Globalization of South Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Globalization of South Africa - Essay Example In beginning of seventeenth century, South Africa was inadequately populated. Significant exchange and trade grew simply after the principal European settlement that occurred in southern piece of Africa in 1652. The goal was then to build up a gracefully base at the site at present known as Cape Town. South African history made significant changes in the year 1867 when mines of precious stones were found close and around Kimberley and Cape Town. Financial exercises got additionally increased when universes biggest store of gold was found in the year 1886. South Africas first coordination to worldwide economy was seen through its fares of precious stones and gold. Simultaneously, the nation imported assortment of agrarian items. Mining industry kept on extending with expanding gold and jewel trades from the shore of South Africa. The riches so produced was utilized to import purchaser products from Europe. This can be viewed as South Africas first mix to worldwide economy that proceed ed until at any rate World War I (South Africa, 1996)) After 1920, the administration began forcing duties to protect nearby producers. By 1930s, the majority of the assembling exercises went under the overlay of state-claimed undertakings keeping blacks outside the fundamental economy. World War II saw new development in assembling exercises with the administration expanding its control on enterprises. With the beginning of incredible melancholy in 1930s, South Africa additionally endured intensely because of financial down cycle. The administration had just begun its endeavors in 1920s to combine state-claimed undertakings with the goal to give driving force to import-replacement ventures. The Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) and the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) were established in 1920s to initiate local businesses. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) came into activity in 1940. The IDC got instrumental to advance other

Assess the View That Traditional Class Identities

These gatherings are the common laborers, working class and privileged. Yet at this point some accept there isn’t this social class division inside society and that everybody is equivalent. Individuals that would concur customary class characters are not, at this point significant are postmodernists. These have the view that class no longer truly matters in present day Britain and that currently individuals no longer recognize themselves as per their class foundation. Clarke and Saunders (1991) would concur with the perspective on postmodernists. They propose that classes have gotten divided into a wide range of gatherings and now they have been supplanted with different impacts, for example, sexual orientation and ways of life. In spite of the fact that they is some proof which recommends these thoughts are misrepresented. Marshall’s study into how individuals see themselves indicated individuals despite everything consider social to be as a wellspring of personality. The conventional average workers was a gathering of individuals that was created after the industrialisation when they were requirement for a lot of manual specialists. This gathering shaped a solid sense on culture and character. These were solid virtues, having men as the provider and ladies as housewives and thinking finding a new line of work is a higher priority than having training. The conventional common laborers additionally observed the work party as the gathering for the average workers as it spoke to their inclinations, as called attention to in thing B. Albeit now numerous individuals in the regular workers vote in favor of various gatherings as they don’t all concede to what is significant now in the public eye, supporting that conventional class personalities are not, at this point significant. Presently likewise the assembling business as changed a ton, this implies now they aren’t similar occupations accessible as they would have been before as they have been supplanted with things, for example, machines that can do a quicker and less expensive activity. In this way the common laborers has needed to change the kind of employments they do after some time which might be a purpose behind the adjustment in qualities, and in this manner making the conventional class characters now not, at this point significant. Precious stone and Giddens concur with this as they contend that the common laborers is not, at this point significant in view of the adjustment in the economy that as lead to the decrease of physical work employments, and that the average workers isn’t now the main class which encounters financial and social eprivation. The new regular workers is presently observed to have little unwaveringness to others inside a similar class, more accentuation on client merchandise, significant levels of home proprietorship, and ladies prone to be utilized. There is likewise now a bigger segment of the common laborers, this might be down to some average workers employments presently turning out to be progressively skilful in this manner getting more significant compensation, which others become less skilful and get lower pay, which means individuals in a similar class may distinguish themselves each in an unexpected way. Anyway there are sociologists that accept customary class personalities are still significant, for instance Marxists. They accept social class is still massively compelling in forming our characters. They additionally accept social class is recognized by your salary, and that recreation wouldn’t characterize your way of life as you would require the discretionary cashflow to bear the cost of it. The British Attitudes Survey upheld this thought, in light of the fact that in 2007 it discovered still 94% of individuals despite everything distinguished themselves with a social class, while just 6% didn’t. Generally speaking the significance of conventional class personalities are seen each diversely by various individuals. Perspectives which concur and differ to the significance of conventional class personalities despite everything being significant have the two positives and negatives so it’s hard to simply trust one view point is reality and the other doesn’t matter. Hence I accept the two perspectives have adequate proof and that customary class characters are as yet essential to a degree, but at this point there is likewise different elements that can make up our personality other than simply our social class. Survey the View That Traditional Class Identities These gatherings are the common laborers, working class and high society. But at this point some accept there isn’t this social class division inside society and that everybody is equivalent. Individuals that would concur customary class characters are not, at this point significant are postmodernists. These have the view that class no longer truly matters in current Britain and that presently individuals no longer distinguish themselves as indicated by their group foundation. Clarke and Saunders (1991) would concur with the perspective on postmodernists. They recommend that classes have gotten divided into a wide range of gatherings and now they have been supplanted with different impacts, for example, sexual orientation and ways of life. Despite the fact that they is some proof which recommends these thoughts are misrepresented. Marshall’s overview into how individuals see themselves demonstrated individuals despite everything consider social to be as a wellspring of personality. The conventional common laborers was a gathering of individuals that was created after the industrialisation when they were requirement for a lot of manual specialists. This gathering shaped a solid sense on culture and character. These were solid virtues, having men as the provider and ladies as housewives and thinking finding a new line of work is a higher priority than having training. The customary regular workers additionally observed the work party as the gathering for the common laborers as it spoke to their inclinations, as called attention to in thing B. Albeit now numerous individuals in the regular workers vote in favor of various gatherings as they don’t all concur on what is significant now in the public arena, supporting that conventional class personalities are not, at this point significant. Presently likewise the assembling business as changed a ton, this implies now they aren’t similar occupations accessible as they would have been before as they have been supplanted with things, for example, machines that can do a quicker and less expensive activity. Along these lines the common laborers has needed to change the kind of occupations they do after some time which might be an explanation behind the adjustment in qualities, and in this manner making the customary class personalities now not, at this point significant. Jewel and Giddens concur with this as they contend that the common laborers is not, at this point significant due to the adjustment in the economy that as lead to the decay of physical work employments, and that the regular workers isn’t now the main class which encounters financial and social eprivation. The new common laborers is presently observed to have little unwaveringness to others inside a similar class, more accentuation on client products, significant levels of home possession, and ladies prone to be utilized. There is likewise now a bigger segment of the common laborers, this might be down to some average workers employments currently turning out to be progressively skilful subsequently getting more s ignificant salary, which others become less skilful and get lower pay, which means individuals in a similar class may distinguish themselves each in an unexpected way. Anyway there are sociologists that accept customary class characters are still significant, for instance Marxists. They accept social class is still enormously powerful in molding our characters. They likewise accept social class is recognized by your salary, and that relaxation wouldn’t characterize your way of life as you would require the extra cash to manage the cost of it. The British Attitudes Survey upheld this thought, on the grounds that in 2007 it discovered still 94% of individuals despite everything recognized themselves with a social class, while just 6% didn’t. Generally speaking the significance of conventional class characters are seen each diversely by various individuals. Perspectives which concur and differ to the significance of customary class characters despite everything being significant have the two positives and negatives so it’s hard to simply trust one view point is reality and the other doesn’t matter. In this manner I accept the two perspectives have adequate proof and that conventional class personalities are as yet essential to a degree, yet at this point there is additionally different variables that can make up our character other than simply our social class.

Facebook Backs Off On Digital Currency

Facebook Backs Off On Digital Currency Make Money Online Queries? Struggling To Get Traffic To Your Blog? Sign Up On (HBB) Forum Now!Facebook Backs Off On Digital CurrencyUpdated On 19/07/2019Author : Ram kumarTopic : FacebookShort URL : https://hbb.me/30FuGdC CONNECT WITH HBB ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow @HellBoundBlogIts been a rough couple of years for the largest social media company in the world. 2018 was just a series of bad headline after bad headline, culminating in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal which saw them accused of permitting meddling in the most recent Presidential election in the United States of America. If they thought 2019 was going to treat them better, theyve had little encouragement that the tide has turned in terms of the general perception of the company so far. Their failure to protect the data of their users has ultimately resulted in them being slapped with an eye-watering fine of five billion dollars, and now they’ve been forced to back down on their digital currency.Libra, as the currency would have been called, was supposed to be Facebook’s big step into the fiscal market; an attempt to establish themselves as a viable alternative to both Paypal and Bitcoin at the same time. When they made their official announcement of the currency in June this year, it came with a great deal of media fanfare. It was clear from the level of gravity given to the announcement that this was envisioned as a big deal for Facebook; possibly even the next major step in the evolution of the blue brand. Now, barely a month later, plans for Libra have been put on the back shelf possibly even for good. There was some debate about whether Facebook users were truly ready to embrace dealing with cryptocurrency through a social media platform, but it wasn’t the users who turned out to be the problem it’s the regulators.Paying For Past SinsFacebook wouldn’t have been responsible for running Libra alone. As enormous and wealthy as the company is, it has no experience with dealing inside the financial sector. Larger and more trusted names had been attached to the project, including Mastercard and Paypal, despite the fact that some of the services that were proposed to run alongside Libra appeared to be a threat to Paypal’s business. Senior figures at Facebook hoped that the involvement of established firms would be enough to persuade legislators and regulators that there was no risk to customers, but it wasn’t enough to win support in the hostile environment of the US Senate.David Marcus, who is in charge of the Libra project within Facebook, was placed in the unenviable position of sitting in front of senators earlier in July to explain the plan and face questioning. Given the difficulties that Facebooks issues with Cambridge Analytica caused within the sphere of American politics, its unsurprising that he found few friends waiting for him when he came to make his case. Questions regarding whether Facebook could be trusted with peoples financial data after thei r recent issues dominated the session, leading to Marcus being forced to admit that he understood that social media users didnt want their financial details stored by the company.In something of a crushing rebuke to the company’s business practices, Marcus was also directly asked why Facebook had chosen to establish a formal headquarters for Libra in Switzerland rather than the company’s home in the United States, and whether the move was intended to prevent scrutiny of the company’s activities by US agencies. Marcus was again quick to deny the allegation, pointing out that Geneva in Switzerland is the headquarters of many of the world’s largest financial institutions, including the World Trade Organization, and therefore having a base there made strategic sense for the currency.READ5 Cool Greasemonkey Scripts For Facebook UsersTry Again Later?In mitigation, Marcus insisted that Calibra the purpose-built platform that would be constructed to host Libra would not be under F acebooks sole control, and would be a joint venture between Facebook and the other companies involved. The proposed Calibra wallet would function in a similar manner to Googles wallet, and would be built into all digital services offered by Facebook, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Other companies would then be able to use third-party apps to accept or sent the Libra currency into Calibra wallets, while at the same time allowing for the anonymity which is seen as the chief appeal of all cryptocurrencies.His appeals failed to move the majority of senators at the hearing, who indicated that they would be unwilling to support the proposed currency until firmer assurances could be given, and further assessments could be performed. For their part, Facebook has now stated that theyre willing to postpone the implementation of Libra until the concerns of the US Treasury and equivalent bodies around the world could be satisfied. The provisional launch date for Libra was some time before Ju ne 2020. No information about how long such a postponement may last was available at the time of writing.Given that it’s now likely to be some time before Facebook will have the opportunity to roll their new currency out to users, it will give them more of a chance to ascertain how much demand for such a service exists within their current base of users. Understanding of how cryptocurrencies operate within the general public is still limited, although they’re slowly entering use outside of the dark web economy they were first designed for. One of the chief recent adopters of cryptocurrency has been the gambling and gaming industry. Many UK online casinos and online slots websites now allow players to pay for their games using cryptocurrencies, and receive winnings the same way if they so desire. As UK Slots players like to be able to send and receive money quickly, the fact that enough of them wish to use crypto to pay for slots and other casino games to provoke slots websites i nto enabling such transactions suggests that familiarity with the concept is spreading.Although Libra may sound like an ambitious idea right now, with another years worth of evolution in the field of cryptocurrencies, it may be a more popular concept by its eventual launch date than it would seem right now. The question facing Facebook is whether they can build enough trust with the right people between now and then to make their idea into a reality.

Business Enabling Strategies Free Essay Example, 2250 words

In light of the business challenges that have influenced the operation of the WW Company, it, therefore, becomes important that the company invests in a Customer Relationship Management Software. One of the key challenges that affect the operation of the company is the level of interaction that exits between the employees and the customers. The drivers have been able to maintain a close link to their customers through their one on one interactions. It, therefore, becomes important to devise software that will be able to keep the business personnel and the clients at a constant communication bar to build trust and customer loyalty. The business should put the customer as its priority by generating various initiatives that tend to bind them together. The CRM software will be able to perform many different tasks among them being: The management of salesFacilitate marketing through advertisementsThe system will be able to avail a 24/7 customer support unitInventory management will also be solved saving the officers at the terminals a heavy workload. Technical support services can also be channeled along this line from various departments and it will facilitate quicker response time. Risks associated with the projectThe Customer Relationship Software consists of different modules which are comprehensive and complex in nature. The project might suffer cancellation before it is completed based on stagnating modules or complex functionalities which the developers may not be familiar with. The project might also exceed the time frame with which it was allocated for due to various other inputs which had not been stated in the project charter or the insufficient number of developers to team up and work together on modularized segments. The project is also likely to run an over budget due to the existence of numerous Model View Controller frameworks and different technologies for development. The project may also contain numerous interdependent functionalities and tasks w hich might prove as a challenge during the testing process. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Enabling Strategies or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now

How To Make Homemade Silly String

Silly string or ribbon spray is a polymer foam that shoots out of a can as colored string. The stuff you buy in a can is an acrylate polymer with a surfactant, although most of the can is filled with a propellant to jet the foam out of the container. Since pressurizing a can isnt something most of us can do, homemade silly string uses a simple, forceful chemical reaction to push strings of foam out of a bottle. The reaction is based on the elephant toothpaste chemistry demonstration. Silly String Materials You can get yeast and food coloring at any grocery store. Probably the best place to get the peroxide and the bottle is a beauty supply store. You need at least 30 volume peroxide, which is ten times more concentrated than typical household peroxide solution. jar of active dry yeast30-40 volume hydrogen peroxideplastic bottle with a screw on pointed tipfood coloring Make Silly String Fill the bottle with pointed tip most of the way full with the peroxide solution.Add food coloring, unless you want white string.When you are ready to make the silly string, add a spoonful of yeast to the bottle and quickly cap it. When the yeast and peroxide react, the resulting foam builds up pressure quickly, so if you dont cap the bottle right away, it will be hard to do it later.Shake the bottle to activate the foam. Point the bottle away from people, pets, furniture, etc. The peroxide is a strong bleaching agent, so its best to do this project outdoors. Safety Information Hydrogen peroxide is extremely reactive and can burn your eyes and skin, as well as bleach your clothes and hair. Wear safety goggles and gloves when preparing and using homemade silly string. Dont play with the foam or drink it and be sure to wash down the area after your project with lots of water. Glowing Silly String If you substitute fluorescent dye for food coloring, you can make the silly string that will glow brightly under a black light. Alternatively, you can use glow powder, which will glow on its own, although not as brightly because the pigment worked best when it is exposed to bright light beforehand. Fun Fact: Military personnel spray silly string to detect trip wires that could trigger explosives or traps. How Real Silly String Works If you have a way to pressurize a can, you can make your own real silly string. Over the years, the composition of the product has changed to improve its performance and eliminate the CFC originally used to propel the polymer. The original polymer for silly string was polyisobutyl methacrylate, extruded by forcing it through a nozzle with dichlorodifluoromethane (Freon-12). Since the original patent, manufacturers have replaced Freon-12, an ozone-depleted compound, with a more environmentally-friendly chemical.  The surfactant sorbitan trioleate kept the string from being too sticky. So, to make your own real silly string, you need an acrylate that will polymerize  in air, a propellant, and a surfactant. Go for it!

Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time - Quator Pour Le...

Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time - Quator Pour Le Fin Du Temps Technical and Interpretative Challenges Presented to Performers in Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) played a significant part in the evolution of twentieth-century music, influencing a number of other composers with his innovative compositional techniques. The Quartet for the End of Time, is not one of Messiaen’s typical works due to the circumstances in which it was composed (his main outputs were organ, orchestral and choral works), but it marks the start of the significant use of some of these techniques. In 1940, Messiaen was called up to serve in the army as a hospital orderly, but was soon captured by the Germans and taken to a†¦show more content†¦Interpretative challenges presented by theological ideas behind the Quatuor The Quatuor is based on Revelation 10.1-7, in particular the phrase â€Å"there shall be no more time.† Time is represented musically in different ways throughout the Quatuor and the addition of this theological basis to the piece ‘may well have been prompted by the prisoner-of-war conditions in which he found himself, in which time might indeed have seemed literally endless, and the Apocalypse close at hand’ . It is difficult to know, though, to what extent this theological basis must be considered and portrayed when performing the Quartet for the End of Time. The words that it is based on appear in the title and preface, but the challenge to the performer is deciding to what extent the text should be interpreted as a narrative or programme. Similar challenges are presented by Romantic music; if a composer does not provide an explicit programme e.g. Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique it is up to the performer to interpret whether one was meant and to what extent it should be portrayed in a performance. The deciding factor in the case of the Quatuor is to consider movements 5 and

Computing Sustainable Global Development -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Computing Sustainable Global Development? Answer: Introduction The big data plays a significant role in forming the development of technology and implementing improved technology for the various organizations (Hashem et al., 2015). Big data analytics would comprise of forming the development of the activities of the organization. The big data analytics would help the deep involvement of the operations of the data management. The data management using big data analytics would help the effective modification of the organization (Chen et al., 2015). The IOT devices are helpful for implementing the improved activities so that the business organization would be helpful for forming the effective development. The cloud system analysis would help the business development for increasing the effective and compact development of the data access for the users. The use of the cloud system analysis would help the business development for ensuring that the improved system would be aligned (Jin et al., 2015). The specific modification of the cloud system modifi cation has helped the business organizations for improving their functions and operations and expanding their global reach to customers. The following assignment is deployed for ensuring that the factors of big data challenge for IOT and Cloud network. The report consists of a literature review of the topic for ensuring that necessary and improved information is collected on the topic. The analysis of various literature has helped them in developing the accurate and sufficient operations for the organization. The alignment of the improved functional analysis would also comprise of forming the successive development of the functions. The analysis would provide the option for sorting out the various factors of issues, challenges, and their appropriate solution for the use of big data in the technology of IoT and Cloud network. The report would also comprise of analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of performing the research on the topic of big data issues in IoT and Cloud system. Literature Review on Big Data challenges in IoT and cloud The study of the various literature and articles on Big Data, IoT, and Cloud network has resulted in forming an influential analysis of the topic for forming the general inference on the issues and challenges of the big data in IoT and Cloud system. The Big Data has been influencing the prospect of development of the operations in improved functional development along with enhancing operations (De Francisci Morales et al., 2016). The big data represents the analysis factors for the accountability of the large scale of data usage. The literature review of the big data challenges in IoT and Cloud would be done in the following five sections. Definition of the terms According to Riggins and Wamba (2015), the big data refers to the technology of managing large scale of the data in a single database so that the users can get the benefit of an integrated database. Many large industries had implied the big data technology for ensuring that they can use the technology for globalization. The big companies like Microsoft, Apple, Woolworths, and other global giants have implied the technology for effectively implying the development of the profound system development. The improvement of the improved factors would help in forming the supplementary management of the activities. As discussed by the Srivastava and Chaudhari (2016), the IoT stands for Internet of Things, and it refers to technological instruments that have been helpful for forming the implementation of the advanced technology. The IoT devices and technology would be helpful for forming the successful implication of the effective and improved processing. The use of the IoT devices would allow the users for forming the improved analysis of the operations with the help of IoT devices. The IoT devices are helpful for compiling the development of the technology with the help of effective and improved operations. Sun et al. (2016) have described the cloud computing regarding the technology that forms a virtual database for the users to access and use while ensuring that effective and improved communication is established. The cloud computing system is very helpful for forming the rift in establishing the effective communication in the organization. The cloud network system would allow the modification of the system for developing the improved analysis. Role of Big Data in IoT technology Big data plays a vital role in IoT technology by forming ease of storing the large amount of data that would be required for the framework (Perera et al., 2015). The increase in the volume of data storage would be the primary benefit for the organization by the use of the big data analytics. The supplementary implication of the effective and improved operations would be helpful for forming the supplementary development of the information processing. The big data analytics have helped the organizations to receive the information and store them in a concentric database from the IoT devices. The implementation of the successive development model would help the development of the improved functional analysis. According to Chen et al. (2014), the IoT devices would be connected to other devices using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other means to implement the successive information transfer and access. Role of Big Data in Cloud System The advent of cloud technology was a landmark event for the information system development and storage system (Botta et al., 2014). The cloud system provides a virtual memory to the users so that they can store and access the information whenever required. The Cloud technology had been largely used for effective and improved functional operations. The deployment of the big data information would also help in building the cloud system storage. The Cloud system required big data for forming the effective data analysis. The cloud and big data have been running simultaneously, and it would help in forming the development of improved functions (Hashem et al., 2016). Many global leaders are using cloud computing technology for integrating their operations in the effective and improved operations. Probable Challenges of Big Data in IoT technology The big data technology had been integrated with the IoT technology for easing the implementation and utilization of the information processing (Lee Lee, 2015). It had helped in easing the information processing technology and developing effective operations for the organizations. The probable challenges of using Big Data in IoT technology are helpful for forming the rift in implying effective communication in the organization. The challenges have formed negative impact on the factors like technology, privacy policy, and ethics. According to Tsai, Lai and Vasilakos (2014), the use of big data analytics has resulted in forming the issues related to the storage of the data for IoT devices. The big data storage requires a considerable amount of storage for storing the vast numbers of data. It is probable that the IoT device would require that huge amount of storage for forming the capacity of big data storage. The advent of employing improved data storage would allow the users for forming the consolidated and fixated database. Many IoT devices are compact and it becomes a major issue for deploying the mass storage in the system. For example, the fingerprint identification devices for large-scale industries would require inputting fingerprint and records of hundreds of thousands employees and staffs. However, the device would not be able to store records and fingerprint of so many people altogether. Hence, it would be required for storing the data in a network accessible storage that would be connected to the Io T device. It would give rise to the security concerns for the organization. Ranjan (2017) have stated that the storage of big data is always accompanied by the data security problems. The data security is a major concern for the organizations that store data on big data platform of IoT devices. The IoT devices are connected to the internet cloud network that makes it accessible for the required users. However, the network can also be accessed by external users. The data development is largely responsible for forming the edge of clearing the development model. The slackness of the security would tend to expose the data to unauthorized users also. It would result in the misuse of the existing data by those users for their benefits (Peng et al., 2016). For example- If the database stored in the bill printing machine of a retail store is accessed from outside, then the hacker can access the names of the potential customers, suppliers, and other information of the retail store. Then he/she can use that information for gaining personal benefits by selling it to th e potential buyer (i.e., competitors of the retail store. As explained by Cui, Yu and Yan (2016), the compatibility issue is one of the major factors that have formed the hindrances in deploying the big data in the IoT devices. The big data storage is not present in the IoT devices and it is required for managing the supplementary development of the operations. The compatibility issue arises when the stored data on the big data platform would form the major issues in being used at the IoT devices. The file type compatibility is very crucial for the deployment of the improved functional development (Ning et al., 2015). The compatibility issue would result in making the data void from being used through the IoT devices. The implication of the improved functions would be helpful for forming the successful implication of the operations. The analysis would allow the formation of the improved activities for the modification of the activities. However, the compatibility issues are the major factor for the formation of the improved big data analysis in the IoT devices. Probable Challenges of Big Data in Cloud system The probable challenges of the big data technology in cloud system include the management issue, privacy issue, and replication of the data (Biswas Giaffreda, 2014). The cloud system makes the data accessible to all authorized users. However, the cloud network can also be accessed by external users and it would give rise to the problem of integrity of the data. Moreover, the cloud network can form the issues in integrating the development of the data due to the occurrence of the data duplication. According to Daz, Martn and Rubio (2016), the data management issues arise when the system become incompatible with being managed by the users. The implication of the profound system development would allow the integration of the data in a specific platform. The data management issues are aligned with the development of the operations and it would form the hindrances in developing the operations of the organization. The big data analytics comprises of generating a huge amount of data that must be managed for being used in the IoT devices (Baccarelli et al., 2016). The data management includes entering, storing, modifying, and aligning the activities of the organization for forming the improved operations. The issues of data management had been largely impacting the formation of the operations for the cloud system. The data management in the cloud is largely impacted due to the probability of the issues raised from the large storage. On the other hand, Aazam et al. (2014) have pointed that the data infiltration is a major issue of the big data in cloud system as it results in forming the privacy hindrance for the organizations. The data infiltration is a major factor that forms the rift for the deployment of the effective cloud network. The cloud network results in data infiltration due to the technical security issues. The issues of the network infiltration would develop the formation of the occasional and profound network system (Hansel et al., 2015). The external users would tend to integrate the probability of the data issues in the organization. The data infiltration would result in forming the issues of the data being exposed to external users. The data infiltration would result in forming the integration of the supplementary development model. For example- Online retail stores have been facing some data security infiltrations that have extracted a considerable amount of information regarding clients inform ation and operations. As opined by Cecchinel (2014), the replication of the data is another major issue for the cloud computing system. The replication of the data is caused due to the issues in the implication of the improved functional development. The cloud computing system would be deployed for forming the occasional and supportive deployment of the data processing. The data replication would tend to involve the data redundancy feature of the data processing. The cloud computing system would tend to form the management of the improved analysis and it would involve the completion of the supportive and compact system development (Cai Zhu, 2015). The replication of the data is resulted due to the operational and combinational development. The data replication would result in forming the duplication of the data in the organization and it would consume more memory than required for the organization. For example- the details of the customer can be mistakenly stored in both purchase files and bill receipt f ile of the database unless both of them are integrated into one main database (Sadeghi, Wachsmann Waidner, 2015). The information would again be duplicated in customer details file as well and payment received file. The study by Da Xu et al. (2014), have helped in forming the rigorous analysis of the factors of risk analysis and deploying effective and improved analysis models. The use of the literature and research journals would allow the integration of the various probable issues generated due to the use of Big Data Analytics in the IoT technology and cloud system. The big data development results in forming the analysis of the large scale of information and data. However, it had tended to bring the issues of security, management, and technology for the users. The security issues can be sorted out by analyzing them and forming appropriate solution to the issues of the big data implication for the IoT and cloud system. The integration of the operations of the data would involve the formation of the supplementary development of the activities. The operational development for the organization would allow the formation of the support and development of improved operations for dealing with the pro bability of the occurrence of the issues (Matharu, Upadhyay Chaudhary, (2014). The mitigation strategies would allow the formation of the supplementary development of the operations for fixing the probabilities of the operational development. Issues, Challenges, and Solutions on Big Data challenges The Big Data technology had been helpful for increasing the growth of the operations by forming the improved functions (Firouzi et al., 2018). The technology development had resulted in forming the improvement of the operations and successive system development. The use of big data has been largely helpful for carrying out the successive development of the improved operations. However, the implementation of the activities would tend to result in forming some issues and problems such as need of huge data storage, data security issues, compatibility issue, data management issues, data infiltration, and data replication (Jing et al., 2014). The probability of the issues is dependent on the use of the technology and the effective deployment of the operations. Issues of Big data in IoT and Cloud System The issues of using the big data in IoT devices and cloud system are techno-management based and it has been seen that these issues have impacted the functionality of the device or system resulting in impacting the organization functionally, financially, and technologically. The issues of implementing big data in IoT and cloud system are need of huge data storage, data security issues, compatibility issue, data management issues, data infiltration, and data replication (Al-Fuqaha et al., 2015). The issues have been explained in the following points, Need of huge data storage: The use of big data analytics has resulted in forming the issues related to the storage of the data for IoT devices and cloud system (Bifet, 2016). The big data storage requires a considerable amount of storage for storing the vast numbers of data. Many IoT devices are compact and it becomes a major issue for deploying the mass storage through cloud network in the system. Hence, it is important for ensuring that improved data storage is installed in the organization. The authentic and systematic deployment of the operations would help the business organization for developing the consolidated factor for developing operations. Data security issues: The data security is a major concern for the organizations that store data on big data platform of IoT devices and cloud system. The IoT devices and cloud system are connected to the internet cloud network that makes in accessible for the remote users (Psomakelis et al., 2016). Hence, the external users can also get the probability of accessing the database and extracting information from the database. The slackness of the security would tend to expose the data to unauthorized users also. It would result in the misuse of the existing data by those users for their benefits. Compatibility Issue: The compatibility issue arises when the stored data on the big data platform would form the major issues in being used in the IoT devices and cloud system. The file type compatibility is very crucial for the deployment of the improved functional development. The compatibility issue would result in making the data void from being used through the IoT devices. Data management issues: The data management issues are aligned with the development of the operations and it would form the hindrances in developing the operations of the organization (Conti et al., 2018). The big data analytics comprises of generating a huge amount of data that must be managed for being used in the IoT devices and cloud system. The issues of data management had been largely impacting the formation of the operations for the cloud system. Data infiltration: The data infiltration is a major factor that forms the rift for the deployment of the useful big data for IoT devices and cloud system. The cloud network results in data infiltration due to the technical security issues. The external users would tend to infiltrate the probability of the data issues in the organization. The data infiltration would result in forming the issues of the data being exposed to external users. Data replication: The replication of the data is caused due to the issues in implication of the improved functional development of IoT devices and cloud system. The data replication would tend to involve the data redundancy feature of the data processing. The data replication would result in forming the duplication of the data in the organization and it would consume more memory than required for the organization. Challenges due to the issues of Big Data in IoT and Cloud System The issues of implementing big data in IoT and cloud system are need of huge data storage, data security issues, compatibility issue, data management issues, data infiltration, and data replication. These issues have impacted the functionality of the device or system resulting in impacting the organization functionally, financially, and technologically (Cai et al., 2017). The issues of the big data in IoT and cloud system would have to face the 3V Challenge, Hardware Challenge, Scalability Challenge, Management Challenge, and Skill Requirement Challenge. 3V Challenge: The 3V in big data stands for volume, veracity, and velocity and implication of big data in IoT and cloud system would tend to face these challenges. The big data implication would ease the processing of the data and information (Wang Ranjan, 2015). However, the implication of big data in IoT and cloud system would have to face the problem of amount of data available. The problem arises when a large number of data arrives from a single source or data arrives from some sources. In both the situations, the analysis of the data and derivation of a meaningful outcome from the data would be required. The variable resource of the information and data would tend to form the issues in data storage. The velocity refers to the prospect of the speed of the data receiving from the source (Yaqoob et al., 2017). If the overall incoming pace of the data in very high and higher than that can be managed by the IoT devices and cloud system, then it would raise the challenge of managing the big data. Hardware Challenge: The utilization of the big data for increasing the performance capacity of the operations of IoT devices and cloud system would tend to get issues in implying the successive hardware issues (Cartier et al., 2016). The data warehouses are required for ensuring that improved data analysis and modification is being used. The organizations require the massive data warehouses for propagating the operations of the hardware demonstration model for big data analytics. The hardware data analytics would ensure that the effective and improved operations would be employed. The organization would have to ensure that the improvement of the probable system development would allow the integration of the operations. The hardware challenges would enable the probability of captivating the operations. The organizations have to employ a skilled big data programmer or provide the contract from external (Yang et al., 2017). The organizations would have to employ near real time intervals for the deployment of the improved functions. Scalability Challenge: The scalability challenge of the project is due to the increase of the data for the projects rapidly. The storage of the data would tend to form the possible abrupt increase or decrease of the data flow (Baesens et al., 2016). It would tend to form the operational development in information for managing the data level scaling. The scalability challenge rises when the organization undergoes growth and development. The scalability challenges would tend to form the issues in lateral development of the operations. The organization would have to face the issue of managing the scalable data integration. The help of the scaling of the information would enable the organization for using optimized resources in the big data storage. However, the implication of the scalability is not easy as it would result in forming the increment of the complexity in the organization (Plageras et al., 2017). It requires the usage of largely induced system development in the data managem ent for big data analytics. Management Challenge: The data management issues arise when the system become incompatible with being managed by the users. The data management issues are aligned with the development of the operations and it would form the hindrances in developing the operations of the organization (Li et al., 2016). The big data analytics comprises of generating a huge amount of data that must be managed for being used in the IoT devices and cloud system. The data management includes entering, storing, modifying, and aligning the activities of the organization for forming the improved operations. The issues of data management had been largely impacting the formation of the operations for the cloud system. The data management in cloud is largely impacted due to the probability of the issues raised from the large storage. The management of the big data is a major factor that would impact the processing of the information. Skill Requirement Challenge: The skill requirement challenge for big data implementation in IoT devices and cloud system comprises of requiring skilled workers and technicians (Akhbar et al., 2016). The employment of the operations would converge for realizing the development of the skilled operations. The analysis would provide the development of the system development methods. The integration of the operations would help the business development in forming the accurate and confidential operations. The organizations have to employ a skilled big data programmer or provide the contract from external. Hence it is evident that the employees must have skilled information stored for developing the cohesive and successive information processing. The deployment of the operations would result in forming the operational and improved development model. Probable Solutions of the issues of Big Data in IoT and Cloud System All the issues of big data implementation in IoT devices and cloud system would result in forming the general issues and hindrances in bid data analytics of IoT and cloud system. The probable solutions for the issues and challenges are standard configuration, relational data access methods, and optimization of data processing. These three steps would help in dealing with the issues of security and privacy, data management, data scalability, and data access. Standard Configuration: The use of the standard configuration for the data access would allow the users to the development of the effective and improved functional development (Cortes et al., 2015). The analysis would help the business organization for forming the limited and effective system development functions. The improved functional operations for the data storing and modifying can be done by the standard configuration of the operations. The alignment of the operations would allow the users for forming the system development. The standard configurations of the use of the data storage in the number of compatible operations would be helpful for ensuring that improved functional operations. The configurations would include use of JSON, BSON, and XML formats. These standard configurations would allow the implementation of the supportive development methods. The implication of the standard configuration methods would be helpful for listing the most effective system operations (Peng et al., 2016). The analysis would deploy the modifications of the activities and it would also result in forming the appropriate development. The analysis had helped in forming the modification of the operations and carrying out the development of the improved data modification. Relational Data Access methods: The relational data access methods would be helpful for forming the improvement rift in the operations. The big data implementation for IoT devices and cloud computing would allow the integration of the improved processing and development (Ning et al., 2015). The access to the data would tend to develop the smart access in the organization for the modification of the operations. The use of JDBC/ODBC would be helpful for standardization of the relational data access method. The implication of the relational data access method would help in developing the improved processing and operations. The relational data access methods would be helpful for the modification of the effective and improved operations. The use of the system developed functions would be helpful for modifying the improved functional analysis. The implication of the relational data would allow the implication of the successive development factor. Optimization of data processing: The optimization of the data processing would help in forming the accurate development model for the operations. The data processing for the big data would consume a huge amount of time and functions (Perera et al., 2015). The formation of the operations would allow the integration of the supplementary and actions. The formation of the profound development method would be helpful for forming the modification of the implicit development. The analysis of the development would be helpful for fixing the compact development method. The analysis would be helpful for carrying out the data processing for the organization. The data management using big data analytics would help the effective modification of the organization. The IOT devices are helpful for implementing the improved activities so that the business organization would be helpful for forming the effective development. The cloud system analysis would help the business development for increasing the effective and compact development of the data access for the users (Jin et al., 2015). The use of the cloud system analysis would help the business development for ensuring that the improved system would be aligned. Future Research on topic Big data implication in IoT devices and cloud computing would be helpful for improving the prospects of most of the industries and organization. However, the implication of big data would be more beneficial for healthcare and market study sectors. These two sectors would be largely assisted by the implication of the big data technology. The analysis has also helped in carving the modification of the existing facilities to deploy the improved functional development. Big Data technology in Healthcare industry: Big data has been widely used in most of the commercial sectors and the implementation of the technology in healthcare would provide a massive factor for the development of the improved operations. According to Ranjan (2017), the use of the successive and optimized process would be helpful for carrying out the supplementary development of the improved activities. The organizational processing is helpful for modifying the existing facilities. The implementation of the existing facilities would be helpful for forming the development of the existing technology. The big data would help in easing the process of treatments for the patients. The implication of the big data technology would help the faster data transfer and collaborative modification of the operations. The analysis of the adaptive and cohesive technology for managing the database in the healthcare industry would help in adapting the probability of the improved functional developmen t (Biswas Giaffreda, 2014). The simplification of the operations would be helpful for forming the development of the improved services for the healthcare industry. Big Data Analytics in Market study: The use of big data analytics would be helpful for the studying of the improved functional analysis of the operations (Peng et al., 2016). The market study requires processing of the huge number of data and information. The implication of the proactive formation of the analysis would allow the use of the improved functional analysis. The support and the development of the operations would help the market study analysis for the organizational development factor. The large-scale data and information would help the researchers for analysis of the market trends. The market study would help in improving the economic conditions of the organization. The analysis had also helped in carving out process of the operations. The activities of the operations would be helpful for forming the development of the operations and analysis. Advantages and disadvantages of research The advantages and disadvantages of the operations would be helpful for forming the development of the implication. The advantages of using the research would be helpful for the development improvement of the operations (De Francisci Morales et al., 2016). The initial analysis of the factors of challenges would form the basic information accumulation that would be helpful for forming the mitigation strategies. The use of the technology development would help the organizations for improving the performance and scale of their activities. The big data would help in easing the process of treatments for the patients. The implication of the big data technology would help the faster data transfer and collaborative modification of the operations. The analysis of the adaptive and cohesive technology for managing the database in the healthcare industry would help in adapting the probability of the improved functional development. The simplification of the operations would be helpful for formin g the development of the improved services for the healthcare industry. The implication of the proactive formation of the analysis would allow the use of the improved functional analysis (Lee Lee, 2015). The support and the development of the operations would help the market study analysis for the organizational development factor. The activities of the operations would be helpful for forming the development of the operations and analysis. However, the study would form the exhaustion of resources along with the consumption of time and interest. The main disadvantages of using the big data in operations of varied industries are that the probability of the security flaws would overtake the benefits provided by the system (Perera et al., 2015). The external users would tend to infiltrate the probability of the data issues in the organization. The data infiltration would result in forming the issues of the data being exposed to external users. The slackness of the security would tend to expose the data to unauthorised users also. It would result in the misuse of the existing data by those users for their benefits. Conclusion It can be concluded from the assignment that there are many issues in integrating big data technology with the IoT devices and cloud computing. The study of the various literature and articles on Big Data, IoT and Cloud network has helped in forming the general inference on the issues and challenges of the big data in IoT and Cloud system. Many large industries had implied the big data technology for ensuring that they can use the technology for globalization. The use of big data technology had been integrated with the operations of the technology and its simplified implication model. The support of the developed operations would help the organizations for facilitating the growth and development of the organization. The study had helped in realizing the probable challenges of using Big Data in IoT technology and the probable challenges of the big data technology in cloud system include the management issue, privacy issue, and replication of the data. The cloud system had made the dat a accessible to all authorized users. However, the cloud network had been accessed by external users and it gave rise to the problem of integrity of the data. Moreover, the cloud network had formed the issues in integrating the development of the data due to the occurrence of the data duplication. The issues of implementing big data in IoT and cloud system were need of huge data storage, data security issues, compatibility issue, data management issues, data infiltration, and data replication. These issues of the big data in IoT and cloud system would have to face the 3V challenge, hardware challenge, scalability challenges, management challenges, and skill requirement challenge. The probable solutions for the issues and challenges were standard configuration, relational data access methods, and optimization of data processing. References Aazam, M., Khan, I., Alsaffar, A. A., Huh, E. N. (2014, January). Cloud of Things: Integrating Internet of Things and cloud computing and the issues involved. 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Medical Office Management

XML and ebXML Essays

XML and ebXML Essays XML and ebXML Essay XML and ebXML Essay ebXML is an acronym which stands for â€Å"Electronic Business Extensible Markup Language†. From ebXML.org website, the description says that it is a modular suite of specification that enables global electronic market by allowing enterprises around the world to conduct business over the internet. It can be likened to the English language, although different people from different nationalities speak of different language, English is there to facilitate communication and that is why it is considered as the international language. In the same way, ebXML is the language or a tool which businesses can use to have better communication with each other. However, we are not referring to simple communications here, as we are referring to those complicated processes that are taking place in the context of the electronic business. The complexities of different forms of technology utilized by different enterprises have reduced the compatibility of data shared between enterprises electronically. High rate of incompatibility can be blamed from the fact that enterprises do not have one man who does the preparation of the information to be shared, but instead they rely most of the preparation to their own experts. Information systems used by different enterprises in most cases do not produce outputs of common format, and that’s another issue of incompatibility. There came a time when XML was introduced to the market, and it was widely accepted and utilized in information sharing. However, the absence of one man to do the preparation is still a problem. XML based information shared by businesses where having different specifications, structures, and definition. Still businesses were not able to resolve the situation. This problem has long been recognized as a barrier to the success of enabling a global electr onic market. It has long been realized that the only solution is to develop a common or standard rules, tools, or guidelines of formatting information. It is also widely accepted that XML is effective and the problem with incompatibility between XML based information can be solved by creating an open technical framework containing to enable uniform and consistent use of XML. ebXML helps reduce the cost of information sharing among enterprises. Many enterprises have long been sharing information through the use of Electronic Data Interface and this method is expensive. ebXML on the other hand is an economy-of-scale and implementation is easier because it can be implemented through the internet and other available networks. Enterprises no longer worry of the high cost of paying for hand carry, mail service, or make subsequent faxes, making phone calls to send information to other enterprises. It facilitates market expansion by locating potential businesses to partner with from different locations around the world. There’s no need to worry of incompatibility or misunderstanding. ebXML offers a single framework of exchanging XML based information which enterprises having access to the system can use. ebXML is secured. All information registered and shared in an ebXML system is authenticated and regulated by security policy set by the ebXML supporters. Its specifications are supported and continually updated by OASIS , UN/CEFACT, and many other organizations aiming for achieving international standardizations of business operation. ebXML achieved compatibility by providing enterprises with standardized message structures, standardized business process sequence, clear business semantics, and standardized business trading agreements. This makes business to business transactions processing quicker and efficient regardless of geographical locations as long as they are having access to the network running an ebXML compliant system. Sample ebXML implementations is the Dealersphere, a web-service based integration implemented for the auto industry. Car dealers who registered with dealership was connected to each other by the dealersphere engine plugged into dealer’s LAN. Other implementation was conducted supported by CECID and Hongkong government was deployed in eInvoicing System for Metro Operator (MTRC), eProcurement system for HMV Hongkong and Sony Hongkong, and the Dangerous Goods Manifests Submission System, and many others. Other CECID contribution to ebXML implementation is the Hermes (ebMS), and ebMail for freebXML,org website. Other implementations are the ebXML Messaging Services Interoperability and Conformance Validation Test conducted by eBusinessReady, Electronic hiring of temporary staff by European openExchange. Implementation of ebXML The prefix â€Å"eb† may have made the term â€Å"ebXML† as different from XML. Implementing ebXML compliant document structures can be done manually or automatically. No need to worry about purchasing new machines, it is designed to be independent. It can run on machines which support standard internet transfer protocol and XML. Existing computer systems supports the two basic requirements. Doing it manually requires not only knowledge in XML, but also of the internationally agreed standards of how XML should be used. Details of how ebXML is to be implemented are found on ebXML specifications. OASIS and UN/CEFACT accepts membership for those who want to participate in ebXML world. By joining to these sites, you can work with international experts who are collaborating efforts for the development of ebXML, and promoting it to the global electronic market. On the other hand, doing it automatically means using application software which generates ebXML compliant documents. Using ebXML compliant software is quicker because it provides something similar to the click and drag environment. There are downloadable ebXML editor from freebxml.org. Enterprises can create their own network of ebXML users. However, there is one most important requirement for an ebXML enabled interaction between enterprises, and that is the registry. The registry is a central repository of all the business processes, business profiles, process specifications, and data interchange classifications. In short, a repository or registry stores all relevant information. The registry mush have a graphical user interface where users can query, update stored information, insert new information, etc. Free ebXML registry can be found on the internet. There are also existing ebXML registry which are already implemented in various places around the world.   One must only need to search for these registries, inquire, and then register. Once the registration is complete, a registered enterprise can start registering his business processes specification, business profile, and other information pertaining to its business. All information registered on the ebXML registry are made available to all visitors querying on th e registry, which made it easier to find potential business partners. Once business partners agreed to work together, they will sign a Collaborative Protocol Agreement. Once the agreement is finished, the participating parties can start working with one another. Conclusion ebXML is a very effective tool for engaging in a global electronic market. It is less expensive, easier to implement, and supported by international standards. Many enterprises will soon implement ebXML which will enable them to meet on the internet regardless of geographical location.

Health care marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Health care marketing - Essay Example He explained the role of public relations departments in hospitals to me in a very comprehensive and enlightening manner and yet managed to keep the discussion from going off the deep end. An example of this was his meticulous response to one question about the primary difference between marketing and PR. He responded by saying that though there exist clear differences between marketing and PR, still the line running between them is getting more and more blurred with time due to multiple factors. No matter how much confusing it gets to identify the line between the two domains, the differences continue to matter. It is important for a public administrator to acknowledge the ABCs of his/her job and what is required of him/her at work. It is essential to recognize the difference between communicating with investors or public and promoting the business. Often times when public administrators working at some healthcare facility are asked if they spend their time communicating with the pu blic or advertising/marketing their healthcare setup, they answer that they are doing both which is where the line between PR and marketing gets blurred. Charles further illuminated me by identifying how the difference between PR and marketing matters more in large corporations or big hospitals than in small healthcare clinics. There is an entire department of people working at the hospitals to keep a check on release of earnings and communicating with the public which is why identifying the difference between PR and healthcare marketing matters more in big hospitals. Many times during his working at the local hospital, Charles mentioned how despite obvious differences marketing and PR at times became a function of each other and fueled each other. Based on his work experience, he told that at times, it gets practically difficult to separate one from another. Both marketing and PR are important areas as people working in both departments actually handle myriad activities to achieve same objectives and though the focus, strategies, and planning in both departments might differ, each is increasingly essential for the wellbeing of a hospital. Both PR and marketing require a different set of skills and focus on elements which stand in contrast to each other. â€Å"There are major differences between marketing and public relations that arise mainly from the view that the developments in relationship marketing and public relations are intruding in each other’s domain† (Stroh, 2007). Still for sustaining the growth and reputation of a big healthcare setup and because the awareness regarding the line of difference between PR and marketing is quite nebulous, it is critically important for the PR department to work in collaboration and concert with the marketing side. Separating these two departments from each other often becomes an issue when working in big hospitals but the need of the time is that both PR and marketing people know what is happening on t he other side because not working in collaboration means weaker results due to unmet objectives. When I asked Charles about his opinion on how the set of skills and strategies for PR and marketing differ from each other, he began to discuss the differences by first claiming that both PR and marketing are management functions and both have the same primary goal to promote the business. They differ in

Fascism, Nazism, Communism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fascism, Nazism, Communism - Essay Example This paper compares and contrasts Italian fascism, German Nazism and Soviet communism. â€Å"Fascism broke new grounds in its use of mass politics against the conservatives’ enemies, the left and liberals† (Paxton & Hessler, p.180). Same way fascism and communism also fought against capitalism and democracy. Hitler was not in a mood to accept an ideology like socialism. In his opinion, Germans were superior to other cultures and hence they have the right to enjoy more privileges than other cultures. Instead of working class, Hitler gave more importance to the ruling class. It should be noted that Soviet communism gave more importance to the interests of working class. It argued that the gap between the rich and poor should be reduced as much as possible and for that purpose the interests of the working class should be given priority. â€Å"Fascism and Nazism planned to make life better for the people through expanding the power of the government. Communism thought that people could have better lives if there was not a class system†(Nosotro). Italian fascism gave more importance class collaboration rather than class conflicts while Soviet communism gave more importance to class struggles rather than class collaboration. On the other hand, German Nazism gave more importance to national pride rather than socialism or economic inequalities. In fact â€Å"The catalyst to fascism was the threat of revolutionary socialism† (Paxton & Hessler, p.199). In other words, Italian fascism never believed in socialism. It argued that both working class and ruling class should work in collaboration to the economic growth of the country instead of trying to achieve socialism through revolutions. German Nazism on the other hand gave more importance to nationalism rather than economic inequalities of socialism. Hitler in a speech in 1928 argued that brutality rather than humanity is the basis of life! Man has become master of the world through conflict a nd continual struggle†¦ But mankind is not a uniform and equal mass. There are differences between races. The Earth has received its culture from elite peoples; what we see today is ultimately the result of the activity and the achievements of the Aryans (Kitson, p.1925). Nazism was adamant about the supremacy of Aryan culture over other cultures. It believed that only Aryans have the right to rule the world and other cultures should work under the Aryan leadership. Both Soviet communism and German Nazism were accepted uniformly in Soviet Union and Germany. However, Italian fascism was not accepted uniformly throughout Italy. â€Å"While the worker strongholds like Turin remained close to fascist ideas whereas the underdeveloped south remained in the hands of local bosses†(Paxton & Hessler, p.184). In other words, fascism failed to attract all Italians just like Soviet communism or German Nazism. ‘Italian fascism gained power in 1920 with the help of traditional co nservatives. Nazism also gained power in Germany in 1933 with help of similar alliances† (Paxton & Hessler, p.195). In short, both fascism and Nazism sought help from conservatives and fundamentalist to gain power. However, conservatives and fundamentalists were the strongest opponents of Soviet communism. Both fascism and Nazism are autocratic in nature compared to communism. Even though communism is not autocratic in nature, its principles and ideologies are not so democratic. It should be noted that Soviet communism was not giving any respect

Impact of Technology Essay Example for Free

Impact of Technology Essay Students in the early grades, from pre-K to grade 3, and in the middle school grades appear to benefit most from DES applications for reading instruction, as do students with special reading needs. In a 2000 study commissioned by the Software and Information Industry Association, Sivin-Kachala and Bialo (2000) reviewed 311 research studies on the effectiveness of technology on student achievement. Their findings revealed positive and consistent patterns when students were engaged in technology-rich environments, including significant gains and achievement in all subject areas, increased achievement in preschool through high school for both regular and special needs students, and improved attitudes toward learning and increased self-esteem. ODwyer, Russell, Bebell, and Tucker-Seeley (2005) found that, while controlling for both prior achievement and socioeconomic status, fourth-grade students who reported greater frequency of technology use at school to edit papers were likely to have higher total English/language arts test scores and higher writing scores on fourth grade test scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English/Language Arts test. Michigans Freedom to Learn (FTL) initiative, an effort to provide middle school students and teachers with access to wireless laptop computers, has been credited with improving grades, motivation and discipline in classrooms across the state, with one exemplary school seeing reading proficiency scores on the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test, administered in January 2005, reportedly increasing from 29 percent to 41 percent for seventh graders and from 31 to 63 percent for eighth graders (eSchool News, 2005). In examining large-scale state and national studies, as well as some innovative smaller studies on newer educational technologies, Schacter (1999) found that students with access to any of a number of technologies (such as computer assisted instruction, integrated learning systems, simulations and software that teaches higher order thinking, collaborative networked technologies, or design and programming technologies) show positive gains in achievement on researcher constructed tests, standardized tests, and national tests. Cavanaughs synthesis (2001) of 19 experimental and quasi-experimental studies of the effectiveness of interactive distance education using videoconferencing and telecommunications for K-12 academic achievement found a small positive effect in favor of distance education and more positive effect sizes for interactive distance education programs that combine an individualized approach with traditional classroom instruction. Boster, Meyer, Roberto, ; Inge (2002) examined the integration of standards-based video clips into lessons developed by classroom teachers and found increases student achievement. The study of more than 1,400 elementary and middle school students in three Virginia school districts showed an average increase in learning for students exposed to the video clip application compared to students who received traditional instruction alone. Wenglinsky (1998) noted that for fourth- and eighth-graders technology has positive benefits on achievement as measured in NAEPs mathematics test. Interestingly, Wenglinsky found that using computers to teach low order thinking skills, such as drill and practice, had a negative impact on academic achievement, while using computers to solve simulations saw their students math scores increase significantly. Hiebert (1999) raised a similar point. When students over-practice procedures before they understand them, they have more difficulty making sense of them later; however, they can learn new concepts and skills while they are solving problems. In a study that examined relationship between computer use and students science achievement based on data from a standardized assessment, Papanastasiou, Zemblyas, Vrasidas (2003) found it is not the computer use itself that has a positive or negative effect on achievement of students, but the way in which computers are used. Researchers are also making progress on the more complicated task of investigating the impact of technology use on higher order thinking skills as measured through means other than standardized tests. They are examining students ability to understand complex phenomena, analyze and synthesize multiple sources of information, and build representations of their own knowledge. At the same time, some researchers are calling for newer standardized assessments that emphasize the ability to access, interpret, and synthesize information. Research indicates that computer technology can help support learning and is especially useful in developing the higher-order skills of critical thinking, analysis, and scientific inquiry by engaging students in authentic, complex tasks within collaborative learning contexts (Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin ; Means, 2000; Means, et. al. , 1993). While research linking technology integration, inquiry-based teaching, and emphasis on problem solving with student achievement is emergent, some research exists that suggests a connection. In a 2001 study of Enhancing Missouris Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMints) program, a statewide technology integration initiative, eMINTS students scored consistently higher on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) than non-eMINTS students, including eMINTS students classified as having special needs. The higher MAP results were found to be associated with the instructional practices (Evaluation Team Policy Brief, 2002). The eMINTS program provides teachers with professional development to help integrate technology so that they can use inquiry-based teaching and emphasize critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. The program has since expanded to not only Missouri schools and districts but also other states as well. Currently, 232 Missouri districts, 10 Utah districts, 56 Maine districts, 2 Nevada districts, and 1 Illinois district, representing 1,000 classrooms and 22,500 students now take advantage of the eMINTS program offerings. Test results continue to show that, on most state tests, students enrolled in eMINTS classrooms scored higher than students enrolled in non-eMINTS classrooms and that low-income and special education students in eMINTS classes generally score higher than their non-eMINTS peers (eMINTS, 2005). Results from other studies (Perez-Prado and Thirunarayanan 2002; Cooper 2001; Smith, Ferguson and Caris 2001) also suggest that students can benefit from technology-enhanced collaborative learning methods and the interactive learning process. Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin, Means (2000) identify four fundamental characteristics of how technology can enhance both what and how children learn in the classroom: (1) active engagement, (2) participation in groups, (3) frequent interaction and feedback, and (4) connections to real-world contexts. They also indicate that use of technology is more effective as a learning tool when embedded in a broader education reform movement that includes improvements in teacher training, curriculum, student assessment, and a schools capacity for change. Back To Top FACTORS TO CONSIDER Inclusion: Reaching All Students A major concern of many educators with regard to educational technology is its potential to exclude those who may not have access to it, or may not be able to use it. Regardless of what research may indicate concerning positive effects of technology on student learning, technology will be of limited use in achieving the goals of NCLB if is not available to all students. Students at Risk. Research demonstrates that the challenge of helping teachers and students achieve ICT literacy, and the challenge of establishing frameworks for assessing their skills, is most acute in schools serving low-socioeconomic, minority students (Becker, 2000b; Becker ; Ravitz, 1997). While public debate about the digital divide centers on basic technology access, the gap is even wider when measured by the pedagogical practices associated with technology use in different schools. More than half (53%) of teachers in public schools who have computers use them or the Internet for instruction during class. But in schools whose students are from higher-income families, 61 percent of teachers with computers use them in class compared to 50 percent of those teaching in schools with lower-income students (Lenhart, Rainie ; Lewis, 2001). And as wired as many young people are, the same study that found 87 percent of young people use the Internet also found that 3 million remain without Internet access. Many of those without access come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, and a disproportionate number are black (eSchool News, 2005a). Schools serving students living in poverty tend to use technology for more traditional memory-based and remedial activities, while schools serving wealthier communities are more likely to focus on communication and expression. A nationwide study examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and teaching practices around technology found that teaching in low-SES schools correlated most strongly with using technology for reinforcement of skills and remediation of skills, while teaching in higher-SES schools correlated most with analyzing information and presenting information to an audience (Becker, 2000b). At the same time, although less studied than other outcomes, demonstration efforts and anecdotal evidence suggest that teaching ICT literacy skills (specifically those related to multimedia literacy in Web, publishing and video production) can improve the economic prospects of at-risk youth by giving them marketable skills (Lau ; Lazarus, 2002). Back To Top Language Learners. Likewise, in teaching language learners, using technology has distinct advantages that relate not only to language education but preparing students for todays information society. Computer technologies and the Internet are powerful tools for assisting language teaching because Web technology is a part of todays social fabric, meaning language learners can now learn thorough writing e-mail and conducting online research (Wang, 2005). In Oregon secondary schools, wirelessly networked note taking is used to support Hispanic migrant students who speak English as a second language (ESL). As part of the InTime project, ESL students attend regular high school classes along with a bilingual, note-taking/mentoring partner. Note takers and students communicate using a collaborative word processing and graphics package on wirelessly networked laptop computers. During class presentations, ESL students can read their note takers translation of key words, allowing students to build both English and Spanish literacy skills as they advance academically (Knox and Anderson-Inman, 2001). Students with Disabilities. For several decades, the American educational system has taken a narrow view of special education, treating it as a mini-school within the school where teachers, largely cut off from the rest of the staff, faced a group of students with an incredibly wide range of abilities and disabilities and made the best of it. Today, that view of special education is giving way to a broader, more philosophical approach—an approach designed to weave inclusive practices into t he fabric of the whole-school environment. (MOSAIC, 2000a). The shift in recognizing the needs of students with disabilities in relationship to their general education peers began with the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Before the law, many children with disabilities who were not in schools at all because schools had chosen to exclude them (MOSAIC, 2000b). IDEA clearly established that all students with disabilities have the right to public education. More than 6 million children with disabilities ages 3 to 21 years old are served in federally supported programs (Snyder Tan, 2005). However, students with disabilities frequently experience insufficient access to and success in the general education curriculum. This is especially true for adolescent learners, even non-disabled students, who must cope with the emphasis on learning from text (Biancarosa Snow, 2004; Kamil, 2003). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) takes advantage of the opportunity brought by rapidly evolving communication technologies to create flexible teaching methods and curriculum materials that can reach diverse learners and improve student access to the general education curriculum (Rose Meyer, 2002). UDL assumes that students bring different needs and skills to the task of learning, and the learning environment should be designed to both accommodate, and make use of, these differences (Bowe 2000; Rose Meyer, 2002). To promote improved access to the general curriculum for all learners, including learners with disabilities, Rose Meyer (2002) have identified three key principles or guidelines for UDL: Presenting information in multiple formats and multiple media. Offering students with multiple ways to express and demonstrate what they have learned. Providing multiple entry points to engage student interest and motivate learning. For example, printed reading materials pose substantial challenges to the learning of students with disabilities (J. Zorfass: personal communication, October 2005). Technology can assist with such difficulties by enabling a shift from printed text to electronic text, which Anderson-Inman and Reinking (1998) assert can be modified, enhanced, programmed, linked, searched, collapsed, and collaborative. Text styles and font sizes can be modified as needed by readers with visual disabilities; read aloud by a computer-based text-to-speech translators; and integrated with illustrations, videos, and audio. Electronic text affords alternative formats for reading materials that can be customized to match learner needs, can be structured in ways that scaffold the learning process and expand both physical and cognitive access, and can foster new modes of expression through revision and multimedia (J. Zorfass: personal communication, October 2005). It represents one way that technology can support the achievement of students with disabilities. Technology also has a role to play in the testing of students with disabilities. A notable outgrowth of NCLB is the legislations mandatory requirement that states account for individual subgroups, which has further challenged schools and districts to acknowledge students with disabilities (McLaughlin, S Embler, K Nagle, 2004; Nagle, 2005). State academic content and achievement standards now define the goals of education for all students, and most students with disabilities are now expected to reach the same level of proficiency as their non-disabled peers. In order to ensure that disabilities do not prevent students from participating in standardized assessments, students with disabilities are entitled to take these tests in the same way as their peers, with accommodations, or with an alternate assessment (Thompson, Thurlow, ; Moore, 2003). These accommodations or alternatives must not alter the content standard being measured nor the achievement standard (McLaughlin, Embler ; Nagle, 2004). While technology can support such accommodations and alternatives, striking a balance between accommodation and standardization across all students testing experiences remains a subject of debate today (Murray, 2005). Back To Top Educational Technology and Data Driven Decision Making The effectiveness of educational technology on student learning depends not only on what outcomes are targeted and how the technology is integrated into instruction, but also on how teachers assess student performance in classrooms and adjust instruction accordingly. Technology offers teachers a broad range of tools to collect and analyze data, and richer sets of student data to guide instructional decisions. NCLB has prompted educators to think much more systematically about educational decision-making and the use of data to inform their decisions about everything from resource allocation to instructional practice. Schools are now expected to monitor their efforts to enable all students to achieve, and administrators and teachers are now expected to be prepared to use data to understand where students are academically and to establish targeted, responsive, and flexible ways to improve this academic standing (Mitchell, Lee, Herman, 2000, p. 2). However, despite encouragement at the policy level, there is growing consensus that schools are not adequately prepared for the task of routinely thinking critically about the relationships between instructional practices and student outcomes (Confrey Makar, 2005; Olsen, 2003; Hammerman Rubin, 2002; Herman Gribbons, 2001; Kearns Harvey, 2000). Recent research conducted by EDCs Center for Children and Technology has found that educators working at different levels of a school system have distinctive intuitive approaches to the process, despite the absence of systematic training in a particular approach to data-driven decision-making. For example, school administrators use high-stakes test data to allocate resources and plan professional development and other kinds of targeted intervention activities by identifying general patterns of performance, class-, grade-, and school-wide strengths and weaknesses. Teachers tend to use multiple sources of data—homework assignments, in-class tests, classroom performances, and experiential information—to inform their thinking about their students strengths and weaknesses (Brunner, Fasca, Heinze, Honey, Light, Mandinach ; Wexler, 2005; Light, Wexler ; Heinze, 2004; Honey, Brunner, Light, Kim, McDermott, Heinze, Bereiter ; Mandinach, 2002). While drawing on varied sources of data to form opinions about students competencies is not new behavior for teachers, significant research (Mandinach, Honey, Light, Heinze, Rivas, 2005; Confrey Makar, 2002, 2005; Hammerman, Rubin, 2002, 2003) suggests that teachers examine factors that contribute to individual patterns of behavior and think case-by-case, rather than identify patterns in data at different levels of aggregation, from student-to-student, class-to-class, and year-to-year, and systematically analyze the relationship between student performance and instructional strategies and materials. Data literacy—the ability of instructional leaders and teachers to work individually and collectively to examine outcomes-based achievement data, formative assessment measures of student performance, and students work products, and to develop strategies for improvement based on these data—is now widely recognized as a critical strategy in the academic performance of schools (Fullan, 1999; Haycock, 2001; Johnson, 1996; Love, 2004; Schmoker, 1999; Zalles, 2005). A key concept of data literacy is generating only the data that are needed and making full use of whats collected. The National Research Council (1996) notes that, far too often, more educational data are collected and analyzed than are used to make decisions or take action (p. 90). Those resources become meaningful to educators only when they are transformed into information, and ultimately into usable or actionable knowledge (Mandinach Honey, 2005). Taken as a whole, the emerging research in this area suggests that what is needed is a comprehensive and purposeful approach to the use of data that not only informs the practices of individual teachers, but is supported as an essential and strategic part of school-wide improvement strategies. New professional development programs are now training teachers and school leaders in how to make use of data in systematic and rigorous ways to continuously improve student performance. For example, TERC has created Using Data, a professional development model that introduces teachers to a process through which they learn to frame questions, collect data, formulate hypotheses, draw conclusions, take action, and monitor results (Love, 2002). Preliminary studies have indicated that this model has had an impact on teacher classroom behavior and on their approach to data analysis and interpretation (Love, 2004), and has also improved student learning as indicated by state and formative assessments (Zuman, 2005). Results from external evaluations of the intervention conducted in various locations have shown substantial gains in student performance on state accountability measures in the areas of math and language arts. Technology has a vital role to play in enabling data-driven decision-making. Web-based test data reporting systems provide an interface to the state and city testing results by organizing raw data into information that is aligned with state standards and mobile computing devices, such as handhelds, provide teachers with a platform to administer and analyze the data of classroom-based assessments. For example, according to the 2004 Quality Education Data, 55 percent of the nations public school districts used PDAs or handheld PCs in the 2002-2003 school year with an additional 8 percent expected to purchase them for use during the 2003-2004 school year. The numbers released by Wireless Generation, a for-profit company that designs educational assessment applications for handheld devices, suggests an even greater increase. During the fall of 2005, Wireless estimates that roughly 80,000 teachers, working in 48 states will be using their software to collect and analyze data for up to one million students in pre-K through sixth grade. The company currently has contracts with ten Reading First states, as well as with some of the largest school districts in the nation, including the New York City Board of Education and Chicago Public Schools. While using PDAs to administer assessments and view data are becoming increasingly popular, few studies have examined the effect they have on teacher practice and student achievement (Brunner ; Honey, 2001; Hupert, Martin, Heinze, Kanaya, ; Perez, 2004; Sharp ; Risko, 2003; Sharp, 2004). Studies that have begun to examine this trend suggest that that these tools assist teachers in thinking more substantively about students progress. As a whole, the research indicates that the single most powerful affordance of the technology is its ability to support teachers in using assessments to acquire information about students thinking and learning, and to use the understanding gained to further shape their instructional practice (Brunner ; Honey, 2001; Hupert et al. , 2004; Sharp ; Risko, 2003). Such a strategy places assessment squarely in the center of the classroom where it can potentially count the most. Back To Top The Complex Nature of Change Another factor influencing the impact of technology on student achievement is that changes in classroom technologies correlate to changes in other educational factors as well. Originally the determination of student achievement was based on traditional methods of social scientific investigation: it asked whether there was a specific, causal relationship between one thing—technology—and another—student achievement. Because schools are complex social environments, however, it is impossible to change just one thing at a time (Glennan ; Melmed, 1996; Hawkins, Panush, ; Spielvogel, 1996; Newman, 1990). If a new technology is introduced into a classroom, other things also change. For example, teachers perceptions of their students capabilities can shift dramatically when technology is integrated into the classroom (Honey, Chang, Light, Moeller, in press). Also, teachers frequently find themselves acting more as coaches and less as lecturers (Henriquez ; Riconscente, 1998). Another example is that use of technology tends to foster collaboration among students, which in turn may have a positive effect on student achievement (Tinzmann, 1998). Because the technology becomes part of a complex network of changes, its impact cannot be reduced to a simple cause-and-effect model that would provide a definitive answer to how it has improved student achievement. Back To Top IMPLICATIONS These findings have implications for every district and school using or planning to use technology. Research on successfully developing, evaluating, studying, and implementing a wide range of technology-based educational programs suggests that the value of technology for students will not be realized unless attention is paid to several important considerations that support the effective use of technology (ISTE, 2002; Byrom ; Bingham, 2001; Chang, Henriquez, Honey, Light, Moeller, ; Ross, 1998; Cradler, 1997; Frederiksen ; White, 1997; Hawkins, Panush, ; Spielvogel, 1996; Honey, McMillan, Tsikalas, ; Light, 1996; National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1996; Pea ; Gomez, 1992). These considerations are: Specific educational goals and a vision of learning through technology Ongoing professional development Structural changes in the school day A robust technical infrastructure and technical support Ongoing evaluation Back To Top 1. Educational Goals and a Vision of Learning Through Technology Before technology is purchased or teachers participate in their first professional development session, the educational goals for students should be determined. What do students need to learn, and how can technology promote those learning goals? To answer these questions, the school can convene a technology planning team comprising administrators, teachers, other instructional staff, technology coordinators, students, parents, and representatives of the community. This team first develops a clear set of goals, expectations, and criteria for student learning based on national and state standards, the student population, and community concerns. Next, it determines the types of technology that will best support efforts to meet those goals. The viewpoints of parents and community members are helpful in presenting a broader perspective of skills that students need to succeed after school. In fact, communitywide involvement in determining the schools technology goals benefits the entire educational process (Byrom Bingham, 2001; Panel on Educational Technology, 1997). Rather than using technology for technologys sake, the planning team ensures that particular educational objectives are achieved more efficiently, in more depth, or with more flexibility through technology. Cuban (cited in Trotter, 1998) states, The obligation is for educators, practitioners, and educational policymakers to think about what they are after. Only with clear goals can educators be intelligent about how much they want to spend for what purpose and under what conditions. If there is a clear understanding of the purpose of and type of technology used, evaluating the impact is easier and more valuable. According to Hawkins, Panush, and Spielvogel (1996) and Byrom ; Bingham (2001), school districts that successfully integrate technology show a clear and meaningful connection between technology and larger educational goals. Next, the planning team develops a vision of how technology can improve teaching and learning. Without a vision, lasting school improvement is almost impossible (Byrom ; Bingham, 2001). Team members come to consensus in answering the question How Will You Use Technology to Support Your Vision of Learning? Essential to this vision is an emphasis on meaningful, engaged learning with technology, in which students are actively involved in the learning process. Educational technology is less effective when the learning objectives are unclear and the focus of the technology use is diffuse (Schacter, 1999). The schools vision of learning through technology also emphasizes the importance of all students having equitable access and use of technology—females, special-needs students, minority students, disadvantaged students, students at risk of educational failure, rural and inner-city students. All students need opportunities to use technology in meaningful, authentic tasks that develop higher-order thinking skills. (For further information, refer to the Critical Issue Ensuring Equitable Use of Education Technology. ) Back To Top 2. Professional Development After the educational goals and vision of learning through technology have been determined, it is important to provide professional development to teachers to help them choose the most appropriate technologies and instructional strategies to meet these goals. Students cannot be expected to benefit from technology if their teachers are neither familiar nor comfortable with it. Teachers need to be supported in their efforts to use technology. The primary reason teachers do not use technology in their classrooms is a lack of experience with the technology (Wenglinsky, 1998; Rosen Weil, 1995). Wenglinsky (cited in Archer, 1998) found that teachers who had received professional development with computers during the last five years were more likely to use computers in effective ways than those who had not participated in such training. Yet teacher induction programs too often focus narrowly on helping new teachers survive the initial year (Fulton, Yoon, Lee, 2005). Ongoing professional development is necessary to help teachers learn not only how to use new technology but also how to provide meaningful instruction and activities using technology in the classroom (Ringstaff Kelley, 2002). Teachers must be offered training in using computers, notes Sulla (1999), but their training must go beyond that to the instructional strategies needed to infuse technological skills into the learning process. In successful projects, teachers are provided with ongoing professional development on practical applications of technology. Teachers cannot be expected to learn how to use educational technology in their teaching after a one-time workshop. Teachers need in-depth, sustained assistance not only in the use of the technology but in their efforts to integrate technology into the curriculum (Kanaya Light, 2005). Teachers also need embedded opportunities for professional learning and collaborating with colleagues in order to overcome the barrier of time and teachers daily schedules (The National Council of Staff Development, 2001; Kanaya ; Light, 2005). Skills training becomes peripheral to alternative forms of ongoing support that addresses a range of issues, including teachers changing practices and curricula, new technologies and other new resources, and changing assessment practices. This time spent ensuring that teachers are using technology to enrich their students learning experiences is an important piece in determining the value of technology to their students. According to Soloway (cited in Archer, 1998), teachers always have been the key to determining the impact of innovations, and this situation also is true of technology. Besides pedagogical support to help students use technology to reach learning goals, teachers also need time to become familiar with available products, software, and online resources. They also need time to discuss technology use with other teachers. Transforming schools into 21st century learning communities means recognizing that teachers must become members of a growing network of shared expertise (Fulton, Yoon, Lee, 2005). Professional collaboration includes communicating with educators in similar situations and others who have experience with technology (Panel on Educational Technology, 1997). This activity can be done in face-to-face meetings or by using technology such as e-mail or videoconferencing. The effects of introducing technology on teacher professionalization include increased collaboration among teachers within a school and increased interaction with external collaborators and resources. Back To Top 3. Structural Changes in the School Day It is important to build time into the daily schedule allowing teachers time to collaborate and to work with their students. Engaged learning through technology is best supported by changes in the structure of the school day, including longer class periods and more allowance for team teaching and interdisciplinary work. For example, when students are working on long-term research projects for which they are making use of online resources (such as artwork, scientific data sets, or historical documents), they may need more than a daily 30- or 40-minute period to find, explore, and synthesize these materials for their research. As schools continue to acquire more technology for student use and as teachers are able to find more ways to incorporate technology into their instruction, the problem will no longer be not enough computers but not enough time (Becker, 1994). Back To Top 4. Technical Infrastructure and Support Increased use of technology in the school requires a robust technical infrastructure and adequate technical support. If teachers are working with a technology infrastructure that realistically cannot support the work they are trying to do, they will become frustrated. School districts have a responsibility to create not only nominal access to computers and electronic networks but access that is robust enough to support the kinds of use that can make a real difference in the classroom. Teachers also must have access to on-site technical support personnel who are responsible for troubleshooting and assistance after the technology and lessons are in place. Back To Top 5. Evaluation Ongoing evaluation of technology applications and student achievement, based on the overall educational goals that were decided on, helps to ensure that he technology is appropriate, adaptable, and useful. Such evaluation also facilitates change if learning goals are not being met. Administrators can acknowledge and recognize incremental improvements in student outcomes as well as changes in teachers curricula and practices. Gradual progress, rather than sudden transformation, is more likely to result in long-term change. Baker (1999) emphasizes that besides being a means to collect, interpret, and document findings, evaluation is a planning tool that should be considered at the beginning of any technology innovation. She adds that the overall focus of evaluation is student learning. Heinecke, Blasi, Milman, and Washington (1999) note that multiple quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures may be necessary to document student learning outcomes. To ensure that evaluation procedures are adequately designed and carried out, administrators and teachers may wish to consult evaluation sources such as An Educators Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms. All of these issues are important in using technology to improve student achievement. Educational technology is not, and never will be, transformative on its own. But when decisions are made strategically with these factors in mind, technology can play a critical role in creating new circumstances and opportunities for learning that can be rich and exciting. At its best, technology can facilitate deep exploration and integration of information, high-level thinking, and profound engagement by allowing students to design, explore, experiment, access information, and model complex phenomena, note Goldman, Cole, and Syer (1999). These new circumstances and opportunities—not the technology on its own—can have a direct and meaningful impact on student achievement. When educators use the accumulating knowledge regarding the circumstances under which technology supports the broad definition of student achievement, they will be able to make informed choices about what technologies will best meet the particular needs of specific schools or districts. They also will be able to ensure that teachers, parents, students, and community members nderstand what role technology is playing in a school or district and how its impact is being evaluated. Finally, they will be able to justify the investments made in technology. To help states, school districts, and school personnel plan ways to measure the impact that technology is having on classroom practices and academic achievement, Dirr (2004) in partnership with the Appalachian Technology in Education Consortium and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Edu cation Consortium, identified the following evaluation strategies: Encourage SEAs and LEAs to set aside 10 percent to 15 percent of funds to evaluate their technology grants. Provide a model comprehensive plan for states and districts to consider as they design their own evaluation plans to include a statement of purpose, identifies clear objectives, demonstrates valid approaches to research design, and specifies appropriate time frames for analysis and reporting. Support efforts to develop shared instruments and sets of common data elements. Develop a database of best practices for technology programs and applications that have shown to support student achievement in scientifically based research studies. Develop a list of highly qualified researchers and evaluators from whom SEAs and LEAs can obtain guidance. Explore the development of validated instruments that could be shared across states. Back To Top ACTION OPTIONS: Administrators, the technology planning team, and teachers can take the following steps to improve student achievement through technology. Administrators and the Planning Team (comprising teacher representatives, technology coordinator, students, parents, and interested community members): Review a range of national and state educational standards for student learning (such as those listed in Developing Educational Standards). Seek out content standards that articulate the goals for students to achieve. Determine key aspects of national and state student learning standards for the school or district to focus on as educational goals. Involve teachers in this process to ensure that their expertise and opinions are considered. Charge cross-disciplinary groups of teachers and technology coordinators with finding new ways that technology can help students to achieve those learning goals. Collaborate to create a technology plan for the school. (Refer to the Critical Issue Developing a School or District Technology Plan. ) Set one-, three-, and five-year goals for improving student learning through technology. Identify specific curricula, practices, skills, attitudes, and policies that can be enhanced through the use of technology to foster significant improvement in the character and quality of student learning. For example, if the district is interested in improving students writing performance, word processing with an emphasis on revision and editing should become a salient part of the curriculum across disciplines. ) Identify classrooms in the district where students are already producing exemplary work using technology; or visit virtual classrooms by viewing CD-ROMs (such as the Captured Wisdom CD-ROM Lib rary produced by the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium), videotapes of echnology use in schools (such as the Learning With Technology videotapes), or Internet sites relating to technology integration in content areas (such as lessons using the Amazing Picture Machine and the Handbook of Engaged Learning Projects). Build a database or other resource that allows the school to share these best practices with school staff and the community in general. Be aware of state technology plans, district technology plans, and related policies. Ensure that the school is in compliance. Become familiar with factors that affect the effective use of technology for teaching and learning. Learn about research studies conducted in real school settings that describe how technology use is influenced by teachers experience with technology, adequacy of release time, professional development opportunities, and length of class periods. Ensure that teachers are aware of the value of technology for all students, especially those considered at risk of educational failure. (Refer to the Critical Issue Using Technology to Enhance Engaged Learning for At-Risk Students. ) Ensure that all students have equitable access to effective uses of technology. Develop strategies for addressing access inequities, strategies for addressing type-of-use inequities, and strategies for addressing curriculum inequities. Provide ongoing, extensive, and research-based professional development opportunities and technical support to help teachers use technology to develop meaningful instructional strategies for students. (Refer to the Critical Issues Realizing New Learning for All Students Through Professional Development and Finding Time for Professional Development. ) Ensure that new, research-based approaches to professional development are consistent with the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) standards for staff development. Provide incentives, structures, and time for teachers to participate in highly effective staff development (such as study groups and action research) to help them integrate technology into their teaching and learning. Find ways to make app ropriate structural changes in the school day and class scheduling to support engaged learning with technology. Consider block scheduling as a possibility. Educate parents about new assessment methods that enable teachers and administrators to make judgments about the effectiveness of technology in supporting student learning. Use appropriate evaluation procedures and tools to determine the impact of technology use on student achievement based on the learning goals that were set. Consult evaluation sources such as An Educators Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms. Share findings with the community. Teachers: Determine the purpose of using technology in the classroom, as determined by the specified educational goals. Is it used to support inquiry, enhance communication, extend access to resources, guide students to analyze and visualize data, enable product development, or encourage expression of ideas? After the purpose is determined, select the appropriate technology and develop the curricula. Create a plan for evaluating students work and assessing the impact of the technology. Coordinate technology implementation efforts with core learning goals, such as improving students writing skills, reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Collaborate with colleagues to design curricula that involve students in meaningful learning activities in which technology is used for research, data analysis, synthesis, and communication. Promote the use of learning circles, which offer opportunities for students to exchange ideas with other students, teachers, and professionals across the world. Encourage students to broaden their horizons with technology by means of global connections, electronic visualization, electronic field trips, and online research and publishing. Ensure that students have equitable access to various technologies (such as presentation software, video production, Web page production, word processing, modeling software, and desktop publishing software) to produce projects that demonstrate what they have learned in particular areas of the curriculum. Encourage students to collaborate on projects and to use peer assessment to critique each others work. In addition to standardized tests, use alternative assessment strategies that are based on students performance of authentic tasks. One strategy is to help students develop electronic portfolios of their work to be used for assessment purposes. Ensure that technology-rich student products can be evaluated directly in relation to the goals for student outcomes, rather than according to students level of skill with the technology. Create opportunities for students to share their work publiclythrough performances, public service, open houses, science fairs, and videos. Use these occasions to inform parents and community members of the kinds of learning outcomes the school is providing for students. Learn how various technologies are used today in the world of work, and help students see the value of technology applications. (Pertinent online information can be found in the 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Information. ) Participate in professional development activities to gain experience with various types of educational technology and learn how to integrate this technology into the curriculum. Use technology (such as an e-mail list) to connect with other teachers outside the school or district and compare successful strategies for teaching with technology.