Relationship Between Global and Local in Globalization Essay

Globalization is the process by which different individuals, states, regions, societies and cultures have become integrated through a global network. This can be categorized as either political which includes global leadership, formation of regional bodies, Economic globalization which includes trade, communication, transportation and social globalization which includes religion, education among others. Due to the dynamic nature of globalization, states and individuals have found it necessary to adapt to the different changes in order to survive. Thus it has become evident that globalization has affected the society both at global level and at local level. This paper will focus on the relationship between the global and the local in globalization with examples in the political, economic and social areas. At global level, globalization is evident in almost all areas of life as no one state can survive without interacting with other states. It has led to the co-operation of states in many different areas. For example, in the political arena, states have to ensure that laws that govern them conform to the norms in the international community and more specifically international law. Member states have had to form regional bodies and international organizations that deal with issues that affect them for example, war, food security, environmental problem, poverty among others. Furthermore, political globalization has created a form of hierarchy in the international community where as the developed countries e. g. U. S. A and Britain dominate the less developed countries e. . African states. In terms of economic globalization, we have seen the emergence of common markets based on the ability to exchange goods and services from one country to another depending on the availability of resources and labor. For example globalization has greatly contributed to the migration of people from countries with less developed markets to those that have greater opportunities and large amounts of wealth. In terms of social globalization, we have seen the rise of interaction at global level on the basis of religion, culture, technology and education. The most significant of these areas has been technology as it has greatly facilitated the interaction of people from all parts of the world not only through social networks like facebook, yahoo and twitter but also through business and education forums. We can say technological advancement has been the greatest contributor to globalization. Globalization is also evident at local level and can been seen through the way that both individuals and even governments try to keep with the changing times. This can also be categorized as above in the global level in terms of political, social and economic areas. In the political arena, we see our local leaders changing in order to identify themselves with a specific target group, in economics, we see people moving from rural to urban areas in search of a better way of life while in the social context, this can be seen through education for example where students are encouraged to learn additional languages to make them more marketable in job market, religion for example people of different religious backgrounds working together for the better good of the country and most of all through technology that facilitates the interaction of people from all parts of the country. It is clear to see in both areas- global and local globalization has had its impact on all areas of life. The relationship between the two therefore comes about when the locals or governments have no other choice than to adopt to whatever trends come up in their day to day lives. In terms of politics, due to the fact that states have formed alliances and organizations within the international community, it is inevitable that whatever actions they perform conform to the norms and rules that have been set out by the groups they belong to. For example in terms of laws, countries have to ensure that the laws that govern them go hand in hand with the treaties or agreements that they have entered to. This is to say that a country cannot pass a law at the local level that is against a law that they agree to abide to at the international level. In economic terms, we see how both local and global globalization intertwines especially with the rise of regional and international common markets. One good example is the formation of the European Union which led to all countries within the union adopting one common currency- the euro which has from that time on become the official currency of the region both within the individual countries and in the region at large. On the social front, we see how people of different countries each with different cultures have come together in one aspect of the other. For example looking at education, local schools and varsities have to get accreditation from different organizations both locally and internationally to ensure that students who got throw their system are recognized both within the country and also in the international community. In terms of religion we see the relationship through the fact that local churches, mosques, temples follow the same teaching under one leadership for example the Catholic Church elects archbishops who have to be approved by the pope-the leader of the Catholic Church who is not even necessarily a citizen of that country. From the above, it is clear to see that theirs is a very strong relation between the global and the local in globalization. This is mainly because the world is a global village and interaction between states and individuals is inevitable and people therefore have to do whatever is necessary to keep up with the changing times. This is further enforced by the fact that states (which represent the local population) have to participate in the international community. No man is an island therefore interactions between entities are inevitable.

Folate Supplementation In Food Essay

Generally, fortification of foods have proven beneficial to people over the past years as it restores the nutrients that may have been lost in food processing and also enhances the vitamins that the food contain. Examples of food fortification include the addition of Vitamin C, to an orange drink, Vitamin D to dairy products, and Vitamins B1 and B2 to bread, among many others. However, while food fortification is generally considered beneficial to consumers, a recent article, Folic Acid Fortification: One Size May Not Fit It All, which was published in Natural News. com, showed that foods fortified with folic acid increase the risk of colon cancer. While I am in generally in favor of the fortification of foods, the article made me think twice before consuming foods that are high in folic acid. Although the article showed that folic acid had a number of benefits, particularly the 20 per cent reduction of birth defects of the spinal cord and the central nervous system, it still had health risks which, for me, should be greatly considered before taking in foods that are high in folic acid. In addition, even though the number of benefits outweigh the risks when consuming food that are fortified with folic acid, I believe that food manufacturers, nutritionists and members of the health sector should further conduct a collaborative and in-depth study on folic acid-fortified foods before they are made available for public consumption. The findings of the study should be then showed to the public so that people are aware of the risks of eating too much of a certain food. Another option which I believe would greatly avoid the risks of consuming food fortified with folic acid is the modification of food labeling. At present, food labeling is mandatory. However, it only shows the amount of nutrients, carbohydrates, calories, cholesterol, and other contents of the food and not the risks associated with it. In this regard, I would recommend that food manufacturers label fortified foods which contain substances that have known health risks in such a way that the people or consumers can see what exactly the risks are. For example, if a food is high in folic acid, which were shown to increase the risks of colon cancer, its label should clearly indicate that too much consumption of this food can lead to the colon cancer or should at least contain a warning. Furthermore, I also believe one way to lessen the risks of consuming foods fortified with folic acid, is for the government to make the public more aware of the exact content of the food and the dangers associated with them. Nevertheless, the article stated that only those who consume too much food fortified with folic acid are at risk for colon cancer, which means that these kinds of food are relatively safe if consumed moderately. The bottom line is people should always be aware of the exact content of the food they are eating in order to avoid possible health risks.

How Iceland Was Formed Essay

Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot experiences severe volcanic activity one of the most well known eruptions was in 2010 when Eyjafjallajokull erupted seriously disrupting European air traffic. Iceland is situated is situated in the mid Atlantic ridge a seam in the Earth’s surface under the North Atlantic Ocean where the Eurasian and North American plates slide apart. This island has more than 200 volcanoes which is thought to be what created this island. This picture shows that Iceland sits on a constructive plate boundary as the newest parts of the island are right in the middle of the island, in fact, the new parts are in such a way that you could probably make out whereabouts the boundary is in relation to island. This theory is also confirmed by the way that the oldest parts of the island are right on the outside of Iceland. This picture shows where island is in relation to the mid Atlantic ridge and as you can see it is almost right in the middle of it. This picture also shows that the plates are moving away from each other, suggesting that the mid ocean ridge is going to get bigger as time goes on. Which means Iceland could expand a bit as well. This picture shows an aerial picture of a fissure zone in Thingvellir, Iceland, that is a land exposure in the mid Atlantic ridge. To the right of the fissure is the North American plate pulling west away from the Eurasian plate which is to the left of the fissure.

Investigation of the causes of failure of Lehman Brothers with special Dissertation

Investigation of the causes of failure of Lehman Brothers with special reference to agency problems - Dissertation Example This research study mainly focuses on answering the question related to possible agency problems that were instrumental in the failure of Lehman Brothers. It also evaluates other possible reasons of its failure. The research study was conducted through a literature review and the case study research method. The report relies primarily on secondary research, making use of the existing literature from various articles, journals, and newspapers. The findings of this study suggested that agency problems played a significant the fallout of Lehman Brothers with the company managers involved in taking several risky investment decisions, less on behalf of the owners of the company and more in the interests of top management. The high amount of incentive compensations offered to the top executives encouraged them to resort to such business strategies. Apart from the failure of risk management control within the company, its complex organisational structure and the adverse impact of global financial crisis also played a role in the collapse of Lehman Brothers. This research study can thus be helpful in conducting further research on agency problems that can arise in other business organisations worldwide. It can be helpful for companies to develop various means to overcome such problems, leading to more sustainable and less risky growth and development. Table of Contents Tables and Figures 2 Chapter I: Introduction 3 1.1Rationale of the Study 5 1.2Aims and Objectives of the Study 6 1.3Research Questions 6 Chapter II: Literature Review 7 2.1 Subprime Crisis 7 2.2 Agency Theory 8 2.3 Agency Problems 9 2.3.1 Contracts 11 2.3.2 Incentive Contracts 12 2.3.3 Management Discretion 13 2.3.4 Evidences Related to Agency Costs 13 2.4 Causes of Failure of Lehman Brothers 14 2.4.1 Complex Organisational Structure 16 2.4.2 Valuation Issues 17 2.4.3 Risk Management Issues 17 2.4.4 Sarbanes-Oxley Act 18 Chapter III: Research Methodology 19 3.1 Type of Research Method 19 3.2 Data Sources 19 3.3 Case Study Research 19 3.5 Research Design 20 3.5.1 Construct Validity 20 3.5.2 Internal Validity 21 3.5.3 External Validity 21 3.5.4 Reliability 22 Chapter IV: Findings and Analysis 22 4.1 Secondary Research Findings 22 4.1.1 Lehman Brothers and its Organisational Structure 22 4.1.2 Lehman Brothers’ Financials 23 4.1.3 Executive Compensations 24 4.2 Findings 25 4.3 Analysis and Discussions 25 Chapter V: Conclusion 26 Works Cited 28 Tables and Figures Figure 1.1 24 Figure 1.2 25 Chapter I: Introduction The financial industry worldwide experienced a great shock with the event of the bankruptcy filing by Lehman Brothers on 15 September, 2008. It is considered to be one of the largest filing of bankruptcy by any organization in United States. This significant incident occurred in the midst of

Importance of Effective Communication To Elementary Teaching Essay

Importance of Effective Communication To Elementary Teaching profession - Essay Example If the teacher truly does want to create multivoiced classrooms, she/he needs to provide ways for all of the students to participate. One among is the effective communication of the teacher with the students. Communication apprehension (CA) has been defined as an "individual level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons" (McCroskey, 1977). The school environment can play a vital role in the prevention of CA and make the students feel as part of the team. Fisher (1995) describes a school classroom that encourages a sense of community: "For me, community in the classroom is the amalgamation of rigorous learning and caring about one another. Community is built through routines, procedures, and attitudes that evolve over time as the teacher and children develop trust in one another. The teacher can create community feeling in the students by creating a warm, easygoing climate in the classroom --helping students get to know one another at the beginning of the year --using drama and role-playing situations --having students speak to the class in groups or panels rather than individually --allowing students to work with classmates with whom they feel most comfortable --having students speak from their seats rather than from the front of the room --presenting students with oral activi

Factors influencing consumers buying behaviour of Thai people in Essay - 2

Factors influencing consumers buying behaviour of Thai people in choosing luxury brands - Essay Example This paper presents the strategy to be used during the research. This paper will begin with the positivism and interpretivism. Positivism is a scientific approach whose methods are organized and measurable basing on the behaviors of the communities.   The positivism principles rely on quantifiable facts that help the researcher make a statistical analysis. Since the researcher seeks to identify human experience on luxury products, positivism design will help the researcher find their consumption patterns and their interests. Since this research aims at determining purchasing patterns of luxury products among the women, social status is a paramount consideration for the consumption of luxury products. Therefore, this approach is essential for this study. On the other hand, interpretive approach inclines towards the qualitative collection of data. Whereas positivism design seeks to identify the causes of buying behavior patterns, the interpretivist methodology is more qualitative and seeks for commonness in consumption patterns. For the purpose of this study, the research inclines mainly to quantitative and not qualitative data collection. The researcher will base researcher understanding on â€Å"positive† verification of visible experience as opposed to intuition or introspection. This makes this approach applicable to the study. There are two main methods that researcher often uses to collect the data which are a quantitative and qualitative method.

What impact has the war on drugs had on women Essay

What impact has the war on drugs had on women - Essay Example This essay would further analyze the impact of the war on drugs on women in this century (Solovitch 2006 & Bloom et al 2004). Figures taken from Women’s Prison Association showed an increase of 592 percent cases of women jailed for abusing drugs from the year 1977 to 2001 (Solovitch 2006). This shows a dramatic increase in the number of women jailed and the impact of the new legislative policies regarding drugs on the women. It is noted that women are the ones who are suffering the most at the hands of the war on drugs. An example of pregnant women can be considered here as when legislations were introduced it was seen that women who were using drugs were snatched of their parenting rights and were not allowed to bear the child (Bloom et al 2004). The pregnant women are at times even referred to child welfare authorities and in some states it is noticed that these women are sentenced to death. Not only this, the whole system of rehabilitation has also largely been only made to suit the male population living in this world. The women who are affected by drug abuse are not even given proper treatment when they are caught and yet again have to suffer because of the so called war on drugs (Solovitch 2006). In conclusion it can be said that although the number of men imprisoned for drug abuse are still higher than the women imprisoned for drug abused but even then the women are suffering the most from the new legislations. It is seen that many of the rights of these women are snatched without even being provided with their basic rights. Rehabilitation centers are specially made in line with the requirements of men and not women and that is why the women are not fully able to cure themselves from this problem. But on the contrary it can also be said that because of this war many women tend to avoid getting into the drug business as they are afraid of being punished and this seems like an

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Ethics - Essay Example Among the main ethical issues, which various people faced with on a day-to-day basis, is whether to be deceptive or to be honest. Is deceptions justified or is honesty always the best policy? This paper will discuss the ethical dilemma in detail and give examples where both situations are favorable. Honesty and deception From an early age, people are taught that honesty is a virtue and that we will succeed if we continuously conduct ourselves in an honest manner as often as possible. However, it does not take long for people to realize that honesty does not always lead to success, as people who are most deceptive prosper on a daily basis throughout the world. This therefore leads people to have internal conflicts as to whether to adhere to the principle of honesty, since the urge to lie becomes greatly magnified (Dal Cero, 2009). All the great world religions teach that honesty is the desired virtue that all people must try to cultivate. They thus show honesty as being good. On the o ther hand, these religions teach that dishonesty and all its forms is a society vice and should therefore be discouraged. Thus, the religions paint dishonesty as being bad. Due to this, a person’s conscience is calmed if he/she is being honest. However, a person’s conscience is not at ease if he/she is being dishonest. The individual’s conscience is not usually at ease due to the possibility of damaging their reputation if they are discovered to have lied. In most instances, the individual comforts himself by the fact that the negative repercussions of telling the truth would be far much greater. Hence, by lying one avoids negative repercussions (Dal Cero, 2009). However, in most situations, the consequences of lying are much more complicated than their face value. Lying leads self-guilt, damage of the reputation and lack trust by other people should they discover that one was lying (Hall, 2010). Deception can be either verbal or non-verbal. In verbal deception, the individual willingly tells the other person information, which is generally not true. The individual may offer the misleading information in order to benefit from a certain situation. Non-verbal deception is a situation where the individual does actions that he wants to be interpreted in a way that is generally not true. Secrecy or the unwillingness of an individual to offer vital information willingly or upon request may also be considered as deception (Garner, n.d). Deception may also occur in the form of diversionary information. The individual may attempt to control the information that he/she offers and thus substitute the relevant information with information from another topic. By so doing, the individual attempts to reveal information he/she would like the listener to perceive as valuable, which is not the case (Turner, Edgley & Olmstead, 1975). Most people require that their friends and other people who they associate with are honest. However, people always leave room for some lies since the truth may sometimes be painful, hence making lies and pretence to be appropriate at certain times. Telling the truth at all times usually has dire consequences; for instance, imagine a situation where your wife asked you whether she looked fat in a certain dress when it was

Barry Tomatoland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Barry Tomatoland - Essay Example A major downside of these industrially grown tomatoes is their lack of taste, as compared to organically grown tomatoes that re provided with the necessary nutrients and care required. Estabrook gives a rather interesting history of the tomato plant, tracing it back to its original habitat in South America, and provides a great difference between the tomatoes produced today in areas as Florida and those that are grown naturally. The use of industrial agriculture to grow these tomatoes has numerous negative effects to the quality of tomatoes produced and especially to the workers who work in those farms. This paper aims to look at two main issues Estabrook highlights facing the tomato industry and possible solutions to help solve them. Estabrook depicts the state of Florida as the worst state to grow tomatoes given its very poor soils and the high levels of humidity recorded in the state. The tomatoes are grown on sandy soil, which lacks the very important nutrients required for adequ ate growth of most crops, and therefore farmers have to utilize chemical fertilizers in order to make the sand soil a suitable planting medium. The sunny weather and high humidity in the state provide an adequate atmosphere for the existence of many pests and insects such as spots, blights, and molds that pose a serious danger for producing healthy tomatoes. Estabrook explains a disturbing picture of modern-day slavery in one of the most democratic country in the world where people enjoy various rights and freedoms. He clearly shows some of the harsh conditions that most laborers working in these tomato farms undergo, especially in Immokalee, Florida, the major growing area for winter tomatoes. Most of these workers are illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico, and cannot speak neither Spanish nor English, which places them at a disadvantage. Some of these immigrants are brought into the country through illegal human trafficking channels and are usually tortured and mistreated and sur vive in very poor living conditions, mostly without enough food and proper sanitary facilities. They work very hard and are paid very low wages that are paid irregularly. It is very disturbing to imagine a worker

Analysis and Opinion on June 2010 UK Budget Report Essay

Analysis and Opinion on June 2010 UK Budget Report - Essay Example Tariffs, taxes and rates indicated in the Budget also do have an impact on the trade policy and the volume and type of import and export transactions that take place in the light of budgetary restrictions or allowances. In the long run these will impact the UK’s balance of trade and balance of payments on current and capital account vis-a-vis its trading partners. Macroeconomic Objectives of the June 2010 Budget A review of the June 2010 Budget document as unveiled by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 22 June 2010 indicates that two main macroeconomic objectives are to (a) rebalance the UK economy and (b) put it on the path toward sustained economic growth (Budget Document, p1). In order to achieve these twin goals, the Government has determined that action needs to be taken in three areas: (1) deficit reduction, (2) creation of business opportunities for private enterprise and (3) ensuring in fairness that all sectors contribute to deficit reduction. The Government has even created an Office of Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) and this institution has been entrusted with the task of reviewing the policy measures taken by the Government and their execution from time to time to ensure that these steps will reduce the deficit and contribute towards sustained economic growth in the future. The OBR in its review of the June 2010 Budget document has already opined that there is a more than 50 percent chance that these measures will achieve the Government’s planned macroeconomic objectives of reducing the deficit, meeting fiscal and debt policy objectives and thereby kick-starting the economy towards sustained economic growth. Macroeconomic Problems Highlighted in the... This essay is one of the best examples of the comprehensive analysis of the state of Budget fulfilment on a certain date in the United Kingdom. The Budget Report attached with the June 2010 Budget document very succinctly highlights the state of the UK economy. The new coalition Government led jointly by Nick Clegg and David Cameron promised to usher in a new era of prosperity and recovery, and at least be truthful to the public in order that its integrity never have to be questioned. The first step was to take stock of reality and let the public know how good or bad things were. Once this was established, new austerity measures were soon on the anvil to mend the state of the economy and bring the UK to a better path on the road to recovery. While everyone acknowledges that we are still not out of the woods yet, there has been some recovery in key sectors like banking, insurance and retail sales- which shows consumer confidence in the present Government and its ideals and vision for the future. The Budget is a key instrument for controlling the incomes and expenditures in the economy. The fiscal and monetary policy are other tools and instruments by which the Government and the Treasury hope to control the rate of interest, lending and borrowing and spending and saving. Care must be taken to keep the British Pound and the Euro at a good rate of exchange on the open market, while reducing signs of inflation or deflation at home. The Government is serious about promoting private business expansion through various actions.

DELL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

DELL - Essay Example The most disappointing thing was the location of the launch as the Chinese got the first experience being the aim market for Dell; evidently, this itself was substandard for the people in the west (Camp 2012). All the same, the phone looked splendid with a rare design; moreover, it had a built-in receiver and ran on an Open Mobile System. Once people heard about these and other features, the interest faded slowly; naturally, for a leading computer technology company, one would expect features such as 3G circuitry in an android phone manufactured in China. Most of the consumers also lamented about the lack of Wi-Fi in the smartphone; in fact, the only type of wireless network that the device had was Bluetooth. The touchscreen was better off with a screen resolution greater than that of the iPhone; appreciably, the camera was standard but not top class. However, to add on to the problems, the device lacked a favorable keyboard, which was disappointing as the iPhone and android Samsung phones launched before it had the same problem thus people expected an improvement on this model. Generally, the Dell Mini i3 smartphone was a downfall for the company and the only reason very few considered it was because of impressive features such as Micro SD card slot or the USB port. Essentially, Dell China and China Mobile faced the greatest challenge then, due to a lot of criticism; however, Dell took almost all the blame because this was their first smartphone and it seems China Mobile was not in support of launching the project because no updates have come up (Camp 2012). Decisively, Dell requires a new and unique smartphone to redeem the company as a whole and that particular division, definitely, the new gadget, better than the latest iPhone or android Samsung phones will meet the customers’ needs and act as a foundation for corporate social responsibility and

Self Awareness Essay Example for Free

Self Awareness Essay You can not expect to change what you are not aware of. To make meaningful change it is important to know what it is you want to change for yourself and not for your loved ones or for external approval. Many people change themselves based on how others want them to be or to achieve a certain status in society. This is not meaningful change, it has no personal meaning and will not give you the results you were hoping to achieve. How can you make meaningful change? The answer is self awareness. You need to be aware of your core values and core beliefs. Values for the foundation for your behaviour and everything you bring into your life. Your core beliefs determine your thoughts, decisions and the emotions you experience. A value is a belief, mission, or philosophy that is meaningful. Whether we are consciously aware of them or not, everyone has a core set of values. Values can range from beauty and wealth to loyalty and trust. If you don’t know or haven’t defined your values, you end up drifting along in life. Instead of basing your decisions on an internal compass you make choices based on circumstances and social pressures. You end up trying to fulfil others’ expectations instead of your own. Clarifying, and expressing your life in alignment with your core values is a primary step in knowing how to be happy and create change. Our core values and beliefs determine our progress and success in life. Your core beliefs are your own personal power. You have the ability to attract what you want. A core belief can originate from a place of positivity or negativity. So when you are thinking in your head â€Å"I don’t deserve to be in this persons presence†, this is a negative core belief that you have made up for no reason other than the you have low self esteem. With positive core beliefs and an inner awareness of your own thinking and how it controls your feelings you can become more self confident in many situations in life. It is your life to live your way, so its your choice to live the ramifications of beliefs that make you happy or miserable. Achieving permanent change will be difficult unless you become more attentive to yourself. What are your core values and beliefs? What is important to you? What motivates you? Letting others tell you what you need to change will not work and will not make you happy. It is your job to decide what you want to improve in your life. Your life will never be more fulfilling until you know your core values and beliefs. With a good set of core values and beliefs supported by your passions you w ill have a rewarding and meaningful change.

Tourism Impact On Bali

Tourism Impact On Bali Tourism has long being considered as one of the biggest incomes for Indonesia. Rich cultural diversity and the natural beauty of the lands is the main tourism attraction. The country realize their potential and try to promote it internationally, especially to neighboring countries such as; Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. Other than the natural and cultural attraction, Indonesia is considered have a strategic location for business development. With millions of natural resources available in the country. Indonesia can attract business tourists to come and visit the country. However the Bali bombing in 2002 makes the international tourist to be alerted and therefore damaging to the Indonesia tourist industry. Since then, the trauma of the Bali bombing continues to haunt the visitors. The heavy drugs laws and death penalty as the worst punishment will also frighten and deter the visitors that come to Indonesia. The report below will explain the impact of Bali tourism on Indonesia econ omic and demographic factors. Furthermore it will analyze how the Bali bombing and harsh law will affect tourist decision when visiting Indonesia. Historical account of Tourism and Bali Rich local culture, great food, shopping, arts and craft and pulsating nightlife is some of the factor that makes Bali an interesting destination for Australian tourist (Bayes, 2007). Other than several reasons mentioned above, great surfing spot also have a significant role in luring the tourist to come to Bali. In addition; cheap prices of accommodation and services in Indonesia also supporting the tourist decision when visiting the island. Large amount of tourist that arrives in Bali will increase the economic growth in the island even before they arrive in Bali; by paying the tax. The development of tourism sector will also affect the development of the infrastructure in Bali. The tourism and hospitality facility will absorb numerous workforces and will create a number of available jobs in Bali. Furthermore, Bali GDP has increased by 10% from 2010 to 2011 and its recorded as 6.49% growth in regional GDP. Amongst the increase; service, trading, hotel and restaurant is up by 18.62% (Balivillaholydays, 2012). Statistical information Total foreign tourist arrivals to Bali in May 2012 hit 215,868 indicating a farther rise than May 2011 (204,489). On a cumulative basis, Bali foreign tourist arrivals for January through May 2012 1,131,462 demonstrating growth of 9.71% over the same period last year with 1,031,316 foreign tourists. http://www.balidiscovery.com/images/827/graff1.jpg www.balidiscovery.com Now five months into the year, Bali can now project more than 3 million foreign tourists for all of 2012. Bali should maintains its current year-to-date of growth at 9.71% through to the end of the year. The performance from major source markets that arrived in Bali on January-May 2008-2012 showed the biggest amount of tourists is from Australia. Australian tourists continue to visit Bali with month-on-month arrivals up 9.3% at 61,266 for the month of May 2012. While this is a respectable growth, Australias ability to generate double digit improvement in arrivals month after month maybe ending. From 2011 to 2012, Australian arrivals for the first five month of the year changed by 10.37%. If the rate of growth is sustained, the numbers of Australian tourist will stay up for the entire year. http://www.balidiscovery.com/images/827/graff2.jpg www.balidiscovery.com There are two big issue in Bali that affected Australian people greatly; The Bali bombing and Schapelle Corby cases. The Bali bombing happened on 12th October 2002 and its categorized as an international incident; as the death toll is effected many nationalities. The incident destroyed 400 buildings and injured 300 people, the final death toll was 202 bodies and most of them from Australia (Henderson, 2003). deaths by nation http://maximosweb.com/2011/12/04/terrorism-and-poverty/ Moreover, the incident leave deep trauma to any tourist at the time, and greatly reduces the quantity of tourist coming to Bali. bali numbers http://maximosweb.com/2011/12/04/terrorism-and-poverty/ The graph shows the demand of tourists arrivals to Bali slumped dramatically following Bali bombing. In September 2002 the foreign arrivals to Bali stood at 15,747. In November, it dropped down to 31,498 arrivals. Indonesias Center Statistics Agency spokesperson, Sudarti Surbakti observed that The decline is a continued impact of various shock of occurring in late 2002 and early-to-mid 2003 (Russell Darnley, 2011). Schapelle Corby is an Australian citizen that has been convicted and imprisoned for 20 years because of drug smuggling. The case is biased because Corby claimed that she knows nothing about the drugs that were kept in her possession. The effect of Corby being in custody; include the sentiment of the Australian to Bali, which lead to a boycott threat. The boycott has labeled Indonesian Justice as corrupt and it will leave a bad impression any visitors to Bali or any other destination in Indonesia (Lindstrom, 2005). Account of the current situation Even terrorism death penalty or Australians imprisoned make the images of Bali turn negative. Australians still spend money to visit this island and the amount of tourist year by year are still growing, giving a clear understanding of the question why Bali remains a good choice of Australians holiday destination in this current time. Firstly, the landscape of natural scenery and uniqueness of culture still attract Australian tourists and also give plenty of activities for them to do on their holiday such as swimming, surfing and snorkeling are the most preferred actions in Bali. Enjoying nature and tropical climate are the next preferred attractions. Interestingly, religious ceremonies sites and Balinese villages are also considered attractive by Australian tourists than before. Secondly, Bali Island offers affordable and acceptable prices to foreign tourists all over the world including Australians of all ages. The good value for money becomes a second reason for tourists to decide to travel in Bali. This also maybe because of a big difference of exchange currency rate of Australian dollars to Rupiah makes Bali an affordable and cheap holiday destination for Australians. On the other hand, the fear of terrorism is the biggest factor that makes Australians feel insecure and avoid visiting Bali. This also may become an important consideration for Australians before making a decision to travel to Bali. Anyway, the rate of Australians travelling to Bali increase year by year and this fact was supported by the graph above (Bali major source markets January-May 2012). Conclusion As the result, Bali is the most attractive destination for tourists and especially for Australian tourists. The main attractions; including natural beauty, traditional culture and affordable prices emphasize the reason why Bali is the most popular destination in the world. Even though the terrorism has affected the image of Bali in a negative way, the tourists still interested in travelling to Bali as the positive out way the negative reason. Dr. Hill said Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors globally and Bali has already established itself on the map (Dr. Hal Hill, 2012). This fact has confirmed the status of Bali which continues to grow in relation to a perfect destination.

Adolescence in Romeo and Juliet

Adolescence in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a famous play written by Shakespeare during the Early Modern period with the tragic ending among two star-crossed lovers. The love story between Romeo and Juliet arise the sympathy from the audience. It is impossible for Romeo and Juliet to stay together due to the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. Juliet is led to death because she is forced to get married to Paris who she does not love. She commits suicide with desperation under the patriarchal family. However, Marjorie Kolb Cox claimed that the tragedy and death of Romeo and Juliet are due to the effect of adolescence, Romeo and Juliet fall in love impulsively without consideration of consequences as well as the lack of parenthood during the adolescence. There are several scenes in the play describing the fight on the street in Verona. Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio are three adolescents who are easy to be impulsive. The Montagues and the Capulets start to fight due to the provocation. After Mercutio died, Romeo kills Tybalt as the revenge. Adolescents advocate violence rather than peace to solve the conflict. It is an immature way to solve the conflict and argument by adolescents. Violence is an issue among adolescents. They ignore consequences, social rules and laws to fight in the public space (Cox, 1967). The consequence is both Mercutio and Tybalt died in the fighting. Romeo is banished from Verona because he disobeys the law. Characters in the play pay the price for their impulsive fighting. Their impulsive behaviours lead to more tragedies. Another feature for adolescents is love. Adolescents are curious about love and sex. Boys and girls are easily attracted to each other. Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight. Romeo forgets Rosaline immediately. Juliet is also a young girl at the age that expects love. They fall in love impulsively and get married secretly in a very short time, in which is hard to know each other well. Adolescents are at the age that wants to be independent and have the desire for the opposite sex. They want to be independent of their families and parents. They spend more times with peers than parents (Cox, 1967). The power of love among two young adolescents makes Juliet refuse the arranged marriage and commit suicide due to the immature love. Adolescents are rebellious, and they are less immature than adults. Therefore, parents play important roles to guide and protect their children. Both Romeo and Juliet are a lack of parenthood that has weak relationships with their parents. They do not get support and understandings from their families (Cox, 1967). When Romeo feels painful towards Rosaline, he would rather find his friends and Friar Laurence rather than his father. He asks for help from Friar Laurence to hold a wedding. Friar Laurence is more like Romeos father, and he understands Romeos emotions. Friar Laurence is a reliable person for Romeo when he feels desperate. Montague knows nothing about Juliet until the end of the play. There is a gap between Montague and Romeo. There are not too many scenes about Lady Capulet as well. Lady Capulet follows her husband to prepare the wedding for Juliet and Paris regardless of Juliets intentions. When Juliet shows her attitudes towards the marriage, Lady Capulet ignores Juliet and refuses to talk to her. Juliet would rather share her secrets with the Nurse rather than Lady Capulet. As Cox argued, Juliet is not close to her mother. Juliet does not feel the love from her mother when she is desperate. Lady Capulet is absent when Juliet needs her. She ignores Juliets emotions towards the marriage no matter how Juliet is begging. The unconcern from Lady Capulet and cold mother-daughter relationship leads the suicide. It is obvious that Romeo is closer to Friar Lawrence and Juliet is closer to the Nurse than their biological parents. Adolescents are sensitive, in which they need more concerns from their parents. Parents should protect their children falling into a wrong path. Montague and Capulet are regretful for R omeo and Juliet. If they could concern more about childrens emotions during the adolescence instead of feud and power, perhaps death would not happen. Marjorie Kolb Cox analysed Romeo and Juliet from a psychological aspect. Romeo and Juliet are at adolescence period. The audience is convinced why some impulsive behaviours occur, why there are many fighting scenes in the play and why Romeo and Juliet fall in love so quickly. The death of Romeo and Juliet, as well as other characters, is a consequence of the effect from adolescence. There is no careful consideration for adolescents, and they are not aware of the responsibility. Cox makes readers focus on reasons behind the tragedy instead of a love story. Bibliography Belsey, Catherine. Romeo and Juliet: language and writing. London: Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2014. Print. Clark, Glenn. The Civil Mutinies of Romeo and Juliet.English Literary Renaissance. vol. 41, no. 2, 2011, pp. 280-300.Wiley Online Library. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Cox, Majorie Kolb. Adolescence Process in Romeo and Juliet. Psychoanalytic review. vol. 63. no.3, 1976, pp. 379-392. ProQuest. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. Fletcher, George. Studies of Shakespeare in the Plays of King John, Cymbeline, Macbeth, As you like it, Much ado about nothing, Romeo and Juliet: with Observations on the Criticism and the Acting of Those Plays. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1847. Archive. Web. 28 Jan. 2017. Jeffery, Chris. What Kinds of play is Romeo and Juliet?Shakespeare in Southern Africa. vol. 28, 2016, pp. 51-72.EBSCO host. Web.29 Jan. 2017. Hager, Alan. Understanding Romeo and Juliet: a student casebook to issues, sources, and historical documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. Google Book. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. Halio, Jay L. Romeo and Juliet: a guide to the play. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998. Print. Hartmann, Von. Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. (Book Review). The Journal of Speculative Philosophy. vol. 10, 1876, pp. 216-222. JSTOR. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. Herman, Peter C. Tragedy and the Crisis of Authority in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Intertexts. vol. 12, no. 1/2, 2008, pp. 89-109. EBSCO Host. Web. 28 Jan. 2017. Karaman, Hatice. The Mother, Who Is Not One: Reflections Of Motherhood in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and The Taming of the Shrew. Gender Studies. Vol.13, no. 1, 2014, pp. 37-47. Research Gate. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. Hoppe, H. R.The bad quarto of Romeo and Juliet; a bibliographical and textual study. Ithaca: Cornell U Press, 1948. Print. Kakkonen, Gordana GaliĆ¡, and Ana Penjak. The Nature of Gender: Are Juliet, Desdemona and Cordelia to their Fathers as Nature is to Culture?Critical Survey. vol. 27, no. 1, 2015, pp. 18-35.EBSCO host. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Kottman, Paul A. Defying the Stars: Tragic Love as the Struggle for Freedom inRomeo and Juliet.Shakespeare Quarterly. vol. 63, no.1, 2012, pp. 1-38. Project Muse. Web. 29 Jan. 2017 Lupton, Julia Reinhard. Response to Paul A. Kottman, Defying the Stars: Tragic Love as the Struggle for Freedom inRomeo and Juliet.Shakespeare Quarterly. vol. 63, no. 1, 2012, pp. 39-45. Project Muse. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Lupton, Julia Reinhard. Romeo and Juliet: a critical reader. London: Bloomsbury, 2016. Print. Minutella, Vincenza.Reclaiming Romeo and Juliet: Italian translations for page, stage and screen. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Mujahid, Maryam F. Romeo and Juliet a Tragedy of Love by Text: Why Targeted Penalties that Offer Front-end Severity and Back-end Leniency are Necessary to Remedy the Teenage Mass-Sexting Dilemma. Howard Law Journal. vol. 55, no. 1, 2011, pp. 173-204. HeinOnline. Web. 28 Jan. 2017. Sà ¡nchez, Antonio Barcelona. Metaphorical models of romantic love in Romeo and Juliet.Journal of Pragmatics. vol. 24, no. 6, 1995, pp.   667-88. Science Direct. Web. 30 Jan. 2017. Sause, Birte. Love, death, and fortune: central concepts in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang GmbH, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 28 Jan. 2017. Targoff, Ramie. Mortal Love: ShakespearesRomeo and Julietand the Practice of Joint Burial.Representations. vol. 120, no. 1, 2012, pp. 17-38. JSTOR. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Death in Young Gal’s Blues, One Day I Wrote Her Name, and Song on The E

Death in Young Gal’s Blues, One Day I Wrote Her Name, and Song on The End of the World Death is inevitable. It can inspire, it can cause sadness, and it can cause grief. The poets Langston Hughes, Edmund Spenser and Czelsaw Milosz are able to describe death so beautifully that the reader is consumed by each poem and almost forgets the dark nature of each poem, which is death. The poems by these three poets explore different aspects of death and how it makes one feel. Hughes’ â€Å"Young Gal’s Blues† (910) is about a young girl contemplating death, and the fact that she would rather die young than grow old, therefore, the idea of death is explored from the perspective of a young girl. This concept may seem odd, but the way it is presented makes the reader feel at peace with the thought. Spenser’s poem, â€Å"One Day I Wrote Her Name Upon the Strand† (985), depicts the way a man feels after losing his loved one and the fact that his love for her is still strong even after her death. In Milosz’s poem, â€Å"A Song on The End of the World† (1124-1125), he discusses the end of the world. This concept is also about death, except it deals with the demise of all things through the end of the world. Although all of the poems explore the idea of death, it is easy to see that the three poets come from different cultural backgrounds which make the poems unique and effective in their ability to convey their perspectives and their individual motives for writing each piece of poetry. First, in Hughes’ poem, â€Å"Young Gal’s Blues,† he strikes out on a note that immediately makes the reader think about death, â€Å"I’m gonna walk to the graveyard,† (line 1). This beginning for the poem lets the reader know the subject matter, death. Hughes’ poem is ... ...th or the ending of the world in a peaceful manner. Since all of the writers are from different periods of time and from different cultures, their poetic styles and points of view on death vary. Although all the poems touch on aspects of death that many people should contemplate, and easily relate to, they are unique, which makes them all more striking, because they are all about a similar subject, yet they all have different perspectives. Works Cited Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Young Gal’s Blues.† Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 910. Milosz, Czeslaw. â€Å"A Song on the End of the World.† Literature. 5th ed. .Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 1124-1125. Spenser, Edmund. â€Å"One Day I Wrote Her Name Upon the Strand.† Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 985. Bohr 1

Shit I Do For Fun Essay -- essays research papers

To look into the mind of a television addict, we must look at the big picture†¦ First we recognize the voluntary slavery that makes up the majority of modern life. A I see it, people get up early, put on work clothes, and â€Å"work like machines for the rest of the day† getting no satisfaction from their repetitive day-jobs. Then come home around seven o’clock to their families who have already had dinner, and the kids already getting in bed. By that time there is almost no room left for quality family time or anything else to pursue that’s worthwhile. Thus the person turns to the television for that instant dose of friendship and gratification that could not be found anywhere else during his or her day. Once the person gets comfy on the lazy-boy, he becomes quickly stimulated and amazed by the intense sound and picture of thirty frames per second, and suddenly forgets thinking about the real world. Notice how some people become extremely annoyed when you talk to them or distract them when they are watching a program, or even a commercial. And might even yell at you for walking in front of the TV. As the hours of straight zombie-like watching go by, the person slips further into the fantasy world of television, and with you breaking that link between them and the tube comes as a shock to them. Someone can be so engulfed that it becomes a regular part of his/her daily routine. As a result of a lot of watching TV, studies have shown that the heart rate, and blink rate have slowed down dramatically and muscular function decreased down to the snap of a finger on the remote or the lift of a drink. The stimulation of the picture and sound shift so rapidly that they must become completely relaxed to soak it all up. Television is like an addiction, and like any addictive substance a moral message lies behind it†¦ The advertising and the programs are only they’re to keep the viewer coming back for more. But there are even deeper morals to the story. The televisions main purpose is to distract from what you really want to be doing. Than around the second line of commercials you realize that you could be doing far better things than this, but before that thought gets to you, another flashy commercial pops up that literally says â€Å"damnit stay in your seat, we’ve got more products to sell you†. And giving the viewer the sense that he/she cannot live without it. And this is... ...half its inorganic wastes. Television is where one must look to blame for this chaos. As it is the obvious driving force. With that in mind, how can it be possible for people to see past these views long enough before they realize what impact the media has on them, if they ever do, let them decide for themselves. In other words, how much TV must we watch before we realize what it is doing to us as people, and as a society. As you think about this, and wonder how we can change it all, obviously it is going to have to be a grass-roots effort. And since the message wont come to you through the TV or the government (since they fund some of it), it will only come from friends, and from other people showing the Tv-aholik that there is another way to live. Something like â€Å"hey come with me, I can be a real friend to you, make you laugh, and share the world together. The light bulb of the soul switches off as we switch on the TV. And I believe that the bulb can only flicker again from the wisdom of someone else that shares the same thoughts about the media. But ultimately, in the end people are searching for meaning, and that meaning can only come from within, and for each of us to find.

Casey Anthony Essay

As seen on national television in 2011, Casey Anthony, well known for her trial that hooked the whole world, pleaded not-guilty in July of 2011 for the murder of her two year old daughter. Reported missing on July 15th 2008, Caylee Anthony was found and pronounced dead on December 11th 2008. Majority of the world would disagree with Casey Anthony pleading, and becoming not-guilty, while a few on the other hand would agree. On July 15th Caylee was reported missing by her grandmother Cindy. When Caylee was reported missing it was said that she had already been missing for 31 days. Cindy said that Casey’s car smelled like â€Å"a dead body had been inside it.† Cindy said when she brought up not seeing Caylee in a while Casey had numerous explanations as to Caylee’s â€Å"whereabouts† until finally admitting that she had not seen Caylee in weeks (that was when the report was made by concerned, Cindy.) Not only did Casey not even report her own daughter missing, it took extensive questioning from family until Casey told family that Caylee was in fact missing, What kind of caring mother would hide the fact that there child is and has been for some time, missing? Casey also showed no emotion during her trials, or while investigating, or being interviewed. She was caught in numerous lies with police investigators, and never helped/wanted to help, or even seemed concerned with investigators during the search. That is suspicious behavior of someone who clearly already knew the fate of Caylee. On top of acting uninterested by the search, investigators found that chloroform and neck breaking were both found on Casey’s computer history. Large amounts of Chloroform were found in Casey’s car. Chloroform vapors can be deadly causing respiratory or cardiac arrest. Minor symptoms it can cause are fatigue, dizziness and headache. This is not coincidental, the obvious evidence is right in front of the world, but how is this woman found not-guilty? Although some people believe that Casey is in fact not guilty because she had several much more reasonable and less drastic alternatives that would have kept her from getting in so much trouble, and believe that the findings were coincidental. In conclusion weather or not Casey Anthony murdered her daughter or not she is and will forever be pronounced not-guilty of her child’s murder. But would you let her babysit your child?

Persuasive speech against video games Essay

Attention-getter: Whenever I look out from my window at home, nothing but memories come back to me. The house three doors down was the unsuspecting target of the foul balls we would hit when we use to play home run derby. Or my basketball hoop which held many world championships between me being the bulls and my friends being that year’s runner up. In the park across the street, I ended up blackmailing my neighbor, who was a few years older than me, into letting me play football with him and his friends. That’s how much I loved to be outside and play with my friends. As I become aware that my street has become barren from children playing outside, those memories soon fade away into silence. Thesis/Preview: The truth of the matter is that video games have affected the children who play them. Although video games have been quite influential on our generation, video games have had a lot of negative effects on the children of today. First I am going to describe the phenomenon video games has provoked, next I am going to explain the mental and physical health effects and lastly I am going to talk about the impact video games has had on the social skills of children. BODY I. Children in our country have become obsessed with video games. A. Since the start of Atari in 1972, the video game industry has expanded into a 10. 3 billion dollar a year market, it is only getting larger with the growth of technology. And although these games provide much entertainment, it does not come without a cost. Since the rise of video games, more children have become more obese, more violent and less social. (transition) Now that we know a little about the phenomenon lets look at the effects it has on children II. The growth of video games has mental and physical effects on health A. Initially video games consisted of a frog crossing a busy street or two paddles bouncing a ball between each other. Now games have started to border the line of excessive violence, enacting upon some of our deepest desires, but unable to express them due to laws that would be violated. In Grand Theft Auto, you run a round picking up jobs in an imaginary city. These jobs range from killing union workers to stealing pricy automobiles. In Conker’s Bad Fur day, you play as a playful cartoon squirrel that drinks beer and urinates on the enemy to defeat him. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, 90% of the games played today actually reward the player to injure another person and these were the games rated Teen. These types of gratuitous violence portrayed in video games transfer over into the everyday lives of these children. Studies of children exposed to violence have shown that they can become: â€Å"immune† or numb to the horror of violence, imitate the violence they see, and show more aggressive behavior the more they’re exposed to violence. Some children accept violence as a way to handle problems. Studies have also shown that the more realistic and repeated the exposure to violence, the greater the impact on children. For instance, a child in Kentucky ended up bringing a revolver to school and shot 8 students. Police ended up pin-pointing the source to the video games the child had been playing. The child ended up raking in more than 10,000 hours of a shoot em’ up style game that rewarded bonus points for headshots. Even if the games are not violent, another side effect that video games have on the health of children is with exercising. In a pediatrics journal, it states that 9 million kids are overweight, which is three times the amount it was in 1980. I am not stating that video games are the sole proprietor of this drastic increase, but for children, playing a video game usually takes precedent over exercising. With this increase in body mass, children have become more susceptible in acquiring what are usually known as adult diseases such as diabetes. In an Australian Geographic study, when asked what they wanted to do on a sunny day, only 32% of the children wanted to play outside. III. Video Games also have a negative impact on kids’ social skills and experiences. A. Another problem seen in children playing video games is there inability to communicate with their peers. Dr. Ricardo Salguero states that video games are an addictive behavior much like drug dependency. His results from a test on the dependency of video games concluded that 10% of the children, between 8 and 12 years old, playing video games on home consoles or computers, played for more than 4 hours a day – thus eliminating the socialization that would occur through standard outdoor activities like basketball. The more video games played, the more time it cuts away from relationships outside the ones made with characters in video games. Salguero then states that the earlier the child plays video games the worse the interactions the child has with other children are. CONCLUSION Review: From the information compiled by psychiatrists and doctors, we can see the violence, obesity, and lack of social skills that has accumulated since the beginning of video games. That is why I can say video games have a negative effect on children. Parents need to be more aware, not just of the types of games their kids are playing, but of the amount of time they’re playing. Memorable final comment: And when you end up going home I want you to pay attention and listen for the growing silence so that you may physically observe the impact of video games.

New product marketing plan

In the market analysis, I intend to assess both the future and current market(s), positioning competitive conditions and any regulatory concerns that may exist in United States as Honda Company ventures into introducing bicycles in America. The potential for our product which is bicycles consists of quite a large and wide range of individuals who love outdoor sporting as well as those who have an interest in biking as a sport. This is also applies to the avid riders. In other words, this group constitutes young people especially children who like to bike during their play time, those students who take on biking as their only means of transportation, and competitive riders as well as weekend riders.Targeting may occur in two main phases. The first one concerns the single segment which consists of a single product. This is whereby a single product is targeted by a marketer and this takes place in a market that consists of many segments. On the other hand, the second phase relates to a situation whereby a single product is aimed at the available market segments as a whole by a marketer. In this case, less importance is placed on differentiation as compared to cost. In addition, there is also multi segment system of approach whereby different segments in the market are targeted by a marketer and this also includes various products that are differentiated (Baker, 2003).The overall market for Honda is the United States’ market and company’s target includes young families, children and sports men and women. The current population of people who use bicycles is high in the United States and this size is constantly increasing. This therefore provides a good potential market for Honda bicycles that are about to be introduced. As concerns the socio-cultural characteristics, our target market consists of people who are open as regards their culture, beliefs, values and lifestyles. United States’ citizens once believed that those people who ride bicycles were mostly trouble makers; this belief has drastically changed since the inception of Honda Company. This therefore means that the target market is bound to perceive the introduction of Honda bicycles as a good thing.As concerns, the economic background, the United States market consists of people who have above average earnings hence they are capable of purchasing these bicycles. This is also because they are likely to have disposable income. Moreover; the customer needs and requirements vary a lot. For instance, the primary needs for any children who might want to purchase bicycles concerns their safety, value and sound construction whereas a competitive circler will look for the product’s technological superiority, reliability and light-weight construction.Our target market intends to have young adults who earn $ 35,000 as their annual incomes and the avid riders who have an annual income of $45,000 and above and they should be aged between the ages of 25-44 years. As pe r our surveys, our consumers will be willing to pay $ 410.What will drive the demand for our bicycles are the reasonable prices that we are about offer to our esteemed customers, our brand image and high quality products (bicycles).Industry and Competitor Assessment. The main competitors include Yamaha from Japan, Bajaj Auto, TVs-Suzuki and Harley Division (HD). Harley Division is a strong company that is financially stable besides its constant growth. In addition, HD offers-low cost and high quality goods, they posses a brand image which is strong and adaptable and lastly the company has a strong global marketing and distribution system. As a result of these factors, the competition has managed to satisfy the needs of our proposed targets.The main competitive advantages that these competitors have include lower costs of goods that will enhance competition, mergers between them and this will adversely affect the current market share that Honda possess. These companies have establish ed such a strong global competition because of the high quality and low priced goods that they offer. This also includes the brand images for their products which are also superior. Moreover, these companies offer advanced and high quality bicycles because they are knowledgeable on the greatest and current trends in the bicycle industry hence the ability to attract more customers both the old and the young population in United States.The other competitive advantage concerns the location of the business and also the reputation that they hold for their products among the majority population in United States. For instance, Mountainmart is also threatening competitors in the biking industry since they often apply a huge discount structure and commodity approach for its various product line. However, despite its price advantage, Mountainmart doesn’t offer a high performance service as well as bike lines. In addition, its location is not convenient as it is located far away from st udents who constitute the main target market. As a result, it does not portray as much competition to either of its competitors.However, Honda has also its own advantages that translate to its strengths giving the company a competitive edge over other business competitors. The company will produce and intends to offer a wide range of highly qualified bicycles which include comfort, mountain, children’s bicycles and hybrid. Since lifestyles are constantly changing, Honda Company is bound to offer a unique and healthy lifestyle with the current trend of bicycles that is bound to offer. Moreover, Honda also offers customer service which is excellent such as training, safety tips, instructions, repairs, bike fittings and proper use among others and this will be good aspect in tackling down our customers.Marketing Strategy Customers are the focal point as concerns the purchasing of products that organizations worldwide promote, development, and price and distribute hence this call for proper definition of these products so as to enhance and maximize consumer satisfaction. Positioning as a concept has in the past and even today changed the available nature that relate to advertising. The starting point for positioning relates to a service, an institution or merchandise.Positioning entails making the product to appear in a person’s mind (Ries and Trout, 2001). Positioning is therefore effective when it takes place at the right time. Getting into a person’s mind involves having the right messages fixed into people’s mind as this calls for an appreciation. Therefore our offering will be positioned through advertising so that people can be aware of the bicycles that we intend to introduce in the market. In advertising, enormous advantage is guaranteed for those products that are able to position themselves in the market as the first products hence it is essential to have very good products in the available particular fields in business.The ma rketing strategy of Honda will constitute the four elements of the marketing mix which include product, price, distribution (place) and promotion so as to make effective management decisions in order to attain the stated objectives of the firm. They will be blended in an optimal manner by the firm with an objective of getting a positive response from the consumers of goods and services in the market. This is because these four variables play the vital role in the decision making process by management. Products could either be goods or services that are available for consumer consumption.As concerns product decisions, the decisions that will be made may be based on appearance, service, function, warranty and packaging among others. Therefore the product decision at Honda will include differentiated products and different brands will be available for the bicycles. Honda intends to introduce bicycles that create a great appeal to the general public as well as the younger demographic he nce creating a larger market share for the company (Gorchels, 2006).As regards pricing decisions, the need could occur under a number of specific circumstances for different types of products and services. For an existing brand or product the decision can incorporate increases, reductions and holding price. The major circumstances in which pricing decisions need to be made are: new product introduction, changes in external circumstances e.g. competitive action in raising and lowering of prices, raw material tax or any duty changes in the market structure, as well as other internal changes arising from new products and new processes.It is therefore vital for decisions made on pricing to consider the probable pricing and the profit margins of products. Discounts, financing and other various options such as licensing also constitute pricing decision. At Honda, pricing decisions and strategy, the decisions made will use the method of low-end targeting. This will enhance provision of the se bicycles at lower prices so that everyone can afford to buy them (Gorchels, 2006).Placement decisions are mostly linked to various marketing channels of distribution which often provide the means for transferring these products so that they can get to the specified customers. Decisions that concern distribution include logistics, channel member selection, levels of service and market coverage.Honda plans to have dealers who will be used to distribute the bicycles to various destinations. These networks of dealers will be placed in various destinations so that potential consumers can access these products, merchandise or accessories. The company also hopes to use promotions such as shows, public relations and marketing programs in its distribution decision (Minzburg & Quinn, 1991).On the other hand, decisions that are made relating to selling and communication towards potential consumers are referred to as promotion decisions. These decisions require a breakeven analysis as these costs may be large. The promotion strategy at Honda will be based on brand image, advertisements and commercials that will be available to all.The most effective means of communication for our product (bicycles) is the mass media method of communication. This method enhances the rate at which we can connect with our target customers. Public relations will also be part of our promotion strategy. It is a purposeful form of communication directed towards the publics by the organization with the objective of developing good will (Cooper & Hiebing, 2004). Public relations is also future oriented and proactive hence the objective of maintaining and building an organization’s positive perception.ReferencesBaker, M.J. (2003). The marketing Book. Elsevier.Cooper, W., & Hiebing, R. (2004). The One-Day Marketing Plan. McGraw-HillProfessional.Gorchels, L. (2006). The Product manager’s handbook: Supplemental Worksheetsand templates. McGraw-Hill Professional.Minzburg, H., & Quinn, B . (1991). The Strategy Process. Prentice Hall.Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2001).Positioning: The Battle for your mind. McGraw-Hill New product marketing plan New Product Marketing PlanThis paper will focus on the development of a marketing strategy for a new product- Honda bicycle.Market Analysis In the market analysis, I intend to assess both the future and current market(s), positioning competitive conditions and any regulatory concerns that may exist in United States as Honda Company ventures into introducing bicycles in America. The potential for our product which is bicycles consists of quite a large and wide range of individuals who love outdoor sporting as well as those who have an interest in biking as a sport. This is also applies to the avid riders. In other words, this group constitutes young people especially children who like to bike during their play time, those students who take on biking as their only means of transportation, and competitive riders as well as weekend riders.Targeting may occur in two main phases. The first one concerns the single segment which consists of a single product. This is whereby a single product is targeted by a marketer and this takes place in a market that consists of many segments. On the other hand, the second phase relates to a situation whereby a single product is aimed at the available market segments as a whole by a marketer. In this case, less importance is placed on differentiation as compared to cost. In addition, there is also multi segment system of approach whereby different segments in the market are targeted by a marketer and this also includes various products that are differentiated (Baker, 2003).The overall market for Honda is the United States’ market and company’s target includes young families, children and sports men and women. The current population of people who use bicycles is high in the United States and this size is constantly increasing. This therefore provides a good potential market for Honda bicycles that are about to be introduced. As concerns the socio-cultural characteristics, our target market consists of people who are ope n as regards their culture, beliefs, values and lifestyles. United States’ citizens once believed that those people who ride bicycles were mostly trouble makers; this belief has drastically changed since the inception of Honda Company. This therefore means that the target market is bound to perceive the introduction of Honda bicycles as a good thing.As concerns, the economic background, the United States market consists of people who have above average earnings hence they are capable of purchasing these bicycles. This is also because they are likely to have disposable income. Moreover; the customer needs and requirements vary a lot. For instance, the primary needs for any children who might want to purchase bicycles concerns their safety, value and sound construction whereas a competitive circler will look for the product’s technological superiority, reliability and light-weight construction.Our target market intends to have young adults who earn $ 35,000 as their annu al incomes and the avid riders who have an annual income of $45,000 and above and they should be aged between the ages of 25-44 years. As per our surveys, our consumers will be willing to pay $ 410.What will drive the demand for our bicycles are the reasonable prices that we are about offer to our esteemed customers, our brand image and high quality products (bicycles).Industry and Competitor Assessment. The main competitors include Yamaha from Japan, Bajaj Auto, TVs-Suzuki and Harley Division (HD). Harley Division is a strong company that is financially stable besides its constant growth. In addition, HD offers-low cost and high quality goods, they posses a brand image which is strong and adaptable and lastly the company has a strong global marketing and distribution system. As a result of these factors, the competition has managed to satisfy the needs of our proposed targets.The main competitive advantages that these competitors have include lower costs of goods that will enhance competition, mergers between them and this will adversely affect the current market share that Honda possess. These companies have established such a strong global competition because of the high quality and low priced goods that they offer. This also includes the brand images for their products which are also superior. Moreover, these companies offer advanced and high quality bicycles because they are knowledgeable on the greatest and current trends in the bicycle industry hence the ability to attract more customers both the old and the young population in United States.The other competitive advantage concerns the location of the business and also the reputation that they hold for their products among the majority population in United States. For instance, Mountainmart is also threatening competitors in the biking industry since they often apply a huge discount structure and commodity approach for its various product line. However, despite its price advantage, Mountainmart doesnâ⠂¬â„¢t offer a high performance service as well as bike lines. In addition, its location is not convenient as it is located far away from students who constitute the main target market. As a result, it does not portray as much competition to either of its competitors.However, Honda has also its own advantages that translate to its strengths giving the company a competitive edge over other business competitors. The company will produce and intends to offer a wide range of highly qualified bicycles which include comfort, mountain, children’s bicycles and hybrid. Since lifestyles are constantly changing, Honda Company is bound to offer a unique and healthy lifestyle with the current trend of bicycles that is bound to offer. Moreover, Honda also offers customer service which is excellent such as training, safety tips, instructions, repairs, bike fittings and proper use among others and this will be good aspect in tackling down our customers.Marketing Strategy Customers are the fo cal point as concerns the purchasing of products that organizations worldwide promote, development, and price and distribute hence this call for proper definition of these products so as to enhance and maximize consumer satisfaction. Positioning as a concept has in the past and even today changed the available nature that relate to advertising. The starting point for positioning relates to a service, an institution or merchandise. Positioning entails making the product to appear in a person’s mind (Ries and Trout, 2001). Positioning is therefore effective when it takes place at the right time.Getting into a person’s mind involves having the right messages fixed into people’s mind as this calls for an appreciation. Therefore our offering will be positioned through advertising so that people can be aware of the bicycles that we intend to introduce in the market. In advertising, enormous advantage is guaranteed for those products that are able to position themselve s in the market as the first products hence it is essential to have very good products in the available particular fields in business.The marketing strategy of Honda will constitute the four elements of the marketing mix which include product, price, distribution (place) and promotion so as to make effective management decisions in order to attain the stated objectives of the firm. They will be blended in an optimal manner by the firm with an objective of getting a positive response from the consumers of goods and services in the market. This is because these four variables play the vital role in the decision making process by management. Products could either be goods or services that are available for consumer consumption.As concerns product decisions, the decisions that will be made may be based on appearance, service, function, warranty and packaging among others. Therefore the product decision at Honda will include differentiated products and different brands will be available for the bicycles. Honda intends to introduce bicycles that create a great appeal to the general public as well as the younger demographic hence creating a larger market share for the company (Gorchels, 2006).As regards pricing decisions, the need could occur under a number of specific circumstances for different types of products and services. For an existing brand or product the decision can incorporate increases, reductions and holding price. The major circumstances in which pricing decisions need to be made are: new product introduction, changes in external circumstances e.g. competitive action in raising and lowering of prices, raw material tax or any duty changes in the market structure, as well as other internal changes arising from new products and new processes.It is therefore vital for decisions made on pricing to consider the probable pricing and the profit margins of products. Discounts, financing and other various options such as licensing also constitute pricing decisio n. At Honda, pricing decisions and strategy, the decisions made will use the method of low-end targeting. This will enhance provision of these bicycles at lower prices so that everyone can afford to buy them (Gorchels, 2006).Placement decisions are mostly linked to various marketing channels of distribution which often provide the means for transferring these products so that they can get to the specified customers. Decisions that concern distribution include logistics, channel member selection, levels of service and market coverage. Honda plans to have dealers who will be used to distribute the bicycles to various destinations. These networks of dealers will be placed in various destinations so that potential consumers can access these products, merchandise or accessories. The company also hopes to use promotions such as shows, public relations and marketing programs in its distribution decision (Minzburg & Quinn, 1991).On the other hand, decisions that are made relating to selling and communication towards potential consumers are referred to as promotion decisions. These decisions require a breakeven analysis as these costs may be large. The promotion strategy at Honda will be based on brand image, advertisements and commercials that will be available to all. The most effective means of communication for our product (bicycles) is the mass media method of communication. This method enhances the rate at which we can connect with our target customers. Public relations will also be part of our promotion strategy. It is a purposeful form of communication directed towards the publics by the organization with the objective of developing good will (Cooper & Hiebing, 2004). Public relations is also future oriented and proactive hence the objective of maintaining and building an organization’s positive perception.ReferencesBaker, M.J. (2003). The marketing Book. Elsevier.Cooper, W., & Hiebing, R. (2004). The One-Day Marketing Plan. McGraw-HillProfessional.Gorch els, L. (2006). The Product manager’s handbook: Supplemental Worksheetsand templates. McGraw-Hill Professional.Minzburg, H., & Quinn, B. (1991). The Strategy Process. Prentice Hall.Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2001).Positioning: The Battle for your mind. McGraw-Hill  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Professional.

The Paper Please Law

Moreen Prasad September 20, 2012 ENG 101 Rhetorical Analysis Papers Please! The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, often referred to as the Papers Please Law, has stirred up an extensive amount of controversy gaining national and international attention. The Act basically states that people who: are not citizens of the United States; are over the age of 14; and visit the United States for more than 30 days are required to obtain and possess registration documents at all times.However, the creators of the Arizona Act took it one step further when they enforced the failure of carrying your immigration documents with you at all times, a state misdemeanor crime. The state also has made it a requirement for officers to determine a person’s immigration status during any type of lawful contact, if there might be â€Å"reasonable suspicion† that the individual is an immigrant. The Arizona Act is not only unjust, but is bias and condones racism which is what leaders in the past have sacrificed their lives for in hopes of creating equality. What kind of society are we trying to create? One rooted in exclusion, punishment, and fear, or inclusion, forgiveness, and civic cohesion? † asks Lindsay Brooks, editor of â€Å"News Story: Arizona Illegal Immigration Law. † Brooks appeals to citizens in a moral manner in the question imposed, which the majority of people would answer this question with inclusion, forgiveness, and civic cohesion. The authors writing style and language impact the audience significantly. The author uses the word civic cohesion, implying that to punish, fear, and exclude would be uncivilized of the American population.The author uses pathos when referring to inclusion and forgiveness to create feeling within the audience. Forgiveness often requires a change of heart and acceptance. Arizona’s governor signed the Papers Please Law, under an executive order requiring the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to provide local police with additional training on what does and what does not constitute â€Å"reasonable suspicion. â€Å" â€Å"The question is what exactly counts as suspicious behavior? And how does one receive efficient training for such judgment? † (Brooks).The author implies that logically, authorities are most likely pulling over and or pointing out anyone looks like a possible target which requires not training, but off the head judgment. The term, â€Å"reasonable suspicion† will simply permit police misconduct. Targets will be based off of obvious and basic judgment such as stereotypes, race, ethnicity, etc. The author creates a question within the readers’ mind of how judgment will be made and how targets will be established and then answers it as she would expect the reader to, persuading the reader to adopt the argument.The author not only addresses but questions the morality of stereotypes that many people encounter. In add ressing stereotypes, the author creates a sense of mutual understanding and trust. The idea of judging ones status does not resemble the society we are trying to create with inclusion, forgiveness, civic cohesion, and equality. Although an individual’s personal decision regarding mass deportation is vital, the situation does not stop at the state boundaries of Arizona. â€Å"As The New York Times wrote in an April 29th editorial, â€Å"The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that states cannot make their own immigration laws. The author adds credibility to their argument. The author demonstrates that she is making more than just an opinion based argument, but is knowledgeable in politics and the concept of law making. When the author speaks upon politics, it makes the audience feel a sense of legitimacy within the argument. In order to create a society that resembles inclusion, forgiveness, and civic cohesion and functions effectively, we must not let our people be exploit ed. â€Å"†¦framed around the same philosophical question: deportation or immigration. † (Lindsay).The author ends the article with a question for the audience to bear in mind which includes ethos, pathos, and logos. Although the author has been persuading the audience to take a stand against the Papers Please and Arizona Act throughout the article, she leaves it to the reader to decide for themselves exerting the right amount of pressure without overwhelming them. I do not agree with the Paper Please law because it allows police misconduct and the law itself is bias and condones racism. It is our job as a community to not let history repeat itself, but to keep progressing forward towards equality.

Computer Based Learning †The Vikings Essay

The paper analyzes the effectiveness of computer based learning, factors that influence the learning process and the means of enhancing the technology towards a better instructional model. The Vikings – a learning package designed for history students is the base for this study. An evaluation of the package, its level of interactivity, the development model, its learning impact, and shortcomings are discussed in this paper. The paper also elaborates the changes in the design that will improve the learning model adopted in the Vikings package. The purpose of this paper is to establish the parameters that affect the learning process and how the computer based learning system can be used to make this learning process an enriching experience for the students. Computer Based Learning – A Brief The conventional classroom is slowly giving way to the computer based training applications that is universally accessible via the Internet. The personalized learning environment that this method offers has great potentials and can influence the learning process to a considerable degree. A successful prototype of this form of learning needs a high level of interactive media in tandem with an effective presentation of content that is simple to use and easy to relate. The market for this medium of learning has witnessed tremendous growth in the recent years with a wide variety of multimedia based learning tools available for the users. The use of multimedia and flash has not only made learning fun but has also facilitated retention and easy understanding of concepts. Many web based learning environments use innovative technologies that have revolutionized the learning process considerably over the past few years. Joyce A. Overfield and Lesley Bryan Lluka(2003) in their research article on evaluation of factors affecting computer based learning observe that computer based learning can be a valuable learning and teaching resource providing consideration is given to the nature of the student group. Availability and accessibility of computers is essential and students are unhappy if the support is lacking. These are some of the views that can aptly explain the effectiveness of the computer based learning system. This learning tool has improved learning experiences to a considerable extent as it does away with tedious conventional system of learning. The emergence of new technologies in this sector has collaborated to create a unique learning model for the students. This has not only set a new trend in learning but has revolutionized the way a student looks at his classroom project. Vikings – The Package The Vikings package is meant for students of history. The objective of the package is to impart historical facts and milestones to the students in a fun filled learning environment that makes the learning process easy and memorable. History has been labeled as a boring subject for many students and it can be a little tricky remembering facts and figures that relate to the distant past. The package uses maps and graphics to instill interest in the learner. The use of grid lines to mark specific study points and provide relevant information to the learner is a key feature of this package. The user needs to click on the relevant grid line to get details of the particular artefact related to the Vikings era. Terms used in the section are highlighted in red – a click on the highlighted term gives the user an explanation of the same. The developers of â€Å"The Vikings† claim that the package is highly interactive and excellent learning tool for students of history. The presentation of historical facts in a manner that facilitates learning is of prime importance in this application. The tool applies the concept of learning through activity and context based learning that ensures the involvement of the student throughout the learning process. This is in sharp contrast to the classroom learning process that is mostly abstract. A review of the two scenario presented below will make the contrast in both the learning modes clearer: Scenario 1: A teacher giving a lecture on the Vikings era and stating the facts verbally where the student has to be very attentive to relate the facts presented before him. Scenario 2: A student going through the Vikings package where a click of the mouse will give him the relevant information – pictorial description and maps on the screen relate to his cognitive senses and learning happens faster. The application uses the interactive instruction model that is designed to elicit some response in the user in the form of a mouse click. The programmed instruction with the aid of well-designed stimuli in the form of graphics acts as the user interface. A few basic factors that set the scenario 2 apart from scenario 1 are learner control, interaction level, learner motivation, collaborative learning, and navigation system that are discussed below. Learner Control Vaughan (1998) has described Computer Based Learning interactivity as empowering the end user of the package by letting them have control of the content and flow of information. The learning tool, â€Å"The Vikings†, simulates an environment where the control over learning is not completely in the hands of the student. The student decides the pace of learning but the path of learning is guided. In scenario 1 the student has to attend classes at the pre-defined timings and the teacher decides the topic of learning. In contrast the application allows the student the liberty to choose his topic of study and the sequence that he wants to follow at his own pace. It has been observed that by handing over the control of learning to the students enhances the learning experience. The advantages of learner control include greater individualization of instruction, increased sense of personal responsibility for learning, and the potential to optimize learning efficiency. (Interactivity: What is it and What can it do for computer based instruction? Terry K Borsook and Nancy Higginbotham-Wheat – Hannafin and Colamaio, 1987). A student who is a quick learner will have no problem going through the package and grasp the contents in one or two sittings. However, a slow learner will need time to grasp the information handed out – but he has the advantage of taking things slow and pacing his learning to his comfort level. The control of the learner over the entire learning process is seen as a positive reinforcement. The application should allow the student to decide his path of learning. An ideal learning application provides regulated control to the learner with the scope of browsing through the modules, set his learning objectives and pace of learning. Any additional related information or links to these should be provided to enable the student to look up on these extra bits of information. This not only enriches the learning experience but also boosts the confidence level of the learner. A systematic approach and relevant content packaged with attractive and compelling presentation will result in a satisfying learning experience. One of the concerns that have been observed is that giving too much of control over the learning experience may not be good since the learner does not know what is best for him. Borsook and Higginbotham-Wheat (1991) state that too much of control in the hands of the learner can shift the locus of control from one party to another and that diminishes true interactivity. Regulated control with guided flow of information is a better option. The Vikings package gives very less control to the student – the flow of information is directed by the package but this is one of the shortcomings of the tool. Allowing more leverage to the learner will make the learning tool more effective as this results in positive attitude towards learning and motivates them towards their learning goals. Interaction level The most effective teaching method involves a high level of interaction between the teacher and the student. A dedicated teacher is one who understands the student’s learning capacity and his shortcomings and guides him through with effective feedback. A two-way communication between the teacher and the student is very effective in the learning process. Computer based learning applications are continually striving to achieve the human to human interactivity level and have been quite successful in this venture with the aid of multimedia based technologies. The level of interactivity in the learning application tool is of prime importance for it to be effective. The representation of information through graphics and on screen presentation is the required stimuli that elicit some sort of response from the user, such as a mouse click. The application tool then responds to the user with relevant data. This process of interactivity in the application makes the learning process effective. Feedback is an integral part of interactivity. Berlo (1960) states in his work â€Å"feedback provides the source with information concerning his success in accomplishing his objective. † A classroom lecture where the teacher gives lecture to the class without class participation is quite ineffective. It is difficult to gauge in such a situation if the learning process was successful. An understanding of the student’s perception of the contents is essential. This is one of the essential features that a learning application tool should incorporate for it to be a successful learning model. The instructional design should take care that the learning model has scope to interact closely with the learner and guide him through the process for effective learning experience. The level of interactivity and feedback element present in â€Å"The Vikings† application is not substantial. A student going through the package is only following instructions that are being presented to him. Statements like â€Å"Click here to begin† and â€Å"Choose your artefact and click on the square to travel back in time† – these are some of the instructions that are provided to the student. This generates response from the student in the mode of mouse-click and the application narrates the relevant contents on the screen. The student needs to go through this text but this does not ensure learning. The application has no way of evaluating if the student has perceived the information presented to him correctly. There is no feedback mechanism that is applied in this model. This leaves the learning model incomplete. Proper feedback and evaluation gives the student a sense of his learning objectives and how much he has succeeded in this direction. Constructive feedback gives the student a clear picture of how much he has learnt, where he went wrong and what he should do to correct his mistake. Modes of interaction between the learner and the learning application model can be identified at different levels. The basic form of interaction is one that presents the stimuli to the learner and elicits some kind of response in the form of a mouse click or key press. A higher level of interaction that ensures the effectiveness of the learning process involves evaluating activities presented to the learner at the end of a module to gauge his understanding and performance level. This form of interaction gives a clear picture of the learner’s progress as feedback. The inclusion of this parameter in the instructional design of the learning application model is vital. Directing the learner to key learning points and providing links to related concepts enhances the quality of learning and promotes better understanding of the subject matter. Instances of such interactivity are problem-solving modules, puzzles, quiz, and brain twisters that ensure active participation from the learner. Engaging the learner in different kinds of activities related to the context enhances the learning process. This not only ensures that the learner has successfully grasped the contents but also increases the effectiveness of the model. One of the benefits of such activities is the interest level that is created in this type of learning environment. Learning becomes a fun activity and not a dreaded cumbersome experience that one goes through reluctantly. Once the interest level is high the learner is ready for more. He is willing to explore the unknown territories in pursuit of an in-depth understanding of the context. The learning process in such cases is unintentional and not deliberate and hence more effective. The multimedia and other high-end technology available have the potential to achieve this dream-learning model. Another key feature that determines the effectiveness of the learning application model is the quality of content. An application may provide all the features of good interactivity and presentation in terms of graphics and display, but a poor quality of content will negate all the rest. A package rich relevant content with suitable links to additional related information will ensure learning effectiveness. This leaves the control of learning in the hands of the learner. An individual may wish to go beyond the realms of his subject matter and explore other related areas in this way. Simulated learning environment in computer-based interaction is another excellent tool for learning. Simulations use selected elements of some world, real or imaginary, which operate together according to rules (Greenblat 1988). In such cases the learner can experience an imaginary sequence in which he can interact and learn. This kind of learning experience is a gradual process where the learner is allowed to make mistakes and learn. Teaching the history of Vikings era using this mechanism is not only an interesting option but also a powerful learning tool. It might be adventurous to move into the Vikings era and view the events of the past unfold in front of the student. The narration of the events in the background in synchronization with suitable graphics and animation will surely captivate the student’s attention and allow for greater learning experience. But it must be kept in mind that simply viewing the events of the past as an audience is not enough – the active participation of the learner is equally important to hold his interest level and retain the subject matter. Learner Motivation Kruse (2007) states that the success of any computer based learning package depends on learner motivation and even the most sophisticated package will fail if it does not motivate the students to learn. Computer games have managed to captivate the user’s attention to such an extent that everything else is forgotten. This is a classic example of motivation and interest that this type of software generates in the user. Educational models too can apply this theory while designing the learning package. The essential ingredient that is required to hold the learner’s attention is the active role of the learner in the learning process. There are several ways of ensuring that the learner actively takes the control of learning in his own hands. The interactivity of the learning package is one of the deciding factors that motivate the learner to proceed. The system should allow the learner to steer the path of learning. Enabling the student to browse the information and guiding him through the learning process will hold the student’s interest and motivate him to learn more. Structuring the learning content into a story telling format with compelling dramatic sequence will keep the student highly engrossed. The absorption of the learning material will be faster and effective. The Vikings package does not include this feature and the presentation of facts is in form of text that the student needs to go through. The effect of presenting the same facts through narration in the background will hold the student’s attention and interest. The ARCS Model of Motivational Design by Keller provides the direction to successful instructional design in this context. The ARCS model identifies four strategic components for motivating instruction. One of the basic parameters for keeping the student interested and motivated in the subject matter is his attention. Computer based learning has an edge over other conventional tools of learning like books in this context. The visibility and presentation of information through attention grabbing graphics and multimedia tool make this a more effective learning platform. Once the attention of the student is on the learning tool the application needs to stimulate the learner’s curiosity that in turn leads to search for answers and in-depth study of the learning module. The relevance of the content is another aspect that is important in learner motivation. This is a more goal centric strategy that appeals to the objective needs of the student. The objectivity of the study needs to be defined so that the student is aware of the purpose behind this learning activity. This keeps the student focused on his goal and helps him in the learning process. The application needs to arrange the information in such a manner that the student finds it easy to approach and understand. The sequencing and relevance of the information presented to him is vital. Correlating the tasks and facts in the learning module need to be very precise. The next step in motivating students is confidence-building strategy. The goal of this mechanism is to instill confidence in the learner that he is on the right track and that his learning objectives are being met. There are various technologies available that can be effectively used to evaluate the student’s understanding level of the module and based on this evaluation effective feedback is given to the student regarding his progress. Tasks for evaluating should range from simple to challenging levels that test the student’s perception. This challenges the student to go from one level to the other and enhances the learning process. The satisfaction of the learning experience is critical for measuring the effectiveness of the overall package. The achievement of meeting the goals of learning forms the base for a satisfying learning experience. Positive reinforcement and constructive feedback mechanism are instrumental in achieving this strategy. The Vikings package will attract the attention of the user with its graphical and pictorial representation but that is not enough. It is difficult to hold the interest of the learner with only graphical presentation of information. The student will very easily get bored with the facts presented in this manner. The package needs to adopt novel strategies to hold the student’s attention for a longer period of time. Use of storytelling mechanism, simulations and activity based learning modules as discussed earlier will motivate the student and enrich the learning experience. Collaborative Learning When students are able to participate in active learning activities, they find the learning more pleasurable and satisfying than non participative events (Fry and Coe,1980). The principle of collaborative learning provides many learning opportunities and enriches the learning experience considerably. A learning environment that allows interaction between the learners is highly conducive. A classroom environment provides this kind of scope to the students where a group of students sharing the same learning goal coordinate with each other, communicate their ideas, and share their understanding of the subject matter. Jonassen (1988) has stated in his works that the effectiveness of any learning environment is based on the types and levels of cognitive and metacognitive activity engendered in the learners. It is widely accepted that learning is enhanced in instructional settings where students are engaged in processing personally relevant content and are reflective during the learning process. Another feature of this learning principle as suggested by Slavin (1997) is that the reward structures inherent in collaborative environments have been found to have a positive effect on student motivation. Computers provide a stimulus for learning by increasing social interactions and cooperation (eg. Hoyles, Healy & Pozzi, 1992). The application of this mode of learning can be effectively used in computer based learning with the aid of various multimedia and authoring technologies available. The Vikings uses one such strategy in its learning application – the principle of situated learning or situated cognition. This is defined as â€Å"the notion of learning knowledge and skills in contexts that reflect the way the knowledge will be useful in real life† (Brown, Collins and Dugiud, 1989). The application is meant for two or more students at a time with the same learning objectives. The discussion of the facts and information between the groups of learners ensures the understanding of the subject matter. The collaboration between the students and the package offer an effective learning environment. One of the discrepancies of this learning principle is that collaborative learning may not have the desired outcome if the learners do not share the learning goals. Exchange of views and ideas may not enrich the learning experience, as some of the learners may not be attentive to what is being discussed around him. History is a subject that explores the past and discovers the roots of civilization and the world. The Vikings application aims to present the facts from the Vikings era to enable the students an understanding of how things were in those times. As such the application should aim at providing facts from the past that enables a better understanding of the world today. The Vikings package can implement some more principles of collaborative learning to create and effective learning environment. Use of interactive multimedia packages that enable the application to converse with the student and provide scope for evaluating the student’s knowledge and understanding of the subject matter is one method. Other methods involve the use of audio and visual depictions that is bound to impact the learner’s cognitive senses.