Assignment Devry Free Essays

While genetic engineering is only being applied at crops at the moment, one has to wonder how long it will be before humans are unethically engineered and what will be the implication of such actions. An analysis of science fiction films, where genetic engineering is applied could provide a view Into the Implications of genetic engineer of humans on society. The popular science fiction film Cataract Is a perfect film to show the possible affects human genetic engineer could have on society. We will write a custom essay sample on Assignment Devry or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Cattle the technology to engineer people to near perfection has been made possible and the fate of everyone is known at the very moment of birth. The number of genetically enhanced humans is far rater than the number of natural born people, which has lead to a new form of social segregation. The film follows the life of one of the few of the natural born humans, named Vincent. Being a natural born, Vincent does not have many options and even worse he is diagnosed with a severe heart condition. From the start, it would seem that society (even Vincent own farther) would not consider him worthy of their attention. The only person that actually seemed to care about Vincent was his mother, who actually seemed to disapprove of the genetic engineer being done. One as to feel bad for Vincent and others like him, because nobody seemed to want anything to do with him. The schools would not accept him, because of his heart condition and his own farther did not consider Vincent worthy to care his name. Vincent parents eventually have another child who Is genetically altered: this son would be superior to Vincent in every way possible and the father would consider him worthy of his name. The film presents several important and very symbolic scenes, where Vincent and his brother Anton compete in swimming. Throughout their childhood, Anton would always win without ever having to give any effort. One day something Impossible happened Vincent the Imperfect natural born beat his perfectly genetically engineered brother. Years later, Vincent and Anton compete once more and when Vincent wins, he says he is able to do it, because he never saves anything for the swim back. One could view the swimming scenes as a metaphor for life. In life people have to compete against the forces of nature and others. Some people seem to be given everything on a silver platter, while others are given nothing. Just because mom people are given everything, It does not mean that those less fortunate cannot succeed. Violent Is a perfect example AT ten previous example; even tongs Nils brother is genetically superior, Vincent is able to beat his brother by training and working for his goals every day. Another interesting point of the film is the character Irene. Even with societies great technology there is still the possibility of errors and Irene is the best example of this statement. Irene is one of the many â€Å"perfect† beings except for one minor flaw, she has a heart murmur. This heart murmur proves that regardless of all of the advances made in technology cannot guarantee perfection 100% of the time. One has to feel for Irene, because despite being genetically engineered to near perfection she is not accepted by her fellow genetically altered brothers and sisters. The last significant character in the film is Jerome. Jerome is another one of the perfectly genetically engineered people, but he is described as being the best of the best. Unfortunately for Jerome, being perfectly engineered does not mean he would be successful at everything or that he would live a perfect life. Jerome had apparently laced second place once, which apparently demoralized him to the extent of attempting suicide. Groomer’s attempt of suicide was unsuccessful and it resulted in him becoming paralyzed, which would make him the perfect partner for Vincent. Groomer’s final action in the film is interesting, but not surprising. Jerome had tried to kill himself once before and it would only be a matter of time before he would try again. The ending of the film was the most informative and fascinating part of the whole film. When Vincent is his heading for the space shuttle he is given a surprise gene inspection by the doctor. Vincent does not have any of Groomer’s blood/urine samples and so it would seem that he is caught. Surprisingly, the doctor who conducted all of the testing on Vincent knew he was an In-Valid the entire time. The doctor let Vincent pass, because he had a son that apparently was an In-valid. In conclusion, it is apparent that Andrew Niccole, the director of Cattle, does not approve of genetic engineering. Niccole uses his film to paint the bleak picture of the future of genetic engineering. Now some people may doubt the relevance a film may eave on real world situations, but there are plenty of writers, scientist, and even scholars who would disapprove of genetic engineering. Victor Mafia wrote that genetic engineer would create a risk that the information discovered from genetic engineering would create a form of discrimination in the workforce (Mafia, 2001, p. 83). This fact is evident from the film Cattle. Discrimination in the workforce has always been a problem in the past and it would seem like the problem may evolve if genetic engineering becomes possible. Elizabeth Fenton, a philosopher, believes that genetic engineering will lead to the reaction of a new sub-species of humans and that the differences between the two species would lead one species to enslave or destroy the other (Fenton , 2008, p. 8). While in the film the enhanced beings never directly enslaved or destroyed the naturals, the naturals would never be more than lower class individuals. While there are plenty of people who argue against genetic engineering, there are still a few people who say that genetic engineering can have a place in the world. Clifton E. How to cite Assignment Devry, Papers

PHILOCTETES Essay Thesis Example For Students

PHILOCTETES Essay Thesis A monologue from the play by Sophocles NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Dramas. Sophocles. London: J.M. Dent Sons, 1906. PHILOCTETES: O thou fire!Thou universal horror! MasterpieceAbominable, of monstrous villainy!What hast thou done to me? How hast thou cheated me!Art not ashamed, O rogue, to look at meThy supplicant, me thy petitioner?Thou has robbed me of my life, taking my bow.Give it back, I beg thee! Give it back, I pray!By our fathers gods, son, do not take my life!Woes me! he does not even answer me!He means to keep itsee, he turns away!You bays, you promontories, O you hauntsOf mountain brutes, O cliffs precipitous,To youfor other hearers I have nonePresent, my old familiars, I appeal;See how Achilles son is wronging me!Swearing to take me home, to Troy he drags me;And pledging his right hand, he has obtainedRelic of Jove-born Heraclesmy bow,Meaning in the Argives sight to flourish it;Like some strong prisoner, by force he drags me,And knows not he is killing a dead man,A vapours shadow, an unsubstantial shade!For in full strength he never had captured me,Since even thus he had not, save by gu ile;But now, unhappy, I have been deceived.What must I do? Nay, give it back to me;Nay, even yet, be thy true self once more;What sayst thou? Thou art dumb! I am lost, unhappy!O double-portalled frontal of the rock,Back, once again, I come and enter thee,Bare, without means of life; but I shall starveHere, in the fields alone; not killing nowWinged bird, or silvan quarry, with my bow,But I myself, wretched, when I am dead,Yielding a meal to things on which I fed.Creatures I chased before will now chase me;And I shall pay for bloodshed with my blood,By practice of a seeming innocent!O mayst thou perish!not yet, until I knowWhether thou wilt repent, and change thy purpose;But if thou wilt not, evil be thine end!

Research and Distance Learning free essay sample

Throughout this assignment I intend to demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of research methodology. I will examine how research is used to support practice and policy. I will address research terminology and the roles and responsibilities of the researcher. Our group research project will be critically analysed. Kumar (2001) implies research is more than a set of skills. Research is a way of thinking and examining the various aspects of your day-to-day professional work, understanding and formulating guiding principles that govern a particular procedure. Research helps us to understand why things behave the way they do and why people act in a certain way. If carried out effectively, research can be imperative as it brings about change in policy and practice Burns (1972). The two predominant methods of research are Quantitative and Qualitative research (Kumar,2001). These methods differ primarily in their analytical objective, the type of questions they pose and the different methods of data collection. The following definition, taken from Aliaga and Gunderson (2000,pg1), describes what we mean by quantitative research methods: Quantitative research is ‘Explaining phenomena by collecting numerical data that are analysed using mathematically based methods in particular statistics. ’ (Muijs,2011) Quantitative research is also described as traditional or empirical research, meaning that it is based upon observation, experimentation and measurement (Lambert). Qualitative research is usually a more detailed form of research and cannot usually be expressed in terms of numbers. It often takes in to account people’s values, attitudes and opinions. The three most common qualitative research methods, are participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. Each method is particularly suited for obtaining a specific type of data. Lambert (2010, pg 256) infers that both qualitative and quantitative approaches can be combined in a single study to improve depth and breadth. For the purpose of our small scale research project we used a research question as opposed to a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a statement of assumption which will be tested in the research (Muijs,2011). A research question is an initial statement to set the scene for exploratory research within an interpretivist framework. A questionnaire was used to gather data for our research project. Newby (2010) states questionnaires are amongst the most popular. The advantage of using a questionnaire in date collection is they are practical. A large amount of information can be collected from a group of people in a short period of time. The data can be expressed statistically. It is thus possible to make comparisons with other studies. The results of a questionnaire can be easily evaluated, analysed and quantified by the researcher (Barlette Burton, 2012). The disadvantages for this type of research is people may not be honest when filling out the questionnaire this could lead to the data provided being false and therefore invalid (ibid). The interview is the most prominent data collection tool in qualitative research(Muijs,2011). When data has been quantified, it can be used to compare and contrast other research and may be used to measure change. Positivists believe that quantitative data can be used to create new theories and / or test existing hypotheses (ibid). Researchers are required to consider ethics in every aspect of their conduct. The Belmont Report states the three fundamental ethical principles for using any human subjects for research are Respect for Persons, Beneficence and Justice (U. S Department of Health Human Services,1979. ) The first of these principles meant that the researcher should treat the participant as an independent person who should be kept fully informed at all times. The researcher should also ensure that persons with reduced independence such as a child should be protected at all times. Beneficence is included to ensure the benefits of being included in the research should outweigh any negative impact to the participant. Justice implies that selection of the participants must be fair and those who are asked to participate should also benefit (Macfarlane Bruce, 2009). Personal values and also professional values that researchers should use when carrying out a study, will be analysed. A code of ethics is a framework to help and advise us but ultimately it remains the responsibility of the individual (Early Childhood Australia,2010). Research ethics are a set of principles on how researchers  should conduct themselves when dealing with research participants. Denscombe (2007) states we must respect the rights and dignity of the participants, avoid harm to research participants and carry out the research with honesty and integrity. According to Stonehouse (1991) a code of ethics is a statement about practice, or what we will strive to do. It is based on core values, or what we believe. There are a number of reasons it is important to conduct research in line with ethical standards; it is a sign of respect for participants, other researchers and those who will use the research. A code of ethics is not enforced but it is something that we should adhere to. The Impact of Distance Learning on a Student’s Work and Home Life Introduction In order to better understand what affect distance learning has on the work and home life of a student, students from the Education Department at Anglia Ruskin University in the second year of their Foundation Degree in Early Years collated data from a research module seeking to answer the following question: Does combining distance learning and working have a negative impact on a student’s work and home life? The chosen method of data collection was via a questionnaire with the answers offering an explanation and understanding as to why students look to improve their early years education skills by going back to study and what challenges they faced. Method The research was a 10 minute questionnaire, asking a mixture of both closed and open questions. A combination of closed and open questions were used so allowing students to answer in a more efficient and accurate manner. Opinions from each of the surveyed students were as important as were the answers to the multiple choice questions. The questions asked related to a work and life balance, and sought to understand how students deal with the work and study balance. Sample The results are a snap shot outlining the sort of pressure s placed on students in terms of time, commitments and everyday lives. The results covered how many hours a week were worked, where was the work undertaken, where did the students live and the time pressures on completing course work. It outlines the key challenges facing mature students who are looking to further their early years education and teaching careers. Ethics To ensure that all University protacals were observed, an introduction was provided outlining the aim of the research and confirming what research the surveyed students were being asked to contribute. Confidentially was important so was the opportunity if needed to withdraw from the research at any time. Results The results of the survey outline the time constraints and challenges faced by the students as they look to progress their education and their career Figure 1 – Gender of students. The above results showed that 100% of the surveyed students were female. Though we are unable to draw any direct conclusions from this, perhaps females are more likely to return to early years education than their male counter parts. All were involved with early years education and so found the early years course additional help to their working lives. Figure 2 – Age of Students The above outlines the age of the students. 75% of those surveyed were in the age range of 25 – 34. Though we cannot draw any direct conclusions from this, it would suggest that the 25 – 34 age range has the propensity to undertake further education whist working and looking after their children. The younger age groups perhaps are more interested in their social lives where the 44+ are perhaps to well established to go back to further education. Figure 3 – Hours worked per week The above outlines the number of hours worked per week. This shows that the early years students are having to work quite long weeks whilst undertaking and finishing course work. Figure 4 –Who do you live with? The above research shows that out of the surveyed students none currently reside at home with their parents. As 75% of them are from the 25 to 34 age demographic, they have all moved out from the parental home and are either residing with their partner, or with friends. Figure 5 – How many children do you have? The above shows that the students have a real cross section of the number of children they currently have. The older students are more likely to have had children, so making their daily working lives even harder to undertake the required course work. Reasons for embarking on this foundation course The students were asked why they were embarking on the foundation course, all respondents cited the need to gain further qualification in order to improve their chances of career progression. Some cited the need to complete their EYPS by 2015 allowing the student to move with an improvement in their career prospects. Those with children were looking at the opportunity of also progressing their career but at a slightly older age. Some students were encouraged by the in house management to undertake the course so improving their knowledge and skills. Figure 6 – how much research is undertaken? The above outlines how much research was undertaken before the students undertook the course. 25% admitted they had done very little research and had relied on word of month from friends and past students. 25% admitted attending an open day so they were better able to understand the course and the time requirements. The reminder was either advised by their managers to undertake the course or had done minimal research and joined the course anyway. Figure 7 Choice of learning. The majority said they did have a choice in how to study, but elected to undertake distance study. The remaining 25% who did not have a choice said that their working hours meant they were unable to take anytime out to attend face to face courses. If they had a choice, would they have attended face to face courses as opposed to opt for distance learning? Out of the total sample, 75% said that work commitments were an influence in making the decision to undertake distance learning with the remaining 25% stated this was the only option for undertaking and completing the course. All the students agreed that distance was more flexible and was a cheaper option. Figure 8 – Effectiveness of distance learning The research indicates that when the students were asked to compare distance learning having previously undertaken face to face learning, they all agreed that distance learning was worse. The students found it more difficult to express opinions over distance learning and missed the one to one question opportunity. Better communication via face to face because information was taken in and understood more easily. The speed of response was thought to be quicker and better via face to face with greater accuracy and clarity in the  answers. The students were asked if distance learning allowed discussions to take on a greater degree of thought and reflections, with 50% saying yes it did, and 50% saying no it did not. Figure 9 – How many hours per week do you study? The total number of hours per week given over to studying is split, with 50% of the surveyed saying 5 to 10 hours, whilst the remaining 50% saying 10 plus hours per week. The difference could be down to level of experience, age, ease of distance learning or just the time it takes to undertake assignments. Each individual will have key skill bases that will allow then to complete the projects in different timelines, hence the difference in hours per week worked. Using the Likert scale (Newby,2010) the results were conclusive that students felt 1 module per half term would improve the balance between study and home. In completing the modules, 75% either agreed or strongly agreed that completing one module per half term as opposed to two over a term certainly improved the study/home life balance, with 25% saying they did not agree nor disagree. This comes back to being able to prioritize their workload more successfully as they have a clear goal in a defined timeline, as opposed to a longer timeline where better time management could well be needed. Figure 10 When do you study? The survey group had different work patterns, with 50% working at weekend, 25% in the week and 25% working across both. This would probably be driven by their respective home life, their career, if they have children and where they lived. Studying time would have to fit in around many other external factors. All the surveyed agreed that the study time affected their home or social life. The younger individuals lost out on time meeting friends and going out and all agreed that weekend life with its need to undertake family and home jobs meant that their time was really squeezed. Time management was a key to getting all of the modules finished and in on time. In terms of hobbies, all agreed that they had and enjoyed taking part in their hobbies, whether it was in the week or at weekends. Out of the survey, 50% stated that these were severely affected and the remaining 50% said that they were affected. Hobby time spent was certainly reduced with 50% saying that the distance learning had a significant affect on how much time they could send pursuing their hobbies over a given week. The surveyed also found that their employers had very different reactions to their distance learning, with 75% being given no extra time off to help with their studies, and 25% being helped by their employer. The 25% who were helped were allowed on average one study day off per week. Figure 11 Is the study having a positive effect in your workplace? Interestingly 50% said that the learning experience was having a positive effect on their work place, with 50% being unsure. The positive impact allowed the newly gained knowledge to be used in the work place with positive effects, helping day to day running of work, cascading more information down to other staff members, additional responsibility being enjoyed and the general acceptance that the new learning was having a positive impact of the workplace and fellow colleagues. In terms of dealing with the pressure of distance learning, all of those surveyed said they felt that the support they received as part of the online group did not help them deal with the added pressure and workload from the extra learning. This could be down to the whole new experience of distance learning where previously they had the face to face time, where issues could be discussed and solutions found. Now if there are any issues, then the individual must try to find a solution themselves and so are potentially feeling more isolated and pressured. 75% did feel that having a mentor aided them in their day to day studies, where 25% were unsure. Again this could be down to the new experience of undertaking distance learning with the individuals taking to time to understand how to best use the mentor. As this process develops so the mentor could well be used more in a way to help find solutions to ongoing issues and problems. The mentor when asked had a great deal of knowledge, but the issue was still how best to use them. All of the surveyed felt that having a mentor in no way helped them in reducing the number of hours they had to work. The mentor was there to help with specific questions, not to help with larger problem solving hence reducing the number of hours that had to be worked. All of the surveyed felt with the advent of modern technology development, distance learning will play an important part for our future generations. It was felt that individuals could go back and study without having to give up their jobs, the studying would be more convenient for them and their families, older students would not have to sit in a classroom with younger students so having perhaps a confidence issue and generally the feeling was being able to study at a time and in an environment that was more suited to the individual. Reflection The undertaken research and related results were indeed a very worthwhile process that yielded some frank and interesting points of view. With any form of research, hindsight plays an important part when reviewing the questions, the questionnaire, the sample size and the overall results. The information allowed the survey to demonstrate a view that distance learning on the home/work life balance is truly a challenge particularly when looking at the relative age and social position of the surveyed. The questionnaire included a number of dichotomous questions giving clear unequivocal responses (Cohen,Manion Morrison,2011). Open questions gave participants an opportunity to write down their opinions generating qualitative data(Kumar,2001). Research ethics as described by Blaxter et al. cited in Bell (2005) is about being clear about the nature of the agreement with the research participants. Clear instructions and the overarching ethics of the research meant there was no poor interpretation. Sample sizes are always important and so the larger the sample size the more accurate and more believable the results become. Quality of the samples then becomes of paramount importance so though the sample size is small, the results are accurate and are a true reflection on what was reported within the questionnaire. Sarah is very interested in the topic of importance of play but asks group if the group need to ask questions which are yes and no or will we ask for opened ended questions And if the group need to think of either a research question or hypothesis to ask to get the ball rolling i. e. what do we want to investigate. As in would we want to know what areas are more important the younger and older a child gets for example the EYFS suggest the most important areas for a baby are personal social and emotional and physical and communication is this true? She also asks would questions answered by fellow practitioners think so. and what would they be for an older child Sarah is unsure if she is on the right track and asks for groups thoughts and help 22/10/2013 13:48 Lisa Lisa suggests basing the questionnaire on something personal to the other students e. g. distance learning the effectiveness of online discussion, combining work with study (poss. effects on home life) or something similar Lisa thinks we need open ended questions as well as yes/no answers in order to provide as much information as we can for the write up for later on On reflection Kat feels her ideas won’t work for the questionnaire and agrees with Lisa’s idea for long distance learning And says after reading the module further she feels she has a bigger understanding Kat asks the group Where shall we go from here and if we all agree this would be a good topic to base our research on 23/10/2013 14:25 Steph Steph agrees with the questionnaire being based around distance learning, the pros and cons.. As she feels it’s more personal to all of us whereas the other areas we looked at are more generic and not so suited to a smaller group. Steph also says she thinks it may be easier to come up with more specific questions too. 24/10/2013 23:10 Kat Kat volunteers to email Julia if we all agree on subject to ask see if its suitable subject She also asks the group to think over the next few days about questions we would like to include And will begin the research dairy Would anyone else like to make the questionnaire template and also offered to do this. 27/10/2013 18:06 Sarah Sarah agrees with the questionnaire to be about distance learning and thinks its more personal and we can all relate to this as well as the other group. Steph Steph offers to look at questionnaire template Steph also suggests questions for questionnaire and asks for feedback and thoughts on them. Steps questions: Why did you decide to embark on this Foundation Degree? How much, if any, research did you do before applying? If so, what research did you do? How did you find the transition to the course? How do you find corresponding with tutors/other students? Do you feel supported by the university? (May be controversial!! ) Do you find distance learning more agreeable than face-to-face tuition? If you had a choice would you rather have face-to-face tuition? How do you find the balance of home life vs. studying? 28/10/2013 12:01 Sarah Sarah likes Stephs questions and thinks we should use them in questionnaire and also suggests questions and asks for feedback: 1, Do you find completing two modules at one time as a full working employee time consuming, resulting in one modules work been jeopardised? 2, Do you think Higher Education is reflecting in your practise? 3, Do you agree that online teaching is as effective as classroom teaching? 28/10/2013 12:05 Sarah Sarah also volunteers do research dairy 28/10/2013 13:07 Sarah Sarah asks group if for the purpose of the questionnaire does anybody have any ideas of how we are going to address the questionnaire or what title we will give the questionnaire for researching distance learning 28/10/2013 13:20 Steph Steph asks the group also For the purpose of the questionnaire template does anyone have a good title they think would be suitable. Steph’s ideas for the open question and title is Is distance learning as effective as face-to-face tuition? or What, if any, constraints are there to distance learning when working and raising families? And asks group opinion and if other suggestions 28/10/2013 13:35 Steph Steph is happy with Sarah to do research dairy and asks if anyone wants to tackle the introductory letter to the questionnaire for the other group or would the group like her to have a go along with the questionnaire layout 28/10/2013 13:54 Steph Steph asks the group to look at the start of our questionnaire, is it worth getting some background info from those completing it in the other group? Steph suggests asking the age of the participant, what type of setting they work in, whether they work full time or part time, whether they have children of their own, and how many hours do they actually spend per week on their university work? And asks for group feedback 28/10/2013 14:44 Sarah Sarah says she will do the research dairy and agrees with Steph about finding out more background info on the other group as it may help with the write up at the end. 28/10/13 14:56 Sarah Sarah has started the research diary and has posted it on to vle and asks for group feed back 28/10/13 20:02 Lisa Lisa likes the research diary and the questions people in the group have put up too. Asks group if the group have made a decision on the research title / question and suggests : Does combining distance learning whilst working have a negative impact on  a student’s  home life? Lisa suggests the following questions also: 1, How many hours per week do you spend studying? Does the majority of your study take place during the week or at weekends? If you mainly study at weekends do you feel this has an impact on your home life? If yes, in what way? Do have any hobbies? 2, How important is it having a mentor? Does your mentor work in your setting? If not, what is your relationship to them? Does your mentor regularly contribute to your studies? Do you meet and talk to your mentor on a regular basis? If yes, how often do you meet and for how long? If no, do you think it would be helpful if you did? Do you believe your studies would be negatively affected if you did not have a  mentor? If yes, in what way? Does your  mentor have enough knowledge to be of help to you? And thinks we should also ask background questions such as: Age How many hours work a week Live  on own/ with parents/ with partner Any children 28/10/13 21:06 Sarah Sarah tells the group she will continue with the diary and updating when needed. Sarah likes Lisa’s questions and asks the group how will we decide on questionnaire as group 29/10/13 03:13 Kat Kat thinks it all sounds great and says she has been working on some questions and will post them later Kat spoke to Julia and said she thinks our idea is good but said we need to make sure the title reflects the question.. Kat suggests tile idea: The Effectiveness of Distance Learning? Kat also likes Stephs idea What, if  any  constraints are there to distance learning when working and raising families she thinks this is probably a topic close to all our hearts And states she is happy for Steph to look at templates and likes Lisa’s questions Kat also says once we finalise our title we can work out which ones are related.. And is also happy with the research diary 29/10/13 14:01 Lisa Lisa is happy with the idea of distance learning when working etc too, She suggests we also go with that But does think there may be not enough of the other group members all raising families so suggests maybe have the question more about impact on home life or something as that will cover everyone 30/10/13 00:21 Kat Kat suggests: The impact of  combining study (Distance Learning) with work and   home life. Steph is happy with all suggestions and think that to cover all bases it would be good for the research question to reflect everyones lives so agrees that Kats suggestion is good. She also likes Lisas suggestion of including questions about mentoring as she feels it makes it a two part questionnaire but all relevant to distance learning. 30/10/13 10:34 Steph Steph apologises to Lisa as she just re-read her message and realised she was proposing two research question suggestions one on work/home life balance and the other on mentoring, she interpreted it to we could combine the two, but suggests this over-complicate matters. Steph is happy, thinks we are coming up with the right line of questions, and agrees if we go down the home/lifestyle route but will wait for Kats suggestions. 31/10/13 10:26 Steph Steph explains that her and Lisa met up yesterday at university and discussed our research questionnaire. and asks the group if everyone is in agreement, that the felt that a question on the impact of distance learning on our work/home life is relevant and should yield some interesting info/thoughts from the other group. Steph asks the group if we could come up with some questions that we think would suit the questionnaire, and if possible by the weekend, as looking at the timescale we need to submit the questionnaire to Julia for authorisation before giving it to the other group next week and then the following week we will be collating and investigating the results Steph also tells group she has have already put together the first bit of the questionnaire, asking background information like age, hours you work, who you live with and if you have any children. And explains to the group we need to come up with about 3-4 questions each. In addition, asks Kat if she would like to input any more questions to the questionnaire as Sarah Lisa and herself like her questions. 03/11/13 14:51 Steph Steph has put together the following questions from group’s suggestions for the questionnaire. Steph asks the group to look at them and let her know if we think they are suitable or whether we need to amend/not include any or add others. The questions: Why did you decide to embark on this Foundation Degree? How much research into relevant courses did you do before applying to Anglia Ruskin University? Did you have a choice between embarking on a distance-learning course or face-to face tuition? How did you find the transition on to the course? Do you find online teaching as effective as classroom tuition? How many hours per week do you spend studying? Do you find completing two modules concurrently time consuming? Does the majority of your study take place during the week or at the weekends? If you mainly study at weekends, do you feel this has an impact on your home life? If yes, in what way? Do you have any hobbies? If yes, is your time to peruse these hobbies reduced by your studies? Does your employer allow you time for studying? Do you feel your studying is having a positive effect in your workplace? 04/11/13 03:30 Kat Kat explains she has had no internet and explains to Steph she will send over some questions now 04/11/13 09:29 Steph Steph explains she is still waiting for feedback of rest of group and not to worry 04/11/13 16:01 Lisa Lisa says all the questions you have down look great and also suggests that maybe on the hours per week one we could have multiple options as answers for them to tick which applies i. e. Less than 5 hours, Between 5 and 10 hours, More than 10 hours. And that we could also ask about whether having a mentor aids study and therefore helps reduce time spent studying 05/11/13 15:54 Steph Steph agrees with Lisa about amending the hours worked question and incorporating the mentor questions she thinks they are very valid and apologies for missing them off. She says she is going to put it all together and send the group a copy to have a look at and asks group to let her know what we think. 05/11/13 17:38 Steph Steph sends a copy of the questionnaire to group. 07/11/13 12:53 Steph Steph’s asks Julia if she could look at the research questionnaire she has posted over to the group on Tuesday, 5th Nov. she explains she has been waiting for the group to shed there thoughts but has not heard back form them but asks is she does not mind looking at it and giving the group her thoughts. Julia has a look at questionnaire and gives her feed back: She explains the draft questionnaire was posted in the wrong thread, as it was attached to the area reserved for the completed questionnaires required for Group 1 to analyse only. She explains she has read the draft, and has a couple of comments. a) It might be an idea to form a question in your title e. g. Does , that way when you analyse the findings your hypothesis will be whether it does or does not. Steph tells Lisa she is happy with alterations and thinks it reads much better and should, hopefully, give us more definitive answers to analyse. Steph thanks Julia and comments on what we had done and where to make changes. 11/11/13 09:56 Julia Julia gives feed back on questionnaire and explains the wording is better, but her main concern is that there is still a negative feel to the questions. she realise that as a group you find the course challenging, but there doesnt seem to be any opportunity to say what is positive about the course or being online except Q 23 and the final reflection. Any type of Research needs to be balanced and it would appear that you want there to be a negative hypothesis to this research, rather than an overview of findings. She explains this is her viewpoint and explains she is trying to influence the finding with her opinion,  so the group can see how these things can easily  happen. She adds the choice of whether the group adds/deletes any questions is the group’s decision, and ultimately the group will need to analyse the findings, so she is concerned as she explained before that there will be too much subjection and not enough objective data/analysis. There is also the drawback that G1 will use the questions to just have a moan about the course, rather than providing valuable data and this is always a problem with any type of questionnaire. She also explains and feels that free speech is what we want but this is an emotive subject and one where you might get   a one-sided viewpoint only 11/11/13 13:55 Steph Steph thanks Julia for feedback regarding the questionnaire and what amendments the group should make to ensure it is more balanced. She suggests we will look at altering it to include a more positive objective. And explains its not going as smoothly as wed hoped because Kat is experiencing lots of problems getting access to the vle, so hasnt been able to contribute as much as shed hoped, and Sarah M has started a new job which has meant her input has unfortunately been limited. W and explains we will try to get the revised questionnaire over to you asap. 11/11/13 14:44 Steph Steph suggests further positive questions: Do you find distance learning more flexible than face-to-face tuition, therefore potentially cheaper? Do you find that, because discussions build over a period, they allow for more thought and reflection? Do you feel that, with modern technology, distance learning will play an important role for future generations? 11/11/13 16:13 Julia Julia posts to the group she has responded to Lisa on whether you should change the focus/title, but explains she wrote to Lisa, suggesting as w have all done so much work already she says start re-writing now but to just add a question maybe on how online collaboration can/might help with the negativity e. g.

How to Customize WordPress Admin Interface

The WordPress admin interfaceits where you write your fantastic blog posts, beautify your site, and so much more. Its your home for anything and everything WordPress. But just like your real home, its not really yours until you move in, rearrange the furniture, and put up some pictures. Hence the need to customize WordPress admin interface.Thats what this post is all about. Making wp-admin your own. Turning it from a generic fresh WordPress install into the exact setup to help you, your clients, or your members get the most out of WordPress.Ill show you how to:Customize the wp-admin login pageSimplify your wp-admin using Screen OptionsCustomize wp-admin menus and other detailsCompletely change your wp-admin designWhy Customize WordPress Admin?There are three main reasons to customize WordPress admin interface, though they wont all apply to your site:Youre the only person with access to your admin panel and you just want to change its appearance or functionality.You run a membership s ite, BuddyPress, or other type of site where users are regularly logging into WordPress.Youre a WordPress designer who wants to provide a client-friendly admin section.Create a Unique WordPress Login PageThe login page is the gate to your wp-admin section. And its also generic and boring by default:Every default login page has the same logo, the same design, the same links. Thats pretty boring. And its the complete opposite of brandable.You can fix that by following some simple steps outlined in this guide. Its the most user-friendly way to customize your login page because it uses the native WordPress Customizer. That means you can preview all the changes you make in real time. No guessing what your login page will look like!Declutter Your Admin Interface with Screen OptionsWhens the last time you read the WordPress News section on your dashboard? Probably sometime between never and Theres a WordPress News section!? It takes up space without really offering anything of value.Thankf ully, its easy to pick and choose which boxes display inside your wp-admin. All these options are available after clicking the not-very-well-known Screen Options button:Just give the button a click. Then, you can pick and choose which widgets you want. Just uncheck the boxes you dont want:You can do this for most pages in your wp-admin. For example, if you wanted to edit what information appears when you create a new post, you can repeat the same process on that page:Browse through all your admin pages and be amazed at how much you can declutter your wp-admin!Change Menus and Customize in DetailIf you want to customize WordPress admin beyond whats available in the Screen Options tab, youll need to turn to another plugin. This time, youll use one called WP Admin UI Customize: WP Admin UI Customize Author(s): Administrator role. If youre editing for others, make sure to select the appropriate user roles:Then, you can customize nearly everything about your admin panel. Covering ever y option would require a whole post of its own, so Ill just hit the highlights:1. Change the wp-admin SidebarIf youve installed a lot of plugins, your wp-admin sidebar menu might be getting a little cluttered. You can organize everything by going to the Sidebar option. You can then edit your internal menu using the same interface you use to create custom front-end menus:Just drag and drop everything where you want it. You can also edit sub-menus by clicking the expand arrow, which gives you powerful control over how everything works:2. Change the Floating Admin BarYou can also use the plugin to similarly customize the floating admin bar that appears when users are logged in. Just navigate to the Admin bar section and you can drag and drop using the same interface. The only difference is that the admin bar is divided into two sections: left and right.Totally Change the Design with Admin ThemesOk, Ive covered all these tweaks you can make to functionality inside wp-admin. But what if you really want to totally change how things look? Say you hate looking at the drab WordPress design and want something with a little more oomph. Or maybe you prefer a lighter interface. Whatever your motivation, you can make major aesthetic changes to your wp-admin section using admin themes.Youre probably familiar with how themes affect your frontend site. The same concept applies to your admin section. While these admin themes are technically plugins, theyll redesign your admin section and add functionality just like a theme.Here are some of the best options:1. Slate Admin Theme Slate Admin Theme Author(s): Ryan SommersCurrent Version: 1.2.1Last Updated: February 23, 2019slate-admin-theme.1.2.1.zip 96%Ratings 74,440Downloads WP 4.0+Requires This free admin theme plugin provides a darker admin interface thats much easier on the eyes. Beyond some minor reorganization, dont expect any added functionality. This one is all about aesthetics:All you need to do is install the plu gin and activate it to see the changes.2. Fancy Admin UI Fancy Admin UI Author(s): Bob OrchardCurrent Version: 2.1Last Updated: December 27, 2017fancy-admin-ui.zip 90%Ratings 36,415Downloads 3.9.0Requires If the dark interface of Slate isnt quite your speed, you can go lighter with the free Fancy Admin UI. Whereas Slate went black, Fancy Admin UI goes blue. It has a light, airy feel to it that Im a big fan of:Again, no settings or details to customize. Just install the theme, activate, and ogle your new wp-admin design.3. First WordPress Admin ThemeIf youre willing to go premium, First WordPress Admin Theme provides the most beautiful design of the bunch. In addition to re-skinning the wp-admin, it will also give you loads of customization options.Most of these options overlap with the WP Admin UI Customize plugin I discussed earlier, though. So dont feel like you need to purchase this plugin just for those functionality add-ons.After installing the plugin, heres what youll be looking at every time you log in:First WordPress Admin Theme costs $20.Wrapping things up on how to customize WordPress adminWeve covered a lot today! You learned how to customize every aspect of your wp-admin experience. From logging in, to decluttering, to changing functionality, and even fully changing the design.Now its time to put these concepts into action, go customize WordPress admin, and give yourself the perfect wp-admin section!Is there anything you need help with? Feel free to speak up in the comments!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips. About the author:Â  Colin Newcomer is a freelance writer for hire with a background in SEO and affiliate marketing. He helps clients grow their web visibility by writing primarily about digital marketing, WordPress, and B2B topics. You can find him at www.cnewcomer.com.

Determining If a Number Is Prime

Determining If a Number Is Prime A prime number is a numeral that is greater than 1 and cannot be divided evenly by any other number except 1 and itself. If a number can be divided evenly by any other number not counting itself and 1, it is not prime and is referred to as a composite number. Factors vs. Multiples When working with prime numbers, students should know the difference between factors and multiples. These two terms are easily confused, but factors are numbers that can be divided evenly into the given number, while multiples are the results of multiplying that number by another. Additionally, prime numbers are whole numbers that must be greater than one, and as a result, zero and one are not considered prime numbers, nor is any number less than zero; the number two is the first prime number, as it can only be divided by itself and the number 1. Using Factorization Using a process called factorization, mathematicians can quickly determine whether a number is prime. To use factorization, you need to know that a factor is any number that can be multiplied by another number to get the same result. For instance, the prime factors of the number 10 are 2 and 5 because these whole numbers can be multiplied by one another to equal 10. However, 1 and 10 are also considered factors of 10 because they can be multiplied by one another to equal 10. This is expressed in the prime factors of 10 as 5 and 2 since both 1 and 10 are not prime numbers. An easy way for students to use factorization to determine if a number is prime is by giving them concrete counting items like beans, buttons, or coins. They can use these to divide objects into ever-smaller groups. For example, they could divide 10 marbles into two groups of five or five groups of two. Using a Calculator After using the concrete method as described in the previous section, students can use calculators and the concept of divisibility to determine whether a number is prime. Have students take a calculator and key in the number to determine whether it is prime. The number should divide into a whole number. For example, take the number 57. Have students divide the number by 2. They will see that the quotient is 27.5, which is not an even number. Now have them divide 57 by 3. They will see that this quotient is a whole number: 19. So, 19 and 3 are factors of 57, which is, then, not a prime number. Other Methods Another way to find if a number is prime is by using a factorization tree, where students determine the common factors  of multiple numbers. For instance, if a student is factoring the number 30, she could begin with 10 x 3 or 15 x 2. In each case, she continues to factor- 10 (2 x 5) and 15 (3 x 5). The end result will yield the same prime factors: 2, 3 and 5 because 5 x 3 x 2 30, as does 2 x 3 x 5. Simple division with pencil and paper can also be a good method for teaching young learners how to determine prime numbers. First, divide the number by two, then by three, four, and five if none of those factors yields a whole number. This method is useful to help someone just starting out to understand what makes a number prime.

Health care provider and faith diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health care provider and faith diversity - Essay Example This means that the caregivers are given the liberty on how to deal with the patient as long as the procedure is aimed at treating the patient. Medicine and prayer should form part of the treatment package for Baha’i followers. Christians believe that in as much as caregivers offer vital services, it is God who heals the sick. Christianity favors medicine and medical practice, faith and prayer during patient care. The paper will discuss the various beliefs in relation to healthcare from various spiritual perspectives. The practice of healthcare at all levels allows nurses to meet and attend to patients from various religious backgrounds and some of them could be holding to beliefs that are different from those held by the nurse. The development of good rapport with the patients is critical for nurses as it allows them to secure maximum cooperation with them. This therefore requires that a nurse should be able to accept diversity of faith expressions among their patients. In this paper, I make analyses of the philosophy/spiritual perspective of care in three faiths namely Buddhism, Sikhism and Baha’i and compare them with the Christian perspective and my personal perspective. The Buddhist approach to healing and health is in regard to its emphasis on spiritual practice, and patient care for Buddhist patients follows the same philosophy. Meditation, belief and spiritual practice are three critical healing components in Buddhism. One of the beliefs is that spiritual practice enables the individual to realize the opportunity for practice in times of adversity like sickness and how to use this opportunity to attain personal transformation and transcendence. This practice replaces the feelings of being a victim with feelings of being a victor. Buddhists also belief that a sick person cannot change their past but can control the future by acting with clarity and skill (Bhikshu, 2006). This requires

Energy Risk Management Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Energy Risk Management - Dissertation Example Regulatory agencies of governments sell smaller units of this limit to individual organisations in the form of emission permit or carbon credit (Bayon, 2007). The emission permit gives an organisation the right to emit a specified volume of green house gas. The carbon credits can be traded in the market and on specified stock exchanges. Organisations must buy the required number of permits equivalent to the amount of emissions. There is a limit on the total number of permits that are offered by the government. If an organisation needs more permits, it can buy these from the market and thus offset their emissions. The whole system of carbon credit trading is rigidly controlled by the stock exchanges. While erring firms now have the option of getting away with pollution and excess emissions, the government is at least making these firms to pay for the emissions. Since the number of carbon credits available is limited, the price of the credits can fluctuate. Eventually, erring firms wou ld be expected to improve their process so that fewer emissions take place. The carbon credit trading market is worth more than 64 billion USD in 2007 and the market is expected to grow rapidly as accountability increases (Tietenberg, 2009). This dissertation will research the structure of carbon credit market and emissions trading. The dissertation will also examine price fluctuations, drivers for price variations and make recommendations to improve the market structure. 1.1. Rationale for the paper The term carbon credit is used to identify a permit or tradable certificate. It gives the owner the permission to emit one tonne of greenhouse gases or carbon dioxide or any other equivalent gas such as sulphur or carbon monoxide. One carbon credit represents one metric tonne of green house gases and is designated by the term tCO2e. The Kyoto Protocol brought in some accountability for nations and signatories to this protocol agreed for some legal targets that limited the amount of emis sions by each nation (Stone, 20110. The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme - EUETS and other bodies have agreed to reduce the CO2 emission by 8% in 2012 as compared to the 1990 levels. As per the protocol and agreements, emission quotas were assigned to each nation and these are called as assigned amount units AAAs. Each nation was allowed to sell these units to industries and even individuals. Based on the nature of industry and processes, each industry was expected to buy a certain amount of units. Failure to comply would result in social stigma besides having to pay extra taxes. In some nations, these units were in shortage and in France, Germany and UK; the price for a unit quickly rose from 50 Euros to 90 Euros per unit. Croci (2011) says that nations such as Russia, Ukraine and many other former USSR satellite nations had huge surpluses and they dumped their AAAs in the market, bringing the market down. It was also seen that during recession, the amount of emissions in ma ny nations reduced and this was mainly due to fewer industries operations. Overall, the market for carbon credit sees a lot of volatility, fluctuations and even price manipulation (Stone, 2010). Existing literature does not examine these aspects or understand the correlation between various drivers. In addition, since the subject of emissions trading is relatively recent, many studies have not been conducted in