Managerial decision making process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managerial decision making process - Essay Example Performance evaluation is an important task in any organization because by evaluating the performance the productivity level of an individual is measured.Promotion, salary packages, increment in compensation and growth of the individual are also based on the performance evaluation therefore organization must ensure that they have proper performance evaluation method that considers important characteristics and traits of the individual so that right candidate is promoted and get his reward of hard work. Also by promoting the right individual, his motivation level would also increase thus it would further increase the productivity. There are different factors that an organization use to evaluate the performance of an individual however the following criterion are the most common considered by organization to evaluate the performance of an individual Knowledge of the individual Expertise in the field Productivity level Performance Tasks completed by the individual Completion of work wit hin the deadline Skills to work as a team player These are the most common factors that are considered in evaluating the performance of an individual, but the criteria may vary from one organization to another. Main concerns with the given company’s current evaluation form The main problems with the existing company’s evaluation form and method are as follows: In evaluating performance, the behavior of an individual with his co-workers and supervisors is highly considered. The extent to which an individual keeps his desk or office clean is considered an important aspect. Task completed on time is not considered as an important characteristic to evaluate the performance of the individual. The knowledge and abilities of an individual are ignored. Most Commonly-Used Sets Of Criteria Which Should Be Evaluated In A Performance Evaluation There are several commonly used sets of criteria used in order to evaluate the performance of an individual and these criteria are as foll ows: Performance of the individual Goals and targets achieved by the individual Efforts put in by the individual Productivity of the individual Ambitions Leadership qualities Motivation level Technical skills and knowledge Team work and team player Advantage of using same performance evaluation method One of the main advantages of using one performance evaluation method for every employee is that it evaluates the performance of different employees in the organization using same criteria therefore it is easy to identify the performance level of different individuals and thus it becomes easier for the management to analyze and reward them and promote them. RELATIVE VALUE OF THE COMMONLY-USED SETS OF EVALUATION CRITERIA already IDENTIFIED There are drastic differences in the criteria used by the company and the criteria that are most commonly used in organizations around the world. The existing system of the organization focuses more on the behavior of the performance, rather than the contribution of the individual towards organization goals and objectives. Organizations around the world focus on the productivity and performance of the individual, whereas this company focuses on relationship with co-workers and managers. Result indexes, such as turnover, quantity and quality of work produced by the employee, are also used for appraisal purposes around the world, which are ignored by the company. Advantages Of Including Supervisors, Peers, And Subordinates In The Evaluation Process Most of the people in the organization review the employee’s performance than just their immediate supervisor. The 360-degree feedback evaluation allows the employer to understand what the performance of the employees is and how the supervisors, peers, subordinates and the external customers viewed the employee’s performance. This evaluation technique provides feedback from all levels of the

The Impact of Assistive Technologies as Learning and Teaching Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Assistive Technologies as Learning and Teaching Essay Traditional classrooms in which the teacher delivered content by standing before a class of students, patiently waiting to be filled, much like empty vessels, have long been noted for their inherent shortfalls in meeting the cognitive and developmental needs of each of the range of students in their care. Research has proven that such methods do not work effectively to the benefit of all learners in a classroom because each learner has specific cognitive needs that may not be met in such a situation. Theorists as recent as Howard Gardner with his multiple intelligence theory in 1989 have emphasized the point that no two children learn in the same. The implication of this is that the teacher has to incorporate a variety of teaching strategies, tools, aids and other facilities in the classroom in order to provide the students with the best possible learning environment. Moreover the challenges that students with disabilities face are in themselves several, thus it is an added strain for them to attempt to cope with traditional teaching and learning methodology. For each child in the general education system, but even more so for these special learners, instructional modes have to be adjusted to cater for the specific needs of each learner if the overall curriculum goals are to be achieved. The use of Assistive Technologies (AT) in the classroom contributes to improvements in the performance and motivation of students across subject areas. Assistive Technology refers to the range of equipment and products that a teacher can introduce to the teaching learning situation as a means of improving the capabilities of students with disabilities. Such technologies are numerous. Non electronic equipment such as picture and alphabet boards, as well as light pointers, can be introduced to the special needs classroom (Beck, 2002). Technological advancements have facilitated the development of a number of software packages that can be used to supplement the resources that the teacher already uses in the classroom. Speech synthesis and voice recognition software and other subject specific software that have been created for use in the classroom are useful tools that have the potential, when used appropriately and effectively to enhance the classroom environment. In this paper reference will be made to several specific researches that have examined the usefulness of Assistive Technologies in the general education classroom. Since most of the research was necessarily specific to students with special needs, they bear considerable relevance to meeting the needs of these specific students. The findings could, however, be easily used in a multicultural classroom where learners are of varying physical and cognitive abilities even if their disabilities are not extensive. Armed with the knowledge of these assistive technologies teachers have the potential to transform their classrooms into an environment that caters for the specific needs of all students, whether those needs come in the form of physical disabilities, cognitive, social, psychological or other peculiar needs. In this paper a number of researches conducted on the impact of the use of assistive technology in the classroom would be presented. The research discussed initially will highlight how in one classroom a teacher created material with the aid of several assistive technology tools and demonstrate the endless possibilities for their usage in the classroom. A further research will be more specific to the advantages of using individual personal computers in the classroom. Further research will demonstrate how this tool and other assistive technology, used along with other medium can improve learners’ literacy (reading, writing and speaking) and numeracy (geometry) skills. Additional research into the tools introduced into the classroom for two other specific subject areas (social studies and environmental science) will be discussed. The result of examining these researches will show that the use of assistive technology in the classroom does in fact contribute significantly to improvements in learners’ performance and motivation. The research that Beck (2002) discusses follows the progress of three-year-old students in the Preschool Education Program. The ten students observed in this case study demonstrated various physical and cognitive shortcomings. Multiple assistive technologies were used to help develop the literacy skills of these students and allowed them to participate in different learning activities eventually leading to improved performance (Beck, 2002). Beck (2002) argues that students with disabilities have more difficulty meeting their goals in literacy skills than other students in the general education system. To facilitate easier interaction in the classroom specific assistive technology tools were created and employed by the classroom teacher. One of the first daily classroom activities is modified using a piece of software a picture communication schedule. This shows the students a picture and written text of its meaning. This approach facilitated student’s reading as they were able to associate the words with the object depicted. The second type of assistive technology was implemented at the language learning center.   Class books for reading were modified and recreated into story boards. These story boards were placed in the classroom. Students could independently follow the book by examining the pictures created to match specific words. The creation of the picture boards was facilitated through the computer software Overlay Maker (Beck 2002). The BIGmack technology was also used. This allowed students to participate in group reading activities by replaying preprogrammed phrases from the book being read, while the rest of the class read aloud (Beck, 2002). Additionally through the use of Intellipics the teacher recreated stories from the class book by using pictures that include sound and animation when selected. Students were permitted five-minute rotations at a computer to practice recognition and reading independently as facilitated by the Intellipics program. Beck (2002) gives a broad assessment of students’ attitude and performance prior to using these technologies. She notes that before, students were not engaged effectively in the reading corner as they just browsed through books, making little attempt to read the pages. She observed that improved interest in reading is the most significant and pleasing result of the introduction of the assistive technologies. The success of the introduction of these equipments in the classroom, though not overly extensive is, nevertheless, informative. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of assistive technology in this classroom was done primarily in the form of observations, checklists and informal teacher observations. Following a rubric, students were rated on their ability to activate the switch on the BIGMack when appropriate, their ability to name and identify a picture symbol or point to a picture after hearing its corresponding word. The results showed that approximately 90% of the students activated the BIGMack switch and 80% were able to satisfactorily match picture to word. A similar 80% of students were able to correctly name the picture symbols (Beck, 2002). This clearly shows a significant improvement in student performance when the assistive technology was used. Though these observations were not very scientific they still give a good impression. Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) has become an important element in today’s classroom environment. This type of instruction is becoming a significant assistive technology tool when enhancing student learning in various subject areas. It must here be noted that most schools in the United States have a form of CAI in the classroom. The article presented by Boling Martin (2002), sought to determine the effects of CAI on the development of vocabulary on 21 first grade students from a mid-Atlantic elementary school. Ten boys and eleven girls were involved in this six week study. These students were determined to be of a low socio-economic status and had limited exposure to educational experiences outside the school. They were also of mixed ethnicity, thirteen (13) Caucasians, six (6) African-Americans, one (1) Hispanic and (1) Pakistani. The study randomly assigned students to one of two groups. One group the control group, had 10 students and the experimental group had 11 students. All students continued to receive regular reading vocabulary instruction by their teachers. During their assigned 20 minute drop everything and read (DEAR) program both groups read a total seven pre-selected stories. In the control group the story was first read to the students by the teacher, next they listened to it on tape while following in the story book, and finally they were permitted to read any preferred printed literature after the first two tasks were completed. The experimental group used a computerized story board to explore the story first with each student having access to a computer, mouse, keyboard and headphones. Students would read and follow a story independently and where unfamiliar words were met, a click on the word would give its pronunciation. The program used in this study was the WiggleWorks software that offered literacy curriculum based on a combination of speech, sounds, graphics, text and other features.   Students were also able to create word banks by clicking on a plus sign and later develop their own stories or sentences using those words (Boling Martin, 2002). Determining the success of one method over the other was dependent on the students’ performance on vocabulary tests administered before and after the commencement of the study, regardless of the assistive technology used. The results were examined using both pairs of tests. The results showed significant positive effect for both groups but students using the assistive technology software showed greater improvement in their ability to remember more vocabulary words. According to Boling Martin (2002), the experimental group gained significantly as reflected in the difference between the mean scores for the pre test 3.7 and the post test 16.9. Overall the experimental group benefited to a larger extent than the control group. The use of the computer in the learning corners in the Preschool Education program and the Computer Assisted-Instruction testify to the immutable usefulness of this piece of equipment – the computer in the classroom. Acknowledging this fact several laptop immersion programs have been initiated in a number of states across the U.S. including Maine, California, and South Carolina. The Microsoft Corporation caught on to this program in 1996. Report from these immersion programs has suggested that the incorporation of laptops in the general education system not only led to improvements in students’ motivation but have also shown increase in students’ participation and in the rate at which they complete scheduled tasks (Bulek Demirtas, 2005). While educators have been arguing about the utility of laptops in the classroom, some people have questioned the degree to which these have contributed to improvements in student performance. A study was conducted at the Harvest Park Middle School to ascertain what specific impact the use of laptops have on students overall learning, specifically on their individual class grades, grade point average, writing skills and scores on standardized and other external exams (Bulek Demirtas, 2005). This school participates in the laptop immersion program which involves parents and students first applying and then each parent is required to purchase the laptop for his/her child.   In cases where there is economic disadvantage there is the option of a one year loan of a laptop subject to application and approval. Training in the use of the computer is provided. Subsequent to that the students use their laptops independently across their specific subject areas to perform any variety of curricula-related tasks such as researching, preparing presentations, typing essays and note-taking. The school, located in Pleasanton, California has approximately 24% of its population enrolled in the program. Their grade levels range from sixth through to eighth. A representation of Asians, Filipinos, Whites and Hispanics are enrolled in the program (Bulek Demirtas, 2005). The data collected from test results of students enrolled in the laptop immersion program as compared to those not involved, shows something pretty impressive. Five categories of grades were collected for students in the program over a three year period and these were pitted against the grades obtained by students not involved in the program. Their end-of-course grades were collected for each subject and from this their G.P.A. was calculated averaging their grades for all courses taken by each student. Grades were also gathered from the district writing assessment for the sixth and eighth graders and from the California Standards Tests. For sixth and eighth graders this test is strictly multiple choice while for the seventh graders a writing test is included. The last set of grades came from a Norm-Referenced Test in which all three grade levels were tested in spelling, language, reading, and mathematics. The data reveals significant difference in the scores received for all these assessments between students involved in the program and those who were not. In the initial year not much distinction existed between grades but subsequently the laptop users began to showed marked distinction in their grades. The grades obtained by both groups for English Language Arts and Mathematics showed laptop users had higher GPA scores than non-laptop users.   Sixth grade students had a better significant score by 37 points, seventh grade students by 36 points, and eighth grade students by 16 points. The end-of-year grades for these same subject areas showed more A scores and fewer F scores than non-laptop users (Bulek Demirtas, 2005). There was a very considerable difference at the seventh grade level where students in the immersion program had 16% more A’s than non-laptop users (Bulek Demirtas, 2005).   In the eighth grade, however, there is a slight shift in statistics, non-laptop users actually received 3% more A’s than laptop users.   Overall, 90% of students in the laptop immersion program received a letter B grade or performed better in English compared to 79% among the non-laptop users (Bulek Demirtas, 2005). In the district writing assessment for sixth and eighth graders, a higher percentage of laptop-using students met or surpassed their grade level expectations by 16% in grade six and 8% in the eighth grade (Bulek Demirtas, 2005).   The study showed that students in the laptop program scored more Solid Consistency Scores, 3, than the others. In the state mandated exam, students in the laptop program scored at or above the national average in the mathematics and language arts part of the exam for all grade levels (Bulek Dermitas, 2005).   There was considerable difference also in the mathematics sixth grade category where it showed students in the immersion program had a higher percentage by 13 points. The California assessment exam also showed a significantly higher result in the scores of the laptop users compared to the non-laptop users in all grade levels.   Bulek Demirtas (2005) reveal that the laptop users scored higher by a difference of 17% in language arts and 18% in mathematics. The results obtained from the study of the Harvest Park Middle school prove that the laptop immersion program had a positive impact on student achievement (Bulek Dermitas, 2005). The potential uses of the laptop in coordination with other software and technological tools therefore present boundless opportunities for the classroom teacher to modify technique and vary delivery strategy so as to ensure improved student performance. In a study exploring the use of a word processor for teaching the academic outcomes of students with special needs that had been tested as having writing disabilities, Hetzroni and Shrieber (2004), further add merit to the argument for the use of assistive technology in the classroom. In a case study involving three 7th grade students with writing disabilities, the computer word-processing program, when used correctly, was proven to be effective in increasing their writing scores. In this study the researchers functioned under the premise that the slow completion of classroom tasks caused by weaknesses in writing skill could be compensated with the use of assistive technology tools. Three male students, aged 12 to 13 were selected for the study based on their noted learning disabilities and even though they all showed reading scores appropriate to their required age level, it was believed that poor writing skills significantly accounted for their consistent underachievement. They were also required to demonstrate basic keyboarding competence. The study aimed to compare the percentage of spelling and reading errors present in the students work at the end of each language arts and Bible class, the amount of work completed (by examining the exact number of words written) and overall organizational quality, with and without the use of a computer equipped with word processing software. The study was carried out in the two subjects specified and was conducted on the basis of two alternating phases. Phase A (separated further into A1 and A2) covered the period when the students worked independent of the computer and word processing tool. Phase B (separated further into B1 and B2) covered the period when the students were allowed to use a portable computer. The sequence of the program was in-class observation and evaluation of each student by the invigilator under phase A1, an intermediary training session for four 45 minute sessions on basic word processing followed, phase B1 was conducted involving in-class observation and evaluation of the impact of the use of the word processing tool on each student’s performance, in phase A2 the computer was removed and students had to resort to using paper and pencil/pen and then in the final phase B2 the computer was reintroduced. The results of this study proved that the three students improved their writing skills by 5%, reading skills by 3%, organization skills by 30% and decreased errors by 50% (Hetzroni Shrieber, 2004).   There was, however, no noticeable difference in the average number of words the students were able to produce when assisted by the word processor (Hetzroni Shrieber, 2004). While the sample used in this study was very small (only three) it is still important. It goes a far way in demonstrating that, because writing difficulties can impact performance, assistive tools catered to the needs of such students could potentially yield improvements in student’s performance. Even if this is only to a small degree, any improvement in students’ performance is welcomed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given that students who have a Learning Disability (LD) have demonstrated significant weaknesses in their writing and reading skills, probably more so than any for any other skill, the use of technology must continue to be integrated in the classroom to assist students with LD’s. In a study presented by Zhang Brooks (1993) the benefits of one particular writing assistive technology, called ROBO-Writer is examined. The purpose of this article was to study the effects of ROBO-Writer as a writing tool for students with LD’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study was conducted over a three month period in a mid-western school and consisted of thirty-three students classified as having a LD. These students included twenty-three male and ten female students ranging in age from 7.7 to 13.2 years in grades 2 to 6 (Zhang Brooks, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A week prior to the commencement of the study, students were requested to hand-write freely on any topic of interest. From the papers produced, students were matched based on their mechanics, organizational quality and length and placed into groups of three and then further dispersed randomly to form three distinct groups (Zhang Brooks, 1993). The groups were assigned to use three different writing tools over the three month period. One group (MS), used Microsoft’s Word Processing, the second group (RW), used the ROBO-Writer, and the third group (CT), used the traditional paper-and-pencil writing method (Zhang Brooks, 1993).   Assessment of the merits of one method over another would be dependent on the syntactical and linguistic quality of the texts produced by the students irrespective of the particular technology used during the study period. A one-week training in their assigned technology was provided for the students in the MS and RW groups. Three assignments were given initially. All students were required to produce essays on topics of interest, written during normal assigned class writing time lasting for approximately 20 minutes, using their assigned technology. Later the students had to compose and develop a story over the course of 2 weeks using eight twenty minute sessions. A week after completing this assignment they were given a third story to produce in only 20 minutes this time. The final writing assignment was done a month afterward. For this task students spent 30 minutes writing on a specified topic. Initial observation of the students revealed that the MS and CT made little attempt to revise or edit their work before submitting while the RW group were involved in editing their work using the tools available in the software. Assessment of the written work was done by graduate students enrolled in a holistic assessment seminar. The basis of assessment was a modified rubric because the students have learning disabilities (Zhang Brooks, 1993). The results of the study show that the method used to produce the tasks had a significant influence on the overall quality of the written products. The statistical results obtained from correlation of the scores reveal that there was a considerable disparity in the average performances on the last three tasks. Without exception the students in the RW group received considerably higher scores than those in the MS or CT groups (Zhang Brooks, 1993). The above studies testify to the benefits of using assistive technology in the form of special word processing software, as opposed to traditional paper and pen methods particularly for students with learning disabilities. The research discussed by Craddock and Eng (2003) broadens the scope by demonstrating that, while assistive technology could be useful, they must be catered to the specific need of each student if they are to be effective. In a study proposing to look at how assistive technology improved students’ grades and performance, Craddock Eng (2003) provided information on how assistive technology was effectively used in the classroom with students having disabilities. The study was done over a two year period but was not confined to the classroom. Students were also observed in their interaction outside of the classroom setting.   There were forty-five students with learning disabilities that participated in the study and more than 25 individuals engaged in evaluating the students during this period of time using different forms of evaluations including formal assessment, observations, and written reports (Craddock Eng, 2003). The students were selected on the basis of their special needs. These students were lacking in assistive technology that could prove beneficial. An initial evaluation was done to assess each student’s specific need (Craddock Eng, 2003).   After evaluation and approval, each student received a specific assistive technology. The range of assistive technology provided to the students included touch screens, alternate keyboards, Reading/Writing Programs, screen enlargements, and talking processors.   Subsequently the study focused on assessing whether or not the selected technology would effectively assist or had no effect on these students’ performance. Prior performance data was obtained for each student and this later formed the basis for comparison with performance after the introduction of the assistive technology. Later on, according to Craddock Eng (2003), data was collected periodically after students were capable of using the assisted technology. After students became relatively comfortable with using the technology, they were able to use their new tools to help them improve many skills in different areas such as reading, writing, and speaking. The students were formally assessed every six weeks. Since students were using different types of assisted technology and were in different classrooms, evaluations took different forms, for example, improvement in interaction was assessed for students with speech problems as they were now able to communicate with the teacher and other students using a talking processor instead of a writing pad. Other students who couldn’t write used a Word-Processor program that allowed them to type their answer or message. The evaluation of these students did not only focus on changes in their academic performance. Certain important achievements, not capable of being formally evaluated, such as their new ability to communicate with peers and teachers as never before, were quite evident (Craddock Eng, 2003).   The findings concluded that more than two-thirds of the assisted technologies provided allowed students to work, communicate, and interact in the classroom with students and teachers.   Students using a talking processor showed improvement particularly in oral exams (Craddock Eng, 2003). Those students using a Word-Processor program were able to communicate with others and increased speed in communication by typing their message. One of the most significant improvements for these students was speed in communication and response (Craddock Eng, 2003).   Students using these technologies improved their scores by over 30% because the appropriate technology allowed them to answer correctly and freely.   However, some of the findings concluded that some students did not improve in response time or student performance using the talking processor (Craddock Eng, 2003).   Some students were able to answer rapidly but their answers were incorrect.    This concluded that even if students had the appropriate assisted technology improvements on exams was not guaranteed.   These technologies were able to facilitate and improve interaction, communication, and response time as never before.   The study concludes that, besides improvement in their grades and performance, they were also observed to be better able to interact and communicate with others (Craddock Eng 2003). Most of the researches presented so far have focused primarily on the language arts program. This may suggest that assistive technology could only be useful in helping develop language skills. This, of course, is not a true picture. Three further articles expound on research of the use of assistive technology in other subjects areas, specifically social studies, mathematics and environmental science. In Funkhouser’s (2002/2003) presentation, he points out that Mathematics software is part of the growing demand on assistive technology. A thirty six week study at a large high school aimed to ascertain if student success in geometry could be improved with the introduction of assistive technology. The study aimed to compare effects of a constructivist approach to a behaviorist instructional approach using a mathematics software program as assisted technology (Funkhouser, 2002/2003). Forty nine tenth and eleventh grade student participated in the study including both males and females. Using a normal scheduling process students were divided into two groups. One was the control group and the other was the treatment group. The control group consisted of twenty-seven students and the treatment group contained twenty-two (Funkhouser, 2002/2003). Two different learning environments were created each using different textbooks one employing a constructivist and the other a behaviorist approach.   Both groups covered the same topics. However, only the treatment group used the Geometry Supposer software as assistive technology. The pre-test and a post-test evaluation of both groups, consisting of ten questions pertaining to math attitudes, student approaches, student procedures and geometric calculations performance showed that there was significant improvement in knowledge by the treatment group by a t-test value of 2.06 (Funkhouser, 2002/2003). The results on improving student attitude were not significant between both groups. However, according to Funkhouser (2002/2003), students received significant benefits from constructivist computer-assisted instruction. This next research, discussed by Boon, Burke, Fore Spencer (2006), involves the integration of technology in an effort to enhance learning in social studies classes. The researchers attempted to assess the impact of cognitive organizers, with the integration of technology, Inspiration 6 software, on increasing content-area learning for secondary students with and without disabilities in inclusive social studies classes. There were forty-nine tenth grade students who participated in the study that lasted three weeks. From this group, twenty students were classified as having a learning disability (Boon et al 2006).   This school was located in the southeast part of the United States.   A general education teacher and two special education teachers participated in the study.   The method consisted of comparing a pretest and posttest on the result of cognitive organizers opposed to traditional textbooks. The group of students was separated into two groups classified as a control group and an experimental group. Both groups used the same textbook. In addition to the text book the control group used were involved in group activities, used guided handouts, worksheets, and video presentations. The experimental group used desktop computers, disks, guided outlines, reading materials, and Inspiration 6 software (Boon et al. 2006). The teacher in this classroom was also provided with a folder containing presentations, templates, and lesson plans.   The teacher also participated in one forty-five minute training on how to use Inspiration software.   Students in this group were also trained on using the software and creating outlines, charts, webs, using the voice converter, and converting outlines into a cognitive organizer.   This software allowed them to insert photos, sound, graphics, highlight text, change backgrounds. In the experimental group, students were introduced to a new chapter and given a pretest consisting of thirty-five questions.   Students were provided with a cognitive organizer for writing the chapter’s attributes as a class guided activity.   When students finished the chapter, they were able to input all the information they wrote in an outline on the Inspiration software.   The software allowed students to transform it into a cognitive organizer and diagram (Boon et al. 2006).   Using this cognitive organizer, students were able to study the chapter’s concepts throughout the study.   At the end, the teacher administered the posttest with the exact questions as the pretest. In the control group, the students completed the same pretest as the experimental group.   Afterwards, the students read orally as a class discussing the chapter’s concepts and later completed a ten-question worksheet to review vocabulary, people, and important events (Boon et al. 2006).   Throughout the study, students watched videos, completed group activities, and read the chapter various times.   At the end, the teacher administered the same posttest as the experimental group.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both tests administered consisted of grading each question using points from zero to two.   The same score procedure was used for students with learning disabilities.   Ã‚   The results indicated that prior to the technology intervention no major significance in scores was found.   After the technology interference, a major difference was found as students in the experimental groups scored a mean average of 52.54 compared to the 26.84 of the control group (Boon et al. 2006). Students in the experimental group also improved their scores between the pretest and posttest by 41 points.   Overall the students who use the cognitive organizers performed better that those who just used the traditional textbook instruction. The use of cognitive organizers therefore has the potential to notably improve content-area learning for students with and without disabilities (Boon et al 2006). In the third subject-specific research Chanda, Sharonda Briers (2003) discussed how technology programs implemented in a classroom of economically disadvantage students, including disabled, enhanced their performance on the subject of Environmental Science.   The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of classroom strategies involving computer use on the performance of economically disadvantaged students (Chanda, Sharonda, and Briers, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The setting for this study was the Pennsylvania Middle school.   There were 311 students ranging from age 11 to 14 years (Chanda et al, 2003). The study was done using a quasi-experimental design meaning it included a pre-test, intervention, and post-test (Chanda et al., 2003).   Only 249 students were eventually analyzed because the other 62 missed one part of the design.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the pre test the researchers designed a 25 multiple choice exam consisting of questions dealing with Environmental Science, computer skills, and student demographics (Chanda et al, 2003).   The post test consisted of 49 multiple choice questions dealing with the same subjects.   Students had 30 minutes to complete the items. According to the Chanda et al. (2003), students had a 1 week intervention on Environmental Science using special software that allowed them to work in groups. Students worked in groups but were still tested individually. Students working together from two separate stations could take on the role of driver or navigator. The drivers in each group could control the computer program and all actions. The navigator’s purpose was to guide the driver in everything. The navigator would tell the driver what to click, where to go, and type all answer in the program. However, both students had to jointly decide on the answers working together to complete the assignments (Chanda et al, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The post-test data concluded that students managed to improve their performance on the post-test after the evaluation due to the program based on the driver navigator method (Chanda et al, 2003). What the article fails to detail though is an explanation or depiction of the exact numbers, percentages, or data on their improvement. The students were also evaluated on the basis of gender and this produced significant results. According to the Chanda et al. (2003), when students were grouped by different gender, the males dominated the driver part and would take over the navigator part giving them less improvement on their post test. Significantly also students in the same gender had a more significant improvement on their post-tests after following their proper roles by working together to meet the objectives in the subject areas (Chanda et al, 2003). In conclusion, the special program did enhance their performance on the specific subject areas due to its driver navigator method on doing assignments and projects (Chanda et al, 2003). In their article Cramer Smith (2002) argue that the argument for the use of technology as an assistive tool is not very convincing. While they believe that the integration of technology into the classroom, not as a substitute to the traditional instructional method, but as a way of supporting the teaching learning process is useful, they do not find that there is enough evidence to support the claims that they impact student performance extensively. In an article Cramer Smith (2002) present the findings of a study assessing the effectiveness of these new forms of learning tools. The research examined whether the use of an innovative program titled â€Å"The Movie Project† designed to improve essential literacy, oral, technology and grammar skills in a fun and exciting way makes a impact on student’s productive skills. â€Å"The Movie Project† is a unit of content delivery designed by educators that seeks to have students actively involved in the productive aspects of language. At the beginning of each school year a topic is chosen for a movie and students in groups prepare a movie script, the best one voted on in class. Between January and April the entire class works on producing an eight to ten minute movie, each student vying for positions as actors, producers, camera operators etc. To complete their movie students had access to a variety of technological tools such as camcorders and computers (Cramer Smith, 2002). The research presented by Cramer Smith (2002), compares the performance of students from two schools, one actively involved in â€Å"The Movie Project† – called the Movie Project School, and the other and the other where technology was not integrated into the teaching process – called the Traditional School. The number of participants was eighty-eight and fifty five students and three and four language arts teachers respectively. Besides their use of â€Å"The Movie Project† teachers were interviewed to discuss their use and integration of technology in various aspects of the classroom. The Movie Project School was thus identified to be the most technological rich school while the Traditional School had less access to and used technology far as an assistive tool. Writing samples were collected from a randomly selected group of students from both the Movie Project and the Traditional School. Two separate sets of writing samples were collected for each student involved. One was collected at the beginning of the year and the second was collected at the end of the year. All language arts teachers at the two schools participated in the study except one in the traditional school because no beginning-of-the-year writing samples were obtained. A total of 148 writing samples were submitted by the language arts teachers, eight were used during the standardization procedure and one had to be discarded. A writing sample represents both the beginning and the end of the year work for each student. Each student’s paper was scored on the basis of the quality of the development of ideas and how well these ideas are articulated and organized (ideas, organization and voice). For each of these three areas a separate aggregated score was produced for each grade level with the scores for the beginning and the end of the year also separated. At the beginning of the school year the average scores received for students at the Movie School for ideas, organization and voice were 2.89, 2.61 and 2.81 correspondingly with a median of 3.0 across. For the Traditional School the equivalent scores were 2.46, 2.24 and 2.30. The comparative results between beginning-of-year and end-of-year samples for each student and between the Movie School and the Traditional school did not demonstrate any significant changes. The average scores for the end-of-year samples for the Movie School were 3.2 for ideas, 2.93 for organization, and 3.19 for voice. The median was again 3.0. For the Traditional School the mean scores were now 3.28, 3.08 and 2.97 and they too had a mean of 3.0 overall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The argument put forward by Cramer Smith (2002) is clear, there is not enough empirical evidence to conclude that assistive technology dramatically increases students’ performance. They believe that the lack of success of research into the impact of assistive technology could be because it is very difficult to measure the extent to which assistive technology as isolated factors contribute to improvements in students learning. By its very name assistive technology suggests that other traditional methods are employed in the classroom as well. Cramer Smith (2002) argue that a vast number of factors can also mitigate either for or against improvement in student’s performance with the aid of assistive technology. In the research just outlined for example, it was noted that students in the Traditional School for given more writing samples to produce as well as journaling was required at least twice per week as opposed to only once per week in the Movie School. Additionally, even though in the Traditional School computers were not as prevalent, their students used technology more often than those in the Movie School.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The conclusion is that, in order to assess the overall effectiveness of assistive technologies as opposed to the traditional method, other independent variables would have to be removed as these could obscure the results in favor of one position over the other. Too many factors are at work in the classroom for this isolation to be possible. Until such a research becomes possible teachers should not, however discount the use of these technologies in the classroom. The traditional teaching methodology is ever changing and teachers are constantly pressed to develop new ideas and strategies to meet the needs of their students. Even if there is no broad consensus on the overall impact of assistive technology, the task of determining its usefulness for individual students must be left up to the teacher. It is the teacher who interacts daily with these learners. It is the teacher who can determine whether or not changes in attitude arise from exposure to assistive technologies. It is the teacher who feels rewarded when a child’s life, even if it is only one, is shown to be positively impacted when their learning disabilities are offset by the use of assistive technologies. While some of the researches presented were not specific to the learning disabled classroom, they are still of relevance. The goal should not only be to separate the learning disabled from the main stream system, but to see how best to integrate them into the regular school system. A multicultural classroom where each student is able to function effectively in the classroom, despite whatever physical, psychological or cognitive difficulties they may have, where ethnic, gender and other differences are accommodated, is the ideal. Training in the use of assistive technology cannot be only for special education teachers. All teachers, across all grade levels, must learn to incorporate these and several other technologies in the classroom so as to create the healthiest environment for student motivation and cognitive, social, psychological, physical and other forms of development.       REFERENCES    Beck, J. (2002, Nov/Dec). Emerging Literacy Through Assistive Technology. Council for Exceptional Children, 35, 44-49. Boling, C. J., Martin, M. (2002). The Effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction on First Grade Students’ Vocabulary Development. Reading Improvement, 39, 79-88. Boon, R.T., Burke, M.D., Fore, C. Spencer, V.G. (2006). The Impact of Cognitive Organizers and Technology-Based Practices to Promote Student Success in Secondary Social Studies Classrooms for Students with Learning Disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 21(1), 5-15. Bulek, J. Demirtas, H. (2005, January) Learning with technology: The Impact of Laptop Use on Student Achievement. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 3 (2). Chanda E., Sharonda P., Briers G. (2003) Evaluating Classroom Strategies to Enhance Performance: Using a Computer-Assisted Program. NACTA Journal, 12, 1-5. Craddock, G. Eng, B. (2003). Satisfaction in Assistive Technology Use: Factors that Impact on Students with Disabilities, Research Results. Cognitive Processing, 4, 28-39. Cramer, S. Smith, A. (2002). Technologys Impact on Student Writing at the Middle School Level. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 1-9 Funkhouser, C. (2002/2003). The Effects of Computer-Augmented Geometry Instruction on Student Performance and Attitudes. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(2) 163-75. Hetzroni, O., Shrieber, B. (2004). Word Processing as an Assistive Technology Tool for Enhancing Academic Outcomes of Students with Writing Disabilities in the General Classroom. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(2), 143-154. Zhang, Y. Brooks, D. (1993). The Holistic Quality of Texts Created by Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities is Improved when Appropriate Computer-Based Software is Employed as the Writing Tool. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from http://dwb.unl.edu/Diss/YZhang/YZDissPaper.html

Research on Education Policy Development in Secondary School

Research on Education Policy Development in Secondary School CHAPTER THREE:  METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the methodology used in carrying out the research. The research design, population, sample and sampling techniques, instrumentation, validity, reliability, administration and method of data analysis. Research Design Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The design gave the researcher the necessary information to be able to draw some basic conclusions about the adequacy of the data as regards policy implementation in education (Cooper Schindler, 2001). Descriptive survey research design is one in which a group of people or items is studied by collecting and analyzing data from only a few people or items considered to be representative of the entire group (Nworgu, 1991:54). Population The population of the study comprised 247 public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. The respondents consisted of all the 247 school principals and 8452 teachers in senior secondary schools in the State bringing the total population to 8,699 (Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board, 2015). Sample and Sampling Techniques The sample for this study comprised 1,305 principals and teachers (15% of 247 = 37 principals and 15% of 8452 = 1268 teachers) using the multi-stage sampling technique. Multi-stage refers to sampling plans where the sampling is carried out in stages using smaller and smaller sampling units at each stage (Wikipedia, 2016). Instrument For Data Collection The instrument for data collection of research data was the questionnaire titled: Assessment of implementation of Education Policy changes Questionnaire (AIEPCQ). The questionnaire was divided into sections A and B. section A was on demographic information and section B was divided into four parts with eight items on each of the parts making a total number of 32 items. Part I focused on information and communication technology (ICT) in public secondary schools, II on the universalization of Junior secondary education, III on professionalization of the teaching profession, and IV on the school-based management policy in senior secondary schools. Document analysis was to supplement questionnaire data. The questionnaire was designed in such a way as to gather information on the perceptions and experiences of a wide range of participants through narrative of their participation and observation of the role of policy implementation. Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which th ey agree with each statement using the modified Likert type scale ranging from Very High Extent to Low Extent. Very High Extent (V.H.E)-(4 ) High Extent (H.E)-(3 3.99) Moderate Extent (M.E)-(2 2.99) Low Extent (L.E) -(1 1.99) Respondents indicated the extent to which they agree or disagree with the statements. The responses were assigned numerical value. Validity Content and face validities of the instrument for the study were determined. The content and face validity were determined by the scrutiny of two lecturers in the department of Educational Management including the researchers supervisor. Their comments and corrections were adopted to improve the quality of the instrument. Reliability The reliability of the instrument was determined through the use of Cronbach Alpha method. Cronbach Alpha is a reliability co-efficient that reflects how well the items in a set are positively correlated to one another (Sekaran, 1992:69). The instrument was administered once to 20 sampled respondents that were not part of the sample. The reliability co-efficient was determined using the cronbach alpha. The internal consistency of the instrument was computed to be 0.71 Administration of Instrument The researcher including three trained research assistants administered the questionnaire to the school principals and teachers. A total of 1305 questionnaire was administered, 1200 were collected back and found suitable for an analysis. Method of Data Analysis Mean and rank order statistics were used in analyzing the four research questions raised. The criterion mean of 2.5 was adopted. z-test statistics was used in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. CHAPTER FOUR:  RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter focused on the results and discussion of findings obtained in this study. One thousand two hundred copies of the questionnaire were retrieved and found suitable for analysis. Table 4.1: Distribution of respondents according to their status. STATUS No. Administered No. collected Percentage Return Principals 37 37 100% Teachers 1268 1163 92% Total 1305 1200 Research Question 1: To what extent is the policy on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in senior secondary schools in Rivers state implemented? Table 4.2 Mean (X), mean set and rank order of principals and teachers on the extent of policy on the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) in Rivers State. S/N Items Teachers N = 1163 Principals N = 37 Mean set Rank Remark 1. Development of skills through the use of computers 3.18 2.84 3.01 5th High extent 2 Use of Computer to enhance productivity 2.69 3.03 2.86 6th Moderate extent 3. Effective teaching by teachers through the use of computers 3.06 3.08 3.07 4th High extent 4. Creation of effective human capital through the use of computers 2.98 3.29 3.14 2nd High extent 5 Students learn effectively through the use of computers 3.13 3.08 3.11 3rd High extent 6. Ease teachers workload through the use of power point 2.58 2.57 2.58 8th Moderate extent 7. Increased individualization of learning by students through the use of ICT 2.86 2.65 2.76 7th Moderate extent 8. Students exposure to the rudiments of computer literacy 3.37 3.11 3.24 1st High extent AGREEMENT 2.98 2.96 2.97 Source: Field Research, 2015. Table 4.2 shows an aggregate mean of 2.97 for both principals and teachers, the highest mean scores of 3.24, 3.14, 3.11, 3.07, 3.01, 2.86, 2.76 and 2.58 were ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th respectively having means above the criterion mean of 2.5 were accepted indicating that school administrators to a moderate extent implement policy on the use of information and communication technology in Rivers State. Research Questions 2: What is the extent of implementation of policy on the universalization of Junior Secondary Education in Rivers State. Table 4.3 Mean (X), mean set and rank order of principals and teachers on the extent of policy on the universalization of junior secondary education in Rivers State. S/N Items Teachers N = 1163 Principals N = 37 Mean set Rank Remark 9. Disarticulation of JSS from SSS 2.72 3.16 2.94 6th Moderate extent 10. Provision of free and compulsory basic education 2.94 3.35 3.15 2nd High extent 11. Compulsory nine years of primary and junior secondary education 2.94 2.49 2.72 8th Moderate extent 12. Emphasis on curriculum diversification 2.82 3.19 3.01 5th High extent 13. Automatic transition from primary to Junior secondary education 3.17 2.86 3.02 4th High extent 14. Restructuring the school system 2.98 3.24 3.11 3rd High extent 15. Students gets more experience before proceeding to senior secondary 3.34 2.97 3.16 1st High extent 16. Few students to a teacher in the classroom 2.60 3.11 2.86 7th Moderate extent AGGREGATE 2.94 3.05 2.99 Table 4.3 shows an aggregate mean of 2.99 for both principals and teachers, the high mean scores of 3.16, 3.15, 3.11, 3.02, 3.01, 2.94, 2.86 and 2.72 were ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th respectively having means above the criterion mean of 2.5 were accepted indicating that universalization of junior secondary education to a moderate extent in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State is implemented and therefore accepted. Research Question 3: To what extent is the policy on professionalization of the teaching profession in Rivers State implemented? Table 4.4 mean score, mean set and rank order of principals and teachers on the extent of the policy on professionalization of the teaching profession in Rivers State. S/N Items Teachers N = 1163 Principals N = 37 Mean set Rank Remark 17. Continuous teacher professional development 3.02 2.27 2.65 6th Moderate extent 18. Compulsory training of non-professional teachers 3.01 2.70 2.86 4th Moderate extent 19. Must be registered with the professional bodies in Nigeria 2.58 3.05 2.82 5th Moderate extent 20. Improvement of quality education at all levels 2.61 2.54 2.58 7th Moderate extent 21. Development of in-service training 3.11 2.92 3.01 3rd High extent 22. Recruitment of only professional teachers 3.08 2.97 3.02 2nd High extent 23. Regular exposure to innovations in the profession 3.01 3.05 3.03 1st High extent 24. Development of knowledge and skills through mastery of subject matter 2.61 2.41 2.51 8th Moderate extent AGGREGATE 2.89 2.74 2.82 Table 4.4 shows an aggregate mean of 2.82 for both principals and teachers, the high mean scores of 3.03, 3.02, 3.01, 2.86, 2.82, 2.65, 2.58 and 2.51 were ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th respectively having means above the criterion mean of 2.5 were accepted indicating that the policy on professionalization of the teaching profession in Rivers State to a moderate extent will help teachers get a worthwhile experience and impart sound educational morals to the students. Research Question 4: To what extent is the policy on school-based management in Rivers State implemented? Table 4.5 mean scores, mean set and rank order of principals and teachers on the implementation of the policy on school based management in Rivers State. S/N Items Teachers N = 1163 Principals N = 37 Mean set Rank Remark 25. To facilitate school effectiveness 2.79 3.22 3.01 2nd High extent 26 Co-operation between school and community 3.02 2.78 2.90 6th Moderate extent 27. Improved infrastructures in schools 2.42 2.78 2.60 8th Moderate extent 28. Provision of funds to cover running costs 2.89 2.97 2.93 5th Moderate extent 29 Committed community support can enhance accountability 3.12 3.00 3.06 1st High extent 30. Contribution to school planning 3.09 2.81 2.95 4th Moderate extent 31. Provision of support to school activities 2.63 3.29 2.96 3rd Moderate extent 32. Regular access to public funds 3.09 2.70 2.89 7th Moderate extent AGGREGATE 2.88 2.94 2.91 Source: field Research, 2015 Table 4.5 shows that with an aggregate mean of 2.91 for both principals and teachers, items 29, 25, 31, 30, 28, 26, 32 and 27 ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th 7th and 8th in a descending order respectively, they were therefore accepted indicating moderate extent on how the school-based management policy has encouraged communities and schools to work co-operatively in enhancing educational growth and development in the state. Ho1: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of school principals and teachers on the extent policy on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in pubic secondary schools in Rivers State is implemented. Table 4.6: Summary of z-test on the difference between teachers and principals on the extent of implementation of policy on the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. Status No. of Respondents X S.D DF Level of significance z-cal z-crit Remark Teachers 1163 2.98 0.98 1198 0.05 0.11 +1.96 There is no significant difference Principals 37 2.96 1.08 Table 4.6 shows that the z-calculated of 0.11 is less than the z-critical value of + 1.96 at 0.05 level of significance with a degree of freedom of 1198. The null hypothesis is therefore accepted, meaning there is no significant difference between the mean rating of principals and teachers on the extent policy on the use of ICT is implemented in senior secondary schools in Rivers State. H02: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of school principals and teachers on the extent policy on the universalization of junior secondary education in Rivers State is implemented. Table 4.7: Summary of z-test on the difference between teachers and principals on the extent of implementation of policy on the universalization of junior secondary education in Rivers State. Status No. of respondents X S.D DF Level of significance z-cal z-crit Remark Teachers 1163 2.94 1.05 1198 0.05 0.66 +1.96 There is no significant difference Principals 37 3.05 0.99 The result from the table shows that, the z-calculated value (-0.66) is less than the z-critical value of (+1.96). The null hypothesis is therefore accepted, indicating no significant difference between the mean rating of principals and teachers on the extent of implementation of policy on the universalization of junior secondary education in Rivers State. Ho3: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of school principals and teachers on the extent policy on professionalizaiton of the teaching profession in Rivers State is implemented. Table 4.8: Summary of z-test on the difference between teachers and principals on the extent of implementation of policy on professionalizaiton of the teaching profession in Rivers State. Status No. of respondents X S.D DF Level of significance z-cal z-crit Remark Teachers 1163 2.89 1.02 1198 0.05 0.78 +1.96 There is no significant difference Principals 37 2.74 1.15 The result from the table shows that the z-calculated value (0.78) is less than the z-critical value (+ 1.96). The null hypothesis is therefore accepted indicating no significant difference between the mean ratings of principals and teachers on the extent of policy on professionalization of the teaching profession in Rivers State is implemented. Ho4: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of principals and teachers on the extent school-based management policy in Rivers State is implemented. Table 4.9: Summary of z-test on the difference between teachers and principals on the extent of implementation of school-based management policy in Rivers State. Status No. of respondents X S.D DF Level of significance z-cal z-crit Remark Teachers 1163 2.88 1.05 1198 0.05 0.33 +1.96 There is no significant difference Principals 37 2.94 1.08 The result from the table shows that the z-calculated value of -0.33 is less than the z-critical value of + 1.96. The null hypothesis is therefore accepted, meaning that there is no significant difference between the mean score of principals and teachers on the implementation of the school-based management policy in Rivers State. DISCUSSION OF FINDING/IMPLICATIONS The main aim of this study was to assess the implementation of education policy changes in senior secondary schools in Rivers State. In other words, the purpose of the study was to capture the extent of implementation of the different policies introduced as regards teaching and learning. The administration of schools, and the experiences gained. The study addressed the following: Implementation of policy on the use of ICT in senior secondary schools in Rivers State. The answer to research question one revealed that the extent school administrators implement policy on ICT in senior secondary schools in Rivers State is development of knowledge and skills through the use of computer, computer usage enhance productivity. There is effective teaching by teachers through the use of computers, creating of effective human capital through the use of computers, students learn effectively through the use of computers in schools, it eases teachers workload through the use of power point in schools, there is in creased individualization of learning by students through the use of ICT and students are exposed to the rudiments of computer literacy. The respondents agreed on all the items as being adequate and were all accepted. The findings considered ensures that all the items were strongly accepted as ICT inculcation in the school curriculum will help improve students learning and teachers effectiveness majority of the respondents totally agreed on the extent to which ICT policy implementation in schools will lend to high level of development, and their roles on managing the implementation of such policies. The result of hypothesis one shows that there is no significant difference between the mean scores of school principals and teachers on the extent to which they do implement policy changes. The above is in line with Adeosun (2010:196) who observed that the major objective is to develop computer and technological literacy through the introduction of computers in secondary schools similar to what has been done in many other countries including turkey and morocco. The implication to policy makers is that school administrators have high regard for ICT integration in secondary schools, the lack of and inadequacy of ICT equipments and facilities might undermine the achievement of policy goals or frustrate the implementation of such policy. According to Ekoro, (2011) facilities are plants, buildings and equipments which enable people to carryout their activities effectively. This implies that ICT integration in secondary schools will develop such society if the necessary equipments and facilities are provided to enable people carryout their activities effectively. According to Adomi, Okiy and Ruteyan (2003), the absence of ICT equipments in most Nigerian schools leads students to resort to cybercafà ©s for internet access. ICT application and use will prove beneficial in improving Nigerias educational system and giving students a better education. A technologically advance workforce will lead to ICT growth in Nigeria, with the potential to improv e military technology and telecommunications, media communications and skilled CT professionals who will be well-equipped to solve IT problems in Nigeria and other parts of the could (Goshit, 2006). Implementation of policy on universalization of junior secondary education. The answer to research question two on the extent of implementation of the policy on the universalization of junior secondary education in Rivers State are; Few students to a teacher in the classroom, there is free and compulsory basic education, there is automatic transition from primary to junior secondary education, compulsory, uninterrupted nine years of primary and junior secondary education, disarticulation of junior secondary School from senior secondary school, provision of free and compulsory basic education, students gets more experience before proceeding to senior secondary and restructuring the secondary school system. The results of the study presented, shows the importance of the perceived relevance of the universal basic education policy in the school system. The results of hypothesis two indicated no significant difference between the mean scores of principals and teachers on the extent of implementati

A Performance Including Education :: Drama

This task was to include education in a performance to be shown to primary school children. This performance needed to reflect on issues understood by children of this age and to be clear and straight forward while explaining the message. Three weeks ago we were set an assignment to last until now. This task was to include education in a performance to be shown to primary school children. This performance needed to reflect on issues understood by children of this age and to be clear and straight forward while explaining the message. My first reaction when I heard of this task was one of excitement and anxiety. I knew this assignment would be challenging which made me very eager to start as soon as possible. However I was worried as I knew that all ideas would have to be adapted for the age group and that there would be censorship issues. There were many ideas put in to a discussion on the first day of the task. Within our group these were our main ideas-Abuse, drugs, smoking, trust issues & bullying. However we knew most of these ideas were not compatible for the age group of the audience so we narrowed it down to three main ideas-smoking, trust issues & bullying. We knew that whatever idea we used we would have to make it humorous to allow the children to enjoy themselves. We also had some ideas on how to portray these ideas allowing the audience to understand and enjoy the humour. These ideas were- Men In Black(spoof), Batman(spoof) & Spider pants (original character made from typical superhero names and character). During the rehearsals we went through the different ideas and at first we decided to act out bullying through peer pressure however when we performed this to the group we found that it was very boring which was not what we were aiming for. So we then changed to trust issues using spider pants (we could not use men in black as we found out it had already been done previously we also could not do batman due to the costumes and props needed to make it realistic),However we were unable to carry out our idea of spider pants due to the unfortunate absents by myself and another person in the group & so when we performed this it did not come out right. We then eventually changed to a play about kidnappers. This entailed the theme of trust issues and was comical. It was not only the ideas that would not work though, we soon found that some members of our group were not prepared to work to the extent

Love and Memory in Deuteronomy Essay

Love and Memory in Deuteronomy, is the prompt for this weeks reflection paper. First, we must identify what each of those terms means to us in context to Deuteronomy and for me Love does not just mean love in the sense that we all know. Although you could easily write a reflection amount the many ways God displayed his love to his people, like when he parted the seas for them and crushed the Egyptians behind them, or when he was slow to anger when they chose to worship Baal while Moses was a top Mt. Sinai, but I choose to interpret love in Deuteronomy as God’s continued faithfullness to his people. â€Å"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.† (Deuteronomy 7:9, English Standard Version) Here God is described as a faithful God, and one who will always love those that love him, and follow his word. This is such a powerful verse and really speaks to the faithfullness of God to his people, here it shows that God is obligated to us, that he must love those that love him. I think it also shows that he is bound to look out for us because he is our â€Å"faithful† creator, and that as the creator he is obligated to look out for us, to satisfy us, and provide for us, and ultimately look out for us enough so that we may seek him out and follow him with out Faith. That creation of the Covenant is the ultimate example of God’s faithfullness to us as it takes out all mystery and makes things most certain for us, and shows his commitment to us as a people, because of the covenant we know all the cornerstones of His divine government. The many ‘I wills’ in Deuteronomy cover everything that we as a people might need in both the past, present, and future. There is no avenue of life that we can venture to where we can not find God, and he has given us clear definition of His heart and intentions by his word and covenant. God’s love in Deuteronomy can best be described as his faithfullness to us, and as mentioned prior, there is no greater example of this than his Covenant, and new Covenant with us through Jesus Christ. â€Å"And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.† (Deuteronomy 8:2, English Standard Version) Memory plays a huge role in Deuteronomy as God is very clear in this verse, that the people are to remember, that all they have been through was a way for God to see what was in their heart, to see what kind of people they were. Memories, in general, throughout time are always a great way to see someone’s true heart. There were times the people worshipped false idols or cried out against the Lord, and in those moments peoples true natures were revealed, the memories of those times are a great reminder of where people stood, and as it says in that verse that is what it was all about, was for God to measure their true hearts. This principle is still the same today, we are often judged by our past deeds, and it is not because we do not believe people can not change or that people do not deserve new chances, but often times we are what we do, and again the memories of our past actions are a great way to measure who we are as people.

How the Three Types of Conjunctions Connect Ideas

How the Three Types of Conjunctions Connect Ideas How the Three Types of Conjunctions Connect Ideas How the Three Types of Conjunctions Connect Ideas By Mark Nichol This post defines and discusses the three types of conjunctions (words or phrases that serve as a bridge linking two words, phrases, clauses, or sentences): coordinating, correlative, and subordinating conjunctions. Coordinating Conjunctions Coordinating conjunctions, also called coordinators, join words, clauses, or sentences of equal importance. The most common coordinating conjunctions, frequently listed in the following order to reflect the use of the mnemonic FANBOYS, include for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Others are neither, only, and â€Å"no more,† as well as several British English conjunctive phrases that combine one of the six conjunctions besides nor with that one (such as â€Å"and nor†). Examples of the ten listed conjunctions in use, accompanied by a description of their functions, follow: I walked, for I was in need of exercise. (rationale) I walked, and I ran. (addition) I neither walked nor ran. (alternative without contrast) I walked, but I ran, too. (contrast or exception) I (either) walked, or I ran. (alternative with contrast) I walked, yet I ran, too. (contrast or exception) I walked slowly, so I ran to catch up. (consequence) I don’t walk; neither do I run. (addition) I don’t walk; no more do I run. (addition) I would walk, only I run. (contrast) Note that the distinction between nor and or, which are generally accompanied, respectively, by neither and either (although the latter is parenthesized in the pertinent example because it is optional), is that with neither/nor, the choices do not affect each other, whereas with either/or, one choice cancels the other out. But and yet are virtually interchangeable, while the three addition conjunctions, and, neither, and â€Å"no more,† are listed in order of formality, with â€Å"no more† generally restricted to ritualistic or poetic usage. Only is used in the sense of â€Å"That [one idea] would be true if this [another idea] were not.† Correlative Conjunctions Correlative conjunctions include, among others, the following word or phrase pairs, which function to compare two pairs of words or phrases in a sentence that have equal weight; each is followed by an example: as much/as: Vacations like that can be a pain as much as they are a pleasure. as/as: This party is as dull as I expected it to be. both/and: Both the car and the truck are new. either/or: Either go now, or wait until later. just as/so: Just as you enjoy going to the theater, I like watching movies. neither/nor: Neither my father or my mother was born here. no sooner/than: No sooner had she read the letter than he arrived. not/but: It is not me but her who is to blame. not only/but also: I am not only tired but also angry. rather/than: I would rather play tennis than golf today. the/the: The more you read about it, the greater a problem it seems to be. whether/orv We couldn’t tell whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Some sentences incorporating correlative conjunctions are easier to construct than others. Those involving either/or and neither/nor, and â€Å"not only†/â€Å"but also,† are often erroneously composed because the first word or phrase is incorrectly situated in the syntax of the sentence. Note, for example, that in the following sentence, the placement of â€Å"either be able to† suggests that â€Å"carry on† will have a counterpoint later in the sentence: â€Å"Smith should either be able to carry on investing via his equity plan or by using the tax shelter within the new savings account.† However, the counterpoints, separated by or, the second of the two correlative conjunctions, are â€Å"his equity plan† and â€Å"using the tax shelter,† so either should immediately precede the first of the two choices, just as or immediately precedes the second choice: â€Å"Smith should be able to carry on investing either via his equity plan or by using the tax shelter within the new savings account.† Likewise, in â€Å"People did not only see him as a great athlete but also as a great man,† the suggestion is that people did two things in relation to the subject, including seeing him and something else. However, the intended meaning is that they saw him in two contexts, so â€Å"not only,† like â€Å"but also,† applies to saw and should therefore follow it, while â€Å"not only† immediately precedes â€Å"as a great athlete,† just as â€Å"but also† immediately precedes â€Å"as a great man†: â€Å"People saw him not only as a great athlete but also as a great man.† Subordinating Conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions, which join independent clauses and dependent clauses, or introduce adverbial clauses, include, among others, the following words and phrases: after although as â€Å"as far as† as if â€Å"as long as† â€Å"as soon as† â€Å"as though† because before â€Å"even if† â€Å"even though† â€Å"every time† if â€Å"in order that† once â€Å"provided that† â€Å"rather than† since so â€Å"so that† than though unless until when whenever where whereas wherever while why An adverbial clause is the beginning of a sentence such as â€Å"After searching the desk, I checked the file cabinet.† The same sentence can be inverted so that the subordinating conjunction links the independent clause â€Å"I checked the file cabinet† and the dependent clause â€Å"searching the desk.† Filling a similar role are conjunctions technically known as complementizers, such as that and whether, which turn a clause into a sentence’s subject or object. Examples include that in â€Å"John said that she was going to be here† (although that as a complementizer is generally optional) and whether in â€Å"I don’t know whether I can attend.† (Here, as in many but not all usages, if is interchangeable with whether.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical WordsProbable vs. Possible15 Names and Descriptions of Effects

NUR 455 Blog 6 #5 Example

NUR 455 Blog 6 #5 Example NUR 455 Blog 6 #5 – Assignment Example Nursing Nursing Question One The condition that Mrs. Brown is going through makes her much more susceptible to various risks that come owing to her environment. She obviously has a myriad of medical needs that require her to have quick access to a health facility that can help to stabilize her. Hypertensive patients should always have quick and reliable access to medical facilities. She lives alone and lacks anyone that would support her in case of an emergency. The psychological perils associated with loneliness and isolation would worsen her condition (Cox and Hill, 2010). She is, therefore, at a high risk of suffering from increased diabetic and hypertension attacks which can hardly be contained owing to the hampered access to hospital.Question TwoFirst, her psycho-emotional state should be stabilized and be trained on stress management. Stress and emotional turmoil are triggers of hypertension and if she can avoid this and manage them well, then she will have little to worry abou t. Second, she should be trained on how to personally identify and respond to any tell-tale signs of her condition early enough so that she can access a medical facility in good time.Question ThreeMrs. Brown may need a personal assistant probably with basic nursing knowledge who can take care of her, ensure she takes her medications and in case of any problem respond appropriately. Consequently, she needs to keep in touch with service providers such as counselling psychologist/ health psychologist who will guide her on the best lifestyle practices and how to manage her situation. She should join a gym or a leisure facility in which she can do some exercises not only to keep her mind busy but also to ensure physically fitness (Hindle and Coates, 2011). ReferencesCox, C., & Hill, M. (2010). Professional issues in primary care nursing. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.Hindle, A., & Coates, A. (2011). Nursing care of older people. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ascribed celebrity Essays

Ascribed celebrity Essays Ascribed celebrity Paper Ascribed celebrity Paper it is attributed celebrity (Rojek, 2001). In a remarkable way, Rojek thought it wise to categorise a minor group of celebrities, he carved out what he termed as celetoid from attributed celebrity. He defined this group of celebrity as media-generated, compressed, concentrated form of attributed celebrity, examples include, reality show contestants, lottery winners, mistresses these kind of celebrity have 15minutes fame. They have not achieved any spectacular feat to be respected or to earn long term celebrity status, and tabloids understand that it is how they, the tabloids, represent them that the public feel about them.

Case Study for Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study for Auditing - Essay Example e aspects of this year’s audit of the financial statements, which might be regarded as high risk for Stanley Limited, include the distribution costs and the retained profit or loss from the viewpoint of income statements. From the perspective of financial presentation statement or balance sheet, the high risk aspect includes the trade payables as a part of current liabilities. From the viewpoint of the income statements, the significant aspect of distribution costs might be regarded as one of the high risk factors of this year’s audit of the financial statements of Stanley Limited. Fundamentally, the distribution costs which is also known as distribution expenses of any organisation are regarded as the expenses which are associated with the transfer of a product or commodity from the place of manufacturing to the ultimate position of the customers. Moreover, distribution costs or expenses also imply those expenses which are directly involved in order to transfer the commodities or the products from the warehouse to a person2. It has been identified that the distribution costs or expenses of Stanley Limited was increasing year after year and were becoming very much expensive as compared with other expenses i.e. administrative expenses and others. The main reason for considering the distribution expenses as a high risk factor is because the distribution costs or expenses directly affects upon the operating profit or loss of Stanley Limited. The main reasons for the increased distribution expenses of Stanley Limited can be due to its various expenses such as carriage on sales, selling expenses, salaries, travelling expenses and commission of the salesman among others. All these significant factors might constitute the distribution expenses as high risk factor for Stanley Limited3 In terms of the statements of the financial position or the balance sheet, the aspect of trade payables might be an important risk factor for Stanley Limited. Fundamentally, trade

THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF FOOD AND EATING by Sidney W. Mintz^ and Christine Essay

THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF FOOD AND EATING by Sidney W. Mintz^ and Christine M. Du Bois^ - Essay Example That notwithstanding, what comes out as of utmost importance in the article is what anthropology entails. From the reading, it is asserted that anthropology is concerned with unearthing the origin of human life, culture, as well as social interactions. In fact, through references made to Kant’s philosophy on reasoning, the concept of anthropology is epitomized. It seeks to find knowledge against which man gains understanding of the world. Fabian fronts the idea that knowledge is a possession which contributes to the survival of mankind. The article by Roy Ellen mainly seeks to espouse on the theories that should be accepted as being anthropological. Just as argued by Fabian, anthropology is fundamentally based on theories just like in philosophical studies. In fronting his views on anthropological theories, the author argues that theories are basically presumptions. They constitute of suppositions which should aid one in developing a basis for ascertaining the truth behind contemporary occurrences or predicaments. In doing, the author gives an example of how the theory of evolution from selected individual could be used to give presumptions on the rest of life. Anthropological theories, therefore, should seek to give directions on anthropological studies with the aim of giving information which could be used for the survival of the existent species. There are different theories which have been fronted in this discourse. The first is the simple correlative theory which is based on hypothesis which bear relevance to selected variables. It works by minimizing the variables to selected ones which would best suit the situation at hand. The other is the theory of emergent systems which is characterized by probabilistic occurrences. The last theory is on socio-cultural change as well as its transmission. In reviewing the theories which are existent in anthropology, the writer digresses to the Darwinian Theory of

Coney Island Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coney Island Hospital - Essay Example Coney Island Hospital prides itself in its ability to take an active role in building a healthier Southern Brooklyn. In so doing, the hospital makes a cognizant effort to reach out the ethnically diverse community it is an integral part of. This is done through the utility of innovative approaches. The Community Wellness 2000 initiative represents one of the many community-based coalitions utilizing a proactive healthcare method. In so doing, it imparts a strong philosophy of health maintenance and sickness prevention as a means of improving the health and well-being of the individuals within the community of Southern Brooklyn. The fundamental goal of initiatives such as the Community Wellness 2000 initiative is the provision of preventive and integrated healthcare services (New York City Department of Health, 2006). One of the fundamental strengths of Coney Island Hospital is its ability to provide superior clinical services to its culturally and ethnically diverse constituents. In its advertisement, the hospital emphasizes its excellent departments and specialty areas. These areas include Adolescent Medicine, Urology, Cardiology and Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Additionally, Coney Island Hospital prides itself in the fact that it has worked arduously to expand its Women's Health services to include a multi-disciplinary Osteoporosis Program which is built around the concept of preventative medicine. Another area of improvement within the hospital is the improved level of services provided by the Breast Health Center. Through its utility of state of the art technology, the hospital has strategically positioned itself as one of the leading facilities for breast disease detection and management (New York State Department of Health, 2006). One of the most distinguishing features of Coney Island Hospital is its recently-formed community-based alliance with practitioner within the private sector. This alliance as embodied in the "Partners In Private Practice" program has experienced phenomenal growth and in a relatively short period of time, it has grown to include six medical offices that provide both primary care and specialty services. These offices are truly a part of the ethnic and cultural diversity Coney Island Hospital caters to in that the offices are specifically designed to serve the Russian, Pakistani and Chinese communities (New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, 2006). The specialty services offered by Coney Island Hospital serve as the main distinguishing features. Its specialty services include Adolescent Medicine, Adult Primary Care, Ambulatory Services, Breast Health Center, Cardio-Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center and multicultural services. The Adolescent Medicine Program proves dedicated services to young people between the ages of 12 and 21. The services offered to the young people serviced by this program includes preventive and curative services for sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, weight/nutritional management, scoliosis as well as vision, hearing and psychological assessments and social services. The ambulatory surgery department of Coney Island Hospital is one of the highest rated in the tri-state area. It boasts modernized pre-test and registration areas as well as a state

Transformational Leadership Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Transformational Leadership - Article Example Thus, the leader plays the crucial role of ensuring that people take action that is in sync with the objectives and goals of the group. Leadership is a social phenomenon. As such, there are elements of leader-follower relationships that are mainly subjective in nature and are influenced by individual personality and the philosophical outline of the group (Nozick, 2010 p27). Due to this, the definition of leadership in itself is not quite clear. Gallos defines leadership as â€Å"a complex social process, rooted in the values, skills, knowledge and ways of thinking of both leaders and followers† (p18, 2008). This definition therefore means that leadership is influenced by some variables that influence the relationship between leaders and followers. However, there has been debates in academia and practice about how leadership can and must be construed (Stevenson, 2004 p2). Leadership can be seen as a transaction through which the leader gets to instruct and force his followers to attain the objectives of the group. In this sense, leadership is seen as a transactional event. A transactional event is â€Å"an activity or event whereby a group of people need some form of direction to attain a clearly identified goal† (Paulsen, 2010 p17). In the concept of transactional leadership, followers are required to attain stated ends and the leader is there to ensure that. This means that a formal relationship exists between a transactional leader and his followers. This relationship does not extend beyond the confines of attaining the objectives at hand. On the other hand, several contemporary writers like Bass and Burns have put forward the concept of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership seems to encompass some social aspects which enhances the relationship between leaders and followers outside the normal scope of work or organizational goals. This paper examines the concept of transformational leadership. It begins by identifying the default position of leadership in organizations, which is transactional leadership. From that point, the paper goes on to evaluate the role of transformational leadership as an improvement and replacement of transactional leadership. The paper also focuses on elements of t ransformational leadership and examines some important aspects of this type of leadership. Transactional-Event, Leadership and Authority Max Weber stated that there are three sources of authority and these sources of authority puts a person in a leadership position in a transactional event (Walonick, 1993). Weber's three sources of authority are patriarchal/traditional, rational/legal and/or charismatic/informal. Patriarchal leadership results from historical activities which gives individuals and families certain social status. Thus, people who acquire leadership through patriarchal authorities are mainly people whose births and families have some inherent power or rights of leadership which are transferred to them through inherently. On the other hand, rational/legal authority comes about because a person is legally accepted to have acquired the necessary education, qualifications/certification and relevant experience to fill a given position (Kalinowski, 2005). Such a position of authority is legally recognized by the laws of the land. Charismatic authority comes about as a result of certain informal qualities that renders an individual more powerful in a group. This power, when exercised gives the individual some kind of authority. In exercising authority, a leader could see the followers as a means to an end or an end in itself (Grint, 2002). The approach used, makes the leader either

Goodwill Impairment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goodwill Impairment - Research Paper Example However, there are several noticeable differences in the two accounting approaches as listed below: In the context of allocation of Goodwill, allocation is done to an operating unit in case of U.S. GAAP. In IFRS language, its allotment is done to a small group of assets that generates flow of cash and such unit has to be smaller than the operating segment of a company. In the context of the recognition of the loss of impairment, the US GAAP considers such a case if the implied fair value exceeds the amount for carrying of a particular reporting unit and the amount for carrying of the goodwill (Alexander & Britton, 2004). It is a two step approach. On the other hand, in case of IFRS, which follows a one step approach, weigh cash generating unit’s amount carried against the amount that can be recovered. Impairment of loss is spotted when the former is greater than the latter. In US GAAP parlance, the loss of impairment is the amount of difference between the carried amount of go odwill and the reporting unit’s fair value that is implied. In terms of IFRS, it is the amount the former exceeds the amount that can be recovered. The loss thus arisen would be provisioned for Goodwill impairment until the latter is zero. Pros and cons of measuring Goodwill Impairment The measurement of goodwill has several positives aspects to it. If the process is undertaken with precision and accuracy, it will provide helpful information about the net worth for the investors of the company. If the financial information is overstated then it provides a wrong idea about the future to the manager across other departments and hence they would take wrong decisions. Hence an accurate measurement would help the other departments as well. The disadvantages of measurement is that if there is too much goodwill for a company to write off then it sends a negative impression to the investor about the management that they have records of taking wrong decisions. Often the determination of the fair value of goodwill is not disclosed by the company and hence there is ample scope for manipulation which can have its effect on the bottom line. There are various models that can be used for measuring of goodwill impairment and there is difference in opinion among expects regarding which method is to be taken. Hence depending on the method the value could vary. There is also another problem of separation of goodwill at the time of acquisition of a company and the total value of goodwill post acquisition. How convergence should work and why Though having several basic differences, the IASB and FASB should aim at convergence of the two standards with an aim to achieve a superior global standard of accounting. Both of them should work in harmony in areas like insurance and financial instruments. The reversal of the loss of impairment is prohibited in both U.S.GAAP and IFRS. In areas of offsetting of balance sheet they could not be of the same opinion. However they achieved s uccessful convergence in areas like disclosure norms which would help them in the reconciliation of the differences in requirements for offsetting. Convergence is necessary for Unites States as well as the world because it would affect areas of leasing and revenue as well. The American Companies also need to look upon certain issues relating to it. For example, some nations have already adopted the IFRS standards and the subsidiaries of the MNCs that are there in those countries have to