A New Health Care Manager - 940 Words

As a new health care manager of a, hospital affiliated, multidisciplinary practice there are a number of things that I need to consider, before even stepping foot on the premise. The role of a healthcare manger is to create an environment that offer essential and quality care at maximum profit. As a health care manager it is up to me to regulate budgets, administer payroll and benefits, order and receive supplies as well as regularly communication with medical staff. Since the office is transitioning to a computerized there is a little more ground work that I have to put in as a new manager, like ensuring the medical staff is trained on the new computer system and ensuring that they know the HIPAA standards for privacy of health information and other state and federal laws and regulations. During the transition, there will be lots of patient’s records being moved around and entered into the new system, since the practice is half way through this transition, I need to come in and make sure that the medical staff is handling this transition properly in regulation to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Each member of the staff will be familiar with the privacy rule of HIPPA. The HIPAA privacy rule is a complete summary on the protection of patient information, as well as how the information can be used and disclosed. To be sure that every patient chart is accounted for I will have the office managers come up with a master list of all patients’Show MoreRelatedRoles and Function of Health Care991 Words   |  4 PagesRoles and Function of Health Care Mangers Shelly Williams Hughes HCS/325- health Care Management Shawn Matheson February 18, 2013 Introduction In the new health care work place everybody must respond and adapt to rapid changes in sociality, science as well as the shifting need of today’s patient(). These changes have also changed the role of health care managers. The four major functions of health care managers are organizing, planning, controlling and leading. 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Bond Free Analysis - 856 Words

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In one’s dreams, one can escape and look down upon the world and not appear to be a part of the â€Å"interstellar gloom†. Frost’s use of words such as gloom convey that reality is not something desirable, but rather something to escape. In the light of day, reality sets in again and Thought must retrace its steps to earth. Frost uses the imagery of Sirius’ disc to illustrate that Thought is the brightest star in the night sky. If earth represents where Love resides, the heavens represent where Thought resides. In the final stanza, Frost concludes the poem by respecting what Thought builds in the heavens, but realizes there is value in Love as well. Beginning in stanza three, Thought begins to be personified as male with the use of the pronouns him and his. This creates the juxtaposition of Love as being a female characterization. Symbolically then Frost is proposes men as being the logical thinkers, who long for escape from the entrapment of Love or the female figure. 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Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe free essay sample

A study of several themes and characters in the book Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The paper discusses the character Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin and describes him as an almost Christ-like character. It also discusses the central theme of slavery and how it is justified through the white characters of the book. The paper shows how, by using repeated references to Christianity and the Bible, Stowe appeals to the readers sense of morality that should transcend stereotypes. Perhaps Stowes message in using Quakers as the benefactors is the emphasis on true Christian values. Juxtaposed against a false sense of religious superiority that most slave owners perpetuated, the Quakers exhibit kindness and compassion to all people. Stowe, in her final chapter, tells the true story exemplifying the kindness of the Quakers. These are benevolent qualities they share with the protagonist, Tom. We will write a custom essay sample on Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When Eliza and her son and husband are all reunited under the care of the Quakers, Stowe paints a picture of a true home, where they feel free, even rich.

It Is Hard To Sympathize With Someone When You Have No Idea Where They

It is hard to sympathize with someone when you have no idea where they are coming from or what they are going through. It is similar experiences that allow us to extend our sincere appreciation and understanding for another human being's situations and trials of life. Anne Bradstreet's "The Author to Her Book" expresses the emotions that Bradstreet felt when her most intimate thoughts were published to the world without her consent. The average person would not see the cause for distress that Bradstreet feels in this situation. She had written a collection of near perfect poetry, which expressed her feelings in a way that the majority of women during that time did not have the talent or training to do. Many would wonder why she would be disturbed about these works being printed when they had brought many people pleasurable reading and had brought Bradstreet herself much personal fame. Therefore, Bradstreet can not just write a straightforward poem to tell how she feels about her stol en thoughts. Unless her reader happens to be a writer, he or she would not be able to sympathize with Bradstreet in this matter. Instead, she had to use a situation in which her readers could comprehend the many emotions she experienced. No doubt, many women read her poetry, and the majority of women during that time were, or would one day be mothers. This similarity opened a door for understanding. By comparing her writing to a child, Bradstreet is able to win the compassion of her readers and help them understand the feelings that she experiences. Bradstreet sees herself s the "mother" (line 23) of this work, which she calls an "ill-formed offspring" (line 1) and she gives the work many human characteristics to enhance the effect of the conceit. She says that the "child" had been by her side until "snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true" (line 3). Bradstreet's works would probably never have been published had it not been for her brother-in-law. A person she thought she could trust saw fit to take her works back to England and have them published without her consent. He took her most intimate thoughts and placed the future of them in his own hands and she was never consulted. She shares an intimacy with her work like that of a mother and child and that intimacy was infringed upon when her work was "exposed to public view" (line 4). It is because of this intrusion on that special relationship that Bradstreet experiences the feelings that follow. Ironically, in this perfect piece of poetry, the next thing she talks about is the mistakes and shame she feels at not being able to perfect the work before it was published. She compares her work to a child clothed in "rags" (line 5). She feels shame that the "errors were not lessened" (line 6) and refers to her work as a "rambling brat" who is "one unfit for light" (line 8-9) Because her "child" was taken so suddenly and without her knowledge, she had no time to correct its mistakes. She feels a sense of shame, just like a mother would feel shame for her child who has misbehaved or a child whose mother has not had proper time to train them in the correct way to behave. Her shame is not necessarily in the fact that she may have made some mistakes in her writing. A mother feels her most shame, not when a child misbehaves, but when a child misbehaves in the sight of others. This reflects badly on the mother- making it look like she does not discipline or try to correct her child. In t his same manner, Bradstreet does not feel shame because she made mistakes, because everyone makes mistakes, but instead because the mistakes in her works were made public so that "all may judge" (line 6). But just as a mother loves her child unconditionally, so Bradstreet loves her works. A child is a product of its parents and, of course, parents wish they could correct every aspect of their child that is not perfect, but they can not. There will always be some flaws, but a mother's love overlooks these. In

PSY 364 Human Development Lecture Notes Essay Example

PSY 364 Human Development Lecture Notes Essay Example PSY 364 Human Development Lecture Notes Essay PSY 364 Human Development Lecture Notes Essay Development: (+) or (-) changes in life Patterns of continuities and change (includes growth and decline) 3 ways we develop: Partly like most individuals (biologically) Partly like others (small group experience) Ex: death ofa parent Partly like no others Ex: certain childhood experience BROAD DOMAINS OF DEVELOPMENT: Physical Cognitive (glass of water) Psychosocial (how we deal with emotions) Definitions of development: Growth: physical changes from birth to maturity (biological changes) Aging: (+) and (-) changes in the mature organism Maturation: biological unfolding of individual genetic plan Learning: relatively permanent changes due to environmental experiences. Age grades: socially defined age groups Ex: children, infants, elderly etc.. Each comes with its own privilege/responsibility Very gradual process Age norms: behavioral expectations of age groups Ex: expect children to attend school Social clock: when things SHOULD be done Ex: having children by a certain age. Off-time experiences are more difficult not expecting (parent death, teen pregnancy) Traditional approach: extensive change from birth to adolescence, little to no change in adulthood. Decline in old age. Modern life-span approach: developmental change in childhood as well as adulthood. Gerontology: study of old age and aging. Before 1600: children viewed as mini adults Modern view: innocent/need protection Average life expectancy 1900s: 47 years Average life expectancy 2000: 77. 5 years Greater in whites by about 5 years Dont really know why the mind changes: BOTH! Nature vs. nurture debate Nature: heredity maturation and genes (biology) Nurture: learning, experience, cultural influence and environment (world experiences) GENETICS AND ENVIRONMENT INTERACT: Tyron (1942) Experiment on maze running in rats Selectively bred 2 lines of rats 1. Dull on how well they could run the maze 2. Bright kept environment the same Raised offspring in a rich or less enriched environment (wasnt much opportunity to learn how mazes worked less) Genetics idea: thought those from dull genetics line would simply do worse RESULTS: dull line did Just as well in enriched environment (now performed like bright rats) ECOLOGY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Bronfenbrenner: bioecological model (interactionist model) How nature and nurture interact to produce development 1 . Microsystem: immediate environment Ex: classes you attend etc.. 2. Mesosystem: relationships between Microsystems Ex: divorce parents might affect how you do in school. 3. Exosystem: Social systems NOT DIRECT Ex: dad had a bad day at work, and child feels this at home 4. Macrosystem: culture Chronosystem: changes occur in a time frame 3 goals of developmental psychology: 1. Description: Understanding what happens during development Individual differences 2. Explanation: Typical and individually different development 3. Optimization: How we can improve development Early Beginnings: Charles Darwin (1809-1882) Theory of evolution Use of baby biographies Kept records of how infants act Systematically understanding difference in children Stanley Hall (1844-1924) Questionnaire methodology with children 1st to coin that adolescence is a period of storm and stress. Alfred Binet 1st IQ tests (Halls work to the next level) attempt to get a stable estimate of childs intelligence jean Piaget (1896-1980) Focused on cognitive theories of development Modern life span perspective: saltes (1987): 7 key assumptions of modern-life span perspectives Life long (always undergoing change) Gain and loss and lifelong plasticity Historical/cultural contests, multiple influence Multidisciplinary studies Scientific approach: Theory: set of concepts and propositions that describe and explain some aspect of behavior. Hypothesis: theoretical predictions that can be tested by collecting data. Random sample (vs. convenience): identify all members of the larger population and select by random means. Ex: theoretically correct way: List of all people from ages 70 in the entire world then select random people to study. Ex: convenient: Wars to do random sampling but much easier Political poles Data collection: (3 methods) 1 . Verbal-reports: interview, questionnaires, tests Strengths: Gathers large amounts of data Simple Direct answers Limitations: Interpretation of questions (age differences) Issues of honesty and accuracy Ability to read/comprehend speech Ex: cant give interview to infant or young children m e a ities to describe what they are thinking. 2. Behavioral Observations: Naturalistic: Advantage: natural setting Disadvantage: conditions are not controlled Ex: raining when studying in playgrounds Structured (Lab) Advantage: conditions controlled Disadvantage: difficult to generalize to natural settings 3. Psychophysiological methods: examine relationship between physiological responses and behavior Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): measure rain activity during cognitive tasks Ex: what does the brain do when you tell a story Heart rate: compared to baseline, decrease may indicate interest. EEG: brain wave activity, showing arousal states; stimulus detection. Cortisol: Stress hormone STRENGTHS: most responses are hard to fake (brain activity, cortisol levels) WEAKNESS: some responses are hard to interpret Ex: high interest is associated with a slower heartbeat, but so is a state of calm. Need multiple converging measures: Verbal reports and physiological measures Unique challenges in developmental research: Infants and young children: Attention, instruction, answering questions may be difficult Elderly Adults: Possible sensory impairments Discomfort being studied, tested Adult aging research problem: Want to study reading comprehension in older adults and compare it to younger adults Consider for experiment: Vision impairments Slower What would you do to equate younger and older? Give older adults more time to read the test Seeing the text: increase the font or let participants choose fonts Does your method of equating influence your interpretation? Going to seem artificial and created age effects to equate for these different things Made reading situation very strange The scientific (experimental method) 3 critical features! 1 . Manipulation of independent variable change things and see how this change effects behavior ex: 2 diff detergents, tide or other (change situation) to see the difference. Diff. study techniques, better grade? . Random assignment of individuals to treatment conditions ex: medicine helps people get better from colds quicker, placebo and medicine are assigned to Sep. Experimental control control how much tutoring and when. Rather than Just asking how do you study? Come up with a pile of random methods, this way you can control what is happening in study. Quasi-Experiment: No random assignment cant tell if there is a causal relationshi p between, only compare between the groups. Ex: cannot experimentally manipulate race, gender, handedness, morning vs. ight person. Race cannot cause difference in IQ Older adults have worse verbal memory than younger adults 7 year olds read more slowly than 12 year olds. Experience with language, and less education than 12 year olds. Assign 7 year olds to lots of tutoring in language to get them both at the same level to make no differences CAUSAL EFFECT IS EXPOSURE TO LANGUAGE The correlational Method (systematic relationship) differences = correlation Determine if 2 or more variables are related. Correlation: a measure of a relationship Can range from +1. to -1. 0 Positive: variables move in the same direction Negative: variables move in opposite direction (as one goes up the other goes down) No relationship correlation is O. Cannot establish a causal relationship. Age, cohort and time of measurement effects: Age effects: changes which occur due to age (biology) grey hair Cohor t effects: Born in one historical context Changes due to differences in society Disadvantage of cross-sectional design. Time of measurement effects: historical Take place at time of data collection Disadvantage of longitudinal design Developmental research designs (CLS) 1 . Cross-sectional designs: +1 cohorts or age-groups studied 1 time of testing Studying age differences at any one time Cohort effects! (cohort and age effects are confounded) Provides no data on individual development 2. Longitudinal designs: 1 cohort +1 time of testing study changes across time in one cohort Costly and time consuming Practice ettects and selective attrition Age effects and time or measurement are confounded. Sequential designs: A combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs Advantages of both designs: Gives information about: Which age-related trends are age effects? Which age-related trends are truly cohort effects? Which age-related trends are a result of historical events? Have initial group and track them across time: 30, 40, 50 then later select a new group from a different cohort then keep going. End up with diff. ohorts to show different cohorts (time periods) cohort effect Gender beliefs will change in 2000 than in 1950s etc.. LIMITATION: hard to do Cultural and sub cultural sensitivity in research: Variety of contexts considered- cohort effects Culturally sensitive methods and measurements data needs to generalize what opulation you are interested in. SES particularly important Ethnocentrism: not designing studies only relevant to their ethnicity Research Ethics: Must protect participants from any physical or psychological harm. Prisoner/guard study Everyone got really into it, guards started to become very brutal. Came up with all sorts of punishments. Science must be ethical Informed consent: participants need to know all risks and benefits upfront. Debriefing: tell participants about the study afterward. Ex: milgrim, it was an actor screaming. Protection from harm If experiment does cause temporary discomfort or distress, safeguards must be given o monitor participants and intervene against long term effects. Ex: hubbard et al (2002) Children provoked to become angry after another child cheats at a game Parents observe through mirror Children played a second game that was rigged for them to win Debriefed Children got to know the actor All data always kept confidential Ensured by: pre-research approved by the internal review board Health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996 (HIPPA) WYNN (1992) outside reading dolls added and removed in case Purpose: Whether infants have arithmetical knowledge Goal is to test between 2 hypotheses: . Infants can do addition and subtraction using individuated numerical representations 2. Intants can make comparisons ot numbers using general perceptual impressions of amount or quantity (more plausible) Task: Looking time procedure Infants look longer at unexpected events Pre-Test: Showed final displays rather than both Just to see if infants like looking at one or two objects more. Predictions: If infants can do addition and subtraction, infants would look at the incorrect answer longer, surprising, should be one rather than 2 or vice versa Difference at the 2 doll s 1 doll display should be larger in the 2-1 group than the 1+1 group Results: Infants notice differences but still cant tell if this is because of mathematical skill or just noticing differences Experiment 3: Maybe infants know that an arithmetical operation results in numerical change, but cannot compute the exact result Know 1+1 equals more but not 2 Same as 1+1 condition and land 2 but Result scenes either have 2 or 3 dolls If infants do arithmetic, they will look longer at 3 doll compared to 2 doll condition. If they Just use perceptual impressions to determent the new amount is different, then looking times should be equal. RESULTS: Pretest: really no difference in looking time Test: look longer at 3 doll display Infants are doing math dont believe this May know objects but numerically might n ot know meee CONCLUSION: Infants count items in the display and perform arithmetic Infants born with innate ability to do simple addition and subtraction Introduction: Purpose of the study: Problem statement: Should identify what aspect of human cognition is being studied. Provide a general description and indicate why it is important Goal statement: Identify and explicitly state the specific goals of the study Theory/hypotheses and predictions: Most articles focus on one or more theories that are being tested Identify and describe these theories and hypotheses Identify and list any predictions that the authors make about results of the study Experiment: Describe the procedure and design of the study including the following information. The task Critical independent variables Dependent measures Results and conclusion: State the effects and pattern of data State significant effects Explain the effects Describe authors conclusions Explain implications ot the study References page: APA format Include paper you are reviewing as well as any other papers you cite.

Classical conditioning vs. Operant conditioning essays

Classical conditioning vs. Operant conditioning essays Classical conditioning vs. Operant conditioning Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are different learning methods. What exactly is conditioning? Conditioning is the acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli. Both classical and operant conditioning are basic forms of learning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus. Manipulating reflexes does this. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the likelihood of a behavior is increased or decreased by the use of reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning deals with more cognitive thought process. These two forms of learning have similarities and differences. Their similarities are that they both produce basic phenomena. One such phenomenon is acquisition. Both types of conditioning result in the inheritance of a behavior. One of the most famous of experiments that illustrates classical conditioning is Pavlov's Dogs. In this experiment, Pavlov sat behind a one-way mirror and controlled the presentation of a bell. The bell was the conditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus was an originally neutral stimulus that could eventually produce a desired response when presented alone. Directly after the ringing of the bell, Pavlov gave the dog food. The food was the unconditioned stimulus. This means that the food caused an uncontrollable response whenever it was presented alone. That response would be the salivation of the dog. A tube that was in the dog's mouth then measured the saliva. When the unconditioned stimulus (US) was paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS), it eventually resulted in a conditioned response. Extinction results if there is a decrease in frequency or strength of a learned response due to the failure to continue to pair the US and the CS. Extinct ...

Gerome (Napoleon In Egypt) v.s Manet (Gypsy with Cigarette) Term Paper

Gerome (Napoleon In Egypt) v.s Manet (Gypsy with Cigarette) - Term Paper Example Romanticism and Impressionism were among these artistic movements. The paintings of two major painters of these two movements have been taken for discussion in the paper. The first painter is Jean-Leon Gerome from Romantic Movement, and the second painter is Edouard Manet from impressionist movement. The masterpieces of these two painters we have taken are â€Å"Napoleon in Egypt,† and â€Å"Gypsy with Cigarette.† Before discussing the two masterpieces of these painters from two movements, it is necessary to understand the background of these two movements. Keywords: artistic movement, France, romanticism, impressionism, Napoleon in Egypt, Gypsy with Cigarette Romanticism and impressionism: The period of Romanticism has the element of heroism. This heroic element was combined with revolutionary idealism to produce a style. The painting called â€Å"Napoleon in Egypt,† has the qualities of a typical romantic movement painting. Impressionism or impressionist moveme nt started first in France at the end of 19th Century. The major concern of impressionists was the effect of light on an object rather than the exact presentation of the form. Vivid colours were basically used than the dull or dark colours. This movement is also known as optical realism as it focuses on actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of object. Equation 1Napoleon in Egypt Napoleon in Egypt Middle East and Northern Africa had been the centre of attraction for many artists from romantic era. The artists such as Delacroix, Jean-Leon Gerome (1824–1904), Theodore Chasseriau (1819–1856), Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps (1803–1860), and William Holman Hunt (1827–1910), travelled to the near East such as Egypt, and other Arab countries. Orientalist painting was the popular form of art and painting in the nineteenth century and it was greatly influenced by artists' direct experience of everyday life in Cairo and other Near Easter n cities and settlements. The genre of the painting is associated with heroism. Jean-Leon Gerome was a French painter as well as sculptor. He strongly opposed the movement of impressionism started by Monet and Manet. He continued to cherish and develop the French Neo-classicism. Like other artists in 19th century Jean- Leon Gerome had attracted towards East. Somewhere the superiority complex of the Western painters reflects in their painting. That might be the reason why Gerome has painted the picture of Napoleon as a warrior. Somewhere the painting represents the obsession of imperialism and establishing complete dominance on East. Jean- Leon Gerome belongs to the romantic era of art and sculpture. Some of the major attributes of Romanticism has been represented by the painting of Napoleon in Egypt. The major characteristics of Romanticism are as follows: Nationalism and Exoticism Subjectivity Vivid and passionate artwork Heroism The painting of Napoleon in Egypt has almost all the characteristics of the romantic era. It represents the nationalism as well as exoticism. Nationalism was one of the important vehicles of Romanticism. It was the era of major political changes in France. Napoleon became the inspiration for the painters like Jean- Leon Gerom. The pride of winning the world is reflected on the face of Napoleon which must be the pride of the painter. While painting Napoleon, Jean- Leon Gerome might have been patriotic. It was because Napoleon belonged to the same country where Jean- Leon Gerome was

Set of Economics Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Set of Economics Problems - Essay Example This phenomenon is explained with the help of a model. First of all Assume an economy composed of n citizens, with one of them serving the role of a self interested public official. This official is considering whether to implement a project. Here we take a situation where there is only one citizen i who derives positive utility from the project Ui > 0. All other citizens in the economy including the public official derive utility U-i ≠¤ 0. The public official may corrupt citizen i by proposing a bribe, which the citizen may accept or reject. For each unit of bribe b, we also assume citizen i suffers a cost (1+ÃŽ ¬), with ÃŽ ¬ ≠¥ 0. We assume Ui à · 1+ ÃŽ ¬ > U-i and complete information. Sub-game Nash Equilibrium is used in dynamic games. More informally, we can say that it means if the players used to play any smaller game that consisted of one part of the larger game then their behavior symbolizes Nash equilibrium of the smaller game. In any finite game like one mentioned above, we implement a common method of backward induction in which one considers the last actions and outcomes of the game first and determines which actions would be required to maximize utility in possible circumstances. For example the public official is proposing bribe and corrupt the citizen i keeping in mind his own benefits. However, the citizen may accept or reject the bribe. In case if the citizen accepts the bribe then it will include in corruption on the part of the public official as well as the citizen to maximize their own benefits. Furthermore, this corruption results in social inefficiency and harming the overall economic growth of the country. Now, suppose the project is a driving license for citizen i and citizen i is a dangerous driver. In such a case there would be negative externalities of the project for all other citizens. However, these negative externalities are small.

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay Example for Free

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay 1. Introduction The research project includes the complete lifespan of the work from the rationale to the conclusion. I examine the reasons for conducting the research, how the Company might benefit from the experience and how trainers may reflect and add to their toolbox of skills and knowledge. The project also considers the background to the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and how this came to AEGON UK Services, what role Workplace Training Services had to play and what part of strategy ECDL was designed to meet. The main body of the project, the research itself, sets out to consider a range of questions related to the evaluation of ECDL within a financial services setting which I believe is a valuable piece of research that is not presently widely available. The research considers the practical implications of the work and the justifications for following the particular actions undertaken. The conclusion draws the project together and provides answers to the questions considered above. Does ECDL add value within the business, have learners acquired new skills, what of the present learning methods and how might these be designed to suit the needs of future learners? I support my research findings with the results of my data collection exercises together with statistics relating to ECDL including its recent use outside of Europe. Finally, I present the detail of material used whilst working on the project as Reference and Bibliography. 2 Rationale AEGON UK Services (UKS) is the closed book arm or Third Party Administration (TPA) operation for AEGON UK one of the worlds top ten financial services companies. As a TPA no new business comes into the organisation and particularly in the present economic climate control of costs and expenses becomes paramount. It is not an overstatement to consider that the continuing well being of the UKS site in Lytham rests with its highly competitive nature. When one considers that the average cost of one staff member in Lytham is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40,00 pa whilst the equivalent outlay at the AEGON UK Head Office in Edinburgh is almost double at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65,000 pa, financial evidence becomes clear particularly with close to 900 staff at the Lytham site. There are many reasons for this divergence in costs, not all of which may be directly influenced by the Company but it is this difference which remains key to the health of the AEGON UK Services operation. It is against this background that the research into the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is set, one of the organisation obtaining maximum value for each pound of spend. As Managing Director, David Barker, said at the 2002 Business Plan launch to staff, Through the professionalism, skill and commitment of its staff AEGON UK Services has a key part to play in the growth and development of the UK operation. It is my responsibility, as Training Manager for UKS, to provide learning opportunities, develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills to meet the challenges set by the Managing Director and the Board of AEGON UK. After all, a shortage of skills could threaten the livelihood of the operation. Fingold and Soskice (1989:22) who created the notion of a low skills/low quality equilibrium argued that the majority of enterprises staffed by poorly trained managers and workers produce low quality goods and services. Their view was that Britain would not be able to keep pace with changing economic conditions. A decade on and still the need for the training and development of our staff in relation to the growth of our business remains. As David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education Employment, sets out the challenge ahead for us all when speaking at the National Training Awards ceremony in December 2000. The key message today is that there is a real economic need for people to upgrade skills throughout life. We need to help everyone fulfil their potential and respond to the changing world economy. (People Management, Vol 6, No 25). The task facing us in the UKS Training team is to meet the Secretary of States challenge and drive the business forward at the same time whilst maintaining a tight rein on expenditure. In the summer of 2001 our Union Representative introduced me to Workplace Training Services and this partnership with a local education provider soon bore fruit. A key strategic challenge for AEGON UK in 2002 was the introduction of a Common Operating Environment (COE) between its various UK operations; the most visible aspect of the COE would be the launch of Microsoft Office 2000 in the various sites. Significantly, as AEGON UK Services previously used Microsoft there were no plans to create a formal training plan for the business, rather than relying our awareness of existing applications. The Manager, Dedicated Delivery, of Workplace Training Services (an arm of Preston College), Cyril Wheat, offered the use of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as part of our solution to the need for staff learning and development in Office 2000. The seven-module ECDL programme is based upon the Microsoft Office 2000 applications and included learning on our key workplace needs, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Over 50 staff started the ECDL qualification in September 2001 and to-date over 150 have either achieved the award or are working towards it. Further developments of our work with the College have been the provision of additional learning and development for staff, in particular the provision of Learndirect facilities and the healthy learning partnership that has grown between an employer, union and education institution. To support the development of this significant partnership Workplace Training Services offered AEGON UK Services 100 free places on the ECDL programme in 2002. Although we have seen a large number of staff following the ECDL programme, myself included, AEGON UK Services has never conducted any formal evaluation of the learning programme. Whilst I have learned new skills and am able to access more difficult applications, has the Company benefited from the ECDL partnership, have the staff developed new skills and how might the programme best be carried forward? This is the rationale for the following research which is designed for the benefit, primarily, of the Company but also for the staff, College and as a valid piece of research. 3. Background Congratulations Sara Lundstedt! But why is this the Swedish environmental co-ordinator so significant to the history of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Well, Sara became the one millionth student to complete the programme, as reported in the June 2001 edition of IT Training (P7). What is ECDL and where did it come from? In 1994 the concept originated in Finland where the Finnish Information Process Association introduced the Computer Driving Licence. Shortly after, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) established the User Skills Task Force in 1995. The Task Force, supported by funding from the European Commission, was to examine how to raise IT skill levels in European industry. The Task Force identified the potential of the Finnish Licence and investigated the feasibility of adopting it and making it into a qualification for the whole of Europe. CEPIS actively encourages IT literacy and promotes acceptance of professional standards for ICT professionals throughout Europe. Pilot tests were carried out during 1995 and early 1996 resulting in the launch of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in August 1996, initially in Sweden and then throughout Europe. The ECDL Foundation was formed in 1997 to administer the ECDL programme on a not-for-profit basis and to promote, develop and certify computer skills and IT knowledge. According to its official website, the business of the ECDL Foundation is To disseminate, promote and evolve ECDL as a globally accepted IT skills certification programme that prepares all people for participation in the Information Society. On the surface, this has been successful; in 1999 the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) was created as the standard qualification for non-European countries. The syllabus is identical to that of ECDL and was initially taken up by Australia, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since then, more countries have joined the ICDL programme, ranging from Greece in 2000 to most recently, Malaysia. According to The Electric Paper Company Limited (http://www.electricpaper.ie/products/ecdl.asp) to-date, over 1.75 million people are registered on an ECDL/ICDL programme. This number is growing daily. There are tens of thousands of accredited test centres worldwide enabling people to take their tests an attain certificates. So, seven module appears to be working as students are assessed against the following competencies: basic concepts of IT, using a computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation and information and communication. The ECDL Foundation points out that the programme is now used in over 60 countries and IT Training announced in its October 2002 edition that the number of students enrolled topped the half-million mark. The British Computer Society (BCS) also reports that it is issuing 1,000 ECDL certificates every day. One of the first organisations in the public sector to move towards qualifying the computer skills of its staff is the NHS which recognised the increasing role that computer skills had to play in the public health sector. The significance of the ECDL decision is reflected in the fact that it was announced by Health Secretary, Lord Hunt. He said, New technology investments to support staff to plan, deliver and review health care will not be successful unless more priority is given to ensuring that all staff have a basic level of IT skills. There is a great deal of published support for the ECDL programme and I have included highlights from two successful ventures. The House of Commons became the first Parliament in the world to offer staff training in IT skills, aimed at MPs assistants and constituency workers. Dr. Matthew Donaghy, Industry and Parliament Trust ADAPT Project Manager, said, Our objective, and indeed an important part of securing funding for the project, was to increase the employability of staff outside the Parliamentary sector. ECDL gives staff an extra qualification showing their competence with IT in the office, but also allows flexibility in training for the qualification so that it does not interfere with major projects they may be working on. Donaghy continued, An extra benefit of the course has been the increased level of teamwork between MPs assistants. Staff are increasingly sharing tips on office practices, which will mean a more professional MPs service all round. The Bank of England is also enabling its staff to take the ECDL programme via personal or on-line training. Bank Deputy Governor, Mervyn King, who has successfully completed the qualification said, Across the Bank, the ECDL will enable people to achieve a wide range of essential skills in IT, on which they can build in the future. I am convinced that it is an ideal way for my colleagues to improve and consolidate their knowledge, to build confidence and to improve both productivity and decision making. ECDL appears therefore to have positive support, endorsed by Peter Bayley, Director of ECDL at the British Computer Society, who confirms that, Since the UK launch there has been a growing demand for information about ECDL users from both the Further Education and Corporate sectors in order to measure profiles, motivation, satisfaction and likely interest in our newly launched ECDL Advanced qualification. Apart from a gratifying 95 per cent satisfaction rating, almost two thirds of those polled chose ECDL because of its broad recognition as a computer skills qualification. In addition, 97% said they would recommend ECDL to family, friends and colleagues and 87% were interested in an ECDL Advanced qualification. Despite the fact that there is a great deal of published evidential support for ECDL, there remains little evidence within AEGON UK Services that the programme has been and remains successful. To date, we have tended to take the view that people pass, therefore it works! But does it? As Reay (1994:23) points out, evaluation can enable you to do better in the future. This is not to say that youve been failing in the past; but good trainers realize there is always room for improvement. It is against this background, of a developing IT culture within Europe and latterly the rest of the world, that the research with AEGON UK Services is set. Will the experiences outlined above be matched within the Company? 4. Research Most people associate the word research with activities which are substantially removed from day-to-day life and which are pursued by outstandingly gifted persons with an unusual level of commitment, suggested Howard and Sharp (1983:6). However, Denscombe (1998:1) takes an alternative approach when opening his piece of work some 15 years later, Social research is no longer the concern of the small elite of professionals and full-time researchers. It has become the concern of a far greater number of people who are faced with the prospect of undertaking small-scale research projects as part of an academic course or their professional development. In my case, the piece of research was to be carried out over a 3 month period by the Training Manager of a large organisation with very ordinary skills and an extremely heavy workload! Payton (1979:4) identified research as the process of looking for a specific answer in an organised objective reliable way and it is this search for answers that has driven me to tackle the challenge of evaluating the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in AEGON UK Services. Considering what questions to ask, Black suggests (1993:24/25), may prove a significant challenge in itself, The most difficult part of starting a research project is often that of identifying the best question to ask, one that is meaningful, whose answer contributes to the discipline, and whose resulting research can be carried out within the resources available. When considering the questions to answer from the piece of research I was conscious of two things set down by Managing Director, David Barker: a) what would add value to the business supporting AEGON UK Services as a key part of the AEGON UK operation and b) provide learning opportunities to develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills? The se factors contributed directly to my questions: How has ECDL added value in AEGON UK Services? How have the learners acquired new skills to help them do their jobs? Has the method of learning for ECDL proved effective? What is the most effective way for any further learners to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve ECDL? Blaxter et al (1997:58) identified 2 different methods for designing and doing a research project, their research families of qualitative and quantitative methods. To Burns (2000:3), the quantitative approach is viewed as scientific and in his opinion, has been the conventional approach to research in all areas of investigation. The methods and purposes of scientific inquiry have been moulded by countless generations of scientists Burns (2000:9) outlines the strength of the quantitative approach as being its precision and control, together with a deductive approach and the use of quantitative data (which) permits statistical analysis. Denscombe (1998:177) supports Burns standpoint by adding that, The use of quantitative data in social research has its attractions. For one thing, it carries with it an aura of scientific respectability. Because it uses numbers and can present findings in the form of graphs and tables, it conveys a sense of solid, objective research. However, an alternative view also exists and caution is stressed by Silverman (2000:6) when pointing out that the hard data on social structures which quantitative researchers claim to provide can turn out to be a mirage. Caution was necessary for me when considering the effect of ECDL upon an individuals ability to do their job more effectively, as Cicourel (1964) points to defects with quantitative research, it may be useful but it also may conceal as well as reveal social processes. On the other hand, qualitative research is an umbrella term that covers a variety of styles of social research, drawing on a variety of disciplines. Tesch (1990) identified 26 distinct kinds of social research which can fall under the term qualitative and no doubt, in time, that list will grow. However, Denscombe (1998:207) does see some common elements which begin to give some sense, as he sees it, to qualitative research, a concern with meanings and the way people understand things and a concern with patterns of behaviour. Cohen and Mannion (1998:8) go a stage further and view qualitative research as a search for understanding in which the principal concern is with the way in which the individual creates, modifies and interprets the world in which he or she finds himself or herself. Researchers who adopted this qualitative approach, responsive to individual perceptions, were felt by Bell (1999:7) to seek insights rather than statistical analysis. A positive aspect of qualitative research, according to Miles and Huberman (1984:10), is that they focus on naturally occurring, ordinary events in natural settings, so that we have a strong handle on what real life is like. The approach to this research project was on a qualitative basis and whilst there is a range of disadvantages to this method, including, as identified by Anderson (1990) the ability to collect a large number of replies, allow for easy collation and cheap and readily available, Anderson did identify advantages with a qualitative approach. Significantly, when gathering data and information Anderson held that a qualitative approach enables the researcher to really understand another person, and qualitative research tends to focus on learners, central to the research project, and their views of the world. My own research project mirrors a number of Andersons findings; focusing on the learners and managers and their views, attitudes and feelings is key to my work and as such does not lend itself naturally to a quantitative or scientific basis. However, in Denscombes opinion (1998: 173), the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, the distinction between the two is over-simplified and relates to the treatment of the data. As Strauss (1987: 2) argues, the genuinely useful distinction is in how data are treated analytically. Denscombes (1998:173) view then is that a distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is far from watertight. To some extent, the research design depends on what Barnes (1992:114) highlights as either a deductive or inductive approach to the project, with action research a key method of the latter. Barnes takes the view that when using action research, the outcomesare generally increased knowledge, understanding and improved practice. The implication from this is that action research has a relevance for what I will be undertaking and indeed Blaxter et al (1997:64) confirm this by pointing out that it is well suited to the needs of people conducting research in their own workplaces, and who have a focus on improving aspects of their own and their colleagues practices. Cohen and Mannion (1998:186) also focus their thoughts on this work-related aspect of action research by suggesting that it is situational it is concerned with diagnosing a problem in a specific context and attempting to solve it in that context. Although action research as a basis suits the needs of my project as shown above, there are a number of criticisms about the method, often reflecting Cohen and Mannions (1998:193) comments that it is not scientific, its sample is restricted and unrepresentativeits findings are restricted to the environment in which the research is carried out. I accept the above but am satisfied that although my findings may be restricted to the environment, they are after all intended for use solely within AEGON UK Services, any wider usage will be a bonus. Research data was accumulated by the use of questionnaires completed by learners, interviews with senior managers and Preston College staff, and focus groups conducted with groups of learners. This common multi-method approach is referred to as triangulation, as originally identified by the works of Elliott and Adelman (1976), and has been defined in Open University course 811 Study Guide (1988:54) as cross-checking the existence of certain phenomena and the veracity of individual accounts by gathering data from a number of informants and a number of sources and subsequently comparing and contrasting one account with another in order to produce as full and balanced a study as possible. The use of triangulation goes some way to meeting the need for this piece of research to be both reliable and valid. Bryman (1989:55) outlines reliability as something which refers to the consistency of a measure. Blaxter et al (1997:200) summarise the issue of reliability in simple terms as considering whether you have carried it out in such a way that, if another researcher were to look into the same questions in the same setting, they would come up with essentially the same results . Validity is identified in a similar tone by the same authors, to do with whether your methods, approaches and techniques actually relate to, or measure, the issues you have been exploring. Triangulation is particularly important to me because it increases the strength and validity of my work. The use of questionnaires is outlined by Denscombe (1998:88) who suggests that they are at their most productive when: used with large numbers, straightforward information required, the social climate is open, standardised, time allows for delays, resources allow for the costs and when the respondents can be expected to be able to read and understand the questions. However, my own piece of research is much smaller with fewer in the sample, straightforward questions on information that is current, all of which adds to the simplicity of this process. However, there is a range of issues when using questionnaires with Bell (1999:75) suggesting that It is harder to produce a really good questionnaire than might be imagined. McKernan (2000:125) endorses that view and warns that amongst the disadvantages are the amount of time taken compiling successful questions and low response rates. Nevertheless, the use of questionnaires provides direct access to the learners and adds balance to the interviews with my colleagues and members of Workplace Training Services. Given that my questionnaire is straightforward with simple questions I am satisfied that this is a particularly useful method of gathering my research data. Further weight is given to this argument by Burns (2000:581) who supports me by adding such strengths as cost, each respondent receives same set of questions, errors in collation of responses reduced, respondents free to reply at own pace/time, fear and embarrassment avoided, may guarantee confidentiality. Burns also highlights a number of potential concerns with the use of questionnaires including a poor response rate when compared to interviews, the potential for bias due to poor returns and badly prepared questionnaires. I acknowledge Burns concerns and test my questionnaire on a small pilot group of learners, drawn at random, to assess its ease of use; 2 questions are reworded to reflect the comments of this group. Given the small number of staff to have completed the ECDL programme I issue the questionnaire to all 45 which also supports the validity of my research and reduces the potential for any bias due to the choice of my sample. I am conscious that, as Cohen et al (2000:245) put it, the questionnaire will always be an intrusion into the life of the respondent, be it in terms of time taken to complete the questionnaireor the possible invasion of privacy. As a result of this, great care is taken over the questions posed, the amount of content and the manner in which this is issued to learners. To keep the questionnaire simple I want to largely use closed questions and this method is supported by Wilson and McLean (1994:21) who confirm that these are simple to completeand do not discriminate unduly on the basis of how articulate the respondents are. However, to ensure that peoples views are gathered I aim to allow respondents a small degree of space for their own thoughts to be considered which mirrors the views of Oppenheim (1992:115) when considering the use of closed questions: they do not enable respondents to add any remarks, qualifications and explanations to the categories, and there is a risk that the categories might not be exhaustive and that there might be bias in them. A blank questionnaire is included as Appendix B. It is the need to gather personal views and opinions that prompts me to include interviews with senior managers, and focus groups amongst learners. As Denscombe (1998) points out, questionnaires are at their best with large numbers; I am dealing with 6 senior managers and am mindful that the culture of my own organisation is such that as Training Manager it is politic for me to see the senior managers rather than issue them with a questionnaire. As McKernan (2000:128) claims, Interviewing is a social survey skill which can be taught. I am satisfied that my role in designing and delivering Interviewing Skills training courses for 5 years to the same group of managers enables me to carry out this process! There are a number of identified advantages in using interview techniques for gathering my research data and these include, Burns (2000:582/3) who is an exponent of its flexibility, the interviewer has the opportunity to observe the subject and the total situation in which they are responding which according to Burns should produce higher response rates and if properly conducted should yield response rates of at least 80-85%. Cohen et al (2000:268) provides further thoughts and considerations on interviews, when outlining the need for trust to exist, suggesting that there should be a relationship between the interviewer and interviewee that transcended the research, that promoted a bond of friendship, a feeling of togetherness and joint pursuit of a common mission rising above personal egos. Once again, my relationship with the senior managers is such that I am confident that I have this level of trust in place already to enable a smooth process to occur. In addition, greater credibility is given to me conducting these interviews, as Kane (1997:68) asserts, the closer the interviewer is to the respondent in class, sex, age and interests, the greater chance the interviewer has of being successful. When considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of interviews I endorse the comments of Patton (1980:206) who sets out the interview guide approach, which mirrors my requirements. The topic and issues to be covered are specified in advance, thus the outline increases the comprehensiveness of the data and makes data collection somewhat systematic for each respondent. I recognise that there is a risk of omitting important or salient points and that I must pay particular attention to maintaining focus on the key issues, in this case whether the managers consider that the ECDL programme has benefited the business. Consideration however must be given to the school of thought that exists regarding problems with the interview as a method for gathering my research data. Mason (1997:42) suggests that good qualitative interviewing is hard, creative work. It is a much more complex and exhausting task to plan and carry out than, for example, to develop and use a structured questionnaire for asking a set of predetermined questions. Tuckman (1972) set out a number of problems with the interview as a technique for gathering data, including the fact that a competent interviewer is required (which may involve payment), a limited number of respondents can be reached and the reliability is quite limited. Whilst acknowledging these concerns, as I have set out my competency earlier, I require interviews with a controlled group of 6 individuals only and have a great degree of confidence in the reliability of my data. Not to mention that this interviewer requires no additional payment for the work. My final information gathering technique is the focus group which Kreuger (1988:27) highlights as typically having 5 characteristics, a) people who, b) posses certain characteristics, c) provide data, d) of a qualitative nature, e) in a focussed discussion. Cohen et al (2000:288) support my use of the focus group by suggesting that they might be useful to triangulate with more traditional forms of interviewing, questionnaires, observation etc. Although observation is not necessary or appropriate for my research, Cohen et al do concur with my use of the interview and questionnaire. According to the December 2002 issue of Croners A-Z Briefing (12/02:2), the main advantage of a focus group lies in its ability to collect subjective judgments where several, individual, judgments are better than just one. By using a focus group the researcher can see how and why individual judgments are supported . This aspect of the focus group is particularly useful to me as it enables a group of learners to come together and share their experiences of the ECDL programme including highs and lows. It allows me the opportunity to facilitate discussion on the optimum way forward for AEGON UK Services and for future learners. Croner goes on to add that, they perform a useful function when evaluating various aspects of training and development, particularly when qualitative measurements are required and where it is deemed necessary to ascertain any unexpected outcomes or applications which have arisen as a result of such provision. Morgan (1988:43) cautions on the size of focus groups, suggesting between four and twelve whilst Croner takes a similar stance, between 6 and 12 Both of the above agree on the need for careful consideration with sampling, in this case with the focus group, as Croner puts it (P3), all those involved do need to be representative of the total population under consideration. I have already decided to use all of my Award-holders as I have 3 months in which to carry out the research and have a small group, as Bell (1999:83) suggests, The number of subjects in your investigation will necessarily depend on the amount of time you have. However, the question of the size of the sample and how it is selected is an issue. Cohen and Mannion (1998:87) put forward a range of sampling tools including probability and non-probability, random and stratified samples whilst Bryman (1989:107) argues the case for a representative sample using a type of probability sample. To ensure that each of my ECDL Award-holders has an equal probability of inclusion in the sample used for the focus groups, names are drawn at random from an Excel spreadsheet. Kerlinger (1986:45), identifies randomness thus, it means that there is no known law, capable of being expressed in language, that correctly explains or describes events and their outcomes. Kerlinger (1986:44) goes on to provide further evidence that my sampling approach is correct, random sampling is that method of drawing a portion (sample) of a population so that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Taking into account the thoughts of both Morgan and Croner above, I facilitate 2 focus groups of 8 members each. There are some difficulties in using focus groups and some of these are identified by Krueger (1988:46/7) who outlines the following: less control of the group as opposed to individuals, difficulties in analysing data, lack of interview skills, varying group dynamics, assembling groups and creating a supportive environment. I acknowledge Kruegers observations and take extra care when running the focus groups although I must stress that my background is as a skilled interviewer and I am able to create a stable, supportive environment for the attendees who have attended similar workshops and courses in the past, often facilitated by me. Any research project is likely to raise ethical issues. This is particularly so if it involves people directly, but may also be the case even if you conduct your research entirely on documentary evidence, Blaxter et al (1997:146). Clearly, it is wrong for me to assume that, given my position as Training Manager, there is no issue with ethics, people know me and are happy to open up and provide me with valuable and valid information. Bell (1999:52) warns, People will be doing you a favour if they agree to help, and they will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be made of the information they provide. The view is endorsed by McKernan (2000:241), who adds that, It is crucial for all participants to know what their rights are in research of any kind. As such, I take great care when contacting my ECDL learners to alert them to my research and the need for their valuable input to further the learning partnership within AEGON UK Services. Particular attention is paid to the senior managers who give me some of their valuable time for 1:1 interviews and each of them is contacted personally by telephone to discuss the needs and requirements of the research and agree suitable times for the interviews. Hopkins (2000:221/2) identifies a range of principles that I must observe in the commitment to my research including, observing protocol, involving participants, reporting on progress, maintaining confidentiality and obtaining authority before using quotations. Particular care was observed when considering the use of quotations from our external partner, Workplace Training Services, and I arranged a special meeting with Cyril Wheat to discuss the learning partnership and seek his agreement to the use of specific quotations, included in the Conclusions to this research. As Burns (2000:22/3) summarises, All in all it looks fairly difficult to conduct much research without running into ethical arguments. Burns comments alert me to the need to take nothing for granted in view of my special position with the learners, Ethical problems are likely to occur in social science research since human subjects are involved. Researchers must be aware of ethical considerations involved in voluntary and non-voluntary participation, deception, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, the right to discontinue, and obligations of the experimenter. It is this special position, that of someone who has worked very closely with most of the ECDL learners, that Sellitz et al (1962:583) might have been thinking of then they attested, interviewers are human beings and not machines and their manner may have an effect on respondents. Many factors can influence responses one way or another, for instance Borg (1981:87) highlights a few of the problems that can occur, eagerness of the respondents to please the interviewer, a vague antagonism or the tendency of the interviewer to seek out the answers that his preconceived notions .These factors are called response effect by survey researchers. ECDL learners know me well and are aware of my enthusiasm for the learning partnership and our work with the ECDL programme. Might this naturally influence their responses to questionnaires, focus group or, even senior managers, interview questions? However, Bell (1999:139) offers words of wisdom, just as the aspiring researcher wilts under the strains of potential bias, by pointing out that it is easier to acknowledge the fact that bias can creep in than to eliminate it altogether. This is a key consideration for my research as I am very keen for it to succeed being the instigator of the learning partnership with Workplace Training Services and the person responsible for the ECDL programme. A further area for my research to draw upon is the Training teams entry for the 2002 National Training Awards. The entry was based upon the teams work with the ECDL programme in AEGON UK Services and I refer to the comments of the judges in the Data Analysis and Conclusions. 5. Analysis of Data My research amongst European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) award-holders in particular highlights the very positive aspects of the programme and it is encouraging to learn that all questioned feel that the programme has benefited them, personally and professionally. Significantly, the great majority of learners also felt able to now support colleagues with IT-related enquiries, a factor that reflects our status as an Investor In People; staff are keen to share knowledge with each other in a positive manner. Being able to solve problems, increasing ones confidence, developing trouble-shooting skills and appropriately staff trained in new technology are benefits to the company, as viewed by the learners. Although it is not the intention in my research to provide statistical analysis, rather to draw conclusions from learners responses, the feedback from learners does represent universal support for developing skills to enhance the business. Learners feel more competent to do their work, have a more confident approach and have developed skills to enable new work to be handled also converting manual tasks to a PC-based system. I am able to speak from personal experience and, as a result of taking the ECDL programme, I can now use Excel with some success. Whilst it is very difficult to make any claims with the research I am confident that the programme has made a significant difference. Prior to starting the ECDL programme I was unable to use Excel despite having access to the program, after completing the Excel module I am now able to design spreadsheets for use in the Training team. There is evidence of other organisations introducing a successful ECDL programme and the following case study extracts are from the ECDLs own website, www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case. Mike Sampson, Human Resources Director at Royal Liver Assurance, commented: We are delighted that the ECDL pilot scheme has proved to be so successful and now intend to run ECDL again with further members of staff. It is important that our employees are given the opportunity to refresh and improve upon their IT skills, which ultimately reflects a great benefit to Royal Liver and ensures the companys values and good standing are continually maintained. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/royal) Even in the world of IT itself, ECDL is viewed as a positive addition to the learning curriculum, Les Williamson, Resources Servicing Manager, IBM, added, We realised fairly quickly that this certification would be beneficial across the site. Not many people can claim proficiency in all the IT productivity tools that we could be using everyday. This is a qualification that demonstrates just that. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/ibm) 90% of learners feel that they are now more confident when using a PC (66% of the remaining 10% already did so) which is an endorsement of our decision to offer the programme and a statistic from a similar exercise conducted amongst award-holders at Manchester NHS Health Authority in 2002 found that ECDL qualified staff are proven to save an average of 38 minutes per day. Staff within AEGON UK Services also highlighted the speed at which they are now able to process IT-related work as a benefit to the Company. Feedback from the learners in the questionnaires suggested that, whilst staff were achieving success using the CD ROM made available by Workplace Training Services, there was less than total satisfaction. Accordingly, amongst the questions I posed at the focus groups was What method of learning would you recommend for future ECDL students? Although only a small percentage of respondents to the questionnaire felt that the quality of learning materials was less than good during the focus groups, the mood was very different and people had the opportunity to express their views in more detail. It became apparent that the majority of the attendees of twelve felt that the CD ROM was difficult to work with, either because of their own IT situation out of the office, some did not have a PC at home, or more commonly because of the great amount of detail included. Their preferred learning method was to use paper-based material although some members of the focus groups felt that the CD ROM was ideal. Comments were also made that it was often difficult to obtain 1:1 support as members of the Training team were often involved in other projects and, in truth, were never seen as providing close support for learners. Learners comments were referred to Cyril Wheat who visited the site and spoke with groups of the learners; as a result, directly, of the feedback provided to Cyril his Workplace Training Services team started to provide future learning support material in two forms, paper-based for the majority, CD ROM where preferred. In addition, another change in policy as a result of feedback, with the introduction of a dedicated resource from the College, someone who would be guaranteed to be on the Lytham site once a week for personal tutorials. Most surprising amongst the findings was the feedback from the senior managers. Whilst the Managing Director has given the partnership with Workplace Training Services his blessing and has in fact recently enrolled on the ECDL programme, the same positive views are not held by the management team. I conducted the interviews and was surprised by the little knowledge that the managers had of the programme, one actually admitted that he had no awareness that any of his staff are taking an award. Whilst the general view amongst the managers was that any learning which develops the staff to enhance the business, must be a good thing, only one member of the team was more positive. One manager had experienced the ECDL programme personally, achieved the award, and spoke highly of the benefits to AEGON UK Services in supporting the implementation of COE. More work remains to be done with the management team for the future of the programme. 6. Conclusions The comments of learners who have achieved their European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) are extremely encouraging from a purely personal point of view, the initial thoughts are that my efforts in bringing the ECDL programme to AEGON UK Services staff has paid off. But that cursory observation is not sufficient to merit the programme a success. When we set off on the ECDL programme there was a clear business need to be met, successfully implementing the Common Operating Environment (COE) and the transfer to Microsoft Office 2000. What must not be overlooked was that the business was not using any formal training strategy to meet the requirements generated by the COE and I was confident that ECDL could provide many of the training needs. Although I am not able to provide any hard quantitative data I have feedback from learners and managers which supports the use of the programme. As one manager put it, Having achieved the ECDL I can vouch for the skills and knowledge acquired. Members of my team have demonstrated the benefits of the learning through the enhanced use of different programs. The data provides evidence of ECDL supporting the implementation of COE in the business. New skills have been acquired by learners, many of whom are now looking for further opportunities, whilst at the same time encouraging colleagues to enrol on the programme. There are numerous examples quoted of staff who are now able to access different programs, use PowerPoint, Access or in my case, get to grips with Excel for the first time. Our relationship with Workplace Training Services has developed, from the first tentative enquiries regarding the use of ECDL, the Colleges first learning partnership in the North West to one of collaboration on other projects; as I close this research we are discussing certificated learning to meet behavioural competencies. Cyril Wheat, Manager Dedicated Delivery, is proud of his organisations role with the business and speaks highly of our work, with the commitment of an employer who is providing resources is very important. The need for such support is echoed by Tim Rush of Islington Council who adds, We have been lucky here in Islington, Members of the Council and senior management have been fully supportive. Gaining support at that level is essential to any successful implementation. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/islington). Cyrils teams commitment to us now includes the use of 10 PCs, available for any form of learning, and a dedicated resource on-site for work with the ECDL programme. Significantly, the learning has largely taken place at no cost to the business and during 2002 over 100 learners were enrolled with Workplace Training Services for free and we have ascertained that open learning with the ECDL programme may yet prove to be extremely cost effective to the business. We have 150 staff achieved or working towards the award with 100 more to follow during the course of this year an costs incurred to-date are a little over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3,000 which is approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 per learner. Given that this learning ultimately accredits staff members with a universally accepted IT qualification and attendance on external learning is in my experience over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 per day then I believe that this equates to value for money learning. Our work with the fledgling ECDL programme in employer-related learning has highlighted new areas for study. As demonstrated earlier, learners had difficulties with the Computer Based Training and the CD ROM was not viewed as user-friendly; as a result, their feedback has been taken into account and staff enrolling more recently have had access to paper-based support material with CR ROMs available where required. The judges at the 2002 National Training Awards were impressed by your decision to encourage your employees to undertake the ECDL qualification and drew upon a number of other positive aspects although they highlighted a number of important issues for the team to consider. As I point out above, there are limitations with my research and issues to consider for the coming months, as the judges point out in their feedback, it is still quite early in the process of introducing the Common Operating Environment and they have suggested that we re-enter at a later date. I am also conscious that the research has been carried out by someone with a clearly vested interest in its success, the training of staff in the business is after all my responsibility, and that this may have clouded the findings. I acknowledge this limitation and make efforts to minimise the effects of this bias. My ultimate findings are also effected by yet more bias; the results are based upon my work with learners at AEGON UK Services in a supportive environment where facilities are made available to them and they do not have to pay any fees. I make no claims about applying my results to a wider audience whether in another industry or with the public at large. However, the final thought lies with Andrew Mayo, writing in the January 2003 edition of Training Journal, who holds out, So here is the challenge for 2003. Will you be able to say, at the end of the year, where and how learning interventions made a difference to the achievements of the organisation(s) you work with . From the feedback received from learners and indeed Workplace Training Services staff I am confident that the ECDL programme has already made an impact on AEGON UK Services although greater communication is required with senior managers based upon their own feedback. Furthermore, as the judges of the National Training Awards indicate, there is yet more to come as our learning partnership matures and more staff set out on the road to success through the challenge of ECDL. Project Proposal DHL0730 Empirical Study AEGON UK Services in partnership with Workplace Training Services, an arm of Preston College, started to offer the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) to staff in September 2001. The ECDL programme based it is upon Microsoft Office 2000 applications was seen as an ideal complement to the Common Operating Environment (COE) to be launched in 2002. At the same time the launch of ECDL provided further evidence of the Company facilitating learning and development opportunities for its staff. Under COE the whole of AEGON UK would operate with Microsoft Office 2000 whilst over 90% of staff were familiar with the 1997 version or earlier. To-date over 150 staff have started or finished the ECDL programme yet no evaluation of the success or otherwise of ECDL within AEGON UK Services has ever been carried out. Title of Research An evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as used by AEGON UK Services. Brief Description The ECDL was launched to develop the skills of European citizens and to enable them to become proficient in PC skills. The use of ECDL within AEGON UK Services was designed to provide staff with the skills necessary to deal effectively with the Common Operating Environment (COE), in effect Microsoft Office 2000.

The Causes Of The Civil War Essay -- essays research papers

"The tragic ‘fireball in the night’ imagined by Jefferson had finally rung. The Missouri Compromise had failed. Proslavery and antislavery civilians clashed in the streets and took up arms. Thousands of Northerners were willing to die for their beliefs. The Civil War had begun. The states were at war with each other." This dividing battle between the North and the South was unavoidable. The Civil War was caused by economic, political and moral problems. It all started by an alarming increase in a need for cotton, which triggered the building of a barrier between two territories in a growing nation. New Machinery was changing the textile industry in New England and Britain. These mills needed more and more cotton, creating a new demand in the south. For this trade with Europe, after 1812, raw cotton accounted for one-third all cotton exports of the United States. By 1830, it increased to half. Cotton quickly became a big money-making cash crop for the South and North economy alike. But the demand also revived the need for slaves. The plantations had to be worked, and blacks were a cheap, efficient way to get the cotton picked. To make their jobs easier, Eli Whitney took advantage of the new idea, and invented the cotton gin(short for engine). It rapidly cleaned the seeds from the short, sticky fibers of upland cotton, the variety that grew all over the South. The process was simple: a roller carried raw cotton along wooden slats. Sharp metal teeth thrust through the slats and quickly pulled the fibers from the seeds. In 1794, he obtained a patent. Whitney still earned little because it was simple enough for manufacturers to copy. Even though the machine made attaining cotton faster, slaves were still pushed to work harder and produce more. Blacks under captivity certainly led a harsh, unfair life. But that is where the white southerners believed blacks belonged. Northerners knew better. Harriet Beecher-Stowe, a female, black abolitionist was aware of these conditions. She wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which was published in 1852, and described the incredible cruelty and horrors of slavery. Stowe wanted to "write something that would make the whole nation feel what an accursed thing slavery is." Her novel became widely popular, and within a year, readers had bought 300,000 copies. Wherever it went, it ... ...opular sovereignty was also put into effect. This act gave the voters, in each territory, the right to decide whether to become a free state or a slave state. Together, they rendered the Missouri Compromise meaningless. As the South’s dependence on slavery increased between 1790 and 1860, the gap between the Southern cotton economy and industrial economy of the North widened. The opposing goals and needs of the North and South created a deeper conflict- a conflict that eventually lead to war. Basically, the North fought to keep the union together, and give black slaves freedom, while the South fought for their lifestyle, homes, and to keep things together economically. The northerners had high moral issues while the Southerners wanted to keep their plantations and cotton production. They weren’t willing to give up there slaves. There were too many conflicts between the two territories, so they fought to resolve them. John Brown, a vengeful abolitionist put it best, "the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away, but with blood". The north won the war, and ties were broken. The barrier they had started to build so long ago finally crumbled.

Brisingr- Eragon Book Report

Discuss how the author engaged the reader in your chosen fiction book, using setting, plot, theme and characterization. Also convey your idea/s about the author's message. The book â€Å"Brisingr† by Christopher Paolini is an astonishing adventurous fantasy story that is part of the Eragon trilogy. It is an intriguing story that is loved by millions all around the world. The book takes a lot of reference from the famous world known book – Lord of the Rings – and therefore is recommended for the fans of it. This book report will tell you about its setting, plot, theme and characterization. The setting in â€Å"Brisingr† takes place in various places because the characters Eragon and his dragon, Saphira are led to different adventures. At first, Eragon and Saphira are inside of the country named Surda, helping his cousin Roran, rescue his future wife from the horrible creatures called the Ra’zac. After they rescue her, they set out to see the crowning of the next dwarf king in the dwarf city of Tronjheim. Later, they find themselves going to their elf teacher Oromis and his dragon Glaedr in the elf city named Ellesmera. Brisingr† is told in a three-person view point including, Eragon, his cousin, Roran and the leader of the Varden, Nasuada. The plot starts when Eragon goes off with his cousin Roran to rescue his betrothed, Katrina from the Ra’zac. They kill one of them and rescue Katrina safely. Eragon tells Roran to go on to Surda while he will be killing the other Ra’zac. Eragon kills him and when he comes back to the Surda, Roran is marrying Katrina and asks his cousin to hold the wedding. Eragon agrees but alas, a sudden attack from the Empire came up in the middle of the wedding. Elven spell-casters aid Eragon and Saphira and cause Murtagh, his past friend who was captured by the evil Emperor Galbatorix and his dragon, Thorn to flee, winning the battle. After that battle Eragon realizes how strong Murtagh had become in the past few weeks. He thinks his teacher, Oromis and his dragon, Glaedr know how to defeat the evil Galbatorix and why Murtagh’s power grows so fast. Therefore, when Nasuada sends them to witness the coronation of the next dwarf king, he pleads her to let him go to the elven city of Ellesmera, in order to ask his teachers. Nasuada considered the idea and then agreed after perhaps a tenth argument with Eragon. So later, when Eragon finds out the secret of Galbatorix’s power, he has to start thinking how to defeat Galbatorix, which will come out in Paolini’s next book. The theme in â€Å"Brisingr† is redemption. When the Ra’zac captured Roran’s beloved Katrina, he blames himself for that mistake. He keeps blaming himself over and over again until he finally rescues her. Then he finds his redemption. Eragon finds his redemption after he defeated Murtagh. In the previous book â€Å"Eldest† he had lost easily to Murtagh and he thought it was his fault that he wasn’t learning enough until he defeats him during Roran’s wedding. Oromis, Eragon’s teacher and the only other Dragon Rider not counting Eragon, Murtagh and Galbatorix, was hidden with the elves for over a century, watching his comrades slowly fall, unable to do anything. He was really sorrowful, but he knew he had to stay alive and hidden in order to teach one Rider that might have to face Galbatorix in the future. Still, the doubt was growing every year, and when he finally gets to fight again at the end, he is still very sick and not as strong as he ones been. Galbatorix gives him a chance to surrender, but Oromis refuses, and dies, but deep inside, he finally feels calm and peaceful because of his redemption. Eragon, the main character in the book, changes throughout the story. It seems in the beginning, he was feeling really miserable after he discovered the awful truth of his father. Murtagh told him that Morzan, one of the Forsworn, the one who betrayed his comrades and helped Galbatorix kill all the Riders, was his father, and Murtagh, was his brother. He was bearing a huge weight on his shoulders, thinking of his horrible parents, until Oromis tell him that his real father was Brom, his past teacher who died. In his heart, Eragon always knew that was the truth, he knew that Brom was like his father, but he never accepted the truth. When he finally heard the real story of his parentage, he changes to a more proud person, a person who wants to be like his parents. Eragon grows up and becomes more mature as the book progresses, getting to be more and more like Brom, which is probably going to make him one of the best Dragon Riders in the future. The message in â€Å"Brisingr† is that Eragon went from being a farm boy to one of the most important people in the whole Empire. Paolini is saying that anyone can be anything, and greatness is not dictated by circumstances of you birth. Paolini is a wonderful writer, and he is certainly very talented in writing cutting edge situations. This book proved to be very intriguing and is recommended to anyone who loves fantasy stories.