Learning Technological Concepts and Developing Intellectual Skills

The increasing complexity of work and social life demands that people possess conceptual understanding and intellectual skills in order to gain the desired level of competence. Unfortunately, the development of high level cognitive skills is a complex task that has not been sufficiently addressed in education. This chapter discusses the nature of intellectual skills and identifies numerous problems that educators face when they attempt to emphasize these skills in their curriculum. Through a comparison of the characteristics of formal and informal learning environments, the author identifies four elements of informal learning that guide the creation of high level intellectual skills. Incorporating the four elements of informal learning in formal instruction can lead to robust opportunities for students to gain conceptual understanding and develop their intellectual skills.     

树立新理念 确立新思路全面开创质量工作新局面

大庆石化公司是以大庆油田原油、轻烃和油田气为主要原料 ,从事炼油、化工、化肥和化纤生产的特大型石油化工联合企业。现有员工 1382 2人 ,拥有生产装置 82套 ,辅助生产装置 4 9套。可生产 86种 342个牌号的石油化工产品。自 196 2年 4月建厂到现在 ,历届领导班子始终重视质量工作。特别是改制以来 ,在中油股份公司的正确领导下 ,进一步解放思想 ,转变观念 ,坚持以市场为导向 ,依靠科技进步 ,严格全过程的质量管理 ,实施名牌战略 ,树立新理念 ,确立新思路 ,使大庆石化公司的质量管理工作得到了长足发展 ,产品质量也不断得到巩固和提高 ,赢…     

Textile Industry Officers from Developing Countries Visited Veken Group

On June 11, 2008, a group of textile officers from Developing Countries, organized by China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Textiles (CCCT), visited Ningbo Veken Beilun Textile Industry Park on a study and inspection tour,     

Shaping Concepts of Technology: What Concepts and How to Shape Them

Philosophy of technology is a discipline that has much to offer for technology education. Insights into the real nature of technology and its relationship with science and society can help technology educators to build a subject that helps pupils get a good concept of technology and to learn to understand and use concepts in technology. Here the way science educators have gained from the philosophy of science, for example in the idea of the way pupils learn concepts by reconstructing pre-concepts that they picked up from daily-life experiences. Research has shown that the learning of concepts and the learning of process skills have to be connected.     

FROM EXPERIENCE: Developing New Product Concepts Via the Lead User Method: A Case Study in a "Low-Tech" Field

Conventional market research methods do not work well in the instance of many industrial goods and services, and yet, accurate understanding of user need is essential for successful product innovation. Cornelius Herstatt and Eric von Hippel report on a successful field application of a "lead user" method for developing concepts for needed new products. This method is built around the idea that the richest understanding of needed new products is held by just a few users. It is possible to identify these "lead users" and then draw them into a process of joint development of new product concepts with manufacturer personnel. In the application described, the lead user method was found to be much faster than traditional ways of identifying promising new product concepts as well as less costly. It also was judged to provide better outcomes by the firm participating in the case. The article includes practical detail on the steps that were used to implement the method at Hilti AG, a leading manufacturer of products and materials used in construction.     

The International Expansion Process of MNEs from Developing Countries: A Case Study of Thailand's CP Group

This paper reviews different streams of literature on Third World multinational enterprises (MNEs), highlighting the necessity to maintain a balance between exploiting existing resources and accumulating new competence. Using a case study research methodology, empirical evidence is presented on the international expansion process of the CP Group of Thailand. The paper attempts to explain the sequential growth and expansion of the CP Group into different technological and geographical areas. While existing resources feature prominently determining the direction and the success of expansion, the accumulation of new expertise becomes even more significant in the long run. The paper also suggests a variety of theoretical and empirical issues which may be relevant in the future inquiry on the internationalization process.     

The Wormking Time Debate in Western Europe

High unemployment levels in western Europe have stimulated calls for reorganizing working time. Some reductions in working time as well as more explicit work-sharing initiatives have occurred; results from these initiatives have been disappointing. Obstacles include attitudes of the different parties involved and little indication of work-sharing following simulated or actual hours reductions. A greater work-sharing effect can be anticipated where hours reductions are greater, when they occur in nonrecessionary periods, and where job-retention as well as job-creation effects are evaluated.     

Recent Research in Learning Technological Concepts and Processes

This paper examines recent research in student learning of technological concepts and processes. To explore this area three inter-related aspects are considered; existing concepts of technology, technological knowledge and processes. Different views of technology and technology education are reflected in both research outcomes and curriculum documents. Teacher and student perceptions of technology impact on the way in which technology is undertaken in the classroom. Teacher's perceptions of technology influence what they perceive as being important in learning of technology. student's perceptions of technology and technology education influence what knowledge and skills they operationalise in a technological task and hence affect student technological capability. Technological concepts and processes are often defined in different ways by particular groups. Subject subcultures are strongly held by both teachers and students. The influence of subject subcultures and communities of practice will be discussed in terms of defining and operationalising technological concepts and processes. Technological concepts are not consistently defined in the literature. For students to undertake technological activities, knowledge and processes cannot be divorced. Recent research highlights the problems when processes are emphasised over knowledge. This paper will examine different technological concepts in an attempt to create a critical balance between knowledge and process. Much of the literature in technology education has rightly emphasised definitions, curriculum issues, implementation and teacher training. This paper argues that it is now time to place a great emphasis on in-depth research on student understanding of technological concepts and processes and ways in which these can be enhanced.     

Networking under uncertainty: Concepts and research agenda

This paper has two aims: Firstly, to develop the interpretation of business management as a process of ‘networking’ between companies by relating networking to the concepts of managerial uncertainties and abilities. Secondly, to suggest some areas of potential research that arise from the view of management as networking under uncertainty.The paper builds on the Activities, Actors, Resources (ARA) structure (Håkansson & Snehota 1995) and the Model of Managing in Business Networks (Håkansson et al., 2009) and interprets business interaction as a problem-coping process that involves a set of choices for interacting actors within particular business relationships that are unique in time and space. The paper then relates these choices to the uncertainties and abilities of interacting counterparts.     

Analogies of Cash Flow Concepts

Several different procedures for the implementation of the internal rate of return criterion are presented in the literature on investment projects evaluation. Taking the net present worth criterion as a basis for comparison, a survey of some of the suggested procedures and a critique of their theoretical basis are presented. It is showed that, although leading to a proper evaluaticn, they are internally inconsistent in the sense of incorporating modifications that may not really be necessary. To circumvent this possibility, we are going to suggest a conceptual algorithm that should be implemented if we are concerned with the formal application of the internal rate of return criterion.     

Methodology in the "Job Quality" Debate

This paper critically examines the use of the earnings distribution of net employment gains in the analysis of "new jobs." The paper explains why this measure of economic performance is not robust and why it can be misleading. Alternative analyses, based on industry and/or accupation, are more robust and may be more informative. Illustrative results show that the new job growth has been concentrated in industries with generally lower wages than the industries where jobs have been lost.     

市场导向理论基础及概念演进

市场导向理论在营销学术研究历史中具有重要、突出的地位，然而至今市场导向概念仍然没有统一的界定。通过回顾和梳理市场导向理论，明晰了市场导向概念的发展脉络，旨在对市场导向的未来研究提供基础。     

Transforming Engineering Concepts for Technical and Vocational Teacher Education

Technical education involves programmes, disciplines, but also a level of competence to be reached by students, in reference to social practices outside of school. Technical teacher education must not only include competence in these social practices but must also develop specific, practical teaching skills. Today a rapid evolution in academic disciplines has been observed, partially linked to the circulation of models. the present study is concerned with the transformation of models within these exchanges and attempts to extract knowledge that would be useful for decisions to be made concerning teacher education.     

Microelectronics in the Clothing Industry: Firm Strategy and the Skills Debate

This article examines the impact of CAD/CAM on the UK clothing industry. It questions the extent to which computerisation has led to a greater choice over production strategy and argues that upskilling has not occurred.     

Technology Education and Developing Countries

This article considers the problem of introducing technology education as a school subject in development countries. Should the subject draw inspiration from everyday circumstances in these countries, or should it leapfrog to the space age? Answers depend upon circumstance. Alternative scenarios for how technology can be introduced in these settings are set forth. They include technology as reconstituted industrial arts, and technology across the curriculum.