Research Paper on Information and Communication Technology Essay Example

Research Paper on Information and Communication Technology Essay Information and Communication Technology Research Paper 1. Importance of ICT in Developing Economies The spread of ICT technologies over the world has been dramatic in the past years, spearheading development all over the world. Increasing the pace of globalization, this trend opened new opportunities not only for developed nations but also for improving ones as the costs of ICT technologies decrease. Mansell Wehn (1998) note that â€Å"the increasing spread of ICTs opens up new opportunities for developing countries to harness these technologies and services to serve their development goals.† India is the most frequently cited case of explosive growth in ICT sector. However, other developing nations have also developed sizeable industries that contribute to their development, and Bangladesh is one of the successful examples. ICT sector is predicted to be at the forefront of development in South Asia that will promote its rise up to 2036 (Espiritu, 2006). The development of this sector is expected to support growth, replacing the production of raw materials with high technologies that allow rapid progress and advancement to the role of one of the world’s leading areas. In Bangladesh, building a dominant ICT sector recently became a priority in the government policies as this area was defined as â€Å"Thrust Sector† exhibiting â€Å"desire to turn Bangladesh into an ICT driven country† (INS, Asian Tribune, 2006). Possessing many advantages that can drive the development of the sector, the nation can reap benefits of advancement in a relatively short term. 2. History of ICT Sector in Bangladesh We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Information and Communication Technology specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Information and Communication Technology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Information and Communication Technology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The beginning of the national industry can be defined in 1964 when the Bangladesh Atomic Commission was the first establishment to use computers. In later decades, mainframe computers spread to the financial sector to facilitate processing of data. In the 1980s, the printing and publishing industry began to use information technology. It was not until the 1990s that reduced price on personal computers made the use of ICT more accessible to the wide public. Given Bangladesh’s low-income level, it required several more years until the government’s decision to remove taxes on hardware and accessories and a general decline in global PC prices triggered an explosion in their proliferation. In consequence, the growth rate of computer usage averaged 40% in the past years (CentOS, n.d.). Computer technology received additional impetus from â€Å"the introduction of the direct Internet connection using VSAT in June 1996† (CentOS, n.d.). Initially, this connection was monopolized by the BTTB, a fact that allowed the agency to maintain high prices that effectively blocked access for the majority of the population. This monopoly was abolished in 2000 when Internet access soon became more affordable, reaching vast masses of people around the country (Razib, 1996). 3. Current Status of the Industry The size of ICT industry including software and IT-dependent services is estimated by the Bangladesh Association of Software Information Services (BASIS) to exceed Tk. 300 crore/year (BASIS, n.d.). The inclusion of other branches such as hardware production, Internet, and network services would bring this number to Tk. 1,000 crore/year (BASIS, n.d.). Explosive expansion demonstrated by the sector in the past six years is illustrated by the number of newly formed companies and increase in the number of IT professionals. According to CentOS, the number of hardware companies grew from 1,200 to 2,500 in the period 2000-2006, the number of software companies increased from 100 to 350, and ISP businesses from 30 to 150. Accompanying these numbers is the growth in the number of ICT professionals that reached 25,200 in 2006, up from 11,400 in 2000 (CentOS, n.d.). Growth is explained by a combination of factors that make Bangladesh well positioned for constructing a fully-fledged information technology sector. The nation’s advantages are â€Å"the unleashed English speaking youth force, skilled professionals working abroad, universities and other educational institutions turning out huge numbers of ICT graduates, a substantial number of ICT graduates studying abroad, and skilled workforce available at most competitive wages† (CentOS, n.d.). Although the BASIS notes some constraints in the current supply of IT graduates for the local industry, the association also notes that the remarkable increase in enrollment in IT-oriented university programs promises great improvements in the availability of qualified workforce. The relatively small number of software companies shows that this branch of the market has not yet fully exploited its potential, being a â€Å"late entrant to the ICT sector† (CentOS, n.d.). The demand for software development comes predominantly from the corporate market, and therefore, the most developed output is database related. The BASIS (n.d.) reports that software is at the moment propelled by the need to automate office processes including â€Å"Accounting/Finance, HR, Inventory, Billing†. At the same time, other sectors including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and SCM (Supply Chain Management) are also developing at a quick pace. Speaking of the segments that represent the greatest users of software services, the most extensive demand comes from pharmaceutical and textile industries that account for a significant portion of the GDP and bulk of employment in Bangladesh. At the moment, more and more companies choose to specialize in the banking sector, competing in this area with inexpensive Indian software market. Businesses like Flora Limited, Beximco Computers, Techno Heaven have become the leaders in this area (Razib, 1996). The achievements of Bangladeshi software developers are represented in the annual Soft Expo exhibition. The hardware market is mostly represented by vendors importing PCs and accessories from Singapore for distribution in the local market. The annual market of over 100,000 units is largely represented by clone computers that dominate over brand computers because of their lower prices. Apple is not well represented in the Bangladeshi market because of its high pricing, and Intel dominates the processor market (Razib, 1996). Bangladesh can become an important destination for outsourcing, with its Dhaka City turning into another Bangalore. At this point, Bangladeshi software companies have signed contracts with Danish corporations for the provision of software development services. At the moment, the export of software from Bangladesh totaled $7.2 million and showed annual growth of 70% in 2003-04 and 2004-05 (BASIS, n.d.). 4. The Government’s Role in the Development of ICT Sector The administration of Bangladesh has committed itself to pursuing a focused policy that will make the nation’s ICT sector competitive with most of the world’s developments in this industry. Until 1996, however, the government paid little attention to the burgeoning industry. The situation changed when â€Å"the caretaker government of Justice Habibur Rahman opened Internet Technology for Bangladesh in June 1996† (Razib, 1996). In 1998, their successors, the government headed by Sheikh Hasina eliminated taxation on computer accessories. The efforts of the current government led by Begum Khaleda Zia resulted in increasing rate of Internet connections and spread of broadband access (Razib, 1996). On May 22, 2006, Begum Khaleda Zia, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, â€Å"inaugurated the long-awaited fibre optic submarine cable system at the landing station at Cox’s Bazar and thus connected Bangladesh to the global information superhighway†, another lan dmark event that will bring the nation closer to the global communication networks (INS, Asian Tribune, 2006). The tax-free status of ICT companies was preserved despite the nation’s general poverty and reliance on the budget. Serious attention to the development of the promising sector of the economy is displayed in the National ICT policy adopted in 2002 with the purpose of forming a knowledge-based society. This policy presented by the Ministry of Science and Information Communication Technology (2002) â€Å"aims at building an ICT-driven nation comprising of knowledge-based society by the year 2006†. In addition to the creation of skilled human resources through the increased introduction of ICT technologies at educational establishments, the program targets development of software, hardware, and services sectors within ICT industry. The creation of a government-sponsored ICT Incubator and encouragement of Non-Resident Bangladeshis to set up companies in the nation are ways to promote industry growth. The government also established an ICT Task Force headed by Prime Ministe r Begum Khaleda Zia to elaborate further details of the sector’s development. The government contributes to the development of ICT industry by initiating a series of projects related to e-Government, the aim to introduce ICT into government proceedings to increase their intensity. These projects initiated by the to ICT Task Force (SICT) account for a budget more than Tk. 60 crore. To this date, â€Å"SICT has so far floated 17 e-Governance projects out of which eight projects have been already awarded to a same number of companies† (Razib, 1996). However, growth and development of the industry remain largely driven by efforts of the private entrepreneurs and their corporate clients (Hasan, 2003, p. 111). 5. Prospects and Challenges of ICT industry Extensive government support for the industry demonstrates the recognition that the sector holds great promise for the economy that currently ranks among the least developed countries of the world. At present, Bangladesh’s â€Å"two main exports are jute and tea; both faced a price-inelastic world market demand† (Cypher, Dietz, 2004, p. 198). Unable to attract significant FDI flows and to lack population’s capacity to save given the poverty level, Bangladesh is left with its resources to overcome dependence on agricultural exports. In this light, the development of science and technology represented by the ICT sector appears most promising (Wignaraja, 2002, p.95). There are still serious obstacles to the development of the sector in Bangladesh. First, many residents cannot properly take advantage of its progress since â€Å"computers cost as much as half a year’s salary, and a modem costs more than a cow† (Mansell Wehn, 1998, p.250). However, electronic communication spreads slowly but continuously, often aided by the efforts of NGOs like Drik, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an organization engaged in the provision of unofficial e-mail services, connecting wide layers of the population to the Internet. In general, â€Å"lack of IT awareness in the public sector and lack of capital investment are the two major hurdles†, combined with lack of confidence in the sector’s prospects on the part of foreign investors, including non-resident Bangladeshis (BASIS, 2004). Lack of adequate infrastructure also remains a serious obstacle. The development of Internet access is mostly blocked by the low teledensity in the nation. In 1999, Bangladesh compared unfavorably against most nations in Asia Pacific, with its teledensity rate of just 0.5% against the regional average of 8.5% (Sobhan, Khaleque, Rahman, S., 2002, p. 9). The Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), the backbone for Internet connections, is available in a limited area encompassing Dhaka and major cities. The penetration in rural areas is only marginal. Internet access is characterized by low bandwidth capacity ranging between 100 and 150 Mbps, and connection speed averaging 64 kbps-2 Mbps (Sobhan, Khaleque, Rahman, S., 2002, p. 9). These technical limitations restrict the development of Internet networks, in addition to the high cost of hardware compared to local incomes and poor acquaintance with Internet usage. The development of the ICT sector in Bangladesh holds promise for many key areas that can propel the nation’s development including higher education. Recently, Bangladesh saw a surge in the number of distance education programs that permit democratization of education. The leader in this area, Bangladesh Open University (BOU) now relies on a combination of â€Å"print, correspondence tuition, audio-visual materials, broadcasting, and face-to-face tuition† (Harry, 1999, p. 173-174). Information technology can be another option helping the university and similar establishments deliver educational materials to prospective students and in this way broadening its reach. Conclusion The ICT sector in Bangladesh is crucial to the development of this developing nation and has the potential to dramatically affect living standards and the nation’s position in the global economy. Increased affordability of computer and communication technologies help reach vast masses of population, and the presence of a qualified workforce with competitive wages is an essential prerequisite for the successful development of the sector. With extensive government support and proclaimed orientation toward e-Government, the situation in the ICT industry is being taken seriously by politicians. Bangladesh can aspire to create its hardware industry as well as establish a high position in the software market. At the same time, there is still a lot to be done to overcome obstacles posed by poverty, lack of required investment, and inadequate infrastructure.

Banning Corporal Punishment in Schools

Banning Corporal Punishment in Schools What is corporal punishment? The National Association of School Nurses defines it as â€Å"the intentional infliction of physical pain as a method of changing behavior. It may include methods such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, pinching, shaking, use of various objects (paddles, belts, sticks, or others), or painful body postures. Still Legal in 22  States While corporal punishment such as paddling, spanking and hitting students disappeared from private schools by the 1960s, according to an article published by NPR in December 2016,  it is still permitted in public schools in 22  states, which can be broken down into 7 states that simply dont prohibit it and 15 states that expressly permit it. The following seven states still have laws on their books that do not prohibit corporal punishment: IdahoColoradoSouth DakotaKansasIndianaNew HampshireMaine The following 15 states expressly permit corporal punishment in schools: AlabamaArizonaArkansas  FloridaGeorgiaKentuckyLouisianaMississippiMissouriNorth CarolinaOklahomaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasWyoming What is ironic about this situation is that no accredited teachers college in the U.S. advocates the use of corporal punishment. If they dont teach the use of corporal punishment in the classroom, why is the use of it still legal? The United States is the only nation in the western world which still permits corporal punishment in its schools. Canada banned corporal punishment in 2004. No European country permits corporal punishment. So far, the United States Congress has not acted on requests from organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union to enact federal legislation banning corporal punishment. Since education is widely viewed as a local and state matter, any further banning of corporal punishment will probably have to occur at that level. If, on the other hand, the federal government were to withhold funding from states where corporal punishment is legal, the local authorities might be more inclined to pass the appropriate laws. Rationale for Corporal Punishment Corporal punishment in one form or another has been around schools for centuries. It certainly is not a new issue. In the Roman Family children learned by imitation and corporal punishment. Religion also plays a role in the history of disciplining children by spanking or hitting them. Many people interpret Proverbs 13:24 literally when it states: Spare the rod and spoil the child. Why Should Corporal Punishment Be Banned? Research has shown that corporal punishment in the classroom is not an effective practice, and can cause more harm than good. Research has also shown that more students of color and students with disabilities experience instances of corporal punishment more than their peers. The research shows that children who are beaten and abused are more likely to be prone to depression, low self-esteem and suicide. The simple fact that corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure is not part of any education curriculum indicates that educators at every level know that it has no place in the classroom. Discipline can and should be taught be example and non-physical consequences. Most leading professional associations oppose corporal punishment in all its forms.  Corporal punishment is not allowed in the military, mental institutions or prisons, either. I learned years ago about corporal punishment from a man who was an expert in the field. I co-founded a high school in Nassau, Bahamas in 1994. As deputy director of the school, one of the first issues I had to deal with was discipline. Dr. Elliston Rahming, the owner and director of the school, was a criminologist. He had very firm views about the subject: there would be no corporal punishment of any kind. We had to find better, more effective ways than beating to enforce discipline. In the Bahamas, beating children was, and still, is an accepted disciplinary method in the home and in the school. Our solution was to develop a Code of Discipline which basically penalized unacceptable behavior according to the severity of the infraction. Everything from dress code to drugs, weapons and sexual infractions was covered. Remediation and resolution, retraining and reprogramming were the goals. Yes, we did get to the point on two or three occasions where we actually did suspend and expel st udents. The biggest problem we faced was breaking the cycle of abuse. What Happens in Americas Private Schools? Most private schools frown on the use of corporal punishment. Most schools have found more enlightened and effective methods for dealing with disciplinary issues. Honor codes and clearly spelled out results for infractions combined with contract law give private schools an edge in dealing with discipline. Basically, if you do something seriously wrong, you will get suspended or expelled from school. You will have no recourse because you have no legal rights other than those in the contract which you signed with the school. Things Parents Can Do What can you do? Write the state education departments of the states which still permit corporal punishment. Let them know that you oppose its use. Write your legislators and urge them to make corporal punishment illegal. Blog about local incidents of corporal punishment whenever appropriate. Organizations Opposed to Corporal Punishment in Schools The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry opposes the use of corporal punishment in schools and takes issue with laws in some states legalizing such corporal punishment and protecting adults who use it from prosecution for child abuse. The American School Counselor Association: ASCA seeks the elimination of corporal punishment in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that corporal punishment in schools be abolished in all states by law and that alternative forms of student behavior management be used. The National Association of Secondary School Principals believes that the practice of corporal punishment in schools should be abolished and that principals should utilize alternative forms of discipline. The National Center for the Study of Corporal Punishment and Alternatives (NCSCPA) tracks information about this subject and puts out updates. It also offers an interesting reading list and other materials. Interview With Jordan Riak Jordan Riak is the Executive Director of Project NoSpank, an organization which is dedicated to the eradication of corporal punishment in our schools. In this article, he responds to some of our questions regarding corporal punishment. How Prevalent is Corporal Punishment in Schools? With the exception of those who are directly affected, most people are unaware that in more than 20  states, teachers and school administrators have the legal right to physically batter pupils. Children are sent home with bruised buttocks daily in untold numbers. There is a downward trend in the number of paddlings annually, which is encouraging, but still a small comfort to victims. Editors note: outdated data has been removed, but recent studies have shown that more than 100,000 students were physically punished in 2013-2014.  But the true numbers are surely higher than the records show. Since the data is supplied voluntarily, and since those reporting arent especially proud of what they are admitting to, under-reporting is inevitable. Some schools decline to participate in the Office for Civil Rights survey. When I inform people of the extensive use of corporal punishment in the schools, they almost invariably react with astonishment. Those who remember the paddle from their own school days tend to assume (erroneously) that its use had long since faded into history. Those who are fortunate enough to have attended schools where corporal punishment wasnt used or who lived in the states where bans were in effect are incredulous when presented with information about its current use. The following anecdote is illustrative. I was invited to address a class of students at San Francisco State University who were preparing to become school counselors. Some in the group already had teaching experience. At the conclusion of my presentation, one of the students- a teacher- opined that surely I was misinformed about the situation in California. Corporal punishment just isnt allowed here and hasnt been for years, she flatly insisted. I knew otherwise. I asked her where she had attended school and in w hich districts she had worked. As I expected, the places she named all had district-wide policies against the use of corporal punishment. She was unaware that in neighboring communities students were being paddled legally. Paddlers dont advertise, and one cant blame her for not knowing. The use of corporal punishment by public school teachers in California became illegal on January 1, 1987. In the United States, there is a long-standing gentlemans agreement between government, the media, and the educational establishment to avoid any mention of teacher violence. Typical of such taboos, adherents not only refrain from entering forbidden territory but come to believe that no such territory exists. An indignant correspondent wrote me the following: In my twenty years as a teacher in Texas, I never saw one student paddled. Strictly speaking, he might have been telling the truth about what he hadnt seen, but its hard to believe he was unaware of what was going on all around him. Recently I heard this on the radio. An author who had written about sports heroes influence as role models on youth was just concluding an interview and was beginning to field listeners calls. One caller recounted his experience at high school where a coach routinely beat up players. He told how one student who had been victimized by the coach later encountered him in public and punched him. The show s host abruptly cut off the call, and said laughingly, Well, there you have the darker side. Sounds like a movie by____ and hastened to the next caller. Rest assured, the United States does not have a monopoly on denial in this regard. At a conference on child abuse in Sydney in 1978, when I raised a question from the floor about why none of the presenters had talked about caning in schools, the moderator replied, It seems the things you want to talk about, Mr. Riak, are not the things we want to talk about. At that same conference, where I had set up a table to distribute anti-corporal punishment literature, a member of the New South Wales education department told me this: The corporal punishment controversy that youve been stirring up here is causing more broken friendships in the department than any other issue I can remember. Caning is no longer legal in Australian schools, and hopefully, old friendships have mended. How Do You Define Corporal Punishment? There never has been, and probably never will be, a definition of corporal punishment that doesnt stir debate. The American College Dictionary, 1953 Edition, defines corporal punishment as physical injury inflicted on the body of one convicted of a crime, and including the death penalty, flogging, sentence to a term of years, etc. The California Education Code, 1990 Compact Edition, Section 49001 defines it as the willful infliction, or willfully causing the infliction of physical pain on a pupil. Proponents of corporal punishment typically define the practice in personal terms, i.e., what they experienced when they were children, and what they now do to their children. Query any spanker on what it means to corporally punish a child and you will hear autobiography. When one attempts to distinguishing corporal punishment from child abuse, the confusion deepens. Lawmakers, as a rule, duck this conundrum. When it is forced on them, they act as though they are walking on eggs as they grope for language doesnt cramp the style of child punishers. Thats why legal definitions of child abuse are models of vagueness- an heroic accomplishment for those trained in the art of exactitude- and a boon to lawyers who defend abusers. School corporal punishment in schools United States typically involves requiring the student to bend forward as far as possible thus making the protruding posterior a convenient target for the punisher. That target is then struck one or more times with a flat board called a paddle. This causes sharp upward jolts to the spinal column accompanied by bruising, soreness and discoloration of the buttocks. Since the locus of impact is close to the anus and genitals, the sexual component of the act is unarguable. Nevertheless, possible adverse effects on the developing sexuality of young victims are ignored. Furthermore, the possibility that certain punishers are using the act as a pretext for gratifying their own perverse sexual appetites is also ignored. When these risk factors are cited, corporal punishment apologists typically dismiss the suggestion with derisive laughter and retorts such as, Oh, comon, please! Gime a break! Forced exercise is one of several unacknowledged forms of corporal punishment. Though the practice is unequivocally condemned by physical education experts, it is widely used, even in states that ban corporal punishment. It is a staple of locked facilities where troubled youth are corralled ostensibly for the purpose of being reformed. Not allowing children to void bodily waste when the need arises is another form of corporal punishment. It is physically and psychologically dangerous in the extreme, but its use against schoolchildren of all ages is ubiquitous. Punitive restriction of movement also qualifies as corporal punishment. When done to incarcerated adults, it is deemed a violation of human rights. When done to schoolchildren, its called discipline. In school environments where buttocks beating is key to student management and discipline, all the myriad lesser insults to which children are prey such as ear twisting, cheek squeezing, finger jabbing, arm grabbing, slamming against the wall and general manhandling are apt to pass unchronicled and unrecognized for what they really are. Article updated by Stacy Jagodowski

Comparison of Desk Suit with Chest of Drawers in Relation to Essay

Comparison of Desk Suit with Chest of Drawers in Relation to Surrealism - Essay Example The essay "Comparison of Desk Suit with Chest of Drawers in Relation to Surrealism" analyzes similarity and contrast of two paintings. The paper provide a comparison of Desk suit (1936) with Chest of drawers (1936) in the context of surrealism. Surrealism was a cultural and literary movement that promoted the automatic and creative thinking among members of a society. The two painters were among the major proponents of the cultural and artistic movement. Their two paintings are therefore fundamental in fostering the growth of the ideologies at the time. In the first section will be discussed Salvador Dali’s painting and in the second will be discussed Elisa Schiaparelli’s painting. / The painting is an artistic masterpiece that embodies the dictates of surrealism. The painting of a human with his bodies partitioned by drawers is a representation of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis. Art is a cultural product that often criticizes and represents the society. Sigmund Freud developed unique ideas of psychology that remains essential to the study to date. As such, Dali borrowed his ideas at the time to visualize the dictates of his ideologies. The artistic painting is an imaginative representation of Freud’s unique psychology that assets that the human body consists of platonic. The separate drawers represent the various secrets that a human keeps all of which are accessible only through an effective psychoanalysis as proposed by Sigmund Freud. The painting is unique as it communicates to a specific audience.

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) Essay

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) - Essay Example The model has been identified but not applied to organisations How do you demonstrate that your idea in part one will actually work in a real life environment? Would this be a universal model? (Refer to paper one) There is no indication of this model being universal, include at the beginning or the end Prove that it works. The model hasn’t been proven to work Show how it works and in relation to your literature? Not enough Demonstrate my model or concept could work in a variety of sectors e.g. public sector, commercial sector, or how it would work in different sizes of organisations, e.g small, medium and large Identified organisations but not applied the model the way they operate in leadership development Pick out the main points on the organisations (critical information) and that have relevance to if leaders are born or made and remove the rest of the material as it is descriptive and irrelevant, (This paper is only meant to be (2200 words max) The essay has some valid poi nts on organisations – However, they need to be backed by theory and all related to whether leaders are born or developed and the suggested model in the introduction I have also highlighted some points below Investigate the Operationalisation of Management and Leadership Development into Practice, Based on the Key Ideas Identified in Part One Part one entailed exploring into the study of contemporary management and leadership development, focusing on the topic ‘Are Leaders Born or Developed over Time’. Apart from presenting an array of diverse literatures that reviewed both arguments, the outcome of the study indicated that no one is a natural born leader. The case studies now will be discussing on how these theories and practices are displayed in management and leadership styles in the real life working environment across various sectors. The model that would be applied is based on the theoretical framework that leaders are developed over time. Through the concu rrent collaborative applications of both Adair (2003) and House (1971) who argued that leaders don’t have to be born but can develop leadership skills (Adair, 2003) and leaders set goals with employees and find paths, takes action, and develop one’s knowledge, skills and abilities as leaders (House, 1971) towards the achievement of organisational goals. Research by Giber (2009) has proved that if we tie leadership development to business strategy to the need of the business, it results in excellent organisational growth. The pressure to integrate leadership development activities and initiatives in the overall strategic objective of the business is the most important and overarching trend in recent history. Discussion Rolls Royce is a technology leader which employes 36,000 people assigned in offices, manufacturing and service facilities operating in 50 countries. The company has long history of employee development but currently they are reexamining their development strategy. In 2005, a review of talent management has been conducted, which until now, was being managed locally within business units. Currently, a new concept of talent management at global scale has been introduced (Jane Yarnall, 2008). Rolls Royce has realized the importance of talent management and that it should not be a standalone approach. Leaders can only emerge by identifying the potential talent

Organizational Output of Pfizer

Organizational Output of Pfizer Organizational Output Introduction Output generally refers to the things produced. output, in terms of the production unit means total number of products generated for a given duration and the various cost associated with the production. Outputs also refer to the number of customers visited in a given time. The organization needs to become accustomed, if there is a decline in the output of the organization due to alteration in the external or internal environment. Key outputs Key outputs of the Pfizer include opening of Manufacturing facilities, New innovative products And financial outcome (Pfizer Inc Third-Quarter 2004 Performance Report, 2008). Manufacturing facilities: Pfizer Inc, the giant in Healthcare opened its manufacturing facility in Singapore of about $600. This investment will support the extensive plans of the companys operations. In Asia, this investment has made the Pfizer important active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing plant. It is an entirely automatic facility. This facility in Singapore will prove to be an important link in manufacturing and developing dynamic ingredients that will be used in Neurontin. For tablets and capsules production, these ingredients are used and are transported to the drug product plants. The output obtained by the manufacturing plant will promote the global sales of about many billion US dollars. Pfizer selected this particular place because of well established corporate information technology unit (Kotler, 2002). From an American-intensive chemical manufacturing company, Pfizer has shifted to a global research based pharmaceutical business. As a result, it has become the worlds biggest healthcare company based on research. Products: In 2007, the company performed extremely well and made such changes that have enhanced its future performance. Lyrica, Sutent and Chantix played a Key role and performed extremely well. Currently Pfizer has ten dissimilar divisions and encourages thirty-one diverse main products. Within each groups, the divisions and major products are: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, which includes Lipitor, Caduet, Norvasc, Diabetes, Arthritis and Pain, Central Nervous System Disorders, Infectious and Respiratory Diseases. Apart from this, Pfizer have six products that are into the pipeline of RD. Financial outcome: In 2007, the company reflected strong financial performance. The company focused on constructing the value by attaining the financial goals, restricting spending, and maintaining the cost structure. In order to deliver the vast shareholder return, new program is approved by Board of Directors. Apart from this, the company announced an increase of 10% in the first-quarter of 2008. This has increased the share holder wealth. In the fourth-quarter of 2007, Pfizer showed revenue of $13.1 billion and in the year-ago quarter; it reflected an increase of 4%. Foreign exchange has a great impact on revenue of Fourth-quarter 2007. Apart from this, there is an increase in the second quarter revenues. In 2005, Pfizer showed a net income of $8,085 million, this reflected a decline of 29% in 2004. The company has the huge budget allocated for RD. It has strong predictable cash flow in the next thirty months. Last but not the least, Pfizer shows a stable EPS growth (Organizationa l Culture and Product Innovation, 2004). Relevance of these outcomes in my study These outputs play an important role in estimating the company’s strength and achieving its long term objectives. Apart from this, these also support the extensive plans of the companys operations and increase the shareholders’ wealth. Innovative products can bring huge profits for the company, since they will attract the consumers. New product development is the strong capability of the Pfizer due to its determination, focus and dedication to research. Pfizer is becoming financially secure because of the company’s strong endeavor for developing the new innovative products. Hence, these form the important part of the study. Interrelation between the outcomes All these outputs can not operate independently; they are interlinked to each other. To develop innovative services and products is a critical issue for any company and it determines the level of financial outcome that the company will receive. If the company plans to open the manufacturing facilities, it has to see the scope for the new innovative products. Company will try to find out the success rate it will obtain by opening the new facilities. Financial measures are taken as the lagging indicators that derive the outcomes from precedent actions. Restricted reliance on financial indicators will lead to the behavior that forgoes long-term creation of value for short-term performance. Hence, proper estimation of the financial constraints is important. To expand the company business the company needs to be sound in its financial policies. Greater the financial outcome greater will be the company’s strength. Innovative products have the capability to secure the company financially. In the pharmaceutical industry, product market is getting saturated and forcing the company to spend a huge portion of budgets on differentiation of product and in the marketing activities among the competitors. Synergies created by the output Positive synergy is created by these outputs. If they are properly aligned, they can yield to a huge profit. The proper investment in any field is precious because the firm gets the opportunity to take the advantage of new opportunities, which can derive the continuing development for the company. The total budget assigned for the development of new products by the company is the highest in the industry and can not be imitated by the competitors. Hence, development of new product development is exclusive and valuable to the organization. For this, the company uses the patent and license. New product helps in acquiring strong product portfolio. Proper financial investment in sales force plays a critical role as it determines the company’s strength in terms of profits and revenue. This example was found in the products such as Stutent and Lurica. The company’s internal process should be in line with the Pfizer external functions and must focus on the reorganizing procedur es and processes so as to develop the efficiency in the operational activities to achieve a competitive advantage by spending fewer amounts. On the other hand, huge problems can arise if there is lack of proper coordination between these outcomes. All the outcomes are interlinked, so if they are not managed properly, they can put the company in trouble. Therefore, development of facilities requires huge research. And for this, company is required to properly allocate the resources to all the departments. Major chunk of revenue is used in the research and the development. If any wrong decision is taken related to the development of new product without undergoing through analysis, the company can incur the huge financial losses, which will ultimately hamper the trust of the various stake holders of the company. If any strategy is missed out, it will lead to the space for the substitute products; for this, the company has to incur heavy loss. Therefore company should take the proactive steps in order to defend the competitors. For this, the in depth analysis is required by the company. Therefore, efforts of all the departments in a coordinated manner are required (Kotler, 2002). References Kotler, P. (2002). Marketing Management: Strategies of Pfizer (11th Edition). New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India. Organizational Culture and Product Innovation. (2004). International Business Review 13(6): 685-703. Pfizer Inc Third-Quarter 2004 Performance Report. (2008). Retrieved April 28, 2008 from http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104STORY=/www/story/10-20-2004/0002289038EDATE= Pfizer: A healthy business vision. (2004). Retrieved April 29, 2008 from http://www.edb.gov.sg/edb/sg/en_uk/index/news_room/publications/singapore_investment04/singapore_investment10/pfizer_a_healthy.html

Marginal images – the potentials and limitations.

What are the potencies and restrictions of the fringy image?Why do fringy images exist? Before the traditional signifier of the book emerged in manuscript signifier, thoughts and events were codified onto coils. Because they were one uninterrupted axial rotation of stuff it was necessary to make divisions between the text and the border was the most practical and aesthetically pleasing solution. Medieval bookmans would hold to warrant the text by manus in order to heighten the aesthetic quality. Books of Hours are a common illustration of both cloistered authorship and the fringy image. Their intent was to aid people ‘s day-to-day supplications ; frequently merely including the first lines of certain supplications, anthem and extracts from the Bible, in peculiar the Psalms. Although originally for members of the clergy and the cloistered community, the wealthier categories started commissioning them to better their position. Marguerite ‘s Hours is a peculiarly utile illustration – a cardinal image shows the three Magi at Bethlehem, one points to a star. In the border we see the frequenter kneeling outside the cardinal infinite, she can non come in as it is holy. Around are monkeys or babewyns ( this term covers all composite animals ) and they reflect the actions of those in the cardinal image. Camille discusses the beginning of their presence: in Gallic ape is le scorch, really near to le signe. Monkeys hence signify representation itself. Their presence besides pertains to the head of a courtier – neither a profane or sacred province of head reflects their life at tribunal. Marguerite is concentrating her attending on the holy infinite but is still in the & A ; lsquo ; carnival ‘ border. At first glimpse the fringy images seem incoherent following to the cardinal 1s. Camille suggests that the images were a verbal and ocular manner for elect audiences [ 1 ] . He besides explain s that borders merely became an country for art when text as a cue for address was replaced by text as a written papers for its ain interest. Fringy imagination became more of import due to this different usage of text – words needed to be recognised more easy taking to a decreased amplification of the initials. Camille suggests that the frequently amusing nature of the images originates from the large-scale production of the texts – errors were bound to happen and the illuminators took advantage of this. In the Ormesby Psalter, Camille shows that people & A ; lsquo ; enjoyed ambiguity ‘ [ 2 ] as it is easier to bask and esteem the sacred when it can be contrasted with the profane. For illustration, there is a nun in the Psalter who is used to stand for the deficiency of celibacy in monasticism. She should be like the Virgin Mary yet she suckles a monkey, the scorch, doing the image a monstrous mark of the nun ‘s human wickedness. Maps besides offer an penetration into fringy images and the positions of the people who commissioned them. Friedman explains that there are two types of map: the Noachid or T-O map, a cosmogonic and theological map of the universe with & A ; lsquo ; ethnological purpose ‘ [ 3 ] ; and Macrobian which is region-centred and concerned with clime, taking to & A ; lsquo ; utmost people in utmost topographic points ‘ [ 4 ] . In Noachid maps, Jerusalem is the theological and geographical Centre of the universe. In Freidman ‘s illustration, the Hereford map ( c.1290 ) Jesus is at the top, or East of the map. It is the same in the Ebstorf map ( c.1240 ) , caput in the East, hands in the North and South and Feet in the West. Both maps have a set of & A ; lsquo ; monstrous races ‘ clustered at the border ( s ) of the map – they about appear pushed at that place. In the Hereford map, there are some of these races in the North, they are held back by Alexander Ã¢â‚¬Ë œs Gate of Brass to & A ; lsquo ; forestall the dirty peoples from nearing the Centre in the same manner the Nile confines the Plinian [ southern ] races ‘ [ 5 ] . Macrobian maps are wholly different as they illustrate climatic differences including a conjectural 2nd temperate zone in the Antipodes ( opposite-footed or Southern part ) . This poses sever fringy and doctrinal jobs – the Antipodes was an country which had the possible to host temperate peoples merely like themselves in the West, yet how would they hold a impression of their Godhead, the Christian God while they remained strictly conjectural? This type of map projected a general thought that morality and the visual aspect of monstrous races were due to habitat. Friedman offers descriptions of the Plinian Races which in our eyes is about amusive. The term Plinian originates from Greek and Roman descriptions. Pliny, being a Stoic, oversimplified the races, increasing their restrictions of accurate description s of them. Over the centuries new races were created by dividing and uniting bing 1s – the mediaeval people enjoyed big Numberss of them. However there are immense restrictions in their representations: why did n't the overdone representations disappear when coevalss went at that place? Friedman suggests that there was a psychological demand, to exert their imaginativenesss, to advance the fright of the unknown to maintain people faithful. Another ground is that some of the races really existed – pigmies, matriarchal & A ; lsquo ; Amazon ‘ societies and the Amyctyrae, perchance based on the Ubangi tribal usage of lip-stretching. He besides says that the description of the sciapod may hold been due to the extraordinary airss of yoga. Such mistakes in perceptual experience lead to decrease in the potency of such images. Cohen looks in to the thought of the fright of the unknown in the signifier of the Donestre. It illustrates the misperception and the psychological demands of & A ; lsquo ; others ‘ . Medieval people were marginal obsessed with unusual people. The Donestre represents the & A ; lsquo ; other ‘ who can place with you but has the power to transform you into a portion of itself. & A ; lsquo ; The Donestre transubstantiates the adult male ‘ [ 6 ] . Such representations reinforce the thought that the profane being utilised to heighten the sacred. Anglo-saxon England contained a intercrossed people [ 7 ] – the Donestre became of a form of & A ; lsquo ; a organic structure that absorbs difference without wholly cut downing or absorbing it ‘ [ 8 ] , a utile tool to reflect their intercrossed society and themselves within it. Maps and monstrous races offer the restrictions of fringy images of the other – faraway races which were non encountered everyday. They are limited as the medieval people fabricated or misinterpreted many of them. They do hold some possible nevertheless, as they provide an penetration into the mediaeval projection of the other and their position of themselves, for case the fright of being like those races and utilizing themselves to show or reassure themselves of their high quality. Marginalised Hebrews are wholly different as they were the seeable other within society. Art is non a mirror of historical society but it can intercede for us. In fringy images, harmonizing to Strickland, they were legally-bound to be identifiable within the crowd, they are frequently shown have oning odd-shaped chapeaus. This differentiation was required as, unlike Muslims or monstrous races, Jews were non easy to separate on a strictly ocular footing. Rubin explores Christian representations of host profanation ; in most rhythms they originate from a Parisian image- typically a Jew persuades a Christian adult female to steal the host from Mass and convey it to him in exchange for a garment. The Jew ( s ) proceed to knife the host to prove it as the organic structure of Jesus. This presents jobs in itself ; Jews did non accept Jesus as their Messiah so why would they experience the demand to prove it? The host begins to shed blood after they stab it, as the organic structure of Chri st this echoes or repeats the crucifixion which happened at the custodies of the Jews. The desecrators so seek to destruct it by firing, boiling or concealing it. However an phantom of Christ in assorted signifiers will emerge taking to either the host being found or Christians walk in during the phantom. The Jews are normally converted by what they have witnessed. This is due to a new focal point on the Eucharist and liturgical jobs the fold faced – it was hard to understand transubstantiation. The clergy could utilize these images to demo that if even Jews could be converted it would be foolish non to believe in the true organic structure and blood of Christ. Even after the Jews in the narratives convert they would normally be punished or executed. Hebrews were capable to force and humiliation throughout the mediaeval period, Christian images reinforce this outlook. Strickland besides talks about a thirteenth-century image showing the narrative of Theophilus, a Christian churchman who outwitted the Devil. In the image, a papers is passed to the Devil by a Jew. His facial characteristics are no different to the Christian but his chapeau identifies him. This image pertains to the thought that this Jew acted as an intermediary between Theophilus and the Devil. The Jew appears affluent, possibly due to the wickedness of vigorish, beef uping the statement of his association to the Devil. It is clear that Christians used art to project a negative image of Jews. It makes us inquire why they tolerated their presence in their society if they were so repulsed by them. Although we do cognize that England sent all Jews into exile some old ages subsequently. For me the most interesting fringy art is that made by Jews within this mostly Christian society. Harmonizing to Epstein, the Jews were present in mundane society but did non absorb to the full, taking to involvement anomalousnesss in lighted manuscripts. He besides points out that there are three variables for the manuscripts: did Judaic creative persons illuminate them? Did Christian artists light them? Does it non matter which artist as the frequenter may non hold allowed any free reign? Epstein talks about the thought of following and accommodating which is what a Judaic illuminator would make – accommodating recognized Christian iconography to accommodate a Judaic intent in a elusive manner. If Christians were lighting so & amp ; lsquo ; mediaeval Judaic art ‘ can non be, as they would hold conformed to acceptable traditions as good. The statement in basically inconclusive: the fact that the text is Hebrew does n't govern out a Christian creative person in the same manner that stylistic similarities do n't govern out a Judaic 1. Why would a Christian agree to do art for a Judaic intent, particularly if it was an anti-Christian one? Did the Jews non gain Christian creative persons were enforcing their conventions on them or was it strictly assimilation? It is possible that the Christians did n't gain what they were painting due to them non reading Hebrew. It is really of import to gain that these images were created for a Judaic audience, that is why it is & A ; lsquo ; Judaic art ‘ . They were to the full cognizant of Christian modern-day art and their unpopularity in society, so possibly by conforming to traditions they could defy in a less open mode. Strauss argues that erudite Jews would be able to decode the symbolic linguistic communication created which would protect the community from Christian persecution. Epstein discusses the fabrication of the fox and the fish which promotes the thought of the weak get the better ofing the str ong & A ; lsquo ; If we are afraid in the component in which we live, how much more so should we be in the component in which we would decease! ‘ [ 9 ] Animal symbols in the borders are really interesting as they show what the marginalised parts of society do with their ain borders. The hare-hunter is really utile in footings of animate being symbolism. In Hebraism it is out to run so why would a Judaic adult male return place with a non-kosher hare? Epstein discusses the thought that it may hold come from a similarity between Hebrew and Jewish words – it is non intended to be an amusive mnemonic but an identifiable symbol of the Jews as the hare, the prey. It allows them to keep their positive self-perception, necessary since the flight from Egypt as they can utilize such images to parallel modern-day societal fortunes. To summarize Epstein positions on & A ; lsquo ; Judaic mediaeval art ‘ it seems it provided a safe blowhole to let go of choler, hidden behind th e non-vernacular Hebrew, choler about expatriate and persecution while looking to accept the state of affairs on the surface. By analyzing art as a safety valve it can assist us understand Judaic self-perception and their internalized positions as a Western Medieval minority. In decision it seems the art of these Jews seems to hold the most possible in footings of fringy art. That is to state it gives a personal and & A ; lsquo ; honest ‘ penetration into their ideas. The jobs or restrictions of all the other signifiers discussed in the essay are they come from one western position, projecting positions onto others which will ever restrict their authorization.BibliographyM. Camille, Image on the Edge: The Margins of Medieval Art, ( London: Reaktion Books, 1992 ) M. Camille, The Gothic Idol: Political orientation and Image-Making in Medieval Art, ( Cambridge: Up, 1989 ) J.B. Friedman, The Monstrous Race in Mediaeval Art and Thought, ( Cambridge: Mass, 1981 ) J.J. Cohen, Monsters, Cannibalism, and the Fragile Body in Early England, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.gwu.edu/~humsci/facpages/cannibal.html D.B. Strickland, Saracens, Demons, and Hebrews: Making Monsters in Medieval Art, ( Princeton: Up, 2003 ) M. Rubin, Gentile Tales, The Narrative Assault on Late Medieval Jews, ( Yale: Up, 1999 ) M.M. Epstein, Dreams of Subversion in Medieval Art and Literature, ( University Park, Pennsylvania: Up, 1997 ) [ 1 ] Camille p. 13 [ 2 ] Camille p. 28 [ 3 ] Friedman p. 42 [ 4 ] Friedman p. 42 [ 5 ] Friedman p. 45 [ 6 ] Cohen p. 2 [ 7 ] Cohen p. 3 [ 8 ] Cohen p. 3 [ 9 ] Epstein p. 9

Investigate differing learning styles of an AVCE second year student group Essay

1. Abstract This report investigates differing learning styles of an AVCE second year student group. Firstly the report provides a critical account of the context of the course; it’s provision and relevant information about the learners and how some aspects of learning theory can be applied within the delivery of the Project Management module. Taking into account the theoretical issues a scheme of work, lesson plans and teaching material was prepared for the project management module, which I am unit leader for next semester. The second part of the report provides a critical review of the scheme of work and lesson plans and justifies the learning strategies used. It explains how individual needs and support issues have been addressed and considered when planning and delivering a lesson. The report concludes with an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the sessions. 2. Table of Contents 1. Abstract 1 2. Table of Contents 2 3. Terms of Reference 3 4. Understanding and Managing the Learning Process 4 4.1 Introduction 4 4.2 Factors influencing the ability and desire to learn 4 4.2.1 The Course Provision and Group Members 4 4.3 Theories of Learning 5 4.4 Relevance of Bloom’s Classification of the cognitive domain within the learning process of AVCE students 7 4.5 Aims, objectives and outcomes of the scheme of work, lesson plans and learning materials in relation to the cognitive learning taxonomy 10 4.6 Teaching and learning strategies deployed in the development of the project management unit 12 4.7 The importance of language, literacy and numeracy 13 4.8 Evaluation of teaching and learning strategies 13 4.9 Evaluation of learning materials used 14 4.10 Evaluation of Student Learning 14 4.11 Strengths and weaknesses of the sessions 15 5. References 16 6. Bibliography 17 Appendix A Scheme Of Work†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..18 Appendix B Lesson Plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.19 Appendix C Teaching materials†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..21 Appendix D Presentation Slides †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..22 3. Terms of Reference This report is intended to satisfy the requirements of an assignment that has been set as part of an In-Service PGCE in Education. A group of learners will be selected that I am currently teaching and relevant information about these learners will be provided along with some of the factors influencing (positively or negatively) their learning. An account will be given of the main features of one or more theories of learning, which seem to you to be relevant to these learners. As a result a scheme of work and lesson plans will be prepared and delivered. The report will conclude with an evaluation of the scheme of work and lesson plans and how the experience will affect future practice. 4. Understanding and Managing the Learning Process 4.1 Introduction Understanding and managing the learning process is key to enhancing the teaching and learning experience. In order to achieve this goal research was undertaken into relevant learning theories and factors that influenced the ability and desire to learn. The knowledge gained was then applied to the planning and delivery of curriculum to students enrolled on the Advanced Vocational Certificate in Education (AVCE) at Wakefield College studying. The report includes a critical review of the scheme of work, lesson plans and learning materials designed to meet the learning objectives and outcomes of the course. 4.2 Factors influencing the ability and desire to learn Some of the factors that influence the ability and the desire to learn of a group of students on the second year of an AVCE in ICT at Wakefield College have been examined in order that the learning process can be understood and therefore more effectively managed. 4.2.1 The Course Provision and Group Members The Project Management module is one of 12 units that are studied as part of the AVCE for students at Wakefield College. Students on the course are aged between 17 to 19 and most have achieved GCSE results at mainly Grade D and Grade E. The group of consists of 14 students and of these a cross section were selected to discuss their aspirations and motivations. To keep the identities of the following students confidential, students have been addressed A to E respectively: Student A came into the college with poor GCSE results and had to complete the foundation course before undertaking the GNVQ Intermediate in IT. During this time she was diagnosed dyslexic and since has received support for exams and her dyslexia tendencies are taken into account during delivery on the units. She contributes well verbally in group discussions, however she is always reluctant to type or write down information whilst being observed by other students or class tutor. Her motivation to succeed is exceptional which has led to outstanding achievements on her first year of AVCE. She has applied for IT courses at several universities and now awaiting offers. She is employed part time at a local solicitor’s and has been offered sponsorship to continue to study for a degree in computing. Student B is a close friend of Student A and also completed a GNVQ Intermediate in IT with above average grades, he now wishes to eventually obtain a degree in a computer related subject by studying for his HND in Computing at Wakefield and then topping up to the Sunderland University BSC in Computing. His preference is to complete a good proportion of work at home, which he does to a high standard, however this often leads to him distracting other members of the group during class time. This impacts on other students who do not have the commitment to work at home for example student C. Student C again started at Intermediate level and achieved adequate grades, however his levels of concentration are poor, he is easily distracted and he often fails to complete his work. This is a concern as he is planning to progress onto the HND Computing course and will need to prove that he has the motivation and the ability to cope with the workload. He has worked part time in the computing section of Staples and shows a good understanding of hardware issues but struggles with the application side of computing and completing course work. He appears to be more ‘hands on’ student rather than academic. Student D has chosen to do a computer related course to increase his prospects of employment in the computing field. He intends to continue his studies at Wakefield College in order to achieve a BSC in computing. Although not academically brilliant he is a very conscientious and independent worker who tries exceptionally hard to succeed and consequently achieves good grades. He work part time as a window cleaner. Student E is the girlfriend of Student D and initially chose to do a computer related course to increase her prospects of employment and has no intention of progressing to University. The fact that she receives Education Maintenance Award (EMA) is the key motivation for attending the course and she gives the impression that doing this course is better than doing nothing. She lacks enthusiasm for the subject matter and at times the only thing that keeps her on track is the help and support she receives from her boyfriend. 4.3 Theories of Learning Evidence suggests there are many theories of learning often one theory contradicting another, this is substantiated by Reece (2000, p.69) who claims â€Å"that for every piece of research that tells us to do something a particular way, there is another piece that suggests, not necessarily the opposite, but a different way†. This report concentrates on some theories on learning styles and learning taxonomies and how these can be applied to understanding and managing the learning process of a group of AVCE students. 4.3.1 Learning Styles There is strong evidence to suggest that students learn in several different ways and planning to deliver curriculum to the AVCE group must consider the four main learning styles identified by Honey and Mumford (1986): Activists – enjoy the present, like the immediate experience and respond to short-term issues. Reflectors – prefer to think about things and explore all aspects before coming to a conclusion. Theorists – like principles, theories, models and systems. Logic rules! Pragmatists – look for new ideas and are keen to experiment. The choice of learning strategies will therefore determine how much a student is motivated and a key aim must be to offer all learning styles some element within the lesson that enhances there learning experience. 4.3.2 Learning Taxonomies In addition to the recognised learning styles, learning can be separated into three main domains, psychomotor, cognitive and affective domains. Within each of these domains there are specific levels identified by Honey and Mumford, Bloom and Kolb amongst others. Taxonomies usually refer to the classification of life into similar groups, but for the purposes of Bloom, a taxonomy was described by McLeod (p. 1029) as: â€Å"†¦the science or practice of classification.† Cognitive Domain The Cognitive domain looks at the intellectual skills and abilities, considering knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation with knowledge being the easiest level. The cognitive domain suggests that knowledge allows someone to state something. Moving sequentially through each stage to higher levels, allows a student to learn the full range of cognitive skills i.e. to explain, apply, differentiate between, summarise and evaluate. Petty (1998, p.347) states that it is important to â€Å"†¦include the higher-order objectives in your teaching or these skills will not be developed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Simply gaining knowledge is the first stage of learning and is the building block for the higher cognitive levels, which without such could not be reached. Encouraging the student to comprehend, apply and evaluate, enhances their learning process. For example, a student may know what a mathematical formulae is, understand that it can be used to solve some mathematical problem, but may be unable to apply it and derive an answer. Affective Domain The Affective domain is concerned with attitudes and deal with feelings and emotions. Petty (1998) suggested that this means a student has the social skills, is able to listen to, be aware of, or is able to appreciate something. Psychomotor Domain The Psychomotor domain focuses on a student’s dexterity, and is predominately physical tasks that need practice. It is similar to the cognitive domain in that it progresses from the simple to the complex where physical skills are concerned. Although all three domains could be considered appropriate to the teaching and learning experience of the AVCE group, Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain has been identified as the most relevant to the AVCE group and the theory has been studied in much greater detail and then applied to the case study. 4.4 Relevance of Bloom’s Classification of the cognitive domain within the learning process of AVCE students Bloom defined the following areas in his classification of the cognitive domain, as knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Knowledge is the ability of a student or person to be able to recall and recognise information. Child (1993) proposed that someone couldn’t operate cognitively without a basic amount of knowledge. The AVCE students have demonstrated that they have a certain level of knowledge by being accepted on to the second year of the course. Some students have more knowledge than others, which is likely due to a greater degree of application on the first year and the motivation to work at home. Some of the students appear to have a slightly wider experience of relevant computing knowledge and are able to recall and recognise information more readily. Student C who is easily distracted and often fails to complete his work does show he has quite extensive knowledge in specific IT areas that are related to his work at Staples where he deals with the computing hardware side. Comprehension is the ability to illustrate, explain or describe the reasons for something. This area of understanding can be fairly basic. All the students have a generally equal level of comprehension in the subject areas, although Student A has more difficulty explaining reasons in written report format or under exam conditions. Application is the ability to take the knowledge and comprehension of something and to utilise this in new situations. Using the mathematical formula example, knowledge is where a student is aware of or knows the formula, comprehension is the understanding that the formula can be used to solve a particular problem and application is having the ability to use the formula to actually solve it. There was evidence of prior learning being applied to a new situation whereby the knowledge gained when produced a user manual for a spreadsheet unit was applied to producing a user manual for the database unit. Also Students explained that the group work undertaken in the multi media unit was a good way of pooling knowledge and comprehension. Consequently, the project management unit I am leading will include a group project to develop a web site. The intention is to team those students who demonstrate good organisational skills with those who show an aptitude for graphical design. Group work has shown that the knowledge, comprehension and application of a group can be higher than the individuals themselves would achieve, as not everyone is a specialist in every field. Analysis is the breaking down of something into its component parts, differentiating between similar items and the ability to compare and contrast. All the students interviewed for this report were able to use the knowledge and comprehension of information they have been given and apply this to new situations. Synthesis is the ability to take the component parts and either rearrange or combine them to form a new or different whole. A particularly relevant example of analysis and synthesis is demonstrated when considering the rescheduling of tasks when a crisis situation arises during the project lifecycle. The project manager can study the critical path of the project and determine where resources can be reallocated or extra resources brought in order to ensure that the project is still delivered on time and to specification. The project plan can then be updated to produce a new schedule, which does not necessarily look like, or work in the same way as, the original. In the Project Management unit they are able to look at the scheduling of other Project plans prior to producing their coursework assignment. Synthesis will then allow them to take individual processes from this analysis and combine them as they investigate a business problem and produce a Project Management solution. For the second semester unit students will be shown how to create a project plan for the websites development, and will gain an understanding of the importance of scheduling and resource allocation. Evaluation requires judgements to be made as to what elements of the project went to plan and what lessons can be learned from the overall project experience. For example, the project manager will evaluate the finished product after implementation. This allows them to see if future projects can be managed more effectively and efficiently. Using the Project Management unit as an example, once the project plan is implemented, an evaluation of the project will allow the students to check if the product they have designed was produced as planned, to specification, within budget and timescale. Word Count 2083 4.5 Aims, objectives and outcomes of the scheme of work, lesson plans and learning materials in relation to the cognitive learning taxonomy The evidence gained during the research and interviews carried out facilitated the production of scheme of work, (Appendix A) lesson plans, (Appendix B) and learning materials (Appendix C) for the Project Management unit. The scheme of work identifies how each session builds on the previous session and each lesson plan shows evidence of how Bloom’s taxonomies has been incorporated into the learning process. The aim and objectives of the unit were to outline how to produce a project plan prior to the student producing their own project plan for the web development. Knowledge – All lecture topics have been developed on the basis that students have no prior knowledge of each stage of project management. The only assumption was the students had completed the tasks in the preceding practical session, however, not having completed the tasks should not interfere with their learning of the lecture topic. The scheme of work has been written in a way that does not penalise a student for not having grasped any particular fragment of the course, being as it is, modular in design. Each lecture consists of a PowerPoint presentation followed by a brief demonstration on the interactive whiteboard. Each week previous learning is checked prior to and often during the lecture to check the learning. building upon the week before with the subject matter progressively gaining in complexity. Comprehension – All the students will be encouraged to ask questions at any point during the presentation/demonstration if they require additional clarification. The intention is to check their comprehension by asking if they can provide examples to justify a point made and then opening up discussion to the whole group. Application – Knowledge and Comprehension will be combined when attempting the task sheets written to accompany each week’s lecture topic. These sheets are not handouts in the usual sense, each one consisting not of information for a student to refer to at a later date, but tasks that will facilitate their learning. The tasks cater for individual interpretation of the problem statements, allowing each student to develop the subject matter with their knowledge and understanding. Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation – Students will be actively encouraged to explore alternative project management software, breaking each one down into specific functions and comparing and contrasting how well they facilitate the task of managing a project and the application limitations. There will be a requirement to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the application. 4.6 Teaching and learning strategies deployed in the development of the project management unit The project management unit was designed in line with the cognitive taxonomy described earlier. Lectures/Group discussions Students are given lectures whereby information is presented from which knowledge and comprehensive can be gained by interaction in group discussion. For Student A and Student B asking questions and providing answers to questions comes naturally as they are both confident members of the group. However Student D is a very quiet member and through a basic lack of confidence always appears reluctant to come forward therefore subtle probing is required to check his learning and ensure that he has fully understood the subject matter. One to one tuition Although Student C is usually willing to interact if directly questioned often, one to one tuition is needed as due to his lack of concentration he often lags behind the rest of the group and needs more thorough recapping of prior sessions. Whilst Student E often shows little interest in group discussions she will ask later in the practical session if she has not understood a certain element. Tasks In order to encourage students to apply knowledge and comprehension to a new situation the scheme of work includes a simple task to plan a birthday celebration and consider all the tasks involved, and the sequence with which they undertook the tasks and who would be responsible for each task. Students were then given the opportunity to apply this knowledge by completing the task sheets. Demonstration In the later weeks once the basic project management principles have been taught then students progress to using the project management software at this point demonstrations are included in the lesson plan to illustrate the use of the features of the project management tool. Students are at this point encouraged to part take in these demonstrations. One of the main problems is that students progress at varying rates throughout the unit and to ensure that this issue is addressed I have built in further complexity to stretch the more able student by for example introducing more complex scheduling and updating techniques within the project plans. This provides an opportunity for the tutor to concentrate on an individual group member without restricting the progress of others, meaning that all students will be able to feel that they have accomplished something of value in each session. However, the scheme of work does progress through a logical pattern. For example, the principles of project management precede the creation of a project plan. The students will then learn topics of progressive complexity before creating a project plan for a commercially acceptable web site. 4.7 The importance of language, literacy and numeracy In today’s environment where employers are increasingly looking graduates that possess good communication and numeracy skills it is important that these elements of teaching and learning are incorporated into lesson plans and schemes of work. Presentation skills are developed within the project management unit as students are required to present their website to their client in a professional manner by the use of a PowerPoint presentation. Report writing skills are developed, as the assignment brief requires students to produce their evidence in report format. Students are encouraged to communicate both verbally in group discussions and by written communication in the form of agendas and minutes of meeting they have held within their group and with their client. Student A who is dyslexic is supported by proof reading her assignment work prior to submission and understanding her anxieties about being watched whilst keying in information. The application of numbers within the project management unit is limited to calculating the estimated duration of a task using the Program Evaluation Review Technique, a formulae that explores the probability, i.e. optimistic duration + pessimistic duration + (3 x most likely duration) divided by 6 Other mathematical skills are using when determining the critical path of a project. 4.8 Evaluation of teaching and learning strategies Detailed study has shown that Bloom’s taxonomy is relevant to all the students I teach. In particular, recent experience teaching the AVCE group has highlighted the need for students to have both knowledge and comprehension, and in order to achieve the higher grades students must also possess the ability to apply, analyse, synthesise and evaluate. As is evident in the study, if the lower levels of learning are not achieved i.e. the knowledge and the comprehension then students will be unable to achieve the higher levels such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Although these higher levels are not often required to pass the AVCE unit there is an expectation that they will need be achieved if they progress to Higher Education (HE). Student A, Student B and Student D are already showing signs of reaching the higher cognitive levels however in the case of Student C and Student E there will be a strong need to build on their knowledge and subject understanding in order to become proficient in analysing, synthesising and, most importantly, evaluating their work to ensure that they succeed at any higher education qualifications they undertake. In conclusion the cognitive domain theory can easily applied to the development of the project management unit in order that students can learn to produce good project plans. 4.9 Evaluation of learning materials used As a result of doing this research, I now ensure that basic knowledge and understanding of subject matter is achieved by recapping both in group discussion and on a one to one basis with individual students. I also plan individual lessons in greater depth and look for new ways to break up the learning process into more manageable chunks, by using tasks sheets and group work and the requesting agendas and minutes are taken. I have explored the use of electronic tools such as Course Genie in order to provide a much interactive way of presenting information. I am now proficient at using the whiteboard and actively encourage students to use it during group discussions. In conclusion I feel that by gaining a good understanding of the individual needs of my student I can adapt lessons to suit. This is substantiated by Stephens and Roderick (1971) who state, â€Å"that a failure to select methods that are appropriate to the real needs and interests of the students will weaken their educational achievement† 4.10 Evaluation of Student Learning Assessment of student’s learning is two fold. Firstly work produced during each practical session, is checked and commented upon. Secondly more formal assessment takes place by marking the three assignments and feeding back on the PowerPoint presentation. As this is the first course for which I have been responsible for the complete management of the learning process, I am as yet unable to critically discuss the effectiveness of the strategies and materials. However, I am confident that the students will learn more effectively from this style of content delivery than they have from the previous project management material that was I asked to deliver last year delivered with the very limited material provided for me by previous unit leader. 4.11 Strengths and weaknesses of the sessions As the scheme of work and lessons are not planned to be delivered until 24 January 2005 the strengths and weaknesses cannot at this moment in time be reflected upion. 1556 5. References Child. D., (1993), Psychology and the Teacher, Casell Education Ltd, London. Curzon. 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