How Failure Can Lead to Long-Lasting Knowledge

Make mistake ធ្វើខុស              assistant professor សាស្ត្រាចារ្យជំនួយ       organizational learning ការរៀនសូត្រពីអង្គការ                                               for years ជាច្រើនឆ្នាំ                                   failures បរាជ័យ

Satellites ផ្កាយវិទ្យាសាស្ត្រ      rocket កាំជ្រូចបង្ហោះ                                  insulation ទ្រនាប់កំដៅ

Crew members យានិក            open-minds មិនសុញគំនិត                         advises អោយឱវាទ

do not have to be មិនចាំបាច់   Not long ago មិនយូរប៉ុន្មាន                         shows up មកដល់

Mum ម៉ែ,អ្នកម្តាយ                   For sure ពិតណាស់ហើយ      

No one likes to make mistake. But a new study says organizations learn more from their failures than their successes, and keep that knowledge longer. One of the researchers was Vinit Desai, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. He worked with Peter Madsen from Marriott School of Management at Brigham Yong University in Utah. They did not find much long-term “organizational learning” from success. It is possible, they say. But professor Desai says they found that knowledge gained from failure lasts for years.​

He says organization should treat failures as a learning opportunity and not try to ignore them. The study looked at companies and organizations that launch satellites and other space vehicles. Professor Desai compares two American space shuttles flight. In two thousand two, a piece of insulating material broke off during launch and damaged a rocket on the Atlantic. Still, the flight was considered a success. Then in early two thousand three, a piece of insulation struck the Columbia during launch. This time, the shuttle broke apart on re-entry and the seven crew members died.

NASA officials suspended all flights and investigation led suggested changes. Professor Desai says the search for solutions after a failure can make leaders more open-minds. He points to airlines as an example of an industry that has learned from failures in the past.  He advises organizations to look for useful information in small failures and failures they avoided. The mistakes we learn from do not have to be our own. We asked people on our Facebook page to tell us a time they had done something really silly.

Fabricio Cimino wrote: Not long ago I wanted to watch TV, but it wouldn’t turn on, so I did everything I could to start it. Thirty minutes later my mum shows up and, passing by, says to me “Did you try plugging it?” I was like “I’m just dusting, Mum!” So she couldn’t notice how dumb I am sometimes!

Bruno Kanieski da Silva told about a time he looked everywhere for his key. It was in his pocket. He wrote: I always promise I will never do it again, but after a few weeks….. where is my wallet? For sure it will be in a very logical place. You can find more comments like these on Facebook at VOA learning English.         

 

                   

Coming to Terms With Academic Titles at US Colleges

Professor សាស្ត្រាចារ្យ         Associate professors សាស្ត្រចារ្យរង               Get ready for ត្រៀមខ្លួនរង់ចាំ       Doctoral degree សញ្ញាបត្របណ្ឌិត     instructor គ្រូបង្រៀន

Tenure ការកាន់មុខតំណែង  These days សព្វថ្ងៃនេះ                                   on the tenure track ឆ្ពោះទៅរកការកាន់មុខដំណែង                                Assistant professors សាស្ត្រាចារ្យជំនួយ         is denied មិនត្រូវបានផ្តល់អោយ  Publish or perish បោះពុម្ពឬស្លាប់          later ក្រោយមកទៀត                                     carry out ធ្វើ

Faculty members គណៈសាស្ត្រាចារ្យ                                                          period of time រយៈពេល  lecturer​ អ្នកបង្រៀន

Not everyone who teaches in a college or university is a professor. Many are instructors or lecturers. In fact, not even all professors are not full professors. Many of them are assistant or associate professors or adjunct professors. So what do all of these different academic titles mean at American colleges and universities?

Get ready for a short lecture, especially if you are thinking of a career in higher education. Professors usually need a doctoral degree. But sometimes a school will offer positions to people who have not yet received their doctorate. This person would be called an instructor until the degree has been completed. After that, the instructor could become an assistant professor. Assistant professors do not have tenure.

Tenure means a permanent appointment. This goal of greater job security is harder to reach these days. Fewer teaching positions offer the chance for tenure. Teachers and Researchers who are hired into positions that do offer it are said to be “on the tenure track.” Assistant professor is the first job on this path.

Assistant professors generally have five to seven years to gain tenure. During this time, other faculty members study the person work. If tenure is denied, then the assistant professor usually has a year to find another job. Candidates for tenure may feel great pressure to get research published.

“Publish or perish” is the traditional saying. An assistant professor who receives tenure becomes an associate professor. An associate professor may later be appointed a full professor. Assistant, associate and full professors perform many duties. They teach classes. They advise students. And they carry out research. They also serve on committees and take part in other activities. Other faculty members are not expected to do all these jobs. They are not on a tenure track. Instead, they may be in adjunct or visiting positions.

A visiting professor has a job at one school but work at another for a period of time. An adjunct professor is also a limited or part time position, to do research or teach classes. Adjunct professors have a doctorate degree. Another position is that of lecturer. Lecturers teach classes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.