Porter's Industry Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Porter's Industry Analysis - Case Study Example Creative, Samsung and Sony and a plethora of other companies manufacture small, portable music players which is an answer to apple ipod, since ipods are quite expensive people prefer buying other reliable music players which are way cheaper than the ipod. Barriers to Entry: Some of the most important points which should be considered under this section are as follows: Time and Cost of Entry Knowledge Economies of Scale Technology Other Barriers Fake Stores in China: â€Å"Recently it was found that there are several fake stores of apple in China, the fake apple products are bound to cost the company losses.† (Fake Apple Stores in China) Several big companies have lost a lot of money because of counterfeit products sold by the fake sellers. These fake stores will directly impact the credibility and the profits of the company, today there are fake stores in China, and tomorrow fake stores may open up in European countries. This will severely impact the brand name of the products and it will also hamper the reputation and the profits, this is a huge barrier and Apple must do something about it. â€Å"The favorable brand perception had also increased sales of Macintosh computers. So iPod gives the company access to a whole new series of segments that buy into other parts of the Apple brand. Sales of its notebooks products is also very strong, and represents a huge contribution to income for Apple.† (Apple SWOT) Threat of New Entrants: The following points must be considered under threat of new entrants: Verizon allows streaming audio and video with the help of a software called v-cast New entrants equipped with disruptive technology could affect apple significantly Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Intel, IBM, Motorola and others are big rivals of apple when it comes to processors and computer technology, it could give the new ipad and the iphone a good run for its money Sony, Warner, BMG and others are huge suppliers of music ABC, Fox, Sony and many oth ers are huge suppliers of movies and popular television shows Bargaining Power of Customer: Peer to peer technology provides free music to the customers Distributors may press apple to reduce its price or for better terms Economic downturn will lead to decreased spending of customers Substitutes Present a Substantial Threat: Satellite radio is becoming increasingly popular for music Xbox and the PS3 provide great entertainment, media and music can be enjoyed on these gaming consoles Dvds and Cds provide an alternate source of movies and music Theaters, cable tv and other sources are alternate sources for movies and videos Recommendations for apple: Maintain the same quality but bring down the prices a bit Joint ventures would surely prove profitable plots Focus on knowledge management Open more stores so that customers can easily get their hands on the latest products Work at making the technology better, innovation is the key to success. References Apple has More Money than the US Government (2011). Tech News. Retrieved from

The Influence of the Laocoon in Bernini's Neptune and Triton Essay

The Influence of the Laocoon in Bernini's Neptune and Triton - Essay Example For this reason, his influence was widespread in the 17th and 18th century. Apart from being a sculptor, Bernini was also gifted as a stage set designer, an architect, funeral trappings and painter among others1. Bernini’s art was highly influenced by the ancient Roman and Greek art and the Italian masters of the 16th century. Among some of his most celebrated sculptures include the Ecstasy of St. Theresa in Santa Maria Della Victoria, the Neptune and Triton sculptor and the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni in San Francesco among others. In 1622 to 1623, Bernini created the Neptune and Triton, which portrays the life-size figure of Neptune and the sea-god Triton (Pollitt, 1990) 2. Thus, this paper will examine the influence of Laocoon on the carving technique of Bernini’s Neptune and Triton sculpture, and how this sculpture has an emotional power through facial expression and body language. Bernini began learning art at an early age from his father who was also a sculptor. At seven years, his family moved to Rome where they worked for the Barberini and Borghese families. This gave him a chance to learn to sculpt even further, and at the age of eight, he made his first authenticated work: The Goat Amalthea with an infant Jupiter and a Faun, which was a considerable achievement for a boy his age. Boardman states that Bernini was able to absorb the realism of Caravaggio that was the basis of all his art, and always sought full verisimilitude in his figures, which retained the classical art features of the previous period 3. The great influence of Greek art in his work was such that one of his works was classified as Hellenistic from 300 BC. Bernini expected so much from himself as well as his assistants. His work shows a level of virtuosity in his ability to carve marble, and to assemble it together from several blocks in order to produce an effect of realism. Additionally, he thought in terms of settings just like Michelangelo and intended his art to be s een from one viewpoint only. Thus, Virgil argues that Bernini made his marble appear real through shouting, speaking, laughing, screaming and even sighing4. For instance, the statue of the damned soul, which is a three dimensional horror from a Caravaggio scene of terror, appears to emit blood which shows fear2. Moreover, Bernini’s statue of David is portrays how David was able to use every muscle in the body to slay the giant. The grim of his jaw reflects how he is straining and sweating as he tries to slay the giant. Thus, these features make Bernini’s statue of David quite distinct from those created by Verrocchio, Donatello and Michelangelo. It portrays sculptural realism taken to greater heights by Bernini. During his youth, Bernini studied the works of Raphael and Michelangelo, but his work was influenced more by the Hellenistic sculpture and the Roman sculpture in the Hellenistic tradition. This classical art helped him to develop a more powerful dynamic and flu id style that characterized his art. According to Boardman, his stylistic work in art was inspired by contemporary paintings such as the Guido Reni and the carraci that were made by Caravaggio 5. Bernini’s art was based entirely on the baroque style in which he was able to achieve a maximum drama and movement of change. Baroque art was influenced and inspired by political and social factors, as well as exploration and discovery of the

Canon Business Analysis Essay Example for Free

Canon Business Analysis Essay In 1925, a German camera maker named Oskar Barnack, developed a new, ground-breaking camera called the Leica. It was not until 1933 that a company responded to the success of Barnack’s creation and produced their own 35 millimeter version of his innovative design. Thus was born the Canon Company. By the 1950’s, Canon attained the title of leading producer of cameras in Japan. Since that time, Canon has made it a point to expand and diversify their company as much as possible. They are able to accomplish this primarily through a strong Research and Development program. Through this program, Canon has explored many different technologies such as home electronics and x-ray technology. One of the first product areas they explored was in the electronic calculator segment. Due to the complex nature of the technology, Canon’s engineers were forced to adapt and develop the intricate micro-electric processors that were being used. They were very successful in doing this. In late 1964, one year after their research started, Canon engineers presented top management with the finished product, the Canola 130. This product became the world’s first 10-key numeric pad calculator. However, Canon has not always succeeded in their endeavors. With every triumph comes a failure. One such instance was a printing device that utilized magnetic material that would coat the paper. They called this the Synchroreader. Although it was touted for its use of technology, the application, it was not patented. Another company took the design, improved it, and made it more affordable. Canon learned its lesson after that instance. Body In 1961, a new technology was developed by the Xerox Corporation. In the following years, with the success of their model 914 office copier, Xerox would enjoy a reported ninety three percent market share world wide. Xerox also had the advantage in that they held approximately five hundred patents. This tactic prevented other companies from intruding on their Plain Paper Copier (PPC) technology. Canon entered the market late in the 1960’s and was looked at with a skeptical eye. They were the â€Å"camera company from Japan† (Mintzberg, et al 2003, p. 75) and were not looked at as serious contenders in the photocopy market. Due to the PPC market being cornered by Xerox and their numerous patents, Canon instead moved into the Coated Paper Copying (CPC) market. This technology transfers the reflection of the original image directly to the special zinc oxide coated paper. This is in direct contrast from the PPC technology which uses regular paper and indirectly transfers the image using a rotating drum and charged particles. A similar technology is still being used in fax and photocopiers today. In 1962, while still in the inferior Coated Paper Copying and marketing under a separate name, the Top Management of Canon challenged their engineers to create a PPC process that would not infringe upon the patents held by Xerox. The engineers answered with the â€Å"New Process† in 1968 and became the first copier to carry the Canon name. Two years later the research came to fruition when the NP1100 was released in Japan. This model utilized dry toner and copied at a whopping rate of ten pages per minute. This, of course, is slow by today’s standards. Canon had finally broken into the PPC market. Riding on the success of this new technology, Canon released the NPL7 in 1972, marketing it exclusively to Japanese companies. This model contained several noticeable improvements over the first generation NP1100. Most notably is that the model was â€Å"More economical, more compact, more reliable,† while still keeping the same quality of copy. (Mintzberg, et al 2003, p. 77) Canon’s Top Management began looking for alternative markets for the Plain Paper Copier in the latter half of the 1970’s. The small office market was identified as Canon’s next target market. They devised a plan to accommodate this market by producing a photocopier, using PPC technology, and offering it to small businesses that did not require the large volume, high speed machines that were currently being offered on the market. The concept itself had the potential to change the market by decentralizing the office photocopier. Prior to this innovation, the photocopier in large offices were centralized to one corner of the office, primarily due to its mammoth size. In 1979, Canon’s concept became a resounding reality. They were able to produce a photocopier that not only met and exceeded the cost and reliability targets that were set by Top Management, but in a more practical application, it was able to reduce the need for constant and continual copier maintenance. Based upon previous experience with patent law, Canon employed the use those laws to protect their new found development. Through the years, Canon has demonstrated several core competencies that have enabled them to propel themselves to the top of the market. First and foremost, Canon has employed a pool of extremely talented engineers who made up Canon’s Research and Development team. Through their research, Canon was able to uncover new and innovative products. This varied product line, which included cameras, calculators, and photocopiers, demonstrates Canon’s diversified product line. This diverse line of merchandise is integral to the company’s survival and has enabled Canon to take a multifaceted approach to technological competition. The more diverse type of products that are offered, the more chances there are for success. This has not always worked out in Canon’s favor however. An example of this would be in the development of the synchroreader. Although the technology was much more advanced than what was on the market, poor marketing decisions and an ignorance of United States patent laws cost Canon that share of the market. Since that time, Canon has taken a step by step approach to their marketing strategies. This is especially apparent with the development and marketing of the NP110 copier. They began by distributing the unit in Japan only in a direct sales format. In doing so a company opens themselves up to the threat of collapse due to spreading themselves too thin. Secondly, we can surmise that an isolated marketing strategy, such as the one that Canon employed when marketing their copier to local Japanese dealers first, will be more effective in the long run. By distributing the product locally at first you can focus on close to home customers rather than across seas customers. Finally, a truly cost effective manufacturing process can be more beneficial at times than the products that come off the assembly lines themselves.

Strategies for Workforce Shortage in Australian Healthcare

Strategies for Workforce Shortage in Australian Healthcare Introduction The Australian healthcare system has over the years been ranked as one of the best on the global perspective (Naccarella, 2014). This has been based on the extent to which quality care is given and the investment of the state of the art technology to facilitate these processes. However, there are various major concerns that continue to ail the health care sector in Australia (Scott, 2009). The shortage of healthcare providers within the country has remained a key issue that continue to impact on any attempts to make positive strides. While the respective states in Australia such as Queensland have adopted measures in the move to resolve this concern, it remains a thorny issue (Lim Seale, 2014). Therefore, there is a need for the adoption of a management model that is implemented on the national scale so as to resolve this issue. The importance of the shortage management model is emphasised by the vital role that the sector plays towards the economic development (Moran, Burson Conrad, 2014). A sector that has served as an icon for different countries across the globe faces the threat of undergoing through massive decline as the shortage of qualified workforce continue to linger. This is especially based on the fact that this shortage is in line with the future demand for healthcare service (Parrella, 2013). The gap between the demand for healthcare services by the Australian population and the supply of the care givers continue to widen (Lines, 2015). Previously, historical models of finding a long term solution towards the issue have not been effective. This creates the need for the development of an effective management initiative that would play a key role towards resolving the issue and casting a ray of hope towards this essential sector in the Australian context. This report aims at presenting a management initiative that could be implemented within the Australian healthcare sector so as to address the issue of workforce shortages. The initiative is known as the NEW DAWN management model. The rationality of the name of the model is the new insights that it seeks to bring into the Australian healthcare sector in the long term .The model is to be implemented on a national perspective so as to ensure that it is able to address the key concerns on a holistic approach. The main elements that are included in the report include; identification and substantiation of need and aim of the initiative, the relation to best practice and a business plan that would facilitate the implementation of the model. Essentially, the focus of the management initiative is to develop a framework of reducing the workforce shortage with the Australian context in the long term. In the context of this study, the workforce population in the Australian healthcare sectors is taken to incorporate all forms of staff who work towards delivering care. This includes nurses and other healthcare practitioner. Within the Australian context, nurses represent the largest share of the workforce within the sector. They constitute more than 50% of the healthcare sector workforce within the country. Therefore, the insights developed within the management initiative outline are meant to provide a solution in relation to the entire workforce within the country. Identification and substantiation of need and aim of change/innovation Evidence of the need for the change/innovation According to data collected in the Australian healthcare sector in 2002, there is a massive gap in terms of the labour force. Evidence suggests that the country had a shortfall of 10-12,000 nurses (Segal Bolton, 2009). This is a representation of close to 5% of the entire healthcare workforce in the country. Worse still, the report presented by the Productivity Commission illustrated that the trend continues to soar over the years. This is a worrying factor this it is an illustration of the extent to which the workforce shortage within the healthcare sector in Australia may have far reaching implication towards the quality of care given in the long term. Different attributes have been linked towards the problem of workforce shortage within the Australian context. While seeking to devise an appropriate management initiative to address this concern, focusing on the key contributing factors is vital. One of the key reasons that have been cited to be contributing towards the increase in the workforce gap in Australia is the ageing population. Over time, the Australian workforce and population has been ageing at high rates. At the same time, the mortality rates have remained low compared to other countries across the globe. According to data presented by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) the number of nurse working in the country who are aged 55 years and above has increased massively over the years. The report indicates that in a period of ten years, the numbers increased from 7% in 1995 to 19% in year 2005 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014). This is an illustration of the extent to which the elderly a ge continues to dominate the nursing and general healthcare workforce within the Australian context. Ultimately, the increase in the number of healthcare workforce aged 55 years and above within the country has contributed towards shortage of adequate staff to tend to the future demand. Another factor that has contributed towards the shortage of the healthcare workforce in Australia is the low uptake of related course within the colleges and other higher learning institutions. The healthcare course still remains largely unfavourable among the students at the college level in the country. This may be facilitated by the lack of mentorship or the perception that the field is not as well compensation as others. Studies suggest that the increase in the number of students who take up healthcare related course within the context of Australian sector has only been at 3%. Therefore, this is an indication of the need to adopt corrective measures to address this concern. Still on this note, the number of people who take up professional healthcare jobs in Australia compared to other countries is low. According to statistics, only 2.7 persons out of 1000 take up professional practice in the healthcare sector in the country (Segal Bolton, 2009). Furthermore evident suggests that Australia attempts to close this gap by relying on the overseas labour market by this has not worked effectively. Evidence that the change/innovation planned meets this need. The NEW DAWN management initiative is aimed at addressing the gaps that exist within the Australian healthcare sector by countering the specific challenges that have been faced. It will be aimed at increasing the number of students who take up the healthcare practices as a profession, and improve the ability of the country to manage the future needs of the sector. Since the model will be implemented in all the states across Australia, it will be effective towards addressing the key concerns that have been ailing the sector in terms of staff shortage. Change strategy in relation to best practice While implementing the new dawn management initiative, the focus is to ensure that the change elements are well implemented. For effective undertaking of this process Kotter’s 8 areas for successful change are used in illustrating the approach to be taken. By following the concepts that have been presented by Kotter it is expected that the new dawn change model will become a reality within the Australian healthcare sector. In this perspective, the model will be implemented in the following steps. Towards the New Dawn: Kotters 8 areas for successful change Area 1: A sense of Urgency This involves the process of creating a sense of interest and urgent needs to take action (Kotter Rathgeber, 2006). In this perspective, a message will be passed through social media including Facebook and twitter in the form of a campaign to get more youth involved in the healthcare sector in Australia. This will be effective since most of the young people who are the target audience for the new dawn change management initiative users to such forums. Area2: Building a Guiding Coalition This involves the process of getting likeminded parties to be part of support towards the change initiative that has been proposed. In this perspective, the play a vital role towards providing the required assistance in terms of information sharing and forging more support (Bateman, 2012). In the case of the new dawn initiative seeking to deliver more enrolment of young students in healthcare professions, the news media team will be used. More precisely, Sky News Australia will be targeted as the key support party. The link will be derived through the social media interaction. This group is selected as the first approach area since it reaches out to people across Australia using different information outlets. Also, students from different universities in Australia will be encouraged to be ambassadors of the social media campaign towards reducing the gap in the staff shortage in the Australian healthcare sector. Area3: Strategic vision and initiative The vision and initiative provides the drive towards achieving the targets set (Kotter Cohen, 2012). It also gives a sense of direction towards the approach set. In the context of the new dawn initiative, the vision is to reduce the workforce shortage to 0% in 5 years. This is to be achieved through achieving a 35% increase in the enrolment for healthcare related courses within the Australian colleges and learning institutions within the period. Area4: Enlisting a volunteer army This involves finding as many people as possible who are willing to support the change process (Rasmussen, Mylonas, Beck, 2012). In the case of the new dawn management program within the Australian healthcare sector, the volunteer army will be obtained from the social media. On twitter, the hash tag #iamAustraliasnewdawn will be formed to obtain support. By getting this conversation top go viral; more and more young people will gain an interest in enrolling for healthcare related courses. Similarly on Facebook, a group will be formed so as to advocate for the need to drive efforts towards achieving a new dawn in the Australian healthcare. Area5: Enable Action by removing barriers This involves eliminating any form of hurdles that may be experienced by potential supporters in giving their support (Pollack Pollack, 2015). To achieve this, the initiative will encourage people from different ages, gender and cultures, professions, to join in giving their voice through the social media and any other method that they may prefer. The overall intention is to ensure that the message of achieving a new generation of young people within the healthcare sector in Australia is achieved in the long term. Area6: Generating short term wins This involves the process of recognizing the small strides that have been made towards the change process (Naranjo-Gil, 2015). In the case of the new dawn initiative in the Australian healthcare sector, the change initiative will be evaluated weekly based on the number of followers it has achieved on the social media and the actual people who have enrolled as a result of the initiative. The weekly tracking will eventually escalate to monthly and annually. However, recognizing the small strides will play a key role in motivating the parties involved and making them feel part of the change program. Area7: Sustaining acceleration The process of getting more people involved in the process of creating awareness on the need to have more young employees within the Australian healthcare will be achieved by changing approaches. For instance, in the first phase of evolution, the target of the initiative will be on the individual major universities in Australia. This focus will help in generating a more personalised approach of the initiative by the students and the faculty within the university. They will be in a position to take the process more seriously and embrace initiative to implement the suggested approaches. Area8: Instituting change This involves the process of ensuring that the concepts that have been suggested are implemented within the framework that that it has been intended (Bateman, 2012). In the case of the new dawn, strategies will be put in place to ensure that different states of Australia make the changes of increasing the number of university students who enrol in the healthcare related courses. This will be achieved through making a follow up with the political representatives of the different states to ensure that they recognise the approaches that they need to adopt so as to ensure that the new dawn change management program become successful. Business plan Tasks July-Sept 2015 August-October 2015 November-December 2015 Jan-March 2016 April-June 2016 Initiation of the change campaign Passing information to universities Passing information to hospitals Political elites Change achievement Based on the Gantt chart provided, it is estimated that the change will have been achieved fully by the end of June 2016. By this period, the targeted increase in the number of young students who enrol in healthcare sector courses in different states in Australia is expected to have increased. Most of the responsibility of undertaking these tasks will be for the change management team that has been selected to undertake the project (Hornstein, 2015). Undertaking these tasks as a team will help in ensuring that the level of control towards the operations involved is maintained over time. Before the actual adoption of the change management plan, detailed research in relation to the extent of the issue in the Australian market will be conducted. This will be aimed at so as gain deep insights. This will help in responding to any issues that are raised by the parties participating in the process of achieving the change within the healthcare sector in Australia. Control mechanisms There are various issues that may have to be considered while implementing the new dawn initiative in the Australian healthcare. These are the control concepts that will give an indication of the difficulty in achieving the set change plane. One of the key elements is the cost. The cost of implementing the project may become too high to the extent that the entire process ceases to be feasible. Since it is intended to cover the national scope covering all states in Australia, this may happen. To some extent, the project may be abandoned if the costs become too high. At the same time, if the project takes too long to achieve the desired outcomes based on the set timeline, it may lead to eventual termination. Therefore, the timelines that have been set will be adhered to with the provision of only few weeks if the project is to be implemented. Transitional arrangements The transitional arrangement that may be facilitated within the specific hospitals in Australia may involve the effective hand over of position. The management of the hospitals within the country will be informed effectively on the need to ensure that the young graduates from different universities within the country are welcomed peacefully. This also involves facilitating the process of induction so as to ensure that they are able to deliver towards the success of the Australian health sector in the long term. Resources Costs The resources required for the implementation of the project will be minimal. The considerations include the travel costs, stationery and internet charges that will be used. Such costs will be significant as to warrant the justification of the progress that has been made towards the implementation of the project. Risks The risk management policy adopted will be in line with the specific development at each stage of the process. This will ensure that appropriate measures of hedging against risks are adopted and implemented at each stage of the process. In the long term, it will be effective in terms of allowing the process to run smoothly without any form of external disruptions. Evaluation of the change/initiative The evaluation of the success of the initiative will be measured quarterly. This is based on the specific objectives that have been set for the specific quarter of the year. At this point, the points of success or failure will easily be identified since the process will have been broken down into different stages. The focus of phases as opposed to the process as a whole will be effective in terms of controlling the factors impacting on the process. Dissemination of plan to others The information relating to the completion of the project will be done through the social media, news article among others. The intention will be to provide the details of the success story in relation to the project to as many people as possible especially the policy makers in the Australian health sector over the strides that have been made through the process.

Transformations: The Changes Muslim Women Experience when they are Strong, Smart and Brave :: Arab Muslim Women Essays

Transformations: The Changes Muslim Women Experience when they are Strong, Smart and Brave Works Cited Missing Many stereotypes present in modern day society portray Arab women, or more precisely, Muslim women, as having little to no independence or power. These stereotypes assert that Muslim women are oppressed both physically and psychologically, and that as a result of such outrageous treatment these women are psychologically weak. As with all stereotypes, this is a misconception. Blanket statements announcing one group of people as exhibiting the same characteristics are patently incorrect. The stereotype that Muslim women are all psychologically dependent can never be judged true, because there are always, always, exceptions to such statements. Thanks to the literary talents of three Muslim women authors who demonstrate they are the exception to such a rule, the lives of three powerful and mentally tenacious Muslim women are described in detail and reveal how strong Muslim women, or any woman for that matter can truly be. In Fadia Faqir’s Pillars of Salt the main character experiences a transformation from a dutiful daughter to a strong, liberated woman after the death of her husband. During Leila Al-Atrash’s A Woman of Five Seasons another female protagonist experiences mental rebellion as she copes with conflicting emotions about the man she loves and the man she is supposed to love. Last, in Liyana Badr’s novella A Land of Rock and Thyme. The woman in this story displays tremendous valor and courage when faced with unfathomable tragedies that change her life forever. The common correlation throughout these novels is the amazing strength, intellect, and courage each character displays and how each woman grows stronger as a result of the tragic events that alter their lives. Fadia Faqir’s Pillars of Salt follows Maha and the events in her life that gradually convince her society that she is insane. In truth Maha matures through these events and as an unfortunate result her independence, strength and emotions are translated by society as signs of mental instability. Ironically, Maha is perhaps most mentally stable at the close of the story while institutionalized. Throughout her life Maha demonstrated growing strength in many ways. From an early age she was the sole caretaker of her father’s farm. She would sew and cook and tend the garden and do all of the chores that were meant to be done by her brother, Daffash. Her tenacious resolve to make her father happy and to let him live a pleasant life was frequently thwarted by Daffash’s wayward excursions into the city.

The Negative Effects of Fossil Fuel Usage Essay example -- Environmen

The Negative Effects of Fossil Fuel Usage         The health of the environment is our livelihood.   When the environment is not in good health it could lead to health problems on a personal level.   One of the major environmental problems is air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels.   Levels of carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels into the atmosphere in 1991 was an estimated â€Å"5.6 billion tons per year† (Tesar, 28).   If we keep running down the path we are on using fossil fuels like no tomorrow there is some worry among scientists, â€Å"Some scientists estimate that the number will jump to as much as 30 billion tons per year within the next few decades† (28).      Concern for the environment is not a recent phenomena.   Rachel Carson (1907- 1964), was an â€Å"American marine biologist and the author of widely read books on ecological themes†Ã‚   (Bram, 326).   One of her more outstanding quotes on the environment is, â€Å"The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea†¦this pollution is for the most part irrecoverable† (Peter, 171).    I agree with Rachel Carson that earth, air, and water pollution is for the most part irrecoverable.  Ã‚   Some institutions working today to clean up the environment do help some, but as I see it they are not showing results.   There efforts are a feeble attempt because pollution levels keep rising and they could never keep up.   According to Hayes the former director of the Solar Research Institute under President Jimmy Carter of Earth Island Journal, â€Å"In 1993, President Clinton pledged to reduce US CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000.   Instead, the nation’s CO2 emissions are now projected to rise at least 13 percent by the ... ...> Hawking, Stephen.   A Brief History of Time:   From the Big Bang to Black Holes.   New York:   Bantam, 1988. Peter, Laurence J. Dr.   Peter’s Quotations.   New York:   Quill William Morrow, 1977. Simanek, Donald E.   (1994)   The Hazards of Solar Energy.     Dsimanek/solar.htm>   (27 October 1998). â€Å"Solar Power-The Basics.†Ã‚   Solar Power-The Basics.   27 October 1998.   http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/solar/brief2.html   (27 October 1998). â€Å"Solar Tax Credits for North Carolina.†Ã‚   North Carolina Solar Center Information   Factsheet.   30 November 1998.     (30 November 1998). Tesar, Jenny.   Global Warming.   New York;   Facts On File, 1991. â€Å"Timeline:   Photovoltaic Development.†Ã‚   Untitled.   2 December, 1998.      (2 December, 1998).   

Computer Technology Essay

The education system world wide has been vying to raise the quality of education as reflected in the volumes of research regarding quality education and teacher effectiveness. In the light of the rapid advancement of technology, more research attention has been given to the integration of information and computer technology (ICT) with the educational design and curriculum. It has been included for since computers were invented, however because of the rapid rate by which modernization occurs, the ministries of education for every country must be able to cope up by intensifying the rate degree of integration while upholding quality content and instruction as well. In present Saudi Arabia, the application of satellite technology had been the focused issue because of its potential to elevate the quality of teaching and learning at all levels (Al-Sharhan 2000). Studies have shown Australian states as a model for the significant links communication systems provide for students across the nation to interact and add valuable substance to their learning (Al-Sharhan 2000). The potential of such satellite communication new instated in Saudi Arabia and its uses for educational purpose is yet an area to be discovered and studied because of the reduced equipment, maintenance and operational cause that this technological advancement provides (Al-Sharhan 2000). However, the education system in Saudi Arabia must be prepared by properly equipping their teachers, their curriculum, and their students for the changes that would occur as the operation of the satellite communication are full-fledged. The important focus of this management plan is to introduce ICT and integrate it into the method of quality teaching and learning to the highest degree possible. In ten years time the great need to close the â€Å"performance gap† between the schools and colleges in terms of achieving the goals of a world class high quality education would be eradicated if not it would totally minimal compared to the global leaders in education (Kelly 2001). The current status of the education system defined by limited technology. Studies are still underway into how the satellites can be used however, at present; there are still no clear terms in how it must be used before this quality teaching and learning framework. Planning for improvement must be based upon the baseline or the â€Å"initial audit† of the school and college to include the opinions of the parents, the students, and the staff as the starting point for quality management (Kelly 2001). Considerations must be a unified expected outcome, the welfare of the internal customers, the key persons responsible for implementation and task assignments and a means to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan (Kelly 2001). Overview There must be a close consideration for the content and educational design for the integration of ICT into the curriculum and into the classroom instruction (Naidu 2003). Content refers to the information or in the scenario of the ICT integration, electronic information that the students would get as learners (Naidu 2003). Educational design refers to the processes that the educators would use in planning and providing the education for the students (Naidu 2003). The faculty needs to be prepared and guided for the integration of the technology. As the method of instruction would be elevated and modernized, the teaching quality must be improved as well and not be forgotten in the excitement for advanced technology (Fraser 2004). Regulatory and quality assurance would be increased, however there would be a shift from a managerial system to an academic accountability system for the teachers in the college as they have more freedom as well as responsibility when their methods for instruction grows wider (Fraser 2004). The increased emphasis on quality and accountability would be a response to the changes that the colleges and universities would have with a change in their material conditions as the satellite technology become fully accessible and utilized in education (Fraser 2004). As most teachers are used to the traditional technologies, they must be aware that every tool that would become available has something unique and valuable to offer (Clark et al. 2003). Technology can enrich any course subject in ways the traditional method cannot (Clark et al. 2003). In terms of assessment such ICT programs, a web-based assessment reflects the continuum of assessment types because of their nature of improvement (Naidu 2003). Traditional assessments were known to lack a variety and autonomy as well as student choice, they were also lacking in work-based application and project-based learning as well as limited peer and self-assessment strategies (Naidu 2003). ICT-based assessments would be introduced in this plan to be able to evaluate the quality of an ICT-integrated education system. Satellite communications are used for different applications that can both be used for educational purposes; one is for remote sensing, taking pictures and capturing scientific data and the other for telecommunication purposes (Al-Sharhan 2000). Their difference in purpose can point to different themes and school activities by which they would be used. The telephone link would be one of the most important contributions this satellite technology can have for the schools of Saudi Arabia (Al-Sharhan 2000). Theoretical Foundations Expected Outcome Teachers. The computer and all the benefits it can provide have been massively changing the perception for teaching instruction (Nicholls 2002). The expectations have become higher in terms of teacher preparation and delivery in relation to quality education (Nicholls 2002). The teachers can not be one way or the other when it comes to technology; most of the time, some either ignore technology because of the lack of trust and knowledge or rely on them because of familiarity (Nicholls 2002). The implementation of this plan would enable the teachers to be comfortable with teaching with technology. In less than ten years, the staff would become so familiar with ICT that it would be the new normalcy when it comes to quality education. The elevation of standard for the Saudi Arabia schools would reflect that not only a few subjects would make use of such ICT-based curriculum, but it would be a requirement for every subject course and professor. The educators would be the ones introducing technological advancement to their students with their methods and in turn the students would be equipped to use them because of such instruction. Students. The satellite technology would be able to accommodate a large number of students simultaneously and over an extended geographical area (Al-Sharhan 2000). Most of the students are more IT literate and expect technology to be used for teaching by the educators (Nicholls 2002). The teachers, who are well-equipped in operating technology, would be able to customize their activities to fit the needs of the students. It encourages the students to go beyond the lecture to expand their learning and to conduct self-directed study (Nicholls 2002). The school may have web-based discussion forums, electronic mailing lists that enhance student participation and individualized learning (Nichols 2002). The Education System. The integration of ICT and the use of satellite technology can be potential for elevating the standard of the education system in developing countries to overcome specific problems such as loosing high quality teachers due to emigration to other countries, shortage of physical equipment and materials in many schools (Al-Sharhan 2000). The combat against high adult literacy can also be fought better given the Open University potential for online learning (Al-Sharhan 2000). It also provides the solution for segregating male and female students that would be difficult in physical classrooms but would be possible with online classrooms that would give more educational opportunities to women than before (Al-Sharhan 2000).