North American Healthcare Systems Essays - Health Economics

North American Healthcare Systems I received an 78% in a third year Public Finance Course for this paper. Criticisms were that I did not detail why private enterprise does not work. Also that a couple of paragraphs were too long. I am a third year Bachelor of Science student majoring in Economics. EVALUATING NORTH AMERICAN HEALTH SYSTEMS INTRODUCTION Compensating the affairs of economic efficiency with the demands of sociopolitical rights is a constant source of tension in Canada and the United States alike. In no other element is this tension more apparent than in the group of complex markets we call the health care system. Canadians have been fortunate enough to receive a universal health care system for nearly forty years. This is a single-payer system funded by the governments, both provincial and federal, but at what costs? Is health care not unlike any other commodity, or is it the privilege of every citizen? Health care has elements of common economic behavior, however, there are also certain social values ass ociated with it. It is this struggle of defining what health care is that causes such anxiety among economists. The Canadian health care system is slowly crippling the economy, and reforms must be devised to preserve the pride of Canada; our health care system itself. The pluralistic health care scheme of the United States, as well, has serious socioeconomic implications, and American policy makers are looking toward the model of the Canadian system for answers. Both the United States and Canada must reform health care policy, but to what extent? Obviously these questions cannot necessarily yield clear, concise answers, however they will provide insight into analyzing the current and proposed systems of health care. Certainly if Canada is to maintain a high standard of care it must adopt an economically efficient, revenue generating system. Moreover the United States must adopt the single-payer system of Canada while still retaining a strong revenue base. This paper will discuss the strengths and shortcomings of the Canadian health care system, and how health care is a sociopolitical enigma. Furthermore, how the single-payer system is the only realistic response to the growing inadequacies within the American socioeconomic status. CANADIAN HEALTH CARE STRUCTURE Serving as a general background in its appraisal, it is necessary to outline the history and the ambient factors of the Canada health care that is so sought after by the United States. The Canadian health-insurance program, called Medicare, is administered by provincial governments and regulated and partly financed by the national government. Medicare pays basic medical and hospital bills for all Canadians, where the governments determine the criterion of basic care, to insure and maintain a standard level of service. As early as 1919, Canadas Liberal party promised national health insurance, but the first real step was taken in Saskatchewan, where in 1947 province wide hospital insurance was introduced . A national hospital-insurance act followed in 1958, and by 1960, 99% of Canadians were covered by government run hospital insurance. Saskatchewan was again the first in 1961 to introduce medical-care insurance which covered doctors services as well. However, this was not an easy transformation. In 1962 when the medical insurance act was implemented, the doctors of Saskatchewan went on strike. As a part of the settlement the government agreed to a modified plan that addressed some of the doctors grievances. Despite the opposition from provinces, doctors and insurance companies, national Medicare legislation was in place by 1967, and today health care is a constitutional right. The arrangement reached by all provinces by 1972 was that the federal government paid half the cost of the provincial plans, provided the plans met five principles: accessibility, universality of coverage, portability from province to province, comprehensiveness of service, and government administration. Unde r the system the health care provider bills the provincial plan directly. The Canadian Health Act, effective in 1984, clarified the national standards and may penalize provinces that allow doctors to bill for more than the Medicare rate. The Canadian provinces spend a third of their budgets on health and hospitals. High-tech medicine and an aging population have caused Canadas medical costs to rise significantly over the past decade. Increasingly, governments attempt to control costs by promoting personal fitness,

[pic]Jennifer Auvenshine Essays - Introd, Pic Language, Desmiphorini

[pic]Jennifer Auvenshine Essays - Introd, Pic Language, Desmiphorini [pic]Jennifer Auvenshine PBS300 - Introduction to Crime and Deviance Colorado State University - Global Campus Lisa A. Hoston November 5, 2017 Mod 4: Biological and Psychological Theories When it comes to criminology, many theories attempt to explain what makes a person deviant. Biological theorists point the finger at genes passed from parent to child and issues within the brain, while psychological theorists believe personality and the external factors that influence personality development are to blame. Personally, I believe that both biological and psychological factors play an essential role in how a person behaves, criminal or not. The Great Debate, Biological versus Psychological Biological theories to explain criminal behavior have been around for centuries, most of which have now been debunked. However, modern biological theories focus on a wide range of factors that are not only related to genetics, but also environmental influences such as diet, head injuries, complications that affect the nervous system, and exposure to toxins such as lead. Biological theorists do not claim that there is a specific gene responsible for criminal behavior, acknowledging in their studies that there is an interaction between biological factors and an individual's environment (Hagen, 2013). Several studies utilized twins and adopted children to prove that genetics have a direct effect on criminal behavior. While study findings are mixed in twin studies, in Dalgard and Kringlen's 1975 study, they found similar patterns concerning criminal behavior in monozygotic (identical) twins (Hagen, 2013). Adoption studies took on the classic Nature versus Nurture debate, aiming to find out of a child's behavior was more closely linked to the adoptive or biological parents. In 1972, Schlesinger found that criminality in adopted boys was higher when their biological fathers were criminals. Another study that took place in Copenhagen between 1972 and 1941 found that a father's criminality was also a good predictor of a child's behavior. Alternatively, in 1974, Crowe did not find any differences between adoptees and a control group, aside from a link to psychopathic personalities. Crowe did, however, admit that his study may be flawed due to problems with small samples (Hagen, 2013). Crowe's study is not unique in its issues. Most twin/adoption studies only involve a small number doe cases and face other issues such as unsystematic and uncontrolled samples, reliance on official records rather than blood serum group samplings, and the possibility of similar environmental treatment, such as twins growing up in identical conditions (Hagen, 2013). Other theories that show promising information have their problems as well. The XYY theory speculated that males born with an extra Y chromosome were predisposed to aggressive and violent behavior, and while one study suggested that a larger portion of incarcerated criminals possessed the extra Y chromosome, another found no difference. Furthermore, inmates who did possess an extra Y chromosome were found to be less violent than their incarcerated counterparts (Hagen, 2013). Sociobiology is another interesting perspective that "insists on the genetic basis for human behavioral differences" (Hagen, 2013, p. 138), stating that a person's reaction to any given situation is modified by biochemistry and cellular reactions in the brain. One study suggests that brain injury at birth contributes to criminality and another found that children with ADHD are at high risk for delinquency (Hagen, 2013). When considering that the brain regulates emotion and impulse control, while untreated ADHD causes impulsivity and ADHD medications can cause aggression, it is hard to argue with these findings. Although, they too are pulled from limited case studies, and the research is limited by small samples, is over-reliant on already incarcerated subjects, and often have poor sampling procedures (Hagen, 2013). Psychological Theories Psychology focuses on an individual's personality, behavior, and their mind, which leads many adherents to the psychological approach to criminality to focus more on the rehabilitation of criminals than the causes of their criminality (Hagen, 2013). Sigmund Freud viewed the person as being made of three parts: id, ego, and superego. The id is the instinctive, animal self, while the superego is the refined part that seeks to be accepted by society, and the ego is the referee between the conflicting id and superego. Some followers of Freud believe that the inability to control instincts is due to an inadequate ego and superego. Others proport that crime is a substitute response to the primary goals being blocked, while others say that crime is committed when an individual has an unconscious desire to be punished (Hagen, 2013). Psychometry, a field that is dedicated to measuring the psychological differences in criminals and non-criminals, has been unable to find conclusive evidence of specific personality traits

Object Oriented Metrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Object Oriented Metrics - Essay Example This paper therefore discloses three perspectives under which Object Oriented metrics can be considered. The first one is the fault analysis by OOM, types and new metrics and finally their functions Based on Object Oriented Metrics there are two types of faulty and these include the type I, type II and type III faults. Type I and II are the ones termed as OO faults and type III ones are the non- OO faults. The type I faults are mostly connected to the Object Oriented (OO) and are normally introduced by features such as Inheritance and Polymorphism. The type I faults therefore can be categorized further into two sub-divisions. These are the Inheritance faults and Polymorphism faults derived from the features introducing the faults (Fenton, 1991). The Inheritance OO fault majority is introduced or occur when derived class modifies data / information member of the base class and this finally changes the behavior of the base class, causing the fault in the long runs modification results into changing the environment of the base class that inform causes faults encountered. Then faults caused are either encountered in the derived class or the base class. Polymorphism fault is another type of object oriented fault encountered on the O... For example when two objects send different bindings to send a service request then the total combination is the product of the findings from the two objects - resulting into different combination binding into the occurrence of a fault called Polymorphism fault. The fault actually occurs when testing is not done in the testing phase (Harrison, 1988). The type II faults are special kinds of OO characterized by object copying, dangling reference and object memory usage faults objects copying fault occur if there is a duplication of the original object or the generation of a reference to the original object. This occurs during the implementation of the method of copying whereby the copying method may be incorrect. Dangling reference fault from the word Dangle meaning hang or swing without anything stopping it. Therefore, Dangling reference fault is experienced when an object say object X tries to reference another object say Y that was destroyed by a third object say object Z. the object memory usage fault on the other hand happens when an object allocates during the run time allocates memory but fails to remove the information when no longer required. Basically, this is how the object oriented memory usage fault occurs (Basil, Bariand and Melo, 1996). The type III faults are also called / referred to as a non - OO faults because they are not related to objects. They are traditional faults therefore are classified under the traditional software (Harrison 1988). After looking at the object oriented faults, it is therefore logical to be able to understand the object Oriented Metrics. These are system softwares that are developed to realize the structure and the

Moral Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moral Statements - Essay Example To support this argument on proper grounds, we must understand that realism basically rests on the premise that concreteness of objects as they appear is separate in function from the way these same objects enter perception. Anti-realism or idealism may hold true assuming that moral realists make no adequate plausibility of accounts during the process of formulating truths and that commonsense intuitions are generally proposed to agree with moral realism. By experience, commonsense intuitions are partly concrete and partly abstract since it can only be admitted as useful by an individual who has encountered tangibility of a case or matter on a regular basis, yet, because there emerges quite a number of uncertainties over time, making such case or matter seem to acquire properties that bear new or different impressions, the real portion is rather evaluated by the realms of the unreal. This is to demonstrate that the loss or decrease of logical grounds in establishing the truth is brou ght about by changes in the literal truth as well as the nature of its presence after the apparent sight and sense of reality. Naturally, it is the reality that gives shape to truth and our experience of reality under frequent terms enables us to decide about the truth in its degree of completeness. To this point, it turns out that commonsense intuitions are able to cover and justify both positions of moral realists and moral anti-realists who each have the capacity to form and distinguish between views according to how reality is confronted by their principles of living. Commonsense on measuring truth in matter is primarily earned by constant engagement with the physical object which realism may eventually treat as valid. On intuiting with commonsense, however, part of looking at the object as real may be deducted from the cognitive process of placing more subjective effort on understanding its existence in truth so that this becomes reasonable. This is in the context of idealists who prefer to determine truth by a higher form of resolution in addition to the use of sense perceptions especially in the absence of sufficient pragmatic evidence. For this situation to yield an interesting consequence, feelings and sensations ought to accumulate in a fashion, which upon combination with a more profound philosophical thought or movement would proceed to lay foundations of truth bound to remain constant despite constraints of time and evolution. In the light of realism, experience occurs to be a sphere in which sensations and feelings are spontaneously taught to be learned so as to realize truth. Feelings and sensations, nevertheless, are an outcome of interactions or responses to stimuli that are exchanged within human population based on significant events that involve objective concerns either seen or felt. Rationalizing around this stage, it then makes ample sense to argue that emotional or sensational impact can possibly bring truth to solid creation. If by any chance this arrives instead at a complicated discourse of having to present the substance of ethical realism and of moral anti-realism in scrutinizing detail, the endeavor should necessitate relevant theories by Descartes and Hume whose respective concepts regarding rationalism and empiricism can be utilized to settle conflicts on proving which set of beliefs is greatly responsible for the

Integration of personal and professional skills and discuss the value Research Paper

Integration of personal and professional skills and discuss the value of higher education in todays society - Research Paper Example The higher education provides so many opportunities to us students and therefore I will also examine some of those opportunities that are availed to us. It has been a long journey and I have also gained a lot from education and I will take this chance to provide reason to others as to why they should follow in my footsteps. In conclusion, learning is not a process that ends when one leaves school; I will be explaining what I will be doing in order to maintain a lifelong learning attitude. Learning is a long and tedious process that requires hard work and determination in order to succeed. Many people have talked about learning and how to succeed. It all begins with the individual’s inner drive to want to succeed. The individual then through motivation from within and the external environment tries to find ways that will make them succeed in learning. I am one such person that has had the inner drive until this last minute. I have engaged with my professors and my fellow students in finding the best ways to learn and succeed in life. The professors at this university have greatly contributed to my success up to this point in time. There are basic skills that I have acquired during this course and there are a few others that I have improved on. The first basic skill that I acquired is team work. I have learnt that a person does not exist alone and therefore he/she needs to mingle with people and find out how they do things so that you can borrow ideas from them or improve on what you already have. Team work is very important especially at the university. Most of the students are left on their own to conduct research and find solutions to problems that exist in the real world. An individual working on his/ or her own may find this work overwhelming especially when given many tasks that have strict deadlines. If such an individual and another formed a group to discuss the work, it will be very easy for them to complete the work. This is because they share

Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine Introduction For over 2000 years, traditional Chinese medicine was the only medical therapy consisting of various forms of  herbal medicine,acupuncture,massage,exercise, and dietary therapy for treatment illnesses. With the arrival of the missionaries from the west, a new form of medical therapy which based on treatment using chemicals and surgery was introduced to China in the 19th century. This not only provided an alternative medical treatment for Chinese, it also brought in scientific, social and political upheavals to China in the 19th and 20th century. Medical Services in 19th Century China The first western medical service was introduced to Macau, a Portuguese’s colony at the time, by Rev Robert Morrison1 (1782-1834) in 1820. Interestingly, one of his objectives of his effort was to find out whether Chinese traditional herbal medicine would offer no additional healing for the Westerners. In 1828, a Christian surgeon, Dr Thomas Colledge2 (1796 – 1879) opened a hospital in Guangzhou with his belief of Christians had a duty to treat the sick people of China. By 1835, Dr Colledge cooperated with Dr Peter Parker (1804 1888), a Protestant medical missionary and foreign Christian residents in Guangzhou formed the Medical Missionary Society of China. The new hospital appealed to the locals despite their suspicious altitude towards foreigners’ intention. By 1840, the hospital had provided over 9,000 treatments to the local patients. By 1892, over 60 hospitals and 40 dispensaries were established by the missionaries. There were over 120 male and female western medical personnel plus a corps of trained native assistants to provide services for these facilities. The hospital annual report of 1895 stated that over half a million patients were treated and over 70,000 operations were performed. Before the Opium War, the hospital provided access of the missionary opportunity to contact locals who otherwise were not permitted to preach in public and are restricted to reside at the â€Å"Thirteen Hong† at Guangzhou. Some patients considered allowing foreign doctors to treatment gave a favour them, some did not accept the religion of their doctors, however, many patients converted to Christianity. The introduction of western medicine also raised the Chinese women social status. It was Chinese social custom to restrict men and women contact at the time. Hence, female patients were reluctant to be treated by male doctors. The missionaries therefore had to bring in female doctors from the west to provide treatment to female patients. Dr Mary H. Fulton (1854 – 1927), a female missionary doctor was sent by the Foreign Missions Board of the Presbyterian Church to found the first medical college foe woman, Hackett Medical College for Women in Guangzhou in 1902. By 1915, the college had 60 students; all became Christians at the influence of Dr Fulton. The college achieved its aim to spread Christianity and western medicine, as well as women social status in the Chinese society. Medical Services in Hong Kong In Hong Kong, a British colony at the time, Tung Wah Hospital3 was established in 1870 which was the first hospital in China providing Chinese medicine services in western hospital mode. By 1887, the first teaching institution, the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (the predecessor of the Faculty of medicine of theUniversity of Hong Kong)was established by the London Missionary Society. The new institution not only introduced breakthrough in the research and development of western medicine in China, it also brought the first graduate, Dr SUN Yat-sen4 (1866 1925), a Christian himself who led the Chinese Revolution and toppled the Qing Dynasty, to establish the Republic of China in 1911, profoundly changes the history of China. The Opium War The introduction of western medicine in China also changed the history of China. Opium5 which was found to be a good remedy for nervous disorders and its sedative and tranquilizing properties was also introduced into China by western surgeons. However, opium was also used by the British Government to balance their trade deficit with China. They grew opium in British India and sold it to China for exchange of silver. When the Emperor Daoguang of Qing Dynasty banned the smoking and trading of opium in 1838, the British began the First Opium War with the beginning of annexation of Hong Kong, opened up of ports and a series of unfair treaties with the subsequent turmoil in China for over 100 years. Recognising the additive and social destructive nature of the opium smoking, the missionaries raised against the trading of opium both in their home countries and in China6. They also set up clinic to provide medical service to opium smokers to kick off their addiction, hence providing more op portunity for them to preach Christianity. Conclusion Western medicine went hands in hand with missionaries from the west to preach and convert local into Christians. By doing so, it also changed the history of China, opened up the horizons of Chinese people, turned imperial China into a republic and profoundly affect the world, with its effect still felt today. References Starr J Barton â€Å"The Legacy of Robert Morrison†, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, April 1998 Fu L, â€Å"The protestant medical missions to China: Dr Thomas Richardson Colledge (1796-1879) and the founding of the Macao Ophthalmic Hospital†, Journal of Medical Biography 3Tung Wah Hospital website http://www.tungwah.org.hk/?content=314 4Britannica http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/573697/Sun-Yat-sen 5Allingham V. Philip, â€Å"England and China: The Opium Wars, 1839-60†, Victorian Web, Lakehead University 6Kathleen L. Lodwick, â€Å"Crusaders against Opium: Protestant Missionaries in China, 1874-1917†,Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1996 SECTION B Question1 Introduction There were several outbreaks of plague in the history which include the 1984 plague outbreak in Hong Kong and the pneumonic plague outbreak in Manchuria in 1910 – 1911. The 1984 plague was also known as the â€Å"black death† due to the black coloring of whole body before or after death, which is later being identified as the bubonic plague. The pneumonic plague is unique in which it was exclusively pneumonic (infection of the lungs). Patients who are infected with the pneumonic plague will present with coughing, often with hemoptysis (coughing up blood), headache, weakness etc. Although both diseases caused outbreak, different control and measures were done by the local government at that period. Control and measures in Hong Kong in 1894 The plague outbreak in Hong Kong was mainly associated with the poor sanitation and dense population of Hong Kong at that period. In order to cope with the outbreak of plague the British government did several measures in order to prevent the spread of the disease and to prevent new cases from emerging. This included forced disinfection of affected houses, rapid disposal of corpses, building of the Blake Garden to reduce population density and house to house searches for infected people. The infected will then be isolated on the hospital ship – Hygeia. But due to the non-reluctant response of the Chinese population, patients were later transferred to Kennedy Town glassworks which was converted for use as a temporary hospital. The government later built a Bacteriology institute with the recruitment of a bacteriologist, Dr. William Hunter to Hong Kong for the investigation of the cause of outbreak. Control and measures in Manchuria in 1910 – 1911 During the pneumonic plague outbreak, the cause of the disease could not be identified. So it was agreed that no cure for the pneumonic plague was available by that time1: the mortality was proved to be one hundred percent. Without antibiotic at that period, the only way to prevent the spread of the disease was quarantine and isolation. The Chinese were isolated into train cars for several days. They were not let out until no one displaying any sign or symptoms of pneumonic plague. If one plague case was identified, others in the car would be considered to have a poor prognosis. Because the location of outbreak was close to Japan and Russia, there was collaboration between countries for the control of disease2. In need of medical help from Russia and Japan, the Chinese government at that period sought help by calling for an international plague conference. While the etiology of the pneumonic plague was still being investigated, isolation was used as an effective method to prevent the spread of the disease. Autopsy was also done to investigate the cause of the disease3. In later stage, new bacteriological techniques such as culturing helped identifying the cause of the epidemic. Similarities and differences There are several similarities between the battle against pneumonic plague and the measures to control the plague in Hong Kong in 1894. Firstly, in both cases public health was introduced to the affected areas. In western medicine public health focuses on the surveillance and the prevention of disease. Isolation was used in both cases in order to prevent the spread and the deterioration of the disease. Different measures such as sanitation and rapid disposal of corpses in the 1894 plague in Hong Kong all refers to public health measures for the disease. This is important because by that time there was no way of treating both diseases, so public health became the only way to prevent the spread of the diseases and to control the epidemic. The treatment for plague(antibiotics) was not discovered in 1940s, about 30 years after the pneumonic plague. In addition, modern western medicine played a large role in coping with the outbreaks in both cases. In both cases a lot of modern western advanced sciences were used to investigate the diseases. For example, bacteriology culture and autopsy were used to investigate the cause of pneumonic plague whereas dissection of rats and bacteriology study were used in the 1894 plague. In comparison traditional Chinese medicine did not play a large role in either the prevention of the disease or the treatment of the disease. Moreover, investigations of the diseases were both done simultaneously with the measures and controls of the outbreaks. In other words, controls and measures like isolation were done before the identification of the cause of the disease in order to prevent the spread of the disease. One major difference of the control and measures between the two cases is the involvement of other countries in pneumonic plague. The coping of the pneumonic plague involved collaborations on the international level whereas the 1984 plague only involved isolated research without collaborations. This can be explained by the location of outbreak. As the outbreak of pneumonic plague may endanger the resident population in Russia and Japan, the two countries took part in the plague control. Whereas the 1894 plague happened in Hong Kong which will not affect other countries based on its location. Conclusion In conclusion the measures and control of the pneumonic plague and the 1894 plague outbreak in Hong Kong are similar in many ways. Both cases are very important as they show us the introduction of science and theory of western medicine such as public health into China at that period when the population knew little about western medicine. The idea of public health also helped saving a lot of people’s life at that period by preventing the spread of the disease. References: Richard Pearson Strong and the .urnal es:hat period by preventing the spread of the disease. of western medicine into China Hong Kong are similar in many wayManchurian Epidemic of Pneumonic Plague 1910 1911, Eli Chernin Oxford Journal, Mark Gamsa, The epidemic of pneumonic plague in Manchuria 1910-1911 3 Contagions The Great Pneumonic Plague of1910-1911: https://contagions.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/the-great-pneumonic-plague-of-1910-1911/

The Development of Civilization Essay -- History Antropology Sociology

The Development of Civilization Our civilizations are merely a wrinkle in time. Billions of years ago, during the Paleolithic Culture people had only knowledge for basic survival. The Stone Age was a time for hunting and gathering, building tools, and making fire. As the human race evolved, so did the culture. This is when the Neolithic Culture was born. People started taking control. Farms sprang up and sedentary villages began to take form. Amazingly, not too far from these progressing cultures grew civilizations. When one wants to look at the true heart of a civilization, they must first understand the civilization’s beliefs, moral standards, social interaction, attitudes, values and social consciousness. Without a sincere background about these topics, one cannot truly develop a full understanding of the period. History calls upon humankind to breakdown civilizations, and find the roots of past civilizations. Many factual ideas have been abstracted from numerous sources through out time. In studying Ancient Greek civilization, the reader sees immense concentration of social consciousness for its peoples’ needs. Greek civilization absorbed many different attitudes from the Athenians, Spartans, and Macedonians. Another highly moral civilization was the Medieval times. The English had intolerant views on Religion; an aspect of a society which had much importance to the world at this time. Because of these beliefs, all religions had to experience frustrations that occasionally lead toward conflict. The Chinese were greatly influenced by the earth’s ways, rather than global issues and demonstrated this through their religion, Buddhism. The Han dynasty incorporated a Confucius government system into their legal system, and po... ...uman civilization. It is known that respect for elders, and the wise was necessary. It was also important to know what one’s role was in society, whether it be childbirth, or growing rice. Civilization is a fascinating topic, because they are able to show where humanity progressed, or regressed. In viewing many civilizations through out the course of five months, it is clearer to see where exactly ideas originated. The belief system that humans have developed is like one giant melting pot. There are ideas, attitudes, social awareness, and values all boiled down into one big mass. Much like a science experiment, sometimes things do not belong together, and some do. These are all learning opportunities, and most likely humankind will eventually learn the perfect mix. Until then, it is assumed that we will continue to make mistakes, while advancing at the same time.

Reflection Report of Dissertation on mpact of information system on student learning experience

Abstract This essay reflects the lessons and obstacles that I faced during the course of writing my dissertation. Utilizing the Gibbs Reflective Cycle in order to illustrate the process, this essay reflects upon different stages of the dissertation process and thus serves to assist me in developing a further understanding of the opportunities for carrying out better research in the future. 1 Introduction The process of writing my dissertation began with the drive to expand my current capabilities and broaden my educational experience. Throughout this reflective essay I have use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, which includes elements such as a basic description, my reactions, an evaluation of the experience, analysis, specific and general conclusions and my personal plan for action (Timmons et al, 2013). 2 Gibbs Reflective Cycle2.1 DescriptionIn order to accurately illustrate the scenario, a basic description enables me to envision the entire process dispassionately (Hegarty, 2011). My starting point for the research was the idea that increased technology has an impact on the learning process. This area presented a well-researched topic in the private sector, yet, I felt there was little material available on this subject, upon which to base quality evaluation for public facilities such as schools. In the beginning there was considerable stress before there was a single word written. As the study began to form, I began to feel more at ease with the needs of the project. Yet, many times there was the perception of very hard to find literature and material for me that made this research difficult from the outset. Taken together with my father’s ill health, I had considerably mixed feelings as to my ability to take this on.2.2 FeelingsMy emotional approach to this project was ver y striking and seemed to influence the results I obtained (Jasper, 2006). The very beginning of this project found me apprehensive and concerned that my skills were not sufficient for the task. Further, my father was sick during this period adding to my perception of the need to do function under pressure. There was significant stress at the outset that I felt diminished as I grew more familiar with the project. . I found the scope of this entire process was a little daunting. Perhaps my most unique feelings during this study came as I evaluated the students; I found a need to connect with the interviewees causing me considerable worry and the question of if I was approaching them in the best manner possible. Sometimes I had to set aside personal bias in order to accurately reflect the results (Pearson, 2013). As the project began to come to a close, I found considerable pride in the fact that I learned a great deal about process and method.2.3 EvaluationIt is important to assess th e positive and negative aspects of the project (Oelofsen, 2012). Most positive was my expectation I could achieve the goals of this work. Leading the negative aspects was my lack of confidence in my skill. A negative that turned into a positive was the manner that I interacted with the students and lecturers, initially I felt I was weak at this, but as I learned I became better. Overall, this was a good experience that I definitely learned from.2.4 AnalysisThere is a need to take stock of the situation in order to evaluate the experience (Pearson, 2013). My overall goal was to make sense of the impact of technology on the students. Through the research process, I feel I have expanded my own research abilities through trial and error, and am now more equipped to carry out research in the future. I have found others have had similar research experiences which has made me feel that I am part of a community and can gain from other’s knowledge. This appreciation of experience is a key factor that will enhance each following research project.2.5 ConclusionThe conclusions from this reflection lend depth to my learning experience (Park et al, 2011). Overall I felt that I learned that the research problem often carries more than the one possible outcome, which in turn means that I must be willing to accommodate unexpected elements. Specifically, I learned that I should be more assertive during the interview process, yet open to each person’s interpretations of the questions. I also gained the ability to research and write at a higher level, thereby aiding my future efforts. 2.6 Personal Action Plan Each of these considerations has provided me with lessons for future research (Forrest, 2008). Next project, I will not be hesitant to engage with the material. I will remain confident in my research strategy and take steps to not second guess my approach in order to strengthen my research and stay on track. Most importantly, I will have the experience to begin and accomplish any research project. 3 References Forrest, M. (2008). On becoming a critically reflective practitioner. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 25(3), pp.229–232. Jasper, M. (2006). Professional development, reflection and decision-making. 1st ed. Oxford: Blackwell. Hegarty, B. (2011). Is reflective writing an enigmaCan preparing evidence for an electronic portfolio develop skills for reflective practice?. 2011(1), pp.580–593. Oelofsen, N. (2012). Developing reflective practice. 1st ed. Banbury: Lantern. Park, J. and Son, J. (2011). Expression and connection: the integration of the reflective learning process and the writing process into social network sites. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 7(1), pp.170–178. Pearson, J. (2012). HCAs: developing skills in reflective writing. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 6(3), p.140. Timmins, F., Murphy, M., Howe, R. and Dennehy, C. (2013). â€Å"I Hate Gibb’s Reflective Cycle 1998†(Facebookcopyright 2009): Registered Nurses’ Experiences of Supporting Nursing Students’ Reflective Practice in the Context of Student’s Public Commentary. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 93, pp.1371–1375.

Free Essays on Maslow Rokeach

Maslow’s Theory says that he believes that humans strive for an upper level of capabilities and humans seek the limit of creativity, the highest level of consciousness and wisdom. Maslow has set up a hierarchic theory of needs. All of his basic needs are instinctual, equivalent of instincts in animals. Humans start with a very weak outlook that is then shaped as the person grows. If the environment is right, people will grow straight and beautiful, realizing the potentials they have inherited. If the environment is not "right" they will not grow tall and straight and beautiful. One must satisfy lower level basic needs before progressing onto meeting the higher-level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied they may be able to reach the highest-level called self-actualization. The steps of this pyramid starting from the bottom include: Physiological needs, Safety needs, Belonging needs, Esteem needs and finally Self-actualization. I agree with him on the his pyramid because I think that you can not go on to the next subject or â€Å"level† until the one you are currently on is completed. Different people have different levels of completeness. Rokeach’s Theory was about open and closed mindedness about beliefs, attitudes and values. He had a system that he followed about beliefs, attitudes and values that were as follows: Beliefs vary in centrality: the more central, the more resistant to change. Change in central Beliefs lead to overall change in belief system. Changes in peripheral Beliefs lead to less change in overall system. Value is the most important conception in understanding behavior. Values have two functions: Instrumental (day to day) and Terminal (ultimate aims).... Free Essays on Maslow Rokeach Free Essays on Maslow Rokeach Maslow’s Theory says that he believes that humans strive for an upper level of capabilities and humans seek the limit of creativity, the highest level of consciousness and wisdom. Maslow has set up a hierarchic theory of needs. All of his basic needs are instinctual, equivalent of instincts in animals. Humans start with a very weak outlook that is then shaped as the person grows. If the environment is right, people will grow straight and beautiful, realizing the potentials they have inherited. If the environment is not "right" they will not grow tall and straight and beautiful. One must satisfy lower level basic needs before progressing onto meeting the higher-level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied they may be able to reach the highest-level called self-actualization. The steps of this pyramid starting from the bottom include: Physiological needs, Safety needs, Belonging needs, Esteem needs and finally Self-actualization. I agree with him on the his pyramid because I think that you can not go on to the next subject or â€Å"level† until the one you are currently on is completed. Different people have different levels of completeness. Rokeach’s Theory was about open and closed mindedness about beliefs, attitudes and values. He had a system that he followed about beliefs, attitudes and values that were as follows: Beliefs vary in centrality: the more central, the more resistant to change. Change in central Beliefs lead to overall change in belief system. Changes in peripheral Beliefs lead to less change in overall system. Value is the most important conception in understanding behavior. Values have two functions: Instrumental (day to day) and Terminal (ultimate aims)....

Free Essays on Mayan And Brazilian Indians

After viewing Victor Montejo’s presentation on the formation of Maya ethnicity and the creation of Maya identity in Guatemala it has become apparently clear that not only do the Brazilian Indians have hardship, but indigenous people from other locations as well. His people, the Mayans, have gone through and will continue to face many similar problems that the indigenous groups of Brazil have faced. One of the major reasons that all of these different indigenous groups have such a hard time prospering is a lack of unity, not too mention a number of other things. In Guatemala, the Mayans make up sixty-five percent of the population, which is a very significant amount. They have strength in numbers, but where they fall short is lacking Mayan unity. According to Montejo, there are some 21 different linguistic groups among the Mayans. The numerous amounts of languages disturb the â€Å"togetherness† of all of the Mayan population. If the Mayan people had less of a hard time coming together, they would have a much easier time standing as one. Just as the Mayans have many different languages and groups, all of the indigenous peoples of Brazil are vastly different. The Nambiquara, Kayopo and Yanomoami are just three of many different tribes among the Brazilian Indians. They are not only different tribes, but they are totally different from one another in their cultures too. Each one of the different tribes in Brazil is like a small country in itself. They have their own separate language and culture that is commonly vastly different from the other indigenous tribes around. The indigenous peoples of these tribes are at an even greater disadvantage than the Mayans of Guatemala in this respect, plus in Brazil, the indigenous peoples only make up a small percentage of the total population which hurts them tremendously. At least for the Mayans sake they have a majority of the population, but the Indians in Brazil only make up a smal... Free Essays on Mayan And Brazilian Indians Free Essays on Mayan And Brazilian Indians After viewing Victor Montejo’s presentation on the formation of Maya ethnicity and the creation of Maya identity in Guatemala it has become apparently clear that not only do the Brazilian Indians have hardship, but indigenous people from other locations as well. His people, the Mayans, have gone through and will continue to face many similar problems that the indigenous groups of Brazil have faced. One of the major reasons that all of these different indigenous groups have such a hard time prospering is a lack of unity, not too mention a number of other things. In Guatemala, the Mayans make up sixty-five percent of the population, which is a very significant amount. They have strength in numbers, but where they fall short is lacking Mayan unity. According to Montejo, there are some 21 different linguistic groups among the Mayans. The numerous amounts of languages disturb the â€Å"togetherness† of all of the Mayan population. If the Mayan people had less of a hard time coming together, they would have a much easier time standing as one. Just as the Mayans have many different languages and groups, all of the indigenous peoples of Brazil are vastly different. The Nambiquara, Kayopo and Yanomoami are just three of many different tribes among the Brazilian Indians. They are not only different tribes, but they are totally different from one another in their cultures too. Each one of the different tribes in Brazil is like a small country in itself. They have their own separate language and culture that is commonly vastly different from the other indigenous tribes around. The indigenous peoples of these tribes are at an even greater disadvantage than the Mayans of Guatemala in this respect, plus in Brazil, the indigenous peoples only make up a small percentage of the total population which hurts them tremendously. At least for the Mayans sake they have a majority of the population, but the Indians in Brazil only make up a smal...

Information mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information mangment - Essay Example According to Nonaka, Krogh and Voelpel (2006), â€Å"organizational knowledge creation is the process of making available and amplifying knowledge created by individuals as well as crystallizing and connecting it with an organization’s knowledge system.† Studies have shown that creation of knowledge, retention as well as managing it is very important for the survival of the organization during the contemporary period as we move towards a digital economy (Alavi & Leidner, 2001). One way of generating knowledge in an organization is achieved through the use of learning. Learning in an organisation is particularly concerned with creating, acquiring and transforming knowledge and transforming this knowledge to improve the overall performance of the employees and the organization as a whole (Andriopoulos & Dawson 2009). Knowledge may be explicit and/or tacit, individual and/or collective. Basically, explicit knowledge refers to details of processes that have been codified an d it often acts as a manual to deal with certain queries or problems in the organization while tacit knowledge is knowledge of experience (Polanyi, 1983). In as far as tacit knowledge is concerned so the person concerned uses his or her experience to deal with a certain problem. As noted above, knowledge is a business asset given that much of organizations’ value mainly depends on their capacity to create and generate knowledge which can be used to transform the operations of the organization during changing period. It is important for an organization to create knowledge and transfer it to other employees since this can help the whole organization. As illustrated in the model of knowledge creation and diffusion illustrated above, it can be seen that there are various techniques that can be used to transfer knowledge from one person to the other in the organization. According to Nonaka & Takeuchi (1995), knowledge can be transferred through the following strategies in the comp any: tacit to tacit through socialization, tacit to explicit through a process of externalization, explicit to tacit through a process of internalization as well as explicit to explicit through a process of combination. Tacit knowledge can be transferred to tacit knowledge through the process of socialization. Basically, socialization is a process that loosely describes the way people in an organization are socialised or interact. Through interaction among employees in an organization, knowledge can be transferred from one person to the other. In this case, it is individual to individual where an experienced employee can impart his or her ideas and experience to the other employee who also can capitalise on this wealth of knowledge in his or her operations. Explicit to tacit knowledge can also be transferred through a process of internalization in the organization. Internal structures in the organization are created and these are meant to transform knowledge that is codified into ac tual experience that can help the employees to deal with different situations they may encounter in their operations. This process involves transfer of knowledge from the individual, group as well as organization. This helps to improve the overall performance of the employees as well as the organization a whole. The other strategy is tacit to explicit

English colonization on the indigenous peoples of the New World in the Research Paper

English colonization on the indigenous peoples of the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries - Research Paper Example In ancient times the concept of colony is found in Greek city states. According to Toynbee apart from Athens and Sparta, all the Greek city states established their colonies on different parts. Greek city states developed colonies in order to fulfill the needs of their growing population1. Modern era of colonialism is normally associated with the discovery of America in 1492 by Columbus. Spain established its colonies in the New World and shortly afterwards other European countries followed the suit. The fall of Spain gave place to England and France to fight for the new found world along with already known world of India and Africa. In this fight between the two European powers, England prevailed. English colonies were established worldwide and they boasted that sun never set on the British Empire. American history begins with the clash of Europeans and Native American people. The above statement is true for modern times, which ignores the past of New World. Archeology has revealed the old world of America but normally it is ignored and least discussed. For current purpose the focus will be on the 16th and 17th centuries. The Native Americans, who first came into contact with Europeans, had their culture and values. They used to speak some 300 to 350 distinct languages and different ways of living. The Aztecs and Incas were two great empires of this New World and their remains testify the greatness achieved by these empires. These native people first faced Spanish settlers. The sheer power and brute force humbled the indigenous population and this was the method, which was to be used by later colonial powers. English settlers tried their luck at the East and there the indigenous population despite its variation lived in similar ways. They depended on agriculture, which was done by female population. Indigenous population did not keep herds of domestic animals and Male population used to hunt and fish. They used to live in family groups but loyal to larger kin and clan. There used to be one chief, who ruled by consent. The first major impact of colonialism on indigenous population was epidemic diseases. The life style of local population was different as they never kept herds and never lived with animals. On the other hand Europeans and Asian used to live near their domestic animals. The diseases, which were spread in the local population, resulted in the death of countless people. Mann says that "what happened after Columbus was like a thousand kudzus everywhere." "Throughout the hemisphere," he wrote, "ecosystems cracked and heaved like winter ice."2 Estimates of the population of the Americas at the time Columbus arrived have varied enormously. Some have argued that existing estimates of a high pre-Columbian indigenous population are rooted in a bias against aspects of Western civilization and/or Christianity. The indigenous population in 1492 was not necessarily at a high point, and may have already been in decline. Indigenous populat ions in most areas of the Americas reached a low point by the early twentieth century, and in a number of cases started to climb again. Native Americans suffered profoundly because of their remoteness from the rest of the world. Europe, Africa, and Asia had been trading knowledge and technologies for centuries. Societies on all three continents had learned to use iron and kept herds of domestic