Definitions of Styles and Learning Styles

Definitions of Styles and Learning Styles 2.1.1.1 Definitions of Styles and Learning Styles Styles Before reviewing the literature of learning styles, it is necessary to know the definition of styles. The concept of styles was first put forward by cognitive psychologists. Brown (2002: 104) defines style as a term that refers to consistent and rather enduring tendencies or preferences within an individual. Therefore, styles are those general characteristics of intellectual functioning (and personality type, as well) that especially pertain to one as an individual, that differentiate one from someone else. Learning Styles Regarding studies of learning styles, the most serious problem is the confusion of its definitions. In the past two decades, the learning styles has been used in various and sometimes confusing ways in the literature. It is very common to hear different opinions on its definitions based on different findings in this comparatively new research field of learning styles, for each study defines it from particular perspectives. However, there is not an agree-upon definition of learning styles. Learning styles can be defined in the following ways. Keefe (1979, cited in Brown, 2002:10) defines learning styles as the characteristic cognitive, affective and physiological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with and respond to the learning environment. Dunn et al. (1978:11) defines learning styles as the way in which each person absorbs and retains information and/or skills; regardless of how that process is described, it is dramatically different for each person. Sims Sims (1990, cited in Reid, 2002) put forward that learning styles are typical ways a person behaves, feels, and processes information in learning situations. Therefore, learning style is demonstrated in that pattern of behavior and performance by which an individual approaches educational experience. Oxford et al. (1991) briefly defines the learning style as the general approaches students used to learn a new subject or tackle a new problem. Tan Dingliang (1995: 12) defines learning styles as: the way that a learner often adopts in the learning process, which includes the learning strategies that have been stabilized within a learner, the preference of some teaching stimuli and learning tendency. Reid (1995) summarizes definitions of learning styles as internally based characteristics of individuals for the intake or understanding of new information. Essentially learning styles are based upon how a person perceives and processes information to facilitate learning. 2.1.2 Categories of Learning Styles Confusion also exists in the literature on categories of learning styles for many same or similar factors researched under the same name. Reid (1995) divides learning-style research into three major categories: cognitive styles, sensory learning styles, and personality learning styles. 2.1.2.1 Cognitive Learning Styles Cognitive learning styles which include field-independent/field-dependent, analytic/global, reflective/impulsive learning styles, and Kolb experiential learning model, belong to the aspects of psychology. Among them researches on field -independent/field-dependent (FI/FD) attract the most attention of SLA domain (Ellis, 1994). According to Reid (1995), field-independent learners learn more effectively step by step, or sequentially, beginning with analyzing facts and proceeding to ideas. They see the trees instead of the forest; whereas field-dependent (field-sensitive) learners learn more effectively in contexts, holistically, intuitively, and are especially sensitive to human relationships and interactions. They see the forest instead of the trees. Chapelle (1995) explains that FI/FD refers to how people perceive and memorize information. Reid (1995) defines that analytic learners learn more effectively individually; prefer setting own goals, and respond to a sequential, linear, step-by-step presentation of materials; whereas global (relational) learners learn more effectively through concrete experience, and by interactions with others. According to Reid (1995), if learners can learn more effectively given time to consider options before responding, they are reflective learners; and they are often more accurate language learners; whereas if learners can learn more effectively being able to respond immediately and to take risks, they are impulsive learners; and they are often more fluent language learners. 2.1.2.2 Sensory Learning Styles According to Reid (1995), sensory learning styles include two dimensions: perceptual learning styles and environmental learning styles. Perceptual learning styles contain four types of learning styles which are auditory, visual, tactile and kinesthetic styles. Auditory learners learn more effectively through the ears; visual learners learn more effectively through the eyes (seeing); tactile learners learn more effectively through touch (hands-on); kinesthetic learners learn more effective through concrete complete body experiences (whole-body movement). Physical and sociological styles belong to the environmental learning styles. Physical learners learn more effectively when such variables as temperature, sound, light, food, mobility, time, and classroom/study arrangement are considered. Sociological learners learn more effectively when such variables as group, individual, pair and team work, or levels of teacher authority are considered. 2.1.2.3 Affective/Temperament Learning Styles Learning styles of this type are based on affect, personality, tolerance of ambiguity and brain hemisphere. Myer and Briggs (1987, cited in Reid, 1995) report that affective and personality factors influence learners learning styles a great deal. Mayer-Briggs team tested four dichotomous styles of functioning in their Mayer and Briggs Temperament Styles (MBTI) which include extraversion-introversion, sensing-perception, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving. According to Reid (1995), extroverted and introverted styles belong to extraversion-introversion. Extroverted learner learns more effectively through concrete experience, contract with the outside world, and relationships with others; whereas introverted learner learns more effectively in individual, independent situations that are more involved with ideas and concepts. Sensing-perception contains sensing and perception styles. Sensing learner learns more effectively from reports of observable facts and happenings; prefers physical, sense-based input. Conversely, perception learner learns more effectively from meaningful experiences and from relationships with others. In thinking-feeling styles, thinking learner learns more effectively from impersonal circumstances and logical consequence; whereas feeling learner learns more effectively from personalized circumstances and social values. And in judging-perceiving styles, judging learner learns more effectively by reflection, and analy sis, and processes that involve closure; conversely, perceiving learner learns more effectively through negotiation, feeling, and inductive processes that postpone closure. Reid (1995) suggests that tolerance of ambiguity styles also belong to the affective/temperament learning styles. Ambiguity-tolerant learner learns more effectively when opportunities for experiment and risk, as well as interaction, are present; whereas ambiguity-intolerant learners learns more effectively when in less flexible, less risky, more structured situations. Reid (1995) also claims that whether the learner is left-brained or right-brained will influence learners learning styles. Left-brained learners tend toward visual, analytic, reflective, self-reliant learning; conversely, right-brained learners tend toward auditory, global/relational, impulsive, interactive learning. 2.1.3.1 Sensory Learning Styles Visual styles Visual students enjoy reading and they prefer material in a classroom environment to be presented in a visual format such as books, board work, and handouts. Auditory styles Auditory students enjoy lectures, conversations and oral directions. They prefer material in a classroom environment that is presented as auditory input such as radio, oral instruction, oral communication and audiotape. Hands-on styles Hands-on students like lots of movement and enjoy working with collages, flashcards, and tangible objects. They prefer to be physically involved with tasks, tending to prefer activities such as Total physical Response (TPR) and role-play. 2.1.3.3 Personality Learning Styles Extroversion/Introversion The dimension of styles particularly influences classroom management, especially grouping of students. Extroverted students perform most productively in a group environment, enjoying activities that involve other students, such as role-play, conversation and other interaction favoring social goals as opposed to impersonal rewards. Conversely, introverted students are stimulated most by their own inner world of ideas and feelings. They like working alone or else in a pair with someone they know well. They dislike lots of continuous group work in the ESL/EFL classroom. This contrast is somewhat similar to the categories of group/individual style made by Reid (1987). In conclusion, according to Reid (1995), the role of learning styles in foreign language learning has some fundamentals of learning styles. She claims that learning styles in the ESL/EFL classrooms is based on six hypotheses: Every person, students and teachers alike, has a learning style and learning strengths and weaknesses; Learning styles are often described as opposite, but actually they exist on wide continuum; Learning styles are value-neutral; that is, no one style is better than others (but it is true that there are students with some learning styles work better than those with some other learning styles); Students must be encouraged to stretch their learning styles so that they will be more empowered in a variety of learning situations; Students strategies are often linked to their learning styles; (6) Teachers should allow their students to become aware of their learning strengths and weaknesses.

Prejudice, Racism and the Law in Canada Essay -- Sociology Racism Prej

Racism and the Law in Canada      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1900’s a prominent English scholar Gilbert Murray said: â€Å"There is in the world a hierarchy of races;[some] will direct and rule the others, and the lower work of the world will tend in the long run to be done by the lower breeds of men. This we of the ruling colour will no doubt accept as obvious.†(Walker; 1997) It was very true at the time; everywhere you looked you could see that white men assumed all roles of responsibility.   Canada has been fighting a never-ending war against racism in the 19th century. It. It has modified or created many laws to help try to combat the discrimination that exists within our country.   Canada has modified its immigration act to make it less discriminatory. It has created the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to bring equality to everyone and it has, created human rights acts to protect people of different races.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before we talk about the laws that Canada has put into motion to help combat racism we must first define what racism is. The term Racism is hard to define. Racism is more then just an attitude; it is a policy or practice of persecution or domination by one group over another. Due to this explanation the word racism is not found in statutes or court decisions to the same extent as the word discrimination. Discrimination in the ordinary sense of the word means to treat a person or group differently because of prejudice. However in the legal sense this definition had been expanded to include human rights. Today the word discrimination can include concepts such as adverse effect, or unintentional discrimination, and harassment.   Both discrimination and racism come from prejudice. In short prejudice means to pre-judge. In other wo... ...nada, 1900-1950, Toronto, Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, 1999    Boyko John, Last Steps to Freedom: The evolution of Canadian Racism, Manitoba, Watson & Dwyer Publishing ltd., 1998    Cohen Tannis, Race Relation and the Law, 1987    Comack Elizabeth and others Locating Law, Halifax, Fernwood Publishing, 1999    Driedger Leo and Shiva Halli, Race and Racism Canada’s Challenge, Kingston, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2000    Knopff Rainer, Human Rights & Social Technology,   Ottawa, Carlton University Press, 1990    Schnederman David and Kate Sutherland, Charting the Consequences: The Impact of the Charter of rights on Canadian law and Politics, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1997.    Walker James, â€Å"Race," Rights and the Law in the Supreme Court of Canada, Wilfred Laurier University Press, 1997   

Macroeconomics †Globalisation Essay

â€Å"For its supporters, globalisation describes a dream of opportunity and prosperity. For its opponents, it denotes a nightmare of greed and inequality† Explain the term globalisation and the factors that may have contributed to the process. Globalisation can be defined as the integration of the world’s economies into a single international market, as local and national markets become incorporated into the global capitalist system of production with increasing interdependence. It promotes the free movement of labour, capital, goods, services, technology and management in response to markets around the world. The growth of markets in this manner is not a new, but a process that has seen the markets grow from a local scale to a national one during the Industrial Revolution and to an international scale by the end of the 20th century. The growth of international trade has been significant in furthering globalisation. During the Industrial Revolution, Britain had a significant comparative advantage as its advanced manufacturing technology allowed hugely improved transport through steamships and railway networks across its Empire. This opened up huge potential markets around the globe for British exports, at the same time making a huge range of goods from these new trading partners accessible to British consumers. Although comparative advantages have changed, this is a trend that has continued into the 21st century, with the rise of low cost air travel and other forms of transport becoming quicker, cheaper and further reaching. There is certainly incentive for this – international trade driving globalisation has seen a rise in the trade of manufactured goods to $12 trillion in 2005, a hundred times greater than it was in 1955. Over a similar period, the industrialisation of LEDCs has also been significant. As systems of production in economies such as the Asian Tigers, including Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, and increasingly the Tiger Cubs of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia along with other NICs have advanced; their economies have become increasingly suited to manufacturing industries. Cheap labour costs in these countries encourage this development, which has been partly responsible for a new international division of labour. As production and trade of quaternary services such as research and development has increased in the three main areas of influence of North America, the EU and Japan, MNCs have increasingly looked to NICs to provide secondary industry, incentivised by low production costs and an increasingly welcoming attitude from national governments. Whilst restrictions still exist, this is particularly true in India, where rules that previously did not allow FDI are loosening and large firms such as Wal-Mart are seeing opportunities to access new markets, particularly in the IT sector. It is perhaps a result of this and other economic liberalising policies that India is seeing growth rates of 9%. Whilst the rise of globalisation has certainly seen a widening in participation in international trade – not even the oil producing nations are, for example, energy independent, some economies are far more integrated in the global capitalist system of production than others. As many MEDCs specialise in the production of services, very little of their economies are left purely domestic. In contrast, however, the remaining non-industrialised LEDCs, such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa, have significantly less impact on the global economy. Trading in ‘cash crops’ and similar primary goods, much economic activity in these nations is still domestic, with many farmers, notably, practicing subsistence farming to the point they have little to no involvement in the cash economy. Evaluate the view that, although globalisation has brought benefits to the UK economy, it has not been without significant costs. The process of globalisation has not continued without criticism. Clearly, there have been considerable benefits to the UK economy over several hundred years as a result of globalisation, but are there costs associated with the rise of the global economy and, indeed, are those costs now outweighing the benefits of an interdependent world? Globalisation has increased the competitiveness of UK markets. Competing in highly contestable markets, British firms face competition from abroad. A few large firms, between whom collusion very well may have occurred, as explained by game theory, had typically dominated domestic markets. As more firms entered the market, they erode larger firms market share with which they may have exercised monopoly power. Domestic firms are thus forced to become more productively efficient, producing at lower cost to compete with, for example, goods manufactured using cheap labour in South East Asia. Competition would also promote innovation so that in an economy with high labour costs, British industry could gain a comparative advantage over foreign firms. The effect of globalisation has thus been an influx of new goods and services combined with lower prices on existing goods, now of a better quality. Globalisation has therefore lead to a net gain in welfare for UK consumers. However, the realities of the situation are very different. Realistically, UK firms cannot compete in the manufacturing industry where economies with cheap labour have been deemed to provide ‘unfair competition’. The UK is a high labour cost country and thus at a comparative disadvantage which is effectively impossible to overcome, as demonstrated with the loss of the motor industry in the UK during the 1970s. ‘Footloose capitalism’ has no preferred location, and as such will shift production to wherever costs are lowest. Globalisation has spurred the process of de-industrialisation, whereby employment in the manufacturing sector has fallen from 7.1 million in 1971 to 3.1 million in 2005, where the size of the UK labour force has in fact grown with rising participation rates. Many of these workers are either unskilled or have been trained to a specific task, making it difficult for them to find alternative employment, compounding the problem. The effects have not just been felt in manufacturing, but increasingly in the service section as IT booms in India and many firms opt for business process outsourcing. Surveys by Deloitte have shown that much of the UK population are deeply concerned about the outsourcing of white-collar jobs. Globalisation has lead to job losses in the UK, causing social distress and negatively affecting unemployment rates, an important economic performance indicator. The picture is not as bleak as it may seem, however. Unemployment rates in the UK remain low, and that generated can be viewed as frictional unemployment as other vacancies do exist. Government training schemes, such as free IT lessons under the auspices of Learn Direct also go a long way to combating structural unemployment as manufacturing workers can retrain for jobs in the quaternary sector. Whilst the UK has lost the majority of its manufacturing industries, a new international division of labour has emerged as the theory of comparative advantage shows that global production is increased if economies specialise in what they are relatively best at producing. The UK’s specialisation in the service industry has lead to job creation and significantly increases in national output. Measured through real GDP growth, this rise in national output as a result of specialisation shows that globalisation has been in part responsible for economic growth. Augmented by the multiplier effect, this brings benefits to the whole economy. However, the direct economic benefits derived from globalisation have in fact widened spatial inequalities rather than benefited all, as impacts have differed between the regions. Under the international division of labour, there has been a greater emphasis on knowledge-based industry with the rise of the service sector, with 73.1% of national output in 2004 being in the service sector, compared to manufacturing’s 15%. Where benefits from these dramatic figured? Quaternary and knowledge-based services are concentrated around the M4 corridor – the sunrise strip, and silicon fen, with R+D focused on science parks located around southern universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. These effects of de-industrialisation have created a north/south divide, as the north is traditionally home to the manufacturing industry. Northeast England never fully recovered from loss of traditional heavy manufacturing industries such ad shipbuilding. The consequential migration of workers to the south of England has placed pressure on resources and housing, whilst some northern areas such as Liverpool have seen a fall in population. This is allocatively inefficient – resources are wasted whilst the necessary investment needed to deal with the new distribution of population has spurred further investment in the south, widening the north/south divide. In conclusion, the costs to the UK economy from the march of globalisation are highly significant, although their impact can be disputed when the importance of globalisation to UK economic development is considered. However, globalisation is not a process that can be reversed, halted or even slowed. The world is interdependent and will continue to be so, and the UK must be a part of it. International trade, the driving force of globalisation, is enormously important to the UK has been responsible for its position as a major economic power since the days of the British Empire. We have neither the resources nor the inclination to pursue a policy of economic isolationism, as the potential benefits from globalisation are huge. The best option, therefore, would be a cautious approach, devising strategies to tackle problems as they arise with a fundamental focus on sustainability.   

STEM Majors How to Choose the Right Degree

STEM refers to a broad group of academic subjects focused on the sciences, technological fields, engineering disciplines, and mathematics. In higher education, youll find hundreds if not thousands of options for studying a STEM discipline. Degree possibilities include certificate programs, two-year associate degrees, four-year bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees. Career possibilities range from technicians to actual rocket scientists, and employment opportunities are likewise diverse: government agencies, large corporations, non-profits, self-employed entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley start-ups, educational institutions, and more. Science Majors and Degrees Students who study the sciences will typically earn a bachelor of science (BS), masters, or doctoral degrees. You may also find colleges that offer a bachelor of arts (BA) degrees in the sciences. A BS will be a more rigorous degree when it comes to coverage of math and science, while a BA degree will often have more breadth in the social sciences and humanities. Youll see BA degrees in the sciences at liberal arts colleges more frequently than at larger research universities. A survey of colleges and universities will reveal hundreds of different options for the sciences, but most fall within a handful of categories: Biological Sciences Biology is one of the most popular undergraduate majors, and biology is often the major of choice for students who want to go on to medical school, dental school, or veterinary school. Biology students learn about living organisms at the chemical and cellular levels up through the study of entire ecosystems. Career options are equally broad and include areas such as pharmaceuticals, environmental protection, agriculture, health care, and forensics. Chemistry Students in biology, geology, and most engineering fields will need to study chemistry, for it is the science that underpins everything having to do with materials and matter. Undergrads will typically study both organic and solid-state chemistry, and they can go on to careers in areas such as sustainable energy, medicine, nanotechnology, and manufacturing. Environmental Science Environmental science is a growth field as our planet comes under threats from pollution, global warming, mass extinctions, and limited resources. It is an interdisciplinary academic field, and students will typically take classes in math, biology, chemistry, geology, ecology, and other academic areas. Environmental science is an excellent choice for students who are interested in applying their analytical skills to large scale problems affecting our world. Geological Sciences Geology students study the earth (and sometimes other planetary bodies), and they will often have a specific track such as geology, geophysics, or geochemistry. Courses can include topics such as mineralogy, petrology, and geophysics. The most lucrative jobs in the geological sciences are often related to energy, both fossil fuel and geothermal. Geology students might work for gas or mining companies, civil engineering firms, national parks, or educational institutions. Physics Physics students study matter and energy, and courses will focus on topics such as electromagnetic radiation, magnetism, sound, mechanics, and electricity. Astronomy is a branch of physics. Mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, and many other STEM fields are grounded in physics. Physicists work with lasers, wave tanks, and nuclear reactors, and careers span educational institutions, the military, the energy sector, the computer industry, and much more. Technology Majors and Degrees Technology is the broadest and arguably most confusing STEM category. Engineers, after all, use and study technology, as do many math and science majors. That said, within educational settings, the term is typically applied to anything related to mechanical, electrical, or computer systems. Technology programs can be two-year, four-year, or certificate programs. Theres a lot of demand for technology majors, and many companies have a difficult time finding employees with the precise technical skills they need. Some of the most popular technology fields are listed below. Computer Science A major in computer science can be part of a two-year, four-year or graduate degree. Coursework is likely to include a lot of math, programming, database management, and computer languages. Good computer scientists enjoy solving problems, and they need to be both logical and creative. The field demands patience for debugging programs and finding solutions to complex problems. Computer scientists work in a wide range of industries outside the realm of technology. Hospitals, financial institutions, and the military all rely on computer scientists. Information Technology Information technology is related to computer science, as both fields require students to learn about computer systems and develop programming skills. Information technology, however, tends to be more directly linked to business applications. A college graduate with an IT degree will help keep operating systems running, support and train colleagues who need to use computer systems, and develop new tools for business needs. IT specialists develop, test, and maintain the computer tools and networks needed to keep a business running. Depending on the college, youll find everything from two-year to doctoral degrees in IT. Web Design and Development Web design is another field related to computer science. Degrees are typically completed at the associate or baccalaureate level. Four-year degrees will often have much more robust systems and programming foundation than two-year degrees. With that greater skill set come greater job opportunities. Web design majors will take classes in HTML and CSS, Javascript, Flash, graphic design, and advertising. Additional work with SQL, PHP, and database management is also common. Nearly all businesses today need web designers, and graduates will also have wide-ranging freelance and self-employment opportunities. Health Technologies Many community colleges and regional public universities offer two-year technology degrees related to health. Popular fields include radiologic technology, health information technology, and medical laboratory technology. These degrees can lead to immediate employment within the healthcare system, but be aware that the highly specialized nature of the fields can limit job mobility and career advancement opportunities. Engineering Majors and Degrees Engineering and technology overlap considerably, but true engineering degrees tend to be rigorous four-year degrees (and graduate degrees) with coursework that spans a range of science, engineering, math, and laboratory classes. Youll also find that four-year graduation rates for engineering programs tend to be lower than for many other majors because of the demands of the coursework and because many programs encourage or require students to get hands-on experience through internships, co-ops, or other work experiences. Like technology and the sciences, there are hundreds of different engineering programs offered across the country, but most draw upon a handful of core subject areas: Aerospace Engineering Within university academic programs, this field is often combined with aeronautical and astronomical engineering. Along with a strong math and physics foundation, students can expect coursework in fluid dynamics, astrodynamics/aerodynamics, propulsion, structural analysis, and advanced materials. The major is an excellent choice if your dream is to be an engineer working for NASA, Boeing, the Air Force, SpaceX, or similar companies and organizations. Chemical Engineering Students in chemical engineering will take classes in math, chemistry, physics, engineering, and biology. Careers in chemical engineering span a wide range of businesses including desalination plants, microbreweries, and companies working to develop sustainable fuels. Civil Engineering Civil engineers tend to work on big projects such as roads, bridges, rail systems, dams, parks, and even the design of entire communities. A civil engineering degree can take different forms with different foci, but students can expect to take courses in computer modeling, mathematics, mechanics, and systems. Electrical Engineering From your computer to your television to the World Wide Web, we all rely on products and technologies that electrical engineers have had a hand in developing. As a major, your coursework will have a significant grounding in physics. Electromagnetism, circuits, communication and control systems, and computer science will all be part of the curriculum. Materials Engineering Materials science and engineering majors often focus on a specific sub-discipline such as plastics, electrical materials, metals, ceramics, or biomaterials. Coursework will include physics and a lot of advanced chemistry. Materials scientists are needed in diverse industries, so professions span everything from computer manufacture to automotive industries to the military. Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is one of the older and most popular engineering fields. Along with lots of math and physics, students take courses in mechanics, dynamics, fluids, and design. Nanoengineering and robotics often fall under the umbrella of mechanical engineering, and both are growth fields. Other Engineering Degrees There are many other engineering fields, many of which are interdisciplinary majors that combine an engineering and science curriculum. Popular fields include biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, and petroleum engineering. Math Majors and Degrees Math may seem like a single discipline, but it isnt quite that simple. Math majors have several degree options, usually at the baccalaureate or graduate level: Mathematics A bachelors degree in mathematics will include coursework in subjects such as multi-variable calculus, differential equations, statistics, as well as various courses related to algebra and geometry. Strength in mathematics can lead to a wide range of careers in areas such as education, economics, financial planning, and cryptography. Applied Mathematics Students who major in applied mathematics will take basic courses such as calculus, statistics, and differential equations, but they will also take coursework that connects mathematics to specialized applications within science, social science, or engineering fields. An applied mathematics major might take coursework in the biological sciences, chemistry, economics, political science, mechanical engineering, or physics. Different colleges will have different collaborations between mathematics and other academic fields, so be sure to do your research before choosing a school. Statistics Nearly all math majors will take at least some coursework in statistics, but some colleges offer degree programs devoted to the field. Statistics majors will take core courses in calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, and, of course, statistics. They are also likely to take more specialized courses on topics such as survey sampling, data science, experiment design, game theory, business, big data, or computing. On the job front, statistics is a growth field with many opportunities in business, finance, and technology professions. Women and STEM Historically, STEM fields have been dominated by men, but the climate has begun to change. In addition to increasing numbers of female STEM majors, women seeking to study STEM will find excellent support networks once they arrive on campus. Organizations such as the Women in Engineering Proactive Network provides a support network to help female engineering students graduate, and Million Women Mentors work to mentor women in STEM fields through high school, college, and their careers. Many colleges also have chapters of SWE, the Society of Women Engineers, a group that advocates for the inclusion and success of women in engineering and technology fields. Best Schools for Studying STEM Any recommendation of where you should study a STEM field will depend on your specific interests, career goals, academic credentials, and personal preferences. What type of degree do you want? Can you go anywhere in the country, or are you geographically limited? Do you have to balance your education with a job? For some, an online program, local community college, or regional state university might be the best option. For full-time, four-year degree programs in STEM fields, however, a few schools frequently top the national rankings: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts): MIT is always at or near the top of rankings of the best engineering schools, and it has even been at the top of rankings of the best universities in the world. Its location near downtown Boston, Harvard University, and Boston University is an added bonus.California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California): Caltech often vies with MIT for the top spot on rankings of the nations best engineering schools. The school is a research powerhouse with its 3 to 1 student-faculty ratio and impressive faculty. Students will have plenty of opportunities to work in the lab with graduate students and faculty members.Cornell University (Ithaca, New York): When it comes to STEM fields, Cornell is arguably the strongest of all of the eight Ivy League schools. The university has an entire quadrangle dedicated to engineering, and over 1,500 students graduate from undergraduate STEM fields every year. Added bonuses include one of th e nations best college towns and beautiful views of Lake Cayuga.Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia): As a public university option, Georgia Tech is hard to beat for STEM majors. Each year, the university graduates over 2,300 students in engineering programs alone. Undergraduates will find plenty of co-op, internship, and research opportunities. Plus, Georgia Tech students can enjoy the energy and excitement that comes from attending an NCAA Division I university.Stanford University (Stanford, California): With its 5 percent acceptance rate and international reputation, Stanford competes with MIT and the Ivies for the top of the rankings. Stanford is a comprehensive university with wide-ranging strengths, but engineering fields, biological sciences, and computer science are particularly strong. These five schools represent just a few of the best places to major in STEM fields. The United States has many excellent engineering schools. And if youre looking for a smaller school with a largely undergraduate focus, youll want to check out some of the excellent undergraduate engineering colleges, too. These schools all have strengths in science, math, and technology fields as well as engineering.