9C o G n I t I v e Lo A d M A n A G e M e n t DEFiNiTioN:ability to discriminate and filter information for importance, and to understand how to maximize cognitive
functioning using a variety of tools and techniques
A world rich in information streams in multiple formats and from multiple devices brings the issue of cognitive overload to the fore. Organizations and workers will only be able to turn the massive influx of data into an advantage if they can learn to effectively filter and focus on what is important.
The next generation of workers will have to develop their own techniques for tackling the problem of cognitive overload. For example, the practice of social filtering—ranking, tagging,
or adding other metadata to content helps higher-quality or more relevant information to rise above the “noise.”
Workers will also need to become adept at utilizing new tools to help them deal with the information onslaught. Researchers at Tufts University have wired stockbro- kers—who are constantly monitoring streams of financial data, and need to recognize major changes without be- ing overwhelmed by detail. The stockbrokers were asked to watch a stream of financial data and write an involved email message to a coll-eague. As they got more involved
in composing the email, the fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which measures blood oxygen levels in the brain) system detected this, and simplified the presentation of data accordingly.7
Adaptive interfaces, developed by researchers at Tufts, can reduce the level of detail in the market information stockbrokers see when sensors detect that they are experiencing high mental workload.
http://www.cs.tufts.edu
10 0 v I R t U A L C o L L A b o R At I o n DEFiNiTioN:ability to work productively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a member
of a virtual team.
Connective technologies make it easier than ever to work, share ideas and be productive despite physical separation. But the vir- tual work environment also demands a new set of competencies.
As a leader of a virtual team, individuals need to develop strategies for engaging and motivating a dispersed group. We are learning that techniques borrowed from gaming are extremely effective in engaging large virtual communities. Ensuring that collaborative platforms include typical gaming features such as immediate feedback, clear objectives and a staged series of challenges can significantly drive participa- tion and motivation.
Members of virtual teams also need to become adept at finding environments that promote productivity and well- being. A community that offers “ambient sociability” can help overcome isolation that comes from lack of access to a central, social workplace. This could be a physical cowork- ing space, but it could also be virtual. Researchers at Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab exploring the
real-world social benefits of inhabiting virtual worlds such as Second Life report that the collective experience of a
virtual environment, especially one with 3D avatars, provides significant social-emotional benefits. Players experience
the others as co-present and available, but they are able to concentrate on their own in-world work.
Online streams created by micro blogging and social networking sites can serve as virtual water coolers, providing a sense of camaraderie and enabling employees to demon- strate presence. For example, Yammer is a Twitter-like micro blogging service, focused on business—only individuals with the same corporate domain in their email address can access the company network.
Yammer asks employ- ees to provide updates on the question, “What are you working on?”
www.yammer.com
I M P L I C At I o n S
The results of this research have implications for individuals, educational institutions, business, and government.
To be successful in the next decade, individualswill need to demonstrate foresight in navigating a rapidly shifting landscape
of organizational forms and skill requirements. They will increasingly be called upon to continually reassess the skills they need, and quickly put together the right resources to develop and update these. Workers in the future will need to be adaptable lifelong learners.
Educational institutionsat the primary, secondary, and
post-secondary levels, are largely the products of technology infrastructure and social circumstances of the past. The landscape has changed and educational institutions should consider how to adapt quickly in response. Some directions of change might include:
» Placing additional emphasis on developing skills such as critical thinking, insight, and analysis capabilities
» Integrating new-media literacy into education programs
» Including experiential learning that gives prominence
to soft skills—such as the ability to collaborate, work in groups, read social cues, and respond adaptively
» Broadening the learning constituency beyond teens and young adults through to adulthood
» Integrating interdisciplinary training that allows students to develop skills and knowledge in a range of subjects
Businessesmust also be alert to the changing environment and adapt their workforce planning and development strategies to ensure alignment with future skill requirements. Strategic human resource professionals might reconsider traditional methods for identifying critical skills, as well as selecting and developing talent. Considering the disruptions likely to reshape the future will enhance businesses’ ability to ensure organiza- tional talent has and continuously renews the skills necessary for the sustainability of business goals. A workforce strategy
for sustaining business goals should be one of the most critical outcomes of human resource professionals and should involve collaborating with universities to address lifelong learning and skill requirements.
Governmental policymakerswill need to respond to the changing landscape by taking a leadership role and making education a national priority. If education is not prioritized, we risk compromising our ability to prepare our people for a
healthy and sustainable future. For Americans to be prepared and for our businesses to be competitive, policy makers should consider the full range of skills citizens will require, as well as the importance of lifelong learning and constant skill renewal.
Trans- disciplinarity
Design Mindset
Sense- Making
Novel and Adaptive
Thinking
Social Intelligence
New Media Literacy
Computational Thinking
Cognitive Load Management
Cross Cultural Competency
Virtual Collaboration
e n d n o t e S
1 Jaron Lernier, Does the Digital Classroom Enfeeble the Mind? New York Times. September 16, 2010. Available at: http://www. nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19fob-essay-t.html?pagewanted=2.
2 David Autor, The Polarization of Job Opportunities in the US Labor Market. Center for American Progress and The Hamilton Proj- ect, April 2010.
3 Scott E. Page, The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools and Societies. Princeton: Princ- eton University Press, 2008.
4 Quoted in Science & Technology Perspectives, Institute for the Future, SR 967.
5 Quoted in John P. Eberhard, and Brenda Patoine, Architecture With the Brain in Mind. The Dana Foundation weblog, 2004. Avail- able at: http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx?id=1254.
6 Joan Meyers-Levy, Rui Zhu, The influence of ceiling height: The effect of priming on the type of processing people use. Journal of Consumer Research 2007: 34.
7 Audrey Girouard, Erin Treacy Solovey et al., From Brain Signals to Adaptive Interfaces: using fNIRS in HCI. Brain Computer Inter- facts: Human-Computer Interaction Series, 2010, 3: 221-237.
C o G n I t I v e Lo A d M A n A G e M e n t DEFiNiTioN:ability to discriminate and filter information for importance, and to understand how to maximize cognitive
http://www.cs.tufts.edu
I M P L I C At I o n S
The results of this research have implications for individuals, educational institutions, business, and government.
healthy and sustainable future. For Americans to be prepared and for our businesses to be competitive, policy makers should consider the full range of skills citizens will require, as well as the importance of lifelong learning and constant skill renewal.
e n d n o t e S
1 Jaron Lernier, Does the Digital Classroom Enfeeble the Mind? New York Times. September 16, 2010. Available at: http://www. nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19fob-essay-t.html?pagewanted=2.