Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The importance of bedside report to improve patient satisfaction Annotated Bibliography

The importance of bedside report to improve patient satisfaction scores - Annotated Bibliography Example oncoming nurses aware of the present condition of the patient under care by providing them with all information about the present state of the patient. The nurses leaving the shift provide a handoff to the nurses taking charge at the end of each nursing shift. â€Å"It also allows the oncoming nurse an opportunity to visualize the patient and ask questions† (Maxson, Derby, Wrobleski, & Foss, 2012, p. 140). In the handoff, nurses inform the new in-charge nurses about the changes in patient’s progress level, as well as about the essentials that new nurses need to do for the patient during the shift. Nurses get information for preparing handoffs from the patient’s care plan, patient record, and other medical documents and present it to new nurses either through face-to-face communication or as taped handoffs. All of this relates to the concept of quality care nursing. However, the dilemma is that not every nurse is aware of the importance of bedside nursing; hence they do not participate actively in the preparation of a quality care plan. â€Å"Analysis of quality care literature reveals that practising nurses are rarely involved in developing or defining improvement programs for quality nursing care† (Burhans & Alligood, 2010, p. 1689). Delivery of quality care has always remained an area of debate in the field of nursing (Burhans & Alligood, 2010, p. 1689). Bedside nursing handoff is an essential part of a quality care plan about which every nursing professional should be trained. In some nursing facilities, nurses consult patients during preparation of handoffs in order to provide patient-centered care to patients. â€Å"Bedside handover provides an opportunity for patients to be involved as active participants in their care† (McMurray, Chaboyer, Wallis, Johnson, & Gehrke, 2011, p. 19). It is not the case that every nurse does this but this step is highly appreciated on the end of patients. The reason is that it plays a significant role in promoting safe and

Monday, October 28, 2019

Faculty Attendance System Using Automatic Image Processing Essay Example for Free

Faculty Attendance System Using Automatic Image Processing Essay As technology grows fast, certain advancements are being developed nowadays and life is getting even better to live with. It makes every task as easy as possible and nothing seems too tiring if human tasks are aided with technology. It can be applied in any aspects of life. Computer technology would be the first on the list that provides great potential for improving effectiveness and efficiency of the information system. The use of computer has not become a major tool to simplify job and task. There is no doubt that computer technology has had a great impact on society and also brought many technical developments with it. It has brought many changes to the way we live as individual as well as members of societies and organizations. It has had major effects and changes on the economy, health, education, industry, agriculture and many other fields. The ability of computers in gathering, processing, presenting and sending large amount of information has had major changes in the way large organizations as well individuals organize their lives. Computers are at work, in schools and many other places. The human face plays an important role in our social interaction, conveying people’s identity. Using human face as a key to security, the biometrics face recognition technology has received significant attention in the past several years due to its potential for a wide variety of applications in both law enforcement and non-law enforcement. As compared with other biometrics systems using fingerprint/palm print and iris, face recognition has distinct advantages because of its non-contact process. Face images can be captured from a distance without touching the person being identified, and the identification does not require interacting with the person. In recent years, face recognition has attracted much attention and its research has rapidly expanded by not only engineers but also neuroscientists, since it has many potential applications in computer vision communication and automatic access control system. Especially, face detection is an important part of face recognition as the first step of automatic face recognition. However, face detection is not straightforward because it has lots of variations of image appearance, such as pose variation (front, non-front), cclusion, image orientation, illuminating condition and facial expression. With the continuous development and progress of science and technology, facial biometric recognition technology has become more sophisticated and perfect. As the worlds most cutting-edge biometric technology and image processing technology, facial biometric recognition technology will play a unique and irreplaceable role in todays public security prevent, arrest fugitives, network security, financial security and many other areas. It is a milestone of development and progress of human society science and technology. It will be widely used in public security, aviation, ports, customs, banks, large enterprises, large-scale conferences, high-end clubs, important streets, docks and other places of security. It will bring revolutionary changes for safety defend and prevention of the current complicated domestic security situation. Face recognition serves the crime deterrent purpose because face images that have been recorded and archived can later help identify a person. Many citizens express concern that their privacy is being compromised by the use of surveillance technologies by corporations and the state. Some fear that it could lead to a total surveillance society, with the government and other authorities having the ability to know the whereabouts and activities of all citizens around the clock. This knowledge has, is and could continue to be deployed to prevent the lawful exercise of rights of citizens to criticize those in office, specific government policies or corporate practices. Many centralized power structures with such surveillance capabilities have abused their privileged access to maintain control of the political and economic apparatus and curtail populist reforms. Facial recognition can be used not just to identify an individual, but also to unearth other personal data associated with an individual – such as other photos featuring the individual, blog posts, social networking profiles, Internet behavior, travel patterns, etc. – all through facial features alone. Moreover, individuals have limited ability to avoid or thwart facial recognition tracking unless they hide their faces. This fundamentally changes the dynamic of day-to-day privacy by enabling any marketer, government agency, or random stranger to secretly collect the identities and associated personal information of any individual captured by the facial recognition system. Purpose and Description Nowadays, industry is experiencing many technological advancement and changes in methods of learning. With the rise of globalization, it is becoming essential to find an easier and more effective system to help an organization or company. In spite of this matter, there are still business establishments and schools that use the old-fashioned way. In a certain way, one thing that is still in manual process is the recording of attendance. Face detection is a computer technology that determines the locations and sizes of human faces in arbitrary (digital) images. It detects facial features and ignores anything else, such as buildings, trees and bodies. Dealing with this matter, the proponents thought of an easy way to do the checking of attendance. This study entitled is intended to develop an attendance monitoring system to be used inside the school vicinity of Batangas State University JPLPC Campus for better management of employees. We come up with a computerized attendance-monitoring system using image processing. It serves as a timed log-in/ log-out system that is set up as a computerized database. This system maintains a daily record of a facultys arrival and departure time from work. Aside from the records of time and date, our system features the name, position and the assigned number of each staff. So it also serves as an identification profile system. The system also protects the employees by providing the exact number of hours they worked, making it much more difficult for employers to cheat them out of their wages. This thesis features all important facts about our system as well as its importance.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Characterization in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt. Right away, we get an idea of who these characters are and what kind of role they will play throughout the story. Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt share many distinctive characteristics and personalities in the story. We learn that Romeo is the romantic and handsome son of the Montagues. In the beginning of the story, he was depressed, but his mood quickly changed as the story went on. We also learn that Mercutio is Romeo’s closest and good friend who tries to make Romeo forget about his first love, Rosaline. He is a great entertainer and he’s very sarcastic too. Instantly, we learn that Tybalt is a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin. He is very hot-headed, aggressive, and violent. He loathes the Montagues very much. Finally, in Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet three characters, Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt and we d irectly get an idea of what the characters are like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the story, we find out that Romeo is very depressed, but towards the end, he starts changing to be romantic. In the beginning of the story, the Montagues ask Benvolio of Romeo’s whereabouts. Benvolio answers that Romeo has seemed troubled about something since the morning. Montague quotes, â€Å"Away from light steals home my heavy son and private in his chamber pens himself, shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night†(I, i, 138-141). He’s talking about how Romeo looks so sad that it seems as if he doesn’t want to come home and he rather be locked up in a room with shut windows blocking daylight in or out. This makes Montague think that it sounds like Romeo is making himself live in an imaginary, not existing, fake world all by his lonesome self. When Benvolio and Romeo meet, they talk about what is bothering Romeo. This is when we learn that Romeo is depressed by the rejecti on of his love, Rosaline, who believes in chastity. Also, Rosaline won’t return the love that Romeo is waiting impatiently for. So this is why Romeo is heart-broken. But later, Romeo relieves his depressed feelings and he soon becomes romantic when he meets his new love, Juliet. When Romeo first sees Juliet at the Capulet ball, he completely forgets about Rosaline and falls in love with Juliet at first sight.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Reflections of a Culture Past Essay -- English Literature Essays

Reflections of a Culture Past The poem, Beowulf was supposedly written in the tenth century, but it was most likely told before then, orally, for centuries. There is little information about the author, on when Beowulf was first created or about the original version of the story before it was written. However the poem does, however, give us great insight into the cultural views and ideals of the Anglo-Saxon people who would have composed and told this tale. This includes their political, social and moral views. Beyond this, Beowulf gives us an even greater insight into this society of constant fight and war. Interwoven throughout almost every aspect of their culture and the poem are very strict moral codes and values. Those morals and values affect the ideals, beliefs and changes taking place in period. In the time of the Anglo-Saxons, men shared a common idea of heroic and traditional values that each person should follow. They admired men with outstanding courage and loyalty. Anglo-Saxon men achieved that by completing daring deeds, withstanding harsh conditions and by beating the odds. If a person showed such traits, despite where they came from, they were entitled with a great matter of respect. The traits that they valued were those of a hero. True heroes of the period had to maintain a balance between personal glory and maintaining the good of his people. However one didn’t become a hero just through great accomplishments. They also had to be exemplary individu...

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Art enhances our understanding of Reality

Whether it is drama, paintings, literature, or music that they encounter people appreciate them as superficial practices extant for pleasure. However, this notion is amiss. The media is a plethora full of various arts serving to represent phenomena that occur in real life. Through their works, artists convey their own nterpretations of the prevailing issues of society.Thus, the audience is provided with a vivid illustration of reality in perspective of an omniscient position. A renowned American novelist from the twentieth century, John Steinbeck pronounced, â€Å"l hate cameras. They are so much sure than I am about everything. † There was a time in history when society ceased to develop, called the Middle Ages. People in this era suffocated in the same, perpetual system of which social classes were unjust. Not only were groups treated differently, but also those mpotent in society had few rights.Thus, in the following period, called the Renaissance, artists strayed from idea lism. Instead, they inclined to daily aspects of life as autonomous humans, hoping to abandon the old ways. One well-known fgure is Leonardo da Vinci, who influenced his contemporaries with his works of humanistic studies. Da Vinci expressed in his arts the will to discover oneself and possibly find his identity as a human being. Just like Da Vinci who spread the knowledge of mankind through his arts, in odays society, many innovative artists create works with certain means to convey the status quo.For example, our world is deteriorating due to mistreatment of nature. The majority of the population waste natural resources, such as metals, trees, and other recyclables as well. Disheartened, a famous hip-hop artist, T. l. , was determined to prove the world's need to save trees and significance of recycling. Nonetheless, â€Å"Paper Trail†, a self-portrait pieced together with paper shreds, was able to successfully demonstrate the gravity of environmental problems to the people , specially his fans. As a result, meaningful works, such as the artwork of T. . ‘s, are able to insinuate the ongoing issues in our society. To this day, practices of art lucidly depict the ‘reality by involving the human senses -Literature for the readers, paintings for the viewers, and music for the listeners.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Health Research Methodology Essay Example

Health Research Methodology Essay Example Health Research Methodology Paper Health Research Methodology Paper Research is a scientific process of inquisition and analysis which seeks to contribute or challenge present knowledge. Contributing or challenging existing knowledge is initiated by presenting a question that needs to be answered or a problem that needs to be solved. Through research, individuals are able to understand how objects in the universe act or perform, formulate concepts or theories that are acceptable and discernible to the majority, explain events and phenomena, and such. (Fraenkel Wallen, 2006) Research requires the acquisition of existing and relevant data or information for analysis and observation. Through this, the researcher is able to conduct testing and experimentation and relate the results to previous knowledge in order to come up with a new concept, contribute to an existing concept, or prove the reliability of an existing concept. Research may be classified as basic or pure research or applied research. The objective of basic or pure research is not in line with a specific field. Basic or pure research is conducted in order to simply add information to accumulated existing knowledge. Applied research, on the other hand, is conducted in order to deal with a particular problem or interest. Applied research results in the conclusion of a solution or a remedy that shall be applied to a particular instance or scenario. (Neuman, 2006) Research Paradigms Paradigms that structure research include the inductive paradigm and the deductive paradigm, qualitative research and quantitative research, or a mixed paradigm which necessitates the use of two or more individual paradigms. In social research, there are other research paradigms identified such as the conflict paradigm, feminism, Darwinism, positivism, structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism, etc. (Babbie, 2001) Perhaps, research paradigms are particular for each field, owing to the differences in nature and requirements. To tackle general paradigms that govern research, the inductive, deductive, qualitative, and quantitative paradigms of research shall be described. The inductive paradigm begins with specific principles or ideas to general principles or ideas, while the deductive paradigm follows the opposite movement. (Cresswell, 1994) The quantitative method follows the deductive paradigm and relies on statistics or data, and from it formulates interpretations, in order to formulate a generalization or a conclusion. On the other hand, generalizations or conclusions from qualitative data rely on a set of knowledge, principles, theories, etc. and follows the inductive paradigm. (Neuman, 2006) Paradigms provide a structure or a context on which research is to be patterned. It propels the research process because it has the ability to direct and guide researchers for them to realize their identified goals and objectives. Therefore, an effective research study necessitates the researcher’s familiarity of these paradigms and how they should be applied to the research process. Problem definition A first step in conducting a research is by defining the problem that will be answered by the research. Problem definition answers the questions of what the research is all about and why the research is being conducted. The problem is a question that needs to be answered itself. However, it also seeks to answer other relevant questions such that will guide the research process. These questions will answer the causes and effects of the problem, the magnitude and kind of information needed to obtain in order to answer the question or solve the problem, the resources needed for the research, the goal or objective of the research, the expected results or outcome of the research, etc. Problem definition involves the presentation of a given scenario or situation, phenomenon, or any other information that provides a background of what the problem is all about. The problem definition also identifies how the researcher will go about the research process, identifying the paradigm that needs to be implemented, the tools and resources that should be employed, and the research expectations. Defining a problem also bears in mind some aspects that need to be addressed in the process including the researcher’s interest or curiosity regarding the issue, the degree or enormity of the problem (usually, the problem needs to be specified from a general point of view, but sill maintaining its substance worthy of the research process), etc. (Kuman, 2005) Literature Review The Literature Review is an analytical or judicious evaluation of materials or resources that are related to the theme of the research. Moreover, the literature review serves as a compilation of all types of publications that discusses a topic relative to the research subject. The information disclosed in the literature review sets the position of the research topic, determining the concepts that supports or challenges the focus of the research study. The literature review also provides a framework that illustrates the course of the research subject through time, including additional information contributed, and changes in trends and approaches, etc. A literature review should be composed of how the problem was identified or unraveled in its particular setting, the actual narration or representation of gathered materials or resources, the assessment of the gather materials and resources, and the elucidation of related literature to the context of the research subject. (Macauley, 2001) Other requirements in presenting an outstanding literature review is to argue different points of view from varied materials and resources in order to determine a common ground and the differences that make each material or source valuable to the research process. The ability of the researcher to identify flaws within each material or resource also guides him toward a particular research approach. (University of Melbourne, 2007) Designing a Research Proposal Designing a research proposal follows a long process of planning and evaluation. The research proposal contains an overview of the entire research process that aims to present the purpose and significance of a particular research subject. The proposal provides factual and significant reasons that explain why the research should be conducted in terms of the objectives that it is trying to accomplish and the scale of knowledge that it will contribute to existing facts or data. Another purpose of the research proposal is to project in depth knowledge and expertise regarding the subject of the research, making clear the objective of the research process will be acknowledged and realized. The accuracy and flaws of the research process will also be identified in the research proposal. The good points of the research will be kept in check and the flaws of the process (for instance, inappropriate methodology or lacking background information) will also be identified to allow for immediate alterations. A research proposal includes the following: the title of the research study (clear and specific), information about the researchers, background information regarding the research problem, the goals and objectives of the research study, the processes or methodology that will be employed in the research process (including techniques or approaches, measurement tools, the variables for the study, the materials or resources that will be utilized during the research process, and the expected outcome or direction of the research study after the research process. Qualitative Research Method The qualitative method in research is usually used in the social sciences, in specific topics that deals with the explanation of human behavior, way of life, social interaction, etc. based on assumptions, observations, narrative data, and other means. It does not however rely on numerical statistics or date to come up with a generalization or a conclusion. The qualitative method as a research is investigative and probing in nature, subjective to personal but rational interpretations or assessments by the research, based on established concepts, theories, or laws, and information obtained from related materials or resources. Another feature of the qualitative method when applied to research is its propensity to extract conclusions from a natural unaffected situation or state of mind, based on the points of view of the researcher. The qualitative research method employs a unique set of tools or instruments to go about conducting the research such as ethnographical observation (observing a particular group with common traits and backgrounds), case study approach (assessment of a constrained case or an occurrence), phenomenological approach (exerting effort to understand and explain a particular phenomena). Biographical approach (obtaining knowledge about an individual), fishbowl observation (an individual or a group of people are observed under a particular setting in a given period of time), historiographical approach (drawing conclusions and generalizations from historical facts and data), etc. (Strauss Corbin, 1990) Quantitative Research If qualitative data deals with exploration and discovery of particular situations or phenomena as a subject of research and conclusion, quantitative research deals with numerical or statistical data in order to reach a valid generalization. It is objective, concentrating on the measured and valid interpretations of obtained data from the methodology and the results of the research process. Quantitative research is experimental and aims to prove or disprove theories through conventional and determined processes. Quantitative research is mostly used in a various fields of science, as opposed to qualitative research which is usually employed in social sciences and other fields similar to the structure of social science. Quantitative research is utilized in pure sciences such as chemistry, physics, algebra, biology, and social science as well, etc. Quantitative research usually makes use of a controlled setting, with the use of variables in order to arrive at a conclusion. (Cresswell, 2003) It also follows a systematic process that adapts the deductive paradigm, that which aims to formulate a concept, theory, or law. Moreover, this type of research is leaning towards the formulation of paradigms and theoretical frameworks illustrated in statistical or numerical fashion. The most common methods or techniques to carry out quantitative research are through the use of questionnaires, observation of controlled settings, etc. Interview and Questionnaire Design The interview and questionnaire design is a method employed in research in order to gather or obtain related data significant to the goals and objectives of the research study. Interview is a research technique that requires a dialogue or a consultation with a resource person in order to gather first hand information about the subject of the research. A questionnaire may be used in order to guide the interview process. However, the usual purpose of the questionnaire is to gather information from a specific or focus group for measurement and interpretation. The interview and questionnaire as methods of research may be used in both qualitative and quantitative research. However, it is important to keep in mind that before deciding to use specific research techniques, the goals and objectives of the research study must be identified in order to determine whether these techniques would be efficient to realize the goals and objectives of the research study. After determining the goals and objectives of the research study and the usefulness of interview and questionnaire has been identified, the researcher has to come up with steps in order to carry out these techniques. An interview requires approval from a resource person, and a scheduling available time and day both for the researcher and the interviewee to conduct the dialogue. The researcher should keep in mind that the questions should meet the requirements of the research, with clear and definite questions. Questioning should not be time-consuming. In designing a questionnaire, the following attributes should be kept in mind. A questionnaire should be short and extensive. The questions should be understandable and should not take a lot of time for the respondents to answer. It should also include a short introduction that presents the research study, the researchers, and the goals and objectives of the study. (Creative Research Systems, 2008) Sampling Strategies Sampling strategies are techniques utilized in sampling or selecting a section from a population to focus the study on. They are also implemented in order to ensure that the sample population that will be taken and studied from the total population will meet the desired results and generalizations of the research study. There are several sampling strategies utilized in research. Probability sampling can be categorized into four kinds, the simple random, stratified random, the cluster, and the systematic sampling. Simple random sampling selects arbitrarily from the population. The stratified random sampling categorizes the population into subgroups or divisions and samples will be drawn from each subgroup or division. Cluster sampling is grouping the population into clusters according to similarities, and samples will be drawn from each cluster. Systematic sampling follows a pattern of selecting a sample that will be observed. Non-probability sampling is categorizes under three techniques of sampling such as convenience sampling, quota sampling, and purposive sampling. Convenience sampling is selecting a sample population based on availability or accessibility. Quota sampling is dependent on the opportunity to obtain a sample and setting a quota for variables such as quotas for female or male samples, etc. Purposive sampling is designed to meet a particular goal or objective. Samples are not derived randomly but are selected according to the sample’s ability to answer the purpose of the research. (Landrenaeu, 2007) Quality of Data Reliability and Validity The reliability and validity of data determines the significance and authority of a research study. Research studies will be welcomed as a reliable contribution to existing knowledge if it is consistent and dependable. The reliability of data as revealed in a research study may be tested from conducting another research or experiment. If a research study is reliable, other research studies would yield the same results or conclusions. A research study will become commendable, worthy of attention and scrutiny if it reliable. However, a research study cannot stand in itself just by being reliable because reliability in itself does not make up a good research study. The research study should also be valid. Validity requires that a research study is precise or truthful. Upon testing or evaluation of the research study, its results or conclusions should have answered the goals and objectives of the research. A research study will not be valid if its results or conclusions tackle a different concept, theory or law. To fully identify whether a particular research study is valid, three validity contents should be determined, including the content, the concurrent and predictive, and the construct validity aspects of the research study. A research study proven to be reliable and valid becomes a valuable part of knowledge and science. (Golafshani, 2003) Data Management and Data Analysis Data management involves organizing data collected throughout the duration of the research process. Researchers should be able to accumulate in an organized and systematic fashion for easy retrieval and access. Moreover, large amounts of data should be clustered according to their content and purpose in order to lessen ambiguity and overkill when it comes to digesting the content of the research study. Primarily, the purpose of data management is to gather data in such a way that they the content of data is in line with the purpose of the research study. Data management is also used to accumulate data used in the research for the benefit of other researchers. (Miles Huberman, 2004) Data analysis requires synthesizing gathered data for the purpose of identifying similar and complementary content, determining useful or significant data to meet the goals and objectives of the research study, accumulating all necessary data, digesting the content of the data, interpreting the content of the data, describing its role in the research process, etc. Data analysis concentrates on the validity of the content of data. The process of analyzing data involves breaking down the content of the data and synthesizing them to make a connection or a pattern that will be used to arrive at a result or conclusion. Data analysis is done through numerical processes. Research Ethics The research process and all its aspects should follow certain ethical issues and concerns. Research ethics was designed to project the field of research in a reliable, dependable, trustworthy, and respectable fashion. It aims to look after the rights of all stakeholders, from the researcher, scientists, participants involved in the research process, the government, the community, etc. Primarily, research ethics is employed to provide guidelines and limits to researchers in conducting the research study. It is most applicable when the research study requires the involvement of other people intended to be utilized for testing or experimentation. The simplest example of ethics in research is the obtainment of private information during the interview or answering of questionnaire. If the interviewee or respondent refuses to answer a particular question due to a valid personal reason, then the researcher should respect the decision. (Resnik, 2008) Other ethical concerns that researchers should follow are the following. Target participants in the research study should not be forced to join the research study. The researcher should also follow ethical rules about privacy and confidentiality of information. Researchers should not trick target participants into participating in the research study, including revealing false information or concealing other information regarding the research. In general, researchers should uphold ethical standards in research in order to keep the dignity and the consistency of the field of research. Research should not be used to injure stakeholders or damage the environment. Rather it should be utilized to contribute to existing knowledge and the betterment of everyday life. References Babbie, E. (2001). â€Å"The Practice of Social Research, 9th Ed. Belmont: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Creative Research Systems. (2008). â€Å"Survey Design.† Retrieved August 27, 2008, from Creative Research Systems, Inc. Website: surveysystem.com/sdesign.htm Cresswell, J. W. (1994). â€Å"Research Design: Qualitative Quantitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications Inc. Cresswell, J. W. (2003). â€Å"Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods and Approaches. California: Sage Publications Inc. Fraenkel, J. R. Wallen, N. E. (2006). â€Å"How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education.† NY: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Street Violence essays

Street Violence essays The causes of street violence, what can be said about this reoccurring problem that is affecting the lives of Americans everyday. Gangs and organized crime figures contribute to this on going problem. Street violence is no longer a problem that goes on in just ghetto areas. In the last few years those involved come from white middle class neighborhoods. It has affected mainstream culture. The word gang or dope dealer is no longer associated with just blacks or ethnic groups. In the last five years there have been cases where gang related white males from middle class families commit violent crimes. If street violence becomes a mainstream problem there is going to be a drastic impact on society when it comes into play in middle class communities. What is interesting about street violence is, why do people take such dramatic risk for such little reward. Is the thrill of getting caught or do these people need serious help. Well in some cases the lack of education has an impact, maybe never knowing the difference between right and wrong could be the answer. If a person knows in their mind that he or she is not going to amount to anything, this might be a reason to take high risks. Drugs play a major role in violent activities, if a person is a hardcore user they will do what ever it takes to get there so called fix. Street violence must be addressed some how; the public and law enforcement must work together to correct the problem before it starts. Underlying feelings can lead to violence, such as hate, rage, shame, guilt, and trying to prove something in a negative way. Drugs and alcohol can trigger violent outbursts in someone who is already harboring feelings of rage, or who is mentally unstable. If the person is a drug user this will just intense the violent personality. Once the person becomes addicted to hardcore drugs like cocaine or meth some users start to steal to support their addiction. Drug market...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on International trade in the post-WWII era

International trade in the post-WWII era. More of this Feature International Trade Trade/Environment Trade/Environment Links Related Resources Environment/WTO Tuna/Dolphins Shrimp/Turtles NAFTA/Environment Following the end of WWII, the allies decided that a prosperous and lasting peace depended not only on the creation of a stable international political order based on principles embedded in the United Nations (UN) Charter, but also on the creation of a stable liberal international economic order. The twin pillars of the international financial system, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), emerged as the institutional alternative to the regionalism characteristic of international financial practices in the post-WWI era. An international trading system, built on free trade principles, was also considered as an alternative to the protectionist global trade regime that evolved, especially after the depression. State foreign economic policies followed the pattern of the United States, which opted to manage domestic economic policy partially by implementing the Smoot-Hawley Act, an act which promoted tariff based import reduction. Contrary to their international financial counterparts, international trade agreements evolved into their current institutional form during the course of almost a fifty year history. The trade compliment to the post-war international political economy the International Trade Organization (ITO) was negotiated in Havana, Cuba. Political disagreements ultimately spelled the end of the ITO as a formal organization, yet participants considered trade issues important enough to resurrect portions of the ITO charter and transform them into a less formal, free standing trade agreement known as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. (GATT). Figure 1 briefly outlines the history of G... Free Essays on International trade in the post-WWII era Free Essays on International trade in the post-WWII era International trade in the post-WWII era. More of this Feature International Trade Trade/Environment Trade/Environment Links Related Resources Environment/WTO Tuna/Dolphins Shrimp/Turtles NAFTA/Environment Following the end of WWII, the allies decided that a prosperous and lasting peace depended not only on the creation of a stable international political order based on principles embedded in the United Nations (UN) Charter, but also on the creation of a stable liberal international economic order. The twin pillars of the international financial system, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), emerged as the institutional alternative to the regionalism characteristic of international financial practices in the post-WWI era. An international trading system, built on free trade principles, was also considered as an alternative to the protectionist global trade regime that evolved, especially after the depression. State foreign economic policies followed the pattern of the United States, which opted to manage domestic economic policy partially by implementing the Smoot-Hawley Act, an act which promoted tariff based import reduction. Contrary to their international financial counterparts, international trade agreements evolved into their current institutional form during the course of almost a fifty year history. The trade compliment to the post-war international political economy the International Trade Organization (ITO) was negotiated in Havana, Cuba. Political disagreements ultimately spelled the end of the ITO as a formal organization, yet participants considered trade issues important enough to resurrect portions of the ITO charter and transform them into a less formal, free standing trade agreement known as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. (GATT). Figure 1 briefly outlines the history of G...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Strategic management - Essay Example Organizational culture can be defined as an existence of shared understanding in a society, organization, team or group. Culture is understood to be a multifarious phenomenon which operates at various levels such as visible and invisible, conscious and subconscious. Culture helps in shaping the history and legacy of an organization (Wilkins and Ouchi, 2003). Cultural analysis of an organization can be used to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of an organization. Organizational culture creates patterns of behaviour and also includes the way through which strategy can be managed in an organization. Culture has its relevance in every organization. Culture decides the way the staff interacts in the organization. A healthy culture within the organization motivates the employees and encourages them to stay loyal to the organization. Culture of the workplace also ensures existence of a healthy competition in the workplace (Cooke and Rousseau, 2011). It is the culture of the organization that drives the employees to attain the goals of the organization by performing efficiently. The culture within the organization provides the employees with predefined sets of policies and guidelines which will direct them towards achieving success at workplace (Bloor and Dawson, 2004). Work culture ensures creating a brand image of the organization in the long run by providing a unique identity to it. Most importantly, organizational culture unites all the employees who otherwise belong to different cultural backgrounds. Every organization therefore must focus on enhancing its culture to bring in p ositive changes. Organizational stability involves maintaining status quo and emerging in a methodological and slow manner. The organizations that have attained a level of growth desire to maintain the stability of such growth in the future and for that various strategies are to be implemented by the organization (Schwenk, 1989 ).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Speakers' Primary Motives Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speakers' Primary Motives - Coursework Example As a sitcom episode, "Lucy and the Loving Cup," I Love Lucy can effectually be analyzed from Burke’s perception of dramatism. "Lucy and the Loving Cup," I Love Lucy is a favorite episode that utterly and significantly conveys the pentad as put forward by Burke. An analysis of this episode will outspokenly enable the comprehension of human philosophy and the motive behind a speaker’s acts and actions. Lucille Ball’s eyeballs were made into the decorative design on the cup so that she could somehow see and get a clear perception of the comedy that was unveiling around her. All the actions that Lucille Ball engages in are ostensibly motivated by the acrimony of characters around her. Her actions are also motivated by the symbols in and around her but language remain her paramount symbol. Her atrocious claustrophobia does not impede her from finding a way of wearing the loving cup. Outstandingly, most of the actions of the characters are motivated by the sheer fact that they want to hide their guilt while at the same time make the comedy continue and even make it more attention grabbing. Ricky’s disapproves Lucy’s new hat as a way of walloping or eluding the guilt that people could associate with the hat. As an escape strategy, Ricky’s makes fun of the hat as a way of dismissing and hiding her compassionate. Unquestionably, Ricky’s actions are inspired by guilt redemption and apparently reflect the ambiguity of substance that is predominant in the jesting. For instance, when Ricky discovers a cache of silverware and large amount of cash in a purse that was portentously owned by Lucy, she jumps onto the inordinate conclusion that Lucy was a kleptomaniac oblivious of the fact that Lucy was accumulating the items for a club bazaar. This was a tranquil and quick way of misapprehending Lucy and shifting the blame. Additionally, when Ricky tells Ethel, â€Å"Oh, now, Ethel, I know that Fred is a

Experimenter Effects Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Experimenter Effects - Research Paper Example To improve experimenter effects for this article implies the reduction of the experimenter’s personal traits, behaviour, and expectancies in the ability of using Magnet Hospital program in reducing RN shortages. To prove that this program can effectively reduce nursing shortage, the experiment would employ the use of double-blind research. In this research, several hospitals are chosen with an acute care and step-down units. Some of the RNs in the acute care or the step-down units under the supervision of the advanced practice nurse. In My opinion, this approach would reduce experimenter effects, since error is reduce from the selection of a number of hospitals. Secondly, the experiment is carried out on either the acute care or step-down unit nurses in any of the hospitals. Thirdly, the margin of biasness, assumptions, perceptions and beliefs in conclusions, would b reduced by having a number of the RN nurses under the advanced practice nurse, who may or may not have a major leadership role in decision making, policy making, or design development. This method would work since the experimenter is not aware of the subjects under the experiment, due to the variance in

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Principles of Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principles of Human Resource Management - Essay Example 291) On the other hand, selection can be defined as the process of determining the candidate with the best qualities for the job (Jackson & Schuler, 2000). This essay therefore seeks to critically discuss the importance of knowing the legal implications related to the key concepts explained above by the HRM. To select is to discriminate when it comes to recruitment and selection of employees. The issue in this case is not about discriminating but it is about how to discriminate fairly. In simple terms, it is concerned with how this process is done in relation to the human resources management process where job applicants must be treated fairly. In as far as the processes of recruiting and selection are concerned, it can be seen that the most important aspect is that of fairness. The employers need to be fair when they choose candidates to fill the vacant posts in their organisations. Grobler et al (2006) suggests that employers must not be influenced by factors such as race, gender, culture or physical status of a person when they select people to employ in their organisations. ... Under this law, no one is supposed to be unfairly treated as a result of gender, sex role or religion which may result in that person not getting employment even though he is qualified for that position. This law is meant to promote fair recruitment as well as labour practices where candidates for the job posts are not disadvantaged because they do not belong to a certain group of people. An organisation which does not observe this law will be committing and offence and a lawsuit can be filed against that company. It is therefore very important for the human resources management practitioners to have an understanding of the legal requirements relating to employing people. An organisation which fails to observe these legal requirements may be risking its operations given that they can have their licence cancelled and this will negatively affect the whole organisation. Companies which also fail to respect the legal requirements of employing people will risk losing money as they can be forced to pay large sums of money for violating the employment laws of the country. America is also one of the countries with clearly outlined legal requirements relating to employment of people. According to Prafdar (2001), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 no organisation should discriminate or harass potential employees on the basis of race, religion or creed. Any company that violates these legal requirements will be committing an offence and can be prosecuted by the court of law. To avoid negative impacts on the company as a result of violating the employment laws, it is very important for the human resources practitioners to have an understanding of the legal

Individual Personality Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Individual Personality Profile - Assignment Example The study of personality is undertaken mostly by both sociologists and psychologists to give them an insight into what makes a person tick. There are two broad ways of how to approach or implement the study of personality. The first is through discovering some general principles that apply to all types of people such as self-actualization principle that governs all human beings. The second approach is to observe and understand an individual by his unique aspects. The first approach is generalized or macro view (termed as nomothetic psychology) while the second is a micro view of a person or specific and called idiographic psychology. There are also several theoretical viewpoints used to study personality such as social learning perspective, biological, humanistic, behavioral and psycho-dynamic. Various tests have been designed to determine an individuals personality using some of these theories to arrive at a coherent and complete picture of a persons psychological composition or makeup. Personal psychology is used in a variety of ways such as hiring policies for employment. This paper will describe my personality based on some tests I took and discuss its implications. Knowing your personality type can help a lot in career decision making. This is due to the fact that certain personalities are more suited to particular jobs or professions. Having a good fit between personality and job description helps towards achieving efficiency at work and increased employee satisfaction as well. This is why personality tests are important in the world of work and many firms use personality tests to determine if an applicant is suitable or not for a vacant job position. Hiring the right employees helps to improve or achieve overall organizational objectives. Training and work experience can come in later and augment all an employees strengths in performing the job functions but the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Principles of Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principles of Human Resource Management - Essay Example 291) On the other hand, selection can be defined as the process of determining the candidate with the best qualities for the job (Jackson & Schuler, 2000). This essay therefore seeks to critically discuss the importance of knowing the legal implications related to the key concepts explained above by the HRM. To select is to discriminate when it comes to recruitment and selection of employees. The issue in this case is not about discriminating but it is about how to discriminate fairly. In simple terms, it is concerned with how this process is done in relation to the human resources management process where job applicants must be treated fairly. In as far as the processes of recruiting and selection are concerned, it can be seen that the most important aspect is that of fairness. The employers need to be fair when they choose candidates to fill the vacant posts in their organisations. Grobler et al (2006) suggests that employers must not be influenced by factors such as race, gender, culture or physical status of a person when they select people to employ in their organisations. ... Under this law, no one is supposed to be unfairly treated as a result of gender, sex role or religion which may result in that person not getting employment even though he is qualified for that position. This law is meant to promote fair recruitment as well as labour practices where candidates for the job posts are not disadvantaged because they do not belong to a certain group of people. An organisation which does not observe this law will be committing and offence and a lawsuit can be filed against that company. It is therefore very important for the human resources management practitioners to have an understanding of the legal requirements relating to employing people. An organisation which fails to observe these legal requirements may be risking its operations given that they can have their licence cancelled and this will negatively affect the whole organisation. Companies which also fail to respect the legal requirements of employing people will risk losing money as they can be forced to pay large sums of money for violating the employment laws of the country. America is also one of the countries with clearly outlined legal requirements relating to employment of people. According to Prafdar (2001), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 no organisation should discriminate or harass potential employees on the basis of race, religion or creed. Any company that violates these legal requirements will be committing an offence and can be prosecuted by the court of law. To avoid negative impacts on the company as a result of violating the employment laws, it is very important for the human resources practitioners to have an understanding of the legal

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Special education collaboration, book reflection 2 Coursework

Special education collaboration, book reflection 2 - Coursework Example he particular help and support here is in the concept of how each member of the team can assist one another in achieving the departmental objectives, aims, and the set goals. In this paper am going to write a reflective essay on the events taking place in the story, but choosing a specific one, basing on what we have gotten taught in class. I have settled down to analyze and talk about the fact the author talks of Simon going to his office, in the BullsEye organization, on one of the weekends, Saturday. The main purpose of him walking into the office despite being a non-working day has shown us some levels of accountability towards competence in his job. The aspect of accountability gets further reflected when Simon realizes that John, his junior staff in the department he is heading, had also walked in earlier, to rectify on their wrongly done job. Accountability, as a factor of collaboration, has reflected on the fundamentals of collaboration that need to be kept in place in order o achieve the set group objectives and goals (Friend & Cook, 2010). The situation around this particular event that I have chosen came along as a result of one of the departments of the BullsEye organization, lead by Simon, failed to deliver as expected (Lundin & Nelson, 2010). The overall manager of the team had complained a lot concerning the poor performance of these particular departments despite the other units performing well above their targets set for them. The failure of this particular group to deliver as expected brought some reactions by the top management, and the next action to get taken was to change the head of this failed department. Simon could not believe this and had to spare his weekend time and walk into the office so that he could make some corrections on the faults made by his junior staffs. Upon reaching the room, Simon realized that John was also around to help him make corrections on some of the errors so that they could come up with some quality jobs

Middle Ages Literature Essay Example for Free

Middle Ages Literature Essay The Middle Ages had many interesting characteristics concerning the literature of that time period. The important literary works â€Å"incorporated elements and values drawn from different and conflicting traditions (Patterson 1143). For every opinion, there was another opinion to counter it. Many of the pieces of literature at this time had contradictory ideas in them or had competing interests (Patterson 1144). The literature of this time shows us that â€Å"many people took the central doctrine of Christianity so much for granted that their daily lives seem largely untroubled by the moral and spiritual demands of religion† (Patterson 1144). Another characteristic of the literature was that it alerts us to the â€Å"complexities and dilemmas that any faith poses† (Patterson 1144). The Middle Ages is also called the â€Å"age of chivalry† (Patterson 1144). The literature mainly â€Å"expresses the values of the most powerful members of society, the aristocracy† (Patterson 1144). The aristocracy achieved their power through â€Å"military might† (Patterson 1144). There was also an â€Å"explicit code of chivalry† (Patterson 1145). The values were â€Å"never entirely consistent with each other† (Patterson 1145). Characters of literature had to choose whether to be a lover or a warrior (Patterson 1145). The main concerns of the literature were â€Å"the demands of religious faith and appropriate use of physical force, and the individual human being working out his or her individual destiny† (Patterson 1145). The literature during this time contributed to a list of vivid characters to the world of literature (Patterson 1145). Writers created unforgettable, complex literary characters to deal with the themes (Patterson 1145). The Middle Ages contrasted to the Renaissance because the Renaissance’s characters had â€Å"greater autonomy and fully realized personalities† (James 1883). The Renaissance’s literature did not judge â€Å"human action by right and wrong but by beauty, memorability, and effectiveness† (James 1886). During the Renaissance, the presence of God was much less dominating (James 1887). Medieval men and women were more concerned with the afterlife, while in the Renaissance they had a preoccupation with this life (James 1886). The Canterbury Tales fits into the Middle Ages well with some characteristics and not quite as well concerning others. For example, the Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales preaches the word of God on a daily basis, yet he is morally corrupt in his everyday life (Chaucer 1759). He preaches of greed, yet is greedy himself (Chaucer 1759). The Pardoner steals from the church, as well as innocent people (Chaucer 1758). Chaucer showed us that people took the doctrine of the church for granted. Other characters in The Canterbury Tales spoke of God and were Christians, yet didn’t bother with feeling morally obligated to act right. The dilemmas of being a Christian in real-life are seen. Some of the characters are Christian but it is more complex and takes an effort to be a Christian. The Canterbury Tales didn’t seem to have contradictory themes necessarily. Chaucer makes his views of various social ranks known through a use of satire. The characters themselves are contradictory, as we see with the Pardoner once again (Chaucer 1758). Since Chaucer has every type of social rank represented, we see his view of these ranks, which does contradict some of the jobs or moral obligations of various people. The characters in the story itself did compete for various interests. They all held different values or beliefs about the world. Chaucer lived during this time period, so it is in a way a more realistic view rather than contradictory. The explicit code of chivalry isn’t necessarily a large component of The Canterbury Tales except for perhaps the Knight and his tale. Chaucer shows that some people were focused on the chivalry act during this time. The Canterbury Tales doesn’t focus on pleasing the aristocracy either. Chaucer wrote from the perspective of every social rank so his book was meant for the poor and rich. Its subject matter was meant to be appealing to all Medieval people. The final characteristic that The Canterbury Tales does follow is the well developed characters. Chaucer had a whole list of realistic, complex characters. These characters could rival the Renaissance’s characters to me. I enjoyed reading about the characters and reading even more of The Canterbury Tales online. The Canterbury Tales fits well with the characteristics of the Middle Ages for the most part. The individual characters do have an individual goal in mind. Chaucer seemed as if he cared about his characters and wanted readers to his get to know them on an individual level, which seems more ahead of his time.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Role Of Interactional Modification In Efl

The Role Of Interactional Modification In Efl The interaction hypothesis claims that interactional modification promotes language development through increasing comprehension. Owing to the fact that online interactive exchange offers learners many opportunities to use the target language to negotiate both meaning and form in a social context , this study is an attempt to compare the types and frequency of Interactional Modifications as employed by two groups of intermediate EFL students-one interacting via online communication and the other through regular oral class interaction to explore the potentials of text-based online chat in facilitating the development of question forms in English as a foreign language. To do so, while a total of eighteen paired intermediate EFL students used a synchronous chat program (Yahoo Messenger) over a seven week period to complete a series of communicative tasks outside their classroom time, the members of the comparison group did the same tasks using plain classroom oral interaction. The resul ts show that Iranian EFL learners in computer mediated communication (CMC) environment had over five times as many turns, and used a much greater variety of interactional modifications in comparison to the group in class environment. Data from this study also suggest that interactional modifications during online negotiation facilitate the development of question forms in English as a foreign language. Given that the current study only focused on online interaction among non- native speakers (NNSs), future studies on online negotiation including both NNSs and native speakers (NSs) are still needed. Key terms: Computer-Mediated Communication, Interactional modifications, question forms development Introduction Interaction is the key to second language learning. However one of the greatest challenges faced by the foreign language (FL) education is how to construct an interactive learning environment outside the classroom in which learners can exchange information and communicate ideas in the target language (TL). This challenge as Campbell (2004) truly mentioned is due to the fact that unlike ESL learners who communicate in TL outside of the classroom, the EFL learners re-enter a world talking their mother tongue as soon as they leave the classroom and consequently they dont have any opportunities to interact in TL and are left with little opportunity to use what theyve learned in the classroom. Many a researcher in the area of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has suggested that text-based Synchronous Computer Mediated Communication (SCMC) is capable of providing an ideal learning environment which may be beneficial to second/foreign language learning. (Beauvois, 1992; Pellettieri, 1999; Chapelle, 2001). Pellettieri (2000) declared a logical relationship and argued that because oral interaction is considered by many to be important for second language development, and because Synchronous [CMC]. . . bears a striking resemblance to oral interaction, it seems logical to assume that language practice through [CMC] will reap some of the same benefits for second language development as practice through oral interaction.(p. ) While many studies investigated the role of oral negotiated interaction in second/foreign language development (Gass, 1997; Long, 1985; Mackay, 1995; Mackey Philp, 1998), the role of online negotiated interaction in facilitating language development has not yet been explored completely. Specifically, as far as the efficacy of SCMC medium in grammatical development is concerned, the previous findings are unsatisfactory and controversial. Moreover little research has yet been conducted into the effect of CMC in the EFL context. This study therefore, explores the role of interactional modifications during text-based SCMC in order to better understand the potential of text-based online chatting to facilitate the development of question formation in English as a foreign language. Literature review Interactional modifications in CMC environment In spite of the fact that a few studies has addressed the issue of interactional modifications in CMC environment (Lee, 2001, 2002; Kotter, 2003; Jepson 2005; Isharyanti, 2008), none of these studies have been conducted in naturalistic setting (e.g. outside of the classroom or language laboratory), thus ignoring the real potential of CMC technology which is beyond any temporal and spatial constraints. Although focusing on different categorization of interactional modifications, all of these studies have shown unanimously that CMC medium is capable of providing a conductive learning environment in which interactional modifications might be generated. Lee (2001, 2002) conducted two similar studies in which she explored the types of interactional modifications employed by Spanish Learners at intermediate level of proficiency. Considering both studies, a total of ten categories of interactional modifications were identified including Comprehension checks; Clarification checks; Confirmation checks; Use of English, Word invention; Request (for help); Use of approximation; Self corrections; Topic shift ,and Use of keyboard symbols as discourse makers. The result showed that request (for help) happened the most frequently followed by clarification checks self- correction and comprehension check (Lee, 2001, p. 238; Lee, 2002, p.280). Through a comparison of the result of her study with the literature on face-to-face communication Lee (2002) argued that the learners negotiated with each other using a variety of modification devices similar to face-to face communication (p. 280). Being one of the first studies in this area, the studies con ducted by Lee were subject to a number of limitations. For example the definitions used in coding categories are somewhat problematic (Thomas Reinders, 2010) since as Kotter (2003) stated there is substantial overlap between the definitions of clarification checks and requests (p. 157). Providing a more coherent classificatory system, the study by Kotter (2003) focused on eight types of interactional modifications including: Confirmation checks; Clarification request; Comprehension checks, Repetitions; Recasts, Overt indications of understanding; Overt indications of agreement; and Overt indications of non-agreement (p. 157). However, in contrast to Lees (2001, 2002) finding, Kotters (2003) study revealed a marked difference between conversational repair in spoken interactions and in the MOO-based exchange (p. 145). He discussed that these differences may due to a number of medium-specific factors (p.163). Jepson (2005) explored the types of repair moves used by NNSs in synchronous text-based chat in comparison to voice-based chat during 10, 5-minute sessions. (5 text-based chat sessions and 5 voice-based chat sessions). Although a number of new interactional modifications ( e.g. Self repetition/Paraphrase, Explicit Correction and Question)were identified, this study is also subject to a number of limitations. There was no information about the proficiency level of participants as this issue may affect the interaction and the interactional modifications generated during the process of negotiation. Furthermore, the duration of the sessions was limited (5 minutes). These two issues may question the external validity of the findings. In a more recent study, Isharyanti (in Marriott Torres, 2008) examined the types and frequency of interactional modifications employed by NNSs during synchronous text- based chat. Focusing on a more varied number of interactional modifications, Isharyantis study confirmed the potential of CMC environment in generating interactional modifications. The data showed that the participants engaged in online negotiation process and in order to understand and to be understood, they used a variety of interactional modifications among which confirmation check (24%) was the most frequent one followed by overt indication of agreement (21%) and clarification request (21%). Nevertheless, to examine the potential of CMC technology as a medium for negotiated interaction, the presence of a control a group (a typical class environment in which learners communicate face-to-face) would be helpful. L2 grammatical development and Text-based computer mediated communication The role of negotiated interaction in L2 development continues to be of great interest to researchers (see Pica, 1987; Gass and Varonis, 1989; Mackey, 1995). However, much of the research on the effect of negotiated interaction and interactional modifications used during negotiation process is based on data from face-to-face interaction in ESL context. Moreover, the few studies that have been conducted in CMC environment are unsatisfactory and controversial. There are three standà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.blue print Sotillo (2000) compared syntactic complexity of 25 learners output produced in synchronous versus asynchronous computer mediated communication (SCMC vs. ACMC). She claimed that because of the fast nature of interaction in SCMC, the participants did not pay any attention to form (accuracy) while negotiating meaning (97). In the meantime, due to the delayed nature of ACMC, this medium was capable of generating more syntactically complex structures. Nevertheless, as Fiori (2005) stated while Sotillo reported that grammatical accuracy may suffer in the SCMC environment, her data revealed that the synchronous groups interactions exhibited fewer errors than the asynchronous groups utterances (p. 569). Further investigation, therefore is needed to better understand the potential of SCMC environment in fostering the grammatical development. In the same vein of research, Lees studies (2001, 2002) admitted that although the participants did engage in negotiation of meaning, negotiation of form rarely happened among them. She argued that due to the rapidity of the interaction occurred in SCMC, participants produced brief utterances using simple sentence structures and ignored linguistic errors (Lee, 2001, p. 239). Thus she concluded that interaction mediated via SCMC technology fostered fluency rather than accuracy. Emphasizing on further studies on the effectiveness of CMC medium for the development of learners interlanguage, Lee (2001) suggested that students need to be advised of the need to write correctly to maintain a balance between function, content, and accuracy (p. 242). Blake (2000) examined the online discourse of 50 Spanish learners at intermediate level of proficiency in term of task type. By considering the potential of CMC environment for eliciting negotiation of meaning, Blake (2000) concluded that carefully crafted tasks stimulate L2 learners to negotiate meaning which. . . . appear to constitute ideal conditions for SLA, with the CMC medium being no exception (p. 133). However, his stand on the effectiveness of CMC medium for grammatical development is uncertain. According to Blake (2000) the predominance of incidental lexical negotiations, in contrast to the paucity of syntactic negotiations, leaves unanswered or unsatisfactorily addressed the issue of grammatical development (p. 120). Therefore, further research is to be conducted in order to declare this issue with certainty. On the contrary, Pellettieri (2000) claimed that bearing a striking resemblance to oral interaction, network based communication (NBC) is capable of facilitating grammatical development. She examined online discourse produced by 20 NNSs during 5 30-minute sessions. As far as the potential of CMC medium in stimulating negotiation of meaning is concerned, the results of her study echoed the findings reported in literature. She observed that, engaging in online negotiation process is as facilitative as it is typical to oral interaction. She also found that the learners seek mutual understanding and try to convey their meaning by using some communicative strategies. Adopting an interactionist perspective, she argued that Because through negotiation, interlocutors can zero in on the exact source of communicative problem they are trying to resolve, and because often at the root of the problem is some aspect of the L2 form, be it lexical, syntactic, or semantic, L2 learners are even more likely to notice the problem and attend to these very aspects of form in their output while negotiating meaning. (p.61) As Pellettieri reasoned, engaging in the process of negotiation of meaning, the interlocutors attention will be drawn on linguistic form and consequently they are able to notice the gap between their interlanguage and the target form. This process focus on form has been claimed necessary for grammatical development (Gass and Varonis, 1994; Schmidt, 1990; Spada Lightbown, 1993 as cited in Pellettieri, 2000). Finally Salaberry (2000) compared the efficacy of two environments: CMC environment versus face-to-face environment in fostering L2 morphosyntactic development. He analyzed the discourse produced by four NNSs qualitatively. The findings revealed that with respect to the use of past-tense verbal morphology across tasks, some initial changes in the development of morphological endings were more evident in the CMC session than in oral session (p. 17). According to Salaberry (2000), the outperforming of CMC environment over face-to-face environment in facilitating morphological development may due to medium-specific characteristic that is CMC provides a learning environment in which the learners attention will be drawn on both form and function (p. 19). Differences in the mixed findings regarding the effect of SCMC medium on the grammatical development may be due to the difference in target items used to measure development. In Sotillos (2000) study, the target feature was Syntactic complexity which was defined by Sotillos (2000) as the ability to produce writing that uses subordination and embedded subordinate clauses (p. 99). Lees (2001, 2002) measure of development was sentence structure (simple sentences versus complex ones) ,while Salaberry (2000) used past tense verbal endings as the target grammatical feature. However, as far as the researchers are aware, there is not a single study to address the effect of CMC environment on the development of grammatical development with regard question forms in English as a foreign language. Therefore, in the light of ongoing discussion as to the role of CMC in foreign language development, the present study was designed to answer the following research questions: Do Iranian EFL learners engage in meaning negotiation process through SCMC? What types and frequency of interactional modifications do Iranian learners employ in CMC environment versus of those in class environment? Is there a the relationship between group membership (Experimental group: CMC environment Vs. Control group: Class environment) and the production and development of question forms in English as a foreign language? Method Following the mixed methods approach, this study adopted both a qualitative perspective to provide an in-depth explanation of the types of interactional modifications and a quantitative view point via a pretest-posttest, delayed posttest design to explore the existing relationships. Participants A total of 36 EFL learners from a Language school in Rasht, Iran participated in the present study. Their Participation in the study was voluntary and involved a commitment of 50 to 60 minutes performing some communicative tasks with their assigned partners for one session per week for 7 weeks outside of the classroom. This study was held during study periods at the language school. All participants were native speakers of Persian who were receiving two 90-minute classes of English instruction weekly. There were 30 female and 6 male students. The age of participants ranged from 14 to 32 years, with an average of 17. To meet local ethics requirements, the participants and their parents consent to contribute to this project was secured through two forms a Contract Form with an explanatory statement according to which the researchers guaranteed that participants would receive some rewards (some English books on DVD) if they accomplished the expected tasks and Parental Consent Form, in P ersian, given to all participants and their parents to be signed. Instrument Yahoo! Messenger Chat Software The software used in this study was the Yahoo! Messenger, a free program available for public use. It allows for real time, synchronous Computer Mediated Communication in Internet chat rooms. Using the text mode, the participants could record all of the written transactions entered in a chat window, which provided the researchers with an instantaneous transcript of all user exchanges. Communication Tasks The tasks used in this study were selected and developed to (a) provide opportunities for the interactional modifications to take place and (b) provide context for the targeted structures to occur. Following Pica, Kanagy Faloduns typology (1993), information gap tasks were used in this study in order to make the participants exchange information and endeavor to gain a single outcome. The selection of the communicative tasks utilized for both treatment and tests-was motivated by previous studies such as Pellettieri, (1999), Blake, (2000) and Cheon (2003). Each task was photocopied and distributed to every participant. Table 1. presents a detailed description of each task. Table 1. Task materials used for test and treatment Task Task instruction given to participants Pretest Missing information Work with your partner. Ask and answer questions to find the missing information. Treatment Complete the drawing Below is a drawing of Richards room. He hasnt had time to put all his things where he wants them. Your partner has a complete drawing of his room. Ask him/her questions where to put all the things. Complete the drawing Below is a drawing of a kitchen. Your partner has the same drawing but with a number of objects. (E.g. glasses, pots, etc.). Ask him/her questions where to put all the things. Spot the differences You both have two similar photographs but taken at a slightly different time. Work with your partner to find as many differences between the two photos as you can. Spot the differences Work with your partner. You both have a drawing of a busy yard where you can see people doing different things. Your drawings are NOT the same. There are 9 differences. Ask and answer questions to find the differences. Posttest Missing information Work with your partner. Ask and answer questions to find the missing information. Delayed Posttest Missing information Work with your partner. Ask and answer questions to find the missing information. Procedures First, the researchers explained the project to the students and expressed the hope that the students would choose to participate. All participation was voluntary, however to encourage the students to take part in the study, the instructor guaranteed that participants would receive a DVD-pack including some English books as a reward. To meet local ethics requirements, through a Contract Form with an explanatory statement and a Parental Consent Form in Persian, the students were asked if they would like to participate in this research project. Afterwards, Participants in experimental group (n=18) were divided by self-selecting into nine pairs and were asked to chat online to do a series of communicative tasks for one session per week for 7 weeks outside of the classroom. The students completed 7 tasks in total over the duration of the study. There were no time limits imposed on tasks. And the students were told that they should send copies of their chat transcripts to the researchers e-mail address for further data analysis. The participants in control group (n=18), solved the same tasks face-to-face in the classroom within the limited time imposed by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Data collection and analysis The data were collected from students weekly online chatting together with the scripts from face-to face conversation. In order to investigate whether Iranian learners engage in meaning negotiation through SCMC technology, the data collected from the written discourse were analyzed based on the typical scheme established by Varonis and Gass (1985). In accordance with Blakes (2000) study, the number of total turns and negotiations was calculated. Accordingly, negotiation routines were identified by means of their four components: trigger, indicator, response and reaction. The example below drawn from this study illustrates the model during lexical negotiation. Student A: Its on the drawer, near the edge of it. [Trigger] Student B: what do you mean by edge? [Indicator] Student A: side or lip. [Response] Student B: ok. Thanks. [Reaction] A ratio of negotiated turns to total turns was calculated in order to make the data comparable with previous studies. Additionally, to identify the type and frequency of interactional modifications, the data were coded based on the thirteen different interactional modifications using the criteria provided in Table 2. Using a selection of interactional modifications from a number of studies on internet chatting (Lee, 2001, 2002; Kotter, 2003; Jepson, 2005), the categorization of interactional modifications in Isharyanti, (n.d.) in Marriott Torres (2008) motivated the categorization system in this study. There were a number of modifications. Three items namely Explicit correction, use of Persian, and question were added to the aforementioned category. In order to establish inter-coder agreement, a trained independent coder recoded a randomly-selected 25% of the data. A Pearson product-moment correlation revealed an inter-rater correlation of .85 (P Table 2. Categories, definition and example of interactional modifications Code Type of IM Definition Example 1 CC Confirmation check A speakers attempt to confirm that he has understood an utterance via the (partial) paraphrase (as opposed to repetition, see below) of this turn, which can simply be answered with Yes or No. Did you mean? 2 CR Clarification request An explicit demand for an elaboration or a reformulation of an idea, which requires a rerun of the troublesome utterance in question. What do you mean by X? 3 C Comprehension check A speakers attempt to prompt another speaker to acknowledge that he has understood a particular utterance. Do you Understand? 4 SR/P Self Repetition The repetition, in isolation, of part of or an entire erroneous or otherwise problematic utterance. Where is the lamp?(*2) 5 SC Self-correction To correct errors made on lexical items or grammatical structure. This has been bee, I mean been. 6 R Recast A form-focused partner-related target-like reformulation of all or part of an incorrect utterance. A: I live Iran. B: Do you really live in Iran? 7 EC Explicit correction You should say X. 8 InU Overt indication of understanding An overt indication that a speaker has understood a particular message. Ok, I got it thanks. 9 InA Over indication of agreement An overt indication that a speaker agrees with what his partner said. Yes, I agree, youre right. 10 InNA Overt indication of non-agreement An overt indication that a speaker does not agree with what his partner said. No, I think choice B is better for him. 11 P Use of Persian To use Persian to substitute words or ideas in English. second tabagheh 12 KS Use of keyboard symbols as discourse markers To signal for uncertainty or to confirm an idea or agreement. à ¢Ã‹Å" º 13 Q Question Interlocutor asks a question in order to prompt the speaker to make a question Can you try that again? Note: Adopted from the categorization of Interactional Modifications described in Isharyanti (in Marriott Torres, 2008). There were a number of modifications to this classification as mentioned before. To answer the third research question-to examine whether there is a relationship between group membership (CMC environment Vs. Classroom environment) and development in question formationall the question forms produced by the participants during online negotiation and face-to-face interactions were collected for detailed study. Question development in this study is understood from two perspectives: (1) accuracy perspective and (2) developmental stage perspective. In analyzing accuracy, because participants took considerably greater time in online chat, and thus their language output in these two modes could have been different, the researchers converted the number of well-formed questions into standardized scores by computing the ratio of each participants number of well-formed questions to the total number of questions he or she produced. These accuracy-based scores were examined for further investigation. In addition to accuracy, the analysis concentrated on developmental stages. All the questions, produced by the participants, were coded in terms of the developmental stage it represented based on categorization of the developmental stages established by Pienemann et al. (1987), shown in Table 3. Accordingly, each students questions were studied individually and assigned to the appropriate stage category in each task. Stage assignment was based on the highest stage from which a participant produced two linguistically unique questions. Question development was operationalized as a stage increase on either posttest or delayed posttest. It was then possible to examine whether the learners had improved over time. Table 3. Examples of Question Forms and Developmental Stages Stage Description of stage Examples 2 SVO? Canonical word order with question intonation. Its a monster? Your car is black? You have a cat? I draw a house here? 3 Fronting: Wh/Do/Q-word Direct questions with main verbs and some form of fronting. Where the cats are? What the cat doing in your picture? Do you have an animal? Does in this picture there is a cat? 4 Pseudo Inversion: Y/N, Cop. In Y/N questions an auxiliary or modal is in sentence initial position. In Wh-questions the copula and the subject change positions. (Y/N) Have you got a dog? (Y/N) Have you drawn the cat? (Cop) Where is the cat in your picture? 5 Do/Aux 2nd Q-word->Aux/modal ->subj (main verb, etc.) Auxiliary verbs and modals are placed in second position to Wh-Qs ( Q-words) and before subject (Applies only in main clauses/direct Qs). Why (Q) have (Aux) you (sub) left home? What do you have? Where does your cat sit? What have you got in your picture? 6 Cancel Inv, Neg Q, Tag Qu Cancel Inv: Wh-Q inversions are not present in relative clauses. Neg Q: A negated form of Do/Aux is placed before the subject. Tag Q: An Aux verb and pronoun are attached to end of main clause. Can Inv) Can you see what the time is? (Can Inv) Can you tell me where the cat is? (Neg Q) Doesnt your cat look black? (Neg Q) Havent you seen a dog? (Tag Q) Its on the wall, isnt it? Note. This table is based on Pienemann and Johnston (1987) and Pienemann, Johnston, and Brindley (1988) as cited in Mackey and Philp (1998). Results and discussion The first research question addresses the engagement of Iranian learners in meaning negotiation through SCMC. As the participants took considerably greater time in online chat, and thus their language output in these two environments was expected to be different, it was necessary to provide an overview of the number of total turns for each environment. Table 4 shows the raw number of turns, negotiations, and relative number of negotiations to total turns for both CMC and Class environments. As shown in Table 4, online environment produced about six times more turns than the class environment (4445 vs. 778). Similarly CMC environment generated more negotiations than the class environment. The relative amount of negotiation in CMC environment (2.15 %) reveals that the learners engaged in negotiated interaction in CMC environment in comparison to class environment (.38 %), although negotiations encompassed a small part of total turns in both environment. This result echoed the findings in Blakes study (2000) that is the total number of negotiations comprises only a small fraction of the overall conversational turns, ranging from .3% to 3.8 % (p. 127). Interestingly, the participants in CMC environment engaged more in negotiation process than class environment. This may due to the absence of paralinguistic and nonverbal information together with sufficient practice time which provide the participants with a learning environment to negotiate meaning. Table 4. Total number of turns and negotiated turns in CMC environment and class environment Negotiations Total turns Negotiations/ Total turns CMC environment 96 4445 2.15 % Class environment 3 778 .38 % The second research question aimed to determine the type and frequency of interactional modifications in CMC environment versus Class environment. With regard to the efficacy of CMC technology in generating interactional modifications, the result of this study supported the findings in literature and admitted the potential of CMC medium in providing a conductive learning environment for Interactional modifications to occur. Synchronous online interaction did provide NNSs many opportunities to negotiate meaning using a variety of interactional modifications. According to Figure1 which presents the percentage of each IMs in both CMC and class environment, the participants engaged in online negotiation employed a much greater variety of interactional modifications in comparison with the face-to-face interaction. In CMC environment 12 types of interactional modifications occurred among which clarification request (25%), Confirmation check (15%), overt indication of understanding (14%), U se of keyboard symbols (12%) and Self Repetition/paraphrase (11%) were the most used interactional modifications for negotiation. However just 3 types of interactional modifications occurred in class environment. Clarification request (78%) occurred most frequently, followed by C

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Homosexuality and the Media Essay

Homosexuality and the Media      Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many different aspects of life that Americans are exposed to on television each day. Some examples are things such as violence, sex and alcohol and in today's more accepting society, the issue of alternative lifestyles. This issue was not as predominant ten years ago as it is today. Yes, for many years there have been sexual undertones in many popular television shows or movies, but it was not until recently that these actors and actresses were actually said to be living an alternative lifestyle.    What exactly is an alternative lifestyle? According to Encarta's Online World Dictionary, "an alternative lifestyle is one of abnormal circumstances, a way of living adopted by people who reject the prevailing lifestyle, for example, because they consider it to be too materialistic, to dependent on technology or simply living outside of the basic ways of life"(Encarta Online World Dictionary). This term, alternative lifestyle, is one that is often used to describe people who engage in homosexual relationships. The true definition seems to fit, but today this lifestyle is not as out of the ordinary as it was in the past.    Many people think that homosexuality is an old trend that has been around since the beginning of time. In reality, homosexuality is still a relatively new idea in many cultures. This idea is also relatively new for the mass media and Hollywood. "In a hundred years of movies, homosexuality has only rarely been depicted on the screen. When it did appear, it was there as something to laugh at, to pity, or even something to fear. Hollywood, that great maker of myths, taught straight people what to think about gay people... and gay people what to think about... ...on 2). With this in mind Jacobson explains, "now that changes are finally being made in the way that people are raised, people will also be able to accept changes easier than they did in the past" (Jacobson 2). If this is the way that society actually operates then homosexuality should not be as hard to accept as it was in the past.    Works Cited Bantam Publishing. "Encarta Online World Dictionary." Issue 23, Vol. 43 page 121. Bishop, Alfred. "Homosexuality and Life." Dec. 5th 2001.   http:<www.seuxallife/lt.ctrl.article45/23-tglm_bish.htm> Encarta Publishing. Encarta Online World Dictionary. 1999  Ã‚   http:/</Encartaworld/dictionary/alternativelifestyle.ht/htm> Jacobson, Alexander. "Society and Our Lives." Stanford University. 1999 The Celluloide Closet. Dec. 3rd 2001.  Ã‚   http:<celluloidecloset.net.art-10_life/sex/23htm.>

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Island of Aruba :: Free Descriptive Essay About A Place

The Island of Aruba From Aruba’s discovery at the end of the thirteenth century to present-day, its history is filled with change. Its changing possession and the three economic booms that it experienced form the outline of thousands of years. The changes the island has gone through are truly remarkable, and it is unbelievable that the island that now seems to be saturated with tourism was once a desolate landscape with little agricultural promise and economic hope. Unfortunately Aruba’s history is lacking documentation, but it is undisputable that even before the island was claimed, there were inhabitants on the island that would soon be considered the first chapter of Aruba’s history. There is no written historical documentation that states who discovered Aruba, but it is believed that a Spaniard named Alonso de Ojeda was the first European explorer to land on the island in 1499. He initially thought that he had found an â€Å"island of giants† because the remains that he discovered seemed to be larger than that of an average European. It can be speculated that the name Aruba is derived from a Spanish phrase â€Å"oro huba† or in English â€Å"there was Gold†. The Spanish, however, thought that the land was â€Å"valueless† because they did not discover any underground geological worth. It seems strange, though, if the name came from this Spanish phrase that they would have counted it among the â€Å"valueless islands.† There are two other suppositions that seem more plausible. The Carib language of the Antilles, which was passed on by the missionaries, the French Dominicans Breton, Labat, Du Tertre, supports the derivations ora (shell) and oubao (island), which would together mean â€Å"shell-island†. Some people have also suggested the name comes from words meaning companion or guide. There is no way to be sure, and any attempt to uncover its true derivations would be guesswork. It is not known when the first human beings set foot ashore, but considering that natural resources were poor, it is likely that the island acted as nothing more than a halting-place for a succession of tribes and clans. Long before the Spanish claimed the land, maybe even as long as 4,000 years ago, it is believed that the Caquetio Indians of the Arawak tribe came to the Aruba to seek out a safer place to inhabit. They had previously lived on the Paraguana peninsula in Venezuela but were forced to leave because of continuous threats by the Carib Indians.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Martha Stewart: Not Such a Good Thing Essay

1. What issues did Martha Stewart, Bacanovic, and Faneuil miss in making their decisions about selling the ImClone stock in their conduct following the sales? Apply the models and make a list of suggested questions they could have asked that might have affected their decisions. I do not feel any of them were thinking about any consequences! Why was this small amount of money so important to them, especially Ms. Stewart, who was a multi- billionaire at the time? It is clear that they weren’t concerned at all about outcome and just went ahead with their scheme that they truly thought they could pull off without getting caught. 2. Was selling the shares illegal? If selling the shares was not illegal, was it unethical? Selling shares are not illegal; it’s all part of the stock market. However, when you have advanced knowledge like this case, it is border-line and extremely unethical. She was thinking only of herself and the profits she’d make, and not considering the company and other stockholders at all. I would go as far as calling it heartless and greedy! 3. What do we learn about long-term consequences from Ms. Stewart’s conduct and case? Having too much money can turn a person evil. Martha was a multi-billionaire, and why she cared about a couple hundred thousand is crazy. Not only did she serve jail time, lose respect and money, her stock has decreased The public now sees that she is not trustworthy, because she admitted to obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Importance of Psychology

Psychology is involved in almost every job field in the modern era. Marketers use psychology to figure out how to convey their product to consumers. Car designers use psychology to give their cars features that would persuade potential buyers to choose their car. Doctors use psychology to understand their patients better. My chosen profession is education, and there are an unlimited number of applications for psychology. In teaching, psychology is the basis in which teachers understand their students. The specific area that would be most pertinent to teaching would probably be social psychology. College students basically take the same courses over their 4-year tenure in the university. But only certain students want to regurgitate the knowledge that they have acquired over the years. These are the students that have chosen teaching as their profession. The ones that want to pass on what they have learned to students need to not only be knowledgeable in their subjects, but need to know how to understand the students. If a teacher can not understand their students, then there is very little hope for the professor teaching the student anything. Understanding a student is a complex process that takes a lot of training. A teacher needs to know what the child is thinking in order to fully understand them. Teachers need to be able to communicate with the students so the student can tell the teacher what he is thinking. Another way to understand a student is to study social psychology. Social psychology is the study of the effects of people on people. More specifically, social psych observes how interactions between people affect an individual. Social psychologists study how people react in groups, emotional behavior, and attitudes and opinions of people. Since there is never a time in school when a child is alone, it is imperative that a teacher understands how children act and react when they are placed in a group or classroom. A teacher needs to understand why some kids are more outgoing, while others seem to fade away in classes. It is the teacher†s job to know the reason a child is not learning to the best of his capabilities. Social psychology looks at these problems and researches solutions that will remedy a child†s abnormal behavior in the classroom. A teacher that is fluent in social psychology and understands the way a child thinks is much more equipped to take on the everyday problems of teaching. Even though a teacher is more apt to benefit through social psychology, School Psychologists specialize in clinical psychology. While a teacher may deal with problems that a child has interacting with others, a school psychologist deals with behavior problems that do not necessarily have to do with the class. School psychologists study the individual instead. They deal with all aspects of school, not just teaching. They monitor not only learning and social relation, but testing, substance abuse, neglect of the child, and violence. But in the end teachers and school psychologists have the same goal in mind, which is creating the best learning environment for all students. Teachers have a great responsibility on their hands. They are accountable for what a child does in his school career. A teacher needs to know the best way to help a child learn. Psychology is a great help to let a teacher know what is going on in the mind of his student. Psychology is the key to a teacher understanding his students. The better a teacher can understand his students, the more the student can learn. If a student can learn, then that teacher is the most successful educator in the world.