Using Technology to Increase Academic Success - 1277 Words

How Using Technology Can Increase Academic Success Distance education has become one of the more prominent forms of study due to the ever-changing technology offered to this modern era of students; Technology has thoroughly improved academic success. Distance education has a glorious history that can be traced back to its roots in the early 1840’s. â€Å"It was Sir Issac Pitman, the English inventor of shorthand, who in 1840 devised his concept to offer education courses by mail, who, in a historical sense, ushered in the first phase of distance education (Matthews, 1999).† Since scholars have been implementing this form of study it has gone by various monikers such as: postal correspondence courses, independent study, off campus study,†¦show more content†¦Technology has been proven time and time again to increase academic success. There are many questions still trying to be answered about the future of online learning. â€Å"Considering current trends, it is safe to assume that the number of schools and pro grams that provide distance education courses will increase in the foreseeable future (Vernon, Pittman-Munke, Vakalahi, Adkins, Pierce, 2009).† Even though education is primarily about the student, and what they are learning, one of the most important factors of education is the educator. The educator is one of the key points that various institutions are focusing on, ongoing education for the teacher is immensely important. There have been various recent reports about online enrollments for higher education and distance learning, the results have exceeded projections with little to no decreases expected for the future. Using the Learning on Demand report: â€Å"- Over 4.6 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2008 term; a 17 percent increase over the number reported the previous year. -The 17 percent growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 1.2 percent growth of the overall higher education student population. (Allen Seaman, 2009).† It has been found by Barnard-Brak, Lan, and Paton that â€Å"individuals who are self-regulated in their learning appear to achieve more positive academic outcomes than individuals who do not exhibit self-regulated learning behaviorsShow MoreRelatedEssay on Using Technology to Increase Academic Success1246 Words   |  5 PagesUsing Technology to Increase Academic Success I remember growing up and watching my older sister and brother receive English and Math lessons on a small chalkboard that my mother used to help us read and write. It was the same method that her mother and her mother’s mother used to learn. The portable chalkboard was a staple to my families learning ability. In the last ten years technology has seemingly become an extension of ourselves. When I go out with my wife everywhere I go I see kids, adultsRead MoreStudent Motivation And Academic Success1568 Words   |  7 Pagescontribute to the academic success of a student in college – motivation, learning preferences/styles, socioeconomic status, whether or not the student is a first generation college student, gender, and even race. With so many factors potentially contributing or hindering a student’s academic success in college; it is important for teachers to attempt to connect with students in the classroom. Adjusting instructional methods that focus on stude nts’ learning preferences/styles can increase student motivationRead MoreThe Impact Of Digital Technology On Academic Study883 Words   |  4 PagesQuestion: Digital technology lead to success in academic study In the last 30 years, IT technology has become more integrated in educational institutions. Currently, many educational institutions are focused on the use of technology such as; online discuss forum, academic websites, PowerPoint presentation and use of audio-visual aid. Moreover, technology helps students to achieve their intended goal to meet success. For the purpose of this essay, the term technology means materials, digital toolsRead MoreTechnology Can Increase Academic Sucess Essay1101 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology is defined as the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems (Merriam-Websters Dictionary, 2011). It seems that no matter where you turn there is some sort of technology that you have to deal with on a daily basis because as a society we have become reliant on technology to help us do the simplest of tasks. This is not a bad thing when you put technology to good use such as by implementing it into school curriculum s properly in order toRead MoreUsing Technology to Increase Success966 Words   |  4 PagesUsing Technology to Increase Academic Success Hector Bonilla COLL 100 DO55 FALL 12 American Military University Dr. Augustine M. Amenyah Using Technology to Increase Academic Success Technology has changed the world we live in and has made a very positive impact on the way we learn, an education is just a couple of clicks away from anyone anywhere. It has made it convenient and possible for people with busy schedules, full time jobs and Military who are inRead MoreThe Impact Of Digital Technology On Academic Study871 Words   |  4 Pages Digital technology leads to success in academic study In the last 30 years, IT technology has become more integrated in educational institutions. Currently, many educational institutions are focused in the use of technology such as; online discuss forum, academic websites, PowerPoint presentation and use of audio-visual aid. Moreover, technology helps students to achieve their intended goal to meet success. For the purpose of this essay, the term technology means materials, digital tools, electronicRead MoreUsing Technology For Academic Success1192 Words   |  5 PagesUsing Technology to Increase Academic Success Michael D. Calabrese COLL 100 American Military University Professor Jennifer Gordonâ€Æ' Using Technology to Increase Academic Success This essay will talk about how in today’s modern world we can use technology to increase the academic success of a student. Along with that, we will cover the different types of devices used today, the World Wide Web and its search engines, how technology is used in school and what are its downfalls, and how technologyRead MoreImproving School Education System Essay1360 Words   |  6 Pageseducated. However, free education cannot be translated to success for all. For those motivated ones who cherish the privilege to be educated are those who climb up the success ladders later in life. For a certain majority of students in the States, our current educational system may not seem to serve its purpose. In this paper, I will explore two possible adjustments that could be made to improve our system to benefit our next generation. Academic improvement and class size reduction are the two adjustmentsRead MoreEffects Of Using Instagram On High School Students Academic Studies10 01 Words   |  5 PagesGR 12 RESEARCH TASK – LO The Effect of Using INSTAGRAM on High School Students Academic Studies Part 2: Proposal By: Avrami Nossel Hypothesis: Students who use Instagram will put less effort into school work and will achieve lower marks in academics than those who do not use Instagram. Aim: To determine the effect of high school students’ using Instagram on their ability to spend time and effort on school work and achieve academically. Introduction: Instagram is a fast growingRead MoreMotivation Affects Many Different Areas For Students1075 Words   |  5 PagesMotivation affects many different areas for students in education. Areas include how the student feels about school, teacher relationships, testing performance, and time and effort spent on academics. Without motivation, academic engagement is almost impossible to achieve. However, research has shown that highly motivated students perform better academically, have a better self-esteem, and tend to complete high school. As a student progresses through school, motivation tends to decline. According

The Major Cause Of The First World War - 838 Words

The Many Factors That Lead To The First World War The events that result to or lead to the outbreak of a war form part of history that is highly analyzed and discussed over historical times for number of significant reasons. These reasons include giving answers to questions and shedding knowledge upon some particular patterns that may exist in war circumstances and giving an understanding on how and why they occur. For instance, the First World War was preceded by a number of events globally. The cause of war was introduced by many major factors which include the rise of imperialism and the growth of nationalism, increased militarism with the formation of mutual defense alliances and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. First and foremost, the rise of imperialism is one of the major causes of the first World War. Imperialism refers to when a nation accumulates wealth and power through acquiring additional geographical territories and putting them under their control. For instance, before World War I began, most parts of Asia and Africa had become regions of contention amongst countries from Europe. This happened because of the fact that these areas had valuable natural resources and raw materials that were highly needed by these countries. The increasing scrambling and competition for bigger empires resulted to more confrontation that became a catalyst for the start of the World War I. Additionally, nationalism also played a great role in the breakdown of warShow MoreRelatedBritish Empire : A Major Cause Of The First World War1694 Words   |  7 PagesVivenzio 11/18/14 Global 10 Mrs. DelFavero British Empire in India (1850-1914) Imperialism was a major cause of the first world war; the reason being is that imperialism often led to competition for land as well to nationalism and complex systems of alliances that led to several world powers going to war in 1914; one of those world powers was the British Empire. The British Empire’s presence in India is a perfect example of imperialism and its effects going intoRead MoreCritically asses three major causes of the First World War2347 Words   |  10 PagesThere are many causes to the First World War, many of which are results of complex developments which took place for a number of years before the war, such as the conflict over the Balkans and the decline of the Ottoman Empire. The most obvious cause may be the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. However, upon close examination of the events leading up to World War One, we shall see that this was merely the spark that set off the chain of events leading up to the Great War. One of the mainRead MoreCauses of First World War Essay940 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The First World War started in 1914 and lasted for four years to end in 1918 when Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman empires were defeated (Havers 7). There have been a number of causes identified to have led to the war but most of them are not as straightforward as many would think. In essence, the root causes of the war are deeper than most abstract reasons many authors have identified in the past. However, this does not mean that there was no trail of events which directlyRead MoreThe Main Long Term Causes of World War One Essay1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe main Long term causes of World War ONE (1914-1918) There was no single cause for the outbreak of the First World War. The causes are much more complex than those of the Second World War and include short, intermediate and long term factors that all culminated to cause the July Days in 1914. These factors include militarism, nationalism, imperialism, the alliance system, and industrialization as the long term causes. The intermediate causes included the crises inRead MoreWhat Were the Underlying Causes of Wwi Dbq Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War I was a major event of deaths, disasters, causes and effects on the European countries. World War I was a war against three European countries England, France, and Russian versus Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. Friedrich Engels explains in The Origins of the First World War (Doc A) the aftermath of the Thirty Years War caused many devastating effects like famine, sickness, want and brutalizing the population and this is being compared to World War I saying that the same outcome happenedRead MoreDiscussing The First World War1432 Words   |  6 PagesWhen discussing the First World War, there are a myriad of topics, theories and debates that can be brought up, especially when its regarding to its breakout and and what lead to it. There are multiple direct and indirect causes that all are interconnected with one another, making it very difficult to just discuss about one topic without it overlapping with another completely different topic.　One of the most unquestionable causes that lead to the outbreak of the war was the alliance system that wasRead MoreTo what extent was Germany to blame for the start of World War 11473 Words   |  6 Pageswas Germany to blame for the start of World War 1? During the beginning of the 19th Century Europe was crossing a period characterized by great technological advancements and scientific optimism, but it was also subject to hostile relations between many of its main powers. These hostilities transformed into war on the 28th of June 1914,when a 19 year old terrorist, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, creating the cause of war that one month later brought Austria-HungaryRead MoreCauses of the First World War Essay752 Words   |  4 PagesWhat were the causes of the first world war? Many people believe, that the First World War was caused by the assassination of the heir to the empire of Austria-Hungry, Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand. However, I believe, there were many other more important causes that could have started the war. For example: the rivalry of countries, the alliances (Triple Entente and Triple Alliance), the industries of Britain and Germany, Militarism, Rivalry and many more. Firstly, Germany was trying to expandRead MoreThe Underlying Cause Of World War I1436 Words   |  6 Pages Yuri Nazaire 3A- Honors Global Studies MR:Binns 05-27-16 What were the underlying causes of World War I- Research paper World War I, also known as the first World War, or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe the began on the 28th of July 1914 and lasted until the 11th of November 1918. World War I was a war that was fought between two sides with a few of the World’s greatest Nations of that time. The two sides were Triple Entente which included Britain, France, and RussiaRead MoreEffects Of The War On The World888 Words   |  4 Pagesof 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, thus marking the official start of World War I. Soon after alliances brought other countries into the war including France, Germany, Russia, Italy, and Great Britain. Austria charged into Serbia, Germany attacked Belgium and France, and Russia attacked Germany and Austria. The United States attempted to stay neutral in the war. However, due to acts of aggression against the United States, the country joined the war in April of 1917. In fall of 1918

Music is Part of our life free essay sample

Music is part of our lives whether we realize it or not, whether we actively participate in it or not, whether we appreciate its power or not. This is, in fact, the real power of music ? that it can affect us whether we are aware of it or not. We need only think of the music heard on the soundtrack of most movies. We may be aware of the action and the dialogue, the scenery, costumes and special effects, yet music is supporting it all and guiding the emotional context. In the best films, music is an active team player, but in the worst of films, sometimes the music is the only thing holding the story together. So important is music to film that studio executives sometimes watch â€Å"rough cuts† with a temporary music track, even before the actual score is written, to get a feel for how a particular scene will play over it. Film is just one example. Television programs also have musical underscores. Many commercials use â€Å"jingles† to help sell their products ? these are tunes we â€Å"just can’t get out of our heads. † Result: we remember the product! Radio provides music 24 hours a day, seven days week, in every style imaginable. We buy our favorite music in record stores. Finally, there is live music, be it school friends with a guitar during the lunch break, a nightclub with just a few tables, a religious service with a choir and instruments, or a large concert or giant arena where thousands are gathered to share in the experience of music making. In prehistoric times, before our ancestors became masters of our world, life was mostly random and patternless, except for the seasons. Even they couldn’t be counted on to produce rain, snow or sun at regular intervals. As fire was harnessed, as social order and language developed, as tools improved, the rhythms of life assumed a greater organization. Emotions developed as well ? from basic animal traits of pleasure and fear, contentment and anger ? into a much more complex system. Once the basic need to survive had been adequately addressed, humankind was suddenly freed in small measure to become introspective, and to contemplate its own existence. Music was undoubtedly the accompaniment to all these discoveries. Imagine the first baby to hear its mother sing a lullaby. Imagine the first field workers to chant in rhythm as they planted or harvested. Imagine sitting around their campfires, celebrating the success of the day’s hunt or lamenting the lack of rain. Before drums or flutes, before cave paintings, before basket weaving and clay pot painting, there was the human voice, capable even in earliest times of a vast range of expression. Somewhere, deep in our souls or collective unconsciousness, there is the sound of our own identity, of our connection to the universal power, which music amplifies to our great satisfaction. Whether we are aware of it or not. So why should music play such an important and integral role in our lives? As it turns out, research over the last few decades has increasingly shown that music, and in particular the singing and playing of music, helps the brain develop much more fully and extensively, especially in our early years. Music makes us brighter, more intelligent, more logical, more rational, and more capable. It improves study habits and test scores. It builds a better sense of self and community. It aids in our general sense of well-being and improves our quality of life. At times, it brings us closer to the divine in all of us. A recent study even suggests that the act of singing improves the immune system. To answer a question with a question: Why shouldn’t music play an important role in our lives? Given what music can do for all of us, but especially for children, it is imperative that we work to offer opportunities for children to become exposed to music, and to begin to understand what makes it work and why. This is why Los Angeles Chamber Singers is so committed to educational outreach and so appreciative of the Shumei Arts Council’s efforts to bring about January’s What Makes a Chorus? Program. Other research by the San Francisco School District tells us that just one exposure to music, or to any of the other art forms, is all it takes to change a child’s life and keep him or her involved with the arts in some way. The window is open from birth through the age of 15, at its peak around eight, and the earlier the exposure the better. Additionally, early familiarity with many art forms increases tolerance for and pleasure in all art forms. Children and teens who only listen to rock music may grow dissatisfied with it when they reach their forties but will be too afraid or unfamiliar to try other genres. Those same children exposed to other forms in childhood may prefer rock during their twenties and thirties, but find the adjustment to classical or jazz easier and more familiar. Some people have wondered why we take the approach I’ve come to call â€Å"deconstruction. † It’s actually in direct response to something I learned in an education course in college. The key term is â€Å"frame of reference,† or as Aaron Copland said, â€Å"What to listen for. † Nobody learns anything in this world without a frame of reference, that is, without some preparation for and understanding of the elements that comprise the topic of study. Take, for example, the sentence: â€Å"The impending war with Iraq could either be the next Grenada or the next Viet Nam. † Most of us would recognize this to be a metaphoric reference to the length and severity of the conflict, with Grenada being a â€Å"piece of cake† and Viet Nam being a protracted disaster. We have a frame of reference that allows us to comprehend the full intent of that sentence. Now, imagine that an immigrant child of 13 from a poor country had to stop his education in the third grade to help his parents’ farm, later moved to the United States, and finally returned to school. His English is poor and he has missed a large chunk of his education along the way. His social studies teacher asks him to read and explain that sentence to the rest of the class. He manages to say the words but can’t begin to explain them. Yes, he hears â€Å"Iraq† mentioned everyday in the news but doesn’t know where it is on a map or anything about the first Gulf War. He’s heard of Viet Nam and knows there was a war there a long time ago, but has no body of facts on which to draw, and, he’s never heard of Grenada. After other students answer the question, the first student awakens to an understanding that moments ago he lacked and this is due to his newfound frame of reference. In music, each song or work exists in a context. Simple folk tunes are just that: easily accessible to anyone upon first hearing. The elements of basic Rock’n’Roll are a standard chord progression, a catchy melody and lyrics, with some decorative additions. The Blues follow a standard chord progression, while the first line of text is repeated three times before the â€Å"punch line† is given. In classical music, the context, or frame of reference can be much more complex. For this reason, it’s important to break it down into smaller, more intelligible pieces. For example, a beautiful 17th century motet for double choir may be quite sonorous and entertaining on its own. But once it’s explained that: the first chorus is comprised of higher voices who represent the angels in heaven; the second chorus of lower voices represent the people on earth; they’re having a conversation about a miracle; the miracle happens when both choruses sing together for the first time; and we can tell that because the rhythm changes from a quick chatter to very slow, long notes, while the harmony changes from simple chords with shared notes to complex harmonies with no shared notes. With this information, the listener can have a much deeper experience with the music while it’s being performed, and, equally importantly, remember something about it later ? all because of frame of reference. In Mozart’s time, the aristocracy was well-educated in all facets of music, especially the formal structure, and knew the capabilities of each of the instruments. They could appreciate when music was played well because, in all likelihood, they had learned to play an instrument or two and had built up quite a library of scores. Before electricity, there was only live music, so many people automatically learned to play or sing to keep themselves entertained. When they went to hear a new symphony, they knew in advance that it would have four movements, that the first would be an allegro (fast tempo) in sonata form (AABBCAB, where A and B are contrasting themes and C represents a lengthy thematic development of those themes); the second would be a slow and graceful movement; the third would be the minuet and trio (a shorter, dance-like movement with a contrasting middle section and a reprise of the minuet); and a finale which was also marked allegro, in one of several forms, such as a rondo. They also knew about key structure and relationships, so that if the first movement were in C, the second might be in F, the third in C for the minuet and G for the trio, and the finale again in C. With this grand set of expectations or frame of reference, they would be able to see the composer’s latest creation in the context of all the other symphonies they had heard, and would recognize at every step what was usual, what was a departure, and how successful the composer had been at both. When you listen to music with this level of understanding, you can’t help but be actively engaged in the process and its outcome. You can’t help but marvel at the true genius of the master composers. And you can’t help but grow as a human being. There is only one way to accomplish this level of musical literacy and take advantage of all its inherent benefits: that is to keep music a part of every school curriculum. It’s the path to well-being, harmony, and peace. It’s the path all of us need to continue to follow.

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning Essay Essay Example

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Essay Paper Thus through a series of conceits, Done attempts to invoices his wife that the love between them transcends the physical realm, Is equivalent to perfection, and Is unlike the plebeian relationships of ordinary people. Done begins his contention that their love Is metaphysical by comparing his departure to that of a virtuous man parting from the physical world. Done argues that the there Is no reason to mourn for the departure, as It Is equivalent to when virtuous men pass mildly away (line 1). According to Done, the virtuous man has secured happiness in the afterlife, and thus his parting Is without sadness. By the name token, Done believes that there is no reason to mourn when two lovers part, as the assurance of true love holds regardless of whether they are together physically. Subsequently, Done compares his parting as a meltinning (line 5), or simply a change in state. In the same way that melting is only a change in the form of an element, he argues that their parting only changes the form in which their love is conveyed, but not the composition of their love. We will write a custom essay sample on A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Later on, their love is compared to the trepidation of the spheres (line 1 1), or the orbit of planets. Done uses this imprison to show that their relationship is always steady and predictable, no matter what happens on the spheres below. By using these three metaphors, Done argues that the love between him and his wife can never be broken by what events happen in the physical, for their love is guaranteed. After stating that their love is metaphysical, Done goes to argue that their love has also reached a point of perfection. This argument resides in the comparison of their love to circles, the perfect shape in Aristotelian philosophy. During the Elizabethan Age, scholars such as Done viewed circles as perfect shapes. This idea stemmed from the Greek philosophy that the circle represented the heavens; the path along a circle being eternal. In the third stanza when Done compares the fears and harms of earthquakes to the trepidation of the spheres, Done is viewing their love as equivalent to perfection. Later, Donnas comparison In the seventh stanza concludes his poem when he compares the love between he and his wife to staff twin compasses (line 26). Done Is referring to the mathematical compass, with two feet. One leg of the compass is represented by the fixed foot (line bib and Is the center egg. The other foot is the traveling foot of the compass. Because the two lovers are the legs of the compass, Done argues that the love between them Is a perfect circle. By referencing to Greek philosophy, Done equates the circular love between him and his wife as perfection. All of Donnas characterizations of his love contribute to the argument that the love between him and his wife Is unlike the love of ordinary people. Done seems to look down upon their relationships, comparing them to the norms Ana Tears (line Y) AT earthquakes. I Nils Is In stark contrast to Nils comparison f his love to the heavens. Because of this discrepancy, Done views the difference between his love and the relationships of ordinary people as the difference between heaven and earth. After making this comparison, Done goes on to say that mourning represents Dull sublunary lovers love (1 3), that grief for the absence of a person means your relationship is shallow. Done believes that their love is much more than that, a love so much refined and so that they should not express grief like the love of the sublunary lovers. Done essentially proclaims that their love is so refined that hey themselves know not what it is, and that it will not fall into the same fate as the love of others. In A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, Done attempts to assure his wife that their love will not be broken because it is unlike the love of ordinary people. By using a series of metaphors, he first convinces his wife their love is special and then uses that to argue why their love will not share the fate of dull sublunary lovers love. Whether this was a piece on true love or simply a persuasive poem, Donnas use of conceits effectively argues that no Journey can break the love between him and his wife.

How women are portrayed in the Wessex Tales Essay Example

How women are portrayed in the Wessex Tales Essay Example How women are portrayed in the Wessex Tales Paper How women are portrayed in the Wessex Tales Paper In this essay I will explore the ways that Thomas Hardy portrays women in his book the Wessex Tales. Womens reputations and their appearances were of paramount importance. A womans role during 1840 and after in society was to look very decorative towards men. In the tale The Withered Arm there is two main female characters Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge and from the very beginning of this tale these two women are contrasted, mainly because of their appearances. Gertrude Lodge is described as a rosy cheeked, tisty-tosty little body while Rhoda Brook is describes as solitary, thin and a fading woman of thirty While Gertrude is described as blooming and beautiful like a flower in full bloom. Rhoda is described as a withered old flower which has been neglected. This description is true, because Farmer Lodge neglected Rhoda, because she was getting older and he only went for young, beautiful and attractive women. Farmer Lodge sonly after he had neglected Rhoda for the beautiful Gertrude as a good replacement. This suggests that women need men just for survival and in order to blossom. Thomas Hardy portrays women in all different kinds of ways throughout his Wessex Tales. Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge are heavily portrayed during the tale The Withered Arm. Hardy gives all women throughout his tales a fully descriptive description which helps the reader understand what women were like in the 19th century. Most of Hardys tales are about very young and beautiful women throwing themselves at men and marrying them at a young age. Soonly after the man realises that the woman he married isnt beautiful anymore he moves out and divorces her and finds another young lady to marry. In the Three Strangers, there is only one main female character, Mrs Fennel, the wife of a shepherd which it tells us at the beginning of the tale. At the beginning of the tale, Hardy portrays women at a party by telling the reader all about their appearances and what there personalities are like and what they are wearing at the current time. The main character Mrs Fennel is portrayed in a negative kind of way and is called frugal woman when introduced to the reader. Hardy from the start of the tale doesnt want the reader to like Mrs Fennel after his comment of calling her frugal. Mrs Fennel was the orchestrate of the party and she decided on what everyone else had to do and at what time they should do it. In one instance, Mrs Fennel trys to distract the musicians that are playing music at the party, but when they just ignore her, Mrs Fennel sits down in a tired mind. The reader maybe has sympathy for Mrs Fennel, but Hardy is trying to convince the reader that she isnt a nice woman. In the tale The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion there is only one main female character, Phyllis Grove who lives with her father. Phyllis is a single woman and thinks her future is merely bleak while she is living with her father on a farm. In reality, Phyllis wanted a man to love, marry and be with for the rest of her life. This is shown when Hardy says the daughters seclusion was great and she became so shy that if she met a stranger she felt ashamed at his gaze, walked awkwardly, and blushed to her shoulders. Hardy makes the reader learn that every man or stranger walks past Phyllis she blushes and feels embarrassed to talk to him, even if she likes him. When the German army came to were Phyllis lives, one of the Hussars notices Phyllis, she immediately likes the Hussar soldier and Hardy writes a short sentence to make out Phyllis wasnt blamed for liking him. In Fellow-Townsmen there are two main female characters. Throughout the tale, Thomas Hardy contrasts the differences between one relationship and another. Mrs Barnet is a wealthy young woman married to Mr Barnet and Mrs Downe maybe more badly off than Mrs Barnet and also is married to Mr Downe. The relationships of both of the couples are widely different to each other when Mrs Downe and Mrs Barnet are swept out to sea. When the news of Mrs Downes death had come through, Mr Downe was sobbing badly and was distraught to here the death of his wife. Mrs Barnet was saved and resuscitated by her husband, but soon left him to live with a close friend and showed no feelings for him after Mr Barnet had saved her life. Mr Barnet wasnt really bothered about his wife leaving him as it meant that he could try and get his neighbour Lucy Savile to marry him. In the tale Interlopers at the Knap, it begins with two men talking to each other about women. Farmer Darton comments on the girl he is about to be married to. Farmer Darton is going to marry a young girl called Sally Hall, who is living with her mother. Hardy describes Sally as strong minded, independent an that she is very emotional in her views. Hardy makes the reader to like Sally and portrays her in positive way and that she wants to marry well for her family. Farmer Darton is happy to marry Sally, because he thinks that marrying someone who is less down the order in wealth than himself will mean that Sally will look up to him. During the tale, Farmer Darton describes Sally to a close friend as just being simple. This tells the reader that Darton doesnt think Sally is really anything special just a woman he can begin to love for a couple of years and then divorce and move onto another young woman who is desperate to marry a wealthy man When Sally is waiting for Farmer Darton to turn up with her wedding dress, she says to her mother; I dont care if he comes or not. This shows that Sally isnt really that keen on marrying Farmer Darton in the first place and is showing that there relationship is on leaps and bounds and there is a weakness between them. Throughout all the tales of Thomas Hardy, portrays women differently in each individual story. Hardy describes some women in his tales as weak and vulnerable, whereas in other tales they can be strong minded and independent. Hardy does this to create a lot of tension for the reader to be engaged in the lives of woman during the 18th century.

CORE Analysis of WHSmith the University of glasgow The WritePass Journal

CORE Analysis of WHSmith the University of glasgow CORE Analysis of WHSmith the University of glasgow Introduction  Part 1Related Introduction   Part 1 Context, overview, ratios and evaluation are regarded as four elements of CORE framework. Indeed, they are crucial for appraisal process. In order to judge the entire performance of enterprise fairly and objectively, it is necessary to focus not only on financial data embodied in annual report but also on other significant sources like company’s strategy. This report aims to employ CORE analysis approach to analyze two companies comprehensively. In the first part, CORE analysis of WHSmith which financed by sources other than taxpayers will be represented. Additionally, University of Glasgow which financed by public funds will be analyzed by applying CORE analysis method. Private sector: WHSmith External context: WHSmith PLC, which mainly sells stationery, books, newspaper, magazine and impulse products, is one of the UK’s famous leading retailers. Its business primarily in the UK, but it has been expanding their business to international locations such as Copenhagen, Oman and Delhi. WHSmith is the biggest book retailer in UK. Compared with sales of WHSmith ( £1,312,000), Waterstone’s Booksellers Limited and Amazon.Co.Uk Ltd. generate  £488,901 and  £147,303 operating revenue respectively in 2010. Consequently, WHSmith has absolute advantage in this market. WHSmith named Bookselling Company of the Year and General Retailer of the Year in the Bookseller Retail Awards 2009, and then it named Children’s Bookseller of the Year in 2010. These awards witnessed its outstanding competitive force in the market. However, along with internet developing rapidly, shopping online and eBooks are becoming increasingly prevailing in modern society. Although WHSmith has its own website to serve customers online shopping 24 hours a day and started to launch eBooks, internet selling seems not operate as well as stores. Hence, WHSmith is forced to face the transformation of sales model and lack of internet marketing strategy. Whilst, Amazon.Co.Uk Ltd. successful doubled their market share by selling books on their website from 2004 to 2007. That threats WHSmith seriously to some extent. Moreover, some competitors such as dedicated stationery stores and specialist card shops are threatening a part of WHSmith’s  business. Internal context: Due to travel business and high street business are considered as core business of WHSmith PLC, WHSmith’s reporting segments are structured by that classification accordingly. Compared with 565 high street stores in 2009, WHSmith owns 573 stores in 2010. Whilst, travel opens 26 units (2009:490 units, 2010:516 units) in airports, railway stations, motorway service areas, hospitals, workplaces and bus stations in 2010, and 17units are opened overseas such as India, Oman and Australia. In short, WHSmith has a steady tendency to expand their business in recent years. WHSmith aims to be Britain’s most popular stationer, bookseller and newsagent by growing travel business, strengthening high street business and delivering sustainable returns to shareholders. To be more specific, the travel business pays attention on distributing value to shareholders by maintaining organic growth in outlets, acquiring new contracts, conducting new formats tests, rising average sales volume and improving the trading efficiency. On the other hand, the high street plan concentrates on building authority in core categories, optimizing margins, controlling costs and ensuring it delivers the retail basics (page 6, Annual report 2010). There are 10 corporation shareholders, who occupy more than 3 percent of the issued share capital individually, owning approximately 60 percent of total shares. But the biggest proportion which is 9.86% does not exceed the UK disclosure level. Consequently, WHSmith has responsibility to meet shareholders’ expectations. There are numerous changes occurring on the board in 2010. Firstly, Walker Boyd is assigned non-executive chairman of WHSmith PLC when Robert Walker retired on 31 August 2010. Secondly, Luke Mayhew who is a non-executive director resigned from board and Henry Staunton joined the board with extensive finance and retail expertise. That might have impacts on subsequent operating process. Some activities changes also happened in 2010. Initially, eBookstore with 30,000 eBooks which have competitive prices and easily accessibility is launched by WHSmith. Additionally, owing to the brands Funky Pigeon and The Gadgetshop are new required, WHSmith will offer a wide choice like some gadgets and gizmos through stores and website. Lastly, WHSmith found exclusive Richard and Judy Book Club in 2010. Like seemingly all UK enterprises, WHSmith performs well on employee and community issues. It employs approximately 17,000 staff, and it provides learning and development programme to all employees. It also maintains the importance of health and safety in workplace. In addition, their community programme commits the responsibility to make positive effects which donated  £1.1m into local communities. Moreover, WHSmith trust which is a registered charity also contributes to local communities. Owing to the group concentrates on profitability and cash generation in two core businesses, WHSmith is highly cash generative with a strong balance sheet. Although revenue of WHSmith declined  £28 million from 2009 to 2010 which is approximately 2 percent, like-for-like sales decreased 4 percent at that time. Indeed, that decrease of total sales is caused by  £32 million decline of high street sales in 2010, whilst travel sales have a slight growth from  £448m to  £452m between 2009 and 2010. Additionally, there is nine percent increase of profit before tax and exceptional items from 2009 to 2010. That is worth  £7m from  £82m in 2009 to  £89m in 2010. Moreover, the rise of net funds which is  £11m (2009:  £45m, 2010:  £56m) also proves highly cash generative of WHSmith. Furthermore, a slight rise of total asset, same figure of total liabilities and increase of total equity seems make WHSmith’s capital structure much better in 2010. Also, the underlying di luted earnings per share increased from 41.3p in 2009 to 45.7p in 2010. Lastly, WHSmith focuses on efficient cost control and did successful in 2010. It delivered  £12m savings from all areas of the business. To coincide with data mentioned before, the increase of ROCE and profit margin also indicate a better efficiency and profitability in 2010. Whilst, low current ratio under 1 might indicate that the shortage of the liquid resources tend to fail to achieve the short-term payments. In addition, slight changes of other ratios prove that WHSmith has ability of sustained growth. Generally, the group has delivered a good profit performance in 2010.It is noticeable that using distinct strategies on high street and travel business is an efficient way to maximize value creation for shareholders. Hence, based on the performance in decades, WHSmith has enough capacity to operate business sustainably and successfully. Public sector: University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow, which was established in 1451, is considered as the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world. It also is a member of the Russell Group of 20 major research universities. It is ranked amongst the top 1% of universities in the world. Moreover, it has outstanding performance in cultivating talents which fostered seven Nobel laureates, one Prime Minister and Scotland’s inaugural First Minister. University’s mission which set in â€Å"Glasgow 2020 – A Global Vision† is to undertake world leading research and to provide an intellectually stimulating learning environment thus delivering benefits to culture, society and the economy (page 3, Annual Report 2010). Additionally, focus, global reach and multi-disciplinarity are main strategy of that. There is a crucial change structuring its operations from 2009 to 2010. The university applies a College structure instead of previous Faculty structure from the date of 1 August 2010. The new four colleges are: College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, College of Social Sciences and College of Arts. In the world rankings of universities 2010 by Times Higher Education, University of Glasgow placed at 19th in the UK and 128th in the world. To be more specific, it is worth to notice that the value of student satisfaction, research quality, student staff ratio, service and facilities spend, entry standards, completion, good honors and graduate prospects are 79%, 2.2, 13.2, 1377, 412, 86.6, 71.3, 75.4 respectively. These data can indicate its good competitive forces. From teaching aspect, University of Glasgow has an excellent reputation on the teaching and learning environment from both angles of student and academic. Firstly, 90% of final year students are satisfied with their teaching and learning in 2010 National Student Survey. Secondly, student staff ratio is regarded as a proxy for teaching quality. Compared with University of Nottingham (2010:13.7), students of Glasgow might get more personal attention from the institution’s faculty. Thirdly, 16,588 undergraduate students, 5,366 postgraduate students and more than 5,000 adult learners are educated by University of Glasgow in 2010. Moreover, these students are from more than 100 countries around the globe. Indeed, the University has achieved its goal of home undergraduate recruitment, whilst the number of enrolled postgraduate students has increased 10%. Lastly, University has 6,334 staff, and there are approximately 2,000 researchers included. Form research perspective, University of Glasgow has an outstanding performance. More than  £116m is annual research contract income, which makes University become UK’s top 10 earners for research. Additionally, according to the latest national Research Assessment Exercise 2008, University which involved 48 subject areas was one of the broadest submissions in the UK, and some of them were ranked in UK’s top 10 or were rated best in Scotland. In short, the University is 14th in Research Fortnight’s Research Power Table in the UK. Furthermore, according to the pan-UK Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, levels of research student satisfaction with university experience rose 5.6% in University of Glasgow. From international mix angle, the number of international students has a significant 11 percent rise between 2009 and 2010. Also, international applications for entry increase 35% in 2010-11. Those growths indicate that the oversea promotion of the University is successful. In addition, it is obvious that international student community satisfies with the quality of education and support available at Glasgow through International Student Barometer 2010. Moving to consolidated income and expenditure account, it is worth to focus some values. Tuition fees and education contracts have 10.3% growth which might be caused by the increase income from oversea students. Moreover, owing to a sharply decline of short-term investments and growth of endowment funds, endowment and investment income decrease slightly from 6,612 to 5,526 in 2009-10. In addition, both rise of staff costs and other operating expenses lead total expenditure have a 3.9% increase. Hence, the historical cost surplus for 2010 is 10,949. Overall, based on all analyses above, University of Glasgow has delivered a good performance in 2010. It performs well not only on its financial aspect, but also on its strategic ambitions which includes academic targets and students recruitment goal. Part 2 â€Å"The accounting profit figure is the only simple and comparable measure of the performance of an organization† In recent decades, along with economy developing rapidly, some issues about corporations’ performance seems to be discussed frequently. Although a number of indicators can be applied for assessing the performance of an organization, it is misty that how to measure a company’s performance accurately and comprehensively. Accounting profit figure is considered as a simple and comparable indicator for assessment. Employing profit figure might be right and easy for financial report users to some degree. However, it is not accurate and whilst it is necessary to analyze other possible indicators. This article aims to present some factors which might be one of measurement methods of a company’s performance. Firstly, different sectors, such as nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations, assess their performance in various ways. As Epstein McFarlan (2011) point out, owing to nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations have different missions, it is apparent that they have dissimilar financial metrics. To be more specific, the main objective and mission of nonprofit groups is to achieve their social or service targets. Contrarily, for-profit organizations concentrate on whether they obtain an appropriate return on invested capital for their shareholders or not. However, ancillary services are also offered by them. Consequently, most non-profit organizations insist that assessing whether they accomplish their overall long-term targets or not is more crucial than only measuring their fundraising and budget achievement in short-term. On the contrary, performance assessment of for-profit groups heavily relies on the income statement, earnings per share, profit, growth in ma rket capitalization and other financial data. Epstein McFarlan (2011) give an illustration of Dana Hall School. It is a girls’ school which has history of 129 years. Its goal is â€Å"committed to fostering excellence in academics, the arts and athletics within a vibrant caring community†¦[It] provides its students with a unique opportunity to prepare themselves for challenges and choices as women†. Indeed, from financial aspect, it met continuous operating losses for ten years in 1995. Additionally, in order to build a world-class science center, Dana Hall School still borrowed $8 million to achieve its original target in 1995. Several years later, it took on more debt for the sake of building a world-class athletic center. Although the school has financial stress in 2010, it is still flourishing in the academic field. It is evident that the provided social services of one non-profit group have significant impact on its investment. Simultaneously, it also exerts vital effect on judgment of performance. In sh ort, from nonprofit organizations perspective, assessing financial data such as profit is not essential measure of performance. Secondly, CORE framework which is presented by Moon and Bates (1993) seems like a comprehensive framework to better assess the performance of an organization. CORE framework has four stages: context (C), overview (O), ratios (R) and evaluation (E). This framework is based on numerous previous case studies (see e.g., Simmonds, 1986; Rickwood et al., 1990; Shank and Govindarajan, 1992) which concern about ratio analysis and have significant contribution to the development of strategic management accounting. Through a case study of appraising the performance of Tesco which illustrated by Moon and Bates (1993), it is obvious that CORE is a good and comprehensive measure of a company’s performance by assessing the performance not only from its internal aspect but also from its external angle. Thirdly, although profit figure is a simple and comparable measure of the performance of an organization, it can be altered by accounting techniques and then mislead the users of financial report. Sharma (1992:1) cited by Weston Brigham (1991) describes profit as â€Å"to the financial management profit is a measure of control and the test of efficiency in the organization; to the investors the profit is the measure of weather worth to invest; to the government the profit is a basis of legislative action†. That is to say, profit figure is essential measure of enterprise’s performance to a large degree. However, the case of Enron exposes the limitation of accounting figures such as profit figure. As Solomon (2007) points out, negative angles of accounting and auditing profession are represented in the collapse of Enron. In addition, Pierce-Brown (2002) claims that each accounting policies are legal and Enron has being obeyed the GAAP. She complements that Enron employs the policies of revenue recognition, off-balance-sheet financing and mark-to-market accounting to hide the growing losses. It declines $600 million profits when the accounts are restated in 2002 (Solomon, 2007). To be more specific, during the period of 1997-2000, the decrease of cumulative profit and increase of debt are $591 million and $628 million respectively. Although Enron’s financial statement seems have a good performance, the figures are unreliable for the sake of removing liabilities and rising earnings per share actually. Hence, under this circumstance, profit figure cannot reflect a company’s performance factually to some extent. Fourth, although for-profit groups focus on financial data to assess their performance, accounting profit figure is not the only assessment approach to a large extent. As Elliott and Elliott (2008) demonstrate, interpreting a company’s financial statement can apply financial ratios analysis. It is useful to judge the economic performance of an enterprise. They implement that six ratios are considered as key ratios whilst there are lots of subsidiary ratios. The six ratios are operating return on equity, financial leverage multiplier, return on capital employed (ROCE), asset turnover, net profit margin and current ratio. Specifically, the ratios of ROCE, asset turnover and net profit margin tend to reflect the profitability of companies and current ratio intends to indicate the liquidity. Hence, combining these figures might measure the performance of an organization more accurate than just using profit to judge. In addition, cash flow is another crucial account to measure the performance. To sum up, this essay standing upon the point of view of comprehensive analysis to analyze possible factors for assessing an organization’s performance. In the first section, it represented different sectors have dissimilar judgment standards of performance. Secondly, it was trying to connect CORE with performance measurement. Additionally, it detailed researched whether or not accounting profit figure is reliable to assess an enterprise’s performance. Finally, ratio analysis and focusing on cash flow might help the analysis of performance. Hence, based on above discussion it can be concluded that there is no one specific standard measure of the performance of an organization. As a consequence, it seems that different industries and sectors might choose various methods or indicators to assess their performance. However, due to it considers not only the internal aspect but also the external perspective, CORE framework tends to be the better approach to apply than employi ng accounting figures solely. References Elliott, B. Elliott, J. (2008) financial accounting and reporting 12th edition, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Epstein, M. J. McFarlan, F. W. (2011) ‘Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Boards: Critical Differences’ Strategic Finance, 92(9), pp. 28-35 Moon, P. and Bates, K. (1993) ‘Core analysis in strategic performance appraisal’ Management Accounting Research, 4, pp. 139-152 Pierce-Brown, R. (2002) ‘Another nightmare on Wall Street’, Asian Chemical News, September, pp. 30-34. Rickwood, C.P., Coates, J.B. and Stacey, R.J. (1990) ‘Stapylton: strategic management accounting to gain competitive advantage’ Management Accounting Research. 1 (1): 37–49 Shank, J.K. Govindarajan, V. (1992) ‘Strategic cost management: the value chain perspective’ Journal of Management Accounting Research. Fall, pp. 179–197 Simmonds, K. (1986) ‘the accounting assessment of competitive position’ European Journal of Marketing, 20 (1): 16-31 Solomon, J. (2007) Corporate Governance and Accountability 2nd Edition. Portland: John Wiley and Sons. Weston J.F. Brigham E.F (1991) cited in Sharma akhileshwar ‘profitability analysis of Drugs and pharmaceutical companies in India’ A thesis submitted for the degree of PH.D, in the faculty of commerce, saurashtra university Rajkot

The Internal Analysis about Toll Group of Asia Essay

The Internal Analysis about Toll Group of Asia - Essay Example This study will also focus on the strength, weakness and the threats to the Toll Asia. Toll group was established in 1888 by A F Toll in Newcastle, Australia. IN 1986 the business was sold to a management led by current Managing Director Paul Little and former chairman Peter Rowsthorn and it succeeded to be listed on ASX in 1993. The company ranks 25 on Australian Stock Exchange, it has AU$ 9 billion worth of market capitalization and its annual revenue is more than AU $ 8 billion. The company has 30,000 employees in a network of 670 sites in all over Australia and in Asian region. It has the key Australian ports, railway, warehousing, road fleets and the air capacity in transport and infrastructure facilities and it has diverse customer base to catering by the best management of supply chain Toll Asia produces the renowned brands of the world; Colgate, Palmolive, Samsung, Philips, Johnson &Johnson and Yamaha. It also operates in oil and gas supply base SOPS in Singapore as well as satellite bases in Thailand and Azerbaijan to support companies busy in onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration and production. The logistic sector of Toll Asia is very important for Singapore it serves two purposes one is of industry and the other is of enabler. Logistic sector as an industry has the share of 8% in the GDP o f the company and it employees 100,000 workers. As an enable the company provides logistics outside Singapore to avoid the cost factors. Singapore offers excellent business connectivity through the strong network of business partners and investors, Toll is caters some 3,000 local and international logistics companies from the countries like US, and countries from Europe, and Asia. It brings multiplicity and classiness to their logistics capabilities, and it makes Singapore the number to attract companies from all over the world for the one-stop supply chain solutions centre for Asia. Gati (from India), PWC Logistics (from Kuwait), Cosco Logistics (from China) and CJ Global Logistics (from Korea) are taking great interest in logistic services. The Toll is the best in storage and off shoring platform getting 70% share. Moreover, it is the largest oil and gas tolls manufacture to help to soar the profit to $ 4billion in 2005. The world class infrastructure, skilled man power has helped many countries to use Singapore as the command and control centre. Strength: The integrated strategy of logistics with the smart technology to connect the services and a permanent interfacing with the consumers is the point which distinguishes Toll from others in the market place. It also provides defense logistic services. Mr. Lim Siong Guen the chairperson, Singapore Economic Development board said, "Toll's partnership with Singapore enhances our specialized logistic capabilities for the oil and gas industry. This speaks volumes of Toll's confidence in Singapore as one-stop logistics and supply chain gateway to Asia."(1) He also expressed his intention to enhance the net work of services by expanding intra Asia logistics. As Toll is operating in