Relationship between Learning and Grading

To understand the relationship between evaluation and learning, we need to understand the evaluation pattern currently in use. Level 1, shows superficial concern on the work done by students. It takes for granted that the work done by students must be graded. Level 2 asks if traditional assessment or ‘authentic’ evaluation, which would delve deeper into students achievements? Level 3 enquires the need of evaluating students. The idea of wanting to know about the student performance itself is objectionable. Labeling students on the basis of performance often misjudges them. Student performance does not show any improvement on strict assessment. On the other hand, when it is easier to score, the learners do not put inferior work. Often the same teacher may put different grades to the same work when assessed at two different times. Thus the variation in score indicates subjective assessment .It makes learning incompatible. Motivation is an important aspect of assessment. If the motivation is inherent, then the student learns for his own sake, on the other hand, when the motivation is external, learning is for a purpose, the purpose being escaping a punishment or expecting a reward. Both are conflicting in nature. The findings reveal that student’s performance suffers and they exhibit lesser interest and focus on the task, if they know that they will be graded. Rote learning falls apart when the students know that they will be graded. Japanese students exhibit less interest in the subject and willingness to answer difficult questions, when they know they would be examined. Thus using grades to evaluate students made them lower interest, instill the fear of failure and disheartened their learning and creativity. (Butler and Nissan 1986, P.215). Some educators believe that providing feedback in form of grades is inadequate. It does not tell the student, where he or she went wrong, and the scope for improvement. Eric Schaps (1993) designed the ‘demand’ and ‘support’ models. The demand model highlights the student’s performance as ‘chosen’ and ‘earned’ making education an investment and preparation of a future worker. The ‘support ‘model is learner oriented making students responsible in the tasks they have chosen. It teaches that supportive and engaging environment is wanted more than improvement. The 5 main principles of assessment are – 1.In no way should evaluation stop curiosity or instill fear. 2. Interest sparked in students can be read by observation by experienced teachers. 3. School can become a caring place, making students feel free to discuss problems and seek help. 4. Assessment should be directly related to quality of curriculum. It is important to know if the student has received anything worthwhile from the curriculum.5 Students to play a decisive role in evaluation, to know that it is a learning experience. In case Grades are a must, it is important that they are supplemented by adequate comments. Gradation should not be done, while the students are still learning. A teacher should not mark students on a curve, saying only few are eligible for top marks. It is destructive to the self esteem of the student. Grades should never be given for effort, for it creates an opposite effect. Teachers need to keep an eye on the interest level of the curriculum too.

Blood Doping: Is it Rational and Ethical? Essay

You’re in the big race and your rival who you’ve been neck and neck with all year long somehow beats you by way more than usual. You ran one of the best races of your life and he somehow beat you and you don’t know how. Winning that race would have gotten a lot of opportunities from big colleges and instead of looking at you they’re looking instead, at your rival. How would you feel if you later learned the reason he was able to beat you was only because he started blood doping? Now imagine this happening at the professional level every day. Blood doping is unethical, unfair, unsafe, and needs to be regulated and removed completely from professional sports and recreational use. â€Å"Blood doping† is comparable to the administration of anabolic steroids and other drugs with the hope of improving athletic performance. Anabolic steroids have been considered unethical and have been banned from use in sports and blood doping, as it should, is banned as well. The athletes are placing themselves at risk for serious complications without medical benefit. Surely there is the idea that they will do anything to win, but is it worth it? Kathleen Sharp, in her article â€Å"A Drug to Quicken the Blood,† shares the negatives to EPO explaining, â€Å"Too many red blood cells can turn your blood to sludge and make the heart work overtime. The drug raised the risks of strokes, blood clots, and heart attacks. Even worse was that EPO could potentially multiply cancer cells† (Sharp). Look more:  satiric essays EPO has so many health risks and these athletes just ignore them because their goals are more focused on winning rather than their long-term health. There are many other athletes out there, who haven’t admitted to it, but are taking EPO without the public’s knowledge and some of the reason might be that they are taking it just to keep up with others. Imagine this scenario: One athlete starts doping and starts excelling above others, then other athletes will need to dope as well to keep pace with him. The fact that there can only be one winner means a lot of these athletes are doping and are not winning anything, which results in risking and damaging their health without having anything to show for it. Besides the health problems that EPO risks, users are making a conscious decision to use an illegal substance to attempt to benefit their performance and gain an edge on the competition. Much like steroids as mentioned before, EPO is not allowed to be used in sports. Using an illegal substance to try to gain an edge over the competition is unethical no matter what position you take on blood doping. If blood doping was allowed in sports, then the discussion would be different, but since it is not, using it is considered cheating which is unethical behavior and is not acceptable in competition of any kind. There’s a code of ethics that athletes are supposed to follow. They sign contracts and get paid millions of dollars to perform in their respective sport and it’s assumed they got to where they are because of their own talents, hard work, and without the aid of illegal performance enhancing drugs. I think it’s fair to make a general assumption that we expect professionals who are supposed to be the best at what they do to be able to do what they do without cheating. One article from â€Å"Men’s Fitness† shows a study done by Dutch researchers that looks at how much affect blood doping really has on â€Å"elite athletes.† Shawn Radcliffe, the author of â€Å"Study: EPO Blood Doping Useless for Elite Athletes,† explains how the study and found that, in spite of popular belief, there’s little evidence to show EPO can improve performance in cyclists, who are considered to be elite athletes. He describes how â€Å"elite athletes† already have such maximal oxygen uptake, that EPO will have little change in the transportation of oxygen and therefore have little effect on performance. So it’s very possible that Lance Armstrong may have lost his career and titles for nothing if he already had the highest VO2max, or maximal oxygen intake, levels he could which means EPO would have been doing nothing for him. If he and other cyclists raced without the use of EPO, it would make the sport fairer, and there would be no question of his integrity and no doubt in everyone’s minds that he is the greatest cyclist in the world. But since we know he used EPO, he lost everything and it all could have been avoided if the drug wasn’t used in the first place. Even if it was, there should have been tests done to prevent those who were blood doping from being able to race. My solution to the problem of blood doping is to have professional doctors hired by the sports federation (not the individual teams’ doctor) go to each team and test each athlete individually for steroid and EPO use. Especially for major events that are world renowned and watched like the Olympics, World Cup, Tour de France, and the Super bowl, all athletes in these events should be blood tested for steroids and EPO use. There should be no excuse not to since these athletes have a responsibility to be honest and clean for the better of the sport and to be fair to all athletes out there, especially to those who don’t use drugs. Make athletes afraid to dope and hopefully the fad will be eradicated soon enough. If sports can ban, test for, and regulate steroid use then I believe they should reasonably and feasibly be able to test athletes for EPO use as well. Now going back to that big race, but this time without any blood doping involved; you run the best race of your life and beat that rival you’ve been neck and neck with all year long. All those big colleges you’ve been looking at are now scouting you and all the opportunities are opening up. With all things fair, it’s those who train harder and better that deserve to win, not those who cheat and use performance enhancing drugs to do it. That’s why blood doping needs to be regulated and removed completely from professional sports and recreational use.

Koreans in California

United States is the land of opportunities. With open society offering freedom and liberty, United States has always been an attractive place for immigrants from through out the world. The influx of people having diverse culture and background in one society on one hand has been benefiting and on the other hand, it has been posing serious problems as well. New people take some time to adjust in new environment. The inter-cultural and ethnic confrontations are major impediments in their growth. But time allows the dust to settle down. Same is the story of Korean immigrants coming to this large hearted country, who began their journey almost hundred years ago. They found tough resistance but had high ambitions. Through their sheer hard work and docile nature, Korean immigrants are now considered as an integral string of US societal fiber. This paper aims at scrutinizing the history of Korean immigrants to United States specially in California, highlighting the start of their journey, problems they encountered, reasons for their coming to America, their present state, current issues faced by them, and their business activities. History of Korean Immigration Koreans are one of the largest, fastest growing Asian groups in the United States. Their immigration to the U.S. started between 1902 and 1905 when a total of 7,200 Koreans arrived in Hawaii as sugar plantation workers (Lee 21). The difficult working conditions on the plantations motivated some Korean Americans to move to the mainland where many continued in agricultural work. Since their initial numbers were limited therefore they did not formed groups and rather stayed fairly dispersed. After the abolishment of the Immigration Act in 1965, large numbers of Koreans, including some from the North that have come via South Korea, have been immigrating ever since, putting Korea in the top five countries of origin of immigrants to the United States since 1975. Initial Problems Faced by Korean Immigrants In the beginning, Koreans experienced the same kinds of discrimination that other Asian groups encountered including being prohibited from attending school with whites in San Francisco, being unable to intermarry with whites (California Anti-Miscegenation Law, 1901) and being unable to own land in California (1913 Alien Land Law). The years from 1910-1940, were particularly difficult for many Korean Americans as they thought of themselves more as exiles than immigrants and felt they were without a country. They had problems in getting jobs, and even were restricted from going to public places (Takaki 10-25). Reasons for Korean Immigrations to US Koreans came to America for a variety of reasons like family reunions, fleeing from military regimes or the threat of war, better employment opportunities, and a good education for their children. Besides that the other reasons for immigration include their desire for increased freedom, especially for women, and the hope for better economic conditions. In short, they came here to realize their own â€Å"American dream.† The Present State of Korean Immigrants Today there are over a million Korean Americans. They have continued their early patterns of not being as concentrated as other Asian groups in particular locations. Currently 44% live in the West, 23% in the Northeast, 19% in the South, and 14% in the Midwest. The state with the largest population is California with 33% of the total; New York is second with 12%. Even in California the population is scattered with only 20% of the Koreans in Southern California living in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Korea town is located about five miles west of City Hall and is roughly bounded by Beverly Boulevard and Pico Boulevard to the north and south and Hoover and Crenshaw on the east and west. In Southern California they own 45% of liquor stores, 46% of small grocery markets, and 45% of one-hour photo shops (Takaki, 40-50). The Current Issue Faced by Korean Immigrants The 1992 Los Angeles incidents have left many marks in the memory of Korean Americans. The Korean community is yet to recover from the aftermath of Rodney King verdicts. Much of the destruction was caused to many Korean markets and businesses which were located in those areas of the inner city (South Central and Korea town) which were burnt down. According to estimates 50% of Korean American property was lost. At that time there was little or no police presence in those areas and Koreans were left at their own. The frustration still continues due to lack of due support of the state, and 40% of the Korean businesses lost have not been able to reopen. The Koreans business in those areas still struggle to fight high rate of crime, violence, and interethnic tension (Hwangbo 1-2). Conclusion Like America, Koreans are tough, resilient, and sincere. They know how to survive through crises. As with most other Asian groups, California is increasingly preferred by new Korean immigrants as a permanent place to settle down. As community, they are peace loving, and they strongly believe in Confucian teaching of family culture. They had tough times in California and faced discriminations, but they stuck to their aim of creating harmony and striving for a better future. They are still confronted with ethnic challenges but are successful in negotiating the problems as and when they arise. Works Cited Hwangbo, Kay. â€Å"Human Dramas in The Their Own Voices.† LA Times, April 4, 1996: 1-2 . Lee, Lauren. Korean Americans. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1995. Takaki, Ronald. Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans. NY: Penguin, 1989.

CRJ565 AL 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRJ565 AL 4 - Essay Example People and especially clients are likely to see him as a leader that trusts his employees as well as one that is democratic in his leadership. The main problem is lack of interpersonal communication with her employees that is face-to-face which makes her leadership somehow cold. By her reducing her use of social media to communicate as well as utilizing lunch and tea breaks to interact with her employees on a more personal level, they are likely to start regarding her in high status and opening up to her. She will get to know her employees more if she spends much more time with them in meetings. Brenda however needs to have a team building experience with her employees away from the workplace in order to get to learn about her employees on a more personal level. This will enable much warmer communication, identify skills and talents and utilize them to increase performance. I agree on the point of appreciating the work the managers are doing by letting them seal the seal with the clients as they have been working at it for a long time. This will be empowering the employees and building up their confidence and managerial skills. Employees look up to their leader for inspiration, guidance as well as a role model. If the leader continues portraying certain behaviors that are not empowering, the employees will in turn emulate and repeat these same behaviors and this would affect the productivity of the company. If the CEO wants to be involved in the final signing of the contract by the clients, he should simply be present as a support figure and not interfere in any way. The nicotine test I agree is an invasion of the privacy of the employees and instead of doing so which only leads to his resentment by the employees, he should seek incentives to encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle. The nicotine test should be voluntary rather than mandatory. By providing incentives and rewards to the employees taking initiative over their

Quanative verses Qualitive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quanative verses Qualitive - Research Paper Example rch practitioner using qualitative data will rely on their experience in a specific field of study to make determinations about the data achieved, often with a focus on sociology or psychology to emphasize phenomenon of human actions and emotions. It is the most appropriate method for determining symbolic meanings in a culture or organization. Quantitative research is based on statistical understanding, a scientific or mathematical approach to research. Through data modeling or correlative research, the researcher can determine whether specific characteristics or attitudes exist in specific demographics. For instance, the survey in quantitative research will often identify specific facts, such as gender, occupation, or political affiliation (Brians, Willnat, Manheim & Rich, 2011). Results of the questions asked can indicate whether any specific trends exist within a certain demographic or mean totals determined, when using ranking scales, to determine majority opinion in an identified sample group of respondents. The ability to take tangible facts and figures from the sample and measure their correlations to a belief can provide valuable, legitimized data results in this type of

Hospitality and tourism industry economy in Australia Essay

Hospitality and tourism industry economy in Australia - Essay Example Although, this segment comprises of a cluster of small firms or hotels that offers extremely attractive holiday packages to spend leisure or recreational times, religion or health, business and professional purposes at a quite affordable ranges. Due to this, its competitiveness enhanced to a significant rate as compared to others. Thus, from the above graphs, it might be depicted that the outlook of hospitality or tourism industry in Australia changed to a certain extent. The entire credit of such a market scenario of hospitality and tourism industry of Australia is due to the changing demographics. However, in-spite of benefits, it also had to face varied types of challenges as well. This paper mainly focuses about the challenges regarding the type of jobs and talents required for the individual getting engaged in the hospitality and tourism industry in Australia due to changing demographics. Along with this, it also describes the appropriate human resource approaches essential to retain the employees as well as to attract new talented ones towards the industry of tourism. In this today’s era, maximum extent of the employees desire to establish his or her own identity and image in the organization or industry, engaged with. This is mainly due to the changes of the attitudes and behaviours of the generation x and y candidates as compared to baby boomers. So, in order to retain the employees of generation x and y within the organization or industries for a longer period of time, varied types of human resource approaches are maintained. These approaches might lead to the betterment of this industry. So, they are described below one by one. Succession Management- according to Philips (2012), it is a constant process of identifying, assessing and developing varied leaders within the organization so as to improve the level of performance, dedication

Essentials of business in 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Essentials of business in 2012 - Essay Example Our reputation for quality products, unique baked products, eclectic atmosphere, and excellent, friendly service will be the basis for continued growth. Long-term vision (beyond next year): Building on a foundation of community presence, referral business, quality and excellence, we will continue to expand our market and become the preferred choice in the Salthill area for consumers seeking a quiet place to visit while enjoying a hot beverage and freshly baked cakes. While we will offer high quality and a variety of coffee blends, along with other hot and cold beverages, our unique selling point will be our fresh baked cakes and other baked goods. We will offer a large variety and unique flavors to highlight local taste favorites and respond to customer demand. Since we are not a chain, we will have the freedom to experiment with flavors and adjust to accommodate customer needs quickly and efficiently. Our success will rely on our flexibility to changing customer needs, our service excellence, and our fantastic products. These elements, packaged in an inviting environment, with careful attention to costs and profit, will create a sustainable business model. To market the shop we will periodically place advertisements in The Galway City Tribune, create a website, and launch a Facebook page. The costs incurred will be predominately with the newspaper articles, though depending on the service selected, there may be a minimal on-going web hosting fee that we will need to maintain to keep the website live. We will rely on samples, hand-bills, and word-of-mouth for a portion of our marketing strategy. These options offer a low-cost option that will help us create a presence in the community and quickly install The Caked Bean as an everyday destination for the local clientele. While the shop will offer cake slices and single serving baked goods, we will also take orders for whole cakes for special occasions to supplement the normal