Segment 1:
The Future of Work

With just a computer and an internet connection today we can work in ways that were simply not possible 2 or 3 decades ago. In many jobs, we no longer need to be in an office to work but we can be productive from Starbucks or even from our pajamas. Today, we have more flexibility in how and where we do our work, but what is the cost of that additional flexibility? Is lifetime employment in America with a single employer, a concept of the past? What impact are these changes having on our companies, our work lives and our overall quality of life?

Guest:
Thomas Kochan, Professor MIT Sloan School of Management

Professor Thomas Kochan is a Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and author of the recent book: Restoring the American Dream: a Working Family's Agenda for America. He is also the Co-Director of the Institute for Work and Employment Research at MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Workplace Center. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin in 1973.

Segment 2 :
Active Learning

Educating our next generation is one of the most important challenges of the 21st century. The question that many educators have asked is: How to make learning fun and engaging rather than an obligatory process where students are simply there to pass an exam. How can we use technology to engage smaller groups of students rather than just lecturing to large groups of students? And if we do this, do students enjoy it more, and do they actually learn more?

Guest:
John Belcher, Professor MIT Physics Department

Professor Belcher's research interests are within the area of space plasma physics. Professor Belcher has twice received the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, in 1980, and again in 1990. He has also won numerous teaching awards both for curriculum development and classroom teaching. He earned degrees in math and physics from Rice University in 1965, summa cum laude and a PhD in physics from Caltech in 1971.