Assessment for Learning techniques and the teaching of Science

The intent of this literature reappraisal is to research recent literature and research conducted into Assessment for Learning ( AfL ) techniques and associating straight to the instruction of Science as a topic within Primary Education. This literature reappraisal is preponderantly designed to turn to the undermentioned research inquiries: Which are the most normally used techniques of AfL in scientific discipline? How is constructivism linked to AfL in Science? Make other topics use different AfL techniques than are used in scientific discipline? How common is the usage of AfL in scientific discipline? What is the impact of the usage of AfL on students ‘ apprehension of scientific constructs? How does AfL impact on the application of scientific accomplishments at KS2? To research these inquiries, hunts were made utilizing ‘Athens ‘ , seeking the British Education Index ( BEI ) and The Educational Resources Information Center ( ERIC ) and Australian Education Index ( AEI ) research systems for articles and books associating to Assessment for Learning ( AfL ) , formative appraisal and scientific discipline instruction which had been published since 1990. Hand hunts were besides made through Primary Science Review, Science Education and School Science Review. Appraisal for Learning ( AfL ) has been defined as: â€Å" the procedure of seeking and construing grounds for usage by scholars and their instructors to make up one's mind where scholars are in their acquisition, where they need to travel and how best to acquire at that place. † ( Assessment Reform Group, 2002 ) The application of scientific accomplishments at KS2 has been encapsulated by the Welsh Assembly Government in their new Welsh Curriculum paperss introduced in 2008 as: â€Å" Learners should be taught to associate their scientific accomplishments, cognition and apprehension to applications of scientific discipline in mundane life, including current issues. They should be taught to recognize that scientific thoughts can be evaluated by agencies of information gathered from observations and measurings. † ( Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, 2008 ) Research into AfL ( e.g. Black & A ; William, 1998 and Osborne & A ; Freyberg, 1985 ) has indicated that whilst it is apparent that all kids benefit, it is ‘not something added to learning, but is built-in to it ‘ ( Harlen, 2006b, p. 176 ) . In kernel, AfL can non be an add-on to the pedagogical procedure ; conversely it must be inherently encompassed within all instruction and acquisition patterns. Harrison and Black ( 2004 ) develop the political orientation behind Black and William ‘s work ( 1998 ) associating to AfL techniques and research straight to the topic of Science. Whilst preponderantly focussed towards secondary scientific discipline instruction, this work is still relevant to Primary Education. In this work, they develop the logical thinking behind the advantages of the usage of AfL within Science lessons. â€Å" Science provides the agencies by which scholars can interact with the universe around them and develop thoughts about the phenomena they experience. So, when they attempt activities such as shooting seeds, their surveies in scientific discipline equip them with ways to detect and oppugn what is go oning. Through experiments they can get down to work out and predict what might go on if conditions for the turning works alteration. To be able to larn scientific discipline in this manner, pupil demands help in developing procedure accomplishments to look into, and communicating accomplishments to inquiry and discuss findings. Formative appraisal fits good into this acquisition scenario, since its intent is for instructors to sift the rich informations that arise in schoolroom treatment and activity, so that professional opinions can be made about the following stairss in larning. † ( Black & A ; Harrison, 2004, p. 3 ) In her paper presented to the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Moody ( 2009 ) highlights the by and large accepted techniques of AfL used within the schoolroom, which many articles are by and large in understanding with, which are: Peer and self-assessment Sharing larning ends and success standards Effective inquiring and duologue Effective instructor feedback In add-on, the importance to an effectual schoolroom clime where kids are encouraged to portion their ideas and unconstrained by the rectification of incorrect replies and the feeling that being incorrect is a negative instead than the chance to portion initial thoughts, is indispensable. When researching methods into AfL and its debut into the primary schoolroom, history determines that the Plowden Report ( 1967 ) must be mentioned and discussed sing her research and determination that showed, harmonizing to Bell ( 2008 ) ‘in hindsight, astonishing vision ‘ when it indicated that a successful instruction should include: ‘child-centred ‘ approached to learning a subject based course of study find acquisition The nucleus rules and values that straight relate to modern AfL techniques and doctrines require that: kids ‘s positions are extremely valued and actively sought out that their acquisition engages them in a manner that they can actively associate them to other facets of their lives the acquisition of accomplishments across the course of study enables kids to be equipped to cover with a assortment of state of affairss instead than a individual capable subject. Critics of these ideals as Gillard ( 2004 ) describes are the ‘writers of the ‘Black Papers ‘ and their followings ‘ who ‘criticised much of what the primary schools were making and blamed the Plowden Report at least in portion for what they saw as unwanted tendencies ‘ during the 1970s and 1980s. Driver ( 1983 ) , nevertheless agrees with the underlying doctrine behind the Plowden study findings, saying that ‘It is, after all, the coherency as perceived by the student that affairs in larning. ‘ Driver was besides portion of the Children ‘s Learning in Science Project ( CLISP ) which researched the country that â€Å" it is every bit of import in learning and course of study development to see and understand kids ‘s ain thoughts as it is to give a clear presentation of the conventional scientific theories † ( Driver, 1983 ) In their article, Lindsay and Clark ( 2001 ) describe ways in which AfL schemes ( and specifically self- and peer-assessment ) can be used to develop a ‘constructivist schoolroom ‘ where kids take part in ‘creating and reflecting on their acquisition ‘ ( p. 15 ) . They besides identify advantages to these techniques specifically develop scientific accomplishments saying that ‘children go more scientific in their enquiriesaˆÂ ¦encourages kids to be invariably involved in the scientific procedure and their function within it ( p. 18 ) . Black and Harrison ( 2004 ) besides discuss the importance of treatment within the scientific discipline schoolroom where ‘students feel they can uncover current apprehension and be helped to further understanding ‘ and experience that this is ‘an indispensable ingredient to doing formative appraisal map in the schoolroom ‘ ( p. 9 ) . With respects to speak within the schoolroom, many authors have defined three different sorts: Triadic duologue ( three phases – normally teacher induction, pupil response and teacher rating ) , Authorative discourse ( teacher conveying information to the students ) and Synergistic or non-interactive talk. Chin ( 2006 ) suggests that the triadic duologue method is ‘often perceived to hold restrictive effects on student believing ‘ ( p. 1316 ) , that thoughts conveyed by the instructor utilizing authorative discourse tend to be ignored and that synergistic talk is described as duologue. By and large in understanding are Asoko and Scott ( 2006 ) who propose that ‘effective learning involves all these attacks ‘ ( p. 163 ) . Hodgson ( 2010 ) describes the sharing of success standards with the kids in a Primary schoolroom as a ‘key AfL scheme ‘ and is linked straight with feedback. Black and Harrison agree with this point in their sum-up of what they believe are the indispensable factors of effectual feedback: â€Å" should actuate the kid ‘to discourse his or her ideas with the instructor or a equal ‘ ( p. 12 ) in order to originate the self-development of the kid encourages instantaneous action ‘relates back to the success standards ‘ ( p. 13 ) Allows scholars to compare their ain thoughts of accomplishment against that of the instructor or equal Indicates to the kid ‘where to travel for aid and what they can make to better ‘ ( p. 13 ) † ( Black & A ; Harrison, 2004 ) Leakey ( 2001 ) carried out a survey where she reported on her ain experiences with experimenting with sharing larning aims and success standards with kids of a scope of ages and believes it to be a successful AfL scheme because it ‘gives kids ownership of their ain acquisition ‘ ( p. 68 ) . Leakey besides suggests that it is merely with the penetration of what it is that they are seeking to accomplish can kids are able to do connexions with any feedback that they later receive. Koegh and Naylor ( 1996 ) delivered a talk at Manchester Metropolitan University sharing their thoughts that: â€Å" Constructivist positions of larning in scientific discipline suggest that scholars can merely do sense of new state of affairss in footings of their bing apprehension. Prior cognition is used by scholars to construe observations ; significance is constructed by persons in a procedure of adding to or modifying their bing thoughts. † ( Keogh & A ; Naylor, 1996 ) and cited the plants of others who portion the same position ( Driver ( 1983 ) ; Osbourne & A ; Freyberg ( 1985 ) and Scott ( 1987 ) ) . The illations behind the constructivist theory associating to instruction are that the instructor is required to happen out kids ‘s thoughts ( evocation ) in order to take them into consideration when be aftering their instruction to supply instruction and acquisition experiences which will develop the kids ‘s thoughts and dispute their apprehension of a specific country. Within scientific discipline instruction, there has been a great trade of research into the benefits of utilizing constructivism as a method of AfL with many instructors appreciating the construct of constructivism within the scientific discipline schoolroom. Curriculum resources have been developed along with specific research including the ( Science Processes and Concept Exploration ( SPACE ) undertaking ( 1990-92 ) and as a consequence research by Nuffield Primary Science who have used this research to develop many pedagogical AIDSs and learning resources for instructors within the schoolroom. However, Bentley and Watts ( 1991 ) discussed their concerns that there is a differentiation between what they define as the ‘strong ‘ features of theoretical constructivism and the ability of instructors to use it to their instruction ensuing in a ‘weak ‘ version of constructivism that is delivered in the schoolroom. Leeds ( 1992 ) describes that although instructors find it easier to be after activities following an evocation session where scholars ‘ preconceived thoughts have been identified, the practicalities of orienting an inclusive instruction where all kids ‘s larning issues associating to a specific country is near impossible when faced with a category of 30 differing thoughts. In relation to the difference between the sum of research into the benefits of a constructivist attack to instruction and the teaching resources and pedagogical counsel available, Claxton ( 1986 ) described the ‘mountain of illustrations of kids ‘s alte rnate constructs ‘ ( p. 126 ) which were available at that clip and noted that the counsel for instructors on how to reconstitute the scholars ‘ thoughts was less outstanding in the literature. More recent research besides focuses more closely on the evocation of thoughts, but much less is written about methods and techniques which allow instructors to reconstitute these thoughts as a whole category exercising. The purpose of the SPACE undertaking was to: â€Å" ‘start where the kids are ‘ , constructing on the thoughts kids bring with them to lessons and assisting them to develop their apprehension of scientific constructs. † ( Nuffield Foundation ) Nuffield Primary Science developed a series of books covering the Science Curriculum, which included many misconceptions of kids in each country along with illustrations of construct sketchs and illustrations of activities that could be used in order to reconstitute the highlighted misconceptions and develop kids ‘s thought, in order to assistance instructors within the schoolroom to enable kids to prove out their ain thoughts through ‘practical hands-on activities and probes ‘ . These publications are now unluckily out of print ; nevertheless the studies associating to the SPACE undertaking continue to be available from the Nuffield web site ( Nuffield Primary Science ) . The usage of specific schemes such as construct sketchs ( Keogh & A ; Naylor, 2000 ) and mind function ( Stow, 1997 ) present researched methods of evocation within the scientific discipline schoolroom and offer an effectual manner of reasoning any undertaking where kids can revisit the original thought and discourse how and why they have developed throughout the survey period. However, instructors require the flexibleness and infinite within the course of study in order to efficaciously set these theories into pattern in order that the benefits can be maximised. AfL will merely be successful when both instructors and kids are committed to its procedure and where both use it as a method for developing current acquisition and development and spread outing their accomplishments and cognition base. This thought is supported by the followers: â€Å" Appraisal for larning merely works if students and instructors take action on larning demands. † ( Ward, Roden, Hewlett, & A ; Foreman, 2005 ) Black and William best summarise the usage of AfL within the schoolroom as follows: â€Å" There is a organic structure of steadfast grounds that formative appraisal is an indispensable characteristic of schoolroom work and that development of it can raise criterions. We know of no other manner of raising criterions for which such a strong Prima facie instance can be made on the footing of grounds of such big larning additions. † ( Black & A ; William, 1998 )

Harvard Referencing

The Harvard referencing system It is important that you identify in your assessment when you are using the words or ideas of another author. The most accepted way of acknowledging the work of another author is to use a referencing system. It is important that you write down the details of your sources as you study. When taking notes, use a separate page for each new book, journal article, or electronic source. At the top of each page, clearly record the following information for future reference. For books, record: * The author’s or editor’s name (or names) * The year the book was published * The title of the book If it is an edition other than the first * The city the book was published in * The name of the publisher For journal articles record: * The author’s name or names * The year in which the journal was published * The title of the article * The title of the journal * The page number/s of the article in the journal * As much other information as you can fi nd about the journal, for example the volume and issue numbers For electronic resources, try to collect the information on the left if it is available, but also record: * The date you accessed the source * The electronic address or email The type of electronic resource (email, discussion forum, WWW page, etc) Whenever you use someone else’s ideas or words, you must put in a reference. Direct quotations – this is when you copy another author’s material word-for-word. You should show the reader that it is a direct quote by placing the material in inverted commas. Traditionally, double inverted commas have been used (â€Å") but it is now acceptable, and preferable to use single inverted commas (‘). Sometimes it is difficult to avoid the direct quotation as the author’s words may precisely describe the point you are trying to make.An example for direct quote from a book or journal article with one author: When organising our time, Adair (1988: 51) sta tes that ‘the centerpiece will tend to be goals and objectives’. OR When organising our time ‘the centrepiece will tend to be goals and objectives’ (Adair, 1988: 51). When you take another author’s ideas and put them into your own words. You are still copying someone else’s work, so you must reference it. You do not need to use inverted commas when you paraphrase, but you must clearly show the reader the original source of your information.All of the sources you refer to in the main body of your assignment need to be listed at the end of the assignment in a reference list. When creating a reference list, the sources should be listed alphabetically by author’s surname, but when the author is anonymous or unknown for any one source, insert that source in the alphabetical list using the title of the source instead of the author’s name. All sources should be listed together; there should not be separate lists for books versus journal articles versus electronic sources.The reference list should be on a separate page from the rest of the assignment and should be simply titled ‘References’ and the title should be in the same font and size as the other headings in your assignment. When you use the Harvard System, you are only usually required to produce a reference list. It is generally important in the text of an assignment to show the reader the author’s name, date of publication and page numbers of the original source. In the reference list, it is important that the author’s name, the year of publication, relevant titles, and other access information is faithfully reproduced.Department of Lifelong Learning: Study Skills Series http://education. exeter. ac. uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing. htm Central Queensland University ESLS Unit (2001) Referencing: The Harvard referencing system, [Online], Available: http://www. cqu. edu. au/edserv/undegrad/clc/content/resources. htm [14 Aug 2001] Lewis, D. (ed. ) (1999) The written assignment, Brisbane: QUT Publications. Wells, D. (2001) Harvard referencing, [Online], Available: http://lisweb. curtin. edu. au/guides/handouts/harvard. html [14 Aug 2001].

Kropotkin

Russian main proponent of anarchist communism, Kropotkin (1842–1921)  believed that Darwin’s theory of evolution, properly applied, showed that human beings are social creatures who flourish best in small communities cemented together by mutual aid and voluntary associations. A guiding spirit of the international anarchist movement, Kropotkin was also a distinguished geographer, a scientist and a positivist. He was a geographer who carried out explorations of Siberia, Finland, and Manchuria before devoting his life to political activities. Kropotkin was a Russian aristocrat by birth but he renounced his title 1872 and henceforth devoted himself to the cause of social revolution, spending most of his later life in Western Europe and Britain. Memoirs of a Revolutionist is the work in which Kropotkin summarized his ideas. This entertaining and candid autobiography of the great anarchist is highly impressive. There are fantastic characters – the millionaire gourmet prince who ate away a fortune; thrilling adventures – escape from the Peter and Paul prison, Petersburg’s Bastille; amusing ironies on the run, as when he gets a job in London on Nature under an assumed name and is asked to review his own books. Lenin thought Kropotkin a worthy bore. Kropotkin regarded Lenin as an honorable tyrant. The main issue touched upon by the memoirs is the analysis of correlation between Darwinism and â€Å"the progressive evolution† of human society[1]. Memoirs of a Revolutionist helps track the life journey made by Kropotkin before his formulated his ideas. Born into an aristocratic Moscow family close to the Russian Imperial throne, Kropotkin was educated at an exclusive military academy, but at 20, filled with the desire to be useful, he renounced a brilliant career to serve for five years as a military administrator in Eastern Siberia. His hopes for liberal reform by Alexander II, the tsar who had abolished serfdom, were soon disappointed. He also lost any faith in the virtues of state discipline in society and began to move slowly towards an anarchist position. He now turned to scientific exploration of the nature, and his observations laid the foundations of his theory of â€Å"mutual aid†[2] among animal species. Anarchism, as advanced by Peter Kropotkin, was equally prepared to recognize the profound influence of Darwinism on modern thought. Darwin, Kropotkin argued, made biology an advanced science by giving it an evolutionary principle of universal magnitude. Darwin’s theory, in his opinion, provided a key for reconstructing â€Å"the progressive evolution† not only of plants and animals but also of human society as a scientific challenge. Kropotkin did not deny the role of the struggle for existence in the evolutionary process, but he bitterly opposed Darwin’s designation of that struggle as the primary motor of biological transformation. Kropotkin gave credit to The Descent of Man, one of Darwin’s major works, for demonstrating the biological origins of morality, the foundation of â€Å"mutual aid†. Kropotkin’s ideas have clear positivist coat. He saw the development of anarchism as one aspect of the whole movement of modern science towards an integrated philosophy. He believed that the dominant phenomenon in nature was harmony, arrived at by a continuous process of adjustment between contending forces. In human, as in animal societies, the dominant phenomenon was mutual aid: thus once metaphysics, law and state authority had been shaken off, harmony could be realized. Developing his idea of â€Å"mutual aid† Kropotkin comes to a fair, as he believes, society, that is anarchist communism. It is a society without government, where harmony would be obtained not by submission to law, or by obedience to any authority, but by free agreements between the various groups, territorial and professional, instituted for the sake of production and consumption as also for the satisfaction of the infinite variety of needs and aspirations of a civilized society. In such a society, as in organic life, Kropotkin believed harmony would result from â€Å"an ever-changing adjustment and readjustment of equilibrium between a multitude of forces and influences†[3]. The individual would not be limited in the free expression of his powers in production by a capitalist monopoly, or by obedience, which only led to the sapping of initiative. On the contrary, he would be able to obtain the complete development of all his faculties: the fullest individuation. Works Cited Kropotkin, P.   Memoirs of a Revolutionist. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1962 Shatz, Marshall S. Essential Works of Anarchism. New York: Quadrangle Books, 1972 [1] P. Kropotkin,   Memoirs of a Revolutionist. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1962), 498. [2] P. Kropotkin,   Memoirs of a Revolutionist. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1962), 499. [3] Marshall S. Shatz, Essential Works of Anarchism. (New York: Quadrangle Books, 1972), 269.   

How is the lead actor Warren Beatty's character in Heaven Can Wait Essay

How is the lead actor Warren Beatty's character in Heaven Can Wait movie similar to Jay Gatsby please give specific examples - Essay Example story is centered on this journey as he finds a way to return back to Earth to finally fulfill his lifelong dream: to lead his team as quarterback in the Super Bowl. These two characters in both stories play a similar role. Both Pendleton and Gatsby earn great status and position. For Joe Pendleton, he is a quarterback football star playing for the football team Los Angeles Rams. He is preparing his team to play in the Super Bowl. For Jay Gatsby, on the other hand, is a successful and extremely wealthy magnate who throws extravagant lavish parties. Both characters are not only similar in rank, position and social status, they are also very similar in their attitude and personality. Both are very persistent and determined people. Joe Pendleton as he meets an accident and is plucked into heaven by an angel a little too early, does not accept the reality and believe he is really dead and his time is up on Earth. Like Joe, Jay Gatsby refuses to give up on his desire of having Daisy, the girl of his dreams. Her affair with Gatsby five years ago brings about the main events in the story. Because of Gatsby’s extreme fiery desire to rekindle the love he used to share with Daisy, he committed his life to become the rich and affluent man to impress her. Towards the end of the story, Daisy is aghast even though Gatsby refuses to stop the pursuit. He is still anticipating for her call up until the exact instant he dies. Meanwhile, Joe Pendleton, even in his new given body as Farnsworth, a dying millionaire, he is still determined and single-minded on leading his team to the Super Bowl as their quarterback. Even in the afterlife, he refuses to believe his life has come to an end and it results in him finding new bodies to dwell in so he can lead as quarterback in Super Bowl and even in his new life as Leo Farnsworth. His only goal is still to lead as quarterback in the Super Bowl. For both characters, even to the point of death, their goal is their only thought in mind.

Senges Five Disciplines and Their Applications Research Paper

Senges Five Disciplines and Their Applications - Research Paper Example The Senger’s five disciplines are identified elements of a learning organization. It consists of â€Å"personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking† (Bente, 2001, p. 2). The elements form a set that was developed to facilitate learning in an organization by developing knowledge of people’s environments and strategies for future adaptabilities. Personal mastery, as a discipline, refers to an individual’s knowledge potential. It includes a person’s ability to focus, personal potentials, and attributes towards environmental awareness. It, therefore, defines micro components of an organization that cannot separately initiate or sustain organizational change but is essential towards such changes as learning. The personal mastery, for example, helps an individual to identify the need for learning and promotes a learning spirit in an organization. The shared vision is another of the Senge’s disciplines that def ine a common perspective of members of a group or a team in an organization. Such a perspective is derived from individuals perspectives that are converged to a common plan for a future development (Bente, 2001). Team learning, however, defines a process of ensuring symmetry of potentials within a team towards desired achievements. It, therefore, involves an integration of personal mastery and the developed common vision in order to crown learning in an entire organization and identifies communication for sharing knowledge and potentials that are developed at personal levels. Mental models are another set of elements that are fundamental to a learning organization. The models consist of theories and postulates that influence learning at individual levels. Consequently, they develop frameworks upon which learning can take place. The last component of the Senge’s five disciplines is the systems thinking that observes an organization as a system of distinct parts that operate in terdependently for overall results. System thinking, therefore, relates the other four elements for an all-inclusive learning in an organization through development and implementation of changes towards future adaptability. The five disciplines, therefore, work together to identify learning opportunities at individual levels, development of a common vision among members of an organization and incorporation of such developments towards an organizational approach to learning (Bente, 2001). Senge’s five disciplines and characteristics of a learning organization A learning organization, according to Robert, is a framework that is based on â€Å"systems theory† (Robert, 2012, p. 2). This identifies the systems thinking the discipline of the Senge’s model as its fundamental concept. The property of system’s thinking that links other disciplines of the Senge’s model, therefore, identifies the significance of his approach as the basis of a learning organiz ation. Robert’s idea of qualities of a learning organization also illustrates the relevance of the five disciplines an organization. The first characteristic of a learning organization is availability means for knowledge development. This may happen at individual level such as an innovative environment or at an organizational level. While at an individual level, learning opportunities correspond to the personal mastery discipline.

Terrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorism - Assignment Example It surely leads to its participation in every activity in the world. The fact that the USA interfered greatly into the inner policy of Iraqi and Afghanistan before the terrorist attack 11/9 is obvious. The USA possesses enough military force and power to destroy any enemy on its way. The thing is that there is no justification of the attacks that took place on that blue day, but it is possible to seek for the real reasons that forced Muslim terrorists to act in such a way. It is important to find this reason in order to understand the acts of Muslims if it is possible and do something to stop terrorist attacks, which ruin the life of hundreds people all over the world. First, Iraqi has always been at feud with Israel. Israel in its turn is directly protected by the USA. That is why the USA found it possible to introduce its army on the territory of Iraq and Afghanistan. The main mistake of the USA that it considered itself to be invulnerable for the enemies’ blow. It must be m entioned, that it has always been true. The September attack is the most violent and impudent among all those attempts of the terrorists to take revenge.

Do Persisting Objects Endure or Perdure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Do Persisting Objects Endure or Perdure - Essay Example 1). In contrast, the three-dimensionalists tend to put to question this analogy. As per the three-dimensionalists, the persisting things tend to wholly be present at the specific time at which they exist. Again, the four-dimensionalists totally reject this. As per the four-dimensionalists, the persisting objects exist through time by perduring (Sider, 2001, p. 1). Leaving aside the ordinary spatial parts of persisting objects, they also tend to have temporal parts in all the times in which they existed (Gallois 1998, p. 175). So, to put it in simple words, four-dimensionalism happens to be a view regarding the ontological status of objects that are non-present (Hudson 2001). As per the opinion of the Presentists, it is only the present objects that exist. In its simplistic interpretation, as per the Presentists, there exist no Dodos, though such birds existed in the past, there are no urban structures on the moon, though such structures may be erected in the future. In contrast, as p er the four-dimensionalists, there exist both the past and future objects, and whiling asserting so the four-dimensionalists tend to put the past objects, ontologically in tandem with the present objects. ... 8). It will be utterly interesting to try to explain this assertion by taking an analogy. Let us imagine a Girl Josephine, who was born in the year 1972, who got admitted to a school in the year 1977 and graduated from a college in the year 1990. Now the three-dimensionalist approach regarding the existence of Josephine would be that she progressively moved through each of these phases of her life, totally whole and fully complete. Though Josephine was certainly different in each of these successive phases of her life, like she put on weight, she gained height, she got more learned, yet, it was one and the same Josephine, which exited in her entirety at each of these successive phases in her life. Hence, as per the three-dimensionalists, Josephine stands to be an ordinary three dimensional object, and a temporally non-extended persisting object. In other words, as per the three-dimensionalists, Josephine tends to endure as she lasted over time by being wholly present at each of the a bove mentioned successive phases in her life. Such an approach towards reality smacks of a harshly logical interpretation of existence, which leaves no scope for creative imagination and a possible scientific inquiry into the nature of existence through time (Hudson 2006). In contrast, the four-dimensionalist approach towards reality is more solid, replete with creative ingenuity and in tandem with the recent developments in physics and psychology (Hudson 2006). The four-dimensionalists tend to believe that persisting objects tend to perdure, or in other words, the persisting objects happen to last over time, without being wholly present at every successive phase of time in which they happened to exist (Inwagen 1993, p. 173). So, in case of Josephine, the

The Crusades and their effect on Europe specifically England Research Paper

The Crusades and their effect on Europe specifically England - Research Paper Example In this crusade, Christian warriors were urged to move into Palestine and free Jerusalem from Muslims Turks (Hallam 17-19; Crawford 1). The attack against the Muslim caliphates of the Near East was successful, and marked the onset of other subsequent crusades. However, for the subsequent crusades were not all victorious. Some ended up in defeats while others ended in compromises (The Christian Broadcasting Network 1) The Crusaders, who settled first in Palestine, underwent numerous challenges. They were in hostile territory i.e. surrounded by unified Islamic forces that were constantly seeking means of eliminating them. They lacked proper means of nominating or electing a widely accepted leader, and had no clear guidance on how to coexist after the victory. Thus, they lived in small factions rather than a unified entity (Butler 1). Most of the Christian crusades were as consequence of joint operation under the popes’ instruction. Even though in Europe most of the crusaders were mainly from England France and Germany, other European Christian localities also availed crusaders whenever the pope gave a directive for a crusade (World History Center 1). As consequence, the crusades’ effects were nearly uniform across ‘Christian Europe’. Crusades and visits to Palestine, Egypt and the Arab world was not just a mere expedition in which people went and fought but where people learnt various aspects of the Islamic World and incorporated them in their culture The crusaders in Palestine had adopted the locals’ way of dressing and housing architecture(Crawford 1). The dressing style and housing structures were the same as those of the Muslims. It was common to find â€Å"harems with veiled women wearing makeup† and Muslims neighbors praying in Christian chapels (Dutch 1). As consequence, there was a huge cultural gap between the crusaders in the holy land and those who lived

Information Technology for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Information Technology for Managers - Essay Example Also Microsoft Inc. sells the Xbox video game console, along with games and peripherals. Its online businesses include the MSN subscription and the MSN network of Internet products and services. The companys seven product segments are: Client, Server and Tools, Information Worker, Microsoft Business Solutions, MSN, Mobile and Embedded Devices and Home and Entertainment. (John 1; Reuters 7) Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, its most popular products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, each of which has achieved near-ubiquity in the desktop computer market. Microsoft possesses footholds in other markets, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopaedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse as well as home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360 and MSN TV. (Wikipedia 8) The website of Microsoft Inc. declares that the company values integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. The website states that they are committed to their customers and partners and have a passion for technology. The company takes on big challenges, and pride itself on seeing them through. Also the website declares that staff of Microsoft Inc. hold themselves accountable to their customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honouring their commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality. (Microsoft 5) Stating proper goals and objectives is extremely important for the company. Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates writes that identifying the primary, focused objective of any process is the way to begin solving process problems. Whether for production processes or internal business processes, the goal should always be a fundamental kind of simplification.

The Village Essay Example for Free

The Village Essay Describe the opening scenes or sections of the text. Explain how the opening scenes or section helped you to understand what the texts were going to be about, using examples of visual and/or oral language features to support your ideas. The Village is an isolated community foundered in order to evade the corruption of the present day world. In an attempt to prohibit people from leaving, a cunning scheme to generate fear is put in place. Behind this pernicious act, is an innocent intention. These two ideas, of evil and innocence, can be depicted from the opening credits. The director, M.  Night Shyamalan cleverly intertwines intriguing camera angles, chilling images, and eerie, yet pure music to convey these themes. Composers often convey emotion through their music in the form of different instruments. Particular instruments are more suited to portraying certain emotions, and audiences can decipher what emotion is being portrayed depending on the instrument used. At the beginning of the opening credits, a flute, conveying innocence and naivety is used. The mellow, calming sound of the flute is later contrasted by a steady menacing drum beat that enters the piece of music as the title, â€Å"The Village† materialises. Slowly, the tempo of the piece accelerates causing a sense of uneasiness and tension within the audience. Gradually, the double bass is introduced into the music adding greater mystery, and apprehension. This music sequence highlights the idea that the content of â€Å"The Village† is supposedly meant to be pure and innocent but somehow encompasses a form of evil and hostility. The looming images of stark trees in dark lighting foreshadow the events that will follow. The dark images in the foreground of every shot are lit by the space in the background creating shadows and a spooky feel. The images are of lifeless trees. This is unsettling, and it makes the viewer feel intimidated, and insignificant. The austere branches are dappled in moonlight telling the viewer that it is night-time. The significance of this is that all strange and mysterious things seem to occur at night, reinforcing the suspicion that a dark theme will be involved in the film. Camera angles are used for a similar effect to music, in that they can help in portraying emotions. In â€Å"The Village†, the camera encircles the tree from a low angle engendering two effects. When the camera circles the trees, it creates the illusion that everything within the forest is haunted and live. This effect is complimented by the low angle shot as the low angle shot enables the tree branches to seem threatening and overwhelming. The camera also only reveals snippets of trees, and will not display a shot for very long. This makes the viewer feel uncomfortable and confused as they don’t quite understand what is happening, and they feel as if they can not control the situation. The feelings these techniques give the audience point towards something foreboding in the film, and really brace the audience for what they are about to watch.

Human Disease Insight (HDI) Database Development

Human Disease Insight (HDI) Database Development Motivation: The scope of the Human Disease Insight (HDI) will not be limited to researchers or doctors but also provide basic information to common people and creating awareness among them and thereby reducing the chances of suffering due to ignorance. The integrated bioinformatics tools within the database will enable researchers to perform comparison among the disease specific genes, and perform protein analysis, search for biomarkers and identification of potential vaccine candidates. Eventually the tools would be of great help to analyze facts about the diseases. Results: The HDI is a knowledge based resource for human disease information to both scientists as well as general public. Here, our mission is to provide a comprehensive human disease database containing most of the useful information with extensive cross-referencing. HDI is a knowledge management system that acts as a central hub to access information about human diseases, drugs and genes involved in various diseases. In addition, the HDI contains well classified bioinformatics tool with description. HDI provides two types of search capabilities, and has provision for downloading, uploading and searching disease/gene/drug related information. Logistics designed for HDI allow regular updation of the database. Availability and implementation: The HDI is freely accessible at http://humandiseaseinsight.com, with user-friendly web interface, and is highly useful to the physicians, researchers, patient and general public. Keywords: Database, Knowledge Management System, Relational Database Management System, Three-Tier Architecture, Web-Server, Mysql, Disease, Gene, Drug 1. Introduction Scientists have documented diseases pertaining to a specific category in various online databases. Due to advancement in science and technology, especially genomics and information technology, we have entered in an exciting era of modern biology. The major challenge, that medical science community presently facing, is the integration of vast and rapidly growing volumes of information on various diseases into a holistic understanding. Recent progress of disease genetics and genome-related medicine has been considerable, with extensive data being generated. The remarkable approach of the Human Genome Project in identification of most of the human genome, transcriptome and proteome, and making them publicly available through online databases, assisted in in-depth inspection of disease genetics. At present databases containing information about human diseases are focused predominantly on a particular category: all known Mandelian disorders (Hamosh, et al., 2005), infectious disease database, rare children diseases (http://www.madisonsfoundation.org/index.php), hereditary ocular disease (https://disorders.eyes.arizona.edu), dermatological diseases (http://www.aocd.org/) and gastrointestinal diseases (http://www.gastro.net.au/). Such attempts enormously uplift the efforts related to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, developing new approaches to alleviate the consequences of life threatening diseases. However, till date no disease database is populated with guidance towards bioinformatics tools and information available for common individual. Integration of all human diseases from different categories at a common place has become an important issue in the Bioinformatics. Over a period of time, amendments in diagnostic evaluation and treatment emerges. In order to facilitate the community with the latest knowledge of human diseases and discovery of gene involved in diseases, we have created a Knowledge Management System (KMS), that includes information of various categories of human diseases, drugs used to cure the diseases, genes involved in causing the diseases and bioinformatics tools to analyze the involved gene. HDI is thus a comprehensive database of human diseases classified in various categories and cross linked to other databases to retrieve a detailed knowledge of genes, drugs and tools. HDI has broader utility in that it renders clinical information for physicians, genetic information and tools classification for researchers and general description of disease for general public. 2. OVERVIEW OF THE DATABASE Human Disease Insight (HDI) introduces an integrated knowledgebase of diseases, genes, drugs and bioinformatics tools list, with a user friendly interface. It is designed to assemble, store, organize and display information about human diseases, genes associated with human diseases and drugs used to cure diseases in conjunction with classified list of bioinformatics tools for sequence analysis and structure modeling of genes/protein. HDI currently includes information about 625 human diseases, 320 drugs, 1440 gene and classified list of bioinformatics tools (Table 1). Diseases have been classified into 12 categories, each category has been populated with disease information that includes synonym/s, pathogen, general description of disease, gene, clinical features, pathways, investigations, prevention, treatment, risk factor, prevalence and references (Kanehisa and Goto, 2000), (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/), (http://www.medscape.com/). Drugs have been classified into 26 broad categories. Assignment of the genes to human diseases are enlisted with links to NCBI (Maglott, et al., 2007) and UniProt (Wu, et al., 2006) for detailed information. Bioinformatics tools are broadly classified into 3 main categories, each category is then categorized into further sub categories. Information collected for disease, drugs and genes are interconnected in such a way that through disease option, multiple genes and/or multiple drugs involved in a particular disease can be retrieved, through drugs option number of diseases where a particular drug can be used is retrieved and through gene option number of disease/s where a particular gene is involved can be displayed. These information can be accessed freely. The information is curated and updated regularly. 3. Database Structure HDI, is a knowledge based data ware house, that provides an integrated and curated repository of human diseases, drugs and reported genes involved in the pathogenesis of the disease along with the links to bioinformatics tools. Classification of bioinformatics tools with description and links to their respective web pages assists in performing research analysis of gene/protein sequence/s. HDI endows user friendly web interface to allow user to retrieve, download and upload information through interactive web forms. The schematic representation of the logistics used in HDI is shown in Figure1. 3.1. Software design and implementation The data ware house HDI is developed and implemented on a three-tier architecture-user/client, web-interface and relational database management system (RDBMS) backend. User/client can be a physician, researcher, student and/or general public. The web interface is comprised of web pages and web forms, designed in HTML5, CSS, PHP, javascript, ajax, jquery and MySql queries, to provide common gateway interface. At the backend we have created data marts of various information pertaining to human diseases. This developed database is dynamically constructed, web pages and web forms are interlinked with the data ware house created at the backend, for querying the database as instructed by the end user through button clicks and drop down menus. The data ware house created at the backend is a relational database, managed with MySql developed on Windows operating system. For web services, Apache HTTP web server was used. Data mining was performed to retrieve information for human diseases, gen es, drug and tools through various web resources and text books, obtained data was then subjected to curation and uploaded to the database. Framework for HDI primarily consists of tables for disease, drugs and genes information including bioinformatics tools. Diseases are classified broadly into 12 categories. Each category is populated with number of diseases. Each entry in HDI provides a comprehensive information about human disease characterized by synonyms, general description, pathogen, gene involved, clinical features, pathways, investigations, prevention, treatment, drug, prevalence, risk factors and references. The drugs are classified into 26 broad categories, each category is populated with number of drugs with their description and links to Drug databank for detailed information. Genes involved in human diseases are collected and their links to NCBI and UniProt are provided in drop down menu to retrieve elaborate knowledge. For convenience of users, major bioinformatics tools with description and links are classified in an effort to guide them for performing specified analysis of the gene/protein. HDI can be p ublicly accessed from any web browser at http://humandiseaseinsight.com. 3.2. Data curation The HDI is being enhanced through continued efforts to improve diseases knowledge and interlinking of disease, drug and gene tables to obtain optimum information. The information made available for the user is achieved after extensive data mining process. Knowledge thus obtained is managed in a relational database through cross linking to fetch the data stored in the data ware house of HDI and through cross linking of the web resources (NCBI, UniProt and DrugBank) Genes which are related to human diseases are included in the database, and are interlinked with the disease tables so as to get the name/s of disease/s governed by a specific gene. 3.3. Knowledgebase access HDI data can be retrieved efficiently through drop down menus and search functions provided on each page of the web site. User can access alphabetically ordered diseases, drugs, genes and tools through drop down menu. Diseases from different categories can be selected through drop down menu. Clicking on the disease displays the stored information about the disease. Similarly, drugs can be selected from different categories in the drop down menu, clicking on any drug will give its description, disease/s that can be cured and linked with the drug bank for detail. For convenience of users, two different search boxes are provided. One search box present at the home page can search the complete data mart for diseases in the data ware house of the HDI. To enhance the usability of this search box, codes were written to provide auto-complete search suggestion to the user that would save searching time and do spelling correction. Another search present on each page is Google search box, which searches for the term entered, in the database as well as on the web. Our web site has provision for downloading and uploading published articles, e-books and articles related to disease, drug and genes for registered users. All uploads by the user will be timely updated in the database. For registration, signup option is provided, registered user can login for downloading and uploading related information. Medicinal and research oriented news will be emailed to the email address provided by the user. Feedback option is given to receive feedback from the user, to improve the database. Advertisement option is provided for the advertisement companies to display their advertisement on the provided space of the web site after filling the form. Further the database is connected to social networking sites for gaining popularity. 4. Database availability The database can be accessed without any charges to retrieve disease, drug, gene and tool related information. Free registration is required for downloading and uploading the related content. 5. Salient features of the HDI HDI is a robust knowledge management system, that manages data mined knowledge, through cross-linking of the data marts and web resources. This user-friendly, data-intensive repository provide the user a platform to retrieve comprehensive disease related information and perform gene/protein sequence based analysis using direct links of the classified bioinformatics tools. HDI allow users to upload content to improve the data base. 6. Future directions HDI provide optimum information required for diagnosis and treatment of various human diseases. Currently, there are 625 diseases, 1440 genes, 320 drugs and 39 tools. The content of information in specified fields is rapidly expanding, our aim is to collect a complete dataset of human diseases, genes, drugs and tools and to generate a tool that can identify gene causing human disease. We also aim to integrate various bioinformatics tools to annotate human disease specific genes. In future, main challenge is to keep the dataset up to date with growing number diseases, genes, drugs and bioinformatics tools. 7. Conclusions HDI offers a premier platform that deals with all aspects of diseases including history, symptom, cause, epidemiology, treatment, precaution, etc. Moreover, all diseases have been linked with the pharmacology, genomics, proteomics and many other relevant databases. HDI will not only help in greater understanding of the diseases and provide primary data for research but also enable to find the interactions between various diseases by comparing them by various biotools provided here in our database. The information provided shall lay the foundation for further advances in disease diagnosis and also help in design of novel approaches for diagnosing and treating diseases. We consider that, with enrichment of the database, user will get information about all of the human diseases.