Knowledge Update

Happiness in the workplace is a buzz word nowadays. Forums, discussions, workshops, and seminars are organized to guide us to the path of happiness. But is it really happening? This is a key question.  

Enhancing happiness needs a sneak peek in PERK where P stands for purpose, E for Engagement, R for Resilience, and K for Kindness. These four elements account for the happiness of employees in contemporary workplaces. A successful manager and enthusiastic workforce aim to attain PERK in order to be happy in the workplace. But again we stop to ask how to use PERK. Let me elaborate!

Every organization frames a mission and vision for achieving a set of goals. So it is important for employees to reflect on their core values and feel purposeful at work. Managers must instill a sense of passion and purpose through ethical means in the way employees perform their work. Further, the manager could also promote purpose by making core values explicit at the workplace, and implementing policies that align people’s day-to-day experiences with core values. As Swarthmore College Professor Barry Schwartz explains, we want to see how our progress is tied to meaningful, important, and self-transcendent impact in the world.

Engagement at work comes with enjoyment and fun. Managers and employees should include some playfulness, creativity, humor, and levity at work. It is also vital to develop a sense of ownership among employees. Flow at work is critical and organizations are now moving from hectic, meeting-clogged, multitasking and devise-notification laden schedule to more encouraging and uninterrupted periods of deep work concept. Some international organizations like Southwest Airlines and Zappos have earned a reputation for engaging employees in positive ways. 

Resilience is all about bouncing back to normal performance and productivity after setbacks and failures. The best technique for doing this is mindfulness. Being mindful can be the starting point of having a better opinion of self, revising our old learned habits of self-criticism and self-blame.

Managers can create a culture of being mindful. Further, employees can also be authentic in order to be more mindful. Mindfulness can be enhanced through non-work related wellness and charitable activities. Adobe’s Project Breath is all about building and sustaining mindfulness among the employees. 

Our last tenet of happiness at work is kindness. Being kind at work is practicing empathy and compassion, treating colleagues with dignity and respect, practicing gratitude and handling conflicts positively and constructively. Employees are urged to be good listeners and effective team players. Apologies also enhance respect and commitment in building trust and happiness at work. Georgetown University Professor Christine Porath’s book Mastering Civility explains being civil means building trust; sharing resources, feedback, and credit; and being a good listener. For leaders, civility skills are critical to avoiding the corruptive influence of gaining power.

Research shows happiness at work in essential for organizational success and achievement of its KPIs, mission, and vision. Using the tenets of PERK can enable enhanced happiness among employees at the workplace. 

Educational institutions are powerful generators of dominant ideologies and as such produce practices that both exclude and include. One of the ways that class and social privilege is reproduced is explained by Bourdieu’s (1984) notion of cultural capital. A widely used definition of cultural capital stems from Lareau and Lamont who indicate that cultural capital is ‘institutionalized, that is, widely shared, high status cultural signals (attitudes, preferences, formal knowledge, behaviors, goods and credentials) used for social and cultural exclusion’. Aspects such as attitudes, preference and behaviors are usually learnt from one’s home and community. Educational institutions tend to reward learners who carry within themselves ‘appropriate cultural capital’.

Discourse ‘is used in linguistics to refer to extended samples of either spoken or written language’ (Fairclough). ‘Language in use’ is how Gee describes discourse. Fairclough explains that if one takes the view that discourse is an extended sample of language, then the emphasis is placed on the interaction between the person who speaks and the one who listens, or on the person who writes and the one who reads the writings. In consequence to this the ‘processes of producing and interpreting speech and writing, as well as the situational context of language use’ are emphasized as well (Fairclough). He views language not as an individual activity but as a form of social practice. Therefore, language is produced and reproduced in social settings such as schools and higher education institutions.

The notions of positioning and power are critical in the shaping of these reproductions. Discourse models are ‘the largely unconscious theories we hold that help us make sense of texts and the world’. As humans, we tend to live with and act on these assumptions unless challenged. Therefore, it can be said that these models are the frame through which we ‘see’ the world. Furthermore, while one learns from one’s experiences, these experiences are shaped by the ‘social and cultural groups to which we belong’ (Gee). But these frames are culturally bound, leaving us to have limited perceptions of situations. Also, these frames can make us act in certain ways believing we are doing what is right, when in fact the opposite might be true. Fairclough believes that one’s ‘social identity;’ and ‘subject positioning’ are constructed by discourse. Discourse constructs social relationships among people. This is one of the main reasons that educators need to become aware of the power of their classroom and everyday talk to position their learners in ways that can reproduce inequality.

Since the revolution of the internet, everything in the world has changed and moved forward. The internet is now used widely in all fields such as buying products, applying for colleges and reading books. Like any other facility, the use of the internet in education has positive effects, but the facility itself is not always available. One of the major uses of the internet that has positively helped is in the education field.

Developing education has always been the focus of governments, researchers and even booksellers. With the internet spreading worldwide, the need for using it in education was inevitable. Funded by governments, universities and researchers were able to upload a huge amount of material online, starting from small articles, to journals, books, and even videos. This has made it possible to make education more fun and made it much easier for teachers to upload material and for students to have access to what they need in their studies. For example, in some schools, there is no need for students to physically attend classes; they can simply watch relevant videos done by teachers online and then act accordingly. They can also send their work via email to their teachers, have their papers checked and receive their marks. To do research assignments, there is no need to go to traditional libraries or bookstores to search for books or certain articles; a few clicks on Google or Yahoo from a smartphone or a laptop is enough to show thousands of books and articles. On top of that, students can do self-study online. Students can contact their teachers 24 hours a day by simply sending an email. Inside the classrooms, teachers can use many good educational websites and programs for teaching and practice purposes, such as Youtube, Khahoot Program, K5P Program, Quizizz Program, Articulate 360 and Learning Management Systems (LMS), among others. None of these programs would exist without having the internet. Most rich countries, such as the United States, Britain, Finland, Japan, Malaysia or Holland, are up-to-date in terms of developing and using online programs to help their students for better and effective education that will positively reflect on future generations and may create leaders and scientists for their countries' benefits.

However, it is not always possible to use the internet in education. That is to say, some countries do not have enough financial resources to provide internet services to all educational facilities such as schools and universities. Some of these countries include Mexico, Iraq or Syria. Other countries have limited access to the internet for security reasons such as Vietnam or North Korea. A lot of students may not be able to have phones to use mobile apps or computers to use other programs in learning especially in poor countries. Any advancement needs time; the availability of trainers, a place and time to train educators in how to use online resources is not always possible. Regardless of the reason why there is no internet in a certain place or with limited access, it is still a fact that in some countries, teachers and students cannot have online classes and they might not even know such programs exist.

To sum up, although some countries are without the internet, and they still use traditional learning and research, no one denies that the internet has completely changed the concept of education. It has made it much easier and more fun than before. We do not know what new tools will be invented in the future to facilitate education and make it more effective, but the internet is definitely going to be on top of these tools for a long time.

In the new millennium, organizations across the globe are aiming for more diversity in the workplace to ensure that varying perspectives contribute to the achievement of organizational goals. Managing a diverse workforce is not an easy task and requires a plethora of skills to ensure the smooth functioning of the organization. Organizations should engage in deep-level diversity where people from different backgrounds share opinions, discuss issues and create ‘out of the box’ solutions, rather than surface-level diversity that focusses on gender, color, race and so on. Diversity initiatives of any organization will be successful only when top management fully supports the implementation of these initiatives. Leadership plays a highly important role in this regard as modern-style leadership is not only the ability to influence people but also the ability to visualize how various emerging technologies can be used to solve organizational problems and enhance customer experience, all while keeping the cost implications in mind.

To be a successful employee currently means being adaptable and possessing good emotional intelligence skills. These traits enable employees to understand various perspectives put across by people from diverse backgrounds. For sure, organizations with a diverse team will have higher productivity, flexibility and the ability to face challenges and implement changes as per industry requirements. At the same time, if diversity is not managed well it leads to misunderstandings and conflicts which may not only hamper the day to day operations but could also result in a decrease in productivity and possibly the collapse of the entire organization.

Having a proper culture in place and focusing on inclusion is the key to success. Diversity and inclusion are crucial concepts for all organizations and the achievement of such is a continuous process in which the focus should be on attracting talent from diverse backgrounds. The Human Resource Department should ensure that employees are actively engaged and that suitable flexible work arrangements are in place to meet the requirements of millennials. The Human Resource departments of all organizations that focus on diversity and inclusion, should develop a plan that ensures that all functions, from attracting and developing to maintaining the talent, focus on developing belongingness among all the internal stakeholders to reap the benefits of diversity.

Organizations and their teams should have a positive attitude towards diversity and encourage their employees to immerse themselves in the organization’s culture of diversity and inclusion. Students studying in colleges should be trained on the importance of not only creating but also managing a diverse team. Furthermore, colleges should investigate how to provide opportunities for students to work on projects with diverse group members. This will enable the students to understand the importance of respecting and accepting differences for the betterment of the organization. Diversity and inclusion are not abstract notions but must be experienced. More opportunities for this experience should be provided by giving students showcase situations such as role-plays, group discussions, panel discussions and more. People who excel in effectively managing diverse teams that focus on inclusion will be successful managers in this era of disruptions.

Skyline University College’s Mapathon

Due to the significance of maps in responding to disasters and the delivery of healthcare, Skyline University College`s Services Committee organized a Mapathon in collaboration with MSF (Doctors without Borders) in Dubai and Missing Maps Team in Spring 2019. Mapathon is a humanitarian project aimed at putting the world`s most vulnerable people/places on the map.      

The Mapathon was intended to contribute to the fulfillment of Skyline University College`s vision to be a globally renowned university that nurtures the spirit of innovation and creativity. With the assistance of MSF, the Mapathon was an opportunity for students and other volunteers to digitally navigate and map of more than 550 building in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The data that students and other volunteers generated will be used by local and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to better respond to the crises affecting the world`s most vulnerable places.

Specifically, Skyline University College`s Mapathon was an outlet for BSIT and Business School`s students and other volunteers to use IT tools available at the campus to expand SUC`s community services internationally, and more importantly, take part in one of the most recurrent and timely humanitarian projects.

Students and other volunteers were given a training session on the concept of Mapathon by Jan Böhm, Missing Maps Communications and Community Engagement Manager, MSF Geneva. Mr. Jan was supported by Rasha Ahmed, Digital Communications Manager and Estelle Januel, Communication Assistant, MSF, Dubai.

Mathematical modelling is the conversion of problems from an application zone into manageable mathematical formulations with a hypothetical and arithmetical analysis that provides perception, answers, and guidance useful for the creating application. Mathematical modelling is valuable in various applications; it gives precision and strategy for problem solution and enables a systematic understanding of the system modelled. It also allows better design, control of a system, and the efficient use of modern computing capabilities.

Knowing the ins and outs of mathematical modelling is a crucial step from theoretical mathematical training to application-oriented mathematical expertise; it also helps the students master the challenges of our modern technological culture.

Looking at the core application of Mathematical Modelling:

I can list some of the modelling applications I understand, at least in some details, with areas involving numerous mathematical experiments. Various areas have interesting mathematical problems and these include Artificial intelligence, Computer science, Economics, Finance, and the Internet. Mathematical modelling is applicable in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, speech recognition, optical character recognition, reasoning under computer vision, and image interpretation, among others. Aside from computer sciences and economics, it’s important in image processing, realistic computer graphics (ray tracing), and labour data analysis.

Key areas of mathematics useful in Mathematical Modelling:

To formulate the basic algorithms for your mathematical formulation, the following are the key mathematical categories: Numerical linear algebra (linear systems of equations, Eigenvalue problems, linear programming, linear optimization, techniques for large, sparse problems), numerical analysis (function evaluation, automatic and numerical differentiation, Interpolation, Approximation Padé, least squares, radial basis functions, special functions, Integration univariate, multivariate, Fourier transform nonlinear systems of equations, optimization and nonlinear programming), numerical data analysis (Visualization 2D and 3D computational geometry), parameter estimation least squares, maximum likelihood, filtering, time correlations, spectral analysis prediction, Classification Time series analysis, signal processing) Categorical Time series, hidden Markov models, random numbers and Monte Carlo methods), and numerical functional analysis (ordinary differential equations, initial value problems, boundary value problems, eigenvalue problems, stability techniques for large problems, partial differential equations finite differences, finite elements, boundary elements, mesh generation, adaptive meshes Stochastic differential equations Integral equations and regularization) and non-numerical algorithms (symbolic methods, computer algebra, sorting, and Compression Cryptography).

The aim of any 21st-century education system should be to prepare students on how to deal with life challenges in a very fast moving world.  Therefore, it has to adapt to the constantly changing conditions as it cannot function in isolation from reality and ultimately, without modern technology.

Information and Communications Technology, also known as ICT, has changed the way people communicate with each other, acquire information, spend their free time, and obtain knowledge. Computers, mp3 players, DVDs, radio stations, television channels and, of course, the Internet are used to send or convey various types of information that contains written texts, graphics, sound or video images which can greatly help students learning at every level of education. The use of such devices and technologies in schools is, indeed, influencing the changes happening in teaching methodologies.  When skillfully utilized, ICT allows us to change the current concepts of conducting school activities, and thus, to greatly enhance their quality. In today’s world, it is an inevitable process.

This article will present the possibilities and advantages of using the Internet as a technology supporting traditional learning. The main purpose is to present the tools and advantages of using ICT in schools such as blended learning, e-learning, etc., which are a mix of modern tools and some traditional teaching methodologies. The dynamic spread and progress of ICT have undoubtedly contributed to the development of a knowledge-based society, known as Lifelong Learning.

Ever since the computer was first introduced in education, teaching and learning have become noticeably more effective. The first use of computers in education took place in the USA in the 1960s. Computer dissemination in American schools started in the 1970s. In the 1980s, approximately 96% of teaching was supported by computers (Computer-Assisted Instruction). In contrast, the rest of the world remained far behind the United States. The Open University in the United Kingdom (est. in 1969), is the first educational institution whose activity was devoted entirely to distance learning. To date, it is still based on the active use of materials from the Internet, radio, and television.

The last years of the 20th century were the beginning of a new trend.  E-learning and blended learning were introduced and quickly gained popularity. They enabled the dissemination of distance education, learning foreign languages, participating in courses, or even on-campus learning. Generally speaking, all of these methods added a new dimension to learning and as a result, many barriers have been overcome. In most European countries, ICT is gaining more and more popularity. In fact, ICT now is an independent subject in school in many countries.
Teaching methods – the use of ICT tools in teaching

In the 21st century, a digital generation is growing up, for which new technologies are a natural thing as they have been in contact with them from a very early age. They are referred to as digital natives. It is a generation that is difficult to reach without using digital tools, which are completely natural to them. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to adopt the forms and methods of teaching to the tools that the students use in everyday life (e.g. computer, Internet), and the teacher’s role should be one of a facilitator, inspirer, adviser, and guide.  
ICT is based on the use of blended learning. The use of ICT tools in the classroom is associated with the active inclusion of familiar information and communication technologies in the teaching process. Language classes are a perfect example.

Foreign language teaching with traditional methods supplemented with distance learning (e.g. e-learning, m-learning, blended learning), encompasses different teaching methods, allowing the learner to practice all language skills owing it to a wide range of exercises and tasks available. One of the many possibilities to diversify language classes is the use of interactive computer games in learning a foreign language, i.e. introducing elements of learning through fun.

The heading of this piece is a question that students often ask me in a rather incredulous tone. Why must we practice thinking? We think all the time, according to my students. What’s the relevance of having a course about thinking? There is no skill involved. Yes, lower order thinking is instinctive and does not require any conscious effort but critical thinking, on the other hand, needs work. Critical thinking needs brain work and lots of it.

I’ve still not answered the question though. Why study critical thinking and problem solving? Well, the World Health Organization consistently ranks critical thinking as one of the top ten life skills that everyone should possess. Given the ever-changing nature of society, the job market and job descriptions themselves, employers more and more want employees who can think on their feet and adapt to diverse situations. For this, we need to be able to think critically.  Therefore, studying the practice of critical thinking will stand everyone in good stead for our entire lives, not just during higher education and not just for the duration of one course. Critical thinking is a skill that can be applied to everything in life. Critical thinkers are better able to contribute to the society in which we live. We are able to share ideas with our colleagues, friends and bosses. Critical thinkers are people who other people turn to for advice and guidance, as to think critically means that you can look at all angles of an issue and most likely find solutions to problems. Critical thinking, at its most basic definition, is thinking outside of the box and this is what employers both want and need from their employees.

Let’s unpack the words that are vital to the concept of critical thinking. Why? Well because in order to understand the importance of the concept, we need to understand all the terms involved. The most important terms, in my opinion, are skill and reasoning. These words are central to understanding the concept of critical thinking.

What is a skill? If you search for that answer you will most likely find something along the lines of ‘the ability to do something well’ or ‘expertise’. How do you become an expert in something? How do footballers score goals from seemingly impossible angles? They practice! That is what we need to do with our thinking; practice. Right now you are most likely thinking that I am a little bit crazy but, hopefully by the end of this brief article, you will understand what I mean and hopefully even agree with me. Now what do you think of the statement where I tell you that thinking is a skill? Thinking, you might ask? I’m not talking about the thoughts that flit through your mind at night as you drift off to sleep or the very first thoughts that you wake up with. The skill part comes in to play when we have to put a conscious effort into our thoughts. Most of our thoughts are unconscious, in that they just happen. The thinking that is part of critical thinking is of a higher order. For example, if someone asks me what my favourite colour is, then I can instinctively, without thinking, tell them: Yellow! If someone, however, asks me on my opinion on an issue in education, such as how to improve an advisory system, I need to stop and consciously think. It takes work. Brain work! The difference between conscious and unconscious thought contributions is almost always the quality of the thought. Your thoughts in this course, and in life, need to be conscious, skillful and quality.

This lead to the notion of reasoning. Arguably, this can be said to be one of the most important aspects that sets humans apart from other species; our ability to figure things out, learn from the process and then remember and apply what we have learned. Reasoning talks about our ability to draw conclusions in a meaningful way and put those conclusions (and the process we used to reach them) to good use. The main part of reasoning is that we are rational. Rational implies being calm. Rational is based on logic. The best way to win arguments and solve problems is by being rational. This, once again, reiterates the importance of practicing this skill.

Therefore, it is clear to see how employers and in fact anyone in life would like to be surrounded by critical thinkers. Yes, knowledge about a certain area is always important but given the speed at which the world changes daily, critical thinkers will always be needed and valued.

Most of the organizations in the world have implemented project management successfully and achieved better and sustainable outcomes. But, in today’s dynamic, global, highly competitive and complex business environment, the project management approach is turning out to be a little difficult one to implement due to its rigidity and highly process-oriented methodology. Out of the several techniques to resolve this rigidity, agile project management is found to be one of the most successful approaches. It is considered to be the most flexible and capable approach, which can execute several varieties of tasks simultaneously.

The traditional project management approach adopts a linear sequence of completion of events one after the other known as "waterfall" methodology. All the events and tasks of the project are planned well in advance, and are completed one after the other passing through different phases of a project known as "Project Life Cycle." In general, these phases are known as define, plan, execute, and close. All these four phases are commonly followed in each and every project. The project scope statement is prepared well in advance and the possibility of making changes to the scope is very rare. Due to this, the projects that are generally of longer duration face severe deviations in planned versus actual budgets and timelines.

Contrary to this traditional approach, the agile approach adopts an iterative approach (projects are implemented in small packets of works) which enables it to incorporate an element of flexibility in the scope and dynamic modification of project based on client’s requirements. It focuses on working along with the needs of the customer throughout the project, instead of freezing them at the beginning itself. The agile approach uses flexibility-enabled software for completing the tasks of the project through adaptive planning. According to the Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org), adoption of the agile approach is rapidly increasing in many industries and it is not limited only to Software and IT projects. Whereas the traditional project management is useful for tangible deliverables, the agile is found to be more useful for intangible and knowledge-oriented deliverables.

In traditional projects, the deliverables are not visible to the client until the completion of a very long duration of the project, whereas, in agile, the client can visualize the deliverables in small chunks within a very short duration. At the same time, the changing needs of the client can be incorporated at every chunk of the agile project. This increases the client’s satisfaction and at the same time enables flexibility and adaptability in the project.

Most commonly used agile processes are Scrum, Scrum/XP hybrid, Custom Hybrid, Scrumban, Kanban, and Iterative development. Out of all these, Scrum is the most popular agile methodology designed to guide the members of project teams in the step by step iterative methodology and the delivery of the product to the customer in a phased and incremental manner. Popularly, the Scrum is also called as "A Framework of Agile Project Management." It enables the project teams to quickly respond to changes in an efficient and effective manner and dynamically modifies the time and cost of the project to suit the client’s requirements. This is achieved through the usage of tiny slabs of time, known as "time boxes," and a collaborative approach with the client. In agile projects, the traditional project manager functions as a "ScrumMaster." Some of the examples of usage of scrum include social justice, venture capital projects, sales, marketing, finance projects, and portfolio management. Scrum works in a "lean way" and executes the projects through the continuous involvement of customer and project team to develop the right outcome as per the requirement of customer.

Today, the popularity of agile project management approaches has already spread to almost all industries. Some of the industries where agile approaches are widely used are, software, information technology, construction, pharmaceuticals, medical devices manufacturing, mobile and telecommunications, and electronic products manufacturing, etc.

It is expected that very soon project management will be totally replaced by the agile approach in many sectors.

Education has always been one of the main focus of governments and people in all countries in the past and in the present. Through education, all closed doors open and all obstacles in life can be overcome. Education lets people develop emotionally, intellectually and socially. Education is the scale that measures nations in all fields such as lifestyle, development, richness, poorness, and even happiness. That is why countries have been doing research to find better ways to enhance students in schools and to support teachers. When technology has become an integral part of various fields and industries, governments made an effort to integrate technology in education.

The idea of integrating technology in education has been a growing demand for both teachers and authorities in higher education. In the past, the major focus in classrooms was a teacher-centered approach in which teachers taught in a traditional way: using chalks, hardcopy books and notes, and lectures. Classes were dull for many students as the actual involvement and interactions of students out of classroom was lacking. The communication between teachers and students was limited.

Presently, integrating technology in education has become a need for every academic institution. It has become a vital part of the teaching-learning process. Having a computer and internet in the classrooms make it easier for teachers to give exercises and show students extra material such as pictures or videos in an easy, effective way. Moreover, teachers have access to unlimited teaching resources from the internet they can use in their work. Also, now it is much easier and faster for both teachers and students to communicate, discuss, release or submit assignments or even enter marks online. Teachers and students can also keep themselves updated about the latest trends. Assigning assignments, doing homework, performing exams are easier now than before.

Another important factor in using technology in education is virtual reality technology. This technology allows students to immerse in other cultures or environments without leaving the safety of the classroom. They can see experiments, new cultures and learn new languages in just a few clicks.

Countries that make use of the power of technology have gained better results in all fields and raised more intelligent generations with better practical skills than those with traditional learning approach. In ten years’ time, the traditional method of teaching might become obsolete. The countries must, therefore, set mandatory rules, ease the regulations, and allocate budget for institutions to encourage the use technology in education.