The Development of Motor Skills in babies/Young Children

Introduction:A child’s earlier experience and environment influence their future development, health and wellbeing. It is recognized that children’s development occurs in stages and that they need the right supports to critical period in their life to achieve their potentials. If a child does not acquire skill the way he/she should, then there are certain factors that are responsible for that, they include: low birth weight, prematurely, birth injury, disability, chronic illness, delayed development, lack of parenting knowledge. But if a child is guided against the stated above in terms of independence, good problem solving skills, and positive self-concept, these in turn are influenced by motor skill acquisition.Skill acquisition relates to developmental skill and these encompasses area such as gross motor, fine motor, self help, social, language and cognitive development skills. Physiotherapists have experts in the development of gross motor skills, which is concomita ntly on positive self-concept.The relationship between skill development and health/well-being is difficult to define in an academically rigorous fashion. Studies involving a variety of children with special needs have demonstrated that motor skills and positive self concept are critical to children’s ability to participate at school (Jongmans et all 1996).Little data clearly define the parameters of motor coordination difficulties in children. Various grades of severity and co morbidity seem to exist. Some children have only a relatively minor form of motor dyscoordination, whereas others have associated learning disabilities, attention deficit, and other difficulties.In 1996, fox and lent found that, in contrast to the common belief that children grow out to these difficulties, they tend to linger without intervention. Early intervention is beneficial when the brain is changing dramatically during the first year of life and new connections and abilities are acquired.Path Ph ysiology:Motor coordination is the product of a complex set of cognitive and physical processes that are often taken for granted in children who are developing normally, smooth, targeted and accurate movement both gross and fine, require the harmonious functioning of sensory input, central processing of this information in the brain and coordination with the high executive cerebral functions, e.g. violation, motivation, motor planning of an activity. Also acquired is the performance of a certain motor pattern. These elements must work in a coordinated and rapid way to enable complex movement involving different parts of the body.Muscular Tone:Muscular tone refers to the basic and constant ongoing contraction or muscular activity in the muscles. It can be understood as a baseline or background level. Tone may be normal, too low, or too high. If a muscular tone is too high, children appear somewhat stiff and do not move in smooth and natural way.Gross Motor skills:Gross motor skills r efer to the ability of children to carry out activities that require large muscles or group of muscles. It acts in a coordinated fashion to accomplish a movement or a series of movements. Postures are an important element to consider in the assessment of gross motor skills.Fine Motor Skills:Fine motor skills are the movement of small muscles that act in an organized and suitable fashion, for instance, hand, feet etc, and the muscle in the head, to accomplish more difficult and delicate tasks. Fine motor are the basis of coordination, which begin with transferring from hand to crossing the midline when aged 6 months.Sensory Integration:This refers to functioning of the brain, i.e., how to manage inputs and produces output. Output includes motor responses. Each child has a unique profile of response to sensory stimuli. Children with motor difficulties often have problems in the integration of sensory input.METHOD SECTION:Research has shown that children who find performing certain mot or task difficult, frustrating or even impossible often become discouraged and subsequently avoid these task altogether. Eventual avoidance of challenging physical task in a child who work hard on drawing or writing with poor result is understandable.Statement of Problems:Children are different from each other both when they are young and after they mature, they are different because they were reared differently. Some were spanked, some were not. Some received authoritarian parenting, some permissive, some authoritative, some were toilet trained early and harshly, some were left to cry in the crib and some were cuddle, and so it went. Here, emphasis will be on child and proper toileting, his/her attitude and general knowledge. And on this note will bring about the hypothesis as stated below:H0: There is a relationship between a child earlier trained on toileting and his   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   general attitude.HI: There is no relationship between a child earlier trained on toil eting and the  general attitude .Findings:The researcher used primary data since it was directly from the field in their original state. Primary schools and day cares centers were visited and the interview was unstructured to enable the interviewer penetrate deep and follow unanticipated clues.Since it was only interview method that was used, two primary schools and four day care centers were visited since the emphasis is on motor skill which is all about educating a child early. The total of nine teachers in primary schools and twelve nannies in day care centers were interviewed, giving a total of twenty one teachers. As illustrated in the table below:The above table shows that out of 21 correspondents, 15 of them agreed that proper toileting is better from childhood, as the child will be conditioned to it, which represented 71.4 percent, while 6 correspondents said that whether the child is trained or not, he/she will act according to the gene or what the peer group thought them . This represented 28.6 percents.Discussion:children sensitive responses towards toileting is not automatic but had training processesThat parents has a lot of roles to play as in introducing the child to proper toileting from 3months old of ageThat if a child is properly trained on toileting, will be conditioned to itThat if a child is not trained earlier enough, would be lettering the environment at any point in time.And that neatness is next to godlinessThis is majority opinions and should be adhere to, since it is stated here, that neatness is next to godliness and incessant toileting leads to protracted illness, as well as embarrassments to the parents.DISCUSSION SECTIONThe manifestation described above is based on the assumption that children have opportunity to practice motor activities if they are being taught. Children require a minimum of exposure and practice to develop dexterity with scissors and drawing. A child who is notably neglected or not exposed to usual physical tasks may have physical deficits for these reasons.Crucial aspect in motor development are exposure to tasks, caretaker who recognize the child’s developmental needs, the opportunity for the child to be taught skills, appropriate stimulation of the child, and an opportunity for the child to develop and practice new movements. These aspects have been termed the dynamic theory of motor development, which postulates that children develop new motor skills as they are needed, depending on the interactions with the environment and on the challenges parented.Practice, experience, and environment are important determinants of development, in addition to the child’s intrinsic genetic capacities. Development is shaped by a process of selection in which children develop movement repertoires that are optimal for functioning in their specific environmental conditions.When the condition is serious and noticeable to everyone, the child is most likely to be stigmatized at school and o ften at home. Children with motor coordination difficulties often feel ashamed of their poor ability to perform any motor tasks, especially those required to participate in sports and to achieve skills in schools.The clinical picture of motor coordination problems is assessed from a developmental point of view, i.e., by considering normal physical capacities at different ages. Evaluation of a child’s development includes a consideration of individual variation, by factoring in the range of time at which motor skills, for example are normally acquired.Young infants maintain flexor tone in the first few months of life and only gradually develop extension patterns. Also infants with motor challenges are often delayed in achieving milestone such as the  ability to roll over, to sit with help, and to sit without help. Infants with motor problems may not be able to sustain their weight after 6 months when supported under their arms. So inability for a child to develop in motor sk ills manifest from infancy, third years of life, preschool and school aged children, genetic and environmental factors among others.In a nutshell, evaluation of a child’s development includes a consideration of individual variation by factoring in the range of time at which motor skills, for example, are normally acquired. Evaluating the overall development of a child is preferable, considering the characteristics style and strength and weaknesses of each child.REFERNCES:Jongmans M, Demeter JD, Dubowitz L and Henderson SE (1996): How Local is the Impact of specific learning difficulties in premature children’s evaluation of their competence. Journal of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry 37: 563-568. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/915251-overview

Native Americans in the United States and Pocahontas Incident John

AMERICAN LITERATURE I Instructor: Dr. Le Thi Thanh Troy University – STU Campus The Pocahontas Incident John Smith Group members: Ho Truong Phuong Thao TranThi Hong Nhung Nguyen Van Huy Objectives: Understanding author's biography and his work Understanding Pocahontas's biography Answer three impotant questions about his work A. John Smith's biography John Smith (1580 – 1638) had have a heroic life since he was not only a English soldier but also became explorer and author.He contributed a part of his life to be the Captain of the first ship which made a landfall at Massachuselts in 1602 to explore New England. He was also memorized for the founder by setting up the English settement at James Town, Virginia. John Smith's life experienced many adventures when he was an adolescent in Europe. His life time had been through many coups such as fighting with the Turk, becoming a slave which was sold to Asia Minor, killing his captors†¦ At twenty-seven years old, hesailed to New Wold and explored the Chesapeake Bay, the shores of New England.He also got a friendly relationship with Native Americans. Moreover, he also was a famous writer and made some well-known books included A True Relation (1608), A Map of Virginia with a Description of the Country (1612), The General History of Virginia, New-England. The Pocahontas story appeared in the Summer Isles (1624). John Smith had been probably offer an important role to the first colonial writing in America. B. About the work: This work described the episode that John Smith had been saved by the princess Pocahontas since he was captured and in the hands of Indians.This account was narrated by â€Å"him† – the third person to told the audiences how the story happened. There were some detaited we should pay attention to this work: Who were the characters? John Smith, Powhatan, Pocahontas How many other Indian people were at the judiscation? more than two hundreds Where did the judiscation hap pen? Meronocomoco, Virginia How did it happen? Firstly, John Smith was brought to meet Powhatan and his courtiers. When he was prepared to be killed, Pocahontas had saved him by getting â€Å"his head in her arms† and laying â€Å"her own upon his† (p. 3). Two days after, John Smith was led to a great house and was going to be fired, Powhatan absolve him from death and â€Å"esteem him as his son†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ called â€Å"Nantaquoud† (p. 43) Why was he alive? Thanks to the Pocahontas's altruistic, he had been rescued. New words: bravery (n) s? l? ng l? y, s? an m? c sang tr? ng robe (n) ao choang train (n) doan tuy tung bedeck (v) trang hoang, trang di? m, trang tri babarous (a) da man, man r? contented (a) b? ng long disguised (a) tra hinh, c? i trang mat (n) t? m th? m, rem esteem (v) quy m? nC. Pocahontas's Biography: 1. What is the major in Pocahontas’s life? Matoaka was the beautiful and lively daughter of Powhatan, ruler of the land that the Engl ish named Virginia. â€Å"Pocahontas† was her childhood nickname, translated as â€Å"little wanton,† meaning she was playful and hard to control. When she was born, Powhatan sent her mother home to her own village, to raise Pocahontas. That was his custom. When she was about school age, Pocahontas left her mother to live in her father's capital, with her older brothers and sisters.As they grew up, Powhatan appointed some as chiefs of his other tribes. Pocahontas became her father's favorite, â€Å"the apple of his eye†. In this new account, his capture included the threat of his own death: â€Å"†¦ at the minute of my execution,† he wrote, â€Å"she [Pocahontas] hazarded the beating out of her own brains to save mine; and not only that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to Jamestown. â€Å"[Eight years later, in his Generall Historie, Smith expanded upon the story.Writing about himself in the third person, he explained that after he was captured and taken to the paramount chief, â€Å"two great stones were brought before Powhatan: then as many as could laid hands on him [Smith], dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beat out his brains, Pocahontas the Kings dearest daughter, when no entreaty could prevailed, got his head in her arms, and laid her own upon his to save him from death .. When Smith returned, there were only 38 colonists left (out of 104).Pocahontas kept the colonists from starving to death that first winter, by visiting regularly with plenty of food. Pocahontas paid regular visits to her friend Captain John Smith, but in October 1609, she was told that Smith was dead. She stopped visiting after that. The following winter was known as the Starving Time. Actually, Smith wasn't dead; his leg was badly burned in a gunpowder explosion, and he had returned to England for medical treatment. The colonists thought the death story would work bett er with the Indians. Several years passed, with no sign of Pocahontas.Ralph Hamor heard that she had married one of Powhatan's chiefs, named Kocoum. Captain Argyle discovered that Pocahontas was staying with the Patowamekes, and captured her on June 4, 1613, intending to trade her for concessions from Powhatan. Powhatan only met enough of the demands to keep negotiations open. During her captivity, leading colonists worked to convert her to Christianity. One of those colonists, John Rolfe, fell in love with her, and she’s with him. Pocahontas was baptized as a Christian, and married John Rolfe in 1614. Her new name was Lady Rebecca Rolfe. She gave birth to a son, Thomas Rolfe.This marriage created the â€Å"Peace of Pocahontas†, six years of peace between the Jamestown colonists and Powhatan's tribes. Pocahontas' life ended on a high note, with a triumphal tour of England (arriving June 3, 1616) as a visiting princess. She visited many important people, including King James and Queen Anne. Sho also met John Smith and this caused a big shock for her as she thought he was dead. In England, her portrait was made and published. As she started home, smallpox – English disease took her life. She was buried in the church at Gravesend, England (Mar. 21, 1617) age 21 or so. (Her exact birth date is uncertain: roughly 1595. The meaning of Pocahontas’s life is that Pocahontas played a significant role in American history. As a compassionate little girl she saw to it that the colonists received food from the Indians, so that Jamestown would not suffer the fate of the â€Å"Lost Colony† on Roanoke Island. She is said to have intervened to save the lives of individual colonists. In 1616 John Smith wrote that Pocahontas was â€Å"the instrument to pursue these colonies from death, famine, and utter confusion. † And Pocahontas not only served as a representative of the Virginia Indians, but also as a vital link between the Native Amer icans and the Englishmen.Whatever her contributions, the romantic aspects of her life will stand out in Virginia history forever. Historic portrait of the real Pocahontas in London, age 21, dressed as the Christian lady she had become. Whatever her contributions, the romantic aspects of her life will no doubt stand out in Virginia history forever She died within months. This portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian, in Washington, D. C. This painting is a later copy of an engraving made during her London visit of 1616. It flatters and Europeanizes her more than does the original engraving, which failed to capture her celebrated allure. pic][pic] 2. Why did Pocahontas die? And what is her death's significances? According to Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition; Pocahontas was killed by smallpox – an White people's disease in a ship which returned from England to her homeland.. She died on March 21,1617 and was burried at Gravesend. Her death was one of the case which represent for the cultural chiasma between Native American and White people. The death of Pocahontas and the subsequent death of her father led the relationship between the colonists and the natives become worse. D. Understanding John Smith's work: . What specific details of Indian life and Indian nature does the account reveal? Indian life which was decribed by John Smith was familiar with current audiences since they could easily find out many similar characteristics which concerned to Native American on television program, newspapers or history researches. The first thing we could conclude about the Red people was they lived a simple life which closely to the nature as they used almost things made from the environment such as using feathers â€Å"instead of a towel† to dry hand, wearing skinned robe with â€Å"all the tails hanging by† (p. 3). â€Å"Their head and shoulders painted red† and used â€Å"white down of birds† to h elp them more beautiful (p. 43). They seemed not have any idea about tresury metals like gold, diamond which White people were looking for. They only focused on their simple, traditional comunity by using primitive and ancient tools such as â€Å"robes, shoes, bows, arrows†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Moreover, Indian society was different from ours in some specific ways. Equality and justice was emphasized and took stock in each citizen no matter who they were, what their social status was.For example, in John Smith's work, although Powhatan was the chief King of Red people, he still made â€Å"his own robes, shoes, bows, arrows, pots; lant, hunt, or do any thing so well as the rest† (p. 43). In addition, democracy was the thing which could be revealed and complimented as well. For instance, when John Smith was captured, â€Å"a long consultation was held† between the King, courtiers and other people to make the final decision. Finally, their culture was special and colorful as the y often â€Å"disguised† and â€Å"bedecked† themselves with tail, â€Å"white down of bird† (p. 43)†¦Followed the account, the Indian nature was absolutely rich, wealthy and bounteous. It was also described through the Native people's appearence with red color on their head, â€Å"great chain of white beads about their neck†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (p. 43) How much confidence do you have in the truth of these details as related by Captain Smith? In our group's work, since we considered that John Smith's account was veracious and had many similarities to the reality not only in Indian culture which we easily found in television, newspapers, films but also in the detail that Pocahontas had saved his life.There were many researched told this story and proved that Pocahontas used to rescue him such as Pocahontas and Her World (1969) by G. S. Woodward or Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010). Thus, we concluded that there was about 90 percentage of John Sm ith's work is true and the rest part might be hyperbolized by his imagine and mannerism. 2. How do you account for the popularity of this story in American legend? The story of Pocahontas is very popular. Almost people in America and also around the world know this.So it really becomes the big inspiration for many people to institute their creation. For example: The very famous picture â€Å"The Baptism of Pocahontas† painted by John Gadsby Chapman in 1840. This explained the characters in the painting, and praised the Jamestown settlers for introducing Christianity to the â€Å"heathen savages. â€Å"[pic] In the 19th century, John Brougham produced a burlesque, Po-ca-hon-tas, or The Gentle Savage. It debuted in 1855 and became an instant hit. Po-ca-hon-tas remained a staple of theatre troupes and blackface minstrel companies for the next 30 years, typically as an afterpiece .Several films about Pocahontas have been made and two of the most famous film are Pocahontas (1995 ), It was produced by  Walt Disney Feature Animation [pic] The New World  (2005)  written and directed by  Terrence Malick [pic] The song â€Å"color of wind† is also mention about Pacahontas. Performed by Vanessa Lynn Williams who is the very famous singer and had won the miss American contest in 1984. [pic] 3. What typical American traits do you find in Captain John Smith? John Smith was an adventurer, discoverer, writer, and the best founding father of America.Captain John Smith risked his life, his reputation and property to establish a colony in America. He contributed a great deal to the creation and survival of the English Colony in America which is the birthplace of the United States. John Smith was a self-made man. He left his English homeland to seek a life of adventure with honor. His leadership quality during crisic was another American trait, optimistic and tolerance. Captain Smith did not have attention to revenge for his partners who was killed by Nativ e Americans. That means he got generosity in his heart. Moreover, he got along with Indian well.And he was also steptical when he was captured by Narive Americans. So John Smith’s characteristics look like the American people now. They are clever, self-made, friendly and especially they always like to find out a new change for their life Work Cited Hadas, Pamela White. â€Å"POCAHONTAS FROM HER NEW WORLD. † Kenyon Review 5. 2 (1983): 24-34. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. P. L. Barbour, Pocahontas and Her World (1969); G. S. Woodward, Pocahontas (1969). PhD. Le, Thanh Thi, ed. â€Å"Pocahontas Incident. † American Literature. Ho Chi Minh: Education, 2007. 42-44. Print. â€Å"Pocahontas. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010): 1. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. Silver, Marc. â€Å"Pocahontas, for real. † U. S. News & World Report 118. 24 (1995): 61. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. TRAT NER, MICHAEL. â€Å"TRANSLATING VALUES: MERCANTILISM AND THE MANY â€Å"BIOGRAPHIES† OF POCAHONTAS. † Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 32. 1 (2009): 128-136. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. http://pocahontas. morenus. org/poca_pic. html http://www. preservationvirginia. org/rediscovery/page. php? page_id=26 http://pocahontas. morenus. org/index. html

Analysis of mariama ba’s novel ‘so long a letter’

In some literary works the principal characters are portrayed through their relations with other protagonists. Such a tool of expression is specifically utilized by Mariama Ba in her famous novel So Long a Letter. Comparing Ramatoulaye with Aissatou, Binetou with Nabou and Modou with Mawdo, this Senegalese writer uncovers the identities of her characters, their personal characteristics and beliefs, motivations and social standing. The novel So Long a Letter is created in the form of a prolonged letter written by Ramatoulaye Fall to her close female friend Aissatou Ba. Applying to the letters of Ramatoulaye, the author reveals that recently she has lost her husband, Modou Fall, and in accordance with her Muslim religious beliefs, she has to spend much time in privacy. Ramatoulaye compares her fate with the fate of Aissatou; in fact, both women are betrayed by their husbands and have to adjust to polygamy. Ramatoulaye identifies herself with Aissatou, claiming that â€Å"we walked the same paths from adolescence to maturity, the past begets the present†¦ Yesterday you were divorced. Today I am a widow† (Ba 1). Both Ramatoulaye and Aissatou have received good education that allows them to strive for equality between men and women. Mariama Ba demonstrates that although these female characters are the victims of their religious beliefs and low social position, they are engaged in the struggle for personal freedom and independence of their country. On the other hand, the writer shows that Ramatoulaye and Aissatou act differently when they collide with the husbands’ betrayal; Aissatou decides to divorce her husband Mawdo Ba, while Ramatoulaye remains a second wife of her husband. In this regard, Ramatoulaye believes that it is necessary to unite some good old traditions of Muslims with the principles of personal freedom, while Aissatou rejects old customs, making an attempt to become fully independent and finding her new place of living in the United States. Thus, although Ramatoulaye and Aissatou have received similar education, share similar religious and political beliefs, they reveal different personal motivations and different family positions. They are both strong females, but they utilize different ways to cope with their personal tragedies. Comparing personal fates of Ramatoulaye and Aissatou, the writer simultaneously demonstrates a connection between Modou and Mawdo, the husbands of two female characters. Both Modou and Mawdo decide to take younger wives, fully ignoring the devotion of their first wives. These male characters treat females as their own properties, considering women lower to them. Modou goes even further than Mawdo, he not only abandons his wife with twelve children, but he also chooses a young female who is a close friend of his daughter. As a result, Modou is punished more than Mawdo; Modou dies because he deserves such a stroke of fate. Modou neglects his first family when he takes the second wife, greatly injuring Ramatoulaye, while Mawdo’s second marriage frees Aissatou and provides her with the possibility to find her true self. Ramatoulaye, belonging to a rather noble family, marries Modou, the member of the khaki-class, because she loves him. However, Modou forgets Ramatoulaye and her love, marrying Binetou and ignoring his role of a family defender. Describing Binetou, the author compares her with Aunty Nabou, mother-in-law of Aissatou. While Binetou is portrayed as a person who evokes much sympathy, Nabou is a woman who makes everything to preserve her high social position and who considers that â€Å"the first quality in a woman is docility† (Ba 29). Binetou is twice younger than her husband Modou, and Ramatoulaye claims that this innocent female will suffer much in due course. Ramatoulaye marries Modou for love, while Binetou performs the wish of her mother who considers that this marriage will provide the family with a good social position. But Binetou’s marriage to Modou ruins this female character. Nabou, who contributes much to Aissatou’s divorce, also hopes that this divorce will save her family. This woman is obsessed with social prejudices and regards Aissatou as inappropriate match to her son. As the writer states, Aunt Nabou â€Å"is a descendant of Bour-Sine. She lived in the past, unaware of a changing world† (Ba 26). Nabou identifies herself with her cast, being unable to resist its traditions and reveal her independence. In this regard, Nabou resembles Binetou who also fails to reject the dictated marriage, following the destructive path. Works Cited Ba, Mariama. So Long a Letter. London and Nairobi: Heinemann, 1981. Related essay: â€Å"Co Curricular Activities Letter†

What is social Justice How is social justice related to language Assignment

What is social Justice How is social justice related to language rights What do you think about language rights and deaf students - Assignment Example A just and equal world order is perhaps best seen as consisting of people with proper political regimes who fully respect basic human rights. Human rights are expansive, and language rights are part of them. Social justice is all about fairness and equality; language rights protect individuals to choose their preferred language in communication in the public and private spheres. For marginal groups, the opportunity to use ones language is of crucial importance because it protects their collective identity and participation in public life (Tyler, Boeckmann, Smith & Huo, 1997, P.11). Laws may restrict people who do not speak the national language from running for office – political posts, hence challenging international obligations that require free elections. During state discussions, the minority groups may suffer if the government insists discussions be carried out in the national language. Foreign language is what is often used to teach the children of the minority. Consequently, the children grow to forget their language and their culture in addition. Higher rates of school drop-outs and unemployment rates also follow the children. In the colonial days, the white people wanted to teach the black people children their language but the chiefs realized that it was only robbing their children of their language and culture (Skutnabb-Kangas, 2008, P.3). Deaf students are a minority group in our societies, and they have linguistic rights. They have a special form of communication in the form of sign language and the laws in place must cater for them. Deaf children attend special schools and are taught various skills during the period. In the event of completion, they should be seamlessly assimilated in the society (Muhlke, 2000, P.23). They have the right to speech, freedom of opinion and expression, right to vote and run for an office, and the protection against

Sustainable Supply Chains Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainable Supply Chains - Research Paper Example A more comprehensive definition of sustainability encompasses all three foundations of sustainability, including the people, economy and the environment. If only the social and environmental development is taking place that is referred to as â€Å"bearable† (Chick and Micklethwaite). If only the social and economic development is taking place, that is referred to as â€Å"equitable†, whereas, if only the environmental and economic development takes places, that is referred to as â€Å"viable† (Chick and Micklethwaite). Sustainability occurs only when all three dimensions develop simultaneously; that is, it is bearable, equitable and viable. A significant driver of this initiative is the government. The government can come up with measures such as environmental labels, licenses and product design guidelines (New Zealand Council for Sustainable Development). There are already a number of regulations in place for sustainability. These include U.S. Farm security and rural investment act (2002), European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), China ROHS, E.U. Cosmetics directive, E.U. Packaging Directive, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and REACH. In addition there are International Standards such as WRAP, FLA, ICTI CARE, ISO 14000 and ISO 26000 for addressing environmental causes (Business for Social Responsibility). For successfully realizing a sustainable supply chain, an organization needs to go through five major steps. The first if Business Case Development which requires looking at the external environment and study case studies of companies which have done so successfully in the past. An analysis should be done of the differences before and after this implementation (United Nations Global Impact). These initiatives have to be driven by the top management. After this study a commitment has to be made by the board members to work on the same. The second is â€Å"Risk, Gap and Scope assessment† wh ich appreciates the fact that the sustainable supply chain initiative has a number of risks which could have a short term impact on finances or new operational bottlenecks. These risks have to be listed and mitigation plans have to be developed. A gap analysis between the current state and future state is required so that efforts could be made to bridge the gap. It is also essential to decide the scope of the initiative at this stage in line with organizational strategies and priorities (United Nations Global Impact). The third step is Supply chain identification which requires an internal assessment of the firm’s supply chain. The position that the company’s supply chain holds relative to other supply chains needs to be assessed (New Zealand Council for Sustainable Development). The next step is Implementation. In this step, the expectations of the organization are communicated to suppliers, distributors and all other partners in the upstream and downstream supply cha ins. Internal operations are realigned to adjust to the new priorities. The organizations try to build strategic partnerships if required to realize its goals. These may include partnerships with third party logistic providers, IT outsourcing firms, consultants and so on (Nunes, Junior and Ramos). Next, Measurement is done whereby new metrics have to be introduced to track performance on

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Is cheating wrong - Essay Example ntage in competitions it is considered to be violation of objective sports rules, because the results under dope aren’t the objective estimation of abilities of the sportsman’s body. That’s why dope-control was invented to make sports results objective, otherwise sports would have become a competition of the best dopes invented. Thinking about such global realms as politics cheating is even worse here. When we face with such thing as ballot-box stuffing on elections we always consider it as an outrage of human’s rights and the main principles of democracy. If a politician wins elections using illegal cheatings than lately his directory can lead to terrible consequences and the entire country can suffer. Any cheating is violation of the objective and moral principles established long time ago. If we start considering cheating as something normal it will mean that we allow people to do whatever they want. And when the forbidden principles become allowed it means that we lose the fringe between good and bad, which itself is very

Religion in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion in America - Essay Example In 1776, this religious vigor led to rebel of Americans against their colonizers, the Great Britain. In forming governments, at both the state and national levels following these rebellions, American political leaders shared the conviction that religion was indispensable in maintaining the republican institutions. The efforts of these United States’ founders to define the significance of religion during this revolutionary time helped in shaping the American’s future leadership within institutions and communal organizations. Through the same spirit of transformation, religious transformation that took places in different parts of the Europe also affected the lives of African Americans quite significantly. The foundation, creation, and development of purely black churches were the greatest achievements in the reconstruction era. African-Americans conceptualized this reconstruction as freedom (Ebel 24). Notably, churches were the first institutions to be managed and controlled entirely by the black community. Just before the American civil war, many black slaves had secret religious meetings that were held off the presence of their masters/whites. Nonetheless, some free blacks formed part of biracial congregations that were controlled by whites and in most of these congregations; blacks were to sit behind whites during the service (Ebel 200). Blacks sharing churches with a white was a predominant practice in the south and was introduced by the Anglican ministers. Emancipation made blacks withdraw from these white managed institutions. They pulled resources and initiated their own churches.

Federal Reserve Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Federal Reserve - Research Paper Example Monetary policy is used to control inflation by revising the reserve ratio requirement or increasing the funds rate so as to reduce the demand of goods in the economy. Monetary policy influences the money supply and by this tool it controls the inflation (The Federal Reserve System 2012). Open market operation is a tool that the Fed uses to increase or decrease the money supply. Through open market operations the fed buys or sells treasury bills, Notes or bonds. This is the way the Fed alters total reserves in the banking system. When the Fed buys $50 million of bonds from a bank, the banks reserve would increase by the same amount and eventually that money would be loaned out by the bank. The $50 million increase in bank reserves would cause an equivalent increase in their monetary base (Colorado 2011). When the Fed undertakes a stimulus program, it essentially increases the money supply in the economy. As seen in the above example, the money supply will increase by $50 million times the money multiplier. If the money multiplier is 5, the money supply will increase by $250 million and obviously that would provide big impetus to the economy (Colorado 2011). Currently, the Fed discount rates are quite low, near to 0.25% that indicates the government wants to give boost to the economy by increasing money supply. After 2008 meltdown, the government bought long-term treasury bonds and notes. This indicates that the Fed is making all efforts to increase money supply to revive the market (The Federal Reserve System

Human Male and Female Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Male and Female - Essay Example The pill or oral contraceptives are also common and effective if used the right way. These pills contain different combinations of synthetic estrogens and progestins to interfere with ovulation. They are effective if taken once a day and preferably at the same time each day, though they do not reduce risks of STDs. They can be ineffective for those who smoke, more than 35 years old, have histories of blood clots, high blood pressure or certain types of cancer such as liver, breast, or endometrial cancers (Ireland 518). Injectable birth control is another method. It involves the injection of a particular progestin, Depo-Provera (depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate) given to the arm or buttocks once in three months. One disadvantage is that it can temporarily lead to a loss of bone density especially if used by adolescents. Discontinuation of this method can stop the bone loss. Certain foods and diets are essential if a patient chooses this method, especially those rich in calcium and vitamin. It does not prevent STDs (Ireland 518). Implantable rods are the size of a matchstick surgically inserted in the upper arm of a woman. It releases progestin and can work for a period of five years. It does not reduce in any way the risks of STDs, and if the date lapses, it may take a while before a woman becomes pregnant (Ireland 519). Emergency contraceptive pills are hormonal pills taken as a single dosage or taking two doses twelve hours apart. These are commonly used after unprotected sexual intercourse.

How Individuals Appraise Their Own Physical Attractiveness Essay

How Individuals Appraise Their Own Physical Attractiveness - Essay Example The current research was motivated by a desire to better understand how people make judgments about their own attractiveness and how such self-appraisals may systematically vary as a function of the context of time. In Study 1, individuals rated their past self as physically less attractive than their current self. This study is informative in demonstrating that judgments of self-perceived attractiveness vary as a function of temporal perspective. In Study 2, individuals rated their future self as more attractive than their current self. This study is informative in serving as an initial demonstration of how temporal biasing influences future self-appraisals of attractiveness. Furthermore, in both studies, temporal biasing of attractiveness was moderated by an individual difference variable–attribute importance (Study 1) and social comparison orientation. The results of Study 1 are consistent with the view espoused by Mac Davis — participants perceived themselves as mor e attractive now than in the past. Moreover, this pattern was found among only those individuals for whom physical attractiveness was important to their self-concept. Thus, taken together, the results supported the hypotheses. With these results in hand, a second study investigated whether people perceive their future self to be more attractive than their current self. The overall results of Study 2 are consistent with predictions: Respondents rated their future self as more attractive than their current self.

How coherent a work is Herodotus' Histories Essay

How coherent a work is Herodotus' Histories - Essay Example s fragmented and digressing into fable and even those who were prepared to step outside the confines of the thinking of their own era, were often not prepared to make more than small concessions about the possible motives, expertise and literary devices found in The Histories. More recent research , however, suggests that, if understood within the intellectual climate of their time, The Histories reveal themselves as the multi-faceted work of a highly intuitive and progressive thinker, who used the past and the present, to record and draw parallels with the complexity of his own time, and who used a plethora of tools at his disposal to inform of the consequences of reliving the past - these were definitely not the rather clumsy, ‘anachrostic’ efforts of an ancient teller of tall stories (De Jong, I. J. F., 2003). Viewed with an appreciation of 5th century philosophy, science, epic heritage, political currents and literary know-how, The Histories is a historical record of high intellectual quality and significance, largely coherent in its aims and with considerable unity, once literary structures and devices have been understood in their ancient context. Although there is perhaps still much to be discovered, evidenced by the considerable amount of research that is continuing to offer new possibilities of understanding this important text. This on-going curiosity is now extending into a much broader field of inquiry and includes research into the uses of language, narration, moral, ethical and judicial concepts, as well as general themes, although the focus of the research has shifted and is no longer done to establish coherence, but aims instead to demonstrate the multiplicity of creative devices that Herodotus had at his disposal. Interest in The Histories has continued throughout the ages and the critiques of Thucydides and Aristotle were followed by others, classical scholars of the first few centuries CE and again, after the so-called dark ages. Given the

The American Exceptionalism Development Essay Example for Free

The American Exceptionalism Development Essay Since the begining of the founding of the English colonies, This land we now call America has always been looked upon as the promise land and land of opportunites. having the image of exceptionalism has been a great part of U.S history. from the founding of the English Colonies, throuhgh 1877, The American Identity was the image of _______________________________________ . Although many changes in ruling, laws, and roles happened during this period, American’s were still able to reach the expectiations they had since the beginning of their time. The United states started off as colonies in the 1600’s. When John Winthrope founded the colony of Massachusetts bay, he as a leader wanted to bring together a society of moral codes in reference to the bible. He gave the NOTION that New England was looked upon as a â€Å"city upon a hill† which was to mean that more American’s began to see themseves as exemplary and a model to the rest of the world. The American ideal at this period of time was to be seen as a model based on religion. â€Å"let us choose life, that we and our seed may live by obeying His voice and cleaving to h/im, for He is out life, and our prosperity.† (Winthrope, 1630) This helps understand that American’s were living based on God and obeying â€Å"Him†. As more time passed and more settlers arrive to the new land, the first colonial constitution came to action in 1639, known as The Fundamental Orders. This constituion paved the way for self-government and democratic freedom in the North American Colonies. If the idea of self-government never came to mind, American’s wouldn’t have been able to create laws against england and create laws and government to benefit the Americans. which soon lead to the freeing of power from BRITAIN, in having said that, would expand the ideals of the American Exceptionalism. In 1677, a charter for the separation of church and state was created, guaranteeing separation of church and state in the American colonies bringing the Americans closer to freedom. Blacks, however, did not recieve these rights, they soon at this time began introducing slavery. Women also had been looked down on simply because they are weak. By the 1700’s The coloies had begun to shape. Charters, Acts and laws have been established, more rights were given, but of course, Slaves were excluded. In 1738, the Great Awakening had begun to take full swing reshaping religious policies, and by 1763, the road to independence from Britan had begun. The Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party were two great events that showed how Americans began to push their way through and to fight for their independence. As American’s get closer to their independence, Women begin to GROW with ENTHUSIASM and curiosity about their rights. Right before the declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies, Abigail Adams had written to John Adams about the â€Å"New code of laws† and how she wished, they be more considerate to the women and their rights. Abigail also threatens that â€Å"If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion and willl not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.† (Adams 1776) This is a bold statement proves of another identity that America has: Women had no voice, nor representation in anything. From the 1600’s to the late 1700’s, America still has not changed in accordance to who is included in having rights; women always had the image of staying home and caring for housework and children, and slaves never had rights. A little after the personal corres pondence between Abigail and John, the Colonies finally gained their independence from Britain. Although the Declaration of lndependence, which was established July 4, 1776, did declare independence from Britain, this declaration also states laws to prevent something like the ruling of Britain happen again. In the declaration of independence it is stated that â€Å"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† (Jefferson 1776) At the time, the words â€Å"All men are created equal† was not clarified unto who was created equal, did they mean all humans, or all males? The meaning behind â€Å"men† in that time period was meant for white men, or men who would vote, and had a voice and represintation. In this new ideal of America, many groups of people were excluded, such of those would again be women, and blacks. In 1783, however, Slaves do get their freedom if they served in the continental army. In 1801, when Thomas Jefferson gives out his first inaugural address In the Inaugural Address, he points to common underlying principles and a loyalty that transcends partisanship. He praised a minimal federal government, and avowed a federalism affirming â€Å"State governments in all their rights† as a shield against â€Å"antirepublican tendencies†. (Jefferson 1801) By this time, Jefferson is attempting to better the country by speaking out about what should be done, he tries to bring back the identity of being a model to the rest of the world. Not long after, in 1839, John L. O’Sullivan also points out America and it’s destination to better deeds on Manifest Destiny. Sullivan tells about the principles as a country that we are and how we are â€Å"the nstion of progress, of individual freedom, of universal enfranchisement.† (Sullivan 1839) When Sullivan speaks of America, he does include everyone as a whole. During this time period, this was the period of renewing, and revival in the United States. Because of this Manifest Destiny, many new opportunities were open to the people and many changes were made in the government, along with slavery. During this period of â€Å"renewing and revival† Women finally make an early move in women’s rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton paired up with Lucrettia Mott, and wrote the Declaration of Sentiments in 1848. Stanton models directly on the declaration of Independence; it identified male patriarchy as the source of women’s oppression and demanded the vote for women as a sacred and inalienable right of republican citizenship. In the Declaration of Sentiments Stanton rewrites the declaration of independence with one of the tweaks being â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all mem and women are created equal†(Stanton 1848) This reminds us of how American’s have gotten carried away from including everyone, now to just certain groups. During the 1800’s not only do women start movements, but blacks also begin to get some freedom as soon states begin to illigalize slavery and prohibit it. During the civil war, Abraham Lincoln gives out his gettysburg speech adress in 1863 and brings to attention the strive and perserverance these men have given to the w ar. †Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers broughtt forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.† (Lincoln 1863) He highlighted the fact that liberty and equality were the core components for the emancipation of America. Lincoln urged the common man and politician to consider the lives lost in the attempt to save the nation from colonization, and pay tribute to the unsung heroes. He emphasized on the fact that the Gettysburg Address may be forgotten in time, but not the soldiers who willingly laid down their lives. By 1877, much has changed and been accomplished. moe states abolish slavery, and blacks finally have some rights in the Constitution, and representation in congress. Women still fought to get their voice and Congress now had control of the states rather than have another country take over. looking through the history that American’s went through from founding colonies to staying united as a whole, American’s managed to live up to those standards and ideals that they set for themselves in the beginning. although there were troubles throughout the years in including and excluding certain people, American’s strived through in still becoming exceptional and trying to include everyone in the country. Bibliography Adams, Abigail and John. Personal Correspondence. March-May, 1776. Cady Stanton, Elizabeth. Declaration of Sentiments. Seneca Falls, N.Y.: July 19th and 20th, 1848. Jefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies. 1776. Jefferson, Thomas. First Inaugural Address. Washington, D.C., 1801. Lincoln, Abraham. The Gettysburg Address. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 19 November 1863. L.O’Sullivan, John. On Manifest Destiny. 1839. Winthrope,John. The Modell of a Christian Charity. 1630.

Computer-aided learning within education

Computer-aided learning within education CAL stand for Computer Aided Learning and in many cases referred to as Computer Aided Instruction as well [Bachman, 1998]. An in depth review of the literature suggests that there is no concrete definition of CAL as such. Many researchers have explained what can be achieved by CAL and how it can be done but no one has really tried to define CAL. Computer Aided Learning in simple terms can be described as an aid or assistance towards the learning process using a computer. It is very important to note here that we are using the word aid. Here aid is important because while using computers in the learning process no attempt is being made to replace the teacher or lecturer and the computer is used as an aid only. Computer aided Learning has been promoted in a number of ways for teaching and learning purpose. Some of these include Problem Based Learning [Schor et al, 1995], teaching basic anatomy [Stanford et al, 1994], supplementing lectures and tutorials [Shannon, 1990] etc. It is important to note that CAL should not be considered as a single program or application that fulfils a certain task as desired by the user. CAL can be a single or series of programs or application which acts as an aid to the overall learning process. Historically, it was in the early fifties during the last century that human beings used any kind of electronic device to perform a mathematical calculation. As soon as this was realized a series of developments took place and soon the computer came into being. People realized the immense potential computers had and started to use it in almost every field. Researchers openly stated that the use of computer for educational purpose would change the face of education in a very short span of time. Schittek (2001) points out that it was not until august 1981, when IBM presented the microcomputer IBM PC (personal computer) that the use of computers for educational purpose started to develop. Researchers like Papert (1994) then suggested the use of classroom computers and abandon the worksheet curriculum. As a common belief the researchers in favor of CAL believed that computer had the potential to stimulate and support various educational goals. The crucial question at that time and even n ow is that which goal/s should be selected? It was very important to select the goals appropriately as the choices made would have an immense effect on the childrens minds, their learning styles and on the education process overall. The educational goals that could be achieved using computers 20 years back were limited due to technological barriers. With an exponential growth in technological breakthroughs and growing experience in using these computers for education the statements made during the last quarter of the 19th century makes a lot of sense now. Technology is no more a barrier today and it is up to the academicians to use it appropriately to meet the desired educational goals.There were many detractors for the use of computers in education as well. One of the primary reservations was the concept that computers will eventually replace the traditional teacher or lecturer. Other reasons include the reluctance to change their mindset to accommodate something new in the curricu lum. These researchers felt that computers were a challenge to the existent educational practices at the intellectual, social, economic and pragmatic levels and hence favored the traditional methods over the use of computers. The supporters of CAL argue that we never questioned the fact that blackboard or books will replace the teacher then why are we so opposed to the use of computers in education? Even today these groups of people are outnumbered by the detractors and are continuing their effort to justify the numerous advantages that computers can bring in to the educational curriculum. This is even more evident from the fact that there are today a number of CAL programs available on the market, However it seems that the development of CAL is based on the work of very few individuals rather than being a part of the facultys ICT strategies [Plasschaert et al, 1995] 1. Game-based learning: Generally, games satisfy the basic requirements of learning environments identified by Norman (1993) and can provide an engaging environment for learning. Games should provide possibilities for reflectively exploring phenomena, testing hypotheses and constructing objects.2. Computer simulations: Grimes et al.(1988) studied the effects of a textbook-based software package in two classes of the Introductory Macroeconomics course. Their results indicate no statistically significant difference in learning between the experimental (software users) and control (non-users) groups. Finally, Grimes and Wiley (1990) conducted an experiment using a textbook-based simulation package in the Introductory Macroeconomics course. Their results indicate a statistically significant difference in overall attitude and performance between students who did and did not use the simulation software.3. Animations: One particularly promising capability of computer based learning is the a bility to integrate animation as part of instruction. Authoring application programs have made animation readily accessible to any educator who has the patience to learn how to use the application (Sturman, 1998).Some other forms of Computer based instruction include Virtual Seminars/ Video conferencing, Drill and Practice and Problem Solving. The role of CAL in education is recognized and appreciated by more and more people as time passes by. CAL has taken several forms depending on the available technology available as described earlier. Hence its role in education has also varied over time. In its infancy CAL was used as a knowledge bank of questions and the students could self-assess themselves. Apart from this other computer related activities were not really adding to the learning process of the students. With the advent of multimedia the role of CAL was extended and it was used to display simulations and animations to the students which were otherwise not possible for the students too see in real-time. This was seen as one of the most important reason to include computers in the classroom lecture as far as the teachers were concerned. Apart from this the teachers and the lecturers are generally very reluctant to incorporate CAL due to several reasons as discussed by Heywood and Norman (1988). First of all they feel that the available software does not match their exact criteria to meet specific curriculum goals. Secondly it is very time consuming process for them to learn the technology first and then convert the existing material they have in CAL format. Heywood and Norman (1988) found that the second factor was not a result of added workload but was more due to the confidence in their own abilities in the use of the technology. This essentially means that while the government is actively promoting the use of CAL in the curriculum it should also lay the guideline on how to do it and train the educators in the first instance.There is little doubt about the growing importance of CAL in education as research shows that CAL can have positive influence on the student learning [Devitt and Palmer, 1998]. Devitt further added that providing study material in computer format can improve knowledge on the subject. Ideally the role of CAL in education lies in the hands of the academicians. The role that these Educators give to CAL will determine the limits of its achievement. What makes a successful CAL?Some of the main pedagogical and economical forces that have driven the push for universities and schools to adopt and incorporate computer aided learning include:Greater information access The World Wide Web has made it possible for people to access primary sources of information on demand. Mastery of this tool has become essential in order to gain access to an ever-growing body of recent and up-to-date knowledge available electronically.Greater Communication facilities Interaction between academic staff, colleagues and students can be structured and managed through electronic communications to provide greater access and flexibility (Bates 2000)The quality of teaching New technologies have gained much attention from academic staff as they perceive their use will lessen their problems of high workloads, increased student to teacher ratio and use of inexperienced staff to teach (Bates 2000). There is ample evidence that well designed multimedia software can be more effective than traditional classroom methods, where students are able to interact with the software and learn at their own pace. Integrated effectively into the classroom environment, ICTs can facilitate higher order thinking skills and develop new ways of learning (Barron Ivers, 1996; Bates, 2000)Asynchronous learning This initiative has enabled institutions to cater for a variety of students by removing the barriers of time and distance. Students who are normally geographically disadvantaged have access to a variety of resources not usually at their disposal (McNaught et al., 1999; Bates, 2000).Pedagogical Improvement and staff renewal Teaching staff are able to preset information using a variety of tools in order to better relate to the content to the concrete realities of a given field of study. Innovative hands-on learning experiences are also made possible for students through computer simulation software. Advantages of CALOne of the main advantages of Computer aided learning concerns the time, the place and the pace with which one can learn. A few more advantages of CAL identified by other researchers and authors are listed below:1. Provision of alternative teaching techniques. The computer can utilize a number of teaching methods and materials that may not be viable to use in a traditional setting. For example, a graphics display terminal using animated characters on a screen is a stimulating tool [Deaton, 1991].2. Individualized instruction. Learning is significantly more effective and efficient when instruction can be tailored to the unique needs of each learner. CAL enables students to go through specific lessons at their own pace [Semb et al, 1991].3. Ability to conduct simulations. In a national survey on the use of CAL in Dutch institutions of higher education, de Jong et al (1992) found that the most popular form of CAL was simulation. One of the reasons that simulation is so popular could be that it is the only type of CAL in which the program adds something to the curriculum that a teacher cannot offer.4. Providing instructions on demand. The computer can provide virtually unlimited accessibility to educational material. The computer’s availability is not constrained by the same factors that place a limit on a teacher’s time. Whereas a teacher is available only during specific hours, in a specific place, and usually for group lessons, a computer is available for use at all times and on an individual basis and in many places [Stern and Stern, 1983; Telfer and Probert, 1986].5. Flexibility is another reported strength of CAL (Petrides, 2002; Schrum, 2002). Petrides (2002) stated that participants reported it was easier to work in collaborative groups in an online course without rearranging everyones schedule as one might do in a traditional face-to-face course.In a study conducted by Coyner and McCann (2004), learners feedback on four cours es was taken and different advantages and challenges associated with learning and teaching online were noted. Computer-aided learning can be considered as a part of online learning. The acronym ACCOMMODATE signifies the advantages identified (Coyner and McCann, 2004).A Accessibility. Computer aided learning provides the students with access to the material 24 hours a day.C -Convenience. Students can work and study according to their own time schedule and their convenience.C Critical Thinking. Critical thinking techniques are enhanced as the students have the associated data and information available to them 24 hours a day.O Offers. Students are aware of all the components of the course and they can compare themselves with others.M Model. Future use can be enhanced with CAL.O Organization. Course can be organized much before the starting of the particular course.D Dependence. All the necessary resources are available to the students and sot he dependence on the teachers is decr eased.A Accountability. Any online course provides a lot of information about the users and so the students accountability can be checked easily.T- Technology. Students acquire good technological skills.E Encourages. Students can work in teams and it encourages more participation. Some people feel that if students spend the bulk of their time interacting with a terminal, rather than with people, they can lose touch with what others are doing and feel isolated and alienated [Telfer and Probert, 1986; Chambers and Sprecher, 1990]. Even though the costs of hardware and software have significantly decreased in the last few years, an extensive capital investment is still required for implementing and using CAL [Shlechter, 1991]. The results of several studies have shown that teachers lack time to get to know CAL programs [Cox et al, 1988], prepare and integrate CAL [DAmico, 1990], develop software, and set up or maintain equipment [Hammond et al, 1992]. Inadequate training of teachers has contributed to a lack of computer use. Training should not be about computer or technology alone but about how computers can help in teaching the subject matter [Brancum, 1992]. A survey conducted by Plomp et al (1990) revealed that the resistance of teachers against computers was a constraining factor to implementing CAL. Participants in Hara and Klings (1999) qualitative case study of a Web-based course at a major U.S. university reported lack of immediacy in getting responses back from the instructor, and as a result they felt frustrated. Recent studies indicate similar results. For example, in Vonderwells (2003) study, one reported disadvantage of an online course was the delay of immediate feedback from the instructor. Comparison of traditional learning skills and CAL skills What traditional classroom learning achieves: The teaching strategy that has been used for centuries is lecturing an expert telling the students what they should know. A teachers personal enthusiasm for a subject can be transmitted through non-verbal behaviors such as eye contact with students, voice projection, body language and story telling (Stephenson, 2001). The physical presence of the lecturer in the classroom creates a sense of responsibility to the students towards the subject and they can be provoked and stimulated by observing an expert teaching and demonstrating them. One of the major advantages of lectures is that the learners can get response to their queries there and then. While in Online learning this is not the case. Some studies have shown that students complain about the workload required by self-study in the Web-based instruction (Nachmias et al, 2000). What Computer-Aided Learning achieves Generally classroom teaching has a high teacher-to-learner ratio which leads to less interaction between teacher and learner. One to one relationship is emphasized more in Online learning than in classroom lectures. According to Tiffin Rajasingham (1995), the traditional classroom teaching means that besides organizing a place for learning, it is necessary to organize when teachers and learners meet and how they use their time. Typically, classroom instruction provides a set group of students with a set chunk of instruction on set sates for set period of time. Here one can visualize the importance of online learning by comparing the efficiency of this scenario with providing the information the individual learner wants, when the learner wants, at the pace the learner wants, for the length of time and with the frequency that suits the learner. In a study conducted at the University of Akron (Coyner McCann, 2004), several advantages of conductin g an online course were analyzed. According to their study, the learners can access the online course information at any time of the day and they can work at times/locations convenient to their lifestyle. They are no longer instructor dependent for information, resources and materials. Emphasis on threaded discussions, chats and forums encouraged learners to work together. According to a study on improving online learning (Song et al, 2004), participants reported that it was helpful not to have to travel to the campus. The ability to complete assignments and tasks at anytime was another reported strength. The benefits of CAL are many including cost-effectiveness, enhanced responsiveness to change, consistency, timely content, flexible accessibility, and providing customer value (Rosenberg, 2001). Most of the studies on the assessment of students attitudes towards online computer-aided instruction have concluded that such courses compare favorably with classroom-based instruction and enjoy high student satisfaction (Phipps Merisotis, 1999). Also some potential value can be added to online learning by providing the opportunity for guest experts from around the world to share and contribute to a class by posting excerpts of articles, statements and so on (Paulsen, 1995). According to a study conducted by Ross and Schulz (1999), it was concluded that computer aided instruction is not suitable for all learners. Studies show that some learners have difficulty adapting to computer aided learning. Hoffman and Water (1982) stated that computer aided learning is suited for individuals who have the ability to quietly concentrate, are able to pay attention to details and have an affinity to memorizing details. According to Gregorc (1985), a computer cannot represent a teacher who may be able to troubleshoot and modify the lesson according to the students needs. He adds that students who cannot meet the demands of the system are denied access to the content and goals and are vulnerable to possible psychological damage. Children can therefore become victims of a medium which is offensive to them. They are at the mercy of the machine. Also Regular lecture meetings provide structure to the working day, and some implicit information about the rate at which factual material can reasonably be covered and assimilated.Advocates of CAL claim it gives students control over when and where they learn and the pace of their learning (Smart, 1997; Adnanes Ronning, 1998). One of the main features of computer-aided Learning is its capacity to individualise instruction to meet the specific needs of the learner (Rasmussen and Davidson, 1996). According to a study conducted by Dewhurst et al (2000), Students moved more towards agreeing with the proposition that the Computer aided learning would allow them to work at their own pace, perhaps favouring their own particular learning style, and that it offered greater flexibility, enabling them to choose where and when they studied. CAL constitutes an appropriate and acceptable alternative to conventional classroom learning and the students having little previous practical experience with such learning and study approach can appropriate it readily.Whether CAL is better than traditional classroom learning is a d ebatable question. According to a study conducted by Tjaden and Martin (1995), it is important to get direction from and interact with an instructor for introductions to topics and question-answer periods. But some phases of the learning process could be carried out more efficiently, at least time wise, with the aid of a computer program, whether it be hypermedia, multimedia or simpler tutorials. Many studies have shown that many students retain a preference for a `mixed economy’ in which the CAL plays a part alongside more conventional approaches. This is called Blended Learning which is discussed in detail in the next section. A variety of teaching methods exist in this society, (lectures, audiotapes, purely online, a mixture of both online and traditional classroom teaching) and it may be possible that students choice of the best teaching method varies with their personality differences. In such a case, the teachers should use a variety of methods to cater for the differences between the students. This is not easy but it is one of the strong reasons of supporting a mixture of both computer-based and traditional classroom teaching. There is no doubt that the physical environment has a surprisingly powerful influence on teaching. But, sometimes, lectures are relatively ineffective to inspire interest in a subject and are relatively ineffective for personal and social adjustment (Bligh, 1998). Thus, it has given way to blended environment in which the large lecture theatres are equipped with networked computers through which vast range of digitized information can be accessed. Even online learning environmen t is just another physical environment with more complexity and with more use of technology. But learners are not able to accept this environment fully because apart from making possible some kinds of activities like one to one communication with many different people it also restricts some activities like spontaneous spoken conversation.At its simplest, blended learning is the integration of traditional classroom face-to-face teaching with online computer based teaching. At the same time, there is considerable complexity in its implementation with the challenge of virtually limitless design possibilities and applicability to so many contexts (Garrison Kanuka, 2004). Rosenberg (2001) emphasizes that people learn more effectively when they interact and are involved with other people participating in similar endeavors. CAL is powerful when both training and knowledge management are integrated, but even more powerful when integrated with classroom training in a learning architecture ( p. 117). He defines a learning architecture as the design, sequencing, and integration of all electronic and non-electronic components of learning to derive optimum improvement in competence and performance. Cross (2000) reports the learning process breaks down when untouched by human hands. CAL is not training by robot. Till now we have discussed about the existing technologies and its application related to CAL and how they are affecting or changing the process of education in general. In order to predict the future of CAL we need to look back at the past with two different view points, namely technological and educational. As far as technology is concerned, it is far ahead of the educational developments in terms of pedagogy. Today technology is talking in terms of virtual Universities and will soon be ready for deployment but development in educational policy to incorporate such technology is moving at a snails pace. There are many institutions that still use computers in education because they are supposed to do so as per the national curriculum. This by no means is of any help for the future of CAL and education in general. This can be primarily attributed to the difference of opinion that still exists between the educators in the use of CAL.The author of this report feels that technology is at a point where it can deliver most of the educational requirements but the problem lies in the educational process. Presently CAL is undergoing a transition from the acceptable state to the accepted state. In order to be referred as widely accepted and successful in the future, CAL has to be actively incorporated and effectively used in the curriculum to benefit and enhance the overall learning process. In February 2004, HEFCE (Higher Education funding Council for England) commissioned Glenaffric Ltd e-Learning consultants to undertake an initial analysis of the responses to consultation on the HEFCE (2004) e-learning strategy and produce a summary report. This report says: There is an overwhelming request for the strategy to emphasize blended learning approaches rather than wholly e-based learning, as this remains the most appropriate use of technology for learning in campus-based institutions. However, one response urges caution about the assumption that the currently fashionable term blended learning will be a long term concept of any value. There is still much debate about whether wholly computer aided learning will replace blended learning. Cross (2000) notes that the magic is in the mix but blended learning still has some aspects of traditional classroom learning which is often viewed as old fashioned, static and expensive to deliver.This research and discussion shows that not only is CAL of benefit to the students, but it can be used as a vital source of feedback to the lecturers if they are willing to accept it. Also CAL programs can be modified to provide greater assistance in the understanding of particular problems. CAL will definitely form an integral part of the education process in the future. Adnanes, M., Ronning, W. M. (1998). Computer-networks in education à  a better way to learn? J. Computer. Assisted Learning, 14, 148 157.Bachman, M. W. Lua, M. J. Clay, D. J. Rudney, J. D. (1998) Comparing traditional lecture vs. computer-based instruction for oral anatomy. J Dent Educ 1998: 8: 587-591.Barron, A., Ivers, K. (1996, June). An Internet Research Model. National Educational Computing Conference, Minneapolis, MN.Bates, A. W. (2000). Managing technological change: Strategies for college and university leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass PublishersBrancum D., Educators used support to make computing meaningful. Macworld September, 83-88 (1992).Chambers J. A. and Sprecher J. W., Computer-assisted instruction: current trends and critical issues. Commun. /I CM. 23, 332 342 (1990).Cox M., Rhodes V. and Hall J., The use of computer-assisted learning in primary schools: some factors affecting the uptake. Computers Educ. 12, 173-178 (1988).Coyner, S. McCann P.L. (2004). Advan tages and challenges of teaching in an electronic environment: the accommodate Model. International Journal of Instructional Media. 31(3)Coyner, S. C and McCann, P. L. (2004). Advantages and challenges of teaching in an electronic environment: the accommodate model. International Journal of Instructional Media.D’Amico J. J., Three lessons I learned from a year of computer-based instruction. J. Comput.-based Instruct. 17, 103 109 (1990).de Jong T. et al., Computer-assisted learning in higher education in the Netherlands: a review of findings. Computers Educ. 19, 381-386 (1992).Deaton W. L. CBT and high education: issues, barriers and solutions. In Problems and Promises of Computer-based Training (Edited by Shlechter T. M.), pp. 215-231. Ablex, Norwood, N.J. (1991).Dewhurst, D. G., H. A. Macleod and T. A. M. Norris (2000). Independent student learning aided by computers: an acceptable alternative to lectures? Computers Education 35(3): 223-241.Gregorc, A. (1985). Inside Styles Beyond the Basics. Columbia, CT: Gregorc Associates.Grimes P. W., Krehbiel T. L. and Ray M. A., Microcomputer tutorials and student learning in the principles of economics course: an empirical experiment. Coffegiarr Microcompurer 6, 247-252 (1988).Grimes P. W. and Wiley T. E., The effectiveness of microcomputer simulations in the principles of economics course.Computers Educ. 14, 81-86 (1990).Hammond et al., Blocks to the effective use of information technology in higher education. Computers Edue. lg, 155-162 (1992).Hara, N., Kling, R. (1999). Students frustrations with a web-based distance education course. First Monday, 4(12). http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_12/index.htmlHara, N., Kling, R. (2000). Students distress with a web-based distance education course. Information, Communication Society 3(4): 557-579. [Online]Available at: http://www.slis.indiana.edu/CSI/WP/wp00-01B.htmlHeywood, G. Norman, P. (1988) Problems of educational innovation: the primary teachers respo nse to using microcomputers, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 4, pp. 34-43Hoffman, J. L., Waters, K.(1982).Some effects of student personality on success with computer-assisted instruction.Educational Technology, 22(3),20-21.Nachmias, R., Mioduser, D., Oren, A., Ram, J. (2000). Web-supported emergent collaboration in higher education courses. Educational Technology and Society, 3(3), 94-104.Norman, D. A. (1993). Things that make us smart: Defending human attributes in the age of the machine. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.Papert, S. (1994) The Childrens Machine: rethinking school in the age of the computer. London: Harvester WheatsheafPaulsen, M. F., (1995). The online report on pedagogical techniques for computer-mediated communication. Available at: http://www.hs.nki.no/~morten/cmcped.htm#bPetrides, L.A. (2002). Web-based technologies for distributed (or distance) learning: Creating learning-centered educational experiences in the higher education classroom. Int ernational Journal of Instructional Media, 29(1), 69-77.Phipps, R., Merisotis, J. (1999). Whats the difference? A review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning in higher education. Washington, DC: Institute for Higher Education Policy [On-line]. Available at: http://www.ihep.org/Pubs/PDF/Difference.pdfPlasschaert, A. J. Wilson, N. H. Cailleteau, J. G. Verdonschot, E. H.Opinions and experiences of dental students and faculty concerning computer-assisted learning. J Dent Educ 1995: 5:1034-1040.Plomp T., Pelgrum W. J. and Steerneman H. M., Influence of computer use on schools’ curriculum: limited integration. Computers Educ. 14, 159-171 (1990).Rasmussen, K., Davidson, G.V. (1996). Dimensions of learning styles and their influence on performance in hypermedia lessons. Proceedings of the World Conference on Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, USA, 800.Rosenberg, M.J. (2001). E-Learning: strategies for delivering knowledge in the digital age. New Yo rk, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies.Ross, J. L. Schulz, R. A. (1999). Can computer-aided instruction accommodate all learners equally? British Journal of Educational Technology, 30(1), 5-24. Schittek M, Mattheos N, Lyon HC, Attstrom R. (2001) Computer assisted learning. A review. 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(1997). Educational implications of the web. Life Sciences Educational Computing, 8(1), 13 14 (Newsletter of the CTI Centre for Biology).Song, L., Singleton, E.S., Hill, J.R. Koh, M.H. (2004). Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics. Internet and Highe r Education 7 (2004) 59-70Stanford, W. Erkonen, W. E. Cassell, M. D. Moran BD, Easley G, Carris RL, Albanese MA (1994) Evaluation of a computer-based program for teaching cardiac anatomy, Investigative Radiology 1994 Feb;29(2):248-52.Stephenson, J. (2001). Teaching Learning Online Pedagogies for new technologies. Stylus Publishing, Sterling, USA.Stern N. and Stern R. A., Computers in Society. Prentice-Hall, En

Edgar Allan Poe Biography

Edgar Allan Poe Biography Edgar Allan Poe was an important writer of the 19th Century. His imaginative storytelling led to literary innovations and earned him the nickname Father of the Detective Story' (Bio.com). His short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue is the first example of detective fiction. His writings were often dark and scary. He was an early writer of the horror story. Poe had a rough childhood, depression and dark moods as an adult, and a bad early death. Poes life and writings can be compared to the modern writer of horror, Stephen King. There are things that are alike about the two authors and things that are different. Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He never knew his parents, who were actors. His father, David Poe Jr., left the family and died in about 1810 or 1811. His mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe, died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty four in 191. Poe was three at the time, and her death may have warped Poe for the rest of his life. He always remembered more or less unconsciously-his mother vomiting blood and being carried away from him forever by sinister men dressed in black (Asselineau 409). She had 3 three children, and Edgar was separated from his brother and sister. His brother, William, died young, and Rosalie lost her mind. Edgar was taken in but not adopted by John and Frances Valentine Allan. Edgar was close to Frances, but not to John. John was a prosperous tobacco merchant in Richmond Virginia, and wanted Edgar to join him as a clerk in his business. Frances was probably responsible for taking Poe in. He was a good poet by the time he was thirteen, but his headmaster and John discouraged his poetry. Sometimes they were nice to him and sometimes not. The family moved to England in 1815 where Poe attended a classical academy until 1820. Then they came back to Richmond where Poe attended the school of Joseph H. Clarke and wrote several poems in honor of local schoolgirls. Edgar was in love and secretly engaged to Elmira Royster when he went to the University of Virginia 1826. The engagement fell through. Edgar did well and made good grades, but John did not give him much spending money so he got lots of gambling debts. Some scholars think that Poe drank heavily during that time, but others say that even small amounts of alcohol had a bad effect on him. John refused to pay the debts, so in 1927 Poe joined the army. He came back two years later when he learned that Frances Allen was dying of tuberculosis, but she died before he came home. In 1930 Allan got him into WestPoint, but he was expelled for poor handling of his duties, so in 1831 so Allan disowned him. Historians also know that John Allan had gotten married again without telling him, so they fought. Some people think that Edgar got expelled on purpose to get back at John. When John died, he didnt leave any money to Edgar, but he did leave money to an illegitimate child Edgar had never met. Duri ng this time, Poe wrote several volumes of poetry including Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), and Poems (1831). Historians do not know much else about his life during this time, but in 1832 he was working in Baltimore writing short stories. By 1833 he was living with his fathers widowed and poverty-stricken sister Mrs. Clemm in Baltimore and won a $50 prize for the story MS Found in a Bottle in a short story contest in The Baltimore Saturday Vister. He also started working on a play, Politician, which he never finished. He began working for the Southern Literary Messenger of Richmond and by 1835 was its editor. For most of the rest of his life he worked for various magazines but was usually fired because of his strange behavior made worse by alcoholism. He wrote many poems, stories, and articles which got him a little money and lots of criticism. They also made him well-known. His poems always had an easy, unforgettable rhythm, and his stories were always weird and concerned with death. He still lived most of the time with Mrs. Clemm, and married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm in 1836 who was his literary inspiration as well as his love interest (Biography.com). She was pale and fragile, like many of Poes characters. He was very devoted to her, but in 1842 she broke a blood vessel while singing. She recovered somewhat, but died in 1847 of tuberculosis. Her death caused him to ruin his life. Some historians believe that his alcoholism got worse and he took a lot of drugs. Others believe that he became ill and because of a brain lesion in his youth, had manic and depressive moods. He also began to give attention to other women and became engaged again to Elmira Royster Shelton who was now a widow. He continued to write and publish many stories and poems throughout this time. Historians do not know exactly what he did for the last of his life, and his final days remain somewhat of a mystery (Biography.com). He continued to be very distraught over Virginias death. On September 28, 1849 he attended a birthday party in Baltimore, drank wine, and went on a drinking spree. He was found ill in a Baltimore gutter on October 3, 1849. He was taken to Washington College Hospital where he died on October 7. His last words were Lord help my poor soul (Biography.com). He was buried in what is now Westminster Churchyard on October 8, 1849, and a monument was built to him later. Mrs. Clemm and her daughter are buried next to him. Edgar Allen Poes stories often have dark themes of death, lost love, or dying. His characters are often alcoholics or have drug addictions. They are not happy stories and his characters sometimes seem insane. A modern person who is like Edgar Allan Poe is the horror writer Stephen King. Both authors had a hard early life and were abandoned by their fathers when they were very young. They were both good students in elementary school and started writing when they were young. Both moved around a lot as children and were outsiders in high school. In college both of these writers started drinking. Also, both of them worked hard to make it where they got. Poe worked so hard that when he was 16, he swam 7 miles across the James River to prove himself, emulating Lord Byrons swimming across the Hellespont, as a physical expression of his determination to make a name for himself, to be a great writer (Hoffman 323). Both of the authors wrote about characters that had drug and alcohol problems. Stephen King has also written a lot of stories and is an important writer. Unlike Poe, Stephen King has had a long and successful career, is very famous and has made a lot of money. He is about sixty-five year s old and he is still writing. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many stories, poems, and other things. He was a very important writer of the 19th century and is still recognized as one of Americas most influential writers. Even though he wrote almost 200 years ago, his stories and poems still, shock, surprise, and move modern readers (Biography.com). However he never made very much money, was mostly unrecognized during his life time and died young. He will always be remembered for his fascinating and gruesome works. Bibliography Asselineau, Roger. Edgar Allan Poe. American Writers: Volume 3. Ed. Leonard Unger.  New York: Scribner, 1974. Hoffman, Daniel. Edgar Allan Poe. World Poets: Volume 2. Ed. Ron Padgett. New York:  Scribner, 2000. 323-331. Print. Perkins, George, Barbara Perkins, and Phillip Leininger, eds. Poe, Edgar Allen. Benets Readers Encyclopedia of American Literature. New York: Harper and Row, 1991.  853-6. Print. Unger, Leonard. American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies. New York: Scribner, 1974. 409-432. Print.

Victorian Social Reform in Britain :: European Europe History

Victorian Social Reform in Britain When considering the changes brought about in the social policy of Great Britain, in the decades immediately either side of 1900, one must look at the nation `s industrial history. The position as the world` s premier industrial nation had been cemented by the mid nineteenth century, achieved in part, as it was the first nation to industrialise. However, the headlong embrace of laissez- faire capitalism ignored the social infrastructure, and the emigration from the depressed agricultural areas to the industrial areas caused immense strain on the poorly-planned towns and cities. At the dawn of industrialisation, there were those who expressed concern about the health and hygiene of the dense industrial areas, notably Freidrich Engels, whose study of Manchester and London in 1844 collated in "Conditions of The Working Class in England" painted a truly dismal picture of urban squalor and hopelessness. " Such is the Old Town of Manchester, and on re-reading my description, I am forced to admit that instead of being exaggerated, it is far from black enough to convey a true impression of the filth, ruin, and uninhabitableness, the defiance of all considerations of cleanliness, ventilation, and health which characterise the construction of this single district, containing at least twenty to thirty thousand inhabitants. And such a district exists in the heart of the second city of England, the first manufacturing city of the world. If any one wishes to see in how little space a human being can move, how little air - and such air! - he can breathe, how little of civilisation he may share and yet live, it is only necessary to travel hither." (Engels.F. 1844 p.84 ) The publication, in 1842, of the" Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain" elicited, and perhaps foresaw, the protests of disbelief. Edwin Chadwick was responsible for the report and also invoked the image of the "unknown country" as Henry Mayhew later did to bring to public attention the abysmal conditions with which the labouring poor had to contend. His principal concern appeared to be with "the miasma" emanating from decaying matter "the poisonous exhalations" which were the source of their physical, moral and mental deterioration. At the height of the cholera epidemic, the flushing of the sewers in order to dissipate the miasma, actually aggravated the problem by further contamination of the water supply, in the face of the advice which stated that the disease was spread by germs and infection.

The Cause of Death in All Quiet on the Western Front :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

The Cause of Death in All Quiet on the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT is a very interesting and true-to-heart novel based in the first world war where many men and women died because someone called them the enemy. The main character is Paul Baumer, a nineteen year old man who is swept into the war, along with his friends, not one day before he is out of school. They are sent to the front to "protect the fatherland" or Germany as it is called. Paul and his friends go from this idealistic opinion to disillusionment throughout the book as they discover the truth that the enemy is just like them, and Paul's friends start being killed one-by-one. This novel is a gripping account of how war is most of the time bloody and horrid. The few who came out of this war were not the people they were when they left. They become pale and emotionless, without feeling or thought. Some killed themselves, they had experienced ultimate horror, the horror of war. The novel starts two years after Paul and his friends first reached the front and then goes back and forth between present and past. The main topics throughout the book is the change from idealism to disillusionment, the loss of Paul's friends, and especially the loss of Paul's innocence. The change from idealism to disillusionment is really the driving force behind the novel. From young school boys, listening to their schoolmaster asking "Won't you join up comrades?"(11) to "weary, broken"(294) men, idealism and disillusionment play a major role on Paul's decisions and thoughts. For example, on the second page of the novel, Paul says, "It would not be such a bad war if only one could get a little more sleep." (2) Later in the book, a disillusioned Paul says of the same war, "I see how people are set against one another and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another."(263) Even though he has been in the war two years, the first quote shows how Paul's idealism is still strong. In the second quote, Paul sees the war for what it truly is, a waste of time, food, money, and young men. The

MIS group assignment- Mydin Essay

1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background of Mydin In the year 1918 marks the year Mydin was found by one Mr. Gulam Husen Jamal who was the father of Mr. Mydin. Mr. Gulam was managing his shop until ward world 11 which saw the end of Mr. Gulam’s shop in Penang which was burnt down by fire incidents and left them with nothing. In 1957 Mydin out of a strong determination and his ability to persist in life pushed forward and with the help of his immediate son in the year 1979 and 1989 respectively continue the trade his father started and his first shop selling toys and general merchandise with his own sweat he continued the trade of wholesaling, the business skyrocketed to different branches in the land of Malaysian. Today Mydin is now one of the largest discount retailers in the whole Malaysians with over 17 Mydin supermarket and wholesalers emporium’s centers located across the country and also among the competing supermarket with Tesco, Carrefour and others. 1.2 Mydin vision Mydin is the world leading distributor of competitive Halal goods and service. 1.3 Mission The mission of Mydin is to target the overall leading in the local wholesale and retail supermarket by his constant provision of service to his customers, provision of best valuable for money and assortment of goods and services through Excellency. Also they aim to encourage more Malaysians to open different outlet with their own proven success formula. 1.4 Product Mydin has so many products such as Softline for apparel, together with home furnishing and muslimin. They also specialize in hardline (do-it –yourself), household, electronics including all stationary and general merchandise, all types of gifts and Deco, sports, toys and games. Fresh; ready to eat and fresh produce of meat and poultry equally, all kinds of vege and fruits, chilled and frozen Grocery: different kinds of food and health including beauty material. 1.5 Mydin objectives The following are the objectives of Mydin Company To provide its products at the right time and at the right price to the right customer while ensuring excellent service. Secondly, achieve marketing speed, and overall efficiency of operations. And supply chain management, from the suppliers to the logistics and warehouse, to Mydin’s ground staff and to the management team, Thirdly to achieve efficiency and productivity which are important factors for timely and accurate decision making. Fourthly With so many strong competitors in the local retail outlets, one cannot afford to be tardy to differentiate itself, Mydin aim at redefining the value it brings to its customers Lastly to maintain it brand name which signifies convenience, quality and value for money through it looks into Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to achieve these goals. 1.6 Organizational of Mydin structure 2.0 External and Internal Analysis 2.1 SWOT Analysis Based on the studies of Gorener A., Toker K., and Ulucay K., they mentioned that with SWOT analysis the regulated arrangement technique for estimating the internal and external environment of the business as well as analyze both environments in order to achieve systematic approach and support for decisions. Strength Low price strategy Mydin is famous designed for getting local and overseas goods with the reasonable pricing supplying into Malaysia. â€Å"Why pay more? Buy at wholesale price† and this is one of the advertisement slogan of Mydin as well as Mydin had already set their pricing strategy in a low price strategy to compete with the existing competitors (Danny Y., 2011). Government`s support According to the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, he mentioned that the government will inject RM386 million to make sure that the prices of needed goods and products in Sabah and Sarawak are sold at lower prices through the opening of 57 KR1M stores (Shukry A, 2012). Customer Loyalty The low pricing strategies not merely attract the new customers, but it helps also the Mydin to build a strong customer loyalty for their hypermarket, as their slogan, â€Å"Why pay more? Buy at wholesale price† Weaknesses Less Space and the Layout of Shop The limited space of Mydin causes a decline in numbers of customers. These customers will feel not comfortable enough while shop with a place where too crowded. Customer Services It is a provision of service to customers before and after purchases and it is significantly important for goods and services business, like Mydin. The weak customer services of Mydin could not satisfy the customers and it will ruin the reputation of Mydin and lead the consumers flee to competitors like TESCO and GIANT. Opportunities Online Market In this era of internet technology widespread, the users of the internet are increasing very rapidly. So if Mydin can follow this trend and caught these opportunities to explore online market successfully, Mydin will definitely obtain a benefit from this online market. International Expansion It is well known that their vision from Mydin for this short term to become the world’s top supplier of competitive â€Å"Halal† products. Therefore, the Muslim countries, like Indonesia are the great market for the Mydin to explore as it has a large number of populations. Threats Intense Competition In Malaysia hypermarket industry, there are variety choices for customers such as Mydin, Tesco, Giant, Carrefour, and Econsave. It goes without saying that it is an intense competition for the industry and it will lead the Mydin lose market share when the competitors offer a better promotion or privilege. Substitute product The customers could satisfy their needs or wants in mini mart, grocery shop, wet market, or convenience store instead of the Mydin. 2.2 PESTEL Analysis Based on the PESTEL structure it delivers a complete list of external effects on the potential achievement to every single strategy or either could lead to failure. It is where standpoints for the factors from Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental as well as Legal (Ivory, 2005). In this research is where based on observation on Mydin, this analysis can actually help to avoid the unwanted outcomes to their future plans like expands of the branches in overseas countries with the situations and regulations that need further consideration. Politic highlights to the role of governments involved, as Mydin is deciding for expanding their branches in Indonesia, therefore the management team involved required to have more research on the government restriction with the trading and how the security control of the country is. Economic factors are refers to the macro-economic factors in the foreign country such as the exchange rates, the inflation rate and differential economic growth rates around the world (Ukessays, nd). These are important factors as will directly influence to Mydin Profit where involves of cost of gain or loss with the exchange rates. As rising inflation rates mean rising prices for goods and services, the CEO needs to know the forecast of inflation rate because consumers would tighten their spending as goods become more expensive. Besides, it also means retailers have to bear a higher expenditure. Social influences the employment patterns of the country and behaviors of the consumers. The employment patterns simply mean that the numbers working hours, working days, employment benefits and other factors where Mydin need to have better study before decide the locations to expand their branches (Slideshare, 2012). Besides, having updated and accurate information about consumers buying patterns and behavior helps to have a clear direction of where the future consumption trends are heading to in order to know how to satisfy customer’s needs and desire. On food taste or packaging that will bring effects on the sales volume. The factor of technology referring to improvements in both internet retailing and trading (Ivory, 2005). There is a study that to the grocery business implemented to the advance technology is able to benefit Mydin to decrease expenditures but improve on efficiency. It is in strengthening their customer service, improving operations and retain pace with the competitors. Therefore, this is where the early twenty-first century operators in the industry. Environmental it is more concerned to eco-friendly viewpoints with main concern to the ‘green’ issues, like the occurrence of pollution and local waste issues (Slideshare, 2012). It can be one of the company strategy for advertising their product with go green issue or recyclable of products which will benefit their local surroundings. Legal holds governmental restrictions or modifications, it is where the well-being and security legislation with the Mydin’s mergers and acquisitions (Antonio, 2010). This aspect plays the important role especially with food and beverage products that are illegal for consumers to consume due to the religion issue. Therefore, it helps the CEO to understand well about the company marketing plan and thus can make a better decision. It is important for Mydin to understand and survey of how these factors are fluctuating currently and changes in future. Therefore, it is required of  the management to generate of solutions that would be likely to bring benefits or failure to the organizations. For instance, Mydin is to be expected to implement of advance technology changing. Therefore, usually generates of PESTEL analysis but it is actually without the offering of the forecast to the changing in the environment.