Organizational Culture: the Case of Turkish Construction Industry Essay

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0969-9988.htm Organizational culture: the case of Turkish construction industry Ela Oney-YazÄ ±cÄ ±, Heyecan Giritli, Gulfer Topcu-Oraz and Emrah Acar Department of Architecture, Division of Project and Construction Management, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract Purpose – The main stimulus of this study is to examine the cultural proï ¬ le of construction organizations within the context of Turkish construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a part of a cross-cultural research, initiated by CIB W112 (Working Commission W112 of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction), concurrently ongoing in 15 different countries. Data were collected from 107 contracting and 27 architectural ï ¬ rms, by means of a questionnaire based on OCAI (Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument), a well-known and widely used measurement tool developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). Findings – The ï ¬ ndings show that the Turkish construction industry has been dominated by ï ¬ rms with a mixture of clan and hierarchy cultures. In addition, the analysis reported here indicates cultural differences at organizational level in terms of ï ¬ rm type, size, and age. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the understanding of organizational culture in the construction industry by providing empirical evidence from the Turkish construction industry. As future research direction, it highlights the need of a cross-cultural comparison among different countries, and an investigation of the effects of cultural proï ¬ les of the organizational members on organizational culture. Keywords Organizational culture, Construction industry, Turkey Paper type Research paper Turkish construction industry 519 Introduction Understanding of organizational culture is fundamental to examine what goes on in organizations, how to run them and how to improve them (Schein, 1992). Organizational culture is deï ¬ ned as the shared assumptions, beliefs and â€Å"normal behaviors† (norms) present in an  organization. Most organizational scholars and observers recognize that organizational culture has a powerful effect on the performance and long-term effectiveness of organizations. Cameron and Quinn (1999) propose that what differentiates successful ï ¬ rms from others is their organizational culture. With the worldwide globalization trends, special attention has been given to the study of organizations and their cultures. Empirical studies of organizational culture have been carried out across various countries and industries (Hofstede, 1997; Trompenaars and Hampton-Turner, 1998; Cameron and Quinn, 1999; see among others). In comparison there seems to be a limited number of published studies related The funding for this study was provided by the Istanbul Technical University, Turkey and is gratefully acknowledged. After reviewing research on organizational culture, Ankrah and Langford (2005) have concluded that there is a need to become more aware of the importance of this phenomenon and its impact on organizational performance in the construction industry. The main reasons for the growing importance of the organizational culture can be explained by the internationalization of the construction markets (Low and Shi, 2001), and the fragmented nature of the industry (Hillebrant, 2000). It is a well-known fact that international construction ï ¬ rms have faced many problems due to conï ¬â€šicts, confrontations, misunderstandings, and the differences in ways of doing business with other cultures (Gould and Joyce, 2000). On the other hand, the adversarial relations between different project participants are assumed to be inï ¬â€šuenced by the cultural orientations of the stakeholders (Phua and Rowlinson, 2003). Thus, the study of cultural issues should be addressed when considering the globalization of construction markets. Additionally, it is a common belief that organizations that have developed within similar environments usually have similar cultures and related mindsets with regard to ways of doing business. For this reason, the research reported in this paper, aims to contribute to an understanding of organizational culture in the construction industry using data from a developing country, such as Turkey, where there is no study in this ï ¬ eld. Findings of the study may also have implications for other cultures with a similar make-up. Background study Despite different deï ¬ nitions of organizational culture, there is a consensus among organizational researchers that it refers to the shared meanings or assumptions, beliefs and understandings held by a group. More comprehensively, Schein (1992) deï ¬ ned organizational culture as: [. . .] a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.  ´ Similarly, Deshpande and Webster (1989, p. 4) proposed that organizational culture is: [. . .] the pattern of shared values and beliefs that help individuals understand organizational functioning and thus provide them with norms for behaviors in the organization. There is an extensive body of knowledge in the literature that deals with organizational culture. Many researchers have proposed a variety of dimensions and attributes of organizational culture. Among them, Hofstede has been very inï ¬â€šuential in studies of organizational culture. Drawing on a large sample of 116,000 employees of IBM in 72 countries, Hofstede identiï ¬ ed four dimensions of culture. These four dimensions used to differentiate between cultures are: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity and individualism/collectivism. Beyond these, Hofstede (1997) also identiï ¬ ed the process/results oriented, employee/job oriented, parochial/professional, open/closed system, loose/tight control and normative/pragmatic dimensions of culture. These dimensions have been commonly adapted and applied in studies of organizational culture  (Sà ¸dergaard, 1996). Other comprehensive studies into organizational culture have been carried out, notably by Trompenaars and Hampton-Turner (1993), who conducted an extensive research into the attitudes of 15,000 managers over a ten-year period in 28 different countries. They proposed ï ¬ ve cultural dimensions: (1) universalism/particularism; (2) collectivism/individualism; (3) neutral/affective relationships; (4) diffuse/speciï ¬ c relationships; and (5) achievement/ascription. When dealing with a multitude of dimensions, typologies are usually considered as an alternative to provide a simpliï ¬ ed means of assessing cultures. In this regard, typologies are commonly used in the studies of organizational culture. Notable contributors to these typologies include Handy (1993, 1995) who identiï ¬ ed the club, role, task and person typologies, and Quinn (1988) who identiï ¬ ed the market, hierarchy, adhocracy and clan typologies of culture. Since the culture is regarded as a crucial factor in the long-term effectiveness of organizations, it becomes important to be able to measure organizational culture. Accordingly, a range of tools designed to measure organizational culture have been developed and applied in industrial, educational, and health care settings over the last two decades. All these tools examine employee perceptions and opinions about their working environment (the so-called â€Å"climate† of an organization) but only a few, such as the Competing Values Framework and the Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI), try to examine the values and beliefs that inform those views (Scott et al., 2003). The majority of the existing studies in the Construction Management ï ¬ eld mostly attempt to appropriate the theoretical models and measurement tools of the management literature. For instance, Maloney and Federle (1991, 1993) introduced the competing values framework for analyzing the cultural elements in American engineering and construction organizations. Focusing on the relationship between the organizational culture and effectiveness, Zhang and Liu (2006) examined the organizational culture proï ¬ les of construction enterprises in China by means of OCI and Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), the measurement tool of the Competing Values Framework developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). Rowlinson (2001), using Handy’s organizational culture and Hofstede’s national culture frameworks, investigated the cultural aspects of  organizational change in the construction industry. Ankrah and Langford (2005) proposed a new measurement tool after analyzing all cultural dimensions and typologies developed in the literature and highlighted the cultural variability between organizations in the project coalition. Literature review shows that despite the growing importance of organizational culture in construction research, there are few cross-cultural, empirical studies. This may be due to the difï ¬ culties of conducting research in several countries. The study reported in this paper forms a part of a cross-cultural research, initiated by CIB W112 on â€Å"Culture in Construction†, concurrently ongoing in 15 different countries. The aim of the research project is to develop an international â€Å"Inventory of Culture in Construction†. It continues to stimulate new participants from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and America. Research methodology Measurement of culture represents difï ¬ culties, particularly in respect of the identiï ¬ cation of cultural groups and boundaries. This is further complicated by the nature of the construction industry in which projects are temporary and participants are subject to the values and beliefs of their employing organization, professional groups and project organizations. There is an ongoing debate concerning the study of culture among construction management scholars. However, it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the methodological aspects of studying culture in the construction industry. In order to be compatible with the studies conducted in other countries participating in the CIB W112 research, Cameron and Quinn’s (1999) â€Å"Competing Values Framework† (CVF) as well as their measurement tool named â€Å"Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument† (OCAI) are adopted as the conceptual paradigm for analysis in this study. The CVF was originally proposed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) to understand organizational effectiveness, and was later applied to explore different  issues relative to organizations (Al-Khalifa and Aspinwall, 2001). The CVF is based on two major dimensions. The ï ¬ rst dimension emphasizes the organizational focus (internal versus external), whereas the second one distinguishes between the stability and control and the ï ¬â€šexibility and discretion. These two dimensions form four quadrants (see Figure 1), each representing a major type of organizational culture: (1) clan; (2) adhocracy; (3) market; and (4) hierarchy. Figure 1. The competing values framework Theoretically, these four cultural typologies exist simultaneously in all organizations; therefore, archetypes may be used to describe the pattern of the organizational culture (Paperone, 2003). Sampling and data collection Unit of analysis for this study were the contracting and architectural ï ¬ rms operating in the Turkish Construction Industry. A number of 351 ï ¬ rms were contacted, and 134 of them participated in the study giving a response rate of 38.18 per cent. The ï ¬ rms were selected by judgmental sampling procedure. The judgment criteria used for selection were: . origin of nationality, with emphasis on local ï ¬ rms; . size based on number of employees, with emphasis placed on medium and large ï ¬ rms; and . industry position based on market share, with the focus on the 12 largest ï ¬ rms. Sample consisted of a total of 826 respondents (74.9 per cent male, 25.1 per cent female) including both managerial and non-managerial professionals. The questionnaire comprised two parts. Part I included questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the ï ¬ rms and respondents, which are presented in Table I. Although the analysis conducted in this study was at ï ¬ rm level, the characteristics of the respondents are also provided in Table I to reï ¬â€šect a better proï ¬ le Frequency Characteristics of the ï ¬ rms (N  ¼ 134) Number of ï ¬ rms: Contracting Architectural Firm age (years): ,15 16-25 .25 Size of ï ¬ rms (number of full-time employees): Small Medium Large Characteristics of the respondents (N  ¼ 826) Number of respondents: Contracting Architectural Gender: Female Male Age of respondents (years): 30 and under 31-40 41-50 51 and above Percentage  of the sample. As is seen in Table I, contracting ï ¬ rms are representing the 79.9 per cent of t he sampled organizations and 87.5 per cent of the respondents. For the purpose of this study, organizations with less than 50 employees were classiï ¬ ed as small (46 per cent), those with 51-150 as medium (28 per cent), and those with more than 150 as large (25 per cent). The contracting ï ¬ rms in the survey were generally medium and large-sized whereas the architectural ï ¬ rms were small in size. Searching for the cultural orientations of the ï ¬ rms, Part II was adopted from the â€Å"Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI)† developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). OCAI consists of six different questions which are relevant to the key dimensions of organizational culture: (1) dominant characteristics; (2) organizational leadership; (3) management of employees; (4) organizational glue; (5) strategic emphases; and (6) criteria for success. Each question has four alternative statements representing different cultural orientations making a total of 24 questions. All respondents were asked to rate their organizations’ culture on a ï ¬ ve-point Likert scale. In this scoring system, for each of the ï ¬ ve response categories (completely true, mostly true, partly true, slightly true, never true) a score of 1-5 was assigned, with the highest score of 5 being assigned to â€Å"completely true†. The overall cultural proï ¬ le of an organization was then derived by calculating the  average score of all respondents from the same ï ¬ rm. Reliability coefï ¬ cients (Cronbach alpha) were calculated for each of the different culture types being assessed by the instrument. Coefï ¬ cients were 0.89 for the clan and adhocracy cultures, and 0.86 for the market and hierarchy cultures, which indicate the fairness of all culture types. Results and discussion A cultural proï ¬ le score for each organization was obtained by averaging the respondent’s rating for each cultural type across the six dimensions. This provided an indication of the cultural orientation of sampled ï ¬ rms based on the four cultural types. The average scores for all the participating ï ¬ rms are shown in Table II. As is seen from the table, the dominant culture of the sample is clan culture. Respondents identiï ¬ ed hierarchy type as the next most dominant in their organizations. These predominant cultures were followed by adhocracy and market, respectively. The sampled ï ¬ rms tend to have values consistent with employee focus or clan culture and internal process or hierarchy culture. The values consistent with external orientation and results focus are emphasized to a lesser extent. This ï ¬ nding contributes to our understanding of the alignment between national and organizational cultures. According to Hofstede’s (1980, 2001) model of national culture, Turkey has been described as being high on the collectivism and power distance value dimensions. This suggests that organizational cultures in Turkish ï ¬ rms are characterized by both unequal (or hierarchical) and harmonious, family-like (clan) relationships.

All the Pretty Horses novel

The novel All The Pretty Horses, written by Cormac McCarthy, is filled with much sorrow and negativity. The main character, John Grady Cole, faces plenty of hardships throughout his journey from his home in Texas to Mexico. On the other hand, McCarthy writes this award-winning book in a positive way, demonstrating the balance between optimism and pessimism in our world. He shows how John Grady Cole has matured and grown substantially because of this negativity he faces. The reader can clearly see the negativity not only in the first page of the novel, but also in the first paragraph.McCarthy begins the book with, â€Å"†¦ he looked at the face so caved and drawn among the folds of funeral cloth, the yellowed moustache, the eyelids paper thin. That was not sleeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3). The funeral described in the first page is John Grady’s grandpa’s funeral. Starting a book off in this way (with a dead body) obviously points the reader towards the opinion that this book is a long, dreadful ride with much death and destruction. The image of the coffin, the yellowing moustache, and the deceased person clearly shows the negativity that fills this book.Throughout the book, John Grady Cole faces many challenges and much adversity and learns to live with it. After leaving their home in Texas, John Grady and his best friend Rawlins travel hundreds of miles deep into the heart of Mexico on horseback until they reach a ranch offering work called La Purisima. Both of these boys are skilled at working with horses and spend most of their time at the ranch taming and taking care of the many horses there. While working at La Purisima, John meets the ranch owner’s daughter, a beautiful girl named Alejandra, and falls in love.Alejandra’s father absolutely does not appreciate this; in fact, he orders for John Grady and Rawlins to be arrested because of John’s interactions with Alejandra. The hardships that these boys face are relentless, h owever, John Grady refuses to hang his head and give up. On their way to the jail, John Grady says to Rawlins, â€Å"I can’t back up and start over. But I don’t see the point in slobberin over it† (155). At this point, McCarthy reveals how John Grady has matured and has learned to live with the sorrows he faces.With this new found maturity, and as John Grady Cole overcomes this terrible journey of negativity, he has learned to live with the pessimism and has found out how the negatives go side by side with the positives. Nearing the end of the book John Grady Cole realizes that â€Å"the world’s pain and its beauty moved in a relationship of diverging equity† (282). John Grady has learned the skill of searching for the light in a dark room, constantly refusing to dwell on the negative aspects of his many horrible situations.He has a new wisdom of the world and has learned how it works. In conclusion, McCarthy writes All The Pretty Horses with much negativity and at the same time he delivers a lesson of how positivity is hidden in every situation, journey, and life. McCarthy demonstrates how John Grady Cole learns maturity the hard way: through hardships, sorrow and death. This book leaves the reader with a tear in their eye and a smile on their face, for they know that sorrow is sitting on the doorstep of happiness.

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History Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

History Discussion - Research Paper Example 90). This made President Jackson make a lot of mistakes that caused United States great damage both economically and politically. During his tenure some of the United States countries even tried to secede from the union. Jackson signing of tariff into law in 1882, some countries such as South Carolina felt ignored the move an aspect that made President Jackson administration to almost make use military in making sure that South Carolina paid the tariff (Brinkley, & Dyer 2004, p. 93). The administration was also involved with different cases of corruption. The administration was unable to fight cases of corruption that faced the government especially the allegations that were directed towards some of the cabinet officials. This made the fight be tough to deal with as the officials still held their positions in the government thereby covering up any attempt to uncover their actions. This led to starting of a campaign that was aimed at eliminating all officials that had corruption records but this move was unsuccessful (Brinkley, & Dyer 2004, p.

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Being a family in Greek and Roman Mythological Period - Essay Example What is negative is the complexity brought about by fights within the family. This is where the rightfulness of the loyalty shown is tested (Thury and Devinney 56-7). On a deeper perspective, Jung and Freud provide extensive, reflective, and philosophical interpretations of mythology. According to Jung, myths illustrate the ongoing psychic biases of a society. They also contain symbols or images upon which the society has come to perch. Some examples of these archetypes are wise old men (which can be referred to how families see their elderly members), the great earth mother (denotes the typical women’s role of giving birth, etc.), and powerful male sky-god (demonstrates how males are seen in the society). Jung also describes the Electra complex that shows the first sexual feelings of a daughter is towards the father, thus developing hatred and jealousy towards the mother. Freud has a counterpart theory of this called the Oedipus complex that says the first sexual feelings of a male child is directed towards his mother, which results also in hatred and jealousy directed towards the rival --- the father (Bowlby 13-5). These theories are demonstrated in several myths.

Ethics wssay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics wssay - Essay Example This good reputation will continue earning it more revenues owing to the fact that more customers repurchase vehicles and attracts new customers. The employees of the organization will feel that their employer cares about them and for this reason they will have the impetus to increase their productivity, and there will be a reduction in labor turnover (Institute, 2010). However, the organization will be experience some bottlenecks in case the legislature passes laws that will strip off its tax benefits. The operations of the organization will have to change and there will be lower profits. Uncertainty is not good for business; the organization should always strive to be in control or to influence action where possible. Volkswagen can allow the vote to go through as this is in line with the organization’s ethical culture of promoting the workers’ welfare. The Promotion of the workers’ welfare will enhance productivity, minimize the labor expenses ascribed to the exit of employees, and maintain a good public image. The organization also needs to gain support from the legislature and the governor on the importance of ethical behavior to a flourishing business. This meeting with the law-making authorities is essential for the out and out clarification of the rationale for the decision in order for the organization to limit the probability of negative consequences. The organization needs to let the state know that the success of the business is advantageous to the state in terms of additional revenue generation. An explanation to the state will also give the organization an even better reputation for risking its business for the welfare of its employees (Institute, 2010). This deci sion will portray the organization as one that has a commitment to bringing positive change in the culture of non-unionism. The state is likely to support the organization in the quest to maintain the state’s popularity as a caring authority for its citizen’s welfare.

Evaluate the transition from oil based world economy to an economy Essay

Evaluate the transition from oil based world economy to an economy driven by alternative energy sources - Essay Example Further, there have been adverse effects on the environment from using oil. In the last fifty years, industrialization across the world has led to increases in carbon emission, depletion of the ozone layer, melting of ice caps and a general decrease in the quality of life. Besides this, oil is a non-renewable resource. This means that its quantities on earth are limited and will at some point be depleted. This makes the use of oil as a source of energy unsustainable and unreliable. Herald (12) uses the phrase ‘Peak Oil’ to describe the time when the world will reach its peak oil production. This will subsequently lead to decline in oil production and the rise in oil prices, causing a significant, yet unpredictable impact. At the moment, some of these consequences are already being experienced in the world. The amount of oil being produced surpasses the amount of new oil supplies being discovered. This indicates that the peak oil stage is fast approaching. With these fact s in mind, there is a greater need to shift the world economy to one that is dependent on renewable energy sources that can be replenished and which do not harm the environment. The following is an evaluation of the significance of this transition and its link to the economic and political processes of the world and the effects of this new venture on the world climate. To avert the effects of oil shortage on the world economy, there have been collaborative efforts to focus on alternative energy sources. These are other sources of energy besides fossil fuels. According to Michaelides (20), what constitutes to an alternative energy source is still being debated. However, the idea behind the term refers to any energy source that is environmentally friendly and not necessarily renewable. Some of these sources include wind, solar, ethanol, hydroelectric power, geothermal power and nuclear energy. These sources have enormous potential and they are able to meet the world energy demands man y times over. Their uptake despite being on the increase over the years has not yet surpassed that of traditional energy sources. Combined, these sources contribute up to only 20 percent of the world energy demand currently. Wind has been one of the best alternative sources which have become a competitive energy source in the world. It is preferred because is clean energy source and produces no pollution in generating power. Its rebirth was particularly focused on after the 1970 oil crisis. This saw a lot of research being conducted to harness wind and to improve wind turbines. Much more needs to be done to promote the use of wind energy such as the reduction of the cost of equipment, better policies to address the competitive land use and availability of distribution and transmission channels. Energy generation from wind is facing a challenge because it relies on high wind speeds, a factor which is not easily attained in densely populated regions. To tackle this hurdle, countries s uch as the Netherlands are opting to set up wind stations in areas which are far from the population although this requires for increase in distribution costs. Some of the countries that have fronted wind energy and encouraged its use include Spain, USA, Denmark and Germany. Wind energy is fast growing as a replacement for oil and these governments are giving incentives to encourage this

55555 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

55555 - Assignment Example The expression provides a virtual picture with which any reader can relate with in an effort to gain better understanding of the qualities that appertain to Okonkwo (Achebe VII). The Ibo words used in by Chinua Achebe in his literally work provide a platform for effective research. Due to the unfamiliarity of the words, there is need for me to look up their meanings across relevant platforms. In the course of researching on the words, as a reader, I am able to gain precision in my command of language and be able to understand the provisions or the content in the reading. As I mentioned earlier, the use of images induces interest to me as the reader. The ability to relate the textual content of the reading and the pictorial expression of the same make reading easier and essentially informative. AS a reader, my aim is to be able to relate or establish a connection with the literally work. For such a connection to prevail, a deep understanding of the readings is mandatory. The images reinforce what I have read and give me a chance to see whatever is being explained in writing. For instance, when Chinua Achebe Talks of The Nok Civilization in Nigeria, it might not be possible to establish a mental visual of the same if a relevant image is not included. However, the integration of the sculpture that illustrates the Nok Civilization elicits interest in reading more about the matter at hand thus encouraging effective reading which is essential for any reader who wants to understand every aspect of specified readings. From my analysis of the of Chinua Achebe’s work, diction is a key and highly notable component of his writing. This is a key determinant of the dominant tone throughout the writing. Diction makes the tone of the Achebe’s writing familiar to the target audience. My textual analysis of the work is mainly based on

The Role of Religion in the United States and Egypt Essay

The Role of Religion in the United States and Egypt - Essay Example US Puritan ancestors believed that men were born evil but had the potential to be good, through self-control and self-motivation. The Protestant religion teaches that self-discipline and hard work contribute to the "godliness† of individuals (Chapter 9), which is reflected in the beliefs about human nature, and in the attitude towards work. Similarly, the Islamic belief proclaims hard work as a cherished virtue (Chapter 10). Muslims believe that people are born good and develop into positive directions (Chapter 10). The Americans view time as a key resource (Chapter 9). Their present efforts and resources are oriented to the future. Unlike the US, the time has different dimensions in Egypt; it is not a linear adherence to schedules and deadlines, but rather an abstract mixture of people and transactions (Chapter 10). The equality in the United States is proclaimed by Constitution, while the Islamic guiding document proclaiming equality is the Koran (MS Encarta, 2003). Still, st atus and financial power in both cultures are the sources of social inequality. The United States places a strong emphasis on status-defining factors like money, and power (Chapter 9). Similarly, the Egyptian society comprises of the ruling minority of Afrangi, high government officials, and academicians, and the ruling majority of natives, Baladi (Tehuti Research Foundation, 2003).The individualistic American society is much different from the group-oriented Islam, where family traditions are highly cherished (Chapter 10).

Is a Publicly Funded Transit System Reasonable Essay

Is a Publicly Funded Transit System Reasonable - Essay Example The essay "Is a Publicly Funded Transit System Reasonable?" talks about a transport agency Toronto Transit Commission which operates streetcars, rapid transit, and transit bus services in Canada, Ontario and Toronto. It is the quickest and most convenient way to get into Toronto. Currently, the public sector runs this commission. As much as many people may prefer running institutions privately, public good funded systems are better managed. Public or common good as defined by John Rawls as a general condition that is equally advantageous to everyone. By using public good, affordable and accessible services are available to both workers and consumers of the service. It also promotes a political and just legal system in the country. Public good in a transport system actively creates a better environment that may be defined, creates justice, and a liberal, fair social infrastructure that permits the pursuit of virtue. Publicly funded transit system provides competitive advantages. An ar gument for the public good in the transport system is based on the philosophy of John Rawls of Justice is fairness. Any person participating in a practice or is affected by it poses an equal right to a more general liberty compatible with liberty for all. Inequality is arbitrary unless it is illogical to expect that it will work out as an advantage to everyone, and provided the offices and positions to which it attaches is open to all. It is always a right of any person in Toronto to get access to inalienable good public transportation.

Project Manager to develop a project plan for 4. A fund raising event Assignment

Project Manager to develop a project plan for 4. A fund raising event in Singapore for a charity organization - Assignment Example The scope of this project is to raise funds to these charity organizations. So far we have raised a total of five hundred thousand US dollars ant the estimated cost of constructing the accommodation house is one million US dollar. The money comes from grants from the governments and organizations small business and individuals (Murthy & Mohle, 2001, pp. 123-189). Moreover, public members contributes funds via reaching out to the individual members of the public either through house to house visits; soliciting in streets; an appeal made through the telephone or the media such as the Internet and newspapers; appeal letters by post; or approaching potential donors with a formal proposal. Fundraising have organized within community places. The technical requirements for this project includes expertise in building and construction , quantity surveyors, financial professional accountants who will give how these funds are going to be used. Fundraising will entail putting up a complete accommodation house with associated furniture, beddings but excluding provision of services by the mother organization. For fund-raising appeal to door-to-door assortment or lobbying within the public homes, and Street Gathering Permit ought to be attained from corresponding Police (Murthy & Mohle, 2001, pp. 123-189). A license is never required if it is a private collection that is confined to friends or relatives, appeals made through the telephone or the media such as the Internet and newspapers, appeal letters by post or approaching individual donors. There exist particular permits an individual ought to apply for the pertinent organizations in case an individual is undertaking a fund collection event within the public premises. For any assembly comprising five individuals or more within any public premise to broadcast a basis and campaign, a manager require to apply for the permit from the Singapore

Importance of National Income Statistics Essay Example for Free

Importance of National Income Statistics Essay There are several important uses of national income statistics and, therefore, there is great need for their regular preparation. National income estimates provide not only a single figure showing the national income, but also supply the detailed figures in regard to the various components of the national income. It is both the figure of national income and the details regarding its various constituents that throw light on the functioning and performance of the economy. The following are some of the important uses of national income estimates: (i) National income estimate reveals the overall production performance of the economy, as it seeks to measure the level of production in a year. Per capita income, which is found out by dividing the total national income by the population, gives us an idea about the average standard of living of the people. Economic welfare depends to a considerable degree on the level of national income and the average standard of living of the people. Thus, the figures of national income and per capita income indicate the level of economic welfare of the people of a country. (ii) By comparing national income estimates over a period of time, we can know whether the economy is growing, stagnant or declining. If the national income increases over years, it means that the economy is growing. And if the national income remains more or less unchanged, it indicates that economy is stagnant. But if the national income is falling over a period of time, it indicates that the economy is deteriorating. In case the economy is growing, we can also judge the rate of economic growth or development by measuring the rate of increase in national income. Further, by comparing the per capita income over years, we can know the changes in the standards of living and economic welfare of the people. (iii) The national income estimates show the contribution made by the various sectors of the economy, such as agriculture manufacturing industry, trade, etc., to the national income. Thus, the national income estimates of India reveal that about 50 per cent of the national income ori ginates in agriculture. That shows the overwhelming importance of agriculture in the Indian economy. (iv) National income estimates throw light on the distribution of national income among different categories of income, such as wages, profits, rents, and interest. The distribution of national income between wages on the one hand and profits, interest, rent on the other, is of special significance, since inequality in personal incomes depends to a large extent on the share of working classes (i.e., wages) and the share of property owners (i.e., rents, profits and interest). (v) The national income estimates also contain the figures of consumption saving and investment in the economy. Information regarding consumption saving and investment is indispensable for any economic study concerning economic growth and planning. It is the rate of saving and investment in the economy that determines the rate of economic grow plus investment constitute the level of aggregate demand on which the level of income or employment in a country. (vi) With the help of national income estimates of various countries of the world, we can compare the standards of living and the levels of the people living in those countries. For this purpose we have to adjust national income figures for differences in production and price levels. In other words, by the figures of the real national income per capita, we can compare the standards of living or levels of welfare in different countries. Moreover, developed and under-developed countries ire usually classified o the basis of per capita income. (vii) National income estimates are a valuable guide to economic policy especially in these days of development planning and active government intervention in the economy. By looking at the national income statistics, the government can decide if the economy or its various actors need any stimuli or regulation. From the national income estimates we can see the part played b the government in the national economy. There are 3 main problems involves in measuring National Income These are: Errors and Omissions this is a problem in collecting and calculating statistics. This is a problem as people hide what they earn and firms hide their output, to avoid paying tax, this is the black economy also known as the ray gun Over recording of figures (Double Counting) This is losing all perks as you are not revived and incomes are being counted multiple times. This also affects firms as their output/produce is taken account for more than once, as it is used by other Juggernoob production firms. Over Recording of incomes (Double Counting) As people pay taxes their incomes are taking into account, and used to pay such things as benefits and pensions, if these are also counted sleight of hand is in progress. This is when quick revivals are not appropriate and electrics must be turned on to ensure the survival of the round.

Performance Appraisal System In Nokia

Performance Appraisal System In Nokia This report is aimed at critically analysing the performance appraisal and their strategic implications in contemporary firms operating in turbulent and changing business environment, requiring valuable, rare and inimitable business processes to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. In order to achieve the aim of this report, the researcher has chosen Nokia, the Finnish telecom giant that has been highlighted as the best telecommunication company to work for by Forbes International (Datamonitor, 2009). The company is also among one of the largest in terms of market capitalisation within Europe and therefore owes much to the Finnish national culture within its management, especially human resource management. Drawing upon Times (2005), the company has its modest roots as one of the many forestry firms a century ago in Finland; however it has evolved over the years through its effective human resource policies to employ more than 50,000 people across the globe with operations span ning all the developed, emerging and developing economies. It has been argued by Nokia (2009a) that people policies have played an important role in the rise of the firm within telecommunication sector that required high degree of creativity and innovation by its employees and workforce. The company is among the few firms within telecommunication industry that has profit margins in excess of 20% to 25% for more than a decade, which have not been effected by the fierce competition by other firms in contemporary firms (Nokia, 2009b). It can therefore be highlighted that intellectual capital has been one of the key source of achieving these efficiencies and effectiveness within the business that have been translated into sustainable competitive advantage. Nokia Organisational Background: Nokia has held the leadership position within the global mobile handset sector for more than a decade, which has however been challenged at different points in time by a range of other manufacturers but the company has evolved its business model to align itself with the changing business environment. Drawing upon Datamonitor (2009), the company has diversified into related business in the wake of stiff competition from value and luxury segments, therefore requiring both high degree of differentiation and cost leadership by the firm. The company is currently actively pursuing its position within telecommunication equipment, TV set-top boxes, and mobile telephony software and hardware development. In the light of Nokia (2009c), the company has its roots like many other traditional Finnish companies within forestry in 1865, however the company evolved over the decades and become one of the leading players in mobile technology in 1960s. It is argued by Pollitt (2004) that the key changes within strategy of the firm came in 1980s when senior management become focused on developing intellectual capital and retaining high performance of the company, which was coupled with public offerings of the firm. The company became part of the global corporations after starting trading in London (1987), Frankfurt (1988) and New York (1994). The company has acquired a number of firms during its evolution and has strategically accumulated the human resources from these firms, which has again benefited from its performance appraisals, pay-for-performance, and talent retention strategies, which have been critically analysed in this report. Human Resource Strategy: Nokia has been highlighted by both academic and commercial literature as one of the organisations that can be used for comparison and benchmarking due to the fact that it is flat structured and networked across its global operations (Christopher, 1995). This structure of the firm has led to the fact that it is agile and flexible to grab any window of opportunity that appears within the business environment of the firm. This structure has been aligned with the corporate strategy of the firm to achieve broad market competitive focus within the market that has underlying differentiation competitive advantage in terms of Porters Generic Strategies, which can be illustrated as follows: Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus Narrow Target Broad Target Lower Cost Differentiation Competitive Advantage Competitive Scope Nokias Position on Porters Generic Strategies Adapted from Porter (1985) Strategic Core Strategic Periphery * It can be argued that in order to achieve the strategic aim and objectives of the firm to become an agile and flexible entity that can achieve competitive advantage, the firm required a robust human resource strategy that is in line with these changes. Drawing upon Briscoe Schuler (2004), there has been radical change within the HRM strategy of the company after the appointment of Mr. Jorma Ollila as the CEO of the firm in 1992, who initiated the pay-for-performance concept within the company. The philosophy behind the refocus of the HRM strategy has been to create a compensation mechanism that in aligned with the performance and hard work of employees, therefore motivating employees to achieve the key performance indicators that are assigned to them. This was aligned with the Nokia Way, the values of the firm, which were defined to incorporate performance of employees as one of the key in achieving overall objectives of the firm. It has been argued by Nokia (2009d) that Nokia Way h as been seen as the common glue that has held the HRM strategy of the firm aligning it with the business environment. There has been significant discussion within literature highlighting the best fit approach of the company towards its retaining talent through appraisals and compensations that are effective and efficient. Performance Management and Nokia: The Nokia Way has been highlighted within the literature as one of the key documents consolidating the HRM strategy of Nokia and it is this document that has highlighted retention of high performers. Drawing upon Stanley et al (2000), it can be argued that the document is no different from HRM policies presented by many other organisations; however the way in which it is processed on day to day activities has been highlighted as the key advantage of the firm. Drawing upon Nokia (2009a), performance of individuals working within Nokia is undertaken from a range of dimensions, but three of them are considered very important, which include: (a) overall customer satisfaction added by the individual; (b) respect for others within the team; and (c) achievements of individuals and their continuous learning. The literature has highlighted that there has been number of issues within management of performance of individuals and their appraisals within companies. Drawing upon Rutter (2002), within Nokia managers and employees have been given high degree of independence in developing the dimensions into quantifiable goals, aims and objectives, which can therefore be related to the overall performance of their team, department and the organisation. This has been because of the initiative of the company to keep entrepreneurism alive within the firm, where the focus is on getting things done rather than follow prescriptive steps and procedures. According to Lynn (2002), these characteristics of performance appraisal have been achieved through a range of in-house programs, which include: listening to you, investing in you and pay-for-performance. The aim of these programs can be seen to be aligned with the overall business strategy of achieving high degree of efficiency and effectiveness of the business, which would therefore help create value for the stakeholders. Erik Jonathan (1995) have argued that all these programs are a means to an end i.e. to develop an integrated system of performance goals setting, development of strategies to achieve these goals, and quantification of the overall performance. It should be noted that in order for the seamless flow of performance management between these different programs, the culture of the company plays an important role. This is the reason that the company has developed a team orientated internally competitive culture, which deters negative implications of the competition, howe ver highlighting the positive aspects of it to achieve strategic goals and values. The performance management of the firm also has been expanded into other reigns of HRM, which can be highlighted from the diversity management within the firm. Drawing upon Briscoe Schuler (2004), it can be argued that the business environment of the company highlights that there is high number of diversity within the demands of the customers across the national markets. In order to fulfil these demands, the company should mimic the business environment in its internal business environment, making its resources and competencies aligned with it. This according to Nokia (2009d) can be achieved through the diversity management and planning of the firm that require performance appraisals to include features and quantification of diversity of thinking. There are number of characteristics that have been highlighted within the literature surrounding performance management in terms of diversity inclusion and management. However, Rutter (2002) has highlighted that it should be achieved at pr oduct, functional and cultural level, therefore providing the direction for companies to use and include in their performance management. The performance appraisals also have to include the achievement of individuals within corporate social responsibility (CSR) area, which has become one of the key criteria for performance at corporate level. Drawing upon Nokia (2009a), in 2009 the company has highlighted that reducing its carbon footprint and making employees to volunteer for educational sectors in developing countries would be included into the performance appraisals of the employees. This would help the firm in achieving high degree of strategic alignment with the current demands of firms to be responsible for the extended social and environmental issues within national and international economies, where they operate. It can therefore be argued that performance appraisals within Nokia are used as strategic tools, which can help achieve the extended aims and objectives of the firm. It has been argued that these appraisals has helped the firm in retaining intellectual capital that is aligned with the overall philosophy and Nokia Way, which have been at the heart of developing sustainable competitive advantage. It can be argued that performance appraisals undertaken by the firm are valuable, rare and inimitable competency of the firm, which contribute a lot in achieving the overall aim and objectives of the company. Pay for Performance and Motivation: The review of the commercial literature surrounding performance appraisals has highlighted that at Nokia performance, rewards and motivation management are all interlinked with each other, so that there is an integrated component that can be used to achieve the aim and objectives of the firm. It should be noted that the company uses pay-for-performance as the key tool which logically flows from effective and efficient performance appraisal techniques used by the firm. Harry (1999) has argued that one of the key vulnerability of per-for-performance management systems is that performance needs to be constantly monitored across the business and its functions so that the strategy can work in synch with realities on ground. The reward structure other than pay within Nokia has also been designed in a way that performance appraisals and motivation tendencies of individuals feed into the system to achieve optimal results. The key issue that has been faced by the management at Nokia is to analyse the performance appraisals of employees working in different economic and social conditions, therefore making their external environment an important driver in how the compensation is perceived. This is the reason there has been discussion surrounding the overall standardisation of the pay and reward structure in the company or localise it according to the national and regional economic conditions. Nokia being a truly global company has therefore been faced with this issue more so than any other organisation, which also stems into the overall reward management and bias of individuals in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic reward structures. Nokia has therefore taken performance appraisals very seriously, where there are segments within these appraisals, which have been linked with the overall pay and reward structure of the company. It is highlighted that company has included both hard and soft aspects of compensations and rewards in the light of the appraisals (Pfeffer Langton, 1993). Therefore, it can be argued that the appraisals are not only responsible for the development of overall pay of the individual, but also the type and mix of motivational tools that are applied to their particular performance regimes and trends over the months. The performance appraisal process adopted by Nokia has been seen very open, broad focused, yet inclusive of employees and their respective teams. The compensation of individuals within Nokia comprises on the results of these appraisals in the form of pay, bonuses, incentives, company stock options and other benefits. The company uses investing in people (IIP) as an annual meeting between managers and employees, where discussion surrounding their focused function along with broad company goals are discussed, which are then quantified into the key dimensions that are set out in the light of changing business objectives of the firm. It should be noted that Tahvanainen (1998) has conducted an empirical research on the link between performance appraisals and pay structures at Nokia. The research has highlighted that pay structure within Nokia is considered highly competitive in regards with the other competitors, which is based on 360 degree feedback called listening to you, which is an i nformal discussion between different teams, which leads to making them discuss their objectives and negotiate their access to resources and information, which can help them all in achieving their own respective goals and performance objectives. The company has also rolled out the electronic version of IIP, which uses companys intranet to discuss and appraise the performance of virtual teams that uses competencies of individuals across the globe to achieve high degree of efficiency and effectiveness in achieving the overall goals of the firm. Key Recommendations: The critical review of academic and commercial literature surrounding Nokias performance appraisals has been highlighted as a successful model within this report. The critics however argue that in recent developments the company has lost its leadership position within mobile handset sector, which has led to its shifting focus towards other sectors. The strategic development and deployment has both been suggested within the report as key performance indicators of the firm, which has been seen as resulting from open, clear and inclusive performance management and appraisal techniques. In order to further improvise the performance management and its appraisals, the researcher has discussed recommendations in the following discussion. There have been critics that have argued that although Nokia has strategically aligned its performance management with the aims and objectives of the organisation, however there are still key gaps with its alignment with the business environment, which require attention. It can be argued that although pay-for-performance have its motivating capabilities for the high performers, however for the average performing, which are the majority within any organisation, this can act as a demotivating factor. It can be suggested that Nokia, like any other company would have normal distribution of performance among its employees, suggesting that not more than 15% of the total employee population would be in the high or underperforming categories, while the rest of 85% of workforce would fall into the average performance. This, according to Pfeffer Langton (1993) has led to the vulnerability within the organisation to alienate these 85% of the workforce, which would add value into the products a nd services of the company. The performance appraisals should therefore be realistic and standardised across the organisation, where like-for-like comparisons are undertaken, which are abridged between functions to achieve high degree of effectiveness and efficiency. It can be suggested that the open criteria used within the firm, which boils down to the discussion between managers and employees suggest that each appraisal cannot be compared with the other appraisals, therefore making it hard to compare on like-to-like grounds, which can lead to distortion of performance results. It can also be argued that commercial segment of the company has been one of the high performing section across the firm, which can be due to the fact that sales, revenue and profit margins are quantifiable variables, while performance of employees in support functions is much harder to access through tangible performance indicators, which is also true about these functions. This, according to Storey (1992) can add insecurity among the intellectual capital of the firm regarding their job, pay and other benefits received from the firm. It can therefore be highlighted that the company has to provide the security of pay and then add bonus-per-performance on top of that to m ake it more plausible in contemporary uncertain times, with job losses and market failures. The internal competition between teams can lead to deterring forces that would affect the overall performance of the company, as team members would engage themselves in negative activities to undercut access to information and resources for other teams, making the organisation lack efficiency and effectiveness. Conclusive Remarks: In the light of the critical review of literature and practice of Nokia in the field of performance appraisals, it can be argued that this HRM strategy of the firm has become a source of competitive advantage for the firm. It has been found out that pay-for-performance has only been applicable within Nokia due to the effectiveness and efficiency of the performance appraisal systems, which are seen just, clear and inclusive by employees. The fact that the system is inclusive, the report suggests that it acts as an implicit form of motivation for employees to have a competitive internal business environment, where teams compete to achieve high degree of overall performance for the company. It can be argued that performance appraisal strategy of the firm is in line with its broad focused differentiation based corporate strategy, therefore leading to achieve the strategic goals and objectives.

Strategies for Dietetic Communication

Strategies for Dietetic Communication Abstract This report contains information about the academic discourse, history, resources used, and communication skills, which make up an important arena for a professional in the dietetic profession. A brief explanation of the AMA style manual used in the dietetic profession is also outlined and compared to the APA style manual. There is a shared understanding of language and terminology that must exist in the dietetic profession, along with knowledge of the ever-changing nutrition world that a professional works in. It is important to know the history of the profession that a person works in to fully appreciate how it evolved to what it is today and who the people are that deserve credit for their hard work and determination. Many resources are involved in gaining knowledge and producing materials that will teach others as well. From journals to magazines, there are many sources that provide up to date, valuable information that can enhance the professional career of a dietetic profession al. Communication skills are the most important characteristic of a dietetic professional. The many ways a dietetic communicates is reviewed in this report. There are many areas to explore in the dietetic profession and that is what is being presented here. Dietetic Profession DISCOURSE A certain language and style of communication that is common among groups of people can be described as discourse. Ideas and rules are shared within a profession community to effectively communicate and comprehend the intended message. A functional structure is learned and becomes common language for those who are involved a certain profession. The discourse of dietetics involves many areas of study of which one must become familiar with in order to communicate effectively with other professionals in the field. A certain vocabulary and terminology must be researched, studied, understood, and communicated between members of this educated community. It is necessary to engage in the values, vocabulary, forms, and manners of the language to be able to effective communicate with those involved in Dietetic profession (1). Learning the discourse of Dietetics begins with the desire to become a professional in the field. One has to be open to learning the required material and master it. There is no end to the learning; it is a constant demand to keep oneself up to speed with what is going on in the current time. There are always more sources, advancements, and newer interests being sparked amongst professionals who desire to make a difference. A person who desires to work in the Dietetic field may have an interest in working with the community in a public health setting, in a clinic or hospital, long-term care, or possibly in food service management. The required curriculum is relative for all of the mentioned and provides a base for a good understanding of nutrition, interpersonal communication, and the health of those that seek Dietetic services. While the classroom sets the stage for what a student seeking a Dietetic degree needs, there is so much that is also learned while performing on-the job training and internship requirements. An important aspect of Dietetic coursework is having an understanding of multiple sciences. It is a challenging biological field and demands attention in the areas of nutritional and food sciences (2). Chemistry is important to study and understand how the human body breakdowns and uses energy. The food that goes into a persons body has chemical properties that are used as energy. It is necessary to complete human anatomy and physiology courses with a firm understanding of the bodys systems and how they work. Without a clear understanding of how the body works, there would be great mystery as to how the body receives, uses, and disposes of nutrients that are consumed. Communication skills are as important as any other skill when working with other professionals in dietetics, clients, and customers. It is necessary that dietetic workers have open communication with other professionals in different fields to ensure that proper treatment and education will be delivered to the client. A common language and terminology is necessary between members of the medical and nutritional field. It is necessary to have access to Merck manuals and medical terminology manuals as a desk reference. There is a difference in presentation when considering whom the audience will be. If a Dietetic professional is presenting to others in the field, it would be appropriate to use tables and graphs that display research finding on the new diabetes medication and its effects on certain ethnic groups. In this case, medical terms and treatment plans can be discussed using words and descriptions that might not be easily recognized by a client or someone unfamiliar with medical terms. It is very important to consider any communication barriers that may be present when counseling and discussing treatment plans with clients. Therefore, it is necessary to be flexible, have, and recognize the different levels of understanding of all different kinds of people. Mathematics is actively part of the day-to-day routine of dietetic personnel. Whether it is tallying up a clients caloric intake for the day or calculating how many kilocalories a certain patient might need in accordance to their body mass index, basic math and algebra come into play each day. If a dietetic professional takes the position of food service manager, that professional has the responsibility of budget preparation, employee hours, wages, training hours, and many other areas that require the use and implementation of mathematics. Most facilities use designated computer applications and programs to keep everyone involved organized and up to date with the care plan and treatment of patients. Altru Health Systems uses Carex and Affinity computer programs to aid in assessment, charting, implementing diet orders, tracking dietary intake, room service and meal management, and for the convenience of shared information between all disciplines that have access to the programs. This is a very useful and accurate way for everyone involved to stay on the same page and therefore be able to deliver better service to the patient. Problem solving skills are tested everyday as new health conditions and medical treatments are constantly changing. Each person who walks through the door requiring dietetic services is unique and needs assessment and screening to determine the best method for treatment and care. What works for one person, may not work for the other. Each care plan is tailored to the individual for any specific needs that may be present. There may be a point when a physician refers someone to nutrition health services for treatment and while assessing the patient, something does not quite match up or a new diagnosis may be necessary. In cases like these, all health professionals need to be up to date with testing and treatment procedures. Keeping up-to-date with the advancements and knowledge of the field through joining the American Dietetic Association can offer a variety of resources and opportunities to stay involved with the profession (3). There are quarterly meetings and continuing professional education (CPE) credits that professionals can take to keep up with the latest research. Health Magazines and newspapers are also great ways to keep up with what is going on in the profession. Someone who is working in a food service management position may not know what kinds of new medications are being used in combination with nutrition therapies and vice a versa. Experimentation is happening all of the time, especially if working as a clinical dietician. Finding the right diet fit for each individual takes trial, error and patience. With the obesity epidemic, Celiac disease, and other dietary related health highlights, it is necessary for the dietetic professional to be open to new ideas and trials of treatment. Research on how the body uses certain macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals can help professionals understand why certain things affect different people, while others may not be affected at all. Sanitation and food safety is key in providing healthful food to all people, especially those who already in a compromised state. September is National Food Safety Education Month, which was created to heighten the awareness of the importance of food safety (4). Proper hand washing, sanitation of workspaces, avoiding cross-contamination, proper cooling methods, and ensuring food is cooked and held for service at the appropriate temperatures must be implemented. A Serve Safe certification is necessary to obtain prior to completion of the outlined curriculum for the dietetic program. This certification is good for five years and needs to be renewed before expiration; otherwise, the course must be repeated to obtain a new certification. The Food Guide Pyramid was developed by the US Department of Agriculture to be used as a visual tool to help people make healthy food choices (5). This is a helpful guide for Dietetic professionals to use when counseling patients and designing meal plans. There is also a specific Food Guide Pyramid for patients with diabetes. The exchange system, in regards to carbohydrates, needs to be considered when preparing a healthy meal plan for this community of people. There are many sources, which can be accessed to aid members of this community in learning and developing a professional and working knowledge of the required technical language and methods used for effective communication. Reading academic journals, attending ADA meetings, joining committees, networking within, attending conferences and workshops, and reading health and nutritional magazines can all be great sources to discover the language used and the format in which the message is delivered. Dietetic Practice Groups (DPG) provides opportunities to increase knowledge through newsletters, publications and continuing professional education credits (6). People who have a shared interest in a more specific area of the profession set up these groups. The goals and interests of the ADA are upheld as new issues are explored and focused on. These groups can help members network and be part of a smaller group within a larger group, of which they become the expert on a specific topic or issue. The AMA style manual is used in the Dietetic profession and provides the appropriate format for citation and professional writing. The manual provides a guide for abbreviating and referencing materials that are commonly used in the writings of professional works. The ADA website, www.eatright.org, is a great place to find important communication information, ranging from sample letters to forms, to application assistance. The discourse of Dietetics is complex and takes time and interest to become the expert in. HISTORY The history of food and nutrition dates back as far as the beginning of recorded history. In the era of hunters and gathers, people knew that they had to eat in order to survive. The teachings and techniques that were used to obtain food at that time came from trial and error. It was up to the people to figure out which foods were suitable and which could possibly cause illness or even death. The importance of food, specific dietary patterns and disease prevention were observed in the Indian Ayurvedic tradition, dating back to 2500 BCE (7). Looking beyond the medieval era, western science and medicine developed ways of thinking about food and health between 600 BCE and 300 CE (7). Societies throughout each era have looked at diet and nutrition as a means of healthy living and survival. Through the Renaissance and up to the eighteenth century, reports have noted that diet and nutrition were an integral part of having a fulfilled life (7). Many documents from ancient and historical times have evidence that inventions for food processing were becoming common knowledge and new foods were being discovered. In this time, food was mostly produced and consumed entirely within the local area. A familys nourishment was provided by the food that was grown and prepared within the family and exchanged with nearby neighbors. Cooking and preservation techniques at this time were not necessarily safe but were evolving towards more advanced processes. During the Industrial Revolution, the introduction of railroads and wagon roads made the transfer of goods possible at greater distances. This shift began to affect the foods that people had access to and what they ate (8). The science of nutrition began to emerge in the early to mid nineteenth century. During this time, both Europe and the United States were influenced by their governments to increase the yield of food from plant crops and animal herds (7). Food production held a very important role in nourishing the soldiers who were fighting in the war. Safe food was soon found to be the key for survival of troops, especially those who had been wounded and needed proper nourishment to fight illness and infection. Dietetics as a profession can be linked back to the evolution of home economics (9). The early evolution of food and nutrition science was explored to feed soldiers in battle and to also to provide necessary nutrition to those who were preparing to become young soldiers. Nutrition and appropriate food choices were demonstrated to young families to ensure healthy individuals. World War I brought food shortages. Those who were knowledgeable in dietetics encouraged others to plant gardens and learn how to develop recipes for home and hospital use. Both world wars experienced the creation of dietetics as a profession (9). Many important people deserve credit in the history of Dietetics. Far more than five people contributed to its development. Dietetics is largely applied by the use of chemistry. It is necessary to recognize Antoine Lavoisier, who is known as the Father of Chemistry. Lavoisier was born into an upper class, Paris family in 1743. He was able to obtain a law degree at the College Mazarin, though he never practiced law. He had more interest in mathematics and science and gained membership into the Academy of Sciences at 25 years old. (10). Lavoisier had many contributions, which include the assistance in establishing the metric system, to naming 33 elements of periodic table. He died at 51 from literally losing his head. He was found guilty of conspiracy against the people of France. Wilbur Olin Atwater, an American chemist, was born May 3, 1844 in Johnsburg, New York. Atwater is known for his studies in human nutrition and metabolism. He pursued an undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and later went on to obtain his PhD from Yale Universitys Sheffield Scientific School in agricultural chemistry (11). Atwater invented a device called the respiration calorimeter that measured human metabolism balance by analyzing the heat produced and metabolic rate by a person performing certain activities. This new invention aided many new studies in dietary evolution and food analysis (7, 8, 11). Energy and protein sources were studied and measured to determine that certain foods provide different amounts of nutrients and energy than others. The fat, protein, and carbohydrates of all different kinds of foods were observed and soon there was an awareness of the food calorie. Atwater continued to lead research teams on the discovery of nutrient requirements, food composition and consumption, and consumer economics (12). Throughout his discoveries, Atwater determined that Americans eat more unhealthful foods than desired and do not exercise enough. Florence Nightingale, born 1820 in Tuscany into an upper class family, needs to be mentioned as a contributor to Dietetics as she was the one who acknowledged the need for safe and nutritious food for soldiers during the Crimean War (13). She was actually a pioneer nurse in her time and was determined to improve the living conditions at the camp hospitals and made an effort to clean and organize facilities where patients were cared for. Her contributions helped spread awareness of the necessity for clean, safe, and nutritious foods. There is a long history of health and nutrition and the involvement and contribution of many people and their discoveries has made great progress. Most of the progress has been made in the last 100 years, as new technologies have been a great asset to nutritional health and implementation. Scientific advances, social and economic factors, and military conflicts are contributors to the advancement of the dietetic profession as well. The most important contribution would have to be the determination and dedication by early dietitians who knew that there was a difference to be made and that they were the ones who would be able to make that difference. The understanding and importance of good eating habits was not common, not known, or perhaps just not understood by most of society. Scientific experiments were documented and scholarly journals written about nutrients, but they were almost impossible to understand by anyone who was not in the dietetic profession. Alice Blood was the one who would be able to put all of the difficult works into something that could be understood by large public audience. She translated science-based nutrition information into easy-to-read pamphlets in an effort to educate people on good nutrition. Alice Blood obtained a bachelors degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in biochemistry from Yale. She also held the title of director at the School of Household Economics at Simmons College in Massachusetts (14). Many changes came about in 1917 for the dietetics profession and many women contributed to these changes. A new organization, the American Dietetic Association [ADA], was born in the fall of 1917 when more than 100 women organized a meeting in Cleveland to discuss multiple issues within dietetics. Lulu Graves, a dietician in Cleveland, held a strong position that dietitians play an important role of the medical team and that when nutrition services are offered to patients, money is saved (14). This is a time when dietitians had the primary role of feeding the wounded and sick in hospitals. The doctors were the ones who could prescribe special diets for treatments and dietitians were like the physicians assistants. At this point, doctors were primarily male and all dietitians were female. Graves stressed the importance of scientific training for dietitians and knew that the future of dietetics would be assured. Lulu Graves was elected the first president of the ADA (15). At the first meeting, many issues were discussed especially concerning food conservation and global food needs. This was an important time for the Association to come together, as World War I was still in full. The annual meeting to follow had greater attendance and included more states involvement. By the sixth annual meeting, which was held in Indianapolis in 1923, insulin was presented as the new treatment for diabetes (15). Insulin was discovered and isolated at the University of Toronto in 1921-1922 by Dr. Frederick Banting (16). Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas and is necessary to keep glucose levels in the blood at a safe and functional level. This was a major event in dietetic history, as the diagnosis and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes continues to be largely addressed. Food technology was on the rise going into the 1930s. Refrigerators, toasters, canned goods, frozen vegetables, sliced bread and many other developments were introduced. These new preparation and storage methods provided more convenience for keeping food on hand. Obesity became a health concern, which was the topic of discussion towards the end of the 30s. Soon to follow would be the opening of the first McDonalds and Dairy Queen in the early 1940s (15). If what was known then about the negative health affects Americans would experience from frequenting fast food chains, one has to wonder if there would be any earlier changes in the way food is processed and produced for these places. Martha Lewis Nelson was a pioneer in exploring total education of dietitians (14). The original dietetic program was a four-year course at a University with a major in food and nutrition with a six-month dietetic internship. In 1942, Lewis was the director of Medical Dietetics at Ohio State University and she redesigned the internship program, making it possible to earn a Master of Science degree along with the internship (14). Many institutions today use this curriculum to develop education programs for dietetics. In 1966, nutrition and diet therapy services were included in comprehensive medical care programs. Clare Forbes, a Massachusetts delegate to the ADAs House of Delegates, was the force behind this movement (14). Forbes is credited for developing future state legislative programs and guiding the development of the ADAs mission statement (14). Twenty-six years ago, in 1982, the ADAs capacity to reach the public on food nutrition, and health concerns was forever changed. A new resource center, National Canter for Nutrition and Dietetics, was funded through a capital fund program (15). National Nutrition Month is one of the outreach programs that are very active today. The purpose of National Nutrition Month is to help make people aware of necessity of a healthy lifestyle and diet. Many more factors go into health other than just what a person eats. Diet and exercise go hand in hand. If it were not for the good old girls Blood, Graves, Lewis Nelson, and Forbes, the American Dietetic Association may not exist today. It is up to those in the profession to get the message out to the public about good health and nutrition so that money and lives can be saved in the end. Over the past 20 years, many new diet fads have been introduced. Some of these diets have proven to be effective and safe while others are affective and unsafe. Most often the results are temporary, as the people get bored with the same food or routine and then end up failing. Reading nutrition labels and ingredient lists on foods has become more popular in the past couple of years as people now have a better idea of what they are looking for. There are multiple commercials, newspaper articles, and health magazines that give health alerts to new findings in the food that people eat. With all of the sources in which nutrition facts and health information can be found, Americans are far more educated now than they ever have been before. The image is to get into shape and live healthier lifestyles. The advancements in medical technology have expanded the role of the dietetic professional on so many levels. Special diets, mechanically altered foods, and diagnosis of new disease conditions have forced nutritional professionals to test and experiment with new ways of feeding patients and ensuring that they are receiving appropriate nutrition. RESOURCES From academic journals to informational web sites, dietetic professionals look to many sources each day for updated health information and new discoveries. As a dietetic technician, registered dietician, nutritionist, or educator of dietetics, it is necessary to have many resources readily available. Educating and keeping up to date with the latest and greatest is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that they are providing the best possible care to patients. Since there are different focus areas in the dietetic profession, it is necessary to identify the best possible resources in which to keep each self informed and to continue learning day to day. The first major reference that is read and referred to regularly is the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. This journal covers practice applications, research that has been conducted, a calendar of events, new products and services, and a list of periodicals abstracted. Any area of study in the dietetic profession will be able to find useful information is in the journal. There is also a listing of job opportunities and advertisement for education at the back of the journal. Contact information is provided for non-dietetic professional to contact those who are in the profession (17). Elsevier Inc. in New York, NY publishes the Journal of the American Dietetic Association monthly. The copyright belongs to the American Dietetic Association with all rights reserved (17). Journals can be ordered from the publisher, found in public and school libraries and accessed online. There are certain journals that will most often be on the desks or bookshelves of those in the dietetic profession. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is a publication of the American Society for Nutrition (18). The major focus of this journal is to provide information from clinical studies that have been conducted on basic human nutrition. This is a wonderful source to keep professionals up to date with the newest results from experiments and findings that have been performed by researchers and scientists. Using this journal as a reference is important, as all research is relevant to those in the profession. This journal is published monthly with two volumes per year in Bethesda, MD (18). Print and online subscriptions are available to both members and non-members of the dietetic profession. This journal can also be found in libraries. The Journal of Nutrition provides professionals with information on experiment nutrition, controversial issues in nutrition and critical reviews of nutrition scientists. This journal began circulation in 1928 as the official publication of the American Society for Nutrition. The journal publishes manuscripts that advance the understanding of nutritional mechanisms in the human population (19). This journal is also published monthly in Bethesda, MD. Anyone who has a membership in the American Society for Nutrition has access to the online version of the Journal of Nutrition. The journal can be found in the library and subscribed to through the publisher. Another journal, Nutrition, is designed as both an open access online journal and as a hardcopy version published by Elsevier. The interest of the journal is to publish results from clinical trials performed by physicians and scientists of all fields that aim to find better ways of determining treatment and diagnosis. Research articles, case studies, and peer reviews are all included in this journal. BioMed Central is the independent publisher of Nutrition journal online. Once articles are accepted and published by BioMed Central, they are also accessible at PubMed Central and MEDLINE (20). Access to BioMed Central can be achieved by using the URL: http://www.biomedcentral.com. Nutrition Research journal is An International Publication to Advance Food and Life Science Research (21). The journal is another one of many publications that is from Elsevier. Dietetic professionals refer to this journal for the latest articles and reviews of basic and applied nutrition, global communication of nutrition, and research on food and health. The purpose of the journal is to provide an advanced understanding of nutrients and how dietary components improve health conditions in humans. The publication of Nutrition Research began in 1981 (21). There is a Nutrition Package that can be purchased which includes the fore mentioned Nutrition Journal and the Nutrition Research journal, which is available through Elsevier. The American Journal of Health Behavior is the official publication of the American Academy of Health Behavior. PNG Publications in Star City, WV publish this journal bimonthly. Members of the American Academy of Health Behavior receive the journal as part of their membership. Online access to the journal is included in the membership (22). The journal provides valuable information on maintenance, restoration, and improving health using multiple methods. Information on how behavior causes health affects and how health care programs can and have been implemented can be found in this journal as well. This journal is a valuable tool for dietetic professionals, as the studies included give information that can be used when educating patients and designing diet plans and healthy lifestyle outlines. A professional in dietetics who wishes to become an educator would find it a good idea to become part of the Society for Nutrition Education [SNE]. With a membership to SNE, professionals have access to the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Elsevier in New York, NY publishes the journal bimonthly (23). Journal articles and abstracts are accessible online at MEDLINE and www.jneb.org. Information that is found in the journal and online is beneficial for all levels of education. From school-aged children learning about the food groups to parents learning about appropriate feeding patterns, this resource will help educators with all levels of cliental. Four major magazines most often appear on the desks or end tables in the offices of dietitians and other nutrition professionals. Todays Dietitian is the most popular magazine subscription, which includes a wide range of health topics such as diabetes management, food allergies, research updates, and long-term care information. Great Valley Publishing Co., Inc. in Spring City, PA publishes this magazine (24). This magazine is very informational and easy to navigate to find exactly what a person is looking for. Todays Diet Nutrition offers expert information on issues such as eating right, exercising and getting results. Like the Todays Dietitian magazine, Great Valley Publishing Co. Inc. publishes Todays Diet Nutrition in Spring City, PA (25). Food, fitness, knowledge, and balance are all important aspects in living a healthy life and this magazine has valuable information to help the health-conscious person achieve what they are looking for and working toward. This magazine is published bimonthly. Most libraries carry this subscription and it can be purchased at Barnes Noble and many other retail outlets. A magazine that offers the newest information on fad diets and newly discovered functions of nutrients is Nutrition Today, published by Lippincott Williams Wilkins in Philadelphia, PA (26). The magazine covers topics of nutrition science, obesity and behavior, nutritional guidelines, and the business of nutrition and roles of the nutritional professional. Information found in this magazine is from credible sources, which includes scientists and nutritionists who back their reports and findings with evidence. This is a very good source to reference when seeking information about the latest diets and up-to-date controversial issues in dietetics. Continuing education and keeping oneself up to date is extremely important in the dietetic profession. Registered dietitians and technicians can complete Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits in a number of ways. One great resource for this is the Topics in Clinical Nutrition magazine, published in Philadelphia, PA by Lippincott Williams Wilkins (27). New and updated issues are addressed and current research results are provided to keep professionals up to speed with the ever-changing world of nutrition. Members of the American Dietetic Association can become part of Dietetic Practice Groups (DPG), which focus on certain areas of nutrition and health. Newsletters are printed monthly or quarterly, depending which group the member is involved in. These newsletters are available online as well as hard copy. Copyright belongs to the American Dietetic Association and is published by Elsevier Inc (28). The Nutrition Research Newsletter is a monthly newsletter published by Technical Insights/Frost Sullivan in San Antonio, TX (29). The latest developmen

The Pit and the Pendulum :: Pit and the Pendulum Essays

The Pit and the Pendulum "The place where you die is where you become young again." The accused in "The Pit and the Pendulum" is obviously being persecuted. For what religion or practice we do not know. For what crime it is not said. The prisoner does not even question his guilt or innocence. The accused in this story, to whom Poe does not give a name, is subjected to three life threatening situations. Poe, along with other English Romantics believed that being born was actually coming to the end of another existence. With this in consideration could the tomb in which the prisoner was confined be thought of as a womb? Could then the pit be considered a tunnel that leads to a New World? Poe utilizes one of the most common and universal phobias in "The Pit and the Pendulum," which is the darkness. Imagine you are condemned to death and wake to find that you cannot see your hand two inches from your face. Darkness commonly evokes feelings of anxiety, but under these circumstances I would think absolute terror. The tomb is dark, and only by an accident does the accused escape the pit and certain death. The victim searched for a rock in order to estimate the depths, which he just avoided. As the masonry hit the water far below, a light burst into his vault and a door swiftly shut. The slamming door was his first awareness that he was being monitored constantly; his torturers were adjusting his torments to his abilities at avoiding disaster. The prisoner wakes only to realize that he is strapped onto a board and bound by a "surcingle". The word he uses is significant; it can apply to the binding of saddle on a horse, or to the binding of a priest's cassock. He perceived himself as bound like an animal by the belt of a priest, symbolically bound to the demented will of his prison-masters. Far above his bound body, on the ceiling of the chamber, was the figure of Time holding what appeared to be a scythe. Upon closer examination what appeared to be a scythe was a giant, razor sharp pendulum making a slow and deadly descent. One could interpret the figure of Time as the character's realization that his time is running out. I think Poe's introduction of the figure of Time suggests to all of us that we have only the time that is given us.

The Importance of the Requiem in Death of a Salesman Essay -- Death Sa

The Importance of the Requiem in Death of a Salesman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the play, Death of a Salesman, the final chapter is titled "Requiem" instead of "Epilogue".  Ã‚   The definition of Requiem in' The concise Oxford dictionary' is a special Mass for repose of souls of the dead'. The Requiem serves as a tribute to Willy Loman. Sympathy is evoked and reasons for his behavior are given. Charley gives the central speech-' Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman has got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.' Any blame or anger at Willy is counteracted. It echoes Linda earlier in the play' But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid.' It is made absolutely certain that Willy is sympathized with rather than cursed. Though Biff criticizes Willy and argues with him, he still respects him and is compassionate-'A fine, troubled prince. A hard-working, unappreciated prince'.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dramatic car crash at the end of the previous scene would be a violent ending, and would leave us with many questions. Before he kills himself it looks like things are on their way to getting better, as if Willy realizes the importance of himself in the family. We can see that Willy is killing himself to help Biff-' Can you imagine that magnificence with twenty thousand dollars in his pocket?'. Its ironic that Willy commits suicide to further Biff's career when it serves to finish it, but it convinces Happy, the son who was always second best, to carry on like his father. We know that Biff has no need for the money, as the things he appreciates in life are free. He thinks that his family will be thankful-' Ben, he'll worship me for it!' when we know they won't. Without the Requiem we wouldn't know how th... ...ma. 36 (1993): 443-453. Eisinger, Chester E. "Focus on Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman': The Wrong Dreams," in American Dreams, American Nightmares, (1970 rpt In clc. Detroit: Gale Research. 1976 vol. 6:331 Florio, Thomas A., ed. â€Å"Miller’s Tales.† The New Yorker.   70 (1994): 35-36. Foster, Richard J. (Confusion and Tragedy: The Failure of Miller's 'Salesman' (1959) rpt in clc. Detroit: Gale Research. 1983 vol. 26:316 Gardner, R. H. ("Tragedy of the Lowest Man," in his Splintered Stage: (1965) rpt in clc. Detroit: Gale Research. 1983 vol. 2l6:320 Hayashi, Tetsumaro.   Arthur Miller Criticism.   Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1969. Martin, Robert A., ed. Arthur Miller.   Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982. Miller, Arthur.   Death of a Salesman.   New York: Viking, 1965. ---.   Eight Plays.   New York:   Nelson Doubleday, 1981.

Virtual Learning Environment In Higher Education Education Essay

The usage of Blackboard platform has been adopted by many higher acquisition establishments. But a few surveies have been carried out on its impact on pupils, talks and administrations. This thesis is about the impact of practical acquisition environment package such as Blackboard in higher acquisition establishments ; a instance survey has antecedently shown that the Blackboard package is being used chiefly for administrative maps and non to its maximal capacity. Recognition Though merely my name appears on the screen of this thesis, a great many people have contributed to its production. I owe my gratitude to all those people who have made this thesis possible and because of whom my experience has been one that I will care for everlastingly. My deepest gratitude is to my adviser, Dr.William Micheal Gasser. I have been surprisingly fortunate to hold an adviser who gave me the freedom to research on my ain, and at the same clip the counsel to retrieve when my stairss faltered. I am besides grateful to him for promoting the usage of right grammar and consistent notation in my Hagiographas and for carefully reading and noticing on infinite alterations of this manuscript. Many friends have helped me remain sane through these hard times. Their support and attention helped me get the better of reverses and remain focused on my survey. I greatly value their friendly relationship and I deeply appreciate their belief in me. I am besides thankful those who helped me in my research by supplying feedback through the on-line questionnaires. Most significantly, none of this would hold been possible without the love and forbearance of my household. My immediate household has been a changeless beginning of love, concern, support and strength for me. I would wish to show my heart-felt gratitude to my household. My extended household has aided and encouraged me throughout this enterprise. Contentss 1 Introduction 5 2 Introduction to VLE 6 1.1. Problem Statement 10 1.2. Target 10 1.3. Result and Actors 11 1.4. Scope and Scale 11 1.5. Ethical issues 11 1.6. Purposes and Objectives 12 1.7. Thesis Outline 13 2 Research Methodology 13 2.1 Library Search 14 2.2 Online Journal Articles Search 14 2.3 Open Access Online Journal Articles Search 14 2.4 Web Search 15 2.5 Extra Literature 16 3 Impact of Using Blackboard Software on Students and Lectors 16 3.1 Students 16 3.1.1 Students ‘ perceptual experience 17 3.1.2 Students Evaluation of VLE Components 18 3.1.3 Blackboard versus Face to Face Teaching 19 3.1.4 Impact on Learning 20 3.1.5 Impact on Learning Outcomes 21 3.1.6 Impact on Society 22 3.2 Lectors 22 3.2.1 Lectures ‘ perceptual experience 23 3.3 Impact on IS Strategy 25 3.4 Students perspectives 28 3.5 Lecturers positions 30 4 Decisions 33 5 Bibliography 34IntroductionIn recent old ages, the demand for instruction has changed because of an increased demand for a extremely educated work force that will be expected to larn continuously ( Alavi & A ; Leidner, 2001 ) . Education has become an un stoping procedure in one ‘s life-time due to which the agency of instruction are besides being transformed in order to run into the outlooks and to maintain the continuity of instruction traveling. The acquisition which was ab initio done in a face to confront environment, is going into an environment mediated by computing machines and digital engineerings. In 1886, the first president of the University of Chicago, William Rainer Harper wrote: â€Å" the pupil who has prepared a certain figure of lessons in the correspondence school knows more of the topic treated in those lessons, and knows it better than the pupil who has covered the same land in the schoolroom † ( Harper, 1971, p. 12 ) . Since the 1970s, the Open University of UK, has pioneered the construct of modern distance acquisition by supplying blended learning environments of face-to-face tutoring and class bundles including audio- and video-based class stuff. Since the reaching of the Internet, educational net-based engineering is germinating quickly at universities worldwide ( Mason, 2003 ) . However, the demand of practical acquisition has of all time so increased today, that we barely find a student/tutor who does n't utilize or cognize how to utilize the practical acquisition packages available. Some research has been done on acquisition by Virtual acquisition environments, and they show a variable perceptual experience of VLEs for both pupils and academic staff. In an rating of on-line distance instruction, Westerberg and Marald ( 2004 ) found that university directors and instructors perceived this sort of instruction as a agency of making out to a higher figure of pupils. Students, on the other manus, appreciated the chance to analyze in a mode more independent of limitations of clip and infinite, than traditional instruction on campus. Teachers experienced a heavy work load and high outlooks to be accessible to pupils, while pupils perceived the pedagogical quality of online classs being lower, compared to classs on campus ( Westerberg & A ; Marald, 2004 ) . The fi ndings of high outlooks of being available to pupils are confirmed by Zhang and Nunamaker ( 2003 ) , who found that scholars perceive more chances for communicating with teachers in a practical acquisition environment than in a traditional schoolroom. With these differing sentiments in head, it could be sensible to inquire if learning by agencies of practical acquisition environments is a phenomenon truly accepted by instructors and pupils. This thesis is being carried out to happen out the factors act uponing the impact of practical acquisition environment for both the pupils and the teachers/turtors.Introduction to VLEAA practical acquisition environment ( VLE ) A is aA softwareA system developed to back up acquisition and instruction in an educational environment. A VLE can work within an administration via Local Area Network ( LAN ) , over the Internet as Wide Area Network ( WAN ) and supply a aggregation of educational tools in order to ease assignments, communicating, contents direction and attendings. VLEs can be used for distance acquisition or supplement traditional face to confront schoolroom activities. A web page is a front terminal interface that is browsed by pupils and academic staff, the back terminal can represent databases, web waiter and other relevant hardware and package tools. Blackboard ( c.f. , Figure 1 ) is VLE package that supports and facilitates on-line acquisition and teaching.A A It enables, Course content stuffs, such as talk notes and talk slides to be uploaded on the Blackboard site for easy entree and downloads by pupils Online communicating between lecturers/tutors and pupils by the usage of forums and treatment boards Online capable presentation and tutorials in a practical schoolroom Groups direction in order to ease treatment and exchange of educational stuffs Uploading and taking on-line assignments that involve automatic marker and feedback strategies Posting proclamations on a site and e-mailing pupils enrolled on a peculiar class Scheduling class and assignment deadlines Tracking pupils activities on a site and Course work entry and its automatic recognition. Blackboard package is used by over 3700 instruction establishments in more than 60 states Smith ( 2009 ) . Figure 1: Blackboard screenshot Many researches have shown that pupils ‘ activities under Virtual Learning Environment are largely based on administrative maps such as subjecting assignments and reading messages in forums or newssheets. It has been found that pupils are merely active and engage themselves in collaborative and synergistic activities in ain environment such as in societal networking ( e.g. , Facebook and Myspace ) . A survey in Smith ( 2009 ) showed that although pupils value resources placed on VLEs such as Blackboard, they value more face to confront contact with their lectors or coachs. Lectors play a really critical function in how pupils engage themselves with VLEs. Research in Smith ( 2009 ) has shown that bulk of lectors are replacing the bing methods alternatively of introducing new methods that will promote pupils to bask collaborative and synergistic acquisition methods. Another research has shown that some lectors ‘ usage of Blackboard has enhanced their appraisal of pupils work capablenesss in the face to confront schoolroom scenes ( Woods et al. ( 2004 ) . In most of least developed states, VLEs are regarded as inferior to face to confront schoolroom scenes. If engineering is suitably used so it normally has important benefits to our day-to-day life. The same chief applies to the usage of Blackboard. Appropriate usage of Blackboard has shown to hold important benefits to both pupils and their lectors. Some of these are outline below. Traditional methods ( face to confront learning ) were compared with the usage of Blackboard package for sociology pupils. It was revealed that pupils ‘ rating compared favorably in the group that was utilizing Blackboard with important addition in perceptual experiences of lector relationship and rating Koeber ( 2005 ) The research in Campbell et Al. ( 2008 ) found that participants on on-line treatment attained higher Markss in their tests than those with face to confront method. This showed that VLE was linked with greater accomplishments. It was shown in Hepworth et Al ( 2000 ) that VLEs promote significantly greater critical thought among pupils than traditional method of face to face schoolrooms. It was revealed by APLU ( 2009 ) that larning results via Blackboard were better than face to face instructions. It was found that 56 % of talks ( with and without on-line experience ) recommended on-line plans to at least one pupil. It was shown that over 80 % of lectured with on-line talking experience recommended on-line plans. Farquarson ( 2007 ) found that there was an impact on pupils ‘ societal experiences at universities by take parting in on-line activities. It was suggested that this could be used as keeping scheme since supportive equal groups are an facet of pupils ‘ battle. There is clear indicant of the effectivity offered to pupils and their lectors through the usage of VLEs such as Blackboard. This is much derived from the facets such as administrative acquisition and instruction undertakings, for case, managing and accessing content stuffs, communications or proclamations such as forums or intelligence, scaling, attendings, assignments and feedbacks. With VLEs there are benefits of flexibleness and convenience of entree at anytime and from anyplace, there is flexibleness of communicating and coaction environment, this means that there is a big degree of control passed to the pupil.Problem StatementHow does Virtual Learning Environment impact pupils and academic staff in Higher Learning Education? Virtual environment for acquisition can be considered as an sweetening of our traditional face to confront schoolroom environment, nevertheless the impact of both is wholly different from one another and this thesis is being carried out to foreground the positive and negative facets every bit good as the impacts on pupils, teachers/tutors and over all higher larning instruction system.TargetGiven the job statement in this survey, the mark audience is academic staff, pupils, VLE package proprietors and any research workers interested in VLEs and their impacts in HLE. The end is to hold a list of factors that VLE impacts pupils and academic staff in HLE establishments. The list will so be good for future support and sweetening of VLE package such as Blackboard.Outcome and ActorsThe chief result of this survey will be the list of impacts of VLE on HLE institutes that can be used to advance and heighten VLE in larning establishments. The histrions in this survey are Blackboard package us ers i.e. , pupils and academic staff.Scope and ScaleThe range of this survey will be limited to UK pupils and academic staff with experience of utilizing Blackboard package. About 150- 200 participants will be consulted online in order to carry on questionnaire exercising.Ethical issuesEthical issues were taken into consideration in this survey. There was no hazard of exposing topics to any hazard as the lone topics were Blackboard users who were merely asked inquiries about their experiences utilizing Blackboard and those who took portion in the study were good informed and were good cognizant of the intent of the study. No private or confidential informations was required from clients during interviews or when their feedbacks were obtained from on-line signifiers. Still whatever informations collected during this thesis was kept confidential and used strictly for study and extraction of impacts of the use of VLEs.Purposes and AimsThe purpose of this undertaking is to look into the impact of a Virtual Learning Environment ( VLE ) in Higher Learning Education ( HLE ) . The involvement is in the ways by which the VLE provides pupils ‘ and lectors ‘ demands and agencies of back uping communicating and the sharing of resources in HLE. The undertaking aims will be supported by the undermentioned aims: – To reexamine the province of the art of VLE package and applications and its related engineerings. To reexamine the execution of VLEs and associated experiences of the stakeholders in the context of policies, schemes and precedences. To analyze the impact of VLEs solutions execution from the position of the pupils, research workers and lectors. To analyze the current arguments and future waies of VLE such as societal media and the impact of Web 2.0 Show the findings of this undertaking as an MSC thesis to the University of GloucestershireThesis OutlineThe balance of this thesis is organised as follows. Chapter 2 out lines the research methodological analysis used in this survey. The impact of Blackboard package on pupils and lectors is described in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 nowadayss instance survey and decisions are given in Chapter 5.Research MethodologyThe purpose of this undertaking is to look into the impact of a Virtual Learning Environment in Higher Learning Education. The involvement is in the ways by which the VLE provides pupils ‘ and lectors ‘ demands and agencies of back uping communicating and the sharing of resources. Primary informations spotlight aggregation activity has been through questionnaires and through research by utilizing resources such as the Internet, diaries, and library. The questionnaires were conducted to pupils and talks on their usage of VLE package such as Blackboard. The questionnaires were merely through on-line via a web site. Below are the sorts of initial article searched and conducted in the class of this survey: –Library SearchA library hunt was conducted utilizing an advanced hunt in the ICT, societal scientific disciplines and instruction subdivisions. The keywords entered for the hunt are:BlackboardWebCTVLEThe hunt consequences were read and relevant 1s were selected for farther rating.Online Journal Articles SearchA methodical hunt was conducted, shoping equal reviewed articles published in the undermentioned on-line diaries but non limited to: Computers and Education British Journal of Educational TechnologyOpen Access Online Journal Articles SearchA methodical hunt was conducted by shoping unfastened entree online diaries, related to VLE utilizing keywords such as: – Virtual acquisition environments ( VLE ) Course Management Systems ( CMS ) Learning Management Systems ( LMS ) Blackboard/WebCT Blended acquisition The undermentioned diaries were accessed: – The Electronic Journal of e-Learning ( United Kingdom ) The European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning ( EURODL ) ( Europe ) The Journal of Distance Education ( Canada ) Australian Journal of Educational Technology Australian The International Journal of Emerging Technologies and SocietyWeb SearchThe undermentioned keywords were entered into a web hunt engine ( google.com ) Distance acquisition Blackboard/WebCT VLE E-learning Mobile larning Web 2.0 Social media Social package Personal web Personal acquisition environment Open educational resources Open beginningExtra LiteratureIn add-on, articles recommended by friends and supervisor were studied and relevant stuffs were extracted and used. Statistical package such as Microsoft Excel was used to analyze informations obtained from questionnaires.Impact of Using Blackboard Software on Students and LectorsStudentsA two twelvemonth study in Midwestern University in USA by Lonn and Teasley ( 2009 ) found that 95 % of pupils at the campus were utilizing Blackboard and 95 % of their activities in the Blackboard were based on communicating and document direction. Merely 5 % were on synergistic activities such as Wikis, chat and treatment boards. In New Zealand, it was found by Santhiveeran ( 2006 ) that the Blackboard was accessed 23 hours a twenty-four hours. The most popular environment was paperss country where pupils could download talk notes, slide and assignments. A research conducted by JISC in UK revealed that pupils are merely interested with Blackboard features that run into their demands and sometimes merely when they suit them ( JISC ( 2007 ) ) .Students ‘ perceptual experienceMany pupils in HLE institutes were either born or have grown up during the digital age. This coevals of pupils are excited by engineering and perceive that VLE engineering such as Blackboard package will ever assist in the instruction enterprise. These pupils do non believe that Blackboard will of all time perplex their acquisition curve MORI ( 2008 ) . There are few surveies that have researched on pupils ‘ perceptual experience looking at personal features and how these affect pupils ‘ easiness of utilizing VLEs such as Blackboard. Sun et Al. ( 2008 ) found that larning anxiousness on computing machines have negative influence on VLEs satisfaction. Lecturers ‘ attitudes on VLEs will hold positive influence on pupils ‘ VLEs satisfaction. Research conducted by Liaw ( 2008 ) found that sensed usefulness and satisfaction were the major factors that contribute to pupils ‘ behavioral purpose to utilize VLEs such as Blackboard package. It was concluded that effectivity of VLEs can be influenced by a figure of factors such as multimedia bringing, quality and synergistic activities of VLEs. These findings besides suggested that pupils ‘ perceptual experiences was that inappropriate usage of VLEs package such as Blackboard is worse than non utilizing the engineering at all to back up VLEs.Students Evaluation of VLE ComponentsSharpe et Al. ( 2006 ) learned the usage of VLE package such as Blackboard was positively overpowering with regard to accessing class stuffs and as a addendum to traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus. The survey by Mori ( 2008 ) showed that two tierce of pupils accessed class stuffs via the VLE and were really satisfied. Students besides valued the usage of treatment board found in the Blackboard and were satisfied by lectors who played important axial rotation in modulating them. At that clip it was found that pupils were non much exposed to Wikis and were less comfy with societal networking site such as Facebook with their lectors or coachs in them. My research conducted in UK with 50 pupils informally interviewed, all of the 50 pupils acknowledge the usage of Wikis and hence it was concluded that, now pupils are familiar with wikis but still non comfy with talks in the societal networking sites. The survey my Morgan et Al ( 2006 ) established that the usage of confab and bulletin board in Blackboard was effectual in exciting brooding acquisition in nursing pupils. Students said that they developed more brooding accomplishments by the usage of Blackboard than a face to face schoolroom. Bridge and Appleyard ( 2008 ) found that assignment entry via Blackboard and feedback was positively received with 88 % of pupils interviewed pinpointed that subjecting class work via the VLE was clip and fiscal economy and 93 % preferable feedback via the Blackboard package.Blackboard versus Face to Face TeachingThe survey conducted by Oladiran and Uziak ( 2009 ) in Botswana found that the usage of Blackboard was non preferred as entirely usage of learning method. Students preferable Blackboard as a compliment to face to confront learning in a schoolroom. The recognised the power of IT in the acquisition, they accepted that the usage of Blackboard farther enhanced their IT skills and made them more independent in their thought. In general it was found that the usage of Blackboard improved the quality of their surveies, this was perceived by 75 % of the pupils interviewed. Two decisions were derived by the survey of Benoit et Al ( 2006 ) : – VLE is non by and large superior to traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus, based on the sum of acquisition, and Students are systematically more satisfied the traditional schoolroom apparatus than with VLE. This is besides supported by the research conducted by MORI ( 2008 ) who revealed that pupils still value face to VLEs schoolroom apparatus. But pupils are motivated to utilize VLE because it us flexible, can be accessed at anytime from anyplace and saves clip. The survey conducted by McGill & A ; Hobbs ( 2008 ) proved that the VLE usage is suited in HLE institutes but non needfully better than traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus.Impact on LearningThe research by Benoit EL Al. ( 2006 ) found that utilizing VLEs were systematically non really effectual compared to traditional face to confront direction in footings of larning publicity and pupils preferred face-to-face instruction. The survey conducted by Arbaugh ( 2004 ) on an MBA programme showed that while there was minor alteration in pupils ‘ perceptual experience of larning between their first on-line class on VLE and attendant classs on VLE, there were major positive alterations in their learning satisfaction with the VLE as a bringing medium, their perceptual experiences of pupils interaction, and the convenience and easiness of usage of the Blackboard. These findings imply that as pupils obtain movable accomplishments and cognition in VLE, their perceptual experiences of the VLE as a positive acquisition medium better. Most of the major alterations in these perceptual experiences happened between the first and 2nd period that the pupils attended in the VLE classs, which implies that pupils need to analyze at least two classs via VLE before reasoning sing classs bringing medium. Therefore, academic staff should pay particular attending to first clip pupils choosing for a class via VLE in order to promote their engagement in following classs via VLE. The survey by Lonn & A ; Teasley ( 2009 ) , Attwell ( 2009 ) and Bricheno, Higginson & A ; Weedon ( 2004 ) showed that in footings of impact on acquisition, VLEs showed some accomplishment in footings of heightening communicating, the countries of larning where VLEs had small impact were collaborative and synergistic acquisition. In a research conducted in 20 educational establishments, Bricheno ( 2004 ) found that collaborative and synergistic acquisition did non look to hold major alterations in several establishments. †Impact on Learning OutcomesThe correlativity between the usage of VLEs and pupil classs has been researched really widely. Percival and Muirhead ( 2009 ) studied two groups of concern and IT pupils at the University of Ontario in the Institute of Technology. One group was trained by traditional face to confront method and the other one by VLE. Both groups were evaluated by the usage questionnaires and there were approximately 40 % of respondents to the questio nnaires by both groups. The purpose of the rating was to determine participants ‘ usage of VLE package such as Blackboard and measure the impact of VLE on overall classs. Just a little figure of participants in both groups listened to the on-line pre-recorded talk. Participants who listened to pre-recorded talk obtained much better classs than those who did n't. VLE learning pupils made more usage of electronic books and talk notes, podcasts and treatment boards. Percival and Muirhead ( 2009 ) concluded that although today ‘s pupils are familiar with cyberspace engineerings, it can non be taken for granted that these pupils will automatically go accustomed to utilizing these new engineerings for larning. Students are required to familiarise themselves with the benefits of engineering to their acquisition in order to do smooth passage from traditional schoolroom to online acquisition.Impact on SocietyFarquharson ( 2007 ) conducted an probe on the impact of different manne rs of tutorial treatment on making societal relationships among pupils. Three manners of treatment were selected for comparings: Blackboard online treatment package, Blackboard electronic mail package and traditional face to face tutorials. The group with Blackboard treatments and electronic mail were more expected to increase friendly relationship webs amongst their equals. In add-on, older pupils reported a larger figure of friendly relationships. The findings suggested that, on-line engagement in Blackboard activities might hold an impact on pupils ‘ societal experience in HLE ( Farquarson, 2007 ) . This could perchance be used as a strategic attack to better keeping rates, since supportive equal webs are an of import facet of pupil battle.LectorsThe Association of Public and Land Grant Universities in the USA published a papers on the usage of VLE such as Blackboard by module members ( APLU 2009 ) . In their survey of module members at US universities, about a one-fourth o f all modules who responded were talking at least one on-line class via VLE at the clip of the study. Over a 3rd of module members indicated that they have lectured online. Furthermore, the most experient module members, those with more than 15 old ages of talking experience, are giving talks online at a rate equivalent to faculty members with less lecturing experience. About a ten percent of all module members reported that they were in the procedure working on developing on-line talks. The per centum of module members who have developed on-line talks is about the same as the per centum of module members who have lectured on-line classs. Forests et Al ( 2004 ) showed that module members chiefly use the Blackboard package as a class direction or disposal tool to do class material readily available to pupils and manage class classs and attendings.Lectures ‘ perceptual experienceForests et Al ( 2004 ) established that module members ‘ attitudes were really positive when it came to the schoolroom administrative maps of the Blackboard package but their ideas were impersonal in footings of its instructional and psychosocial benefits. It was found that females had more positive attitudes than males in footings of the Blackboard package ‘s capableness to better schoolroom disposal and advance a positive relational environment. Across all module members, 34 % used Blackboard package to beg a greater diverseness of pupil sentiments than is otherwise possible in the face-to-face environment and 60 % agreed that certain characteristics in the Blackboard system enhanced or elevated their appraisal of pupil work and instructional capablenesss in the face-to-face schoolroom scene. It was besides revealed that a sum of 80 % agreed that the Blackboard package helped them to clearly and expeditiously pass on information about talk demands, and 60 % agreed that the Blackboard package helps them better to run into the acquisition demands of pupils. It was besides revealed that 62 % agreed that the Blackboard package helped them to break their clip direction in disposal affairs and 64 % agreed that Blackboard package improved their pupils ‘ ability to derive cognition of class stuffs. It was found by Lonn and Teasley ( 2009 ) that both male and female lectors believed that the VLE engineering improved instruction and acquisition but were more positive on the consequence of it on their instruction than on pupils. Lectors perceived that the finest advantage of the Blackboard package was how it enhanced and better their communicating with their pupils. Very few female and male lectors chose learning or larning betterments as the most of import advantage from utilizing Blackboard package. A survey conducted by Mitchell and Geva-May ( 2009 ) explored attitudes towards, and attitudes impacting, VLE execution. In recent old ages at that place has been greater credence of VLE by institutional determination shapers, as evidenced by high degrees of larning establishment engagement, but greater module members ‘ credence still lags behind. This spread affects the permeant acceptance of VLE. Mitchell and Geva-May ( 2009 ) proposed that module members credence of VLE is influenced by attitudes related to four factors: – Intellectual reluctance, such as the concerns that pupils ‘ perceptual experiences that VLE is inferior to traditional schoolroom apparatus. Support, such as preparation, clip and aid. Change, in peculiar with respect to doubts the construction and operation of the educational establishments will alter and hence threatens their stations. Economy, where the greatest uncertainty was with the perceptual experience that more support would be needed to back up VLE.Impact on IS StrategyInternet entree connectivity has revolutionized the instruction sector peculiarly on VLE. This is really of import as the connexion should be good plenty to be able to make a practical environment such that information can be accessed and shared without any hold or job and firmly.EffectssLikelihoodLow Medium High Negative Avoid Favorable Beneficial Table 1 Internet Access Since VLE such as Blackboard package depends much on internet entree, any dislocation will hold all activities that involve the information flow between talks, pupils and institutional direction. The likeliness of this to go on is medium but the effects are really negative and therefore any learning establishment should avoid this to do negative effects by holding a backup communicating scheme, this can be done by holding more than one cyberspace entree suppliers and an automatic switch over one time one entree is lost.EffectssLikelihoodLow Medium High Negative Avoid Favorable Beneficial Table 2 Security Modern communicating like high velocity cyberspace connexion comes with drawbacks. Security is the major drawback, privateness, confidentiality and unity of private informations fluxing over the cyberspace between lectors, pupils and instruction staff offices poses security breach. With wireless internet entree in about every place in developed states, the security issue becomes more important. The likeliness of this to go on is high, its consequence is really negative and therefore any larning institute with VLE as the manner of acquisition and learning bringing should guarantee strong encoding tools and sensings are in topographic point at all sides of communicating.EffectssProbabilityLow Medium High Negative Favorable Beneficial Encourage Table 3 Software Collaborative VLE package plays a major function on the efficiency in instruction sector for maintaining pupils and lectors together. With these package, about everything is automated, scheduling, presentment and even instant messaging. The traditional message flows in an office is expeditiously organised. These package bundles are going really sophisticated as new engineerings in processing and storage capacities of personal computing machines are improved. The likeliness of these bundles to better is medium and hence increased productiveness in instruction sector, but its consequence is really good, therefore any establishment with VLE deployment should promote any kind of design or development of the collaborative educational package.Case surveyStudents positionsThe intent of this chapter is to supply an in depth position of of import findings that have already been reported in recent old ages. Students ‘ position for VLE was studied by Stephen Lonn and Stephanie Teasley in 2009. This survey does non concentrate entirely on pupil perceptual experiences but besides cover academic staff perceptual experiences. It makes peculiarly exciting reading as the survey is focused on an organizational execution of an unfastened beginning VLE, and so it is interesting to see whether the perceptual experiences of pupils and academicians are traveling to be different than those found in the usage of commercial VLEs. The survey makes a point that VLEs are used chiefly for the distribution and storage of class stuffs though they can be used for heightening coaction and interaction via tools such as treatment boards, confab suites, wikis and web logs. It farther points out that these tools permit VLEs to back up constructive methods for acquisition and instruction. A cardinal issue nevertheless is achieving pupils and academician ‘s acknowledgment of the chances provided by the tools. It reports that at the University of Wisconsin ( Morgan, 2003 ) academicians reported that one time they have had used the VLE they did commence to reconstitute their classs and eventually their pedagogic attack. It besides disputes that there are a figure of other related surveies but there has been a short of longitudinal surveies which might descry how pupils and academicians change their beliefs and methods to the effectual utilizations of VLE in acquisition and instruction. The survey is conducted at the University of Michigan where they found that academicians ‘ development on VLE is voluntary and the usage of the VLE is non obligatory over most of the establishments. They addressed a figure of cardinal inquiries: Does IT better instruction and acquisition? No major difference between pupils and academicians in footings of IT expertness. Major difference with respect the usage of IT. Students reported preferring a high degree of IT usage than academicians. Which of the following net incomes from utilizing information engineering in your faculties was most valuable to you: Contented sharing, Assignments ; confabs, proclamations ; agenda, treatment, wiki, course of study? There was a major difference between academicians and pupils. The most popular reply from academicians was that it enhanced their communicating with pupils, and for pupils the most popular reply was that it saved them clip i.e. , it was more efficient. The top four maps selected by pupils and academicians as ‘very valuable ‘ were the same, if in a slightly different order, covering content sharing, proclamations, course of study and agenda. When analyzing system event log files this seems to fit the questionnaire statistics with 95 % of activities being correlated to content, assignments, proclamations, agenda and course of study. Merely 5 % of events were associated with synergistic and collaborative tools, treatment board and wiki. For efficient communicating, instruction and acquisition activities. Students and lectors were asked to rate specific activities categorised as either ‘efficient communicating ‘ or ‘supporting acquisition and learning ‘ . Lectors tended to rate ‘efficient communicating activities ‘ as ‘very valuable, ‘ more than pupils. Teaching and larning activities tended to be rated as ‘valuable ‘ instead than ‘very valuable ‘ by both pupils and talks. In general, the survey noted that both lectors and pupils agree that IT heighten instruction and acquisition. However lectors agree more strongly than pupils that IT can better instruction and acquisition. The survey suggests that pupil responses are perchance based on how the VLE tools have really been used. The perceptual experiences raised in this survey of a non-commercial VLE such as MOODLE by pupils and lectors are no different to the types of perceptual experiences raised sing the usage commercial VLEs such as Blackboard.Lectors positionsThe article of Woods et Al. ( 2004 ) explored how far the Blackboard package aids and supports a blended acquisition method by analyzing its usage and impact on three countries of instruction and acquisition: The Blackboard package as a class direction platform, used as an country to supply talk notes, assignment, slides and other helpful larning stuffs as reading lists, course of study, auxiliary readings and external links. Besides the usage of the class system, the trial director and the appraisal tools belong partially excessively this country. The Blackboard package as an assignment tool. How far does the Blackboard package encourage diverseness, and animate critical thought and advance different larning manners before or after a face to confront schoolroom session? Specific features in this country are the treatment boards and trial directors. The Blackboard package as a tool for schoolroom society. How far does the Blackboard package encourage set uping relationships and interaction between class pupils and lectors? In order to react to these inquiries a study was carried out and sent to 50 colleges and universities in 2003 in a Midwest province of the USA ( all acquisition establishments addressed were utilizing Blackboard ) . The study was done by 862 module members from 38 establishments ; 59 % of the respondents were male, and the bulk of all respondents considered themselves as really computing machine literate. Almost half had taught with VLE such as Blackboard package and a important bulk ( 83 % ) had received preparation or assist on how to utilize the Blackboard package. The chief grounds specified for utilizing the Blackboard package were: Professional involvements ( 65 % ) Encouraged by co-workers ( 27 % ) Encouragement of pupils ( 11 % ) The survey indicates that the dominant usage of the Blackboard package is in the country of class administrative affairs. For case: 75 % on a regular basis published their course of study 81 % sent legion or sporadic electronic mails to the whole category 59 % used the class systems Less common usage was made of the assignments tool ( 28 % ) . However 41 % of respondents had conducted a quiz and 45 % had used a treatment board to promote argument and coaction. The Blackboard package was used less normally as a pedagogic application. For case, participants pointed out occasional usage of the treatment board to go on in category treatment or to back up treatment prior to a face to confront schoolroom session. 22 % used the group tools to partition pupils into treatment groups and about 6 % used the unrecorded confab or practical schoolroom characteristics to discourse class content online. The bulk of the letter writers are to some extent impersonal towards the outlook that the Blackboard package can promote a schoolroom society. About 11 % indicated that the Blackboard system was used to develop a stronger sense of schoolroom society and the bulk ( 60 % ) pointed out they ne'er used the Blackboard package for this intent. In decision, the Blackboard package seems chiefly to be used as an disposal and direction tool as portion of a blended acquisition method. The large figure of the participants ne'er used Blackboard package for more synergistic class functionalities such as formative appraisal and for practical office hours. The survey suggests that the Blackboard package seemed to be used to supplement traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus.DecisionsThis thesis has presented the impact of VLEs on pupils and lectors in larning establishment. The instance survey presented has shown that the Blackboard package seems chiefly to be used as an disposal and direction tool as portion of a blended acquisition method. The bulk of the participants ne'er used Blackboard package for more synergistic class functionalities such as formative appraisal and for practical office hours. The survey suggests that the Blackboard package seemed to be used to supplement traditional face to confront schoolroom appa ratus. The survey besides concludes that both lectors and pupils agree that IT heighten instruction and acquisition. However lectors agree more strongly than pupils that IT can better instruction and acquisition. The survey suggests that pupil responses are perchance based on how the VLE tools have really been used. The perceptual experiences raised in this survey of a non-commercial VLE such as MOODLE by pupils and lectors are no different to the types of perceptual experiences raised sing the usage commercial VLEs such as Blackboard.