Marketing Research Nokia

Executive Summary Branding is indeed a very important aspect of marketing. A company that promotes its brand efficiently is bound to survive through the most difficult market conditions. This paper sets out to perform a market research of a brand experiencing a problem, and find solutions to the issue under investigation. To that end, Harley Davidson was chosen as the brand.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Research: Nokia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of the causes of the brand’s decline included branding, mismanagement, brand neglect, failure to move with the target consumers and cost cutting. From the research findings, it was evident that the company is in need of a brand revitalization strategy. Because of this assessment, viable recommendations as to how best the company can achieve this aim have been discussed. If the recommendations provided herein are applied, Nokia will be on it s path to becoming the iconic motorbike giant it used to be during the sixties. A brand’s inability to stay with its target market may lead to its decline. When a brand starts repositioning itself in order to appeal to a new audience, it stands the risk of losing its core clients. As a result, the customers may feel alienated and neglected in the process. This happened to the Nokia brand when it decided to manufacture Smart phones that were presumably of lower quality. They lost their loyal clients and the brand declined significantly. Rebranding strategies such as product differentiation and repackaging makes a brand more attractive to existing and potential consumers. Failure to rebrand may lead to a situation whereby consumers lose interest in a brand and look for new and different alternatives. Introduction Nokia’s market share worldwide have been on the decline in the past few years as the company struggles to match the competition. The phone giant is losing its p opularity at a very high rate while competitors are very quick to fill in the gap the company leaves in the market (Reinhardt 2006). While struggling to maintain its market share in the expansive phones market, Nokia’s consumer preference is very low compared to other brands especially with the Smart phones as shown below (Dediu 2012).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, product marketing with regard to the Nokia brand would be a vital step towards helping the company to regain its market influence. Product marketing for this brand would hence involve the seven Ps of marketing (Reinhardt 2006). The seven Ps denote Product, Pricing, Place, Promotion, Packaging, Positioning, and People (Reinhardt 2006). Product marketing is far much distinct compared to product management and the difference must be appreciated in this case. Thesis statement Developing and maint aining a brand is often a complex and costly issue whose outcome concerning the brand’s lifespan or destiny cannot be predetermined. However, with the application of marketing research and strategies, declining brands can be revived amidst the prevailing market challenges (Maatz 2012). This paper shall discuss the factors that led to the decline of the Nokia brand and come up with viable marketing strategies that can be applied to revive and maintain the brand despite the harsh economic and competitive forces that prevail in today’s business environment. This shall be done by analyzing credible literature that focuses on market research, branding and total quality management. Problem definition While product management is more concerned with the details of the product and its development, product marketing is concerned with popularizing and marketing the product. This involves creating awareness of the product to prospective customers, existing customers, and others. T he nokia brand despite the great decline in sales and publicity can regain consumer confidence with proper market research (Reinhardt 2006). This will enable the company to identify the problems facing their products and help provide the solution to these problems. Every business requires information that will help it be in a position to satisfy its consumer’s needs.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Research: Nokia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The nokia phone company is one such company that would greatly benefit from conducting a market research. This owes to the declining market share in the phone industry and consequently the decline in sales (Kremp 2011). Research methods and Limitations Historic accounts In this research, a number of research methods were employed to determine the extent to which the phone company has lost its market. The methods used therefore include the historic appr oach to research, survey method, and use of questionnaires. The Historic approach in marketing research is widely used a research method by a number of companies (Sharma 2011). Studying the past of a market is an important strategy of dealing with the future of the same. Survey For the future to be securely anticipated, the past, trends, and patterns of the experiences learned must also be examined. Survey on the other hand has become a favorite research method especially in market research (Maatz 2012). This has highly been influenced by the introduction of online surveys a factor that has assisted in greatly reducing the cost of research as well as increasing its accuracy and scope. With survey, data collection is very easy and efficient while the cost of data collection is relatively low and affordable. Questionnaire This method allows for anonymity hence the candid responses from the respondents and ultimately legitimate results. The questionnaires also in the field of research are effective and this particular research will engage this data collection method in order to have accurate market information on the product mentioned above (Sharma 2011). Nonetheless, all of the above data collection methods have limitations that may affect the results hence a risk of inaccurate information.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A good example is the survey method used. In a survey, the possible answers and responses must be accounted for or else the research will miss some data hence having inaccurate information. This method is also prone to researcher errors where the researcher may make assumptions hence collecting inaccurate data (Sharma 2011). Market research In business, dealing with products and consumers requires organized efforts to collect information concerning markets and customers. The process of doing so therefore is referred to as product marketing. The Nokia brand of phones was doing very well around the year 2006 and 2009 as shown in the graph below (Dediu 2012). However, the market today has transformed technologically and the phone giant is struggling to keep the pace set by other players in the industry such as Samsung and Apple (Dediu 2012). The big question is why is it that a company of such magnitude is finding it hard to compete with the rest in the market? Conducting a research to establish the issues involved, this research found out a number of factors blamed for the decline in sales of the company. However, ineffective product marketing is the greatest cause of the decline (Kremp 2011). Problems facing the company Nokia’s problems can simply be summed up as Burning Cash. The company’s net cash dropped down by 24% in a year (Maatz 2012). To be precise, the total net worth if their losses amounted to $ 9 billion (Kremp 2011). It is even projected that with the current trend in the market and the company’s reluctance in counter attacking its lack of competitive strategies, the company may go bankrupt in the next two to three years. Attracting investors and customers The company’s future projections are not very convincing and consumers as well as investor are losing confidence in its market strength. The nokia company has been accused on many occasions to be dragging behind as far as technology in the phone industry is concerned (Savov 2011). With the growth demand for smart phones, consumers are accusing the nokia company of not living up to their expectations hence giving the competition an upper hand in the market as shown in the percentage graph below (Dediu 2012). The company as of this year is still not ready to integrate its technology with the rest of the players in the industry and this has caused them great decline in doing business as shown in the graph below (Dediu 2012). Currently, consumer preferences are shifting from communication gadgets to IT gadgets. The market for phones has dramatically taken a new shift and nokia is not effectively responding to the market shift. They are also faced with the fact that they are aiming their products at a saturated market segment not forgetting that their wage costs are on the rise (Savov 2011). Long supply chains that the company operates under in addition to the high import charges for its raw materials cause other problems. The seven Ps of marketin g Using the seven Ps of marketing, the research on how to regain market relevance for the company can be achieved. First in the list is to identify the relevance of the product (Ryan 2011). The product in this case is a phone and the industry it satisfies is the communication industry. Nokia Company should think in the lines of manufacturing IT relevant phones just as the competition is doing. ICT influence in the industry With the increased use of ICT, very few consumers want to purchase a phone for communication only. Seventy five percent of the interviewed respondents said that they want to buy a phone that puts them technologically at the same level with the increasing technology in the mobile phone industry. The second item to look at in this research is the pricing (Savov 2011). Determining what a company receives as compensation for its product through the sale of its products is vital for the survival of the company. Pricing is determined by many factors including the produc tion cost of the product. However, the price of a product can determine its volume of sales. High prices on products can have both positive as well as negative effects. By putting high prices on products, the results would turn out positive if the high price were taken as a sign of high quality production (Savov 2011). The consumers know that quality products are quite expensive and with the need to purchase high quality goods, the consumers may associate high prices with high quality. The pricing effects of a product However, this is not always the case as high prices can also influence potential buyers to purchase and pursue alternative products to circumvent the high prices. Giving a product a high price therefore should be well researched and its effects be evaluated to avoid an unanticipated loss. Another approach in pricing is selling the products at low prices, which means slightly above the production cost (Savov 2011). Through this approach, there are benefits as well as sh ortcomings. The consumer might take selling the products at a low price as a sign of low quality in production; hence, they may not be interested in buying the product. Cheap products are associated with low or bad quality and with reference to that fact, selling your products cheaply does not guarantee high sales (Murph, 2011). Nonetheless, goods sold at a cheaper price are more likely to make significant sales compared to the otherwise situation. While determining pricing for a product, it is vital to consider the manufacturing cost also known as the production cost, the market condition and the quality of the product. Price determining factors These are the three main determinants of the price of a product and are significant in determining the price. The needs of a consumer can only be satisfied with a product he or she is willing to purchase and has the ability to sue. For this reason, it’s surface to say that pricing is an important part of marketing (Savov 2011). Packa ging on the other hand is all about the physical appearance of a product and the form of presentation. The outward look of the product must be catchy and attractive to the consumer for him or her to think about buying the product. Research findings In relation to the seven Ps of marketing, the nokia company is left behind in terms of pricing, packaging, and promotion. To maintain competitiveness, the company has chosen to do so through pricing. The recent introduction of affordable gadgets from its company in Indonesia is a clear indication of the company’s determination to pursue the lower segments of the market (Murph, 2011). Nokia believes that the lower mobile market is and remains promising and hence the new entries. These could be seen as a strategy to avoid competition in the higher segment, especially the smart phones. The new entry of the low price Nokia Asha 205, a low priced smart phone, and the nokia 206-feature phone are some of the new strategies to revive the g iant phone maker’s market share (Murph, 2011). With the increased technological advancement, phone capability to be upgraded to receive new software applications is vital. The nokia Lumia failed The nokia Lumia, which is the latest smart phone by the company, is not competing effectively in the market as the manufacturer had anticipated. This is apparently because the gadget cannot be upgraded to the new operating system version, Windows Phone 8 (Dinning 2011). This means that all consumers with the old model operating systems are forced to purchase a new phone and this has been the main problem of the nokia phones. One model can be significantly different from the other hence creating a distinct difference between its products. Recommendations As noted in the above research, the nokia company has been left behind as far as technology is concerned. They have not embraced the global idea of an IT developed consumer base (Buckley 2011). Nokia would benefit more from conducting market research to identify the needs of the consumers. The company should not rely more on creating labels that symbolize their independence rather they should be more focused on the needs and wants of consumers. Easy to use gadgets Today in the market, the consumers are looking for working and easy to use operating systems and the android platform has already gained popularity among consumers (Dinning 2011). The software integrates easily with other software’s easily. Nokia should revise and adjust its pricing systems to get back fully to its position in the market. The decision for the company to focus on the lower segment of the market might have been well intended but clearly, it is not working to the advantage of the company. Opportunity The company has opportunities to improve their market share today and challenges the competition. It is also true that it has the financial capability to cease such opportunities. However, for the company to be able to rescue its declin ing market share, there are vital technological changes that need to be made. Nokia need to change and improve the technology they use in manufacturing their phones (Sharma 2011). Changing for instance the camera resolution and improving picture messaging will definitely attract consumers to buy phones under the nokia brand (Dinning 2011). Market penetration To penetrate significantly the market, the company should re-invent its products to come up with a new product that the competition does not offer (Murph 2011). The company must concentrate on strategic ways to enter into to the market, market growth, product advancement, and diversification (Buckley 2011). Nokia is the only giant phone manufacturer that specializes in mobile phone production. All others such as Samsung and Apple have diversified their production into other products like laptops, iPods, television, and other electronic devices. Market shift Researching and considering changing their market is vital just in case the current target market is saturated. The current price needs to be lowered in order to appeal to the consumers. This can be done for a while until the consumers get used to the brand then the prices can later be adjusted to reasonable prices (Dinning 2011). For a business to succeed, it has to be in a position to supply the needs of the consumer. Conclusion This research has put the nokia brand under great scrutiny in terms of sales and marketing structure. The company that was once the giant phone manufacturer is slowly declining in the market with regard to its market share. In the research, several factors that have led to the decline in sales of the brand’s products have been identified and clearly outlined. Marketing research methods that are effective in helping salvage Nokia’s lost glory also are identified in the paper (Buckley 2011). The bottom line as suggested in this research is the fact that Nokia as a company needs to change its technology in the manuf acture of phones and come up with strategies that can effectively compete with the rivals (Buckley 2011). Marketing is one of the better ways of competing in such a saturated market and to improve sales, diversification is vital. References Buckley, S. 2011, Nokia N9 to ship in Sweden on September 23, Saith awkwardly translated release. 22 June, http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/nokia-n9-to-ship-in-sweden-on-september-23rd-saith-awkwardly-tr/ Dediu, H. 2012. How Samsung beat Nokia. n.d., image, http://www.asymco.com/2012/04/12/how-samsung-beat-nokia/ Dinning, D. 2011, Nokia N9 Imaging. 27 June, http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/06/27/damian-dinning-on-nokia-n9-imaging/ Kozhanov, A. 2011, FM Radio for Nokia N9: First FM Radio application is available in OVI Store. http://my-meego.com/software/applications.php?fldAuto=1276faq=2 Kremp, M. 2011, Das hà ¤tte Nokias Gewinner sein kà ¶nnen. 21 June, http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/gadgets/smartphone-n9-das-haette-nokias-gewinner-sein-k oennen-a-769589.html a Maatz, B. 2012, Exotisches One-Hit-Wonder. 8 January. http://www.stern.de/digital/telefon/smartphone-nokia-n9-exotisches-one-hit-wonder-1770646.html Molen, B. 2011, Nokia N9 gets axed in Germany; global tour looks even more meager. 11 August, http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/nokia-n9-gets-axed-in-germany-global-tour-looks-even-more-meage/ Murph, D. 2011, Nokia: the N9 is not coming to America. 9 August, http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/nokia-the-n9-isnt-coming-to-america/ Savov, V. 2011, Edited: Dear Nokia, you cannot be serious! http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/editorial-dear-nokia-you-cannot-be-serious/ Savov, V. 2011, Nokia N9 review. 20 October, http://www.theverge.com/2011/10/22/2506376/nokia-n9-review Sharma, V. 2011, The N9 includes an FM transmitter receiver although the software is not ready yet. 23 June, http://newstyle.maemo.org/news/planet-maemo/?org_openpsa_qbpager_net_nehmer_blog_index_page=56 Reinhardt, A. 2006, Nokia’s Magnifi cent Mobile-Phone Manufacturing Machine. 3 August, http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-08-02/nokias-magnificent-mobile-phone-manufacturing-machine Ryan, P. 2011, Nokia’s new mega-based N9 is set up for failure. Ars Technica. 24 June, http://www.917wy.com/gadgets/news/2011/06/nokias-new-meego-based-n9-is-set-up-for-failure.ars This report on Marketing Research: Nokia was written and submitted by user Jordan Jefferson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Controlling Environmental Pollution in UK The WritePass Journal

Controlling Environmental Pollution in UK REFERENCE LIST: Controlling Environmental Pollution in UK IntroductionControlling Air PollutionControlling Water PollutionControlling Noise PollutionControlling Land PollutionWaste ManagementAnimal Life protection and country side preservationPollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000AssessmentConclusionREFERENCE LIST:Related Introduction Environmental pollution has been a huge concern since many centuries even in a number of developed nations which were characterized by old civilizations and well settled societies that were later on modified by industrialization and modernization that brought in the need for effective waste disposal and implementation of appropriate and effective measures to reduce the extent of land, water, noise, air and countryside pollution. Noise pollution and air pollution became a major concern only after a few decades following the industrial revolution and attention was given to resolve these issues only after major incidents were witnessed across many places in the world such as the London Smog incident in 1952 that necessitated the country’s parliament to take immediate action and pass legislations (Clay Bassett, 1999, pp. 731-740). River pollution on the other hand also became a great concern at a much later stage when most of the inland rivers had been contaminated with industria l effluents, sewage discharge and untreated wastes. Though the major rivers such as the Thames have become much less polluted and support many fishes after massive efforts that have been taken over the years, other smaller and less popular rivers in interior parts of UK are still being polluted (Farmer, 1997, p. 105). A more detailed introspection of the measures taken by UK is warranted to understand the effects of parliamentary legislations in prohibiting environmental pollution. Controlling Air Pollution Air pollution in UK has been a major concern since many decades and a continuous problem owing to the extent of industrial contaminants, air borne particulate matter and dust. The Dutch Expert committee on Occupational Safety (2010, pp. 20- 74) performed a detailed examination of the level of endotoxins in the air borne atmosphere in various parts of UK. This committee recommended a 90 EU/m3 exposure level to ensure that people do not suffer from respiratory tract diseases due to inhalation of endotoxins though patients with respiratory tract illness, those with asthma and smokers were part of the high risk group. Another regulation that has helped control the release of fluorinated carbons into the atmosphere is the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2009. An effective way to reduce these emissions would be by monitoring the extent of F-Gas Usage and indifferent sectors and in turn controlling their emissions. The Impact assessment carried out by Defra (2009, 1-107) laid down standards for improving checking, labelling, checking leakage, certification and registration for industries mainly associated with   fire protection, stationary and mobile air conditioning and refrigeration, high voltage operations, switch gear and solvent cleaning. The Air Standards Regulations 2010 provides a detailed assessment of the emissions of various pollutants and particulate matter that can be controlled as a duty of the state by measuring at multiple points and checking for the effectiveness of pollution prevention protocol implementation. This regulation defines a clear classification of the various kinds of pollutants categorized as hydrocarbons, particulates, metals, effluents, dust, and ozone depleting pollutants and so on. Hence, this has also proven to be an effective measure to help the state take necessary action to curb and check activities that lead to greater atmospheric pollution. At the same time, it provides a detailed review of the steps that are to be taken for appropriate and regular checking as a part of the state’s efforts in regulating polluting activities. These regulations have helped to elucidate the high level of air particulate pollutants in UK and bring their emission under control. Though the improvement in initial stages till early parts of the twenty first century had been less and slow moving, the developments that have occurred over the later decades have shown significant improvements in making UK part of a better pollution controlled league. Controlling Water Pollution Water pollution is another area that has required massive inputs and efforts in the UK. In earlier days, emissions of chemicals and industrial effluents into nearby water bodies were common practise. Due to this, inland rivers and lakes were greatly polluted and contaminated also making them unfit for water borne fishery and marine harvesting.   River catchment management and maintaining water quality took utmost priority during the later half of the twenty first century and a number of regulations were formed to ensure that the water is not polluted further and steps were taken to recycle the wastes and contaminants to improve existing water quality. Ground water abstraction, mineral extraction, waste water management for discharge and effluents have posed a huge concern to UK and are now being handled by the river catchment management. The control of Pollution Act in 1974 began to tighten the quality of river water through stringent regulation of water polluting activities and polluting industries. This set up a consent-based system for compliance, regular sample collection, testing and procedures for sample collection. It laid regulations on the volume, site of outfall and nature of discharges. These have been quite successful in reducing the extent of harmful effluents reaching water bodies though extensive efforts are still required to redeem all water bodies and reduce the risks due to pollution and subsequent water body contamination. Farmer explained that Surface water Directive (75/440/EEC) set out the requirements for quality of drinking water and classified as basic filtration, physical and chemical treatment and extensive physical and chemical treatment to distinguish the three major categories of drinking water. When the water is not purified as per these protocols, it is deemed unfit for drinking, is not certified and subsequently looked down and not consumed by the public in UK (1997, p. 107). Controlling Noise Pollution Noise pollution in UK has also been a matter of great concern and the Pollution control act also address these issues. This gave a the society the right to report instances of excessive noise pollution and require the corresponding activities such as work at a construction site to be re-modelled to produce lesser noise. The control of Noise at work Regulations 2005 was successful in bringing about noise reduction in work environments. According to these regulations, employees have the duty of assessing noise levels at their work places and also required to follow hearing protection guidelines according t which hearing protection must be supplied to workers when the noise level reached 80 db and workers are to compulsorily wear hearing protection gear when the noise level goes any higher and greater than 80db. Controlling Land Pollution Land pollution has been an area of huge concern especially due to waste disposal on land masses. The environment protection act of 1990 set out rules to help the state manage land   pollution by allowing local authorities to carry out land inspections to ensure that they are not contaminated and also take necessary action of clean up and waste disposal for land recovery. Many organizations including DEFRA and the Environment agency are devising schemes to bring about better land redemption techniques and their effective implementation. Along with this effective strategies for land filling and biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste management are being framed to better manage land resources and prevent their pollution. Waste Management Waste Management has been an area of huge concern for many decades owing to the volume of wastes produced on a daily basis and the need for effective system of waste segregation, treatment and suitable means of disposal that does not contaminate the ecosystem. Waste management regulations have become increasingly important in imposing stringent guidelines for waste treatment and disposal. This has helped reduce the harmful effects of improper waste disposal and bring in greater responsibility from industries and individuals in managing non-biodegradable and hazardous waste. The Environment Agency (2010, pp. 2-18)in UK has framed a waste sector plan in which a three year evaluation for 2006 to 2009 was carried out and a detailed report to manage wastes was prepared.   The Environment agency has also set out a process for waste collection, subsequent treatment, recovering energy materials and products from wastes and disposal using land filling and other methods. These methods also incorporate safety and health preservation as vital aspects. As a result of the sustained efforts, the waste strategy annual progress report given by DEFRA for 2008/90 (p. 4) had shown significant reductions in household waste amounting to about 26%, biodegradable waste land filling to about 8% and a 9% reduction in illegal waste activity such as flytipping. This shows the positive growth that UK has made in the direction of waste management though the management of hazardous waste still proves to be a concern. Animal Life protection and country side preservation Preservation of wild life and country side in UK has been a long sought after need that has been established through laws in recent years.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The country side commission in 1989 set out a few methods to ensure that the country side remains unaltered and undisturbed in the future. This has been brought about more extensively by society based organizations that might even be non-governmental such as the Sid Vale Association and other organizations such as the Campaign to protect rural England that have been successful in preserving the green belts in England and sustaining the ecosystem through public initiative. Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000 One of the strong measures adopted against pollutions and its prevention in UK includes the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000 which details the requirements for installation of treatment plants, using effective techniques, defining pollutants, acquiring relevant permits for working conditions and requirements that emanate pollutants and compensations in relation to off-site conditions. These are important parameters that determine the effectiveness of these regulations to being about pollution control. This set of regulations is common to business setups such as power generation, manufacturing, waste management, intensive pig and poultry farming and other industries related to landfill sites and solvents. This broad classification has helped to bring about streamlining of many areas including emissions to land, water and air, emergency efficiency, waste reduction, raw material consumption, noise, vibration and heat reduction, accident prevention and conditioning the s ite preserve surrounding natural resources. Hence, this has brought about a major compliance standard for industrial and other setups in UK towards environmental preservation and pollution prevention. Assessment A number of regulations and legislative measures have been implemented in UK over a sustained period of time. Though some of these measures may not have materialized as they are difficult to check and assess on a continuous basis, significant improvements have resulted in over all pollution prevention and control. The efficacy of these regulations to act as regulatory and compliance norms for industries has been noteworthy. Especially the regulations that have been set out in the area of water pollution and waste management have been successful in raising the levels of water quality and reducing pollution due to contaminants. Other areas such as air pollution require a much more detailed introspection as they are more extensive in nature when it comes to contributory elements. The steps taken to control air pollution from the point of view of reviewing by state, permits for industrial setups, regulatory compliance for industrial emissions and air quality checking at different points have now evolved into suitable methods to combat the multi faceted aspects of continually increasing variations of air pollutants. The waste management regulations are now being implemented in all industrial sectors and are hence reducing the burden of solid waste and contaminants on the environment through the adoption of appropriate treatment methods. Yet, certain amounts of pollutants eventually reach the water bodies or barren lands which need to be curtailed. The country side preservation has been a more recent initiative and though the originally present natural environment and wild life cannot be regained completely, current efforts will prove to be contributory to improve the existing countryside environment. Conclusion Regulatory measures in the UK to control pollution of water and land have been multi-fold, yet they have not reached every part of the country though they are country wide standards. These measures have been successful in bringing down the levels of water and land pollution to a great extent and have also helped to recover water bodies such as Thames River in UK. The improvements in waste management are also noteworthy. Air pollution is one area that requires extensive planning and continuous appraisal due to a number of factors. Better implementation of the regulations already present and the framing of newer regulations to address other needs in the changing international environment will contribute greatly towards sustained improvement and preservation of the natural environment. REFERENCE LIST: Clay, H, H, Bassett, W, H 1999, Clay’s Handbook of Environmental Health, 18th edition, Taylor Francis, London, UK. Department for Environment food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, (2000)  The Pollution Prevention and Control ( England and Wales) Regulations. London: HMSO. Department for Environment food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, (2008)  Impact Assessment of Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2009. London: HMSO Department for Environment food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, (2009)  Waste Strategy: Annual Progress Report 2008/2009. London: HMSO Dutch expert Committee on Occupational Safety (DECOS), a Committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands.  Endotoxins: Health-based recommended occupational exposure limit. The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands, 2010; publication no. 2010/04OSH Environmental Agency, EA (2010)  Waste Sector Plan: 3 year progress report 2006-2009. A joint report by the environmental services association and environment agency.  London: HMSO Environmental Protection, (2010)  The Air Quality Standards Regulation  2010 No 1001. London: HMSO Farmer, A 1997, Managing Environmental Pollution, Routledge Environmental Management Series, Routledge, London, UK. Health and Safety at Work,   (2006) The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. London: HMSO.

Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Race - Essay Example Though inequalities still exists, it doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be any racial categorization. In the present world scenario utmost importance is given to human rights. Under United Nations resolution human rights to every citizen of every country should be considered as an important factor. It’s every country’s responsibility to protect its citizen’s basic human rights. Human rights violation should be considered as a serious offence, legal and appropriate action should be taken against those who violate these rights Assessing student’s abilities and disabilities is the major factor and teachers should strive to identify these issues. By identifying their strengths and weaknesses one can easily work on these issues. Self-confidence plays an important role in everyone’s lives. It is the deciding factor that decides a winner and a loser. In US the Blacks are the largest immigrants. They migrated from the far lands of the black continent Africa. In the past, since these countries were not as developed as US and their socio-economic structure was on decline, many of the citizens were forced to work as slaves and have to migrate to US. In US, Black immigrants have less education and less skill set, even among Black women also. Apart from other groups these Blacks have less human capital, so they have very less employers in their group and it is indirectly affecting their economic status and social environment also. Gender inequality was always prevailed among the Blacks. Since they were not the major community and further more they were immigrants, they had to face the brunt of racial abuse. One of the reasons of racial abuse was, fear among the US citizens was losing the jobs to these immigrants. Since the Blacks were ready to work for fewer wages there always lies the danger of losing jobs. Most of the Blacks were more or less unskilled or semi-skilled. This makes them of

Audubon zoo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Audubon zoo - Essay Example Park personnel need new challenges and the zoo needs to be constantly improved to prevent falling into a pattern that could lead to a decline. The recent political decision to give control to the City of New Orleans offers an opportunity for reorganization towards a more learning organization which would be flexible enough to make future adjustments as needed. The organization is actually getting too large not to be flexible. Currently, the Audubon Park Zoo operates within the revenues it generates, which is actually a plus, since most such projects require more public support. Financial data is found on the graph below. A questionable suggestion to lease the concessions to third party vendors needs to be examined. The concessions operated at a tiny fraction of current volume before the Friends of the Zoo took it over. While the fact that the labor is volunteer may account for some of the profit, giving up control is probably not advisable. Financially, the zoo is doing well, but it any improvements or expansions are done the funding needs to be developed. New projects are needed in order to maintain momentum. Anything that does not move forward stagnates. The vertically hierarchical structure has worked for the park until now, but the park has grown and will continue to grow, and large organizations which stick strictly to this kind of structure sacrifice flexibility for a sense of stability due to the efficient nature of this organizational structure. In the beginning of a company or during the time when it is being revamped, efficiency is of prime importance. However, as an organization matures, it must become a â€Å"learning organization† so that it can make changes as needed in response to changes in the marketplace. Becoming a learning organization is essential to the bottom line, as Hanvanich et al proved in their study. â€Å"Specifically, under low environmental turbulence, learning orientation and organizational memory

Ethical principles in end of life care - The liverpool care pathway Essay

Ethical principles in end of life care - The liverpool care pathway - Essay Example On the contrary, other sources including that of the Health Minister Jeremy Hunt who describes it as â€Å"a fantastic step forward† (Donnelly, 2013) still maintain their favour believing that the pathway is playing its intended role of ensuring that people are treated in dignity, compassion and comfort during their last days of life instead of enduring invasive and life prolonging treatments (Randall and Downie, 2010, p.91). As a result of these controversies, the government ordered an independent review in 2012 chaired by Baroness Neuberger. The review finding recommends the Liverpool Care Pathway to be phased out and be replaced by a personalised end of life care plan that takes good care of the life of a patient who is facing imminent death (Department of Health, 2013). The LCP has clearly set the stage for ethical and legal controversies about patients, family rights and the role of the medical professions (Glare and Christakis 2008, p. 429). Replacing the LCP to a person alised end of life care plan may not resolve the controversies if the same transgressions persist. In that context, this paper aims to objectively review the literature and explore the challenges that contributed to its failure in order to accurately consider the future development of the recently recommended personalised End of Life Care Plan. Overview The Liverpool Care Pathway for the dying patient was developed as an integrated care pathway by the specialist palliative care team at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Marie Curie palliative care institute Liverpool in 1997 (Ellershaw and Wilkinson, 2003, p. 11). The LCP is a structured clinical record developed to transfer the hospice model of care into other care settings (Jack, Gamble, Murphy, and Ellershaw 2003, p. 371). It aims to support clinical judgements and assist multidisciplinary team in providing optimal treatment and care for patients who are dying(Boyd and Murry 2012), as well a s improve the experience of the relatives or carers during this period and into bereavement (Gambles, Roberts and Anita 2011). It focuses in providing evidence-based framework on different aspects of care required including comfort measures, discontinuation of inappropriate intervention among others (Ellershaw and Murphy 2011, p. 11). The Liverpool Care Pathway was advocated by the Department of Health (2012) as a model of good practice in End of Life care and quality makers and measures for promoting high quality care for all adults in the end of life (MCPCIL). Additionally, the General Medical Council (General Medical Council, 2010) supported it, over 20 organisations and charities as demonstrated in the consensus report for its support published by the NHS in 2012 and the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard for End of Life care for adults. Regardless of its high approvals and recommendations, the LCP has been blamed for delivering poor quality ca re to patient in their final days (Payne, Seymour, Ingleton 2008, p.392). The independent review findings identified a number of important issues that affected the ability to implement the LCP effectively in the provision of quality healthcare to persons who are almost dying or facing imminent death. Amongst which were lack of knowledge and

Definition of lifespan development or lifespan psychology

Definition of lifespan development or lifespan psychology The definition of lifespan development or lifespan psychology is implicit in the term itself. Lifespan developmental psychology or lifespan psychology deals with the study of individual development from conception into old age (Baltes et al 1980). This definition implies the notion that an individual progresses through various developmental stages or phases throughout his or her lifetime. The theories that present the development of an individual in stages is known as stage theories. In analyzing the stages of an individuals lifespan, many theories have been posited by a number of psychologists who have studied particular aspects of the lifespan. Some of these theorists are Jean Piaget, who posited the cognitive developmental theory. During the 20th century, he was one of the most influential researchers in the area of developmental psychology, and posited that individuals progress through four stages of development in mental and reasoning capacities. There is also a psychosexual theory, posited by Sigmund Freud, the father of psychology. He believed that the individual progresses through five stages of sexual development, each of which has a relating psychological principle. Freud believed that if each stage of sexual development was handled well, the individual would evolve into a mature, well-adapted person. A few other theorists are Erik Erikson, who posited the psychosocial theory of development; Lawrence Kohlberg, who posited the theory of moral development ; and James Fowler who posited the psycho spiritual theory of human development. The study of Lifespan Development is of extreme relevance and importance to the Counselling and Consulting Psychologist. The theorists, through years of research, provide a sound basis for understanding the individuals progression through the lifespan. As can be seen from the preceding paragraph, various theorists pay attention to specific aspects of human development, for example, Erikson primarily studied the psychosocial development of the individual. In this way, they were able to spend much time in observation and preparation, thus making the theory reliable. The theories provide a guide as to the developmental stages and expectation of each stage across the lifespan. Therefore, being aware of each theory and its basic tenets will arm the psychologist and give him a birds eye view into the functioning and capabilities of the client. The theory will assist the psychologist to easier detect what may be the clients presenting problems. As with all theories, the theories of Lifespan Development should not be accepted as laws, but simply as guides to the developmental stages through which an individual may progress. The constant nature-nurture debate is ever present in the study and practice of Lifespan Psychology. The individuals nature, that is, his or her genetic make-up and biological predispositions; as well as nurture, which is the environment in which he or she exists, (and there can be several environments, such as school, home, church) contribute to the individuals development. Because of this, the theories cannot be taken as rigid and inflexible boundaries in the psychologists practice. This paper, will discuss the application of lifespan psychology to two cases that may be faced by a counselling psychologist. I will also include discussions on how my own experiences and development would influence my counselling ability and technique in relation to the two scenarios. The first scenario describes a 16 year old girl whose biological mother migrated to England when she was 5 years old. She is now living with her grandparents. Her father is unknown, and her mother has made contact three times since she migrated. There has been no visitation. The 16 year old is suffering from symptoms of withdrawal, tearfulness, and anxiety. Immediately, attachment issues spring to my mind. Attachment may be defined as the strong affectional tie between infants and their caregivers (Baron, 2001). John Bowlby did much research on attachment in humans (1969, 1973, 1977, 1980). His theory holds that the early experiences of infants attachment become cognitively represented in the form of internal working models of the self and others. These models take in expectations about self-worth, and the extent to which others are reachable and responsive in providing support and protection. These models continue to develop over time. He found that attachment does not emerge suddenly, but rather, develops over four phases. Based on this theory, Schaffer (1996; cited in Santrock, 2008) identified four stages of attachment: Phase 1: Birth to 2 months. At this stage, infants instinctively turn their attachment to humans. Even strangers are likely to elicit crying or smiling from the infant. Phase 2: 2 to 7 months. At this stage, attachment becomes focused on a single figure, which is usually the primary caregiver, and the baby gradually learns to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people. Phase 3: 7 to 24 months: Here, specific attachments develop. With increased locomotor skills, babies actively seek contact with regular caregivers. Phase 4: 24 months onward. Children become aware of the feelings of others, as well as others goals and plans, and they begin to take these into account in forming their own actions. In one research known as the Strange Situation done by Ainsworth (1979), based on Bowlbys attachment theory, she identified four types of attachment. Most infants show secure attachment, which means that they freely explore new environments, using the caregiver as a secure base. They may or may not cry when the caregiver leaves the room, and later when she returns, the babies actively seek contact with her, stop crying quickly, and soon return to previous activities. Another group of infants, based on Ainsworths test, displayed insecure/avoidant attachment. These infants do not cry when caregivers leave the room, and react in much the same way to strangers as to their caregivers. They do not usually reestablish connection on her return. If contact is established, the infant usually leans or looks away. A third group of infants displays a pattern described as insecure/ambivalent attachment. These babies usually cling to the caregiver and then resist her by fighting against the closene ss. In the research, these infants often cling anxiously to the caregiver, cry loudly when she leaves, and push away if she tries to comfort them on her return. The final group of babies was described as having insecure/disorganized attachment. These babies were shown to be disorganized and disoriented. They may also appear dazed, confused and fearful. Early attachment to a caregiver is important and relates to a childs social behaviour in later development. In one study conducted by Alan Stroufe and his colleagues (2005; cited in Santrock, 2008), it was found that early secure attachment (occurring between 12 and 18 months) was linked with positive emotional health, high self-esteem, self confidence and socially competent interactions with peers, teachers, and romantic partners through adolescence. According to Santrock (2008), consistently positive parenting over a number of years is likely an important factor in connecting early attachment and the childs functioning later in development. It can be assumed that the young lady in the presented case, whom we shall call Ana, had formed an insecure attachment to her mother in her infant years. Based on the research and the presented information, Ana would more likely be socially competent, had she formed a secure attachment. This is not to rule out other factors which may have been present in her environment. However, it could be argued that her mother was not sensitive to Anas signals as an infant, and so, Ana may have developed this insecure attachment. Further to that insecure attachment, is the fact that she was left with her grandparents at the tender age of five years. Along with all of that trauma, Anas father is unknown to her and the subsequent parent-child contact with her mother was woefully insufficient. It may be that Anas mother was busy trying to manage the stresses that come with single parenthood, including how to create a financially stable environment, in the years following childbirth. The result: Ana is now withdrawn and experiences tearfulness and anxiety which may mark the beginning of a depressive disorder. Based on the information presented in this theory, the therapy session with Ana, , would lead me, the therapist, to ask questions about the relationship she had with her mother, prior to her leaving, and also that which she has with her grandparents. Are the grandparents supportive? I would also like to know how Ana views herself now. What kinds of activities is she involved in? And how does she handle these activities, and even social relationships? These questions would give insight into her feelings of self-worth and self-esteem? As therapist I would ask what changes have occurred in Anas recent life. It may be that a particular situation, such as a romantic relationship, (whether starting or ending) has brought on the feelings of anxiety and the reactions of tearfulness. Obviously, knowledge of Bowlbys theory of attachment would be helpful in managing this particular case. Another theory which may be useful in assessing Anas case is Eriksons psychosocial model. Eriksons theory is a cumulative stage theory. This means that successful completion of each stage is a prerequisite for completing the subsequent stages. Each stage is recognized as a psychological crisis which needs to be solved, with each of these crises having a positive and a negative outcome. A healthy resolution of each crisis, that is, where the outcome is positive, will lead to a mature, healthy, and emotional competent individual. For the purposes of responding to the case, I will focus only on the first and fifth stages. Trust vs. mistrust is the first psychological crisis to be resolved by the individual and focuses on age zero to 1 year old. This first stage centers around the infants basic needs being met by the parents as it depends on them, especially the mother for food, sustenance, and comfort. The infants relative understanding of society comes from the parents and their interaction with the child. If the child is exposed to warmth, regularity, and dependable affection, the infants view of the world will be one of trust. If this does not happen, and the caregivers fail to provide a secure environment, a sense of mistrust will result. Erikson believed the major developmental task in infancy to be learning whether or not other people, especially primary caregivers, regularly satisfy basic needs. If caregivers are consistent sources of food, comfort, and affection, an infant learns trust that others are dependable and reliable. If they are neglectful, or perhaps even abusive, the infant instead learns mistrust that the world is in an undependable, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous place. This early stage in development sets the pace for subsequent victories in development across the lifespan. If Ana had learned trust The fifth stage of Eriksons theory is identity vs. role confusion which spans the adolescence years about 10 to 20 years of age. It is at this stage, according to Erikson, that adolescents are faced with the task of deciding who they are and where they are going in life. These questions become especially important as the adolescence years are reached because adolescents face an overwhelming number of choices. As a therapist, I cannot overlook the fact that there might be situations in therapy that would remind me of some of my own issues, and my own history. As I look at Anas case, I am concerned about what she has faced as a child in being left by her mother, not knowing her father, and now suffering from feelings of anxiety and tearfulness. It would be lovely if every mother could be like mine. I remember my mother saying to me years ago, when a serious issue arose with a child we know, that she had had the opportunity when her children were quite young to go abroad and make a better life. However, as a young, (first child born at 16) unemployed mother, she understood the importance of mother being present and active in the lives of her children, and chose to stay. As I ponder Anas situation I would need to be mindful that not everyone will, or can make the choice that my mother did. Actually, there are many success stories involving a single parent living abroad, while their children live in Jamaica. I do know my strengths, though, and despite the fact that this case would arouse some memories for me, I would be able to maintain clarity of thought and principle. Good professional ethics would have to win out as I would be careful not to let my values overshadow the counselling relationship, so that Anas situation can be dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. In the second scenario, a 25 year old male has been referred because of three counts of sexual harassment in the workplace over a 6 month period. He has inappropriately touched three women, two on the breast and one on the bottom. He expresses no remorse and believes the women are overreacting. He is a university graduate and is still living at home with his parents.

Superheroes Essay -- essays research papers

When you think of a superhero one normally thinks of Spiderman, Batman, or Superman, but there were superheroes long before these characters were created. First one must understand that the basis of this name is hero. What is a hero? A hero is a person who does something special or out of the ordinary in order to help others. It could also be someone who is admired for a characteristic about them, be it physical or mental. They are individuals that normal everyday people can look up to. This being the case, a superhero is nothing more then someone who is a hero, but not just that once and for that one person, but someone who helps many people, or leads them. As time went by the number of people who were true heroes diminished and just doing something for someone was no longer big news. There had to be something more to make them stand out. The American culture needed someone or something to admire and that is where our common day superheroes come into play. It gave them a goal which could never be reached in hopes that people would never stop trying. When one thinks about it, though it may be hard to believe, superheroes stem from God. This began as early back as Greek gods, then leading to Jesus. Jesus was a seemingly normal man who helped everyone, and led people. He was the ultimate superhero of his time. Once he was gone and became no more than a story passed down from father to son, people began to crave what was new, what was ‘in the now.’ That is when tales of knight...

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Integration of ICT in Education: Pedagogical Issues Dr. Anjali Khirwadkar Center of Advanced Study in Education Faculty of Education The M. S. University of Baroda India. Abstract The progress of any country depends upon the quality of education offered and its practices. Indian education was well known for its Gurukul system of education in the Vedic age. Education in India has undergone various phases and stages of development starting in the Vedic age to the post-independent period.At all stages of development there was a concern for bringing in quality education reflecting on the practical aspects in education. The great Indian thinkers had emphasized on developing the inner potential of individuals by reflecting on unique potential of individuals. Getting educated is solely dependent upon the individual teacher’s role to set conditions and generate environments for learning.The recent curriculum framework 2005 as proposed by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training), India focuses on the issues of; Connecting knowledge to life outside Shifting from rote learning to constructing knowledge Providing a wide range experiences for the overall development of a child Bringing flexibility in the examinations The recent developments in technology have changed the world outside the classroom; it is more eye-catching and interesting for a student then the classroom setting. As a result, students find classroom instructions as dull and devoid of life and do not interest them for learning.The information technology has made learner WWW-afflicted. This is because technological developments have brought developments in two ways: First, by enhancing human capabilities by helping people to participate actively in social, 85 economic, and political life in a society at large. Second, by giving advantage to technological innovation as a means for human development due to economic progress and increased productivity. The power of information is such that almost all decisions made in different sectors like science, technology, economics, and business development will be based on information that has been generated electronically.Information has become a key asset of the organization for its progress. Therefore, access to information is a key factor in the generation of wealth and there is a strong link between a nation’s level of development and its level of technological development. Educators and policymakers believe that information and communication technologies are of supreme importance to the future of education and, in turn, for the country at large. As ICT is becoming an integral element for educational reforms and innovations at secondary schools, this situation calls for an enhancement of pre-service education on ICT for prospective teachers.There is a growing importance for ICT within the school curriculum. Not only it is used to support teaching and learning within other curriculum subjects, but it is also a subject in its own right as a separate discipline. The major objective is that developing skills, knowledge, and understanding in the use of ICT prepares pupils to use such technologies in their everyday lives. ICT tools enable pupils to access, share, analyze, and present information gained from a variety of sources and in many different ways. The use of ICT provides opportunities for pupils to work both collaboratively and independently.As such, the role of ICT within the curriculum is not only to enhance the learning experiences of pupils but also to help them develop the skills essential to participate effectively in the world of affairs. It generates avenues for working in groups developing team spirit, cohesion, and social values. Here, a teacher plays a pivotal role in the process of teaching learning. Hence, knowledge of ICT and skills to use ICT in teaching/learning has gained enormous importance for today’s teachers. Teachers are expected to know to successfully int egrate ICT into his/her subject areas to make learning more meaningful.This knowledge development during pre-service training has gained much importance with the notion that exposure to ICT during this time is helpful in increasing student teachers’ willingness to integrate 86 technology with classroom teaching. This paper focuses on issues relating to ICT in education as a core component in pre-service teacher education and the different models to be adopted for its integration. Review of studies conducted in the area of attitude, anxiety, and efficacy of teachers and development of computer skills Pre-service teachers need to plan to use computers in their classrooms.Vision is needed to motivate and direct their teaching and learning with the help of technology and using related instructional methods. There are various strategies used to make teachers understand and implement the integration of ICT in various curricula. They should serve as a basis for understanding compute r operations and programming along with assisting pre- service teachers to learn computer concepts in developing a vision, value, and use of computers in learning. Many studies have been conducted on teachers’ attitude and their use of ICT skills.It has been found that teachers’ attitudes play an important role in the teaching learning process. It has generally been found that pre-service teachers have demonstrated their ability for integrating technology into their teaching, but do not have clarity about how far technology can be beneficial for students. They will probably avoid teaching with technology once the requirement for the demonstration lesson is over. Hence, a negative attitude about teaching with and about technology in a subject matter area could work against well-planned instruction in teacher preparation programs.While, on the other hand, those teacher candidates who believe in the potential and utility of technology in the classroom and continue facing many challenges become the models for student teachers to emulate. Many studies have been conducted with regard to the attitude of teachers towards use and interations of technology have revealed the importance of attitudes for learning to use technologies (Cox, Rhodes & Hall, 1988; Davidson & Ritchie, 1994; Hannaford, 1988; Kay, 1990).These findings were further supported by Bandalos & Benson, 1990; Dupagne & Krendl, 1992; Francis-Pelton & Pelton, 1996; Loyd & Gressard, 1984a; Mowrer-Popiel, Pollard, & Pollard, 1994; Office of Technology Assessment, 1995. ) Several studies have found that individuals' attitudes toward computers may improve as a result of well-planned instruction (Kluever, Lam, 87 Hoffman, Green & Swearingen, 1994; Madsen & Sebastiani, 1987; Woodrow, 1992). Like other individual characteristics that are hypothesized o play a role in the continued growth of technology proficiency, attitudes and beliefs can’t be easily taught and must be developed by an individ ual over a period of time. Another factor that is noted to have a profound effect on the student teacher's learning technology and its integration is computer anxiety. Computer anxiety, as defined by Rohmer and Simonson (1981), is â€Å"the mixture of fear, apprehension, and hope that people feel while planning to interact or while actually interacting with a computer† (p. 151).Research has shown that there is often a negative relationship between the amount of prior computing experience and the level of computer anxiety exhibited by individuals. Reed and Overbought (1993) and Hackney (1994) found significantly reduced levels of computer anxiety following instruction whereas Chu and Spires (1991) observed a significant reduction in computer anxiety for only the most anxious quartile of subjects. McKiernan et al. (1994) reported that some students experienced reduced levels of computer anxiety at the end of a computer training class while other students experienced continuing anxiety.The level of anxiety could be reduced with increased experience in using and working with computers and thereby succeeding in reaching goals. Over and above the attitude of teachers, self-efficacy is also an important aspect to consider. Researchers have indicated that although teachers may have positive attitudes toward technology (Duane & Kernel, 1992; Office of Technology Assessment, 1995), they may still not consider themselves qualified to teach with it or comfortable using it. If teachers are to integrate technology into their teaching, they must feel self-efficacious about using it (Decorum & Kingie, 1993; Remer et. l. , 1993; Office of Technology Assessment, 1995). Bandera (1986) defined perceived self-efficacy as â€Å"people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances. It is concerned not with the skills one has but with the judgments of what one can do with whatever skills one pos sesses† (p. 391). According to Bandura (1982), people acquire information about efficacy from four sources: performance attainments, vicarious experiences of observing the performances of others, 88 erbal persuasion, and physiological states from which people partly judge their capability, strength, and vulnerability (p. 126). This information would help an individual assess his/her performance and then generate self-appraisals of his/her ability. When the concept of computer-efficacy is applied to the domain of learning to use computers in teaching, hands-on computer experience becomes an important component in effective instruction at the pre-service level. Research has shown a high correlation between efficacy judgments and subsequent performance (Bandura & Adams, 1977; Bandura, Adams & Beyer, 1977; Schunk, 1981).This particular link between self-efficacy and subsequent actions is significant in developing an idea for a teacher who continues to learn to teach with technolog y apart from instruction in teacher preparation (Ashton, 1985). Self-efficacy was originally conceived as having a high domain-specific component rather than one with high generalizability (Lennings, 1994), and this has led to recent research interest in the area of computer self-efficacy (Delcourt & Kinzie, 1993; Ertmer, Evenbeck, Cennamo, & Lehman, 1994). Computer self-efficacy represents the essential elements of self-efficacy as applied to the domain of computer learning.Several studies have found the positive effects of instruction on computer self-efficacy (Ertmer, Evenbeck, Cennamo & Lehman, 1994; Gist, Schwoerer & Rosen, 1989; Russon, Josefowitz & Edmonds, 1994; Torkzdeh & Koufteros, 1994). There is little doubt that today's prospective teachers will be expected to teach with technology in the classrooms of tomorrow. However, the resources available to teachers in terms of hardware, software, networking, and professional development vary greatly at the school level. Hence, i t is imperative that teachers become directors of their own learning with regard to using information technologies in the classroom.Through learning to teach with technology, teacher preparation programs have a unique place at the beginning of this challenging process. The development of a pedagogically-based framework of constructs that are related to learning to use computers and an approach for its application in teacher preparation shows promise for meeting these challenges as discussed above. 89 Another challenge for pre-service education is finding classrooms where pre-service teachers could observe teacher educators using technology appropriately and to understand where and how to include technology in their lessons.The computer has moved from an object to be studied to a teaching and learning tool for teachers and students. Hence, teacher preparation programs could no longer rely on an introductory course. We can’t just bolt on the technology in teacher education curr iculum; we need to take proactive steps for its integration in teaching learning. Teacher education and technological competence should involve all aspects of the preparation of teachers, i. e. , introductory competencies, use of technology in methods classes, school placements, and student teaching.Pre-service teachers need to develop a vision from the very beginning of their careers for using computers in their classrooms. For this, student teachers must understand computer operations and programming–leading them to develop a vision of the value and use of computers in learning. Therefore, it is crucial that teacher preparation programs should develop the cognitive, social, and physical environments that will help teachers feel efficacious and in control of learning to teach with technology, a domain that is often overwhelming even for experienced teachers.Another challenge of preparing teachers to teach with technology is that as a result of knowledge generation, our knowl edge about computer technology is constantly changing. In addition to this factor, there are various other dimensions like attitude, motivation, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy which play an important role in developing skills and competencies among prospective teachers. Pedagogy is primarily associated with formal school education.There are significant differences between the two concepts of pedagogy and â€Å"webogogy†, especially in terms of independence/dependence of the learners, resources for learning, motivation, and the role of the teacher. The context of learning is significant because learning is contextually and situationally specific. The teacher’s role in web-based teaching has already been identified as being very different from the teacher’s role in formal education, with terms like facilitator referring to the person who is on-line and interacting with students in various ways. It may be the same person who produces the course materi als.Also, the on- 90 line teacher will need to arrange a range of activities in which he or she will engage students, and a range of roles that he or she will fulfill. In web-based teaching, the teacher would be engaged in preparation and organization of instructional materials based on the same kind of assumptions about learners that are held by textbook authors. The Internet provides a wide range of scope for integrating varied learning experiences and making learning holistic. All of the resources developed by an individual teacher could be shared in a web forum for further refining the lesson plans.The various skills and competencies to be developed on the part of student teachers would be: Surfing the Internet and locating useful information from the Internet for the development of lesson plans. Developing lessons plans incorporating student use of technology in the learning process. Evaluating and selecting appropriate software for a particular subject and per student needs. G enerating printed documents like student assignments, newsletters, communication, etc. utilizing a variety of applications software like word processing and desktop publishing.Managing student data ; using data management tools for efficiently managing learning. Using technology to gather, organize, and report information about student performance like Excel and Access for database management. Developing tools to evaluate technology-based student projects including multi-media, word processing, database, spreadsheet, PowerPoint, desktop publishing, and Internet/telecommunications. 91 Using the Internet to support professional development including locating professional organizations, communicating with other teachers electronically, and participating in on-line professional development workshops nd seminars. Developing assignments and project work for students; giving them broader and deeper knowledge in a field of study; developing critical thinking and infusing creativity among st udents. Computer Education at The Secondary Level Recognizing the growing importance of ICT in the education area, policy makers in the school education sector have taken proper care to integrate computer education at the school level. The Curriculum Guide and Syllabus for Information Technology in Schools developed by NCERT, India, has the following objectives for the secondary school level: 1.Selecting appropriate IT devices for a given task; making his/her own informed choice of browser and search engines; trouble-shooting for peripherals. 2. Identifying specific strengths and weaknesses of technology resources; demonstrating legal and ethical behavior regarding the use of technology and information. 3. Communicating to a variety of audiences using IT tools; using a variety of technology tools for data collection and analysis; using tools to present and publish information with interactive multi media features; using tools to make models and simulations; manipulating images. . Us ing on-line information resources for collaboration and communication; collaborating with others to build content-related knowledge bases. 5. Developing strategies to find relevant and appropriate electronic information sources. 6. Investigating technology-based options for lifelong learning; using productivity tools, communication tools and research skills. 92 IT competency standards at the end of Class X to be developed in students are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Ability in and understanding of fundamental computer operations and concepts. Using a variety of programs to accomplish learning tasks.Exhibiting skills in the use of communication networks. Exhibiting skills in the selection and use of technology to gather, process, and analyze data and preparation of reports. The expectations from the school sector in terms of established student objectives and expected skills to be developed demonstrate the need to develop necessary knowledge and skills among teachers with positiv e attitudes and the right inclination. Techno-Pedagogy a Skill The aim of teacher education is to develop skills and appropriate knowledge among teacher trainees for using and integrating the correct technology in an appropriate manner.Every teacher should know how to use technology, pedagogy and subject area content effectively in their daily classroom teaching. It is clear that merely introducing technology to the educational process is not enough. One must ensure technological integration since technology by itself will not lead to change. Rather, it is the way in which teachers integrate technology that has the potential to bring change in the education process. Hence, attitude and self-efficacy towards technology play an important role.For teachers to become fluent in the usage of educational technology means going beyond mere competence with the latest tools to developing an understanding of the complex web of relationships among users, technologies, practices, and tools. Teac hers must understand their role in technologically-oriented classrooms. Thus, knowledge about technology is important in itself, but not as a separate and unrelated body of knowledge divorced from the context of teaching–it is not only about what technology can do, but perhaps what technology can do for them as teachers. 3 In techno-pedagogy, there are three areas of knowledge, namely: content, pedagogy, and technology. Content (C) is the subject matter that is to be taught. Technology (T) encompasses modern technologies such as computer, Internet, digital video and commonplace technologies including overhead projectors, blackboards, and books. Pedagogy (P) describes the collected practices, processes, strategies, procedures, and methods of teaching and learning. It also includes knowledge about the aims of instruction, assessment, and student learning.Speaking truthfully, technology integration entails the understanding and negotiating of the relationships among the aforemen tioned three components. Good teaching is not simply adding technology to the existing teaching and content domain. Rather, the introduction of technology causes the representation of new concepts and requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, transactional relationship between all three components suggested by the TPCK framework. (Koehler, M. J. and Mishap, P. 2005) Technological Content Knowledge C P Pedagogical Content Technological, Pedagogical knowledge (TPCK)T Technological Pedagogical Knowledge Depending upon the nature of content, scope of content, and level of students, appropriate technology integration must be sought. Technology as an aid enhances the process of learning and helps in achieving higher level objectives. 94 Approaches to ICT integration in Teacher Education Use of ICT within teacher training programs around the world is being approached in a number of different ways with varying degrees of success. These approaches were subsequently described, refined a nd merged into following approaches: 1.ICT skills development approach: Here importance is given to providing training in use of ICT in general. Student teachers are expected to be skilled users of ICT for their daily activities. Knowledge about various software, hardware and their use in educational process is provided. 2. ICT pedagogy approach: Emphasis is on integrating ICT skills in a respective subject. Drawing on the principles of constructivism, pre-service teachers design lessons and activities that center on the use of ICT tools that will foster the attainment of learning outcomes.This approach is useful to the extent that the skills enhance ICT literacy skills and the underlying pedagogy allows students to further develop and maintain these skills in the context of designing classroombased resources. 3. Subject-specific approach: Here ICT is embedded into one’s own subject area. By this method, teachers/subject experts are not only exposing students to new and innov ative ways of learning but are providing them with a practical understanding of what learning and teaching with ICT looks and feels like.In this way, ICT is not an ‘add on' but an integral tool that is accessed by teachers and students across a wide range of the curricula. 4. Practice driven approach: Here emphasis is on providing exposure to the use of ICT in practical aspects of teacher training. Focus is on developing lessons and assignments. Using ICT and implementing it in their work experience at various levels provides students an opportunity to assess the facilities available at their school and effectively use their own skills. Thus, ICT in teacher training can take many forms. Teachers can be trained to learn how to use ICT tools.ICT can be used as a core or a complementary means to the teacher 95 training process (Collis & Jung, 2003). The various ways in which ICT teacher training efforts could be classified into four categories are shown below in Figure 1. ICT AS PART OF CONTENT ICT AS A CORE COMPONENT IN TEACHER EDUCATION AND ITS APPLICATION ICT AS CORE CONTENT ICT AS FACILITATOR ICT AS CORE DELIVERY From the above suggested approaches, regarding ICT as a core component at the preservice level, integration of all approaches would help in developing proper attributes among prospective teachers.There should be joint efforts of educators and prospective teachers in implementing and sharpening ICT skills. Whatever approach is followed in educational institutions to develop knowledge about ICT, it has inherent limitations. Coupled with other reasons, we are not making student teachers fully confident in using ICT in their daily classroom activities. As reported by Larose F. in their study, the level of computer literacy of the teaching staff is satisfactory but there is little transfer of these competencies to teaching practices (Larose F. et al. 1999). Efforts are required on the part of teachers to make use of the available facilities for the best use in teaching /learning. ICT in Education Course Scenario at the Pre-Service Level The syllabi for ICT in education courses offered by some of the universities in India were analyzed in terms of the objective of the course, weight given to theory and practice, and other syllabus components. The Curriculum Guide and Syllabus for Information Technology in Schools developed by NCERT, India, has the following expectations 96 bout basic competencies of teachers to achieve the objectives of ICT education at the secondary level: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Understanding the role of technology in change and the implications of technology-mediated changes for education. Creating interest in learning among students through unique utilities like animation, simulation, the Internet, etc. Demonstrating a sound understanding of basic IT concepts and operations. Planning and designing effective learning environments with necessary technology support. Making the best use of technology-enhanced lessons to enrich student learning.Adopting assessment strategies to evaluate (a) student competencies in IT skills and (b) student learning in the new environment. Using technology to enhance our own creativity and professional practices. Demonstrating understanding of social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in schools. Fashioning a climate of values that encourage questioning, exploration, problemsolving, decision-making, and group co-operation. Striving for education to emerge from its disciplinary narrowness. Identifying useful learning material from various sources.The teacher has to take an active part in developing his own checklist for evaluation of learning materials and use it in the context of (a) the learner profile, (b) the learning environment, and (c) the technical strength of the computer laboratory of the school. Moreover, the tasks of the teacher are: 1. Design oneâ₠¬â„¢s own checklist. 2. Review software to be procured or on the World Wide Web 3. Report his/her assessment of courseware to the principal so a purchase decision can be made. 97 ICT is introduced in secondary teacher training courses at various levels as a compulsory subject or a special field subject.Sometimes, it is also introduced as one of the subjects to be studied under a course titled ‘Educational Technology’. Various objectives/rationales for introducing the course are as follows: 1. Understanding the scope and importance of ICT in contemporary society. 2. Developing effective perspectives and attitude towards emerging technologies. 3. Developing skills in handling, maintaining and protecting different types of hardware and equipment in the institutions of learning. 4. Acquiring a theoretical basis of ICT and to develop an awareness about recent developments in the area of ICT. 5. Acquiring adequate knowledge bout the fundamentals of computers and operating sys tems. 6. Acquiring the necessary skills of handling software packages for the purpose of education in the institutions of learning. 7. Acquiring knowledge about new Internet technologies and their place in the field of education. Regarding the weight given to the subject, different approaches are followed. Overall the weight given to theory and practice is 60/40 (60% for theory and 40% for practice). Broadly the content areas regarding theory/practice include: a. Introduction to Computers b. Introduction to Operating Systems c. Application of Computers in Teaching d.Functions of Computers – Knowledge of M. S. Office and other related packages and Computer languages e. Application of computers in Education f. New Trends and Techniques in Computer education (EDUSAT etc. ) g. Knowledge of Internet, World Wide Web, etc. 98 In the majority of teacher education institutions, the syllabi exhibit less weight to practical than theoretical aspects. Since the nature of ICT subjects is m ore practical and application-oriented, there needs to be more practical than theoretical input. This aspect seems to be neglected in designing and framing curricular objectives.The present approach for ICT integration is dismal as an â€Å"add on† approach for ICT course is adopted : ICT basics are taught to teacher trainers focusing on technical issues, but little emphasis is given to the pedagogical aspects Educational technology courses are taught in a rather traditional way and show little evidence of using new technology to support instructional innovations Students don’t know how to use new technology in their classroom instruction when they go to schools Technology input is not integrated in the curriculum courses, especially method courses.These are certain basic problems associated with the integration aspects of technology. These are major hurdles in the integration of ICT in the teaching/learning process. This scenario shows that the objectives of introduci ng ICT at the pre-service level are developing technological know-how and awareness regarding various other technologies and software packages. Further, the time spent for practical sessions is less, as more time is spent for theory sessions. The total approach of introducing ICT at the pre-service level is not very serious.It is very clear that student teachers will not get much scope in order to integrate ICT in curriculum or the teaching/learning process. In teacher training programs at the secondary level, the ICT education scenario is struggling with the following problems: †¢ †¢ Only at the awareness development level are objectives being achieved, but higher order thinking skills regarding the use of ICT tend not to be occurring. Technology, pedagogy and content area integration is a rare feature. components are dealt with separately which creates confusion for students. All 99 †¢There is a serious discrepancy among syllabi of teacher training institutions and secondary schools. Syllabi at various institutions are not on a par with school level curriculum. †¢ Time duration of the courses related to ICT education is too short to develop knowledge and necessary skills among students to achieve higher order thinking skills. †¢ †¢ †¢ There is a lack of availability of proper infrastructural facilities at most of the institutions. There is a mismatch between available hardware and software to develop required learning resources. Support from technical taff for maintenance is dismal. The objective at the pre-service level is not to prepare technocrats, but to develop technopedagogues. Teachers should be in a position to integrate technology into teaching / learning as well as develop the art and skill of â€Å"webogogy† (i. e. , to make use of Internet technology, exploring it, accessing information from it to use in teaching learning, etc. ). So, objectives must be set at the attainment of application and skill level s rather than just at the knowledge and understanding levels. The professional development of teachers needs to be given importance.There must be congruence between the school curriculum and teacher training curriculum at the secondary level. Otherwise, teachers are not ready to utilize their knowledge to effectively design teaching/learning processes, project work, and assignments. In addition to offering ICT as a compulsory and special course, integrated approaches need to be studied along with methods courses. This will help student teachers to develop the concept of ‘techno pedagogy’ to a greater extent. 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From LO to LOL - Emphasis

From LO to LOL From LO to LOL It is 40 years ago, almost to the day, that the internet made its first connection. On 29 October 1969, a computer in the University of California connected with one several hundred miles away in the Stanford Research Institute, just long enough to receive the message LO. (It was meant to be LOGIN, but the system crashed before the G could be typed.) The rate at which the internet and related technologies have developed since that fateful day is positively dizzying: from science fiction to something tentatively toyed with by a very few, to a ubiquitous part of life for the vast majority in a few decades. Increasingly frequently this is our chosen method of communication in work and out to the point where the future of a national institution like the postal service is threatened. But could our relationship with language be threatened too? The question does keep rearing its worried head over the possibilities of the future: illiterate children? Txt spk @ work? Robot computers marking exam papers? Whats certain is that there will be an effect of some kind. After all, use of the word hello as the greeting we unthinkingly use originated when Thomas Edison declared it the clearest way of answering the telephone. Interestingly, in 2003 it was reported that traditional greetings like hello would soon become obsolete, replaced (as they often are in texts and email) with globespeak alternatives, such as hey, howdy and gday. This, if true, would effectively bring the life of hello full circle: both created for and destroyed by the rise of a new technology. Although we probably neednt sound its death knell quite yet. Then, of course, theres Microsoft: it may rule the world, but to what extent does it rule our words? We are all guilty of relying more and more heavily on Words varicoloured squiggly lines and AutoCorrect function to correct our mistakes, but we are all also probably aware that the program is far from infallible. For example, certain errors such as unnecessary initial capital letters or accidental use of homonyms may not be flagged, while words that are actually spelled accurately can be. Changes both in language and in technology are inevitable and move at a great pace, but theyre not always in step with each other. While newer words like podcast and texting have found their way into dictionaries, older versions of Word still mark them as wrong. The limitations of spellcheckers have been such that the phenomenon of them wreaking havoc with documents now has its own name: the Cupertino effect. Its so-called because Cupertino (the Californian city home to Apple Inc.) used to be the first offering to replace cooperation, back when spellcheckers only recognised the hyphenated version of the word. This meant that anyone breezily pressing accept all changes was left with such nonsensical phrases as the Cupertino with our Italian comrades proved to be very fruitful. (This is taken from an official NATO document from 2003.) Proper nouns and foreign words can also cause problems, as news service Reuters discovered when it inadvertently ended up referring to Pakistans Muttahida Quami Movement as the Muttonhead Quail Movement. Naturally, updates are being made all the time to prevent these particular blunders Microsoft Office 2010 offers a contextual speller in order to make correction suggestions more accurate. Nevertheless, other problems are quite likely to pop up and, however ingenious the algorithm behind the latest features, the ultimate responsibility is with us to check what we actually end up saying. It is also unavoidable that around periods of great change therell be those who fret over the potential consequences. The massive rise in texting has led to concern that this abbreviation-filled medium is going to destroy childrens literacy and have them including such terms as LOL (laugh out loud) and gr8 (great) in their schoolwork. Tales of such inclusions abound, but many are mere fabrication; in fact, several studies have found that the majority of children scornfully denounce the idea that theyd do such a thing. Indeed, a positive aspect could be that kids are taught the importance of writing appropriately for different contexts. We wont be able to stop the dual juggernauts of technology and language change, but we neednt necessarily fear them. The best approach is probably to stop worrying about a future filled with texted essays and automatons in charge of education, and make sure to keep a responsible eye on what we are each actually producing. After all, the future of writing if not the future of technology is largely in our hands.