Factors That Affect The Management Of A Global Workforce

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE MANAGEMENT OF A GLOBAL WORKFORCE Coca-Cola, a multi-national beverage corporation and manufacturer, started as a medicine sold in a small pharmacy that John Pemberton made in his backyard. This brand grew world wide through strategic marketing and affective global management. Managing a company globally is a tough task because there are several factors that affect a global workforce. The first challenge one may think of when determining the factors that affect the management of a global workforce may be the difference in language. This factor is actually small when compared to other differences needing to be addressed when businesses plan to become multinational. Major factors may include the differences in†¦show more content†¦This may not go so well in developed economies where demotions are more often perceived as a step toward getting fired than as a motivational tactic. These may seem like small barriers but when they re added up, these barriers can prove to be serious obstacles. If Coca Cola had a Eur ope branch manager based in Germany who wanted to hire someone in France, the paperwork that is needed to be completed would be in French and will ask for information based on French laws and customs that ll probably be unfamiliar to the German manager. If this same challenge repeats itself through the whole employee lifecycle, (from hiring, to development, to retention), the manager’s obstacles can increase dramatically and the company may drop the ball in executing the entire global plan. Differences in Educational Systems: Cheap labor doesn t necessarily mean skilled labor. Many countries can offer a large number of workers but most of these individuals will need some type of training. A company may save money by hiring cheap labor but the cost of their training may not prove to be profitable. On the same token, pulling skilled workers with higher education may be more expensive than training existing employees. Also, countries with high education standards will have regulations and laws that make it even more costly on top of higher wage requirements. When Coca Cola decided to manufacter their

Popular Music or K-Pop in South Korea - 1272 Words

South Korean popular music (shortly known as K-Pop) and its music videos are a worldwide phenomenon that effectively disseminates the Korean culture in different parts of the world. So, what is a K-Pop? The K-Pop is a musical genre that integrates a variety of music styles, such as hip-hop, RB, jazz, rap, and etc. In addition, K-Pop music video is an audiovisual element that consists not only the variety of musical styles, but also the stunning physical attributes of the singers as well. Almost all K-Pop artists can sing and dance simultaneously, which they do very well, and they all have exceptional physical attributes to lure more fans. Thus, K-Pop music video is accepted as its own music genre because it can successfully combine the musicality and the external images together to cause global sensation. One K-Pop music video I would like to discuss in this paper is Big Bang’s â€Å"Fantastic Baby†. Why is this music video globally popular? And how much impact does it bring? Big Bang’s â€Å"Fantastic Baby† is famous and attracts a global fan base because of its unique and idiosyncratic music style. Besides the music style, the music video is also famous because the five members of Big Bang have pretty or handsome/cute faces with slim or masculine physiques that attract global fans. For example, all five Big Bang members are globally popular not only because of their handsome features but also their remarkable musical talents. Especially G-Dragon is a renowned composer in theShow MoreRelatedPop Music And Its Impact On South Korea Essay1344 Words   |  6 PagesK-pop is a musical genre originating in South Korea that is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Although it comprises all genres of â€Å"popular music† within South Korea, the term is more often used in a narrower sense to describe a modern form of South Korean pop music covering a wide range of styles including dance-pop, pop ballad, electronic, rock, metal, hip-pop music and RB. K-pop gaining popularity in East Asia in the late 1990s, and spreading to whole Asia and World, viaRead MoreThe Korean Wave And Korean Culture980 Words   |  4 Pagesincreasing popularity of South Korean Culture around the world that started in 1997. The Korean wave started with the spread of Korean dramas across east, south and Southeast Asia and later became a global phenomenon after the creation of K-Pop music videos on YouTube. The Korean wave is made up of Korean popular music (K-Pop), Korean dramas, language, technology, and cuisine. Each one has made a significant contribution to the rise of the Korean wave. Korean popular music or K-pop has been a big factorRead MoreKorean Wave And Its Effect On The Korean Culture996 Words   |  4 Pagescontinuing to spread. K-Pop is an abbreviation of Korean pop, which has different music genres incorporated into one. K-pop includes hip-hop, electronic, rock and R’n’B music that has originated from South Korea. 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They made their debut in South Korea with the hit song â€Å"Push Push† and have had many other popular songs. One of their most recent singles â€Å"Touch My Body,† is a feel good summer song that targets a couple of different audiences. SISTAR’s song goes after females from the ages of 12 to 25 by using the trendiest fashion, their appearances, and how they carry themselvesRead MoreBeauty Is Not Pain?1704 Words   |  7 Pagesstandards in South Korea are now being define by many K-Pop idols. â€Å"In Seoul, 1 of every 5 women ages 19 to 49 has had some type of plastic surgery, according to a 2009 survey by Trend Monitor† (Chow, NPR). With the media exposing the image of â€Å"perfection† in K-Pop celebrities’ Korean woman’s negative perception of themselves and their bodies goes down leading them to consider cosmetic surgery such that as the Asian Blepharoplasty in orde r to achieve what they process as beautiful. The media, K-Pop celebritiesRead MoreInformative Speech About K-Pop1417 Words   |  6 Pagesbest movie, best music, best musician and many more. Also Bollywood for its unique dance, song and their clothes such as Sari. Now... how about Hallyu wave? Or K-pop? Have you ever heard anything about K-pop? If you don’t know anything about K-pop or have heard some issues about it and you want to know more. I’ll explain some information about K-pop. Just to let you know, I have done a research about K-pop and I have watched some K-pop concerts and I also daily update about K-pop. First, I will

Learning Team Role Identificatiion Paper Free Essays

Running head: LEARNING TEAM ROLE IDENTIFICATION PAPER Learning team role identification paper Tiffany Burrage, Tami Bereki, John Kuespert, Tim Poninski University of Phoenix Interdisciplinary Capstone course GEN/480 Inga Parker Jul 04, 2010 Learning team role identification paper One of the factors that make Justice Inc such a unique organization is the various skills each member has. Each member has a particular job title based off of his or her educations, experience, as well as his or her skills. Tim Poninski is the consultant of the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning Team Role Identificatiion Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Tim’s job is to provide recommendations, facilitation, and training on the development, management, and technological aspects of organization quality improvement efforts at all levels. This is done for Justice Inc as well as out organizations that Justice Inc is consulting with. Tim has expertise and specialties in all aspects of the criminal justice field; therefore Tim is responsible for keeping organizations abreast of any and all changes in the criminal justice field. John Kuespert is the president of the company. John’s responsibilities are to establish the direction for the development and administration of the organizations quality improvement efforts. John consults with peers throughout the organization on a number of different issues. Maintains and develop an environment of continual improvement in all aspects of the organization. John makes sure that organizations that Justice Inc consults for is satisfied with the services rendered. John also oversees the organizations operations to make sure production efficiency, quality, service, and cost effective management of resources. John is responsible for day to day operation in the organization. Tiffany Burrage is the vice president of the organization. Tiffany’s responsibilities are to oversee all aspects of the organization. This includes but is not limited to improvement efforts, which deals with developing and administrating programs. Tiffany’s also is responsible for assuring all employees receive training and coaching. Establishing strategic plans, policies and procedures at all levels for Justice Inc, as well as outside organizations. Tiffany makes sure that the improvements meet or exceed the needs of internal and external customers. Tami Bereki is the auditor of the organization. Tami responsibilities are to primarily evaluate financial information and put in order financial reports for internal and external organizations. Tami also maintains record of resources, liabilities; profit and loss, tax liabilities, as well as other financial activities with thin an organization. Analyze organizations operations, improvement, cost, revenues, financial commitments and obligations. Tami also is responsible for projecting future revenues and expenses and provides advice for organizations. How to cite Learning Team Role Identificatiion Paper, Essays

Nuns offer clues to alzheimers and aging ( on Essay Example For Students

Nuns offer clues to alzheimers and aging ( on Essay an article)Nuns Offer Clues to Alzheimers and AgingBy: Pam BelluckPam Bellucks article entitled Nuns Offer Clues to Alzheimers and Aging focuses on the lives of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and a scientific experiment called the Nun Study. The Nun Study intends to find clues and answers about who gets Alzheimers disease and why. For fifteen years, these nuns have been tested on their ability to memorize, their strength, and even their genes have been analyzed. Dr. Snowdons research has theorized that a positive emotional state of mind earlier in life may lead to a longer, healthier life. But overall, a good portion of this article has little to do with scientific research, and much to do with the lives of nuns. The scientific research that the author does provide is not helpful in fully understanding this experiment. Belluck is not totally committed to this scientific study. Her main interest seems to be fixed on the lives of the nuns in this convent. Pam Bellucks fascination begins in her opening paragraph, where she avidly describes the convent. The description she presents gives the reader the perception that the article is going to portray the lives of nuns. She writes nuns attend Mass and murmur rosaries under a white vaulted dome. The picture she paints in this statement describes a major daily activity in the convent, attending Mass. She is allowing the reader to assume that the article will be about convent life. Not once in her opening paragraph does she mention anything about a scientific study, the main intention of the article. The author of this article then goes on to explain the scientific experiment, but she barely sites the scientific research performed. In the third paragraph of the article she writes, And as they have died, their brains have been removed and shipped in plastic tubs to a laboratory where they are analyzed and stored in jars. She tells the reader that the nuns brains are being researched, but she does not state the cause. What are the scientists trying to prove by analyzing these brains? She leaves this question unanswered. This article shows various signs of weakness in the area of scientific research. Another example of this is found towards the middle of the article when she goes on to explain the daily testing the nuns perform. They undergo physical and cognitive testing, and afterwards the nuns receive reports of their results to see if their performance has altered. Belluck tells the reader that the nuns are being administered tests, but she never states the information regarding the test results. The reader is then left wondering about the results of these tests. The article does not go on to explain if these tests are producing any scientific data. This is a very important component of this study, and she simply left it out. Belluck does a poor job of analyzing the scientific research performed by Dr. Snowdon and his team. She leaves statements unclear and thoughts u nfinished. Her main focus appears to be on nun life. The article is supposed to focus on elderly nuns being analyzed in an effort to provide answers about Alzheimers disease and the aging process. Instead, Belluck decides to centralize on the nuns themselves. The School Sisters are white and eat in convent cafeterias, she writes, and most were teachers in Catholic schools. This statement is completely unessential and unrelated to the title of this article. There is no connection between the nuns eating in convent cafeterias and Alzheimers disease. This is an example of useless information in this article. But since Pam Belluck holds more interest in nun life, she feels that she must include that statement in her article, even though it does not pertain to the main point, Alzheimers disease. The author seems to feel as though the reader should be fascinated by the nuns lives. She goes on to write about Sister Nicolette, age 93, who reads, knits, plays card games, and until a recent fall was walking several miles a day with no cane or wa lker. Belluck goes on for several paragraphs about Sister Nicolette, her sisters, and what they are capable of. It is great that Sister Nicolette can still do all these things at her age, but it is unnecessary to put all this information in the article. Belluck also seems very interested in another nun, Sister Esther, age 106. Two consecutive paragraphs are written about Sister Esther, neither paragraph pertaining to any ideas or issues related to Alzheimers disease. Belluck loses focus on the real intent of her article and goes off on a tangent about these nuns. The article was meant to talk about the correlation between Alzheimers disease and these elderly nuns, not their personal lives. Pam Bellucks interest in the lives of nuns is clearly shown throughout the article. Her primary concern was supposed to be based on the Nun Study, but instead her main focus turned out to be on the nuns. Too much unnecessary information was written about the nuns, and not enough was said about the scientific experiment. She continually loses focus on the central propose of the article, the connection between these nuns and Alzheimers disease. This article lacked confidence and certainty. Dr. Snowdon and his team seem to have gathered a lot of helpful information on the topic of Alzheimers disease and aging, but Bellucks great interest in nun life seemed to override the ideas of this scientific experiment. Pam Belluck should have been more focused on the real issue at hand, rather then to write about her interest.

The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader free essay sample

The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader Reaction Paper A leader is all I ever wanted to be. But wishing to be one and doing something to be one makes a big difference. That is what I learn while listening to Prof. Ace when his discussing about this book. Everyone has a choice, either to be a just a dreamer or a doer. And for me to be able to be the leader I wanted to be, being a doer is my only option. And according to the book, there are 21 qualities a leader must possess. Character| Focus| Relationships| Charisma | Generosity| Responsibility| Commitment| Initiative| Security| Communication| Listening | Self-Discipline | Competence| Passion| Servanthood | Courage| Positive Attitude | Teachability| Discernment| Problem Solving| Vision| I wholehearted agree that all those qualities are important to make up a very astounding leader, but is it really possible for a person to acquire all those qualities? This book actually opened my eyes for many things. We will write a custom essay sample on The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Like a great leader continually pushes the limits within himself but considers that, successfully meeting the needs of others, is the ultimate test of strength within. Taking initiative is something that I believe to be foundational to being a good leader. Without willingness and follow-through to move toward a vision of what can be, success will never follow. Self Discipline was a quality that challenged me to be aware of conquering myself in areas that need to change. I must continually be evaluating myself, challenging my excuses, and keeping myself focused on the results. The other aspect of self discipline that impacts me is the idea of time. Daily we must _make_ time to do what is important; do what will help us accomplish our goals; do what will make a difference. Servanthood is one of the traits that I most desire to exhibit both as a leader and as a person. The root of true servanthood lies in a concern for others, a willingness to put others ahead of our own agendas. One point with which I agreed was that Leaders must possess a confidence to serve others. I dont really see Vision as something that is learned, though one could learn how to focus and shape a vision. I do see it as something that comes from within. Two qualities that impacted me were focus and initiative. Every day we see successful people on television or in the newspaper or we come into contact with them in our daily lives. It is easy to look at these people and imagine ourselves as being as successful as they are. Although some of these people may not have the best character, they might not be the best listeners, and they might not all be easy to get along with, one thing that truly successful people all seem to have is initiative and focus. This is because in order to accomplish anything in life, you must take the first step toward accomplishing it. The world is full of people who want to have success who have a clear vision of what that success is. However, most of them do not have the initiative to start on the road toward accomplishing that success. Once you start on that road, it is even more difficult to stay focused and follow it through to the end. The world is also filled with distractions and people vying for your time. This is why I found these two traits to be the most important ones. All in all, for me what really makes a leader is the fact that the leader became great because he is a person who can not settle with just enough, he by definition is one who will always push himself and his organization to greater heights of efficiency, growth, and success. Conquering himself, his weaknesses and fears, that is the kind of man people would want to follow. A man who doesn’t risk everything for his own credit but for the goodness of his people. Leaders are those who have the most number of successes and the most number of failures. But to give up is never an option. Those who give up never knew how close they are on achieving success before they quit. Even an ordinary man who doesn’t finished college could be a great leader if he possesses great desire and passion. He must know how to communicate the message across. It doesn’t only matter what you say but also how you say it. First, believe in what you say. Second, live what you say. You also have to conquer your fears and be courageous. Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do, there is no courage unless you’re scared. For me the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Be a rightful leader and your people will follow you wherever you go.

Use of Social Media free essay sample

Web-based technologies that support the social architecture of a community and enhance the effectiveness and value of personal interactions continue to emerge. As proposed by Bruns (2008), â€Å"the World Wide Web has been radically transformed, shifting from an information repository to a more social environment where users are not only passive receivers or active harvesters of information, but also creators of content† (p. 22). Web-based technologies now encompass the socializing features of virtual spaces that have emerged as zones for information sharing, collaboration, and community formation and extension (Suter, Alexander, Kaplan, 2005). Social media, derived from the social software movement, are a collection of Internet websites, services, and practices that support collaboration, community building, participation, and sharing (Junco, Heibergert, Loken, 2010). As defined by Bryer and Zavatarro (2001), â€Å"Social media are technologies that facilitate social interaction, make possible collaboration, and enable deliberation across stakeholders† (p. 327). These technologies now include blogs, wikis, media (audio, photo, video, text) sharing tools, networking platforms (including Facebook), and virtual worlds (Bryer Zavatarro, 2001). We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Social Media or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The use of social media has surged globally in recent years. As of July 2011, Facebook passed 750 million users, LinkedIn had over 100 million members, Twitter had over 177 million tweets per day, and YouTube reached three billion views per day (Chen Bryer, 2012). Despite * Dr. Retta Guy has an Ed. D. in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Instructional Systems Design from the University of Kentucky. Currently, she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Information Systems at Tennessee State University in Nashville. Distance education, specifically online and mobile teaching and learning, serve as the basis for her current research for which she has presented at conferences and published nearly 40 articles, books, and book chapters, collectively. Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 1 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 the popularity social media for personal use, however, a low percentage of students and faculty use them for academic practice (Lenhart, et al. , 2010; Tiryakioglu Erzurum, 2010; Chen Bryer, 2010). As educators look for ways to engage and motivate students, social media technologies are becoming a viable supplement to the traditional learning environment (Ebner, Lienhardt, Rohs, Meyer, 2010). Also, educators are examining the combination of distance education delivery with instructional social media, thus, providing new approaches to teaching and learning that blend pedagogy and technology (Brady, Holcomb, Smith, 2010; Lee McLoughlin, 2010; Veletsianos Navarrete, 2012). The purpose of this literature review is to examine the use of social media in higher education. Specifically, this article reports on: (a) the use of social media by students and faculty; (b) the use of social media for academic practice in both traditional and distance learning formats; and (c) the pros and cons of using social media for academic practice. Previous reviews of the literature have suggested that access to technology is inequitable (Jackson, Ervin, Gardner, Schmitt, 2001; Morgan VanLegen, 2005) and that students of color are less likely to use technology, and therefore, have fewer opportunities to use social media tools than their white peers (Volman van Eck, 2001). As such, this article reviews recent research on the use of technology and social media by students of color, and potential inequities in the use of social media for academic practice. Social Media Use by Students Today’s college students (which consist of Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials) are exposed to all types of technologies in many aspects of their lives (Browning, Gerlich, Westermann, 2011). On a daily basis they use desktop computers, laptops, e-readers, tablets, and cell phones to actively engage in social networking, text messaging, blogging, ttp://uknowledge. uky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 2 Guy: The Use of Social Media content sharing, online learning, and much more (Cassidy, Griffin, Manolovitz, Shen, Turney, 2011). As documented in recent research, students and faculty are using these emerging technologies and platforms in all facets of their daily lives, specifically social media (Browning, et al. 2011; Chen Bryer, 2012); yet, a low percentage of u sers are engaging in such for academic practice (Chen Bryer, 2010; Lenhart, et al. , 2010; Tiryakioglu Erzurum, 2010). A recent report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, Zickuhr, 2010) highlights the use of social media in the United States. A cohort of 2,253 adults (18 and older) was surveyed in September, 2009. The findings indicate that 72% of survey respondents use social networking sites with an increase in the number of profiles maintained on multiple sites compared to the prior year. Among profile owners, Facebook is currently the social network of choice (73%), whereas only 48% and 14% maintain profiles on MySpace and LinkedIn, respectively. Additionally, 19% of the survey respondents use Twitter while only 4% use virtual worlds such as Second Life. A number of survey respondents reported participating in content creation activities with 30% â€Å"sharing† selfcreated content such as photos, videos, and artwork; 15% â€Å"remixing† material such as songs or images to showcase their artistic abilities; and 11% â€Å"blogging† to inform, update, or notify readers about specific topics and/or events. Liu (2010) investigated students’ use of different social media tools and their attitudes and perceptions towards these tools. The author sought to identify the knowledge and trends of using 16 social media tools that included Facebook, Wiki, YouTube, Bulleting Board, LinkedIn, Blogs, Twitter, Podcasts, Virtual Worlds, RSS, StumbleUpon, Netlog, Delicious, Digg, Plurk, and Jaiku. Through an online survey, 221 students were asked to rate their knowledge level of each social media tool using a Likert scale of 1-4 (1=not at all knowledgeable, 2=somewhat Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 3 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. , Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 knowledgeable, 3=knowledgeable, and 4=very knowledgeable). The results revealed the following: (a) 82%, 77%, and 70% were either â€Å"very knowledgeable† or â€Å"knowledgeable† about YouTube, Wiki, and Facebook, respectively; (b) 42%, 41%, and 39% were â€Å"somewhat knowledgeable† about podcasts, blogs, and forums, respectively; and (c) 42%, 40% and 25% were â€Å"not at all knowledgeable† about vi rtual worlds, RSS, and Twitter, respectively. The study results also revealed the top four reasons why students use social media tools. As reported, 85% use such tools for social engagement, 56% use them for direct communications, 48% use them for speed of feedback/results, and 47% use them for relationship building; however, fewer than 10% of the students mentioned using social media tools for academic practice. In a similar study, Browning, Gerlich, and Westermann (2011) surveyed 141 undergraduate students regarding their perceptions and beliefs about social media. A paper-andpencil survey revealed strong favorable perceptions of social media in general and a high degree of readiness to embrace social media portals as a way to deliver course content. Poellhuber and Anderson (2011) worked together to conduct a study aimed at describing the use of and interest in social media. A 90-item online questionnaire was completed by 3,462 students between July, 2009 and February, 2010. The demographic characteristics constitute a large percentage of females (75. 3%) and students of varying ages categorized by five 8-year spans: Generation Z, 16-24 (37. 2%); Generation Y, 25-32 (27. 2%); Generation X2, 33-40 (16. 1%); Generation X1, 41-48 (10. 5%); and Baby Boomers, 49 and over (5. 3%). In terms of user proficiency, the results revealed that a significant percentage of study respondents reported being either advanced or expert users of social networking (69. 5%), video sharing (52. 9%), photo sharing (33. 7%) and blogging (25. 4%) tools. Quite the reverse was reported for social bookmarking, virtual worlds, electronic portfolios, tweeting, Web conferencing, podcasting, and http://uknowledge. uky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 4 Guy: The Use of Social Media wikis, as respondents self-professed lower levels of proficiency with such tools. In terms of interest in using social media for academic practice, the study respondents demonstrated a higher interest in using those social media tools for which they were most familiar. Ranked by the percentage of interested respondents, the list includes the following: video sharing (58. 2%), social networking (52. 8%), Web conferencing (42. 6%), blogging (40. 2%), photo sharing (36. 4%), podcasting (33. 7%), wikis (31. 3%), electronic portfolios (28. 5%), virtual worlds (19. 4%), tweeting (18. 5%), and social bookmarking (18. 1%). Early studies were conducted to determine if digital divides of access and use exists. In their ethnographic research on social networking sites, Boyd Ellison (2007) found that students of color were just as likely to join sites as White students from wealthier backgrounds. Hargittai (2007) also examined a sample of college students and found that race did not have a significant relationship as to whether students used social networking sites. Ahn (2011) conducted a study regarding students of color to determine if traditional digital divide indicators such as Internet access or parent education precluded the use of social media technologies by students of color. The results revealed that such indicators were not significant predictors of social media use by students of color; however, the frequency of use by ethnic minorities remained lower than those of White students. Guy (2011) focused on the use of social media by students of color at several historically Black colleges (HBCs), a population that is underrepresented in the literature. The first study queried 261 undergraduate students regarding their personal use of social networking sites. Eighty-seven percent of the study participants surveyed reported having subscribed to either Facebook or MySpace while only 13% said they participate on Web sites as bloggers. Students were also asked to report their frequency of usage with specific online activities relating to social Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 5 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 networking. The results revealed that 53% of the students reported using Facebook and/or MySpace on a daily basis. Blogging was the activity students reported performing the least at 5% daily. A second, separate but related, study surveyed 155 students at a single HBC to determine the likelihood of students going online to actively engage in the use of a social networking. The results revealed that 5. 5% were not at all likely, 7. 1% not very likely, 11. 6% somewhat likely, 23. 2% likely, and 42. 6% were almost certain of going online to use social networking sites. The same study reported that the majority of students (68%) subscribe to either Facebook and/or MySpace, 53% access these sites daily, and 18% reported frequent usage. Summary Specific indicators have emerged with respect to student use of social media technologies. In summary, this review has revealed the following: The use of social media by students for academic practice is surpassed by its use for social engagement, direct communications, and relationship building (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, Zickuhr, 2010). A larger percentage of female students use social media technologies (Poellhuber Anderson, 2001) despite past studies that have reported that male students generally demonstrate more competence and a favorable attitude toward the use of technology (Jackson, Ervin, Gardner, Schmitt, 2001; Miller, Schweingruber, Brandenburg, 2000). A large percentage of social media use and expertise lies with college students between the ages of 18-24, also known as Generation Z (Poellhuber Anderson, 2011). http://uknowledge. uky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 6 Guy: The Use of Social Media Facebook and YouTube are the two most commonly used social media technologies among all students (Guy, 2011; Poellhuber Anderson, 2011). The Use of Social Media in Traditional and Distance Learning Environments The growing interest in social dimensions of learning has led educators and instructional designers to examine the integration of social media in both raditional and distance learning environments. The following sections examine the current research literature on the use of social media by faculty, and the use of social media for academic practice in a variety of ways that include sharing of resources, collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning and reflective learning. Social Media and Faculty Despite the worldwide growth of social me dia for personal use, educators have been slow to utilize social media technologies for academic practice. The Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE, 2010) surveyed 4,600 faculty members from 50 U. S. olleges and universities and discovered that over 80% of the faculty had never used social media technologies such as blogs, wikis, Google docs, video conferencing, video games, or virtual worlds. Through telephone interviews, Chen and Bryer (2012) documented the perceptions and experiences regarding social media of 57 faculty members from 28 universities across the United States. The results indicated 100% use of social media either for personal, academic, research, or professional purposes, with the majority using Facebook for personal communication and LinkedIn for professional connections. Further probing regarding social media use for academic practice revealed that activities were designed as informal, open, and self-regulated reinforcements to classroom teaching. That is, participation in such activities was an option and Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 7 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 the use of conventional assessment (e. g. quizzes, tests) was absent. Major issues prohibiting further use of social media for academic practice point to time constraints and faculty workloads, cyber security and privacy issues, cyberbullying, and assessment strategies. The published literature regarding faculty use of social media for academic practice cite cyber security, cyberbullying and faculty workloads for the lack of innovative practice; moreover, when used by faculty as a supplemental tool, social media activities were informal, open, and self-regulated (Chen Bryer, 2012). Similar to student use, faculty are using social media technologies for personal communication, information sharing, and professional connections (Chen Bryer, 2012; Tiryakioglu Erzurum, 2010). Traditional Learning Environments Junco, Heibergert, and Loken (2010) examined the link between social media use and student engagement. The semester-long study consisted of two groups, experimental and control. With the experimental group, Twitter was used for various types of academic and co-curricular discussions, class and campus event reminders, faculty and student connections, providing academic and personal support, and organizing service learning projects and study groups for 70 students. Ning, a social networking site, was used to deliver the same course information to the control group of 55 students. Analyses of Twitter exchanges and survey responses showed that: (1) the experimental group had significantly greater increase in engagement and (2) both faculty and students were highly engaged in the teaching and learning process. Daniel George (2011) developed a mini course entitled â€Å"Friending Facebook† for 15 healthcare students at Penn State. The mini course was designed with the use of a variety of social media tools as a means to provide participants with content through anecdotes and examples. For instance: http://uknowledge. ky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 8 Guy: The Use of Social Media Really Simple Syndication (RSS) readers – were used to track clinical trial data from multiple journals, to follow blogs originated by researchers, and to receive news and relevant literature regarding the latest trends in the healthcare industry. Twitter – was used to share and receive information from colleagues, health organization, and patients. Facebook and LinkedIn à ¢â‚¬â€œ were used as the course platform for networking among peers, faculty and medical professionals. Google Resources (Alerts, Mail, and Realtime) – were used as search tools that indexed Facebook posts and Twitter tweets and provided social updates on healthcare topics from around the world. George (2011) conducted course evaluation which revealed that the majority of the participants were open to experimenting further with RSS readers and Google alerts; however, many expressed resistance to using the other social media tools on the grounds that they invite violations of patient privacy laws such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Deng and Yuen (2010) explored the role of academic blogs in supporting a group of 19 pre-service teachers in Hong Kong. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to investigate the pros and cons of using blogs to support self-expression, self-reflection, social interaction, and reflective dialogue among pre-service teachers. Xanga, a free commercial blogging platform, was used as a means of documenting, sharing, and reflecting on their teaching practice experiences. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through blog frequency counts, questionnaires and interviews. The investigation revealed that only 13 pre-service teachers wrote 75 blogs entries with 62 comments exchanged; 13 participants acknowledged the values of blogs Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 9 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 with respect to self-expression, self-reflection, and the documentation of experiences; and 12 pre-service teachers felt more connected through blogging when compared to the teaching practice in the previous year. Distance Learning Environments Brady, Holcomb, and Smith (2010) examined 52 graduate students’ attitudes toward and perceptions of social media at North Carolina State University. Ning in Education Network was created specifically for the College of Education to use in distance learning formats to include one fully asynchronous course and two hybrid, synchronous courses. The networking site was used as a core technological component in the fully online course and as a supplement component in the hybrid courses. Ning served as the venue for sharing and discussing courserelated topics and for fostering collaborative connections across content areas. An online survey revealed that 70% of study participants in the fully online asynchronous course â€Å"agreed† that Ning allowed for more frequent collaboration compared to a face-to-face course and 82% â€Å"agreed† that the use of Ning was beneficial when communicating outside of the classroom. When comparing the Ning-enhanced, hybrid courses to traditional face-to-face courses, 42% believed that Ning allowed them to communicate more effectively; 74% felt that Ning allowed for more time to effectively reflect and comment on other student posts; and 50% â€Å"agreed† that Ning in Education was more convenient than face-to-face classes for sharing and discussing ideas. Manan, Alias, and Pandian (2012) explored the possibility of blending a traditional, faceto-face course with online instruction using Facebook. The study participants included 30 thirdyear undergraduates enrolled in an Introduction to Critical Thinking course at a public university in Malaysia. Facebook was used as a platform for group discussions and chat, out-of-class http://uknowledge. uky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 10 Guy: The Use of Social Media activities, uploading documents, and sharing information by posting texts, videos, pictures, and links. Based on the survey conducted using the poll question feature, the majority of students enthusiastically accepted the use of Facebook as a tool for online learning and found it to be both interesting and enjoyable. Additionally, students reported that the different approach to learning enhanced their understanding of theories and concepts relative to critical thinking. Similarly, McCarthy (2009) explored blending virtual and physical learning environments to enhance the experiences of 120 freshmen design students through social and academic interaction. Facebook served as the host site to facilitate interaction through online forums and for submitting assignments. The evaluation process involved pre- and post-semester quetionnaires, weekly feedback from students nd project-specific reflections. The findings suggest that â€Å"students were able to develop academic relationships freed from the constraints of the classroom and their own inhibitions, and over the semester online discussions evolved from formal academic critiques to informal social interactions† (McCarthy, 2009, p. 732). Veletsianos and Navarrete (2012) describe the experiences of 10 graduate students in an online course fac ilitated through Elgg, an open source framework that encompasses such tools as blogs, social bookmarks, collaborative document authoring, and microblogging. The study was conducted at a large public university in the United States and falls within the broad framework of the interpretive research paradigm in which the case study method was employed. As part of the course requirements, students watched and listened to video resources shared by the instructor and responded to self-reflective questions and comments on blogs and social bookmarks. Additionally, students created personal profiles and â€Å"friend† lists, posted status updates, followed activity streams, and subscribed to be notified of other users’ actions within the environment. The data corpus consisted of personal interviews and survey responses. The Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 11 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 results revealed the complexities of implementing social networking technologies in online enviroments in which the study participants (a) predominantly found value in peer collaboration and support, yet, (b) limited their participation to course-related and graded activities, exhibiting little use of social networking and sharing. Summary Educators are utilizing social media as an instructional medium to blend informal learning into formal learning environments (Brady, et al. , 2010; Deng and Yuen, 2010; George, 2011; Junco, et al. , 2010; Manan, et al. , 2012; McCarthy, 2009; Velestsianos Navarrete, 2012). Additionally, faculty are using social media to facilitate a participatory culture among students (Brady, et al. , 2010; Junco, et al. , 2010; Manan, et al. 2012) as well as providing opportunities for self-expression, self-reflection, and social interaction (Deng Yuen, 2010; McCarthy, 2009; Velestsianos Navarrete, 2012) in both traditional and distance learning environments. Social Media Use for Academic Practice—Pros and Cons There is an ongoing debate regarding the integration of social media in education. Advocates of social media usage point to the benefits of using social media for academic practice while critics are calling for regulations and/or the removal of such online technologies in t he classroom. Finding middle ground has become a challenge. Pros Proponents argue that contemporary college students have become habituated to a world where social media is the norm; thereby, as an educational tool, social media enriches the learning experience by allowing students and instructors to exchange ideas, foster collaboration and discussion, and engage and interact using such emerging social platforms (Lederer, 2012; http://uknowledge. uky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 12 Guy: The Use of Social Media Turkle, 2004). Lederer (2012) outlines several benefits to using social media in education. First, she argues that social media is an effective way to increase student engagement and build communication skills by allowing students to feel more comfortable expressing themselves in a less intimidating environment. Secondly, Lederer believes that social media can improve communication between students and instructors, while the latter can answer students’ questions, post homework assignments and lesson plans, send messages and updates, schedule or announce upcoming events, and share Web sites and multimedia content. Finally, Lederger points to students use of social networking sites to find employment by establishing a professional Web presence, posting a resume, and researching potential employers. Cons Despite the aforementioned benefits, critics argue that there are serious risks to using socia media in the classroom. Furthermore, educators and instructional designers believe that social media technologies are not always appropriate nor successful vehicles for teaching and learning activities (Waycott, Bennett, Kennedy, Dalgarno, Gray, 2010). Lederer (2012) cites the following as reasons to censure the integration of social media for academic practice. First, she suggest that social media can be a distraction. A common complaint among instructors is that tools such as Facebook and Twitter divert students’ attention from classroom participation and utilimately are disruptive to the learning process. Secondly, while social networking sites provide ways for students and instructors to connect, Lederer argues that cyberbullying can be used as a weapon for malicious behavior. Finally, Lederer argues that social media discourages face-to-face communication, that is, â€Å"while real-time digital stream may create a safe harbor for students who are uncomfortable expressing themselves, students are missing valuable lessons in real-life social skills† (Lederer, 2012, p. 2). Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 13 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 Additional challenges that may arise when using social media in education include workload concerns for faculty and students, lack of trust in peer feedback, ownership isues regarding public and collaborative spaces, and difficulty in adapting publicly available tools (Schroeder, et al. , 2010). Another challenge concerns suitability and appropriate integration of social media technologies into curriculum. For successful integration, social media technologies should become a seamless part of the curriculum and not just an additional means of communication (Lester Perini, 2010). Technology infrastructure also pose challenges for using social media to engage students. Third-party Web-based innovations are a major concern for most colleges and universities because the information is stored outside secure campus servers, yet, an alternative arrangement such as the development of a social networking site may be too costly for most institutions of higher learning (Lester Perini, 2010). While the debate continues regarding the pros (socialization, engagement of students, development of a community, collaborative and reflective learning, peer-to-peer support and feedback, employment resource, and information management) and cons (cyberbullying, ownership issues, workload issues, lack of student engagement, lack of trust in peer feedback, and technology infrastructure issues) of using social media for academic practice, no one can argue the influence that social networking has on todays students (Lederer, 2012; Lester Perini, 2010; Schroeder, et al. 2010; Turkle, 2004). Conclusion The growing interest in social media has led educators to examine its use for academic practice. As institutions of higher learning are challenged to enhance collaborative learning and community building amongst students, Minocha (2009) recommends that educators make use of â€Å"tools that facilitate collaborative authoring, such as blogs and wikis; applications that enable http://uknowle dge. uky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 14 Guy: The Use of Social Media sharing of bookmarks, photographs and videos . . . ; social networking platforms such as Facebook, Elgg and Ning; and virtual worlds, such as Second Life that facilitate synchronous collaboration† (p. 248). The reviewed literature suggests that social media holds promise for academia. As reported throughout the current review, students have diverse beliefs, perceptions and experiences with regard to social media technologies. Many of the studies reported a willingness among students to incorporate social media into their learning experiences (Lenhart, et al. , 2010; Liu, 2010; Poellhuber Anderson, 2011; Westermann, 2011). Likewise, the majority of faculty were supportive of utilizing social media not only to enhance student engagement but also to provide course content in a more active and participatory role (Chen Bryer, 2012; FSSE, 2010; Tiryakioglu Erzurum, 2010). The current review continues the tradition of digital divide scholarship by discussing issues of equality and opportunity for using social media technologies. Several studies presented report a non-significant difference when comparing access and use of social media tools between students of color and White students; however, as new media emerge, questions of who is accessing and using such technologies will remain paramount if we are to be successful in utilizing social media for academic practice. With respect to the traditional classroom environment, faculty and instructional designers have successfully utilized social media technologies for various types of academic activities that include collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning and reflective learning (Deng Yuen, 2010; George, 2011; Junco, et al. , 2010). Based on students’ responses, it is evident that using social media in distance learning environments allowed for increased collaboration, communication, and interaction through blogging, document sharing, networking, tweeting, and Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2012 15 Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 7 social bookmarking (Brady, et al. , 2010; Manan, et al. , 2012; McCarthy, 2009; Veletsianos Navarrete, 2012). Despite its popularity among students for personal use, there is an ongoing debate concerning the role of social media in education. Advocates point to enhanced student engagement, enriched learning experiences, and increased communications as reasons to incorporate social technologies in the learning environment (Lederer, 2012; Turkle, 2004) while critics cite cyberbullying, faculty and student workloads, and technology infrastructure issues as reasons to censure the concept of social media in education (Lederer, 2012; Waycott, et al. , 2010). The published research on the effectiveness of social media in teaching and learning is limited to the use of discussions, chats, blogs, and wikis; therefore, the need exists for further exploration in determining how other social media platforms can be used for academic practice. The review of literature presented only began to delve below the surface with social media. There are numerous opportunities for researchers and educators alike to continue to build upon the current studies cited in this article in determining the usefulness of social media. http://uknowledge. ky. edu/kjhepp/vol1/iss2/7 16 Guy: The Use of Social Media References Ahn, J. (2011). Digital divides and social network sites: Which students participate in social media? Journal of Educational Computing Research, 45(2), 147-163. Boyd, D. Ellison, N. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230. Brady, K. , Holcomb, L. , Smith, B. (20 10). The use of alternative social networking sites in higher education settings: A case study of the e-learning benefits of Ning in education. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 9(2), 151-170. Browning, L. , Gerlich, R. , Westermann, L. (2011). The new HD classroom: A â€Å"Hyper Diverse† approach to engaging with students. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 1-10. 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Find the Beehive Cluster

Find the Beehive Cluster Cancer: Home of the Beehive Cluster Stargazing is part observation and part planning. No matter what time of year it is, you always have something cool to look at or you are planning out your future observations. Amateurs are always plotting their next conquest of a difficult-to-spot nebula or the first view of an old favorite star cluster. Take the Beehive Cluster, for example. Its in the constellation  Cancer, the Crab, which is a zodiac constellation that lies along  the  ecliptic, which is  the apparent path of the  Sun  across the sky throughout the year.  This means that Cancer is  visible for most observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres in the evening sky from late winter from about January through May. Then it disappears in the glare of the Sun for a few months before showing up in the early morning sky beginning in September.   Beehive Specs The Beehive is a little star cluster with the formal Latin name Praesepe, which means the manger. Its just barely a naked-eye object, and looks like a fluffy little cloud. You need a really good dark-sky site and reasonably low humidity to see it without using binoculars. Any good pair of 7Ãâ€"50 or 10Ãâ€"50 binoculars will work, and will show you a dozen or two stars in the cluster. When you look at the Beehive, you see stars that are about 600 light-years away from us.   There are about a thousand stars in the Beehive, some similar to the Sun. Many are red giants and white dwarfs, which are older than the rest of the stars in the cluster. The cluster itself is about 600 million years old. One of the interesting things about the Beehive is that it has very few massive, hot, bright stars. We know that the brightest, hottest and most massive stars usually last anywhere from ten to several hundred million years before they explode as supernovae. Since the stars we DO see in the cluster are older than this, either it lost all its massive members already, or perhaps it didnt start with many (or any). Open Clusters Open clusters are found throughout our galaxy. They usually contain up to a few thousand stars that were all born in the same cloud of gas and dust, which makes most of the stars in a given cluster roughly the same age. The stars in an open cluster are mutually gravitationally attracted to  other when they first form, but as they travel through the galaxy, that attraction can be  disrupted by passing stars and clusters. Eventually, an open clusters stars move so far apart that it  disintegrates and its stars are scattered to the galaxy. There are several known moving associations of stars that used to be open clusters. These stars are moving at roughly the same velocity but are not gravitationally bound in any way. Eventually they, too, will wander on their own paths through  the galaxy. The best examples of other open clusters are the Pleiades and the Hyades, in the constellation Taurus.