International Marketing Activities of Marks & Spencer Company Essay

International Marketing Activities of Marks & Spencer Company - Essay Example The researcher states that Marks and Spencer offer a variety of products and services to its customers. Although the majorly the turnover generated is from Clothing and Food. 1. Clothing: M&S offers to clothe for Men, Women, Children, and lingerie. 2. Home: the company now also offers furniture and home decoration items online and in store. 3. Financials: M&S money which is Marks and Spencer’s initiative in providing loyalty card/credit card and various other services like insurance and personal loans. 4. Food and Wine: M&S offers a large variety of food items such as wedding cakes, large wine collection, and prepared food. 5. Technology: Mark and Spencer offer electronic gadgets, computing devices, and home appliances. 6. Online Services: With M&S you can send flowers and Gifts to people with their online service. The marketing Environment is comprised of 2 parts which are the Microenvironment and the Microenvironment. The marketing microenvironment of a company is based on p rinciple actors like the company, Suppliers, Marketing intermediaries, customers, competitors, and the public. Company: The Company’s corporate objectives are mainly defined by its Mission, Vision, and Values. Mission- To make Aspirational quality accessible to all Vision – To be the standard against all others are measured Values – Quality, Values, Service, Innovation and Trust Objective – To increase shareholder value and profit margin while maintaining customer satisfaction. The company also focuses on the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by coming up with various policies regarding concerns for the environment and charity which are included in their scheme called Plan A. This basically shows that the company’s aim and goals are clear and therefore it bases its marketing based on them.

Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender Essay Example for Free

Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender Essay The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender is crime novel about contemporary Australian life, written with all the ambiguity and moral sophistication of most â€Å"who dun-nits . It looks like crime, and sounds like crime, and sells like crime, but it’s Literature! Its Opening is a subversion of the genre a reversal of expectation as we are duped into believing this is your typical male private eye (P. I. ). The role reversal a female in a traditional male dominated field; women can do everything men can do challenges the stereotypes of traditional crime fiction. Purpose: (themes, concerns, issues main ideas.) 1. To create a sense of place — Sydney. Marele Day had spent four years travelling the world and when she came back to Sydney recognised its special charm and atmosphere. She became determined to write a book about it and its special appeal. a) Find references to Sydney, favourable and unfavourable. * what aspects are emphasized? * In totality how does Day present Sydney? * what are the links with the past? * what is meant by the â€Å"facade of Sydney’? 2. Corruption and suspicion vs probity and trust. 3. Effect of technology — have we become dehumanised? Will technology take over from humans? * What is the relationship between humanity and technology? 4. Isolation — Most of the characters are isolated in one way or another. * Find as many examples of isolation as possible. * What overall comment is made about isolation? * Is there a connection between it and technology? II. TECHNIQUE 1. Day uses a lot of the technique of modern day films especially the â€Å"black and white† scenes on Harry Lavender. How is he portrayed? He is very detached and aloof. We the audience get to see and hear what Claudia is not privy to. Are these extracts from the book Mark Bannister was writing? 2. Comment on Claudia Valentine’s PhrasingÃ'Ž Claudia speaks in the manner of a hard-boiled worldly wise Private Investigator (P. I. ). slick, glib, swaggering, at times sassy (cheeky) and sometimes tongue in cheek. â€Å"Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse† (22) â€Å"I was changing cars more often than I changed my underwear† (101) â€Å"But it’s one â€Å"It’ll be dead end if you don’t. Now move† (162) Word Play Double entendre (meaning) â€Å"It must have been a plant. † â€Å"A lavender plant. † (126) â€Å"Terminal illness† (6, 17, 20, â€Å"Alter, (141 â€Å"curse, cursor (143 heart ( 55, â€Å"waiting for the developers to give them a new lease of life, or maybe just a new lease. † (69) Humour â€Å"wit† â€Å"I wait for bald men to pass by and ash on their heads (23) one of the former and two of the latter, and the former is former† her reply to Steve regarding her marital status. ( 27) â€Å"You put it away, Otto, you don’t know where it’s been. † â€Å"That’s the trouble,† he moaned, it hasn’t been anywhere lately. (53) social commentary â€Å"Divorced? † â€Å"Isn’t everyone? † (27) â€Å"I had made a mistake getting into a car with a law-abiding policeman† â€Å"You young folk are always in a hurry,† she said managing a smile. (45) â€Å"pollution and syringes (54), women (54), fast food (68)Ã'Ž

In The Gate to Womens Country Essay -- Gender Equality Feminism Essays

In The Gate to Womens Country Evolutionary gender determinism proves that men and women are different, not only in a physical way, but in a psychological way as well. As far as history can determine, men were always the hunters who were dominant and competitive. On the other hand, women were known as the gathers, who were cooperative and capable of doing several things at a time. Since men and women are different in their make up. It is a struggle for the two genders to live together and maintain equality and harmony without one gender dominating over the other. In The Gate to Womens Country, Sheri Tepper brings forth a solution that allows the two genders to coincide with each other. She gives a somewhat feminist view in her novel, which takes place some three hundred years into the future. She paints a picture stating that total control and dominance by men would wipe out the world. In order for all mankind to survive, the women and a few select men were forced to come together and make decisions that would cha nge things forever. This novel is filled with situations where each gender takes advantage of the opposite and uses them to profit their own society; however, each gender not only took advantage of the opposite gender, but often their own gender as well. This novel is based around two societies, one of which is governed by women and the other consists of male warriors. Womens Country is a community where women live in a city bordered by block walls. They live in this city with their children and servitors. Servitors are men who decided to live in the Womens Country instead of living in the garrisons with the other men. The women handled everything in these cities and made up the entire city council. This country t... ...n had to give up children that did not even belong to their men. The men were also guilty of using each other for personal gain. The men in the garrisons used the servitors to show off and promote their manliness. In turn, the servitors used the garrisons in the worst way. Not only did the warriors protect them but gave the servitors a chance at spreading their genes. The ultimate goal of these men. This novel revolves around the purpose of people using one another to get what they want. The citizens of Womens Country took advantage of the garrisons and the number of returning men proves their success. Like in most cases, people need others to succeed. John Donne stated that no man is an island and this applies to the Gate to Womens Country. The success of Womens Country is a result of taking advantage of their citizens and of the garrisons, to make a comeback.

A word on racism

Past week was United Nations day. The point of this holiday is to celebrate our heritage, to bring conformity, to create unity among a species which finds the very notion difficult. It is a holiday meant to put aside differences and to reach out to those next to you. To take their hands and with them lead forward into a place where those among us can be treated as equals. That was the reason for the hands. There were so many hands; each a different color, pasted all over the walls, the table, the pillar holding up the ceiling in the small lounge area. Each one bore a name. As I walked past, on my way to a class to which I was desperately late, I passed a table. At that table sat five or so students, each with a hand, each writing their name as well as their race upon it. â€Å"Come, make a hand!† the girl at the table cheerily ordered me as she passed me a limp cardboard cutout of an appendage. I shook my head. â€Å"No thanks.† At that I got an odd look. It was as if she were wondering, ‘why wouldn't someone want to make one of these?' She was puzzled, but persistent. She shoved the hand toward me again and I bristled. Not the best move, but involuntary. â€Å"I said I don't want to make one.† I turned my shoulder. I tried my best to convey with my body language, my eyes, my tone of voice, that I would not be swayed. She frowned. Scowled almost. â€Å"You must be some kind of racist. Whatever.† â€Å"Give me that.† I grabbed at the cardboard cutout almost fiercely. I sat at the table, pulled an assortment of markers toward me, and began writing. To hell with being late to class. I didn't care anymore. It took me but seconds to finish the hand and to give it back to the girl. She frowned at me once again. â€Å"This isn't what you're supposed–† â€Å"–I have a right to have it up there just like everyone else.† She shrugged. It seemed she sensed she had lost the argument. She took the hand and stapled it to a sheet of blue paper hanging on the wall. I found then, and only then, that I was disgusted by the whole principle. How is it, as a society, that the things that are supposed to make us the same turn out to make us different? It was that factor alone that disgusted me. Those hands were meant to bring us together, but instead they merely focused on our differences. Black. White. Hispanic. We are not color blind. We have an innate ability to separate. To label as good or bad the color of one's skin. On a holiday meant to represent unity, we were instead separating ourselves. That was the reason I made my hand different. The reason I ignored the boundaries and instead labeled the hand with something that the girl considered to be ‘racist'. The reason I chose to be equal. After all, how are we to be equal if we only focus on the things that make us unequal? It should not be the color of one's skin but the quality of that person that makes each unique. That hand said only one thing.

Psychology and Behavior

1. Abstract The research area is classroom management, and specifically dealing with student’s behavior problems in a real classroom situation. It is universally recognized that the teacher is the key person in an education system and a well-managed classroom can provide an exciting and dynamic learning experience for everyone involved. The main objective of the research is to identify approaches for managing student behavior in order to apply valuable ways to achieve effective and positive classroom management.The present research was cross-sectional, and researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. Researcher hence endeavors to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. 2. Introduction Statement of the research is â€Å"Student Behavior Problems† The present research was cross-sectional as the researcher focuse d on one particular point. The major advantage of cross-sectional research is that data can be collected from different type of people in a short time period.The researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. The researcher used the questionnaire survey and classroom observation as research tool. 2. 1. Research Problem How should a teacher deals with students’ behavior problems in a practical classroom situation? 2. 2. Sampling Detail When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research.Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population. Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained.Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey. It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classro oms.The total number of sample population was 60 students. Age of the students was 12-13 years old. Next chapter talks about the literature review. 3. Literature Review 3. 1. What Is Classroom Management? Classroom management is a term used by teachers to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students. The term also implies the prevention of disruptive behavior. It is possibly the most difficult aspect of teaching for many teachers and indeed experiencing problems in this area causes some to leave teaching altogether. Canter. 1997) Teachers feel overwhelmed and â€Å"powerless† in dealing with behavior problems in their classrooms. Canter (1997) pointed out that in the past, a simple stem look or warning was sufficient to shape up a classroom. â€Å"Misbehavior,† as Doyle contends, â€Å"is any action by one or more students that threatens to disrupt the activity flow or pull the class toward a program of a ction that threatens the safety of the group or violates norm of appropriate classroom behavior held by the teacher, the students, or the school's staff† (Doyle, 1986; p. 396). 3. . The Emphasis in Classroom Management 3. 3. Influences on Classroom Management: According to Emmer and Stough (2001), some studies have used student achievement or attitude as outcomes. But most classroom management research today has been concerned with identifying how teachers bring about student engagement with each other and limit the disruptions in the classroom. The following account will summarize the work of some important behavior theorists and in turn will identify the influences that each has made on classroom behavior and management. 3. 3. 1.Burrhus Frederick Skinner Burrhus Frederick Skinner's philosophies can be related to the issue of classroom management. Skinner (Sprinthall, 1981) emphasized his research on how the organism learns, regardless of its inherited potential, regardless o f its stage of physical or psychological development, and often regardless of its species. In regards to the classroom, Skinner (Conte, 1994) stated that by rewarding students for good behavior and ignoring or punishing wrong behavior, students would come to understand how to behave in a classroom environment. . 3. 2. William Glasser Glasser's Reality Therapy (Emmer and Stough, 2001) stressed the use of choice as the cause of behavior, good or bad, and thus instructed teachers to direct students towards making value judgments about their behavior. By making value judgments, students would come to realize the importance of â€Å"good† choices in behavior and continue to make them again in the future. Therefore, students were taught the difference between a â€Å"good judgment†, and a â€Å"bad judgment.In today's classrooms, rewards are given for â€Å"good choices† and consequences are given for â€Å"bad choices†. This process t is used to promote good behavior and diminish bad behavior in the classroom. 3. 3. 3. Jacob Kounin Jacob Kounin and his colleagues engaged in substantial classroom management research. His work focused on determining whether specific behavior settings and environmental conditions influenced behavior. He also identified a set of teacher behaviors and lesson characteristics, including, wittiness, smoothness, momentum, overlapping and group alerting.These characteristics would describe a teacher who knew what was going on at all times in the classroom and was able to deal with more than one issue or problem at a time. Kounin (Conte, 1994) thought teachers who could be that â€Å"aware† would be better managers of children in the classroom. 3. 3. 4. Abraham H. Maslow Maslow's research on hierarchy of needs has also influenced effective classroom management. Helping students meet their own needs is of the utmost importance to enhance student learning opportunities and to maintain teacher longevity in the classroom.Maslow (as cited in Sprinthall, 1981, p. 327) an important psychologist in the area of motivation theory, has suggested that there is a definite order in which individuals attempt to satisfy their needs. Maslow had declared there is an â€Å"order-of-importance† that is universal among all humans. Herbert Grossman (Gordon, 2001) recaps students' basic needs and the order which those needs must be met to produce well balanced members of society. 3. 4. Role of Teacher as Classroom Manager:According to Honeyford (1982) a major limiting factor in any classroom is the teacher; not only do his character, personality and competence play a large part in determining the atmosphere of the lesson, the sort of relationships which exist, the styles of communication and the rules and regulations governing the formalities, but the teacher also performs a key role in influencing the pupils’ view of himself and the sort of progress he/she makes. Successful classroom manageme nt has been defined as producing a high rate of work involvement with a low rate of deviancy in academic settings (Laslett and Smith, 1984).Well-managed classrooms did not result from magic, but that carefully established and maintained procedures should be at work (Sadker and Sadker, 1997). 3. 4. 1. Time management skill Academic learning time in the classroom has emerged as an important variable. Studies have shown that the amount of on-task behavior can vary as much as 40 percent from one classroom to the next. Even how quickly a teacher calls the class to order can vary all the way from one to ten minutes. Thus, how fficiently you have your lessons, how long you take to get started, how you handle digressions, off-task behavior, discipline and how you handle transitions will have an effect on student learning(Walberg,1988). 3. 4. 2. Seating arrangement Arrangements of space and furniture in ways that bunch students together or obstruct the teacher’s view make it more diff icult for a teacher to detect behavior task initiations early (Duke and Rehage, 1979). Seating arrangement must depend on the type of lesson to be taught, and the type of classroom furniture.Proper arrangement of furniture also contributes to the functionality of classrooms. Furniture is arranged so that students are oriented to the primary source or sources of information (e. g. , the teacher, audio-visual materials), while at the same time having access to other sources of activities (e. g. , work areas, computers) without disturbing in the classroom (Nitsaisook and Anderson, 1989). According to Anderson (1991) desks, chairs and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways; light and temperature can be increased or decreased. 3. 4. 3. Discipline in the classroomCallahan (1996) asserts that the best classroom environment is one that results in efficient learning. Discipline involves employing guidance and teaching techniques to encourage students to become self directive and thus to create an atmosphere conducive to learning. A teacher establishes classroom rules either with his or her students or before the school year begins. Rules are best if they are few in number, simple and easy to understand, and fair. Also rules should be posted in the classroom for all to see, and the teacher should go over the rules on the first day of school. 3. 4. 4.Dealing with disruptive students In order to handle misbehaving student, the following suggestions may prove helpful: †¢Deal with the present, current problem immediately, not with the past instances of the student misbehavior. †¢Talk to the student directly, instead of talking about him with others. †¢Don’t be harsh and provoked. Stay calm and address firmly. Anger, empty threats and physical handling must be avoided. †¢If the student’s misbehavior is impeding the teacher in teaching, â€Å"1statements† be used by explaining to the student why you are upset by his behavior. 3. 4 . 5. Exhibit Assertive BehaviorAssertive behavior differs significantly from both passive behavior and aggressive behavior. This researcher Emmer elaborates that teacher’s display assertive behavior in the classroom when they: †¢Use assertive body language by maintaining an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping enough distance so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression with the content of the message being presented to students. †¢Use an appropriate tone of voice, speaking clearly and deliberately in a pitch that is slightly but not greatly elevated from normal classroom speech, avoiding any display of emotions in the voice. Persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. Do not ignore an inappropriate behavior; do not be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or blaming, but listen to legitimate explanations. 3. 5. Addressing Problematic Student Behavior Reports of problematic behaviors are on the rise nation ally in Pakistan, not only in the classroom but in society at large (Kowalski, 2003). Some of these immature, irritating, or thoughtless behaviors or â€Å"classroom incivilities† include: †¢Lateness or leaving early †¢Side conversations †¢Disregard for deadlines Grade grubbing †¢Sniping remarks †¢Cheating These behaviors are not just instructors’ pet peeves; they have real costs including: †¢Distracting other students and instructor in class †¢Reducing student participation †¢Lowering other students' and instructor’s motivation in or out of class †¢Affecting fairness in grading †¢Using instructor time unproductively †¢Feeling disrespected as a fellow learner or authority figure 3. 6. Possible Causes: In order to limit or deal effectively with these behaviors, it is important to understand the factors that cause or facilitate them. . 6. 1. Attention Dreikurs believed that most students start misbehaving by s eeking attention, and when this fails, they move on to more problematic goal-seeking behaviors, such as power. 3. 6. 2. Power Some students don't hesitate to take a stand on matters important to them and are often disruptive and confrontational in reaching their goal. 3. 6. 3. Revenge Some students compensate for real or imagined hurt feelings and they target teacher or students for revenge. Revenge may come in the form of a physical and/or psychological attack. 3. 6. . Avoidance of Failure Wanting to avoid repeated failure, some students appear to be discouraged and helpless. This phenomenon, described as â€Å"learned helplessness† by psychologists, is characteristic of students who fail needlessly because they do not invest their best efforts. `3. 7. Possible Strategies: Sorcinelli (2002) suggests 4 principles to reduce incivilities. The principles are broad and so each one can be used to generate several concrete strategies. 3. 7. 1. Define expectations at the outset. â⠂¬ ¢Make good use of the first day of class.Use the first day to create the right climate for productive interaction. †¢Allow student participation in setting ground rules. Having students participate in setting the rules for classroom behavior and interaction 3. 7. 2. Decrease anonymity †¢Engage students one-on-one. Use the time right before and after class to make small talk with students. Ask about the weekend, or the homework, or common interests. †¢Learn and use names consistently and let students know that you are trying to memorize their names in the first weeks. 3. 7. 3. Encourage active learning.Meaningful engagement has obvious benefits for student learning and performance, but it can also bring some side benefits with respect to student behavior in the classroom. In fact, Sorcinelli (1991) points out that in classes that use active learning effectively, students †¢Feel more responsible for coming to class, and coming prepared †¢Pay more attention in class †¢Feel more responsible for their learning. The next chapter deals with research methodology. 4. Research Methodology In this chapter of research methodology, researcher has talked about the main research questions, research instruments and procedure. . 1. Research Questions: The present study focused on the following two questions: 4. 1. 1. How can the teacher maintain positive student behavior in the classrooms? 4. 1. 2. How far do the classroom rules have a significant effect on student’s behavior? 4. 2. Participants When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research. Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population.Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total popu lation of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained. Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey.It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classrooms. The total number of sample population was 60 students.Age of the students was 12-13 years old. 4. 3. Research Instruments: The researcher used two tools. 4. 3. 1. Questionnaire Survey Questionnaires were used by the researcher to obtain the required data. It was an easier way to get relevant data from a large population. The researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire was piloted before it was given to the participants. The questionnaires were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore.Questionnaire contain 20 questions, among them 15 questions are close ended and 5 questions are open ended. Questionnaires can provide quantitative data using closed (or fixed-response) questions, where the respondent is presented with a number of alternative responses to a question and asked to mark the one that they feel is most appropriate. Researcher has used licked scale for this, which include five op tions such as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. Closed questions have been criticised for forcing people to choose their answer from the alternatives provided rather than answering in their own words.Qualitative data can be gathered using open (or free-response) questions to which respondents are asked to write their own answer 4. 3. 2. Classroom Observation Classroom Observation was undertaken in order to get a proper insight into the problem being explored. The researcher undertook four classroom observations that are widely used to measure changes in classroom behaviors. Classroom observation is confidential and it is an objective recording of what the instructor is doing and saying, what the students are doing and saying and interactions between the instructor and students.The researcher visited 5 different schools, and observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation. Classroom observation as a research and evaluation method can p rovide reliable and valid data on how teachers and students behave in the classroom before and after an intervention. It will explain the criteria for selecting an appropriate classroom observation protocol and examine under what circumstances classroom observation protocols can be used effectively.In the context of the current study special emphasis was placed on the use of classroom observation to examine how the teacher dealt with problematic students in the real classroom situation. 4. 4. Pilot Testing Both the research instruments, questionnaire and classroom observation was piloted before it was given to the participants. 4. 5. Ethical Considerations The information provided by the participants should remain confidential. For this purpose of confidentiality, informed consent form was signed by all the participants before the study was started. 4. 6. ProcedureThe researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire s were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore. Researcher distributed questionnaire among participants and collect the filled questionnaires from them next day. Researchers left the questionnaires with the participants and give them time of one day, so that they can have enough time to fill them. 5. Analysis For the coding of data, researcher runs spss. . Conclusion The effective use of behavioral and cognitive strategies in the classroom may appear daunting even to experienced teachers. The purpose of this research was to determine which management techniques and practices were most effective in the classroom in controlling student behavior, based upon critical analysis of the research literature. The aim of the research was to enable students to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes about classroom management and the objective was to identify approaches for managing student b ehavior.However, changing your behavior and strategies is often the most efficient and effective means of improving all types of classroom behaviors, both disruptive and non-disruptive. So is has been concluded after the research that teachers first need to understand these problems regarding students behavior and then try to find solutions by seeing the world through the eyes of their students. And then developing and using a set of intervention strategies on a regular basis, problems of emotions and behavior can be effectively managed and changed in the classroom. Psychology and Behavior 1. Abstract The research area is classroom management, and specifically dealing with student’s behavior problems in a real classroom situation. It is universally recognized that the teacher is the key person in an education system and a well-managed classroom can provide an exciting and dynamic learning experience for everyone involved. The main objective of the research is to identify approaches for managing student behavior in order to apply valuable ways to achieve effective and positive classroom management.The present research was cross-sectional, and researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. Researcher hence endeavors to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. 2. Introduction Statement of the research is â€Å"Student Behavior Problems† The present research was cross-sectional as the researcher focuse d on one particular point. The major advantage of cross-sectional research is that data can be collected from different type of people in a short time period.The researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. The researcher used the questionnaire survey and classroom observation as research tool. 2. 1. Research Problem How should a teacher deals with students’ behavior problems in a practical classroom situation? 2. 2. Sampling Detail When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research.Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population. Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained.Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey. It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classro oms.The total number of sample population was 60 students. Age of the students was 12-13 years old. Next chapter talks about the literature review. 3. Literature Review 3. 1. What Is Classroom Management? Classroom management is a term used by teachers to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students. The term also implies the prevention of disruptive behavior. It is possibly the most difficult aspect of teaching for many teachers and indeed experiencing problems in this area causes some to leave teaching altogether. Canter. 1997) Teachers feel overwhelmed and â€Å"powerless† in dealing with behavior problems in their classrooms. Canter (1997) pointed out that in the past, a simple stem look or warning was sufficient to shape up a classroom. â€Å"Misbehavior,† as Doyle contends, â€Å"is any action by one or more students that threatens to disrupt the activity flow or pull the class toward a program of a ction that threatens the safety of the group or violates norm of appropriate classroom behavior held by the teacher, the students, or the school's staff† (Doyle, 1986; p. 396). 3. . The Emphasis in Classroom Management 3. 3. Influences on Classroom Management: According to Emmer and Stough (2001), some studies have used student achievement or attitude as outcomes. But most classroom management research today has been concerned with identifying how teachers bring about student engagement with each other and limit the disruptions in the classroom. The following account will summarize the work of some important behavior theorists and in turn will identify the influences that each has made on classroom behavior and management. 3. 3. 1.Burrhus Frederick Skinner Burrhus Frederick Skinner's philosophies can be related to the issue of classroom management. Skinner (Sprinthall, 1981) emphasized his research on how the organism learns, regardless of its inherited potential, regardless o f its stage of physical or psychological development, and often regardless of its species. In regards to the classroom, Skinner (Conte, 1994) stated that by rewarding students for good behavior and ignoring or punishing wrong behavior, students would come to understand how to behave in a classroom environment. . 3. 2. William Glasser Glasser's Reality Therapy (Emmer and Stough, 2001) stressed the use of choice as the cause of behavior, good or bad, and thus instructed teachers to direct students towards making value judgments about their behavior. By making value judgments, students would come to realize the importance of â€Å"good† choices in behavior and continue to make them again in the future. Therefore, students were taught the difference between a â€Å"good judgment†, and a â€Å"bad judgment.In today's classrooms, rewards are given for â€Å"good choices† and consequences are given for â€Å"bad choices†. This process t is used to promote good behavior and diminish bad behavior in the classroom. 3. 3. 3. Jacob Kounin Jacob Kounin and his colleagues engaged in substantial classroom management research. His work focused on determining whether specific behavior settings and environmental conditions influenced behavior. He also identified a set of teacher behaviors and lesson characteristics, including, wittiness, smoothness, momentum, overlapping and group alerting.These characteristics would describe a teacher who knew what was going on at all times in the classroom and was able to deal with more than one issue or problem at a time. Kounin (Conte, 1994) thought teachers who could be that â€Å"aware† would be better managers of children in the classroom. 3. 3. 4. Abraham H. Maslow Maslow's research on hierarchy of needs has also influenced effective classroom management. Helping students meet their own needs is of the utmost importance to enhance student learning opportunities and to maintain teacher longevity in the classroom.Maslow (as cited in Sprinthall, 1981, p. 327) an important psychologist in the area of motivation theory, has suggested that there is a definite order in which individuals attempt to satisfy their needs. Maslow had declared there is an â€Å"order-of-importance† that is universal among all humans. Herbert Grossman (Gordon, 2001) recaps students' basic needs and the order which those needs must be met to produce well balanced members of society. 3. 4. Role of Teacher as Classroom Manager:According to Honeyford (1982) a major limiting factor in any classroom is the teacher; not only do his character, personality and competence play a large part in determining the atmosphere of the lesson, the sort of relationships which exist, the styles of communication and the rules and regulations governing the formalities, but the teacher also performs a key role in influencing the pupils’ view of himself and the sort of progress he/she makes. Successful classroom manageme nt has been defined as producing a high rate of work involvement with a low rate of deviancy in academic settings (Laslett and Smith, 1984).Well-managed classrooms did not result from magic, but that carefully established and maintained procedures should be at work (Sadker and Sadker, 1997). 3. 4. 1. Time management skill Academic learning time in the classroom has emerged as an important variable. Studies have shown that the amount of on-task behavior can vary as much as 40 percent from one classroom to the next. Even how quickly a teacher calls the class to order can vary all the way from one to ten minutes. Thus, how fficiently you have your lessons, how long you take to get started, how you handle digressions, off-task behavior, discipline and how you handle transitions will have an effect on student learning(Walberg,1988). 3. 4. 2. Seating arrangement Arrangements of space and furniture in ways that bunch students together or obstruct the teacher’s view make it more diff icult for a teacher to detect behavior task initiations early (Duke and Rehage, 1979). Seating arrangement must depend on the type of lesson to be taught, and the type of classroom furniture.Proper arrangement of furniture also contributes to the functionality of classrooms. Furniture is arranged so that students are oriented to the primary source or sources of information (e. g. , the teacher, audio-visual materials), while at the same time having access to other sources of activities (e. g. , work areas, computers) without disturbing in the classroom (Nitsaisook and Anderson, 1989). According to Anderson (1991) desks, chairs and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways; light and temperature can be increased or decreased. 3. 4. 3. Discipline in the classroomCallahan (1996) asserts that the best classroom environment is one that results in efficient learning. Discipline involves employing guidance and teaching techniques to encourage students to become self directive and thus to create an atmosphere conducive to learning. A teacher establishes classroom rules either with his or her students or before the school year begins. Rules are best if they are few in number, simple and easy to understand, and fair. Also rules should be posted in the classroom for all to see, and the teacher should go over the rules on the first day of school. 3. 4. 4.Dealing with disruptive students In order to handle misbehaving student, the following suggestions may prove helpful: †¢Deal with the present, current problem immediately, not with the past instances of the student misbehavior. †¢Talk to the student directly, instead of talking about him with others. †¢Don’t be harsh and provoked. Stay calm and address firmly. Anger, empty threats and physical handling must be avoided. †¢If the student’s misbehavior is impeding the teacher in teaching, â€Å"1statements† be used by explaining to the student why you are upset by his behavior. 3. 4 . 5. Exhibit Assertive BehaviorAssertive behavior differs significantly from both passive behavior and aggressive behavior. This researcher Emmer elaborates that teacher’s display assertive behavior in the classroom when they: †¢Use assertive body language by maintaining an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping enough distance so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression with the content of the message being presented to students. †¢Use an appropriate tone of voice, speaking clearly and deliberately in a pitch that is slightly but not greatly elevated from normal classroom speech, avoiding any display of emotions in the voice. Persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. Do not ignore an inappropriate behavior; do not be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or blaming, but listen to legitimate explanations. 3. 5. Addressing Problematic Student Behavior Reports of problematic behaviors are on the rise nation ally in Pakistan, not only in the classroom but in society at large (Kowalski, 2003). Some of these immature, irritating, or thoughtless behaviors or â€Å"classroom incivilities† include: †¢Lateness or leaving early †¢Side conversations †¢Disregard for deadlines Grade grubbing †¢Sniping remarks †¢Cheating These behaviors are not just instructors’ pet peeves; they have real costs including: †¢Distracting other students and instructor in class †¢Reducing student participation †¢Lowering other students' and instructor’s motivation in or out of class †¢Affecting fairness in grading †¢Using instructor time unproductively †¢Feeling disrespected as a fellow learner or authority figure 3. 6. Possible Causes: In order to limit or deal effectively with these behaviors, it is important to understand the factors that cause or facilitate them. . 6. 1. Attention Dreikurs believed that most students start misbehaving by s eeking attention, and when this fails, they move on to more problematic goal-seeking behaviors, such as power. 3. 6. 2. Power Some students don't hesitate to take a stand on matters important to them and are often disruptive and confrontational in reaching their goal. 3. 6. 3. Revenge Some students compensate for real or imagined hurt feelings and they target teacher or students for revenge. Revenge may come in the form of a physical and/or psychological attack. 3. 6. . Avoidance of Failure Wanting to avoid repeated failure, some students appear to be discouraged and helpless. This phenomenon, described as â€Å"learned helplessness† by psychologists, is characteristic of students who fail needlessly because they do not invest their best efforts. `3. 7. Possible Strategies: Sorcinelli (2002) suggests 4 principles to reduce incivilities. The principles are broad and so each one can be used to generate several concrete strategies. 3. 7. 1. Define expectations at the outset. â⠂¬ ¢Make good use of the first day of class.Use the first day to create the right climate for productive interaction. †¢Allow student participation in setting ground rules. Having students participate in setting the rules for classroom behavior and interaction 3. 7. 2. Decrease anonymity †¢Engage students one-on-one. Use the time right before and after class to make small talk with students. Ask about the weekend, or the homework, or common interests. †¢Learn and use names consistently and let students know that you are trying to memorize their names in the first weeks. 3. 7. 3. Encourage active learning.Meaningful engagement has obvious benefits for student learning and performance, but it can also bring some side benefits with respect to student behavior in the classroom. In fact, Sorcinelli (1991) points out that in classes that use active learning effectively, students †¢Feel more responsible for coming to class, and coming prepared †¢Pay more attention in class †¢Feel more responsible for their learning. The next chapter deals with research methodology. 4. Research Methodology In this chapter of research methodology, researcher has talked about the main research questions, research instruments and procedure. . 1. Research Questions: The present study focused on the following two questions: 4. 1. 1. How can the teacher maintain positive student behavior in the classrooms? 4. 1. 2. How far do the classroom rules have a significant effect on student’s behavior? 4. 2. Participants When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research. Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population.Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total popu lation of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained. Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey.It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classrooms. The total number of sample population was 60 students.Age of the students was 12-13 years old. 4. 3. Research Instruments: The researcher used two tools. 4. 3. 1. Questionnaire Survey Questionnaires were used by the researcher to obtain the required data. It was an easier way to get relevant data from a large population. The researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire was piloted before it was given to the participants. The questionnaires were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore.Questionnaire contain 20 questions, among them 15 questions are close ended and 5 questions are open ended. Questionnaires can provide quantitative data using closed (or fixed-response) questions, where the respondent is presented with a number of alternative responses to a question and asked to mark the one that they feel is most appropriate. Researcher has used licked scale for this, which include five op tions such as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. Closed questions have been criticised for forcing people to choose their answer from the alternatives provided rather than answering in their own words.Qualitative data can be gathered using open (or free-response) questions to which respondents are asked to write their own answer 4. 3. 2. Classroom Observation Classroom Observation was undertaken in order to get a proper insight into the problem being explored. The researcher undertook four classroom observations that are widely used to measure changes in classroom behaviors. Classroom observation is confidential and it is an objective recording of what the instructor is doing and saying, what the students are doing and saying and interactions between the instructor and students.The researcher visited 5 different schools, and observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation. Classroom observation as a research and evaluation method can p rovide reliable and valid data on how teachers and students behave in the classroom before and after an intervention. It will explain the criteria for selecting an appropriate classroom observation protocol and examine under what circumstances classroom observation protocols can be used effectively.In the context of the current study special emphasis was placed on the use of classroom observation to examine how the teacher dealt with problematic students in the real classroom situation. 4. 4. Pilot Testing Both the research instruments, questionnaire and classroom observation was piloted before it was given to the participants. 4. 5. Ethical Considerations The information provided by the participants should remain confidential. For this purpose of confidentiality, informed consent form was signed by all the participants before the study was started. 4. 6. ProcedureThe researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire s were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore. Researcher distributed questionnaire among participants and collect the filled questionnaires from them next day. Researchers left the questionnaires with the participants and give them time of one day, so that they can have enough time to fill them. 5. Analysis For the coding of data, researcher runs spss. . Conclusion The effective use of behavioral and cognitive strategies in the classroom may appear daunting even to experienced teachers. The purpose of this research was to determine which management techniques and practices were most effective in the classroom in controlling student behavior, based upon critical analysis of the research literature. The aim of the research was to enable students to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes about classroom management and the objective was to identify approaches for managing student b ehavior.However, changing your behavior and strategies is often the most efficient and effective means of improving all types of classroom behaviors, both disruptive and non-disruptive. So is has been concluded after the research that teachers first need to understand these problems regarding students behavior and then try to find solutions by seeing the world through the eyes of their students. And then developing and using a set of intervention strategies on a regular basis, problems of emotions and behavior can be effectively managed and changed in the classroom.

How to Make a Safe No Cook Smoke Bomb

How to Make a Safe No Cook Smoke Bomb The classic smoke bomb is very easy to make, but I know some of you are concerned about the possibility of accidentally setting off your smoke alarm or igniting the mixture during preparation. There is safer way to make a smoke bomb. It uses the same ingredients and produces a comparable amount of smoke, but it takes a bit longer to make. Heres how to make the safer smoke bomb. Smoke Bomb Ingredients potassium nitrate or saltpeter (if you cant find it at a garden store I see Skylighter sells it online)sugar (sucrose)waterfusepaper or plastic cupsplastic spoonwaxed paper Construct the Smoke Bombs In a paper or plastic cup, mix 3 parts potassium nitrate with 2 parts sugar (e.g., 3 tablespoons potassium nitrate and 2 tablespoons sugar).Using your plastic spoon, stir in just enough water to make a thick paste. Continue stirring until the ingredients are evenly mixed.Set lumps of the mixture (~1 tablespoon each or a little less) onto the waxed paper. Insert a fuse into each lump.Allow the smoke bombs to set up for 1-2 days. The drying time will depend on temperature and humidity. Warmer and drier is faster; cooler and damper will take longer. Keep the smoke bombs away from excessive heat or flame. The smoke bombs will be like clay when they are ready, not hard and solid.Set a completed smoke bomb outdoors on a fireproof surface and light it. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

The importance of community Essay Example

The importance of community Essay Example The importance of community Essay The importance of community Essay Understanding the Social Context of the community In many cases, the government fails to understand the social context of the community. The social structure of a society is an aspect that majority of the governmental agencies fails to unearth as it portrays the vulnerability and level of rot within the government. Often, the society is usually composed of few individuals controlling the production at a higher level while others are perishing in poverty. Through public involvement in projects that benefits the entire community, such kind of issues may be addressed. Equity can never groom poverty, and thats the interest of the public. Social aspects of gender equity, proper resource allocation and employment are likely to be administered without favoritism under public domain. In the germination of Leicester City from scratch, the public was involved right from planning, funding, and allocation of the necessary tools, an act that assisted greatly in ensuring equity. Furthermore, apart from understanding the social stratification, the government is likely to note the demographic changes within the community. It is essential for purposes of planning administrative responsibilities such as the proper number of schools, medical institutions, recreational facilities, higher learning institutions and many other essentials of a community which cannot take place without public involvement. Leicester for example; the government had to assess the population and give an estimate of the demographic structure so as to fill the necessary elements. Mostly, planners tend to focus on space forgetting the importance of social context making the government less informed and therefore not updating the records. Conversely, Beebeejaun and Grimshaw(2010, p.1997) focuses on social exclusion mainly about the case of New Deal for Communities (NDC) about womens position in governance, gender and ethnicity (Beebeejaun Grimshaw, 2010, p. 1997). They emphasize on the need f or equality especially in leadership and fairness in the representation of the minor ethnic communities. According to them, the positions of authority have been used to exclude the weaker gender and smaller ethnic group and therefore the need for democracy where all people can be treated equally. The importance of public involvement in government Most of the decisions made by the governmental agencies and private sectors are frequently half-baked. Individuals who regularly participate in such kinds of forums are there because of academic qualification but not facts. In a community set-up, for quality decisions to be made regarding any development program, the public is to be involved. The public is composed of a variety of people having different opinions in theory and practice. Through their involvement, the quality of the final decision is likely to be high compared to that made by few individuals in a panel (Lasker Guidry, 2009, p. 24). Consider Leicester City, for example, the initial need for the project emerged from the public. The government had to chip in so as to support that which the public pointed to be of help to the community. Decisions made did not entirely emanated from the government, its role and which is appreciated up to now is the fact that its agencies got most of the funds and sources from outside inve stments. The premise is an aspect implying that the various ideas from the public can be summarized to make a sophisticated, high design. Configuring the society and the natural resources, it is the community members who should dominate all the decision-making process pertaining the resource (Burningham, Barnett Walker, 2015, p. 247). If the government is given the entire responsibility, that which belongs to the public may end up in the hands of a few. For the projects conducted to be efficient, public involvement is paramount as it enhances transparency and trust among the community, partners and the government. Building confidence and maintaining political legitimacy Public participation is critical especially in decision-making and this assists in building confidence among the people and companies. Many at times, the government usually makes the decision pertaining projects that are to be done in individual communities forgetting that there is need to make the public aware. Aspects of transparency, trust, and credibility can only be reflected through openness and clear agreements between the government and the community members (Cowie Davoudi, 2015, p. 169). The majority of the projects usually fail because of lack of accountability on the part of the organization conducting the projects. In this case, for example, Leicester project since the late 1990s to date is not complete, yet there are no complaints. It shows that the public is aware of the actual duration that the project was to take and also of the agreed evident milestone that indicates the nature of the work going on. Furthermore, being that majority of the people involved in the project are community members, transparency and level of trust are likely to be portrayed. The notion of legitimacy is very critical yet misunderstood by many in the society (Connelly, 2011, p. 932). There is need of reintroducing activism for the sake of political legitimacy and assist the smaller projects about the community-based organization in one of the northern cities in the United Kingdom as Connelly posts. By incorporating the public into the affairs of these community-based organizations, they are bound to operate freely without much intervention from law firms. Also, some fees and restriction from the attorney and other l ocal authorities may seize to apply. It is because the operations of the organizations are legitimate and fully supported by the public. Public support Most of the projects conducted within the community are for the benefit of the public, and therefore they are usually the key supporters. It is the public that can determine whether a given project should continue or not depending on the nature of ingredient they are offering. It is, therefore, essential for the government, individual or any other private body carrying out a given project to inform the community members about their requirements and time of operation. The motive here is to be able to secure enough support for the remaining period without failure which may result to collapse of the intended projects (Healey, 2015, p. 11). As earlier on stated, the project of constructing Leicester city is still in progress even after being in operation for more than 15 years. It means that the community and entire concerned public were aware. The project is continuing, and the support to make it achieve the goal of unsustainability is in progress. Tracing through the impacts of Asset Based Community Development project (ABCD) in United States, United Kingdom and Scotland (Macleod Emajulu, 2014, p. 435), the approach can be the best to ensure long-term support from the side of the public. It is based on the view that, every community member is an asset which can be used to mitigate poverty, achieve democracy and equality within the society. One of the pillars centers in being self-reliant. Similar to Leicester City project, the baseline is to assist the community, but it is better off as it makes the citizens not to rely on government in any major. Community problems like poverty may be curbed as individuals regardless of their conditions are taught ways of earning a living. Prioritizing public value choices It is illegitimate, wrong and corrupt for the organization to plan projects on behalf of the community. Proper planning should occur with a participation of the community members so as to enable them to prioritize their choices (Beebeejaun Grimshaw, 2010, p. 1997). A good example is Leicester city in the United Kingdom, the community themselves made a selection of a city because they were aware that it was going to reduce the unemployment rates, boost their economic stability, avail schools, hospitals and other essential social amenities. It was their best choice being that it solved many community problems. If it were the governments decision, it would have focused on good roads or maybe schools alone, an act that was going to be the public choice hence more likely to fail. Another example is the Cowley Road in Oxford (Brownil ;Carpenter, 2007, p. 402), in this project, at an early stage, the city council had to engage the public. The motive was to get as much information from the people so as to identify priorities and know major problems that people face. The challenge faced by the project unlike what witnessed in the case of Leicester city is the engagement of micro-politics and need for power that was very problematic. Whenever an element of power chips in a project, evil motives are likely to blind the people and therefore limiting the sovereignty of the public to dominate the project. Enhances Citizenship Involving individuals in the activities of the community is paramount to their growth. The planning process is usually educative, and therefore the people are likely to acquire skills and knowledge that can assist them shortly. The act of inquiring information from the people makes them feel appreciated and better citizens who can place a mark on the development of the community. The essence of this is acknowledgment and acceptance of the fact that whatever happens is for their on the gain. Being a plan that is likely to sustain their current and future demands, individuals are likely to air the best view that they hold. Considering the model of Community Land Trust, in Granby neighborhood in Liverpool, the project has been of great assistance to the community as they were initially deprived (Thompson, 2015, p. 1022). The community has united to reclaim the buildings, improve their conditions and use the funds for the benefit of the society. This strategy ensures that the community c ontrols itself without much government intervention. ;

Professional Editing Service

Professional Editing Service Professional Editing Service Need professional editor to polish your paper? Our professional editors can refine your papers style and all types of errors. We can help improve your college paper in grammar, style, format, content, quality of sources, flow of ideas, etc. We provide professional custom editing service to the students who need a help with paper polishing. Editing papers, our specialist correct grammar mistakes, eliminate spelling errors, sharpen the vocabulary, delete redundancies, and inappropriate words. The experienced editor will check papers organization and if necessary rearrange sentences and paragraphs. We respect the tone of your paper as well as your paper writing style: Essay editing service We offer editing services for all academic and non-academic types of writings. Essay editing is one of the common custom essay services. We guarantee the work will be edited by English-language experts. We have a low-cost pricing structure. In some cases, you can get edited papers already today! Our manager is always ready to give you all information you need about the progress of your order, essence of our assistance, or qualifications of our editors and writers. Do not delay improvement of your paper until tomorrow! Take advantage of our professional editing service today! Custom paper writing Our team of experts consists of professional editors and paper writers who have many years of relevant experience in diverse academic disciplines. We can write any academic paper such as custom essays, custom term papers, or custom research papers. We offer paper topic, help make an outline. After your approval, we start working on your assignment. Writing custom papers we take into consideration all the requirements you give us. Professionalism is our main goal! All custom written papers are unique. The originality of each work is our core guarantee! We do not download free papers from the Internet! As we know that the main requirement for academic papers is originality and we use only individual approach to custom papers. All the works are edited by the experts. We polish and refine the work making the necessary corrections. We guarantee free editing in the case of any teachers claims. You can be sure that the custom paper is professionally written! We guarantee the high quality of the work and your satisfaction with our services! Read also: Writing a Dissertation Proposal Thesis Writing Thesis Writing Format Thesis Online Thesis Methodology

Is Small Beautiful The Management Styles of Small Firms Essay

Is Small Beautiful The Management Styles of Small Firms - Essay Example Whatever the reason, small businesses have become a prevalent part of the United Kingdom economy, and consequently, it is important to understand their nature and the way in which they operate. Small firms are more than simply scaled down versions of their larger counterparts, they operate differently, make different decisions and are driven by many factors that do not affect larger firms (Atkinson, 2008). It is often perceived that small businesses have an ideal management structure, which is harmonious, where management and employees work together towards a similar goal. This essay examines what type of management styles are present in small businesses, whether this perception of ‘small is beautiful’ is real, and what influences management of small firms. Not just size alone Many theories and approaches to examining management of small firms assume that there is harmony across the industry. However, small firms are not homogenous with one another; instead they are subject to a range of different factors that influence the way that they operate, their management styles and their success. For example, ownership structures differ between small firms, with the owner being either, self-employed, owner-director, owner controller or a small employer. Because of these variations between small businesses, any consideration of the management styles and methods of control must also consider other factors about the firm, such as structure and agency (Barrett and Rainnie, 2002). ... Even when sections of the industry are taken into account there is still substantial variation in the way that businesses operate and what factors drive them (Ram and Edwards, 2003). For example, some firms focus primarily on profit, while others desire a family business and are not willing to put this in jeopardy even if this would mean increased profits. Likewise, some small firms compete directly with larger ones by producing similar products, while others produce a unique and distinct products do not directly compete with larger firms. Therefore, it is not possible to provide an overall model of the small business industry, or to predict what management styles will be present under different sets of circumstances. A more effective approach is to examine the different management styles that are present in small firms and how these differ from those common in larger firms. It has been argued that the definition of a small firm needs significant work, as the current perception focus es mainly on number of employees and the precise number differs between publications. The problem with this method of defining small firms is that it does not take into account the complexities and variation that is present within the small industry sector. Some authors or publications make use of key business characteristics to determine whether the company is a small business, or a combination of industry and size. An example of this is the suggestion that in the manufacturing industry, a small business is one that has less than 200 employees. One suggestion has been to modify the definition of a small company so that it uses a qualitative

Teacher Faculty meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teacher Faculty meeting - Essay Example Keeping this in mind, I attended a teacher faculty meeting taking place in Jonas Salk Elementary School on October 16, 2014. The meeting was organized for kindergarten teachers working in this school. There were four professional female teachers: Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Swift, Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Jones. The meeting was initiated and organized by Mrs. Swift who considered it to be necessary to discuss and solve several issues concerning professional activity. Participants gathered to discuss relevant issues and challenges they faced. First of all, a lot of attention was given to the issue of special needs of random children and meeting them. General consent was reached in this point, as all the teachers stressed the importance of establishing and developing learning centers that would work as additional educational venues assisting children in their special needs. Moreover, teachers debated on setting unified one-level curriculum or multiple level curriculum for these centers. Although opinions ran 50:50 at first, the teachers eventually agreed upon multiple level curriculum as Mrs. Jones provided a reasonable argument. The argument was that a curriculum including several levels would enable adjusting to children’s needs more accurately, taking their level of cognitive and psychological development as well as their background and interests into account. Emphasis was also made on the problem of working with newly admitted Spanish children who have very poor English skills. The teachers discussed ways to approach such children with whom they aren’t able to communicate. As such children need to be taught equally, yet require special approach, the teachers made an attempt to solve a problem and develop a set of methods. For instance, it was suggested to organize a course of qualification improvement and training including Spanish classes for teachers. Furthermore, as one of the teachers, Mrs. Jackson, proved to have some primary language

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Response - Essay Example It is hard to interpret this new move of soda giants. It could be a step in the right direction, or another corporate lie aiming at health-oriented people who would think they are making the right choice by consuming chemical-infused sodas that might not be so healthy for them in the long term perspective. According to a recent publication in The New York Times, a new advertising battle is brewing between soft beverage giants Coca Cola and PepsiCo (Martin, 1). After the cola wars, the diet cola wars and the mid-calorie cola wars, a vitamin cola war is ahead. Diet sodas will be dueling to entice consumers with the promise of a little healthy extra in their glass. Coca Cola plans to introduce a new brand of diet Coke with vitamins and minerals. The company is preparing for a spring or mid-summer launch of the Diet Coke Plus. PepsiCo is also ready to shoot. Their new Diet Pepsi Max will be infused with ginseng and more caffeine than the well-known, regular Diet Pepsi. The company is also preparing a vitamin counter-attack - Tava, which is expected to hit the shelves in June. Both diet sodas respond to a growing market niche. The health and wellness industry boom created a new category of "functional beverages". They promise a wide range of benefits for the consumers - they claim to invigorate, energize, stimulate, refresh and beautify, among everything else. Right now this immensely growing market segment is dominated by small players such as Red Bull, Mountain Dew, Vitamin Water and green tea drinks, while Coke and Pepsi are staying behind the healthy scene. The author of the article claims that the $ 68 billion soda business has dropped for the first time in 2005 (Martin, 1). A steady downfall was estimated even in diet Coke consumption. As sales of full-sugar soda decline, PepsiCo and Coca Cola are racing to add low-calories and non-carbonated drinks to their product mix. In contrast, sales of mineral water, energy drinks and green tea drinks are growing in double-digits. Confused by the fact that Coca-Cola Classic may not continue to make life taste good for a long time, Coca Cola marketing teams are exploring different opportunities in response to the poor performance of soda drinks. An increased interest in soft drinks with vitamins added has emerged. The beginning of this brand new trend was put by the "Gatorade concept" which aimed to increase the popularity of health drinks with both energizing and rejuvenating qualities among sport-oriented consumers. As drinks like "Gatorade" became widely spread, so did the soda giants' marketing plans towards a growing niche of specific target groups with specific wants and needs. In fact, healthy soda seems not to be an entirely new idea. According to the New York Times article, "7UP Plus", which appeared in 2004, was a low-calorie soda fortified with minerals and vitamins. It was claimed to be "100% natural". The product contained high-fructose corn syrup though and after public pressure the company was forced to change the label to: "100 percent natural flavor" (Martin, 1). When large and popular companies, such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo explore new market opportunities and invade new market niches, they face the need to build up new public images of their "healthy" brands. These companies must decide whether to use their already affirmed brands for assistance, or to invest in search for new corporate identities. If the

Critical analysis of Nursing scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical analysis of Nursing scenario - Essay Example This paper will discuss a particular nursing workplace conflict scenario and suggest potential solutions to address the situation using an effective conflict resolution tool. Critical Analysis The given scenario clearly reveals that there are numerous issues existing in the workplace, the key reason leading to frequent sick calls, tardiness, and lack of productivity. The conversation between Susan Barnes and Shawna Hayes clearly indicates that team formation and job distribution is poorly managed and this situation in turn results in weak employee satisfaction. Due to pitfalls in team formation, members of Team 2 experience increased work stress whereas Team 1 members obtain a more relaxed worksite environment. In addition, some nurses always manage to work with Team 2 to avoid workload and the resulting job stress. Evidently, this situation is severely affecting team collaboration and the spirit of team work and this is most likely to end up in poor quality patient care. Finally, in adequate remuneration is also a major reason causing poor staff satisfaction; employees are greatly discouraged because they are not paid proportionate to the workload they bear. While analyzing the given case context, it is clear that the conflict situation is organizational because it is caused by improper management practices. It is necessary for the nursing manager to exercise due care while addressing an organisational conflict situation. According to Kelly and Crawford, there are mainly seven conflict resolution techniques such as avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, negotiating, collaborating, and confronting. In the words of Coburn (n.d.), under avoiding strategy, the conflict is simply ignored whereas the accommodating strategy implies that one side gives in to the other side to resolve the conflict. Ogunyemi et al (2010) state that the tool of competing forces the parties involved in the conflict to compete for the goal, while compromising tool encourages each side to give up something and gain something. In the view of Sontor (2009), the manager uses the negotiating tool to organize high level discussion that seeks agreement but not necessarily consensus. According to Khanaki and Hassanzadeh (2010), the collaborating tool persuades both sides to work together so as to develop the optimal outcome whereas the confronting approach takes immediate and obvious efforts to stop conflict at the very start (p.na). In the current situation, tools like avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, collaborating, or confronting may not be effective because the issues are well rooted, and hence need stronger and more extensive resolution approach. Therefore, it is advisable for the nursing unit manager to employ the negotiating tool to address the conflict situation identified. The major advantage of using this conflict resolution tool is that the solution developed will be permanent â€Å"for a variety of reasons, such as a union of contract, a permanent change in policy or governance, or career or life changes† (Kelly & Crawford, p.304). In the view of Lewicki, Hiam, and Olander, â€Å"there are five basic approaches to negotiating: collaborative (win-win), competitive (win at all costs), avoiding (lose-lose), accommodating (lose to win), and compromise (split the difference)† (as cited Kelly & Crawford, p.304). It would be better to employ the compromise-negotiating tool to

Fashion, Culture and Region Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fashion, Culture and Region - Research Paper Example The paper "Fashion, Culture and Region" explores the region, fashion and culture. Many individuals including great scholars have come up with a variety of definitions concerning the meaning of fashion. According to Severini (2015), fashion is a popular trend, in particular in manner of behavior and style of dressing. The above definition with other definitions that individuals and great scholars have come up with have a common concept, feeling and looking great. If an individual is fashionable, that individual is considered as being confident. That individual is sure that the right message is being conveyed to provide a specific impression to other individuals. This implies that being fashionable surely assists an individual in getting the courage to take the first step towards achieving set goals. In light of this, does the culture of a particular region play an important role in affecting its trend in its fashion industry? If it does, what fashion design programs can be created for this type of culture? This memo report will address these two questions. Let us begin with the history of fashion. Throughout history, fashion has had a long history of errors and trials. What was known to be fashionable in the past might be similar to destroying fashion in the present times. Likewise, what is known to be fashionable in the present times might have been seen as fashion suicide by people living in the past. Therefore, the period of time and beliefs held by the individuals living in it.

Critical analysis of Nursing scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical analysis of Nursing scenario - Essay Example This paper will discuss a particular nursing workplace conflict scenario and suggest potential solutions to address the situation using an effective conflict resolution tool. Critical Analysis The given scenario clearly reveals that there are numerous issues existing in the workplace, the key reason leading to frequent sick calls, tardiness, and lack of productivity. The conversation between Susan Barnes and Shawna Hayes clearly indicates that team formation and job distribution is poorly managed and this situation in turn results in weak employee satisfaction. Due to pitfalls in team formation, members of Team 2 experience increased work stress whereas Team 1 members obtain a more relaxed worksite environment. In addition, some nurses always manage to work with Team 2 to avoid workload and the resulting job stress. Evidently, this situation is severely affecting team collaboration and the spirit of team work and this is most likely to end up in poor quality patient care. Finally, in adequate remuneration is also a major reason causing poor staff satisfaction; employees are greatly discouraged because they are not paid proportionate to the workload they bear. While analyzing the given case context, it is clear that the conflict situation is organizational because it is caused by improper management practices. It is necessary for the nursing manager to exercise due care while addressing an organisational conflict situation. According to Kelly and Crawford, there are mainly seven conflict resolution techniques such as avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, negotiating, collaborating, and confronting. In the words of Coburn (n.d.), under avoiding strategy, the conflict is simply ignored whereas the accommodating strategy implies that one side gives in to the other side to resolve the conflict. Ogunyemi et al (2010) state that the tool of competing forces the parties involved in the conflict to compete for the goal, while compromising tool encourages each side to give up something and gain something. In the view of Sontor (2009), the manager uses the negotiating tool to organize high level discussion that seeks agreement but not necessarily consensus. According to Khanaki and Hassanzadeh (2010), the collaborating tool persuades both sides to work together so as to develop the optimal outcome whereas the confronting approach takes immediate and obvious efforts to stop conflict at the very start (p.na). In the current situation, tools like avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, collaborating, or confronting may not be effective because the issues are well rooted, and hence need stronger and more extensive resolution approach. Therefore, it is advisable for the nursing unit manager to employ the negotiating tool to address the conflict situation identified. The major advantage of using this conflict resolution tool is that the solution developed will be permanent â€Å"for a variety of reasons, such as a union of contract, a permanent change in policy or governance, or career or life changes† (Kelly & Crawford, p.304). In the view of Lewicki, Hiam, and Olander, â€Å"there are five basic approaches to negotiating: collaborative (win-win), competitive (win at all costs), avoiding (lose-lose), accommodating (lose to win), and compromise (split the difference)† (as cited Kelly & Crawford, p.304). It would be better to employ the compromise-negotiating tool to

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Social Psychology - Essay Example Achieving social competence requires balanced interaction with the cognitive state of individual, psychological dispositions and cultures the individual practices (Lovaglia, 2007). Until the 1970’s sociologists underscored the investigation of emotion as a relevant field in sociology (Stets, 2007). However, with the discovery that human behavior, interaction and social structuring relies on emotional expression, sociologists delve into manners of human expression such as language. Language is a main way through which people express their emotion. Therefore, developing linguistic faculties aids humans in acquiring the sense of self through expression of their emotions. Language defines symbolic interaction as it is the means through which culture moves form one generation to the next. Language is not only a symbol but its use elicits symbols through which humans understand each other. For instance, one may choose obscene words to refer to a situation or person. This obscene lan guage expresses anger or disappointment. One can see that Mead (1934) succeeds in his intention of highlighting the importance of language in social psychology (James, 2007). Through an interaction of an array of possible developmental stages as suggested by various theorists, an individual reaches a compromise of the best possible self. A few of these theories include latent trait theory and, in view of Herbert Mead, mainly cognitive theory. Sense of self involves creating a distinction between the self and others. These distinctions are as basic as knowing ones gender. The sense of self, therefore, relies on knowing what role one plays in society. The position affiliated to a person is a symbol of the self as it guides the social interactions they engage. For instance, an individual when analyzing an occurrence will ask â€Å"who† did what to â€Å"whom†? Even in the constantly changing roles, self identity is responsible for stability and coherence, in regard to soc ial interactions, for the individual. However, Mead points out that the self needs to be as flexible as possible. This will help the individual to self conceptualize and, therefore, create the unique self (Stets, 2007). The sense of self lays a foundation for development of self esteem. Without self esteem, an individual will have a hard time balancing their inner feelings with those people hold towards them. Secondly, the individual will have a hard time expressing their emotions even with a grasp on linguistic faculties and their perceived meanings. The result of this is deviants in society as seen in crime, and sexual expression. Social competence should be emphasized in childhood as early as possible. Jean Piaget viewed young children as little scientists. He was of the view that children are capable of deciphering situations and actions through perception. Therefore, it is possible to introduce self control to the child as it will help them associate it with self esteem even la ter in life. According to Siegel in his book â€Å"Criminology: Theories Patterns and Typology†, research reveals that low self control during childhood may result in disrupted social bonds. This means that, in adulthood, the individual will not have meaningful social interactions due to low self esteem. This is a sure way to fall in to some forms of crime as prescribed by latent trait theory. The same can apply to sexual interactions that have a direct correlation to self esteem. Siegel (2012) further notes

Principles of Assessment Essay Example for Free

Principles of Assessment Essay Question 1: Define the key concepts and principles of assessment We should always consider what the assessment experience of assessment is like for our learners. Considering key principles in the designing of our assessments will keep our views fresh and reflective. Key principle 1: Put the learner at the heart of the assessment. The assessment experience should be a motivational one for our learners. It is only by developing the learners understanding of the function of assessments and enabling their development as a learner that a motivational experience is facilitated. Learners often feel detached or on the periphery of assessment because they perceive it as something that is forced upon them rather than a tool that they can use to aid their development. In order to achieve this, assessment needs to be an ongoing process that the learner can take ownership of by highlighting their own areas for development. Subsequently the learner feels a greater sense of autonomy which helps develop confidence in their own ability. Key principle 2: Assessment needs to provide a view of the whole learner. Assessment should reflect our objective of developing the whole learner. In order to achieve this, a broader picture should be painted, both for the learner and the assessor. To achieve this we need the learner to draw on experiences that are external to the learning environment. Developing links with the community, peers and family members will enable the learner to make connections between skills that are gained in the classroom and relate them to situations and skills in life. This can only be positive as an increase in motivation and relatedness will inevitably be enjoyed. Key principle 3: Assessment is integral to teaching and learning. Embedding assessment in teaching and learning is essential to creating personalised learning. In order for this embedding to be successful, we need to recognise the signs that learning is being achieved and by integrating multi-modal experiences and activities, we can generate a multitude of evidence that learning is taking place. Making assessment the focal point of a session facilitates differentiation and highlights individual learners’ needs and potential pathways to future learning. However, assessment needs to be planned carefully and in detail so that most assessment activities can be learner led with minimal input from the tutor/assessor. Key principle 4: Assessment includes reliable judgements about how performers are performing related, where appropriate, to national standards. Linking assessment is essential for consistency, tracking progress and evaluating the impact of the assessments. National standards ensure consistency within the specific educational establishment and across various institutions, which is a minimum entitlement of all learners. Evidence can be shared by tutors and assessors within a department, a college and within an entire sector in order to share best practice and gain confidence. Through national standards, learners have the opportunity to track their progress and compare it with other learners and institutions. Question 2: Explain the responsibilities of the assessor. First and foremost, assessors should be the guardians of standards by not comparing the work of one individual to the work of another’s. Using the assessment cycle will add structure to the tutor and enable them to integrate a continuous process of assessment throughout the curriculum. Stage 1: Assessment design – quality assessments should be planned to give the learners the opportunity to engage with formative tasks. They should also get the chance to undertake summative tasks to demonstrate their learning. The use of realistic, authentic experiences will help energize the learners. Stage 2: Communication – this phase is where the standards and content of the assessment is communicated to the learners. Parameters of assessment outcomes are set. Stage 3: marking – marking is not just about providing a grade. Techniques and activities should be introduced so that learners and peers can actively take part in the grading process. This can assist students in the understanding of the task and also inform future learning. Stage 4: Analysis of results – consistency in marking is essential to help keep learners motivated. If inconsistencies are seen in a group, maintaining positivity becomes difficult. Learners should explore results and be offered the opportunity to comment on their grading. Stage 5 – Feedback – possibly the most important element of the assessment cycle. Supportive, informative and constructive feedback should be offered to enable students to see how they performed. The feedback should include advice on how to improve their learning and future performances (feed-forward feedback). Feedback should be offered continuously and in a cyclic manner. Question 3: identify the regulations and requirements relevant to assessment in your own area of practice. Regulations †¢ It is a requirement that centres provide CYQ with the following: †¢ List of named assessors with signatures †¢ Details of all assessors’ qualifications and experience (CVs). †¢ Copies of all relevant certificates †¢ Clear specification of the assessment roles and responsibilities †¢ A well planned assessment process from induction to final assessment day plan †¢ A valid and reliable assessment of knowledge and skills that is appropriate to the CYQ syllabus and aligned to the national standards †¢ Evidence of Assessor/internal quality assurer meetings to review and standardise assessment practice to meet national standards †¢ Centre policy and practice in relation to fair assessment provision for any individual assessment needs of learners Requirements. †¢ Carrying out assessments in accordance with CYQ assessment specifications and assessment documentation †¢ Ensuring evidence provided by learners is sufficient to meet CYQ requirements †¢ Providing feedback to the learner about performance and achievement †¢ Devising and agreeing an assessment action plan with the learner as appropriate †¢ Completing all relevant assessment forms and returning them to the internal quality assurer/Centre Contact †¢ Providing feedback to the internal quality assurer †¢ Upholding the standards of the award http://www. cyq. org. uk/files/role-of-the-assessor. pdf Question 4: Compare the strengths and limitations of a range of assessment methods with reference to the needs of individual learners. |Assessment method |Strengths |Limitations |Meeting individual needs | |Group work |-Seeing peoples’ point of view. |-Learners with more introverted |-Social loafers can be put into groups | | |-Learn from one another. |personalities may be uneasy in a |that include environmental influencers | | |-Improves social interaction. |group situation. |to ensure an even workload. | |Peer and self-assessment |-Increased autonomy. |-Validity can be reduced due to |-Can inform summative marking by | | |-Encourages self reflection. |self-grading. |assessing individual contributions. | | | |-Reliability can be reduced due | | | | |to peers grading each other. | | |Patchwork texts |-Help contribute to an holistic |-Intensive prep time to produce |-Embedding literacy helps achieve level| | |understanding of content. |resources. |2 content. | | | |-Complexity of task means less |-Encourages diversity through | | | |able learners need additional |interaction with many people | | | |guidance. |continuously. | http://www. reading. ac. uk/web/FILES/eia/AZ_of_Assessment_Methods_FINAL_table. pdf Question 5: Summarize key factors to consider when planning assessment. Disability Adequate provision must be made for students who have disabilities and / or special educational needs when designing and planning assessments. Legislation requires learners’ needs to be anticipated (The Equality Act 2010). This is so that measures are in place to meet needs before they are actually required. These measures can potentially be beneficial for all learners. Know what you are assessing Criterion-referenced assessment is the most commonly used method of assessment. We must ensure that assessment criteria are clearly defined so that learners are fully aware as to what is expected of them. This will also keep the feedback specific to the assessment and specific to the learning outcomes, enabling learners to highlight potential future learning pathways. Timing your assessments If you conduct formative assessments at too late a stage, constructive feedback cannot be acted on, making the assessment pointless. Conversely, summative assessments being conducted too early will take away the learners ability to develop their knowledge and can lead to reduced confidence. You must make an effort not to over assess. Too much assessment can mean less time to reflect, feedback and act on areas for development. Question 6: Summarize the types of risks that may be involved in assessment in your own area of responsibility. Health safety – the suitably of the environment must be considered during the planning stage of assessment. Maximum utilization of preventative measures should be observed e. g. risk assessments should be carried out to minimize risk of injury. Equipment checklists should be completed to ensure that any equipment being used is fit for purpose. First aid kits should be available if required as well as communication to relevant health and safety officers and assigned first aiders. Timescales – particular attention should be paid to timescale parameters in assessment. Every effort should be made to ensure that adequate time is provided for the assessment to be completed and for feedback to be provided to the learners. It is essential that time parameters are realistic and achievable for ALL learners. Learning impairment – any learners with visual, hearing or any other learning impairment should be considered during assessment. Different levels of differentiation should be utilized to ensure that ALL learners’ needs are adequately provided for. For example, you could provide larger print or zoom for learners with a visual impairment or writing with different coloured markers on a whiteboard for learners with dyslexia. Technology – when using assessments that include the use of technology, it is always a possibility of technological failure. Weather – if planning practical assessments in an outside environment, you are always planning against the elements, particularly in this country. Question 7: explain how to minimise risks during the planning process Adequate preparation of the assessment environment is essential to the provision of the safety of the learners. A risk assessment should always be carried out before the assessment begins. The appropriateness of the environment is also a major consideration. The assessment environment should suit the type of assessment that you are carrying out. For instance, when planning practical assessments in the gym, it is down to me as the assessor to ensure that the environment is fit for purpose i. e.the equipment in the gym must be regularly safety checked and maintained. There should be documented evidence that safety checks and maintenance has taken place that can be checked by Internal and External Quality Assurers. Any repairs that are required should be carried out within a reasonable timescale and documented so as not to disrupt the smooth running of the programme. Assessment should always assess what is meant to be assessed, in accordance with the curriculum and awarding body specifications. Failure to adhere to these guidelines will mean that the assessment will be invalid. Consistently meeting the set standards of the awarding body and the institution will make the assessments reliable. This means that the assessments will be reliable and consequently, any external or independent assessors or IQA/EQA can make judgements at any given time. Keeping learners informed as to the time, place and nature of their assessment will enable them to prepare adequately for it. It will also act as a timetable for us as tutors/assessors to enable us to prepare adequately and make sure that there is sufficient quality and relevance in delivery prior to the assessment taking place. It is always a good idea to share your assessment ideas with colleagues before submitting them to learners. Sharing ideas and information with peers is a great way discovering and enabling best practice. Question 8: Summarise the types of information that should be made available to learners and others involved in the assessment process The course planner is made available to learners from day zero of the course. The course planner contains all key information as gleaned from the scheme of work. Key information would include; session topics, aims and objectives, activities and assessment methods. The course planner is available on moodle so that learners can access it. In the sessions I make the session aims and objectives available to learners from the moment they walk through the door. Immediately, the learner is aware what is required of them in the session. Leading from the aims and objectives, the learners are made aware of the activities that they will be doing and how these activities relate to the objectives. I will usually do this through a prezi. All prezi’s are subsequently embedded onto moodle. I embed web links into the relevant moodle page so that learners can research relevant information from credible sources. It is crucial that timescales are made available on the course planner and assignment deadlines are reiterated constantly throughout the duration of the course. Learners are always made aware of the, methods of assessments that will be taking place. This enables the learner to prepare themselves for the assessment and fill any gaps in their knowledge that may exist. Question 9: Explain how peer and self assessment can be used effectively to promote learner involvement and personal responsibility in the assessment of learning |Peer assessment |Self assessment | |Strengths |limitations |Strengths |limitations | | | | | |.