>> "Forever" or "Anchor" Courses

By Walter Rodriguez, Ph.D., P.E.

I have been experimenting and developing asynchronous online courses to last a career lifetime since 2020.

It's a way to serve learners transition from college to the workplace. And facilitate continuing education and certifications required by rapidly evolving knowledge & work demands.

How does it work?: Once course participants complete their "anchor" course, I/we continue providing access to the learning materials & discussions for as long as they want to connect with their peers and me.  

Why do I do that?: This allows participants to stay connected & engaged with the course content. And more importantly, continue learning from the interaction with the new learners added to the course. [Yes, I/we keep the previous participants (now working professionals!] These lifelong learners benefit from the course revisions and stay up-to-date.

Besides, learners continue the discussions, even when I don't check daily on the system (i.e., Canvas LMS). It's gratifying to learn from my former students working in the field. Learning goes both ways; I genuinely love teaching and learning—this is one of the many reasons.

> Innovate: Develop Your Competitive Differentiator >

Innovate to transform your industry and develop a competitive differentiator! We must innovate in every field of life--from the arts, agriculture, business, education, finance, construction & manufacturing to design, healthcare, information, science, technology, engineering, software, and telecommunications.
If you think business is about uncovering your customers' "pain" and finding ways to alleviate it. Innovation is about the breakthroughs that can radically change your industry paradigm.

Innovation is crucial to the success of any organization. Companies like 3M, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Comcast, Microsoft, Pfizer, Meta, Mitsubishi, Moderna, Netflix, Salesforce, Tesla, Zoom, and many others have been innovating and transforming continuously.

What is innovation? Innovation is the act of developing new ideas, methods, products, processes, services, and systems. Further, Innovation involves discovery, invention, design, and well-executed breakthroughs that add value to stakeholders.
For the last two years, I have been developing a course and a new book: "Innovate: Develop Your Competitive Differentiator." So I have interviewed innovators, read every book, and refereed journal articles on the subject. And I have developed an "innovation process" akin to the one I described in my McGraw-Hill book titled "The Modeling of Design Ideas" (sorry--out of print, so please consider the new book and course--an updated approach.) The current innovation course engages corporate teams in a pedagogy described at Coursewell--a website owned by Adaptiva Corp. But, soon, the innovation course will be available to individuals, firms, and organizations seeking to thrive in challenging times, and hopefully, in a university or college near you. #innovation
#innovationthatmatters #education #experientiallearning #pedagogy #traininganddevelopment #competition #innovationmanagement #innovationstrategy #leadership #bestcompaniestoworkfor2022

Building Your Home? Learn from my Experience

By Walter Rodriguez, B.S.C.E., M. Arch. Ph.D., P.E.

“To build a house. It is one of those nearly universal dreams, like falling in love. And like falling in love it is fraught with complication.” (Tracy Kidder)

For several years, I dreamed of designing and building a lovely, small but spacious house (or "Casita") near the beach in Naples, Florida, as a "relaxing, thinking, reading, and writing open space." That is a flexible living space, off-the-gate (not yet off-the-grid) near the beach for weekend retreats or intense writing days.

But first, I needed to find the correct lot and, most importantly, build a design-construction team!

With a limited budget, I set out on the almost impossible task of finding the ideal lot near Naples beaches. As expected, virtually every available lot near a Naples beach was selling for a budget-busting amount. Nevertheless, after a constant search, I settled for a small, narrow, and complex lot along the periphery of Naples Park subdivision near Delnor-Wigging Pass—one of the most pristine stretches of beach in the world.

Since it was a challenging site (lot) on a busy route to the beach, I purchased the lot for just under one-third to one-half of the price of similar lots in Naples. In addition, the lot was located in a flood zone and slightly topographically depressed in the middle (i.e., "sporadically flooded.”) I half-jokingly said: "I am buying a small pond by the beach. With a place to park my car." I had to employ a soil testing company to ensure it wasn't a sinkhole! Auspiciously, the Subsurface Soil Exploration Analysis indicated that it was adequate to allow the use of a shallow footing foundation system with slab-on-grade for supporting residence, as typical in the area.

To further complicate construction, the lot faced a busy East-West seasonal-traffic route for thousands of beachgoers and boaters. And the site fronted a churchyard with a view of non-descriptive buildings. Further, building on the entire site (rather than in the back third portion) would have required stopping or rerouting traffic due to the lot space constraints. A random thought came to mind: "Build a tiny house way in the back of the small deep-narrow lot and place two sets of front double doors facing a Spanish-style 'interior' garden as a natural noise pollution buffer.”

Nevertheless, the most complicated pre-planning activity was building the design-construction team. That is, finding contractors willing to build a small house in Naples---given the lack of large-profit-margin incentive governed by building huge and expensive residences in Naples.

After contacting several realtors, builders, and subcontractors in the area and multiple failed attempts at reaching a design-build contractual agreement, I finally decided to partner with a small builder that knew many subcontractors. The subcontractors were incredibly knowledgeable and familiar with the Naples Park area. And surprisingly, very interested in collaborating and working on building a unique, minimalistic modern home, where we would meet to anticipate costs and profit accurately. Although I had built small concrete (hurricane-proof) houses and high-rise buildings in my early 30s, I was unfamiliar with the Naples building culture (i.e., building codes and, more importantly, didn't have a network of reliable subcontractors in the area. So contracting experienced, trustworthy subcontractors was both sensible and sensical after my previous experiences with other contracting firms.

Before signing a design-build contract for the stipulated budget (less than half the average housing cost in Naples), subcontractors and I became a collaborative design-build effort: exchanging e-mails and phone calls with contractors before breakfast and late evenings and weekends. I served as the project manager and supervisor. I was making a daily visit to the site, stirring the team in the right direction, and getting lots of advice from the main contractor.

The tight schedule called for concurrent engineering (i.e., designing and building simultaneously) in a very challenging lot during the hurricane season. That could be completed before the snowbirds arrived in Naples, Florida. During construction, the building site was hit by the devastating Irma hurricane---stopping the job for several weeks and bringing brand-new complications besides the original ones mentioned earlier.

It was complicated to entice subcontractors to work on a small project. Fortunately, the team had created long-term relationships among themselves and suppliers that smoothened the challenge.

Ultimately, the multiple budgetary and logistical challenges became tremendous opportunities to design and build the desired home. Here are some of the options I saw: the Naples Park ordinances allowed building a minimum of 800 square-feet houses in the small lots, but the County fees were significant. So, building a small (1000 square feet house) was no problem. Nonetheless, the budget had to be revised due to the county’s high impact fees for new construction.

Further, the seasonal traffic would have complicated the building process. It would have been challenging to build without disrupting traffic. So building the house to the back of the site (lot) allowed construction equipment to be placed in the front without disrupting traffic. There were a few additional complications during construction, including an issue with the mezzanine. Specifically, the architectural and structural plans called for different heights in the elevations, causing the wood framer to build the mezzanine too high. Fortuitously, the framers offered to fix the problem reasonably innovatively. Building a cohesive team helped us deal with this and other situations. Using an improvised system of pulleys, they lowered the mezzanine platform to the desired high.

The house was completed on time and within budget.

In closing, I am now incorporating smart-home technologies into the house, such as an intelligent thermostat; security monitoring cameras and sensors; Amazon key for deliveries; Lighthouse A.I. virtual assistant; and Cherry home to spot emergencies, among others.

I learned that a house might be considered a living organism or system that should sense and respond, continuously growing and adapting to the inhabitants' needs and wants. And it must be maintained and nurtured. For now, I am boosting it with lush vegetation—planting environmentally-friendly ornamentals, fruit trees, and a garden of edible plants. Shortly, I will be installing solar collectors and a, perhaps, Tesla battery before the next wave of hurricanes arrives with the anticipated electrical outages and flooding. So is the sometimes-easy life in paradise and sunny Florida, unless you are building.

The biggest lesson: To build your home, first, you must build a cohesive, responsible team.

Teamwork

In my courses, I often assign team projects. And to improve teamwork in my assigned group projects, I follow the guidelines below to help our students collaborate, communicate, produce, and innovate in a collegial, respectful environment.

First, ensure the group understands and stays focused on the project's goal—be specific.

Second, provide clear metrics so that we can measure the project outcomes.

Third, often remind students about the project's priorities.

Forth, set the tone by respecting students' and team members' opinions and ideas.

Fifth, hold each team member accountable by creating a rubric that measures group and individual contributions.

Sixth, communicate and meet with each team to monitor progress and establish accountability. Seventh, be mindful and compassionate but decisive.

Below is a helpful article on teamwork.

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/business/manage-a-successful-team

Walter Rodriguez

How to Listen

Yes, most of us, including me, need to practice our listening skills! After the introductions, ask a question not quickly answered with a yes, no, or maybe. Repeat the person's name in your mind. When the person starts to talk, hold a steady, soft, or even friendly gaze directed to their left eye--if they are right-handed. To rest your eyes, consider looking slightly away every few seconds--as needed. Try to focus on every word---bypassing your thoughts. You will have to quiet your mind and hold your opinions. That is, try not to react or interrupt the speaker immediately. Instead of analyzing what you hear, try to feel and project empathy for the person. Then, when the person has completed their answer, paraphrase what they said to ensure that you understood and the person understands that you understood. Depending on their response, you might be able to start articulating your thoughts at that time. Please let me know if these listening processes worked for you and the types of challenges you experienced. #listeningskills #empathy #react #learninganddevelopment #ideas #students #studentsuccess #personalgrowthanddevelopment #retention #facultydevelopment

Purposeful (self-inflicted) interruptions might be beneficial to work focus and learning.

Last time, I wrote about designing courses & training to maximize student attention, focus, and retention. Today, I want to address interruptions. Why? Not all interruptions are bad for learning & focus. Yes, there are good and bad interruptions.

For instance, if I hear a dog barking or call to attend an unplanned meeting, it could take me a few minutes to half-and-hour to regain my work focus and concentration on the task. [Worst case: Being interrupted by an enticing social media advertisement or video game could take me longer since I will probably fall into an eternal scrolling trap.]

Nevertheless, if I stop playing the guitar to "feel" if I am playing the right melody, that may help me focus even more on the piece; if I pause reading to re-read or review a paragraph. And ponder the content; the purposeful interruption could help me remember a lesson for a more extended period. Or if I intentionally stop what I am doing to attend a planned meeting related to my subject which can be beneficial: That can help me regain my focus and concentration quicker. And perhaps, help me make mental associations that allow me to recall the content later on. 

Purposeful (self-inflicted) interruptions might be beneficial to work focus and learning.

Think about how many book chapters or video series end a chapter or episode with a cliffhanger. That is, purposely interrupting the episode and leaving you wondering about what would happen next. In this way, our mind remains engaged in the content as we try to anticipate what comes next.

I usually like to finish a class with a cliffhanger or an assignment that will make my students stay engaged on the topic after the class is over. 

What if we could design course lessons that leave our students wanting to learn more about the subject? How about assigning small group assignments that require students to apply what they have learned in their daily lives or work.

Further, think about The Zeigarnik Effect, which states that people remember unfinished or incomplete tasks better than completed ones. To recall: Zeigarnik experienced that waiters in a café could place the orders they had not yet delivered better than those they had distributed.

#traininganddevelopment #learning #work #students #intructionaldesign #socialmedia #content #video

Course Design >>

Can we design our courses to maximize students' attention, focus, and retention? Or, what if we developed our instructional practices to minimize stress and student withdrawal?

For decades now, e-mail, texting, and software apps from Facebook, Twitter, Google, etcetera have been able to capture our students' attention for a few seconds or minutes at a time. Unfortunately, many of these apps often interrupt what our students are doing, intending to gain their attention (eyeballs & clicks.) But what if we use some of those techniques to earn our students' attention, focus, and retention? And therefore improve learning & student retention along the way.

Emotions such as immersion and enjoyment contribute favorably to focus and learning outcomes. Researchers have demonstrated that the perceived authenticity of a learning experience can facilitate the sense of immersion for students (Rosenbaum, Klopfer, and Perry 2007; Csikszentmihalyi 1990; Newmann 1992; Rodriguez, Angle, and Snyder 2021).

The above might create competition among other well-designed courses but all for a good purpose: improving learning.

What do you think? Any ideas? What are moral & ethical issues to consider? Do you have some well-designed courses to share?


#retentionstrategies #studentsuccess #faculty #students #design #webdevelopment #coursesonline #coursedesign #coursedevelopment #curriculumdevelopment #professors #instructionaldesign #learning #experience #google #facebook

: IMPROVING FOCUS

by Walter Rodriguez, Ph.D., P.E.

You may ask: How can I improve my team’s focus, attention & retention? Simply put, infuse each of your communications and objectives with relevant, meaningful activities! The closer the subject, exercise, or task is to your team's interest, the easier it will be to captivate their focus & attention. And the more they will retain and remember the subject. Granted: It's not an easy task but necessary to make our meetings and activities more engaging and enjoyable.

I usually start my meetings and classes by asking participants: What do you want to learn or understand a bit better today (on the subject at hand)? And why? I extemporaneously construct the meeting or lesson based on the learning outcomes (LOs) that I must address in the meeting or syllabus. In addition to helping participants focus better, it helps me feel more engaged and creative as a leader, teacher, and faculty member. If you haven't, please try the above approach and let me know how it goes.

Note: If you have helpful learning strategies you wish to share with us, please feel free to post your learning experiences in this forum or contact walter@coursewell.com

#learning #retention #students #share #leadershipdevelopment #focus #instructionaldesign #instructors #facultydevelopment #learningstrategies #educationinnovation #learninginnovation #teacher #learningoutcomes #creative

Leading Life*: "Your future depends on what you do today."

“Your future depends on what you do today.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Inspired by the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi and other great leaders and thinkers like him, in Coursewell’s Leading Life course, you will learn how you can lead yourself (and your team) to a thriving, even blissful, work-life in challenging times. But, please act now by simply writing an email to walter@coursewell.com. [There are no application forms to complete but must indicate the reason(s) for joining our faculty, retired executives, entrepreneurs, and other interested learners like yourself.]

During this course, Tuesday live sessions at 2 PM USA Eastern time, you will learn & apply:

1. A more thoughtful way to learn. And, more importantly, find a better way to remember, retain and recall what you have learned. For instance, many learners and researchers have discovered that changing locations and taking a quiz before studying the subject matter can improve subsequent learning.

2. Develop an integrated work-life strategy for you, your family, and your organization, since work-life is not divided into compartmentalized silos. Our brains are always on, even while relaxing and dreaming.

3. Acquire life-work strategic leadership skills to thrive in life and work—no matter the present or future challenges. For instance, learn how to lead (influence) decision-makers and peers towards a strategic goal.

4. Learn a holistic methodology to design & develop a better work-life for you (or your family, or your team)—socially, emotionally, intellectually, and financially.

5. Work on exciting real-life business & community projects along with active faculty, retired executives, entrepreneurs, participants, and your peers.

6. Learn to meditate and lead a work-life of purpose, riches, and focus.

For additional information, please contact walter@coursewell.com.

Moderator

Prof. Walter Rodriguez, B.S.C.E., M. Arch., Ph.D., P.E., G.C., founded Coursewell.com and teaches (remotely) at SGMI Management Institut St. Gallen online MBA program in Switzerland---including leadership, strategy, management, marketing, MIS, operations, and finance. As a practicing architect, civil engineer, general contractor, project manager, professor, and researcher, he received the Harvard Foundation Medal "to recognize his notable contributions to American Science, Engineering and Intercultural Relations." After a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at MIT (collaborating with the Media Lab & the CEE Intelligent Engineering Systems Lab), Dr. Rodriguez acquired 24 years of managerial & technical teaching and research experience as Founding Professor and Chair in the Lutgert College of Business’ Departments of Computer Science, Information Systems, Marketing, and Operations Management at Florida Gulf Coast University. [Of course, not all at once!] He was a tenured Associate Professor in the College of Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, teaching Construction Management, Computer Graphics, and Computer-Aided Design. Professor Rodriguez taught CAD and Engineering Construction Management at the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Architecture and the University of Central Florida. Also, he served as the Berger Chair Professor of Design & Construction Management at Tufts University. He has published over 120 peer-refereed research papers and developed online certification courses in analytics, IT, computer graphics, and construction project management (PM), among many others. During his tenure at FGCU, he served as Founding Director of the Institute for Technological Innovation and the multi-million-dollar DoD-sponsored MyCAA Portable Careers Project and the National Science Foundation (NSF)--sponsored Constructability Review & Evaluation for Workgroups (CREW) Project. Also, he was Director of Grants and Research; Alico Endowed Chair and Eminent Scholar in Operations Management & Strategy; and Founding Chair of the Departments of Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Project Management, and Decision Sciences as well as Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS) program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Walter obtained his Ph.D. in engineering project management (interdisciplinary Civil Engineering/Industrial Systems Engineering) from the University of Florida. Dr. Rodriguez founded Coursewell.com to enhance careers in MIS, information technology (IT), and project management (PM) areas.

What is Innovation?

Innovation is an academic, multidisciplinary field of study for developing groundbreaking ideas, solutions, processes, products, and services. Below are a couple of innovative solutions. And below are some examples.

Field: Construction

Problem: Freddie Mac projects a major deficit of single-family homes in the USA--especially in the lower to affordable price range. (Source: https://lnkd.in/gFghWxAh)

Challenges: (1) obtaining materials in a timely fashion (mainly, due to supply-chain bottlenecks during the pandemic); (2) difficulty in recruiting, hiring, and retaining skilled workers (trades labor); (3) lack of affordable land near the city centers; (4) regulatory issues; (5) capital needed; and (6) risks associated with uncertainty, among other factors.

Opportunity: To quickly build sustainable (economically and environmentally) houses---more inexpensively and with considerably less waste.

Solution: Build less expensive (and durable) 3-D printed houses using concrete framing.

Innovator: ICON (partnership with construction developers, like Lennar) can build house walls using semi-automated 3-D printing technology. Essentially, the machine places fresh concrete
in layers. And, since the machine work with curved walls, designers can be a bit creative.

Innovation Kudos:

> Mexico (Échale) & USA (ICON) Collaboration: "3D Printed Housing for Those Who Need It Most": Check: https://lnkd.in/gAGybMzZ

> Germany (Mense-Korte/Hous3DRuck): https://www.mense-korte.de

#innovation #collaboration #concrete #sustainable #housing #technolgy