Evolution of Management Accounting Discipline Essay

Evolution of Management Accounting discipline and its relationship with other functions in organizations The challenges of the competitive environment in the 1980s should cause us to examine our traditional cost of accounting and management control systems. The DuPont Corporation (1903) and the reorganization of General Motors (1920) provided the opportunity for major innovations in the management control of decentralized operations, including the ROI criterion for evaluation of performance and formal budgeting and incentive plans. More recent developments have included discounted cash flow analysis and the application of management science and multiperson decision theory models After the 1920s the evolution of management accounting methods reduced as interest and senior management focused on preparing and developing financial statements to meet the new reporting requirements causing from stock market failures. Then in 1970, when Japanese automobile manufacturers exerted pressure on American and European countries that interest turned to developing a more â€Å"larger in scope† management accounting that reported in quality and service rather than simply organisation unit cost performance By 1925,Almost all cost accounting methods in use at the moment had been developed. since the last sixty years there has been changes in the nature of the business environment. Despite this fact, there has been little change in designing and putting into action most cost accounting and management control procedures. For this reason it is important for people in the business area to completely understand the source of those methods, and look for ways to improve the methods to better meet the needs of today’s business environment. managerial accounting is a young discipline Compared to financial accounting. As a result, managerial accounting concepts and tools are still evolving as news ways are found to provide information that assists management. For managerial accounting to be a useful tool in the future as it has been in the recent past, managerial accounting information must be adapted to reflect those changes. Traditional management accounting systems were called cost cutting systems because they focused on accessing the cost of an important product or activity in the organization. by the late nineteenth century, rail road managers implemented large complex costing systems, that allowed them to compute the costs of carrying the different types of freight such as coal and steel. Efficiency improvement was supported by this information as well as pricing on the railroads, the first company to develop and use large quantities of financial statistics to access organizational performance is the railroads

Millennium Travel Corporation

Millennium Travel Corporation (MTC) travel agency plans to become a market leader by augmenting its human travel agents with an automated travel agent system for processing flight reservations. The automated travel agent will intermediate between travelers and the MTC corporate computing system, which interfaces with commercial airline reservation services (e.g., SABRE). Like a human travel agent, it will assist travelers in booking, changing, and canceling flight reservations. If, for any reason, a traveler making a flight reservation travel request prefers human assistance, she will have the option to interact directly with a human travel agent. The MTC automated travel agent system will process a wide range of flight reservation service requests. These include, but are not limited to: †¢inquiring about flights and airfares,  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢making, changing, and canceling traveler profiles and accounts, †¢booking, changing, confirming, and canceling flight reservations, †¢generating travel itineraries. Service Request Transaction A user with a valid system account and a valid travel account logs in to the system, requests to book a flight reservation, selects a flight, selects a payment method, and specifies delivery services for the flight tickets and travel itineraries. The system will accommodate both individual and corporate traveler accounts for domestic and international flight reservation travel requests. System Requirements The travel agent system must be capable of providing fast, accurate, and courteous (â€Å"user friendly†) services for all requests supported. The system must be able to: †¢answer inquiries about flights and fares,  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢generate, modify, and cancel traveler profiles and travel accounts, †¢make, change, complete, and cancel reservations,  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢obtain payment method and verify traveler credit line,  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢generate travel itineraries and arrange for delivery of flight tickets and flight itineraries. Types of ticket delivery services include: mail, courier, and airport pick-up; types of itinerary delivery services include mail, fax, e-mail. Future Capabilities While at first the system will specialize in ticketing airline reservations, in the future it is expected to be able to: 1)Make hotel and rental car reservations. 2)Issue â€Å"ticketless† reservations. For example, â€Å"ticketless† flight reservations will work as follows: travel agents making flight reservations will issue travelers confirmation numbers (and not a ticket). At the airline gate the traveler will show photo identification and the gate agent will locate the flight reservation and issue a boarding pass.

Pornography and child protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pornography and child protection - Essay Example As discussed by Tavani, (2007), in some ways it appears to be an issue of ethical relativism since several societies may have objections to even wizened adults looking at pornographic images to the extent that such material is banned altogether from their countries. On the other hand, there are also societies where women do not wear the same type of clothes leading children to view them in states which might be considered pornographic by our social order. However, despite the relativism of the situation, the law for protecting minors is certainly there and while the ethics of the law itself can be debated, we as a society have decided that we have to protect children from being exposed to pornographic images. Towards that purpose we have placed barriers on the internet and on other means by which children can access these images. These barriers include age verification requirements before pornographic images can be viewed by adults and they try to ensure that only those of a verifiable age can access such files on the internet. At the same time, the internet itself is so vast that it becomes difficult to police it and people may have images on their website that are pornographic and children may be exposed to them without verification of their age or any other barrier to protect them. Additionally, while the article makes the premise that Google and Yahoo can do more to protect children from being exposed to such images, it does not make it clear how these search companies can go about doing so. Unless these search engines start storing verifiable information about each of their users, it is unlikely that they will be able to prevent many children from gaining access to pornographic material. The Age. 2008, ‘Porn studio wants Google, Yahoo to help protect kids’, [Online] Available at:

Internal Analysis of the NBA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internal Analysis of the NBA - Assignment Example These are some of the questions that the paper will attempt to answer. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. The approach will assist in the analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of NBA. The paper will begin by analyzing the capabilities and resources NBA had before the 2010-2011 season; the analysis will be from a case study done by Coulter. The capabilities and resources in the 2010-2011 seasons will be analyzed. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. Resources and Capabilities NBA Has As Of the 2010-2011 Season The Resources and Capabilities before the 2010-2011 Season (The Case Study) The National Basketball Association (NBA) has undergone tremendous changes from a domestic sport to an international commercial sport and this indicates a major understanding of the resources and capabilities. All the success and efforts are attributed to the NBA commissioner David Stern who has helped NBA become a global brand. Professional bask etball began in the mid-1990s and NBA gained the international game appeal. There are key players in the NBA who have sparked international interest. These players include Yao Ming of China, Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzi of Germany, Pau Gasol of Spain, and Tony Parker of France, Denver Nuggets of Brazil, Gordan Giricek of Croatia and Darko Milicic of Serbia. All the mentioned are international basketball players. It is estimated that out of all the players in the NBA, 64 players come out of the United States territory. Other than the international players, NBA has taken its games globally. The NBA league has held several preseason games in the Latin America, Asia and Europe. Among the major plans by the commissioner of NBA was creation of multiple teams in the European region before the end of the 2000 decade. The NBA league has faced challenges like the retirement of Michael Jordan and the cancellation of almost a third of the league games in the mid-1990s. The challenges a lmost crashed the NBA league. Stern, the commissioner of NBA addressed the issues by looking at what the NBA had top offer, that is the resources and capabilities. He found that NBA could offer consumer awareness of basketball both domestically and internationally, several young talented players and renowned image and a track record (Coulter 132). Among the things that Stern did were: Expand the NBA offices network globally. The reason was to gain the NBA popularity, make it visible to the consumers around the world, sell a vast amount of track records and make several tours occasionally. Enhance the image of the NBA league on the Internet through its web site. It is estimated that about 40 percent of the people who visit the NBA website come from the rest of the world; that is outside the United States (Coulter 133). The Resources and Capabilities in the 2010-2011 Season The External Environment Globalization NBA has utilized the television and commerce to popularize the game globa lly and its influence in the world has been fuelled by marketing and television. The television has allowed NBA to reach many people around the world; it is estimated that NBA league is watched in 212 countries and in 42 different languages. The estimated number of people watching NBA league through the television is said to be over 750 million people. The foreign players in the NBA league are estimated to be around 80 of the 430 positions in the NBA team. This shows how NBA has its touch on the

British Motor Industry and Government Strategy Essay

British Motor Industry and Government Strategy - Essay Example Usually they are classified as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers etc., where Tier 1 represents the highest level of components such as the engines and the powertrains. At the assembler level, there used to only a handful of big players from countries such as the US, Japan and a few from the European Union (EU) countries. This situation, however, has now changed with many Eastern Europe countries and Asian countries such as China and India entering the automobile industry. The output side of the assemblers, also called "post-manufacturing" or "downstream", consists of distributors, dealers and the service and repair shops. This level accounts for a significant volume of employment, where in UK alone, about 73% of the employees in the automotive industry come from the automotive supply and distribution chains. This is out of an approximate total of 780,000 employees (Parker & McGinity 4). The world automotive industry has gone through several ups and downs from its inception to present. From the 1950s where the United States dominated with a 100% market share amongst the 3 giants General Motors (GM), Ford and Chrysler, it changed to a position where US lost its share to 52% while Japan cemented her place with a 43% share by 2005 (BBC "The Car Industry"). Since the beginning of this decade, the industry has seen the emergence of several new players predominantly from China and India and some Eastern Europe countries. The demand for energy efficient vehicles has gone up rapidly in the recent past and this has forced many auto manufacturers to invest time and money in more environment-friendly technologies. Context of Five Forces In analysing the present global trends, The Five Forces Theory (Porter 1979) offers sound criteria for an encompassing environment study. Rivalry among competitors Competition in the global auto industry has intensified with many new players entering the market. In fact, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EFILWC) states "global competition" as one of four main drivers of change for the European auto industry (5). There is stiff competition coming from the new Asian manufacturers, led from China. For example, "In North America, domestic automakers have seen a steady decline in their share of the market. In the ten months to October 2004, the market share of Asian-owned carmakers in the US rose to a record 34.5%" (Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada 5). Threat of new entrants The new entrants are again primarily from Asia with China and India in the forefront. Automakers such as the Chinese FAW, Chana and the Indian Tata and Maruti are fast catching the markets, especially in the Asian region. Their makes of small cars with high fuel efficiency are particularly appealing given the present situation in the world oil market. Threat of substitutes Sky rocketing fuel costs can push the customers more in to public transport with a direct consequence of shrinking the demand for personal automobiles. The car and SUV markets can get hard hit by this. There is speculation

Promoting healthy nutrition among school children in UK Essay

Promoting healthy nutrition among school children in UK - Essay Example Particularly, it will be analyzing gathered data and information with Tannahill Model that will facilitate in better understanding of different aspects of nutrition. Moreover, consideration of Tannahill Model will allow effective development of programme for health education and teachings. Furthermore, it is observed that the local educational authorities and other related institutions advocate the current nutritional health policy, and thus, it will be discussed as well, followed by discussion related to interventions that can be used by teachers to play a contributive role in promoting healthy foods to schoolchildren. Lastly, the intervention will provide an overview of evaluation methodologies used for analyzing the effectiveness proposed educational programme, and will wrap up the paper with conclusion. Now the paper will identify and discuss some of the aspects of Tannahill Model has been chosen for the development of proposed nutrition health programme for schoolchildren in the United Kingdom. Health is a system that is regarded by both the professionals, as well as nonprofessionals as a way of life rather than it being an objective of living. Throughout the history of medical research and pharmacy, several models have been launched and hypothesized; however, none has been effective enough to resolve the plethora of public health deficit that plagues the entire globe. With the rapid globalization, it seems that even health issues have run to an outreached level, which needs to be resolved with proper planning, policies, and right form of protection provided to the society as a whole. â€Å"Health promotion, then, is the active process of disease prevention encompassing educational components, including individual and group change and social influence techniques which, together with environmental, legislative and organizational interventions, make up a range of strategies for

European Integration and Sovereignty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European Integration and Sovereignty - Essay Example This essay stresses that integration has effects on member states over time. It can also dictate how such member states can go ahead and restrain the actions of the member states who designed them. Path dependency is a key feature of institutionalism. Here, decisions made about the member states in the past have a significant impact on future outcomes and vice versa. The paper has looked at the need for European integration and why this need superseded sovereignty of the various states making up European integration. The European Union is used as the most distinctive, and perhaps, most successful union in history. In a span of 50 years, or so, sovereignty and authority has shifted from national European national governments, not to supranational levels with European Union, but also to sub national ranks such as local authorities and regional assemblies. Policy-making is even and fairly constant. Perhaps the main reasons for European integration include peaceful co-existence among members states, improved bilateral states, a more unified way of doing business, need for political stability, and most importantly aversion of further wars. Even since the creation of integrated bodies such as EU, Europe has enjoyed considerable peace. Trade has improved and member states have co-operated mutually without worries of losing part of their sovereignty. If anything, the EU, for instance has well stipulated and articulated laws that define members rights, provisions and sovereignty rights. Such bodies only act as an umbrella and a unifying factor.

World religion and major periods during the development in the united Term Paper

World religion and major periods during the development in the united states - Term Paper Example During this colonial period, events occurred for example 8 Englishmen being allowed to colonize other parts of America. For example Virginia was the first American colony which was founded at Jamestown in Virginia. The Native Americans who were in Virginia had mixed feelings towards the newcomers; they were hostile to them and even attacked their ships. On the other hand, Indians had hospitality to the newcomers thus providing food to them. In the North of America, Massachusetts Bay colony was formed in 1920 together with Plymouth colony. In the other colonies war started in north American showing European rivalries where the Native American had to look for alliances to other powers to make sure that the colonist will not control the whole region for long period since the Native Americans together with the settlers experienced challenges when dealing with the colonial masters. For example king George war the Native American had to ally with other colonist like the British and French depending on the interests of other colonies to a specific indentified colony which was assumed to be the best. This depended on the interest of colonies to others. Due to religious motives Toleration Act was given a consideration in 1649 making England to be given the power of religious freedom. As a missionary during the colonial period, I was fully engaged in ensuring that masters and their servants did not interfere with the religious organizations that were trying to bring people together. Additionally, my role was to preach peace and unity among members of the community. The American Revolutionary which started in 1775 to 1783 is also termed as American war of independence. The war was between the Great Britain by the American colonies which later was named as United States of America. The unlawful act which the British parliament imposed on the

Statistical Testing of the Impact of Working Hours and High-Risk Work Essay

Statistical Testing of the Impact of Working Hours and High-Risk Work Conditions on Injury - Essay Example Active work participation and good supervision are some of the important aspects in ensuring hazards are identified and tackled. Nevertheless, training workers is important so as to ensure that they are aware of ensuring safety in their workplaces. In this study, an investigation will be conducted in respect to the relationship between injury rates and different conditions in the workplaces. Although many organizations have some means of preventing and controlling hazards in workplaces, the effect of some conditions such as the total hours allocated for working and the impact of sensitization on high risk work places compared to less sensitization in low risk work places is ignored in many studies (Kennedy et al, 2010). Therefore, this study will investigate the impact that variation in the number of working hours and lack of protective sensitization in low risk workplaces, have on injury rates in workplaces. ... For the degree of risk involved at workplace and injury rates H0: The degree of risk involved is positively associated with the injury rates; H1: The degree of risk involved is negatively associated with the injury rates; These tests of validity for these hypotheses on the basis of results and conclusions reached in the following sections enables the researcher to establish the relationship between identified variables in this research. Method and Results The number of actual hours worked by all employees in the area/team for the 12 month period ending December 31, 2009 were taken and recorded in an excel spreadsheets. Also, operations for supervisors differed in terms of activities and risks. Risk ranged from low (1) office related to high (7) manual material handling activities. Table 1 Risk Range 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Low ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? High This data was taken and recorded in an excel worksheet as well. Finally, the average rate of injuries per 100 employees over 12 month period was r ecorded on the excel worksheets. Among these variables, the injury rate was taken as the dependent variable while the level of risk and hours worked was taken as the independent variables. The aim of the study is to find out the relationship between injury rate on the one hand and hours worked and risk, on the other hand. In other words, the researcher formulated a statistical model to find out whether the risk and hours worked can be used to predict the rate of injuries in workplaces. The data collected in the excel worksheets are then imported into an SPSS sheet for statistical analysis. The analysis conducted under SPSS includes both descriptive analysis and

Emergency Nursing Assessment Framework Assignment

Emergency Nursing Assessment Framework - Assignment Example Within the nursing process, use of the stated framework has been demonstrated to be effective as a contextualised framework relevant to emergency conditions. This framework consists of 5 steps of history taking, potential red flags, clinical examination, investigations, and nursing interventions (Curtis, Murphy, Hoy, & Lewis, 2009). The inspection of his chest revealed intercostal muscle recession, and auscultation revealed diminished air entry at both bases of the lungs with crackles audible in the right base. The respiratory rate was higher than the baseline at 28 per min with deep and laboured breathing. His SpO2 was 89% on Hudson mask at 6 L of oxygen with elevation of PaCO2 to 54. All these information indicate that he was in acute respiratory failure (Delerme & Ray, 2008). The clinical picture indicates that this alteration in respiratory function has occurred over a short period of time. This patient was at baseline hypoxaemic indicated by his need for supplemental oxygen to maintain his oxygen saturations above 95%. Given his age and potential blood loss due to fractured neck of right femur this is expected, although the history does not suggest any chronic respiratory disease at the baseline (Calverley, 2003). This is an important part of history since quite frequently such patients develop acute respiratory failure superimposed on a chronic pulmonary condition such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is common in elderly men of his age (O'Malley, Marcantonio, Murkofsky, Caudry, & Buchanan, 2007). While initially 3 L of oxygen per min via nasal prongs ensured a 99% of SpO2 of 99%, postoperatively in 2 days' time, his condition deteriorated. The assessment while trying to reach a diagnosis must include an attempt to determine causes for such changes. Although high temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius may contribute to higher rate of breathing, the laboured breathing and findings at auscultation strongly suggests respiratory failure, which is further confirmed by rise of PaCO2 to above 50 (El Solh & Ramadan, 2006). While a fall of PaO2 to below 50 is expected, given his oxygen supplementation, this may not occur always unless there is severe respiratory failure. As expected the pH is 7.30 which is less than 7.35 indicating respiratory acidosis along with oxygen destaturation indicated by SaO2 of 89%, which is below normal (Antonelli, Pennisi, & Conti, 2003). The X-ray picture confirms right sided basal consolidation and collapse, which may indicate an infective episode, which per haps is the cause of this failure, since the other reason of overuse of PCA can be ruled out through the patient's statement. Q2. The doctor initially prescribed two antibiotics. The later appearance of fever and concomitant respiratory failure due to consolidation and right sided pleural effusion leading to collapse indicated that this infection has been acquired in the hospital.

Essay On Community Service Essay Example for Free

Essay On Community Service Essay Community service can be a chore for some and a delight for others. It can be tedium for one or a chance to help others from the bottom of his or her heart for another. Many believe that putting community service in the curriculum in the form of Values-in-Action (ViA) hours was something of a joke, something to guffaw at or simply something atrocious. I agree wholeheartedly with such people. Community service should be totally voluntary and not part of the school curriculum. By doing so, we are able to better evaluate a one’s character, able to work with people who truly wish to help others and increase the amount of help given. For a start, by eliminating community service from the school curriculum, we can better judge someone’s character. The problem with community service as part of the school curriculum is that people will feel that they are obliged to do community service and this will cause many students to take part in many activities so as to beef up their portfolios. Hence, all applicants, for example, at a particular company will have the exact same portfolios, all replicas of the other. If such a scenario occurs, how in the world are companies able to handpick and develop people who are truly capable and efficient workers? There is a chance that companies accidentally hire people who are churlish and truculent but what can we blame except this education system. This is especially disadvantageous to major companies that have many global sectors. Therefore, we need to remove community service from the school curriculum so that we can truly see who are worthy to be hired by a company. Next, the removal of community service from the school curriculum also means that in community service projects, people who truly wish to help the needy will be working together, giving rise to more successful projects. Without community service as part of the school curriculum, those who wish to give a helping hand and those who want to help from the bottom of their heart will be able to band together without the problem of people participating in community projects for the sake of getti ng ViA hours. These two groups of people have very differing goals and visions but by removing community service from the curriculum, such apathetic pupils will not be a burden to the community service industry. Instead, there is a higher likelihood of success in this sector with the increase in productivity, enhancement of teamwork and the sense of camaraderie within these teams working together for a common purpose. Furthermore, apathetic souls could  also lead a happier life without the â€Å"hassle† of community service bugging their minds. It is basically killing two birds with one stone! Lastly, many people think that by removing community service from the school curriculum, the amount of help given to the needy will drop drastically. However, this is definitely not so. By taking away community service from the school curriculum, we are also taking away those with apathetic mindsets. This means that there is a stronger circle of helpers for the needy. Hence, there will be more freedom in expressing ways to give a hand for the various needy communities. This means that people will not restrain their thoughts and ideas but instead, share it with others for them to improve and create. Thus, the visions that people have are very likely to turn to reality and with successive projects; there is a higher chance for a rapid in flow of ideas, giving rise to even more projects targeted for the less fortunate. This means an increase in the amount of help given and not a drop. After all that has been said and done, I strongly encourage that community service is rid off from the school curriculum. I believe that it can do wonders for our world and change it for the better. With better individuals with a morally upright character, they can influence others to follow suit and the acts of iniquity around our country may decrease significantly. Honestly, what more could we ask for?

The Use Of Skype Education Essay

The Use Of Skype Education Essay The rapid growth and interest of college students in Computer Mediated Communication and social media has impacted the second language learning and teaching process. This study is a reflection of a pedagogical experience that attempts to analyze the use of Skype as a Synchronous Communication tool in regards to the attitudes of students in learning a foreign language when interacting with native speakers and engage in conversation. The participants are Spanish foreign language students at Fordham University in New York City and English foreign language speakers at a Jesuit University in Bogotà ¡, Colombia. Students were paired up and were required to set up online conversation meetings. The results of this pilot project suggest that students felt more interested to engage in conversation with native speakers and exchange personal and academic information as wells as other aspects of their culture using the target language rather than completing language laboratory activities or writing compositions. Key words: Computer mediated communication, Skype, socio-cultural competence, synchronous communication El continuo interà ©s y la rà ¡pida evolucià ³n de la comunicacià ³n a travà ©s de la tecnologà ­a y las redes sociales en estudiantes universitarios han transformado el proceso de enseà ±anza y aprendizaje de los idiomas extranjeros. Este estudio es una reflexià ³n de una experiencia pedagà ³gica que busca analizar el uso de Skype como una herramienta de comunicacià ³n sincrà ³nica en cuanto a las actitudes de los estudiantes en el proceso de aprendizaje de un idioma extranjero con la interaccià ³n de estudiantes que son hablantes nativos para participar activamente en conversaciones. Los participantes de este proyecto son estudiantes de espaà ±ol como idioma extranjero en Fordham University en la Ciudad de Nueva York y estudiantes de inglà ©s como idioma extranjero en una universidad jesuita en la ciudad de Bogotà ¡, Colombia. Los estudiantes fueron emparejados con el propà ³sito de organizar sesiones en là ­nea y hablar usando el idioma que està ¡n aprendiendo. Los resultados de este proyecto piloto indican que los estudiantes se sintieron muchos mà ¡s interesados en conversar con hablantes nativos para intercambiar informacià ³n personal, acadà ©mica y cultural haciendo uso del idioma que està ¡n aprendiendo en lugar de hacer ejercicios y escribir composiciones en el laboratorio de idiomas. Palabras clave: comunicacià ³n a travà ©s de la tecnologà ­a, Comunicacià ³n Sincrà ³nica, Competencias Socio Culturales, Skype Introduction As a young college language instructor, I find myself always trying to provide my students with opportunities in which they can see a real purpose of using L2 (foreign language) outside the conventional classroom where interaction is often reduced to their peers and instructor. The idea of this project was to encourage my students to speak via Skype with other college Spanish native speakers with like-minded interests -lifestyle, culture, education, and food -through the use of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). The idea of this project started in one of my graduate courses at Fordham University when I had to survey a sample of Jesuit undergraduate students and their likelihood to interact with their surrounding community. Fordham Universitys main campus is located in the Bronx. The New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo surround the campus. However, Fordhams main campus is located in a community where there is a large low income Hispanic and African American population wher eas the demographics at Fordham is mostly a white upper middle class student body. The survey aimed to understand how much interaction existed between these two communities Fordham students and the surrounding community. Based on the results of the survey, most of the students prefer to spend their free time either on campus or in Manhattan. I also realized that specifically my Spanish students would not take advantage of the Hispanic population to practice their Spanish skills as they felt English would be an easier way to communicate. Consequently, I thought that as a language instructor, I would need to provide my students with a setting in which they feel comfortable and make use of the target language specifically with native speakers who have similar interests or experience similar learning conditions. This article summarizes a pedagogical experience with the purpose of sharing with other language colleagues how I started and structured the project and it also reflects upon its outcomes. Literature Review Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) CMC is defined as the process of creating, exchanging, and perceiving information via networked telecommunications systems facilitating the encoding, transmitting, and decoding of messages (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). CMC was the result of linking different computers and having people interact by sharing messages and data. CMC spread rapidly and it allowed people from geographically dispersed locations to communicate replacing traveling and Face-to-Face (FtF) meetings with more efficient ways to instantly communicate. Different studies have shown that FtF gatherings give speakers with higher positions or power in any organization a larger portion of speech time while CMC meetings offer an equal share of the meeting participation (Walther, 1996.) Other studies, on the contrary, suggests that CMC does not contribute to active participation because it is assumed that in many CMC discussions a few members dominate the floor and the rest of the members become lurkers or passive recipient s. Both offline and online discussions have passive recipients; this implies that CMC does not discourage active participation and learning (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). Allowing students to interact with others considering their mutual interests and giving them the freedom to make their own choices when learning a foreign language is essential to motivate them. Bastidas (2002) proposes integrative and instrumental motivation affecting foreign language learners. On one hand, integrative motivation suggests the interest of learners in the community and culture that involves the second language. Instrumental motivation, on the other hand, refers to the specific goals of the students. Bastidas also shows the communicative need to use any foreign language as an aspect affecting learners motivation. He explains that many language students feel demotivated to learn a foreign language because they think the L2 is neither important nor useful for them. Additionally, more than a real life experience, I wanted this project to be an exposure to the target language with native speakers. Fordham University is located in a highly populated Hispanic community in th e Bronx. Unfortunately, many Fordham students do not take advantage of this opportunity to practice Spanish with native speakers. Noam Chomskys innatist theory (Lightbown Spada, 1993) suggests that after that critical period of humans to learn a second language, input exposure is essential to gain L2 proficiency. For this reason, a project including input exposure with native speakers would stimulate students interest in engaging in conversations using the target language. Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication The continuous growth of Internet-based communication and college students interest in social media and networking seems to have a greater impact in the way they interact with others nowadays. These types of communication can be Synchronous or Asynchronous. Synchronous Communication or real-time communication refers to face-to-face discussions among people, whereas Asynchronous Communication (delayed communication) suggests a significant time delay between receiving and sending messages (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). Hence, the inclusion of a computer-based activity and synchronous communication in my instruction was necessary in order to encourage and engage my students in the L2 learning process. I believe that real time communication would allow learners to provide instant feedback to each other, to emotionally bond, and to be spontaneous. According to Celce-Murcia (2001), the use of media in language classes only brings the outside world to the classroom and makes the learning proce ss more exciting and meaningful. Nevertheless, the only purpose of this project was not the improvement of L2 speaking proficiency but it also aimed to raise awareness in students about other cultures. In other words, I wanted to promote and instill values of inclusion, tolerance, and diversity as a principle of life in this globalized world. Teaching culture in a language class results in better communicators of L2. Culture is understood as body language, gestures, concepts of time, traditions, and expressions of friendliness. Consequently, linguistic proficiency is not enough for a second language learner social cultural competence is fundamental for a more proficient and effective L2 speaker. Hymes (1996)  [1]  also stresses the importance of socio cultural competence by saying that an individual who is not aware of the appropriateness norms accepted in a determined community is likely to be placed in a position of inequality. Similar Projects Other instructors and universities have implemented and explored a similar project, like the one I proposed at Fordham University, with positive results. Dickens (2009) shared an experience of two classes (one from the US and the other from Italy) in which students were initially paired up and required to interact with their partners discussing about different aspects of their life and classes topics using Twitter. After a couple of months the instructors decided that it would be appropriate to have them interact on video chat using Skype. Dickens report about the experience is positive. Students were able to communicate in the target language and to simultaneously multitask (surf on Facebook, share videos on YouTube, Google information, etc.) Alas, most of the session was held in the students native language. In a different experiment, Carney (2008) started a project in which an English class interacted with a Japanese class through the use of blogs, wikis, Skype text, voice, and vi deo chat and the exchange of homemade DVDs movies. Skype sessions in general were set up so that four English class students talk with one Japanese student. Each English class student had to prepare different questions to ask their Japanese partner. Some of the Japanese students were not able to speak due to the lack of web cams and computers. In general, this was a great experience for these students. The author recognizes the importance of CMC and its impact in foreign language classes. Project Objectives There were three major objectives identified at the beginning of this pilot project which will serve as an assessment of the achieved goals: Provide students with a space in which they can practice their listening and speaking skills in the L2 with native speakers by means of interactive and contextualized conversations online. Encourage students to learn from their partners culture, country, and traditions. Give the students the opportunity to interact in real life situations using the target language. Participating Institutions The two participating institutions are private higher education universities under the Cura Personalis (care of the other) philosophy and Jesuit Tradition. Fordham University is the Jesuit University in New York City. Fordhams Department of Languages and Literatures requires undergraduate students to take up to five levels of a foreign language aiming to develop the linguistic proficiency and cultural competence of Fordham students. The Colombian University in Bogota is a Jesuit University offering its community with quality Catholic education. The Department of Languages offers an undergraduate program qualifying its students to become language teachers. Participants A total of 50 students participated in this project. The participants are students from Fordham University (25 students) and from a Jesuit University in Bogota, Colombia (25 students.) Fordham University students are English native speakers learning Spanish in high beginner level courses. Students in Colombia are Spanish native speakers in intermediate English courses. It is important to clarify that Fordham students are studying Spanish (or any foreign language offered at the Department) as a mandatory language course during five (5) academic semesters. Some of them might want to minor in this language. The students at the Colombian university are future language teachers who are majoring in English. Fordham students age in average is 19 years old; whereas their online partners age in Colombia raged between 20 to 45 years old. The technological skills of the students were not considered when implementing this project. Pedagogical Proposal This pedagogical experience attempts to determine if there is any relationship between the implementation of Internet-based Synchronous Communication and the interest of foreign language students and native speakers to engage in conversation and learn about their culture. In order to start this project, a written proposal was submitted to the Chair of the Fordhams Department of Languages and Literatures and the Spanish Language Coordinator. In this document, objectives, description, proposed activities, projected timeline, proposed partners, and their responsibilities of the whole project were specified. The Chair at Fordham University had two important concerns about this initiative: 1. safety of students and 2. feasibility of the project. With the support of the Faculty Technology Center at Fordham University, I was able to persuade the Chair that there were no risks associated with the use of Skype for educational purposes and that its viability was directly related to the collaboration of the other university and the participation of the students. I should note that at Fordham University, foreign language students are required to attend the language laboratory two hours every week. For that reason, I decided to merge this project within the labora tory activities grade. As part of the curriculum at the Department of Modern Languages, language students are required to go to the language laboratory one hour a week. During this time (students are free to decide when to go to the laboratory from Monday to Saturday in a specific schedule) students listen to the audio section of their workbook as well as they complete different grammar exercises on line as part of their course evaluation. Roger Goodson (2005) states that some faculty members and administrators are normally resistant to include technology in their instruction because of time constraints, their demanding academic workload, lack of training, and insufficient research proving the effectiveness of E-learning. It is common to see some institutions still reluctant to explore technological changes in instruction, as it was the example of San Jose State University (SJSU.) The Associate Vice-President of San Jose State University proposed to ban Skype at the University imply ing that Skype might infect the institutions computers with viruses and that Skype might distract students and professors in the classrooms. One faculty member expressed his concern and called the institution luddite about this issue and explained the reasons why Skype should not be banned: 1. Skype allows communicating at no cost with other colleagues around the world, 2. There are many international students who might use Skype to communicate with other students, and 3. Foreign Language instructors have started to use Skype to have their students communicate with other students who are native speakers of the language they are learning Shaw (2006.) When the Chair of the Department at Fordham approved this pilot project, I immediately contacted different universities in Colombia. However, I thought that it would be a good idea to work with another university under the same Jesuit philosophy. Fortunately, a Jesuit University in Bogota, Colombia responded with great interest and eagerness in starting the project as soon as possible. The Chair of the Department of Modern Languages in Colombia designated his English Speaking Advanced class to take part in this linguistic experiment. The groups were not chosen based on any specific criteria. My two Spanish courses would participate in this project. At the Jesuit University in Colombia, the Chair chose that specific class because he was the professor in charge and had asked his students about their interest in partaking in this initiative, which had a positive reaction by the students. I clarified that this was intended to be a pilot project, which if it were to result with positive outcomes could be institutionalized by Fordhams Department, or at least it would encourage other instructors interested in creating a similar online community with their students. Community Development in general refers to the notion of people living close by to each other, face-to-face interactions, companionship, and support at different levels (Wellman, 1999.) However, in online communities the lack of physical location, verbal, and nonverbal cues implies impersonal relationships not able to build a community. However, other studies suggest that online communities can be built if participants have similar interests regardless their physical location they might find as an obstacle to communicate Face-to-Face (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). Once the project was presented and approved by the two universities, it was necessary to establish a clear set of stages and assigned responsibilities to each instructor in order to launch this initiative. Table 1 describes the different stages that were considered. Task Observations Person in charge Outlining responsibilities A list of responsibilities was outlined and shared to students, professors, and administrators. Instructor at Fordham University. Pairing up students It was easier for the instructor in Colombia to pair the students as he had more students in his class than I did in with my two classes. Instructor at the Colombian University. Choosing topics for each session Both instructors agreed that each session should focus on content, culture, and grammatical structures, which would reinforce the topics, learned in classroom. Both instructors. Setting up a chronogram Considering that the end of the semester was coming soon for both universities, it was important to use the time wisely. Both instructors. Table 1. Stages of the Project The first step was to inform all the participants (instructors, students, and administrators) about their responsibilities regarding this project as shown in Table 2. Instructors Pair up students based on their proficiency level Monitor that students are attending their Skype meeting Make sure that students are respectful with their peers time Remind students to be punctual Decide the topics the students will be discussing Communicate with the other instructors if there are doubts or suggestions Provide a space for the students with the necessary technology to access to Skype Students Be punctual Speak only the language they are required to speak during the session. Prepare enough questions to carry out the conversation. Submit a screen shot of their Skype conversation in order to confirm that they actually had a conversation with their assigned partner and the required time for each session Administrators Establish the partnership between the two universities Attend the on line meeting in December to analyze the effectiveness of the project Table 2. Participants Responsibilities Participants received an email with their respective responsibilities. Consequently, a list of Fordham students was sent to my colleague in Colombia. He was in charge of pairing up his students with mine. His class was considerably bigger (in terms of number of students) compared to my two classes together at Fordham. There were not any specific criteria when pairing up the students it was just a simple matching exercise from two rosters. Then, each student received an email with a list in which they would find their matches for the fours sessions. The list included names and emails. The final stage of the project required each instructor to choose the topics. It was the responsibility of each professor to decide the topics students would be discussing in every session. Each session was expected to last approximately 15 to 20 minutes and it was expected to be conducted by students as follows: use of the target language previously determined (English or Spanish), personal introductio ns (as every session they were paired up with different partners), discussion of a previously determined topic. The topics varying from academic structure, personal interests, gastronomy, etc. were carefully selected so that students have a wide exposure to new vocabulary, expressions, and especially culture. The sessions were organized as shown in Table 3. Session Language Topic In charge One Spanish Exchange personal information (names, hobbies, favorite food, sports they practice) Also get to know about each other. Understand how easy or difficult is to learn English or Spanish. Fordham Two English Compare academic structures from their schools and the differences of educational system. University in Colombia Three Spanish Compare lifestyle, culture, gastronomy, and currencies. Fordham Four English Understand how languages are taught in the US from elementary school through the university. University in Colombia Table 3. Organization of the Sessions Students were required to prepare questions and organize their ideas in order to have a meaningful conversation during the following week. Furthermore, each Fordham student was required to snap a screenshot of their Skype conversation records as a proof that they did Skype with their assigned partners. All the conversations were set up by each student at different times and days (within a week period) this with the purpose of giving students the opportunity to organize their busy time and also to give students a sense of belonging to the project. One important aspect to mention is that the administrators did not ever set up a meeting to discuss the outcomes or implications of the project due to the lack of time. When the project was over the university in Colombia was already in winter break. Findings In this section, the advantages and weaknesses during the completion of the project will be described. In addition, I will mention the opinions and thoughts of 18 participant students who were surveyed after the project was finished. Starting the project was somehow challenging due to the lack of time and the resistance of the administrators to approve the project. Additionally, the communication between the two universities was slow. As it was previously mentioned, each student was randomly paired up with another one from the other university. In order to set up their online meetings they emailed each other. Students reported that their partner did not respond their emails in a timely fashion or kept postponing the meeting, and some others never got an answer from their partner. One student said: I thought it was very interesting and cool to learn about the life of a complete stranger! Sometimes communication was difficult but it was a good experience. This frustrated a big part of the students because it did not allow them to ever experience a conversation My student never answered my emails so we were not able to talk via Skype. A student added. Sometimes there were problems related to technological issues an d Internet connection, which prevented students to have voice conversations. Nonetheless, students opted to chat instead. A great part of participants described their Skyping experienced as interesting and fun. In their own words they said: I found it extremely useful and fun. It was very interesting to speak with my partner and I believe that she and I will probably continue speaking even though the assignment has finished. I would definitely do it again and hope I have the chance to in the future. Another student added: I did enjoy interacting with a student from another country. I found it relatively easy to understand her but harder to express my own ideas. No matter the skill level or level of success, I think it is always helpful though to get practice speaking with someone who knows the language so well. Each session was supposed to last between 15 to 20 minutes. However, most of the sessions ended up exceeding this time limit because they truly enjoyed conversing with their peers. Other students thought it was rude to conclude a conversation in only 15 minutes and they allowed more time to this activity even if they were only text chatting. Only one student requested to be given a different Skype partner. One of them was more than 20 years older than the other participant creating an uncomfortable environment in the younger student. Based on the student at Fordham, her Skype partner made her feel uncomfortable as in their first email that they had exchanged, the student in Colombia had expressed that he had physical issues that prevented him of speaking. He was asking to have someone else participate in the sessions. The student at Fordham thought it was not a good idea and as a Fordham professor I am not allowed to ask her to do something when she has expressed that it makes her feel uncomfortable. Therefore a new Skype partner was assigned to her. Throughout the development of the project some students, who were able to set up their online meetings, expressed during class that they were bonding while many others felt discouraged because they never had the opportunity to speak. It is important to note that this pilot project has led to a possible partnership between Fordham University and AUSJAL (Asociacià ³n de Universidades Confiadas a la Compaà ±Ãƒ ­a de Jesà ºs en Amà ©rica Latina), which is an Association of Jesuit Universities in Latin America. A representative from AUSJAL has contacted me with the purpose to start a possible project in which these types of online environments would benefit students from various Jesuit universities in South America and the United States. Opinions of the Participants A number of 18 participants in this project completed an online survey on Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) about three different aspects regarding the development of the project as shown in Table 4 and Table 5. The third aspect was an open-ended question in order to understand the opinions of the students and their likelihood to participate again in a future similar project. Surveymonkey.com provides users with free web-based surveys. I chose this website because the website helps you to create any type of survey with predetermined formats. Additionally, Surveymonkey.com does not require a software installation, everything is self-explanatory and most importantly the basic features are free. Based on the answers from Table 4, it can be inferred that after different Skype sessions, students mostly learned about their partners culture regarding personal information, similar interests, and education. The results suggest that students in general were not able to exchange as much information as expected about their regions food, their schools academic structure, and quality of life in their countries. 1. Which of the following aspects do you think Skype sessions helped you learn about your partners culture? Completely disagree Somehow disagree Agree Somehow agree Completely agree Food 27,3% 27,3% 9,1% 27,3% 9,1% Education 0,0% 8,3% 33,3% 25,0% 33,3% Academic Structure 16,7% 8,3% 33,3% 33,3% 8,3% Personal Information 8,3% 0,0% 25,0% 8,3% 58,3% Similar Interests 0,0% 0,0% 41,7% 33,3% 25,0% Quality of Life 8,3% 25,0% 41,7% 16,7% 8,3% Table 4. Cultural Appreciation According to Table 5, students seemed to have a greater difficulty trying to set up a Skype session with their partners than expressing their ideas and carrying out spontaneous conversations. Additionally, participants also believed that understanding their partners ideas was challenging. 2. Considering that your Skype partners were college students with similar interests but they were people you did not know, to what degree was it easy or difficult to interact with them using the language you are learning? Very easy Easy Difficult Very Difficult Understand your partners ideas 25,0% 16,7% 50,0% 8,3% Set up a Skype session 16,7% 8,3% 33,3% 41,7% Carry out a spontaneous conversation 25,0% 25,0% 16,7% 33,3% Express your ideas 8,3% 33,3% 25,0% 33,3% Table 5. Degree of Difficulty in Communication Finally, based on the surveyed student responses, it can be inferred that most of the participants thought that the Skype Project with a foreign country did allow them to learn something new about another culture. Many students were surprised that, different from the US, the majority of Colombian college students live with their parents when they attend college. Also, students at Javeriana University do not use their institutional email account as frequently as many American college students do. In general, participants felt that the project was much more fun than going to the language laboratory and writing compositions. Although, they expressed that communication was somehow difficult due to technological inconveniences (e.g. Internet connection, time flexibility, lack of web cam), participants acknowledged the importance of getting to know people from other countries who are native speakers. Most of the participants agreed that setting up meetings was by far the most tedious part of the project because of their busy schedule, their lack of interest of some participants, and the fact that they were talking to, in literal words, a complete stranger. In addition, the idea to participate in a similar project seems to be a viable one for many of them because they think these types of experiences forced them out of their comfort zone. Unfortunately, some other students were not able to provide any feedback because they were never able to speak with their Skype partner because they never got a response to set up a meeting. Conclusions and Implications The idea of this pilot project between Fordham University and the Jesuit University in Colombia was to understand if Internet-based Synchronous Communication would motivate

The Integration Of Faith And Learning Education Essay

The Integration Of Faith And Learning Education Essay The integration of faith and learning (IFL) has been defined as a multifaceted attempt to distinguish the underlying truth about ones academics and Christianity research study by Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration of Faith and Learning). Various IFL models have been developed by scholars, in which some have focused on the interdisciplinary engagement between theology and academics, and others on the intrapersonal and interpersonal elements (Research study by Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning). Research studies in the past on have been conducted with the instructors rather than the students. But current studies have been on the students perceptions of IFL experiences. Students have referred to IFL in various studies in terms of the methods used by the instructor as opposed to the learning of integration by the student. They described IFL as primarily being a teacher activity and not the result of the students behavior (Lawrence, Burton, Nwosu (Refocusing on the Learning). I ask, as Sherr, Huff, Curran did in their research study, What good are our efforts as Christian professors to provide IFL experiences if student do not sense these efforts? And if our efforts to provide IFL experiences are incongruent with the expectations of IFL experiences of students, how can we identify those differences and adapt to provide Christ-centered education? (Research study by Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). The results from various studies have shown that overall most students desire more real life examples by applying theories to real life situations. They want the opportunity to integrate their faith into their academics through assignments and practicum (Research study by Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). The research conducted by Hall, Ripley, Garzon Mangis have found that students learn integration though relational attachments with mentors who personally model that integration. Students valued the quality of the attempt made by the instructor to integrate over the mere act of integration itself. Though they took note of attempts that were half-hearted, insincere, done out of duty, forced, or of poor quality ( all, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). The participants in this study identified three areas that they perceived facilitated integrative experiences in the classroom. The first was the teaching method the instructor used to integrate. They identified five traits of the professor as being significant in effective integration: self-revealing (evidence of an active, personal relationship with God that was observable by the students), caring, welcoming, dedicated and open-minded (the professor must demonstrate genuine care for the students). The second area was in curriculum. The students perceived successful integration when time was intentionally allotted for prayer and integrative discussions and assignments. Sherr, Huff, Curran found that some students did not perceive prayer as being an important factor (Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). The third area was in the overall climate of the institution. The students welcomed the opportunity to express their Christianity openly and simultaneously with their academic learning. They expressed their satisfaction in not having to separate the two ( Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning) research findings suggested that students perceived that integration can only occur within a caring relationship with a mentor (in this case a professor, administrator, etc). The mentor must be an individual who has spiritual depth and is able to integrate it both inside and outside the classroom. This would require the professor to take the time and effort to get know each student personally, placing a strong emphasis on the process of learning as opposed to solely the concept of learning. Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning). This proposes the importance of the type of professors that are hired with the intention of implementing IFL in the classroom (Research study by Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). Lawrence, Burton, Nwosus research concluded that students perceive IFL in terms of the content of the teachings through the methods used by the professor. Most gave examples in terms of the professors actions rather than the students activity. The methods utilized active learning approaches that gave the student opportunities to mentally manipulate and develop ideas (role play, inquiry training). The top three categories were teaching methodologies (conversations with the professor during class time), making connections (the teacher playing an active role in connecting faith with the area of study),and the atmosphere of the classroom (positive, safe, feels accepted and supported) Lawrence, Burton, Nwosu (Refocusing on the Learning). The research of Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration) pinpointed two main indicators of IFL: faculty relationships with God and students, and faculty competence. In terms of the professors relationship with God, the students needed to indentify the professor as being a genuine Christian with a passion for their relationship to the Lord. They also looked for accountability and commitment to God. In terms of the professors relationship with the students, they believed the instructor should demonstrate a genuine care for every aspect of the students live- physical, emotional and spiritual. This was connected to the amount of genuine time and interaction in and out fo the classroom the professor spent with the student. These were individuals who were concerned about helping the student personally develop (Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). When it came to the professors competence and curriculum, the students belied the professor not only had to be competent, but also able to implement IFL experiences within the curriculum. They made references to using scripture as a reference, assisting students in applying Christian faith in different settings and the professor sharing their personal faith experiences. The students also mentioned the classroom environment as an indicator of IFL. They indentified a sense of belonging acceptance and commitment within the classroom is important. Prayer in the class was not necessarily agreed on as being an important factor (Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). Reports have indicated that there is no significant learning difference when students are taught at a distance as opposed to traditional face-to-face instruction, though attrition can be higher and satisfaction lower (2006). A blended training approach using videoconferencing for distance education. AND (Research study by Spector (Time Demands in Online Instruction) AND Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning). Though some argue that the interaction through traditional instruction has the potential for greater social presence, research has shown that online communication does permit high levels of interpersonal communication, thus social presence Research study by Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality). There are significant differences in the way students perceive their online learning experiences (Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning). Asynchronous instruction is independently experienced by the student and does not require simultaneous participation of the student and instructor. It gives every student an opportunity to respond to a topic and encourages more in-depth discussions. It is a more inclusive type of interaction. It limitations include feelings of isolation from students, lack of quick feedback, and not enough time for discussions to mature. This method requires more time to manage and provides less social interaction than synchronous instruction.(Research study by Johnson (Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC) 2006, TechTrends. Synchronous instruction requires simultaneous involvement between the professor and the student. This method allows multiple users to communicate in real time. Limitations include getting the students online at the same time and moderating conversations with larger groups. They are more difficult implement than asynchronous, though it generates a greater sense of presence and spontaneity. Chats and chat rooms can be utilized with this method (Research study by Johnson (Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC) 2006, TechTrends. Research study by Johnson showed that students did not report a clear preference for synchronous or asynchronous instruction. 43% of the variance in perceived learning rested in the difference of the students perception of learning. Both forms have advantages and both contribute to student cognitive and affective outcomes. Though the students characteristics seemed to affect asynchronous online behavior and discussion. Perhaps the two methods can be blended in a systematic and object manner in order to maximize the students learning experience (Research study by Johnson (Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC) 2006, TechTrends. There are significant differences in the way students perceive their online experiences during learning (Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Online Learning). Results by Johnson have shown that there is no evidence of instructional superiority between the two methods- student achievement was equivalent. Although synchronous is often assumes to be more interactive- students perceptions of such may differ. The reported advantages/disadvantages of both methods may reflect the students personal preference due to characteristics. Students who prefer synchronous over asynchronous text-based computer mediated communication (CMC) may be more social than students who express the reverse preference. Students who expressed the perception that they learned the case studies best when using synchronous chat were at a learning disadvantage when using that CMC mode (Research study Johnson (20008- The Relative Learning Benefits of synchronous and asynchronous). Ng Murphy reported that Some students in their study took an active role(ex: initiating discussion topics and responding to prior contributions), and their involvement did not rely on tutors inputs . Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning) . This suggests that another factor, like personality, was the cause for such participation. Having two-way audio and video, enabling the students and teachers to see as well as hear each other in real time, is better than those in courses where communication is only one-way. This may increase the sense of social presence, increasing course satisfaction. Blending asynchronous and synchronous methods may eliminate attrition and isolation problems that affect distance education learners (2006). A blended training approach using videoconferencing for distance education Research by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning) found eight barriers to online learning perceived by students: administrative/instructor issues, social interactions, academic skills, technical skills, learner motivation, time and support for studies, cost and access to the internet, and technical problems. The most critical barriers were social interaction, administrative/instructor issues, learner motivation, and time/support for studies. A lack of social interaction was most severe barrier perceived by students. Findings show that social interaction is strongly related to the effectiveness of learning and course enjoyment. (Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning). Research study by Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality) suggests that interactivity comes about through inner process variables, for example, the interpersonal content of messages. This suggests that online interaction participation may be determined by the type and degree of a students socio-affective content in postings, therefore implying that online instruction should focus more on the development of the socio-emotional climate of virtual communities. It has been shown (Rafaeli and Sudweeks, 1998) that overall, interactive messages are likely to contain self-disclosure, indicating that interactivity may bring about a sense of involvement and belonging. This may be done through allotting additional time for interpersonal connections between students and between the student and professor. One suggestion would be to ensure that students make meaningful interpersonal connections before they engage in cognitive tasks (Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality). Online teachers invest significantly more time than traditional face-to-face instructors. Online teachers at various universities believe that preparing and teaching online courses places more stress on the instructors. Research study by Spector (Time Demands in Online Instruction). Research by Dennen indicated that instructors balanced their own need to manage time with the affirming students through regular feedback, but the task was very overwhelming Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning). Based on research results, professors teach online courses out of personal interest, mainly for flexibility. Research study by Spector (Time Demands in Online Instruction). Again rises the importance of carefully selecting professors for clear goals of integration.(Research study by Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium).   Course designers and instructors in distant education need to have and understanding on how students interact and how groups develop in computer mediated environments. Research study by Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality) Online instruction needs to create and interactive environment for students and teachers through CMC. The Challenge is to balance independent study and bringing each student into contact with others, which is essential in forming any community (interaction/interactivity) (Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning. Dialogue consists of at least two discussants who communicate in repose to each other. Research conducted by Denned noted that composing and posting messages did not necessarily result in dialogue. Students were going through the motions of dialogue but all aspects were not present.Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning). Conversational treatment by the instructor generated higher quality student contributions, Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning). It has been suggested that moments of conversation within the forum need to be carefully designed themselves- the strategies need to support students construction of meaning. It may not just matter how much instructors post messages that affects class dialogue, but also how why compose those messages. Distant learning activities must be relevant and goal based in order to attract student participation. The learning objective and relevance should be made clear to the students. Socialization can also incite participation. The discussion prompts that where effective in prompting student dialogue had clear guidelines and gave each student the opportunity to have a unique response. The instructor feedback also motivated students to participate more. Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning) The Research study by Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning) results were that the number of genuinely interactive messages were limited. There was little evidence of the students participating collectively and building upon each others contribution. The learners DID NOT use forum to share experience or self-reflections. Though evidence of cognitive skills in their responses was evident, higher-order reasoning skills- such as critical thinking and problem resolution- were not demonstrated. (Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning) Research Proposal Research Rational Research studies have given us an idea of some of the primary indicators of IFL experiences perceived by students: relational attachments with mentors Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium).; Teaching methods with an instructor who is self-revealing, caring, welcoming, dedicated and open-minded ( Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium); within a caring relationship with a mentor Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning); faculty relationships with God and students, and faculty competence Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). Research has also shown that there is no difference in online and traditional face-to -face learning, as well as no significant different between synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods. This study asks the question, What are distant learners perceptions of efficient faculty efforts in facilitating IFL experiences using current and intentionally increased and focused IFL goals, and current and various CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) methods? Purpose of Research The purpose of this study is to assess whether the same indicators of IFL experiences are perceived by distant learners as traditional, face-to-face learners. If not, what are some of the different indicators? Although studies have proven no significant difference in asynchronous and synchronous methods in learning, we will assess whether or not there are differences when it comes to the students perceptions of IFL experiences. Also, we will increase the focus and goals of IFL experiences, making them intentional and known to the students and assess if there is any differences between intentionally increased and focused methods of IFL goals and the current ones the institution uses. The theoretical implication will be to compare the institutions current IFL goals and methods with the same goals but using primarily asynchronous methods, synchronous methods, and finally a balanced blend of both methods. Then increase the IFL goals and compare them to the same increased goals but using primarily asynchronous methods, and then synchronous methods. The results from the current goals will be compared to the intentionally increased and focused goals. Method Participants The study will be conducted over the course of one complete year, consisting of a 4 consecutive semesters (beginning with a summer semester and the following fall, spring, and summer semesters).Undergraduates and graduate students from three Christian higher education institutions will be surveyed. The institutions will be from different regions of the US, as well as from difference Christian denominations. There will be 8 professors used (2 female undergraduate professors, 2 male undergraduate professors, 2 female graduate professors, and 2 male graduate professors) to implement the current IFL goals and the intentionally increased and focused goals. There will be 8 courses (4 undergraduate and 4 graduate) randomly chosen from 4 various schools of study (education, arts and science, business, religion, etc.) each institution offers. Materials A survey questionnaire will be given to each student to fill out during the last week of the course. It will consist of open-end questions. This method of data collection will be identical between each institution and will be collected over the course of four consecutive semesters. Design Qualitative data will be obtained by having each participant fill out a survey questionnaire. The survey will consist of open-ended questions. in order to give each student an opportunity to give their perception and initiate candid responses. Procedures This experiment would be conducted in 2 parts: Study A and Study B. Study A will be conducted in three Christian institutions, assessing eight courses: four (2 undergraduate and 2 graduate) analyzing current IFL goals and various CMC teaching methods and four (2 undergraduate and 2 graduate) analyzing intentionally increased and focused IFL goals and various CMC teaching methods. Study A Analyze the current IFL goals using the institutions current methods in a Summer Semester, 20YY. Study will have no control over this particular instructor (male or female). Analyze the current IFL goals using mainly asynchronous CMC methods in the Fall Semester, 20YY. Study will have control over instructor (male or female who will be trained in Asynchronous methods). Analyze the current IFL goals using mainly synchronous methods in the Spring Semester, 20ZZ. Study will have control over the instructor (male or female who will be trained in Synchronous methods). Analyze the current IFL goals using a balanced combination of asynchronous and synchronous methods in the Summer Semester, 20ZZ. Study will have control over the instructor (male or female who was trained in a balanced combination of asynchronous and synchronous methods). Study B Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals using current methods simultaneously in study As Summer Semester, 20YY. Study will have no control over this particular instructor (male or female). Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals using mainly asynchronous methods simultaneously in study As Fall Semester, 20YY. Study will have control over instructor (male or female who will be trained in increased IFL goals through asynchronous methods). Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals using mainly synchronous methods simultaneously in study As Spring Semester, 20ZZ, Study will have control over instructor (male or female who will be trained in increased IFL goals through synchronous methods). Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals through a balanced blend of asynchronous and synchronous methods simultaneously in study As Summer Semester, 20ZZ. Study will have control over instructor (male or female who was trained in increasing IFL experiences through a balanced combination of synchronous methods. Data Analysis There will be three researchers. Two of the three researchers will: STUDY A: Analyze and Compare current IFL methods against each group that received treatment; Analyze and Compare each treated group against each other; Come together and resolve any discrepancies. STUDY B: Analyze and Compare Increased, focused and intentional IFL goals through current methods against each group that received treatment of increased, focused and intentional IFL goals; Analyze and Compare each Increased, focused and intentional IFL goals that received treatment ; Come together and resolve any discrepancies. The third blind research will analyze and compare each group as mentioned above; join with the other two to resolve any further discrepancies along the way.

Lady Macbeth - Macbeths Incredible Lady :: Macbeth essays

Macbeth's Incredible Lady      Ã‚   In William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth there are two main characters, one of which is more believable than the other. Lady Macbeth is not as lifelike or realistic as her husband. In this essay we shall explore her character.    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson describes the role of Lady Macbeth:    Professor Kittredge used to point out to his classes that Lady Macbeth, in urging Macbeth to act, uses the three arguments that every wife, some time or other, uses to every husband: "You promised me you'd do it!" "You'd do it if you loved me!" "If I were a man, I'd do it myself!" But Macbeth's mind is made up by her assurance that they may do it safely by fixing the guilt upon Duncan's chamberlains. (72)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" describes the unnaturalness of Lady Macbeth's words and actions:    Thus the sense of the unnaturalness of evil is evoked not only be repeated explicit references ("nature's mischief," "nature seems dead," " 'Tis unnatural, even like the deed that's done," and so on) but by the expression of unnatural sentiments and an unnatural violence of tone in such things as Lady Macbeth's invocation of the "spirits" who will "unsex" her, and her affirmation that she would murder the babe at her breast if she had sworn to do it. (95)    Samuel Johnson in The Plays of Shakespeare underscores how ambition by the protagonists leads to detestation on the part of the readers:    The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Shakespeare's time, it was necessary to warn credulity against vain and illusive predictions. The passions are directed to their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall. (133)    In "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth," Sarah Siddons comments on the Lady's cold manner:    [Macbeth] announces the King's approach; and she, insensible it should seem to all the perils which he has encountered in battle, and to all the happiness of his safe return to her, -- for not one kind word of greeting or congratulations does she offer, -- is so entirely swallowed up by the horrible design, which has probably been suggested to her by his letters, as to have forgotten both the one and the other.

Reality TV :: Television Media

Whether we watch a group of people live together in a house (big brother), or watch them build the house (the Block), reality television exposes that little peeping tom in all of us. Reality TV satisfies that instinct of prying into the personal affairs of others, and the reality of reality television is that as humans we enjoy this. Reality TV is not much different from normal programs, like any program, reality television has the essentials, it has a mix of characters, it puts those characters in situation, and the result is usually a failure or success. But the catch of reality television is that the characters are real people, the story is not scripted, and with any failure or successes comes emotion. But does this reality TV revolution present the viewers with real life? Or does it present what the TV producers want the viewers to see? Reality TV is built on the foundations of exposing and exciting human emotions. In this aspect reality TV has successfully portrayed human emotions. The cameras have captured all features of being humans. For example, Survivor consists mainly of emotions associated with survival, leadership, the failure and success as co-operating as a team. The cameras have successfully conveyed to the audience all these emotions, and the stories connected with these emotions. There is no doubt that reality TV presents the viewers with small aspects of real life. Reality TV provides the viewers with true conflicts and emotions that have been felt. However, in the attempt to portray all traits of real life, I believe reality TV often fails. There are many contributing factors to this failure. There is the reality that like any show, reality TV’s goal is to obtain and keep viewers. With only an approximate hour of television each week it is difficult to include all stories. Therefore storylines and parts are often cut out, edited or deleted. This not only helps by keeping the show to the hour, it also is used to obtain the most interesting show. By doing this TV stations secure viewers and can get more advertising money. The result is we don’t always hear the absolute truth to any story. Some aspects of reality TV are cut because they threaten our idea about a character. For example in Big Brother there may be a character that is disliked and is receiving many phone votes.

Russian Jews :: essays research papers

Russian Jews To Russian Jews, the synagogue was the center of religion and religion was the most important thing in their lives. The rabbi was their leader, they came to him with every problem they had. Jews were poor, but they all gave tzedakah. It was said that even the poorest Jews could find someone poorer to help and give money to. According to the Jewish religion, tzedakah is one of the most important mitzvahs you can do. The same could be said about the Jewish holidays. They were observed very strictly, but Shabbat was the most welcomed. In order to teach the importance of Jewish law, they started their own schools, their own courts of law, and their own burial societies. even though there were pogroms, religious persecution forced the Jews to create stronger communities and made them more united. In the beginning of the 1800s, Alexander I ruled Russia. He promised the Jews that they could become farmers, could live in two districts, and could buy unoccupied land. Although Alexander was kind and helped the Jews, the tax they were forced to pay, stayed. before he died in 1825, the Jewish situation became hard for them to bare. They lived in poverty in small and crowded places and were oppressed. For hundreds of years, Jews lived these ways in two communities - the ghetto and the shtetl. To keep out thieves and rioters from coming in, they built walls around their section of town. When they did this, the government and churches got an idea, they would use the walls that the Jews built, to lock them in. These walls were located near a foundry that made cannons, so they named it â€Å"ghetto† which means "foundry". They would close the gates every night and the Jews would be locked in until daybreak. The word of the ghettos quickly spread, soon there were ghettos all over Europe. The Jews were all treated the same in every ghetto that was in Europe, according the government and churches, the Jews had no rights. They were no allowed to own land, join crafts guilds, or do any kind of work that Christians got to do. In some ghettos, they were even forced to wear badges so anyone who saw them would know they were Jewish. The badge was usually a Star of David. For many years, the government took copies of the Talmud, and burnt them. Also the government forced the Jews to listen to long Christian sermons. Even though all these terrible things took place and the government was not good to the Jews, the ghettos seemed to be a

Smog City 2 from Particle Pollution

Name: Date: Save Smog City 2 from Particle Pollution Student Worksheet 1. Access the Smog City 2 web site at www. smogcity2. org. 2. Select â€Å"Save Smog City 2 from Particle Pollution. † 3. Once Smog City 2 loads to your computer, take note of the areas of Smog City, including Weather Conditions, Emissions Levels and Population. All areas have â€Å"clickable† choices. Mouse-over or click on the choices. †¢ NOTE: in the information box at the bottom of the screen, there is information about each choice. 4. Notice how each of the choices are pre-set to a certain level. These are called the default settings. You can use the reset button at any time to return to the default settings. In the chart below, circle or highlight the default setting for each choice. The first setting, Sunlight, has already been completed for you. Weather ConditionsChoices Included in the Area: Sunlight : Inversion Layer: Wind Speed: Maximum Daily Temperature: Clear -Partly Cloudy – Cloudy No inversion – Low inversion – High inversion Calm – Light Breeze – Breezy – Windy 30? F – 40 ? F – 50? F – 80? F – 90? F – 100 ? F – 110 ? F EmissionChoices Included in the Area: Energy Sources – Cars and Trucks – Off Road Vehicles – Consumer Products- Industry – Some energy sources produce more smog-producing emissions than others. (level 1 is cleaner sources like a wind or solar technology, level 3 produces more smog like a coal-fired power plant) Levels: 1 2 3 This includes Passenger vehicles (all sizes), large and medium trucks, motorcycles Levels: 1 2 3 4 5 This includes airplanes, trains, power boats, earth movers, tractors, harvesters, forklifts, bulldozers, backhoes Levels: 1 2 3 4 5 This includes paint thinner, charcoal lighter fluid, glue or other adhesives, gasoline Levels: 1 2 3 4 5 This includes manufacturing facilities, power plants, oil refineries/storage/distribution centers, food and agricultural processing Levels: 1 2 3 4 5 Area Name:Choices Included in the Area: Population – Population in Smog City 2 affects air quality. Changing population, as shown by the â€Å"total emissions† chart and the emission sources n the cityscape, affects VOCs, NOx and SO2. The compounds react to form ground-level ozone and particle pollution. When temperatures are cool, changing population also changes the usage of wood-burning stoves, which emit particle pollutionIn Smog City 2, you can increase the population from near-zero to about two million people. Levels: 1 2 3 4 5 5. Observe the AQI (Air Quality Index) box inside the bla ck box. The default settings, which are circled above, result in a â€Å"red†, or â€Å"Unhealthy† AQI for particle pollution. The health message is: â€Å"Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. † Scenario 1: Emission Sources 1. Minimize the â€Å"Save Smog City 2 from Particle Pollution! † instructions at the top of the screen. 2. Turn only Cars and Trucks control to 1. Leave all other choices at the default settings. Record what happens on the Student Worksheet in the table below. Uses the reset button to return the Cars and Trucks control to 3, so all controls are in default position. . Turn only Off Road down to 1. Leave all other settings alone. Record what happens on the Student Worksheet. Use the reset button to return the Off Road control to the middle setting, so all controls are in default position. Student Worksheet Energy SourcesCars &TrucksOff RoadConsumer ProductsIndustryAir Quality Index (AQI) ColorMessageValue DefaultRedU nhealthy157 21333YellowModerate80 23133RedUnhealthy158 4. Using the worksheet below, adjust each of the remaining controls noted in red and record the result in the worksheet. Student Worksheet Energy SourcesCars &TrucksOff RoadConsumer ProductsIndustryAir Quality Index (AQI) ColorMessageValue 23313RedUnhealthy175 23331RedUnhealthy152 13333Red Unhealthy173 5. Move all Emission controls to level 1. What is the AQI? Why? The AQI is green and healthy. The emissions are the main reason for the poor air quality. 6. Using the reset button, return all Emission controls to the middle setting and turn the Population control to level 1. What is the AQI? Why? (Hint: Read â€Å"WHAT IS THIS† in the information box) The AQI is green again. The reason for this is because when there are less people, there are less emissions as well as less particle pollutions from wood burning fireplaces (when the weather drops below 50 degrees. ) Scenario 2: Weather 1. Using the reset button, return all Emission and Population controls to the middle setting. What is the AQI level? Unhealthy for sensitive groups is the AQI when emissions and population controls are in the middle. 2. Set the Temperature to 80 degrees F. Check the black sign in the cityscape for the temperature. How does this affect particle pollution? Why? Heat increases the chemical conversion of emissions to ozone and particle pollution. 3. Move the Inversion control to low-altitude (the far right). How does this affect particle pollution levels? Why? Temperature inversions create a warm layer of air above the ground-level ozone that traps pollution. The lower the altitude, the closer to the ground the lid traps the pollution. Questions Based on all the data collected, answer the following questions 1. Was there any one variable that seemed to have a greater increase in particle pollution than others tested? Which one? Population made the most impact in either direction quicker than any other factor. 2. What steps could be taken to control emissions levels? Choose energy sources that are not produced with fossil fuels, telecommute (shop online) instead of taking trips to the mall, recycle, etc. 3. Can you think of ways to reduce particle pollution levels? Keep fire burning to a minimum or use a gas burning fireplace instead, ride a bike, take public transportation, walk, keep â€Å"off road† trips to a minimum, avoid revving engines for longer than 30 seconds when driving, etc.

Into the World Essay

â€Å"Individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles, but may also experience personal growth. † ‘Into the World’ is can be defined as aspects of growing up and transitions into new phases of an individual’s life. It can mean transitioning naturally, or change being thrust upon a person. In either case, any individual venturing into new experiences will encounter obstacles, but they will also experience personal growth. This is evident in the prescribed text, The Story of Tom Brennan by JC Burke, as well as my chosen text, I Was Only 19 by Redgum. The concept of ‘new experiences’ may not always start off positively. For example, in Burke’s novel, the protagonist, Tom Brennan, one fatal accident forced him and his family to flee their hometown of Mumbilli, forcing every character to undergo a catharsis. This causes Tom to become very withdrawn and introverted as he grows bitter and resentful of the whole situation and slowly getting pushed ‘back into that big, black hole’. He becomes very depressed, antisocial and isolated as he attempts to deal with the situation that his brother, Daniel, has caused. The author conveys the protagonist’s thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs through a variety of techniques. The audience is aware of Tom’s growing guilt through the technique of first person writing. ‘Like I said, that was a low point. ’ (p124) The convincing, idiomatic, subjective voice of the teenage narrator creates a confidential relationship with the readers, as well as keeping them engaged. It also gives us insight into Tom’s inner most thoughts. As Tom plunges into intense feelings of guilt and animosity, he becomes numb to the struggles the other members of his family are facing. One of the most effective and engaging techniques used by the author to capture the reader’s attention, is the use of flashbacks. The Story of Tom Brennan is a nonlinear narrative, and this is first evident in the prologue, which has a reflective tone, when it changes from past tense to present tense. ‘†¦ so as not to remind them of their pain and what our family now meant to this town. My name is Tom Brennan, and this is my story. ’ However, these flashbacks finish after chapter 9, which is when Tom finally begins to accept the situation. As Tom and his family are forced to make a shameful and hasty departure from their once-loved, parochial hometown, they flee to Toms’ Gran’s house in Coghill. Tom hates living in his Gran’s house, and his subjectiveness creates a bias and negative image of her, as he promptly denigrates her efforts, particularly her ‘culinary disasters,’ claiming that her food looked like ‘a charred slab of cow’s shit. ’ He can’t understand why she copes with the situation is a stoic manner and she becomes somewhat like a ‘punching bag’ for Tom, as he releases all his anger on her. Their relationship is strained, hostile and lacks mutual tolerance and respect as he refers to her as ‘The Grandmother. ’ As Tom re-establishes a connection with ‘The Grandmother,’ he learns empathy, and this is evident in chapter 12 when Tom first realises that she cares for him more than he realises –‘Do you think I couldn’t see you fading away those first few weeks? ’ Their developing relationship is then strengthened as Tom decides to build her a chook pen. Rugby is the lynchpin that holds the novel together. Tom is placed as half-back on the St Bennies team that ‘couldn’t catch a cold. The team provides him with a solid ground to stand on and his teammates give him new relationships and ties to Coghill. Football symbolises the prestige of the ‘legend of the Brennan brothers,’ and Tom unknowingly uses football as a measure of what he had and what he’d lost, of what he can and can’t do. When Tom goes on the St. Bennies footy camp, he learns humility. After Tom speaks with his dad at camp, he realises that ‘winning had been everything at St John’s, but now I was confused, because I think Dad was trying to tell me that it wasn’t enough. ’ He then uses his skills to teach and lead St Bennies. Tom’s uncle, Brendan, has a therapeutic effect on Tom, and as he starts running with him in the mornings, he grows and matures as he tries to get fit enough to travel to Nepal, and this is evident in Brendan’s statement: ‘He was lucky to have you there, Tom. Even if he doesn’t remember it. ’ At first, Tom is hesitant to start running, ‘†¦ contemplating whether a ‘piss off’ was in order. ’ They run up the hill near Carmel’s property, ‘The Ascent,’ which she ‘reckoned it lead all the way to heaven,’ and this becomes symbolic of Tom’s struggle and his journey. The Ascent is an obstacle Tom must face, with the help of Brendan, in order to grow and bloom as he accepts the situation. Another factor that helps Tom heal is his friendship-turned-relationship with Chrissie, who also has a therapeutic effect on him. Chrissie is Tom’s confidante –‘I started talking. That’s what she did to me’, as she acts as a panacea to his pain, which he describes as ‘feeling bad all the time. ’ The concept of individuals venturing into new experiences is also explored in my chosen text, I Was Only 19 by Redgum. I as only nineteen presents the protest against conscription during the Vietnam War. It displays all the difficult experiences of a young man as well as his perspective towards the Vietnam War and the loss of his friend due to the war. The poem portrays war as a living hell and tells the audience the unseen, brutal ways of battle. It reflects on the horror and traumatising warfare that the young men had to go through. â€Å"I was only nineteen† is repeated in a sad, dull context as the lyrics are mostly describing the downside of the whole war concept. Through the themes, use of emotive language and vivid description, this repetition can easily be identified as setting a depressing and sympathetic tone. The use of rhetorical questions place emphasis on how the poet feels this experience has effected him â€Å"And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet? And what’s this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means? † â€Å"And can you tell me doctor, why I still can’t get to sleep? † gives an example of repletion which has been used to emphasise the fact that the young men that have been taken to war and all the horrific experiences they’ve been through. The rhyming of the words of each line have been included to give a feel towards the song/poem and give a link towards each line and that there is a connection between the two lines – â€Å"And there’s me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens. God help me, I was only nineteen. † The use of other poetic techniques, such as metaphors, are also used to emphasise the obstacles faced by young soldiers in warfare- â€Å"Was a war within yourself/ It was a long march from cadets/ And night time’s just a jungle dark and a barking M16. Another metaphor evident is â€Å"But you wouldn’t let your mates down til they had you dusted off. † This is used to represent the camaraderie and friendship instilled in the soldiers. In conclusion, individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles, but may also experience personal growth. In The Story of Tom Brennan, as well as I was only nineteen by Redgum, the concept of personal growth is explored. Both the soldier in I was only nineteen, as well as the Brennans, face multiple obstacles whilst telling their story.