Mission to Mongolia

I'm not sure that I could think of a more inhospitable place in which to develop online learning than Mongolia.  Its not the ultra low winter temperatures, the tiny and scattered population but a mixture of poor funding, slow internet and a legacy of soviet style bureaucracy that combine to make Mongolia an unlikely digital star.

And yet the enthusiasm and drive is there amongst academics and technicians to learn all they can about good quality online education - which is what too me to this frozen place last year.

IN THIS WEATHER I'D RATHER BE ON THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT...

If enthusiasm is enough then Mongolia will succeed but in terms of development of technological infrastructure and pedagogic know-how there is a long road ahead.

My advice is for Mongolian academics, administrators and technologists to stay inside, in the warm, in partnership with external universities and learn from others until the skills and confidence grow to step out.

SHARE or SHAFT?

Avid daytime TV viewers will recall a fleetingly popular show hosted by political lightweight Robert Kilroy-Silk.  It was called SHARE or SHAFT and gave contestants a choice of sharing and keeping prizes or risking them to get a bigger prize by "shafting" co-contestants.

CC by NC

Informed readers will realise that this is a transparent use of the Game theory "Prisoners Dilemma" where the best outcome is co-operation, rather than competition.  It is a game repeated and lost by so many who believe that they must compete to be successful.

Any economist will tell you, however, that competition is risky.  It can be an "all or nothing" game - all in the pursuit of profit and wealth.

Co-operation, however, can create even more wealth, shared wealth...and a wealth of benefits that money cannot buy.

So, next time you feel like you are in competition with someone or something - ask yourself - "Am I really?"

But, we've always done it that way...

As a graduate entrant to a major bank, many, many years ago I was told by my first Manager not to ask "why?" but to just get things done quickly.

Was I always disobedient?  My Mum says not, but I failed, magnificently, to follow the Manager's orders on this occasion.

£1,000 IN 1984 WOULD BE WORTH £2,715 IN 2019 - BETTER THAN A POKE IN THE EYE WITH A SHARP STICK!

Asking why we did things in a particular way often generated the response:

"But, we have always done it like that..."

Today, that phrase is still a provocation.

Everything can be done differently - and some of those different ways can be:

•  More Efficient
• Cheaper
• Quicker
• or simply better for achieving our goals.
  (but not always)

The £1,000 prize was awarded for an innovative submission to the Staff suggestion scheme.  It changed bank practice in taking second mortgages over domestic property in a small way and saved annual fees of up to £20,000 p.a. (est.) but after about 15 - 20 years was redundant as technology, outsourcing, business models and centralisation had found even better solutions.

So, ask yourself - why are you still doing things the way you do?