Hospital Marketing in North Shore University Hospital

Being one of the foundations of the system of health care, New York’s North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) is identified for its 2,700 health specialists, approximately 730 beds facilitated by 10,500 nurses—the biggest in Long Island.   With a yearly operating budget amounting to roughly $4 billion, NSUH is the country’s third-largest, secular and non-profit hospital. With an interview with Theresa Howard, assistant for the hospital’s marketing department, she discussed how North Shore University Hospital came to be a competitive health care provider. Bautista: What was inside NSUH before in terms of marketing? Howard: NSUH functioned similar to an in-house provider, satisfied with satisfying interior requirements and conversing with the staffs, doctors and patients.   They didn’t put forth enough attempt to endorse their hospital, certain with idea of being unwavering.   They didn’t even have marketing memorandum that plays when clients or callers calls and when they are put into hold. Bautista: When did NSUH realized that they have to advertise? Howard: That’s when contenders become present and they discovered that the patients were not opening the doors like in previous years and realized that the revenues started to decline.   They never realized this till they understood the consequences.   Time changes and man chooses all the best for him.   They choose the best hospital that would offer the best services they could. Bautista: What were the primary steps they did upon seeing the problem? Howard: They automatically hired me and my partner Christine Malcolm to think strategies that will get back the sympathy of their clients and will boost the image of the hospital.   We didn’t do anything new; it’s just that it was new for NSUH.   We built a strong strategic program and development through financial models, convincing NSUH that they need to exert effort because NSUH was not doing well in terms of revenues.   NSUH has to cut its budget and risk for marketing. Then after convincing them, we hired Storandt Pann Margolis advertising agency and began to work with marketing planning, doing interviews, and developing the budget for the year 2003.   We made advertising campaigns including commercials wit televisions and radios, website and different kinds of strategies to catch attentions.   We even proposed to change the name of NSUH.   We also conducted our first mass-marketing campaign.   .   We also redesigned the website for guide consultations for physicians and also for additional ad campaigns.   We even include call centers and advertising agents. Bautista: After such effort you’ve done, what were the results? Howard: Finally, campaign was launched in October 2003, using the different kind of media.   They didn’t used actors in the ads, but instead, put up the actual interview with the doctors, staffs, nurses, researchers with regards to what they does to improve and deliver their quality service.   The result after several weeks, there’s an increase of volume in the referral line in the redesigned website.   From the fourth  top-mind surveys, NSUH went up to 3rd.   The have been also an increased of admission to 2-3 percent from the last year’s record.   This campaign had also returned profit which they have loss for the last years.   They got a profit of $6.5 M, which was truly a big improvement.   Revenues increased to 9 percent as a result of an effective marketing. This has shown the relevance of having marketing plans.   With the highly competitive time, we need to create strategic plans in order to establish a stable business.   Furthermore, having marketing plan doesn’t just strengthen the stability of a certain company, but instead, also benefits the consumers with regards to good the opportunities they’ll receive upon choosing one. References: Michele Howard, vice president for marketing department of NSUH University Medical Center. http://www.strategichealthcare.com/pubs/shcm/f2_MarketShare_print.php: August  11, 2007

Hazlitt RH Analysis Essay

In this world, money is a necessity. In William Hazlitt’s critical and didactic excerpt from, â€Å"On the Want of Money,† he bears witness and exposes to his audience that although money is not necessarily a source of happiness, it is fundamental in order to achieve any other sort of joy and comfort on earth. Hazlitt employs adverse diction and the layering of evidence through syntax to then further his argument on the necessity of money. Hazlitt’s fatalistic diction exposed to the readers how without money, one’s life on earth is rather misfortunate and uncomfortable, to say the least. Words such as, â€Å"despised,† â€Å"exile,† â€Å"rejected,† and â€Å"avoided,† reveal the bleak lifestyle of a poverty-stricken, penniless human being. This pessimistic diction suggests and constructs the awful, unhappy life that one will live in the lack of money. Words such as, â€Å"disappointment,† dissatisfied,† â€Å"querulous,† and â€Å"morose,† demonstrates the discontent which one lives life feeling if there is no money to spend on luxuries and other such pleasures. However, diction such as, â€Å"hope,† â€Å"succeed,† â€Å"enthusiasm,† and â€Å"fortune,† suggest that a life of riches and abundance is also a life of satisfaction. Through Hazlitt’s gloomy diction, he was able to disclose with his audience his position on the necessity of money if one desires to life a well-off, enjoyable life. William Hazlitt’s layering of evidence aided in bringing to light his argument on the vitality of having money in order to live a favorable life because he had the information to sustain his appeal. One piece of material exercised to further his point was â€Å"to be a law-stationer, or a scrivener or scavenger,† suggesting that a life without money is similar to the life of a scrounger with nothing of his own. The evidence, to be â€Å"avoided by those who know your worth and shrink from it is as a claim on their respect or their purse,† manifests the idea that you will be treated differently by those who  are aware of the amount of money in your pocket. Lastly, the piece of evidence stating, â€Å"to be a burden to your relations, or unable to do anything for them,† validates that with money, people will feel pity for you and your situation, but without it, you cannot help others—or yourself. The layering of evidence done through syntax in this advisory excerpt exposes the theme that Hazlitt was constructing: being the fact that in this society, money will be the cornerstone to happiness and progress. â€Å"Literally and truly, one cannot get on well in this world without money.† William Hazlitt both understood and felt that it was his duty to prove to his audience why money has become a necessity in this world. He employed depressing diction and the scaffolding of evidence to more clearly emphasize his point of view â€Å"on the want of money.†

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Article Analysis - Essay Example It became apparent that retention rates within the organization were abysmal with approximately 50% of new hires would not last 97 days within the organization. Employee retention has significant associated costs, and a study by Cox/Frank for the U.S. Department of labor statistics estimated that in the supermarket context, employee turnover cuts into the industry’s profit by approximately 40%. It was from this study that Angela Hornsby decided that many of the problems that plagued the supermarket industry were similar to that of T.G.I. Fridays The article then went on to identify problems with retention. Firstly it is the case that many restaurants focus on turnover and not retention. Salary is not the most common reason for somebody leaving an organization. It was postulated that employers who provide their employees with better direction lose only about half of their employees in 148 days as opposed to 86 days which marks a 72% difference in the grocery industry. Furthermore it should be noted that retention drivers are different for management employees as opposed to hourly laborers. As such retention programs need to be tailored to meet the different needs of different employees. The article finally postulated that according to Teresa Siriani of the People report suggests that the restaurant industry’s high turnover can be attributed to many factors and no one simple problem. She suggested that a shrinking labor pool, declining employment rate (in 2006) and more competition amongst other labor fields such as health care will continue to make retention difficult. It is only through continual innovations can a restaurant hope to achieve better employee retention and as such lower the associated costs. The challenges presented in this article are simple. It is the case that in the restaurant (And Supermarket) industry there is inherently a very high employee turnover rate. The way that this affects the food and beverage

Uncertainty Avoidance and Country Risk Ratings Dissertation

Uncertainty Avoidance and Country Risk Ratings - Dissertation Example Despite the importance of these country risk ratings, the utility of these measures for predicting market volatility has been called into question (DiGregorio, 2005; Oetzel et al, 2001) while global debt crises have occurred that have been likened to a heart attack for the international financial system (Gokay & Whitman, 2010).   Current literature on country risk ratings indicates a focus on political, financial, and economic factors without inclusion of social or cultural factors (Miroshnik, 2002). Description of the Population and Sample In selecting the sample size three factors into consideration and the study came up with a sample size which will consist of a total of 49 countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.   This sample surpasses the minimum required sample size as computed from G*Power, which should reduce the possibility of committing Type II errors when running the analyses.   Data from the samples will be collected from the International Country Risk Guide database, Euro money Country Risk score database, Hofstede Uncertainty Avoidance Index databas e, and the World Bank databases. Table 4.1 Economic indicators and the previous year country risk ratings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Years compared    Predictors 2007 ? 2008 2007 ? 2009 2008 ? 2009 2008 ? 2010 2009 ? 2010                      Euromoney .998*** .906*** .908***          Intl Country Risk Guide .982*** .959*** .965***          Economic indicators                                     Export growth       .132   Ã‚  Ã‚   .090 -.240    Ratio current account to GDP       .878*** .826*** .910***    Growth foreign exchange       .039*** .181*** .695***    Inflation       .892*** .867*** .950***    GDP per capita       .994*** .991*** .994***    Combined indicators       .528*** .445** .732***    **p< .01, ***p< .001, all 2-tailed. Source: International Country Risk Guide database To confirm the applicability of factor analysis a t-test was carried out at 95% confid ence level. The table above shows all the identified economic factors that could probably affect a country’s risk ratings. The test results are only significant if the p-value or the significance value of the test is lower than .05.   The t-test statistics (table above) shows that all identified

Character Analysis on EDNA from the novel The Awakening by Kate Essay

Character Analysis on EDNA from the novel The Awakening by Kate Choplin - Essay Example Bloom posits that women of this time were barred from agitating for their independence and self-actualization (51). In contrast, Edna rediscovers her self -worth and acknowledges her emotional urges. This makes her abandon her former, domineering husband. She later marries Robert. In all the maneuvers, Edna, in a bid to break free from the societal norms and expectation, finds that her independence will attract isolation from the society. This owes to the general belief of many women in the society during that time. According to Bloom, Edna’s husband also objects her clamor for independence given that he strongly believes in the doctrines of society pertaining to the position of a woman in society (39). In her pursuit of painting, Edna is able to realize the beauty of individual creation and architecture. This makes her seek self-independence, regardless of the inevitable hurdles of society. Her quest for independence is emotionally driven and events happen in a sequential manner with regard to her quest for autonomy. Robert’s passion for Edna’s love is not strong enough to overcome his sense of morality. In fact, the note that Robert leaves behind is evident to Edna that she was alone despite the fact that she has obtained the hard-earned independence and self-achievement. The note articulated the fact that Robert was not ready to contravene the societal norms pertaining to women. This confirms that loneliness presents room for the independence Edna desires. The discovery of self-expression by Edna informs her of her long overdue independence. In fact, the awakening of Edna makes her learn three new concepts, including the mode of expression for the Creole women. The Creole women express themselves in a free manner and share their feelings regardless of their chastity. In addition, Edna is challenged by their faithfulness and liberty. In this regard, Edna learns that she is the architect of her

EGBC report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

EGBC report - Essay Example Researches and extensive studies have shown a direct linkage between energy and population growth. Due to this reason, Egyptian government and other officials have decided to look for different ways which can reduce the GHG emission and power consumption. For the accomplishment of this goal, developing energy efficient building is the first step in identifying the alternative methods of efficient energy. There have been many proposals forwarded for improved performance but manpower and interest is absent here. Many people are experiencing this dilemma however some other people are looking for alternative systems in order to deal with this issue and increase awareness to other people about its importance. In subsequent paragraphs, there are some initiatives taken for the bridging the gap between code compliance and code design. In 2009, a major step was taken by Egyptian government in establishing Egyptian Green Building Council-EGBC. There are many international and national personalities who have become member of this council; they include NGO officers, government officials, ministers, labour leaders, contractors and prominent businessman. The objective of developing this council is to satisfy environmental conservations and energy efficiency by providing opportunities to investors to adopt BEECs and other existing codes. The purpose of focusing on new constructions is that by focusing on it, EGBC can utilize its leverage as an organization to persuade and educate builders, engineers, owners and contractors about the advantages of establishing green constructions on people, community and most significantly, to the nation. In this way, green construction can be a required objective for buildings, construction work and other projects as energy efficiency codes would be tools, material and road map to attai n that desired objective. The imperative motivation is to eradicate the clichà ©d perspectives related to the green

Pension scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pension scheme - Essay Example 212). There are several factors that determine the amount of money that each retiree receives. This means that the fact that the defined benefit pension scheme promotes the payment of fixed amount of money every month does not mean that all organizations agree to pay a fixed amount of money to all their employees. Even within the same organization, not all employees receive the same amount of money. The actual contract of fixed amount payment is therefore between the employer and each employee; rather than between the employer and all members on the staff. To create a difference between how much each employee would take upon retirement, there are a number of mechanisms used to calculate the monthly. The commonly procedure is for employers to multiply the number of years each employee worked by a constant pound value (Diamond and James, 1985, p.12). For example an employee may choose to multiple the number of years by ?120. In this case, an employee who worked for 20 years will receiv e 20 x 120 which is equal to 2400 every month. Defined Contribution Pension Scheme Unlike the defined benefit pension, the defined contribution pension scheme does not guarantee a fixed monthly amount of money. Somehow, the name of this scheme, which is defined contribution, explains the technique behind this scheme and that is, an employee would receive a certain amount of money based on certain contribution made. This calls for the setting up of a fund, such as a pension fund. The employer agrees to pay a certain amount of money into the fund each year. In some jurisdictions, the employee is also free make similar contributions into the fund. The amount of money that the employee would receive each month upon retiring therefore depends on the amount of income that the accumulated money in the fund can generate. A very special feature that defined contribution pension plan possesses is that the recipient of the benefit is also entitled to any investments that the fund that was set can generate. For instance if the fund was invested into a mortgage, the amount of interest that the mortgage investment generates also becomes part of the calculation when determining how much the retiree will receive at the end of each month after retiring. This therefore leaves employers who want to use this pension scheme as a source of motivation for their employees to look for highly beneficial investment funds that can guarantee their employers much revenue for selection. In the absence of such an investment fund, the only amount that the employee can be assured of would be the accumulated contribution made by the employer or by both the employer and the employee (Amoroso, 2003). Comparison between two types from perspective of members of the pension scheme Primarily, members of the pension scheme are made up of employers and employees. In the sight of each of these people, are there a number of factors that they would consider in either agreeing to go for defined benefit pen sion plan or defined contribution pension plan. Most commonly, the outstanding feature that these two people look at is what is referred to as market risk. Chuck (2012) notes that â€Å"market risk is the risk associated with changes in the value of the investments in the plan.† Technically, both types of pension plans are special forms of investments where by in the defined benefit p

What are the main differences between contract and tort Essay

What are the main differences between contract and tort - Essay Example A contract can be in verbal or written form but the most important thing is that there would be an agreement especially between two parties. On the other hand, a tort law can be described as a civil wrong not arising from a contract and in the case of negligence, one should owe due consideration to one’s neighbour (Capiro Industries vs. Dickman 1990). According to the European labour laws, both the worker and the employee are bound by certain statutory regulations that would ensure that no party will breach the agreed contract. With regards to employment contracts, there ought to be written agreement which binds the two parties to honour their contractual obligations which can be enforceable in the court of law should one party defaults. Thus, as noted, a contract can be loosely defined as an agreement between two parties and these can be individuals or even organisations. One peculiar aspect of a contract is that one party offers to do In a contract, there is an agreement of offer and acceptance between two parties concerned and should any party defaults, then it is called breach of contract. It is against this background that the court of law intervenes to ensure that justice prevails so as to avoid unfavorable gain by another party on behalf of the other. Basically, the court would come in so as to protect the interests of the consumer or the second party especially in the case where there is bargaining of powers. Consumers in most cases are not choosers of the terms by which they would be bound in a contract hence the intervention of the courts. Thus, it can be noted that contracts are especially concerned with the enforcement of bargains. This is aptly shown in the case of Williams v Roffey Bros & Nicholls Contractors Ltd [1990] 1 All ER 512. Whilst Williams has been subcontracted and a payment of 20 000 pounds promised to be paid in installments, the contract was however silent on the period and

Us Involvement in Mogadishu Essay Example for Free

Us Involvement in Mogadishu Essay In response to the impending starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalians the United States entered Somalia in December 1992 to provide humanitarian aid and establish a functioning government as under the UN mandated United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNISOM II). Acting as a replacement for the ineffectual United Nations Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I) mission UNISOM II was carried out by United States-controlled (UN-sanctioned) Unified Task Force (UNITAF). UNISOM was given the power to establish a stable environment in Somalia under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. On October 3, 1993 a battle between UNISOM joint forces and Somali militia ensued in Mogadishu. The operation was in decline following the two day battle of Mogadishu. In the fighting 18 US soldiers perished and a further 83 casualties were reported. The bodies of several US casualties were maimed and dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by an assortment of civilians and members Aidid’s Somali National Alliance. In response to the events pressure mounted for the immediate withdrawal of US troops. President Clinton announced in the days following that, â€Å"our mission from this day forward is to increase our strength, do our job, bring our soldiers out and bring them home† and that by mid 1994 all troops would be withdrawn. The US, for fear of a repeat of the events in Somalia reshaped foreign policy terms the years following. The resulting concept of the â€Å"Mogadishu Line† became intertwined in post Cold War international relations discourse. The withdrawal of US forces following the Battle of Mogadishu has been identified by its commentators as the key reason for the failure of US intervention in later conflicts such as the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. â€Å"The ghosts of Somalia continue to haunt US 2 What effect did US involvement in Mogadishu have on US foreign policy? policy. Our lack of response in Rwanda was a fear of getting involved in something like Somalia all over-again†1 Further instances of Clinton refusing to mobilize US ground troops: †¢ 200 lightly armed hostiles at the Haitian harbor of Port-au-Prince causing the withdrawal of the USS Harlan County a week after the Mogadishu battle †¢ Bosnia and Herzegovina 1995 †¢ August 1998 bombings of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania Killing 224 people and wounding more than 5,000 †¢ Clinton administration retaliates with missile strike on al-Qua’ida training camps at Zahwar Kili in Afghanistan Policy makers became more keen on risk avoidance. This became evident in a change in military tactics. Following the1998 bombings of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the failure to kill Osama bin Laden prompted for the construction of plans for an armed assault to capture the Saudi masterm ind. Officers within the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) â€Å"were eager to go after bin Laden† 2. The CIA’s evaluation of the plans estimated a 95 percent chance of successful SOCOM capture of bin Laden given the chance to launch. The plans for the operation were opposed by the top brass. According to a Pentagon officer there was â€Å"reluctance to even discuss pro-active measures associated with countering the terrorist threat through SOF operations.† 2. Concluding in a Pentagon study Richard Shultz expressed that â€Å"The Mogadishu disaster spooked the Clinton administration as well as the brass†2. There was a prolonged and persistent refusal to implement surgical special operations strikes in the face of increasing intelligence regarding unspecified al-Qa’ida plans to attack US targets. A team of 20 Delta operators and SEALs from Task Force 20 were intent on conducting a raid on a home in Mosul, Iraq. The team was backed by a force of app roximately 200 of the 101st Air Assault Division. Forces were repelled by small arms fire repeatedly. To deal with the threat US forces evacuated neighboring homes and fired 18 antitank missiles thus neutralizing the threat. Following the September 11th attacks â€Å"US policy makers became more risk acceptant in dealing with the threat posed by al-Qa’ida.† 2. 1 Former US deputy special envoy to Somalia, Walter Clarke. Command Posts (Aug 2010) â€Å"The Mogadishu Effect and Risk Acceptance† Retrieved August 2nd, 2012, from Command Post site: http://www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishueffect-and-risk-acceptance/ 2 3 What effect did US involvement in Mogadishu have on US foreign policy? Evaluation of Sources John S. Brown, Brigadier General, U.S. Army Chief of Military History. Taken from ‘The United States Army in Somalia 1992 1994‘ The source offers the perspective of a historian under military command who was alive at the time. With both hindsight and first hand knowledge the source allows for a more-complete over view of the situation. With the purpose of education, the source is trustworthy to have usable information, however it could very well contain altered information as it has been assembled by a member of the armed forces involved. This source in particular is valuable in that it provides an overall evaluation of US involvement in Somalia from incursion to excursion. With this being written by a member of the US armed forces there is a clear bias towards US service members. This is evident in the statement â€Å"The American soldier had, as always, done his best..†. The source highlights the scope of the blow to US forces during the operation and validates the US’s later decision to refrain from providing military aid on humanitarian missions to come. â€Å"fortytwo Americans died and dozens more were wounded†. While the source serves as an accurate recount of what happened during the operation and provides a brief insight into the events following (Bosnia) it is limited by failing to directly address the topic at hand. The source does not address United States foreign policy changes as a result of the conflict. Benjamin Runkle. August 27, 2011. Taken from ‘The â€Å"Mogadishu Effect† and Risk Acceptance’ http://www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishu-effect-and-risk-acceptance/ The above source is an extract from an article written specifically concerning policy changes as a result of incidences during the US lead operations in Somalia. It has been taken from a site focusing on military history and policy. â€Å"CommandPosts.com was launched October 5, 2010, by St. Martin;s Press as a site for military history, current events, and fiction† 3. The purpose of this source is to provide relevant information to those seeking more in depth knowledge concerning Military history. â€Å"It is the intention of CommandPosts.com to foster a community that will engage the audience and provide a location rich in rational discourse and commentary, and find creative ways to support the m ilitary community† 4. Benjamin Runkle ‘is a former paratrooper 3 Command Posts (Oct 5, 2010) ‘About’ Retrieved Oct 30, 2012 the Command Posts site: http:// www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishu-effect-and-risk-acceptance/ 4 Command Posts (Oct 5, 2010) ‘About’ Retrieved Oct 30, 2012 the Command Posts site: http:// www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishu-effect-and-risk-acceptance/ 4 What effect did US involvement in Mogadishu have on US foreign policy? and presidential speechwriter, with a Harvard PhD, and a Bronze Star from Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has worked in the Department of Defense and the National Security Council, and is currently a Professional Staff Member on the House Armed Services Committee.’ This makes him a person who may have more direct knowledge concerning the topic. The source is limited in that Benjamin Runkle’s current affiliation with government organizations could result in some of the information being censored. The source supports the ideas concerning the ‘Mogadishu Line’ and its prevalence concerning following operations, especially those under the clinton administration. â€Å"The Clinton administration later declined to intervene to prevent repeated atrocities in Bosnia and a genocide in Rwanda due to its experience in the Aideed manhunt†.5 Analysis It became apparent following the unacceptable loss of U.S. lives in what was intended to be a humanitarian effort that changes needed to be made to the way the U.S. deals with foreign affairs and combat operations. A week following the Mogadishu battle the USS Harlan County was withdrawn from the Haitian harbor of Port-au-Prince. The ship was faced with lightly armed hostile demonstrators who’s numbers were well bellow 200. It became evident that the Clinton administration did not want a repeat of the events in Somalia where simple peace keeping initiatives would turn into hostile combat against the very the people the U.S. forces were sent to help. Bosnia and the Rwanda genocide were no different. As a result of its experiences the U.S. officials maintained a safe distance â€Å"deciding against taking a leading role†.7 in Rwanda. Instead public statements, diplomatic demarcates, initiatives for a ceasefire and attempts at contacting both the interim government perpetr ating the killing and the RPF were the chosen course of action. The U.S. further advocated that the UN refrain from a â€Å"robust response†. 7 With the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people and wounding 5,000+, the Clinton administration opted for a missile strike on the al-Qa’ida training camps at Zahwar Kili, Afghanistan. Officers within the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) were keen to launch an infiltration assault to capture Osama bin Laden, head of al-Qa’ida. In spite of a high 95 percent CIA predicted success rate of capturing bin Laden, should forces be given the go ahead to launch, members of the top brass were not convinced. The plans received strong opposition. â€Å"The Mogadishu disaster spooked the Clinton administration as well as the Command Posts (Aug 2010) â€Å"The Mogadishu Effect and Risk Acceptance† Retrieved August 2nd, 2012, from Command Post site: http://www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the- mogadishueffect-and-risk-acceptance/ 5 5 What effect did US involvement in Mogadishu have on US foreign policy? brass.†6 It was evident in the Pentagon conducted study that there was â€Å"reluctance to even discuss pro-active measures associated with countering the terrorist threat through SOF operations.†7 Not only was the Battle of Mogadishu an exemplar for a raid to capture bin Laden. The failed 1980 operation â€Å"Desert One† was â€Å"repeatedly cited as a catastrophic precedent†7 in which a team attempted the rescue of American hostages in Iran. Chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, General Hugh Shelton dismissed the proposed SOF raids as â€Å"dumb-ass ideas, not militarily feasible,† and â€Å"something in a Tom Clancy novel† which ignored â€Å"the time-distance factors.†7 In the face of increasing warnings of active al-Qa’ida plans for attacks on U.S. targets the refusal to consider â€Å"surgical special operations strikes in Afghanistan persisted.† A formidable team of 20 Delta operators and SEALs from Task Force 20 were intent on conducting a raid on a home in Mosul, Iraq. The team was backed by a force of approximately 200 of the 101st Air Assault Division which were situated themselves in support by fire positions to the South and northeast of the target building. Forces were repelled by small arms fire repeatedly. Commanders decided against laying siege as it was unknown if there would be escape tunnels leading away from the building. Fears were mounting for an insurgent retaliation, â€Å"trapping the U.S. forces in an ambush similar to Mogadishu.† To deal with the threat US forces evacuated neighboring homes and fired 18 antitank missiles thus neutralizing the threat. This action showed the unwillingness of US commanders to spare the lives of their men for an objective. Decreasing the number of U.S. casualties has become a priority in United States combat operations in foreign lands. Following the September 11th a ttacks â€Å"US policy makers have became more risk acceptant in dealing with the threat posed by al-Qa’ida.†. 6 Richard Shultz. Command Posts (Aug 2010) â€Å"The Mogadishu Effect and Risk Acceptance† Retrieved August 2nd, 2012, from Command Post site: http://www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishueffect-and-risk-acceptance/ 7 6 What effect did US involvement in Mogadishu have on US foreign policy? Conclusion As a result of the tragic loss of U.S. lives in Mogadishu changes in foreign policy were issued in attempt to â€Å"prevent repeated atrocities† in future conflicts. The American public became and its leaders became sensitive to the thought of loosing more American lives. For the remainder of the Clinton administration policy towards foreign conflicts was more reserved. U.S. officials took a restrained position on conflicts concerning lands or military operations of a likeness to that of their hunt for Aideed. The losses at Mogadishu and the similar loss during the 1980 â€Å"Desert One† mission combined to restructure the way officials approached military objectives. A higher value was placed on the lives of soldiers which resulted in an increased use of alternative methods such as direct missile strikes to neutralize a thread or complete restrained actions in response to a hostile situation such as Rwanda. 7 What effect did US involvement in Mogadishu have on US foreign policy? Bibliography †¢ ‘About’ [section detailing Website purpose] Command Posts (Oct 5, 2010) Retrieved Oct 30, 2012 the Command Posts site: http://www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishu-effect-and-risk- acceptance/ †¢ â€Å"Battle of Mogadishu† Wikepedia (2012) Retrieved June 5th, 2012, from Wikepedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mogadishu_(1993) †¢ â€Å"Bosnia and

What is the Truth Essay Example for Free

What is the Truth Essay When a person goes to court and is asked to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth, can we assume that the person giving the statement is telling us facts that are based on a past occurrence or are they actually giving us what they think is the way something happened during that past occurrence? The main problem that we see here is that someones truth is someone elses false. If someone testifies that the sky is blue is it really blue or is blue the only part of the sky that they can see. This is where some problems start to arise. The notion that someones truth is someone elses false can be a little hard to understand at first. The best way that it can be explained is that in some cultures our truth is not going to be the same as theirs. For example John Locke said that whatsoever is, is this would not be the same truth as Socrates idea of a chair (or Platos eidos-the ideal form of the chair). By Lockes statement we have to accept the chair as being there as truth. By Socrates statement we have to accept that the chair really is not there but the Idea of the chair is. Socrates statement leads to many other questions about truth, because many times, Socrates, himself, tended to doubt that he knew anything at all. But, if you follow his idea to the end then you will find nothing but more questions. For example his idea of a chair is a bunch of molecules bound together to form a shape that one can perceive as a chair. You can take this even further by saying that the molecules are formed of atoms that are positive or negatively charged to form an idea of a molecule. We are still trying to determine what the truth of the chair really is. Lockes stand is that we need to accept the form of the chair as it is and not question what the ideal form of the chair is or was or is going to be. This is one of the many problems that can arise out of different times and/or schools of thought. If you take Socrates side on this argument you will probably never find the truth in our court system. However if you take Lockes side of this argument then you still probably will not find the truth either, although it may be more likely. To tell the truth you have to know what the truth is. The definition of truth is Conformity to fact or actuality what this means is that a person who is telling the truth must not elaborate or use any adjectives to describe a situation they must state facts. For example if the question is what color is the sky? Then the reply must be the color of the sky that I could see was blue. This lets the questioner know that although the sky is blue it is many other colors that the eye can not perceive. For any person to know the truth the first thing that they have to admit to is that they really only perceived certain situations that they saw, heard, or seen to be true. Once they do this they can start to understand what the truth actually is. Hence all human truth is limited. Take for instance the movie The Matrix. Is Neo seeing the truth when the machines have him plugged up to a computer program? Or is he seeing the truth when Morpheous unplugs him and shows him the real world? In either case you could say that Neo is seeing the truth because he can taste, see, touch, hear, and feel in both places. As you can see it is going to be rather difficult to tell the truth. A question about how truth is developed also arises in the movie The Matrix. How did Neo even before he was contacted by Trinity sense that something was wrong? Was it because he was born with a second sense or is everyone able to sense this wrong if they just open up their minds. Immanuel Kant said that if a person undermines his foundation on his house and watches it fall he probably knew that it was going to happen anyway. So even though Neo took the pill and found out that his life was not real according to Kant he already knew that. The next part of the Question is to tell the whole truth. Already we have seen how difficult the truth is, but now it seems that this part of the phrase already assumes that you have lied about the first part of the phrase to tell the truth. If you told the truth then you would not have to go back and retell it. An example of not telling the whole truth is if someone gave witness to a murder, and they did not tell the whole scene that they witnessed. If they told a lawyer that they saw a person getting stabbed with a knife forty nine times, and the lawyer did not let them finish their thought or accounts of the murder then they gave false witness to the whole truth. The reason that they would have given false witness is that they did not finish telling the lawyer that after they saw this person stabbed forty nine times that he got up and bowed because it was all part of some street corner magicians act. So how can we tell if the whole truth we here is actually the whole truth and not a lie? The whole truth is almost impossible to achieve. The reason that this is so is because if someone tried to give the whole truth of a situation then they would be there for a very long time trying to give factual evidence of something they saw. On the other hand if the court had time and listened to the Whole truth then many cases would never be overturned in an appeals court. Not only those two, but everything is constantly changing (Heraclites vs. Parmenides, with his notion that things are still and trustworthy). The really interesting part of the statement to give the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth is the last part. If taken in context with the whole phrase you will see that this part assumes that you have lied again, and now someone wants you to give them nothing but the truth. The definition of no thing is Something that has no. independent.. existence. If you take this definition of nothing and add it to the rest of the phrase you get no existence of anything except facts or actualities. So in theory the person asking this statement asks you three times for the same thing just in different ways. All in all there seems to be many intricate problems with the statement To tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth I find it hard to believe that our court system gives the people a fair chance to be heard and represented in a fair and truthful trial. One of the reasons is that we all have prejudices and tend to hear and see only what we want to hear and see.

Strategies for Reducing Sexual Abuse in Learning Disabled

Strategies for Reducing Sexual Abuse in Learning Disabled Review of databases on social care, psychiatry, and psychology revealed various strategies for preventing sexual abuse in people with intellectual disabilities. These procedures generally seem to fall into one of three broad categories: therapeutic measures, designed to minimise the effects of abuse; education and training for staff, victims and/or family members (e.g. parents); and multi-agency information sharing. Kroese and Thomas (2006) tested the value of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for treating sexual abuse trauma in learning disabled people experiencing recurring nightmares. The intervention produced a statistically significant reduction in distress. Furthermore, these positive effects seemed to endure even when participants were awake. Several studies have evaluated the merits of support groups for victims of abuse (e.g. Singer, 1996; Barber et al, 2000). For example Singer (1996) organised group work for adults living in a residential home. The aim was to teach these individuals how to respond assertively in situations of abuse. Assertiveness is an essential skill for victims who often fail to challenge authority, due to low self-esteem, fear, dependency and lack of awareness of their rights (MENCAP, 2001). Participants learned to respond more assertively when role-playing situations that involved sexual abuse. However, role-play scenarios often lack the stressful conditions of real -life that may prevent an individual from speaking out. Nevertheless, support groups may provide a valuable therapeutic resource for victims of abuse (Barber et al, 2000). The National Association for the Protection from Sexual Abuse of Adults and Children with Learning Disabilities (NAPSAC[1]) identifies the sharing of information between protection agencies as a valuable prevention strategy (Ellis Hendry, 1998). Based on data from a survey of individuals and organisations involved in social care, Ellis and Hendry (1998, p.362) emphasised the need for a foundation level of awareness between specialists in learning disability and those involved with child protection. Lesseliers and Madden (2005) report the establishment of a knowledge centre’ to encourage systematic exchange of sexual abuse information, which is accessible to both victims and specialists (also see Stein, 1995). The problem with information sharing schemes is that they primarily benefit service providers (e.g. expanding their knowledge of available therapies), rather than the victims themselves. Finally, several studies have tested the efficacy of education and training programm es, targeted at staff, victims, and/or family members (e.g. Martorella Portugues, 1998; Tichon, 1998; Bruder Kroese, 2005). Bruder and Kroese (2005) reviewed clinical studies that evaluated the value of teaching protection skills to learning disabled adults and children. Findings revealed that adults could be successfully taught such skills, although the generality and longevity of these abilities was questionable. Martorella and Portugues (1998) conducted workshops with parents, based on the premise that prevention is best achieved by making family members aware of sexual issues concerning their children. Parents were provided with printed materials and videos on puberty, childhood sexual fantasies, and other related topics. Following these sessions many parents re-evaluated their children, and demonstrated a renewed urge to support and protect their children. Overall, training and education schemes seem to have immediate albeit short-lived psychological benefits, for both the vi ctim and their families. Discuss the Similarities in Vulnerable Adult Sexual Abuse and Child Sexual Abuse There are similarities in terms of the reasons why disabled people are susceptible to abuse (MENCAP, 2001), psychopathological and social effects of abuse (Sequeira Hollins, 2003), consent issues, and protection requirements (DOH, 2002a, 2002b). The MENCAP (2001) report identifies seven reasons for increased vulnerability in adults, most of which may equally apply to children; they include low self-esteem, long-term dependency on carers, lack of awareness, fear to challenge authority, powerlessness to consent to sexual relationships, inability to recognise abuse when it occurs, and fear of reporting incidents of abuse. These concerns are compatible with factors the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC, 2002) implicates in child vulnerability. They include: childrens lack of awareness and education; a learned reluctance to complain; dependency on carers, which can make it difficult for a child to avoid abuse; and general disempowerment. Whereas factors su ch as fear of authority and low self-esteem may be ambiguous, and hence difficult to detect, long-term dependency on a care giver is a much more tangible characteristic that increases susceptibility to abuse, in both adults and children. The risk may be higher in children because their level of dependence is usually more extreme. However, severely impaired adults may also be highly dependent on another person for their day-to-day care (MENCAP, 2001). In their review of the literature on the clinical effects of sexual abuse in intellectually disabled people, Sequeira and Hollins (2003) found that both children and adults exhibited behavioural problems, sexually inappropriate behaviours, and various forms of psychopathology. However, some evidence suggests that children may be more overwhelmed by the experience of sexual abuse, often with long-term and harmful consequences for mental health (Green, 1995). Moreover the damaging effects of sexual abuse may be compounded in both adults and children when the abuser is known to the victim (e.g. family member). However, Sequeira and Hollins (2003) warn against drawing conclusive inferences regarding the clinical impact of abuse on disabled populations. Firstly many studies rely on informants (e.g. family members) for their data, many of whom may be ignorant of the internal psychiatric and cognitive trauma that a disabled person might be experiencing. Thus, any apparent similarities betwe en children and adults in how they respond to sexual abuse may not reflect less obvious discrepancies in psychopathology. Sequeira and Hollins (2003) emphasise the need for more reliable diagnostic criteria. The MENCAP (2001) report stresses the issue of consent. Both children and adults often lack the ability to give consent albeit for different reasons. Children may simply not have any understanding of sexual activity, its consequences, and how to distinguish sexual behaviour from other forms of physical contact (e.g. hugging) and personal care (e.g. bathing). Although most adults will have a better grasp of sexuality, some may be unable to give consent if their learning disability is extremely severe. Regardless, adult and child sexual abuse denotes a lack of consent. Furthermore, both forms of abuse may require similar safeguards. There is a mutual need to create more awareness amongst the general public about the vulnerability of people with learning disabilities (NSPCC, 2002). Community building, staff training, and other protective measures will benefit both children and adults (Ellis Hendry, 1998; Barter, 2001; Davies, 2004). Can the Keeping Safe Child Protection Strategy Work with Adults with Learning Disabilities? The Department of Health has made various recommendations for keeping children safe (DOH, 2002a). These include: having a sound statutory framework; encouraging professionals from different specialities/agencies to work together; assessing children’s needs and the range of support services provided by organisations and community groups; considering the impact of strategies designed for vulnerable adults on children; involving both children and family members in making decisions about what services the child needs; monitoring how well councils are delivering the system; and recruiting, training, and supervising adequate care staff. These proposals are a direct response to the Victoria Climbie Inquiry report. Overall they emphasise risk assessment, recognition of abuse, and information sharing, consistent with other published literature (e.g. Ellis Hendry, 1998; Lesseliers Madden, 2005). By contrast, the Department of Health prescribes a different set of guidelines for adults, referred to as the Protection of Vulnerable Adults Scheme, or POVA (DOH, 2004). Central to the scheme is the POVA list: Through referrals to, and checks against the list, care workers who have harmed a vulnerable adult, or placed a vulnerable adult at risk of harm, (whether or not in the course of their employment) will be banned from working in a care position with vulnerable adults. As a result, the POVA scheme will significantly enhance the level of protection for vulnerable adults (DOH, 2004, p.5). The POVA system is supposed to complement other schemes, such as MENCAPS behind closed doors plan (MENCAPS, 2001). The child protection scheme can be adapted to work with adults. Many child safety measures focus on staff performance (e.g. working together, recruitment, training). For example, it is a requirement that staff are trained sufficiently to recognise whether a child’s injury or illness might be the result of abuse or neglect (DOH, 2004, p.7). By implication, it should be possible to modify training protocol so that staff can also identify sexual abuse in vulnerable adults. For example, Lunsky and Benson (2000) identify some issues to be considered when interviewing developmentally disabled adults about sexual abuse, notably the appropriateness of using detailed drawings and dolls used in assessing children (Martorella Portugues, 1998). Proposals designed to help identify the need for protection and facilitate information sharing, such as community â€Å"neighbourhood watch† arrangements, can be extended to adults. What modifications would be required? MENCAPS (2001) highl ights the need for a suitable mechanism for establishing consent between adults. Vulnerable adults have the same sexual rights and privileges as the general population, and these rights have to be accommodated within any protection strategy. Staff training on child protection can include guidelines for identifying adults who are able to give consent to sexual relations (e.g. suggesting appropriate tests to use), and protecting those who cant. Additionally, MENCAPS (2001) emphasises the need to tighten standards for people who work with adults (p.16). The POVA scheme is set up precisely to address this issue, albeit retrospectively, after abuse has occurred (DOH, 2003). Improvements in staff recruitment, training, and monitoring can be implemented that benefit both children and adults. Bibliography Barber, M., Jenkins, R. Jones, C. (2000) A survivor’s group for women who have a  learning disability. British Journal of Developmental Studies, 46, pp.31-41. Barter, K. (2001) Building community: a conceptual framework for child protection.  Child Abuse Review. 10, pp.262-278. Bruder, C. Kroese, B.S. (2005) The efficacy of interventions designed to prevent and  protect people with intellectual disabilities from sexual abuse: a review of the  literature. Journal of Adult Protection, 7, pp.13-27. Davies, L. (2004) The difference between child abuse and child protection could be you:  creating a community network of protective adults. Child Abuse Review. 13,  pp.426-432. DOH (2002a) Safeguarding Children: A Joint Chief Inspectors’ Report on Arrangements  to Safeguard Children. London. DOH. DOH (2002b) No secrets: The Protection of Vulnerable Adults from Abuse: Local Codes  of Practice. London. DOH. DOH (2004) Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) scheme in England and Wales for  care homes and domiciliary care agencies: A Practical Guide. London. DOH. Ellis, R. Hendry, E.B. (1998) Do we all know the score? Child Abuse Review. 7,  pp.360-363. Green, A.H. (1995) Comparing child victims and adult survivors: Clues to the  pathogenesis of child sexual abuse. Journal of the American Academy of  Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry. 23, pp.655-670. Kroese, B.S. Thomas, G. (2006) Treating chronic nightmares of sexual assault  survivors with an intellectual disability two descriptive case studies. Journal of  Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 19, pp.75-80. Lesseliers, J. Madden, P. (2005) European Knowledge Centre for the Prevention of  and Response to Sexual Abuse of People with a Learning Disability. Learning  Disability Review, 10, pp.18-21. Lunsky, Y. Benson, B.A. (2000) Are anatomically detailed dolls and drawings  appropriate tools for use with adults with developmental disabilities? A  preliminary investigation. Journal-on-Developmental-Disabilities. 7, pp.66-76. Martorella, A.M. Portugues, A.M. (1998) Prevention of sexual abuse in children with  learning disabilities. Child Abuse Review, 7, pp.355-359. MENCAP (2001) Behined Closed Doors: Preventing Sexual Abuse Against Adults with  a Learning Disability. London. MENCAP NSPCC (2002) Disabled children and abuse [online]. London, NSPCC. Available from:  http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/OnlineResources/InformationBriefings/Disabledasp_ifega26019.html> [Accessed 10 March 2006]. Sequeira, H. Hollins, S. (2003) Clinical effects of sexual abuse on people with learning  disability: Critical literature review. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 82, pp.13-19. Singer, N. (1996) Evaluation of a self-protection group for clients living in a residential  group home. British-Journal-of-Developmental-Disabilities. 42, pp.54-62. Tichon, J. (1998) Abuse of adults with an intellectual disability by family caregivers: the  need for a family-centred intervention. Australian Social Work, 51, pp.55-59. 1 Footnotes [1] Now known as the Ann Craft Trust.

what is philosophy :: essays research papers

Very briefly, philosophy might be regarded as a conceptual enquiry dealing with fundamental issues relating to life, knowledge and values. By conceptual enquiry we mean an enquiry that relies primarily on critical reasoning. This includes : Analysing the meaning of concepts Identifying logical connections between theories Evaluating arguments and exposing fallacies Here is a Chinese newspaper article from MingPao on how philosophy improves critical thinking. Philosophy and other subjects According to such a conception of philosophy, philosophy is distinctive in both its method and subject matter. Art or literature might also deal with fundamental issues in life, but the use of critical reasoning is not a necessary part of artistic expression. Critical reasoning of course plays an important role in science, but science is an empirical enquiry into the nature of the world, relying on observations and experiments. In such respects philosophy is more like mathematics and logic. However, the subject matter of philosophy is more general in that it deals with all sorts of different areas outside mathematics and logic, such as religion and morality. Although philosophy is different from science, it would be a mistake to conclude that philosophy cannot contribute to the development of science. Philosophers can help scientists clarify the basic concepts in scientific theories, and use their skills in logic to evaluate the strength of evidence supporting or criticizing particular theories. Many sciences (e.g. psychology) originally developed out of philosophy. What philosophy can do Why should you study philosophy? If you are busy and don't have the patience or interest to reflect on fundamental issues, then perhaps philosophy is not for you. But for people who are interested in critical reflection, philosophy can be an enjoyable activity. There are other reasons for doing philosophy apart from pleasure. First, philosophical skills in thinking and writing and help us in describing and understanding theories and ideologies. Here philosophers take up the task of a cartographer, mapping out conceptual terrain and logical structure. Second, as mentioned earlier, philosophy can be an important tool in helping us acquire knowledge. Logic and critical reasoning are necessary to achieve consistency and in determining the right conclusions to be drawn given our observations and experiences. Finally, philosophy can also play a transformative role in our lives and social institutions. Through critical reflection on the justification and coherence of the values in social practices and our own actions, we do not just acquire a deeper understanding of our culture and of who we are.

Evaluation of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Essay -- Deforestat

Nowadays deforestation is the one of the most destructive and controversial environmental issues. Deforestation is defined as cutting down, clearing away or burning trees or forests. Particularly tropical rainforests are the most destructed type of forests because of its location in developing countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, India, central African countries and Brazil. Deforestation rate in those places is high enough to worry about, because of good economic potential of forests. As the result of causes such as agriculture land expansion, logging for timber, fire blazing and settling infrastructure there might be serious impacts in future, for instance, extinction of endemic species of animals and plants which will be feral, increase of greenhouse gas emissions which may lead to global warming and consecutive catastrophes, destruction of home for indigenous dwellers which is considered as violation of human rights. Some people can argue with this drawbacks telling that deforestation have more valuable benefits such as growth of economics, production of food and providing better opportunities for life for poor families. However, government of that countries and world organisations tries to stop deforestation proposing several solutions. Deforestation problem is especially acute in Brazilian Amazon, where its rate is much high comparing with other regions. This paper will rigorously describe causes and effects of deforestation, and evaluate possible solutions of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Tropical rainforests which is located between tropic of Capricorn and tropic of Cancer covered 12% of land surface few thousand years ago. However, today is it covers only 5% of planet. In spite of this small area, it is... ...ious environmental problem with some significant ecological consequences such as global warming and loss of rich biodiversity and with some economic benefits which are just temporary. These actions against nature must be stopped, and I am recommending that all of us, starting from simple people and ending with government must solve this problem together. Simple human can donate some money which is not sufficient at the moment, businessmen again can help with money, global organisations can provide volunteers and donated money and government can make huge investments, enforce more strict laws, cleared from corruption and try to strictly secure whole Amazon with strict punishments for criminals. In addition, there are recommendations of further research in improving agriculture and finding more sustainable nutrients which would allow using lands for longer period.

Athletics and the Effect on Academics Essay

The purpose of this research proposal is to determine if extracurricular activities such as sports has a positive or negative affect on junior high student’s academic achievement. I will discuss past research that has been conducted and their results as well articles written on the topic. I will also discuss my research method and how it will be implemented in order to see how previous research compares to my school. This research will be conducted with students in the 6th through the 8th grade. As a teacher and a coach I have wondered if there is any correlation between students academic success while they were part of a sports program. I know that as a former student-athlete in junior high and high school I was motivated to maintain a certain grade level in order to participate in any type of sport. I recently attended my son’s parent meeting for his freshman basketball team and learned that according to IHSA rules a student can fail two classes and still participate in their sport. That is a topic of discussion for another time but it did spark my curiosity to see if my students at the junior high level worked harder to stay eligible during their sport season and not so hard during their off –season. It should be stated that at my school a student has to maintain a 70% to participate and this is checked on a weekly basis. It would seem that ever since sports has become part of our schools environment there has been a debate about the effects of athletic participation on academic achievement. I believe now more than ever it has become a more relevant issue because of the budget restraints in our country’s schools. The school boards often find it easy to cut athletic programs because they do not see the value it has in the academic arena. It is important for our administrators to know these effects of athletics on academics before they would decide to cut or retain these athletic programs. This particular research proposal would focus on junior high students that are both male and female at J. W. Eater in Rantoul Illinois. Our demographics are about evenly split between both Caucasian and African American students, the African American student being slight higher, with a smaller percent of Hispanics. It should also be noted that there are a high number, close to 80%, of these students whose families fall below the poverty line; therefore there is a high number of kids that are on the free or reduced lunch plan. In addition to the research that will be conducted at Eater Junior High there will also be some information from other articles and studies that have been done in research journals. I feel these articles and studies will provide a clearer picture as to the positive effect of athletic participation and academic achievement. I found an article that supports the theory that athletic participation can help at-risk students and other students who have academic problems. Since we have several at-risk students because of our demographics in Rantoul this article seem to relate. In this article it states that educators believe that athletic participation reduces the chance of school dropout by approximately forty percent. It argues that extracurricular participation decreases this chance because it gives those at-risk students a chance to create positive connections to the school system. Involvement in these activities was perceived by educators to support these at-risk students by maintaining, enhancing and strengthening the student to school connection (Holloway, J. H. 2000). Although we don’t have the dropout problem as say our high school, athletics is a connection to the next level of education and can provide motivation to stay in school. A research article I found that involves using a questionnaire, as I intend to use with my research proposal, measures academic achievement between athletes and non-athletes on the 8th grade level (Stegman, M. & Stephens, L. 2000). Both the athletes and the non-athletes were invited to participate and each was provided with a questionnaire. Both groups also gave the researchers permission to view their academic scores. They found that the results showed the students who participated in sports had the higher academic scores versus those who chose not to participate in sports. Although the sample size wasn’t that large the results tend to lean in favor of athletics enforcing academics. Another case I found was interesting in that it examined over 25,000 students along with their teachers and parents (Jordan, W. 1999). The research’s author, Will Jordan, shows how the results point out that African American students have a higher rate of academic achievement as a whole when they are in involved in extracurricular activities such as sports. The only draw back to this research is that it only involves African Americans, however Mr.  Jordon does note that previous research did show similar results for other races that were researched. The majority of its data is received from the National Educational Longitudinal Study, and this is used to measure the data against a system that is already in place to decide how effective extracurricular activities are to a student’s academic success. Another case that was conducted by Thomas Herbert centers on the study of 8 different student athletes that had been identified as gifted in junior high for 120 days (Herbert, T. 1995). As my own son was in the gifted program this was also an interesting study. By observing and using questionnaires, and looking at their academic scores, the conclusion Mr. Herbert came to was that they all had a strong academic record along with positive self-esteem. Mr. Herbert’s rationale is that they gained these positive attributes through their involvement in playing competitive sports. Just like in Mr. Jordon’s research, Mr. Herbert’s research also had limitations. In this case these students were from the inner city, therefore it would not be an accurate example of society as a whole or in comparison to J.  W. Eater. These are three research cases that weigh in favor of athletics helping promote academics. However in order to be able to conduct a research proposal that is fair you have to look at both sides and there are some articles that shows some negative correlations between academics and sports. One such article was written by Mr. Glenn Cook that is based on his prior experiences working with student athletes. Mr. Cook suggests that today’s society has placed more emphasis on athletics than they do academics (Cook, G. 2003). He feels because of this shift, students are not having the academic success they would otherwise had if athletics wasn’t involved. He feel that the students are not being pushed to achieve the most from their academics because they are being given a â€Å"pass† so to speak because of the time involved with their particular sport. A Mr. William Bainbridge writes a similar article taking the stance that athletics is hindering the academic part of school (Bainbridge, W. 2004). His point of view is that the culture is so enamored with the likes of athletes such as Kobe Bryant or Dwight Howard who skip college and go straight to the NBA. He feels this is a deterrent for the kid who wants to go to college and graduate. Although I see the points in both Mr. Cook and Mr. Bainbridge opinions, they are just that, an opinion. An actual research article that helps support their opinion was conducted by Ms. Leah Bucknavage and a Mr. Frank Worrell where their research shows a negative correlation between athletics and academics (Bucknavage, L. & Worrell, F. 2005). The research indicated that some students who participated in an intramural sport actually showed a decline in academic achievement. It should be noted that a limitation to this research is that it is based on an intramural sport as opposed to a regular sports team that requires tryouts in order to make the team and participate which requires more time and commitment. Within the majority of research I found supporting the positive effects between athletics and academics, it could easily be argued that athletics helps promote academic achievement in students. Through my research proposal I would hope to find that my results held with the status quo. In my research proposal I will be using student questionnaires as this seems to a popular method used by other researcher into this topic. I would also be looking at the student’s grades in all subject areas pre and post their participation in their sport, along with their ISAT scores from when the started participating as early as the 6th grade through their 8th grade career. I would want to see, at the minimum, that their grades were passing and consistent over this period of time. I plan on looking at J. W. Eater junior high on a grade-by-grade level. The esearch will be done in the form of questionnaires for each grade that the students will have to fill out themselves. The survey instrument used in this research will be designed to determine whether or not the activities that junior high students choose have an effect on their academic achievement and will be based on a four point Likert-scale, with 1 meaning â€Å"I agree;† 2 meaning â€Å"I somewhat agree;† 3 meaning â€Å"I somewhat disagree;† and 4 meaning, â€Å"I disagree;†. A personal data sheet that also request demographic data will be included along with the survey. These demographic answers will be reported in percentages and charts. The questions in the non-demographic part of the survey will generally be about their attitudes towards school and learning in general. They will also be asked if they currently play, have played or plan on playing a sport in junior high. The questionnaire will see if there is a correlation between participating in athletics and their expectation of themselves. Because the questionnaire will have both convergent and divergent questions I will be able to get a better result as to the correlation of athletic participation and the self-expectations. Their current grades and ISAT scores will also be recorded. The goal is to compare the scores, both pre and post, and questionnaire results with those of the non-extracurricular participant and see if the data supports the hypothesis that athletics promotes academics. As a potential future administrator this is information that I would like to have access to in my potential school in order to determine the value of sports or extracurricular activities. Although I feel there is a positive correlation between sports and academics, I have to put the educational part of school first and foremost. If I were to see that the academic part of my students schooling is being affected by extracurricular activities then I would have to make adjustment to those activities. This could be done in cutting an activity altogether or creating other opportunities to help the student-athlete be successful. I think this project has reinforced my belief that if set up properly within the school environment, then there is a positive correlation between extracurricular activities and academics. I think its up to each administrator to do what is in the best interest for his or her school and students.

Ctlls Unit 3 Principles and Practice of Assessment

Unit Three: Principles and practice of assessment Methodology Firstly we had input during classes from our tutor on the categories of concepts and principles of assessments, how to use different types of assessments and some of the strengths and weaknesses of these methods, the role of feedback and questioning in the assessment of learning and the different types of assessment records and their uses. Next we individually researched these topics, to do this firstly I used discussions with my mentor, observations of colleague’s sessions, discussions with my peers and evaluation and reflection of my own teaching sessions. My secondary research consisted of academic books, internet sources, as identified in the bibliography. I chose this approach because it gave me the widest range of resources, varying information and views on the subjects. I could then collate the primary and secondary research to write my precis and form my opinions on the research I had undertaken. The focus of my research was on concepts and principles of assessment, the different types of assessments and how to use these, the different assessment methods available along with their strengths and weaknesses especially peer and self assessment, what is feedback and how to make it effective and reviewing and recording learner progress and achievement. This precis will then enable me to better evaluate my own practice and help me to ensure I undertake the assessment process more effectively in the future. Precis ‘Assessment is about several things at once†¦ It is about reporting on students’ achievements and about teaching them better through expressing to them more clearly the goals or our curricula. It is about measuring student learning; it is about diagnosing misunderstandings in order to help students to learn more effectively. It concerns the quality of the teaching as well as the quality of the learning. Ramsden (2003). Assessment is a regular process that enables both tutors and learners to assess the progress of a learner and make judgements about the learning. These judgements then guide the tutor and learner towards the intended learning outcomes, goals that are to be achieved and any improvements required to obtain the desired qualification. Good practice is to reflect and evaluate after each assessment as this will give you the opportunity to improve in the future. The programme syllabus or qualification handbook is the starting point when planning assessments. These will ‘state how the subject should be assessed, and will give information and guidance in the form of an assessment strategy. ’ Petty (2009). If the subject you are teaching is with an official awarding body, they may also have some requirements with regards to assessments that a tutor should be familiar with. When planning assessments you should ensure they are valid, authentic, current, sufficient and reliable (VACSR). This can be done by asking yourself what, when, where, why, who and how questions; for example, does it assess what is in the syllabus? Remember that assessments should never discriminate or exclude any learners and should always allow equality of opportunity. There are two forms of assessment; Assessment of Learning – this is basically what the learner has learnt at the moment. It measures knowledge retention and uses grading and/or marks. This is summative assessment. Assessment for Learning (AFL) – this determines learner’s goals/targets to build a program or course. This type of assessment focus more on the gaps in learners knowledge rather than teaching the whole subject and about finding faults and fixing them (monitoring improvement). This is formative assessment. These two forms of assessment are both needed by individual learners and society but I think that AFL is a more valuable tool for the individual learner as it is much more centred on where a learner is in their learning, where they need to go, what is the best way to get there and allows time to achieve their full potential (learner focused). The Assessment reform group (1999), list AFL having and learning * AFL should focus on how students learn * AFL should be recognised as central to classroom practice * AFL should be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers * AFL should be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has an emotional impact * AFL should take account of the importance of learner motivation * AFL should promote commitment to learning goals and a shared understanding f the criteria by which they are assessed * Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve * AFL develops learners capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing * AFL should recognise the full range of achievements of all learners. These principles mean providing effective feedback that enables learners to improve and plan the next steps; adjusting our teaching to take account of the results of assessments, including focusing on the whole person their feelings, skills and barriers; recognising the influences of assessment on motivation and self esteem of learners as well as learners taking responsibility for their own learning which in turn can help with knowledge retention and the need for learners to be able to assess themselves and understand fully how to improve through peer and self assessment and reflection. This helps with the next steps needed for further learning. AFL is a particular view of learning that believes all learners can improve and achieve their full potential, that ability is incremental not fixed. Within these forms of assessment there are different types of assessments that are used at different points throughout a learners learning journey and these different assessments may be formal or informal. Formal assessments are usually based on the results of standardised tests or other exams that are done under controlled conditions, the criteria is often set by the awarding body or organisation and the results can contribute to the final grade. Informal assessments are methods of measuring a learner’s performance by casually watching their behaviour or using other informal assessment methods, they check ongoing progress and the criteria are often decided by the tutor. The main types of assessments are; diagnostic/initial, formative and summative and ipsative. Within my experience at the training centre of the YMCA and within most HE organisations the first assessment that learners would come across is Diagnostic/Initial assessment. Initial assessment occurs prior or at the start of a course. It is used to find a starting point for learning, making the development of a learning plan possible. During initial assessment you can ‘start to build up a picture of an individual’s skills, achievements, interests, previous learning experiences and goals, and the learning needs associated with these goals. ’ Skills for life improvement programme (2008). Diagnostic assessment also occurs at the beginning of a course and then when needed throughout. It is used to assess more specific skills like a ‘skills check’ would and to identify learning strengths and needs. Diagnostic assessment also helps to ‘determine learning targets and appropriate teaching and learning strategies to achieve them. ’ Skills for life improvement programme (2008). These two assessments types are often done at the same time and are closely linked, together they help the tutor and learner build a clear picture of the individual to personalise the learning and develop an ILP. When under taking these two assessment types a range of methods should be used to ensure the learner is able to show their strengths and weaknesses adequately. Use assessment methods that are relevant to the individuals interests (vocational area or life interests), select a blend of methods to suit them and their circumstances and try to gather information from other areas, for example, observe the learner on a work placement if possible. There are many assessment methods that can be used during initial and diagnostic assessment, here are a few: enrolment forms – these can give you the basic information about an individual, however, they may not put all relevant information on this form such as any learning difficulties or cultural needs. APL – this can mean there would be no need for the learner to duplicate work done previously but the criteria may not be the same and you would need to check currency of the work. Interviews – these allow tutor and learner to get to know each other and discuss any issues in more depth whilst enabling the tutor to see how much a learner knows. The disadvantage with this method may be that the planning has not been done carefully or thoroughly to ensure the consistency of questions between learners and some learners may not react well in this circumstance. Observations – this gives a broader picture of the learner and how they perform in a range of contexts giving insights into their strengths, team work etc. Disadvantages with this method are time constraints and if a learner feels nervous of being observed you may not get a true picture of their abilities. Online assessments/tests – results are generated instantly, easily blended with other methods and can take place at a time to suit all parties. However, clear targets need to be set, may be technical problems and what is actually being assessed. Is the learner computer literate? At the YMCA I devised a short general computer knowledge diagnostic assessment worksheet for my learners. This worksheet consisted f naming different parts of a computer along with writing a brief description of what each listed software could be used for. I used this after an initial assessment informal discussion with individual learners to ascertain their level of computer knowledge as well as a basic writing assessment. The diagnostic worksheet then allowed me to assess their knowledge further so that I could devise ILP’s with each learner to cover any gaps in their knowledge, help them to achieve agreed goals and to offer further support to those learners that required help with writing skills. The next assessment type that may be used is Formative assessment. This type of assessment is ongoing during learning and is used to ‘tell the student how the learning is proceeding as well as telling the teacher about the success of the teaching. ’ Reece & Walker (2007). Formative assessments are used to enhance learning; therefore the goal of formative assessment is to improve. William and Black believe that what a learner is taught is reflected in what they are assessed. Formative assessment can be characterised as Assessment for learning. This type of assessment can produce; non-threatening results as they are scored but not always graded, direct and immediate feedback, structured information as tutors can see success and plan improvements and learners can see progress as well as experience success and they produce ways to improve by allowing the tutor to revisit areas that need further development and allowing learners to have additional support or time on areas they performed less well on. As this type of assessment is ongoing many methods are used. In my subject area of ICT within the YMCA the courses are not accredited so there is no awarding body’s criteria to adhere to. As ICT is a very ‘hands on’ subject I use observations often in formative assessments. Gravells (2009) suggests that the advantages to observations are ‘enables skills to be seen in action, learners can make a mistake†¦ enabling them to realise what they have done wrong, can assess several aspects of a qualification at the same time (holistic). According to Reece & Walker (2007) there are four types of direct observation assessments, global impression – look and describe what you see, this method has no structure and lacks reliability. Semi-structured – a number of open questions relevant to the tasks, answers to the questions are written either during, or after observation. Rating schedules – tutor rates a performance on say a five point scale, pe rsonal interpretation of scale can cause unreliability and finally Checklists – mark whether a specific feature of the task was or was not carried out. My observations are mainly informal and consist of watching what the learner is doing and asking questions about why they have done something a certain way etc. When I have done a formal observation I have used the checklist formative assessment as I agree with Reece & Walker that this type of observation is less open to personal interpretation, the criteria is clearly set out and if being used by the learners as peer or self assessment they have a clear understanding of what is required and what is to be achieved. Other methods I have used in both teaching at the YMCA and South Cheshire College have been questioning (both direct and indirect oral), multiple choice – as these can test a variety of levels in blooms taxonomy from knowledge, understanding and higher, discussions – these allow freedom of views and learning from peers, presentations – assess skills, knowledge and can help with confidence but if a group presentation some learners may do more work than others so it is important to assess individual contributions, assignments and projects – these help to ensure that the knowledge has been understood and retained, tutorials – used to discuss progress and address any issues, tests – assesses skills and knowledge, however, some learners do not perform well in test conditions and may need additional support to overcome this or if possible an alternative assessment method, traffic lights – used as a visual means to show understanding. During the courses at the YMCA in the next academic year I intend to introduce an informal mid-unit assessment. This will allow time to review, reflect and revisit any areas of weak understanding or areas that learners have struggled with. If assessments are left till the end of the course there is no way to revisit these unlearnt areas. I am aware of online assessments but as of yet have not used these, mainly because the courses at the college that I have been teaching on do not use them and at the YMCA there is not reliable facilities for online assessment/testing. I do intend to look further into this aspect of assessment once the new premises at the YMCA are finished and I think that the learners would benefit from online assessments as these can assess both cognitive and practical abilities. However this method of assessment needs to be monitored carefully to ensure who is actually taking the test/assessment, is the software or hardware up to date and that extensive objective testing is not done as this can result in learners guessing the answers. Summative assessment is on completion of learning. This may be at the end of a course or programme or may be at the end of a unit or topic. It is mainly used to see if the learner has learnt the material and is capable of going onto further learning. Brown (2001) suggests the purpose of summative assessment is ‘to give a license to proceed to the next stage of graduation (certification). ’ Reece & Walker suggest that summative assessment is ‘to satisfy the needs of society. ’ Both of these quotes imply that this type of assessment is about grades and is to show that the learner has the knowledge and at what level (pass, merit, distinction) to continue or not (failed). These grades do not always tell the learner why they achieved a certain level or why they failed. Summative assessment can be characterised as Assessment of learning. Many of the methods used for summative assessment are the same as formative assessment but often done in a formal setting rather than an informal setting. During my teaching at the YMCA I have used the following methods for summative assessments; Individual presentation – knowledge, skills, creativity, performance, design and communication, exam – demonstrating knowledge and understanding, performing procedures and demonstrating techniques, Portfolio – managing and developing self, oral exam and observations – for learners with reading and writing difficulties. Ipsative assessment can be used as a form of self assessment. It is assessing present performance against the prior performance of the person being assessed. They do not always relate to any external criteria or make comparisons to the performance of other learners. My teaching at the YMCA I have used this type of assessment mainly during feedback sessions, where learners and I will discuss previous work and present work, what has improved and what could still be improved upon. Another way to implement ipsative assessment is to encourage learners to assess their own work, to select the best pieces for their records of achievements folders and to identify areas for improvement. This can then be continued with self-evaluation of progress during sessions/lessons and on specific tasks. There are many more methods to use during assessments each with its own advantages and disadvantages, such as; Accreditation of prior learning (APL), buzz groups, case studies, discussions, e-assessments, homework, journals, professional discussion, projects, puzzles and quizzes, reports and dissertations, role play, tutorials, tests, etc. The main disadvantage to any assessment method is that many learners and tutors may not be use to them as some of them may be new and innovative or there may be a lack of technology available. By ensuring tutors are up to date with assessment methods and a variety of methods are used learners will benefit by being able to fairly show their strengths and weaknesses in a range of circumstances, therefore, it is best practice to use a blend of methods to get the best and most reliable results for your learners. Two other types of assessments I would like to investigate further in this paper are Self and peer assessment. These are often combined or considered together and have many potential advantages in common. Peer assessment can help self assessment. By judging the work of others, learners gain insight into their own performance. ‘Peer and self assessment help students develop the ability to make judgements, a necessary skill for study and professional life. ’ Brown, Rust & Gibbs (1994). Black & Wiliam’s research ‘Inside the black box’ concludes that self assessment is an essential component of formative assessment if it is to be used to improve student learning. I agree with the findings of this research in that self assessment is a skill that should be encouraged and developed as it can have a positive effect on learners performance and motivation. Peer and self assessments are used to enhance learning by increasing learner involvement in the learning process, increasing social interactions and trust in others, facilitation of individual feedback and to help focus learners on the process rather than the product. For both peer and self assessment to be successful Black states that ‘criteria must be understood by students†¦. students must be taught to collaborate in peer assessment for this helps develop objectivity for self-assessment†¦.. students should be taught to assess their progress as they proceed keeping the aims and criteria in mind†¦. This means that tutors should plan lessons that will teach learners to collaboration skills and make it visible as a part of the classroom, criteria could be provided by the tutor or devised by the learners and could also include a mark scheme, making these judgements about another person’s work can clarify a learners own understanding of the subject. During teaching at the YMCA I used self and peer assessments in group projects. I gave the project a final mark but used these assessment methods to give individuals within the group marks. To do this I got the learners to peer assess each other and based my individual marks upon these peer assessments. However, I was aware that there could be problems with this method such as some learners being too generous with marks or too low with marks. To overcome these problems I checked the marking to ensure consistency throughout the group and set out clear mark schemes. Another method of self assessment I use is ‘learning loops’ Petty (2009). This is where at the beginning of the next piece of work the learner will write a target from the last piece of work and then work towards that target, then I will mark this work with that target in mind and comment as to whether the target was met or if any improvement was shown. This method was useful with my learners in getting them to reflect upon their own work and take responsibility for their own learning as well as helping with their motivation. I have also used an adaptation of the feedback sandwich, called the Peer assessment Hamburger (included in my portfolio). This assessment activity was given to the learners to assess each other’s work; they first had to write about something positive about the piece of work then something to work on and how to work on it, then something positive again. This method was successful in my group of learners as getting them to receive any form of constructive feedback or advice is difficult, so by praising first they were more willing to listen and act upon the points for improvement. This method also helped the learners to gain skills in judging and evaluating work which in turn helped with self assessment/evaluation techniques. It is important to follow up on the improvement points at a later stage to ensure that an improvement has been made or to offer further assistance or teaching in that area if necessary. These areas for improvement were also noted in ILP’s during tutorial sessions as ‘Medals and Missions’, medals are what has been done well this may be the work itself (product) or may be the effort and planning (process). Missions are information about what needs improving along with how to do this, they are not criticism but advice and help to close the gap between where learners are and their goals. I believe that peer and self assessment are two very important and useful methods of assessment as ‘whatever a person discovers himself is what they really know. ’ Shapiro (2003). A learner needs to know where they are in their learning, where they are going and how to get there, these two methods help learners to understand this and achieve much more. Feedback simply put is ‘the passing of information to the student of their ability to perform a task’ Reece & Walker (2009). Although feedback is about giving the learner information on how they have performed it is much more than this, it is about progression, motivation, encouragement, self-esteem and confidence, promoting communication, improving standards etc and is a two way process. During all the research I undertook for this part of my paper I found one thing in common throughout, that feedback is a very important and powerful tool in relation to achievement when done constructively and properly. ‘The most powerful single moderator that enhances achievement is feedback’ Hattie (1999). Feedback can be formal or informal, it can be written, verbal or online, and it can be given after an assessment or during a lesson or tutorial. Whichever form feedback takes it should be constructive, descriptive not judgemental, specific, fully understood and timely. Feedback is used often during formative assessment and Sadler (1989) suggests ‘three elements of enhanced feedback are; recognition of the desired goal, evidence about present position and some understanding of a way to close the gap between the two. ’ This means the learner needs to have some understanding or concept of the goal being aimed for, learners need to be shown the comparison with current level of performance with that of the goal and learners should be shown ways in which the gap between the goal and current level can be closed. It is important to prepare learners for feedback to help them gauge how well they are doing, to actively involve them in the assessment process and to help them to understand the feedback. To do this you should agree the purpose of the feedback prior to the assessment, state the type of feedback to be used, show learners how their work. Written feedback is important for giving positive encouragement and correcting errors but is more effective if this feedback is accompanied with dialogue where possible. This dialogue or discussion can improve learner involvement and ownership of the feedback and create a deeper understanding of what was done well and what can be done to close any gaps. Also Gravells (2009) states that ‘you need to appreciate that how you write it may not be how they read it. It is easy to interpret words or phrases differently to what is intended. ’ Therefore when using written feedback you need to use a level of language suitable for your learners, make it clear how the required outcomes were met and what to do next. Using some form of feedback sandwich or hamburger is a good form for written feedback as this nestles the negative between two positives. This makes it more likely to be listened to and acted upon, whereas starting with a negative can stop the learner from listening/reading anything further. Another form of written feedback is comment only marking, this provides learners with a focus for progression instead of a reward or punishment for their ego as marks can. Comments can be made in books, in a learning diary or journal for example. Learning journals are useful for tutors and learners to track the progression of these comments and see improvements. During feedback sessions there should be time for questions as these will help to open up the assessment process and eliminate ambiguity. Using questions to ask learners how they feel they have done prior to giving them your feedback allows them to consider their own achievements, ‘gives them the opportunity to realise their own mistakes, or reflect on what they could do differently. ’ Gravells (2009). Also learners may need time to reflect upon the feedback they have been given and then have questions to it later, time to discuss these questions at the earliest opportunity should be made. Another important point in the feedback process is timing. Feedback should be given as soon as possible whilst the task and goal are still fresh in both the tutor and learners minds. Peer feedback is another useful form of feedback. This enhances learners active engagement in learning, can increase the amount of feedback they receive and they can receive it quicker than a tutor can give sometimes, it uses higher level thinking skills as it requires explanation and justification. The process of reviewing someone else’s work can help learners understand what is considered good work and increase their ability to achieve. Peer feedback should be monitored carefully as not all learners will be accustom to this and there may be some friction amongst your learners. To help overcome this allow practice sessions on peer assessment and feedback, set clear assessment criteria, stress that all will gain as much from reviewing the work of their peers as from any feedback they receive, use tutor-selected groups to peer assess and feedback work, have multiple peers review work, reviewers should feedback immediately, orally preferably, and tutors should explain clearly the best feedback method of Medal and Mission as suggested by Black & Wiliam. As well as giving feedback on assessments you should review learner’s progress at regular intervals on a one-to-one basis. This will allow you to motivate learners, plan for future learning and assessments, discuss any concerns, learners can ask questions, enhance learner involvement, update ILP, review your lessons and ‘differentiate effectively, ensuring that the needs of your learners are met, and that they are being challenged to develop to their full potential. ’ Gravells (2009). The review should be arranged at a suitable time for both the learner and tutor, be used to plan future assessments and targets with SMART objectives and you should ensure that all relevant records are available, etc. When doing any type of assessment, review or feedback there are records that need to be kept, this is important ‘otherwise how would you know what your learners have achieved? ’ Gravells (2009). Assessment records are used by tutors, your organisation, awarding body, regulatory authority, stakeholders and learners. Records can be electronic, paper or a mixture of both. The types of records I keep at the YMCA are; ILP’s, feedback sheets, tracking sheets, assessment forms, lesson plans, schemes of work, evaluations and review sheets. These records are kept in their original forms and used to help me plan future lessons and make any adaptations to existing courses if necessary, keep track of learners marks to be able to see any progression and if a learner loses work I have a record of when it was handed in, marked and what mark it got, what feedback they received to help learners know what they did well and what needs further improvement and how to do this improvement also feedback sheets can be used by an IV or EV to check your judgements and assessments are fair, and to keep a record of learners progress, areas that need attention, learning difficulties etc if any, agreed goals and targets. Whatever method or type of record is used there is legislation that must be adhered to with regards to these records and the information held within them. These legislations are; Data protection Act (1998) and Freedom of information act (2000). These acts cover how the information about living eople is used and stored, and g ive learners the right to see any information held about them, so tutors need to be aware that anything they write about a learner they can see at any time. Records should be kept organised, up to date, confidential, legible, accurate, secure and only kept for as long as necessary. Once these records are no longer needed they should be destroyed in a secure manner such as double shredding and bagging for paper based records, and hard drive cleaners to ensure computer based records are completely deleted. Assessment is a large part of the work teachers, tutors and trainers; it is an ongoing process throughout a learners educational journey and can be the most difficult part of the teaching process. There is recognition here that assessment is more than an isolated judgement of a specific performance; that is should be integrated into a system of reviewing, recording and reporting achievement which teacher and student are at the centre of. ’ Armitage et al (2007). Bibliography Books: Armitage et al (2007), Teaching and training in post-compulsory education, 3rd Ed, Berkshire, Open University Press Gravells. A. (2009), Principles and practice of assessment in the lifelong learning sector, Exeter, Learning matters Ltd Hattie, J. (1999), Influences on student learning, University of Auckland, New Zealand: Inaugural professional lecture paper Petty G (2009), Teaching today, 4th Ed, Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Ltd Ramsden. P, (2003), Learning to teach in higher education, 2nd Ed, Routledge. Reece, I. & Walker, S. 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