Friday, December 27, 2019
Analysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet - 1162 Words
Charles Agapay Ms. Maloney AP Literature and Composition November 17, 2015 Hamlet ââ¬Å"Something is rotten in the state of Denmarkâ⬠(I, iv, 90). In other words, something is not right. In Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Hamlet, the young prince, Hamlet, experiences numerous dilemmas in the country. In order for the country to remain stable, each character must follow the moral. As the play moves forward, Shakespeare uncovers the real extent of ââ¬Ërottennessââ¬â¢ coming from several characters. Rotten can be either physical or mental. Horatio defines ââ¬Ërottenââ¬â¢ as corruption within the state of Denmark. The castle guards witnessed paranormal activities with a supernatural figure. The figure appears to be the ghost, which in other words claims to be Hamletââ¬â¢s deceasedâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦The ghost reappears again at midnight and Horatio and Marcellus advised Hamlet not to go alone. The ghost attracts Hamlet and out of curiosity, Hamlet follows. As Hamlet chases the ghost around, the ghost settles and says, ââ¬Å"I am thy fatherââ¬â ¢s spirit, Doomed for a certain term to walk the nightâ⬠¦ Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged awayâ⬠(I, v, 9-13). It is at that very moment that the ghost is really Hamletââ¬â¢s father. Although Hamlet finds out that the ghost is his father, he still feels the ââ¬Ërottennessââ¬â¢ and wants to unfold itââ¬â¢s true scope. As Hamlet is locked into what his father has to say, the ghost whimpers, ââ¬Å"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murderâ⬠¦ But this most foul, strange and unnaturalâ⬠(I, v, 25-28). Hamlet was eager to revenge the murderer, but the ghost has more to say before he departs. More ââ¬Ërottenââ¬â¢ things have been occurring as word has been going around Denmark saying that a poisonous ââ¬Å"serpentâ⬠has taken the kingââ¬â¢s life away. As the conversation between Hamlet and his father continues, he reveals the murderer by asserting, ââ¬Å"The serpent that did sting thy fatherââ¬â¢s life now wears his crownâ⬠(I, v, 39-40). Hamlet is infuriated by the crime that his uncle has committed. Knowing the killer of his father, Hamlet soon seeks revenge against his uncle. ââ¬ËRottennessââ¬â¢ with the ghost has been cleared with Hamlet as the ghost isnââ¬â¢t an unfamiliar figure, but was his father. The ââ¬Ërottennessââ¬â¢ continues as the victim of Hamletââ¬â¢s fatherââ¬â¢s
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Case Study Econ 545 Week 2 - 1856 Words
Case Study: Ethical Issues in Business, Week 2 Keller Graduate School of Management ECON545, November 13, 2013 Price Discrimination An ethical issue that individuals face today involves the price war or price discrimination involving the airline industry. According to the legal definition of price discrimination: Price discrimination is the practice of charging different persons different prices for the same goods or services. Price discrimination is made illegal under the Sherman Antitrust Act. 15 U.S.C. à §2, the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. à §13, and by the Robinson-Patman Act, 15 U.S.C. à §Ã §13-13b, 21a, when engaged in for the purpose of lessening competition, such as tying the lower prices to the purchase of other goods or services.â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦However, when the equilibrium price is beyond the expectation of a fair market value, for reasons of political or social concerns governments will intervene in the market and establish limits on such things as wages, apartment rents, electricity, or agricultural commodities. Government uses price ceilings and price floors to keep prices below or ab ove market equilibrium. (Stone, 2012, page 68) The increase of the minimum wage would be considered the floor price establish by the government to balance out the minimum wage against the cost of living expense. In theory the statements made would be consistent with the effects of the increase of the minimum wage. Higher wages would potentially cause businesses to reduce the amount of part-time worker due to the incurred cost of wages/operations. Higher wages does not equate to a higher demand of warranted good so the cost of production would increase but not the cost of goods sold nor would there be an increase of revenue for the businesses. Additionally, the individuals being terminated (part-timers) would not have been considered members of the union so the lost would have no negative impact on the union however, the few part-timer that stayed would probably consider joining the union to secure their position in the company. As a minimum being in the union ensures these employees will have someone representingShow MoreRelat edMotivating Individuals in Teams From a Human Resource Perspective2264 Words à |à 9 Pagesas the highestà hierarchy on the pyramid. Workers are not only motivated by money. Many individuals are motivated far more byà intangible rewards such as acknowledgment, recognition, andà other higher needs being met (Bridgestar, 2009). In Microsofts case, it is the morale insignificant incentives that work accompanied by acknowledgement of the individual worker. Observation of autonomous work groups (AWG) and self-managed work teams (SMWT) indicate that performance of these self-directed groups isRead MoreIntroduction to Work Psychology3735 Words à |à 15 Pages The 12 categories of work psychology Work psychology is a broad field that essentially encompasses 12 distinct areas. These in turn are: 1. Selection and assessment For all types of job by a variety of methods, including tests and interviews. 2 Training Identification of training needs; the design, delivery and evaluation of training. 3 Performance appraisal Identification of key aspects of job performance; design of systems for accurate performance assessment; training in appraisal techniquesRead MoreEssay about Gang Injunctions10585 Words à |à 43 Pagesupheld the first permanent civil gang injunction that made its way before the court,1 the use of gang injunctions as a tool to abate criminal gang activity has rapidly increased in California, with over 150 injunctions in effect throughout the state,2 and is just now beginning to take root in other states.3 One primary reason for an increase in the use of gang injunctions is most likely due to ever-increasing gang members and gang-related crimes.4 The most recent gang threat assessment conductedRead MoreVarian Solution153645 Words à |à 615 Pagesreservation price, there will be two diï ¬â¬erent quantities of apartments demanded, since consumer i will be indiï ¬â¬erent between having or not having an apartment.) 2 THE MARKET (Ch. 1) Price 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Apartments (b) Suppose the supply of apartments is ï ¬ xed at 5 units. In this case there is a whole range of prices that will be equilibrium prices. What is the highest price that would make the demand for apartments equal to 5 units? $18. $15Read MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words à |à 846 PagesPublication Data Data available Typeset by SPI Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by Antony Rowe Ltd., Chippenham, Wiltshire ISBN 0ââ¬â19ââ¬â928335ââ¬â4 978ââ¬â0ââ¬â19ââ¬â928335ââ¬â4 ISBN 0ââ¬â19ââ¬â928336ââ¬â2 (Pbk.) 978ââ¬â0ââ¬â19ââ¬â928336ââ¬â1 (Pbk.) 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 3 FOREWORD ââ¬Ë Michael Bromwich is an exemplar of all that is good about the British tradition of academic accounting. Serious in intent, he has striven both to illuminate practice and to provide ways of improvingRead MoreNokias Human Resources System144007 Words à |à 577 PagesIndicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes âⰠ¤ No n Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a nonà accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Data Communication Wireless Pervasive Computing
Question: Discuss about theData Communication for Wireless Pervasive Computing. Answer: Introduction Remote network is developing in recent years with developing in the volume and have significance to the ground of business for dealing with the remote environment of LAN. It is because of having stockpiles of the apparatus that was abundant for you for examine and for investigating the performance of Wi-Fi, arrangement and the interference is considered to be the crucial one. It would be mire improved if those stunning devices are free. In this report, you are going to have an outline about the performance which is standard in nature from the WiFi analyzer and LanTraffic v2 consisting with similar setups as being analyzed in the laboratory. The client might fulfill favored the performance more than one that is showcased in the report with even more viable PC, with other Ethernet outlines or NICs, for example, if TCP load is introduced into the NIC. The functioning structure is best among the maximum crucial experiment components. An additional IP stack is being enabled by Windows 7, containing various redesigns and alterations. These investigations were executed with the help of two IP shapes. The Fast Ethernet experiment and the Gigabit experiment was ended with Windows (Ondrej Krejcar, 2009). Theory and Background: The LanTrafficv2 application made the exertion of the groundwork, atrhjtab is considered as the best one for filling these connections. The movement of the gold administration will be made out by the OpenH323 application. As the activity of the administration belong to the different streams, it is considered to be sensible for opening different sessions of videoconference within the two routers for reproducing the steam conglomeration. Unitary mode: the movement of the generator information source and the design bundles for the estiumation were chosen and entombing the delaying the parcel for each and every association. With the ICMB convention, you be able to: ICMB Echo Request Information size- randomized, settled, rotated, diminishing and expanding. ICMB Echo asks for number of bundle and the substance: settling the parcel generator, diminishing/expanding, randomized and exchanged. ICMP Echo retort accepting timeout: randomized, exchanged, withdrawing or use of a law that is scientific, settled. Programmed mode: Selecting the law for the numerical for attachment of the productions at the time of the beginning. Then, secondary scientific laws were being chosen for the volume for the information that is need to be sent. This mode is reachable and usable with TCP and UDP. Along this mode, SCTP and ICMPP linkage cannot be the initiator (ZTIStaff, 2014). By the means of WiFi Analyzer, the disclosure function may account the SNR extent for each AP that is about an indication of how adjacent the AP is to your current location. Regardless of the way it is profitable information, this tells you nothing about non-802.11 devices or even how involved these APs are. It is your versatile workplace that could sit by a microwave grill, conveying an extensive variety of RF imperativeness into the area, and the revelation device would be puzzled towards its existence (FlukeTeam, 2012). Tools and Procedure Used: Utilization of LanTraffic V2 along-with the Wi-Fi analyzer takes place. Then, the Traffic V2 in attachment of the era of the devices for the IP systems. TCP can be copied in bundle in between the hosts and the associations of UDP (ZTIStaff, 2014). The linkage between the two different modes of testing can be, Information may be generated by the busing up of the numerical equations Choosing a file of the record and sending. Packet generator- such constraint can be elaborated distinctly Programmed mode: Numerical association of the equation time can be selected. The initial time and the method for this scientific mode for the information volume is determined. LanTraffic V2 Discussion Activity called the generator had LanTraffic2 in the Send mode, whereas the "screen" had this item in the Get mode. UDP activity was being created with the end IP deliver set to the host IP. It is due to absence of a certified frame center point, the organization linking of every single was commenced. A McCiruit area was being installed by the section focus point and actually allocate the ARP hosts tables with the Macintosh set as the Macintosh area of the default entryway. Accordingly, once the goal of IP area are not at all like IP subnet as the host, packets would be forwarded to the default IP address which relates to Macintosh (ZTIStaff, 2014). Along these lines the UDP packets developed by "generator" have where sent to the path focus. At the path focus point the P2P motive encouraged the goal IP and source Macintosh area of moving closer dispenses data in its P2P table. All bundles that arranged had their goal addresses of Macintosh altered by P2P table. Such packets were alte red to the port selected in the P2P table. A satisfactorily observed worth was utilized as P2P tables as the fresh DA, with the intention that as soon as the gatherings finished the screen have, it was unquestionably troublesome that the goal Macintosh area was altered and the packet coupled at the projected entry focus port. The measure of CPUs and the hyper-threading frameworks control interferences made by groups trades. The ability to deal with intrusions obliges packs which can be traded. This will possibly solve why implementation is better on Gigabit test as opposed to using the Quick Ethernet test. Wi-Fi Analyzer: Remote systems utilize specific channels inside the remote range. A stuffed remote redirect brings about reduced information transmission and additionally accessibility issues for your system. Utilizing the WiFi Analyzer to perceive what coordinates are utilized and recognizing the best channel to set upon your switch. WiFi Analyzer actually distinguishes and alerts the customer to numerous remote intrusions, entrance tries and hacking systems including free thinker contraptions, "stumbler gadgets", devices sending decoded data and a huge gathering of possibly hurting security setups. The principal go through WiFi Analyzer is sent. It goes directly into the Channel outline. These positive procedures engage IT for making therapeutic move before a problem occurs. The Professional shape besides recognizes refined distant strikes as opposed to the system. The WiFi Analyzer Discover contraption gets locked in revolt or technique harming APs or points and helpers the customer to their phys ical region (FlukeTeam, 2012). In addition, certain execution concerns may occur and uncovers the system to cloud threats. With the channel use and throughput slanting outlines, customers can understand tremendous quantities of the matters that decrease the common execution of the WLAN arrange. In fact, even the most secure system will disregard to meet its goals if that it doesn't reliably meet the solicitations of system customers. Customers can see inclining diagrams for sign quality, uproar, plots, botches, retries, exchange speed as well as various for every single WLAN channel as well as device. These critical graphs offer essential indicators to concerns those were affecting the WLAN organize execution (Wagner, Daniel T., Andrew Rice, and Alastair R. Beresford, 2014). For example, outlines to bundle retry and botch charge reveal ranges whereas WLAN communications were failing. With the help of multi-connector support in WiFi Analyzer, customers gets the ability to see various channels at the same time using particular connectors installed into a similar Personal Computer. Wi-Fi obstruction occurs due to co-channel/adjacent channel impedance from the business or neighbor's WLAN, disguised center points in planet earth or non-WiFi devices functioning in the WiFi range. WiFi Analyzer's obstruction status marker does the recording of the shared impedance status for each Wi-Fi network, that is determined in perspective of the WiFi impedance score for devices adding to the impedance; an once-over of hid center points and non-WiFi contraptions functioning within the network (FlukeTeam, 2012). Conclusion: Starting along with setting up of the connections that is summons the setting up of the parameters for the associations of IP and for the beginning of the traffic on the given associations. Most of the plans that are being direct in the shots that are open are considered to be the regular in bringing the disaster and jittering on the voice calls. Channel determination is considered to be the better one in calculations and the coordination is the important requirement. For example, during the usage of Wi-Fi at any caf ort coffee-house, it is experienced for the endurance because of the clamor that is already being formed by the signals of Wi-Fi. A structure that is considered to be the focal that oversaw would be perfect, and otherwise it is possible that we can deal with one means or the other one. Getting these in front of the stores, for teaming up for the better connection of Wi-Fi for all the nearby clients will help for the proper connection. With this special type of coder it i s possible for the determination of the port number, packet size, IP address, and convention; inter packet delay term and lots more and you will be able to start up with the period of traffic for these associations (AYODELE DAMOLA, 2005). Reference List: AYODELE DAMOLA. (2005). Peer to peer networking in Ethernet broadband access networks. Stockholm: Royal Institute of Technology. FlukeTeam. (2012). Air Magnet WiFi Analyzer. Fluke Networks. Retrieved from https://empowerednetworks.com/empowered-documents/flukenetworks/airmagnet/430-airmagnet-wi-fi-analyzer/file Ondrej Krejcar. (2009). Large multimedia artifacts prebuffering in mobile information systems as location context awareness. Wireless Pervasive Computing, 4th International Symposium, 1-5. Wagner, Daniel T., Andrew Rice, and Alastair R. Beresford. (2014). Device Analyzer: Large-scale mobile data collection. ACM SIGMETRICS Performance Evaluation Review 41, 53-56. ZTIStaff. (2014). Traffic Generator for IP Networks (IPv4 IPv6). France: ZTI Communications. Retrieved from https://www.zticommunications.com/documentation/LanTrafficV2_PerformancesMeasurements.pdf
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
The Entertainemnt Industry Essays - Viacom Media Networks, MTV, CBS
The Entertainemnt Industry In the past five years, the entertainment industry has been more and more focused on the idea of reality-based entertainment. This vast desire for seemingly live television has made a great impact upon major network television stations. Shows such as MTV's Real World and CBS's Survivor are great indicators of society's obsession with drama in a ?live? situation. It seems our infatuation with these shows stems from our desire to focus our attention away from our own tribulations and focus on problems elsewhere. Our mysterious want for conflict among others has forced many networks to provoke such drama, for example in Survivor, where castaways are forced to take sides and vote another member off the island. This idea of social Darwinism in shows like Survivor and the ever so popular Big Brother force major networks to create entertainment that both provoke and stimulate disagreement among participants. Personally, I feel that because of television's fixation with reality-based programs, people are now turning to the movie industry to get away from such realistic forms of entertainment. Popular movies such as Bedazzled, The Ladies Man, and The Exorcist all deal with fantasy type situations. Bedazzled, starring Brendan Frasier and Elizabeth Hurley is about a man who sells his soul to the devil, played by Hurley. Moviegoers can simply escape reality for a few hours by entertaining themselves with themes such as this. Genres focusing on such fantasy are rarely seen on prime-time television these days, especially on the major networks such as FOX and ABC. Why is this? Well my impression is that people feel as if they deserve to come home and take their mind of the troubles they had for the day. By being able to watch shows such as ER, which ranked first among viewers this past week, people can direct their attention onto another person's drama while ignoring their own. Voyeurism today i s clearly an indicator of change in taste for viewers around the world. According to Time Almanac:1999, the top three shows of 1998 were Seinfeld, Veronica's Closet, and Friends. If you look at the top three shows during months while a reality based show is being aired, you will most typically find that show to be number one among viewers in the rankings. This growing trend of live-based entertainment is setting a new stage for twenty first century viewers today. Real-life issues however can be distorted at times when being seen second hand. MTV's Real World has been accused several times of editing their tape purposely to show conflict for the viewers. From my perspective, I do not see how you cannot purposely create conflict when you put seven completely different people into one house. Add cameras and you are guaranteed drama. This was the same for CBS's Big Brother this past season. Although the majority of time residents got along just fine, there were many scenes that focused on the personal problems of those living in the house. Whether it dealt with a crush on another member of the house, or a disagreement, viewers were able to relate their issues to those in the house, making them feel as if they are not alone. This is a primary reason why we see such an increase in reality-based television these days. If you analyze current rankings among primetime network shows, you will not find as many reality based shows. This is because seasons of both Survivor and Big Brother have just ended. New series' will be coming out sometime in 2001, where networks feel the impact will be even greater than last time. ABC's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is however still one of the top syndicated shows in the industry today. This provides both a trivial and real life perspective for viewers out there. Unlike its other competitors in the world of ?live based? television, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire gives those who watch substance, instead of pure provoked conflict. Honestly, from my point of view, I feel the relationship between the movie industry and the contemporary issues in society do not represent each other at all. Movies in my opinion deal with much more with unrealistic themes. Either when talking about comedy, or horror-based
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
The eNotes Blog eNotes Great American Read StaffPicks
Great American Read StaffPicks If youââ¬â¢re not up-to-date on current happenings in the literary world, then you should definitely be in the know about PBSââ¬â¢s The Great American Read. This eight-part television series ââ¬Å"explores and celebrates the power of reading.â⬠At the end of the program, theyââ¬â¢ll reveal winning book. (You can vote for your favorite book here every day through October 17, 2018!) Weââ¬â¢re all literature lovers here at , so we thought it would be fun to give everyone in the office the option to write about their favorite book of the original list of 100. In no particular order, here are some of our personal favorite books from PBSââ¬â¢s The Great American Read plus why we think you should read them. Letââ¬â¢s see if any of these make the final cut! The Handmaidââ¬â¢s Tale, Margaret Atwood In The Handmaidââ¬â¢s Tale, readers get to see what Margaret Atwood does best: toy with dystopian ideas and write strong women. Through the narration of Offred, readers come to know the Republic of Gilead, the authoritarian once-was-United States. In this radioactively damaged landscape, Offred- and other Handmaids- are forcibly made to offer the one thing they can: their ability to procreate. Although Offred paints a pretty clear picture of whatââ¬â¢s happening in this society, Atwood cleverly writes The Handmaidââ¬â¢s Tale behind this unreliable narrator, causing us to ask questions not only about our own society but also about the history of Gilead. - Kate Rheta, Marketing Coordinator The Alchemist, Paulo Coehlo The Alchemist has become a novel that I find myself often revisiting, especially when Iââ¬â¢m feeling unsure about my current path in life. Originally written in Portuguese, the translated text possesses simple language, can be read in one sitting, and in many ways feels like reading an adult childrenââ¬â¢s book. Above all, it evokes wanderlust and a desire for self-discovery beyond oneââ¬â¢s comfort zone. I think thereââ¬â¢s something beautifully relatable about Coelhos protagonist and his quest for fulfillment. It reassures readers that they are not alone when searching for direction and purpose. Essentially, weââ¬â¢re all just trying to figure it out. While Coelhoââ¬â¢s lessons are not necessarily difficult to grasp, itââ¬â¢s the weight of its truth that resonates with me long after I put the book away. Ultimately, I think The Alchemist encourages readers to find what drives you, what gives you life, and your reasons to move forward. - Savannah Cotten, Marketing Intern Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison Iââ¬â¢ll be the first to admit that this fierce, humorous, and sharp critique of American society often confused and frustrated me; Ellisonââ¬â¢s depiction of a series of events in a young black manââ¬â¢s life reveal the ways in which his race makes him invisible as he repeatedly encounters betrayal, failure, and abuse. Throughout the novel, each incident illustrates how racism has warped the collective American psyche. While Ellisonââ¬â¢s novel depicts rage and hopelessness, it transcends mere protest. The narrator learns of his situation over time and maintains an independence that shatters the stereotypical notions of whatââ¬â¢s expected of him. In the end, this novel is about looking within for self-definition, about rejecting cynicism in favor of a philosophy of hope- and about how telling your own story is an act of affirmation and celebration. - Wesley Matlock, Managing Editor The Giver, Lois Lowry The Giver was impressionable to middle-school me in the way, perhaps, the Wizard of Oz original movie was to the motion picture world. What I mean by this is the use of color, or, rather, lack thereof. I initially read this book in fifth grade and couldnt put it down- mind you, this was pre-internet but post-Gameboy, so our 10-year old attention spans were in the sweet spot of toasted not broiled. All these years later I can still see Fionaââ¬â¢s hair flickering red with as much luster a memory can be, like ruby slippers twinkling on a backdrop of black and white. The book is so tightly written by Lowry that when I visualize this seemingly simple moment, its novel-defining significance hits me all at once. I donââ¬â¢t want to spoil anything else for readers if they havenââ¬â¢t picked this one up yet, and I cant recommend that they do so soon enough! - Samantha Burton, Head of Marketing and User Experience Moby-Dick, Herman Melville Revenge tragedy? High-seas adventure? Cetological encyclopedia? Feast of Platonic musings? Shakespeare-tinged fever dream? Quest for a glimpse of Godââ¬â¢s face? Poop-deck comedy hour? Novel? Poem? Symphony? All of the above, and more! Come for Ahabââ¬â¢s hunt of the White Whale. Stay for Melvilleââ¬â¢s prose. His style- musical but marmoreal, humorous but haunted- carries us across the seven seas and to nearly every shelf of the library, too. Ishmael seconds the endorsement: ââ¬Å"By reason of these things, then, the whaling voyage was welcome; the great flood-gates of the wonder-world swung open, and in the wild conceits that swayed me to my purpose, two and two there floated into my inmost soul, endless processions of the whale, and, mid most of them all, one grand hooded phantom, like a snow hill in the air.â⬠- Zack Bivins, Associate Editor Atlas Shrugged,à Ayn Rand It is no secret that Ayn Rand lionized businessmen and women, but what often gets overlooked- though she took pains to make it obvious- was that she also knew they could be villains. In Atlas Shrugged, the honest businessman shows integrity by refusing to gain profit through exploitation: by trading value for value with his customers and by refusing to use government and law to line his pockets with other peopleââ¬â¢s money. The villains do the opposite. They are the ââ¬Å"lootersâ⬠and ââ¬Å"moochersâ⬠who devise ways to cheat customers out of value, while using the regulatory power of the state to inflate their coffers, draining, by law, the hard-earned wealth of others. This distinction, vividly illustrated by the characterization in Atlas Shrugged, is why Ayn Rands opus is more relevant now than when she wrote it. And it is why it remains one of my favorite works of American literature. - Nicholas Cloud, Senior Developer Are you following The Great American Read? Have you been voting? Let us know in the comments below which book you hope wins and if youââ¬â¢ll try reading one of our suggestions next!
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Assessing What Students Learn
Assessing What Students Learn Free Online Research Papers ASSESING WHAT STUDENTS LEARN AND HOW IT CAN BE MEASURED IN AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNE COURSE CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND Assessing student learning outcomes in the advertising campaigns course: What do students learn and how can we measure it? The call for assessment is not new, nor is it a passing academic fad (Boyer, 1990; Maki, 2004, Rowntree, 1987). Accrediting bodies demand to know what our students are learning, while institutions of higher learning face growing political pressure to account for student learning. Evidence of this pressure comes in the form of the Spellings Report, an attempt to provide a comprehensive national strategy for postsecondary education in the United States (Chronicle Review, 2006). What do we think students in advertising programs should learn in our classes? How should we measure what they learn? How can we translate what we discover to improve student-learning opportunities? These are questions that accrediting bodies for journalism and mass communications, Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC) and business, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) ask programs to answer in the accreditation process. Those questions are also asked at institutional levels by regional accrediting bodies and by national associations such as American Association for Higher Education and American Association for Colleges and Universities. In 2004 ACEJMC began requiring programs that ask to be accredited to provide not only a plan for assessment, but evidence demonstrating that results are used to improve curriculum and learning (ACEJMC Web site). Likewise, AACSB requires that ââ¬Å"the school uses well documented systematic processes to develop, monitor, evaluate and revise the substance and delivery of the curricula of degree programs and to assess the impact of the curricula on learningâ⬠(AACSB International Eligibility Procedures and Accreditation Standards for Business Accreditation, 2006, p. 15). Maki (2002) and Hersh (2005) make strong arguments that the commitment to assessment should come from within the institution, not from politicians, businessmen or consultants outside the academy. They contend that by taking ownership for accountability through assessment, faculty may be able to avoid the one-size-fits-all No Child Left Behind-style testing regime. More importantly, they add, academicians need to work toward good assessment practices not because they are being forced to do so by institutions and accrediting bodies as an act of accountability, but because it reflects a commitment to learning about learning (personal correspondence Maki, 2006). Assessing student-learning shifts the focus from what instructors teach to what students learn. While this concept has been the topic of conversation in the academy for a while, exactly how to do this and how to measure what students learn havenââ¬â¢t been fully explored with respect to advertising. Jeremy Cohen, former editor of Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, issued a challenge to the academy: ââ¬Å"If assessment is to play a meaningful role . . . it is time to create depth and breadth of understanding of assessment theory and implementation through increased availability of professional quality developmentâ⬠(Cohen, 2004, p. 6). Assessment is particularly challenging for advertising programs because they encompass different disciplines ââ¬â communication studies, journalism and business ââ¬â that have different sets of assessment/accreditation criteria. An appropriate place to start with assessment in journalism and mass communications is the capstone course, such as the advertising campaigns class (Rosenberry Vicker, 2006). However, literature regarding assessment of student learning in said courses is sparse. In fact, most studies that have dealt with issues in the advertising campaigns course focused on what skills the industry values (Ganahl, 2003; Benigni Cameron, 1999), studentsââ¬â¢ attitudes toward grades (Umphrey Fullerton, 2004), and the importance of teamwork (Ahles Bosworth, 2004). However, no studies that we were aware of measure direct and indirect indicators of learning as well as other outcomes of the campaigns course that may benefit students as they develop into advertising professionals. This study will investigate learning outcomes identified by professors and look at student comments about those course objectives. The findings of this study can help advertising educators develop assessment tools for stude nt learning related to competence in understanding and applying the skills and tools of the profession that are beyond the grades students receive. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this paper is to investigate how educators might define measurable outcomes for advertising campaigns courses to help faculty develop a sustainable plan to evaluate student learning. This paper argues that the appropriate place to start assessing learning for advertising students is the capstone advertising course. It offers a model for teaching and learning that employs several components of an assessment framework offered by Shulman (2007). CHAPTER TWO Literature Review Grading and Assessment Some faculty might argue that they are already ââ¬Å"doingâ⬠assessment because they are grading student work. To some extent this is true. However, faculty needs to be careful to make some important distinctions (Cohen, 2004). Grading student work such as papers and exams produces summative evaluations, which means that the work that is generated is measured against specific outcomes designed for the course rather than evaluating information about the learning process. Secondly, according to Cohen, students, not instructors, are accountable for their learning. The power of assessment lies in the feedback that instructors receive to improve learning opportunities. Rather than a summative emphasis, he contends, the focus should be on formative work because grades are not considered to be a valid indicator of the process of learning that occurs in a course. How, then, can faculty systematically evaluate and improve student learning? Do faculty grade what students actually learn or only the assignments they submit? This question is especially perplexing, given the complex, collaborative enterprise that is part of the campaigns course, and will be explored in more depth later in this paper. Professors are often not entirely comfortable with grading (Barnes, 1985), but many use it as their main evaluation tool. Pollio and Beck (2000) found that ââ¬Å"students wished professors were less grade-oriented, while professors wished students were more learning-orientedâ⬠(p. 45) In fact, students often ââ¬Å"confuse grades with learning and do not view grades as a snapshotâ⬠(Giese, 2005, p. 255). Grades can be important in the advertising/public relations job search after graduation, although employers often look at other factors when making hiring decisions, including experience, level of confidence, and the quality of the applicant ââ¬â¢s portfolio. While professors appear to believe that grades in advertising and public relations courses generally reflect the quality of a studentââ¬â¢s course work, they also think that grades are not necessarily an adequate predictor of a studentââ¬â¢s potential as employee (Ganahl, 2003). Still, grades can be an important motivating factor, especially for younger, less experienced students (Umphrey Fullerton, 2004). In their study of advertising majorsââ¬â¢ attitudes toward grades, Umphrey and Fullerton theorize that older and more experienced students may be less motivated by grades than younger students because they ââ¬Å"notice less of a relationship between the time they spend studying and resultant gradesâ⬠(p. 45). At the same time, they found that students who held creative positions on campaigns teams were not motivated by grades. Given that the course has a strong creative focus and almost all students enroll in it during their senior year, what other factors might motivate students to succeed in the course, if not the grade? A review of existing literature uncovers some factors that have been considered in the past. While grades are an important assessment tool for summative evaluations such as papers and exams, Cohen states that they are not considered to be a valid indicator of the process of learning that occurs in a course (Cohen, 2004). Shulman (2007) suggests that instead of measuring the learning that occurs in our classrooms by computing a grade based on how well students meet specific course objectives, learning should be measured via multiple measures such as course-embedded assessment. Why Begin Assessment with the Capstone Course? The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) National Leadership Council (2007) provides support that the culminating experience ââ¬Å"can be structured to show how well students can integrate their knowledge and apply it to complex problems, and studentsââ¬â¢ level of performance on them can be aggregated and made public.â⬠Rosenberry and Vicker (2006) suggest that it is appropriate to begin assessment with the capstone course in mass communications programs because the culminating experience requires that students integrate and apply knowledge from their majors. The products they generate offer opportunities to reflect on the adequacy of studentsââ¬â¢ preparation in the program. The culminating experience gives students a chance to synthesize what they have learned during their academic careers and bring coherence and closure to their experience in the major. They suggest further that the capstone experience not only provides a sense of closure, but also one of exploration. Capstone courses push students to extend beyond their present knowledge. Rosenberry and Vicker offer three major themes that emerged from their research on capstone courses: (1) capstones reflect an integration and synthesis of knowledge, (2) they require students to apply knowledge to real-world situations, and (3) they help stu dents make a transition from the classroom to their careers. Other topics they identified include: ââ¬Å"extension of knowledge, opportunities for in-depth study, reinforcement or extension of basic communication competencies, and development of higher-order or critical thinking skillsâ⬠(Rosenberry Vicker, 2006, p. 270). Interestingly, they identify outcomes that are traditionally thought of as intellectual skills and abilities. Interpersonal skills do not emerge on their list. What should be taught in a campaigns course? A review of literature suggests students learn practical, professional and interpersonal skills (Benigni Cameron, 1999; Ahles Bosworth, 2004). The capstone course in most advertising and public relations programs has a ââ¬Å"real-worldâ⬠focus, meaning that students work on a campaign that will solve a real life clientââ¬â¢s communication problem strategically and creatively. Benigni and Cameron argued the importance of real-world application: ââ¬Å"perhaps the most important function of capstone courses in journalism and mass communications is to prepare students for the real worldâ⬠(1999, p. 50). They suggest that these ââ¬Å"real worldâ⬠skills should include communication and planning skills, as well as an ability to base strategic decisions on sound research and theory. The goal of the capstone course is to synthesize skills learned from prerequisite courses in a collaborative learning environment, in which stu dents work in a team environment to create a campaign, they state. In their study, Benigni and Cameron investigated the role that interpersonal dynamics play in a student campaign both internally (within team structure) and externally (with client). They found that two-thirds of campaigns classes used a team approach as class format, with 94% of all presenters being graded on individual as well as team performance. Seventy-three percent of campaigns courses used peer evaluations, while 60% indicated that peer evaluations of other students were reflected in the final grade for those students. They conclude teamwork, therefore, is an important component of the campaigns course. Benigni and Cameron furthermore found that some programs teach about teamwork, team building, and problem solving, and consensus building, but teamwork is not covered in much detail in undergraduate advertising and public relations programs (Ahles Bosworth, 2004). Ahles and Bosworth suggest that effective teams generally earn higher grades and produce a better quality campaign for the client. They found that after students complete the campaigns course, they often have a ââ¬Å"shared visionâ⬠of effective teams, characterized by strong work habits and human relations skills, but not necessarily professional skills. Human relations skills included reliability, dedication to the project, and teamwork attitude. Ahles and Bosworth conclude that students may rank human relations skills so high because they think those skills will help them achieve a better grade. Thus, the desire to have these skills is ultimately selfish. In the same study students ranked professional skills, such as advertising and public relations tactical skills, computer skills, and problem-solving skills, lowest. Principles of Assessment Understanding why assessment is needed and how assessment occurs in a cyclical process prepares us to explore what it is that faculty should assess. Lee S. Shulman, president of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, argues that assessment should be viewed essentially as a form of narrative (Shulman, 2007). He states that the story told by assessment is a function of the measurements taken, and those dimensions determine the possible directions the narrative might take. In other words, faculty needs to make clear their rationale for telling a particular narrative rather than alternative stories. What is it that advertising educators want to tell in their assessment story? What are the key indicators that those outcomes are being met that should be measured? Shulman (2007) offers ââ¬Å"Seven Pillars of Assessment for Accountabilityâ⬠that can be used as a framework for developing an assessment plan. Four of them guided our work. 1. Become explicit about the story you need to tell and the rationale for choosing it. The story is driven by accrediting bodies to some extent. ACEJMC stipulates competencies that all graduates in accredited programs should know (see Appendix A for list). Another part of the story could be shaped by national standards for the discipline. The National Academic Committee of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), which is comprised of advertising practitioners and faculty, identified a coherent set of goals for advertising education (personal correspondence, Fullerton, 2007, see Appendix B for list). These competency lists give faculty some tools to use to set the outcomes they want their students to achieve ââ¬â to create the story they want to tell about their programs. Another option for setting outcomes involves researching academic journals to see what other scholars have identified as important curricular areas for advertising. One direction the narrative could take could reveal how the goals of advertising education might link with goals of the institutionââ¬â¢s general or liberal education, as some educators call for examining how learning and research are integrated across disciplinary boundaries (e.g., Gilbert, Schilt Ekland-Olson, 2005; AACU National Leadership Council, 2007). Ganahl, for example, surveyed alumni and faculty about the advertising/PR curriculum, finding those faculties were more supportive than professionals of a strong liberal arts education (2003). It is quite obvious at this point that to try to assess every possible aspect of the course at once is overwhelming, if not impossible. Faculty need not tell an epic story with their assessment. Rather they might conceptualize it as incremental steps over a period of time. This way assessment becomes an on-going activity and evolving story, rather than a snapshot taken just to have something to show an accrediting team. 2. Do not think that there is a ââ¬Å"bottom line.â⬠Once an instrument has been selected to assess a learning outcome (or competency), it is important to recognize what it measures and what it does not. Assessment results should be examined in the context of the particular narrative that is being told. This means that assessment that is focused to find the answer to a specific question cannot be generalized to conclude that assessment is complete or successful with one instrument. Rather, assessment is an on-going process of discovery. 3. Design multiple measures. An array of instruments will help provide a variety of assessment evidence from which to make informed pedagogical decisions. ACEJMC guidelines stipulate that these should include direct and indirect methods. Direct methods require students to demonstrate their learning or produce work that lets others judge whether or not outcomes have been achieved. Examples of direct assessment include a paper or test or evaluation of the campaign by a professional expert. Indirect measures involve asking students their perceptions about what they learned. Asking students, alumni and employers about their satisfaction with a program and measuring their job placement rate are examples of indirect assessment. Direct and indirect measures can be complementary and each tells a different part of the assessment story (Maki, 2004; Walvoord Anderson, 1998). 4. Embed assessment into ongoing instruction. The key here, according to Shulman, is to assess early and often. He suggests that assessment that is employed late in a course or program yields helpful pedagogical information when itââ¬â¢s too late to be of much use to students in that course. He says that assessment should be ââ¬Å"a regular physical exam rather than a public autopsyâ⬠(p.6). This calls for what Shulman refers to as bilateral transparency. Progress toward learning outcomes should be accessible to both faculty and students. Shulmanââ¬â¢s Seven Pillars of Assessment for Accountability invite a challenge for advertising educators. These pillars can be used to guide assessment that is multiple method, embedded, intentional, and iterative. To summarize, there is a need for strategic, intentional learning that improves as a result of evaluation of curriculum. Based on the assessment literature and specifically Shulmanââ¬â¢s recommendations, we developed an assessment model called IDEA (Identification, Development, Evaluation and Application). This model illustrates the Teaching and Learning Cycle that is essential to the development of the overall plan for assessment, while providing a manageable ââ¬Å"roadmapâ⬠for faculty to measure and improve student learning. The model suggests that faculty begin the assessment process by identifying and aligning a set of interconnected goals, including institutional, college, departmental, major, and course goals. Then, a qualitative and/or quantitative ins trument should be developed to measure specific learning outcomes that will assess the extent to which these goals were achieved. Next, evidence of student-learning should be collected, analyzed, and evaluated based on the specific goals that were identified at the beginning. The most important step is to apply the findings to improve student-learning. Finally, in order to complete the cycle, it is important to identify and align the various goals again and continue the assessment process. IDEA Model of Teaching and Learning: Taking Shulmanââ¬â¢s advice to create bilateral transparency, this study focuses the assessment lens on a perspective that is often neglected: the studentsââ¬â¢. What is it that they report having learned? How does that match what faculty think they are grading and the course objectives they set? This exploratory study will show how assessment of the campaigns course has been attempted by one advertising program by implementing the IDEA model. In this case, the research questions for this study helped us to assess student learning at the course level. We wanted to investigate whether we teach what we are grading and grade what students are learning: RQ1: In what ways do student comments relate to what they learned in the capstone course match the instructorââ¬â¢s learning objectives for the course? RQ2: How do students rate the extent to which they achieved learning outcomes that include professional guidelines (AAF Principles), accrediting competencies (ACEJMC) and personal expectations? RQ3: What types of learning outcomes do students identify as most important? CHAPTER THREE Methodology Based on our experience working with faculty in our college to help them understand what assessment is and how it can help improve their teaching, two questions arise in almost every discussion: How is assessment different from grading? And, what is the difference between a teaching-objectives approach and a student-centered learning approach? As a result, an assessment method was developed that might offer an example of how faculty members could move from a teaching-objectives approach to a student learning focus, and in the process learn what assessment offers beyond meeting the course objectives. The capstone course, Advertising and Public Relations Campaigns, was the target course for this study as recommended by Rosenberry and Vicker (2006). It is an example of a course where cumulative learning and various other types of learning might be assessed. The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods design was to explore student reflections on learning in the campaigns course with the intent of developing and testing a survey instrument that measures a variety of learning outcomes. The first phase of the study was a qualitative exploration of how students who have completed the advertising campaigns course at a large Midwestern university reflect on what they have learned in the course and how the course objectives match what they say they learned. These initial course objectives had been developed by the course instructors based on the ACEJMC assessment levels of learning (awareness, understanding, and application). After completing the campaigns course, students were asked to reflect on their development throughout the semester, using the course objectives as a guide. A total of 40 written student reflections from three sections were collected and categorized as pertaining to learning outcomes identified in the course ob jectives listed in the syllabus or additional learning outcomes that emerged from student responses. Students mentioned some of the course objectives and also listed things not on the list of objectives in the syllabus. The reason for collecting qualitative data initially is that an instrument needed to be developed that included more than the course objectives developed by the instructors. In the second, quantitative phase of the study, studentsââ¬â¢ statements and/or quotes from the qualitative data were used to develop an instrument to measure a more accurate list of learning outcomes among students in the campaigns course. In addition, profession related learning goals offered by The American Advertising Federation (AAF) and professional values and competencies listed by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC) were added to complete the list. In short, the revised instrument included learning expectations from an accrediting body, a professional group, as well as students themselves. For the quantitative phase of the study a new group of students from three different sections of the next semesterââ¬â¢s campaigns course was asked to complete the revised list of learning outcomes by evaluating whether their team achieved the original course objectives and to what extent they, as individuals, achieved the revised list of learning objectives. Students were then asked to list the top three things they learned from the campaigns course. This ranking was added to provide a measure of the importance of the learning objectives. The revised assessment forms were completed by 51 students from three different sections and three different instructors of the campaigns course at the same institution. CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS A qualitative inventory of the responses to the initial form indicated that student comments were made about their learning on all three levels - awareness, understanding and application - and in about equal proportions. However, there were some learning objectives in each of the categories that were not mentioned in the open-ended comments. In addition, there were comments about what was learned that had not been identified by instructors. These additional comments were related to group learning as well as individual learning that had taken place. This finding was deemed by the researchers to be an example of how the professorââ¬â¢s view of what should be learned in a course may not match the studentsââ¬â¢ view of what they learned in the course. The traditional approach in higher education has been that the professor outlines the learning objectives, teaches to those expectations, and indicates in the grading how well the student has met those objectives. This first step in our investigation offered a reminder that what we teach may not be what students learn, but also made us cognizant that what students learn may be beyond the teaching objectives we set. The student comments related to individual and group learning were incorporated in the next version of the course evaluation form. The consistency of the student responses on the team and individual sections of the revised evaluation form offer evidence of content validity and reliability related to student-oriented learning outcomes. Almost every student indicated ââ¬Å"yesâ⬠related to each of the team achievements on the list. Only one person answered ââ¬Å"noâ⬠on four of the learning objective statements. There was greater diversity in the individual versus the team evaluations, but most of the students gave themselves a 4 or 5 on the learning outcome statements. On only four of the individual learning objectives did fewer than half of the students give themselves a high ââ¬Å"5â⬠. The following four statements had the lowest means and the highest standard deviations of this group of questions: ââ¬Å"ability to speak in publicâ⬠(M = 3.53, SD = 1.689), ââ¬Å"developed leadership skillsâ⬠(M = 4.18, SD = 1.090), ââ¬Å"played mediator between group membersâ⬠(M = 3.84, SD = 1.405), and ââ¬Å"learned how to write clearly and conciselyâ⬠(M = 3.96, SD = 1.371). It is possible that those who did not express high agreement with these statements may not have been presenters for the campaign presentation to the client, did not take a leadership role on the team, or did not think that this course was the place they learned to write clearly and concisely. It is also possible that students did not realize that they reinforced their writing skills in the course, even though those skills were not specifically taught in campaigns. We will need to investigate these learning outcome differences to determine if the statement wording needs revision or if the course does not provide everyone with the opportunity to advance in these areas. Qualitative analysis of student comments about the three top things learned in the campaigns course produced three skills categories identified by the students: professional, personal development and interpersonal. Those three categories were developed from 157 items identified by the 51 students in the three sections of the course. Of those, 43% (67) were professional skills related, 34% (53) were about interpersonal relationships and 23% (37) were personal development items. The differences between the three groups of students in number of items in each category were minimal (Professional 23, 23, 21; Interpersonal 20, 19, 14; Personal development 15, 14, 8). Personal development and interpersonal skills comments were categorized based on whether the comment was given in a group or team context or was offered as a statement about self-development. Student comments about professional skills included such things as: presentation skills, evaluation and application of research, strategy development, understanding of entire process, technology needed to produce what was needed, importance of attention to details, how to build a cohesive campaign, near perfection needed for client, and understanding of what it takes to develop a plans book. Interpersonal skills included such items as: team work, client communication, need to share ideas, put differences aside for the welfare of the group, learn to rely on others and let them rely on you, need to compromise in order to succeed, and group communication is important. Statements about personal development items included such things as: learn to accept criticism, keep an open mind, master multi-tasking, think outside the box, learn to take responsibility, donââ¬â¢t take it personally, learn to compromise, learn to handle frustration, time management, patience is key, my ability may be more than I thought, and this experience confirmed that I do love the ad business. The richness of the student comments provided evidence that they can delineate different types of learning emanating from the campaigns experience. One item, time management, was difficult to categorize because it wasnââ¬â¢t always part of a statement related to self, or the group. It was included in the personal development category for this study because it was often used in a personal trait context. However, this is an item that needs to be investigated in more depth. It may be that time management skills could be considered as important for all three categories. What We Learned From Conducting This Exploratory Study Research question 1 asked, ââ¬Å"In what ways do student comments related to what they learned in the capstone course match the instructorââ¬â¢s learning objectives for the course?â⬠We discovered that student comments indicate the instructorââ¬â¢s learning objectives do match their views of what they learned in many cases, but students also report that there are additional types of learning that go beyond what is traditionally measured with grades that are tied to requirements or expectations listed in the syllabus. Research question 2 asked, ââ¬Å"How do students rate the extent to which they achieved learning outcomes that include professional guidelines, accrediting competencies, and personal expectations?â⬠Our findings indicate that students say they generally have met the professional and accrediting expectations in the capstone course as well as the personal expectations. However, we also were able to identify four skill areas where some students indicated the course did not help them meet the learning expectations. This provides information that could help develop changes in the course materials or assignments that might improve learning in those areas. Research question 3 asked, ââ¬Å"What types of learning outcomes do student identify as most important?â⬠Students in the campaigns course were able to help identify three types of learning that came from their class experience. The first type related to professional skills, which are often part of the grading rubric for courses offered in a professional program. Discovery of the other two types of learning ââ¬â personal development and interpersonal skills ââ¬â expands our knowledge of what students learn in a course beyond what was listed as learning objectives in the syllabus. It is our hope that the findings of this study might help faculty members understand the importance of developing assessment techniques that measure learning experiences outside and beyond the class assignments that are part of the grading rubric. Perhaps faculty will see that student input and feedback related to learning objectives can help make course instruction more student-centered. Our plan is to refine this method in the campaigns course and then apply it to other courses in the advertising program, as well as the capstone courses for the other majors offered in our college. CHAPTER FIVE Discussion The purpose of this paper was to investigate how educators might define measurable outcomes for a capstone course and to help faculty and administrators develop tools to build a sustainable plan to evaluate student learning. Based on current conventional practices in assessment, accrediting bodies demand that faculty complete the transition from teacher-centered education to learning-outcome accountability. The accrediting process requires that institutions not only create plans and assess student learning, but that they use the information from their activities to demonstrate how learning opportunities are improved as a result. One place to start assessing learning in the advertising major is the culminating experience students get in the capstone campaigns course. This paper offers the IDEA model for assessment of teaching and learning, which starts by identifying and aligning institutional, departmental and course goals. The goal in this example was to assess if we teach what we are grading and if we grade what we are teach what we are grading and if we grade what we are teaching. We then developed an instrument to measure evidence of student learning pertaining to this goal, collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data, and demonstrated how we used it to improve student learning. The last step of the IDEA model is to go back and start the cycle again by identifying and aligning goals. This study followed Shulmanââ¬â¢s (2007) recommendation that assessment should be bilaterally transparent. Missing from existing literature is a notion that students had input or feedback into creating the learning objectives. This investigation focused the assessment efforts narrowly, exploring how students reflect on whether the course objectives matched their learning, and asking how they rate learning outcomes that include professional and personal expectations. Findings indicated what was expected to a certain extent. Students reported that they believed they learned what the faculty had established for course objectives. Most interesting however, was the notion that the students themselves believed they learned more than the instructors expected. Three themes emerged in the qualitative portion of the study, which categorized studentsââ¬â¢ responses: professional skills, interpersonal skills and personal development. To the literature about campaigns courses, this study adds the notion that the personal component is an important learning outcome of the campaigns course as identified by students. Overall, this study demonstrates that it is not necessary to assess every element in a program to be informed about certain parts of it. Incremental assessment conducted over time with multiple measures helps give a fuller picture of the learning experience. While this study is an example of an indirect measure of assessment, faculty needs to add to the assessment story with other evaluations of the course, such as critiques by professional panels and reviews by the clients, which directly measure student learning. Completing the assessment cycle, it is important to implement changes based on evidence generated in the process. Faculty has choices to accomplish improvements. To implement what was learned in this particular case, faculty could revise the learning outcomes and reflect that in the grading. One way to apply the findings of this study to the campaigns course would be to incorporate a ââ¬Å"personal developmentâ⬠component into the grading rubric and share it with the students at the beginning of the semester. Grading rubrics are an effective way to articulate expectations to students (Lattuca, 2005). It involves establishing and defining standards that must be met. In this study, the first step is to define ââ¬Å"personal development,â⬠which can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, the instructor could provide one by referring to the literature. However, a much more student-centered approach would be to involve students and to ask them to define and reflect on what ââ¬Å"personal developmentâ⬠means in the campaigns course. This could be achieved by implementing an assessment plan similar to the one we presented here. The definition could then become part of the grading rubric and measured by indicating to what extent ââ¬Å"personal developmentâ⬠was achieved by each student. It would be the instructorââ¬â¢s discretion to determine the percentage of the grade that ââ¬Å"personal developmentâ⬠should account for. The grading rubric should be re-evaluated each semester as part of the continuous assessment process. On the other hand, if the instructor does not believe that ââ¬Å"personal developmentâ⬠should be graded, she could simply ask students to reflect on this particular learning outcome and again measure it based on an operational definition as another way to assess what students learn in the course. This study demonstrates that grading is not the same as assessment. We learned that students report learning personal development skills that are not taken into account when grades are given. We now know that an important part of the course includes that dimension. We, as faculty, can choose to integrate it in the grade with rubrics that reflect this component or keep it as a separate ungraded component of the course. The instructors teaching the campaigns course at our institution have incorporated the ââ¬Å"personal developmentâ⬠component in different ways. One has included it in the grading rubric, while another chose to discuss it with students at various points throughout the semester. In both cases, students will be asked at the end of this semester to reflect on this important component, which will again become part of the assessment cycle. Limitations The primary limitation of this study is the relatively small sample size. The findings are meant to be an illustration of how one institution has assessed a specific component of the advertising campaigns course. Future Directions As indicated in the IDEA model of teaching and learning, the most important piece of assessment is to view it as an ongoing process. We need to assess student learning systematically over time so that we can continuously improve it. The next step for us is to assess what advertising alumni say they have learned in the capstone course. This will add another chapter to our assessment story because students who have just completed the course but havenââ¬â¢t had any professional experience may not know what they have learned until they are somewhat established in the professional world. References AACU National Leadership Council for Liberal Education Americaââ¬â¢s Promise. (2007). College Learning for the New Global Century. Washington, DC: Association of American College and Universities. Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).Retrieved March 17, 2007 from http://www2.ku.edu/~acejmc/PROGRAM/STANDARDS.SHTML#std9 (assessment standard) 2ku.edu/~acejmc/PROGRAM/STANDARDS.SHTML#std2 (competency list) Ahles, C. B. Bosworth, C. C. (2004). The perception and reality of students and workplace teams. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 59 (1), 42-59. Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. (AACSB). Eligibility procedures and accreditation standards for business accreditation. Retrieved March 21, 2007 from (aacsb.edu/accreditation/business/STANDARDS.pdf. Barnes, S. (1985). A study of classroom pupil evaluation: The missing link in teacher education, Journal of Teacher Education, 36, 46-49. Benigni, V. L., Cameron, G. T. (1999). Teaching PR campaigns: The current state of the art. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, (59) 3, 50-60. Boyer, E.L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Chronicle Review (2006, Sept. 1) The Spellings Report, Warts and All. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53 (2). Cohen, J. (2004). Assessment . . . yours, mine, ours. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 59 (1), 3-6. Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Ganahl, D. (2003). Evaluating a professional advertising/PR curriculum: Aligning the liberal arts curriculum with professional expectations. Journal of Advertising Education, 7(2), 24-32. Gilbert, L. A., Schilt, P.E., Ekland-Olson, S. (2005). Engaging students: Integrated learning and research across disciplinary boundaries. Liberal Education (Summer/Fall 2005), 44-49. Giese, M. (2005). An educatorââ¬â¢s journal: Evaluating and evaluated. Journalism Mass Communication Educator, 60 (3), 252-256. Hersh, R. H. (2005). What does college teach? Itââ¬â¢s time to put an end to ââ¬Å"faith-basedâ⬠acceptance of higher educationââ¬â¢s quality. The Atlantic Monthly, November 2005 , 140-143. Lattuca, L. R. (2005). Making learning visible: Student and peer evaluation. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 60 (3), 247-251. Maki, P. L. (2002). Moving from paperwork to pedagogy: Channeling intellectual curiosity into a commitment to assessment. AAHE Bulletin, May 2002. Retrieved Feb. 14, 2007 from http://wwww.aacsb.edu/resource_centers/assessment/Maki- Reprint.asp. Maki, P. L. (2004). Assessing for learning: Building a sustainable commitment across the institution. Sterling, VA: American Association for Higher Education. Pollio, H. R., Humphries, W. L., Milton, O. (1989). Components of contemporarycollege grade meanings. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 14, 77-91. Rosenberry, J. Vicker, L.A. (2006). Capstone courses in mass communication programs. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 61 (3), 267-283. Rowntree, D. (1987). Assessing students: How shall we know them? (2nd ed.) London: Kogan Page. Shulman, L. S. (2007). Counting and recounting: Assessment and the quest for accountability. Change, 39 (1), (carnegiefoundation.org/change/) Umphrey, D., Fullerton, J. (2004). Attitudes toward grades among advertising majors. Journal of Advertising Education (8)1, 39-47. Walvoord, B. E., Anderson, V. J. (1998). Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Appendix A ACEJMC PRINCIPLES OF ACCREDITATION: Professional values and competencies (adopted Sept. 16, 2000) Individual professions in journalism and mass communication may require certain specialized values and competencies. Irrespective of their particular specialization, all graduates should be aware of certain core values and competencies and be able to: Understand and apply First Amendment principles and the law appropriate to professional practice; Demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications; Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of groups in a global society in relationship to communications; Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information; Work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity; Think critically, creatively and independently; Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work; Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve; Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness; Apply basic numerical and statistical concepts; Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work Appendix B A Statement of Principles for Advertising Education Programs, National Academic Committee American Advertising Federation (July 2006) 1. Advertising students should know the following: A. The institutions of advertising, their history, and how they relate to each other. B. How advertising is coordinated with marketing and other aspects of a company or organizationââ¬â¢s activities. C. Management of the advertising function and personnel in agencies and client organizations. D. A wide range of alternatives for delivering advertising messages and how to use those delivery vehicles. E. The conceptual basis for crafting advertising messages. F. How advertising is regulated. G. Ethical principles for advertising practices. H. Research methodologies appropriate to guiding advertising strategy and evaluating its results. I. An appreciation for the diversity of markets and audiences for whom advertisers create campaigns and messages. J. Critical thinking, written, oral and visual communication, and presentation skills. K. The ability to work with others to solve problems creatively. 2. Instruction in advertising courses should include both theory and practical application, such as the National Student Advertising Competition (Relevant to ACEJMC Standard 2). 3. Advertising faculty members should have professional experience relevant to the courses they teach (Relevant to ACEJMC Standard 4). 4. Advertising students should be strongly encouraged to gain work experience before graduation through campus media and internships (Relevant to ACEJMC Standard 2) 5. Advertising students should be proficient in using equipment and technology they will use in their careers (Relevant to ACEJMC Standard 2). 6. Advertising programs should be assessed using multiple measures, which could include: Participation in regional and national competitions, such as the National Student Competition, ADDYs, and competitive internship programs Capstone papers Journals and reflection pieces Focus groups Benchmark measurements (pre-tests/ post-tests of courses and senior year Portfolios of student work Research Papers on Assessing What Students LearnStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThree Concepts of PsychodynamicInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Project Managment Office SystemIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHip-Hop is Art
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Analysis of a business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Analysis of a business - Essay Example These changes are due to the new paradigm brought about by the advancement of the internet technology which links employees all over the globe and the more intense competition which requires business organizations to seek for more knowledgeable and skilled individuals to take up posts. In the case of Starbucks, employees will likely be influenced by the three trends above except flexibility in work place that allows the workforce to do their tasks at the comfort of their homes. It should be noted that as the leading coffee shop does not only offer coffees but excellent service, employees need to interact with the customers to deliver this service. However, employees will need to upgrade their skills by undergoing retraining. Starbucks might also opt to further diversify its workforce to pool and utilize different expertise of various groups in its operations. The rapid economic development also posts huge opportunities for Starbucks. It can be noted that the once poor countries in Asia are becoming more developed. This leads to the creation of jobs and the rise in disposable incomes. Starbucks is now poised to pursue geographic expansion in countries like China and India (Geoffrey 1). These nations are currently showing fast growths in their GDP due to business process outsourcing. Technolog Technological developments constantly changes companies' business model including Starbucks which have re cognized the gains of employing a brick and mortar industry. One of the most significant changes in the business environment of Starbucks due to technology improvements is higher productivity in coffee farming. McKinsey's quarterly study reports that the coffee industry's cost structure has significantly improved due to the productivity enhancing innovations such as "cultivation of less frost-prone areas, better mechanized harvesting, and increased irrigation" (Campbell 1). As the globe is clamoring for business practices to build on sustainable development, Starbucks faces the challenge being environment friendly. It should be noted that environmentalists adheres to the preservation of the natural resources and is currently intensifying their thrust for this. In political aspect, countries are more and more integrated due to the establishment of free trade zones and blocs to facilitate the flow of products, services, and investment in each nation. This poses opportunities for Starbucks as it imports its coffee beans from farmers abroad. It will also help Starbucks in its expansion strategies. 2. Identify the policy the organization has regarding business ethics and social responsibility. Starbucks, recognizing the need for sustainable development, has readily embraced societal marketing. The world's n umber one specialty coffee retailer adheres to business ethics and social responsibility. Starbucks' president and CEO Orin Smith states that "social responsibility is not just an add-on to our business" but "an essential part of who we are" (Asmus 3). Starbucks pursues business ethics and social responsibility through its fourfold strategy which includes improving social and economic condition for coffee farmers; minimizing environmental impact; making a positive contribution on where it does business and providing a great work environment for its employees. True to these commitments, the company has launched projects and programs to
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