Informal Opportunities Research Articles

Economic Empowerment of Rural Unskilled Women Workers: A Case Study in Agglomerating Centers of Rongjuli TD Block in Goalpara District of Assam, India

Productive and gainful employment of human resource is one of the major objectives of policy perspectives of any economy. Rural economy of India is characterized by a massive presence of unskilled as well as merely paid women workers who are engaged in household level activities that constitute a major part of the total workforce. Rural women workforce plays significant roles in the economy who participate in larger number of economic activity in agriculture and allied sector. The ever growing population and shrinkage of operational holding have resulted on searching for employment opportunities by the unskilled women workers. The changing socio-economic structure in the post-reform period has emerged an environment for economic empowerment even for unskilled women workers in rural areas. Presently a number of rural women who are unskilled seemed to participate in various informal employment opportunities such as self-employed as small trader in spot market or roadside hubs, casual worker in business establishment etc. mostly in the agglomerating centers of Goalpara district of Assam. Such phenomenon of growing participation of unskilled rural women workers needs a look in micro level to assess their empowerment status in particular and their significant role in the economy in general.Therefore, a study on the issue of economic empowerment of rural unskilled women workers in general and particular to the agglomerating areas of Rangjuli TD Block in Goalpara district of Assam, India has been chosen. The present paper seeks to achieve the objectives of assessing the economic status of rural women work participants, identify the prominent activities, and identify the bottlenecks and to search the facilitating factors of economic empowerment.

EVAPORATING LEGACIES: INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE AND SALT IN CHESHIRE, UK

This paper examines the nature and legacies of the salt industry in Cheshire and recommends action to avoid losing an understanding of its fragmentary heritage. Brine and rock salt occurring in the natural environment has led to significant industrial development in Cheshire over the last two millennia. Technologies for salt exploitation have varied in scale and in location, and their ephemeral nature has often left few traces in the landscape. This industrial legacy contrasts with extractive industries such as coal which leave more tangible aftermaths — infrastructure and communities. Cheshire salt legacies include the unplanned consequences of subsidence, but also informal opportunities, for instance in nature conservation and recreation. Salt industry heritage in Cheshire is the central justification for the new Weaver Valley Regional Park which seeks to promote future social and economic well-being, but the salt legacies which delimit its area deserve sufficient recognition and wider communication.

(Invited) Making Electrochemical Research Accessible to an Undergraduate Audience

In principle, undergraduate students are introduced to electrochemical reactions within the first year of the chemistry program. In practice, the amount of content covered in the second semester of general chemistry is oftentimes limited to oxidation numbers and possibly balancing redox reactions. Coverage of electrochemical concepts in higher level classes seems to be largely dependent on how comfortable the instructor is with the material. While increased exposure to the topic within the formal curriculum is certainly encouraged, training in electrochemistry is perhaps better served by a more informal undergraduate research learning environment. Presented here is one approach towards establishing a rigorous research program designed to train and teach undergraduate students utilizing principles derived from Bloom's taxonomy of learning. Development of a successful electrochemical research program has involved several factors, including: identifying projects that are accessible to undergraduate students given their limited exposure to the topic; developing tools and resources to facilitate training and learning; establishing forums for formal and informal scientific communication opportunities; and creating partnerships and collaborations that not only appreciate the challenges of undergraduate research, but leverage them in order to add meaningful value to the research program. Strategies for implementing direct and indirect methods to assess scholarly and instructional outcomes will also be presented.

Informal conversations about teaching and their relationship to a formal development program: learning opportunities for novice and mid-career academics

Engaging in informal activities, like conversations with colleagues, is one way that professionals can learn within workplace contexts. Informal conversations present opportunities for academics to learn about teaching. The current study investigated academics’ experience of informal conversations, and their experience of the relations between conversations and one formal development program. Semi-structured interviews with 30 individual academics were conducted and the transcripts analysed using the constant comparative method associated with grounded theory. This analysis provided evidence that conversations play a developmental role in supporting academics to learn about teaching from colleagues, and these conversations can reinforce the learning from a formal development program. The results of this study suggest roles for academic developers in encouraging informal conversations about teaching, and building constructive relations between formal and informal development strategies.

G192(P) ‘the day the simulator died’– a pilot

Aims We wanted to evaluate the educational value of a new inter-professional simulation day – ‘The Day the Simulator Died’ . Methods This day comprised introductory lectures, 2 high fidelity simulations of unsuccessful resuscitations including a simulated parent and communication skills sessions addressing breaking bad news and unexpected child death procedures. Immediate feedback was sought and a follow up questionnaire was sent 4 months later. Results The pilot day had 9 participants – 8 answered the follow up questionnaire. View this table: The group had varied prior experience. 50% had no previous formal training on child death procedures or breaking bad news. A significant proportion (5 of 8) had either no experience or had only been the primary deliverer of bad news on fewer than 5 occassions. Limited exposure to informal training opportunities including observation of such encounters and feedback within the work place were also reported. The graphs highlight the positive impact of this training with an increase in self-reported confidence ([Figures 1][1] and [2][2]). ![Abstract G192(P) Figure 1][3] Abstract G192(P) Figure 1 Pre-simulation day confidence ![Abstract G192(P) Figure 2][3] Abstract G192(P) Figure 2 Post-simulation day confidence Simulated parents were rated as being very useful and being immersed in high fidelity simulation prior to these difficult discussions was viewed as helpful; increasing the realism. Conclusion We have highlighted an area of practice where self-reported confidence is low as a result of limited opportunities for training and feedback that stem from unexpected child death being an infrequent event. This pilot simulation day was well received and resulted in an increased confidence amongst participants. Plans are in place to further this training and to widen the multi disciplinary team involvement. [1]: #F1 [2]: #F2 [3]: pending:yes

Occupational resilience to floods across the urban–rural domain in Greater Ahmedabad, India

Identifying and acting on the consequences of smaller hazards can strengthen the communities to face the greater events of the future. These hazards disrupt the everyday lives of the majority of the population who rely on daily wages or are engaged in informal economic opportunities. This paper explores the potential the post-disaster employment opportunities have in recovery from disasters across urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Greater Ahmedabad in India through a household survey conducted in flood hit areas in February–March 2013. It adopts an approach where occupations vulnerable to a disaster are identified and their related characteristics are established. Through the combination of descriptive and explanatory statistical analyses of quantitative data the paper concludes that for the surveyed segment of population: (i) there is insignificant help from within the communities or community based organizations for economic recovery of affected population, and government is seen as the primary stakeholder for recovery (ii) for a low income household the concepts of disaster and unemployment are interchangeably used (iii) the rural areas have been traditionally dependent on the urban areas post-disaster, but in this case the urban population also rely on their assets and social network in the rural areas in case of both unemployment and disasters.

Social Interaction and Collaboration among Oncology Nurses.

Collaboration is a complex process influenced by organizational, professional, interpersonal, and personal factors. Research has demonstrated that collaboration may also be influenced by social factors. Nurses spend much of their time working in collaborative teams, yet little is known about how they socially interact in practice. This qualitative case study explored nurse perceptions of social interaction in relation to collaboration. Data were collected using telephone interviews and documentary reviews from fourteen oncology nurses employed at one cancer center in Canada. Thematic analysis revealed two themes: knowing you is trusting you and formal and informal opportunities. Nurses reported that social interaction meant getting to know someone personally as well as professionally. Social interaction was enacted inside of work during breaks/meals and outside of work at planned events. Social interaction was facilitated by having a long-term current and/or previous professional and personal relationship. The barriers to social interaction included a lack of time to get to know each other, workload issues, and poor interpersonal skills. Findings suggest that social interaction is an important factor in the collaborative relationship among oncology nurses. Nurse leaders need to promote social interaction opportunities and facilitate educational sessions to improve social and interpersonal skills.

Care coordination between specialty care and primary care: a focus group study of provider perspectives on strong practices and improvement opportunities.

Care coordination between the specialty care provider (SCP) and the primary care provider (PCP) is a critical component of safe, efficient, and patient-centered care. Veterans Health Administration conducted a series of focus groups of providers, from specialty care and primary care clinics at VA Medical Centers nationally, to assess 1) what SCPs and PCPs perceive to be current practices that enable or hinder effective care coordination with one another and 2) how these perceptions differ between the two groups of providers. A qualitative thematic analysis of the gathered data validates previous studies that identify communication as being an important enabler of coordination, and uncovers relationship building between specialty care and primary care (particularly through both formal and informal relationship-building opportunities such as collaborative seminars and shared lunch space, respectively) to be the most notable facilitator of effective communication between the two sides. Results from this study suggest concrete next steps that medical facilities can take to improve care coordination, using as their basis the mutual understanding and respect developed between SCPs and PCPs through relationship-building efforts.

Characteristics of a School, Community and Family Partnership to Increase Parental Involvement in Learning at Rural Multigrade Schools

Parental involvement in learning through a school, community and family (SCAF) partnership programme is needed at rural multigrade schools in order to ultimately improve academic achievement. The internal and external challenges these schools and their parents face daily, however, are currently detrimental to parental involvement in learning. Lack of support, and inability of schools to design their own SCAF partnership programme, further hinder parental involvement in learning. This study aims to determine the product characteristics of a SCAF partnership programme that will support rural multigrade schools to develop their own practicable, contextual and effective strategies to improve parental involvement in learning. Although the process characteristics of such a programme are equally important, they are beyond the scope of this article. This study used a qualitative methodology through design-based research. Although the study comprised two phases, this article focuses on Phase Two. Phase One is beyond the scope of the article. In Phase Two, the sample comprised 26 parents and eight teachers from two randomly sampled rural multigrade schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Data was collected through focus group interviews, observations, reports and logs at these schools in the Cape Winelands education district in the Western Cape. The findings indicate the product characteristics as: promoting partnerships with parents that lead to involving parents in learning; creating formal and informal opportunities for communication regarding learning; and utilising community and parents as resources to enrich children’s learning. This study further indicates that parents and teachers need to focus on these characteristics and existing challenges in the multigrade milieu, when developing a SCAF partnership programme during a workshop. This will then lead to the development of practicable, contextual and effective strategies for that specific school. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1225

Supplier development and public procurement: allies, coaches and bedfellows

Purpose– Using the lens of mentoring theory the authors test the extent to which public buyers informally support suppliers and the influence of organisational context on mentoring support. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Principal component analysis was used to analyse questionnaire responses from over 300 public buyers in Ireland. Cluster analysis produced three mentor profiles.Findings– The findings show a positive relationship between organisations that take a strategic approach to suppliers and buyers who offer career and psychosocial support to suppliers. However, those organisations that lack a strategic perspective of suppliers saw buyers offer political support and coaching.Research limitations/implications– The implications are that coaching and political support may compensate for deficits in organisational support for suppliers generally. The findings contribute to a growing literature on informal interaction opportunities in public procurement.Originality/value– To date research of supplier development is limited to formal developmental activities and in the context of private sector buyer-supplier relationships.

Improving the efficacy of web‐based educational outreach in ecology

Scientists are increasingly engaging the web to provide formal and informal science education opportunities. Despite the prolific growth of web‐based resources, systematic evaluation and assessment of their efficacy remains limited. We used clickstream analytics, a widely available method for tracking website visitors and their behavior, to evaluate >60,000 visits over three years to an educational website focused on ecology. Visits originating from search engine queries were a small proportion of the traffic, suggesting the need to actively promote websites to drive visitation. However, the number of visits referred to the website per social media post varied depending on the social media platform and the quality of those visits (e.g., time on site and number of pages viewed) was significantly lower than visits originating from other referring websites. In particular, visitors referred to the website through targeted promotion (e.g., inclusion in a website listing classroom teaching resources) had higher quality visits. Once engaged in the site's core content, visitor retention was high; however, visitors rarely used the tutorial resources that serve to explain the site's use. Our results demonstrate that simple changes in website design, content and promotion are likely to increase the number of visitors and their engagement. While there is a growing emphasis on using the web to broaden the impacts of biological research, time and resources remain limited. Clickstream analytics provides an easily accessible, relatively fast and quantitative means by which those engaging in educational outreach can improve upon their efforts.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of a “Learning While Earning” Variation of Work-Integrated Learning

The background focus of this discussion about work-integrated learning is the three streams of undergraduate Built Environment programs at Central Queensland University that are accredited by their relevant industries. The students' truly work-integrated learning experience may be considered to be a 'self-paced flexible learning while earning' process. Relevant background theories of philosophy and the more recent manifestations of WIL are discussed at length in considering the strengths and weaknesses of the formal and informal opportunities for putting theory into practice in the alternative form of work integrated learning.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Perceptions of Interprofessional Education in Medical Students

Background and Objectives: With the recent paradigm shift in medicine away from traditional hierarchies and patient-physician dyads, there is increased interest in training students to work interprofessionally. A primary focus for improving collaboration in health care is increasing exposure to formalized interprofessional education (IPE) across health professions during training. This study focuses on the effect of formal and informal curricula on medical student attitudes toward IPE. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of all undergraduate medical students was conducted using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Results: Throughout all years of medical school, students agreed with the importance of interprofessional education. Fourth-year medical students had higher total RIPLS scores (64.29 versus 61.0; p=0.007), as well as higher scores on multiple individual RIPLS questions than first-year students. Conclusions: Medical students become more enthusiastic about IPE as their training progresses. Both formal and informal educational opportunities contribute to this effect.

Health professionals’ experiences of teamwork education in acute hospital settings: a systematic review protocol

Review question/objective The objective of this review is to identify the meaningfulness of health professionals’ experiences of teamwork education in acute hospital settings. Types of participants This review will consider studies that include registered health professionals who work in acute hospitals. This includes medical, nursing and midwifery and allied health professionals. Phenomena of interest This review will consider studies that investigate the experiences and reflections of health professionals who are involved in teamwork education in acute hospital settings. This will include the experiences of education that is provided within teams of the same professions such as nursing teams and in interprofessional teams (including medical, nursing and allied health staff) who work in wards and departments in acute hospital settings. The range of teamwork education that will be considered include informal teamwork education opportunities within a team such as those that could aim to improve communication skills to formalized organizationally driven teamwork education programs such as TeamSTEPPS®. Studies that include specific education strategies will also be explored such as the use of simulation scenarios to focus on teamwork skills such as leadership, situational awareness and designated roles in complex clinical contexts. Context The review will focus on qualitative research findings reported as themes/categories in included studies that relate to health professionals experience of teamwork education in acute hospital settings.

Developing Leadership for Life

This application brief describes the exploratory assessment of a mentoring program between current students and alumni of a leadership studies minor program. We connect leadership education research and practice in two ways: first, we describe a process of qualitative program evaluation to inform program best practices and improvement. In doing so, we also highlight the value of an alumni mentoring program as a strategic component of leadership education. Our findings demonstrate the mentoring program supported students’ leadership development in the areas of career transition, personal growth, and application to “real-life.” Recommendations are offered for creating formal and informal mentoring opportunities.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of a ‘Learning while Earning' Variation of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)

The background focus of this discussion about work-integrated learning is the three streams of undergraduate Built Environment programs at Central Queensland University that are accredited by their relevant industries. CQU's students' truly work-integrated learning experience may be considered to be a 'self-paced flexible learning while earning' process. Relevant background theories of philosophy and the more recent manifestations of WIL are discussed at length in considering the strengths and weaknesses of the formal and informal opportunities for putting theory into practice in this alternative form of work integrated learning.

A Storyville Education

Storyville, the legalized red-light district of New Orleans (1897-1917), was a designated space containing informal opportunities for learning in which its residents practiced the sex trade. Although Storyville was created to regulate prostitution, prostitutes and madams learned the city’s legal system, politics, and economics to survive in a socially constructed space. Using primary and secondary sources and informed by theory, including informal learning, spatial production, and critical and feminist geography, this study explores the adult learning that took place in Storyville.

Developing Leadership for Life: Outcomes from a Collegiate Student-Alumni Mentoring Program

This application brief describes the exploratory assessment of a mentoring program between current students and alumni of a leadership studies minor program. We connect leadership education research and practice in two ways: first, we describe a process of qualitative program evaluation to inform program best practices and improvement. In doing so, we also highlight the value of an alumni mentoring program as a strategic component of leadership education. Our findings demonstrate the mentoring program supported students’ leadership development in the areas of career transition, personal growth, and application to “real-life.” Recommendations are offered for creating formal and informal mentoring opportunities.

PC.20 Learning for and through Work in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Case of Study of Regular Doctor-Psychotherapist Sessions

IntroductionThe environment of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides many opportunities to learn for and through work. This study analyses the role of confidential Doctor-Therapist (DT) group sessions in promoting...

G279(P) Learning for and through Work in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Case Study of Regular Doctor-Psychotherapist Sessions

IntroductionThe work environment of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides rich and many opportunities to learn for and through work. The study analyses the role of confidential Doctor-Therapist (DT) group...