Introduction and Conclusion - Tips for Writing Them

Introduction and Conclusion - Tips for Writing ThemIntroductions and conclusions are both crucial parts of a paper. A good introduction can be the difference between a first or second place finish and a poor finish. It sets the mood and style of the paper for the rest of the paper. A good conclusion should tie everything together and give the reader a brief summary of what's been said in the paper.There are several reasons why these two sentences are important. It sets the tone of the paper for the rest of the paper. It gives the author an idea about the contents and will guide them to write a satisfying ending to the paper. The last thing that you want is to end the paper with something you don't agree with, and this is especially true for the introductions and conclusions. So, it is best to prepare for these sections by writing them well in advance.This will let you know where you're heading and what you're going to cover, and this is where an introduction can really help to get yo u on the right track. If you begin the paper well and give it an appropriate introduction, it will follow with good conclusion to help balance the work out. Many people who write on a regular basis usually feel a bit flustered when they first begin a new assignment and that is the time where they should prepare for their introductions and conclusions.The introductions are the ones that hold the major structure and the main ideas in the paper. They help to set the theme and to pull readers into the paper by giving them an overview of what is being discussed.Now, these introductions need to not only cover the main topics, but also be complete with relevant facts, examples, and even an appropriate source for each paragraph. You'll want to let the readers know why the topics in the paper are relevant, and why it is worth their time to read the paper. People who haven't done research may find the introduction part of a paper annoying. With all the facts at hand, the writer should be able to steer readers through the paper to help them reach the end and feel as though they're reading an enjoyable article.Writing a conclusion is another important step. Even if you've planned the paper well in advance, you will need to know how to conclude the paper. Many people also feel a little overwhelmed by this step, which is why you should give yourself enough time to prepare. When writing the conclusion, the best approach is to tie everything together so that the paper flows from one idea to the next. A good ending should stand alone from everything else.As you continue through the essay, you should start on different levels. When writing introductions and conclusions, you should continue to be on the higher levels. Give your readers something of value, and then move to the higher levels where you'll want to link things together in a well written and cohesive way. You should continue to do this throughout the entire essay.

Blog and nots Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blog and nots - Essay Example The text is also more allusive, drawing on texts from various Mexican corridors and French feminist theory. Anzaldua character traits are of great importance for any philosophy of the social, within the writing. Critical insights of figures like of Derrida and Nietzsche as it relates to individual identity crafted out of a fractured heritage (Anzaldua). The author information is that, borders all lenders given that the human condition entails being stretched across the chasm of self-alterity. It is through full identification of this can a major inventory of the self-operate; that is a prerequisite for the responsibility and genuine care for oneself. In addition, the book opens up doors of consciousness for many in their own spiritual as well as a creative life. I, therefore, strongly recommend that one should read the book at night before sleeping. It is a literature that expands the dreams of consciousness. In a semi-autobiographical account, Anzaldua agrees with her Chicana lesbian identity to appreciate the components of its existence. In addition, author’s lesbian nature has traces of both female and male characters, but Anzaldua culture is a mixture of many different cultures and races. By employing English and Spanish in the writing, the author demonstrates that the literature of Chicana cannot be in one language. Cultural identity is of great importance to Anzaldua but claims that culture of individuals in power referring to men. Males make laws and the rules, laws, but it is women who transmit them. By going beyond the limits of either Mexican or American culture, Chicana literature gives a voice to individuals of the borderland. Apart from the physical border between Mexico and America, as well as the linguistic border between English and Spanish, Anzaldua also explains the boundaries of gender and sexuality in

The Unusual Mystery Into Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms

The Unusual Mystery Into Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms This sample essay via an Ultius professional writer explores either side of the argument. Make certain you begin with an excellent speech outline outline so as to make it simpler to keep an eye on any points you wish to have in your speech. Free essay papers on school uniform can supply you with necessary info on the matter. Use certain reasons and examples to back up your opinion. The Basic Principles of Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms That You Will be Able to Benefit From Starting Immediately To compose a great essay on the topic, it's important to seek out arguments for school uniforms should or should not be compulsory. The straightforward truth that everybody is going to be dressed in a uniform will lower bullying at schools, which is frequently based on social differences. Some individuals think that it ought to be compulsory to wear a uniform, and others believe they shouldn' t be required. In Germany, there isn't any school uniform, although there's a debate about its introduction. Using Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms How the student will understand what to wear to school will cause quicker preparations, or so the danger of being late for school will be lower. Provide your essay a title that is related to the thesis. The Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms Chronicles Every school on the planet has its own regulation about the best way to wear. In addition to each of these benefits, the best benefit of uniforms is they make the intruders in the school more noticeable. The major uniform companies'' prices can have a tendency to be outrageous. There are numerous manufacturing companies who sell uniforms for reasonable rates. Though public school uniform use isn't widespread it's continuously growing. For example it may enhance the social outcomes in a school environment and it can also lessen violence. Anothe r manner that school uniforms can boost student safety is they can decrease gang activity. Students may go to school without worrying about their safety due to the way that they dress. The Fundamentals of Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms You Will be Able to Benefit From Beginning Today It is very important to be worried about the dress code of our children. Long as there's a choice to wear other clothing besides uniforms it will continue to get argued. When having a uniform, all you need to do is make certain it's clean and prepared to put on. A uniform, instead of a costume, is clothing of a particular type, style, and make up that is needed by the organization the individual belongs to. What Everybody Dislikes About Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms and Why Kids like to express themselves in various ways and that isn't going to be possible if they're made to wear one kind of clothing. Uniforms are a lot less expensive than most clothes provided in the stores. Students can put on a selection of expressive objects, such as buttons or jewelry. Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms Secrets That No One Else Knows About Thus, in a way, it's an important requirement for those children especially. Furthermore, school uniforms would save parents money because they do not need to purchase their child a different wardrobe each time the youngster wants something new. These 3 reasons to me would be quite helpful to the student's in several methods and also to the parents. Children from families which are not as fortunate get picked on for being unable to afford tons of pricey outfits. Another excellent side of the uniforms is they can be recycled and reused. Another exact essential benefit of wearing school uniforms is that there's no chance of peer pressure in regards to the dresses at least. So it's good to wear uniforms even when you're wearing exactly the same thing as everybody else. Wearing unifo rms is an attractiveness of schools' cultural, so there isn't any reason to remove that tradition. In the event the school enforced uniforms, nobody could judge each other by only the appearance of their clothing. On the flip side, there are many folks who agree with wearing school uniforms. However, higher school teenagers wearing uniforms can be thought of as wise if you take the time out to consider the positive outcomes. But the simple truth is, wearing of uniforms should all be based on the circumstances and the image a given school is attempting to portray. The One Thing to Do for Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms You need to be able to express yourself through it. Uniforms can be very distracting during the day because of all of the restrictions. Students still don't want to obey the dress code policy. Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms - Is it a Scam? Each customer will receive a non-plagiarized paper with timely shipping. If a student commits vandalism in the restroom, for instance, the camera might catch them but provided that the camera doesn't catch their face, it would not be possible to discover who did it. Weather it is a very simple project presentation at school or a huge job interview, confidence is critical. Uniforms ought to be mandatory in schools as it won't be as distractive, provides a formal look, and it'll instill school pride. Because they should be mandatory in school. Secondly, school uniforms constitute an additional expense for those parents. Required school uniforms can lower fighting among students and prevent outsiders from having the ability to enter the school undetected. School uniforms are normally less expensive than letting children choose what they need to wear to school. Students should have to wear uniforms since it creates Clothing, Implementing School Uniforms. Wearing school uniforms be sure that the students develop a feeling of belonging to the school where they're studying. The New Angle On Essay Writing on Should Highscoolers Wear Uniforms Just Released Confidence is a very big portion of life particularly for teens. You might be thinking, Having kids wear uniforms will make them make much better grades. Money also plays an important role in the clothing we wear. Them differently, it's included in the. Simple rules rather than a uniform may easily be placed in place. Accordingly, in the lack of specific procedures or guidelines, commanders must establish a soldier's compliance with standards within this regulation. For example, students may not wish to select a fight nor do an illegal act since they are conscious that they'll be caught easily by identifying the uniform. It is a sort of camouflage on account of the pattern to safeguard the wearer from being seen.

Buying How to Write a Research Paper

Buying How to Write a Research Paper Life, Death and How to Write a Research Paper In case you're not able to do the research paper as a result of any reason, you can rely on ProfEssays to write for you in accordance to your requirements. The choice to implement a courseware management system may not be pieced together. Part of the bid management procedure is considering how best to allocate resource can be hard, as the criteria for going for a specific bid doesn't necessarily come to the financial rewards out there. Finally, the distance-learning system should boost the learner's experience. Things You Should Know About How to Write a Research Paper A reaction paper is a kind of written assignment, which necessitates personal opinion and conclusions on a particular article or abstract. The second part should contain your individual thoughts about the topic. A title page is normally in the middle of the page and is a concise overview of the topic. The Importance of How to Write a Research Paper Scientists select a journal to publish in depending on the audience they want to reach and the standard of the research. When you compose a research paper you build upon what you know about the topic and make a deliberate attempt to learn what experts know. Some of the greatest research paper introduction samples consist of primary resources supporting the argument or research of the issue. You might already know that a thesis statement ought to be specific, and a research question is the same. In order to start outlining the research paper, determine why you're researching the subject. Employing research paper examples is a sound notion, as it will help to conserve time and efforts. Writing a reaction paper may be true challenge, but at precisely the same time it can help you to increase your analytical abilities and share your opinion with the world! The introduction is the secret to letting your readers know where you're headed and what you hope to achieve. Thus, for your convenience, you have a superb chance to monitor the development of the assigned writer and make sure an essay will be ready in a timely way. The Characteristics of How to Write a Research Paper With the assistance of such an outline, you will have the abili ty to find out how the paper will look like and will be capable of going from 1 paragraph to another smoothly. When you're writing bullets, you want to take care of each one as if it is a mini headline for the item. Such a practice may lead to accusations of plagiarism. Should you need oxford style papers writing you need to come to us now, for we provide all types of oxford style papers to our clients. Only the outcomes are presented. By downloading a sample, you are going to learn how to write reaction paper and prevent common mistakes. The method section is among the most crucial elements of your APA format paper. The simple format is identical for all sorts of references. The End of How to Write a Research Paper Having said this, you would welcome the chance of being given future opportunities to pitch for work. The reality is that there aren't any absolutely good or totally lousy phenomenon. Remain true to the theme, and you will receive a coherent piece that will ge t you an excellent grade. To begin with, you should be precise and carry out a very clear vision of what you're likely to describe (provide a crystal clear notion, time, place and so forth). What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About How to Write a Research Paper If you can't make a strong impact with your sales letter, you won't ever succeed in your on-line venture, however great your goods and services are. Usually you'll have specific information regarding the size of the paper, therefore a plan is going to be of an excellent assistance. The objective of a sales letter is to convince folks to put money on your merchandise and support. For example if you're writing a business letter you may use a template that has space assigned for your address, your clients address and similar requisites. Writing a reaction paper can be a really challenging undertaking, so many students use examples to find out more about its structure and key capabilities. A couple are still students. Gener ally, students don't like writing research papers, especially if they're quite long. The papers could be rejected if they don't apply the APA format. Completing an MLA outline will make sure your research paper format is accurate. Utilizing an outline template can assist the student organize the paper and eliminate the ideas that aren't related to the aim of the essay. APA format can help you to organize your paper well. The MLA format stipulates the vital guidelines for effectively writing an essay based on the MLA standards.

Evolution Of The Video Essay Example for Free

Evolution Of The Video Essay Abstract The ubiquitous development of technology and computers has changed the way people live, work, play and interact. The profile of business has also changed dramatically throughout the years. With the development of faster bandwidths, videos were also introduced as part of the myriad of services that cyberspace had to offer to its growing patrons. Raynovich (2005) wrote that the video is slowly migrating into cyberspace to cater to the more sophisticated demands of the tech savvy. Several technological innovations in the video-Internet interface are streaming, Internet TV, video conferencing and online gaming. The interface between the Internet and video is inexorable as customers demand better quality and easy access to the medium. The development of the video on the Internet is still in constant flux. The current video Internet protocol still needs more time to evolve. It is apparent that video on the Internet is the wave of the future and something to look forward to. Introduction The ubiquitous development of technology and computers has changed the way people live, work, play and interact. The profile of business has also changed dramatically throughout the years. Technological advancements dominate the shift in business strategies of many firms and made traditional business models obsolete. Upheavals wrought by these developments have forced many corporations to restructure and seek new directions. Financial markets are not spared from the upheaval. World capital markets throughout the globe are now interlinked via satellite, networks and technology. Globalization has linked formerly independent economies. When a cataclysm occurs within a globally linked financial system, the entire global market feels the ripples of the event. Businesses are no longer isolated entities that operate autonomously. People can live and work in virtual reality. It is no longer important that one be physically present in a given work area. Because of computers and connectivity, people can choose to work where they like, when they like and how they like to do their job. With the click of a mouse, an ordinary worker can communicate with his counterpart elsewhere in the globe to discuss work and exchange ideas. The development of computers gave birth to the Internet. In the early 1960’s, a few visionaries saw great potentials in information exchange within the scientific and military circles (Howe, 2005). By 1969, ARPANET originally conceived by Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) became online. Only four computers from partner universities in the southwestern US (UCLA, Stanford Research Institute, UCSB, and the University of Utah) were able to establish contact (Howe 2005).The Internet, or simply the Net, is a publicly accessible worldwide system of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using a standardized Internet Protocol (IP). A few other institutions are liked to network. Initially, the web provided information services like †electronic mail, online chat, and the interlinked Web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web† (Internet, n.d.). With the development of faster bandwidths, videos were also introduced as part of the myriad of services that cyberspace had to offer to its growing patrons. Raynovich (2005) wrote that the video is slowly migrating into cyberspace to cater to the more sophisticated demands of the tech savvy. Legacy video networks like cable television, television broadcasts and the DVD and VHS formats are the prevailing formats for the past decades. However, with the entry of faster bandwidths and improved connectivity, it is apparent that the Internet is the wave of the future in video technology. Developments of the Video in the Internet By mid-1990’s, service providers began introducing photos, audio, video and animations. It had broadened the scope of the Internet from just merely text-based transmissions. Real Audio ver. 1.0 developed by Progressive Networks in 1995 allowed Internet users to view real time images on the Internet without the need for downloading the file. This new technological breakthrough is known as streaming. Streaming allowed consumers to access audio files immediately with less download time. The user immediately received a transmission of the audio files as soon as it was released. In 1997, the same company introduced Real Video. This time, images were streamed and transmitted over the Internet. Microsoft was not far behind when they introduced Netshow 2.0 that used better bandwidths. It was later renamed Window Media Player 6.0 in 1999. The program allowed users to play both audio and video streaming formats. By 2000, the improved program can accommodate MP3 formats. In 2003, an improved version of Window Media Player 9.0 allowed users to queue, cross-fade and playback audio and video clips. A video smoothing technology was also included in the new version that allowed content encoding at lower speeds. This was ideal for slow Internet connections (Shaw, n.d.) In streaming, there are two types of server. One is a streaming server and the other is a regular web server. A streaming server sends data in packets and determines the speed of the user’s connection. The server buffers the data so the video could be viewed continuously even when the speed becomes intermittent. The stream server sends video files in three ways – unicast, multicast or reflected multicast (Streaming video on the Internet, 2000). On a regular web server, the video files are treated as regular file transfer. The files are also buffered to ensure continuous play. The video is played back not on the server’s but on the user’s computer storage. The diagram in figure 1 illustrates the process. Aside from streaming, Live Web broadcasting or live webcast is another way of transmitting video tracks onto the Internet. As a computer playbacks the video content in a computer, a streaming server accepts the broadcast. Anyone accessing the server at the time of broadcast would be able to view the video as it is being played (Streaming video on the Internet, 2000). Figure 1 – Process of video streaming (Streaming video on the Internet, 2000). . Streaming video is particularly useful as a learning tool used in many technology driven classrooms. Shepard (2003) differentiated streaming video from the traditional mediums of video like CD-ROM, DVD or VHS tapes. The publishers of CD-ROM or DVD inadvertently lose copyright control of their products once purchased while in streaming, the publisher can control copyright because video streams may not be stored on the viewer’s computer. Compared to VHS, streaming is more flexible and interactive (p.297). Streaming videos allow students to access demonstration or lecture at their own pace. Some of the important points of a lecture for example are hyperlinked to other sources that students can explore. Video streaming can also be used to facilitate examinations where teachers may post their questions and the students may send their answers. Video streaming presents an alternative form of learning transformation and allows teacher-student interaction. Another development in the video aspect in the Internet is the introduction of Internet television. Internet television allows viewers to access television programs on the Internet. However, the Internet offers more versatility and interactivity. The programs are watched on the user’s computer systems while according user’s more control over what they watch and obtain ancillary information over the Internet simultaneously (Noll, 2004, p.4). Presently, web TV received lukewarm responses from the users. Web TV allows users access to the internet through the use of the keyboard attached to a telephone line and a television set to provide display. The HDTV offers clearer transmission because it broadcasts programs in digital format. The scan lines are doubled compared to a conventional television and uses the UHF band width. Raynovich (2005) wrote that in the future, improvements in the Internet access and bandwidth would allow integration of the Internet and the video without mimicking existing cable television business models. The future of Internet television would ignore linear programming where the providers control the viewing choice and schedule. The Internet television should allow users to access programs anytime, anywhere and anyway the viewer would want it. Internet protocol television or IPTV is a current development in Internet television. Mike Volpi, senior vice president and general manager, Routing and Service Provider Technology Group, in an interview cited the new developments in Internet television. IPTV is not simply television delivered over the Internet. It uses the same language and technology of internet. The principle of IPTV follows the tradition of traditional television, cable or satellite but delivered with â€Å"a higher degree of personalization and searchability† (Cisco, 2006). On IPTV, the users are allowed to pick their favorite television programs and watch them on-demand. The IPTV’s interactivity differentiates it from traditional television and cable broadcasts. Video and audio conferencing have been in use for many years using a variety of mediums like the telephone, television and the Internet. When using video conferencing on the Internet through streaming. The first video conferencing was â€Å"Ericsson’s demonstration of the first trans-Atlantic LME video telephone calls† (Roberts, 2004). The network video protocol (NVP) was introduced in 1976 and packet video protocol (PVP) in 1981(Roberts, 2004). Video conferencing has also become one of the popular medium of communication but limited in scope. Not all telephone companies offered the service to their customers. The Virtual Room Videoconferencing System (VRVS) was developed at Caltech-CERN on July of 1997. The initial intention was to provide the communication tools for researchers and scientists involved in the Large Hadron Collider Project and scientists in the High Energy and Nuclear Physics Community in the U.S. and Europe. It has since been expanded to include other professions like geneticists, doctors, and a host of other scientists that requires such a facility (Roberts, 2004). In 2000, Microsoft introduced the software NetMeeting to support video conferencing using the computer. There are two ways to conduct video conferencing on the web – the point to point and multipoint services. Point to point or P2P can link two locations with live audio and video feeds while the multipoint system can provide a link to three or more locations. The P2P uses a protocol of H.323 to establish contact between two points. When connected, both parties can now exchange audio and video over the Internet. For the multipoint system, a multipoint control unit or MCU is necessary to make three or more connections on H.323 protocol (Hunter, n.d.). When Steve Russell developed the first computer game â€Å"Space War† in 1961, videogames became a byword for many homes in the United States. Entrepreneurs saw an opportunity in the videogames industry. Thus marked the beginnings of major leaders in videogames. Nolan Bushnell, the Atari founder was the first to convert video games into a lucrative venture. He developed games without the need for complicated computing requisites and sold them to the public. A modest 1500 units were sold through a pinball company. In 1972, Atari introduced Pong and generated revenues ten times more than the pinball machine. Bushnell later designed a simpler machine for home use. By 1976, the industry players had grown to twenty and their combined earnings grew from $200 million in 1978 to $1 billion in 1981. The biggest players at that time include National Semiconductor, Fairchild, General Instrument, Coleco, and Magnavox (Aoyama and Izushi, 2003, p.427). After several years of successful ventures, the market for video games crashed in 1983-1984. Aoyama and Izushi (2003) attributed the crash to oversupply and sub-standard designs of software (p.427). With the introduction of 3D and multimedia in the 1990’s, it had revolutionized gaming to include network gaming. By the late 1990’s, the MUD or multi-user domain protocol became a requisite in most videogames to allow multiple players for online gaming (Newman, 2004, p.115). The trend in online gaming is changing so rapidly that what is in vogue today may be obsolete in a few months. In online gaming, the players are allowed to pit against each other despite geographic and spatial distance. The Internet also allows online chat while players are competing against each other. The ubiquitous technology of the Internet had extended videogames from an individual’s living room into a global domain. Issues with Internet Video The main problems that usually hound providers are bandwidth and economics. In streaming technologies, most users have limited capacity modem speed. While the speed rate slowly improves, there are still gaps that need to be addressed. For example, streaming video files require a minimum of 2500 to 5000 compression ratio. A multimedia video consumes about 2.4M bits/second, 80 times more than the bandwidth capacity of a regular 28.8K modem connection (Currier, 1996). To have good transmission, the bandwidth must be slightly higher than the usual. The second issue is the time delay that video and audio content may experience on the Internet. Unpredictable load and traffic may disrupt transmission thereby producing corrupted images or audio. Disruption can cause the loss of data. The solution to the problem is to change the analogue lines into digital ones to increase bandwidth. A time delay of two seconds can render video conferencing useless. TCP/IP drop rate of 5% will inevitably translate to transmission loss. The level of acceptance for IPTV or Internet TV is still low. The proliferation of video and Internet television is also highly dependent on costs. Very few investors at the moment are willing to invest money into the medium. The medium also competes with traditional programming delivery of regular television broadcast and cable service. Conclusion The interface between the Internet and video is inexorable as customers demand better quality and easy access to the medium. The development of the video on the Internet is still in constant flux. The current video Internet protocol still needs more time to evolve. It is apparent that video on the Internet is the wave of the future and something to look forward to. References Aoyama, Y. and Izushi,H. (2003) Hardware gimmick or cultural innovation? Technological, cultural, and social foundations of the Japanese video game industry. Research Policy 32: 423-444. Cisco, 2006. Ciscos vision for the evolution of video communications and entertainment: Mike Volpi discusses the strategic importance of video in communications and media markets. Retrieved February 18, 2007 from: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2006/ts_121206.html Currier, B. (1996). Is the Internet ready for video? Retrieved February 18, 2007 from: http://www.synthetic-ap.com/qt/internetvideo.html Howe, W. (2005) An anecdotal history of the people and communities that brought about the Internet and the Web. Retrieved February 18, 2007 from: http://www.walthowe.com/navnet/history.html Hunter, J. (n.d.) Video Conferencing An Introduction. Retrieved February 18, 2007 from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Video-ConferencingAn-Introductionid=70930 Internet (n.d.) Retrieved February 18, 2007 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet Newman, J. (2004). Videogames, London: Routledge. Noll, M.A. (2004). Chapter 1:Internet Television: Definition and prospects in Internet Television. Darcy Gerbarg, Jo Groebel and Eli Noam – (eds). Mahwah, NJ. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates:1-8. Raynovich, R.S. (2005). Video is the Internet. Retrieved February 19, 2007 from: http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=72472 Roberts,L.P. (2004). The history of video conferencing Moving ahead at the speed of video. Retrieved February 19, 2007 from: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-of-Video-ConferencingMoving-Ahead-at-the-Speed-of-Videoid=5369 Shaw, R. (n.d.). The evolution of rich media. Retrieved February 18, 2007 from: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/2618.asp. Shepard, K. (2003). Questioning, promoting and evaluating the use of streaming video to support student learning. British Journal of Educational Technology 34(3): 295–308. Streaming video on the Internet. (2000). Retrieved February 1997 from: http://www.dps.com/custserv/doclib.nsf/55f584d47a8fd27585256bf300554e9f/9cb11874854c451c85256aaf00681f80/$FILE/Streaming%20Video%20White%20Paper%20v1-0.pdf

Poor Time Management of Island Students Essay -- internet usage, video

Introduction & Problem The simplicity of life, and the more relaxed environment, does not permit students who grew up on islands, or Island students, to understand the importance of time. There are more than 30 Island students studying on campus. Coming from a carefree society where time is not a major concern is having a great impact on individual students. Poor time management by Island students is a major problem and concern that needs to be improved in order to enhance the effectiveness of study process and academic performance. The main purpose of this research is to find out and reduce the processes or factors involved in contributing to poor time management. The reduction in the time management factors will help Island students to utilize time in manner that is beneficial for academic performance. Processes that contributes to poor time management There are many processes that contribute to poor time management in students. In this context, a major contributor of poor time management for Island students is the use of Internet. Coming from the Islands, where excess to internet is very difficult, students tend to spend hours surfing through the net. Internet is a helpful tool for students but it also wastes time if not used in the way it should be used. Apart from academic reasons, Facebook, YouTube and watching movies online are the main sites visited by Island students. Research Methods Research methods that has been utilized for this process comprises of data collection, observation of students in the computer labs and student accommodation halls. Students were followed on Facebook to see latest updates and activities and face to face interview was carried out to collect the necessary data needed for this... ...he exact number of hours each student spends. The Pie Chart below clearly shows the percentage of average number of student’s time spent on each activities. 20% of students investing private time to Facebook is certainly a factor that needs to be reduced to help students. 14% of YouTube viewers is also much higher than the percentage of students investing time in reading studying and doing assignments. Recommendation As long there is free internet service on campus, Island students will still have access in visiting the above mention sites. The students must be given more workshops to manage time wisely, teaching students about how internet can be used in an effective way that is beneficial for academic purposes. Though the student service, extra tutorials needs to be provided to keep students busy, instead of wasting time on sites such as Facebook.

A Leadership Profile of American Project Managers Essay

Although the needs and demands of clients have always been the highest priority for any project manager, increasing global competition, ever heightening client expectations, and the magnitude of the projects impact on a firm’s bottom line has begun to place greater emphasis on the skills necessary to successfully lead today’s project teams. Historically, strong technical skills and knowledge of the industry would have been the key selection criteria. It was, in many cases, simply assumed that men and women who possessed these qualities would lead the project to a successful completion. Today’s complex project environments require even greater skills at leadership than ever before. â€Å"Cookie-cutter† formula-based management was probably never correct, but in today’s environment it will inevitably lead to disaster. Performance expectations for quality, cost effectiveness, timely delivery, and a host of other client measures are ratcheted-up a notch each year. In the highly competitive arena in which most projects operate, be they external or internal, the requirement to produce results that exceed client expectations has become the norm. As one respondent shared, â€Å"I have not worked on a project in the past five years that was not viewed by the client as being ‘fast track;† The stakes are high, and getting higher. The days when cost overruns and delayed completion were common are history. So are the projects where technical personnel were once allowed to â€Å"experiment† until they got it right. With the managerial practices of outsourcing, downsizing, total quality management and continuous improvement becoming even more prevalent in our organizational environment, it can be expected that project managers are experiencing increased performance pressures. Internal project managers are possibly just as vulnerable to not having their contracts renewed as external consultants and contractors. Recent Literature Jeffrey Pinto and Om Kharbanda shed light on this problem in two journal articles published in Business Horizons, â€Å"Lessons for an accidental profession† (1995) and â€Å"How to fail in project management† (1996). These authors emphasize the increased need for projectmanagers. Increasingly technically complex products and processes, vastly shortened time-to-market windows, and the need for cross-functional expertise make project management an important and powerful tool in the hands of organizations that understand its use† (Pinto & Kharbanda, 1995). In their follow-up article, â€Å"How to fail in project management,† the authors write a stinging criticism of the practices that combine to produce project failures (Pinto & Kharbanda, 1996). Karen Ayas (1996) takes a broader brash to the whole issue through what she describes as a â€Å"project network structure. The design of the system should â€Å"stress the synergies between organizational strategy, structure, culture and systems to allow organizations to build and expand learning capacity. † The application of â€Å"process management view† to project management was reported recently in Harvard Business Review. The study of leading companies such as AT&T, Hewlett-Packard and Raychem over an eight-year time span led the author to report that, â€Å"managers can benefit by applying a process management approach to their product development process. Companies can create an aggregate plan that allows them to assign practices to theirprojects with an estimate of needed resources †¦ managers can eliminate congestion and long hours by evening out workloads† (Alder, Mandelbaum, Nguyen, & Schwerer, 1996). (See also Jungen & Wowalczyk, 1995. ) Bob Lewis (Info World, 1996) sets forth the five keys that he believes differentiate successful projects from the others: scope control; regular, concrete, reasonable results; weekly status meetings; team buy-in to the plan; and walking around. Project management is considered a vital tool for the implementation of business process reengineering. â€Å"Project management allows organizations to break things down into simple processes and assign these activities and modules to individuals. This approach helps organizations identify existing built-in dependencies among processes †¦ A multidimensional forum for enterprisewide visibility is essential and will lead to significant productivity and cost savings. †¦ Project management is the organizational ‘glue’ that binds together dispersed, high accountable teams throughout the organization. Teams will seek and demand a framework to ensure their success under the new rules of rapidly changing intensely competitive markets. Project management provides the framework, encourages dispersed leadership and provides visibility of effort to stakeholders throughout the organization† (King 1996). Clearly, project managers are being viewed as pivotal leaders in the introduction and implementation of both operational and behavioral managerial changes. Are project managers viewing their roles and responsibilities in the same light as the authors of leading journal articles? What do practicing project managers believe are the critical characteristics necessary to be effective? On the other hand, what factors contribute to producing ineffective project managers? On the operational side, what do they see as the primary causes of projects that fail to meet budgetary and time constraints? What do they see as the most effective project management â€Å"tools,† and the extent to which these â€Å"tools† contribute to the success of a project? Finally, how powerful is â€Å"the leadership factor† in the success of a project and what are the specific characteristics and behaviors of leaders that will have a positive influence on organizational effectiveness in the next decade? The authors found no research that specifically addressed these questions nor reported results obtained directly from project managers. Research Instrument Design The research instrument was compressed of both open-ended and forced-answer questions. In addition, the respondents were asked their agreement or valuation of several statements through the application of a traditional five-point Likert scale ranging from a high of 5 to low of 1. The completed instrument was then pretested by 12 project managers and executives in a number of firms. All suggestions were incorporated into the final research instrument. The research instrument was then mailed to a selected sample of 100 senior-level project managers who, it was assumed, would possess a wealth of experience regarding the issues being studied. The authors received 76 usable responses to the research instrument from the mailing of 100. The extremely high response rate was due in part to an aggressive premailing and postmailing telephone campaign. The respondents were all relatively senior project managers with a minimum of 10 years experience in projectmanagement. All of the project managers surveyed were employed in large architectural and engineering consulting companies. Research Results and Discussion What Are the Characteristics of Effective Project Managers? The following results (presented in Table 1) were obtained from an open-ended question that asked respondents to list, in rank order, the characteristic that they believed was essential for effectiveness. Possibly the most interesting aspect of the project manager’s responses to this question was the fact that technical competence was the third highest rated characteristic. Eight of the nine characteristics were managerial in nature, reflecting a basic understanding that effectiveness is directly related to the ability of theproject manager to lead and manage more than simply possess exceptional technical skills. This finding is consistent with the academic literature, but is more powerful when drawn from open-end responses of experienced practicing project managers. What Factors Contribute to Ineffectiveness Among Project Managers? In order to examine the question of effectiveness in a different light, the project managerswere then asked, via open-ended questions, the specific nature of personal flaws of project managers that directly contribute to ineffectiveness, as well as the organizational factors that produced the same results. The intent of these questions was to identify how both personal flaws and organizational factors contributed to producing an ineffective project manager. To a large degree the personal flaws are a reverse image of the characteristics of ffective project managers from Table 1. There seems to be a good deal of internal consistency among the respondents (see Table 2). The organizational factors that contribute to becoming an ineffectiveproject manager are equally relevant, but not surprising. Lack of upper-management commitment and support is a well-documented source of project problems. Theproject management literature has addressed each of the organizational barriers to effectiveness and it is again reinforcing to discover that the responses document that practicing project managers’ perceptions fully support the literature. The past few decades have not seen the elimination of these classic sources of organizational ineffectiveness, although their negative impact on project performance has been known for some time. Resistance to change and a reactive approach to environmental turbulence are signs of a firm struggling with adjusting to new competitive conditions. Traditional reward systems are generally not well suited toproject management. Traditional reward systems tend to have very little direct linkage between the performance criteria of a project and compensation. With competition being very intense in some sectors, some projects are priced and sold at dangerously thin multipliers with little opportunity to show a significantly positive return. When the realistic expectations for the project are not considered in the compensation plan, it can be expected that dissatisfaction with the compensation or reward systems are bound to be voiced. Project managers know that under difficult competitive conditions, jobs are taken to keep the staff utilized and the expected profit margin is possibly at breakeven. It is often just as difficult to manage a project with no expected profit than one with above average profit expectations. In addition, reward systems seldom reflect the nature and varying degrees of difficulty of the task and often focus solely on the final profit numbers. Failure to develop a reward system that reflects the specific nature of the project can create potential long-term conflicts. Consider how new market entry is normally achieved: the firm â€Å"buys† a project. The firm intentionally bids a project below what established competitors minimum bid to get the work and, hopefully, enter a new market successfully. Logic would suggest that a firm would want one of its best project managers to lead such a project to ensure success. But if the projectaffords no opportunity to earn a performance bonus based on project profitability who would volunteer to â€Å"take on† a known loser? In too many cases, organizational insensitivity to the negative realties created by poor organizational practices and policies are not understood or simply ignored. The result of these negative practices and policies is the eventual erosion of a potentially high-quality professional staff. The lack of upper management support and commitment results in a complete breakdown of trust and respect. One of the sure killers of motivation is when project managers become conditioned to being abandoned by their management at the first sign of client conflict. As one project manager described the situation: â€Å"it’s like discovering that your management is sitting on the client side of the table at every meeting, and that you are left alone to defend every decision. † It doesn’t take too many such experiences beforeproject managers modify their style of management to protect themselves. Under these conditions one is not likely to find that the project team is performing to the maximum potential. What Are the Primary Reasons That Projects Experience Budgetary and Timely Completion Problems? Table 3 reports the respondents’ reasons for why projects run into budgetary and timing problems. The most frequent responses reflect both organizational and managerial problems. As an example, â€Å"failure to utilize the toolsavailable to manage a project to completion in a timely fashion and within budget† was the most frequent response. Poor leadership on the part of the projectmanager† was the second most frequently reported cause of problems. â€Å"Lack of effective interorganizational communication† and a â€Å"lack of timely decisions and corrective action† were also reported. The only external factor mentioned by the respondents was â€Å"the client’s failure to respond in a timely fashion. † Almost everyproject manager has dealt with clients who seemed unable or unwilling to make timely decisions yet retained their expectations that the project would be completed on time and within budget. It seems that managing the client is an art that only experience can teach. This need to learn the diplomacy of client management becomes increasingly important as a client-oriented strategy is recognized as essential to survival. What Are the Project Management â€Å"Tools† Most Often Used and How Effective Are They? Managing the project requires the skillful application of projectmanagement tools that are designed to assist the project team complete the project on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of the client. Table 4 reports the responses from experienced project managers regarding the extent to which they use eight recognized project management tools and the extent to which the tools contribute to the success of a project. As you would expect, the two highest rated tools (actually tying for first) were the project schedule and theproject budget. Irrespective of project size or complexity, these project tools were rated highest in use and first and second in terms of contribution to the success of the project. Of the eight project management tools that the respondents were asked to evaluate, none were reported to be of no value. Some of the more detailed tools were used less often and consequently may have been perceived as less valuable to project success. Despite the discussion in the projectmanagement literature regarding the need to increase the degree of accuracy in the determination of the percentage of project completion, the â€Å"earned value reporting tool, was rated the least used and correspondingly reported to have made the least contribution to the success of a project. The top five projectmanagement tools most often reported as used (project schedule, project budget, project cost system, project execution plan, and client communication log) were also rated as making the greatest contribution to the success of the project. Clearb; more effective project managers exercise managerial discipline in the consistent application of what they have found to be the most valuable project management tools for achieving success. What Are the â€Å"Other† Factors That Contribute to the Success of a Project? In addition to the direct managerial actions that project managers can take through the implementation of project management tools, project managers focus on their managerial and leadership skills as controlling sources of influence that contribute to the successful completion of projects. Table 5 reports the source of influence on successful completion of a project as reported by the project managers surveyed. As expected, â€Å"the decision made by the client† was the strongest influence, with â€Å"responding to the changing client request† second. The third source of influence on the successful completion of a project is the â€Å"desire to excel,† reflecting the strong positive personal motivation of project managers to make every project they lead a success. â€Å"The decision made by the project team† and â€Å"the pressures from inside the project† were the next highest rated sources of influence reflecting the need for the project manager to focus on the leadership of the project team. Equally interesting are the lowest rated sources of influence on the success of aproject. Respondents give little or no credence to â€Å"luck† or â€Å"external politics† as barriers to success. How Critical Is the â€Å"Leadership Factor† to Project Success? Given the many factors that can directly or indirectly influence the success of a project, do projectmanagers believe that there is one overriding factor that contributes to whether a project will be a success or a failure? In fact, the answer is yes. When asked to weigh the percentage of success or failure of a project that can be contributed directly to the pressure of either positive or negative leadership the responses were powerfully revealing (see Table 6). Positive leadership contributes almost 76% to the success of a project. Consider what this response means. Variation in projectsuccess can be contributed to the leadership displayed on the project by 76%. Equally meaningful is the second statistic: negative or poor leadership contributes 67% to the failure of projects. Clearly, firms that fail to train and reinforce the need for project managers to practice positive leadership seem to run an unacceptable risk. In a recent interview with five vice presidents of major engineering consulting firms, a question was posed regarding the number of projects in the past five years that failed due to a lack of technical competence on the part of the project manager or the project team. In what was estimated by them to be more than 1,000 projects, both large and small, the executives could recount only 10 failures due to lack of technical competence. Yet, when you ask most company executives what the most critical criteria for promotion to project manager is, technical competence generally leads the list of responses. Possibly what is absent is the recognition that technical competence must be supported by persons who are capable of managing a project and providing positive leadership to the team. All the evidence of recent research supports the idea that successful projects are led by individuals who possess a blend of technical and management knowledge, but beyond both, leadership skills. Sensitivity to the client’s needs, the composition of the project team, the strategic importance of the project to the firm, and the technical requirements of the project reflect themselves in a continuous stream of communication and personal interactions that serve to reveal the true nature of theproject manager. Project managers were asked to rate 50 characteristics or behaviors that they believed, based on their experience, would have a positive influence on organizational effectiveness in the next decade. Tables 7 and 8 highlight the highest and lowest rated characteristics and behaviors and reveal some very interesting findings. The highest rated characteristics and behaviors build a profile of an individual that most of us would wish to work for. The profile reveals a leader who recognizes that it is absolutely essential to build aproject team, reinforce positive behavior, communicate, demonstrate trust and respect, develop team members and empower them to perform and set goals while remaining flexible to respond to the inevitable changes. Important by their absence from the â€Å"golden dozen† are characteristics and behaviors such as technical expertise, individualistic, effective organizational politician, or detail oriented. The profession has moved beyond the mind-set that the best-qualified individual to promote to the project manager’s position is the best technical person or some flashy politically savvy character with the â€Å"right contacts. † Table 8 reports the characteristics and behaviors that practicing and experienced project managers rated as the 12 least important characteristics for the achievement of organizational effectiveness. Some of these responses were a surprise to the researchers while others were not. Project managers rated â€Å"strategic thinker† very low. This may be explained by the fact that many project managers are totally operations-oriented and become involved only when the job is sold. In terms of preparation for promotion into the firm’s executive ranks this shortcoming could be costly. Yet, this lack of recognition of the need for the practice of strategic thinking may explain the managerial practices of some firms who employ project managers.