Learnig styles and Personality types Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learnig styles and Personality types - Essay Example Howard Gardner (1983), in his theory of multiple intelligences, proposed that learning, for every individual, is a distinctive combination of intelligences, resulting from one's distinctive abilities, challenges, experiences, and training (Stremba & Bisson, 2009). Individuals possess distinctive learning styles depending on their process of focusing, processing, assimilating and reproducing content. Effectiveness of learning is mostly influenced by the mode of communication which connects the learner with the learning, through words, pictures, thoughts, feelings (verbal, visual, nonverbal, kinesthetic), sounds, numbers etc (Ryan & Cooper 2008). The visual learners have a tendency to relate their learning to observed events, objects, situations thereby forming impressions that help them retrieve information when they visualize these events or objects. Auditory learners tend to grasp information presented to them in some form of sound, like lecture, recording, music, discussion etc. this is characteristic of a classroom teaching, learning through audio-visual aids in training sessions, or in group discussions. Kinesthetic learners are more inclined to learning through experimentation, touching, and feeling. These learners tend to learn more when they move around, act out concepts while reading and by touching or feeling structures such as historical monuments. Effective learning can be ensured by adopting specific strategies that can match these learning styles, and help in better understanding, remembering, relating to facts and better reproducibility. For this, assessment of personality type is also important. Myers-Briggs model identifies four types of personalities based on specific traits possessed by people; they are thinker, organizer, giver and adventurer (Carter, Bishop & Kravits 2007). Keeping in mind these personality types and the aforementioned learning styles, different strategies can be developed that will aid in effective communication and collaboration among different people within a group. For instance, organizers with visual learning style can use colorful flashcards to emphasize on main learning points, use visual aids, pictures, graphics, maps etc. Thinkers with visual learning can make use of innovative designs, puzzles, and specific problem solving methods. Givers with auditory learning style can ensure better learning by teaching others, conducting group discussions, and enacting plays. Enacting plays can also help the visual learners. Organizing group activities using physical resources skillfully and games involving different people can be used for kinesthetic learners. This will also help the thinkers as it will give them an opportunity to problem solving with different approaches. Conducting lab experiments or practical study, in case of arts, along with lectures will benefit people with all the three learning styles. This process will also make use of different characteristics of organizers, givers, and thinkers in bringing about

Womens Rights between 1750 and 1914 Essay Example for Free

Womens Rights between 1750 and 1914 Essay The era spanning 1750 CE and 1914 CE was the era of revolutions. These revolutions were political, economic, and cultural, and usually very drastic. Perhaps the most visible cultural change was that in working-class womens rights and conditions, which improved significantly during the era of revolutions. The most visible improvements in womens rights were seen in Western Europe and China, where women gained many rights but remained under patriarchal authority and could not vote. Western Europe was the home of revolution. Social revolution grew out of Europe, and Renaissance men and women heralded human rights. Revolutions of the people were built upon the support of women, and in women used their dedication during wartime to garner support for peace-time rights. Women in Western Europe tried to harness the spirit of freedom, equality, and popular sovereignty. It was during the era of revolution that large womens rights movements were established, providing women with their own unions. Enlightenment thinkers presented very convincing arguments for female rights, and in many cases persuaded governments to grant women rights such as free public education, inheritance, and legalized divorce. However, little in terms of actual rights were achieved. In China, industrialization had become a part of life following the mid-eighteenth century. Unlike European industrializing power, China industrialized while relatively remote from other industrial nations, allowing it to develop its own strand of industrialization. Before industrialization, the humiliating practice of foot binding was very popular. Girls were often victims of infanticide, as boys could grow up to become government officials whereas girls would be married and become subservient to another family. Population growth in China caused by industrialization led to social change, and social revolution came in the form of the Taiping program, which decreed that men and women were equal. Though quickly put down, this showed that on the small scale, Chinese women were gaining more rights and independence, and a many people believed that they should no longer be treated as subservient individuals. Throughout the era of revolution, women maintained a, to some degree,  subservient position to men. Despite the many attempts by feminists to try and gain equal rights, little besides recognized was gained for the feminist cause. Indeed, it was not until after World War I that women gained suffrage. Up through 1914, women throughout both China and Western Europe maintained the same generally subservient role in the male household, despite gaining several token rights. It required large-scale social change in order to change the ingrown attitude towards women. Overall, working-class women in Western Europe and China gained little between 1750 and 1914 CE. They built the ideas and foundation that they would need in order to gain rights such as suffrage and legal equality later in the twentieth century, but little more than symbolic rights were granted them. Works Cited Hosken, Fran P., Towards a Definition of Womens Rights in Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 2. (May, 1981), pp. 1-10. Lockwood, Bert B. (ed.), Womens Rights: A Human Rights Quarterly Reader (John Hopkins University Press, 2006), ISBN 9780801883743Lafitau, Joseph Franà §ois, cited by Campbell, Joseph in, Myth, religion, and mother-right: selected writings of JJ Bachofen. Manheim, R (trans.) Princeton, N.J. 1967 introduction xxxiii

Greek Fire, the Most Powerful Weapon of Byzantine Army Essay -- Byzant

"War is the father of all things."1 Volkman begins his book, Science Goes to War, with this quote from Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher. Volkman uses the quote to suggest that many, if not all, scientific advancements owe their birth to the desire for or the fear of war. Fire is undoubtedly a part of this advancement as Bert Hall points out, "Fire is one of the primordial forces of nature, and incendiary weapons have had a place in armies' toolkits for almost as long as civilized states have made war."2 Of all the tools at the disposal of the Byzantine Empire's military, the 'so called' Greek fire was the most important.3 Greek fire was a weapon system that allowed Byzantine ships, as early as the seventh century, to spew fire at its enemies. On the ship's prow was the head of a lion or some other monstrosity, cast in brass or iron. In it's mouth was a bronze siphon that could swivel back and forth.4 The flaming liquid that spewed from this siphon came with the roaring sound and a black cloud of smoke. What makes it worse is that it even burns while in water.5 The fear it instilled in enemies sometimes egged men in full plate armor to leap in the water, knowing they will be dragged down to the bottom simply because drowning was preferable to being burned alive.6 Such an awe-inspiring beast of a weapon was already predisposed to legend and rumor. However, even as cinematic as Greek fire was, its cloud of ambiguity is, frankly, ridiculous. Put as accurately and elegantly as possible, Greek fire was "a misnomer wrapped in a misconception, confused in translation, veiled in secrecy, and embellished with apocrypha."7 At one point, one of the Byzantine emperors wrote in a letter to his son that Greek fire "was revealed and ta... ...timore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1960. p. 19. Parkington, James Riddick Parkington. Origins and Development of Applied Chemistry. New York: Arno Press, 1975. Roland, Alex. Review of A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder, by James Riddick Parkington, Technology and Culture, Vol. 41. No. 1 (Jan., 2000). Roland, Alex. â€Å"Secrecy, Technology, and War: Greek Fire and the Defense of Byzantium, 678-1204.† Technology and Culture Vol. 33, No. 4 (1992): 655-679. Russel, Bertrand. History of Western Philosophy. London: George Allen and Unwin LTD, 1946. p. 60. Stannard, Jerry. Review of A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder, by James Riddick Parkington, Philosophy of Science, Vol. 29. No. 4 (Oct., 1962). Volkman, Ernest. Science Goes to War: The Search for the Ultimate Weapon, from Greek Fire to Star Wars. New York:John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002.

Feeling Sympathy for Tess in Tess of the DUrbervilles Essay -- Tess o

Feeling Sympathy for Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles I think that throughout the novel Thomas Hardy uses many different techniques that lead his readers to feel sympathy for Tess. Through reading Hardy's 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' I have realised that it is invaluable that the readers of any novel sympathise with and feel compassion for the main character. In writing 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' Thomas Hardy is very successful in grabbing the attention and sentiments of the reader and then steering their emotions so that they feel empathy and understanding for the character Tess. Hardy does this from the very first time we are introduced to Tess. The first time we see Tess is at the Woman's Walking Club Festival, Hardy describes her as 'a fine and handsome girl, with a mobile peony mouth and large innocent eyes' (Chapter II), 'a small minority would look long at her in casually passing and grow momentarily fascinated by her freshness' (ChapterII).This description of pure beauty and innocence captures the imagination of the readers and we begin to build a relationship with the character. The beauty and goodness that we see in Tess draws us to her, and engenders a feeling of affection for her, in this way Hardy is preparing us for later in the book when we see Tess suffering, and feel sympathy for her. Hardy is leading us to feel sympathy for Tess by using her attractiveness and personal qualities. From the first scene in which we meet Tess, Hardy leads us to feel sympathy for her by giving the impression that we (as readers) are slightly overlooking Tess; a place in which this technique is used is whilst Hardy is describing the effects of her appearance on others. Hardy describes the more extraord... ...herself to save Angel's dignity. All this evidence leads us to the conclusion that Tess is a natural victim, trodden by society: 'Every day it seemed more was expected of Tess and every day seemed to throw upon her young shoulders more and more of the world's burdens' (Chapter VI). I conclude that although Thomas Hardy uses many different and varied techniques to lead us to feel sympathy for Tess he pays particular attention to portraying Tess as a natural victim. Hardy also spends a great amount of time (particularly at the beginning of the book) building Tess' character and building a relationship between Tess and the readers. This is an effective method of leading the audience to feel sympathy for Tess because the reader is more likely to like and consequently, feels more compassion and sympathy towards Tess later in the book when she is suffering.

Philosophy of Judeo Christian Writings Essay

Explain how the Bible portrays the creativity of God. (25 marks) When read in sequence there are many contradictory statements between Genesis chapter one and two. The origins of the world and order of creation are for example different. Although within the same holy text, the two chapters provide contrasting theories on creation. Many Christian beliefs are based around the idea of creatio ex nihilo, creation from nothing. Yet the very first lines of their ancient text contradict this. They imply that in fact God was â€Å"hovering over the waters† before beginning the creation of the earth. If water was already in existence then God did not create from nothing. Some Christians believe this statement to be a metaphor to help us understand. The waters represent the unknown and unseen, the concept of complete nothingness is too difficult to understand so water’s are introduced. Some point to the phrase â€Å"the earth was formless† to show that perhaps creatio ex nihilo is correct. God doesn’t create the world but moulds it into a more recognisable form; he changes from being a creator to being a designer. Many argue this makes the concept of God less impressive, for if God is not the only eternal thing he is no longer unique. The earth is not God’s idea but more his interpretation. A potter can only make so much with clay as God could only create so much from the chaos of the earth. This limitation means the world is not a creation of God’s but the best he could do with what he had. In Genesis 1 the order of creation is: light, land, vegetation, day and night, creatures of the sea, birds, livestock, wild animals and finally humans. Although humans were made in God’s image they are the final addition to God’s world. The phrasing of this produces confusion for God say’s, â€Å"in our image†, this suggests that there is a group of Gods rather than one ruling over all. This is often seen as God’s recognition of human presence becoming inevitable, so when he says, â€Å"our† he refers to him/herself and humanity. In chapter 2 of Genesis the order of creation is much different. Rather than humans creation being the cherry on the top they are the very first creation from which all else is based. Also the verse says the â€Å"Lord God made the earth† which suggests creation ex nihilo rather than order from chaos. Equally different from the first chapter, God only creates man originally and women come much later. These con tradictions are often the basis of many of the criticisms levelled at Genesis. The difference between God the creator and God the builder is very important and is the basis of all Christian belief. Although there is confusion within the text it is interpreted as being a theory of creatio ex nihilo, separating God from all else in existence. God’s omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence are central to his superiority over humans. Yet if God is truly omniscient then why did he plant the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden from which Eve was tempted to eat the forbidden fruit. If God is omniscient he would have known Eve would eat the fruit and therefore deliberately tempted her, if this is correct then it brings in the morality of God. If God knew all this then he deliberately caused Eve pain which would be an evil act, and thus God is not pure goodness, but flawed like the human race. Secondly if God is omnipresence how can he take a physical presence and walk through the Garden of Eden and have a face to face conversation with Adam. As soon as God takes a physical form like when he breathes into Adam’s nostrils in chapter 2 he is less divine and less unique. God is worshipped because he isn’t human, because he is separate and omnipotent, a force that is beyond human understanding. If he isn’t omniscient or omnipresent does this make him less divine? Differences within the genesis story raise these questions and are the basis of doubt for many non believers. â€Å"The creative God of the Bible is similar to Aristotle’s Prime mover† Discuss. (10 marks) A creative God and Aristotle’s Prime mover are similar in a variety of ways. Both are separate and more powerful than anything of worldly origins. They are both eternal and thus timeless. The very basic idea of a â€Å"higher power† is followed in both these examples. Yet there are huge differences between the two theories. The creative God of Judeo Christian beliefs is very much an active participant of the world, he can talk to the people and act upon the requests of humanity. He has the ability to participate in life and have a direct effect on life. This is very different to the Prime mover idea; Aristotle believed that there is a higher being that is in its entirety passive to life. The prime mover is the original efficient cause that began all the activity within the universe but from that action, has taken no further action. Aristotle believed that in order for his prime mover idea to work, the higher force must be infallible in all ways. He must have no potential for potential involves change which the PM can never do. The only effect that the PM has on the world is to attract the people of it, to him. They are attracted to his perfection, he takes no action, never intervenes and has no plan for it, and this is why he is perfect. He has no flaws because on a very basic level he never makes a decision that can be â€Å"wrong†. Morally he also is passive and so therefore can never be evil. Many argue that this inability or refusal to act make the PM an imperfect idea, for he is not perfect but truly neutral. Within the Judeo Christian religions the problem of Evil and suffering is often a reason not to believe or question the beliefs of others. This isn’t an issue within the PM theory for, the PM never intervenes and therefore all evil is human made, yet equally so is all goodness within the world. Within the Judeo Christian religions it is equally the ability of God to do good that attracts people to believe as it is the recognition that evil and suffering is a part of life. God has an active role to play within humanities existence whereas the PM is simply an unmoved ideal that all people are attracted to.

History on Thomas Jefferson essays

History on Thomas Jefferson essays In the excerpts from Thomas Jeffersons Notes on the State of Virginia I get the idea that Jefferson was kind of two sided on his views of slavery in many ways. But in Jeffersons case he actually fought on the side of the slaves in the handout. He talks about how the slaves are much more hard workers then the whites. Also he talks about how they can do some of the little things in life better then the whites that they served and worked for. But toward the end of the handout it is possible to argue that Jefferson was proslavery and yet on the other hand antislavery in his views. You can argue that Jefferson was proslavery also for hinting that after the slaves were freed that they are not to be allowed to mix with the society and yet be cast far away from the reach of mixtures in the community. There needs to be a resolution in that was Thomas Jefferson actually fighting for the slaves and saying that slavery was wrong or was he just saying that to make the people of the congress happy and in secret showing that he personally didnt like them and didnt want them in the culture. In the Notes on the State of Virginia Jefferson goes on the record as saying that in his view the slaves work harder then the whites do for several reasons. One of the things he says is that They secrete more from the glands then from the kidneys, which gives them a very strong and disagreeable odor. This great degree of transpiration renders them more tolerant of heat and less so of cold, than the whites. From him saying this he is trying to say that the blacks can work harder under warmer and colder conditions since their bodies have the ability to sweat more keeps them going longer. From this we get the understanding that in the case of work that blacks are much better then the whites and in a sense that whites are inferior to the work that the blacks do. Jefferson also hints to the fact th...

How To Write A Deductive Essay Essays

How To Write A Deductive Essay Essays How To Write A Deductive Essay Paper How To Write A Deductive Essay Paper If you have received a task to write a deductive essay, but you have no idea what these words mean, this article will come in handy. Indeed, this type of writing is not that frequently used as, for example, cause-effect, research paper, analytical article, or others. Writing deductive essay may be difficult if you dont understand how logical thinking based on deduction works. However, here you may find all the necessary information about how to write the deductive essay on any topic. What does Deductive Reasoning Mean? The word deduction takes its origin from Logics and Mathematics. It is a type of reasoning when you use some general statements to reach a logical conclusion about facts. Aristotle was one of the first to describe this method. Can you imagine how old this technique is? Having said that, it has become classical regarding logical thinking. Lots of other branches of sciences use deductive reasoning. Academic writing is not an exception. This method helps structure your ideas and explain them step-by-step. Examples of Reasoning Based on Deduction There is a common explanation which may help you understand how deduction works in real life. You must have used it in everyday life but didnt realize that it was the deduction. Technological devices need charging (the premises). A mobile phone is a technological device (the evidence). A mobile phone needs charging (the conclusion). The mentioned above example shows that by having some general information, you can make relevant assumptions that lead to the logical conclusion. How to Use Deduction to Write Deductive Essay The deductive essay involves all the main characteristics of reasoning based on deduction. This paper should show that the author uses the facts which are common knowledge to prove the further statements. It is a form of an essay which requires providing logical arguments. On the one hand, it can be difficult because your paper should be thought-over. On the other hand, deduction helps authors use the exact structure for proving the thesis. The writer aims to use the given information and come up with a logical conclusion. Moreover, an author should explain this step by step to persuade the readers. By using this technique, you can create interesting and unexpected solutions for complicated issues. Possible Topics for Your Paper When you have understood how to write the deductive essay, choose the topic.   It is a good idea to select the theme which accumulates enough information for arguments. Immigration leads to overpopulation in well-developed countries. Obesity triggers serious problems with health. Violent games and videos provoke bad behavior among the youngsters. Robots may replace teachers in the nearest future. Are these changes good or bad? Features of the Essay Based on Deduction Each writer should follow the specific requirements to prepare an effective paper. Bear in mind the mentioned below rules. They can be useful for any essay. Sharp Focus You should think thoroughly about the topic for your paper. It determines the focus of your writing. If you start talking about one theme, dont get sidetracked. Discuss the theme, examine its features, reasons, causes. Your aim is to find the logical conclusion. You can manage this only if the topics for deductive essays are specific and the discussion is focused. Clarity in Structure Planning and the paragraph structure are significant for any type of essay. However, bear in mind that the deductive essay should be very clear in structure both visually and meaningfully. You need to plan your paper in advance to make it coherent and cohesive. Work on your outline, choose examples, change the order of paragraphs to achieve the ideal result. The Premise Begin your paper with an introduction where you include some general information. Write about some facts that all of your readers would support. Dont choose controversial statements or rhetorical questions. For example, if your topic refers to animals, use the following introductory sentences. All animals need attention and care. This statement is broad but clear in meaning. Your readers will hands-down agree with it. Then continue adding more general information to present your topic. The Evidence In this part of your paper, you need to present a specific example. You can take it from your real-life experience or somebodys stories. The evidence should serve as a proof for your thesis. Analyze the real story to persuade the readers that your opinion is correct. Also, you can use different scientific findings which will make your paper more academic. Continuing the same example about animals, for the evidence you can talk about specific species. For instance, find some statistics about pandas as the representative of endangered animals. This will prove that pandas do need care because of the danger of extinction. The Conclusion Coming to the logical conclusion should be the final goal of your writing. After you have analyzed all the general facts and concrete examples, make up your final argument. If you feel that there are no enough proofs, go back to the stage of evidence. You need to be convinced that you have lots of convincing facts for the summary. Using the example of animals, you may mention in the conclusion that people should take care of pandas. Although the sample with animals is too simple, it should give you a clear idea of the deductive reasoning in writing. Devote Time for Doing Research If you are a college or university student, the topics for your article will be complicated. It wont be that easy to come up with solutions or arguments on your own. That is why you will need to hit the books and do some research. This step is significant for finding relevant arguments and evidence. Types of Useful Argument Style There are various techniques which you can use for making statements. It can be either categorical or proportional statement. If you choose one technique, try to stick to it throughout the whole essay. Making Categorical Statements If you want to be persuasive in writing, try categorical statements. It means that you should not discuss the topic but use arguments to prove your opinion. When using categorical statements, don’t criticize opposite ideas. Just explain your viewpoint with supportive logical statements. Making Propositional Statements The problem-solving task is the best choice for propositional statements. Don’t try to convince readers in the correctness of your thesis. Your aim is to discuss possible options and make some propositions. Edit and Revise Your Paper Before Submission Some students don’t like to spend time on revising their work. However, if your paper has lots of grammatical mistakes, the reader will focus on them instead of the content. Use online services for checking grammar or ask our qualified editors help you. Don’t avoid the step of revision. If your paper is correct in grammar, you will have all the opportunities to reach that desired logical conclusion in your essay based on deduction.

How To Use Video To Boost Engagement Rates With Almost No Budget

How To Use Video To Boost Engagement Rates With Almost No Budget These days, content marketing is all about videos. This trend is expected to continue into the future. By 2021, it’s been estimated that 82% of consumer Internet content will be from the video medium. Video helps marketers improve SEO, increase engagement, and produce higher retention rates. Today, we’re talking to Alex Schofield, account executive at Wistia, where he helps customers reach their sales and marketing goals by using the company’s video platform. He shares how to avoid the pitfalls of creating videos as one-off tactics to create a video strategy and think creatively for unique and budget-friendly uses of video. Reasons why marketers should embrace video (generate awareness and help people make decisions about different problems that your company could solve) People retain 90% of message delivered via video, compared to 10% via text Customers crave authenticity and human connection when dealing with businesses video makes that possible Use video as an inexpensive part of your email strategy to gain exposure; and use social exposure to build influence and awareness of your brand People’s email filters are out of your control, but email is still effective if you focus on how you deliver the video Think strategically about where video can play a part in every stage of your marketing funnel to guide prospects and help push them through their journey Measure success by identifying the goal of the video and funnel stage The B-word (Budget): Different types of videos for different budgets Video Distribution: Include videos on the landing pages of your Website and work with existing avenues (email, social networks, etc.) to incorporate videos Links: Wistia Wistia Learning Center We Just Launched Three Soapbox Ads That Cost $111,000 to Produce Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, 2016–2021 SalesLoft: Video in Sales Emails Increases Reply Rates 26% TOFU, MOFU, BOFU: How To Talk To Prospects At Every Stage Of The Marketing Funnel With Emma Tupa From Academy Marketing Resource Hub Write and send a review to receive a care package If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Alex Schofield: â€Å"I’ve really fallen in love with video and everything that it can do for business.† â€Å"(Video helps) people make conscious decisions about the different problems they’re trying to solve, and that your company could potentially solve for them.† â€Å"People prefer to consume their information via video.† â€Å"A well-placed and timed video in a sales email is an undisputed value-add.† You don’t need to have a $10,000 video budget or a $5000 video budget or even a $1500 video budget to create an effective video.

Critique a Research Article Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Critique a Article - Research Paper Example In addition, to make sure that victims take part more in physical exercises to progress their own health. The aim of this study is related to the importance of improving mobility of groups with MS. The author wants to make people with chronic body conditions to change their perceptions about physical activity, which is based on past studies that discouraged them from some activities. The author outlines some disadvantages of physical inactiveness. The researchers used direct and semi-structured interviews by means of open-ended questions in conjunction with prearranged ones. While the researchers did not spell out the type of research approach they used, all indicators show that the study was based upon a phenomenology model because it openly studies structures of insight as experienced by clients who responded. In this study, the people who were interviewed were patients who had just received medical intercession to stop their state of multiple sclerosis, with the most important int ention of the study being the adjustment of their insight to contribute more in physical activity. The author challenges the previous studies that discouraged physical activity among MS victims. The authors offered an equipped explanation to enable the person who reads to be aware of the subject matter being looked into in the research paper. The author draws information from the past publications for example basing their point of view on the outcome of the hypothetical novel physiotherapy intervention also called Blue prescription as a technique of advancing patient involvement in physical activity, the researchers supported their objectives with convincing and pertinent secondary sources numbering 38, pinched from just about the world. Many of the sources that they applied contained up to date information, but a petite number of them were in print more than ten years ago. On

Impressionism and post-impressionism in the art institute of Chicago Essay

Impressionism and post-impressionism in the art institute of Chicago - Essay Example Baudelaire says that "pleasure ennobles the soul and softens the heart," and a quick glance through the works exhibited in the Impressionist Gallery of the Art Institute of Chicago brings out a wholehearted agreement with the statement. Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise," in Gallery 201 typifies the mood of the sentence where the artist has portrayed two young men, languorously enjoying the sun dappled afternoon. Giving them company is the young woman with her back turned to the viewer, decked out in the fashion of the day, a blue flannel dress. The faces have a look of ease and their casual way of sitting reveals that they have had a satisfying day, have enjoyed their lunch and a cigarette in the boater's hand is indicative of the end of their feasting. This painting has been called an image of "bourgeois leisure" (Impressionism and Post-Impressionism p. 45) and here we see men and women enjoying themselves, which in turn suffuses their selves and softens th e rough edges they might have possessed. The men and woman have an easy camaraderie, and they could be any of the vast multitudes who escaped the bustle of Paris to spend a day in the country, which was made possible by the new modes of transport like the locomotive.2. In Visions, Hannoosh cited Baudelaire as describing some major techniques (valuing color over line, depicting movement or "perpetual vibration," including "air" as an element, using minute strokes, etc to make a "unified whole") that Impressionism developed fully. Find an Impressionist painting here that does one of these, identify, and briefly tell how it does so. Baudelaire's analysis of the painting techniques of the Impressionists can be studied, once again, in Renoir's "Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise," where we find a look of unhurried action. Colors play a very important role in here as can be seen in the color palette that he used, full of yellows and greens and blues, with a complete dissociation from black and grey. The brushstrokes he has used are light and feathery which reinforces the indolence that is a result of being sated. There are no clearly marked contours, so that the whole scene is softened and the afternoon sun dapples the painting and leaves its mark on the viewer too. There is an energy to the painting because of the minute strokes and a masterly use of light and shadow, seem sometimes on the table and at other times in the fold of the lady's dress. A very striking feature of the painting is that it depicts ordinary people in an ordinary surrounding and indulging in the most common recreations. 5. Choose any painting here that is more RURAL in emphasis than one you've already remarked on. Identify it, and briefly tell how it contrasts with any one thing from Baudelaire, Hannoosh's remarks, another Impressionist or Modernist work, or any of the art theory from Freeland. Van Gogh's The Poet's Garden can be studied as a contradiction of Baudelaire's vitriolic attack on his country in " Three Drafts of a Preface" when he says that " France is passing through a period of vulgarity," when in fact we see the flowering of some of the greatest minds in art and literature during this phase. I t is also a contradiction of the subject chosen by the Impressionists, which tended to depict Parisian life most of the time. The two main theories of art, i.e. expression theory and cognitive theory, realize the fact that art should and does communicate. It sends out the emotions, and ideas that led to the creation of the piece and the reasons that propelled the artist to paint it in a certain way. An artist has the ability to convey ideas in ways which are "original, apt and unique to a medium."(Freedland, 161) This painting by Van Gogh was created by him as a decoration for Paul Gauguin's bedroom which he would occupy during

Consumer Compliance- week 5 Discussion Post Responses Assignment

Consumer Compliance- week 5 Discussion Post Responses - Assignment Example A mortgage and a Deed of Trust helps in making sure that the loan is paid back by the lender. They secure the loan’s repayment by placing a lien on the property (Bevans, 2009). In a mortgage, the lien gives the right to the lender to sell the property and recover money while a Deed of Trust gives a lien to a trustee. In case of default, a mortgage requires that the judicial foreclosure which is often costly while a Deed of Trust allows for non-judicial foreclosure which is often faster and less costly (Haupt & Haupt, 2006). Both the documents help in securing a loan and provide mechanisms for recovery the loan incase the borrower defaults. A mortgage gives foreclosure rights to the lender while a Deed of Trust gives the rights to the trustee. Even though Deed of Trust seems to be the most efficient method because it allows for faster foreclosure time than a mortgage, it complicates the process because it has more parties involved (Haupt & Haupt, 2006). However, incorporating a trustee facilitates the foreclosure process because that is their area of specialization. They have the necessary man power to easily foreclose. Nevertheless, a Deed of Trust requires that proper notices be posted and rules followed, which makes it equally time-consuming (Bevans, 2009).Bottom of

Customer Care - Practical Experience Assignment

Customer Care - Practical Experience - Assignment Example The airline is specifically known to offer great customer service to tis huge client base. To continue offering great customer service, the company ties key performance indicators to customer satisfaction. It also trains its front officers extensively to ensure that they can deal with all types of clients and offer customer service that exceeds customers’ expectations. The success of the group is closely tied to customer satisfaction since the company deals with people on a daily basis (Zeithaml, Bitner & Gremler 2006). Questionnaires were used to collect data for this research. Open-ended questionnaires were used to enable the respondents give sufficient details to facilitate credible data analysis. Questionnaire were used because they are more appropriate for collecting primary data that was needed for this research because the data is more reliable since it was obtained first hand. Questionnaires are simple and comprehensive, they cut unnecessary details and are direct to the point. Therefore, it was easy to convince the respondents to participate in the data collection exercise despite having busy schedules. The respondents included customer service personnel at different ranks. Targeting employees at different ranks aimed at establishing if the entire organization harmonizes its customer information and practices and that the customer can get the same information at every contact point. Choosing customer service personnel as respondents was based on the logic that their work description is dea ling with customer issues and concepts and therefore they are more knowledgeable in that field (Meuter, Ostrom & Roundtree, 2000). Emirates Airlines & Group treat their customers well by allowing genuine interactions with customers. The customer service representatives talk to customers as honestly as persons representing the business rather than acting as faceless or nameless

IHRM Recommendations - Improving Subsidiary Performance Essay

IHRM Recommendations - Improving Subsidiary Performance - Essay Example Within this operation, Joe Mendes reports that attempts to integrate a performance management system are meeting with worker and union resistance, generally obstructing forward productivity in this subsidiary. Our subsidiary in France is plagued with excessive staff holidays, which tends to disrupt production and overall facility productivity, requiring a more effective performance management system and a method by which to boost productivity. In Sweden, Gary Alder reports that high unionisation, a workforce which offers resistance to performance management targets, and American expatriate managers who are not adapting management policies befitting Swedish cultural ideals are causing significant barriers to effective HRM and productivity. Because of the problems with expatriate managers and foreign labour expectations, a series of recommendations are offered to better streamline and enhance the international human resources policies of Medical Precision Systems. MPS has made a marked effort to expand into international territory, with all three of the firms subsidiary operations having been acquired or established no less than ten years ago. Under the ultimate strategy of transforming MPS into a transnational entity, clearly, a tremendous improvement effort is required to ensure that MPS reaches its target of global expansion with minimal disruption to the business objectives for growth and profitability. Currently, under the phases of internationalisation proposed by Adler & Ghadar (1990), MPS has reached a level of multi-domestic or international operations, not yet categorised as a multi-national firm. Multinational, or global firms, require that management (regardless of their point of host origin) share a common set of values and beliefs. As of this date, MPS' subsidiary operations remain focused on improving local responsiveness and attempts to transfer American, domestic learnings to those of the overseas labour forces.

Customer Care - Practical Experience Assignment

Customer Care - Practical Experience - Assignment Example The airline is specifically known to offer great customer service to tis huge client base. To continue offering great customer service, the company ties key performance indicators to customer satisfaction. It also trains its front officers extensively to ensure that they can deal with all types of clients and offer customer service that exceeds customers’ expectations. The success of the group is closely tied to customer satisfaction since the company deals with people on a daily basis (Zeithaml, Bitner & Gremler 2006). Questionnaires were used to collect data for this research. Open-ended questionnaires were used to enable the respondents give sufficient details to facilitate credible data analysis. Questionnaire were used because they are more appropriate for collecting primary data that was needed for this research because the data is more reliable since it was obtained first hand. Questionnaires are simple and comprehensive, they cut unnecessary details and are direct to the point. Therefore, it was easy to convince the respondents to participate in the data collection exercise despite having busy schedules. The respondents included customer service personnel at different ranks. Targeting employees at different ranks aimed at establishing if the entire organization harmonizes its customer information and practices and that the customer can get the same information at every contact point. Choosing customer service personnel as respondents was based on the logic that their work description is dea ling with customer issues and concepts and therefore they are more knowledgeable in that field (Meuter, Ostrom & Roundtree, 2000). Emirates Airlines & Group treat their customers well by allowing genuine interactions with customers. The customer service representatives talk to customers as honestly as persons representing the business rather than acting as faceless or nameless

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leardeship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leardeship - Essay Example This has made me to spend my time studying and reading motivational books that has really expanded my horizon and changed my perspective about life. The Law of Process has been enacted in my life as I have learnt that life is a transformational phase as I have developed over time. Just like the world is not stagnant, my life has evolved over time and now I believe in the Law of Process. The first law, which is the Law of the Lid is the one that I have found out that I am relatively weak in. The Law of the Lid as postulated by John Maxwell states that, one’s leadership ability is the lid that decides how effective one would be in the position of leadership (Maxwell). I have never been a leader before and this makes me feel that I don’t have any leadership quality. The Law of the Lid also postulates that, talented people would make effective leaders and I feel that I am not talented enough for the position of leadership. This is actually a feeling and I would have to work on this weakness in order to increase my effectiveness in this regard. I would believe more in myself and I would have the I CAN attitude. I believe by doing this, I would have worked on my weakness and increase my level of effectiveness as a

A Walk to Remember Essay Example for Free

A Walk to Remember Essay When I was 17, my life changed forever. I’m 57 years old, but even now I can remember everything from that year, down to the smallest details. I relieve that year often in my mind, bringing it back to life, and I realize that when I do, I feel a strange combination of joy and sadness†¦. this is my story; I promise to leave nothing out. First you will smile, then you will cry—don’t say you haven’t been warned. ’’ Written by an international bestselling author and my personal favorite Nicholas sparks, comes a tale of true love, first love and everlasting love that you will never forget! A walk to remember’ is most definitely my favorite book of all time. The tale begins with a 57 year old Landon Carter, looking back at the year of 1958 set in, North Carolina. He remembers every single thing in that year. From the smell of both the sea and lilacs to the girl that changed everything in his life forever. Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he’d fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town’s Baptist minister. A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. Out of guilt and a bizarre twist of fate, Landon asks Jamie to the school dance and ends up volunteering to help her in the town churchs Christmas play. Over time, they become close friends, they share their dreams and aspirations with each other and strangely enough Jamie nurtured a very simple dream to get married in a church full of people where she could walk the aisle. As time passes, Jamie shows Landon how deep the human soul can be, opening his eyes to the power of undying faith and the strength of compassion and love. As their kinship grows, Jamie reveals that she has leukemia, a type of cancer, and her health begins to deteriorate. This totally breaks Landon and he goes frantic not knowing what to do. He finally turns to the bible that Jamie had given him. He looks for answers and finally realizes that his loves Jamie too much to let her dreams slip away. He knows what to do when he reads the following passage in the bible. â€Å"I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of you love by comparing it to the earnestness of others. † He asks Jamie to marry him. The most memorable part of the book is the wedding ceremony when Jamie gets up from her wheelchair and calls upon all of her remaining strength to walk down the aisle to stand beside Landon. It was as Landon recalls the most difficult walk anyone ever had to make. It was in every way a walk to remember. Soon enough Jamie passes away. But she doesn’t leave before teaching Landon the depths of the human heart; she teaches him the power of forgiveness. She was an angel in Landon’s eyes, who brought him and his father together and she taught him to believe in miracles. A walk to remember was published by grand central publishing in October 1999. It is a hardcover paperback consisting of 250 pages. A walk to remember is an entirely a work of fiction. Romantic drama is the genre of the book. This book is listed as no 12 on the list of 1999 best seller. A walk to remember, received mixed reviews from all over the world. 9% of the reviews being positive, there were some who didn’t share the same opinion as the rest of those who consider the book as unforgettable. while ‘ African sun times’ rates the movies as ‘ a remarkable love story that, like its predecessors will touch the hearts of readers everywhere’, Clarissa Cruz of ‘entertainment weekly’ pans the novel saying that its cliche riddled pros and twists can be predicted after skimming the prologue. A walk to remember is my favorite book because of the fact that it touched me so deeply. It was the first and only book that ever made me cry. It is a sweet, simple, and beautiful story of how love can lead to miracles. Some may consider it sappy, but that’s just how Mr. Sparks wanted it to be. It wasn’t a cheesy ending where Jamie miraculously recovers from cancer. Jamie teaches Landon forgiveness, she teaches him to pray, she teaches him love. There is a part in the book where Landon asks Jamie whether, she’s lost her faith. When she replies no, he asks her, whether it is because she thinks she will get better. And Jamie replies ‘no, it’s because it’s the only thing I have left’. And that’s what I learn from the book. Faith! Faith in god, faith in the fact that things will get better someday, faith that I will be a better person than I am today, faith that I’ll see my dreams come true. And finally I would like to conclude with a passage from the bible that Landon considered Jamie to be as the truest essence of its description. ‘Love is always patient and kind It is never boastful or conceited. Love takes no pleasure in other peoples pain. But delight in truth. It is always ready to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes†

Pharmacy is a health profession

Pharmacy is a health profession Chapter 1 The word is derived from the Greek word pharmakon meaning drug or medicine and has been used since the 15th and 17th centuries 1. Pharmacy is a health profession that combines the health sciences with the chemical sciences. It ensures the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmacy practice includes modern services that are related to health care: clinical services, providing drug information and reviewing medications for safety and efficacy purposes 1. 1.1.1 The various disciplines of Pharmacy Pharmacy can be divided into three major disciplines: a) Pharmaceutics b) Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy c) Pharmacy Practice Pharmacology is often considered to be a fourth discipline but is not specific to pharmacy, even though it is essential. The boundaries between the different disciplines and other sciences like biochemistry are not clear cut. Hence, research work from the various disciplines is often done concurrently 2. 1 The Hormone Shop LLC. The History of Pharmaceutical Compunding. [home page on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 10]. Available from: http://www.thehormoneshop.com/historyofcompoundingpharmacy.htm 2 Dayanada Sagar College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, India. History of Pharmacy. [home page on the Internet]. 2008 [cited 2010 Oct 10]. Available from: http://www.dscpharmacy.org/pharmacy.php 1.1.2 The Pharmacist and Community Pharmacy Pharmacists are skilled and highly-trained health care professionals who ensure optimal health outcomes for their patients. In the community pharmacy, the pharmacist has various roles and these include amongst others (Azzopardi, 2010): a) the procurement of medications that are suitable for human consumption b) ensuring the appropriate conditions for the storage of medicines c) ensuring the appropriate and safe disposal of expired medicines d) dispensing of medications that are either on a prescription, or pharmacist-recommended or asked for directly by the patient e) point-of-care testing f) offering general medical advice without the need of a prior appointment. The practice of community pharmacy varies between countries. Nevertheless, the basic functions and responsibilities are the same. A community pharmacist builds a special relationship with the clients, especially the regular ones. Hence, communication skills are of major importance. The pharmacist finds him / herself comforting and hearing out the patient when necessary, and is expected to be understanding and also a good listener. 1.2 History of Pharmacy The first pharmacies, apothecaries as they were formerly known, were founded in the Middle Ages in Baghdad. The first one was founded in the year 754 AD by Muslim pharmacists during the Islamic Golden Age 2. During the 11th century, community pharmacies were established in southern France and southern Italy. In 1240, Emperor Frederick II issued a decree the medical profession was to be separated from the pharmacy profession. Pharmacy practice was to be supervised so that drugs of a suitable quality would be prepared and produced (Azzopardi, 2010). The history of pharmacy can be classified into three stages: a) compounding and dispensing b) clinical pharmacy c) pharmaceutical care. Originally, the pharmacists had to prepare and dispense medicines so they had to excel at compounding. The community pharmacist was therefore highly esteemed because the preparation of medicines was greatly valued in society. In fact, at that time, the pharmacists and other professionals such as lawyers, medical doctors and parish priests were the leaders in the community. As time passed, newly discovered drugs became more dangerous and potent so they started being prepared by manufacturing companies. The pharmacists role was only to dispense these drugs (Al-Shaqha, Zairi, 2001). 2 Dayanada Sagar College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, India. History of Pharmacy. [home page on the Internet]. 2008 [cited 2010 Oct 10]. Available from: http://www.dscpharmacy.org/pharmacy.php Pharmacists moved to clinical practice about 25 years ago. The original concept of clinical pharmacy services was based on the fact that pharmacists ought to use their professional knowledge to ensure the appropriate and safe use of drugs in patients. As a result, several pharmacists nowadays work in hospitals, nursing homes and some ambulatory clinics. Problems remained within the drug-use-system despite the advances made in clinical pharmacy and documenting and recognising these problems has led to the concept of pharmaceutical care becoming the new basis for pharmacy practice (Al-Shaqha, Zairi, 2001). 1.2.1 History of pharmacy in Malta 1.2.1.1 History of pharmacy in Malta from the late 15th century until the arrival of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1530 Before 1500, the pharmacists in Malta were almost all Sicilian. In the early 15th century, pharmacists were employed either by the Universita or by the Hospital of Santo Spirito. Mastru Salvatore Passa is the first documented pharmacist in Malta who practised in Mdina and the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Rabat from 1450 to 1475. The medicines prescribed in those days were mainly herbal. During this period, Passa often travelled to Sicily due to his work, presumably to import medicinal herbs as many herbs did not form part of the local flora (Borg, 1998). 1.2.1.2 Pharmacy under the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem arrived in Malta on the 26th October, 1530 and they applied their knowledge of pharmacy to the practice in Malta. A Holy Infirmary in Birgu was built and the Greek pharmacist, Giacomo Gualterio, who had accompanied the Order to Malta was the apothecary (Borg, 1998). Grand Master Nicholas Cottoner established the School of Anatomy and Surgery at the Holy Infirmary in 1676. It is very probable that a Pharmacy course was established in the school (Borg, 1998). Under the Knights, the practice of pharmacy in Malta changed gradually, but continuously, occurring in a similar way to that in Europe. However, extemporaneous preparations remained the same from the times of Mastru Salvatore Passa because the enlargement of the pharmaceutical industry still had to occur (Borg, 1998). 1.2.1.3 Pharmacy under the French and British colonies The French arrived in Malta in 1798. There were no more than 32 pharmacies under their dominion, each one having an average clientele of 3,000 patients. No changes were made to the laws governing the practice of pharmacy under the French. Hence, the daily activities of the pharmacists were identical to those of under the Knights. The laws established by the Knights of the Order of St. John remained in force until 1900. In their stay in Malta, which lasted for about one hundred years, the British left their mark on the pharmacy profession. The use of the English language, the names of pharmacies pertaining to Britain or England and the consulting room in the pharmacy are all such examples (Borg, 1998). 1.2.1.4 Pharmacy in the 20th century The Medical and Kindred Professions Ordinance of the Laws of Malta, governs pharmacy laws. This was enacted in 1900 as the laws governing the profession at that time had become outdated and needed restructuring. A legislation that allowed pharmacists to dispense certain medicaments without a prescription was enacted in October 1955 and on the 12th October 1955, a list of these substances was published in the Malta Government Gazette (Borg, 1998). The Malta Chamber of Pharmacists was founded in 1900 in order to protect the common interests of the pharmacists and also to maintain the professions dignity. Hence, the professions standards were raised by enabling the profession to keep abreast of the changes that were occurring internationally (Borg, 1998). In April 1961, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held by the Chamber to discuss the issue of forming a Trade Union that would represent pharmacists; all 33 pharmacists present agreed that this was necessary. One of the Unions objectives, among others, was to improve the conditions under which the profession was exercised and to promote the interests of pharmacists. The Pharmacy Board was set up in 1968 and this was the greatest achievement of the Chamber and Union. The Union worked very closely with the Chamber and in 1979 they formed one association, i.e. the Chamber of Pharmacists Trade Union. This association worked very hard and it affected the current state of the profession and also the legislation governing the practice of pharmacy (Borg, 1998). In 1984, after several meetings with the Chamber, it was finally decided that new pharmacies ought to be owned by pharmacists and that before granting new permits, the population ratio has to be taken into consideration (Borg, 1998). Patients could get their free medications from the Central Hospital Dispensary and Government Dispensaries throughout the first fifty years of the 20th century. The latter could be found in most villages around Malta. In 1954, the Central Hospital at Floriana was turned into the Headquarters of The Malta Police Force as by the late 1940s, St. Lukes Hospital became Maltas General Hospital. Hence, the Out-Patient Dispensary of St. Lukes Hospital became the Central Government Dispensary (Borg, 1998). Pharmamed, the first local pharmaceutical enterprise, was founded in 1974. This gave rise to several job opportunities in the industrial field, besides enhancing Maltas image abroad. In 1995, as a result of strong and consistent negotiations and representations by the Maltese Chamber of Pharmacists, there was the appointment of the first director of the Government Pharmaceutical Services (GPS). This was part of the reform of the GPS and the career progression of pharmacists in Government service. It was concluded in 1998 in agreement with the Ministry of Health on the full implementation of the GPS reform. 1.2.1.5 Pharmacy in the 21st century In June 2007, Mater Dei Hospital replaced St. Lukes Hospital as the national hospital of Malta. The last of the personnel migrated to Mater Dei by November of that year. Hence, the main Government Dispensary was moved to Mater Dei as well 3. In 2008, the much awaited and debated Scheme of the Pharmacy of Your Choice (POYC) was introduced. This Scheme enables the people to have an easier and more comfortable access to the medicaments that are given for free by the Government. 3 Mater Dei Hospital Malta. [homepage on the Internet]. 2009 [cited 2010 Oct 23]. Available from: http://malta.cc/health-care/mater-dei-hospital-malta/ Thus the service that was previously provided for by the village Health Centre Dispensaries was transferred to the community pharmacies. The patients chose the pharmacy of their choice. The initial stages of the POYC Scheme do not envisage any changes in the reimbursement system. Therefore, patients who are entitled to take free medication will continue to do so; there is no co-payment (Grima IC). Until January 2011, the POYC Scheme had spread to 96 Maltese community pharmacies and to 17 community pharmacies in Gozo. Following the introduction of the Scheme, the village Health Centre Dispensaries where the Scheme was initiated, were closed down after sufficient time had elapsed. Over the past few years, the number of local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies has dramatically increased. So has the number of locally licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers who import medications from EU countries. There are more pharmaceutical products registered with the local Medicines Authority. This has had a positive impact on both the private and public pharmaceutical sectors due to the availability of more different therapeutic classes of medicines and more medicines that fall within the same therapeutic class (Grima IC). Recently, the number of generic medicinals in the private sector has also increased considerably. Nowadays, a pharmacist can substitute a branded prescribed medicinal with a generic product that is cheaper for the patient (Bugeja, 2007). Accession into the European Union in May 2004 had a great impact on the medicines in Malta, especially with regards to their availability. Some medicines that were previously available were not registered due to the high registration costs. Hence, EU accession improved the quality of medicines. On the other hand, it had a negative impact on their availability and affordability (Bugeja, 2008). The prices of medicines in Malta increased considerably after EU accession in 2004. In fact, according to studies carried out, the Maltese are paying about 40% more than the average price for medicinal products in the European Union 4. In July 2010, the Parliamentary Secretary, Chris Said, announced reductions in prices of 62 medicines. Some of these reductions were to be implemented immediately whereas with others, when stocks were sold out. Many medicines in Malta are overpriced when compared to other EU countries, so this was a step in the right direction 5,6. 1.3 Pharmaceutical Care In 1990, Hepler and Strand looked at the responsibilities of the pharmacist and at pharmacy services in a new way. They applied the term pharmaceutical care and over the years pharmacists have endeavoured to develop pharmaceutical care practices (Foppe, Schulz 2006). According to Hepler and Strand (1990): 4 Maltastar. The price of medicines in Malta under European Commission scrutiny. [homepage on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 27]. Available from: http://www.maltastar.com/pages/rl/ms10dart.asp?a=11804 5 Xuereb M. Makers cut prices of 62 medicines. Times of Malta [serial on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 27]. Available from: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100703/local/makers-cut-prices-of-62-medicines 6 Vella Matthew. Medicine importers agree to cuts in prices of up to 67%. MaltaToday [serial on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 27]. Available from: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/medicines/medicine-importers-agree-to-cuts-in-prices-of-up-to-6 Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patients quality of life. These outcomes are (1) cure of a disease, (2) elimination or reduction of a patients symptomatology, (3) arresting or slowing of a disease process, or (4) preventing a disease or symptomatology. In their definition of pharmaceutical care, Hepler and Strand looked at the patients quality of life (Strand et al, 1991). Pharmaceutical care involves a pharmacist cooperating with the patient and members of other health care professions 7. This interprofessional relationship allows the implementation, design and monitoring of a therapeutic plan that will have specific therapeutic outcomes for the patient to benefit from (Ford, Jones, 1995). Pharmacists are the last health care professionals to come in contact with the patients. They thus have a major role in educating them regarding drug use. For this reason, pharmacists must be adequately trained and have excellent communication skills in order to provide this service in an effective manner (Alkhawajah, 1992). Pharmaceutical care can therefore be seen as the component of pharmacy practice that has to be performed by a competent pharmacist who must be committed, honest, accountable and loyal to the patient (Strand et al, 1991). 1.4 The Health Care System in Malta Maltas health care system is divided into the public / national health care system and the private health care system in which pharmaceutical services are provided for by 211 pharmacies that are distributed around Malta and Gozo. The public / national health system is based on a model that is founded on the principles of Equity, Solidarity and Justice. 7 American Pharmacists Association. Principles of practice for pharmaceutical care. [homepage on the Internet]. 2005 [cited 2010 Oct 12]. Available from: https://www.caremark.com/portal/assset/Principles_of_Practice_for_Pharmaceutical_Care.pdf 1.4.1 The Public Health Care System The Maltese Government consists of different Ministries, one of these being the Ministry of Health, Elderly and Community Care. This deals with the healthcare needs of the people and ensures that adequate services are provided for 8. The main goals of the Government for the public health services include 9: The concern of the patient, which is a constant issue The provision of health care and its management The value for money The sustainability of public health care. The Maltese Medicines Authority controls and ensures the quality, safety and efficacy of the pharmaceuticals that are available locally. It also authorizes the medicines that are to be placed on the local market. The Government Health Procurement Services (GHPS) is responsible for the purchasing, storage and distribution of all the pharmaceuticals that are required by the Government Health Services (GHS) in Malta. This entity operates with the funds that are allocated annually by the Government. Procurement of pharmaceuticals is done via tendering procedures that are regulated by the Public Service (Procurement) and Public Contracts regulations. 8 Government of Malta. The health care system in Malta. [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2010 Oct 25]. Available from: The Government of Malta, Web site: http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=156 9 Integrated health information system phase 2. [homepage on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 24]. Available from: The Government of Malta, The Malta Information Technology Agency Web site: https://www.mita.gov.mt/TenderFile.aspx?tfid=727 1.4.1.1 Primary Health Care The Government delivers primary health care via the Health Centres that are distributed around various villages in Malta and Gozo. These centres were set up in 1980 in order to provide free health care services 9. Besides providing the free services of general practitioners, these centres also provide a vast range of other services, including: Specialist clinics eg: gynaecological clinics and diabetes clinics Laboratory diagnostic facilities Radiology. Many people choose to have the services of private general practitioners and / or specialists who work in the primary health care sector. In the private scenario, their services are against payment. 1.4.1.2 Secondary and Tertiary Health Care These are provided for by public and private hospitals, found in different locations in Malta. The main public hospital is Mater Dei Hospital and it provides a wide range of services, including transplant surgery, open heart surgery, emergency care and diagnostic services. Sir Paul Boffa Hospital, another public hospital, has an oncology and dermatology unit. Mount Carmel Hospital is the islands public psychiatric hospital. There are a number of private hospitals in Malta, amongst which is Saint James Capua Hospital. 9 Integrated health information system phase 2. [homepage on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 24]. Available from: The Government of Malta, The Malta Information Technology Agency Web site: https://www.mita.gov.mt/TenderFile.aspx?tfid=727 1.5 Free health services provided by the government The Government provides free health services; free at the point of delivery, as these are directly funded from general taxation. In Malta, the boundary between the private and public sectors can be seen from two different aspects: medical and pharmaceutical (Wismayer, 2010). 1.5.1 The Medical Aspect The healthcare is available to ALL Maltese citizens, irrespective of the social and financial background of the patient. Anybody can turn up at a Health Centre or public hospital and be given the necessary treatment. Hence, up to a certain extent there is a holistic attitude as no distinction is made between citizens and whoever requires a healthcare service is provided with what is needed (Wismayer, 2010). The seams start to show up when the services available in the public health system are not accessible. That sector of society who can afford to pay, will therefore have to seek the services from the private sector. A case in point is the long waiting lists for certain required procedures at Mater Dei Hospital. 1.5.2 The Pharmaceutical Aspect One of the major tools to achieve good healthcare is to provide good pharmaceutical care. From this aspect, there is a clearer distinction between the private and public sectors. The Government offers free medications to a number of people who fall under different categories: The Schedule II Patients (Pink Card Holders) These cards are issued from the Department of Social Security. They are accompanied by a pink form which bears the name of the pink card holder. The total household income is assessed and the entitlement is based on this. Each household has one pink form that lists all members. However, every member of the household has his / her pink card. The pink form and pink card entitle their holders to free medication that is listed on the Government Formulary. Diabetics also have a pink card issued in their name. There are several faults in the administration of this system, as there does not seem to be a distinction between the strata of society, as is the case with some affluent people who are also in possession of a pink card. Also, no distinction is made between hospital in-patients and out-patients; there is only one formulary for all. 10. The Schedule V Patients (Yellow Card Holders) If a person suffers from a medical condition that is listed under the fifth schedule of the Social Security Act, then he / she can benefit from this free service, irrespective of the financial position. Examples of these conditions include: Respiratory conditions Cardiovascular diseases Malignant diseases Schizophrenia Liver diseases CNS diseases 10. 10 Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care. Free medicinals. [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2010 Oct 12]. Available from: The Government of Malta, Web site: http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=8 When a patient is diagnosed with such a condition, he / she is referred to a Consultant by the General Practitioner. The Consultant applies for a Schedule V Card for the patient listing the required medications. Subsequently, the patient is issued with the Card from the Almoner Section at St. Lukes Hospital. People who possess a yellow card are only entitled to take the medications that are listed on the card for free. The list must be amended if the treatment is changed. The Government Hospital In-Patients Any patient resident in the Government Hospitals is entitled to free medication. To date, there is only one Government formulary for all public hospitals. It would make more sense if each hospital had its own formulary due to the specialisation of the hospitals that varies accordingly. These formularies ought to be put together by the doctors who work at the hospitals and by the pharmacists who know what medications are available and which are best suited for the patients. Other people entitled to free medicines include amongst others: Members of certain religious orders Inmates of charitable institutions Refuse collection employees Prisoners People who are injured on duty Members of the Police Forces below the grade of Sub Inspector AFM personnel 11. 11 Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care. Free medicinals. [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2010 Oct 12]. Available from: The Government of Malta, Web site: http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=172 1.6 The Pharmacy of Your Choice Scheme The Pharmacy of your choice Scheme (POYC) falls under the umbrella of the Health Division in Malta. The latter is under the portfolio of the Ministry of Health, the Elderly and Community Care. POYC is under the direct responsibility of the Permanent Secretary of Health. The Scheme started in 2008 after several years of discussions and debates. It enables the people to have an easier and more comfortable access to the medicaments that they are entitled to take for free from the Government. The Scheme started in 2008 with an estimate budget of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬460,000 and the actual expenditure for that year amounted to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬366,000. In 2009, the estimate budget was of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400,000 and that for 2010 was of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.5 million. The 2011 budget allocated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 million to the Scheme apart from the additional à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400,000 which had to be injected to strengthen the electronic system. The POYC pilot study started in December 2007 in two pharmacies in the Ghargur area. About 550 patients were registered in these pharmacies. Mgarr was next (one community pharmacy having approximately 600 patients), followed by Mellieha (three pharmacies having approximately 1500 pateints) in January 2008 and Naxxar in February 2008 ( Sant Fournier, 2008). Most community pharmacies enrolled in the POYC when the Scheme was introduced in their villages. For example, in the Mosta area, which includes Naxxar, St. Pauls Bay, Xemxija, Gharghur, Mgarr, Mellieha and Mosta, only one out of the 24 community pharmacies did not join in the Scheme due to lack of space (Zahra, 2007). With the introduction of the POYC Scheme, the village Health Centre Dispensaries were closed down after sufficient time had elapsed to allow for a seamless transition. 1.6.1 Advantages associated with the POYC Scheme The main scope of the POYC Scheme was to reduce the long queues at the Health Centre Government Dispensaries. Also, patients are monitored better by the community pharmacists who ensure that the medicines are taken in the correct way as more patient advice is given on a one-to-one basis when compared to the previous system (Zahra, 2007). Pharmacy practice in the community has always focussed on the establishment of an excellent patient-pharmacist relationship (Sant Fournier, 2007). This advice is lacking in the public sector as the patients are given the medicines they require with haste, due to the large number of people waiting to collect their medications. Dosage regimen advice is usually the only advice given. Many people used to turn to their community pharmacists anyway to seek advice and to solve any queries they may have had. With this Scheme, there is also a decrease in wastage because patients are not given the medicines if these are not required, despite the fact that they are entitled to them. Sant Fournier, the President of the Malta Chamber of Pharmacists, claimed that most patients have become more educated and as a result acknowledge the fact that medicines are not to be taken as a for granted privilege but must be used rationally (Borg, Bonello, 2009). The patients find it easier to confide in their habitual pharmacist rather than talk to someone who they do not know. 1.6.2 Problems associated with The POYC Scheme According to Mario Debono, the then General Retailers Trade Union (GRTU) Pharmacy and Health Division President, this system has been a success even though it would improve if more money is allocated by the Government and if it receives more attention (Borg, Bonello, 2009). As with any other recently introduced systems, there are flaws. Nevertheless, several efforts are being made to sort them out. The main problem that is associated with the POYC Scheme is the large number of medicines that are out of stock. This is causing unnecessary stress on the pharmacists and patients. The latter have to go to a Government Health Centre Dispensary that is still open or to Mater Dei Out-Patients Pharmacy to get the medications that are not available from the Scheme. However, this out of stock problem is not the fault of the POYC Department but it has got to do with the purchasing system of the Government. In October 2009, Debono stated that a possible reason why such a large number of medicines is out of stock is that some suppliers have not been paid for their services. Shortages of certain medicines abroad could also lead to decreased stock levels (Borg, Bonello, 2009). The Government did not organise any educational campaigns for the general public regarding the implementation of the POYC Scheme, even though it was advised to do so (Sant Fournier, 2009). Hence, pharmacists were faced with several problems, including sometimes, heated arguments with their patients. It was recommended to have the campaign based on the one used for the introduction of the Euro in Malta, the Malta Euro Changeover Campaign. In October 2009. Reginald Fava, the then President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, made new proposals to upgrade the POYC system which were estimated to cut at least a third of present consumption and abuse. He described the current POYC system as being obscene because according to him medicines were being collected even when they were not required by the patients. Fava suggested that patients ought to pay for the medicines they require and will be reimbursed by the Government at a later stage. With this proposed system, the patients would also have the option to go for more advanced or more expensive medications as compared to their entitlement, and will only have to pay the difference in price. Hence, with this proposal, the POYC Scheme would be allowing superior medicines to be taken for free. It would also make the Scheme more sustainable as it would reduce the out of stock problem, be more cost-effective for the Government, reduce wastage and abuse. Th e Government would thus be saving on costs and would be in a better position to widen the National Formulary with more recent and advanced medications (Borg, 2009). At the moment, this is not possible due to financial constraints. The POYC Scheme affected the daily running of the community pharmacies. Due to the increased work load, some pharmacy owners had to employ further staff. The owners had to purchase a computer and a printer for labels to be issued with every dispensed prescription. They also had to apply for internet service at the pharmacy. Also, some pharmacies had to make the necessary arrangements to increase shelving space to accommodate the weekly delivery of medicines from the POYC Department. Some pharmacies even needed to install another air-conditioning unit. Admittedly, the Government subsidized these expenses to a maximum capital expenditure of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6,990 (Lm 3,000). After the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, negotiations were held and the amount was capped at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬9,000. According to an article on the The Malta Business Weekly that was published in November 2009, only the pharmacists who own the pharmacy are happy with this new system. The employed pharmacists have had their work load doubled, if not trebled. Hence, they do not give their patients the service that they used to give before the implementation of the Scheme (Attard, 2009). 1.6.3 The Memorandum of Understanding The very first document on the POYC Scheme was submitted to the Government by the Malta Chamber of Pharmacis

Business: Practical application vs. ethics :: essays research papers fc

Business: Practical application vs. ethics Pete Holiday said "Capitalism needs to function like a game of tug-of-war. Two opposing sides need to continually struggle for dominance, but at no time can either side be permitted to walk away with the rope." It seems that college is just training for a businessperson to deal with that tug of war. Michael Inciardi, a York College Senior, thought that one of the most important skills he acquired from college was â€Å"Competing seemingly enormous tasks in time that was not enough to do them.† I see college it self as an experience in budgeting your time and allocating for the seemingly enormous tasks when there does not appear to be enough time. Through my interviews and readings, it seems that doing a job quicker is as important then doing it well. Identifying these times is one of the skills a good businessman has. I often ask myself, â€Å"Is adequate work enough? Can I get by simply by doing it faster then the next guy?† This is not the feeling of Colin Hadley, a graduate student at the University of Maryland, He believes doing a person’s best with restrictions is very important â€Å" Whenever we have a long project †¦ Spend hours doing extra research and lots of late nights †¦ It’s usually done just before the deadline but it’s a culmination of a lot of extra work that wasn’t asked for that I just decided was needed.† This leads me to conclude that speed is not the most important aspect thoroughness is just as important. I have also thought about how school is a micro chasm for the real world but is accurate for the real world? Richard Rubenstein, Senior VP at Oppenheimer thought so. Mr. Rubenstein stated in an interview on March 28th â€Å" The competitive school I attended [Lehigh University] allowed me to be a better business person†. He also said that, â€Å"Most schools have a comparable business program and most represent a well rounded business person in the real world. When I do my hiring the school is becoming less important than the internships and extracarriculars† I was also concerned; did these people enjoy their classes? Or did they choose their courses to fill a requirement? It seems everyone had either a class or professor they enjoyed or that opened them to enlightenment. Mr. Inciardi said â€Å"Dr. Forgen’s class was the main reason I switched my major to business.

Advertising - Selling a Lot More than Just a Product Essay -- Adverts,

Advertisements for various products are seen everywhere — on billboards, in magazines, on television, and countless other places. What draws the consumer into the advertisement — the actual product, the display of the sensual woman as she drinks a glass of milk, or the muscular man sporting a Ralph Lauren blanket as a loincloth? These types of advertisements display unlikely depictions of men and women to society. Today, advertisers use the influence of gender and sex to sell various products to consumers, resulting in unrealistic expectations of men and women to society. According to Vernon Fryburger, author of the book The New Age of Advertising, â€Å"The most important job for advertising is to â€Å"make a sale† for a product or a service, and to do so it must clearly establish a rapport with its audience, which means that it must consciously stay within relatively narrow bounds of acceptability in terms of language, visualizations, and general background and frame of reference† (15). Advertisers use many different strategies to sell their products to consumers. They spend over 200 billion dollars per year attempting to get the attention of consumers and to influence their decisions. An average person views 250 advertisements every day and over two million advertisements by the time they are twenty-five years of age (Baran 278). When advertisers are working on campaigns, they think about what the consumer wants and needs to see in order to purchase the product. More often than not, attractive, seductive-looking individuals are chosen for ads (Percy and Rossiter 1-5). When advertisers are preparing ad campaigns, they will usually discuss women and men can be profitably pictured (Goffman 25). An example of how ad... ... World of Advertising. Chicago: Crain Books, 1975. Goffman, Erving. Gender Advertisements. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard U.P., 1979. Griffiths, Merris. â€Å"Craig, R. Stephen (1992): ‘The Effect of Television Day Part on Gender Portrayals in Television Commercials: A Content Analysis.’† Internet, 2001. http://www.aber.ac.uk/education/Resdeg/merris09.html. Kahle, Lynn R., Larry Chiagouris, editors. Values, Lifestyles, and Psychographics. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997. Meyers, William. The Image-Makers: Power and Persuasion on Madison Avenue. New York: The New York Times Book, 1984. Moog, Carol, Ph. D. â€Å"Are They Selling Her Lips?†: Advertising and Identity. New York: William Morrow, 1990. Percy, Larry, John R. Rossiter. Advertising Strategy: A Communication Theory Approach. New York: Praeger, 1980.

Adult learning Essay

Every person has a reason for what motivates him/her to learn. These four reasons are called contexts that motivate learning. They are based on the research of Malcolm Knowles (1984) and they are called Practical Context, Personal Context, Experiential Context, and Idealistic Context. Practical Context is when a person wants to learn in order to obtain a new skill set or ability. Without this tangible end result, a person will not have the motivation to learn. Personal Context refers to a person who is motivated to learn because they want to reach a personal goal. That goal may be work related (like a promotion), or a personal goal (learning to play the piano), but it will be a goal that only he/she can say they accomplished. When a person is apt to Experimental Context learning, he/she relies on their â€Å"inner self† to learn. It is when a person can take new ideas and compare them with their past, that this person will thrive in a learning environment. They are motivated by being able to take examples from the past to shape the present and the future. On the other hand, an Idealistic Context learner is motivated by the  opportunity to gain knowledge. Not motivated to learn by the past nor the future, they are instead driven to learn by the pursuit of knowledge itself. What motivates a person to learn is unique to that person. However, thanks to the four learning contexts, we can guide our learning to ensure we get the most of our education. My motivation to learn is to reach my future goals and it falls under the Personal Context category. The reason why I have decided to obtain my BA in Human Resource Management is  simply to start a new career once I retire from the US Postal Service. I have had the opportunity to lead many talented men and women. However, my experience does not translate well into a resume. Though I now I have extensive management experience, I am missing the final peace, the education. By reaching my goal of obtaining my degree, I will be able to demonstrate that I have the education and experience needed in today’s job market. Every business needs organized management. A great manager sets goals, motivates people, and exceeds expectations. I have the people skills to lead men and women from the â€Å"deck plate level†, that is to say lead by example. But I understand that I must study the subject of management. I must become intimate with the theories and history behind it. Doing so will make me a better manager and person. And that is why I am a Personal Context Learner. I have a clear goal and path that I shall take to obtain my degree and earn a wonderful career after the government. References: Alexander, M. , Clugston, W, & Tice, E. (2009). Learning online and achieving lifelong goals. San Diego, Bridgepoint, Inc. Adult Learning Essay DISCUSSION BOARD Do you believe they have any benefit for teaching adults? Why or Why not? Share a personal example of each that supports your view. Based on your own experiences, do you believe that children and adults learn differently? Give examples to support your thoughts. Metaphors, rehearsal, imagery and mnemonics are concepts used for teaching children. These tools benefit teaching creating venues that will effectively and efficiently nurture learning. For teachers, the more tools and bag of tricks the teacher has, the deeper and wider student learning styles he can reach, whether his students are adults or children. Studies show that children are fast learners as seen in their growth rates compared to adults. However, due to the innate nature children in as much as it could benefit teaching adults. Teaching adults as a general practice involves introduction of new concepts, facilitating learning processes and of human beings to learn using their mind, heart and hands, it is safely assumed that man’s learning is continuous and does not end with being adults. From experience, adult learning takes into consideration integrative tools to get the concepts across. In a way, if the teacher is able to create an atmosphere where adults can become children again, learning can become faster and insightful. Metaphors and the ability to use them denote higher literacy levels due to the cultural shades the metaphors require. For adults, the use of metaphors for learning is effective in evocative process of teaching. The adult learner by its manipulation of thought, experience and words, can further deepen their insights on the subject being learned. For example, in teaching a second language to adults involves using learning tools that can help the learners claim a new vocabulary. It usually takes six kinds of experiences or activities before non-native speaker acquires new vocabulary. Using metaphors will help the adult learner visualize, analogize and understand the new concept via exploration of likeness. The word blue can be analogized as â€Å"cool†, â€Å"sky†, or â€Å"water†. Another reason why metaphors are effective is that in adult learning, high level of inhibitions needs to be broken up before the learners start to let go and trust the teacher and their co-learners. Metaphors are good tools to slowly break the barriers of communication especially when the topic that is being discussed is sensitive. For teachers, when adult students use their own metaphors, the teacher can get a new perspective on how the student was able to digest the concepts being imparted. Rehearsals are exercises that instill mastery skills. Adult learning includes mastery of skills especially when the concepts that need to be learned involve tactile efforts. Rehearsals can range from mental rehearsal of knowledge as well as physical rehearsal of skills. An example of rehearsal in adult learning is the teaching of artistic craftsmanship, selling and management techniques, or any hands on skill. Computing is mastered through repeatability of the ability. Repeating something like cooking is a kind of rehearsal. The use of imagery is effective in adult learner where collaboration is imperative. With adult learning, the teacher’s imposition as all knowledgeable is less. The teacher’s role lies more on bringing tools such as images that can stimulate knowledge, skills and attitudes. Just like in children where the visuals can stimulate sensory skills, adults can develop the power of their own senses to stimulate their mind, relax their bodies and imbibe more learning in a healthier way. Malcolm Knowles takes this collaboration in adult learning into the organizational level. â€Å"When applied to the organization of adult education, a democratic philosophy means that the learning activities will be based on the real needs and interests of the participants; that the policies will be determined by a group that is representative of all participants; and that there will be a maximum of participation by all members of the organization in sharing responsibility for making and carrying out decisions.† (Knowles, 1980) An example of using imagery in adult education is using film as take off point for classroom discussions. Visual stimulus can be a painting just like in children’s education but in adult discourse, the insights are more mature and evoked from varied experience. Mnemonics helps teachers increase confidence of adult students in recalling vocabulary and concepts. Teaching through mnemonics is as much fun and rewarding to adults as it is on children. The memory enhancing strategy is usually used to teach information that’s already known but need to be easily recalled. The use of this technique accommodates students from a wide age range. In adults, it is easier because with rich and diverse experience, the class can create more associations to a word, making it easier and more fun. â€Å"Most people believe that their memory gets worse as they get older. This is true only for people who do not use their memory properly: memory is like a muscle – the more it is used, the better it gets. The more it is neglected, the worse it gets. While in education most people have to use their memory intensively – simply to remember facts and pass exams. When people leave full time education, they tend to cease to use their memory as actively, and so it starts to get flaccid.† (Chennai Interactive, 2002) Adult education that uses mnemonics will be able to help adults that have ceased to use their memory after leaving formal learning venues. The memory muscle just like any adult muscle will be able to recall its ability to remember vocabularies, theories and concepts with the mnemonic type of learning. People who learn how to bike, never forgets to how to bike. Even the concepts of mathematics will easily be recalled if mnemonics is used to recall mathematical jargons or concepts of other subjects. Adult learning is very much parallel children’s way of learning. There is no better challenge for adult educators to prime their students into the level of child like learning where the student is more open to new ideas, prepared to embrace new experience and able to digest their new knowledge into the levels of reflection and insight. REFERENCES Chennai Interactive Business Services (P) Ltd., 2002. Memory Techniques. Retrieved October 27, 2006, from www.chennaionline.com/education/2002/mete.asp Knowles, Malcolm S., 1980. The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall/Cambridge. Adult Learning Essay Adult learning is a complex subject that in recent years has become more of a necessity than a personal pursuit. There are three factors present in the American society today that necessitate the need for adult learning. These factors are: Dramatic changes in demographics, the global economy, and technology. (5) Demographics are concerned with growth and development of adult learners and emerging groups of learners with special needs. There are more adults in our society than ever before and the population will continue to age and increase in the number of older adults. This fact along with the growing cultural and ethnic diversity existing in America today, although, provides many benefits for the society by mixing talents from many lands, but it also, requires a certain amount of familiarization and education to minimize the risks involved by diversification. The second factor influencing the need for adult learning is the global economy. The birth of global interdependent economy has led to changing work practices, which require different kinds of preparation and training. The emphasis has been shifted to improved product and service quality, having more educated workers with more responsibility and stronger team work. This has resulted in control of education shifting more to business. More and more companies opt to provide work place literacy programs, training and development packages, and encouraging their employees to learn how to learn, to keep up with a constantly changing global service based economy. Ethnic make up and increased number of women in the work force are also contributing factors for adult learning. (5) The third factor that should be considered is the explosion in the information technology sector. With the development and advancement of computers within the last decade or two, an environment has been created in which the settings for a formal training session, has been outdated. The society is experiencing an increase in mental ability which is growing drastically with the availability of horizontal networks and the advancement of telecommunications. Information is rapidly distributed and easily available and accessible. This causes for efficient use of information. This allows the learner to have better access with those who teach information access skills, it helps the development of higher levels of thinking skills while at the same time, it creates a comfortable environment for the educators. Although consideration must be given to the ethical implication of the information access creates. (1) The three factors above have become intertwined forces. Demographics, the global economy, and technology have come together in adult education in the blurring of the field’s content and delivery mechanisms, dividing up the setting for adult education into formal, non-formal and informal activities. Blurring is also occurring in higher education sector where older students are now making up for about 50 percent of the college attendees, and finally, a blurring of content and delivery is found in such popular slogans as â€Å"workplace literacy† and â€Å"critical thinking. † which focuses on development of skills needed to be productive and informed members of a highly technical society. There are three types of opportunities in which learning occurs for adult: Formal institutional setting, non-formal setting and informal setting. For most adult, learning in adulthood brings to mind a classroom setting. Yet when we ask these same adult about what they have learned informally over the last year, they typically respond with descriptions of learning activities outside these formal settings. However, the use of technology has increase the delivery of learning programs, expanding our picture of learning in an informal setting. Informal learning occurs most often in ones natural setting in which we learn things from our daily experiences. On the other hand, non-formal settings have been used most often to describe learning opportunities outside the formal educational setting that complement the needs of underserved adults such as churches. Knowing why some adults participate in adult education does not tell us why many don’t . The two often cited reasons for non participation are lack of time and money. There is no single theory or model that can explain or predict participation in adults education . The main reasons most commonly used are cite job-related motives, achieving some other personal goal, sake of the activity itself, social relationship (making a new friend), external expectation (complying with the wishes) and cognitive interest engaged for sake of learning itself. Nonparticipation has been from the perspective of the individual’s motivation, attitudes, beliefs, and so on .However they may be social factors that influence the decision . This can also be family-related. (2) Whatever the stated or actual purposes of a learning activity, adult education is usually a form of social intervention that often begins with a problem that needs to be solved . What is seen as problematic depends on one’s values, social position, and perspective. The purpose of adult education today for which there is public support, clusters around the ability of the United States to sustain a competitive edge in the global economy. Purpose of adult education is to improve the self and to improve society. In America all individuals have access and the opportunity to benefit through education. (4) In total the answer to the question of who benefits is clear: It is those who have benefited in the past, and those who have the â€Å"cultural capital†. Those most likely to be the recipients of the dominant cultures are those who, as a result of birth and upbringing, have already acquired the cultural capital to receive it and to take advantage of opportunities. Everyone can improve his/her life situation through learning, every adult can choose to participate in any adult learning activity . There are other reason that certain adults have more access to learning opportunities than other adult . Where one happens to live, what color, age, or sex one happens to be, what one does for a living, all contribute to the participation pattern in adult education (framework) by way of illustrating how these framework conditions can determine who is more likely to benefit from adult learning opportunities. Where and how one lives makes a difference. (3) Individual educators and individual learners are likely to be fairly explicit about why they are engaged in a particular learning activity. Such easily identified objectives are usually aligned with the content of the activity. Underlying many of the state purposes of adult education in America is the assumption that the idea of a society must be maintained, and that education is one way to do this. Individualism, Independence, and a protestant-capitalist work ethic frame the actual provision of adult education in America. (1) Several things are known about self-directed learning: (a) Individual learners can become empowered to take increasingly more responsibility for various decisions associated with the learning endeavor; (b) Self-direction is best viewed as a continuum or characteristic that  exists to some degree in every person and learning situation; (c) Self-direction does not necessarily mean all learning will take place in isolation from others; (d) Self-directed learners appear able to transfer learning, in terms of both knowledge and study skill, from one situation to another; (e) self-directed study can involve various activities and resources, such as self-guided reading, participation in study groups, internships, electronic dialogues, and reflective writing activities; (f) Effective roles for teachers in self-directed learning are possible, such as dialogue with learners, securing resources, evaluating outcomes, and promoting critical thinking. (g) Some educational institutions are finding ways to support self-directed study through open-learning programs, individualized study options, non-traditional course offerings, and other innovative programs. ( 1) self –directed learning as a process of learning , in which people take the primary initiative for planning, carrying out, and evaluating their own learning experiences, has received a great deal of attention in the literature. This form of learning can take place in both inside and outside institutionally based learning programs. (2) Staff development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about human learning and change. No matter the age at which it occurs, human learning is based on a common set of principles. While adults have more life experience to draw on than younger learners and are often clearer about what they want to learn and why it is important, the means by which the learning occurs is remarkably similar. Consequently, it is important that the learning methods used in professional development mirror as closely as possible the methods teachers are expected to use with their students. It is essential that staff development assist educators in moving beyond comprehension of the surface features of a new idea or innovation to a fuller and more complete understanding of its purposes, critical attributes, meaning, and connection to other approaches. To improve student achievement, adult learning under most circumstances must promote deep understanding of a topic and provide many opportunities for teachers and administrators to practice new skills with feedback on their performance until those skills become automatic and habitual. Such deeper understanding typically requires a number of opportunities to interact with the idea or procedure through active learning processes that promote reflection such as discussion and dialogue, writing, demonstrations, practice with feedback, and group problem solving. Because people have different learning styles and strengths, professional development must include opportunities to see, hear, and do various actions in relation to the content. It is also important those educators are able to learn alone and with others and, whenever possible, have choices among learning activities. Another important dimension of adult engagement in change processes is the feelings that such change often evokes in individuals. Even under the best of circumstances, pressure for change, no matter what its source, may produce feelings of anxiety, fear, and anger. Such feelings are most effectively addressed through skillful listening and problem solving within a respectful and trusting school culture. It is helpful for educational leaders to appreciate that, to some degree, such feelings are natural and an inevitable part of the change process. Such appreciation is aided when leaders have a deep understanding of the change literature, particularly the Concerns- Based Adoption Model, and are able to apply its insights when planning and implementing new practices in schools. A third dimension of change is the life stage of individuals engaged in the change process. While recognition of life stage differences would not alter expectations for performance, it may affect an individual’s availability and interest in additional work responsibilities during different phases of his or her life. Recognition of life stage differences may also help staff development leaders in tapping educators’ strengths and talents, such as asking skillful veteran teachers to serve as mentors or coaches for their peers. Electronic forms of learning may prove particularly helpful in providing alternatives that respond to differences in learning styles and availability due to life stage issues. Staff development content may be accessed via the Internet or other forms of distance technology that will enable learning throughout the day in various settings using media that appeals to different learning preferences. (6) References: 1-What is self directed learning? Http://home. twcny. rr. com/hiemstra/sdlhdbk. html 2-Read write plus, DFES, Quality and Training Http://www. dfes. gov. uk/readwriteplus/quality 3-Finding from a national survey of States Directors of Adult Http://www. ncsall. net/fileadmin/resources/reasearch/rep9. pdf 4-Acve-Race and Gender in Adult Education Http://www. calpro-online. org/ERIC/docgen. asp? tbl=tia&ID=92 5-How adults learn: Ageless learner Http://www. agelesslearner. com/intros/adultlearning. html 6-NSDC-Standards: About the Standards-Learning Http://www. nsdc. org/standards/learning. cfm.