Case Study: Alcoa’s Core Values Essay

Ethics is based on a set of moral and ethical values. These values must be absolute – that is, you must take them seriously enough to override any human rationalization, weakness, ego, or personal faults. Alcoa’s ethical work climate is diverse, encourages open communication and learning, and community outreach. Alcoa’s core values are held to a high standard. Standing by these values: Integrity; Environment, Health, and Safety; Customer; Accountability; Excellence; People; and Profitability helps improve the moral of the company, employees, and consumers. By setting these as core values, Alcoa has made a commitment to improving quality of life among employees and community. Alcoa’s company used the ethical criterion of principles. Personal morality, company rules and procedures, and laws and professional codes were a higher priority to Mr. O’Neill. Regardless of the fact that the Mexico manager increase profits and had high marks of quality and satisfaction, Mr. O’Neill took the interest of the company’s value of safety and compliance. Alcoa made sure that employee’s and management had plenty of education and resources that there should have been no room for misunderstand or this kind of misconduct. â€Å"The emphasis on safety had deep meaning to Alcoa’s management team. The company’s management firmly believed that no employees should be forced to work in an environment where their safety and the safety of other employees might be jeopardized. Alcoa’s management supported the ethical principle that no employees should leave work in a worse condition than when they arrived (Lawrence & Weber, 2011). When going down to investigate the allegations himself, showed a great leader that has morals and beliefs that go hand and hand with the core values and ethics of the company. With such serious allegations, it was imperative for management to see what was going on first hand and take action. By sending an open letter to the entire company, Mr. O’Neill showed that there is no room for misperceptions of the core values set, showing that anything less is unrespectable and will not be tolerated.

Epic of Labaw Donggon Analysis

The Hinilawod epic tells the story of the exploits of the three demigod brothers, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap of Panay. In its original form the epic would take about three days to perform (including breaks for food and sleep), thus making it one of the longest epics in the world. Anthropologist Dr. F. Landa Jocano recorded a version of the epic from the inhabitants of Central Panay. This is how the story goes: When the goddess of the eastern sky Alunsina (also known as Laun Sina, â€Å"The Unmarried One†) reached maidenhood, the king of the gods, Kaptan, decreed that she should marry.All the unmarried gods of the different domains of the universe tried their luck to win her hand to no avail. She chose to marry a mortal, Datu Paubari, the mighty ruler of Halawod. Her decision angered her other suitors. They plotted to bring harm to the newlyweds. A meeting of the council of gods was called by Maklium-sa-t'wan, god of the plains, where a decision by those present w as made to destroy Halawod by flood.Alunsina and Paubari escaped harm through the assistance of Suklang Malayon, the goddess and guardian of happy homes and sister of Alunsina, who learned of the evil plot and warned the two so they were able to seek refuge on higher ground. After the flood waters subsided, Paubari and Alunsina returned to the plains secretly. They settled near the mouth of the Halawod river. Several months later Alunsina became pregnant and told Paubari to prepare the siklot, things necessary for childbirth.She delivered a set of triplets and summoned the high priest Bungot-Banwa to perform the rites of the gods of Mount Madya-as (the mountain abode of the gods)to ensure the good health of the children. The high priest promptly made an altar and burned some alanghiran fronds and a pinch of kamangyan. When the ceremony was over he opened the windows of the north side of the room and a cold northernly wind came in and suddenly the three infants were transformed into strong, handsome young men.Labaw Donggon, the eldest of the three, asked his mother to prepare his magic cape, hat, belt and kampilan (sword) for he heard of a place called Handug where a beautiful maiden named Angoy Ginbitinan lived. The journey took several days. He walked accross plains and valleys, climbed up mountains until he reached the mouth of the Halawod river. When he finally met the maiden's father and asked for her hand in marriage, the father asked him to fight the monster Manalintad as part of his dowry. He went off to confront the monster and with the help of his magic belt LabawDonggon killed the monster and to prove his feat he brought to Angoy Ginbitinan's father the monster's tail. After the wedding Labaw Donggon proceeded home with his new bride. Along the way they met a group of young men who told him that they were on their way to Tarambang Burok to win the hand of Abyang Durunuun, sister of Sumpoy the lord of the underworld and whose beauty was legendary. Lab aw Donggon and his bride continued on their journey home. The moment they arrived home Labaw Donggon told his mother to take care of his wife because he is taking another quest, this time he was going to Tarambang Burok.Before he can get to the place he has to pass a ridge guarded by a giant named Sikay Padalogdog who has a hundred arms. The giant would not allow Labaw Donggon to go through without a fight. However, Sikay Padalogdog was no match to Labaw Donggon's prowess and skill in fighting so he gave up and allowed him to continue. Labaw Donggon won the hand of Abyang Durunuun and also took her home. Before long he went on another journey, this time it is to Gadlum to ask for the hand of Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata who is the young bride of Saragnayan the lord of darkness.This trip required him to use his biday nga inagta (black boat) on which he sailed across the seas for many months, went across the region of the clouds, passed the land of stones until finally he reached the shores of Tulogmatian which was the seaside fortress of Saragnayan. The moment he set foot on the ground Saragnayan asked him, â€Å"Who are you and why are you here? † To which he answered, â€Å"I am Labaw Donggon, son of Datu Paubari and goddess Alunsina of Halawod. I came for the beautiful Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata. † Saragnayan laughed.He told Labaw Donggon that what he wished for was impossible to grant because she was his wife. Labaw Donggon then challenged Saragnayan to a duel saying that whoever wins will have her. The challenge was accepted and they started fighting. Labaw Donggon submerged Saragnayan under water for seven years, but when he let go of him, Saragnayan was still alive. The latter uprooted a coconut tree and started beating Labaw Donggon with it. He survived the beating but was not able to surpass the powers of Saragnayan's pamlang (amulet) and eventually he gave up and was imprisoned by Saragnayan beneath his house.Back home Angoy Gi nbitinan and Abyang Durunuun both delivered sons. Angoy Ginbitinan's child was named Aso Mangga and Abyang Durunuun's son was called Abyang Baranugon. Only a few days after they were born Aso Mangga and Abyang Baranugon embarked to look for their father. They rode their sailboats through the region of eternal darkness, passed the region of the clouds and the land of stones, finally reaching Saragnayan's home. Saragnayan noticed that Abyang Baranugon's umbilical cord have not yet been removed, he laughed and told the child to go home to his mother.Abyang Baranugon was slighted by the remarks and immediately challenged Saragnayan to a duel. They fought and Abyang Baranugon defeated Saragnayan and won his father's freedom. Labaw Donggon's defeat and subsequent imprisonment by the Lord of Darkness also angered his brothers. Humadapnon was so enraged that he swore to the gods of Madya-as that he would wreak revenge on all of Saragnayan's kinsmen and followers. Humadapnon prepared to go t o Saragnayan's domain. He employed the aid of Buyong Matanayon of Mount Matiula who was well-known for his skill in swordsmanship.For their journey they rode on a sailboat called biday nga rumba-rumba. They travelled through the region of the clouds, passed by the region of eternal darkness and ended up at a place called Tarambang Buriraw. In this place was a ridge called Talagas Kuting-tang where a seductive sorceress named Piganun lived. Piganun changed herself to a beautiful maiden and captured the heart of Humadapnon. Buyong Matanayon begged with Humadapnon to leave the place with him but the latter refused.After seven months passed, Buyong Matanayon remembered that they have brought with them some ginger. One evening at dinner time Buyong Matanayon threw seven slices of ginger into the fire. When Pinganun smelled the odor of burning ginger she left thedinner table because sorcerers hated the odor of ginger. Immediately Buyong Matanayon struck Humadapnon, who became unconscious. He dragged his friend with him and they were able to escape. They continued with their trek and everywhere they went they exacted revenge on all of Saragnayan's people and relatives.One day they reached a place called Piniling Tubig who was ruled by Datu Umbaw Pinaumbaw. There was a big gathering in the village and when they asked what was going on they were told that the datu was giving his daughter for marriage to whoever could remove the huge boulder that rolled from a mountain into the center of the village. Many men tried their luck but no one so far was able to even move the stone. Humadapnon took off his magic cape and used it to lift the stone and threw it back into the mountain. The datu kept his word and Humadapnon married his daughter.During the wedding feast Humadapnon heared about the beauty of the goddess of greed Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan from a guest minstrel who sang at the celebration. After the wedding Humadapnon went to seek the hand of the goddess in ma rriage. Along the way he encountered Buyong Makabagting, son of the mighty Datu Balahidyong of Paling Bukid who was also travelling with the same purpose in mind. Upon learning of Humadapnon's intent, Buyong Makabagting challenged him to a duel. They fought and Buyong Makabagting was no match to Humadapnon's strength and skill.The fight ended when Buyong Makabagting surrendered and even promised to aid Humadapnon in his quest. Humadapnon married the goddess and brought her home. Meanwhile, right after Humadapnon left to seek Saragnayan's followers and relatives his brother Dumalapdap left for Burutlakan-ka-adlaw where the maiden Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokon lived. For the trip he brought along Dumasig, the most powerful wrestler in Madya-as. Several months later they came to a place called Tarambuan-ka-banwa where they encountered the two-headed monster Balanakon who guarded a narrow ridge leading to the place where the maiden lived.With the aid of Dumasig, Dumalapdap kil led Balanakon. However, upon approaching the gate of the palace where the maiden lived he was confronted by Uyutang, a batlike monster with sharp poisonous claws. There ensued a bloody battle between the Humadapnon and the monster. They fought for seven months and their skill and prowess seemed to be equal. But on the seventh month, Humadapnon was able to grab on to Uyutang's ankle and broke it. Then he took his iwang daniwan (magic dagger) and stabbed Uyutang under the armpit.Uyutang cried out so loud that the ridge where they were fighting broke into two and there was an earthquake. Half of the ridge became the island of Buglas (Negros) and the other became the island of Panay. Dumalapdap married Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokan and then took her home. Datu Paubari was very happy when he was reunited with his three sons and he prepared a feast in their honor. After the celebration, the three brothers left for different parts of the world. Labaw Donggon went to the north, Hu madapnon went south, Dumalapdap to the west and Datu Paubari remained in the east.

Analysis Memorandum

Analysis Notes Summary This is an analysis note that recommends using the Microsoft Access database in the security department infrastructure. Many security administrators rely heavily on using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to track employees, security breaches, inspection plans, and training. Spreadsheets are an effective means of performing complex calculations, but spreadsheets are also limited to show the quality of the relationship between the security data associated with a particular field and the query. The following documents provide some suggestions for drafting predictive legal analysis. The form of proposal of the Memorandum of Understanding of the Ministry of Justice, the structure of the working draft, the sample memorandum of understanding and the advanced sample memorandum show the facts of the traditional structure emphasizing specific legal problems and their answers followed by merely legal significance I will. The resolution of de facto legal issues depends on - an d the applicable legal rules, the facts applied to the case, and the arguments about the possible refutation of key analysis items. One of the most difficult parts of writing a legal memorandum is to reach a defensive conclusion when the law is uncertain or applicable to your facts. Since the purpose of the memo is to answer the raised legal question, you can not just leave there saying that the law is not clear. You must believe that your research and analysis skills will allow you to provide reasonable answers. The discussion section is in the center of the memo. It interprets and analyzes the law and provides a place to apply it to your facts (the term integration will let you guide you through this section). For each individual legal issue included in the Memorandum, the discussion section should be divided into separate sections; subheadings are useful here. The discussion of each question should include an introduction, an explanation of applicable legal rules, application of rules to legal issues, and conclusions on the problem.

Cultural References in Translation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural References in Translation - Essay Example What makes people a group are not only the affinities of its members, but rather the diversity its members have towards what stands outside of it: the action of culture is similar to the two faces of a wall, which both encloses and, on the other side, protects from what is unknown and obscure, from what is foreign. And the language is the most important (and most efficient) wall a group have to protect its society, its structures and its culture. As the language is the main vehicle (and product itself) of a culture, it is almost impossible to translate the same cultural reference in a different language: the final result will always be lacking something in the power of the form or in its deep meaning. Obviously, this problem is minimum in translations between two similar languages, such as Slovenian and Russian are, or between two societies which have several believes in common, but the problem still remains, because it is impossible to transpose both the meaning and its form, even if we consider the French and British societies, quite different for many aspects, such as independent linguistic origins, but extremely similar for history and development.It is a nonsense to think of a word as a simple 'label' of just one concept3, because a single concept, especially the ideas expressing historical or traditional objects, has different meanings, according to the culture or society it refers to. It is enough to consider the diff erent values that the word Renaissance has: although it points to a defined period of British history, the Italian word Rinascimento refers to a definitely different historical period (1385/1492) and, moreover, to a completely separate sets of values. This is nothing but an insignificant example, but it portrays the misunderstanding a cultural reference could generate: a word achieves a meaning depending on the environment it surrounds it, and in this case it would consist in a wrong interpretation of history. Transposing a meaning is sometimes even impossible: if we consider the fact that English Language has neuter form, while French has not, or if we consider the fact that adjectives have feminine forms in French and English have not (Mon cher/ Ma chre vs. My dear), it is easy to understand how difficult is for the translator to transmit both meaning and form from a language into the other. Even mere objects, such as houses, cars and so on, achieve (or miss) some original feature s of theirs when translated. The word bois describes a wood and evocates the features a wood has in France, describes the species of trees this wood is made of, recollects the sounds of the animals peopling it: it creates an image which has nothing to deal with a wood situated in New Zealand. Obviously this problem is avoided in movies, illustrated books, or children books, as the features of the objects are defined and the words are not requested to portray what has already been constructed by the image, but it remains in literature, especially when a word

Are there differences in the types of dreams that occur at different Essay

Are there differences in the types of dreams that occur at different times & Describe how sleep changes during the course of one night - Essay Example Polysomnography reveals a 50% drop in activity between alertness and phase 1 sleep. The eyes are shut during phase 1 sleep, but if woken up from it, then an individual might feel as if they have not slept yet. Stage 1 might last between 5 to 10 minutes (Harris 23). Stage 2 is a time of light sleep where polysomnographic readings portray irregular peaks and valleys, or negative and positive waves (Harris 24). These waves show spontaneous phases of muscle tone joined with phases of muscle relaxation. Muscle tone of this type can be witnessed in other phases of sleep as a response to audio stimuli (Jung 53). The heart deep slows, plus body temperature goes up. At this stage, the body gets ready to go into a deep sleep. These stages are deep sleep phases, with Stage 3 being less intense compared to Stage 4. These stages are referred to as delta or slow-wave sleep (Harris 24). In slow-wave sleep, particularly during Phase 4, the electromyogram records sluggish waves of high amplitude, showing a pattern of rhythmic continuity and deep sleep (Harris 24 and Jung 54). The time of non-REM sleep, abbreviated as NREM, comprises of phases 1 to 4 and lasts between 90 minutes to two hours, each phases lasting roughly five to 15 minutes (Harris 25). However, surprisingly enough, phase 2 and phase 3 reiterate backwards prior to attaining REM sleep. Thus, a normal sleep sequence has this pattern: waking, stage 1 to 4, and then back to 2 via 3, REM. In essence, REM sleep takes place just 90 minutes following sleep onset (Harris 25). REM sleep is discernible from NREM sleep through transformations in physiological states, including its distinguishing fast eye movements (Harris 25). Nevertheless, polysomnograms reveal wave patterns in REM similar as the ones in phase 1 sleep (Jung 57). During normal sleep (in individuals missing disorders of wake-sleep patterns or REM behaviour disorder), respiration and heart rate accelerate and become irregular, whereas the legs,

Constitution of three countries Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Constitution of three countries - Research Paper Example The judicial branch as outlined by the constitution has been given the responsibility of ensuring that the constitution is well implemented by the help of the court system and judges. This research paper will look at the constitutions of Britain, Kenya, and China and compare them with that of the United States. Through this, it will be realized that each country’s constitution varies when it comes to the court system, but at the same time, there are some similarities that exist. Keywords: Constitution, Court System, United States, Kenya, Britain, China, America, Term Limit, Age Limit Introduction Constitutions have existed for decades. Among the earliest constitutions is the constitution of England, which was written in 1215 in England (Thomas, 2008). This essay compares and contrasts the constitutions and court systems of three countries, which are Britain, Kenya and China, with that of the United States. The courts have the responsibility of ensuring that the constitutions a re well implemented, either by the government or by the people or citizens of a particular country. What is a constitution? A constitution is referred to as â€Å"a written set of rules for a country† (Thomas, 2008, p. 6). ... It has been discovered that most of these constitutions are very similar in some ways. The people who wrote the United Sates constitution worked really hard to make the best system of rules they could. Structures of the Court Systems of the United States, Britain, Kenya, and China United States Court System Structure Court of Last Resort or the Supreme Court: This is the most superior court in America and the final place where litigants can file appeals for their cases (â€Å"Introduction to the Court System,† 2003). The appeals received in this court are mainly from the middle appellate courts (â€Å"Introduction to the Court System,† 2003). Appeal Courts: These courts come in between the Supreme Court and the trial courts and are found in the federal governments. Their jurisdiction is broader than the Supreme Court’s. They are responsible for reviewing the facts and the law of a case. They are also referred to as the intermediate or middle appellate courts (â⠂¬Å"Introduction to the Court System,† 2003). Trial courts: They are typically known as courts of general or original jurisdiction; this is usually where a case starts. The judges and juries of these courts are given the responsibility of listening to witnesses, examining the evidence, and giving rulings. If the parties involved are not satisfied, they then appeal to the Court of Appeal, and later to the Supreme Court. These courts are given names according to the types of cases they handle and their locations. These courts are also found in the federal government (â€Å"Introduction to the Court System,† 2003). Britain’s Court System Structure The structure of the British court system is rather complex

How Bingeing Became the New College Sport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How Bingeing Became the New College Sport - Essay Example The present research has identified that according to the U.S laws, persons who completed 18 years of age are matured enough to vote whereas only after the completion of 21 years of age, they are matured enough to drink. Even though the above law helped saving the lives of many youths from alcohol-related driving accidents and alcohol poisoning, it resulted in the creation of an unintended culture around forbidden alcoholism among the youths. College life is perceived also as an opportunity for drinking by the youths. â€Å"Drinking has been an aspect of college life since the first Western universities in the 14th century† (Seaman). In the 90’s the beer culture on college campuses was shifted to hard liquor culture. It is better to lower the drinking age to 18 even if some problems may occur initially. The initial thirst for drinking may settle after some time and the students will definitely concentrate more on studies thereafter, as witnessed in the Montreal's McGill University. Montreal's McGill University, which enrolls about 2,000 American undergraduates a year, reported that many students, when they first arrive, go overboard, exploiting their ability to drink legally. â€Å"But by midterms, when McGills demanding academic standards must be met, the vast majority has put drinking into its practical place among their priorities†. In short, drink age should be lowered to 18 from 21. In my opinion, lowering of drink age from 21 to 18 is not a wise step. It is a fact that the voting rights were allotted to those who completed 18 years of age. At the same time, we must visualize the voting right and drink age as two separate issues. Drinking will destroy the ability of a person to think rationally. Giving voting rights at 18 years of age is a strategy for developing political awareness and interest among students.

Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Quiz - Essay Example Law argues that with the advocating for use of paper money the cost of gold and sliver will radically reduce. Law’s assertion that the value of goods is independent of the quantity of money made meaning and answered questions on the freedom to purchase any quantity of a product on an agreed price or cost. In addition, Law believed that. If paper money was in use trade will be made easier and the level of demand and supply will be eventually influenced. On the other hand, the James Steuart argues on the need for demand in the industry, which will result to a certain level of supply, which can take both regular and irregular trends. This situation creates competition in the market milieu and helps in increasing the quality of products in the most natural manner. This implies that with help of paper money, a product will bought or sold at its value. In the case of the Allan Meltzer’s assertion on redistribution and sustainability, the problem of capitalism is created by unequal distribution of resources and income. This aspect does not only affect a particular group of class of people, but also the universal economic structure of a country. Meltzer asserts that capitalism has grown because of leaders’ hostility to reward their selfish interests. Meltzer argues that, the wealth generated by the market system should be equally redistributed to ensure a strong economic foundation (OBrien,

Human Respiration Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Respiration - Lab Report Example Normal values range from 12 to 20 breaths per minute. The Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV) is the quantity of air that is taken into the lungs during a maximal forced inspiration that begins at the end of a normal inspiration. The trace for vital capacity shows an IRV reading of 2300cc. The normal value for IRV is 2500cc. The Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV) is the quantity of air that is expelled from the lungs during a maximal forced expiration that begins at the end of a normal expiration. The trace for vital capacity shows a reading of 900cc for ERV. The normal value of ERV is 1500cc. The Vital Capacity (VC) is the total volume of air that is expelled from the lungs during a forced maximal exhalation that occurs after a forced maximal inhalation. The trace for vital capacity shows a direct VC reading of 4100cc. The normal value for VC is 4800cc. The depth of breathing at the start of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 accumulation part A. The TV reading is 1000cc. The depth of breathing at the end of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 accumulation part B. The TV reading is 1500cc. The frequency of breathing at the beginning of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 accumulation part A. The frequency at the beginning is 10 breaths per minute. The frequency of breathing at the end of the experiment is shown is the trace for CO2 accumulation part B. ... The depth of breathing at the start of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 accumulation part A. The TV reading is 1000cc. The depth of breathing at the end of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 accumulation part B. The TV reading is 1500cc. Frequency of Breathing at the Start and End of the Experiment The frequency of breathing at the beginning of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 accumulation part A. The frequency at the beginning is 10 breaths per minute. The frequency of breathing at the end of the experiment is shown is the trace for CO2 accumulation part B. The frequency at the end of the experiment is 17 breaths per minute. Sensations of Subject at the End of the Experiment Subject reports a slight feeling of breathlessness at the end of the experiment and reports the sensation of shallowness of normal breathing. EFFECT OF REBREATHING WITH CARBON DIOXIDE ABSORPTION The two traces that show the effects of rebreathing with carbon dioxide absorption are shown in the diagrams labelled CO2 Absorption Part A and CO2 Absorption Part B. Depth of Breathing at the Start and End of the Experiment The depth of breathing at the start of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 absorption part A. The TV reading is 1000cc. The depth of breathing at the end of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 absorption part B. The TV reading ranges from 1200cc to 1500cc. Frequency of Breathing at the Start and End of the Experiment The frequency of breathing at the beginning of the experiment is shown in the trace for CO2 absorption part A. The frequency at the beginning is 12 breaths per minute. The frequency of breathing at the end of the experiment is shown is the trace for CO2 absorption part B. The frequency at the

How effective managers might integrate biblical notions of service Essay

How effective managers might integrate biblical notions of service into managerial work - Essay Example There are reasons as to why business is carried on and also why management is important and how managers should approach business management in the biblical notion of service and be effective and efficient. According to Cyril and Cross (415), there are several salient basic influences or assumptions that are related to the business discipline. The managers should understand that God is compassionate, just, and loving (Matthew 5:1-7:29). They should also recognize that God is the creator of everything and that all people and materials; all the ability to create, discovering, and using information, and all the capability of creating wealth. The managers must also consider the fact that people receive gifts from God in various ways, and people are gifted with different skills. Due to the sinful nature of people, the managers must understand that people are greedy, prideful, and selfish, and that they have similar set of basic needs for justice, grace, and love provided by God and the ot her people. This implies that the people may as well be motivated in different ways in their actions to satisfy the needs. Again, people are familiar with two fundamental purposes, that is, the short-term view and the long-term view (Nell 17-18). In the short-term view, there is no other purpose for people other than procreation, selfish pursuit of their self-interest, and survival. For the long-term view, the people are creations in the image of God, meant to love, please, and serve both God and the other people. The managers should understand that people have the desire of living and working in relationships of other people (West 81). Because of the natural state of God and the work He did, and due to the nature of people and their actions, the Christian business managers take part in the redemptive activity of God by encouraging and

Implant of Radio-frequency identification tags in human body has more pros than cons Essay Example for Free

Implant of Radio-frequency identification tags in human body has more pros than cons Essay 1.0 Introduction RFID is the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data. The purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. Since RFID tags can be attached to clothing, possessions, or even implanted within people the possibility of reading personally-linked information without consent has raised privacy concerns. There are three types of RFID such as passive, semi-passive and active. For the passive RFID tags does not contain a battery, the power is supplied by the reader. When radio waves from the reader are encountered by passive RFID tag, the coiled antenna within the tag forms a magnetic field. For the semi-passive RFID tags are very similar to passive tags except for the addition of a small battery. This battery allows the tag IC to be constantly powered. Semi-passive RFID tags are faster in response and therefore stronger in reading ratio compared to passive tags. Therefore, the active RFID tag when it is equipped with a battery that can be used as a partial or complete source of power for the tag’s circuitry and antenna It may have longer range and larger memories than passive tags as well as the ability to store additional information sent by the transceiver. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for human implants and investigates the technological feasibility of such implants for locating and tracking persons or for remotely controlling human biological functions. A human microchip implant is an identifying integrated circuit device or RFID transponder encased in silicate glass and implanted in the body of a human being. A subdermal implant typically contains a unique ID number that can be linked to information contained in an external database, such as personal identification, physiological characteristics, health, medical history, medications, allergies, and contact information. A classical example of human identification based on RFID-implant is given by the VeriChip tag (11 mm long and about 1mm in diameter) which contains numerical code (identifiers) readable at 10 centimeters or less using a handheld reader. When illuminating by the low-frequency magnetic field (134 KHz) generated by the reader, the RFID tag powers itself up and transmits a 16-digit code that is unique to the tag. Recent developments in RFID technology have opened up new potential applications, where RFID devices are implanted in the human body for locating and tracking persons or for remotely controlling human biological functions. 2.0Content 2.1Medical field The primary goal of applying RFID technology in healthcare is to improve patient safety. First, RFID is a valuable tool for quickly retrieving patient information, allergies, and medication the patient is currently taking or medication a doctor will prescribe to the patient and monitoring patient location in hospitals so as to improve the accuracy of patient identification. Besides, microchip contains a unique identification number that emergency personnel may scan to immediately identify the patient and access his or her personal health information, thus facilitating appropriate treatment without delay. This is especially important for patients who suffer from conditions that may render them unconscious, confused, or unable to communicate. Doctors would also be able to decide the needed equipment and medication with minimal delay in an emergency case where every second is decisive. With the implanted chip, a RFID reader, and a wireless connection, a doctor or nurse can pull up the patient’s information, or even update the patient information in real time. Some benefits of this include less patient mix-up, being able to access the patient information in real time, and fewer mistakes due to human error during data recording. Productivity would increase since the doctors and nurses would not have to go to a computer to enter in the updated information. This would allow doctors and nurses to focus more on their professional duties Alzheimer disease, the most common form of dementia which has no cure till date, the most common symptoms is difficult to remember recent events. This has place great burden on caregivers as they have to constantly look after the patient, worrying them lose track in middle of nowhere. By implanting RFID tags in those patients, it is easy to identify and monitor the location and keep track of those patients with Alzheimer disease for their safety purposes. Alerting services can identify possible human errors and warn care providers in case of danger. For example, automatic sponge counting by RFID can avoid sponge left inside the patient body. 2.1.1Evidence 1) VeriChip, the company that hold the rights and patents to the implantable chip for humans, has sold 7,000 chips with 2,000 of which have been placed in people, according to Scott Silverman, chairman of Applied Digital, which owns VeriChip. The company’s present focus is tagging â€Å"high-risk† patients, such as those with diabetes, heart conditions or Alzheimer’s. (July 30, 2007) 2) According to a survey on employed professional and semi-professional people done in Pittsburgh, US, 62.5% of the total respondents (comprises of both sexes with equal votes) were willing to accept implants for medical reason 3) A number of RFID-related software applications were developed in Taiwan. Some of these applications focused on the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to prevent spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) disease. These applications include computerized systems for monitoring the body temperature of healthcare personnel and patients with implanted RFID tag in the hospital, track potential virus carriers and, when necessary, map their movements throughout hospitals and keeping track of people under quarantine in facilities separate from hospitals. 4) Don Mackechnie, the chairman of the British Medical Associations Accident and Emergency committee, and a consultant at the Rochdale Infirmary, said: Such a device (RFID tag implantation) could prove very useful in a situation where we have an unconscious patient with an unknown medical history. 5) Twenty-five Alzheimers patients were implanted with radio frequency identification chips that can be linked to their medical records and be tracked if they are lost. The patients were implanted at the 2007 Alzheimers Educational Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. The chips, from VeriChip Corp., Delray Beach, Calif., work with the vendors VeriMed Patient Identification System. Each chip contains a 16-digit identification number that is linked to a patients medical records in a database at the medical facility. Waving the vendors RFID reader over a patient implanted with a chip can capture the number. Emergency personnel can also use the scanner to identify patients. The event was sponsored by Alzheimers Community Care, a local provider organization. Those who elected to receive the chip are not part of VeriChips recently announced study with the organization, which will implant 200 Alzheimers patients and their caregivers with the chips. In the study, the patients medical record will include their Alzheimers diagnosis, related medications, caregiver contact information, and other information. 2.2Human Tracking A tracking function could aid authorities in locating missing people such as kidnapping victim. As the numbers of abduction are surging nowadays, RFID implant in human body become the most effective way to fight against this crime. RFID implant in human body can help the authorities to identify their location if they were kidnapped. In fact, RFID implants in children are gaining popularity in Latin American and Russian markets, where parents fear that their children may be kidnapped and are therefore willing to brand them electronically in the hope that it will make it easier to trace kidnapped victims. One of the current issues of the world is the escalating numbers of crime. Because of this, authorities may use RFID tracking chips to track fugitives, terrorists, criminals and more. For example, by implanting the RFID tag into the criminal body, it would be easy to track them if they escape by any means. This chip allows the authority to track back the fugitives easily as the tag will locate the location of the criminal. This implantation will certainly help to ensure the safety of citizens from escaped felons at all time. Besides, these tags are incredibly versatile and may help the lives of countless people with chronic medical problems as well as keeping track of the vulnerable members (extremely young and old) of our society. A vulnerable elderly need this tags because of disability to remember the way back home, age or illness, and may be unable to take care or protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation. So a tag on old people can let the authorities find back them easily. Furthermore, schools are taking advantage of biometrics and RFID technology, as they are cognizant of the increasingly more complex responsibility of keeping children accounted for and safe from arrival through after school programs to transport home. 2.2.1Evidence 1) A real case of implantation of RFID happened in Mexico. According to the 2011 Mexican congressional report, kidnappings have jumped 317 percent in the past five years. Surprisingly, one fifth of instances have involved police officers or soldiers, which leads to a mistrust of these authority figures. Thus, some of the Mexicans pay for the implantation of RFID to protect themselves, so that they could be tracked in the case of being kidnapped. They are now having themselves implanted with RFID tracking chips which can help them to be rescued. Xega, the Mexican company that sells the chips and performs the implants, says its sales have increased 40 percent in the past two years. The company says it has successfully helped rescue 178 clients in the past decade. 2) In Brazil, where Applied Digital has already signed a deal on 2004 to supply RFID tracking chips to distributors in Brazil to help them to fight against kidnapping. Government official says that the chips could be used to t rack down victims via satellite. 2.3Convenience With an RFID implant in the human body, shopping could be as easy as waving your hand and such routine tasks would take less time. The customer can automate the process by simply scanning their implanted chip and the business could match the customer and shipment numbers with the barcode number on the item that is to be returned. They would no longer need a receipt to do so and prevent unnecessary arguments. This new technology makes the purchasing function faster and more convenient. If a bank account or credit card account is linked to an implanted microchip, making a purchase would be extremely fast and safe. Consumers can also enjoy the peace of mind knowing that there is a greatly reduced change of having their â€Å"card† stolen because it would be imbedded in their hand. Perhaps by utilizing microchip implants banking/credit card applications, females would not have to carry a purse everywhere they go and in turn reduce the risk of theft and, thus, reducing identity theft and fraud, which also appeared to be an important issue to women. Moreover, employers are exploring the advantages of utilizing these technologies to ensure only those employees authorized can enter buildings, turn on lights, access computers, change office thermostat settings and operate specialized machinery safely and according to set standards based on a system that can authenticate those employees who meet the re-determined levels of permission. With the implantation of RFID chips, people could stop worrying about keys for their house and cars, the lock code of doors, computers, and much more. Kevin Warwick, a professor had a microelectrode array implanted in the median nerve fibers of his left arm that allowed him to develop a system that could connect his nervous system and a computer (Foster and Jaeger 45). Some people who had RFID chips implanted in their bodies have developed circuits that will allow them to start their cars by waving their hands near a reader (Foster and Jaeger 45). It would certainly reduce the cases of car stolen as the cars cannot be accessed by people other than the specified person. People can access all of their things with the single micro chips that they have implanted inside their body. 2.3.1Statistics Based on a survey done in Pittsburgh, USA, it was found that working professionals between the ages of 25 and 36 years will be more adaptable to the microchips implant technologies than other age groups. Numerous studies have also shown that younger people are more likely to adapt to this new technology, particularly those who fall in the age category of 25 to 36, since they are most likely representative of the younger well-educated professionals. 2.3.2Evidence 1) Baja Beach Club in Barcelona, Spain Launches Microchip Implantation for VIP members (first discotheque in the world to offer the VIP VeriChip) on 7 April, 2004 * Using an integrated (imbedded) microchip, the VIPS can identify themselves and pay for their food and drinks without the need for any kind of document (ID). Special zone at Baja beach Club where only VIPs are allowed contains various exclusive services for these members. Therefore, they wont have to carry a wallet. By simply passing by our reader, the Baja beach Club will know who you are and what your credit balance is. From the moment of their implantation they will also have free entry and access to the VIP area The customers like the fact that they do not have to carry a credit card or ID card with them and with the VeriPay system, they no longer have to worry about their credit cards getting lost or stolen. 2) 18 staff members of the Mexican Attorney Generals office have been implanted with the Verichip to control access to a data room * Mexicos top federal prosecutors and investigators began receiving chip implants in their arms in November 2003 in order to get access to restricted areas inside the attorney generals headquarters, said Antonio Aceves, general director of Solusat, the company that distributes the microchips in Mexico.† Although the technology can be out there to duplicate (a chip), but what can’t be stolen is the unique identification number and the information that is tied to that number†, said by director of RFID analysis at ABI Research Inc. based on theory that the chips could be as secure as existing RFID-based access control systems such as the contactless employee badges widely used in corporate and government facilities. Silverman said his companys system is nevertheless safe because its chips can only be read by the companys proprietary scanne rs. 2.4Customers Relationship Management Companies could track customers’ personal purchases and send promotional items personally tailored to their customers. This has the potential to be a safe and cost-effective way to improve marketing and customer services of companies. Hence, improving customer services is where the benefits are more apparent for implant. The second improvement to CRM identified is the improvement of dispute resolution through reverse logistics. With this technology, any purchases that are made in a store can be database and store for later recollection. For example, this may mean that if a customer needs to return an item they would no longer need a receipt to do so. The customer can automate the process by simply scanning their implanted chip and the business could match the customer and shipment numbers with the barcode number on the item that to be returned. This application of relatively inexpensive technology could stop the countless hours and aggravation that customer service managers spend on trying to accommodate consumer’s disputes. It would also get a great distance on stopping fraud and other scams that cost stores millions of dollars each year. If it is more difficult to forge documentation of a purchase then potential thieves would seek easier prey for customer fraud and theft. Besides, purchasing made by customers is faster by using RFID which will help companies work more efficiently and effectively. This will help company to reduce time and cost and improve company performances. Another important improvement that is identified in the conceptual model is the ability of this new technology to make the purchasing function faster and more convenient. If widespread acceptance could be achieved, there is a distinct possibility that credit and banking cards may become obsolete in the near future. If a bank account or credit card account is linked to an implanted microchip, making a purchase would be extremely fast and safe. This implication would serve credit card companies in its ability to stop credit card theft, since a relatively simple precaution may be used that invalidates the microchip if tampered with and forcibly removed. Huge savings may be realized if even small reductions in credit card and identity theft were possible. This enhanced security would allow credit card companies’ capital to increase the credit lines of their consumers and also potentially lower interest rates. 3.0Conclusion In conclusion, RFID applications can provide significant benefits to the healthcare industry to ensure patient safety, avoid medical errors as well as improve efficiency. In fact, healthcare is predicted to be one of the major growth areas for RFID. Besides, RFID can keep track of elderly, children and fugitives. This will help to prevent happening of crimes. Moreover, this new technology makes the purchasing function to be faster and more convenient. Lastly, service marketing indicatives could use standard CRM principles to properly track, treat, and order required products and services that personally identify the customer, the needed services, and the proper billing information for such services.

History of Cheese Essay Example for Free

History of Cheese Essay In developing a search strategy the most important thing is to decide on the keywords that sum up the information one wants. In my research paper I am researching on the history of cheese. The keywords in my topic are history and cheese. The synonyms of cheese include cheese flower, high mallow, malva sylvestris and tall mallow. History synonyms include account, chronicle and story. Cheese production and consumption has proliferated all over the world since its discovery years ago. This is due to its availability in the stores all over the world. The process of making is also easy and the ingredients that are used in its production are easily presented. The main ingredient is milk. Production of cheese has been converted from small scale production to large scale production as years since its discovery progress (Martin 12). Cheese refers to a group of milk-based foods which come in different flavors, forms and textures. It comprises of proteins and fat that is gotten from milk. The milk is produced by cows, goats, sheep or buffaloes (Harbutt 8). Cheese is produced by curdling of milk protein. The mild is acidified and an enzyme called rennet is added to cause the curdling. The solid and liquid are separated and modeled into different forms and shapes. There are a variety of cheese that includes cheddar, camembert, stilton and parmesan. The history of cheese according to a study done at the University of Georgia was discovered by an accident. An Arabian merchant was carrying milk in a pouch. The pouch made from a sheep’s skin contained rennin. Due to the scorching heat from the sun, the enzyme rennin was activated causing the milk to turn into solid curds. Though the exact time of the discovery of cheese is unknown, cheese appeared 3500BC. It was widely used in Asia and then migrated to Europe. Cheese was mentioned in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey. In the scene the Cyclops is making cheese and placing in wicker (University of Georgia 1). In the early days of cheese production, milk from different sources was mixed, and a variety of seasonings added to produce abundant flavors. Cheese was introduced in America after Mayflower landed and became a staple component in many American households. The first cheese factory was established in 1851 in Oneida County, New York. The Jesse Williams factory eliminated the production of cheese individually or by local farms. This flourished the production of cheese (Sokol 2). Writers like Richard claims that cheese was first forum in the Middle East. It was in form of sour milk which came into being after it was discovered that domesticated animals could be milked. It was observed that milk left in a container turned into a solid especially in hot temperatures. The curds and whey that were gotten from milk were discovered to be edible. The history of cheese is also mentioned in the old testament of the bible. David was fed with cheese of kine when he escaped across the river Jordan. David was also asked to bring with him ten cheeses to his commander of his brothers as they were participating in the battle against the philistines (Sokol 2). The ingredient of cheese is mostly milk. All kinds of milk like reindeer, caribou, yak, and llama have been used to produce cheese. In the process of cheese production, Sokol in his book, â€Å"And That’s How You Make Cheese† claims that protein in the milk is curdled and separated from water. The curdles are cut, cooked, drained and pressed to drain out more water. This leads to the production of a solid cheese that can be sliced. Archeologists that were excavating lake dwellings on the shores of Lake Neuchatel found potsherds that had pierced with holes. The findings dated back to six hundred years before Christ. The vessels had been used as drainers that were used to separate curds from whey (Toussaint-Samat 103). This made them conclude that the production of cheese which was mainly from sheep and goats milk had been done on their land earlier. Cheese contains high concentration of essential nutrients. Some of these nutrients include quality proteins and calcium that help in the development of the body. The invention of cheese grew tremendously due to the many benefits that are accrued from it. Cheese contains high concentration of calcium that helps in cavity prevention in the teeth. It helps in the development of strong teeth because it has low concentration of lactose. The consumption of cheese after a meal such as cheddar, Swiss, Brie and Monterey helps in the prevention of tooth decay. Cheese has also been proven to prevent cancer due to its high concentration of conjugated Linoleic acid and Sphingolipids (Roberts, Petrini and Hooper 350). The cheese business has thrived in the world greatly due to the large profits accrued from the industry. Cheese production and consumption has increased all over the world. Companies have cropped up and ventured in the industry thus creating a viable business enterprise. Some of the companies like the Arena Cheese factory, Aria Foods, Inc and Andrew Everett are some of the companies that have ventured in the cheese industry. They have enabled many households to enjoy wide variety of cheese after their meals. Cheese like the Provolone and Ricotta are used as appetizers, salads. They are first refrigerated and wrapped in order to retain freshness. Other types of cheese like the Parmesan and Roman are grated on soups, bread and spaghettis. Camembert cheese is used o crackers or with fruit that help in appetizers and desserts. It is first refrigerated during storage and preserved in a temperature controlled room. The United States is the largest producer of cheese in the world. This has been facilitated by the large supply of milk in the US. The United States has dedicated large amount of funds and time on investment and research work. The availability of large farms involved in milk production has also contributed to the production of cheese in the US. There are more than four hundred and fifty plants in the United States dealing in cheese production. The companies operate on a strict sanitary and quality standards set up to control the cheese industry. This has helped the United States to position itself as the premium cheese supplier (Pastorino, Hansen and McMahon 67). One of the most popular types of cheese is Roquefort. This cheese falls in the family of blue veined cheese because throughout the cheese, there are thin blue lines amidst the cream colored cheese. Originally produced in Southern France, it has moved across the world as a favorite of so many. For this cheese, one can choose between goat, sheep, and cow milk. The sheep the French use to make their cheese are fed grass in which there is a high level of limestone or calcium carbonate. Cheese-France 1) If the milk has too much or too little acid in it, a different cheese may be formed or the milk can spoil at a faster rate and therefore making an unappetizing block of cheese. The limestone helps balance the pH level and acts as a buffer. At time the cheese maker adds rennet, to start the curdling process, and then must wait at least two hours to allow the rennet to form. People cant eat Roquefort cheese because of an allergy to penicillin. As one article states, The traditional way of getting penicillium is to place loaves of bread in a dark, damp space, and letting them mold. After ten weeks the bread crust is pealed back to reveal the inside of the bread, which is nothing more than a fine green powder, the powder is called penicillium. After combining the bacterium with the curd, the cheese begins to take shape but, the cheese needs to monitored because many other byproducts must be removed throughout the curdling process. Once the salt has settled, the cheese maker must put holes into the cheese to allow the carbon dioxide to release into the air. The cheese maker will receive his final product about six months later, as the bacterium is hard at for that long. Encyclop? dia Britannica 1) Cheese since its discovery has evolved in a great way. The production of cheese used to be in small scales during the early years. Today it is produced commercially by large companies. The use of cheese has also changed from the time when it was used as food. Cheese is currently used in prevention of teeth cavities, salad and preservatives. This shows that since cheese was invented tremendous changes have been experienced thus leading to its development to what it is in the present world (Sokol 29).

Factors That Affect the Market Price of Oil

Factors That Affect the Market Price of Oil THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE MARKET PRICE OF A PRODUCT SUCH AS THE WORLD PRICE OF OIL IN THE PAST TWO DECADES. BRIEF: 103737 INTRODUCTION In order to have a good understanding of the factors that affect the market price of a product, one will first need to grasp the meaning of what a market is. A market can be defined as an area over which buyers and sellers negotiate the exchange of some product or related group of products. It must be possible, therefore, for buyers and sellers to communicate with each other and to make meaningful deals over the whole market. Individual markets differ in the degree of competition among the various buyers and sellers. In some cases where the number of buyers and sellers is sufficiently large no one of them will have any appreciable influence on price. This is what is known as a perfectly competitive market. However, for the purposes of this essay we will stick to the concept of a market. Using the table below we will show how the market price of a product (bread) is affected. Demand and supply schedules for eggs and equilibrium price From the table above we can see that the quantity demanded is much higher than the quantity supplied at 110 and 5 and the price is  £0.50. This shows an excess demand of 105. When the quantity demanded is 90 and the amount supplied to the market is 46, we have excess demand of 44 we correspondingly have a market price of 1. However, when the quantity demanded is 77.5 and the quantity supplied is 77.5, the market price for bread is  £1.50. At this point the quantity demanded is the same as the quantity supplied. At such a price consumers wish to buy exactly the same amounts as the producers wish to sell, this is known as the equilibrium price. At prices above  £1.50 the quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded. Furthermore, the higher the price, the lower the excess of quantity demanded over quantity supplied. The amount by which the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied is called the excess demand, which is defined as quantity demanded minus quantity supplied (qd à ¢â‚¬â€œ qs). This is shown in the last column of the table. Finally, consider prices higher than  £1.50. At these prices consumers wish to buy less than producers wish to sell. Thus, quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded. Furthermore, the higher the price, the larger the excess of one over the other. In this case there is negative excess demand (qd – qs Now that we have understood the factors that affect the market price of a product, we can now move on to talk about the factors that affect the fluctuations in the price of oil for the past two decades. In 1985, the price of oil (Saudi Arabian Light) was $27.53 per barrel[1] (yearly average). The price of oil during this period was falling, in which in 1986, the Saudi’s abandoned the swing producer role because they had the largest reserves of oil and capacity utilization to stabilize the price of oil when there was a shortage in the world oil market. By 1987, the price of oil had dropped to $16.95. In 1988, it dropped further to $13.27 and $15.62 in 1989. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait in what turned out to be a huge blow to the stable price of oil. The oil price rose to $20.45 per barrel. The major reason for this is that both Iraq and Kuwait were members of OPEC and due to the war there was a shortage of oil in the world oil market which led to an increase in the price of oil. Between 1990 and 1991 America launched operation desert storm, which was to help Kuwait against Iraq. This also contributed to the rise in the price of oil as America is the largest consumer of oil, an d they needed it during the military campaign of operation desert storm. In 1991 and 1992, the price of oil decreased to $16.63 and $17.16 respectively. In 1993, it fell again to $14.95 and $14.74 in 1994. In 1995, the price rose to $16.10, and in 1996 it shot up to $18.52. In 1998, the price initially dropped to $12.21 but shot back up again to $17.25 in 1999. The main reason for this during this period was that there was an Asian economic crisis; the Iraq oil-for-food programme which helped in stabilizing the price of oil in 1998. In 2000, the price of oil leaped to an astounding $26.20. The reason for this was that due to the decline in the price of oil OPEC members decided to cut back production in order to stabilize the price of oil, before it went below the amount various member countries of OPEC will be able to cover the cost of producing oil. In 2001, the price decreased to $22.81, and in the same year (Sept. 11th) there was an attack in the US which destroyed the world trad e centre. In 2002 to 2003, the price of oil rose to $23.74, and $26.78 respectively. This came about due to strong demand growth mainly from countries like China, and India, in which in 2004, the price of oil jumped to an ecstatic $33.64. In the present year of 2005, the monthly average of the price of oil has reached $63 a barrel. However, for reasons to do with accuracy, we have decided not to use 2005 figures since we are still in the year. The following graph represents the trend in the world price of oil over the past two decades. Data source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2005. On the supply side, the main players in the crude oil market are OPEC, which currently provides about 40 percent of world supply and hold about 70 percent of proven oil reserves, and non-OPEC producers who own the rest. OPEC as the marginal supplier does act like a cartel in most cases, i.e. they collude to restrict the output of oil and raise the price far above their cost. In recent years, its policy has been to balance the market while allowing for an appropriate level of crude oil inventories in consuming nations. Non-OPEC producers, on the other hand, have relatively limited reserves and spare capacity, and generally behave as price takers. Currently, the estimated reserves of OPEC are 890 billion barrels, as opposed to 177 million barrels for non-OPEC members. In the latter years, world events such as the Iran and Iraq war, the Asian economic crisis, the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, and corporate social responsibility such as country legislation which regard environmental pollut ion as high on the agenda (in some country’s environmental pollution is stricter than others in order to produce oil, e.g. Nigeria has a less stricter environmental pollution legislation compared to Saudi Arabia) have all contributed to the fluctuations in the world price of oil. However, of recent, the strong demand growth from Asia and China in particular can be said to be the reason why the price of oil is rising. The consumption of oil in 2004 grew by 2.9 million barrels a day (mbd) (3.7 percent of which China contributed about 1 mbd) relative to 2003, which can be said to be the largest increase in the past 20 years. With notable exceptions of Iraq, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, the world’s oil producers may be close to their short-run output capacity. Thereby, continuing increases in demand and the possibility of even minor disruptions (Hurricane Katrina (US), Industrial disputes (Nigeria), environmental concerns (Nigeria)) in supply thus help in explaining the high market price for oil. Investment in refining capacity has been too low, and a mismatch has emerged between the type of refining capacity now required and what is available. For sometime, world oil demand has been driven by high-quality light crude (oil of low density or containing a low wax content, which makes production and refining easier) and by sweet crude (oil with a low sulphur content). Recent additions to production capacity by OPEC have though largely been in the heavy and sour grades of crude, which are more difficult and costly to refine. This lack of investment in appropriate refining capacity and limited substitution possibilities has pushed the retail price of oil up. Another reason which can be said to this lack of investment by OPEC members is a price collapse. When demand falls and the quotas allocated to member OPEC countries breaks down, the price can drop dramatically. For example, in 1997, OPEC raised its production ceiling by 2.5 million barrels per day in ant icipation of growing Asian demand, but the currency crisis of late 1997 instead caused Asian demand to fall. The result was a market price in 1998 that dipped to as low as $12.21 per barrel, the lowest level since 1973, and a $51 billion year over year reduction in oil revenue. In addition given continued uncertainty over the pace of China’s economic development, OPEC may be cautious in expanding supply capabilities due to this. This uncertainty of slow or minimal investment contributes to high futures prices for oil delivery several years ahead. One should also note that since 1986, most oil exporting countries have been burning more oil than they have discovered and since 1998, there has been a fragile balance between supply and demand. Oil is being found at a lower rate than what has been consumed, i.e. we are finding reserves at 7 billion while consuming oil at 30 billion barrels per annum (Exxon-Mobil estimates), hence the law of price adjustment and equilibrium can be s aid to have taken place. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION This paper has looked at the definition of what a market is. We have also mentioned the concepts of demand and supply with regards to equilibrium and the law of price adjustment. The erratic movement in the price of oil in the past two decades are also looked at. Issues of what factors cause fluctuations in the price of oil such as, the lack of investment by various OPEC member countries into oil production so as to keep up with the world demand of oil, the increasing demand of oil from Asia and the Peoples Republic of China, and the uncertainty of the oil market are all mentioned. It will be worthwhile to conclude that although at present these factors seem to be the norm that affects the price of oil, one should be more cautious into the future, as with hindsight these factors could become obsolete with time passing by. Potential factors which could turn out to be embedded in the future range from alternative sources of energy to synthetic fuels, in which in the long term the demand of oil will continue to exceed supply until the previous mentioned becomes entrenched in most economies. BIBLIOGRAPHY Asian Development Outlook, (2005), The challenge of higher oil prices. BP Statistical Review of World Energy, (2005), Putting energy in the spotlight. Berkmen, P., Ouliaris, S., and Samiei, H., (2005), The structure of the oil market and causes of high prices, research department, International Monetary Fund. Chrystal, K.A., and Lipsey, R.G., (2004), Economics, Tenth Edition, Oxford printing press. International Energy Agency, (2004), Analysis of the impact of high oil prices on the Global economy. www.iea.org/textbase/papers/2004/high_oil_prices.pdf. International Monetary Agency, (2004), Analysis of the impact of high oil prices on the global economy, research department, December. Saxton, J., (2005), Explaining the high price of oil, Joint Economic Committee, Research Report, United States Congress. Serrapere, J., (2005), Crude Oil – Energy and Market Outlook, September. APPENDICES Source: BP Statistical review data 2005 The following table since 1999 shows that there has been no ‘Real’ excess oil supply. Estimated Annual World Oil Demand Growth 2000 – 2005 (million barrels daily) % Change Source: IEA monthly oil report July, 2005. 1 Footnotes [1] The reason we have used US dollars is that it is predominantly used internationally as the currency to benchmark trade.

Food Irradiation Essay -- essays research papers

Food Irradiation: Solution to Hunger or Killer Mutagen? People all over the world are starving for fresh, uncontaminated food. Insects, pests, and invisible microorganisms are not what the public want to find on their dinner plates. Throughout history, life has depended on ways of treating food to reduce or destroy these naturally occurring harmful contaminants and to enable foods to be stored after harvesting so that they can be saved for use at other times of the year. With increasing populations and the growth of cities, it is even more important to be able to preserve food so that it can be transported over considerable distances and stored for long periods before it reaches the consumer. The relentless pressure to supply safe foods to mass markets has led to major contamination problems arising in recent years. The food industry has responded by developing new methods to treat food, such as food irradiation. To some in the food industry, irradiation is a wonderful new technology that could solve many contamination problems without any apparent effects on the treated food. To the consumer, it is a new process that has unknown threats and benefits. Currently, 37 countries, including the United States, permit the use of irradiation and approximately 25 actually use it. Irradiation will remain an expensive and little used technology until there is general acceptance of irradiated foods by consumers. The modern food industry has to make certain choices as to how and when it treats food during the food production cycle. It can start by reducing the level of microorganisms and pests in food by using chemical treatments and pesticides during growth. For this to be effective the food must then be protected against fresh contamination during transport and storage. An alternative approach is to do very little to the food as grown and harvested, but to treat it nearer to the point of consumption. This is common with herbs and spices. The food industry will tend to choose the way it deals with contamination based on the economics of each case, in other words, the cheapest way possible. Even where food is produced relatively close to the point of consumption, it may have to be treated because contamination is inherent in the production process. This is why milk has to be pasteurized. Pasteurization is the most effective way of killing microorganisms with m... ...where the greed of people like Gustavus Swift turned meat-packing plants into death traps and sold ground cardboard, rats, and fingers to the public as ‘fresh meat’ while sweeping the floors of the plant to recover the sliced-off bits and package them as potted meat. Clearly the food industry is driven by capitalism, and not by concern for the consumer, and although I am wholeheartedly in favor of capitalist businesses, I do think federal regulation needs to come into play not just in the United states, but in other countries where most of the people have no legal recourse at all if they fall ill or die as the result of unclean food. Education of the consumer is the key to this problem, as is objective research. Governments around the world should be made to adhere to guidelines recommended by people whose main concern is the safe and healthy production of food, instead of the cheapest way to produce it, or what would be best for the businesses already irradiating fo od, as is the case for the federal government. Without measures taken during all aspect of food production to ensure cleanliness, the consumer is doomed to a lifetime of choices between dirty food, and dirtier food.

Edward II of England :: Essays Papers

Edward II of England Edward II was born in April 25, 1284 to the great King Edward I and Eleanor of Castille in Caernaven Caste in Wales. Edward II did not have a particularly happy childhood as he grew up under his overbearing father and in the absence of his mother. Edward II had three older brothers, two of which died in infancy and the third unexpectantly in adolescence. Thus, in 1307 Edward gained the throne of England and then married Isabella, daughter of Philip IV of France, in 1308 as a matter of convenience. Edward is said to be as much of a failure as king as his father was a success. Edward II’s contemporaries thought him to be an incompetent ruler. They claimed that the king had been led and ruled by others, who had advised him badly to his own dishonor, and to the destruction of the Church and of all his people. He and neither made any effort to see of find out what was good or bad, nor taken any steps to remedy the situation when requested to do so by the great and wise men of the kingdom. They also said that during all his reign, the king had been unwilling to take of believe good advice, and, instead of devoting his efforts to good government, he had spent all his time in unseemly pursuits, neglecting the affairs of the kingdom. Edward II possessed none of the chivalric qualities attributed to great men of his time. Edward had no interest in knightly exercises such as joust and tourney. Instead of spending time with nobility, he preferred to consort with singers, actors, oarsmen, diggers, etc., who shared his tastes. This failure to understand the importance of patronage lost him the trust of nobility as he turned to unsuitable favourites such as Piers Gaveston and the Despensers whom he had homosexual relations with. Because Edward did not care about his responsibilities as King, he appointed these men to handle his affairs. Gaveston assumed this position and behaved like a second king who was above everyone, and had no equal. He was accused of treason and executed. When the younger Despenser was later appointed, he too was accused of the same crimes, namely accroaching royal power and dignity and counseling the king badly.

To Build A Fire Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"To Build A Fire†, by Jack London was a story about a man who’s job is to ship logs in the springtime. The author uses the 8 aspects of fiction to reflect his point of view that it takes brains to survive. The characters in the story are used to keep the story going and help the author come across to his audience. The plot is the storyline in which the story it self takes place. The setting is the environment in which the story takes place. The suspense is when the author keeps information back from the reader so he/she will continue reading to find out what will happen. Foreshadowing is the readers way of telling what will happen in the story. He/she does this when the author gives out clues in the story. Fantasy is, â€Å"the suspension of disbelief in the story†, so the reader can enjoy the work of fiction. Images are made when the reader takes into consideraition that the author is giving out specific clues to him/her so that they can pictur the scene. These 8 aspects of fiction are more indepthly explained in the paragraphs to come. The author uses these aspects of fiction to make his point clear that, it takes brains to survive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this specific story the author doesn’t give the character a name, he just calls him â€Å"the man†, as if the story was in a third person point of view. The character has many outstanding traits that are shown in the story as you read. Some of these characteristics are that the man was brave in going on this journey, he ...

Hnc health and social care Essay

There are many theories that tend to explain different aspects in human development. According to Encarta Encyclopedia, 2006, these are system of assumptions based on limited information or knowledge, devised to analyze, predict, or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena. In line with the definition, theories remain as conjectures explaining certain occurrences, but never will it attain the grounds earned by laws and principles as universal truths. In Developmental Psychology, theories govern the existence of human growth. Considering the case stated earlier, does it imply that the learning gained in studying this field is not reliable? Not at all. In medicine, when a person developed sickness, doctors try to find its root cause. There are many possible answers as to how and why it was acquired, might be through his/her family’s history, his/her lifestyle and his/her environment. If that’s the situation, would that person hesitate to seek wellness? Likewise, developmental theories offer several answers which unlock the depths of human behavior by studying the causalities of different experiences throughout the life span of a person. It can be quoted from Maurice Merleau-Ponty that every object is the mirror of all other objects. Correspondingly, developmental theories are rooted in different schools of thoughts such as Behaviorism, Gestalt, Humanism, Cognitivism and Psychoanalysis. Using it as their main ingredient, these schools of thoughts presented development in various ways — thus, in different perspectives. Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson and Lawrence Kohlberg are some of theorists who ventured in the field of Psychology, specifically in human development. Consequently, using Thomas’s standard of judgment, this paper aims to weigh, compare and evaluate the assumptions and claims of these proponents. Piaget, a cognitivist and pioneer of the Cognitive Development Theory, focused on the cognitive aspect of human development. He gave a detailed  picture of how thinking is processed among individuals, concluding that the difference between adults’ and children’s thinking is qualitative and not quantitative. He asserted that development occurs in distinct, measurable, and observable stages. Additionally, he made an assumption that developmental growth is independent of experience and based on a universal characteristic. Piaget’s theory assumes that development is unidirectional with all children reaching each stage at approximately at the same age. Kohlberg, an Ameican psychologist, tried to expand the theory of morality that Piaget gave briefly. He assumes that there are 3 levels of morality that each individual faces — Preconventional, Conventional, Post Conventional— that are then subdivided in stages. According to him, children in middle childhood, begin to perceive themselves as responsible to others because of the importance of getting along and of being a good citizen. They seek to act appropriately because people matter to them, not just to avoid punishment. Children’s developing psychological understanding heightens their sensitivity to human needs and contributes to empathy for others. Whereas a preschooler may sympathize with another but not know what to do, older children are more likely to assist a classmate who is attacked by a bully or to raise money to help children in a developing country. Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Development traces its roots to Freud’s Psychosexual Theory. He believes that his theory would patch what Freud was unable of discussing. He studied groups of Native American children to help formulate his theories. These studies enabled him to correlate personality growth with parental and societal values. His first book, Childhood and Society (1950), became a classic in the field. As he continued his clinical work with young people, Erikson developed the concept of the â€Å"identity crisis,† an inevitable conflict that accompanies the growth of a sense of identity in late adolescence. Using case studies that were in descriptive methods, Piaget strengthened his works to cite reliable facts about the real world in children. It can be reflected upon his presentation of the mental growth—from sensorimotor stage, to preoperational stage, then to concrete  operational stage and lastly, to formal operational stage— where several features and characteristics were keenly monitored and recorded. In Kohlberg’s theory of Moral Development, he emphasized what could be the current state of morality that a person has if he/she is in that age. In the last activity performed, it was found that the preconventional children depends their action to the possible outcome, might be, if there would be a punishment or a reward. This proves that the theory is reliable. Erikson different from any other theorists, he comprehensively investigated upon the development of an infant to the old age. These are the Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Absorption and lastly Integrity vs. Despair. His theory explains that in every stage, a positive or a negative attitude might be developed in an individual. When used to local setting as mainframe, the result can also be the same, though there is inevitable variability among personalities. Most of their assumptions in development of children are simple, very tangible. As to Piaget’s findings regarding the concept of conservation, egocentrism, schema formation and some other features he had recorded, applying it in the local setting will be easy. Differently from Freud, there is no hidden element, (i.e., the id,) that would entail controversy. As to Kohlberg, his works were anchored as that of Piaget’s, therefore his works were also simple and can be clearly understandable. Erikson although, theory is psychoanalytically founded, showed clearness among his theory as well as Kohlberg. Their theories enable many to relate easily. However, with a belief that development is unidirectional and that the biological development drives the movement from one cognitive stage to the next, Piaget showed no proof that the thinking process expressed on a former stage would predict the cognition in the latter stage and vice versa. But perhaps, the thought of having mental growth as universal to every individual with respect to the stages that Piaget constructed may tell what  the next cognitive feature a person can express. In Kohlberg’s theory, he assumed that one might not attain the next stage remaining to show manifestations of the former. His work doesn’t predict what would happen in the future, actually, if a person would arrive or not arrive to the next level is already an uncertainty. Different to Erikson, where he believed that the attitudes such as trust, initiative, intimacy and the like that had developed in a certain stage would have an effect in the future. For example, he asserted that if an individual has a positive outlook in life and maintains hope though facing unexpected events in life, that individual when he/she was an infant might had been taken good care of and had developed trust with the maternal person. Furthermore, many educators and parents base their strategies with Piaget’s perspective. In rearing a child, he contributed largely to the field of language and education. In the development of language, his assumptions of Language Acquisition Device (LAD) as innate in infancy were widely appreciated. Therefore, educational implications were fleshed out from his theory considering what could be the best possible approach in enabling children to unleash their potentials. Regarding Kohlberg, his theory is widely used as basis on how to face moral dilemmas that occur in a life span of every individual, particularly in child’s life. Erikson’s stages of ritualization are also considered on how a person would handle decisions and priorities in life. As to the internal consistency in the theory, the mental characteristics and features manifesting on a specific stage and their gradual change are thoroughly explained. For example, the realism and animism, both occurring in the preoperational stage, he cleared out that their existence are inversely related. Consistency can also be inferred in the whole theory. Even though he compared his work to Freud’s and Spinoza’s, Piaget remained intact with the perception that he was holding. It was never mixed. These can also be observed to Kohlberg and Erikson’s theories. Their terminologies, concepts and perception didn’t shift. Several convincing ideas can be presented by Piaget to support his theory. In relation to the last activity performed by the class which was the observation of early childhood, he asserted that preoperational children display certain characteristics such as transductive reasoning, irreversibility, artificialism and centering. When tested, it was amazing to see that the findings gained by Piaget and the findings gained by the section have great resemblance to each. Same thing happens in their findings, when Kohlberg was used as a mainframe. Despite this occurrence, some of Piaget’s ideas have been supported through more correlational and experimental methodologies, some portions of the theory when compared to other researches, give a result that the data from similar cross-sectional studies do not support the assertion that all individuals will automatically move to the next cognitive stage as they biologically mature. Indeed, this implies an unproven assumption that is somehow disconfirmable. As to Kohlberg and Erikson, some of their finding doesn’t match with the current researches done. As mentioned earlier, Piaget’s perception didn’t only enrich the field of psychology but rather shared some insights in language, education and morality. His work is collaborative — it can build another and it can rebuild itself. Example of ‘building another’ is Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory and Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory. These two gained grounds in psychology by the strengths of Piaget. Vygotsky criticized Piaget’s assumptions and later on was able to make a theory and Kohlberg, because of inspiration in Piaget’s work, tried to expand some aspects that he found lacking in the Cognitive Development Theory. As to ‘rebuilding itself’, up until now, Neo-Piagetians continually improve the theory made by their lead proponent. Although rooted from another’s works, Erikson and Kohlberg established theories on their own that may stand coequal with the others. As of today, their works are being taug ht and learnt by many. Piaget led to forming a theory when he asked his two children to express their beliefs in a particular situation. Since he is the founder of  Cognitivism, his work possesses novelty. As long as it is in relation to cognition and comprehension, this theory may provide the answer about the different phenomena encountered by individuals in a certain point of time. This is also true in Kohlberg’s and Erikson’s theories— as long as morality and psychosocial aspects of growth are concerned, their theories can provide the answer.

Learning Theories Essay

This chapter takes a brief look at the two major categories of learning theories (behaviorism and constructivism), the major theorists within those categories, and the implications of those theories for the use of multimedia and communications and information technology for learning purposes. A separate section within the chapter provides a brief overview of learning based upon neuroscience and recent discoveries about the functioning of the brain. A series of links are provided to further resources on learning theory, neuroscience, and the brain. pic] Our Technological Revolution and the Implications for the Way We Learn We have all experienced a learning moment when we were so focussed or engulfed in the learning, that everything else did not matter. Candidly, the raison d’etre or motivation for our focus may have been that we had a boss or teacher breathing down our neck or an impending exam was to quantify our level of knowledge or intelligence or a particular moment neces sitated that a skill be learned very quickly. Regardless of the motivating factors for this moment of focussed learning, the experience is what psychologists Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi and Ellen Langer label in their respective theories, as moments of â€Å"optimum flow† or â€Å"mindfulness†. According to psychologist Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi, optimum flow occurs when: Alientation gives way to involvement, enjoyment replaces boredom, helplessness turns into a feeling of control, and psychic energy works to reinforce the sense of self, instead of being lost in the service of external goals. (Czikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 9) Replicating such moments of optimum flow is the job of educators regardless of the domain, whether it be school, the workplace in job training, or the military, etc. Moreover, certain learning theorists are advocating the greater use of technology, namely computers, in learning situations because they see enormous potential of computer technology to replicate these optimum moments of flow. Learning is a personal act. We each place our own personal stamp on how we learn, what we learn and when we learn. We in effect have our own learning style. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences which acknowledges learning as an holistic experience is, at present, one of the most well known descriptors of human cognitive profiles. The act of learning is paradoxical in nature. It can at times appear to be a very simple act. So simple, that we do not question its presence in how we go about our daily activities, for it is natural to our existence as learning organisms. Yet, when we encounter difficulties in learning something, we no longer take the learning process for granted. It is only then that our metacognition or awareness of how we learn is heightened. Learning is taken for granted as a natural process. As simple a process it may seem, the root of understanding how we learn is not as straight forward. The existence of numerous definitions and theories of learning attest to the complexity of this process. A random sampling of any educational psychology text will illustrate the variance in views to what exactly is learning and how we do learn. In Educational Psychology: An Introduction, for example, the authors write, â€Å"Learning implies a change in the individual as a result of some intervention. It may be viewed as an outcome or as a process. (Belkin and Gray, 1977, p. 211) While this definition reflects a behaviorist view of learning, for it equates learning as an outcome, it is a starting point for the authors to expand their description of learning into many other realms, namely the different theories of learning. They in effect, devote a whole chapter of their text just to describe the many ways of defining learning. While it may seem somewhat premature to evaluate the aforementioned definition of learning and to equate it with a specific theory, it is important to recognize that â€Å"intervention† in the learning process can imply many different things. The degree of intervention, by who or what and how, are the defining factors of a learning theory. These factors help distinguish the many different theories. As you will see these theories are not stagnant. They are evolving and changing as we discover new ways of viewing human cognition. â€Å"The mechanistic model of the mind of the behavior era has given way to the logical-computational model favored by artificial intelligence and cognitive science theorists† (McLellan, 1996, p. 6). Don Tapscott, in his book Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation, argues that we are now in a digital era of learning. According to Tapscott, a transformation in learning is taking place from what he labels â€Å"broadcast† learning to â€Å"interactive† learning. No longer are today’s generation of learners satisfied in being the passive recipients of the traditional teaching process, rather, they want to discover it for themselves by becoming interactive with the learning. The net generation children using GlobaLearn [a web site], are beginning to process information and learn differently than the boomers before them. New media tools offer great promise for a new model of learning – one based on discovery and participation. (Tapscott, 1998, p. 127) Tapscott’s thesis that the â€Å"technological revolution† is permeating every aspect of our lives forces us to examine the use of computer technology as learning devices. Such rapid social, economic and general lifestyle change, due in essence to the technological revolution, begs the question – based on learning theory, why does the use of computers as a â€Å"learning† tool make sense? This chapter will answer this question by profiling the many learning theories. [pic] The Spectrum of Learning Theories As a review of the literature of learning theories will illustrate there are many labels being used to describe the many theories. Moreover, there are many theorists associated with each approach. A categorization of these labels and theorists will help in understanding these fundamental theories. The spectrum of learning theories consists of many approaches or ways of explaining how humans learn. A description of each of these theories will suffice in providing you with enough knowledge to critically examine the use of computer technology as a learning device. The resume of each theory will consist of: †¢ the associated names of the theory †¢ a description of the theory †¢ theorists associated with the theory †¢ hyperlinks on the World Wide Web Diagram #1: The two extremes Behaviorism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Constructivism The extremes of this learning theory spectrum are represented by respectively, the Behaviorist and Constructivist theories of learning. As theories trying to explain the same thing, they are bipolar based on their respective views of how knowledge is acquired and the intervention of tools of learning (teachers or instructors). As a context to better understand all of the theories of learning presented in this chapter, examine these two extremes first and then place the remaining theories onto the spectrum. [pic] Behaviorism The Associated Names of this Theory: Behaviorism labelled as a teaching approach is often referred to as directed instruction. As you compare this theory with the Constructivist view of learning, this label will become self-evident. Also in contrast to Constructivism, it has been labelled an objectivist theory of learning. Theorists associated with Behaviorism: J. B Watson E. L Thorndike B. F Skinner A Description of Behaviorism: The concern or emphasis of Behaviorism is observable indicators that learning is taking place. Contrasting this view of learning is the emphasis of cognitive psychologists who equate learning with the mental processes of the mind. Behaviorists do not deny the existence of these mental processes. In fact, they acknowledge their existence as an unobservable indication of learning. The focus of Behaviorism is on the conditioning of observable human behavior. J. B Watson, the father of Behaviorism, defined learning as a sequence of stimulus and response actions in observable cause and effect relationships. The behaviorists’ example of classical conditioning demonstrates the process whereby a human learns to respond to a neutral stimulus in such a manner that would normally be associated with an unconditioned stimulus. The supporting example often cited with classical conditioning is the case of Pavlov’s dog. The focus of Pavlov’s experiment was the digestive process in animals. In conducting the experiment, Pavlov noticed that the dog would salivate (response), upon hearing the ringing of a bell. This occurred because the dog had learned to associate its unconditional stimuli (normally feeding), with the neutral stimuli of the bell ringing simultaneously with the feeding process. Watson, believed that the stimuli that humans receive may be generated internally (for example hunger), or externally (for example, a loud noise). B. F. Skinner expanded on the foundation of Behaviorism, established by Watson, and on the work of Edward Thorndike, by focussing on operant conditioning. According to Skinner, voluntary or automatic behavior is either strengthened or weakened by the immediate presence of a reward or a punishment. â€Å"The learning principle behind operant conditioning is that new learning occurs as a result of positive reinforcement, and old patterns are abandoned as a result of negative reinforcement. † (Belkin and Gray, 1977, p. 9) In his book entitled, The Technology of Teaching, Skinner wrote: The application of operant conditioning to education is simple and direct. Teaching is the arrangement of contingencies of reinforcement under which students learn. They learn without teaching in their natural environments, but teachers arrange special contingencies which expedite learning, hastening the appearance of behavior which would otherwise be acquired slowly or making sure of the appearanc e of behavior which otherwise never occur. (Skinner, 1968, p. 4) Skinner believed that more complex learning could be achieved by this process of contingencies and reinforcement â€Å"†¦ through successive stages in the shaping process, the contingencies of reinforcement being changed progressively in the direction of the required behavior. † (Skinner, 1968, p. 10) Applying the theoretical principles of Behaviorism to learning environments, it is easy to recognize that we have many â€Å"behaviorist artifacts† in our learning world. A dissection of the traditional teaching approaches used for years would reveal the powerful influence that Behaviorists have had on learning. The concept of directed instruction, whereby a teacher is providing the knowledge to the students either directly or through the set up of â€Å"contingencies†, is an excellent example of the Behaviorist model of learning. The use of exams to measure observable behavior of learning, the use of rewards and punishments in our school systems, and the breaking down of the instruction process into â€Å"conditions of learning† (as developed by Robert Gagne), are all further examples of the Behaviorist influence. With the advent of the computer in school, C. A. I. , or computer-assisted instruction has become a prominent tool for teaching, because from a Behaviorist perspective, it is an effective way of learning. CAI uses the drill and practice approach to learning new concepts or skills. The question acting as the stimulus, elicits a response from the user. Based on the response a reward may be provided. The â€Å"contingencies† of learning are translated into different levels of the program. Rewarding the user to a different level for correct responses follows exactly the approach of operant conditioning. Educators have espoused CAI as an effective teaching approach because it allows for self-paced instruction and it liberates them from the direct instruction of all their students so as to focus on those students with particular needs. Hyperlinks to Behaviorist Web Pages: http://www. coe. uh. edu/~srmehall/theory/theory. html http://tecfa. unige. ch/edu-comp/edu-s94/contrib/schneider/learn. fm. html#REF13085 http://www. sil. org/lingualinks/library/literacy/fre371/vao443/TKS2569/tks347/tks734/ http://mse. byu. edu/ipt301/jordan/learnterm_b. html [pic] Constructivism: The Associated Names of this Theory: Constructivsm is recognized as a unique learning theory in itself. It however, may be associated with cognitive psychology because as a theory of learning it focuses on a learner’s ability to mentally construct meaning of their own environment and to create their own learning. As a teaching practice it is associated with different degrees of non-directed learning. The term constructivsm is linked to Cognitive and Social Constructivsm. Theorists associated with Constuctivism: John Dewey Lev Vygotsky Jean Piaget Jerome Bruner Seymour Papert Mitchell Resnick A Description of Constructivism: The merits of Behaviorist learning theory and of their teaching practices are well documented. They have served well in teaching a growing North American population over the past six decades. Behavioral learning theory manifested itself in creating a systematic approach to teaching. Robert Gagne and Leslie Briggs, in their book, Principles of Instructional Design, combined Behaviorist principles of learning with a cognitive theory of learning named Information-Processing. The focus of the latter theory in this combination was of the internal processing that occurred during a learning moment. The design of instruction must be undertaken with suitable attention to the conditions under which learning occurs. With reference to the learner, learning conditions are both external and internal. These conditions are in turn dependent upon what is being learned. How can these basic ideas be used to design instruction ? How can they be applied to the design of single lessons, of courses, and of entire systems of instructions ? (Gagne and Briggs, 1974, p. 14) Gagne and Briggs’ principles of instructional design broke down the teaching process into a systematic process of nine steps. It is in effect, this type of systematic approach to teaching that acted as the catalyst for the creation of another view of the way humans learn. Behaviorist learning theory had served its purpose and its approach and goals were becoming outdated according to Constructivists like Seymour Papert. Constructivist learning theory sought to improve on what Behaviorist learning theory had already established by focussing on the motivation and ability for humans to construct learning for themselves. It viewed Behaviorism as being too teacher centered and directed. Constructivists regarded the educational system as a process of matching skill objectives with test items. It was void of meaningful learning. They also saw the teaching process focus too much on individual work rather than on group work. The final critique of Behaviorist learning theory from the Constructivist perspective helped define the core of Constructivism. To imply that knowledge is separate to the human mind and that it must be transferred to the learner in a teacher centered approach fundamentally was counter to the Constructivist theory of learning. Constructivists believe that all humans have the ability to construct knowledge in their own minds through a process of discovery and problem-solving. The extent to which this process can take place naturally, without structure and teaching is the defining factor amongst those who advocate this learning theory. Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, observed human development as progressive stages of cognitive development. His four stages, which commence at infancy and progress into adulthood, characterize the cognitive abilities necessary at each stage to construct meaning of ones environment. Seymour Papert, psychologist and contemporary critique of Behaviorist teaching methods, writes in his book, The Children’s Machine: Thus, constructionism, my personal reconstruction of constructivism has as its main feature the fact that it looks more closely than other educational -isms at the idea of mental construction. It attaches special importance to the role of constructions in the world as a support for those in the head, thereby becoming less of a purely mentalist doctrine. (Papert, 1993, p. 42) As the inventor of LOGO, the programming tool for children, Papert too believed that children as learners have a natural curiosity to construct meaning of their world. The educational system as Papert saw it was too structured and it stifled this natural curiosity. The means by which children were being taught relegated them to a role of passive recipients of the teaching hence, they were not motivated to construct any learning for themselves. Learning according to Constructiv ists is a question of motivating an individual to attach new meaning to past cognitive experiences. According to Papert: It [constuctivsm] does not call in question the value of instruction as such. That would be silly: Even the statement (endorsed if not originated by Piaget) that every act of teaching deprives the child of an opportunity for discovery is not a categorical imperative against teaching, but a paradoxically expressed reminder to keep it in check. The constructionist attitude to teaching is not at all dismissive because it is minimalist – the goal is to teach in such a way as to produce the most learning for the least teaching. Of course, this cannot be achieved simply by reducing the quantity of teaching while leaving everything unchanged. The principle other necessary change parallels an African proverb: If a man is hungry you can give him a fish, but it is better to give him a line and teach him to catch fish himself. (Papert, 1993, p. 139) Papert’s desire to have children become motivated learners, critical thinkers, problem-solvers and metacognitionists is to be achieved through educational reform that provides the learner with the necessary tools to participate and to take ownership of the learning process. According to Papert, the computer is the appropriate tool to achieve such desired educational reform. These desired objectives of Papert and others who share the Constructivist view of learning are coming closer to reality as more people discover the power of computer technology. From Donald Tapscott’s perspective, Papert’s desired reality is happening now, as a paradigm shift to more interactive learning due to the exploitation of the digital media is taking place in our learning institutions. Tapscott cites eight shifts in learning today: †¢ From linear to hypermedia. †¢ From instruction to construction and discovery. †¢ From teacher-centered to learner-centered education. †¢ From absorbing material to learning how to navigate and how to learn. †¢ From school to lifelong learning. †¢ From one-size-fits-all to customized learning. †¢ From learning as torture as learning as fun. †¢ From the teacher as transmitter to the teacher as facilitator. Hyperlinks to Constructivist Web Pages: http://www. tcimet. net/mmclass/summer/CHPTales. tm http://www. coe. uh. edu/~srmehall/theory/construct. html http://www. gwu. edu/~tip/bruner. html http://www. mamamedia. com/areas/grownups/people/seymour. html http://www. mamamedia. com/areas/grownups/home_alt. html http://lynx. dac. neu. edu/home/httpd/t/tjohnson/papert%20history. htm [pic] Fitting the other Theories onto the Spectrum The two extremes of the spectrum have been outlined (refer to diagram #2). Inherent within each of these two extremes are related theories. Diagram #2: (Spectrum Summary) Behaviorism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Constructivism   Directed Instruction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Non-directed Instruction Objectivist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Constructivist Teacher-centered   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Learner-centered Behavioral observations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cognitive operations Focus on the individual   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Group work is emphasized More focussed on one approach   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   More holistic in approach Fundamentally, Constructivism is a cognitive learning theory because of its focus on the mental processes that construct meaning. Other learning theories equated with cognitive psychology are: Information-Processing theory, Scaffolding theory (associated with the Russian philosopher Lev Vygotsky) and Brain-based learning theory (associated with neuroscientists such as Marian Diamond and Robert Sylwester and educator Susan Kovalik). Information-Processing theory regards human learning as being analogous to a computer and its ability to store memory. As humans we process information initially with our senses. This information is either processed into our short term memory or it is lost. If this information is used and practised it is only then put into long term memory. Lev Vygotsky thought that our cognitive development was directly related to our social development. The culture we live in influences our social and cognitive development according to Vygotsky. He further recognized the differences of how the world is seen by children and by adults. Vygotsky labelled this difference in cognitive ability as the â€Å"zone of proximal development†. The job of educators was to identify this zone and to find out where the child was situated in this zone and build upon their specific level through a â€Å"scaffolding† process. Building from what the learner knows is in essence, anchoring the learning on past experience. Such anchoring is fundamental to Constructivist theory of learning. Computer technology is viewed by Seymour Papert as an excellent means to anchoring learning to meaningful experiences. The complexity of understanding how humans learn is reflective of our complexity as biological, social and cognitive animals. Many theories exist, all focussing on different aspects of our make-up as humans. Each theory is an attempt to explain how we learn, act and behave: Sigmund Freud focussed on our sub-conscious, Skinner on our observable behavior, cognitive psychologists on our mental processes, humanistic psychology on our social and interpersonal development. Howard Gardner took a more holistic approach in describing our cognitive profiles. His classification of human intellectual ability into seven intelligences incorporates many aspects of psychology to define the cognitive behavior of humans. Before moving on to Multiple Intelligences , refer to the following hyperlinks for information on other learning theories. http://mse. byu. edu/ipt301/jordan/learning. html [pic] Theory of Multiple Intelligences: Human intelligence should not be equated solely with linguistic or logical-mathematical intelligence alone, according to Howard Gardner. As the author of a new way of looking at human intelligences, Gardner, a Harvard professor, identified a total of seven different intelligences that humans may possess. His list includes: †¢ Linguistic intelligence †¢ Logical-mathematical intelligence †¢ Spatial intelligence †¢ Musical intelligence †¢ Bodily-kinesthetic †¢ Interpersonal intelligence †¢ Intrapersonal intelligence Gardner is working on more intelligences that qualify as cognitive processes: â€Å"Multiple intelligences theory, on the other hand, pluralizes the traditional concept†(Gardner, 1993, p. 15) Gardner’s fascination with human intelligence and how the brain works was started with an investigation of people who had experienced brain damage of some sort. He recognized that not all abilities, whether cognitive or motor-sensory, were eliminated from the individual’s repertoire despite having endured some form of brain damage. Gardner hypothesized that we possess more than one form of intelligence. The theory of multiple intelligences provides a more holistic view of the intelligence of humans. Gardner advocates that we may all attempt to develop each of these intelligences to our optimum level. However, we may be more adept in only certain of these intelligences. We may however, aspire through practice and development to improve in the remaining intelligences. The use of technology appeals to this view of intelligence in that Gardner’s theory acknowledges that cognition is not a linear process. The computer as a learning tool has enormous potential in developing the different forms of intelligences of Gardner’s theory. Hyperlinks to Multiple Intelligences Web Pages: http://www. athena. ivv. nasa. gov/curric/weather/adptcty/multint. html [pic] Learning Theories and the Brain What is Learning? Learning is the process by which we receive and process sensory data, encode such data as memories within the neural structures of our brain, and retrieve those memories for subsequent use. The variety of information stored within such memories is enormous, including such items as: how to control your sphincter muscle until a socially appropriate occasion, how to identify mommy in a crowd, how to ride a bicycle, what is the shortest path to grandmother’s house without going near the lair of the wolf, what is the tune for Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, and what a philosopher means when she says â€Å"The cat is on the mat. All learning takes place within the brain, and as our understanding of the underlying structures and processes of the brain increases we can begin to apply that knowledge to improve our construction of learning environments. Our ability to describe and understand the basic processes by which our brain learns has been enhanced by recent technological developments and by the accumulation of long-term studies in human and animal populations. Of particular benefit has been the development of brain-imaging techniques that allow us to observe the operation of normal human brains during the performance of a variety of tasks. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and similar technologies have allowed researchers to map neural activity during sensory data processing and monitor the transfer of information into long-term memory. Researchers have also made great strides in determining the basic mechanisms that underlie the transmission of information within the brain. Such research on brain structure, neural transmitters, and the process by which memories are stored and retrieved have allowed the development of neuro-physiological models of learning. Although neuroscience has provided us with an increasingly rich and accurate descriptive theory of learning within the brain, we still need prescriptive theories of how to maximize the efficiency and capacity of human learning. To some extent all learning theories are prescriptive and seek to minimize the time required to transfer information into memory and maximize the efficiency of retrieving that information. Our current knowledge of the brain, and our speculations regarding the evolutionary function of learning, should assist such prescriptive theories in designing learning environments that provide for maximum learning efficiency. In particular, prescriptive theories informed by our current knowledge of neuroscience should allow us to evaluate the role of multimedia in learning environments. We should also be able to maximize the impact of multimedia in such environments through application of learning theories and our knowledge of the human brain. Learning environments should not be construed simply as the traditional formal classroom within the context of institutionalized public education. Such environments occur within the workplace, the home, and other social institutions as communication and information technology continues to penetrate Western society. We should also be aware that the use of multimedia will have an impact upon the development of the human brain, particularly when such techniques are used with children and adolescents whose brains are still developing and maturing. [pic] The Brain The three-pound universe that is our brain consists of more than 100 billion neurons and the associated structures that organize, nourish, and protect their functioning. Each neuron may have between 5,000 and 50,000 connections to other neurons, forming a dense connective mat that allows the storage of enormous amounts of information. It is important to remember that structures within the brain continue to develop until late adolescence and that neurons will continue to grow connections to other neurons throughout adult life. [pic] Brain Structures The diagram above shows four basic structures in the brain that are important for bodily functions and for learning and memory. The brain stem is primarily concerned with basic survival functions and the regulation of body systems. The cerebellum is involved in the performance of automatic movement patterns (walking, running, touch-typing, and other physical skills that can become part of automatic procedural memory). The limbic system is responsible for the processing of short-term memory into long-term memory as well as the generation and regulation of emotions. The cerebral cortex is the area of the brain in which sensory data is received and analyzed, decisions are made, and behavioral responses are activated. Information is received from the major sensory organs of the body: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin; and is held briefly in sensory memory. The further processing of that information appears to be dependent upon the state of emotional arousal of the brain and the utility of such information for potential survival. Long-term memories are generated through the growth and spread of neural connections between those modular structures that contain the memory (Sylwester, 1995, pp. 89-90). The more often such structures are activated and the stronger the connections become to associated structures, the more easily such memories are retrieved and used by the brain in decision making and conscious thought. To some extent the driving forces behind the way our brain processes sensory input and makes decisions are the survival imperatives that accompanied human physical and cultural evolution. Our brains reflect the importance that survival places upon evaluating potential threat situations, making a quick response, and focusing all body resources on support of those functions that may lead to continued survival. In high-threat situations the focus of the brain will be almost exclusively upon what is identified as the potential threat while the body shuts down relatively unimportant systems to concentrate on those involved in the fight-or-flight response. Low-threat situations allow the brain to sample and evaluate a broader spectrum of sensory input and to analyze such input for future use. Thus a large looming shadow in the cave mouth tends to generate fear, prompting the body to shut down digestion, pump more adrenaline, and prepare the cerebellum to handle the process of running while the cerebral cortex looks for places to hide or make a stand. Strong negative emotion tends to evoke the fight-or-flight physiological and mental responses that shut down high-level cognition. A premium should therefor be placed upon the reduction of those factors within a learning environment that give rise to negative emotions. At the same time, sensory input that does not receive attention is not available for processing through short-term into long-term memory. Clearly a balance must be struck between too much and too little stimulation in learning situations. Some stimulation and motivation is necessary for the learner to pay attention to the data that they are required to learn; on the other hand too much stimulation (particularly in a negative context) is liable to create anger or fear as an emotional response, either of which can serve to reduce the amount of learning carried out within the environment. It appears that the limbic system plays an important part in the process of storing information as long-term memories. Those activities that provide an emotionally supportive environment may well have a positive effect upon the processing of information into long-term storage and subsequent retrieval of those memories. Group activities, co-operative learning, role-playing, and simulations tend to provide emotional support and emotional context for learning. Retrieval of long-term memories is enhanced when a large number of connections have been established between the neural modules that store such memories. To some extent our growing knowledge about the organization of the brain tends to support those theories of learning that can generally be labeled as constructivist. That is, situated knowledge that is connected to a large number of other memories is more apt to be recalled than is unconnected knowledge that has been learned by rote. Because the process of creating connections between ideas and memories is essentially carried out through a process of rehearsal and review, learners should be encouraged to review knowledge that is being learned and attempt to build connections to that knowledge that is already easily retrieved from long-term memory. Such cognitive tools as narration, story-telling, constructing metaphors, and making comparisons are strategies that help to build and maintain connections. The construction of knowledge is essentially the growing of connections between the neural modules that contain individual memories. [pic] Implications for Learning Theory If the apparent symmetry between contemporary brain-based learning theories and constructivism is accurate, then basic guiding principles of constructivism should be used in designing learning environments. These principles include: 1. Learning is a search for meaning. Therefore, learning must start with the issues around which students are actively trying to construct meaning. 2. Meaning requires understanding wholes as well as parts. Parts must be understood in the context of wholes. Therefore the learning process focuses on primary concepts, not isolated facts. 3. In order to teach well, we must understand the mental models that students use to understand the world, and the assumptions that support those models. 4. The purpose of learning is to construct one’s own meaning, not to have the â€Å"right† answers by repeating someone else’s meaning. Learning is inherently inter-disciplinary, and the only valuable assessment of learning is assessment that is part of the learning process and that provides students with information on the quality of their learning. (On Purpose Associates, 1998b) Such learning environments should also be designed around the ideas that come forward from brain-based learning. That is, they should employ the three instructional techniques associated with brain-based learning: â€Å"orchestrated immersion, where learning environments are created that fully immerse students in a learning experience; relaxed alertness, where an effort is made to eliminate fear while maintaining a highly challenging environment; and active processing, where the learner consolidates and internalizes information by actively processing it† (On Purpose Associates, 1998a). Learning environments constructed with these principles in mind will tend to be organized around thematic units featuring knowledge in depth and the exploration of projects that have real meaning for the participating learners. [pic] Implications for Multimedia How should we then use multimedia presentations of information to effectively learn in the context of current brain-based learning theory? The communications and information technology that constitutes contemporary multimedia platforms has some significant advantages in creating a learning environment, but there are some pitfalls that must be accounted for as part of the learning process. Multimedia, at its best, allows us to bring the real world to the learner through the use of sound and video. Such connection to the real world should serve as a factor in motivating students, and as a factor in providing them with additional connections to other knowledge structures. At the same time, multimedia allows students to experience information through multiple modes of presentation. Such multi-modal learning should help to build connections within the learner’s brain if only because multiple modes of reception will engage different areas of the learner’s brain. Contemporary multimedia platforms allow a greater degree of learner control and more freedom for the learner to undertake self-directed exploration of the material. Such self-directed learning is likely to be more meaningful and more connected to existing knowledge structures within the learner’s brain. Therefore, we should see advantages for learning programs that include multimedia presentations. Learners should also gain from the possibility of self-paced instruction based upon contemporary multimedia learning technology. Whenever possible, immediate feedback should be built into a multimedia program to assist students in forming correct connections prior to reinforcing connections between new and old information incorporated within existing knowledge structures. Designers of multimedia instructional packages should take comfort in the strengths of multimedia, but they should also be aware of potential problems in using multimedia with learners. Although current multimedia technology allows excellent presentation in both video and audio modes, and provides some tactile feedback through the use of keyboards, there is little to offer students who need tactile experience ? multimedia is essentially a bimodal presentation strategy unless additional work is done to prepare material for students. Even the best multimedia programs cannot provide the total stimulation that natural environments provide? we have yet to incorporate smell or taste into such presentations, and tactile sensations are still limited. More importantly, there is a clear danger that multimedia programs may be used to substitute for interaction with other learners. We should not be seduced by technical virtuosity or cutting-edge visual and aural effects, there is still a need for human interaction and emotional support. Above all else, we should beware of the tendency to substitute passive learning for active learning. Multimedia provides significant advantages in presenting information to learners, particularly if sufficient resources have been invested to create presentations that make full use of current technology. Presentation of information, no matter how technically sophisticated, is not enough; learners must interact with content to construct their own meanings and integrate new knowledge into the dense web of neural connections that is mind and memory. [pic]