Negative Aspects of Animal Testing Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical

An Evil Science: ANIMALS IN RESEARCH Dating back to ancient times, animals have been used in research to advance biomedical sciences. However, the ways the human race can exploit these living creatures are absolutely evil. The main concern animal rights advocates have are not concerned with the idea of using animals in research but the way people can torture these animals. The twentieth century has witnessed some of the cruelest acts of violence in the laboratory but it has also seen the rise of the animal rights movement. Cruelty will always exist in this world, in some form or another, but hopefully it can be abolished from the laboratories. One could hear the agonizing screams of the horse from a great distance. Inside the lab the horse was being wrestled to the ground as its limbs were bound with ropes. The researchers sat on the horse to keep it still as they were carrying out their cruel deed. Sometimes this experiment could take up to four hours and always the horse was fully conscious as its throat was slit to expose the jugular vein. After the scientists extracted the blood they needed to make a cheap medicine, they left the horse to bleed to death and then they threw the mutilated carcass onto the streets. This is only one example of the cruelty associated with animals in research. In this case, a horse was tortured and slaughtered to obtain a blood serum that is now rarely used due to the risk it poses to humans. A simple and humane alternative to this process is to merely use a needle to draw blood from the animal. (http://stopanimaltests.com/f-turkishHorses.asp, 7/30/06) Advocates for animal testing claim that, since the beginning of history, many advances in biomedical sciences have been a product of using anima... ...d though it still cannot be seen, the end of animal testing is approaching ever so slowly. In some laboratories evil continues to prevail, but in many others, good is dominating. Works Cited Stephens, Martin L., Ph.D. Alternatives to Current Uses of Animals in Research, Safety Testing, and Education. Washington, DC: Humane Society of the United States, 1986. "The Hidden Lives of Rats and Mice." Stop Animal Tests. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. 30 July 2006 hiddenrats/ >. "Animal Testing." Wikipedia. 27 July 2006. 30 July 2006 . Pratt, Dallas, M.D. Alternatives to Pain. N.p.: Argus Archives, 1980. Ryder, Richard. "Institutional Speciesism: Cruelty is Wrong." Animal Experimentation: Good or Bad? By Richard Ryder, et al. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2002. 57-74.

Mo’men Case Essay

What sets Mo’ men apart from the other fast food restaurants? Mo’men are an international brand of fast food restaurants from Egypt. It, however, has a number of franchise holders in other countries across the globe. The international Mo’men group appointed Darul Rahmat Sdn Bhd (DRSB) as a franchise holder of the business in Malaysia. Mo’men restaurant distinguishes itself from most of other fast food restaurants because of a number of reasons. First, it offers unique products and excellent services. The restaurant offers a variety of sandwiches that are tasty and also affordable. The sandwiches are prepared from seafood beef and chicken. Seafood being an important component of Malaysian cuisine; their expertise in offering seafood sandwiches has given them an edge over competitors in the Malaysian fast food market. Secondly, Malaysia has various cultures, and its cuisine is mainly influenced by the number of different cultures. An important Malaysian cuisine is rice; rice is a staple food in Malaysia, Mo’ men took such preferences into consideration and added a rich menu with a choice of lamb or chicken. This has made the restaurant accepted and well ahead other restaurants. Another factor is that Mo’men offer a limited delivery service to reach more customers. They also do promotions like offering discounts to students who show their students identification cards. Therefore, the customers seem to like Mo’men’s restaurants. Is Mo’ men group’s franchising strategy the best way to expand internationally? Franchising is the best way to expand the business internationally. This is a method of doing business internationally but not by oneself. It is an affordable way of achieving development goals with less risk. Yes, franchising strategy is the best way for Mo’ men group to expand internationally just as they have given a franchisee in Malaysia. The franchising strategy helps Mo’men group to get inside information on the country’s food preferences and also learn from previous market experiences. The strategy has provided them with the widest entrepreneurial opportunities for Mo’ men and their franchise partner (DRSB) in Malaysia. The mutual beneficial relationship they have built together has made it a unique way to do business internationally. Is, having rice menu in the Malaysian franchise a good decision? Rice is a staple food in Malaysia. It is an important ingredient in the Malaysian cuisine. The people here are most welcoming to  new restaurants, but it is more advantage if the restaurants adapt to the cultural preferences. Having a rice menu is a good decision since this would make most of their customers feel at home and peace with their most preferred dish. This has made Mo’men Malaysia way ahead of its competitors. Will Mo’ men restaurant succeed and build a powerful brand in Malaysia than the other local restaurants? In the long run, Mo’ men franchise is likely to garner more market shares than most of the local restaurants. This is because of most of its market strategies. First being that it is religiously inclined to Islam that Malaysia equally boasts of a good number of Islam followers. This made it easy for them to set up their business there. Their expertise in preparing most foods that are mostly preferred by the Malaysians is another advantage they have, for instance, inclusion of rice menu and also seafood beef. In a nutshell, the Mo’men group has sufficient information on the food preferences of Malaysia. They, therefore, know what to offer and when to. To add to the list is also the promotions they offer, whereby they give discounts to students who show their identification cards. Finally, due the small number of venues they also offer limited delivery services to reach many customers.

Impact Of The Latest Advances In Technology On Recruitment And Selection

ABSTRACT In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal. A commonly held view among the human resource managers is that the human resources are the most important assets of an organization and that they offer the only non-imitative competitive edge. As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. This paper explores on how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. Different aspects of the use of new technology will be examined including internet based recruitment, telephone and video conferencing, computer based testing and IVR or Automated telephone interviewing. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. INTRODUCTION In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal (Bauer 2004). As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. Traditionally, the recruitment and selection process relied on fairly low-tech methods such as employee referrals and newspaper ads, in locating and attracting qualified candidates (Lievens, et.al 2002). Successful job seeking included frequenting the local job center (Lievens, et.al 2002). This has however changed over the past few decades as a result of advances in technology. The recruitment process, just like all other business functions, has become increasingly tied to technology (Lievens, et.al 2002). The common practice of mailing applications and waiting to be called for an interview via a phone call has been trumped by technological advances which have eased communication. Technological advances such as internet-based recruitment and candidate assessment, computer-based testing, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), telephone and video-based interviews among other information technologies are now increasingly being used in recruiting and selecting qualified candidates (Chapman & Webster 2003). In this paper, we examine how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. The following sections will explore on these technological advances, in particular, how they are impacting on recruitment and selection process. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. We begin by exploring on internet based recruitment, which involves recruitment via the web.a. INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENTThe most popular ways through which advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection is through the internet. Organizations are increasingly making use of the internet technology, particularly the World Wide Web, as a platform for testing and recruiting potential candidates (Baron & Austin, 2000). Social networking websites, software and online job boards has helped in linking applicants to hiring professionals with focus on knowled ge, skills and abilities (Baron & Austin, 2000). Social networking sites such as LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, monster.com and universe.jobs hold millions of jobs and resumes in their databases (Neil 2003). These professional networking sites play a significant role in the process of recruitment and selection. LinkedIn, for example, is used as a business-oriented social networking site whereby applicants are linked with the employers. LinkedIn is widely used globally as a professional network service and has currently 90 million users (Neil 2003). It is currently valued at over $2.51 billion USD and operates in more than 200 countries (Neil 2003). Advances in technology have indeed shaped the process of recruitment and selection. Online ads are now the lead recruitment methods employed by employers. Recruitment and selection via the web has enabled the employers to build a ‘talent pool’ of qualified candidates and lessen their reliance on conventional print media (Thompson et al., 2008). This has led to significant cost savings as employers lessen their reliance on recruitment agencies (Thompson et al., 2008). In this regard, Harris & Dewar (2000) noted a significant reduction on the cost per-hire from $ 3,295 (for the conventional recruitment methods) to $377 (for internet based recruitment). There are many benefits arising with the use of internet based recruitment method as well challenges that it present to the organizations. It should be noted that internet based recruitment is not without its shortcomings, but the cons must be weighed against the pros in order to determine if this recruitment method is supported. BENEFITS OF INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT The internet provides efficiency in the administration and scoring of test as the content can be easily modified and answers captured in electronic form (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). It also enables routine checking of errors, automatic scoring of tests and provides instant feedback to the applicants (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). This administrative ease enables recruiters to save on costs and time giving them a competitive hedge in the tight labour market. It also provides for increased flexibility for both the employer and applicants in the administration of tests and performance of work in varied geographical locations (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). Moreover, the widespread of information in a globalized market widens access to a diverse geographical labour pool (Lievens & Harris 2003). Additionally, there is a greater transparency in the selection process as candidates are selected based on their skills, experience and competence (Lievens & Harris 200 3). CHALLENGES TO INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT While it is apparent that online recruitment help cut on recruitment costs, increase efficiency and transparency in the selection process; there are some potentially major drawbacks. Due to the high number of applicants, screening and checking the authenticity and mapping of skills may be a time consuming exercise (Lievens & Harris 2003). The large number of indistinguishable resumes from the various applicants coupled with inadequate software and procedures may lead to poor results in the selection of the ideal candidate (Lievens & Harris 2003). This problem can largely be attributed to the existing methods for parsing resumes which is dependent on software that truncates and exclude the totality of content (Lievens & Harris 2003). Also, failure by the industry software to produce optimum candidate and position convergence may result in correspondingly low retention rates of the new employees hence costing client companies thousands of dollars (Lievens & Harris 2003). Despite having automated assistance, managing the workload remains a daunting task for HR managers. While software has reduced on the number of resumes from the applicants, that would otherwise be manually reviewed, it has not been successful in narrowing candidate resume pools to the ideal qualified applicants (Harris & Dewar 2000).It should be noted that most of the software employed in the process of recruitment and selection generally uses rudimentary lexical and semantic algorithms (Harris & Dewar 2000). These algorithms tend to generate a large candidate pool with most candidates insufficiently suitable for effective use (Harris & Dewar 2000). This is because the industry software lacks the ideal filtering capabilities necessary for the proper parsing of resume. Crucial data that could help in identifying the ideal candidate and position convergence is therefore lost. Without sufficient data, there is not enough variance that could be used in distinguishing among candidate and position suitability (Harris & Dewar 2000). This next section will explore on interactive voice response (IVR) which is also known as automated telephone interviewing. The method is also gaining popularity and is increasingly being used by firms in recruiting and selecting new hires. b. AUTOMATED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING/INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) The use of interactive voice response (IVR) which also referred to as automated telephone interviewing is one of the newest ways to recruiting and selecting new hires (Thompson et.al 2008). IVR technology allows for human interaction with the computer via a telephone keypad or through the use of voice recognition (Thompson et.al 2008). This wave of technology is increasingly gaining popularity in the recruitment and selection of employees due to its many advantages. ADVANTAGES OF THE IVR IVR is an easily accessible technology. Take for example the United States where 95% of the households own phones (Thompson et.al 2008). With IVR, applicants can initiate the interview at any time. The applicants or potential employees can initiate an interview by simply making a phone call to a toll-free phone number and be automatically interviewed without any intervention from the operator (Thompson et.al 2008). IVR or rather automated telephone interviewing can help in eliminating interview biases (Thompson al 2008). It is highly cost effective in screening the candidate pool. DISADVANTAGES OF USING IVR While IVR is increasingly being used by many businesses to cut on the costs and give a better experience, it is not without its shortcomings. One of the greatest challenges to using IVR systems in recruitment and selection of employees is that the users find it hard to follow telephone menus and lengthy instructions (Thompson et.al 2008). Also, IVR screening is considered lower in terms of treatment and openness as well as in reconsideration opportunities than the conventional face to face interviewing (Thompson al 2008)..c. TELECONFERENCING AND VIDEO CONFERENCINGThere is also the use of telephone and video conferencing. Teleconferencing involves setting up of a conference telephone call between the selection committee and potential candidates (Gilliland 1993). Job interviews by teleconferencing are common where the applicant and the selection committee are located in geographically sparse regions. Video conferencing, on the other hand, involves the combination of both the audio and video transmissions, hence allowing for communication to take place by a way of an audio visual link (AVL) (Gilliland 1993). With video confer encing, both the applicant and selection committee members are able to share their views and at the same time see each other on the screen. BENEFITS OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Despite reducing the in-person meetings, video teleconferencing as well offer the advantages of face to face communication (Gilliland 1993). There is also significant cost reduction for both the applicant and the employer as there is no need of travelling and associated costs of lodging and meals (Gilliland 1993). There is also the added environmental benefit as a reduction in traveling implies a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Gilliland 1993). Further, upon placement this technology allows for the continued collaboration with the team members from remote locations (Gilliland 1993). CHALLENGES OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Similar to other technological innovations, video conferencing is not without its shortcomings. There might be a difference in time zones when conferencing in remote geographical locations (Gilliland 1993). Also, some of the human ways to communicating may not translate well with video conferencing (Gilliland 1993). For example, eye contact may not be easily delivered through a webcam, unlike in the conventional face-to-face interviewing where one can easily make eye contact and judge whether the interviewee is paying due attention. Last but not least, we explore on how computer based testing has impacted on recruitment and selection process.d. COMPUTER BASED TESTINGThe use of computer based interviews has increased in the recent years with a wide range of organizations utilizing computer-based online tests for selection purposes (Aptitude/psychometric tests) (Chapman & Webster, 2003). There are several reasons for increased reliance on psychometric tests in the recruitment and selection of employees. Key among these is the increased regulation and legislation, and loss of confidence in academic qualifications (Chapman & Webster, 2003). INCREASED REGULATION AND LEGISLATION Reliance on test use in the selection process has been used as a defensive strategy to regulation and legislation (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Tests are seen as objective indicators of how the skills of potential candidates align with the job description (Chapman & Webster, 2003). These competency tests promote fairness and equal access to opportunities available. LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS There is a growing body of evidence for a loss of confidence with the formal academic qualifications. This is largely attributed to bad governance and corrupt institutions that may award degrees or certificates to incompetent individuals. As such, competency based tests are increasingly being used in screening the candidate pool and in identifying candidates with skills that align with the â€Å"competency profile† for the job in question (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Computer based testing facilitates the selection process by quickly pinpointing the candidates ability more accurately (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Take for example the BULATS online test, a robust business English language test, which is widely used in helping organizations make timely decisions in the recruitment process (Chapman & Webster, 2003). This online test provides a fast and more accurate method of pinpointing the candidates’ ability and suitability to work by using adaptive testing techniques (Chapman & Webster, 2003). CONCLUSION Clearly, we have identified a number of benefits to using technology for purposes of recruiting and selecting job applicants. A quick recap of some of the benefits include increased efficiency in the administration and scoring of tests, increased flexibility, greater transparency, reduction in biases, widened access to a diverse geographical pool of potential candidates, and cost reduction among others. There are however challenges arising with the use of technological advances in recruitment and selection process. For example, the exercise may be time consuming as a large number of applicants need to be screened. Other shortcomings include poor results due to inadequate software and procedures, and difficulties in filtering of potential candidates, among others. Nonetheless, the latest advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection process. As pointed out by Kay (2000), the power of the Web and e-technology has changed the way recruitment and selections of employees occur. Technological advancements and the ubiquity of the internet (especially with social networking) have become powerful additions to the process of recruitment and selection. However, these should not be considered as the only solutions to finding the ideal candidate. While changes are still underway, it is clear that advances in technology have dramatically impacted on the recruitment and selection process. REFERENCES Bauer, et.al, 2004. â€Å"Applicant reactions to different selection technology: face-to-face, interactive voice response and computer-assisted telephone screening interviews†, International Journal of selection and assessment, Portland State University: Blackwell publishing ltd. Baron, H., & J. Austin, 2000. Measuring ability via the Internet: Opportunities and issues. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA. Chapman, D.S., & J. Webster, 2003. â€Å"The use of technologies in recruiting, screening and selection processes for job candidates†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol.11 (2), pp. 113-120 Gilliland, S.W, 1993. â€Å"The perceived fairness of selection systems: an organizational justice perspective†, Academy of management review, 18, pp.694-734 Harris, M., and K. Dewar, 2000. Understanding and using web-based recruiting and screening tools: key criteria, current trends and future directions. Workshop presented at annual meeting of the society for industrial and organizational psychology, San Diego, CA. Kay, A. S., 2000. â€Å"Recruiters embrace the Internet.† Informationweek: pp.72-80. Lievens, F., K. Van Dam and N. Anderson, 2002. â€Å"Recent Trends and Challenges in Personnel Selection†. Personnel Review, 31 (5-6), 580-601 Lievens, F., & M.M. Harris, 2003. â€Å"Research on Internet Recruiting and Testing: Current Status and Future Directions†. In: C.L. Cooper & I.T. Robertson (Eds.) International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. vol. 16., pp. 131-165. Neil, A., 2003. â€Å"Applicant and recruiter reactions to new technology in selection: a critical review and agenda for future research†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol. 11 (2) Thompson, L. F., P.W. Braddy, and K.L. Wuensch, 2008. E-Recruitment and the Benefits of Organizational Web Appeal. Computers in Human Behavior, 24 (5), 2384-2398. Tourangeau, R., D.M. Steiger & D.Wilson, 2002. â€Å"Self-administered questions by telephone: evaluating interactive voice response†, public opinion quarerly, 6, pp.265-278 Van Hoye, G. and F. Lievens, 2007. â€Å"Investigating Web-Based Recruitment Sources: Employee Testimonials versus Word-of-Mouse†. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 15 (4), 372-382.

Analysis Of The Sources Of Disagreement

Rauch, in the beginning of his article, points out several potential merits of agricultural biotechnology such production of transgenic seeds which can counteract the effects of herbicides (2003). This could facilitate no-till farming since the use of herbicides can curtail the growth of weeds. The elimination of tilling process would prevent soil depletion and thereby drastically reduce the use of fertilizers which are harmful to humans as well as all forms of life.He argues that biotechnology could help curb deforestation, as no-till farming and increased productivity on existing tracts of land would reduce the demand for fresh agricultural land. Rauch feels that these positive developments would help preserve ecological balance. However, Altieri and Rosset cite that a lot of scientists are quite worried about the unprecedented consequences that large scale cultivation of transgenic crops can have on the environment (1999).Rauch expresses concerns about the need to feed the ever-in creasing population of the world and suggests that high-yielding transgenic crops would be the solution to this problem. On the other hand, Altieri and Rosset believe that transgenic crops need to be tested under controlled environments, before they are widely made available in the commercial market, due to the unpredictable nature of the consequences. They also believe that public organizations have not remained entirely unbiased and accurate in releasing research information regarding the effects of genetically-altered crops, due to the generous funding of private corporations.Since transgenic seeds are produced by gene transfer, antagonists of agricultural biotechnology research often refer to transgenic crops as Frankenfood. Looking at the situation from a socioeconomic perspective, he feels that biotechnology could help eliminate hunger in the Third world countries, by helping farmers increase crop production. But, Altieri and Rosset believe that poverty, improper management an d poor food distribution mechanisms are responsible for making people starve in underdeveloped nations.According their argument, biotechnology would not help the Third World dramatically since the lack of production is actually not the main reason behind their hunger. Although Altieri and Rosset agree about the potential benefits of biotechnology on some level, they are actually more concerned about the real motives of biotechnology corporations. They point out that transgenic crops developed by biotechnology corporations so far are merely aimed at earning more profits by making farmers solely dependent on their products.They substantiate their claim by citing instances from the past such as Monsanto Corporation’s herbicide-ready crops which were capable of withstanding the harmful effects of only the their own company’s herbicide, thereby forcing farmers to buy their products. Similarly, the introduction of Bt crops capable of developing an insecticide within itself f orced farmers to abandon the use of an extremely useful pesticide based on Bacillus thuringiensis.Rauch affirms that genetically-improved, drought-resistant crops would come to the aid of dry countries facing tremendous water scarcity. Rauch also empathizes with the poor socioeconomic conditions of Third World farmers and emphasizes the need for proper training. Altieri and Rosset also express their concerns about poor farmers’ plight, but charge the big biotechnology corporations of manipulating intellectual property rights to forbid farmers from reproducing and sharing their seeds which has been a tradition as old as agriculture itself.They also state that monopolization of new agricultural technologies could increase market demands for only a few specific transgenic crops, paving the way for monoculture farming and thereby inviting all its associated negative side effects. It is quite evident that transgenic crops offer a plethora of advantages. Rauch feels that this techn ology can transform agriculture as well as the lives of poor farmers and nations. Although Altieri and Rosset share these basic values with Rauch, they advocate following a more measured use of technology complimented by social and economic reforms.

Course assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course assignment - Coursework Example aware of different technological tools and techniques and they can use their knowledge and skills in their work (Creating a Successful Performance Compensation System for Educators, 2007). Therefore, we can say that the knowledge base of some of the potential employees is the actual factor to implement the performance based compensation. Because these employees can work better as com-pare to others just because of their capabilities (Creating a Successful Performance Compensation System for Educators, 2007). The implementation of performance based pay or compensation packages is important in order to reward or appreciate the hard working employees and in order to punish the lazy employees too. It can be negative or positive reinforcement for the employees so that they can work hard in the future or at least they can try to maximize their efforts. Positive reinforcement can be in the form of prizes while the negative reinforcement can be in the form of punishments or highlighting the bad performance in the meetings. In other words we can say that in this knowledge worker type environment, the best and the most appreciated compensation style will be the evaluation based on the performance appraisal. Employees can get immediate feedback in the form of rewrads or punishments for their performances. This performance based compensation can also help to reduce the likelihood of nay priority or biasness towards any specific employee. If we talk about the major forms of performance based pay styles then usually companies adopt these four major forms of these pay packages. That includes gain sharing, profit sharing, performance bonuses and the other is the skill based rewards (Jonathan, 2010). The details of all the three forms of performance based pay is given below; These Performance based bonuses are very widespread, because they are almost basic type of performance-based pay. In order to award such bonuses to the employees, a company manager may assess the

Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law - Coursework Example Significant to the argument, is the relatively low number of offenders charged and convicted under the existing rules. Part of the challenge seems to lie in what critics argue is the vagueness of the law that is rendered even less clear in court, as it is impossible for a supplier to assess the ‘likelihood’ that an internet or software tool may be used in the commission of a crime. Opponents cite that the CMA does not allow for application of the rules to the cases which are often highly technical, and not readily translatable for jury consideration. The results are near null from a national perspective, which led to prosecution of a mere nineteen cases in 2007, with only ten defendants charged and convicted according to the Ministry of Justice. The most recent conviction numbers contribute to the overall picture of computer misuse enforcement and indicate a reduction in violations since ratification of the Act and instatement as code. Predictability may not be found, then, in the capacity of the number of users that might be knowledgeable enough to intentionally commit violations and only reliant upon enforceability; yet that is to be determined by due process of complaint. Charges rarely occur in a vacuum of random and unintentional incidence in correspondence to the strict liability of the Act, as it pertains to institutional transactions, can only, then, be founded on investigated wrongdoing correspondent to acts and attendant outcomes (i.e. victims). In the UK, the number of computer misuse violations is miniscule, and in fact receding. Prior to 2007, charges under the CMA saw a consecutive decrease over the past three years. Comparatively speaking, the numbers from 2007 are fewer than the past three years, with 18 successful prosecutions from 25 cases in 2006, 16 from 24 in 2005, 12 from 21 in 2004 and only higher in conviction

How might the use of an approach such as Storyline promote learners' Essay

How might the use of an approach such as Storyline promote learners' creative potential - Essay Example According to Starko (2005: 39), even though a teacher gives a starting point, storylines motivate learners to improvise, create, or modify the original form. Children view and understand the world in a different way that adults do. Children’s emotional and imaginative potentials are much more enhanced than their logical or rational abilities (Kelner, 1993:52). While adults depend on knowledge and logic, children exercise creativity and play to discover and make sense of their world (Wagner, 1988:30). In this case, it is justifiable for teachers to take advantage of these two capabilities as a learning device. Storylines offer this opportunity, connecting the domain of imagination and play to the domain of knowledge and reason (Kelner, 1993: 61). Storylines encourage learners to become emotionally and physically engaged in learning and, as a result, to learn more productively (Edmiston, Encisco &King, 1987: 79). It allows learners to take part in a story, or to intermingle with an idea, character, or theme. In this fashion, storylines encourage a better grasp of material and improves learners’ creativity and understanding of texts (Thom, 2008: 33). ... Storylines endow learners a sense of control over their acquisition of knowledge as the educator exits the picture and enables learners to have the inner focus (Neelands, Baldwin & Fleming, 2003: 81). The creative character of storylines guarantees that children are the ones who make the decisions, taking a dynamic role in influencing and creating the learning episode (Taylor, 2000: 104). Hence, learners become determined and motivated. Ultimately, storylines can be a vital component of a general model of language arts. It fosters development in all domains of literacy and motivates children to apply language for important reasons. Element of Storylines, Storytelling, and Story Making There are several important elements of storylines: feedback, a secure setting, randomness, and structure (Beetlestone, 1998: 68). Learners want to receive both informal and formal feedback. Informal feedback is appropriate when a mentor reacts in a manner that is suitable to the role play; for instance , crying at sad events (Beetlestone, 1998: 68-69). Once a play is finished, the mentor can provide further formal feedback by understanding the experience with learners and identifying those aspects that were performed well. As learners become more acquainted with the practice of feedback, they are more capable of thinking about these experiences and to explain effective and less effective dramatic components (Skinner-Linnenberg, 1997: 50). Learners in time build up a critical skill and become expert in providing each other constructive feedback. Any form of creativity requires a particular extent of discovery and risk (Dickinson & Neelands, 2006: 19). Creativity is developed when the instructor