Test Essay Example

Test Essay Online Examination System is a software solution, which allows a particular company or institute to arrange, conduct and manage examinations via an online environment. This can be done through the Internet, Intranet and/or Local Area Network environments. Some of the problems faced by manual examination systems are delays in result processing, filing poses a problem, filtering of records is not easy, The chance of loss of records is high and also record searching is difficult. Maintenance of the system is also very difficult and takes lot of time and effort.I intend to use the systems development life cycle (SDLC) which is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project. Microsoft Visual basic 2010 will be used to achieve the project because of its flexibility and English-Like Syntax. Microsoft SQL Server will be used as the database management system. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Online Examination System is a software application which allows a particular company or institute to arrange, conduct and manage any examination via online.In this module a candidate can be given online exam of a particular subject and get the results instantly through which the user can know his/her potentials and how much more effort he/she needs to put in to get better marks. Every other thing that should be included in Chapter One is with you. Arrange them Good Luck. You can call me anytime CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Before proceeding with the design and implementation of this project, I have studied many existing Online Examination management Systems. This study helped me a lot to know the various features of online examination management systems.The umFundi Examination System, coursewebs online exam, online examinations by deft info systems limited are some online examination management systems used worldwide. I have studied each system and noticed some special features of them which are listed as foll ows: The umFundi Examination System Features †¢ A test can be compiled with questions from different topics/libraries. †¢ A â€Å"serial number† is provided for each question according to topic, etc. †¢ The â€Å"serial number† can be used to search for and select questions. †¢ Tests can be created on a random basis per student. †¢ Specific questions can be flagged to be included/excluded in a test. The online examination system is suitable for surveys. †¢ The online examination system can automatically add the marks allocated in each question to determine the total mark for the test. †¢ Export question papers and memoranda to . txt or . doc file †¢ A time limit can be set for the test. †¢ The sequence of questions can be randomized. †¢ The distractors/options per question can be randomized. †¢ Students can navigate within a test (i. e. backwards and forwards). Can be set. Navigation tools/buttons can be selected f or a test, and these buttons can be switched on/off per question/test, e. . backward/forward buttons. †¢ Students can be forced to go through all the questions at least once, before exiting the test. †¢ Students can be allowed to exit the test before completing all the questions. †¢ After exiting a test, students can continue the test from the last question they answered. †¢ A specific date for a test to be active can be set. Comments †¢ The System does not limit the number of times a student can write a test/exam. †¢ After exiting a test, students cannot continue the test/exam from the last question they answered. Course-webs online exam Questions can be multiple choice, true/false, short answer (fill in the blank), multiple answer (checkboxes), and essay. †¢ Exams can be timed or untimed. †¢ The system can automatically create exams by randomly choosing questions from your exam question database. †¢ The system will randomly order the qu estions for each student. †¢ Exams can be turned on or off and have a date range for each exam. †¢ Multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions are automatically graded. †¢ Detailed score report breaks down student responses by category. †¢ Students get instant results on automatically graded exams. Students and instructors get instant results via e-mail. †¢ For each question you can enter feedback that the student will get when reviewing the exam. †¢ Control review options: review correct, incorrect, both, or neither. †¢ Allow students to retake exams, limit total attempts and cap retake scores. †¢ Automatically generates a numbered certificate of completion on successfully passing an exam. You customize the certificate. †¢ The Certificate is a PDF file that can be customized in any way. †¢ Instructors can manually grade and rescore an exam if necessary. Exams are not taken through the browser, you require a plug-in. Comm ents †¢ The option of untimed examination, will give maximum chance malpractices †¢ Exams are not taken through the browser, you require a plug-in. Online examinations by deft info systems limited Features †¢ Any institute or company can register their various types of certificate/non-certificate programs and conduct an online examination for the same. †¢ Just register the programs, their fees (if paid) and the centers (where the exam will be conducted) in order to start the examination process. Questions and answers would be objective type and the format would be as per the company’s choice. †¢ User can select the company, its program, exam schedule and pay fees online in order to give his exam at the selected center. Comments †¢ It is not free, any user of this system will have to pay some amount to acquire it. †¢ It is not specific to a particular school, therefore there won’t be competition between different users of the same syst em which will not promote improvement. Some Common Features of Online Examination 1. Questions can be multiple choices, true/false, short answer (fill in the blank), multiple answers (checkboxes). . Online examination system can automatically add the marks allocated in each question to determine the total mark for the test. 3. A time limit can be set for the test. 4. The sequence of questions can be randomized. 5. Students can be allowed to exit the test before completing all the questions. 6. Result is displayed instantly Analysis of the Existing System Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro (Case Study) still operate the manual method of test/examination writing. In the manual method, examinations are taken in the class room with proper invigilation of candidates.Organization of examination is a peculiar type of job in which so many factors of varied nature play a vital role. Its complexity increases with the increasing number of examinations during the session. The increasing number of e xaminers and examinees, the number of centers involved, available manpower for carrying out various preparations, different type of material required, co-ordination with various external agencies, financial constraints and time limitation etc are some of the major factors which have to be taken into consideration while finalizing a plan for organization of examinations.Right from the initial stage of students’ enrolment to the final stage of the declaration of result, various jobs are required to be under-taken with proper care and sophistication. Drawbacks in the Existing Examination System Examination and problems associated with it is the main centre of focus in the field of education in our country today. Publication of results also takes a very long time owing to which students remain idle for months together. Some of the drawbacks in the existing examination system are as follows: Students from different areas have to visit university for every query regarding filling u p of application forms, examination date, results and syllabus etc are collected by the student personally, thus wasting his/her precious time and money. †¢ Students have to wait in long queues to take examination forms, deposit examination fee and to get know the status of their results. Even sometimes, they cannot take admission in higher studies outside the state. †¢ The manual examination system leads to errors, more time consumption, inefficient and wastage of valuable resources. There is repetition of work in the existing system, the same data is written again and again by different branches. †¢ In existing system, managing of student’s record is very tedious. Searching of students’ records in manual registers, maintaining of records and reconciliation etc. are very time consuming. †¢ In manual examination system, there is no check on the secrecy and tempering of students records. Sometime fake degrees are prepared thus degrading the image of university. In existing system whole data of students are stored in papers, registers, as record is increasing yearly, the registers are piling up and sometimes we may see the staff sitting on these registers. Advantages of the existing system †¢ Manual Exams are invigilated, thus minimizing malpractices to an extent. †¢ All types of questions can be asked in a manual examination. E. g. Multichoice, essays, questions and answers with diagrammatic illustrations e. t. c. System Methodology Spiral Methodology The spiral methodology extends the waterfall model by introducing prototyping.It is generally chosen over the waterfall approach for large, expensive, and complicated projects. At a high-level, the steps in the spiral model are as follows: 1. The new system requirements are defined in as much detail as possible. This usually involves interviewing a number of users representing all the external or internal users and other aspects of the existing system. 2. A preliminary d esign is created for the new system. 3. A first prototype of the new system is constructed from the preliminary design. This is usually a scaled-down system, and represents an approximation of the characteristics of the final product. . A second prototype is evolved using four steps: 1. Evaluate the first prototype and identify its strengths, weaknesses, and risks. 2. Define the requirements of the second prototype. 3. Plan and design the second prototype. 4. Construct and test the second prototype. 5. At the project sponsors option, the entire project can be aborted if the risk is deemed too great. Risk factors might involve development cost overruns, operating-cost miscalculation, or any other factor that could result in a less-than-satisfactory final product. 6.The existing prototype is evaluated in the same manner as was the previous prototype, and, if necessary, another prototype is developed from it according to the fourfold procedure outlined above. 7. The preceding steps are iterated until the customer is satisfied that the refined prototype represents the final product desired. 8. The final system is constructed, based on the refined prototype. 9. The final system is thoroughly evaluated and tested. Routine maintenance is carried out on a continuing basis to prevent large-scale failures and to minimize downtime.Reasons for using spiral methodology †¢ Estimates (i. e. budget, schedule, etc. ) get more realistic as work progresses, because important issues are discovered earlier. †¢ It is more able to cope with the (nearly inevitable) changes that software development generally entails. †¢ Software engineers (who can get restless with protracted design processes) can get their hands in and start working on a project earlier. The Proposed System To solve the problems faced with manual examination writing, there is need for a computerized system to handle all the works.I propose a web based application that will provide a working environmen t that will be flexible and will provide ease of work and will reduce the time for report generation and other paper works. These examinations are conducted as open-book or open table type examinations. Candidate is given a limited time to answer the questions and after the time expiry the answer paper is disabled automatically and answers is sent to the examiner. The examiner will evaluate answers, either through automated process or manually and the results will be sent to the candidate through email or made available in the web site.Today many organizations are conducting online examinations worldwide successfully and issue results online. The main advantage is that it can be conducted for remote candidates and evaluation of answers can be fully automated for all questions and other essay type questions can be evaluated manually or through automated system, depending on the nature of the question’s and the requirements. Also online examinations can be conducted at any time and does not incur higher cost as traditional exam scenario as there is no paper work involved (e. g. printing exam papers, prepare paper admissions etc. , there is no invigilators, also no need of arrangement of exam centers. When comparing with traditional exam scenario the cost for an online examination will be almost zero after the online exam system is establishment and if maintenance cost is not considered. The volume of examination work has necessitated the use of computer services. Various jobs such as checking up of examination application forms, allotment of roll numbers, preparation of roll lists, tabulation of marks and formulation of marks sheets are preferred to be got done by computer.Looking into the ever growing complex nature of examination process and also to cope with the situation, it is deemed fit to apply modern management techniques and adopt a system approach. In the era of Information Technology, there is hardly any department which is not adopting this te chnology. To bring, efficiency, transparency and reliability, universities should also adopt this new technology for managing the examination system. Some of the benefits of integrated automated examination system are defined as under. Advantages of the Proposed System Total Computerization of system will facilitate an integration of all sections/units/departments of the Examination Wing under single umbrella. †¢ It will improve the efficiency of the workforce who in turn carries out many operations manually. †¢ The new system will streamline the procedure for collation of exam fees, issuing receipts to large number of students and keeping a track of cash flow. †¢ With the adoption of new system, there will centralized, secure and robust database of the candidates appearing in the examination without duplication of records. In a networked environment system different units of the examination wing are connected so that all these are able to share up-to-date information without redundancy of database at various stages. †¢ It will bring improvement in quality of services being provided to the students/concerned departments/sections by introducing computerized window system and online availability of information to the concerned departments/sections of the University. †¢ There will be less human intervention (as much as possible) in result processing by automating all the concerned activities. The complete Computerization of Examination System will lead to effective monitoring of Examination Process by the concerned authorities (the possibility of fraudulence will be minimized). †¢ The Computerized Statistical Analysis of Data will facilitate the management to see trends in result at various levels. Management Information System (MIS) reports will facilitates the Top †¢ Level Management to make strategic decision in favor of University and students. The use of Relational Database Management System for storage of students’ data will help in minimizing the redundancy in database in addition to maintains consistency, integrity and security of data. †¢ Once the students’ data is in database form, lots of academic benefits can be drawn in terms of the statistical analysis of the results belonging to different faculties, courses, social groups, colleges (private/government) and different area of the state and the country. Disadvantages of the Proposed System Changing technology may create barriers to accessing examination environments as with new examination methods, online learning/examination has faced much criticism from many sources as they claim it has devalued post secondary education and will reduce the effectiveness of obtaining quality career positions by obtaining higher education. These skeptics claim many existing barriers to effectively writing complex exam in an online-only setting. †¢ There is need for stakeholders (i. e. both examiner and examinee) to be computer literate a nd good users of the internet. Invigilators do not have control over candidates. This could lead to some malpractices. Though, there are measures to limit the malpractices(Timing is one of the means) Justification of the proposed Study In feasibility study phase I had undergone through various steps, which are described asunder: How feasible is the system proposed? This was analyzed by comparing the following factors with both the existing system and proposed system. Cost The cost required in the proposed system is comparatively less to the existing system. EffortCompared to the existing system the proposed system will provide a better working environment in which there will be ease of work and the effort required will be comparatively less than the existing system. Time Also the time required generating a report or for doing any other work will be comparatively very less than the existing system. Record finding and updating will take less time than the existing system. Labor In the existing system the number of staff required for completing the work is more while the new system will require quite less number of staff.

Of Human Bondage Essays - English-language Films, Bisexual Men

Of Human Bondage Essays - English-language Films, Bisexual Men Of Human Bondage Family, love, and friendships are a few of the many colorful threads that are taken and woven into a tapestry of life. Every person one meets on the way will influence the patterns of that tapestry. Every incident, be it tragic or cheerful, will guide the shuttle to take on new directions. With this in mind, William Somerset Maughams autobiographical novel Of Human Bondage offers the reader a first person perspective on the first thirty years of a young mans life. Philip Carey was born with a clubbed-foot. Many critics believe that this birth defect paralleled Maughams own trouble with stammering. This handicap acted as a basis for all the anxiety and self-consciousness that shadowed Philips life. As readers, we shadowed Philip as well, following him from childhood in England, to adulthood in Germany, adventures in Paris, and back to a village on the British coast. Together with Philip, we were drawn into a world of cynicism, passion, hatred, and the yearning to become someone greater. In the beginning, innocence reigned. As a little boy who was just orphaned, Philip took everything in, not comprehending his situation. There was simplicity in his thoughts and naivete in his actions. He soon developed self-consciousness about his clubbed-foot, however, when he was sent to an all boys school. He was endlessly humiliated by his fellow classmates and was treated differently by the teachers. When he did something wrong, the teacher would not cane Philip like he would any other wrong doer because Philip was a cripple. Having suffered years of shame and loneliness, Philip was truly grateful to finally make a friend. Rose was very popular with the boys. He was outgoing and whimsical, and Philip was honored to have Rose treat him as a normal person. There comes a time, unfortunately, in many friendships when one of the people involved becomes possessive. Philip became jealous of Roses other friends, and in childish revenge, Philip made friends with Sharp, a boy whom he desp ised. It was Sharp who gave Philip the idea to go to Germany to study and experience the world. Philip wanted to get out of England so much that he began to slack off, and eventually, he threw away his scholarship to Oxford. In his teenage defiance, he learned independence. Out in the world, he met people who left lasting impressions in his personality. Being sensitive and inexperienced, Philip believed whatever the next person who came into his life believed. His uncle had taught him Christianity as a child, and Philip had faith in it. Hayward taught him that there was more to religion and that civilized people were poets and lovers, and Philip believed him. Cornshaw then gave him the idea that Christianity was just morality and those poets were dreamers, and Philip hated his uncle for instilling a rigid religion and believed that Hayward was living unrealistically. One of his biggest fears about disbelieving in God was that maybe he was wrong and that he was sinning by becoming an atheist. Then, in a rare burst of young wisdom, he decided that after all, its not my fault. I cant force myself to believe. If there is a God after all and he punishes me because I honestly dont believe in Him I cant help it (104). According to A. C. Ward, Maughams effectiveness as a critic of life is in inverse proportion to his solemnity. We might be shocked by some of the strong feelings that Philip felt, but Maugham knew this. He wanted Philip to be honest with himself and in doing so, he wanted to remind readers of the flaws in mankind. John Lehmann once said, [Maughams] originality, his power of holding the readers attention, consists largely in putting conventional stories in exotic settings. Maugham wrote of places sometimes with vehemence and sometimes with awe in order to pull readers in even more closer to Philips own feelings. Philip traveled to many places in his life. We observed from the tidy, little house of his aunt and uncle and the crowded rooms of the school to the elegant and simple rooms of Germany and Paris that Philips emotions were closely related to where he was. For

Article about microeconomics Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About microeconomics - Article Example With domestic production, orders can be fulfilled in much shorter time compared to longer period that is wasted in transporting clothing from overseas plant. For this same reason, quality of clothing can also be maintained if manufactured in domestic factories. However, this industry is still struggling in US because there is shortage of clothes makers in the country. The objective of this article is to present the current scenario of the growing trend of apparel manufacturers within the US market. Recently, in Asian countries like China the labour cost is increasing which goes in favour of the American manufacturers. Also, American designer clothes enjoy a large share of international market as they are considered of superior quality. Domestic production acts as cost advantage because transport cost is saved as clothes are not required to be transferred from overseas market. In this article, Davidson has stated the added advantage for small labels that sell university-licensed clothing as their business faces risk if they have to depend on shipments from foreign countries. As per the theory of comparative advantage, US domestic apparel industry enjoys comparative advantage as US clothing becomes first choice for global consumers because of the perception that US items are superior to products from Asian countries which is a result of research on product qualities and services. A second advantage is that due to domestic production US garment industry can meet the market demand promptly without having to wait for shipments from abroad (Berdine, 2008, p.17). III. Davidson has managed to provide an overall picture of the advantages faced by US garment industry. He has presented examples like Brooks Bros. who owns a garment manufacturing plant in Massachusetts and has created 1,000 jobs. With this article the author has put

Geography - Economic Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Geography - Economic Growth - Essay Example According to them, there are two types of the developing world -- one who has globalized their trade and the one who has not. The globalized group of countries has increased their foreign investment and trade well above the rates of rich countries and opposite is the case with non-globalized group of countries (121) Authors believe that globalization has not caused any higher inequality within economies though they also agree that inequality has gone up in China but it has nothing to do with any free trade and investment flows. They attribute it to education, social policies and taxation. What they want to emphasize is that higher economic growth rates translate higher incomes for the poor. For example, in China inequality has increased but at the same time poverty reduction has taken place and that is entirely because of foreign trade and investment. Authors suggest that growing protectionist movement in rich countries does not augur well if full potential of economic integration an d its benefits are to be realized; however, at the same time, developing countries need to change their policies and build up institutions so that they can prosper under globalization (121). Authors argue that further integration is being opposed in the rich countries and their protectionist measures are directed toward agriculture and labor-intensive products (131). Authors argue that human productivity has increased manifold. The world economy, which was crawling at the rate of 1 percent during mid-nineteenth century accelerated to 3.5 percent during1960-2000 because of economic integration among several countries. Authors put forward the argument that worldwide income inequality was on rise until 1970 but thereafter it started reducing. The income inequality in 1970 was at its highest level at 88.1% that subsequently reduced to 77.7 percent in year 1995. According to authors, after 1980 the number of poor has reduced by 200 million. This has been possible due to accelerated growt h rate of China and India (125). Authors advocate migration from poor countries to reduce the poverty and currently that is highly restricted by rich countries because of the fear of high unemployment rate in those countries. Authors strongly argue that the fate of poor also hangs on the rich countries' migration policy decisions (133). Growth with Equity is Good for the Poor Oxfam (2000) argues that 'growth with equity' is a solution to poverty eradication and not growth proposed by Dollar and Kraay. According to Oxfam, growth alone cannot help in reducing poverty. Oxfam advocates poverty-focused growth that reaches to the lowest 20% of the population to bring them up in line with others. They consider Dollar and Kraay's growth model as anti-poor and anti-growth (2). The important thing, according to Oxfam, is how income is distributed among poor. The larger share of income growth should go to poor if poverty is to be reduced. Comparing different regions on economic growth, Oxfam a sserts that East Asia is the only region, which can achieve its goal of poverty eradication by 2015. Due to poverty-focused growth in East Asia, it has raised 22 million people out of poverty, which other region such as Latin America has not been able to do so. At least 3 million people in Latin America would have been out of poverty had it initiated a focused growth (4). Oxfam argues that growth alone is not sufficient to reduce poverty. Oxfam emphasizes that the income distribution is

Cause & Effect Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cause & Effect Assignment - Essay Example re binge drinking more, underage drinking has serious consequences, underage youth continue to find alcohol easily accessible, youth exposure to alcohol advertising is substantial, long-term studies have shown that youth who see, hear, and read more alcohol ads are more likely to drink and drink more heavily than their peers and Much more needs to be done† (The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth). The problems associated with alcoholism, which the study labels as â€Å"serious consequences† includes the death figures associated with drinking an driving, alcohol-related sexual assaults and rape, alcohol-related homicide, suicide and drowning and other diseases such as loss of memory (The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth). These things have given impetus for the government to totally ban the use of alcohol for children below 21 years. As to what effects does this ban has on kids is the aim of this study. We will be using data and analysis from online sources to answer the question. In a study published in 2009, regarding banning alcohol advertisements reveal that â€Å"there is strong evidence that restrictions have not reduced consumption and the evidence from jurisdictions that have removed bans shows that consumption has not increased when advertising has resumed† (http://www.spiked-online.com/). Banning advertisements is one way of managing the demand for alcohol, presuming that advertisements increase the use of alcohol. But the study suggests that this policy is not effective. This policy is similar to banning underage to drink alcohol. It is one way of managing the demand for alcohol, but the figures reveal that the intended purpose is not met. The study of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth specifically produced the following figures: d. More than 7 million underage youth, ages 12 to 20, reported binge drinking – having five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past 30 days – in 2004, according to data released in September

Black hawk down

Black hawk down Analysis It can be argued that Black Hawk Down is accurate in the sense of numbers and statistics. Yes, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down 19 Americans were killed, 84 wounded, and an estimated 2000 Somalis were killed and even more wounded.Yes the street fighting was realistic, and yes, they were in Mogadishu that day to capture two top lieutenants in Aidids government, and therefore from a military point of view, was a successful mission.But the film fails to retell the complexities of why the Americans are there in the first place. It is more a tool of American Hollywood propaganda than an accurate account of the Battle of Mogadishu. In Black Hawk Down the American soldiers are shown in an overly heroic way. No doubt these men were very brave struggling to survive with the odds so greatly against them. But the way they are portrayed and glorified is the patriotic nonsense one can expect from Hollywood. These soldiers are depicts without faults, and they can do no wrong. They are the ideal family men who constantly look after one another. Any facts that may contradict this, like their contribution to the Somali death toll before the battle (6-10,000 casualties in the summer of 1993 alone, two-thirds women and children) is conveniently left out. Their only shortcoming is the disastrous way the mission was handled but there is no blame put on them for that in the movie.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Battle of Mogadishu was clearly not a battle of â€Å"good versus bad as most things in life are. But the seeing the way the Somalis are portrayed as evil, barbaric and mindless people, it is clear that the movie would certainly like us to think that this was the case. The American soldiers are established as the saviours of the Somalis, and it is these soldiers who are wrongfully attacked. By using dramatic camera shots, and clichà ©d Hollywood lines like â€Å"Nobody asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns out that way† help to drive home the themes of brotherhood and comradeship. By graphically showing the wounds and casualties of the American soldiers, the movie evokes sympathy and removes the blame for the catastrophe from the soldiers. They are portrayed as heroic and patriotic, but this portrayal is misleading. The film begins with scenes of starving Somalis on the brink of death or already dead; the screen is tinted blue to heighten the feeling of sadness. They all live in dilapidated huts, and the whole situation seems desperate children taking care of their dying parents. A sort â€Å"history† of American involvement is displayed on the screen: â€Å"Years of warfare among rival clans causes famine on a biblical scale† â€Å"Behind a force of 20,000 U.S. Marines, food is delivered and order is restored.† no mention of the USs past involvement in selling arms to the dictators, or helping to stir up clan violence. The audience only knows what they are being told the US troops are the good guys saving the day, not at all having anything to do with causing these atrocities. And after the audience is full of sorrow for the Somalis, a bright image of US military vehicle bringing food and supplies to Somalia. We are relieved that the Somalis are receiving the help they need, and we are subconsciously relieved that the blue tint is gone. So from the beginning of the movie we are made to see that the US military is the saviour and we as the audience are therefore indebted to them. We also now have sympathy for the soldiers it is this sympathy that dominates the rest of the film. Because the storyline of Black Hawk Down is just one big battle scene there are no subplots to entertain a wider audience, the themes of comradeship are over emphasized (mostly in a clichà ©d way) to make it more appealing. The tagline of the film is â€Å"leave no man behind† this is repeated about four times in the film, to the point where we can predict when it is coming. Similarly, we are flooded with messages of dedication and solidarity. Lines like â€Å"I think I was trained to make a difference† and â€Å"Its what you do right now that makes the difference.† These kinds of lines are without a doubt used to emphasize the honour and comradeship between the soldiers, it rather detracts the human interaction of these characters by reducing them to clichà ©d statements of emotion or motivation. The line â€Å"make a difference† is both overused and ambiguous what do the soldiers hope to make a difference in? This constant repetition of such dialogu e is a demonstration of the filmmakers wish to portray the American soldiers as good and moral men. Also this simplicity and predictability of these lines could be intended for us to make an easy definition between good and evil, and hero and villain. The American soldiers all have their specific identities, and their portrayal is made extremely personal compared to that of the Somalis. We have the â€Å"bad boy† the â€Å"underdog† and the â€Å"rookie† to name a few, and just to make sure we know who is who, the soldiers have their names written on their helmets (which was not done in reality). We see that these soldiers are people like us they watch television, play chess and do things any one of us would do. Most of all they are devoted family men. One soldier, after being severed I half, in his last words says: â€Å"Tell my girls Ill be okay.† And another one on his deathbed â€Å"Tell my parents that I fought well today, that I fought hard† even in death he is seeking his familys approval. This use of the soldiers having families makes our experience of these characters a much more personal one.   The Americans only shoot militia, not one innocent man, women or child is shot. However, we all know that this cannot be the case as in most urban conflicts; civilians are almost the highest casualties. Soldiers from that day have been quoted as saying â€Å"we fired on crowds and eventually at anyone and anything they saw. With these family members in mind, the horrific and graphic way in which the American casualties are displayed only reinforces our sympathy for the plight that the soldiers are in most of the gore and blood in the movie belongs to Americans, not Somalis a severed thumb attached only by a thread, a white detached arm that is picked up off the ground, a stomach pierced by a missile, a soldier severed in half, are all examples of American casualties. Thus the Americans are portrayed as the â€Å"good guys†, while the Somalis as the â€Å"bad guys† who inflict these casualties. With the â€Å"good guy† established, it seems natural have the opposite the â€Å"bad guy†. Enter the Somalis. Dressed all in black with shadowed sinister faces, accompanied by dark techno music they are the epitome of evil. We are unable to differentiate between one Somali and the next, and there are no names given to them. Their actions seem to be motivated by nothing more than the thirst for the blood of white men, Americans in particular. Even before the fighting starts, in the market place scenes, the camera does not focus on one Somali. They have no personalities, and their everyday lives are trivialized. The Somalis are therefore on the periphery of a movie set in Somalia. Even the extras do not resemble Somalis, but rather any black people. Another point is that the militia become indistinguishable from the citizens of Mogadishu. Even though the military officials in the movie say that those holding weapons are part of the militia. There is another scene when a general says:â€Å"The whole city is gonna come down on them.†At this point the distinction between citizenry and the militia is lost we know believe that the entire city is engaged in the conflict, which we therefore assume are all sided with Aidid. But there were reports that many of the Somalis were not part of Aidids militia but rather people who thought their homes were under attack and were therefore protecting their homes. The Somalis are depicted as a pack of rabid animals snarling at fallen soldiers, shooting at a corpse and fast moving hands grabbing at the fallen helicopter all convey an unexplained sense of hostility. Somalis appear like packs of animals with the use of aerial camera angles showing swarming bodies. There is nothing of Somali culture in the movie, and they are not given a voice. The Americans â€Å"affectionately† refer to the Somalis as â€Å"skinnies†.   We are told that thousands of Somalis were killed, but every time a Somali is shot, it is clean, and he (or she) conveniently falls away from the camera. There is no blood or gore like the American injuries. There are no innocent women or children killed, and in this way Black Hawk Down does not let us see the full scope of the devastation of the thousands of Somali deaths. This only allows for the interpretation of the Somalis as the â€Å"bad guys†. The US government had been involved in the making of Black Hawk Down since it first started being written, and the creators had the full co-operation and approval of the military because of the pro-American bias of the movie. The producer Jerry Bruckheimer has been quoted as saying to the Army vice chief of staff: â€Å"General, Im going to make a movie that you and your Army will be proud of.† The creators were allowed full use of military equipment and training, as well as dozens of actual soldiers for extras. But, the military, to ensure precision, monitored the filming daily.   Special task teams were set up to provide the moviemakers with specific military advice. Helicopters and Humvees were also loaned to them.It seems appropriate that a film endorsed by the US military, will have the views of the US military. And not surprisingly has had an overwhelmingly positive response from the military; Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfe ld and were among those pleased at the screening of the movie, and Army Secretary Thomas White gave the film a thumbs up

Bioethics’s Hot Topic of Growth Hormones Essay -- Science Growth Hormo

Bioethics’s Hot Topic of Growth Hormones In the article â€Å"Does Shortness Need a Cure?† Ronald Bailey, the author, indicates Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of growth hormone use offers a treatment plan for those who are short in stature. Bailey also acknowledges bioethics as a seriously debated topic in the medical field. Bioethics deals with the studies of â€Å"moral issues in the fields of medical treatment and research† (Caplan). Bailey touches on the topic of bioethics as it deals with the use of growth hormones, specifically Human Growth Hormone (HGH) for people who are distinguished by their short stature. FDA Ruling and the Ethics Behind it In July of this year, the FDA announced growth hormones, traditionally reserved for people with growth disorders, will be made available for use by children who are naturally short (Bailey). According to Bailey, â€Å"pediatric endocrinologists are permitted to prescribe HGH for children whose predicted adult height is below 4 feet 11 inches for women and 5 feet 3 inches for men† (Bailey). HGH is not a new drug; it has been used for years and prescribed for those with growing disorders. The number of patients for whom the drug is prescribed is expected to increase because of the new FDA ruling. The FDA ruling states use of the drug is no longer just for those with growth disorders (Bailey). What is Normal? The perceived goal of children, or their parents, in Bailey’s article is to be of normal height at adulthood; but what is normal? The average height for American men is 5’9† and for women it is 5’4† (Bailey). According to Robert W. Steele, M.D., â€Å"alterations [in growth] may be in the form of a growth slow down, accelerated growth, or disproportionate grow... .... 2002-2003 http://bioethics.net/beginners/introduction.php HGHcompany.com. Human Growth Hormone. 5 November 2003. 2003 http://www.hghcompany.com/ Human Growth Foundation. Personal Testimony. 5 November 2003. 10 June 2003 http://www.hgfound.org/Testimony_sNDA.htm Short Persons Support. Children. 5 November 2003. 2002-2003 http://www.shortsupport.org/health/children/index.html Short Persons Support. Height Increase: Arguments Against. 5 November 2003. 2002- 2003 http://www.shortsupport.org/health/increase/arguements.html Steele, Robert. â€Å"Growth charts: Is your baby growing normally?† ParentsPlace.com 5 November 2003. 6 January 2002 http://www.parentsplace.com/babies/physical Steele, Robert. â€Å"Predicting how tall your child will be.† ParentsPlace.com 5 November 2003. 24 April 2001 http://www.parentsplace.com/babies/physical

Are Asains Becoming White Essay

1) Asian Americans have been stereotyped under the image of being a model minority from the mid-1960s to our present day (Macionis 2010:278). Being a model minority means â€Å"overcoming extreme hardships and discrimination to achieve success (Macionis 2010:278). † Success â€Å"economically, socially, and educationally†¦without resorting to confrontation with Whites (Schaefer 2009: 252). † Asian Americans have done this and the public has â€Å"attributed their winning wealth and respect in American society to hard work, family solidarity, discipline, delayed gratification, non-confrontation, and eschewing welfare (Macionis 2010:278). † Being labeled a model minority might appear to bring only prestige but in fact it brings consequences as well. One such consequence is that being a â€Å"model-minority holds Asian Americans to higher standards (Macionis 2010:279). † Situations that may be accepted for some aren’t accepted from them. They are â€Å"judged by standards different from average Americans (Macionis 2010:279). † Also because of the expectations placed upon them they are channeled to â€Å"specific avenues of success, such as science and engineering (Macionis 2010:279). † This leads up to another consequence of parents â€Å"often discouraging their children from entering fields they regard as unlikely to offer financial security, such as the arts (Schaefer 2009:252). † A child may have a gift as an astounding writer, yet the parents will still discourage it due to worries about job outlook and income in the future (Macionis 2010:279). Another consequence the label causes is that it â€Å"reinforces the myth that the United States is devoid of racism and accords equal opportunity to all (Macionis 2010:279). † This implies that â€Å"those minorities that do not succeed are somehow responsible for their failure†¦this attitude is yet another instance of blaming the victims (Schaefer 2009:252). † Although, not all bad, an advantage of the stereotype is that Asian Americans are more likely to attain a high-paying job. It is common to see â€Å"Asian Americans are concentrated near the top in professional and managerial positions†¦(Schaefer 2009:251). † Simply due to what they are known for Asian Americans are allowed more opportunity and they prove themselves over and over again; with the highest median household income of all racial groups, and the lowest poverty rate of all racial groups (Macionis 2010:278). 2) Min Zhou asks the question, â€Å"Are Asian Americans becoming white? † First off, what does it mean to be White? â€Å"White is an arbitrary label having more to do with privilege than biology (Macionis 2010:276). † Being white means different things to different people. To some becoming white â€Å"can mean distancing oneself from â€Å"people of color† or disowning one’s ethnicity (Macionis 2010:276). † To others becoming white is something to strive for because it means attaining a privileged status (Macionis 2010:280). The most common view accepted by Asian Americans is â€Å"that â€Å"white† is mainstream, average, and normal, and they look to whites as a frame of reference for attaining higher social positions (Macionis 2010:279). † Asian Americans are becoming white as I see it. They are gaining prestige, they working hard and they strive for something greater. Especially since being white is commonly associated with being an American (Macionis 2010:280). â€Å"Asian immigrants tend to believe in the American Dream and measure their achievements materially (Macionis 2010:279). † They share common interests with most Americans such as, â€Å"to own a home, to be my own boss, and to send my children to the Ivy League (Macionis 2010:279)†, as one Chinese immigrant stated. Of course, being an American is more than just these items, but it is a generalized American mentality that shows common ground. If Asian Americans choose to marry a partner of a different racial background, 87 percent of those marry whites (Macionis 2010:280). There are thoughts that some Asian Americans hold, such as, â€Å"You can certainly be as good as or even better than whites, but you will never become accepted as white (Macionis 2010:280). † I believe this to be incorrect. â€Å"According to a new Purdue University study, more than 94 percent would say that having United States citizenship makes someone â€Å"truly American. † http://phys. org/news64938913. html: 3)† If we were to relate being white to being American, most Asian Americans are already there. With the mentality, dedication and perseverance that Asian Americans display, I would say, Yes, Asian Americans are becoming white. 3) The Jews and Asian Americans had two different experiences that could be seen to relate in certain aspects despite the large difference in events. The Jews were intelligent and successful though looked down upon in the United States and they were seen as â€Å"members of an inferior race (Macionis 2010: 266). † It wasn’t until after World War II those things drastically changed. â€Å"Before the war, most Jews, like most other Americans, were working class. Already upwardly mobile before the war relative to other immigrants, Jews floated high on this rising economic tide, and most of them entered the middle class (Macionis 2010:272). † Like Asian Americans, Jews were always ahead of the other races. They were given difficult roads to face and large obstacles to climb, yet they achieved success, following the definition of the model minority. Similarly they struggled with the dilemma of being considered white. Before the war, â€Å"Columbia University took steps to decrease the number of entering Jews by a set of practices†¦(Macionis 2010:269). † It wasn’t until the war that there were â€Å"changes set in motion during the war against fascism that led to a more inclusive version of whiteness (Macionis 2010:270). † Though the struggle was different, it was still there for both groups. The Jews compared to Asian Americans benefited most from government programs that spurred upward mobility because after the war the government was in need of a rise in the economy and they created great programs to assist in that matter (Macionis 2010:270). The â€Å"Jews’ and other white ethnics’ upward mobility was the result of programs that allowed us to float on a rising economic tide (Macionis 2010:273). † Asian Americans on the other hand, upward mobility wasn’t based off of programs as much, as their heritage and culture. Instead, â€Å"In spite of these obstacles, Asian Americans students soldier on with strong support from their parents (Schaefer 2009:252). † As for comparison with African Americans and Asian Americans they are in two completely different categories. Both are minority groups, though they are on opposite sides of the court. Asian Americans have higher income rates than Whites, African Americans on the other hand, have their â€Å"household income of Blacks is still 60 percent that of Whites, and the unemployment rate among Blacks is more than twice that of Whites (Schaefer 2009:250). † Still to this day Blacks â€Å"remain significantly underrepresented, despite Senator Barack Obama†¦(Schaefer 2009:520). † Asian Americans are well represented due to being the model minority. Asian Americans are a very diverse group of people. â€Å"Their diverse origins include drastic differences in languages and dialects, religions, cuisines, and customs (Macionis 2010:278). † Because of this â€Å"all of these differences create obstacles to fostering a cohesive pan-Asian solidarity (Macionis 2010:278). †

Should College Be Mandatory

As children we are presented or rather questioned on what we would like to be when we are adults. A smile appears on our face and a twinkle is can been seen in our eyes. They are but dreams, or fantasies that which we hope to achieve. To our dismay, life is not certain, nor is our future. As we enter adoclesents and into our teenage years, reality sets in. We were faced with decisions that could have possibley affected our future to come. Aside from football games, pep rallies, and house parties, highschool can be fun, but stressfull all at the same time.It is then we are faced with yet another serious question; to attend college or not to attend college. College with out a doubt should be a goal or standard set by each and every individual: however, it is a choice and should not be frowned upon it was not in his or her future. For those who successfully earned a degree at an accredited college, will not hesitate to admit it was no easy task. It is through theatrical pictures or movi es, t it is portrayed as ongoing beerfests and non-stop shenanigans.Alas, Hollywood fails to depict the true reality of a full time college student. College last stretch to a brighter future. It would be the last step in order to achieve ones ultimate goal, a life that could only be described as picturesque. The very life of a star including an immaculate home, the ever popular sports car, swimming pool, and a bank account with no limit. Yes it is a life we all want, but in truth it is too far from reach. College

Marketing Mix;Product,Place,Promotion,Price

Marketing Mix;Product,Place,Promotion,Price Free Online Research Papers A marketing mix defines the marketing strategy a business plans to use in order to sell their products or services to consumers. The marketing mix is a combination of the four P’s of marketing, known as the product, place, promotion and price. By reducing the elements of the marketing mix into these four categories, management can manage the marketing plan more efficiently and develop an effective marketing strategy. No one element of the marketing mix is more important than any other element. The objective of a business’s marketing strategy is to develop a successful marketing mix using an optimal combination of the four P’s. Product The first P, product, in the marketing mix involves determining the products or services to offer for sale. â€Å"The product area is concerned with developing the right â€Å"product† for the target market† (Perreault McCarthy, 2004, p. 38). The product refers to tangible products and intangible services. Marketing research is vital in developing the marketing mix and continues throughout the marketing process. Research allows the business to discover what products or services the consumer wants, needs or desires. â€Å"If you dont understand what the market needs first, you cant possibly put the Ps to work effectively† (Scott, 2004,  ¶2). The product category includes developing the physical good, the service or a combination of the two, which consumers want, need or desire. Developing the product can include making decisions regarding the features, accessories, quality, and benefits offered with the product. Other areas related to making decisions about the product or service includes installation, instructions and the warranty, if any, to provide with the product. Additional decisions regarding the product include creating a product line, designing the packaging and branding. Above all consumers must perceive a benefit in purchasing the product or service. Once a business has determined the products, services or combination of products and services to offer consumers, the next P of the marketing mix (the place) is determined. How will the business deliver the product to the consumer? Place Making decisions regarding the second P, the place, of the marketing mix involves more than simply determining the actual place the consumer can purchase the product or service. Of course, the means of distributing the products or services to the consumer requires research to determine the most advantageous place to sell the product or provide the service and is an important decision in the marketing mix. Business must decide whether to use inclusive, selective or exclusive distribution channels to deliver the product to consumers and manage those channels to the advantage of the business. However, businesses also must determine the methods of storing, transporting and handling the product. â€Å"The product must be available in the right place, at the right time and in the right quantity, while keeping storage, inventory and distribution costs to an acceptable level† (The Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2009, p.5). Determining the desired amount of market exposure will help determine the distribution channel that is most appropriate for the product or service. The place also includes deciding the service levels associated with the product. If the business uses exclusive distribution channels, the service provided for the product may be offered at the place the product was purchased. However, if the business uses inclusive distribution channels, the service provided may be limited to a single centralized location. After determining the place category the decisions of how to inform the public of the product or service’s availability is the next step. Promotion The third P, promotion, involves educating the public, or more specifically the target market, and others of the availability and benefits of the product or service the business is offering for sale. Whether the business is introducing the product or service for the first time or reminding the consumer of the product or service’s availability a promotion campaign is an essential tool to the success of the marketing strategy. Promotion of a product or service includes advertising, sale promotions, a sales force, and publicity. Determining whether to advertise on television, radio, the internet, in print or a combination of some or all, is important to ensure the desired market segment is aware of the product or service. Notifying the target market of the availability of the product or service in order to make sales is the primary goal of promoting the product. The promotion category can incorporate sales promotions such as discounts, coupons or contest to entice consumers to tr y the product or service. Another aspect of promotion involves the sales force. The sales force may or may not be employees of the business, however, they represent the product or service to the consumer. Lastly, publicity, which is any form of unpaid advertising, is important in order to help shape the public’s opinion of the product or service offered and the business. â€Å"Promotion must gain attention, be appealing, tell a consistent message and above all else give the customer a reason to choose your product rather than someone else’s† (The Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2009, p. 5).The promotion educates the target market on the value of the product or service and helps determine the price the business will charge. Price Determining the price consumers are willing to pay and the price a business must charge in order to cover fixed and variable costs for production of the product or providing the service is the final P of the marketing mix. The first three P’s (product, place and promotion) contribute fixed and variable costs to the price of the product. Determining the price to charge for a product or service requires research to answer the following questions. 1. How much is the consumer willing to pay for the product or service offered? 2. What is the competition charging for the same or similar product or service? 3. Does the business need to consider including an intermediary markup in the price? 4. What are the fixed and variable costs associated with the product or service? 5. How much profit does the business require in order to continue offering the product or service? 6. Should the business use a pricing strategy such as penetration pricing, skimming, loss leaders, competitive pricing or psychological pricing, or consider other pricing strategies? While the list of questions above is not all-inclusive, it will provide a sound starting point for determining the price of the product or service. The price communicates to the consumer the value the business places on the product or service. A price set too low may communicate the product is of poor quality or the service is substandard. A price set too high may communicate the business is trying to gouge consumers by charging too much for the product or service that can be obtained at a lower price from a competitor. Every business, whether offering a product or service, stands to improve on their success by researching, planning, monitoring and adjusting their marketing mix. Applying the Marketing Mix Businesses of every type use the marketing mix to promote and profit from their product or service while bringing value to the consumer. For example, the rental housing industry provides consumers with a place to live in exchange for rental payments. The product is an apartment or other type of housing. In order to be competitive, management of available rental properties have the unit (product) cleaned, freshly painted and ensure items are in working order before presenting their product to the consumer. The location (place) of the rental property helps determine the number of potential consumers and the amount consumers are willing to pay. An apartment community located in an undesirable neighborhood will not be able to demand rental rates equal to those communities located in areas that are more desirable. Promoting the availability of rental property can include print advertising in newspapers, the internet or magazines designed specifically to inform renters of the various apart ment communities of a specific area. Along with print advertising, promotional campaigns often include rent specials or discounts. The price an apartment community charges is dependent on the current rental market. Market surveys provide management with the going rental rates of comparable apartment communities and any discounts offered. These market surveys are used to determine the rental rates the apartment community will charge consumers. While this is an abbreviated explanation of the four Ps in action, the basic concept is the same for every type of business. Product, place, promotion and price are essential elements in the exchange of value between the consumer and the business receiving something of value to replace the product. Conclusion Ensuring the marketing mix is made up of an optimal level of the four Ps will assist in the success of the business. One important factor in combining the four Ps is to ensure they are sending the same message. You do not want to promote an exclusive, expensive product such as a Ferrari or a Rolex to a below median income market segment. â€Å"For instance, make sure that if you have a practice that caters to a niche market that your product is geared towards the need of that market, your price is within the budget of that market, you are distributing your product or service where it will be seen by that market, and gear your promotion to solve the problems that they are encountering† (Lake, 2009,  ¶8). The product, place, promotion and price combine to bring something of value to the consumer in exchange for something of value to the business. References: Lake, L. (2009). Developing your marketing mix. Retrieved September 4, 2009 from http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingplanandstrategy/a/marketingmix.htm Perreault, Jr., W. D., McCarthy, E. J. (2005). Basic marketing. Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection Database. Scott, D. M. (2004). Buying sellingbut what about marketing?. EContent, 27(4), 48. Retrieved September 5, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. The Chartered Institute of Marketing. (2009). Marketing and the 7 Ps. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from cim.co.uk/resources/understandingmarket/definitionmkting.aspx Research Papers on Marketing Mix;Product,Place,Promotion,PriceMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paperIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part One

E-Enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

E-Enterprise - Essay Example This is in the perspective of providing food, home furnishes, electronics, appliances, apparel, auto parts and also skilled labor (Franklin, 234). Apparently, such kinds of aspects were only initially available from a controlled or minute perspective. This is because retailers in the United States were in one way or the other limited to operating within the United States. Today, retailers have an unending exposure to a wide market, not only in their regions, but in every region around the world. All these aspects come hand in hand with the sole source of connectivity in the world, the internet (Darie). Through numerous online banks like PayPal, people can comfortably purchase products online at the comfort of their seats with deliveries coming to someone regardless of their position in the world. The internet has made starting a retail business a very simple and easy endeavor. All one has to do is have internet access and through social sites like face book, retailers advertise their products to the entire world. The ultimate effect is numerous sole proprietorships, which are making young innovative people earn a living with m inute effort compared to previous times (Books,102). Landing pages are very common with social media, search engines or email campaigns. The landing pages refer to a particular single web page that comes in, in the event of clicking on an online advertisement. In the same perspective, we should understand that the sole purpose if business is the making of profits. That is why advertisements will always be associated with sites that attract many people. These include social sites like tweeter, face book and YouTube. Search engines are always the first notion to anyone using the internet. They provide us with what we think or what we want to know. As a result, Google search engines will always have advertisements linked to its web pages. This is because all these sites possess the targeted audience (Peter,17). In the same

A)Show that, compared to perfect competition, monopolies reduce output Essay

A)Show that, compared to perfect competition, monopolies reduce output and increase price. Does this mean that monopolies are always against the public interest - Essay Example It looks for a price on the market demand curve that will maximize its profits- both in the short run and the long run. Unlike the perfect competition, the monopolists marginal revenue from each unit is not constant (Samuelson, 2010). The table below shows that the demand increases as the price decreases-the basic downward sloping demand curve. However, the marginal revenue decreases as each unit of output is increased. Therefore, the monopolist raises the price and restricts output to maximize its returns (Samuelson, 2010). Similarly, the monopolist will produce the number of units when its marginal cost is equal to the marginal revenue. This signifies that the there will be always be more demand than there will be supply to maximize the profits. (Samuelson, 2010) Monopolies act against the public interest at large because they are productively inefficient, cause a welfare loss and earn exorbitant profits. Similarly, they control the price as well as the output to a certain extent; thereby injuring the public at large. However, there are arguments that monopolies help achieve economies of scale and help reduce per unit cost and maintain a high level of innovation to keep the demand curve stable. (Snook, 2013) Snook, A. Is the Existence of Monopoly Against the Public Interest. Retrieved from http://www.courseworkbank.info/courseworkbank.info.php?f=R0NFIEEgLSBMZXZlbC9FY29ub21pY3MvSXMgdGhlIGV4aXN0ZW5jZSBvZiBhIG1vbm9wb2x5IGFnYWluc3QgVGhlIHB1YmxpYyBpbnRlcmVzdC5wZGY on March 24,