Wi-Fi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wi-Fi - Research Paper Example It is the name given to a type of network connection that does no need any cords or physical connections to connect. Technically, it represents a type of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) that adheres to the 802.11network standard of the IEEE. The term Wi-Fi is often mistakenly thought of as an acronym for Wireless Fidelity. What is its History? The AT&T Company’s wireless uses spread spectrum radio technology and multi carrier OFDM radio technology. This spread spectrum technology used in Wi-Fi was first introduced in the year 1985 by the US Federal communications Commission. Vic Hayes chaired IEEE for ten consecutive years. He was involved in designing standards 802.11a and 802.11b upon which Wi-Fi works. He is thus named as the â€Å"father of Wi-Fi†. The actual predecessor to Wi – Fi was invented in 1990 by the NCR Corporation/AT&T in the Netherlands. WaveLan was the name given to the first wireless products that were bought into the market. They incorporate d the speeds of 1Mbit/s to 2Mbit/s. Finally, the CSIRO, an Australian research body filed the original patents behind the Wi-Fi technology in the year 1986. How it works? Wi-Fi uses radio waves to transmit the information across a Wireless Local Area Network. It transmits information to and from the internet. Any data transfer from a website is done when the website sends information to the modem. This information is then passed on to a wireless router. This device routes data (converts information to radio waves and beams it) to your computer. This information is then interpreted by the computer with the help of wireless networking specific hardware/software. Exactly the same process occurs but only in the opposite direction when the computer wants to send information over the internet. Very often, a wireless connection operates faster than a wired broadband internet connection. Who invented? An Australian research body CSIRO was the first formal inventors of Wi-Fi in the year 1996 . How safe is it? Majority of the scientists who have assessed the safety of Wi-Fi networks advocate the fact that there is no particular evidence to the Wi – Fi connections being hazardous to health. The technology however is not very old. Thus any health hazards that may be slow would only be evident after a certain number of years. Till then it cannot certainly be judged whether a Wi Fi is safe or not. The radio waves that are used by a wireless device or network are relatively low in frequency. The 2.4GHz of radio waves used in the case of Wi-Fi are the non-ionizing type of radiation. This radiation, also used in microwaves and mobile phone communications etc., is not known to have destructive effects on human cells. There is however, one school of thought among scientists that advocates that such a frequency of radiation is harmful to chromosomes. Also, this school of thought thinks that the radiation does not merely heat up the human atoms but does much more than that. There however is no scientific evidence to prove the above facts. Another school of thought emphasizes that exposure to microwaves and cell phones using low level radiation may scientifically be harmless as yet but the exposures to these waves in the above mentioned devices are relatively for a very short period of time as compared to the exposure to a Wi-Fi router that may be located in your office or home. The spectrum that these low radiation emitting devices cover is very large and is constant. The Wi-Fi routers in the vicinity of a human being are turned on twenty four hours a day and seven days a week throughout the year. Though no scientific evidence may yet be present but Wi-Fi devices are suspected to me more of a risk than any other devices using the same low level frequency of radio waves. The WHO (World

Strategy Innovation Essay Example for Free

Strategy Innovation Essay â€Å"Strategy innovation is the capacity to re-conceive the existing industry model in ways that create new value for customers, wrong-foot competitors, and produce new wealth for all stakeholders. † (Hamel, 1998) This quote is used by Schoenberg to highlight the importance he places on strategy innovation, and the main two drivers of strategic innovation he cites: industry factors and firm factors. However, although there is wide ranging agreement with this view, there are also several dissenting voices amongst the academic community, who often view other factors, and drivers, as being more important to the success of a firm. One key area where factors outside the firm and industry have a great impact is in the social and environmental pressures facing business, which many companies have become increasingly aware of over the past decade. Many management scholars and consultants have argued that these new demands offer terrific opportunities for progressive organizations, and innovation is one of the primary means by which companies can achieve sustainable growth. (Johnson et al, 2005) This argument is backed up by the view that companies that ignore these pressures do so at their own peril, but the reality is that managers have had considerable difficulty dealing with sustainable development pressures. In particular, their innovation strategies are often inadequate to accommodate the highly complex and uncertain nature of these new demands across the economy and social spectrum as a whole, partly due to an excessive focus on the firm or industry (Hall and Vredenburg, 2003) Indeed, a strategy that integrates the goals of innovation and sustainable development is needed to ensure sustainable competitive advantage, rather than conventional, market-driven innovations approaches. Sustainable development innovation (SDI) (Hall and Vredenburg, 2003) is in fact driven by science that has yet to be accepted fully by the scientific, political and managerial communities, and the industry sector Amid such uncertainty, sustainable development innovation is often difficult and risky, however when faced with increasing pressure to consider sustainable development, many organizations have revised their business models and innovation strategies, and these changes are often highlighted in corporate sustainability reports and Web pages. Hall and Vredenburg, 2003) Hart el al (2003) looked at the most fundamental part of the strategy innovation process: new product development (NPD). They looked at criteria such product uniqueness, market potential, market chance, technical feasibility, and intuition, and found that these decreased as the NPD process unfolded. Overall they found that the success rate of NPD usage could be modelled by a model which held true across firms of different sizes, holding different market share positions, with different NPD drivers, following different innovation strategies, and developing different types of new products. Hart et al, 2003) This is yet another indication that there must be other factors at work besides the basic industry and firm drivers. Another viewpoint on the subject of innovation is that the very essence of a company is its values and priorities: what it considers important, and where its investments are made? Thus, a host of values and priorities, and combinations thereof, underlie business strategies. (Grant, 2005) Some firms have a cost-driven culture that supports a value position in the market place, whilst othe rs place priority on delivering a prestige customer experience. Aaker (2004) claims that innovation, quality, and customer concern are the three values and priorities worth highlighting because they are so frequently seen as drivers of corporate brands, however, the question must always be: has the firm provided customer benefits by being innovative? A reputation for innovation enhances credibility, however, it is not easy achieving an innovative reputation, and firms are often better advised to focus on providing quality and value. Aaker, 2004) Schoenberg’s arguments are also heavily based on the concepts of strategic positioning (Porter, 1980) and the resource based view (Barney, 1996), although he does not make overt references to these theories. However, the influence of previous strategy writers is clear throughout his piece: â€Å"value gap analysis is equally relevant to the Who question of strategy and to market positionings based on differentiation. (Schoenberg, 2003) helps to place his work in context with that of Porter’s (1980) Also, â€Å"The implication for those that seek innovative strategies is: does the proposed form of strategy innovation fit with your core competences? † shows that he is developing Barney’s resource based core competencies, within the context of innovation strategies, in order to ensure that his concepts remain relevant to organisations. Indeed, Schoenberg clearly states in his conclusion that he believes strategy innovation does not â€Å"represent a radical departure from onventional approaches to strategy formulation† (Schoenberg, 2003) and that it is merely a method for combining the two main strategy theories, which have often previously been viewed as being contradictory. Indeed, Johnston Jr. and Bate (2003) outline five phases to help firms innovate: staging, aligning, exploring, creating, mapping, however they warn that it is important to make sure that managers build into their organizations the capability to continuously innovate so that they become more resilient, and better prepared for future changes. Finally, to be truly considered strategy innovations, new products and initiatives that alter a firms business model must first turn a consistent profit, a fundamental necessity of both Porter’s (1980) and Barney’s (1996) models. Strategy innovation has always been about solving problems for customers in ways that they, not the sponsoring company, perceive to be superior or unique from their present way of addressing those problems. Strategy innovation can be incremental, involving minor changes to the firms business model, resources and capabilities. Or it can be a radical departure, as when a firm decides to make a positioning shift, and market its existing products and services to new customer groups. (Johnson et al, 2005) In conclusion, strategy innovations can occur in any part of an organisation: customer service, marketing, advertising, selling, production or distribution. However, whatever their source, successful strategy innovations have one thing in common: They result from discovering new ways to create value for customers, as measured by bottom-line results to the sponsoring company. Tucker, 2001) New innovations present themselves when companies and their leaders imagine opportunities to do more with their products and services than they have in the past, whether through acquiring or reallocating resources, or altering competitive positioning. Strategy innovation may be spurred by a desire to grow, but this desire should never be allowed to overshadow what the proposed new way of doing business will do for the customers, either existing or future, and the firm as a whole.

Lion King vs Hamlet Essay -- essays papers

Lion King vs Hamlet The movie, The Lion King, and the book, Hamlet, both have a similar story line. In both stories, the king is killed and revenge is sought by the king’s son. The murderers in the stories are the king’s brothers who want the power of the throne. After the death of the Kings, both of the villains successfully took over the kingdoms. While these villains ruled, the kingdoms slowly deteriorated. Neither of the sons liked the villains, but they did not know at first that they had anything to do with their father’s death. It took an outside force to convince them that they must vow revenge for their father’s death. Both sons had the wit to approach revenge strategically. They wanted the villains to know that they knew about how their fathers were murdered. The leading roles in each of the stories had a corresponding role in the other. The corresponding characters shared a number of similarities, but it was the ways in which they were different that determined their fate and that of the kingdom. In Hamlet, the prince is Hamlet. He is in deep grieving of his father’s death. He is angry because he believes that everyone has already forgotten how great of a king his father was. Hamlet does not know for sure who is responsible for his father’s death, but he suspects Claudius who is his uncle and the new king. Hamlet decides that if he can convince everyone that he is insane, then maybe he will be able to get someone to tell him more about his father’s murder. In The Lion King, Simba is the prince. Simba’s father, Mufasa, is killed after he falls from a cliff into a herd of hyenas. Simba falls into a deep depression after his uncle Scar twists things around and convinces Simba that he is the one responsible for th e Mufasa’s death. Simba can not deal with what has happened and he runs away from the kingdom. In Hamlet, The new king Claudius is able to gain respect from the kingdom. He even steals the love of Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. The old king’s councilor, Polonius, becomes Claudius’s councilor and his best friend. He helps Claudius keep an eye on Hamlet and tries to keep him from finding out anything about his father’s death. Polonius believes that if he helps Claudius that he can make life better for himself and for his daughter and son. But in the end, his actions get him slayed, drive his daughter to insanity, and eventually set... ...f her son. She starts to feel the poison and she warns Hamlet of it before she dies. It is too late though, the poisonous sword had cut Hamlet. In anger, Hamlet steals the poisoned sword and runs it into Laertes. He then charges Claudius and runs it into him. He also takes the wine and forces Claudius to drink from it. Both Claudius and Laertes die before Hamlet. Hamlet regains his throne for a few seconds, until the poison sets in and takes his life. The Lion King has a happy ending. Simba returns to his kingdom and he finds Scar. He tells Scar that he knows about his father’s death. Scar lies to Simba by telling him that the Hyenas were the ones who killed Mufasa. This upsets the Hyenas. They leave Scar to fight Simba by himself. Simba wins the fight and throws Scar off a cliff, into the herd of the Hyenas. The hyenas show no remorse for Scar and they trample over him, killing him. Once Simba takes back the throne, the whole kingdom becomes beautiful again and everyone i s happy. The two stories had similar plots and characters. But in the end, the small differences in how the characters acted separated the tragedy of Hamlet from the happy ending of Disney’s The Lion King. Lion King vs Hamlet Essay -- essays papers Lion King vs Hamlet The movie, The Lion King, and the book, Hamlet, both have a similar story line. In both stories, the king is killed and revenge is sought by the king’s son. The murderers in the stories are the king’s brothers who want the power of the throne. After the death of the Kings, both of the villains successfully took over the kingdoms. While these villains ruled, the kingdoms slowly deteriorated. Neither of the sons liked the villains, but they did not know at first that they had anything to do with their father’s death. It took an outside force to convince them that they must vow revenge for their father’s death. Both sons had the wit to approach revenge strategically. They wanted the villains to know that they knew about how their fathers were murdered. The leading roles in each of the stories had a corresponding role in the other. The corresponding characters shared a number of similarities, but it was the ways in which they were different that determined their fate and that of the kingdom. In Hamlet, the prince is Hamlet. He is in deep grieving of his father’s death. He is angry because he believes that everyone has already forgotten how great of a king his father was. Hamlet does not know for sure who is responsible for his father’s death, but he suspects Claudius who is his uncle and the new king. Hamlet decides that if he can convince everyone that he is insane, then maybe he will be able to get someone to tell him more about his father’s murder. In The Lion King, Simba is the prince. Simba’s father, Mufasa, is killed after he falls from a cliff into a herd of hyenas. Simba falls into a deep depression after his uncle Scar twists things around and convinces Simba that he is the one responsible for th e Mufasa’s death. Simba can not deal with what has happened and he runs away from the kingdom. In Hamlet, The new king Claudius is able to gain respect from the kingdom. He even steals the love of Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. The old king’s councilor, Polonius, becomes Claudius’s councilor and his best friend. He helps Claudius keep an eye on Hamlet and tries to keep him from finding out anything about his father’s death. Polonius believes that if he helps Claudius that he can make life better for himself and for his daughter and son. But in the end, his actions get him slayed, drive his daughter to insanity, and eventually set... ...f her son. She starts to feel the poison and she warns Hamlet of it before she dies. It is too late though, the poisonous sword had cut Hamlet. In anger, Hamlet steals the poisoned sword and runs it into Laertes. He then charges Claudius and runs it into him. He also takes the wine and forces Claudius to drink from it. Both Claudius and Laertes die before Hamlet. Hamlet regains his throne for a few seconds, until the poison sets in and takes his life. The Lion King has a happy ending. Simba returns to his kingdom and he finds Scar. He tells Scar that he knows about his father’s death. Scar lies to Simba by telling him that the Hyenas were the ones who killed Mufasa. This upsets the Hyenas. They leave Scar to fight Simba by himself. Simba wins the fight and throws Scar off a cliff, into the herd of the Hyenas. The hyenas show no remorse for Scar and they trample over him, killing him. Once Simba takes back the throne, the whole kingdom becomes beautiful again and everyone i s happy. The two stories had similar plots and characters. But in the end, the small differences in how the characters acted separated the tragedy of Hamlet from the happy ending of Disney’s The Lion King.

COLD MOUNTAIN Essay -- essays research papers

COLD MOUNTAIN The story of "Cold Mountain" is a best selling novel and it is the first book written by Charles Frazier. It took years of research before he could write this novel. The plot of Cold Mountain is really and old idea, in fact it is an ancient one. The plot is the same as the one in an ancient book by Homer. The story I am referring to is "The Odyssey". The Odyssey is a book about a wounded soldier trying to find his way back home and his sweetheart, Penelope that is waiting for his return. Cold Mountain is the story of a wounded Confederate soldier that was wounded, deserts, and begins a journey back to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Cold Mountain. The plot of the book has two parallel stories. The first part of the plot is about a man named Inman. Inman is a Confederate soldier that is wounded in Virginia and spends several months in a hospital. After sneaking out of the hospital, he starts on his journey back home to his sweetheart, Ada. His odyssey is his long journey back to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. What makes is journey so interesting is the many people he comes in contact with along the way. Some of the people Inman comes in contact with are kind to him. They give him a place to stay and sometimes even a hot meal. Some of the other characters aren't so kind to him. The Civil War is still raging...

Spheres and Stages of Discipleship

In addition will also discuss what is called the e Four Spheres of discipleship. 2 Spiritually Dead The Apostle Paul described in Ephesians 2: 15 those who were dead in their is ins and transgressions. These are people who have not accepted Christ as Savior, insist dead reject His sacrifice on the Cross. They sometimes claim to seek a God or Higher Power b UT there is no evidence of any relationship with God whatsoever. These people are what the authors call Spiritually Dead. 3 In fact the author compares these people to dead men in a casket just waiting to decompose.When speaking to the â€Å"walking dead† the authors teach how to id entity the common â€Å"phrase from the stage†4 in order to assess where a person is in their walk with God. These typical phrases are usually: ; I don't believe in God. ; The bible is just a myth. Putnam, Jim, Bobby Harrington, and Robert Emerson Coleman. Discipleship: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples . (Grand Rapids, MI: Sanderson, 2013). 60. Ibid. , 77. 3 Ibid. , 61 . 4 Ibid. , 62. ; Religion is a crutch for the weak. ; Christians are intolerant and homophobic. ; There are many paths to God.Opera Winfred Olsten)5 ; don't believe in hell. Or hell is on Earth. ; My good deeds will save me from hell. ; There is no right or wrong, ‘do what thou will' 6 Once a person is identified as spiritually dead, this should determine how to a approach them with a spirit Of understanding without a judgmental or condemning ATT etude. Spiritual Infant The second stage is called to describe believers who are like newborn babes craving milk instead of the meat of the Word. This comes from the scrim future: â€Å"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow†¦ (1 peter 2:23 KAVA).Christians at this stage are alive yet they refuse to grow. This can include new converts a s well as long time Christians who are stagnant in their growth process with God. 7 Spiritua l infant TTS were described in the Book of Hebrews as those living on the milk of the Word who should be teaching: † For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you†¦ † (Web. 5:1214 KAVA). 5 â€Å"Pastor Joel Olsten Discusses Sin And The Path To God,† Opera's Next Chapter, accessed February 1, 201 5, http://WV. Opera. Com/own-operas-next- heaper/Pastor-Joke-Steen-Discusses-Sin-and-the-Path-to-God 6 Crowley, Leister.The Book of the Law:(technically Called Libber AY Vela Legs Sub Figure COX as D levered by XIII . Red Wheel/wiser, 1938. 7 Putnam, Harrington, and Coleman, 63. Spiritual Child The next stage is described as the Stage which characterizes Christians who are growing in their walk with God and growing in their relationships wit h other fellow believers-8 The Apostle John referred to early followers as his children. (1 John 2:12 KAVA) Also in 1 Thessalonians 2:101 2 the apostle Paul refers to himself as a â€Å"spiritual faith † who had to encourage, comfort, and urge the Church of Thessalonians to live holy lives.These spiritual children have learned the church â€Å"lingo† or language and are a able to function in a growing church body as believers, but they are selflessness with much of their spiritual life involving around themselves. 9 These individuals can be new con arts as well as old converts who have attended church for decades. They can be identified by the Eire â€Å"phrase from the stage† which are: ; I don't know if this church meets my needs. ; The church is getting too big. ; Why do we have to learn new songs? NO One speaks to me at church. 10 The length of time a person has attended church has nothing to do with their level of growth .They need to surround themselves around mature Christians in order to go from dependency to self sufficient. 1 1 8 Putnam, Harrington, and Coleman, 65. Ibid. , 65. 10 Ibid. , 66. 11 Ibid. , 66 9 Spiritual Young Adult 1 John 2:1314 d escribes Spiritual Young Adults as Christians who have overcome the Evil One and the Word of God abides in them. 12 These individuals are striving to become more concerned about others rather than themselves. They are more students of t e Word of God and the Great Commission. They are givers instead of takers. 13 You can identify a Spiritual Young Adult by these phrases from the stage: ; In my devotion†¦ I will like to go to Uganda for a mission†¦ ; I love being a worship leader because†¦ ; I have three friends that I witness to†¦ These young adults need mentoring and a place to utilize their spiritual gifts. Spiritual Parent Spiritual Parents are considered spiritually mature people who make disciples and have grown strong in the Lord. These are reliable disciples who are qualified to tea chi others. 14 2 Timothy 2:12 describes them as those who have grown strong in grace that is in Christ Jesus. They can also determine where a person is in their walk with the L ord and oft en can mentor these young adults.God is a Spiritual Parent who nurtures and fights for His s virtual children as His own. 15 12 Putnam, Harrington, and Coleman, 67. Ibid. , 67. 14 Ibid. , 68. 15 Adams, Vincent. Imitating the Fatherhood of God: A Single Dad's Guide to Spiritual Parenting . S. L. : Solaris, 2012. 17 13 6 The Four Spheres of Discipleship The four spheres of discipleship describe how a disciple grows in four stages: The sphere with God and disciple, the church sphere, the sphere of family an d the world The spheres help the disciple understand the head, heart and hands of God, family y, church and the world. 6 The sphere is designed help a disciple balance family life and minister y life. It also shows them how to integrate the four spheres within the five stages of discipleship. Below will detail each sphere. Sphere One: The Centrality of Christ In the book Discipleship, by Dietrich Bondholder, the author conveys that through simple obedience does one reall y understand the meaning of being a disciple. 17 Who en referring to the dead or God's authority, true submission are evident. When dealing with the heart of the relationship between God and the disciple, there are visible changes in the pee arson's life called transformation.With the hands, the disciple ventures outside the walls of the church through evangelism. 18 Sphere Two: Relationship With The Family of God (Church) The second sphere of relationship is where we grow as Christians within the b odd of Christ. Scripture points out that we are in the family of God with brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 9 As a church family, the church works to nourish relationships among believer sometimes converted from broken families. Some Of the broken families were from the d splices' choice to follow Christ. 20 16 Ibid. , 77 Bondholder, Dietrich. Dietrich Bondholder Works . Volume 4: Discipleship. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996. ) 77. 18 Putnam, Harrington, and Coleman, 86. 19 Ibid. 20 S phere Three: Relationship At Home A third sphere is addressed by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5 & 6 involves the home. Paul discusses how the husband should lead the household and love h is wife. Also how the wife should love her husband. The responsibility of the fathers and mothers in easing children and responsibility of children to respect their parents. 21 Sphere Four: Relationship With The World Finally the Apostle Paul moves toward chapter 6 of Ephesians, where he addresses a final sphere of relationships with the world.

Technlogy in Society essays

Technlogy in Society essays Accelerating technological change has stretched human adaptability to the limit. In order to understand the way technology may be changing our views of the world, people must first understand the ways in which modern technology itself processes information. Every technical step towards intelligent robots and machines has a rough evolutionary counterpart, and each is likely to benefit its creators, manufacturers and users. Companys like Microsoft who create some of these counter parts for robots/machines and most of the technology that exists today, are not only monopolizing the business but are also forcing everyone to use their software because there are no leading competitors. Today people are so dependent on Microsoft and its computer technology that we cannot live without it. Everyday in society people are making improvements, however, these improvements also have equal drawbacks. Today we are using cutting edge technology to improve every aspect of our daily lives. For instance in today's society the fields of Communication and Medicine are constantly advancing yet they both create significant losses. Technology has helped increase the speed of communication and decrease its cost. However, at the same time it has caused people to become more impersonal with each other. In earlier times the major form of communication was for people to visit each other and go to public meeting places. But now all this can be done through e-mail, telephone, or just standard mail. These advances both improve our lives and hurt them. They improve them by decreasing time and money, but hurt by our frustration and anger tords them if they do not obay orders or not work. Society has experienced, change in time spent at work to the efficiency in producing goods due to the changing technologies. ...

Chemical and biological agents Essay Example

Chemical and biological agents Essay Example Chemical and biological agents Paper Chemical and biological agents Paper Chemical weapons known as Nerve Agents were discovered accidentally by German Scientist Gerhard Schrader in 1936. Shcrader was working on developing a chemical to fight insects (insecticides), on his success he sprayed a dilute solution of what is now known as the Tabun Nerve Agent on a group of insects. However, a short time later he developed side effects related to vision and breathing that lasted three weeks. And so the discovery, although Chemical Agents such as chlorine and phosgene gas were first used during the First World War in trench warfare their lethality did not compare to that of nerve agents. Nerve Agents work by unbalancing the Nervous system and thus paralyzing the subjects muscles and arresting the respiratory (Breathing) system causing death. Chemical weapons use the toxic properties of chemical substances rather than their explosive properties to produce physical or physiological effects on an enemy. Chemical weapons are illegal, immoral and handy. Right? Got a gas mask? Lets sniff out the grisly story of chemical weaponry. The first big user of chemical weapons was Germany, which released chlorine gas at Ypres, Belgium in 1915. Chlorine killed or maimed its victims by burning the lungs; it also caused panic among soldiers who were totally unprepared for gas war. Before the so-called Great War ended in 1918, France and Great Britain had retaliated, and the industrial powers were also using phosgene gas and mustard gas: Mustard gas (actually a liquid) was introduced by the Germans in 1917. It burns and destroys the skin, eyes and lungs. Biological Weapons are a lot more difficult to trace in history. During the ancient siege of a city a disease infected carcas would be thrown into the city to cause the infection to spread throughout the population. Due to the cold war research into BWs was intensified leading to the further development of toxins generated by bacteria (such as the botulin toxin). Biological Agents work by several ways, either by infecting the human body with disease or unbalancing the bodys system as with toxins. A biological agent is an infectious disease, or toxin that can be used in bioterrorism or biological warfare. There are more than 1200 different kinds of biological agents. Biological agents include prions, microorganisms (viruses, bacteria and fungi) and some unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes (for example parasites) and their associated toxins. They have the ability to adversely affect human health in a variety of ways, ranging from allergic reactions that are usually relatively mild, to serious medical conditions, even death. These organisms are ubiquitous in the natural environment; they are found in water, soil, plants, and animals. Because many biological agents reproduce rapidly and require minimal resources for preservation, they are a potential danger in a wide variety of occupational settings. Examples of biological agents are anthrax, avian influenza, botulism, foodborne illness, hantavirus, Legionnaires disease, molds and fungi, pneumonic plague, smallpox, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs). Ways to protect against these agents Chemical weapons can gain entry to the body through contact, inhalation or ingestion. Similarly Biological Weapons designed for effective dispersion. To protect against such weaponry the body will have to be totally isolated from the substance and a filter established for breathing. This is what an NBC suit does (Nuclear Biological Chemical). These suits can be reused repeatedly or come in the disposable form. In addition there is always the chance of exposure even with a suit so protective medication is required; For CW an injection of Atropine along with an inhibitor related to the nervous system is required (such as Contrathion), in combination these two chemicals work against the loss of balance in the nervous system caused by the CW. BWs are more complicated as a vaccine is required to protect against the effect of the BW disease or the use of a powerful antibiotic to help fight the infection (such as DoxyCycline). Coupled together the NBC suits, medication and early warning devices help protect against the threat of CW and BW. Examples of CWs : Sarin Sarin, chemical name Isopropyl Methyl Phosphonoflouridate can be synthesized in a good chemical laboratory, it is a thin oily liquid clear to amber in color and odourless. The fatal inhalation dosage is 10 milligrams. Death can occur to the target in 1 to 10 minutes with indications of dim vision, runny nose, tightness in the chest, nausea, diarrhea, coma and respiratory failure. Sarin used to be the standard nerve agent used by the United States. It was invented by Gerhard Schrader during World War 2. The main trouble with using Sarin is that it is very volatile so tends to evaporate from the target area before its full effect can take place. Examples of CWs : VX Gas. VX, chemical name S-(2-DiisopropylAminoEthyl)-0-EthylMethylphonothiolate can be synthesized in a good chemical laboratory, it is a heavy oily liquid like motor oil clear in color and odourless. The fatal inhalation dosage is 10 milligrams, Death occurs to the target in 10 minutes with indications of dim vision, runny nose, tightness of chest, sweating, muscular twitching, nausea, vomiting, weakness and coma. VX was discovered out of insecticide research done in Britain. VX has a high vapor pressure in contrast with Sarin therefore it is very persistent on the target (it will not evaporate easily). This factor gives VX a very lethal skin contact dosage of 2 milligrams as compared to Sarins 10 milligrams. Examples of BWs : Anthrax Anthrax (Bacillus Anthracis) was discovered in the mid 19th century. It is thought to be behind the death of many people in medieval europe and ancient Egypt. The Japanese first looked into the use of anthrax as a military weapon in 1930. It is considered as the perfect biological weapon because of the fact that it is extremely persistent. It will contaminate the area of a natural target for years before it can be cleaned up. Once exposed it is fatal to 100% of all exposures and will lead to death in 3 to 7 days. Although it is not contageous several different types exist; Anthrax can be lethal when inhaled but other types exist that are activated on contact with the skin. Anthrax has received a lot of coverage in the news recently due to the Anthrax Letters which were posted to the U. S. after the September 11 incident. Examples of BWs : Botulin Toxin Botulin is an exception to the rule of Biological Weapons. The Bacteria Clostridia Botulinum produces the Botulin Toxin as a by product. The fatal dose of the Botulin Toxin is 1 microgram, thats one millionth of a gram in weight. Theoretically speaking, 1 gram of this toxin is enough to kill 1 million people making it the second best poison in the world. A lot of coverage of this weapon has been attributed to food poisoning, therefore it is not expected to be used as a weapon. Small quantities of Botulin Toxin can be created rather easily with basic Biological principles Careful advance planning is essential if a Member State or other country is adequately to manage the threat or the consequences of deliberate releases of biological or chemical agents. A central consideration in such preparedness planning is that it is neither possible nor necessary to prepare specifically for attack by all possible biological and chemical agents. If a country is seeking to increase its preparedness to counter the effects of biological and chemical attacks, the targeting of its preparation and training on a limited but well chosen group of agents will provide the necessary capability to deal with a far wider range of possibilities. Knowledge of the general properties of this representative group of agents will enable certain measures to be taken against virtually any other agent. In addition to being impractical from a preparedness perspective, long and exhaustive lists of agents also give a misleading impression of the extent of possible threats. The representative group of agents Biological and chemical weapons have been described as the â€Å"poor man’s atom bomb†, but this conveys a misleading impression of their ease of production and their utility. It is not enough for biological and chemical agents to be highly infective or highly toxic. In order to be selected for weaponization, a candidate agent should have characteristics that is capable of countervailing the technical limitations that would otherwise render the weapon carrying the agent unattractive to users, such as the technical limitations. So the agent will need to be stable enough to resist degradation during handling and storage, and during the energy-transfer processes that will, in most scenarios, be involved in disseminating it on its target. Once disseminated, the agent must be capable of establishing field dosages that are infective or toxic over a predictable area. It must also be relatively easy to produce from readily available precursor compounds or from naturally occurring or genetically modified microorganisms. Once produced and, depending on the agent, further processed and formulated, it must be filled into munitions or dissemination devices, or held ready for such filling, and be storable without undue risk to its possessor. If an agent is insufficiently stable in storage, certain expedients are available, such as, in the case of some chemicals, the use of â€Å"binary† munitions that are uploaded, not with toxic agent, but with separate containers of precursors, these being adapted to mix and generate the agent either just before or during weapon launch. For biological agents, a â€Å"warm† production base rather than a large stockpile has been relied upon in past offensive military programmed. While many thousands of toxic chemicals and hundreds of pathogenic microorganisms have been investigated for their potential utility as military weapons, relatively few have been found capable of meeting military requirements of the kind just specified, and fewer still have found their way into weapons and actually been used. The task facing public health authorities of identifying a representative group of agents against which to prepare might therefore be thought relatively straightforward. However, the deliberate agent releases against which public health authorities would need to prepare might include attacks by non-state entities whose agent-selection principles could differ from the military ones. For example, accessibility, not overall aggressiveness and stability in storage, might be the dominant criterion in their choice of agent. Also, the types of impact sought could differ from those that direct military operations. In other words, the rank order in which public health authorities assess the different agent threats, e. g. reference (1), may not be the same as that of military authorities. In the present study, the representative group has been compiled by applying a progressively sharper focus to possible agents of concern: firstly, the broad treaty definitions of biological and chemical weapons; secondly, the lists of agents that have been negotiated to facilitate treaty implementation, or, in the case of the BWC, proposed therefore; thirdly, such authoritative information as is publicly available about which agents have been weaponized or stockpiled in recent times; fourthly, agents known to have been used as weapons; and finally, considerations regarding non-state entities. Effects of Biological and Chemical weapons to an individual Remote though the possibility of a terrorist-authored chemical or biological incident in an American community may be, we must prepare for one. The agents are too easy to acquire or manufacture and too easy to disperse for us to ignore that possibility. Even the relatively more likely hoax or attack with an agent of low concentration that is ineffectively delivered will still generate mass casualties that will threaten civil order and inundate community medical facilities. The creation of this chaos is as much within the grasp of a lone, skilled, and determined person with his or her own warped agenda as it is of state-sponsored terrorists. Many, perhaps most, persons involved in such an incident will exhibit fear, anxiety, or more serious disorders of mood, behavior, or cognition, especially if the perceived threat is a biological weapon that can spread silently from person to person. Local psychiatrists have a multifaceted role in their communities disaster response plans. That role includes immediate treatment of individual patients and groups of patients who are experiencing the psychological impact of a mass disaster, organizing and managing the delivery of mental health care by others to the community, and assisting local medical facilities and community leaders in the control of widespread anxiety, fear, and perhaps even panic. Should the weapon agent produce mental status changes that overlap those of psychiatric disorders, the psychiatrists carefully done mental status examination may be crucial to triage and the prompt delivery of medical treatment to those who need it. Beyond the immediate crisis, any chemical or biological incident will likely produce delayed and chronic psychiatric disorders, as psychological effects of the disaster or as sequelae of the pharmacology of the agent itself. In the absence of experience, confidence in handling this crisis will come from training and solid planning. World Medical Association Declaration on Chemical and Biological Weapons The World Medical Association draws the attention of the medical profession throughout the world to the dangers presented by chemical and biological weapons. Among other, more obvious, dangers, it should be noted: a. The use of such weapons would have a devastating effect on civilian populations in addition to military personnel, and not only in the target area but also in distant places, perhaps beyond the national boundaries of the combatants. b. The effects of exposure to chemical and biological weapons present a continuing threat to the health of human beings on a long term basis, possibly causing illness, injury, disease and defects in the population over a long period of time. c. The effects of exposure to chemical and biological weapons may also result in permanent, complex and unpredictable changes in the natural environment, including animals, plant life and water supply, thus destroying the food source of human beings and resulting in extensive morbidity. d. Existing health care services, technology and manpower may be helpless to relieve the suffering caused by exposure to chemical and biological weapons. The World Medical Association Declaration of Geneva asks physicians to consecrate their lives to the service of humanity, to pledge that the health of the patient will be the physicians first consideration, and that the physician will not used medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. The World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki states that it is the mission of the physician to safeguard the health of the people. The physicians knowledge and conscience are dedicated to the fulfillment of this mission. The World Medical Association Declaration of Tokyo begins with the following statement: It is the privilege of the medical doctor to practice medicine in the service of humanity, to preserve and restore bodily and mental health without distinction as to persons, to comfort and ease the suffering of his or her patients. The utmost respect for human life is to be maintained even under threat, and no use made of any medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. Therefore, the World Medical Association considers that it would be unethical for the physician, whose mission is to provide health care, to participate in the research and development of chemical and biological weapons, and to use his or her personal and scientific knowledge in the conception and manufacture of such weapons. Furthermore, the World Medical Association: 1. Condemns the development and use of chemical and biological weapons. 2. Asks all governments to refrain from the development and use of chemical and biological weapons. 3. Asks all National Medical Associations to join WMA in actively supporting this Declaration. REFERENCES: wma. net/e/policy/b2. htm www. who. int/csr/delibepidemics/en/chapter3. pdf http://whyfiles. org/025chem_weap/index. html http://ajp. psychiatryonline. org/cgi/content/full/156/10/1500#SEC6

FL Learners

The Uses, Functions, and Shortcomings of University Writing Centers The Disservice or No Proofreading Policies for ES/FL Learners Identifying the Problem Area Importance of effective writing skills is enormous with regard to the existing academic and professional standards. During the peer-tutoring sessions, students are often challenged by the professors’ instructions and, therefore, they need additional assistance to cope with writing assignments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Uses, Functions, and Shortcomings of University Writing Centers: The Disservice or No Proofreading Policies for ES/FL Learners specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is of particular concern to ESL students who often face a dilemma of proofreading because of lack of qualified proofreading services on campus. However, the point is that most of students are not fully aware of the necessity to check their papers for grammar and spelling before submitting them to their professors. What is more frustrating is that the current writing centers for second language l earners fail to provide sufficient services for them, except for the expensive ones. Judging from the above-presented assumptions, two major problems come to the forth: What are the main reasons for students’ unawareness of the need to proofread their papers before submissions? What does the University fail to provide high quality proofreading services for ESL students? With this in mind, it is necessary to explore the main causes and origins of the problem, as well as define who these urgent issues can be addressed through an action research plan. Significance of the Problem The problem of disservice writing policies, as well as students’ reluctance to address professional assistance has recently become much more serious. Many ESL learners fail to meet with their supervisors merely because they are not able to communicate effectively, as well as understand what actually a professor want them to do. Therefore, students studying the English language as their second on e often come to the writing center for not just writing assistance, but for the purpose of improving their communicational skills (Pistone, 2010). However, lack of sufficient communication skills might become a serious problem because it also influences the frequency of students’ attendance to the proofreading centers. Aside from the communication difficulties, ESL students can face significant writing problems that need especial intervention. The point is that writing skills cannot be underestimated because they demonstrate students’ learning abilities (Tan, n. d.). Therefore, students having poor writing level have greater changes to fail their academic exams. The problem area is of especially significance because it provides significant barriers for the ESL students and contributes negatively to the problem of international learning. The problem is also closely associated with cultural diversity issues which are often ignored by professors. Thus, students studying t he second language do not consider proofreading service as a viable solution to the problem because independent learning is highly appreciated in some countries.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rationale for the Research Regarding the problem of second language learning and the consequences of disservice writing centers, it is imperative to provide a deeper analysis of reasons for students’ reluctance and unawareness of attending writing centers, as well as underpinnings for re-evaluating the existing functions and use of proofreading services. Looking the problem through the prism of innovative approaches to proofreading, as well as existing writing centers ensuring effective support and assistance to students, the research action plan should be introduced to take the corresponding measures to improve the current situation. Theoretical Implications for the Action Res earch Lack of highly qualified proofreading services, as well as students’ reluctance to address such services, provides a solid ground for researching the standards and main strategies applied by leading writing centers. It will help to define how ESL students can improve their writing skills. There is also a necessity to explore the reasons for students’ ignorance of the importance of addressing tutors at the writing centers to compare the findings with the results obtained from questionnaire. Finally, it is also purposeful to focus on the existing strategies and approaches to assisting foreign learners in advancing their writing skills. According to the studies performed by Tan (n. d.), few universities in Asian countries can provide sufficient writing services for ESL students. What is more problematic is that these services are often provided under the support of broader services, such as learning or self-access centers. As a result, lack of writing and support ce nters does not contribute to recognizing the fact that many students have serious problems with the written assignments. Despite the identified shortage, some universities still manage to introduce innovation in the sphere of proofreading. For instance, the Baptist College in Hong Kong has created the Writing Enhancement Service because teacher became more aware of their students having problems with writing (Tan, n. d.). In this respect, they developed an effective system addressing various aspects of writing, as well as assisting students in exploring drawbacks in their writing. In the studies provided by Gupta Woldemarian (n. d.), it is also possible to track the interdependency of writing skills and degree of motivation to improve them. Because students are often triggered by the necessity to meet the academic writing standards, such aspects as attitude and motivation are always under the question. In this respect, these factors enable to differentiate because students with low and high achievement.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Uses, Functions, and Shortcomings of University Writing Centers: The Disservice or No Proofreading Policies for ES/FL Learners specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because motivation and attitude are emotional composites of emotional cognition, they identify students’ reluctance or aspiration either to attend or to skip proofreading services. Similar to Gupta Woldemarian (n. d.), Ma (2011) refers to the role of perception and attitude in achieving high academic results. Specifically, the scholar points out that sometimes, students and teachers’ perceptions of academic objectives differ significantly, which leads to misconception and bias. As a result, students are often discouraged to present properly written assignments and understand the actual purpose of advancing their writing skills. Because students do not fully realize the importance of the writing skills, it is logical that they do not realize the importance of attending writing centers. The dependency between teachers’ strategies and learners’ attention has also been studied by Torki (n. d.) who has managed to explore compatibility between these two aspects. Investigating those aspects within a context of vocabulary class, the research relies on the two variables, â€Å"frequency and order of occurrence of lexical items in classroom discourse† (Torki, n. d. p. 336). The findings have revealed that some of the teachers’ assumptions concerning the learning strategies have been false, including frequency of occurrence. Overall, the given theoretical implications creates a sufficient ground for conducting a survey that seeks to define the actual reasons and percentage of students attending writing centers and the ones considering it a mere waste of time. Moreover, the given action research should define the new strategies for existing writing centers and proofreading services. Methodology Data Collection In order to answer the research questions and solve the research problems, a survey was conducted among 100 students on campus. The survey questions aim to define students’ attitude to writing services, as well as their awareness of the importance of attending proofreading services before submission. The sample population was chosen out of 3000 students. The participants composed of different nationalities, religions, and beliefs. Gender characteristic have not been considered because it provides no importance for answering the research question. While collecting data about the participants, I encountered several challenges. First, some students rejected to participate because they did not actually understand the purpose of research, though the scope was sufficiently explained. Second, the participants had difficulties while answering specific questions that related to their personal attitudes and beliefs. The da ta collection was composed of two stages. The first one involved e-mailing all students on campus about the survey and the second one was the survey itself. The invitation letter contained a brief characteristic of the research problem and a detailed analysis of an action research project. Out of 3000, about 230 reacted to the letter. However, the survey was completed by 100 participants because not all students were able to answer the questions.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The questionnaire prepared for the survey was composed with regard to such topics as frequency of attending writing centers, reasons for using services, students’ attitude of importance of using proofreading services, awareness and perception of teachers’ obligations and practical approaches. All the thematic nodes sought to find out the reasons of disservice of proofreading polices, as well as students’ perception of their contribution to the learning process. In addition, students have been chosen from different classes and departments and, therefore, these facts will not be included as a variable for the given action research project. Data Analysis While analyzing the answers, several topic areas were covered in the questionnaire (See Appendix 1). Among the respondents, 52% participants attended the writing centers and most of them (36 %) visited the center only once. The rest of the respondents did not use the proofreading services because the majority of th em (60 %) did not have enough time. Despite low frequency of attendance, approximately 50 % of the respondents believe that the writing centers providing a wide range of services (writing tutorials, writing practice materials, proofreading assistance, and creative writing practice) are indispensible for a successful academic progress. Hence, a controversy emerges concerning students’ frequency of attendance and their actual needs. Regarding these controversies, the focus should be made on re-evaluation of the existing services provided by the writing centers. First, the responses indicate that tutors fail to consider students’ needs and objectives because they do not fully recognize the problem with writing. Second, though the existing on campus agency provide sufficient writing and proofreading services, teacher fail to ensure students with the corresponding support and assistance. What is more important is that these agencies fail to invite students and persuade thos e that proofreading process is as important as the writing one. The second part of a survey was focused on the analysis of teachers’ role in assisting and counseling students. Thus, almost two third of respondents (62 %) confirmed that they are not in need of a person that would check their paper before submission. The remaining third (38 %) of students recognized the necessity of introducing intermediate for checking their writing. However, among these 38 % of students refer to mostly either to family members or friend for checking a paper. Out of those people, only 24 % rely on teacher’s authority. As per 62 %, these groups of students explain their reluctance to involve a third person by unavailability of professionals (47 %), insignificance of the checking (30 %), and time shortage (21 %), 2 % of the respondents do not even consider that checking is really important. These results were supported by students’ opinion about the importance and usefulness of the proofreading services. Finally, the results of the survey provided information about the expensiveness of the proofreading services because only 17 % of respondents afforded to pay for them. Overall, the given survey results have proved the idea that the writing centers on campus do not provide enough support. They also fail to attract students to address such agencies because the majority of students have not applied to them yet. Finally, students’ perception of tutors help is insignificant because they do not recognize the role of counseling in advancing their writing skills. At the same time, they believe that writing tutorials and creative approaches should still be used. A Plan of Action To explore the reasons and define the solutions that should be introduced, it is necessary to introduce changes to the current situation. The solutions will be focused on improving the quality of tutors’ assistance, as well as making students being more aware of the importance of addressing the writing centers. With regard to the above, the plan will focus on introducing the following changes: Introducing new tutor strategies for creating new writing centers on campus will be possible through a care-centered approach (Piston, 2010); Reconsidering professor’s instructions to the written assignments through instructional interventions (Enos, 2010); Recognizing the difficulties that students experience while performing a written assignment (Tan, n. d.); Introducing a person-oriented approach to assessing ESL student writing skills; Creating separate classes of ESL students having difficulties with proofreading (Ernest, Johnson, Kelly-Riley, 2011); Introducing new steps to understanding written assignment. Regarding the first solution, it is purposeful to introduce a care giving approach for a student. Under these circumstances, the personnel of the writing centers should undergo special training to meet the concepts and requirement of a new learning technique. To be more precise, â€Å"†¦the caring tutoring approach when the tutor does not mindlessly berate the tutee about every sentence in the tutee’s paper and a caring tutor employs constructive criticism† (Piston, 2010, p. 10). Thus, a caring approach will fear a deep comprehension of a tutor, as well as an in-depth analysis of the tutee. Hence, the concept of caring should an ethical obligation for students because tutors should assist students from moral and professional perspectives. In this respect, Piston (2010) talks about mothering roles and increased importance of women in applying this approach. A relation between a tutor and tutee, therefore, should be interpreted as a psychological consultation, which is necessary for recognizing the difficulties and overcoming those in smaller class groups. Aside from innovative approaches introduced in the plan, significant shifts should be presented to the actual academic schedule. In this respect, Enos (2011 ) insists on the idea of instructional interventions to fill in the gaps between students’ writing skills and teachers’ expectations. In this respect, the importance of instructional interventions lies in promoting the level of students’ writing skills, as well as improving the learning outcomes. Judging from these theoretical implications, the practical intervention will be based on the shift in communication, lesson structure, and home assignments allocation. More importantly, the professors will have to introduce cohesive and strict instructions to the home assignment where the proofreading part will be inserted as an obligatory component of academic home assignments. A person-oriented approach is also an integral component of advanced and high-quality proofreading centers, as far as people with culturally diverse backgrounds are concerned. According to Crossman and Kite (2007), there is an evident connection between learning practices and the phenomenon of c ultural diversity. Hence, introducing native speakers to ESL classes will be beneficial for both group because there is a great opportunities for sharing experience and exchanging cultural information. Students from different cultures integrates into proofreading activities can significantly improve their communicational and interpersonal skills. Moreover, a collaborative approach presented at the writing centers can open a wide variety of perspectives for all students. Finally, understanding the scope of written assignments can be widened through creating online writing lab. Existing writing agencies on campus, therefore, should post basic concepts and purposes of writing, among the proofreading process should take one of the most important means of successful and high quality writing. Moreover, integration of online services to Asian university should become possible through interventions made from the North American higher educational establishments (Tan, n. d., p. 390). Embracin g all the above-presented solutions will help re-establish and improve the existing situation with the shortage of proofreading services, as well as disservice of the writing policies. Evaluating Results Regarding the proposed interventions, the improvement should occur in terms of students’ increased awareness of the role of proofreading services in an academic process, as well as advanced quality of writing services provided to students. In this respect, introducing a care giving approach to each student should contribute greatly to changing perceptions and attitudes to word the editing and proofreading process being inherent parts of successful writing. Teaching patterns will also undergo tangible shifts both at the writing centers on campus and in the classrooms. In particular, they should encourage students to engage into different social communities and attract them to address writing agencies for the purpose of improving their communication skills and proofreading skil ls. Moreover, significant attention will be given to difficulties and challenges that students should overcome. In such a manner, the intervention plan will increase the number of ESL students that want to apply to editing and proofreading services before submitting a written assignment to their instructions. The given approach to problem solving provides significant results because total evaluation of an academic curriculum is closely associated with disservice of proofreading services, as well as students’ unawareness of the writing difficulties. However, the intervention plan can be significantly facilitated if the University authorities decide to create community learning services guiding students and helping them cope with writing difficulties. In addition, a combination of survey results (quantitative data) with interviews (qualitative data) would also be beneficial for the given action research project because it could help consider ethical issues (Harwood, Austin, Ma caulay, 2010; Arney Jones, 2006). Specifically, interviews would provide a deeper insight into the students’ perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes concerning the role of proofreading and tutors’ assistance in writing skills acquisition. Conclusion and Recommendations The action research projects have highlighted the importance of introducing tutors’ assistance, as well as specific training materials for ESL students so as to advance the level of their writing skills. In fact, paying greater attention to the concept of writing and proofreading service can increase the quality of students’ achievement, as well as contribute to students’ understanding of using editing and proofreading services being at the core of successful writing. The data analysis has justified the rationale for introducing action plan to the given problem because the majority of ESL students on campus are not fully aware of the value of tutors’ assistance and support. In th is respect, the implementation of a care giving approach and a person-oriented learning can provide significant shifts to the overall educational system. The quantitative data received from survey results constitute sufficient evidence for continuing the research on the problem of proofreading services provided by the writing centers on campus. Implications for future works will be specifically connected with the study of cultural diversity as one of the key indicators that influence ESL learners’ writing skills. Specifically, creating service learning communities and online writing labs that can motivate students to address counselors. With regard to the above-presented conclusions, it is recommended to introduce qualitative data to supply the given research with additional information on the reasons for ignoring professional assistance of peer tutors checking papers before submissions. Financial issues should also be considered while tackling the problem of students’ perception of the writing agencies at the University. References Arney, J., Jones, I. (2006). Uniting Community and University Through Service Learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 69(2), 195-198. Crossman, J. M., Kite, S. L. (2007). Their Perspectives: Esl Students Reflections On Collaborative Community Service Learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 70(2), 147-165. Enos, M. F. (2010). Instructional Interventions For Improving Proofreading And Editing Skills Of College Students. Business Communication Quarterly, 73(3), 265-281. Ernest, A., Johnson, P., Kelly-Riley, D. (2011). Assessing Rhetorically: Evidence of Student Progress in Small-Group Writing Tutorials. Learning Assistance Review (TLAR), 16(2), 23-40. Gupta, D., Woldemarian, G. S. (n. d.). The Influence of Motivation and Attitude on Writing Strategy Use of Undergraduate EFL Students: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. Asian EFL Journal. 13(2), 34-89. Harwood N., Austin, L., Macaulay, R. (2010). Ethic s and integrity in proofreading: Findings from an interview-based study. English For Specific Purposes, 2954-67. Ma, A. (2011). Do teachers reap what they sow? A study of young ESL learners perception of what is learned in an English lesson. Asian EFL Journal, 13(3), 184-204. Piston, R. A. (2010). Writing Center Tutors Have the Luxury to Focus on Individual Student Care Giving as Opposed to Formal Classroom Settings that Are Less Care Centered. English Language Teaching. 3(2), 10-12. Tan, B.-H. (n. d.) Innovating Writing Centers and Online Writing Labs outside North America. Asian EFL Journal. 13(2), 391-418. Torki, S. (n. d.) What Teachers Want Them to Attend to in EFL Vocabulary Class? Asian EFL Journal. 13(2), 336-361. Appendix 1 ESP Writing Skills Survey Results Instructions Please circle the correct answer and provide information according to your answer, if requested. Have you ever been to the writing center on campus? YES (48%) or NO (52%) If YES, on average how many times per semester? Once (36%) Two or three times (42%) Four or five times (24%) More than five times (2%) If NO, why not? No one was available to help the last time I went (7%) It is not necessary (30%) I never have enough time (60%) Other (Please explain _Didnt know about it____ ) (3%) What do you think is the main purpose of a writing center? To provide writing tutorials (27%) To provide writing practice materials (34%) To provide proof-reading assistance (15%) To encourage creative writing (24%) Please rank the importance of the writing services below according to your own personal need. Service Not Important Slightly Important Moderately Important Very Important Writing tutorials 7% 15% 28% 50% Writing practice materials 5% 9% 34% 52% Proof reading assistance 6% 44% 20% 30% Creative writing practice 4% 14% 29% 53% Do you have someone check your work before you submit it to your teacher? YES (38%) or NO (62%) If YES, who checks your work? A family memb er (34%) A friend (43%) A teacher (23%) Other (Please explain ___________________ ) (0%) If NO, why not? No one is available to help (47%) It is not necessary (30%) I never have enough time (21%) Other (Please explain __Never thought of it____ ) (2%) In your opinion, how much would a proof reading service help you to improve your writing skills? Not at all (4%) Slightly (16%) Moderately (56%) Dramatically (24%) Have you ever paid for a proof reading service online? YES (17%) or NO (83%)

The use of High Stakes Test to Evaluate Teachers Research Paper

The use of High Stakes Test to Evaluate Teachers - Research Paper Example With the high level of stress teachers already endure day after day, adding the pressure of high stakes testing only increases the number of cons resulting from placing teacher's career in jeopardy if students are unable to pass high stakes tests. Therefore, the cons resulting from such high stakes tests must be seriously considered by policymakers. If these cons are ignored, the results could be devastating to the American education system. Thousands of potentially good classroom teachers   could lose their jobs and many prospective teachers would mostly likely refuse to enter into the profession.One of the cons of the using high stakes testing to evaluate teachers is that policymakers discard the valuable intangibles that makes up   a teacher’s   character. The worth of a teacher is much more than the results of high stakes testing. Such intangibles as caring teacher/student relationships, active teacher/parent connection, extra-curriculum activities-participation, att endance, role modeling for students can not measured by high stakes testing. Many teachers go far and beyond the call of duty when it comes to preparing their students for the challenges of society and work. The are kind, helpful, caring and compassionate(Suttle). Their students respect them. Releasing such dedicated teachers due to negative high stakes test results is a mistake. In stead of   keeping good teachers who are sensitive to their ideas and thoughts, students most likely will receive teacher who are too test. oriented and insensitive to the student's feelings. Another con of high stakes testing is that the tests do not necessarily reflect the competency of the teacher. Many teachers simply don't know how to prepare their classroom for scoring successfully on high stakes tests. According to Richard F. Elmore, a professor of Harvard School of Education, many teachers are unsure of how to integrate state standards for high stakes testing, so they engage the process blindly . This sense of blindness forces many teachers to focus on teaching test material the entire school year. Other significant aspects of the curriculum such as social studies and science are usually neglected. Such focus on teaching test material is called â€Å"teach to the test† (Walker pg 9). Critical information regarding society, people and the environment are neglected when non-tested subjects such as science and psychology are minimized during the course of a school year. No matter how competent a teacher may be, she can not make students learn if the students are not motivated, perhaps due to some external circumstances beyond school. This is another con of high stakes testing. Many minority populations, including Latinos and African Americans come from impoverished backgrounds or underprivileged schools which might limit their ability to obtain high test scores. For example, studies show that â€Å"significant gaps exist between rich and poor districts and among ethni c and

Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Human Resources - Essay Example The first type is the flex time where the employees are presented a range of starting and ending times for the workday but there is a mandatory â€Å"core† time in the middle of the day. The second type which Schaefer discussed is the compressed work weeks where the employees will complete 40 hours in less than five days (2005). Telecommuting is another arrangement where the employees work according to a schedule from a remote location usually in his home. The last type of flexible work arrangement is the part-time work or job sharing where employees share the same position; thus, working fewer hours. Heathfield points out that the benefits of a flexible work arrangement for employees include flexible time for family, work, and other obligations and responsibilities of the employee; saves on commuting time and transportation cost; eliminates the hassle of traffic and stressful commuting during rush hours; gives the employee more control on his schedule and work environment and reduces burn out (2011). Heathfield goes on to say that this kind of work arrangement allows the employees to work at a time where they feel they are more productive. She also states that flexible work hours for parents may also reduce the expense of paying for childcare hours. Heathfield mentions several advantages for the employers as well, with the implementation of flexible work arrangements (2011). ... Furthermore, the company will develop an â€Å"image as an employer of choice with family friendly flexible work schedules† (Heathfield, 2011). The resistance of employees from flexible work arrangements comes from the possibility that their salaries will also be reduced with fewer work hours (Graduate Prospects Ltd., 2011). Graduate Prospects further cites loneliness and a sense of isolation from colleagues as other reasons why some employees resist flexible work hours. Some workers frown at the idea of working flexi time because it is something that is imposed on them and they are not given a choice. There is no dedicated work space for telecommuting arrangements. Employees should be more disciplined and organized because there is no one to monitor them. For employers, it is hard to evaluate the performance of employees; thus, a hindrance to the possibility of promotion. One of the barriers to the effectiveness of flexible working hours that was identified is the implementat ion of the program itself. Some managers or employees might not be open to the idea in the beginning. This could be addressed by planning carefully the options available, assessing the needs of the business including those of the employees and developing strategies for the implementation (JobAccess, 2010). Another barrier raised is that certain job positions are not conducive to flexible work arrangements and some employees are not qualified for telecommuting arrangements. This problem can be tackled by screening the employees who have the skills and ability to work on their own and offering the option to them. Management should also study and identify the positions which are suitable for flexible work arrangements. 2. You work for an organisation that has

Information Security and the National Infrastructure Case Study

Information Security and the National Infrastructure - Case Study Example The present research has identified that in the very old resist among defender and attacker, the attacker above ever comes into view to have the benefits by being well armed, generously deciding the strength of the attack and the target and without constraints of geographical distances and frontiers. In addition, the Federal Government administrator has approved actions against security and vulnerability based issues which have become more and more critical for national infrastructure in the United States began by the PDD (Presidential Decision Directive/NSC-63) on CIP (Critical Infrastructure Protection), approved by Bill Clinton in 1988. Additionally, the managerial synopses of those directives involve the protection of national natural resources for better corporate management and handling. Moreover, national critical infrastructures are based on cyber or physical systems that are essential to the lowest processes of the financial and government departments. In this scenario, thes e departments comprise, however, are not limited to, energy, telecommunications, finance, banking, water, transportation and emergency systems and services; in cooperation with private and government. Additionally, the majority of the nation’s important infrastructures have traditionally been logically and physically detached systems that had small mutual dependence. However, in the result of advancements in information technology and the need for increased performance, these arrangements have turned out to be more and more interlinked and automated.

How electricity is produced in nuclear power station Essay

How electricity is produced in nuclear power station - Essay Example A nuclear plant produces heat exactly in the same way as a thermal power plant does by converting the heat generated from the process into steam which is used to swing the blades of the turbine. But we know that the thermal power plant uses oil or coal to generate steam in order to produce electricity. However, the process in nuclear plant is much different since it does not consume fossil fuel to generate heat but rather it works through the process of nuclear fission. A nuclear power plant harnesses the power of atoms to create energy. As we know that the core of the atom is made up of particles called neutrons and protons. The process is initiated when an element such as Uranium is placed at the core of reactors in the rods and free neutrons are released into the core of the reactor. When a free neutron strikes with Uranium nucleus it starts splitting into smaller atoms which trigger the process of fission. When the process of fission sets off on the way, it splits the heavy atoms into multiple atoms by absorption of a neutron. Often in the case of Uranium Nucleus, when the neutron strikes it might split into two smaller nuclei of unequal fragments. During this process, a large amount of energy is exuded and simultaneously some neutrons are also emitted. As a result of this, neutrons start straying and are absorbed by nuclei of other atoms thus creating a chain reaction. The process is depicted in figure 1. Figure 1: Fission process Nuclear energy stems from the nuclear plants called reactor available in different forms such as Pressurized Water Reactor, Boiler Water Reactor etc. A nuclear reactor is made up of some major components; a moderator, fuel rods, control rods and the coolant. The turbine and the heat exchanger lie outside of the nuclear plant. The fuel rods generally have a diameter of 1 cm and they are approximately 11.5 feet long. These rods are assembled into large groups and they are placed at the core of the nuclear reactor and this is the pl ace where Uranium is kept. Control rods as the name suggests is used for controlling the chain reaction as they have a tendency to absorb neutrons. These control rods are connected to machines that can pull or push them to the core of the reactor. When they are fully lowered into the core, it halts the flow of fission process because they absorb all the free neutrons. Similarly, if these control rods are pulled, fission process can again stimulate as a neutron strikes the Uranium giving rise to more neutrons thus again triggering a chain reaction. The moderator also lies at the heart of the reactor and it functions to slow down the speedy neutrons which are flying all around the reactor. Neutrons which are bursting with unflagging energy travel at a lightning speed and they are able to pierce the nucleus of Uranium. Since the chain reaction increases at a blistering pace therefore there is a need to slow down the momentum of the process which can be done by the use of moderators. Th e moderator slows down and moderates the level of speed such that the neutron can be captured by the nucleus of the element in use which can trigger the process of fission. Heavy water is amongst the most common type of moderator although there are other options available too. Heavy water is different from the normal water H2O as it is made up of deuterium which

Strategic management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategic management - Assignment Example It will be noted that competitive advantage is created when a company is able to make its products and services the preferred option for customers within a market where competitors are offering products and services of the same nature or kind (Carter, Daniel and Betty, 2006). For competitive advantage to be achieved, the need for a critical understanding and appreciation of what the customer wants is very important. This is because the customer is always the end user of the product and service that the company offers. With the immediate direction and scope where the company wants to prioritize the interest of customers in product and service innovation, there is every hope that competitive advantage will be created because the company will offer precisely what the customer wants from the hospitality and tourism industry that it is not getting from other competitors. QUESTION TWO The business approach to strategic management is selected as the most suitable framework for Thomas Cook G roup to maximize its strategic impact with key stakeholders. This business approach to strategic management framework is however made up of a number of strategic options that makes it very important for the company to be highly critical in its selection of an appropriate strategic. Generally, two strategic approaches namely sociological approach and industrial organizational approach will be identified. Though each of these two approaches will at any point in time help a company in achieving some level of strategic success with its stakeholders, the use of industrial organizational approach is opined as the optimum strategy among the suitable framework that can bring about strategic development with stakeholders. The reason for this point is that in the use of industrial organizational approach, companies are admonished to take up the combined use economic theory and assumptions. Under economic theory, considerations are base for key economic factors such as resource allocation, com petitive rivalry and economies of scale. Meanwhile, in the current global economic crunch, these economic factors are very important for the achievement of economic growth and development. This is because based on economic theory, the company will be offered the opportunity to naming its competitive rivalry and know how to rightly allocate its scarce resources in a manner that presents a better competition against the competitor. With reference to assumptions also, Thomas Cook Group will be allowed the use of rationality, profit maximization and self discipline principles to compete (Carter, Daniel and Betty, 2006). QUESTION THREE In the current state of global economic recession within which Thomas Cook Group is forced to compete and growth as a leader in the hospitality and tourism industry, the effective management of resources and competences would be the only remedy to ensure that the company survives the recession. This is because world economic crunch is generally associated with cut downs and limitations in resources and competences. This situation is created because the input into resource availability of companies hardly synchronize with the resource output that the company undertakes (Breiman et al, 2009). With the scarcity therefore, effective

How electricity is produced in nuclear power station Essay

How electricity is produced in nuclear power station - Essay Example A nuclear plant produces heat exactly in the same way as a thermal power plant does by converting the heat generated from the process into steam which is used to swing the blades of the turbine. But we know that the thermal power plant uses oil or coal to generate steam in order to produce electricity. However, the process in nuclear plant is much different since it does not consume fossil fuel to generate heat but rather it works through the process of nuclear fission. A nuclear power plant harnesses the power of atoms to create energy. As we know that the core of the atom is made up of particles called neutrons and protons. The process is initiated when an element such as Uranium is placed at the core of reactors in the rods and free neutrons are released into the core of the reactor. When a free neutron strikes with Uranium nucleus it starts splitting into smaller atoms which trigger the process of fission. When the process of fission sets off on the way, it splits the heavy atoms into multiple atoms by absorption of a neutron. Often in the case of Uranium Nucleus, when the neutron strikes it might split into two smaller nuclei of unequal fragments. During this process, a large amount of energy is exuded and simultaneously some neutrons are also emitted. As a result of this, neutrons start straying and are absorbed by nuclei of other atoms thus creating a chain reaction. The process is depicted in figure 1. Figure 1: Fission process Nuclear energy stems from the nuclear plants called reactor available in different forms such as Pressurized Water Reactor, Boiler Water Reactor etc. A nuclear reactor is made up of some major components; a moderator, fuel rods, control rods and the coolant. The turbine and the heat exchanger lie outside of the nuclear plant. The fuel rods generally have a diameter of 1 cm and they are approximately 11.5 feet long. These rods are assembled into large groups and they are placed at the core of the nuclear reactor and this is the pl ace where Uranium is kept. Control rods as the name suggests is used for controlling the chain reaction as they have a tendency to absorb neutrons. These control rods are connected to machines that can pull or push them to the core of the reactor. When they are fully lowered into the core, it halts the flow of fission process because they absorb all the free neutrons. Similarly, if these control rods are pulled, fission process can again stimulate as a neutron strikes the Uranium giving rise to more neutrons thus again triggering a chain reaction. The moderator also lies at the heart of the reactor and it functions to slow down the speedy neutrons which are flying all around the reactor. Neutrons which are bursting with unflagging energy travel at a lightning speed and they are able to pierce the nucleus of Uranium. Since the chain reaction increases at a blistering pace therefore there is a need to slow down the momentum of the process which can be done by the use of moderators. Th e moderator slows down and moderates the level of speed such that the neutron can be captured by the nucleus of the element in use which can trigger the process of fission. Heavy water is amongst the most common type of moderator although there are other options available too. Heavy water is different from the normal water H2O as it is made up of deuterium which

What is IR Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is IR Theory - Essay Example International Relation theory raises fundamentally empirical issues which can only be settled by analyzing the facts. Professor Martin Wight, in the 1960 April issue of international Relations, published a paper titled â€Å"Why Is There No International Theory?† The Professor believes that the sovereign state has, since the Reformation, been the focal point of Western political thought and experience (Morgenthau 63). The international theory is true to diplomatic experience, and is augmented when belief in progress is prevalent. According to this school of thought, if things remain as they were in the past, man would become desperate. This theory he referred to as â€Å"the argument from desperation†. International relations is widely involves recurrence and repetition as international reality and international theory collide. International theory becomes a sort of philosophy of history as it involves the ultimate experience of national existence and national extinction. For national existence, every individual requires the protection of the state that represents them in the international community (Wight 38). This view considers a sovereign State to be the end of a political experience and activity. This juristic expression considers international politics to be an untidy extension of domestic politics. It is a systematic and continued balance of power between different players. International Relations is a transient subject with the modern society being in a state of transition. The past occurrences in one state relating with other states influences the future interactions that are likely to occur. Therefore, the theorizing of international relations is likened to a system of abstract propositions with a predictive function. In the view of this system, nations become stereotyped participators in stereotyped symmetric or asymmetric relations (Morgenthau 65). The modern society has emerged from a medieval society and is

Obesity as a Social and Medical Problem Essay Example for Free

Obesity as a Social and Medical Problem Essay Obesity has become an epidemic in our over indulgent North American society. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. Society often views the word obesity to be a disease when it is actually a sign of a disorder; genetic or environmental. The percentage of our population that is growing overweight is increasing every year, and can become a very serious issue if it is not dealt with more urgently. Problems relating to self-confidence, self-consciousness, and isolation can occur as a result. An enduring problem in today’s society, especially with children, has to deal with sociality. Public appearance is very important to us and when we don’t look good, or have a low self-esteem, it can lead to further issues; possibly fatal. Those with the â€Å"obese† label have to deal with social problems every single day. The fact they don’t look â€Å"normal† causes them to not fit in with the â€Å"regular crowd† and can lead to isolation issues. Being isolated from the majority of the population can lead to problems such as depression and later on, suicide. Another big influence on social problems relating to obesity is the media. Every day at some time, somewhere, we are watching TV, reading the newspaper, or searching the web. The media tends to give labels and meaning to words in which we get influenced on. The view that the media portrays to us is that if you are a certain weight, you are obese; and vice-versa. Another problem with the media is the amount of time our society spends on it. Time consumed on useless media takes away from time spent doing productive activities such as exercising. However, the corruption in social patterns relating to obesity isn’t the only problem. Another big factor stands on the medical side. Obesity is a risk in a number of prolonged diseases. Maintaining a healthy weight is critical in order to reduce the risk of those diseases and additionally, improve your overall health. Many children and youth have fewer opportunities to be physically active at school as physical education classes and time spent being physically active at school have been reduced. Being overweight or obese has many risks involved. Serious conditions such as a stroke, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes, can occur as a result; just to name a few. Linked with health problems is a poor diet. Variations in our food environment have made it challenging to maintain a healthy weight. Society tends to want to eat more fast-food rather than cooking at home because it is cheaper and less time-consuming. We have become lazy when it comes to our diets. We don’t take into consideration the Food Guide and basically eat what we want, when we want. Obesity is also a major drain on the economy. The amount of money being spent on health care because of obesity-related diseases is astronomical. The Globe and Mail had an article headlined, â€Å"Obesity costs economy up to $7-billion a year†. By eating right and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, our society can cut down economic costs drastically. All we need to have is some discipline, the proper diet, and exercise. Numerous children today are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. Even worse, some schools have banned the use of balls used at recess. An article in the Toronto Star explained why such a peculiar ban took place at Earl Beatty Public School, â€Å"The letter stated that there have been a â€Å"few serious incidents† in which staff and students have been hit, or come close to being struck, by flying balls. Not only are we lacking in exercise, the catalyst for running around at recess has now been taken away for some. This issue is going to further decrease the amount of physical activity kids partake in, and increase the possibilities of obesity. Commuting to and from work also contributes to obesity when you consider that in order to get by, mo st families need to have at least two incomes. People often have to commute long distances to jobs, and with the minimal time for meal preparation, fast foods become a number one option. Furthermore, having supermarkets, as well as other grocery stores open all night, more money is being spent on expensive, half-prepared meals. Children need to have a healthy example with their parents being physically active and eating healthy. Preventing children from becoming overweight means adapting to the way your family eats and exercises. Many believe that it is the parents fault when it comes to child obesity, and they’re correct. Children don’t have the discipline to eat â€Å"healthy† foods and aren’t capable of preparing home-made meals. It is the parent’s job to influence and lead the way for our youth. If parents set a better example health-wise for their children, it is highly doubtful that the percentage of obesity would be even remotely close to where it is now. Managing and preventing obesity can lead to many societal benefits. Having healthy, positive-minded people in our cities is always encouraging. Managing obesity can lessen the stress that occurs at work, as well as create a friendlier environment. Having a good work environment has shown to raise productivity, therefore creating better capital. Another optimistic result from obesity management in society is the discipline factor. If those that are overweight can overcome a huge default in their life, by working hard and staying focused, it will then translate into other aspects of their day-to-day lives. Our society will become that of a disciplined one, therefore work will become more productive because there is better focus on the tasks at hand; furthermore, children in school will become more confident because of how hard they worked as well as their new self-image. Overall, if our world can manage and prevent obesity, living can ultimately consist more of positive vibes and less of anxiety. In conclusion, it is clear we have a serious issue with obesity that impacts many aspects of people’s lives. It is an austere condition that doesn’t get monitored with enough concern. Possibilities such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes from being overweight. Medical, as well as social research can help people further comprehend that weight and obesity issues are vastly social, not individual. We have to start working together on fighting obesity. We are a lazy society and we tend to make things harder than they really are. If society works together to help those in need by giving them the courage and confidence needed to make a personal change, this unnecessary burden called obesity can be upheld. It all starts with the right diet as well as exercise and a strong commitment. As little as ten minutes a day on the bike can improve one’s health. The ball is in our court, and stronger action needs to be taken. We need to start now because the benefits to individuals as well as society are well worth the effort.

Aspects of wicked problems

Aspects of wicked problems Introduction When facing a design problem, designers need to consider a wide range of factors to ensure that it is as successful as possible. When a design problem is ill-defined a wicked problem arises, which complicated the process more. Sustainability is a very important consideration when designing. Its also important that designers understand the role they are playing, and exactly what their task is. Ive looked at these things and related them to my own design experiences when possible. Wicked Problems Definition Wicked designs can be summarised as problems that are difficult to solve, where there is no real obvious solution that will fully resolve the initial problem. This can be due to unclear, unspecific or changing requirements that can make it hard for the designer to know exactly the situation they are designing for. Furthermore, as one aspect within the product is solved, other problems may be unveiled leading to more problems. A typical example of a wicked problem outside the area of design is politics whatever is done there are still problems and not everyone is happy, additionally as politicians solve issues more emerge. The term wicked design has been defined by ten characteristics compiled by Rittel and Webber (1973) shown below. Number Characteristic There is no definitive formulation of a wicked problem Wicked problems have no stopping rule Solutions to wicked problems are not true or false, but better or worse There is no immediate and no ultimate test of a solution to a wicked problem Every solution to a wicked problem is a one shot operation because there is no opportunity to learn by trial and error every attempt counts significantly Wicked problems do not have an enumerable (or an exhaustively describable) set of potential solutions, nor is there a well described set of permissible operations that may be incorporated into the plan Every wicked problem is essentially unique Every wicked problem can be considered to be a symptom of another problem The existence of a discrepancy representing a wicked problem can be explained in numerous ways. The choice of explanation determines the nature of the problems resolution The planner has no right to be wrong (planners are liable for the consequences of the actions the generate) Explaining the Characteristics There is no definite formulation of a wicked problem Model3When faced with a wicked problem, it is often difficult to state exactly what this problem is, and what you are aiming to do. This can therefore lead to confusion as to whether or not the issue has been resolved, it is a continuous problem. In my design experiences, I have picked up on things that I didnt initially think about whilst doing research and consulting users. For example whilst doing my product study on Speedo fast skin swimsuits, when I gave a questionnaire to a user it highlighted issues that I didnt initially consider such the users experience whilst using it, such as feeling claustrophobic. This led me to look further into the research Speedo had done regarding comfort. The whole design process ends up being a learning experience because you have to thoroughly look into all aspects necessary in order to try and solve the wicked problem. Figure 1 below shows that the design process is continuous it is a never ending circle. Wicked problems have no stopping point A wicked problem can arise when you are designing and there is no clear or obvious place to stop at they dont have an exhaustive end point. You can go on and on developing and altering the design but the end point will never be clear because of the nature of the problem being solved. In my previous design experiences, the stopping point has always been when I have met all the identified required needs stated in the specification, when the time limit prevents me from going any further, and when I have received positive feedback about the design, illustrating that potential users are happy with it. It is also important to ensure that the design has been explored thoroughly from all perspectives. Time and deadlines are often the most contributing factor to determine the point you stop at. This may lead to the design not being fully explored. In a lot of my design experiences, especially at GCSE, I had to move on to the next part of the design process before fully exploring everything a s the opportunities were endless, it was a wicked problem design something to be sold by the National Trust in their shops Solutions to wicked problems cant be described as true or false but good or bad Solutions to design problems cant be described as true or false or right or wrong because it varies depending on whom is using the product. Designs are normally described using personal opinion by evaluating them from different perspectives and considering various factors, for example, function, size, ease of use etc. A design cannot just be classed as right or wrong, its not that simple, parts of it may be correct whereas others might not work. A design may be perfect for one specific group of people but not at all for others. Constructive criticism is a good thing to use when looking at solutions, considering good points, bad points and ways to improve. For example, for AS level I made a lamp intended for use by children, the aesthetics I came up with would suit children but wouldnt appeal to many others. Designers may be given the same brief to work from, yet the end results will not all be the same. This doesnt mean that one person is right and the rest are wrong, the problem has just been solved in other ways depending on how the designer has interpreted it. Every wicked problem can be considered a symptom of another problem A lot of designs can continuously be improved and developed due to reasons such as new technology and materials being developed. Wicked designs cant ever be fully solved; they depend on trends, opinions, financial situations etc. So you may temporarily satisfy the design criteria but not in the long run. An example of this is mobile phones; they are constantly changing and getting better to meet peoples needs and to compete with competitive brands. Figure 2 below suited the need at the time it was designed you could phone off it. Now, figure 3 meets the needs of people, it is multi functional and does everything from browsing the internet to video calling. Every wicked problem can be considered a symptom of another problem. Products that seem out of date now would have been designed to suit the target market at the time they were designed; it is not because of a fault of the designer. Sustainability now has much more importance than previously so the way products are made has change d. Designers know that it is a current issue so strive to create products that are sustainable. Industrial designers and engineers Often it is hard to distinguish between the role of the engineer and that of the industrial designer because the way they work is so similar; however there are some influencing differences. The engineer is more concerned about the technological aspects of the design and the accuracy of it. There is often a right or wrong answer as it frequently involves mathematics and science. On the other hand, the industrial designer focuses more upon the aesthetics, production, social and environmental impact, sustainability and price. There is no definite answer to the initial brief; it is a matter of opinion. Their aim is to make the product appeal to users so that they will buy it. The role of the industrial designer is to create and execute design solutions towards problems of form, usability, user ergonomics, marketing, brand development and sales http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_design Aug 2008 Engineering is the discipline, art and profession of acquiring and applying technical, scientific and mathematical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering Nov 2009. My experience For my AS project I designed a lamp inspired by the design movement pop art for young children. It was be a night light. For my A Level project, I designed something to encourage healthy eating for children and families to improve their lifestyle. I choose to do the product shown below, you place each persons photo in the frame on the box, and whenever you eat an item of fruit or vegetable (one of your five a day) you put a counter in the slot above your photo. For both of these, some aspects of the design process were considered to be traditional industrial design, and some considered to be the responsibility of the engineer. Role of industrial designer in my experience Industrial design was involved in my A level project because aesthetics was a very important factor to ensure that children would want to use the product. This involved considering colour, shapes, finish and form. Cultural and social concerns played an important part in the designing. I did some research and found that interactive learning was one of the better ways to educate and influence children. I also found out that gentle competitiveness would encourage people to interact with the product. In this case it was done by competing to see who could eat the most fruit/vegetables in one day, recorded by putting counters in the slot above your photo. It was important for me to consider cost and manufacture to ensure that the product would be accessible to people of as many backgrounds as possible. Safety was also an important factor in this design as its intended to be used by children, the parts couldnt be too small and there couldnt be any sharp parts. The industrial designer also n eeded to consider the materials to be used, and the surface finish needed. Role of engineer in my experience The role of the engineer was to make sure that the design provided the required function, and that performance was up to the right level. I had to make sure that the gap between the two sheets for the counters to slot into was exactly the right size so that the counters didnt get stuck, but didnt move around too much. I also had to make sure that the dimensions were correct so that the top black piece fitted into the base securely enough, yet it could be removed to tip upside down to remove the counters. A lot of precision was needed to ensure that the pieces all fitted together correctly. For my lamp it was the role of the engineer to ensure that the electrical parts of the design functioned correctly and that they were held inside the casing safely. Sustainability Sustainability has become a very important influence when designing due to societys increasing concern about it. Designers need to think about the product they are designing from cradle to grave, meaning they need to consider where the materials are obtained from whether they are readily available, renewable or non renewable and where they have to be shipped from. The manufacturing process then needs to be considered to ensure that it causes the most minimal effect on the environment and that the conditions workers are in are acceptable. Packaging needs to be thought about to make sure that it is not in excess, and so that the shape is as efficient as possible for transportation. Figure 7 compares the cradle to gate method (just considering the products lifecycle until it is sold) and the cradle to grave idea, where you consider the products impact after its useful life has ended. Sustainability can be split into three categories economic, social and environmental. The sustainabili ty handbook defines them all, the economic one means considering economic implications of our actions including ensuring that there is an economic benefit both to the region from which the product came and to the region in which it is marketed. The social one means ensuring that our own and other peoples quality of life and human rights are not compromised to fulfill our expectations or demands. And the environmental one can be defined as ensuring that our actions and lifestyles dont cause the planets resources to be used at unsustainable rates. When designing a product, as a designer you should consider each of these three categories and the potential impact your product will have on them. Defenitions of Sustainability Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Sustainability is all about preserving the worlds natural resources for future generations. A fully sustainable industry would be one that has zero impact or a positive impact on the environment. My experience of sustainability My experience of sustainability involved several factors. My material choice was an important factor. I had to find out how easily available various materials were, what is done with them after their useful life has ended and how they are processed. With my A level project, once the user has finished with the product, the different materials can easily be split into MDF and acrylic ready to be recycled. This concept reflects the idea that Papanek had (1994) of designing for disassembly; designing products so that they are easy to take apart and sort for recycling. He referred to the concept as assemble for disassembly. He proposed that different materials shouldnt be mixed unless its unavoidable in order to simplify the separation process. When considering what wood to use, I decided that there was no need to use a rare wood that would likely have had to have been shipped into the country as this would cause unnecessary environmental damage. I also needed to consider how the material would be processed, for example metal needs a lot higher temperatures to work with than plastics so needs more energy to provide that initial heat which is often created using fossil fuels. How I could improve my design experience With respect to my lamp project, I think that if I had worked more from the perspective of the engineer I may have created a more useful product. If I could do it again I would incorporate a dimmer switch so that the light emitted can be varied as its intended use was to be a nightlight. I think when I was doing the project I was mainly looking at it from the point of view of the industrial designer as I put a lot of consideration into the aesthetics and desirability. In order to make my A level design more sustainable, I could use another of Papaneks ideas (1994), which is to use scrap materials that are left over from production to create other products. For example, the circles cut out to make the frame could be used as counters in a game, or they could possibly be used to make jewelry with. An option to make my design more sustainable would be to use recycled materials to create the product, this option was a bit limited in school but a possibility would be to create the frame an d counters out of recycled polymer. Conclusion I have looked into the concept of wicked designs and understand how they make it hard for designers to fully satisfy the need when addressing this type of problem. They involve many complications that often lead to more, and it makes it hard for designers to create acceptable solutions. To ensure that they do the best that they can designers should understand the nature of wicked problems and all that they entail. I have looked into the roles of the industrial designer and the engineer and have related them to my work to understand the difference between the two, also how the tasks of the two sometimes overlap. I have seen how sustainability is an important factor that affects the way designers need to approach their tasks, and that they need to consider the products implications early on in the design rather than just at the end. I have examined all of the above factors and related them to my work where possible. I have also looked to see where I could improve what I have done in th e past with what I have found out. References Wicked Problems article. http//en-wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem (2009) Rittel and Webber accessed on 24.11.09 Figure 1: Learn. http://learn.lboro.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1455 week 3, EWLN power point, slide 13. Accessed on 12.11.09 Figure 2 : http://jamesoff.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/dsc_4159.jpg accessed on 24.11.09 Figure 3: http://myofferpal.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/apple-iphone.jpg accessed on 24.11.09 The sustainability handbook. William Blackburn. Published 02.01.07 by Environmental Law Institute Figure 7: http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en_UK/programs/laundrydetergent_en.html Industrial design article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_design (2008) Accessed on 25.11.09 Engineering. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering (2009) Accessed on 25.11.09 Eco Logic. Design for the Real World 1985. Victor Papanek.