Saturday, August 31, 2019

Summary of the Tyler Rational

The Tyler Rationale: this is a model of curriculum and instruction development. This model is eclectic; it draws from the social aspect of Dewey: incorporating the society, subject matter and the learner to create learning experiences. It also has behavioral aspects drawn from Thorndike and others expressed through the emphasis on changing student behavior; judging behavior helps to monitor internal growth or aspects of the mind not overtly seen. This model addresses four (4) basic questions. 1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?Three sources should be used for identifying objectives: The learner – these are identified through interviews, observations and tests. †¢The society – community life should be classified into categories vocation, recreation, religion etc†¦ and develop objectives for each †¢The subject matter – the subject to be taught must be examined to identify more objectives which encompass the content and skil ls which must be taught. The objectives are then screened (through the use of philosophies and psychologies of learning) and the most important ones. All objectives should be stated clearly (simple terms) and concisely. 2.What educational experiences can be provided to attain these purposes? After the selection of objectives learning experiences should be selected; which actively promote the acquisition of these objectives. Tyler defines a learning experience as â€Å"interaction between the learner and the external conditions in the environment with which he can interact† Deweyean influence). Major effectors of the learning experience †¢The interaction between the person and the environment †¢Behavioral psychology (evident in the way objectives are stated) Criteria for developing learning experiences They should allow the student to practice the behavior implied by the objective. †¢Students should obtain satisfaction from the learning experience.†¢The exp erience should be appropriate to the student’s background. Categories of learning experiences: †¢Development of thinking skills †¢Acquisition of information †¢Development of social attitudes †¢Development of student interest 3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organized? †¢Tyler suggest that learning experiences can be organized by: †¢Continuity – the recurring opportunity to learn various skills (maybe at different grade levels). Sequence – the exposure to experiences which build upon each other. †¢Integration – this encompasses skills which cross discipline/subject. 4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained? †¢The curriculum must be evaluated by judging the learning outcomes against the original objectives. ?The first step is to focus on changes in human behavior. oPretests must be used to determine students’ original state before learning. oTests are then adminis tered to determine whether student performance increases in the designated areas. oAll evaluation procedures must relate to the original object.They must be reliable – or actually measure what they are expected to measure (curriculum standards). The Tyler effect has several criticisms. One concerning criticism identified by kliebard was that evaluation was tied so closely to the original objectives; it makes it impossible to identify unexpected outcomes. It narrows the focus of evaluation to only the achievement of the objectives. Therefore the significance of philosophy and other critical factors which are integrated have no way to be evaluated; and to ultimately determine the efficacy of their implementation. One question left to bear:What is the real difference between learning activities and learning experiences? In the revision Tyler collaborated with Leyton Soto and distinguishes learning experiences and learning activities. Learning experiences consist of behaviors tha t are written into objectives; while learning activities are behaviors in which the learner engages to achieve particular objectives. In this case shouldn’t the main concern be the objective and both the activity and experience tools to achieving it? Which comes first? Aren’t the learning activities the display of the same behavior expected in the objectives?

Friday, August 30, 2019

Do the Writings of Clausewitz have contemporary relevance? Essay

Carl Von Clausewitz has long been considered one of the most important writers in the field of military strategy and tactics. Born in 1780 he first saw action in 1793 when he was a Lance Corporal in the Prussian Army.1 He was to serve throughout the Napoleonic wars working for both the Prussians and the Russians. However: â€Å"throughout his military career he never held a command and was probably unsuited for such. He was essentially a student of war†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2 However, despite this lack of command, Clausewitz had certainly gained enough experience during the Napoleonic wars to have a fairly comprehensive idea about what war was: â€Å"Before he was forty, he had taken part in some of the greatest battles in the history of warfare and had seen the armies of Napoleon storm their way across Europe to Moscow†¦ Alls this had been the result of military operations, but it was clear to Clausewitz as a young man that the explanation for the success or failure of these operations was not to be sought on the battlefield alone†.3 As a result of this, during his career he came up with many ideas of views on the nature and conduct of war, writing literally thousands of pages of manuscripts on a wide range of areas ranging from politics to tactics.4 After the wars end, he set about trying to write a comprehensive eight part ‘guide’ on his ideas. This collection of essays and manuscripts became known as â€Å"Vom Kriege† (On War). Clausewitz died in 1831 having only completed six of the eight parts.5 Indeed it is important to realise that despite the importance of his work, it is still unfinished and does not cover a number of areas: â€Å"On War contains a comprehensive analysis of the strategy operations and tactics of Napoleonic War, and of their 18th Century background. Left out of the account are most technological, administrative and organisational factors†¦ On War deals almost entirely with the ultimate issues as Clausewitz saw them: Political and strategic planning and the conduct of hostilities†6 Since his death, Clausewitz’s work has come to be regarded as probably one of the most important works on military thinking ever written. Bernard Brodie once wrote that: â€Å"His is not simply the greatest, but the only great book about war†7 Although Clausewitz is still seen as one of the greatest thinkers on war, the question remains – is he still relevant today? Given the immense changes in not only the way we conduct war, but also our attitudes towards war, does his thinking still have any relevance in an era of information warfare and peacekeeping missions? Also given the dramatic changes in the conduct of warfare are his works still important: â€Å"As one US army general has (said) â€Å"the digitisation of the battlefield means the end of Clausewitz†8 Given the large size of Clausewitz’s work it is impossible look at the whole of On War for its continuing relevance. Instead for this essay I have chosen to examine a number of ideas in detail including the idea of war as part of policy, the notion of decisive battle and also his idea of a ‘centre of gravity’. Due to lack of space I have decided not focus on other areas such as the trinity between the politicians, the people and the armed forces, as well as looking at other areas. At it’s simplest Clausewitz’s first book attempts to understand what war actually is and what it does. At it’s simplest he defined it as: â€Å"War is an act of force to compel an enemy to do our will†9 This seems to be true, even today it is hard to imagine a nation state going to war without a rational reason to do so – be it to regain territory or to right a wrong. More recently the growth of Peace enforcement operations such as the war in Kosovo is a classic example of forcing a nation state to bow to the will of others. As such it seems that Clausewitz’s most simple definition still rings true today Clausewitz’s next statement is far more controversial though: â€Å"Kind hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds, it is a fallacy that must be exposed: War is such a dangerous business that the mistakes which come from kindness are the very worst†10 The above paragraph seems to be aimed at those who have studied the writings of Sun Tzu – the Chinese strategist to which Clausewitz is frequently compared. Sun Tzu felt that war was not about bloodshed – instead he felt that: â€Å"all warfare is based on deception†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 11 Michael Handle wrote that â€Å"Sun Tzu devotes considerable attention to the actions that precede war†¦ for him diplomacy is the best means of achieving his ideal of victory without fighting or bloodshed†.12 It seems that Sun Tzu’s theory of warfare is based more on the notion of avoidance of war rather than the fighting of war itself, whereas Clausewitz feels that war occurs once all other policy choices have been exhausted: â€Å"War is merely the continuation of policy by other means†13 This seems to suggest that in Clausewitz’s mind, War should be seen as merely as a logical progression in policy once other policies such as diplomacy have failed – essentially war is pursued in order to further a States national interest. However some question whether this is still the case: â€Å"Future war will be fought not to pursue national interests, but to kill enemy leaders, to convert opponents to one’s religion, to obtain booty, or sometimes for simple entertainment. Thus the core of Clausewitz’s .philosophy of war – that states wage war using armies in pursuit of political objectives will disappear. Others have maintained that nuclear weaponry, trans-national constabulary warfare, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotrafficking†¦ have rendered obsolete Clausewitz’s definition of war as an act of policy†.14 I believe though that his views are still relevant, in that once a war has begun it should be fought aggressively until its logical conclusion, however unlike in Clausewitz’s time, today the conditions required for victory may be very different and as such it may be harder to achieve a logical conclusion.15 Clausewitz seems more focussed on the idea that the only means of resolving a war is bloodshed (the so called idea of decisive battle) â€Å"The destruction of the enemies forces in war must always be the dominant consideration†16 While this may have been the ideal way of winning wars in the 19th Century it is arguable that in today’s world this view is obsolete for a variety of reasons. Firstly in the 19th Century the only real way of waging war was through lining up two opposing armies and fighting it out until one side one. This procedure was repeated until one country won the war. In today’s world the methods available to fight wars have changed – in place of armies, generals can use precision strikes with guided missiles fired from thousands of miles away to eliminate enemy units with minimal casualties. Special forces units can be used to eliminate key figures and deprive armies of leadership at critical times17. However the main reason why Clausewitz’s views of the objectives in warfare could be seen as obsolete is due to the changing nature of warfare itself. When On War was written, war was a two dimensional affair – fought primarily on land and sea.18 In 2001 though war can be fought on land, sea, air, space and also in cyberspace. In addition there are a wide variety of unconventional types of wars to be fought. As James Adams notes: â€Å"Today we are at war on several fronts. The fights against terrorism, organized crime, economic espionage and weapons proliferation are permanent conflicts that are likely to confront us through the next century†¦ In this new world the soldier will be the young geek in uniform who can insert a virus into Tehran’s electricity supply to plunge the city into darkness†19 There have been suggestions that since 1990 the world (or at least the West) has undergone a so called Revolution in Military Affairs – i.e. a total change in the way that war is fought. Given this, is the idea of decisive battle still relevant? Some institutions clearly feel that it is not – especially as the types of wars that will be fought are so different: â€Å"ironically the dominance that the US will gain from the RMA†¦ will be such that the nature of future conflict will force competitors to deliver asymmetric strategies, including weapons of mass destruction, to counter the US superiority.20 In these new types of conflicts, the search for Clausewitzian decisive victory will be far more elusive and far less relevant than in conventional conflicts†.21 Despite the above quote, I believe that the idea is still relevant – but that the methods that can be used to bring about a decisive victory have changed. As has been seen an enemy can be defeated without using conventional ground troops at all – instead a wide range of different assets could be used. Indeed one view of future warfare suggests that victory (but not necessarily destruction) over an enemy force could be achieved without the use of weapons: â€Å"First a computer virus is inserted into the aggressors telephone switching stations, bringing about a total failure of the phone system. Next computer logic bombs set to activate at certain times, destroy the electronic routers that control rail lines and military convoys†¦ meanwhile enemy field officers obey the orders they receive over the radios unaware that the commands are phoney†¦ US planes, specially outfitted for psychological operations, then jam the enemy’s TV broadcasts with propaganda messages that turn the populace against the ruler. When the despot boots up his PC, he finds that millions of dollars he has hoarded in his Swiss bank account have been zeroed out. Zapped. All without firing a shot†22 This example is quite interesting as it simultaneously supports the relevance of Clausewitz, while at the same time proving how his writings have become dated in places It supports the notion of decisive victory in that it shows how a country can conclusively defeat an enemy – thus supporting his idea of decisive victory. But at the same time it shows clearly that not all of Clausewitz is still relevant. For example Clausewitz seemed cynical about the idea of achieving victory without much (or any) violence: â€Å"How are we to counter the highly sophisticated theory that supposes it is possible for a particularly ingenious method of inflicting minor direct damage on the enemy’s forces to lead to major indirect destruction; or that claims to produce by means of limited but skilfully applied blows, such paralysis of the enemy’s forces and control of his willpower as to constitute a significant shortcut to victory†23 This argument clearly shows that not all of Clausewitz has aged well – obviously during the Napoleonic era the idea of information warfare did not exist – so it would have been next to impossible to win a war using non violent means – however as has been shown in this age it is at least technically possible to achieve such a victory. It suggests that some parts of Clausewitz’s work should perhaps be seen as less relevant to certain situations than others. One area which appears to still be relevant is Clausewitz’s comments on the application of force. In the West today public opinion seems to favour engagements with minimal casualties – the public seem to want intervention when scenes of suffering are on TV (the so called CNN effect), but at the same time seem unwilling to tolerate the idea of people dying to stop the suffering24. This is a situation where Clausewitz noted that: â€Å"If one side uses force without compunction, undeterred by the bloodshed it involves while the other side refrain, the first will gain the upper hand†.25 This idea seems to have been taken onboard by a number of third world leaders who have engaged in some form of conflict with Western Countries (primarily the USA). A good example of this is the conflicts in Somalia – when the USA sent in troops to help restore order to the country they were hampered by restrictive rules of engagement and limited amounts of equipment – for example tanks as these were felt inappropriate. 26On the other hand, the opposition led by self styled Warlord General Aideed had no such restrictions – and it showed – he was repeatedly able to gain the upper hand and when US/UN troops attempted to capture him he was able to ambush and kill literally dozens of them.27 The images of American bodies being abused were enough to force an immediate and humiliating withdrawal from Somalia – a classic Clausewitzian example of one side using force when the other was unwilling and gaining the advantage – in this case over the strongest power in the world. This lesson illustrates an area where Clausewitz’s views on war are still highly relevant – indeed it appears that other countries learnt from this experience – in Haiti for example when the US sent a landing ship into the country to enforce a UN brokered peace agreement in 1994 they were met by a bunch of thugs who: â€Å"shook their fists, waved placards and shouted threats at the US ship. They were hooligans who would have dispersed at the first sign of well armed troops. But among their slogans was one in particular â€Å"we are going to turn this place into another Somalia†. News of the ‘Welcome Party’ and its curses were flashed to Washington where it provoked a panic†¦. The Clinton administration immediately ordered the (USS) Harlan County to withdraw from Haitian waters and to sail back to the USA†28 Again this is another good example of how even the threat to employ violence against a country which is not prepared to do so can have a major influence out of all proportion to the size of the protestors. It also demonstrates the continuing influence of Clausewitzian ideas. The example used above of the American experience in Somalia and Haiti is also relevant to Clausewitz’s ideas on ‘The centre of gravity’ – an idea which Clausewitz defined as follows: â€Å"What the theorist has to say here is this: one must keep the dominant characteristics of both belligerents in mind. Out of those characteristics a certain centre of gravity develops, the hub of all power and movement on which everything depends. That is the point at which all our energies should be directed†29 Furthermore Clausewitz identified three key components of this idea: â€Å"The Opponents army, his capital and, if he had a stronger protector the army of his ally. Since all of these were vulnerable to attack, said Clausewitz, ‘the defeat and destruction of his fighting force remains the best way to begin, and will in any case be a very significant feature of the campaign'†30 A good example of this would be the case of the Royal Navy during the Falklands War – Argentina identified the carriers as the centre of gravity for the UK operation and spent a good deal of time trying to sink them. As the commander of the Task Force noted: â€Å"If they hit Hermes or Invincible the Royal Navy will somehow be publicly disgraced†¦Worse yet, the British military will become the laughing stock of the world, limping home in defeat. John Bull humbled at last. At sea.†31 Although Clausewitz did not write on maritime warfare this is a clear example of how important the destruction of a naval fighting component can be to the success of a war. Other good examples of a country identifying and targeting the centre of gravity include Iraq’s use of Scud missiles against Israel during the Gulf war – had Israel responded militarily then it is likely that the coalition against Iraq would have collapsed as it seems doubtful that Arab powers such as Egypt and Syria would willingly fight on the same side as Israel. This supports Clausewitz’s ideas of attacking the armies (or at least cities) of allies to win the war. 32 For the coalition however attacking and destroying the Iraqi army (primarily the Republican Guard) was of vital importance – not only as knocking it out would win the war – but also destroying the Republican Guard would remove Saddam Hussein’s power base and hopefully make it impossible for him to remain as leader of Iraq. The Gulf War is a good example then of Clausewitz’s ideas continuing to be highly relevant to the planning of a military campaign. However some commentators (QUOTE!!) feel that the Gulf War was probably the last large conventional war to be fought by the West and that the nature of war in the future has changed. I believe then that the centre of gravity idea is still highly relevant – however I feel that it has become more refined since Clausewitz’s time. Although Clausewitz feels that there are only three key areas to which it applies, I feel that today the centre of gravity can be practically anything. For example in Somalia and Haiti – the use of force and the threat to use force proved the Americans centre – when faced with even the possibility of casualties, the Americans withdrew. This suggests that today the centre of gravity can be anything from a capital city to a single infantryman – who if killed could cause a change in policy. Another change is that Clausewitz assumed that the centre of gravity would be identical for both sides – whereas today that is not the case – a good example is that of the asymmetric warfare that is being waged between the USA and the terrorist Osama Bin Laden – he recognised the Pentagon and World Trade Centre as key examples of American power and prestige and saw them as their centre of gravity in any terrorist action. The Americans on the other hand see Bin Laden as the key centre of gravity – The most powerful country on earth is fighting a war, with a single man as their key target. This is a dramatic change from the days of mass warfare which Clausewitz was used to, and demonstrates not only the rapidly changing nature of warfare, but also illustrates the way that Clausewitz’s ideas can continue to be adapted to look at warfare in the present day. During this essay I have looked at a number of Clausewitz’s ideas in an attempt to see whether they have continuing relevance in a world where warfare is very different from the time when On War was written. By and large I feel that Clausewitz’s ideas are still relevant – or at least able to be adapted into the present day. Where he is not so relevant is more due to the development of weapons and styles of warfare that he could not have possibly been aware of, rather than through any fault of his own. I feel that the following quote sums up nicely the relevance of Clausewitz to this day: â€Å"Of course not all of Clausewitz’s military thought has remained relevant. His vision of war did not include its economic, air, sea and space dimensions for example. But his concept of war†¦will remain valid as long as states, drug lords, warrior clans and terrorist groups have mind to wage it†33 1 Information taken from On War, p5, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press. 2 The Conduct of War 1789-1961, Chapter 4, p59. Major General J.F.C.Fuller, 1972 Methuen 3 Clausewitz, Michael Howard, p11, 1983, Oxford University Press. 4 Information taken from On War, p5, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 5 Indeed there is evidence to suggest that by 1827 he considered only the first chapter of book one to be complete – the remainder needing revision. Source The Conduct of War 1789-1961, Chapter 4, p59. Major General J.F.C.Fuller, 1972 Methuen 6 Makers of Modern Strategy, p208, Oxford University Press, 2000 edition. 7 Clausewitz, Michael Howard, p01, 1983, Oxford University Press. 8 Quote taken from www.gov.au/lwsc/publications/CA%eEssays/RMA 9 On War, p75, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 10 On War, p75, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 11 Sun Tzu’s art of War, The modern Chinese interpretation, p95 General Tao Hanzhang, 1987, David and Charles 12 Masters of War, Sun Tzu, Clausewitz and Jomini, p32, Michael I.Handel 1992, Frank Cass 13 On War, p87, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 14 Quote taken from www.Clausewitz.com, however text is from an article originally published in Joint Forces Quarterly, Winter 1995-1996 which is reproduced on the website. 15 For example – what are the current victory objectives in the campaign in Afghanistan and how will we know when victory has been achieved? 16 On War, p230, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 17 For example the possible attempts at the time of writing by US/UK special forces to capture or eliminate Osama Bin Laden. 18 Even then Clausewitz did not attempt to write on maritime operations – concentrating solely on land warfare. 19 The Next World War,p14, James Adams, 1998 Hutchinson. 20 A good example of this prediction was seen with the terrorist attack on the 11th of September. 21 Quote taken from www.gov.au/lwsc/publications/CA%eEssays/RMA 22 Flashpoint World War Three, p153-154, Andrew Murray, 1997, Pluto Press 23 On War, p228, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 24 Given the current situation in the USA it will be interesting to see whether the so called ‘body bag’ syndrome has ended or whether once US troops are killed, public opinion will change to demand a more peaceful solution. 25 On War, p75-76, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 26 Information taken from Deliver us From Evil, (Chapter 4), William Shawcross,2000, Bloomsbury. 27 Total American losses in Somalia were 30 dead, 175 wounded, the UN lost 72 killed and 87 wounded (Source World Conflicts, Patrick Brogan, 1998, Bloomsbury) 28 Deliver us from evil, p103, William Shawcross, 2000 Bloomsbury. 29 On War, p596, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press 30 Clausewitz, Michael Howard, p39, 1983, Oxford University Press. (Professor Howard incorporates a quote from On War, p596, Carl Von Clausewitz, (edited by Michael Howard & Peter Paret), 1984, Princeton University Press) 31 One Hundred Days, p100, Admiral Sandy Woodward, 1992, Harper Collins 32 However – given the overwhelming amount of Western military power in the region and the political willpower to fight the war, it seems likely that Iraq would still have lost the war – whether Israel was a centre of gravity in the sense that it could remove the coalition from the war seems dubious. 33 Quote taken from www.Clausewitz.com, however text is from an article originally published in Joint Forces Quarterly, Winter 1995-1996 which is reproduced on the website.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The broader impact of DSP in the economic Research Paper

The broader impact of DSP in the economic - Research Paper Example I. INTRODUCTION Digital signal processing (DSP) is duly considered to be an arithmetical treatment of an information signal, which tends to alter or enhance it in certain specific ways. It is usually characterized by way of representation of discrete frequency, discrete time or any other discrete domain signals with the help of a sequence of symbols, numbers or processing of these signals in a uniformed manner. DSP is widely applied in various fields, which specifically include speech along with audio signal processing, radar and sonar processing, spectral estimation, sensor array processing, digital image processing and systems control along with various other operations/applications. This component can be very well related with that of development in the overall context of technological landscape. With the inclusion of this particular component i.e. DSP in the technological aspect, integration to a whole new level is attained at large [14]. With this concern, this research report w ill highlight all those significant factors that are associated with the broader impacts of DSP in a social, global along with economic context. ... III. THE IMPACT OF DSP IN AN ECONOMIC CONTEXT In relation to economic viewpoint, it can be affirmed that DSP has been able to create all round diversity in the overall economic context. Analyzing the relevance of DSP in an economic standpoint eventually helps in identifying its broad interrelations relating to economic integration. DSP is applied in varied fields, which directly or indirectly impose considerable impact upon the economic conditions at large. The broad areas in which it is applied include consumer applications and biomedical fields. In this regard, the various aspects of consumer applications comprise digitalized televisions, cellular phones, digital cameras and internet enabled mobile phones among others. On the other hand, the aspects of biomedical fields encompass patient monitoring, ECG Analysis and X-Ray storage/enhancement among other various fields. The utilization of DSP in all these broader areas can be viewed to provide variable grounds for the development of economic conditions. Specially mentioning, this particular technology also leads towards mass expansion in technological domain, which eventually resulted in fulfilling different economic objectives. Besides, the component has been able to create superior level of economic integration in terms of supporting the most booming industries in the world such as information technology. Also, DSP is highly recognized for providing solutions to various departments including engineering, sales operations and finance among others (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, â€Å"The Broader Impact of DSP in a Global, Economic and Social Context†). Its utilization in all these departments ultimately imposes extensive impact especially upon the economic

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Biometrics and Wireless Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Biometrics and Wireless Technology - Essay Example This technology is now the more favoured method of identification over traditional methods like password and PIN identifications. High numbers of passwords and PINs are generated on a daily basis as more and more people are settling in with the pace of technology. These PINs and passwords are saved electronically on database servers, which at some point may run out of space. In this scenario, the better choice for a person is to be her or his own password. In today's market many types of biometrical identification tools are available such as fingerprinting, face recognition, finger and hand geometry, iris recognition, voice and signature recognition (von Graevenitz 2003). Biometric data collected using sensors are converted to digital formats for storage into computer databases. Fingerprinting biometrics has been long in use by the crime solving agencies and immigration authorities. However, technologies to use iris, face, and voice for recognition are still in their infancy. According to the founder and chairperson of CardTech/SecurTech, Ben Miller, biometric technologies have been in use since 1968. The University of Georgia was a pioneer in the use of biometric technology when in 1973 the university set up a hand-scanning system that helped restrict entry into its all-you-can-eat dining halls. Fingerprinting, iris recognition, retina recognition, face recognition, and hand recognition have been successfully imple... Fingerprints are then stored in image formats or encoded character strings. This technology is cost effective and very accurate (Biometrics 101). Irises are also a unique characteristic that can be scanned saved in a digital format. Since irises remain unchanged after surgery or with the use of glasses or contact lenses, this technology is fast gaining popularity (Biometrics 101). Retina recognition systems are used in some high-risk facilities such as military installation systems. This technique is considered the most accurate among all available biometrics technologies. However, the installation cost for this technology is high (Biometrics 101). Face recognition systems analyse the facial geometry of a person and can verify a person's identity within a very short time and from a distance of 2 feet (Biometrics 101). As the internet age has progressed and matured, it has seen the advent of wireless technologies, which have brought flexibility of communication, as wireless systems do not need any physical connections. Transmission of data in wireless systems takes place through radio frequency. The popularity of wireless devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, smart phones, and other handheld devices is at its height at this time. Karygiannis and Owens (2002) recognised that wireless networks are at the same risk as wired networks but they are also vulnerable to a few new security threats due to the limitation of wireless protocols. For security implementation, in wireless systems biometric technology is getting a lot of attention as it provides an extra level of security. It can be used as a stand-alone security device or along with another protection system. Agencies that need higher levels of

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Personal statement - Essay Example I have many positive personal qualities, I settle in a new place like a duck takes to water and this trait of mine will also help me work with new people and I completely look forward to it. I have also been participating in a lot of extracurricular activities and I am sure that this is going to be a boon for me as well. Right from a very young age I have known that managing resources effectively can change our lives. There are people who squander available resources and as a result, they fail to achieve what they have always wanted to. On the other hand, there are many people who have very limited resources available to them but they make the most of their resources and as a result, they overachieve. I have been arduously working on improving my management skills. Soundpond International Co Ltd was my first company and I learnt a lot of great things working there. It is a textile company which taught me how to negotiate with clients and how to secure orders; this is a very important skill which only a few people possess. I met with European and American clients while working for Soundpond, and it was a very instructive experience as some clients were easy to talk to and convince whereas some others not so. I also have experience of working in the banking sector. HSBC Bath South gate was the organization where I worked as a banker, and it was great meeting new people and learning banking; it was a very enriching experience indeed. Human resource management is of extreme importance. Managers who guide people effectively tend to achieve their targets on a more regular basis than managers who fail to steer people successfully. Human resource management consists of several different things; motivating the employees is, arguably, the most important part of human resource management. Employees tend to deliver results when they are motivated and happy with what they do. It is also important to understand and work towards solving the problems of the employees so as to ensure that they do not affect their productivity. Communicating with the people effectively is of prime importance; he/she who fails to communicate would never achieve the desired results. I have been working on improving my language skills for quite some time now; I got a ranking of 7.5 in IELTS which is considered to be really good. I have been staying in the UK for the last 5 years and this is another factor which has made my language so much better. Time management is a very important skill; unfortunately, there are many people across the globe who consistently struggle to manage their time effectively. Luckily, I have not had any such problems. I have always managed to handle my time advantageously and as a result, I have also achieved a great deal in my life thus far, this quality would take me places and I am positively sure of this. In an organization, it is very important to work in teams and I am a team player. I have always been affable and open to suggestions, which mak es life so much easier, working in teams becomes a walk in the park if you are affable and respect other people. I have always respected both peers and seniors so it becomes really easy for me to ensconce into new groups. Employing new HR techniques is also very important. I have learned a great deal from my University, for instance, I am thorough with fundamentals of organizational theory which is an

Monday, August 26, 2019

Impact of Urban Environmental Aspects on Human Beings Essay

Impact of Urban Environmental Aspects on Human Beings - Essay Example Problems associated with urban areas negatively affect the way of living and prohibit the desire for a further extension. Individuals and the government need to have a concern regarding the best way of ensuring that there are less or no threats to the people living within urban environments. Arguably, overlooking certain ways of improving urban environment is of the essence, as it leads to utilization of resources. In essence, people should work through to ensure that all areas develop despite the changes in their economic status. An urban area is a region undergoing a transition of several development changes in its environment. The number of individuals within the developing region is high per square kilometer. An urban area is a densely populated region with people living there struggling to obtain the available resources. There are many industries producing commodities and whose waste is a threat to the environment. Pollution affects the status of living. On the other hand, the conservation of the environment helps the healthy well-being of individuals. The aspects of urban environment affect the health of individuals. Pollution affects a good stay of individuals in urban areas and is more due to an increase in the number of processing industries dealing. There is the use of chemicals for a complete processing of products. Poor drainage systems of organizations affect the environment of urban areas. Most of the organizations direct waste into waterways and fail to consider the impact on waters used by living beings. (Bueren 279). Consumption of water mixed with chemical substances affects the good health of particular persons and may result in death if not treated. It is expensive to treat waterborne diseases. b) Diseases Most of the people living in developing towns have poor health. The number of infected individuals in developing cities is high due to adverse changes in the ecosystem (Bueren 49). The spread of infectious diseases is also higher because of the concentration of people in one area and failure to access expensive Medicare. Failure to get proper medication weakens the body and may re sult in death. To help reduce deaths, the government should provide cost effective public health care centers in urbanized regions. c) Climate Climatic changes affect the standards of living and are the determinants of activities in most of the processing industries. The changes in climate result from influence in global warming (Bueren 11). Several industries deal with processing of natural products to improve the original quality. Therefore, a change in the prevailing climate may be due to an effect on the ozone layer, which results to acidic rainfall and affects the growth of various products. Lack of favorable rains leads to loss of raw materials. On the other hand, due to lack of available processing products, there is a reduced labor force on certain firms making people lose their only source of earning a living in urban areas. It is crucial for those managing processing firms to attach particular individuals to other departments. Therefore, it is important to ensure that indi viduals may perform activities in other departments to ensure that they meet personal demands. d) Traffic accidents The number of individuals using vehicles is on a gradual increase leading to excess emission of carbon dioxide gas. An area developing into an urban area has many people driving their own vehicles. Careless drivers

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Islam's Cultural Unity and Political Diversity Essay

Islam's Cultural Unity and Political Diversity - Essay Example Contrary to the verse’s context that only God, His angels and specific personalities on whom the knowledge of God’s divinity, power, and wisdom has been bestowed should be witnesses to this message, there have emerged communities of false teachers who mislead the faithful on the knowledge about God. One of the reasons for their false teachings could be lack of divine conviction to testify God’s words, in truth, and from revelations. The verse is also significant and relevant to our time that has many cults. The cults offer contrary teachings to the verse’s provisions and may mislead people and convert them to wrong faiths. Creating awareness of the verse will however strengthen people’s faith against the cult’s teachings. Contemporary problems that face people in trials and tribulations may also weaken a person’s faith and lead to doubts that God is not as powerful as He is thought to be. The verse, within this context, encourages peop le that God remains to be the only god, and he is still powerful regardless of what people experience in the contemporary world (Indstate 1). Indstate. â€Å"Twenty selected sets of verses from the Quran.† Indiana State University. N.d. Web. February 14, 2012.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

EDUCATIONAL URBAN TOUR 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EDUCATIONAL URBAN TOUR 2 - Essay Example The website to the event is http://www.metroymcas.org/east-orange-ymca/. The event is open to all people, although, kids aged between 5 and 10 years will find it to be more fun. There is no entrance fee charged for the camp, with the only requirement being a T shirt worth $ 10. More parents have been taking their kids to attend the program, and mostly find themselves recommending the event to other parents. Kids are taught on how to be self-reliant when faced with certain situations (â€Å"Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges†). According to the website, â€Å"Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges† the YMCA organization encourages healthy habits, and thus organizes a program called the â€Å"Healthy U Program† that is focused on supporting families in their efforts to build the pillars that support a healthy family home. The five pillars according to the â€Å"Healthy U Program† are healthy eating, playing every day, going outside, eating well, getting together and sleeping well. It is due to these reasons that the organization organizes open gym for the family, where families spend quality time being healthy. During this time, the event is free to all members only, and the family will spend quality and active fun, held at the Turreell Gymnasium, 159 N, Munn Avenue, East Orange. ... en The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and the YMCA which has been incorporated in all East Orange YMCA preschool and Afterschool programs for the youth. The program is designed to combat obesity in children by encouraging behavioural change. The New Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum, located in 192 Dodd East Orange, NJ 07017, and organizes various events for children such as school camps and birth day party groups. School camps and other groups are free for adults’ entry, while every child is required to pay an admission fee of $ 7. It also organizes special field trips that are free for school’s admissions for qualifying school programs. The phone number for booking trip admissions is (973) 673 6900 or (201) 200-310. Birthday party groups are charged at $ 10 per child, and $ 8 per child for 15 or more children. The class can opt to book the birthday party group for a child who is celebrating birthday. Children are treated with various fun events like the trav elling exhibits, split second stories, and treasures of the ancient kings, arts and crafts, bridge of books partnership, stargazer, the village and also the jukebox timeline. The website to the New Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum is http://www.jerseyexplorer.org. If a booked admission is cancelled within five days, no charges are charged, while cancellations with less than five days will attract a charge of $25. A confirmation letter is emailed, faxed or mailed to the client (â€Å"Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum†). The Newark museum offers various activities to various groups of people and clients, tailor made to fit the tastes and requirements of the group. Children are treated to various events, with Makerspace being an example. The event takes place in every 3rd Saturday of every month, from 1,

Friday, August 23, 2019

Demand In Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand In Health Care - Essay Example the health care facilities are scarce, with limited hospitals and doctors. Most of the rural areas are deprived of proper medical treatments. In these developing (and under developed) countries most of the population belongs to the rural areas. The availability of proper medical facilities is scarce (Pear & Lowry, 2012). In addition to this, low standard medical facilities are available at significantly high prices. The demand for the proper medical treatment becomes low in rural areas because of lack of affordability and access to the up to the mark medical goods or services. Therefore, people in developing countries, particularly in the rural areas demand health care services. On the contrary, in developed countries most of the people are provided with the facilities of health care insurance at reasonable prices, which can make the access to proper medical facilities easier (McConnell, Campbell, Brue & Stanley, 1990), therefore people in developed countries like Canada, U.S and Europe take great care of their health. This again reflects the law of demand. The example illustrates the fact that there are different categories of health care facilities, some of them are those, which cannot be avoided for example in case of a car accident the emergency treatment cannot be avoided. The demand for the medical treatment in such situations is considered inelastic, no matter at what price the medical treatment is available. On the other hand, some medication for the purpose of headache can be avoided if the prices of medical facilities are high. Therefore, the demand for medical facilities, which are needed in case of emergency are inelastic i.e. with the change in price the demand of medical facilities may have insignificant impact. On the same logic (but with a different scenario), the demand for minor medication is highly elastic i.e. the demand reduces with the increase in price. On the contrary, the demand increases with