Thursday, October 31, 2019

Employee Assistance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Employee Assistance - Assignment Example However, fortunately, that has all improved dramatically. Once the company began promoting the EAPs and all the services they had to offer, it resulted in a large number of people who were quick to look into the programs. I noticed in several cases of single parents seeking aid in child care issues. Overall, I would say, approximately, at least 20% have already shown interest and are actively taking advantage of the services the EAPs offer. A recent survey showed a 33% decrease in employees coming in late or being absent due to issues that the EAPs helped them resolve; it also revealed a decrease in overall company healthcare costs in relation to mental health issues. The only problems that I have heard involve employees concerns in regards to whether or not the â€Å"counseling services† are completely safe and confidential. However, the company is already working to alleviate the employees concerns on this issue. In truth, all of the professionals involved with the EAPs are legitimate and licensed, when necessary, and follow all the same healthcare privacy and confidentiality laws that are followed in all U.S. medical professions. Therefore this issue will be easily remedied. I think that the EAPs that we have are already succeeding in overcoming its biggest challenge. Before, its greatest issue was not being properly promoted by the company itself. Once the employees became aware of what was available the programs were being sought after. Now the system operates just fine. Because the EAPs are part of the health insurance that is provided by the company to its employees, new hires must wait 3 months. This is a 90 day probationary period typical of all new employees. After that time frame then all employees are legible to participate in the EAPs, as well as, their healthcare benefits. As of this year they offer, both, telephone and face-to-face interactions, depending on the time of day. Certain call centers, like substance

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Fleet Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fleet Planning - Essay Example It is all because of all such various factors, it is considered that the airline industry is a vibrant and unpredictable industry. As this industry has been really dynamic of late, it has been considered by many airline service providers to alter their performance style into a private management style rather than the earlier government interfering style. (The Global airline industry program) To respond to the dynamic nature of the airline industry, many airline service providers have followed a low-cost strategy and to be able to apply this low-cost strategy, fleet planning strategies have been followed. In order to implement a successful the fleet planning strategy, companies have focused upon four different issues: Costs are a major factor that enables a company to earn profits. If the costs are controlled properly, higher profits would be earned. In recent years, costs have been an important aspect towards a company’s success. The knowledge and control of the costs provided by the latest aircraft models, engines and fleet universality are an important aspect in the assessment of future fleet necessities. Demand in the market is another aspect which ascertains the requirement of fleet for a company. The general demand by the customer regarding the services provided and the fares offered would also be necessary in ascertaining the appropriate fleet for a company. The biggest revenue/cost saving of adding more aircraft of the same type is the compatibility and similarity, for example Airbus in marketing their Aircraft claims that communality exists between their aircrafts and the of having a fleet of different type sizes of aircraft from Airbus would: Since the systems are similar and properly use the same tools and procedures for maintenance or even operation such as refueling, or baggage handling, that would have a big effect on the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Pay As You Earn (PAYE) System: Advantages and Disadvantages

Pay As You Earn (PAYE) System: Advantages and Disadvantages PAYE (Pay as you earn) was first introduced in year 1944. This is a system used by HMRC (HM Revenue Customs) to collect Income Tax and NICs (National Insurance contributions) from employees pay, including directors of limited companies, as they earn it. OPERATION OF PAYE SYSTEM Under PAYE system, employers are responsible to deduct both Income Tax and NICs from employee when paying them their wages or occupational pension. Employers are required to operate PAYE on the payments make to employee if the employees earnings reach the LEL (National Insurance Lower Earning Limit). For tax year 2010-11 (6th April 2010 to 5th April 2011), LEL is  £97 a week,  £421 a month or  £5,044 a year. The tax rate charged for earning not more than  £37,400 is at 20 percent, earnings more than  £37,400 but less than  £150,000 is at 40 percent and earning above  £150,000 is at 50 percent. A tax code and National Insurance category letter determines the amount of income tax and NICs deductable from employees wages or pension will be issue by HMRC. Employees with earning less than  £110 are exempted from making NICs. Employees with earning more than  £110 but less than  £844 per week will need to pay 11 percent and employees with earning is more than  £844 per week will need to pay 1 percent. Before the tax year starts, usually in January or February, forms P9T or P9X will be given to employers to tell them about the tax codes that to be use for each employee. In the event if HRMC do not have enough information to issue a full tax code to employers, employers will then be told to use the emergency tax code until more information is received and the tax code can be adjusted. A tax code is usually made up of one or more numbers followed by a letter. By multiply the number by ten, the employee will be able to obtain his total income earn in a tax year before any tax deduction. The employee will be getting the same take-home wages each week or month as the tax code spread this tax-free amount equally over the year. See appendix for the common tax letters. Any changes example, employee receiving a second income, employers are expected to inform HMRC accordingly, as this will affect the tax code. Employers were to provide each employee a pay-slip or pay statement at or before the payday and pay HMRC the income tax and NICs by 19th of each month or by the 22nd if payment is made through electronic. Employers whose payments to HMRC do not exceed an average of  £1,500 are allowed to make quarterly payments. If the correct amount was not send in or late sent in, interest may be charged. At the end of each tax year, 5th April 2011, form P60 stating the summary of the employees pay and deductions is to be provided before 1st June following the end of the tax year, 1st June 2011. After the end of the tax year, no later than 19th May 2011, employers must send HMRC the form P35 and P14s summarising the total payroll figures for the year. PROCEDURES WHEN TAXPAYER CHANGES JOB When one employee left their old job, a form P45-Details of employee leaving work should be given to him by his previous employer. Information for Part 1 and 2 must be completed. If the employees last day of work falls on 6th December 2010, this form should reflect the National Insurance number, tax code and total wages and tax as of 6th December 2010. This form P45 will be then given to the new employer when the employee joined onboard. Information for Part 3 will then be complete. The employee will be able to claim back the tax if he started the new job within four weeks after leaving the old job. This tax refunded will be made two to three weeks later if the employees wages is paid on a weekly basis, or included in the pay-slip if his wages is paid on a monthly basis In the event if no form P45 is given to the new employer, employee will need to complete the form P46-PAYE notice of new employee. HMRC will process the form P46 and revise the tax code if necessary. If too much tax is paid, employer will make the necessary refund. Form P46 is only necessary if employee is not a student whom works solely during their school holiday and employee is not working for one week or less. If first pay-day falls on the 1st January 2011, form P46 information must be provided by employee before his first pay-day and employer must send in the form (both form P45 or P46) not later than the employees first pay day, which is 1st January 2011. Although send in forms can be done online or paper form, it had been becoming compulsory for all employers to file the in-year forms online. In-year forms include form P45 and P46. Companies with more than 50 employees should already be filing their in-year forms online. They will be penalty if they file form P45 or P46 on papers. Companies with less than 50 employees are required to file their in-year forms online with effect from 6th April 2011. In the event If the employee decided to retire or stop working, he can claim back the tax payable from HMRC, by completing form P50-Claiming tax back when you have stopped working. COMPARE AND CONTRAST OF PAYE SYSTEM AND SELF-ASSESSMENT SYSTEM In the view of HMRC and a taxpayer, both PAYE system and self-assessment system works about the same as both systems are meant to use to identify employees and self-employed individuals incomes or pension in each tax year. Most employees in UK paid their tax due on their income or pensions to HMRC through PAYE system. However, employees like company director, even if they are already taxed through PAYE system, they will still required by law to complete a tax return. Employees whom earned proceeds from sales of certain assets (capital gain) will either need to inform employers so that they can include this income under PAYE system or they can complete a tax return. Beside the company director, self-employed individuals or trustee or individuals having foreign income will also be required to complete a tax return and inform HMRC about their incomes or profits. Both employers and self-employed individuals have to first register under HMRC before any tax submission or tax payments. Employers have to register under HMRCs PAYE online for employers service, while all self-employed individuals must register for self-assessment and obtain the tax return form. Self Assessment tax returns will be send out by HMRC in April each year (which is April 2011 for Tax Year 2010-11), for online filing, a letter called Notice to File will send instead. A Self Assessment registration form is need to be complete if individual has never file a tax return before. Although the PAYE system and self-assessment system operate in the similar way, the type of forms used under these two systems are different. Under PAYE system, employers are expected to send HMRC the form P35 and P14s summarising the total payroll figures for the employee for the year. Under the self-assessment system, different forms are being used. Being self-employed, individual has to complete form CWF1 to register and inform HMRC about their business nature. Being not self-employed, individual has to complete SA1 instead. The deadline for tax submission and payment for both systems are also difference. Under PAYE system, Under PAYE system, employers are to pay HMRC on a monthly basis, by 19th of each month or by the 22nd if payment is made through electronic, if tax amount is more than  £1,500. If tax amount is less than  £1,500, employers can pay HMRC on a quarterly instead of monthly basis. Under self-assessment system, for paper tax return, it must reach HMRC by midnight of 31st October. For online tax return must reach HMRC by midnight of 31st January. For example, tax year 2010-11, paper tax return deadline is 31st October 2010 and online filing is 31st January 2011. In term of tax payment, for tax year 2010-11, first payment falls on 31st January 2011, second payment falls on 31st July 2011, and the balance payments falls on 31st January 2012. Penalty will be charged if tax return is not received on time. Comparing the PAYE system with self-assessment system, tax payments for self-assessment are split into 3 payments, while under PAYE system payments are made either on monthly basis or quarterly basis. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PAYE SYSTEM AND SELF-ASSESSMENT SYSTEM No system is prefect, to a taxpayer or HMRC, PAYE system and self-assessment system has its own advantages and disadvantages. As a tax-payer under self assessment system, individuals benefit from the lower rate of NICs. Apart of this, under self-assessment system, self-employed individuals can enjoy the cash-flow advantage of not having paying their tax on a monthly basis as tax payments are split into three payments. However they will still face this split payment as disadvantage. This is so when the deadline date reaches 31st January. Under self-assessment, individuals need pay taxes for two tax years on 31st January, first payment for tax year 2010-11 and balance payment for tax year 2009-10. As a tax collector, self-assessment system helps to collect tax for benefits. A taxpayer whom is an employee of a company, he may entitle to some benefits like company car etc. This benefit is not included in the pay-slip therefore not taxed through PAYE system. With self-assessment system, taxpayer will need to include this benefit-in-kind. Under PAYE system, when employee changes job, form P45 is supposed to be provided by previous employer to employee. When form P45 is not issue, new employer will need to complete form P46. Often when new employer do not received the code notice or form P45 on time, it is possible that tax calculation will be incorrect. Another disadvantage of PAYE system is that, under PAYE system, forms P9T or P9X will be given to employers to tell them about the tax codes that to be use for each employee. However employee with more than one source of income tends to be confused of what tax code to be used. This will lead to incorrect deductions of tax for the taxpayer which resulted in either tax over-deducted or under-deducted. Also when a taxpayer turn from 65 or 75, he qualifies for age-related relief, tax code should change. For such cases, HMRC may or may not change the tax code automatically. If tax code is not change, taxpayer might ended up paying more tax. Based on the recent news released early year of 2010, due to the new PAYE system, wrong tax code was issued, which caused taxpayer paying more tax. Due to this incident, HMRC is trying to improve the operation of PAYE system.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Homeless Cafes :: Essays Papers

Homeless Cafes There seems to be a welcome trend unfolding in social services for the homeless. In place of large, impersonal soup kitchens, small cafes are springing up with a philosophy that is all too rare-treat the homeless with respect and dignity, and maybe they'll respond to available services. It began with Cafe 458 in Atlanta in 1988, which since has served as a model for similar cafes across the country. Cafe 458 was founded to serve good meals to small groups of homeless individuals, offer a comprehensive array of services, and empower those who eat at the Cafe. Part of its strategy to empower homeless persons is to treat them with dignity-the staff refer to those who eat there as guests, not clients, food is served on real dishes, artwork adorns the walls, and fresh flowers brighten each table. The Cafe serves only 28 guests at a time, all of whom are referred by area social service agencies. To be referred to the Cafe, clients must not be actively using drugs, have no recent history of violence, and have a strong desire to improve their lives. On the average, guests regularly eat at the Cafe for six months before they are able to find employment and/or housing. Since 1988, Cafe 458 has served only 1,000 people, but the staff considers its small numbers its strength. As Nancy Palchanis, executive director, explains, "It is not a feeding program. It is about empowerment. Soup kitchens feed too many people. Our advantage is in the small size." The small size of Cafe 458, and others like it, is translating into success in the lives of their guests . For example, The Bread and Roses Cafe, run by a social service agency in Venice, California, enrolls some of its clients in a six-week intensive course in restaurant work and 20 hours of on-thejob training. Sixty-seven of the 112 people who have completed the program are now employed by restaurants in the Los Angeles area. Fortunately for some of Chicago's homeless, they too have a similar place to turn-Inspiration Cafe, located in the Uptown community. Since 1991, Inspiration Cafe has served good-tasting and healthy meals to homeless individuals in Uptown and has provided them with a variety of comprehensive services. The Cafe was founded by Lisa Nigro, a former homeless in her community. Nigro began feeding the homeless in Uptown by carting around a red wagon filled with bagels and juice that she would serve to people waiting in lines at local shelters and soup kitchens.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Health and Social Care P5 Essay

Multi agency working This is where professionals from multiple agencies meet together to work towards the best possible care of an individual. They will combine their skills and do a single assessment to assess needs of the client, as opposed to each professional doing an individual assessment. Working in partnerships with adults using services This is where encouragement for the use of services helps to gain trust between professionals and clients or their families. By ensuring of policies and working routines, then the cared for individual can feel more confident that they will be able to flag up any concerns, worries or comments. It promotes a better relationship between cared-for and care-giver. ISA This protects vulnerable adults from people who may want to abuse them, or have a history of abusing. Before a paid worker or voluntary worker can work with vunerable adults, they will have to be vetted and have a check for no prior history of abuse. If a person has a history of abusing, then they will be placed on a ‘barred’ list and will then be unable to work with vulnerable people. This means that employers will have to receive appropriate references, have a DBS check done and check the barred list, before they can employ a person to work with vulnerable adults. Criminal Records Bureau People who wish to work with vulnerable adults will have to undergo and in-depth DBS check before they are able to work with vulnerable people. This check looks at their criminal history. It will show any previous cautions or convictions. No Secrets This guideline means that any group, no matter how big or small, must have a set of policies and guidelines about what is expected of the people who work within the organisation. It shows staff members what is appropriate and inappropriate care. Codes of Practice This sets standards for all people working with vulnerable people, such as nurses and midwives. Usually these codes of practice are overseen by larger bodies that regulate the workers. People who do not follow the codes of practice may be unable to remain in their chosen profession. National Frame for Good Practice and Outcomes in Adult Protection This sets a group of national standards or service models to show how best to deliver a service. It promotes multi agency working to provide the best level of care for a service user. Dignity in Care initiative This is a campaign to stop lack of respect show to service users and to ensure that their dignity is maintained through good and positive service. It encourages challenging of poor service or lack of respect. Human Rights in Healthcare This is assists and promotes the use of human rights practice in work within delivery of care services, particularly within the NHS. It encourages fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy. Closer working between professionals This means that records to care will be made and then logged so that the care can be noted and continued or altered. It means that concerns can be shared and can bring attention to alterations in behaviour towards particular members of staff or visitors. It can also log any illness. The communication means that care givers can work together to provide continuous care. Care Quality Commission This ensures that all organisations under their watch are working to a set of rules and regulations that apply to them. They regulate the care given and inspect institutions to ensure that optimal care that conforms to regulations is given to all of the people in its care. Organisational policies This teaches staff what is expected of them and what is inappropriate. It also means that a complaints procedure will exist, so that people who  believe there is a problem with care given can be challenged fairly, whilst people are protected from any possible ill-consequences of complaint. This also means that whenever a new policy is enacted, that appropriate staff training will be undertaken and explained. It ensures that staff are well aware of any consequences as a result of abusing. Decision making forums This ensures that the decision making process is kept clear and does not remain secretive. It gives individuals the chance to be an active member in the decisions that affect their care or their lives. They can be supported to make the best decision that will best affect them. It gives an opportunity for opinions and views on it to be explained, alongside with any procedures or guidelines that may be in effect as a part of the decision. Whistleblowing This is where a member of an organisation informs members an employer or a regulatory body of ill-practice within the organisation that they work in. They will be protected by the Public Interest Disclosure act, meaning that they will be appropriately protected from any suffering that may be caused by an individual raising awareness, such as dismissal or bullying. Effective relationship building This means that relationships between service users and professionals are kept appropriate and the duty of care remains the main responsibility. The worker must work to a set of guidelines or accepted values. The relationship between user and worker must remain professional and not overstep boundaries set by professional bodies. It means that whilst the wishes and dignity of the user will still be kept, the relationship will be equal yet maintain the importance of the status of carer and cared-for. Principles of care

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers Essay

Abstract This study explores teacher education programs and preservice teacher dispositions. The study examined the dispositions of two sections of a reading methods course populated by preservice teachers. A dispositions checklist was used to collect data in three phases and from two audiences. The findings of the study strongly suggest that preservice teachers have a positive view of their own dispositions as well as their peers’ dispositions. The study also shows that the perception of preservice teachers’ dispositions of themselves differ greatly from the perception of the instructor of the course. Implications from this study suggest further development of practices that surface disposition and strategic use of data to improve teacher dispositions within teacher education programs. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 3 Introduction As the push for effective teachers persists, many teacher education programs, and professional development administrators are left speculating about the part dispositions perform in effective teaching. Johnson & Reinman (2007) sought to explore the definition of dispositions as teacher professional judgment and professional action in the moral/ethical domain of adult cognition. By assessing beginning teacher judgment both quantitatively and qualitatively, convergence between predicted and observed patterns was found in addition to congruence between teacher judgment and action. Based on the findings of convergence and congruence, implications for teacher education and development are made. They mirror what Jung (2009) found in the study of teacher technology. Jung studied technology teacher dispositions and found education significantly increased competence level and disposition measures. The study also found there are no statistically significant differences in technology proficiency level in terms of age or gender, female and older students should be strongly encouraged to use technology without fear of failure. Since the major difference in the technology disposition score was due to the male students’ stronger selfconfidence level toward technology, teacher educators should pay attention for female students to be more self-assured through repeated contact to the technology experience. Jung made the following recommendations: (1)The importance of technology should be stressed frequently and intensely throughout the curriculum. (2) Future teachers should see successful role models continuously for adopting technology. (3) Numerous technology literacy and integration classes, and other forms of technology education need to be included in the curriculum- to make them competent and perceive themselves technologically competent. (4) Future teachers Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 4  should be exposed to the experiences, which repeatedly connect the value of technology with their career, which enable them to see and to experience the value of using technology and living with technology, which let them frequently use technology for their learning, problem solving, and future instruction. Disparate to the literature on some dispositions, the dispositions cited in the teacher education literature (e. g. , INTASC) have almost no illuminating value and very little significance presently. This conclusion comes from an examination of the cited teacher dispositions in  terms of Underwood’s levels of meaning in the behavioral sciences and shows that these dispositional paradigms are little more than labels for particular behaviors. Although the construct, disposition, in teacher education may be redundant now, it is not entirely inadequate as it may provide a pilot hypothesis for further investigations (Murray, 2007; Windschitl, 2003). The implications from the previous studies provide the groundwork for exploring teacher dispositions. In order to effectively investigate this, a definition for dispositions by our governing bodies must be identified. â€Å"NCATE now defines Professional Dispositions as: Professional attitudes, values, and beliefs demonstrated through both verbal and non-verbal behaviors as educators interact with students, families, colleagues, and communities. These positive behaviors support student learning and development† (2007). Institutions take their own stab at defining dispositions in many ways. The National Association for the Education of Young Children states in order to enact and examine surface disposition: â€Å"All teaching staff evaluates and improve their own performance based on ongoing reflection and feedback from supervisors, peers and families. They add to their knowledge and increase their ability to put knowledge into practice. They develop an Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 5 annual individualized professional development plan with their supervisor and use it to inform their continuous professional development†. The National Association for the Education of Young Children also states that disposition is defined through: â€Å"All teaching staff continuously strengthening their leadership skills and relationships with others and works to improve the conditions of children and families within their programs, the local community or region, and beyond. Teaching staff participate in informal or formal ways in local, state, or regional public-awareness activities related to early care by joining groups, attending meetings, or sharing information with others both at and outside the program (2005)†. The University of West Georgia surfaces disposition through its conceptual framework. â€Å"The Conceptual Framework is the rationale and organizing principle that guides the curriculum for Developing Educators for School Improvement. The Conceptual Framework is grounded in research, knowledge, and experience that describe what undergraduate and graduate candidates should know and apply to foster transformational systemic change. Our Conceptual Framework incorporates the standards and principles established by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC), and Specialized Professional Associations (SPAs). The following beliefs give credence to our professional commitments—the 10 descriptors used to describe the qualities and dispositions that we feel educators must possess to positively impact school improvement—and provide further delineation of the Conceptual Framework: Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 6 1. Decision Makers: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills when making decisions that will influence effective transformational systemic change. 2. Leaders: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate effective leadership skills to initiate and facilitate transformational systemic change. 3. Life Long Learners: We believe that candidates should seek continually to improve their knowledge, disposition, and skills to influence transformational systemic change. 4. Adaptive: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate flexibility and strategic planning appropriate to a wide variety of learners for effective transformational systemic change. 5. Collaborative: We believe that candidates should be able to develop skills to work effectively with various stakeholders involved in the educational process that will bring about transformational systemic change. 6. Culturally Sensitive: We believe that candidates should be able to develop awareness and understanding of individual and group differences when diagnosing and prescribing transformational systemic change. 7. Empathetic: We believe that candidates should be able to develop the sensitivity for individual, family, and institutional needs that will embrace transformational systemic change. 8. Knowledgeable: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate general knowledge inherent in a liberal arts curriculum, advanced knowledge in content areas, and specific knowledge in professional education for the implementation of transformational systemic change. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 7 9. Proactive: We believe that candidates should be able to advocate for the removal of barriers that impede life long learning and hinder transformational systemic change. 10. Reflective: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills in the diagnosis and prescription for transformational systemic change. According to Merriam-Webster (2010), disposition is defined as a â€Å"prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination b : temperamental makeup c : the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances†. Katz (1985) defines disposition as â€Å"the notion of disposition was defined as an attributed characteristic of a teacher, one that summarizes the trend of a teacher’s actions in particular contexts† (p.301). Now that the definitions for this context have been identified, let us examine what the research says about them. What Does Research Say about Disposition? The arena of literature on dispositions in the field of teacher education is one of great concern. In light of the fact that our professional organizations and accrediting bodies are constructing disposition requirements for graduate and undergraduate levels, universities are now being required to provide concrete evidence as to how dispositions are being addressed. At the same time, teacher education programs are continuously providing opportunities for reflection in induction, courses, field and clinical placements. If we are considering reflection in action as Schon (1987) defines it, we must marry this concept with teaching dispositions. Within action, reflection has the ability to surface. This study seeks to examine this relationship within the coursework through three points of view: the students themselves, their view of each other and the instructor. In the context of this study, the researcher defines preservice teacher as â€Å"a teacher education student working to attain an. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 8 undergraduate degree in education or initial certification after receiving a four-year degree in another field†. Disposition Origin â€Å"The study of dispositions had its roots in the 1960’s when Arthur W. Combs began a series of studies on the personal perceptions of effective helpers, which he called perceptual characteristics† (p. 96). Teacher education programs over the last 30 years have been implicit and explicit in including them in their conceptual frameworks. In issues of accreditation, dispositions play an important role in the making of teacher candidates. Similarly, Giovannelli (2003) stated that dispositions serve as an accurate measure of teacher effectiveness. On the other hand, Beyer (2002) stated that accreditation mandates, such as dispositions, emphasize a â€Å"technical-rational† approach to teaching and ignore â€Å"social, philosophical, and political understandings† needed by educators† (p. 96). The major teacher accrediting bodies have battled with this for a while now. McKnight (2006) states, â€Å"Where as before NCATE held college of education faculty accountable for proving each preservice teacher had mastered certain knowledge and skills, new policies and standards now dictate faculty must generate evidence as to whether the teacher candidate is the right sort of person† (p. 213). National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has been criticized regarding the dispositions that are highlighted in its’ standards. They should be assessed at the college level, or taught in a manner that would guide the teacher candidate to alter his or her already established dispositions. Time and opportunity may be in question. There is also the concern of whether dispositions towards virtues such as social justice, caring and honesty, which NCATE standards present as attractive, will fall short of leaving a mark on teacher candidates. McKnight (2006) found, â€Å"These dispositions have been reinforced in the general process of schooling, as Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 9 part of the hidden curriculum and academic achievement discourse, according to those who analyze schooling from a critical lens (e. g. Bowers and Flinders 1990; Cherryholmes 1988; Doll 1993; Zeichner 1991, p.214)†. Presence of Dispositions In order to be aware of the facilitation of dispositions, preservice teachers must be open to interaction and experience in the learning and teaching environment. This would denote presence. Raider-Roth and Rodgers, (2006) defines this â€Å"engagement as ‘presence’- a state of alert awareness, receptivity and connectedness to the mental, emotional and physical workings of both the individual and the group in the context of their learning environments and the ability to respond with a considered and compassionate best next step † (p.266). The authors also hold that reflective teaching cannot be compacted to a set of behaviors or skills, but is a practice that requires presence. â€Å"It requires self-knowledge, trust, relationship and compassion† (p. 266). Research from past studies confirm that the relationship between teacher and student is a cornerstone in student achievement, motivation, engagement and in their ability to depend on what they know (Midgley & Urdan. , 2001; Pianta, 1999; Roeser Eccles & Sameroff. , 2000; Rodgers, in press; Raider-Roth, 2005a,b). This research illustrated that the quality of these relationships is not a light or surface factor of schooling; it is a critical feature of learning. What allows this relationship to burgeon is intricate and calls upon the mental, physical, emotive and related capital of the teacher†. If this is the case, preservice teachers must be prepared and primed for such a relationship. â€Å"Maxine Greene (1973), lifting the semantics of Merleau-Ponty, wrote on ‘wide-awakeness. ’ Through the act of reflection the human being confronts and becomes aware of ‘his relation to his surroundings, his manner of conducting himself with. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 10 respect to things and other human beings, the changing perspectives through which the world presents itself to him† (p. 269). Teacher educators anticipate this permeating exchange in the classroom. Schulz (2003) and Heshusius (1995) illustrated a similar position when they articulated the power of listening. Schultz, categorized listening at the crux of what it is to teach, defined listening as â€Å"an active, rational, and interpretive process that is focused on creating meaning† (p. 118). As with other thinkers and practitioners mentioned here she saw the teacher’s job as one of attentiveness. Attending to students in this manner, implies becoming deeply engaged in understanding what a person has to say through words, gesture, and action. â€Å"Listening is fundamentally about being in relationship to other and through this relationship supporting change or transformation† (p. 270). Transmission of Dispositions Oftentimes, dispositions are aligned with skills. For example, critical-thinking skills include the ability to create justification for via analysis, evaluation, and interpretation in reasonable, effective, careful, and serious ways, but these skills are powerless if certain dispositions are not in place. Attending to concepts and enacting these skills requires openminded and prejudice-free dispositions. â€Å"Thinking skills rely on disposition to imply knowledge transfer within domains and the impetus to apply those skills (Harpern 1998; Wright 2002)†. There are multiple approaches to this. The author suggests: â€Å"Creating learning experiences for students that foster the development of dispositional commitments including incontrovertible and democratic rights of liberty, opportunity, and dissent, as well as freedoms of participation, inquiry, expression, and worship, are mush easier to prescribe than enact. Developing these dispositions is central to the charge Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 11 of democratic education: creating widening and enlarging experiences (Barton and Levstik, 2004; Dewey, 1916)†. Instead of attempting the edification of dispositions via transmission of instruction, learners can instead appropriately surface them habitually when students have continued exposure to various kinds of learning experiences Reinforcement of Dispositions Battalio and Morin (2004) share that teachers react to reinforcement similarly as students do. In this case, strategies that engage disposition need to be reinforced. A teacher who meets with accomplishment with a strategy will more than likely use the approach at another opportunity. If the success is a lasting one, then the teacher gets consistent confirmation about the usefulness of his or her practice. Regrettably, the reverse is also true. If a teacher uses a strategy that does not appear to operate, he or she is likely to employ the approach again. Achieving enduring change is often slow and seemingly unresponsive to initial positive interventions. Teachers need to be capable and ready to interpret preliminary intervention outcomes in the full framework of the student’s milieu while also resisting the temptation to follow subjective appraisals of the intervention’s effectiveness. The authors describe such teachers as having high personal teaching efficacy (PTE; Guskey & Passaro, 1994). This high personal teaching efficacy springs from a candidate who has the opportunity to explore and develop teacher dispositions for such behavior. Problem with Dispositions Due to concerns with the students’ communication to the instructor, and the nature of the language in that communication, the question of disposition arose. This is based on Schon’s definition of reflection in action. Reflection-in-action is defined by Schon (1987) as the ability of Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 12 professionals to ‘think about what they are doing while they are doing it’. Schon views this as a fundamental skill. He emphasizes that the only way to manage the ‘indeterminate zones of (professional) practice’ is through the ability to think on your feet, and put into operation previous experience to new situations. Students often equate a score on an assignment of project with a positive teaching disposition. This is not an automatic correlation and is often misinterpreted in various areas; student-instructor communications, classroom discussions, instructional conversations, group assignments, presentations, field placements and lesson planning; as well as the instructional environment at large. In this particular case, dispositions manifest themselves in all of the previously mentioned areas in this course. Because of a cohort of students in the first block of the program from the previous semester experienced major problems with maintaining the teacher dispositions as indicated by the College of Education’s Conceptual Framework, the instructor soon discovered that a more explicit system for aiding students in surfacing and monitoring their own dispositions was critical. The next semester the instructor taught the course and took a proactive approach to the situation. She instituted a simple instrument that served a three-pronged purpose: to engage students in assessing themselves, each other, and assisting the instructor in assessing the student’s disposition as well. The review of literature and the instructor’s concerns of developing the â€Å"whole† teacher raised an essential question. How and under what conditions do preservice teachers assess dispositions in terms of themselves, each other, and in the eyes of the instructor? Methodology Research Questions 1. To what degree do preservice teachers assess their own dispositions? Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 13 2. To what degree do preservice teachers assess the dispositions of their peers? 3. To what degree does the instructor assess the dispositions of the preservice teachers in the reading methods course? Population The sample consisted of forty-seven students enrolled in two sections of the reading methods course instituted in the first of four methods block courses in the undergraduate teacher education program at the university. There were forty-three females and four males. Thirty-six were early childhood education majors, eight were middle grades education majors and three were special education majors. The study was voluntary and this population, and its sequences through the methods course blocks, was appropriate for this study because this is the structured progression of the undergraduate teacher education program. Convenience sampling was utilized (Salkind & Rassmussen, 2007). Though convenience sampling has been stated in the literature not to be as strong a method as others, this method is essential to the study because of the nature of the candidates to this institution’s program. If these candidates are to continue in the program as a cohort, monitoring them will be essential to teacher quality and program expectations. Measurement Measures The Likert Scale is an ordered, one-dimensional scale from which respondents choose one option that that most appropriately supports their view. There are usually between four and seven options. An advantage is that questions used are usually simple to understand and show the way to consistent responses. A disadvantage is that limited options are presented; with which respondents may not completely agree. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 14 Construction of measures The instrument was a 4-point likert scale with three major response categories: satisfactory, areas of concern, and not observed. With in the category of satisfactory were two response subcategories: exemplary performance and expected performance. Within the category of areas of concern was below expected performance. Finally, there was the category of not observed. This makes for four responses in total. Exemplary performance was rated as a three, expected performance was rated as a two and below expected performance was rated as a one. The dispositions being assessed were belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. Within the category of belonging were samples of descriptors. Descriptors included: relates easily, positively, and tactfully with others, is friendly, courteous, and professional; actively seeks opportunities for personal and professional growth; appropriate professional appearance and personal hygiene. Within the category of mastery were samples of descriptors. They were: demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and reflection; exhibits an interest in and a commitment to teaching and learning; responds with a positive attitude when receiving feedback. Within the category of independence were samples of descriptors. Descriptors included: demonstrates initiative and positive attitude; is responsible, reliable, dependable, & well organized (meets deadlines, reliable, prompt, attends classes, appointments, meetings, etc. ), and demonstrates flexibility and adaptability. Within the category of generosity were samples of descriptors. They were willingly, actively and cooperatively participates in collaborative situations; shares ideas and concerns, and appreciates multiple perspectives. There was also an open-ended comments section for those responses that students felt were important to the survey but not included in the checklist (See Appendix A). Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 15 Procedures The instrument was administered twice to the students and completed once by the instructor. The students completed the checklist based on their observation of themselves at the middle of the semester. The students then completed the instrument anonymously on a group member at the end of the semester. Finally, the instructor completed the disposition checklist on all of the students at the end of the semester. Each checklist was submitted the day it was completed and all of the data were compiled ten days after the last checklist was collected. Though this was a mixed methods study, the research chose to address the quantitative aspect of the study at this time. Results The data was subject to descriptive statistical analysis, by way of percentages. Self-Reporting In the category of belonging disposition, all of the participants rated themselves as displaying satisfactory performance; with 39 (83%) reporting exemplary performance and 8 (17%) reporting expected performance. In the category of mastery disposition 27 (57%) of the participants rated themselves as exemplary performance, 17 (36%) reported expected performance, and a small percentage; 3 (7%) rated themselves an area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of the independence disposition, 100% rated themselves as satisfactory in the area with 25 (53%) of them rated as exemplary performance and 22 (47%) at expected performance. Finally, in the disposition of generosity, 39 (83%) of the participants rated themselves with an exemplary performance and with 8 (17%) of preservice teachers rated themselves with expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 1). Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 16 Figure 1. Number of Students 50 40 30 20 10 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed on gi ng M as te ry In de pe nd B el Peer Reporting In the category of belonging, 40 (85%) of the participants rated their classmates as exemplary performance with 5 (10%) of the students citing expected performance. Five percent of the participants rated their peers in the area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of mastery, 39 (83%) of the participants rated their peers at exemplary performance. Fifteen percent of participants rated their peers with expected performance and a small percentage of participants reported 1 (2%) of their peers at an area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of the independence, 39 (83%) of the participants rated each other with exemplary performance in this area. Of the preservice teachers, 5 (10%) were rated by their peers as meeting expected performance. Seven percent of the participants rated each other in the category of belowexpected performance. In the category of generosity, 41(86 %) of the participants rated each other with a score of exemplary performance. Seven percent of participants rated their peers with expected performance. Finally, 3 (7 %) of the participants rated their peers below expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 2). G en er os ity en ce Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 17 Figure 2. Number of Students 50 40 30 20 10 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed er y nd en ce gi n B el on. In de pe Instructor Reporting In the category of belonging, the instructor rated 12 (25%) of the participants as displaying exemplary performance. Fifty-seven percent of preservice teachers were rated as displaying expected performance. Seventeen percent of the participants were rated belowexpected performance. In the category of mastery, the instructor rated 7 (15%) of the participants as exemplary performance. Thirty-two percent were rated as expected performance and a smaller percentage; 25 (53%) of the participants were rated as below expected performance area of concern. In the category of independence, 9 (19%) of the students were rated as displaying exemplary performance. Twenty-five percent of participants were rated as having expected performance and 26 (55%) of the participants were rated as below expected performance. In the category of generosity, the instructor rated 7 (15%) of the participants as exemplary performance and 33 (70%) at expected performance. Fifteen percent of the participants were rated at area of concern-below expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 3). G en er os M as t ity g Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 18 Figure 3. Number of Students 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed on gi ng M as te ry In de pe nd B el Figure 4. Comparison of Students’ Scores 3. 5 3 Mean Score 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 Number of Students Reported by instructor Reported by self Reported by peer Discussion This tool provided three views of major disposition categories. The most marked difference was between the instructors view of the participants’ disposition of independence (Figure 4). The discrepancy solicits questions about the definition of independence based on objectives and the context provided by the program’s conceptual framework. It is possible that the proactive descriptor could be part of this definition. G en er os ity en ce Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 19 Mastery was another disposition that elicited conversation and conflict. This, like independence, was controversial as well. Participants tended to view completing assignments as mastery whereas the instructor looked at issues of quality. Belonging was a disposition that was actually consistent across all three reporting groups. This disposition is critiqued because it sets the stage for collegiality; an essential part of teacher life. Generosity was also consistent across all three reporting groups. This disposition too, is critical for planting seeds of empathy; a descriptor in the university’s conceptual framework. As far as limitations are concerned, the research acknowledges a few of them. First of all, of the university’s descriptors are not discreetly measured or assessed. Secondly, the number of students is a relatively small number. Third, these students are in the first methods block of the teacher education program. The researcher questions what this data would reveal if the students were assessed towards the end of the program. Conclusion The study found a significant difference between the instructor’s view of the student’s disposition and their view of themselves. The research found this to be of importance and planned to examine this phenomenon qualitatively. Independence was the one disposition where students were actually aligned with the perception of that disposition with the instructor. Implications This small, yet informative study delineates three relatively important points. First, we must make the importance of dispositions explicit in each course, not just listed in the course objectives. It must be surfaced in the courses and monitored qualitatively and quantitatively. Secondly, we must teach students how to surface dispositions and understand the total Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 20 commitment associated with the conceptual frameworks of each institution’s teacher education program. Third and finally, we must continue to create and fine tune a more concise process for creating banks of comparative disposition data in our accreditation and institutional reports that inform a dynamic curriculum. As issues of teacher quality and student performance continue to avail, we must make the examination of the potential and power of disposition a part of the deliberate conversation. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 21 References Battalio, R. , Morin, J. (2004). Constructing Misbehavior: The Efficacy Connection in Responding to Misbehavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. Vol. 6. 251-254. Barton, K. C. , and McCully, A. W. (2004). History, identity, and the school curriculum in Northern Ireland: An empirical study of secondary students’ ideas and perspectives. Journal of Curriculum Studies Vol. 37, 85-116. Beckham, L. ; Julian, K. ; Roberson, T. ; Whitsett, G. (2007). First Year Teachers’ Reported Levels of Functioning on Selected Professional Dispositions. Education. Vol. 128. 95102. Beyer, L. E. (2002). The politics of standardization: Teacher education in the USA. Journal of Education for Teaching, 28, 239-246 PD. Bowers, C. A. , & Flinders, David J. (1990). Responsive teaching: An ecological approach to classroom patterns f language, culture, and thought. New York: Teachers College Press. Cherryholmes, C.H. (1988). Power and criticism: Poststructural investigations in education. New York: Teachers College Press. Combs, A. W. ; Avilz, D. ; Purkey, W. (1971) Helping Relationships-Basic Concepts for the Helping Professions. Allyn and Bacon, Inc. Boston, MA. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York: Free Press. Doll, W. B. (1993). A postmodern perspective on curriculum. New York: Teachers College Press. disposition. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved January 17, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/dis.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Health Case Studies 10 Facts to Imbue the Assignment With

Health Case Studies 10 Facts to Imbue the Assignment With The medical sphere means a lot to all of us. Many youngsters prefer medicine because they want to improve the health conditions of all people. The knowledge obtained at a medical college or university provides them with such a possibility. The graduates of medical institutions do their best to help people who suffer from various ailments. Of course, it’s necessary to learn a lot and thoroughly. One of the toughest challenges is to write health case studies. You should be knowledgeable in the chosen sphere and topics as well as possess advanced writing skills. In addition, you ought to strengthen your papers. This can be done in a variety of ways. One of such is to use crucial facts associated with health care. They may greatly contribute to the development of your main argument and strengthen it for many a time. Make allowances for the facts that may be added to your assignment: Health care statistics. This is a universal point, which is very useful. Merely every research paper in medicine and spheres associated with health requires figures. You should support your thesis. This can be done with the help of trustworthy statistics. Find the official websites, which give a dependable statistic on your topic and use it. Patient’s statements. The opinion of patients is important as well. These are the real people who underwent different therapies, took innovative remedies, and passed through all curing procedures. Accordingly, they can truly say which approach was better. Use their experience in your projects. Common problems in the healthcare industry. Every sphere of human activity has certain problems, and the healthcare industry is no exception. Many case studies disclose typical issues of a concrete sphere. You should learn them all and use when it’s possible to show how competent you are. The latest changes in health care policies. This industry is on a constant move. Unfortunately, different diseases mutate into new forms, or there appear absolutely unknown illnesses. Moreover, some social and economic factors may cause problems for the progress of the medical sphere. The world governments try to solve them and implement changes. Be aware of them to make use out such changes. Don’t write about the out-of-date facts. Insurance issues. There come lots of rumors and real complications with medical insurance. This issue is critical and very important for ordinary people. Learn all the details concerning this matter too. Observations. It’s necessary to track the success of different treatments, preparations, and therapies. This point may be combined with the statistical overview. Such sort of information makes the picture come big. Track the progress of different treatments and how they work. Doctor’s statements. It goes beyond all doubts that one cannot ignore the opinion of doctors. They are as vital as the experience of patients. These two points can be combined. The experts also share their viewpoints concerning the efficacy of various remedies and procedures. Moreover, they are able to give competent predictions about the potential of medical methods of treatment and invent novel remedies. Therefore, this information cannot be bypassed. Legal use of preparations. The matter of legal medical preparations has become a serious issue. Unfortunately, the current market is overflowed with fake or poor-quality pills. Every novel remedy requires the quality control and adoption of FDA and similar organizations. They are tested and assigned one of four main categories. Some of them aren’t dangerous, the others induce certain health inconveniences, and some are pretty dangerous for the patients’ lives. Moreover, the already existing and adopted preparations ought to be regularly checked as well. Therefore, these facts are vital. International collaboration. You should be aware of how world countries collaborate and coordinate the united measures to deal with different problems of the industry. Their actions are impactful and bring great significance. It’s quite possible that one of their numerous approaches will be related to your topic. WHO and its methods. World Health Organization has the centralized role in the governing of health care measures. This organization contributes to the general as well as specific wellbeing improvements. It solves health problems in various regions of the globe in a variety of ways. Turn this informant to your advantage and improve your projects. Memorize these essential points. They are pretty universal and really important. These facts may be the decisive contribution to your success. Use them when it’s possible, and you’ll really imbue your assignment in healthcare case studies with the significant evidence. You should likewise search for health and social care case studies examples. A visualization method has a great power. When we see how the things are composed by the experts, we understand the main objectives of our assignments clearer. This enhances the chances to succeed. References: Cocchi. R. Top 10 issues impacting healthcare industry in 2016. Healthcarebusinesstech.com, healthcarebusinesstech.com/issues-impacting-hospitals-2016/, January 19, 2016 Zamosky. L. Health Care Reform and Settling Grievances: FAQ. Webmd.com, https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/features/health-insurance-appeals-complaints-problems#1, 2016 Ghosh. P. The pros and cons of drug legalization in the U.S.. Ibtimes.com, https://www.ibtimes.com/pros-cons-drug-legalization-us-246712, October 10, 2010 Partnership and Collaboration Resources for Global Health Researchers. Fic.nih.gov, https://www.fic.nih.gov/Grants/Pages/partnerships-collaborations.aspx, 2014 Health Policy of WHO. Who.int, who.int/topics/health_policy/en/, 2018 Health Statistics. Medlineplus.gov, https://medlineplus.gov/healthstatistics.html, April 25, 2018 Srivastava. R. What do doctors say to alternative therapists when a patient dies? Nothing. We never talk. Theguardian.com, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/03/what-do-doctors-say-to-alternative-therapists-when-a-patient-dies-nothing-we-never-talk, March 30, 2015

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Factor of Audience

The Factor of Audience Imagine the following scenario: you have been asked to compose an essay about your life that your children will someday read. What would you say? How would you say it? What details would you include knowing that it would only be read by your children?Now imagine that you have been given the same task, only this time the essay would be published in a national magazine. Knowing that this essay would be read by your friends and family- as well as by your employer, your peers, and by perfect strangers- how would it differ from the first one? Would the details be different? Would your tone change? Would you leave out a few details for the sake of possible embarrassment or misunderstanding?In each case, the audience of your work made a difference in how you write. In fact, one of the first things you learn as a writer is the factor of audience. Regardless of the genre, style, or purpose of your writing, consideration of audience is vital in writing effectively. In the above scenarios, your tone, choice of words, and depth of intimacy in your writing would probably differ between the two essays- although both were basically on the same topic. In a similar sense, having an understanding of your audience before you approach any writing task is crucial to a successful outcome.This fact is often most difficult for academic writing. If you are writing as a class assignment, then the obvious audience for your work will be your professor (or TA, or class peers). Lets take, for example, an assignment on Shakespeares poetic techniques. You are aware that your professor is a preeminent Shakespearian scholar, so there is no need to explain the terminology you mention within your writing, or the credentials of your resources used- right?Not so fast. While academic writing assignments do assume a certain level of knowledge with the topic, if you fail to follow through with your arguments and explanations in a concise and thorough way, your professor could see it as a weakness in y our writing. This is especially true of most undergraduate-level writing, as professors tend to want to see your ability to explain your thesis, rather than your ability to astound them with your relevant and innovative slant on the topic. However, academic writing for dissertations and future publication in academic journals is slightly different. In these cases, it is generally safe to assume that your audience is familiar with the basics of the topic, requiring less explanation on your part of the commonly known terms and/or theories.In other forms of writing- particularly creative writing- audience should always be your first consideration before putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard). If you are writing an article, short story, or novel for hopes of future publication, knowing your audience will be the most important part of the process- outside of good writing, of course. Many writers even use the factor of audience as a springboard for coming up with the content, r ather than the other way around. They might find a particular niche or magazine that is looking for fresh content, and then later decide upon a topic after researching the intended audience. For example, a regional magazine that focuses on rural living would have a readership interested in all facets of country life. A writer seeking publication within this magazine would consider the readership, read past articles published by the magazine to determine the reading level of the readership, then come up with a concept and topic accordingly. In this situation, an article about heirloom recipes or seasonal gardens would definitely be chosen for publication over one about public transportation or urban schools.Editors should consider audience as thoroughly as writers should- if not more so. One of the first things an editor will deliberate when reading a manuscript for possible publication is whether or not there will be an audience for that book or article, and if so, does it give them what they want? Editors are trained to know what people want to read, and generally have a good eye in determining if a particular writer hits the mark. They will edit your manuscript or rough draft accordingly, and offer suggestions for changes that might broaden your audience (for more sales) or help you in relating better to a specific age group or gender.When you are editing your own work, the easiest way to factor in your audience is to read it as if you were your own reader, rather than the writer. While this sounds easier said than done, it is really just a matter of stepping back from your writing. Usually this is best done if you wait a day or two after youve finished writing, and then read it with your reader in mind. Ask yourself the following questions: If I were reading this for the first time, would I be confused about something? and Is this something I would be interested in reading if I were a [insert your audience here]?Considering your audience is a mixture of mar keting and psychology. You must first question who would be your reader, and then question if they would identify with, or enjoy reading, your work. If you take the time to brainstorm these details before you even begin writing, youll save yourself a lot of time and energy by zeroing in on the perfect tone and topic for your intended audience.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

University of the District of Columbia Admissions Data

University of the District of Columbia Admissions Data University of the District of Columbia Description: The University of the District of Columbia is a historically black, public university located in Washington, D.C. (learn about other D.C. colleges). It is the only public university in the District of Columbia and one of the few urban land grant institutions in the United States. The nine-acre main campus is situated in northwest D.C., just a short distance from many of the Washington metropolitan area’s cultural and recreational offerings. UDC offers more than 75 degree programs for undergraduate and graduate students, including popular programs in business administration, accounting, biology and administration of justice. The university is especially proud of its education program, including its Center for Urban Education. Academics are supported by a 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio. The university also includes the UDC Community College, a branch of the university that grants associate’s degrees, and the David A. Clarke School of Law. Campus life is active at UDC, wi th more than 50 student clubs including the Aviation Student Association and Video Game Association, and a host of fraternities and sororities. The UDC Firebirds field ten men’s and women’s varsity athletic teams in the NCAA Division II East Coast Conference. Admissions Data (2016): UDC Acceptance Rate: -University of the District of Columbia has open admissionsTest Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: - / -SAT Math: - / -SAT Writing: - / -Whats a good SAT score?ACT Composite: - / -ACT English: - / -ACT Math: - / -Whats a good ACT score? Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 4,318  (3,950 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 43% Male / 57% Female46% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17): Tuition and Fees: $5,612  (in-state); $11,756 (out-of-state)Books: $1,280  (why so much?)Room and Board: $16,425Other Expenses: $4,627Total Cost: $27,944  (in-state); $34,088 (out-of-state) University of the District of Columbia Financial Aid (2015  - 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 75%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 65%Loans: 30%Average Amount of AidGrants: $6,756Loans: $5,530 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Accounting, Biology, Business Administration, Corrections, Economics, Graphic Design, Health Education, Social Work Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 56%Transfer-out Rate: 30%4-Year Graduation Rate: 13%6-Year Graduation Rate: 33% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Soccer, Tennis, Lacrosse, BasketballWomens Sports:  Tennis, Track and Field, Cross Country, Lacrosse, Basketball Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like the University of DC, You May Also Like These Schools: Virginia State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDelaware State University: Profile  George Washington University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphVirginia Union University: Profile  American University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphGeorge Mason University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTennessee State University: Profile  Clark Atlanta University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphShaw University: Profile  Norfolk State University: Profile   University of the District of Columbia Mission Statement: mission statement from  udc.edu/about/history-mission/ The University of the District of Columbia is a pacesetter in urban education that offers affordable and effective undergraduate, graduate, professional, and workplace learning opportunities. The institution is the premier gateway to postsecondary education and research for all residents of the District of Columbia. As a public, historically black, and land-grant institution, the University’s responsibility is to build a diverse generation of competitive, civically engaged scholars and leaders.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Real Estate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Real Estate - Essay Example It has become extremely wealthy after gaining foreign direct investment funding in the 1970s. The country has a rather high Human Development Index when compared to other Asian countries the country has risen 8 ranks on the Human Development Index. Real GDP in 2005 grew quite rapidly by 8.2% to AED357.6bn on the back of extremely strong economic activity, and the prices of oil also grew at a fast pace resulting in big fiscal as well as external surpluses. Economic Growth in the last few years has highly increased the per capita GDP to a record high of US$28,147 in the year 2005 as compared with US$24,380 the year before (Marcus & Howard p 78). When Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are analyzed it can be said that that after Qatar, UAE has the highest per capita GDP. After looking forward, we anticipate economic growth to stay the same for both years 2006 as well as 2007. GDP is expected to grow by a good 14% for the year 2006 to reach AED553.4bn, whereas in real terms the economy is expected to achieve approximately 9.7%. Of a high growth rate The UAE's property market sector wholly contributed to 7.4 percent of the country's GDP in 2005. That year, in 2005 it experienced an immense growth of 19.7%, as well as a CAGR of 13.5% during the period 2000 to 2005. This sector was buoyed by the increase in investment in infrastructure, the rise in the residential and non-residential units, and the country's development into an eye-catching tourist destination. Because of the country being transformed indication to the rise in residential and non residential units The real estate and construction sectors both accounted for 14.6% of GDP via government in 2005 (Marcus& Howard p 76). Dubai, the most important market for foreign investments has made some crucial improvements over the last few years. After allowing 100% possession for foreigners in selected locations, there have been some amendments to the law including the newly announced property law No. 3 of 2007 which was issued via government early this year. This law completely l egalizes freehold ownership of land as well as property to UAE along with GCC nationals, whereas permitting equal rights to non-GCC expatriates in designated areas. The latest law fully permits expatriate homeowners to record and register all their property in their names through the Dubai Lands and Properties Department. Urban Planning 2030: Abu Dhabi Urban Structure Framework Plan 2030(Marcus &Howard p 75), a complete plan destined for the development of the city of Abu Dhabi that will aim to help, as well as guide, in making decisions for the next quarter of a century. The Government has also recently made an announcement regarding the establishment of a new Urban Planning Council to supervise the implementation of the plan for future development of urban planning policies. The plan has been made for the sole purpose of delivering upon the vision of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE as well as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and

Friday, October 18, 2019

Seeing the value in art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Seeing the value in art - Research Paper Example The great works of art purchase is not as is with normal public goods. Why then can’t art be able do fed and shelter us just like technology? What value have people therefore assigned art? According to Guest, (1), we concider art as feelings: the objective expwrience the the piece of art work instills in us. as such the quality of the artwork could be judged by how much feelings it evokes in us. As I investigate the value of art and why art needs to be assigned value just like technology so that it can feed and shelter us, this paper will establish the monetary, cultural and historical valuation of art. Additionally, it will discuss the reception of art work and art movements, as well art exhibitions that challenged tradition and subsequently broadened the definition of art present in contemporary visual artworks. Finally, the paper will outline the objectives and roles of public agencies involved in supporting the creation and installation of art before giving a brief summary conclusion on the findings. Assessing the value of an artwork involve a critical analysis of the term value. In economics, value refers to a commodity’s worth as measured against others. In ethics, it implies to those desirable and worthwhile qualities of a commodity. It may also include rating something in relation to its perceived worth, usefulness or importance. Sometimes value can also be understood in paintings and photography as the darkness or lightness of the given image. Monetary value refers to that property of having material worth. This is often indicated by how much money the property would bring if sold out. Monetary value of art has been an issue especially when it comes to how much is a given of art work decided. Smith (1) identifies that it is hard to seee art through the clutter of dollars. He asserts that the monetary value of art has been asigned by the new culture that differentiates

Materials for a Business Jet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Materials for a Business Jet - Essay Example In the paper, a comparison of the related costs of using the five different aircraft materials is shown. When using CFRP, there are also savings of assembling manpower. There will also be savings due to the reduced weight of using composite materials like CFRP and Kevlar.Maintenance cost of a material is determined by several variables. These include the density, ultimate tensile strength, tensile yield strength, durability (fatigue) and fracture toughness properties listed. In a comparison of the related costs of using the five different aircraft materials is shown, the properties of the five materials studied here are displayed. The aluminum alloys have properties which are specific to the number of the series they belong to. The alloy series is categorized by the metal that is the major alloying element. For instance, the 5xxx series aluminum alloys contain magnesium as the major alloying element. The 5xxx series alloys have moderate to high strength and good corrosion resistance. They are not heated treatable. Mechanical properties and strength are less desirable than in the 2xxx and 7xxx series. The 7xxx series aluminum alloys have zinc as the major alloying element. These alloys have the greatest strength of the heat-treated alloys. The 7xxx series alloys also have good heat-treating qualities. In a paper, the particular conditions and tempers used to obtain the material property values are as follows: For aluminum 7475, the T61 temper was used. For aluminum 5052, the H34 condition properties were used. For aluminum 2124, used T351 condition/temper. Kevlar K49 used for density, shear strength and modulus, and yield strength. For density and ultimate tensile strength, used Dupont Kevlar 49 Aramid fiber. For CFRP, data is for Type P-VSB-32 (Union Carbide) carbon fibers. Aluminum alloy 7475 has lower impurity limits than 7075. Aluminum 7475 is used for aircraft structures because of its good fracture toughness.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Reflections on doing, being and becoming Assignment

Reflections on doing, being and becoming - Assignment Example The idea that was most interesting and which I would like to explore more is the part of doing as an occupation which many people have focused on much to the extent of destroying our planet and nature. This is of interest because of all the theories that have been put forward about the destruction of nature and the planet, no one has focused deeply on occupation being related to the act of doing which is driven by the notion of an individual’s being. If the being can be addressed in detail, then the doing in relation to occupation can be addressed as well. What additional questions or wonderings do you have about this? The explanation of being in the article has not really touched on psychological explanation and how whether a being can be changed or not and if it is changed, what kind of effect can it have on the becoming as well as doing of an individual. If the inner life of an individual can be changed, can it make an individual better, enable them make better choices and decisions or there will be no much effect felt or seen. Why, in your opinion, do you believe this warrants further discussion? The article itself has not delved deeply into the three aspects and they are all interconnected. If further research can be carried out in the aspect of being, then the results can be able to shed much insight into how to make the occupations of people better the planet rather than destroy them, or even enable them chose better occupations. The aspect of being is much more important than indicated in the article.

Alternative Approaches to Executive Compensation Essay

Alternative Approaches to Executive Compensation - Essay Example †¢ ïÆ'Ëœ Limitations of Optimal Contracting ïÆ'Ëœ Agency problem experienced by managers ïÆ'Ëœ CEO can influence the nomination process for the board directors ïÆ'Ëœ The directors may never challenge the CEO’s pay, as they may want to please the CEO. ïÆ'Ëœ Market forces are not strong enough to assure optimal contracting outcomes ïÆ'Ëœ Failure of maximizing the shareholder value ïÆ'Ëœ Directors’ interest in the firm is nominal and therefore may not be serious with the company management. ïÆ'Ëœ Some agreements of the directors may be affected by market forces especially those affecting capital. †¢ Managerial power approach ïÆ'Ëœ The Managerial power approach gives managers an opportunity to camouflage especially when extracting rent, ïÆ'Ëœ The approach may lead to the use of structures unfavorable to the firm performance and managerial incentives. ïÆ'Ëœ The compensation arrangement design depends on the perception of the outsiders ïÆ'Ëœ The manager ial power approach may influence the relationship between power and pay without considering performance ïÆ'Ëœ The CEO’s compensation may be influenced by transparency and salience disclosure. †¢ Power and Camouflage at Work Practices explained by power camouflage include ïÆ'Ëœ Power Pay Relationship ï‚ § Pay is higher in if managers have higher power ï‚ § The board is ineffective ï‚ § There is a small outside shareholder ï‚ § Fewer institutional shareholders ï‚ § Managers are protected by antitakeover arrangements ï‚ § Managers with antitakeover policy compensate themselves more ïÆ'Ëœ Compensation consultants ï‚ § Employed to provide advice on executive compensation ï‚ § May increase their incentive to please the CEO ï‚ § Used to justify executive pay instead of optimizing it ï‚ § Provides compensation data, which favors the CEO ïÆ'Ëœ Stealth Compensation ï‚ § This is where a firm may use camouflaging practices to enable them to pay the executives large sums of money. ï‚ § Payments include deferred compensation ï‚ § Loan forgiveness and consultation contracts ï‚ § Use of executive loans with favorable interest rates

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Infant Short Term Memory and the Attention Span Essay

Infant Short Term Memory and the Attention Span - Essay Example The ability of carrying out various mental tasks consists of the use of cognitive functions. This developmental phase varies between infants in regard to whether they are full term infants or premature and also on what their short term memory capabilities are as well. Short-term memory in itself is a limited function even for adults, and infants in particular haven't quite mastered the skill of recalling events that happen in a short time frame (Cowan et al 1999, p. 1082). Nevertheless, in regards to attention span and some other cognitive abilities within infants, there appears to be a response to differentiating stimuli which shows that depending on what is used to gain their attention and maintain it varies from infant to infant. One study in particular was carried out on infants to gain an idea on what holds and keeps their attention span, with this one pertaining to what effects synchronized lighting has on infants (Colombo & Richman 2002, p. 475). This study showed that infants did pay attention to the timed lighting effect as their heart rate was found to increase in a pattern when the lights would flicker at specific times. This of course showed that even though infants aren't alert and wholly focused on every inanimate object that they come in contact with some of these various stimuli have a more profound affect than others. Furthermore, this one study was able to pinpoint the fact that infants seem to have the exact ability as adult people to be able to time exactly when a light simulation is going to take place, which shows that they are able to keep track of time when it is in regards to simulations of patterns. This in itself gives a positive idea of how important attention span is in infants as it is one of the key elements in contiguity learning within the early educational process (Colombo & Richman 2002, p. 477). In the past it was presumed that infants have a very short attention span but as more research has been carried out it is now being questioned just how short their attention really is. The reason this is stated is because, just like the previous test mentioned, this next study showed that babies might actually have the ability to distinguish characteristics of adding and subtracting, of course with a minute set of numbers (Wakeley et al 2000, p. 1525). When an infant is shown a display of a perceptual nature their attention span seems to be more focused, especially if the elements in the display are in the amount of three's, but no bigger amount than four. Research has shown that when cognitive researchers have added to the display or taken away the infants have been very alert to the actions and pay very close attention in what appears to be a detailed manner towards problem solving. This seemingly refutes the belief that infants attentions span is short as it is being shown that t his varies depending upon what the baby is being given to study and explore (Wakeley et al 2000, p. 1526). This type of study however did not give the same results for all infants that were included in it but even so, the majority of infants from the age range of 4 months to 9 months were very alert to the problem solving with innate objects and

Alternative Approaches to Executive Compensation Essay

Alternative Approaches to Executive Compensation - Essay Example †¢ ïÆ'Ëœ Limitations of Optimal Contracting ïÆ'Ëœ Agency problem experienced by managers ïÆ'Ëœ CEO can influence the nomination process for the board directors ïÆ'Ëœ The directors may never challenge the CEO’s pay, as they may want to please the CEO. ïÆ'Ëœ Market forces are not strong enough to assure optimal contracting outcomes ïÆ'Ëœ Failure of maximizing the shareholder value ïÆ'Ëœ Directors’ interest in the firm is nominal and therefore may not be serious with the company management. ïÆ'Ëœ Some agreements of the directors may be affected by market forces especially those affecting capital. †¢ Managerial power approach ïÆ'Ëœ The Managerial power approach gives managers an opportunity to camouflage especially when extracting rent, ïÆ'Ëœ The approach may lead to the use of structures unfavorable to the firm performance and managerial incentives. ïÆ'Ëœ The compensation arrangement design depends on the perception of the outsiders ïÆ'Ëœ The manager ial power approach may influence the relationship between power and pay without considering performance ïÆ'Ëœ The CEO’s compensation may be influenced by transparency and salience disclosure. †¢ Power and Camouflage at Work Practices explained by power camouflage include ïÆ'Ëœ Power Pay Relationship ï‚ § Pay is higher in if managers have higher power ï‚ § The board is ineffective ï‚ § There is a small outside shareholder ï‚ § Fewer institutional shareholders ï‚ § Managers are protected by antitakeover arrangements ï‚ § Managers with antitakeover policy compensate themselves more ïÆ'Ëœ Compensation consultants ï‚ § Employed to provide advice on executive compensation ï‚ § May increase their incentive to please the CEO ï‚ § Used to justify executive pay instead of optimizing it ï‚ § Provides compensation data, which favors the CEO ïÆ'Ëœ Stealth Compensation ï‚ § This is where a firm may use camouflaging practices to enable them to pay the executives large sums of money. ï‚ § Payments include deferred compensation ï‚ § Loan forgiveness and consultation contracts ï‚ § Use of executive loans with favorable interest rates

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Technology and Health care Essay Example for Free

Technology and Health care Essay Technology is â€Å"the boon and bane of medicine†. It has been a great blessing for health care system of the United States by providing new treatments and cured for the chronic illnesses, and sophisticated diagnostic procedures to reduce complication and incapacity. Ever since the postindustrial era, the development of new technology has continued to change many facets of health care delivery (Shi Singh, 2012). Telehealth is a type of technological evolution, which use telecommunication to promote health. In this paper, Application of telehealth technology in 1st home health care, Inc. located in Chicago, IL is discussed to show the impact of telehealth on the quality of care, quality of life, cost of care, and access. The social, ethical, and economic impact of telehealth on the 1st home health care, Inc. is also discussed. Increasing number of elderly patients and patients with chronic conditions have led to increase in health care institutions like home health care, to improve the standard of quality care and control the health care costs. 1st home health care, Inc. provide services including therapy services, skilled nursing, and personal care to elderly people who are homebound (1st Home Health Care, Inc.: Quality care provider, 2012). Home health care is a trend in health care delivery nowadays. More and more patients involve in the home health care trend, due to the remote monitoring and telemedicine, which allows patients to receive the care that they need in the comfort of their home. Majority of these patients are insured through the affordable care act (DeVore, 2014). Telehealth in 1st Home Health Care, Inc., Chicago, IL 60659 Telehealth is the major trend going on right now in health care services, and it is affecting health care delivery system in every level, public or private and small or big organizations. The main purpose of telehealth is promoting health by using the concept of telecommunication. Telehealth also incorporates the concept of telemedicine. There is a slight difference between both. Telemedicine is a distance medicine, in which  telecommunication is used to diagnose and treat the patient especially when the patient and provider are separated by distance (Shi Singh, 2012). Telehealth is a wide-ranging concept, which includes telemedicine as educational, administrative, and research use, and also in clinical application that involves caregivers, such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, etc. (Field and Grigsby, 2002). There are two sub-categories of telemedicine; synchronous telemedicine and asynchronous telemedicine. In synchronous telemedicine, it allows real-time telecommunication, such as video conferencing in between patient and provider. It allows health care providers to examine and interview the patients. In asynchronous telemedicine, it stores and forward technology that allows flexibility because the user can review the information later (Maheu, Whitten, Allen, 2001). For example; teleradiology (Transmission of radiological images), telepathology (Observation of tissue specimen via video microscopy), and telesurgery (using and controlling robots to perform surgery from a distance (Shi Singh, 2012). Innovative applications are under process in the telemonitoring patients receiving home health care. Vital signs can be monitored using video technology in a cost effective manner (Johnston, Weeler, Deuser, Sousa, 2000). The Veteran Health Administration has confirmed the importance of telehealth in mental health services and delivering psychotherapy for some of the psychiatric conditions (Gros, Aciemo, Ruggiero, Frueh, Grubaugh, Egede, 2010). In rural area, they face many challenges in order to get the quality health care in a cost-effective way. Some of the barriers play huge role in the ineffective health care services in rural areas, such as shortage of providers, long distances, isolation at social and physical level, etc., which can be overcome by using telehealth services (Shi Singh, 2012). Telehealth improves the quality of care at low costs by providing access to rural areas. World has changed to a very busy, technology dependent, and information gathering society. Everyone wants everything immediately. This instantaneous expectation is motivating the growing uses of telehealth technology in health care system. Telehealth have increased popularity over time and improve quality of care by f acilitating patients to take readings and measurements (vital sings) in the comfort of their own home, where they feel the most comfortable (Lee, Helal, Anton, Deugd, Smith, 2012; Williams Wilkins, 2011). Telehealth,  or the delivery of health-related services using telecommunications by a healthcare provider to patients that are some distance from the provider, is a cost-effective method that could provide health services in a home settings (Lee, Helal, Anton, Deugd, Smith, 2012; Blinkhorn, 2012). It keeps the comforts of home as the quality care is provided where the patient wants to stay. It is one on one care, in which the patients are provided with 100% attention and quality care. It is very much affordable as compared to other health care services’ cost. Patients are treated and getting cure at their house; in a very comfortable environment where they love spending time. This home environment helps them recover soon, and it is easy and fast for them to feel comfortable and independent. Telehealth reduces patient’s hospital visit or admission costs and ultimately save a large amount of health care costs. Telecommunications changes the delivery of health care by providing easier access between patients and doctors. The telehealth in home health care services not only provide the best quality care within a home environment, but also gives peace of mind to patient’s family in their busy lifestyle. Telehealth in home health care, not only gives more years to add in patient’s life, but it provides â€Å"Life to years† (Lee, Helal, Anton, Deugd, Smith, 2012). As the world evolves, there will be ways to put up with the world we live in. Everything seems to be transforming into technological communicating rather than in person or face-to-face communication. In short, telehealth has brought many positive changes in the health care delivery system in terms of quality of care, quality of life, health care costs, and access. Application of telehealth in 1st home health care, Inc. can improve the quality care, save hospitalization costs, better regulator of vital signs of patients, and it improves productivities of patients, health care providers, and health care costs (Blinkhorn, 2012). New technology like telehealth always raises social, ethical, and economical apprehensions. Health care budget with maintaining the standard of quality care is the main concern in the Unites States. From an economic point of view, telehealth technology requires human and nonhuman contribution for the production, operation, training, and management of health care services. Telehealth technology raise question like, is telehealth worth spending the amount it needs? Majority of the home health care receivers are covered  under Medicare and Medicaid program in the 1st Home Health Care, Inc. The concern is regarding putting pressure on government for the fund from such programs, after application of telehealth in 1st Home Health Care, Inc. (Shi Singh, 2012). From the socio-economic point of view, telehealth benefits patients, health care providers, and health care system. Telehealth in home health care benefits patients in terms of increased access to health care, better quality of care, better quality of life, and cost-effectiveness (Jennett, Affleck Hall, Hailey, Ohinmaa, Anderson, Thomas, Young, Lorenzetti, Scott, 2003). The social, ethical, and economic viewpoints of society affect the application of telehealth in home health care. Conclusion Patients with chronic diseases would rather be in their home than in hospitals and nursing homes, and this is true for especially elderly patients who want to be in their homes. Recent advances in information and communication technology have made telehealth in home health care both realistic and reasonable. Many factors affect the use of telehealth technology in health care system, such as; beliefs and values, financing, socio-economic views, etc. Telehealth technology provides quality of care to elderly patients and patients with chronic conditions, in their home settings in an affordable way. Telehealth has had an incredible impact on the health care delivery system. It has positively influenced the quality of care, improved the quality of life, and advance access in a cost-effective manner (Burgiss Dimmick, 2003). Application of telehealth in 1st Home Health Care, Inc. can be beneficial to the patients and providers. References 1st Home Health Care, Inc.: Quality care provider. (2012). Services. Retrieved from http://www.1sthomehealthcare.com/services Blinkhorn, T. M. (2012). Telehealth in nephrology health care: a review. Renal Society of Australasia Journal, 8(3), 132-139. Burgiss, S., Dimmick, S. L. (2003). Telehealth in home health care. Care Management Journals, 4(2), 110-116. DeVore, S. (2014). The changing health care world: Trend to watch in 2014. Retrieved from http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2014/02/10/the-changing-health-care-world-trends-to-watch-in-2014/ Field, M. J., Grigsby, J. (2002). Telemedicine and

Monday, October 14, 2019

Media And Communication Studies Problems In Encoding Media Essay

Media And Communication Studies Problems In Encoding Media Essay Introduction Communication is the basic instinct of human being. The interaction and communication process is complex. It directs the researchers to understand the way the cognition works. Latest researches have become more advanced in the context of encoding. CDA (critical discourse analysis) and DA (discourse analysis) have been prerequisite to understand the encoding process. Objectivity, especially in the field of journalism is of great concern. The factors influencing the cognition and the process of encoding have been of the great concern for the communication scholars. Encoding is an integral part of the communication process. With out encoding and decoding it is not possible to communicate and being communicated. If we exclude the encoding the concept of communication is not possible. Mass media in Pakistan like any other media across the globe is working under the lines of responsibility but it is essential to understand the problems in encoding. Process of encoding and decoding is part of everyday communication. Anchormen, news reporters and producers play an important role beyond many others in communication field. Agenda setting, opinions building for a particular purpose have been the major area of interest for the communication experts and the journalists. It is obvious in our daily news media that some hot issues summarily go beyond the surface and the new one take their place to mold the attention of the public from one point to an other. This may go successful in one way when the message is encoded perfectly and then the receiver of the message decodes it in the way the sender wants it. For the successful and objective communication certain studies have been conducted by the communication and language experts focusing especially to the problems in the encoding process. PART II Encoding Definition: Encoding is the translation of purpose, intention, or meaning into symbols or codes. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) By Werner J. Severin James W. Tankard, Jr Mostly these symbols are in the form of numbers, letters or words. These symbols work like bricks in forming the structure of any language. Other shapes of the encoding can be a photograph, motion picture, musical note or in the form of any sound. Encoding is such a process which demands deep attention to understand. It is the part of our routine life. Communication is the vital part of our life. We can not remain in isolation and feel relief when we express our intentions and feeling to any other person. The process of communication involves the most important factor that is encoding. Encoding basically occurs in mind. In other words it is the process of mind in which our intentions and what so ever we want to communicate is converted or shaped into the form of words which may be in the written or spoken form or can be any kind of gesture. We do the encoding on the basis of our knowledge and our past experiences. It is prerequisite for the journalists and communication experts to understand the encoding and its impact on the objectivity of the news or the message being conveyed. Encoding and the Society: Communication works like blood in the body. The process of interaction and transmission of the intentions and ideas from one to other person requires the cognition to come in work. With out the encoding it is impossible to deliver ones intentions to the other. The process of the encoding and decoding follow each other. A person encodes the message in reaction to what he/she decodes. Encoding process is available at every stage. In the field of communication from interpersonal to mass communication; each level has encoding in the process of dissemination of the information. At the mass communication level media disseminate the information to diverse societies. In the societies electronic journalism has a great role in providing the information about daily happening. The general public is regularly exposed to news channels and construct the opinion on the basis of what they watch and listen. Opinion of a society plays important role in the power play at social and national level and even impacts the international power structure. Keeping in mind the importance of the social opinion, it has been the concern of the communication scholars to ensure the objectivity at every stage of news and information dissemination. The process of delivering the information at this level passes through various stages. From the ordinary witness at the crime scene to the reporter, from reporter to the news desk, from news desk to the anchor person and from anchor person to the audiences, the process of encoding is involved at each stage. To ensure the transparency in the information distribution, making it objective and to provide the reality till the audience, certain studies have been conducted by the communication scholars. In the latest studies the scholars have conducted the Critical Discourse Analysis to study the way social power abuse; dominance and inequality are enacted, reproduced and resisted by text and talk in the social and political context. It thus want to understand, expose and ultimately to resist the social inequality. Additionally the scholars have conducted the Discourse Analysis- a general term for a number of approaches to analyze written, spoken, signed language use. Encoding and the Language: In the process of encoding, language plays an important role. A group of students of the language which is called General Semanticists have worked over the encoding. They also have identified some characteristics of the language. These characteristics are essential to understand in understanding the encoding and the problems in its process. To understand the process of encoding in our society, individuals of the society and the media experts including communication experts and journalists it is essential to be known about these characteristics of the language. Media experts and journalists themselves go through the process of the encoding to shape their selections and intentions and the reality of the world around, and this afterwards again shaped by the minds of individuals in the society. At this point to save the objectivity and the purity of news and the affairs about the world around is the major concern. The misuse of the language takes the communicator or the person being communicated to certain amalgamations of the problems. Following are characteristics of the language identified by the General Semanticists: Language is Static; Reality is Dynamic Language is Limited; Reality is Virtually Unlimited Language is Abstract Assumptions Built into Languages Language is Static; Reality is Dynamic: Words themselves do not change over the period of time, yet the world around us is full of change. In the process of the evolution it is the natural phenomenon that certain species are not permanent in their shape and structure but they keep on developing time to time. In this case it is fact that we use the same fixed limitations and the words to describe any event or the world around. We use some specified words and attributes for certain things and events but with the passage of time their importance and area of influence keep on changing. Mass media communication experts especially the journalists use a specified vocabulary and terms to convey daily happenings. In the developing countries like Pakistan, the journalists in mass media field are not literal to the level essential for their work and the media here is in the developing stage; which has the potential risk to objectivity and the true tackling of the matter of the encoding in the sense of obtaining the information and imparting it to the masses but with the gradual rise in the education towards the importance and the responsibility in the news dissemination process is bringing a positive change. Language is Limited; Reality is virtually Unlimited: According to Wendell Johnson (1972) there are 500,000 to 600,000 words in the English language and they are to represent millions of individual facts, experiences and relationships. The people generally use limited vocabulary for their conversation in daily life. Miller (1963) says that vocabulary for telephone conversation is 5000 words and for novel are 10,000 words. Journalists and communication experts generally have the limited vocabulary. They come across various events in their daily life which they finally encode and give the shape of words and voice and broadcast for the audience and viewers. According to this characteristic of the language they can not show the exact reality of the event. This aspect in other words compromises the objectivity required in the news dissemination process. Due to having the limited vocabulary it becomes hard to convey the true picture of the reality. Language is Abstract: According to General Semanticists in the abstraction process we select some details about anything and leave rest of the details. Every language contains some abstractions. It is one of the most important features of the language. It allows us to think in categories. Much of the human knowledge is bound up in the process of categorizing and classifying. As the words become more abstract their correspondence to the reality becomes less and less direct. In the process of encoding especially according to the journalism perspective, objectivity is the foremost thing to consider. It has adverse effects if the audiences are not conversant to the encoding and abstraction processes. Assumptions Built into the Language: As General Semanticists say; the structure and vocabulary of the language contains many assumptions about the nature of the reality. Wendell Johnson observed that the language we use not only puts words in our mouths, but it also puts notions in our heads. Many folk languages contain certain assumption which are influenced by the culture and norms in which the speakers of that language live. Our mind is like a room which is colored by our experiences and cultures and when we speak in native or foreign language, that language builds assumptions in our mind besides putting words in our mouth. Misuses of the Language: General Semanticists have identified some misuses of the language due its static limited and abstract nature. They have identified four common misuses. Dead-Level Abstracting Undue Identification Two Valued Evaluation Unconscious Projection Dead-Level Abstracting: This concept, described by Wendell Johnson (1946) refers to getting stuck at one level of abstraction. The level could be high or low. High level abstractions are words like justice, democracy, freedom, mankind, and communism, peace with honor, and law and order. The low level abstraction can be like, some one recounting every detail of his or her day. An effective message contains generalizations at a high level of abstraction, but there are also specific details at a low level of abstraction. One effective technique for doing this is to give a lot of examples. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) By Werner J. Severin James W. Tankard, Jr Undue Identification: General Semanticists have described the undue identification as, the failure to see distinctions between members of a category or class. This term points out that they are seen as identical or identified. Another term for this is categorical thinking. In everyday discourse, it is sometimes referred to as overgeneralization. One common kind of undue identification is stereotyping. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) Two Valued Evaluation: This is also known as thinking with the excluded middle. According to this, there are only two possibilities of any thing and there is no third possibility of being something at the middle. For example: Right or Wrong Day or Night The General Semanticists have advised the way to eliminate such kind of misuse of the language by having the multivalued evaluation. In other words, to think that there are a range of possibilities of anything. Unconscious Projection: According to the General Semanticists the unconscious projection is a lack of awareness that ones statements are to a degree statements about oneself. Wendell Johnson (1972) went so for as to claim that basically we always talk about ourselves. William Shakespeare said, Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so. It is the I behind the eye that does the seeing. The seeing goes on inside our heads and inside our nervous system. What we see is our response to what we look at. (Communication theories: Origins, Methods, And Uses in Mass Media 3rd Edition) PART III Literature Review Stuart Hall: Stuart Hall has worked over encoding. His paper encoding/decoding was published in 1973. Many of the terms set by Hall remained influential in the field of cultural studies. Hall explored this work during his stay at Birmingham. Hall worked on that how media messages are produced, circulated and consumed. His essay challenged three major things in the communication process. He argued that; Meaning is not simply fixed or determined by the sender. The message is never transparent. The audience is not passive recipient of the meaning. According to him, distortion is built into the system. It is not the failure of the producer or the viewer. He argued that there is lack of fit between two sides of communication exchange. That lack of fit is between the moment of the production of the message and the moment of its reception. In other words, there is lack of fit between encoding and the decoding process. Cultural theorist Stuart Hall developed the reception theory. This theory analyses that how readers (audience) receive the literary text. This is basically a textual analysis approach that focuses on the range of negotiation and opposition concerning to the audience. According to this theory the text in any form is not accepted passively but the audience or the readers interpret the meanings in their cultural backgrounds and the past experiences. As per this theory, the process of encoding going on in any persons cognition is always influenced by his cultural background and the past experiences of the life. General Semanticists: In the world of communication, encoding has been the matter of the great concern. A group of students of language which was named as General Semanticists, have worked on the problems of encoding. This group was at first led by the Alfred Korzybski, a Polish who later migrated to United States of America. Encoding as being the basic element in the communication process which deals with the work of cognition is unavoidable in the process of analyzing the communication and the interaction of human beings with each other and its effects. In the process of accounting the importance of the encoding we can not put aside the role of the language. The language as being the central tool in the process of the communication affects the whole process of sharing the ideas and interaction with each other. Focusing on the vitality and the role of the language in encoding, they have identified some characteristics of the language that make the encoding difficult-especially in the language. These scholars have been in concern with the role of language in our daily life and its effects over our mental health. They have suggested to use the language in the way as the scientists use, to avoid the problems generated by the misuse of the language. Describing the characteristics of the language which make the encoding difficult, they identified the language as; Language is Static; Reality is Dynamic Language is Limited; Reality is Virtually Unlimited Language is Abstract Assumptions Built into Languages Misuse of the language causes the wrong encoding of any purpose or intention which takes the person being communicated, away from the reality. The person who gratifies his needs for information and news is on the stake of the key performers in the information dissemination process such as media producers, anchor-persons and the news reporters. General Semanticists have also identified some misuses of the language. Wendell Johnson has the prominent work in this regard. The misuses of the language are; Dead-Level Abstracting Undue Identification Two Valued Evaluation Unconscious Projection According to Wendell Johnson, getting stuck to a level of abstraction, and basically we always talk about ourselves, are the matters of the great concern. The field of journalism like other communication activities requires more attention towards these findings by the General Semanticists. The element of the objectivity has been of great concern. S. I. Hayakawa (1964) discusses three kinds of statements focusing the objectivity. Reports Inferences judgment According to him, the statement which is capable of verification is called the report. He describes the inferences as the statements made about unknown on the basis of known and finally he discussed the judgment as an expression of approval or disapproval for an occurrence, person or object. Journalists are sometimes challenged for their objectivity and unveiling the true picture of reality. For this the Hayakawa has advised to follow the report method of the statements and avoid inferences, statements and slanting. Encoding and Mass Media in Pakistan: Mass media in Pakistan has been playing active role in dissemination of the information to the audience at every newsworthy occasion. Certainly there is no scarcity of the hardworking journalists working in the whole process of the communication and the news dissemination. At the present stage there is great competition going on among various TV channels, of which most of the channels are newly emerged. Being the first in the broadcasting race some times the violation of the standards and ethics of news reporting is obvious. Some of the channels have been showing the videos of such a brutal incidents which would never be shown under the codes of ethics. Whether it is print or the electronic media, loopholes in the process of information gathering, processing and distributing stages are apparent. Government has established PEMRA to regulate the media but it too has been kept under the influence of the interests of the governing body in the past. In the print media there are a number of news stories available at the news desks which are firstly encoded by the reporters in the words on the paper, which sometimes are not written properly due to limited vocabulary of the language held with the reporter. There are gatekeepers at various stages of the news production which practice their influence on the word structure of the news. Sometimes a few newsworthy stories are left behind due to unavailability of the space in the print and the time in the electronic media and that reserved space is due to the immense influence of the advertisers, through which mass media generate the revenue. In such above mentioned conditions, the objectivity is the element of great concern in the whole process of the mass media. There have been no work done over the issue of encoding by the mass media of Pakistan and there is no research held over the audience way of the encoding in Pakistan. There are a few channels (TV, Radio) and newspapers which are never influenced by the rivalry of the circumstances and tried to provide the objective news to the audience and vied to unveil the reality. But to analyze the way the mass media in Pakistan encodes the messages and to analyze the way the audience further encode the messages, is the matter of great concern. PART IV Hypothesis To analyze the objectivity and the encoding process by the news media it is essential to set a hypothesis. Under the hypothesis we will discuss the level of objectivity and the way how mass media especially the news media (print and electronic) of Pakistan and the audience encode the news. Statement of the Hypothesis News media (print and electronic media) in Pakistan politicize the news PART V Analysis Mass media in Pakistan has diverse outlets. It is not merely confined to the print media or in the other words the newspapers. There are news agencies, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV channels, internet and the movie industry under the title of the mass media in Pakistan. Debating on the issue of the encoding we will pass through the performance of the all kinds of media in Pakistan focusing on the issue of politicizing of the news elements by the media industry. Pakistan as being one of the developing countries is passing through the process of the evolution in the field of industry, economy and the media field. Where there are various TV channels are getting approval for the start of the broadcast, there many newly born newspapers are sacrificing for there erectness and stability in the corporate culture of the present Pakistan. Besides this there is one more way of recreation, learning and information for the audience and that is radio listening. The radio Pakistan enjoys the vast area coverage with respect to other FM radio stations having a limited area for broadcast. Internet too is full of blogs and WebPages. Society in Pakistan is divided into urban and rural population. The urban population is being exposed to diverse media outlets than the rural population. The emerging news media in Pakistan has been influenced by the political economy being practiced by various corporate and the political bodies. The newly emerging media whether in the form of print or electronic have to vie for their existence and their existence can not be assured with out generation of the revenue. The struggle to generate the revenue some times put these media industries on the way other than the objectivity. The objectivity has been the great concern for the communication experts and the scholars. It would be the foremost responsibility of the mass media to provide the accurate picture of the reality and do not keep the audience away from the reality. Encoding of the news is blurred by the various key players in the media industry due to their affiliations with the corporate world and the political body. Corporate sector influences the media by using the advertisement tool and the political body cares for its interest and if the media go against, it puts the sanctions through the governmental media regulating bodies. This way, the corporate and the political bodies control the contents of the news and other media messages and make the reporters, news editors, columnists, anchor persons and the news producers to think in the way they want. As the general semanticists identified, due to the limited aspect of the language the reporter sometimes can not describe the reality of the incident in the way as it should be. The assumptions built in the language makes the key performers in the media industry to think in the way that is influenced by their culture and past experiences. As the Wendell Johnson said, the opinions of the columnists are to some extent the talks about themselves. These are basically their opinions and not necessarily the reality of something. The element of the judgment according to the Hayakawa is also visible in the opinions given in the news articles and the columns. Reports are the only the way to come up with the reality for the audience. There are the reports that can only be verified and are credible thats why the emphasis is given on the report (a type of statements according to Hayakawa). The audience as per the uses and the gratification theory gratifies their needs from the mass media in the form of the news and the entertainment. And if they gratify their needs on the basis of the news encoded by mass media under the influence of any corporate or the political body, they will live with the wrong picture of the world around them in their brain and that will effect their reaction in the social life. Agenda setting aspect of the mass media is also applicable in this regard. The influential bodies and sometimes the personal bias of any of the key performers in the mass media molds the structure of the news in a particular sense generating collection of words which causes to set a particular agenda in the public. Sometimes the political influence of the political body being the major provider of the advertisements to the mass media makes news media to make an issue over particular news in the media and bury the other news which however may cause any harm to the political body. The contents of the news in the media are also affected by the advertiser which buys large space or the time in the news media and this way controls consciously or unconsciously the news flow and its encoding. Some of the events have been given more than the due time and rests of the important events are kept at the stand by although the newsworthy incidents keep happening all the time in any of the corners of the country. The news is not merely encoded by the news media but it is further encoded by the audience and it then further travels to the rest of the audience through their opinion leaders in the public sphere. If the encoding at any stage in the news media is of that other than reality and away from the objectivity, the travel of the information at any stage will not be fruitful for the audience. PART VI Findings News media in the Pakistan are encoding the news messages for the audience. Those media that are strong are practicing better encoding of the news and focusing on the element of objectivity than those which are newly born and needs revenue from advertisements for their strength building in the media market. The threat to the objective encoding is expected in the talk shows where the anchormen conclude the discussion and give inferences and judgments. This aspect is also visible in the news articles and columns which are basically their own opinions about the reality. Audiences further encode the messages based on what kind of encoding done by the news media they come across. They remain away from the reality if they are gratifying from the inobjective encoding by the news media. Thanks With Best Regards M Bilal Bhatti MS 1 Media Communication Studies IIUI, Islamabad