Business Commerce and Consumer Privacy

Protection of Consumer Privacy The development of new information and communication technologies has had a tremendous impact on individual privacy as well as security. Although previously confined to paper records, personal information ranging from name, address, and telephone number data to sensitive financial, medical, and behavioral information, now exists in electronic form.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Business Commerce and Consumer Privacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Individuals routinely provide their personal details to businesses and employers online or through electronic transactions. In turn, companies use this information for analytics or marketing, and entities share the same information with a wide range of third parties (Horvath et al., 2009). The ease with which personal information is collected, used, and shared has significant benefits for consumers and businesses. This free flo w of information increases convenience, facilitates transactions, enables sophisticated and targeted marketing and assists law enforcement. These benefits, however, are accompanied with challenges including the potential for a decrease in individual privacy, the possible spread of inaccurate or incomplete information, and the risk of identity theft among other crimes (Pitofsky et al., 1999). Advances in technology have also affected privacy and security in other ways. In particular, the Internet has made personal computers a gateway to an entire world of information. Key Developments in Privacy Protection The primary catalyst leading to policy discussions about information privacy protection has been technological change (Rule Greenleaf, 2008). From the computerization of large data sets in the 1960s to computerized processing of all records in the 1970s to computerized searching of record systems in the 1980s to the online linkages and searching capabilities of the 1990s, informat ion and communication technologies have provided the foundation for concerns about consumer privacy protection. However, this is not to say that other factors, most notably political events, interest groups, policy ideas, political climate, constitutional issues, and transnational activities have not played important roles in the development of consumer privacy protection.Advertising Looking for research paper on consumer law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the initial trigger placing information privacy on the policy agenda has been and is likely to continue to be, technological change. Once on the agenda, privacy issues generally occupy a relatively low position until other forces or events help to elevate public interest (Rule Greenleaf, 2008). Implementation In general, federal and state laws require entities to gather personal information about consumers to provide notice about how they collect, use, disclose, provide access to, and protect that information. Apparently, privacy policies are the most common vehicles for providing such notice. Many laws exist that require entities collecting personal information to post privacy policies in certain contexts. Most notably, California law requires any commercial Web site that collects information through the Internet to conspicuously post a privacy policy statement that meets several criteria (Pitofsky et al., 1999). Federal law on the other hand requires financial institutions to have privacy policies on their Web sites. Under California law, the privacy policy itself or a hyperlink to the privacy policy must be visible on the home page of a Web site. If a hyperlink is used, it must be prominently displayed. Text links to the privacy policy should be displayed in a manner that a reasonable person would easily notice. In short, the format and content of the privacy policy generally should be easy for a reasonable consumer to understand. Privac y policies should disclose what personal information is collected from consumers. California law requires Web site operators to identify the categories of personal information that the operator should collect. Other countries have similar requirements, suggesting that the failure to notify consumers about the collection of personal information is an unfair or deceptive trade practice. For example, in 2002, Amazon entered into an agreement that required it to amend its privacy policy. Bound by the agreement Amazon was to specify to consumers exactly what personal information was to be gathered (Rule Greenleaf, 2008). References Horvath, A., Horvath, A., Calkins, S., Villafranco, J., Calkins, S. (2009).Consumer Protection Law Developments. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Business Commerce and Consumer Privacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pitofsky, R., Anthony, S., Thompson, M. W., Swindle, O., Leary, T. B. (1999). Protecting Consumers Online: A Federal Trade Commission Report on the First Five Years of Its Internet Law Enforcement Program. Darby, PA: DIANE Publishing. Rule, J. B., Greenleaf, G. W. (2008). Global Privacy Protection: The First Generation. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing. This research paper on Business Commerce and Consumer Privacy was written and submitted by user Rene K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Text to Speech Over the Internet essays

Text to Speech Over the Internet essays The technology of Text-to-Speech is among the state-of-the-art advancements brought about by computer research and studies. Aside from the visual properties that people used to enjoy while Internet surfing, such as graphics and animations, text-to-speech is an added functionality to a What is Text-to-Speech' ATRC describes text-to-speech software as a tool used to convert words from a computer document into an audible form. Nowadays, the technology of text-to-speech is used by some web sites over the Internet as additional aid to web users. It is a tool that can facilitate the presentation of information by providing audible information as supplement to the traditional text and graphic forms of information. An example of a web site that currently employs text-to-speech technology is CEC System's www.cezine.net. CEC is a computer systems company that sells Peli cases. As a company that runs an e-commerce site, it is beneficial for their business to employ a text-to-speech tool because it can serve online shoppers with product explanations that is comparable to a live Text-to-speech, as used in web related manner, is not just an embellishment to web sites by providing further useful functionality to web users. One essential benefit of using text-to-speech is that it aids users with sight impairments in using the Internet. With text-to-speech tools, web sites can become compliant to Disability Acts that look after the welfare of In today's technology, there are many text-to-speech software that is available in the market. Most of which offer similar features and benefits Text to Speech Softwares | There are many big companies, including Microsoft, which developed text-to- speech softwares. Microsoft's Microsoft Reader can bring speech technology ...

Case Study The Vermont Teddy Bear Co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study The Vermont Teddy Bear Co - Essay Example This study will carry out an environmental scanning basically to assess the elements having profound bearing on the Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Accordingly, a SWOT analysis has been conducted to identify the strategic factors (external and internal both) which will determine the future of the company (Wheelen, 2006, p. 9). While considering opportunities in external factors, on top of the list is the bear grams. Despite the huge toy market, Vermont Teddy Bear Company has remained a front runner in this field. As pointed out by the Wheelen and Hunger "Bear-Grams were personalized teddy bears that were delivered directly to recipients as gifts for holidays and special occasions. Bear-Grams were gift-boxed in unique containers complete with air holes for the bear"(2006, Case 22-9). This reflects the exclusivity and distinctiveness of the product. The second factor considered is the distribution method. After having experimented various methods, the company concluded that the direct marketing strategy of Bear-Grams was the most profitable. Methods of distribution used were the company owned retail stores, direct mail catalogs, and licensing and wholesale agreements. In order to expand its product line and cut costs, the company went into offshore sourcing.

My vision of the modern lawyer in the 21st century Essay

My vision of the modern lawyer in the 21st century - Essay Example Justice and fairness is a principle that many nations are advocating for in the 21st Century. The fundamental role played by diversity and dynamism of modern lawyers and modern law cannot be refuted. A dynamic character should be creative and innovative. In this regard, the modern lawyers cannot hold onto the old doctrines of operation, where so much time was needed to make a significant reform independent of external factors. Embracing this principle is a guarantee that commerciality of lawyers in the 21stCentury will be achieved. Lawyers play a very crucial role of guiding their clients on legal matters. The services offered are not free of charge. In this regard, service delivery is accompanied by costs, which are basically the underlying principle incentive for duty and responsibility discharge. In other words, legal and business aspects are combined, where either party to this undertaking is a beneficiary. Going commercial is a desire for a 21st Century lawyer. The level of representation does not matter, but the activities undertaken therein do. Lawyers provide their services at differentiated levels. Some operate simply as private consultants on legal matters, others practice advocacy, while others perfectly commercialize their services into commercial law firms. Whatever the case, it is evident that legal matters primarily determine how functional a lawyer is. For a 21st Century lawyer, the field and line of work should be enterprising, but most importantly competitive and effective. Therefore, the place of work does not really matter, but the quality of a lawyer’s output does. Law, legal practice and related professions are highly influenced by one factor; the client. Contemporary trends have saw clients become more cautious on legal issues that surround them. The world has become a dynamic structure, and every now and then there is something new that seems to improve a given phenomenon. However, with these changes, there are underlying

Situational analysis and action plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Situational analysis and action plan - Essay Example Through the efforts of our dedicated teachers, the school will manage to increase total pupil retention levels by a wide margin. This, unfortunately, is not enough to maintain the positive competitive edge needed to stand out as an educational leader in the 21st Century. Teachers will need to put their many talents together with the dedicated school leadership and parents and assist the school in meeting the new educational mission. That’s what we intend to find out. A series of strategy seminars are planned, as an initial path forward, to identify which teachers maintain the specific skills most appropriate for different student age groups. These strategy seminars are designed to let teachers know where the school is specifically moving as part of a path forward mentality (Bush, 2004). It is important to develop a team-based philosophy between different teachers, leaders, students and parents areas, and this intervention program will be beneficial in improving the relationship between teachers and students. These will further be designed as open forums in which questions can be proposed to teachers, school managers and concerned parents who might attend these publicized strategy seminars. Improving parent-teacher relations will only enhance the educational goals of the school and make it excel in the interpersonal group dynamic. The long-term benefits of these initial strategy sessions are to identify k ey skills with different teachers and apply relationship-based learnings to motivate students. The school requires the adopting of a systems-oriented organisation in which various interdependencies exist, such as the linkage between teacher skills and student learning. In order for one area of the school to stand as a leader, it involves personal mastery of job role function. Personal mastery refers to focusing on spirit, patience, and the

Disability students learning in South Africa education essay

Disability students learning in South Africa education essay Abstract Disability students in many societies are facing debilitating quandaries, including physical, emotional and physiological degradation. As a result, empowering disabilities students to realize their self-esteem as well as to enhance their skills and employability represents an interesting and challenging task to government, industry, interest groups and individuals worldwide. In this research we propose to determine the Impact of Assistive Technology (AT) on disabilities students learning in South African Higher Institutions, from a students voice perspective. As a case study, we will validate our experimental design on randomly selected students with disabilities from University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology, due to their closeness to the researcher, it makes the study cost-effective. The reasons for involving students in this research have its origins from two related subjects: (a) Participatory Research and (b) Participatory Study. The data collection tools that this research will use are; (a) questionnaire and (b) focus groups which will be used in phase two of this study. The results of this study will enable the understanding of various unresolved issues brought about by the disability students needs for assistive technologies in South African Higher Institutions. We are hopeful that our design will be systemic enough to be easily extrapolated into other institutions. Introduction People with disabilities account for four (4) million of the total population of South Africa (SA) as contained in the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) report (reporter, 2009). This latest statistics significantly outgrows the previous Statistics of about 2 million in 2001 (Statistics South Africa, 2001) of the total population of about 40 million. With the vast growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in SA and the governments initiatives to have more people with disabilities empowered, particularly with education, implementing Assistive Technology (AT) in academic institutions is a necessity with no option. With careful planning and guidance, the vast number of AT devices and softwares can be beneficial to students with disabilities (Duhaney Duhaney, 2000). In South Africa, the Ministry of Education emphasise that South African schools have to provide AT services and equipments for a students with disabilities to enable a free and appropriate ( balanced) public education. An Assistive Technology (AT) is technology used by individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible (Mirenda, 2001). Assistive technology can include mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software, and peripherals that assist people with disabilities in accessing computers or other information technologies. For example, people with limited hand function may use a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse to operate a computer, people who are blind may use software that reads text on the screen in a computer-generated voice, people with low vision may use software that enlarges screen content, people who are deaf may use a TTY (text telephone), or people with speech impairments may use a device that speaks out loud as they enter text via a keyboard. With this in mind, the standard of education for these students will greatfull improve since there will be sustained information flow that all st udents will receive with much alteration onto the educational information. Majority of universities in SA use online learning such as; (a) virtual learning environments, (b) discussion lists, (c) e-mail, (d) podcasts and (e) library information databases to provide information to their students. Students of today are being classified as digital native of the net generation Oblinger (2003), so they expect technology to be integrated into their learning environments. Oblinger (2003) argues that, this would need for the universities stakeholders to analyse just how well they know about the new students that are being enrolled into their universities. Most of the literature that is available about the impact of ATs on students with disabilities in Universities comes from three sources; Literature and Case Studies that have been developed from publicly funded studies; Research studies that have explored the general education experiences of disabled students ; Research studies that have explored the specific ICT (e-learning) experiences of disabled students. What the conclusions from the studies have not made clear though, are whether their findings are true for all students, especially the students with disabilities who may need ATs to enable them to access learning materials that may be provided online or digitally or may need other forms of technology to access them? The impacts of the use of ATs on students with disability in SA are enormous. Not only are ATs beneficial in classroom environments, disabilities students social lives have also changed as well as improved with better communication between the disabilities students and their non-disabled peers. Life is all about communicating and interacting with ones environment. However, many issues and barriers impact on the successful use of ATs such as lack of AT knowledge, training, funding, poor coordination between service providers, technology developers and fear/avoidance of these technologies. With the use of ATs, opportunities for students with disabilities are better enhanced. Some of the most significant changes in the education of disabilities students in South Africa has been the initiative to adapt the inclusive education theory into their education system (Patton, 1992). This form of initiative is mainly a collaborative setting which includes a content specialist paired with a learning specialist and then leads to sharing of the teaching responsibilities which will later benefit the education of both general and disability students. The use of inclusive education may change from institution to institution but it clearly indicates that it is extremely important in enabling those students archive their educational goals. Problem Statement and Research Questions Today, the greatest challenge confronting the South African disabilities students is to smoothly integrate into academics and at large the society, participate in a competitive educational system and be equipped for the professional economic world. A number of emerging technologies: assistive and adaptive technologies have been developed to cater for these students. However, very little literature has been written about these novel technologies and their impact on the students with disabilities from a students voice . Moreover, the evaluation of their impact on the end-users has also not been widely researched and reported in the academic publications. One way to ensure best outcomes for disabilities students learning in South Africa would be to evaluate the effective usage of ATs on these groups of students. To do so, different types of ATs would have to be indentified and opinions of these students need to be sampled on the use of these emerging technologies. Thus, a participatory research is necessary to determine the impact of ATs on disability students learning in South Africa from the students perspective because we need to listen to students; with disabilities views and ensure that technology meets their needs. The main research question we are addressing in this proposed study is: How does AT usage impact disability students learning in South Africa Higher Educational Institutions? To answer this question satisfactorily, first it is important to identify various ATs available and determine their contributions towards improving the academic performance of disabilities students learning in South Africa. As result, the following research sub-questions will be squarely addressed in order to solve the main research question. What are the different types of ATs available to disability students learning in South Africa Higher Educational Institutions? How do disability students feel about using AT to help them learn? What support do disabilities students receive while use AT in their learning? How compatible are the ATs provided to disability students to their needs? What problems do disability students encounter while using AT and how is each solved? How has the use of AT enhanced the academic performance of disabilities students? 1.2. Goals and Objectives of the Study Linked to the problem statement, this research has an overarching objective which is to promote the development of user-centred methodologies for studying the impacts of technology on disability students and to expose these widely so as to encourage a participatory approach to studying and designing disability students use of technologies in South Africa Higher Institutions. This goal will be accomplished by implementing the following primary objectives. To identify different types of ATs available to disability students learning in South African higher institutions. To determine how disability students feel about using AT to help them learn. To determine what support disability students receive while use AT in their learning. This can be from University, friends and family. To determine whether the AT the disability students are using is compatible with their needs. To determine what problems disability students encounter while using AT and how they are solved. To determine whether the use of the AT improves academic performance of disability students learning in South African higher institutions. 1.3. Expected Deliverables Within a 2 year project leading to an award of MTec degree, it is important to ensure that there are clear expectations for what can be delivered in these time-scales. We hope to deliver the following outcomes. A comprehensive account of disabled students learning experiences and a clear documentation of the impact of AT on disabled students. A set of recommendations for practitioners, support staff, institutional managers and program developers on ways to manage the challenges of disability students. A summary report detailing how the research questions have been addressed and drawing out lessons learned from the particular institutional context. 1.3 Hypothesis The hypothesis underpinning this study is that certain aspects of students with disabilities academic performance (if not all) will and has improved due to the utilisations of ATs. With the main research question as a basis, this studys hypothesis implies that ATs create value addition. With this in mind, it must be said that only through the creation of general awareness can this be possible in South African Higher Institutions. Students that are fortunate enough to attend institutions that have existing ATs in place score higher percentages, as a result of both, ATs and hard work. At the same time, AT users would report less difficulties in self-care, mobility issues. 1.4 Limitations of the Study This study is not intended to develop nor replicate any existing models, policies, schemes or plans pertaining to ATs usage, but merely evaluate, analyse and where possible critique their implication on students with disabilities learning in south African Higher Educational Institutions. Thus this research will not go into too much detailed studies nor delve into discussions around the elements of the main or sub-disciplines that it straddles and elected to engage. Furthermore, it is not the intention of this research to seek, to isolate nor to discuss in detail all the factors negating the full scope of ATs, but merely to highlight some of the impacts of ATs and the effects they have on those that are directly affected by them. This research will therefore be limited to South African tertiary institutions namely, University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology. Because of this, the research results cannot be generalised to other institutions. In addition, the study has got its own limitations and areas of potential bias as described hereunder. Many questionnaires will be distributed to a number of students with disabilities. Data will be primarily gathered by use of questionnaires, this study notes that not all are expected to be answered and returned. During interviews, interviewees might not be as expressive as hoped. Furthermore ATs are a new trend in South Africa Higher Educational Institutions and thus the lack of knowledge by people concerned i.e. teachers and bodies that regulate students with special needs within the institution might pose another limitation. Thus, in respect of the limitations discussed above the findings in this study should not be concluded as absolute but guidelines for ATs usage improvement. 1.6 Assumptions This study is underpinned by assumptions that ATs do exist and are somewhat effective. However these fail to achieve desired outputs due to lack of general awareness inherit among the directly involved. All principles and policies of ATs should therefore be improved. Any initiative that fails to do so should thus be subject to scrutiny. 1.7 Significance of the Study With the latter sections of this study explaining some of the aims of this study, it should be deduced that this study attempts to extremely explore the different forms of Assistive Technology and their impact on students with disabilities in south African learning institution, so as to increase understanding of the many complex issues and interactions introduced by disabled students requirements for better learning environments. With disabled people in South Africa accommodating a fair share of the population, recognising that disabled students are not a minority group. Students with a wide range of disabilities and access to Assistive technologies in South Africa schools were included in the study in order to: Explore and describe how disabled students participate in learning in Technology-rich environments with the use of Assistive Technology; Investigate the strategies, beliefs and intentions of disabled students who are effective in learning in this rich ICT world and identity factors that enable or inhibit effective use of Assistive Technology in learning. Make recommendations to those stakeholders involved in designing Technology for disabled students based on our understanding of their preferences, experiences and diverse needs. By this study exploring the issues relating to experience, this study hopes to develop a greater perspective and understanding of the skill levels of disabled students. For example, whether there is a relationship between a highly skilled Technologies based students without disabilities and a highly skilled Assistive Technology user; how disabled learners use technologies e.g. how they are involving some of the personal Assistive technologies in their learning and what disabled students experiences of interactions between Assistive and education technologies are. By this study focusing on issues relating to strategies, this study sought to identify the choices disabled students make regarding how they use technologies to support their learning environments. By this study seeking to understand issues relating to beliefs intentions, this study hopes to develop an understanding of the impact that Technology use has on disabled students in terms of their feelings regarding the value and difficulties of using these kinds of Technology to support their learning and other aspects of their livelihood. 2. Literature Review Most of the recent literature focusing on the impact of ATs on students in Universities across the world can be classified into three sources: Literature and case studies that have been developed from publicly funded studies to determine the impact of AT in higher education exist in academic domains and are mostly inform of case studies (Shelvin, 2004) Research studies that have explored the general education experiences of students with learning disabilities exist in both academic and non-academic domains. (Mortimer Crosier, 2006), Shelving et al. 2004 and (Fuller et al. 2004). Research studies that have explored the specific e-learning experiences o f disabilities students have generally been conducted in the UK, an example of this is Draffan et al. (2007) in a survey of the use of and satisfaction with AT by disabled students in UK higher institutions. Another survey by Cobham et al. (2001) also tried to explain the specific experiences of students with learning disabilities when using AT. The important conclusion from these studies is whether their findings are true for all students, most especially the students with learning disabilities who may need emerging technology such as AT for effective learning. The uniqueness and novelty of this study in relation to previous studies is positively different. With the use of participatory research methods, this study shall be a voice for all the students with disabilities who may need emerging technology such as AT effective learning. This enables us to answer the paradigm of nothing about me, without me since the users will be involved in every phase of this study. Meaning that the deliverables of this study will be hands-on on what the impact of AT is on students with disabilities rather than assuming these outcomes or guessing. 3. Research Methodology In this section we will describe how each objective was tackled, and then we will define participatory research in the context of this study; provide an overview of the participatory phases of this study and of the data collection tools and data analysis process. The first objective of identifying different types of ATs that are available to disability students learning in South African higher institutions, we will design a template of various ATs from the literature. This AT template will be presented to research participants to choose which AT is relevant to them or write down in case we havent listed what they are using. The second objective to determine how disability students feel about using AT to help them learn, this study shall ask the students to explain their feelings about using technology to help them learn. Would the disability students sustain without the use of ATs? The third objective to determine whether disability students get any support while using AT will be achieved by integrating questions in the interview that will ask. How the students are supported with regard to their on-line learning and if this different when compared to the support they have for the use of ATs? (E.g. university, friends, and family).The students will also be able to answer what support provides most help and what kind of support would they like that is not currently available? The fourth objective to determine if the AT they are using is compatible to their disability, a question will be asked to the disabilities students to explain in detail if this is true for them. This is done so as to determine if what they are using is what is needed. Under many circumstances, people in general life have tended to employ technology that isnt really necessary to their needs. So this objective will clarify that. The fifth objective to determine if the disabilities students encounter any problems while using them. A question will be asked in the questionnaire that will ask the research participant to clearly identify that problem, explain what it is and also state if that problem was solved, they will also be asked to explain how that particular problem(s) was solved. The sixth objective to determine whether the use of the AT improves academic performance, this study shall get records from the disability unit where academic performance of students with learning disabilities will be compared to non-disabled students using ratio of those who graduated (success rate). This method of comparison will normalize the dominance effect of performance of non-disabled students. For example suppose we have total enrolment of 20 students for ICT programme in a given year and 5 are disability students. If 3 of the students with learning disability graduated, then since 3/5 is greater than 5/15 students with learning disabilities of ICT perform better than their non disabled colleagues of that year. We can study this for all years considered and the ratio of drop-out to determine the overall performance comparison 3.1. Defining participatory research in the context of this study Using the objectives of using participatory design and participatory research, students with disability participation in this study will be defined as: Involving students with disabilities as partners and consultants and not just as research subjects. This is where students with disabilities students help to identify and (re)frame the research objectives and questions; work with this study so as to achieve a collective analysis of the research issues and bring the results of the study to the respective universities that they represent. This helps to reflect the principle of nothing about me, without me (Nightingale, 2006; Nelson et al. 1998) and this principle involves: Working directly with students with disabilities (research participants) in the evaluation of the impact of AT on their learning environments; Continual participation of students with disabilities in order to produce improved teaching and support practices; Engaging students with disabilities in the analysis conduct and design this research. In analysing the participatory nature of this study like this, this study will map its approach against a methodology offered by Radermacher (2006) which defines six major types of student involvement in this study that range from non-involvement to participant-initiated, shared decisions with researcher of this study. This studys methodology falls into the type classified by Radermacher as researcher-initiated, shared decisions with participants where this studys researcher has the initial idea for the study, but students with disabilities (participants) are involved in all phases of the study. 3.1.1 Overview of the participatory phases of this study. With regards to the participation of disability students in this study, there will be three key phases of participation: Phase One (July-August): Consultation with the relevant research participants and stakeholders regarding proposed research questions and research methods, writing of the proposal; Phase Two (September): Opportunity for the research participants (students with disabilities) to contribute own experiences of using AT to help them learn; Phase Three (September-October): Opportunity for both the researcher of this study and the research participants and stakeholders to validate and interpret the results of the study and to contribute to the design, content and dissemination of project deliverables and outcomes. In the first phase of this study, the research participants will be contacted and consulted to attain the relevance of the proposed research questions and the proposed data collection methods that this study intends to use, this is of course done after ethical approval has been granted. In the second phase of this study, participants will be interviewed and allowed to contribute their own feelings and experiences of using AT. In the third phase of this study, participants will be invited to validate and advice on the analysis of the data collected from phase two. Each of these phases is will be described and evaluated in more detail in this study Methodology report. In addition to developing approaches that enabled the participation of disability students within the University of Pretoria and Tshwane University Of technology, this study will employ a range of approaches that will enable the participation of a wider group of stakeholders. These included: Using the Student Support Services of the respective universities in the recruitment of participants; The setting up of a project advisory group (mostly involving research participants teachers, the researcher and the coordinators) so as to deal with any distress that might be involved during phase two; Involvement of senior members of the proposed universities during the life of the research. 3.2 Overview of data collection tools The data collection tools that will be used in this study consist of (a) questionnaire and (b) focus groups. Most research studies that employ a participatory approach use these tools. The benefit of using these data collection tools in this study is that participants (students with disabilities) will influence the way each tool is used. 3.2.1 Questionnaire The questionnaire will consist of both demographic and questions related to this study. The research participant will be able to answer open and closed ended questions. Using the appropriate data collection tool, this study will be able to capture responses to these questions approprioately. 3.2.2 The focus group A focus group will be held in phase three to which all the participants will be invited. During these focus group meetings, the researcher will explain to the participants the purpose of the focus group, which is to share with the research participants in this study the initial interpretations of the data that has been collected in earlier phases of participation. The main findings in phase one and two will be summarised and presented to the research participants. For each of the findings, this study will ask the participants whether they expressed their own views and personal experiences and if this study misrepresented the findings or leaving out important contributions that they made in earlier phases of this study. Though there are other data collection tools like observationnaire, case-studies and content analysis, though some of these methods are used in a brief extent in this study, they are not extensively used due to the fact that participatory researches dont usually employ them and the results obtained from them are what this study is trying to get away from. Making the data collection tools this study has taken far more appropriate when undertaking a participatory form of research. 3.3. Research Data Analysis In the phase two of this study; interviews and an Olympus recorder will be used to record the interviews with the participants. The resulting Windows Media Video (WMA) files will be transcribed into Word documents. For some of the interviews, speech recognition software will be used to assist transcription (e.g. a researcher plays the audio files into their head phones and verbally repeats what they hear from the files so that a speech recognition application can capture their words and convert it into written text). Once these transcripts are typed, this study will email the participants to read through and find out if there any corrections or additions that should be noted. These transcripts will then provide the basis from which issues are noted and strategies developed into artefacts. For those students who can write directly onto the interview sheet, the data from the interview sheet will be analysed and a methodological report of each of the accounts will be drawn out of those accounts. In the phase three focus group, an Olympus recorder will be used to record the discussion. The resulting WMA file will be transcribed into a Word document. These discussions will be mainly to determine if all the students voices have been collected correctly. 4. Ethical Considerations. Formal ethical approval for this project will be received through the Ethics Committee of the respective Universities. Four key ethical issues will be identified as needing addressing: Issues relating to gaining access to the students; finding out which students in the university are disabled in order to contact them directly about the project, without breaking confidentiality and data protection rules. There is however key gate-keepers in the University, who are able to facilitate indirect access to disability students across the whole institution. Issues relating to potential psychological distress; there is a very slight risk in this research that participants might experience distress if they chose to recount a particularly negative technology experience. There is also a potential that some participants might be stressed if they felt they are being excluded from taking part and prevented having their say. For this reason this study will deliberately make phase one all-inclusive in that this study will accept collated responses from any and all students who wished to contribute. For phase two, this study anticipate that, depending on how many replies we receive for the participation of this research, this study might need to be selective in order to get a spread of case studies. Issues relating to anonymity and confidentiality are considered. Participants in phase one of the this study which aims to gain feedback on the relevance of our questions, are guaranteed full anonymity. For phase two of the this study, which aims to solicit accounts of the disability students, this study will negotiate with the students, whether or not they wish to be publicly identified; with the condition that if the participants choose for their contributions not be anonymous, those contributions must not publicly identify the identity of other. 5. Recruitment After receiving ethical approval from the respective university departments. With the help the disabilities departments of the respective universities, an information sheet will be sent out to the students with disabilities about the existence of this study and asking for their willingness to participate in this study. There after interview dates are set between the research prospective research participants and the researcher so as to collect the data necessary. 6. Project Plan Work packages March April May June July August September October November Startup/Project Planning Communication Questionnaire Student recruitment Phase 1 all inclusive Phase 2 purposive Data collection Data Analysis Phase 3-Evaluation /Reporting Table 1:Project Plan

Bladerunner, Brave New World Essays -- essays research papers

Andrew: Well, our next guest is a man who needs no introduction. He is a literary genius, scientist, philosopher and the author of his times, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. Aldous Leonard Huxley. Huxley: Good evening Andrew. Andrew: Great to have here with us Aldous, sorry we don’t have a great deal of time so we’ll get strait into it. Your Novel Brave New World, Could you briefly tell us about your book and the role of creation within the text. Huxley: The book is about the destruction of life in the pursuit of a new one, hence the title Brave New World. The book describes a world that the characters within believe to be a utopian society. All the substance within in Brave New World begins at the New World States; places where human beings are manufactured like machines. The story takes place in a world state in the 7th century A.F. (after Ford), where social stability is based on a scientific caste system. Human beings are graded from the highest intellectuals to lowest manual workers. They are hatched from incubators and raised in communal nurseries, learning by methodical conditioning to become oblivious and accepting of their captivity. Andrew: So Aldus, tell me, where did this fascination for creation begin? Huxley: Well my grand father was Thomas Henry Huxley, an outspoken defender and advocate for Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. He was nicknamed "Darwin's bulldog," being the most vocal of his supporters. He quite famously told the pope; "I would rather be the offspring of two apes than be a man and afraid to face the truth." Hearing my father talk about him sparked my imagination and caused me to research the subject further. My brother is also a great biologist whom without his help the book would never have been completed. But I guess the underlining fact is; everything stems from creation, and the way in which something is created will affect its purpose and role in life. Andrew: Such as natural birth as apposed to bokanovskification within the hatcheries? Huxley: Exactly. Take childbirth for example. It is an extreme process where a pregnant woman carries a child for nine months then goes through the excruciating pains of labor for a few hours. This already creates an amazing bond between mother and child. I believe Heredity and circumstance make each individual unique, and that the uni... ...in the book. I believe Tyrell and I to be quite similar. He lives upon the top of a ziggurat, similar to the Greek gods upon Mt Olympus, and controls the genetic fate of his people the replicants. He controls their life span, fabricates a past and believes he has superior power above all he has created. Andrew: Well thank you very much Aldous, it’s been extremely interesting. The subject of a creation can have as much impact on it’s creator, as it’s creator on it. When time, money, and passion are invested into any task, (especially creation) our art becomes part of us. Tyrell’s identity is built by his creation of replicants, just like a god, and Aldous Huxley is the creator and god of his own universe. Both these people would have no identity without their creations, and their creations would not exist without them. Both Blade Runner and Brave New world center on the issues of creation, both texts using the issue as a warning for the future. As we study both text and examine what they have to offer, we should be asking where our society is heading, and are we losing a part of our own humanity within consumerism and science? Take care, of yourselves and each other, Goodnight.

“February” by Margaret Atwood Essay

Poet describes the activities of February and further narrates the tussle between his cat and a tomcat. Paraphrase: Winter is a time to eat pork and watch hockey. The black cat with yellow eyes leaps over on my bed each morning and reaches to my head. In this way, he notifies me whether I am alive or dead. While taking his breath that smells like burped-up meat and decaying stuffy sofas and buzzing like washboard, he inhabits on my chest. In the meanwhile, another tomcat who is not so sturdy is seen squirting at the entrance and declaring war. It is all a matter of gender or land that will ultimately ruin us sooner or later. Masters of these tomcats should cut the male sex organs of these cats. If we human beings are too wise, we should do the same or like sharks, should eat our children but its affection that kills human. Tomcat repeatedly shouts and famine shrinks lying on the bed and attacking quilt. Temperature decreases to minus 30 and smoke vents out of chimney to provide warmth. February is a month of dejection (with a skewered heart in the centre. ) I deem of terrible thoughts, desire for potato chips with speckled vinegar. Cat, these thoughts are enough for your purring and for your tiny bumhole. Get out of my face. You are essentially life phenomenon, so you live on a little hope. Throw away death. Commemorate boost. Craft spring out of it (February)

Free Essays on Populist Party

There were a few reasons why the Populists emerged in the late 19th century. This third political party originated in America in the later part of the 19th century. This party was derived from farmer’s discontent and also an economic distress. The discontent was caused by the country’s shift from an agricultural and agrarian America to an America in which industrialists dominated the nation’s development. The public felt as if they had been cheated by the robber barons. These robber barons, a term given to those who took advantage of the middle and lower classes, legally took advantage of classes inferior to them. Vanderbilt, a well-known railroad baron once said, â€Å"Law! What do I care about the law? Hain’t I got the power?† The change from agrarian to industrial had a profound effect on everyone’s life. Ignatius Donnelly, a leader in the Populist Party wrote, â€Å"We meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, political, and material ruin. Corruption dominates the ballot-box, the Legislatures, the Congress, and touches even the ermine of the bench . . . A vast conspiracy against mankind has been organized â€Å" As a result of this significant change, several reform movements were commenced. Prohibition began along with socialism and the Greenback Labor Party. Each of these was created in hope of making a difference for themselves or for the country. The farmers in particular were distraught for four reasons: physical problems, social and intellectual concerns, economic difficulties, and political frustrations. The physical problems was the climate. Following 1885 there was an immense drought on the merican prarie making the land less farmable, and causing the land to earn the epithet the Dust Bowl. Furthermore, there were extreme blizzards resulting in innumerable deaths of cattle and livestock. Also, farms were very isolated causing the women and children to lead a life of solitude and boredom. The far... Free Essays on Populist Party Free Essays on Populist Party The ride of the Populist Party attained its greatest strength during the 1800’s resulting from the support of the farmers and delegates from labor and reform groups. They tended to support an increase in money supply, by printing more paper or by coining silver, better government regulation of business, and other alterations they hoped would help farmers and laborer. In 1891, farmers and delegates from labor and reform groups met to discuss these issues. Here they formed the People’s Party, most famously known as the Populist Party. The Populist Party was known for its high-spirited leaders, who stimulated the public with inspiring speeches. The Populist movement also made a remarkable attempt to create new and independent culture for the countries farmers (Blum 286). The party soon began to take off, gaining recognition throughout the states by the 1890’s. In the 1892 election, the party nominated James B. Weaver of Iowa who stood on the platform of free silver. With silver restored to its significant status, Populists argues, that the nation would have more money for circulation. This steady rise in the value of the dollar would end, and farmers would finally receive the high prices they needed. Weaver was also an advocate of government ownership of railroads, and telegraphs and telephone lines, along with other political reforms. Even though they fought hard, they did not win the election. However, their lose if the election did not diminish the party’s hopes. By the next election year in 1896, the populists were faced with a real problem when the Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska to run. Bryan was a democrat, however was very supported by the Populist Party. The Populists knew, that they could not run against Bryan, and thus would have to support Bryan. Even so, the Southern wing of the Party was extremely opposed to Bryan and his ideals. At a final attempt for unison though, the Southern wing folded... Free Essays on Populist Party There were a few reasons why the Populists emerged in the late 19th century. This third political party originated in America in the later part of the 19th century. This party was derived from farmer’s discontent and also an economic distress. The discontent was caused by the country’s shift from an agricultural and agrarian America to an America in which industrialists dominated the nation’s development. The public felt as if they had been cheated by the robber barons. These robber barons, a term given to those who took advantage of the middle and lower classes, legally took advantage of classes inferior to them. Vanderbilt, a well-known railroad baron once said, â€Å"Law! What do I care about the law? Hain’t I got the power?† The change from agrarian to industrial had a profound effect on everyone’s life. Ignatius Donnelly, a leader in the Populist Party wrote, â€Å"We meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, political, and material ruin. Corruption dominates the ballot-box, the Legislatures, the Congress, and touches even the ermine of the bench . . . A vast conspiracy against mankind has been organized â€Å" As a result of this significant change, several reform movements were commenced. Prohibition began along with socialism and the Greenback Labor Party. Each of these was created in hope of making a difference for themselves or for the country. The farmers in particular were distraught for four reasons: physical problems, social and intellectual concerns, economic difficulties, and political frustrations. The physical problems was the climate. Following 1885 there was an immense drought on the merican prarie making the land less farmable, and causing the land to earn the epithet the Dust Bowl. Furthermore, there were extreme blizzards resulting in innumerable deaths of cattle and livestock. Also, farms were very isolated causing the women and children to lead a life of solitude and boredom. The far...

How to Cover a Beat in Journalism

How to Cover a Beat in Journalism Most reporters don’t just write about anything and everything that pops up on any given day. Instead, they cover a â€Å"beat,† which means a specific topic or area. Typical beats include the cops, courts, and city council. More specialized beats can include areas like science and technology, sports or business. And beyond those very broad topics, reporters often cover more specific areas. For instance, a business reporter may cover just computer companies or even one particular firm. Here are four things you need to do to cover a beat effectively. Learn Everything You Can Being a beat reporter means you need to know everything you can about your beat. That means talking to people in the field and doing lots of reading. This can be especially challenging if you’re covering a complex beat like say, science or medicine. Don’t worry, no one’s expecting you to know everything a doctor or scientist does. But you should have a strong layperson’s command of the subject so that when interviewing someone like a doctor you can ask intelligent questions. Also, when it comes time to write your story, understanding the subject well will make it easier for you to translate it into terms everyone can understand. Get to Know the Players If you’re covering a beat you need to know the movers and shakers in the field. So if you’re covering the local police precinct that means getting to know the police chief and as many of the detectives and uniformed officers as possible. If you’re covering a local high-tech company that means making contact with both the top executives as well as some of the rank-and-file employees. Build Trust, Cultivate Contacts Beyond just getting to know the people on your beat, you need to develop a level of trust with at least some of them to the point where they become reliable contacts  or sources. Why is this necessary? Because sources can provide you with tips and valuable information for articles. In fact, sources are often where beat reporters start when looking for good stories, the kind that don’t come from press releases. Indeed, a beat reporter without sources is like a baker without dough; he’s got nothing to work with. A big part of cultivating contacts is just schmoozing with your sources. So ask the police chief how his golf game is coming along. Tell the CEO you like the painting in her office. And don’t forget clerks and secretaries. They are usually the guardians of important documents and records that can be invaluable for your stories. So chat them up as well. Remember Your Readers Reporters who cover a beat for years and develop a strong network of sources sometimes fall into the trap of doing stories that are only of interest to their sources. Their heads have become so immersed in their beat they’ve forgotten what the outside world looks like. That may not be so bad if you’re writing for a trade publication aimed at workers in a specific industry (say, a magazine for investment analysts). But if you’re writing for a mainstream print or online news outlet always remember that you should be producing stories of interest and import to a general audience. So when making the rounds of your beat, always ask yourself, â€Å"How will this affect my readers? Will they care? Should they care?† If the answer is no, chances are the story’s not worth your time.

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Marketing Channel Essay

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Marketing Channel Strategy - Essay Example We need to be selective in choosing from a number of online and offline marketing mediums. Internet marketing, direct marketing, database marketing, and public relations – all mediums seem to be consistent to provide the competitive edge in the market. Internet marketing can help in attracting new customers from the social media sites like Facebook where prospective customers have better chances of viewing the advertisement. Google advertisement through Pay-per-click programs and promotion through email marketing can be beneficial where only customers from the database could be sent promotional mailers, designed by the hired PR agency. Through Internet-TV, relevant audiences’ attention can be captured while their favorite programs are run on television channels. At the same time, using SMS as means of advertisement to the target audience telling the features of customized mobile phones of JF’s Electronics can click the marketing campaign by contacting the right t ouch points to attract wider audiences. Using online media tools judiciously can make the marketing campaigns more effective and relevant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_marketing_communications). Print media like radio, television, newspapers, and billboards are components of offline media. JF’s Electronics should combine both Medias in advertising the new product, customized cell phone. Offline media can be a crucial and cheap tool in making the product popular through television and radio advertisement. For television advertisement, there is good scope of showing interesting visuals based on the storyline as per the features of customized cell phones not found available in any other company and popular brand’s cell phones. Banners of the product at the most visible locations at the marketplace will help in generating people’s interest. All promotional initiatives should be made at regular and continuous intervals to create brand

Reason for Arabs immigration to the USA Term Paper

Reason for Arabs immigration to the USA - Term Paper Example mmigration to the US are quite diverse: they come in search of financial welfare, to escape from regional conflicts and suppression and finally to actualize their intellectual potential. The first and the most popular reason for immigration to the US is to find a job and to earn money. In terms of Arabs immigration it should be mentioned that there were 2 major waves of migration to America (Suleiman, 1999). The first wave took place between 1870 and World War II. Most Arabs came from Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. The economic hardships that people faced in these countries made thousands of Arabs leave their homelands and move to America. There was a major economic crisis in Lebanon due to appearance of the Suez Canal in 1880s. It made Japanese silk more easily available and Lebanese silk industry collapsed. In addition to this, population in Arabic countries increased dramatically, whereas standards of living became worse and worse (Suleiman, 1999). As a result, to avoid unemployment and poverty, people started looking for jobs and better life abroad. As the US was the country of opportunities, most Arabs decided to move there. Another reason why Arabs migrated to America is a need for safety. The second wave of migration of Arabs to the US took place after World War II and it continues till present times. During this wave people came to the States almost from the whole Arabic world, including North Africa. Apart from aforementioned economic reasons, second-wave immigrants had another significant ground to leave their countries and move to America, and that is armed conflicts. Iran-Iraq, Palestine-Israel, Lebanon, Yemen – these were extremely unstable and unsafe regions for living. These regional conflicts and civil wars became a catalyst of the desire to move to America, where there was no war and no suppression. There is one vivid difference between first-wave and second-wave immigrants. Those Arabs, who immigrated to the US before World War II, did