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David McGavock

Can neuroscience inform management accountants? | CIMA Financial Management Magazine - 1 views

  • In business we regularly have to consider what level of risk is acceptable to the organisation. Management control systems typically assume that people adhere to some rational decision rules and are able to estimate the probabilities and values of future outcomes.
  • Pre-neuro behavioural studies have shown that this is most often not the case. Moreover, the way in which alternatives to a decision are presented to people affects their opinion about them and their choice between them.
  • Behavioural economics shows that if alternatives are framed as gains, decision-makers usually opt for safer options, thereby exhibiting risk-averse behaviour, but they reverse their choice when alternatives are framed as losses.
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  • Management accountants need to consider what kind of presentation of information may reduce hidden fear and anxiety.
  • Management accountants need to provide management with overviews of the inter-temporal consequences of managerial decisions
  • People simply have such a strong preference for sooner rather than later (positive) outcomes that it appears to be hard to change that.
  • people barely make a difference between two outcomes that lie in the distant future.
  • Neuroscientific research may provide a starting point in the analysis and solution of this problem, as its results suggest that humans’ preference for short-term outcomes is the consequence of the emotional system’s strong response to immediate, rather than to delayed, rewards.
  • When applying neuroscientific methods for fundamental or applied research, management accountants have to deal with at least four challenges.
  • First, neuroscience requires a mastery of observation techniques that are not the normal repertoire of social researchers
  • Second, given the technological complexities of neuroscientific research, it is crucial to develop cooperation in multidisciplinary teams consisting of neurologists, economists and psychologists, as well as management accountants.
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    A new pilot study has been looking at how neuroscience can be used to understand how business decisions are arrived at, and the role it can play in management accountancy by evaluating the decision-making process and the role that emotional responses play their part in this
David McGavock

Molly Crockett: Beware neuro-bunk | Video on TED.com - 0 views

  • the insula, a region they say is linked to feelings of love and compassion. So they concluded that because they saw activation in the insula, this meant the subjects loved their iPhones. Now there's just one problem with this line of reasoning, and that's that the insula does a lot. Sure, it is involved in positive emotions like love and compassion, but it's also involved in tons of other processes, like memory, language, attention, even anger, disgust and pain.
  • You've probably heard of it. So, Dr. Love bases his argument on studies showing that when you boost people's oxytocin, this increases their trust, empathy and cooperation. So he's calling oxytocin "the moral molecule."
  • Trial or no trial, these claims are front and center on their label right next to a picture of a brain. And it turns out that pictures of brains have special properties. A couple of researchers asked a few hundred people to read a scientific article. For half the people, the article included a brain image, and for the other half, it was the same article but it didn't have a brain image. At the end — you see where this is going — people were asked whether they agreed with the conclusions of the article. So this is how much people agree with the conclusions with no image. And this is how much they agree with the same article that did include a brain image. So the take-home message here is, do you want to sell it? Put a brain on it.
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  • So what I'm going to do is show you how to spot a couple of classic moves, dead giveaways, really, for what's variously been called neuro-bunk, neuro-bollocks, or, my personal favorite, neuro-flapdoodle.
  • Now these studies are scientifically valid, and they've been replicated, but they're not the whole story. Other studies have shown that boosting oxytocin increases envy. It increases gloating. Oxytocin can bias people to favor their own group at the expense of other groups. And in some cases, oxytocin can even decrease cooperation.
  • We haven't found a "buy" button inside the brain, we can't tell whether someone is lying or in love just by looking at their brain scans, and we can't turn sinners into saints with hormones. Maybe someday we will, but until then, we have to be careful that we don't let overblown claims detract resources and attention away from the real science that's playing a much longer game.
  • Ask the tough questions. Ask to see the evidence. Ask for the part of the story that's not being told. The answers shouldn't be simple, because the brain isn't simple. But that's not stopping us from trying to figure it out anyway.
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     Ask the tough questions. Ask to see the evidence. Ask for the part of the story that's not being told. The answers shouldn't be simple, because the brain isn't simple. But that's not stopping us from trying to figure it out anyway.
David McGavock

Species diversity refutes the theory of evolution | PostIndependent.com - 1 views

  • Species diversity refutes the theory of evolution
  • Somehow, I always understood that the concept of evolution was the proof that there are no miracles.
  • Evolution presupposes that somehow some accidentally formed primordial soup
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  • the universe had a point origin extremely hot and of incredible speed.
    • David McGavock
       
      Changing topics - now we're on to saying that there is an infinite supply of fuel burn. Talk about spending (consuming) above our means...
    • David McGavock
       
      To say that a miracle is outside of science or that science cannot see the miracle is uninformed.
  • oil is not a “fossil fuel” and there is some process deep within our planet that is producing it.
  • volution was a foundational belief of Hitler
    • David McGavock
       
      The belief in evolution is the "cause" of nazi germany? I think not.
  • That understanding destroys the leverage politicians use to scare us into the idea that we are running out of oil.
  • incredible complexity deeply challenges any idea that it is the result of spontaneous generation.
  • When you compare that time against the $14 trillion-plus of the U.S. debt, it is comparatively a short time.
  • The rest of us are also somehow sub-human and must be conquered and/or killed
    • David McGavock
       
      And the arabs are fervent believers in evolution???
  • The concept of evolution is an effort to demonstrate that there is no God. That being the case, there are no eternal consequences. Evil is just what the government says it is.
    • David McGavock
       
      Evolution = no god = no eternal consequences = evil government. I'm not sure how all this ties together.
  • one thing that did not come into existence without a purpose and a creator.
    • David McGavock
       
      Christianity doesn't have the patent on creation. All faiths have a creation story describing causes.
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    "Species diversity refutes the theory of evolution"
David McGavock

The demise of quality content on the web - 4 views

  • I remember exactly when I decided to stop reading Mashable.
  • You can’t see a single word from the actual article without scrolling. It reminded me of a comment that Merlin Mann recently made in his typically funny and obnoxious style:
  • we seem to be in this bizarre race to the intellectual bottom to write the most generic article in the world so that everyone with an Internet connection will click through. And the only purpose seems to be to keep the advertising monster fed, fat, and happy.
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  • I’m worried that all the noise makes it increasingly difficult for quality content[1] to be seen. Worse, I’m worried that it’s discouraging the creation of quality content because what’s successful (i.e. what gets the most clicks) is mostly lowest-common-denominator blog post titles that either start with a number or end with a question mark.
  • The problem is not that people don’t have enough time, it’s that people don’t have enough attention.
  • The wells of attention are being drilled to depletion by linkbait headlines, ad-infested pages, “jumps” and random pagination, and content that is engineered to be “consumed” in 1 minute or less of quick scanning – just enough time to capture those almighty eyeballs[2]. And the reality is that “Alternative Attention sources” simply don’t exist.
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    "I used to believe that if you write with passion and clarity about a topic you know well (or want to know more about), you will find and build an audience. I believed that maybe, if you're smart about it, you could find a way for some part of that audience to pay you money to sustain whatever obsession drove you to self-publishing (and to do it without selling your soul in the process). "
Don Doehla

Educational Leadership:Common Core: Now What?:Closing in on Close Reading - 0 views

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    ASCD article on Close Reading for CCSS
Don Doehla

ASCD Express 9.03 - What the Mind Needs to Do to Read Nonfiction - 0 views

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    Many children are not strategic readers of nonfiction text; they dive into reading nonfiction the same way they approach a story or a novel. But if students are to become literate readers in a world filled with an abundance of information, they need to be good readers and strategic readers.
David McGavock

The principle of reciprocity :The Thinker - 3 views

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    " * A differing opinion, by itself, is no evidence of asshattery. That is basically what the principle of reciprocity says. * But, a violation of the principle of reciprocity is evidence of asshattery. * Therefore, when I call someone an asshat for violating the principle of reciprocity, I am not violating the principle of reciprocity myself, since my opinion is evidence-based. It's reassuring to know I can be a good critical thinker and still be allowed to call someone an asshat on occasion."
David McGavock

Critical Thinking On The Web - 3 views

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    Offers definitions of critical thinking and links to quality resources on topics such as argument mapping, assessment, cognitive biases, critical reading and writing, experts and expertise. (this resource was identified in Microsoft's "Developing Critical Thinking Through Web Research skills") Top Ten 1. Argument Mapping Tutorials. Six online tutorials in argument mapping, a core requirement for advanced critical thinking. 2. The Skeptic's Dictionary - over 400 definitions and essays. 3. The Fallacy Files by Gary Curtis. Best website on fallacies. 4. Butterflies and Wheels. Excellent reading - news, articles, and much more. 5. Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts by Peter Facione. Good overview of the nature of critical thinking. (pdf file) 6. Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion by John Stuart Mill. Classic chapter, densely packed with wisdom about thinking. 7. Chance - best resource for helping students think critically about issues involving probability and statistics 8. Psychology of Intelligence Analysis, by Richards Heuer. A good overview of how to improve thinking in the light of insights from cognitive psychology. 9. A Handbook on Writing Argumentative and Interpretative Essays by Ian Johnston 10. Baloney Detection Part 1 and Part 2 - by Michael Shermer. 10 step guide.
David McGavock

Videatives | What is a Videative? - 6 views

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    "Videatives come to you in five ways Streaming Video, Instant Downloads, CDs, eCourses, Bi-weekly Blog The word videative [vid´-é-ã-tive] refers to the combination of text and video segments to create an integrated viewing experience (video + narrative = videative). The text explains the video and the video exemplifies the text. Use videatives to see how children think, to see how to support their learning, and to see how to prepare environments that engage children in rich problem solving. Use videatives to add authenticity to your lectures or clarity to your training sessions. Share videatives with parents to help them understand the value of play and the subtle ways a teacher can help children reflect on their own experiences."
David McGavock

Western News - Study calls critical thinking into question - 0 views

  • whether student apathy is to blame or if the study reflects a fundamental failing in the post-secondary education system.
    • David McGavock
       
      Perinnial question. Is it the students "fault" or the "institution"?
  • Doerksen
  • “opportunities are there for students who are willing to learn and develop academically. The environment is very rich on university campuses.”
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  • Mark Blagrave
  • students have the right level of motivation
  • places more responsibility on educators to encourage comprehensive learning in the university community.
  • “It’s up to us to make sure we spark that intellectual curiosity and are able to meet today’s students on today’s terms.” 
  • “We’ve gone a long while knowing that (critical thinking) is part of what we teach, but we’re not necessarily articulating or reminding students that it’s happening.” 
  • define critical and creative skills and look at the tools that we have to encourage them, as well as the constraints we face.”
  • When asked if he thought Arum’s study would have similar results if conducted in Canada, Doerksen says he would be extremely surprised. “If a student wants to learn, there is an appropriate environment for that here.”
    • David McGavock
       
      Go to Canada?
  • 45 per cent of students made no significant improvement in critical thinking, reasoning or writing skills during the first two years, and 36 per cent showed no improvement after four years of schooling.
David McGavock

The New Toolkit | the human network - 3 views

  • Everyone is directly connected, as in the tribe, but in unknowably vast numbers, as in the city.
  • there are roughly 5.4 billion directly addressable individuals on the planet, individuals who can be reached with the correct series of numbers.
  • 5,400,000,000 / 6,900,000,000 or 0.7826
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  • deeper into the 21st century, this figure will approach 1.0:
  • This type of connectivity is not simply unprecedented, nor just a unique feature in human history, this is the kind of qualitative change that leads to a fundamental reorganization in human culture. 
  • can be termed hyperconnectivity, because it represents the absolute amplification of all the pre-extant characteristics in human communication, extending them to ubiquity and speed-of-light instantaneity.
  • II: Hyperdistribution What happens after we are all connected?
  • Language is a distribution medium, a mechanism to replicate the experience of one person throughout a community.
  • any culture which develops effective new mechanisms for knowledge sharing will have greater selection fitness than others that do not, forcing those relatively less fit cultures to either adopt the innovation, in order to preserve themselves, or find themselves pushed to the extreme margins of human existence.
  • Where humans are hyperconnected via mobile, a recapitulation of primate ‘grooming behaviors’ appears almost immediately. 
  • The human instinct is to share that which piques our interest with those to whom we are connected, to reinforce our relations, and to increase our credibility within our networks of relations, both recapitulations of the dual nature of the original human behaviors of sharing.
  • III: Hyperintelligence
  • Those who possess knowledge also hold power.  The desire to conserve that power led the guilds to become increasingly zealous in the defense of their knowledge domains, their ‘secrets of the craft’.
  • The advent of Gutenberg’s moveable-type printing press made it effectively impossible to keep secrets in perpetuity.
  • he professions of medicine, law, engineering, architecture, etc., emerged from this transition from the guilds into modernity.  These professional associations exist for one reason: they assign place, either within the boundaries of the organization, or outside of it.  An unlicensed doctor, a lawyer who has not ‘passed the bar’, an uncredentialed architect all represent modern instances of violations of ritual structures that have been with us for at least fifty thousand years.
  • Hyperconnectivity does not acknowledge the presence of these ritual structures;
  • There is neither inside nor outside.  The entire space of human connection collapses to a point, as everyone connects directly to everyone else, without mediation.
  • Both Kenyan farmers and Kerala fishermen9 quickly became irrevocable devotees of the mobile handset that provided them accurate and timely information about competing market prices for their goods.
  • Once hyperdistribution acquires a focal point, and becomes synonymous with a knowledge domain, it crosses over into hyperintelligence: the dedicated, hyperconnected hyperdistribution of domain-specific knowledge.
  • IV: Hyperempowerment A group of hyperconnected individuals choosing to hyperdistribute their knowledge around an identified domain can engender hyperintelligence. 
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    The Age of Connection now takes its place alongside these earlier epochs in humanity's story. We are being retribalized, in the midst of rising urbanization. The dynamic individuality of the city confronts the static conformity of the tribe. This basic tension forms the fuel of 21st century culture, and will continue to generate both heat and light for at least the next generation. Human behavior, human beliefs and human relations are all reorganizing themselves around connectivity. It is here, therefore, that we must begin our analysis of the toolkit.
David McGavock

Wanna Solve Impossible Problems? Find Ways to Fail Quicker | Co.Design - 2 views

  • a British industry magnate by the name of Henry Kremer wondered: Could an airplane fly powered only by the pilot's body? Like Da Vinci, Kremer believed it was possible and decided to try to turn his dream into reality. He offered the staggering sum of £50,000 for the first person to build a human-powered plane that could fly a figure eight around two markers set a half-mile apart.
  • A decade went by. Dozens of teams tried and failed to build an airplane that could meet the requirements. It looked impossible.
  • MacCready’s insight was that everyone who was working on solving human-powered flight would spend upwards of a year building an airplane on conjecture and theory without a base of knowledge based on empirical tests. Triumphantly, they would complete their plane and wheel it out for a test flight. Minutes later, a year's worth of work would smash into the ground.
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  • The problem was the problem. MacCready realized that what needed to be solved was not, in fact, human-powered flight. That was a red herring. The problem was the process itself.
  • He came up with a new problem that he set out to solve: How can you build a plane that could be rebuilt in hours, not months? And he did.
  • MacCready’s Gossamer Condor flew 2,172 meters to win the prize. A little more than a year after that, the Gossamer Albatross flew across the English Channel.
  • So what's the lesson? When you are solving a difficult problem, re-frame the problem so that your solution helps you learn faster. Find a faster way to fail, recover, and try again. If the problem you are trying to solve involves creating a magnum opus, you are solving the wrong problem.
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    "Wanna Solve Impossible Problems? Find Ways to Fail Quicker A case study in how an intractable problem -- creating a human-powered airplane -- was solved by reframing the problem. " So what's the lesson? When you are solving a difficult problem, re-frame the problem so that your solution helps you learn faster. Find a faster way to fail, recover, and try again. If the problem you are trying to solve involves creating a magnum opus, you are solving the wrong problem.
Don Doehla

Questions Before Answers: What Drives a Great Lesson? | Edutopia - 0 views

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    Students engage more passionately when trying to answer a question that interests them. Here are ten opening questions that have inspired this kind of learning
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