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Computer cooking is a task-related phenomenon where students (end-users) must blindly follow a long list of orders without any connection to the content of the problem, if there is any. Despite its low efficacy, this method is widely used and accepted in informatics both in the learning-teaching process and testing. The National Base Curriculum 2020 in Hungary is in complete accordance with the 'Informatics Reference Framework for Schools', but the course books hardly use the latest results of computer education research. The present paper provides examples of how the results of computer education research can be integrated into teaching-learning materials and classroom practices and discusses the effectiveness and consequences of the different solutions, where tool-centred approaches are compared to problem-focused solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the educational product generated from the research entitled “Teaching Exponential Function with Problem Solving Methodology: Report of a Practice”, developed within the scope of the Professional Master's Degree in Science, Mathematics and Technology Teaching at the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC). The educational product is a Facebook page composed of applied activities, activity suggestions, activity reports, videos of activity resolutions, reports of practices in the application of problem situations on the exponential function through problem solving, activity resolutions, videos and problem suggestions for applications and video suggestions, the objective is to share experiences and exchange information, motivating and encouraging educators in their practices. The design of the educational product aimed to contribute to the teaching practice of in-service teachers, both in mathematics classes and in their professional life. On the “Facebook” page, the activities that were applied in the classroom are described using the Problem Solving Methodology methodology, based on studies by researchers Lourdes de la Rosa and Norma Suely Gomes Allevato, which were applied in the classroom together with Geogebra objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic works have indicated which didactic methods to teaching engineers fail in the professional preparation, despite the international effort to create competences for engineering students. Studies about teaching in engineering in general, and in civil engineering, specifically, are scarce, or is in the incipient period, at least in relation to and compared to the material dedicated to the same subject by mathematicians, then, the aim of this paper is to discuss if some aspects of the modern technique of mathematics could be applied in engineering teaching, in specific case for the problem solving methodology.

There are several intelligent algorithms that are continually being improved for better performance when solving the flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP); hence, there are many improvement strategies in the literature. To know how to properly choose an improvement strategy, how different improvement strategies affect different algorithms and how different algorithms respond to the same strategy are critical questions that have not yet been addressed. To address them, improvement strategies are first classified into five basic improvement strategies (five structures) used to improve invasive weed optimization (IWO) and genetic algorithm (GA) and then seven algorithms (S1–S7) used to solve five FJSP instances are proposed. For the purpose of comparing these algorithms fairly, we consider the total individual number (TIN) of an algorithm and propose several evaluation indexes based on TIN. In the process of decoding, a novel decoding algorithm is also proposed. The simulation results show that different structures significantly affect the performances of different algorithms and different algorithms respond to the same structure differently. The results of this paper may shed light on how to properly choose an improvement strategy to improve an algorithm for solving the FJSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, flipped learning has received tremendous attention from educational practitioners and researchers. However, this study argues that existing e‐learning systems mainly serve for learning management and content delivery purposes, although they lack support for flipped learning. As an innovative educational approach, flipped learning requires more pedagogical elements, such as integrated instructional design and adaptive content delivery, to achieve effective direct instruction. This study aims to create a learning adaptivity design to support effective learning in the flipped individual learning space in which the teacher is absent. Because teaching involves various pedagogical and content knowledge sources, we propose a conceptual model of teaching as a function of the knowledge triad of Guideline (G), Teaching Activity (T), and Material (M). To realize this conceptualization, an ontological problem‐solving approach is used for knowledge‐based systems development to integrate the relevant knowledge sources. The knowledge model is created using the Protégé platform to develop OWL‐based domain ontology, task ontology, and SWRL‐based semantic rules to enable inference in the GTM triad for learning adaptivity. The case illustration shows that the knowledge‐based system prototype can adaptively guide student learning in the flipped individual learning space with the knowledge sources integrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to test the effectiveness of using the Problem Solving Methodology in science teachers training courses. The problem situations produced by teachers in the contexts of initial and in-service training are categorized and analyzed. The methodology involved conducting a literature review, conducting teacher training experiences and analysis of the body of information gathered during the courses, as well as problem-situations produced in these contexts. The results show aspects of teacher training for working with teaching strategies as the role of the teacher in the authoring and development problems, pedagogical reasoning, epistemological, psychological preparation for a more structured conceptual basis and strengthening of the teachers’ practical knowledge.

Depth First Search (DFS) pseudo-tree is popularly used as the communication structure in complete algorithms for solving Distributed Constraint Optimization Problems (DCOPs) from multiagent systems. The advantage of a DFS pseudo-tree lies in its parallelism derived from pseudo-tree branches because the nodes in different branches are relatively independent and can compute concurrently. However, the constructed DFS pseudo-trees in experiments often come to be chain-like and greatly impair the performances of solving algorithms. Therefore, we propose a new DPOP algorithm using a Breadth First Search (BFS) pseudo-tree as the communication structure, named BFSDPOP. Compared with a DFS pseudo-tree, a BFS pseudo-tree is more excellent on the parallelism as it has much more branches. Another notable advantage is that the height of a BFS pseudo-tree is much lower than that of a DFS pseudo-tree, which gives rise to the shorter communication paths and less communication time. The method of Cluster Removing is also presented to allocate cross-edge constraints to reduce the size of the largest message in BFSDPOP. In the experiment, BFSDPOP with a BFS pseudo-tree and original DPOP with a DFS pseudo-tree are compared on three types of problems - graph coloring problems, meeting scheduling problems and random DCOPs. The results show that BFSDPOP outperforms original DPOP in most cases, which proves the excellent attributes of BFS pseudo-tree over DFS pseudo-tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present and theoretically study an Approximate Policy Iteration (API) method called A P I − B R M using a very effective implementation of incremental Support Vector Regression (SVR) to approximate the value function able to generalize Reinforcement Learning (RL) problems with continuous (or large) state space. A P I − B R M is presented as a non-parametric regularization method based on an outcome of the Bellman Residual Minimization (BRM) able to minimize the variance of the problem. The proposed method can be cast as incremental and may be applied to the on-line agent interaction framework of RL. Being also based on SVR which are based on convex optimization, is able to find the global solution of the problem. A P I − B R M using SVR can be seen as a regularization problem using 휖−insensitive loss. Compared to standard squared loss also used in regularization, this allows to naturally build a sparse solution for the approximation function. We extensively analyze the statistical properties of A P I − B R M founding a bound which controls the performance loss of the algorithm under some assumptions on the kernel and assuming that the collected samples are not-i.i.d. following a β−mixing process. Some experimental evidence and performance for well known RL benchmarks are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations are faced with solving increasingly complex problems. Addressing these issues requires effective leadership that can facilitate a collaborative problem solving approach where multiple perspectives are leveraged. In this conceptual paper, we critique the effectiveness of earlier leadership models in tackling complex organizational issues. We then examine one promising model, adaptive leadership, in detail and propose that this model provides a leadership approach for addressing current organizational realities. The model, proposed and developed over the last two decades, fundamentally supports the assumption of leadership by multiple stakeholders, with the formulation of the leadership dependent on the emergent problem. Adaptive leadership, with its focus on collaborative problem-solving utilizing multiple perspectives, is especially applicable to large organizations faced with solving complex problems involving many stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The A3 method is a systematic problem solving and continuous improvement approach, which was first employed at the company Toyota. The paper presents possibilities of using the method for searching and effective implementing green innovations in an industrial company transport. Advantages and potential problems related to the method utilization are identified on the basis of a case study focused on technological innovations in ŠKODA AUTO internal transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to test whether the use of contraries can facilitate spatial problem solving. Specifically, we examined whether a training session which included explicit guidance on thinking in contraries would improve problem solving abilities. In our study, the participants in the experimental condition were exposed to a brief training session before being presented with seven visuo-spatial problems to solve. During training it was suggested that it would help them to find the solution to the problems if they systematically transformed the spatial features of each problem into their contraries. Their performance was compared to that of a control group (who had no training). Two participation conditions were considered: small groups and individuals. Higher success rates were found in the groups exposed to training as compared to the individuals (in both the training and no training conditions), even though the time required to find a solution was longer . In general, participants made more attempts (i.e., drawings) when participating in groups than individually. The number of drawings done while the participants were trying to solve the problems did not increase after training. In order to explore if the quality (if not the number) of drawings was modified, we sampled one problem out of the seven we had used in the experiment (the "pigs in a pen" problem) and examined the drawings in detail. Differences between the training and no training conditions emerged in terms of properties focused on and transformed in the drawings. Based on these results, in the final discussion possible explanations are suggested as to why training had positive effects specifically in the group condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal reasoning is a type of problem solving, and is situated within thinking skills, one of the six threshold learning outcomes established under the auspices of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council's Bachelor of Laws Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement. The threshold learning outcomes define what law graduates are 'expected to know, understand and be able to do as a result of learning' (Kiff et al., 2010, p. 9). The assessment of legal reasoning, and thus problem solving, should receive greater attention in legal education discourse (James, 2011, p. 15, James, 2012, p. 88). The dominant approach for problem-based questions in the discipline of law over the last 40 years is IRC (issue, rule, application and conclusion). The acronym IRC is not offensive and potentially instils a positive professional legal identity and is a student-centred approach to problem solving. This journal article documents an incremental approach to IRC in law where first year students answer a problem-based law question using a grid format before preparing a barrister's advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates how a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) threshold value can be quickly and reasonably determined in the process of combining DEMATEL and decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) models. Models are combined to identify the key factors of a complex problem. This paper presents a case study of a food and beverage information system as an example. The analysis of the example indicates that, given direct and indirect relationships among variables, if a traditional DTPB model only simulates the effects of the variables without considering that the variables will affect the original cause-and-effect relationships among the variables, then the original DTPB model variables cannot represent a complete relationship. For the food and beverage example, a DEMATEL method was employed to reconstruct a DTPB model and, more importantly, to calculate reasonable DEMATEL threshold value for determining additional relationships of variables in the original DTPB model. This study is method-oriented, and the depth of investigation into any individual case is limited. Therefore, the methods proposed in various fields of study should ideally be used to identify deeper and more practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insightful problem solving is a vital part of human thinking, yet very difficult to grasp. Traditionally, insight has been investigated by using a set of established "insight tasks," assuming that insight has taken place if these problems are solved. Instead of assuming that insight takes place during every solution of the 9 Dot, 8 Coin, and Matchstick Arithmetic Problems, this study explored the likelihood that solutions evoked the "Aha! experience," which is often regarded as the defining characteristic of insight. It was predicted that the rates of selfreported Aha! experiences might vary based on the necessary degree of constraint relaxation. The main assumption was that the likelihood of experiencing an Aha! would decrease with increasing numbers of constraints that must be relaxed, because several steps are needed to achieve a representational change and solve the problem, and thus, the main feature of suddenness of a solution might be lacking. The results supported this prediction, and demonstrated that in many cases participants do solve these classical insight problems without any Aha! experience. These results show the importance of obtaining insight ratings from participants to determine whether any given problem is solved with insight or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RED - Revista de Educación a Distancia is the property of Universidad de Murcia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of Six Sigma and Shainin RedX® methodology and to propose the modification of Six Sigma methodology in order to achieve the improved efficiency of DMAIC in the diagnostic journey using some of the approaches of Shainin RedX® methodology. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of Six Sigma and Shainin RedX® methodology and to propose the modification of Six Sigma methodology in order to achieve the improved efficiency of DMAIC in the diagnostic journey using some of the approaches of Shainin RedX® methodology. Findings: This paper presents a proposal of DMAIC framework modification using selected tools and procedures of Shainin RedX® methodology in the diagnostic phase. Findings: This paper presents a proposal of DMAIC framework modification using selected tools and procedures of Shainin RedX® methodology in the diagnostic phase. Originality/Value of paper: The contribution of this article is the proposal of modified methodology, which should improve the effectiveness of problemsolving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the relationship between technology and law in relation to the potential operationalizing of legal practices through process improvement. Technological innovation management and the outsourcing of legal services are mentioned, along with legal market stratification and efforts to increase productivity. Legal process outsourcing and the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) scientific problem-solving method are also examined.

The rising division of labour in problem-solving work such as complex product development is fuelled by principles of modular design. But because complex systems are only near-decomposable, modular decompositions always contain interdependencies that cut across modules. Extant research suggests that these interdependencies may not be neglected, and that distributed problem solving must be coordinated across the modules. But is 'more' coordination in modular systems strictly preferable to 'less'? Analysis of a simulation model points to a trade-off: although constant coordination efforts are most effective in the short term, temporary coordination neglect-repeated switches between module-level autonomy and coordinating intervention-can yield superior long-run performance. The paper characterizes the conditions under which such temporary coordination neglect can be beneficial and suggests that the level of coordination in distributed problem solving serves to balance two functions: ensuring that the modules fit together and inducing broader search for better module-level solutions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) can be a transformative teaching methodology that supports a dialogical learning atmosphere that can transcend the traditional classroom and inspire excellence in students by linking real life experiences with the curriculum. It supports a sense of inquiry that incorporates both experiential learning and the development of critical thinking skills. Incorporating active learning strategies in a way that transcends the classroom and sparks interest and passion for students is an important pedagogical ingredient for educators. The key question driving this study is how can CPS as a teaching method be used to motivate students and engage them in a process of active learning within the context of a social policy course? This study examines student engagement and motivation in a problem-centred approach to teaching and learning, and provides a concrete example of a CPS exercise couched in small group facilitations to support peer learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three students with mild to moderate intellectual and multiple disability, enrolled in a self-contained functional curriculum class were taught to use a self-monitoring checklist and science notebook to increase independence in inquiry problem-solving skills. Using a single-subject multiple-probe design, all students acquired inquiry problem-solving skills during exposure to functional guided science inquiry lessons and demonstrated the problem-solving skills independently. Students successfully generalized inquiry problem-solving skills to two functional problem scenarios during a generalization phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. We tested the Analytical Hierarchy Process tool for its use in public health to identify potential gaps in emergency preparedness by local health departments (LHDs) in California and Hawaii during a radiological emergency. Methods. We developed a dedicated tool called All-Hazards Preparedness Squared (AHP2) that can be used by those who are responsible for all-hazards preparedness planning and response to guide them while making strategic decisions both in preparing for and responding to a slow-moving incident while it is unfolding. The tool is an Internet-based survey that can be distributed among teams responsible for emergency preparedness and response. Twenty-eight participants from 16 LHDs in California and Hawaii responsible for coordinating preparedness and response in a radiological emergency participated in using the tool in 2013. We used the data to compare the perceived importance of different elements of preparedness among participants and identify gaps in preparedness of their organizations for meeting the challenges presented by a radiological incident. Results. Clarity of information and transfer of information (to and from agency to public, state, and federal partners) were public health officials’ dominant concerns while responding to an emergency. Participants also found that there were gaps in the adequacy of training and awareness of the chain of command during a radiological emergency. Conclusion. This preliminary study indicates that the AHP2 tool could be used for decision making in all-hazards preparedness planning and response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study conducted to analyze injury-evaluation domain knowledge of collegiate male certified Athletic Trainers (ATs), by conducting a situational interview using a think-aloud protocol. It mentions that 20 male certified ATs were interviewed at the National Athletic Trainers' Association District 3 and triangulation of data and field journaling techniques were used to ensure data credibility. Expert ATs, as compared to novices, had greater knowledge on patient history.

Laboratory professionals, consultants, and treating physicians may encounter discrepancies in serological testing results for numerous reasons; identifying the reason(s) for the presence of an unexpected antibody or antigen can be challenging. A question-based approach can be useful in identifying the underlying cause of the discrepancy. We describe a new approach to serological problems in a transfusion-service laboratory. The approach we outline herein is targeted towards a general transfusion medicine service, rather than a center that offers complex antibody investigations using specialized techniques. This question-based problem-solving approach considers patient factors including diagnosis, transfusion history, previous pregnancies, and medication history, along with serological test results: ABO and Rh groups, direct and indirect antiglobulin tests, reacting temperature of the antibody, effect of enzyme treatment of cells, strength of reactivity, and antibody reactivity with umbilical cord cells. We also demonstrate the usefulness of this approach through a case scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study was conducted to clarify the impact of the source problem (present/absent) and of the emotional valence (positive/negative) on the way analogical target problems are solved. Analogical problems were represented by two types of PC games. Film clips were used to elicit emotions, whereas emotional changes were monitored by SAM scale. It was found that the presence of source problem increased the speed of solving a target problem and led to analogical problem solving even though a non-analogical solution could also be conducted. Negative valence (feeling sad) facilitates analogical problem solving, whereas positive valence (feeling amused) alleviates non-analogical problem solving. Different emotional valence has no impact either on the length of the time needed for problem solving, or on the success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolving concept of gender-based violence (GBV) is a multifaceted issue of public health significance. Until recently, most studies examining GBV have been conducted in North America. In this issue of the Journal, Palermo et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2014;179(5):602–612) report their secondary analyses involving approximately 300,000 women from 24 developing countries who participated in Demographic and Health Surveys between 2004 and 2011. The focus of their article is on the prevalence and determinants of disclosure of GBV to formal authorities, including health care or legal professionals, police, and nongovernmental organizations. Their results indicate a wide gap between prevalence of GBV (40%) and GBV disclosure (7%), implying an underestimation of GBV that ranges from 11- to 128-fold, depending on the region and type of reporting. The extent of underreporting of GBV also varied according to personal characteristics such as age, marital status and urban or rural residence. GBV has been linked to a myriad of health problems, and it has been shown that health care utilization is considerably higher among women who have experienced GBV. Primary and secondary prevention efforts should continue to target GBV, and creative ways of addressing GBV nondisclosure should take into account regional variations and personal characteristics of affected women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The 8D method is a complex tool for solving problems of significant scale which are hard for individuals to solve and involve solutions which require extra resources. However, several problems have been detected in the method of 8D's usage in modern organizations. The main aim of this paper is to define critical factors which lead to the demotivation of problem-solving teams. The primary aim of this research is to empirically investigate the current state of the usage of 8D in Slovak enterprises, including the context of employees' motivation and involvement; to identify opportunities for improvement of the implementation of 8D by increasing the involvement and motivation of problem-solving teams as well as the proper usage of the methodology. Questionnaires were issued to industrial enterprises operating in Slovakia. Data from the research were used to propose ways for industrial enterprises to increase their 8D effectiveness by setting the right performance indicators and the way to integrate these indicators into the motivation system. The question to be answered is how to effectively use the intellectual capital of problem-solving teams and increase employees' satisfaction in the broader context of the improvement of the effectiveness of problem-solving methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the testing activity of a color-coded 3D visualization approach, developed to enhance the designers' awareness during the conceptual design of a Product Service System (PSS). Protocol analysis is applied to eight design sessions to compare the behavior of different design teams when featuring printouts of color-coded CAD models, instead of spreadsheets with numerical tables, as carrier of value-related information. The analysis focuses on the time spent on the different activities during the sessions, highlighting the problem solving strategies and the consideration of PSS related aspects. The analysis shows that design teams featuring printouts of color-coded CAD models made a more extensive use of information during problem analysis, following a more structured design process, than teams using spreadsheets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While the value of 'schematic representations' in problem solving requires no further demonstration, the way in which students should be taught how to construct these representations invariably gives rise to various debates. This study, conducted on 146 grade 4 students in Luxembourg, analyzes the effect of two types of 'schematic representation' (diagrams vs. schematic drawings) on the solving of arithmetical problems. The results show that the presence of schematic representations has a clear positive effect on overall student performance and that a non negligible proportion of students manage to reuse the representations encountered in order to solve new problems. While showing an effect slightly in favor of diagrams as opposed to schematic drawings, our results do not really permit us to draw any conclusions about the form that these representations should take, in particular since a differential effect was observed depending on the type of problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Increasingly, patient decision aids and values clarification methods (VCMs) are being developed to support patients in making preference-sensitive health-care decisions. Many VCMs encourage extensive deliberation about options, without solid theoretical or empirical evidence showing that deliberation is advantageous. Research suggests that simple, fast and frugal heuristic decision strategies sometimes result in better judgments and decisions. Durand et al. have developed two fast and frugal heuristic-based VCMs. Objective To critically analyse the suitability of the 'take the best' (TTB) and 'tallying' fast and frugal heuristics in the context of patient decision making. Strategy Analysis of the structural similarities between the environments in which the TTB and tallying heuristics have been proven successful and the context of patient decision making and of the potential of these heuristic decision processes to support patient decision making. Conclusion The specific nature of patient preference-sensitive decision making does not seem to resemble environments in which the TTB and tallying heuristics have proven successful. Encouraging patients to consider less rather than more relevant information potentially even deteriorates their values clarification process. Values clarification methods promoting the use of more intuitive decision strategies may sometimes be more effective. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend further theoretical thinking about the expected value of such heuristics and of other more intuitive decision strategies in this context, as well as empirical assessments of the mechanisms by which inducing such decision strategies may impact the quality and outcome of values clarification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined students’ understanding of diagrams and their use of diagrams as tools to solve mathematical word problems. Students with learning disabilities (LD), typically achieving students, and gifted students in Grades 4 through 7 (N = 95) participated. Students were presented with novel mathematical word problem-solving tasks and interviewed for their understanding of diagrams for solving problems. Scoring rubrics were designed to assess for levels of problem-solving performance, evidence of diagram use, type of diagram generated, how the diagram was used to solve problems, their definition of a diagram, and their reason for why a diagram can be used to solve problems. Results indicated that students with LD typically generated diagrams of a poorer nature and used them in a less strategic manner than their peers. Concerns regarding the impact of content knowledge on the quality of diagram generation as well as implications regarding instruction to use diagrams to understand and solve problems are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports a classroom-based study involving investigation activities in a university numerical analysis course. The study aims to analyse students' mathematical processes and to understand how these activities provide opportunities for problem posing. The investigations were intended to stimulate students in asking questions, to trigger their thinking processes, to promote their ability to investigate and to support them in learning numerical analysis' concepts and procedures. The results show that the investigations provided opportunities for students to experience mathematical processes, including posing questions, formulating and testing conjectures and, to some extent, proving results. They also provide some understanding about the role of problem posing in these processes. Posing questions occurred mainly in an implicit way, in the interpretation of tasks and in identifying regularities, analysing graphs and testing cases. The conjectures were often based on pattern identification or data manipulation, and the students tended to accept them without testing or proving. The students also proposed alternative formulations for the initial questions and posed new problems from their explorations and attempts to refine previous conjectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving innovation—particularly disruptive innovation—demands that companies possess a deep understanding of the nonobvious problems that will need to be solved in the future. Gaining this understanding requires that companies scan their external environment, identify trends, and then envision future problem states from the perspective of end users or customers. Such an outside-in view is difficult for successful incumbent firms that already possess a dominant logic about their markets and competitive drivers. Strategic roadmapping provides the means to help companies develop this outside-in view and challenge their current competitive perspectives. Here we present a 10-step methodology for strategic roadmapping and show how one group at Intel was able to use this process to envision the future of its business in new ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the scope of inquiry into the measurement and assessment of the state public health policy environment. We argue that there are gains to be made by looking systematically at policies both within and across health domains. We draw from the public health and public policy literature to develop the concepts of interdomain and intradomain policy comprehensiveness and illustrate how these concepts can be used to enhance surveillance of the current public health policy environment, improve understanding of the adoption of new policies, and enhance evaluations of the impact of such policies on health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the positive adjustment of youths with high incidence disabilities, a better understanding of the factors that influence their use of effective responses in challenging situations is needed. In this qualitative study, adolescents described individual and peer factors that would influence their use of effective nonviolent or aggressive responses. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 74 adolescents (61% boys) with high incidence disabilities (71% with a learning disability, 15% with an intellectual disability, and 14% with an emotional or behavioral disorder). Individual themes included values and beliefs, emotion regulation and problem-solving, positive self-image and confidence, perceived effectiveness of responses and potential consequences, and attributions about others or the situation. Peer factors included peer support, peer models for nonviolent responses, peer victimization, and protecting image, status, and reputation with peers. Identification of these themes has important implications for youth violence prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Jeitinho brasileiro" (Brazilian way of dealing with problems) has been described, in anthropological studies, as a usual practice in Brazilian culture to circumvent bureaucratic and legal impasses. This article offers an interactional perspective on this practice. Focus here is on how mediators use jeitinho to conclude an agreement between the complainant and complained in conciliation hearings involving consumer relations, by analyzing recorded and transcribed oral speech data. In light of the contributions of studies of talk-in-interaction, we examine how this strategy be discursively accomplished in this type of activity. The results show that even in the legal context, the jeitinho emerges, within a continuum, as a kind of action that is sometimes seen close to corruption sometimes close to favor exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a tension between 2 alternative approaches to implementing community-based interventions. The evidence-based public health movement emphasizes the scientific basis of prevention by disseminating rigorously evaluated interventions from academic and governmental agencies to local communities. Models used by local health departments to incorporate community input into their planning, such as the community health improvement process (CHIP), emphasize community leadership in identifying health problems and developing and implementing health improvement strategies. Each approach has limitations. Modifying CHIP to formally include consideration of evidence-based interventions in both the planning and evaluation phases leads to an evidence-driven community health improvement process that can serve as a useful framework for uniting the different approaches while emphasizing community ownership, priorities, and wisdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of case-based reasoning (CBR) techniques, CBR has been widely applied to real-world applications such as collision avoidance systems. A successful CBR-based system relies on a high-quality case base, and a case creation technique for generating such a case base is highly required. In this paper, we propose an automated case learning method for CBR-based collision avoidance systems. Building on techniques from CBR and natural language processing, we developed a methodology for learning cases from maritime affair records. After giving an overview on the developed systems, we present the methodology and the experiments conducted in case creation and case evaluation. The experimental results demonstrated the usefulness and applicability of the case learning approach for generating cases from the historic maritime affair records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of how to organize collaborative problem solving efforts when collective action is necessary has received considerable attention in the scientific literature. However, many such contributions neglect the role of the governance system in which processes evolve. These systems are complex, and the actors involved have a high degree of self-organizing capacity at their disposal. Actors create and recreate the rules of the game, draw and redraw boundaries, and develop and redevelop patterns of interaction. The governance of the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol demonstrates the complexity of a compounded governance system and the influence this has on collaborative problem solving. In this paper, we analyse two attempts to organize collaborative problem-solving efforts. Although the government assumed itself to be in charge, we demonstrate that the collaborative problem-solving efforts are seriously hampered by the self-organizing capacity of actors in neighbouring subsystems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barbados, at the start of the 1990s, was a society in conflict and crisis. It was to witness its largest ever demonstrations, rising fiscal deficits, increased foreign borrowing and general disenchantment with the government and -supported austerity measures. The Barbados that emerged from this crisis has moved past its Caribbean neighbours, becoming the most developed country in the region and placing highly among international development indicators. What marked this nation apart from others in the region has been its specific form of governance and approach to addressing the crisis. This paper investigates this form of governance and its place in helping the country to overcome the turbulence of the early 1990s. It demonstrates the role of collaborative governance as a tool for conflict management and consensus building in times of crisis. It also shows how and under what conditions, groups can collaborate to elevate national interests above the sectional. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task conflict is unavoidable, and cooperation is widely adopted to manage task conflict within work teams. Prior studies demonstrated that the effects of cooperative response to task conflict on team performance can be positive or none. To explain the inconsistent effects, based on cooperation and competition theory, this study explores how and when cooperative response to task conflict increases team performance. Seventy-one work teams from Chinese organizations responded to a survey. Results show that knowledge integration mediates the positive effect of cooperative response to task conflict on team performance. More interestingly, need for cognition and resource interdependence moderate the aforementioned mediating process in such a way that cooperative response increases team performance through knowledge integration only when need for cognition is high or when resource interdependence is high. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]