Communication Skill Essay

International Conference Conferences, Symposia and Campus Events 2006 The Integration of Professional Communication Skills into Engineering Education Dorthy Missingham University of Adelaide Originally published in the Proceedings of the EDU-COM 2006 International Conference. Engagement and Empowerment: New Opportunities for Growth in Higher Education, Edith Cowan University, Perth Western Australia, 22-24 November 2006. This Conference Proceeding is posted at Research Online. http://ro. ecu. edu. au/ceducom/91 Missingham, D. The Universtiy of Adelaide, Australia. The Integration of Professional Communication Skills into Engineering Education Dr Dorthy Missingham School of Mechanical Engineering The University of Adelaide. Australia dorothy. missingham@adelaide. edu. au ABSTRACT Conventional Engineering curriculum is strongly focused on the development in students of technical knowledge and skills. However, in recent years, employers have increasingly acknowledged that this traditional preparation of Engineering students‘ is inadequate, as graduates lack the wide range of written and spoken communication skills required to engage with members of other professional groups and with the broader community. Recognition of the important role that communicative competence plays in professional success within the engineering industry has, as a result, led to a number of tertiary institutions developing curricula to address these needs. This paper presents a successful integrative Engineering Communication curriculum, developed for both local and international Engineering students in an Australian university, which aims to develop both communicative ability and community engagement. The courses that form the Engineering Communication Program provide for critical awareness-raising of community issues such as ethics, sustainability and gender, English for academic and professional Engineering purposes for both English as an Additional Language (EAL) and English background students and advanced research communication for postgraduate students. All courses are strongly informed by scaffolded learning techniques, systemic functional linguistics and genre theory, and most are run collaboratively by Engineering, Education and Applied Linguistics lecturers. The aims of the Program are to raise awareness in Engineering students about, and to equip them with skills for, their future roles and responsibilities, and to provide the community with engineers whose strong technical knowledge is balanced by an appreciation of the broader social contexts with which they will engage in their professional lives. INTRODUCTION The need for engineering students to acquire professional skills, in addition to technical skills, in order to enhance both community engagement and career success has been increasingly articulated by educators and industry professionals alike. Professional skills mentioned variously include teamwork, conflict resolution, and an awareness of social justice, sustainability and ethics. However, as highlighted by Adams and Missingham (2006) the need for improved communicative competence in engineering graduates has been the professional skills area most widely discussed in research and the engineering profession. Increasingly, engineers work in knowledge-intensive fields that require both high level communication and problem-solving skills (Alvesson 2004). In the Australian setting this need is recognised in the National Generic Competence Standards formulated by Engineers Australia, which extensively refers to communicative abilities throughout its descriptors of competencies required by engineers (IE Aust 1999). However, research on employer satisfaction with engineering graduates‘ communication skills indicates they are below desired requirements, both in Australia (DEETYA 2000) and abroad (Lee 2003). This paper discusses a successful integrative Engineering Communication curriculum, developed for both local and international Engineering students in The University of Adelaide, which aims to develop both communicative ability, and an understanding of the need and ability for community engagement. The paper begins with a brief comparative examination of engineering communication education in other universities, both in Australia and overseas. 346 COMPARATIVE APPROACHES The critical role that communicative competence plays in both academic and professional success has, over the past decade, been recognised nationally and internationally in a number of tertiary institutions involved in engineering education (Najar 2001, Riemer 2002, Einstein 2002). A review of literature, relating to engineering communication education, reveals several significant trends common both within Australia and overseas. These trends identify three major areas of academic and professional engineering communication recognised by educators as important skills needed by graduating engineers. The teaching of oral communication, written communication and teamwork skills have been introduced as part of the undergraduate engineering curricula in various Universities world wide (Einstein 2002, Schowm & Hirsch 1999). Whilst the combination of communication skills taught and the methodologies used may vary between institutions one particular theme or approach frequently emerges. An interdisciplinary approach to the teaching and learning of engineering communication (Artemeva, Logie &St-Martin 1999, Jennings & Ferguson 1995) is being practiced by a small but increasing number of engineering faculties and colleges. Examination of interdisciplinary approaches is important in relation to the integrative approach used by engineering and communication educators within the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide. In this respect, learning and teaching of oral and written communication skills in engineering communication curricula have been examined whereas team work skills have not been specifically examined for this particular discussion, as it is considered as worthy of separate dedicated research . Studies undertaken within Australian universities attest the need for high level communication skills. According to Najar (2001) communicative competence, including teamwork and professional writing skills for example, the ability to ? research, write and format basic research reports‘ as well as developing formal oral presentation skills is important to prepare students for both ?academic success and the workplace‘. Similarly Riemer (2002) claims that whilst engineering knowledge and technical expertise are important attributes the graduate engineer must be able to present this knowledge ? ith an excellent standard of communication skills‘. However, where Najar emphasises written and teamwork communication skills, Riemer (2002) claims that emphasis on oral communication skills is highly valued by employers. Riemer further elabourates that oral communication and presentation skills are ? career enhancers‘ which may be considered as ? the biggest single factor in determining a student‘s career success or failure‘ (Beder 2000 cited in Riemer 2002). Despite the apparent emphasis that Riemer places on oral communication skills he also acknowledges that there are a number of areas of communication skills which are necessary for engineers, including written communication skills, technical terminology and professional jargon. The later two areas are probably best described in linguistic terms such as genre and discourse, which are indicative that for each specific discipline there is an accompanying language culture. Internationally, universities are also engaged in the teaching and learning of engineering communication skills. Einstein in his 2002 overview of changes in engineering education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) describes a new approach implemented in the School of Civil Engineering which was developed in response to the view that what was being taught in universities was increasingly divorced from practice. As a result twelve courses were either created or developed in most of which ? regular oral, written and illustrated presentations‘ were required. Similarly Carlton University in Canada also recognised that the engineering discipline had specific needs in the teaching and learning of communication skills (Artemeva et al 1999). These needs related directly to the transition of engineering students from an ? academic to a workplace environment‘. In the case of Carlton University engineering communication studies emphasise written communication skills. The Carlton University approach described by Artemeva et al (1999) is in contrast to Riemers (2002) theoretical proposition on the prominence required in developing oral communication skills for the workplace. One other key difference in Riemers (2002) paper to the approaches suggested by Artemeva et al (1999) as well as Najar (2001) and Einstein (2002), is that Artemeva et al, Najar and Einstein are all overviewing programs of engineering communication already in existence. A common theme emergent in the literature is that many institutions recommend an interdisciplinary approach to the teaching and learning of engineering communication. Various researchers and educators claim that linking acquisition of academic communication skills to authentic engineering tasks 347 both challenges students negative attitudes, towards what they term ? earning English‘, as well as promotes student motivation. Shwom and Hirsch (1999) claim that shared agenda between disciplines recognises the equal status of engineering and communication, or the ? equal place at centre stage of the course‘. This view is also reinforced by Jennnings and Ferguson in their 2002 study, of communication engineering skills in Queen‘s University, Belfast, which states that through linking the study of communication skills to the exploration of engineering issues that communication skills become a key element in the educational process. Furthermore, ? here is a greater likelihood that students will develop a better overall perspective on their (engineering) subject‘. Significantly, many courses which have implemented an interdisciplinary approach have combined the teaching of communication skills with engineering design subjects. In an approach similar to that of the School of Mechanical Engineering, at The University of Adelaide, engineering schools at Northwestern University, USA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and Flinders University, South Australia advocate an interdisciplinary approach that combines engineering communication with engineering design. In reference to the program at Northwestern University, Shwom & Hirsch (1999), claim that design and communication are ? ideal partners‘ and that students ? combined knowledge of both fields will make them both better designers and better communicators‘. Additionally students are convinced of the importance of communication in engineering. Of the interdisciplinary approach taken at MIT, Einstein (2002) describes design as a synthesising process which requires various visual, written and problem solving skills inferring therefore that it is the natural setting for teaching and learning communication skills. He goes on to state that ? design (synthesis), coordination and communication‘ are regarded as the major features of the MIT , Civil and Environmental approach to engineering education. Najar (2001) discusses the Language in Use (LIU) modules linked directly to engineering design project work at Flinders University. A notable similarity with the approach of Adelaide University‘s School of Mechanical Engineering approach is that the development of students engineering knowledge is supported in an integrated way by the acquisition of professional and academic communication skills. Skills common to both universities include; how to communicate orally, how to research, and how to write and format research reports. Similarly the interdisciplinary approach employed in the Civil Engineering Department at Queens University, Belfast covers related communication issues in use of the library (how to research), English composition and technical report writing (written communication) and Public speaking (oral communication). Additionally Queens University covers poster presentation (visual communication) an area that the Adelaide University program covers in fourth year but which is not mentioned in the Flinders University program. It is apparent from the literature therefore, that the need for communicative competence in engineering education has been recognised in a number of places worldwide. In particular, an interdisciplinary education approach in engineering communication has been introduced in a range of Universities which offer engineering studies. Despite some differences in the methodologies, curricula and elements of communication addressed by different universities, including the University of Adelaide, these studies indicate that the synthesis of engineering design, which is inherently practical in nature, with the need to communicate the design process and outcomes is both an ideal setting and an important factor for positively influencing student motivation and skills in the study of professional communication. By promoting a shared agenda between disciplines the literature also suggests that this may also promote student recognition of the importance of communication in engineering. Regardless of the similarities and differences of engineering communication education taken by the programs discussed here the literature agrees that increased levels of communicative competence relate directly to employability and success in the engineering industry. THE ADELAIDE APPROACH Background The teaching of professional communication skills within the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide has evolved over a number of years since the mid 1990s. This evolution has experienced different iterations with the current approach developing more directly from a combination of initiatives taken both within the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Mechanical Engineering, and by the then Advisory Centre for University Education (ACUE), now the Centre for Learning and 348 Professional Development (CLPD). These initiatives led to the creation of various courses in Engineering Communication including courses for International Students. The Faculty wide Engineering Communication (EAL) course was traditionally managed by the School of Mechanical Engineering. In Semester 2, 2006 this course was transferred to management by the Faculty Academic Registrar in order to reflect the Faculty wide nature of the need for dedicated engineering communication course for international undergraduates. Within the School other initiatives led to the teaching of Engineering Communication to 3rd year students. Initially taught as a separate subject this course was combined with the Level III Design in 2004. In the same year the School of Mechanical Engineering also created a new course, Engineering Planning Design and Communication (EPD&C), for entry level students. The Mechanical Engineering Communication approach consists of a fully integrated, nested curriculum of courses, designed to; explicitly link communication learning to learning in engineering at all year levels, ? develop students‘ ability to construct and present logical argument discursively, ? oster language development from sentence level skills to large document written and oral communication, ? encourage active participation through class discussion and response to formative feedback, ? foster the ability to communicate problem identification, formulation and solution to diverse audiences and ? use development in communicative ability as a vehicle for fostering students‘ insight into and perspective on engineer ing practice in the community, including the social, cultural, political, international and environmental context of professional engineering practice. Each course in the program, illustrated below in Figure 1, addresses these aims while embedded within either broader Engineering course curricula or, in the case of Engineering Communication EAL, within a curriculum that employs specific strategies that address the needs of EAL Engineering students (Adams & Missingham 2006). 349 EPD&C Level I 2 Engineer Communication EAL 1 Design Practice Level I I 2 Engineering and the Environment Level III 2 Design & Commun. Level III 2 Research Communication Program 1 Design Project Level IV 2 (Postgraduate) Figure 1: Mechanical Engineering Communication courses showing their relationships to each other and the broader Engineering curriculum. 1 for students enrolled in all Engineering disciplines 2 for students enrolled in Mechanical Engineering Theory The theoretical underpinning of the first year Engineering Planning Design and Communication course and the third year Design and Communication course is based on the notion of ? ocial constuctivism‘ as advanced by Vygotsky. In particular, Bruners‘ concept of ? scaffolded‘ learning (Wood, Bruner & Rose 1975) informs the student based approach that is centred on active participatory curricula which aims at assisting students to develop increasingly skilled levels of academic and professional communication. Social constructivism grew from a view that educational methods needed to be base concepts of learning beyond rote memorisation, ? egurgitationâ⠂¬Ëœ of facts and the division of knowledge into different subjects. Early approaches sought to provide appropriate learning situations where teachers allowed students to develop their own knowledge, meaning and truth in a context which would enable them to use the learning throughout their life. Vygotsky developed this philosophy, noting that ? the central fact about our psychology is the fact of mediation‘ (Vygotsky 1978 p. 166). Social constructivists consider that the dynamic interaction between instructors, learners and tasks provides the opportunity for learners to create their own understanding through the interaction with others and is the most optimal learning environment. The constructivist approach, guiding the Mechanical Engineering communication courses is further reinforced in the application of Brunerian notions of the ? spiral curriculum‘. Bruner postulated that ? A curriculum as it develops should revisit the basic ideas repeatedly, building on them until the student has grasped the full formal apparatus that goes with them‘ (Bruner 1960) p. 3). 350 In the School of Mechanical Engineering these theories guide the designing of courses which are aimed at developing generic language skills which can be used as the basis for current and future application within the engineering industry, rather than a language course focussed solely on communicating engineering terms. The learning and t eaching of communication skills across all levels of the undergraduate program enables scaffolding of knowledge to be integrated rather than focussing on a short d of student teacher interaction. Through this approach skills acquired in first year communication are reinforced in second year Design Practice, extended and elaborated on in the level III course and then reinforced again through workshops and practice in the fourth year Design Project. Borrowing from neuroscience research into learning. the 2006 Level III and semester 2 EAL students have informed the idea of a concept of developing an habitual intellectual framework. Whilst relying on heavily on scaffolded learning, this concept also aims to redress some of the negative perceptions that engineering student have about ? earning English‘ by encouraging students to acquire higher cognition learning in communication skills which they can then apply as habit. PRACTICE AND PERCEPTION Three dedicated communication courses are provided at undergraduate level, Engineering Communication EAL (English as an Additional Language), Engineering Design Planning and Communication (Level I) and Design and Communication (Level III). The overall aim of the three courses is to provide students with an nderstanding of the importance of communication to the professional engineer and to equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills, flexibility and confidence to be good engineering communicators. Through the application of Student Experience of Teaching and Learning (SELT) surveys students are able to comment on and assess the effectiveness of the courses to their needs. At the same time instructors are able to monitor student needs and make appropriate changes to the curriculum and methodology if required. Engineering Communication EAL Engineering Communication EAL was designed specifically to meet the particular needs of international students and to be complementary to the technical engineering courses students undertake to complete their degrees. Through a variety of formal and informal learning strategies students are introduced to and practice basic research techniques. These techniques include ? locating, critically reading and interpreting academically acceptable sources ? presenting their analysis in the form of evidenced based propositions with sources integrated appropriately ? resenting the argument in both a written and an oral form suitable for an academic audience. The strategies used emphasise participation and practice as key elements to becoming effective communicators. Therefore, classes are very active, sometimes rowdy and frequently fun with group discussions and impromptu presentations of issues, group and individual exercises integrated with peer teaching/learning through guided presentation of answers to the class, and open class discussion inviting students to academically critique their own and others responses. Student Experience of Teaching and Learning (SELT) surveys consistently indicate that learning outcomes for students are enhanced by ? full participation on (sic) the aims of the course‘, ? giving feedback to students about their participation‘, adjusting the teaching ? of various topics accordingly (sic) to the class – enabling faster, more effective learning‘, ? very dynamic lessons‘ and being ? able to stimulate my learning‘. Formal assessment strategies involve a series of formative assessments which involve students applying feedback provided to a subsequent assignment. Student comments indicate that this approach is highly effective. Design and Communication courses The Engineering Design Planning and Communication (Level I) and Design and Communication (Level III) courses are provided for all students undertaking degree programs in the School of Mechanical Engineering. The integration of communication and engineering design was devised specifically to emphasise the importance of professional engineering communication and to ensure that communication is not seen by students as a stand alone subject that can be completed and then forgotten about. The effectiveness of this approach in highlighting the importance of communication has been recognised by students who report that the course(s) ? improves your speaking and writing skills‘, 351 ?helps with the written work in other subjects‘, they have ? learnt how to write for university assignments‘, and ? learning academic writing (is) useful to further years of study‘. A number of students have explicitly stated that the course taught them ? to communicate effectively and should be compulsory for all engineer‘?. These comments are also consistent with graduate attributes specified as important not only by the Faculty but also by the engineering industry, including ? the ? ability to communicate effectively‘, ? the ? ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution‘ ? the acquisition of skills to enable the ? pursuit of life long learning‘. Course material is also designed to be complementary to the Engineering Communication EAL course by providing reinforcement of and extension to the skills learnt. For example, the Level I course provides students with the additional educational framework and the opportunity to apply skills learnt in ESL to the needs of report writing and the oral presentation of progress reports on a Planning and Design project. Student feedback through SELT surveys consistently evidence the importance of these skills, for example, ? It was great knowing how to structure a report properly‘ and the ? introduction to engineering report writing is very comprehensive‘. A further integrative approach that has been taken in the Level I and Level III courses is reflected in the establishment of the relationships with prior learning and future learning. For example, Level III examines structure, cohesion, critical thinking and analysis, the use of evidence, presenting arguments both in written and oral form and report writing at a more advanced level than the Level I course. The Level III communication course is also an important prerequisite to level the IV Design Project, where all students must write an extensive design report and present a professional seminar on their project. Challenges and Outcomes Empirical and anecdotal evidence indicates that engineers are poor communicators and that one of the factors which influences student choice in undertaking engineering studies is the belief they will not need ? English?. Therefore, discussions and exercises are designed to encourage students to participate and practice skills, to be flexible in their approach to language and its uses, to contribute their ideas, to build on their strengths and to develop confidence. The value placed on practical evidencing of communication is reflected in a participation mark, worth 20% of the total assessment. As a result classes are noisy and dynamic. Students also find that effective communication can be both useful and enjoyable. For example, SELT comments show ? I like the idea of students presenting ideas on overheads (transparencies) in class activities‘, the course ? keeps people interested in tasks that could be very boring‘, ? A good environment for learning is provided‘ and ? interactivity of the class in tasks helps us to gain a better understanding of the subject‘. Similar strategies of regular class and group discussions as well as workshop exercises are used throughout the courses to ensure students regularly practice the skills of communication. Student response indicates that group learning and discussion ? stimulates learning without placing student under pressure‘ and that all students‘are able to learn something regardless of language ability‘. Individual students and groups are invited to present analyses and answers to the whole class and then to call for comments from their peers. The importance to student learning of this approach is exemplified in the following SELT comment ? Doing exercises and presentations in class forced me to do the work which I otherwise would not have touched if it had been set as homework. I appreciate that. Students are encouraged to form cross cultural groups during classes, so that a greater understanding of diversity and its value in engineering is promoted. At the same time students must undertake practical work in developing effective team work skills in order to be able to complete tasks and class based exercises. Students frequently comment that the group work is th e best aspect of the course as it provides opportunity to improve interpersonal communication skills and to gain a real sense of diversity through their interaction with students of different socio-cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Student comments indicate that working in cross cultural groups encourages ? acceptance of all ideas‘. Students discuss and at times challenge the characteristics of English for academic and professional purposes as presented in these courses. In doing so, students become increasingly aware of how purpose and socio-cultural factors shape the kind of language used in different contexts rather than 352 viewing language as simply correct or incorrect, or based predominantly on the rules of grammar. Issues of ethics and social responsibility arise naturally in relation to topics and lecturers encourage students to discuss these in class. Similarly communication and management themes highlight the nontechnical role aspects of engineering. Students have reflected that ? This (allows you to) practice skills you actually need‘ and there is a ? good balance for a broad variety of skills‘ development. Links to industry expectations are also reinforced through guest presentations from graduate engineers, Engineers Australia and industry leaders. In these way students are encouraged to broaden their perception of the engineering industry as a technical culture to include the understanding that engineering is also a communicative culture. Formal Assessment of Student Work A series of formal assessments, both oral and written are also undertaken to ensure that students can also apply research and analytical skills in a ? planned and timely manner‘ as highlighted by engineering graduate attributes. Formative feedback is given on all assignments in order that students may take full advantage of self directed learning. Students who apply the feedback to subsequent assignments are rewarded for both the attempt and the quality of the improvements made. Students report that this approach provides ? constructive criticism‘ which ? helps each student‘ to ? check their drafts carefully‘. Assessment criteria and their relationship to graduate attributes are fully discussed in both the course notes and in conjunction with exercises, and students have expressed this helps them to place learning in the context of professional and industry expectations, ? hen it‘s explained, it makes sense that engineers spend so much time writing reports, talking to clients and presenting project ideas to meetings‘. RESEARCH TOPICS AND TOPICAL RESEARCH To broaden student awareness of their professional responsibilities as engineers within society, in addition to operating within a company framework, research topics are carefully chosen to reflect community and industry concerns. In particular th e topics chosen provide for critical awareness-raising of community issues such as ethics, sustainability and social justice. For example, the research topic for the current semesters Engineering Communication EAL course is the Role of Engineers, through which students are exploring issues such as personal and interpersonal skills, engineering education and life long learning, ethical responsibilities, social and environmental factors, holistic thinking, entrepreneurship as well as technical skills. Previous topics have included an examination of gender issues in engineering education and the profession, forensic engineering, and the effects of teamwork on the outcomes of engineering projects. The imbedded nature of the Engineering Communications courses within the engineering curriculum ensures that the research topics are relevant to engineering practice, topical and frequently devised in collaboration with engineering lecturers. Level III Design and Communication research topics, for example, are devised together with the design lecturer and sometimes also with reference to other departmental members. The current semesters‘ research topic was directly linked to the Design Project topics. These topics and the communication research topic specifically designed to be co-related. Through this collaborative approach aspect of sustainability in engineering practice are reinforced and student skills in critical thinking, analysis and evaluation of research information are further developed. In Design the projects are to design a Formula SAE Car, Bio-Oil Trike, Biodiesel Bike, 1. 0 litre Biodiesel Taxi – Tuk-Tuk, Hybrid Solar Electric Vehicle, Biodiesel Boat, Formula SAE Aircraft, Alternative Energy 2-Seater Aircraft, Hybrid Solar/Biofuel Generator, Fossil-Fuel-Free irrigation system or a Nano-satellite. The topic for the Communication assignments is ? ustainability‘, applied to the chosen design project. , as outlined below. Topic The broad objective of sustainable development is ? to achieve social justice, sustainable economies, and environmental sustainability? ( European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns, 1994). Australia has a National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development which aims to ? meet the needs of Australians today, while conserving our ecosystems for the benefit of future generations? (Office of Sustainability, Department of Environment and Heritage, 2006). 53 Task Environmental sustainability is a fundamental aspect of sustainability. For your Communication assignments you should identify how environmentally sustainable features can be incorporated in the design of your project, for example a bio-diesel boat, or alternative energy 2-seater aircraft. In addition, you should compare the effects of these features to a traditionally designed version of your project. You are not expected to justify sustainability. Your research must focus on the specific features of sustainable transport. Yong & Missingham, 2006) Previous research topics have included the following: Investigate an ethical dilemma in an engineering project, and critically evaluate the response of the engineering company or companies involved, in terms of relevant tenets of the IEAust Code of Ethics. (Yong & Missingham, 2005) Select an example of technological development that is prominent in industrialised society and analyse the benefits as well as the adverse effects of this technology to individuals, society and the environment. Yong & Missingham, 2004) A high level of both professional communication skills and an appreciation of community concerns required to be developed by the Level III Mechanical Engineering students. The topic descriptions have also been carefully devised to illustrate to students the inter-relationship of effective communication and an understanding of the social, cultural, political, international and environmental impacts implicit in the professional practice of engineering. These expectations are detailed in the Research Topic paper given below. ?Your research is to be based on a topic which has social, cultural, economic, and/or political implications. Engineers work in every sphere of life. As a professional engineer you will be working in an array of industries, in various contexts, and making contact with many people about professional organisations, government departments and agencies, allied industries and organisations, academics, and others. As an effective communicator and decision maker, you will need to be able to present your interpretation and findings on a range of issues, as will occur in the negotiation and management of projects, the submission of tenders, and the advising of clients. The topic for your research in this subject aims to provide you will strategies to both write and talk about your interpretation and findings about diverse issues. Your writing and your presentations will be an attempt to convince a nonspecialist audience of your point of view. You may choose one of the following areas of research for your project. Topic A – the impact of engineering projects on local communities The projects you may work on as an engineer could have significant social, cultural, economic, and/or political implications for people and communities who are not directly involved in the implementation of the project. Your research task is to: Discuss an engineering project which has, or has had, a significant impact/s on local communities Your research is to examine the impacts and outcomes of a specific engineering project on a community or communities. Examples of engineering projects could be dams or hydro-electric projects, weapons testing, mining, the building and operation of chemical or other industrial plants, building roads and railways, and others. The size of the project is unimportant, rather it is its impact on the local community which will be the focus of your research. The impacts could be one of the following scenarios, or a combination of scenarios: ? Well recognised and integrated into the planning of the engineering project, yet have provided, or are providing, difficulties in the implementation and outcomes of the project ? Recognised by the local communities or interest groups, but rejected or ignored by project planners and workers ? Unrealised in past projects, with the long-term consequences now the subject of community and/or legal dispute. 354 Your discussion needs to be an examination, that is, an analysis of the impacts arising from the project. Avoid lengthy descriptions of the history of the project, the engineering technicalities, or merely describing the impacts. You need to read as widely as possible about the project you have chosen, and from your interpretation of the source information provide a discussion of the (perhaps disputed) impact/s of the project. Limit your scope so that you have a specialised focus, that is, analyse only two or three impacts of the project. The word limit set for your assignments means you will not be able to cover all aspects of the project. Your focus needs to be an in-depth examination rather than a broad sweep of issues. Topic B – the impact of seemingly simple technology on the existence of communities. This topic also aims to examine the impact of (seemingly simple) technology on the existence and quality of life for those who use or used the technology. Your task is to: Discuss the impact of a seemingly simple technology on the existence of a community This research topic involves examining the design logic underpinning the technology and importantly the effectiveness of its use. Examples of apparently simple technology could be the boomerang, other hunting implements, for example, harpoons and poison arrows, a specific type of irrigation system, terracing for the cultivation of crops, and others. Your research needs to take account of: ? The design logic underpinning the technology ? The quality of life and survival provided for those who used the technology ? Any evidence which debates the effectiveness of technology, particularly its long term use. The technology you are examining may have been beneficial for a community in the short term, but in the longer term, further developments, modifications, abandonment of the technology, may have ensured a better quality of life, even survival, of a community. Long term environmental impacts could be important in your study. Your discussion needs to be an analysis of the effectiveness, or otherwise, of the technology. Avoid lengthy descriptions of the history or the form of the technology. This information needs to be only brief background information. You need to read as widely as possible about the technology you have chosen, and from your interpretation of the source information provide a discussion of the (perhaps disputed) effects of its use. Limit your scope so that you have a specialised focus, that is, on the analysis of two or three aspects of effectiveness of the technology. The technology could be from any era, past or even present day. If you are examining past technology, your focus needs to be on the effectiveness, or otherwise, of the technology itself for its intended purpose regardless of other influencing factors such as the introduction of other technology as a result of invasion, colonisation, or economic factors. Alternatively, the technology could be in current use or development, such as reversions to more environmentally sustainable technologies, for example, wind power. (Wake, 2002) CONCLUSION By promoting a shared agenda between language and engineering disciplines it is suggested that this may also promote student recognition of the importance of communication in engineering. Regardless of the similarities and differences of engineering communication education taken by various programs discussed here, increased levels of communicative competence relate directly to employability and success in the engineering industry. The program developed by School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide represents a successful integrative Engineering Communication curriculum, developed for both local and international Engineering students in an Australian university, which aims to develop communicative ability, community engagement and an awareness of the social, cultural, political, international, environmental and ethical contexts in which professional engineers practice. 55 ACKNOWLEDEMENTS Thanks go to many colleagues and friends, and to staff and students of the School of Mechanical Engineering who provided input (often unwittingly) to this research proposal. Thank you to Karen Adams for the stimulating and frequent discussions on many things educational and philosophical and Colin Kestell engineering lecturer extraordinaire who can always be relied on to stimulate teaching enthusiasm and creativity. Many thanks go to wonderful colleagues Elizabeth Yong and Kristin Munday whose considerable work is also represented here, and to Catherine Irving and Patricia Zoltan whose support, intellectual contributions and hard work have also contributed to this program. Thank you also to Barbara Wake whose commitment to and knowledge of academic communication which, together with the vision of Colin Hansen, Head of the School of Mechanical Engineering have enabled the development of such a successful program of professional and academic engineering communication. Special thanks to Roxanne Missingham for the editing and encouragement. REFERENCE Adams, K & D Missingham (2006) Contributions to Student Learning: An overview of Engineering Communication courses in Mechanical Engineering education, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, unpublished (internal) report. Alvesson, M (2004) Knowledge Work and Knowledge-intensive Firms, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Artemeva, Natasha, Logie, Susan & St-Martin, Jennie (1999) ? From Page to Stage: How Theories of Genre and Situated Learning Help Introduce Engineering Students to Discipline-Specific Communication? Technical Communication Quarterly, Summer, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 301-316. Bruner, J (1960) The Process of Education, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (2000) Employer satisfaction with graduate skills: research report, by AC Nielsen, DEETYA, Canberra. Einstein, H Herbert 2002, ? Engineering Change at MITâ⠂¬Ëœ, Civil Engineering, October, vol. 72, i. 10, pp. 62-69. European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns, Aalborg, Denmark, 1994, Charter of European Cities and Towns Towards Sustainability, p. http://ec. europa. eu/environment/urban/pdf/aalborg_charter. pdf> viewed 21 July, 2006 Institution of Engineers Australia (1999) National Generic Competence Standards, IEAust, Canberra. Jennings, Alan & Ferguson JD (1995) ? Focussing on Communication Skills in Engineering Education‘, Studies in Higher Education, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 305-314. Lee, Tong Fui (2003) ? Identifying essential learning skills in students‘ Engineering education‘, paper presented at the Annual HERDSA Conference, 6-9 July, Christchurch, New Zealand. Najar, Robyn L (2001) ? Facilitating the development of disciplinary knowledge and communication skills: Integrating Curriculum‘, paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Freemantle, 2-6 December. Newell, James A, Marchese, Anthony J, Ramachandran, Ravi P, Sukumaran, Beena & Harvey, Roberta (1999) ? Multidisciplinary Design and Communication‘, International Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 1-7. Office of Sustainability, Department of Environment and Heritage, Government of South Australia, (2006) What is sustainability? viewed 21 July, 2006 356 Riemer, Marc J (2002) ? English and Communication Skills for the Global Engineer‘, Global Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 6, no. 1. Shwom, Barbara & Hirsch, Penny (1999) ? Re-envisioning the writing requirement: an interdisciplinary approach‘, Business Communication Quarterly, March, vol. 62, i. 1, pp. 104-108. Vygotsky, L S (1978) Mind in Society, MIT Press, Cam bridge, Mass. Wake, B (2002) Engineering Communication Course Notes, School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide. Wood, D, Bruner, J, & Rose, S (1975) ? The Role of Tutoring in Problem Solving‘, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 17, pp. 89-100. Yong, E & Missingham, (2006) Design & Communication Course Notes, School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide. Yong, E & Missingham, (2005) Design & Communication Course Notes, School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide. Yong, E & Missingham, (2004) Design & Communication Course Notes, School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide. 357

NVQ and Competence †Essay Essay

In this supporting paper to the presentation, the purpose, the nature and the advantages and disadvantages of NVQ will be stated and analysed; finishing with a conclusion as to whether to follow a NVQ or not. The definition of an NVQ is â€Å"A statement of competence clearly relevant to work and intended to facilitate entry into, or progression in, employment and further learning, issued to an individual by a recognized awarding body†. A national vocational qualification (NVQ) is a collection of vocational qualifications (previously unstructured), which have been integrated into a single assessment standard. This has been done in order to have a nationally recognised level of academic achievement which enables employees to have a clearer level of each job applicant’s respective competency. Competency can be defined as:- ‘An underlying characteristic of a person which results in effective and/or superior performance in a job’ (Boyatis 1982, p21) Due to the heavy promotion by the Learning Skills Councils, (LSC’s) and the Department for Education and Employment; the majority of vocational qualifications are either part of the NVQ scheme, and in the rare occasion that it isn’t, most commonly when the qualification is of different nature of those offered by the NVQ syllabus, the qualification will have its equivalence identified to its respective, specific, level of the NVQ system in order for those nationwide (familiar with the NVQs) can have more clarity as to where such candidates stand on the level of competency. NVQs have been developed to suit all occupational areas, with each occupational area there are eight levels with the NVQ system to complete to attain ‘full competency’. This is structured in such a way that level one is the most basic and level eight, the most advanced level of NVQ. The ideal situation of training for competence is done by the manifestation of the development of candidates’ abilities to perform the specific tasks which coincide directly with the nature of the job in its respective department, in terms of performance results (grading), with specific indicators. NVQs have originally been developed with the purpose to serve as a reaction to the ‘confetti-scattering’ style of training which is sometimes carried out by some establishments e.g. a company which sends their staff on off-the-job training with just the objective to learn one particular skill. This training style results in the candidates becoming one-dimensional, due to  having a limited knowledge of skills. NVQs have, in fact been developed in order to give these candidates a more rounded knowledge, thus enabling them to be more versatile, efficient in their respective job positions. The design of NVQ has been structured in such a way that in each of the eight levels, there are mandatory and optional roles (or modules); these are comprised of a collection of several units, those of which are to be completed to be able to progress onto the succeeding level. The table beneath can be used in aid to understand the structural layout of each level in NVQ. There are several advantageous principles adopted by the NVQ system. These include:- 1.The NVQ qualifications are open access in the sense that no prior professional attainment or experience, nor qualifications are required, each candidate will be categorised level (1-8) after a means of analysis (be it a test or a review of current skills/ experience currently obtained). 2.The focus-based learning format of the NVQs. Progression from one level to next is based on when the criteria to advance has been met, this can be as quick or long as the individual will take to learn, opposed to other assessment standards where the timescale restricts the learner to learn in its set time. An example of this is that it is impossible to complete a Master’s Degree quicker than in a year. 3.Flexibility is a key aspect of NVQs, as they are not generally attendance based – in conjunction with the focus based learning aspect of the qualification where the learner can take as long/short as they want. This also enables candidates to continue with their respective business demands of their external employment, in conjunction with following NVQs. 4.School Integration is available to the NVQs (GNVQs), this enables candidates to have early access to the hands on approach, which runs alongside other assessment standards (e.g. An alternative run in the same centres as A –levels etc.), thus showing equivalence in value and progression routes, thus giving more viable options to the candidates). 5.Portfolio based work proves to prospective employees that a track record is available showing day to day skills being learnt, thus proving the levels of understanding and competence of each candidate. 6.Prior Accreditation being put into consideration as to which level they will be categorised, enables the candidate to use their  qualifications/experience regardless of where from, as long as relevant (i.e. A-levels, training at work etc., enabling an individual to start in a more advance d level). NVQs also have a few disadvantageous aspects when following their assessment standards, these include. 1.Labour intensive nature of assessment there is a lot of practical work undergone in the NVQs 2.More focus in gaining evidence than actual learning, lack of cognitive learning amongst candidates. As most of the proof (to validate competency level) is done via the production of a portfolio and the presenting of a track-record , this can easily turn into a ‘paper-chase’ rather than the actual focus on the learning processes of the qualification. The also, ‘going through the motion’ nature of the NVQ can also enable the candidate to not be able to reason, simply performing tasks without having true understanding. 3.Quality of assessment can, due to the large numbers of assessors, have a large variance as the marking of each individual can differ. Especially with the different interpretations of some of the jargon developed by the NVQs assessment grading schem es 4.Partial Competence due to selection of optional modules/ reduced definitions and details, as each candidate can choose their modules in the option roles category and each module having different aspects and natures, the candidate may be subject to effectively not gaining an entire knowledge in their respective occupational fields. An example of this would be (referring to table above) where each module has a code which labels the nature of the unit. Take ‘C5’, With C symbolising say, ‘Managing Self and Personal Skills’, one opting out of such a unit, could prove to give them less than the complete set of skills an NVQ could offer, thus lowering competence. To conclude, NVQs are a system devised by the government to help those in various situations, both academically and professionally in order to make them more competent in their respective field in a nationally recognised manner to potential employers. There are a range of advantages and disadvantages to the candidates as well as the employers, such as not having to follow a timescale in learning and also in not receiving a full knowledge due to optional module selection, but as to whether one should be followed  or not, according to the studies that have been carried, out should go hand in hand in the individuals situation.. For instance, one that is currently employed may not be able to dedicate a lot of time to their qualification course, would suit an NVQ whereas, an individual wishing to say, be a medical doctor, a career where having extensive knowledge of their occupational area is vital, would not suit following an NVQ course, where modules are optional and perhaps having re duced knowledge. Bibliography 1.Armstrong,M(2012)Armstrong’s Handbook Of Human Resource Management Practice, 11th edition, Philadelphia: Kogan Page Limited. 2.Hall,L. Taylor,S. Torrington, D. (2008) â€Å"Human Resource Management†, 7th Edition. Pp. 399-407 3.Blosi,W.(2007)An Introduction To Human Resource Management, London: McGraw-Hill Education 4.Marchington,M. Wilkinson, A. (2005) Human Resource Management At Work People and development, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 5.Lundy,O. Cowling, AG, (1996)Strategic Human Resource Management, London: Routledge

Analysing strategic position for SMEs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysing strategic position for SMEs - Essay Example From the Deputy Managing Director of the company Vic Handley, the ground-engineering specialist Van Elle is concentrating on infrastructure and rail as 2015 kicks. Having invested 14.5 million pounds in the past two years in the company’s rail division and 8.5 million pounds is an indication of company-improved performance (Green, Larsen, and Kao, 2008). The financial director of the business, Paul Pearson the rail sector is a recession-proof due to the budgets of the Network Rail. In addition, he adds that there is much to do in those markets that the company is trying to map their investment to their opportunities and growth. From that, it can clearly be that the company is focusing on planning their investment to their growth and opportunities that are good (March 2009). The company is also moving in a positive direction since regional expansion is on the minds of many SMEs, and Van Elle is the company is looking to expand into new areas. The company is also increasing their operations in the burgeoning area of Scotland due to the established services in Wales and England which is a right direction (Kao, Green, and Larsen, 2009). The PESTLE analysis is a detailed view of the environment a business is in. It can also be to a bird’s eye view where the company or a person tries to ascertain certain trends of the market from a macroeconomic perspective. The factors are a primary determinant of strategic development and define how conducive an environment is within which a business struggles to thrive. Therefore, it is important to construct an environmental analysis for Van Elle. The analysis may help to assess several factors in the macro environment and to identify how future issues might affect the company (Haberberg and Rieple, 2007).The primary questions to be for consideration in the Environmental Analysis include; Entails

Job Opportunities for International Students Assignment

Job Opportunities for International Students - Assignment Example We need to improve this problem for international students in order to protect their professional lives. Problem The problem is that a huge number of International students come to the US to get educated in various fields, but when it comes to getting jobs in the US, they face huge problems, ranging from Visa issues to nationality. Putting it in easy words; to get job in the US, one has to have the green card. If International students don’t have the citizenship, they will most probably go back home and get on with their lives, against their will. This paper is an effort to highlight these issues and propose solution to it. Who knows, this effort might ring a bell in someone somewhere and easy visa policy or some immigration law would change the fate of thousands of international students and million more to come in the future. Purpose The main purpose is to highlight the issue of job opportunities for international students in the US, the other purpose is to convince the OCS officials to take appropriate action in this matter. Primary Audience Officials of the Office Career Services constitute the primary audience of this paper, although anyone that has a stake in the matter stated above is in the audience. But OCS officials are certainly in a position to take action and can contribute immensely to the solution of the problem. Secondary Audience; People/Organizations that can play a part US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the one that makes rules that govern hiring in the US of non-US citizens (Uscis.gov), and that makes them the other party that needs to be included in the paper. Whatever decision the authorities make regarding employment of international students in the US, USCIS will play a crucial role in it. EducationUSA is also another party that can impact the outcome to this problem. As the U.S. higher education community works together with EducationUSA to draw qualified international students to U.S. campuses (educationusa.info) , they can help develop such study programs that are more feasible to authorities such as USCIS when giving work permit or giving slack in visa restrictions. The other party will be the students. It only makes sense that whatever the OCS authorities will come up with, international students need to cooperate to make it work, and that makes them the secondary audience. Directly Affected The International students studying in the US and planning to hunt down job opportunities and avail them here in the United States will be directly affected by the ideas. The students who want to stay in North America and apply the knowledge they have been learning in the Universities. It won’t be stretching the notion too far, if I have to say that society on the whole will benefit from policy amendments. Many economists believe that the resources need to be put to the best of their use, and that is precisely what I am striving for in this reflection. What makes me suitable for this research? I cannot think of a more suited word than ‘victim’ for the position I find myself in, which puts me in the position to research and propose in this matter. I am a senior at UMD and I do not see any major job opportunity for me

Analytical summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Analytical summary - Essay Example The article goes ahead to determine various aspects such as Australian identity, the relation between the different political systems in the country, the economy, and immigration, all in the form of debates. It addresses various perspectives include the future prospects of Asia through an engagement with Australia, while at the same time fearing that indeed there is a possibility that Australia would be left behind in a similar perspective. In making a justification of these perspectives, the authors refer to the views of different individuals including Kevin Rudd, Gough Whitlam, and the Australian Labor Prime Minister. China and Australia have indeed been great friends for long periods, even though to many, it seems as if the they have just become new friends, considering that Australia currently hosts a significant number of Chinese. The article goes ahead to address the various political situations that have c hanged over the past, with Asia and particularly China making a significant contribution in the political imagery. This puts Australia in a controversial position of manipulations by both its central geographical location as well as the ideological commitment to Asia. ‘Asia’ possesses great threat to Howard in matters of identity, considering the ease of immigration of ‘Asia’ into Australia, making Howard make an argument giving ‘Asia’ a rare opportunity to make entry and integrate into Australia. ‘Asia’ was increasingly growing economically especially China in the global markets, and therefore, Australia would significantly benefit from the perspective; however, better ties would have to be developed between ‘Asia’ and Australia. Chinese had been making entry into Australia and their significant numbers was a call for worry and hope in equal measures. The major way through which such a perspective would be achieved is by increasing the use of Asian

Teaching Listening Skill In Public High Schools In The Kingdom of Essay

Teaching Listening Skill In Public High Schools In The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Essay Example This essay declares that listening comprehension is a process in which listeners take part in the role of discriminating between sounds, understanding grammatical structures and vocabulary, interpreting stress and intonation, and consequently interpreting the utterance within the context. It is not easy to master listening skill and for this reason most second language learners feel frustrated about it. This report makes a conclusion that all humans are born with an innate ability to hear, though, hearing is not listening. A number of factors must be considered to help second language students develop effective listening skill. Models of the listening process which include the bottom up, interactive and top down are basic in teaching listening skills. Children gain the entire list of phonemes for the first language so easily early in the language acquisition process. This is, however, not the case with adults intending to learn a second language; it is usually very problematic. When one is past puberty, the brain has already programmed all first language phonemes that it intends to recognize into fixed categories. Creating another set for the phonemes of second language is difficult. Second language speakers tend to assimilate the second language phonemes into their established first language system. It is for this reason that speakers find it challenging to distinguish between thei r native language and the second language.

English3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

English3 - Essay Example Commemoration of such an event has significant national unity influence as it promote spirit of patriotism among people. There are diverse reasons that support need to celebrate declaration of independence. The colonialists plundered natural resources and repatriated local wealth to their mother lands. This poses a real threat to future economic progress as limited natural input factor dictates level of performance. All nations that were formerly colonized have little resources left which means they have to rely on other economies and pay for what was previously available. Civil revolution has helped many colonies to escape the exploitation trap that was orchestrated by the imperialists. It is therefore worth to note that declaration of independence reminded the society of the dark past characterized with ravaged economy and impoverishment. Taking the case of pre-independence in United States, England dominated economic activity and reaped at the expense of the subjects. The young generation is particularly targeted by the spirit of national integration because if it were not for the forefathers and their relentless effort the fruits enjoyed today would not exist. The welfare of the society is instrumental in gauging level of improvement in the economy. Political policies that recognize the need to initiate gender mainstreaming can be attributed to declaration of independence. Colonial regimes were dominated by patriarchy with limited representation of women in the decision making institutions. The emergence of independence campaign has significantly boosted the recognition of rights of women. On the same note, consideration of local culture is critical in promoting an integrated education system. Colonial systems may not be consistent with the native socio-political structures hence yield setbacks. Some of the other contemporary matters that make declaration of independence concern human rights. Colonial authorities tend to promote

Mini case chapter10 ( solve question E to f and g) Study

Mini chapter10 ( solve question E to f and g) - Case Study Example As compared to franchise L this will lose its taste among the customers in a few years time S would also be rejected if r were above 23.6%, this is because it will have a negative factor. To get an understanding the preference of conflict between NPV over IRR, it is prudent to by and large to recognize that NPV recognizes the â€Å"correct† rate. This is the cost of capital, to be discounted to the cash flows, as compared to the â€Å"arbitrary† rate. In the arbitrary approach where the IRR, makes assumes NPV to be 0. Supremacy of the Net Present Value rules that the reduction cost on capital procedure inborn in both the Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value systems absolutely assumes that the reinvestment of the cash flows at any given discount rate is used, either Internal Rate of Return or the cost of capital. In the event that the internal rate of return is very big as compared to the cost of capital it becomes impractical to presume in undergoing for reinvestment with such high rate of risk. The gradient of the Net Present Value is dependent to the project’s timing pattern of the cash flows; long-term projects have high gradients as compared to short-term projects. The Net Present Value technique assumes that the entire cash flows of the project period be reinvested back to the project at the firm’s preferred rate of return, on the other hand the Internal Rate of Return technique assumes that these cash flows are possible to reinvested at the Internal Rate of Return. More often, the NPV is assumed to be a better as compared to IRR. The reason being that the project’s cash inflows are generally used as substitutes of outsourcing capital, This means that the, projects cash flows replace outside capital and, hence, save the firm the cost of outside capital. The Modified Internal Rate of Return (MIRR) is imitative of IRR that keeps away from the latter’s

Prince Sport Essay Example for Free

Prince Sport Essay This is a case study of how Print sports expand their growth in the market of 21st century, and the elements that go with or go against them in the market. Moreover, we will discuss with the marketing activities and strategies that are favorable to Prince Sports in expanding their distributions of Tennis products. As we know 21st century is a time where people are more conscious against their health, individuals who are moderate and wealthy enough tend to venture into sports to get better in shape and be healthy whether it is physically or mentally. With this issue  being focus on, trends in the environmental forces that work for and work against the achievements for Prince Sports Activities and the tennis industry are illustrations such as, public causes of the environment include market features and the lifestyle of the community. The social force works for Prince Sport due to the fact of the improved attention and popularity of tennis, and with a little bit help of the health conscious that are growing bigger in the society. Individuals are participating and watching professional tennis tournaments and this is resulting in more playing the game. If attention decreases  in time then this can and will continue to work against the achievements for Prince Sports Activities in their distribution and market activities. Prince Sports is also investing their funds in creating models of racquets that fits all sort of tennis player; there are certain designs of it that professional players and junior players can choose from to customize their playing styles. However, as an economic factor, this might go against Prince Sport base on the price of each racquet model. Individuals would rather buy a similar product with a cheaper value if prince sport does have a good marketing plan in explaining the  innovative technology of that product clearly to the public. (Kerin Hartley, 2013) There are no limits in producing a good marketing activity for Prince Sport to promote tennis playing in United States. Social media is the first great option for Prince Sport to start with, majority of the individuals rely heavily on social media to obtain their daily dosage of information in the twenty first century. Moreover, online blogging and internet base news magazine can be a great tool, pop up advertisement on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and web blogging can help to raise interest in tennis playing. It would  be unwise to not use this as an advantage to promote tennis playing. Print media such as newspaper, magazine, and printed advertisement are good option to begin with. By spreading out the benefits of tennis such as health conscious and personality building, it will definitely attract individual to gain interest in tennis playing over a certain time. (Crespo Reid, 2009) To reach out for recreational and junior player in the field tennis, Prince Sport should focus their planning on organizing Amateur or Junior league tournaments frequently throughout the years. With a more affordable entree fee and convenient application such  as register via online or smart phone, it will attract players from these two categories to join in for the tournament. With this method, it allows Prince Sport to study and differentiate what are their needs during the game from size of racquets to the more detail such as the material of the racquets handle for certain type of players. (Crespo Reid, 2009) Prince has a different way in increasing their sales in major outlets such as Walmart and Target, and for specialty tennis shop or branded sports outlet such as Nike. Prince often makes a clear layout for major outlets from designing the tennis sport section to  having a printed advertisement hanging along the corridor. They would draw a layout on how to separate different section for their sports equipment, and for each section they have different in store signage, brochure, and also free merchandise for consumers who purchase reaches a certain limit. Whereas for smaller outlets or branded sports outlet such as Nike, they would put a professional standees which is a life size picture of certain professional tennis player, this would increase the interest of consumer on purchasing the item that is being promoted by that tennis player. (Kerin Hartley, 2013). There are a few of criteria for Prince to look on before venturing into the global market of tennis outside of United States. First of all, the market size of the country, whether it is mature enough for the public to gain interest in tennis sport, or it is still a fairly new idea to them. Second, expected growth of the market, does it have any potential in increasing distribution in the future or it has no value to be investing on. Third, the competitive position, does that country have more than enough industry in providing tennis equipment, and how can Prince fit into the market without suffering loss  from competitive price battle. (Kerin Hartley, 2013) Country that met these criteria is Russia, China, and Australia. These are major country that have produce tons of tennis player since last decade. Majority of the player have won major leagues title and now hold a place in the world ranking series. From the statement here, we understand that the tennis industry is already a big deal in the above country, and from the reputation gain by those players, it will spread out to the society in a great speed. They possess a great potential to be invested in for tennis market, and Prince should focus on producing new  models of racquets with far better quality from what is currently being distribute in the current market. (Marshall, 2011) References Crespo, M. , Reid, M. (2009). Marketing of tennis. ITF Coaching. Retrieved from http://en. coaching. itftennis. com/media/113964/113964. pdf Kerin, R. , Hartley, W. (2013). Marketing(11thed. ). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Marshall. (2011). Tennis global evolution is bringing the sport to new markets: An analysis. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport. com/articles/594875-the-global-evolution-of-tennis-is-bringi ng-the-sport-to-new-markets-an-analysis.

Devil Slavery and Dr. Faust Essay Example for Free

Devil Slavery and Dr. Faust Essay Devil Slavery and Dr. Faust In the essay from Dr. Faust’s â€Å"Community, Culture, and Conflict on an Antebellum Plantation†, she explores the balance of power between slave owners and their bondsmen, primarily, on the Hammond Plantation, Silver Bluff. She will focus on four areas of research, religion, work patterns, and payments/privileges, escape attempts/rebellion and external influences. She maintains that there was an intricate communal order among the slaves of the Silver Bluff Plantation. Using primary and secondary sources I will either verify or disprove Dr. Faust’s thesis. Dr. Faust has used the journal writings of James Hammond as her main primary source for her essay. I will use Dr. Faust’s essay for my secondary and writings from former slaves (primary) for my sources. As master of the plantation, Silver Bluff, James Hammond strived to gain complete control over every aspect of his slave’s lives. It was a struggle that spanned decades, and one he never fully realized. Through his journal entries we see the daily struggle for control, and the means he used to uphold his authority. They also show how the slaves resisted Hammond’s attempts while holding on to their own society. Dr. Faust shows through Hammond’s own words how he tried to control the slave’s religion by replacing Black worship with White belief. (pg. 220) He first tried by taking away all Black churches and forcing the slave to attend White churches. He then changed track by hiring traveling preachers for the slaves Sunday worship. In 1845 he built his own church on the plantation. He was admired for the conformity his slaves showed for the white social norms. However, his slaves had learned to show Hammond the behavior he wanted all the while still holding true to their own religious beliefs. Even after twenty years Hammond was still trying to eradicate the Blacks religion. â€Å"Have ordered all church meetings to be broken up except at the church with a white preacher. † (pg. 220) To have Silver Bluff run more efficiently, Hammond wanted more control over the work habits of his slaves. For the first year he stepped up the discipline in regards to inferior or slack work. His slaves not being used to the strong-armed policies resisted. Hammond responded with more beatings. Over time the slaves conformed somewhat as the physical punishment slowed. pg 221) A more efficient form of working was the gang method, so Hammond thought. This gang method took away what little independence the slaves had. No longer could they manage their own time. Hammond knew that by stripping the slaves of their right to order their own day he would have more control. Once again the slaves resisted, by doing inferior work. (pg. 221) Over time a quiet compromise arose, and to some extent wor k seemed to go back the way it used to be for the slaves. Hammond also instituted a system of rewards to go along with the punishments. He felt that by offering something the slave wanted/needed he would have that slave’s compliance that the slaves would work harder to obtain the reward. Here to, the slaves learned how to use this system for themselves. As punishment for a poor work season Hammond shortened the Christmas break but as his journal shows for December 26 â€Å"persuaded out of my decision by the Negros† (pg. 221) Like all plantations of the era, Silver Bluff had its share of escape attempts although no successful escapes were recorded. Through Hammonds writing Dr. Faust has devised a profile for the runaway. Most were young males without strong family ties. The weather played an important part in determining the length of time away. Female slaves only ran with their husbands or to their husbands. Once the slaves escaped they did not travel far, mostly stayed in nearby swamps. The plantation slaves would then help the runaways by giving them supplies. At first Hammond sent men with horses and dogs out to search for the missing slaves, but after awhile he chose to just let others catch them , wait for them to end up in jail or wait for them to return on their own volition. Here too Hammond set some ground rules. If the slaves returned on their own they only received three lashes for each day gone, where as on the other hand if they were forcibly brought back the punishment was ten lashes for each day off of the plantation. Hammond also realized that the runaways and those slaves left behind still held close bonds. Based on this he also punished those still on the plantation. With holding food rations and beatings hoping that the runaway would hear of it and return on his own. (pg 223) What Hammond was really trying to do was to create a micro-world on his plantation where he was in charge and all else where his minions. His greatest fear was interference from the outside. To combat that he cut his slaves off from the outside, forbidding them to go to town, or from inter-acting with neighbors or the steamboat people. (pg. 223) As the war approached, he worried about which side his slaves were on. He felt that they were becoming riled and uneasy. Thefts of goods appeared more common and Hammond thought his slaves demeanor was changing and not for the good. He could feel the loss of control slipping away as the cannon’s roar rolled over his Silver Bluff. The first primary source I chose was Sarah Fitzpatrick (1938) (Hollitz, Doc. ) Part of her interview dealt with the issue of religion. If they wanted to attend their own church they needed a pass to allow them off the plantation. Many slaves though attended church with their masters. The preacher in the white church would first tend to his white flock then after that service he would preach to the slaves. Telling the slaves that they must listen and behave their masters and by doing so they would surly get to heaven. They were also taught catechism. The slaves preferred to attend their own service for they would get joyful and loud and that was not allowed during the white man’s service. This experience of Sarah’s almost parallels what Hammond tried to do on Silver Bluff. I feel that this primary source supports Dr. Faust views on how religion was used as a tool to enforce the white man’s way upon the Black there by peeling away a layer of their culture. The story of Brer Rabbit Outsmarts Brer Fox (Hollitz, Doc. 10) I feel is an analogy for one of the slave’s survival mechanism. In this story Brer Fox stops Brer Rabbit on his way to church. Brer Fox is hungry and wants to eat Brer Rabbit. Thinking fast Brer Rabbit tells Brer Fox that there are hogs at the man’s house that would be better for his breakfast and if Brer Fox did not believe him, he would agree to be tied up till Brer Fox checked it out. Brer Fox found no hogs and the man let his dog loose on Brer Fox. The dogs hunted Brer Fox and ate him up. Brer Rabbit was set loose and thanked the dogs. I feel Brer Rabbit represents the slaves, Brer Fox is the master and the dogs can represent many things depending on the story’s use. They might represent freedom, the war, or Heaven. Brer Rabbit used cunning and trickery to outsmart Brer Fox. The slaves needed to learn how to put one face on for the master while keeping their true face concealed. They needed to learn cunning and trickery to outsmart their masters at times In my opinon the document also supports Dr. Faust’s essay. It shows how the slaves learned to use the reward system that Hammond put in place to their own advantage. Also by slowing work up to get what they wanted. I chose my next primary source, (Mary Reynolds, Dallas Texas, ASN) because she was a slave from the deep south. She tells of her life from the time she was born up till the time of her interview. She eemed proud of the fact that she knew her father and the he was a free man who chose to live as a slave for the love of her mother who was a slave. She describes her life as a slave as a harsh one. Being sold off because she was to close to the masters own child. When his daughter became ill and was told it was because his daughter was pining away for her Black friend the master relented an d bought Mary back to the plantation. She tells of working the fields, not having enough food or proper clothing. She tells of the beatings she received from Solomon the overseer and how he kept a tight rein on the slaves. She explains how the runaways are tracked down and then punished All these experiences mirror plantation life at Silver Bluff and so once again supports Dr. Faust’s thesis. What does not seem to support it though is Mary’s master allowed some of the slave’s culture. There were marriage ceremonies and there were funerals and allowed outside contact. The last document I chose was an interview of a former slave whose master was a Creek Indian. (Lucinda Davis Tulsa, Oklahoma,ASN). She tells her life story as if she were part of her master’s extended family not like she was a slave. She was well cared for, well fed and had clothes. Her only chore was to care for a young child. The slaves were allowed to marry and did not have to live on their master’s farm. When the war was over and Lucinda parents wanted her back her master freely gave her up and sent her back. Her hardships did not seem any worse than any member of her master’s family. This document does not support Dr. Faust’s thesis. Maybe it is because the slave group was smaller and mostly men. There was no strife so they did not bond as the slaves on Hammonds plantation did.

Role of Saudi Arabia in Gulf Politics

Role of Saudi Arabia in Gulf Politics Research Synopsis M.phil SAUDI ARABIA AS BALANCER IN GULF POLITICS Shaista Shaukat ali ABSTRACT Saudi Arabia has played a key role in Gulf politics, security and economy, for the past four decades, as well as in Muslim world during different conflicts, issues and challenges like Palestine issue, Kuwait Iraq war, Yemen, Syria and Egypt crisis. The study will provide how certain factors in Muslim world like oil, religion regional conflicts, shaped their relations with Saudi Arabia. Although each factor has played a significant role in determining the foreign policy behavior in Muslim states, each factor has assumed different degrees of importance, and impacts on relation among Saudi Arabia and Muslim world on different time period, and how Saudi Arabia interested in maintaining a degree of co-operation policies, diplomacy, view point, strategic alliances and efforts to resolve the issues and crisis among Muslim states. Saudi Arabia has wielded considerable influence with its neighbors through its vast oil reserves, financial and political support, and the ideological influence, domestically, and that how Saudi Arabia has power to affect regional political developments. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Political Science and International Relations emerged as a result of the need to establish substantial connections between current politics and social sciences throughout the century. The change in the international political environment especially in Muslim world has great impacts on relation among Muslim and non Muslim states, in this perspective, the study will help to understand the role of Saudi Arabia in gulf politics and in conflics of Muslim states. HYPOTHESIS H1: Saudi Arabia as a conflict manager in Middle Eastern security environment H2.Saudi Arabia is influencing the gulf politics through security alliances H3: Saudi hegemony increasing in Muslim world due to its positive involvement in crisis OBJECTIVES The study will identify and explore different factors and variables which have impacted on shaping policies and decision by Saudi Arabia in managing conflicts in Muslim world. The study will attempts to establish and develop a comprehensive understanding of Saudi relations with Muslim states and will examine how these relations have been affected by various issues. The study will highlight the different factors, impacting on strategically relations between Saudi and Muslim world and shaping their foreign and national policies. METHODOLOGY Data related to the topic will be collected from books, newspapers, articles, journals, research papers and government records. The research work will be descriptive, qualitative techniques will be applied in the study. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Many books have been written on Saudi Arabia and its role in gulf state and in Muslim World. However major books, articles which are most relevant to the proposal research work discussed below: Palgrave Connect in Regional Powers in the Middle East: New Constellations After the Arab Revolts explained how Saudi Arabia capable to perform his role in regional affairs. The writer also provides some information about Sadi role in Arab League and also makes a comparison between Turkiy and Saudi Arabia as regional power in Muslim World. This will be helpful in research as to know about the policies of regional powers in Middle East. Barry Rubin in Conflict and Insurgency in the Contemporary Middle East provided a comparative analysis of militant wings and their supports in Middle East. It informed about the nature of conflicts in Gulf States and role of regional actors which can play a decisive role in resolving conflicts, so this book will be helpful to analyse the role of Saudi Arabia as a balancer in region. Ron Eduard Hassner in War on Sacred Grounds comprehensively described the mysteries and space of conflicts on sacred places. The narrator explained the makkah and Jerusalem conflict and role of religious and political authorities of Middle East and also define the role of conflict manager Saudi Arabia. This book is quite relevant to the research topic. Sarah Stern in Saudi Arabia and the Global Islamic Terrorist Network: America and the Wests Fatal Embrace an important book which provide information how Saudi Arabia play role in OIC as a larger funder and financial of this organization . Thicker than oil by Rachel Bronson,is very helpful book and discussed the saudi relationship ,geographic location and religiously motivated foreign policies , efforts to resolve the conflic from Africa to Afghanistan, Egypt to Nicaragua, The Saudi Enigma: A HistoryBy Pascal MÃ ©noret, is comprehensive book on Saudi involvement in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia , Algeria and gulf war. Riad A. Attar in Arms and Conflict in the Middle East .In this book writer discussed the importance of Saudi arabia in gulf politics and its influence on different conflics in gulf states, more important thing about this book is that writer narated figures about conflics. William M. Habeeb in The Middle East in Turmoil: Conflict, Revolution, and Change discussed the ideologies of gulf states and their close tiec with Muslim and non Muslim states, and how these ties and ideologies influence the strategic partnership of Saudi Arabia with states. it will be helpful examine Saudi consensus to different threats to middle east. Simon Murden in Islam, the Middle East, and the New Global Hegemony examined the Saudi influence on Muslim states as well as relation with major super powers in international political sanerio. The writer described the security and economic ties of Saudi Arabia with nuclear power that impacts the whole Muslim world directly and indirectly, in this way this book will help during research. Nawaf E. Obaid in The Power of Saudi Arabias Islamic Leaders discussed the role of Saudi Ulema in national and foreign policies as well as oil embargo and about the Saudi hosting of foreign troops. This journal will also be helpful in this research. Tim Niblock in Saudi Arabia: Power, Legitimacy and Survival discussed political agenda, reforms, policies, structure and change that not effect the gulf politics and policies but influence the whole Muslim world. it will be help full to make research about Saudi’s role as conflict manager. Stig Stenslie in Regime Stability in Saudi Arabia: The Challenge of Succession threw light on the main decision makers related to security economic and political relations and alliances of royal family to other Muslim politicians. This book is quite relevant to the research topic and will be helpful in this regard. Hatem Shareef Abu-Lebdeh in Conflict and Peace in the Middle East discussed the role of Saudi Arabia in division of gulf politics, collation with Gulf States, resolutions, economics embargo which reflected the means and approaches to resolve the gulf crises. This book will also helpful in research in point of view to understand the role of Saudi Arabia in gulf politics. Suhara Ashfaq in What is Saudi Arabia’s Desired Role in Muslim World? discussed the influential and dominating role of Saudi Arabia elaborating close ties between USA KSA James Wynbrandt in A Brief History of Saudi Arabia by told us Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state has played a prominent role throughout the history and how influenced the regional politics. The interesting fact about this book is that the writer narrated everything through pictures, map, charts and illustration so it will quite helpful in this research. Majid Khadduri, Edmund Ghareeb in War in the Gulf, 1990-91: The Iraq-Kuwait Conflict and Its Implications explained how Saudi Arabia played the positive and effective role in Arab Gulf crisis, and efforts for not reach an agreement by direct negotiation, and how they promote co operation among Muslim countries during the crisis. BIBLOGRAPHY Abu-Lebdeh,H(1997 ).Conflict and Peace in the Middle East: University press of America Attar,A, R.(ED).(2009 ).Arms and Conflict in the Middle East: Emerald Group Publishing Limited Howard House,UK Bronson,R. (2006).Thicker than Oil: Americas Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia. Oxford University Press Connect,P.(2014).Regional Powers in the Middle East: St.Martin Press New York Guo,R.(2012).Territorial Disputes and Conflict Management: The Art of Avoiding War:Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York Habeeb ,W.(2012).The Middle East in Turmoil: Conflict, Revolution, and Change:ABC-CLIO,LLC. Oxford England Hassner,R.(2009).War on Sacred Grounds:Cornell University Press.Ithaca, New York Ismael, T . Ismael,S. (2012).Government and Politics of the Contemporary Middle East: Continuity and Change: Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York Korany,B. (ED).(2014) .Arab Human Development in the Twenty-First Century: The American University in Cairo Press ,New York Khadduri, M., Ghareeb,E.(1997) .War in the Gulf, 1990-91: The Iraq-Kuwait Conflict and Its Implications. Oxford university press MÃ ©noret ,P. (2005).The Saudi Enigma: A History .Zed books London New York Murden,M. (2002). Islam, the Middle East, and the New Global Hegemony.Lynne Rienner Publishers,USA Nibloc,T. (2006).Saudi Arabia: Power, Legitimacy and Survival.Routledge 270 Madison Ave,New York Rubin,B. (ED).(2009).Conflict and Insurgency in the Contemporary Middle East:British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. Stenslie,S.(2012 ). Regime Stability in Saudi Arabia:Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York Stern,S.(ED).(2011). Saudi Arabia and the Global Islamic Terrorist Network:PALGRAVE MACMILLANÂ ® in the United States Wynbrandt, J.(2010). A Brief History of Saudi Arabia:Infobase Publishing, New York Rasmussen, L,. Oakley,R. (1992).Conflict Resolution in the Middle East:US Institute of Peace Press,Washington.D.C http://www.chomsky.info/articles/19910202.htm http://www.chomsky.info/articles/19910202.htm http://www.pakistananalysis.com/en/analysis/international/item/267-what-is-saudi-arabia%E2%80%99s-desired-role-in-muslim-world.html http://www.meforum.org/482/the-power-of-saudi-arabias-islamic-leaders http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/conflict-grows-middle-east-us-saudi-gulf-widens

Gustave Courbets Reclining Nude Essay -- Courbet Painting Art Nude Es

Gustave Courbet's Reclining Nude In the Philadelphia Museum of Art are five paintings by Gustave Courbet; of all of these I found Reclining Nude (1868, Oil on canvas, The Louis & Stern Collection, 63-81-20) the most interesting. It depicts a nude woman lying on the beach beneath a billowing canopy. A dark, but tranquil sea is in the background. The sky is dark as if the final rays of the sun were disappearing over the horizon. There are a few clouds in the sky, they are dark but not threatening. The picture is very dark in general and there is no obvious light source. The edges of the painting are so dark it is impossible to tell what the nude reclines against. A very dim light falls on the woman, who lies on her right side. The upper half of her torso is twisted to her left and her hips and legs face the viewer. Her right leg is bent slightly so her calf is beneath her straightened left leg. The woman is not as thin as classical nudes, her hips are somewhat broad and her thighs are slightly heavy. Her arms are crossed languidly over her head. Because her arms are crossed over her head, her face is almost completely in the shadows; this shadowing covers the detail of her face in such a way that she could be almost anyone. She gazes wistfully at the ground to her left. The woman is rendered very softly and is in a very sensuous pose. This picture would have been found scandalous for its sexual overtones as was Courbet's La Demoiselles au bord de la Seine. A scarlet cloth lies in front of her; it has a very rumpled look which has sexual implications. The vacant, wistful look and the languid crossing of her arms suggests that she is thinking of a lover who has just left her. The car... ...f vision one is more able to appreciate Courbet's careful attention to the curves and anatomy of the woman's body, as well as his eye for small detail such as the two tiny boats on the horizon. While many critics of Courbet's time could not understand his choice of subject matter, they could appreciate his execution of the subject matter. Gustave Courbet's subject matter may not have been understood or considered proper in his day, but now they are considered to be more acceptable. One, whether of the past or present, must appreciate his technical abilities; his mastery of line, form, and balance. Though his lack of color is disappointing, the picture in itself is very pleasing to look at because it is such a tran- quil, restful scene. While Courbet was not totally appreciated in his day, he is in these times considered to be an excellent artist. Gustave Courbet's Reclining Nude Essay -- Courbet Painting Art Nude Es Gustave Courbet's Reclining Nude In the Philadelphia Museum of Art are five paintings by Gustave Courbet; of all of these I found Reclining Nude (1868, Oil on canvas, The Louis & Stern Collection, 63-81-20) the most interesting. It depicts a nude woman lying on the beach beneath a billowing canopy. A dark, but tranquil sea is in the background. The sky is dark as if the final rays of the sun were disappearing over the horizon. There are a few clouds in the sky, they are dark but not threatening. The picture is very dark in general and there is no obvious light source. The edges of the painting are so dark it is impossible to tell what the nude reclines against. A very dim light falls on the woman, who lies on her right side. The upper half of her torso is twisted to her left and her hips and legs face the viewer. Her right leg is bent slightly so her calf is beneath her straightened left leg. The woman is not as thin as classical nudes, her hips are somewhat broad and her thighs are slightly heavy. Her arms are crossed languidly over her head. Because her arms are crossed over her head, her face is almost completely in the shadows; this shadowing covers the detail of her face in such a way that she could be almost anyone. She gazes wistfully at the ground to her left. The woman is rendered very softly and is in a very sensuous pose. This picture would have been found scandalous for its sexual overtones as was Courbet's La Demoiselles au bord de la Seine. A scarlet cloth lies in front of her; it has a very rumpled look which has sexual implications. The vacant, wistful look and the languid crossing of her arms suggests that she is thinking of a lover who has just left her. The car... ...f vision one is more able to appreciate Courbet's careful attention to the curves and anatomy of the woman's body, as well as his eye for small detail such as the two tiny boats on the horizon. While many critics of Courbet's time could not understand his choice of subject matter, they could appreciate his execution of the subject matter. Gustave Courbet's subject matter may not have been understood or considered proper in his day, but now they are considered to be more acceptable. One, whether of the past or present, must appreciate his technical abilities; his mastery of line, form, and balance. Though his lack of color is disappointing, the picture in itself is very pleasing to look at because it is such a tran- quil, restful scene. While Courbet was not totally appreciated in his day, he is in these times considered to be an excellent artist.

Windsor Castle :: Place Descriptive Monuments Essays

Windsor Castle â€Å"Seen for the first time, Windsor Castle is an unforgettable sight; its imposing towers and battlements creating one of the world’s most spectacular sky-lines† Windsor Castle is one of England’s most dominant structures. The castle was built around 1070 by William the Conqueror. It stands about 21 miles west of London in a parameter town called Windsor. Edward III rebuilt the castle around 1344, but many kings have contributed their own share to the enormous structure. The castle is located above the Thames river. It surrounds a park called Little Park, which joins the Great Park south of Windsor. Home Park connects the castle on the north, east, and south side; while Great Park is south of Home Park. Within the castle walls there is a spectacular artificial lake called Virginia Water (http://www.interlog.com/~lontours/windsor.html). The most impressive structure of Windsor Castle is the Round Tower, or Keep, which stands 80 feet high. According to tradition, King Arthur sat with the Knights of the Round Table within this tower. Surrounded by a moat, it was also used as a prison until 1660. The castle was intended to guard the western approaches to the capital. Since those early days, the castle is inhabited, and one of The Queen’s official residences. The castle also includes the State Apartments, Saint George’s Hall, the Waterloo Chamber, the Throne Room, the Rubens Room, and the Van Dyck Room, which are used for Court ceremonial and State occasions. They also contain priceless valuable art objects. St. George’s Chapel, resting place of 10 sovereigns, is also within the precincts. The Chapel is given to the patron saint of the Order of the Garter, Britain’s highest Order of Chivalry. The Chapel is one of the finest examples of late medieval architecture in the United Kingdom (http://www.royal.gov.uk/palaces/winsrest.htm). In 1992 a tragic fire broke out in the castle.