Impacts of Tourism Deregulation and National Security

Impacts of Tourism Deregulation and National Security National security has always been an issue dating back to as early as when man started organizing himself in society. Tourism has become a major pillar of modern-day economies and cultures. This research examines the impact of tourism deregulation or the simplification of government rules and requirements on tourism to national security. The study will also cover areas on importation of terrorism through tourism; compare tourism crime and other types of crime and finally investigate the changes in crime rate in countries that deregulate tourism. The resident attitudes towards the impacts of deregulation of tourism on national economy will be explored. Questionnaires and simple random sampling will be used to collect data from the respondents. The data collected will be analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences. The findings of the study will be presented using pie charts and graphs. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Tourism and security are interrelated and inseparable. The security of the tourists is the primary concern of every host government because of it only where they feel safe that they will spend and visit again. The current economic state of most countries has presented a problem because governments have to come up with ways of raising foreign earnings to raise money to service the national debt and keep the economy afloat. One of the solutions has been to simplify government regulations for the tourism industry to attract more traffic. While this has been successful in most countries, recent evidence has raised questions of what effects lower standards for tourists have on the national security of the host country. Tourism is a delicate and dynamic industry. Although tourists have specific countries they want to tour based on experience, recommendation or the spirit of adventure, it is worth noting that some tourists have other agendas. It is impossible to know legitimate tourists from people with hidden agendas such as terrorists without the proper legislation. At the same time tourists are usually free to travel to destinations of their choice avoiding destinations associated with risk. It has been observed that the consequences of disastrous events on tourist destinations are spontaneous and adverse. Some of the insecurity concerns include terrorism of any kind where governments issue travel advisories to their citizens to not visit the affected country. A problem presents itself when the tourism has been imported in the guise of tourism, such that terrorists disguise themselves as normal tourists to enter countries. If stringent laws for immigration were to be put in place as they were befo re, it would be possible to pick the wheat from the chaff. According to (Zurick, 2006) the concept of security has changed through the decades from one of collective security and common defense to embrace notions of common and cooperative security. Despite the damage done to the concept of collective security because of the United States led invasion of Iraq, the development of common security structures through collective as well as multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations is still an important aspect for the expansion of security concerns to cover a nationà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s environment, health and economic security threats. This research also considers that tourism organizations have little influence on peace and security agendas despite the fact that they are important for tourism. This is particularly at the micro-level whereby appropriate tourism development initiatives may serve as a means to prevent potential future conflict over resource and environmental security challenges. 1.2 Safety, security and destination image The world has become a global village and the global relationships have become turbulent, this has therefore called for destination marketing organizations which focus their attention in demonstrating that there is safety for tourists. A tourist perception about a particular destination which may be caused by negative publicity is mostly a question of security and safety. Often, this negative publicity may be unrelated to the reality on the ground but it has more than significant effects on the tourism sector and the economy as a unit. Tourism deregulation impacts on national security can be categorized into positive and negative category based upon economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts. According to (Hall, Dallen Duval 2003), tourism is greatly affected by and affects security. The destination a tourist chooses is determined by how safe he or she knows it be, or has been advised is. Changes in the global security affect tourism greatly. The security concerns affect both tourists and the host country that has to face the fact that not all individuals visiting the country have good intentions. Responsible tourists take time to investigate the security situation in the countries they intend to visit. Such responsible tourists should be aware of security risks and take precautions to mitigate such effects or avoid them completely. The September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Towers in the United States of America are an epitome of events that can affect the tourist traffic of any country. Terrorist attacks have an impact on travel, leisure industries and tourist destinations. As a consequence more focus and attention has been directed towards tourism safety and security issues than ever before. The impact of deregulation on tourism laws on national security is a matter that cannot be ignored. Recent research is being focused further on the analysis of not only how travel safety can be promoted but also how security concerns may be incorporated in terms of tourism marketing. The management is also being enhanced to enable the industry become more responsive to chal lenges of security both internal and imported. Countries with unstable security history tend to be paranoid about security but stable and relatively safe countries have been continuously passing regulation that simplifies the process of obtaining tourist visas. The movement of the tourists is also not restricted or monitored. While this markets the country as place where the privacy of visitors is guaranteed and protected, it also attracts people of questionable character. These individuals might commit crime and abscond, or some might use the stability and anonymity to plan attacks on other countries. The latter situation can create a diplomatic spat which, unchecked, could escalate to war. Tourism activities can be affected by either external or internal forces; such forces may include war, terrorism activities, economic recessions, disaster, and financial crisis among others. Nations and cities which have experienced terrorist attacks for example New York and Washington faced profound impact on global travel (Blackford, 2004). The area of security is broad and sensitive and is affected by many things. The relationship between deregulation of tourism and national security can be explored in different perspectives. For example, in examining this relationship the research will look at whether the deregulation of air transport has influenced national security and the tourist destination countries in different nations. Terrorism will also be examined to investigate whether it can be imported in the guise of tourism. It will further examine the impact of deregulation on capacity as well as fares. The study also attempts to determine the impact deregulation has caused on marketing of tourist destinations and attractions. Finally, the research will investigate the impacts of tourism deregulation on transport at the destination areas. The research will also compare tourism crime and other types of crime (Hall, Dallen Duval 2003). 1.3 Statement of the problem The tourism industry has grown tremendously and thus every country is trying to gain a competitive advantage in order to market tourism adequately. This has lead to deregulation of tourism to assist raise tourist traffic. This research will seek to identify these impacts in a wider perspective with respect to crimes related to tourism and also seek to explore the rate of crime in countries that deregulate tourism. With globalization becoming embraced internationally the need for national security has been an issue of concern not only in tourism but in other areas as well. This concern is fundamental if nations are to enjoy and promote tourism while protecting the national security by preventing tourism crime, terrorism and other threats to a nationà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s security that could be as a result of tourism deregulation. Research and experience have evidenced that tourism is a crucial factor that can contribute greatly to the development of a nationà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s economy. It is therefore worth noting that tourism is directly associated and related with the cultural, economic as well as the intellectual potential of any nation. Currently available statistical data indicates that tourism is one of the most profitable and rapidly developing industries in the world and thus the need to protect and uplift it as while not compromising as the national security of a country. The evident threats to national security are not something any country passing legislation to deregulate the market can ignore. The purpose of this research is to identify this threats and the correlation it has with deregulating the tourism sector. 1.4 Research objectives This study will be focus on achieving the following objectives: 1. To investigate whether terrorism can be imported in the guise of tourism. 2. To investigate whether countries that deregulate tourism experience high crime rate. 3. To investigate the relationship and compare tourism crime and other types of crime. 4. To identify the impacts of airlines deregulation in international areas with respect to tourism. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), tourism is currently amongst the leading foreign exchange earner in approximately 83% of countries and the main foreign exchange earner for at least 38% of countries globally.Some tourists are turned away by stringent laws of immigration or stay and it has become the norm for most countries to deregulate the market. Tourism is an exciting and fascinating industry. The industryà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s contribution to the national economy is significant. The major threats to this lucrative industry are socioà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½economic problems related to increased level of crime rates and the depletion of resources or sites and events that attract tourists. Similarly, due to the current rise in terrorist activity, it has become a major concern for the natives of the countries being toured. According to Williams (1997) crime is a common social issue which threatens the safety of the people, property, their sense of well being, and also causes entropy to the social order. Crime also reduces peopleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s quality of life because they are not psychologically at peace and are therefore not able to work as well or as much as they potentially can.(Cracraft, 2000). In all countries of the world associated with popular destinations, crime has been a major threat to the stability of the economy. In a Newsweek research conducted by Zakaria (2002) tourism safety and security matters raised by allowing tourists in is a major headache for any government. It is evident that crime against tourists or associated with tourism is considerably high in tourist destinations. This research therefore investigates the extent to which crime has an impact in a nationà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s security. It is of importance to analyze the impact of passing legislation that lowers the bar for tourists and whether it has become an avenue for crà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½me and threats to national security. 2.1 Impacts of airline deregulation According to (Fallon, 2002), nations globally have realized that liberal aviation agreements have significant impact tourism amongst signatory parties. Recently, there has been deregulation of airlines leading to the growth of low-cost carriers and overcapacity in airline industry to bolster tourist numbers. Further deregulation of international air travel has seen the tourism industry grow significantly as simplified requirements to visit countries are major attraction for potential tourists. In addition, governments are encouraging movements towards agreements with country blocks or many nations rather than individual nations to create open skies in different geographic regions. The result of this is that people are able to move across borders with minimal or no paperwork. For nations to ensure the sustained growth and success of the international airline industry it has become important to adopt aviation policies which are conducive to open skies agreements. This has liberalized air travel beyond existing restraining bilateral among nations. This has a significant impact on tourism as well as other industries, as this facilitates the movement of people around the world. While this is a way of growing the economy, its potential effects on national security are far-reaching. The wanton and indiscriminate hosting of people without adequate paperwork carries with it the risk of encouraging criminal activates. 2.2 Socio-cultural impacts of tourism deregulation on national security According to (Blackford, 2002) it is a fact that tourism has a big impact on the economy of a nation, its cultures as well as the ecosystems. However, it is one of the least regulated industries in globally. This has opened up destination countries further to the influx of foreign earnings and capital. This trend of deregulation favors major international hotel chains and tour operators while still ensuring that the citizens of the country to earn from the resources, whether man-made or natural. Tourism has long been viewed as the reason for the spread of the global mentality. Cultures and social practices are imported as locals learn from visitors. The lack of adequate background checks on tourists, while offering an ideal protection of the visitorà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s privacy poses a problem. The host country is exposed to the risk of allowing individuals of questionable character into the country. Interaction of these individuals with the locals might do more harm than good. The possible causes of some of the security situations include crime related incidents, terrorism, war, and political unrest or instability. The crime related security incidents may be in different forms such as theft, robbery, rape, murder, piracy and kidnapping. Local residents may commit crimes against residents, tourists against locals, tourist against other tourists, or may take other forms such as organized crimes against tourism enterprises. A specific environmental issue relates to the increased number of aircrafts that has increased the pollution rate and brought about a green house effect. Airplane contrails generate cirrus clouds, which reflect the sunà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s rays and warm the atmosphere (Zakaria, 2007). This rise is directly proportional to tourist traffic because airlines will tend to increase flights to popular destinations so as to increase their turnover. 2.3 Deregulation of immigration and tourism laws. It is prudent to note that this research does not in any way imply that attempts to deregulate the market are inn-informed. On the contrary, liberalizing the industry is a crucial step toward achieving the vision of a global village vision and making the world a better place. However, to deregulate without adequately researching on the effects and impacts on national security is ill-advised. It is no secret that every country has enemies or people who would want to cause harm to it. While most of these groups or individuals might not make their intentions known, the methods they use to deliver the punch are criminal at the least. The template is to exploit the weaknesses in the countryà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s laws and find the opportune moment to strike and send the chilling message. Giving visas to all and sundry without first checking their backgrounds or requiring adequate and authentic proof of identification might be good for trade, but it is not the least conducive for the security of all affected. Tourists are not required to give detailed schedules of their stays in the countryà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s they visit and this is the perfect recipe for clandestine operations and activates. 2.4 Importation of terrorism through the guise of tourism According to Cracraft (1986) tourism is an activity that is sensitive and a nation will react rapidly to crime. Acts of terrorism are always a drawback to tourist destinations because it is followed by negative publicity and a host of travel advisories. This is because terrorism acts often indicate inadequacy of security and safety controls. Recent happenings have shown a disturbing trend where terrorists sneak into countries disguised as terrorists, leave among the locals as they plan their crimes. This worrying trend has created a situation of suspicion of people from certain places perceived to breed terrorists such as Middle East. This blanket stigmatization and the blanket security regulations that follow are saddening. The security concerns and weaknesses exposed can be pre-empted by having adequate laws that tend to pick the wheat from the chaff, instead of being left behind to sort the debris. 2.5The difference between tourism crime and other types of crime The growth of tourism has always been associated with increases in the level of certain types of crime (Goliath, 2004). The growth of tourism can also be associated with modernization and development which is a source of social instability which leads to criminal behavior. In addition, tourism crimes are often highly publicized, and the subsequent media publicity is a dent on the countryà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s image. Another consideration is the fact that tourism growth is mostly accompanied by growth in the resident population. It is important to distinguish between criminal acts directed towards the tourists and those committed by the tourists there are many factors that make tourists attractive as targets of crime which include. While crime is primarily an illegal attempt to earn a living, tourism crime is mostly premeditated and about more than just earning a dayà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s meal. It is about achieving a personal, social, religious or economic obligation either to oneself of to a group. As countries continue to pass laws that simplify the entry and stay of tourists without taking into account the dynamic nature of the human being, it becomes impossible to shield against crimes related to tourists. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Most of the tourists may be usually highly noticeable because of their race, clothing, speech, and even the tendency to carry valuable items such as cameras, backpacks which attract therein criminals. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ It is often perceived that tourists are wealthy people and are more likely to be in possession of valuable items. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Tourists are mostly accompanied by tour guides and at times they may be strangers. At times in the destination few people may be aware of their specific activity pattern. For example the murder of Meredith Kerche in Perugia, Italy has had huge media attention in the United Kingdom. It nearly caused a diplomatic spat between the two countries and highlighted how crime is not exclusive to natives. In addition, issues such as drug and tourism, sex tourism as well as other related crime and social disorder among holidaymakers. The high rate of exposure of tourists as targets to criminal activity in some destinations is illustrated by the findings that have seen tourists being stolen of their belongings or property (Schollmeyer, 2003).This social wrongs impact negatively on the national security because negative social behavior such as drug use and sex trade are primary causes of crime. It has also been observed that criminal activities can as well be committed by the tourists themselves, either against the locals or other tourists. Where certain forms of tourism either foster or entail criminal activities, it is the tourist who is usually seen as the lead player in initiating or engaging in some kind of illegal activity-. The most, obvious example invokes forms of tourism, such as those involving certain types of related activity, which are defined as illegal by destination authorities. While tourism activity may be not completely illegal but a strong criminal association may exist. The best example of this indirect relationship is gambling, given the involvement of organized crime cartels in casino businesses. The influx in tourists to these places might raise the economic might of criminals, emboldening them and causing a general rise in the crime rate of the country. Finally, there are those tourist activities that can degenerate into criminal behavior because o f the presence of alcohol, drugs, arguments or stereotypes 2.6 Crime rate in countries that deregulate tourism It is evident that there is high crime rate in countries that deregulate tourism, for example sex tourism industry has increased all over South East of Asia and Burma (Kristiansen Trion, 2005) and the crime rates in South Africa during high tourism seasons is evident. In these regions tourists are highly involved in criminal activities and are often associated with several kinds of human rights abuses, and the spread of HIV/AIDS. For example women and juveniles are often coerced to engage in the sex trade against their will. While these crimes are abetted by locals, it is the presence of tourists with ill-intentions that causes the rise. As observed earlier the impacts of crime on the destination are diverse. Some cases involve crimes related to drug use, whereby the destinationà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s image becomes blotted resulting in significant decline in tourist demand. On the other hand, theft may occur at tourist destinations where the tourists are at the wrong place at the wrong time. In addition, tourists may contribute to this by engaging in illegal activates or getting involved with criminals. (Magenta, 2009). CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction In order to achieve the research objectives a multi-method approach will be adopted, by use of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Quantitative methods will focus on providing a broad statistical measure of the nature, extent and impact of deregulation of tourism on national security using a reasonable sample size. In depth and comprehensive qualitative information will be collected on the impacts of deregulation of security on national security, importation of crime through tourism, comparison between tourism crime and other types of crime. The research will employ questionnaires to collect data from the respondents as one of the data collection tools. Interviews schedules will also be applied to interview the randomly selected sample population. This chapter presents a description of the procedures and methods that the researcher will use in order to obtain the required data needed for the study. It comprises of research design, data collection instruments, the target population, the sampling strategy, and data analysis methods. 3.2 Research design The researcher will employ quantitative research method. The quantitative research design to be used will be a causal comparative design. The causal comparative design will allow the researcher to collect one or more information from one participant. A casual comparative research allows researcher to investigate the possibility of a causal relationship among variables that cannot be manipulated. This research design will be used to establish the factors that influence employee training. 3.3 Target population The target population will involve the immigration departments, tourists and locals of the target country. 3.4 Sampling strategy Simple random sampling techniques will be the methods of data collection from the various departments. The employees will be randomly selected from each department to yield the total sample population. Purposive sampling will be used to select employees who are trained. Purposive sampling is a sampling technique that allows a researcher to use cases that have the required information with respect to the objectives of the study. 3.5 Data collection tools and instruments. The researcher intends to use questionnaires in this study. This is to provide high accuracy and validity of the study. The questionnaire is a convenient tool especially where there are a large number of subjects to be handled. The questionnaire facilitates easy and quick derivation of information within a short time. The information obtained will enable to investigate the impacts of deregulation of tourism on the national security. 3.6.1. T-test T-test will be used to test whether there are significant differences between two mean derived from the samples of groups at a specified probability level. 3.6.2 Chi-square Chi-square is a statistical technique which attempts to establish the relationship between two variables both of which are categorical in nature. The technique compares the proportion observed in each category with what would be expected under the assumptions of independence between the two variables. CHAPTER FOUR DISSECTION 4.1 Data analysis The researcher will establish whether all questionnaires are all completed. Data collected from open ended and closed questions will be coded for analysis purpose. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be used in data analysis. The data will be analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). The descriptive statistics which will be used in analysis includes means, frequencies, percentages and standard deviation. The inferential statistics that will be used in data analysis will be chi-square and T-test for independent samples. 4.2 Expected results It is expected that this research will yield results that show an upsurge in crime levels in countries that have liberalized tourism industry. In some countries with more stringent practices and therefore less tourism traffic, it is obvious that the crimes related with tourism will be less. This is a wake-up call to all legislators to take necessary precaution when passing laws that deregulate the market and give the players a free-hand to do what they want. National security should take priority over economic gain.

Russian Revolution :: Russian Russia History

Russian Revolution Between 1861 and 1917, Russian society had undergone many changes. It is safe to say that every aspect of that society had been some how modified. These changes led up to the Bolshevik revolution in November of 1917. Given the nature of Russian society, was the Bolshevik revolution unavoidable? Among the changes Russian society had undergone, one starts off the whole chain of events. This was the emancipation of the serfs, in 1861, by Czar Alexander. The emancipation freed 44 million peasants. The Czar knew that the only way to end the discontent of the serfs and to show that Russia too was a modern society would be to let them free. The Edict of Emancipation caused many problems these uneducated peasants. The land now assigned to them was smaller then the plots they were using as serfs. This was an average of 8 acres. There was also a forty-nine year period over which installments could be paid before the peasants were given full ownership of the land. In fact many peasants were still working for their landlords after the edict. Because of his efforts Alexander was nicknamed "the liberator". Despite giving the serfs their freedom, Alexander's actions cause more problems then they solved. After the unification of Germany between 1861 and 1891, which accelerated it's military and political power, Russia too felt it should industrialize. A man named Sergei Witte, who was Minister of Finance from 1892-1903, almost single-handedly pushed Russia into its industrialization. He knew that Russia needed something to start her on the road to industrialization. Witte's efforts made industrial advances from 1892 to 1910. Between 1880 and 1914, Russia had a growth rate of 3.5%. This would have surely brought Russian higher in the rank of industrial and economical world powers. It was said that all Russia needs is 20 years of peace, without war and she will not be in risk of revolution. Unfortunately, the statement was ignored and in 1904, Russia commenced a yearlong war with Japan. The Czar's ministers had assured him that the war with Japan would be an easy victory. In fact Russia suffered a devastating defeat. This leads to the revolution of 1905. Along with industrialization, Russia needed to educate the population. A large majority of the population was illiterate, and factories were looking for more skilled workers. The education of the people led to the growing popularity of several anti-Czarist groups.

Online learning Essay

Online learning tools are of great utility; they are widely used in learning practice. Market offers a variety of solutions that differ in their level of sophistication and functions offered. The purpose of this paper is to discuss three available solutions and model their utilization in learning process, namely FlexTaining, Rollbook, and Moodle. The FlexTraining Total e-Learning Solution by National Training Systems is effective software for e-learning management. Since online education is becoming increasingly more common and popular, e-learning management solutions have gradually started to gain greater relevance. The software is utile and user-friendly, therefore it can be effectively used during the online learning phase. It provides for a possibility to incorporate various file formats, including Video, PowerPoint, Flash, and PDF; it can be used to crate a truly multimedia environment. The solution has won recognition from leading educational institutions, major multinational companies, and governmental agencies alike. The software is powering e-learning for Duke University, Stanford University, Microsoft, Phillips, U. S. Department of Labor, U. S. Department of Air Force, and a host of other institutions and organizations. The tools offered by the FlexTraining Total e-Learning Solution include Visual Course Builder (allows creating classes), Assessment Tool (allows creating online tests), FlexAuthoring (allows developing course content), and Reporting and Analysis (allows tracking students’ performance). While most of the functions offered by the FlexTraining are available in other software solutions, its unique feature and most useful tool is, in my opinion, FlexAuthoring. It offers template-based authoring for creating lesson plans and course content. It is an invaluable tool for inexperienced teachers who need guidance in structuring their material. Another powerful feature of the FlexTraining is pre- and post-assessment. It is useful as a monitoring tool that enables teachers to determine whether training needs have been fulfilled. It can further become the basis for teachers’ self-assessment and continuous improvement. Availability of interactive exercises is also a useful feature of the FlexTraining. It compensates for lack of face-to-face contact with a teacher; lack of such contact is often cited as one of the biggest disadvantages of distance education. In addition, the software offers opportunities for self-paced training, thus being accommodating students’ preferences for instructor-led or individual learning. Searchable document libraries make navigation easier both for teachers and students. All these functions can be of enormous use during the online learning phase and are enabling for students in their work in online environment. Rollbook by Intellum is usually used for corporate training, yet it has a number of unique features that can be of great utility in classroom settings. This software solution is rather simple as compared with other programs available on the market. Its unique features include a calendar (a personal schedule of events and authorized sessions), a branching group structure (a structure that allows forming smaller subgroups within large groups and customizing functions such as reports or mailing lists for these smaller groups), learning paths (a function that groups relevant courses into learning tracks) and design of course certificates. An alterative to the proprietary FlexTraining and Rollbook is the open source solution called Moodle. It offers most of the functions FlexTraining and Rollbook have (such as chat, forum, polls, assignments, quizzes, etc. ), yet it has several advantages. The strength of all open source technologies, apart from the apparent cost cutting, is the ability of different software developers to continuously improve and update solutions. Moodle’s focus is on interaction between teacher and students and especially among students. For instance, similar courses can be grouped together as a meta course, allowing students fro different yet related course to interact with each other. Moddle is also better suited to accommodate multimedia: students can upload multiple files in any format as one assignment (for instance, if a research project consists of a text file, several images, and a video, this function is very handy). All the aforementioned resources enable students to use the Internet in an ethical, legal, and educational way. All these software packages, by virtue of their functional orientation, are empowering tools, since e-learning makes education more available and affordable for all. Their focus on continuous education is another significant advantage of online learning method. The FlexTraining software also allows teachers to check for plagiarism. All the documents uploaded to the system by students can be compared with Internet sources, sources from the Document Library, and previous works submitted by the same student or other students. This function gives teacher an opportunity to detect plagiarism immediately and take appropriate administrative action. Plagiarism is one of the most widespread and harmful examples of dishonest academic practices. Although this phenomenon is condemned by all educational institutions, plagiarism still pervades many spheres of education. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to ensure that student’s academic essays and papers are original. A student who engages in plagiarism deprives him/herself of the opportunity to benefit fully from the education s/he is undertaking. Since every assignment is designed in order to help students to gain deeper knowledge of a certain subject, evading independent research and analysis hinders the continuity and integrity of the education process. Copying the ideas of other people without proper acknowledgement is a practice that all teachers should try to eliminate completely. This is possible to do only with special software. Helping students to understand and avoid plagiarism is the key to introducing them to Internet use following the principles of ethical, legal, and educational approaches. As concerns Moodle, its open source philosophy is the software’s added value: together with better quality, it makes students reflect on the differences between proprietary and open source programs. Such a critical reflection on the role of the Internet in challenging the fundamentals of capitalism and empowering creative commons might make students more aware of the problems of Internet governance and ethical use of this powerful tool for the benefits of all and not only privileged few. Rollbook and Moodle have a closer focus on individual and peer-to-peer learning, as opposed to the FlexTraining’s focus on instruction-led teaching and strict progress monitoring. Thus, Rollbook and Moodle are better suited to educate students about Internet’s ability to offer innumerable opportunities for individual and collective learning. References Intellum, Inc. (2008). ‘Hosted Learning Management System. ’ Retrieved July 4, 2008, ffrom http://www. intellum. com/web2006/hosted_lms National Training Systems. (2008). ‘FlexTraining Total E-Learning Software Solution. ’ Retrieved July 3, 2008, from http://www. flextraining. com N/a. (N/d). ‘Moodle. ’ Retrieved July 3, 2008, from http://moodle. org

Essay Sample on the Mission of the Community College

Essay Sample on the Mission of the Community College South Carolina. Minority students represent 6 to 8 percent of all students enrolled in higher education, yet they constitute nearly 60 percent of the total enrollment in community colleges. These enrollment trends have been consistent over the last 25 years (Nora 1993). Attrition rates of both minorities and non-minorities continue to be a serious problem in most community colleges. Figures on the persistence rates of community college students reported 10 or even 20 years ago are no different today than those cited in earlier studies. In a national study of minority and non-minority student populations in both two and four-year institutions, attrition rates for all groups are still high. While the attrition rates at certain institutions may imply that students are not dropping out as much as in the past, the researchers note that the withdrawal trend at community colleges is still widespread, especially with regard to minority students. Attrition rates for minority students in two-year colleges is at about 60 percent and in some instances is as high as 80 percent (Nora and Rendà ³n 1998). It has been argued that students enrolled in community colleges are not often part of middle and upper-middle-class America. Instead, they are often members of minority groups, and typically are less academically prepared in high school, do not have a high aspiration to achieve academically, do not aim for a college degree, and are less likely to be enrolled full-time (Cohen 1989). These characteristics contribute to the high dropout rates of community college students ( Tinto 1987). Dougherty (1992) has found, however, that even when controlling for background, ability, high school record, and aspirations, students at community colleges are 10 to 18 percent more likely to drop out of college sometime during the first two years than students at four-year colleges with similar backgrounds, abilities, and aspirations. Student characteristics alone have not explained, and do not explain, the high dropout behavior of community college students. It has also been stated that the mission of community colleges is driven by a strong commitment to occupational, remedial, and community, and adult education. Cohen (1988, 398) notes that For the past 25 years, occupational education that leads to direct employment has been high on the priority list of these institutions. One would not expect that the number of community college students graduating with an associate degree in liberal arts would constitute the majority of associate degrees earned in two-year colleges. Furthermore, this view, along with the fact that more than 60 percent of minority students are enrolled in community colleges, may lead one to assume that a larger proportion of associate degrees earned in occupational fields would be conferred on minority students. This is not the case. Sixty percent of associate degrees earned mainly in occupational fields are awarded to non-minority students. Even in those two-year institutions in which the majority of students enroll ed were minorities, the vast majority of all degrees were earned by white students (Nora and Rendà ³n 1998). While community colleges have always prided themselves with having an open-door policy intended to serve those underrepresented in four-year colleges and universities, enrollment figures for high-tech and other occupational programs reveal that minority students continue to be underrepresented in those areas (Dougherty 1992). The idea that the door is open to all groups in all programs at community colleges may be open to discussion. So how exactly are minorities affected by the admissions process? Recent court decisions such as the Hopwood case and later interpretations by university administrators and boards will not have an impact on two-year colleges. The exclusion of race in the admissions process, a process that is unfairly biased against minorities , will only work to lower the acceptance rates of this part of the population at research universities. Lowering the number of minorities at research universities, along with corresponding high attrition rates and low transfer rates, could ultimately exclude minorities from fully participating in society. Access to higher education will fall on two-year institutions as the only segue into four-year institutions, in order for minorities to obtain an undergraduate degree. The future of the representation of all members of our society in graduate and professional schools is greatly affected by the lack of a baccalaureate degree. It has been stated that community co lleges are allied with the democratic principles of equal opportunity and open access (Cohen and Brawer 1990). Valadez (1996) argues, however, that although community colleges provide access they have not necessarily provided opportunity for lower socioeconomic groups to achieve social mobility (391). Pascarella and Terenzini (1998) addressed the challenges students and faculty will face in the next century by stating, Shifts identified in the profile of the undergraduate student body and in the economic and political climate in which higher education finds itself are accompanied by a rapidly emerging and expanding array of computer and information technologies (159). Community Colleges are being urged to utilize and teach as much new technology as possible for two reasons. First, for students attending two-year institutions, who are not planning to transfer and earn an undergraduate degree, the ability to get a job will be adversely affected by not having the technological skills to compete and succeed in the labor market. Second, the role of community colleges is central to the retention of our country as it is today. Those individuals who are in a position to lose their jobs because machines, technology, and the economy have replaced them must find a way to prepare themselves to get back into the workforce. As the only means of access to higher education for many, community colleges must continue to keep their admissions process as painless as possible. Businesses examine the wants and needs of their customers in order to better serve them. Maybe community colleges should ask their students, and potential students once what they see as the mission for community colleges.

Dothiepin Vs. Fluoxetine (Mechanism Of Action And Essays

Dothiepin Vs. Fluoxetine (Mechanism Of Action And Essays Dothiepin Vs. Fluoxetine (Mechanism Of Action And Pharmacodynamics) Comparison Between Mechanism of Action and Pharmacodynamics of Dothiepin and Fluoxetine Description of medicines Mechanism of action and pharmacodynamics Dothiepin Dothiepin is a tricyclic antidepressant. It acts by promoting the effectiveness of several amines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine, which is also known as 5HT and serotonin). It functions by inhibiting their reuptake at the terminals of nerve cells, thus leading to their prolonged presence at the synaptic cleft and an increased effect on the neuron.(1) The reuptake pumps for the above amines are responsible for reducing the concentration of these amines. Dothiepin works by blocking the pumps. According to the amine hypothesis, a decreased concentration of the amines and the resulting decrease in amine dependant synaptic transmission is associated with depression, therefore an increase in the above would help relieve the symptoms of depression. (2) Dothiepin has other actions as well. It reduces norepinephrine induced CAMP formation in the brain, as well as inhibiting the uptake of 5HT into platelets. It also has some anticholinergic and antihistaminic activity.(3) Dothiepin begins to take effect after approximately 2-3 weeks. Usual daily doses of Dothiepin range from 75mg to 200mg in the more severe cases. (2) Fluoxetine Fluoxetine belongs to a group of antidepressants known as the SSRIs, or Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. It functions is similar to that of dothiepin above. It also acts as a reuptake inhibitor, but is highly selective. It only inhibits 5HT reuptake, and lacks many of the less useful functions of dothiepin, such as the antihistaminic properties. (1) As above the result in increase in the presence of serotonin at the synaptic cleft results in a decrease in many symptoms of depression. Fluoxetine does however have some side effects including nausea, tremors, loss of libido and in some cases decreased sexual function. (2) It is also possible that it may have an effect on dopamine function. In some cases it also reduces sleep efficiency. (3) Daily doses of Fluoxetine range between 10mg and 60mg. However it has been found that effectiveness does not appear to be strongly related to dose. 20mg is as affective as 40mg, and there is some evidence to suggest that higher doses may be even less effective. However the lower doses result in fewer and less sever adverse effects.(3) Adverse effects or adverse drug interactions Dothiepin Adverse effects of dothiepin range from potentially life threatening to mildly discomforting. Fatalities associated with dothiepin include cardiac failure, neonatal cardio-respiratory failure, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation, stroke, congenital heart disease, haematemesis, aplastic anemia, leukopenia, hepatorenal syndrome, cholestatic jaundice, coma, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, aggravated Parkinsons disease, intrauterine death, renal failure, respiratory arrest. These however are very rare. (1) Other severe side effects include hepatitis, inappropriate ADH secretion, hypomania, and convulsions. Psychotic manifestations, e.g. paranoid delusions, may be brought about or worsened if already present. These symptoms are also very uncommon, though less life threatening than those listed above.(3) The less dangerous side effects are a bit more common, found in many patients, particularly those on higher doses of the drug. These include dry mouth, tachycardia, constipation, drowsiness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremor, rashes, and interference with sexual function.(3) The greatest dangers in overdose stem from convulsions, and the cardiac and respiratory effects listed above. (3) Adverse drug interactions include MAO inhibitors and SSRI's as concurrent administration may lead to increased plasma tricyclic levels. CNS depressants, including alcohol will also have an increased effect when taken in conjunctions with dothiepin. Anesthetics may increase the risk of arrhythmia. Antihypertensive agent activity may be reduced by dothiepin. Barbiturates may decrease the serum concentration of dothiepin, while methyl phenidate may increase it. Smoking may reduce the serum concentration of dothiepin by increasing its metabolism. (1) Fluoxetine Fluoxetine appears to have a lower incidence of adverse reactions, and these appear less severe than those associated with dothiepin. (2) Up to 1990 a total of 11 deaths that may be associated with fluoxetine were recorded in patients. However these were not NECESSARILY associated with the drug. The potentially life threatening side effects included hyponatremia, which appeared to be reversible when the patients stopped taking the drug. A very few cases of vasculitis have also been diagnosed. Cases of seizures and seizure like episodes in fluoxetine patients have also been recorded. Some patients developed mania.

Philosophy paper - 1000 words - Mind, Meaning and Metaphysics - Essay

Philosophy paper - 1000 words - Mind, Meaning and Metaphysics - Material Provided - Essay Example onia, was the hotbed of great thinkers, known as pre-Socratic natural philosophers, who became trailblazers of modern philosophy and science (McClellan & Dorn 2006). Ionia was the collective term for a group of Greek cities along the coast of Asia Minor and nearby islands located in the northwestern part of Greece. Philosophers like Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Empodecles of Acragas, collectively known as the Milesians, the Pythagoreans led by Pythagora, the Philosophers of Change which included Heraclitus and Parmenides, and the Atomists headed by Leucippus and Democritus, all hailed from the region of Ionia. This is because in the seventh century when these philosophers lived, Ionia was the center of Greek civilization considering that it had more rainfall and therefore was more fertile than the Greek mainland (McClellan & Dorn 2006). The first of these philosophers was Thales who had earned the reputation of being the first scientist and a wise man for his use of observation of natural phenomena to predict future events. He also used his knowledge of nature to help an Ionian king ward off the enemy by planning and executing the fording of a river. Thales claims about nature however were made on the authority of his person and largely unsupported by tested demonstrations. These claims, however primitive, were, nevertheless, significant because Thales did not invoke the usual gods or supernatural entities which before him were made the explanations of all phenomena. In addition, the claims were made generally applicable and not confined to a single event. Thus, the explanation for a Nile flood is likewise made the explanation for all Nile floods. Instead of relying on superstitious beliefs for their explanation, Thales and his contemporaries explained events as a result of the natural course of events. The Nile fl ooding was therefore explained by Thales as a result of naturally occurring strong winds. Thus, the investigation of nature was the emphasis of

The Linguistic Turn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Linguistic Turn - Essay Example All of the students stand in two lines; each team tries to answer the questions faster than its opponents. It is not difficult to see that students are having fun from such activities. During the second lesson, students are asked to write a sentence on the required topic. They are given only five minutes to complete this task. Here we also see that students are divided into groups. The teacher motivates the students to interact with each other. Students help each other and try to find and correct mistakes. A teacher checks an assignment together with the students. Video Analysis Application of Theory It is necessary to stress that the first teacher resorts to the use of several group management techniques in the video. They are the following ones: 1) focusing, 2) direct instruction, 3) monitoring, 4) modeling and 5) positive discipline (Omrod 67). The role of the teacher is extremely important. She directs students’ interaction, group, and teamwork and often steps aside, in or der to give students an opportunity to be active and take part in the learning process. This makes progress more effectively. The teacher is constantly addressing the students and this is a very good motivator for them. The second lesson gives an opportunity to pay attention to various authentic materials and their importance in the learning process. Thus, authentic materials are used by native speakers of a language for actual communication. They are good tools for teaching and learning. These materials make every lesson interesting and unique. They may be applied to any topic and help learn more information. Thus, the teacher resorts to the use of bright cards for children to write. This helps to keep their attention focused on the task. It is not very difficult to see that in both the lessons the teachers apply the so-called â€Å"zone of proximal development.† This is a good way to make the process of students’ development faster. In both the videos the teachers tr y to give more complicated tasks that students can do. That is why they work in pairs and groups. They teach each other and cooperate in order to avoid any mistakes. It should be noted that both the teachers give their students social situations to practice their language skills. It is one of the best ways to teach because students see how to use knowledge in everyday life (Hylton, 236). In the first case, people work in groups and teams performing a situation suggested by the teacher. The majority of work is done orally. In the second case, the teacher also uses a social situation; more attention is paid to students’ writing skills (Omrad, 76). Student Response to Instruction The students listen to the teacher’s instruction very attentively and do not ask any questions. Everything seems to be understandable for them.