Evaluate own role in life long learning Essay

Evaluating My own Role and Responsibilities in Lifelong Learning To evaluate my own role and responsibilities as an assessor I need to be honest with myself as well as brave. I have a good understanding of my role and responsibilities, but to improve I need to become a reflective practitioner which can only be achieved if I am prepared to evaluate my own performance [ Petty.G pg 527]. By using Kolb’s learning style model, I realise it’s useful concepts can help me understand how my learning behaviour can help others to learn. My role is to communicate effectively with the learners, but do I? Recently I was helping a learner prepare for his functional skills writing assessment. I explained to him how to layout a letter, which side your address goes on which side the recipient’s goes on etc. After the assessment I was informed he had put his address on the wrong side at the top of the page. Did he not hear what I said? Did he forget? Easy to blame the learner, but did I explain well enough and what did I do to confirm his understanding? Poor performance is sensitive subject, but if I’m not prepared to face up to my failures then I can’t expect my successes to be acknowledged either.[Petty.G Pg518] So I have concrete experience of contributing to a learner loosing marks on his assessment. Now I need to reflect on the experience and think how effective was my teaching, obviously not good in some areas but his greetings, layout, structure and ending were good so I was effective in other areas. At this stage of abstract conceptualisation, I ask myself why was I good and effective in some areas, and not in others. Here I think about the methods I used, and do I need more question to confirm understanding, maybe some fun activities. This is when the final stage of the cycle kicks in, it’s when I plan active experimentation. Here I decide how I can do things differently, what new methods shall I try that will produce improved results, and maybe take that brave step into the unknown with new material. Being self critical is not enough though, it’s my responsibility to get direct and indirect feedback when I can, learner questionnaires, college observations also indirect feedback can be just as effective, this can be collected during training or assessment through observation. Maybe learners are not engaged, making no eye contact, separate conversations carrying on the classroom, all good  feedback. I use my CPD records to detail my development. Today I was observed and my folders were quality checked by our Internal Quality Assurer, who also spoke with learners and gave me verbal and written feedback. IQA records I keep a long with minutes and details from our standardisation meetings, where we have the opportunity to liaise with other trainers, teachers and lean practitioners. I keep all Individual Learner Plan where records of initial assessment are recorded, where any needed support has been identified and details of planned and actual reviews are written. Reference List Petty.G. (2009) Teaching Today Fourth Edition, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes LTD www.cardiff.ac.uk/isru/educationalandtraining/infolit/hilt/section8.1.doc 23/03/14

Risk Managements Assessment Summary

Health care organizations use risk management methods to guard their assets against likely threats brought on by legal liability. An important component of risk management programs inside the long-term care setting is the ability to reduce the amount of avoidable accidents and injuries and to reduce the financial severity of claims. Long-term care facilities offer a wide array of services to residents, and possible injuries is significant to the frail, elderly population they assist.Knowing how to recognize risks and plan proper methods and policies to lessen them necessitates frequent attention from leaders within the organization. The purpose of this summary is to focus on several examples of common risk elements in a long-term care facility and the ppolicymaking process used to evade or decrease their impact. Risk Management Risk management programs inside any organization involve a sthrong obligation from its leaders to be successful. Implementing documented processes for managi ng risk that supports the organization’s mission and goals aids leaders give employees and consumers self-assurance in the organization.Directors and senior leadership benefit from fostering functional collaboration promoting accomplishment of its programs among departments (Jones & Cotta, 2009). Risk management allows a facility to nurture a work environment that encourages growth through training and education reduces risk. Organizational strength demonstrates innovative decision-making and openness to change. Nurturing a work environment that encourages growth through training and education reduces risk (Chee, Kamal, & Wingender, 2011).Loss prevention efforts help to decrease risk expenses, permitting more funds for medical equipment, hospital facilities, and physician’s salaries, therefore increasing the value of the organization. A get-up-and-go risk-management approach aids in meeting business expansion plans. Risk management helps to recognize risk factors vital to shareholders. Money saved through risk-management activities can be openly reinvested back into the organization and community (Ceniceros, 2008). By devising policies in place and following procedures arrange for documentation of action, an essential tool in any legal proceeding.Quality Management A vital aspect of quality management is correct training of work processes. Implementing quality-management policies in agreement with regulatory guidelines helps guarantee quality of care in compliance with laws. Having solid leadership, committed to quality care helps to creates unity of determination and direction within an organization (Carroll, 2009). The organizational culture affects outcomes, such as ethical decision-making, performance, and promise. High pperforming organizations support cultures that have good communication skills.Knowing how one fits in with the rest of the organization gives employees a common sense of community and self-importance in one’s work (Che e, Kamal, & Wingender, 2011). Upholding a sthrong organizational culture helps to increase patient’s quality of care. Quality management policies help strengthen confidence in the quality of care given and make medical outcomes better while reducing lawsuits. Policies in place offer a process for handling adverse events and giving stakeholders assurance that difficulties are being dealt with properly (Carroll, 2009).Identifying Risks Former lawsuits, allegations, and patient, or staff complaints first govern the documentation of health care risks in the long-term care facility. Data collected from sources, such as employee and staff incident reports, resident satisfaction surveys, workers compensation claims, and state licensure surveys are valuable in recognizing areas that pose risk (Candlin & Candlin, 2002). Through analyzing former loss exposures, leaders can anticipate future problems permitting them to improve proper standards and guidelines to improve the quality of ca re.Risk analysis is the process of evaluating the possible loss linked by a specific risk identified and its probability of occurrence. Defining these two factors helps leaders select a suitable risk treatment ppolicy (Carroll, 2009). In a long-term care setting, management must have procedures in place for observing performance, both operational, and that connecting to the care of residents. Setting policies that bring into line with the organization’s mission and strategic goals, which consist of high-quality care will help safeguard compliance tthroughout the organization.Common Risks Three shared risks inside a long-term care facility consist of resident well-being, employee grievance, and medical mistakes. Each of these risks conveys the would-be for negative consequences that may end in lawsuits, worker’s compensation claims, or potential loss of life. By examining each risk and determining their bad effects on the facility and its stakeholders, the risk manageme nt professional can improve and apply a risk management plan and make the essential changes to organizational policies (Carroll, 2009). Resident SafetyThe expectation is for long-term care facilities to deliver residents quality care in a safe and secure environment. Making certain resident safety involves taking ample measures to offer an environment free of dangers, upholding safety standards by averting any type of injury to the residents’ physical, psychological, and emotional well-being (Rhodes, 2001). Continuing persistence in recognizing hazards and decreasing them must be a main concern of care giving. The most often reported incident in long-term care facilities is falls. Three out of four residents will fall each year and many result in a lawsuit.The most common reason for falls is existing health conditions affecting muscle weakness or trouble walking (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2009). Even though falls are unavoidable in a long-term care settin g, risks can be cut-down with fall prevention strategies as well as staff education, decreasing risk factors like low lighting, wet floors, and inadequately fitted wheelchairs, and bringing together exercise programs to strengthen muscles and increase balance. Most essential, everyone working inside the facility from nursing to maintenance staff must be involved in fall prevention (Rhodes, 2001).Employee Injuries The nursing home industry has a highest rate of employee sickness and injury amid all of the United States businesses according to 2002 Bureau of Labor statistics. The most widespread threats include musculoskeletal ailments, and contact of blood and other communicable materials (United States Department of Labor, 2005). Obeying Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulatory requests regarding education and safety procedures, help alleviate these risks. Giving care for residents is physically trying on nursing staff.Activities such as lifting, moving, and w alking residents increase the risks of injury to staff. Risk factors connected with these activities as defined by OSHA include: †¢Force- the amount of physical effort essential to do a task. †¢Repetition- regularly pperforming the same motions. †¢Awkward postures- Doing positions that put pressure on the body (OSHA, 2003). Recurring exposure to these risks can cause substantial musculoskeletal injury to employees. Loss linked with employee injuries include staffing shortages causing reduced quality of resident care, bigger workload for remaining staff, and workers compensation claims.To lessen the severity and occurrence of employee injury and illness management must offer solid support by developing clear goals and provide essential resources (OSHA, 2009). Providing mechanical lifting devices and demonstrating training in good body mechanics are two ways of decreasing risk of musculoskeletal injury. Medical Error According to Kapp (2003), a medical error is â€Å"d efined as mistakes, inadvertent occurrences, or unintended events in health care delivery that may result in patient injury. The population living in long-term care facilities, on average, is elderly or disabled and necessitates assistance with three or more activities of daily living (ADL) for instance dressing, bathing, and eating. The likelihood of error in giving this care can be limitless. Furthermore, dementia, the most mutual health condition amid residents living in nursing homes, constrains the ability of many residents to take a significant role in planning and overseeing of their own care (Kapp, 2003). Errors come in many forms in nursing homes.The high occurrence of illness amid residents calls for a significant amount of drugs ordered and dispensed. This leaves chance for meducation errors and adverse drug events (ADEs), which older individuals are most vulnerable. To increase resident safety, financial return, and clinical outcomes, policies, procedures, and systems th at make sure safe meducation delivery are critical (Kapp, 2003). Another problem common in long-term care facilities is pressure ulcers, contained areas of skin damage over bony areas of the body, such as heels, buttocks, and hips.Risk factors for pressure ulcers include immovability, resistance, shear, incontinence, and poor nutrition, which are all preventable. Steps to escape pressure ulcers should be iincluded in routine quality care. Regular repositioning, skin examinations, the use of pressure releasing surfaces, and suitable nutritional intake should be constant during each shift for residents at risk of developing pressure ulcers. If these actions are not taken, quality care does not happen, opening the door for a lawsuit claiming neglect (Kapp, 2003).Conclusion Risk management efforts are difficult and leaders must attempt to safeguard every possible risk factor. These possible risk factors are linked with residents, medical staff, employees, and property that subject the l ong-term care facility to probable liability or loss. Risk factors need to be recognized and appropriate policies and procedures need to be put in place to reduce their occurrence. The high occurrence of medical error occurrences in long-term care has led to a highly controversial environment.

American Rennassance

How do the differences affect the mood of each piece? Answer: The poems â€Å"The Snow Storm† and â€Å"It Sifts from Leaden Sieves† are alike because they are both describing snow falling and the things the snow covers and how it covers it. The poems are different because Emerson never actually mentions snow but the way he words his poem you know exactly what he’s talking about. Emily Dickenson directly mentions snow so you know right from the start what she is talking about. (20 points) |Score | | | 2. Choose a poem from Whitman, and explain how it reveals Romantic thinking. Cite examples from the poem as your support. Answer: I chose â€Å"To a Stranger† by Whitman. It reveals romantic thinking because he writes, â€Å"you must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me as of a dream,). † He describes this like he was looking to find someone he had seen in a dream before. â€Å"I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you†, he says. Its sort of like he is describing a deja vu. Like he feels like he had live a life of joy and happiness with a person but is not really sure of it. 20 points) |Score | | | 3. Reread this quotation from near the end of â€Å"Walden Pond†: Many a forenoon have I stolen away, preferring to spend thus the most valued part of the day; for I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days, and spent them lavishly; nor do I regret that I did not waste more of them in the workshop or the teacher’s desk. Explain this quotation. Be sure to address the â€Å"wealth† Thoreau claims, his use of that wealth, and his views of the workshop or school Answer: Basically Thoreau is saying that leisure time is a kind of wealth, something that may ultimately be more valuable than money and the material things it might buy. So he doesnt regret the time he played hooky in the middle of the day the most valued part of the day and skipped out of work or other responsible duties, because, although doing so might have prevented him from becoming richer in material goods, hes stored up a lot of experiences that he prizes higher.

Contextualise an artwork (or a series of artworks) made from 1980 Essay

Contextualise an artwork (or a series of artworks) made from 1980 onwards. Discuss how this work relates to the ideas presented in three critical texts - Essay Example The most significant meaning of this piece therefore is the theme of death, shows that the death breathe to communicate (Preziosi 2009). However like any other art work the meaning of this piece depends entirely on the viewer, so it may have varying meanings Witkin is an American born 1939 in Brooklyn of a catholic mother and a Jewish father. It is assumed that his art work is attributed to the accident he witnessed at a tender age; hence the graphic and not so appealing photographs (Witkin 1985). A child was knocked down by a car and her head was swept to the feet of Witkin, this left him traumatized and freaked out, hence his inspiration in art to link the dead and the living. He has studied sculpture and worked as a photographer for the better part of his life, but never done commercial photography. He currently resides in the New Mexico (Preziosi 2009). Witkin argues that his work is aimed at making him a better person, loving, and unselfish (Witkin 1985). He goes further in explaining that he goes for the outcasts in society who are his main inspiration. Critics however have found more immorality in the work of Joel peter arguing that is work is not for the faint hearted (Witkin 1985). This is true as most of his pieces of art are horrific, frightening and too graphic making them more horrendous that beautiful. Most of viewers refer to his pieces of art as pornographic material. The photographs of Witkin not only show a single moment but they capture a series of events of these unusual people in the society. Most of the work done by Witkin represents death and or torture. The work of Witkin is based on transforming body parts of the outcasts into portraits, lustrous and glowing in which the strange variations of people and animals to him is beauty. However the interpretation of his portraits on whether they’re

Beethoven Interpretations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Beethoven Interpretations - Research Paper Example Beethoven was showing signs of romanticism in his middle period. Beethoven left the sonata form but the freedom he gave each movement is typically Romantic. The Piano Sonata N ° 27 is a beautiful piece of music which has been interpreted in many different ways. The Sonata has three movements: adagio sostenuto, allegretto and presto. It can take anywhere from 12 minutes to 15 minutes to perform depending on the interpretation. Beethoven composed it in 1801. He personally put the title as Quasia una fantasia or almost a fantasy. This means that it can be played as the artist sees fit. In listening to the difference of performance, it can be said that Beethoven's title is more accurate than Moonlight Sonata. A fantasy gives more freedom to perform the music as the performer wants. The name "Moonlight Sonata" was given as a publishing trick. Some say it was given after Beethoven's death. Others say Beethoven gave it as a tribute to his student, Guicciardi. Beethoven had fallen in love with her, a countess. He knew he could never marry someone of that social class. It is unlike him to have been so open as to name a sonata after someone who was paying the bills. This sonata was composed in his middle period. He was not composing romantic music. The title was misplaced (5). His music was steadily leaving the classical form (Waltz). In this Sonata, you see a difference between each performer, which is contrasting. Beethoven would have been heavy in his interpretation. He was already affected by his deafness. The loud pounding of the keys in the last movement enabled Beethoven to hear the vibrations. I listened to many different interpretations in order to get the right feeling for the Sonata. In my research, I saw that the Moonlight Sonata was one of his most famous sonatas. I was surprised at seeing that it could be played so differently by such artist. I chose two artists to explain the three movements (the whole Sonata) in order to have a comprehensive feeling of the dynamics and tempo: Bareboim and Gould. Their interpretation is so different. Then I chose two other artists in order to compare their first movement: Horowitz and Brendel in addition to Bareboim and Gould. I think my favorite of them all was Gould because I felt he was the closest to how Beethoven would have liked the Sonata to be played. In terms of the first movement, I felt it was a classic to hear Horowitz. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpOb5NxtG-w   Baremboim played the first movement with emotion and slowly. He was sad or pensive. His expression was sad. The dynamics were softly played piano. There was, too, much of a difference with the two hands. The bass continued to have the same level of sound during the whole movement and the treble would have crescendos and be too loud. He used a little bit of the rubatto effect. The timing of the first movement was 6.55. Only towards the end did the two hands converse with each other. The end was slow. There was too much confli ct between the three note motif and the left hand. His left hand dominated the right only one time during the movement. Towards the end of the movement, he increased in volume and there was a slight crescendo of the left hand which tapered off in the final measure. His bass and treble were blended and not articulate. The Allegretto of the 2nd movement was still slow. It was happy.  

The assignment should be presented as a Journal opinion article and - 1

The should be presented as a Journal opinion article and address an economic issue of current interest to Wall Street Journal readers - Assignment Example There has been maintenance of the rate of federal rate by the Federal Reserve Bank where it has a standard short-term interest rate at near zero for over five years, even as the US economy has suffered a severe recession and slow recovery (Leubsdorf, 1). In March, there was an amendment on the Federal Reserve Bank advance direction on time that it may augment interest rates. Earlier, it had talked of 6.5 percent as had been stated in the threshold. However, it now awaits a significant time following the end of it bond-purchasing program, specifically if inflation is sustained at 2 percent. It is expected that the Federal Reserve Bank will end its bond-purchasing this year and the rates are expected to start rising next year (Leubsdorf, 1). According to the article, the rate of unemployment last month was 6.6 percent and descended from 7.5 percent last year. This information is from the Labor Department data. However, according to Mr. Rosengren, this is an underestimation of how severe the problem is. He argued that most individuals are taking part-time jobs as they cannot secure full-time employment, or have been searching for employment in the past year and have stopped in the last four weeks (Leubsdorf, 1). Inflation is below the target of the Federal Reserve Bank by 2%. Mr. Rosengren believes that it is hard to make estimates that are precise, especially because there has been a shift of economic activity since the recession, comprising the rate of household development, which is slow (Leubsdorf, 1). For the better part, the demand for goods and services is not connected to the interest rate of the market that is always stated in the newspaper, which is the nominal rate. However, it is connected to real interest rate that is as a result of subtracting the rate of inflation from the nominal interest rate. For instance, if one has a car loan

Communication Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Strategies - Essay Example The more the learning style matches with the instructions, higher will be the learning (Seckel, S; n.d). The communication and collaboration strategies among three predominant learning styles discussed here, aimed at group containing thinkers, organizers, givers, and adventurers, are visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic. The visual-spatial learners possess an ability to understand spatial relationships, understanding objects or situations with an ability to relate, graphic designing, analyzing charts and maps, good sense of color coding etc. An effective organizer can use flashcards to emphasize on main learning points clearly demarcated; make use of visual aids, pictures, graphics, maps, etc as appropriate to teach and communicate with other personality types. When learning information is presented in diagrams or illustrations to thinkers and adventurers, they will be able to write explanations for the information with ease. Strategies to assist in learning mathematical or technical information can be making charts, organizing information in a sequence of steps, drawing series of boxes, each containing appropriate bit of information in sequence that can be used, not only as a teaching mechanism, but carried out as a group effort thus helping the thinkers and adventurers in grasping the concept better. Creation of colorful tables and charts on word processors can bring about effective collaboration and understanding (Stevenson, R L; 2007). The verbal-linguistic learners tend to grasp information best when presented in auditory, oral language, written formats and writing exercises. This happens typically in a classroom sitting, which provides for listening to lectures and participating in group discussions besides writing down points, through audio tapes in non-classroom setting. Group discussions with detailed instructions are effective collaborative mechanisms to assist in

Impact of Technology on Society Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Impact of Technology on Society - Research Paper Example In the process of the advancement of technology, the equipments and the methodology became simpler and more user friendly. For instance, the fixed landline equipments which were heavy were replaced with wireless and mobile phones which are light and portable. The environmental, social, economic and political implications of telephone as a technology on the society have been large. This essay aims to analyze the impact of telephone on the society with reference to the environment, economics, and politics of the society. 1.1. The Background After the invention of telephone in 1876, by early 1900, telephone signals were successfully sent between close by cities (NAE, 2013). The invention of vacuum diode by Sir John Ambrose Fleming was a turning point in the history of telephony. A major milestone in the technology was the first transcontinental call which was made in the year 1915 (NAE, 2013).Though there were portable versions of phones which were used in vehicles right from 1940s, it was in the year 1973 that the first fully portable version phone was made by Martin Cooper for the Motorola Company (NAE, 2013). Later in mid 1990s, following other innovations in the technology, Voice over Internet Protocol, which made voice call using internet was invented. This, along with other innovations changed the whole user perspective towards telephones. Today, mobile phones have become hubs for a wide range of activities and transactions. Through these innovations the technology of telephony has largely influenced the society. 2. Society before telephones Before the telephones were invented one of the first medium through which the society was connected across long distances was through letters. Letters of course took long days to reach the destination and also involved complex administrative procedures. There has to be regularly operating establishments at both the receiver and the sender ends to make sure that the letter reaches the right destination. As it took time th e major disadvantage was that the communication could not keep up with time. For instance, an elaborate communication which is urgent in nature could not be done through letters as there is the possibility that the relevance of the information contained in the letter could go outdated within the time that the letter takes to reach the destination. However, letters were known for its emotional value. Fictional literatures have elaborately dealt with the psychological content associated with letters. In fact letters were known for its expressive nature. There were other means of faster communication in the pre telephone era. Telegrams and technologies like Morse codes were utilized to facilitate faster communication. The whole concept of privacy and personal space was challenged after the penetration of mobile phones into the society. Before individuals had their own portable phones, they all enjoyed a personal space which they themselves could decide. With their mobile phones switche d on, the users share a public space more than their personal space. The mobile version of the telephone technology has changed the politics, economics and social structure of the society to a large extend. Before mobile telephony, there were no tall receiver towers radiating harmful radiations into the

Crito-King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crito-King - Essay Example In the case of Socrates' imprisonment, Plato's loyalty and love were put on trial as he felt the pressure of being ridiculed by others as to what kind of friend he is to Socrates. It is just appropriate to give credit to the concern that Plato has shown over the life of Socrates. The conversation reveals that he fears for Socrates' life, his family especially the education of Socrates' children and most especially he feared losing a good friend (Plato). This revelation as to what Plato really feels about Socrates' is a normal and valid show of love for a friend.On the other hand, Plato revealed that he feared another evil, and that is to be commented as having loved the money more than his friend (Plato). If he would not pay so that Socrates would escape, there will certainly be murmurs as to what he has done or what he has failed to do and for Plato this is another evil that haunts him, perhaps even more compelling than the pure reason of concern (Plato). In the time of adversity, w hen Plato's loyalty was on a test, he somewhat faltered. Another scripture says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend" (Prov 27.6a). These words can be examined to mean that true friend can withstand seeing his friend suffer a pain if that would be for his good. In this test, Plato did not pass the test because he was not willing to allow Socrates to suffer for what is righteous. By and large, Plato failed to stand the test of a true friendship.I believe King would not try to convince Socrates to escape because the act of escaping is also in contrast to King's conviction. Before we finally seal the argument of King's possible advice to Socrates, it would worthwhile to clear the nature of and the virtue behind the act of escaping. Escaping is an act of turning around from the real issue, something like withdrawal from what one confronts. Escape is different from non-violent resistance as the latter implies direct confrontation of the matter while the former signifies breaking out of what one faces. Certainly, this is not what Martin Luther King personifies. In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King clarified that the demonstration that they were doing aimed to solicit attention in the achievement of proper negotiations with the merchants and other concerned parties (King). The demonstration is a courageous clamor for the concerned violators to face their victims, in a peaceful and diplomatic way. But in all these, he maintained his conviction that the real issue should be dealt by confronting it peacefully. Therefore, escaping will be in contrast to King's principles. This is also what Socrates has obvious believed as he finds it unrighteous to escape and settle in a safe but far place from Athens. For him, this is not virtuous (Plato). The second argument is that King does not in any way imply that he would resort to a way which is violent and in direct contrast to the law. Unlike demonstration, escaping is a clear violation to the law of the state. And this is not what King stands for. Martin Luther King Jr. saw the need to create tension so as to be liberated from the darkness of prejudice and racism and reach brotherhood and understanding, for the very reason of establishing the state and not to ruin it (King). Socrates has the same attitude, as evidenced by his desire for what is just as he believes that violation of the law will be injustice and doing so will mean a ruin to the very state that they wish to build (Plato). With the two points that I have argued, I will now lay the strong evidence for such points. On the aspect of escaping as a break out or flee rather than a confrontation of the real issue, it is clearer in the letter of Martin Luther King

Desiderius Erasmus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Desiderius Erasmus - Essay Example But â€Å"he showed discretion in his choice of tactics. If you wish to bring about peacefully true and lasting reforms, you do not, like the fanatics, indiscriminately attack not only the ideas you oppose but also the honesty, integrity, and sincerity of those who hold them. If you wish to convince a person he should change his ways, for instance, you do not hit him on the head with a bat.† (Thornton, 2005) Even though Erasmus’ reputation was somewhat diminished by his pragmatist attitudes his legacy is growing in retrospect. This is in large part due to the growing popularity and interpretive richness of some of his books. These famous books include Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, The Praise of Folly, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, On Free Will, Julius Exclusus, etc. As this partial list of his oeuvre illustrates, Erasmus was a true polymath. His body of work is informed but not limited by the spirit of Christianity. For instance, n owhere else is this best exemplified than in his Colloquies, which is full of â€Å"nonchalant erudition, eloquence and profundity. Almost nothing, from war and peace to alchemy and salt herring, falls outside his purview. It is a treasure house of theological wisdom dressed in the finest verbal ornament of the age.† (Bauman, 1999, p. 536) In this sense, he truly remains a luminous pioneer of Humanism. Although Erasmus was a contemporary of Martin Luther they disagreed on several critical issues. Despite the comprehensive and persuasive arguments that Luther presented in his Ninety-Nine Thesis, Erasmus was not easily willing to concede the moral failings of the then existing Roman Catholic order. Conservative in nature and skeptical of the emotional appeal of radical revolution, Erasmus was to remain indifferent to Lutheranism and the Protestant Reformation that was beginning to spread across Europe. Instead Erasmus preferred slow and gradual reform in the Church without dism antling its power structure. To Erasmus, religion meant â€Å"purity and justice and mercy, with the keeping of moral commandments, and to him these Graces were not the privilege of any particular creed.† (Thornton, 2005) In hindsight, some of his apprehensions about the Protestant Reformation were proved correct when several European societies fell into disorder. Some of the most glaring collapses of social cohesion was the German Peasants’ War and the Anabaptist disturbances. Soon what began as rebellions within the Church would snowball into a class conflict. Desiderius Erasmus created controversy through his refusal to discard certain primitive Christian doctrines. The idea of ‘free will’ is one which he held on to even as his contemporaries both within and without the faith was moving toward accepting the doctrine of ‘predestination’. Although the Catholic Church itself had at times viewed Erasmus with suspicion and blamed him for the gro wth of Protestant faction, he was at heart and deed a man of religious toleration. (Olin, 1979) This is best exemplified in his work De Libero Arbitrio. Though meant to be a polemic to Martin Luther’s dominant views the tone and temperament of his arguments and language were admirable. It illustrated Erasmus’s belief that even disputes of faith should be conducted in an orderly, respectful and courtly manner. Erasmus declared that "courtesy

How does Steinbeck prepare us for the tragic ending in Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

How does Steinbeck prepare us for the tragic ending in Of Mice and Men Essay Steinbeck prepares us for the tragic ending in of mice and men right the way through the book. Lenny is the focus of all bad things to come and is a central character in the novel. First up there was the incident in Weed where Lenny stroked a womans red dress and she accused Lenny of raping her. This shows they make a habit of running away from places and people when Lenny often gets into trouble. an you aint gonna do no bad things like you did in weed neither. they run us outta weed. Those things show situations for the future and also show the dire situation they are in at the present, they are fugitives with Lenny committing the crimes and George helping him to get away because of their solid companionship in which both are each others only companions. The situation in weed also shows that Lenny likes stroking anything and anyone that is soft and once he has hold of someone or an it he cant let go. This is also shown with the mice where Lenny pets them too hard. uh-uh jus a dead mouse. He doesnt seem to fully understand the value of life nor regret his murders. This is not because he is malicious but because he is in fact mentally ill. His strength is beyond his control and this can create very dangerous situations for him and others around him, maybe even for-seeing murder here. The pups yet another example, this animal is also part of Lennys worrying fetish, here it is shown that he is too dangerous for even bigger animals in chapter five where he kills a pup. Lenny shows violence here towards the pups which he seems to love and have affection for, he thinks if the pup had not died (through no fault of its own) then George wouldve let him tend the rabbits and everything would be smiley again. All Lenny cares about is the rabbits and this predicts that maybe Lenny will do something destructive with the rabbits welfare In mind because he cares about them that much. Ill break their (anyone) god damn necks if they touch the rabbits he says defensively showing aggression. The bad mood Lenny is in sets him up to be calmed down by someone/something. Unfortunately this somebody/something appears to be Curleys wife. Curleys wife is another central character in the preparation of an all tears ending, she messes things for everybody and everything, I knew shed do us in the end George says resignedly after her death. She doesnt show any sign of stopping when she on her role of misery-making and it all leads up to a climax of some sort, and ending maybe to all the pain and suffering each and everybody is going through, putting their minds at rest. Curleys wife flirts as a meaning of talking to normal people, this is because she has not talked to other females and has not obtained any other skill so far in her short life, the men dont like her and thinks shes a tart because of this but still find her attractive and Lenny is no different in this respect, shes purty (pretty) he says with delight while looking at her body up and down, listening to her tender voice and looking at her silky hair, instantly she becomes an obvious unintentional target for Lennys animals like affections and the antics what go with this along with her red dress and red mule feathers which also attracts Lenny. When Curleys wife soothes Lenny and calms him down she doesnt know what shes letting herself in for, she thinks hes a harmless dum-dum. She talks to him in the first place because she is lonely and in return for listening to her Curleys wife lets Lenny stroke her hair which in turn triggers Lennys cant let go approach and he eventually kills her. We almost knew this was going to happen before it did because it resembles the weed incident too closely. Lenny had done a really bad thing George says. A mistake of the highest degree. The death of a human being had occurred. After this George doesnt even consider them going on the run together, here Steinbeck spells out the end of Lennys life indefinitely. George knows that Lenny cant get away with it and says we cant let him get away with it this time showing whats coming up next. Lennys death is now inevitable, George doesnt want Lenny to get hunted down and lynched like a wild animal but wants Lenny to die painlessly and dignified. This calls for Gorge to take control as anyway Lennys death is inevitable George decides to kill Lenny himself, humanely. Candys dog also showed signs of what happened to people who had no use in the ranch-place of work and it got shot just like Lenny would later be. If anything was learnt by the shooting of Lennys dog then it would have to be not to let a stranger kill someone who you care about. George deliberately took Carlsons Luger as he set out of to kill Lenny himself. Steinbeck also uses the scenery to prepare us for the death of Lenny, the surrounding are beautiful, day turns to dusk and everything is moving along swiftly. The wind picks up in the background and a heron takes off this signifies an event is about to take place. The reader always knew that Lenny would die at the brush because thats the place where he would go when he got in trouble and thats how George would find him. George sensed it was going to be needed early on in the novel again preparing us for the ending. In the end the cards mapped out the future in a sad way, while George was playing solitaire which again signifies their loneliness playing a one man game, Lenny picks up a card and asks why the card looks the same both ways up. George replies thats jus the way they make em. He is saying that you cant change what is inevitable just like Lennys impending doom. It is ironic that Lenny asks this question and George gives the answer because that is exactly what happens in the end.

Social Media and Internet Marketing Essay Example for Free

Social Media and Internet Marketing Essay Social media, although a relatively recent phenomenon, is becoming an Increasingly important part of any business’s marketing and client base development platform. According to Dragon, â€Å"The perception of social media marketing has shifted quickly no longer viewed as a trendy or passing fad, having a flexible and well-managed presence in each of the â€Å"big three† (Facebook, Twitter, and Google+) has become a must for any business seeking to secure a place in both the traditional and digital marketplace† (pg. 103). What could once be accomplished by a traditional website now needs to be supplemented by a robust and responsive utilization of the tools social media offers. Finding ways in this strange new world can be quite confusing at first but these are lessons most of today’s marketing businesses have to learn. Social media is changing the ways of traditional network marketing, to increase sales, marketing businesses have to connect with customers and join their conversations on social media sites. So even though social media marketing takes time to learn and use, social media has changed the way business is done today. Social media is changing the ways of network marketing Social media is not just a powerful tool that lets friends and family communicate, it also can be used to help market a business or product. Social media marketing as it is referred to is helping and fuelling the growing online platform of buying and selling. Many network-marketing businesses think they know what their customers want, but until they do a bit of research and discover what they want, it is just guess work. The power of social media can help network marketing businesses keep in touch with their customers and determine exactly what they want, simply by reading, capturing, and using the comments the customers make on social media sites. This new approach to marketing can help to expand and explode the marketing of products to target what customers want, and exactly when they want it. Chase and Knebl (2011) opined, â€Å"The Internet is the greatest communication tool of all time. For sales people, it is also the ultimate game changer. Past technological changes have all been improvements like voice mail, which were easily adaptable to the existing landscape, whereas the Internet is not. Over the past 15 years, it has completely taken over the way in which people get and exchange information. Over the past 5 years, it has completely taken over in which people socialize with one another. And now – right now, social networking is taking over B2B communication. Like it or not, social networking sites are completely, and permanently, redefining the way sales people find new customers† (p.p. 3 4). How marketing was managed and operated for businesses before has changed with the advent of the Internet. Traditional network marketing methods versus today’s social media marketing The traditional selling (marketing) use of the telephone is increasingly becoming obsolete as a business communication tool. The majority of business- to-business (B2B) correspondence now occurs through e-mail, simply because online communication is vastly superior to telephone as a means of sharing information. According to Chase and Knebl (2011), â€Å"The Internet has created fundamental shifts in the B2B marketplace that are driving the future of the selling profession. They require all of us who wish to sell successfully in the new marketplace to accept these changes, recognize the inherent opportunities that they offer, and become educated in the new skills needed to acquire new customers† (p. 4). In order to be efficient in marketing, it is important to realize what will work and what marketing methods are not working any more. For example, if the target market is a senior market, a yellow page ad may very well still bring in customers, but if the customers are under the age of 60, it is best to put marketing resources elsewhere. We have seen many changes to the trends and methods of marketing just over the last few years and these changes are continuing. Some of the trends and methods to watch closely according to Lake (2012) are Mobile Marketing In a report done by CTIA Wireless Association it was reported that 250+ million Americans carry mobile phones thats over 80% of the nation’s population. Mobile applications will continue to be developed and smart phones and tablet PCs will remain a part of our daily lives. Social Marketing Integration In 2011 companies began to take social media marketing seriously and because of that we saw social media explode as a marketing tool. This year we will begin to see companies heavily integrate social media into their overall marketing plan, which is how it should have been done in the first place, but better late than never. We will see social media expand from a tool used primarily for customer service and brand management to being used to collect customer data and enable better target marketing of products and services that those customers are interested. Traditional Marketing Continues to Diminishes This is always a touchy subject, because there are so many that dont want to say goodbye to the traditional marketing. Interactive or real-time marketing is easy to measure, engage and gain real time statistics that allows us to change a marketing message quickly. Customers are continuing to go online to search for information and in return making their purchases online. Its important that marketers move their marketing dollars to where the consumers are and right now thats making a gigantic shift to online. Internet marketing enables us to reach targeted audiences online, advertising costs are lower and they are easier to measure. Whats not to love about interactive marketing? Overall marketing budgets will continue to shift to a higher spend online and the traditional marketing spend will continue to diminish. Relationships will Drive Loyalty and Sales Customers want to know they matter to you and your staff. They evaluate now more than ever how they are treated, whether or not your business cares about their satisfaction. Gone are the days that they just purchase out of convenience. If you can give the best customer care, you will find that you will create consumers that are loyal to you, regardless of whether or not you have the least expensive price. They realize that in tough economic times their loyalty to you could be the life or death of your business and thats often why they will go out of their way to spend their hard-earned dollars in your place of business if you have helped in creating loyalty by giving them extraordinary care. Social media helping to promote and market businesses and products Millions of people uses social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter each day to stay up-to-date with their favorite brands and businesses. More than ever, it is important for business owners to ensure that their marketing strategies include some social media activities. Social media offers new ways to connect with current and potential customers, build online presence and also help develop long-lasting relationships with other business professionals and future contacts, Lovett (2011) made some interesting findings in his book: Social media has unquestionably entered the mainstream as consumers flock to jump on every social bandwagon, buggy, and freight train that drives past. This frenzied enthusiasm has helped the largest social networks to amass hundreds of thousands of users that rival the world’s most populous countries, while new platforms and channels emerge unabated. The early sparks of social media innovations have flourished into a raging inferno of opportunity for consumers and businesses alike. These businesses include everyone from the largest global fortune 100 to the smallest mom-and-pop shop, who are winning and losing everyday with social media. The losers are detached from their customers because they are unable to hear the outpouring of ideas and feedback over the drone of their antiquated toiling. Conversely, the winners are tapping into consumers’ needs and wants and suing social media as a method to: * Increase brand exposure * Initiate dialogue with customer * Generate interaction with their own media * Facilitate customer support * Assemble legions of loyal advocates * Spur corporate innovation * Do much, much more. (p.p. 3 4) In closing, for marketing businesses in the next decade, it will become increasingly important to monitor their brands and reputations online and to be aware of what is being said as well as do any damage control and address any issues that arise in a timely if not immediate fashion. Businesses can no longer hide behind the four walls; it is not enough to broadcast anymore. To succeed with marketing, it will be necessary to interact, engage, and create relationships to grow marketing businesses and create an effective marketing strategy in the next decade. We have seen millions attracted to social media. People are interacting and engaging daily with other individuals as well as with businesses. This will not slow down. It is believed that over the next decade one will see changes in the social media marketing platforms as well as the social media networking sites that are used. It is important to realize that when using social media in your marketing strategy, it must be remembered that it is about interaction, and not just about broadcasting. You need to create a social media marketing strategy that engages and cultivates relationships as well as solves any problems or issues that come up. Reference Lake, L. (2012). MoneyMarketingMarketing MethodsMarketing Methods and Trends Whats New for 2012. Retrieved from http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingmethods/a/marketing-methods-and-trends-whats-new-for-2012 Chase, L., Knebl, K. (2011). The Social Media Sales Revolution (1st ed.). Washington, DC: McGraw-Hill. Dragon, R. (2012). Social Marketology (1st ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Lovett, J. (2011). Social Media Metrics Secrets (1st ed.).Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc..

Factors Affecting Pakistans Literacy Rate

Factors Affecting Pakistans Literacy Rate LITERATURE REVIEW: The literature review will help in identifying the previous work done in this subject area. It aims to explore the relationship among the different variables and their impact on literacy rate in Pakistan. It would further assist in defining these variables and analyze them according to the published work. Maurice Boissiere (2004) did a research on the determinants of primary education outcomes in developing countries. The research question for this paper is What determines the outcomes of education?According to this paper, In todays world, simply getting children into schools in not enough, governments must also ensure that children complete the primary cycle and attain the basic knowledge and skills needed for personal well-being and national development. Many studies have examined how total resources devoted to education or resources per student affect education outcomes. This paper identified five principal contributors to education effectiveness: Curriculum, learning materials, instructional time, teaching strategies and students learning capacity. According to this paper, education outcomes often are framed in terms of the supply-side factors, but demand-side factors are also important in determining education outcomes. Participation in school is regarded here as an input, and completing primary school with the acquisition of basic knowledge and skills is regarded as a desirable outcome. An important pattern is that the outcomes of primary education in poor countries are far below those of the rich countries. There is now much more known about the basic cognitive skills of literacy in rich and poor countries based upon the growing body of evidence from international and regional education assessments. The gap between the rich and the poor countries on these measures is large, and the distribution of this most basic form of human capital within the poor countries also seems to be more inequitable. Ronald G. Ridker (1997) did a research on the Determinants of Educational Achievement and Attainment in Africa. This paper presents an overview and discussion of nine studies that attempt to explain educational achievement, attainment, and participation in different African countries.Available information on school, household, child, and community characteristics are explored for this purpose. Four of the studies base their analyses on national sample surveys, the remainder on evidence from field investigations of specific interventions at the primary level. This overview discusses the significance, limitations, and policy and research implications of the findings. The studies speak to a variety of issues, such as the importance of socio-economic as opposed to school characteristics in determining educational outcomes, the effect of quality improvements on enrollment, textbooks versus class size, professional versus para-professional teachers, and the role of parent participation. Mo st of the interventions were found to have positive impacts. This overview finds that outcomes can differ significantly depending on the context and status of variables. According to this paper variable are interrelated with each other. They demonstrate that improvements in school quality can have indirect as well as direct effects on achievement, the indirect effects occurring because of the effect on participation (enrollment, attendance, and continuation),which in turn affects achievement. They demonstrate the important mediating effects that household characteristics such as income and parent education can have on educational outcomes in some circumstances. They demonstrate that these influences can be very different in different circumstances. Grant Johnston (2004) did the research on Adult literacy and economic growth. According to this paper, Sustained economic growth is a priority for the government. Investments in human capital are seen as making a key contribution to growth. This paper looks at whether an increase in the basic literacy skills of adults would have a positive effect on the New Zealand economy, through increased employment and workplace productivity. It contributes to a suite of research projects the Treasury is undertaking on specific contributions of human capital that is, the knowledge, skills, competencies and attributes embodied in individuals Literacy skills are among the most important generic cognitive skills. Literacy was once considered to be the ability to read and write: people who couldnt meet a very basic standard writing their own name, for example were considered illiterate. Contemporary definitions of literacy still include reading and writing, but take the concept a considerable step further and include a range of skills used in work, and at home, which are much broader than the term literacy at first suggests. Workbase, the New Zealand Centre for Workplace Literacy Development, considers that literacy covers not just reading and writing, but speaking, listening, creative thinking, problem solving and numeracy Bruce Fuller, Lucia Dellagnelo and Annelie Strath (1999) did the research on Early Literacy and The Influence of Family, Teacher and Classroom in northeast brazil. Firstly they tried to answer this question How Can Government Raise childrens Early Literacy?Governments throughout the world-whether in the industrialized North or the impoverished South-are searching for effective means of boosting the early literacy of young children. Policy makers may be aiming to raise their societys human capital stock and reduce inequalities inherent across schools. Whatever the motivation, policy makers and local educators are trying to identify investment strategies and local programs that will raise childrens basic literacy rate.what form of government investment raise literacy?. The study of school effectiveness in Third World settings is a field that dates back to the early 1970s, and it continues to mature. Over 120 sound empirical studies that attempt to isolate school or teacher attributes t hat raise the achievement of students have been conducted in diverse countries. According to the paper, the study of school effectiveness within the northeastern states of Bahia and Cearai focuses on three facets of school and teacher quality that may help to explain variability in childrens early literacy skills. These aspects of quality correspond to three policy strategies for raising the effectiveness of primary schools.First point is School infrastructure and instructional inputsformalize school facilities and enrich basic materials.second point is teacher selection and preparation policies-recruit more able teachers and strengthen preservice training and the third point is classroom policies-improving pedagogy and classroom organization. In this case, they also run basic regression model to take findings for how literacy scores are related to childrens own attributes, such as gender and age, and to features of their home environment. Atta Ur Rahman and Salah Uddin (2002) did the research On The Different Socioeconomic factors Affecting the Education of N-W.F.P (Pakistan).According to the case, Education is the basic need of human beings. It is also very important for the development of any country. Education is the responsibility of the state and government who should make every possible effort to provide it on an ever interesting and increasing scale in accordance with the national resources. The community should also realize its role in the development of education. Pakistan is one of the countries of the world where the highest number of illiterates are concentrated. Being illiterate is not only an individual disability, it also has societal implications. Democratic institutions and values can hardly flourish in a society where half of the adult population is illiterate, and most of the voters cannot access information or read newspapers. The situation is particularly alarming for women and those living in rur al areas. Illiteracy not only causes dependence, it deprives people of development of their fullest potential of participation in decision making at different levels, and ultimately rises to breed oppression and exploitation. A number of students in the urban and rural areas of N-W.F.P (Pakistan) and control group were collected to examine the various socio-economic factors which affect our education system. A logistic regression was applied to analyze the data. The response variable for the study is literate (illiterate) persons and the risk factors are Father literacy, Father income Parents attitude towards education, Mother literacy, Present examination system, Present education curriculum. In the conclusion of the paper, they investigated the factors which affect education in the model with one explanatory variable the main effect father education has a significant effect on education. The factor which affects our education is FE*PA, which means that the education of the child i s depend on the education of the father and attitude of parents. The other factor are FI*ME means that father income and mother education also affect the education of the child. The father income and parents attitude also affect the education of the child. Malik Ansab (2003) did the research on the Factors Affecting Literacy Rate in Pakistan. According to the case, multiple factors affect (both positively and negatively) the literacy rate in Pakistan. In Pakistan, allocations for education in general and for enhancement of literacy in particular, have, always been very low with, 2.3 % of GNP being the highest figure in 9th Plan (1998-2003). Allocations for literacy started with the non-plan period (1970-78) in which Rs. 2.3 million were allocated for literacy but actually only Rs. 5.00 million were spent. Rs. 12.5 million and Rs.8.5 millions, were respectively spent during the 7th and 8th plans periods for the first time. The message arising out of EFA 2000 Assessment noted that, Education is characterized by the need to make tough choices between competing options of nearly equal attractiveness. Public expenditure on primary education in any country has a direct bearing on the literacy rate of that country. In Pakistan, like most of t he developing countries, the traditional ascription of feminine and masculine standards of behavior, division of labor and family responsibilities have been the main barriers in achieving a female literacy rate equal to that of males. In the rural areas, the poor people send only their sons to school, and that too make great personal sacrifice, but female children are kept without schooling. The country has not been able to provide adequate opportunities for the girls to acquire education. As a result, the situation has not only hampered the overall process of national development, but has also adversely affected the management of the day-to-day affairs of women, like childcare/child rearing, economic participation and social mobility. Azmat (2003) did the research on factors affecting literacy in Pakistan. According to this paper,The trends in respect of male and female literacy from 1981 to 1998 for various provinces of Pakistan indicate that the male literacy rate in 1981 for Punjab has increased form 36.82 to 57.20 percent against a rise in the female literacy rate from 16.82 to 35.10 percent. in Pakistan the fertility rate is directly dependent on the level of education of mothers. In other words, the educational level of mothers influences family size. The illiterate women in high literacy regions have 4.74 children on an average, while literate and secondary school certificate holder women have 3.63 -3.24 children. This co-relation is quite significant and emphasizes the importance of literacy and schooling because some literature suggest that mere schooling of girls also affects fertility. they also run the regression analysis between fertility and literacy. the result of regression analysis is about both v ariables have strong correlation. Another important finding is Literacy is not only hampered by the low participation rate but a major problem is the retention of children who get admitted to primary schools. The survival rate up to grade 5 in Pakistan is only 49.7 while the repetition rate for each grade in the primary schools in Pakistan is about 15.74 %. The existence of a permanent infrastructure and an institutional set-up also contributes positively in enhancing the literacy rate in developing countries. One of the causes of Pakistans despairing situation in terms of literacy rate is, that adult literacy and non-formal basic education have not been institutionalized. After Balochistan, only Punjab has recently started to shape literacy and mass education in an institutional form. Punjab has constituted the Punjab Commission for Literacy and EFA, but it is still in its infancy. Michael Kremer (2005) did the research on Schools, Teachers, and Education Outcomes in Developing Countries.Eight out of 10 of the worlds children live in developing countries (World Bank, 2003).For economists working on education, the study of developing countries offers both policy questions of fundamental importance and a rich set of experiences to examine.The important policy questions stem from the potential role of education in improving the welfare of the 5 billion people living in developing countries. Many macroeconomists have emphasized the impact of education on economic growth. The rich set of experiences worth examining includes wide variation in input levels and education systems across developing countries and, in recent years, dramatic policy changes and reforms in many developing countries. In addition, in the last 10 years randomized evaluations of education policies (which are rare in developed countries) have been undertaken in several developing countries. All of this makes the study of education in developing countries a potentially fruitful area of research. There are many differences between the education systems of developed and developing countries, so this section provides basic information on education in developing countries. Imran Sharif Chaudhry and Saeed ur Rahman (2009) did the research on The Impact of Gender Inequality on Education in Pakistan.this paper run regression analysis on primary data sets. Gender refers to socially constructed roles and responsibilities of women and men. The difference in roles and responsibilities among women and men stems from our families, societies and culture. The concept of gender includes our expectations about the characteristics, attitudes and behaviors of women and men, and is vital in facilitating gender analysis. The different roles, rights and resources that both the genders have in society are important determinants of the nature and scope of their inequality and poverty. Inequality in access to resources between women and men is most common in poor and developing countriesThe status of women in Pakistan is somehow different from that of western countries. Gender is one of the organizing principles of Pakistans society. Home has been defined as a women legitimate ideological and physical space where she performs her procreative role as a mother and wife while a man dominates the world outside the home and performs his productive role as a breadwinner. Men and women are conceptually divided into two separate worlds. The household resources are allocated in the favour of sons due to their productive role. Male members of the family are given better education and are equipped with skills to compete for resources in public arena. Education is the most important instrument for human resource development. It has become a universal human right and an important component of opportunities and empowerment of women. A large number of empirical studies find that increase in womens education boosts their wages and that returns to education for women are frequently larger than that of men. There are many empirical evidences that, increase in female education improves human development outcomes such as child survival, health and schooling explored that lower female education had a negative impact on economic growth as it lowered the average level of human capital. According to Knowles etal (2002), in developing countries female education reduces fertility, infant mortality and increases childrens education. Gender inequality in education directly and significantly affects economic growth. Chaudhry(2007) investigated the impact of gender inequality in education on economic growth in Pakistan. The secondary source of time series data drawn from various issues has been used. In his regression analysis, he estima ted a set of regressions which shows a moderate explanatory power. The variables,overall literacy rate, enrolment ratio, ratio of literate female to male have positive and significant impact on economic growth. Dr.Zahid Asghar, Nazia Attique and Amena Urooj (2000) did the research on Measuring impact of education and socio-economic factors on Health for Pakistan. It is a common understanding that people with higher level of education lead a more healthy life due to their enhanced level of awareness compared to the less educated individuals. Two important prerequisites for an effective health policy are; monitoring and forecasting the populations health and its health determinants. Health of any individual or that of a society or community is not dependent on a particular single factor. Education affects health not because of the knowledge and practices one can learn at school, but rather it shapes individuals life and can alter the characteristics of an individual to be healthier. Measurement of health is an abstract concept and health itself is affected by a number of factors. This study aims at exploring whether there is any relation in education, gender, and health for Pakistan. Exploratory data analysis and ordinal logistic regression are used here to assess relationship between health, education and other socio-economic factors. It is evident that individuals with higher education level tend to have better health status than a person with lower levels of education. There is also evidence of gender being an important determinant of health in Pakistan. This study provides a useful piece of information for the policy makers in health and education sectors. The data used in this study was collected by Pakistan and Medical Research Council under National Health Survey of Pakistan.

Causes and Effects of the French Revolution :: European Europe History

Causes and Effects of the French Revolution Revolution? The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types of social classes in French society. The French Revolution of 1789-1799 was one of the most important events in the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. It questioned the authority of kings, priests, and nobles. The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to the political ideas of the people. The French Revolution was spread over the ten year period between 1789 and 1799. The primary cause of the revolution was the disputes over the peoples' differing ideas of reform. Before the beginning of the Revolution, only moderate reforms were wanted by the people. An example of why they wanted this was because of king Louis XIV's actions. At the end of the seventeenth century, King Louis XIV's wars began decreasing the royal finances dramatically. This worsened during the eighteenth century. The use of the money by Louis XIV angered the people and they wanted a new system of government. The writings of the philosophes such as Voltaire and Diderot, were critical of the government. They said that not one official in power was corrupt, but that the whole system of government needed some change. Eventually, when the royal finances were expended in the 1780's, there began a time of greater criticism. This sparked the peasants notion of wanting change. Under the Old Regime in France, the king was the absolute monarch. Louis XIV had centralized power in the royal bureaucracy, the government departments which administered his policies. Together, Louis XIV and the bureaucracy worked to preserve royal authority and to maintain the social structure of the Old Regime. At this time in French history, the social classes played an important role in the lives of the people. The social structure of France was divided among three groups: the First Estate, the Second Estate, and the Third Estate. Each social group had a varied type of people within their structure, which presented the different views of the people. The First Estate was the Church. During the ancien regime, the church was equal in terms of its social, economic, and spiritual power. The First Estate owned nearly 10 per cent of all land in France.

The Genetic Screening Debate :: Biology Biological Genes Papers

The Genetic Screening Debate Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence linking genes and disease. The development of predictive genetic tests followed shortly after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a handful of diseases, its effects and ramifications have become hotly debated issues in a wide range of areas, from government to religion. The debate began in the 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The discovery of this gene led to excitement and speculation of developing a predictive genetic test to identify those women at risk for these cancers. In this paper, I will first describe the biology of genetic testing, and then discuss the pros and cons of predictive genetic testing. Before we start discussing how genetic tests are developed, let us discuss how genes can trigger disease. A sound body requires the action of many proteins working together. For a protein to function properly, an intact gene must encode for that specific protein. A mutation describes a gene which has been changed. The most common type of mutation is a single change of a nucleotide of DNA. Other types of mutations include the loss or gain of a nucleotide and the disappearance or multiplication of long segments of DNA. Mutations can have three effects: beneficial, harmful, or neutral. Mutations are beneficial if the fitness of an individual is enhanced. Harmful mutations can either slightly alter a protein, where the protein may still minimally function, or they may totally disable a protein. In this instance, the outcome is not only based on how a mutation alters a protein’s function, but on how important the protein is to the body (Understanding Gene Testing). Since we have determined how genes can trigger harmful effects in the body, we can now examine how scientists look for specific genes that cause diseases. Scientists, looking for a diseased gene, study DNA samples in individuals where the disease has been present in the family for many generations. They look for specific genetic markers, which are DNA segments that are identified in individuals with the disease, and not identified in healthy individuals. Scientists then narrow down the area of DNA by mapping a gene. If a disease gene is mapped to an area, then the genelike sequences become candidate genes for a specific disease gene.

Hamlets Insanity :: essays research papers

Hamlet’s Insanity…is it real?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In William Shakespeare’s Play Hamlet, many issues have been raised about Hamlet’s over all sanity. He has experienced many things that might make one think he has gone crazy, for example, his father’s murder, killing Polonius accidentally, and his mother’s abrupt remarriage. Hamlet begins to act shady towards the middle to the end of the play while talking to others. In several scenes it appears that Hamlet has gone crazy. Many critics have varying opinions of this issue. Joshua Wells wrote an article that comparing Hamlet’s sanity and insanity. Another critic, that did not mention his name, thinks that Hamlet is sane. Hamlet was not actually insane, it was simply a ploy to seek revenge for his father’s murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wells, in his article “Was Hamlet Mentally Disturbed?'; stated that Hamlet is truly insane. In the first act Hamlet appears to be crazy when he hears of his father’s murder. He speaks irrationally to Horatio, who comments that Hamlet is speaking “ wild and whirling words';(I.v.149). Also, Hamlet plays with Horatio and will not tell him what the ghost told him. Horatio asks Hamlet about the news he heard and Hamlet replies “O, wonderful!';(I.v.130). The news is actually not good news at all. Hamlet then sees the ghost in his mother’s chambers, but she can not see it. This is strange because earlier in the play Horatio and the other watchmen could see the ghost. When Hamlet starts a conversation with the ghost, his mother says, “Alas, he’s mad!'; (III.iv.122).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet does some other actions throughout the play that give the impression that he has gone crazy. One is that his moods change abruptly for no reason. While he is talking to his mother in her chambers, they are speaking calming to each other and then Hamlet starts acting violently towards her. He also jumps on a pirate ship without a second thought or anyone to protect him. At the same time, he has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed, even though it was not part of his revenge plan. Finally, Hamlet hides Polonius’ body and will not tell anyone where it is. He tells Laertes that he killed Polonius in a fit of madness (Wells).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many good reasons to believe that Hamlet is truly crazy. He acted rashly and many of his thoughts were random. He did not act as though he had just lost a loved one; he acted like the world had come to an end.

Introduction speech

My name is Sally and I'm a full-time student in Aviation Management & Services. It is an honor to stand here today, representing the class of 2014. First of all, congratulates to all fellow graduates for our success in TAP. The three years of hard work have finally paid off and now, we are ready to embark on a new chapter In our lives. How many of you still remember your very first day when you step Into the campus? Do you feel lost? Do you still remember when was the first occasion when you talked to that someone who is presently your closest friend? I believe many of you do encounter the problem of heart racing when you couldn't find your classroom on your first week of school and was still struggling to try to get used to the new people and new environment around you. However, this tough period has past and in a blink of an eye, we have all got closer with our classmates and have together created tons of wonderful memories during these three years. I guess what I will miss most af ter graduation will be the times here I had to rush for project deadlines with my group mates. It was almost every week that we had to stay back after school and also, spending countless sleepless nights to complete the projects.Indeed, it was a stressful period of time, but it trains us to work as a team and the sense of achievement and satisfaction after submitting a project that was well done is really indescribable. 4 Our time in TAP has been truly a great experience. The significant milestones that we had made were truly memorable. Recall back to the first orientation camp that we .NET to, our first presentation inferno of the class and our final year internship and major project has really shaped us to who we are today.A wise man once said that a journey Is best measured In smiles, rather than miles. I believe I wouldn't be what I am currently without the advice and support of many of the people here today. On behalf of Class of 2014, I would like to take this opportunity to t hank all the lecturers, tutors, family and friends who have supported us throughout the previous three 5 As we move on to the next phase of our lives, remember that graduation arks the end of one entryway and the opening of another.The future may be uncertain and surprise us, but here's some advice from Harvey McKay. He said: ‘ Find something you love to do, and you will never work a day in your life. † That is pretty much(virtually) what TAP taught me as well, ‘ Love what you do, and you will be doing what you love. ‘ As we spread our wings to take off higher, let's all remember that we have come this far through hardwood, cooperation and discipline. Thank you ladies and gentlemen and to my fellow graduates, Happy Graduation!

Electronic Commerce

Electronic Commerce – often shortened to E-commerce – is the name given to selling and buying things using the Internet. E-commerce is important because: – * Many people now have Internet connections. Information about goods and services for sale can be put on the World Wide Web. Setting up a company website and doing business through it can be a lot more cost effective than using purely traditional shops. * Companies can have a national or even international customer â€Å"reach† with a website. * People do not leave their homes to shop using E-Commerce. * The costs of delivery of goods are low and many carriers are available. * People can find exactly what they need without hunting round shops or phoning around. Traditional Business Practices Many people have an aspiration and have the resources to go out and do traditional shopping Traditional business practises are easy to exploit and cheap to do for example marketing is a lot more easy to exploit as you generally have a idea who you target audience is You can look at your product try it out and even negotiate lowering the price Advantages for e-commerce disadvantages concerning traditional business practices * Larger market and more options for consumers. This creates more market competition, thus driving down prices and forcing better retail practices. * Don't have to leave home and fight traffic†¦delivered to door * In many cases, a larger selection is available. * Consumers are able to research a product and its competitors more thoroughly before purchase and compare many prices from different retailers. * No sales tax. * Open 24 hours a day / seven days a week, which is very beneficial to those who can not find time to go to a store and for those who just want to shop whenever they feel like it. * Do not have to deal with the sales atmosphere. * Friendlier: no rude salespeople who ignore customers * Can find what you are looking for a the touch of a button – sizes, colours, etc Disadvantages for e-commerce advantages concerning traditional business practices * Waiting for a shipment to arrive in the mail * Shipping Charges * Lack of confidence in personal information transfer on-line * Ease of fraudulent retailers and sites. The fluctuation and instability of Internet retailers makes it difficult for new retailers to establish a reputation because many do not survive. Therefore, there is a lack of confidence that exists in trusting Internet retailers. * Lose the traditional shopping experience and the instant gratification that many really enjoy. * Lack of taxes reduces the tax revenues that states and cities might otherwise collect from traditional retailers. * Traditional retail stores are at a disadvantage to Internet retailers due to the lack of Internet sales tax. * Many are still to computer-illiterate to take advantage of this avenue of commerce * KNOWLEDGE OF D.P.A The law is catching up with the online world. The progressive migration of business to the web is forcing reappraisal of intellectual property rights and their protection, and clarifying the meaning of intellectual property in a connected world. Any customer purchasing or using goods or services has certain rights through legislation and regulation of which impact upon their relationship with the organisation selling the products and service. The implication of the customer rights will be different for manufacturers compared for example with a retailer under the trade description 1968 and 1972 any description of goods and services given by a person acting in the trade or business should be accurate and not misleading failure to do so is a criminal offence. The sale of goods act 1979 places obligation on the buyer and seller on products and services. The seller of goods must ensure the goods are they own legal ownership. Products are of merchantable quality. Fit for the person for normal use meets the description and are delivered on time. The customer once agreed to buy a product has entered a contart with the seller and obliged to pay for the price agreed at the timeof contract. If the goods are faulty, the customer has a r ight for a full refund. If the fault is identified to the customer at the time of contract the customer cannot cause a case Customers have no rights if they change their minds about goods or damage goods themselves Manufacturer guarantee may add to customer right under the supplier and seller act 1982 any goods supplied under contract must confirm to terms and conditions under the consumer protect 1987 people injured by faulty or defected goods have the right to sue The Data Protection Act 1998 and the Internet The new Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. The Act has received considerable publicity, both because its ambit is wider than its predecessor, the 1984 Data Protection Act is, and because of the greater and more flexible powers given to the Data Protection Commissioner and to individuals to enforce the Act. The Act has significant implications for the Internet and for e-commerce in particular. As the European Commission Working Party on data protection commented: ‘The Internet is not a legal vacuum. Processing of personal data on the Internet has to respect data protection principles just as in the off-line world'. Obtaining consent Under the new Act, it is often necessary or advisable for ‘data controllers' (organisations which obtain, store, or use personal data about an individual) to obtain the individual's consent to these activities. What amounts to consent in cyberspace is a difficult, largely unresolved issue. The more serious the consequences of data processing for the individual, the more careful the organisation must be to ensure that the individual is in possession of any information which he or she requires to give not just consent, but ‘informed' consent. This information should be provided in a way, which is clear, prominent, and easily accessible. If the information is scattered over various disparate website pages, informed consent may not have been given. E-commerce traders must think carefully about whether, in each case, failure to click on an ‘opt-out' box will be sufficient, or whether a specific ‘opt-in' box should be provided. Obtaining consent from minors is a difficult area for e-commerce traders, particularly those retailing goods or services, which are attractive to children and teenagers, such as computer games. The Data Protection Registrar has indicated that, as under-18s cannot generally be bound to a contract under English law, they can also not be deemed to have consented to the processing of their personal data. However, can a third party, even a parent or guardian, consent to processing on behalf of a minor? In addition, how does an organisation know when it is dealing with a minor in cyberspace – no tell-tale handwriting here! The US government has adopted a Children's On-line Privacy Protection Act, which deals with the point expressly, but there is no indication that the UK government intends to address the issues in a similar way. Privacy policies Many companies have adopted a ‘privacy policy' or ‘statement' which is published on their website as a useful way of addressing data protection issues. Privacy policies typically state who the data controller is, what personal data is being collected, and what will happen to it, in particular to whom data may be transferred. A privacy policy may also give information about the right to opt-out of direct marketing; details of any mechanism for individuals to update or amend their personal data; information about the use of ‘cookies' and invisible data capture; and a disclaimer for third-party sites linked to the website. To be effective, it is important that privacy policies are clear, prominent, and easily accessible from relevant pages. If you rely on a privacy policy alone to demonstrate that the subject has consented to precessing, then you should take steps to ensure that they must scroll through the page before providing their data. Invisible data capture Concerns have been raised about the data protection implications of invisible data processing during web browsing. For example, many companies use techniques which gather information about a website visitor, such as their IP address, the type of browser and operating system they use, and previous sites they have visited. This information has been described as a ‘clicktrail' about an individual, recording the pattern of their Internet use. There is some debate as to whether this information, which is largely anonymised, qualifies as personal data. The European Commission Working Group adopted a bullish view in its 1999 Recommendations, regarding IP addresses, for example, as personal data. Website owners wishing to make use of invisible data capture metyhods are advised to bring them within their data protection procedures. Website hosts Often an external host or web manager will oversee the running of the server on which a website is hosted. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, the commercial entity which ‘owns' the website will normally be the ‘data controller' in relation to personal data obtained via the website, whereas the host will be a ‘data processor' processing data on its behalf. Under the new Act, data controllers are liable for processing undertaken on their behalf by such data processors. The data controller must actively police the data protection procedures of any person processing data on its behalf, and must enter into a written contract with its data processors, requiring them to maintain certainty security measures and to process personal data only in accordance with instructions. Extra-EEA transfer Website proprietors must pay particular attention to the eighth data protection principle, concerning the transfer of personal data outside the European Economic Area. Initially, there was concern that merely sending e-mails, which, for example, may travel from one side of London to the other via the United States, would frequently infringe this principle. However, the Data Protection Commissioner distinguishes in recent guidance between the ‘transfer' and ‘transit' of data, and states that, provided an electronic transfer of data starts and ends in an EEA country, the principle will not be infringed. Conclusion As with many provisions of the new Act, the distinction between ‘transfer' and ‘transit' of information is ambiguous and uncertain. The Data Protection Registrar has said that she appreciates the difficulties in understanding and applying the new Act. To begin with, therefore, she is unlikely to enforce the new provisions to the letter, if data controllers try to comply with the spirit of the Act. However, given that it will ultimately fall to the courts to decide what amounts to compliance, and that individuals may now police processing themselves, those dealing with personal data on the Internet must take the new rules very seriously. Legal Issues Under UK law, consumers have the same rights as in any other forms of trade. The government are also striving to change existing laws to help to clear up any ambiguity in current law to help e-commerce and ultimately consumer protection across the Internet. So, if you are unfamiliar with any of the following laws and regulations, now is the time to find out. * The Data Protection Act 1998 * The Consumer Protection Act 1998 * British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion * The Distance Selling Regulations 2000 * The Unfair Contract Act 1977 and 1999 regulations * The sales of Goods Act 1979 * The Consumer Credit Act 1974 * The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 Qualify your intentions In 1999, the government set up a self-regulatory scheme to develop and enhance confidence in UK e-commerce. Its aim was to act as a symbol of good web trading via an agreed â€Å"minimum standard† for online trading. For the small business, this can mean that you are accredited as â€Å"good† online e-service. This organisation is known as TRUSTUK. For any company who has been accredited by TrustUK can display the TrustUK hallmark on their website. For the small business, this gives credibility and can boost consumer confidence greatly. TrustUK have also linked up with other organisations who also offer accreditation for websites adhering to set TrustUK standards, these are known as â€Å"code owners†. If your small business takes many issues similar to the ones discussed, then you should have no problem gaining accreditation. To find out more visit the TrustUK web site The impact of technological innovations on e-commerce The Internets potential for e-commerce The evidence supporting e-commerce growth and potential can be staggering when one considers the accomplishments in this field just over the last few years. The potential impact, and issues surrounding, e-commerce and the practising accountant. E-commerce is seen as a major area of growth over the next few years and virtually every well-known retailer is developing some form of web presence, for example WHSmith has recently launched an online book selling service. In addition, there are a number of high profile web-only retailers such as Amazon.co.uk. The commercial viability of these ventures is yet to be established, although stock market values would have us believe they will be highly profitable. One of the main factors seen by many as holding back the further and faster development of e-commerce, certainly outside the high profile names, is the lack of trust by consumers in the on-line retailer. This covers issues such as the existence of the company, the delivery of goods ordered, the ability to return unsatisfactory goods and perhaps, most importantly, the security of personal information and credit card details. A number of specialist organisations now attempt to provide assurance to consumers, on some or all of the trust issues outlined above. When a business meets the qualifying criteria established by such an organisation, it may display a seal of approval on its website. The consumer is able to click on the seal to obtain further information regarding the meaning of the seal. One such seal is CPA Web Trust (www.cpawebtrust.org). The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants developed this product. The Institutes of Chartered Accountants in the UK and Ireland have obtained a licence to cover these territories. To obtain a Web Trust seal, a business will be subjected to an audit, by an accredited firm, of its business processes and security issues. Where the Web Trust criteria are satisfied a seal (which must be renewed on a quarterly basis) will be issued. ACCA investigated fully the benefits of obtaining a Web Trust licence to enable its firms to offer this service, but the decision was taken that this was not appropriate for a number of reasons: The cost to the professional body of obtaining a licence from AICPA/CICA Research carried out by the European Consortium for Web Assurance and Trust (ECWAT) group (in which ACCA participates) indicates that in business-to-consumer e-commerce, the well-known traditional retailer or web retailer has a large advantage over the unknown retailer, even where the unknown retailer carries a seal. This would indicate that outside much specialised markets the client might need to have a significant profile built through marketing to make e-commerce viable. These clients are unlikely to be common to small practices ECWAT research indicates that consumers would place significantly more reliance on a seal provided/backed by a Consumer Union/Association than by an accountant Carrying out a Web Trust audit requires the firm to obtain a licence, undertake training and have a level of technical expertise that may not exist, now The US experience suggests that Web Trust has not yet taken off as a service despite it having been available for around 18 months. Recently there were 18 organisations on the list of current Web Trust sites – of these, four are professional accounting bodies There are competitors to Web Trust, which potentially will be in a very strong position. For example, Entrust Inc is focusing on the issue of digital certificates to vouch for the authenticity of sites. This is being done in conjunction with the browser technology of Microsoft, AOL and Netscape. These browsers will automatically recognise Entrust.net website certificates when visitors connect to a site The Consumers Association has launched a which? Web Trader seal which is designed to offer assurance to consumers and unlike the Web Trust seal is issued free of charge. Further details can be found at http://www.which.net/webtrader/index.html. Given that ACCA is not able to offer members the Web Trust licence, how should members become involved in e-commerce? It is clear that e-commerce is a growing market, but it is expected that the principal area of growth will not be a consumer buying over the internet (although this market will be substantial) but in the area of business-to-business transactions. The business to business market may not have the same issues relating to trust, as businesses are likely to look to form on-going relationships, and there are already established means of making electronic payments. It is unlikely that businesses will move to payment with order, as is the case with much business to consumer e-commerce. A likely scenario is that important customers will want to be able to order online, check stock availability, prices and delivery times and be confident that the order will be delivered as expected. The accountant could play an important role in advising his/her client on this transformation, by assisting in areas such as integration with existing accounting records and processes, ensuring security and back-up procedures are maintained properly, and generally that efficient and best use is made of information technology. A 1 Cycles is Committed to developing e-commerce and enabling practitioners to participate in this exciting market. Look out for further developments in future issues of In Practice. Electronic Commerce Electronic Commerce – often shortened to E-commerce – is the name given to selling and buying things using the Internet. E-commerce is important because: – * Many people now have Internet connections. Information about goods and services for sale can be put on the World Wide Web. Setting up a company website and doing business through it can be a lot more cost effective than using purely traditional shops. * Companies can have a national or even international customer â€Å"reach† with a website. * People do not leave their homes to shop using E-Commerce. * The costs of delivery of goods are low and many carriers are available. * People can find exactly what they need without hunting round shops or phoning around. Traditional Business Practices Many people have an aspiration and have the resources to go out and do traditional shopping Traditional business practises are easy to exploit and cheap to do for example marketing is a lot more easy to exploit as you generally have a idea who you target audience is You can look at your product try it out and even negotiate lowering the price Advantages for e-commerce disadvantages concerning traditional business practices * Larger market and more options for consumers. This creates more market competition, thus driving down prices and forcing better retail practices. * Don't have to leave home and fight traffic†¦delivered to door * In many cases, a larger selection is available. * Consumers are able to research a product and its competitors more thoroughly before purchase and compare many prices from different retailers. * No sales tax. * Open 24 hours a day / seven days a week, which is very beneficial to those who can not find time to go to a store and for those who just want to shop whenever they feel like it. * Do not have to deal with the sales atmosphere. * Friendlier: no rude salespeople who ignore customers * Can find what you are looking for a the touch of a button – sizes, colours, etc Disadvantages for e-commerce advantages concerning traditional business practices * Waiting for a shipment to arrive in the mail * Shipping Charges * Lack of confidence in personal information transfer on-line * Ease of fraudulent retailers and sites. The fluctuation and instability of Internet retailers makes it difficult for new retailers to establish a reputation because many do not survive. Therefore, there is a lack of confidence that exists in trusting Internet retailers. * Lose the traditional shopping experience and the instant gratification that many really enjoy. * Lack of taxes reduces the tax revenues that states and cities might otherwise collect from traditional retailers. * Traditional retail stores are at a disadvantage to Internet retailers due to the lack of Internet sales tax. * Many are still to computer-illiterate to take advantage of this avenue of commerce * KNOWLEDGE OF D.P.A The law is catching up with the online world. The progressive migration of business to the web is forcing reappraisal of intellectual property rights and their protection, and clarifying the meaning of intellectual property in a connected world. Any customer purchasing or using goods or services has certain rights through legislation and regulation of which impact upon their relationship with the organisation selling the products and service. The implication of the customer rights will be different for manufacturers compared for example with a retailer under the trade description 1968 and 1972 any description of goods and services given by a person acting in the trade or business should be accurate and not misleading failure to do so is a criminal offence. The sale of goods act 1979 places obligation on the buyer and seller on products and services. The seller of goods must ensure the goods are they own legal ownership. Products are of merchantable quality. Fit for the person for normal use meets the description and are delivered on time. The customer once agreed to buy a product has entered a contart with the seller and obliged to pay for the price agreed at the timeof contract. If the goods are faulty, the customer has a r ight for a full refund. If the fault is identified to the customer at the time of contract the customer cannot cause a case Customers have no rights if they change their minds about goods or damage goods themselves Manufacturer guarantee may add to customer right under the supplier and seller act 1982 any goods supplied under contract must confirm to terms and conditions under the consumer protect 1987 people injured by faulty or defected goods have the right to sue The Data Protection Act 1998 and the Internet The new Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. The Act has received considerable publicity, both because its ambit is wider than its predecessor, the 1984 Data Protection Act is, and because of the greater and more flexible powers given to the Data Protection Commissioner and to individuals to enforce the Act. The Act has significant implications for the Internet and for e-commerce in particular. As the European Commission Working Party on data protection commented: ‘The Internet is not a legal vacuum. Processing of personal data on the Internet has to respect data protection principles just as in the off-line world'. Obtaining consent Under the new Act, it is often necessary or advisable for ‘data controllers' (organisations which obtain, store, or use personal data about an individual) to obtain the individual's consent to these activities. What amounts to consent in cyberspace is a difficult, largely unresolved issue. The more serious the consequences of data processing for the individual, the more careful the organisation must be to ensure that the individual is in possession of any information which he or she requires to give not just consent, but ‘informed' consent. This information should be provided in a way, which is clear, prominent, and easily accessible. If the information is scattered over various disparate website pages, informed consent may not have been given. E-commerce traders must think carefully about whether, in each case, failure to click on an ‘opt-out' box will be sufficient, or whether a specific ‘opt-in' box should be provided. Obtaining consent from minors is a difficult area for e-commerce traders, particularly those retailing goods or services, which are attractive to children and teenagers, such as computer games. The Data Protection Registrar has indicated that, as under-18s cannot generally be bound to a contract under English law, they can also not be deemed to have consented to the processing of their personal data. However, can a third party, even a parent or guardian, consent to processing on behalf of a minor? In addition, how does an organisation know when it is dealing with a minor in cyberspace – no tell-tale handwriting here! The US government has adopted a Children's On-line Privacy Protection Act, which deals with the point expressly, but there is no indication that the UK government intends to address the issues in a similar way. Privacy policies Many companies have adopted a ‘privacy policy' or ‘statement' which is published on their website as a useful way of addressing data protection issues. Privacy policies typically state who the data controller is, what personal data is being collected, and what will happen to it, in particular to whom data may be transferred. A privacy policy may also give information about the right to opt-out of direct marketing; details of any mechanism for individuals to update or amend their personal data; information about the use of ‘cookies' and invisible data capture; and a disclaimer for third-party sites linked to the website. To be effective, it is important that privacy policies are clear, prominent, and easily accessible from relevant pages. If you rely on a privacy policy alone to demonstrate that the subject has consented to precessing, then you should take steps to ensure that they must scroll through the page before providing their data. Invisible data capture Concerns have been raised about the data protection implications of invisible data processing during web browsing. For example, many companies use techniques which gather information about a website visitor, such as their IP address, the type of browser and operating system they use, and previous sites they have visited. This information has been described as a ‘clicktrail' about an individual, recording the pattern of their Internet use. There is some debate as to whether this information, which is largely anonymised, qualifies as personal data. The European Commission Working Group adopted a bullish view in its 1999 Recommendations, regarding IP addresses, for example, as personal data. Website owners wishing to make use of invisible data capture metyhods are advised to bring them within their data protection procedures. Website hosts Often an external host or web manager will oversee the running of the server on which a website is hosted. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, the commercial entity which ‘owns' the website will normally be the ‘data controller' in relation to personal data obtained via the website, whereas the host will be a ‘data processor' processing data on its behalf. Under the new Act, data controllers are liable for processing undertaken on their behalf by such data processors. The data controller must actively police the data protection procedures of any person processing data on its behalf, and must enter into a written contract with its data processors, requiring them to maintain certainty security measures and to process personal data only in accordance with instructions. Extra-EEA transfer Website proprietors must pay particular attention to the eighth data protection principle, concerning the transfer of personal data outside the European Economic Area. Initially, there was concern that merely sending e-mails, which, for example, may travel from one side of London to the other via the United States, would frequently infringe this principle. However, the Data Protection Commissioner distinguishes in recent guidance between the ‘transfer' and ‘transit' of data, and states that, provided an electronic transfer of data starts and ends in an EEA country, the principle will not be infringed. Conclusion As with many provisions of the new Act, the distinction between ‘transfer' and ‘transit' of information is ambiguous and uncertain. The Data Protection Registrar has said that she appreciates the difficulties in understanding and applying the new Act. To begin with, therefore, she is unlikely to enforce the new provisions to the letter, if data controllers try to comply with the spirit of the Act. However, given that it will ultimately fall to the courts to decide what amounts to compliance, and that individuals may now police processing themselves, those dealing with personal data on the Internet must take the new rules very seriously. Legal Issues Under UK law, consumers have the same rights as in any other forms of trade. The government are also striving to change existing laws to help to clear up any ambiguity in current law to help e-commerce and ultimately consumer protection across the Internet. So, if you are unfamiliar with any of the following laws and regulations, now is the time to find out. * The Data Protection Act 1998 * The Consumer Protection Act 1998 * British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion * The Distance Selling Regulations 2000 * The Unfair Contract Act 1977 and 1999 regulations * The sales of Goods Act 1979 * The Consumer Credit Act 1974 * The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 Qualify your intentions In 1999, the government set up a self-regulatory scheme to develop and enhance confidence in UK e-commerce. Its aim was to act as a symbol of good web trading via an agreed â€Å"minimum standard† for online trading. For the small business, this can mean that you are accredited as â€Å"good† online e-service. This organisation is known as TRUSTUK. For any company who has been accredited by TrustUK can display the TrustUK hallmark on their website. For the small business, this gives credibility and can boost consumer confidence greatly. TrustUK have also linked up with other organisations who also offer accreditation for websites adhering to set TrustUK standards, these are known as â€Å"code owners†. If your small business takes many issues similar to the ones discussed, then you should have no problem gaining accreditation. To find out more visit the TrustUK web site The impact of technological innovations on e-commerce The Internets potential for e-commerce The evidence supporting e-commerce growth and potential can be staggering when one considers the accomplishments in this field just over the last few years. The potential impact, and issues surrounding, e-commerce and the practising accountant. E-commerce is seen as a major area of growth over the next few years and virtually every well-known retailer is developing some form of web presence, for example WHSmith has recently launched an online book selling service. In addition, there are a number of high profile web-only retailers such as Amazon.co.uk. The commercial viability of these ventures is yet to be established, although stock market values would have us believe they will be highly profitable. One of the main factors seen by many as holding back the further and faster development of e-commerce, certainly outside the high profile names, is the lack of trust by consumers in the on-line retailer. This covers issues such as the existence of the company, the delivery of goods ordered, the ability to return unsatisfactory goods and perhaps, most importantly, the security of personal information and credit card details. A number of specialist organisations now attempt to provide assurance to consumers, on some or all of the trust issues outlined above. When a business meets the qualifying criteria established by such an organisation, it may display a seal of approval on its website. The consumer is able to click on the seal to obtain further information regarding the meaning of the seal. One such seal is CPA Web Trust (www.cpawebtrust.org). The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants developed this product. The Institutes of Chartered Accountants in the UK and Ireland have obtained a licence to cover these territories. To obtain a Web Trust seal, a business will be subjected to an audit, by an accredited firm, of its business processes and security issues. Where the Web Trust criteria are satisfied a seal (which must be renewed on a quarterly basis) will be issued. ACCA investigated fully the benefits of obtaining a Web Trust licence to enable its firms to offer this service, but the decision was taken that this was not appropriate for a number of reasons: The cost to the professional body of obtaining a licence from AICPA/CICA Research carried out by the European Consortium for Web Assurance and Trust (ECWAT) group (in which ACCA participates) indicates that in business-to-consumer e-commerce, the well-known traditional retailer or web retailer has a large advantage over the unknown retailer, even where the unknown retailer carries a seal. This would indicate that outside much specialised markets the client might need to have a significant profile built through marketing to make e-commerce viable. These clients are unlikely to be common to small practices ECWAT research indicates that consumers would place significantly more reliance on a seal provided/backed by a Consumer Union/Association than by an accountant Carrying out a Web Trust audit requires the firm to obtain a licence, undertake training and have a level of technical expertise that may not exist, now The US experience suggests that Web Trust has not yet taken off as a service despite it having been available for around 18 months. Recently there were 18 organisations on the list of current Web Trust sites – of these, four are professional accounting bodies There are competitors to Web Trust, which potentially will be in a very strong position. For example, Entrust Inc is focusing on the issue of digital certificates to vouch for the authenticity of sites. This is being done in conjunction with the browser technology of Microsoft, AOL and Netscape. These browsers will automatically recognise Entrust.net website certificates when visitors connect to a site The Consumers Association has launched a which? Web Trader seal which is designed to offer assurance to consumers and unlike the Web Trust seal is issued free of charge. Further details can be found at http://www.which.net/webtrader/index.html. Given that ACCA is not able to offer members the Web Trust licence, how should members become involved in e-commerce? It is clear that e-commerce is a growing market, but it is expected that the principal area of growth will not be a consumer buying over the internet (although this market will be substantial) but in the area of business-to-business transactions. The business to business market may not have the same issues relating to trust, as businesses are likely to look to form on-going relationships, and there are already established means of making electronic payments. It is unlikely that businesses will move to payment with order, as is the case with much business to consumer e-commerce. A likely scenario is that important customers will want to be able to order online, check stock availability, prices and delivery times and be confident that the order will be delivered as expected. The accountant could play an important role in advising his/her client on this transformation, by assisting in areas such as integration with existing accounting records and processes, ensuring security and back-up procedures are maintained properly, and generally that efficient and best use is made of information technology. A 1 Cycles is Committed to developing e-commerce and enabling practitioners to participate in this exciting market. Look out for further developments in future issues of In Practice.