The Impact of Classroom Technology on Student Behavior

Journal of Technology Research The impact of classroom technology on student behavior Angeline M. Lavin University of South Dakota Leon Korte University of South Dakota Thomas L. Davies University of South Dakota ABSTRACT The trend toward technology enhanced classrooms has escalated quickly during the past five years as students have become increasingly tech-savvy. Classrooms across the nation have become â€Å"wired† and textbook publishers now offer a wide variety of computerized teaching supplements. In fact, some may argue that technology is now expected in the college classroom.The objective of this research is to examine whether the use of technology in university classes impacts student behavior and student perceptions of instructional quality. This paper summarizes the results of a survey administered to students enrolled in business courses at a mid-sized Midwestern university. The results suggest that adding technology in courses where it is not currently used is lik ely to have a positive impact on student perceptions of the instructor and on student behavior. However, removing technology from courses that already use it would not appear to have a negative impact on all aspects of student behavior.Overall there are certain aspects of student behavior (the amount of time that students study, the quantity of notes they take, their attendance, and their interaction with the instructor) which appear to be technology neutral. In contrast, technology tends to have a meaningful impact on student preparation for class, attentiveness, quality of notes taken, student participation in class, student learning, desire to take additional classes from the instructor or in the subject matter, and the overall evaluation of the course and the instructor.Keywords: class technology, instructional quality, student behavior, student perceptions The impact of classroom technology, Page 1 Journal of Technology Research INTRODUCTION Technology, it seems, is everywhere these days. As computers have become more commonplace, the use of information technology has become pervasive in most everyone’s lives. For most of us, it is hard to image daily life without the influence of technological devices, be it handheld video games, personal digital assistants, cell phones or any number of computers.This is especially true for younger generations. In academia, we have likely reached the point where the use of technology is expected, by both students and their parents (Christensen, 1999). The trend toward technology enhanced classes has escalated quickly during the past five years as students have become increasingly tech-savvy, classrooms across the nation have become â€Å"wired† and textbook publishers now offer a wide variety of computerized teaching supplements.Lowerison, Sclater, Schmid, and Abrami (2006) suggest that technology has the potential to transform the learning environment from passive to active and more subject to the control of the learner. According to Roblyer (2003), technology may enable the learner to be more actively involved in his or her own learning. While technology may enhance the classroom and engage today’s student more effectively, most do not believe it replaces the need for a structured, content-driving learning process that is grounded in theory.To be effective, technology-based tools must accompany appropriate pedagogy (Laurillard, 2002). That said, a 2001 national study showed that 87% of faculty believe computer technology enhances student learning (Epper and Bates, 2001). Despite this widespread belief that the use of technology in the classroom is generally good, such may not always be the case. Burbules and Callister (2000) suggest technology can be used well or poorly, and thus its effectiveness is dependent on how it used, by whom and for what purpose. Instructors use varying amounts of technology in their classes.For example, some professors utilize PowerPoint slides or s imilar technology extensively or moderately throughout a course, while others seldom or never use technology. There may be several reasons why instructors ultimately adopt technology for classroom use. For some, it may help them to create better organized, more focused lectures. For others, they believe that the use of technology benefits students by engaging them more in the classroom and allowing them to listen more closely without transcribing every word that is spoken.Some professors may choose technology because writing on whiteboards or blackboards hinders their ability to interact with students. Still other instructors may adopt technology as a time saving device because it is readily available today, provided by the publishers who are eager to convince faculty to adopt their textbooks. Although the motivation may differ, theoretically the overall expectation is that technology will improve the course, engage the students and enable them to learn more. There may also be at le ast the implicit hope by the faculty member that teaching evaluations will improve.The study of what makes a college teacher effective is ongoing. Witcher, Onquegbuzie, Collins, Filer, Wiedmaier, and Moore (2003) suggest that students believe that effective teachers possess many if not all of the following nine characteristics, listed in order of importance: (1) student-centered; (2) knowledgeable about the subject matter; (3) professional; (4) enthusiastic about teaching; (5) effective at communication; (6) accessible; (7) competent at instruction; (8) fair and respectful; and (9) provider of adequate performance feedback.Clearly, utilization of technology can impact several of these identified characteristics or traits. Thus, in recent years, the proliferation of technology in an educational setting has sparked considerable interest on the The impact of classroom technology, Page 2 Journal of Technology Research part of researchers, and a number of studies have focused on the posi tives and negatives of technology use from the perspectives of the institution, student and professor.A recent study by Apperson, Laws and Scepansky (2006) examined the impact of PowerPoint on the students’ classroom experience. While they found no differences in grades as a result of the use of PowerPoint in the classroom, they did find that students in PowerPointenhanced classrooms responded differently to the classroom experience. Specifically, students believed that the PowerPoint classes were better organized and more interesting. Students also rated the professor high overall and indicated that they would be more likely to take another class from that professor.Interestingly, students in PowerPoint enhanced courses also found that the instructors exhibited more positive behaviors seemingly unrelated to the use of technology, such as providing helpful feedback in a timely fashion and creating assignments that involve higherorder more critical or creative thought. Further more, Atkins-Sayre, Hopkins, Mohundro, and Sayre (1998) concluded that the use of technology adds to the instructor’s credibility. Lecturers can manage class time more fficiently as less time is spent writing on whiteboards or changing transparencies (Daniels, 1999, Mantei, 2000), and thus lectures may flow better. Overall, Apperson et al (2006) believe that the use of technology in classrooms causes students to have a more favorable attitude toward their education, and benefits accrue to instructors who utilize it in their classes. However, technology usage does not necessarily result in better teaching evaluations for faculty. Lowerison et al found no significant relationship between actual computer use and perceived effective computer usage on course evaluations (2006).Several explanations were offered for this unexpected outcome, including the fact that students may now expect technology to be used in the classroom and no longer see it as a unique class feature that enhan ces their learning. These findings are consistent with the Christensen (1999) study mentioned earlier. It may also be the case that technology is not being used in an appropriate manner, that is, as a transformative, student-centered tool for learning, a concern expressed by Burbules and Callister (2000).Computer technology may also better support diverse needs and capacities of students, providing the potential for deeper processing and understanding of information (McCombs, 2000). While the technology may enhance the classroom and engage today’s student more effectively, most do not believe it replaces the need for a structured, content-driving learning process that is grounded in theory. To be effective, technology-based tools must accompany appropriate pedagogy (Laurillard, 2002).As McFarlane states, â€Å"computer use alone, without clear objectives and well designed tasks, is of little intrinsic value (1997). This paper continues the inquiry into the impact of technolo gy on student perceptions of their own learning as well as their academic behavior. PRESENT STUDY Students taking various business classes in a medium-sized Midwestern university were invited to participate in research study seeking to assess the impact of the presence or absence of technology in the classroom on self-perceived student effort and behavior.Prior to the survey being administered in individual classrooms, instructors who participated were asked whether or not they made moderate or extensive use of technology in their courses. If the instructor used technology moderately or extensively, then the survey given in that class asked the students to give their opinion regarding how the absence of technology would impact various components of The impact of classroom technology, Page 3 Journal of Technology Research student learning.For example, students were asked whether the lack of technology would have a positive or negative impact on their attentiveness in class as compare d to what it had been. Alternatively, if the instructor indicated that he/she did not utilize technology moderately or extensively, then the survey given in that class asked the students to give their opinion regarding how the addition of technology would impact them. Thus, for example, students in these sections were asked whether more technology usage by the instructor would affect their own level of class preparation.Survey questions were based in part on three different student evaluation forms previously or currently being used by the researchers’ university, including an early version developed and used by all public institutions within the state, the Student Instructional Report II and the IDEA Diagnostic Form Report. Both versions of the survey used the following five point scale to collect student opinions: â€Å"1† was significantly positive, â€Å"2† was somewhat positive, â€Å"3† was no difference, â€Å"4† was somewhat negative, and à ¢â‚¬Å"5† was significantly negative.The survey also included numerous demographic questions to facilitate analysis of the responses. Among other things, students were asked whether they were graduate or undergraduate students, their program of study or major, and their year in school (e. g. , freshman, sophomore, etc. ), as well as their grade point average and gender. In total nine business faculty members, including two of the paper’s authors, administered the survey in their classes.Faculty participants were selected on the basis of their rank, varying degrees of technological proficiency and usage, discipline, and gender in order to provide a cross-section of courses being evaluated. Classes chosen included those at the 100 (first year), 200 (second year), 300 (junior level), 400 (senior level) and graduate (700) level. In all, the survey was administered in fourteen different business classes, including multiple sections of a few of the courses.The survey was admin istered near the beginning of last year’s fall semester. Participating faculty were asked to devote class time to allow for the completion of the survey. Enrollment in the sections surveyed totaled 700 students, including some students who were enrolled in more than one of the classes included in the sample. In total, approximately 550 usable surveys were completed and returned. A brief summary of demographic information for the undergraduate survey respondents is included in the Appendix.RESULTS Table 1 and 2 show the preliminary results of the data analysis. In each table, the mean response for each question is compared to a neutral response of â€Å"3† in order to evaluate the effects that each group might anticipate given possible changes in their classroom environments. Recall that each item was based on the following five point scale: â€Å"1† – significantly positive, â€Å"2† – somewhat positive, â€Å"3† – no differenc e, â€Å"4† – somewhat negative, and â€Å"5† – significantly negative, resulting in a lower mean for a more positive perception.The mean is provided for each question as well as the number of students who gave a particular response. Table 1 shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she used technology moderately or extensively. The survey then asked the students to give their opinions regarding how the absence of technology would impact their learning from the course. There were 374 usable surveys returned from this set of classes. The means in Table 1 fluctuate between the â€Å"high 2† range and the â€Å"low 3† range.Responses from the students in these courses that used technology suggest that students anticipate that the loss of The impact of classroom technology, Page 4 Journal of Technology Research technology would have a positive impact (mean is less than the neutral response o f 3. 0 and statistically different from the neutral response) on the amount of time they study for class each day, the amount of time they study for exams and quizzes, the quantity of notes they take, their overall attendance for the class, and their appreciation for the instructor’s effort.Assuming that students would view less study time as more positive, it appears that students feel they would study less if technology is removed from the course. It seems somewhat counterintuitive that the absence of technology would have a positive impact on the amount of notes that students take, however, the â€Å"quantity† of notes taken can be viewed from two different angles. Students may consider it a positive to take fewer notes, and students may perceive that they take fewer notes when technology is used in the classroom.The loss of technology, according to the students, would also have a positive impact on their attendance and their appreciation for the instructor’s effort. Students may perceive that it would be more important to attend class to hear the material presented if the notes were not available via technology outside of class. In addition, it appears that students believe that technology may make teaching â€Å"easier† as the loss of technology would have a positive impact on student appreciate of instructor effort.In contrast, student responses indicate that students expect that the loss of technology would have a negative impact (mean is greater than the neutral response and statistically different from the neutral response) on attentiveness in class, the amount learned from class, the students’ desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor, and the students’ desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. These results suggest that students perceive there are specific benefits associated with technology use in the classroom.Technology may be one way instructors can maintain student interest. Indeed, the responses appear to suggest that students perceive that they might learn less if technology were withdrawn. Students also indicated that they would be less inclined to take additional classes from the instructor if technology were not used, and they might also be less inclined to take more courses in the same subject matter if technology were not a part of the classroom experience.On the other hand, the responses suggest that students might be more likely to attend class and have a greater appreciation for instructor effort if technology were not used in the classroom. Results of the two questions as to how a change in technology use from moderate/intensive to none at all would impact the student’s overall evaluation of the course and the instructor are also presented in Table 1. Students who currently experience technology in the classroom would rate a course less favorably if the technology were removed (mean above the neutral 3. and statistically diff erent from the neutral 3. 0). However, the impact on the students’ ratings of the instructor appears to be neutral under the loss of technology scenario. Table 2 shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she did not use technology moderately or extensively. Those surveys then asked the students to share their thoughts regarding how the addition of technology would impact the how they behaved in the course. There were 183 usable surveys returned from this set of classes.The mean for every question was below the neutral response of â€Å"3,† which suggests that students thought that those courses that did not presently use technology could be improved by the addition of it; a lower mean again reflects a more positive impact. The responses given by the students in the courses that did not include a technology component indicated that its addition of technology would have a positive impact (mean less than and significa ntly different than the neutral response) for all questions except two, i. e. he amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class and the students’ desire to take more classes in the subject matter. These results The impact of classroom technology, Page 5 Journal of Technology Research suggest that in the opinion of the students, the addition of technology would have an overall positive impact on their behavior. The addition of technology would, according to the students, have the most positive impact on the students’ appreciation for the instructor’s effort, the amount the students learn from the course, and the quality of the notes that the students take.According to both Tables 1 and 2, the amount of interaction that students have with the instructor outside of class is technology â€Å"neutral† as the mean was close to â€Å"3† for both versions of the survey. Results of the two questions pertaining to how the addition of technology t o a course that does not currently use it would impact the student’s overall evaluation of the course and the instructor are presented in Table 2 as well. The responses were positive (mean less than the neutral response of 3. and statistically different from the neutral response of 3. 0). These results suggest that the prospect of including technology in the classroom environment appears to increase the likelihood that students would perceive both the course and the instructor in a more favorable light. In addition to comparing the means for each version of the survey to a neutral response of â€Å"3,† the means for each version can be compared to each other. In Table 3, the first set of data (i. e. the left side) shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she used technology moderately or extensively, with the students being asked how the removal of technology would impact their behavior. The second set of data (i. e. , the right side) shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she did not use technology moderately or extensively, with the students being asked how the addition of technology would influence their behavior.Responses from those students in classrooms that currently used technology (left set) appeared to suggest a relatively neutral impact on the students’ evaluation of the instructor if technology were withdrawn (mean close to 3. 0), but a slightly more negative (mean above 3. 0) response to the evaluation of the course if technology were withdrawn [see Table 1]. Students who were in class that did not currently use technology (right set) indicated that the addition of the technology would improve their evaluation of both the course and the instructor (mean below 3. 0) [see Table 2].As might be expected given the different results reported in the first two tables, the differences between the two groups were statistical ly significant for some of the variables as reported in Table 3. Students appear to want technology in the classroom and that desire appears to be reflected in the overall evaluation of the course and instructor. As Table 3 illustrates, students who are not currently exposed to technology in the classroom generally responded more favorably to the prospect of adding the technology than did students who imagined the technology being withdrawn.Eleven of the 17 questions reflected statistically significant differences (? < 0. 050) in the mean responses between the two groups. In other words, students who currently experience technology in the classroom gave significantly different responses from those who currently did not have technology in the classroom. The questions that reflected statistically significant differences are noted with an â€Å"*† in Table 3.For those questions in which a statistically significant difference between the two groups was observed, responses from st udents who currently do not experience the use of technology in the classroom reflected more positive mean responses to the addition of technology usage than did their counterparts who might experience the withdrawal of technology in the classroom. The six items that did not generate statistically significant differences between the two survey groups were as follows: †¢ Amount of time you study for class each day. †¢ Amount of time you study for exams and quizzes.The impact of classroom technology, Page 6 Journal of Technology Research †¢ Quantity of notes. †¢ Overall attendance. †¢ Amount of interaction with the instructor during class. †¢ Amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class. These results suggest that student perceptions of these six items are â€Å"technology neutral. † In other words, the addition of technology where it is currently not used or the loss of technology where it is used is not perceived to have a meaningfu l impact on the amount of time students study, the quantity of notes they take, their attendance, or their interaction with the instructor.In contrast for nine of the eleven items marked with an â€Å"*† in Table 3, technology appears to have a positive impact because the loss of technology (left side) has a mean greater than â€Å"3† (negative impact) and the addition of technology (right side) has a mean less than â€Å"3† (positive impact). Therefore, according to the comparison of the two samples, technology has meaningful impact on student preparation for class, attentiveness, quality of notes taken, student participation in class, student learning, desire to take additional classes from the instructor or in the subject matter, and the overall evaluation of the course and the instructor.The student response to one question [student’s appreciation of instructor effort] is more problematic. In each group student responses suggested a change from the ex isting situation might be viewed more positively than maintaining the status quo, and each group reflected responses that were significantly different from a neutral response on this question [see Tables 1 and 2].Although each group responded more positively than neutral to this question, students in the group without technology for whom it was suggested technology might be added responded more positively than did the students who were asked to imagine a class in which the technology might be withdrawn. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that adding technology to courses where it is not currently used is likely to have a positive impact on student perceptions of the instructor and the course as well as on most aspects of student behavior.However, it interesting to note that removing technology from courses that already use it would not appear to have a negative impact on all aspects of student behavior. For example, removal of technology from a course might, ac cording to student responses, have a positive impact on the amount of time they study for class each day, the amount of time they study for exams and quizzes, the quantity of notes they take, their overall attendance for the class, and their appreciation for the instructor’s effort.However, removal of technology from a course that currently utilizes it would be viewed negatively in terms of the overall evaluation of the course, the students’ attentiveness in class, the amount the students learn from class, the students’ desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor, and the students’ desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. Comparison of the loss of technology in a course that currently uses it versus the addition of technology to a course that does not use it suggests that there are certain aspects which are â€Å"technology neutral. In other words, the addition of technology where it is currently not used or the loss of technology where it is used is not perceived to have a meaningful impact on the amount of time students study, the quantity of notes they take, their attendance, or their interaction with the instructor. In contrast, technology appears to have a meaningful impact on student preparation for class, attentiveness, quality of notes taken, student participation in class, The impact of classroom technology, Page 7Journal of Technology Research student learning, desire to take additional classes from the instructor or in the subject matter, and the overall evaluation of the course and the instructor. The research is not meant to determine how effective technology was in helping students learn or which technology might be most effective. Rather, this research focuses on student perceptions or opinions regarding technology usage and how adding technology to a course that does not use it or eliminating technology from a course that does use it might impact a student’s perception of the course or the faculty member as well as his/her behavior.These results suggest that students taking business classes at this Midwestern University perceive that technology use in the classroom does indeed have an overall positive impact. While technological enhancement may not necessarily be appropriate for all classroom situations and all subject matter, these results suggest that instructors who are comfortable using technology and find that it enhances their teaching experience should continue to incorporate it in their classes. Those who do, however, must remember technology for what it is – a tool which can have a positive impact on student behaviors and perceptions when used appropriately.LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH There are several limitations to the present study. The results were drawn from data collected from students enrolled in business courses at a single Midwestern University and, therefore, the results may not be generalized to hold for different popul ations such as nonbusiness students or students at universities in other parts of the country or even the world. Further analysis is presently underway that considers the impact of the addition of technology to a course that does not use it or the removal of technology from a course that does use it on a student’s perception of instructor effectiveness.In addition, while this particular research focuses on student perceptions of technology use, the ultimate goal of technology integration in the classroom should be to help students learn. Therefore, further research to help to identify which technology uses are most educationally meaningful would help educators to make informed decisions regarding the plethora of technology tools available for the classroom today. Gaining a better understanding of student expectations regarding technology use for students of different ages would also be useful information.Another avenue of future research, which could only occur subsequent to the two avenues previously mentioned, would be a study of whether student perceptions are congruent with the use of technology tools that are found to be most effective in advancing student learning. The impact of classroom technology, Page 8 Journal of Technology Research Table 1 Comparison of Student Responses Relative to a Neutral Response for the Impact on Personal Behavior of the Loss of Technology Where It is Now Used Expected Effect of the Loss of Technology Std testN Mean Dev stat Alpha The level of your preparation for each class session. 72 3. 032 0. 968 0. 643 0. 521 The amount of time you study for class each day. * 373 2. 831 0. 843 3. 870 0. 000 The amount of time you study for exams and 373 2. 721 0. 960 5. 608 0. 000 quizzes. * Your attentiveness in class. * 372 3. 228 1. 197 3. 682 0. 000 The quantity of notes you take. * 372 2. 769 1. 324 3. 368 0. 001 The quality of notes you take. 373 3. 078 1. 302 1. 153 0. 250 Your level of participation in class discussions. 3 72 3. 043 0. 895 0. 927 0. 355 Your overall attendance for the class. * 373 2. 788 0. 823 4. 967 0. 000 The amount of your interaction with the instructor during class. 73 2. 976 0. 824 0. 565 0. 572 The amount of interaction with the instructor outside 373 3. 005 0. 846 0. 122 0. 903 of class. The amount you learn from class. * 373 3. 231 1. 090 4. 084 0. 000 Your appreciation for the instructor’s effort. * 372 2. 849 1. 038 2. 798 0. 005 Your appreciation for the importance of the material. 373 2. 960 0. 925 0. 840 0. 402 Your desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor. * 374 3. 112 0. 981 2. 213 0. 028 Your desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. * 374 3. 104 0. 916 2. 202 0. 028 Your overall evaluation of this course. * 372 3. 290 1. 62 5. 271 0. 000 Your overall evaluation of this instructor. 372 3. 048 1. 008 0. 926 0. 355 Note : Questions with statistically significant differences between mean responses and an expected neutral res ponse [3. 0] are marked with an â€Å"*†. The impact of classroom technology, Page 9 Journal of Technology Research Table 2 Comparison of Student Responses Relative to a Neutral Response for the Impact on Personal Behavior of the Addition of Technology Where It Is Not Used Expected Effect of the Addition of Technology Std testN Mean Dev stat alpha The level of your preparation for each class session. * 183 2. 601 0. 83 6. 112 0. 000 The amount of time you study for class each day. * 183 2. 820 0. 822 2. 967 0. 003 The amount of time you study for exams and quizzes. * 183 2. 634 0. 860 5. 762 0. 000 Your attentiveness in class. * 183 2. 634 1. 111 4. 460 0. 000 The quantity of notes you take. * 183 2. 743 1. 202 2. 891 0. 004 The quality of notes you take. * 183 2. 557 1. 179 5. 077 0. 000 Your level of participation in class discussions. * 183 2. 814 0. 776 3. 238 0. 001 Your overall attendance for the class. * 183 2. 689 0. 959 4. 395 0. 000 The amount of your interaction wi th the instructor during class. * 183 2. 891 0. 41 1. 996 0. 047 The amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class. 183 2. 962 0. 615 0. 842 0. 401 The amount you learn from class. * 183 2. 563 1. 040 5. 684 0. 000 Your appreciation for the instructor’s effort. * 183 2. 546 1. 004 6. 113 0. 000 Your appreciation for the importance of the material. * 183 2. 590 0. 890 6. 227 0. 000 Your desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor. * 182 2. 747 0. 929 3. 668 0. 000 Your desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. 182 2. 901 0. 848 1. 573 0. 117 Your overall evaluation of this course. * 182 2. 571 1. 031 5. 605 0. 00 Your overall evaluation of this instructor. * 182 2. 582 0. 976 5. 775 0. 000 Note : Questions with statistically significant differences between mean responses and an expected neutral response [3. 0] are marked with an â€Å"*†. The impact of classroom technology, Page 10 Journal of Technology Research Table 3 C omparison of Responses to Questions about Student Behavior for the Impact of the Loss of Technology Where It is Now Used (Left Set) versus the Addition of Technology in Classes Where It is Not Used (Right Set) Expected Effect of Expected Effect of the Loss of the Addition of Technology Technology N Mean Std Dev N Mean Std Dev alphaThe level of your preparation for each class session. * The amount of time you study for class each day. The amount of time you study for exams and quizzes. Your attentiveness in class. * The quantity of notes you take. The quality of notes you take. * Your level of participation in class discussions. * Your overall attendance for the class. The amount of your interaction with the instructor during class. The amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class. The amount you learn from class. * Your appreciation for the instructor’s effort. Your appreciation for the importance of the material. * Your desire to take additional classes from th e instructor. * Your desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. * Your overall evaluation of this course. * 372 373 373 372 372 373 372 373 373 373 373 372 373 374 374 372 3. 03 2. 83 2. 72 3. 23 2. 77 3. 08 3. 04 2. 79 2. 98 3. 01 3. 23 2. 85 2. 96 3. 11 3. 10 3. 29 0. 97 0. 84 0. 96 1. 20 1. 32 1. 30 0. 90 0. 82 0. 82 0. 85 1. 09 1. 04 0. 93 0. 98 0. 92 1. 06 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 182 182 182 2. 60 2. 82 2. 63 2. 63 2. 74 2. 56 2. 1 2. 69 2. 89 2. 96 2. 56 2. 55 2. 59 2. 75 2. 90 2. 57 0. 88 0. 82 0. 86 1. 11 1. 20 1. 18 0. 78 0. 96 0. 74 0. 61 1. 04 1. 00 0. 89 0. 93 0. 85 1. 03 0. 000 0. 880 0. 298 0. 000 0. 825 0. 000 0. 003 0. 205 0. 237 0. 534 0. 000 0. 001 0. 000 0. 000 0. 012 0. 000 Your overall evaluation of this instructor. * 372 3. 05 1. 01 182 2. 58 0. 98 0. 000 Note : Questions with statistically significant differences in the mean responses between the two groups are marked with an â€Å"*†. The impact of classroom te chnology, Page 11 Journal of Technology Research REFERENCES Apperson, J. , Laws, E. and Scepansky, J. (2006). The Impact of Presentation Graphics on Students’ Experience in the Classroom. Computers and Education, 47(1), 116-126. Atkins-Sayre, W. , Hopkins, S. , Mohundro, S. and Sayre, W. (1998). Rewards and Liabilities of Presentation Software as an Ancillary Tool: Prison or Paradise? Paper presented at the National Communication Association Eighty Fourth Annual Conference, New York, NY. Burbules, N. and Callister, T. , Jr. (2000). Watch IT: The Promises and Risk of New Information Technologies for Education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Christensen, K. (1999).A Comparison of Student Performance in Human Development Classes Using Three Different Modes of Delivery: Online, Face-to-Face, and Combined. Ed. D. Dissertation, Department of Education, Drake University. Daniels, L. (1999). Introducing Technology in the Classroom: PowerPoint as a First Step. Journal of Computing in Hi gher Education, 10, 42-56. Epper, R. and Bates, A. (2001). Teaching Faculty How to Use Technology. American Council on Education. Oryx Press. Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking University Teaching: A Framework for the Effective Use of Educational Technology (2nd ed. . London: Routledge. Lowerison, G. , Sclater, J. , Schmid, R. F. , and Abrami, P. C. (2006). Student Perceived Effectiveness of Computer Technology Use in Post-secondary Classrooms. Computer and Education, 47, 465-489. Mantei, E. (2000). Using Internet Class Notes and PowerPoint in the Physical Geology Lecture. Journal of College Science Teaching, 29, 301-305. McCombs, B. (2000). Assessing the Role of Educational Technology in the Teaching and Learning Process: A Learner-Centered Perspective. The Secretary’s Conference on Educational Technology 2000. www. d. gov/Technology/techconf/2000/mccombs_paper. html. McFarlane, A. (1997). What Are We and How Did We Get Here? In A. McFarlane (ED. ), Information Technology and Authentic Learning: Realizing the Potential of Computers in the Primary Classroom. London, England : Routledge. Roblyer, M. (2003). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. (3rd ed. ) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Witcher, A. , Onwuegbuzie, A. , Collins, K. , Filer, J. , Wiedmaier, C. , and Moore, C. Students’ Perceptions of Characteristics of Effective College Teachers.ERIC Document Reproduction Service: ED 482517. The impact of classroom technology, Page 12 Journal of Technology Research APPENDIX Demographic Information for Undergraduate Students in the Sample Technology = Technology Used; Impact of the Absence of Technology No Technology = Technology Not Used; Impact of the Addition of Technology Major for Undergraduate Students in Sample Technology No Technology (N = 329) (N = 155) Accounting 19% 15% Economics Finance Health Service Administration Management Marketing Business Undeclared Other – Non-business 5% 8% 8% 26% 13% 14% 7% 5% 13% 8% 23% 8% 18% 10%Year for Undergraduate Students in Sample Technology No Technology (N = 329) (N = 155) Freshman 18% 3% Sophomore Junior Senior 22% 32% 28% 52% 23% 22% ?2 tests for differences in the distribution of majors between the two groups and for differences in the distribution of undergraduate years did not reject the null hypothesis.It was assumed there were no significant differences in the distribution of undergraduate majors or in the distribution of students in terms of academic progress when comparing the two groups. Technology (N = 329) Female Male Student gender 40% 60% No Technology (N = 155) Female Male 49% 51% A test of proportions suggested no significant difference in the proportion of female to male students when comparing the two groups included in this study. The impact of classroom technology, Page 13

Technological Advancement of the 19th Century

The end of the nineteenth century brought about a huge change in the way the United States worked as a nation, making the United States the world’s most productive nation. The nation as a whole was advancing rapidly and new inventions were bringing about new ways of life. Due to the invention railroads and efficient machinery, there was a rise in big businesses which were looking to expand as much as possible. Initially, nearing the end of the nineteenth century, railroads covered majority of the United States.Railroads calmed the tension of transporting goods and materials, helping further the production of goods. The invention of railroads was the seed that helped big businesses grow. The making of railroads efficiently helped move large, bulk items that contributed to further drop the cost of transporting goods to the national market. During this time, Cornelius Vanderbilt, a railroad magnate gained great power and fortunes from uniting smaller rail lines into national corp orations.The invention of railroads itself sparked the railroad industry and helped to lower transportation prices in an already suppressed economy. Likewise, the invention of railroads not only promoted goods but it also promoted the steel industry. With railroads being constructed hastily, the steel industry and hit a big boom and almost became a major industry. The steel business was managed by a man named Andrew Carnegie and this big boom in the industry made the steel business flourish which made Carnegie rich.Times changing with the invention of the railroad and people looking for work gave businesses the advantage to expand and rise. Carnegie bought up all the iron mines and took on coal as a partner for his industry to lead in the steel industry. He produced steel cheaply and lowered his prices, which allowed him buy out any other steel company which made his company expand and be dominant in the steel industry, thus monopolizing the industry in a process known as vertical i ntegration.Furthermore, with the combination of proficient machinery and continental railroads, they both helped to form not only fast transportation and better consumer products but it also helped to build a nation. The United States was becoming an urban nation by the end of the 19th century. Railroads supplied cities and towns with food, fuel, building materials, and access to markets. Railroads even helped shape the physical growth of cities and towns. Railroads also attracted many tourists to the United States and helped provide many cities with imported goods.In summation, in response to the Industrial Age, the United States changed and adapted in numerous ways. Machinery and industrialization helped stimulate the United States economy, furthered urban expansion and helped the United States grow into the business world it is today. The United States was and still is advancing and leading the world as the most productive nation, making the Industrial Age one of the biggest impa cts in American history. As a last thought, who would have thought that a nation could be built from just a simple railroad built from steel?

A Summary of Skolnicks Working Personality

Skolnick (1966) likens a police officer to a soldier, a school teacher, and a factory worker because of the dangers he faces, his issues with establish his authority, and the need prove his efficiency, but points out that this overwhelming combination of tasks is unique to police culture. Thus, the â€Å"us versus them† mentality begins to take shape, making officers feel the need to separate themselves from civilian society. The propensity now is that police work is no longer a job, but a way of life. Janowitz refers to the military profession as a â€Å"style of life† because the duties of the job extend pass occupational boundaries, and that any position that performs â€Å"life and death† tasks furthers such claims (Skolnick, p. 3). These split-second decisions that police officers have to make also contribute to their separatist way of thinking. It is also clear that the intensity or lack thereof of a police officer’s assignments can help develop his working personality. Basically, experience corroborates one’s outlook. The threat of danger is continuously present, which contributes to the officer’s constant suspicion in trying to identify a potential danger or a law being broken (Skolnick, p. 4). Because of this constant mode of thinking, many people find themselves not wanting to establish a social relationship or friendship with police officers. The danger element isolates the police officer from citizens that he finds representative of danger as well as isolating him from the more predictable people that he might ordinarily identify with (Skolnick, p. ). The police officer’s requirement to enforce morality laws such as traffic laws usually leads to citizens denying his authority and raising his threat level (Skolnick, p. 4). Skolnick states, â€Å"The kind of man who responds well to danger, however, does not normally prescribe to the codes of puritanical morality. † Because of this, many people view police officers at hypocrites, which gives the police community further rea son to isolate as well as further reason to build strong rapport between themselves (Skolnick, p. 4). Skolnick points out that it appears that British police are better about following procedural guidelines than are American police, but that the reason is that they face less dangers than do the police officers of the United States, thus they are better at creating the appearance of conformity (Skolnick, p. 4). Police officers develop a perceptual shorthand that allows them to identify symbolic assailants. This identification can come through the use of certain gestures, language, and even a type of clothing that police have come to associate with particular crimes or violence. Even if the a person has no history of violence or no criminal record, that is overlooked when an officer feels even a vague sense of danger (Skolnick, p. 5). Because of this constant threat of potential danger, police officers may even create certain emotional boundaries which help them continue to function successfully on assignment. Half of the officers in the Westville police department that Skolnick surveyed indicated that they would prefer an assignment of police detective, which involves direct danger. It is believed that while officers may be fearful of the dangers of their jobs, they may also find it exciting, finding enjoyment in potential danger (Skolnick, p. 6). Officers are, of course, trained to be suspicious. Skolnick mentioned a statement from a patrolman that pointed out that â€Å"the most important thing for the officer to do is notice the normal. † By this statement, the officer meant that in order to notice what could be deemed as suspicious, an officer must recognize what is considered normal for a particular area. Notably, whether or not an officer has personally experienced a hazardous situation doesn’t determine his level of suspiciousness. Police officers identify with their comrades who have endured hazardous situations such as beatings or who have even been killed (Skolnick, p. 7). In spite of racial issues that were in existence at the time Skolnick wrote this article, his interview with the Westville police department indicated that racial issues were not the most serious problem that police faced. It was, instead, issues regarding public relations such as citizens’ lack of respect for the badge, failure to cooperate, and the misunderstanding of what all police work entails (Skolnick, p. 8). Relating both to how the public views officers, as well as back to how they are perceived in social settings, Skolnick gives from the Westville police department of an officer and his wife who, while at a party, was hit in the leg and burned from a firework. Even though this occurred in a social setting, he was subjected to another party-goer’s exclamation of, â€Å"Better watch out, he’s a cop. † Another officer mentioned that he didn’t even identify himself as a police officer outside of work because once he did, he could no longer have a normal social relationship with them (Skolnick, p. 9-10). For much of the reasons mentioned previously, the solidarity of police officers has been reaffirmed. Another reason for this, however, is the threat of danger. Again, police officers experience a lack of support and understanding from their communities, and officers believe that the community should not be relieved of their responsibility for law enforcement just because there are uniformed officers who are paid to enforce the law and protect the community (Skolnick, p. 11). The work of police officers increases their solidarity as a group, further separates them from society, and it also taints his character in the eye of the judging public (Skolnick, p. 11-12). Danger faced by officers also acts to further alienate him not only from criminals, but to people he would ordinarily find himself being friends with. This also acts to increase solidarity. Janowitz stated, â€Å"any profession which is continually preoccupied with the threat of danger requires a strong sense of solidarity if it is to operate effectively† (Skolnick, p. 12). Thus, that strong sense of camaraderie is needed to function properly. This same level of solidarity allows police officers to be themselves around other polices officers, and ssentially enables them to â€Å"let themselves go† and engage in behavior that they otherwise wouldn’t because they are always facing public scrutiny (Skolnick, p. 15). It should also be noted that the police officers don’t cooperate with and look out for one another simply because the chief says that’s what they should do or because policy tells them that’s what they have to do, but instead, they d o it because they truly believe in the value of team work and know that it can be the difference of life or death out on the street. The brotherhood between police officers is so strong, it is sometimes described as â€Å"clannishness† (Skolnick, p. 16). Contributing to the already abundant level of public resentment, city administrations and courts may use their police force to meet budgetary requirements by setting speed traps, or may increase their fines. The police officers are the â€Å"face† of those fines, which creates even more separation between police officers and the communities they serve. Additionally, at events where officers are hired to keep order, they are essentially restraining citizens’ freedom of action, which leads to even more resentment (Skolnick, p. 3). However, police offers are often faced with situations in which they have administrative discretion, such as putting a drunk in a taxi instead of placing him under arrest. They could have arrested him, but chose to issue a kind of warning instead. Through their requirement to establish authority in order to effectively enforce the law, police officers feel that they are taken for granted, and that they are often â€Å"fighting alone† on the streets (Skolnick, p. 11). They are expected to be conventional, while also being knowledgeable of street expressions in order to put on a suspect (Skolnick, p. 18). They face public scrutiny at every turn, are alienated by one-time friends due to their profession, and in an effort to keep themselves and other safe, are forced into a constant mentality of seeing every one as potential suspect or constantly sensing the threat of potential danger. It is, then, no wonder that police officers have a working personality that is completely different from any other occupation.

Hypothetical Human Resources Department Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hypothetical Human Resources Department - Essay Example Increasingly, organizations will seek HR professionals who can align HR strategy with business strategy (Bundy, 3). In this paper here is the review of Human Resource roles and responsibilities that will be assigning to this department in response to trends in globalization, technology, diversity, e-business and ethics. Human Resource professionals are increasing their scope when it comes to searching for talent. Globalization has enabled HR professionals to seek candidates from around the world. This trend towards globalization brings up several new factors to consider when hiring employees. For example, HR practices must take into consideration differences in culture and business practices. It would be a mistake to send someone who has been an excellent manager in one country to a brand new country and expect him to be as successful as he was in his own country. Before selecting employees to work in another country, HR must take into consideration the employees ability to understand and respect the cultural and business norms of the host country. In addition, even hiring at home may involve selecting employees from other countries. It is estimated by 2006 immigrants will likely account for an additional million persons in the U.S. workforce (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, 23). Leading todays HR function involves much more than having the right programs in place for employees and managers. Now, one of HRs most important responsibilities is leveraging technology and the Internet to support both the function and the business (Mercer, 2006). Advances in technology have had huge impacts on how HR professionals manage Human Resources. Management and implementation of Human Resource information technology solutions now include highly developed Human Resources programs often referred to as HRIS (human resource information systems) that are used in an effort to maximize productivity throughout an

History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History - Term Paper Example The WPA project of the 1930’s recorded statements by fomer slaves. These statements rang truest when the interviewer allowed the subjects to speak freely. Henry Green’s voice is especially compelling: â€Å"I don’t know how old I is, young mistress. I was here ‘fore the civil war, young mistress. I was born in south Alabama†¦my mama name Emily Green, young mistress. She had three children to my knowing. I don’t know no father†¦I never went to school a day in my life†¦When I come to this state, Van Vicks and Bill Bowman immigrated one hunderd head of us†¦our family was landed at Phillips Bayou†¦I was a cowboy, me and George†¦Mama was a mik woman†¦I was willed to Mars Billy†¦Nobody run off from Boss William Green. He told ‘em if they run off he would whoop ‘em†¦the Ku Kluckses come one night†¦They was getting submission over the country†¦They would make you be quiet ‘long the roa dside†¦the Ku Kluckses whipped some, tied some out to trees and left ‘em. They was rough, young mistress† (Green, 1939). Green’s harrowing account of life during slavery, and the vengeance of the Klan after the Civil War, bears witness to the events that were to set the stage for the African American experience ever after. He reports voting, and owning a pony. ... Lincoln’s assassination led to the installment of President Johnson, who allowed the South to encact Black Codes of law whose main purpose was to preserve the antebellum status quo: a caste system ensuring that white men would retain their previous power (Davidson, et al, 2010, p. 474). Many states in the New South codified restriction on the freedoms that had been promised to African Americans. The former slaves were called freedmen, but in some states could not work where they chose, could not serve on juries, and could not rent or buy farmland. Johnson, a political coward, ignored the cries of outrage coming from the North, and eagerly adopted the Black Codes as well as eagerly pardoned many former rebels. In addition, Congress defeated proposals to give freedmen forty acres of land each. In these ways, land ownership was denied to African Americans (Davidson, et al, 2010, p. 475). New state constitutions were enacted in the South, which gave freedmen the right to vote, yet ignored social segregation. In response, African Americans developed their own important institutions--the black schools and churches. Literacy was extremely important to the freedmen and women, because they knew it was needed to defend their rights. The schools were faced with white opposition: â€Å"Hostile white southerners destroyed black schools and†¦even murdered white teachers† (Davidson, et al, 2010, p.482). The Freedmen’s Bureau stepped in to train black teachers. Black churches were hugely important at this time because they were the only institutions completely controlled by African Americans. The Black church offered sanctuary from the white wolrd, and a chance to form and nurture a new identity. The hopes and dreams of African Americans were set in

Labeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Labeling - Research Paper Example While labeling theory is not as popular as it once was, it has not been completely discredited as a way to understand how social processes lead to deviant behavior. Labeling Theory & Who Labels Whom? Labeling theory argues that just observing the delinquent, or its characteristics, will not provide a whole image of deviance or crime. A complete picture has to include community/society responses to such incidents (Traub and Little 291). Labeling theory is used as a way to understand deviant behavior, including crime, as a consequence of social differentiation processes in which some of society's members are singled out, identified, and defined as deviant, while others are not (Traub and Little 289-295). The causal proposition of labeling theory is that the act of treating a person as a deviant, in itself, can lead to deviant behavior on the part of that person. The punishment of deviant behavior often has an ironic effect: efforts at social control lead to decreased control (Schur 10) . Social definitions of deviance and their accompanying social sanctions somehow pressure labeled individuals into further deviant behaviors. Loosely speaking, a "label," or, a definition of a person as deviant, may be thought of as an independent variable, or, a cause of deviant behavior (Akers 121). The process by which a person is labeled as deviant may be summarized as follows. First, an act is deemed as deviant. Second, the person committing the act is deemed as deviant. And third, a moral condemnation is placed upon this person (Traub and Little 289). According to labeling theory, then, reactions to criminal behavior should be considered at least as important as the behavior itself, if not more. Labeling theory took a lesson from Kai Erikson (p. 11), who argued that the "social audience," not the individual, is the critical variable in studying deviance because it is the audience who decides which acts, or types of acts, deserve the deviant label. In their coverage of labeling theory, Traub and Little (p. 290) wrote "it is the definition of an individual's behavior as deviant, rather than the behavior itself, that can cause a marked change in status which transforms a person's conception of self and initiates the process of locking that person into a 'deviant career'." Thus, it is the community and authority figures such as the police, judges, teachers, parents, and psychiatrists, who label persons as "criminal," "delinquent," "bad kid," "mentally ill," "poor student," and so on. Consequences of Labeling Labeling theory argues that public deviant labeling can have a profound impact on the ability of the labeled person to participate in mainstream society. In one sense, this is an all-too-obvious observation. Societal sanctions have obnoxious effects for the offender of social norms. This assumption is central to the classic school in criminology, namely the deterrence approach to crime and punishment (Gennaro 196). This perspective argues that being caug ht and punished for a crime should decrease one's future rate of offending. Punished individuals should tend to desist from crime to avoid the pain of punishment in the future. However, in direct contrast to this traditional view, labeling theory points out that the ability of the individual to engage in rational decision-making is not the only relevant factor in determining the consequences of punishment. Labeling theory looks beyond individual-level processes and

Irish economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Irish economy - Essay Example This fall in GDP growth rate had been a second to a similar dip during the fourth quarter of 2009, which is why the nation feared the possibility of a â€Å"double-dip recession† (Breadun, O’Brien & O’Brien, 2010). â€Å"Keynesian style stimulus package† Keynes had mainly emphasized upon the implementation of demand triggering policies for an economic boost. However, a positive shift in aggregate demand is least possible when an economy follows a stringent budget regime as the case had been for the Irish economy. In fact, a stringent budget policy is one of the reasons why the economy could not surpass over its recessionary phase successfully that tended a come-back within a short span. This is one of the reasons, why â€Å"Irish trade unions have stated that the previous austerity budgets have failed† and hence, have proposed that a â€Å"Keynesian style stimulus package† be followed. The Keynesian model of equilibrium proposed the following identity to equate aggregate national income, Y, with components of aggregate demand as follow – Y ? C (Y – T) + I + G + (X – M(Y)) Where, Y = National Income, T = Aggregate tax being paid. Hence, (Y – T) = Disposable Income C = Consumption Expenditure, I = Investment Expenditure, G = Government Expenditure, X = Aggregate Export Revenues M = Aggregate Imports Thus, four ways through which a stimulus package could be constructed to ensure an economic boost are as follows – Firstly, Keynes had advised a stimulus to be provided to the investors of the economy so that they should come forward and venture investment projects which could help in creating employment opportunities and thus, boost consumption demand through positively affecting the production of...†¢ Firstly, Keynes had advised a stimulus to be provided to the investors of the economy so that they should come forward and venture investment projects which could help in creating employm ent opportunities and thus, boost consumption demand through positively affecting the production of output. †¢ Secondly, the government could actually make tax relaxations to motivate people to consume more as they will be left with larger disposable income volumes. Greater the disposable income is, higher will be the consumption expenditure of the people and thus, higher will be the income generation in the economy. †¢ Thirdly, the national government must not make deductions in its own expenses and rather boost them which could actually result to increases in the aggregate demand of the economy and thus, its income level. This is starkly in contrast to the measures adopted by the Irish government which is that of restricting its budget expenditures or rather constraining it more. †¢ Lastly, the national government could also make adjustments in its rate of exchange so as to positively influence the demand for exports and negatively affect import demands. For instance, an economy amidst a recession could choose to depreciate its domestic currency so that the foreigners find it more and more lucrative to increase their purchases from the country in question, while the domestic people are back off from importing from nations which have a dearer currency.

Report (an incident report covering a vehicle accident) Essay

Report (an incident report covering a vehicle accident) - Essay Example The roadway has no median or barrier between the eastbound and westbound lanes on the four lane street, deep ditches on both sides of the road, and the posted speed limit is 40 MPH. Weather conditions at the time of the incident were overcast, windy, and rainy; and the road was wet from the rain. Further, it also had a sheet of water draining across the road from the hill's runoff. Traffic was relatively heavy in both directions, as it was just after rush hour. A red mini-van (Vehicle 2) was driving westbound, and was thus coming downhill into a moderate left hand curve. At point where the curve was the sharpest, Vehicle 1 began a sideways slide that the driver was unable to prevent. The car, which was out of the driver's control at that point, went into the lanes occupied by the oncoming traffic. Vehicle 2 was unable to slow down in time to avoid hitting Vehicle 1, nor was there room for Vehicle 2 to maneuver out of its oncoming path. Accordingly, the front of Vehicle 2 struck the driver-side door of Vehicle 1, sending Vehicle 1 off of the roadway and down into the ditch on the left side of the roadway. Police and paramedic units were called, as was a rescue unit, and the driver of Vehicle 1 had to be cut out of the small car. The driver of Vehicle 1 sustained severe injuries, while the other driver suffered only minor ones. According to witnesses and a report on the accident, both drivers were wearing their seatbelts. Some witnesses said that Vehicle 1 was speeding, while others claimed that Vehicle 2 was coming down the hill too fast. The driver of Vehicle 1 was taken to the hospital via ambulance, and the other driver chose to decline medical attention. Causes of Incident The actual accident was caused by several different factors, with other roadway issues contributing to the severity of the injuries sustained by the driver of Vehicle 1. The most likely direct cause of the accident was that both drivers were operating at speeds too high for the road conditions at that time. During periods of rain and wet roadways, it is easy to lose control of the vehicle; especially on curves (Skidding and Hydroplaning in Rainy Conditions). The driver of Vehicle 1 was going too fast to prevent the car from skidding on the wet pavement, and the driver of the second vehicle was driving too fast to avoid the collision. Had both drivers been operating their vehicles at slower speeds, the accident could have been avoided. The second direct cause of the accident was the condition of the tires on Vehicle 1. Subsequent review of the vehicle showed that the tread depth on the tires was not within safe limits. This tread wear decreases a driver's ability to control the vehicle and increases the likelihood of hydroplaning. Hydroplaning occurs when a layer of water builds up between the tire and the road, causing the vehicle to no longer respond to the control inputs of the driver (Hydroplaning (road vehicle). The less tread a tire has on the road, the more likely this layer of water is to form. If Vehicle 1 had tires with proper tread, the likelihood of this accident occurring would have been much less. Other issues that were

In the Midst of Pressures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In the Midst of Pressures - Essay Example He was concerned about how the people would react. He was already a hated man, being a white man and a police officer in a foreign land. He has become, as the storyteller reveals, a tyrant who has lost his freedom; being pushed by the people to do things against his will. He knows that as an officer, he should follow protocol, get near the elephant and test if it is still harmful or it is already safe for it to be left alone. However, the area where the elephant was eating is muddy and it would be dangerous for the officer to get near the elephant because there is the possibility that he would be trampled upon like the Indian killed by the beast. Although he was not concerned about his safety, he was thinking what a laughing stock he would become in his time of death when he gets killed by the elephant. Therefore, in this certain circumstance, he decided to kill the elephant even though that was not really his intention. Similarly, in the second story, the main character gave in to p ressure. When Langston was left all alone in his seat, with his friend looking down at him from the platform and the older members of the congregation and the priest wanting him to move forward and receive his salvation, the young man went to the podium.

Financial Case Study Analysis and Excel Work Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis and Excel Work - Case Study Example There are some factors that should be considered with regards to the profitability, the future inflation rates and the competitors in the market. The company should ensure that before it sells out, the profitability issue will be included in the part of goodwill which will add on the valuation price. The workers of the company are underpaid so as to cut on costs of the company. That may not be the trend in the future because the workers may form a labor union that will fight for their rights. That means that the profits will reduce in the future if the workers demand for a pay rise. The person or persons who are interested in the purchase of the company should therefore consider that fact because it will affect the future profitability of the company. The sales volume has increased as a result of as number of factors. The sales volume has increased because of the great advertising skills that have lead to brand loyal for the company. The brand loyal usually makes repeat purchase and that adds on the sales volume and profitability of the company. The sales volume has also increased as a result of the diversification of the company. Therefore, in the valuation of the company, the investment that has been made in the advertising and diversification of the operations should be considered. The company should ensure that such money ploughed in such ventures is recovered. The costs of the company are increasing at a reducing rate over the years. That shows that the efficiency of the company has been increasing over the years. The efficiency may be as a result of improved processes, improved equipment and motivated employees. All the above factors happen at a cost and that cost should be considered in the valuation of the business. The valuation should ensure that the company does not result at a loss. The brand loyal adds on the profitability of the company. That shows that the company has a good reputation among the customers. The

Morality Play Essay Example for Free

Morality Play Essay * Popular from the early 1400s to the 1580s. * Morality plays were about the fate of a single individual’s soul. * The main character represented all men and often had a name such as Mankind or Everyman to demonstrate their allegorical function. * They include vice and temptation characters attempt to corrupt the Everyman figure. * Allegorical characters also represent virtues. The ‘Everyman’ character listens to them and takes note of warnings, often returning briefly to his ‘good’ lifestyle. * A reform/relapse pattern is repeated several times. * Through a series of blunders and moral lessons the hero is gradually educated into an understanding of the difference between right and wrong and the nature of god. * At the end, the main character settles his accounts with God and either lives or dies forgiven and Christian. He is wiser and better at the end of the play. * A chorus, such as the Messenger and Doctor characters in Everyman, is used to comment on and explain the action for the audience. Elements of Renaissance plays. * Contain soliloquies in which a highly distinct self reflects upon his own desires and actions. * Celebrate the scope of human powers while acknowledging their boundaries; there is a duality at work which praises man’s creative powers (by implication also those of the poet, or author) but concedes that man is not God and that ultimately all his powers derive from God. * They begin to refer to the new countries and things being discovered by explorers, mentioning exotic settings and transporting their audiences around the world. Renaissance ideas * The body and soul are separate and linked with different elements and humours. * Catholicism was banned in England and the Pope was considered the antichrist by some. * Renaissance scholars studied classical literature, including Roman and Greek philosophy. Discussion of what it meant to be human centred on reason, balance and dignity much more individualistic than medieval scholastic thinking. * The humanist attitude to the world was anthropocentric: instead of regarding humanity as fallen and corrupt, their idea of truth and excellence was based on human values and experience; people openly questioned religious theology and teaching. * The world was dynamic, changing and exciting. Plays explored the many contrasts between how people should behave and how they actually do, and the questions and contradictions thrown up by a changing world.

The global economy where aviation industry was severely hit

The global economy where aviation industry was severely hit The year 2007 saw a downturn in the global economy where aviation industry was severely hit by fall in air traffic. While airlines were struggling with declining profits, the complicacy of the operations in the aviation continued to bother airlines throughout the world with Cathay pacific being no exception. The crisis challenged the efficient business model of Cathay pacific which was ranked as the best airline of year in 2006. Robert Taylor was dealing with inventory operations and following are the issues that have to be taken into account: Inventory holding cost: Minimizing the holding cost was one of the most critical issues faced by the Cathay Pacific. Because of the convoluted nature of spare parts, it was not feasible to meet the demands of all the aircrafts. Given the fact that Cathay pacific has over 120 wide body jets  [1]  comprising of airbus and Boeing planes, it was very difficult to fulfill the requirements of all the aircraft at the right time. As a result the airlines could lose its significant business and in order to avoid those situations, Robert can work on the timely routine checks of the aircrafts. This will enable the firm to come up with a more detailed data on requirement of the spare parts (repairable, rotable etc.) Buffer stock Just in time: Initially the airlines incorporated the buffer stock management to meet the demand in the optimal time. But they still encountered several situations where a certain part was not available. It accounted for additional cost for Cathay pacific to set the buffer stock and also the spare parts in the distribution center was occupying a lot of space. Later the firm also tried to implement the Japanese model called just in time which works well in sectors like retail and manufacturing. But the airline industry is all together a different scenario where an airline canà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t afford to wait for the spare part during the last minute check when the flight is scheduled to depart. This will eventually cause the further delay of flight and degrade the passengers experience of flying with an airline. Reduce lead time: The rationalization of supply chain in the airline industry allowed the OEMs to monopolize the entire market. Irrespective of the demands, it is very difficult for the airlines to reduce their supplier lead time. Any reduction in lead time like suppliers or the transportation can help an airline to fix the problem in the stipulated time frame. Decreasing lead time of different supply chain components can increase supply reliability and help the firm to work in an efficient manner. On the other hand there are certain issues that have to be taken into account for the procurement (Paul Barwell): Switching costs: The spare parts can be classified in two criteria i.e. critical and non-critical parts. The complicity of the critical parts restricted Cathay pacific to switch suppliers because of the costs associated with switching. Also relying on the new supplier for the complicated parts was very difficult for Cathay pacific. On the other hand it had over 200 suppliers for the non-critical parts which required much of resources (time and money) to maintain the relationship. Forecasting: Although Cathay pacific collaborated with other airlines to enhance exchange of information with respect to suppliers list and parts availability, it wasnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t able to reduce its obsolete inventory by 100%. With the implementation of one platform that will help the airline to develop a supply management cycle to optimize supplier selection and collaboration improvement, the forecasting can be much accurate to meet the demands in time. At the same time, the platform should be able to generate real time data with its collaborators and suppliers through online communication. What is Cathay Pacific purchasing power in aviation spare parts procurement? What are the possible alternatives for improvements in the procurement process? Ans: Being ranked as the best airline in 2006, Cathay pacific was able to gain certain purchasing power in aviation spare parts procurement which is: Strategic sourcing: Cross functional teams at Cathay pacific helped in gaining leverage on purchasing by applying a systematic process of reducing the cost of spare parts purchased from different vendors. This process is evident from exhibit 5 where it simplified the complicated process of sourcing and procurement. This process gave an edge to Cathay pacific in monitoring, evaluating and managing relationships with suppliers to ensure operational effectiveness. With its implementation, the airline was able to leverage purchasing power across different divisions and negotiate favorable prices with the suppliers. Strategic sourcing also focused to consolidate the suppliers database and chose the preferred ones. Aeroxchange system: Development of a collaborated supply chain system to expand the sharing and exchange of information (Spare parts availability and suppliers list) with different airlines gave an advantage to Cathay Pacific to select a supplier from the huge database. After its launch in 2000, technological advancement in Aeroxhange made this system capable of doing numerous tasks which helped the airlines to be more effective in their procurement. E.g.: In 2001, Aeroxchange launched its e-procurement platform to integrate the partners for quote management and also it incorporated the service order management in 2005  [2]  . Although Cathay pacific invested a lot of time and money to improve their procurement, there are still many rooms for the advancement in their processes. The history of Cathay pacific (obtained from case study) says that they have always tried to lock the deals with the airlines and individual suppliers to enhance their procurement process. On the other hand, one point that should have been taken into account was establishing strategic alliances with the manufacturers (Boeing and Airbus) for the procurement activities. An alliance where manufacturers should focus on the materials management and help Cathay pacific to focus on core business activities. The integrated alliance with Boeing and airbus services will help to achieve greater transparency and efficiency in the resource operations. These services are acquired by most of the big players in the market like Delta airlines and Singapore airlines where they succeeded in generating good revenues by focusing on their core activities   [3]  . The other alternative for improvement is to reward the suppliers to suggest the cost saving ideas. This will help the airline to develop a sense of competition among suppliers for developing a sustainable and cost effective model for procurement which will eventually result in increasing the productivity of the fleet. What are the advantages disadvantages for Cathay Pacific to use third party logistics (3PL) partners for their repair management and logistics management? What are the criteria for Cathay Pacific to choose her 3PL partners for repair management logistics management? Ans: Advantages: Economy of scale and economy of scope: The major outcome for firms to switch to 3PL is the value they will generate from economy of scale which means Cathay pacific will have the advantage of large truck fleets and warehouses. At the same time, it can enjoy the benefit of economy of scope by reducing costs and boosting the net value of airline. The benefits of these economies are attained depending on the type of 3PL partner (e.g. IT based or component based). Secondly these benefits can help the logistics to work effectively and efficiently which will also enhance the repair management by providing access to right spare part at the right time. Capital investment: Outsourcing logistics and repair activities can help Cathay pacific to save cost and hence reduce financial risks. Assets required in establishing distribution centers and networks normally need a huge sum of money that encompasses financial risks and hence by outsourcing, these risks can be spread to 3PL partners. Once the hedging of risk in complicated processes is done, airlines can focus more on their core activities. Cost effectiveness: To perform the activities of repair and logistics managers, Cathay pacific pays millions of dollars to labors. However outsourcing these activities will result in saving the capital which can be spent on further expansion of the airline. Disadvantages: Loss of control: Outsourcing 3PL partners will lead to loss of hold and control over their logistics and repair activities. The transparency in these networks would diminish to great extent and may lead to underperformance. Discontinuity of services: There could be some sort of reasons on the 3PL partner side which could lead in discontinuity in their services. At the end of the day, the contract and law forces the 3PL to pay the compensation of loss but that wouldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t help an airline to continue the service efficiently during the specific time. Difference of opinion: The opinion differences between client and 3PL partners can hinder the service of an airline whose fortune is derived from the time where every minute delay incurs a cost. On the other hand, it will certainly be a roadblock for the further expansion of the airline. Criteria for choosing 3PL partner: Formation of a team: While choosing a 3PL for logistic and repair management, cross functional team should be made from different divisions of an airline such as inventory management, control, quality testing etc. Forming a cross functional team will help Cathay pacific to choose the 3PL provider that meets their requirements. Objective setting: The objective setting will depend on the requirement of an airline such as cost cutting and focusing on core competencies. Once the firm has set its objectives, it is easy to select a 3PL provider that will best suit the needs Service availability: Based on the needs and objectives of an airline, the next and most important step is to shortlist the 3PL providers who provide those services. Given the fact that logistic and repair management are the core activities that defines the performance of an airlines carrier, the cross functional team should consider all minor and major aspects to close the deal.

The many failures that lead to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland finance

The many failures that lead to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland finance Among the many failures that led to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland, there was obviously a failure of corporate governance. So it is only right that, along with all the other regulatory reviews, there should be a review of the governance of corporate governance. In Britain, this is partly a matter of self-regulation, with companies expected to follow the best practice corporate governance standards set out in the so-called Combined Code. It is surely only a matter of time before some headline-grabbing politician identifies the root cause of all our problems: we have been letting the rascals regulate themselves. So it is very sensible for the Financial Reporting Council, which acts as caretaker of the Code, to try to get its retaliation in first. And it is very sensible that it will work closely with Sir David Walker, who is conducting a separate review of governance of banks. Critics of the British approach to corporate governance particularly in America enjoy pointing out that RBS was, in fact, a model pupil. It did everything by the book, ticked all the boxes and filled page after page of its annual report with an exhaustive analysis of its corporate governance performance. In particular, it had a separate, non-executive chairman a central pillar of the UK code, but far from standard practice in the United States a post is designed to restrain an over-mighty chief executive. Yet the RBS chairman Sir Tom McKillop failed to restrain Sir Fred Goodwin, with catastrophic consequences for the bank and the taxpayer. American critics of the British system claim that we are so focused on ticking the boxes that it makes us complacent. It is one thing following all the rules, but boards also have to ensure that they are working in practice. There are a few obvious areas the review should examine. The roles of chairman, chief executive and senior non-executive director need to be better-defined. The code should encourage non-execs to seek outside advice on big decisions. It should consider whether there should be special rules applying to banks it would clearly be advantageous if at least the chairman and members of the risk committee of banks had specialist experience. The review should consider ways to encourage more active involvement of shareholders in corporate governance questions. And not just traditional institutions, but also sovereign wealth funds and even hedge funds. The problem with all this is that, however they are structured; boards are only as good as the people on them. And, for many reasons, the job of non-executive director of a big company, let alone chairman of a bank, is not getting any more attractive. Even good people fail. Example is RBS board. It included the likes of Peter Sutherland and Sir Steve Robson. And, given that so many reputations have been tarnished by the credit crisis, the pool of good people is shrinking. But it would be a mistake to allow the few good people to take on too many jobs. As chairman of BP, Mr Sutherland is now supporting the reappointment as a director of Sir Tom, whom he helped to become chairman of RBS. Sir Tom, the man ultimately responsible for Sir Freds pension, even sits on the BP remuneration committee. Research Question and Methodology: Royal bank of Scotland was a good example of following corporate governance which follows all the code of corporate governance. Despite this RBS had to bail out by taxpayer money, and majority of its share now owned by taxpayer. Board of directors of RBS was all outsiders and reputed on their own field and there was no inner member on the Board. This proposal found a report that RBS trader bought  £34 billion pounds of sub-prime toxic assets in US without informing its Board. The sub-prime assets are being blamed for causing the banks near collapse in 2008. Last year RBS posted a loss of  £28 billion the largest in British corporate history. There may be a conflict between Board of members and Management. Maybe if there were member in Board from inside or from management this trouble in RBS might be avoided. This proposal will try to find out structure and role of Board of Member and Management at RBS. And try to find out any conflict between Board and management which put RBS in turmoil. This proposal will try to research on theory of corporate governance and their practice at RBS; try to find out the impact of corporate governance and its practice at RBS. This proposal will use secondary date for its quantitative research. Literature Review: Corporate Governance Board of Directors The Corporate Governance is a wide and important subject that covers a range of issues from accountability and transparency and the relationship between the board of directors, management and shareholders to help in determining the path and performance of the corporation (Hunger Wheelen, 2007, p. 18). The corporate governance system was designed to help oversee the decisions and best interest of the shareholders. The system should works accordingly: The shareholders elect directors, who in turn hire management to make the daily executive decisions on the owners behalf. The companys board of directors position is to oversee management and ensure that the shareholders interest is being served. Corporate governance focus is with promoting enterprise, to improve efficiency, and to address disputes of interest which can force upon burdens on the business. Ensuring that the clearness, and truth in a companys business can make contribution to improving the enterprise standards and public g overnance. In brief, corporate governance is the system of controls to ensure that investors can assure themselves that they will get their investment back. Depending on laws and other standard it might vary, but generally Board of Director describes as bellow: Those who set the overall path, vision and mission within the business. Those who make the decisions to hire and, or fire any top management member (Hunger Wheelen, 2007, p. 19) Those who oversee management and evaluate strategy. Those who have the shareholders best interest in mind. Those who review and approve the use of company resources, as well as monitoring the effectiveness of the governance practices. Corporate Governance in U.K. Corporate governance is varied in almost every country depending on a number of factors such as the economic development of the country, the strength of the legal system, the stability of the government but despite this the U.K is decidedly different from that of its neighbouring regions in the E.U. There is a unitary board of management and a broader shareholder bases as well as hardly any dual shares and no pyramid structures. (Franks et al. 2004) An examination of the history and development of corporate governance and legislation in the U.K may provide some answers to the considerable differences that have occurred in contrast to many other European countries and worldwide. The U.K corporate governance practices have evolved from an agency perspective and the principal agent theory with a strong bias towards shareholder protection and shareholder rights. The protection of shareholders, in particular minority shareholders is covered by Company Law and is a major reason for the wide shareholder base characteristic of U.K listed companies. The major developments of a workable corporate governance system for the U.K came about due to a few notable high profile financial scandals and public corporate collapses such as Maxwells Communication Corporation and Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). Robert Maxwell had been taking money out of the pension funds to aid his downwardly spiralling financial situations and managed to bypass auditors and shareholders alike. His uncurbed power made this possible. The BCCI scandal had a worldwide effect. The Bank was guilty of bribery, arms trafficking, money laundering, the sale of nuclear technology, tax evasion, illegal immigration etc. Auditors were blamed again. After these and various other scandals there appeared to be a lack of confidence in the ability of many U.K companies to accurately report on their financial situations. This led to an important committee being formed; the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance. The report issued by the committee in December 1992 is one the most influential codes on corporate governance and has been used and adapted by many other countries in the development of their corporate governance systems. Sir Adrian Cadbury was the Chairman of the Committee and so the report became known as the Cadbury Report. This report made many valuable recommendations on the composition and roles of the board of directors as well as the non executive directors. Some of the recommendations given in the Cadbury Report were the separation of the Chairman and the CEO, the inclusion on non executive directors, regular and scheduled board meetings, directors access to advice, the length of appointments, the system of appointing non executive directors, disclosure of remuneration and the system of reporting and controls. All U.K registered companies who want to be listed must comply with the Codes of Best Practice recommended by the Cadbury Report. This comply or explain system as opposed to statutory regulation is said to give the United Kingdom an advantage in that it doesnt unnecessarily constrain business practice and innovation. (Financial Reporting Council 2006)

Jazz Essay -- essays research papers

Early Jazz The earliest easily available jazz recordings are from the 1920's and early 1930's. Trumpet player and vocalist Louis Armstrong ("Pops", "Satchmo") was by far the most important figure of this period. He played with groups called the Hot Five and the Hot Seven; any recordings you can find of these groups are recommended. The style of these groups, and many others of the period, is often referred to as New Orleans jazz or Dixieland. It is characterized by collective improvisation, in which all performers simultaneously play improvised melodic lines within the harmonic structure of the tune. Louis, as a singer, is credited with the invention of scat, in which the vocalist makes up nonsense syllables to sing improvised lines. Other notable performers of New Orleans or Dixieland jazz include clarinetist Johnny Dodds, soprano saxophone player Sidney Bechet, trumpeter King Oliver, and trombonist Kid Ory. Other styles popular during this period were various forms of piano jazz, including ragtime, Harlem stride, and boogie-woogie. These styles are actually quite distinct, but all three are characterized by rhythmic, percussive left hand lines and fast, full right hand lines. Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton were early ragtime pioneers. Fats Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson popularized the stride left hand pattern (bass note, chord, bass note, chord); Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis developed this into the faster moving left hand patterns of boogie-woogie. Earl "Fatha" Hines was a pianist who was especially known for his right hand, in which he did not often play full chords or arpeggios, playing instead "horn-like" melodic lines. This has become commonplace since then. Art Tatum is considered by many to be the greatest jazz pianist ever; he was certainly one of the most technically gifted, and his harmonic insights paved the way for many who came after him. He is sometimes considered a precursor of bebop. Big Band Jazz and Swing Although the big bands are normally associated with a slightly later era, there were several large bands playing during the 1920's and early 1930's, including that of Fletcher Henderson. Bix Beiderbecke was a cornet soloist who played with several bands and was considered a legend in his time. The mid 1930's brought on the swing era and the emergence of ... ...c piano, Ron Carter and Dave Holland on bass, John McLaughlin on guitar, and Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Tony Williams formed a rock oriented band called Lifetime with John McLaughlin, who also formed his own high energy group, the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Through the 1970's Miles continued to explore new directions in the use of electronics and the incorporation of funk and rock elements into his music, leading to albums such as Pangea and Agharta. Other groups combined jazz and rock in a more popularly oriented manner, from the crossover Top 40 of Spyro Gyra and Chuck Mangione to the somewhat more esoteric guitarist Pat Metheny. Other popular fusion bands include Weather Report, featuring Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, and bass players Jaco Pastorius and Miroslav Vitous; Return To Forever, featuring Chick Corea and bassist Stanley Clarke; The Crusaders, featuring saxophonist Wilton Felder and keyboardist Joe Sample; the Yellowjackets, featuring keyboardist Russell Ferrante; and the Jeff Lorber Fusion, which originally featured Kenny G on saxophone. In recent years, several fusion bands have achieved much commercial success, including those of Pat Metheny and Kenny G.

Book Report On 1984 By George Essay -- essays research papers

The book starts off with an interesting first sentence â€Å"the clocks were striking 13.† To me this was unusual because there is no 13 on a clock and it is usually considered an unlucky number. I thought it was kind of weird and different compared to what kind of world we are living in today. This is because in London the province of Oceania is where our first and main character Winston Smith lives. There are signs reminding citizens that Big Brother is always watching. Big Brother is the leader of the party in which Winston is a part of as well as all the people of Oceania. Winston Smith is about 39 and has on ulcer on his left ankle. He had to wear blue overalls as a rule of the party. He lives in Victory Mansions by himself. One vocabulary word that I didn’t know I found on page 6, eddies, which is a current air running contrary to the main current. Also on page 6 I learned that in this place where Winston lives they use what is called a telescreen which watches and hears everything everyone is doing. There is a telescreen placed in every corner of every room. This telescreen could not be turned off. If you are heard thinking of something the Big Brother does not want you to think then you will be punished by the Thought Police. This punishment could be death or a sentence of 25 years in a forced labor camp. You had to keep your feelings to yourself and try to hide them from the Thought Police. â€Å"Your worst enemy is your own nervous system,† (page 67) this is something you hear all the time from criminals who say their self conscious got to them. There are three slogans of the party, theses slogans are War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength. Not everyone is a member of the Party. Only about 20% of the people of Oceania are involved in the party. Most people living in Oceania are living in slums. The people are given a small amount of coupons to trade in for clothing, food or anything else they needed. On page 8 we find out the 4 most important buildings in Oceania. They are the four Ministries, which are all government buildings. They are the Ministry of Peace, which is concerned with war. The Ministry of Truth is concerned with news, entertainment, education and the arts. The Ministry of Love maintains law and order. The Ministry of Plenty is responsible for economic affairs. Each ministry had its own concerns and problems. I agree w... ...fter saying this, Winston is eventually let back into the world to work and live. They gave him a new look and a new job. Winston looked different because of all the scars and bruises he had suffered from being beaten in the jail. Winston then begins to love his new life and enjoys every minute of it. He is also now a good member of the party, doing everything he is suppose to, and not thinking for himself. He is thinking just like the party had taught him. He had found Julia at a restaurant, and they went to the park to talk. They both had turned against each other and decided it was best for them not to be involved anymore. It was mostly because they did not have the physical attraction to each other anymore as they used to. They both had changed because of being beaten in jail. A few days later an announcement comes onto the telescreen saying they have won the war and defeated Eurasia. People crowded into the street to cheer on the victory of the party. Winston jumped for joy and that’s when the Thought Police had seen on the telescreen and had realized that Winston was cured and a real member of the party. He had loved Big Brother and then he was shot from behind and killed.

No Heros in The Red Badge of Courage and A Farewell to Arms Essay

No Heros in The Red Badge of Courage and A Farewell to Arms      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many great literary novels have the protagonist, the main character of the novel, being portrayed as the "hero".   There are many different deeds and actions that can characterize a person as a hero such as saving someone from a burning house at the risk of one's own life.   The main distinguishing characteristic of a true hero is self-sacrifice, whether it be scarifice of your own personal desires or ideals or sacrifice of physical well being to help others.   There are a few novels in which the main character of the work does not exemplify the deeds and thought of a true hero.   Two such works include Stephen Cranes' The Red Badge of Courage and Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both The Red Badge of Courage and A Farewell to Arms have war as the background of the story.   War is the perfect setting in which one can be tested to see if he or she is a hero.   This idea is the major framework of The Red Badge of Courage, in which Henry Fleming aspires to be a man, a "hero" in the eyes of the masses by enlisting in the army.   Henry's goal of returning a man from war has already marred his image of being a potential hero because his thoughts are about himself and not about the welfare of others.   Also, the fact that he wants to impress people and appear heroic is a selfish aspiration.   Heroes act not to impress others but to help them.   Usually the actions of a hero are impulsive and not premeditated because the hero does what he/she believes is right and what their heart tells them is right and not what others judge is right.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Re... ...ern Critical Interpretations:   Stephan Crane's The Red Badge of Courage.   New Yourk:   Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Cody, Edwin H. Stephen Crane.   Revised Edition.   Boston:   Twayne Publishers, 1980. Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage.   Logan, IA:   Perfection Learning Corporation, 1979. Fielder, Leslie A. Understanding the American Novel. New York: Stein and Day, 1975. Gibson, Donald B. The Red Badge of Courage:   Redefining the Hero.   Boston:   Twayne Publishers, 1988. Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1929. Weeks, Robert. Hemingway: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1962. Wolford, Chester L.   "Stephen Crane."   Critical Survey of Long Fiction.   Ed. Frank N. Magill.   English Language Series.   Vol. 2. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, 1991.