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Daily Archives: April 22, 2014

Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance

Di Stefano, Giada and Gino, Francesca and Pisano, Gary P. and Staats, Bradley R., Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance (March 25, 2014). Harvard Business School NOM Unit Working Paper No. 14-093; Harvard Business School Technology & Operations Mgt. Unit Working Paper No. 14-093. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2414478  or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2414478

“Research on learning has primarily focused on the role of doing (experience) in fostering progress over time. In this paper, we propose that one of the critical components of learning is reflection, or the intentional attempt to synthesize, abstract, and articulate the key lessons taught by experience. Drawing on dual-process theory, we focus on the reflective dimension of the learning process and propose that learning can be augmented by deliberately focusing on thinking about what one has been doing. We test the resulting dual-process learning model experimentally, using a mixed-method design that combines two laboratory experiments with a field experiment conducted in a large business process outsourcing company in India. We find a performance differential when comparing learning-by-doing alone to learning-by-doing coupled with reflection. Further, we hypothesize and find that the effect of reflection on learning is mediated by greater perceived self-efficacy. Together, our results shed light on the role of reflection as a powerful mechanism behind learning.”

Verizon 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report

Excerpt from the Verizon 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report: ‘“We have more incidents, more sources, and more variation than ever before—and trying to approach tens of thousands of incidents using the same techniques simply won’t cut it. Not only would the dominant incident characteristics drown out the subtleties of the less frequent varieties, but we cannot… Continue Reading

CFPB – Mid-year update on student loan complaints

“The CFPB received more than 2,300 private student loan complaints and more than 1,300 debt collection complaints related to student loans between October 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014.  This mid-year update discusses specific co-signer issues reported by borrowers. Approximately 90% of private student loans were co-signed in 2011. Many private student lenders advertise an option to release a… Continue Reading

NYT – Data Reveals American Middle Class Is No Longer the World’s Richest

News release: “All of us at the Luxembourg Income Study Database (LIS) are delighted that the New York Times (NYT) chose to launch their exciting new venture — The Upshot — with an extensive report, Losing the Lead, based on the LIS data. The Upshot, led by Pulitzer Prize winning economics journalist David Leonhardt, premiered today. The NYT report includes additional information about the data and a note… Continue Reading

AFL-CIO 2014 Executive PayWatch

“…AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka unveiled the 2014 Executive PayWatch today. According to its data, U.S. CEOs – the highest paid in the world – pocketed, on average, $11.7 million in 2013 compared to the average worker who earned $35,293. That means CEOs were paid 331 times that of the average worker. Many of the CEOs highlighted… Continue Reading

College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2013 High School Graduates

“In October 2013, 65.9 percent of 2013 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Recent high school graduates not enrolled in college in October 2013 were over twice as likely as enrolled graduates to be working or looking for work–74.2 percent compared with 34.1 percent. Information on school enrollment and… Continue Reading

Regional Variation in Use of Complementary Health Approaches by U.S. Adults

Key findings – Data from the National Health Interview Survey, 2012. NCHS Data Brief, Number 146, April 2014 Use of nonvitamin, nonmineral dietary supplements (17.9%) was greater than any other complementary health approach used by U.S. adults in 2012. The use of practitioner-based chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation was nearly twice as high in the West North Central region… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – National Defense, VA Construction

NATIONAL DEFENSE: Department of Defense’s Waiver of Competitive Prototyping Requirement for the Air Force’s B-2 Defensive Management System Modernization Program, GAO-14-522R: Published: Apr 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 22, 2014. VA CONSTRUCTION: VA’s Actions to Address Cost Increases at Denver and Other Major Medical-Facility Projects, GAO-14-548T: Published: Apr 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 22, 2014. Continue Reading