Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement Essay

Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement Assignment 3 Understanding the legal and good practice requirements in relation to assessments It is imperative for all assessors to have an in depth understanding of the legal and good practice requirements in relation to assessment. Furthermore, the Awarding Body have their own stipulations regarding assessment. These include; educational centres must ensure that they employ assessors that are suitably qualified and meet the occupational competency requirements of the sector assessment strategy and ensure that the assessment process is robust. Assessment carried out by an unqualified assessor must be countersigned by a qualified assessor who is occupationally competent. The assessment process should be informed by best practice and the latest NOS for Learning & Development. Centre assessors are responsible and accountable for: a) Â  managing the assessment system, assessment planning, making and recording assessment decisions b) Â  assessing evidence of learner competence against NOS and the requirements of the assessment criteria in the qualification c) Â  ensuring that learners’ evidence is valid, authentic and sufficient ) Â  maintaining accurate and verifiable learner assessment and achievement records. The assessment process should support learners towards the achievement of their qualification aim, whilst ensuring that the requirements of the NOS for assessment and the sector are met. Part of the role of the assessor is to raise the quality of assessment through: a) engaging learners at an early stage in t he assessment process b) Â  effective and efficient assessment of naturally occurring activity c) Â  holistic assessment to maximise assessment opportunities ) Â  using interim assessment to provide advice and support at an early opportunity e) Â  encouraging access through using the range of assessment methods f) Â  using technology to reduce the assessment and administrative burden Assessors should always be aware that assessment needs to be fair, consistent and transparent, with all students having the opportunity of attaining the assessment criteria. All learners should be treated as individuals to ensure that no learner is discriminated (directly or indirectly) against and to uphold a ‘fair playing field’ in respect that no learner has any advantage over another. In order to ensure this happens the assessor has a legal and moral obligation to share the same information to all learners, along with appropriate support and development of all learners in order for them to complete assessment tasks. Therefore, one additional aspect of assessment is an appeals procedure for candidates not happy with results. Assessment within NVQ is ongoing with the candidate fully participating in the assessment process, e. g. through assessment planning and reviews of performance. If this participation is taken seriously then it must be accepted that there will be times when the candidates and assessors perceptions, of whether agreed evidence (agreed during assessment planning/review stages) meets the standards, are going to be different. If this occurs, the candidate should have the right to appeal via an accessible and open system. The characteristics of our appeals structure related to NVQ will include: Access to fair and reliable assessment Clear and prompt response times Stages that provide all parties with the opportunity to put their case Clear outcomes Constructive feedback Be related to the Candidates assessment records A formal recording system Evaluation of appeals Response times to appeals will be measured in days rather than in months or years and not be so bureaucratic as effectively to nullify the purpose of having such a system. From a legal standpoint it is an Assessors remit to enforce strict guidelines with regards to the difference between guiding and supplying the learners with answers for assessment tasks. Legally, assessors cannot give assessment answers or condone learners copying each others learning and assessment material. As an NVQ Assessor I am aware of the duty of care encompassing the legislation and code of practice regarding the following: Health and Safety Act of 1974 Equal opportunities Act of 1974 Data protection act of 1998 Disability discrimination Risk Assessment Lone working The Health and Safety Act 1974 (HASAWA) places certain responsibilities on the employer, or in this case, the Assessor. The Assessor has to provide a safe working environment, provide information on health and safety, such as emergency exits and fire assembly points, and also undertake risk assessment of all hazards in the working/assessment environment. However, risk assessments are primarily the responsibility of the owner or manager of the facility. Moreover, all staff must be CRB checked in order to confirm that there is no risk whatsoever to the learner, in line with the Child Protection Act of 1984. Equal opportunity Act of 1974 also needs to be implemented, as was alluded to in the above paragraph, by adopting an inclusion policy and understanding that each learner will have specific and unique needs and that it is the job of the Assessor to differentiate tasks and lessons to meet these individual needs. For example, in my NVQ class I had a variety of needs from, learners with dyslexia, partial sighted and also with speech impediments. Therefore I made sure that I always used a variety of tools in which to teach and assess, such as, reading material in larger print, visual aids on the projector which explained what I was teaching and also electronic recording equipment (video and dictaphone) as another option for learners to utilise in learning and assessment. However, due care needs to be taken and strict adhesion to the Data Protection Act of 1998 in order for any material not to fall into the wrong hands. In terms of confidentiality regarding assessment all exams papers and any other marking material must not be shared with the learners before assessment in accordance with Award Body regulations. Assessment guidelines and assessment criteria can be shared as long as it is not providing answers that can be used by learners. This can be done by formulating individual action plans with learners, to highlight how learners can improve. Furthermore, all completed assessments must be located securely as to ensure no students can acquire papers or material and duplicate answers. In the case of my NVQ group all assessment material was locked away in head office and was only accessible to me and senior management. Senior management would have the final say if ever an event occurred in which a learners welfare was at risk and then safeguarding the learners welfare becomes the higher priority (Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, 2006) The welfare of learners, whether that be my NVQ learners, school pupils or any other individuals in the community, is paramount and also a legal requirement. In the community that we serve there are many vulnerable individuals who’s safety can be at risk without any obvious signs, and also individuals with many kinds of underlying medical conditions which need to be considered by the assessor. During the first week of my NVQ class we had a ‘Protecting child welfare’ course in which we were taught how to identify warning signs of; abuse, depression and other mental health issues. Therefore, it is always of paramount importance that as an assessor you are vigilant and aware of all your learners behaviours at all times and if need be intervene and assess steps that may need to be taken. As far as the physical health related issues are concerned, we (NVQ class) used confidential pro-forma’s to identify any issues of individuals so that we could be prepared and have any relevant equipment close at hand and maybe also adapt sessions accordingly with respect to individual needs. Health questionnaires are in the award body regulations and can be found in the Health Related activity book. Technology can vastly improve the assessment process as it makes it a more dynamic process in which all learners have an opportunity to show their true understanding of the subject matter covered and their particular skill set. I also believe that it interlinks with fair assessment as no learner is at a disadvantage due to the fact they cant show their understanding in one medium. Therefore everybody has the same opportunity to display their knowledge. For example, a learner may have a great understanding of subject matter, yet may not be able to put their understanding down in words. Therefore, if they could be video recorded displaying their knowledge practically (with written consent from themselves or carers if pre 16 years of age) or audio recorded giving answers to questions they could be graded accurately and attain the optimum level of achievement. Another great advantage to the integration of technology is that it is relatively simple and easy to use, sometimes even more straight forward than traditional assessment, and brings a new exciting dimension to learning which in turn can inspire and motivate learners to achieve more. Some great wall displays have been produced and a good database full of information due to the integration of technology in class and assessment. Furthermore, greater feedback can be given as learners can see themselves in real time on video instead of trying to decipher pages of feedback. They can see exactly where they need to improve and develop in a very clear and concise manner. Another main area of concern regarding the principles and practices of assessment is equality and diversity (Equality Act, 2010). There are many issues which need to be taken into consideration regarding assessment with respect to equality and diversity. Individual needs, beliefs and cultures need to be respected and treated with the appropriate sensitivity. For example, in my NVQ class I had learner ‘O’. Learner O was of Muslim faith and was celebrating the festival of Eid, which requires followers to fast for a large part of the day for a month. During this month all learners were scheduled to perform their practical sessions and take part in other sessions. However, it would not have been ethical to expect learner O to take part in these sessions as he would be depleted of energy and could be at risk of negatively effecting his health. Therefore, special dispensation was afforded to learner O to take part in these sessions the following month. Furthermore, I was aware that concentration may decrease during this month. Other areas which need to be considered from equality and diversity prospective are; gender, race, sexual orientation and age (Disability and Equality Act, 2010). These factors give rise to a number of individual needs. Assessment needs to be age specific and be compared to relevant performance criteria, along with being written in age appropriate language as to not confuse or patronise learners. Moreover, topics covered need to ensure that no offense will be incurred by any party with regards to the above categories. For example I would not start a debate regarding the idea of male dominance in sport or peoples view of homosexuality. Another aspect of diversity in the assessment process may be a language barrier, especially in the case of my NVQ class who were predominantly from an ethnic background. There are ways to overcome such barriers. The use of an interpreter could be used for assessment (a dialogue being recorded and sent off) with the aid of assessment material converted into the required language. If one thing is abundantly clear in the nature of assessment, it is the need for individuals to constantly develop. Nobody has ever learned enough and there is always room for improvement. Therefore, this goes for the assessor themselves. It is imperative that assessors constantly monitor their own progress with self assessment, peer review, learner feedback and continued development of CPD’s. The act of reflective practice is the driving force that spearheads future development and evolves the assessment process by ascertaining what aspects work best, when, how and why. Furthermore, sharing this reflective practice with other assessors fosters an environment and situations which aid the effective use of assessment and help reach the goal of accurately and fairly assessing learner knowledge along with realising potential. Without reflective practice the assessor risks walking blindly down a ‘dark alley’ of assessment where they fail themselves, but more importantly fail the learner, which is wholly unacceptable. Effective planning also aids the reflective process, as you can see the amount of work covered and the result of certain class dynamics, i. e. group work, group size etc. This gives you a great visual format in which to adapt your future plans in order to maintain optimum, effective performance in sessions and assessment. Assessment will always carry some for of risk at some level. Perhaps one of the greatest risks posed in my NVQ group was the risk of injury and participant health & safety whilst taking part in a variety of sports. The best way to protect against the risks are to have effective planning in place with all relevant risk assessment completed, checking pitches for broken glass, making sure goals are anchored and equipment checks, along with alternative provisions incase your first plan of action cannot go ahead. Moreover, another challenge is not discriminating against any learners. This could involve taking all learning types into consideration to ensure that all learners understand what they have to carry out through agreement on the assessment action plan that the learner signs, so effective communication is extremely important, which means the assessor listening as giving input. Furthermore, clear guidelines on discipline are needed in order to prevent any hazards occurring and also to foster a safe, productive learning environment.

Differences between Spearman and Gardner Essay

Edward Spearman’s name is almost synonymous with general intelligence, or â€Å"g† for short. He invented the first form of factor analysis, and proposed a two-factor theory of intelligence. He had sort of a math formula that said every activity involves a general factor plus a specific factor. (G + S). From these theories, he said that people who do well on intelligence tests also do well on a variety of intellectual tasks. â€Å"Vocabulary and mathematical and spatial abilities†. (Wilderdom, 2003). So for example of â€Å"g†, Spearman would theorize that people who score well on a verbal test have a lot of intelligence, but they are affected by their abilities to perform verbal tasks. In laments terms, if you scored well on a verbal test, you studied and have the brain capacity to understand and comprehend the material. Howard Gardner on the other hand has a different point of view on intelligence. Instead of one main intelligence to focus on, he has seven. â€Å"Verbal, Mathematical, Musical, Spatial, Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, and intrapersonal functioning’s† (Wilderdom, 2003). While these are all forms of intelligence, they function separately he argues. Gardner goes a different route than Spearman basing he theories on biological facts. â€Å"Premise 1: If it can be found that certain brain parts can distinctively map with certain cognitive functioning, then that cognitive functioning can be isolated as one candidate of multiple intelligences. Premise 2: Now it has been found that certain brain parts do distinctively map with certain cognitive functioning, as evidenced by certain brain damage leading to loss of certain cognitive function† (Washington U, 2002). These theories give a basis for multiple intelligences. Biologically, Gardner determines that the brain is the major player in the equation. For example; if a person was physically  handicapped, he determined that the particular part of the person brain that controlled motor functions was damaged. The differences between the two psychologist’s theories are basically the same, but explained differently. Spearman’s theories are narrow focusing on one general type of intelligence, G and reaction time. Gardner’s theories are essentially the same but broader focusing on multiple intelligences. Point here is that Gardner doesn’t believe that one intelligence can be sufficient to determine intelligence. As for overall use of these theories, Spearman’s theory has more evidence that it works compared to Gardner’s theory. The proof conquers that there is a connection between someone’s IQ and simple everyday tasks. The only place where Spearman’s theory is suspect is that it doesn’t account for all people. Example; if you gave a poor child an intelligence test, they would probably score poorly thus be deemed to have a below average intelligence. However, the child probably knows how to do basic math to survive and get by, consequently, it can’t take into account different talents that certain individuals have. Gardner also has the same critiques with his theory. A lot of people don’t prefer this method because it is too excessive and has too many components to gauge and measure. His theory has a very casual explanation, but due to the variety of different components to the theory, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause and effect of a situation, and since no one has accurately figured out the complexities and diagramed an accurate depiction of the brain, I would have to call the theory hypothetical. References Spearman â€Å"g†, (2003). Retrieved on June 26th 2004, from, http://www.wilderdom.com/personality/L1-5KeyPlayers.html. Han S. Palik, One intelligence or many? (2002). Retrieved on June 25th 2004, from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/paik.html.

The Ascetic Ideal and the Slave Revolt in Morality

There are many aspects in sociology, as well as in psychology, which helps individuals better understand how the frameworks for what is now accepted behavior and moral guides were established and created by the past, and by whom. One of the important aspects of this discussion involves the ascetic ideals, ressentiment, the nobles and the slaves, the slave morality and the slave revolt in morality. In this aspect, one of the most respected individuals who provided important insight for the discussion of this topic is Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche was a very popular German philosopher who devoted much of his professional time and career being involved in the discussion involving important aspects of morality and the noble and slave relationship, as well as the ascetic ideals and how it eventually affected the aforementioned aspects. There are those who criticized what Nietzsche has put forward, particularly the ideas he discussed involving the ideas of morality, how it is defined and how this controls humans through the close inspection of one's self and through the direction of the accusing finger from outwards to inwards. Nietzsche's ideas on the topic of slave revolt in morality carefully analysed by some; while others merely dispose it as something that does not fit the agreeable and convenient and comfortable understanding of the modern individual about the important aspects of morality and how the individual in his social position should be ascribed with his own set of attributes for this particular aspect. â€Å"Nietzsche's unintended contributions to the moralization of the decadence are most obviously displayed in the Genealogy, a book in which he both documents and exemplifies the twisted psychology of the slave revolt in morality (Conway, 2002, p. 31). † Nonetheless, what Nietzsche had said about this topic has earned its rightful significance. Because of that, the further discussion of this topic is a significant endeavor to further clarify the ideas presented in this aspect. What is the Ascetic Ideal? The ascetic ideal can be taken differently, depending on the person's outlook. It c an be something grand that it can be life altering in the sense that one's outlook in life may seriously change and the ascetic ideal showing that it can be powerful enough to provide someone with a significant life goal worth pursuing. While, on the other hand, it can be as insignificant as being plainly nothing more than a tool used by individuals and groups who, like the group they are trying to usurp, merely wanted control over the people by creating something from which control of the people can be possible. Nietzsche provided an explanation on the meaning of the ascetic ideals and the differences of the meanings of the ascetic ideals, depending on the type of person the ascetic ideal will be applied to. He explained that the target individuals who will be affected by the ascetic ideals include artists, philosophers, priests and scholars, as well as women and those which Nietzsche described as someone who is â€Å"physiologically failed. † In common present term, physiologically failed is someone who is not physically capable to be superior against other people or against the ruling class, or someone who is not equipped physically with the power to fight against or even resist physically the attack on one's self by the members of the higher status quo or higher social echelon (Nietzsche, 1998, p. 67). For each one of them, ascetic ideal mean something different, but largely something that can make them feel better about themselves by allowing the ability to create a condition inside one's mind. The individual has the ability to fight the superior class or render victorious in its socio-political and socio-moral fight versus the ruling/noble class; often, the ascetic ideal falls to the idea that it is relegated to the mental or even spiritual state (Nietzsche, 1998, p. 67) of the individual where it resides and it is at its peak efficacy. What Role does it play in the Slave Revolt in Morality? The ascetic ideal plays an important role in the slave revolt morality because the ascetic ideal is the driving force behind the creation of the slave revolt in morality. Without the ascetic ideal to empower particular groups of people (particularly the leader in the form of the ascetic priests who was considered as responsible for reforming and re-evaluating morality and the definition of good and bad / good and evil in the society), the people, who follow these leaders (ascetic priests), would have not known the ideals, believes and set of behaviors that allowed for and at the same time a result of the slave revolt in morality. The ascetic ideal, as explained earlier in the paper, influences different kinds of individuals and as an ideal is appreciated, exercised and consumed differently by different types of people. Nonetheless, these differences do not make the individuals feel the impact of the ascetic ideals differently through its manifestation and role in the slave revolt in morality. Although it is evident that in the analysis of the slave revolt in morality, often, the target of discussion is zeroed in on the ascetic ideals of the priests. In turn, the important role of the ascetic ideal of priests in the slave revolt in morality above the other types of ascetic ideals and the other individuals are affected and involved in this socio-cultural psychological and emotional revolution impacting the morality, behavior and social senses of the self and the relationship with other people (Craig, 1998, p. 854). It is important to point out that in the battle for the creation of what should be the accepted morality by the people, the tug of war pitted the noble/soldiers versus the priests and the peaceful (Craig, 1998, p. 54). â€Å"To explain the origin of the good/evil [the specifically moral] mode of valuation, Nietzsche postulates a slave revolt in morality, a revaluation inspired by ressentiment [or]†¦ grudge-laden resentment (Craig, 1998, p. 854). † This happened because between the two lies what can be considered as irreconcilable differences in the idea of morality and is significant in the creation of what is known as slave revolt in morality (Schacht, 1994, p. 327). Even with the power in the society exercised by the nobles/soldier caste – the â€Å"ressentiment constitutive of slave moralities [which] were initially provided by the nobles (Schacht, 1994, p. 327). † The priests, at the onset of the rise of the socio-political power of religions like Judaism and Christianity, are, nonetheless, not fully rendered incapable and incapacitated by the noble/soldier caste. Brian Leiter (2002) noted about the fact that present then and now what is known as â€Å"the cunning of the priestly caste even within noble societies (Leiter, 2002, p. 86). † This is important because as what critics and analysts points out, the ideals of ascetics, despite the fact that it targets and hits different kinds of persons, its most prominent figure is the ascetic ideal upon the priest (now ascetic priest), to whom the movement of the ascetic ideals (and its role in the slave revolt in morality) is largely and significantly hinged (Conway, 2002, p. 13 1). â€Å"Throughout his account of the genesis and ascendancy of the ascetic ideal, he unwittingly presents himself as a Doppelganger of the ascetic priest (Conway, 2002, p. 31). † The ascetic ideal's role in the slave revolt in morality is that it allowed slave revolt in morality to happen and to be more easily and/or conveniently embraced by a particular group of people (Conway, 2002, p. 131). To be able to truly identify the role of the ascetic ideal in the slave revolt in morality, it is important to point out the creation of ascetic ideal and how the ascetic ideal influenced or have had a role in the slave revolt in morality. There is first the feeling of ressentiment of the slaves which created the idea of morality – the entry of asceticism ideals that helped explain the slave morality to the people and helped them understand the mental/spiritual and emotional aspects of the relationship of the noble/slaves in the society during that time and how the ascetic ideals, in the end, helped the different types of people to understand the angles on existentialism that they needed to embrace and understand for the slave revolt to be realized and be made possible in the first place (Leiter, 2002, p. 286). The resentment of slaves and the internalized cruelty of civilized humans may have laid the foundation for morality, but it was the ability of asceticism to resolve the existential dilemma that ultimately accounted for the success of the slave revolt and the transformation of bad conscience into guilt (Leiter, 2002, p. 286). † More so, the role of ascetic ideal (and particularly, the ascetic priest) , is highlighted in the slave revolt in morality because the role of the ascetic priests was very significant in the salve revolt in morality taking place in the first place. It was because of the ascetic ideals among priests, who believe that the power of the combative soldiers and power all in all (as they see it among the ruling class nobles and soldiers), should be something that should be abhorred, ergo resulting in the slave revolt in morality. In the end, it was the priests, who was powered by the ascetic ideals, that was believed to be the leader behind the movement of the slave revolt in morality, and not the slaves as the name may imply (Craig, 1998, p. 54). â€Å"His postulated slave revolt was led not by slaves but by priests (Craig, 1998, p. 854). † Conclusion Despite what Nietzsche had said about the idea of morality and the feeling of the ascetic priests and how this contributed to the shaping of modern day attitude directed towards the religious institutions and the aristocratic and/or ruling and influential echelon side by side one another, what is clear is that this aspect is something that is still very much debatable. There are still many corners in this topic that hasn't reached a full closure regarding the loose ends that came about after the problems springing up based from what Nietzsche postulated from his works. â€Å"Our concepts need clarification precisely because they are products of a complicated historical development. Different strands have been tied together into such a tight unity that they seem inseparable and are no longer visible as strands (Craig, 1998, p. 854). † Still, it will always be educational to constantly pry open this issue that will never close. More so, with the fact that just like in the past, the position of the ruling class, the position of the religious and the noble groups and the outlook of the society may still change. This change may still affect, how the ascetic ideals and the slave revolt in morality, is viewed in the future. What is clear is that in one way or another the ascetic ideal has gained foothold among many individuals and groups in the society; later on, it has managed to become a significant influence in the slave revolt in morality.

The National Geographic Society. National Geographic website Essay

The National Geographic Society. National Geographic website - Essay Example The beautiful animals illustrated in the website connect the viewers of the website with nature. At the top of the website there are eight primary links that allow the users to visit different parts of the website. The eight primary links are photography, animals, environmental, travel, adventure, nageotv, kids, and video. The photography section has lots of different pictures of animals, nature, landscapes, among other things. The kids section has educational games children can play. The travel section has images and information about the cultures of different parts of the world. Below the primary links at the top there are secondary links in yellow. The secondary links take the users to different segments of the website. The secondary links are daily news, the magazine, maps, science, education, games, music blogs, movies, in the field, mobile, and newsletters. The daily news segment has lots of interesting articles. I read an article that stated that being bilingual delays aging effects. In the maps section there are different interactive 3D maps of the world. The magazine link has the current issue of the National Geographic magazine for the month of March 2011. The issue can be read online free of charge.

The Global Money System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Global Money System - Research Paper Example According to the recent report on the basis of global money system, the group of twenty also known as G20 finger pointed the world currency tensions detailing that the government of America blamed China government which decided to refuse the currency known as Yuan to rise faster. China on other hand suggested that the opinion detailed posed a distortion of global economy hence affecting Yuan currency exchange and was due to loosened monetary policy that was reinforced by the Federal Reserve in regards to government bonds. From the point of view, a problem has been emerged on the global money system issue due to the laid down rules, norms and institutions that governs currencies facet and the flow of the capital that prevails and trigger market pricing system globally. A global money system involves creations of reserves that fosters and hold vast foreign exchange activities on emerging economies. A dollar has been a dominance currency in this reserves managed by the United States of America for foreign exchange and transactions both within the states and internationally. Global Money System has generated investment globally that involves lending and hence facilitating financial and volatility of capital flows. Global money system plays a bigger role on the countries economy. When laid down policies are not in power, an aspect of inflation on capital flaws may arise and this comes when a given nation decides to print more money. However, some countries like the United States of America and Japan prefers to import inflation aspect rather than boosting exports that eludes weaker currency; some of the activities that are done through their national central banks. This usually affects international monetary system hence developing instability on economic system. Global money system policies are therefore monitored by especially national central banks and at large the World Bank. Some of the European countries through their European banks have eased

Operation Management Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operation Management Case Study - Essay Example Consequently, the total number of clients that the Seven Hills Hotel had to attend to during the conference was 810 clients. Seven Hills Hotel was the hotel approached by the events planner at Global Events Company to host these delegates during the entire period of the conference. Apparently, some mishaps happened during the organization process that made the entire conference turn up as a disaster (Amason, 2011). The case study provides complications in operations management in two major organizations involved in the organization and planning of the conference. The first organization is the Global Events Company, an events planning company contracted by Glo-Tech to arrange the event, and Seven Hills Hotel, the hotel approached by the events planner to host the event. Global Events Company experienced operational problems from the moment it failed to analyze the situation at the hotel first before contracting it to be the host of such a major event. It was apparent that the conditions of the hotels were not favorable to host clients of such large numbers. In addition, the location of the hotel was inappropriate, as it was both unsecure, as well as unapproachable (Belda, 2006). These aspects would have automatically ruled out the hotel as the best choice to host such an event. On the other hand, operations problems also emerged from the lack of appropriate communication between the organization and the hotel about the nitty gritty details of the clients they were expecting. For instance, the company failed to give the hotel the exact date from which to expect the clients, the total number of clients to receive, as well as the dietary specifications of each client expected to attend the conference. This in turn made it difficult for the hotel to plan appropriately on how best to host all the delegates. In addition, the company failed to plan for the best routes to use while transporting delegates from the airport to the hotel (Dennis and Harris, 2008). It is

Audio Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Audio Culture - Essay Example In those days, radio content was most based on speech programming later by the introduction of Television media radio diverted its major entertainment towards musical programming (Crook, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to analyze different radio texts to present a discourse by evaluating the social, cultural, political and economic contexts. Four different audio programs have been selected for the analysis of radio based on programming, production, audience and cultural context. The analysis will be categorized broadly into Conversation Analysis and Discourse Analysis focusing on a use of music, sound, text and technology in different sorts of programs by different presenters. Conversation Analysis is defined as a method of analyzing the audio or video tapes for discovering how the participants of the conversation in the audio understand each other’s points and respond accordingly with the main focus on generation of sequences of action (Wooffitt, 2005). Or in other words the purpose of Conversation Analysis is to reveal the tactic reasoning procedures and sociolinguistic capabilities triggering the production and evaluation of the audio conversation in an organized sequence of interaction (Hutchby, 2006). Discourse Analysis or Critical Discourse Analysis is a method of understanding how social power (radio) is used or abused in relation with spoken or written languages. The method particularly focuses on studying the dialectal relationship with the discourse aspect of the social practices and the structure of society (Tolson, 2006). It is a news show presented by Victoria Derbyshire. The show includes news on social and cultural issues, political news and sports news in the United Kingdom and all around the world. Based on the conversation analysis the presenters interact with each other only when it’s necessary, like to hand over the conversation from one person to another. The news show is led by Victoria Derbyshire dominantly as she goes

Foreign Architecture in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Foreign Architecture in China - Essay Example The lack of traditional Chinese form in any specific region and the ability of architects to reform China's urban landscape using experimental designs are attractive to architects (Moller 2004 p 1). China's architectural designs since the 1950's have been built heavily from Western influences, and most of the urbanised architecture from 1950 to 1970 was inherently designed and constructed by Russian builders (Moller 2004 p 1). China's spending on construction ranks only behind the United States and Japan's and is growing the fastest of the top ten spenders, at 8-9 percent annually. Remarkably, given China's cultural pride, most of the highest-profile projects now underway in Beijing were designed by foreign celebrities (Economist ed 2004 p 63). The influx of foreign architects in Beijing has incited controversy amongst Chinese nationals. Zhou Ganzhi, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, says, "No other country has opened its architectural design market to the world as wide as China. The rise of pan-internationalism threatens the distinctiveness of Chinese cities, making architectural evaluation difficult" (Hong 2005 p 15). The general consensus amongst critics of ... Is the Distinctiveness of China Threatened The influx of foreign architects in Beijing has incited controversy amongst Chinese nationals. Zhou Ganzhi, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, says, "No other country has opened its architectural design market to the world as wide as China. The rise of pan-internationalism threatens the distinctiveness of Chinese cities, making architectural evaluation difficult" (Hong 2005 p 15). The general consensus amongst critics of foreign and Western architecture in Beijing, China is that it removes the traditional and regional identity. Yung Ho Chang, architect, states that Chinese and Asian cities have a "lack of clear traditional urban structures this introverted quality is at odds with a modern lifestyle and the openness demanded by a highly developed commercial society" (Moller 2004 p 1). China's biggest cities are struggling to balance modern design with their historical structures (Mcguigan, Lin-lui and Mooney 2003 p56). Wu Chen, a traditional Chinese architect states "Beijing has become an experimental site for foreign architects" (Hong 2005 p 14). Beijing has changed beyond recognition, losing the traditional Chinese forms and incorporating more global influences and talents who have been drawn to China in the building effort of Beijing officials (Mcguigan, Lin-lui and Mooney 2003 p56). Review of Relevant Literature Each resource in this research essay has been verified as either a foreign architect working in China, or a Chinese architect. For example, Xuefei Ren received a PhD at the University of Chicago and has published several texts on urban planning (Ren 2006 p 1) Web sites of the actual architects (verified by name, address and

SIOP Lesson Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

SIOP Lesson Plan - Research Paper Example Learners in all the grades benefit both in the content area and the bilingual aspects. This paper will prepare a SIOP lesson plan for grade five students under the food and nutrition topic whereby, working in collaborative groups, they will be required to identify the nutritional values of food served in the school cafeteria. This paper will describe a learning project whose length is five class periods covering multiple content and sheltered instructional approaches that address learners with special needs and the ELLs. The standards used are contained in the New York State ELA, and the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). New York State ELA Standards Standard 1: The students will read and write, then listen and speak for the purpose of understanding and information. Standard 3: The students will read and write, then listen and speak for the purpose of evaluation and critical analysis. This lesson plan will address the above requirements by ensuring students r ead, listen, write and speak effectively so as to comprehend content, present information, communicate with fellow students and evaluate their own progress. TESOL Standards Standard 1: Within the school environment, ELLs will communicate in English for both instructional and social purposes Standard 2: ELLs will communicate ideas, concepts and information that facilitate their academic success in the art of language. The lesson plan will require the ELLs to use English in their communication of ideas, concept and information throughout the project (Tharpe & Gallimore, 1988). Content Objectives Students will be able to know nutritional values of food offered for lunch on the school menu by engaging in learning groups and investigative methods to research on the content. They will then present their findings in PowerPoint form in groups. Language Objectives Students will be able to communicate information verbally. They will re-tell the contents of the curriculum and use appropriate v ocabulary to describe what they have learnt. Although content and language objectives are presented as distinct objectives, they are with the standards as well as each other. Vocabulary The key vocabulary words are vitamin, sodium, fiber, mono-unsaturated fat, poly-unsaturated fat, protein, carbohydrate and calorie. Materials KWL chart, graphic organizer created by the teacher, computer projection screen, PowerPoint, classroom laptops, internet resources, and recipe cards. Strategies The strategies are driven by language and content standards, and the implementation is done with consideration to the theories of language acquisition that appeal to an assorted scope of learners. The learners are presented with an opportunity to utilize technology resources and graphic organizers, re-state information, work in mutual learning groups and discover information through research. Because the plan is designed for both learners with special needs and ELLs, strategies like jigsaw are used for their proven instructing effectiveness. A meaningful, thematic mode of instruction facilitates acquisition of second language, gives room for collaboration, provides scaffolding, and allows opportunities for use of oral and written English while building background. Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, the strategies are also designed to develop the learners’ mental skills, grow their emotional or feelings aspects and enhance their

Global Crimes Rate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Crimes Rate - Research Paper Example B. There seems to be a consistent relationship between the economic indicators and the homicide rates. For instance the nations having the lowest homicide rate also tend to have relatively low unemployment rates with Monaco having an unemployment rate equal to zero (CIA The World Factbook, 2013). In contrast the three nations having the highest homicide rate also tend to have a relatively high unemployment rate, with Jamaica having an unemployment rate of 14.3% (CIA The World Factbook, 2013). There also seems to be a relationship between the Per Capita Income and the rate of homicide in the nations under consideration. The nations having the lowest homicide rate also have a high per capita income as compared to the nations having the highest homicide rates (CIA The World Factbook, 2013). C. The other factor that needs to be mentioned is that the three nations having the lowest homicide rates that are Monaco, Palau and Hong Kong tend to be less populated as compared to the three nations having the highest homicide rates that are Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica (CIA The World Factbook, 2013). The other thing is that in the nations having the highest homicide rates, the contribution of agriculture to the GDP is much more as compared to the nations having the lowest homicide rates in which a large proportion of the GDP is accrued from the industrial and services sector as compared to the agriculture sector (CIA The World Factbook, 2013). Also the nations having the lowest homicide rates do have high life expectancy as compared to the nations having highest homicide rates (CIA The World Factbook, 2013). D. On the basis of the statistics pertaining to the nations having the highest and lowest homicide rates, it could safely be concluded that the nations with the lowest homicide rates happen to be the well developed economies where the citizens do have a relatively better access to

Presenting Information Essay Example for Free

Presenting Information Essay As mentioned in Section 2, my leaflets are going to include some special details to make customers interested in reading them. Here I have typed up a number of stories about mooncakes (thanks to my parents and my old relatives who told me those stories when I was younger), mentioning where they came from and how they got famous in China. Hopefully this would also make foreign customers interested in trying the companys mooncakes. Here is the story: Section 5 Presenting Information Presenting Information Designing the Logo After having decided the style for my logo, I started designing my own logo with Adobe Illustrator 10. I used the softwares different paintbrush styles to draw the background of my logo, and different text layouts for displaying the name of the company. In my logo I have added a motto into my logo: where the taste of the East comes from: Survey Also, here is the list of ratings of different Chinese food that my classmates have given me: From the table above, it seems that mooncakes are the least favourite Chinese food of my classmates. They all told me that they have never tried one before. Maybe I should consider giving up mooncakes for my company, or maybe I should take a risk to introduce these delicious cakes that are very famous in an alien country. To make this decision, I went to Chinatown in London during half-term and asked for some information. I made a questionnaire for them to fill in. This questionnaire is designed for shops that sell traditional Chinese food package gifts and Chinese recipes, but the only shop I found which sold mooncakes was a small cafi called Far East Chinese Restaurant (even though it was not quite a restaurant). There I met the cafi s owner and asked him to fill in my questionnaire, and here are his replies: His answers showed that Chinese food and festivals are very popular amongst English people, and his reply for question number 3 tells me that there is no problem with introducing mooncakes in my promotional package. Promotional Packages I am using Microsoft(r) Publisher 2000 (at school) and 2002 (on my notebook) to make my leaflet, letterhead and business card. They all consist of the companys address, phone and facsimile number, website address and e-mail address, and, of course, its logo. They all have the similar layout, such as the background and the colour theme. Note that they are all using the desert colour theme provided in Publisher. I made 5 attempts on the leaflet, as it is the most important part of my project. I made many changes on the text size, font, background, layout and borders throughout those attempts. I also gave it to my guardian for proof-reading and she spotted out some minor errors (e. g. text overflowing in textboxes). Now I have come up with my final design of my leaflet. As for my business card, I made 3 designs. They differ in the word art and border. I showed them to my friends and they all chose design number 3, which they all thought was the most colourful and most attractive one, to be my final design. I made two attempts on the letterhead and the only changes I made were the background and some decoration around the header. Section 6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Using IT Advantages and Disadvantages of Using IT Advantages The advantages for using I. T. are you have the ability to make any changes on your documents easily to make them look neater, such as the layout of the documents, spelling mistakes, fonts, etc, and also you can have access to the internet where it is rich of sources, e. g. images, quotes, product information, news, etc. The sources can then be easily pasted onto your documents and can also be edited to make them appropriate for your needs. When it comes to storing, your documents can be saved onto your computer instead of adding a pile of paperwork into your drawers. Disadvantages One of the big disadvantages of using I. T. is that your computer may crash while youre working and may lose your work. Also, the floppy discs that have your work in them can be easily damaged if not looked after carefully, which again can lose your work easily if you didnt backup your work. The accessibility to the network may be limited due to the time limit set by the administrator, or maybe the computer rooms are locked. The sources on the Internet are only limited to text and images instead of actual objects. Section 7 Copyright and Confidentiality Copyright and Confidentiality Copyright Copying software is a theft as they all have copyrights, which means that without the programmers permission, copying of the software is not allowed. In my project I have used software that is brought by the school and me (software on my laptop) legally, so I dont have a problem with this. This issue also applies to other sources either I. T. or non-I. T. such as images and text contents. Normally they have a ? symbol on them to show that they own a copyright for their images or text content (see picture on the left), therefore when doing this project I have to look carefully if our sources are copyrighted. Confidentiality Keeping our documents confidential can prevent them being copied or changed. This can be done by keeping the documents on a floppy disk or a compact disc and keep them with you, which will ensure that so nobody will have access to your documents. Also, you can set a password to the document so nobody can open the document without permission from you. Section 8 Error Handling and Virus Protection Error Handling and Virus Protection Virus A virus is a programme that can get into your computer data and can either destroy your files or allow someone to hack into your private data. How can we prevent them? E-mailing is the most common way to spread a virus. The hacker attaches a virus onto e-mails, disguising it as a normal document and sends them to other people, and when the people open the attached document, the virus is downloaded onto the computer and starts to interrupt the data files. To prevent this happening we have to be aware of e-mails sent from someone who you dont know, i. e. junk mail. Downloads from the Internet is also a high risk from getting viruses; therefore we must be aware with them. The school has a firewall, which prevents viruses and hackers accessing to our school networking and destroying our documents, but making a backup can prevent your documents being affected by the virus. Errors and Prevention During the course of working on my project, I encountered a storage space problem. A message box appeared when I was trying to save my work onto my personal drive on the school network. It said: There is not enough storage space in your disk. This was caused by the large graphics file in my project and they had to be deleted in order to allow me to save my work. This problem can be solved by compressing the pictures before they are pasted onto my work. Another problem that I encountered was file version compatibility. During half-term I had to use Publisher 98 on my guardians computer to work on my promotional leaflet which have been already started using Publisher 2000 on school computers, and, of course, the file had to be then saved in the format of Publisher 98 *. pub file. This degraded the layout and the quality of the pictures in the file. Later I received my own copy of Publisher 2002, and I used it to open my leaflet file, and the layouts went horribly wrong. The pictures in the leaflet, which were supposed to be wrapped round by the text in the text boxes, covered the text up instead, and no matter how many times I attempted to use different ways to put them back in place, the pictures just stayed like that (see 2nd attempt), and the only things I could do was to start a new file in the format of Publisher 2002 file. What I could have done before everything went wrong was to make a backup of the file when it was still in the format of Publisher 2000 file, and then I could have waited until my software has arrived.

Speech Structures Essay Example for Free

Speech Structures Essay As I listened, what I saw as essential in the understanding of the cases was knowing the name of the case and the state or court that was involved, the procedural history, the facts, the legal issue or issues raised in the case by the defendant and prosecutor, the courts holding, the courts reasoning and the disposition. If one of these items was left out you do not get the whole picture and the dilemma at hand. With out some of these parts it would be hard to follow where one part ends and the other part begins. One person that I listened to that I believe had a good speech structure was her case was on Pennhurst State School v Halderman (1981) which dealt with the Mental Institution and Patients rights. She began by telling us what her speech was about and the things that were found within the speech. She then began by telling us an interesting bit of the history of Pennhurst leading to the case. She had all her information set up according to the directions and also did a good job in transitioning from one topic to another providing the correct information. Out of all the speeches I heard I feel like my own speech could have been better. My speech was on Lawrence v. Texas (2003) which dealt with sex and privacy. I feel like I rushed my speech a bit and did not notice some of my mistakes. I believe my speech needed a tighter organizational structure which would have helped me during my presentation because some of my topics were placed in places they should not have been. During all of the presentations I personally do not think that any one of the students failed to follow directions. I believe that everyone did a great job in writing and presenting their speeches. Some were put better then others and some just like myself lacked a bit of structure. But other then that I believe everyone followed the directions as best as they could. Civil liberties and Constitutional rights After listening to the presentations I learned a bit about our country. I learned that even in our recent times there are still some states that had or still have laws that go against individuals constitutional rights. As well as I learned how each and everyone of these important cases changed the aws and the visions of many people till this very day. What impressed me was the courage that many of these individuals had to stand up to segregation, racism, discrimination, and other horrible things. What also impressed me was in the case of Plessy vs Ferguson and how a guy that was almost completely white put him self out there as black to put a point across since in his community he was considered black because of his one ancestor. He was labeled as â€Å"Creole of Color† and arrested for sitting in the â€Å"white car†. One thing that still sticks in my mind is the case of Thompson V Ok. It is unbelievable how a 15 year old child could commit such a brutal murder with no remorse what so ever and not be sent to death because of his age even though he committed such a heinous crime. After everything the discussions at the end of our speeches were very helpful. They helped in further explaining the situations as well as they helped put current issues into perspective with the cases that we wrote about. It was quite interesting in seeing how these cases formed what we are now and where this country is headed. And for the most part I feel like they are headed in the right direction.

Representation of Power in Marvels Daredevil

Representation of Power in Marvels Daredevil Kimmy Huynh How are the characters in Marvel’s â€Å"Daredevil† Netflix series portrayed as powerful? Introduction The portrayal of power in fictional media often reflects connotations and assumptions made in the real world. By using the theoretical framework of semiology to analyse how Marvel’s Daredevil constructs the notion of power, an insight into what elements audiences see as power and how media creators materialise power in their work can be brought to light. Ideologically, the idea of power has been at the very core of capitalist societies such as the one we live in, it would therefore be insightful to pursue academic research in the area through deconstructing its representation. Marvel’s Daredevil series is an origin story created for the on-demand platform of Netflix. As a piece of media that exists within the modern superhero genre, power is a key theme. From a media studies perspective, Daredevil is a noteworthy text for analysis. Much like other Netflix series, its release on the digital platform saw the entire season of Daredevil released at once. This creates a pressure free form of storytelling for the media creators as it allows for characters and other elements of the Daredevil world to develop naturally over time without taking into consideration whether an audience member has watched the show sequentially each week. It would therefore be insightful to analyse how power is developed and represented in this new structure of storytelling. Methodology (strengths and weaknesses) In order to analyse the representation of power in the Daredevil show, a semeiotic analysis will be used to answer the question. A semiotic analysis of elements within the episodes will be used in order to deconstruct how power is represented. A semiotic analysis is a form of media research originally coined by the theorists Charles Sanders Pierce and Ferdinand De Saussure in the early twentieth century. Widely meaning the study of signs, Pierce stated that a sign is â€Å"something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity† (Pierce 1955: 99) while Saussure describes semiology as â€Å"a science that studies the life of signs.† (Saussure 1959: 16) Media texts, such as television shows, are seen as constructs of meaning. Theorist Stuart Hall (1997) suggests that meanings are encoded within the media by its creators and then decoded by audiences who actively react to it based on personal experiences, lifestyles and social norms at the time of viewing. Fiske describes denotation as being what is photographed and connotation as how the photo has been taken (Fiske, 1990). By deconstructing the representation of power in Daredevil through semiotic analysis, the underlying symbols used by media authors to create power can be brought to light. To analyse semiotics is to analyse the symbolic meaning of signs in a media text. De Saussure suggested that signs consist of two inseparable aspects: the signifier and signified. The signifier often exists in the material world in the form of letters, objects and images and is interpreted through our senses of touch, sight, sound etc. The signified is the mental concept or meaning attached to the signifier. Essentially, the equation for signs is as follows: The Signifier + Signified = Sign The purpose of a semiotic analysis, then, is to understand how meanings are formed by reviewing how texts are constructed by using the above equation. In employing this methodology, it would be beneficial for a researcher to understand the strengths and limitations of semiology. Theorists such as Robert Hodge and Gunther Kress advocate the notion that â€Å"semiotics offers†¦a systematic, comprehensive and coherent study of communications phenomena as a whole† (Hodge Kress, 1988:1). Furthermore, Semiotics provides scholarly research with conceptual framework and a set of tools and terms to analyse many forms of communication. On the other hand, semiology is often critiqued as being almost imperialistic, since some theorists see it as being applicable to anything and everything, infringing on almost every theoretical and ideological discipline. As a result of the breadth in which semiology is applied, it is said to be difficult to offer a critique on a theoretical framework that changes so much depending on its application. This is emphasised by John Sturrock in Structuralism (1986) where he illustrates this infringement as a â€Å"dramatic extension†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that would â€Å"include the whole of culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sturrock, 1986:89). Literature Review Literature surrounding semiotic analysis often suggests that there are not many who work as ‘semioticians’, however it is rational to accept that everyone utilises semiotic methodology to some extent in their everyday lives. In an article written by Arthur Asa Berger, it is suggested in the section titled ‘People Watching and Facial Expression’ that curiosity is a driving force for why people may make a semiotic analysis, stating that â€Å"we often watch people [and] scrutinise them† (Berger, 2013:23), he continues to state that semiotic analysis is exercised when a person wonders where someone is going or what they are doing, â€Å"†¦body structure, body language, clothing, brands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Berger, 2014:23) are some of the elements that are scrutinised in order to make an informed guess in answering those questions. While both key thinkers, De Saussure and Ferdinand, did not originally develop semiotics and semiology respectively for analysing media, it has since been a pioneering force in analysing contemporary media texts. In The Consumer’s Stake in Radio and Television, theorist Dallas Smythe suggested that television texts should be analysed as a â€Å"group of symbols† that â€Å"serve as a medium of exchange between the mass media and the audience† (Smythe, 1954:143), the ideas of semiotics and semiology coincide with Smythe’s statement. Smythe’s statement can also be applied to genre studies in the sense that genre is essentially a group of symbols that create a medium in which recurring codes and conventions allow a media text to be â€Å"classified and organised† (Casey, 2002:135). Listed under the superhero, action and adventure genres on Netflix, Daredevil will inevitably adhere to those specific genre conventions, it can therefore be said that signifiers that link to the signified ideas of superheroes, such as having extraordinary powers, a moral code and a secret identity will be used in the show. In terms of the ideological stance on power, Marxist literature focuses on the argument that mass media, such as television, is significantly influenced by the needs of the upper class in capitalist society. Marxist theory regarding the base and superstructure reinforces the idea of upper class dominance through mass media (Marx Engels, 1947). However a more culture orientated Marxist approach to media lies in Gramsci’s theory of hegemony. In Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks (1995), Gramsci rejected ideas of crude materialism and instead offered a more humanist form of Marxism that focused on human subjectivity and the power of media. He used the term hegemony to describe the predominance of one social class over the other (Gramsci, 1995). The media therefore prescribes, through signs, the dominant norms, values and tastes, political practices and social relations. (Sassoon, 1982) Analysis As mentioned before, signifiers often take form in the materialistic world of production. These catalysts for meaning can range from anything in the mise-en-scene, such as performance, lighting and costume, to the cinematographers choice of angles and camera shots. These verbal and visual elements then become the signified in which audiences draw links between an object and an idea. The two major characters in Daredevil, the antagonist and protagonist, will be analysed to understand how the idea of power has been encoded within them. The characters, Fisk and Murdock, can be seen as mirrors of one another. In literary terms they would be labelled as foils, the term is used to describe two characters that have comparative traits but are contrasted by their actions. Both characters believe they are saving the location of Hell’s Kitchen and exercise their power to do so. Power is therefore denoted in their actions, whether it’s violently interrogating criminals to find out where hostages are being kept or violently making an example of someone in order to keep the criminal underworld in line, both characters use their violent power to achieve their objectives. This is emphasised in Fisk’s dialogue in which he says â€Å"I want to save this city, like you. But only on a scale that matters†. This acts as a verbal signifier and indicates his exercise of power, even if innocent lives are lost in the process. In Episode three, titled Rabbit in a Snow Storm, the audience are introduced to a painting of the same name which symbolically represents more than just a simple painting. On one hand it denotes how the characters get caught up and lost in the bigger picture just as the rabbit is caught in the snowstorm. On the other hand, Fisk’s obsession with this piece of art soon brings out one of the major themes of the entire show: What kind of man or woman do you want to become? Fisk’s power over monetary wealth and the criminal underworld is at the core of this concern and the painting acts as a signifier for this idea. Moreover, this idea of power and the responsibility that comes with great power is applicable to the character of Murdock. Fisk is repeatedly shown to have struggled with what kind of man he wants to become and this is seen when he stares at the painting over and over again, which in turn signifies his increasing power as different events occur. Conversely, Murdock also struggles with who he is and what he may become as a result of his power. Murdock finds himself in the confession booth seeking guidance from Father Lantom. Through this faith, an iconic signifier which emphasises power is revealed. The juxtaposition between the iconic symbols of the church and Daredevil connotes the power of both good and evil existing within Murdoch. Faith plays a central part in the original Daredevil comic book story and it is what drives him to constantly question his own morality. The show has been widely praised for its violent and gritty fight scenes, however as a media construct, Murdoch’s fighting prowess in these scenes act as obvious signifiers for him being a powerful character as he is often pitted against insurmountable odds. Another symbol of power is seen through Murdoch’s questioning of his morality, this is seen in episode three where he confronts Fisk’s hired killer. While his own life is at risk, he still struggles with the notion of murder. This also reflects the superhero genre conventions of morality and its idea of killing one villain to save the many innocent. In the final scenes of episode thirteen, Daredevil obtains his most symbolic costume from the comic books. Reminiscent of the devil, his attire symbolises his identity as the Daredevil. Murdoch eventually adopts this identity as his alias as it has the power to instil fear. As an iconic sign, the media creators of Daredevil construct this verbal signifier in the dialogue where criminals often call Murdoch â€Å"the devil† in fear. Fear is therefore a sign used in representing the character of Murdoch as powerful. On the other hand, Murdoch’s foil, Fisk is not a character revealed until the third episode. And other characters often state that â€Å"we don’t say his name.† Furthermore, characters who end up revealing his name state that â€Å"he will find me†¦and everyone I’ve ever cared about†¦and make an example†. An element of the mise-en-scene, the performance and dialogue of other characters, are therefore used as verbal signs to imply how powerful the character of Fisk is. This element of fear derives from merely saying the character’s name and again, parallels Murdoch’s use of fear. Connotations that represent power are seen in the character of Wilson Fisk through his attire. Episode eight, titled Shadows in the Glass, illustrates this well by beginning with a montage of Wilson Fisk’s typical morning routine. A number of visual signifiers take shape in this opening sequence to connote power. His choice of clothing acts as a symbolic sign, reflecting what society has deemed a stereotypical rich man to look like. His suits, mainly black, therefore symbolise economic wealth and power respectively as the colour of black is widely associated with power and strength. Power is also encoded through the use of non diegetic sound. Classical music is inserted by the media creators in order to reinforce this idea of Fisk being a powerful member of the upper class in which the ‘finer things in life’ such as classical music and Fisk’s skills in the culinary arts as he makes breakfast is underlined. Politics and media, and more specifically power and media has always had an ambiguous relationship. Gross (1991) suggested that the powerful can often â€Å"influence† their own portrayals as well as others. The show takes this idea and illustrates it within episode six, titled Condemned, in a scene where the antagonist coerces the media, police and other public institutions into making the Murdoch the scapegoat for bombings that occur in Hell’s Kitchen, hence the episode name being Condemned. The representation of power is highlighted here as the media is influenced by the antagonist. Fisk’s control over the media is therefore another symbolic sign of him being a powerful character. A visual signifier for power used effectively throughout the season is body language; the positioning of Fisk often underlines him as a powerful character. The actor casted in the role, Vincent DOnofrio, stands at 6ft4 and weighs 130kg. While a man of this build already visually connoted as being powerful, the cinematography in Daredevil emphasises this by using low angles. By viewing the character from a low angle, Fisk is positioned above the audience and looks down on them, just as Fisk is framed in such a way that causes the audience to look up at the character, connoting a sense of power as he towers over the viewer. Conclusion In closing, the makers of the Daredevil Netflix series evidently employ signifiers that create the idea of power in order to truly illustrate how powerful a character is. A semiotic analysis of the two characters, Murdoch and Fisk, allow for an understanding of what elements have been used in order to create the impression of power a hero or villain. Most notable is the performative element of the mise-en-scene. Just as it is suggested by Berger in his analysis of applied semiotics in Semiotics and Society (2013), â€Å"body structure, body language† and facial expressions acts as strong signifiers in Daredevil. The performance of the actors who play Wilson Fisk and Matthew Murdoch therefore play a major role in creating verbal and visual signifiers for the notion of power. Furthermore, this is empowered by the character foils in which their parallels work to empower their different powers, be it supernatural as Murdoch or economic and coercive as Fisk. Media texts such as television and film are essentially signs containing other signs, and while some signifiers may not be obvious, a semiotic investigation aims to make these implicit signals, explicit. The employment of a semiotic analysis was insightful in regards to how ideas are constructed. The representation of power corresponds with Marxist ideology in which the powerful, such as Fisk, control the superstructure (Marx Engels, 1947) in the show. As stated at the beginning of the research report, the idea of power often reflects assumptions made in the real world. It is therefore informative to see how verbal and visual signs in actions, performances and costume present the idea of power to the audience. Bibliography BERGER, A.A. 2014; 2013, Semiotics and Society, Society, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 22-26. CASEY, B. (2002). Television studies: the key concepts. London, Routledge. FISKE, J. (1990). Introduction to communication studies. London, Routledge. GRAMSCI, A. (1995).Futher Selections from the Prison Notebooks. U of Minnesota Press. GROSS, L. P., KATZ, J. S., RUBY, J. (1988). Image ethics: the moral rights of subjects in photographs, film, and television. New York, Oxford University Press. HALL, S. (1997). Representation: cultural representations and signifying practices. London, Sage in association with the Open University. HODGE, B., KRESS, G. R. (1988). Social semiotics. Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University Press. MARX, K., ENGELS, F., ARTHUR, C. J., MARX, K. (1947). The German ideology. [New York, United States of America] International Publishers. PEIRCE, C. S., BUCHLER, J. (1955). Philosophical writings of Peirce. New York, Dover Publications. SASSOON, A. S. (1982). Approaches to Gramsci. London, Writers and Readers. SMYTHE, D.W. 1951, The Consumers Stake in Radio and Television, The Quarterly of Film Radio and Television, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 109-128. SAUSSURE, F. D. (1959). Course in general linguistics. New York, Philosophical Library. STURROCK, J., WINTLE, J. (1986). Structuralism. London, Paladin. Page 1 of 6

The Literary Merit of A Lesson Before Dying Essay -- Lesson Before Dyi

The Literary Merit of A Lesson Before Dying Ernest Gaines was born during the middle of the Great Depression on January 15, 1933. He was the oldest of twelve children. At the age of nine Gaines worked as an errand boy on the River Lake Plantation, the same plantation his book A Lesson Before Dying was set in. Gaines was raised by his Aunt Augusteen Jefferson, much like Grant, the protagonist in the novel, was raised by his Aunt Tante Lou. At the age of fifteen Gaines rejoined his immediate family in Vallejo, California because there were no high schools for him to attend in Louisiana. Gaines also wanted to enter a public library which was illegal for people of color to use. At this time in U.S. History, books about colored people were scarce and so Gaines decided to try and write his own novel. The desire to write led him to San Francisco State and Stanford University where he took creative writing courses. His first book, Catherine Carmier, was published in 1964. He finished his most famous novel, The Autobiography of Miss Ja ne Pittman, in 1971. The success of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman prompted Gaines to write more about the black communities of southern Louisiana. The most successful book dealing with the colored people of southern Louisiana, A Lesson Before Dying, was penned in 1993 (â€Å"About Ernest Gaines† 1). A Lesson Before Dying explains the tale of the wrongful conviction of Jefferson, an ignorant colored man who was an accessory to a liquor store shooting where a white man was killed. At Jefferson’s trial a lawyer calls him a hog. At the end of the trial, Jefferson is sentenced to death by electrocution. Miss Emma, Jefferson’s Aunt, wants Jefferson to know that he is a human before he dies. She wi... ...ate representation of its deep insights into the mind of Jefferson. In Chapter 29 one gets an accurate and in depth view into the mind of a colored farm worker from the deep South during the 1940’s. The way the sentences were structured has not been edited to portray proper English nor have the thoughts been completed. In that passage Jefferson’s ignorance is exposed, but in doing so his values and faith shine. In his own way, he acknowledges his fate and then tries to reason why it happened. A Lesson Before Dying provides a pure and true insight into a Jefferson’s mind. This is why it should be included in a list of works of high literary merit. Works Cited "About Ernest Gaines". RandomHouse.com. pp. 1-2. Online. 7 May 2003. Available: http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/gaines/books.html Gaines, Ernest. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Random House 1993.

Students with Learning Disabilities Offered Success in College :: School Education Essays

Students with Learning Disabilities Offered Success in College Registering for college courses can be straining for even the most organized college student. Knowing which courses to take, and what order to take them in, can be more than confusing to the already over-stressed student body. This process is even more strenuous for students with learning disabilities. Registering for classes is just the beginning for learning disabled students. Kyle Turin, a freshman with Dyslexia, at Northeastern University is dismayed at the lack of attention he feels he is getting. Turin was diagnosed at a young age. He was never officially tested for a learning disability, but he was put into a specialized reading class until he went to high school. Kyle learned how to compensate for his difficulties but felt he slipped through the cracks in the system. â€Å"They (teachers) figured out in like sixth grade that I had missed a crucial part of my reading comprehension stuff that other kids did get. I was put into reading courses. But now that I’m in college, I’ll have a class of like 150 kids where the only basis of the class is the textbook and in-class lectures, so I don’t have the opportunity to compensate in class the way that I used to.† said Turin. Kyle Turin transferred to Northeastern University after his first semester at Hudson Valley Community College. â€Å"They asked me if I had Northeastern insurance, and I said no and they basically said I was out of luck. They said I had to contact my own insurance company and see if they covered the disability test that I would need in order to get extra attention through Northeastern. But my insurance company won’t cover it because I’m over 18 years old. † A learning disability is defined as any one of various conditions that interfere with an individual's ability to learn, resulting in impaired functioning in language, reasoning, or academic skills. The National Center for Learning Disabilities explains it as a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive process, store and respond to information. Basically, among people with learning disabilities there is a noticeable gap between their level of expected achievement and their actual achievement. Doctors and professionals agree there is no way to pin-point any specific causes for learning disabilities. The NCLD says some possible causes may include heredity, problems during pregnancy or birth, head injuries or nutritional deprivation after birth, and exposure to toxic substances.

The Love Scene between George and Maire from Translations Essay

The Love Scene between George and Maire from Translations This scene, in my opinion is the dramatic centre of Translations. The scene displays that George and Maire have fallen in love as they return from the dance together; the pair find it hard to communicate, and exhaust every method of communication before reciting place names to one another. The common language of the place names increases the tension between George and Maire until, finally, they kiss. The kiss is witnessed by Sarah who uses her new found talent of speech to tell Manus. The scene, in my view is very important as it is the catalyst for the disastrous events which follow, it leads to the disappearance of George, the search of Baile Baeg by new English soldiers, Maire’s despair, and the imminent ‘evictions and leveling of every abode’. The stage directions play a prominent part in the scene, they specify darkness and music being played, the music is significant as it is a common form of communication, everybody can relate to it. The ‘music rises to a crescendo’ as Maire and Yolland enter on stage and the audience are involved in the excitement and merriment of the pair. The music also crescendos later after Sarah has seen them which emphasizes the significance of what has just happened. The stage directions also describe their actions towards one another, the gestures and the pause before the kiss; all which would add a lot of drama and pace to the scene. Act 2 Scene 1, which is just before the love scene, is very different. Maire and George at this point are still very shy and use Owen to translate everything between them: Maire: Tell him then Owen: Tell him what? Maire: About the dance. Maire is essentially inviting Ge... ...hows that she has gone to tell him about George and Maire, bring the scene to a climax. It is also poignant that after Sarah has been given the gift of speech, she is now about to use it to tell her teacher and change everything in Baile Baeg, possibly costing George’s life. As the scene acts as a microcosm of the play’s messages, Friel displays the themes of translation, cultural differences and conflict of interests all in one scene. As a result, I think that this is a very important, if not the most important scene of the entire play, as the scenes before all build up to this moment, and the later events preceding it are all results of George and Maire’s union. Brian Friel has also managed to keep the audience interested by using tension, pace, irony and suspense; and successfully brings the end of the act to a climax, keeping the audience engaged.

Oliver finds happiness and security Essay

Through Fagin, Oliver is made to work for Bill Sikes. Oliver is shot helping Sikes to burgle the house of a Mrs Maylie, Sikes escapes but Oliver is cared for by Rose and Mrs Maylie. Bill Sikes is another major bully within the novel, Oliver Twist. Nancy who is his mistress is also a victim of Sikes. Bill Sikes character is brutal, aggressive and violent. One major event when we see Sikes as a brutal bully is when he murders Nancy. Dickens shows this hatred by using these words ‘there was a fire in the eyes of both’ this is a metaphor it suggests a burning passion of hatred. Throughout the chapter when Nancy is murdered, Sikes is referred to as ‘the robber’, the housebreaker and the murderer’. As Sikes arrives at his house ‘Without one pause, or moments’ consideration; without once turning his head to the right or left, or raising his eyes to the sky, or lowering them to the ground, but looking straight before him with savage resolution his teeth so lightly compressed that the strained jaw seemed starting through his skin, the robber held on his headlong course, nor muttered a word, nor relaxed a muscle until he reached his own door.’ During this section, Dickens uses no full stops, but internal punctuation effectively. Sikes is apprehensive to what may be on the other side. By using this type of text, Dickens builds up speed, tension and anticipation for the reader. Dickens does this again when describing in detail when ‘he opened it softly ‘lifting a heavy table against it’ double locked the door.’ This makes the reader want to know what is about to happen. Dickens highlights bullying by using commands ‘Get up, Get up’ this is a command, which suggests aggression and violence. The word ‘murderer’ is used which suggests he has already killed Nancy, but Sikes again,’ seized a heavy club and struck her down’. Sikes striking Nancy with a club seems to be unnecessary as she is already dead. This is the climax of Sikes bullying he has resorted to murdering. Bill refers to Nancy as a ‘She Devil’. In her dying moments she shows her innocent side by praying, by ‘on her knees and ‘as high towards heaven as her feeble strength.’ The reader gets a sense of goodness against evilness. The reader again sympathises with Nancy as she is murdered while Dickens emphasises Sikes evil ways. Bill Sikes runs away from the scene of the crime which shows that ultimately he is a coward, and his conscience finally dawns on him. After Nancy’s death Dickens uses superlatives to show the reader how cruel Sikes crime is, he uses powerful words like ‘worst’, ‘foulest’ and ‘most cruel’. Bullying is again highlighted throughout this section. Here though, Dickens has highlighted a different type of bullying. It is immediate bullying that is used. Sikes performed a nasty and brutal murder. Dickens uses a metaphor of the weather to contrast the murder, it is an ironic contrast though, as sun brings new life but it can not bring Nancy back to life. ‘The sun, the bright sun’ shows Bill Sikes truly as a vicious bully.  Towards the end of the novel both Bill Sikes and Fagin die, while Oliver finds happiness and security.  The book makes the reader aware of Victorian society, the sheer terror of the workhouse and bullying within that society. Charles Dickens uses a range of techniques to present the bullies within the novel. He uses a wide range of language, sarcasm and irony throughout. Charles Dickens emphasises many types of bullying and throughout his novel highlights episodes of violence and bullying which most of Victorian society accepted.

Analysis: Jb Hi-Fi Essay

JB Hi-Fi limited is a company that is based in Australia. It usually engages in the selling of the home consumer electronic products which include the televisions, video cameras, mobile phones, home theatres, digital still and other electrical accessories like the kitchen equipment, computing equipment, the air conditioners, small electrical appliances like the car sound systems; both visual and audio and other things like the movies and games. It continues to stock exclusive specialist range of Hi-Fi products. JB Hi-Fi has its subsidiaries that include JB Hi-Fi (A) Pty Ltd, JB Hi-Fi Group Pty Ltd, Rocket Replacements Pty Ltd and JB Hi-Fi NZ Limited. JB Hi-Fi was established in 1974 by a simple philosopher Mr. John Barbuto (JB) who was trading from single store in Victoria a place called East Keilor. He was delivering variety of Hi-Fi equipments as well as recorded music at lowest prices in Australia. In 1983, the business was sold and later in 1999, nine stores were opened. With the aim of taking the business to be a successful model all over the nation, private equity bankers and senior management purchased the business in July 2000. JB Hi-Fi was floated in October 2003 on the Australian stock Exchange. JB Hi-Fi is the largest retailer as well as fastest growing home entertainment Retailer Company in Australia. The Queensland Clive Anthony’s stores were bought by JB in July 2004. The Queensland Clive Anthony was selling the consumer goods like the cooking appliances, consumer electronics and air conditioning equipments before it was bought. It has been revealed that the executive or the CEO of a Melbourne based JB who led to the company’s success in year 2009 Richard Uechtritz will retire from the position in August after being in that position for 10 years. He will be succeeded by Terry Smart who joined the company in year 2000 together with Uechtritz. Uechtritz led the company towards making a half year net profit of $76 million in Australian currency which is approximately $66 million from $59 million Australian equivalent of $51 million in corresponding period. He also scaled up the group sales from $1. 09 billion one year before to $1.35 billion by end of 2009. The 124 JB’s stores in Australia registered 10. 2percent comparative growth across the Australia while in its 10 stores in New Zealand a 5. 8 percent growth was achieved. JB Company was resilient throughout the economic crisis; this led to gained consumer confidence by the company. This is a clear indication of a strong retail model and how str ong the management team is strong. JB is also well known for being a leader in CD album sales. It is said that for every 10 albums sold, 4 of them are rung up in JB. This is widely seen as a major factor that is behind the Australia’s largest popularity in the CD albums market (JB Hi-Fi, 2010). The JB Hi-Fi Company has a charter that provides the summary of board of directors’ roles in the structure of the business and the company’s operations. To ensure that the company thrives and overcomes the crisis that may come on the way, the company has various strategies and ways to overcome that and to keep the company on the track which includes constitution and board of directors which has various roles and responsibilities. The company has got a constitution and also corporations’ act. The companies’ values are the trust, integrity and honesty. The board carries out the duties in regard to the interest of the companies’ shareholders, staff, customers and the community in which it operates. The board has responsibility for the company’s corporate governance which includes establishment and empowerment of board to assist in its work. The board is also responsible for overseeing the affairs and the business of the company by establishing the financial objectives and strategies for management to implement; reviewing and approving the financial objectives of the company and corporate plans as well as actions; approval of the capital expenditure in excess of limits that have been delegated to the management; approval of the capital management initiatives; another vital role is to ensure that they are adequate procedures are put in place so as to identify the principal risks in the business as well as implementing systems that are appropriate in managing the risks. The board is also responsible for communicating with the shareholders of the company as well as community at the right times towards getting right results and developing the business operations of the company. The board is also responsible for appointing or selecting and evaluating regularly the chief executive officer’s performance and also determining the remuneration and succession of the chief executive officer. The board is also responsible of approving the major human resource major policies as well as overseeing the strategy development for high performing and senior executives. The board should also ensure that the appropriate procedures are put in place so as to make sure that business is conducted in honest, ethical and in an open manner. The board is also supposed to institute the internal procedures for performance evaluation of the board, the individual directors and the board committees.

Supply reading

After reading this chapter, you will be able to: I. Identify the major drivers of supply chain performance. 2. Discuss the role of each driver in creating strategic fit between the supply chain strategy and the competitive strategy. 3. Detine the key metrics that track the performance of the supply chain in terms of each driver. In this chapter, we introduce the three logistical drivers-facilities, inventory, and transportation-and the three cross-functional drivers-information, sourcing, and pricing-that determine the performance of any supply chain.We discuss how these drivers are used in the design, planning, and operation of the supply chain. We define several metrics that can be used to gauge the performance of each driver. The strategic fit discussed in Chapter 2 requires that a company's supply chain achieve the balance between responsiveness and efficiency that best supports the company's competitive strategy. https://donemyessay.com/numbers-101-900-spanish-1-lopez/To understand how a compa- ny can improve supply chain performance in terms of responsiveness and efficiency, we must examine the logisti- cal and cross-functional drivers of supply chain performance: facilities, inventory, transportation, information, sourcing, and pricing. These drivers interact with each other to determine the supply chain's performance in terms of responsiveness and efficiency. The goal is to structure the drivers to achieve the desired level of responsiveness at the lowest possible cost. First we define each driver and discuss its impact on the performance of the supply chain. . Facilities are the actual physical locations in the supply chain network where product is stored, assembled, or fabricated. The two major types of facilities are production sites and storage sites. Decisions regarding the role, location, capacity, and flexibility of facilities have a significant impact on the supply chain's performa nce. For instance, an auto parts distributor striving for responsiveness could have many warehousing facilities located close to customers even though this practice reduces efficiency.Alternatively, a high-efficiency distributor would have fewer warehouses to increase efficiency despite the fact that this practice will reduce responsiveness. 2. Inventory encompasses all raw materials, work in process, and finished goods within a supply chain. Changing inventory policies can dramatically alter the supply chain's efficiency and responsiveness. For example, 41 42 Part I †¢ Building a Strategic Framework to Analyze Supply Chains a clothing retailer can make itself more responsive by stocking large amounts of inventory and satisfying customer demand from stock.A large inventory, however, increases the retailer's cost, thereby making it less efficient. Spanish apparel retailer Zara has worked hard to shorten new product and replenishment lead times. As a result, the company is very r esponsive but carries low levels of inventory. Zara thus provides responsiveness at low cost. 3. Transportation entails moving inventory from point to point in the supply chain. Transportation can take the form of many combinations of modes and routes, each with its own performance characteristics. Transportation choices have a large impact on supply chain respon- siveness and efficiency.For example, a mail-order catalog company can use a faster mode of . ‘ transportation such as FedEx to ship products, thus making its supply chain more responsive, but also less efficient given the high costs associated with using FedEx. McMaster-Carr and W. W. Grainger, however, have structured their supply chain to provide next-day service to most of their customers using ground transportation. They are providing a high level of responsiveness at lower cost. 4. Information consists of data and analysis concerning facilities, inventory, transportation, costs, prices, and customers tthroughout the supply chain.Information is potentially the biggest driver of performance in the supply chain because it directly affects each of the other drivers. Information presents management with the oopportunity to make supply chains more responsive and more efficient. For example, with information on. customer demand patterns, a pharmaceuti- cal company can produce and stock drugs in anticipation of customer demand, which makes the supply chain very responsive because customers will find the drugs they need when they need them.This demand information can also make the supply chain more efticient because the phar- maceutical firm is better able to forecast demand and produce only the required amount. Seven- Eleven Japan has used information to increase the responsiveness it provides while also lowering cost. 5. Sourcing is the choice of who will perform a particular supply chain aactivity such as pro- duction, storage, transportation, or the management of information. At the strategic l evel, these decisions determine what functions a firm performs and what functions the firm outsources.Sourcing decisions affect both the responsiveness and efficiency of a supply chain. After Motorola outsourced much of its production to contract manufacturers in China, it saw its effi- ciency improve but its responsiveness suffer because of the long distances. To make up for the drop in responsiveness, Motorola started flying in some of its cell phones from China even though this choice increased transportation cost. Flextronics, an electronics contract manufactur- er, is hoping to offer both responsive and efficient sourcing options to its customers.It is trying to make its production facilities in the United States very responsive while keeping its facilities in low-cost countries efficient. Flextronics hopes to become an effective source for all customers using this combination of facilities. 6. Pricing determines how much a firm will charge for goods and services that it makes available in the supply chain. Pricing affects the behavior of the buyer of the good or service, thus affecting supply chain performance.For example, if a transportation company varies its charges based on the lead time provided by the customers, it is very likely that customers who value effi- ciency will order early and customers who value responsiveness will be willing to wait and order just before they need a product transported. Differential pricing provides reoponsiveness to customers that value it and low cost to customers that do nor value responsiveness as much. Our definition of these drivers attempts to delineate logistics and supply chain manage- ment.Supply chain management includes the use of logistical and cross-functional drivers to increase the supply chain surplus. Cross-functional drivers have become increasingly important in raising the supply chain surplus in recent years. While logistics remains a major part, supply chain management is increasingly becoming foc used on the three cross-functional drivers. It is important to realize that these drivers do not act independently but interact with each other to determine the overall supply chain performance. Good supply chain design and operation Chapter 3 †¢ Supply Chain Drivers and Metrics 43 ecognizes this interaction and makes the appropriate trade-offs to deliver the desired level of responsiveness. Consider, for example, the furniture industry in the United States. Low-cost furni- ture sourced from Asia is available at many discount retailers. The primary goal of this supply chain is to deliver a low price and acceptable quality. Vvariety is typically low and retailers such as Wal-Mart stock inventory of finished goods. The low vvariety and stable replenishment orders allow furniture manufacturers in Asia to focus on efficiency. Given the available inventory, low- cost modes of transportation from Asia are used.In this instance, relatively low-cost inventory at the retailer allows the supply chain to become efficient by lowering transportation and production costs. In contrast, some U. S. furniture makers have chosen to focus on providing vvariety. Given the high vvariety and high prices, keeping inventory of all variants at a retailer would be very expensive. In this case the supply chain has been designed so the retailer carries very little inven- tory. Customers place their orders with the retailer by seeing one variant of the furniture and selecting among the various options.The supply chain is made responsive by using information technology to convey order information effectively, structuring very flexible manufacturing facil- ities to be able to produce in small lots, and using responsive transportation to deliver the furniture to the customer. In this instance, responsive facilities, transportation, and information are used to lower inventory costs. As the rest of this chapter will illustrate, the key to achieving strategic fit across the supply chain is to structure the supply chain drivers appropriately to provide the desired level of responsiveness.