Innovate – College-Wide Learning Outcomes

Posted: November 20, 2014

“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow” — William Pollard, physicist.

Red River College is in the process of renewing its College-Wide Learning Outcomes (CWLO), which are designed to be incorporated into RRC courses and programs. This six-part blog series highlights hand-selected resources that would be useful in developing these outcomes, which are essential for success. This is the fifth part of the series, which focuses on “innovate.”

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Secret Sauce of Success?

The ability to innovate has been described as the “secret sauce” of business success (Source: The Innovator’s DNA). We want RRC grads to be equipped to innovate – to generate, build and transform ideas in their fields.

Below are some resources that give advice on how to be a successful innovator.

Innovate – RRC Library Resources for Students and Staff

READY, SET, DONE : HOW TO INNOVATE WHEN FASTER IS THE NEW FAST

“If you are trying to figure out how to deal with the faster world that surrounds you, then you need this book. Think about it: the high velocity global economy of today drives rapid consumer, business, industrial and marketplace change.” (Source: www.jimcarroll.com)

 

 

 

BREAKING OUT : HOW TO BUILD INFLUENCE IN A WORLD OF COMPETING IDEAS

How do you gain influence for an idea? In “Breaking Out,” idea developer and adviser John Butman shows how the methods of today’s most popular “idea entrepreneurs”….can help you take an idea public and build influence for it.” (Source: Harvard Business Review)

 

 

 

 

CREATIVE THINKERING : PUTTING YOUR IMAGINATION TO WORK

Through step-by-step exercises, illustrated strategies, and inspiring real-world examples, this book will show you how to synthesize dissimilar subjects, think paradoxically, and enlist the help of your subconscious mind. Visit the author’s website at creativethinking.net.

 

 

 

SPEAKING OF…CREATIVITY

In this documentary, nine creatively accomplished people reveal the secrets of their creativity.

Watch the trailer here:
Speaking of Creativity trailer

 

 

 

 

CREATIVE APPROACHES TO PROBLEM SOLVING : A FRAMEWORK FOR INNOVATION AND CHANGE

A comprehensive text covering the system for problem solving and creativity known as Creative Problem Solving (CPS). This system helps individuals and groups solve problems, manage change, and deliver innovation.

 

 

 

CREATIVE STRATEGY : A GUIDE FOR INNOVATION*

The real difficulty with innovation is not the execution, but coming up with great ideas in the first place. Duggan uses the neuroscience of innovation to describe the brain’s process of analysis to come up with the best new ideas, and to break down the process step by step.

* THIS BOOK IS ON ORDER — ARRIVING SOON!

 

 

 

 

The College Library has everything to do with College Wide Learning Outcomes

Posted: November 13, 2014

The College Library has everything to do with College Wide Learning Outcomes.  Providing a broad coverage of current topics, a comprehensive library collection is critical to informing and updating students and faculty with the latest knowledge in their fields.

Libraries are not mere warehouses for books and other materials.  Through the teaching efforts of Library staff students learn information and digital literacy. These skills may not be taught explicitly in classrooms yet are necessary for students to be able to research and write papers, think independently and critically, and in general, be academically successful. Information competencies benefit students in the long run as they continue on with their future education and careers.

Like many other skills, information literacy must be learned and practiced, even in an age where large student populations own electronic devices, if not more so. On a daily basis, students who come into the Library or visit us online are introduced to a plethora of information resources including electronic books and streamed videos.  They learn how to access the electronic databases to do faceted searches, to narrow down or broaden the focus of their search, and evaluate resources.  And they learn to appreciate that even though Google is a powerful tool it is not the only search engine and it does not always give good results.

By solving technical problems in the computer lab and explaining to students the likely causes and steps to take to troubleshoot, our staff members are often lifesavers to students, teaching them to find the answers and solutions for themselves and giving them the confidence to explore and hence grow their own skills.

Authors: Can Li and John Mark Allen  – Red River College Library, Notre Dame Campus

Communicate – College-Wide Learning Outcomes

Posted: November 6, 2014

Red River College is in the process of renewing the current College-Wide Learning Outcomes (CWLO), which are designed to be incorporated into RRC courses and programs. This six-part blog series highlights hand-selected resources that would be useful in developing these learning outcomes, which are essential skills for success.

This fourth edition of our CWLO blog series explores Library resources for staff and students which deal with communication. Students will communicate through a variety of formats, to diverse audiences in wide-ranging environments throughout their academic and professional careers.

Communicate – RRC Library Resources for Students and Staff

Business communication for success (2013) McLean and Moman cover business writing, presentations, interpersonal communication, crisis communication, intercultural/international business communication as well as group dynamics, teamwork and leadership. Delivering the message and understanding your audience are also highlighted.

 

We interact in increasingly diverse schools, workplaces and social arenas in today’s world. Communicating effectively with diverse groups and individuals is crucial and is the subject of Communicating beyond language : everyday encounters with diversity. (2014) Betsy Rymes writes of the communicative resources we use daily along with our gestures, greetings and even our dress. Contemporary examples from popular culture and mass media are included.

 

Promoting ideas and projects, and communicating persuasively is important in the business world. Building influence in the workplace : how to gain and retain influence at work (2010) introduces influence, power and responsibility in the workplace. Reputation building, moral conflicts and working with challenging colleagues are also covered by the author, Aryanne Oade.

 

Getting to yes : negotiating agreement without giving in (2011) is a classic in the business world. Roger Fisher’s message of ‘principled negotiations’ has influenced generations of educators, businesspeople and students who wish to achieve win-win outcomes in negotiations.

 

In Exploring professional communication : language in action (2013) Stephanie Schnurr deals with various genres of professional communication. Issues of gender, leadership and culture are discussed with an applied linguistic focus.

 

 

 

Contribute to the Community – College-Wide Learning Outcomes

Posted: October 14, 2014

Red River College is in the process of renewing the current College-Wide Learning Outcomes (CWLO), which are designed to be incorporated into RRC courses and programs. This six-part blog series highlights hand-selected resources that would be useful in developing these learning outcomes, which are essential skills for success.

This third edition of our CWLO blog series explores Library resources for staff and students on Contribute to the Community.

Contribute to the Community – RRC Library Resources for Students and Staff

Collective visioning [e-book] : how groups can work together for a just and sustainable future
 Linda Stout offers advice and real life examples of including socially marginalized members of a community into the collective vision of an organization. Collective Visioning (2011) features a clear, actionable, step-by-step process to set up and create a welcoming space for activist leaders to collaborate for positive change. Stout details ways in which trainers should reach out to different groups, listen to and understand needs and concerns of the group, create a welcoming space for all voices, foster agreements, ensure the visibility of all members. [e-book]

We make change : community organizers talk about what they do– and why
Passionate, committed people, working hard to make change they believe is possible, are profiled in We Make Change (2007).  The world of community organizing is explored by using the voices of men and women who are on the front-lines, trying every day to make a difference in their communities.

 

The transition companion : making your community more resilient in uncertain times
The Transition Companion (2011) draws on over three years’ experience of the worldwide Transition movement and gives a new, easily accessible approach to creating change.  It builds on the success of the bestselling The Transition Handbook and is packed with inspirational stories, photos and illustrations.  The Transition Companion picks up the story three years later, drawing from the experience of one of the most fascinating experiments under way in the world today. It tells inspiring tales of communities working for a future where local economies are valued and nurtured, where lower energy use is seen as a benefit, and where enterprise, creativity and the building of resilience have become cornerstones of a new economy. (Transition Network website)

Everyone leads [ebook] : building leadership from the community up
Where is the leadership we need to solve our most pressing community problems? It’s all around us. Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up (2012) will inspire readers to see new leadership possibilities within themselves and their communities. It also offers a set of practices that will help leaders be more effective at bringing diverse people and groups together to solve problems. Many leadership books today focus on how to lead organizations; this book is about how to lead communities. (Everyone Leads website)

Progressive community organizing : a critical approach for a globalizing world
Progressive Community Organizing (2009) is ideal for both undergraduate and graduate courses focused on community theory and practice, community organizing, community development, and social change and service learning. The second edition presents new case studies, including those of a welfare rights organization and a youth-led LGBTQ organization. There are also new sections on the capabilities approach, queer theory, the Civil Rights movement, and the practices of self-inquiry and non-violent communication. (Google books)

Adult civic engagement in adult learning
Take an in-depth look at adult learning and education for citizenship and civic engagement. Adult Civic Engagement in Adult Learning (2012) presents the foundational connections between the adult education and civic engagement movements. It’s filled with studies on adult learning for participatory or deliberate democratic change and engagement at the local grassroots level. Contributors consider civic engagement in their areas of research and practice and explore the formal and informal ways that citizens come to learn, to deliberate, and to act on the social issues they find important locally and globally. (Publisher’s website)

 

Change philanthropy : candid stories of foundations maximizing results through social justice
Social justice philanthropy provides direct services to alleviate suffering and works to transform the systems and institutions that cause that suffering. Written in an engaging, easy-to-read style, Change Philanthropy (2009) offers an insider’s view what works and what doesn’t work when developing grant making strategies in support of social change. (Amazon.com)

Everything under the sun : toward a brighter future on a small blue planet
Everything under the Sun (2012) includes telling facts and stats, the latest scientific findings, and examples of the positive actions people are taking today toward protecting what we have. Underpinning it all is the recognition that Earth gives us everything we require to live, under a sun that provides the energy to produce food, transport, and all of our modern conveniences. (David Suzuki Foundation website)

 

Experiential education : making the most of learning outside the classroom
Topics covered in Experiential Education (2010) include forms and issues in experiential learning, community-based learning and research, learning abroad, demystifying experiential learning in the performing arts, work-based learning, and empowering reflective ethical engagement in field settings. (Amazon.com)

Think Critically – College-Wide Learning Outcomes

Posted: October 2, 2014

College-Wide Learning Outcomes: Essential Skills for Success

Red River College is in the process of renewing the current College-Wide Learning Outcomes (CWLO), which are designed to be incorporated into RRC courses and programs. This six-part blog series highlights hand-selected resources that would be useful in developing these learning outcomes, which are essential skills for success.

According to AAC&U’s 2013 employer survey, 93% of employers agree that a candidate’s “demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems” is more important than their undergraduate major. Likewise, more than three in four employers say they want colleges to place more emphasis on helping students develop critical thinking skills. 

This second edition of our CWLO blog series explores Library resources for staff and students on Critical Thinking.

Critical Thinking – RRC Library Resources for Staff

 

TEACHING FOR CRITICAL THINKING outlines critical thinking as a “learning process that focuses on uncovering and checking assumptions, exploring alternative perspectives, and taking informed actions as a result. Written to address the broad range of disciplines, this book fosters a shared understanding of critical thinking and helps various constituencies adapt general principles to specific disciplinary contexts.” (Source: MyiLibrary product detail)

 

 

 

 

INFUSING CRITICAL THINKING INTO COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION: Faculty development leaders from five community colleges discuss their strategies for making critical thinking central to instruction.

 

 

“Studies show that, with the exception of a few best-practice examples, critical thinking–both in our highly selective universities and out community colleges–is neither being effectively taught nor even correctly understood. Even many faculty who are teaching it are not succeeding… [CRITICAL THINKING: UNFINISHED BUSINESS] presents blueprints for such plans, methods for assessing critical thinking programs, and best practices from colleges that have begun to implement them.” (Source: Back cover)

Critical Thinking – RRC Library Resources for Students

 

CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING: This ten-minute video defines critical thinking and examines it’s role in the process of problem-solving. Part of the series Academic Success: Smart Tips for Serious Students. 

Also available on DVD.

 

 

ADULT LEARNER’S COMPANION is a concise manual to help the adult college student succeed. Includes tips for college and career success, stress management, time management, study skills, and more. Chapter 6 is devoted to critical thinking and problem-solving.

 

 

 

 

 

KEYS TO SUCCESS is designed to help students build their intelligence with an integrated focus on critical, creative and practical thinking skills. Appeals to every age and stage of student.

EXPLORE FURTHER:

RRC Student Success Skills: What is critical thinking? 

Career Readiness – College-Wide Learning Outcomes

Posted: September 24, 2014

Red River College is currently renewing the current College-Wide Learning Outcomes which are designed to be incorporated into RRC courses and programs. (rrc.ca/cwlo/)

The Library can point you in the right direction towards resources that would be suitable for each of the Learning Outcomes. In this edition of our College-wide Learning Outcomes blog we will look at some fantastic resources for instructors who wish to integrate these outcomes into their courses, and for students who need to acquire the competencies required.

The first learning outcome is Career Readiness, one of our fundamental goals at the College – to make sure students are ready to not only begin their careers but to excel in them.

Career Readiness includes academic subject expertise, teamwork skills, adaptability, personal accountability, interpersonal relations, continuous learning, creativity, communication, and intercultural competency among others.

Career Readiness – 7 Resources Available to RRC Staff and Students

1. A broad overview of career readiness can be found in 10 Things Employers want you to Learn in College : the know-how you need to succeed by Bill Coplin. The author lists 10 skill sets that students need to excel in the world of work which are:

• Taking responsibility
• Developing physical skills
• Communicating verbally
• Communicating in writing
• Working directly with people
• Influencing people
• Gathering information
• Using quantitative tools
• Asking and answering the right questions
• Solving problems

This skill set, argues the author, is what every graduating students needs to succeed and progress in the world of work. A degree and a high GPA might get students an interview, but these competencies will get the job.

2. Communication skills are also crucial to a successful career and are covered in Business Communication for Success by Scott McLean and Murray Moman. McLean and Moman’s text covers understanding your audience, effective writing, giving presentations, crisis communication, teamwork, leadership and more.

 

3. Professionalism: real skills for workplace success by Lydia E. Anderson, Sandra B. Bolt touches on many aspects of career readiness such as attitude, time management, ethics, etiquette, accountability, conflict management and customer service.

 

4. Collaboration, teamwork, supervision, organization and leadership skills are essential to a well-functioning workplace. Creating Effective Teams : a guide for members and leaders by Susan A. Wheelan is a practical guide for building and sustaining top-performing teams, describing why teams are important, how they function, and what makes them productive. The text is suitable for team members as well as supervisors.

 

5. Career readiness also includes intercultural competence. Valuing, understanding and respecting differences between cultures is crucial in today’s workplace. The Cultural Intelligence Difference by David Livermore is designed to help students reach this goal. It covers cultural intelligence (CQ) which is required to thrive in our multicultural workplaces and globalized world. The power of CQ helps manage multicultural teams and serve a diverse customer base both locally and internationally.

 

6. With today’s technology and social networking, the world of work is wide open to our students. Working in the global economy [e-book] : how to develop and manage your career across borders by Roblyn Simeon shows how professionals can market themselves in the global business world, not just locally. This resource provides professionals with tools to evaluate domestic and international career markets and presents strategies to package and market skills and competencies at home and abroad. Readers will learn how to research national markets, spot new career opportunities, locate regions and companies where opportunities flourish, network, find training programs and more.

 

7. The ability and desire to be a lifelong learner is another hallmark of career readiness. Building the learning organization : achieving strategic advantage through a commitment to learning by Michael J. Marquardt is a toolkit for transforming an organization into one that learns from its experiences and transfers that knowledge into peak performance. Action learning is brought into the hands of managers who want to build, maintain and sustain learning organizations.