In the case of Caesareans, knowing how to prepare for the procedure, being aware of the opportunities open to them during surgery, learning alternative positions for breastfeeding and ways to improve recovery can all radically improve the experience for many women, even if a Caesarean was not their original preference.

BBC: Antenatal advice 'perpetuates C-section myths'

The alternative is a long and painful learning curve, which neither you nor your investors can afford.

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Connected learning seeks to explore alternative venues while maintaining the immediacy and intimacy of the traditional academic community.

FORBES: A New Kind of Distance Learning

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (CNN) -- Far from Columbine High School, where Colorado teens vented their anger with bombs and bullets, the troubled students at an alternative high school in Maryland are learning to overcome life's obstacles in a constructive way.

CNN: Defusing troubled students before they explode

An accredited distance-learning programme offers them a good alternative and access to a world-ranked school, no matter where in the world they are based.

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But embedding learning into life does provide an alternative way to acquire skills that is cheaper, easier to access, and in many ways complementary to existing education and job-based skill acquisition methods.

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Jeff Hawkins, Numenta co-founder, and Michael Chui, a principal at the McKinsey Global Institute will discuss on Wednesday evening an alternative approach to big data, using brain-inspired machine learning technology and a cloud-based service called Grok that recognizes complex patterns from data streams and generates actionable predictions in real time.

FORBES: Connect

For computer-based learning to transform schools into child-centric learning environments, schools must implement the instructional software disruptively, by letting it compete where the alternative is no teacher at all.

FORBES: Disruption In The Classroom