Engaging Research-Focused Staff in Higher Education in a Course in Teaching and Learning

There are some broad strategies that are already in place aimed at attracting research-focused staff to various formal and informal teaching and learning courses in many Higher Education institutions. For example, potential participants are exempted from a course module based on existing qualifications they possess; using a diploma course in teaching and learning as a prerequisite to a Master’s degree and/or linking the certification received by staff after completing a course in teaching and learning to professional status and a qualification such as fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).While these are pitched at the programme level and help to make the course attractive, the main strategy for keeping staff engaged in a course of study is to create a climate conducive to learning and their needs. Firstly, creating a climate conducive to learning and participants’ needs involves a number of things. However, critical to this process is attending to the interests of the participants. As much as possible, gather information on past and present participants’ perceptions of the course and their research concerns and interests. This is important for a number of reasons. Engaging in this activity allows the teacher to

Get to know each participant and facilitate the building of relationship between teacher and participants.

Plan activities and utilise materials that are culturally and contextually relevant which makes it easier for participants to visualize learning transference in their respective contexts.

Present information on which there is some interest.
The insight participants will leave with from this data gathering exercises is that adults always appreciate being a part of their own development.Secondly, creating a climate conducive to learning and the needs of the participant also includes finding out what they hope to gain by participating in each module and /or the entire course. This is best done during the first session of each module and via open discussion where appropriate questions could be asked. A variation on this approach is to ask them what they already know about the module or topic to be explored and what they would like to know.Having gained their responses incorporate these in the lesson plans. During subsequent lessons prepare for, and discuss the areas or concerns raised by participants. What you will find is that ascertaining what participants’ would like to know and addressing these will allow them to become more attentive during the presentation. This is especially so, when their area of concern is being addressed. Also critical is involving them in developing and evaluating the curriculum by getting their feedback via feedback sheets given at the end of each module.Finally, actively involve participants during lessons. This is very important because adult learners love to participate in the learning process (Jarvis, 1996). There are a variety of methods to be used such as: Reflection-on-practice and Reflective Journaling. These allow participants the opportunity to think critically and question their goals and values which guide their work, the context in which they teach, and assumptions they make about teaching (Zeichner and Liston, 1996). Action research. Participants could design and implement potential case studies/projects/research based on their teaching situation and publish the findings in relevant reputable journals. This contributes to the development of a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).Problem base learning. Participants collaborate in the learning process using problem-based techniques to address issues/problems. Project based learning. Participants work in groups using multi-source information and creating authentic products or solutions. Professional Portfolio development. This allows participants to examine and articulate their personal instructional theory, and can be useful in accessing fellow status such as fellow of the Higher Education, Research Development Society of Australasia (FHERDSA) or fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).ReferencesJarvis. P, (1996). Adult & Continuing Education Theory and Practice 2nd ed. London: Routledge.Zeichner, K. & Liston, D. (1996). Reflective Teaching: an introduction. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Small Business Ideas – Phases and Basics

Most small business ideas are born out of inspiration, frustration, circumstances or almost any reason other than well thought-out logic and plenty of pre-planning. How about your small home based business idea?As a result, the ever cycling phases of plan, finance, start, run, grow, sell are random and chaotic. Each phase is dealt with, if at all, in a reactive mode rather than a responsive mode. This pattern seems to work as long as you see your small home based business as a source of wages versus a business entity responsible for making a profit with your “wages” being paid as part of the business’s employee overheadA few small business owners eventually break out of this mode and into a true business ownership role where they begin to, as Michael Geber described in his classic book “The E-Myth”, work on their business rather than in their business. This transition can be difficult for many because it requires some forward thinking and functional discipline. In other words, you’ve got to think about the future not just react to it. You need to focus on the basic business functions and how to apply them to your business at every phase of the business cycle.A simple way to begin your move into the role of true small business owner is to become familiar with six phases of the small business cycle and the eight business basics you’ll need to apply in different ways at each of the six phases.Small Business PhasesThe six business phases are plan, finance, start, run, grow and sell. Typically, small home based business owners attack the phases of business development in order of their own strengthens or the greatest source of pressure. It takes a strong sense of discipline to move through each phase in logical order. It’s not a matter of slowing your small business down, but, rather, accelerating its success and profitability by not skipping a step and moving from one to the next.Small Business BasicsIn different ways in each of the phases you always be dealing with each of the eight business basics of objectives, management, finance, personnel, marketing, operations, production and resources. Each small business basic is a point of education and implementation for new small home based business owners. Think of each basic as a function to learn about and a section in your business plan. Learn about each basic and then take your own current or projected data and move it into your small business plan.It takes time and discipline to cycle through each of the business phases and master all of the business basics but the rewards for most small business owners are success and profitability. Your small business idea is too important to penalize yourself by not earning those rewards. Start right now by assessing what phase your small home based business is in and what basic needs your immediate attention.

Why Do You Need to Invest in Your Financial Education?

Wikipedia defines financial literacy as the ability to understand finance. More specifically, it refers to an individual’s ability to make informed judgement and effective decisions based on sound financial knowledge and understanding.Our school system was designed to train employees for the industrial age. No wonder you were not taught how to handle your money and make wise financial decisions. Most financial knowledge comes from your own experiences (either good and bad) and your close ones like your parents, friends and relatives. You invest in 401K or RRSP and diversify your mutual fund portfolio because that’s what other people do and you don’t know any other investment options. It becomes a serious problem during the economic downturns. While many people saw their lifetime saving shrank dramatically from the last global financial crisis, some with a solid financial education became richer than ever. You wonder how they made it.It is time to invest in your own financial education. It is time for our school system to adopt financial education into the curriculum of high school and college/university. Because a sound financial education gives you an unfair advantage to those without.In his best-selling book “The Conspiracy of the Rich”, Robert Kiyosaki lists four basic investment categories (business, real estate, paper assets and commodities) and says a sophisticated investor invests in all four categories to achieve true diversification. If you have only one source of income (e.g. “Job”, “self-employed”), no matter how much you earn, you are vulnerable to any financial instabilities. You need to have multiple sources of income. You need to have more than one investment vehicle to build and protect your wealth. You may ask “Sounds great but where do I start?” Well, the best and the quickest way to success is to learn from those who have been successful. In this section, you will be introduced to some of the most successful and influential investors, entrepreneurs and financial educators of our time in North America. So fasten your seat belt and let’s explore their world.Robert Kiyosaki — author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, is an investor, entrepreneur, educator and New York Times best-selling author. His financial education book series Rich Dad Poor Dad has been translated to over 100 languages and sold more than 26 million copies world wide. He also created the educational board game Cashflow 101 to teach individuals the financial and investment strategies that his rich dad spent years teaching him. Robert Kiyosaki’s perspectives on money and investing are different from traditional teaching. The old beliefs of getting a good job, working hard, saving money, getting out of debt, and investing for the long term are obsolete in today’s world. Robert Kiyosaki’s teachings focus on generating passive income through investment opportunities, such as real estate and businesses, with the ultimate goal of being able to support oneself by such investments alone. Some of Robert Kiyosaki’s bestselling books:Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad’s Guide to Financial Freedom by Robert Kiyosaki (1998)Find out which quadrant you belong to, why people from different quadrant think and react differently and which path to take to achieve financial freedom. Download Notes taken from Cashflow Quadrant.Conspiracy of The Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money by Robert Kiyosaki (2009)If you are still in the mentality of having a secure well-paid job and counting on your mutual funds to retire you comfortably at age 65, you need to read this book. In this book, Robert Kiyosaki shares his view of global economics and explores why people are finding themselves challenged by these turbulent times. If you are worried about or were hit by the last financial crisis, you want to be prepared for the next one. Notes taken from Conspiracy of The Rich.Michael Maloney — To escape the rat race, you not only need to build wealth but also need to protect it against inflation and financial downturns. Gold and silver serve such purposes for hundreds of years. If you are interested in investing in gold and silver, you’ve got to learn from Michael Maloney, who is Rich Dad’s advisor. Michael’s book Guide to Investing in Gold & Silver presents a historical view of economic cycles, money history, gold and silver, fiat currencies, and the Federal Reserve in an easy-to-understand way. It explains how the US government is driving inflation by diluting its money supply and people’s purchasing power, why to invest in gold and silver, and how to invest in gold and silver. Through the lens of the history, you know where we stand today and how to prepare for our future.You will find updated news and analysis on gold and silver investment from Michael’s website goldsilver.com which attracts hundreds of visitors daily. You can purchase gold and silver online through his website.Robert G. Allen — a Canadian born financial author. Some of his best-selling books are: Multiple Streams of Income, Creating Wealth and Nothing Down. He has helped tens of thousands of people achieve their financial goals with his books and seminars. His Multiple Streams of Income covers the topics such as stock market, real estate, tax liens, network marketing, internet marketing, etc.Robert Allen reveals the secret formula for extreme networking marketing success through his 14-page eBook “The Secret Formula For Financial Prosperity”.Don R. Campbell — Canadian-based real estate investor, author, and market researcher. Formerly worked for Sears back in early 1980, Don achieved his financial freedom through real estate. He is the president of Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) which one of the largest organization of its kind in Canada and has more than 15 years history. To be a REIN member, you need to fulfill a 17-month membership obligation. The monthly fee is relatively high to some people but the information on Canada’s most current real estate market and education you will get are worthwhile. If you are new to real estate, it is definitely a good starting place and save you many trial and error.If you are interested in Canadian real estate investment, Don R. Campbell’s best selling book 97 Tips for Canadian Real Estate Investors is a must for you. It offers Canadian specific content and advice that are relevant to Canadians.Chris Martenson — a trained research scientist, and a former Fortune 300 VP. His free video series Crash Course gives a clearest and most straightforward explanation of how our economy, energy systems and environment interact — how we got to where we are today, and some reasonable expectations for the future. Chris sends out the same message Robert Kiyosaki has been teaching over the years — the next twenty years are going to look very different from the last twenty years.Stay tuned. We will continue introducing some other successful and influential investors, entrepreneurs and financial educators of our time through future article submission. We highly recommend you invest your time in your financial education and personal development. As an old saying goes, “Success is not something you pursue; Success is someone you become”.