Learning across teams in project-oriented organisations: the role of programme management

Purpose Learning across teams and organisational levels enables organisations to deal with challenges that arise from changing contexts. Project-oriented organisations increasingly use programme management to cope with such challenges and improve performance. This paper aims to find out how different programme configurations affect learning across project teams and between project teams and their parent organisation in project-oriented organisations. Design/methodology/approach A case study of a project-oriented organisation involved in five infrastructure programmes was performed. Findings The studied programmes linked learning processes at group and organisational levels by creating relationships across project teams and their parent organisation and acting as a knowledge centre. Team learning benefits from the learning culture and stable environment that programmes create for project teams. This study indicates that a programme’s features and focus strongly determines whether a programme predominantly enhances learning across project teams or learning between project teams and their parent organisation. Originality/value Although programme management is increasingly used by project-oriented organisations, there are few studies relating to learning in programmes. This study provides new insights into learning across teams through programmes.

College and Career Readiness Opportunities for Latinx English Learners in Urban High Schools

Through interviews and focus groups with 21 high school seniors, this research examines the experiences of Latinx English learners in college and career academies in urban districts across California. In California, the college and career readiness landscape is varied and complex. However, many stakeholders see the Linked Learning approach as leading the reform effort in preparing students for a full range of post-secondary options. Using opportunity to learning theory (OTL) within a social capital framework, we sought to understand the college and career readiness experiences of Latinx English learner students. The results indicated that students expressed a clear desire to attend college and pursue a career. Additional findings reveal that students benefited from the Linked Learning experience in ways that contributed to their self-confidence, increased responsibility, and important 21st century skills that could be used beyond the classroom. However, despite having accumulated social capital, students articulated existing challenges that they must navigate as they pursue their post-secondary opportunities, including attending college and entering the workforce. The recommendations include a multi-pronged approach to addressing the college and career readiness of Latinx English learner students.

Use of Diverse Case Studies in an Undergraduate Research Methods and Statistics Course

Psychology graduates are employed in a wide variety of workplace roles. The broad nature of these future workplace requirements can make it difficult for students to learn and apply classroom knowledge and challenging for educators to develop authentic and engaging materials. In research methods and statistics courses in particular it can be difficult to develop specific context exemplars. This article describes the design of a series of case studies and linked learning activities based on the experiences of psychology graduates in their real-world employment roles. These case studies were embedded in an undergraduate research methods and statistics course with the aim of improving engagement by more clearly articulating the link between classroom learning and future workplace roles. Student feedback suggests that the case studies were motivating and supportive of student learning; however, there was no evidence of an improvement in performance. This approach provides a rewarding, flexible template within which students and educators are able to explicitly discuss the relationship between current learning and future real-world roles.

Stress of Nursing Students Studying Online

Stress impacts both quality and length of life (Bowman, 2005; Sapolsky, 1998), but the stress of learning is yet to be understood. Recent researchers attempt to explain how stress can both increase and hamper learning, but no studies were found that linked learning stress to life long stress. Until recently no technologies could measure the biophysical variables in normal activities of life. Invasive technologies made it difficult to study people in vivo. The Allostatic Load Theory provides a foundation for the study as learning begins at the earliest stages of life and continues until old age (Alfarez, Wiegert, & Krugers, 2006; McEwen, 1998). Research indicates stress over long periods induces a variety of chronic diseases (Kiecolt-Glaser, McGuire, Robles, & Glaser, 2002; Blair, Granger, & Raza, 2005). Weight gain, hypertension, osteoporosis, immunosuppression, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease are a few complications of long term stress (Karlamangla, Singer, McEwen, Rowe, Seeman, 2002). The ultimate result is death. Stress may be the largest public health issue for the new century.