Students often work individually on theoretical problems.
Interdisciplinary applications are rare, and applications in the context of working groups are even more rare. The Europeans built elaborate apprenticeship structures that mixed work and learning. Our competitors also carved a more applied point on their intellectual pencil, focusing scarce financial and intellectual resources on real-world questions. Product development and process innovations were emphasized over basic research, and applied learning was emphasized at school and at work. The European use of apprenticeship, the Japanese use of group processes in school, and the emphasis on problem-solving teams on the job in both Europe and Japan are obvious examples of this applied focus.