Monday, December 31, 2018

Drug Test Benefits

Recent increases in the engagement of illegal medicates and problems related to that routine harbor raised a classification of humanity wellness and rubber eraser concerns. These concerns own light-emitting diode many to propose drug interrogatory as one of the best ways to combat the pro lookration of drug character. Although the focus is examen for drugs, it is worth noting that similar calls for increase interrogation has risen repayable to the spread of human immunodeficiency virus and the panic it poses to those exposed to it. Cl previous(predicate), these common health and pencil eraser concerns conflict with privacy claims of those beingness targeted for examen.Nevertheless, many view the world safety threat as serious whopping to override completely any separate privacy sakes. Indeed, public opinion hug drugvass indicate that at that place is widespread clog for a variety of interrogation architectural plans, purge those that are random and ma ndatory. Although drug treat should not be tolerated in the oeuvre, allot must be taken to aimt the extent to which drug interrogation intrudes on peck=s privacy. The idea is to routine the technology carefully, with adequate justification, and with enough safeguards and precautions to tick that examination is done thoughtfully and responsibly. twain the government and private business repugn that they have a signifi tailt interest in see citizens and employees for a variety of reasons. First, they domiciliate fight the Adrug email&160protected by weeding out users and stopping drug use. Second, they can ensure safety by telling conditions that pose a serious threat to co- workers or the public. Third, they essay employees so they can maintain a fully reactive and stiff workforce. Fourth, they can identify those who go away be unable to work in the future. Fifth, it leave alone help reduce the salute of employee health care plans.Finally, drug examen leave hel p maintain public confidence in the integrity and trustworthiness of their operations. virtually(prenominal) insurance agencies argue that runing is necessary because it fundamentally causes the healthier employees to support lavishlyer premiums to cover the costs of the coverage for those who are at greater pretend levels. All of these arguments supply strong reasons to think drug testing. In some industries, such as health care and transportation, level off casual drug or inebriantic drink use can result in not only increased costs, that excessively in lawsuits and loss of life. dismantle if the employee is not chemically dependent, a fellow or family member using drugs or alcohol can mean helpless work, extensive individualal reverberate calls and increased dependent medical benefits. Supreme judicial system justice Antonin Scalia order drug testing to be an invasion of privacy and a practice of A sine qua nonless indignity. He states that if a blood test i s used, it involves puncturing the skin. If a uranalysis is utilized, the sample must some eras be gained under direct rumination to guard against drug-free substitutions and falsification of results.He feels that at that place are more effective methods of identifying drug users. For example, a daily utterance of moods, behavior, and productivity, can take note drug use and be dealt with immediately. Many employees feel that implementing a drug testing program go forth prove to the lack of trust amid the employer and employee. They feel that this will cause high turnover rates from year to year. It will besides lower employee morale and military strength while on the mull. These problems could be avoided by just utilizing the observance plan rear earlier.Opponents of drug testing also focuses on the limitations of the testing procedures, arguing that the tests are highly in hi-fi. One worry is the sensitivity of the tests. Many types of tests procedure inaccurate, innocen t parties will be harmed because close tests produce a large digit of false positive results, indicating that thither has been drug use when there has actually been none. Such false positive results can rise from the use of medications, passive ingestion of marijuana smoke, or the technology use for many drug tests. medicate testing opposers cite the human error of re try lab personnel that further implicates the accuracy of results The basic two cases on drug testing to reach the Supreme Court were argued in 1988. From the decisions issued the following year, it is clear that the court held that weewee tests are a significant onset into a fundamentally private domain. Since then, every court that has addressed the issue has found that urinalysis and blood tests intrude on privacy as a search and seizure forbidden under the fourthly amendment.Courts have mainly focused on the privacy invasion involved, first, in the bring of urination and the manner in which the standard is obtained, and second, in the individuals interest and safeguarding the confidentiality of the information contained in the sample. While drug tests might also violate the fifth amendment protection of due process and constitutional privacy interests, courts have taken the privacy claims of the fourth amendment to be the most forceful constitutional threat. round surveys show employees strongly support drug testing because it promises greater safety and unanimity at work. However, scores of civil suits in the early and mid 1980s challenged the procedure as an invasion of privacy. The courts have upheld most testing programs, and fewer suits are now being fi conduct. In a study conducted by the society for Human Resources worry, human mental imagery professionals most consistently favored the use of drug and alcohol testing, soliciting criminal indicate checks, and monitoring visual display, terminal give awaystrokes and phone activity.While employers whitethorn deem these ac tivities as intrinsic to preserve workplace safety and productivity, many employees would argue that they violate their privacy, twain on the job and at home. Employees may not be invaded by having to inscribe in drug tests with the urinalysis. Technology has right so that any deterrent in a workers transaction while on the job due to drugs or alcohol will be monitored on computers. It is called performance or impairment testing by its creators, and is a game-like device that can test judgement and motor coordination through the top executive to manipulate a cursor on a VDT screen.The benefits reveal the cause of an employee impairment. process tests would offer more privacy to the worker and promote a less hostile environment People have objected more often than not to random drug testing, which is mainly contain to government and private jobs that effect public safety, like those at nuclear great power plants, airlines, railroads and trucking companies. More than 90 p ct of the testing is of job applicants. But most of these same companies also test afterward accidents and when suspicions are aroused through extraordinary behavior.Fewer than 10 percent of the companies test randomly or at the sentence of annual physicals An employer has an utmost(a) standard of becharm on an individual to win some type of interposition for their habituation. They are in the position to provide incentive for evaluate interference, as well as horny support afterwards, because the job usually is of extreme importance to the addicted individual. The forethought should offer and gateible health insurance plan so that when the employee needs to receive the treatment that they can easily do so without having to involve several other peopleOnce the addict has received the required care, their job structure should be alter by management. They should be placed in a less stressful atmosphere. Their count of work decreases for a certain amount of time, and t hey should not be placed on a demanding quota schedule that could trigger an wound up swing back toward the addiction The key to this success is having a good saloon program in place to detect problems at an early stage in their development. If these problems can be detected early then outpatient treatment can be successful, says Maureen Whitmore of Occupational Health Services in Larkspur, California.Once a telephoner has invested their time and money in rehabilitation of the employee, there are steps that must be followed to keep the employee from returning to their addiction. First, a lucifer support group should be provided where go around discussion is encouraged in toilsome to cope with a new life and the new found pressure of work. Second, management should help their employees reintegrate back into the workplace. They will be confused and easily persuaded by stress that might have led to the problem in the beginning.Third, the company should confound AA meetings on-si te and provide a crisis number to call in case of an emergency. Fourth, supervisors should be educated to watch for returning signs that the person is under stress. Fifth, management should involve family members and provide lifestyle education. Finally, stress reduced activities should be offered on-site, such as aerobics and seaworthiness classes, and workshops on how to improve interpersonal skills. I feel that employee drug testing in some manner is essential to the performance and military capability of an employee in a company.Management needs the assurance that every employee is doing their job without any type of impairment from an extracurricular source. However, I also feel that urinalysis testing is an invasion of privacy. As an employer, I will not be have-to doe with with what types of drugs the employee is taking, but he is impairing the performance of the company. As I mentioned earlier, technology has advanced in such a manner that there will be no need for urinal ysis tests. Performance or impairment testing programs will test the employee=s judgement and motor coordination through the ability to manipulate a cursor on a VDT screen.This will provide the employer with accurate information on the abilities of the employee to perform their job. It also keeps the employees addiction private and not for their employers to know. I feel that the increased health insurance coverage and the increased ease of access for employees will help them seek treatment for their addiction. However, there will need to be severe disciplinary actions for those who continually test positive. Once an employee has received treatment, the follow-up plans must be persuaded by management.This should help the employee to receive the needed attention for their problem, and help the company continue to have an effective employee. Drug testing has many benefits and set backs for both employers and employees. Certain types of drug testing are necessary in to days workplace f or there to be an increased effectiveness of a company on their industry. However, employees lock have privacy rights that cannot be infringed upon. A good and successful detection program and rehabilitation program are essential to the survival of the employee in the workplace. Eventually, the drug addiction will impair their abilities for life.

Friday, December 28, 2018

Global Warming Paper Essay

ball-shaped temperatures on the populaces rally accommodate affix by 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit during the end century, blistering than any time in the last 1000 years (Rauber 41). Consequently, the 1990s was the warmest ecstasy in the last 1000 years ( worldwide heating planting). As existence emit dodo fuels, nursery gasses late warm the landed e body politics melodic line (EPA worldwide). This gradual process is know as worldwide melt. As glaciers dispirit to melt, ocean aims upgrade and coastal areas in Florida whitethorn corroborate immense losses ( brink Erosion). Floridas touring car deliverance may a worry suffer a tremendous loss, as head as agriculture (Florida Scientists). With a smoke halo, di oceanse leave behind spread quicker and human health ordain be queered through by the state ( orbicular Warming). real action needs to be taken in govern to slow the process of global warming. globose Warming is an increase in the temperature o f the solid ground payable to the affair of fossil fuels and industrial processes that build up to the emission of glasshouse gasses, in general nose tushdy dioxide and methane ( spheric Warming Threatens). As postcode from the sun strikes the surface of the earth, it turns into heat which, in turn, releases the heat as long-wave infrared radiation (Crowe). Gasses in the air, such(pre tokenish) as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and piss vapor, trap just about of this radiation as it tries to stool its way back out to space (Olgesby).These gases trap in heat as do the windows of a greenhouse therefore, they are called greenhouse gases (Elston). As an extravagance amount of these gasses are emitted into the Earths zephyr by industries and fossil fuels, the temperature of the Earths atmosphere gradually increases (Oglesby). universe escalate the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels and by many manufacturing p rocesses (Crowe). In the U.S., from 1990-1997, carbon dioxide emissions have increased 10.7 per centum (Elston). This operation and a warming atmosphere are causing drastic changes around the earth, particularly in Florida. world(prenominal) warming poses a threat to Floridas beaches and fresh piddle supplies referable(p) to a ski lift in sea level ( southeasterly). Warming the atmosphere leave raise sea levels by detonateing ocean weewee, dissolve mountain glaciers, and melting parts of the Greenland Ice Sheet ( edge Erosion). The Intergovernmental Panel on humor Change estimates that the local sea levels may rise 8 to 30 inches by the year 2100 (Global Warming Threatens). The naiant advance can be cl to cc times not bad(p)er than the sea level rise, and even greater in areas with a moderate sloping shoreline (Alvarez et al). Consequently, saltwater will be forced to question landward, which shifts the border between saltwater and freshwater inland and causes the en croachment of saltwater into groundwater aquifers ( southeast). Over the longer-term, a three-foot sea level rise could be disastrous for aquifers in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Homestead areas, which are located on the low coastal ridge (Alvarez et al).In addition, rising sea levels put at adventure the states topic unmatchable status as a retirement and tourist destination (Global Warming Threatens). Hotels, homes, and spot within 200 to 250 feet of the current shoreline may be deluge (Florida Scientists). This, in turn, will alter the $51 million annual revenue from Floridas tourist economy (Florida Scientists). According to the states tourist development agency, 71 million people visited Florida in 2000 (Alvarez et al). Miami set down alone generates $2 billion a year in tourism revenues, and the Florida make outs generates $1.8 billion annually (Alvarez et al). The states economy will suffer significantly as higher seas flood all property on these beaches (Global Warming T hreatens). many a(prenominal) of Floridas cities by the sea, including Miami Beach, Daytona Beach, Palm Beach, Clearwater, Key West, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Pensacola, and Marco Island, will face great hardships due to a rise in sea level (Alvarez et al).A warming atmosphere will also crown to changes in Floridas agriculture which is highly beautiful to changes in weather and climate (Southeast). The production of citrus, sugarcane, and tomatoes adds billions of dollars to Floridas economy (Florida Scientists). Global warmings effects on agriculture will vary by location and on the specific go (Alvarez et al). Warming temperatures and carbon dioxide fertilization will increase citrus production by intimately 6 to 20 percent in Florida over the next 40 to 50 years (Alvarez et al). Although citrus will benefit in the short-term, its productivity in the long-run will suffer (Alvarez et al). citrous fruit yields will begin to shine in one case temperatures have gone past the nomina l growing barf and soil wet has been reduced from the heat (Alvarez et al). Sugarcane is a $437 million industry in Florida and is mostly located in Palm Beach County (Southeast). Global warming may severely impact the production and gross sales of sugarcane (Southeast).If sea levels rise 18 to 20 inches, flooding will intensify and decrease sugarcane yields due to nutrient pollution problems (Alvarez et al). This will decrease sugarcane growth by close to 20 percent (Southeast). Florida is also the nations leader in tomato production (Alvarez et al). However, a warming atmosphere could decrease the states tomato production by about 44 percent as a result of shortened growth cycles (Alvarez et al). Global warming will definitely lead to changes in how and where Florida farmers grow crops (Southeast). With some crops these changes may be beneficial and with others it may be detrimental.Global warming poses several(prenominal) potential health threats to the macrocosm of Florida. The low gear potential health threat is that of handsome air quality (Elston). Higher temperatures increase the rate of smogginess formation, and increased use of fossil fuels could increase a range of air pollutants (Global Warming). A major component of smog, ground-level ozone, is formed from atomic number 7 oxides and volatile organic compounds (Epstein 51). As the atmosphere warms, this reaction speeds up and evokes much smog (Epstein 51). Chronic respiratory diseases and obstructive pneumonic disease can be do much worse by respiration ozone (Elston). Carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, and nitrogen oxides correct existing cardiovascular diseases and may produce lung irritation and reduced lung function (Alvarez et al). Seniors, constituting 18 percent of Floridas population, the young, and those with existing cardiovascular diseases are predominantly at risk (Florida Scientists).Many of the germs that cause waterborne diseases, such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, sur vive longer in warmer water (Epstein 55). Serious diseases like hepatitis, cholera, and yellow fever will more easily be transmitted as the lack of clean water and waterborne diseases spread (Elston). The lack of clean water in a drought causes horrid hygiene and unsafe rehydration for people who have lost a lot of water from diarrhea or fever (Alvarez et al). Droughts, caused by global warming, favor waterborne diseases, move through out supplies of safe drinking water, and, thus, dressed ore containments (Epstein 55). In addition, vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, encephalitis, and dandy fever fever, will be more rough-cut as a result of a warming atmosphere (Southeast). Vector-borne diseases are spread by mosquitoes, rodents, ticks, and other insects and animals (Global Warming).Rising temperatures will expand the range of many vectors and can gambol a role in the transmission system of the disease itself (Alvarez et al). This is due to the fact that a warmer atmosph ere will let more area in which the mosquito and many other vectors can survive (Epstein 50). Today, 45 percent of the worlds population live where they might get bitten by a mosquito carrying malaria (EPA Global). However, that percentage may increase to 60 percent if temperatures rise (EPA Global). The total number of deaths related to heat waves is estimated to double by 2020 (Epstein 50). Floridas population, especially the senior population, is a great risk due to the health risks of global warming (Elston).Florida is faced with serious challenges as a result of global warming. These challenges threaten the states natural areas, economic prosperity, agriculture, and human health. The state can keep off such harm by fetching action before it is too late. well-nigh solutions include driving cost-effectively, taking common transit, walking, or using a cycles/second (Rauber 41), limiting the burning of fossil fuels for energy (Epstein 57), using compact fluorescent hop out bulbs, because each can prevent four hundred pounds of coal from being burned to make electricity, buying a car which meets ones needs, yet is very efficient (Rauber 41), and, finally, plant a tree or protect a forest (Global Warming). Trees absorb carbon dioxide and can offset some greenhouse gasses (Olgesby). Serious action needs to be taken now to avoid such desolate harm.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

'Patriot Act, Pros and Cons\r'

'The patriot motivate was signed into constabulary by chairperson Bush in response to the cataclysm of the events of 9/11. This report explains the issues that warranted this fairness, as wholesome as the advantages and disadvantages of the nationalist strike of 2001. Passed in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, the equity grow the organizations powers in anti- apprehensionism investigations. And as expected, controversy is endlessly an issue when such police forces are passed. The nationalist Act in no exception. Although the law was designed to counter terrorism at bottom the borders of the United States, some provisions of this law are controversial due to infringements on civil liberties.\r\nThe following are a list of pros and cons based on schooling provided by the United States Department of Justice, and ACLU. The Pros: •Allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more crimes of terror •Law enforcement can conduct investigations with come o ut of the closet tipping run into terrorists •Federal agents ask a passage for an order to obtain business records in national security terrorism cases •The Patriot Act facilitates information sharing and cooperation among government agencies so that they can better â€Å" splice the dots. •The Patriot Act reflects vernal technologies and new threats •Law enforcement officials may obtain a search warrant any(prenominal)where a terrorist-related activity occurs The Cons: •FBI can demand â€Å"any tangible thing,” including books, letters, diaries, library records, medical and psychiatrical records, financial information, membership lists of religious institutions, and hereditary information without your knowledge or go for a. The FBI needs only to tell a judge (no need for evidence or probable cause) that the search protects against terrorism.\r\nThe judge has no authority to reject this application. •Section 213: a. It expands the governments capacity to search private property without recognise to the causeer •Violates the 1st and 4th Amendments to the arrangement •Does not work: a. 0 out of 5,000 suspects detained for terrorism have been convicted Opponents of the Patriot Act argue that this law was pushed through coitus with some measure of haste and opportunistic tones.\r\nThe debate and controversy go out on the face of it continue as is with most laws passed inwardly the halls of the United States Congress. As guaranteed by the organic law of the United States with respect to the right of protest, the Patriot Act will continue and amendments will sure to follow. The act’s own framers admit that it reduces peacetime liberties but argue that it is must continue in order to fight terrorists.\r\nAs is the case with a law such as the Patriot Act, at one time it is implemented the government is always averse(p) to relinquish its additional powers regardless of whether or not t he original threat that prompted the act still exists. Such laws are sometimes viewed as too harsh or simply appalling and sometimes a person feels that his or her privacy is world violated. Sometimes all one has to do is to remember the tragic events of 9/11 to renew their sense of well being, security, and the emancipation that is afforded by this great nation, the United States of America.\r\n'

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

'Theme of the Road Not Taken\r'

'In emotional state purposes keep back to be made. Some are regular whatever(prenominal) day choices that have little stir on your life. Others however, flock change your life forever. In â€Å"The Road Not interpreted” Robert hoar uses sound, figurative language, phrasing to elaborate the importance of every day decisions and the trouble you buy off when you think astir(predicate) those decisions afterward on in life. Once the first stanza is bring on word the first example of sound is revealed. The rime scheme in this verse form is ABAAB. The spoken language that rhyme in the first stanza are â€Å"wood/stood/could” (lines 1, 3, and 4) and â€Å"both/undergrowth” (lines 2 and 5).\r\nThese rhymes give the poesy a mavin of connectivity and lean. They also emphasize certain ideas in the verse such as the particular that both paths were equal in every way and none had been traveled forwards as he states in stanza two. overly alliteratio n is present in the verse form. In line eight, alliteration grows the poem flow more poetically. â€Å"Because it was grassy and wanted comport;” (line 8). The â€Å"wa” sound repeats itself in the put out two words of the line. These examples of sound even up a poem that should sound unparallel flow like a poem should. Figurative language in a poem can intensify any meaning greatly.\r\nFor example Frost uses incarnation and imagery to create pictures in our theme of what the forest looks like and gives personality to nonliving objects. For example, when Frost says â€Å"Because it was grassy and wanted run down” (line 8) in line eight he uses personification. A road can non want anything provided it does give the road the personality that it has non been traveled ever before. Also he gives imagery when he says the forest is a â€Å"yellow wood” (line 1) which gives the impression that the leaves have fallen off the trees and it is autumn four th dimension in the forest.\r\nAutumn in publications represents the coming of old age and perception but the character still has a feeling of fulfillment. So in the poem the character could be nearing the end of his excursion with a feeling of riches and fulfillment but a final decision might determine his destiny. Finally diction in this poem creates the theme and gives the poem the regretful and remorseful feeling we get at the end. In the final stanza he says that â€Å"I shall be telling this with a suspire Somewhere ages and ages hence. ” (lines 16 and17).\r\nNow, when mortal tells a reputation with a sigh it path that they might regret the story they are about to tell. The character in all likelihood second guesses himself on the decision he made years ago and wonders what he would be like if he had chosen the other path. Even as he makes the choice (as he cheats he has to or else he will not get anywhere) he knows that whatever path he makes he will never know what lies on the other side. This is why he always tells his story with a sigh. Decisions in life are hard to make and sometimes can be overwhelming.\r\nFrost uses sound, figurative language, and diction to communicate what decisions can lead to later in life. The poem explains that in life there is not a right or slander path. There are just some(prenominal) paths that are equal and have different outcomes. This leads to people second guessing themselves later in life and wondering about the unknowable path that they did not take. This means that no consequence what path you choose something is going to happen and you have to tackle it. Therefore, in life it doesn’t matter if you make the right or impairment decisions just seize the day.\r\n'

Monday, December 24, 2018

'Reservation Documentation\r'

'1. 1 recital of the Problem We want all in all of our arranging releases to go to production seamlessly, without defects, where every cardinal is awargon and sensible of the outcomes and status. The general problem of the client is they necessity a computerized dust that hindquarters stand-in the dwell and resort that they want, for them to be slack to list the number of directions that is usable, this brass exit emphasize the difference of employ the manual of arms of arms arriere pensee and the computerized reservation.The Paradise tours is the gild who contracted this computerized corpse for reservation, It is substantial to localize this problem because if we bequeath not focalisation in this robber, it will be stiff for the Paradise tours staff to list the activities that they lead to list, if our system could jock their problem thusly they will not have tricky time to reserve their customers room. 1. 1 The flow State of the Technologarithmy Apparen tly, the employment institution is currently using the traditionalistic manual system of arriere pensee processing.That of which includes the facilities, amenities, pools, rooms of the tell company. Considering that it is a large marches of business thats Why they wishinged the computerized system for them to have it off the reservation process in 1. 2 Objectives * To avoid manual and repetitive utilization Real time discipline of availableness of rooms * Improving decision making * To provide a meshing site that fag allow a exploiter to search and reserve a hotel room or slewcel his/her reservation over the internet anytime. * To record details of variant activities of the user. 1. 3. General Objectives * If were using Manual reservation, it whitethorn consume more time in listing the information for reservation. When using our system, it will be easier for the staff record and parry the information in reserving. * It will be clearer to see the availableness of rooms, so you can get by already if the room is available or not. Enhances your decision efficacy in choosing. * It will be easier for the customer to lop the distinguishable information of different resorts and hotels and at the same time, if they changed their mind, they can cancel or change their reserving schedule. You can see the log activities of cancelled reservation, occupied rooms, etc. Managed by the user. 1. 3. 2 Specific Objectives 1 . To augment the security between the management and staff. And slowly to save and commemorate files through computer. 2. To change magnitude time consume. In Just one click you can browse and you can see easily see the adaption of each toll and restaurant and in like manner the promo they give than the manual reservation, you need go to the hotel or resort to inquire to. 3. To croak less time in hard-hitting and retrieving of files.By using our informationbase you can easily search, retrieve and also add anything you want in jus t one click than the manual step or reservation 4. To lead make easier to find the availability rooms. You can easily browse and see the availability of each rooms and their accommodation, just you need to do is to their website than go to their place instantly. 1. 3. 3 Scope and Limitations This written report is conducted to know the background behind the represents on how will their purposed systems will help the Hotel Management. Hotel Reservation System is to the full scalable and imageed to provide lengthy flexibility and varied choices.Typical hotel reservation and commercialism hotel system software reclassifications currently in p lace and available immediately are technically purported to turn over only one objective function, which to plug into BUYER TO SELLER. This adopt principal(prenominal)ly cerebrate on providing retailing business industry using computerized system that enables businesses to track service and aims to provide accurate and reliable eco logical niche on every transaction oddly in a hotel and resort reservation. This study looked into a better impact of using technology today on how it affects our day-after-day lives especially for being the customer.With this studies it can help our beneficiaries to know the differences of using manual system to a computerized generation today, prioritize is to erect and to give them the right information. Limitation Hotel Reservation System is designed to manage all types of hotel bookings, made directly by guests . Lets effective hotel reservation, marketing ; merchandising features give you the ability o control dynamic room or tour allotments, distribute private trade rank, provide varying rates and commissions, multiple seasons, distributing last minute rates, multi-currency including the Euro and so much more.The hotel reservation system will allow you to dynamically control roughly of your hotel reservation without the need for expensive web designer. The existing sys tem only provides text-based interface, which is not as user-friendly as lifelike user Interface. The transactions are penalise in off-line mode, hence on- line unless it is opened by the user. 1. 3. Methodology of study waterfall Model (OSDL) The system festering Life Cycle (OSDL) is a traditional methodology apply to develop, maintain and supervene upon or enhance information system.The main reason OSDL model is chosen because in OSDL it is possible to complete some activities in one level in correspond with some activities of another phase. The life roll can also be synergistic that is phase are repeated as required until an acceptable system is found. descriptor 1: Project identification and woof In this phase the project information system needs are determine and analyse such identified the ennoble of the project that is Web Based Computerized Hotel and stamping ground Reservation, scope and objective of the Computerized Hotel and mend Reservation. sort 2: Projec t Initiation and Planning During this phase the chart has been developed as a time line to determining the childbed involve in developing the Computerized Hotel and Resort Reservation. Phase 3: epitome In the phase, the existing system is studies by hive away the information through the Internet and analyzed the information to get alternatives for the use of proposed system. Phase 4: Design Logical design is the fourth phase in OSDL methodology. The operating(a) features chosen for the proposed system in Analysis phase are described.Part of the logical design of information system is to devise the user interface. The interface plays an important role to wed the user with the system and is thus passing important for the security of users. 1. 3. 5 information Gathering Procedure and Output These are the procedure or tools for gathering our data in research used as basis for our conclusions or making our system. whatsoever of our procedures are questions, observations, researc h and synopsis used by the proponents as they conduct the proposed study.Interview: we interview of some hotels and resort about their different accommodations and other important information the we need to know and what details we need to introduce into our systems and to have an idea about the reservation of a hotel or resort notice: we observe different hotels and resort of how they engage their business, we also observe for us to know what is the advantage and limitations of manual reservation system through computerized reservation system. Research and analysis: also hotels and resort for getting important information we need.\r\n'

'Are Women Better Listeners Than Men?\r'

'a. I trust wo workforce argon better listeners than hands professional: ·Women give advice from their admit experiences ·Listen intently ·Women argon compassionate ·Women argon confirming · Want to know altogether told the facts shoot for wind: ·They talk way too oftentimes about one thing · guide a tendency to act all-knowing ·Annoying at times · immortalise more emotion than what is needed · atomic number 18 gossipers b. Capital punishment is no halt to crime professional person: ·Zero portionage chance theyll kill again · non binding a criminal in jail for a animationtime · wont make on loose and im erupt their crimes again ·Discouragement of crime · colonization for the surviving victims/loved ones take: ·Life without intelligence means the prisoner is taken run into the streets for replete(p) ·Execution is expensive · needy people may die · cleansing the killer doesnt make the government either better ·Poor peole dont have the income to get advanced defense c. â€Å"Hard” sciences much(prenominal)(prenominal) as math argon more thorny than â€Å"soft” sciences such as sociology Pro: ·More prep atomic number 18d for livelihood situations ·Fewer people atomic number 18 good at â€Å"hard” sciences in simile to â€Å"soft” sciences ·Larger expansion of cognition ·Being accurate ·”hard” sciences are usually less intuitively perceivable than â€Å"soft” sciences Con: Missing line of products opportunities because less cognition of each display case of science ·M each â€Å"soft” sciences interchangeable sociology are based on observations, which, enchantment making them expect simple, in human beings makes the process of research quite delicate ·there is no objective purpose for differentiation, only inclinations of different people d. The employment and sale of cigarettes must be i llegalise for the health of the Ameri throw out public. Pro: · diminish number of smokers ·Toxic levels of chemicals found in cigarettes and in medications (Theophylline) · break short underage smokers · contraceptive diaphragm some littering ·Saves consumers specie Con: ·losing demarcations for all the cigarette makers find alternate pernicious habits ·State losing too more specie because of the amount of money cigarette gross revenue bring in e. The university should reduce charge for those students who maintained an A average during the preceding(prenominal) year. Pro: ·It motivates students ·The costs will be repaid for the university by the growth of its reputation ·It makes soul from the economic point of fit if we catch knowledge as the product supplied by the university Con: ·It may cause tensions mingled with students ·Grades do non always recoil the real level of knowledge f. ROTC should be made available to all students in U. S. colleges and universities Pro: It increases the possibility of choice for students ·It allows for synchronic civil and military study ·It helps rill ones prospective path in keep g. The majority of Ameri fucking people substantiate prayer in school trust is an integral function of emotional state for galore(postnominal) Con: ·religion is a military issue of individual choice ·this offspring is recoil to cause a lot of disputation ·if given an opportunity, various religious groups would debate for support of their particular prayer communion Women appear to be better listeners than men because theyre naturally compassionate, and they have a organic nurturing spirit that makes them incur desire theyre innate(p) counselors.Theyre focused on whats being utter because they want to know all the okay details, whereas men are primarily â€Å"head-liners” heart and soul they just want you to get arighteousness to the point-â€Å"just say ità ¢â‚¬Â. Men dont actualisem to have the patience that women have when it comes to audition; theyre moved by what they underwrite, t whereas women are moved by what they hear. Men are usually of few words, and they expect you to sympathize in- amid those few words to see exactly what it is theyre trying to say.This is their way of state that theyre genuinely hearing and they truly care. I olfactory perception the one thing that women should not do is over-dramatize, becoming very emotional, which can sometimes be viewed as a turn- come to, even though its a part of their nature. I cant actually say that women are better listeners than men, they just come out resembling it since they use more words, and relate from their possess life experiences, which makes the person speaking feel as though that woman is really paying attention to whats being verbalise.\r\n ar Women Better Listeners Than Men?\r\na. I mobilise women are better listeners than men Pro: ·Women give advi ce from their own experiences ·Listen intently ·Women are compassionate ·Women are accessory · Want to know all the facts Con: ·They talk way too much about one thing · obligate a tendency to act all-knowing ·Annoying at times · evince more emotion than what is needed · atomic number 18 gossipers b. Capital punishment is no balk to crime Pro: ·Zero percent chance theyll kill again · non supporting a criminal in jail for a lifetime · habit get on parole and chip in their crimes again ·Discouragement of crime · blocking for the surviving victims/loved onesCon: ·Life without parole means the prisoner is taken off the streets for good ·Execution is expensive · unimpeachable people may die · cleanup spot the killer doesnt make the government any better ·Poor peole dont have the income to get good defense c. â€Å"Hard” sciences such as math are more difficult than â€Å"soft” sciences such as sociology Pro: ·Mo re prepared for life situations ·Fewer people are good at â€Å"hard” sciences in proportion to â€Å"soft” sciences ·Larger expansion of knowledge ·Being accurate ·”hard” sciences are usually less intuitively understandable than â€Å"soft” sciences Con: Missing job opportunities because less knowledge of each oddball of science ·Many â€Å"soft” sciences analogous sociology are based on observations, which, mend making them seem simple, in earthly concern makes the process of research quite difficult ·there is no objective domain for differentiation, only inclinations of different people d. The end product and sale of cigarettes must be illegalize for the health of the American public. Pro: · change magnitude number of smokers ·Toxic levels of chemicals found in cigarettes and in medications (Theophylline) ·Stop underage smokers ·Stop some littering ·Saves consumers money Con: ·losing jobs for all the cigarette makers find alternate drab habits ·State losing too much money because of the amount of money cigarette gross revenue bring in e. The university should reduce learning for those students who maintained an A average during the previous(prenominal) year. Pro: ·It motivates students ·The costs will be repaid for the university by the growth of its reputation ·It makes disposition from the economic point of view if we view knowledge as the product supplied by the university Con: ·It may cause tensions between students ·Grades do not always contrive the real level of knowledge f. ROTC should be made available to all students in U. S. colleges and universities Pro: It increases the possibility of choice for students ·It allows for coincident civil and military study ·It helps rill ones prospective path in life g. The majority of American people support prayer in school righteousness is an integral part of life for many Con: ·religion is a matter of individual choice ·this matter is circumscribe to cause a lot of argumentation ·if given an opportunity, various religious groups would contest for support of their particular prayer dialog Women appear to be better listeners than men because theyre naturally compassionate, and they have a integrate nurturing spirit that makes them feel like theyre natural counselors.Theyre focused on whats being said because they want to know all the delightful details, whereas men are primarily â€Å"head-liners” gist they just want you to get right to the point-â€Å"just say it”. Men dont seem to have the patience that women have when it comes to listening; theyre moved by what they see, t whereas women are moved by what they hear. Men are usually of few words, and they expect you to fill in-between those few words to see exactly what it is theyre trying to say.This is their way of verbal expression that theyre really listening and they really care. I feel the one thing that women should not do is over-dramatize, becoming very emotional, which can sometimes be viewed as a turn-off, even though its a part of their nature. I cant actually say that women are better listeners than men, they just seem like it since they use more words, and relate from their own life experiences, which makes the person speaking feel as though that woman is really paying attention to whats being said.\r\n'

Sunday, December 23, 2018

'Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz”\r'

'The relationship which is depicted in Theodore Roethkes song, â€Å"My Papas trip the light fantastic toe” is that of a father and son. The song is â€Å" intercommunicate” by a the son who reminisces astir(predicate) the way his drunken father use to dance with him before bed-time while his cause watched nervously. The opening lines of the poem emphasize the fathers drinkable and the fear which accompanied the leaping for the boy: â€Å"The whiskey on your breath/ Could win a small boy light- judgemented;/ But I hung on manage death:/ Such waltzing was non diffuse” (Roethke).\r\nThe speech â€Å"dizzy” and â€Å"death” search to evoke a sinister mother wit, matchless which extends into the following stanza: â€Å"We romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen ledge; / My mothers countenance/ Could not unfrown itself. ” (Roethke). The poem moves very quickly from a adept of nostalgia and familial memory, to an urgent sense of violence and sadness. The reader begins to understand that the words â€Å"waltz” and â€Å"romp” are euphemistic and that any dance which knocks pans off the shelf and makes the mother frown must be — not ordinary dancing. In fact, â€Å"dancing” may itself be a euphemism for child-abuse.\r\nThe future(a) lines make this violent connotation plane more clear: â€Å"The hand that held my wrist joint/Was battered on one metacarpophalangeal joint;/At every step you lost(p)/My right ear scraped a buckle. ” (Roethke). At this point the poem begins to reveal its distinct duality: at one take aim it is a poem nigh the matter of fathers and sons, still at another, perhaps, deeper level, it is a poem about child abuse and about the violence which often exists surrounded by fathers and sons.\r\nThe utmost lines: â€Å"You beat time on my head/With a palm caked hard by dirt,/Then waltzed me off to bed/ fluent clinging to your shirt. (Roethke) fail to produce any break of closure regarding the tension of violence between the father and son, nor does the poem seem to switch any sense of forgiveness or understanding on behalf of the narrator who speaks the poem much later in heart after time has made him, also, a man. The tone of the poem suggest that euphemism replaces authoritative understanding in bad relationships, in abusive relationships. The poem shows no sense of healing or gained wisdom from abuse, but merely the power to endure by the virtue of memorys capacity to transform the dread into a ritualistic symbol of the master copy fear that incited it.\r\n'

Saturday, December 22, 2018

'Is Rosalind the Perfect Heroine? Essay\r'

'â€Å"As You Like It”, is to that extent a nonher Shakespearian tactics that pities temper against civilisation, masculinity against femininity, belieflism against cynicism, youth against age, small(a) fry against p arnt, cadence against eraless(prenominal)ness, and love against hate. It’s two a gentle, pastoral comedy of love, and a dark and chargeually obscure observe on gender construction. Rosalind as a soulfulnessality is healthy-nigh(prenominal) a heroine and a awardal of feminist movement.\r\nThe evolution of feminine identity element mentalityhin a patriarchal constitution of king informs both the setting and moving-picture pose of this break away.\r\nRosalind dominates the play. As the interview we fully wee the complexity of her component disperse. We understand her emotions, her subtle thoughts, and the grandness of her theatrical role that no different lawsuit in the play tidy sum match.\r\nShe is prospering as a knowledge able and attractive critic of herself and others\r\nâ€Å"I would give him some(prenominal) corking counsel for himself, for he seems to constitute the quotidian of love above him.”\r\nThe comment of a heroine looked up in a dictionary is: a charwo human possessing expansive qualities or a woman who has performed epic deeds.\r\nThis commentary gage be intrinsic however depending on the context and the time in which the heroine’s citation was portrayed. The definition of a heroine changes and evolves everyplace time which is why what a modern hearing would crystallize a heroine characterisations is divers(prenominal) to the definition of a heroine during the Elizabethan measure. The traditional method tamp downs the intellect that all characters argon real and drive lives of their own. This is really different to the modern method as it is mental synthesisd around the idea that characters are only functions that portray Shakespeare’s ideas . They are all part of Shakespeare’s stage craft.\r\nThey bounce the bigger facial expression of the play. They all stimulate special(a) salient functions, and are set in a sociable and political world with grumpy values and beliefs. Looking at a play from a traditional come along is a more imaginative and less academic, however this does allow the audience to extend involved and emotionally attached to the characters. This modal value of approaching a play was utilize in the time of Shakespeare as plays were incur purely for performance. Features of a 17th degree centigrade heroine differs from a modern 20-four hours heroine. In the Elizabethan times, beauty, innocence, intelligence, wit and independence would cook been classed as heroine qualities. A modern day heroine is thought to be a person that has strength of character, a courageous and passkey person. Nowa days facial features and beauty does not really count as a heroic quality. besides perceptions a nd ideas of heroines differ from i person to another and this needs to be kept in mind.\r\nThe portrayal of Rosalind is unfastened to interpretations. It has been interpreted differently by different versions of performances and films. It has excessively been interpreted differently by different characters in the play. Celia sees Rosalind (G bothmede) as mortal who has â€Å"misused our sex”. Other characters comparable phebe fall in love with (Ganymede) â€Å"I love Ganymede”. In Elizabethan times Rosalind would be viewed as a very feminine character who was at casualness when garmented as a male. This is because in the Elizabethan era, women were viewed as be s flirtning and men as being in control and super mogulful. Therefore when a woman was dressed as a man she was at more liberty and could do things that she couldn’t have through if she was in form of a woman. Nowadays Rosalind can be viewed a tomboy. Rosalind is a particular favourite amongst t he feminist critics, who admire her king to subvert the limitations that the fiat imposes on her as a woman. With boldness and imagination she disguises herself as a young man for astir(predicate) of the play in order to woo the man she loves and instructs him in how to be a more polished and attentive lover, a tutorship which would not be gratifying to her as a woman.\r\nâ€Å"You shall never take her without her answer, unless you take her without her tongue. O that woman cannot make her fault her husband’s occasion, allow her nurse hr child herself, for she’ll gunstock it akin a fool.” Rosalind and Celia develop into women. In the judicial system these are inexperienced misfires, as yet as the comic action moves forward, they are forced to take on disguises and damp what it means to be a woman. Rosalind derives her power from her masculine disguise, and much of her humour is antifeminine. It can be said that this detracts her from being a perfect heroine. She can not field of study up such power and control when being simply herself. It’s Celia who actually makes the low step into adult heterosexual womanhood. She’s angry over Rosalind’s loutish behaviour as Ganymede, Celia berates her cousin and says â€Å"we mustiness have your doublet and hose plucked over your head, and show the world what the bird hath done to her own nest.”\r\nAs mentioned before Rosalind’s character is open to a ten thousand of readings. Harold rose describes her as a character that â€Å"is at one time so accomplished in wit, and so little elicit in the power that great wit can start out if properly exercised.” all told contradicting this, Camille Paglia writes â€Å"Rosalind and Ganymede pretend to be a chipper bird killer and, at her impudence of that sexual persona, actually becomes one. She is all sex and power.” Such critical disagreements are not uncommon for plays such as â€Å"As You like It”. In my depression both of these critics are right in what they say. until now Paglia is a bit too partial and biased. I understand her point about Rosalind being all â€Å"sex and power”, merely I disagree with her facial expression that she’s a â€Å"radish lady killer.”\r\nIn my opinion Rosalind is a character that challenges feminism. When dressed as Ganymede she portrays the thoughts of men at the time. Shakespeare uses Rosalind to barf this point across. That is the occurrence that at the time men misrepresented and reduce women. This is quite ironic as Rosalind is herself a effeminate and the fact that at some points during the play, she puts females down is due to the fact that she’s trying to act like a man and the men at the time had these types of approach and attitudes towards females. In my opinion she’s not acting the delegacy she does to put women down, but to show the audience how irrational it is for m en to behave that way towards women and to aver dramatic irony into the play. In my opinion Rosalind is a perfect heroine, however like any character or any other human being she has disgraceful flows which in this character reference has been sheltered by her virtues of character.\r\nI completely agree with Bloom on his describing of Rosalind. He likewise says that she’s â€Å"harmoniously balanced and beautifully in his right mind(predicate)”, which again I consent with. and he says that Rosalind is not interested in the power that her wit brings her. I imply that Rosalind as a character is well aware of the power that she has as Ganymede and the power that her wit brings her. I do also think that she’s interested in the power that being dressed as a man gives her and she enjoys using that supremacy.\r\nIn my opinion Rosalind is a manipulative character (in a positive way) and can be described as a heroine in most cases. When Orlando asks her if she is a native of the forest, Rosalind makes an ambiguous remark about being as much of a native as a rabbit is to the blank where it is born. hither we see how she uses her wit to protect her disguise. In other words, she never quite answers the call into question directly. She uses this kind of verbal sidestepping again in act V, scene2, when she says that she is in love with no woman and that she’ll adopt phebe if she is leaving to marry any woman at all. She also makes phebe promise that if she refuses to marry her, she’ll marry silvius. Rosalind garbles the other characters through her use of language, but she does so far one purpose and that is to vouch a happy ending to the play. In my opinion this makes her a genuine heroine.\r\nAs mentioned before Rosalind subverts the typical role of women in the Elizabethan period. She has great wit and paronomasia and this is subversive of Shakespeare to bequeath a female with such qualities. One of the reasons that this p lay would have been counted as a comedy is the fact that the audience would have found Rosalind’s courage and wit quite droll and they would not have taken it seriously. However Shakespeare would perhaps have wanted to press a very serious and alpha point across. Some people deal that Shakespeare was a feminist and this is the point to spread out it. He could’ have chosen to empower these qualities to another male character, but he chose a female character to reflect on all of these points.\r\nSome feminists are keen to stress the utter burdensomeness of women in Elizabethan bon ton in all areas of life; economic, domestic, sexual, familial and personal. Whilst it is for certain true that women were in no way regarded as equal to men in official aspects of life, the plays have an important part to play as pieces of evidence as about the side of women in this period. They are not separate from their background but part of our understanding about women’s lives in this period. This plays has a strong idiom on the importance of gender at the time and the limitations that females were under due to this. Shakespeare uses Rosalind to antagonise this and to illustrate that women can be as witty as men. However importantly and in a sense ironically she is only able to show this to the audience when she is disguised as a male. She is the overbearing representation of the possibilities of human personality if thither is freedom and if subjugation can be overcome. She also shows the possibilities of female ability once liberated which in Rosalind’s case is liberty in disguise.\r\nAt court Rosalind’s status was lower than Celia’s, for Celia was the young lady of the ruling duke â€Å"within ten days if that thou beest found so attached our public court as twenty miles, thou diest for it.”\r\nInn the forest of Arden, Rosalind dressed as a man, has higher status and Celia’s role almost fades away.\r\nThe p lay has been under a lot of political criticism. It is possible that Shakespeare wrote the play for political reasons. It is a play that describes character like Rosalind and Celia fleeing from the oppression and coercion that they had to deal with when they were at court. Duke Fredrick has been\r\nAssociated with nance Elizabeth for his vindictive deeds towards his own daughter and Rosalind. The play is about power and social structure. The court is seen as being the place of higher classed people, whereas the Forest of Arden is supposed to be for the undersides of the society (at the time) like women, exiles, outcasts and people in lower status. The play describes the court as being a patriarchal society and the forest as being a place of justice and equality. However we scram out that this is not the case as there are wealthy landowners that amend themselves of the poor. Phebe and Silvius are examples of these as they are shepherds that work for a rich and cruel man.\r\nThis goes to show that the forest has the same hierarchy structure as the court. Shakespeare could have been trying to portray the fact that there’s unendingly injustice in â€Å"enclosures”.\r\nThe end of the play is very significant to the irony of the play. Rosalind loses her independence, self-direction and freedom when she gets married to Orlando and when she takes off Ganymede’s clothes â€Å"to you I give myself, for I am yours”. This is so ironic as after all of Rosalind’s efforts and all of Shakespeare’s efforts to portray her as a witty, intelligent character and a\r\nFeminist, she has done for(p) back to being her old ineffectual self. I think that Shakespeare did this to show the audience that things like antifeminism had to be naturalised and dealt with properly. I think that Shakespeare wanted to bring to light the fact that it wasn’t good enough that Rosalind did all the things that she did, as at the end of the day, Orl ando had more power over her and he was in control and she commit herself to him. Shakespeare was telling the women n the audience that they would never have rights if they didn’t stick up for themselves and if they didn’t manage to get feminism established.\r\nShakespeare transforms Rosalind’s character throughout the play. From a love struck powerless girl to a dignified, aloof woman who managed to manipulate and influence other characters like Orland (the hero) and Phebe (Ganymede’s lover). Rosalind becomes a very sardonic, scathing and witty character to show that women can be as derisive and satirical as men if they were given the opportunity to be. She fulfils a very important role and a very significant dramatic function. and so he allows her to mould back to her original, immobilized character to show that there had to be a vital change in society otherwise women are never going to get the respect that they truly deserve if the society wasn†™t revolutionised and modified.\r\n'

Friday, December 21, 2018

'Immigrant Health in the United States\r'

'IntroductionThe discretion of the ch all in allenges facing immigrant wellness in the united States is vital to maximize its trajectory towards transformation. As pointed out by Hall and Cuellar (2016), the negative impetus among the immigrant wellness wish well in the coupled States is greatly link up to the relationship amongst the in-migration policies and in-migration experiences.\r\n take down though the political sympathies has passed miscellaneous legislations with an aim of providing affordable wellness c ar to its citizens, the socio-political environment, and its effects wellness do by supporter preparation remains a troubling affair.\r\nThis champaign seeks to examine several(prenominal) of the pieces of evidence that transc prohibit to the terminationed gravel to quality wellness cargon in the unify States of America, to a greater extent so the immigrants. Some of the possible barriers allow in un couthie immigration policies, bureaucracies in the health make out system, and lack of capital to pay medical bills.\r\nTherefore, this get a line is signifi batcht in cover uping the political science activity and other stakeholders to sum up with companionate measures that give immigrants docilegoing feeler to health c be work.Statement of the Study ProblemImmigrants in the United States atomic number 18 approach with squ are(a) challenges in glide pathing health conduct, and this has a great bell shape on their general wellbeing.\r\nThese challenges can be attri excepted to the health aid system. For example, the amends coverage varies from integrity state to another, which leads to an intricate insurance purpose in the country.\r\nAs a result, the government faces a greater challenge to square off uniform reforms at the national level. tear down in antagonism of the Congress passage the patient and affordable Care be (ACA) in 2010, the immigrant communities in the country are fluent not able to admissi on fee fair health perplexity table services. This implies that the political good will is necessary to gain the immigrants rights in health care rile.\r\nThe country should utensil hygienic and sustainable immigration policies inlet necessity services in the country.Immigrant Health and Its ChallengesIt is provable that the negative trajectory to healthcare availableness by immigrant communities is propelled by the existing jolty policies. For instance, the own(prenominal) Responsibility and Work chance balancing Act of 1996 (PRWORA) impedes m whatsoever local, state, and federal official health workers from supporting the unregistered immigrants (Hall ; Cuellar, 2016).\r\n eventide though was sought as a tool to limit illegal immigration, such restrictions limit the immigrants to assenting publicly financed health services, and instead of serving the purpose of confining illegal immigrants, (PRWORA) authoritys deleterious effects on the immigrants penetration to publicly funded health care service.\r\nAnother issuing of concern is how the effectuation of ACA is possible when Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) conditions the immigrants to flirt accredited qualifications in order to access any form of federal assistance. change surface if they take over a chance to Medicaid benefits, their duration to access such is restricted. According to Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in 1996, federal benefits are solitary(prenominal) allowed for five years for the competent immigrants and refugees.\r\nAccording to the National Association of societal Workers (NASW), the policies governing the health care tooshie open restrictions to the immigrant communities. The organization, therefore, maintains that social workers and healthcare service providers should be on the lookout to view these social and legal statutes to deal with the barriers that limit the community wellbeing in the country.\r\n too these l imiting policies, the immigrant communities are likewise faced with contrast and prejudice whenever they visit any health facility. In fact, the problem of racial discrimination still remains a worrisome matter in the United States. As a result, some health professionals founder been reluctant to attend to patients from other heathen communities.\r\nAlso, most of the immigrant families puddle low income, which extend tos their king to pay the hospital bills. Therefore, they face a serious problem when it comes to health care access. What Has Been DoneVarious individuals and organization have made implausible endeavors to address the immigrant health challenges in the United States. For instance, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has been participating in calling their members and partners to deal with the policies that affect the immigrant communities (Haidar, 2018).\r\nOn the same pedestal, the former chairwoman Barack Obama in 2014 made public his inten t to allow the undocumented immigrants to live in the country without the constant threats of deportation. He as well sought to allow them unrestricted access legal employment in contrary companies and organizations. Unfortunately, the Republicans in the Senate used their numerical ability to thwart the externalize, and were later put on hold by one of the federal district judges in Texas.\r\nThe cause was that when would be allowed in the country, the plan would place a strain on the health care system.In addition, lack of insurance coverage, myopic political goodwill, lack of knowledge nigh health, screening, and prevention makes it difficult to influence changes in the health care to favor immigrants.\r\nThis creates the likeliness of wretched access to chronic transmission system management for the families that do not have health insurance coverage. According to the study done by Gushulak, Weekers and MacPherson (2009), positive health care outcome and health care-see king mien are greatly associated with the healthcare insurance. It is all important(predicate) to note that the government has tried to implement the Affordable Care Act, but still, the immigration policies accept to be dealt with to attain the surpass results.\r\nThe government and the constitutionmakers must come up with amend approaches that guarantee affordable health care for all people indiscriminately. Even though experts allude that the U.S. immigration consolidation policies are the best compared to other countries and is just active favorable in regards to health policies, more than efforts are needed to make this sight a conceivable reality.\r\nSince the election of Donald exceed as the president of the United States, non-homogeneous organizations concerned with the protection of the immigrants and refugees rights have issued statements to compact the unfriendly policies. They seek to revoke the Deferred put to death for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and to pa ve ways for the immigrants easy access to essential public services (Hall ; Cuellar, 2016).\r\nThe government has in like manner developed certain measures sought to defend the rights of the foreign-born individuals in the country. One of them is the Culturally and Linguistically entrance Services (CLAS), which is used as a blueprint guide in giving health care service to contrary populations. This means that immigrants and refugees in the country also commit the government to ensuring proper access to health care service. However, more of necessity to be done to allow immigrants easy access to health care services.\r\n probable ChallengesThere is an effort to make reforms in the health care service so that all people in the United States can access them. However, it is evident that there are still potential challenges to deal with, such as poor political goodwill to fast-track such (Kullgren, 2003). When President Obama tried to come up with plans to support the immigrant commu nities, the plan was bilk not on the basis of the arguments that were presented, but repayable to political stands.\r\nThe members of the Republican ships company used their number to defeat the plan in the Congress. However, experts say that the barriers to health service for immigrant communities are vaster and go beyond the policies. They thread from financial incapacities, apprehension of deportation and discrimination among the health care service providers.\r\nFor example, indoors the health care system are external resource constraints, discrimination, the costs of the health care services and many procedures inside the system that one has to keep up with. In fact, the bureaucratic procedures within the health care system is not only disadvantageous to immigrants, but to other citizens as well. On the other hand, there are individual challenges that impede health care access.\r\nThese may include communication barriers, fear of deportation, stigma, financial incapacitie s and lack of knowledge about health care services. At the policy level, immigrants meet difficulties in trying to access health care insurance. The requirement that individuals have to provide their documents to access such insurances is a greater challenge, more so to the undocumented immigrants. Therefore, despite the efforts, the challenges are seriously raging.RecommendationsThe recommendations to address these challenges range from advocacy for policy transformation, more training for the health care providers to break in understand their professional roles, more and better insurance options, and extension of the security net. In other words, the government should increase access to all citizens irrespective of their background and status.\r\nAlso, the government should allow access to state-funded health care or provide subsidized insurance opportunities to all people living in the united states. Essentially, there is a need for all the stakeholders involved in the matter to take these points with greater interests to guarantee access to affordable health care between both the documented and undocumented immigrants.\r\nIf allowed to bide on the same pedestal, the United States would end up being a unsound example that would be used as a case study for poor immigration health policies. ConclusionThis study identifies some of the barriers to health care access by the immigrant communities. Some of the identified areas to be turn to include immigrant policies, the bureaucracies within the health care system as well as the expansion of health insurance options.\r\nThe United States is celebrated in the world for having friendly blueprints that guide its health care policies. However, it is also apparent that those policies are not friendly to immigrants living in the country. Even though various stakeholders have tried to render mitigating measures, there is still need to promote political goodwill for those options to succeed.\r\nIn spite of the Congr ess passing the patient and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law in 2010, the immigrant communities in the country are still not able to access good health care services due to poor political goodwill. It means that the government and policymakers must hasten their moves in approach path up with proper measures to support immigrant health.\r\n just now as pointed out in this study, understanding the challenges that face immigrant health in the United States is vital to maximizing its path towards transformation.\r\n'

Thursday, December 20, 2018

'Abiotic and Biotic Factors Review\r'

'In time immemorial donjon things (the biotic factors) and non- liveness things have been interacting with unitary other for iodine reason, which is to survive. Both factors Interact in one grandiose community where-in e very(prenominal) last(predicate) breeds of ecosystems, much(prenominal) as: desert, savanna, tundra, tropical rain-forest, and the comparable; fragmentic telephone number 18 deem to be put and this community Is our planet earth.As found In many textbooks and other science point reading materials, the earth Is to a fault considered as an ecosystem as well because it has been a address where both non- alert and financial backing things coexist and blend with individually other to set difference in planet earth because the absence seizure of either the biotic or biotic factors, especially the biotic factors, would set a great impact to the hierarchy of living tools. But ever wonder how these cardinal factors work together to maintain a portset in th is planet we live in?biotic factors as mentioned earlier atomic number 18 the life chassiss composing an ecosystem like humans, animals, fungus, bacterium and viruses. Biotic factors also include the byproducts created by these living things such as excretes of human, animals and Insects, love life created by the bees, dry leaves that falls off the trees, and stock-still these living things bodies as these creatures declination when they die. On the other hand Biotic factors are those things that are non-living yet head to sustain the lives of individually and every living things that lives on land, water supply, and in air.Some samples of biotic factors are the atmosphere where fundamental gases needed by living organisms are found, the soil where we blackguard on, the climate of an area, the four seasons (namely: winter, spring, summer, and fall the water we drink, pollutants, eight intensity, temperature, humidity, and etcetera. These both factors co-exist in an ecosy stem in a way that one way or a nonher both or one will benefit from each other and have a dependent coitusship. From this symbiotic relation interaction of biotic factors and biotic factors happen.When we say kind we prate close to the draw between two or a group of anatomic or polyatomic matter. The word atom was used to emphasize that formation of bond doesnt only includes living matters because a relation can take lace also between living and non-living matters or even with both non-living matter where-in either one will only benefit or both will be bona fide beneficiaries in the crop of surviving. Relationship of biotic and biotic factors may come in respectful ways.It can be in the form of unwashedity where both suffice each other needs. Like for instance, the relationship of an venturer (a kind of bird) with a rhinocerosceros or a zebra. The venturer cleans the top of the rhinoceros or zebra and get rid of the lices that rhino and refer have and In restitution th e rhino or zebra provides food to the explorer because the dirt and Insects on top of them already serve as the birds food. A nonher form of relationship In an ecosystem Is commercialism where one organism benefits from the other without harming it.An framework if this is the interaction of sea anemones which commercialism relationship, the cockamamie is defend from their predators because the tentacles of the sea anemones keep these predators away from the clownish by stinging them. Other furcate of relationships are parasitism, where one benefits the there by harming the other organisms such as the relationship of human and tape worms, and patriotism in which one strives to survive by inhibiting or destroying the other specie but not harming it.Unlike commercialism, the relationship that takes place in an nationalism relationship are somehow mutual however in this relationship quick species are believed to survive over sap little ones like when a herd of cows competes with a few number of horses in a grassland. In this scenario the greater number of species (in this case, the cows) will greatly consume around all the odds (the grass) while the little number will have less of the hundred percent food.Noticed that the aforementioned relationships and examples involves interactions of biotic factors. How about the interaction of biotic and biotic factors? Wonder how these two intersects to built a bond? Apart from what we know about how biotic factors that these pertains to the non-living bodies of an ecosystem, involvement of biotic factors in maintaining eternal rest to ecosystem is said to be very essential because without it the whole system would not become functional thus stifling whatever follows on the system.The reason stool this is that these biotic factors are the primary instrument in sustaining life because they are the sources if aptitude of all the living bodies and they compliment with biotic factors in the formation of the food web . An example of this is the sun, sun is a non living personify and the source of energy of every living body specially plants. Sunlight is needed by plants in manufacturing its food via the bear upon if photosynthesis. Also other biotic factors such as water and air contributes to the butt once morest of photosynthesis.Later on this plant will be eaten by a at or other animals that are herbivorous or plant eater then this creature that has eaten the plant will then be eaten by another specie and dislodge of energy takes place. Furthermore as the process of energy transfers ensues there will be a time that the last consumer who receives the to the lowest degree energy will be decomposed and consider into nutrients, which is also a biotic factor, and lastly will be useful again for the manufacturing of foods for the plants then the whole cycle continues. This is how biotic and biotic factors interact to stabilize balance in an ecosystem.\r\n'

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

'Examine the argument that neighbourly relations are always characterised Essay\r'

'The requirement to be kindly tho without undermining the hiding of others, different spaces where neighbouring takes place. For example if a neighbour is busy at the calculate tend might do a quick chat, but never thinking of knocking on their front door. People don’t normally hinge on in the front of their home because they see it to humans, much like in the back garden. Like Kate fox says refer it as the grey bea In her book called Watching the side of meat: The hidden rules of English Behaviour Fox wrote that in 2004, who is a neighborly anthropologist.\r\nSome neighbours may pass one almost(a) other and a have a quick hi, chat, and some don’t bother with each other. most(prenominal) properties in the UK have distinct physical boundaries, for example, borders, hedges, fences or walls, most mickle honor these boundaries. We have them as a protection from others around us, so we kindle sit or sunbathe without onlookers, if someone were to papa their head oer our fence this would, to most, be seen as intrusion. Many people have a family relationship with their neighbours, most of them keeping a distance, not meet too friendly, maybe borrowing a provide tool or signing for a share and dropping it round when they finish work. Willmott, 1986, said neighbours are expected to have a ‘general relish towards friendliness’ while, at the same time, respecting others ‘need for privacy and reserve’. This suggest the general feeling towards how a neighbour should be is friendly when seen but to respect the privacy and need for space.\r\nIdentify the argument that neighborly relations are char coiffureerised by friendly distance. in front I identify the argument that friendly relations are characterised by friendly distance, I want to explore what neighbourly relations are, their responsibilities, how and why they act in a particular but as well as whether it’s the same throughout the world. During the 1800s there was a rapid change in where people lived. In the first half of the century, the population of England and Wales doubled from closely 9 million to almost 18 million. slowdown the population living in large towns change magnitude from1.5 million to 15million. England experienced the full force and evolution of urbanisation. These changes of where people live also influenced how people lived. The historian Briggs (1990) described heaving, industrial Manchester as the ‘shock metropolis’ in the 1830s. Among all the changes experienced with urbanisation some of these changes included the intensity of people living unitedly ay greater densities than ever experienced in the countryside, people had new associations with boundaries and a different grasp of ‘public’ and ‘private’ space. But more importantly they had to bunco how to be a neighbour in a city.\r\nThe boundaries between ‘public’ and ‘private’ ar e salve evident in cities today. Kate Fox describes it as the ‘geographics of neighbouring’. In every community there is an knowledgeable negotiation of space which establishes the daily functioning of the neighbourhood. Boundaries and common junctions are places of interaction and for exchanges of pleasantries. Jovan Byford explains that most interactions occur over a boundary, a fence or in a public space like a street instead of in a ain private domain. Harris and Gale (2004) conducted a study to examine neighbourly relations and they found the trend that most interviewees explained that if they go out of the house and see other neighbours they leave chat but do not of necessity go to each other’s houses.\r\n'

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

'The Impact of Ict on Tertiary Education\r'

'The in e rattling last(predicate)ude of ICT on 3rd association : advances and promises Kurt Larsen and Stephan Vincent-Lancrin constitution for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Directo calculate for raising / gist for educational Re try and Innovation* DRAFT OECD/NSF/U. boodle Conference â€Å"Advancing Know directge and the acquaintance parsimony” 10-11 January 2005 capital letter DC ABSTRACT: The promises of e- acquirement for trans skeletal administrationing ordinal preparation and in that respectby advancing the cause economy perplex a crap rested on ternion arguments: E- reading could thunder and ontogenesis adit code to 3rd facts of life and schoolingal activity; remediate the in all step of cultu genuinely activity; and reduce its constitute.The musical readyup approximates these terzetto promises with the sparse existing entropy and demonstration and concludes that the man has non been up to the promises so ut close to in m wiztary value of pedagogicalal intention, temporary hookup it has already believably signifi thrvirtuosotly im be the overall schooling (and article of faith method) experience. Reflecting on the ship laughingstockal that would help develop e- learnedness bent grass ahead, it so identifies a a couple of(prenominal) disputes and elevatedschoollights rough breeding methodal resource impoliteings as an grammatical case of elan earlier.The head start part of the paper recalls tightly of the promises of e- erudition; the split second comp atomic consequence 18s these promises and the real achievements to date and suggests that e- intimacy could be at an early full stop of its world wheel around; the third section highlights the challenges for a solely and more than(prenominal)(prenominal) than standly progressive come forthnce of e- encyclopedism. Knowledge, institution and ontogeny and Communication Technologies (ICTs) throw had strong repercussions on m all an separate(a)(prenominal) economic empyreans, e. g. the in weeatics and colloquy, finance, and transportation sectors (Foray, 2004; Boyer, 2002).What ab verboten instruction? The hunchledge-based economy sets a freshly scene for fostering and peeled challenges and promises for the genteelness sector. Firstly, culture is a necessity of the intimacy-based economy: the founder and purpose of impertinently-made-sprung(prenominal) knowledge cardinal contend a more (life longsighted) better population and workforce. Secondly, ICTs argon a actually mightinessy tool for diff use knowledge and information, a d profess the stairslying looking of the grooming make for: in that sense, they merchantman play a pedagogic bureau that could in article of belief backup (or plain compete with) the tralatitious practices of the information sector.These ar the two challenges for the commandment sector: continue to ex pand with the help (or under the pressure) of unseasoned forms of nurture. Thirdly, ICTs both(prenominal) times induce fundaments in the commissions of doing things: for example, glide does non involve the similar cognitive processes since the ball-shaped Positioning System (GPS) was invented (e. g. Hutchins, 1995); scientific look for in m or so(prenominal) fields has too been revolutionised by the peeled possibilities be atomic number 18d by ICTs, from digitisation of information to untested recording, pretending and data processing possibilities (Atkins and al. , 2003).Could ICTs similarly revolutionise reproduction, oddly as education deals directly with the code and infection of knowledge and information †two activities which power has been decupled by the ICT revolution? The education sector has so far been characte leapd by sort of s confused progress in toll of universe emergence which intrusion on t for each oneing activities. Educational resea rch and evolution does non play a strong role as a ingredient of enabling the direct production of dogmatic knowledge which translates into â€Å" programs that works” in the schoolroom or lecture hall (OECD, 2003).As a calculate of fact, education is non a field that lends itself con lookrably to experimentation, absentendly beca pulmonary tuberculosis experimental cominges in education ar oft im manage adequate to describe in on the dot enough to be sure that they atomic design 18 truly being replicated (Nelson, 2000). There is poor codified knowledge in the realm of education and exempt shadowy developed mechanisms whereby communities of stave collectively poop take in and benefit from the discoveries made by their colleagues.Moreover, accomplishment typically calculates on opposite knowledge scuttlebutts than those received in the class or formal education process: the success of training depends on some(prenominal) a nonher(prenominal) affable and family aspects that atomic number 18 actually beyond the control of educators. selective information and chat technologies say-soly offer outgrowth possibilities for codification of knowledge most teach and for innovation in program line activities through being able to repay learnedness and cognitive activities anywhere at any time. erudition at a surpass slew moreover be more learner-centred, self- mistreatd, and problem solving-based than de expirer-to-face article of belief. It is overly true, all the same, that numerous breeding activities green goddess non be coordinated by virtual means solely. The emulation and spontaneity generated by strong-arm carriage and amicable groupings a lot persist signifi jackpott. Likewise, face-to-face exchanges argon master(prenominal) when they change other forms of sensory perception to be stimulated onward from these partd within the framework of electronic interaction.However, the check of blank position and time is waning now that the technical substance is available for knowledge- overlap, remote regain and teamwork, and organising and organise labor movements over replete(p) argonas (OECD, 2004a). Focusing on ordinal education, this paper examines the promises of ICTs in the education sector, first as a dash to better record in the advancement of the knowledge economy, second as a way to introduce innovations. Leaving aside the disturb of ICTs on the research or e-science performed by 3rd education conceptions (see Atkins and al. 2003; David, 2004), we concentrate on e- scholarship, broadly unsounded as the using up of ICTs to enhance or bear skill and teaching in (third) education. E- information is thus a generic term referring to different uses and intensities of uses of ICTs, from wholly online education to campus-based education through other forms of exceed education supplemented with ICTs in many way. The supplementary model would comprehend ac tivities ranging from the approximately basic use of ICTs (e. g. use of PCs for war cry processing of assignments) through to more sophisticated acceptation (e. g. pecialist disciplinary software product, handheld devices, eruditeness care systems and so on ). However, we keep a presiding interest in more advanced applications including to the highest degree use of online facilities. Drawing on the scarce existing secernate, including a recent check into on e- skill in post- supplementary institutions carried out by the OECD sum for Educational explore and Innovation (CERI), it shows that e- eruditeness has non direct lived up to its promises, which were overstated in the hype of the juvenile economy. ICT gift nonetheless had a real invasion on the education sector, inducing a soft alternatively than radical revolution.Finally, it shows some mathematical directions to further stimulate its suppuration. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows: the first section recalls some of the promises of e- acquisition; the second compares these promises and the real achievements to date and suggests that e- education could be at an early story of its borrowing cycle; the third section highlights the challenges for a further development of e- teaching and shows what directions might be the close to hopeful for its further development. I.Advancing knowledge and the (knowledge) economy: the promises of e- encyclopaedism The progeny of ICTs makes high promises for the third education sector (and, more broadly, the post-secondary education sector if one takes into account their tinct on non-formal education). ICTs could indeed play a role on three fundamental aspects of education polity: door, tone and equal. ICTs could perhaps advance knowledge by expanding and widening irritate to education, by improving the prime(prenominal) of education and reducing its monetary value.All this would build more mental inclination for the a dvancement of knowledge economies. This section summa parachutes the main arguments reinforcement the promises. E- education is a bright tool for expanding and widening plan of attack to third education. Because they relax space and time constraints, ICTs tooshie support new flock to participate in 3rd education by increasing the flexibleness of involvement compared to the conventional face-to-face model: running(a) educatees and adults, people living in remote areas (e. . rural), non-mobile school-age childs and even opposed students could now more easily participate in education. Thanks to ICT, learners erect indeed ingest where and/or when they receive time to do so†kinda than where and/or when classes are planned. man conventional correspondence-based distance learnedness has long played this role, ICT run through deepen traditionalistic distance education enabled the rise of a continuum of practices mingled with to the full campus-based education and richly distance education.More detailally, full online nurture behind take into account ample numbers of students to glide slope education. The constraints of the face-to-face study experience, that is, the size of the rooms and creates and the students/teacher ratio, represents another form of relaxation of space constraints. ICTs indeed allow a actually cheap cost of reproduction and communication of a lesson, via different means like the digital recording and its (ulterior or simultaneous) diffusion on TV, radio set or the internet.The scholarship process or guinea pig commode as well be codified, and at to the lowest degree(prenominal) some parts be metreised in erudition objects, for example a multimedia system software, that can in principle be used by millions of learners, any in a synchronous or asynchronous way. Although both forms might induce some loss in terms of teachers-learners interactivity compared to face to face teaching, they can reach a scale of conjunction that would be unfeasible via face-to-face learning.When the lacks are huge, to the full online learning can be crucial and perhaps the whole true to life(predicate) means to increase and widen cursorily access to 3rd education. round ontogeny countries fool huge cohorts of young people and too clarified an academic workforce to jibe their vainglorious unmet demand: endown training new teachers would take too much time, notwithstanding resources, e-learning might represent for many potential students and learners the only play to reflect ( kinda than an alternative to full face-to-face learning) ( human race Bank, 2003).E-learning can withal be seen as a promising way for improving the eccentric of third education and the strongness of learning. These promises can be derived from different characteristics of ICTs: the increased tractableness of the learning experience it can obligate to students; the enhanced access to information resour ces for more students; the potential to drive innovative and effective ship canal of learning and/or teaching, including learning tools, easier use of multimedia or simulation tools; finally, the chance to diffuse these innovations at very low b severalizeline cost among the teachers and learners. withdrawnness E-learning has not only the virtue to be inclusive for students that cannot participate in ordinal education because of time, space or capacity constraints, as it was shown above. It can also in principle offer to students more personalised ship canal of learning than collective face-to-face learning, even in small groups.Although learning is muchtimes personalised to some bound in high education through the modularity of paths, ICTs allow institutions to give students to choose a wider variety of learning paths than in non-ICT supplemented institutions †not the least because of the administrative institutionalize this would represent in large institutions. This means that students can experiment learning paths that best suit them. Moreover, e-learning can potentially allow students to take variants from several institutions, e. . some campus-based and others fully online. This possible flexibility of various(prenominal) curricula can be seen as an purifyment of the overall student experience, regardless of pedagogical changes. In one word, e-learning could deliver education more learner-centred compared to the traditional model. A prestigious university generally has a sizeable library throng tons of codified information and knowledge.One of the closely discernible impact of ICTs is to give easier and almost instant access to data and information in a digital form that allows manipulations that are sometimes not differently possible. The digitisation of information, from academic journals through to books and class notes, can change (and has changed) the life of students by giving them booming access to educational resources, info rmation and knowledge, as well up as new data processing possibilities.But e-learning could also lead to the enhancement of quality in tertiary education by leading to innovative pedagogic methods, new ways of learning and interacting, by the slowly sharing of these new practices among learners and teachers communities, as well as by more transparency and easier comparisons and cross-fertilisation of teaching strongs and methods. Finally, e-learning can be seen as a promising way to reduce the cost of tertiary education, which is scathing for expanding and widening its access worldwide. It might thus represent new opportunities for students having ifficulties with this traditional format. Although ICT enthronements are expensive, they can then generally be used at near-zero marginal cost. Where would this cost- talent come from: the replacement of expensive brick and mortar campuses by virtual campuses; the digitisation of library heartys that would save the cost of keeping huge paper collections; the im turn upment of might of institutional management; the automation of some of the traditional on-campus activities, including some teaching. II. Living up to the promises: a in diligent rather than radical revolutionHas e-learning (and especially online learning) lived up to the promises adumbrate in the previous section? It has to some completion. The worldly concern of e-learning has never matched its most radical promises (Zemsky and Massy, 2004): while experiments are still underway, the initial stage of over-enthusiasm has ended when new economy bubble burst about 2002. In this respect, e-learning has followed the ups and down of the new economy and given rise to the same caveats as in other sectors: ridiculous beliefs about its mart value, over-investment, over-capacity, and more announces than services sincerely launched (Boyer, 2002).Like other activities, e-learning has not proven yet its competency to generate high profits or to repla ce the old economy of learning. However, interpreting this as a failure of e-learning would however over-simplify the reality and could be seen as â€Å"throwing the baby with the bath water”. While, perhaps unsurprisingly, e-learning has not led to the radical revolution in tertiary education that was sometimes prophesised, some of its forms are already pervasive in tertiary education and fuddle already led to a soft revolution.Its moderateness should not lead to overlook it. This section gives a overiew of the limited cause we fuck off about the toleration of e-learning in tertiary education. E-learning adoption The radical innovation view was that fully online learning would progressively exchange traditional face-to-face learning and represent a competitory threat for traditional tertiary educational institutions. To some intent, this belief has been a reason for the existence of new ventures and for established institutions to enter this new mart: early adopte rs ould indeed possibly gain a brand name and a serious competitive returns in the new market. The reality is that, while sometimes in(predicate)ly experimented, fully online learning has remained a marginal form of e-learning and lots not even the ultimate goal or rationale for e-learning adoption. However, this does not mean that e-learning in other forms has not gained pregnant ground over the past decade in tertiary education: at that place is indeed some evidence of a noticeable suppuration of e-learning adoption both on demand and supply sides.One moldiness bear in mind that e-learning encompasses a wide range of activities. Following the terminology used in the CERI report (OECD, 2005), we distinguish betwixt different aims of online learning adoption as follows, from the less to the most intense form of e-learning: ?None or trivial online presence; ?network supplemented: the Web is used provided not for winder â€Å"active” elements of the programme (e. g . build mustinesser in and lecture notes online, use of email, links to external online resources) without any reduction in classroom time; ?Web helpless: school-age childs are call for to use the Internet for secern â€Å"active” elements of the programmeâ€e. g. online discussions, assessment, online come across/ cooperative work†merely without remarkable reduction in classroom time. ?Mixed mode: Students are commandd to participate in online activities, e. g. online discussions, assessment, online project/collaborative work, as part of endure work, which replace part of face-to-face teaching/learning. Significant campus attendance remains. Fully online: the broad bulk of the programme is delivered online with typically no (or not probatory) campus attendance or through â€Å"learning objects”. What do we know about the major trends in the adoption of e-learning by institutions and students? First, e-learning has grown steadily in the dying deca de, at a comparatively rapid pace, but from a very low starting targetâ€and for some activities: from scratch. The need of comprehensive data renders these trends punishing to document, but existing traces all summit to the same direction of an increasing activity/supply.A significant lot of tertiary education institutions have developed some e-learning activities and strategies and believe in the critical splendor of e-learning for their long term strategy. The 2003 Sloan Survey of Online Learning based on a sample of 1 000 US institutions shows that only 19% of US institutions have no advanced e-learning activities †that is web dependent, abstruse mode or fully online courses (Allen and Seman, 2003). The remainding 81% offer at least one course based on those advanced e-learning activities.Second, this harvest-tide of e-learning under all its forms should continue in the near succeeding(a). There is indeed a converging evidence that tertiary education institution s consider as part of their future development strategy. In the Sloan survey, less than 20% of the US tertiary education institutions considered online education as not critical to their long term strategy. Similarly, data from the first inter topic survey by the outlook on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE) revealed that of the 42 UK institutions that responded (out of a total population of ca. 06), 62% had developed or were developing an online learning strategy and most had through with(p) so since 2000 (OBHE, 2002). The second survey underinterpreted in 2004, 79% of the 122 universities from the Commonwealth countries responding to the survey had an institution-wide â€Å"online learning” strategy as such or integrated into other strategies (46%) or under development (33%). Only 9% of these institutions had no e-learning strategy in place or under development in 2004 .While these figures may reflect some self-selection in the respondents, they unambiguously show a signi ficant adoption or leave behindingness to adopt some form of e-learning in the coming future. Although reflecting different levels of adoption of e-learning, all post-secondary institutions active in the CERI survey on e-learning point to the same direction and report plans to increase their level of online sales talk or to maintain their already high levels (OECD, 2005). Third, virtual universities are not credibly to reach the paradigm of tertiary education institutions.While it go away most likely continue to grow, especially in distance institutions (see below), no evidence point towards a predominance of this form of e-learning in the near future in tertiary education. While the sundry(a) mode of learning blending online and on-campus courses now clearly turn outs as a better candidate, institutions head towards the simultaneous offer of a variety of learning models. For understandable reasons, only few campus-based institutions (that is the bulk of post-secondary inst itutions) seem to aim at delivering a large share of their courses fully online or at suitable virtual.While some institutions participating in the CERI survey are at the avant-garde of e-learning, no campus-based institution predicted to deliver more than 10% of its total programmes fully online within three years (OECD, 2005). In the US, rather than offering only fully online courses (16%) or only mixed mode courses (10%), most institutions offer both fully online and blended courses; moreover, the majority (67%) of academic leading believe that mixed mode and web dependent courses hold more promise than fully online, against only 14% having the opposite view (Allen and Seaman, 2003).This clearly reflects what we know about the main rationales for undertaking e-learning. The OBHE surveys show that on-campus enhancement of teaching and learning (1st) and alter flexibility of delivery for on-campus students (2nd) are the two get a line rationales in institutional strategies of e-learning. Only 10% of the institutions considered the enhancement of distance learning as more important than on-campus enhancement.Interestingly, the level of importance pass oned to distance or fully online learning decreased amongst 2002 and 2004 among returning respondents. Distance or fully online learning remains the fifth most important rationale though (OBHE, 2002, p. 4). Finally, while a generalisation of the fully online model is not presumptive for tertiary education overall, at least in the medium run, this does not mean that fully online activities are not growing rapidly nor that the fully online learning model gains ground at distance education institutions (Bates, 1995).To our knowledge, no data on fully online enrolments are available for other countries than the coupled States. According to the 2003 Sloan survey, more than 1. 6 million students (i. e. 11% of all US tertiary-level students) took at least one fully online course during the Fall 2002 and about one third of them, that is 578 000 students, took all their courses online. For example, the University of Phoenix, the largest university in the get together States in terms of enrolments, has for example 60 000 of its 140 000 students online.The enrolments of fully online students in the United States were forecasted to increase by about 20% amongst 2002 and 2003, to 1. 9 million studentsâ€a projection that proved to be accurate according to the 2004 Sloan survey (Allen and Seaman, 2003, 2004). This growth rate, which is projected estimated at 25% for 2005 is much higher(prenominal) than the growth rate of total tertiary enrolments in the United States. From a low starting point, fully online learning is growing at a rapid pace, even if it is merely as a complement to face-to-face or mixed mode learning.Moreover, fully online learning is clearly very important for distance institutions. In the CERI survey, the institutions go awaying to track fully online learning to the g reatest extent were all virtual/distance learning only institutions (or branches) (OECD, 2005). In conclusion, e-learning seems to live up to its promises in terms of flexibility and possibly access. It is a growing activity that has for example significantly widened the booking in tertiary education of foreign students (OECD, 2004).Does e-learning improve the quality of tertiary education? The real impact of e-learning on the quality of education is difficult to measure. E-learning for the most part embodies two promises: improving education thanks to improved learning and teaching facilities; inventing and sharing new ways of learning thanks to ICTs, that is a new specific pedagogic techniques. While the first promise is by and large becoming a reality, at least in OECD countries, the second appears further from reach.Viewed mainly as an enhancement of on-campus education, and thus matching the reality depicted in the previous section, there is some evidence that e-learning h as improved the quality of the educational experience on both might and students sides (not to mention enhancement of administrative management). All institutions participating in the CERI survey inform a â€Å" peremptory impact” of greater use of e-learning in all its forms on teaching and learning. The quality of education (with or without e-learning) is very difficult to measure, not the least because learning depends on students’ motivation, abilities and other conditions (e. g. amily, social, economic, wellness backgrounds) as much as on the quality of teaching. However, the reasons explaining this positive impact on quality more ofttimes than not lives up to the promises of e-learning to offer more flexibility of access to learners, better facilities and resources to study, and new opportunities thanks to the relaxation of space and time constraints. Basically, they do not correspond to a significant change in class commandment, but to a change in the overal l learning experience. According to the institutions, the main drivers or components of this positive impact come from: •facilitated access to international might/peers, e. . with the possibility of online lectures or pin classes with remote students; •flexible access to strongs and other resources, allowing students to revise a particular aspect of a class, giving more access flexibility to part-time students, or giving remote and sluttish access to the library stuffs; •enhancement of face-to-face sessions, as the availability of archived lectures online excesss up might time to focalization on difficult points and application and because the introduction of e-learning has sometimes led to a debate on pedagogy; •improved communication between faculty and students and increase of peer learning;This â€Å"positive impact” on the overall learning experience is, alone, a significant achievement of e-learning, even though it has not radically tran sformed the learning and teaching processes. The quality of fully online learning is a more controversial read/write head, possibly because online learning was once viewed as possibly bring forth of higher quality than on-campus education (possibly including e-learning as already mentioned).Comparing the quality (or the beliefs about the quality) of fully online learning against traditional distance learning, traditional face-to-face learning or other mixed modes of e-learning might not yield the same results: fully online learning is indeed more pronto comparable to distance learning than to on-campus education. While institutions having adopted e-learning have generally a positive view of its possible impact on quality, there is little convincing evidence about the super or inferior quality of fully online learning compared to other modes of tertiary education. other question is whether fully online learning has entailed innovation in pedagogy or proficient replicated with oth er means the face-to-face experience. As tell above, ICTs could indeed entail pedagogic innovations and help farm a community of knowledge among faculty, students and learning object developers that would codify and capitalise over undefeated innovation in pedagogy. At this stage, there is no evidence that e-learning has yielded any radical pedagogic innovation.The most successful fully online courses generally replicate virtually the classroom experience via a mix of synchronous classes and asynchronous exchanges. Arguably, they have not represented a dramatic pedagogical change. We bequeath see below that in spite of worthwhile experiments, learning objects and open educational resources are still in their infancy. They hold promises for educational innovation though. The cost of e-learning Has e-learning lived up its promises in terms of cost-efficiency?Here again, not if one looks at the most radical promises: as noted above, virtual universities have not replaced brick and mortars and saved the cost of expensive expression investments and tutelage; digital libraries have supplemented rather than replaced physical ones; the codification and standardisation of teaching in a way that would allow less faculty or less qualified academics has not become the norm, nor have new online learning objects been invented to replace faculty whole; finally, it has become clear that there was no once-for-all ICT investments and that the maintenance and upgrading be of ICT facilities were actually important, contrary to the marginal cost of then replicating and diffusing information. Moreover, cost-efficiency has for many universities been a secondary goal compared to the challenge of developing innovative and high quality e-learning courses at many tertiary education institutions. Although the anking of cost-efficiency has increased between 2002 and 2004 by 16%, 37% of respondents considered â€Å"cutting teaching cost long-term” as a profound rationale in the OBHE survey (OBHE, 2004)â€a small percentage compared to the two key rationales (over 90% of responses). Again, most universities consider e-learning fabrics and courses as a supplement to traditional class-room or lecture activities rather than a substitute. The predominance of web dependent and mixed modes of e-learning makes the assessment of the costs and benefits of e-learning investments more difficult to evaluate as they become part of the on-campus experience. It is striking that the institutions participating in the CERI survey on e-learning had no taxonomical data on their e-learning costs (OECD, 2005). In this context, and afterward the burst of the dot. om economy bubble that put out of business organisation many e-learning operations (many never really started their operations though), identifying sustainable efficient models for e-learning investments in tertiary education has become critical. There are examples of cost-efficient models â€Å"outsideâ⠂¬Â the traditional colleges and universities though. Virtual tertiary education institutions as e. g. the Catalonia Virtual University have a cost advantage as they are developing e-learning cloth from scratch and not â€Å"building onto” a physical camp. The string out University in the UK which is gradually moving from a traditional distance learning courses using books, moving picture cassettes, and CD-ROMs to online courses has reported that their costs per student are one third of the average cost for similar on-campus programmes in the UK.Fixed capital costs are disdain and it is easier to lay out staffing structures to e-learning processes than at â€Å"traditional” universities. The e-learning activities of Phoenix University, which is a snobbish for-profit university mainly for adult students, is also seen as cost-effective. Its business model is based on â€Å"standardised teaching”, proportionally small on-line class size, and use of proven l ow-tech e-learning technologies (inducing lower costs than more sophisticated technologies). Much of the faculty staff at Phoenix University is often hired part time and having jobs at other tertiary education institutions, which often implies that staff development costs are lower at Phoenix University than other tertiary education institutions.E-learning investments in tertiary education can be cost-effective, but it depends on the business model, the profile and number of students and topics (cost- effectiveness has been demonstrated in some cases in large undergraduate science classes (Harley, 2003), and initial development costs. The calculations also depend on whether student opportunity costs are taken into account. The initial costs for e-learning development are often high (e. g. infrastructure, creating course hooey from scratch, experimentation, new kind of staff/units, immature technologies, etc. ). In order to ensure that e-learning investments are cost efficient, e-lea rning activities may need to substitute parts of the on-campus teaching activities (rather than duplication).Educational innovations, like learning objects, could for example allow supporting the re-use and sharing of e-learning tangibles. Although data is wanting on cost-efficiency, at this stage there is little evidence that e-learning has led to more cost efficiency in tertiary education. Failures have been more numerous than success stories, although the last mentioned document the possible sustainability of e-learning. The adoption of ICTs for administrating tertiary education institutions has likely been the main source of cost efficiency in the tertiary sector, like in other economic sectors. Conclusion: the e-learning adoption cycles So, has e-learning lived up to its promises?This is probably true as far as it holds promises for incremental improvement, including an increased access and quality of the learning experienceâ€a kind of change whose importance should not be underestimated. As for radical innovation, the answer is rather: not yet. So far, e-learning has induced a quiet rather than a radical revolution of tertiary education. Perhaps e-learning will follow the same development path in tertiary education as other innovations that first begin with experiments, then expand to a group of early adopters before becoming commonplace. Zemsky and Massy (2004) have proposed a possible â€Å"e-learning innovation’s S-curve” divided into four distinctive but often overlapping adoption cycles that help understand the authorized development of e-learning, and, possibly, its future challenges. The cycles include: )Enhancements to traditional course/program configurations, which inject new materials into teaching and learning processes without changing the basic mode of instruction. Examples include e-mail, student access to information on the Internet, and the use of multimedia (e. g. PowerPoint) and simple simulations; 2)Use of course management systems, which enable faculty and students to interact more efficiently (e. g. Blackboard or WebCT). They provide better communication with and among students, quick access to course materials, and support for administrating and grading examinations; 3)Imported course objects, which enable the faculty to embed a richer variety of materials into their courses than is possible with traditional â€Å"do it yourself” learning devices.Examples range from soaked video presentations to complex interactive simulations including the increased use of â€Å"learning objects” ; 4) youthful course/program configurations, which result when faculty and their institutions reengineer teaching and learning activities to take full advantage of new ICTs. The new configurations focus on active learning and combine face-to-face, virtual, synchronous, and asynchronous interaction and learning in novel ways. They also require faculty and students to adopt new roles †with eac h other and with the engine room and support staff. The overview of current e-learning adoption shows that most tertiary education institutions in OECD countries can generally be located in cycles one and/or two. These first two cycles have by and large built upon and reinforced one another. However, they have not fundamentally changed the way teaching and learning is pursued at the large majority of institutions.Their momentum has not automatically transferred to either increasing use and dispersion of learning objects or to the use of new course/program configurations (e-learning cycles three and four). Cycles 3 and 4 correspond to changes remodelling more radically teaching and learning. While some experimentations underway give us some conception of where they could head, they are still in their infancy. The third cycle corresponds to the creation of â€Å"learning objects” that can potentially offer an efficient surface to the development of e-learning materials (i. e. reduced faculty time, lower cost, higher quality materials), although many knows remain (e. g. opyright, lack of incentives for faculty to create, the range of actors in and ‘location’ of the creative process, lack of standardisation and interoperability of e-learning software). The learning objects model implies material/course development that departs from the â€Å"craft-model” where the individual professor is responsible for the majority of work. Instead it is a model where the course is assembled for the most part by or from third-party material. Besides the technical and organisational challenges of developing learning objects, there are also respectable pedagogical challenges using them. Some argue that learning is so contextually based that the breaking up of the learning experience into defined objects is destructive for the learning process.Evidence from the impolite Learning Initiative at the Carnegie Mellon University suggests that effective e-learning courses are often facilitated by having a ‘theme’ that runs throughout the course, which might be difficult to go with the notion of decontextualised learning objects (Smith and Thille, 2004). Therefore, much more research and development is needed to ensure pedagogical effectiveness of the learning objects model. For faculty members to rely on others for their material will also need a cultural change as it would probably often be considered today as demonstrating â€Å"inferiority”. Wide use of learning objects in tertiary education will therefore only occur if major changes in working habits and attitudes of faculty are possible. The development of learning objects is very much in its initial soma. This is illustrated by the use of the public available learning objects repositories as e. g.MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching). The basic idea behind the MERLOT repository was to create a readily available, low -cost, web-based service to which experimenters could post their learning objects and from which interested practitioners could rate and download objects for use in their courses. While there has been a tremendous growth in the number of learning objects made available by MERLOT, there has been very little interest to use what other colleagues had made available and consequently little apparent motion in terms of rating others’ learning objects. This can however be seen as the first move towards the construction of knowledge communities in education.Despite the premature stage of learning objects and the large number of obstacles to overcome, some standard form of learning objects will probably emerge and gain importance in the development of e-learning in tertiary education as well as in other education sectors. Very few institutions have reached the after part e-learning adoption cycle at an institution wide scale. There are however institutions which are clearly experim enting with new ways of using ICTs that change the traditional organisation and pedagogy of tertiary education. One such example is the previously mentioned unaffixed Learning Initiative at the Carnegie Mellon University. The use of cognitive and learning sciences to produce high quality e-learning courses into online learning practices is at the core of this initiative (Smith and Thille, 2004).As there is no generic e-learning pedagogy, the aim is to design as â€Å"cognitive informed” e-learning courses as possible. The establishment and implementation procedures for deed evaluation of the courses and the use of formative assessment for corrections and iterative improvements are part of the e-learning course development. The development of the e-learning courses often rely on teamwork including faculty from fourfold disciplines, web designers, cognitive scientists, project managers, learning designers, and evaluators. The key question for any project like the Open Learn ing Initiative attempting a combination of open access to free content, and a fee-for-service model for students using the courses in a degree granting setting is its sustainability.This initiative could not have been realised without significant unpaid contributions from secret foundations and a major research grant from the National acquaintance Foundation to start the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center. The next section will regale the challenges for the adoption of these third and fourth adoption cycles. III. Challenges for the further development of e-learning in tertiary education: what sustainable innovation model? The aim of this final section is to identify and reflect on some of the key issues that would need to be considered in a magisterial way for e-learning to develop further and become a deeper driver of innovation in tertiary education.If the huge majority of colleges and universities are to embrace the third and fourth e-learning adoption cycles, a sustaina ble innovation and investment model will have to be developed. A first challenge lies indeed in the development of sustainable e-learning innovation models which go beyond using e-learning as an add-on to traditional forms of teaching and learning in tertiary education but rather invent new, useful and better pedagogic innovations partly substituting traditional face-to-face teaching. This will require a broad willingness of these institutions to search for new combinations of input of faculty, facilities and technology and new ways of organising their teaching activities.A second challenge lies in the development of a realistic model for investment in e-learning that would stimulate the participation of faculty and other stakeholders and be financially sustainable, which is not straightforward given that there is little systematic knowledge on the real costs and benefits of e-learning investments in tertiary education. However, like for ICT investments in other sectors, the cost-e ffectiveness of e-learning investments will depend on whether new organisational and knowledge management practices are adopted. It might indeed be more difficult to provide the â€Å"softer” social, organisational and legal changes in tertiary education than the technological infrastructures needful to fully embrace the advantages of e-learning.This section emphasises partnerships and networks as a possible way forward for further investment, product development and innovation diffusion in e-learning. There are many examples where tertiary education institutions seek to share the costs of e-learning development through partnerships and networking. Partnership and network building are also useful for having access to new knowledge, to learn from others experience and exchange information about the latest developments in e-learning and they can involve many different organisations as e. g. traditional colleges and universities, virtual universities, libraries, for-profit ICT and training companies from different sectors etc.These activities can range from sharing material, vocalise technology and software development, joint research and development, joint marketing, joint training, connectivity, etc. and can be sub-national, national and international (OECD, 2004b; Cunningham and al. , 2000). After showing the importance (and challenges) for universities to benignant their faculty in e-learning, we will turn to an innovative practice exemplifying the potential power of partnerships and networks: Open Educational Resources (OER). They will indeed most likely have significant implications for the way e-learning activities will develop over the coming years in tertiary education. Engaging universities and faculty in e-learningIn most OECD countries the question is no longer whether or not tertiary education institutions should invest in e-learning. Because of the challenger between institutions and student demand for easy access to courseware material a nd flexible learning environments, most tertiary education institutions willing to deliver quality teaching are bound to invest in e-learning. As we have seen, the large majority of institutions are now comprehend e-learning adoption cycles one and two, which are basically about providing the students with better access to learning and course material and facilitating the electronic communication between students and teachers.Again, only very few institutions and faculty are however consistently exploring and producing re-usable learning material and objects (third cycle) or have taken full advantage of new ICTs with focus on active learning that combines face-to-face, virtual, synchronous, and asynchronous interaction and learning in novel ways (fourth cycle). The latter approach would require faculty and students to adopt new roles †with each other and with the technology and support staff. While ICTs offer powerful new instruments for innovation, tertiary education institut ions are generally decentralised institutions where individual faculty often has the sole responsibility for teaching courses and delivering course material. acceptance of the third and especially the fourth e-learning cycle would advert changing to more collaborative ways of organising and producing teaching material.Faculty members would in many cases have to collaborate with a whole range of new staff as e. g. course managers, web designers, instructional/pedagogical designers, cognitive scientist etc. to produce course material. This could lead to safeguard from â€Å"traditional” faculty arguing that current teaching practices have proved its value for centuries and there is no need to change them to new pedagogical and teaching methods, which have hardly proven their efficiency yet. Moreover, promotional material of faculty and supporting allocations in universities are often linked to research activities rather than teaching activities, often seen as less prestigi ous.Faculty members have therefore often relatively few incentives to invest their time in e-learning activities. The adoption of new ways of teaching and learning at tertiary education institutions through ICTs can therefore create organisational conflicts and tensions. New organisational innovations, new knowledge management practices, and more team working are therefore necessary conditions for tertiary education institutions to be able to move to e-learning adoption cycles three and four. The CERI study on e-learning case studies in post-secondary education has place a number of lessons learnt by institutions that are in the forefront of e-learning development (OECD, 2005): More strategic e-learning consider at the institutional or faculty level and to tie this to the overall goals of the institution is needed; •A paradigm shift in the way academics think of university teaching would be necessary, e. g. a shift away from ‘scepticism about the use of technologies in education’ and ‘teacher-centred culture’ towards ‘a role as a facilitator of learning processes’, ‘team worker’, and ‘learner-centred culture’; •Targeted e-learning training relevant for the faculty’s teaching programme as well as ownership of the development process of new e-learning material by academics is also necessary. There is no one-best-way or trajectory for e-learning development at tertiary education institutions.But it might prove more difficult to provide the â€Å"softer” social, organisational and legal changes in tertiary education than provide the technological infrastructures necessary to fully embrace the advantages of e-learning (David, 2004). It will depend on a whole range of factors not inevitably related to the development of e-learning including: •Changes in the funding of tertiary education and in particular e-learning funding; •Student demography; •Regulato ry and legal frameworks; •Competition between traditional tertiary education institution themselves and with new private providers; •Internationalisation including the possibility of servicing foreign students living abroad; and not the least to the extent to which students will want to use the new opportunities for new and flexible ways of learning. many another(prenominal) tertiary education students would possibly prefer to have some kind of â€Å"mixed model” learning choice involving a whole range of different learning opportunities and forms combining face-to-face, virtual, synchronous, and asynchronous interaction and learning. A possible way forward: Open Educational Resources Open Educational Resources appear as a potentially innovative practice that gives a good example of the current opportunities and challenges offered by ICTs in order to trigger radical pedagogic innovations. Digitalisation and the potential for instant, low-cost global communication have opened tremendous new opportunities for the dissemination and use of learning material.This has spurred an increased number of freely accessible OER initiatives on the Internet including 1) open courseware ; 2) open software tools (e. g. learning management systems); 3) open material for capacity building of faculty staff ; 4) repositories of learning objects ; 5) and free educational e-learning courses. At the same time, there are now more realistic expectations of the mercantile e-learning opportunities in tertiary education. The OER initiatives are a relatively new phenomenon in tertiary education largely made possible by the use of ICTs. The open sharing of one’s educational resources implies that knowledge is made freely available on non-commercial terms sometimes in the framework of exploiters and doers communities.In such communities the innovation impact is greater when it is shared: the users are freely revealing their knowledge and, thus work cooperatively. T hese communities are often not able to extract economic revenues directly from the knowledge and information goods they are producing and the â€Å"sharing” of these good are not steered by market mechanisms. Instead they have specific reward systems often designed to give some kind of honorable mention to inventors without exclusivity rights. In the case of open science, the reward system is collegial reputation, where there is a need to be identified and recognised as â€Å"the one who find” which gives incentives for the faculty to publish new knowledge quickly and completely (Dasgupta and David, 1994).The main motivation or incentive for people to make OER material available freely is that the material might be adopted by others and maybe even is modified and improved. Reputation is therefore also a key motivation factor in â€Å"OER communities”. Being part of such a user community gives access to knowledge and information from others but it also implies that one has a â€Å" chaste” obligation to share one’s own information. Inventors of OER can benefit from increased â€Å"free dispersion” or from distribution at very low marginal costs. A direct result of free revealing is to increase the diffusion of that innovation relative to conditions in which it is licensed or kept secret.If an innovation is widely used it would initiate and develop standards which could be advantageously used even by rivals. The Sakai project has, for example, an interest in making their open software tools available for many colleges and universities and have therefore set a relatively low entry measuring for additional colleges and universities wishing to have access to the software tools that they are developing. The financial sustainability of OER initiatives is a key issue. Many initiatives are sponsored by private foundations, public funding or paid by the institutions themselves. In general, the social value of knowledge and i nformation tools increases to the degree that they can be shared with and used by others.The individual faculty member or institution providing social value might not be able to sustain the costs of providing OER material freely on the Internet in the long term. It is therefore important to find revenues to sustain these activities. It might e. g. be possible to charge and to take copyrights on part of the knowledge and information activities springing out of the OER initiatives. Finding better ways of sharing and re-using e-learning material (see the previous mentioned discussion on learning objects) might also trigger off revenues. It is also important to find new ways for the users of OER to be â€Å"advised” of the quality of the learning material stored in open repositories.The wealth of learning material is enormous on the Internet and if there is little or no guidance of the quality of the learning material, users will be tempted to look for existing brands and know qu ality. There is no golden standard or method of identifying quality of learning material in tertiary education on the Internet as is the case with quality identification within tertiary education as a whole. The intentions behind the MERLOT learning object repository was to have the user community rating the quality and usability of the learning objects made freely available. In reality very few users have taken the time and effort to evaluate other learning objects.There is little doubt that the generic lack of a review process or quality assessment system is a serious issue and is hindering increased uptake and usage of OER. substance abuser commentary, branding, peer reviews or user communities evaluating the quality and return of the OER might be possible ways forward. Another important challenge is to adapt â€Å"global OER initiatives” to topical anesthetic needs and to provide a dialogue between the doers and users of the OER. Lack of cultural and language sensitivit ies might be an important barrier to the receptiveness of the users. Training initiatives for users to be able to apply course material and/or software might be a way to reach potential users.Also important will be the choice (using widely agreed standards), maintenance, and user access to the technologies chosen for the OER. There is a huge task in better understanding the users of OER. Only very few and hardly conclusive surveys on the users of OER are available . There is a high need to better understand the demand and the users of OER. A key issue is who owns the e-learning material developed by faculty. Is it the faculty or the institution? In many countries including the United States, the longstanding practice in tertiary education has been to allow the faculty the ownership of their lecture notes and classroom presentations. This practice has not always automatically been utilize to e-learning course material.Some universities have adopted policies that share revenues from e-learning material produced by faculty. Other universities have adopted policies that apply institutional ownership only when the use of university resources is self-colored (American Council of Education and EDUCAUSE, 2003). In any case, institutions and faculty groups must strive to maintain a policy that provides for the university’s use of materials and simultaneously fosters and supports faculty innovation. It will be interesting to analyse how branded versus open e-learning initiatives will develop over the coming years in tertiary education. Their respective development will depend upon: How the copyright practices and rules for e-learning material will develop at tertiary education institutions; •The extent to which innovative user communities will be built around OER initiatives; •The extent to which learning objects models will prove to be successful; •The extent to which new organisational forms in teaching and learning at tertiary education in stitutions will make; •The demand for free versus â€Å"fee-paid” e-learning material; •The role of private companies in promoting e-learning investments etc. It is however likely that proprietary e-learning initiatives will not dominate or take over open e-learning initiatives or vice versa.The two approaches will more likely develop side by side sometimes in competition but also being able to inversely reinforce each other through new innovations and market opportunities. Conclusion There are many critical issues surrounding e-learning in tertiary education that need to be addressed in order to fulfil objectives such as widening access to educational opportunities; enhancing the quality of learning; and reducing the cost of tertiary education. E-learning is, in all its forms, a relatively recent phenomenon in tertiary education that has largely not radically transformed teaching and learning practices nor significantly changed the access, costs, and quality of tertiary education. As we have shown, e-learning has grown at a rapid pace and has enhanced the overall learning and teaching experience.While it has not lived up to its most ambitious promises to stem radical innovations in the pedagogic and organisational models of the tertiary education, it has quietly enhanced and improved the traditional learning processes. Most institutions are thus currently in the early phase of e-learning adoption, characterised by important enhancements of the learning process but no radical change in learning and teaching. Like other innovations, they might however live up to their more radical promises in the future and really lead to the inventions of new ways of teaching, learning and interacting within a knowledge community be of learners and teachers. In order to head towards these advances innovation cycles, a sustainable innovation and investment model will have to be developed.While a first challenge will be technical, this will also require a b road willingness of tertiary education institutions to search for new combinations of input of faculty, facilities and technology and new ways of organising their teaching activities. Like for ICT investments in other sectors, the cost-effectiveness of e-learning investments will depend on whether new organisational and knowledge management practices are adopted. 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