Curriculum Alignment Research Suggests That Alignment Can Improve Student Achievement Essay

Alignment is a match between two categories and Curriculum describes what gets taught (Squires, 2012). Curriculum alignment attempts to put to maximum effect the relationship among three categories; namely the taught curriculum, the written curriculum, and the test curriculum. It shows how the above can be used to improve student achievement thus explaining how the design for a curriculum can be aligned to state standards and state specifications for effective instructional process (Squires, 2012). This article serves to provide a backup into a curriculum design that makes sure what is tested gets taught. It also shows the difficulty that is encountered in in having numerous assessment standards and seeks a way to eliminate the challenge and secondly a specific curriculum can be potentially aligned to more than one standard. From this article, we get to find from Balance curriculum that when a curriculum is properly aligned, student achievement and performance improves. According to Squires (2012), when taught curriculum is aligned to written standards, there is increased, strong and positive student achievement. Squires (2012) showed textbook studies fostered a limited range of learning strategies such that the emphasis is frequently on problem solving rather than learning by reading, discussion and argument in order to acquire the knowledge to solve a problem of one’s own choosing. Squires (2012) showed that textbooks may not be well aligned to state tests and it would be prudent for the school districts to identify the gaps and provide the teachers with materials to cover the gaps. In order to align the state tests (test curriculum) to state standards (written curriculum), Marzano came up with a benchmark for comparing all state and national professional association standards to each other and created a website where the same could be achieved for instance, Archives (www.aligntoachieve.com) provided four criteria for alignment of textbooks to standards that are; content, performance, level of difficulty and balance and range. From above we also find there is constraint in testing time where only a limited number of concepts can be assessed effectively (Squires, 2012). From (Third International Mathematics and Science Studies) TIMSS study findings, it is significant to note that the content of a country’s’ curriculum affects student achievement and that for student learning, the extent of opportunities to learn will depend on the time the teacher spends on the topic which translates to greater performance. A district must control time and content covered at a specific time if the results are to improve of which it is the function of the curriculum. The districts can assist in aligning, structuring, implementing and assessing the curriculum (Squires, 2012). Reference Squires, D. A. (2012), Curriculum Alignment Research Suggests That Alignment Can Improve Student Achievement, London, Routledge. Source document

Alarming Literacy Concerns in US

Learning to read is like learning to drive a car. You take lessons and learn the mechanics of driving and rules of driving. Why do people put a major emphasis on learning to drive and such a minute one on learning to read? Illiteracy is growing at an alarming rate not only in the USA, but all over the globe. Illiteracy continues to be a critical problem, demanding enormous resources from local, state, and federal taxes. These resources should be spent more wisely so that we can cut back on some of our National Debt. Why does America have a reading problem? We are the most affluent and technologically advanced of all the industrial nations on earth. We have free public education for everyone to use, more money and resources dedicated to educating our children than any other nation on earth. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, 42 million adult Americans cannot read; 50 million can recognize so few printed words they are limited to a 4th or 5th grade reading level; one out of every four teenagers drops out of high school, and those who graduate, one out of every four has the equivalent or less of an eighth grade education. The number of functional illiterate adults increases by an alarming two million people a year. If a child is not taught proper reading and meaning techniques before they pass the fourth grade they will be suppressed and forced to take some remedial course to help them cope with not being at the same level as the other children. There is an answer why children cannot read but it is a hard fact for many people in the education field to swallow. It requires these professionals, who have been engaged in a form of education malpractice for many years, to admit that the methods of teaching reading they have been teaching since the beginning have been all wrong. The method that most teachers teach is that children should memorize or guess at words by looking at pictures or have clues given to them. Learning this way is supposed to be more fun and meaningful, but apparently with the high rate of illiterate children is due impart to this method of teaching. Teaching children to read should be the most important objective educators have. Learning to read is a prerequisite for everything else in life that one will encounter. The English language contains about a half million words, but on average only 300 words make up people s everyday vocabulary. Where do the other 499,700 or more words go? Whether you know it or not, you are carrying the weight of all the illiterate people in the USA on your back. It has been approximated that the yearly cost in welfare unemployment compensation due to illiteracy is six billion dollars. Literacy Volunteers of America state, an additional 237 billion dollars a year in unrealized earnings is forfeited by persons who lack basic reading skills. Family involvement is a major key in unlocking a child's learning ability. If a child is read to on a regular basis, they will be ahead of the game before they start their long journey to read. With how technological our world is becoming, it is important that families place an extreme value on knowing their children can read fluently and understand what they have read. After parents do as much as they can to help their children get ahead start, the teachers can teach the rules of reading to our children. If we as a nation let this illiteracy problem keep going at the rate that its going now, there will not be anything left for future generations. Everyone will not be able to read or talk fluently. All of the manufacturing would halt because no one could read directions to build anything and the nation would be in total chaos. So do your part and help a child learn to read.

Bacteria & History and ecology

The word ‘bacteria’ is normally associated with disease-causing organisms, like the Streptococcus bacteria. While there are a considerable number of pathogenic bacteria that are notorious for such diseases as cholera, tuberculosis, and gonorrhea, such disease-causing species are a comparatively tiny fraction of the bacteria as a whole. There are approximately five nonillion (5? 1030) bacteria in the world. Bacteria are so widespread that it is possible only to make the most general statements about their life history and ecology (Berkeley Free Clinic, 1).There are bacteria that plays important role in the global ecosystem. They may be found on the tops of mountains, the bottom of the deepest oceans, in the guts of animals, and even in the frozen rocks and ice of Antarctica. One feature that has enabled them to spread so far, and last so long is their ability to go dormant for an extended period. There are specific methods in order to study and observe bacteria because th ey are not visible to the naked eye. Even with the use of microscope they are very difficult to spot without adding some stains that would render them visible.DETAILS Properties Bacteria are prokaryotic (no membrane-enclosed nucleus) that do not contain mitochondria or chloroplasts. They have single chromosome that are composed of close circle of double-stranded DNA with no associated histones. If flagella are present, they are made of a single filament of the protein flagellin; there are none of the â€Å"9+2† tubulin-containing microtubules of the eukaryotes (Users. rcn. com, 1). Their ribosomes differ from those of the eukaryotes. Bacteria have a rigid cell wall made of peptidoglycan that allows them to survive at long periods of time.They do not perform mitosis and mostly reproduce through asexual reproduction. Any form of sexual reproduction varies differently from the eukaryotes because they do not perform meiosis. The plasma membrane is a phospholipid bilayer but conta ins no cholesterol or other steroids (Users. rcn. com, 1). Most of bacteria form a single spore when their food supply runs low. This is the reason why pathogenic bacteria become infectious at the later part of the attack. Most of the water is removed from the spore and metabolism ceases.Spores are so resistant to adverse conditions of dryness and temperature that they may remain viable even after 50 years of dormancy (Users. rcn. com, 1). Environmental and Nutritive Requirements Most bacteria can be classified according to their response to oxygen. These are consist of three distinct group, Aerobic bacteria which thrives in the presence of oxygen, Anaerobic which cannot tolerate gaseous oxygen, and facultative anaerobes which prefer growing in the presence of oxygen but are able to survive without it. Aerobic bacteria require oxygen for their continued growth and existence.On the other hand anaerobic cannot survive in the presence of gaseous oxygen. These bacteria live in deep unde rwater sediments, or in oxygen deprived environment such as those that cause bacterial food poisoning. Bacteria also differ in the mode and source of their energy. There are Heterotrophs that derive energy from breaking down complex organic compounds that they must take in from the environment. This includes saprobic bacteria found in decaying material, as well as those that rely on fermentation or respiration.The other group, the autotrophs, fix carbon dioxide to make their own food source; this may be fueled by light energy (photoautotrophic), or by oxidation of nitrogen, sulfur, or other elements (chemoautotrophic) (Berkeley Free Clinic, 2). Chemoautotrophs are uncommon while photoautotrophs are more common and quite diverse. One particular bacteria offers a very interesting behavior because they use hydrogen sulfide as hydrogen donor, instead of water like most other photosynthetic organisms, including cyanobacteria.There are green sulfur bacteria and purple sulfur bacteria, Oth er Bacteria include the cyanobacteria, and purple nonsulfur bacteria. Role in the Global Ecosystem Bacteria play a very important role in maintaining the balance of our ecosystem. Through their ceaseless labor, they cycle nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. For example without bacteria to decompose rotten objects, our CO2 would have been depleted and all our plants would have ceased to exist. The process of decomposition releases nutrients back into the environment for plants and other living organisms.Bacteria also cycle nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen is important for plants health and growth. Without these cycling processes all our plants would die and then humanity would have ran out of food. Gram Stain Bacteria happens to have a refractive index similar to water, therefore they are very difficult to spot from an aqueous sample. To solve this problem, biological stains are added so that microorganisms can be visualized. Stains are classified as either simple or differ ential.Simple stains impart the same color to all structures whereas differential stains contain more than one dye and impart different colors to various structures(Delost, 39). One very important method is the Gram Stain, which was first introduced by Hans Christian Gram in the late 1800s. It has been modified and adjusted numerous times. The Gram stain will differentiate gram-positive bacteria from gram-negative bacteria (Delost, 39). Gram stain is one form of a differential stain that is widely even in the methods.It consists of several reagents such as crystal violet, Gram’s iodine, ethyl alcohol or acetone, and safranin O or carbulfuchsin. Bibliography Unknown. (2000). Bacteria: Life History and Ecology. Retrieved on February 18, 2007 from the Berkeley Free Clinic website: http://www. ucmp. berkeley. edu/bacteria/bacterialh. html Unkown. (2006). Bacteria. Retrieved on February 18, 2007 from the Users. rcn. com website: http://users. rcn. com/jkimball. ma. ultranet/Biolog yPages/E/Eubacteria. Delost, M. Introduction to Diagnostic Microbiology. (1997). Harcourt Brace & Company Asia Pte Ltd. .

How Effective Are Educational Programmes in Improving Self-Management Essay

How Effective Are Educational Programmes in Improving Self-Management for Patient with Type 2 Diabetes - Essay Example Findings: The findings indicated women were more responsive to such studies than men. Nearly 50% of the patients showed good progress in all five parameters like reduction in weight, increased psychological health and good control over glycaemic level. In the rest, 30% people showed good improvement in three of five parameters and the rest showed good improvement in any two parameters. The study was conducted over a period of 12 months time and the post-study monitoring was continued for one more year. Conclusion: The self-management studies for Type 2 diabetes patients are very effective provided they are given in a friendly and locally accepted form, rather than in an experimental way. Introduction The Center for Disease Control website states nearly 17 million people in the US have diabetes. It accounts to nearly 6.2% of the total countries population. WHO says one in 10 adults worldwide have diabetes. It identifies Hypertension and Obesity as the main causes for the drastic incre ase in the illness. In Europe nearly 5% of the total population is affected by Diabetes (IDF, 2007). In fact, the country implements rewards for primary health care centres controlling diabetes within their region effectively (Khunti, K et al, 2007). Most of the people suffer from this condition because of lack of awareness. "Had I known earlier, I would have avoided ..." is a common phrase heard from the new diabetes patients. Even after the advent of the diabetes many people are clueless about how to handle the situation. This study aims in measuring the effectiveness of the self-education programmes among the patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. It analyses various studies conducted on the subject by many scholars and put forward a unique and effective plan to improvise the same. Objectives of the Study 1. The patient, his immediate family members and friends should understand the root cause of the illness and why it occurred. 2. Several sugar patients are completely ignore t he wounds in their body, which leads to several complications like amputation (Massi-Benedetti, 2002). Hence, the patients are taught exactly how to take care of themselves properly. 3. Patients are educated about taking proper medications on time and the dangers of missing them. They know how to handle themselves in times of emergency. 4. They are capable of checking their blood glucose level regularly and indicate proper results to the doctors. 5. They are well aware of the fatal side effects of the illness like cardiovascular diseases and take appropriate measures like doing regular exercises and following a proper diet to avoid the same. Literature Review â€Å"Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) in adults is a global health problem. It is a disorder of the endocrine system characterised by abnormal fluctuations in blood glucose levels, usually related to a defect in insulin production and glucose metabolism† (Dunning 2003).Diabetes starts as a mild illness. In course of time it can cause fatal side effects like amputation, blindness, stroke and cardiovascular illness. In addition to physical issues, patients undergo severe stress due to uncontrollable glycaemic level in the body. Years of health negligence, lethargic lifestyle and dumping of sugary foods is the main cause to the

Group Formation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group Formation - Essay Example After setting the rules, the group then passed by the antecedent stage, wherein group socialization played a big part to make them understand one another’s thoughts and ideas. It is also in this process wherein the 5 co-workers started to feel the group climate as they get along. Through groupthink, the group was then able to do their preliminary plans on how to consolidate the 30 employees in the workplace. In order to systematize the groups’ functions, roles were defined, with each member having assigned individual roles to follow. Some group member chose to have maintenance roles in the group, while some opted to have task roles to accomplish. As the group members did their jobs, some experienced primary tensions, especially for those whose group members’ roles did not fit their respective hidden agenda. Such situation resulted to a punctuated equilibrium among the group members, which again complicated to secondary tensions, especially because trust among gro up members was lost, compromising the cohesiveness of the group. Soon enough, the group turned out not to work out, forcing its members to accept the exit stage.

Evaluate the causes, consequences and lessons from the Cuban missile Essay - 1

Evaluate the causes, consequences and lessons from the Cuban missile crisis - Essay Example In world history and state politics, it is known under the name of the Caribbean crisis. The root cause of all the postwar conflict â€Å"between the USSR and the United States was a "cold war," started between the West and the East shortly after the Second World War† (J Blight, and D. Welch 1990). It is known that, according to historical and reference literature, this term designates the state of military-political confrontation between countries or groups of countries, at which arms race is used, various measures of economic pressure are applied (the embargo, the economic blockade, etc.) and organization of strategic military bases and staging grounds is performed. The Cold War was actively unleashed in 1949 and was discontinued in the second half of the 80's - early 90's of the XX century. It turned out that the hopes for "Big Three" postwar cooperation were ruined because of the mutual desire of the former anti-fascist coalition to rebuild the world in accordance with the ir â€Å"image and likeness† (J Blight, and D. Welch 1990). Germany partition between the former allies was not conflict-free. On April 4, 1949 the Atlantic Pact signing ceremony took place in Washington. The Soviet Union worked actively on its own power consolidation. In Eastern Europe and China there were pro-communist regimes established. The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and military bloc "Warsaw Pact" appeared under the auspices of the Soviet Union. There were too many reasons for the Cold War start. But the main reason was the mankind, especially the great powers, unwillingness to create a system of international relations based on equality and cooperation. Force still remained the main principle of world politics organization. The Great powers, primarily the USA and the USSR, could not give up their imperial techniques of national interests’ protection, which were the capture of spheres of influence and unequal treaties imposition. Since there were no h istorical conditions for other way, the cold war was inevitable. Certainly, that epoch was accompanied with the periods of stabilization, relapse, and "warming". Thus, the 1949-1953 was a period of acute onset, 1953-1957 - the time of Cold War stabilization, 1957-1962 - entered the history of international relations as a time of conflicts, 1962 -1978 is considered to be a time of â€Å"detente† (Gregory B. Marfleet 256-257). It seemed that during the period from 1957 till 1962 the world leaders acted in accordance with the principle of â€Å"we need more deep and different conflicts†. Geography of crisis conflicts was Berlin, Cuba, Algeria, Congo, Lebanon and Taiwan. The conflicts of the interblock ground (Berlin and Cuba), were extremely acute. The following facts suggest that both sides - East and West, the USSR and the U.S were responsible for the â€Å"Cold War† epoch. â€Å"The source of the Cuban missile crisis was the events of January, 1959, when the gu errilla war on the island of Cuba ended with the fall of pro-American regime (J Blight, and D. Welch 1990)†. Then the revolutionary-nationalist forces came to power in Cuba. Rebel leader Fidel Castro led a new government. His primary task, according to his assessment, was Cuban independence and social reforms. The implementation of his plans stumbled upon the U.S. repulse, which had its considerable property on the island. Castro implemented the property

MOD 5 FIN SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MOD 5 FIN SLP - Essay Example The challenge for non-profits is to effectively research and find funding resources to receive the necessary funds to perform all projects and functions within the company without missing out of any potential opportunities. We have two major projects we are currently working on that will be examined in this paper. The first project is attempting to improve our development budget to expand the company and purchase equipment and necessary resources for better care to the individuals. The second project is a local nonprofit book festival to allow developmentally challenged persons to interact with members of the community. The first project that we are currently implementing is one in which we are seeking funding for developmental avenues to expand the current operations of the company. We have been seeking different funding methods to increase our development budget and make necessary equipment and supplies purchases that are essential to providing proper care to these individuals. The primary source of funding that should be examined comes straight from state, federal and local grants that can be awarded to nonprofits for providing special care (Foster, Kim & Christiansen, 2009). These grants can be offered to any organization, group or individual based on very specific or broad criteria. Oftentimes, nonprofit organizations attempt to utilize these fiscal resources because grants are essentially free money that never has to be repaid. Grants can involve a lot of paperwork and man hours, but most require no fiscal obligation or investment and can pay for part or all of the necessary expenses to expan d operations given the type of care that is being provided and that we are indeed a nonprofit organization. These are two essential areas that work in our favor and will provide strong reasonable support to justify why we need the funds and that they will be put to good use to improve several of the local communities as

Assignmet paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignmet paper - Coursework Example Marketers have continued to innovate new ways to reach out to the customers with brand information, as such, there has been an increase in the forms of advertisement (Panda, 2008). Advertisement can thus be grouped in to two major categories; indoor and outdoor. Indoor advertisement is a form of advertisement that targets people when they are at the comfort of their homes. This form of advertisement includes the use of television, radio, online advertisement and mobile advertisement. Outdoor advertisement focuses on showcasing products to customers when they are outside their homes. They include billboards, roadside shelters and booths, transit advertisement, banners and posters. They mainly target clients who are travelling or moving from one place to another. I order to be effective with advertising, the trade organizations needs to keep in mind the five main players of advertising. The advertiser is an important player in advertisement. They are responsible for financing the whole advertisement process and they benefit from it with increase in sales. The advertising agency is the busy that is tasked by the advertiser to convey the message using and agreed advertising channel. The media is the advertising channel chosen to carry the message. The vendor is the body that links together the media, advertiser and the agency. Mostly the vendor is engaged in consultancy. The last player is the target audience. The advertiser engages in advertisements so as to benefit from sales directed toward the target audience. Understanding the behavior of the target audience and aligning the advertisement to their needs makes the advertisements to be more effective (Schlee, 2013). Many organizations find it to be beneficial to advertise since the return on investment is always high as a result of increased revenue and profits. When a company advertises its products, it uses a substantial amount of money that is recovered through increased sales (Murthy

IOM summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IOM summary - Essay Example The IOM was right to propose and promote the chapter 4 policy. This is attributed to population with access to health insurance translates to heightened demand for more healthcare service providers. The California Action Coalition is an organization that works and advocates for the implementation of the IOM chapter 4 recommendation (Fairman et al, 2011). This organization acts as a driving force behind the implementation of the IOM recommendation in the state of California. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a significant supporter and promoter of IOM recommendations on the education of nurses and the lifting of bans barring them from practicing to their full potential. The ANA strives to provide evidence based supportive material for the recommendations to ensure that they become law in various states where they are involved (Sochalski & Weiner, 2010). The need to support these recommendations is strengthened by the foreseeable increase in the number of people seeking professional health care service. This is aggravated by the changing scope of nursing practice that is redirecting towards providing more patient oriented health care services. This will require more profes sionalism from both the healthcare practitioners and

Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution Essay Example for Free

Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution Essay In the 1850s, Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution. His theory proposed that species evolved gradually through subtle changes from one generation to the next by means of natural selection. By natural selection, the most desirable hereditary traits become more common from one generation to the next while the less desirable, weaker traits die out. This gives rise to an organism that is more capable—fitted to—of surviving in the surrounding environment. At the time Darwin formulated his idea beginning with his trip on the HMS Beagle in the 1830s, some scientists resorted to the idea that God had preordained life by natural laws rather than by miraculous feats. While logical and correct, the idea still refers to a divine power, indicating a religious bent, so perhaps it was obvious that the ideas addressed could lead to religious controversy. As is common in science, Darwin’s concept arose from ideas garnered from a number of scientists of his time. Some researchers of the time believed that natural laws were responsible for life. While Darwin’s ideas did not account for the processes believed to account for life at the time, there was a theory at the time thought to account for life. Most thought that species were transmuted from one species into another. The problem with transmutation, an idea that is similar to evolution in some respects, is that a species may change through transmutation, but it will still be the same species. A dog may change into a different type of dog, but it will still be a dog; likewise, for a cat or any other species. Evolution dictates that the entire animal kingdom can grow through stages from one species into another over time. Birds came from reptiles, mammals came from birds and humans came from non-humans. (Lewontin, 1981) The data is unequivocal. During his voyage on HMS Beagle, Darwin found fossil remains of gigantic mammals that were recently extinct with no indication that their extinction had been caused by climate changes or catastrophic events. Although he believed that the remains he found were related to species in Africa or Europe, examination of the remains Darwin found showed that they were only related to other species found only in the Americas. Creationists insist that life came about from God in six days. While most evolutionists attack creationism on the grounds of scientific facts, there is another line of evidence virtually unnoticed by those who support evolution theory. Historians and archeologists have learned that the biblical story of creation came from the myths of another culture. Stories presented in the Bible evolved slowly over time, long before religions existed, and incorporated tales from many cultures. The story of the Garden of Eden, the serpent and the Tree of Life, for example, are said to have been depicted on an Akkadian Cylinder Seal nearly 2500 years before Christ. The serpent itself was viewed as a deity. Notice: No one familiar with the mythologies of the primitive, ancient, and Oriental worlds can turn to the Bible without recognizing counterparts on every page, transformed, however, to render an argument contrary to the older faiths. In Eves scene at the tree, for example, nothing is said to indicate that the serpent who appeared and spoke to her was a deity in his own right, who had been revered in the Levant for at least seven thousand years before the composition of the Book of Genesis. There is in the Louvre a carved green steatite vase, inscribed c. 025 BC by King Gudaea of Lagash, dedicated to a late Sumerian manifestation of this consort of the goddess, under his title Ningizzida, Lord of the Tree of Truth. p. 9. The Serpents Bride. Joseph Campbell. Occidental Mythology, The Masks of God. Arkana. New York. Viking Penguin Books. 1964, 1991 reprint The information in the Old Testament dates from about 1450 BC until 200 BC. This means that, contrary to the strongly held beliefs of most Christians, the creation story of Genesis is actually derived from the myths of ancient Sumerians. Therefore, the story is a myth. This means that those who against Darwin’s ideas on religious grounds based on their beliefs in the accuracy of the story in Genesis have unknowingly chosen to accept myth over facts. While they believe the myth to be factual, archeological evidence demonstrates otherwise. The scientific evidence leans heavily in support of Darwin’s ideas. While we may not fully understand some aspects behind the mechanism of evolution, we are continuously learning more about those mechanisms. (Dobzhansky, 1973) Dobzhansky states: Let me try to make crystal clear what is established beyond reasonable doubt, and what needs further study, about evolution. Evolution as a process that has always gone on in the history of the earth can be doubted only by those who are ignorant of the evidence or are resistant to evidence, owing to emotional blocks or to plain bigotry. By contrast, the mechanisms that bring evolution about certainly need study and clarification. There are no alternatives to evolution as history that can withstand critical examination. Yet we are constantly learning new and important facts about evolutionary mechanisms. Theodosius Dobzhansky, â€Å"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in Light of Evolution†, American Biology Teacher vol. 35 (March 1973) reprinted in Evolution versus Creationism, J. Peter Zetterberg ed. , ORYX Press, Phoenix AZ 1983. Darwin (1859) believed that whales evolved from bears based on a scenario where selective pressures might cause this evolution, but he was criticized for this idea and removed the suggestion. Gould, 1995) Today, there is much more fossil evidence for the evolution of many species thus supporting the idea of evolution as a general biological principle, including the evolution of whales from lower animals. Evidence in support of evolution exists at many levels. There is paleontological evidence based on fossils, morphological evidence that relate the body morphology of higher animals to lower animals, evidence from molecular biology and from embryology. Added to this, the chronological picture that results is consistent with other lines of evidence. For example, the evidence for the evolution of whales from lower animals is convincing. Whales have been closely studied with respect to evolution. If evolution is valid, transitional stages from one level of evolution to another should exist. Although the fossil remains of whales spotty for a long time, recent fossil discoveries have more than adequately lent support to the concept of evolution for whales. Researchers state that independent lines of evidence from different disciplines confirm the pattern of evolution in whales. John Ray recognized that whales were mammals rather than fish in 1693 based on their similarity to terrestrial mammals. (Barnes, 1984) In 1883, Flower (see Barnes, 1984) found that whales had vestigial characteristics in common with terrestrial mammals just as humans have vestigial tails, the coccyx. Findings similar to these led to the concept of ‘ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. ’ This concept is briefly explained in further detail below. Flower (1883) recognized that the whales have persistent rudimentary and vestigial features characteristic of terrestrial mammals, thus confirming that the direction of descent was from terrestrial to marine species. On the basis of morphology, Flower also linked whales with the ungulates; he seems to have been the first person to do so. Today, we know that whales have vestigial features in common with lower animals. For example, they have vestigial olfactory nerve, protruding hind limbs, pelvic fins and diaphragms. Like humans, during embryological development, whales develop features similar to lower animals and abandon them as development progresses. During their development, there is also evidence that whales have terrestrial ancestors. Some whales even develop hair while in the womb although they do not retain it. In 1985, Goodman et al. demonstrated that whales are more closely related to ungulates than to other animals. (Goodman, 1985; Miyamoto and Goodman, 1986) Some studies have identified genes, enzymes and other proteins that connect whales to extinct animals. (Irwin et al. 991; Irwin and Arnason, 1994; Milinkovitch, 1992; Graur and Higgins, 1994; Gatesy et al, 1996; Shimamura et al. , 1997) We have already noted above that the creation story in the Bible was taken from the text of an ancient culture that predates the Hebrew account. Rather than to openly acknowledge that the Bible’s story of creation is a mythical legend that explains evolution and the appearance of life on ea rth, some religious groups resort to far-fetched, fictitious, generally ridiculous concepts such as ‘creationism’, ‘creation science’ and ‘intelligent design’ to dismiss or explain away the science and replace it with fantasy. Embryology and developmental biology have a concept, ‘ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny’, that simplifies and briefly but succinctly expresses the concepts presented in the first chapter of Genesis. This is like explaining a complicated scientific concept, take conception and birth for example, to a little child by using a fairy tale rather than detailed research information. The fairy tale is not accurate, but the general information it communicates is true. With this single phrase, the first chapter of Genesis is summarized and explained. The phrase means that the embryological processes of development, ontogeny, depict and encapsulate the evolutionary history of the species, phylogeny. For example, during development of the human embryo, the fetus briefly has gills and a tail like its phylogenetic ancestors. In other words, during development, the developing embryo goes through some of the same stages that humans went through as the species developed from lower animals to humans. The concept makes perfect sense and explains many aspects of human development. Obviously, we cannot provide a comprehensive review of the evidence support evolution in a few pages, and we certainly cannot provide realistic evidence against it in light of all that exists to support it. While the evidence in support of the evolution of whales is plentiful, much evidence exists for evolution in general, including in humans. As has been reported here, the evidence is not just from scientific research, but also from archeology and history. That evidence shows, among other things, that the biblical story of creation in Genesis predates the Bible by hundreds of years. Despite all the evidence in support of evolution and against the idea of the biblical creation as being anything more than a myth, we can be certain that the argument in support of the biblical creation as being the real story and representing the real facts will not go away. Humans being what we are, we will always be faced with living with the Genesis myth as if it were fact, and coping with those who insist that the earth all the universe was created in six literal days. That concept certainly will never go away no matter what facts exist to disprove it.

Platform for ELearning Experience

Platform for ELearning Experience The world currently is at a point where information technology has become a requirement in peoples daily lives. There is a need for people to learn from where they are, and equip themselves suitably to the changing environments. There is no completion in the process of learning particularly for the general academicians and business professionals. Learning which is supported by information, technology, and communication is the new path the population desire to obtain (Chiu et al. 2014). The aim of this proposal is to provide the client with a full insight of the market landscape, in order to accomplish the desired goals and maximize the return on investment. It was taken into considerations that since the website aims to attract customers globally, its name should fit diversely and corresponds with the idea of being available and accessible. Therefore, Universal Online Academy is the name that we believe is bearing the connotations behind this idea. Furthermore, the website will outli ne a better user understanding and enable users to experience instructional design model through e-learning methods, offering education services about Big Data Analytics. The online services that the platform offers will not be just limited to digital literacy but encompass multiple formats that include a hybrid technology methodology, in particular the use of software, the overall internet and devices as well as interactive media on the companys website. According to the respected magazine Forbes, in order for a marketing strategy to be successful, it must be multi-faced, realistic and implemented consistently over time. (Forbs,2013) Therefore, a clear set of marketing objectives must be identified and implied respectively. Borrowing the existing audit, some of the components of the SMART objectives methodology are going to be analysed, which corresponds to the specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound aspects of a marketing strategy and apply those of them that are compatible with our business proposal. Starting with the specific objectives, the key milestones are: Build brand awareness among the target group Provide useful content We have defined specific target group, represented by professionals, such as system administrators, database specialists and/or business intelligence experts, who seek to expand their knowledge and expertise in the Big Data and Data Analytics field. Through the completion of the courses offered from our clients online training platform, the participants will not only improve their technical skills, but also receive a certification as a proof of their achievements. In order to fulfil this objective and enhance the brand awareness, while increasing participants level of engagement, it is believed that the proposed website should include relevant and accurate information on how the skills acquired over the training period will upgrade the organisations competitiveness in the digital environment. The appearance of respected researchers who will provide content for the recorded online courses, together with the ongoing Webinar, which aim is to encourage further discussions on relevant for the participants topics, will result beneficially on the brand awareness and reputation. Moreover, and as known, a high level of flexibility is a key requirement for the business success; in regards, participants in the online courses could be either independent individuals or organisations employees. In order to demonstrate the level of flexibility and attract more users to subscribe for the online courses our client is offering discounts for multiple course enrolments, and mobile version of the website, in an attempt to address the customers needs and provide them with convenience. Following on that, providing high quality of services on a competitive price is what the client should aim for in order to establish the newly launched website and online services on the existing digital market l andscape. Further details on the pricing strategy will be discussed later on in this proposal. In terms of measurable objectives, which refers to the quantitative data acquired that enables the business owner to track the business performance, an implementation of a search engine marketing strategy is going to be proposed. This strategy is achievable in two ways: first, is the search engine optimisation (SEO) approach and second is the paid search marketing (PSM) approach. The main advantages of these two approaches are the ability to specify the target audience and reduce the costs involved in the promotion activities. A good implementation of those two practices leads to achieving the highest ranking in the natural listing. It is due to its capability to increase the brand awareness and measure the traffic towards the website, which is critical for the business success, what makes the SEM strategy the most commonly used in the digital marketing world Implementing a search engine optimisation will allow the owner to keep track of the contribution to the website and identify from where does the traffic comes from. Moreover, keywords, Meta tags, backlinks and product images are also playing significant role throughout the optimisation, due to the vast number of websites that exist in the Internet environment. Since the main purpose of the search engine optimisation is to increase the website visibility and deliver traffic to the site, the implementation of a search engine strategy which will result in more attention from the targeted audience. 2.1 ACHIEVABLE When it comes to the achievable objectives, the visual aspects of the proposed website are going to be discussed. As the modern online user is native with the digital environment and have been exposed to thousands of different websites and online promotions, it is believed that the graphic user interface (GUI) of the website should be user-friendly. Users should be able to navigate throughout the website easily, almost intuitively. This could be achieved through a simple web design, which will allow users to explore the website, without feeling lost in it and overload with unnecessary information. The website should be designed in a smart way and offer users to continue their learning process from where they have left it, just by clicking on one button. In order to illustrate the idea of the website structure a sitemap is going to be created, which could be found in the appendix section of this business proposal. At the Universal Online Academy, many activities will be offered online at a competitive price. The company plans to enter into online training that offers educational services for business professionals. The fields of study include Big Data and Analytics (Smith, 2016). The main activities that cover Big Data and analytics at the Universal Company include pre-recorded training courses provided by well-respected and qualified instructors in which they will cover various areas in Big Data platforms. There will also be online programs that introduce online users to the world of Data Science, master data management systems, text analytics and data quality among other relevant fields of study. The company aims at providing high-quality online programs that help academicians learn the relevant skills required in achieving their goals through offering them different levels. Participants are entitled to decide on which level they want to encounter themselves based on their knowledge, which respectively are (beginners, intermediate, advanced). The courses at the website will be provided through tutorials. Universal Online Academy offers webinars, which will be organized on a monthly basis and participants can register for. The average duration of a webinar is 1.5 hours where topics could be e.g. Social Networks for Fraud Detection, Predictive Analytics using Decision Trees, Hadoop, etc.   Universal Online Academy also offers academicians the ability to earn their certificates while documenting their contact hours as well as their course completion on the website. All the courses offered on the website will be self-paced. This means that the academicians will not need to be online at specific date or time. They will study at their own convenient time, which will be suitable for their schedule. Research conducted by Fowler, Godin Geddy (2016), show that Extensible Markup Language or simply XML will be employed as the main database storing information for the Universal Online Academy. XML is a standard format within information exchange and general integration within the website. Extensive research on XML technology has led to the overall development in the e-learning industry. With the effective combination of XML as well as other related databases for portable Internet data exchange, storage and management remain the main platform for Universal Online Academy (Schulte, 2013). XML is the main database that is used to support eLearning, which makes it paramount for the application in developing the methodologies for eLearning. The learning institution will make good use of content managers who will be charged with the responsibility of ensuring materials online are either stored within the local content databases or even as links that provide good quality video for the part icipants (Rijmenam, 2014). Video recordings in most teachings will only be accessible by the teachers, students as well as mentors of the content storage databases (Ivan, 2014). The company will also use the cloud-based data synchronization which offers a promising solution in the management of heterogeneous learning materials such as texts, web pages excerpts, images, videos and links (Trifu Mircea, 2016). Such delivery of computing and storage service utility is essential in the database storing for the instructors, the participants, the sessions that follow and even in providing feedback (Pelet, 2013). According to (Marshall Taylor, 2015) the cloud storage, in particular, will provide participants and instructors with effective data storage and computing services, data processing ability within the sessions and an adaptive content delivery to a different computer and PDA devices. The ultimate goal of every marketing strategy is to build-up and/or reinforce the brand awareness among its targeted audience in order to increase the return of investment.   Philip Kotler, who is one of the most established authors in the marketing field has highlighted that the purpose of a marketing strategy is to define, measure and quantify the size of the identified market and the profit potential. (Kotler, et.al. Grant, 2014) Following on that, this business proposal aims to address and provide a detailed plan on how the client can maximize the companys profits by implementing the appropriate promotional marketing activities launching a website. Consequently, first, the characteristics of the potential customers will be examined afterwards a focus on the industry landscape is needed, which in turn will provide a better understanding of the needs emerging in the particular sector. That will furthermore, allow to match the clients offerings with the consumer demand and help measure the level of satisfaction in the post-promotional stage of the marketing campaign. Secondly, in order to differentiate the client services from the rest of the online training companies, the competitors performance are going to be discussed in the market landscape, through which the aim is to collect insights regarding the customers acceptance of the offerings in terms of pricing and preferred content delivery methods. Having gained such insights, then an appropriate website design will be suggested, that will match with the overall goals of the clients company and thereafter, extend the promotional activities with an adequate social media campaign. After implementing the proposed strategy, the client will be able to spot the advantages of understanding the marketing landscape, which in turn will allow him to address the market demand, measure the business performance and take appropriate marketing actions to achieve the objectives of the project. Having that in mind, it is going to be analysed the following business proposal in a reasonable manner, which will illustrate every phase of the marketing strategy, considering all aspects from budgeting to web design, promotion strategy and social media activities. SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING STRATEGY In eLearning, it is important to craft a search engine result page that is unique, eye-catching and well shareable through discussion boards. When it comes to Search Engines, the company will use Google as the main search engine to attract different prospects. This means the company will simply create a course content titled eLearning courses for universal online Academy then go ahead to creating a comprehensive content that lists and gives details of the courses being provided and materials to be used (Moran Hunt, 2014). The use of Google will ensure there is no crowding in the result page being presented and the differentiation of results will be made easy for learners to find. The company will ensure the search engine developed can rank for the targeted keywords specified for the courses being offered and the instructors names since they are well known professionals (Jones, 2016). Google search engine optimization has widely been used since it can rank for the specified targeted keyword variations to give users a good online experience. Some of the keywords that can be used to increase the visibility of the website are big data platforms, data analytics, online learning, data science, predictive analytics, text analytics, master data management data quality. 7. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGY Involvement in social media can be beneficial for companies; as a starting point, company has to set goals and objectives, in order to increase brand awareness and/or drive traffic to a website. Businesses need to decide on what aims to be achieved by the social media team. Furthermore, social media enables two-way communication between organizations and customers. As for social media marketing, it is more about creating awareness about the organization, promoting their goods and services through different social media channels. According to Saravanakumar and SuganthaLakshmi (2012), social media is associated with consumers communication.   Social media allows customers to communicate not just with the company but with others as well. As a result, companies need to provide customers with a platform where they can build a network for interaction. Universal Online Academy is expected to establish an active presence on social media platforms with particular emphasis on LinkedIn, Twitter as well as Facebook. This will ensure a powerful connection between the company and the learning community to give the stakeholders the ability to accomplish the companys mission (Geho Dangelo, 2012). The best way to position the companys commitment is through providing learners with the best information about the online courses offered and provide answers for the users inquiries in a professional and efficient manner. When it comes to the selection amongst social media platforms LinkedIn is the preferred medium for targeting business professionals. Only in the UK nearly 60% of the students and professionals are using LinkedIn to widen their connections, future working prospects, and business opportunities. By establishing extensive connections on the platform, the organizational value of the company can be penetrated to the online users. Unlike other social media platform, LinkedIn allows B2B and B2C networking efficiently and effectively. One of the unique features that LinkedIn offers is categorizing individuals depending on their occupation, previous education, work experiences, and skills. In order for this social media marketing strategy to be successful the LinkedIn account of the website will include each instructor professional account, so that it enables users to check the instructors profile so they can have a glimpse of what each instructor could provide them with regarding their field of interest. As for Twitter being the second most used social media platform, it will be used as an instrument to attract attention and to increase brand awareness in the online environment. Since, opening a Twitter account is free, cost-effectiveness is one of the key player especially for business owners. Once a company has established a large number of audience and followers, they will create a hashtag for everyone to use and share through tweets, for instance, Universal Online Academy can produce hashtags (e.g. #UOA, #BigData, #Best-ecoursesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). By increasing the amount of hashtags shared on Twitter, the popularity of their page will be leveraged which is a desirable goal a business should aim to achieve through the implementation of a social media marketing strategy. Facebook is most commonly used across social media platforms globally, A great number of people will be exposed to different kind of pages and public accounts since Facebook has more than one billion active users. By creating a Facebook page Universal Online Academy can reach a great amount of potential subscribers, which in turns, it makes the platform effective for the client. When it comes to promoting through Facebook, introductory videos about the services provided by the website itself can be posted on the page so users can comment, like, and share the videos. With the use of Facebook, companies are able to recognize their audience, and by doing that, Universal Online Academy can post relevant information towards its followers to attract them. Therefore, Universal Online Academy can emphasize on its Facebook presence where it can promote their main website including the services that they provide. The beneficial part of using Facebook regarding any online business is creating a nd boosting up the brand image and companies position in the market since it is an easy platform that it does not require the users to obtain a high level of digital literacy. Nowadays technology plays an important role in education. More and more people are willing to expand their knowledge in various aspects of their interest. There are multiple online sites that offer courses/seminars online and provide a certificate. Universities and companies around the world offer online programs to everyone since more than 6 million students in 2012 attended online courses (McConnell, 2012). The advantages of attending online courses are many. Since many citizens do not have the time to attend offline lectures they choose to register in an online course. The most well-known competitor is Lynda.com since it has various categories for online seminars. The history of this online education server goes back to 1995. All registered members can have access to watch multiple educational videos. The online courses are taught in English, German, Spanish and French. The first 10 days the member can watch free his/her educational preferable programs to make his/her familiar with the program and see whether he/she likes it or not. After the 10 days, free trial there are various subscriptions types. The monthly membership subscription costs 25$/month. The monthly premium subscription costs 37.50$, the annual subscription costs 250$ and the annual premium subscription costs 375$/year. It is highlighted that many can pay Lynda.com, since the cost is low. In 2015 the registered members of Lynda.com reached 4 million users (Robbins, 2015). Future Learn was founded in 2012 by the Open University. It is the first UK massive open online course (MOOC) educational online server, and in 2017 109 universities were included in their platform. Future Learn was propelled with the 12 UK high ranked universities. This makes Future Learn unique, that it cooperates with the most well-known universities in the UK. The main languages of Future Learn are English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Chinese. The courses are free to attend but in the end of the online module the participant must pay between 39$ 59$ in order to receive the certificate. Future Learn in 2015 had 3.8 million registered online students from 200 different countries. (Harvegal, 2016). The Chief Executive of Future Learn Simon Nelson argued that the cost of the certificate is moderate because Future Learn wants a founding ethos online platform that everyone can have access no matter the cost. This is the reason why; people pay at the end of the module so everyone can be educated. Another competitor is Udacity. Udacity is a for-profit online educational company founded in 2011. It is well known for its computer science classes through the Stanford University. It has 1.6 million active users in 12 full online lectures. Udacity is well known for their pioneering technology courses of nanotechnology and nanoengineering.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Since these programs are very for profit, they price begin from 200$/month. It is vivid that there are thousands of online educational platforms. Technology in education is emerging. As for Universal Online Academy, many aspects should be taken into consideration, due to the fact that there are many competitors in this industry and a unique competitive advantage must be accomplished in order for the website to prosper. One of the main competitive advantage that Universal Online Academy has is the presence of a well-known and experienced instructors; who are going to deliver the best contact in the domain of Big Data and analytics. Pricing strategies will be designed to suit the diverse needs of customers from all the regions around the world. Utilizing an effective online pricing strategy will require both a test and learn strategy paired with an intuitive feel for how the institution would like the brand and the online package being offered will be perceived (Leong, 2013). In utilizing the best, online pricing strategy will lead to an effective Omni channel selling success that will be used by anybody anywhere in the world. The pricing strategy for the pre-recorded training sessions, the webinars as well as one-to-one online tutoring session will be expanded based on four very important e-learning pricing strategies. This includes the Value-based pricing and cost-plus pricing. Competitive pricing, target return pricing and the lead generation model will be the second option for the company (Tidd Bessant, 2013). For the case of the value-based pricing, Universal Online Academy will employ a pricing strategy that entails pricing the courses to appeal to the customers over an alternative competing for e-learning price. This will consider the deep value of education the customer needs (Wu, Wann-Yih, Hsieh-Chih, 2016). This means the materials being presented online will determine the prices largely depending on the perceived value of the public. Cost-plus pricing will be implemented to ensure that the company is maintaining an ample margin of profit at any given time. Another possible option for the company as stated is the Competitive pricing strategy (Kutsch, McDermott Finch, 2013). which will also be used only basing on what the competitions charge for teaching the same packages. Universal online Academy will invest a lot of efforts and preparations into developing and providing an ultimate eLearning courses online. These include perfecting the eLearning courses to choosing an ideal online payment platform (Aaronson, Brave, and Cole, 2016). The process will involve various steps, which will require the full attention of the company. It is of utmost importance that universal online academy prepares a comprehensive courses payment gateway. This means the company has a responsibility to ensure the learners are provided with the safest channels of making payments (Nawi, Mamun Raston, 2015). The channels of payments will be secured to ensure the learners have confidence when they insert their details. Universal Online Academy will employ the services of PayPal which uses an advanced data-encryption and anti-fraud technology to keep its online users data secured. In the course of the webinar, the company will offer a variety of instructional roles developed to provide effective teaching as well as a good learning experience for the students (Kohl, 2012). The webinars will last for the duration of one and half hours which are custom to the normal classroom lessons. The students will have some qualified instructors in order to address their various needs. The interaction will be the best for online delivery for the inexperienced presenters (Bates, Phalen, Moran, 2016). The webinar will be used in offering both administrative and technical support in assisting users with other aspects of attendance like their inability to log into the systems, requests for password reminders among other services. The platform would provide a chart box for complete interaction as well as the use of a webcam and a microphone for one on one communications. This will be customized to be the same as the traditional face-to-face classroom experience at the comfort of the students homes. Research has shown that eLearning was first introduced to China ten years ago. With that, only a small population of the Chinese community has access to the eLearning platform especially in the topics covering the big data Platforms. The online platform in China will target the business-to-business market. This is because most of the Chinese companies have the need to reduce staff training expenses but at the same time provide the flexibility of time and space to facilitate an easy learning process for employees (Ellis Kuznia, 2014). Universal online Academy will pursue its expansion to China through targeting the corporations and business segments, which enjoy a bigger proportion of the market shares. The company expects that with the introduction of eLearning to China, online education will grow and various expectations are highlighted with the growth of the Chinese online education system. There will be a more open communication system that will be opened for other students (Delisle, Goldstein, Yang, 2016). The Chinese students will be able to pursue foreign online education degrees in the field of Big Data Platforms such as Hadoop and Mongo DB among others. The students will be able to earn their degrees often without the need of visiting UK. Universal online Academy will ensure there is more rural reachability of the Chinese students to ensure they join the online courses to benefit from the general education system (Alman, Tomer, Lincoln, 2012). The Blackboard will also become a popular platform in China giving the website the ability to explore opportunities in giving them a better online learning experience. Not to forget that Chinese people prefer using mobile apps rathe r than PCs and laptops so the overall structure of the website should be compatible and suitable for different type of devices This proposal has effectively presented the best platform for an eLearning experience for business professionals around the world. The website requirements have been shown from the strategies that are going to be developed to give learners the best online learning experience that is well customized in order to meet their needs. It has also offered a solution in the various web design aspects that are provided for the users. Pricing strategies are also effective in giving Universal Online Academy a heads-up. To make sure that the website is efficient and it provides an exclusive content, the company will design a portal login for the users allowing them to access their paid courses or any additional material for example webinars, one-to-one tutoring, and by the end of the courses being able to pay securely for the certificate. This will ensure that the subscribers have reach a satisfactory level with their online learning experience which will eventually lead to a positive word of mou th and brand reputation. References Aaronson, R, Brave,D and Cole, A.S. (2016). Using Private Sector Big Data as an Economic Indicator: The Case of Construction Spending. Chicago Fed Letter, No. 366, 1236-1253. Alman, S, Tomer,C Lincoln, M (2012). Designing Online Learning: A Primer for Librarians. Libraries Unlimited: Santa Barbara, CA. Bates, C, Phalen, M.S Moran, L (2016). Online Professional Development a Primer: Educators Have Access to a Dizzying Array of Virtual Learning Opportunities, but They Must Be Mindful That Working with Colleagues Produces Some of the Best Learning. Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 97, No. 5, 45-63. Baule, S.M Lewis, J.E (2012). Social Networking for Schools. Linworth: Santa Barbara, CA. Chiu, D.K.W, Wang,M, Popescu,E, Qing, L, Rynson, L (2014). New Horizons in Web Based Learning: ICWL 2011 International Workshops, KMEL, ELSM, and SPeL, Hong Kong, December 8-19, 2011; ICWL 2012 International Workshops, KMEL, SciLearn, and CCSTED, Sinaia, Romania, September 2-4, 2012, Revised Selected Papers. Springer: New York City. Croes, M.M Jo-Anne V.V (2015). FrTech Skills to Life Skills: Google Online Marketing Challenge and Experiential Learning. Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 26, No. 4, 78-96. Delisle, J, Goldstein,A Yang,G (2016). The Internet, Social Media, and a Changing China. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, PA. Ellis, K.D Kuznia, P.F (2014). Corporate Elearning Impact on Employees. Global Journal of Business Research, Vol. 8, No. 4, 123-654. Fawcett, T Provost, F (2013). Data Science for Business: What You Need to Know about Data Mining and Data-Analytic Thinking. OReilly Media: Sebastopol, California. Fowler, M, Godin,B Geddy, J (2016). Introduction to NoSQL in a Traditional Database Course. Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 27, No. 2, 559-654. Forbes.com. (2017). Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2013/04/17/creating-a-successful-marketing-strategy/#6b735e9e5671 [Accessed 10 Mar. 2017]. Francis, B. (2016). Data Analytics : The Complete Beginners Guide The Black Book. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform : London. Funk, J. (2013). Technology Change and the Rise of New Industries. Stanford University Press, : Stanford, CA. Geho, J Dangelo, P.R (2012). The Evolution of Social Media as a Marketing Tool for Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial Executive, Vol. 17,, 952-963. Harvegal, C. (2017, February 16). FutureLearn launches first Moocs offering academic credits. Retrieved March 19, 2017, from Robbins, L. (2015, May 7). What LinkedIns Acquisition of Lynda.com Means for Users. http://www.firebrandgroup.com/what-linkedins-acquisition-of-lynda-com-means-for-users/ [Accessed March 08, 2017]. Ivan, M.-L. (2014). Characteristics of In-Memory Business Intelligence. Informatica Economica, Vol. 18, No. 3, 78-96. Jones, H. (2016). Seo 2016: Ultimate Search Engine Optimization Strategy Book ? Internet Marketing, Passive Income, Social Media Marketing. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform: Luxembourg . Kohl, M. (2012). AFCS Webinars: Statewide Opportunities for FCS Educators. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, Vol. 104, No. 2, 4569-4586. Kutsch, J, McDermott,K Finch, M (2013). Pricing REI Memberships: The Use of Segmentation and Value Estimation Pricing. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, Vol. 19, No. 4, 596-996. Leong, J. Y. (2013). Price Dispersion in Online Grocery Stores: An Analysis of the

Questions on compensation management

Questions on compensation management Managers of compensation and benefits play vital role in determining key aspects of decisions taken during strategy creation on compensation. The key premise is that the way employees are compensated can be a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Two alternative approaches namely best-fit/contingent business strategy/environmental context approach and best practices approach are common and applied by compensation and benefits managers in their decision-making on strategy creation on compensation i) Based on the above scenario, analyse the approach your company uses to pay staff. Infer its compensation strategy using five issues (objectives, alignment, competitiveness, employee considerations and management). ii) How does your company compare the compensation strategy using five issues? (Objectives, alignment, competitiveness, employee considerations and management) with the TWO (2) selected benchmark companies of your choice? iii) What business strategy does it seem to fit (i.e., cost cutter, customer centered, innovator, or something else)? Why? QUESTION 2 You own a non-union company with 100 non-exempt employees. All of these employees pack books into boxes for shipment to customers throughout the Southeast Asia and Europe. Because of the wide differences in performance, you have decided to try performance appraisal that has never been done before. Until now, you have given every worker the same size increase. Now you want to measure performance and reward the best performers with bigger increases. Based on this: i) Propose and develop performance appraisal format that you think would be most appropriate. Why do you choose this format? Justify your answer. ii) Do you anticipate any complaints, or other comments, from employees after you have implemented your new system? Build argument to support your answer. DATE OF SUBMISSION : 13 November 2010 QUESTION 1 Managers of compensation and benefits play vital role in determining key aspects of decisions taken during strategy creation on compensation. The key premise is that the way employees are compensated can be a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Two alternative approaches namely best-fit/contingent business strategy/environmental context approach and best practices approach are common and applied by compensation and benefits managers in their decision-making on strategy creation on compensation Based on the above scenario, analyse the approach your company uses to pay staff. Infer its compensation strategy using five issues (objectives, alignment, competitiveness, employee considerations and management). Compensation Compensation is defined as pay provided to an employee by an employer in return for work performed as required by a relevant task in the form of monetary and non- monetary. http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryc/g/compensation.htm Compensation is based on: Economic outlook in the market research about the merit of comparable jobs in the marketplace; Contributions and accomplishments of an employee; Employees skills which is available in the marketplace; the need of a employer to retain and attract employees; and the success of the company or the availability of funds and capability of an employer to pay employee the market-rate compensation. Best Practice Best Practice is defined as methods and techniques that have consistently shown results superior than those achieved with other means, and which are used as benchmarks to strive for. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/best-practice.html Best Fit The McGraw-Hill text book quoted that the best-fit approach presumes that one size does not fit all. The art of managing compensation strategically involves fitting the compensation system to the different business and environment condition. It is important that each organisation develop a compensation system in the perspective of its organisation mission (what it is and what it does). Scholars have agreed that it is important that leaders of an organisation embrace compensation/fair pay practices. An effective system of compensation is highly significant because several problems relating to employee remuneration such as absenteeism occurs because employee feels they are under paid. Remuneration must fulfill the expectations and aspiration of employees and exploit their energies for the benefit of organisation. Retaining competent individuals for long is more difficult than attracting new fresh ones. Loyalty of employee towards an organisation depends on his/her perceptions about compensation. The organisations pay structure must, therefore be equitable and consistent. Employees get motivated to perform better when their past performance is rewarded adequately. Employees set expectations about rewards and compensation to be received, if certain levels of performance are achieved. Compensation Strategy in ABC Managed Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd Background of Organisation ABC Managed Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a subsidiary of ABC Consultants India Pte. Ltd. It was established here in Malaysia on July 2004 and has about 15 members as at today. Main focus of the business is Human Resource Outsourcing (HRO) and Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO). The HRO division takes care of the payroll processes and statutory compliance of organisations within the Asia region. Where the ITO division works on the information technology which assist a HR department to manage and maintain HR records. The organisation has mixed of local and expatriates member working for them. The Malaysia office is headed by a country manager who reports to Head of Asia Pacific who is based in Singapore. Current Practice at ABC Managed Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd Compensation in ABC Managed Services ABC Managed Services compensation program is managed by their corporate office based in Chennai, India and there is a compensation policy which is used as a guideline as their compensation program for all ABC Consultant employees worldwide. These policies are designed to assist in the consistent, equitable, and effective administration of the program, in all ABC Consultant operations and its locations. Application of these policies is contingent upon specific review of local legal, regulatory, tax, and prevailing business practice considerations. The policies applies to all employees and administered without regard to an employees race, color, nationality, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation or disability as it relates to relevant local regulations. Responsibility of Compensation Administration The administration of ABC Managed Services compensation program is a shared responsibility. The manner in which responsibility is shared is as follows: The Board The Board will have responsibility for approving the ABC Managed Services pay strategy and philosophy, and for establishing annual compensation program priorities and budgets. Guidance will be provided to the Board by the Global Head of Human Resources. Global Head of Human Resources The Global Head of Human Resources, working with the Global Compensation Team and Regional HR Heads, is the final management authority on all compensation administration issues based on the Boards directives. Specific responsibilities include: Formulating and finalizing the overall compensation administration program objectives and general policies Recommending any promotions, equity adjustments and/or merit budget Approving any significant changes or exceptions to the compensation administration program Reviewing and approving career band and pay zone assignment for all new or revised jobs Reviewing and approving salary adjustments for all employees Ensuring the overall compensation administration program is administered in accordance with the policies and procedures documented in the compensation manual Reviewing, approving, and maintaining job descriptions for all jobs Producing regular monitoring report of salary increases and budget. Global Compensation Team/HR Regional Heads The Global Compensation Team and HR Regional Heads are responsible for maintaining the effectiveness of the compensation administration program for employees in their respective regions/countries. Specifically, the group will be collectively responsible for: Reviewing salary adjustments and making recommendations, declining or gaining approval from executive management Administering the compensation administration program in accordance with the policies and procedures documented in the compensation manual Developing, in conjunction with the Global Compensation Team, recruiter and hiring manager, an appropriate starting salary for new hire Department Management Each management employee is responsible for maintaining the effectiveness of the compensation administration program for employees in his/her area(s) of responsibility. Specifically, these department management employees are responsible for: Coaching and mentoring staff to deliver on corporate goals and values Conducting performance appraisals for subordinates Recommending salary adjustments and promotions when warranted Developing job descriptions for new/revised jobs within his/her area(s) of responsibility Developing, in conjunction with the Regional HR staff, an appropriate starting salary for a new hire Compensation objectives: Studies have shown that Pay systems are designed to communicate strong messages of strategy and directions are necessary to generate organisational performance. (Lawler, 1995) ABC Managed Servicess pay objectives are as follows:- to increase performance by reducing costs creating new process, enhancing quality and productivity increasing speed to market service Recognizing employee and team effort and treat everyone fairly To ensure that the organisation meets the above, it needs to focus on the capabilities of their employees. With the above objectives, ABC Managed Services and Global HR department uses it as a guide and as standard to design its pay system. Internal Alignment Since ABC Managed Services are into the HRO and ITO industry, the job and skills required by employee are compared to the companys organisation business objectives. For examples, in the HRO division, executive with knowledge/skills of preparing payroll for other part of Asia region are welcomed, it is found to be difficult to get talent with knowledge of other Asia countries payroll skills. Therefore, ABC Managed Services manages the differences with an addition of allowance if one knows and has Asia country pay rolling skills. The allowance can be in the range of RM300 to RM500 depending on experience and skills obtained. Since it is a niche market obtaining talent of such skills, the organisation also invest into additional training to be competitive within the standard and market. The organisation also encourages its team members to have multitasking skills and encourages harmonious working environment. The ABC Managed Services current pay structure is based on Pay- for performance. Pay for performance includes the management of both salary increments and bonuses, based on individual, group or company performance or a combination of these. External Competitiveness The ABC Managed Services has high risk losing its employee to its competitors. Based on the recent salary outlook survey conducted by Kelly Services recruitment agency for year 2010/2011, it is found that ABC Managed services is underpaying its employee 2% less compared to the market. Although ABC Managed Services is underpaying its members based salary, but it was providing good benefits such as traveling allowance, gym membership, and meal allowance. It also provides good annual leave structure for its employee which we cant find their competitors providing the same. Since the organisation is paying its employee based on performance, there are opportunities for its employees to perform better and get a higher pay. Employee Contributions In ABC Managed Services it emphasis pay for performance and it can be individual or team performances. At times, the organisation receives one time project which requires members to work in a team, so in this scenario, the management fix a onetime bonus payout for team achievement and paid to individual based on their contribution to the success of the project and if it is a team effort, the team will be paid double upon completion of the said project. This encourages the team members to work as a team since if it is a team effort the bonus will be higher if compared to an individual payout. If the customers give good feedback, the team will be given a holiday package as a treat. Management The decision of pay and incentives of ABC Managed Services is decided by Global Head of Human Resource who is based in India. She usually makes use of the information of labor market in local countries and base on the countrys economic status before establishing the compensation level for its employee. The text book mentioned that how open and transparent should the pay decisions be to all employees? In this case, employee here in Malaysia isnt aware how the pay is decided, or how the pay for performance is based on. All they know is that, their pay increases on yearly basis if their performance falls into exceed expectation category of their individual performance appraisal and what their immediate bosses has recommended on their performance. To answer the question, if the organisation is using Best Fit or Best Practice, I would say the organisation uses best fit which matches for the organisation to stay competitive in Malaysia and retain its employee so the scope for local judgment is built in, allowing for some adjustment by local management to local business needs, thus resulting in compensation system that are aligned to both corporate and local performance targets. ii) How does your company compare the compensation strategy using five issues (objectives, alignment, competitiveness, employee considerations and management) with the TWO (2) selected benchmark companies of your choice? I am using 2 other organisation which is in the same industry with ABC Managed Services which focuses on HR outsourcing business here in Malaysia. The only differences between ABC Managed Services and the other 2 organisation (ZX Services and MY Agency are both locally owned and not foreign owned like ABC Managed Services and been in the industry for more than 2 decades. All of this 3 organisation have a pay strategy to support their business strategy. ABC Managed Services ZX Services MY Agency Objectives To increase performance by reducing costs Creating new process, enhancing quality and productivity Increasing speed to market service Recognizing employee and team effort and treat everyone fairly Hard work towards meeting difficult goals and achieving objectives Innovation in a highly technical environment Team work motivated Perseverance against tough competition High ethical standards in a constantly changing world Support business mission and goals Internal Alignment Support Multitasking skills Performance based Encourage team culture Ensure compensation is internally equitable through annual pay analysis Ensure cost is justified allowing company to meet financial goals link pay to performance through the performance appraisal system ensure compensation is externally competitive through annual salary review; while salary increases are not guaranteed, we will review salaries annually Externally Competitive Market competition in base and benefits Leader in benefits Compares favorably with higher-performance competitors Their leaders are committed to review their programs, policies and practices on a regular, and as-needed, basis to maintain in the competitive position Career band system is based upon the 50th percentile of the competitive market in each country relative to the outsourcing industry Career bands and pay zones are broad, allowing company to reward high performing employees without undue pressure to promote people outside of their interests, Employee Contributions Bonuses and commission paid based on organisations success and on individual performance Annual salary increments rate is for respective countries based on market survey Annual increment based on individual performance Bonus based on the overall performance of the company Annual increment based on individual and team performance Management Annual Salary Increment controlled by top management of the organisation. Technology support Open communication Ensure compensation is internally equitable through annual pay analysis Ensure employees understand how they are compensated and the value of their total compensation packages Salary matters controlled by local company Salary matters controlled by local company Open and transparent Company ABC Managed seems to have aligned compensation strategy compared with the other 2 organisation. Their strategy is fitting into the organisations mission and also staying competitive within the industry. They have happy employees working for them and who have loyalty to serve the organisation. The organisation that fosters a friendly and family culture helps the organisation to meet its objective and goal to be a leader in the Outsourcing industry. Since ABC Managed Services is a new organisation compared with the other 2 organisation, there are always rooms for growth in the industry if they stay competitive. iii) What business strategy does it seem to fit (i.e., cost cutter, customer centered, innovator, or something else)? Why? In my opinion, I dont think there is one business strategy which seems to fit for any organisation. Most organisations will likely have the mixture or combination of cost cutter, customer centered or innovator as their strategy. In ABC Managed Services, their business strategy are based on being innovative, customer oriented since its in the services industry and always looking towards cost cutting measures and increase productivity. With these business strategies, it becomes the main drive for them to achieve their vision to become a leader in the HRO/ITO industry worldwide and remain excellent in customer satisfaction. Compensation decisions should be fully integrated into the organizations business and operations strategy, through company own compensation philosophy. QUESTION 2 You own a non-union company with 100 non-exempt employees. All of these employees pack books into boxes for shipment to customers throughout the Southeast Asia and Europe. Because of the wide differences in performance, you have decided to try performance appraisal that has never been done before. Until now, you have given every worker the same size increase. Now you want to measure performance and reward the best performers with bigger increases. Based on this: Propose and develop performance appraisal format that you think would be most appropriate. ( Enclosed) Why do you choose this format? Justify your answer. The reason why I choose the following format is because the performance appraisal form should be simple and easy to understand by employee and the supervisors. This method used to describe a performance rating that focused on specific behaviors or sets as indicators of effective or ineffective performance. This method is very useful and exact. This will also allow supervisor just focus on the questions based on competencies which had been stated on the form and provide rating according to employees performance. The appraisal form will also wont take much time for the employee to prepare and we used simple English as mode of communication. Performance appraisal encourages employee to discuss their performance with their supervisor and strengthen their working relationships. By doing a performance appraisal, it allows healthy competition among employees to be more productive and motivate since increment henceforth will be based on employees performance. Initial training will be provided to supervisor on how to use the performance appraisal and this will also allow us to inform all employees what is our organisations objective and what is expected from them to ensure the organisations goal are met. Having a performance appraisal will also help supervisor to ensure career path for all employees. The annual performance appraisal review becomes one of the most effective methods of insuring an efficient and effective operation. Question 2(i) Performance Appraisal Form Non Exempt employee Name of Appraisee: Appraisal Period: Department: Job Title: Name of Appraiser: Appraisal Date: Instructions Review the current position description with employee and discuss how the tasks relate to the performance standards. Use the following rating scale for each performance standard. High and low ratings must be supported by specific examples of critical incidents occurring during the appraisal period. Rating Scales Rating ( Scales of 1 5 ) Definition 5. Outstanding Exceptional performance in all areas of responsibility. Planned objectives were achieved well above the established standards and accomplishments were made in unexpected areas 4. Exceeds Expectations Performance consistently exceeds expectations of the position. Reserve this rating for a highly-motivated employee who demonstrates superior quality work and maintains a high level of effectiveness with little or no supervision. Document specific critical incidents of behavior that illustrate this rating on the back of the performance management form. 3. Meets Expectations Performance consistently meets expectations of the position. Use this rating for a fully-trained employee who performs all expectations of the position. 2. Needs Improvement Needs on-the-job or outside training to gain new skills and/or knowledge. Use this rating for an employee who is newly hired, recently promoted or has assumed new responsibilities. 1. Does Not Meet Minimum Standards Performance does not meet expectations of the position. Corrective action has been identified and discussed with the employee. Reserve this rating for an employee who has not benefited from development and training, and continues to have difficulty with job responsibilities. Document specific critical incidents of behavior that illustrate this rating on the back of the performance management form. Standards are divided into three categories: basic performance standards, optional performance standards and supervisors performance standards. Basic standards are designed to be used for all jobs. Supervisors can use optional standards in addition to the basic standards. They may also write standards that are specific to the job on additional paper and attach them to the form. The supervisors performance standards are for jobs with clearly defined supervisory responsibilities and are used in addition to the basic and optional standards for all supervisory jobs. The appraisal period is identified at the top of the form. To determine ratings, only use critical incidents that took place during this appraisal period. The section for goal setting is provided to promote discussion during the appraisal interview. Supervisors can identify goals for the next appraisal period, indicate training needs, or specify corrective action when appropriate. Once an employee and supervisor have set goals on a previous performance management form, supervisors will request the employee to conduct a self-assessment of progress towards these goals prior to the next performance appraisal interview. When an employee receives a 5 (Outstanding) rating, identify the critical incidents that support the rating. This rating cannot be used unless critical incidents are identified. When an employee receives a 2 (Need Improvement) or 1 ( Does not meet Minimum standard) rating, define corrective action required, identify an appropriate time frame for desired results, and discuss any appropriate training needs. If verbal or written counseling has occurred on the same topic during the appraisal period, indicate dates of the counseling and identify any evidence of progress. Have the employee sign the form when the appraisal interview is completed. The signature indicates all the information on the form has been discussed with the supervisor. Make copies of the completed form and give one copy to the employee, keep one copy for department files, and forward original to human resources. Complete the basic standards in Section I and select any optional standards from Section 2 that are appropriate for the job. Use ratings 5 Outstanding, 4 Exceeds expectations, 3 Meets expectations, 2 Needs performance development, or 1 Does not meet minimum standard. If you use 5, 2 or 1, you must document with specific examples of critical incidents to support the ratings on the back page. Section One: Basic Performance Standards Competency Description Ratings Job Knowledge Possesses knowledge of basic functions of the job. Does not require supervisor to explain routine tasks. Quality Completes tasks accurately, neatly and thoroughly. Checks work; limited rework required. Productivity Uses time effectively to complete work within prescribed deadlines with limited supervision. Safety Applies safe work habits for safety of self and coworkers. Uses tools and protective equipment carefully and correctly. Follows department safety rules. Service Responds to people in a helpful, polite, cooperative and friendly way. Judgment Analyzes situation before making decisions. Obtains feedback from appropriate individuals before making decisions. Follows policies and procedures. Maintains confidentiality. Relationships Works effectively with others to accomplish tasks. Shares information, accepts and incorporates suggestions from others. Keeps supervisor informed. Section Two: Optional Performance Standards Select any optional standards that are job related. You can also write standards that are specific to a job on a separate piece of paper. Competency Description Ratings Initiative Recognizes need for intervention and independently takes effective action. Attendance Arrives on time, schedules time off in advance. Sick leave accumulates regularly. Creativity Generates and applies creative ideas that improve operating procedures. Makes suggestions to simplify and improve procedures or tasks. Versatility Accepts changes in job or work area. Remains flexible and tries new approaches. Oral Communication Expresses thoughts clearly to others. Listens to questions and comments of others. Written Communication Expresses information clearly and concisely in writing. Job Enhancement Identifies job-related goals and ways to achieve them. Acquires new skills, increases education level when appropriate for job. Professional Appearance Dresses neatly and appropriately. Portrays image appropriate for job Rating Summary Count the total number of ratings in each category. 5 Outstanding 4 Exceeds Expectations 3 Meets Expectations 2 Needs performance development 1- Does Not Meet Minimum Standard Goals Use this area to set goals and identify training needs. Goals Training Needs High/Low Ratings Identify specific critical incidents of behavior that support rating 6, 2 or 1 ratings. Standard ( High/Low) Date Details of Critical Incident Supervisors Signature: Unit Heads signature: For HRD Use: Employees Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Signing this form means your supervisor has discussed all the information on the form with you. You do not have to agree with the appraisal summary when you sign the form. You may choose to make comments. Use additional paper if necessary. Employees Signature Date ii) Do you anticipate any complaints, or other comments, from employees after you have implemented your new system? Build argument to support your answer. Yes, I do anticipate complaints after implementation since most of the employees didnt experience appraisal process for a long time in this organisation. Since its something new to them and they need to understand that the appraisal tool will help them to grow and be motivated. They shouldnt see the performance appraisal tool is used to judge their capability and a tool which make them loose their income. I foreseen several resistance from employees especially those fear of getting poor rating. To avoid such scenario, I will ensure the employees understand the purpose as well the process of appraisal. Every employee should be aware of the standard and what exactly is expected from them. The employees may fear that there also may be rater error which likely to occur, to avoid such incident the supervisor should exercise objectivity and fairness in evaluating and rating the performance of their employees. Training will be provided to supervisor and advising them on how to ensure accurate evaluation. Common errors like positive leniency, where supervisor gives all employee high scores or negative leniency, where supervisor gives all employee low scores. This will create unhappiness among employee especially for those who are really making good contribution and being productive. In reality, many supervisors conduct performance appraisal poorly. The appraisal procedure is to have 2 way communications between employee and supervisor to find out how to improve the current performance standard and move to the next level, but this seldom

The Colt Six-Shooter :: History

The Colt Six-Shooter The colt six shooter will always be a legend to Texas. Whether you know it as an accurate, cowboy, Texas Ranger, gun-slinging, out West, corral gun, or as a little protection, the colt will never be forgotten in Texas. Sam Colt is known as the inventor of the first revolving firearm. Sam's mother died when he was six and his father owned a silk mill in Ware, Massachusetts. When Sam Colt was seven, he was fascinated by guns. He took apart his father's gun in a field and was able to successfully rebuild it. Science, adventures of an active life, and mechanics were all the favorite passions of young Samuel Colt. During 1830 - 1831, Sam Colt was abroad at sea. It was during these years that Samuel first conceived the idea of a revolving firearm. Some think it may have come from watching the revolving wheel of the ship, turning and locking. While on board ship, Sam must have seen other revolving firearms in London or India. Sam carved a wooden model of his ideal gun while he was at sea. None of what Sam may have previously seen on revolving guns could have led to his invention. His ideas were not copied from any source, even though the revolving idea was not unique. When Sam arrived home from sea, he showed the wooden model to his father and a family friend. This friend was Henry Ellsworth, Commissioner of the United States Patent Office. Both Sam's father and Mr. Ellsworth were greatly impressed by the model. They encouraged Sam to file for a patent for his revolving firearm. On February of the 25, in the year 1835, the first United States patent was granted for a colt revolver. The patent that Samuel received covered eight basic features. First, the application of caps at the end of the gun cylinder. Second, the application of a partition between the caps, as well as other basic ideas. The other areas of the patent cover the application of certain parts of the gun, the principle of locking and turning the cylinder , and all of the basic revolver parts. In 1848, the new pocket model revolver was introduced. Colt devised an alternative means of loading the gun - removing the barrel and cylinder, and either switching an empty cylinder for a loaded one or using the axis pin as a