Inside the mind of a savant Essay Example for Free

Inside the mind of a savant Essay Treffert and Christensen’s article (2005), touches on the important and curious issue: the differences among humans. It is not to hide that jealous and curious species desire to possess what others possess and desire to know how it is possible. The description of savant individual, Kim Peek, leaves the readers wonder about the possibilities that have a mere possibility and right to existence. These authors begin their article with a concrete description of what does it mean to be savant. Their description is well poised and not an eggeduration. They, straightforwardly, describe the concrete features that Kim had without forgetting to mention that Kim also has serious physical disabilities. Kim’s listed abilities are though impressive. I do not know a person who would think twice to have what Kim had – but knot with the price that Kim had to pay. Enduring difficult attitude from others or enduring physical differences are quite different things. Kim endured physical differences that simply made him more different. Now, when he is a grown man (and way into his 50th), researchers took a serious interest in him due to the uniqueness of his case. The authors mentioned in the article that, even in childhood, Kim was missing Corpus Colossum, the connecting neural network that connects left and right human hemispheres. The writers write, â€Å"Yet in people whose corpus callosum has been severed in adulthood, generally in an effort to prevent epileptic seizures from spreading from one hemisphere to the other, a characteristic split-brain syndrome arises in which the estranged hemispheres begin to work almost independently of each other. † This statement, by itself, points out at the materialistic approach that without the synaptic connections between the right and left hemisphere the connection between right and left hemisphere is impossible. There were some ‘guesses’ among the appropriate researchers but no one wanted to mention a possibility that that here is a hidden purpose behind such appearances. The authors conjecture lies within a science fiction, however plausible. They wrote that the person born without corpus collossum learn to connect right and left hemisphere with the non-traditional ways. Their hypothesis consists of an idea that two separated hemispheres learn to act as one, in unison. One major point that the authors noticed was that the ‘abnormalities’ stem form the damage in the left hemisphere only. Furthermore, the suggested that males, per ce, display more frequent number of cases of savanism, stuttering, dyslexia, and autism. Their response to this theory was straightforward: one possible explanation lies within the fetus development in which they suggest that the make fetus has higher levels chemically dependent and left-brained situation. In to this hypothesis the understanding that the left hemisphere develops with a slower rate than that of right has a big part of their study. To evidence the above, the authors use the examples of so called â€Å"acquired savant syndrome† which is resulted in older children after the accidental damage to the left hemisphere. Further, the article speculates upon the implication of the significance behind the corpus collossum. One possibility includes a rationale, which suggests that, the possibility of the right brain compensation if the left-brain cannot function properly. Another possibility makes the readers think that inability to function within one hemisphere unravels the latent ability in another. The latter theory suggests that the left-brain dominance is due to the fact that we live in the techno logical society that prizes the left-brain achievements. Thus, the function of the left-brain, which is prone to science, math, and logic, leads us to what we call Human Rational, the human species that uses conscious analogies in their day-to-day operations (Read, 1997). The dysfunction of the left hemisphere all of the sudden opens new possibilities hidden and latent within the right hemisphere that holds the key to what we call today Human Conscious. It is of interest to the readers that traditional intelligence tests did not really work with the above subject: some parts showed below average while other superior range performance. In another excursion into the case, the authors noted Kim’s unusual versatility with a tremendously large lexicon of vocabulary in his possession. With Kim’s inability to explain the meaning behind the proverbs he finds amazing associations and is being quite effective in long-term memory recall. Such has been evidenced by his unusual abilities dealt with music, as per complex line up of tones and musical styles as well as the names and works of various artists. Here, and despite his dexterous prior complications, he can seat at piano and play a piece he had discussed â€Å"shifting effortlessly from one mode to another. † Even Greehan, the Mozart scholar commented positively about Kim’s abilities. In summary, the authors, refer to the fictional Rain Man produced after Kim’s life story, although the the writer Barry Morrow decided not to outline Kim’s life story. Similarities are striking, however, and cause one is thinking about not-discovered human abilities. References Darold A. Treffert and Daniel D. Christensen (2005). Onside the mind of a savant. Scientific American. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www. condition. org/sa5c. htm Read, S. G. (Ed. ). (1997). Psychiatry in Learning Disability. Edinburgh: W. B. Saunders. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=100737215.

US Entry into Vietnam Essay Example for Free

US Entry into Vietnam Essay Every American president basically regarded the enemy in Vietnam, whether the Vietminh, the National Liberation Front in the 60s and the government of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam, as agents of global communism (Rotter 1999, p 1). US policymakers and most Americans conceived of communism as the opposite of what they stood for. Communists opposed democracy, violated human rights, conducted military attacks and formed closed-state economies, which did not trade with capitalist countries. They loathed communism like a contagious disease. When the Communist Party rose to power in China in 1949, the US government in Washington feared that Vietnam would fall into the hands of communists. This was the reason why the administration of US President Harry Truman decided to send aid to the French who were then fighting the Vietminh in 1950 (Smitha 2005, p 2). Earlier in May, 1945, the Truman administration approved the resumption of France’s colonial authority in Indochina in the hope that France would fight communism in Vietnam. The Viet Minh, a movement led by Ho Chi Minh, a veteran communist, resisted the French regime in Vietnam. At the end of the war, the Viet Minh announced Vietnam’s independence of foreign rule. But the Truman administration and the Allied powers did not want the Vietnamese to be independent. The war between the French and the Viet Minh then began in December 1946. The US sided with the French in Vietnam for the sake of fighting communism in Europe and Indochina and sent financial and material support to the French to overthrow Ho Chi Minh’s government in Vietnam (Rotter p 5, Smitha pp 16-17). President Truman supported the French also in the hope of helping them build and reinforce non-Communist nations whose fate depended to a large extent on the preservation of Vietnam (Rotter 2005, Smitha 1999). He saw that a free world in the region would open markets for Japan, The involvement of the US in Vietnam likewise assured the British of the revival of the rubber and tin industries in Malaya, a neighbor of Vietnam. With US help, the French could move on with efforts at economic recovery at home and ultimately retrieve their military forces from Indochina to oversee the rearmament of West Germany. These were the perceived deep-seated motivations of US involvement in Vietnam (Rotter, Smitha). After the invasion of South Korea by North Korea in 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson convinced President Truman to increase US assistance to the French (Smitha 2005). The US also recognized France’s puppet king, Bao Dai, in Vietnam, only to be replaced later (Smitha, p 9). Step by step, the US entered into the conflict for these goals, which gradually waned and were forgotten. What later developed was a tendency against withdrawing from Vietnam itself (Smitha, p 10). When the Vietnamese Nationalist Vietminh army won over the French at Dienbienphu in 1954, the French were forced to accept the creation of a Communist Vietnam north of the 17th parallel and leaving a non-Communist side in the south (Rotter 1999, p 2). Then US President Dwight Eisenhower rejected the arrangement. Instead, he endeavored to set up a government there to wrestle control from the French, sent military advisers to train a South Vietnamese army, and operate the Central Intelligence Agency to stage a psychological warfare against North Vietnam (Rotter). In his address at the Gettysburg College, Eisenhower pointed to Vietnam as a free but poor and underdeveloped country with a weak economy where the average individual income was less than $200 a year (1959, pp 96-97). The northern part of Vietnam was taken over by communists. He stressed that South Vietnam needed assistance in self-defense and economic growth. The people of Vietnam wanted to thrive and to become self-sufficient. For Vietnam to expand economically, it would need to acquire capital and for this to happen, it should be freed from outside hostility and private investments should be established to infuse capital. Otherwise, it should be given outside loans and grants from more fortunate countries. He emphasized that Vietnam’s freedom should first be insured and then its economic problem would be solved. In addition, the military forces in Vietnam also needed support without affecting or destroying the economy of Vietnam. He justified the continued existence of US military forces in Vietnam because of the closeness of Communist military forces in the north. He also said that while Communist guerrillas had been substantially contained, the remaining ones continued to disrupt the overall conditions of the nation. He emphasized the need to equally provide sufficient moral support to the troops so that they would continue to have the hope, confidence and pride needed to ward off the threats of aggressions from within and without the borders Upon his assumption as President in 1952, US aid to the French in Vietnam increased and reached 80% in two years’ time (Smitha 2005). In 1954, Bao Dai was replaced by Ngo Dinh Diem. But the French disliked Diem, a nationalist who stood aside during the struggle for independence from the French. He was a courageous, honest and persistent, but he was also inept and he was not popular with ordinary people. He was surrounded by relatives and friends and did not establish close relationships with local leaders and groups in the South. His forces in the rural areas were feared and hated. His strategic hamlet program relocated peasants into communities, surrounded by barbed wire to separate them from the guerillas. They did not like their new hamlets (Smitha, p 14). At a news conference on the steel crisis during his term, US President John F. Kennedy contrasted those Americans fighting for freedom in Vietnam with executives who pursued private power and profits beyond a sense of public responsibility (Bostdorff and Goldzwig 1994). While recognizing the importance of the steel controversy, he re-emphasized the value of the US mission in Vietnam. Whenever he had the chance, he restated the nation’s moral commitment. His morally-grounded idealistic rhetoric gained him definite advantages. His arguments made him sound tough and pleased those with an equally hard-line position against communism in Southeast Asia. He could also use these arguments to justify and support his policies, such as when Congress threatened to reduce foreign aid. He insisted that foreign aid was an all-or-nothing proposition because principles were at stake. He pressed that Congress could provide all the aid he believed should be given or Congress must assume the responsibility and culpability in the event of a victory of Communism and the defeat of freedom in those nations at risk. He maintained that representatives and senators must make policy decision in the light of the larger moral consequences to which these policies would inevitably lead. At the Economic Club of New York in 1962, he commented that Vietnam would instantaneously collapse if the US did not assist it. He consistently presented and idealistically argued that Vietnam as the conflict or a battle of principles and urged all citizens to commit themselves to an all-out support to that commitment. If they did not, they would then have to prepare for a communist victory, which would negate and destroy the cause of freedom all over the world (Bostdorff and Goldzwig). France’s Charles de Gaulle warned President Kennedy that the US would sink into a â€Å"bottomless quagmire† in Vietnam, no matter how much money was spent on it and how many men were sent to it (Smitha 2005, p 10). The President increased the number of advisors to help the Diem regime in 1961, until he realized that the battle had to be won by the Vietnamese themselves, not by Americans. He was aware of Diem’s unpopularity and that Diem would fail to rally in the South in the fight against the communists.The time came when it decided to find an alternative to Diem and connived with his generals to overthrow him (Smitha, pp 13-15). # BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Bostdorff, Denise and , Steven. Idealism and Pragmatism in American Foreign Policy. New York: Presidential Studies Quarterly. Vol 24 Issue 3, 1994 2. Rotter, Andrew J. The Causes of the Vietnam War. The Oxford Companion to American Military History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. http://www. english. uuc. edu/maps/vietnam/causes. htm 3. Smitha, Frank E. The United States and Vietnam. Macrohistory, 2005. http://www. smitha. com/h2/ch26. htm

Reflection On Formative Assessment Education Essay

Reflection On Formative Assessment Education Essay For my reflection on learning I am going to discuss writing assignment 01. I feel that I did a pretty good job with writing assignment 01, however, theres always room for improvement. The easiest part of the assignment was ofcause the multiple choice questions which I answered using mostly the general knowledge that I have gathered over past few years of studying Business Management; the second part of the assignment was to write a literature review which was a more challenging task to accomplish. Academic writing is not an easy task and often takes years to master fully. So at this stage, I wanted to be well on my way to becoming a better writer and a researcher. I believe that I have improved on both my academic writing and organizational skills. After going through week 4s content, I had set goals for myself to become better at organizing information, such as sourcing literature and writing about the information. I had hoped to have a better understanding of what a literature review is in order to incorporate this knowledge into my paper, as well as improve on my own ideas, and I feel like I have done that. According to Badenhorst (2010, p. 16) Writing is currency in academia. It doesnt matter how many ideas we have. If we cant transform those ideas into something material, we have nothing worth trading. Therefore, I had also wanted to be clearer when coming up with ideas in a concise, logical and integrated manner so that the person reading could easily follow my argument and understand what I am trying to say. And once again, I feel that I have done just that too. The general feedback that I got on my first assignment was positive. Some of suggestions that I had received from you were, Very good review. Evidence that the literature was studied and integrated in to the review. You should review the APA style referencing. As you cited some of the references wrong in the text. Always cite correctly. So I went back to revise the document that was given to us in the beginning of this module, namely, An Abridged Guide to the APA Referencing Style. I have learned that when citing a paraphrase within the text of an assignment, the surname of the author followed by a comma and the year of publication should be given wholly or partly in round brackets. If referencing a direct quote a comma and page number after the year should be added. I am now more comfortable with using the APA style referencing and hopefully wont be repeating the same silly mistakes I made in this assignment. References: Badenhorst, C. (2010). Productive writing becoming a prolific academic writer. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers. Reflection on learning in Assignment 02 I believe assignment 02 was a real chance for me to test my knowledge and ability to reach the outcomes of the module. I say this because of the nature of this assignment. In general I used to perceive multiple choice types of questions as an opportunity to gain easy extra marks. However, few questions in, I soon realized that assignment 02 was one of the most challenging assignments that I had to complete this year. That is why I was relieved and pleasantly surprised upon the release of the final marks. According to the results, I have gotten 42 correct and 8 incorrect answers. Looking back on the assignment 02, I feel as though I was well-equipped in the majority of the questions in the assignment, especially on answering the questions relating to quantitative and qualitative designs, due to thoroughly going through the work in Week 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. I feel like my weak point in the multiple choice assignment was that I may have fallen for the distracters. The reason why I have gotten some of the questions wrong is because I struggled in interpreting the idea of the text and choosing one correct answer. Also, most of the questions that I got incorrect had to do with either sampling or data collection. After this assignment I have learned the importance to have a good understanding of measurement process, like levels of measurement, reliability and validity. Researchers need to understand the values they attach to the information they collect. I believe that the tools I learned in this module have made me develop as a researcher and better prepared me for the future. 2.2 Weekly self-evaluations Include the two qualitative questions as self-reflections here for any three weeks of your choice. In addition to including the content that you provided during the specific weeks, also add a further reflection on how you feel about your answers at this point in time, now that you look back at these reflections: Nr Week Self-reflections 1A 2 Describe how you are finding this section of the module and the way in which it was presented. What did you like and what helped you to understand the material? On the other hand were there things that you did not understand properly in the way they were presented. How do you think we can improve our presentation and activities around this part of the work for this module? 1B 2 2A 4 Based on this weeks chapter, which content did you find easy to understand? What helped you to understand the material? What sections did you not understand properly? How do you think we can improve our presentation and activities around this part of the work for this module? In one or two paragraphs, explain the extent to which you are comfortable with your knowledge and understanding of the content of this introductory chapter 2B 4 3A 7 In one or two paragraphs, tell us how challenging you found the content of this weeks work? Are you coping with the workload each week? What are you doing to help reach the targeted learning goals each week? 3B 7 2.3 Reflection on the value of research As an honours student, an employee or employer in an organization, or a citizen of a country, you must make many decisions every day. Good, informed decisions require knowledge. What are the sources of our knowledge? Some of it is acquired through formal education in honours and masters programs in social work, or from attending on-going education programs. It may come from reading articles in professional journals, textbooks, or through online searches. It may also come from senior level experts who have been successful social workers for many years. Factually, much of the knowledge derived from these sources has one characteristic in common it is all derived from doing good research (Bryman Bell 2007, p.4). Conducting research is the most reliable method of acquiring new knowledge about business and learning. Alternative ways of knowing such as common sense, intuition, authority and tradition, have proven less useful for advancing our understanding of the complex process of learning (Mallick 1999, p.5). In the last 40 to 50 years, the value of research has attained a great deal of respectability amongst educators, politicians, business people, and other who often turn to researchers in the quest for reliable and valid information for making decisions (Mallick 1999, p.3). By teaching students the best ways to conduct research, they will be equipped to acquire the knowledge needed for making good, informed decisions in whatever social system level they may become employees or even potential employers. However, understanding how research should be conducted has a second benefit as it allows social workers or citizens of the country to critically and knowledgeably evaluate the research methods of others (e.g. leaders, politicians) and, thus, assess the credibility of the findings and recommendations that they generate. References: Bryman, A., Bell, E. (2007). Business Research Methods, Oxford University Press, New York Mallick, K. (1999). Researching Education: Perspectives and Techniques, Routledge, London 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, almost all curricula in the social studies contain at least one course in statistics. So given the importance of this discipline as a basic knowledge to understand the modern world, it is necessary to do some form of a research on the students attitude to statistics, as this could be an obstacle or an advantage in their learning process. From school, to home, to the workplace, statistics have become a part of our everyday life. In many circles, computer knowledge and competence in statistics is perceived as essential skills. In the beginning of their studies, many of the students are still not fully aware that they are required to study research methodology and statistics as an entire module in order to complete their degree. The emphasis placed on statistics and research related skills without a doubt virtually always surprise them. Some of the students even develop a phobia or an anxiety towards this academic subject that they tend to feel nervous and uncomfortable when they are required to deal with statistics and research related problems. In order to get a thorough understanding about Unisas students attitude towards research methods and statistics, this research will aim at investigating the factors influencing their attitude, by looking at anxiety, self-efficacy they put into studying statistics as well as their academic achievement. 2.0 Literature review In order to understand the implications of this research, an explanation of the key variables found in the literature review must first be discussed. 2.1 Students attitudes toward statistics The readiness of students to start courses in statistics can, apart from mathematical and intellectual ability, also be viewed in terms of emotional and attitudinal factors (Coetzee 2010, p.1). Attitude toward statistics can be defined as a combination of a students attitude toward the use of statistics in their field of study and the students attitudes towards the statistics course (Coetzee 2010, p.1). Although some students show a positive attitude toward statistics, evidence reveals that unfavourable responses far outweigh any favourable responses (Coetzee 2011, p1). Perepiczka et al. (2011) has reported that students often enter statistics courses with negative views or later develop negative feelings regarding the subject matter of statistics (p.100). According to Perepiczka et al. (2011), statistics courses are regarded by most students as an obstacle to obtaining their degree. These same students often delay taking their statistic courses until they cannot postpone it further. Researchers also found that students negative attitudes toward statistics is an influencing factor in low student performance in statistics courses (Perepiczka et al., 2011, p.101). 2.2 Statistics Anxiety In this study statistics anxiety is one of the three factors that influence students attitude towards statistics. Researchers documented a large amount of information on statistics anxiety over the years. For example, there are multiple definitions of statistics anxiety available in the literature. Elliot and Dweck (2005) defined statistics anxiety as the feeling of anxiety encountered when taking a statistics course or doing statistical analysis (p.243). According to Onwuegbuzie, DaRos, and Ryan (1997) statistics anxiety refers to the apprehension that occurs as a result of encountering statistics in any form at any level (p.28). The existing literature also identifies situation specific nature of statistics anxiety, ranging in intensity from mild to severe. While the mild form of statistics anxiety may induce only minor discomfort, severe forms can result in nervousness, panic and worry (Alauddin Butler, 2004, p.202). According to Onwuegbuzie (2000), majority of graduate students in the social sciences appeared to experience high levels of statistics anxiety, and it was found to be higher among female graduate students in comparison to their male colleagues. Statistics anxiety may be a critical factor in influencing and attaining a students academic and professional goals. Baloglu (2003) identified three categories of variables, situational, dispositional, and environmental, that are related to statistics anxiety (p.856). Situational experiences are factors that surround the student, which includes previous statistics experiences. Dispositional experiences are intrapersonal factors that include psychological and emotional characteristics made up of issues such as perfectionism and perception of abilities at developmental stages in life (Baloglu, 2003, p.856). Environmental experiences are interpersonal factors related to the classroom experience (Onwuegbuzie Daly, 1999), which can include the students experiences with the professor. 2.3 Self-Efficacy to Learn Statistics Perepiczka et al. (2011) defines general self-efficacy as ones judgments of his or her capabilities to organize and carry out courses of action required to attain specific types of performances. In other words self-efficacy to learn statistics is a persons confidence in his or her ability to successfully learn statistical skills necessary in a statistics course. Perepiczka stated that self-efficacy beliefs are manifested from four primary sources, which include the following: personal accomplishments, vicarious learning experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. These primary sources lay the foundation for building the concept of self-efficacy to learn statistics. There is a lot of information available on self-ability or self-efficacy related to academic achievement (Balogu, 2003, p.858). However, little is known specifically about self-efficacy to learn statistics. Perepiczka (2011) investigated whether self-efficacy to learn statistics is related to performance in a statistics course and whether self-efficacy to learn statistics increased during a 12-week introductory statistics course. One hundred and three students from a large university partook in the survey. Perepiczka (2011) stated that there was a positive relationship between statistics self-efficacy and academic achievement as well as an increase in self-efficacy to learn statistics over the duration of the course. 2.4 Relationship between Attitude and Academic Achievement There are indeed numerous researches conducted on testing the relationship between attitude and academic achievement. Based on the previous literature, there is a general agreement that attitude could be regarded as a significant determinant of ones academic achievement. Most of these researches illustrated the more positive ones attitude towards an academic subject, the higher the possibility for him/her to perform well academically (Lilian, 2012, p. 156). The same applies vice-versa, students that previously have been performing well in mathematics field, generally have a more positive attitude towards statistics. In a research conducted in the U.S, the academics studied the relationship between students attitudes and academic achievement in college mathematics by inviting 218 freshmen to complete a set of questionnaire. The result indicated that students attitudes were highly correlated with their achievement in college calculus (Lilian, 2012, p. 156). In another longitudinal study also conducted in the U.S., the researchers assessed the relationship between attitude towards mathematics and achievement in mathematics. It was found that attitude had a powerful influence on students academic achievement (Lilian, 2012, p. 156). 3.0 Problem statement Statistics at a tertiary level is often a daunting task facing students undertaking these courses. This attitude amongst students have been shown to directly influence their motivation to study, achievement in statistic modules, and overall enrolment in statistics courses that are not compulsory, especially in the final year of undergraduate degrees and postgraduate years of study. Students attitude towards statistics is essentially either positive or negative, but remains a multifactorial issue. The most common factors that are assessed are preconceptions about statistics, environmental factors (e.g. age, gender, etc.), previous mathematical experience, mathematical aptitude, beliefs, interests, the number of years elapsed since students last statistics course etc. Students with a negative attitude tend to focus only on the method of assessment which only serves to increase their test anxiety. Since students attitudes toward examinations and other non-cognitive factors can affect their performance levels in statistics courses (Onwuegbuzie, 2000), Students also view some forms of assessment as more anxiety inducing than others, thus affecting their performance in the assessments. A programme of assessment also should include means for determining students impressions of the relevance and fairness of the assessment process (Onwuegbuzie, 2000) to determine what can be done to reduce assessment anxiety. Students with positive attitudes towards statistics tend to have a higher performance in statistics courses than students with negative attitudes. With this in mind, it would be an excellent idea for lecturers teaching statistical courses to promote a positive attitude towards statistics, not only as a professional tool, but also a something that can be used every day as a central skill. It might also be plausible that the first goal in teaching statistics should be to reduce the fear of statistics before introducing the course work (Coetzee 2010, p.2). 4.0 Objectives of the research This study primarily has two main objectives. First, the current research intends to test whether attitude is significantly related to anxiety and self-efficacy. Second, the study aims to test whether attitude serves as a mediated factor between anxiety, self-efficacy and academic achievement. From the specified research objectives, the following research questions are derived: What is the graduate student attitude toward statistics? What is the graduate student self-efficacy level? What is the graduate student statistics anxiety? What is the graduate student level of academic achievement? Does attitude play a role in affecting students academic effort? Does self-efficacy play a role in affecting students academic attitude? Does students academic attitude play a role in affecting their academic achievement? Does attitude play a mediating role between anxiety, self-efficacy and academic achievement? What is the extent of the relationship, if any, between graduate students self-efficacy to learn statistics and statistics anxiety and the attitude towards statistics? 5.0 Method of investigation 5.1 Research design In the current research, quantitative research method will be implemented. Concerning the primary data collection method, self-completed questionnaire will be used because it is comparatively timesaving and has the benefit of collecting responses from a large group of subjects with a relatively low cost. 5.2 Sampling Students of both the genders will constitute the population of this study. The study population will consist of all honours students registered for a course in research methodology at a distance education institution in 2012 (N = 2340). The primary reason for targeting students registered for this subject is due to the fact that all of them have almost completed the research methods and statistics course; hence it will be easier for them to answer the survey questions. Concerning the sampling method, convenience sampling and snowball sampling will be used in the process of selecting samples from the target population. Regarding convenience sampling, it is a sampling method in which samples are selected on the basis of easy availability. Since I as the researcher am also an honours student at a distance education institution I can easily approach students studying the same course via online forums, email, etc. After distributing the questionnaires to those students that i personally will come in touch with, I will then invite the respondents to further recruit or encourage the subjects from among their acquaintances to fill out the questionnaire to boost participation, and this is known as the snowball sampling. 5.3 Data collection Ethical considerations An introductory letter explaining the purpose of the study will go with each questionnaire. The participants will also be assured in the letter about the confidentiality and the non-disclosure of information that they will provide. Additionally, respondents will not be required to provide sensitive or detailed personal information, like their full name. Instead, respondents will only need to indicate their gender, race, major and year of study. In order to further guarantee anonymity, and so there is no way for a researcher to identify which questionnaire belongs to which respondent, further measures will be implemented. Participants will not be required to hand in the questionnaire to the researcher directly but to put the completed questionnaires in a collection pile. The questionnaires will be made up of some open and closed questions as well as some multiple choice questions. Also, a meeting with the respondents will be arranged at the selected Unisa venue. At this session the objective of the study will briefly be explained and any questions that the respondents might have will be answered. The respondents will then be encouraged to complete the questionnaire during the meeting. If a participant requests a removal from the study at any time, he or she will be removed immediately. 5.4 Data analysis As one of the main aims of this research is to establish weather a relationship exists between students attitude towards statistics with respect to statistics anxiety, self-efficacy as well as academic performance, correlational analyses will be conducted. Correlational studies are those in which an attempt is made to relate two or more variables to each other. However, there is a caution by researchers that a correlation between variables does not necessarily allow us to claim that the values of one variable cause changes in the values of another variable (Linden, 1982, p.17). A simple linear regression analysis will be computed in order to determine which variables predicted students attitudes towards statistics. In this analysis, a single variable depends on or is influenced by one or more variables (Linden, 1982, p.17). In analysing the relationship between the variables, reliability test will be conducted to estimate the reliability of the scales adopted in the current study. Descriptive statistics will be used to show the demographic characteristics of the respondents. And finally, the multiple regression analyses will be used to estimate the prediction power of statistics anxiety and self-efficacy on attitude; and the prediction power of attitude, self-efficacy, and statistics anxiety on academic achievement. 6.0 Conclusion The present research further supports that there is a direct relationship between attitude, anxiety, and self-efficacy and academic achievement as suggested in past literature. It is detected that attitude has a direct effect on academic achievement while self-efficacy also has a direct effect on academic achievement. Researching predictors of graduate students statistical self-efficacy beliefs is important to identifying possible barriers to professional growth and development. Exploring how statistical self-efficacy beliefs relate to predicting future academic expectations, performance, effort, persistence, and course selection also is important to explore as a means of promoting professional development (Perepiczka et al., 2011, p.106). Teaching graduate students how to reduce their anxiety and improve their attitude will likely enhance their value of statistics and further encourage their professional development in the profession that requires work with statistics.

Music File-Sharing- Right or Wrong? Essay -- Internet File Sharing Ess

Music File-Sharing- Right or Wrong? To file share or not to file share? That is the question. Should free music off the internet be legal? Who is in the right- Napster or the music industry? There are some of the topics I hoped to discuss when I invited four journalists to my house to debate the controversial issue of online music. Ding-dong! â€Å"Uh-oh†, I think, wiping my hands on a paper towel. â€Å"They must be here early.† It’s six-thirty, my guests aren’t due to arrive until seven, and I am already a half-hour behind. The lobsters are still boiling on the stove, the chunky potatoes are rock-hard and my spinach salad lies in pieces all over the kitchen floor. Things aren’t off to such a good start. I am supposed to be hosting a small, informal discussion tonight with a few journalists. The topic of the forum concerns the recent legal uproar about online music organizations such as Napster, Morpheus and Kazaa. I have invited a variety of people; some of whom have clashing opinions. I am looking forward to a heated and intellectual discussion; which will be good because I am planning on writing a book on the subject of online music. I haven’t decided yet whose side I am on; the music industry or the internet music providers. Hopefully, tonight’s discussion will provide me with some insight as to which side to stand on. Or maybe, I won’t have to choose a side†¦who knows? As I walk to the front door, I can’t help but feel just a little bit anxious, but excited at the same time. â€Å"I wonder who it is†¦who had the nerve to be fifteen minutes early?† I think to myself. I open the great oak door to find Tobey Grumet, a journalist from Popular Mechanics magazine. â€Å"How’s it going?† he asks casually as he ... ... on the issue of online file-sharing. Each of them had to take an opinion on the subject because it is part of their job. And, for the most part, I don’t believe there was any kind of prior incentive to their taking one side or the other. Each of them has an extensive technological background and I think they looked at the issue pretty objectively. I learned a lot about online music from this project. I never realized what an important part of the technology community it plays. It is fun to download free music, rate it, and perhaps even discuss it with fellow music lovers. And it is convenient and thrifty to be able to check out albums before you decide to buy them. My final decision is that online music is a positive aspect of the internet that I hope, somehow, will continue to remain free and entertain music lovers through the means of the internet.

Nightlife Pleasure vs. Pressure Essay -- miscellaneous

Nightlife Pleasure vs. Pressure Lebanese nightlife mixes people of all ages & backgrounds together into a very unique mode of entertainment. Some people are against going out at night and others are addicted to going out nightly. The different perspectives of the various people give better insight on finding out just how serious some issues on nightlife affect one another. If there is a direct way to find out just how the night life is for those that go out, no other person would be better to hear it from then the average college student. Their perspectives are indeed varied, but the argument is good. â€Å"It is essential for my buddies and I to go out† said Marwan Nouihed, a Senior in LAU. â€Å"I just don’t like the way that people go out just to be seen, and they don’t notice that they are over-exposing themselves† quoted Yasmine Shuhaiber, a freshman. What many may know is the substance abuse that enhances people going out, but they have no idea as to the extent of how serious it is consumed. â€Å"If I don’t drink there is no party, so whenever I’m out at night people better pour out a little liquor† views Ali Bini a Junior. â€Å"It’s not about drinking, that’s for kids, these days we look forward to stronger drugs to make us feel good† whispers Yamen Sukkarieh, a 23 year old. In general everyone consumes alcohol, but for those that don’t enjoy it, they find other methods to feel good. â€Å"You know what the main problem is about drinking or taking drugs? It’s the price everyon...

Medicinal Value of Yoga Essay -- Health Medicine Exercise

Medicinal Value of Yoga What most Westerners picture when you say Yoga, is an Indian guru in cloth shorts or a long flowing robe, twisted up in a some sort of a pretzel pose. You may picture the Yoga practitioner in peak physical shape, as well as, being a very peaceful human being. It is attaining this goal that is the aim of Yoga, but what most of people don't realize, is exactly how much goes into achieving this state. Yoga time honored teaching on how to achieve physical health, psychological well being and spiritual peace. This can be achieved by concentrating for hours in a state of complete focus, know as meditation. While mediating, the practitioner assumes various body positions known as asanas, that allows for maximum circulation of the body. By quieting the mind and placing attention on the breath and on the movement (and stillness) of the body the idea is to achieve a state of mind where he experiences total health and feeling of well being. The word Yoga as a term, literally means "union", the aim of Yoga is to integrate and harmonize all the various human faculties--mind, emotions, body, and spirit. In India, where it originated, this process of harmonization takes many forms: the yoga of devotion, of meditation, or selfless service, of knowledge and study. Although are advantages and disadvantage to all types of Yoga the scientific community maintains a belief through many years of study that Yoga has definite medicinal value in the maintenance of health and treatment of disease Overall benefits of Yoga The practice of Yoga encompasses many different forms--e.g. Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Raja, Hatha, Kundalini and Tantra). As Sri Krishna Prem so eloquently stated, Yoga is not a synthesis of a... .../item,45098.asp 7. B. K.S. lyengar, "The Tree of Yoga" 8. http://www.holistic-online.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_pos_intro.htm#Introduction 9. Sahay, Sadasivudu, Yogi, Bhaskaracharyulu, Raju, Madhavi, Reddy, Annapurna, & Murthy, 1982 10. http://www.healingyoga.com/ 11. Monroe, R., A.K. Ghosh, and D. Kalish. 1989. Scientific Studies on Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Biomedical Trust, Cambridge, England. 12. Schell, Allolio, and Schonecke (1994) Scientific Studies on Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Biomedical Trust, Cambridge, England. 13. Wood, 1993, Scientific Studies on Yoga and Meditation Biomedical Trust in Cambridge, England, Yoga Biomedical Trust, Cambridge, England. 14. http://www.chennaiwebsites.com/html/yoga/ 15. Monroe, R., A.K. Ghosh, and D. Kalish. 1989. Yoga Research Bibliography, Scientific Studies on Yoga and Meditation. Yoga Biomedical Trust, Cambridge, England.

Project: South African Aluminum Essay

At the beginning of 1994, Alusaf was considering building the world’s largest greenfield primary aluminum smelter, a 466,000-ton-per-year smelter at Richard’s Bay, a deepwater port on the east coast of South Africa’s province of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Alusaf was the sole primary aluminum producer in South Africa, operating 170,000 tpy of capacity at the existing â€Å"Bayside† facility at Richard’s Bay. Alusaf’s 1993 revenues were $220. 2 million, up 1% from 1992. Income was $8. 6 million, up 122% from 1992. A feasibility study for the proposed â€Å"Hillside† smelter had been completed over the past two years. During this time, South Africa’s political regime had undergone a dramatic transformation with the 1993 passing of the Transitional Executive Council (TEC) Bill. This bill removed absolute power from the hands of whites and created a multi-racial body that would share responsibility for organizing and overseeing the general elections to be held in April 1994. Within days, Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress party, addressed the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid in New York, calling on the international community to lift sanctions against South Africa. The European Union, the Organization of African Unity, Canada, China, Sweden, Singapore, India, and the United States all responded quickly with announcements that they would begin the process of restoring normal economic relations with South Africa. Aluminum prices had fallen dramatically since the feasibility study was begun, as Russian aluminum continued to flood the market. Now, with aluminum prices near their all-time low in real terms in early 1994, Alusaf had to decide whether to embark on this massive project. The South African Aluminum Industry The South African aluminum industry’s origins could be traced to investments made by Alcan in the 1940s. As part of its efforts to create demand for its ingot, Alcan built semifabrication capacity in South Africa to serve the local market. A government-coordinated development effort at the port of Richard’s Bay, together with a desire to reduce dependence on imported ingot, led to construction of South Africa’s first primary production facility nearly 25 years later. The original Bayside plant came onstream in 1972 with ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Professor Kenneth S. Corts prepared this case as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  © 2002 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www. hbsp. harvard. edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year – 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014. 799-130 Aluminum Smelting in South Africa: Alusaf’s Hillside Project capacity of approximately 85,000 tpy. Less than a quarter of Bayside’s production was exported. Ten years later, the Bayside plant was expanded through the relocation to Richard’s Bay of a similarly sized plant in Niigata, Japan, that had been shut down due to escalating energy costs. Over three quarters of the new plant’s production was exported as ingot. In 1989, South African mining and metals giant Gencor acquired a controlling interest in Alusaf. The other primary shareholders were Swiss aluminum producer Alusuisse and South Africa’s quasigovernmental Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). Gencor was founded in 1980 by the merger of two major mining companies, each founded in the late nineteenth century. Since that merger, Gencor had been a diversified financial, mining and industrial conglomerate. In May 1993, Gencor announced it was spinning off its financial and industrial interests in order to refocus on its mining, metals, and minerals businesses. In addition to Alusaf, the companies retained in the â€Å"unbundled† Gencor included the world’s third-largest gold producer, the world’s second-largest platinum producer, the world’s largest producer of ferroalloys, and the world’s largest supplier of titanium dioxide feedstock. Basic financial results for Gencor are given in Table A. Table Aduction of secondary aluminum had held relatively steady at about 30,000 tpy since 1980. Together with primary production, this brought total domestic production to about 200,000 tpy (see Exhibit 1). In 1994, semifabrication in South Africa remained primarily focused on domestic demand. South African aluminum exports totaled approximately 100,000 tpy, of which 20,000 tpy were semifabricated products and 80,000 tpy were ingot. Domestic consumption totaled about 130,000 tpy, of which about 30,000 was imported products (see Exhibit 2). The Hillside Project Escom, South Africa’s electrical power utility, initiated discussion of the Hillside project with Alusaf in mid-1991. With aluminum prices around $1,300 per ton, Alusaf had suggested to Escom that the Bayside smelter was not economically viable given market conditions and might be shut down. Escom responded with an offer to reduce power rates dramatically if Bayside were kept open and an additional facility at Richard’s Bay constructed. Escom offered to supply the smelter’s approximately 680 Mw electricity requirements under an unusual long-term contract. About half the world’s smelters operated under contracts guaranteeing discounted electricity for multiple years; often these contracts tied the price of electricity to the price 2 This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year – 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014. Aluminum Smelting in South Africa: Alusaf’s Hillside Project 799-130 of aluminum and employed complicated formulas that imposed caps and floors on prices. The 25year Escom/Alusaf contract was unique in its simplicity: Alusaf would pay Escom 16% of the per-ton price of aluminum for every ton of aluminum produced, assuming the plant produced at its designed efficiency. While the contract did contain provisions protecting Escom from inefficient production, it did not protect Escom against fluctuations in the price of aluminum. Escom and Alusaf were also discussing whether Escom might take an equity stake in the facility. As a result of high growth projections in the 1970s, Escom had built enormous generating capacity of 38,000 Mw, of which 8,000 Mw now stood idle. Rob Barbour, managing director of Alusaf, claimed that the high energy requirements of aluminum production made aluminum essentially â€Å"frozen energy† and that therefore Alusaf â€Å"will become an exporter of South African energy with i high value-added. † For provision of all the basic engineering and technology for the plant, Alusaf planned to contract with Pechiney, the French firm whose technology had been used in over three quarters of all recent smelter projects. Lacking bauxite and alumina operations, Alusaf intended to import the full 900,000 tpy alumina requirement of the new smelter and had negotiated a tentative alumina supply agreement with Alcoa of Australia and Billiton (a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell). This contract tied the price of alumina to the price of aluminum, a common contracting practice employed by about half the world’s smelters. For the Hillside plant, this contract ensured that per-ton alumina and power costs would always amount to 41% of the price of aluminum. Estimates for other operating costs at Hillside are given in Table B. Capital costs were estimated to total $2 billion. Table B Hillside’s Projected Operating Costs ($ per ton) Other raw materials $143 Plant power and fuel 17 Consumables 32 Maintenance Labor Freight 38 68 40 General and administrative 32 Before the feasibility study was complete, Barbour announced that he believed there was a â€Å"high probability† the smelter would be approved. â€Å"In the meantime we hope to deter others from thinking about aluminum smelter projects,† he added. â€Å"We want to frighten them off by convincing ii them that this one is unstoppable. † The Decision In early 1994, tentative contracts for power, alumina, and the smelting technology were all in place, and willing investors had been lined up. The financing plan called for $1. 9 billion of new capital to be raised, about $830 million of it in equity. Gencor was to contribute $340 million in 3 This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year – 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014. 799-130 Aluminum Smelting in South Africa: Alusaf’s Hillside Project equity, the IDC $270 million in equity, other local institutions $140 million in equity, and Escom $80 million in convertible debt. Three new smelters using the Pechiney technology had been completed in recent months. Now, Hillside was the only planned smelter project, and a number of other proposed projects had been cancelled. Equipment suppliers were quoting Alusaf prices 20% to 30% below those supplied for the feasibility study, and the capital cost of the new plant was now projected to total only $1. 6 billion. At the beginning of 1994, aluminum prices stood at $1,110. Aluminum-producing countries had scheduled meetings in the coming months to address the world glut of aluminum, but it was unclear whether prices would recover anytime soon. Barbour wondered whether he should commit to this enormous and ambitious project in the face of these uncertain industry conditions. 4 This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year – 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014.