Discussion Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion Topics - Essay Example The act was meant to raise taxes as a strategy to cut down on people’s spending and hence increase the recovery process. However, the measure had insignificant effects on the economy since it targeted businesses, which were already closing down. The worst impacts of the depression were felt on October 29, 1929 when the stock market closed its doors for the first time in what came to be known as the black Tuesday. Most economists attribute the great depression with the fall of stock prices that occurred in the US before it spread to the rest of the world. Having witnessed the impacts of the great depressions, Americans were fearful about similar occurrences. Fear from the great depression hindered people from achieving their financial targets and investing. People were scared about banking and saving in general. On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This thrust America into World War II, and for the next four years. The war occurred during the era of the great depression when America was experiencing massive unemployment. Following the outbreak of the war, the position of women in the society is likely to have been reviewed. As men were recruited into the military, millions of women were left to take care of their families. Some of them took male dominated jobs in the manufacturing and construction industries. In addition, most women took leadership positions in their families as their husbands died in the war. The war changed the role of women in the society and compelled them to take male dominated positions such as politics. Entry of women into politics is also likely to have started during this

Academic performance of disabled students and their general education peers Essay Example for Free

Academic performance of disabled students and their general education peers Essay Calls for the evolution of the educational system to maintain an inclusive program for mentally, financially and physically disabled students have been supported by the arguments that inclusion will greatly benefit the academic and social performance of children with disabilities. This is true since academic learning is enhanced when a program expecting higher output and reinforcing higher standards exists for students. These opportunities allow them to work and study harder as it exposes them to what many believe are normal real-life standards. Friendly and Lero (1993) stress that a motivation to keep up and progress without outside assistance is a driving force of enhancing performance. They also note that the labels in homogeneous or ability groupings negatively affect student potential. Contrastingly, although the effects of the inclusive system of education are favorable for non-general students, Brackett (1994) stresses that the opposite might take effect for general education students. These children might experience boredom due to the considerations given to disabled students in terms of pace and activities. Special or disabled children may also experience frustration as they try to keep up with the normal learning pace in a heterogeneous mix of students. Despite these contentions, several studies also note the positive effects of inclusion to the academic performance of both general education children and special needs education students. Hines and Johnston (1997) reported that disabled students in an inclusive set up showed academic progress and performance and improved their behavior as well. Schattman and Benay (1992) attribute this to the wide exposure of the disabled children, in an inclusive set up, to creative teachers and the nature of the inclusion strategies to expose the children to social interactions with other students. The marks and learning abilities of disabled students on specific subjects were also positively affected by being in inclusive classroom situations (Barbetta et al, 1991). The effect of inclusion to regular classroom students has been extensively studied and Staub and Peck (1995) list the general outcomes of the exposure of this group to this new learning environment. It has been noted that regular class students, after being exposed to an inclusive situation, become more aware of existence of human diversity and have reduced fear of human differences. They have more social interactions which results in a keener awareness of self knowledge. In addition, they also learned to develop their personal principles at an early age and the increased frequency of social relationships allowed them to create more friends. Hollowood et al. (1994) also answers a thriving concern about the imbalance of time allotment for students by teachers when exposed to an inclusive environment. It has been observed that the presence of special needs students in a class does not interfere with the allocated time of teachers to regular class students. And although, interruptions have been observed in some cases, the downtime did not significantly alter the average instruction hours when compared to general education classes. Similarly, in a study of primary and secondary schools that adopted inclusion, Idol (2006) reports that in a four-year study of four elementary and secondary schools, most students are generally not affected by the presence of students with disabilities in their classes. Statistics on these schools show that the elementary students surveyed registered a 68% approval rating on student performance and the respective elementary and secondary students show a 36% and 24% rating that student performance in inclusive situations was higher. 32% and 34% of elementary and secondary students also agree that academic abilities remained constant. In the four elementary schools considered, only 6% of the educators responded that there were negative reactions brought out by the presence of disabled students in class, while the statistics in the secondary schools surveyed did not vary much at 8%. The teachers also reported that a larger chunk ( 50% ) of the students increased or retained their statewide test scores. Requirements for an effective strategy Dugan et al. (1995) reviewed several studies which have been published regarding the methods and strategies used in inclusive education. According to this paper, improved academic performance is assured (Kamps et al. , 1992; Madden and Slavin, 1983; Noonan Hemphill, 1984; Shores et al. , 1993; Stainback et al. , 1981) if the program consists of a 1. method to encourage and guide interaction among students with disabilities and their peers; 2. scheme where teachers employ adaptive measures of instruction for students with disabilities; 3. program of study that enjoins both disabled and normal children to equally participate in activities; and 4. training to improve the social interactions and abilities of a child that prepares him for the real world environment. One aspect of inclusive education that employed cooperative learning groups is also effective in enhancing the performance of students. Johnson et al (1990) notes that cooperative learning results in improved academic performance of children from different cognitive levels to be in a heterogeneous educational environment that promotes the mediation of groups for maximal learning. Inclusive education programs and strategies like the cross-age tutoring also resulted in improved performance of both students with and without disabilities (Barbetta et al. , 1991) and increased the reading and comprehension abilities of both normal children and children with autism (Kamps et al., 1994). Kamps et al (1994) also note that because of the drastic improvement in the confidence of the children in a cooperative learning set up, the time for interactions and social activities between children with autism and their peers also increased and adds to their improved learning abilities. According to Dugan et al (1995) cooperative learning groups improved student interaction through increased frequency of social activities. The effectivity of student learning also increased due to tutoring events and research activities. Hawkins et al (2001) explained that early social interactions between children create a deeper bond that acts as a defense for behavioral problems and, thus, strengthens the relationships of students. Strategies for improved academic performance Academic performance in an inclusive set up uses contemporary schemes in order to teach the lessons to students. Learning is boosted through techniques such as teams games tournaments or TGT, which allows the teacher to teach the lessons to students through games. The teams cooperate and learn from other group members by peer tutoring in order to increase their chances of winning in the tournaments. Another scheme called student teams and academic divisions or STAD allows individual members of a team to score points by adding their individual written scores, like in a quiz for example, to the total accumulated team points (Slavin, 1990). Another inclusion strategy that shows very promising results in increasing the academic fervor of children involves the use of class wide peer tutoring (CWPT). In a study of the performance of heterogeneously grouped children under the subject of reading and reading comprehension, CWPT was observed to increase the ability of students to read and pronounce words accurately and answer reading comprehension questions correctly. The technique was also found to improve the cognitive skills of elementary students with autism. It was also a tool for social interaction and learning with their classmates and showed better reading proficiencies for most students because of the relative ease in adapting this program to a normal classroom set up (Kamps et al.,1994). CWPT can also be incorporated in a team games tournament (TGT) scheme and are collectively referred to as class wide student tutoring teams (CSTT). This method employs tutoring and tests individual learning progress by competitions where individual scores comprise team scores. Reading can also be taught to elementary students through a cooperative integrated reading and composition technique or CIRC. In this strategy, students are paired and are allowed to read stories to each other while practicing and honing their reading abilities (Jenkins et al., 1991). Johnson et al (1984) reports that role playing is also a learning strategy to be employed, this technique, called circles of learning, employs group dynamics and allows students to complete assigned tasks and evaluate their performance through worksheets. In addition, the competitive atmosphere is reduced because of the nature of the activity. These techniques have been shown to improve the academic performance of a heterogeneous mix of students with different baseline aptitudes. The case of employing inclusion to disabled children and high-level students with autism can also be employed to children who are sickly, obese or those with high risks of cardiovascular diseases. Van Sluijs et al. (2007) have observed that the method of inclusion to obese adolescents shows strong evidence of improvement and increased physical activity. The effective strategies employed actively involve the school, the community and the student’s family in order to improve the physical disposition of the individuals in the study. Studies show that a key factor in the improvement of students in inclusive setups is the competency of educators handling the classes. However, every teacher has his own techniques, experiences and teaching strategies that he has developed over time. This difference in experience is especially large between teachers who handle exclusively special classes for disabled students and those who handle general education. Thus, in an inclusive setting, in order to expand the exposure of students to different teachers, collaborative teaching has been developed as a strategy for effective learning. This method is a big deviation from the previous pull-out system for partial inclusive settings. In co-teaching, both teachers complement and co-teach both disabled students and their peers (Gerber and Popp, 2000). Rea et al (2002), in a study on the teaching practices of Enterprise Middle School which handles grade school students at levels 6 to 8, show that co-teaching is an effective strategy for educating students. This mechanism involves daily class rotations with different teachers. Co-teaching also requires careful and synchronized planning on the part of the educators. Teachers actively and regularly discuss their activities and lessons and share methods of evaluating the progress of students. This way, different instructional objectives are met although by different individuals. This is necessary to coordinate and pace teachers in their work and lessons with their students as well as to share information on student development. Different schemes characterize the co-teaching method. Rea et al (2002) note that interactive teaching or taking turns observing and lecturing may be employed. The class may also be divided for parallel sessions or one teacher may be assigned for catch-up classes for some students. Nonetheless, any form taken by the co-teaching scheme aims to provide for the needs of the children, supplied variation in teaching techniques, and was seen as a healthy environment for student growth and learning. Many researchers have expressed support to the principle of including disabled students in general education practice. Among them, Villa et al. (1996) have observed that educators preferred teaching disabled students along with their non-disabled peers. This factor may have contributed to the increased academic progress of students within the inclusive education set up. On the other hand, Thousand and Villa (2000) stressed that teachers are not the only major contributing factor to student progress. In fact, they highlight the observation that inter-student relationships while in the confines of the classroom play a big role during learning, emotional and social development. As the needs of the children in an inclusive set up are congruent to the skill that must be possessed by the educators handling the classes, teacher training (Porter, 2001) is an essential part of the process that makes an inclusive set up work. Daniel and King (1997) refer to this skill as training for inclusionary practices and is a characteristic of teachers that must be developed in order to function effectively in an educational system following heterogeneous groupings. It should, therefore, be apparent that these special skills allow educators to adapt to the wide needs of different types of students and allow them to be creative in forming strategies for an efficient and effective learning experience for both disabled students and their peers. However, the great demands of the inclusive educational practice oftentimes result in work pressure among teaching personnel. For example, studies on all elementary physical education instructors from Israel show that the episodes of burnout in faculty members are related to the number of special or disabled students in their classes and the amount of assistance they get conducting these classes (Fejgin et al. , 2005). This relates the demanding work that is put in by the educators in order to make an inclusive program work. This study also stresses the chief role played by government support in the educational system, where episodes of teacher burnout are also dictated by poor quality of the workplace and inadequacy of the institution to provide sports facilities for the needs of the students, especially the disabled or special cases. Despite episodes of burnout, most teachers have expressed their support for inclusion as an appropriate program to teach disabled children (Idol, 2006) the statistics is expected to improve if more educational personnel were available to answer to the needs of all students. The necessity for improved and evolving programs that would answer the needs of students in inclusion also requires the involvement of many organizations, individuals and different types of educators, resulting in interdisciplinary interactions to improve current conditions (Robertson and Valentine, 1998). This brings about an atmosphere of community and exposes the teaching skills of effective teachers and allows room for growth and improvement. Equally important to the instructors are the provision of adequate health care safety facilities for different types of students which should be provided by the government and their policy makers. It is consequently very crucial that an educational program should be backed-up by community and policy driven education reform for a successful advocacy. Porter (2001) expresses that there is a need for legislators who understand that an inclusive community school is a method of reform that should be supported. For cases of students with severe autism and retardation, however, further studies both on the effective procedures that should be employed and on the qualitative measures of investigating the effects of peer-mediated activities and cooperative learning also require continuous evaluation (Kamps et al. , 1994). Nonetheless, Kamps and Carta (1989) note that strategies are successful if these improve or maintain the skills of non disabled students without compromising the learning of their disabled peers.

How can the Micro Environment Affect Huawei?

How can the Micro Environment Affect Huawei? Introduction: The assignment will have two parts. The first part will discuss a Chinese company called HUAWEI. The uncontrollable variables (Microenvironment and Macroenvironment) have affected the controllable variables (Marketing Mix) in HUAWEI. There are two factors affect the effectiveness of companies marketing activities: one is the company cannot control, such as political, legal, economic, cultural, geography and other environmental factors, known as uncontrollable factors, which is the external environment faced by the company; One is the company can control, such as product, price, place, promotions and other marketing factors, be known as controllable factors. The essence of markting activities is using internal controllable factors, so that external uncontrollable environment adapt to the controllable factors, and to meet the individual and the organizations goals. Kotlers said, If the company produce the appropriate product, set an appropriate price, the use of appropriate place and s upported by an adequate promotion, then the the company will be successful (Kotler, 2001). The second part will discuss three main learning points of the Marketing Game. Part 1 1.1 About HUAWEI: Huawei is a leading global telecommunications solutions provider with long-term partnerships with operators around the world.. Huaweis products and solutions is about wireless products (LTE/HSPA/WCDMA/EDGE/GPRS/GSM, CDMA20001xEV-DO/CDMA2000 1X, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX), core network products ( IMS, Mobile Softswitch, NGN ), network products(FTTx, xDSL, Optical, Routers, LAN Switch) , applications and software(IN, mobile data service, BOSS), as well as terminals(UMTS/CDMA). Major products are designed based on Huaweis ASIC chipset and utilize shared platforms to provide quality and cost-effective products. Huaweis products and solutions are deployed in over 100 countries and serve 36 of the worlds top 50 operators. Huaweis RD centers is built in many countries, such as Silicon Valley and Dallas in USA, Stockholm in Sweden,Moscow in Russia, Bangalore in India, and Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guangzhou in china.(1) 1.2 The Controllable Variables of Huawei The controllable variables in a company mean the Marketing Mix. In 1953, Neil †¢ Borden in the American Marketing Associations inaugural speech created a term called marketing mix and its meaning is more or less in market demand, to some extent on by the so-called marketing variable or market factor the impact, in order to find a certain market response, companies want to be an effective combination of these elements to meet the market demand, to obtain maximum profit. In fact there are dozens of marketing mix elements, Boden proposed marketing mix consists of 12 elements, known as the 12-factor marketing mix strategy, namely, product plans, pricing, brand, supply routes, personal selling, advertising, promotion , packaging, display, support, physical distribution and market research. This combination of strategies to enable people to engage in marketing, operations can be more clarity from the start in these areas, and scope of the study of marketing has done a better defined. 4Ps came along with the theory of marketing mix. These elements were summed up as four categories: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, also known as the 4Ps.by a Professor of the University of Michigan Jerome McCarthy in 1960 in his book  «Basic Marketing ». In 1967, Philip Kotler in his best-selling book Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning and Control further confirmed by 4Ps of the marketing mix as the core method. 4Ps marketing strategy since its introduction, on the theory and practice of marketing, had a great impact, was regarded as a classic marketing theory by marketing managers. Almost all managers when they plan theirs marketing activities consciously and unconsciously consider from the 4Ps theory. 1.2.1 Product of Huawei The company must follow the needs of customers, and design their products and services. The product has a large areas, it contains product features, quality, appearance, packaging, brand, service, support. Huawei offers the most complete telecom product portfolio, covering mobile, broadband, core network, transmission network, data communication, value-added services, terminals and services.(3) Huaweis corporate culture is a kind of wolf culture. The CEO of Huawei who called Zhengfei Ren has been promoting the wolf culture in the early years. sharp, aggressive, selfless teamwork are the true meaning of the wolf culture. Zhengfei Ren ueses the militarization way to management companies such as powerful labor intensity, strict management system, and ruthless survival of the fittest. 1.2.2 Price of Huawei According to different market, companies develop different pricing strategies, product pricing is based on corporate brand strategy, focusing on the brands gold content. The Price means products pricing, discounts, financing, financial leasing, limited supply. The cost advantage of Chinese companies will continue to increase, because China has a lot of cheap labor. Under the premise of increasingly popular telecommunications products, the price factor is becoming more and more important to the operators. Huawei has not been satisfied with the low-price products profits, and Huawei want to get high profits from its brand. 1.2.3 Place of Huawei Company does not directly to consumers, and it focuses on the cultivation of distributors and sales networking, enterprise and consumers. In a precise location and in a exact time, providing an accurate number of products and services.is very important to a company. Now the changing commercial environment also has an impact on the Place. The place includes location, logistics, market coverage, the Internet, mobile phones and so on. Huaweis Place can be divided into two kinds. The first channel is the sellers channels, such as in a number of target markets, set up an office directly for product sales. The second channel is a joint venture, such as joint venture with 3Com in China and Japan market, Huawei brand export products; while the Sino-Japanese outside the market, through the 3Com brand and channel marketing. Huawei uses joint venture to build the brand channel. 1.2.4 Promotion of Huawei Companies utilize promotions to stimulate consumption growth, or to attract other brands consumers, or promotion of early consumption. All these promotions are used to promote consumption growth. Promotion includes advertising, public relations, news, marketing, media, budget. Huaweis promotions also include advertising. In the international market, Huawei has been employed a veteran British advertising company to guide its release strategy for advertising the various stages of development. Huawei active attend many exhibits, and it help Huawei be well-known. Lower price than the rival bid is also an important way of promotion, 1.3 The uncontrollable variables of Huawei and effect The marketing environment is uncontrollable, and it can be divided into the microenvironment and the macroenvironment. All environments have good or bad effects to a company. 1.3.1 The microenvironment of Huawei and its effect Microenvironment is closely linked with the company itself, which includes the internal environment, marketing channel firms, different types of markets, customers, competitors and publics. The internal environment: The internal environment consists mainly of staff, funds, equipment, raw materials, market. Most Huaweis high-quality employees are highly educated. Theyre very care about to realize theirs value. Because they are highly educated employees with professional knowledge and ability, they can easily understand the customers actual ideas and know how to improve products. Through continuous improvement of products, companies can win more customers and profits. The marketing channel firms: The marketing channel firms contain suppliers, agents, marketing services agencies, banks. Huaweis marketing channel firms are constructed with sales, service partner, training partners and customers. It is a complete system. This distribution system includes first-class high-level distributors, as well as the subordinate regional agents, advanced authentication agents, the industry integrators, an agent, regional distributors, which are intended to provide customers with integrated solutions. There is no absolute affiliation among all the channel firms, and all the channel firms enjoy the same preferential policies. All the agents are relying on the products with Huaweis brand, performance, service, a comparable level of interest. Huawei has also announced the formal introduction of targeted agents sales staff sunshine mileage club recognition program, the program with Huawei in the channels of promotion of the implementation of an incentive mechanism, Huawei announced that all sales agents can participate in the club and become a club member. The sales staff sales to go through them to Huaweis statistical summary of reported orders to score points. According to the number of points, members may be from the basic member to silver members, and even be gold membership. Huawei based on their performance carry out a variety of different levels of reward. Since implementation of 2002 Sunshine business plan, Huawei partners received recognition and support of sales channels, has made great progress and future market development. Through these ways, Huaweis products are well-known. They are good for Huaweis products and promotion. The types of market: Market is divided by the purchaser and the purchase of market segmentation purposes, including: consumer markets, producers market, brokers market, government and international markets. Huaweis main objective is in the international market. New products to enter the international market, generally there are two kinds of methods: one is the first access to developed country markets, the latter access to developing country markets; the other is the first access to developing markets, then access to developed countries. Huawei is the adoption of the second way. Huawei first entered the Hong Kong market, and then into Russia, and South American markets. Huawei actively participated in the activities of major infrastructure projects, bidding for its high-quality products, low prices to win consecutive national large-scale Projects. The continuous development and changes in the market prompted the continuing reform of Huaweis products and innovation. The competitors: Company marketing activities are often surrounded by various competitors, and constraints, therefore, companies must identify the variety of competitors, and take different competitive responses. The changes of competitors marketing strategy and marketing activities the changes directly affect the corporate marketing. The most obvious is the competitors product price, advertising, promotions, changes, and product development, sales and service. Huaweis competitive environment is very cruel, and it makes Huawei continually improve its product. In addition, Huawei also pays attention to advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations. The main ways are: meet with key customers, all-round contact with clients, to establish and develop with the host countrys telecoms regulator contact, to discover and develop a strong local agent or partner, to participate in various exhibitions and telecommunications forum for professional, technical exchanges with customers The publics: The publics refer to the ability of companies achieve their marketing objectives with actual or potential interest and influence of groups or individuals. It is very important to a company to do well with the public. Huaweis do a very good job with the public, establish a good brand 1.3.2 The macroenvironment and its effect Macroenvironment effects microenvironment with great social forces. It includes political, economic, social and technological. In many books, it is called PEST or STEP. The political environment and its effect: Political environment is the condition of the external political situation and national guidelines and policies in an enterprise marketing activities. Huaweis products are sold in more than 100 countries of the world. Different countries have different continental law, and they include common law, the specific laws, especially laws and regulations involved in international marketing vary widely. This makes Huawei to understand and adapt to different political environment. The political and economic close link together, and more and more countries competition has been reflected in the economic competition. Huawei cannot develop the international market without the way of political. In the early period of internationalization, Huawei complies with an unwritten rule: it is based on Chinas diplomacy direction. Huawei set up offices of the principle that countries have diplomatic relations with China. The CEO of Huawei called Ren Zhengfei explicitly mentioned: Chinas foreign policy is successful in the world, it get more friends in the world. Huaweis marketing is following with Chinas diplomatic, I believe we will be successful The economic environment and its effect: Economic environment means socio-economic conditions, the operational status and trends of economy in a companys marketing activities. Economic environment analyzes the changes in consumer income, consumer spending patterns, consumer savings and credit conditions and other factors change. The financial crisis in 2009, under the pressure and thrust, whether Europe and the United States markets can be successful in this year is more important than sales of 30 billion U.S. dollars. Huawei put their business focus on the European and American markets, and it got great success. In the august of 2009, Huawei became one equipment supplier of the worlds biggest WiMax operator Clearwire in US, and Huawei became the main supplier. The social and cultural environment and its effect: Different countries and different areas have different social and cultural environment. So a new product get into a new market, the company must understand the customers cultural and hobbies. Huaweis staff before they going abroad must receive relevant training to understand the social and cultural in the training sector, such as the differences between cultures and related products and others. But another culture, values, religion and lifestyle is not suited to them. They meet many of the problems in another country. The first one is that local people do not know much of china. A huge different cultural gap between the country and china make the local people do not understand and trust Huaweis product. This lack of understanding between cultures enables local coustomer even do not believe that China has capable of producing communications equipment. Through a variety of communication, foreign customers eliminate the misunderstanding of China. Similarly, respecting foreign cultures is also very important to win local customers. Huaweis set up Islamic prayer room for Arab customer, and get respect from Arab. The technological environment and its effect: Science and technology are primary productive forces. Each of the new technology would give some businesses to create new market opportunities, which will produce new industries, and at the same time, it also makes old industries to be affected or even be eliminated. Advanced technology is the most important basis in the communications market. Huawei has invested heavily in technology and the benefit is obvious increased. Huawei pay a lot money on researching and developing in the early period. Even in the difficult period, more than 10% of Huaweis sales revenue were used on the R D investment. Huawei employs about 30,000 worldwide, of which 48% of employees engaged in R D annual patent applications, and its break through 1000, and become the most patents company of China. Because of the thousands of patents, Huawei have ability to bargain with the worlds premier suppliers, and build laboratory to develop the most advanced products together. Huaweis technical strategy is trying their best to meet the customers needs. Through new technology, increasing R D investment in new technology, Huawei can get more market share. Part 2 2.1 The rule and introduction of the marketing game The marketing game can help us understand the market, our competitors. All the students are divided into 4 groups. Each group is a software company. All the companies make the same product which is word processing software. The potential customers can be divided into six main segments. The six segments are the modern students, the home scribblers, the harried typists, the professional writers, the high-tech managers and the concerned parents. Different segments have different requirements of the software. The market is growing every year, but some segments are growing faster than others. We also need to make advertising and make our product to meet customers needs.. Each company has a basic word processing software, and the NO. of special is 8, the error protection is 3, the Ease of learning is 3. We can pay money on modifying our product. All the firms have two channels of distribution to reach customers. The middlemen in channel 1 serve customers with a limited line of computers and computer software. The middlemen in channel 2 offer more limited service and handle larger assortments of products, they also offer lower prices. All the firms have three ways to make promotion: Personal selling, advertising and sales promotions. About advertising, there are five ways: pioneering- primary demand, direct competitive- own brand now, indirect competitive- own brand future, reminder-reinforces familiar brand and corporate. Each firm has 700,000$ as its budget. The main cost include: Product Modification, Unit Production Cost, Sales Force salary severance, Advertising, Sales Promotion, Marketing Research Reports and Interest on Loan from Bank. All the firms have four years to compete with each other. (6) 2.2 The firm of Fourstars 2.2.1 Our idea and brand First, we should think about our target market, and which segment to sale our product. We think we need to try our best to meet more and more customers needs. The other firms may choose one target market, but we can develop one mixed product. We can get more market share. The six segments can be divided into two main parts: The first part is Student, Home and parents. These three segments require the word processing software easier, and they do not need too many functions. The channels of the three segments are quite similar. The advantage is we do not need to spend much money on modifying our product, and the risk of our product is lower. The disadvantage is the price of these three segments is much lower. We cannot sure to get much profit. The second part is Typists, Writers and managers. These three segments require the word processing software more professional. They need more functions. The channels of these three segments are also quite similar. The advantage to get into these markets is the price of the product is very high, we may get more profit. The disadvantage is that we need to pay a lot of money on modifying our product, we have high risk. Finally, we decided to design a easier product, and chose the first part. We also think many brands about our product, such as fortunate stars, stars and fourstars. We choose fourstars to be our brand, because we are the fourth firms, and we want to be the sale star. 2.2.2 The four years of Fourstars The first year: We develop our new product, the new product have 10 special commands, 5 error protections and 8 functions in ease of learning. The retail price in channel 1 is $156.40 and in channel is $129.90. We also do marketing research and advertising. The channel 2 is more important to our product. We pay less money on modifying our product. We believe we will be successful. All the members of our firms are very excited. We all wait for the result. But we fall in the first year. We make a big mistake, because we product too less product, we forget to ask the output. We also lose the marketing share. We have a cold winter, but we do not lose belief. The finally winner is the true winner. The second year: The first year, we are loser. We must find the reason and the disadvantage of our product. First, we modify our product. We modify the special commands to 11, and the function of error protecting to 4. We compare our product with other firms, and we find that our product is really very perfect. We believe that we can get more marketing share, and more profit this year. The price of our product in channel 1 is $168.50, and in channel 2 is $147.84. When we get the result of the second, we still lose in the second year, but we fell very strange. The unit sale of our product is the highest of 4 firms. We have the highest sale in 3 segments. Why we lose? The teacher say something to us, we need to get more profit from our product. How to get more profit is the main thing we need to do in the next year. The third year: One year past, though we lose, we get the belief. We believe our product is perfect, and we do nothing about modifying. The only thing we should do is how to get more profit. We increase our price, and the price in channel 1 is $239.67, and in channel 2 is $205.65. We do not increase our price too much, because we are afraid of losing customers. We have 3 years experience, and we are very comfortable. We have prefect product and highest marketing share. Of course, we can be successful. The result is we lose again, but this year we are profitable. The unit sale of our product is still the highest, and we are the largest supplier in 4 segments. Because one of the firm called Micro Twos product is suit for Students. Our customers are Home, Typists, Writer and parents. We need to make changes of our product. We still make a big mistake: we give too much commission. We also need more middlemen The fourth year: This is the last year, and it is the last chance. According to our customers, we develop a new product. Our new product has 12 in special commands, 5 in error protection and 8 functions of easy of learning. We hire more middlemen and we also increase the price of our new product. We are not foolish again, we reduce the commissions.. We think about every detail. Finally, in the last year, we get the most profit of all the firms. All the workers of our firm fell very happy. We learn a lot from the marketing game. We know how to get profit. Though we make many mistakes, I think we cannot make the mistake twice. 2.3 The learning points of the marketing game According to the marketing game, all the group members learn a lot. Here are 3 main learning points of the marketing game. 2.3.1 Proper product to target market Companies need to choose its target marketing and groups of consumers. Then they can produce the proper product. The product of a company is limited, but the customers demands are unlimited. Therefore, companies only choose less market to be their target market. Monopolistic market can help company to get more profit. The 3IZNESS product is made for Managers, though the price of their product is very high, they do not have competitors, they sale very well. The famous marketing master Philip Kotler said: the target market is the part of the qualified available market (those with the interest, income, access, and qualifications for a particular offer) that the company decides to pursue.(5 by Philip Kotler) Customers are the god to the companies. Companies should have the proper, so that they can have their customers. We change our product for 3 times, the purpose of these changes is to meet the customers need. The target market is very important to a company. You have the target, then you can produce proper product. 2.3.2 The importance of Marketing research Doing marketing research is very important to a company. Marketing research can help the company make right marketing decisions. Through market research, we can find a number of new market opportunities and may develop new products to meet customers needs. We can get information about our product in the market share, we also can know much about our competitors. All these information can help the company develop new product and change market stratagem. During the marketing game, we all do well in marketing research. In the third year, our company find that the Micro Twos product is quite similar with our product, and its price is lower than us. In the fourth year, we change our product immediately. That is one main reason we can win in the last year. 2.3.3 Profit is the first The aim of a company is get more profit from the market. A company is successful or not, the sole criterion is the profit. In the marketing game, the first year and the second year, we do not get any profit in the market. It causes we have less budget in the next year. We cannot expand more market. We also learn how to gain more profit from the marketing game. Profit is an important factor for the development of the company. Conclusion Strategic marketing is the module which I studied in the university of warwick. Thank you for giving us great lectures and a interesting marketing game. I learned a lot from this module. I still remembered that the tutor of Caroline Bitch ask us questions every morning. It help me to remember what is marking, the marketing mix and so on. All the teachers can make the strategic marketing more lively and easy to understand. Reference http://www.huawei.com/corporate_information.do http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/mix/ http://www.huawei.com/products_services.do http://wiki.mbalib.com/wiki/%E5%B8%82%E5%9C%BA%E8%90%A5%E9%94%80%E7%8E%AF%E5%A2%83 by Philip Kotler The marketing game

The History of Linux Essays -- essays research papers

It all began in 1991, during the time of monumental computing development. DOS had been bought from a Seattle hacker by Bill Gates, for a sum of $50,000 – a small price for an operating system that had managed sneak its way across the globe due to a clever marketing strategy. Apple’s OS and UNIX were both available, though the cost of running either was far greater than that of running DOS. Enter MINIX, an operating system developed from the ground up by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, a college professor. MINIX was part of a lesson plan used to teach students the inner-workings of an operating system. Tanenbaum had written a book on MINIX called â€Å"Operating System† and anyone who had picked up a copy would find the 12,000 lines of code that comprised MINIX itself. This was a big issue; due to the fact that all know (well published) operating systems to that point had been well guarded by software developers, thus making it difficult for people to truly expand on opera ting system mechanics. Then came Linus Benedict Torvalds. At the time he was a sophomore majoring in Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, his hobby also included computer programming. At 21 he found himself spending most of his time toying with computer systems, trying to see what he could do in order to push their limits and increase their functionality. The key missing in his tests was an operating system that had the flexibility craved for by professionals. MINIX was available, though it was still just a stu...

Birth Control in China: the One Child Policy

Population Control In China â€Å" There are many ways to make the death rate increase† (Robert McNamara). The regulation of population via forced abortions, forced sterilizations, infanticide, and government programs does not only hurt the economy, but continuously damages it to a point of weakness and downfall. Population control in China has been hurting the Chinese people and destroying the Chinese economy for a span of 65 years, and continues to cause conflict even today. The one-child policy that exists within China’s communist government has and will continue to devastate the Chinese economy if forced sterilizations and abortions continue.Population control in China has been prevalent in the Chinese economy ever since the communists took over china in 1949. When Mao Zedong took over as the dictator of China in the 1950’s, he proposed what he called â€Å"The Great Leap Forward† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). This giant movement encouraged the peoples of China â€Å"to have as many kids as possible in order to prove China’s greatness as the world’s most populous country† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). Due to a major increase in China’s population, â€Å"famine and disease† became a major concern for the Chinese government (â€Å"China† 1).The â€Å"Wan Xi Shao† Program was introduced as a way to regulate China’s population by â€Å"promoting later marriages, longer intervals between births, and fewer children† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 1). â€Å"Deng Xiaoping† proposed the â€Å"wan Xi Shao† program in 1978 when he came to power; however, it was not passed until 1979 (â€Å"China† 2). The Wan Xi Shao program eventually evolved into the one-child policy which Encouraged and promoted the same ideals as the Wan Xi Shao program, but provided government funds to those Chinese families that followed th e policies (Friedman 5).With no â€Å"birth-control policy before the communists took over China in 1949, the fertility rate was 3. 7% per year†; As of a census in 2002, â€Å"the annual fertility rate in china has been reduced to 1. 2%† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 4,5). Chinese families are currently being pressured into having only one child by the communist government and the policies held by the government in China. The one-child policy was â€Å"designed to curb the overpopulation from the 1950’s-1980’s by limiting families to having only one child† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1).The One-child policy is mostly encouraged on â€Å"a local level† instead of a federal level (â€Å"China† 4). For each extra child, or â€Å"surplus† child, the family is required to pay fines and financial penalties. Also, these â€Å"surplus† children are ineligible for â€Å"extra bonuses and special programsâ €  funded by the Chinese government (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 4). In many rural parts of china, where the policy is less enforced, a family who has a first born female child may be allowed to have a second child â€Å"without being subjected to fees† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 5).This is because of the country’s traditional preference for boys; boys will regularly carry on the family name and care for their elderly parents. This is an example of the policy being enforced less federally and more locally where families can be accounted for. Also, in order to â€Å"promote ethnic minorities†, non-Han/Chinese families are encouraged to have more than one child without being subjected to any fees (â€Å"China† 6). However, even with these birth control policies in effect, â€Å"China’s population still ranks first in the world with 1,306,313,812 residents as of 2006† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 6).At this rate, â€Å"the number of people living in china is predicted to be as high as 1. 5 billion in 2025† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 7). If population regulation policies continue to be in effect in China, a massive gender imbalance may occur within the population of China. The Han, or Chinese culture’s, â€Å"traditional preference for boys† has led to many acquisitions of â€Å"female infanticide and abandonment† (Friedman 2). This means that because of the Han’s traditional preference boys, they have participated in killing off their female children.This may result in a large gender imbalance and may prove â€Å"disastrous to Chinese society in the future† (â€Å"One-child Policy†3). This imbalance within the Chinese population will eventually create a â€Å"shortage of women and leave some men unable to marry and reproduce† (Friedman 1). When these men will not be able to reproduce, a steady rise in â€Å"the il legal trafficking of women for marriage and prostitution† will occur in order to satisfy their needs (â€Å"One-child Policy† 13). Along with the rise in prostitution and trafficking of women, an increase in â€Å"the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases† will be imminent (Friedman 4).There are not many solutions to this particular problem and all of these solutions are delicate topics to discuss. The controversy on human rights in china is not likely to go away as long as it is argued in terms of â€Å"freedom vs. stability† (Shanor 2). As long as we are arguing for the people’s freedom of choice against the stability of a communist nation, a debate will never be won. Change may only come to china as it continues â€Å"to modernize and begins to see the extension of the rule of law not as a threat but as an advantage to its development† (Shanor 2).Winning this debate on human rights means â€Å"understanding that too much p ublic pressure of human rights† will only worsen the matter (Shanor 1). Only quite and gentle pressure could help such a change. The one-child policy is destroying the Chinese economy and social life within the Chinese government. The one-child policy has been in place for over 50 years and if it continues to prosper then life in china will not. Life in china will only head in a downward spiral. Population control must be terminated or it will continue to wreck and hurt the world’s economy. Birth Control in China: the One Child Policy Population Control In China â€Å" There are many ways to make the death rate increase† (Robert McNamara). The regulation of population via forced abortions, forced sterilizations, infanticide, and government programs does not only hurt the economy, but continuously damages it to a point of weakness and downfall. Population control in China has been hurting the Chinese people and destroying the Chinese economy for a span of 65 years, and continues to cause conflict even today. The one-child policy that exists within China’s communist government has and will continue to devastate the Chinese economy if forced sterilizations and abortions continue.Population control in China has been prevalent in the Chinese economy ever since the communists took over china in 1949. When Mao Zedong took over as the dictator of China in the 1950’s, he proposed what he called â€Å"The Great Leap Forward† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). This giant movement encouraged the peoples of China â€Å"to have as many kids as possible in order to prove China’s greatness as the world’s most populous country† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). Due to a major increase in China’s population, â€Å"famine and disease† became a major concern for the Chinese government (â€Å"China† 1).The â€Å"Wan Xi Shao† Program was introduced as a way to regulate China’s population by â€Å"promoting later marriages, longer intervals between births, and fewer children† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 1). â€Å"Deng Xiaoping† proposed the â€Å"wan Xi Shao† program in 1978 when he came to power; however, it was not passed until 1979 (â€Å"China† 2). The Wan Xi Shao program eventually evolved into the one-child policy which Encouraged and promoted the same ideals as the Wan Xi Shao program, but provided government funds to those Chinese families that followed th e policies (Friedman 5).With no â€Å"birth-control policy before the communists took over China in 1949, the fertility rate was 3. 7% per year†; As of a census in 2002, â€Å"the annual fertility rate in china has been reduced to 1. 2%† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 4,5). Chinese families are currently being pressured into having only one child by the communist government and the policies held by the government in China. The one-child policy was â€Å"designed to curb the overpopulation from the 1950’s-1980’s by limiting families to having only one child† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1).The One-child policy is mostly encouraged on â€Å"a local level† instead of a federal level (â€Å"China† 4). For each extra child, or â€Å"surplus† child, the family is required to pay fines and financial penalties. Also, these â€Å"surplus† children are ineligible for â€Å"extra bonuses and special programsâ €  funded by the Chinese government (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 4). In many rural parts of china, where the policy is less enforced, a family who has a first born female child may be allowed to have a second child â€Å"without being subjected to fees† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 5).This is because of the country’s traditional preference for boys; boys will regularly carry on the family name and care for their elderly parents. This is an example of the policy being enforced less federally and more locally where families can be accounted for. Also, in order to â€Å"promote ethnic minorities†, non-Han/Chinese families are encouraged to have more than one child without being subjected to any fees (â€Å"China† 6). However, even with these birth control policies in effect, â€Å"China’s population still ranks first in the world with 1,306,313,812 residents as of 2006† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 6).At this rate, â€Å"the number of people living in china is predicted to be as high as 1. 5 billion in 2025† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 7). If population regulation policies continue to be in effect in China, a massive gender imbalance may occur within the population of China. The Han, or Chinese culture’s, â€Å"traditional preference for boys† has led to many acquisitions of â€Å"female infanticide and abandonment† (Friedman 2). This means that because of the Han’s traditional preference boys, they have participated in killing off their female children.This may result in a large gender imbalance and may prove â€Å"disastrous to Chinese society in the future† (â€Å"One-child Policy†3). This imbalance within the Chinese population will eventually create a â€Å"shortage of women and leave some men unable to marry and reproduce† (Friedman 1). When these men will not be able to reproduce, a steady rise in â€Å"the il legal trafficking of women for marriage and prostitution† will occur in order to satisfy their needs (â€Å"One-child Policy† 13). Along with the rise in prostitution and trafficking of women, an increase in â€Å"the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases† will be imminent (Friedman 4).There are not many solutions to this particular problem and all of these solutions are delicate topics to discuss. The controversy on human rights in china is not likely to go away as long as it is argued in terms of â€Å"freedom vs. stability† (Shanor 2). As long as we are arguing for the people’s freedom of choice against the stability of a communist nation, a debate will never be won. Change may only come to china as it continues â€Å"to modernize and begins to see the extension of the rule of law not as a threat but as an advantage to its development† (Shanor 2).Winning this debate on human rights means â€Å"understanding that too much p ublic pressure of human rights† will only worsen the matter (Shanor 1). Only quite and gentle pressure could help such a change. The one-child policy is destroying the Chinese economy and social life within the Chinese government. The one-child policy has been in place for over 50 years and if it continues to prosper then life in china will not. Life in china will only head in a downward spiral. Population control must be terminated or it will continue to wreck and hurt the world’s economy.

Four Tough-Love, Common Sense Rules in Freelancing

Four Tough-Love, Common Sense Rules in Freelancing When a new writer asks me how to start making money freelancing, they usually ask What are the rules? You can buy many books and take classes on freelancing, but there are some pieces of advice that are pure common sense. 1) Do not pitch pieces until you already write well.   You dont start writing 2) Know that market well.   Sounds almost like a cliche, but believe it or not, most of the queries I receive have nothing to do with FundsforWriters. Same goes for most blogs, magazines, and periodicals. Many writers sling articles out hoping they fit somewhere. Editors get more than enough good articles to select from without sorting through those that dont. And yes, word count matters. Pitch smart and accurately. Clean and intelligently. 3) Do not ask for the guidelines. Editors do not have time to teach you how to write for them. Its your job to read the publication, hunt for guidelines, and pitch correctly. When you write and ask what an editor needs and how they want it, expect rejection. The exception to this rule is if you are well-established as a freelancer, can tout a serious string of credentials with superb publications, and want to write a letter of introduction instead. 4) Do not argue with the editor. Arguing with an editor is asking for rejection. They dont have time for that. They also know better than you what best fits the publication. Tough love indeed. A newbie or hob

Learn how to get only As for your paper!

Learn how to get only As for your paper! How to End Failing Grades in Paper Writing Failing grades on papers in college is a GPA â€Å"killer.† When a major research paper can be fully one-third of a course grade, it is easy to understand that no one ever wants a â€Å"D† or â€Å"F† on one of them. And yet those grades are quite common, when students submit writing paper assignments that are just not up to the standards that college-level work demands. If you are the recipient of some of these kinds of grades, you know you have to something to fix the issues you have. But you can’t fix those issues unless you first identify them. So, here are common causes of poor writing grades, and if you can identify yours, you’ve made the first step toward grade recovery. Course overload: Some students are just too ambitious and enroll in either too many courses or in too many really challenging courses. And many students have part-time jobs that they must keep due to their financial situations. Take a long hard look at the courses you are currently in. If it is early in the semester, you might want to consider dropping ones in which you are struggling and picking up a â€Å"fluff† course to keep your credit load the same. This will naturally give you more time to spend on the essay and paper writing for the remaining courses. Time Management/Procrastination: If you are not organizing your time efficiently, you will always end up trying to get those essays and papers completed at the last minute. This is a â€Å"death knell,† because you will never do a good job when rushed. And if you are the type of person who is continually putting things off and choosing social time instead, you will always have your â€Å"back up against the wall† when you finally do have to get a paper in. Students who get consistently good grades on writing assignments schedule time for them in advance and stick to a schedule of daily assignments, time for work on longer-term essays and papers, down-time to just chill, job, and other co-curricular and social activities. If you manage yourself well, you will have time for all of these things. Lack of Motivation: If you are forced to take a course in which you have no interest, do not feel alone. Every college student faces this issue, and it is really hard to get motivated to write an essay or a paper on a topic you really dis-like. There is no cure for this, but you will have to force yourself to put together a credible piece of writing anyway. One thing you can do is get online and read sample essays and/or papers on the topic, and these will give you some good ideas for development and perhaps some current resource materials that you can use. A word of caution: all of your professors have plagairism-detection software at their disposal, and, in fact, a number of colleges now require that a student submit a TurnItIn report with their essays and papers. Don’t try to â€Å"game the system!† Organizing Information/Data from Several Sources: Writing a paper that will earn a good grade means that information and data is presented in an organized fashion. When several sources are used, synthesizing that content can be a challenge, especially when you have to be very careful about the specific source of each piece. If you struggle with combining the results of research into logical sub-topics, you need an organizing system. In high school, you probably used note cards, and that works for many students. If it doesn’t work for you, try listing each sub-topic at the top of a page and then enter information that pertains to that sub-topic (with the source and page number of course) all on two or three pages. You can then print those page out, lay them before you, and have a complete picture of the information you have on a sub-topic. Combining similar pieces of data from different sources is then an easy task. English writing skills: If you do not have proficient composition skills, you probably already know it. Even though a paper may be for a history class, lack of good writing automatically lowers a grade. Professors are, after all, human, and they get frustrated when they have to read anything that is poorly written – they cannot focus on your content, no matter how good it is. You must get help if this is your issue, and here are your options: First, commit to remediating your skills through an online course or a tutor. This will take time but eventually pays off. Make use of the writing lab on your campus – it’s free, and there are good writers there to help you. Write your rough draft and have a friend who is a good writer review and edit it for you. Get a writing style app that will find your major errors and give you solution suggestions. Contact a custom paper writing company and get original custom writing of your essays and papers. The additional â€Å"plus† of this option is that you can study the pieces as you work to improve your own skills.

Architecture and Burials in the Maya and Aztec essays

Architecture and Burials in the Maya and Aztec essays Plundering and carnage were the overlying results of the Spanish conquest of MesoAmerica beginning in 1519. The ensuing years brought many new "visitors," mostly laymen or officials in search of wealth, though the Christianity toting priest was ever present. Occasionally a man from any of these classes, though mainly priests would be so in awe of the civilization they were single handedly massacring that they began to observe and document things such as everyday life, religious rituals, economic goings on, and architecture, which was the biggest achievement in the eyes of the Spaniards. That is how the accounts of Friar Diego de Landa, a priest, were created, giving us rare first per-son historical accounts of the conquest and the people it effected. To archaeologists monumental architecture is more important than an inscribed stelae listing names and dates. There is so much more to learn from a building than a slab of stone usually seething with propaganda. In most societies they are what remains after conquest, usually for their beauty or ability to withstand the elements. Landa was amazed by what he found. "There are in Yucatan many edifices of great beauty, this be-ing the most outstanding of all things discovered in the Indies; they are all build of stone finely ornamented..." (Landa, 8). If it were a commoners domestic dwelling we would learn through the study of remaining artifacts and middens what objects were used on a daily basis and also the standard of living, helping us to construct an accurate view of the long neglected commoner. According to Landa steepled roofs covered with thatch or palm leaves protected the habitat from rain. Homes were often divided into two sections, a living section, customarily whit ewashed, and a domestic area where food was prepared and inhabitants slept (Landa, 32). In Aztec societies commoners often lived in calpolli, a residential area segregated by occupation, usually surrounde...

The role of phonological awareness and memory in second language Essay

The role of phonological awareness and memory in second language - Essay Example The nature of cognitive constructs has not been a simple topic either in the field of applied linguistics, or in the pedagogy field of studies; nonetheless, a number of researches have shown that the levels of awareness and working memory were important in learning L2 as well as in first language (L1). The specific goals of this paper are to review the previous findings on these topics and to explore empirically crucial facts about them. To provide an accurate definition of "fluency" has not been an easy task for SLA researchers. Theoretically, there are two approaches in defining "fluency": in a broader sense, fluency is a global oral proficiency, and in a narrower sense, fluency is considered as the component of oral proficiency that is purely a performance phenomenon (Lennon, 2000). In line with this, Kormos and Denes (2004) argued in their study of perception of fluency that there are high-order fluency, which can be equated with proficiency, and low-order fluency, which is represented by temporal aspects of fluency. The current research takes the narrower perspective (i.e. low-order fluency), following Lennon's definition of fluency (2000: 26): "rapid, smooth, accurate, lucid and efficient translation of thought or communicative intention into language under the temporal constraints of online processing." In short, this is the capacity to use language in real time. Kormos and Denes (2004) proposed that fluency may not only be a temporal phenomenon: for some people, conceptualization of fluency might include grammatical precision and lexical diversity. This finding highlights the fact that fluency is often discussed with the context of its complexity and accuracy. These three aspects of language presentation have been used to describe language learners' performance for the oral/written assessment and also to indicate their proficiency underlying their interpretation. Researchers have claimed that fluency, complexity and correctness are in competition with one another for attention resources (Ellis & Barkhuizen, 2005; Skehan, 1996). In other words, it is unlikely that a learner can achieve fluency, complexity and accuracy simultaneously since his/her attention and memory capabilities are limited. For instance, in a study that compared fluency, complexity and accuracy, Skehan (1998) discussed that fluency is associated with meaning-based communica tion, which in turn is associated with lexicalization. Therefore, a learner's performance may be over-lexicalized if fluency is consistently prioritized. Skehan and Foster analyzed the influence of task structure and processing load on narrative performance and found that fluency has increased when the assignment performance was meaning-oriented: for example, when 1) tasks were on personal matters (1997), and 2) tasks contained comprehensible, inherent, sequential structure (1999). In addition, the set of fluency measures generated no significant correlations between the proportions of form complexity and accuracy. In the field of SLA, the establishment of the appropriate standards of fluency has been a major concern.

Design Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Design Thinking - Essay Example Design thinking most commonly occurs in the artificial or built environments. It occurs in artefacts. Design thinking differs with the analytical, scientific methods of solving problems. In essence, the analytical, scientific methods start with a thorough definition of the parameters surrounding a problem in the process of creating a solution to that particular problem. On the contrary, design thinking investigates and identifies with both ambiguous and known aspects of the current problem to discover the hidden parameters and open up alternative courses that may lead to the goal. Design thinking is iterative in that; the intermediate solutions can form potential starting points for the alternative paths. Such intermediate solutions could include redefining the initial problem. Design thinking can be contemplated as a process for problem solving. Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking as a process includes the build-up of ideas with no or few limits on the scope of its brainstorming phase (Ingle, 2013). The nature of the brainstorming phase helps to encourage participation and input from a wide variety of sources and reduces the fear associated with failure in the participants in the ideation phase. The goal of the brainstorming phase in design thinking has been likened with the phrase ‘thinking outside the box’. The approach is a significant contribution at the brainstorming stage since it can help in the discovery of hidden ambiguities and elements of the situation and subsequently identify the faulty potential assumptions. There are several versions of design thinking. However, a commonly used version has seven phases. These are definition, research, ideation, prototyping, choosing, implementation and learning. It is within these seven steps that problems are framed, the right questions are asked, ideas created and the selection of the most satisfactory answers done. The seven phases of design thinking are not linearly

Comparison of the counter-terrorism strategy and policy of Northern Essay

Comparison of the counter-terrorism strategy and policy of Northern Ireland (IRA) and Spain (ETA). What does the comparison tell us about counter-terrorism - Essay Example This paper’s focus will be on the two nation states of Spain and Northern Ireland. Both nations faced turbulent times, due to the presence of terrorist organizations i.e. the IRA of Northern Ireland and Spain’s ETA and their associated activities. They engaged in different strategic responses, which proved to being successful in some cases and unsuccessful in others. The paper will dwell on how these two nations tackled existing threats, providing a comparison between strategies utilized, in addition to the prevailing socio-economic and political contexts. Similarities and differences will thus be discussed, aiming at providing a wholesome picture of what counter-terrorism entails. Terrorism as an activity, despite the aims, goals, mission and ideals behind it, has not legal basis in contemporary society. Under international law, as Mackinnon (2007) portrays, terrorism has no definition in terms of criminal law that is legally binding. Instead, common definitions are usually in reference mainly to the kind of acts and action, which are violent in nature; and intended to create mass fear/ terror (Mackinnon, 2007:609). Usually, these are perpetrated in the name of political, ideological and religious goals amongst others; deliberately targeting non-combatants with disregard. In addition, acts of war and unlawful violence have also been included, in addition to the violent nature of criminal organizations (Mackinnon, 2007:612). To be noted is that other criminal activities, especially by organized crime syndicates, only turns into terrorism when there is a political, ideological or religious motive. In addition is that there is also need to divert from focus on terrorism’s frequent association with religious overtones i.e. jihadism, to more somber analysis of all violent acts perpetrated against non-combatants. ‘Terrorism’ as a term, is not only emotionally charged, but also politically loaded. This is

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing plan - Essay Example With the introduction of smart phones in the market, Nokia continues to take the lead, taking about 56.4% share of the 70.9 million units shipped in Europe in 2006. Nokia sold 40 million smart phones in 2006, reaffirming the fact that the success of the brand remains unscathed (Nokia leading phone market 2007). In fact, it has taken the brand to another level by making its phones highly competitive with the introduction of the Nokia N Series, a collection of smart phones that cater mainly to consumers who have requirements for a full-featured mobile phone with personal computer-like functionalities. These smart phones offer complete phone functionalities while alternately serving as personal data assistants. This â€Å"elite† group of high-end phones has created a stir in the market that the units instantly grew in popularity within a few months after being launched early 2005. The launch of the Nokia N series in 2005 created such a huge impact that sales of these products increased significantly since its launch. As of 2006, Nokia is recognized to be the worlds’ leader in smart phones sales, contributing to 42% market share (Smart phone sales are soaring 2006). This just goes to prove that Nokia has maintained its good relationship with the market as it has continuously managed to cater to the consumers’ needs despite the existence of other Personal Data Assistant (PDA) brands such as Palm and OS, and the emergence of new ones. Nokia is still the top choice in the UK market when it comes to smart phones. Its 3G (third generation) phones continue to fly with its up-to-date features. However, with the emergence of other brands that are determined to give Nokia fierce competition brand-wise, it is a challenge for this company to come up with even more effective ways to hold the market’s attention and sustain its stature in the market.

The Emergence of Trust and Power within a Business Network Essay

The Emergence of Trust and Power within a Business Network - Essay Example It is a critical and strategic issue which needs to be dealt very carefully, this element of trust is vital in all kinds of relationships whether it is within the business or with the external stakeholders. It is very hard to make this trust however one mistake can hurt the reputation very badly and create serious consequences for the future of the business. Power is the acquisition of assets and its control which gives dominance to a party over the other. It is to have the control and ability to influence the decision of the other party. Power has its own benefits and draws backs within a business network. Too much or less of it has its own effects. However, it has been seen that where there is trust there is less likelihood of power causing any harm to the social or business network (Group H.R., 2000). When we talk about the long-term success of the business then this success is dependent on the development of positive networks in the industry. Business networks are an opportunity for the owners of the business and the team of employees to improve themselves continuously. They are a collection of companies linked through agreements for business purposes who work together to get over all benefits for the members in doing so they need to make business dealings and work together and invest and divest money Thinking Made Easy, p21, 2009). A company in the business network tends to learn from one another’s mistakes and successes and based on that they derive solutions to their own problems. Apart from the business perspective networking helps in social activities and events. It leads to strong bonds and close relationships with the business partner which is good for the business in the long term (Daft, p110, 2001). The relationship must be enduring and permanent in nature.  

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Research Proposal - Essay Example The particular market will be examined as of its performance through the years in accordance with a series of data released by firms that operate in the specific sector of British economy. The methods used for the retrieval of the necessary info are the following ones: a) study of the financial reports of firms that operate in the specific market (only the most successful retailers will be examined – approximately 5 of them), b) survey of customers of British retailers (customers of retailers that are based in Oxford Street, London will be used as participants in the relevant research) and c) review of statistical data related with the performance of firms operating in the British retail industry; these statistical data can be published either by governmental organizations or by private institutions. All the above methods will be evaluated as of their effectiveness regarding the target of the research: identification of the performance of British retailers through the years. A part from the analysis of the research methods used towards the completion of the study, a series of other issues will be examined in the context of this paper at the level that the reference to the these issues is necessary because of the importance of the subject, the turbulences of the market (which can cause severe delays in the completion of the research) and the unexpected changes in the conditions under which the research is conducted. Because all the above factors can alternate the conditions of the research, they are examined trying to focus on their relevance with the successful completion of the research under evaluation. The research is based on a series of questions that should be divided into two main categories. The first category includes only the main question of the research while the second category includes the secondary questions of the project. The project’s main question is the following one: which are the trends (in terms of

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing plan - Essay Example With the introduction of smart phones in the market, Nokia continues to take the lead, taking about 56.4% share of the 70.9 million units shipped in Europe in 2006. Nokia sold 40 million smart phones in 2006, reaffirming the fact that the success of the brand remains unscathed (Nokia leading phone market 2007). In fact, it has taken the brand to another level by making its phones highly competitive with the introduction of the Nokia N Series, a collection of smart phones that cater mainly to consumers who have requirements for a full-featured mobile phone with personal computer-like functionalities. These smart phones offer complete phone functionalities while alternately serving as personal data assistants. This â€Å"elite† group of high-end phones has created a stir in the market that the units instantly grew in popularity within a few months after being launched early 2005. The launch of the Nokia N series in 2005 created such a huge impact that sales of these products increased significantly since its launch. As of 2006, Nokia is recognized to be the worlds’ leader in smart phones sales, contributing to 42% market share (Smart phone sales are soaring 2006). This just goes to prove that Nokia has maintained its good relationship with the market as it has continuously managed to cater to the consumers’ needs despite the existence of other Personal Data Assistant (PDA) brands such as Palm and OS, and the emergence of new ones. Nokia is still the top choice in the UK market when it comes to smart phones. Its 3G (third generation) phones continue to fly with its up-to-date features. However, with the emergence of other brands that are determined to give Nokia fierce competition brand-wise, it is a challenge for this company to come up with even more effective ways to hold the market’s attention and sustain its stature in the market.

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Research Proposal - Essay Example The particular market will be examined as of its performance through the years in accordance with a series of data released by firms that operate in the specific sector of British economy. The methods used for the retrieval of the necessary info are the following ones: a) study of the financial reports of firms that operate in the specific market (only the most successful retailers will be examined – approximately 5 of them), b) survey of customers of British retailers (customers of retailers that are based in Oxford Street, London will be used as participants in the relevant research) and c) review of statistical data related with the performance of firms operating in the British retail industry; these statistical data can be published either by governmental organizations or by private institutions. All the above methods will be evaluated as of their effectiveness regarding the target of the research: identification of the performance of British retailers through the years. A part from the analysis of the research methods used towards the completion of the study, a series of other issues will be examined in the context of this paper at the level that the reference to the these issues is necessary because of the importance of the subject, the turbulences of the market (which can cause severe delays in the completion of the research) and the unexpected changes in the conditions under which the research is conducted. Because all the above factors can alternate the conditions of the research, they are examined trying to focus on their relevance with the successful completion of the research under evaluation. The research is based on a series of questions that should be divided into two main categories. The first category includes only the main question of the research while the second category includes the secondary questions of the project. The project’s main question is the following one: which are the trends (in terms of

Life Easier Today Than It Was 50 Years Ago Essay Example for Free

Life Easier Today Than It Was 50 Years Ago Essay When you write a paper, you use some information that you have read in books, journals, on the Internet, etc. Your teacher might have told you, â€Å"Use your own words.† In other words, even when you use someone else’s information, you are not allowed to use the words they wrote. You have to use your own. You have to say the same thing in a different way. This is called paraphrasing. For example, if the book you are reading from says, â€Å"John Adams, who was involved in winning independence for the United States, was the second President. † You cannot write those words in your paper. You cannot even write, â€Å"John Adams, a man involved in winning independence for the United States, was its second President.† One way that you could re-write it is to say, â€Å"The second American President, John Adams, was also influential in gaining freedom for the country.† However, in spite of being told to use your own words, you might not know how to do it. There are a variety of techniques you can use. You can change the words for words of similar meaning; you can change the grammar; you can change the grammar or grammatical forms. In this reading, you will learn about ways that you can paraphrase. Methods of Paraphrasing Before you even begin to paraphrase, you need to make certain that you understand what you are reading. If you do not understand what you read, you cannot paraphrase it. There are six ways that you can change sentences to paraphrase the information. You will probably not use all of them in the same sentence, but you can use ones that are appropriate. (In each of the examples, only one change is made. This is not enough if you are actually paraphrasing.) Read about each type of change, and look at the examples. Then make that type of change in the sample sentences that follow. Changing Word Order One way you can change a sentence for paraphrasing is to change the word order. For example, you might change â€Å"Because I slept too late, I missed my first class† to â€Å"I missed my first class because I slept too late,† or â€Å"In order to pass that class, I had to study very hard† to â€Å"I had to study very hard in order to pass that class.† It is sometimes necessary to change the wording of the parts of the sentences. For example, â€Å"Terry wanted more books, but he couldn’t afford them,† can be changed to â€Å"Terry couldn’t afford more books, even though he wanted them.† 1. If you’re going to New York for Christmas, be sure to take warm clothes. __Be sure to take warm clothes, if you’re going to New York for Christmas.___________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Even though the weather was good, Joan was in a bad mood. ___Joan was in a bad mood, even though the weather was good._____________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. I had no money, so I borrowed some. __I borrowed some money, because I had none._____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Changing Parts of Speech You can also change parts of speech. If the sentence uses a noun, you can rewrite the sentence to use the verb or adjective form of the word, for example. You can change â€Å"Fifty-four men signed the Declaration of Independence† to â€Å"Fifty-four men put their signatures on the Declaration of Independence.† 1. The company needs to find a solution for this problem. __The company needs to solve this problem.______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The poor economy has been the cause of high unemployment. ___The poor economy has caused high unemployment.______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. If you eat rabbit, you will find its taste like chicken. __If you eat rabbit, you will find it tastes like chicken.______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Using Synonyms English has many synonyms words that have the same or similar meanings so another way you can paraphrase is to change one word for a synonym. For example, you could change â€Å"Movies can be divided into three categories† to â€Å"Movies can be divided into three types.† 1. The way a person dresses affects the impression that other people have. __ The way a person dresses influences the image that other people have.___ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. That phrase means â€Å"in a happy way.† ___That expression means â€Å"in a cheerful way.†_____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. There is little chance that the situation will improve. ___There is little possibility that the circumstances will get better.__________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Using Negatives or Opposite Expressions Another way to paraphrase is to change a positive expression into a negative expression, or a negative expression into a positive expression. You could change â€Å"Rather than building a traditional memorial, the city built a park† to â€Å"The city did not build a traditional memorial; instead it built a park.† 1. Shaun was disappointed, because the movie wasn’t very good. ___Shaun wasn’t satisfied, because the movie wasn’t very good.______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Japan is not a small country, compared to European countries. __Japan is a large country, compared to European countries.________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Geri wanted some candy, but there wasn’t any in the bowl. __Geri wanted some candy, but the bowl was empty.________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Combining or Separating Sentences Long sentences can be divided, and short sentences can be combined with other short sentences. You can change â€Å"Ireland is a wonderful country, which has beautiful scenery, friendly people, and an interesting history† to â€Å"Ireland is a wonderful country. It has beautiful scenery, friendly people, and an interesting history.† You can also change â€Å"Ireland is a wonderful country. It has beautiful scenery, friendly people, and an interesting history† to â€Å"Ireland, which is a wonderful country, has beautiful scenery, friendly people, and an interesting history.† 1. Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII. She is one of England’s most famous queens. __Elizabeth I, who was the daughter of Henry VIII, was one of England’s most________ __famous queens.________________________________________________________________ 2. This book is about a woman who pretended to be a man to join the army in World War II. It is one of Lynn’s favorite books. ___This book, which is one of Lynn’s favorites, is about a woman who pretended to___ ___be a man to join the army in World War II.______________________________________ 3. If you go to London, you should be sure to visit Westminster Abbey, where many of the kings and queens of England, as well as other famous people, are buried. __If you go to London, you should be sure to visit Westminster Abbey. Many kings and_ __queens of England are buried there. Other famous people are buried there, too.______ Using Different Grammar – Structure, Voice You can paraphrase by changing the grammar of a sentence, for example, but changing from active voice (â€Å"The dog bit the man†) to passive voice (â€Å"The man was bitten by the dog†) or by making other changes in the grammar. You can change â€Å"It is not unusual for June to be a rainy month here† to â€Å"June is often a rainy month here,† or â€Å"It is thought that this new plan will save money† to â€Å"Many people think that this new plan will save money.† 1. Various languages are spoken in this country. __The people of this country speak various languages._______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Frank studied French, and, as a result, he translated for our visitors from France. __Frank could translate for our visitors from France, because he had studied French.__ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Tom McGovern got married three times and had five children. ___Tom McGovern had three wives and was the father of five._______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Exercise Read the following sentences and paraphrase them, combining the techniques that you learned in this article. 1. Gone with the Wind, which was published in 1936, covered 12 years of the life of a woman named Scarlett O’Hara during and after the Civil War. It began when she was 16 year old and tells the story of her love for two men. ___Published in 1936, Gone with the Wind was the story of Scarlett O’Hara and the___ ___two men she loved. It covers Scarlett’s life from the time she was 16 until she was__ ___28, during the Civil War and the years that followed.____________________________

The Concept Of Cultural Heritage

The Concept Of Cultural Heritage To understand cultural heritage and interpretation, it is essential to understand the various definitions and theories in relation to the concept of cultural heritage. The term cultural heritage refers to the things, places and practices that define who we are as individuals, as communities, as nations or civilizations and as a species (Wedenoja, 2010). In other words, it is the cultural legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, preserved in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. It is a legacy which we often want to recognize and reserve because it strengthens our cultural identity of sense of who we are as people. However, what is considered cultural heritage by one generation may be rejected by the next generation, only to be revived by a succeeding generation. Cultural heritage is not limited to material manifestations. It also includes living expressions and the traditions that groups and communities around the world have inherited from their ancestors and transmitted to their descendants. Thus, cultural heritage can be grouped into broad categories: tangible and intangible. Tangible cultural heritage can refer to moveable objects and immoveable sites. These include archaeological sites, artifacts, buildings, historic sites, monuments, graves, and culturally significant landscapes like sacred places. Landscapes are considered heritage when they have natural features that may have cultural attributes including flora and fauna. Heritage sites like these often serve as an important component in a countrys tourist industry, attracting many visitors from abroad as well as locally. UNESCO  [1]  defines intangible cultural heritage as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the non-physical characteristics, practices, representations, expressions as well as knowledg e and skills that identify and define a group or civilization (UNESCO, 2010). These include language, oral histories, beliefs, practices, rituals, ceremonies, customs, traditions, music, dance, crafts, and other arts. Heritage that survives from the past is often unique and irreplaceable. This places the responsibility of preservation on the current generation. Safeguarding cultural heritage has become one of the priorities of international cooperation since 1972 when the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. There are 878 World Heritage Sites as of 2008. They are located in 145 countries and 678 cultural, 174 natural, and 26 mixed sites (UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 2010). The preservation of living heritage has only become significant in 2003 when UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. (This is the short version > still have a lot of detail to add because the term cultural heritage is very detailed and has meant different things in the past decades. Unless the professor thinks this is enough.) Cultural Heritage and the Challenges of Tourism In recent years, key heritage sites have seen a remarkable increase poorly guided or unguided tourists. Tremendous pressure has been forced upon areas like Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang or Halong Bay the growing number of visitors and the general growth in Tourism. International agencies such as the World Tourism Organization have predicted that tourism numbers will continue to rise over the next 10 years, predominantly so for the continent of Asia. Such growths in visitor numbers worsens existing problems at World Heritage sites which include vandalism, lack of awareness of cultural and heritage significance of sites, congestion and destination and cultural commodification. As global tourism increasingly interface with heritage sites, the pressures of meeting challenges will be more pronounced. In addition to the negative effects of unguided mass tourism at heritage sites, a rise in niche cultural tourism also prompts the need for the training of cultural heritage specialist guides for World Heritage sites. The development of such niche groups of culturally-sensitive and learning-seeking tourists is constituted within the broader developments of what has been termed by tourism academics as special interest tourism and the diversification of the tourism market. However, the development of niche cultural tourism is hampered by the widespread lack of cultural heritage specialist guides in Asia-Pacific. In the APETIT meeting in 2002, the training of professional guides was highlighted by UNESCAP and UNESCO as key to improvements in the tourism system and industry. What is Digitization? We use the term digitization to refer to the process of converting physical resources or information into a digital format (Digitization, 2007). In other words, digitizing means simply capturing an analog signal in digital form. Photos taken with a digital camera, or data collected by an electronic measuring device are automatically converted into digital form. However, text and images that are in a tangible form can be digitized with a scanner (Ibid). When scanning texts or images, an optical character recognition program, also known as OCR, analyzes a text image for light and dark areas in order to identify each alphabetic letter or numeric digit, and converts each character into an ASCII code (Ibid). Audio and videos can also be digitized by a process in which an analog signal is changed, without changing its essential content, into a digital signal (Ibid). The process of sampling measures the amplitude, or signal strength, of an analog waveform at evenly spaced time markers (Ibid ). It also signifies the samples as numerical values for input as digital data (Digitization, 2007). Objects and sites on the other hand require a more complicated process. A 3D scanner is utilized to analyze an object or environment. The 3D scanner creates a point of cloud of geometric samples on the surface of the object or site and these points can then be used to digitally reconstruct the object or site (3D Scanner, 2010). Digitized resources can be easily shared through digital devices, equipment, and networks. Despite its many advantages, digital resources still need special care and preservation as they can become obsolete. Therefore, everything must be digitized at the highest quality and migrated to the latest storage and formats. Digitization of an object using a 3D Scanner (Scribe It, n.d.) Why Should We Digitize Cultural Heritage? Cultural Heritage should be digitized for the following reasons: Preservation of Tangible Cultural Heritage Digitization can help preserve tangible cultural heritage including objects and buildings. All objects and the valuable information they contain will be available without jeopardizing their integrity by handling or by exposure to the elements. For instance, the Stonehenge in Great Britain is using technological interpretation to conserve the heritage site. Brian Bath states in his publication The Use of New Technology in the Interpretation of Historic Landscapes (2006) that a massive number of visitors wanted to see every angle of the Stonehenge and if the same number of visitors came to the site constantly it would à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a threat exposed surface archaeology and to the protected lichens on the stone surfaces at ground level. Bath (2006) also added that it was hard interpreting the site without explaining the conservation process as well. People wanted to see everything but what they didnt understand was the effect they would have on the site. The solution for this matter was technology. Various forms of Medias like CDs with 3 models and web-based virtual museums were developed in response to assist tourists understand about the conservation and interpretation of the site. 3D/ Virtual Reconstruction of Stonehenge Broadened Access A lot of people cant travel to museums or actual sites whenever they want and even if they could, space constraints imposed on museums would only allow them to see a little percentage of available collections. Therefore, digitizing cultural heritage greatly increases public access. Furthermore, it also advances the work of scholars and researchers worldwide, and opens new opportunities to educators in every setting. Often, objects reside in multiple places even if they are related. Thus, digitizing entire collections allows museums to assimilate their resources, making it possible for scholars working externally to see at a glance their complexity and extent of holdings in a given area. Moreover, digitization also allows museums to share their resources more broadly by integrating collections that have been separated by location across many cultural heritage institutions and research centers. And lastly, digitized materials also help museums reach underserved audiences, as well as th ose not motivated to see museums as a source of information. For instance, twenty years ago, students had to travel to Washington, D.C. to research in the Library of Congress and it was an expensive matter. Now, high school students from around the world have instant access. In 2003, the Library of Congress reported that approximately 15 million people visited American Memory. That is more than the number of people who have worked in the librarys reading rooms over the past 200 years and 1,500 times the number who annually use the manuscript reading room (Cohen Rosenzweig, 2006). New Access Digitization allows access to historical resources that are inaccessible because of their fragility (Cohen Rosenzweig, 2006). As an example, the original 1791 plan for the city Washington is so deteriorated and brittle the Library of Congress does not allow researchers to examine it (Cohen Rosenzweig, 2006). But now anyone can view the digital copy on the librarys website. Not all Library of Congress documents are quite this fragile, but like many other sources, they cant be browsed easily in analog form. LEnfants Original City Plan of Washington 1791 LEnfants Revised City Plan of Washington 1792 Support Education Another benefit of digitizing cultural heritage is that it supports education. Digitization impacts learning in classrooms and everywhere learning takes place. Studies of cultural heritage can come alive with instant access to images, sound files and text extracts. People will be able to experience things not normally possible in a museum, e.g. exploring the inside of a space shuttle in 3D. Furthermore, educators working with cultural heritage can interact virtually with audiences and cultivate forums for exploring topics in more depth and from varying perspectives. Lifelong learners will be able to guide their own learning with help from museums digitized collections. Overall, digitization will give public access to a much greater percentage of museums immense resources, providing better tools with which to spark learning. Brian Bath (2006) stated that the Museum of London set-up a web-based virtual museum and 40 percent of the people who visited the site including students actually came to the museum. As you can see, some people who may have never had interest in going were appealed. Enhances Museums Competitiveness Digitization can enhance museums competitiveness by enhancing visitors experience. A study was carried out by the SITI Research Center of the Queen Margaret University College (Reino, S., Mitsche, N. Frew, A., 2007) in the UK by comparing live interpretation and traditional interpretation at 2 sites, which were Beamish and the Bowes. The result was that ICT improved competitiveness of heritage sites by enhancing learning, entertainment and visitors experience. Beamish which used technology for interpretation had an average of 4% better outcomes in each category. Ease of Access for Researchers In the past, researchers and scholars had to endure the thorough process of ordering up boxes of items in order to find what they were looking for. Sometimes researchers or scholars could not study the archival documents (e.g., glass plate and film negatives) without the prior conversions into readable or viewable media like prints. On the other hand digitization allows quick and easy browsing of large collections of material. Enrich Context Digitization will help enrich context of cultural heritage because everything relevant to an object including details, records, and other interpretative data can be shared. This will enable a richer interaction and enhance users understanding of an object or sites context and meaning. In addition, digitization will enable allows experts to compare artifacts and specimens against those of the digitized museum, substantially increasing information about these holdings at a greater rate remotely. Equally important, it allows people around the world to add additional impressions, associations, and stories to the permanent record. (Will add an example) Infinite Reach Digitization allows infinite reach. It helps people draw multi-media resources from science centers, programs, and museums. Drawn resources could be combined in a way that it could transport an audience back in time. An audience could potentially see how Thai people were living 300 years ago, or witness battles. On the other hand, digitization could also let people experience the present as scientists do. For instance, an audience could be accessing data from Bangkok and could be in the Arctic the next minute learning about ice. And last but not least, people could perhaps travel virtually through space, with a view so clear, making them feel as though they could touch the stars from their armchair. As aforementioned, with digital assets, people would truly have infinite reach. What is Heritage Interpretation? The Basic Principles of Heritage Interpretation The Evolution of Heritage Interpretation and New Media Museums and Their Functions What are Virtual Museums? Still missing but will be added: How can cultural heritage material be digitized? Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Digitizing audio video Cultural Heritage in Thailand Heritage Interpretation in Thailand Examples of Heritage Interpretation and New Media in Other Countries What is the possibility for Thailand? Is it worth it? Assesing Cost and Timelines. Problems with Digitizing Cultural Heritage (Has to be explained in more detail and more examples) Three major problems impede the use of digital technology from being a major tool in preserving cultural heritage. The first one is the enormous amount of financial resources needed for the scanning process, the second one is the quick obsolescence of hardware and software, and the third is the need for standardization of tools and interfaces. As a result, the work done in this area is mostly on a pilot basis, where researchers study the various aspects of certain subjects, build and experiment with modest projects, debate on standards and establish coordinating bodies. Forms of Digitization and Their Advantages and Disadvantages Virtual Museums 3d Technology The origins of heritage interpretation date back to the aftermath of the creation of the first natural parks at the end of the 19th century in the United States. However, it was not until 1957, with publication by Freeman Tildens Interpreting our Heritage that the foundation of the discipline were established. Although in the early days this interpretation was essentially