Business Requirements Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Requirements - Research Paper Example In addition, the report will offer an insight on the importance of Joint Application Development (JAD) and the significance attributed to the information package diagrams. The foremost function of requirement gathering in the development process involves the determination of the nature of requirements that are fit for the system development in terms of action, measurement, definition, testability and needs relative to the required design. In addition, this stage of gathering is critical in identifying the errors and correcting them before codes are given for the functions. This helps in reducing over 50% defects in the whole system (Tremblay & Cheston, 2001). The building of the a data warehouse and operational databases share commonalities in terms of technological support in terms of use of function based keys and views. Both are founded on a data model. However, differences between the two exist. The foremost being on the functional perspective whereby the operational database development transaction, offers solutions to the operational requirements, while in the case of warehouse database, the ad hoc questions are operational for management functions. The other difference involves the diverse functional requirements for the two types. In the case of operational database, the primary focus is on data security and coherence, while in the case of warehouse database the focus is on the economic analysis, which gives predictable indexes. In addition, the design of the two databases is different. Whereas the design of the operational databases are structured to fit online processing of the transactions, that of warehouse database is struct ured to fit and enhance data analysis (Tremblay & Cheston, 2001). The operational design helps in efficient large scale storage of transactional data storage. An example of this type of information includes current information that needs updates. It is imperative to note that,

The Epic of Beowulf

The Epic of Beowulf Fighting his enemies alone, when his sword fails he resorts to his fists. When his adversary had no armor, he strips himself of his own armor to even the odds. Some see this as arrogance or overconfidence, but his achievements do not lie. Beowulf is deserving of his title as an epic hero for saving Heorot from Grendel, slaying Grendels mother the she-wolf, and when Beowulf became king he protected his kingdom fifty years. The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf was written in the 7th century as a poem, was modernized in Richard Wilburs Ceremony and other poems. Elizabeth Thomason explains, Wilburs response to the epic is to change the Anglo-Saxon attitude toward heroes into a world-weary postwar sensibility. While he retains the original setting, he incorporates modern feelings into his lyric retelling.   The story was later translated into a novel by Burton Raffel. Beowulf, is already a renowned warrior for having won wars and felling mighty sea beasts, Richard Wilbur emphasizes Beowulfs confidence, One day the stranger shows up from beyond the sea, boasting that he can kill the monster that no one has been able to touch for years. He would end Grendels blood-filled night-raids on Heorot. When the almighty light disappears behind the mountains, the  night-terror Grendel begins his prowl. Carl Mowery says, the day was swiftly old, and the night put out no smiles. Grendel stalks the city and waits until the towns-folk are sleep then he steadily infiltrates Heorot and picks out his prey, who hell eat now and who to take home for later. Now he discovered-once the afflicter of men, what it meant to feud with the almighty God (809-11) for the one he seized that night was Beowulf the mightiest of warriors. Beowulf fought Grendel with honor and without any weapons or armor he latched onto Grendel holding him in place, it was Grendels first time feeling fear, for he was in Beowulfs hands now. He wanted nothing but to escape, and escape he did missing an arm. When all seemed peaceful, tragedy struck the Danes again. Grendel managed to escape, seriously wounded and his life fading. He ran back home and spent his last moments in misery. At the sight of her lifeless son Grendels mother was struck with anger and a lust for vengeance. She attacked the Danes as they slept and left with a snack for later, but that snack was the kings closest friend. The kings heart was heavy and he mourned his loss, he then asked Beowulf to avenge his friend, and so he did. Beowulf swam into the she-wolfs den and swung his sword to no effect, he was quickly thrown to the ground and when all seemed lost he saw a giants sword mounted on the wall. He took it and Beowulf struck with all [his] strength, caught her in the neck and cut it through, Bones and all. (1565-77) Tyrus Miller states, Having performed his single task, the hero departs, loaded with the gifts granted a warrior and the glory of his deeds. He returns home to Geatland where he became a king; and a great king he was bringing peace and prosperity to his kingdom. Beowulf ruled in Geatland for fifty years, now old and wise when a dragon awakes from its slumber and burns down a village. Old and past hisprime Beowulf intends to face the dragon alone. His subjects do not wish for him to face the beast alone and volunteer to help slay the dragon. So there wouldnt be any needless death he and a few trusted soldiers venture to the dragons lair. At the sight of the beast all the soldiers run off except for Wiglaf who truly admired Beowulf. The dragon ignites the air and Beowulf blocks flame with shield inching closer to the beast. His shield burns to ash and he is engulfed in fire, but he presses on and strikes the dragons head with all his might shattering his blade. The dragon wastes no time and latches into Beowulfs neck. Wiglaf seeing his hero in danger rushes in to help. Stabbing the dragon in the lower neck smothering its flames Beowulf then drew his battle-sharp dagger. (2701-02) Remembering days of glory he quickly cut the beast in half, it fell but so did Beowulf. His neck began to swell, he felt the dragons venom taking effect, and knew his time was short. He told Wiglaf to build a monument after his death and to claim the dragons wealth and disperse it throughout the kingdom. Throughout his life Beowulf had had a multitude of achievements hes won wars, defeated Grendel and his vengeful mother, fell mighty sea beats and many more unmentionables. But Beowulfs last act of heroism was undoubtedly his greatest, slaying a dragon and attaining its treasure for his people, a noble deed for a noble hero. References Mowery, Carl. Beowulf. Poetry for Students, edited by Elizabeth Thomason, vol. 11, Gale, 2001, pp. 1-14. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Miller, Tyrus. Beowulf. Poetry for Students, edited by Elizabeth Thomason, vol. 11,   Gale, 2001, pp. 1-14. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Thomason, Elizabeth. Beowulf. Poetry for Students, vol.11, Gale, 2001, pp. 1-14. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

John Rambo and Jack Ryan: Men America Can Count On? :: essays research papers

John Rambo and Jack Ryan are two amazing men. They are honest, trustworthy, heroic, never crack under pressure, and stand for truth, justice, and the American way. Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford do their best attempting to make the audience believe that men such as Rambo and Ryan actually exist. Try as they might, not even Stallone or Ford can convince me that men of this caliber actually live. Rambo is able to not only foil his corrupt, superior American officer trying to sabotage his mission, but eliminate an entire army of Vietnamese and Russian soldiers, and save a handful of POWs. Jack Ryan defies the entire government and the largest Colombian drug cartel because he stands for the â€Å"truth.† Sorry, but I am not buying it. An interesting aspect of the two films, Rambo / First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985) and Clear and Present Danger (Phillip Noyce, 1994) is the differences the two men display, despite the fact that what they represent is extremely similar. John Rambo is more of a renegade, a decorated soldier of the Vietnam "conflict," with only his mentor Colonel Trautman at his side. He was jailed for blowing up a small town in Oregon (a detail from the first film). The mindless, fickle public would then overlook all of the great things he did in the war because he blew up an "innocent town." On the other hand, Jack Ryan is an important member of the CIA, a very noble position to hold. It is also revealed in the film that Jack Ryan is a very noble man, not violent unless absolutely forced to be. Little could change society's view of him. Within their own films, Rambo and Jack Ryan are the only men capable of "saving" America from the evils that plague it . The difference is that Rambo is looked at as a violent killing machine, whereas Jack Ryan is seen as a man who will do only what is necessary to "do the right thing." In a simple plot comparison, Danger seems much more in-depth and intelligent than Rambo. Rambo is sent to get pictures of POW’s, and must not engage the enemy in combat. Jack Ryan has to uncover the scandal, and the twists and turns that are ahead, with many characters being introduced over many locations. However, upon closer inspection, it appears that Danger is only hiding under a lot of technical jargon and piles upon piles of details.

Altruism in humans Essay

Calvin et al (1987) proposed a more selfish view of helping, stressing that people help others to avoid feeling sad (a negative state) and because it makes them feel good about themselves. This is called the Negative State Relief (NSR) model. It doesn’t matter whether the negative affect (mood) is caused by witnessing the distress of the victim or whether the helper was already in bad mood. Either way, you help to improve your own mood. Adults may internalise the reward of doing good†¦.. Therefore, adults in a bad mood may help in order to alleviate their negative state. However if people can relieve their negative mood through some other source (such as hearing a good joke or getting some money) then they do not need to help. Effect of Mood Enhancement (EME) study A variation on Batson’s research was carried. Those participants in the high empathy group (i. e. those who shared in the same opinions as Elaine or Charlie) were offered some cash during the experiment. Accordingly, they helped less-their negative state at seeing Elaine or Charlie suffer was diminished by the cash. The reduction of their negative state in this was meant that they didn’t have to help reduce their negative feelings (conclusion). It’s been found in numerous studies that being in a good mood results in more pro-social behaviour. Research have found people to be more helpful after listening to comedy, smelling pleasant odours, after finding money or by going outside on sunny days (Boron and Byrne,199†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ). However if people feel their good mood will be affected by helping then they are more likely to not help and walk. Artificial studies: all lab studies are extremely artificial and lack ecological validity. Behaviour in the real world is subject to many other factors, such as social and cultural influences on behaviour – none of which are explored in these lab settings. Therefore it is difficult to generalise lab findings to a wider context. People have criticised Cialdini et al for proposing to negative a view of human behaviour. However the selfish view of human behaviour might be right. ) Helping does help negative state: it’s not in dispute those helping others/ another person in need does lead to an improved mood for the helper. So it has face validity.

Adult Learner Assessment

Adult Learner Assessment Theresa Ann Hayden, M. A. , Ed. S. Classroom Assessment in Education Dr. Kelli Ligeikis Capella University June 15, 2011 Adult Learner Assessment Classroom assessment is critical to the measurement of student achievement. As stated in Angelo and Cross, (1993): Classroom assessment helps individual college teachers obtain useful feedback on what, how much, and how well their students are learning†¦ [the purpose] is to produce the highest possible quality of student learning†¦to help student learn more effectively and efficiently than they could on their own (p. ). Student learning is the overall goal of education; the student may be a child, an adult, an informal learner, or a formal learner; regardless of which type of learner he or she is, the goal is to learn new concepts, topics, and subjects. The mastery of that subject matter is the charge of both the teacher and the student. In identifying three concepts pertinent to classroom assessments for adult learners, â€Å"assessment procedures can be used for measuring entry performance (placement assessment), monitoring learning progress (formative and diagnostic assessment), or measuring end-of-instruction achievement (summative assessment)† (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009, p. 14). This translates to the classroom as pre-test, or preview (to writing skills, for example); on-the-spot identification of â€Å"opportunities for improvement,† feedback and post-testing, whether it’s verbal, written, or another assessment. Classroom assessment is typically, one of the last steps performed in the education of adult learners. However, assessment of a student’s abilities before, during, and after teaching can also be performed. First, the teacher plans and prepares instructional objectives which are in line with the learning institution, state, and local objectives. These objectives must also be: Guided by what the students are expected to learn†¦ [while] the instructional objectives are also in harmony with the assessment produced†¦ [these] should also be stated in terms of the student performance to be demonstrated†¦ [and] those observable skills such as speaking, or a product such as a written paper†¦and typically a rubric, scale, or a checklist of some type is used (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009, pp. 43 – 44). Teacher Effectiveness According to â€Å"Effective Classroom Instruction† (2004): Effective classroom instruction refers to the application of the ‘teacher effectiveness’ variables, that is, those variables that have been demonstrated to bear the strongest relation to student achievement. These variables include time on task, content coverage, pacing, scope and sequence, questioning, feedback, and praise. Systematic application of these elements has been demonstrated to increase academic achievement. Behavioral outcomes are the initial objectives in place before any of the instruction takes place. In addition, the characteristics of classroom assessment include that it is â€Å"learner-centered, teacher-directed, mutually beneficial, formative, context-specific, ongoing, and rooted in good-teaching practice† (Angelo and Cross, 1993, pp. 4 – 6). In layperson’s language, the typical activities of a teacher and where they fit into the characteristics of student-achievement learning include: Teachers will use various techniques and tools to facilitate the learning of the students which is learner-centered. The teacher will impart knowledge and the student will obtain knowledge is teacher directed. The opportunity for both teachers and adult students to meet in an environment conducive to learning with a common goal of ‘knowledge’; the teacher to impart knowledge and the student to obtain knowledge is mutually beneficial. Using internal and external feedback to modify lessons is formative and ongoing. The assessment on the part of the teacher comes from goal-setting at the beginning of the quarter, semester, etc. ith regard to the quantity and quality of concept and skill knowledge required for the students to learn is context-specific. Teachers will use various techniques and tools (altering these to the ‘microculture’ of the classroom) to facilitate the learning of the students is rooted in good-teaching practice (Angelo and Cross, 1993, pp. 4 – 6). While it may seem obvious, teacher effectiveness is tantamount to meeting and exceeding planning, execut ing, and analyzing for improvement instructional objectives, assessment instruments, and measuring performance objectives. When the adult student finds that all of this is relevant to his or her personal and academic objectives, and there are instructional objectives which are interconnected to the personal and academic goals of the student, then there is student achievement and teacher effectiveness. This is illustrated where a diagnosis of sorts occurs by the teacher—this may be a pre-assessment; then the teaching begins; then the teacher may assess the situation by obtaining results from the assessment tool; and whatever adjustments or modifications are needed are determined and then put into place; and they the teacher assesses the learning again. See Appendix, p. 1). This is the visual flow of a teacher’s â€Å"work-in-progress† of diagnosing, teaching, and assessing results, and then modifying teaching, and then teaching, assessing, and modifying, and so on. Type and Purpose of the Assessment The type of assessment to be used is a multiple-choice question, true-false question, and short-essay exam. The purpose of the exam will be to determine whether the students have mastered the concepts of ethical theories; this will aid them in making quick decisions in a work environment or in an ethical dilemma. Context and Learning Situation The class being taught is Ethics which has several different ethical theories available through the textbook Ethics: Theory and Practice textbook. The applications of the different ethical theories and their tenets are applied to different relevant scenarios. The students will participate in class discussion and give their opinions freely in an open-environment. The goal here is to keep the students’ interest in the subject of ethics, as a whole, by using different circumstances, where the student might have to make split-second ethical decisions in the work environment. This shows the adult learner applicability and immediate relevance. Student Demographics The student demographics include the educational program of Criminal Justice with the adult students and are the following: 1. Ranging in age from 18 to 50 years and beyond. 2. The gender of the group is 55% male and 45% female 3. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree; an Associate’s of Science degree in Criminal Justice. 4. The academic attainment before entering college of all students includes either a G. E. D. certificate or a high school diploma. 5. Some students have completed prior college coursework; some have other associate’s degrees. . The adult students in this assessment are European-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, African-American, and Mixed Ethnicities. 7. The students come from Lower Class, Working Class, and Lower Class backgrounds. Hypothetical Learner Subject Taught The subject being taught in this scenario is Ethics, and the students are expected to develop sound ethical reasoning and judgment through the study of practical applications of ethical theories. Topics studied include ethics as it relates to criminal justice, health care and nursing, society, and the environment. Emphasis is on practical applications of ethical principles and analytic methods. In particular, the students are exposed to different scenarios involving reason and judgment in the context of the degree-seeking program. Learner Outcomes The adult learners are expected to learn the following at the completion of the Ethics class: 1. Apply the Consequentialist (Teleological) ethical theories to different scenarios presented as if a proponent of consequentialism. 2. Apply the Nonconsequentialist (Deontological) ethical theories to different scenarios presented as if a proponent of nonconsequentialism. . Discuss the origins of Virtue Ethics, and explain which cultures might be more predisposed to use this type of ethics due to its origin. 4. Solve ethical problems using Absolutism and Relativism 5. Describe and explain the difference between Determinism and Free Will 6. Perform critical thinking in ethical dilemmas using both Reward and Punishment. Adult Learner Assessment Instruments A ny type of assessment should always be congruent with the instructional objectives, as well as the content taught to those instructional objectives (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009). To assess students properly, the students must be made aware of the instructional objectives, first, at the beginning of the term, while covering the material in the syllabus, and then throughout the term, at the opening of each class meeting. This way, the students are kept â€Å"on track† as to what is expected of them to learn, and the daily instructional objectives are in alignment with the overall learning objectives. College and university policies should come into play regardless of the type of assessment (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009), but the assessment instrument can be tailored depending on the type of material which is being measured. There are different types of skills which can be evaluated in any one college subject. The assessment used in this scenario is at the conclusion of this course will be cumulative, and will assess all of the concepts using criterion-referenced assessment, which asks the question, â€Å"Did the student learn the concepts? † and then also using norm-referenced assessment, which checks for, â€Å"How did the student fair when compared to other students’ performance? † The Adult Learning Scenario The assessment used to ascertain the adult learners ranging in ages from eighteen to fifty plus, with dominant demographics of 75% Hispanic, and 15% European, and 10% African American, will be a Final Project, culminating the quarter’s learning in an Ethics course in an associate’s degree program in Criminal Justice. In addition, of the 75% Hispanic students, at least half of them are working as English as a second language learners. This course runs twelve weeks and will cover ten main ethical theories and each of their sub-theories. The Special Needs Student Overall, the adult learner has many challenges in â€Å"going back to school,† the ESL student has even more challenges. The foundation for education and the mindset of all students is aptly stated as: Many students today assume that it is the teacher's job to educate them, tell them what they need to know or give them the answers. Moreover, because they have been taught to be passive learners, they think that their job is to listen without resistance and to try to learn as best as they can, and, in some cases, verbatim what they are taught. Many students, in fact, accept everything they read as factual information (Baitlinger, 2005, p. 1). Adult Learners in the Southwest region of the United States, whose first language is typically Spanish, and English is their second language, are in good company. Often times, classrooms of adult learners are filled with several different students of many ethnicities and cultures. This is one of the beauties of living in the Southwest; there are typically Spanish speaking people who are the majority of bilingual speakers in cities such as Vista, which is a suburb of San Diego, California, where the Ethics class is located. In this particular classroom of thirty-two, about 24 (75% of the class) will speak Spanish fluently; some will speak English fluently, but there is also a large population who have been in the United States for only a few years, and there are challenges as an adult when it is tempting to stay in the native language with friends, but whose assignments and assessments are all either spoken, written, or lectured in English. These following are some of the challenges that both teacher and student face when the student is English as a Second Language (ESL) learner. As far as the educating of these adult learners whose English language is still in the practice stage, there are many students who are very open and willing to learn the new culture, the new language, and the new academia. However, there are challenges that face many who are not so approachable due to emotional issues such as embarrassment, shame, or resistance, which can even turn into stubbornness. The Teaching Strategies The administrator will use the following teaching strategies throughout the course: 1. Lecture 2. Board work 3. Demonstration 4. Classroom exercises 5. Class discussion 6. Textbook exercises 7. Practice quiz questions 8. Case studies and reading assignments 9. Guest speakers 10. Group and pair work 11. Verbal presentations 12. Pencil and paper examinations In addition, all students will be required to demonstrate proper use and application of the computer and the different software required, and the materials located in the Learning Resource Center throughout the course. The Teaching Strategies for Special Needs Students The teaching strategies for the special needs students which are comprised of 75% of this class’ population will include not only accommodation for the ESL student in the teaching stage, but also in the assessment stage. This will be accommodations for the assessment will be covered later in the paper. Many lessons may need to be repeated; the teacher may need to work tenaciously side-by-side at the desk with the ESL student until he/she understands the material; the teacher may exercise unlimited patience; and also need to use metaphors or analogies in order to find other avenues of reaching the student. Professors can be challenged to their limit when grading an ESL adult student’s written paper. Many times, there are words which are used which are not words at all in forming sentences. For example, a student who has only heard the word â€Å"limelight† in observing his non-ESL counterparts, may mistake it for the word â€Å"live light. † This type of error can perplex a professor who is unsure of what the student is trying to convey. It isn’t serious, but the point is, in order to build an assessment, the teacher must first teach, and the student must first have lots of practice and drill with reinforcement by the teacher. Another challenge for ESL adult learners is learning how to conjugate verbs; many bilingual and multilingual adults have experienced this. For example, if an adult learner, who spoke English first, and he or she were attempting to learn Spanish, the result is the same with conjugation of verbs. If a child grows up with correction by his mother or father when he says, â€Å"I ‘goed’ to the store,† with the parent saying, â€Å"No, Honey, you say, ‘I went to the store,† then this child has at least twenty years of practice. This is another challenge when grading any type college papers; many ESL adult learners will use substantially incorrect verb tenses. In addition to these challenges, most ESL learners do not have the immense vocabulary in English that many lifelong English speakers do; of course, this is the same for the inverse relationship and any other languages where the learner speaks a different first language and is learning another language. The estimated recognition vocabularies of fluent readers range from 10,000 to 100,000 words (Johnson and Steele, 1996 cite Nagy and Herman, 1987, p. 48); English or Composition teachers understand that reading, writing, and speaking are all related. In fact, students build a vocabulary by doing all of the above. Because reading is fundamental to all education and it follows that being able to write and speak the language; ESL students know this because their challenges â€Å"snowball into one another. † The Course Outcomes The course outcomes whic h align directly with the instructional objectives in each unit are what the student is expected to perform to upon completion of the course. The students should be able to: 1. nvestigate the importance of sound ethical judgment and reasoning for responsible living; 2. analyze significant case studies using key ethical concepts; 3. debate significant ethical issues using respectful, clear, and incisive argumentation; 4. explain, defend, and assess personal ethical perspectives on issues of significance in their own lives; 5. discuss application of course knowledge in professional settings in the criminal justice arena. The Course Outline The course outcomes will be achieved by the following outline of topics: 1. Unit One: Introduction to Ethics and Morality . Unit Two: Consequentialist and Non-Consequentialist Theories of Morality 3. Unit Three: Virtue Ethics, Absolutism, and Relativism 4. Unit Four: Freedom, Determinism, Rewards, and Punishments 5. Unit Five: Setting Up a Moral Sys tem 6. Unit Six: Ethical Applications: Dishonesty 7. Unit Seven: Ethical Applications: Personal Relationships, Business, and the Media 8. Unit Eight: Ethical Applications: Abortion and Bioethics 9. Unit Nine: Ethical Applications: Life and Death 10. Unit Ten: Ethical Applications: Environmental Ethics and Course Reflection The Assessment Instrument The actual student assessment handout (See Appendix, p. 2) that is developed by the educator is a Final Project, which is written in a research paper format; this paper should incorporate each of the ten main ethical theories, as well as each sub-theory which belongs under the main ethical theory presented. The theories, along with their sub-theories, are covered, as well as the students must show that they can apply each theory to a real-life criminal justice situation, albeit hypothetical, but realistic to a situation they might find themselves in as a law enforcement officer. Directions for the Students The student must use and reference the text book, Ethics: Theory and Practice, 10th edition, by Thiroux and Krasemann. The expected deliverables must be in American Psychological Association (APA) formatted paper; it must be between ten to twelve pages in length; it must have a cover page; a references page; there must be no less than twenty resources used, with at least three print books (including the textbook), and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles; and lastly, there must be fifteen in-text citations. In addition, the paper must be in Arial, 12 point font, double-spaced, and written in third-person perspective; there must be a thesis statement at the beginning of the paper, and to categorize the topics, there must be bold and centered sub-headings. The Page minimum and Resource minimum are non-negotiable; if the project does not meet these particular criteria, then the paper will not be graded. This project is worth 30% of the student’s overall course grade. The content must include each of the ethical theories, including the sub-theory; and each should be first outlined with a definition of the theory or sub-theory, and at least three examples of how this theory can be applied. Following the definition and basic application of the theory, the student will produce an ethical dilemma in a complex scenario which might occur in the life of a law enforcement officer, where each of the theories are applied as though the student is taking on the role of the decision-maker exercising ethical judgment as a Consequentialist, Determinist, etc. Essentially, the students are putting themselves in the place of each type of ethical theorist. The student must perform this decision-making for each theory and sub-theory; these theories are shown in the following paragraph. The Ethical Theories The theories with their sub-theories are as follows as cited in Thiroux and Krasemann, (2008): 1. Consequentialism (Teleological) a. Psychological Egoism b. Ethical Egoism c. Utilitarianism d. Care Ethics 2. Nonconsequentialism (Deontological) a. Act Nonconsequentialism b. Rule Nonconsequentialism 3. Virtue Ethics a. Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics b. Confucius’ Ethics . Absolutism 5. Relativism 6. Freedom and Free Will 7. Fatalism 8. Determinism a. Hard Determinism b. Soft Determinism 9. Reward 10. Punishment Directions for Special Needs Students The special needs student who is an English as a second language learner will have the same expectations for tangible deliverables as any other student. However, there will be some a ccommodations made. The ESL student will more time to complete the final project paper due to a slower reading-comprehension speed; these students are bright, they just have a special need, and if more time is necessary, then that is also possible. For example, if it is warranted, the special needs student will be given the final project specifications â€Å"cut sheet† up to two class periods sooner than the other students. This is so that the teacher has time to explain verbally each of the instructions in a more step-by-step fashion. If a teacher has a student who is truly struggling, then it is possible for that student to be assigned additional practice assignments so that he or she can practice the concepts. Another accommodation might be to assign daily dictionary readings by the student (along with their own language dictionary), so that the student’s vocabulary increases, and he or she practices reading. This also works with children’s books; assign the student stories to read out loud to the teacher after class; this will enable the student to practice his or her â€Å"American accent† and will help acculturate the student to the English-speaking, reading, writing environment. Prior to the final project assignment, the teacher can take the ESL student aside to check for understanding of the directions. The teacher can also read the final project specifications to the student with an English-Spanish interpreter so that any challenging words are truly understood. In addition, the teacher can show samples of quality papers to the ESL students so that they understand the format and comprehensiveness of the assignment given them. Lastly, the ESL adult student still needs lots of encouragement. While a teacher insists on keeping this fair amongst all students in the class, it doesn’t hurt to encourage these ESL students in the hall, in private, and in front of his or her peers. Direction for Assessment Administrator Since the assessment will be administered by the educator, the direction that she will follow includes: 1) checking for each component required of the students as outlined in the directions to the students, 2) verifying the adherence to the APA format standards using The Official Pocket Style Guide From the American Psychological Association 6th ed. Concise Rules of APA Style, in every aspect of the paper 3) confirming that the students used all of the ethical theories and sub-theories as outlined in the directions to students, by comparing to those in the textbook, Ethics: Theory and Practice, by Thiroux and Krasemann, 2009, to those that the student outlined in the paper, 4) Making certain that the definitions and applications for each theory is, in fac t, correct, and 5) attesting that the scenario produced and the ethical decisions made are aligned with those made by each of the ethical theories and sub-theories. Assessment Items Linked to Learning Objectives The assessment items linked to the learning objectives are in table-format and illustrate each assessment item in the final project assigned and its link to the learning objectives or course outcomes outlined above. (See Appendix, p. 3 – 4) Assessment Consistent with Learning Environment The assessment chosen, the final project which is written as a comprehensive paper by the student is aligned with the course outcomes, as well as the course outline of units covered. In addition, the adult learners’ environment, whether it be in a face-to-face classroom or an online course is conducive to a comprehensive written paper, as this is the medium for showing definition, application, and creativity in producing scenarios, in which the concepts learned can be used in immediate, relevant, and real-world situations. This is directly in line with Angelo and Cross (1993) states, â€Å"Creative thinking is the ability to interweave the familiar with the new in unexpected and stimulating ways† (p. 81). It is also consistent with Knowles’ assumptions of adult learners where: An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of experience which is a rich resource for learning†¦the readiness of an adult to learn is closely related to the developmental tasks of his or her special role†¦adults need to know why they need to learn something (Knowles, 1984; 1980; 1968, as cited in Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner, 2007). In fact, a final project in the form of a written paper is the best format to use the adult learners’ life while utilizing a performance instrument that is closely related to his or her special role. Above all, adults will find that the instrument is relevant to something they need to learn for their upcoming professions in criminal justice. Interpretation of Results Interpretation of a course assessment is the last step after administering a classroom assessment technique; it is the step that the teacher is most interested in after providing the instruction; adequate opportunities for practice and drill of concepts; planning and implementing procedures which are equitable to all; formulating the criteria for constant observation and timely and detailed one-to-one student coaching; and the analysis of each student’s improvement or the necessity for review; and then the assessment tool is administered (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009). Only then can the interpretation of the assessment be articulated. â€Å"In the interpretation step, the teacher seeks answers to the ‘why’ questions of the students’ [incorrect] responses† (Angelo and Cross, 1993, p. 54). Because interpretation is the â€Å"goal† of all teaching by teachers, and the learning by students, then it is crucial that the foundation of the teaching, the tasks and tools used, and the learning objectives are all synchronized with the assessment tool, and the interpretation of the results should align with the learning objectives. As outlined in Gronlund and Waugh (2009), assessment is an integral part of the teaching-learning-assessment process. Assessment Development and Use For the Ethics class presented, the assessment tool used is a research paper which offers the culmination of the entire course. This type of assessment is a criterion-referenced instrument due to the nature of the course subject, and â€Å"criterion-referenced interpretation is especially important for instructional uses of assessment results† (Gronlund and Waugh, p. 27). This assessment will suggest results which correlates to each individual student’s learning of the ethical concepts; the application of said concepts to invented scenarios; the application to realistic criminal justice events; the proper use of the American Psychological Association (APA) format; and the students’ research, organization, paragraph construction, and mechanics skills in using written communication. This final paper is a hybrid between the supply-response [assessments] which are higher in realism†¦ [and] can measure the ability to originate, integrate, and express ideas†¦ and] the summative assessment†¦ [which] checks the extent to which the students have achieved the intended outcomes of the course instruction†¦ [and] performance assessments using extended response which includes a high degree of realism (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009, pp. 9 – 10; 27). The supply-response speaks to the format of the final paper which is written using research, but the students must also integrate their own ideas. The summative portion is the overall assimilation of ideas and concepts to the made-up scenarios, and lastly, the performance assessment illustrates the knowledge and skills necessary to perform on-the-job in a criminal justice capacity. The assessment will gauge not only the students’ understanding of the concepts presented, but will also measure the ability of the student to develop everyday scenarios, and ultimately, devise realistic events in which the different concepts can be applied. This may ensure ethical stability on the part of student-then-officer while enhancing his or her decision-making ability when faced with ethical dilemmas where the law and ethics may overlap, run parallel, or do neither in some cases. In addition, the student would be assessed on his or her written communications skills which include formatting the paper in its entirety in the APA format. The other skills which would come into play include research, organization, paragraph construction, and the overall mechanics of the paper. The quality of the content and the application of the concepts and principles would be weighted more heavily at 75% of the total assessment, with the APA format, paragraph construction, and mechanics would be weighted less at 25%. Assessment Interpretation and Grading According to Gronlund and Waugh (2009), â€Å"criterion-referenced interpretation is facilitated by assessment tasks that provide a detailed description of student performance†¦in performance-assessment this means performance tasks that make clear what the student can and cannot do† (p. 5). Since the students have been given the final project subject, the directions for completing the final project in paper-form, the expectations for deliverables, the grading rubric, and the assignments and tasks throughout the course have been tailored to learn the concepts and application necessary, then there should be no issues with what the criterion are for performing in a superb manner. Although a grading rubric is considered an assessment tool used to grade using subjectivity, it can have a set of criteria and specific metrics which link it to students’ learning objectives, which in this case, measure the student’s performance using a final project in research paper format. Because assessment is an ongoing process with a student in a degree-seeking program, the rubric is aimed at accurate and fair assessment for all students, by fostering understanding, and indicating the way to proceed with subsequent learning, re-learning, and teaching and re-teaching. This is the integration of performance and feedback which occurs prior to each assessment, and during the course of the class term, so that by the time the student is nearing the end of the quarter term, he or she should be able to articulate the items presented in the rubric using the final project directions adhering to the expectations for deliverables. According to Flash (2009), when students are apprised of grading criteria from the start, they can be more involved in the process of working toward success. According to Mansilla, Duraisingh, Wolfe, and Haynes, 2009: Rubrics are generally thought to promote more consistent grading and to develop self-evaluation skills in students as they monitor their performance relative to the rubric. However, rubrics are not without their critics who are concerned that rubrics can never truly capture the complexity of written work. If rubrics are to be useful, they must capture all the actual objectives of an assignment (p. ). In this case, the rubric (See Appendix, p. 5 – 6) is given to the students at the third week of the quarter term; the directions are explained in detail with opportunity for questions answered, with the actual objectives outlined in the rubric along with final project specifications. As mentioned previously, this rubric, along with the final project specifications, is given to the student at the third week of the quarter. Conclusion In summarizing adult learner assessment, first, it is recognized that the adult learner is motivated differently than other learners. Therefore, the teacher who teaches adult learners must be aware of not only the learner’s diversity and culture, but also his or her motivators. Then, the teacher must identify the initial abilities of his or her class; align the course objectives along with the teaching activities; verify that the teaching is aligned with the assessment instruments; then, analyze the results. After completion of this â€Å"cycle,† the educator can them adjust or modify the teacher, or the re-teaching, in this case; and then the â€Å"cycle† starts all over again. In summarizing assessment procedures, an assessment, in and of itself, is the procedure which measures the entire student learning during a course, and the teacher’s teaching, facilitating, observing, and coaching, it is the interpretation of those performance results which are invaluable. As long as the educator plans for assessment during the planning of the learning, then it probable that the assessment will gauge student learning, and will meet the instructional objectives (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009). In this case, the final project is one of the best assessment tools when measuring students’ cumulative learning, this is as long as several mini-assessments are given throughout the quarter, and adjustments are made to teaching, if the students do not understand the material. In addition, an verall assessment is done on the student’s writing skills, as well as his or her attention to the proper writing format. However, it is possible that the â€Å"assessment often generates more questions than it answers,† (Angelo and Cross, 1993, p. 54) and it is incumbent upon the educator to answer these questions of â€Å"why†¦the students respond the way they [do]† (p. 54), during all of the previous assessments administered throughout the quarte r term, so that there are few to none, by the time the final project is due. Lastly, in reflecting how the process of interpreting assessments will impact teaching, it is important to note that in teaching, â€Å"the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,† meaning, in this case, that without analyzing the end product of learning; then it is difficult to choose an assessment tool and the types of results that can occur; which makes it nearly impossible to understand how to assess students after teaching has occurred; it will be fruitless to set initial learning objectives; if it is not understood what it is the educators would like to teach the students; and to diagnose when they build the student pre-assessments. Each section is bound to the other in seamless alignment, with the opportunity for improvement at each juncture; it is in this way that goals and classroom assessment drive everything in education, and in learning, in general. In teaching, there can be no greater impact than to learn that each of these components is critical to the goal of facilitating the obtainment of knowledge, and it is a bright insight to teachers of all philosophies, experiences, and tenure. References American Psychological Association. (2010). The official pocket style guide from the American Psychological Association: Concise rules of APA style (6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Angelo, T. A. , ; Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed. ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Baitlinger, K. (2005). Engaging adult learners in writing/ESL Classroom. College Quarterly, 8(1),1. Create Rubrics for your Project-Based Learning Activities. (2000 – 2008). Rubistar. Retrieved from http://rubistar. 4teachers. org/index. php? screen=NewRubric;module=Rubistar Effective Classroom Instruction. (2004). Encyclopedia of applied psychology. Retrieved from http://www. redoreference. com. library. capella. edu/entry/estappliedpsyc/effective_classroom_instruction Flash, P. (2009). Grading writing: Recommended grading strategies. Retrieved from http://writing. umn. edu/tww/responding_grading/grading_writing. html Gronlund, N. E. , ; Waugh, C. K. (2009). Assessment of student achievement (9th ed. ) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Johnson, D. , ; Steele, V. (1996, February). So many words, so little time: Helping college ESL learners. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. 39, 5; ProQuest Education Journals. . 348. Mansilla, V. , Duraisingh, E. , Wolfe, C. R. , ; Haynes, C. (2009). Targeted assessment rubric: An empirically grounded rubric for interdisciplinary writing. Journal of Higher Education. 80(3), 334-353. Merri am, S. , Caffarella, R. , ; Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed. ). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Thiroux, J. P. , ; Krasemann, K. W. (2008). Ethics: Theory and practice (10th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ————————————————- Top of FormBottom of Form| Adult Learner Assessment Running head: ADULT LEARNER ASSESSMENT Adult Learner Assessment Enter Student Name Here Capella University August 26, 2012 ED7712 Classroom Assessment in Education All students are familiar with assessments. They have been assessed on various levels all through primary and secondary school, and if they attended school afterward they've experienced assessments in postsecondary school as well. Why do we do assessments? Assessments are necessary – they not only tell the instructor how well the students are doing but they also tell the instructor how well they are teaching. But there is much more to assessments than that.Assessments can be â€Å"an excellent instructional method to provide understanding of what adults are learning, how they are thinking, what their progress is, and which learning problems to address† (Wlodkowski, 2008). This paper will demonstrate this. The purpose of this research paper is to demonstrate an assessment of the adult learning of students who are enrolled in IS100 – Introduction to Databases, a course at Two Rivers Community College. This course covers topics that include basic concepts of relational database systems, database architectures, data storage, and data mining.This course utilizes problem-based learning. Problem-based learning is an education strategy that uses problem-solving for optimal learning and is particularly useful in environments such as information technology. The benefits are twofold: students not only acquire knowledge but they also develop problem-solving skills necessary for real world application (Williams, Iglesias & Barak, 2008). Therefore the best type of assessment for this course will include a problem-based learning assessment.The learners are students who have been allowed to enroll in this course for one of three reasons: (1) it is a required course for the Information Systems major, (2) it is a being taken as an elective for another major, or (3) they are undecided on which majo r they want to pursue and want to learn more about this aspect of information systems career path. The majority of the students who attend this course are predominately post-adolescent white males who range in ages from 18 to 23 years old and are in their first year at the community college.These students typically complete their associates degree here prior to continuing their education to obtain a bachelor's degree in either Computer Science, Information Systems Management, or Industrial Technology. However, in recent years there have been an increasing number of adult learners who are of mixed nationalities, range between 28 to 35 years old, and are returning to the community college environment due to job loss or a change in career path. These individuals have chosen the community college environment because of the short duration of time to complete a degree as compared to the traditional four year university.Three Learning Outcomes The overall learning objective of this course is for students to demonstrate a fundamental understanding of database systems. To ensure this, students will be assessed on the following three learning outcomes throughout the course: 1. Unit 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the theory, history, and evolution of the relational database. 2. Unit 2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of good relational database design. 3. Unit 3: Students will demonstrate basic knowledge of data mining and storage.Adult Learner Assessment The assessment described here will be on assessing students learning after the first unit is covered. The first unit of instruction is designated for an overall view of databases. Topics include relational database theory, the history and evolution of databases, types of database models, database query languages, and an overview of databases in use today. It is imperative that students have a good understanding of this information before moving on the next unit, therefore an assessment of this understanding needs to be evaluated.The two most widely used types of test items are selection-type items and supply-type items. The use of selection-type items will gauge how well the students can recognize or recall facts whereas the supply-type items will measure the more complex learning outcomes (Waugh & Gronlund, 2013). Items from both of these will be used to design the assessment to get a true measurement of students learning after unit 1. The assessment is listed in Appendix A. Accommodating Learners With Special NeedsIn accordance to the Americans with Disability Act and the policies of Two Rivers Community College, learners with special needs will have reasonable accommodations given during assessment taking. Reasonable and appropriate support services that may be needed for this course could include, but are not limited to: interpreters, questions and answer choices read out loud to the student, and extra testing time. Accommodations will be evalua ted on a case-by-case basis and every means will be done to ensure the student has a fair chance to take the assessment.The instructor will also seek guidance from The Alliance for Access to Computing Careers (aka AccessComputing). This organization partners with postsecondary institutions to increase participation of people with disabilities to computing fields. This organization can provides optimal strategies for instructors to accommodate a student with special needs. Specific to assessment taking, they recommend:  ·Alternative, quiet testing locations and distraction free rooms.  ·Alternative formats of the assessments, if needed.  ·Extended test-taking time. Reading or scribe services. All of these recommendations are already available at the school. Directions for the Assessment Administrator and the Adult Learner The way in which an assessment is administered to students is especially important for good assessment outcomes. Assessment administrators play a key role in this occurring. The main role of an assessment administrator for this course includes 1) to give clear instructions to the students and 2) to prevent cheating. The following directions will be provided to the assessment administrator.The instructions for the students will be written on the test itself:  ·Administrator: Prior to the class starting, ensure equal distance is between each student seat. Ensure there are no pieces of paper laying in or around the desks. When all the students have arrived, separate each student with a desk between them, if possible. Tell the students why they are there and the purpose of the test. Explain how the test is laid out (10 multiple choice questions, 10 true-false questions, and 3 short answer questions) and how much time they have to complete it (50 minutes).Breaks will not be given unless extenuating circumstances would dictate otherwise. Once the student has completed the test, they are to bring the test to you and place the test face down o n the desk. The student will gather their things and quietly leave the room. Interpretation of the Results of the Assessment Assessments provide the instructor with a relative ranking of students and a description of the learning tasks a student can and cannot perform (Waugh & Gronlund, 2013). These two items have more to do with the interpretation of the assessment results. Criterion-referenced vs.Norm-referenced The first item is centered around an interpretation method called norm-referenced assessment whereas the second one is centered around criterion-referenced assessment. The basic difference between the two is what the results are compared to. When an instructor is using norm-referenced assessment interpretation, they are comparing each student's performances with the other students in the class whereas when an instructor is using criterion-referenced interpretation, they are comparing each student's performance with a predefined set of criteria (Waugh & Gronlund, 2013).Each type of interpretation serves a specific purpose. If an instructor wants to use the interpretation of assessments for instructional decision-making, they would use the criterion-referenced approach whereas if they wanted to measure the psychometric different between students, they would use the norm-referenced approach. For the purpose of this paper, the criterion-referenced approach will be used to interpret the results of the assessments in this course. This will ensure the students have a clear guide to their learning objectives competency.Grading For the students, assessment is about grades. Grades tell the student to what extent they are meeting the instructional objectives. However grading is just as important to the instructor. There are three guiding principles that instructors use to determine their grading system for a course: 1. choose the best reference (standard) for the basis of grading, 2. choose the best way to combine the various assessment results, 3. choose the m ost effective and fair grading system (Waugh & Grunlund, 2013).Similar to the assessment interpretation types noted above, when choosing the best grading standard, instructors have a choice between grading the student's performance against predetermined standard (absolute grading) or against their fellow peer's performance (relative grading). The most common way is to use the absolute grading approach by assigning letter grades based on a 100 point system. This will be the approach used in this course. In choosing the most effective and fair grading system, there are a number of things an instructor can do to enlist the confidence of their students.First and foremost, the instructor should be upfront from the beginning with the students about their expectations of them, explain how the students will be graded, and explain the grading rubrics for the course. Lastly, the instructor should be sure to not grade based upon subjective components such as learning ability, the amount of imp rovement a student has achieved, or lack of or improved effort. In determine the best way to combine the various assessments, each graded item must be assessed. For this course, the students will have grades for four unit tests and one problem-based course paper.Each unit assessment will count for 15% of their grade and the course paper will count for 40% of their grade. No weighted scores will be used. The best way to grade the student's course paper was to develop a scoring rubric. For the problem-based course paper, students are given a completed database to study. Utilizing the Classroom Assessment Technique called Problem Recognition Tasks (Angelo & Cross, 1993), they students are to 1. determine if it meets the definition of a relational database, 2. elect and explain one relational database theory about their database (i. e. the relational model, dependency, normalization), 3. determine what database programming language was used to create it, 4. discuss database design model , and 5. explain one technique they'd use to extract data from it. The scoring rubric and letter grades for the course paper is below. Criteria|2 points|1 point|0 points| Determine if the database meets the definition of a relational database and provides supporting research to explain their reasoning for the decision. Correctly determines if the database meets the definition of a relational database and provides supporting research to explain their reasoning the decision. |Correctly determines if the database meets the definition of a relational database and but doesn’t provide supporting research to explain their reasoning the decision. |Doesn't correctly determines if the database meets the definition of a relational database. | Thoroughly explains one relational database theory about their database. |Fully explains one relational database theory about their database. Somewhat explains one relational database theory about their database. |Doesn't explain one relational dat abase theory about their database. | Correctly identifies the programming language use to create the database and thoroughly explains the programming language with supporting documentation. |Correctly identifies the programming language used to create the database and thoroughly explains the programming language with supporting documentation. |Correctly identifies the programming language used to create the database and but doesn't thoroughly explain the programming language with supporting documentation. Doesn't correctly identify the programming language used to create the database. | Correctly identifies the database design model used to create the database and thoroughly explains the model with supporting documentation. |Correctly identifies the database design model used to create the database and thoroughly explains the model with supporting documentation. |Correctly identifies the database design model used to create the database but doesn't thoroughly explain the model with supporting documentation. |Doesn't correctly identify the database design model used to create the database. Thoroughly explains what technique they'd use to extract data out of it. |Thoroughly explains what technique they'd use to extract data out of it. |Somewhat explains what technique they'd use to extract data out of it. |Doesn't explain a technique they'd use to extract data out of it. | Course Paper Letter Grades| 9-10 pts = A|7-8 pts = B|5-6 pts = C|3-4 pts = D|0-2 pts = F| A series of steps were taken to arrive at the scoring rubric. First, the intended learning outcomes were evaluated and used to construct the items needed to be graded on.Second, the focus of the assessment was determined by determining where the emphasis should be placed. It was determined that it should be focused on a process of examining a database for certain attributes. Third, it had to be determined if this would take the form of a paper-and-pen test or a practical exam. It was determined it would b e best to be a paper-and-pen test due to the time constraints of such a task. Forth, the performance situation was determine to be a identification test because the students need to be able to do this in a real world setting.Lastly, the method of observation chosen is the scoring rubric because they will provide the instructor with an objective scoring guideline, and they will give the students a clear guideline of what is expected of their final paper. (Waugh & Gronlund, 2013). In conclusion, the goal of this paper was to demonstrate assessment in an information technology course at a community college. The overall goal of instructing is to provide the highest possible quality of learning. Assessments, in forms of varying degrees, can be utilized to ensure this is happening.Specifically, the problem solving assessment described here will be a driving force in directing students' efforts toward critical thinking and real world applications. Appendix A IS100 – Introduction to Databases Unit 1 Assessment Name: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Assessment Instructions: This test is being given to assess your understanding of the theory, history, and evolution of the relational database. The Assessment Administrator will monitor your progress during the est to ensure students are completing their own work and not sharing their responses with others. Multiple Choice Directions: For each of the following multiple-choice questions, please select the best answer for each question and circle the letter to the left of the answer you have chosen as the most appropriate response. | | Question 1: Which of the following databases was an early implementation of the relational model developed by E. F. Codd ? A. IDMS B. DB2 C. dBase-II D. R:base Question 2: An online commercial site such as Amazon. om is an example of a(n): A. single-user database B. multiuser database C. e-commerce database D. data mining database Question 3: Which of th e following was the first to implement true relational algebra in a database? A. IDMS B. dBase-II C. Oracle D. R:base Question 4: The acronym SQL stands for: A. Structured Query Language B. Sequential Query Language C. Structured Question Language D. Sequential Question Language Question 5: The following are functions of a relational database except: A. creating and processing forms B. creating databases C. rocessing data D. administrating databases Question 6: Which of the following databases implemented the CODASYL DBTG model? A. IDMS B. dBase-II C. DB2 D. R:base Question 7: All the following are database models except: A. Spreadsheet Model B. Relational Model C. Hierarchical Model D. Object-Oriented Model | | Question 8: Today's banking systems use this type of database: A. Analytic database B. Operational database C. Network database D. Hierarchical database Question 9: The term Relational Database Management System (RDMS) was coined during the: A. 1950sB. 1960s C. 1970s D. 1980 s Question 10: All of the following are popular database query languages except: A. SQL B. OQL C. XML D. MySQL True-False Directions: For each of the following true-false questions, indicate a True response by circling the T next to the question and a False response by circling the F next to the question being answered. Question 1: A database is called â€Å"self describing† because it contains a description of itself. T F Question 2: One of the reasons why OODBMS is no longer used for today's businesses is because OOP is obsolete. T FQuestion 3: In an enterprise database system, users interact with database applications, which directly access the database data. T F Question 4: Microsoft Access is a database management system. T F Question 5: Prior to 1970, all data was stored in separate files, which were mostly stored on reels of magnetic tape. T F Question 6: SQL is an internationally recognized standard language that is understood by all database management system product s worldwide. T F Question 7: Databases that contain historical and summarized information are usually called data warehouses. T FQuestion 8: As legacy file-based systems and applications become candidates for reengineering, the trend is overwhelmingly in favor of replacing file-based systems and applications with database systems and applications. T F Question 9: A central focus of database theory is on understanding the complexity and power of query languages and their connection to logic. T F Question 10: The Object Oriented database model is best described by organizing data into a tree-like structure, implying a single upward link in each record to describe the nesting, and a sort field to keep the records in a particular order in each same-level list.T F Short Answer Directions: For each question, hand write your answer below each question. If additional paper is needed, please ask the Assessment Administrator. 1. Briefly explain three of the twelve rules of E. F. Cobb's relati onal database theory. 2. Briefly explain the three views (schema) of a DBMS. 3. List two advantages and two disadvantages of using a DBMS. References AccessComputing. The Alliance for Access to Computing Careers. Retrieved September 9, 2012 from http://www. washington. edu/accesscomputing. Angelo, T. A. , & Cross, K. P. (1993).Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (2nd ed. ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Waugh, C. K. , & Gronlund, N. E. (2013). Assessment of student achievement (10th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Williams, P. J. , Iglesias, J. & Barak, M. (2008). Problem based learning: Application to technology education in three countries. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 18( 4), 319 – 335. Wlodkowski, R. J. (2008). Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for teaching all adults (3rd ed. ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Green Buildings and Their Efficiency Water Consumption

Green Buildings and Their Efficiency Water Consumption Introduction Green buildings or high-performance buildings incorporate design and construction standards that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of the building on the environment and occupants. Green buildings essential elements of focus include sustainable site, safeguarding water and its sources, energy conservation, conservation of materials and indoor environmental quality.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Green Buildings and Their Efficiency Water Consumption specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Property developers are beginning to understand that it is possible to build green buildings on a usual budget. As such, the need to develop green buildings is on the rise. Constructors and property owners are now extending green buildings to large residential homes, industrial and commercial buildings. At the same time, they take advantages of the new modeling tools, regulatory incentives, desig n techniques and wise financial spending. The growth occurs as a result of companies and individuals who are seeking spaces that respect their values and lifestyles. Green buildings go a long way in fulfilling these needs (Yudelson, 2007). The concept of green buildings emanated as a response to human activities in altering the global climate. Most of the carbon dioxide emissions causing global warming come from buildings. Environmentalists blame developed nations for emitting much of the world’s carbon dioxide responsible for global warming. However, the concerted efforts to adopt green buildings are most likely to change this trend. Observers predict much development in emerging nations, which will increase the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The focus should now shift to energy efficient and green buildings. Otherwise, we do not have many options in tackling global warming. Several countries are economically going to benefit by embracing green technologies and c arbon reduction technologies, processes and systems. We must understand that there are lots of literature and debates concerning green buildings. The information usually concerns social and economic issues. People who prefer to embrace environmental friendly involvements often meet greenwash activities.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Studies in green buildings and environmental issues tend to give a full picture of what exactly are green and in what context. Critics ask whether the materials in use are also green or how green are the buildings. The resources are useful in terms of provide regulation of buildings, components of green buildings, selection of green materials and where to purchase such materials. There criteria a building must pass so as to qualify as a green building. The essential element is its impacts on the environment. Designers must evaluate all the constituent parts so as to enable users to make informed choices about the buildings’ impacts on the environment. People who operate in commercial buildings tend to refer to such buildings as environmental friendly buildings. Still, others call them high-performance buildings. Participants in the building construction, design and real estate have embraced sustainable designs as landmark development in the careers and businesses. At the same time, changes in global temperatures have forced people to fight for environmental protection and reduce energy consumptions in buildings. Today, water is becoming a scarce resource as its consumption continues to rise. Studies show that, between the year 1990 and 2000, the usage of water rose by 12 per cent (The U.S. Green Building Council, 2009). Water supply serves purposes of domestic, industrial, commercial, agricultural and other purposes. The high demand for water is straining its sources leading to massive withdraw als and reduction. Developers have noticed the need to involve the communities. They believe that a genuine concern for the environment must involve the community from the grassroots levels for meaningful changes. Using large quantities of water increase the maintenance and life-cycle costs for building operations, and additional costs on the occupants. Conversely, buildings that employ the efficient use of water reduce costs through lower service charges, reduction in energy and chemical use, and discharges. This paper shall focus on green buildings or high-performance buildings and their waters consumptions and efficiency processes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Green Buildings and Their Efficiency Water Consumption specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Green buildings and water efficiency Observing water usage and performance are the first steps in understanding water wastage. Water and energy use relate to each other. This can help decision-makers to decide on overall efficiency. Individuals and organizations that can monitor water and energy usage can take these advantages to create greener and sustainable buildings (Wilson, 2006). People should find ways to minimize indoor potable water usage. This involves using alternative water sources for non-potable uses. Installation of buildings components such as water-efficient fixtures, flow restrictors, composting toilets, and waterless urinals to minimize water usage. Lowering water usage in showerheads, faucets will reduce the total amount of water users withdraw from natural resources and other water bodies. This method is efficient and effective in large commercial buildings that require much water for their occupants, workers and visitors (Spiegel and Meadows, 2011). Saving water usually results into saving energy as well, which is leading to environmental well-being. Water efficiencies in green buildings result into reducing the am ount of water for treatments, cooling, heating and distributions for potable use. These aspects require energy, of which if reduced, will result into costs savings and clean environment, through less energy consumptions. Engaging in water conservation improves both human and environmental well-being. The looming water shortages in the leading cities are raising alarm among water suppliers and environmentalists. Water reservoirs and underground water are facing depletion. This will affect both the human and environmental well-being. This is because low water levels can improve the concentrations of environmental pollutants. Green buildings attempt to improve water efficiencies by keeping it at safe levels. Users can also derive benefits from discharge of used water. This is because there are costs, energy usage and materials inputs for treatments of used water. This is particularly vital in public facilities, which have high discharge rates.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the US, water usage in landscaping is increasing at a massive rate. Observers consider landscaping as an outdoor water use that consumes large quantities of water. People should improve on landscaping activities and adopt best practices, which will reduce or even eliminate irrigations needs for landscaping. Green buildings are reestablishing native plants to foster selfs of buildings with waters of constructed wetlands with varieties of functions to both human and wild lives include Phoenix of the Salt and Gila rivers and Tres Rios of the Phoenix metropolis. Constructed wetlands are rapidly growing across Europe, America and China. Earthship green building is an example of water efficiency use in green buildings. The building collects and stores rain water in the tanks. The channels carry rain water into a cistern for storage. Gravity and pumps direct water through filters for purification to create safe water for domestic purposes. Thus, results into a safe drinking, cooking and bathing water. Water used after cooking goes to botanical tank with rubber-lined walls. These containers hold gravels and plants. The plants naturally clean the water. Roots and gravels filter the water and add bacteria. The bacteria consume soaps and chemical in the water. This water is now safe for reuse. However, water that is too dirty for reuse finds it way in a different drainage channel. Occupants can use this water for toilet purposes. Earthship residents can reuse water up to four times, and always have a constant supply of water from the filtering channels (Sirvaitis, 2010). Green buildings apply effective ways to reduce water usage through the installation of flow restrictors or reduced flow aerators on the toilets, sinks and showers. High-performance buildings also have automatic faucet sensors and meter control devices. The buildings have high efficiency water urinals and closets. They have no water fixtures and have rain water trapping systems installed. Products sele ctions Green buildings have their products and selection is becoming a complex affair. There are several innovative products to cater for green buildings in terms of standards, certifications, and metrics as means of assessing them. However, some of these materials are just greenwash. The selection process requires the user to navigate all these pieces of information to find the materials he or she requires to use. The product selections guidelines are the same as those of non-green buildings. All aspects of quality, aesthetics, costs and performance of the products are essential in green buildings materials selection processes. The fundamental questions for consideration include the environmental impacts and potential interventions measures on the products chosen. The standard selection processes for green buildings including identification of materials, performance criteria, building materials options, technical information available, review of submitted information, evaluation of materials and selections and records of choices. Product selection process is essential because there are many â€Å"environmental friendly† products available in the markets. Currently, majority would like to maintain the status quo concerning buildings. In fact, the industry pundits observe that clients do not show interests in eco products and continue to purchase materials which are not environmental friendly. However, people are not all that informed about green buildings materials and where they can source them. This general lack of information has affected the market and distribution of green buildings materials (Woolley and Kimmins, 2002). The future of green buildings New developments are likely to impact the on the future of green buildings and their materials. The emerging fields of scientific studies such as virtual reality, chaos theory and holographic philosophy will change the world’s perspectives as well as the buildings. The uses of computers are also likely to alter some of the requirements in modern buildings as methods of working relations are dramatically changing. The shrinking natural resources may cause crisis in energy demand with a massive impacts on building designs and demands. This might results into a search for energy efficient buildings. The solutions are green buildings with the renewable sources of energy like wind (Harrison, Woolley, Kimmins, and Harrison, 2001). Buildings have risen beyond the need for shelter and protection. Today’s buildings reflect environmental and economical concerns. The future buildings might entail social, environmental and economic aspects. The ability to notice changes as they occur allow us to implement counteracting measure e.g. in the case of global warming. This is possible due to rapid means of collecting, processing and communicating feedback to the users. References Foster, K., Stelmack, A. and Hindman, D. (2006). Sustainable Residential Interiors. New Jersey: John Wile y. Harrison, P., Woolley, T., Kimmins, S. and Harrison, R. (2001). Green Buiding Handbook: A guide to building products and their impact on the environment. London: Spon Press. Sirvaitis, K. (2010). Seven Wonders of Green Building Technology. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books. Spiegel, R. and Meadows, D. (2011). Green Building Materials: A Guide to Product Selection and Specification, 3rd Edition. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. The U.S. Green Building Council. (2009). Green Building Design and Construction. Washington, DC: USGBC, Inc. Wilson, A. (2006). Your Green Home. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers. Woolley, T. and Kimmins, S. (2002). Green Building Handbook: A guide to building products and their impact on the environment. London: Spon Press. Yudelson, J. (2007). Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.

The application of systems theory Essay Example

The application of systems theory Essay Example The application of systems theory Essay The application of systems theory Essay The Application Of Systems Theory To a Case Study Introduction The undermentioned instance survey will detail an intercession with a 32-year old service user who was referred with a scope of showing issues and demands. It was evident that a complex array of household, societal and bureau webs existed, bespeaking that the focal point of any intercession would ask the addressing of these assorted constituents and their function in the service user’s operation. It was decided that using systems theory would be the most efficacious attack in pull offing the service user’s demands. General systems theory was foremost proposed by von Bertalanffy ( 1968 ) as a cosmopolitan theory of the administration of parts into wholes. A system was defined as â€Å"a composite of interacting elements† . Although this paradigm was ab initio applied to the physical universe ( mathematics, biochemistry, etc ) , it was adopted by the curative community in order to explicate an apprehension of systems consisting persons and administrations. Some of the thoughts and constructs systems theory has brought to the field include: Families and other societal groups are systems holding belongingss which are more than the amount of the belongingss of their parts. Every system has a boundary, the belongingss of which are of import in understanding how the system works. Changes within systems can happen, or be stimulated, in assorted ways. Communication and feedback mechanisms between the parts of a system are of import in the operation of the system. Events such as the behavior of persons in a household are better understood as illustrations of round causality, instead than as being based on additive causality. Systems are made up of subsystems ( e.g. parental, matrimonial, siblings ) which are themselves parts of larger suprasystems ( e.g. extended household, the vicinity, infirmary ) . ( Beckett, 1973 ) . The service user was a 32-year old male of Afro-Caribbean beginnings, with a diagnosing of schizoaffective upset dating back to his early teens. He had been shacking in a semi-secure forensic unit for more than two old ages and was detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act. In footings of household history, he had been conceived through colza and fostered by distant relations in Trinidad. Upon the decease of his Foster female parent, his natural female parent arranged for him to go forth Trinidad and enter the UK. Shortly after this, he became involved with the mental wellness system and the condemnable justness system. Subsequently, his female parent had refused all contact with him and would non prosecute with any of his attention. The exclusive household contact had been his maternal grandma. A genogram is a utile adjunct within appraisal and intervention when using systems theory ( e.g. Guerin and Pendagast, 1976 ) , in that it gives a concise in writing sum-up of the composing of the systems environing an person. A genogram picturing DE’s peculiar systems was prepared and is illustrated in Figure 1. Within the genogram, DE’s familial relationships are illustrated, demoing the bing subsystem with his maternal grandma. Other subsystems include, DE’s relationships with the condemnable justness system, mental wellness services and with myself, his societal worker. With respect to utilizing systems theory in my appraisal and intercession of DE, this would embrace developing a hypothesis refering the nature of the relationships DE has with facets of his system and how this impacts upon his operation. In add-on, round inquiring would be employed to prove this hypothesis and promote alteration ( e.g. Selvini Palazzoli, Cechin, Prata and Boscolo, 1980a ) . Each of DE’s showing demands will be explored within the context of his wider system and the methodological analysis built-in to systems theory employed in my intercession. Figure 1: A genogram of DE’s instance. The Referral DE was a statutory referral which was accompanied by a challenge from his legal representatives to the local authorization, claiming that they had failed in their responsibilities towards DE as he was medically fit for discharge and did non necessitate to be detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act. Although discharge from Section 3 was agreed, no programs were presented to the mental wellness court by the local authorization sing the agreement of appropriate adjustment. From the position of the societal worker, programs were hence required to implement Section 117 and organize appropriate after attention and adjustment. In order to make this, it was necessary to place DE’s wants and penchants every bit far as possible, in add-on to pull offing any hazard perceived by the multidisciplinary squad and the mental wellness court. A transportation CPA to the community squad was organised in order to keep DE in the community and ease his recovery. Adhering to the impression of â€Å"goodness of fit† , built-in to systems theory ( Payne, 2002 ) , that is heightening the lucifer between the person and their environment, ways of developing, keeping or beef uping supportive intercessions and cut downing, disputing or replacing nerve-racking systems were explored. Appraisal An appraisal of DE’s showing demands was conducted in order to explicate a hypothesis based upon the information available which would so supply a starting point and usher to subsequent intercessions. Harmonizing to Selvini Palazzoli et Al. ( 1980a ) , a hypothesis is â€Å"neither true, nor false, but more or less useful† . Therefore, it was of import to keep this stance when sing the fortunes environing DE’s instance. By seeking information from DE and others within his system, I was able to obtain as many positions as possible and concept an apprehension, or narrative, as to how he had come to be â€Å"stuck† and enable him to travel in a more helpful way. Both DE and the multidisciplinary squad involved in his attention agreed that he required 24 hr residential attention, as old supported adjustment had non been able to ease his demands and he had relapsed, taking to his admittance to hospital under subdivision. Extra presenting concerns reported by DE included an impoverished household support web and hapless fundss. Drug and intoxicant abuse were besides apparent, acknowledged by DE and verified by a positive trial for cocaine. DE’s keyworker recounted how DE often disengaged with him and displayed disputing behavior, including interrupting regulations of the attention place and absconding. Indexs of backsliding described by staff included a preoccupation with insect infestation, psychotic beliefs of the devil attacking him and homophobic frights of male staff sexually assailing him. In add-on, non-compliance with his attention program was recognised as a precursor to get worse. Using round inquiries to deduce new information about DE’s state of affairs and the interconnection of the system’s constituents, a form emerged which suggested possible indexs of backsliding. A chief characteristic of disk shape is the capacity of the healer to see feedback from the systems involved and to ask for each portion of the system to associate their positions of other subsystems, thereby metacommunicating ( Selvini Palazzoli et Al. 1980a ; Byng-Hall, 1988 ; Cecchin, 1987 ) . Further important rules of disk shape are inquiring about specific behaviors that occur, instead than feelings or readings and ranking behaviors in order to foreground differences ( Barker, 1998 ; Dallos and Draper, 2000 ) . So, for illustration, DE’s keyworker was asked: â€Å"what does DE make when he breaks the regulations in the house† , â€Å"when you believe DE is get worsing, how do you cognize? What does he state or make? † , â€Å"who is most disquieted abou t DE utilizing drugs/alcohol? † . Similarly, DE was asked such inquiries as: â€Å"when you abscond from the attention place, who is most concerned? †¦ and so who? † , â€Å"when you are disquieted about the Satan assailing you, what make you make? † , â€Å"what would your keyworker say was most of import for you to acquire sorted out? † . A specific usage of round inquiring is to specify the job ( Bentovim and Bingley Miller, 2002 ) . Hence, members of DE’s system, including his cardinal worker, other multidisciplinary squad workers, available household members and DE himself were questioned as to â€Å"what is the job? What do you believe DE/keyworker/etc would state is the job? Who agrees with DE? Who disagrees? Who is it most a job for? † etc. Such information served to enrich the hypothesis that was being formulated of DE’s demands. Over clip, a systemic hypothesis evolved which incorporated the function of impaired household operation and an early sense of forsaking by DE’s natural female parent combined with the loss of his secondary, surrogate female parent lending to the development of a schizoaffective upset. A farther contributing factor may hold been DE’s move to the UK following his mourning and the sense of confusion and disaffection this may hold instilled. A preexistent exposure to his mental wellness jobs may hold been activated by DE’s usage of drugs and intoxicant, perchance his get bying mechanism to pull off the antecedently described stressors. In footings of DE’s behavior within his attention place, it would be of import to see physiological factors many of the concerns reported. The literature associated with schizoaffective upsets has suggested that the oncoming of the unwellness can bring forth cognitive shortages, including memory damage, planning, societal opinion and penetration ( Randolph, Goldberg and Weinberger, in Heilman A ; Valenstein, 1993 ; James and Murray, 1991 ) . These shortages, combined with the deficiency of household support and implicit in psychological issues, could hold resulted in the issues with conformity and rule-breaking reported by the professionals involved in DE’s attention. However, within a systemic attack, it is of import to see the dynamic interplay between the person and the assorted constituents of their system when gestating the job. In DE’s instance, it appeared that the effects of his drug and intoxicant usage and of rejection issues had non been to the full considered by staff at the attention place and hence the effects of these had been able to intensify into backsliding. Furthermore, it may hold been that an over-critical attitude towards DE prevailed within his attention place, as has been described in the construct of expressed emotion ( Leff, 1994 ) . This has by and large been reported as bing within the households of those with schizoaffective upsets and is thought to stand for shortages in communicating and overinvolvement. The map of the job is besides a critical component within a systemic preparation ( Reder and Fredman, 1996 ; Bilson and Ross, 1999 ) and in DE’s instance his showing issues appeared to stand for both a communicating of internal struggles ( loss, forsaking, etc ) and as a solution to the job perceived by him as inappropriate adjustment. Therefore, his behavior could be conceptualised as an effort to decide both internal and external discordance. However, clearly DE’s perceived solution merely served to intensify and keep the indispensable trouble, that of his deficiency of battle with aid and riotous behavior. Intervention There were assorted strands to my intercession with DE, within which I attempted to turn to the issues outlined in the above hypotheses. Initially, the issue of adjustment was addressed. In harmony with a systemic attack, DE’s needs and penchants, every bit good as sentiments derived from members of the multi-disciplinary squad, were matched with available adjustment. Three suited arrangements were identified which were attendant with the demands identified in DE’s attention program, that is: 24 hr residential adjustment with staff to oversee his medicine, promote independent life accomplishments and supervise his activities and behavior to place relapse indexs. DE’s sentiments on the three possible arrangements were sought and a determination reached on the most suited. In position of DE’s history of deficiency of battle with keyworkers, it was felt that regular meetings with his attention co-ordinator would be critical in researching his concerns and pos sible barriers to compliance with his attention program. The usage of round inquiring could be usefully extended in such meetings, in reframing DE’s perceptual experience of his concerns and enabling him to recognizing the effects of his behavior on himself and others. Specific facets of DE’s showing jobs were managed by referral to allow bureaus, therefore widening his system of support. For the substance abuse reported he was referred to a drug and intoxicant worker. A referral to psychological services was made to turn to his rejection and mourning issues. The engagement of DE’s grandma and uncle was besides an built-in portion of discoursing his troubles and it was postulated that at some point in the hereafter, systemic household therapy might be helpful in supplying some coherence to DE’s household construction and enabling communicating with this portion of his system. Once the initial concerns had been addressed, my function turned towards attention direction and a sensible monetary value for the adjustment was negotiated, along with the development of a comprehensive attention program which was presented to the agency’s support panel. The support was agreed and a discharge and transportation of attention CPA was arranged. Throughout the resulting treatments of programs, DE’s sentiments were sought. In order to outdo run into the demands identified and guarantee an optimum rehabilitation programme, DE’s attention program incorporated twenty-four hours attention activities, psychological and community forensic input. In conformity with the rules of a systems intercession, a non-judgemental stance was maintained throughout ( Goldenberg and Goldenberg, 2004 ) and the impression of partnership was promoted ( Dallos and Draper, 2000 ) . Additionally, the scheme of facilitating sustained alteration whilst non being an expert about the system was adopted ( Fleurida, 1986 ) , although this presented certain challenges as will be discussed in the undermentioned subdivisions. In footings of implementing DE’s arrangement, it was agreed that a gradual transportation which allowed him to set to the new scene would better his chances for rehabilitation. Therefore, nightlong corsets and extended corsets for a hebdomad prior to dispatch were arranged. Initially, troubles were experienced with DE’s conformity with some house regulations and I arranged a meeting with DE and the house director in order to discourse and negociate these in order to forestall a dislocation of the arrangement. Once more, round inquiries were used to clarify the job and place possible paths for alteration. For illustration, DE was asked, â€Å"when you don’t follow with this regulation, who is most disquieted? † and â€Å"what prevents you lodging to the regulations? † . The house director was asked inquiries such as, â€Å"What does DE make alternatively of lodging to the regulations? † and â€Å"what grounds do you believe he has for non fol lowing? † . Consequently, specific barriers and obstructions were identified and it was possible to negociate a manner in which DE could asseverate his individualism within the arrangement scene, whilst acting in ways which were acceptable to staff and other occupants. Therefore, the â€Å"fit† between DE and this peculiar system was enhanced. Review and Ending During my work with DE a dynamic, unstable hypothesis was formed which was based on systemic rules, in that it was round, addressed relationships, was expressed in footings of what people do and believe instead than what they are and included all members of the system ( Reder, 1983 ) . The hypothesis was continually monitored and reframed during the intercession stage, which facilitated alteration and enabled new positions and solutions to be considered. Other parts of DE’s system were besides modified by presenting round inquiries as they allowed the assorted professionals and bureaus involved to see how helpful or unhelpful the schemes they employed to pull off the exigencies of DE’s instance were and to derive different positions. It is of import to observe that this attack is distinguishable from simply supplying direction or information, in that it facilitates alteration through the procedure of thought and logical thinking. The initial focal point of intercession – to supply appropriate adjustment – was successfully completed. This was rendered smoother by the gradual passage to his new scene. By the terminal of the intercession, I believe that DE was able to prosecute in a more utile manner with the assorted constituents of his system and was more settled in his arrangement as a consequence. Reports from the house director and other professionals besides indicated that this was the instance. Referrals to other bureaus ( psychological science and drug and intoxicant services ) which comprised a critical constituent of the intercession, enabled an enlargement of DE’s systems and the meeting of antecedently inconsiderate demands. His advancement with these bureaus was ongoing. DE’s battle with community forensic services was valuable in deriving farther positions into his attention. Discussion Within systems theory, the inquiries themselves form a significant portion of the intercession ( Tomm, 1988 ) , as they are believed to take towards a constructive alteration in the debatable experiences and behaviors of service users. In add-on, inquiries constitute a much stronger invitation for users to go engaged in a conversation and procedure than make statements, instructions of information and provides stimulation to believe through jobs entirely, therefore advancing liberty and a sense of personal accomplishment ( Payne, 2002 ) . In continually seeking the positions of DE and positions from other parts of his system, it was possible to make a clearer image of the features of the job and to further a sense of ownership on the portion of DE. That is, because he felt portion of the procedure of alteration, he would be more likely to experience comfy with its parametric quantities. A farther portion of advancing DE’s conformity with his attention program was to utilize positive intension, another of import rule of systems theory ( O’Brian and Bruggen, 1985 ) . Positively implying DE’s behavior consisted non merely in reenforcing and praising his efforts to alter, but besides in admiting that his job behavior was functioning to show his dissatisfaction with the state of affairs he was in. An of import facet of intercession therefore was to pass on an apprehension of how things had come to be the manner they were. Merely through making this was it possible to dispute the bing belief system, pro posing new and different definitions of relationships. Therefore, by admiting the hurting of DE’s forsaking by his female parent with a referral to a psychologist, it enabled him to research a different manner of interacting with this portion of his system. Similarly, by sing the function of drugs and intoxicant in interceding his hurt and enabling him to get by with his state of affairs, other agencies of get bying were explored. The usage of systems theory was congruous with mental wellness policy counsel for CPA in that it was individual focussed, involved all relevant bureaus and required a acknowledgment of demands in order to ease the motion of service users through CPA. The designation of unmet demands in DE’s instance, every bit good as affecting multiple bureaus was important in pull offing his attention efficaciously. As DE was on enhanced CPA, it was of import to see multiple attention demands and to recognize that he was more likely to withdraw with attention. Once more, a holistic appraisal and a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, multi-agency program which encapsulated his wider system was necessary. Systems theory requires strategic believing about the possibilities and restrictions for alteration in the different systems impacting the user’s environment, every bit good as an apprehension of the possibilities for intercession in each system ( deShazer, 1982 ; Penn, 1982 ) , hence sing DE’s behavior in specific scenes and with specific persons and bureaus was a utile scheme. In add-on, possessing an apprehension of the possibilities for intercession within each system enabled me to believe creatively about different classs of action and possible results ( Byng_Hall, 1988 ) . Review and Evaluation In general, systems theory was a utile tool in working with DE, in that its rules guided many facets of the appraisal and intercession towards a good result. The basic dogmas of systems theory, of being respectful of all positions and trying to authorise the service user to implement alteration, are congruous with the CPA theoretical account of working. However, the rule of keeping neutrality ( i.e. hammering an alliance with all parts of the system ) and a non-judgemental, non adept stance ( Selvini Palazzoli et Al. 1980a ; Fleurida, 1986 ) proved to be more ambitious. As DE’s attention co-ordinator it could be expected that a greater confederation would be formed with him and besides that I would possess, in this function, information and cognition pertaining to a assortment of issues, such as fiscal aid available to him. Clearly in this instance, I was unable to keep a non-expert stance. Furthermore, being non-judgemental in relation to all DE’s showing demands ( for illustration, his drug and intoxicant abuse ) was really hard and whilst my attack could embrace the development of a shared apprehension of this behavior, finally the negative impact on DE’s mental wellness and stableness of his arrangement would necessitate to be acknowledged. Therefore, it could be said that there was a apposition between CPA attention direction and utilizing systems theory. However, it was possible to divide the two facets of my function with DE and use systems theory consequently. In footings of what I would make otherwise, I believe that a greater engagement of DE’s household would hold been good in order to help him in building a different narrative or narrative around his history, which would hold enriched his and possibly others’ apprehension of why jobs were showing themselves. Using systems theory to a service user such as DE, who may hold the cognitive shortages antecedently described, raises some of import ethical issues. First, sing the ability to give consent to such an attack being employed and to the seeking of positions from other parts of the system, such as household members and other workers. The potentially harmful influence of labels has been described in the literature of systems theory ( e.g. Benson, Long and Sporakowski ) , nevertheless the usage of labels such as â€Å"schizoaffective† and â€Å"enhanced CPA† would look ineluctable when working within a multidisciplinary squad which necessitates pass oning with tantamount linguistic communication. However, the usage of systems theory creates infinite for believing about the significance and impact of these labels and is, hence, at the really least a valuable and functional adjunct to the repertory of schemes for pull offing complex instances. Summary and Conclusion The work carried out with DE attempted to exemplify how persons function as a portion of many systems – they are affected by these systems and they, in bend, affect the systems. I believe that the round nature of DE’s showing issues and demands was highlighted efficaciously and the intercession took into consideration this dynamic interchange and the effects that alterations in one portion of a system will hold for other parts. Basically, I have learned that many jobs arise due to a mismatch between persons and the systems of which they are a portion and the function of a societal worker is to heighten the tantrum between the person and the systems impacting them. Mentions Barker, P. , 1998.Basic Family Therapy, 4ThursdayEdition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Beckett, J.A. , 1973. General Systems theory, psychopathology and psychotherapeutics.International Journal of Group Psychotherapy,23, pp. 292-305. Benson, M.J ; Long, J.K. and Sporakowski, M.J. , 1992. Teaching abnormal psychology and the DSM-III R from a household systems therapy perspective.Family Relationss,41( 2 ) , pp. 135-140. Bentovim, A. and Bingley Miller, L. , 2002.The Assessment of Family Competence, Strengths and Troubles. London: Pavillion. Bertalanffy, L. von, 1968.General Systems Theory: Foundations, Development, Application.New York: Braziller. Bilson, A. and Ross, S. , 1999. A history of systems thoughts in societal work. In,Social Work Management and Practice. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2neodymiumEdition. Byng-Hall, J. , 1988. Scripts and fables in households and household therapy.Family Procedure,27, pp. 167-179. Cecchin, G. , 1987. Speculating, disk shape and neutrality revisited: an invitation to wonder.Family Procedure,26, pp. 405-413. Dallos, R. and Draper, R. , 2000.An Introduction to Family Therapy. Buckingham: Open University Press. de Shazer, I. , 1982.Forms of Brief Family Therapy: An Ecosystemic Approach. New York: Guildford Press. Fleurida, C. et al. , 1986. The development of round inquiries.Journal of Marital and Family Therapy,12( 2 ) , pp. 112-127. Goldenberg, I. and Goldenberg, H. , 2004.Family Therapy:An Overview,6ThursdayEdition. London: Brooks/Cole. Guerin, P.J. and Pendagast, E.G. , 1976. Evaluation of household system and genogram. In, P.J. Guerin, erectile dysfunction.Family Therapy. New York: Gardner Press. James, P. and Murray, R.M. , 1991. The genetic sciences of schizophrenic disorder is the genetic sciences of neurodevelopment.British Journal of Psychiatry,158, pp. 615-623. Leff, J. , 1994. Working with the households of schizophrenic patients.British Journal of Psychiatry,164( suppl. 23 ) , pp. 71-76. O’Brian, C. and Bruggen, P. , 1985. Our personal and professional lives: larning positive intension and round inquiring.Family Prcess,24, pp. 311-322. Payne, M. , 2002. Systems and Ecological Perspectives. In,Modern Social Work Theory, 3rdEdition. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Penn, P. , 1982. Round inquiring.Family Procedure,21, pp. 267-280. Randolph, C. , Goldberg, T.E. and Weinberger, D.R. , 1993. The physiological psychology of schizophrenic disorder. In, K.M. Heilman and E. Valenstein, eds.Clinical Physiological psychology, 3rdEdition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Reder, P. , 1983. Disorganised households and the assisting professions: â€Å"Who’s in charge of what? † .Journal of Family Therapy,5, pp. 23-36. Reder, P. and Fredman, G. , 1996. The relationship to assist: interacting beliefs about the intervention procedure.Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,1( 3 ) , pp. 457-467. Selvini Palazzoli, M.S. , Cechin, G. , Prata, G. and Boscolo, L. , 1980a. Hypothesising-Circularity-Neutrality. Three guidelines for the music director of the session.Family Procedure,19( 1 ) , pp. 3-12. Selvini Palazzoli, M. , Boscolo, L. , Cecchin, G. and Prata, G. , 1980b. The job of the mentioning individual.Journal of Marital and Family Therapy,6, pp. 3-9. Tomm, K. , 1988. Interventive interviewing: portion III. Intending to inquire lineal, round, strategic or automatic inquiries.Family Procedure,27, pp. 1-15. Brooding Diary Analysis I applied the theory of depth psychology to the pattern state of affairs in order to research implicit in issues which had made ME so dependent upon her spouse, JM. This appeared appropriate as it would supply an chance to derive information about any past experiences which had contributed to her present province, in peculiar, the nature and beginning of her anxiousnesss and frights. Uncovering this information would so inform my pattern with ME and JM and supply construction to any intercession. The overall intent of depth psychology derives from the Freudian premise that abnormal psychology develops when people remain incognizant of their true motives and frights and they can be restored to healthy working merely by going witting of what has been repressed ( Bower, 2005 ) . Freud believed that the unconscious struggles he uncovered – in dreams, in memory oversights, in neurotic symptoms – ever referred to certain critical events in the individual’s early life. His observations of his patients led him to reason that all human existences experience a mostly similar sequence of important emotional events in their early lives and that it is this childhood past that shapes their present ( Freud, 1905 ) . Although Freud cautioned against the usage of depth psychology in schizophrenic disorder, as he believed that sick persons of schizophrenic disorder had regressed to a province of â€Å"primary narcissism† , a stage early in the unwritten phase before the self-importance has differentiated from the Idaho ( Freud, 1905 ) , more modern-day psychoanalysts have adopted a different attack. Primarily followings of Melanie Klein, they have taken the place that the schizophrenic place, or dividing between â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† objects, was a normal phase of development and that schizophrenic disorder was the late effect of non negociating this phase decently ( Salzberger-Wittenberg, 1970 ) . Therefore, the flow of unconscious stuff ( e.g. psychotic beliefs, hallucinations and thought upset ) were actively encouraged, explored and participated in. In ME’s instance, a preparation of her presenting issues included the function of specific anxiousnesss and frights. Anxiety has been conceptualised psychodynamically as a province of weakness and â€Å"psychic pain† , which consequences from the sensed disagreements between one’s ideal ego ( or ego ideal ) and one’s existent ego ( Freud, 1926, cited in Brown and Pedder, 1991 ) . These painful disagreements can non so be easy assimilated into our witting position of ourselves and the universe because of the anxiousness they arouse and the effect is a â€Å"defence mechanism† activated to repress this psychic hurting. Using open-ended inquiries with ME, such as â€Å"how are you experiencing? † and leting her to react freely revealed a small of her province of head, Internet Explorer. â€Å"very low, ever tired and really sad† . It was interesting to observe ME’s spouse, JM’s, account of ME’s low temper, â€Å"the weather† , a topic he had mentioned at the beginning of the brush. This may bespeak an effort to avoid, or support against, speech production of hard issues and moreover, may stand for his ain header scheme. Further inquiries to arouse ME’s emotional province included â€Å"has it made a difference? † ( sing the usage of anti-depressants ) and â€Å"how do you experience about discontinuing smoke? † An built-in rule of depth psychology is the usage of transference and countertransference within any clinical brush ( Casement, 1985 ; Salzberger-Wittenberg, 1970 ) . Transference is the conveyance of past feelings, struggles and beliefs into present relationships and state of affairss, specifically to the curative state of affairs ; whilst countertransference is a reversal of this – the feelings of the analyst towards the service user ( Salzberger-Wittenberg, 1970 ) . For illustration, a manifestation of transference may be the single responding to their healer or carer as they would towards of import figures from their yesteryear, such as in a childlike or hostile mode. Countertransference has been exemplified in instances where down persons project their hopelessness and depair onto their healer, who in bend develops negative attitudes towards their client and the result of therapy. In the brush with ME, it was of import to be cautious that she was non reassigning her anxio usnesss and paranoid thoughts onto any confederation with me and to be cognizant of the possible projection of her broken and dependent thought. My premises sing ME prior to the meeting were that she would be more independent and possess greater verbal accomplishments, given that she was on standard CPA. As she was good supported in the community, I believed that my primary part would be to back up and prolong JM’s function of pull offing ME’s mental wellness. During the class of the meeting, it became apparent that ME relied on JM tremendously and that he often responded to inquiries on her behalf. When ME did answer, her responses were limited and reasonably concrete. In order tosupplement the psychoanalytic theory I was using to an apprehension of ME’s demands, I used motivational inquiring ( â€Å"what about some indoor activities? Like swimming, I remember you stating one time that you liked that and it was fun? ) , positive feedback ( â€Å"you quit smoke late and it’s been 8 hebdomads and that is superb. That took a batch of willpower† ) and some self-disclosure ( â€Å"†I int end on utilizing you as my function theoretical account in seeking to halt smoke myself† ) . Although non purely adhering to rules of depth psychology, it was necessary to accommodate the techniques I was utilizing in response to ME’s showing demands. Following my meeting with ME, I considered the utility of using depth psychology to an person with schizophrenic disorder. Whilst I had considered the ethical issue of non doing premises about the manifestation of symptoms, as different persons display changing features of the unwellness, I acknowledged that a pure psychoanalytic attack may be excessively demanding for ME. Alternatively, facets of the theoretical account, such as understanding the psychodynamic history and assisting the single move towards new nonpsychotic forms of life would be most utile. An attack outlined by Lamb ( 1982 ) , which recommends beef uping self-importance control, giving advice, covering with life’s jobs, presenting experiential topics ( decease, freedom, isolation and nonsense ) and cut downing guilt by â€Å"taking sides against the superego† , may stand for a more balanced position. Basically, I came to appreciate that open-mindedness and flexibleness are valuable pre-requisites when sing any curative stance and the application of specific theories and seting one’s attack to the demands the service user is critical. Mentions Bower, M. ( Ed. ) , 2005.Psychoanalytical Theory for Social Work Practice: Thinking Under Fire. Abingdon: Routledge. Brown, D. and Pedder, J. , 1991.Introduction to Psychotherapy, 2neodymiumEdition. London: Routledge. Casement, P. , 1985.On Learning From the Patient. London: Routledge. Freud, S. , 1905. Three parts to the theory of sex. In, A.A. Brill, ed..The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud.New York: Modern Library, 1938. Lamb, H.R. , 1982.Treating the Mentally Ill. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Salzberger-Wittenberg, I. 1970.Psychoanalytical Insight and Relationships: A Kleinian Approach. London: Routledge.