Organisations and Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organisations and Behaviour - Essay Example This document will attempt to focus on the literature, journals and websites that are most relevant to the issues of supply planning and control. Survey of the month: Mixed results for supply chain management jobs. (2010). IOMA’s Report on Salary Surveys, 10.5, 1-4. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/365779321?accountid=12598 The article happened to have been written by an unknown author but it contains an overview of the supply chain job and what its average salary is. According to the article, the average salary was around $90,000 and the salary has been in cumulatively over all the nations. The author lists the increase that have been realized over the past few years then goes ahead to look into other factors that may have contributed to the increase one of them being job satisfaction. In the job satisfaction there was mixed results as some industries or jobs there was an increase in job satisfaction ranging from 5%-10%. Where there was high increase in job satisfaction was in the field of logistics and the fields where job satisfaction was low the main reason was due to lack in advancement and poor payment. This article is important because it enlightens on the performance of supply chain management. It also collects the views of people about supply chain management in general. ... 37094/13A291Fa1C446390891/42?accountid=12598 The authors’ main message in this article is about customer’s satisfaction in connection with supply chain. They go ahead to highlight how a good supply chain is beneficial to the shareholder an example is how the supply chain can add value of the shareholders if it is efficient well enough. According to their research, they discovered that there was a relationship between an excellent supply chains with customer’s satisfaction. When the supply chain was excellent, customers were satisfied and through their satisfaction the shareholders value in the company increased. It is not just a matter of profit maximization as the authors attempt to see that each and every customer is happy with regard to the supply chain used. Profit can only be made through sale and it is the customers that buy the products. For this reason it is important to make sure that the customers are happy and satisfied because they are the people who determine the company’s success. In my view I think the authors here were addressing the managers so that they can take a closer look at their supply chain and see if it satisfies the customers so as to maximize the profits. Customer satisfaction is the theme in this article which is relatively an important factor to consider in the supply chain management. Christian, L. R., & Kelivin, J. D. (2010). Job types in the supply management profession. Journal of Suppy Chain Management, 46.3, 40-56. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.prquest.com/docview/845503015?accountid=12598 The theme of this journal is to explain what is expected in supply chain jobs. In other words the journal speaks of the responsibilities that come with the supply chain job. Rosetti and Dooley in this article

The Help Essay Example for Free

The Help Essay How did people use non-verbals to communicate their status and identities in The Help? (e. g. : artifacts used by wealthy/poor, language tones/volume, dress codes, appearance, rituals, etc. ) The lines between black and white are clearly delineated by more than color in this film. While the socialite white women, even on routine days for mundane activities, dress in pretty pressed dresses, manicured nails, stiffly styled hair, and nice jewelry (reminds me of June Cleaver), the maids must wear identical uniforms, have severe hairstyles, and little or no jewelry. Their greatest possession is the purse they carry this seems to be of great importance, especially to Yule Mae when she is arrested. The maids are disallowed to speak in company unless it involves serving of some kind and must always address white folks with â€Å"sir†, â€Å"ma’am†, or â€Å"miss†. The maids must submit to white authority in all things (for fear of job loss or worse) and keep their voices low and calm in order to avoid tension or stress. And sassing (verbal and nonverbal) is a punishable offense as seen when Minny uses Hilly’s bathroom during the storm. Hilly could not care less about Minny’s safety in going outside during the dangerous storm, but rather is more concerned about how â€Å"clean† her toilet remains. There are many facial expressions and body postures that convey status/identity as well as artifacts. Hilly’s consistently raised chin and haughty expression mark her as quite self-important and the self-appointed leader of the socialites. Conversely, the maids (with the exception of Minny) keep their eyes down, if not their heads, hands to their sides, unless working, and maintain a social distance (more than 4 or 5 feet) from white people. Skeeter and Celia are the two white exceptions since they both accept the black women as equals and treat them with respect and kindness. Can prejudice and discrimination be expressed nonverbally? How? Provide examples from The Help when prejudice and discrimination was expressed nonverbally. One of the physical ways used in this movie to express prejudice is the use of hand gestures by Hilly. She flicks her hand in an upward motion when she orders Minny to cut a slice of pie for Mrs. Walters. The wicked facial expression indicates her hate of the black woman, especially because of her refusal to obey an order. There were several instances when Skeeter was speaking with one of the maids and one of the Junior League women caught her that they reflected their disapproval and distaste for so personal an interaction between a white and a black person. A painful expression is worn by Aibileen as she is forced to overhear Hilly’s insulting speech about the need for separate bathrooms. Not only does the hurt show on Aibileen’s face but she also hides in the hallway rather than have to be present during the conversation, as if she should be ashamed of her skin. Another example, this one involving white rejecting white, is when Celia shows up at Elizabeth’s during the bridge club luncheon. Not only do they refuse to answer the door but make a half-hearted attempt to hide from her when she comes to the window. They are giggling, covering their mouths with their fingers (as if this is a grand joke or oh, so cute), and you can overhear rude remarks about her desperation and obvious lack of social etiquette. One last example was in the grocery store at the end of the movie. Aibileen and Minny are shopping, walking down the aisle side by side with their carts. However, when a white woman approaches Aibileen it is made clear that she is to move aside and let the white woman pass, which she does with an apologetic look and hanging of her head (as if she were ashamed for having been in the way). Give me an example of someone in The Help whose nonverbal behavior was insulting, ridiculing, or demeaning to others. Which character was not insulting or demeaning to others? Explain. There are more variations of prejudice in this movie than just between races. One of the painful moments, at least for me, was when Celia Foote shows up, uninvited, to the bridge club luncheon at Elizabeths house. Pie in hand, she is hoping to make friends and finally be included in the social circle of Jackson. However, at Hilly’s urging, the entire group â€Å"hides† and is â€Å"shushed† in a poor attempt to evade Celia, who is considered an outcast because of where she came from and how she grew up (poor). Celia’s face, when she realizes what is happening, is painful to see and as she comes up out of the flower bed, her short attempt to be brave dissolves into tears. I believe where Celia came from and how she grew up gives her a greater compassion and understanding of the maids’ lives. She seems childlike in her acceptance of them and is ignorant of â€Å"proper social etiquette†. She simply takes them as they are, respects them as human beings and fellow women, and bestows care and affection generously. She is also open-minded concerning Hilly’s behavior and tries to shed a kinder light on why there is conflict between them, even after the luncheon debacle. Have you ever made a prejudgement about someone because of their nonverbals? If so, provide an example. Anyone who says they have never prejudged another person is lying. It is, unfortunately, in our nature to judge others, especially when we think we are better than they are. Most of the time we are wrong, but, once in awhile, we get it right. I was hired at The Home Depot in Kansas several years ago as a cashier. Shortly after I finished my training and was put on the register another woman, about my age, came out of training and joined me up front. She, like me, was an extrovert and seemed happy and friendly, coaxing confidences out of all of us. Particularly me, since we shared (or at least I thought we did) a common faith. It wasn’t until later that I found out she was not only cheating on a husband and using a boyfriend for free shelter and food, she was also a liar and a backstabber. She had been telling others things we had shared in confidence, with a little embellishment for good measure. My mistake was giving her credit for being a good person because of her clean appearance, she was well-dressed and accessorized, she had a winning smile and bubbly laughter, and seemed so open with her life and beliefs. She cemented these nonverbals with proclamations of sincerity and Christian values. I suffered some very embarrassing moments over my misjudgment. Have you ever had a negative nonverbal experience? Tell me about it. It was Wednesday choir practice and I was sitting with the director’s wife on the front row waiting for rehearsal to begin. Her husband was on stage arranging his music and making small talk with us. I responded to one of his quips with a â€Å"cute†, and I though humorous, quip of my own. I found out immediately that she didn’t appreciate my comment and perceived it as a â€Å"territorial dispute† (him being the territory! when she stomped on my foot with extreme force (I limped for a couple days) and growled in my face, â€Å"He’s mine! † I was stunned and I’m sure it registered on my face. However, she was unapologetic and stomped away. I was mortified since we were not the only people in the auditorium. Clearly, she communicated her anger, resentment, disgust, and an unspoken threat to keep my hands of f her property (since I didn’t like him, my thought was she’d be the only one who’d have him anyway). Explain the differences in the usage of proximity between the two cultures in the movie. While the white socialites observed white rules of space (hugging, sitting close, touching, etc, though it is stiff and emotionless) the blacks were not allowed to engage white people this way. There was a social distance maintained, unless children were involved. The maids would stand a distance of more than 4 or 5 feet away from white people and wait to be commanded. It was rather humorous to me that the white women didn’t want the maids to touch their utensils, cups, dishes, skin, toilets, etc. ut were entirely at peace with them cooking (handling food), laundering (the clothes touched by blacks then touched their bodies), and mothering the children. Even when Skeeter goes to Aibileen’s own house, Aibileen has a difficult time sitting in Skeeter’s presence (she finally ends up sitting on the arm of a chair, the furthest place away from Skeeter) and, for a time, continues to act as if she’s waiting on the white woman. As we see the intimate times in Aibi e’s house between she, Skeeter, and Minny, it becomes clear that the black people share space much more than whites do. They touch one another, hug firmly (as opposed to a light, meaningless embrace), laugh loudly, and have much more passion in life than their white employers. Define culture shock. The friendships created between Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny broke societal rules during the 1960’s in Mississippi. How did people react when the secret friendships were revealed? Did people experience culture shock? Explain. Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. There was an uproar, socially, about Skeeter’s relationship with the two maids. People were incensed that she would debase herself, her family, and her race in this way (by fraternizing with â€Å"the enemy†). However, as people began to read the book, I believe they were faced with the choice of what to do with this knowledge. The stories in the book revealed the truth about what happens behind the scenes to the black women that serve white families and raise white children. Many of these stories, I’m sure, were ugly, painful, and humiliating. Once everyone knows the truth, each person must choose how to deal with that truth. This creates a type of culture shock. Some, like Skeeter’s mama, chose to support her and confess fault. Others, like Stuart, openly denied the truth or validity of Skeeter’s stance and ended their relationship. Hilly is very obviously divided within herself when Aibileen asks her, â€Å"Aren’t you tired Miss Hilly? Aren’t you tired? † I think she meant tired of holding on to an outdated way of thinking, fighting the tides of change, and being such a sad, lonely, mean person. 8. How did Skeeter deal with cultural tension between both cultures? Provide an example. a. Skeeter started out the same way all the other young women did. The daughter of wealthy, respectable white families, and raised by a black nanny/maid. Upon arriving home from college, she integrates herself back into society by attending the various meeting, luncheons, and bridge club dates. However, as s he sees and hears the ugly, supremacist treatment of The Help, she begins to bite back at her friends, though small at first. The initial example of this is at bridge club when Hilly is discussing her ‘Home Health Sanitation Initiative’ and Skeeter finally busts out with, â€Å"Maybe we should build YOU a bathroom outside, Hilly! † As her incense grows, Skeeter begins to form friendships with the maids Aibileen and Minny in a hope to write a book and thereby, maybe, right a wrong. She lies about her conversation in the kitchen with Yule Mae and intentionally plays a joke on Hilly with the toilets on the lawn. These are Skeeter’s little ways of dealing with the racial situation she finds herself in. I was a bit disappointed in the indirect ways she chose to â€Å"voice† her disapproval but it was a dangerous time for black sympathizers as well as the blacks themselves. 9. Did the more powerful societal group in The Help establish the rules for communication? How? a. The power group, the white women, certainly set the rules on how, when, where, and to whom the maids could interact. Fear was the crux of their power. The maids chafed under the supreme rule of the white yet they were powerless to do anything about it or they would lose their jobs and be blacklisted. Or worse, imprisoned or killed. Because of white supremacy sentiments and Jim Crow laws, blacks could be mob-lynched (killed by hanging or dragging) for the smallest of infractions, even if they were imagined. So, the black women only voiced their feelings to one another, in private, and even then they whispered. Otherwise, they kept their heads down, did their work, and tolerated the abuse. Times have changed how we communicate with others. How can you improve your intercultural communication skills? Provide examples. a. One of the biggest obstacles to accepting and positively interacting with an other person is a closed-minded attitude. We must first be willing to accept the fact that our own way of thinking, believing, and doing things is not the only right way. So, an open-minded approach is always best when communicating with others. Another way to hone good skills is to look for ways to positively interact with others, especially those with whom you do not share a common culture. Volunteer work, random acts of kindness, being openly friendly, making eye contact, smiling, and even attempts at vocal niceties can open many avenues to deeper, more meaningful experiences.

Advantages of Virtual Reality in Education| Proposal

Advantages of Virtual Reality in Education| Proposal Assignment 2 Research Proposal (i) Research aim and questions In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) technology has been introduced and incorporated into education. However, its relationship with students second language acquisition remains unclear though there are a few researches in the last decade. In this research proposal, I will examine the main advantages of using VR in second language acquisition and analyse its effectiveness on improving students self-efficacy based on previous studies. Meanwhile, I will highlight the areas that require further examination and propose my plan to address the following questions: a) Major Question: How can Virtual Reality (VR) improve students self-efficacy in learning a second language? b) Sub questions: 1. What factors affect effectiveness of using VR to improve students self-efficacy in second language acquisition? 2. What is the difference between using VR and traditional immersion classroom in terms of improving students self-efficacy?3. To what extent can VR improve students self-efficacy on long term? (ii) Hypotheses to address The following hypotheses are given based on my literature reviews on previous studies and my formulated questions: 1. Using VR can improve students self-efficacy in second language acquisition. 2. Using VR in second language learning could improve and sustain students self-efficacy on long term. 3. Students find it more comfortable speaking target language to VR rather than in a face-to-face conversation. 4. Using Head Mounted Display (HMD) are more effective than computer screen in improving students self-efficacy. 5. Using VR is more effective to improve students self-efficacy than immersion language classroom. (iii) Definitions of key terms In this part, three key terms, Virtual Reality, Affective Filters and self-efficacy, require definition: a) Virtual Reality (VR) The term Virtual Reality was used to describe 2D online multiplayer websites that is based on conventional communication through text input (Lin Lan, 2015). However, Monahan, McArdle, Bertolotto (2008) observe a significant development of 3D graphic technology that enables VR to be much more immersive and 3D powered.   Lin Lan (2015) concur that the difference between the VR nowadays are significant from the original concept as they provide authentic life experience through its 3D virtual environment rather than just watching graphics from a computer screen. Hence the term can be best described a system that creates an authentic virtual 3D graphic world where users can view and interact through multi-sensory inputs from external devices (Pan, Cheok, Yang, Zhu, Shi, 2006). As a result, the definition of Virtual Reality in this proposal is focusing on the technology that involves using personal computer or Head Mounted Display (HMD) in classroom education (Limniou, Roberts, Papadopoulos, 2008) since this definition enables my proposal to focus on its highly immersive 3D graphic features that enhance the interactions between users and the virtual world. b) Affective Filters Affective Filters hypothesis is proposed by Krashen (1982) to describe attitudinal factors relate directly to acquisition (p.31) that act to prevent input from being used for language acquisition. (p.32). He categorizes the Affective Filters into three: learners self-confidence, motivation and anxiety (p.31), which are closely related to the concept of self-efficacy as below. c) Self-efficacy The term self-efficacy can be defined as peoples judgment of their capabilities to organise and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances (Bandura Schunk, 1981, p. 31). Furthermore, Pajares Schunk (2001) contextualise the term in education as students ability to persist and be resilient when facing challenges in learning. Finally, it is noteworthy that self-efficacy is considered by Oliver, Purdie, Rochecouste (2005) as one of the major affective factors in students process of learning second language acquisition, which fits into Krashen (1982)s hypothesis of Affective Filters. (iv) Literature Review In this section, I will present connections between using VR and improving students second language acquisition from my readings. Firstly, I will explain two advantages of using VR in second language learning from previous studies. Afterwards, two researches are presented and discussed to respectively highlight the features of VR technology and to establish the correlation between use of VR and improvement of learners self-efficacy. Finally, it is equally important to discuss the limitation of these researches as my proposed research aims to address these issues later. a) Benefits of using VR in second language learning To start with, two major advantages are identified in using VR in students learning in language: reduction of Affective Filters and synchronised linguistic and physical co-presences. Reduction of affective filters in using VR in language learning has been established by multiple studies. Schwienhorst (2002) suggests a major difference between conducting a role-play with real person and with a VR is that language learners feel less embarrassed when making mistakes in their conversations since they are aware of the non-judgemental nature of using VR. Furthermore, Moschini (2010) concurs that because second language learners feel that unlike a real person, VR is non-judgemental when their speak, which encourages them to interact with others in the virtual world and ultimately, making them feel more confident and less stressed. In addition, Schwienhorst (2002) points out the possibility of practice the same conversation for much longer time in VR provides learners with higher chance of succeed in speaking as they feel less pressured with more confidence in completing the designated tasks. Another benefit of using VR in language classroom is that VR synchronises learners physical and linguistic co-presences, which results in more effective communication. Clark Marshall (1981) believe that in order to communicate effectively, it is important to reach mutual knowledge in their conversation between two interlocutors. One important indicator of its effectiveness is the level of synchronisation of learners physical location and linguistic one. They furtherly point out that communication cannot be effective unless conversation happens in the same location with speakers physical one, which is not always the case in second language learning, suggested by Schwienhorst (2002). He believes that using VR bridges the gap between learners physical locations and linguistic co-presence since it offers this immersive environment that makes learners to believe they were somewhere else. Henderson, Henderson, Huang, Grant, (2009) extend that students choice of location words can be faci litated through using VR when they communicate through videolink due to the merge of physical and linguistic co-presences. b) Second Life research study The first research by Henderson et al. (2009) establishes the correlation between using VR in language learning and its effectiveness on improving students second language acquisition. Meanwhile, another The Second-Life research is a quantitative research study at Monash University that utilizes VR platform Second Life to improve Chinese language learners self-efficacy (Henderson et al., 2009). They design a virtual world where students need to use their created avatar to collaborate with other learners to complete certain Chinese language learning tasks, such as identifying and placing order on Chinese dishes in a Chinese restaurant. Throughout the research Henderson et al. (2009) observes a significant improvement in learners self-efficacy as their survey suggests that student believe VR offers a learning experience more authentic and relevant to real world. They conclude that students self-efficacy could generally improve by incorporating VR in second language learning. c) Tag Along Role Play research study A more recent study, TagAlong Role Play, by Mock (2016) at MIT highlights a few key features of using VR in education due to its continuous technological development. Unlike using the computer screen in the Second-Life research, TagAlong Role Play incorporated Google Cardboard device, a kind of Head Mounted Display (HMD), into language learning (Mock, 2016). He identifies two major differences between using Google Cardboard and its predecessors: higher affordability and 360 degrees spherical view. The first feature, concurred by Sharples, Cobb, Moody, Wilson (2008), makes VR technology significantly more accessible to all students in classroom, rather than just a few due to its low cost of purchase. Another implication is that the device is easier to maintain and use compared with its predecessors, making it possible to access to students of different age (Mock, 2016). Another key difference between using Google Cardboard and a computer screen is the 360 degrees spherical view offered by the former. Rand et al. (2005) suggests that using HMD devices could offer higher level of immersion for learners, which is witnessed in the TagAlong Role Play research (Mock, 2016). Instead of navigating using keyboard, learners simply need to look around when wearing HMD and the tracking system will adjust the image they see accordingly. Thus, this more immersive environment, according to Rand et al. (2005), could elevate sense of presence of VR users, which could ultimately translate into higher level of synchronisation between physical and linguistic co-presence (Schwienhorst, 2002). The TagAlong Role Play research offers some new features of VR in language education that could not be feasible a few years earlier, which brings some new potentials that have not been examined yet. d) Limitations and future directions Despite all the benefits and features of VR mentioned above, it is important to argue that there are certain limitations of the researches above, which require further research on these issues. To begin with, the effectiveness of using VR to improve students self-efficacy on long term remains unexamined. Despite the conclusion drawn by Henderson et al. (2009), they concede that whether such improvement will sustain on long term is not yet confirmed since their study was conducted in a single lesson. Moreover, Bandura (1997) acknowledges the challenge students face when their high self-efficacy does not translate into better result, which could significantly impact their self-efficacy in negative way. Hence, as Henderson et al. (2009) suggests, a research with longer term is required to determine the effectiveness. Secondly, the impact of those emerging mobile VR devices in second language acquisition has not yet been fully discussed. The devices used in the Self-Life study are different from what we understand as VR in this proposal since Henderson et al. (2009) explain that students used personal computer on an online website in the study. However, in the past several years, VR industry has undergone a revolutionary development in making these devices smaller and more mobile, especially with the Head Mounted Display (HMD) (Lin Lan, 2015). Therefore, it is only recent that VR could be deployed in language learning classroom on 1:1 ratio due to these developments. However, Mock (2016) acknowledges the implications of such development need further examination. Finally, Quinn Hussey (2003) note that Little has been published on its [VR] efficacy compared to conventional training methods (p. 164), which challenges the pre-conception that VR is necessarily more effective than other learning methods. Furthermore, they suggest that using VR as the sole instructional tool might make learning less effective rather than what we anticipated. Even with VR being used as supplementary learning tool, its higher effectiveness compared with traditional learning methods are not yet conclusive (Crosier, Cobb, Wilson, 2000). Therefore, a research comparing the effectiveness of VR with other immersive learning environment, such as language immersion classroom, is warranted for further studies. (v) Significance of the research The aim of this research is to contribute to the existing knowledge of self-efficacy in second language acquisition. Besides, it will examine the issue in a school context rather than in a university classroom. In addition, it compares the effectiveness of VR with traditional immersion language classroom. Most importantly, it explores the factors that could be related with the use of VR in learning process. Hence, four major significances are explained as follows: Firstly, this research aims to contribute to the knowledge of self-efficacy, which plays a crucial role in students second language acquisition. Henderson, Henderson, Huang, Grant (2009) suggest that self-efficacy is an important indicator of students learning performance in future, which is concurred by Oliver, Purdie, Rochecouste (2005) as they believe students with high level of self-efficacy are more likely to achieve successs in learning compared with their low-level counterparts. Meanwhile, the relationship between students self-efficacy and their proficiency in reading and listening is emphasised by Mills, Pajares, Herron (2006) through their research with French learning university students in the United States. To contrast, Krashen (1982) points out that regardless of language learning capacity, if a student has very high affective filter due to low self-confidence or motivation, what student learned in class is unlikely to translate into higher performance in future. Thu s, it is important to examine the factors of learners self-efficacy in second language acquisition, among which could possibly be related to the features of VR technology although the exact variables are not yet clear. Secondly, this research aims aims to investigate the effectiveness of VR in improving students self-efficacy in secondary school context. Although Henderson et al. (2009) observe signficant improvement in students self-efficacy from their studies, the context of a secondary school classroom might be quite different from a university one. In particular, Pajares (2006) implies that compared with adult learners, self-efficacy plays an even more important role in adolescent learners learning and achievement since the latter usually have very limited options in motivation, which makes them less resilient than adult learners. As a result, he suggests that adolescent students are unlikely to continue their learning if they do not have a sustainable self-efficacy to complete their learning. Therefore, it is important to research on the effectiveness of using VR on secondary school context so as to provide a clearer picture on how effective VR is in improving self-efficacy in a different educ ational context. In addition, this research aims to compare the effectiveness of VR with other teaching methods in language teaching. As Ausburn Ausburn (2004) and Bowman McMahan (2007) suggest that despite all the positive result of using VR in education industry, researches comparing VR with those more traditional teaching methods are rarely conducted. Quinn Hussey (2003) also concur that using VR might not necessarily a more effective teaching methods than others, contradicting with studies from Wong, Ng, Clark (2000) which suggests that VR is indeed more effective when it comes to training dentistry students. In the context of second language acquisition, although it is still inconclusive to suggest VR is indeed more effective than immersion, it will be exploratory to compare the effectiveness between the twos, which could re-shape our definition of what an immersive language classroom looks like. Last but not least, this research focus on the factors that determine the effectiveness of VR in improving self-efficacy rather than seeing VR as a powerful tool itself. Ausburn Ausburn (2004) caution the danger of assuming the tool can be effective without considering of all the contexts and relevant variables. One of the factors could be software design of the VR program as suggested by Riva (2003) who argues that simply having the most advanced device is not enough for VR to be effective in education, rather we need to have a compatible software in order to maximize its effectiveness. Otherwise, as she suggests, the effectiveness could decrease significantly if the ecosystem cannot sustain the learners sense of presence by making them to believe what they see is real. From this example, we can assume more factors should be explored when it comes to effectiveness of VR, especially on improving students self-efficacy, which is part of the objectives of this research. (vi) Methodology Firstly, pragmatism is chosen to be the methodological paradigm due to the nature of this research. Gray (2004) suggests that for pragmatists research tend to focus on a practical issue/phenomenon and idea is true only if the issue can be addressed in a practical manner. In the context of this research, pragmatism is best represented by that aim that using VR will hopefully improve students self-efficacy, a practical challenge we are facing in second language learning classrooms every day. As a result, the theoretical perspective of pragmatism encompasses the design of this research. In addition, due to the nature of pragmatism in this study, it is designed to be a mixed methods research with two stages of quantitative and qualitative approaches respectively. However, the qualitative stage of the study will be emphasized to answer the main question of this proposal, which is considered as a qualitatively-driven research that incorporates quantitative research to ensure a more comprehensive insight of the problem (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, Turner, 2007). Therefore, methodologies of both stages are presented as follows: First stage is designed to be an quasi-experimental research (quantitative) aiming to validate hypothesis on the correlation between using VR and improving students self-efficacy in language learning. Creswell (2012) defines experimental research as to test an idea, practice or procedure to determine whether it influences an outcome or dependent variable (p.295). Another advantage of using experimental research is to have control group to exclude the non-necessary variables that could distract our understandings of such relationship. Hence in this proposal, the hypothesis that using VR can improve students self-efficacy in long term will be examined by this approach and using experimental research could enable us to establish the potential connections in between. Second stage is based on the Ground Theory for qualitative research, aiming to explain the factors that influence the effectiveness of VR in improving the learners self-efficacy. In his book Gray (2004) suggests the Ground Theory approach to be best involved when there is not a clear agreement on the theoretical framework of certain issue, which is the case for using VR researches in education (Ausburn Ausburn, 2004). Finally, Gray, (2004) points out that the Grounded Theory could help develop theoretical framework that could be practical in assisting educators, which aligns with the pragmatic paradigm of this research. (vii) Methods Based on the methodologies above (quasi-experimental and the Grounded Theory), the first stage involves experimental research (quantitative) using control group and analytical survey before the second stage, based on the Grounded Theory in qualitative research, involves semi-structured interview and open-coding analysis. Finally, it is crucial to secure all participants confidentiality throughout this research. Designated sample groups will consist of two Year 9 classes with student number at around 15 for each group, who are current students at a same Australian secondary college. Each group are expected to have a gender ratio at around 1:1 and have a same second language learning background. One class will involve using VR in their second language learning while the other will be a language immersion classroom without using VR. Stage 1: Control Group Survey Research (Quantitative) First step of the research is to establish control group to manipulate the independent variables in this research. As Gray (2004) suggests that although ideally the sampling groups should be assigned randomly, in reality this is not always the case. It is predicted that the control group will be pre-determined according to school but two classes of similar context could be chosen. Such context includes students gender ratio, age, second language learning background, student number, etc. to minimize distracting effects on the dependent variable, which is students self-efficacy in this research. More importantly, control group enables the research to compare the effectiveness between using VR and simply using language immersion pedagogy in second language classroom within a highly structured approached as identified as a main feature of control group (Gray, 2004). Secondly step involves ongoing collection of data for analytical surveys from both groups within a timeframe of one month. The survey is designed to measure students self-efficacy before and after using VR in language learning. Compared with the Second-Life study from Henderson et al. (2009), a months period enables this research to gain insight into the effectiveness of VR on students self-efficacy during a much longer term in comparison to only a single lesson. Questionnaires will be designed based on the research hypothesis and online survey tools will be utilized to collect students attitudes towards using VR in language learning. Finally, one-way ANOVA approach is chosen for data analysis in this stage, aiming to establish the correlation between the dependent and independent variables although Punch (2005) cautions that the two groups of humans will almost certainly have different independent variables, making the conclusion less likely to be generalized. Stage 2: Semi-Structured Interviews In this stage data will be collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with both groups first. Individual interview will be conducted during class time with semi-structured questions that enable the researcher to focus on the research question while remaining flexible for open-coding later. Using such technique, as suggested by Newton, (2010), provides us with rich data in gaining insight into participants context, which is considered crucial in helping participants discover the factors that influence their self-efficacy in second language learning and its relationship with using VR. Finally, the interview recording will be transcribed for data analysis. Finally, the Ground Theory approach is implemented when analysing collected qualitative data from the interview. One highlighted feature of the Grounded Theory is Open Coding, which, according to Gray (2004), involves categorization of different concepts while comparing with each other. Then questions should be asked based on the result of coding before conceptualization of more general categories. Afterwards, using axial and selective coding enable researcher to narrow down the categorization and focus on the variables that influence students self-efficacy in second language learning (Gray, 2004). Finally, he also highlights an advantage of mixed methods as using both analytical surveys and interview enable researcher to triangulate the data to get a clearer insight here. Therefore, it is hope that at the end of this stage, factors that influence the effectiveness of VR improving learners self-efficacy could be summarized. Confidentiality It is paramount for this research to obtain written consents from the following participants after them being fully informed of the research: School administrations/leadership, participating school principal in this case. Participating school staffs, this includes classroom teachers, ICT department and other educational support staffs. Participating students parents/guardians from both sampling groups The implementation of obtaining consent will adhere with relevant policy by using the checklist provided for ethical approval (University of Melbourne, 2017). In addition, the research will ensure the data involved will be protected and remain anonymous to maintain confidentiality and this includes the data from staffs, parents and participating students. Furthermore, during the semi-structure interview stage, it is important to ensure coding when collecting and analysing all interview notes, transcripts and recordings. (viii) Assumptions This proposal is assumed based on: VR devices are affordable to classroom in which each student can access one VR device.   Contrary to what Chittaro Ranon (2007) suggest that most classroom cannot afford Head Mounted Displays (HMD), the TagAlong Role Play study using Google Cardboard clearly shows such disadvantage is diminishing with the technological advancement of VR devices (Mock, 2016). Therefore, it is assumed that school can afford one device, such as Google Cardboard, for each student so their exposure to VR could be maximized. Using VR in second language classroom does improve learners self-efficacy from at least a short-term. This assumption is supported by the Second-Life research in which Henderson et al. (2009) demonstrate a significant improvement in short term research. Both research and control groups will be taught by one same teacher who will be teaching same content using the same curriculum around approximately the same timeframe. This aims to minimize the impact of different teachers influencing students self-efficacy in the ways that are not part of this research, which is supported by Pajares (2006) teenagers are particularly susceptible to teachers belief and what they say in classroom. These assumptions enable the research to focus on the factors that improve students self-efficacy through using VR in second language classrooms. (ix) Limitations Two limitations are identified and discussed while possible solutions are proposed as follows: Firstly, the control group might vary in different independent variables and thus impact the validity of the survey data. This is a one concern mentioned by Crosier et al. (2000) as they concede it is highly challenging to find equivalent groups in real life and more importantly, as Ausburn Ausburn (2003) argue against the notion that one technology could solve the problem without taking into account of all the social contextual background. This will result in lowered external validity of the comparison result between the VR group and the language immersion only group. Therefore, it is important to use data reduction technique when analysing them to minimize the impact of irrelevant variables (Punch, 2005). By implementing the technique, the researcher could stay focused on establishing the correlation between the desired independent and dependent variables. Secondly, another concern is the participants health in relation to use VR for longer time. This concern is raised by Mantovani, Castelnuovo, Gaggioli, Riva (2003) who observe temporary disorientation and nausea among VR users after using for a longer time. However, they admit this effect is largely caused by those out-of-date VR devices. As for solution, using lighter and more recently developed VR device, such as Google Cardboard, can significantly reduce the effect (Mock, 2016). Moreover, he suggests switching from stereoscopic to monosporic viewing mode could minimize such effect. Therefore, Google Cardboard device is chosen to be the VR equipment in this research to give participants options to reduce the effects. Finally, regardless of the equipment, it is important to inform participants, their parents/guardians and school leadership of such concern before the commencement of the research. References Ausburn, L. J., Ausburn, F. B. (2003). A comparison of simultaneous vs. sequential presentation of images in a visual location task to learners with visual and nonvisual perceptual styles: A study of supplantational instructional design. Journal of the Oklahoma Association of Teacher Educators, 7, 1-20. Ausburn, L. J., Ausburn, F. B. (2004). Desktop Virtual Reality: A Powerful New Technology for Teaching and Research in Industrial Teacher Education. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 41(4), 1-16. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JITE/v41n4/ausburn.html Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The Exercise of Control. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 4, 71-81. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0836 Bandura, A., Schunk, D. H. (1981). Cultivating competence, self-efficacy, and intrinsic interest through proximal self-motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41(3), 586-598. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.41.3.586 Bowman, D. A., McMahan, R. P. (2007). Virtual reality: How much immersion is enough? Computer, 40(7), 36-43. https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2007.257 Chittaro, L., Ranon, R. (2007). Web3D technologies in learning, education and training: Motivations, issues, opportunities. Computers Education, 49(1), 3-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2005.06.002 Clark, H., Marshall, C. (1981). Definite reference and mutual knowledge. In Elements of Discourse Understanding. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from citeulike-article-id:122353 Creswell, J. W. (2012). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Sage Publications, 2nd ed, 2015-2017. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839915580941 Crosier, J. K., Cobb, S. V. G., Wilson, J. R. (2000). Experimental Comparison of Virtual Reality with Traditional Teaching Methods for Teaching Radioactivity. Education and Information Technologies, 5(4), 329-343. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012009725532 Gray, D. E. (2004). Doing Research in the Real World. Book, 1-441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13398-014-0173-7.2 Henderson, M., Henderson, L., Huang, H., Grant, S. (2009). Language acquisition in Second Lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: Improving self- efficacy beliefs. Ascilite Auckland 2009, 464-474. Johnson, R. B., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Turner, L. A. (2007). Toward a definition of mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 112-133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689806298224 Krashen, S. D. (1982a). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. The Modern Language Journal (Vol. 67). https://doi.org/10.2307/328293 Krashen, S. D. (1982b). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. The Modern Language Journal (Vol. 67). https://doi.org/10.2307/328293 Limniou, M., Roberts, D., Papadopoulos, N. (2008). Full immersive virtual environment CAVETM in chemistry education. Computers Education, 51(2), 584-593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2007.06.014 Lin, T.-J., Lan, Y.-J. (2015). Language Learning in Virtual Reality Environments: Past, Present, and Future. Ed A Pragmatic Marriage: Analysis A Pragmatic Marriage: Analysis A pragmatic marriage, very popularly known as an arranged marriage is incredibly common in many parts of the world due to the common notion that relying on the family to select a potential spouse is considered an advantage as they have years of wisdom and experience. The biggest plus point is that there is a intentional attempt taken to match the two families which includes the bride and groom on the wide ranging parameters of social status, financial strength, background, educational opportunities and similar lifestyles as well as the physical appearances of the bride/groom as every family will want to provide their offspring with protection, happiness and a secure life. This concept is thought to tremendously increase the probability of the marriage succeeding. On the contrary, the two people are complete strangers to each other when their marriage is arranged by their family, thus they might take time to develop a level of comfort and understanding after marriage. Getting to know each other before marriage allows partners to have better respect and perception for each others needs and desires. The advantage being that ample time is achieved to explore both the positive qualities and the negative qualities about each other and learn to deal with it, well in advance before marriage thus, creating a satisfactory level of comfort after marriage effortlessly. Love marriages are ideally based on many factors such as friendship, respect, familiarity and understanding. Whereas in arranged marriages, one is forced to marry a stranger with whom they have no history or bond with. In most cases, the parents and relatives are often domineering and try to compel their child into a relationship he/ she doesnt agree with. This creates a complicated situation that may compel the partners to live together lifelong in a marriage that they are not content with. Besides popular love lore like Heer Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal, India has always followed a long tradition of arranged marriages. In the Indian society, love marriages are considered taboo and Indian weddings are often associated with arranged marriages. Statistics reveal that the divorce rate in India is only 2% as compared to the other parts of the world such as United States with a divorce rate of 50%. This cannot be considered as a reliable statistical figure due to the fact that in India divorce is also considered taboo. Therefore, whether they like being with their spouse or not isnt the priority. They are just forced to stay in that relationship for the rest of their lives. Women have been known to become a victim and to stay on and bear a violent relationship for the sake of respect in society, family pride, parents self esteem etc. Compromise and amendments form the foundation for a woman in an arranged marriage, mainly because the married couple does not have any fixed notion s or expectations from one another and they are not provided with any alternatives. Women continue to remain in sadistic relationships to maintain their familys dignity and respect and also have to be incredibly selfless and surrender to his/her fate. The woman is regarded as a means to the continuation of the family name as well as a willing slave to her husband. According to the Press Trust of India (2010), Marriage can be forced to save honour, and women can be murdered for rejecting a forced marriage and marrying a partner of their own choice who is not acceptable for the family of the girl. Therefore arranged marriages tend to be sexist. Being in the 21st century, arranged marriages are now considered as an outdated notion. These days individuals believe that no third party can understand the workings of a persons heart other than them themselves. Love can also cloud ones mind and keep them from seeing the faults of their potential mate making it easier to compromise. In some parts of the world, arranged marriages should be completely outlawed as parents tend to take wrong use of it. Arranged marriages are considered as an illegal activity as this archaic method benefitted the arent more than their offspring. Some parents arrange marriages for their children within social circles itself. Others did it for the monetary rewards offered by the other family. Therefore, arranged marriage is sometimes considered as a business deal between two families as they look into the property, wealth and status of the family in the society and then finalize the relationship. Also, some of these pre-planned marriages were used as a bargaining chip to cease a war between opposing family feuds. For example, throughout history as far back as the Romans and the Greeks, the war was sometimes averted by the marriage of opposing cultures as a means to peace and prosperity. In an arranged marriage there are different sorts of pressures faced by the girl and the boy to be fair-skinned and physically attractive. In India the evil of dowry system, concept of matching horoscopes and the caste and community issues, is sometimes taken to its extreme levels and has greatly contributed to the argument against arranged marriages. Getting to know the spouse before marriage is what plays the most prominent role in marriage satisfaction, but fulfilling this requirement depends on how much freedom were given to know our opposite sex, before marriage. Unlike our prospects of the ongoing transition from arranged marriage to freedom of mate choice, position of parents in selecting childrens mates has not really subsided. According to a research done by Xu Xiaohe and Martin King Whyte (1990), in 20th century, Chinas communist initiated supporting freedom of mate choice for young people, while they were also opposing dating culture (Xiaohe and Whyte, 1990). Although this research solely includes Chinese society during 20th century, middle easterners have faced rather similar situation even in 21st century. When parents and the society support this type of strategy, parents can actually put the title of arranged marriage away, as well as keeping their authority vital. Meanwhile, they dont let their children date anyone , unless they meet the person in person. In this case, they are actually letting their children meet and know their future spouse before marriage, so they have given them the opportunity to get to know that specific person before marriage, which could be considered an opportunity to fall in love or to develop bonds, but they arent actually letting them know the opposite sex. They are so worried that they prefer to keep their children naÃÆ' ¯ve, rather than letting them risk their relationships, dating wrong people. Some people may think as long as you get to know your partner before marriage, its enough. But we believe in this case, you havent married the person you were in love with; youve just found a decent partner to marry, because you were supposed to marry someone eventually. In arranged marriage, the importance of getting to know your partner before marriage is completely overlooked, which leads marriages to failure. Besides, when you dont know how people from your opposit e sex behave, think, talk or react to specific matters, and what are the things that they care about, misunderstanding is the first burden which will add to discontentment of your arranged marriage. Its not deniable that the ones who are forced to arranged marriages find ways to compromise with their spouse; because the criterions of knowing a marriage as satisfying are not simply limited to how couples get married. When couples are younger, they tend to assess level of their marriage satisfaction by their wealth or even political status. As time goes by, even presence of grand children can affect their evaluation of their marriage. For instance, our own grandparents got married when they didnt even know what marriage is; so they were never asked about who they prefer to choose as spouse; However, if you ask them whether they were satisfied with their marriage or not, they wouldnt express discontentment. Because if they had had dreams about marriage, they had put them aside to reach a compromise with the life they were forced to have, and if they didnt have an idea of marriage, they never found out what love match is. This doesnt mean that couples who get married with love match es always stay as content as theyd been at the first place, but it does confirm the fact that normally, the ones who marry their love of their life, are more satisfied with their marriage, than couples who are already content of their current life, but got married based on arranged marriage. In the survey done by by Xu Xiaohe and Martin King Whyte (1990), it is stated that variations of mate selection do not involve just two categories, but a continuum from total parental control to total freedom of choice Along with this continuum. So basically, when we oppose arranged marriage, were not just against the gist of arranged marriage, but also against the strong authority that parents have over the procedure of getting married. Arranged marriage must be banned, because the ideology behind this type of marriage follows extremely dogmatic patterns regarding parental authority that make lives of couples miserable.

The Brown Sisters Lecture Essay -- Brown versus Board of Education

The Brown Sisters Upon hearing the narrative assignment, I found myself stunned that I would actually have to attend a lecture outside of my classes. When scanning the list of possible events, the Brown Sisters lecture stood out in my mind. I had just completed an essay solely devoted to the decision and it’s impact on society so I thought it would be interesting to hear a first hand account of the tumultuous times these brave women faced. The lecture turned out to be more interesting than I originally imagined though I left with a slight sense of dissatisfaction. As I slowly trudged up the steps of Foellinger Auditorium, I saw my pledge mom and walked up to her prolonging the time before I had to enter the room. She immediately asked, â€Å"What class are you here for?† African Americans were forced to deal with social inequalities for centuries by their white counterparts and struggled to break free of the chains of racism. The Brown decision took a huge step towards fixing the discrepancies between races and should be celebrated by every citizen of our country. If the Brown family appeared at a university, every one should flock to see people that made the advancement of African Americans possible. But in reality, student converse about that mean teacher that makes his students attend outside lectures and how their time could be better spent. The composition of the audience came as no surprise to me. Students sat with dread as they pulled out notebooks in order to fulfill a required class assignment. Teachers and administration scattered the audience and a predominantly African American high school class filed in also wearing faces of discontent as a result of a required field trip. Two mi... ...band never got to see the success of Brown due to his death shortly after the decision but I think that Oliver Brown, to this day, would not be satisfied. To my disappointment, they did not deal with issues surrounding the current integration status and spent little time talking about what changed after the decision. Growing up, I lived a sheltered life and issues of integration did not concern me. As I further investigate the aftermath of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, I become decreasingly naà ¯ve about our current integration situation. When thinking about the area I live in, I notice that integration is nonexistent. Our society has come a long way in the past fifty years since the decision but we still have a long road ahead of us. The Brown decision signifies the beginning of the fight against segregation not the end of it, as many people believe.

Exercises in Scientific Writing: Coordinators, Subordinators

The full PDF (with exercises) can be downloaded from http://louisville. edu,'faculty/ lwolf02,' writing-about-data Joining Sentences with Subordinators One of the biggest differences between mature, effective writing and more basic writing is that mature writers use subordinators to show relationships between ideas. The more complex the information that you are writing about. the more important subordinators are. unfortunately. when beginning writers start using subordinators, they often produce sentence fragments or punctuate sentences incorrectly.Therefore, this chapter has the following goals: 1. Encourage you to use subordinators to connect ideas together. 2. Show that subordinators can be used in either the beginning or the middle of sentences. 3. Ensure that you understand the correct rules for punctuating subordinators. What is a subordinator? Subordinators are words that join sentences and help us highlight a variety of relationships between ideas, including cause,'effect rel ationships, contrasts, conditions, and concessions.Here are the subordinators we use most Often: Subordinator although, though, even though, While, whereas because, since Logical Relationship Contrast/concession Cause/ResL11t Condition before, after, when, Time henever, until, as soon as Example While we can model X-ray emissions, such an approach is often laborious, time-consuming, and impractical. The tuff absorbed a great amount of water after the earthquake because it consisted of porous material. The stress cannot be reproduced if the blocks are too large.Some heart attack victims in our study confessed that they phoned clients and rescheduled meetings before they called an ambulance. When we put a subordinator in front of a sentence, we change the sentence from an independent clause to a dependent (or subordinate) clause. Here's a quick review of ndependent and dependent clauses. Independent clause: Contains a subject and verb and can stand alone as a complete thought. An inde pendent clause is a sentence. Examples of independent clauses: Jim studied. It was very noisy. Our class meets at 9:00 in the morning.Dependent clause: Contains a subject and verb, but can not stand alone as a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence. Examples of dependent clauses: When Jim studied. Because it was very noisy. After our class meets at 9:00 in the morning. Copyright 2006-2007 Joanna Wolfe. Support for these materials provided by -the Engineering Information Foundation. -3- Note that all of the dependent clauses above begin with a subordinator, such as when, because, after. To turn these dependent clauses into complete sentences, we he became anxious. ependent clause independent clause†can stand as a complete sentence Because it was very noisy, he got into a fight with his roommate. After our class meets at 9:00 in the morning, I need coffee. These sentences can also be written so that the independent clause comes first: Jim became an xious when he studied He got into a fight with his roommate because it was very noisy. I need coffee fter our class meets at 9:00 in the morning Punctuating subordinate clauses 1 . When the dependent (subordinate) clause comes first, it is always followed by a comma. Because the study sample is small , additional research is needed.If the blocks are too large , the stress cannot be reproduced. Before you start, make sure you have all the needed parts. Whereas a hoist can only lift and lower, a crane can move loads in horizontal and vertical planes. 2. When the dependent (subordinate) clause comes second, a comma is not used† unless a contrast or concession subordinator is used, in which case the comma is ptional. Additional research is needed because the study sample is small. [no comma] The stress cannot be reproduced if the blocks are too large. [no comma] Make sure you have all the needed parts before you start.. no comma] A crane can move loads in horizontal and vertical p lanes whereas a hoist can only lift and lower. [comma optional because contrast subordinator (whereas) is used] Presenting Bad News: Joining Sentences to Show Concession We use the contrast subordinators although, though, even though, while, whereas to show contrast. But they do more than contrast: they de-emphasize the points they re attached to and show concession. Concessive subordinators are very useful for presenting â€Å"bad news†: they concede that a problem or shortcoming or flaw exists while de-emphasizing this problem.Emphasizing the good news Concessive subordinators are particularly useful in emphasizing a study or test's good points while still acknowledging mistakes or flaws. For instance, we might write: Although the study's design has some flaws, problem conceded Although the tests were done in a lab, the results are promising the findings should be applicable to the real world. good point emphasized These sentences use the subordinator although to concede so me points, but still leave the reader on a high note†the promising nature of the studies.Emphasizing the bad news Sometimes, however, you want to emphasize the problems. This is especially important when you want to warn readers about potential safety issues. In this situation, you should attach the good point to the concessive subordinator and put the problem in the main clause. Although the findings are promising, good point conceded the tests were done in a lab and may not be applicable to â€Å"real use† situations. roblem emphasized This sentence, in contrast to the examples above, ends on a negative point.No emphasis/Equal emphasis If you want to stress the good and bad news equally, use one of the contrast coordinators, but or yet to Join the two clauses. The results are promising, but the design has some flaws. This sentence stresses neither the results nor the flaws. The two clauses are given equal emphasis. Note that a comma precedes the coordinator. -8- Summa ry of contrast and concession words Word Type Subordinators Coordinators Contrast Although Even though Though While But, yet Concession Note that whereas generally works better for emphasizing contrasts than for emphasizing concessions.Subordinators: Join two clauses and de-emphasize the clause they are attached to. Coordinators: Join two clauses and give equal emphasis to the ideas they Join. Punctuation: If the subordinator appears in the first clause, use a comma: Although the study's design has some flaws, the results are promising. If a subordinator appears in the second clause, do not use a comma. (exception: an optional comma may be used before the contrast/concession subordinators although, even though, though, while, hereas): The study's design has some flaws even though the results are promising.If a coordinator†such as but, yet†connects two independent clauses (complete sentences), a comma should be placed before the coordinator: The study's design has some fl aws, but the results are promising. -12- Coordinators, Subordinators, and Transitions The English language has three basic types of linguistic patterns for connecting main ideas: coordinators, subordinators and transitions. The table below summarizes the purposes and differences among these connectors. Connector type Structure Where they connect Emphasis and nor but yet One sentence Middle of Give equal emphasis to two closely connected clauses.

Free Essays on Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

I. Title: â€Å"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets† II. Author: J. K. Rowling III. Summary: This book was about a boy named Harry Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts School for Witches and Warlocks. It is Harry's second year at the school. His two best friends are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, also attending Hogwarts. They all live at the school during the school year. Harry lives with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and their son Dudley Dursley. An evil wizard called Voldemort killed Harry’s real parents when Harry was very young. For some unknown reason, Voldemort was unable to kill Harry and this defeated Voldemort. Harry’s life at the Dursley’s was not good. He was forced to life under the stairs for most of his life. At Hogwarts mysterious attacks begin to occur. The victims of the attacks become â€Å"petrified†, they are almost statue-like. At the first attack there was some writing on the wall warning muggle-borns and muddbloods. (Muggles are nonmagical people, and muddbloods are people with muggle blood as well as wizard blood.) Harry, Hermione and Ron are very anxious to stop the attacks, Harry is a muddblood and Hermione is a muggle born. They discover many clues. The attacks are a result of The Chamber of Secrets being opened. The heir of Slytherin can only open the chamber. Slytherin is one of the four founding fathers of Hogwart. The others are Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw. Some students thought Harry was the heir because during dueling practice Harry stopped a snake from attacking a kid by talking to it, in snake talk. No one else could understand what Harry was saying and they thought he was urging the snake on. The chamber had been opened in the pa st. Harry found this out when he over heard some teachers talking. He learned more about this when he found a diary. It was magic. When you wrote on the pages the writings disappear and it wrote back to you. It wrote back to... Free Essays on Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets Free Essays on Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets I. Title: â€Å"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets† II. Author: J. K. Rowling III. Summary: This book was about a boy named Harry Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts School for Witches and Warlocks. It is Harry's second year at the school. His two best friends are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, also attending Hogwarts. They all live at the school during the school year. Harry lives with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and their son Dudley Dursley. An evil wizard called Voldemort killed Harry’s real parents when Harry was very young. For some unknown reason, Voldemort was unable to kill Harry and this defeated Voldemort. Harry’s life at the Dursley’s was not good. He was forced to life under the stairs for most of his life. At Hogwarts mysterious attacks begin to occur. The victims of the attacks become â€Å"petrified†, they are almost statue-like. At the first attack there was some writing on the wall warning muggle-borns and muddbloods. (Muggles are nonmagical people, and muddbloods are people with muggle blood as well as wizard blood.) Harry, Hermione and Ron are very anxious to stop the attacks, Harry is a muddblood and Hermione is a muggle born. They discover many clues. The attacks are a result of The Chamber of Secrets being opened. The heir of Slytherin can only open the chamber. Slytherin is one of the four founding fathers of Hogwart. The others are Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw. Some students thought Harry was the heir because during dueling practice Harry stopped a snake from attacking a kid by talking to it, in snake talk. No one else could understand what Harry was saying and they thought he was urging the snake on. The chamber had been opened in the pa st. Harry found this out when he over heard some teachers talking. He learned more about this when he found a diary. It was magic. When you wrote on the pages the writings disappear and it wrote back to you. It wrote back to...

buy custom Organization Downsizing essay

buy custom Organization Downsizing essay Introduction With the issue of ineffective personnel being a critical issue in business environment, many organizations are resolving to a trim of their workforce. The following research focused on downsizing with regard to its advantages and disadvantages to both the employer and employees within an organization. During the study it was assumed that individuals who maintained their jobs after the downsizing had a conviction that their organizations were doing so in the best interest of all stakeholders. Organizational downsizing can be defined as an organizations strategy of permanently reducing the number of employees so as to improve on its efficiency or effectiveness. While layoffs are concerned with the analysis at individual level, downsizing deals with other levels of analysis other than at the individual level only. Whereas leadership is vital to any organization, it can be a great disappointment to employees if no good rapport is developed between all the stakeholders. The management may view it necessary to inspire subordinates to do more work with less labor. Downsized employees seldom find new jobs with a comparable pay. A study by Daft and Richard showed that average hourly wages in the United States fell from $11.37 in 1973 to $0.34 in 1991, while the annual working hours increased from 1,683 hours to 1,781 hours in 1973 and 1990 respectively. Research Materials and Methodology A five-point Likert survey instrument was used to examine data pertaining to downsizing and its implications to both the organizations and the laid-off individuals. A study by Weber in regard to business ethics showed that there are six major considerations that have to be given appropriate attention while downsizing. These include: a)Making of the critical decision to downsize. b)Communicating the criterion to be used for downsizing employees. c)Opportunities for transition and transfer within the organization. d)The process by which employees are laid off. e)Motivation of the remaining employees to ensure that production and performance of the organization are not compromised. f)General relations of the employees and the management after the downsizing. Methodology Question surveys among remaining employees and the downsized employees were used to investigate the degree of fairness during the process and also seek their views in regard to the fate of each stakeholder. The main objective of the survey was to obtain precise information on the impact of the downsizing process. Reasons for Downsizing Although organizations justify their cause of action by citing involuntary loss of resources, employees view it as an intentional move to take away their jobs. However, there are varieties of reasons as to why organizations may result to downsizing their employees. These include: To reduce expenses being incurred by the business organization so as to ensure that it remains competitive and in operation for a longer period of time. The management may consider it an informed decision to trim costs by getting rid of some jobs with an aim of maximizing their profits. Technology obsolescence leading to elimination of some of the products produced by the employees. This is an often excuse cited by many employers to terminate and reduce the number of employees. Incompetence of the employee in the evolved technology with the organizations claim of having eliminated the product being produced by a particular employee and consequently, eliminating their job. The organizations claim of running short of funds thus forcing it to lay-off some of its employees to avoid financial crises that would bring it down on its knees. Causes of Downsizing A report by Twentieth Century Fund (1995) indicated that the major cause of downsizing within organizations was as a result of short-term investments. Since corporatemanagers operate under pressure from financial markets, they are forced to focus more on quarterly profits rather than long term investment. An organization is made up of three pertinent stakeholders, namely: board directors, corporate managers and investors, all of whom give little priority to long term investments. Instead, they pay attention on how fast they meet their short term objectives of which are the basis used by others to judge their performance. Primarily, downsizing is attributed to the problem of an organizations budget especially in regard to personnel expenditure reduction. Therefore, with a great quest for maximizing profit by making significant budget changes, organizations result to firing personnel to reduce the cost incurred in paying out wages. Various discussions which have taken place indicate existence of three levels of organizational downsizing, namely: global, industrial and at individual level. At the global and industrial levels mergers and acquisitions characterize downsizing within an organization. Advantages of Downsizing It reduces expenses and costs incurred in paying out salaries and wages to a large number of employees within an organization thus maximizing on profits. For example, Oracle Corporation laid-off about 5,000 employees on acquisition of PeopleSoft Company. In addition, Jamaica Air also reduced its number of employees by 15 percent in an effort aimed at trimming the cost of operation. Improves in economic growth in the long term within organizations when overall job availability outweighs the lay-offs as argued by economists. As such, economists are always optimistic and criticize those opposed to the idea of downsizing. In addition, they suggest that employees who lose their jobs do so due to the effect of outsourced jobs. It gives laid-off employees the advantage to utilize their skills in other technological fields which are growing at a fast rate. Economists often argue that such moves enable organizations to maintain their competitiveness in a fast growing domestic and global economy. Disadvantages of Downsizing It disrupts an organizations ability to incorporate new ideas since it breaks down entrepreneurial networking within the organization. Due to loss of personnel, organizations end up losing the skills that had been gained by the employees during their stay at the company. Leads to disappearance of skills within the working environment thus compromising on the quality of the production process. Consequently, creativity diminishes as employees who are left out during the process of downsizing shift attention to meeting short term objectives in time to secure their jobs. This renders the products of a business organization to be at the risk of becoming obsolete with the fast growing technology. It creates lower team performance as employees begin to adapt to the new changes and diverse areas of work allocated to them to cater for the lost personnel. As such, the management finds itself engaged in many formal controls to ensure that quality is not compromised. Little control can have great implications on the future of the organization since the products may lose out to the competitors. At the individual level, it reduces an employees opportunity to implement his or her creative ideas and consumes a lot of time as the project is being developed. Production process would also consume a lot of time as individuals working together struggle to achieve integration and coordination between them. At the project level, an organization suffers from a shortage of information and ideas since a communication breakdown occurs between the project managers and members from other functional areas. Diversity of information is critical for any organization to realize its goals and objectives. With a downsized labor, information diversity and innovative ideas for improving on the organizations development process are often lost. Information greatly affects process performance and enhances team tenor thus improving on the efficiency of the production process. In addition, the organization loses many informal contacts which might provide it with the opportunity of learning from other organizations thus improve on the quality of its production process. Leads to loss of highly-skilled labor aand extra expenses being incurred in training new workers as well as the increase of overtime wages for workers since they are forced to perform more duties. An increase in the number of lawsuits filed in court by employees who feel aggrieved by the move to lay them off. This leads to loss of time by the organization while trying to defend their course of action. In addition, efficiency in production may take quite a long period of time as new employees adapt to new roles and responsibilities. Results Considerations while downsizing No. of respondents in % Decision making 60 Communication of criteria used 76 Possible transition and transfer 55 Process used to downsize 68 Motivating employees 70 Employer-employee relations 82 Interpretation of Results The survey sampled the response of 100 respondents, all of whom were employees drawn from different organizations and who still maintained their jobs and others who lost it after the downsizing process. The survey was based on the analysis of six considerations made in the process of downsizing as proposed by Ambrose and Delorese. From the table above, 60 percent of the interviewees argued that the decision to lay-off the organizations workforce was as a result of economic recess. In regard to communication criteria used, 76 percent of the respondents agreed that the reasons given to them to justify the organizations course of action were not convincing enough. When asked whether the laid-off employees would consider a possible move to other places of work within the organization, 55 percent of them said that it was almost impossible and not an option in the circumstances. Further still, 70 percent agreed that the organizations would suffer huge losses while motivating the remaining workforce. 82 percent doubted whether the normal employer-employee relationship would remain after the lay-offs. The above results from the survey indicate that employees are not in support of the downsizing trend growing up in many organizations today. Conclusion From the results of the survey its evident that many employees are not for the idea of downsizing as opposed to the management who think that the move is in the best interest of the company as well as the employee. Many of the employees appear to be of the fact that such moves cannot be justified and that they are only aimed at oppressing them financially. All in all, organizations continue suffering from loss of skills and innovative ideas and their reasons for lay-offs cannot be justified in the eyes of the employees. The reason behind this can be due to the fact that the management and other stakeholders put more focus on short-term returns other than the long-term investments. As such, they result to laying-off their personnel so as to achieve their goals and objectives. As organizations compete with each other and struggle with the issue of personnel reduction in an increasingly competitive world, cooperate managers, executives and investors should put more focus on long-term investment rather than shot-term solutions. Strategic planning should also be implemented so as to ensure that downsizing is the last alternative to the organization. Buy custom Organization Downsizing essay

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Contrast of Women in Tess of the D'Ubervilles and The Wife of Bath's Prologue essays The portrayal of Thomas Hardy's character Tess in his work Tess of the D'Ubervilles and Geoffrey Chaucer's character of Alisoun in his work The Wife of Bath's Prologue is such that both women are seen by society at the given time in history as rebellious, discontent, and badly behaved . Though these portrayals are the result of the cultural values held at said time, they have been immensely influenced by the ideas that the authors respectively had of women as well as the lens of context that each character is viewed through. The belief that these two characters 'behave badly' is highlighted through double standards in the novels' respective societies as well as pristine character representation that Chaucer and Although the mindset in which women are viewed has changed drastically over the years, the attitudes that men in the Victorian Era had towards women greatly influenced the representation of Tess that Hardy gives to us in his book. Throughout the Victorian Era, women who were married were treated as 'lesser humans,' and were valued by their husbands if they were efficient, submissive, and most importantly - faithful. The women that had acted in a sexually impure way were referred to as "fallen women," and in all essence were cast aside by society because of the 'dirtiness' that they carried with them. In Hardy's novel, the character of Angel Clare viewed Tess as a possible lover because he was under the impression that she was not sullied in any way. While observing her during breakfast as she talks to the other dairy-folk he described her as "a fresh and virginal daughter of Nature" (Hardy 137), but just a little while later, once Tess lets him know about her past affairs with Alec, his opinion of her changes instantaneously. Instead of being understanding or at the very least forgiving, he thinks of Tess now as an imposter and someone to stay clear of. The sudden chang...

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Safe evacuation from multi tenanted buildings Essay

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Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

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