Santiago and the Marlin - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1250 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/09/13 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Ernest Hemingway is one of the best authors at using symbolism in his books. Santiago is an old fisherman who fishes out of a small Cuban village in the 1940’s. Santiago has fished for a living his whole life and the past 84 days he has not caught a thing. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Santiago and the Marlin" essay for you Create order 85 is his lucky number, so on the 85th day he thinks he will catch something. Sure enough he hooks up with a massive marlin and spends 3 long days fighting it. Hemingway portrays interesting symbolism between Santiago, the old fisherman, and the marlin that he catches. In Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea, the great marlin symbolizes Santiago in many ways. Being old and wise is one of the many themes that Hemingway develops in this novel as he compares the marlin and Santiago. â€Å"Like an athlete he forces himself to eat and sleep, although he likes neither† (Wittowski). Santiago doesn’t want to waste his time eating or sleeping, but he knows that both are essential for his success at catching the marlin. Santiago is an old man, but along with age, comes wisdom and experience. â€Å"I may not be as strong as I think†¦But I know many tricks and I have resolutions† (Hemingway 23). We all probably think we are smarter than what we truly are. In the battle for his life, the marlin puts up a strong fight. Like Santiago, he too seems to be old and wise. â€Å"The big fish refuses to surface and begins to swim out to sea, towing the skiff behind it† (Napierkoski 197). The marlin seems to know that it must stay below the surface of the water if it wants to survive. Hemingway suggests that the marlin knows this because, like Santiago, the marlin is also old and wise. Over the years, Santiago learned many lessons. The gigantic marlin obviously must have learned many things too, as he had survived this long without being caught by a fisherman. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. Perhaps he is to wise to jump. He could ruin me by jumping or a wild rush. But perhaps he has been hooked many times before and he knows that this is how he should make his fight† (Hemingway 42). Throughout the novel, it is reinforced that Santiago is a good man. Even as he battles the marlin, he is fair. Like friends, there seems to be a mutual respect between Santiago and the marlin. â€Å"It is part of the ritual of the fighter that opponents demonstrate good friendship at every opportunity† (Wittowski). He is tiring or he is resting,† the old man said (Hemingway 62). It is not only a fight, but a game between Santiago and the marlin. This quote demonstrates that Santiago is wondering what the marlin is up to. Again, he respects how smart the marlin is and he is enjoying the challenge of out smarting him. Hemingway also uses symbolism as he describes the physical appearance of Santiago. â€Å"They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old man was asleep and his head fallen forward† (Hemingway 19). Hemingway suggests that although Santiago looked old, he is still young and strong at heart. Hemingway also vividly describes the marlin. â€Å"The fish came alive with his death in him, and rose out of the water showing all his great length and width and all his power and his beauty† (Hemingway 71). As he fought for his survival, the marlin jumped out of the water. Hemingway suggested that the fish was showing off, as if the fish was proud of his own beauty and size. Santiago grew a fondness for the marlin during his fight to land him. He respected the marlin. Thus, once the fish finally died, Santiago actually felt guilty. â€Å"After the sharks have begun to mutilate the carcass of the marlin, Santiago expresses his sorrow at having killed the marlin; he has gone out too far from shore† (Wittowski). Santiago had won the battle with the fish, but he was sad to watch the sharks mutilate the marlin because they were also, slowly but surely, mutilating him. Hemingway reiterates through out the story how much Santiago admired the beauty and size of the marlin. â€Å"†¦the fish swam just below the surface; the old man could see his huge bulk and his purple stripes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hemingway 68). This is another example of that determination they both have. Santiago and the marlin were both survivors. Despite his many trials in life, he continued to be mentally positive and strong. Hemingway symbolizes this strength of character when he compares Santiago’s shirt to the sail. â€Å"His shirt has been patched so many times that it was like the sail and the patches were faded to many different shades by the sun† (Hemingway 19). Santiago is old and worn out like the sail, but he is also wise. He continues to face life’s many challenges, just as the patched sail continues to do its’ job. The marlin and Santiago are not only old, wise and look alike, but they also are both strong, determined and persevere. â€Å"His body is old but still strong, and he maintains his grip on the line despite his age and increasing discomfort† (Napierkoski 197). This quote portrays Santiago’s physical strength despite his age, and his strong will. Regardless of his discomfort, Santiago showed perseverance. â€Å"He took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his long gone pride and he put that against the fights agony† (Hemingway 70). Santiago wasn’t going to give up to the fish and the fish wasn’t going to give up to Santiago. â€Å"But the fish kept on circling slowly and the old man was wet with sweat and tired deep into his bones two hours later† (Hemingway 66). These words paint a vivid picture. Deep sea fisherman will tell how even fish a fraction of the size of the marlin Santiago is fighting are very strong and determined to fight as long and as hard as they can to survive. Santiago was determined to out last the fish, just like the marlin was determined to survive. His perseverance and will power allowed him to keep holding on. Santiago was all alone fighting the marlin. He could not rely on the strength of his young friend, Manolin. â€Å"Without the boy to help him, he knows that either he or the fish will die from this† (Napierkoski 197). It was strictly a battle between he and the fish, and only one of them would survive. Hemingway demonstrates Santiago’s perseverance as well as the marlin’s perseverance when he writes â€Å"†¦settled himself against the rounded planks of the bow and felt the strength of the great fish through the line he held across his shoulders moving steadily toward whatever he had chosen† (Hemingway 43). The marlin was settling himself in for a long fight and Santiago was preparing for the same. Regardless of what each other chose to do, they would both be ready. The symbolism between the marlin and Santiago is endless in Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea. The symbolism shows how the marlin resembles Santiago because they are both old, wise, persevere and they’re appearance is alike. Hemingway did a great job showing they’re resemblance and is definitely one of the best authors at using symbolism throughout his books.

Capital Punishment Just or Unjust - 953 Words

A man by the name of Gary Mark Gilmore spent most of his life either in trouble or in jail being punished for it. He was born December 4 1940 and he grew up in Portland, Oregon. He was abused by his father and when the family moved to Salt Lake City, he started on a life of crime. When the family moved back to Portland, Gilmore became a neighborhood tough and dropped out of school at the age of 14. His involvement in a car theft ring opened his long criminal record. He was arrested a second time, and was sent to a boy s reformatory, where he spent most of the time in solitary confinement. After his release, he was arrested again and spent much of the two years in jail. In 1961 he moved back with his parents, but was arrested two more†¦show more content†¦In 1986 a young white woman was killed at a dry cleaners in Monroeville, Alabama. For the next 8 months the police were unable to come up with any likely suspects. Finally, police arrested Walter McMillian, a black man w ho lived in a nearby town. McMillian denied murdering the woman; he claimed he was with his relatives all day, in fact, his story was corroborated by several people. Nevertheless, he was arrested, tried, convicted, and imprisoned on death row even before formal sentencing. For more than six years McMillian was on death row until finally was proved innocent. A study by the Stanford Law Review found that between 1900 and 1985, 349 people were incorrectly convicted of capital crimes and later found to be innocent on the basis of reexamination of cases. Of these, 23 were actually executed. The debate over the merits of capital punishment had endured for years, and continues to be an extremely indecisive and complicated issue. I, personally am for the death penalty. I believe in the eye for an eye punishment. If someone kills they should be killed, no questions asked. I just would not want an innocent person executed for a crime that they did notShow MoreRelated Capital Punishment: Just or Unjust? Essay1927 Words   |  8 PagesCapital Punishment: Just or Unjust?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Can you imagine knowing the exact day, time, and place you were going to die, not to mention how your death was to come about? Day after day of mental pain just knowing that days, hours, minutes and even seconds from now you are going to be killed. The night before, tossing and turning, playing through your head just the way you imagine your death is going to be, asking yourself heaven or hell, suffering or short? If only you can take that one momentRead MoreRacial Discrimination And Capital Punishment1682 Words   |  7 Pagesand capital punishment has been a heated topic discussed ever since the 1972 case Furman v. Georgia. In the article, â€Å"Does Racial Discrimination Make Capital Punishment Wrong?† by Stephen Nathanson, his position in this argument is affirmative as he argues that racial discrimination makes capital punishment wrong since death penalty is administered in an arbitrary manner. Arbitrariness is the quality of being determined by chanc e or impulse, and not by reason or principle. He claims capital punishmentRead MoreAnnuling Capital Punishment Essay602 Words   |  3 PagesHomicide is unjust. Since youth we have been taught this unquestionable truth. Ask yourself, then, what is the death penalty? In its easiest structure, the death penalty is characterized as one individual taking the life of another human. Incidentally, that is the meaning of homicide. There are 36 states with capital punishment, and they should change. These states need to get rid of it because it conveys a perilous danger of disciplining the innocent, is unjust and primitive, and is an insufficientRead MoreThe Deterrence Theory Vs. Deterrence853 Words   |  4 Pagesrewards and punishments that would result from such actions. Which has led many theorists to believe that the proper to punish, a defiant act is by severe, certain, and swift punishment was the key to deterrence. The deterrence theory relies on three individual components: sever ity, certainty, and celerity. It is thought severe penalties, will desist from criminal acts, which thus prevent crime. However, if the sentence believed to be too harsh would be considered unjust. While, punishments not severeRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Morally Appropriate Punishment846 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, times have changed and most of society relegates this â€Å"ultimate penalty† to the most heinous of crimes such as capital murder. 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However capital punishmentRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Capital Punishment1271 Words   |  6 Pages What is the death penalty? The death penalty is a capital punishment that is punishable by death or execution. This is usually given to people that have committed serious offences or capital crimes. There are 31 states in the United States that are for the death penalty. Crimes that are punishable by the death penalty, vary from state to state. Examples of such crimes are; first degree murder or premeditated murder, murder with special circumstances, such as: intended, multiple, and murder whichRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1106 Words   |  5 Pages Jesse Jackson once said, â€Å"Capital punishment turns the state into a murderer.† Capital punishment has been around for several hundred years, the first documented execution in America taking place in 1608, but more recently this form of punishment has been raising questions on its morality. While the form of execution has changed over the years, from firing squad to lethal injection, all forms succeed in their purpose: to kill. Support for capital punishment is still very strong in America, the reasonsRead More Capital Punishment Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesCapital Punishment Works Cited Not Included Capital Punishment was basically thought of for the good of society. The objective of Capital Punishment is to stop people from committing violent and offensive acts. Capital Punishment or the death penalty has failed however, to prevent or discourage crime. Moreover, it is cruel and gruesome. At present there are five methods of execution. The most commonly used form of execution is by lethal injection. In this method the convict is first injectedRead MoreA Look on the Impact of Capital Punishment in Canada1240 Words   |  5 PagesCapital punishment was the most severe punishment within the Canadian Justice system before it was abolished in the 1970’s. It is still used in many other countries around the world such as the United States, China and India, as it is believed to lower the crime rate within their country. Capital punishment was basically a form of torturing the suspect, but to their death as a consequence of their heinous crime. Many believe that capital punishment should be reinstated into Canada, while others are

Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation Free Essays

string(47) " certain percentage of the generated revenues\." Abstract This report presents a business and marketing analysis of McDonald’s Corporation, one of the biggest brands in the fast food industry. This report highlights the main business activities of the organisation, as well as provides an overview of the fast food retail industry and McDonald’s the competitive environment of McDonald’s. The market entry strategy of McDonald’s and a critical analysis of its marketing mix are also presented. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation or any similar topic only for you Order Now In conclusion of this report, an analysis the company’s international marketing strategy and recommendations for the future are provided. 1. Introduction: McDonald’s Company Overview McDonald’s is one of the most well-known and biggest global corporations in the world today. It is the leading global service food retailer with over 34,000 fast food restaurants in over 119 countries. The company estimates that it serves around 69 million people each day around the world. McDonald’s focuses its business strategies on five elements – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. With these in mind, the company has enhanced and tailored the restaurant experience to adapt to the needs of their customers worldwide. This business strategy, combined with sound financial management and financial discipline, has delivered strong results for the company and helped it to continue its expansion plans (McDonald’s 2013). McDonald’s utilises a franchise business model in maintaining and expanding its operations. This business model is credit for much of the McDonald’s’ success and allows the company to ‘deliver consistent, locally-relevant restaurant experiences to customers and be an integral part of the communities we serve’ (McDonald’s 2013, p.1). The franchise business models also enables the identification, implementation and scaling of innovative ideas, which aid in meeting customers’ changing needs and preferences. McDonald’s is primarily a franchisor. As of 2010, 80% of the company’s restaurants are franchised. Almost 59% of McDonald’s’ outlets are conventional franchises; while 21% are licensed to foreign affiliates or developmental licensees. Around 20% are directly operated by the company (McDonald’s 2013). In 2012, total revenues reached USD$ 27.5 billion. This is a 2% growth from its 2011 figure. Based on data for the past six years, the company had the highest growth rate in 2010-2011 at 12%. However, the company experienced a steep decline the following year, with growth rate at only 2%. Table 1. McDonald’s 6 Year Summary (Millions) Dollars in millions, except per share data 201220112010200920082007 Company operated sales18,60318,29316,23315,45916,56116,611 Franchised revenues8,9648,7137,8427,2866,9616,176 Total revenues27,56727,00624,07522,74523,52222,787 Table 2. McDonald’s 6 Year Percentage Growth Year on Year Percentage Growth2011-20122010-20112009-20102008-20092007-2008 Company operated sales2%13%5%-7%0% Franchised revenues3%11%8%5%13% Total revenues2%12%6%-3%3% 2.Industry Overview and Competitive Environment McDonald’s operates in the fast food industry, which involves selling foods and beverages for immediate consumption either within the retail premises or as â€Å"take away.† The market may be categorized in to the following segments: QSR (Quick Service Restaurants), Leisure Locations, Mobile and Street Vendors, and Takeaways. In 2011, the global fast food market grew by 6.8%, reaching USD $253 billion in total value. The compounded yearly growth rate from 2007 to 2011 was at 5.2%. QSR is the most lucrative segment, generating over $167.8 billion in revenues; which is equivalent to 66.4% of the total market value (Research and Markets, 2013). McDonald’s, together with other players such as Burger King, dominate the burger segment (Reynolds, 2013). The market is comprised of many independent restaurants, as well as large chain outlets. To a reasonable extent, competition is intensified by the low entry costs and the ease with which already established companies can increase volume or grow outlet numbers. Within the restaurant industry, players focus more on fast food where profitability is dependent on high turnover activities. The degree of price competition is usually high within this industry with many companies, including McDonald’s, focusing on the same target market. Competitors range from fast food restaurants, traditional fish and chips outlets, coffee shops, and other fast food businesses (Brotherton, 2012). Key competitors to McDonald’s are other similarly large and well-established global fast food chains such as Burger King, Wendy’s Co, and Yum Brands. Although it is not actually a fast food chain, Starbucks is also considered as a major competitor of McDonald’s due to its immense popularity, especially in the US. McDonald’s McCafe chains are considered as more of a competitor to Starbucks. Table 2. Profile of McDonald’s Top Competitors CompetitorProfile Burger King Corporation ·Operates over 12,174 fast food outlets in the US and has others in over 76 countries across the world  ·Has 1,387 company restaurants as well as 10,787 independent franchises Domino’s Pizza Inc. ·The leading pizza delivery firm in the US  ·It runs a network of about 8,999 outlets, both franchises and company-owned stores in US’s 50 states and other 60 world countries. Starbucks ·A global coffee company based in the US  ·It is the largest coffee shop chain in the world with over 20,800 stores in 62 countries Wendy’s Co. ·Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, arose from a merger between Wendy’s International and Triarc Companies  ·Wendy’s/Arby’s group is a popular quick service restaurant operator, franchising the Wendy’s and Arby’s brand names within the US and Canada.  ·The total number of franchises for this group is over 10,000. Yum Brands Inc. ·Yum runs several branded restaurant chains including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell  ·In total, it has over 39,000 restaurants spread in over 125 countries. Source: Key Note, 2012 Figure 1. Market Share of Fast Food Chains in the US (2006-2011) 3. Market Entry Strategy Historically, McDonald’s has experimented with a variety of market entry strategies (Hendrikse, 2008). Currently, some of the outlets are run by the company, while most of them (more than 26,000 outlets) are franchises. McDonald’s franchise arrangements comprise conventional franchise engagements, developmental license arrangements, and foreign affiliates. Of all franchises, the corporation runs 19,279 conventional franchisees, 3,574 affiliates and 3,485 developmental licenses (McDonald’s, 2013). Currently, McDonald’s is one of the biggest franchisors in the world. The company has implemented a comprehensive framework for engaging, training, and monitoring its franchises to make sure that they abide by McDonald’s’ Values, Quality, Cleanliness and Service plans (Moschandreas, 2000). These franchisees are required to pay a fixed fee plus a certain percentage of the generated revenues. You read "Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation" in category "Essay examples" They operate basically as independent entities within a national brand structure where they purchase various inputs from the approved contractors and also determine their own prices. The first international market expansion experiment by McDonald’s was to establish an outlet in the Caribbean with limited supervision by the company. After the failure of this first attempt, the firm experimented with a joint venture strategy in Netherlands. In this experiment, the local stores involved replaced the usual McDonald’s menu offerings with based on local preferences. The company decided to abandon its old strategy where stores would be run by local entrepreneurs and instead engaged a combination of both local and expatriate partners (Marketwatch, 2005). Unfortunately, the result was disastrous; forcing McDonald’s to revise its entry strategy. This made way for the second phase of entry, which was centred on adapting versus changing local culture. Despite some initial failures, McDonald’s continued to experiment with market entry strategies in foreign markets. For example, in India, the company established as a 50-50 joint venture partnership. This arrangement was between McDonald’s USA and two other Indian businessmen, Vikram Bakshi and Amit Jatia, who owns Connaught Plaza Restaurants and Hard Castle Restaurants respectively (Gerhardt et al., 2012). The joint venture partnership was different from McDonald’s usual franchise business model but it was seen as the best way to successfully enter India’s highly diverse and complex restaurant industry. 4. McDonald’s Global Marketing Strategy The marketing mix is a framework consisting of the basic, strategic components of a firm’s marketing plan. The components are referred to as the 4P’s denoting product, promotion, place, and price (Chon et al., 2012). Marketers decide the right mix to use where they can alter the final product or service offerings to customers by varying the components of the mix. This section analyses McDonald’s marketing mix to find out what the foodservice retailer has done to position its products in the market. 4.1. Product Product is probably the most important element of McDonald’s’ marketing mix. The company has tightly controlled its products’ quality so as to induce demand from the target market (Verma, 2012). With the support of the other elements, McDonald’s has managed to develop a broad product portfolio to attract a broad market segment. The company’s products are planned carefully, considering aspects such as quality, design, shape, brand name, services, size, services, and packaging. McDonald’s also oversees the operations of all its restaurants to guarantee uniformity of standards in product quality and services offered.An important matter when it comes to international marketing relates to how a firm adapts its products across national boundaries. McDonald’s, like many other internationally recognized brands, uses standardization to ensure that its products appeal to a wide audience. This is a very important marketing aspect because the comp any must ensure that its global brand is preserved. Therefore, McDonald’s restaurants across the word offer a substantially standard menu. However, according to Thomadsen (2007), some variations are necessary to make sure that the different needs of consumers in different regions are addressed. As such, McDonald’s has made effort to adapt some of its products to some markets. This is necessary because consumers in different areas have diverse needs, tastes and preferences, and different consumption and buying habits. A good example of McDonald’s adaptation strategy is the Indian market where the company, on top of trying to market its international brand, has made several modifications to its products to make sure that they are suitable for Indian consumers. The Indian market consists of a large number of vegetarians. Therefore, the company found it necessary to modify its product offerings to cater to this market segment. This led to the introduction of vegetarian foods such as McAloo Tikki and McVeggie Burgers. The company has made sure that the separation of the two food categories (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) is maintained. Also, in India where cows are considered sacred, burgers are either fish or chicken in instead of beef (Armstrong Kotler, 2005). McDonald’s constantly innovates its product offerings based on the changing needs and preferences of its customers (McDonald’s, 2013). Additionally, intense price competition increases McDonald’s motivation to differentiate itself from other industry players. Applying a differentiation strategy can help a company to control price competition to some extent (Thomadsen, 2007). It can be surmised that McDonald’s is not a global retailer of exclusively American food because it offers modified menus to suit different regions. The brand and the format are globally consistent; however, certain customer-oriented components like individual menu offerings and service personnel are tailored to suit local preferences. 4.2. Price Price is another very important element of a marketing mix. This refers to the amount that consumers are required to pay so as to obtain products and services. McDonald’s has always been dedicated to providing quality food products for reasonable prices (Datamonitor, 2012). Therefore, the company has developed a pricing structure to support this objective. Historically, the company has had several value bundling and pricing tactics such as Combo meals, Happy Meals, Family Meals, and others. The dollar menu is one of the most significant price strategies adopted by this firm. 4.3. Place Another very important element of McDonald’s marketing strategy is place. In general terms, place refers to the mechanisms (distribution, intermediaries or channels), which enable the firm to supply its products to the final consumers (Thomadsen, 2007). McDonald’s has strategically situated its outlets to make sure that customers have easy and convenient access to its products. The best example is the United States where the walking distance to a McDonald’s outlet averages three minutes. In smaller market regions, McDonald’s locates it outlets close to the market centre; while in large markets, it chooses locations which are on the opposite sides of the market. Compared to its closest competitor, Burger King, McDonald’s locates outlets closer to optimal central locations. In a nutshell, McDonald’s is all about convenience (Datamonitor, 2010). 4.4. Promotion In a marketing mix perspective, promotion encompasses the various marketing communication modes that McDonald’s uses to communicate information about its products in order to generate positive response from its consumers (Mishra, 2009). McDonald’s devotes a vast amount of money to global advertising, with the aim of promoting its image. It has used several advertising formats such as print publications, billboards, radio, television, and the internet. In order to increase awareness and create a lasting image in the minds of its target market, McDonald’s has creatively employed slogans such as: â€Å"It’s a good time for the Great Taste of McDonald’s† â€Å"Food, Folks, and Fun† â€Å"We love to see you smile† â€Å"I’m Lovin’ it† McDonald’s strives to position itself as a fun family restaurant and has implemented several tactics to achieve this goal. A very effective strategy that has enabled the company to differentiate itself from other companies is invention of the Ronald McDonald character. This character was invented to symbolize the company and has become a recognizable figure. The show â€Å"The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald,† produced under the sponsorship of the company, is an outstanding promotional strategy that leaves every kid craving the McDonald’s experience (McDonald’s, 2013). The company also positions itself as a family fun restaurant by setting up play areas in its outlets. With the use of various strategies, McDonald’s has built a strong image. This has greatly helped the company not only to grow but also to stave off the competition (Chon, Pizam, Mansfeld, 2012). 5. McDonald’s Corporation has always been determined to remain ahead of competition. Its international marketing strategy employs several tactics, which has enabled the company to emerge as one of the market leaders in the fast food restaurant industry. The success of a business greatly depends on the effectiveness of the strategies it adopts. McDonald’s’ strategies have proven to be effective as evidenced by the level of success that the company has achieved to date. The initial strategy for the company involved taking standardized American practices to other parts of the country. The initial resistance and failures that it experienced forced the company to change their strategy and instead adapt itself to the different preferences of its target market. References Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2005. Marketing: an introduction. London: Prentice Hall. Brotherton, B., 2012. International Hospitality Industry. Burlington: Routledge. Chon, K.S., Pizam, A. Mansfeld, Y., 2012. Consumer Behavior in Travel and Tourism. Madison Ave, New York: Routledge. Daley, J., 2013. Do you want truffle fries with thatEntrepreneur, 41(1), pp.124-29. Datamonitor, 2010. Mcdonald’s Corporation SWOT Analysis. London: EBSCO Datamonitor. Gerhardt, S., Dudley, D. Hazen, S., 2012. Franchising and the Impact of McDonald’s. Journal Of Management Marketing Research, 10, pp.1-10. Hendrikse, G., 2008. Strategy and governance of networks: Cooperatives, franchising, and strategic alliances. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag. Key Note, 2012. Fast-Food Home-Delivery Outlets Market Report Plus 2012. [Online] Available at: http://www.keynote.co.uk/market-intelligence/view/product/10636/fast-food-%26-home-delivery-outlets/chapter/1 [Accessed 9 March 2013]. Marketwatch, 2005. Company Spotlight: McDonald’s Corporation. Marketwatch: Global Round-Up 4, no. 12, pp.78-83. McDonald’s, 2013. Company Profile. [Online] Available at: http://www.aboutMcDonald’s.com/mcd/investors/company_profile.html [Accessed 9 March 2013]. McDonald’s, 2013. McDonald’s USA Ingredients Listing for Popular Menu Items. [Online] Available at:http://nutrition.McDonald’s.com/getnutrition/ingredientslist.pdf [Accessed 9 March 2013]. Mishra, P., 2009. Sales management: Keys to effective sales.. New Delhi: Global India Publications. Moschandreas, M., 2000. Business Economics. London: Thomson. Research and Markets, 2013. Fast Food: Global Industry Guide. [Online] Available at: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/564112/fast_food_global_industry_guide [Accessed 9 March 2013]. Reynolds, J., 2013. McDonald’s runs ad to knock rival Burger King. Marketing Magazine, 25 January. Thomadsen, R., 2007. Product Positioning and Competition: The Role of Location in the Fast Food Industry. Marketing Science, 26(6), pp.792-804. Verma, H.V., 2012. Services marketing: Text and cases. New Delhi: Pearson Education. Wendy’s, 2013. The Wendy’s Company. [Online] Available at: http://www.aboutwendys.com/Our-Company/ [Accessed 9 March 2013]. How to cite Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation, Essay examples

Retirement of Revolutionaries in China †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Retirement of Revolutionaries in China. Answer: Introduction The main aim of this task is to explains and analyze that how will China be a most powerful country in the world by 2050. Here is the discussion about the success and growth of the country. China situated in the east of Asia. Its location and sea is beneficial to its manual relations with many neighboring countries and it can take various advantages in terms of exchanges with foreign countries. On the other hand, the paper explains the economic development and legal system of the country. It depicts that how the country makes rules and regulations to protect the rights of the people. China is the largest exporter and second biggest importer in the world in terms of goods and services. It maintains unique travel destinations. Along with this, China began a reform and opening program to enhance the rapid development and economic growth. Political system, education system, culture, technology have been explained in the task. The rapid growth and success depicts that China can be a super power in the world by 2050. The tax system of the country is also effective and unique. It protects the rights of the women. Apart from this, some facts related to the success and growth of the country has been explained in the task. The culture in China is unique and fascinating through which country has been able to attract people widely. Further detail of the task has been discussed below. China is a unitary sovereign society in East Asia and it is one of the biggest populous countries in the world with population of around 1.4103billion (2018). The country covers approx 9,600,000 square kilometers and it is a third largest country measured by the total area (Shambaugh, 2013). Along with this, China has the several neighbors countries in the world. The country is number 1 in the list of nations measured by population. Approx 59.3% population is from urban areas (Worldmeters, 2018). There are various factors which contribute in success and growth of the firm. Some of the factors that help the China to be superpower by 2050 have detailed below. Factors that help the China to be a most powerful in the world by 2050 Prior to 1979, under the leadership of Chairman Mao Zedong maintained a unique and dynamic economy. A large share of the Chinas economic output was directed and controlled by the state government. The GDP rate of the country is increasing day by day which shows that China can be superpower country in the world (Breznitz and Murphree, 2011). The GDP growth rate of China has been drawn below. The diagram shows that the GDP of the country is increasing in todays era. After the various researchers it is observed that the country will be superpower country in the world by 2050. The per capital GDP in nominal dollars was $8,583 in 2017 in China. Chinas economic success sets an effective example in front of other countries. In this way, the country can attain various advantages in future also (Brown, 2013). China economy data 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Population (million) 1,347 1,354 1,361 1,368 1,373 GDP per capita (USD) 5,635 6,333 7,124 7,662 7,954 GDP (USD bn) 7,592 8,575 9,694 10,480 10,925 Economic Growth (GDP, annual variation in %) 9.5 7.9 7.8 7.3 6.9 Consumption (annual variation in %) 11.0 9.1 7.3 7.7 7.2 Investment (annual variation in %) 24.0 20.6 19.6 15.7 10.0 Industrial Production (annual variation in %) 13.9 10.0 9.7 8.3 6.1 Retail Sales (annual variation in %) 17.1 14.3 13.1 12.0 10.7 Unemployment Rate 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) -1.1 -1.6 -1.9 -1.8 -3.4 Public Debt (% of GDP) 14.7 14.4 14.6 14.9 15.5 Money (annual variation in %) 13.6 13.8 13.6 12.2 13.3 Inflation Rate (CPI, annual variation in %, eop) 4.1 2.5 2.5 1.5 1.6 Inflation Rate (CPI, annual variation in %) 5.4 2.6 2.6 2.0 1.4 Inflation (PPI, annual variation in %) 6.0 -1.7 -1.9 -1.9 -5.2 Policy Interest Rate (%) 6.56 6.00 6.00 5.60 4.35 Stock Market (annual variation in %) -21.7 3.2 -6.7 52.9 9.4 Exchange Rate (vs USD) 6.29 6.23 6.05 6.21 6.49 Exchange Rate (vs USD, aop) 6.46 6.31 6.15 6.16 6.28 Current Account (% of GDP) 1.8 2.5 1.5 2.3 2.8 Current Account Balance (USD bn) 136 215 148 236 304 Trade Balance (USD billion) 154 230 258 383 608 Exports (USD billion) 1,898 2,049 2,209 2,342 2,272 Imports (USD billion) 1,744 1,819 1,952 1,959 1,680 Exports (annual variation in %) 20.2 8.0 7.8 6.0 -3.0 Imports (annual variation in %) 25.0 4.3 7.3 0.4 -14.3 International Reserves (USD) 3,181 3,312 3,821 3,843 3,330 External Debt (% of GDP) 9.2 8.6 8.9 8.5 13.0 (Source: Focus economics, 2017) Government of China The government of China is authoritarian. The government has committed to focus and monitor on the economic growth and policy decisions. The government of China is divided among enormous bodies such as executive branch, the legislative branch, the national congress, the state council and the Supreme Court. The legislative branch of the Chinas government encompasses the highest department of the communist party and the national peoples congress (Zhong, 2015). The central military commission consists 11 members and it is liable for monitoring and controlling the peoples liberation army and the peoples armed police. Along with this, national peoples congress selects the chairman of the country. Along with this, a communist system allows limited free trade. By using communist system, the country is expanding and flourishing its business activities and operations across the world. It will help to make a good image in near future. In this way, authoritarian government helps to build and de velop china effectively (Manion, 2014). The political system of China is completely different from other countries. Recently, the government of the country is promoting and enhancing the rule of law. Along with this, Chinese constitution and legislation protect the rights of the human. The formal and informal rules and regulations have been implemented by the Chinese government. As it can be a success factor for China to be a superpower by 2050. The Chinese political system is based on morality instead of legality (Yabuki, 2018). With the help of effective and strong political system, the country can formulate a long term plan for national enhancement and development. Along with this, there is less corruption in China as compared with Russia and India due to strong and effective political system. In addition, the government is more adequate and responsible in such country. Thus, country can easily face various future risks and challenges. It shall be noted that there is personnel training and selecting system in the countr y which helps to attract more talented and skilled people in the country. It also avoids waste of talented people in such country. In this way, the political system of the country is strong and dynamic which can help the country to be powerful nation till 2050 (Fewsmith, 2013). Environment of China The government of China is increasingly paying attention towards the environment. They take care about the issues and barriers of the environment (Carter and Mol, 2013). The state environmental protection administration was initiated by the government and environmental protection act 1998 was made by the government. Along with this, the country also participates in various activities which could reduce the negative impact of the climate change and global warming. It is seen that the country maintains a favorable environment. The strong and favorable environment helps an organization to start new business activities and operations in such country (Schaffer et al, 2011). The China government has continuously set a complete law system for the foreign enterprises to invest in China. The basic laws and regulations encompass three laws such as the law on Chinese foreign equity joint ventures, the law on wholly foreign owned enterprises and the law on Chinese foreign contractual joint ventures. It is seen that government of the country is considering its existing rules, legislation and statues in according with the WTO. The China follows socialist rule of law in the country. Along with this, Chinas legal system is based on the model of Civil law. In this way, the legal system of the country focuses on the freedom and rights of people. It will help to make a bright country by 2050 across the world. The dynamic and unique legal system also helps to conduct new business activities and operations in such country. As a result, it will increase the profitability and revenue of the country in the world (Jia and Jukes, 2013). The socio-cultural can play a significant role to make the country super powerful in the future. China is one of the four ancient civilizations in the world as it also maintains profound, unique and rich culture in the country. Along with this, Chinese culture is dynamic and diverse. The Chinese culture includes heritage, festivals, the arts, traditions, language and symbols. The Chinese performing arts include Chinese Kungfu, Beijing Opera and Chinese folk dance. In addition, the country celebrates several festivals in all over the world which helps to make unique China from other countries. Chinese uses reckoned and pictographic language commonly. Every country maintains its symbols, as the same way China has several symbols includes the red flag, table tennis, and the great wall. All these make China unique and beautiful as compared to other countries. Chinese are talented and intelligent so as they can easily accept challenges and risks. They are ready to accept new technologies and innovation. Now it is assumed that the country can become more in coming year due to its unique and beautiful culture. Technology in China Science and technology is developing rapidly in the country since 1990. The country is much advance in education, science and infrastructure. It has been observed that Chin is a leader in the science and technology. The Chinese discoveries and Chinese innovations like the compass, printing, papermaking and gunpowder are contributing in the economic development in the Asia and Europe. China is a major leader who is providing wider contribution in research and development. In 2012, the country spent approx one trillion yuan($164 billion) on research and development (De La Tour, Glachant and Mnire, 2011). Therefore, the country can take various advantages in the coming years by using science technologies. Science and technology will help the country to address various issues such as pollution, and industrial issues. In addition, the percentage of labor force in China is higher than in the United States. Along with this, the country provides better wage and salary to scientists as compar ed with United States. The Chinese scientists earn approx 25%, medical doctors earn more than 13% and lawyers earn 5%. In this way, the country gives higher contribution in technology advancement which will help the country to be a superpower nation in the world by 2050 (Naughton, 2012). A state run system of public education in China is carried by ministry of education. All citizens in the country attend education for at least 9 years. The education system of the China is unique and effective. The education system of China is well know and reputed in the world. The Chinese education system is divided into three categories that include kindergarten, primary school and secondary school (Hansen, 2011). The Kindergarten and primary schools are run by the local authorities in the country. It shall be observed that Chinas education system is one of the largest education systems in the world. There is 4% of the total GDP investment of education is done by China in education system. It is noted that education system of China emphasizes and encourages academic achievements and tests as compared with the western countries. In the early age, children become multitalented due to effective and dynamic education system. It will help the China to be a superpower by 2050. Also, it will help to make a beautiful and educated country in the world (King, Marginson and Naidoo, 2011). Infrastructure in China The infrastructure of China is giving contribution in socio-economic development of the country. Economic growth is facilitated in part by water, roads and power investments that help the poor people to survive their life. It will also help to reduce poverty in the country. Infrastructure also provides wide range of contribution in the environmental sustainable development. Along with this, proper infrastructure facilities are being provided by the country to initiate new business operations. In this way, the adequate infrastructure system helps in protecting the environment of the country. Now it is stated that infrastructure helps the country to become successful in the world. Along with this new IT infrastructure covers a wider geographical areas and provides support to a variety of methods, techniques and diverse protocols for communication. Apart from this, IT infrastructure also focuses on the global operations and resources. Due to effective infrastructure system, optimum util ization of resources can be done in the country (Ansar et al, 2016). Since1978, Chinas rapid economic development has bought about a growing demand for energy. The government of China has introduced a number of reform policies and strategies to attract investment, including pricing reform, legal reform, foreign exchange reform and enterprise reform. To improve and enhance the performance of the energy industries, various programs have been conducted by the government in the recent years. These programs would have a favorable and significant impact on the energy sector. In addition, China is the largest energy consumers across the world. Coal dominates the countrys energy structure due to energy resources for a long time. Coal plays an effective role in the Chinas energy supply (Hou and Li, 2011). China adopts a progressive taxation system where the tax rate is 20% 40 for freelancers in three levels and 3% to 45% for regular employees in three levels. Taxes provide a major part of the revenue to the government in China. In this way, effective and unique tax system is followed by the country to generate more and more revenue in near future. In this way, the China can be a successful and powerful nation in the world (Fang et al, 2013). Financial system in China The financial system of the country is strong and unique which helps to differentiate the China from the other nations. China is one of the biggest economies measured by nominal GDP and it is the biggest economy by purchasing power parity. Along with this, China is the largest manufacturing economy in the world. Along with this, it provides fastest growing consumer market to the people. In this way, the country is playing a prominent role in international trade. The GDP growth is 6.9%(2017) and labor force is 803.6 million(2017). Mining, iron, steel, aluminum, apparel, petroleum, chemicals, cements and food processing are considered the main industries of the country (Allen et al, 2012). The financial system of the country is attractive and effective. To make Chinas financially strong, import and export play a vital role in the country. The country exported around $1.2 trillion goods and services across the world in 2010. The top export partners of China include United States (17.7%) , Sourth Korea (5.25), Hong Kong (13.3%) Japan (8.1%), and Germany (4.1%). The countrys top import partners include United States, Germany, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Import and export play an empirical role to gain maximum profits and revenue in the marketplace. It can provide a good opportunity to the China to be successfully in different countries (Jarreau and Poncet, 2012). Climate is extremely diverse and unique in China. A peculiar and specific feature of China is its monsoon nature. The rainfall season generally comes in the hottest season. In the northeast, the summers are dry and hot and the winters are freezing cold. In the southeast, there is ample of rainfall, semi tropical summers and cool winters (Li, X et al, 2011). In this way, the weather and climate are differ in China as compared with other countries. It will help to attain long term mission and vision (Domrs and Peng, 2012). Now it is assumed that the China can become successful and powerful nation in the world. These factors help the China to explore and expand its businesses globally. On the other hand, telecommunication also plays a vital role in China for providing effective and unique internet, e-commerce services to the customers (Price, Verhulst and Morgan, 2013). Telecommunication system also helps in maintaining effective and open communication in the country. In addition, effective quality and control system is used by Chinese to focus on the quality and features of the products and services. Along with this, most of the companies maintain sustainable human resources management within the organization. It can also be successful strengths for the China in near future. In addition, Chinese people follow different customs and values as compared to westerns. The most popular games of China include cricket battling, badminton, ant cricket and Knucklebones. These games are well know and famous in Chi na. Games, values, beliefs and customs are main characteristics of Chinese culture. China is one of the largest countries in the world for utilizing of resources at cheap labor and material cost (Maciocia, 2015). Along with this, the country is becoming leader in the technology innovation in term of textile manufacturing, aluminum, producing of steel and agricultural revolution. Apart from this, various innovative techniques and tools are being used by the country to beat the competitors in the world. China is a land of amazing landmarks and history for the world. Their culture is based on thousands of years of people and their history shows remarkable growth of the country (Zhou, Chen, Ma and Liu, 2013). Conclusion On the above mentioned study, it has been concluded that China is one of the biggest and oldest countries in the world, has provided different inventions to the people that have changed the way of mankind. Along with this, the country is known for wheat, medicines, rice, gunpower and papermaking products which are traded on Silk Road. The land of China is consists of hills, forests, mountains and deserts. Taosim, Buddhism, and Confucianism are main religion in China. The countrys progress shows that China will be superpower by 2050. On the other hand, China is expanding and exploring its cooperation with other countries in science and technology, culture, and education. Along with this, the countrys tourism industry is fastest growing and flourishing in the world. All this make great contribution to make China extraordinary in todays competitive world. It is a well developed and unique country and the methods used by the Chinese in their communication, culture, writing and religion are interesting and complex. International trade and investment are fastest growing and exploring in the country. The above mentioned analysis shows that the countrys economic and financial system is very strong and dynamic. In addition, China follows unique and effective culture to attract more and more people across the world. Tax system in China is also remarkable which makes different the country from the other countries. Although, the country is performing well and growing in the world but still China should focus on the education system to retain more people. In this way, the country might able to make a powerful country in the world by 2050. The history of the coun try shows that the country will become progressive and successful in coming years. Several new and innovative inventions are done by the country. Along with this, technology is great and amazing in China. Due to advanced technology, new inventions will be done by the country. As a result, the country will become successful and powerful in near future management. References Allen, F., Qian, J., Zhang, C. and Zhao, M., 2012.China's financial system: opportunities and challenges(No. w17828). National Bureau of Economic Research. Ansar, A., Flyvbjerg, B., Budzier, A. and Lunn, D., 2016. Does infrastructure investment lead to economic growth or economic fragility? Evidence from China.Oxford Review of Economic Policy,32(3), (pp.360-390). Breznitz, D. and Murphree, M., 2011.Run of the red queen: Government, innovation, globalization, and economic growth in China. Yale University Press. Brown, L.R., 2013.Eco-economy: building an economy for the earth. Routledge. Carter, N. and Mol, A.P. eds., 2013.Environmental governance in China. Routledge. De La Tour, A., Glachant, M. and Mnire, Y., 2011. Innovation and international technology transfer: The case of the Chinese photovoltaic industry.Energy policy,39(2), (pp.761-770). Domrs, M. and Peng, G., 2012.The climate of China. Springer Science Business Media. Fang, G., Tian, L., Fu, M. and Sun, M., 2013. The impacts of carbon tax on energy intensity and economic growtha dynamic evolution analysis on the case of China.Applied energy,110, (pp.17-28). Fewsmith, J., 2013.The logic and limits of political reform in China. Cambridge University Press. Hansen, M.H., 2011.Lessons in being Chinese: Minority education and ethnic identity in Southwest China. University of Washington Press. Hou, Q. and Li, S.M., 2011. Transport infrastructure development and changing spatial accessibility in the Greater Pearl River Delta, China, 19902020.Journal of Transport Geography,19(6), (pp.1350-1360). Jarreau, J. and Poncet, S., 2012. Export sophistication and economic growth: Evidence from China.Journal of development Economics,97(2), (pp.281-292). Jia, C. and Jukes, D., 2013. The national food safety control system of Chinaa systematic review.Food Control,32(1), (pp.236-245). King, R., Marginson, S. and Naidoo, R. eds., 2011.Handbook on globalization and higher education. Edward Elgar Publishing. Li, X., Takahashi, T., Suzuki, N. and Kaiser, H.M., 2011. The impact of climate change on maize yields in the United States and China.Agricultural Systems,104(4), pp.348-353. Maciocia, G., 2015.The Foundations of Chinese Medicine E-Book: A Comprehensive Text. Elsevier Health Sciences. Manion, M., 2014.Retirement of revolutionaries in China: Public policies, social norms, private interests. Princeton University Press. Naughton, B. ed., 2012.The China circle: Economics and technology in the PRC, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Brookings Institution Press. Price, M.E., Verhulst, S. and Morgan, L. eds., 2013.Routledge handbook of media law. Routledge. Schaffer, R., Agusti, F., Dhooge, L.J. and Earle, B., 2011.International business law and its environment. Cengage Learning. Shambaugh, D.L., 2013.China goes global: The partial power(Vol. 111). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Unece,2016. Overview of Chinas energy industry development[Online]. Available at https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/energy/se/pp/eneff/7th_IFESD_Baku_Oct.2016/ESCAP_Elec_CIS/1_H.Wan_CHI.pdf. [Accessed on 16th April 2018]. Worldmeters. 2018. China population [Online]. Available at https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/china-population/. [Accessed on 16th April 2018]. Yabuki, S., 2018.China's New Political Economy: Revised Edition. Routledge. Zhong, Y., 2015.Local Government and Politics in China: Challenges from below: Challenges from below. Routledge. Zhou, F., Chen, J., Ma, G. and Liu, Z., 2013. Energy-saving analysis of telecommunication base station with thermosyphon heat exchanger.Energy and Buildings,66, (pp.537-544).

Sports And Children Essay Example For Students

Sports And Children Essay We no longer live in a society where kids run around actively throughout the neighborhood. The sandlot baseball games, pick up games in the park, and innocence in the children are gone in sports. Today children are more interested in television, computers, and video games and parents are afraid of letting their children run around the streets because of kidnapping. Kids are simply no longer interested in physical activity. A poll of over a thousand parents and one with students was done and the results show they blame inactivity on lack of time and homework. Whatever the cause is, we can see results with studies throughout the last few years. We will write a custom essay on Sports And Children specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now * 22% of children are physically active everyday of the week. * 49% in grade 4-12 are moderately to vigorously active. * 34% attend Physical Education classes daily. * 23% dont have these classes offered, because no all states have educational requirements for PE and some have budget cuts in the program. * 54% of children ages 6-11 are obese, with the obesity rates till on the rise (Hellmich 1997). * There are a number of federal, state, and local school programs to help students reach fitness goals. The missing link in having physically fit children seems to be the parents. They are allowing children to remain sedentary with the television and computers. Not enough children have parents who monitor their childs activity schedules, expose them to physical activity, and who serve as role models in being active themselves. Sports involvement and competition is very important in a childs life, but sometimes can go too far. Physical activity offers both positive and negative aspects in a childs life. Physical activity is an integral part of the learning process at all grade levels/ Unfit children develop low opinions of themselves, dislike activity, and develop antisocial attitudes. Children need the physical and mental benefits of sports. Kids involved in sports will physically feel better about their bodies by being fit, they are less likely to have the risk of obesity later in life, and more likely to learn new skills (Krucoff 1998). Mentally, sports stimulate the intellectual development, sharpen motor skills, provide emotional and social growth, help with depression, and increase self-confidence. A non-active child that becomes active in a sport program find increased energy, longer attention span, improved self-esteem, and better communication skills (Sports Psychology). Students learn about their bodies and want to improve them to lead a fulfilling life. Overall most children in sports enjoy themselves because they are having fun and meeting new friends. Athletics allow th ese children to interact with children of the same age with this similar interest thereby improving their social skills for later in life. This experience in sports will serve as a positive model to follow when approaching other challenges and obstacles throughout life. There is a strong connection between academic success and athletics. Athletes especially in high school perform better and remain in school more than non-athletes (Krucoff 1998). In middle school, high school, and college there is an athletic eligibility grade point average. If the student doesnt make the grades, they arent entitled to participate in sports. With this push in academics students now work harder in the classroom so they can participate. Many students have sports to thank for being a college student. Without the athletic money from the talent in the sport most children of low-income families cant afford college. These students at the college athlete level tend to be successful because of the high demands and expectations of grades. In most schools the athletic eligibility is actually higher than graduation requirements. Studies also show in high school women have sew later, lowering the risk of pregnancy and disease. Young females also have higher self-esteem and a power to say no (Krucoff 1998). Competition is a very vital aspect of children involved in sports that offers many positive outcomes and teaches a variety of life skills. Competition is necessary for excellence and a child needs competitors who are not much better or worse at sports for this development to be essential. Without worthy opponent and challenges sports I not so much fun. The better the challenge the better opportunity a child has to go beyond his or her limits. Competition begins early in life even before a childs first birthday. There is constant competition for attention, toys, and time. Young children are bombarded with messages concerning competition often from parents (Tye 1997). .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 , .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .postImageUrl , .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 , .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402:hover , .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402:visited , .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402:active { border:0!important; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402:active , .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402 .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9c717df9885bec793983c13bc6305402:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Supply And Demand Essay? Be the best!? We want you to be #1? Have fun, its just a game? Give it your best shot? Winners never give up!Parents expect from these messages for their child to develop a healthy competitive attitude with success and self-esteem. This is often true. Competition is an important means in motivating children to make the most of their potential in many areas throughout life. The ultimate goal of competition is challenging oneself and to improve, the outcome does not matter and children will feel good about oneself for doing the best that they can. Competition and the winning and losing aspect of this in sports can be used to build character in and gain a degree of self-knowledge in young children. Teamwork, perseverance, commitment, dedication, sportsmanship, loyalty, self-discipline, and compassion for others are all positive traits children can learn through competition. Many are opposed to starting competition at a young age, but supporters say if it does not start at the elementary level, children wont be ready for high school. The goal is to be on the team and to get scholarship money. Teaching the skills and giving kids the experience of competition at an early age they are prepared. In order to get college scouts to come to a high school a good program is needed. Involvement in sports and competition can also be very negative for children. In todays culture winning is believed to be everything. This may be because of parental involvement and professional sports putting a great emphasis on winning. Seventy-five percent of children in organized sports drop out by the age fourteen because of over emphasis on competition (Picon). Three out of four children wouldnt mind if no one kept score at all. They would prefer to lose and have fun than to win at all costs, but overzealous adults and parents drown voices out (Spaid 1997). With Little League, soccer, and football programs increasing parental involvement is increasing as well. Parents watching their children compete brings out an unfamiliar intensity of emotion. They enjoy childs success much more than their own. The intensity and frequency of tantrums that many parents display at games is on the rise (Spaid 1997). Parents often yell at coaches for not recognizing talent, other parents, referee s and sometime the child herself. They are believed to behave this way because they see in their children the embodiment of their own unfulfilled expectations and goals (Tye 1997). Children do not need this burden and stress; they are having enough trouble putting one foot in front of other without falling down. Too much stress can seriously affect a childs ability to focus on skills and performance and competition can be seen as a threat and not a challenge. Some parents push their children so far in sports to a point where it is more work than fun. The child may begin to feel they are playing the sport for their parents instead of for themselves. Some parents even use guilt or bribery to keep the child involved (Tye 1997). Children cannot handle the parental pressure and stick with it to avoid disappointing these parents. Parents who over do themselves in sports make the mistake of punishing a child for a bad performance by withdrawing emotionally from him or her. The child may fe el unloved because of this disgust and anger parents often portray (Sports Psychology). This can only ruin a relationship between parent and child. The field should be looked and respected as a classroom where kids are to learn and have fun. However; today peoples idea of baseball is what they see in the Major Leagues, children are expected to be a little Major League player. They lose interest because they are not ready for this pressure and feel the sport to be the only thing in their life. Today clubs and travel teams are popular among children involved in sports. In these very competitive teams there is no emphasis on character development and equal playing time. An all out blitz for competition is shown. The young children in these leagues are pushed harder and sooner. Most of these clubs and travel teams hold tryouts and often makes cuts. This can be very harmful for young children telling them they are failure basically. Some children would do anything to be a part of this high level team, but then finds out they are not ready. Their self-esteem decreases as they spend time on the bench. Supporters say that they are giving kids what they want an opportunity to improve skills. Sociologist David Hunt opposes this view. He believes these travel teams lead children down a path where few succeed giving them a distorted system of values. There is too much emphasis on something that ends up being only an entertaining part of their live. The emphasis on interpersonal relat ionships and academics is lost (Billie 1998). In addition to psychological adjustment issues children go through due to stress from sports, there is also physical injury. Sports is now the leading cause of injury among adolescents, more and more young athletes are damaging their still growing muscles and bones (Krucoff 1998). In 1996,? 201,000 Children under the age 14 suffered from basketball injuries that have landed them in the hospital. .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 , .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .postImageUrl , .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 , .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2:hover , .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2:visited , .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2:active { border:0!important; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2:active , .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2 .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua868e97943d75ca576736148b4e103f2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Homelessness Essay? 167,000 suffered injuries from football? 147,000 suffered injuries from baseball? 69,000 from soccer (Johnson 1998)These injuries tend to fit the same profile. The children play on a competitive team practicing almost everyday on a year round basis. The duration and intensity is increased during training. The injury starts off as a pain or an ache but coachs and players feel they can still be active in the game. These injuries tent to be over-use injuries such as stress fractures, tendinitis, and bursitis. Children are not given the time necessary for the body to recover. Coachs and parents both dont realize children have growth tissue that adults dont, leaving them more vulnerable. These injuries were first noticed and tend to be more susceptible in boys because they play in high-risk sports. Girls are also very susceptible to injury because of the increased body fat, decrease in muscle strength, and change in alignment of body (Johnson 1998) Children are not ready at young ages to be using their muscles for vigorous physical activity. In conclusion, sports can be beneficial to a childs self-esteem, confidence, health, and social life. When a child is an athletic environment that boosts his self-esteem, he will learn faster, enjoy himself more and perform better under competitive pressure. Competition if not used in the wrong way can be a very good thing for children. The word comes from the Latin words com and petere which mean together and seeking respectively. Competition is seeking together where your opponent is your partner, not the enemy. World records are broken all of the time because the best athletes are seeking together and challenging each other to superior performance. Athletes usually in higher level grades do better academically as well. Parents need to get children off the couches and away from the television set starting when they are young. Parents also need to know their role as a parent on their childs athletic team. They are to be the childs best fan and leave the coaching and instructing to the coach. When a child stops having fun and dreads going to practices and games, a parent should realize they have gone to far. The child that continues to play long after the fun is gone will soon be a drop out statistic. If they have their own reasons and goals for participating, they will be more motivated to excel and be more successful. ReferencesBillie, K. (1998, December). What I Learned in Gym. Psychology Today, p.18. Gobeau, D. (1998, January 23). Building character in sports. National Catholic Reporter (on-line) p.21. http://web2.searchbank.com/infotra. Hellmich, N. (1997, July 1). Few kids get daily exercise. USA Today (on-line), p. D, 1:6. Http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?ts. Johnson, K. (1998, June 2). Very Young, and Very Competitive Beyond Play. Christian Science Monitor p.1. Krucoff, C. (1998, September 29). Encouraging kids to participate in sports. The Washington Post (on-line), p. Z20. Http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?ts. Picon, D. Making the best out of youth sports. (on-line), p. 1-5. Http://ridesafeinc.com/wings/stress5.htm. Spaid, E. (1997, June 3). Good sportsmanship declines on the sidelines amid rising tempers, leagues, and parks are insisting on parental cool. Christian Science Monitor (on-line), p. 1:3. Http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?tsstress, anxiety, and energy. Sports Psychology (on-line), p. 1-4. Http://stad.dsl.n1/coach/stresscn.html. Tye, L. (1997, September 30). Injured at an early age. Boston Globe (on-line), p. A, 1:1. Http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?TS. Editorial Parents, practice sportsmanship. (1998, May 11). The Atlanta Constitution (on-line), p. A; 08. Http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?TS. Education Essays

Free Essays on Streetcar V. 12 Monkeys(insanity)

Sanity v. Society as a Majority In an insane world, a sane person would be insane. I’m not sure if it makes sense to everybody else, but it makes perfect sense to me. In the next few paragraphs I will attempt to link two different stories and their protagonists to show the counterparts between any society and its views; made up by the majority of its constituents. A Streetcar Named Desire and its â€Å"insane† character show the side of society that doesn’t understand the outsider. The crucial aspect of this is to forget the traditional definition of sanity. The other plot is a science fiction story called Twelve Monkeys. In this story, James Cole (played by Bruce Willis) is an underground prisoner in the year 2035. He is sent back to the year 1996 to trace a virus that would eventually wipe out 99% of civilization. Cole, being outside his natural environment of 2035 and placed in the year 1996, although completely sane, appears quite insane. Much like James Cole, Blanche Dubois is rem oved from her natural environment of the wealthy Belle Reve mansion and is misunderstood by the rest of society. Blanche Dubois left her hometown of Laurel, Mississippi were she was the heir to a wealthy family. After her family slowly died off and the estate was sold she left to find her sister in New Orleans. Upon her arrival she finds her sister living in a cramped two-room apartment and married to a man she finds to be quite barbaric. Her expensive clothes and tales of wealthy suitors set her apart from the rest of the crowd. Already looking like an outsider, her actions only furthered her distancing from â€Å"normal† society. Constant lies and a shady past make Stanley and Stella constantly doubt her. However, it was a final act of truth, and complete sanity, that causes Stella to commit Blanche to the asylum. Blanche tells Stella that Stanley raped her and Stella cannot or will not accept. Although devastated, Stella has Blan... Free Essays on Streetcar V. 12 Monkeys(insanity) Free Essays on Streetcar V. 12 Monkeys(insanity) Sanity v. Society as a Majority In an insane world, a sane person would be insane. I’m not sure if it makes sense to everybody else, but it makes perfect sense to me. In the next few paragraphs I will attempt to link two different stories and their protagonists to show the counterparts between any society and its views; made up by the majority of its constituents. A Streetcar Named Desire and its â€Å"insane† character show the side of society that doesn’t understand the outsider. The crucial aspect of this is to forget the traditional definition of sanity. The other plot is a science fiction story called Twelve Monkeys. In this story, James Cole (played by Bruce Willis) is an underground prisoner in the year 2035. He is sent back to the year 1996 to trace a virus that would eventually wipe out 99% of civilization. Cole, being outside his natural environment of 2035 and placed in the year 1996, although completely sane, appears quite insane. Much like James Cole, Blanche Dubois is rem oved from her natural environment of the wealthy Belle Reve mansion and is misunderstood by the rest of society. Blanche Dubois left her hometown of Laurel, Mississippi were she was the heir to a wealthy family. After her family slowly died off and the estate was sold she left to find her sister in New Orleans. Upon her arrival she finds her sister living in a cramped two-room apartment and married to a man she finds to be quite barbaric. Her expensive clothes and tales of wealthy suitors set her apart from the rest of the crowd. Already looking like an outsider, her actions only furthered her distancing from â€Å"normal† society. Constant lies and a shady past make Stanley and Stella constantly doubt her. However, it was a final act of truth, and complete sanity, that causes Stella to commit Blanche to the asylum. Blanche tells Stella that Stanley raped her and Stella cannot or will not accept. Although devastated, Stella has Blan...

Obesity in Older Adults Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Obesity in Older Adults - Essay Example Introduction Obesity can be simply referred to a medical condition caused by excessive accumulation of body fat, which can eventually cause adverse effects on one’s health. To define, â€Å"obesity is an excess of body fat that frequently results in a significant impairment of health.† (Das, 2010, p.44). Although people use the terms obesity and overweight interchangeably, in fact, obesity and overweight are two distinct physical conditions which have already been clearly defined using scientific standards. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the common tool used to identify whether or not a person’s body fat is excessive. According to BMI standards, an individual is said to be overweight when his BMI lies between the ranges of 25-29.9. The person becomes obese when his BMI goes beyond the range 30. Evidently, obesity has become a major health issue among older adults. According to Villareal et al (as cited in Newman, 2009), the prevalence of obesity in people between the a ge range 50-69 increased by 56% in 2000 whereas in people above the age 70 it increased by 36%, since 1991. Causes of Obesity The relationship between energy consumption and expenditure is the major determinant of the body-fat mass. Medical practitioners opine that obesity occurs when an individual consumes more calories (in the form of food) than what he actually needs. People require calories not only to sustain life, but also to maintain a satisfactory body weight. However, studies point to the fact that energy expenditure in 50-65 year old age group considerably declines and therefore likelihood of obesity increases as one becomes old. It has also been identified that hormonal changes in older adults (65 years of age and older) during aging may result in excessive accumulation of fat. Various changes associated with aging, including resistance to leptin, contribute to older adulthood obesity. As Newman (2009) argues, genetic features, socio-environmental factors, and several oth er elements contribute to obesity. Evidently, heredity is one of the major determinants of obesity. In other words, biological inheritance plays a significant role in fat variations. The researchers like Bouchard established that genotype greatly influences visceral fat. Since an individual’s type of food choices, level of physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors are influenced by his surrounding environment, socio-environmental factors greatly affect his body fat levels. To illustrate, increasing â€Å"eating out† food trends in Western countries directly lead to the consumption of excess fat content food and thereby obesity. While analyzing the global obesity data, it is obvious that obesity is more prevalent in Western countries, and especially in the United States. Several other factors including lack of sleep and continuous use of drugs also cause obesity. Some recent studies claim that issues such as joint pain and decreased mobility are also potential co ntributory factors to obesity as they cause decreased activity and thereby a proportionate decline in energy expenditure in older adults. Symptoms of Obesity As discussed earlier, a BMI of over 30 is the primary symptom of obesity. Large body frame is another notable symptom of obesity in older adults. Adults with obesity would face difficulties in doing their daily activities. In addition, breathlessness is another noticeable symptom

Musical Theater Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Musical Theater - Research Paper Example All over the world â€Å"Musicals† are performed. Sometimes they are performed at big budget venues such as Broadway theatre productions and West End theatre. It is sometimes performed on small scale theatres such as Off-Broadway and Fringe Theatre. The fact is that it is present in almost every corner of the world. Since from the start of twentieth century â€Å"book musicals† has been the source of musical plays in which dances and songs are integrated into a well composed story, having some real dramatic goals and as a result it evoked real emotions except laughter. There are three different componenets of book musicals, the first one is the book, the second is lyrics and the third is songs. The book refers to the main story and its spoken words. Book is also sometimes referred to as the combination of lyrics and dialogues together. In opera it is known as the libretto which mean a concise book in ltalian. The creative team of any musical have the responsibility to interpretate the musical in such a way that it influence the audience to a great extent. (Miller, 34) The creative team of each production consists of a musical director, director, orchestrator and choreographer. The technical aspects of musical production include props (the stage properties), set design, sound, lighting an d costumes. These technical aspects change from one production to the other depending on the story. The book musical usually do not have fixed length. It can have only single act and sometimes it contains several acts of different lengths. Musicals are normally presented in two different lengths with intermission in between. (Miller, 76) The first act is usually longer than the second one. Most of the musicals lasts from one hour to one and a half hour. In the first act most of the music and all of the characters are introduced. It often ends with plot complications. The second act reprises some important

Innvovation and Sustainability Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Innvovation and Sustainability - Research Paper Example population is multiplied by (A) which is the consumption per individual then multiplied by (T) which is the technology that drives and services consumption. The product of these factors including P, A, T and I represent a rough estimate of the much humanity degrades the ecosystem services that it depends upon. Hence, the impact of the population on the environment is determined by the number of people involved as well as the used technologies and relative levels of affluence and material consumed (Ehrlich, 1995). One of the factors affecting the consumption habits is overpopulation. The population of the earth is around 6.5 billion today. In the recent decades, environmental scientists and ecologists have fixated on the factor of P, population as the number of human in the 1900 was two billion to almost a figure of seven 2010. The high number of individuals translates to a high environmental degradation. Much of the greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. If this number is opting for driving as a means of transport rather than riding, consumption of this much petroleum will be damaging to the environment. The factor of overpopulation has led to the collapse of human societies. The addition of population causes more damage to humanity’s life-support systems that are critical (Turk & Bensel, 2011). For instance, when the population of the farmers living in well fertile lands goes up, the additional people would move to the ever poorer lands, deeply drill the wells and then spend farm fields, homes and factories. The concerns on the growing population are focused on developing countries that are poorer, though IPAT and footprint analysis have both shown that the high rates of consumption in the developed countries are also significant impacts of the environment (Turk & Bensel, 2011). Technology encompasses the need for alternative fossil fuel energy. It involves switching to the ultra-light and cars that will provide for a short-term advantage that are

Assessment Strategies: Paramedic Education

Assessment Strategies: Paramedic Education Paramedics have, historically, been algorithmically led through all clinical procedures and decisions which do not directly centre on clinical decision making. It has been indicated that this system of paramedic training concentrated on life threatening conditions with protocol driven practice, based on limited underpinning knowledge (Williams, 2002). They have undergone front-loaded, fit-for purpose courses which has suited the operational need of the Ambulance Service. Over the last ten years United Kingdom (UK) ambulance services have become increasingly aware that there is a need to evaluate their educational provision. It became evident that paramedics needed to move on from surface to deep thinking strategies and develop a greater thinking repertoire. The paramedic profession is currently at a major crossroads in its development with the transition from a training paradigm to one of higher education (British Paramedic Association, 2006). This evolution in paramedic education he ralds a shift away from a training ethos of surface learning and expository teaching, best described by Ausebel (1968) as the presentation of the entire content of what is to be learned in its final form. This commentary will discuss the current assessment strategies used within paramedic education by higher education institutes (HEIs) including the assessments implemented in the clinical practicum. The various methods and delivery of assessment will be explored including, formative, summative and feedback. My own personal experiences and involvement with the assessment of paramedic students will also be discussed. This discussion will attempt to highlight the validity and reliability of certain assessment strategies such as objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE), portfolios, work-based assessment. The concept of role models for paramedic students during their time on clinical placement will also be explored. In the UK, the Institute for Healthcare Development (IHCD) is the awarding body for paramedic qualifications and have been involved in prescribing the curriculum, content, and assessments for all paramedic training throughout the UK. IHCD produce multiple choice questionnaires, short answer and clinical assessment tools which have been seriously challenged by the British Paramedic Association (BPA) which is the professional body overseeing paramedic practice and education. The assessment strategies employed by IHCD have been criticised for their errors of format and content relevance (Cooper, 2005). They were also seen as a tick-box exercise for the employers legal liability. IHCD assessment processes were criticised for their validity, reliability, and feasibility, with the BPA highlighting a clear need to identify alternative methods of assessment such as objective structured clinical examinations with links to competency frameworks (British Paramedic Association, 2006). The use of a variety of different assessment methods has now become a characteristic of paramedic education within HEIs. Currently HEIs employ a plethora of assessment methods including simulation, standardised patients, written examinations, oral examinations (viva voce) and reflective portfolios. During their time in the clinical practicum paramedic students are also continually assessed with regard to their clinical competencies. Pugsley and McCrorie (2007) state the need to have valid, reliable, fair and defensible assessments due to increased litigation from students are adding new dimensions to educator roles. With the ongoing change within paramedic education there has been a need to move away from standard assessment methods such as written examinations. Historically, educators have used the same assessment methods for all of the competencies of a paramedic, even when they were ill-suited to the task. For example, it is critical for a paramedic to be able to communicate effectively with patients but an assessment of this aspect of competence is not tested well by written examinations or a viva voce in which the student-patient encounter is unobserved. To correct this problem, several methods of assessments which are new to paramedic education are being implemented with ongoing development. These new methods focus on clinical skills, communication skills, procedural skills and professionalism. An importan t role of the teacher relates to assessing students competence. This hold great relevance within pre-hospital environment as life, health and welfare of patients is potentially at risk if students are not accurately assessed which may lead to future paramedics with low levels of clinical competence. Stuart (2007) states that assessment can be formative and summative with Boud (2000), claiming that both forms of assessment influence learning. Formative assessment can guide future learning, promotes reflection and provide reassurance (Epstein, 2007) whereas summative assessment tends to take place at the end of module or program of study and is used to provide information about how much students have learned and to what extent learning outcomes have been met (Stuart, 2007). Many of the assessment strategies can be used as either a method of formative and summative assessment (see table 1). Any particular method of assessment will have its strengths and its intrinsic flaws. The use of several different assessment methods may partially compensate for the intrinsic flaws in any one method (Epstein, 2007). Validity and reliability are deemed as critical for determining the usefulness of a particular method of assessment (Van der Vleuten, 1996). Validity is the extent to which the assessment measures what it was designed to measure (Quinn Hughes, 2007). Reliability indicates the consistency with which an assessment method measures what it is designed to measure (Messick, 1989). OSCE The teaching and assessment of clinical skill proficiency is a major part of paramedic education. Paramedic degree programs throughout the UK are using and developing OSCEs as an approach for the assessment of clinical skill performance. OSCEs have been utilised in advanced life support, trauma, medical condition scenarios as well as individual clinical skills. Newble (2004) states that OSCEs are better suited to assessing clinical and practical skills, often with a high degree of fidelity. Stuart (2007) warns that OSCEs have limitations as a method of assessment due to the performance of students under laboratory conditions may not accurately reflect their real performance in the clinical practicum. Other limitations also exist such as students finding OSCEs highly stressful (Phillips, Schostak Tyler, 2000; Brand Schoonhein-Klein, 2009). An OSCE also tends to focus more on the assessment of basic skills rather than cognitive skills (Redfern, Norman, Calman, Watson Murrels, 2002). A major limitation is the compartmentalisation of the clinical patient assessment process and students may not learn to holistically assess patients (Stuart, 2007). There is conflicting evidence throughout the literature regarding the reliability and validity of OSCEs as a method of assessment. Goaverts, Schuwirth, Pin et al. (2001) have reported high reliability and validity for this assessment strategy, whereas Phillips, Schostak and Tyler (2000) claim that OSCEs are seriously flawed due to lack of inter-assessor and intra-assessor reliability. Hodges (2003) points out that OSCEs are a social drama with students modifying their own behaviour in an attempt to convey the impression that the assessor desires. There are measures that have been reported to increase the validity and reliability of the use of OSCEs and these are listed in Appendix X. I have had some experience of assisting with OSCE assessments and have found that almost no training has been provided for the assessors which in my opinion, made them unreliable. The assessors are given objective checklists but a personalised form of scoring was sometimes used due to the lack of assessor experience or understanding of the assessment strategy. One of the OSCEs required an assessment of a students ability to perform advanced life support (ALS) with the checklist containing a total of 111 points to be assessed (see appendix X). This created problem with the reliability of this particular OSCE as the assessors found it difficult to observe the student as well as check they were performing everything on the checklist. This OSCE lasted almost 30 minutes which not only caused fatigue to the student but also to the assessor. According to Reznick et al. (1992) the heavy workload on the assessor can affect their performance. A lengthy OSCE can also cause student fatigue which may affect their performance (Rutala, Witzke, Leko, Fulginiti Taylor, 1990). As part of my ongoing development as a teacher I have started to design an OSCE for the assessment of some basic clinical skills. Some of these have already been designed for other healthcare professions but none are paramedic education specific. Simulation ALS Simulations are increasingly being used in paramedic education to ensure that students can demonstrate integration of prerequisite knowledge, skills, and affect in a realistic setting. For these aspects of competence, the use Sim-Man which is a physical simulator that models the human body with a very high fidelity is currently used extensively at my employing university. This form of simulator is very realistic and can provide an excellent assessment of skills. These simulators are used in conjunction with observed structured clinical examinations (OSCE). Standardised Patients A standardised patient is a person trained to portray a patient with a particular medical or traumatic condition. They are used to assess a students ability to collect medical history and physical examination data (Tamblyn Barrows, 1999). Following the encounter between the standardised patient and a student, both the standardised patient and an assessor make judgements about the students performance based on history taking, physical examination and communication skills. Checklists are developed for each patient scenario focusing on the students ability to collect the relevant data. Skills in summarising and interpreting the information collected are often measured following the encounter consisting of open-ended questions or short answers. I have found this to be the most realistic form of assessment outside of the clinical practicum and research has shown that reasonable levels of reliability and validity can be achieved (Norcini McKinley, 2007). However, McKinley and Boulet (200 4) warn that there is a drift in assessor stringency over time and that the standardised patients themselves become increasingly inconsistent portraying a patient. This assessment strategy is very expensive to use and has been implemented infrequently. As part of my role as an associate lecturer I have had the opportunity to take part in this form of assessment. The students were required to perform a cardiac assessment on a standardised patient. Prior to this summative assessment they were given a lecture on cardiac assessment, a demonstration of the assessment and many hours practice time with support from the lecturing team which included myself. A checklist (see appendix X), a viva-voce question sheet (see appendix X) and a short answer paper (see appendix X) were all designed. Following the patient encounter the standardised patient and I went through the checklist to ascertain the ability of the student. The viva-voce followed where open-ended questions (see appendix X) were a sked to allow the student to discuss their findings and plans for treatment which was followed by the short answer paper (see appendix X). Work-based Assessment Work based assessment of learners in the clinical cenvironment Assessment plays a major role in the process of medical education, in the lives of medical students, and in society by certifying competent physicians who can take care of the public. Society has the right to know that physicians who graduate from medical school and subsequent residency training programmes are competent and can practise their profession in a compassionate and skilful manner (Shumway Harden 2003). Miller (1990) proposed his now famous pyramid for assessment of learners clinical competence (Figure 2). Knowledge tested by written exams Application of knowledge tested by clinical problem solving etc. Demonstration of clinical skills, tested by OSCEs, clinical exams, competency testing (Competency) Daily patient care assessed by direct observation in the clinical setting (Performance) Adapted from Miller (1990) At the lowest level of the pyramid is knowledge (knows), followed by competence (knows how), performance (shows how), and action (does) The clinical environment is the only venue where the highest level of the pyramid can be regularly assessed. Assessment in the workplace is quite challenging as patient care takes top priority and teachers have to observe firsthand what the learners do in their interaction with patients and yet be vigilant that patient care is of the highest quality. Paramedic students need to retain vast amounts of information, integrate critical thinking skills as well as having an ability to solve a range of complex clinical problems often under intense pressure. In an effort to enable this I have started to acknowledge the need for alternative teaching, learning and assessment strategies. Educational literature supports the use of concept mapping as a means to promote learning and is seen as a metacognitive strategy (Novak, 1990; Pinto Zeitz, 1997; Irvine, 1995). I have explored the idea of concept mapping and have now started to use it within my teaching practice. I view the goal of concept mapping as a way to foster learning in a meaningful way, to enable feedback and to conduct learning evaluation and assessment. As a learning resource, concept maps can facilitate a students understanding of the integration and organisation of important clinical concepts (Pinto Zeitz, 1997). A group of the paramedic students I currently teach found that concept mapping encouraged them to think independently, promoted self-confidence and provided them with a greater awareness of connecting across different areas of knowledge. From my own perspective I view concept mapping as a creative activity which assists the students in becoming active learners. It is also seen to allow students to organise theoretical knowledge in an integrative way as well as fostering reflection into the learners understanding (Harpaz et al., 2004). During and following the use of concept mapping sessions numerous opportunities arose to identify student misunderstandings allowing provision of relevant feedback and clarification of content. According to Kinchin and Hay (2000) the use of concept mapping highlights the learners constructions of connections as well as a useful form of communication between the teacher and learner. As an assessment strategy concept maps can be used either formatively or summatively (West, Park, Pomeroy Sandoval, 2002) by identify ing the learners valid or invalid thoughts and links. However, Roberts (1999) warns that a suitable scoring method must be selected for each particular type of map due to their great variation in style. I have used concept mapping with individual students and small groups of students and it has been effective when dealing with the differential diagnosis of certain conditions. For example, the causes of chest pain are numerous but it is important for a paramedic student to be able to understand and differentiate between the different causative factors. A lesson was planned, delivered with handouts provided (see appendix X). Over the next two weeks the students were formatively assessed individually by using concept maps to illustrate their understanding of the causes of chest pain. A decision was made to use a relaxed approach in an effort to overcome any anxiety so the assessment became an informal discussion. As the students progressed through the task I was able to gain insight into what each student knows and how they arrange knowledge in their own minds. I was able to give feedback on their misunderstandings, misconceptions and errors. Paramedic educators rarely use concept mapp ing as a teaching or learning method but I see them as valuable tool in revealing students misunderstanding of concepts which could in turn lead to the identification of potential clinical errors. FEEDBACK Effective feedback may be defined as feedback in which information about previous performance is used to promote positive and desirable development. Giving feedback, whether corrective or reinforcing, is complicated but is an essential part of paramedic education. Feedback plays a central part in the support of cognitive, technical and professional development (Archer, 2010). Cognitive theorists view feedback as a comparison between actual performance and the intended performance level (Locke Latham, 1990). According to Kluger and DeNisi (1996) this will highlight the gap between a learners knowledge and the required knowledge and provide a learning catalyst. Behaviourists conceive feedback as a way of modification or reinforcement of behaviour (Thorndike, 1931). In the health care education literature including paramedic education, feedback seems to lack any form of theoretical basis (Colthart, Bagnall, Evans, Allbutt, Haig et al., 2008). Paramedic education feedback is often problematic for both the provider and recipient. The diversity of the feedback settings creates multiple challenges for paramedic educators in the provision of effective feedback. Settings such as bedside teaching, practical skills training as well as the often chaotic environment have been utilised for the provision of feedback by myself. The protection of the professional standards, the rights and safety of patients as well as the self-esteem of the paramedic student must be safeguarded. Added to this is the acknowledgement of the psychosocial needs of the paramedic students as well as ensuring that the feedback is accurate and honest (Molloy, 2009: Higgs, Richardson Abrandt Dahlgren, 2004). These challenges are an ongoing issue within paramedic education but despite this feedback has been described as the cornerstone of effective clinical teaching (Cantillon Sargeant, 2008). An important factor necessary for progress is the provision of feedback. Parsloe and Wray (2000) suggested that feedback is the fuel of improved performance, that it can provide motivation. However, they do warn that motivation can be reversed if you get the feedback wrong. Feedback should be viewed as a positive tool as even negative aspects of feedback actively encourage learners to improve practice; Bennett (2003) affirms that it can also highlight strengths and weaknesses which in turn can lead to enhanced practice. There are many types of feedback used to support learners and these can have either a directive or facilitative function. Directive feedback can inform a learner of what requires some type of corrective measure whereas facilitative feedback can involve the provision of suggestions to facilitate learners in their own revision (Archer, 2010). Feedback specificity may also be variable. Specific feedback can sometimes be beneficial for an initial change in performance but it may have a negative effect on the learners ability to further explore their performance which can lead to an undermining of subsequent performance and learning in the long term (Goodman, Wood Hendrix, 2004). Less specific feedback can lead to uncertainty for the learner that may subsequently lead to a reduction in learning (Kluger DeNisi, 1996). Verification and elaborative feedback are structural variances of directive and facilitative types of feedback. Feedback can simply indicate that an answer is correct (veri fication) or it may facilitate the learner to arrive at the correct answer (elaboration). According to Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, Kulik and Morgan (1991) the guiding principles of feedback are that it should be specific, with verifying and elaborative feedback enhancing effectiveness. I have attempted to utilise a number of types of feedback for my learners since the start of my current studies on the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). I will now go on to discuss some of the methods of feedback utilised for the different learners I am currently supporting. I have utilised many of the types of feedback interchangeably and have slowly gained a conscious knowledge of their appropriateness. Throughout their placements paramedic students have regularly received constructive feedback which is usually delivered contemporaneously which is something that Price (2005) recommends. A large proportion of the feedback has been delivered informally and is often carried out in between emergency calls and has often been given as a running commentary during student/patient interaction. Non-verbal communication is seen as a strong method of conveying meaning and is often utilised in providing feedback (Stuart, 2007). Non-verbal communication serves several functions which can be summarised as giving and receiving information, expressing emotions, communicating interpersonal attitudes (e.g. warmth, dominance and liking) and establishing relationships (Williams, 1997). Non-verbal communication requires acute observation by the receiver for accurate interpretation of the message (Golub, 1994). Non-verbal communication includes specific behaviours that include proximity, touch, eye-contact and eye gaze, facial expression, body posture and head movements. I have used this form of communication as a method of feedback during bedside teaching sessions and when the student is involved within patient care episodes. A nod and a look of approval are seen as positive feedback which all ads to the feedback process. More formal feedback is given at the end of each shift. The timing and format of these feedback sessions are of great significance. For feedback to have maximal motivational impact on learning, it should take place while it is still relevant and points raised are therefore more meaningful and alive (Hays, 2006). During these feedback sessions the format is a blend of oral and written. A copy of the written element is given to the student to place in their portfolio. Fish and Twain (1997) believe written notes are essential in providing continuity in the monitoring of progress. Initially, the students were asked to provide a self-assessment of how they felt the shift had gone. This was an addition to the feedback cycle and encouraged learners to be more self-aware and more self-critical but gives an insight into how the student feels about their progress (Mohanna, Wall Chambers, 2004). Rather than a one-way process the feedback becomes collaborative. On further exploration of the literature I became aware that involving the learner in comparative self-assessment that places them at the centre of the feedback process will not always improve competence. Paramedic students are frequently required to self-assess their performance in an attempt to identify their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to other peoples views. Written feedback is important for learners as well as teachers. As an on-line tutor for a local HEI I provide support and feedback to paramedic science students via email. These students send me there work in progress and constructive feedback is given (see appendix X). Any negative comments made are supported to produce positive outcomes which is something that Webb (1955) advocates. According to Archer (2010), lengthy and complex feedback maybe ignored with its main messages lost. In effort to counteract this problem some of my written feedback has been deliberately left concise. In conjunction with verbal feedback students on clinical placement are provided with daily written feedback on patient encounters (see appendix X) which are supported by further written feedback monthly, quarterly and at the end of the clinical placement (see appendix X). I consider the use of feedback on student progress generated from other sources such as other paramedics and assesors as highly important as part of a systematic approach. Feedback from a variety of sources is described as multi-source feedback (Archer, 2007). Paramedic students on clinical placement are sometimes rostered to work with other Clinical Supervisors or paramedics. Early in a paramedic students placement a critical development issue was identified by one of my colleagues who had completed a set of shifts with the student. The unacceptably slow pace of the students clinical practice including patient assessment, patient management and long turnaround times at hospital following incidents had been fedback to me. As a students practice placement progresses, evidence of care activities should be gathered showing increasing speed and dexterity with increasing clinical experience (Stuart, 2007). Early support is vital in preventing the student with a learning issue from experie ncing the cycle of failure (Cleland, Arnold Chesser, 2005). Other key personnel who had observed the student in practice were consulted to ensure that the issue was as prevalent and problematic as had initially been assessed. Eliciting the opinions of other assessors also helps provide a more fair and unbiased assessment of a students abilities (Gomez, Lobodzinski Hartwell West, 1998). The issue was then raised with the student whilst they were performing a task too slowly. Stuart (2007) highlighted the critical importance of the critical role of providing feedback in learning and support. Furthermore, providing feedback of a development issue whilst it is relevant and alive is important for memory recall (Bailley, 1998: Gipps, 1994). The key to support struggling students however is to identify specific reasons for poor performance (Cleland, Arnold Chesser, 2005). Furthermore, major feedback which corrects a particular performance deficit should end with a plan of action (Branch Paranjape, 2002). During a feedback session with the student, input regarding specific areas where time could be saved was requested by the student but a specific action plan had not been prepared. Providing poor quality feedback may make the student feel they are being personally judged and can lead to defensiveness or reactivity (Katz, 2006). In order to rectify this, the student was closely observed in practice for a set of four shifts in order to identify specific areas of slow practice (see appendix X). A three month plan was negotiated with the student to rectify the problem and a ten point action plan developed which identified ten areas where the student could save time on each call attended (see appendix X). Data was collected over a three month period of the students on scene times and hospital turnaround times. The student was not informed of this in order to avoid the Hawthorne effect when working with other members of staff where a subjects normal behaviour and/or study outcomes are altered as a result of the subjects awareness of being under observation (Mangione-Smith. Elliott, McDonald McGlynn, 2002). Branch and Paranjape (2002) state that evaluation should follow efforts at remedying the learners problem. The results of the data after the three month period were therefore presented in chart format to the student (see appendix X) which provided tangible proof that the student had demonstrated real evidence of progress. Just as paramedic students are interested in their progress, so too should the paramedic educators be interested in the quality of their teaching. The measurement of teaching quality can be a very complex, multi-perspective task that may include many different approaches (Hays, 2006). One form of teaching quality assessment is student feedback. Collecting student feedback also sends messages to students that their views are welcome (Hays, 2006). With this is in mind teaching assessment tools were designed to elicit the students opinions on the teaching provided (see appendix X). Other feedback has been provided from peer observations (see appendix X). Prehospital education is changing rapidly, and as demonstrated the way paramedic education is delivered at clinical practicum level is also evolving. In order to establish quality and stability in this rapidly changing delivery of education, eliciting feedback from students is critical (Jones, Higgs, de Angelis Prideaux, 2001). A feedback questionnaire was designed to elicit the students opinions on the quality of the learning timetable and reference handbook after three months of the placement period. The students indicated a very high satisfaction rating for the timetable and particularly the reference handbook (see appendix X). Feedback was also gained via a questionnaire regarding general teaching effectiveness in areas such as quality of feedback, supervisor/student relationship, goal management and mentoring activities (see appendix X). Whilst overall the feedback obtained regarding general teaching and mentoring effectiveness was very positive, one of the students indicated some dissatisfaction with the prioritisation of goals. This was discussed further with this student who expressed concerns that it was unclear in reference to the learning timetable which goals were of a higher priority than others as the learning objectives were set out in chronological order. Patients have also been able to add to the feedback process as they can provide testimony to the students performance. This type of feedback is unique to healthcare professionals and is deemed influential in changing performance (Fidler, Lockyer, Toews, Violato, 1999). However, Archer (2010) warns that feedback elicited from patients may lack validity with Crossley et al. (2008) suggesting that there is limited correlation with other sources of feedback. This form of feedback is often utilised when a student has been driving the ambulance and the patient is asked about the comfort of the journey to hospital, which is naturally carried out in earshot of the student. Giving feedback In the clinical environment it is vital to provide feedback to trainees as without feedback their strengths cannot be reinforced nor can their errors be corrected (Ende 1983). It is a crucial step in the acquisition of clinical skills, but clinical teachers either omit to give feedback altogether or the quality of their feedback does not enlighten the trainees of their strengths and weaknesses. Omission of feedback can result in adverse consequences, some of which can be long term especially relating to patient care. For effective feedback, teachers need to observe their trainees during their patient interactions and not base their words on hearsay. Feedback can be formal or informal, brief and immediate or long and scheduled, formative during the course of the rotation or summative at the end of a rotation (Branch Paranjape 2002). Reflection on feedback Role Modelling Ambulance services in the UK are slowly becoming reliant on undergraduate paramedic education programs to meet their employment needs (JRCALC, 2000). The HEIs and ambulance services have now forged strong links and work closely with one another in the education of student paramedics with the ambulance services providing the clinical practice placements. The clinical practicum is an important component of a student paramedics development. This practicum seeks to integrate theory and practice as well as enable the development and assessment of professional competencies. During this time in practice the student will have many opportunities to develop skills and to refine these skills based on performance feedback by clinical su