report 2001, January 3, 2001

CIRAS professionals, the equipment they use to do their jobs, and the latest in technical support equipment. With these investments, CIRAS continues to meet the needs of Iowa manufacturers, whether in doing routine problem solving, long-range planning, or transferring newer technologies. In all of its services, but most notably in product development projects, one of the strengths of CIRAS lies in bringing ISU students into the picture, both to help reach project goals and as real-job learning experiences for the students.

CIRAS News Annual Report 2002, January 3, 2001

CIRAS professionals, the equipment they use to do their jobs, and the latest in technical support equipment. With these investments, CIRAS continues to meet the needs of Iowa manufacturers, whether in doing routine problem solving, long-range planning, or transferring newer technologies. In all of its services, but most notably in product development projects, one of the strengths of CIRAS lies in bringing ISU students into the picture, both to help reach project goals and as real-job learning experiences for the students.

CIRAS News Annual Report 2003, January 5, 2004

CIRAS professionals, the equipment they use to do their jobs, and the latest in technical support equipment. With these investments, CIRAS continues to meet the needs of Iowa manufacturers, whether in doing routine problem solving, long-range planning, or transferring newer technologies. In all of its services, but most notably in product development projects, one of the strengths of CIRAS lies in bringing ISU students into the picture, both to help reach project goals and as real-job learning experiences for the students.

CIRAS News Annual Report 2004, November 29, 2004

CIRAS professionals, the equipment they use to do their jobs, and the latest in technical support equipment. With these investments, CIRAS continues to meet the needs of Iowa manufacturers, whether in doing routine problem solving, long-range planning, or transferring newer technologies. In all of its services, but most notably in product development projects, one of the strengths of CIRAS lies in bringing ISU students into the picture, both to help reach project goals and as real-job learning experiences for the students.

CIRAS News Annual Report 2005, October 21, 2005

CIRAS professionals, the equipment they use to do their jobs, and the latest in technical support equipment. With these investments, CIRAS continues to meet the needs of Iowa manufacturers, whether in doing routine problem solving, long-range planning, or transferring newer technologies. In all of its services, but most notably in product development projects, one of the strengths of CIRAS lies in bringing ISU students into the picture, both to help reach project goals and as real-job learning experiences for the students.