Monday, September 30, 2019

Behaviorism Theory

Behaviorist theorists believe that behavior is shaped deliberately by forces in the environment and that the type of person and actions desired can be the product of design. In other words, behavior is determined by others, rather than by our own free will. By carefully shaping desirable behavior, morality and information is learned. Learners will acquire and remember responses that lead to satisfying aftereffects. Repetition of a meaningful connection results in learning. If the student is ready for the connection, learning is enhanced; if not, learning is inhibited. Motivation to learn is the satisfying aftereffect, or reinforcement.Behaviorism is linked with empiricism, which stresses scientific information and observation, rather than subjective or metaphysical realities. Behaviorists search for laws that govern human behavior, like scientists who look for pattern sin empirical events. Change in behavior must be observable; internal thought processes are not considered. Ivan Pavl ov's research on using the reinforcement of a bell sound when food was presented to a dog and finding the sound alone would make a dog salivate after several presentations of the conditioned stimulus, was the beginning of behaviorist approaches.Learning occurs as a result of responses to stimuli in the environment that are reinforced by adults and others, as well as from feedback from actions on objects. The teacher can help students learn by conditioning them through identifying the desired behaviors in measurable, observable terms, recording these behaviors and their frequencies, identifying appropriate reinforcers for each desired behavior, and providing the reinforcer as soon as the student displays the behavior.For example, if children are supposed to raise hands to get called on, we might reinforce a child who raises his hand by using praise, â€Å"Thank you for raising your hand. † Other influential behaviorists include B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) and James B. Watson (18 78-1958). Cognitivism/Constructivism Cognitivists or Constructivists believe that the learner actively constructs his or her own understandings of reality through interaction with objects, events, and people in the environment, and reflecting on these interactions.Early perceptual psychologists (Gestalt psychology) focused on the making of wholes from bits and pieces of objects and events in the world, believing that meaning was the construction in the brain of patterns from these pieces. For learning to occur, an event, object, or experience must conflict with what the learner already knows. Therefore, the learner's previous experiences determine what can be learned. Motivation to learn is experiencing conflict with what one knows, which causes an imbalance, which triggers a quest to restore the equilibrium.Piaget described intelligent behavior as adaptation. The learner organizes his or her understanding in organized structures. At the simplest level, these are called schemes. Whe n something new is presented, the learner must modify these structures in order to deal with the new information. This process, called equilibration, is the balancing between what is assimilated (the new) and accommodation, the change in structure. The child goes through four distinct stages or levels in his or her understandings of the world.Some constructivists (particularly Vygotsky) emphasize the shared, social construction of knowledge, believing that the particular social and cultural context and the interactions of novices with more expert thinkers (usually adult) facilitate or scaffold the learning process. The teacher mediates between the new material to be learned and the learner's level of readiness, supporting the child's growth through his or her â€Å"zone of proximal development. † Behaviorism Posted in Behaviorist Theories, Paradigms and Perspectives | 0 comments Summary: Behaviorism is a worldview that operates on a principle of â€Å"stimulus-response.†All behavior caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning). All behavior can be explained without the need to consider internal mental states or consciousness. Originators and important contributors: John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, E. L. Thorndike (connectionism), Bandura, Tolman (moving toward cognitivism) Keywords: Classical conditioning (Pavlov), Operant conditioning (Skinner), Stimulus-response (S-R) Behaviorism Behaviorism is a worldview that assumes a learner is essentially passive, responding to environmental stimuli.The learner starts off as a clean slate (i. e.  tabula rasa) and behavior is shaped through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast, punishment (both positive and negative) decreases the likelihood that the antecedent behavior will happen again. Positive indicates the application of a stimulus; N egative indicates the withholding of a stimulus. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior in the learner. Lots of (early) behaviorist work was done with animals (e. g. Pavlov’s dogs) and generalized to humans.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Deception in the Twelfth Night: William Shakespeare Essay

Deception is seen widely throughout the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Many characters are very clear about who they are and what their motives are, while some are more manipulative. Deception is shown through the clearness of Orsino’s character and the way Viola (Cesario) deceives people to play a man. Orsino is a character in the Twelfth Night that is considered much understood. He is very upfront about his actions and motives. This is portrayed in the way that Orsino loves Olivia and the way he will do anything it takes to get her to be with him. He makes it very clear that there is only one thing that he wants: to be with Olivia. As Orsino states his love in the play, â€Å"Oh, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, methought she purged the air of pestilence. That instant was I turned into a hart, and my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, e’er since pursue me† (1.1.20-24). He is very upfront about who he is; as the count, he is better than the people around him and gets what he wants. The way that Olivia thinks so highly of him as a Duke, demonstrates how he is better than the people around him: â€Å"Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth. In voices well divulged, free, learned, and valiant; and in dimension and the shape of nature, a gracious person† (1.5.260-64). Orsino is a noteable character who is straightforward and determined to get what he wants. Viola (Cesario), on the other hand, is completely deceptive of who she is. Although she deceptively dresses as a man, Viola does it so that she can stay alive in Illyria. The Captain is the only one who really knows what Viola is doing. As the Captain says, â€Å"Be you his eununch, and mute I’ll be. When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see,† (1.3.65-66) which he also knows the reasons of doing. Throughout the entire play, Viola has to lie about who she is, but hints about her secret occasionally, like when she speaks with Orsino: â€Å"I am all the daughters of my father’s house, and all the brothers, too—and yet I know not† (2.4.132-33). Viola is a main example of a character that is deceptive by their appearance in the Twelfth Night. Deception is being deceived or mislead by false appearances or statements. There are different kinds of deception in the Twelfth Night, by appearance or by Shakespeare’s word choice. Deception by appearance is an easily seen trait throughout different characters in the play. Orsino is a great example of someone who  is the opposite of deceptive, whereas Viola is one of the most deceptive by her appearance and can be seen throughout the play the Twelfth Night.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Health information exchange Essay

The Health information exchange or also known as HIE is the sending of healthcare-related data electronically to facilities, health information organizations and government agencies according to national standards. The goal is to be able to access and retrieve data more efficient, safer, and to improve the quality of care and patient safety and reduce healthcare costs. The Health Information Exchange has existed for over two decades. In the 1990s there were attempts to organize networks. It began in 2006 by Governor Sonny Perdue. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is responsible for setting the standards for national health information exchange. The Health information exchange was created so that health care providers could use it to improve health care. Health care professionals are able to access your information, such as in an emergency situation, this way they can make informed decisions about your emergency faster. Also, your files are stored safely just in case your area is hit by national disaster. There are several benefits of the system. It helps to assist patients from receiving prescription medications to which they may be allergic. The HIE helps reduce medical errors. Health care providers are able to give you the care you need and it won’t interact with your other treatments. Because health care providers can see what tests you have had and the results, they don’t always have to repeat them. When your health information is shared electronically, information about access to your record is stored electronically. This helps to know who accesses your information, when, what and why. This helps the medical staff to check your records faster. Having faster access to your records helps healthcare providers find the information needed to diagnose health problems earlier, which gives them a more complete picture of your overall health. This leaves less room for error, more time with the patient. Not only are there the good benefits of the HIE, but there are the risks that come with it. Let’s start one a well-known problem, Identity theft. More people are also able to break into records and steal information, for example hackers. There are more known errors to occur. If your health care  provider does not enter the correct information, the information remains in the health record until it is corrected. Then there are also the concerns of privacy issues. This is when HIPPA comes into effect. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulates the privacy of health information exchange. The HIPPA reduces health care fraud and abuse. It protects the privacy of all individual’s health information. The HIE has privacy and security concerns. There is a privacy rule that all employees and health care providers should abide by. If you see a medical record in view where patients or others can see it, cover the file, or turn it over. When speaking about patients, try to prevent others from overhearing the conversation. Conversations about patients should be held in a private area. Do not discuss patients while you are in public areas. When medical records are not in use, they should be put away. Never remove the patient’s official medical record from your office. You should not leave records out where your family members or others may see it. If an y copies are made and not used they should be shredded. Privacy policies can be particularly hard for an HIE to deal with .There are efforts such as the government’s Connect project that provide guidelines for securing HIEs. Privacy laws vary from state to state giving complications for cross-state HIEs. The HITECH Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has increased the penalties healthcare providers face if their systems are breached. There is a HIPAA privacy rule that provides federal floor of protection. One of the main challenges that HIE face is getting data to doctors and other clinicians. It is normally delivered directly to a providers’ EMR system, however with limited EMR use across the country, HIEs have had to provide alternative delivery methods. If an EMR isn’t compatible or if doctors don’t have systems, they can use a Web portal to see data. The problem with portals is that they force doctors to take an extra step to view data. Due to this doctors often end up using the HIE less as a result, and some provider groups decide the exchange isn’t worth the investment if their clinicians aren’t using it. With all the concerns about HIE, there are still more pros then cons. It benefits healthcare providers by reducing their operational costs. The system supports the retrieval of and access to clinical data. HIEs can improve payers’ ability to manage outcomes and reduce medical costs and increases accuracy of the information. www.himss.org/hieforums/ www.health.ny.gov/†¦health_information†¦/health_information_exch www.informationweek.com/healthcare/†¦/health-information-exchan www.myphr.com/healthliteracy/health_information_exchange.aspx www.himss.org/Asp/topics_News_item.asp?cid=67543&tid=33

Friday, September 27, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Case Study Example However, the cultural allowances made were unsatisfactory to align with the French culture. This ambiguity led to as low as 29% of French visits to Euro Disneyland in the first year. Individualism: An indicator of extent to which individuals possess self esteem and care for their family members. The imposition of American family values of dress code and appearance such as short hair, no beards, moustaches and extensive jewellery was a slur for the French who are extremely individualistic in nature. Power Distance Index (PDI): This is a measure which reveals the scope of how subordinate staff responds to disproportionate allocation of power. French people scoring high on PDI were agitated at the fact that the frontier authority was unfairly allotted to American managers who lacked the essentials to handle the Euro Disneyland. Masculinity: Masculinity is an indicator that highlights tendency towards factors such as profit, success and worldly belongings. France is low on masculinity and values care and quality of life more. Nature of extension of Disneyland in France shows the proclivity towards more revenues. If Euro Disneyland was tailored for values such as collaboration, friendliness and ecological preservation then the results yielded would have been better (Hofstede, Pedersen and Hofstede, 34-40). Internal vs. External: Internal culture represents people with the belief that whatever happens is a consequence of their actions. Contrary to these values that American believes in are the external culture values which represent French people which states that rather than being subject of destinies a person should alter to peripheral circumstances. Neutral vs. Emotional: Carriers of neutral culture values are people that have emotions and sentiments in control of them and kept to themselves. Contrarily there are people belonging to emotional culture who are natural and frank expressers of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Implications of Differences in National Culture for International Assignment

Implications of Differences in National Culture for International Business - Assignment Example Due to the tight spot that is progressively afflicting the large global companies, international business ethics has ascended to facilitate in attending to these oppressive subject issues. International business ethics makes an effort to contend with inquiries of what to accomplish in circumstances where ethical morals are scrapped and become at odds in consequence of different and, oftentimes, opposing cultural practices. Negotiations in the international business platform can be deliberated from a wide or a restricted sense: negotiations in a wide sense comprise nearly all, if not all, forms of "consultation, communication, discussion, exchanging of views, reaching a consensus, and formal negotiations" (Chang, 2006). Those which are in a restricted sense comprise the undertakings that are accomplished in locations that are openly or officially arranged for negotiations (Chang, 2006). The academic sphere of discussions gained differing stance towards the relationship between culture s and the manners of negotiations. A few people are certain about the fact that negotiations have turned out to be a collective and shared behavior, and notwithstanding the cultural upbringings of those involved in the negotiations, and in the international business in general, the manner of negotiations is achieved inside the pre-set structure. Nevertheless, there are still those who are positive about the fact that negotiations in different nations are divergent from each other in that they manifest manifold and, more often, conflicting forms, and are basically diverse. To a wide-ranging expanse, varying cultural backgrounds result in varying kinds of organizations. This relationship is not complete and conclusive, nonetheless, and labeling, categorizing should be evaded (Liu, 1996). To appreciate the influence of national cultural difference on multinational business and negotiations, as well as in terms of the decision making process, a multi-cultural study and the varying natio nal cultural strengths and weaknesses can be employed in order to project a differing countries’ potential behaviours in negotiation process, and to recognize the cultural factors that may impact the decision making process (Chang, 2006). It is normally considered that multicultural investigations are concentrated on particular occurrences and deliberate the parallels and differences among countries. While this type of investigation may have limited potential in terms of the selected nations or particular behaviors on international business negotiations, it remains to hold a considerable importance in terms of facilitating individuals to understand business negotiations in a global perspective considering that it touches on different values, behaviors, and decision-making models of individuals coming from different nations (Ghemawat & Reiche, 2011). For instance, China and the United States have absolutely varying styles in carrying out a negotiation owing to: (1) Americans h ave diverse personalities in so far as the geographical divisions of Americans are concerned: â€Å"southern, eastern, and western regions are like different worlds† (Chang, 2006), as compared to (2) China’s extremely analogous, communism-inspired personality traits. National Cultural Differences and International Business Negotiations Regardless of the nature of the discussion of the personality traits as influenced by one's national culture, it is quite thought-provoking and challenging to profoundly comprehend and figure out international business negotiations considering that it involves manifold complex factors.

Health Gap between Rich and Poor in Briatin Essay

Health Gap between Rich and Poor in Briatin - Essay Example There were a lot of repressed meanings that could possibly be interpreted in these news writings. As a result, this essay would present the point of view on the issue through the evaluation of the three online news sources via using a deconstructive approach. I would first discuss my point of view with regards to the online news article published by BBC Online (1998). Upon reading BBC’s news report, I could say that it was really written in a conservative approach with the aim of not only providing information to the public but largely on persuading the citizens of UK, in particular, the poor sectors of the society, that the government could resolve this widening health gap. This media group’s manner of reporting was done through informing the public on what the government was thinking about the health issue. In fact, as stated by the author of the report who was a government’s former chief medical officer, Sir Donald Acheson, the local authorities had already me chanisms to resolve the challenges encountered by the most economically deprived sector of society. As part of the government, he greatly had voiced how the government were seriously considering the said health issue because of its significant impact on the succeeding generations. In fact, the seventy – five (75) recommendations given in the report was far – reaching as it had included thirty – nine (39) categories which consisted of health all the other areas related it like education, housing and environment. Though, it was only the voice of the government that was clearly expressed. Through taking into consideration the source of the news report, the BBC, a non – commercial, government - owned organization, it could be greatly understood the careful manner of reporting since it was being funded and supported by the government itself. As part of the local authority, this medium was serving a purpose of not only providing the information to the public bu t also, for the large part, it had played to protect the government. It was biased in the sense that the voice of the government was the only voice that was presented. Thus, this article of BBC had suppressed the other possible interpretations of this issue through not presenting the other sides of the problem. Given the serious health concerns encountered by the authorities, BBC had functioned as a mechanism of the government to give assurance to its people that everything was manageable and under control, that the growing health gap between the rich and the poor sectors of society would soon be resolved. In this manner, the public should worry about nothing because the government was doing its role. Indeed, BBC’s manner of providing information to the public was serving the benefit of its sponsor, the government. On the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Poster Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poster Design - Essay Example The internal format of the poster is a simple two-row and four-column symmetrical grid format. We observe the following: The font used, Comic Sans, is legible and not as conservative as Times or as bold as Helvetica or Gill. Comic Sans seemed to be more attractive to children when the poster was tested in a classroom situation. Memory retention studies tell us that readers are 78% more likely to recall information printed in colour as opposed to black and white (L Eiseman 2000). As can be seen from Illustration 2 the change of language for use in Irish schools does not detract from visual impact of the poster. The illustrations in the poster (checked for accuracy by Health Board Dental staff), support the text and add to the cheerful and friendly feel of the poster. Created as an A3, 300DPI, Litho print, this poster could be enlarged up to A2 with the DPI reduced on a large-scale digital printer. The image used for the poster, strengthens the advertised promotion. While not of the best quality, breaking it up to create a more interesting visual effect made it attract potential readers to the poster. This poster was also created for Litho printing. However, digital printers could also produce it. Nevertheless, be aware that not all digital printers can hold the flood of green contained in the poster. Test printed on an Epson 9000 with clean heads, the printout was acceptable at A1 size. Illustration-4 is an A1, ... The illustrations in the poster (checked for accuracy by Health Board Dental staff), support the text and add to the cheerful and friendly feel of the poster. Created as an A3, 300DPI, Litho print, this poster could be enlarged up to A2 with the DPI reduced on a large-scale digital printer. Moving on to Illustration-3, this is an A3, CMYK, portrait, promotional poster with a simple left aligned symmetry. The salient points of this poster are: The dominant colour - green helps to create a feeling of "freshness and renewal" (L Eiseman 2000). The use of some yellow creating an analogous colour combination with the over print of an ambulance photograph does not detract from the visual impact of the poster. Indeed the yellow Gill Sans text draws the readers eye towards the relevant information which is presented "clearly, simply and efficiently" (P Wildbur, M Burke 1998). The image used for the poster, strengthens the advertised promotion. While not of the best quality, breaking it up to create a more interesting visual effect made it attract potential readers to the poster. This poster was also created for Litho printing. However, digital printers could also produce it. Nevertheless, be aware that not all digital printers can hold the flood of green contained in the poster. Test printed on an Epson 9000 with clean heads, the printout was acceptable at A1 size. Illustration-4 is an A1, large-scale digital promotional and informational poster created for people who are recovering from a stroke. Here is a three-row two-column asymmetrical design. The highlights are: The poster creates a strong visual impact through the depiction of a cross roads (as represented by the text running across and up and down the poster). The use of white reinforces the message of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Care n Christian Communities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Care n Christian Communities - Essay Example the rope have responsibility over the other, but individuality and the reactive process divides the individuals responsibility over whether to hold onto the rope, or to pursue his passion (Richardson 26). The two people cannot be the same person. This is because they are dressed similarly, but one has a rope tied on his or her waist. They were also coming from different directions. Their difference in thoughts also suggests that they have totally different personalities. One person is wise while the other does not demonstrate wisdom in his words (Richardson 80). In this fable, the person holding the rope empowers the one suspended to make a decision. The man who is suspended by the rope is empowered to make a choice between helping himself and being set free. The suspended person is, therefore, the ultimate decision maker (Richardson 67). One can identify their role by analyzing the situation they encounter. This can be done by judging ones responsibility, and whether the other person is willing to participate in that responsibility. It is equivalent to taking leadership in a situation. I contribute to new possibilities in such situations by offering options or choices that can be made (Richardson 180). One core concept of family systems theory is communication. Family systems use regulatory patterns of interaction and communication in the process of adapting to external and internal changes, and this leads to development of rules and roles governing individuals. In this fable, the two individuals must interact in order to come up with a solution. They both have to make contributions in order to overcome the situation they are facing. One person has to hold on tight while the other has to make a choice of pulling himself up. This core concept provides a compelling view that suggests individual are affected by societal patterns, and they have to contribute to it (Richardson

Monday, September 23, 2019

Finance Problem Solving Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance Problem Solving - Assignment Example Therefore, Amber has a net working capital of $200 and a current ratio of 1.20. This indicates that the company will be able to pay any short term obligations that arise unexpectedly due to some investment in the working capital. On the other hand, Barbie has no current assets, but has $600 worth of current liabilities. Therefore, Amber has a net working capital of negative $600 and a weak current ratio. This indicates that the company will not be able to pay any short term obligations that arise unexpectedly due to no investments in the working capital. Amber Barbie Current Assets $1,200 $0 Current Liabilities $1,000 $600 Net Working Capital $200 ($600) Current Ratio 1.20 0.00 Therefore, it is important for a corporation to invest some of its funds in the financing of the working capital. A company must be able to pay its creditor when payment becomes dues, and possess ample inventory and cash to ensure the smooth functioning of the company. Question 4 A firm achieves optimal level of working capital only when the constituents of the working capital achieve optimal position. The company must have a favorable level of inventory determined by the economic order quantity. It must work upon optimal lead times that ensure no shortfall and no excess inventory at any point in time. This will ensure minimum costs association with the inventory handling. Likewise, the company must forecast future cash inflows and outflows, risk tolerance and borrowing capability to ensure an optimal cash level. An excess surplus must be invested in short term securities, whereas a shortage must be immediately handled with an overdraft with the bank. Similarly, the company could determine its advantageous day’s sales outstanding which will allow it to make an effective policy toward the management of its receivables. (Brigham and Gapenski 1988) Question 6 The matching principle of the working capital financing states that the non-current assets and permanent current assets must b e financed by long term debt; whereas fluctuating current assets must be financed by short term debt. (Brigham and Gapenski 1988) For instance: A retail store balance sheet shows inventory, cash, account receivable and fixed assets. At any point in time, this store has a minimum amount of all current assets which becomes a part of the permanent current assets. Therefore, according to this matching principle, these permanent current assets and fixed assets are to be financed by long term debt. There is low cost associated with this technique as most of the assets are finance low interest long term debt. Likewise, it results in a higher profitability as interest expense is low in this strategy. It also provides the company with more liquidity and a better current ratio. (Brigham and Gapenski 1988) Problem 17-3 Company A Company B Current Assets $1,400 $960 Current Liabilities $900 $600 Net Working Capital $500 $360 Current Ratio 1.56 1.60 Company A appears to be more liquid as compare d to company B. This is because it has a higher net working capital. Even though company A has slightly lower current ratio, it holds more of its assets in the liquid form. Problem 17-6 a. Working Capital = $160 b. Net Working Capital = Current Assets – Current Liabilities Net Working Capital = $160 - $170 Net Working Capital = ($10) c. The company is following a very aggressive approach to working capital financing. This is indicated by a low net working capital; which shows that all of the current assets –

Sunday, September 22, 2019

It Happened On The Way To War Paper Essay Example for Free

It Happened On The Way To War Paper Essay It Happened On The Way To War is a book by Rye Barcott. This book talks about a marine who dreams of making a difference in the world. We read about his life, feeling as if we were a part of it. Three values that he clearly shows in this book are balance, leadership and Inspiration. Somebody once said that in order to succeed in life, you have to have a balance between your personal life and your professional life. Rye Barcott not only shows us the importance of having a balance, but he also shows us how hard it is to find that balance. While he was a part of the Marines, he was expected to transition easily from the combat mode to peace keeping mode. He thought that he will be able to separate the founder of Carolina for Kibera(CFK) from the marine that he was meant to be and vice versa. However as he started his journey, he soon realized how difficult finding balance actually is. After he came back from Kibera and started bootcamp. Rye noticed a difference in his performance. His said that for the first time in his life, he was in the bottom half of the class. â€Å" It’s like a dual culture shock† (90 Barcott, Rye) thats what is what his mother said that he was going through. This was the first time, we see Rye struggling to keep his personal and professional life separate. As time went by he was able to over come the cultural shock, however once he was an official marine. he was presented with a new challenge. He had to look at children that he was trying to improve the lives off, as potential suspects. As a marine he had to check kids that looked innocent for bombs and weapons and then then as a founder of CFK he had to go and help them. In my leadership class, I have been taught that in order to be a good leader you need to do 5 things. You have to model the way, inspire a shared vision, encourage the heart, challenge the process and enable others to act. In the book, Rye demonstrates most if not all of these 5 qualities. He modeled the way, by showing people that you don’t need to be rich in order to make a difference in the world, you just need dedication and a good group of people who are willing to work with you. When Rye met Salim, he decided to take take Salim’s vision of Kibera and make it his own. He inspired a shared a vision, Salim told Rye his dream about Kibera’s future and how he is currently trying to achieve it, however he probably did not expect Rye to actually support the dream or even come back to Kibera. However Rye shocked him by not only coming back to Kibera, but also by working with him to achieve his goal. Tabitha’s meeting with Rye is a great example of how Rye encouraged the heart.He had just met Tabitha and she was asking him to trust her and help her. There was no guarantee that Tabitha would succeed, but Rye supported her and helped her achieve her dream. Challenging the Process requires you to stand up and stand out of the crowd. There are many books published about a person and the amount of good her or she does in the world. However the reason that Rye’s story is different from others is because Rye is a marine. People are attracted to this book, because on the front cover the caption reads â€Å"A Marines Path To Peace† Which is very unique. When people think about the Marines, they think of war not peace. There aren’t many books about a marine that fights a war in the day, and runs a non-profit organization by night. The work that Rye does in his book, things like organizing soccer tournaments and trash clean ups, enables others to act. In order for the kids to play the sports, they have to help the community by cleaning up the trash. It taught the kids positive feedback. They did something good for others and in return they got something good out of it. This practice motivated the people of Kibera to act! This wasn’t the only way he enabled other to act, he was able to convince his friend Nate to help others and modeled the way for him. Inspiration is a huge deal in Rye’s life. He would have not achieved some much in his life, if he wasnt inspired by the people he met in his life. Tabitha and Salim showed him that even though they have faced many hardships, it is still possible to achieve your dreams as long as you work hard with passion and integrity. His teachers/professors at UNC helped him tremendously. When him and his friends weren’t able to get many funds, it was his professors that helped him get through, and motivated him and gave him guidance that eventually got him the funds that he needed. Not only did they guide him, but they helped him with his project. Professor Peacock and Kohn who he met in his freshman year helped him with his thesis in grad school and taught him how to run an effective non-profit organization. Even when he was a kid, his father’s marine friends were mentors for him. â€Å"My good fortune started when I was a bot.† (110, Barcott, Rye) They guided him and helped him realize his future plan. They guided him because they knew that he would in return be an inspiration and guide others in the future. Which is exactly what he did. He became an inspiration for the kids of Kibera. Rye Barcott’s journey in this book, wasn’t an easy one. The three values that he demonstrated in this book, balance, leadership and inspiration made him very unique. When he first started his journey, he did not have all three values, however as he grew as a person, he developed these values and tried to perfect them. Work Cited †¢ Barcott, Rye. Carolina For Kibera. N.p., n.d. Web. . †¢ Barcott, Rye. It Happend on the Way to War. USA: Bloomsbury, 2011. Print.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Factors Affecting The Frequency Of Digital Oscilloscope Information Technology Essay

Factors Affecting The Frequency Of Digital Oscilloscope Information Technology Essay Oscilloscopes are measuring equipment which displays electric waveforms on a screen like a small Television.   An oscilloscope is known as CRO, DSO, scope or an O-scope. Its common usage is to observe wave shapes of signal. There are four sections in an oscilloscope: the vertical and horizontal controls trigger controls and finally the display screen (the screen consists of cathode ray tube).   The research on oscilloscope has been done through books, internet, magazines etc. Karl Braun was the inventor of oscilloscope in 1897 (http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventors/a/Karl_Braun.htm). The main sector oscilloscopes used in are engineering, medicine, telecommunications and science. In October 2010 Tektronix Inc manufacturer of oscilloscopes discovered that Series of digital and mixed signal oscilloscopes that now deliver 100 GS/s sampling rate performance. This enables lower noise along with increased data points on 5x oversampled 20 GHz acquisitions (http://www.prlog.org/11 013155-tektronix-raises-bar-for-oscilloscope-sampling-rates-signal-integrity.html) There are several numbers of oscilloscope e.g. digital, analogues, dual beam, mixed signal etc.   This reports main focus will be the design and operating principle of digital storage oscilloscope.   Firstly the report will look into how the oscilloscope works, and then it will follow on to how its designed and finally how to set it up. A digital oscilloscope is a measuring instrument that uses binary numbers which writes to samples of the voltage.   ADC (analogue to digital converter) is used to change the analogue data into digital data then it makes the signal digitally.   For it to be displayed in the screen its then converted back to analogue. A digital oscilloscope has its limitation to performing just like an analogue oscilloscope.   There is a limit to the frequency which it can work up to. The limits of frequency are affected by analog bandwidth front-end section which is known as -3 dB point  and sampling rate of the oscilloscope,  the samples is taken in regular breaks.   When the sample rate is high, the frequency increases on screen.  Ã‚   Factors affecting the frequency of digital oscilloscope: Bandwidth specification Oscilloscope sample rate Bandwidth specification The bandwidth specification determines the frequency range which the scope (oscilloscope) measures accurately in the display. As the frequency is increasing the oscilloscope accuracy decreases. The bandwidth is mainly defined as a drop of 3 decibels (dB) or sensitivity at lower frequency at 0.707. Bandwidth in Hz x rise time in seconds = 0.35. E.g. to resolve an oscilloscope pulses with the rise of 2 nanosecond would have a bandwidth of 700MHz. but for a digital oscilloscope the sampling rate would have to be ten times higher frequency to resolve. E.g. 10megasample/second would measure up to 1 megahertz of signals. Oscilloscope sample Rate The oscilloscope sampling rate indicates on digital oscilloscopes how many samples per second the analog to digital converter can gain. The quicker it can sample, the accurate the results are displayed for fast signal. The maximum sample rate is given by MS/s which is mega samples per second. The minimum sample rate might come in handy if you need to look at signals changing slowly. The sampling rate can be change by the controls (sec/div) on the oscilloscope. Digital storage oscilloscope The digital storage oscilloscope is of the three digital oscilloscopes but DSO is the conventional form of digital oscilloscope. Its screen is like a computer monitor or TV screen as it uses raster type screen. By using the raster screen its helps to display images that fill the whole screen and it may include text on the screen. (www.Radio-electronics.com). First you have to store the waveform in the digital format to get the raster type display on screen. As a result of storing the waveform form digitally it can be processed by the oscilloscope or by connecting to a computer. This enables a high degree of processing to be achieved, and the required display provided very easily and often with a very cheap processing platform. It also enables the waveform to be retained indefinitely, unlike the analogue scopes for which the waveform could only be stored for a very limited time. (www.Radio-electronics.com). The operation of the digital storage oscilloscope is pretty simple, The first stage the signal enters within the scope is the vertical amplifier where some analogue signal conditioning is undertaken to scale and position the waveform. Next this signal is applied to an analogue to digital converter (ADC). (www.Radio-electronics.com). The samples are taken at regular intervals. The sampling rate is important because it determines the resolution of the signal. The samples are taken in per second or MS/s (mega sample rate). All the samples are stored within is the oscilloscope as waveform points, and several samples of waveform make up a single waveform point. The overall waveform is stored as a waveform record and its start is governed by the trigger, its finish being determined by the horizontal time base time. (www.Radio-electronics.com). The digital storage oscilloscope is an in the digital format which means there is a signal processor. With having a signal processor it helps to process the signal in different ways, before it passes the display memory and the display. Digital storage oscilloscope www.doctronics.co.uk Controls of digital storage oscilloscope Screen this is where all the waveform signals are displayed by using the X axis and Y axis. www.photoshelter.com Switch to turn ON the oscilloscope and to turn OFF. X-Y control its used to display component characteristic curves. Its mainly used for output position. TV-separation it allows the display to be shown on TV system so it can compare signals different points. TIME / DIV by using this control V/t graph horizontal scale can be changed. Trigger controls it allows the oscilloscope display to be coordinated with the signal you want to look into. Intensity and focus this control is used to change the brightness of the scope by adjusting it. X-POS by using this control the whole V/t graph can be moved side to side. X-MAG horizontal scale of the V/t graph is increased by 10 times in the IN position. CAL outputs -the top terminal gives square wave at 0.2  V peak to peak but the lower terminal gives square wave of 2  V peak to peak at 50 Hz. Component tester A changing voltage is provided by the output socket to allow component characteristic curves to be displayed. Y-POS I and Y-POS II this control allows the resultant outcome to move up or down Invert when its invert the waveform signal on the screen is turned upside down. CH I and CH II inputs using the BNC plugs the signals are connected to the BNC input socket. The smaller socket is called earth or ground. VOLTS / DIV independently the vertical scales for CH I and CH II can be adjusted. DC/AC/GND slide switches In the DC position, the signal input is connected directly to the Y-amplifier of the corresponding channel, CH I or CH II. In the AC position, a capacitor is connected into the signal pathway so that DC voltages are blocked and only changing AC signals are displayed (www.doctronics.co.uk) Trace selection switches settings of control switches for oscilloscope screen. How to set up an oscilloscope First you warm up the oscilloscope by switching it on. At this stage do not connect any input leads. Select the DC/AC/GND switch to DC (the Y-input) Select the X-Y/SWP to SWP (sweep) Put the trigger level to AUTO Select the trigger source to INT (the Y input, internal) Put 5V/cm at the Y-AMPLIFIER Put the TIMEBASE to 10ms/cm Select 1 or Cal for the time base VRIABLE control. to map out the middle of the screen adjust the Y-SHIFT (up/down) and X SHIFT (left/right) to brighten up the focus adjust the INTENSITY and FOCUS now the oscilloscope is ready to go http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/cro.htm Digital storage oscilloscope Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope Bandwidths 100  MHz 200  MHz 500 MHz, 300 MHz, 100 MHz Sample rate 2  GS/s Real Time 5 GS/s Channels 2 or 4 Channels 2 or 4 Channels 8 Hours of Continuous Battery Operation with Two Batteries Installed, Hot Swappable for Virtually Unlimited Freedom from AC Line Power Full VGA Color LCD on all Models Optional Power Application Software offers the Broadest Range of Power Measurements at its Price Point Built-in Floppy Disk Drive for Easy Storage and Documentation Measurement Quickly Document and Analyze Measurement Results with OpenChoice ® Software or Integrated CompactFlash ® Mass Storage 21 Automatic Measurements Fast Fourier Transform FFT Standard on All Models FFT for Frequency and Harmonic Analysis Triggers Advanced Triggers to Quickly Capture the Event of Interest Advanced Triggers, such as, Glitch, Width, and Logic Traditional, Analog-style Knobs and Multilanguage User Interface for Easy Operation Multi-Language User Interface Quick Setup and Operation with Auto set Menu, Auto range, Waveform and Setup Memories, and Built-in, Context-sensitive Help Quick Menu User Interface Mode for Quick, Easy Operation Backlit Menu Buttons for High Visibility 9-bit Vertical Resolution 11 of the Most Critical Automatic Waveform Measurements Telecommunications Mask Testing (TMT) Centronics Port Standard on all Models for Quick, Convenient Hardcopies Extended Video Application Module Support for Active Probes, Differential Probes, and Current Probes that Provide Automatic Scaling and Units Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope http://infrared.als.lbl.gov/content/PDF/equipment/Tektronix_TDS3052_Data_Sheet.pdf Digital storage oscilloscope http://www2.tek.com/cmswpt/psdetails.lotr?ct=pscs=psuci=13304lc=EN

Friday, September 20, 2019

Importance Of Speaking And Listening Across The Curriculum Education Essay

Importance Of Speaking And Listening Across The Curriculum Education Essay Richards and Rodgers (2001) suggest that there are essentially four methods of teaching which are speaking, listening, reading and writing. An effective teacher achieves a good balance between these four methods throughout their lessons. As speaking and listening are two of Richards and Rodgers (2001) methods of teaching, it is evident that all teachers need to include speaking and listening in their lessons (DES, 1975 cited in Corson, 1990). Literacy involves the integration of speaking, listening and critical thinking with reading and writing (Wray, 2001, pg12). Literacy is the set of skills which allows an individual to engage fully in society and in learning, through the different forms of language, and the range of texts, which society values and finds useful Literacy can take many forms including mathematical expressions, websites, graphs, scientific symbols, signs, body language and cartoons (Paterson, 2007). Speaking and listening are intrinsically interlinked since there is no benefit to speaking if it is not being listened to, even if that means listening to oneself. Speaking can take place in a variety of ways within the classroom. These primarily include questioning, pair work, collaborative group work or whole class discussions. Each of these is suited to different tasks or situations and the success of the activity depends on the planning skills of the teacher (Capel et al, 2009). In terms of how the talking begins, planned talk or questioning is more likely to result in an informative discussion as more preparation will have taken place. Incidental talk at any time during a lesson can be equally as useful but can also more easily lead to idle chat (Capel et al, 2009). Listening is often considered as a skill which is very difficult to perfect (Lewis and Graham, 2003). Wragg and Brown (2001) state that there are four different types of listening; these are skim, survey, search and study. They believe the types of listening range from little awareness to trying to search for the underlying meaning of what is being said. The reasons for these four types of listening could be due to the amount of information which can be conveyed through speech and the challenge of the listener having to process this information (Capel et al, 2009, Wragg and Brown, 2001). In order for literacy to be taught effectively there needs to be some consistency across the curriculum (Paterson, 2007). Literacy should not just be the responsibility of the English department, as it applies to all learning and subjects cannot be taught effectively without speaking and listening. For example, to get a good grade in an exam or essay requires the student to have a good understanding of literacy (DfES, 2003). The Department for Education and Skills (2003), also states that for there to be effective literacy strategy across the school there needs to be a common framework which enables all subjects to work together to achieve the common goal. All subjects need to have the same standards to ensure consistency. The National Literacy Trust (2010) state that every school needs to have a literacy co-ordinator who should be responsible for providing training, recognising the needs of other subjects and developing teacher confidence and enthusiasm. It is important that teachers have the correct opinion with regard to the inclusion of literacy in all subjects ensuring that they regard reading or speaking aloud as ways for students to learn subject content rather than just generating additional workload (Paterson, 2007). Although perhaps taking longer to plan than other activities, speaking and listening tasks could actually save the teacher time as students can take responsibility for some independent learning and creative thinking, which can be followed up by group discussion or questioning. To ensure that the speaking and listening within the classroom is valuable and effective, it is important to make sure that a variety of questions are planned in advance and these questions are aimed at differing abilities to ensure that all students have access to the curriculum (Capel et al, 2009). Open questions should be used to get a better understanding of students knowledge as they require a more detailed and comprehensive answer. Throughout the lesson some pupils should be targeted as it is a good way to assess their level of understanding. Another area which should be considered is pupil response time as some students may take longer to respond not because they do not know the answer they could just be thinking about it (Corson, 1990, Capel et al, 2009). There are some advantages and disadvantages to having discussions within a classroom. Some advantages are that teachers can get a more detailed understanding of a students comprehension of a particular subject area or topic. Fassinger (1995) discusses how speaking and listening can invoke concentration, keep students involved and is a proven confidence builder. However, a disadvantage is that the teacher would be unaware of where the discussion would end up and it could go off track. Teachers also need to take care to avoid sensitive issues with open discussions (Capel et al, 2009). Part of the role of a teacher is to give students feedback on their work to help them to learn and develop further (Murphy, 1997). However, the assessment of a student based on speaking and listening alone can be difficult simply because it is arduous to evidence (Brooks, 2002). For example if the student was relatively quiet and did not say much the teacher may assume that they are not achieving their goals. Too much speaking within an assessment could mean that the conversation has become more general and the student could be talking a lot but not covering a topic in depth. In conclusion, having literacy skills allows people to connect to our society. Richards and Rodgers (2001) state that there are four methods to teaching; speaking and listening account for half of these methods. There are a variety of different ways in which speaking and listening can be used within the classroom to raise and measure achievement and understanding.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Burning Out in Tom Stoppards Arcadia :: Stoppard Arcadia Essays

Burning Out in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia Humanity has no intention of fading away, but rather has designed, by its nature, a flash before death, a burning out, if you will. Inherent in the human character is a desire to fight until the end, whether it be physically, or intellectually. In Arcadia, Septimus describes life as a processional march, telling Thomasina, "The procession is very long and life is very short. We die on the march" (Stoppard 38). But as we die, we don't simply allow ourselves to pass into the distance. We push our muscles to the limit, breathing harder and harder until we fall. The people of this earth do not follow the uncomplicated universal pattern of slowly giving up hot for cold. Despite human understanding of this pattern, and the ultimate fate of ending up cold even after the flash, our "noise," as Valentine calls it, love and sex and other various distractions, affects our life equation, and makes Thomasina's death in a fire all too appropriate. As Hannah and Valentine discuss the mysteries of Sidely Park, Valentine argues that everything in the universe progresses from heat to cold. He illustrates, "It's a one way street. Your tea will end up at room temperature...[it] is happening to everything everywhere. The sun and the stars...we're all going to end up at room temperature" (Stoppard 78). Hannah, appearing to support Valentine's statement, recites a section of Lord Byron's "Darkness": I had a dream that was not all a dream The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air... (Stoppard 79) Hannah, however, is refuting Valentine's statement, not supporting it, as is evidenced by the rest of Byron's poem, which goes on to say: ...all hearts Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light And they did live by watch fires... The habitations of all things which dwell Were burnt for beacons; cities were consumed, And men were gather'd round their blazing homes To look once more into each other's face... Forests were set on fire - but hour by hour They fell and faded - and the crackling trunks Extinguished with a crash - and all was black... (Byron 31) Â   "Darkness" implies that as the universe gets colder, humanity, in an effort to stay alive, burns the earth for warmth.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Daisy Miller: An Annotated Bibliography Essay -- Annotated Bibliograph

Baylard, Dana Reece. "Daisy Miller." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. This article analyzes the traditional social expectations implemented in an ancient European setting that conflicted with the more unorthodox ways of Americans who were traveling in Europe. Baylard depicts Daisy Miller’s behavior in the novella as innocent, yet ignorant to the customs of sophisticated Europe. Baylard describes Daisy Miller’s repeated misjudgment from Geneva’s society and reflects on the positive attributes to her personality that unfortunately are consumed by her conformity during her untimely death by the end of the novella. The author, Baylard, discusses how Daisy’s behavior is innocently rash and that her behavior is unintentionally trying to be lewd, but being in an unfamiliar setting to that of modern America has left her unaware of how to act properly. This is what leads to her misjudgment, which is clearly represented in Baylard’s descriptions of how various characters acted in the story. Such as Eugino, who would act shocke d and look at the Millers in a disapproving manner, or that of Mrs. Costello, who Baylard points out as an example of how women were supposed to act. Women of this specific time period, as Baylard says, were defined as delicately feeble as Mrs. Costello is similarly with her constant headaches, but Daisy’s untraditionally improper ways are a breath of fresh air to the typical norms. Brown, Melanie. "Freedom in Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. The writing discusses the theme of â€Å"Daisy Miller: A Study† being about freedom. Brown bring up the fact that Daisy and the Millers grew up in America where having a sense of in... ...ce and gives an effective analysis on her point of view. Works Cited Baylard, Dana Reece. "Daisy Miller." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. Brown, Melanie. "Freedom in Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. Bruccoli, Matthew J., and Judith S. Baugman. "Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. Coffin, Tristram P. "Daisy Miller, Western Hero." Western Folklore 17.4 (1958): 273-75. JSTOR. Web. 01 Mar. 2014. Dunbar, Viola R. â€Å"The Revision of Daisy Miller.† Modern Language Notes 65.5 (1950): 311-317. JSTOR. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. Morris, Toni J. "Daisy Miller." Cyclopedia Of Literary Places (2003): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. Werlock, Abby H. P. "Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Plato and Gettier on Knowledge Essay

Plato in one of his most famous earliest dialogue Meno tried to provide a new way of explaining how we humans ‘acquire’ knowledge. The common notion of the ancient Greeks and even to our times on how we acquire knowledge is the characteristic of knowledge to be taught and learned. Knowledge in a sense is an outside entity that resides outside ourselves. We learn outside of ourselves through our environment or other people that try to teach us. However, the events and flow of discussion in Meno had convinced Plato to provide a new framework that will be able to discuss how we acquire knowledge. Plato’s basic discussion says that knowledge acquisition is more in fact a matter of recollection rather than learning. We acquire knowledge and ideas from the inside of ourselves and not through the lessons outside ours. Plato rooted this from the belief of the priest and diviners and even philosophers to the immortality of the soul. The soul had existed since time immemorial making it able to know everything it needs to know. Whatever knowledge and ideas had already been embedded on the soul because of immortal existence. However, as the soul transfer from one body to another body because of the mortality of the human body, Plato argued that as the body withers and dies, all the knowledge are forgotten and put into background. From here, Plato would argue for the knowledge acquisition to be a matter of recollection and remembering of the knowledge and ideas already possessed by the soul. Plato believed that whatever we know is a recollected and remembered idea of the soul’s former existence. This concept was explained by Socrates to Meno with the help of Meno’s slave. Socrates called the slave and asked some questions regarding geometry and the measurement of some shapes. Socrates tried to ask some questions that direct the slave to answer them rightfully. It is important to note the slave is uneducated in the classical sense. However, through Socrates’ questions, he managed to enable to direct the slave towards right answers. This had help to prove to Meno that the soul already possessed the knowledge and opinions about everything. For Plato, this knowledge can be accessed by examining ourselves and with yourself or someone asking the right questions that will redirect you to the knowledge and ideas inside your soul. Knowledge is defined in its justification, truth and being a belief. After discussing the nature of knowledge and how we can acquire it, Socrates and Meno moved on to discuss to define opinion and its relevance on the affairs of man. The task is simple, to define opinion (true opinion) and to contrast it to knowledge. Primarily, Socrates acknowledged the role of a good opinion in the human affairs. He did not disregard it completely but rather understand its use in some cases. In fact, he acknowledges the inclination of virtuous men to rely on their true opinion to do good things. However, Socrates clearly undermines opinion; even they are good when it is contrasted to knowledge. For Plato, an opinion does not last long and easily withers in contrast to knowledge that has the capability to last eternally. The main difference lies on the presence of a rationality and grounds on knowledge and its absence of an n opinion. He used the example of a statue. He stated that the statue with that is tied in a good foundation will be able to last longer compare to a statue that is not tied. For Socrates, though an opinion can produce the same awe to an observer, it is a natural tendency for humans to ask the question of why and how. These questions cannot be answered by an opinion because of its absence of ground. In this sense, knowledge exceeds an opinion. This definition of knowledge that is characterized by Plato which is defined as a justified true belief had dominated from the ancient Greeks up to the mid-late 20th century. The general belief that knowledge for it to be referred as knowledge must be able to satisfy three basic characteristics, which is (1) justification (2) truth (3) belief was questioned by Edmund Gettier’s paper entitled â€Å"Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? †. This short paper that had managed to provide a doubt to the long tradition in epistemology that considers knowledge to be a justified true belief. Edmund Gettier provided to two cases or examples will put in to question the long era of this ancient belief. He presented a case in which the three conditions are present namely justification, truth, belief yet unable to be count as knowledge because of the play of other factors. In Gettier’s examples which were referred as Gettier’s cases, the three criteria were only made possible by some elements of luck and chance which clearly invalidate it to be knowledge. This put an ‘end’ to a long tradition of considering knowledge by the virtue of three elements of justification, truth and belief. Though the paper of Gettier did not provide an alternative view or solution to his problem, responses on his paper can be summarized to the attempts of many philosophers to look or find out for the fourth criteria that will make the definition of knowledge. Works Cited Plato. Grube G. M. A. (trans) Cooper, John (rev) Five dialogues. 2002. Hacket Publishing Company Inc. IN. Print Gettier. Edmund. Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? Web.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Software Engineering – Payroll System

Introduction Information System is processing of information received and transmitted to produce an efficient and effective process. One of the most typical information systems is the Transaction Processing System. Transaction Processing System collects, stores, modifies, and retrieves the transactions of a certain organization. The process of retrieving, modifying and transmitting data to be stored using information system is referred to as transaction. Transactions occur is known to be a part of records. All of these records were originally kept in paper. When a certain organization uses a certain transaction processing system, retrieving and transmitting of information will be available at anytime needed. The number and volume of transactions can be calculated for a given time period. Payroll System is complete Payroll  software  right from Employees Personal Information, Pay Structure, Loans, Reimbursement, Pay Slip Generation & Printing, Salary Register, P. F. , E. S. I. , Profession Tax, Income Tax, and L. I. C. Reports etc. Added to the above reports, standard formats for annual submissions of PF, E. S. I. , and P. T. are also generated automatically. This  software  can be used by Industrial units, Distribution Agencies, Departmental Stores, Consultants, Business Houses and Contractors Etc. The developers of the  package  follow a predefined pattern so that the user has the ease of use and can utilize the  package  to its fullest extent. Care has been taken so that the  software  is as much user friendly as possible and any suggestions on improvements in this regard are welcome. The use of this  package  is a must for  personnel  departments in various Industrial houses since it will help in reducing monotonous manual labour and produce accurate results for salary and related calculations. Payroll System with Time keeping and Fingerprint refers to the records – paper or electronic – and calculations that you make to work out your employees' pay and deductions under the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) system. It's essential to a business or company that you pay your employees the right amount and on time – and that you make the correct deductions. So keeping accurate payroll records is really important. Now a day, Manual System is replaced into more advance and modern technology, just like the Manual Payroll System where the accountant, computes or process employees salaries through calculator. The way of saving files and important documents are only filed in filing cabinets that may cause loss of files when large amount of data are being received. In addition, it is not secured. And in fact, most accountant, uses same software of Microsoft office especially MS Excel. And with the use of this proposed system, a new and more advance Payroll System may be produced which can provide data security, prevent loss of data and redundancy and easier to access, accurate and faster to use. ABSTRACT Project Objectives The Software engineering course that we took this semester placed emphasis on the paradigm of extreme Programming (XP) techniques. Extreme programming is a programming technique that bases its values on simplicity, communication, feedback and courage. It encourages team work and constant communication with the client. The objective of this project is to put into practice the teachings that we have learnt about XP. Approach When we were first given this project, we met to determine how we were to carry out the task assigned to us. We drew up a time-line, discussed about the programming language to use to carry out the task, how the GUI would look like and also to make sure that we understood what was assigned to us. We finally settled for Visual Basic (VB) as our programming language. We got more information on what we were to do and set about completing our task, making use of the new ideas taught in class, and especially spikes. Achievement Our task was to develop a payroll system that would keep a record of employee data including their pension plan, union membership status, and taxes and also to be able to calculate the pay of the employees taking into consideration employee data. We have been able to achieve these task. The software we developed calculates the employee net pay from the deductions. The pay slip can be printed out as a receipt. Most of the bugs that we found and those that the clients and beta users found have been corrected. Any new bugs found will also be corrected and the software will be updated and released. Because we used object-oriented principles, modifying the software to fix bugs or add a new feature has been relatively easy. The Company name We believe that consistent quality results can be achieved only if the organization is â€Å"process† driven. Therefore, we have designed a standard process which needs to be followed by our development group for each project/product. A process audit is carried out by the quality department, and any deviations from the standard process are reported. We keep enhancing our process depending upon the suggestions of our defect prevention board, and the Following is the snapshot of our standard software development process: Related Document| COMPANY NAME Software Development Life Cycle| Requirement Specifications| Step 1: Requirement Analysis:   This is perhaps the most important step in the entire cycle. If the requirements are understood well and documented clearly, then the implementation becomes much smoother and less amount of re-work is required in the software. Functional Specifications| Step 2: Functional Documentation: After the requirements are known, we make â€Å"Functional Specifications† which mainly consists of specifications of the user interface and the reports. These are given to the client, to give him the knowledge of how the system would function to meet his requirements. The comments of the client are addressed and then this document forms the basis of Software Design. | Design Specifications| Step 3: S oftware Design: Once the functionality is frozen, the software is then designed to implement the same. A design specifications document is created which describes the overall software architecture and the components included in the same. The Design Specification also divides the system into smaller components (modules) which we can be treated as individual units. | Program Specifications| Step 4: Module Specifications: After the Design is finalized, program specifications are prepared for each independent unit identified in the Design. The development of modules is carried out on basis of these program specifications. |   | Step 5: Unit Development: Each module is developed on the basis of program specifications. The software developed is reviewed by peer as well as by SQA. | Unit Test Plan| Step 6: Unit Testing Each unit developed is then tested independently. Stubs are used wherever there is integration required with other units. The unit is first tested by the developer, and then an Independent unit testing is carried out to flush out unit level errors. |   | Step 7: System Integration Once all the units are developed, the system is then integrated together by the integration team. | System Test Plan| Step 8: Integration Testing This is the last step before the software is released to the user. The integrated system is tested on basis of system integration test plan to see whether it meets all the requirements of the system. The integration testing is first carried out by development group and then carried out by the SQA. The system is released only when it gets satisfactory quality rating by the SQA. | UAT plan| Step 9: User Acceptance Test Once the software is released, a user acceptance test is carried out in the production environment. The system is put into production when the user is satisfied with the results of user acceptance test. | Payroll System  Our Payroll System is specific to Philippine setting. It has a fully integrated attendance leave credit monitoring, benefits & compensation management. It has an open-ended employee number capacity. It is ready for integration with any timekeeping device(s) or software. Its robust database capability can process large records with ease. TimeKeeping and Fingerprint System  Ã‚  The Timekeeping System works as the Bundy-clock component of the payroll system. The list of employees is imported from the payroll software. There is no need for an employee list encoding! The package includes a biometric Finger Print Recognition Device. The initial list of mployees is imported from the payroll software. It is just a simple â€Å"click† on the interface button. * Simple Interface with Photo Display upon Finger Print Recognition. * Intelligent Finger Print In & Out Recognition, right on the spot for real-time verification of employees. * Fully Supported and Seamless Inter – connectivity with the PayrollPro. * Customized reports and fine-tuning is guaranteed for specific attendance-related company-policies. Statement of the Problem   In any company, it is very important to monitor the employee’s attendance or time for accurate payroll and discipline. Some companies and schools are using manual punch card to record the employee’s attendance while others are still using logbook. Traditionally, such information would be gathered on a site by site basis and transmitted by either manual or electronic means, to a central point where payroll would then be processed and other reports prepared. Oftentimes, the information was outdated by the time it arrived, delaying payroll preparation and requiring numerous employees to complete just that one task. Based on observation, Universidad de Manila is currently using the punch card machine and log book for time and attendance data tracking. But these systems are inaccurate and are less secured. These also have the following time keeping problems: 1. Lost card/ logbook – Misplacement by the time keeper. – Pages of logbook are crumpled and torn apart. 2. Buddy punching -Proxy attendance for others 3. Manual encoding of attendance to payroll programs and other frauds. | General Problem: i. How to develop an upgrade payroll system that can help the employee’s to lessen their effort and consuming of time when they using it? Specific Problem: i. What are the Benefits of Payroll System? An automated payroll system helps the company to manage its payroll processes more effectively. As an organization expands, the operations can be more challenging. The company hires new employees, promotes current ones to new positions, and terminates others. It's hard for a payroll employee or department to keep track of all these changes by hand. An automated payroll system solves these problems because it captures and stores new hire information and processes payroll quickly and accurately especially we will upgrade their current system to a new one which is much easier to access data. ii. How the Fingerprints help the employees to lessen the time they consume before? Well Fingerprints help solve mysteries and crimes and such is because a fingerprint is unique because you’re the only one who has that pattern such as cuts, curves, and swirls. But now we will use Fingerprint as Time in and Time out to lessen the waste of time of an employee. They just need to touch the biometric and that is so easy than the previous system they use. Current State of Technology In a company, payroll is the sum of all financial records of salaries for an employee, wages, bonuses and deductions. In accounting, payroll refers to the amount paid to employees for working for a period of time. Payroll is crucial because payroll and payroll taxes considerably affect the net income of most companies and they are subject to laws and regulations. The primary mission of the payroll department is to ensure that all employees are paid accurately and timely with the correct allowances and deductions, and to ensure the allowances and deductions are paid in a timely manner. This includes salary payments, tax withholdings, and deductions. Pens and big notebook are usually used in logbook system. Employees will simply write down their names, time they log-in and signatures as their attendance. When the time of work is done or employees had to leave from their work because of an emergency, they will just write the time-out for completing their attendance for the day. While in punch card machine, the employees simply insert the time card or punch card into a slot on the Bundy clock. When the time card hit a contact at the rear of the slot of the clock, the machine could print day and time information on the card. Using this, employees can easily do the proxy attendance for others. Especially when you will need to calculate manually the taxes, insurance and any other applicable deductions and allowances in addition to each employee's actual earnings. The advantage of using their manual system is that it is very inexpensive, with virtually no start-up costs and the disadvantage of it is that whatever you save on start-up costs will probably be eaten up by the amount of time it takes to process payroll. In addition, it's very easy to make mistakes when processing payroll manually, and the penalty for mistakes, especially mistakes in taxing, can be very costly. Project Rational The study focuses on the Automated Payroll System that will help the company to have an accurate system that will lessen the waste of time when they use this system. This study will be the one source to improve the Technical knowledge in system in software engineering. This study will be a great foot step to practicing their ability in making an automated system and to their knowledge in programming. The computerized payroll software systems save time and money, they're very easy to use and they're also very practical. Especially for the employee, Computerized payroll systems are much faster and easier compared to the manual processing also quick and accurate it will be easy for Time In and Time Out and also it lessen the work load of the Accountant specifically when preparing the summary of their report and the computation of monthly deduction and net salary. General Objective Specific Objective: An objective of our proposed system is to develop a system that will eliminate the problem of insufficient and incomplete information. This proposed system will contain a different flow in calculating the salary, eduction and etc. that will eliminate the error. and also we provide a fingerprint to make a sufficient process when making a Login and Logout. To develop a payroll system that has a fingerprint technology we provide a fingerprint to make a sufficient process when making a Time in and Time out and it will be much faster and less of time for the employee and to the accountant. She don’t nee d to encode it in a spreadsheet because, it’s connected to the payroll so it become easy for the accountant. Computerized Payroll System File Maintenance The system provides the following: Employee File The employee file program is used to add, change view or delete employees’ data. Position Deduction File This program is used to maintain employee deduction records. Note: only employees who have adjustments, misc. earnings, or misc. deductions should have a deduction record. Deduction records that do not have a corresponding employee record will be automatically purged by the calculate payroll pre-processing program. Scope and Limitation After several interviews and observations, the researchers have come to identify how the payroll works. The aim of the research is to provide a specific COMPANY, a computerized payroll system. The proposed system will guide the employer through all the stages of the process. SCOPE The  System  is designed for the enhancement or development of Computerized Payroll System for COMPANY. It includes the features that can Add Employees record, Edit Employees information, Delete Employees record, print / Save the Pay Slip of each employee and Updating Employees information as well as the Weekly Salary, Cash advance, the rate per day, overtime, Gross payment, Net pay, and Deduction such as withholding tax and SSS, adding up with a log-in log-out process for security purpose. Moreover, with help file can be used by the users to know how to use the payroll software. Special Features Time Card Entry (Daily Entry or Summary Entry per Payroll Period) Automated computation of withholding tax * (weekly/ semi / monthly/ year-end) * Automatic computation of SSS/ PhilHealth and PagIbig Premiums * Infinite slots for user definable other income and deductions * Loan handling module for SSS, PagIbig and your very own company vales which effectively keeps track of each balances * Printing of Pay Slips and Payroll Register Report generation for SSS, PhilHealth, PagIbig ; withholding tax (monthly ; quarterly reports) * Automatic year-end recap of withholding LIMITATIONS On the other hand, this study limits only to the proposed enhancement Computerized Payroll System of the COMPANY. A proposed system which can only be access by authorized person. It does not support network topology implementation, online program or online transaction.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Deviant Behaviour Essay

Deviant behaviour is any behaviour that does not conform to generally accepted social or cultural norms and expectations. Murder is a classic exemplar of extreme deviant behaviour as, according to the cultural norms of our society, killing another human being is unacceptable. There are many different theories on what provokes someone to commit a deviant act, including physiological explanations and psychological explanations. Deviance, in everyday language, is the act of being different from the popular belief, usually in a bad way. That being said, in order to understand and define a person’s behaviour we must first study the ultural norms of the society surrounding him. Norms vary across cultures and, in some situations, what is considered as deviant behaviour in a particular society and time may be seen as acceptable in another. For example, there was a time when it was a social norm for the ladies of the Western world to wear gloves in public but such an act would nowadays be considered as bizarre, unless the weather was cold. The determination of deviant behaviour depends on the general population or an individual. A common question is what triggers people to perform deviant behaviour. From the perspective of physiology, brain variations lead to expressions of deviance. They claim that genetically inherited characteristics such as chromosome abnormalities, chemical imbalances, vitamin deficiencies and hormonal differences make certain people naturally more prone to criminality. However, many sociologists tend to respond negatively to such theories. While there is some evidence to suggest that inheritance and the biochemistry of the brain may be factors in abnormal behaviours, biological factors on their own cannot interpret crime. On the other hand, psychologists are interested in the thought rocesses behind deviant behaviour. Some propose that early childhood socialization plays an important role in the personality the child will later develop. Others support Sigmund Freud’s (1856 – 1939) notion that crime can be an outcome of an imbalanced personality, caused by a failure to resolve the Oedipus or Electra complex. Each is resolved by the boy or the girl suppressing their sexual desires for their mother or father respectively. As with physiological theories, many sociologists have the tendency to criticize psychological theories as being unscientific, because he parts of the brain described by Fraud cannot be directly accessible to the researcher. In conclusion, sociologists have developed different theories as to why certain people develop such behaviours. Some cause this abnormality to genetic reasons and some to mental sickness. While there is little agreement amongst sociologists about what provokes deviant acts, one thing is certain; deviance is a relative concept and depends on the judger. There is no absolute way of defining a deviant act, as deviance is culturally determined and cultures change over time and diversify from society to society.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Why Foreign Aid Is Hurting Africa

Benefield, Alicia February 14, 2013 INR3932-03 Paper 1 Why Foreign Aid is Hurting Africa In this article Dambisa Moyo, is arguing that money, in the form of aid given to African nations has not only trapped many of these nations in debt, but has started a cycle of corruption as well as slowed down economic growth and poverty. To solve this isuue Moyo suggests cutting off the flow of aid to these African nations. Many developed countries will gladly give aid to Africa, these countries do not give small donations they donate by the millions.This continued donation of aid has only been putting Africa further in debt. What many do not realize is that aid is not given to Africa freely, the African nations receiving aid must pay this money back plus interest. Moyo provided an example of this stating that â€Å"African countries still pay close to $20 billion in debt repayments per annum, a stark reminder that aid is not free. In order to keep the system going, debt is repaid at the expens e of African education and healthcare† (Moyo, 2009). This is what is slowing down economic growth and keeping those countries in poverty.A country can not achieve econmic growth if its workforce is not educated, an uneducated workforce means the people in the country have little to no skills. Certain skills are required to get better jobs, if the people are not being adequately educated they will be forced to remain in a state of poverty. Healthcare is alo important, and the countries keep cutting the healthcare budget. If your workforce is not healthy enough to go out and work to spark the economy you can never expect to achieve economic growth. Education and healthcare budget cuts are not the only problems Moyo discussed that are keeping African nations from developing.Other issues include corruption in the government and developed nations supplying resources for free keeping African producers out of the market. According to the African Union, an organization of African nati ons â€Å"In 2002, it was estimated that corruption was costing the continent $150 billion a year, as international donors were apparently turning a blind eye to the simple fact that aid money was inadvertently fueling graft† (Moyo, 2009). This is because the donations are being given with â€Å"no strings attached† so the funds are being used for everything except what they were meant for, development.Political elites are using these funds to finace their own expidentures as well as financing their families and home life. The other problem is countries like the U. S. Implementing programs like the U. S. Food for Peace program, which buys American food and ships it overseas to African nations. This program is not helpful, it is a hinderance to Africas economic growth. By supplying American food for free, the U. S. is putting African farmers out of business. Moyo suggests that instead of purchasing American food, they U. S. ould purchase food from the African farmers to distribute to the African nations. Done this way the African farmers are benefitting from the program and are able to compete in the market. The opinions presented in this article relate to many of the concepts we have touched on in this course; views on poverty, the development, as well as the international aid system. The article opens up stating â€Å"A month ago I visited Kiberam the larget slum in Africa† (Moyo, 2009). When we hear the word slum, we perceive a negative connotation and relate this term with a place in poverty.We can see the inequalities between developed and undeveloped nations, according to the article â€Å"a mere 2% of the country's population has access to mobile phones compared to a wireless survey that found 91% of Americans have access to cellphones (Moyo, 2009) (Forseman, 2010). This is a huge inequality African citizens are not even close to being equal to the technology avaliable to American citizens. Another concept this article discussed is development, Africa has been trying to become a developed nation for years and after receiveing billions in aid this country has yet to become a developed nation.The contry remaing in poverty is mainly because if the international aid system. This system continues to allow African nations to receive donations without the country even showing any signs of growth or development. This continuous acceptance of aid is keeping African nations in poverty. ‘ I agree with the author of this article in all of the arguments he gave on why foreign aid is hurting Africa. Developed countries are continously give large donations to the country year after year and there is no progress being made. However, I do not fault Africa for this lack of progress, they are only doing what any nation in their situation would do.They are continuously being given money and not required to put the money towards efforts to achieve economic growth, they know that the aid is not going to stop being donated so it is in their best interest to remain in a state of poverty and continue receiving aid. The countries donating to Africa are not providing the country with opportunitites to become a pro-market governnment because they are donating goods for free and taking African producers out of business. The politicians in Africa are not being closely watched and are not looking out for the social welfare of the country, but are looking out for themselves.Africa needs a more accountable government that is concerned about the people and the future of the country as well as their economy. Once these nations stop receiving aid, get better leaders, and African producers are able to tap into the market the country will be on the way to achieveing economic growth. Works Cited Foresman, C. (2010)Wireless survey: 91% of Americans use cell phones. [online] Available at: http://arstechnica. com/tech-policy/2010/03/wireless-survey-91-of-americans-have-cell-phones/ [Accessed: 15 Feb 2013]. Moyo, D. (2009) Why Foreign Aid is Hurting Africa . The Wall Street Journal, p. W1.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Strauss Car Rental Company. Reward management strategy Essay

The Strauss Car Rental Company. Reward management strategy - Essay Example In addition, it does not appear that a viable reward management system can be established by the human resources department, which is supposed to be in charge of matters concerning the treatment of workers, before changes are made in terms of communication between the senior management and ordinary workers. Kevin Pietersen, who has been in charge of the human resources department at Strauss, has not been emphatic in insisting that the company’s Board begin to consider the human resources company as a serious contributor to the goals of the company. From the information provided, human resources officials are not even invited to any meetings held by the board in which members consider serious issues and decide on regulations that will be followed in the organisation. For instance, the Strauss Car Rental’s Board is seriously considering redundancy programs and yet has not even elected to let the human resource department, which will be tasked with carrying out the practical aspects of this suggestion, know about the suggestion. Additionally, none of the workers have been informed about this, yet their lives will be irrevocably changed once this program is implemented. Kevin Pietersen, who runs the human resources department, also confirmed that the Board has decided on implementing plans without consulting the workforce, or the human resources department.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Speedy Hire Plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Speedy Hire Plc - Essay Example y has increased the requirements for the housing sector in the country and the reduced cyclicality has allowed companies to anticipate the market trends more effectively. Companies including Speedy Hire Plc within this sector is continuously relying on the information technology therefore there will be increased dependence on technology in the future also. Legal environment in the country is favorable. Environmental concerns for companies are increasingly becoming a burning issue for the hire industry and it is believed that companies successfully addressing environmental issues will competitive advantage in the future. Starting with a very humble beginning, Speedy Hire Plc is now considered as top company in UK for hire market and is listed on Stock Exchange. Speedy Hire Plc is a business to business company and operates through two divisions of Tool Hire and Equipment Hire. The Tool hire division operates through five regional companies with 235 depots whereas Equipment Hire division also operates through the five businesses with 126 depots. Over the period of time, company has made an organic growth and now considered as one of the major players in the market. The competitive landscape in the market is changing. The market historically remain divided into two product lines however this traditional demarcation is changing and market seems to be consolidating. The increasing environmental concerns and increased use of information technology are the two factors which are further pushing the competition to the limits. This further aggravates the fact that there are very low barriers to entry into the market therefore there remains a great threat of new entrants into the market also. Besides small players mushroomed at local level can be considered as bigger threat also. As discussed above that the barriers to entry are low in the market therefore there is a strong possibility of new entrants making into the market however considering the cost of doing business,

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Coca-Cola Ethical Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Coca-Cola Ethical Issue - Essay Example Coca-Cola has been engaging in philanthropy in the societies where it operates but it has been found guilty of racial discrimination; they discharge their economic and legal responsibilities as well but they have not been able to remain ethical in their stand on several issues. The top managers and the directors are the ethics teachers of an organization. They serve as a role model because their behavior and actions reveal, test and shape the character of the organization. Coca-Cola claims to lead by example (Company website) but reports suggest otherwise. Clement (2006) believes that top management commitment is essential to develop an ethical organizational culture. Ethical decision making has to be integrated into a firm’s culture. The antitrust dispute and the channel stuffing could happen because of lack of top management commitment to the organization. The top management commitment is not surprising given the high turnover of top management. While the firm does have ethi cs programs and codes of conduct but the success of such efforts is limited unless the support of top management is forthcoming. Because of frequent changes in top management, the company was ill-equipped to handle issues internally. The filing of a whistle-blowing suit by a mid-level employee demonstrates that their procedure for handling internal complaints was inadequate. Whistle-blowing occurs when management and employee relationship lacks professionalism (Kaplan & Kleiner, 2000). Whistleblowing becomes essential for companies such as Coca-Cola where the top management is unaware of events taking place at the lower level. Small issues can be handled as a part of the daily routine but remain neglected. Employees bring it to the notice of the seniors only when the situation becomes difficult. When Whitley disclosed accounting irregularities he sent a detailed report to the President of the company but instead of dealing with it internally and professionally, he was fired (Ford, Stephens & Cooper, 2007).

Social and Psychological Theories in the depiction of the Wannsee Essay

Social and Psychological Theories in the depiction of the Wannsee meeting in the film Conspiracy - Essay Example "Conspiracy" is a real eye-opener as it opens a whole new load of questions for the viewer. We already know that the Holocaust already happened, but what is really mind-boggling is how is became possible in the first place. How killing 11 million lives could just be a matter of logistics: how much would it cost How to dispose of the bodies And here, we see the machinations of the hands that turn the wheels, so to speak. Now we could try to form an understanding, an attempt to grasp the psychological ruminations of those involved, by explaining their actions through some knows social and psychological principles. For example, what makes it possible for individuals to carry out evil or genocide Whenever a group, with the majority in unison, is involved in a decision-making process, they "tend to stifle dissent because group harmony is the anticipated outcome" (Heffner). In the movie, the men were unanimous in declaring their hatred for Jews. The meeting is also dominated by Reinhard Heydrich, a charismatic man who knows how to manipulate his colleagues, and to stifle any arising objection. Wilhelm Kritzinger, who expressed doubts on the matter of extermination based on moral grounds was merely deprecated. The few men who tried to argue against extreme policies eventually give way to the more dominant consensus. "When we all agree, and are happy with that agreement, we typically do not want to hear opposing arguments" (Heffner). This phenomenon is called "group think" and many aspects of the conference, including the characters' behaviors display this. Here, the individual's mind takes a back seat and the "group mind" takes over. Meanwhile, the principle of Group Polarization happens when a group tends to takes an "extreme position". Fuelling each others' beliefs, they become so hyped-up by and convinced of their positions, that they end up hastily agreeing to an idea without considering other aspects of the debate (Heffner). An example of this happened when the talk of "relocation" to Madagascar turns to "extermination" or the "final solution" while the officials express their hate of and regard for sub-humanity of Jews. Aside from the Holocaust, some examples of "group think" taken to the extremes due to Group Polarization include "lynch mobs, actions of the Ku Klux Klan, discrimination among hate groups, and mass riots" (Heffner). Also, the Nazi officials do not look particularly menacing or murderous, but as a whole, they have managed to put a stamp to the death certificate of an entire race. Fundamentally, the decision theory, "a body of knowledge and related analytical techniques of different degrees o f formality designed to help a decision maker choose among a set of alternatives in light of their possible consequences" ("Decision Theory") which governs groups including that of the Wannsee meeting, is that of "group think" and Group Polarization. It could also be noted that the officers never used the words "killing" or "murder", merely "evacuation" in labor camps with harsh conditions designed for slow and eventual death, those who will survive will be "treated accordingly". This kind of masquerading serves to desensitize them of the reality of what they are actually doing.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Language Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Language Acquisition - Essay Example Several theories have been put forward that try and explain this process (Pinker, language acquisition). Some theorists believe that the acquisition of language is a natural and intrinsic part of the child growth process and down play the importance of parental feedback while others believe that it is the result of their surrounding environment and how they interact with others, thereby according significance to adult- child interaction. This paper seeks to analyze the different theories that have been put forward to explain language acquisition evaluating how they all explore the importance of parental feedback in the development of linguistic skills. Nativist theorists believe that a child is born with an intrinsic ability to learn a language which makes it relatively easy for them to learn a new language as opposed to adults who wish to learn a second language. In this sense, language is viewed as part of the human genetic make up; a natural trait similar to birds learning how to fly and fish learning how to swim (Macwinney, 1998). As Macwinney (1998) points out, several researchers believe that since the acquisition of language seems to be unique only to humans and it must be... Theories have been put forward to support this infant innate grammar module. Children seem to exhibit an uncanny ability to respect syntax in their early speech. This lends credence to the belief that the ability to learn language is genetically wired in the brain. However, the nativist theories have been criticized for failing to properly and accurately account for their claims on acquisition of the language, causing researchers to look for other explanations to the inherent human capacity to learn language (Macwinney, 1998). Parental feedback in the Nativism theory Parental feedback is not perceived to be of any significance to a child's acquisition of language. Nativism theorists point out that children do most of the language acquisition by themselves, as illustrated when a family migrates to a foreign country. The parents seem to struggle with the new language and may not master it completely but children will always adapt faster and speak the language more richly and fluently than their parents. This by itself negates any role of parental feedback in the acquisition of language as the children are able to adapt better than the parents. Emergentism This is a branch of nativist theory approach but differs from nativism in that it views the acquisition of language as an outcome not just of the intrinsic biology of human cognition, but also as a result of social patterns of interaction and input. Emergentism views children as learning language through means of a self organizing map with auditory, concept and articulatory as the pillars. A child learns language almost independently by associating different elements to these pillars (Macwinney, 1998). Macwinney (1998) points out that there are neural networks in the brain that will influence the