Selected Poems of Robert Frost free essay sample

An analysis of several poems by American poet Robert Frost. A paper which reviews three of Robert Frosts poems, A Considerable Speck, After Apple-Picking, and Two Tramps in Mud Time. The paper shows how these poems express Frosts optimism the bug lives in the end, even the bad apples will become apple cider, and the spring will eventually follow winter. Many of us have inadvertently or perhaps on purpose squashed a tiny bug without thought. But in a Considerable Speck, Frost connects with the bug and in return it teaches him something about the meaning of life. Frost personifies the bug in the line, To express how much it didnt want to die. He again personifies the bug by saying that it ran with terror. He tells how the bug, at first tries to run in an attempt to preserve its life and them accepts its fate and waits in acceptance of what is about to come. We will write a custom essay sample on Selected Poems of Robert Frost or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is illustrated by the line, It faltered; I could see it hesitate; Then in the middle of the open sheet, Cower down in desperation to accept, Whatever I accorded it of fate. A Considerable Speck was written after Frost had watched his sister die of a long, prolonged, type of fever (Pritchard, 1994). His description of the plight of the bug is much as Frost may have seen the plight of his sister in the battle against the disease.

Why self-publishing kickstarted my childrens lit career

Why self-publishing kickstarted my childrens lit career Why Self-Publishing Kickstarted My Children's Lit Career Native Finn,  Tuire Siiriainen  is an illustrator and the founder of Blueberry Pie, a self-publishing company. With the help of a Kickstarter campaign, she published her first book through her company in August 2016 - a personalized children’s adventure called "Message in a Bottle." Read on to hear how the campaign was fully funded in just two weeks.I was born in Finland, and have always seen stories around me. A lot of my inspiration came from my surroundings - forests, lakes, countryside cottages, and animals - but especially from children’s books. Rather than Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss, my favorite authors growing up were Astrid Lindgren (author of the Pippi Longstocking series), or Mauri Kunnas. Books about strong, Nordic children doing stubborn and seemingly foolish things have inspired me up to present day.During university in Belgium, I studied marketing - which is a form of storytelling itself. While in school, I rediscovered the magic of drawing and returned to the picture books of my childhood. When I reached the end of my studies at the age of 23, I knew that I wanted to create my own picture book.From a book idea to self-publishingI was never fascinated by the idea of traditional publishing. To me, it seemed slow and stiff, and even though I’m the first one to acknowledge the value of a printed book, the ways of publishing them felt out-of-date.Then I discovered the world of personalized children’s book and heard about print-on-demand (POD). It hit me instantly - this is how I want to create my book! I saw the unexplored possibilities of POD technology that would allow highly creative and inventive story concepts to come to life. "I saw the potential of POD  for  bringing creative and inventive story concepts to life." @MIABBook The StoryIn the summer of 2015, my partner Wojtek and I came up with the idea for our first children’s book, Message In A Bottle, during one of our forest walks: A lone bottle with a message inside is found on a beach by an animal. On the bottle label, there is a name and an address. The animal decides to deliver the bottle to its rightful owner, and with the help of many other animals around the world, the message in the bottle finally reaches its intended destination - and the mysterious message is revealed.The message in the bottle is created by the giver of the book, whether it’s a family member or friend. And the name and address on the bottle belong to the real child - the reader of the book. This is where the personalization aspect of the book come into play.Gathering a teamWe hesitated regarding whether or not I should illustrate the book because I had no professional experience - but, we knew I could draw. In the end, my drawing passion, paired with the need for constant marketing artwork, led us to picking our illustrator: me.Our digital agency had been working on the â€Å"Message In A Bottle† website since May 2016. They had the big challenge of creating an online platform where it would be easy to personalize and order the book. This meant submitting the child’s name, address, country and a personal message for the bottle, personalizing the world map page to show the route Kiki took to deliver the bottle, previewing the personalized book and creating a print-ready file to be sent to the print house.In July, all of the illustrations for â€Å"Message In A Bottle† were completed. And after countless website tests and print proofs, our website went live end of August.Since the launch, we have delivered over 100 personalized books to children all over Europe: the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany to name few. It’s the reaction of children that has completely touched our hearts. Hearing how much they lo ve their own personal book and how Kiki has become a beloved character in the whole family has been the most amazing reward.One year ago I had no idea where to start in terms of publishing a children’s book. Now I can’t wait to begin my second one!Fore more resources on writing and publishing a children's book, don't forget to check out these posts:How to Publish a Children's BookHow to Write a Children's BookHow to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s BookVisit the Message In A Bottle website to personalize and purchase your own copy!If you've run your own campaign, what have been your positive or negative experiences? Did you have any learnings or takeaways from the experience?  Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Tuire in the comments below.

Free Essays on The Slave Trade And Its Effects On Early America

Slavery played an important role in the development of the American colonies. It was introduced to the colonies in 1619, and spanned until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The trading of slaves in America in the seventeenth century was a large industry. Slaves were captured from their homes in Africa, shipped to America under extremely poor conditions, and then sold to the highest bidder, put to work, and forced to live with the new conditions of America. There was no mercy for the slaves and their families as they were captured from their homes and forced onto slave ships. Most of the Africans who were captured lived in small villages in West Africa. A typical village takeover would occur early in the morning. An enemy tribe would raid the village, and then burn the huts to the ground. Most of the people who were taken by surprise were killed or captured; few escaped. The captured Africans were now on their way to the slave ships. â€Å"Bound together two by two with heavy wooden yokes fastened around their necks, a long line of black men and women plodded down a well-worn path through the dense forest. Most of the men were burdened with huge elephants' tusks. Others, and many of the women too, bore baskets or bales of food. Little boys and girls trudged along beside their parents, eyes wide in fear and wonder† (McCague, 14). After they were marched often hundreds of miles, it was time for them to be shipped off to sea, so that they could be sold as cheap labor to help harvest the new world. But before they were shipped off, they had to pass through a slave-trading station. The slave trade, which was first controlled by Portugal, was now controlled by other European nations. In the late 1600's, Spain, Holland, England, France and Denmark were all sending ships to West Africa. The slave trade was becoming big business (Goodman, 7). Selection of the slaves by the traders was a painstaking ... Free Essays on The Slave Trade And Its Effects On Early America Free Essays on The Slave Trade And Its Effects On Early America Slavery played an important role in the development of the American colonies. It was introduced to the colonies in 1619, and spanned until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The trading of slaves in America in the seventeenth century was a large industry. Slaves were captured from their homes in Africa, shipped to America under extremely poor conditions, and then sold to the highest bidder, put to work, and forced to live with the new conditions of America. There was no mercy for the slaves and their families as they were captured from their homes and forced onto slave ships. Most of the Africans who were captured lived in small villages in West Africa. A typical village takeover would occur early in the morning. An enemy tribe would raid the village, and then burn the huts to the ground. Most of the people who were taken by surprise were killed or captured; few escaped. The captured Africans were now on their way to the slave ships. â€Å"Bound together two by two with heavy wooden yokes fastened around their necks, a long line of black men and women plodded down a well-worn path through the dense forest. Most of the men were burdened with huge elephants' tusks. Others, and many of the women too, bore baskets or bales of food. Little boys and girls trudged along beside their parents, eyes wide in fear and wonder† (McCague, 14). After they were marched often hundreds of miles, it was time for them to be shipped off to sea, so that they could be sold as cheap labor to help harvest the new world. But before they were shipped off, they had to pass through a slave-trading station. The slave trade, which was first controlled by Portugal, was now controlled by other European nations. In the late 1600's, Spain, Holland, England, France and Denmark were all sending ships to West Africa. The slave trade was becoming big business (Goodman, 7). Selection of the slaves by the traders was a painstaking ...

Profile of Serial Killer Derrick Todd Lee

Profile of Serial Killer Derrick Todd Lee Derrick Todd Lee, also known as the Baton Rouge Serial Killer, prowled communities of south Louisiana for years before his capture and eventual conviction in two of at least seven cases of rape and murder of women in 2002 and 2003. Childhood Years Derrick Todd Lee was born on November 5, 1968, in St. Francisville, Louisiana to Samuel Ruth and Florence Lee. Samuel Ruth left Florence soon after Derrick was born. For Florence and the children, having Ruth out of the picture was good. He suffered from mental illness and eventually ended up in a mental institution after being charged with attempted murder of his ex-wife. Florence later married Coleman Barrow who was a responsible man that raised Derrick and his sisters as if they were his own children. Together they taught their children the importance of education and to follow the teachings of the Bible. Lee grew up like many children in small towns around south Louisiana. His neighbors and play pals were mostly from his extended family. His interest in school was limited to playing in the school band. Lee struggled academically, often being outshined by his younger sister who was a year younger than him  but advanced in school faster. His IQ, ranging from below 70 to 75, made it challenging for him to maintain his grades. By the time Lee turned 11 he had been caught peeping into the windows of girls in his neighborhood, something he continued to do as an adult. He also had a liking for torturing dogs and cats. Teenage Years At the age of 13, Lee was arrested for simple burglary. He was already known to the local police because of his voyeurism, but it wasnt until he was 16 that his anger issues got him in real trouble. He pulled a knife on a boy during a fight. Charged with attempted second-degree murder, Lees rap sheet was slowing beginning to fill up. At age 17 Lee was arrested for being a Peeping Tom, but even though he was a high school drop out with multiple complaints and arrests, he managed to stay out of going to a juvenile detention home. Marriage In 1988 Lee met and married Jacqueline Denise Sims and the couple had two children, a boy named after his father Derrick Todd Lee, Jr. and in 1992 a girl, Dorris Lee. Soon after their marriage, Lee pled guilty to unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. Over the next few years, he drifted in and out of two worlds. In one world, he was the responsible father who worked hard at his construction job and took his family on weekend outings. In the other world, he cruised the local bars, dressed in dapper attire and spent time drinking and having extramarital affairs with women. Jacqueline knew about his infidelity, but she was devoted to Lee. She also became used to his being arrested. The times he spent in prison became almost as a welcomed relief compared to the volatile atmosphere he created when he was at home. Money Creates More Problems In 1996 Jacquelines father was killed in a plant explosion and she was awarded a quarter of a million dollars. With the financial boost, Lee was now able to dress better, buy cars, and spend more money on his girlfriend Casandra Green. But the money was spent as quickly as it came in, and by 1999 Lee was back to living off of his earned wages- except now he had another mouth to feed. Casandra had given birth to their son who they named Dedrick Lee in July of the same year. Collette Walker In June 1999, Collette Walker, 36, of St. Francisville, La., filed stalking charges against Lee after he muscled his way into her apartment, trying to convince her that the two should date. She did not know him and managed to ease him out of her apartment. He left her with his phone number and suggested that she give him a call. Days later a friend who lived close to Collette asked her about Lee who she had seen lurking around her apartment. On another occasion, Collette caught him peeping into her window and called the  police. Even with his history of being a Peeping Tom and various other arrests, Lee did very little time for the charges of stalking and unlawful entry. In a plea bargain, Lee pled guilty and received probation. Against the directions of the court he again went looking for Collette, but smartly she had moved. A Lost Opportunity Life was becoming stressful for Lee. The money was gone and finances were tight. He was arguing with Casandra a lot, and in February 2000 the fighting escalated to violence. She started the proceedings to get a protective order prohibiting Lee from getting near her. Three days later he caught up with her in a bar parking lot and violently assaulted her. Casandra pressed charges, and his probation was revoked. He spent the following year in prison until his release in February 2001. He was placed under house arrest and was required to wear monitoring equipment. In May he was found guilty of violating the terms of his parole by removing the equipment. Instead of having his probation revoked, he was given a legal slap on the hand and not returned to prison. Once again the opportunity to remove Derrick Todd Lee from society was lost, a decision that likely haunts those who made it. Third Side of Derrick Todd Lee When Derrick Todd Lee committed his first or last rape and murder of an unsuspecting woman is unknown. What is known is that in 1993 he allegedly attacked two teens who were necking in a parked car. Equipped with a six-foot harvesting tool, he was accused of hacking away at the couple, only stopping and fleeing as another car approached. The couple survived and six years later, the girl, Michelle Chapman, picked Lee out of a lineup as her attacker. Lees raping and killing spree would last another 10 years, with DNA evidence eventually linking him to seven victims who suffered from his vicious attacks. Victims of Derrick Todd Lee April 2, 1993 - A teenaged couple were parked in an isolated area when they were attacked by a large man who hacked at them with a six-foot harvesting tool. Both survived and the girl, Michelle Chapman, identified Derrick Todd Lee as the attacker in a police line-up in 1998. Other victims include: April 18, 1998 - Randi Merrier 28September 24, 2001 - Gina Wilson Green, 41January 14, 2002 - Geralyn DeSoto, 21May 31, 2002 - Charlotte Murray Pace, 21July 9, 2002 - Diane AlexanderJuly 12, 2002 - Pamela Kinamore, 44November 21, 2002 - Dene Colomb, 23March 3, 2003 - Carrie Lynn Yoder Visit the victims of Derrick Todd Lee page for more information about how the victims lived and how they died. Possible Victims August 23, 1992 - Connie Warner of Zachary, LA. was bludgeoned to death with a hammer. Her body was found on Sept. 2, near the Capital Lakes in Baton Rouge, La. So far no evidence has linked Lee to her murder. June 13, 1997 - Eugenie Boisfontaine lived on Stanford Ave., near the Louisiana State University campus when she was murdered. Her body was discovered nine months later under a tire along the edge of Bayou Manchac. There has been no evidence linking Lee to the murder. Too Many Murders and Serial Killers Investigations into the several unsolved murder cases of women in Baton Rouge was going nowhere. There are many reasons why Derrick Todd Lee, who is somewhat mentally challenged, managed to avoid getting caught. Here are just a few: Derrick Todd Lee stayed on the move. In the 10 years it is known that he committed rape and murder, he was also constantly changing jobs, moving to different cities in south Louisiana and doing time in and out of prison. It was not until he focused on areas around LSU and left the bodies of two of his victims at a boat launch at Whiskey Bay that investigators moved from solving murders to looking for a serial killer.Communications among detectives from one city to another were rare and Lee jumped from one parish to another to strike and kill.From 1991 to 2001 there were 53 unsolved murders of women in Baton Rouge. The women came from all different backgrounds and ethnicities, as did the way that they died. The city was on high alert and the government was on the hot seat.In August 2002 the Baton Rouge area Multi-Agency Task Force was formed and communications between parish detectives broadened. But instead of catching a killer, the task force ended up having more murders to solve. For the next two years, 18 more women were found dead and the only leads police had headed them in the wrong direction. What investigators did not know at the time, or did not tell the public is that there were two, maybe three serial killers responsible for many of the murders. Racial Profiling When it came to discovering and capturing Derrick Todd Lee, serial killer profiling did not work. He was black and most serial killers are white males.Most serial killers pick victims of their own race. Lee killed both black and white women.Most serial killers use the method of killing like a signature so that they receive credit for the kill. Lee used different methods. Lee did do one thing that fit the profile of a serial killer- he kept trinkets from his victims. In 2002 a composite sketch of the suspected serial killer was released to the public. The picture was of a white male with a long nose, long face, and long hair. As soon as the picture was released the task force became inundated with phone calls and the investigation became bogged down on following up on tips. It was not until May 23, 2003, the Baton Rouge area Multi-Agency Task Force released a sketch of a man wanted for questioning about attacks on a woman in St. Martin Parish. He was described as a clean-cut, light-skinned black male with short brown hair and brown eyes. It was said that he was probably in his late 20s or early 30s. Finally, the investigation was on track. Around the same time as the new sketch was released, DNA was being collected in parishes where there were unsolved murders of women. At the time Lee was living in West Feliciana Parish and was asked to give a swab. Not only did his criminal history interest investigators, but so did his appearance, which resembled the newly distributed composite sketch. Investigators asked for a rush job on Lees DNA, and they had their answer within a few weeks. Lees DNA matched samples taken from Yoder, Green, Pace, Kinamore, and Colomb. Lee and his family fled Louisiana on the same day that he volunteered his DNA. He was caught in Atlanta and returned to Louisiana a day after his arrest warrant was issued. In August 2004 he was found guilty of murder in the second degree of Geralyn DeSoto and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. In October 2004 Lee was found guilty of the rape and murder of Charlotte Murray Pace and was sentenced to death by lethal injection. In 2008, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld his conviction and the sentence of death. Lee was awaiting execution on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana. At age 47, Derrick Todd Lee was transferred to  the Lane Memorial Hospital in Zachary,  Louisiana,  from death row for emergency treatment and died on January 21, 2016.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Human Resource Management in Improving Literature review

Measuring the Effectiveness of Human Resource Management in Improving Organizational Performance - Literature review Example The first part of the review will focus on providing a critical discussion of human resource management and the underlying theories and functions. The second part of the review will highlight briefly on the concept of organizational performance. The last part of the review process will focus on correlating what different source write on the effectiveness of human resource management in improving organizational performance and then lastly, developing a conceptual framework for this study. It is important to note that the review will additionally outline the methods and methodological position of the researchers or writers, and it will even mention any existing problem and gaps within the existing body of knowledge. According to the writings by Rodgers and Wrights (1998, p 3), he described human resource management as an administrative function that involves that aspect of recruiting, selecting, firing and designing of payrolls. Rodgers and Wrights (1998, p 3) further added that in the present context, human resource management is viewed as a component for adding value to a firm’s strategy. In a separate study conducted by Sauer (2010, p 1), the term ‘human resource management’ has been described as the function that is concerned with employee policies, managerial systems, and practices that have a direct influence on an organizational workforce. From a broader perspective, Sauer (2010, p 1) wrote that HRM function simply involves all the decisions that affect the employees or the workforce within an organization. Rodgers and Wrights (1998, p3) made a mention that HRM as a practice has been on a growth period since the 20th century in the sense that there have been numerous advancements or development within the practice since its conception.

Should genitically modified foods be labeled Research Paper

Should genitically modified foods be labeled - Research Paper Example Actually, a lot of food that we eat today contains genetically modified ingredients. Supporters of this technology claim that it benefits humanity because that it ensures and sustains food security around the world as the population increases. Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM) of food is an issue that has entered the mainstream media in a lot of countries. It is a fact that a lot of food that we eat today contains genetically modified ingredients and usually without our knowledge. Supporters of this technology maintain that it ensures and sustains food security around the world as the population increases (Caplan). There is no doubt that the science behind genetic engineering is improving. While biotechnology could be the wave of the future and genetically modified foods could really provide alternatives to help increase food production, there is a growing wave of concern from citizens, farmers and scientists who question the way the research is currently being ha ndled by a few large, profit-hungry corporations. That is, as well as scientific debates on the merits of genetically engineered food, there are equally, if not more important, debates on the potential danger on both human beings and the environment (Kass). Much of the concern people have about Genetic Engineering is due to the fact that it is a very young and untested technology and may not be the answer to the food shortage problem just yet. Similarly, crop uniformity, which the biotech firms are promoting, will reduce genetic diversity making them more vulnerable to disease and pests. This furthers the need for pesticides, which are created by the same companies creating and promoting genetically engineered crops. This leads to questions of the motives of corporations and countries who are using the plight of the developing world as a marketing strategy to gain acceptance of GE food as well as dependency upon it via intellectual property rights. That they are against any labeling or other precautionary steps and measures that countries may wish to take is of paramount concern. The reason that genetically engineered food could be dangerous is due to the lack of testing to ensure that extracting genes that perform an apparently useful function as part of that plant or animal is going to have the same effects if inserted into a totally unrelated species. It may be that in the long term, genetically modified food could provide us with benefits and be a safe alternative, but we cannot know that at this time due to the lack of safety testing. The testing that has been done is often to ensure that the crop grows. Yet, there has been less emphasis on testing the effects or testing the wider ecology and the associated impacts of this technology on humans and nature. Even if there has been some testing, the long-term effects to humans, animals and the environment are unknown. The full ramifications of modified genes mixing with unmodified ones are unknown (Caplan). T hus, genetically modified food may benefit us, but we cannot know that at this time because much needed testing has not been done and current studies point to dangers rather than benefits. However, a group of scientists in UK do claim that GE food may be safe, but they mention that the long-term effects are still unknown. Also, it should be noted that a lot of field tests that companies do

History of chinese calligraphy and its chatracteristics Essay

History of chinese calligraphy and its chatracteristics - Essay Example This was followed by the Zhou Dynasty (1100-256 B.C.) during which Chinese wrote on bronze vessels and variety of styles was created on greater seals. During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) the use of lesser seal scripts, also known as xiao zhuan, was made standardizing the characters used for writing. Stone inscriptions were used during this time and scripts for clerical uses were also prepared. Clerical scripts developed more during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - A.D. 220). Such writings could be obtained from Stele Vessels, Stele for Zhang Qian and Stele for Cao Quan. Also, the cursive style of writing was developed during this period of time characterized by inscriptions on strips or silks. The regular script, cursive script and running scripts were developed during the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-580), the characteristics of which were represented by Stelae style from Northern Dynasty and Manuscript style from Southern Dynasty. The regular script developed to maturity during the Sui (581-618), Tang (618-907) and Five Dynasties (907-960). During these periods, seal, regular, cursive as well as clerical scripts were used. Personal Creative Styles emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) where regular and cursive scripts were mostly used in the development of creative writings like poetry. During the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming Dynasties (1368-1644), the ancient styles of writing in seal, clerical, regular and cursive scripts revived with further advancements. Several learning from the original works took place during these times. The Stelae school of calligraphy advanced during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) during which writers used their learning o n seal scripts and clerical scripts to create new writings unique from the past. Regular and cursive writings also flourished more during this period. The 20th century has witnessed radical development in Chinese calligraphy with

IELD LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IELD LAW - Essay Example Acemoglu goes on to say that it is important to obtain the right balance between politics and economics, because one inadvertently affects the other (Acemoglu 68). This is where law comes in because laws and policies are mainly made by politicians; these are the same laws that have major effects on the economy and development of a country. As a result of this, it is really important that a right mix be found between politics (law) and economics; this will create new opportunities and freedoms which can be exploited in order to improve economies and by extension the living standards of people living in poor countries (Acemoglu 69). In his book, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, Sachs provides several reasons why some countries fail to achieve economic growth and therefore remain poor and underdeveloped. He goes on to list government failures as one of the reasons for failed economic growth in poor countries, and explains this by stating that governments must pro tect businesses and make it easy for people to do businesses (Sachs 59). This, he says, can be done by taking steps to assure people that it is perfectly safe and conducive to do businesses in a particular country (Sachs 60). My understanding of this is that law is heavily involved since policies have to be enacted and implemented in order for investors to inject their money into a particular economy. As a consequence, I can conclude that Sachs also agrees that law plays a vital role in economic development and should therefore be taken seriously because it is a tool for promoting and enhancing economic development. In his book the Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and what can be done about it, Collier (65) argues that â€Å"governance and bad policies help to shape economic performance, but that there is a proportionality in the effects of getting them right or wrong†. Collier is simply saying that bad governance and failure to enact the right economic p olicies can seriously dent a country’s hopes of developing. When governments cannot develop and implement policies that ensure a good environment for doing business, investors will stay away and the country will not be able to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). FDI plays a crucial role in the development of a country, and it is common knowledge that all developed nations attract a lot of FDI, and also go to great lengths to ensure that their countries are investor-friendly. In poor and underdeveloped countries, bad governance and lack of democracy leads to things dictatorships, chaos and instability. These are some of the arch-enemies of development; they greatly inhibit the ability of a country to attract investment, aid and good diplomatic relations and therefore limit its potential for development. In Easterly’s The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to aid the rest have done so much ill and so little good (Easterly 5), Easterly identifie s two groups that have influential roles to play when it comes to aid and the distribution of aid. He names these groups as planners and searchers, and says that planners are those who insist on a continuation of giving out aid and grants that often do not reach their intended targets, while searchers advocate

Concept Essay on effect of divorce on kids Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Concept on effect of divorce on kids - Essay Example They learn to cope with the circumstances resulting from divorce. Since all children possess unique qualities, they react to counseling strategies in their own ways. Their age and development phase counts very much toward their reaction to counseling. Moreover, the parent with whom the kids are residing must give proper care and attention to them. Although it is hard for the parent to resume a normal life (Berry, 1999, p.21), yet it is important for him or her to remember that they have to play double role for their kids now, both father’s and mother’s. The parent can also get them admitted in extra-curricular classes and activities like yoga, karate, swimming, and aerobics, so as to keep them busy. This will make them refrain from any negative thoughts. To make them live a healthy life, the parent should encourage them to spend quality time with friends, relatives, and neighbors- people who are one’s greatest â€Å"support network† (Heubeck, 2014, para. 6 ). In short, raising kids after divorce is never easy. The parent who is going to keep the kids must show extra courage and strength so that he may be able to carry the financial and emotional burden of the children. Otherwise, children may develop many negative behavioral

Sealed Bids vs Competitive Essay Example for Free

Sealed Bids vs Competitive Essay Sealed bidding and Competitive Proposals have their advantages and disadvantages for private contractors. The government offers the opportunity to contractors to place their bids depending on the specifics of the job or the contract requirements then the government will choose the channel which they will send the solicitation through. For Sealed Bidding is an Invitation for Bids and for Competitive Proposals bids are two ways of solicitation, a Request for Quotation and Request for Proposals (Murphy 2009). An advantage for contractors that are bidding through Sealed bidding is that they are not obligated to provide any information on cost or the profit to justify their bid price. The government has no control over that part and will have to rely solely on the price competition without having all the facts to know if the bid is a reasonable one. This can be a great advantage in making a higher profit if the contractor’s cost for the project is low. Another advantage is that there are no negotiations before, through the period of evaluation or after. There are no individual discussions with any bidder during the process, and no price discussions occur† (Murphy 2009, p. 18). Competitive Proposal advantages for contractors can occur when the government uses a tradeoff. Even though a tradeoff is used by the government when they feel it is to their benefit, it can also be advantageous for a contractor because if chosen the contractor once again does not have to be concerned with the cost or price and still be the one with the higher bid. This process permits tradeoffs among cost or price and noncost factors and allows the government to accept other than the lowest priced proposal† (Murphy 2009, p. 21). The difference with this approach is that the government can either arrange to have a discussion with the contractors or simply make their decision without holding a discussion. When the government chooses to hold a discussion they will select the proposals from those contractors that were in the competitive range. Then the government will have discussions with these contractors in which they can review their proposal, make adjustments and resubmit a new proposal. Although discussions are offered in some cases the government may opt to make their decision without a discussion or the change for contractors to review and change their bids (Murphy 2009, p. 21). The advantage would be for those contractors that were given the chance to make adjustments to their proposals which based on their discussion could be closer on making the final award. The two contracting methods have advantages for contractors but in my opinion the Sealed bidding is a less extensive process for both the government and the contractor. From the contractor’s perspective I would prefer the Sealed bidding for the fact that there are no extra requirements to prove costs and price.

Analysis of Indias Automotive Industry

Analysis of Indias Automotive Industry INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY The automotive industry is one of the largest industries worldwide and in India as well. The automotive sector is a vital sector for any developed economy. It drives upstream industries like steel, iron, aluminum, rubber, plastics, glass and electronics, and downstream industries like advertising and marketing, transport and insurance. The automotive industry can be divided into five sectors:- Passenger Cars. Multi- Utility Vehicles (MUVs). Two- and Three- Vehicles. Commercial Vehicles Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) / Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (MHCVs). Tractors. We will be looking at the Passenger car industry in India. Despite a head start, the passenger car industry in India has not quite matched up to the performance of its counterparts in other parts of the world. The primary reason has been the all-pervasive regulatory atmosphere prevailing till the opening up of the industry in the mid-1990s. The various layers of legislative Acts sheltered the industry from external competition for a long time. Moreover, the industry was considered low-priority as cars were thought of as unaffordable luxury. HISTORY OF INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY Initially, in the post-liberalization period, the automotive sector, especially the passenger car segment, saw a boom, derived primarily from economic vibrancy, changes in Government policies, increase in purchasing power, improvement in life styles, and availability of car finance. The passenger car industry was finally deregulated in 1993. However, the automobile industry, which contributed substantially to the industrial growth in FY1996 failed to maintain the same momentum between FY1997 and FY1999. The overall slowdown in the economy and the resultant slowdown in industrial production, political uncertainty and inadequate infrastructure development were some of the factors responsible for the slowdown experienced. In FY2000, the sector experienced a turnaround and witnessed the launch of many new models. Two things that stunted growth of this industry in the past have been low demand and lack of vision on the part of the original equipment manufacturers (QEMs). However, the demand picked up after the liberalization of the regulatory environment, and global QEMs- who enjoy scale economies both in terms of manufacturing and research and development (RD) entered the Indian market. This has resulted in a big shift in the way business is conducted by suppliers, assemblers and marketers. PASSENGER CAR INDUSTRY IN INDIA: HIGHLIGHTS Passenger car sales are expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% over the period FY2004-2007. The six broad segments in the car market today are- Mini, Compact, Midrange, Executive, Premium and Luxury. In the medium term, growth in the Indian passenger car industry is expected to be led largely by the Compact and Mid-range Segments. The critical success factor has changed from price to price value. In terms of engine capacity, the Indian passenger car market is moving towards cars of highest capacity. With the launch of new models from FY2000 onwards, the market for MUVs has been redefined in India, especially at the upper end. Currently, the higher-end MUVs, commonly known as Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), occupy a niche in the urban market. With the success of SUVs, the line of distinction between passenger cars and MUVs in the Indian market is getting increasingly blurred. Domestic car manufacturers are now venturing into areas such as car financing, leasing, and fleet management, and used-car reconditioning /sales, to complement their mainstay-business of selling new cars. During April August 2006, the passenger car sales in India at 332159 units, marked a growth of 5.3%over the previous year. The growth in the domestic sales of passenger cars was led by strong growth in volumes reported by compact and mid size segments. While the share of mini and executive segments declined in the period under study, the share of other segments increased. For instance, the share of compact segment in the domestic car sales increased from 59.7% in April August 2005 to 64.9% in April August 2006, mid size segment from 20.5% to 22%, and the share of Premium segment was stagnant at 0.7% in the same period. New variants launches, easy availability of finance at relatively lower interest rate and price discounts offered by the players have played an important role in driving the sales growth in the domestic passenger car industry. KEY DEMAND DRIVERS Traditionally, disposable income was perceived as the key factor driving passenger car demand. But over time, other factors that are known to have an impact on demand have emerged. These include the need for greater mobility, non- availability of public transport services, availability of cheap finance, development of the used-car market, introduction of new technologically superior models, increasing levels of urbanization and changing consumer profiles. The credit for growing the Indian Compact Segment, and in fact, the Indian Passenger car industry goes partly to the Korean manufacturers (HMIL and the erstwhile Daewoo) and the Indian player Tata Motors. The HMIL Santro was launched in September1998 and created a sensation on account of its aggressive pricing at Rs.2, 99,000. The Santro became successful as HMIL had got the price -value equation just right. While Daewoos Matiz picked up only seven months after its launch, the Santro was selling more than 3000units a month only 2 months after its launch. HMIL had infact, planned its entry into the Indian market with the 1495cc Accent but later opted in favour of the smaller car. At the time the Santro was launched, both the options available in the segment- Fiat Uno and the Zen-had been around in the Indian Market for quite some time and lacked novelty. Santro was not only cheaper but also incorporated a multi-point fuel injection (MPFI) system that offered superior fuel economy to Zens carburetor system. The Matiz was launched in November 1998. Its 800cc engine immediately encouraged comparisons with Maruti 800. The initial launch price of Matiz at Rs. 3, 55,000 was significantly higher than the Santros Rs, 2, 99,000. Given that the Matiz was smaller than the Zen and the Santro, the initial impact was not so strong. In May 1999, Daewoo launched stripped-down variants. The launch of the cheaper versions saw the sales of Matiz reaching almost 2000 units in May 1999 and recording an average monthly sale of 3123units in FY2000. However, the financial crisis faced by the parent, Daewoo Motor Corporation affected the performance of the Indian subsidiary (that was reporting net loss and had significant borrowings). Subsequently, the Indian subsidiary halted production. MUL now has 4 cars in the Compact Segment: the Swift, the Zen, the Alto and the Wagon R. In terms of market share, Zen steadily lost share in FY2000 to its competitors. Despite this, there is no denying that the Zen is one of the bigger success stories in the Indian car market. With 3 models, MUL is the market leader in the Compact segment. The Alto arrived in India when there was little room for man oeuvre in a crowded compact segment. It was launched in 2 versions, the LX and the VX. The base version is priced competitively with the deluxe version of the Maruti800, while the higher-end version competes with the based versions of the Zen and the Wagon R. The 1061cc Wagon R is available in four manual transmission variants (LX, LXi, VX and VXi) and one automatic transmission variant (AX). Since its introduction in February 2000, Wagon R has been selling in the 1500-3000units per month range as against 5000-8000units per month range for the Santro. The presence of the already well-established Matiz and the Santro meant that the novelty factor did not work too well for Wagon R. However 2005 has been a revolutionary year for Maruti since its new Launch Swift has been a huge success in the market and the most demanded car as well. The other cars in the compact segment to have made an immediate dent in the market with their launch are the Palio of Fiat India and the improved version Indica V2 of Tata Motors. Indica was the third largest selling car in FY2002 in this segment, after Santro and Zen. On the other hand, Palio was launched at the time when the passenger car industry was witnessing a slump but the model cut across the barriers and was able to create a market for itself. However, the success of this model was short-lived and the sales declined thereafter. Nevertheless, launches of new variants (such as the diesel version) helped sales recover marginally. The size of the compact segment has increased as a result of the high growth rate attained by the models in this segment. The changing price-value equation, coupled with the declining interest rates and easy availability of finance, has prompted consumers to move towards the compact car segment from the mini segment. The high rate of growth achieved by the compact segment has attracted the attention of other players also; including GM. GM has entered the compact segment with the launch of its Opel Corsa Sail in May2003. FUTURE OF CAR MARKET IN INDIA The Indian automotive market offers tremendous opportunities due to a strong GDP growth, increased urbanisation, an expanding middle class, an upward migration of disposable incomes and availability of easy financing options. The Indian automotive industry is dominated by two-wheelers, while cars account for about 10.7 percent of the total industry. The potential for growth is enormous. The Indian Governments Automotive Mission Plan 2006-2016 states that the Indian passenger car market is expected to reach 3 million by 2015, making India as one of the top 10 car markets in the world. India is also expected to remain as the second-largest two-wheeler manufacturer, the largest tractor and three-wheeler manufacturer and the fourth-largest truck manufacturer in the world by 20151. The main considerations driving customer preference are mainly reliability and economy. GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT STILL LIKELY IN THE FUTURE Post-liberalization, the government has made specific attempts to reduce barriers and controls, such as allowing 100 percent foreign direct investment in the automotive sector and reducing customs tariffs on automotive components. The government has also set an ambitious target of increasing the revenue turnover derived from the automotive sector from about 5 to 10 percent of the GDP by 2016. The emphasis in the future is expected to be on exports of small cars, multi-utility vehicles, two-wheelers and components. With regard to emission norms for passenger cars, the government has proposed the implementation of Euro-IV emission norms from 2010 onwards, which is likely to lead to an increase in car prices. According to Avik Chattopadhyay Deputy General Manager, Marketing, of Maruti the Indian government is expected to continue the process of reforms even in the future. The Indian passenger car industry is dominated by the small car segment, and more specifically the compact car segment, both in terms of growth rates as well as contribution to total passenger car sales. Due to the fact that India is a low-income market, the dominance of small cars is expected to continue even in the future. Tata Motors, a leading Indian OEM, has plans of launching a small car at USD 2,326 in 20083. This is expected to convert a lot of two-wheeler prospects into passenger car customers. This is also expected to lead to other OEMs launching similar products/reducing prices and the creation of a new segment (below even the mini-car segment). Rural customers are also expected to be likely target segments for this car. The four-wheeler market (including commercial vehicles) is dominated by Asian OEMs, with American OEMs occupying only about three percent of the market. Hence, resurgence from the American OEMs seems likely in the future. Recently, the American OEMs have a lso announced their plans for capacity expansions however, the main difficulty is their lack of expertise for making fuel-efficient, small cars. General Motors (GM), in order to circumvent this, has recently announced the launch of a Daewoo small car (known as the Spark) in India in 2007. The used-car market is also expected to grow in the future, especially considering the fact that the ratio of used-car sales to new-car sales is about 1:1 in India this is less than the global ratio of 2:1. The major OEMs, including Maruti, Hyundai, GM, etc., have already decided to enter this market as used car dealers. Increased market share for fuels other than petrol is expected in the passenger car segment, especially considering the rising prices for petrol. Diesel is expected to capture about 35 percent of the market share in 2010, the current share being 30 percent. Maruti and Hyundai, two major gasoline players, have announced their plans to enter the diesel market as well. LPG as a fuel is also gaining popularity as it is cheaper than petrol and requires less maintenance and conversion costs as compared to CNG. Research work on bio diesel as a fuel for the future is also underway. The Indian manufacturing may go through periods of overcapacity as the vehicle capacity estimations are about three million passenger cars in the next five years. A recent trend observed is the sharing of manufacturing facilities for example, a deal between Maruti and Nissan, wherein the former is expected to produce cars on its assembly lines labeling them as Nissan. The use of Aluminum in automotives is expected to increase especially since this helps in boosting fuel economy, performance and safety, while reducing emissions. The use of electronics in manufacturing is also expected to increase. INDIA: THE SOON TO BE SMALL-CAR HUB Small cars constitute about 78 percent of the domestic demand, making India the third-largest producer of small cars after Japan and Brazil. Therefore, the government has decided to launch a programme to make India a small car hub in the future a recent reduction in excise duties from 24 percent to 16 percent exclusively for small cars being an initiative in this direction. The major players not present in this segment have also drawn up plans for entering this segment in the near future. Players with expertise in small car, such as Maruti and Hyundai, have formulated plans for ramping up production capacities. It is likely that with the small car volume increase (both due to domestic volumes and exports) in the next decade, domestic players, such as Tata Motors, would become strong global players. COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TO CONTINUE STRONG GROWTH This segment has shown strong growth over the last 5 years (at CAGR of over 20 percent), and the growth is likely to continue in the future as well as this is mainly dependent on economic progress and road-network availability, both of which are growing at a fast pace in the country. According to the National Highway authority estimations, the growth of highways is expected to proceed at a CAGR of about 6 percent during 2006-2015, in contrast to a growth of about 1.2 percent during 1951-1995. The future is also expected to witness more product sophistication with increasing power to weight solutions especially for the truck segment. Multinationals have already made an entry in the segment with MAN, Daimler Chrysler and Volvo already present in the market. INDIA FIRMS VENTURING ABROAD Manufacturing occupies about 60 percent of the total direct overseas investments by Indian companies in various sectors. The Indian automotive companies, including both Indian OEMs and well as component manufacturers, have been investing mainly in the domains of forging and casting, particularly in European countries. So far, the industry has witnessed 16 acquisitions (five in 2005). The collapsing auto ancillary industry in these regions makes the deal extremely affordable for Indian companies, providing them market access and brand enhancement opportunities in a new region. Indian companies are also investing in emerging Asian economies such as China to establish a new sourcing base in the region. Global automotive players: sourcing parts outsourcing RD base to India The auto component exports sector is expected to show a strong growth with an estimated CAGR of 34 percent by 2014. All the leading OEMs in the world are already sourcing components from India, mainly in steering systems, casting products and electrical, such as motors and wiring, harnesses. The Indian automobile industry has four major segments commercial vehicles (CVs), passenger vehicles, three wheelers, and two wheelers. The market share for each of these segments of the Indian automobile industry, for the year 2003-04. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) , the Indian passenger vehicle market has three categories passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), and utility vehicles (UVs). The passenger car market is further divided into various segments based on the length of the car (Refer to Exhibit II for a detailed description of the lengthwise classification of passenger cars. The Indian automobile industry was a highly protected slow-growth industry with very few players till the opening up of the Indian economy in 1991. Low manufacturing costs, availability of skilled labor, an organized component industry, and the capability to supply in large volumes attracted global auto majors to set up their operations in India after the ope ning up of the sector. For example, Fiat and DaimlerChrysler started outsourcing their component requirements to India. 100 percent Indian subsidiaries of global players, like Delphi Automotive Systems and Visteon, exported components to other parts of the world. Macroeconomic factors like government regulations, low interest rates, and availability of retail finance played an important role in the rapid development of the automobile industry in India during the late nineties (Refer to Exhibit III for an understanding of the impact of the Union Budget on the Indian automobile industry over the years).. The leading Indian manufacturers are aggressively aspiring to become Tier-I suppliers the OEM: aftermarket ratio in exports has changed from 35:65 in the last decade to 75:25 at present. According to a Government of India estimate, there are 400 large firms in the organized sector and about 10,000 firms in the unorganized sector. The entry of more foreign companies in the sector is expected to lead to greater regulation, pruning of the spurious market and the unorganized players ceasing to be stand-alone companies, and entering into either contract manufacturing or becoming ancillary units. India is also showing an increasing prowess in automo tive design and development. Global MNCs, such as GM, Ford, Delphi, Visteon, etc., have already set up their RD centers in India. The main advantage of these centers is the low development costs it takes 1/5th of the costs to develop or engineer products in India as compared to global rates. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The present study of the marketing strategy of the Maruti Suzuki (Pvt.) Limited revolves around the following broad objectives: To study the evolution and growth of the Maruti Suzuki (Pvt.) Limited in the context of the automobile revolution in India; To study the growth strategy of the Maruti Suzuki (Pvt.) Limited and the marketing methods followed by it in this regard. To study the small car revolution in India and the contribution of the Maruti Suzuki (Pvt.) Limited to it. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY RESEARCH DESIGN DATA SOURCES. Determining the sample size and the period of the required research. Designing the research tools. Defining the objectives of the research work. PRIMARY DATA Questionnaire. Survey. Personal Interview Discussion SECONDAY DATA Newspapers Journals Magazines QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN Questions chosen are open ended as well as close ended; and objectives behind choosing such question is availability of data SAMPLE DESIGN Sample unit: DD Motors Wazirpur, Mayapuri, Okhla, Competent Motors Moti Nagar Extent: 8 Weeks Sample Size: 59 MARUTI SUZUKI Very often, there is an analogy drawn between the state of the great Indian roads and the pace of economic development in the country. Needless to say, its not a very pleasing comparison. So the average Indian customer who rides the roads of India is naturally extremely cautious when it comes to investing in a vehicle. Only those rough and tough enough to survive the potholes and nightmarish surfaces can pass muster. In such a scenario, a foreign company launching a car in the Indian market was bound to be looked upon with skepticism and suspicion, more so, if it had South Korean origins. South Korean companies were perceived not to be quality oriented. The failure of Korean companies like Lucky Gold star (later to be re-launched as LG, which is another marketing success) and the bad word of mouth for Daewoo led to this perception. MARKET PRESENCE In the late 1990s, car manufacturers like Ford, General Motors, and Fiat were faring miserably in the Indian market. Maruti had a market share of a whopping 79 per cent in the passenger car segment. Daewoo and Telco were creating hype over the impending launches of their cars Matiz and Indica, respectively. In such a scenario, the top management of Hyundai Motor India Ltd, which has South Korean origins, had a tough decision to make. It was a big gamble to go ahead with the launch of the small car -Santro. The Hyundai management stuck to a simple strategy launch a quality product in the most promising segment. With the latest technology and price it aggressively. In the pre-launch period in late 1997, the company commissioned market research project to understand the, Indian consumer psyche and specify a benchmark for the pricing policy. The results of this survey and the actions taken thereafter had a bearing upon the success of the product later on. The Indian consumers showed an immense dislike to the shape of Santro. One consumer even likened it to a funeral hearse. A second important result was that Hyundai is an unknown brand with almost zero brand equity amongst Indian consumers. The company immediately undertook the initiative of reshaping and customizing the car for the Indian customer. The tall rear end was reduced and made more aesthetically appealing. The Santro was all set for the Indian launch. MARUTI-MARKETING GENIUS Here came the most important aspect of the launch the marketing strategy. This was a factor that could make or mar the success of the Santro. Hyundai tied up with the advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi, who hit upon a novel strategy. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan was roped in to be the brand ambassador. A three-pronged strategy was designed to attract the consumer: Educate Indian Consumers about Hyundai Create hype and expectations about the Santro Explain the virtues of the Santro The TV Press Campaign broke in June 1998. The initial TV spots and the press campaign showed Shah Rukh Khan being approached by a Hyundai official to advertise the Santro. Shah Rukh was not convinced about Hyundai and he was shown to ask all questions a normal Indian consumer is expected to ask. What is Hyundai? Why should I advertise for the Santro? Will it match customer service expectations? What about dealer networks? How can an international car meet the requirements of Indian roads? As the campaign went through all of these questions, the Hyundai official answered Shah Rukh Khan. By the time the car was actually launched, Shah Rukh Khan proclaims, he is convinced. He declares that he is now ready to advertise the Santro since he is certain that the Santro is the car for India. This high profile campaign backed by some very innovative media buying, which went for maximum coverage with the minimum budget, broke all grounds in terms of creating consumer expectations and hype in t he market. Along with the Advertising Campaign, the Sales Team worked burning midnight oil in creating the dealer network across the length and breadth of the country. The wide dealer network would prove to be invaluable in ensuring that the Santro would be available to anyone who wants to buy it. An important pre-requisite for the dealer network was a fully functional workshop area with imported international standard equipment and engineers trained in Hyundais parent training centre in South Korea and localized training provided in the Chennai Plant. RANGE OF PRODUCT SERVICES The race for Indias small-car market has begun. But only those among the big four who get all their strategies right will win this unforgiving contest. The prize: not just the largest automobile segment, but also survival in this market. Theyre lined up for the last lap. With Market India becoming a minefield for the worlds largest auto-makers, the Formula I have become brighter than the red lights that have stopped them in their tracks so faronly the small car will enable endurance. Bumper-to-bumper, therefore, the combatants are accelerating towards the small-car segment. Amounting to 60 per cent of the Rs 14,500-crore automobiles market, and hitherto monopolized by the Rs 8,454-crore Maruti Udyog with its Maruti 800 and Zen, its the final frontier between survival and extinction. So far, accustomed as they are to the priorities of the customer in the developed markets, the global auto-makers have taken many wrong turns in India. Only now, after many knocks, crashes, and repair job s, are they back on track, heading towards their destination. But neither the road nor the end-point of their journey is wide enough for all of them. At a projected 6-lakh unit by 2000, demand for cars is still 25 per cent less than the number of F-150 pick-up trucks sold by the $153.62-billion Ford Motor Co. in 1997. But the importance of India on the world auto map is strategic. With an estimated total capacity of 58 million units a year, the global auto industry is racing far a head of the demand of 45 million units. Markets in North America, Europe, and Japanwhich account for 74 per cent of the demandhave become saturated. Global car-manufacturers will need to plant their feet in a low-cost, young, stable market to sell their products to create a global supply-base for cars and components. The first wave of manufacturers simply failed to make a splash in India. They were revving up for a growth that never happened. Their entry reasoning: since India had been a small-car market for years, it was only a matter of time before it enlarged to ac commodate bigger, luxury cars. That the logic was flawed has now become evident. India is still a small-car market for anyone who wants both revenues and profits. Not surprisingly, Ford (which launched the 1,300-cc petrol and the 1,800-cc diesel Escort in 1996), the $178.17-billion General Motors (which entered with the 1,600-cc Opel Astra in 1996), and the $72-billion Daewoo Groups Rs 963.37-crore Daewoo Motors (which launched the 1,498-cc Cello in 1995) are limping at the starting-block. None of the 3 has managed to chalk up sales of more than 18,000 units a year. Even Maruti Udyoga joint venture between the $12.12-billion Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan and the Government of Indiahas been unable to grow the luxury segment. At 18,000 units in 1997-98, its 1,300-cc Esteem luxury cars sales fell by 28 per cent. Explains B.V.R. Subbu, 43, Director (Sales Marketing), Hyundai Motor India: Traditional mid-car buyers are turning to small cars; they are waiting for new technologies. Within 8 months of the 1,468-cc Citys launch in January, 1998, the $48.87-billion Honda Motor has sold 4,180 cars in the Indian market, which is more than the combine d sales (3,317 units) of the Astra and the Escort. But despite Hondas initial success, the luxury-car segment has platitude, and there seems to be room for just one player. In the past 3 years, the segment has shrunk in value, dashing car-makers hopes of rebuilding their futures in India. Naturally, the only safe haven that remains is the small-car segment, which is 2.45 lakh units in size. And the only segment expected to grow at 15 per cent a year for the next 5 years. The new millennium cannot but belong to the small car. However, economics of upstream manufacture will only ensure survival. Sophisticated downstream skills are essential to make inroads into the tough Maruti Udyog territory. COMPANY POLICIES BUILDING STRATIGES But strategies, like cars, must feed on volumes. And how much is the sub-compact segment likely to yield in 1998-99? Maruti Udyog expects the sales of the Zen to cross the 1-lakh-unit mark. Assuming that at least a third of the small-car owning populationthis includes customers who have been using the Maruti 800, say, for at least 3 yearsgraduates to a sub-compact, which means a market for at least another 1 lakh car. Even if the 2-lakh mark is not breached in the next 5 months, 1999-2000 will be the Year of the Upgrade, the economy permitting. This is why the second wave is focused on the small segmentfrom the mini to the sub-compact to the small car. On that relatively stable bandwagon is perched the goliath, Maruti Udyog, 2 newcomersthe $28-billion Hyundai Motor of South Korea and the Rs 7,450.34-crore Telcoand one revitalized company, Daewoo Motors. By drawing on their intrinsic strengths, each is evolving a unique strategy to overtake competition. BT test-drives the strategic re sponses of the second wave and assesses their chances of survival. In less than two decades, India has ascended the ladder of global competitiveness and improved its business environment for investors through a consistent focus on economic reforms. Even more creditable is the fact that this growth comes on the back of an ever-strengthening social infrastructure supported by vibrant democracy. India today is the hotbed of entrepreneurial activity. Wealth creators and world-beaters are visible in sectors after sector. Indias economy has more than doubled in real terms since reform began in 1991. Consumer demand, increasing three to five times faster than the economy, reflects the aspirations of a vibrant, growing and young middle class; India is home to 20 per cent of the worlds population under the age of 24. With more than 200 television channels offering a window to the world, Indians are perhaps the most rapidly evolving consumers across the globe. Successful economic reforms, favorable media disposition and an overall positive economic scenario h ave placed a spotlight on the country. Indian companies are making overseas acquisitions, capital markets are booming, FIIs are pumping money in, FOREX reserves are a record high and the political economy has gained credibility in the global investor community and world media. Innovative products, innovative processes, innovative manufacturing methods are enticing foreign investors and multinationals to India. What is `India for the world? It is a millennia-old civilization. It is also the worlds premier IT services provider. The worlds back office a global R D hub. Emerging small-car hub. Repository, arguably, of the worlds largest number of engineers, doctors, accountants, and so on. To bring it all down to a single idea India is ready with vario

Research Proposal: The Effect of Extra-Curricular Activities on Academi

Introduction Do extra-curricular activities have a positive or negative effect on a student’s academic performance? If they do, then why do schools take activities away from students at the first sign of academic troubles? If they are scientifically proven to be positive, then why are they not curricular rather than extra curricular? There are numerous influences that impact the academic performance of a student other than after school activities. However, this study will focus on the effect of extra curricular activities on academic performances. In many cases, participation in extra curricular activities positively influences attendance and connection to school. This study will investigate the impact of extra curricular activities that require a daily commitment over an extended period of time, greater than a month. Athletics is the dominant after school activity that requires a daily commitment; therefore, this study will involve student athletes as well as students who are invo lved in other extra curricular activities. Another reason why student athletes will be a large part of this study is that there may be a correlation between the skills necessary to succeed in athletics and academics (American Sports Institute, 1991). While most evidence in the literature proves that extra curricular activities improve academic performances, Solanco School District has no program supporting or promoting the link between the two. This study will examine the effects of participation in extra curricular activities on student academic performance at Solanco High School. Findings from this study could be examined by Solanco High School and similar school districts to support and promote programs of extra curricular activities at... ... as Researchers. 2005 Emmons, Leonard S (1995). Athletic participation and academic achievement: Can the two coexist? National Association of Secondary School Principals. NASSP Bulletin. Vol. 79, Iss. 574; p. 107. Libbey, Heather (2004). Measuring Student Relationships to School: Attachment, Bonding, Connectedness, and Engagement. The Journal of School Health. Vol. 74, Iss. 7, p. 274, 10 pgs. NEA Today (2004). See Ya After School. Vol. 22, Iss. 6, p. 13. Neill, James. www.wilderdom.com Parks & Recreation (2003). After-school programs help kids achieve. Vol. 38, Iss. 6; p. 15. Schneider, Timothy and Klotz, Jack. November 2000. The Impact of Music Education and Athletic Participation on Achievement. 36 pages. Seigle, Del. http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/siegle/research/Qualitative/qualquan.htm. 1979

A good man is hard to find paper -- essays research papers fc

â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å" A Good Man Is Hard To Find† depicts a family’s encounter with a criminal escaped from a federal penitentiary and their essential relinquishment of life. The family that the story surrounds has planned a trip to Florida for a family vacation. Knowing but unconcerned about the criminal at large, also known as the Misfit, the family voyages onward towards their destination until the trip is abruptly stopped by a totally unnecessary exploration down an unkempt, hilly and dangerous road. The dangerous road combined with the unsuspecting attack of the driver from the grand mothers cat, Pitty Sing, lands the family in a ten-foot deep ditch and in need of help. The family frantically waves down the first car to pass and little do they know that the help that they were hoping to get will lead to an encounter with the Misfit and ultimately to their demise. O’Connor’s uses contrasting elements of literature to make the story â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† mysterious yet predictable, and undeveloped yet totally defined. Her use of third person unknowing keeps the reader wondering but her use of foreshadowing gives the reader insight to what may occur next. The use of these two elements together keeps the reader predicting, therefore leading to an involvement with the reader and the story. The narrator lets the reader know that a criminal is on the loose, â€Å"Here this fellow calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people† (302). The next sentence reads, â€Å" I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did† (303) which foreshadows what is to come later in the story. O’Connor also leaves many of the charac ters in the story very undefined except for the main two, The old woman, or the grandmother and the Misfit. O’Connor spent more time depicting the grandmothers outfit in the beginning of the story than she did with all of the undefined characters in the whole story combined, which gave insight to the way the grandmother was, the way she viewed herself and the way her family viewed her; an old, prude, egotistical woman. She did care for her family, but her intentions at heart were only for herself. The... ... Misfit are bound together by the mystery of life and death. The Misfit and grandmother are spiritually connected to each other by the blood and body of Christ that are said to be given in order to free one of sin. When the grandmother reaches out to touch The Misfit as like a hand of god the Misfit "springs back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest"(313). Flannery O’Connor’s background as a Christian influences the themes to her stories. In â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Come By† the relationship of God to his disciples, in this case to the grandmother is seen by his presence in her when she touches the Misfit. In the end the grandmother has gained redemption by coming to the acceptance of God and has in some way affected the Misfit. Although he has not accepted God in any way, the Misfit seems to be thinking, â€Å"The Misfits eyes were red rimmed and pale and defenseless looking† (313), maybe contemplating what he thinks about himself and the worth of practicing religion. Works Cited O’Connor, Flannery M. â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find†. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 5th ed. Boston: Heinle, 2004.

Organizational Responsibilities Essay

According to the American Medical Association (AMA) an impaired physician is unable â€Å"to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety due to mental illness, physical illness, including but not limited to deterioration through the aging process, or loss of motor skill or excessive use or abuse of drugs, including alcohol† (API, 2011). The scenario presented for this assignment involves Dr. Smith a talented and skillful cardiac surgeon on staff at a local community hospital, who is currently engaged in a divorce. On multiple incidences, hospital staff members observed Dr. Smith to be intoxicated. On one of these occasions, a nurse observed him the night before he was scheduled to operate, inebriated, and notified her supervisor. On the morning of surgery, Dr. Smith called in sick. There is great concern on the part of the hospital administration that Dr. Smith may perform surgery in an impaired state, noting he recently has made errors during surgery. A Health care organization’s ultimate responsibility is to the patients it serves, and to make certain that physicians, either employed or privileged, are competent and functioning appropriately while providing quality patient care (Ohlsen, 2006). Under the doctrine of corporate negligence, â€Å"the hospital is liable if it fails to uphold the proper standard of care owed the patient, which is to ensure the patient’s safety and well-being while at the hospital† (Pozgar, 2010, p. 242). Hospitals hold certain nondelegable duties unrelated to the negligence an employee may commit. Two nondelegable duties include monitoring the quality of care rendered by the medical staff, and hiring and keeping competent physicians (Pozgar, 2010). Allowing Dr. Smith to operate with the knowledge that he has committed errors during the performance of†¦ [continues]

Curriculum Development and Design Essay

These programs arose from the thinking of a group of pioneers who believed that the educational approach that had been developed by medical education innovators at McMaster University was also most relevant for the preparation of occupational therapists and physiotherapists. Consequently, a group of educators from both institutions, Mohawk College and McMaster University, combined their skills and created a vision that became the diploma programs in occupational therapy and physiotherapy. This approach was problem-based learning, and was used as the foundation for both programs from their inception to the present day, across three different iterations of curriculum. One of the key innovations to the way in which the college programs were taught was the combination of using faculty from both the university and college to teach all courses. In the 1980s, a degree completion program was launched that provided graduates of the diploma program a chance to upgrade their qualification to a bachelors degree from McMaster University. This was particularly important since the minimum credential for entry to practice had been raised to the baccalaureate level by the professional associations. In 1989, the program moved completely into the university setting and the graduates were granted a BHSc(PT) or BHSc(OT), a bachelor degree in health sciences. Ten years later, in 2000, candidates were admitted to the entrylevel masters programs in occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The Pedagogical Framework: Problem-based Learning As briefly referred to above, the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs at McMaster University have a strong history with and legacy of problem-based learning. While the initial curriculum models were strongly influenced by the inaugural undergraduate medical curriculum, time and confidence presented opportunities to create our own models. These models reflect the special nuances of each discipline. Problem-based learning is recognized as having begun at McMaster University, in the medical curriculum, and was in response to critical concerns about the nature of more traditional learning models in medical curricula. The intention was to create an approach to teaching and learning that was learner-centered, yet based upon clear objectives and evaluation criteria. The key difference was the expectation that learners would be facilitated and guided rather than taught (Barrows and Tamblyn 1980; Neufeld 1983; Saarinen and Salvatori 1994). Both the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs at McMaster University have embraced these ideas, although with differing degrees of connection and commitment to the original model. In fact, true problem-based learning models should naturally emerge from each individual context and culture. There is no â€Å"right† way although there is a growing recognition of a common set of principles and elements that can be applied to determine the â€Å"problembased-ness† of a learning environment (Maudesley 1994; Walton and Matthews 1989). Problem-based learning principles tend to become grouped in two distinct categories: first, the values upon which problem-based learning is based and second, some characteristics that are held in common understanding as being critical to the core of problem-based learning. Underlying values include: partnership, honesty and openness, mutual respect, and trust. Core characteristics incorporate: Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 13 i Learning which is student/learner-centered i Faculty roles that are those of facilitator and guide i Learning scenarios which form the basis, focus, and stimulus for learning i New information and understanding that is acquired through self-directed learning (Baptiste 2003 p. 17) Consequently, there is a continuum of problem-based curricula from pure through hybrid models. The masters entry-level physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs at the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University continue to be based upon problem-based principles. Although both programs are very different one from the other, there are also many common elements and approaches that are celebrated. Examples of these similarities are cited throughout this book, particularly in the chapters focusing on evidence-based practice and ethics education. Approaching the Task of Curriculum Renewal Perhaps one of the most overwhelming, yet exciting, tasks with which to be confronted is the opportunity and challenge of developing a new curriculum. This task is made even more daunting when circumstances provide a chance to do something different based on external forces and not a need to change because â€Å"something is broken†. Over the past few years, and in several years to come, many educational programs in rehabilitation science are facing this situation. The changing nature of the entry-level credential for occupational therapists and physiotherapists demands that faculty undertake a detailed review of curricula, to determine the optimal approach to moving toward graduate-level preparation, or, at the very least, complete a review of existing curricula models to identify their responsiveness and congruence with emerging practice expectations and demands. Approaches to such a massive task can vary from ensuring the preservation of what is good from the existing curriculum to making a total shift and adopting a radically Table 2. 1. Principles for curricular change and innovation Rationale should be articulated explicitly Overall goals should be reiterated constantly throughout the process Continuing communication is essential, coupled with a clear rationale Ensure that the intended change is in response to a defined and recognized need or purpose Ensure that the innovation is seen as a high institutional priority Focus on pedagogy and not on resources for implementation Foster strong leadership support Identify incentives for faculty participation Gain faculty buy-in for the curricular blueprint Involve the active teaching faculty throughout the process Anticipate potential barriers to change and develop strategies to address them Recognize the potential need for and value of negotiation Adapted from Guze (1995) 14 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 new approach and design. To have an optimal effect, options to be considered should bear relevance to the pervading culture of the institution and environment within which the curriculum is to thrive. Also, decisions must be made concerning the pedagogical choices of how learner-centered the curriculum should be, and what particular educational modalities are the best for the circumstances. This chapter will address the entire picture of curriculum development and design, from the first conversations about how to engage in the renewal process through making decisions about methods of teaching, approaches to learner assessment, and preparation of entry-level practitioners for the emerging practice contexts. Guze (1995) provided a clear and succinct discussion of several core principles that can guide curricular change and innovation (Table 2. 1). The following is an overview of these principles. Where to Begin? Motivation for curriculum renewal can come from both internal and external forces. External expectations from regulatory and professional bodies are tending to impose standards for new practitioners that require: i Preparation at an advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgment i The ability to assume roles that require autonomy and a strong sense of professional ethics i Engaging in their professional role from the first day of practice, in a conscious nd moral manner that requires reflection and self-awareness Regardless of whether the motivation for curricular change stems from a desire to do something differently or better, or from outside influences, the task is one that requires careful planning. However, it is imperative that any planning process recognizes the need to dream and envision what could be, to create a model that will exemplify those visions, and to produce a graduate who is well prepared to face the complexities and challenges of emerging practice. When developing a curriculum, four general questions must be asked: i What is the purpose of the curriculum? i What educational experiences can be created to fulfill this purpose? What is the most effective manner in which to organize these educational experiences? i How can we determine that the purpose has been fulfilled and the goals attained (Wiers et al. 2002)? Another very critical element of any change is the recognition that the cultural context is a key in managing change successfully. Hafferty (1998), when reflecting upon the realities of a medical school curriculum, discusses the existence of informal and hidden curricula as well as the formal curriculum. He posits that, in order to induce a lasting change, the entire organizational culture needs to be engaged to facilitate stud ents and faculty alike in embracing and working with change. When facing the task of curricular reform, redesign has to occur not only in terms of content, but also in relation to the Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 15 educational processes that enable the learning to take place. This is the difference between reforming the syllabus and reforming the curriculum; the overall learning environment of the educational program and institution is changed (Burton and McDonald 2001). Once the decision has been made to reform the curriculum, a first step is to complete an environmental scan and situational analysis that explore the educational and organizational environment within the institution, to determine what will facilitate the proposed changes. By defining a clear and newly articulated set of riorities and guidelines, changes that are being made within the curriculum will be given the vehicle through which impact can be made upon the surrounding environment (Genn 2001). This strategy is part of the first overall phase, the planning p hase. This is when the need for change is established and the vision for change is designed. It is during this phase of development that the non-negotiable elements of structure and process are determined. For example, within the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, both the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Programs were already designed as two-year, twenty-four-month, curricula. Also, the province of Ontario mandates that all masters programs are two years in duration. Therefore, the decision was readily made, based on these graduate program regulations and history, that the new masters entry-level curricula would be twenty-four months long. One key commitment was clear and that was to the foundational philosophy of problem-based, selfdirected learning utilizing the application of these principles to small group, large group, and skills-based learning experiences. Wiers et al. (2002) provide a clear and helpful outline of ten general steps of curriculum design within a problem-based learning context (see Table 2. 2). While this rubric is structured around the specific processes inherent within problem-based learning development, most of the guidelines can apply broadly across any curricular development process within any pedagogical framework. From the onset, all faculty members at McMaster University were on board regarding the need to undertake the development of entry-level masters curricula in both occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Both disciplines had undergone dramatic changes in the preceding two decades, largely focused upon the growth of foundational science and evidence for practice. Professional practice models had emerged for both professions and provided a strong backdrop against which to create fresh ap- Table 2. 2. Ten general steps in curriculum design for a problem-based learning (PBL) environment 1. . 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Give rationale for the curriculum and form a planning group Generate general educational objectives for the curriculum Assess the educational needs o f future students Apply general principles of PBL to the curriculum Structure the curriculum and generate a curriculum blueprint Elaborate the unit blueprints Construct the study units Decide on student assessment methods Consider the educational organization and curriculum management model Evaluate the curriculum and revise as appropriate Adapted from Wiers et al. (2002) 16 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 proaches to the preparation of graduates for entering practice. While both the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs undertook curriculum renewal at the same time, the physiotherapy program had engaged in an ongoing process of change across the preceding five years. Many of the issues, concerns, and changes addressed and implemented by the occupational therapy program had already been addressed by physiotherapy. Therefore, this chapter will focus predominantly upon the initiatives inherent within the curricular shift within occupational therapy, although reference will be made to processes within physiotherapy as appropriate. Designing Our New Programs Deciding upon the overarching constructs that would determine the final curriculum model was a complex and dramatic process in many ways, and one in which everyone was eager to participate and have a chance to have input. At the onset of the development of the occupational therapy program, three faculty retreats were held that progressed from a totally unstructured brainstorm of what would be perfect, to a detailed accounting of core curricular elements in the context of a delivery structure. In the initial retreat, all full-time faculty members together with some part-time members participated in a â€Å"blue-skying† day-long session during which everyone spoke of their dreams for the perfect curriculum. What if we could do what we wanted? What if we did not have to be concerned with logistics like room bookings? – and so on. This exercise provided us with a high-level ppreciation of the values and elements that were important to us as a collective. It was from this beginning â€Å"fantasy† that the next level of planning emerged. The second retreat was more structured and focused upon the creation of a continuum for learning that resulted in the overarching framework for the cur riculum, together with the delivery methods. A process was followed whereby we decided upon a central construct around which the whole curriculum would evolve, namely, â€Å"occupation†. To support this core notion, there were several longitudinal conceptual threads that represented continua of thought such as: wellness to illness, simplicity to complexity, local to global, and unifaceted to multifaceted. Through this process, we were able to identify the starting place for the first study term, and to create a high-level framework for the progression of the total curriculum (see Table 2. 3) In physiotherapy, the process began similarly with a faculty retreat; however, the focus varied slightly. Initial discussions identified elements of the curriculum that we Table 2. 3. Occupational therapy curricular framework Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 Content theme Wellness, health, and occupation Person, environment, and occupation Development, disability, and occupation Youth and the development of self Adulthood and disability Complexities of contemporary practice Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 17 alued and wanted to maintain and those needing less emphasis. Through ongoing curricular evaluation and feedback, we identified new areas that needed to be included in the emerging curriculum and other areas that needed to be enhanced. These areas were discussed within the context of the changing practice of physiotherapy and the knowledge and skills required by the physiotherapist in the new millennium. The decision was made to use a curricular framework that incorporated a modified â€Å"body systems† design, as current physiotherapy practice and clinical specialties were aligned with this model. Inclusion of a Community Practice/Community Health unit allowed or a focus on emergent health care roles in the community and on integrating health promotion and disease prevention into practice. The faculty recognized that while many physiotherapists identified their practice in an area related to the body systems, increasingly clinicians were faced with more complex patients with multiple system involvement. Hence, the final unit of study focused on integrated practice dealing with clients with complex multisystem health care problems. Following the initial planning process, it is now time to initiate the plan. It is during this time period that the â€Å"unfreezing† of old organizational patterns and the introduction of innovations into the educational environment take place (Burton and McDonald 2001). Often, while there is a strong commitment to engaging in the conversations that lead to the design of a changed reality, it is a very different matter to start â€Å"doing† and actually making that changed reality come to life. A cooperative internal environment is essential for the realization of that initial dream and therefore it is well worthwhile for planners to engage in a transparent and collaborative experience that enables maximum participation and open debate. A process of this nature is characterized by collaborative problem solving, effective communication, abilities in conflict resolution, and a cultural expectation of working together in harmony that guides the overall enterprise (Burton and McDonald 2001). Therefore, it is of importance to determine at the onset the values and behaviors by which the development experience will be approached to set up structures and processes that will ensure that the best attempts at making it so will be expended. During the initiation period, we experienced intense interest and levels of emotion from all participants regarding the manner in which the planning and the visions for the two disciplines would be evolved and realized. As mentioned previously, we had determined that the existing problem-based learning principles would remain but that the key changes would be realized through the manner in which the content was introduced to the students and through which the continuum of learning would evolve. Similarly, we were committed to maintaining a student-centered approach. One core difference was to be the manner in which the experiential component of professional preparation would be integrated more centrally into both curricula. Previously, the curricula were designed in a more traditional fashion whereby the clinical fieldwork experiences were placed at the end of each study term and were linked directly to the area of academic focus for the preceding learning block. By definition, once the overarching concepts of the curricula were determined to be different from the previous models, then fieldwork placements would become less strictly aligned. This was reinforced more heavily in the occupational therapy program which was originally designed around developmental stages and central practice populations. Students would face a more eclectic approach in their clinical learning; therefore, both programs determined that learning around professional issues and practice expectations should be interwoven through the longitudinal axis of the curriculum. 18 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon Redevelopment Within a Problem-based Learning Culture 2 As with any problem-based learning system, the small group learning unit is the nucleus of the whole curriculum. However, the success of problem-based, small group learning is supported by the strategic use of large group interactions for the imparting of theoretical and expert knowledge, while still maintaining a problem-based learning philosophy. Similarly, the application of problem-based learning principles is a critical piece of one-on-one learning and synthesis of knowledge and information throughout the academic and clinical components of the curriculum overall. Both the physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs elected to continue to utilize problem-based learning methods in a manner that celebrated the development already achieved over twenty-five years of curriculum development. This has evolved over time very differently in each program. For example, during the planning process for the occupational therapy curriculum, efforts were made to define new models for tutoring and many were identified and put into place. During the second year of the occupational therapy program, the problem-based tutorials occur only once weekly. This allows additional scheduling time for including the evidence-based practice courses and is also in response to the difficulties many practitioners are experiencing in gaining release time from employers to participate as tutors. In this new tutorial model, tutors are required to participate in only one weekly session with two or three tutors’ meetings across the term instead of weekly. Application of problem-based learning principles in large groups has been maintained and, in fact, enhanced particularly in the clinical skills sessions. Students often are placed in small groups (different groups from their core tutorial group) and provided with opportunities to explore assessment tools and intervention methods. Through these group experiences, the students apply a problem-based learning approach to the identification of learning issues, the uncovering of essential information and resources, and the synthesis of their understanding of the tool or technique. Integration of Experiential Practice Preparation Within a Problem-based Learning Framework As mentioned earlier, both the physiotherapy and occupational therapy faculty groups were committed to ensuring the integration of academic and experiential learning into the curricula from the beginning, and were focused on developing innovative models for the synthesis of practice preparation into the core academic units. It is important to note that the work related to integration commenced at the very onset of the curriculum planning process. In the case of the occupational therapy program, there had always been sessions held throughout the full curriculum that provided opportunities for the Clinical Placement Coordinator (now Professional Practice Coordinator) to inform, advise, educate, and monitor students in preparing for their practice experiences and in checking in with them following these experiences. However, a greater focus on such integration was placed within the masters entry-level curriculum model in order to ensure that students were being prepared to meet the enhanced expectations of a graduate program. Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 19 Evaluation Within a Graduate Problem-based Learning Framework There should be clear and close linkages between how students learn and how that learning is assessed. Therefore, some information will be presented here relative to the evaluation methods developed at McMaster University in the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs. Student Evaluation. In the preceding years, the two programs at McMaster University had been very involved in designing evaluation/student assessment tools that reflected the principles of problem-based learning and provided students with opportunities to integrate their academic learning with their growing professional awareness and identity. Most of these tools are built around the basic problem-based learning process of exploring a learning scenario that has been developed to address the objectives for the particular learning unit. Essentially, problem-based evaluation needs to be congruent with the underlying values and principles of problem-based learning. Traditional methods of assessing students’ knowledge tend to be contradictory to these principles and therefore should not be applied out of context. Problem-based learner assessment should: i Be congruent with the underlying problem-based learning process illustrated by the development of learning scenarios based on real life practice situations i Mirror the problem-based learning process of reflecting on a practice scenario, efining learning issues, researching, synthesizing, and synopsizing the learning with application to the defined case i Involve personal reflection and enhanced awareness of individual critical think- ing and clinical reasoning skills F aculty Evaluation. As with student assessment, the evaluation of faculty is central to the maintenance and enhancement of a problem-based learning culture. And, similarly, faculty evaluation is built into the roles played in any given learning context. In the case of the small group tutor role, faculty members are evaluated by each student and provide a self-evaluation to students during the course of the group process. Following the completion of the small group experience, students evaluate the faculty member as well as the overall course, and these ratings are provided to faculty and placed in their file for attention at times when promotion, tenure, and merit increase decisions are made. For those faculty members, practitioners, and others who facilitate large group sessions in both theory and practical skills, similar evaluations are completed. This process has been in place over many years and has not changed since the advent of the new curricula. However, the items being evaluated have altered to reflect the expected level and scope of graduate teaching. Student Self-assessment: Development of the OTPPI. Students admitted into the occupational therapy program are not expected to have any prerequisite courses completed during their undergraduate education. This has been the case from the very beginning. In the program itself, there are no formal courses that provide students with basic knowledge related to the foundational sciences that underlie occupational therapy practice such as anatomy, physics, biochemistry, sociology, psychology, and anthropology. It has been the long-held belief that in a pure problem-based learning 20 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 environment, the learning is accomplished through the horizontal meshing of various areas of knowledge and information; that through the integration of these sciences and bodies of knowledge, students can gain the understanding they require by using real life situations as springboards for integration and synthesis of all inputs. Consequently, recent efforts were expended to develop the Occupational Therapy Personal Progress Inventory (OTPPI), a tool that was developed from the experience of the undergraduate medical program over the past few years (Blake et al. 1996; Cunnington 2001). The OTPPI focuses on foundational knowledge that our students need in order to become practicing occupational therapists. It is not a test of the application of that knowledge in practice. The examination consists of 90 multiple-choice questions developed with the expectation that a â€Å"star† student would be able to answer by the time of graduation. There are three main domains included in each examination: biology (this includes anatomy, physiology, etc. ), social sciences (this includes psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc. ), and research (this includes statistics, research methods, ethics, etc. ). The breakdown of each examination is 40 percent biology, 40 percent social science, and 20 percent research. The examination is generated each term and students in both years have the same examination, with the expectation that the students in second year will achieve a higher result than those in the first year. Students receive a detailed report with their scores and a profile of how they have progressed over time. They are provided with information about their total score as well as a breakdown on each of the three domains. They also receive a zone score, which is an indication of how well they have performed on the test in comparison to the other members of the class. Students in the yellow or red zones may want to review their scores in more detail and make learning plans to address gaps that may have been identified through the examination. This tool is designed as a self-assessment measure, the individual results of which are known only to each student. We have made a conscious choice that results are not used in the summative evaluation of the students, and are intended to provide the learners with a sense of how they are progressing in accumulating knowledge relative to the basic sciences of their discipline. The students are expected to use that information to set plans in place to address weaknesses (e. g. , through problem-based tutorials, individual assignments, etc. ). The OTPPI has been a pencil and paper test so far, but steps are being taken to convert it to a web-based format. While the occupational therapy program has undertaken this initiative on a pilot basis, initial responses would indicate that students are finding the process helpful to them, although this is very new at the time of publication. Integration of Evidence-based Practice Skills into the Curricula. The integration of skills related to practicing in an evidence-based manner is seen to be critical to both programs. A detailed description of the models adopted by the occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs is found in Chapter 5. In both programs, there is a strong commitment to evidence-based practice as a central onstruct for the curriculum and a natural partner for client-centered and problem-based principles. Conclusion Since their inception, the masters entry-level programs in occupational therapy and physiotherapy have presented opportunities to revisit our history and legacy in health sciences education. In order to reflect on the overall process, the general steps for curriculum design offered by Wiers et al. (2002) will be revisited (see Table 2. 2). Chapter 2 Curriculum Development and Design 21 For us, the rationale for the curriculum was clear both from an internal and an external perspective, and the notion of forming a planning group was a natural approach to the task. Our profound commitment to involving our broad academic community was illustrated through the involvement of a wide range of individuals encompassing full-time, part-time, and sessional faculty members as well as members of the wider practice community. Such involvement was realized throughout the planning process and continues through such individuals’ representation on our Education, Curriculum and Admissions committees. The need to define clear general educational objectives for the curriculum was also recognized at a very early stage. We found that being able to determine the goals and directions from the outset served to facilitate the planning that followed. Assessing the educational needs of future students was assisted by our own knowledge concerning the entry-level competencies demanded by our professional regulatory colleges. Also, the connections we have with our practice communities and past graduates were invaluable in providing a background for determining the shifts necessary within the curriculum to fulfill practice expectations. Similarly, the same thoughtful reasoning was used to consider the differences of teaching and learning between undergraduate and graduate approaches to education. Applying general principles of problem-based learning to the curriculum was not a concern for us, given our long history of internalizing this philosophy. Specific difficulties arose when converting the undergraduate courses and assessment tools to the needs of a graduate program. Nevertheless, problem-based learning in many ways is a gift for this transition since it resembles closely the natural proclivities of graduate work – smaller groups, self-directedness, learner autonomy, and a degree of freedom to determine learning directions. Structuring the curriculum and creating a blueprint became different experiences for physiotherapy and occupational therapy. As mentioned previously, while the planning processes looked ostensibly similar, the manner in which the final curricular models were derived was very different (see Tables 2. 3 and 2. 4). However, after the master models were created, the processes for elaborating the blueprints and constructing study units were again very similar. Methods of student assessment tended to remain grounded in the familiar processes and tools that we had developed across our history with problem-based learning. However, as each curricular element emerged throughout the planning (e. g. , evidence-based practice, ethics, clinical skills, fieldwork) so did innovative ways to enhance the student assessment processes that were already strong. Details of these innovations will be discussed in the book chapters relating to these specific areas. Consideration of the educational organization and curriculum management model required particular attention since our lines of accountability had shifted, with the Table 2. 4. Physiotherapy curricular framework Unit 1 2 3 4 5 6 Content theme Fundamentals of physiotherapy practice Fundamentals of musculoskeletal practice Fundamentals of cardiorespiratory and neurological practice Advanced neurological practice Community practice Integrated practice and professional transition 22 Sue Baptiste, Patricia Solomon 2 move to the School of Graduate Studies. Two slightly different models of governance emerged, with the Admissions Committee being the only shared group between physiotherapy and occupational therapy. However, both governance models reflect a central group responsible and accountable for curriculum and another group that oversees general program functioning. Curricular evaluation remains an ongoing responsibility and expectation. Chapter 13 provides a particular model for curriculum evaluation that was used by the occupational therapy program, the Program Logic Model. However, there are many ways in which faculty members can retain a clear image of what makes up a curriculum and what indicators are critical to evaluate for the success of the program overall. The three years of planning and launching the new curricula at McMaster University were years of extremely hard work, high energy and output. As we see each student cohort graduate, and receive feedback concerning our students and graduates in practice settings, we feel heartened that we appear to be on the right track. We know, however, that curriculum development is an ongoing process.