Attention Video Games

Attention Video Games Video game playing has consequences on motor and perception skills of gamers. The consequences ultimately alter their visual attention abilities in terms of attention with regard to space, objects, or time compared to non-gamers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Attention: Video Games specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article, â€Å"Action video game modifies visual selective attention† by Green and Bavelier demonstrates that perceptual learning results to improvement in given performance. Specifically, the article considers the consequences of action video game playing on visual attention skills. Using a set of four experiments, the authors sought to test the hypothesis that video game playing enhances the visual attention abilities of players. Additionally, in their fifth experiment, non-gamers trained on action video game showed a significant improvement in visual attention abilities (Green, Bavelier, 20 03, p. 534). The first experiment involved a flanker compatibility effects tests that encompassed the use of enumeration tasks. In the experiments, Video game players (VGPs) were able to identify more items than the non-video game players (NVGPs) did. This indicates that VGPs have a higher capacity to attend to more items at once compared to NVGPs. Additionally, in experiment two, the compatibility effects among VGPs was high compared to NVGPs even at high levels of task difficulty, which is an indication of greater visual attention skills among VGPs (p 0.01) (Green, Bavelier, 2003, p. 536). From these results, the authors conclude that habitual video game playing increases visual attention within the scope of video game playing. The VGPs also showed a consistent overall distracter effect at all levels of task difficulty, which indicate the high attention capacity among VGPs compared to NVGPs. The third experiment involved comparing the spatial attention abilities in VGPs with NVGP s with regard to three different locations. Overall, the VGPs performed better in the three different locations compared to the NVGPs. This implies that the VGPs have a higher ability to locate items even in cases of many distracters (Green, Bavelier, 2003, p. 536).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The results indicate a high spatial attention, even at a high number of distracters, for VGPs. Furthermore, the authors, in their fourth experiment, examined the VGPs attention over time compared to NVGPs. Overall, in all tasks such attention blink tests, the VGPs performed better than the NVGPs. The fifth experiment involved comparing pre and post training performance with regard to visual acuity or field of view, attention-blink and enumeration tasks for all subjects (Green, Bavelier, 2003, p. 537). Overall, improved performance was seen for all subjects after training. From t hese findings, the authors conclude that video game playing, which allows players to juggle multiple tasks, results to improvement in attention resources. In contrast, a related article, ‘Effect of Action Video Games on Spatial Distribution of Visuospatial Attention’, by Green and Bavelier specifically examines the effects of video game playing on spatial attention. The authors attempt to separate central attention from peripheral attention resources using a flanker compatibility effect in VGPs and NVGPs (Green, Bavelier, 2006, p. 1466). The first experiment involved a perpetual load paradigm in order to establish the spatial attention resources for both VGPs and NVGPs. The authors established that distracting items affect VGPs at a higher perpetual load compared to NVGP. This indicates that the VGPs have greater attention resources than NVGPs. The second experiment involved UFOV (Useful Field of View) task paradigm using three different target eccentricities to measur e the distribution of visual attention. The target localization in VGPs was high than NVGPs implying an enhanced spatial attention for both central and peripheral locations among VGPs (Green, Bavelier, 2006, p. 1465). The third experiment involved a training study, whereby VGPs were found to have improved performance on UFOV tasks and improvements in eye-hand coordination after training.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Attention: Video Games specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, video game playing improves visual-motor coordination. From the results of the three experiments, the authors conclude that action video playing results to improvement in visual-spatial attention for VGPs and trained NVGPs (Green, Bavelier, 2006, p. 1476). Significance of the Studies Visual attention involves a combination of mechanisms that allow the selective use of relevant information while at the simultaneously suppressing irrelevant information. This allows an individual to perceive many objects or visual information. The studies indicate that habitual video game players outperform non-video game players with regard to spatial attention and attention over time and involving many objects (Green, Bavelier, 2006, p. 1471). Additionally, the articles have established similar trends following training of NVGPs groups using training studies. This implies that training gives non-gamers experience, which results to improvement in attention. Furthermore, the articles establish that different sets of video games produce contrasting effects on attention. In particular, action-video game playing that involves multiple visual-motor tasks, is fast-paced and involves tasks that divide attention has the greatest effects on attention. Central to action video game-related increased performance in attention is the improvements in coordination of visual-motor activity (Green, Bavelier, 2003, p. 432). The implications of enhance ment in attention have many real-world applications especially in specialty areas that need high attention. In particular, training of the work force to achieve high productivity, improvements in education performance and clinical rehabilitation of patients are some of the applications of attention enhancing video game playing. Social and Cultural Implications of Video game playing Given that the benefits of video game playing are many, the gaming industry is developing game products for educational purposes. The products create a gaming environment that foster reading and attentive skills among high school students (Jonassen, Land, 2000, p. 127).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, gaming simulations developed in action video games are useful educational materials for training new soldier recruits such as the American Army. Action video games for this purpose have specially incorporated elements creating a virtual war environment to enhance visual-motor coordination. Video game playing serves as motivational tools for employees at the workplace especially younger employees. Most companies have deployed video games in the workplace to boost performance, reduce absenteeism rates and increase morale among employees. The video games enhance attention, which is essential for successful completion of any assigned task. Video games have also been used to enhance cultural competence (Jonassen, Land, 2000, p. 132). This involves instilling strong language skills, cross-cultural skills such as cultural awareness and sensitivity. 3-D simulations of social and cultural interactions are used to advance the cross-cultural skills among the youth. The simulatio ns rely on artificial intelligence that allows learners to learn or try foreign real-life cultural practices in the expected social and cultural contexts. Additionally, this helps in developing strong business relationships involving partnerships from many cultures globally. Video gaming is also an essential business-training tool to enable business executive to learn valuable leadership skills as well as strategic decision-making skills through simulations (Jonassen, Land, 2000, p. 129). Additionally, the video games give real-life economic indicators for decision making by business executives. In medical areas, video gaming, besides being a source of entertainment, has therapeutic effects for patients, especially hospitalized children. Although visual attention has been adopted in creating gaming environment in training and health settings, I believe that research on visual attention should involve a 3D gaming environment. Previous research involves experiments that use purely 2D objects. The 3D video games incorporate complex 3D objects and characters that interact in a 3D space that is remarkably different from the experiments employed in the previous research. I recommend that 3D experiments be used to future visual attention research and relate the results with the game environment. Reference List Green, S., Bavelier, D. (2003). Action video game modifies visual selective attention.  Nature, 423, 534-537. Green, S., Bavelier, D. (2006). Effect of Action Video Games on the Spatial Distribution of Visuaospatial Attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 32(6), 1465-1478. Jonassen, D., Land, S. (2000). The theoretical foundations of learning environment. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

American Literary Classic On the Road Essays

American Literary Classic On the Road Essays American Literary Classic On the Road Essay American Literary Classic On the Road Essay Essay Topic: On the Road The Road Most peoples actions are influenced in some sort of way. American writing was influenced by Jack Kerouac. He was an American author whose most famous work came in the 1950s called, On the Road. The book is both fiction and non-fiction. It is about journeys across the country on multiple trips. His book has become the name of the beat generation. The beat generation is a group of writers in the 1950s that influenced culture in America in the post World War two era. Jack Kerouac set a new direction for American Writers. On the Road embraced much drinking, drugging, and fornicating (Robert Dean Lurie). This book had become an inspiration to many. Jack himself had been a successful person. He was as a football player, a fast, agile fullback, that he first won any kind of recognition (Joseph Lelyveld). Before he could be a football star he had to change schools. In 1939 he entered Horace Mann School in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, with the promise of a football scholarship to Columbia University if he could prove himself academically (Lelyveld). He had injured his knee during his freshman year so he decided to leave Columbia university and joined the military. He served first in the merchant marine, then briefly in the Navy, from which he was discharged as a schizoid personality (Lelyveld). Then, he became a writer. Jack Kerouac was a savior to some. The hippies claim him as an inspiration, as do many western Buddhists (Lurie). Jacks book On the Road included acts of drinking alcohol, traveling, drugs, and sex. This was Jacks youth he was writing about however, he never saw the impartial documenting of his own reckless youth as license for others to drop out of society (Lurie). Many found his book hard to follow, but he refused to revise it because for he regarded revision as a form of lying (Lelyveld). He wished to capture the truth, his truth, as best and as purely as he could. And he wanted to do this

Adolescent Sexual Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Adolescent Sexual Activity - Essay Example In his article â€Å"Risk Behaviors - Teen Pregnancy - Programs, Sex, Sexual, Contraception, Percent, and Services† (2011), Douglas Kirby identifies the following five factors as contributing to teen pregnancy by causing the sexually active teenagers to refrain from using contraception. He cites: â€Å"when teens have permissive attitudes toward premarital sex,† â€Å"lack confidence to avoid sex or to use contraception consistently,† â€Å" lack adequate knowledge about contraception,† â€Å"have negative attitudes toward contraception,† â€Å" are ambivalent about pregnancy and childbearing,† â€Å"...then they are more likely to engage in sex without contraception.† (Kirby, 2011) In analyzing these factors, they can be related to both situational sexual encounters as well as cognitive value systems in teens that engage in pre-marital sex. ‘Permissive attitudes’ is a cognitive or value system in the individuals involved that determine the development of the relationship through sexual encounters. These encounters are either the result of long-term, loving, and wholesome relationships or are casual, disposable, and part of the learning process through which sexual identity is formed in the process of adult maturation. Through the sexual experimentation with different types of relationships and partners, the person of either gender comes to a deeper understanding of their own personal needs in a relationship or in partner support. This assists in making more consequential and long-standing family commitments. The hyper-stimulation of the culture through sexual imagery in media, sexually predatory social role-playing and stereotypes, or advertising that fuels desire and insecurity simultaneously to sell products may condition a population to extreme behavior abruptly or progressively over time by changing moral standards and patterns of behavior. The teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. can be seen as an à ¢â‚¬Å"unwanted† aspect of the sexual activity that occurs at a young age and restricts the further social opportunities of the parent. The effect of the social stigmatization is expected to fall more severely on the girl who must bear the biological burden of pregnancy. If the relationship is loving and leads to marriage, even at an early age, it is accepted socially and the best is hoped for the long-term sustainability of the couple. Yet, realistically, the high divorce rate among young couples and the burdens of single parenthood are among the largest reasons teenage pregnancy is discouraged. Generally, teens are not recognized as mature socially to be effective parents, despite the fact that innumerable teenage mothers in the U.S. historically and around the world have done very well building families through teenage pregnancies. The development of modern, liberal conceptions of identity through feminism and progression in education has created a different role for modern women that discourage the traditional aspects of teen marriage and pregnancy practiced traditionally as â€Å"backward†.  Ã‚  

How Formative Assessment Supports Pupils' Learning Essay

How Formative Assessment Supports Pupils' Learning - Essay Example According to the Collins English Dictionary (2003), formative assessment is the â€Å"ongoing assessment of a pupil’s educational development within a particular subject area. Sadler (1999) defines it as the kind of assessment whose intention is to generate feedback so as to improve and enhance students’ learning. This kind of assessment helps development of knowledge, skills and abilities and also enhances understanding without necessarily having to pass any final testing (Black and Wiliam 2003). Formative assessments are learner centered, which means that their goal is to help the student make maximum progress in the learning process. The assessments are appropriate for primary school children as they embrace the educational objective domains of Blooms taxonomy: psychomotor, affective and cognitive. The cognitive domain that is enhanced by formative assessments revolves around the comprehension, knowledge and ability to critically think about a subject. The psychomot or domain is all about the ability of the pupil to physically manipulate instruments in the learning process. The affective domain on the other hand relate to how learners are likely to react emotionally (Sadler 1998). Formative assessments incorporate all three Bloom’s Taxonomy domains in that they allow the pupil to develop not only recall skills, but also critical analysis skills in the learning process. There are two types of formative assessments according to Hall and Burke (2004). These are: planned formative assessments and interactive assessments. As the name suggests, planned formative assessments are those that are use to obtain tangible evidence on the way pupils think about a concept that they have been taught in class. These types of assessments are normally semi-formal and may be taken at the beginning or at the end of a certain topic. In these assessments, some assessment activities are prepared to furnish evidence that can be used to improve pupils’ lea rning. The information that is elicited from such an activity is used to gauge the level of understanding of the students and to structure instruction so that knowledge and skill development are enhanced (Tuttle 2009). Interactive assessment takes place during the interaction process between teacher and pupil. Hall and Burke (2004) describe this assessment as the one that includes incidental and ongoing assessments which arise from learning activities and it cannot be anticipated. This means that interactive assessments can occur at any time as the teacher and pupils are interacting in a learning setting (Black, Harrison and William 2003). This assessment aims at improving learning through mediation and intervention. The teacher may notice or recognize the learner’s thinking and can then respond to it appropriately. This kind of assessments is considered to be more pupil and teacher driven than it is curriculum driven. Unlike planned assessment that results in permanent infor mation, interactive assessment accrues information that is ephemeral (Sadler 1998). This means that the teacher can identify weak areas in the child’s learning and correct them quickly so as to avoid accumulated misconception on the learner’s side. Formative assessments can be in the form of observations, worksheets, pop quizzes, journals and diagnostic tests. Observation involves the instructor making observations about students’

Parents Who Have a Severely Disabled Child Should Be Allowed to Euthanize Them Essay Example for Free

Parents Who Have a Severely Disabled Child Should Be Allowed to Euthanize Them Essay Some people call it mercy killing, others call it murder. This is a tough question for every parent in the word who has severely disabled child that will never be able to recognize them or even understands who he or she is and why. This problem has occurred over decades and there is a lot of proof that those children are not able to live full lives and some of them are in constant pain. What’s more in some countries euthanasia is allowed (1). Only the improvement of medical treatment is the reason why those children are still alive (2) and this treatment is quite expensive so governmental funds are needed (3). A part of society believes that it is cruel to force severely ill people to live when in normal conditions they would die. Euthanasia is a painless death caused by a medical injection and it is allowed in Brazil, in some occasions in Canada and in some states in the USA. This choice has to be made by the person who wants to be euthanized. If the adult in care or child are not able to make that choice by themselves it automatically means that this procedure cannot be done. In these situations the question of giving rights to choose to another person always occurs. It is a conflict between law and ethics. It would be more ethical to end ones suffering, but the law says that every person has a right to choose and a right to live. Every child has a right to live a life without pain and some of those diseases are incredibly painful even if painkillers are used. So it would be more humane to euthanize the child. As always, if there is seriously ill child a lot of funding is needed. If the parent or guardian does not have money to cover the expenses the governmental funding is needed. Marc Spindelman, a law professor at Ohio State University and an expert in bioethics thinks that politicians starts to look God like, because a single state spends around 2,5 billion a year on severely ill children, yet this amount of money is not enough, so they have to decide who lives and who dies. According to data it costs around 103, 000 $ a year on infant with ventilator and around 100, 000 $ a year on a baby who is connected to feeding tubes (Extreme choices, The right to live or die(n. d.)). If that kind of a choice is given to government there is a question of why it is not given to parents, because they are the ones that will know better whether to continue fighting or to let the child rest in peace. The main reason why nowadays there are more disabled children than in the past is because of medical development. Severely disabled children in past in most cases could not reach adolescence, because of the fact that there was no special medical equipment that could help to keep those children alive, like there is now, for example, feeding tubes. That means that they can survive as long as they are in a hospital or as long as parents or the government have funds to pay medical bills. There is a law in Canada that allows parents to disconnect the feeding tubes, but that means that they will starve to death. That is the main reason why Annette Corriveau wants to euthanize her children Janete and Jeffery. They do not respond and they are not able to move, roll over or even move their hands. They are in vegetative condition for more than ten years and there is only a slight possibility that there will be a medication that might improve their condition. As Annette said in an interview, she thinks that euthanasia would be the best thing that can happen to them, because she would not like to live a life like that and she does not know anyone who would(). Also, some parents are wondering why they can decide to have an abortion during any stage of pregnancy, if a disease is detected, yet cannot give birth to make sure that the child is truly sick and then euthanize him or her. The fact is that despite modern medical equipment there is a slight chance that the doctor might be wrong and parents will kill an innocent and healthy child. If we would follow the law of nature, this kind of question would not even be considered and no one would have to make that kind of a choice. Because of today’s medical equipment we keep alive those who should be resting in peace and putting them through different painful operations and treatments just because of the society’s opinion that euthanasia is considered murder and because we think that living even in vegetative state is better than death. SOURCES: 1. Extreme choices, The right to live or die (n. d.) Retrieved from: http://www.enquirer.com/extremechoices/loc_extremeday2.html ; 2. Taking mercy (8 of March, 2012) Retrieved from: http://www.globalnews.ca/taking+mercy/6442597182/story.html

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

A. Setting:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Year: 1940’s   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Location: Maycomb, Alabama   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Period of Time: Three Summer’s B. Point of Veiw:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First Person C. Begining:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scout, the main character and narrorator of the story, Jem, her brother, and Dill, their neighbor friend that visited every summer, loved to act out stories they knew. They did all kinds of stories like Tarzan and Dracula. Signaling the end of summer and the absence of Dill, the school year began. Scout started school, having a very rough first day. The days flying by, the school year passed quickly for Scout and Jem. Looking forward to seeing Dill again, they found the summer fast aproaching. Begining to play their game as soon as possible, they grew tired of acting out the same old stories, wanting to do something new and exciting. Jem came up with an idea, playing Boo Radley. The story of Boo Radley, the neighborhood weird guy, went as follows: Boo going slightly crazy, stabbed his father in the leg with a pair of scissors. Being a small town, everyone knew the story but no one realy knew or understood what hapened. So they began to act out the story of Boo Radley. Scout played Mrs. Radley, Jem-Boo Radley, and Dill played Mr. Radley. Making their scenes more complex everyday, the three entertained themselves for most of the summer before Atticus caught them, forbidding them to play that game again. D. Two Characters:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scout, the main character, is a tomboy. Knowing she can do anything her brother, Jem, can do she is confident and able to stand up for herself. She never let anybody push her around, for instance, when Walter Cunninghum, refusing to take the money from Miss Caroline, accidentally got her in trouble she beat him up. The other main character is Jem. Wanting to get Boo Radley to come out, he goes to all kinds of lengths to acheive his goal. Like losing his pants over the fence trying to sneak over to Boo’s house. E. Summarization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Atticus took on a case for a black man accused of raping a white woman. The case did not go well and Atticus’s family went through some rough times because of the case. Atticus’s sister Alexandria came to stay with them during the case and Scout developed a strong dislike for her. The jury decided the black man was guilty and Jem nad Scout took it hard. Dressed for her part in the school play, Scout and Jam are attacked on their way

E-Tailing Persuasive Message

E-Tailing Many retailers have expanded their retail market to an online market. Using the internet to sell their goods is known as e commerce. â€Å"Ecommerce allows consumers to electronically exchange goods and services with no barriers of time or distance† (Network Solutions, n. d. ). E commerce has expanded rapidly in recent years due to its convenience for the consumer and the increase in businesses that use electronic retailing (e-tailing). Businesses use different marketing methods in order to reach their customers and attract new ones. Direct Marketing Direct marketing is when businesses sell a product or service directly to the consumer (B2C). With direct marketing, businesses have several options in marketing to their consumers. Businesses can use direct mail, television ads, and internet marketing just to name a few. There has been a rise in direct marketing in recent years. The use of direct marketing can be more costs effective for a business without having the additional cost of the overhead of a traditional store. Amazon. com took book stores to the next level when they began their website selling books via the internet in the mid 1990s. Some companies such as skin care products Proactiv and Skin ID advertise on television and direct you to their websites to purchase their products. Businesses can reach customers directly through email when they sign up for mailing lists. Emails Businesses will contact customers directly through email. This happens often with existing customers. Wells Fargo bank will contact their customers with special offers of products and services with occasional emails. Other businesses will email their customers coupons to draw them into their stores. Baskin Robins ice cream lure their customers in their stores with email coupons promising them free ice cream on their birthday. Email marketing that offers customers special savings and free products can be a very effective marketing tool. Websites Internet consumers can find great deals on travel when they go to travel websites such as Expedia and Travelocity where customers can purchase airfare, rental cars and hotels. Many of these sites offer price matching and other incentive when consumers book their travel plans with their company. They also allow the customer to comparison shop different travel deals in order to eliminate confusion for the consumer. Click-and-Mortar A popular trend in e tailing has been click-and-mortar retailers. Click-and-mortar is typically when e-tailers have an existing store and have branched out into selling their products online (Turban, et al, 2008). Many retailers have expanded their stores to an online market with their stores websites. Stores such as Walmart and Best Buy have tapped into this market. Some of these retailers have some products that are only available for purchase online. Best Buy for example, will sell products that were available at one time in their retail stores but are now only available online. There has also been a shift with e-tailers have moved from internet only to physical brick-and-mortar stores. They have taken a popular, successful way of shopping and brought it to consumers in a traditional way. These e-tailers turned brick-and-mortar as well as those who rely solely on direct marketing can target their consumers with emails, banner ads on popular websites such as social networking sites, and with internet mailing lists. Some businesses do not have enough of a market for their goods to convert to a click-and-mortar retailer â€Å"because they would not have enough consumers† (Turban, et al, 2008). When e-tailers are trying to attract potential customers, no matter what medium they use all messages must follow a similar model. The sender must make clear the purpose of the message, choose the best media for their message, and the technology they will use to deliver the message. When a business chooses the right forum they can be very effective in e tailing. Persuasive Message Member of the Community, Your local City Animal Shelter is making the move into becoming a no kill shelter by the year 2012. We are asking the residents of this city to assist us in meeting this goal by participating in our upcoming low cost spay and neutering clinics. We are also asking for your donations in order to get our new training program up and running so that we may train some of our older dogs to assist the elderly and disabled members of our community. Although the number of animals that are being euthanized is on the decline, any animal put to death is a precious life lost. Countless numbers of animals are being senselessly euthanized as a matter of population control. In order to reach our goals, the shelter plans to begin training as many of the older animals as service dogs because these animals are the least likely to be adopted out and the most likely to be euthanized. Hosting a low cost vaccination clinic will help reduce the number of strays and unwanted animals in the community. Euthanizing animals can no longer be used as a method of population control. We must begin to use our cities unwanted animals in order to help our neighbors in the community that need our help. Please help us by participating in our spay and neutering clinics or with a contribution to get our program off and running. Together we can make this a no kill city and improve the quality of life for our cities elderly and disabled. Sincerely, Your City Animal Shelter References Network Solutions. (n. d. ). What is Ecommerce? Retrieved, May 10, 2010, from http://www. networksolutions. com/education/what-is-ecommerce/ Turban, E. , King, D. , McKay, J. , Marshall, P. , Lee, J. , & Viehland, D. (2008). Electronic commerce 2008: A managerial perspective (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Sample Sop for Iit Madras

If one were to ask my friends to describe me they would call me a very pleasant, diverse, active and intelligent woman. My outstanding   academic performance at school , active participation in academics with strong quantitative and analytical abilities,   in addition to good leadership and communication skills earned for me   the â€Å"Young Student Scientist† title from the Ministry of Human Resource Development from among the thousands of students who applied for it nationally. Throughout my student career,   I have been a top ranker. I was in the top 0. % of  Ã‚   all engineering aspirants in my state, which secured me a place in   Government College of Engineering, one of the premier engineering institutions   in India. My four years of undergraduate studies   and my exposure to various aspects of curricular, co and extra curricular activities have   given a strong foundation to my analytical skills. My deep interest in   complex and intricate coding a nd the application of basic math skills have   enabled   me to channel my quantitative and conceptual skills in analysing business issues. I have always enjoyed being   appreciated by the faculty members for my diverse interests and accomplishments. During these four years   of engineering studies, I interacted with students from different states of varied cultural and social backgrounds. Working with these students on group   assignments, presentations, food festivals and other events taught  Ã‚   me to be   more tolerant, open minded and empathetic. It   made me a better team player. I am interested in factors that affect the competitive performance of a business concern and the manner in which changes   in technology affect an organization's structure and long-term business strategy. I am determined to become a   powerful business Analyst and 10 years down the line I want to be the creator of a world class IT company. In order to gain an appreciation of these and related issues, it is essential for me to have a strong grounding in   Management. This would enable me to understand better the   complexities that lie behind the working of an organization and broaden my horizons, so that my avenues are not restricted to a particular trade or industry. I have come to the conclusion that studying at INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY-MADRAS will definitely be the catalyst in putting me on the road to success.

How the 2016 Republican Primaries Worked

How the 2016 Republican Primaries Worked The 2016 presidential election was notable for many reasons, not the least of which was the outcome. Major changes to the Republican primary system made in the wake of the 2012 election were intended to speed up the candidate-selection process. But it didnt quite work out that way. What Happened in 2012 Party rules put in place before the 2012 presidential election  lengthened  the amount of time it took the eventual nominee to secure the 1,144 delegates necessary for the nomination. The top three candidates,  Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and  Newt Gingrich, were locked in a tight race until the very end, when Utah held the last of the primaries in the nation on June 26. The party convention was held a month later in Tampa, Florida. That November,  Romney  lost by a wide margin to President Barack Obama, giving Obama a  second term in the White House. Two years later, Republican Party leaders met to draft rules for the 2016 primaries. Their chief concern was avoiding another drawn-out primary battle that would force the eventual nominee to spend too much time and money defending himself from attacks by members of his own party. Republican National Committee Chairman  Reince Priebus put it this way in 2014: We have been saying for months that we were no longer going to sit around and allow ourselves to slice and dice for six months, participate in a circus of debates, that we were going to take hold once again of our responsibility at the Republican National Committee because we are the custodians of the nomination process, he said. The 2016 Primaries Per tradition, Iowa Republicans voted first; they caucused on Feb. 1, 2016, and gave Texas Sen. Ted Cruz a slim win over Donald Trump, 28 percent to 24 percent. A little over a week later, New Hampshires GOP held the nations first primary on Feb. 9. Trump won a commanding 35 percent of the vote. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who would dog Trump throughout the campaign, took second place with 19 percent of the vote. South Carolina and Nevada voted later that month, and Trump won both states. But Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz also did well. The ground was set for a fast, brutal primary fight leading up to the July 18 beginning of the national convention.   Because Iowa and New Hampshire guard their first-in-the-nation status so dearly, the GOP rules made sure that any states that tried to vote earlier than these would be punished by losing delegates at the national convention. Victories in these early states would also give an early boost to the winners. Once March began, the pace quickened. States holding their primaries between March 1 and March 14 had to award their delegates on a proportional basis, meaning that no one candidate could likely win the nomination before late-voting states held their primaries. States voting on March 15, 2016, or later could award their delegates on a winner-take-all basis, meaning candidates will likely pay more attention to them.   As the weeks wore on, the contest came down to Trump and Cruz, with Kasich a distant if vocal third. By the time the Indiana Republican primary took place on May 3, it was apparent that Trump would win the nomination after Cruz came in second in that contest and subsequently dropped out of the race. Trump officially crossed the delegate threshold of 1,237 when he won the North Dakota primary on May 26. Aftermath Donald Trump went on to win the presidential election that November ​and the Republican Party maintained its control of both houses of Congress. Yet even before the election, some party leaders were already talking about changes to the 2020 primary system. Among them was a proposal to allow only registered Republicans a vote. Trump won primaries in both South Carolina and Nevada in part because both states permitted independents to vote. As of August 2017, the GOP hasnt yet implemented these reforms.

How to Get a Job in Any Field By Humanizing Yourself

How to Get a Job in Any Field By Humanizing Yourself Sometimes the job hunt can feel like a numbers game: the average job search takes 43 days†¦92% of recruiters use social media†¦the average resume gets 6 seconds of attention. And our current obsession with data-driven decisions doesn’t stop there. We’re all walking, talking data points. But even though we’re up against numbers, don’t forget that there’s a human element to resumes: they’re written and read by humans (uh, after they make it through the automated keyword parsing systems, that is). And as such, there’s a huge mental game component to resumes: who’s reading this, and what will make them remember me? How can I present myself as a feeling, thinking, interesting person perfect for the job? Here is your guide on how to get a job by accomplish this.Pre-Game: Psych Yourself UpBefore you even write your resume, it’s important to get yourself into shape for this mental game. It sounds a little goofy, I know, but the more confident and winner-ish you feel going into the job search Olympics, the better you’ll feel about the whole thing. Now, you could start going to bed early and rising at 4:30 a.m. for sunrise jogs across town, but that kind of training isn’t necessary here (unless you’re applying for the actual Olympics). It’s more about adjusting your mindset and getting your plan in order so you can feel good about what you’re sending out.Set up the game.Thinking of your job search as a game is more than just a distraction- it can help you focus more on a successful outcome, believe it or not. It can be as easy as naming your goal, and setting personal rewards for making progress toward that goal (milestones). Maybe you give yourself bonus points along the way for doing well in an interview, or getting a call or email response for a resume you submit online.Think long game, not sudden death.Think of your job search as a long process, with every step and challenge along the way as progress toward an eventual win. If your goal is to find a job within 6 months, don’t get frustrated if your first few promising opportunities don’t pan out. Take it as an extended training exercise, where you get to practice honing your resume and interview skills.Concentrate on the present.You can’t control what happens in the future, and shouldn’t dwell on what happened before. There’s only the present and what you can do in it. So while you can reflect on the past to learn from it, and think about what your goals are in the future, it’s most important to concentrate on your present, and what you need to be doing right now to make sure you make progress.Remember that you have choices.Part of envisioning your job search as a mental game is remembering that as a player, you have options- plays to make, pieces to move. Nobody else is doing that for you. That puts all of the power in your hands to make this job search something that represents you, and your best abilities.It also helps if you feel stuck. If your career goal feels far away because you’re missing something (experience, the right network, etc.), what can you do to change that in the short term? There could be many ways to get to your goal, if you keep your thinking flexible. You can take a class to get more expertise. You could start trying to link up with movers and shakers on social media, or look for special networking events in your industry. Waiting around for things to happen to you is rarely a winning strategy.Game Time: Revamping Your ResumeIt’s time to play offense in the mental game, and that means working with your resume itself and prepping your application package. Here are 7 strategies you can use to try to reach the real person on the other end (recruiter, HR professional, hiring manager).Find a teammate.As you get started tailoring your resume for a particular job opening, try to network with so meone already at the company where you’re applying. Not in, like, a creepy and ingratiating way so you can drop their name in an interview, but in a â€Å"hey, I’m applying to your company’s marketing department and I’d love to have a chat about what it’s like to work there† way.You can also ask this person for feedback on your resume- e.g. does my resume match the company culture? It may not be a lifelong friendship, but if you find someone willing to be your networking buddy, it can give you good insight into what kind of people this place hires. And if this small request for a few minutes of insight opens the door to a word in the right ear or an introduction, then you definitely owe this person a beverage of their choosing to celebrate this new friendship.Quantity in addition to quality.If you have numbers to back up any point on your resume, use them! For example:Instead of: â€Å"Saved the company money by switching vendors†Try: â€Å"Coordinated a vendor change that saved 8% on office supplies in 2015.†Instead of: â€Å"Mentored new hires†Try: â€Å"Mentored 16-20 new hires per year.†Instead of: â€Å"Organized a fundraiser†Try: â€Å"Spearheaded an event that raised $12,000 from 250 participants†Don’t be afraid to be quirky†¦within reason.There’s not much leeway for jokes within your resume, because you want to present yourself as a genuine, serious candidate. But you can show some of your personality if you include your interests. This can catch the reader’s eye, and help them set you apart in their head as they sift through candidate resumes.For example, if your skills include being a world-class fly fisherperson, add it. If you won your company’s bake-off over 30 other people (true story!), list it along with any other awards. Little bits like this, used sparingly, can really sparkle in an otherwise straightforward resume- and again, you want to make yourself memorable to the person reading, kind of like a mnemonic device you set off in his or her head. â€Å"The pie guy- I liked him!† could get you to the next level.Don’t use fancy fonts or visual tricks.This one might run counter to the kinds of psychological trickery you might expect†¦after all, you want to stand out, right? Red Comic Sans might be the way to do that. Except it’s not. For one thing, your carefully chosen visual stunnery might be for naught if your resume translates through their system as plain text. Also, you run the real risk of an eye roll and being remembered for the wrong reasons. So you should try to stand out within the system, rather than showing what a rebel you are (design-wise).Follow the Rule of Seven.Jon Youshaei of Forbes recommends adapting the old â€Å"Rule of Seven† marketing policy, where your customer needs to hear your product name or message seven times before it really sinks in. You can use it here to create a kind of subliminal messaging. If you go to the company’s website and read it’s mission statement/About Us section, find buzzwords that are clearly important to the company, and use them (or variations on them) seven times in your resume. It should be done pretty subtly, though†¦you don’t want the reader to feel like he or she’s just reading the same thing over and over.For example, if the company puts a high priority on its status as an innovator, make sure to sprinkle in words like â€Å"changed,† â€Å"disrupted,† â€Å"modernized,† etc. throughout the resume. These kinds of keywords may or may not curry favor with the automated digital reader, but the human one will likely pick up on subtle connections to the company.Align yourself with bigger brands.Name-dropping can be insufferable (as George Clooney and mentioned to me the other day) in everyday conversation, but if you use some big names in your res ume, it can help increase the impressiveness factor. For example, if the last company you worked for won an award or had a major client, try to (artfully) insert that information. â€Å"Arranged sponsorship from Pepsi, Foxwoods, and Toys ‘R Us.†Emphasize what you want them to see.If you’re a little thin on experience but have a ton of skills, use a top-loaded skills-based resume. If you want to emphasize your work with notable companies, put the experience first. If the company has a reputation for hiring grads from schools with good basketball programs, put your UConn education front and center. There’s no single format for a resume- you find the one that works best with what you’re working with and how you want to say it.Whether you do see the job application process as a data exercise (collecting all your professional data) or more of a psychological give-and-take between you and The System, you want to put in as much work as possible to get to y our goal. And either way, you’ll want to have your end zone dance ready for when you win the game, job offer in hand.

Research report on Australian financial services industry Essay

Research report on Australian financial services industry - Essay Example The economic recession spiralled by the subprime crisis has called upon business organizations particularly banks and other financial institutions to ensure better risk management practices. It also calls for financial institutions to increase the level of compliance. These calls for a collective effort on the part of bankers, central bankers as well as policy makers to formulate policies that seek to ensure financial health and stability of these crucial institutions of the economy. The present study would analyse the financial institutions in Australia with regards to their structure and legal framework. Special emphasis would be given to the banking sector in the report that would also analyse the challenges faced by the Australian banks. Structure of Australian Financial Institutions The Australian financial services industry is divided into a total of nine distinct sectors which includes deposit based financial institutions like banks and other credit agencies, non deposit based financial firms, the central bank, asset investing firms like stock trading companies, pension and superannuation fund management companies, auxiliary firms like stock brokers, mortgage securities firms, life insurance, general insurance and finally the insurance broking companies. The financial sector contributes about 18 billion Australian dollars to the nation’s economy which equals almost 8 percent of the total GDP of the nation. The nation has a total of 30000 financial institutions which also provide employment opportunities to a significant share of the population of the nation that is being pegged at 700000 individuals which includes approximately 6.4 percent of the total workforce in Australia (IBSA, 2010, p.4, 6). Figure 1: Assets of the Financial Institutions in Australia (Source: Austrade, 2009, p.13) The figure above shows the total assets of the financial institutions in Australia as of the year 2009. According to the statistics shown in the figure the total as sets of the financial institutions of the nation was 4431 billion Australian dollars. The compounded annual growth rate is being pegged at 11.8 percent starting from the year 1994. The financial institutions in Australia have also expanded their reach to across all the major and developing markets across the globe (Austrade, 2009, p.13). In terms of investment based funding assets the current value of the total assets in the nation is 541 billion AUD which is the fourth largest in the world. The figure is expected to grow to about 1979 billion AUD by the year 2015 (Austrade, 2009, p.16). Banking Industry in Australia As per the latest information from the Australian Reserve bank there are about 58 banks in the nation that includes 7 major banks, 7 local banks, 9 foreign banks incorporated in Australia and 35 foreign banks. The total cash and liquid assets including notes, deposits and coins apart from other liquid assets amounted to 3 percent of the total assets of residents in Aust ralia. Trading and investment based securities accounted for 9.3 percent and 6 percent respectively. The loans and advances segment including all forms of loans extended to the retail as well as corporate houses in the nation amount to 62.2 percent. Other

Qui tam and whistle blowing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Qui tam and whistle blowing - Assignment Example Having a system that allows for anonymous reporting of frauds should be incorporated especially in the private sector to check the massive loss of taxpayer money. This paper briefly looks at a scenario touching on Qui tam and seeks to give a recommendation on its place in the corporate world. Joseph Wellington definitely handled the question satisfactorily or even appropriately; he just spoke of the need for sufficient grounds to initiate a qui tam. He did not explain briefly what it is, its merits, and what the policy of his firm in whistle blowing is. Having a credible case could be a policy but it should be part of a more elaborate policy for Josephs’ organization. The first step in answering the question would be to explain briefly what Qui tam is and how it applies to the organization. Qui tam is a provision within the federal claims act modified in 1986, which grants a whistleblower who initiates a qui tam (a suit) on behalf of the United States government between 15 and 25 percent of funds, the federal government recovers. The government recovers these funds due to the actions and evidence of the whistleblower against fraudulent claims that lead to wastage or loss of federal funds to entities that make false claims against it. The company policy on Qui tam is open; you can initiate legal proceedings whenever there is sufficient evidence to suggest false claims were made against the federal government. Workers are protected in the event that they take Qui tam action against the company. However, all employees must take the requisite steps to ensure this is not abused and that company secrets are kept that way (Johnson, 2003). The company sh ould have a policy for whistle blowing which can be done securely and anonymously without exposing the whistle blower. This; Mr. Joseph should have said is part of the company’s fraud reduction strategy which could end up saving the company rather than an uncomfortable topic to be brushed over. Whistle