FINAL PROJECT Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FINAL PROJECT - Term Paper Example He goes to the court three to four days a week. Now seven years have passed since the start of practice. The interviewee has only one partner in his firm, and he himself fundamentally assumes the responsibility of the firm’s management. He chose this occupation because the work in it is enough to ensure an uninterrupted income. The following text discusses the crux of my discussion with the interviewee. I asked him about 19 questions. What he said in reply to those questions is mentioned in the text below: To possess the basic skills as an associate in a firm, one needs to have basic understanding of legal precedents, the ability to manage a heavy caseload, and the ability to behave professionally in court.  The firm assigns responsibilities to the personnel according to the volume of work and the individualistic capabilities of individuals. Time management is compulsory for success of an insurance litigation lawyer. The interviewee said that he has developed interest in his field over the course of time. He was not very optimistic about it in the start, through with time, the routinely issues grabbed his attention. The interviewee said that in order to maintain a good clientele in this field, the employees must have good rapport with the customers.

Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking-related Research Paper

Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking-related illnesses and deaths - Research Paper Example This is due to the fact that, whereas smokers inhale cigarette smoke directly into their lungs, those close to them eventually consume the smoke exhaled as well as that from the burning cigarette in a passive manner (Brandt 15). According to 2002 statistics, it is estimated that more than 1.6 billion people world wide are smokers, translating to approximately 27% of the world’s population (Torrison 82). The effects of this habit are numerous ranging from cancer, impotence, heart failure, and eventually death. It is estimated that more than 400000 people die on yearly basis in the US primarily due to complications arising from cigarette smoking (Torrison 17). This essay is a critical evaluation of whether tobacco processing industries should be held accountable for the deaths and other effects of smoking. Tobacco Smoking There is no person who is born a smoker, it is a habit that one adopts willingly maybe due to some reasons that most smokers give such as peer influence, as a way of relieving stress among others (Williams 51). Interestingly, information regarding the various harmful effects of this habit is usually within the vicinity of these people ranging from manufacturers warning printed on the cigarette packets, flyers and posters erected by various organizations which fight drug and alcohol abuse as well as numerous informative advertisements on the print and electronic media (Torrison 11). In this context, it would be wrong for these people to feign ignorance and put the blame on someone else. Majority of smokers know that tobacco smoking is addictive, meaning that the longer you continue to consume, the more you will program the body to expect frequent replenishment of nicotine. Probably, this is one of the major factors which make it difficult for one to quit smoking and when some do, the craving for nicotine becomes intense hence resulting to fallback and the show of withdrawal symptoms (Torrison 31). However, it is the responsibility of these people to know that it only requires effort and dedication in order to be able to quit successfully. If this is not possible, they have the option of acquiring the services of professionals, who would guide them through the process and advise them on how to manage the craving for cigarette until that time when they will have succeeded completely. The major problem is the fact that most of the smokers live in denial, i.e. they refuse to acknowledge that they are addicts some giving lame excuses such as they only smoke when on a drinking spree or when faced with a difficult situation (Williams 81). The US authorities have tried to enact legislations with the aim of protecting non-smokers from harm, with several states banning tobacco smoking in areas which are highly populated such as public vehicles, offices among others (Brandt 62). However, it is sad to note that even with these regulations smoking continues to be one of the major causes of death with statistics indicating that 1 of every 5 deaths in the US is as a result of this habit (Dethic 52). Some critics have in the past put the blame on cigarette manufacturing companies based on the assumption that if they were not in the business, then people would not access the cigarettes (Williams 124). They forget that tobacco as with other drugs, such as marijuana, is produced from plants, which any person can access especially since there are no laws that have been enacted to illegalize it. As such, one can just plant his or

Introduction To Leadership Following And Communication Management Essay

Introduction To Leadership Following And Communication Management Essay Introduction to Leadership Leadership is a very important interpersonal behavior that a managerial position employee or employer should have. What is leadership anyway? The definition of leadership is: Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Northouse (2007, p3) There are four main factors in leadership which will greatly affect the quality of an individual to be a leader: Leader As a leader, he must be able to gain the trust from the followers, as nobody else will determine whether the leader is successful or not. In order to gain trust from them, the leader must have a good understanding on who he is, what he know and what he can do. If he failed to be honest to himself, the followers will lack of confidence on him and left uninspired. Followers For a successful leader, he must do his work and know the nature of his every single follower. By doing this, he will be able to have a good understanding of the followers nature, needs, emotions and motivation, as the followers play an important role of getting the job done. Communication Always lead through two-way communication. Feedback will be useful when collecting data and information needed for making decisions. Besides, while receiving feedback or suggestions from the followers, the leader can know what the followers needs and problem. At the same time, it is also consider an act of concerning the welfare of the followers. Situation Every situation that a leader had faced before might be different with another. Therefore, whenever a new situation happens, a leader must observe carefully and use his judgment to decide the best way of solving the situation or else the problem will be still existing and causing more problems. Question A According to Weber (1947), charisma is described as a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which s/he is set apart from the ordinary people and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically, exceptional power or qualities. These are such as are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a leader. Such leaders have a very charming, persuasive personality about them, whom are skilled at communicating with others and can be very convincing at times. Many leaders are looked on as born naturally with charisma, but it does not mean it cannot be acquired. Charisma is often considered as to be a trait, an internal character which is acquired. However, charisma is an exception, as it is inborn in everyone but at different quantities. But this does not mean the level of inborn charisma is static throughout our lifetime. Developing other characters such as communication and social skills may further enhance ones charisma levels. Charisma also depends on people perception. A person is only charismatic if people feel he or she is charismatic. So, charisma can be acquired. Charisma is not a mandatory requirement to be an effective leader. Many world leaders today do not possess much of charisma, but nonetheless, remain as leaders of their nations. Other factors such as creativity and innovation can drive a leader towards effectiveness. Trust is another factor that can be forged between a leader and follower which leads to a more effective leadership, with the absence of any charisma. Charisma can be considered as an additional boost but not a requirement to become an effective leader as they may have other leadership qualities. Even without charisma, one can still be an effective leader. Question B Charismatic leadership is not the same as transformational leadership. Both of the leadership have a different concept from each other. Charismatic leadership can be defined as people with a great confidence in themselves, having a clear vision of their actions and most importantly, they have their own individual charm, personality or influence over the society. Charismatic leaders are able to know the needs of their supporters. Therefore they can create a vision that will allow everyone to know future will be improved (Awan, 2010). Martin Luther King, Jr. is a good example of a charismatic leader. He is able to include a vision of colour blind society within the Americans value. He inspired the Americans to accept Afro-Americans in the country and give equal treatment to them. On the other hand, transformational leadership is a leadership that helps subordinates to improve themselves and create a better vision for them so that they can become a leader as well. Transformational leaders focus more on motivations, inspirations and encouragements. Besides that, they have good communication skills which allow them to build good relationship with others (Kurnik, 2010). They also appreciate their subordinates efforts, ideas and contributions so that they will continue to work harder. One good example of a transformational leader is Abraham Lincoln. He is one of the greatest presidents of The United States. He had a vision for the country, which is develop the country into a successful country. Sometimes he visited his front lines troops to encourage and motivate them so that they do not lose their spirit. Transformational leadership and transactional leadership are both different types of leadership. In transformational leadership, subordinates are expected to achieve higher than their original goals. However, in transactional leadership, subordinates are motivated at a normal standard level. Transactional leaders also relate rewards that are desired by subordinates with the goals and achievements. Besides that, transactional leaders only provide necessary resources to their subordinates and clarify their expectations. They will only monitor their subordinates from aside but only involved when the performances standard is not met. Other than that, transformational leaders focused on the ends while transactional leaders negotiated over the means (Sir MacGregor Burns, 1978), which means transactional leaders focus on the whole process while transformational only focus on the achievements or results. Question C Culture is briefly described as the group norms, beliefs and values that makes an organizational unique and also, defines its nature of business. Organizational culture, referred as corporate culture in some organization is the system consisting of shared actions, formal rituals, procedures and protocol, values that develops in the organization to act as guidance on how the members should behave. Strong culture refers to an organization that has a deeply shared value system and the norms and beliefs are followed by the members without fail. As a result, it leads to higher level of business performance. Being able to understand one another, they are able to synchronize, improving their efficiency and effectiveness without wasting the organizations time and resources. In addition to that, a stable social system is developed and the need for bureaucratic controls is reduced. Organizational culture would also impede the business progress of an organization, as Fons Trompenaars [1] stated that culture is the way in which a group of people solves problems. Thus, choices to solve the problems and how may vary as the cultures vary in different organizations. Rather, they would agree on other peoples idea but their own. As stated by Bruce M. Tharp, there are four types of organizational cultures that impede business progress. They consist of control, compete, collaborate, and create. Firstly, control or hierarchy culture is the rules and procedures that guide the members to perform their tasks and control their behavior. Strong culture would impede business progress, because members would not respond to any changes in the organization as they adapted to the shared value system. For example, members of the organization are always given extra time to prepare for incoming projects but the new rule (change) enforced states that the extra time is unnecessary and members have to start the projects as soon as they receive them. Next is compete, otherwise referred to as market culture. Fierce competition from other organizations is also another factor, making it harder for the organization to achieve its goal and success in the market. The organization has to be both efficient and effective to provide a strong competition. However, strong culture impedes faster learning and improvement to the organization which could result in losing the business to competitors. Moving on to collaborate, also known as clan culture is to describe the organization as a whole team. By coming together as a team to tackle problems, problems can be solved quickly. However, this would impede business progress by having the same point of views. There are no second or third opinions involved as the members would have the similar mindset and way of thinking. Therefore, the members would agree on the decision without thinking much from a different perspective or comparing opinions. One of the last culture that impede business progress is create/adhocracy culture. Being flexible and innovative is also important in assuring the organizations and business success, as well as being ahead of others. Creativity is also a part of the adhocracy culture. However, the strong culture of sharing the same values and beliefs would prove difficult for members to come up with fresh and innovative ideas. In addition to strong culture, members of the organization are not able to adapt and troubleshoot complex problems. In the end, strong culture impedes the progression of business. Conclusion Leadership is an essential value for managerial person, no matter in which area the person in. Therefore, one must do his best on setting a good example to the followers and trust their ability to complete their work, so the followers will be inspired and always give their best towards the leader or the organization. Even though that theory can understand and memorize easily, one must still put some effort on practicing on it as it cannot be obtained easily like a technical skills. Furthermore, when a person has leadership lies within himself, the followers will believe and respect the decision made by the leader, and thus perform the work efficiently and effectively. In conclusion, the organization will be benefit and the employees will do their best all the time.

Great Gatsby :: essays papers

Great Gatsby In, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the story is brought to us through a "flawed" narrator, Nick Carraway. It is through his eyes and ears that we form our opinions of the other characters. This makes the audience blind to any discrimination or bias he might have towards the other characters; so Fitzgerald knowingly tries to establish Nick as a trust worthy source. This is important because our only descriptions of Gatsby’s character come from Nick. In The Great Gatsby, Nick goes to some length to establish his credibility, including his moral integrity, in telling this story about this "great" man called Gatsby. He begins with a reflection on his own upbringing, quoting his father's words about Nick's "advantages" which we could assume were material but, he soon makes clear, were moral advantages. Nick wants the reader to know that his upbringing gave him the moral foundation with which to withstand and pass judgment on an immoral world, such as the one he has observed in his stay in the East (New York). He says, rather pompously, that as a consequence of such an upbringing, he is "inclined to reserve all judgments" about other people, but then goes on to say that such "tolerance... has a limit.† This is the first sign that we can trust this narrator to give us an even-handed insight to the story that is about to unfold, but we later learn that he neither reserves all judgments nor does his tolerance reach its limit. He admits early into the story, for example, that he makes an exception of judging Gatsby, for whom he is prepared to suspend both the moral code of his upbringing and the limit of tolerance, because Gatsby had an "extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness." This inspired him to a level of friendship and loyalty that Nick seems unprepared to extend towards others in the novel. For example, Nick overlooks the moral failures of Gatsby's bootlegging, his association with speakeasies, and his liaison with Meyer Wolfsheim yet, he is contemptuous of Jordan Baker for cheating in a mere golf game. And though he says that he's prepared to forgive this sort of behavior in a woman: "It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame too deeply... I was casually sorry, and then I forgot," it seems that he cannot accept her for being "incurably dishonest", and then says that his one "cardinal virtue" is that he's "one of the few honest people" he has ever known .

A good Citizen Essay

A good citizen is one who properly fulfills his or her role as a citizen. There are many opinions as to what constitutes a good citizen. Theodore Roosevelt said, â€Å"The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight.† Education is sometimes viewed as a prerequisite to good citizenship, in that it helps citizens make good decisions and deal with demagogues who would delude them. Human beings are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society, but following those patterns does not make us good citizens. To be a good citizen first you have to be a good person. By that I mean that you have to be full of values, principles, ethics, etc. When joining all these aspects together you will find out that there is nothing else to be needed. One important aspect for being a good citizen is to help people. All around us, we can see there are always people in need for our help. Our job as good citizens is to help those kinds of people. When talking about the people that need our help, I am not only talking about the poor ones, but also the pregnant woman who cannot carry a heavy package or the old man that cannot cross the street. Remember that little actions make the difference. There are some traits of citizenship that should be always observed, the first trait of citizenship is to do your share. This simply involves taken part of things that could make the community better. To do your share you must be a volunteer – help your school and community be better, cleaner and safer, protect the environment by conserving resources, reducing pollution and of course cleaning up after yourself, participate in making things better by voicing your opinion, voting, serving on committees, reporting wrong doings and paying taxes. The second trait of citizenship is respecting authority and law . In order to observe that trait you must play by the rules- don’t do good cop bad cop, always obey parents, teachers, coaches and others who have been given authority, observe just laws, honor and respect principles of democracy and most importantly always respect your country and its national symbols. These traits are easy to follow, lots of people have become famous and made a good name of themselves in a community by observing the traits of citizenship and following by them. Two examples of good citizens are Chief Anthony Enahoro and Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli. Chief Anthony Enahoro played a vital role in bringing political independence to  Nigeria. As one of the country’s earliest prodemocracy activists, he moved the first motion for self-rule from Britain in 1953. Seven years later, his dream of Nigerian Independence became a reality. A politician, thinker, mentor, Enahoro was also Nigeria’s youngest editor ever. He gained this distinction in 1944 by becoming the Southern Nigerian Defender’s editor at the age of 21. He later promoted the unity of his country during its 1967- 1970 civil war. Influential businesswoman Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is the founder of LEAP Africa, a leadership, management and ethics training organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering a new generation of African leaders. The nonprofit provides coaching services, along with awards and grants for youth, social entrepreneurs and business owners. Recognized as a Global Leader of Tomorrow, Nwuneli is also the founder of NIA, a nonprofit organization committed to helping young women in Southeastern Nigeria achieve their full potential. These two leaders worked their way to the top and achieved their goal whilst being a good citizen and helping Nigeria become a better place. So be a good citizen and follow the traits, work your way to the top and achieve greatness and remember†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ‘’There are three periods in the life of a people or in the life of a country †¦ yesterday, today and tomorrow†¦ Tomorrow belongs to visionaries and idealists, without whom you cannot build a new society.’’- Chief Anthony Enahoro (1923-2010).  -by Memma Uponi, 7 Sapphire

Iran Awakening

Jessica Muhr May 2nd, 2012 History of the Middle East â€Å"Iran Awakening† â€Å"One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country† This book, â€Å"Iran Awakening†, is a novel written by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. Ebadi weaves the story of her life in a very personal and unique way, telling the account of the overthrow of the shah and the establishment of a new, religious fundamentalist regime in which opposition to the government are imprisoned, tortured, and murdered.By simply reading the Prologue, one can see the love Ebadi has for Iran and her people. This love that Ebadi has for the oppressed of Iran is a theme that appears throughout the book and seems to be a large factor behind her drive to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. In the first chapter, Ebadi recounts her childhood from her birth on June 21st, 1947 in Hamedan, to her childhood in Tehran. Something that may come as a surprise to a reader was the equality between m ale and female in Ebadi’s home.This equality, however, was not common in most Iranian households, â€Å"Male children enjoyed an exalted status, spoiled and cosseted†¦ They often felt themselves the center of the family’s orbit†¦ Affection for a son was an investment†, says Ebadi. In Iranian culture, it was considered natural for a father to love his son more than his daughter. In Ebadi’s home, though, she describes her parent’s affections, attentions, and discipline as equally distributed.This equality in the home seems to play a large role in creating the strong, determined woman Ebadi would come to be, â€Å"My father’s championing of my independence, from the play yard to my later decision to become a judge, instilled a confidence in me that I never felt consciously, but came to regard as my most valued inheritance. † (Ebadi, 12). One may also find it interesting that as a child, Ebadi did not know anything of politics; until the coup d'etat of 1953. On August 19th, 1953, the beloved Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh was toppled in a coup d’etat.Ebadi says that, as children, this news meant nothing. But the adults could see what Ebadi, at the time, could not. The book makes it clear that, to those of Iran who were not paid to think otherwise, Mossadegh was revered as a nationalist hero and the father of Iranian independence for his bold move of nationalizing Iran’s oil industry which had been, until then, controlled by the West. Therefore, it was obvious that this was the beginning of a vast change for Iran. Before the coup, Ebadi’s father, a longtime supporter of the prime minister, had advanced to become minister of agriculture.In this new regime, Ebadi’s father was forced out of his job, fated to languish in lower posts for the rest of his career. This was what caused a silence of all things political in the Ebadi home. Entering law school in 1965 was a â€Å"turning point for me†, says Ebadi. The vast interest in Iran’s politics was shocking to her after coming from a home in which politics were never spoken of. After toying with the idea of studying political science, Ebadi decided on pursuing a judgeship; which is exactly what she did. In March of 1970, at the age of twenty-three, Ebadi became a judge.In 1975, after 6 months of getting to know each other Ebadi married Javad Tavassoni. Her husband, unlike many Iranian men, coped well with her professional ambitions. In the autumn of 1977, there was, what Ebadi describes as, a â€Å"shift in the streets of Tehran†. The shah’s regime was trying to reduce the power of the judiciary by setting up the ‘Mediating Council’, an extrajudicial outfit that would have allowed cases to be judged outside of the formal justice system. Some of the justices wrote a protest letter arguing against the council, demanding that all cases had to be tried before a court of law .This was the first collective action taken by the judges against the shah. Ebadi signed the letter. In January of 1978, President Jimmy Carter arrived in Tehran, Iran and described it as an â€Å"island of stability†, something he later came to regret. Not long after President Carter’s statement, a newspaper article aggressively attacking Khomeini inspired a revolt among the people of Iran, calling for his [Khomeini’s] return; the police shot into the crowd and killed many men. By the summer of 1978, protests had grown larger, making it impossible to avoid them. In early August, a crowded cinema in Abadan was burned to the round. This horrific event burned 400 people alive. The shah blamed this event on religious conservatives; Khomeini accused the SAVAK, the regime’s secret police, which was a force of legendary brutality against the government’s opponents. This tragedy pushed many Iranians against the shah. They now realized that the shah was no t merely an American puppet. Ebadi herself says that she was ‘drawn’ to the opposition. She says that it did not seem a contradiction for her, an educated professional woman, to back it (Ebadi, 33). She had no idea that she was backing her own eventual defeat.Ebadi uses something close to irony as she describes a morning when she and several judges and officials stormed into the minister of justice’s office. The minister was not there, instead a startled elder judge sat behind the desk. â€Å"He looked up at us in amazement and his gaze halted when he saw my face. â€Å"You! You of all people, why are you here? † he asked, bewildered and stern. â€Å"Don’t you know that you’re supporting people who will take away your job if they come to power? † â€Å"I’d rather be a free Iranian than an enslaved attorney,† I retorted boldly, self-righteous to the core. (Ebadi, 34) On January 16th, 1979, the shah fled Iran, ending two m illennia of rule by Persian kings. The streets were over-crowded with euphoric citizens, Ebadi herself being one of them. On February 1st, 1979, Khomeini returned to Iran. For about a month, the country of Iran hung in the balance. In most of the cities an emergency military had gone into immediate effect and Khomeini had ordered people to go back into their homes by nightfall with the instruction to go onto their roof at 9pm and scream, Allaho akbar, â€Å"God is greatest†.On February 11th, Khomeini exhorted people to defy the 4pm curfew the military had imposed by coming out into the streets. Ebadi remembers going into the streets, hearing sounds of the gunshots echoing, and taking in the frenzied scene of emotion. The next day, the 22nd of Bahman on the Iranian calendar, the military surrendered and the prime minister fled the country. The country rejoiced, including Ebadi herself. She says, looking back, she has to laugh at the feeling of pride that washed over her for it took scarcely a month for her to realize that she had willingly participated in her own defeat. Ebadi, 38) Merely days after the revolution’s victory, a man named Fathollah Bani-Sadr was appointed provisional overseer of the Ministry of Justice. Expecting praise from this man, Ebadi was shocked when he said, â€Å"Don’t you think that out of respect for our beloved Imam Khomeini, who has graced Iran with his return, it would be better if you covered your hair? † This headscarf â€Å"invitation† was the first in a long string of restraints on the women of Iran. After being away for less than a month, Ebadi could already see the changes that had taken place in Tehran. The streets were renamed after Shia imams, martyred clerics, and Third World heroics of an anti-imperial struggle. † (Ebadi, 41) Her fellow co-workers, male and female, were dirty and smelled. The bow tie had been banned, being â€Å"deemed a symbol of the West’s evils, smelling of cologne signaled counterrevolutionary tendencies, and riding to the ministry car to work was evidence of class privilege† (Ebadi 42). Rumors spread that Islam barred women from being judges. Ebadi was the most distinguished female judge in all of Tehran.So, upon hearing these rumors, she tried to counter her worries with her connections; but even this small comfort proved to be in vain. In the final days of 1979, Ebadi was effectively stripped of her judgeship. She stubbornly stood, though six months pregnant, as the committee flippantly tossed a sheet of paper at her and said, â€Å"Show up to the research office when you’re done with your vacation†, her ‘vacation’ being her maternity leave. The men then began to talk about her as though she was not there, saying things like, â€Å"Without even starting at the research office, she wants a vacation! † another said, â€Å"They’re disorganized! and another, â€Å"They’re so u nmotivated; it’s clear they don’t want to be working! † †¦ The point Ebadi was trying to make is clear by the telling of these statements. Most men, especially those in the government, had lost what little respect they had previously held for women prior to the Revolution. That much, at least, seemed very clear. The post-Revolution’s effect on women was a grim one. As Ebadi read in a newspaper piece titled â€Å"Islamic Revolution†, â€Å"the life of a woman’s was now half that of a man (for instance, if a car hit both on the street, the cash compensation due to the woman’s family was half of that due the man’s), a oman’s testimony in court as a witness now counted only half as much as that of a man’s; a woman had to ask her husband permission to divorce. The drafters of the penal code had apparently consulted the seventh century for legal advice. † (Ebadi, 51). Ebadi’s head pounded with rage as she read this news. â€Å"The grim statues that I would spend the rest of my life fighting stared back at me from the page†, she writes. One effect of the new Islamic penal code was the imbalance it caused within Ebadi’s marriage. â€Å"The day Javad and I married each other, we joined our lives together as two equals†, she writes. But under these laws, he stayed a person and I became a chattel. They permitted him to divorce me at will, take custody of our future children, and acquire three wives and stick them in the house with me. † (Ebadi, 53). Ebadi knew her husband had no intentions of putting this new law to use, but she still could not accept the distraction the imbalance between them was causing her. At length, Ebadi came up with a solution: within the course of the next morning, her and her husband drove to the local notary where her husband readily signed a postnuptual agreement.This granted Ebadi the right to divorce her husband without permissi on, as well as primary custody of their children in the event of a separation. â€Å"Why are you doing this? † the astonished notary asked [Javad]. â€Å"My decision is irrevocable, â€Å" Javad replied. â€Å"I want to save my life. † This eased Ebadi’s feeling of unrest greatly, her and her husband were equals again, but a small part of her was still at unease. â€Å"After all, I couldn’t drag all the men of Iran down to the notary, could I? † (Ebadi, 54). September 22nd, 1980 marked the day that Saddam Hussein launched a full-blown invasion on Iran.Though the popular discontent with the revolution had by no means abated: as Ebadi mentions, during the war, â€Å"the newspapers still had long lists of the executed, all the former regime’s officials and counterrevolutionaries who had been shot or hung, and sometimes pages filled with macabre photos of gallows and dead bodies. † Despite all of this, the people went on, just as they h ad through the upheaval after the revolution. In short, the decade after the revolution was one filled with much strife, war, and repression.This strife first became personal to Ebadi in the form of the political imprisonment and murder of her brother-in-law Fuad at the young age of 24. â€Å"Fuad’s death made me even more obstinate†, she writes. â€Å"We had been told not to discuss his death with anyone, so I talked about his execution night and day. In taxis, at the corner shop, in line for bread, I would approach perfect strangers and tell them about this sweet boy who was sentenced to twenty years in prison for selling newspapers, and then executed. † (Ebadi, 89)This tragic event in Ebadi’s life, the hot outrage that it made her feel, is remembered as the spark which would lead to her return to legal practice in the 1990’s. Things had, of course, continued to happen since Fuad’s death in the fall of 1988. In 1989, Khomeini had died, the komitehs harsh, unnecessary punishments grew more serious and frequent: Ebadi writes of one instance in which her friend’s fiance is whipped 80 times with no legal grounds whatsoever. The extreme laws against women grew more and more severe.When Ebadi was arrested for the first time (for a crime of wardrobe), she mentions an elderly woman who was arrested for the â€Å"crime† of wearing slippers. Yet over time, it again â€Å"became fashionable for the daughters of Traditional families to attend college†, Ebadi writes. â€Å"Throughout the nineties, the number of women with college degrees rose steadily, and eventually the women began to outnumber the men in universities by a small margin. † This new wave of educated women emerging from Iran created a people that was no longer content to slip back into their old, traditional roles in the home.This new attitude was often met by extreme clashes within the family. Ebadi writes of one such woman who, upon re questing a divorce from her husband, was refused by her father. Facing a lifetime of unhappiness, the woman doused herself in gasoline and set herself ablaze. In 1992, Ebadi again began practicing law, this time exclusively taking on pro bono cases. She pored over religious texts, attempting to gain sufficient knowledge to argue against particular interpretations that would claim that, within Islam, discriminatory interpretations were to be made.Ebadi began to take on only the cases of women and children, for these were the ones who were constantly at the mercy of a sick, twisted government. Ebadi took on many cases; one was that of the family of Zahra Kanzemi, an Iranian journalist who had been killed in police custody in 2003. Another was that of a student who was beaten to death by paramilitaries during a 1999 protest; Ebadi herself was imprisoned during the course of this case. While digging through the paperwork for a case representing the children of a couple who had been slai n in their home, Ebadi stumbled across the official authorization of her own assassination.The response Ebadi has to this shocking information was one of the major instances that. I believe, greatly endears her to the reader as an extremely brace and powerful woman. â€Å"I wasn’t scared, really, nor was I angry†, she writes. Instead, Ebadi simply wanted to know why. One thing that is truly unique about Ebadi is the way in which she writes about her life choices. She writes about them as if they were natural, obvious, and just the thing anyone would have done in her place. In reality, this is not so.Many others around Ebadi had the education and ability to make the same choices that Ebadi had made, but they did not, some even emigrating during the Iran-Iraq war. For Ebadi, patriotic to the core, the only choice was to stay. She has a love for her country that defies the instability and repression the government tries to place upon her. Ebadi knows, deep within herself, that the government is not the country. The only moral choice she could live with was to fight injustice with law; the very law the injustices claimed themselves to be. Following the ‘Reform Era’, you can see Ebadi breathe a huge sigh of relief.The years of constant anxiousness over everything, even her girl’s birthday parties, were behind her. The days when young people would be whipped for venturing into the mountains together, women would be detained or lashed for simply wearing a smudge of makeup or nail-polish, or for wearing any color clothing besides navy or black tones, were happily retired. Moderate President Khatami sought to pull back the system’s interference in the people’s private lives, but as Ebadi states, â€Å"President Khatami deserves only a measure of credit for this shift.Really it was because my daughters’ uncowed generation started fighting back, and, through the force of their sheer numbers and boldness, made it unf easible for the state to impose itself as before. † This book was, in my opinion, a fantastic portrait of a life lived in truth. It was a delight to see how Ebadi’s simple courage and outright stubbornness made a vast difference in the lives of many, even in the face of extreme adversity, like her own possible assassination. In conclusion, I will once again quote Ebadi, as she articulates the dignity of the reform movement within Iran. It so happened that I believed in the secular separation of religion and government because, fundamentally, Islam, like any religion, is subject to interpretation. It can be interpreted to oppress women or interpreted to liberate them†¦ I am a lawyer by training, and know only too well the permanent limitations of trying to enshrine inalienable rights in sources that lack fixed terms and definitions. But I am also a citizen of the Islamic Republic, and I know the futility of approaching the question any other way.My objective is not to vent my own political sensibilities but to push for a law that would save a family like Leila's† — a child who was raped and murdered — â€Å"from becoming homeless in their quest to finance the executions of their daughter's convicted murderers. If I'm forced to ferret through musty books of Islamic jurisprudence and rely on sources that stress the egalitarian ethics of Islam, then so be it. Is it harder this way? Of course it is. But is there an alternative battlefield? Desperate wishing aside, I cannot see one. † – Shirin Ebadi

Exercise and Pm Physical Education Essay Example

Exercise and Pm Physical Education Essay Example Exercise and Pm Physical Education Paper Exercise and Pm Physical Education Paper Arnis is a Filipino martial art that can be performed individually or with a partner, using a single stick or a pair of sticks for striking and blocking; it may also be used for self-defense. This module will allow me to learn the fundamental skills of Arnis through lessons that are presented in the order that they will be taken up in class. This will allow me to follow closely and participate actively in all the learning activities. Self- and peer evaluation will be used to monitor my progress and check how proficient I have become. A set of rubrics will be used for this purpose, which I can also use to help me identify  and correct my classmate’s errors, if there are any present. Appropriate warm-up, stretching and cooldown exercises will be routinely performed to make sure that my body is physically ready for the days lessons and to prevent any injury from occurring. As the lessons progress, my fitness level will 1 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module also be monitored. Conducting regular fitness checks will enable me to be more conscious about my health and lifestyle. Also, having proper fitness will allow me to perform the drills in class with ease. LEARNING COMPETENCIES At the end of this module, I will be able to: 1. Practice the skills learned in this course with few observable errors in technique. 2. Execute with confidence the fundamental skills of Arnis. 3. Understand the rules, conventions and terminology in Arnis by using them during the execution of skills. 4. Perform the warm-up, stretching and cool-down exercises properly and on my own. 5. Determine my fitness levels and identify areas for improvement. 6. Be open to criticism when a peer is evaluating my performance, and at the same time, be critical and fair when evaluating others. 7. Be honest and fair at all times. 8. 2 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module SESSION 1 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 5 MINUTES REVIEW: In our previous lesson, I have assessed my skill-related fitness. Skill-related physical fitness (SRPF) consists of components that have a relationship with learning motor skills quickly and the ability to achieve a high level of performance in sports. This quarter, I am going to learn the fundamental skills in Arnis. I know that I will be able to improve my motor skills with practice so that I am able to strike and block well; and quickly shift my body while maintaining balance. Practicing these skills will therefore help me become more fit. PREVIEW: ? Today’s lesson consists of three (3) parts: first,  the routine warm-up and dynamic stretching exercises; second, the basic skills in grip and body stance, and third, the cool-down routine. ? The tasks include: ? Performing warm-up and dynamic stretching exercises. ? Learning the fundamental skills in Arnis: 1. Holding the stick with the proper grip. 3 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module 2. Familiarizing oneself with the basic stance and salutation. ESSION 1 SKILL DEVELOPMENT 5 MINUTES GENERAL WARM-UP 1. Jog for 1 minute. 2. Side shuffle (left foot leading) for 20 seconds. 3. Side shuffle (right foot leading) for 20 seconds. 4. Carioca (left foot leading) for 10 seconds. 5. Carioca (right foot leading) for 10 seconds. 6. Butt kicks for 10 seconds. 7. High knees for 10 seconds. Side Shuffle High kicks Knees Carioca DYNAMIC STRETCHING 1. Knee hug to calf raise 2. Single leg deadlift 3. Lunge and twist 4 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Butt Physical Education Learner’s Module 4. Toe touch APPLICATION 20 MINUTES FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS 1. Grip: Proper hold of the stick ? Hold the stick one fist away from the punyo (butt) of the stick. Close the grip with the thumb. 2. Basic Stance and Salutation Handa ? Feet are positioned shoulder width apart. ? Stick is held in front of the body. Pugay ? ? Place the weapon hand  across the chest. Bow by bending at the waist. Handa sa Paglaban/Fighting Stance ? ? ? 5 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM One foot in front (foot the same as the weapon hand), the other foot on the rear Keep feet apart, distance of one foot. Both knees slightly bent Physical Education Learner’s Module ? ? Toes facing forward Weight evenly distributed on both feet ? Distance of 5 steps between the feet. Back leg kept straight, rear foot is held at a 45 degree angle. Keep the front knee bent. Weight is evenly distributed on both feet. Forward Stance ? ? ? Backward Stance ? ? ? ? Distance of 4 steps between the feet. Both knees are slightly bent. Rear foot held at a 90 degree angle. 70% of the body weight on the rear foot while 30% is placed on the front foot. COOL-DOWN: Static Stretching Exercises 1. Wrist (fingers down, up, forward) 2. Finger stretch 6 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module 3. Overhead stretch 4. Chest stretch 5. Triceps 6. Cross elbow 7. Zipper ASSESSMENT 5 MINUTES Using the rating scale below, I can assess my performance on the following skills accordingly: Rating: I I can practice the skill by myself. O I can practice the skill with others’ 7 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module help. I will just wait for the next PE class. W RATING SESSION 2 ACTIVITY Warm-up Dynamic stretching Grip Stance Static stretching INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 5 MINUTES REVIEW: In our previous lesson, I have learned to properly hold (grip) the arnis stick and assume the proper stance. I have also learned how to perform the routine exercises for warm-up and cool-down. PREVIEW: ? Today’s lesson consists of the twelve (12) striking techniques which are aimed at different parts of the body that are considered to be vulnerable. I will be learning how to perform the first five (5) techniques: ? Striking technique 1-Left side of the head attack ? Striking technique 2-Right side of the  head attack ? Striking technique 3-Left side of the trunk attack ? Striking technique 4-Right side of the 8 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module trunk attack ? Striking technique 5-Thrust to stomach SESSION 2 SKILL DEVELOPMENT 10 MINUTES GENERAL WARM-UP DYNAMIC STRETCHING EXERCISES SESSION 2 APPLICATION 20 MINUTES STRIKING TECHNIQUES: Hitting vital points of the body as targets by means of slashing, stabbing and thrusting actions; all techniques are performed with a fighting stance ST1: Left side of the head attack ? Assume fighting stance ? Stick held at one o-clock; slashing action ? Free hand on chest  ST2: Right side of the head attack ? Assume fighting stance ? Stick held at eleven o’clock; slashing action ? Free hand on chest ST3: Left side of the body (trunk) attack ? Extend weapon hand ? Strike any part of the trunk between the shoulder and hip joints; slashing action against the outer part of the trunk 9 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module ST4: Right side of the body (trunk)attack ? Same as ST3 ST5: Thrust to solar plexus (stomach) attack ? Thrust weapon hand towards the target point (solar plexus) ? Follow-through with upward movement. COOL-DOWN: Static stretching exercises SESSION 2 ASSESSMENT 5 MINUTES Using the rating scale below, I can assess my performance on the following skills accordingly: Rating: I I can practice the technique by myself. O I can practice the technique with others’ help. W I will just wait for the next PE class. RATING ACTIVITY Warm-up Dynamic stretching Grip Stance Striking techniques 1-5 Static stretching 10 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module PROCEDURES The lessons and activities in every session are presented using the following format: INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: This contains a review of the previous lesson/activity and a preview of the lessons and activities that will  be taken up in the current session. SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The warm-up routine will serve as preliminary exercises before the introduction of the skill to be learned. APPLICATION: This explains the activity in detail so that I may be able to follow closely and participate actively in it. ASSESSMENT: This contains guides that will help me monitor myself before, during and after the lessons and the activities so I may know how well I am able to participate in class. SESSION 3 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 10 MINUTES REVIEW: In our previous lesson, I learned how to perform the five (5) striking techniques: 11 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module left (1) and right (2) side of the head attack, left (3) and right (4) side of the trunk attack, and the thrust to stomach (5) attack. Using the following rating scale, I can assess how I performed the following techniques: 4 – Performed the technique with no or few observable errors 3 – Performed the technique with some errors but I am able to correct myself easily 2 – Performed the technique with some errors but I relied on other’s help 1– I need more practice to get it right RATING TECHNIQUE. Left side of the head attack Right side of the head attack Left side of the trunk attack  Right side of the trunk attack Thrust-to-stomach attack 12 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module PREVIEW: ? Today’s lesson consists of the remaining seven (7) of the twelve (12) striking techniques: ? Striking technique 6-Left chest stab ? Striking technique 7-Right chest stab ? Striking technique 8-Left knee strike ? Striking technique 9-Right knee strike ? Striking technique 10-Left eye poke ? Striking technique 11-Right eye poke ? Striking technique 12-Crown attack SESSION 3 SKILL DEVELOPMENT 5 MINUTES GENERAL WARM-UP DYNAMIC STRETCHING EXERCISES SESSION 3 APPLICATION STRIKING TECHNIQUES: ST6: Left chest stab? Assume the fighting stance. ? Extend weapon hand forward, palm facing outward. ? Keep elbow up. ST7: Right chest stab 13 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM 20 MINUTES Physical Education Learner’s Module ? Assume fighting stance ? Scooping action ? Extend weapon hand forward, palm facing outward. ? Keep the elbow down. ST8: Left lower leg (knee/shin/ankle) strike ? Lower the body ? Extend weapon hand to hit any part of the lower leg between knee and ankle joint ? Palm upward ST9: Right lower leg ? Lower the body ? Extend weapon hand to hit any part of the lower leg between knee and ankle joint ? Palm downward ST10: Left eye poke? Assume fighting stance ? Extend weapon hand forward, palm facing outward ? Elbow down ST11: Right eye poke ?Assume fighting stance ? Extend weapon hand forward, 14 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module palm facing outward ? Elbow up ST12: Crown attack ? Hack against the top of the head COOL-DOWN: Static stretching exercises SESSION 3 ASSESSMENT 5 MINUTES Using the rating scale below, I can assess my performance on the following skills accordingly: Rating: I I can practice the technique by myself. O I can practice the technique with others’ help. W I will just wait for the next PE class. RATING ACTIVITY Warm-up Dynamic stretching Grip Stance Striking techniques 1-5 Striking techniques 7-12 Static stretching ASSIGNMENT 1. Compute your heart rate given a MODERATE intensity exercise (minimum = 40% and maximum = 15 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module 55%). (Minimum) _____ bpm TO (Maximum) _____ bpm 2. Compute your heart rate given a VIGOROUS intensity exercise (minimum = 60% and maximum = 85%). (Minimum) _____ bpm TO (Maximum) _____ bpm SESSION 4 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 15 MINUTES REVIEW: In our previous lesson, I learned how to perform the remaining seven (7) striking techniques: left (6) and right (7) chest attack; left (8) and right (9) knee attack; left (10) and right (11) eye attack, and the crown (12) attack. Using the following rating scale, I will assess how I performed the following techniques: 4 – Performed the technique with no or few observable errors 3 – Performed the technique with some errors but I am able to correct myself easily 2 – Performed the technique with some errors but I relied on other’s help 16 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module 1– I need more practice to get it right RATING TECHNIQUE Left chest stab Right chest stab Left knee strike Right knee strike Left eye poke Right eye poke  Crown attack PREVIEW: ? Today’s lesson consists of the following tasks: ? Practice the striking techniques 112 ? Monitor my heart rate to determine the intensity of the exercises. SESSION 4 SKILL DEVELOPMENT 10 MINUTES DETERMINING MY HEART RATE AT REST 1. My partner signals the time for me to â€Å"start† and â€Å"stop† counting my pulse (radial or carotid) for 6 seconds. HEART RATE AT REST: _____ bpm 2. I now signal my partner to â€Å"start† and â€Å"stop† counting his/her pulse for 6 seconds. 17 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module GENERAL WARM-UP 1. Jog for 1 minute. 2. Side shuffle (left foot leading) for 20 seconds. 3. Side shuffle (right foot leading) for 20 seconds. 4. Carioca (left foot leading) for 10 seconds. 5. Carioca (right foot leading) for 10 seconds. 6. Butt kicks for 10 seconds. 7. High knees for 10 seconds. HEART RATE AFTER WARM-UP: _____ bpm DYNAMIC STRETCHING 1. Knee hug to calf raise 2. Single leg deadlift 3. Lunge and twist 4. Toe touch HEART RATE AFTERSTRETCHING: _____ bpm SESSION 4 APPLICATION 15 MINUTES STRIKING TECHNIQUES ST1: Left temple attack ST2: Right temple attack ST3: Left shoulder attack 18 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module ST4: Right shoulder attack ST5: Thrust-to-stomach attack  ST6: Left chest attack ST7: Right chest attack ST8: Left knee attack ST9: Right knee attack ST10: Left eye attack ST11: Right eye attack ST12: Crown attack 19 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module HEART RATE AFTER STRIKING: _____ bpm COOL-DOWN: Static stretching exercise HEART RATE AFTER COOL-DOWN: _____ bpm SESSION 4 ASSESSMENT 5 MINUTES 1. Rank the following exercises accordingly: 1-most intense; 2-moderate; 3-least intense. EXERCISES HEART RATE RANK INTENSITY (bpm) General warm-up Dynamic stretching Striking techniques Cool-down 2. Identify the exercise intensity as moderate or vigorous (base it on your Session 3 assignment). SESSION 5 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 20 MINUTES REVIEW: In our previous lesson, we monitored our heart rate while performing all of the exercises. We also practiced the following skills: grip, stance and the 12 striking techniques. PEER EVALUATION: Using the following rating scale, assess 20 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module YOUR PARTNER as s/he performs the following techniques: 4 – Performed the technique with no or few observable errors 3 – Performed the technique with some errors but is able to correct him/herself easily. 2 – Performed the technique with some errors but relied on my help1– Needs more practice to get it right RATING TECHNIQUE RATING TECHNIQUE Left side of the head Left chest Right side of the head Right chest Left side of the trunk Left knee Right side of the trunk Right knee Thrust-to-stomach Left eye RATED BY: DATE Right eye Crown PREVIEW: ? Today’s lesson consists of the ten (10) blocking techniques which consist of parrying an opponent’s strike in defense. Blocking with balance and in the correct stance will enable me to counter-strike with equal efficacy. I will be learning how to perform the five (5) basic techniques: 21 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module  ? Blocking technique 1-Inward ? Blocking technique 2-Outward ? Blocking technique 3-Rising ? Blocking technique 4-Downward inward ? Blocking technique 5-Downward outward SESSION 5 APPLICATION 15 MINUTES BLOCKING TECHNIQUES: BT1: Inward ? Place free hand on the stick. ? From forward stance, shift body obliquely. ? Parry inward BT2: Outward ? Free hand rotates the stick downward. ? Shift body obliquely on the opposite side ? Parry outward. 22 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module BT3: Rising ? Hold the stick parallel to the ground, waist level. ? Push the stick upward, over the head. BT4: Downward inward? From fighting stance, shift to back stance. ? Lower the body ? Extend weapon hand, palm up. BT5: Downward outward ? From fighting stance, shift to back stance ? Lower the body ? Extend weapon hand, palm down ? COOL-DOWN: Static stretching exercises Quadriceps Calf Seated Hamstring 23 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Groin Physical Education Learner’s Module Wrist (fingers up, down, forward) Finger Overhead Cross 24 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Trunk Elbow Zipper Triceps Glute Physical Education Learner’s Module SESSION 5 ASSESSMENT 5 MINUTES Using the rating scale below, I can assess my performance on the following skills accordingly: Rating: I O I can practice the technique by myself. I can practice the technique with others’ W I will just wait for the next PE class. help. RATING ACTIVITY Striking techniques 1-5 Striking techniques 6-12 Blocking techniques 1-5 Cool-down SESSION 6 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 10 MINUTES REVIEW: In our previous lesson, we reviewed the 12 striking techniques and learned the five (5) basic techniques in blocking: inward (1), outward (2), rising (3), downward inward (4) and downward outward (5). PREVIEW: ? Today’s lesson consists of the following tasks: Practice the following skills or techniques: 1. Striking techniques 1-12 2. Blocking techniques 1-10 ? Monitor my heart rate to determine the intensity of the exercises. 25 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module SESSION 6 SKILL DEVELOPMENT 10 MINUTES Determine heart rate at rest (6-second count): _____ bpm GENERAL WARM-UP 1. Jog for 1 minute. 2. Side shuffle (left foot leading) for 20 seconds. 3. Side shuffle (right foot leading) for 20 seconds. 4. Carioca (left foot leading) for 10 seconds. 5. Carioca (right foot leading) for 10 seconds. 6. Butt kicks for 10 seconds. 7. High knees for 10 seconds. HEART RATE AFTER WARM-UP: _____ bpm DYNAMIC STRETCHING 1. Knee hug to calf raise. 2. Single leg deadlift 3. Lunge and twist 4. Toe touch SESSION 6 HEART RATE AFTER STRETCHING: _____ bpm APPLICATION 15 MINUTES Striking techniques 1-12 HEART RATE AFTER STRIKING: _____ bpm 26 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module Blocking techniques 1-5 HEART RATE AFTER BLOCKING: _____ bpm Cool-down: Static stretching HEART RATE AFTER COOL-DOWN: _____ bpm SESSION 6 ASSESSMENT 5 MINUTES 1. Rank the following exercises accordingly: 1most intense; 2-moderate; 3-least intense. EXERCISES HEART RATE RANK INTENSITY General warm-up Dynamic stretching Striking techniques Blocking techniques Cool-down 3. Identify the exercise intensity as moderate or vigorous (base it on your Session 3 assignment). 27 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module SESSIONS 7 and 8 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 10 MINUTES REVIEW: In our previous lesson, we rated our peer in the performance of the five (5) blocking techniques, and monitored our heart rates while performing the different exercises. PREVIEW: ? Today’s lesson consists of the following task: 1. Choreograph a 3 to 5-minute routine with a partner that combines the striking and blocking techniques which I have learned throughout the quarter. 2. Our routine will be rated by our teacher  using the following rubrics: a. Proper execution of techniques: ? Striking ? Blocking ? Stance and posture ? Body shifting b. Proper timing in the execution of technique c. Agility in moving the entire body to the proper position d. Proper coordination and continuous exchange between partners to show fluidity of movements e. Variety of techniques 28 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module The following rating scale shall be used: 1- No or only a few observable errors; performed with high level of confidence 2- Some errors in technique but are able to keep presence of mind and carry on; encourages partner  3- Some errors in technique; more comfortable in starting all over again or backtracking; may show impatience or frustration 4- Needs more practice; shows impatience or frustration SESSION 7 and 8 SKILL DEVELOPMENT 5 MINUTES GENERAL WARM-UP. 1. Jog for 1 minute. 2. Side shuffle (left foot leading) for 20 seconds. 3. Side shuffle (right foot leading) for 20 seconds. 4. Carioca (left foot leading) for 10 seconds. 5. Carioca (right foot leading) for 10 seconds. 6. Butt kicks for 10 seconds. 7. High knees for 10 seconds. STATIC STRETCHING EXERCISES 1. Wrist (fingers down, up, forward) 2. Fingers 3. Overhead 4. Trunk 29 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module 5. Triceps 6. Cross elbow 7. Zipper SESSION 8 APPLICATION 15 MINUTES CHOREOGRAPHY and PRACTICE SESSION 8 ASSESSMENT 10 MINUTES Rate your choreographed routine by checking the appropriate box: 1- No or only a few observable errors; performed with high level of confidence 2- Some errors in technique but are able to keep presence of mind and carry on; I encouraged/have been encouraged by my partner 3- Some errors in technique; more comfortable in starting all over again or backtracking; We may have gotten a bit impatient or frustrated with one another; 4- I/ We needed more time to practice; we  can do better next time 30 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module RATING 1 2 3 4 Execution of technique ? Striking ? Blocking ? Stance posture ? Body shifting Timing of strikes blocks Agility of movements Coordination Variety of techniques All photos of PE faculty members of the University of Asia and the Pacific were taken in April 2012 by Mr. Joshua Ben R. Villareal. These photos are his and the module authors’ (Stella Marie M. Urbiztondo and Anamaria Laudet S. Mangubat) sole property. Use of these photos outside of this module is allowed provided that the owners are properly acknowledged. 31 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM Physical Education Learner’s Module Bibliography American College of Sports Medicine (2010). ACSM’s health-related physical fitness assessment manual, 3rd edition. Philadelphia: Wolters-Kluwer/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. A. Mayfield (2006). Personal nutrition profile, 2nd edtion. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (2003). Canadian Physical Activity, Fitness Lifestyle Approach: CSEP- Health 7 Fitness Program’s Health-Related Appraisal and Counseling Strategy, 3rd ed. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1985). Physical activity and health: A report of the surgeon general. Atlanta: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. National Association for Sport and Physical Education (1995). Moving into the future: National standard for physical education. Boston, Virginia: WCB/McGraw-Hill. YMCA USA (2000). YMCA fitness testing and assessment manual, 4th edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/19917. jpg 32 10/19/2012 5:44:49 PM

Economic Crashes and Booms in the 20th Century

Economic Crashes and Booms in the 20th Century Free Online Research Papers The history in the 20th century was overwhelmingly economic. The advances of technology, productivity, and organizations along with the material wealth of human mankind expanded beyond all previous imagining. Although the economic forces were still developing; the early 20th century was still very incompetant. Little was known or learned about how to manage a market. Kenneth Galbraiths analytical text entitled 1929:The Great Crash, effectively demonstrates the validity of his thesis that a frightening prelude to the stock market crash of many years ago was ignorance complimented by complete societal unexpectedness. With impeccable consistency, the author asserts that the summer just before October 1929s economically devastating crash was one marked by both a superficial affluency and an unwarranted optimism. According to Galbraith, even many of the financially-intelligent could not see it coming. In speaking of the Federal Reserve Systems weekly returns from 1929, he writes,Each Friday this report showed a large increase in loans; each Friday it was firmly stated that it didnt mean a thing, and anyone who suggested otherwise was administered a stern rebuke. (P. 68). With such comments, the book effectively begins to paint a picture of a society who may have had at least some reason to fear for their economic health, and yet who continued to adamantly ignore any potential warning signs. Elaborating the lack of relevant economic awareness that 1929s society exhibited, Galbraith uses an entire section of one particular chapter to illustrate a semi-cycle in which during the preceding summer, analysts were extremely optimistic about the economic outlook and then by September, there approached a turning point in which there was finally some concern. By the end of the month, however, when there was no disruption in economic productivity, those who warned of forthcoming difficulties, withdrew their theories that expectedand no one would dare predict such an economic failurethe stock market did indeed crash. Of course, it must be noted that there was not so much a failure to foresee the great crash of 1929 as there was a failure to listen to those who did predict its possible arrival. One example cited on page 72, was that of Paul M. Warmburg of the International Acceptance Bank who urged for a tighter Federal Reserve Policy with the warning that current conditions were inevitably aimed at instigating a collapse. Most notably, Warmburg is quoted as having said,It would bring about a general depression involving the entire country. Clearly, such representations are indicative of the fact that October 1929s crash was not a complete economic surprise to all. So why then was the general population and even the majority of the financially educated so markedly convinced that there was nothing to worry about ? According to what can be both directly interpreted and casually inferred from the book, the relevant media played a large role. Well-reputed journalists were going so far as to accept large sums of money to write favorably about the stock market. The Daily News and other widely-read papers whose opinions were respected by the public, consistently told stories of the nations undying affluency and promising future. With so little common media educating the public about reality, American society had no choice but to wholeheartedly believe that the nation was and would continue to be prosperous with the stock market as a chief ingredient for success. From a philosophical perspective, Kenneth Galbraith writes on page 75 that, Between human beings there is a type of intercourse which proceeds not from knowledge, or even from lack of knowledge, but from failure to know what isnt known. Hence, the inherent realities of the books thesis concerning true definitive ignorance can be seen in one sentence. Galbraith would probably assert even further that it is our societal responsibility to learn that which can not be learned from others, and then to teach others. In other words, we must constantly create new knowledge based upon our own individual analytical capabilites. Therefore, it should have been up to society to analyze, learn about and better predict the Great Crash. But it is that communicative failure between those who know and those who think that they know, that causes catastrophes such as these. With particular reference to the books preface, Galbraith is not shy to illustrate how frighteningly ignorant we were just eight years ago as well. This is accomplished by citing the similarities between 1929 and the crash of the late 1980s. As weeks passed after the more recent stock market crash, an alarming likeliness became apparent. In the first six months after each crash, the Dow Jones industrial average followed nearly identical paths, recovering much lost ground. And in April 1930, economists and businessmen were speaking optimistically about the economy, just as they were in 1988, after the last crash. But in late April 1930, stock prices started to decline, and they fell without interruption for two years, leading to the Great Depression. The factors that brought on the depression do not exist in the same manner today. But yet at points, Galbraith seems to warn that the nations current economic difficulties such as the budget and trade deficits, the worldwide industrial competition, trade issues, and the huge pileup of corporate and Third World debt, could still bring on yet another a recession. What happened on October 19th of 1987 is vivid enough so that the crash has become a symbol that means, basically, dont be too sure and lets watch out. And in fact, it is important to realize that for these reasons- Galbraiths book was re-printed. In analyzing and re-interpreting his thesis, it is indeed most helpful to realize that this book was originally written well-before the crash of the 80s, and therefore its inherent goals for informative productivity can not be directly related. But to watch out and to not be too sure, seems to be an integral value that the author wishes to instill in his readers. The decline from 1929-32, they say, came about largely as a result of the Great Depression, marked by widespread bank failures, a falling money supply, rising trade wars and other woes. I believe that a recurrence of such events is really quite improbably in our contemporary economy due safeguards like federal insurance on our bank deposits, Social Security, and farm price support. Part of Galbraiths 207 page-long lecture seems to revolve around the fact that the government now has overall responsibility for coming to the support of the economy, which it did not then. But then again, my rationale that a re-occurrence is unlikely seems so frighteningly similar to those which counter-predicted the Great Crash of 1929. In fact, if I learned anything from Galbraiths book, I should be exceptionally weary of any overly-optimistic or confident predictions concerning the economy. Although unfortunate, it is now apparent to me that economics can not be discussed without scrutinizing every possible disaster and accepting them as a potential reality. And in fact, the recent crash blatantly ended a certain speculative fever that rapidly augmented prices until 1990. According to a book review and commentary, in the months before October 19th in the 80s crash, Galbraith, had reportedly warned that speculation was creating a rise in stock prices and the inevitable outcome of speculation was to be a crash. Hence, we again see the sound assertion that pessimism is more important that optimism when analyzing the stock market from a macroeconomic perspective. Bibliography Galbraith, John Kenneth. 1929:The Great Crash. Boston :Houghton Mifflin Co, printed in 1997. Economist/Author Speaks on Crash. San Jose Mercury News. April 17th, 1988; P. 1E. *Internet Obtained (Via America On-Line) The Cato Journal/ vol.16 No.2 â€Å"The Growth of the Federal Government in the 1920’s†. Research Papers on Economic Crashes and Booms in the 20th CenturyAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Influences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaTwilight of the UAWAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

The Commonly Confused Words Rapped, Rapt, and Wrapped

The Commonly Confused Words Rapped, Rapt, and Wrapped The words rapped,  rapt,  and wrapped are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. Definitions Rapped is the past tense of the verb rap. Rap means to knock, hit suddenly, or criticize sharply. The verb rap also means to talk freely and openly or to perform the highly rhythmic type of popular music known as rap  (noun)  or hip hop. The adjective rapt means receiving (someones) full attention, being wholly absorbed (in something), or being carried away (with emotion). Wrapped is the past tense of the verb wrap, which means to cover, enclose, or bundle. The phrasal verb wrapped up means to be involved or obsessed with someone or something. Examples After a few shots, Muholi removed the fruit basket from her head and sat down at the kitchen table to load the images into Photoshop. She rapped her knuckles on the table while she waited, fretting out loud that the concept wouldnt work.(Jenna Wortham, Zanele Muholis Transformation. The New York Times Magazine, October 8, 2015)Drake’s ascendance happened so instantly it felt effortless, achieved without struggle, almost to the point of seeming unearned. In Thank Me Now, he rapped about how he can relate to kids going straight to the leaguea reference to high-school players so talented they skip college basketball and go straight to the NBA.(Simon Reynolds, How Drake Became the All-Pervading Master of Hyper-Reality Rap. The Guardian [UK], April 28, 2016)The miners were rescued in front of the worlds media and a billion rapt viewers.Jacqueline turned to the waiter and rattled off a sentence in German which brought to Charless eyes a look of  rapt admiration; and the waiter, ev idently understanding quite easily what she had said, turned and hurried away.(Edgar Wallace, The Mouthpiece, 1935)   There had always been a shoebox on top of the stove full of baby squirrels rescued from a fallen pine, tenderly wrapped in flannel and bottle-fed into independence.(Pam Durban, Soon. The Southern Review, 1997)She was a fanatic about cleanliness and put out her little bit of garbage wrapped very neatly in yesterdays Christian Science Monitor and tied in a bow with a fresh piece of string.(James Alan McPherson, Gold Coast. The Atlantic Monthly, 1969) Usage Notes You might have rapped Tommy on the knuckles during his maths class in order to direct his attention to quadratic equations. Clearly the word rapped is the past tense of the verb to rap. If you are rapt, you are in a state of unearthly wonderment. It is a state induced by listening to great music, having a religious revelation, or being absorbed by your charismatic lecturer discoursing on the philosophy of Plato. There are also stories of being rapt and in that state being transported from one place to another without any tangible means. Something that is wrapped is something that is securely covered and possibly tied up in a convenient shape for transport or handing over to someone else.(David Rothwell, Dictionary of Homonyms. Wordsworth, 2007) Practice (a) The students listened to the guest speaker with _____ attention.(b) The man who sat in the wagon that moved slowly up the road wore an old quilt _____ around his shoulders and a corduroy cap pulled down over his eyes.(Robert Penn Warren, Christmas Gift. The Virginia Quarterly Review, 1938)  (c) Agatha got out of her car and marched up to the Ford and _____  on the window. The sallow-faced youth opened the window and demanded, Wot?(M.C. Beaton, As the Pig Turns. Thorndike, 2011) Answers to Practice Exercises: Rapped, Rapt, and Wrapped (a) The students listened to the guest speaker with  rapt  attention.(b) The man who sat in the wagon that moved slowly up the road wore an old quilt  wrapped  around his shoulders and a corduroy cap pulled down over his eyes.(Robert Penn Warren, Christmas Gift.  The Virginia Quarterly Review, 1938)  (c) Agatha got out of her car and marched up to the Ford and  rapped  on the window.  The sallow-faced youth opened the window and demanded, Wot?(M.C. Beaton,  As the Pig Turns. Thorndike, 2011)

Personal Professional Development Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Professional Development - Personal Statement Example To this end, I have conducted a study and analyzed my own case, which will help me to take proper career decisions throughout my life and to achieve my professional ambitions. b. Investigation of career options: The second step is to become a career researcher. This involves identification of resources, market information, evaluation of career options and determining target organizations The following points need to be addressed: c. Focus and goal setting: The purpose of self-assessment and collection of market information is to find a focus for one's career interests. This focus emerges from the interplay of one's self-assessment and the opportunities realistically available. When one is prepared to compare how well one's skills, accomplishments, values, interests, and needs match the organization, one will then be ready to identify your career goals. One will also know the training, skills, and competencies required for his/her career, and the kinds of organizations and positions that are a good "fit" for him/her. The synthesis of information one has collected thus far will require self-reflection. d. Networking: It is an important aspect of the modern job market. ... lso know the training, skills, and competencies required for his/her career, and the kinds of organizations and positions that are a good "fit" for him/her. The synthesis of information one has collected thus far will require self-reflection. d. Networking: It is an important aspect of the modern job market. Developing, expanding and maintaining this network is a critical career development skill. It helps in remaining abreast of the current and changing environment as well as in maintaining contacts with the right persons at the right time. e. Job search skills: Apart from networking, some other important job searching skills are essential. These are resume, CV, cover letter writing, presentation, interviews and job negotiation skills. These skills enable us to properly project our strong points to the prospective employers and in getting the best possible deals. f. Career management: Managing a career is a life long process. With the job market constantly changing, we need to continuously reassess our professional development vis--vis market requirement and make up the shortcomings by following a 'learn while you earn ' approach. According to Robert H. Rouda, and Mitchell E. Kusy, Jr (Career development, personal career management and planning, Tappi journal, 1995-96), "There is an increasing need for individuals to take charge of the development of their own learning and careers for a variety of reasons: There is increasing rate of change of our organizations and in the knowledge and skills we need to perform our jobs. Career ladders are rapidly shrinking or disappearing as reorganizations lead to flatter structures. There is an ever-increasing need for us to keep learning to keep up with the rapid growth in knowledge and the rate of change of our workplace

The Third Way Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Third Way - Essay Example And so governments have to decide which programs will best reward the investment of tax dollars (Merkhofer 1987). One of the most controversial areas of public policy involves health care for that part of the population least able to pay for their own care. Socioeconomic status has been identified as a powerful factor in one's health (Bloomberg, Meyers and Braverman 1994). The more health problems that those citizens at the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum have, the greater the tax burden will be on the rest of the citizenry. However, while the politics of money should play a significant part in the development of social policy, there is also the idea of social justice to consider. Social justice takes on many definitions, depending on the political leanings of the definer, but the general idea involves the creation of a sense of fairness or equality of opportunity to members at all socioeconomic levels of a society (Jordan 1998; Marshal, Swift, and Roberts 2002). Under the Thatcher administration, inequalities in access to quality health care began to widen in British society (Wagstaff, Paci, and van Doorslaer 1991). When Prime Minister Blair took office, one of his first moves was to establish improved access to health care as a top priority. There are at least three schools of thought as to how to engineer social change. The "laissez-faire" line of thinking - which basically involves allowing society to shake itself into the desired state - might argue that education alone would awaken the British public to the plight of the poor, particularly with regard to health care. The transition in the health habits of the Indian state of Kerala, between 1961 and 1974, could serve as a strong example for the laissez-faire viewpoint. Over that period of time, the birth rate fell from 39 to 26.5, while levels of literacy, life expectancy, female education, and age of marriage became the highest in all of India (Ratcliffe 1978). The cause of this change is not massive social expenditure for contraceptives, not an infrastructure of free clinics, but simply public education about the benefits of family planning, and about the importance of equitable distribution of opportunities (Ratcliffe 1978). Near the other end of the spectrum stand the Social Democrats, who believe that social justice can be achieved, if government planners can only find the right level of taxation to put into place sufficient programs and infrastructure. The natural sympathy that rightly extends to those who need medical treatment that goes beyond what they can afford has made social justice one of the central ethical principles of public health nursing. Programs that do not ultimately result in a change of behavior, however, are only short-term solutions that will not change societal patterns over time (Drevdahl, Kneipp, Canales, and Dorcy 2001). Also, programs that do not accurately address the factors that connect socioeconomic status and health will, ultimately, waste taxpayers' money and will solve nothing (Marmot and Feeney, 1997). The New Labour way of thinking sits somewhere, at least in its own mind, between the

How the environment plays a role in learning Research Paper

How the environment plays a role in learning - Research Paper Example (Dr. Maria Montessori) INTRODUCTION The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines learning as â€Å"the act or experience of one that learns†, â€Å"Knowledge or skill acquired by study† or modification of a behavioral tendency by experience (as exposure to conditioning). The two ideas central to the process of learning are one that knowledge is inborn and two, that it is acquired through experience. Though the relative contribution of these two factors still remains debatable, there is no doubt to the fact that an individual’s environment does influence the learning process (Ireson, 2008). For a child the major environmental factors in order of appearance in his life are parents or family, media, peer group, and classroom or school. The author intends to discuss the influence of each of these factors on the learning process in this paper. EFFECT OF ENVIRONMNET ON LEARNING The major factor determining the influence of environment on learning is related to observational and imitative learning which emerges in the early stages of child development. Beyond imitation, children are also seen to assess the implication of behavior and more likely to imitate behaviors which are rewarded. Thus factors such as thinking and reason come in to force in determining the path of learning process. However, environment remarkably influences these aspects of learning as well. Home environment: Parents & Family It is well recognized that home background effects learning process by exercising a multidimensional influence on the child. The four major variables that render the home environment educative, non educative or anti-educative are socioeconomic variables, family configuration (structural and educational aspects) as well as achievement levels, parental characteristics and home process variables (www.adi.org). The importance of home environment is underlined by the fact that the initial period of child development with exclusive and later predominant influence of home is the most rapid phase of development. Interventions at this stage are likely to have more impact on learning process compared to similar interventions at later stages. Even at later stages home remains a determining factor with continuous influence on social, nutritional, and emotional aspects of the child, thus affecting the learning process. Media Media in form of television, internet is knocking at the doors of childhood long before the child is introduced to any of his real friends. The animation characters and the advertisement jingles lure and influence them more than any of the peer group. The influence in some aspects is immediate and obvious such as vocabulary building and introduction to violence. Certain aspects may be gradual such as learning the technology and making children inquisitive as well as better informed. The creative use of media for imparting education, offering audio visual aids facilitating the learning process is being explored and exploited for m ainstream as well as special needs children. The optimal use of these aids is repeatedly stressed in researches. Caution needs to be exercised in the excessive use of media since it might lead to distractions and thus decelerate the learning process. Researchers such as Richard Clarke have argued against the effect of media on learning, declaring it as mere means of communication, thus considering the content as influencing the learning p

International Trade Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Trade - Research Paper Example The competition effects in bestowing more reasonable goods or services to the customers. The trade of products and services also influences the global economic structure in relation to demand and supply, accessibility and availability of goods and services to the prospective customers around the globe (Grimwade 1-50). Thesis Statement The paper intends to briefly discuss about international trade and its historical background. The different problems, benefits and the present day standing with regard to international trade have also been highlighted within this study. History of International Trade With regard to the historical concept, international trade can be stated as the basic notion of trading which had been conducted by Great Britain in the early part of 15th century. The European commenced to explore the trading activities through seas to discover new trade ways to the Asian market. With the similar context, the Portuguese explored England, Spain, and France and Africa set ac ross the Atlantic Ocean and discovered colonies as the new market place for trade. During the 17th century, the industrial revolution had occurred in Great Britain and it facilitated it as a stronger trading nation through supplying goods to those targeted colonies and purchased valuable raw materials from those dependencies (Meier, â€Å"Theoretical Issues Concerning the History of International Trade and Economic Development†). During the period of 17th and 18th century, â€Å"mercantilism† emanated in Europe to perform trade in a systematic body involving consideration dedicated to explore the trade beyond the national boundaries. According to the concept of mercantilism, the trade should operate in a balanced way during the export and the import of goods or services. The favorable â€Å"balance of trade† consigns the equal value of exported and imported goods that are to be exchanged among the territories. However, trade among the regions was evaluated to be advantageous due to its capability to derive value to the domestic goods which surpassed the cost of imported goods, which is a key concept of â€Å"balance of trade†. With this concern of trade revolution, the theory of Adam Smith has fundamentally developed the economic thoughts with regard to international trade. According to the Smith’s economic theory, financial growth of a country highly depends upon proper categorization and distribution of workers. The categorization performed according to skill and experience which is effective for an organization to produce more products from the existing resources and it is one of the major influences for the company to attain higher standard of income. The division of workers is also important to allocate them according to the growth and the structure of the market. With this concern, the practice of such trading activities is more advantageous to increase national economic growth along with generating a feasible growth on the world’s economy as well (Irwin, â€Å"A Brief History of International Trade Policy†). Problems of International Trade International trade activity often brings with it certain difficulties. During the process of trade on a global basis, companies can face difficulties in terms of quality as well as international competitiveness with regard to their produced

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Cause and effect - Essay Example This paper explores the causes and effects of high rate of divorce. The causes of high divorce rate include but are not limited to changed gender roles in marriage and change in laws whereas some of the effects of high divorce rate include distorted family system, single parenthood, and depression. Gender roles in marriage have changed under the influence of media and this has caused an increase in the divorce rate. The soaps, commercials, and movies have inculcated the concept in the minds of the audience that in order to be modern and successful, it is imperative that both members in a couple work. The media has especially placed emphasis on the work of women. More job opportunities have been created for women in order to make it easy for them to find work. As a result, women have started paying more attention toward their careers and professions than their homes. In the past, men worked and assumed the responsibility of earning bread for the family whereas women stayed at home and took care of the children. â€Å"Women feel caught in the middle, burdened by increased demands from both work and family† (Clarke-Stewart and Brentano 34). More and more women are giving up in their struggle to strike a balance between family and work and are eventually heading for divorce . Before 1970, couples needed to justify their attempt to seek divorce by proving at least one of the partners guilty of something or being at fault. Reasons that made divorce seem justified in the eyes of the law included but were not limited to cruelty, abandonment, intoxication, cheating, and adultery. However, some states introduced the option of no-fault divorce in the 1950s. Under the changed law, the need for couples to prove one of the partners being at fault was obviated. Instead, they could simply state that their marriage was not working. Nearly all states had allowed no-fault divorce by 1970. In the past,

Aviation Safety Management Program Research Paper

Aviation Safety Management Program - Research Paper Example Management is crucial in any establishment, especially in a bid to guarantee a workplace that is devoid of injury, illness, and death, hence ensuring optimal health and safety of all stakeholders. Blue Coral Copters is an exemplary organizational model in dire need of a comprehensive safety program. Analysis of the helicopter tour company reveals significant flaws in its safety management approach and non-conformity to various Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety management principles. Even though the company has an exceptional safety record compared to the general aviation sector, it has lax guidelines on the same (Hudson et al., 1994). Like most helicopter tour companies, Blue Coral Copters seems to advocate for the thrill of rides around the Hawaiian island at the expense of guaranteeing safety for the pilots and tourists. Safe, effective and profitable operation of the tour company should be the principal aggregate goal of Blue Coral Copters. Every stakeholder, from the o wner and proprietor to pilots and maintenance crews, should strictly adhere to the safety principles recommended and contribute toward hazard reporting, risk management, and other safety agenda. Information on these aspects will be shared through safety management meetings and notice boards. Pilots in this organization are known for their electric performance. Additionally, they are people with a lot of experience ranging from military aviators as well as police pilots. However, they are only evaluated by Nick regardless of the fact that they fly using dissimilar perspectives and styles.

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Cause and effect - Essay Example This paper explores the causes and effects of high rate of divorce. The causes of high divorce rate include but are not limited to changed gender roles in marriage and change in laws whereas some of the effects of high divorce rate include distorted family system, single parenthood, and depression. Gender roles in marriage have changed under the influence of media and this has caused an increase in the divorce rate. The soaps, commercials, and movies have inculcated the concept in the minds of the audience that in order to be modern and successful, it is imperative that both members in a couple work. The media has especially placed emphasis on the work of women. More job opportunities have been created for women in order to make it easy for them to find work. As a result, women have started paying more attention toward their careers and professions than their homes. In the past, men worked and assumed the responsibility of earning bread for the family whereas women stayed at home and took care of the children. â€Å"Women feel caught in the middle, burdened by increased demands from both work and family† (Clarke-Stewart and Brentano 34). More and more women are giving up in their struggle to strike a balance between family and work and are eventually heading for divorce . Before 1970, couples needed to justify their attempt to seek divorce by proving at least one of the partners guilty of something or being at fault. Reasons that made divorce seem justified in the eyes of the law included but were not limited to cruelty, abandonment, intoxication, cheating, and adultery. However, some states introduced the option of no-fault divorce in the 1950s. Under the changed law, the need for couples to prove one of the partners being at fault was obviated. Instead, they could simply state that their marriage was not working. Nearly all states had allowed no-fault divorce by 1970. In the past,

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay Example for Free

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay 1. Introduction The research project includes the complete lifespan of the work from the rationale to the conclusion. I examine the reasons for conducting the research, how the Company might benefit from the experience and how trainers may reflect and add to their toolbox of skills and knowledge. The project also considers the background to the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and how this came to AEGON UK Services, what role Workplace Training Services had to play and what part of strategy ECDL was designed to meet. The main body of the project, the research itself, sets out to consider a range of questions related to the evaluation of ECDL within a financial services setting which I believe is a valuable piece of research that is not presently widely available. The research considers the practical implications of the work and the justifications for following the particular actions undertaken. The conclusion draws the project together and provides answers to the questions considered above. Does ECDL add value within the business, have learners acquired new skills, what of the present learning methods and how might these be designed to suit the needs of future learners? I support my research findings with the results of my data collection exercises together with statistics relating to ECDL including its recent use outside of Europe. Finally, I present the detail of material used whilst working on the project as Reference and Bibliography. 2 Rationale AEGON UK Services (UKS) is the closed book arm or Third Party Administration (TPA) operation for AEGON UK one of the worlds top ten financial services companies. As a TPA no new business comes into the organisation and particularly in the present economic climate control of costs and expenses becomes paramount. It is not an overstatement to consider that the continuing well being of the UKS site in Lytham rests with its highly competitive nature. When one considers that the average cost of one staff member in Lytham is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40,00 pa whilst the equivalent outlay at the AEGON UK Head Office in Edinburgh is almost double at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65,000 pa, financial evidence becomes clear particularly with close to 900 staff at the Lytham site. There are many reasons for this divergence in costs, not all of which may be directly influenced by the Company but it is this difference which remains key to the health of the AEGON UK Services operation. It is against this background that the research into the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is set, one of the organisation obtaining maximum value for each pound of spend. As Managing Director, David Barker, said at the 2002 Business Plan launch to staff, Through the professionalism, skill and commitment of its staff AEGON UK Services has a key part to play in the growth and development of the UK operation. It is my responsibility, as Training Manager for UKS, to provide learning opportunities, develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills to meet the challenges set by the Managing Director and the Board of AEGON UK. After all, a shortage of skills could threaten the livelihood of the operation. Fingold and Soskice (1989:22) who created the notion of a low skills/low quality equilibrium argued that the majority of enterprises staffed by poorly trained managers and workers produce low quality goods and services. Their view was that Britain would not be able to keep pace with changing economic conditions. A decade on and still the need for the training and development of our staff in relation to the growth of our business remains. As David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education Employment, sets out the challenge ahead for us all when speaking at the National Training Awards ceremony in December 2000. The key message today is that there is a real economic need for people to upgrade skills throughout life. We need to help everyone fulfil their potential and respond to the changing world economy. (People Management, Vol 6, No 25). The task facing us in the UKS Training team is to meet the Secretary of States challenge and drive the business forward at the same time whilst maintaining a tight rein on expenditure. In the summer of 2001 our Union Representative introduced me to Workplace Training Services and this partnership with a local education provider soon bore fruit. A key strategic challenge for AEGON UK in 2002 was the introduction of a Common Operating Environment (COE) between its various UK operations; the most visible aspect of the COE would be the launch of Microsoft Office 2000 in the various sites. Significantly, as AEGON UK Services previously used Microsoft there were no plans to create a formal training plan for the business, rather than relying our awareness of existing applications. The Manager, Dedicated Delivery, of Workplace Training Services (an arm of Preston College), Cyril Wheat, offered the use of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as part of our solution to the need for staff learning and development in Office 2000. The seven-module ECDL programme is based upon the Microsoft Office 2000 applications and included learning on our key workplace needs, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Over 50 staff started the ECDL qualification in September 2001 and to-date over 150 have either achieved the award or are working towards it. Further developments of our work with the College have been the provision of additional learning and development for staff, in particular the provision of Learndirect facilities and the healthy learning partnership that has grown between an employer, union and education institution. To support the development of this significant partnership Workplace Training Services offered AEGON UK Services 100 free places on the ECDL programme in 2002. Although we have seen a large number of staff following the ECDL programme, myself included, AEGON UK Services has never conducted any formal evaluation of the learning programme. Whilst I have learned new skills and am able to access more difficult applications, has the Company benefited from the ECDL partnership, have the staff developed new skills and how might the programme best be carried forward? This is the rationale for the following research which is designed for the benefit, primarily, of the Company but also for the staff, College and as a valid piece of research. 3. Background Congratulations Sara Lundstedt! But why is this the Swedish environmental co-ordinator so significant to the history of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Well, Sara became the one millionth student to complete the programme, as reported in the June 2001 edition of IT Training (P7). What is ECDL and where did it come from? In 1994 the concept originated in Finland where the Finnish Information Process Association introduced the Computer Driving Licence. Shortly after, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) established the User Skills Task Force in 1995. The Task Force, supported by funding from the European Commission, was to examine how to raise IT skill levels in European industry. The Task Force identified the potential of the Finnish Licence and investigated the feasibility of adopting it and making it into a qualification for the whole of Europe. CEPIS actively encourages IT literacy and promotes acceptance of professional standards for ICT professionals throughout Europe. Pilot tests were carried out during 1995 and early 1996 resulting in the launch of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in August 1996, initially in Sweden and then throughout Europe. The ECDL Foundation was formed in 1997 to administer the ECDL programme on a not-for-profit basis and to promote, develop and certify computer skills and IT knowledge. According to its official website, the business of the ECDL Foundation is To disseminate, promote and evolve ECDL as a globally accepted IT skills certification programme that prepares all people for participation in the Information Society. On the surface, this has been successful; in 1999 the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) was created as the standard qualification for non-European countries. The syllabus is identical to that of ECDL and was initially taken up by Australia, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since then, more countries have joined the ICDL programme, ranging from Greece in 2000 to most recently, Malaysia. According to The Electric Paper Company Limited (http://www.electricpaper.ie/products/ecdl.asp) to-date, over 1.75 million people are registered on an ECDL/ICDL programme. This number is growing daily. There are tens of thousands of accredited test centres worldwide enabling people to take their tests an attain certificates. So, seven module appears to be working as students are assessed against the following competencies: basic concepts of IT, using a computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation and information and communication. The ECDL Foundation points out that the programme is now used in over 60 countries and IT Training announced in its October 2002 edition that the number of students enrolled topped the half-million mark. The British Computer Society (BCS) also reports that it is issuing 1,000 ECDL certificates every day. One of the first organisations in the public sector to move towards qualifying the computer skills of its staff is the NHS which recognised the increasing role that computer skills had to play in the public health sector. The significance of the ECDL decision is reflected in the fact that it was announced by Health Secretary, Lord Hunt. He said, New technology investments to support staff to plan, deliver and review health care will not be successful unless more priority is given to ensuring that all staff have a basic level of IT skills. There is a great deal of published support for the ECDL programme and I have included highlights from two successful ventures. The House of Commons became the first Parliament in the world to offer staff training in IT skills, aimed at MPs assistants and constituency workers. Dr. Matthew Donaghy, Industry and Parliament Trust ADAPT Project Manager, said, Our objective, and indeed an important part of securing funding for the project, was to increase the employability of staff outside the Parliamentary sector. ECDL gives staff an extra qualification showing their competence with IT in the office, but also allows flexibility in training for the qualification so that it does not interfere with major projects they may be working on. Donaghy continued, An extra benefit of the course has been the increased level of teamwork between MPs assistants. Staff are increasingly sharing tips on office practices, which will mean a more professional MPs service all round. The Bank of England is also enabling its staff to take the ECDL programme via personal or on-line training. Bank Deputy Governor, Mervyn King, who has successfully completed the qualification said, Across the Bank, the ECDL will enable people to achieve a wide range of essential skills in IT, on which they can build in the future. I am convinced that it is an ideal way for my colleagues to improve and consolidate their knowledge, to build confidence and to improve both productivity and decision making. ECDL appears therefore to have positive support, endorsed by Peter Bayley, Director of ECDL at the British Computer Society, who confirms that, Since the UK launch there has been a growing demand for information about ECDL users from both the Further Education and Corporate sectors in order to measure profiles, motivation, satisfaction and likely interest in our newly launched ECDL Advanced qualification. Apart from a gratifying 95 per cent satisfaction rating, almost two thirds of those polled chose ECDL because of its broad recognition as a computer skills qualification. In addition, 97% said they would recommend ECDL to family, friends and colleagues and 87% were interested in an ECDL Advanced qualification. Despite the fact that there is a great deal of published evidential support for ECDL, there remains little evidence within AEGON UK Services that the programme has been and remains successful. To date, we have tended to take the view that people pass, therefore it works! But does it? As Reay (1994:23) points out, evaluation can enable you to do better in the future. This is not to say that youve been failing in the past; but good trainers realize there is always room for improvement. It is against this background, of a developing IT culture within Europe and latterly the rest of the world, that the research with AEGON UK Services is set. Will the experiences outlined above be matched within the Company? 4. Research Most people associate the word research with activities which are substantially removed from day-to-day life and which are pursued by outstandingly gifted persons with an unusual level of commitment, suggested Howard and Sharp (1983:6). However, Denscombe (1998:1) takes an alternative approach when opening his piece of work some 15 years later, Social research is no longer the concern of the small elite of professionals and full-time researchers. It has become the concern of a far greater number of people who are faced with the prospect of undertaking small-scale research projects as part of an academic course or their professional development. In my case, the piece of research was to be carried out over a 3 month period by the Training Manager of a large organisation with very ordinary skills and an extremely heavy workload! Payton (1979:4) identified research as the process of looking for a specific answer in an organised objective reliable way and it is this search for answers that has driven me to tackle the challenge of evaluating the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in AEGON UK Services. Considering what questions to ask, Black suggests (1993:24/25), may prove a significant challenge in itself, The most difficult part of starting a research project is often that of identifying the best question to ask, one that is meaningful, whose answer contributes to the discipline, and whose resulting research can be carried out within the resources available. When considering the questions to answer from the piece of research I was conscious of two things set down by Managing Director, David Barker: a) what would add value to the business supporting AEGON UK Services as a key part of the AEGON UK operation and b) provide learning opportunities to develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills? The se factors contributed directly to my questions: How has ECDL added value in AEGON UK Services? How have the learners acquired new skills to help them do their jobs? Has the method of learning for ECDL proved effective? What is the most effective way for any further learners to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve ECDL? Blaxter et al (1997:58) identified 2 different methods for designing and doing a research project, their research families of qualitative and quantitative methods. To Burns (2000:3), the quantitative approach is viewed as scientific and in his opinion, has been the conventional approach to research in all areas of investigation. The methods and purposes of scientific inquiry have been moulded by countless generations of scientists Burns (2000:9) outlines the strength of the quantitative approach as being its precision and control, together with a deductive approach and the use of quantitative data (which) permits statistical analysis. Denscombe (1998:177) supports Burns standpoint by adding that, The use of quantitative data in social research has its attractions. For one thing, it carries with it an aura of scientific respectability. Because it uses numbers and can present findings in the form of graphs and tables, it conveys a sense of solid, objective research. However, an alternative view also exists and caution is stressed by Silverman (2000:6) when pointing out that the hard data on social structures which quantitative researchers claim to provide can turn out to be a mirage. Caution was necessary for me when considering the effect of ECDL upon an individuals ability to do their job more effectively, as Cicourel (1964) points to defects with quantitative research, it may be useful but it also may conceal as well as reveal social processes. On the other hand, qualitative research is an umbrella term that covers a variety of styles of social research, drawing on a variety of disciplines. Tesch (1990) identified 26 distinct kinds of social research which can fall under the term qualitative and no doubt, in time, that list will grow. However, Denscombe (1998:207) does see some common elements which begin to give some sense, as he sees it, to qualitative research, a concern with meanings and the way people understand things and a concern with patterns of behaviour. Cohen and Mannion (1998:8) go a stage further and view qualitative research as a search for understanding in which the principal concern is with the way in which the individual creates, modifies and interprets the world in which he or she finds himself or herself. Researchers who adopted this qualitative approach, responsive to individual perceptions, were felt by Bell (1999:7) to seek insights rather than statistical analysis. A positive aspect of qualitative research, according to Miles and Huberman (1984:10), is that they focus on naturally occurring, ordinary events in natural settings, so that we have a strong handle on what real life is like. The approach to this research project was on a qualitative basis and whilst there is a range of disadvantages to this method, including, as identified by Anderson (1990) the ability to collect a large number of replies, allow for easy collation and cheap and readily available, Anderson did identify advantages with a qualitative approach. Significantly, when gathering data and information Anderson held that a qualitative approach enables the researcher to really understand another person, and qualitative research tends to focus on learners, central to the research project, and their views of the world. My own research project mirrors a number of Andersons findings; focusing on the learners and managers and their views, attitudes and feelings is key to my work and as such does not lend itself naturally to a quantitative or scientific basis. However, in Denscombes opinion (1998: 173), the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, the distinction between the two is over-simplified and relates to the treatment of the data. As Strauss (1987: 2) argues, the genuinely useful distinction is in how data are treated analytically. Denscombes (1998:173) view then is that a distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is far from watertight. To some extent, the research design depends on what Barnes (1992:114) highlights as either a deductive or inductive approach to the project, with action research a key method of the latter. Barnes takes the view that when using action research, the outcomesare generally increased knowledge, understanding and improved practice. The implication from this is that action research has a relevance for what I will be undertaking and indeed Blaxter et al (1997:64) confirm this by pointing out that it is well suited to the needs of people conducting research in their own workplaces, and who have a focus on improving aspects of their own and their colleagues practices. Cohen and Mannion (1998:186) also focus their thoughts on this work-related aspect of action research by suggesting that it is situational it is concerned with diagnosing a problem in a specific context and attempting to solve it in that context. Although action research as a basis suits the needs of my project as shown above, there are a number of criticisms about the method, often reflecting Cohen and Mannions (1998:193) comments that it is not scientific, its sample is restricted and unrepresentativeits findings are restricted to the environment in which the research is carried out. I accept the above but am satisfied that although my findings may be restricted to the environment, they are after all intended for use solely within AEGON UK Services, any wider usage will be a bonus. Research data was accumulated by the use of questionnaires completed by learners, interviews with senior managers and Preston College staff, and focus groups conducted with groups of learners. This common multi-method approach is referred to as triangulation, as originally identified by the works of Elliott and Adelman (1976), and has been defined in Open University course 811 Study Guide (1988:54) as cross-checking the existence of certain phenomena and the veracity of individual accounts by gathering data from a number of informants and a number of sources and subsequently comparing and contrasting one account with another in order to produce as full and balanced a study as possible. The use of triangulation goes some way to meeting the need for this piece of research to be both reliable and valid. Bryman (1989:55) outlines reliability as something which refers to the consistency of a measure. Blaxter et al (1997:200) summarise the issue of reliability in simple terms as considering whether you have carried it out in such a way that, if another researcher were to look into the same questions in the same setting, they would come up with essentially the same results . Validity is identified in a similar tone by the same authors, to do with whether your methods, approaches and techniques actually relate to, or measure, the issues you have been exploring. Triangulation is particularly important to me because it increases the strength and validity of my work. The use of questionnaires is outlined by Denscombe (1998:88) who suggests that they are at their most productive when: used with large numbers, straightforward information required, the social climate is open, standardised, time allows for delays, resources allow for the costs and when the respondents can be expected to be able to read and understand the questions. However, my own piece of research is much smaller with fewer in the sample, straightforward questions on information that is current, all of which adds to the simplicity of this process. However, there is a range of issues when using questionnaires with Bell (1999:75) suggesting that It is harder to produce a really good questionnaire than might be imagined. McKernan (2000:125) endorses that view and warns that amongst the disadvantages are the amount of time taken compiling successful questions and low response rates. Nevertheless, the use of questionnaires provides direct access to the learners and adds balance to the interviews with my colleagues and members of Workplace Training Services. Given that my questionnaire is straightforward with simple questions I am satisfied that this is a particularly useful method of gathering my research data. Further weight is given to this argument by Burns (2000:581) who supports me by adding such strengths as cost, each respondent receives same set of questions, errors in collation of responses reduced, respondents free to reply at own pace/time, fear and embarrassment avoided, may guarantee confidentiality. Burns also highlights a number of potential concerns with the use of questionnaires including a poor response rate when compared to interviews, the potential for bias due to poor returns and badly prepared questionnaires. I acknowledge Burns concerns and test my questionnaire on a small pilot group of learners, drawn at random, to assess its ease of use; 2 questions are reworded to reflect the comments of this group. Given the small number of staff to have completed the ECDL programme I issue the questionnaire to all 45 which also supports the validity of my research and reduces the potential for any bias due to the choice of my sample. I am conscious that, as Cohen et al (2000:245) put it, the questionnaire will always be an intrusion into the life of the respondent, be it in terms of time taken to complete the questionnaireor the possible invasion of privacy. As a result of this, great care is taken over the questions posed, the amount of content and the manner in which this is issued to learners. To keep the questionnaire simple I want to largely use closed questions and this method is supported by Wilson and McLean (1994:21) who confirm that these are simple to completeand do not discriminate unduly on the basis of how articulate the respondents are. However, to ensure that peoples views are gathered I aim to allow respondents a small degree of space for their own thoughts to be considered which mirrors the views of Oppenheim (1992:115) when considering the use of closed questions: they do not enable respondents to add any remarks, qualifications and explanations to the categories, and there is a risk that the categories might not be exhaustive and that there might be bias in them. A blank questionnaire is included as Appendix B. It is the need to gather personal views and opinions that prompts me to include interviews with senior managers, and focus groups amongst learners. As Denscombe (1998) points out, questionnaires are at their best with large numbers; I am dealing with 6 senior managers and am mindful that the culture of my own organisation is such that as Training Manager it is politic for me to see the senior managers rather than issue them with a questionnaire. As McKernan (2000:128) claims, Interviewing is a social survey skill which can be taught. I am satisfied that my role in designing and delivering Interviewing Skills training courses for 5 years to the same group of managers enables me to carry out this process! There are a number of identified advantages in using interview techniques for gathering my research data and these include, Burns (2000:582/3) who is an exponent of its flexibility, the interviewer has the opportunity to observe the subject and the total situation in which they are responding which according to Burns should produce higher response rates and if properly conducted should yield response rates of at least 80-85%. Cohen et al (2000:268) provides further thoughts and considerations on interviews, when outlining the need for trust to exist, suggesting that there should be a relationship between the interviewer and interviewee that transcended the research, that promoted a bond of friendship, a feeling of togetherness and joint pursuit of a common mission rising above personal egos. Once again, my relationship with the senior managers is such that I am confident that I have this level of trust in place already to enable a smooth process to occur. In addition, greater credibility is given to me conducting these interviews, as Kane (1997:68) asserts, the closer the interviewer is to the respondent in class, sex, age and interests, the greater chance the interviewer has of being successful. When considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of interviews I endorse the comments of Patton (1980:206) who sets out the interview guide approach, which mirrors my requirements. The topic and issues to be covered are specified in advance, thus the outline increases the comprehensiveness of the data and makes data collection somewhat systematic for each respondent. I recognise that there is a risk of omitting important or salient points and that I must pay particular attention to maintaining focus on the key issues, in this case whether the managers consider that the ECDL programme has benefited the business. Consideration however must be given to the school of thought that exists regarding problems with the interview as a method for gathering my research data. Mason (1997:42) suggests that good qualitative interviewing is hard, creative work. It is a much more complex and exhausting task to plan and carry out than, for example, to develop and use a structured questionnaire for asking a set of predetermined questions. Tuckman (1972) set out a number of problems with the interview as a technique for gathering data, including the fact that a competent interviewer is required (which may involve payment), a limited number of respondents can be reached and the reliability is quite limited. Whilst acknowledging these concerns, as I have set out my competency earlier, I require interviews with a controlled group of 6 individuals only and have a great degree of confidence in the reliability of my data. Not to mention that this interviewer requires no additional payment for the work. My final information gathering technique is the focus group which Kreuger (1988:27) highlights as typically having 5 characteristics, a) people who, b) posses certain characteristics, c) provide data, d) of a qualitative nature, e) in a focussed discussion. Cohen et al (2000:288) support my use of the focus group by suggesting that they might be useful to triangulate with more traditional forms of interviewing, questionnaires, observation etc. Although observation is not necessary or appropriate for my research, Cohen et al do concur with my use of the interview and questionnaire. According to the December 2002 issue of Croners A-Z Briefing (12/02:2), the main advantage of a focus group lies in its ability to collect subjective judgments where several, individual, judgments are better than just one. By using a focus group the researcher can see how and why individual judgments are supported . This aspect of the focus group is particularly useful to me as it enables a group of learners to come together and share their experiences of the ECDL programme including highs and lows. It allows me the opportunity to facilitate discussion on the optimum way forward for AEGON UK Services and for future learners. Croner goes on to add that, they perform a useful function when evaluating various aspects of training and development, particularly when qualitative measurements are required and where it is deemed necessary to ascertain any unexpected outcomes or applications which have arisen as a result of such provision. Morgan (1988:43) cautions on the size of focus groups, suggesting between four and twelve whilst Croner takes a similar stance, between 6 and 12 Both of the above agree on the need for careful consideration with sampling, in this case with the focus group, as Croner puts it (P3), all those involved do need to be representative of the total population under consideration. I have already decided to use all of my Award-holders as I have 3 months in which to carry out the research and have a small group, as Bell (1999:83) suggests, The number of subjects in your investigation will necessarily depend on the amount of time you have. However, the question of the size of the sample and how it is selected is an issue. Cohen and Mannion (1998:87) put forward a range of sampling tools including probability and non-probability, random and stratified samples whilst Bryman (1989:107) argues the case for a representative sample using a type of probability sample. To ensure that each of my ECDL Award-holders has an equal probability of inclusion in the sample used for the focus groups, names are drawn at random from an Excel spreadsheet. Kerlinger (1986:45), identifies randomness thus, it means that there is no known law, capable of being expressed in language, that correctly explains or describes events and their outcomes. Kerlinger (1986:44) goes on to provide further evidence that my sampling approach is correct, random sampling is that method of drawing a portion (sample) of a population so that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Taking into account the thoughts of both Morgan and Croner above, I facilitate 2 focus groups of 8 members each. There are some difficulties in using focus groups and some of these are identified by Krueger (1988:46/7) who outlines the following: less control of the group as opposed to individuals, difficulties in analysing data, lack of interview skills, varying group dynamics, assembling groups and creating a supportive environment. I acknowledge Kruegers observations and take extra care when running the focus groups although I must stress that my background is as a skilled interviewer and I am able to create a stable, supportive environment for the attendees who have attended similar workshops and courses in the past, often facilitated by me. Any research project is likely to raise ethical issues. This is particularly so if it involves people directly, but may also be the case even if you conduct your research entirely on documentary evidence, Blaxter et al (1997:146). Clearly, it is wrong for me to assume that, given my position as Training Manager, there is no issue with ethics, people know me and are happy to open up and provide me with valuable and valid information. Bell (1999:52) warns, People will be doing you a favour if they agree to help, and they will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be made of the information they provide. The view is endorsed by McKernan (2000:241), who adds that, It is crucial for all participants to know what their rights are in research of any kind. As such, I take great care when contacting my ECDL learners to alert them to my research and the need for their valuable input to further the learning partnership within AEGON UK Services. Particular attention is paid to the senior managers who give me some of their valuable time for 1:1 interviews and each of them is contacted personally by telephone to discuss the needs and requirements of the research and agree suitable times for the interviews. Hopkins (2000:221/2) identifies a range of principles that I must observe in the commitment to my research including, observing protocol, involving participants, reporting on progress, maintaining confidentiality and obtaining authority before using quotations. Particular care was observed when considering the use of quotations from our external partner, Workplace Training Services, and I arranged a special meeting with Cyril Wheat to discuss the learning partnership and seek his agreement to the use of specific quotations, included in the Conclusions to this research. As Burns (2000:22/3) summarises, All in all it looks fairly difficult to conduct much research without running into ethical arguments. Burns comments alert me to the need to take nothing for granted in view of my special position with the learners, Ethical problems are likely to occur in social science research since human subjects are involved. Researchers must be aware of ethical considerations involved in voluntary and non-voluntary participation, deception, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, the right to discontinue, and obligations of the experimenter. It is this special position, that of someone who has worked very closely with most of the ECDL learners, that Sellitz et al (1962:583) might have been thinking of then they attested, interviewers are human beings and not machines and their manner may have an effect on respondents. Many factors can influence responses one way or another, for instance Borg (1981:87) highlights a few of the problems that can occur, eagerness of the respondents to please the interviewer, a vague antagonism or the tendency of the interviewer to seek out the answers that his preconceived notions .These factors are called response effect by survey researchers. ECDL learners know me well and are aware of my enthusiasm for the learning partnership and our work with the ECDL programme. Might this naturally influence their responses to questionnaires, focus group or, even senior managers, interview questions? However, Bell (1999:139) offers words of wisdom, just as the aspiring researcher wilts under the strains of potential bias, by pointing out that it is easier to acknowledge the fact that bias can creep in than to eliminate it altogether. This is a key consideration for my research as I am very keen for it to succeed being the instigator of the learning partnership with Workplace Training Services and the person responsible for the ECDL programme. A further area for my research to draw upon is the Training teams entry for the 2002 National Training Awards. The entry was based upon the teams work with the ECDL programme in AEGON UK Services and I refer to the comments of the judges in the Data Analysis and Conclusions. 5. Analysis of Data My research amongst European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) award-holders in particular highlights the very positive aspects of the programme and it is encouraging to learn that all questioned feel that the programme has benefited them, personally and professionally. Significantly, the great majority of learners also felt able to now support colleagues with IT-related enquiries, a factor that reflects our status as an Investor In People; staff are keen to share knowledge with each other in a positive manner. Being able to solve problems, increasing ones confidence, developing trouble-shooting skills and appropriately staff trained in new technology are benefits to the company, as viewed by the learners. Although it is not the intention in my research to provide statistical analysis, rather to draw conclusions from learners responses, the feedback from learners does represent universal support for developing skills to enhance the business. Learners feel more competent to do their work, have a more confident approach and have developed skills to enable new work to be handled also converting manual tasks to a PC-based system. I am able to speak from personal experience and, as a result of taking the ECDL programme, I can now use Excel with some success. Whilst it is very difficult to make any claims with the research I am confident that the programme has made a significant difference. Prior to starting the ECDL programme I was unable to use Excel despite having access to the program, after completing the Excel module I am now able to design spreadsheets for use in the Training team. There is evidence of other organisations introducing a successful ECDL programme and the following case study extracts are from the ECDLs own website, www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case. Mike Sampson, Human Resources Director at Royal Liver Assurance, commented: We are delighted that the ECDL pilot scheme has proved to be so successful and now intend to run ECDL again with further members of staff. It is important that our employees are given the opportunity to refresh and improve upon their IT skills, which ultimately reflects a great benefit to Royal Liver and ensures the companys values and good standing are continually maintained. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/royal) Even in the world of IT itself, ECDL is viewed as a positive addition to the learning curriculum, Les Williamson, Resources Servicing Manager, IBM, added, We realised fairly quickly that this certification would be beneficial across the site. Not many people can claim proficiency in all the IT productivity tools that we could be using everyday. This is a qualification that demonstrates just that. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/ibm) 90% of learners feel that they are now more confident when using a PC (66% of the remaining 10% already did so) which is an endorsement of our decision to offer the programme and a statistic from a similar exercise conducted amongst award-holders at Manchester NHS Health Authority in 2002 found that ECDL qualified staff are proven to save an average of 38 minutes per day. Staff within AEGON UK Services also highlighted the speed at which they are now able to process IT-related work as a benefit to the Company. Feedback from the learners in the questionnaires suggested that, whilst staff were achieving success using the CD ROM made available by Workplace Training Services, there was less than total satisfaction. Accordingly, amongst the questions I posed at the focus groups was What method of learning would you recommend for future ECDL students? Although only a small percentage of respondents to the questionnaire felt that the quality of learning materials was less than good during the focus groups, the mood was very different and people had the opportunity to express their views in more detail. It became apparent that the majority of the attendees of twelve felt that the CD ROM was difficult to work with, either because of their own IT situation out of the office, some did not have a PC at home, or more commonly because of the great amount of detail included. Their preferred learning method was to use paper-based material although some members of the focus groups felt that the CD ROM was ideal. Comments were also made that it was often difficult to obtain 1:1 support as members of the Training team were often involved in other projects and, in truth, were never seen as providing close support for learners. Learners comments were referred to Cyril Wheat who visited the site and spoke with groups of the learners; as a result, directly, of the feedback provided to Cyril his Workplace Training Services team started to provide future learning support material in two forms, paper-based for the majority, CD ROM where preferred. In addition, another change in policy as a result of feedback, with the introduction of a dedicated resource from the College, someone who would be guaranteed to be on the Lytham site once a week for personal tutorials. Most surprising amongst the findings was the feedback from the senior managers. Whilst the Managing Director has given the partnership with Workplace Training Services his blessing and has in fact recently enrolled on the ECDL programme, the same positive views are not held by the management team. I conducted the interviews and was surprised by the little knowledge that the managers had of the programme, one actually admitted that he had no awareness that any of his staff are taking an award. Whilst the general view amongst the managers was that any learning which develops the staff to enhance the business, must be a good thing, only one member of the team was more positive. One manager had experienced the ECDL programme personally, achieved the award, and spoke highly of the benefits to AEGON UK Services in supporting the implementation of COE. More work remains to be done with the management team for the future of the programme. 6. Conclusions The comments of learners who have achieved their European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) are extremely encouraging from a purely personal point of view, the initial thoughts are that my efforts in bringing the ECDL programme to AEGON UK Services staff has paid off. But that cursory observation is not sufficient to merit the programme a success. When we set off on the ECDL programme there was a clear business need to be met, successfully implementing the Common Operating Environment (COE) and the transfer to Microsoft Office 2000. What must not be overlooked was that the business was not using any formal training strategy to meet the requirements generated by the COE and I was confident that ECDL could provide many of the training needs. Although I am not able to provide any hard quantitative data I have feedback from learners and managers which supports the use of the programme. As one manager put it, Having achieved the ECDL I can vouch for the skills and knowledge acquired. Members of my team have demonstrated the benefits of the learning through the enhanced use of different programs. The data provides evidence of ECDL supporting the implementation of COE in the business. New skills have been acquired by learners, many of whom are now looking for further opportunities, whilst at the same time encouraging colleagues to enrol on the programme. There are numerous examples quoted of staff who are now able to access different programs, use PowerPoint, Access or in my case, get to grips with Excel for the first time. Our relationship with Workplace Training Services has developed, from the first tentative enquiries regarding the use of ECDL, the Colleges first learning partnership in the North West to one of collaboration on other projects; as I close this research we are discussing certificated learning to meet behavioural competencies. Cyril Wheat, Manager Dedicated Delivery, is proud of his organisations role with the business and speaks highly of our work, with the commitment of an employer who is providing resources is very important. The need for such support is echoed by Tim Rush of Islington Council who adds, We have been lucky here in Islington, Members of the Council and senior management have been fully supportive. Gaining support at that level is essential to any successful implementation. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/islington). Cyrils teams commitment to us now includes the use of 10 PCs, available for any form of learning, and a dedicated resource on-site for work with the ECDL programme. Significantly, the learning has largely taken place at no cost to the business and during 2002 over 100 learners were enrolled with Workplace Training Services for free and we have ascertained that open learning with the ECDL programme may yet prove to be extremely cost effective to the business. We have 150 staff achieved or working towards the award with 100 more to follow during the course of this year an costs incurred to-date are a little over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3,000 which is approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 per learner. Given that this learning ultimately accredits staff members with a universally accepted IT qualification and attendance on external learning is in my experience over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 per day then I believe that this equates to value for money learning. Our work with the fledgling ECDL programme in employer-related learning has highlighted new areas for study. As demonstrated earlier, learners had difficulties with the Computer Based Training and the CD ROM was not viewed as user-friendly; as a result, their feedback has been taken into account and staff enrolling more recently have had access to paper-based support material with CR ROMs available where required. The judges at the 2002 National Training Awards were impressed by your decision to encourage your employees to undertake the ECDL qualification and drew upon a number of other positive aspects although they highlighted a number of important issues for the team to consider. As I point out above, there are limitations with my research and issues to consider for the coming months, as the judges point out in their feedback, it is still quite early in the process of introducing the Common Operating Environment and they have suggested that we re-enter at a later date. I am also conscious that the research has been carried out by someone with a clearly vested interest in its success, the training of staff in the business is after all my responsibility, and that this may have clouded the findings. I acknowledge this limitation and make efforts to minimise the effects of this bias. My ultimate findings are also effected by yet more bias; the results are based upon my work with learners at AEGON UK Services in a supportive environment where facilities are made available to them and they do not have to pay any fees. I make no claims about applying my results to a wider audience whether in another industry or with the public at large. However, the final thought lies with Andrew Mayo, writing in the January 2003 edition of Training Journal, who holds out, So here is the challenge for 2003. Will you be able to say, at the end of the year, where and how learning interventions made a difference to the achievements of the organisation(s) you work with . From the feedback received from learners and indeed Workplace Training Services staff I am confident that the ECDL programme has already made an impact on AEGON UK Services although greater communication is required with senior managers based upon their own feedback. Furthermore, as the judges of the National Training Awards indicate, there is yet more to come as our learning partnership matures and more staff set out on the road to success through the challenge of ECDL. Project Proposal DHL0730 Empirical Study AEGON UK Services in partnership with Workplace Training Services, an arm of Preston College, started to offer the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) to staff in September 2001. The ECDL programme based it is upon Microsoft Office 2000 applications was seen as an ideal complement to the Common Operating Environment (COE) to be launched in 2002. At the same time the launch of ECDL provided further evidence of the Company facilitating learning and development opportunities for its staff. Under COE the whole of AEGON UK would operate with Microsoft Office 2000 whilst over 90% of staff were familiar with the 1997 version or earlier. To-date over 150 staff have started or finished the ECDL programme yet no evaluation of the success or otherwise of ECDL within AEGON UK Services has ever been carried out. Title of Research An evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as used by AEGON UK Services. Brief Description The ECDL was launched to develop the skills of European citizens and to enable them to become proficient in PC skills. The use of ECDL within AEGON UK Services was designed to provide staff with the skills necessary to deal effectively with the Common Operating Environment (COE), in effect Microsoft Office 2000.