Thursday, October 31, 2019
Leadership of Generation X and Generation Y in the European Service Dissertation
Leadership of Generation X and Generation Y in the European Service Industry - Dissertation Example Based on these responses, one group may in some ways be more effective than the other, but regardless of efficacy, each group has its own skill and qualities which make each group more efficient in some ways than the other. Aims: This study shall establish the differences between the leadership of generation X and Y within the European Service Industry. Specifically it shall determine: differences in leadership qualities between Generation X and Y how these differences impact on the European Service Industry whether or not one leadership style is more effective than the other in terms of securing specific and efficient goals for the industry and the organization involved areas of improvement for either group which can help improve their leadership skills. Discussion At present, there is a new generation of workers which have entered the workforce. These new workers have new expectations and there are also new expectations being anticipated for these new workers. Based on the report b y Yu and Miller (2005), Generation X workers will decline to 7% within the 1998 to 2008 period, and the younger Generation X workers would also fall to 1% within this same time period. On the other hand, Gen Y workers in the 16 to 24 year age range is expected to increase by 15% (Cole, et.al., 2002). In terms of actual numbers, these percentages represent about 44 million Gen Xers and 80 million Gen Yers (Sujansky, 2004). Moreover, even as Gen Y members are already included in the workforce, they have not gotten to a critical number as yet. Consequently, managers are expected to manage the generational gaps which seem to exist for employees and also manage the specific needs of the Gen Yers (Smola and Sutton 2002). Under these conditions would conflicts between these two groups be more manageable, decreasing possible misunderstandings among employees from different generations (Smola and Sutton 2002). The entry of Gen Y into the workforce with their unique work qualities have caused major shifts and changes in the workplace, with employers wanting to know everything there is to know about this group (Raines, 2002). The purpose of this paper is to establish such qualities and to compare these with the Gen Xers. Generational groups include individuals who have similar historical and social experiences (Kupperschmidt, 2000). These experiences consolidate this group, often allowing for shared values and most of them related to experiencing and seeing in the world in similar ways (Patterson, 2007). Even as each individual worker is very much unique, each generation usually establishes a common personality which impacts on how members are managing their lives and activities, their feelings towards managers and corporations, their work participation, and the means by which they seek to manage such ends and desires (Kupperschmidt, 2000). Although it is not appropriate to have generalizations about individuals within each generation, it is often inevitable to observe t hat those who belong to the same era are influenced in similar ways; and these influences often make them predisposed to similar expectations (Patterson, 2007). Even as there seems to be an agreement in terms of how a generation is defined based on birth years, there are also issues in the exact years by
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Hersheys Chocolate Essay Example for Free
Hersheys Chocolate Essay Hersheyââ¬â¢s company originated with candy-manufacturer Milton Hersheyââ¬â¢s decision in 1894 to produce sweet chocolate as a coating for his caramels. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the new enterprise was named the Hershey Chocolate Company. In 1900, the company began producing milk chocolate in bars, wafers and other shapes. With mass production, Hershey was able to lower the per-unit cost and make milk chocolate, once a luxury item for the wealthy, affordable to all. A company on the move. The immediate success of Hersheyââ¬â¢s low-cost, high-quality milk chocolate soon caused the companyââ¬â¢s owner to consider increasing his production facilities. He decided to build a new chocolate factory amid the gently rolling farmland of south-central Pennsylvania in Derry Township, where he had been born. Close to the ports of New York and Philadelphia that supplied the imported sugar and cocoa beans needed, surrounded by dairy farms that provided the milk required, and the location was perfect. By the summer of 1905, the new factory was turning out delicious milk chocolate. New products, hard times. Throughout the next two decades, even more products were added to the companyââ¬â¢s offerings. These included MR. GOODBAR Candy Bar (1925), HERSHEYââ¬â¢S Syrup (1926), HERSHEYS chocolate chips (1928) and the KRACKEL bar (1938). Despite the Great Depression of the 1930s, these products helped the newly incorporated Hershey Chocolate Corporation maintain its profitability and avoid any worker layoffs. HERSHEYââ¬â¢S chocolate goes to war. With the outbreak of World War II, the Hershey Chocolate Corp. (which had provided milk chocolate bars to American doughboys in the first war) was already geared up to start producing a survival ration bar for military use. By the end of the war, more than a billion Ration D bars had been produced and the company had earned no less than five Army-Navy ââ¬Å"Eâ⬠Production Awards for its exceptional contributions to the war effort. In fact, the companyââ¬â¢s machine shop even turned out parts for the Navyââ¬â¢s antiaircraft guns. A family friend becomes a family member. The postwar period saw the introduction of a host of new products and the acquisition of an old one. Since 1928, H.B. ââ¬Å"Harryâ⬠Reeseââ¬â¢s Candy Company, also located in Hershey, had been making chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Given that Hershey Chocolate Company supplied the coating for REESEââ¬â¢S ââ¬Å"penny cups, (the wrapper said, ââ¬Å"Made in Chocolate Town, So They Must Be Goodâ⬠), it was not surprising that the two companies had a good relationship. As a result, seven years after Reeseââ¬â¢s death in 1956, the H.B. Reese Candy Company was sold to Hershey Chocolate Corp. Growing up and branching out. The following decades would see the company renamed Hershey Foods Corporation in 1968 expanding its confectionery product lines, acquiring related companies and even diversifying into other food products. Among the many acquisitions were San Giorgio Macaroni and Delmonico Foods (1966); manufacturing and marketing rights to English candy company Rowntree MacKintoshââ¬â¢s products (1970); YS Candies, makers of TWIZZLERS licorice (1977); Dietrich Corp.ââ¬â¢s confectionery operations (1986); Peter Paul/Cadburyââ¬â¢s U.S. confectionery operations (1988); and Ronzoni Foods (1990). The Hershey Company enters a new century. Today, The Hershey Company is the leading North American manufacturer of chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and grocery products. As the new millennium begins, The Hershey Company continues to introduce new products frequently and take advantage of growth opportunities through acquisitions. HERSHEYââ¬â¢S products are known and enjoyed all over the world. In fact, the company exports to over 90 countries. The Hershey Company remains committed to the vision and values of the man who started it all so many years ago. A New Company: 1894 In the beginning, the Hershey Chocolate Company was simply a wholly owned subsidiary of Milton Hersheyââ¬â¢s Lancaster Caramel Company. Using chocolate-making equipment purchased at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the company produced baking chocolate, cocoa and sweet chocolate coatings for the parent companyââ¬â¢s caramels. But things changed with the hiring of William Murrie to sell the excess product to other confectioners. Murrie was so successful a salesman that the Hershey Chocolate Company quickly turned into a viable concern on its own. Milton Hershey became even more convinced that his future in the candy business lay in chocolate, not caramels. Sweet Chocolate Novelties: 1895 ââ¬â 1909 By 1895, the Hershey Chocolate Company was manufacturing 114 different items in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Many were flavored with vanilla and given luxurious-sounding names like LeRoi de Chocolate, Petit Bouquets and Chocolate Croquettes. Chocolate ââ¬Å"segarsâ⬠and cigarettes were also quite popular. Some chocolate cigarettes and cigars, such as Vassar Gems and Smart Set Cigarettes, were purposely marketed to women as an alternative to the tobacco variety. Chocolate was also touted as a source of quick energy for athletes. The Baby in the Bean: 1898 On August 1, 1898, the company adopted a very distinctive symbol for its trademark. The small child in a cocoa bean pod appeared on cans of HERSHEYââ¬â¢S COCOA up until 1936, when it was finally replaced by the block lettering familiar today. The ââ¬Å"Baby in the Beanâ⬠went through many incarnations, sometimes holding a cup of cocoa, sometimes a chocolate bar. Even the childââ¬â¢s hair and facial expression underwent changes over the years. The logo symbol was finally retired in 1968, when the company was reorganized as Hershey Foods Corporation. Finding the Formula: 1895 ââ¬â 1904 While his company was successful enough selling sweet chocolate products, Milton Hershey was certain the real market lay in milk chocolate. The problem was in developing a formula for manufacturing it cheaply and efficiently, while still maintaining a high level of quality. Hershey built a milk-processing plant on the family farm in Derry Township in 1896 and spent the next several years developing a viable formulation for milk chocolate. Hershey worked day and night, going back and forth between the condensing room and the creamery, rarely even stopping for meals. Finally, in 1899, he cracked the recipe and became the first American to manufacture milk chocolate. Hershey Goes to Cuba: 1916 With the onset of World War I, the European beet sugar, which Hershey had been using to make his milk chocolate, became increasingly scarce. So, searching for a more dependable source, Milton Hershey started acquiring cane sugar plantations and constructing refineries in Cuba. Typically, he also established a planned community for the workers, called Central Hershey, based on the Pennsylvania model. Hersheyââ¬â¢s Cuban holdings eventually included 60,000 acres of land, five mills, a 251-mile railroad and, not surprisingly, a school for orphaned children. By the end of World War II, the company found it no longer needed its Cuban sources, and its sugar and railway interests were sold to the Cuban-Atlantic Sugar Company. Expanding and Innovating. Stepping Stones Many Hershey products that are familiar today were originally produced for the confectionary trade and were later reformulated for consumers. HERSHEYââ¬â¢S powdered cocoa, for example, has been manufactured continuously since 1894. Also, Hershey was the first to sell chocolate syrup for home use beginning in 1926. Not all products under the HERSHEY brand were so successful in the marketplace. HERSHEYââ¬â¢S mint-flavored chewing gum, introduced in 1915, enjoyed only brief popularity. And a creation named the Not-So-Sweet bar was introduced in 1934, only to be discontinued in 1937. A Kiss and Tell Story Of course, the very first addition to the HERSHEYââ¬â¢S product line of milk chocolate confections was HERSHEYââ¬â¢S KISSES Chocolates way back in 1907. Originally, each one was hand-wrapped in a square of silver foil, but in 1921 machine wrapping was introduced, along with the addition of the unique ââ¬Å"plumeâ⬠which marked it as a genuine HERSHEYââ¬â¢S KISSES Chocolate. The chocolates were not produced at all from 1942 through 1949 due to the rationing of silver foil during and immediately after World War II. HERSHEYââ¬â¢S KISSES Chocolates were wrapped in colors other than silver for the first time in 1962. HERSHEYââ¬â¢S KISSES with almonds were introduced in 1990 and the first successful HERSHEYââ¬â¢S product using white chocolate, HERSHEYââ¬â¢S HUGS, in 1993. Sweet Inventions Two of the most successful products launched during ââ¬Ë20s were the MR. GOODBAR and KRACKEL bars. MR. GOODBAR, combining milk chocolate and peanuts, was introduced in November of 1925. According to popular legend, Milton Hershey himself named the new product. Upon tasting it, he is said to have exclaimed, ââ¬Å"Now, thatââ¬â¢s a good bar!â⬠The KRACKEL bar was introduced on September 14, 1938. During its first few years, the formula for the confection changed several times, with almonds, and then peanuts, being included along with crisped rice in milk chocolate. Finally, the nuts were eliminated altogether in 1943, leaving the crispy milk chocolate recipe enjoyed by millions ever since. Mr. Reese and his Cups In 1923, a former Hershey employee named H.B. Reese decided to start his own candy company out of the basement of his home. He made several different kinds of candy, but it wasnââ¬â¢t until five years later that he hit upon his greatest idea: a confection of peanut butter covered by milk chocolate (purchased, incidentally, from the Hershey Chocolate Company). During World War II, he discontinued his other product lines and concentrated on producing only REESEââ¬â¢S peanut butter cups. Despite its dependence on only a single product, Reeseââ¬â¢s company prospered, and in 1963 the H.B. Reese Candy Company was purchased by the Hershey Chocolate Corporation. Since then, the REESEââ¬â¢S product line has grown to include REESEââ¬â¢S PIECES candies, the NUTRAGEOUS candy bar and REESESTICKS. Going to War The Ration D Bar The U.S. Armyââ¬â¢s requirements were quite specific. For troops engaged in a global war, they needed a ration bar that weighed about four ounces, would not melt at high temperatures, was high in food energy value, and did not taste so good that soldiers would be tempted to eat it except in an emergency. This last objective in particular was certainly a new one for the Hershey Chocolate Corporation. Nevertheless, its chocolate technologists came up with something that passed all tests. Named ââ¬Å"Field Ration D,â⬠it was so successful that by the end of 1945, approximately 24 million bars were being produced every week. More successful still was HERSHEYââ¬â¢S Tropical Chocolate Bar, a heat resistant bar with an improved flavor developed in 1943. In 1971, this bar even went to the moon with Apollo 15. Growing Global Advertising to the Nation Except for a TV and billboard campaign in Canada in 1964, the company had never really done advertising on a national scale. In 1968, the newly renamed and reorganized Hershey Foods Corporation announced plans for a nationwide consumer advertising campaign spearheaded by the famous Ogilvy Mather ad agency. Starting with a Sunday newspaper supplement in July, 1970, followed two months later by television and radio commercials, the campaign was an immediate success. Sales of REESEââ¬â¢S peanut butter cups and HERSHEYââ¬â¢S KISSES Chocolates, in particular, rose dramatically. But while the company today continues to advertise in all media, the quality of our products is still our best form of advertising. Milton Hershey would have liked that. E.T. Makes a Good Choice In the early 1980s, Hershey executive Jack Dowd met with Hollywood producer Steven Spielberg and struck a deal to include REESESââ¬â¢S PIECES candy in Spielbergââ¬â¢s upcoming film, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. When Hershey Chocolate Company President Earl Spangler first saw the movieââ¬â¢s promotional materials, he told Dowd, ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s the ugliest creature Iââ¬â¢ve ever seen.â⬠After its successful premiere, the movie was screened by the companyââ¬â¢s managers and top brass. When the film ended, there was first silence, then wild applause. Like many others, Spangler emerged from the theater with moist eyes. ââ¬Å"Is he still ugly, Earl?â⬠Dowd asked. Replied the company president, ââ¬Å"Heââ¬â¢s beautiful!â⬠Both the lovable alien and his candy of choice became instant hits nationwide. Hershey Goes International In addition to being the leading producer of chocolate and non-chocolate confectionary and other grocery products in North America, The Hershey Company also carries on a significant international presence with operations in more than 90 different countries. Hersheys International division exports HERSHEYââ¬â¢S chocolate and grocery products worldwide and maintains licensing agreements with partners in nations such as South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan. We donââ¬â¢t believe Milton Hershey would have been at all surprised to learn that his HERSHEYââ¬â¢S KISSES Chocolates are especially popular in Japan. Top of the Charts Through unceasing technological modernization, strategically astute acquisitions and continued new product development, The Hershey Company grew spectacularly in the last 30 years of the 20th century. From $334 million in 1969, the companyââ¬â¢s net sales soared to $4.4 billion in 2004. The Hershey Company is the leading North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and chocolate-related grocery products. The company also is a leader in the gum and mint category.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
The role of icts in addressing challenges in higher education
The role of icts in addressing challenges in higher education ABSTRACT One of the most common problems of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education is to base choices on technological possibilities rather than educational needs. In developing countries where higher education is fraught with serious challenges at multiple levels, there is increasing pressure to ensure that technological possibilities are viewed in the context of educational needs. This paper argues that a central role of educational technology is to provide additional strategies that can be used to address the serious environmental and educational challenges faced by educators and students in higher education. The educational needs manifest in Indian universities include addressing general lack of academic preparedness, multilingual needs in English medium settings, large class sizes and inadequate curriculum design. Using case studies from one higher educational institution, this paper shows how specific and carefully considered interventions using ICTs can be used to address these teaching and learning concerns. These examples serve to demonstrate some ways in which teaching and learning may be enhanced when uses of educational technology are driven by educational needs. The paper concludes that design of educational technology interventions should be driven by educational needs within the context of a broader teaching and learning strategy which requires buy-in of both educators and learners. INTRODUCTION It has been suggested that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can and do play a number of roles in education. These include providing a catalyst for rethinking teaching practice (Flecknoe, 2002; McCormick Scrimshaw, 2001); developing the kind of graduates and citizens required in an information society (Department of Education, 2001); improving educational outcomes (especially pass rates) and enhancing and improving the quality of teaching and learning (Wagner, 2001; Garrison Anderson, 2003). While all of these suggest the potential impact of ICTs in education in general and India in particular, it is still difficult to demonstrate the potential of technologies in addressing specific teaching and learning problems faced by Indian higher education institutions. The thesis of this paper is that the potential of ICTs is sandwiched between increasing pressure on higher education institutions from government to meet the social transformation and skills needs of India, and the varying student academic preparedness, large class sizes and multilingualism currently experienced in these teaching and learning contexts. Our thinking aligns with others (such as Kirkup Kirkwood, 2005; Wagner, 2001) who argue that it is the contextualized teaching and learning needs that ought to drive the ICT intervention, rather than the technology itself. In India, contextualization of teaching and learning requires a tightrope walk between higher education imperatives and social-cultural context of the educational landscape. This paper illustrates by means of examples drawn from one higher education institution how educational needs can drive design of learning environments and technological use. The question driving this paper is: How may educational technology interventions address theteaching and learning challenges faced by Indian higher education institutions? We discuss the general and specific educational challenges. These challenges then provide a context for an ICT intervention framework which is described and examples of the use of this framework in curriculum projects are discussed. CHALLENGES FACING HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA General challenges Currently, higher education in India is under increasing pressure to meet the social transformation and skills needs of the new India (Kistan, 2002). At the same time it is under immense external and internal pressure to improve on its policy and delivery performance (De Clercq, 2002). One of the indicators of social transformation in education is increasing the demographic representation among graduates and reducing the demographic difference between student intake and graduate throughput. The National Higher Education Plan (2001) outlines the role of higher education institutions in the new India: The key challenges facing the Indian higher education system remain as outlined inthe White Paper: ââ¬Ëto redress past inequalities and to transform the higher education systemto serve a new social order, to meet pressing national needs, and to respond to newrealities and opportunities (White Paper: 1.1). (Department of Education India,2001.) Furthermore, recent government policy has added pressure on higher education institutions by linking funding to throughput. In other words, unlike in the past when institutions were funded on the number of registered first year students, funding is now linked to graduate throughput. Improving efficiency and addressing the equity needs of the country raises conflicting challenges for higher education institutions (Scott, 2004: 1). These challenges are exacerbated by the fact that most students enter university under-prepared and therefore require more support to bridge the gaps in the required knowledge and skills (Paras, 2001). Furthermore, in 2005 quality assurance audits1 focusing on the institutional management of core functions of teaching and learning, research and community engagement were conducted at Indian higher education institutions. The challenge for higher education institutions is therefore not only about increasing throughput in terms of numbers and the diversity of i ts student population but also involves ensuring quality educational provision. The Indian government has identified the use of ICTs for teaching and learning as an important priority. For example, the e-Education policy states: Every Indian manager, teacher and learner in the general and further education andtraining bands will be ICT capable (that is, use ICTs confidently and creatively to helpdevelop the skills and knowledge they need as lifelong learners to achieve personal goalsand to be full participants in the global community) by 2013. (Department of EducationIndia, 2004: 17) Thus, the ultimate goal of the policy is the realization of ICT-capable managers, educators and learners by 2013. Read together with the National Higher Education Plan, these two policies have ramifications for instructional designers, educators, students and researchers. The underlying argument of this paper is that the realization of the policys goals largely depends on the extent to which current educational challenges are re-conceptualised in the context of the role that ICT can play in teaching and learning. The current focus on teaching and learning coupled with growth in educational technology in Indian higher education institutions (Czerniewicz et al., 2005: The role of ICTs in higher education in India61) requires that we begin to ask questions about the ways in which educational technology contributes to addressing the educational challenges in the new India. As is the case in higher education globally, Indian higher education is under pressure to increase participation fro m diverse groups of students and to produce the skills required for a rapidly changing society. In the UK, for example, participation in higher education has increased since the 1940s but participation of higher socio-economic groups still exceeds that of lower socio-economic groups (DFES report, 2004). While similar, these challenges take particular forms given Indias unique history. For example, global disparities are defined in terms of class; in India the educational disparities are manifested along racial lines due to the political, economic and social policies of the pre-1994 era. Redress of marginalised groups and social transformation is therefore central to the policies of post-1994. The Indian government has made it clear that one of its aims is to achieve equitable access to higher education for previously disadvantaged learners, with diverse educational backgrounds (Hardman Ngambi, 2003). Education is viewed as one of the key mechanisms of achieving social transformation. It is in this educational context that new opportunities for educational technology have arisen. Although we are aware that educational challenges demand multi-pronged approaches, which may include both traditional teaching approaches and innovative non- digital instructional designs, it is the role of educational technology that is the focus of this paper. Specific teaching and learning challenges The major teaching and learning challenges facing higher education revolve around student diversity, which includes, amongst others, diversity in students academic preparedness, language and schooling background. Teaching and learning in higher education in general can largely be characterised as follows: [] instruction that is too didactic, a lack of personal contact between teachers andstudents and among students, assessment methods that are inadequate to measuresophisticated learning goals and too little opportunity for students to integrate knowledgefrom different fields and apply what they learn to the solution of real-world problems.(Knapper, 2001: 94) Teaching and learning in Indian higher education fits the above description but in addition it has to contend with deep-rooted complex issues and problems stemming primarily from a previously racially divided and unequal education system. In addition, large classes are an endemic feature of most university courses posing an additional challenge in the teaching of a diverse student population. Indian higher education institutions are faced with a myriad teaching and learning challenges. In this paper we focus on a few of these: academic preparedness, multilingulism in a first language context, large classes and inadequate curriculum design. In the next section, we look at ways in which ICTs have been used to respond to these challenges at one Indian higher education institution. Academic preparedness Students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds as well students from privileged backgrounds generally enter higher education with gaps in the knowledge and skills required for studying particularly in key areas such as mathematics (Paras, 2001, Howie Pietersen, 2001) and science. Given the pressure to increase the diversity of the student population of Indian higher education, assessing students potential for success in higher education has gained increasing importance, particularly since the school-leaving certificate is currently viewed as an inadequate measure of a students potential for success in higher education. In a country such as India, for instance, school-leaving certification has had aparticularly unreliable relationship with higher education academic performance especiallyin cases where this certification intersects with factors such as mother tongue versusmedium-of instruction differences, inadequate school backgrounds and demographicvariables such as race and socio-economic status (Yeld, 2001; Badha, et al, 1986;Scochet, 1986; Potter Jamotte, 1985). (Cliff et al., 2003) Alternative placement tests have therefore been used in conjunction with school-leaving certificates to admit students with potential into higher education studies (Cliff et al., 2003). Consequently, many of these students may be under-prepared in that they may not possess the necessary language or mathematical proficiencies required for higher education or may have gaps in the foundational disciplinary knowledge. Furthermore, university tasks present challenges for under-prepared students (Hardman Ngambi, 2003). Although support programmes to address academic under-preparedness of students from both advantaged as well as disadvantaged groups are offered at many Indian higher education institutions, they are resource intensive. It is therefore worth paying attention to additional resources and expertise offered by educational technology. Multilingualism in a first language environment India is a multilingual society with 11 official languages. This diversity is reflected in the student population of Indian higher education institutions. A recent study by Czerniewicz Brown (2005) on higher education students and academic staffs access to and use of computers in five Indian universities found that 39% of respondents spoke English as a home language and 54% spoke other languages. At the University of Cape Town, on average 65% of the student population declared English as their first language while 35% have home languages in the other Indian official languages and other international languages (Spiegel et al., 2003). English is therefore a second or foreign language for many Indian higher education students. In most black Indian schools, English as a subject is taught as a second language. Higher education students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds therefore have to learn in their second or third language. A considerable body of research (Cummins, 1996; Gee, 1990) has shown that language and academic success are closely related and that academic language proficiency is far more difficult to acquire in a second language. Students learning in their second or third language are therefore at a disadvantage which is compounded by poor schooling background. The relationship between language and academic success is reflected in the throughput rates of English second language students when compared to the throughput rates of English first language students. At the University of Cape Town, for example, the difference in throughput rates between English first language and second language students in 2002 was more than 20% in several degrees/programmes (Spiegel et al., 2003). Large classes The growth of mass higher education has made large classes an endemic feature of several courses at higher education institutions. Large class sizes make it difficult for teachers to employ interactive teaching strategies (Nicol Boyle, 2003) or to gain insight into the difficulties experienced by students. Large classes pose problems for all students but students who are under-prepared are particularly affected. It is these contexts that provide useful opportunities for educational technologies. Curriculum design Curriculum design is a relatively under-engaged area within higher education debate, policy formulation and practices (Barnett Coate, 2005). Pressure to transform curricula at a macrolevel to the needs of industry and the economy in India is reflected in the National commission on higher educations policy framework (1996) for higher education transformation. There is a strong inclination towards closed-system disciplinary approaches andprogrammes that has led to inadequately contextualised teaching and research. Thecontent of the knowledge produced and disseminated is insufficiently responsive to theproblems and needs of the African continent, the southern African region, or the vastnumbers of poor and rural people in our society.In response to policy intentions, Indian higher education has implemented a curriculum restructuring policy aimed at the development of inter- or multidisciplinary degree programmes (Moore, 2003). While policy has resulted in curriculum shifts on a macro le vel, curricula contents at a micro-level are driven by disciplinary specialists. Undergraduate curricula remain predominantly theoretical but require that students have some knowledge of the contexts to make sense of theory. In this paper, we are concerned with the way in which ICTs can play a role in shaping curriculum design at the micro-level. ICTs open up new ways of accessing information thereby changing the relationships between students and between students and their teachers. Access to primary sources in the form of video, audio and photographs which may be contained in digital archives have the potential to influence the content of curricula because it makes previously inaccessible information available. In addition, ICTs enable lecturers to transform their teaching practices by facilitating student-student discussion and collaboration or by simulating ââ¬Ëreal-world problems thus providing students with authentic learning experiences. In this section, we discussed some of the teaching and learning challenges experienced by educators and students in higher education. In the next section, we examine the role of educational technology in responding to these challenges and provide some examples. RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES Since the teaching and learning challenges are multi-faceted, multi-pronged approaches are needed in order to attempt to solve some of these problems. Dede (1998) postulates: [] information technology is a cost-effective investment only in the context of a systemicreform. Unless other simultaneous innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, andschool organization are coupled to the usage of instructional technology, the time and effortexpended on implementing these devices produces few improvements in educationaloutcomes and reinforces many educators cynicism about fads based on magicalmachines. We infer from Dede that there are several inter-related factors that influence improvements in educational outcomes. Thus together, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and organisation contribute to bringing about improvements in the educational process. Although educational technology is not the panacea for educational challenges, it does leverage and extend traditional teaching and learning activities in certain circumstances and hence has the potential to impact on learning outcomes. Knapper (2001) argues that: [] technology may be a good solution for some instructional problems, and in some casesit may be a partial solution. But in other instances technology does little to address thefundamental teaching and learning issue or even worse provides a glitzy butinappropriate solution to a problem that has simply been misconstrued. (Knapper, 2001:94) The trick is to identify situations where educational technology will be appropriate and when and how to use educational technology in these situations. There are times where technology may not be useful and may indeed be counter-productive. However, there are many times when educational technology offers a solution for problems that would be difficult, cumbersome or impossible to resolve in a face-to-face environment. Numerous manuals, websites and articles have been devoted to suggesting, explaining and modelling the ways that educational technology can be used to support teaching and learning. We agree with Laurillard (2001) that it is important that educational technology-based resources be appropriately matched to both teaching and learning activities. Table 1 adapted from Laurillard (2001) usefully explains how educational technology can be integrated into the curriculum. Laurillards guidelines are useful in that they provide a framework which relates ICT-based resources to particular teaching and learning activities. The guidelines therefore suggest particular uses of ICT for particular teaching and learning situations. The effectiveness of ICTs for teaching and learning, however, is largely dependent on how much the context is understood. Thus, there is a need to relate educational technology to actual challenges experienced by both students and lecturers in the Indian educational context. OHagan (1999) suggests that educational technology can be used to present and provide content, assess students learning, provide feedback, scaffold student learning and enable peer-to-peer collaborative learning. The choice of appropriate teaching and learning activities is dependent on a range of factors such as the curriculum or course objectives; i.e. the purpose of the teaching and learning, the educators preferred teaching approach, the learning styles of the student and the nature of the curriculum content. Although we advocate that teachers should use the teaching approach that suits their paradigm of teaching and learning, we believe that the use of educational technology provides teachers with opportunities for traversing an entire continuum of possibilities as may be appropriate to their teaching needs. Educational technology creates affordances for a range of different teaching and learning activities which the teacher may not have used or considered. Table 1: Teaching and learning events and associated media forms Responding to the challenges: examples from curriculum projects The affordances of educational technologies provide ways of being sensitive to wide-ranging and differing learning needs. In this section, we describe some curriculum projects that have attempted to respond to some of the educational challenges faced by students at the University of Cape Town (UCT). For the sake of brevity only overviews are provided. Using interactive spreadsheets to develop mathematical literacy skills As discussed above, many under-prepared students entering university have potential but do not possess the relevant mathematical literacy skills required for certain courses (Frith et al., 2004). These students are often expected to pursue an extended undergraduate degree programme that offers additional support to address mathematical literacy skills. In this case, the teaching challenge is that of finding ways of developing students mathematical literacy skills. Selfcontained interactive spreadsheet-based tutorials were developed for use on the mathematical literacy support courses at UCT and were used in conjunction with face-to-face lectures. A typical tutorial consisted of interactive presentation of relevant mathematics content, examples and exercises. Students were able to work at their own pace and receive immediate feedback. Frith et al. (2004: 163) found that ââ¬Ëwhile the lecture room tutorial taught students how to calculate the various statistics, the computer tutoria l was more effective in giving them an understanding of the concepts and they retained better what they had learned. This effect, they argue, is possible due to the shift in emphasis in the computer-based tutorials away from mechanical calculations to demonstrating conceptual understanding. This curriculum project illustrates how educational technology was used to complement teaching and learning and to support the development of students mathematical literacy skills. Using educational technology to develop academic literacy in an economics course Economics at university level poses particular difficulties for students since lecturers assume prior knowledge of the economy. Unfortunately, many students from previously disadvantaged communities have very limited knowledge of the economy at the start of their university careers. Under-prepared first year students encounter further difficulties due to a lack of academic literacy skills. The Industry Research Project (Carr et al., 2002) was designed to address economic literacy while simultaneously dealing with language and communication skills of UCT economic students. Interactive excel spreadsheets in conjunction with short writing tasks in the form of online discussions, short essays, reports and presentations were used in academic development economics courses at UCT. These tasks or activities provided a range of opportunities for students to develop understanding of economic discourses through writing in economics. Although Carr et al. (2002: 5) found it difficult to measure t he impact of these tutorials, which formed a small part of the first year economics curriculum, they observed that the interactive spreadsheets were effective teaching tools in that tutors were able to focus students attention on economics issues rather than procedural issues and that the quality of articles produced by students improved due to the online feedback provided during the process of drafting articles online. This curriculum project demonstrates the use of educational technology in conjunction with face-to-face activities in addressing students academic literacy skills. Using educational technology to manage tutorials in large classes Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) based tutorials system called MOVES were developed around Excel and Word to teach computer literacy to first year Information System students at UCT. MOVES incorporated computer-assisted marking techniques and provided feedback to lecturers and students. The significance of this project is that it typifies the problems of teaching a large and diverse class. The computer literacy levels of these students are diverse, with some students not havingtouched a computer before to students who have had home computer and internet facilitiessince the age of five. The immediate challenge this diversity poses on teaching is that it isnot practical to pitch the lecture at an appropriate level to meet all students at their level ofknowledge. The other challenge is in providing feedback messages that are relevant anduseful to individual students. (Ngambi Seymour, 2004: 255). Ngambi and Seymour (2004: 257) report that the MOVES tutorials saved time for tutors since tutorials were marked and results captured electronically, lecturers had access to student performance and students found the immediate feedback useful in that misconceptions could be dealt with immediately. The significance of this project is that it illustrates how educational technology is used to facilitate teaching and learning in large classes. Influencing curriculum design Many university courses are theory driven and assume that students have knowledge or real world experience and can therefore make the links between theory and practice. Students often have limited experience or practical knowledge and therefore have difficulty in understanding theory. Deacon et al. (2005) report on the use of educational technology to simulate film editing. The Directors Cut was produced and used in a Film and Media course at UCT to provide students with insights into the practical processes involved in filmmaking without engaging in the actual process of editing. Exposing students to actual editing is expensive and impractical in a large course. The intervention provided individual students with an authentic learning environment through a simulation. Students sequenced film clips, hence simulating the role of an editor through a simplified version of the editing process. In this way, the focus is on key learning aspects of film narrative and spectatorship and linked theory to the ââ¬Ëpractice of film editing. Similarly, Carr et al. (2004) report on an International Trade bargaining simulation developed for an economics course where students assumed the role of national trade negotiators representing specific countries. Lecturers and tutors assumed the role of World Trade Organisation (WTO) officials in a semi-authentic process designed to teach students negotiation and bargaining skills similar to those required by professional trade negotiators. The two projects reported here exemplify ways in which educational technology was used to impact on the design of the respective curricula by providing students with experiences which are difficult to provide in face-to-face environments. CONCLUSION Indian universities face increasing pressure from government to meet the needs of social transformation in education. Indian government policy on social transformation in education requires increasing the representation of Black Indians and women among students and graduates and significantly improving the graduation rates and throughput of Black Indian students. Given the social-historical context of India, meeting the educational challenges associated with this noble goal requires re-conceptualisation of how educational technologies are applied so as to make an impact. The paper has proposed a model for teaching and learning activities that are associated with media forms. The model has been substantiated with examples of the application of educational technologies to teaching mathematical literacy, academic literacy, management of large classes, and ways of influencing curriculum design. Our argument is that technology alone is not a solution to the educational challenges faced in India. The challenges lie in identifying and conceptualising ways that educational technology can usefully contribute to student learning experiences, curriculum and pedagogical designs. The paper demonstrates and argues that educational technology has a key role to play in Indian higher education as one of the strategies for addressing teaching and learning concerns. This challenges learning designers to rethink the role of educational technology within broader educational interventions that are shaped by educational needs rather than being technologically driven.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Janie Crawfordââ¬â¢s Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays
Janie Crawfordââ¬â¢s Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie Crawford, the main character of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and, in my opinion, she succeeds even though it takes her over thirty years to do it. Each one of her husbands has a different effect on her ability to find that voice. Janie discovers her will to find her voice when she is living with Logan. Since she did not marry him for love, tensions arise as time moves on and Logan begins to order her around. But Janie is young and her will has not yet been broken. She has enough strength to say "No" and to leave him by running away with Joe. At this point, Janie has found a part of her voice, which is her not willing to be like a slave in her husband's hands. After Janie marries Joe, I think that she discovers that he is not the person she thought he was. He tells her what to do the same way Logan did, just a little bit more delicately by saying that it is not a woman's job to do whatever he does not want her to do. Throughout her twenty years of life with Joe, Janie loses her self-consciousness because she becomes like a little kid being told what to do by an adult, Joe. She does it without even questioning herself, which is why I think that she loses the part of her voice that she has discovered by running away from Logan. At times, she has enough courage to say no to Joe, but he always has something to say back that discourages Janie from continuing her argument. But, in my opinion, Janie does not lose her will to find herself and it might have even become stronger because the reader can see that Janie is not happy with the way things are now and that she will probably want to change them in the future. When Joe dies and Janie marries Tea Cake, she feels free because even though Tea Cake asks for her opinion when he does something and cares about her. Since this is Janie's first marriage where she actually loves her husband, she feels free and discovers many new things in life that she has not noticed before. She becomes more sociable, wants to go places with Tea Cake, enjoys working with other people, and likes shooting game. Although she never shot a rifle before, she becomes a better shooter that Tea Cake, and he respects her for that,
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Los Angeles Abrasion Value
LOS ANGELES ABRASION VALUE This method describes the procedure for the determination of the Los Angeles Abrasion Value of aggregate APPARATUS Australian Standard sieves (Grade B) as required. 1 2 A thermostatically controlled oven with good air ventilation capable of maintaining a temperature within the range of 105Ã °C to 110Ã °C. 3 Sieve brushes. 4 Balance readable and accurate to at least one gram. 5 Sample divider of the multiple slot type. A suitable design is shown in Figure 1. 6 Los Angeles Machine essential dimensions complying with Figure 2.Worksheet, MRD 1165 (recommendation only) 7. PROCEDURE 1 Obtain a test sample taken in accordance with Test Method WA200. 1. 2 Select a grading defined in Table 1 appropriate to the particle size distribution of the test sample. 3 Wash the test sample by agitation under running water for approximately ten minutes. 5 Dry the test sample to constant mass (Note a), in an oven at a temperature within the range of 105Ã °C to 110Ã °C, cool to room temperature and sieve it on the appropriate sieves until a sufficient mass of each fraction has been obtained.Adjust the mass of material so obtained for each sieve fraction by quartering or riffling, if necessary, to within two percent of the relevant mass shown in Table. 1. Determine the mass of each fraction and combine the sieve fractions to form a test portion ), to at least the nearest 1g, of the test portion. Place it, together with the appropriate ball charge defined in Table 1, in the Los Angeles Machine. Rotate the machine for 500 or 1 000 revolutions as required in Table 1 (Note b).
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Manifest Destiny Essay Example
Manifest Destiny Essay Example Manifest Destiny Paper Manifest Destiny Paper Any single statement that is used to describe the past of the United States is a bold one. Americas past is composed of many different events and eras. From reconstruction after the civil war to westward expansion, Americas history is laced with far too many significant events to be explained away or described by one statement. However, if one statement had to be chosen to describe the significance of Americas past, it would have to be that manifest destiny both religiously and politically is the main factors in shaping the United States. History is based on facts that are more often than not tied to dates, but manifest destiny cannot be narrowed to specific dates because it is not an event in the traditional sense. Manifest destiny is more of a phenomenal movement. What is meant by this is that manifest destiny has been a part of this country since its inception, and is occurring today. It is a philosophy that has and still clutches the nation in its entirety, and in fact created what people call American history. The name manifest destiny was given to the movement by John OSullivan. In addition to coining the name Manifest Destiny, he also wrote to defend Americas desire to expand: . the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federal development of self government entrusted to us. It is right such as that of the tree to the space of air and the earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of growth. With this, Manifest Destiny became the rally cry of America. It was made public through newspapers and essays, and it was promoted by politicians. Eventually Manifest Destiny became doctrine and paved the way for expansion. Manifest Destiny had many different components, with each serving people in a variety of different ways
Monday, October 21, 2019
Do You Need SAT Scores to Transfer Colleges
Do You Need SAT Scores to Transfer Colleges SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Determining all the different requirements for transferringcolleges can be a huge hassle. One of the most common questions students have is whether theyneed to submit SAT scores to apply as transfer students. Thereââ¬â¢s no single answer to this question, but this guide will explain some common policies about SAT scores for transfer applicants, how to determine whether you need to submit SAT scores, and how much attention schools pay to these scores when they also have your grades from another college. Do You Need to Submit SAT Scores as a Transfer Applicant? As I touched on above, the answer to this question really depends on the school youââ¬â¢re applying to. Some schools donââ¬â¢t require SAT scores for any transfer students, some only want standardized test results from students who havenââ¬â¢t completed a minimum number of credits, and some ask for test scores from all applicants. In general,very selective schools and small liberal arts colleges are more likely to require test scores, while bigger state universities are more likely to waive the requirement.Also, if youââ¬â¢ve been out of high school for more than five years or if taking the SAT represents an undue financial burden, most schools will waive any SAT requirements. The following chart details the transfer applicant test score requirements for a range of schools to give you a sense of the type of policies you might encounter. Schools are listed alphabetically and all credits are in semesters. School Requires SAT? Exceptions / Notes CU Boulder Yes Exempt if you've completed at least 24 college credit hours Dartmouth Yes May submit testing waiver if taking the SAT/ACT will pose a hardship for you Georgetown Yes Exempt if you graduated high school at least five years before you intend to matriculate Harvard Yes None Middlebury Yes Must send original high school scores University of California No - University of Illinois Yes Exempt if you've completed 30 college semester hours (but test scores are still recommended for under 59 graded credit hours) University of Washington Yes Exempt if you have 40 or more transferable credits USC Yes Exempt if you've completed at least 30 semester units of college coursework UT Austin No - Obviously, this chart is far from comprehensive. Since, as you can see, testing policies vary quite a bit, youââ¬â¢ll need to find outwhethertheschools youââ¬â¢re applying to require transfer applicants to submit SAT scores. Start by checking the section of the school's website for transfer applicants. Some schools have a specific page about standardized test scores.If you can't find anything on these pages, look at the application checklist or FAQ pages. If youââ¬â¢re really struggling to find any information on test scores for transfer applicants, search on Google for "[School Name] transfer SAT scores." You might have to try a couple of the links, but usually this approach will eventually get you to the page you need. If youââ¬â¢re transferring from a community college, keep in mind that your current school might have a guaranteed admission agreement with the state university.These programs often donââ¬â¢t require test scores from transfer applicants (but sometimes do). Finally, you can always call or email the admissions office at the school if you have questions. After all, theyââ¬â¢re there to help! How Important Are SATScores as a Transfer Student? Most colleges weight SAT scores less heavily for transfer applicants than they do for freshmen since transfer students already have proof of their ability to succeed in college: their transcript. "If a student is transferring after one semester in college or a year, schools usually want the SAT and high school GPA, but the further away from high school, the less schools rely on them," college counselor Deborah Shames told US News(bold emphasis mine). There are definitely some exceptions, however. Very selective schools tend to care more about test scores than less selective colleges do. Youââ¬â¢re also likely to be judged more on your SAT scores if your grades arenââ¬â¢t that impressive. If you're concerned about your SAT scores, see whether the school you're interested in offers atransfer student profile. This will listthe middle 50% range of ACTand SATscores for transfer students. (As an example, check outGeorgetown's.) If yourscoreis toward the high end of that range (or above), you're set. If you're in the lower end (or below), you might want to consider putting in some focused prep time and retaking the SAT. What's Next? If you have more questions about transferringcolleges,read our complete guide to the transfer process. Thinking about transferring but not sure what school you want to go to? Use these college search sitesto findthe school that's right for you. Or maybe you need help with another part of your college application, such aswriting about your extracurricularsor asking for recommendation lettersfrom teachers. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Alex Heimbach About the Author Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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