Information Technology and the University of Phoenix Essay

It was only recently that computers began to contribute to an emerging revolution in technology-assisted education. These machines provide an optimal means for storing, searching, and retrieving educational materials. Besides, computers are great for composing and editing written work. These machines permit self-directed and individualized instruction plus feedback in almost all areas of interest. So, e-learning and cyberlearning opportunities had to become a fad among the curious young individuals who had to find them irresistible (MacCormack and Jones, 1997). Adopting emerging technologies in educational settings has made instruction more effective and engaging (Barak and Fisher, 2001). And, the University of Phoenix happens to be a pioneer at it. Using Information Technology, the university has decided that it would continue to evolve and adapt to new challenges in the IT world. In other words, students at the University of Phoenix can be certain that their university would always use the latest in Information Technology to make the education experience even more fantastic. As it is, the IT world has made the University of Phoenix a learning organization, i. e. one that continually adapts and learns so as to respond to changes in the environment, and to grow (Learning Organization, 2007). Who would have thought thirty years back that an excellent education experience catering to people from all locations would be set up without having to relocate the people? By using IT to benefit a huge number of students, the University of Phoenix has, indeed, proved that it is possible to provide quality education at the computer terminal, especially for those students who INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX are either too busy to attend a full-time educational institutions or just do not have the resources to attend one. The University of Phoenix is most certainly a high performance organization, and IT has contributed to its high performance growth thus. According to the theory of high performance organizations, the University of Phoenix is already a high performance organization, seeing that its focus is on people and their needs. A professional, for instance, who cannot attend a full-time educational institution would find that the University of Phoenix is a blessing. Moreover, a high performance organization must keep on concentrating on innovation (High Performance, 1997). Innovation is, in fact, a promise of the University of Phoenix, since the university will not settle for inferior quality Information Technology programs to conduct itself. Rather, as mentioned before, the university is expected to adopt any new technology that enhances the educational experience. Furthermore, the University of Phoenix accentuates its strengths through the use of Information Technology – another feature of a high performance organization. To put it another way, the university does not stress the need for the standard classroom experience when everything that is truly required for the educational experience is available at the computer terminal. Lastly, the use of IT at the University of Phoenix is based on leadership-trust, which is yet another characteristic of high performance organizations (High Performance). According to this concept, the university provides a virtual environment that the student can trust. The student knows, for instance, that his personal INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIXÂ   information with the University of Phoenix would remain personal, despite the openness of the virtual world. Hence, the University of Phoenix is a high performance organization through and through. What is more, this great university is expected to continue as a learning, high performance organization for a long time to come. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX References 1. Barak, Azy, and Fisher, William A. (2001). Toward an Internet-Driven, Theoretically-Based Innovative Approach to Sex Education. The Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 38, Issue 4, pp. 324+.

My Favourite Author Essay

â€Å"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.† -Roald Dahl Roald Dahl has written numerous children’s books in his career as a writer. He had fun playing around with words, inventing new ones. He always capitalized on his humor, never failing to think to think out of the box. He always wrote from the point of view of a child. Roald Dahl was an acquisitive reader in his younger days. According to him, â€Å"An autobiography is a book a person writes about his own life and it is usually full of all sorts of boring details, this (Boy: Tales of Childhood) is not an autobiography† These words brought a smile on my face. I love Dahl’s silly yet creative style of writing. His book ‘Boy: Tales of Childhood’, is a favourite of mine. It is a memoir of Roald’s childhood. I find it utterly fascinating. This autobiography contains incidents about his childhood. He was born in Landaff, Cardiff, Wales, in 1916. He attended The Cathedral School in Llandaff. One of the events in this book is when he was eight. His friend Thwaites among his four friends was spanked by the headmaster for putting a dead mouse in a jar of hard candy, called ‘gobstoppers’ at the local sweet shop, owned by Mrs.Pratchett, an old woman whom Dahl described as â€Å"mean and loathsome†. Roald and the other four boys called the â€Å"Great Mouse Plot of 1924†. Along with his passion for literature, Dahl also developed an interest in photography; it is one of my favourite hobbies too. Roald Dahl was made captain for school fives and squash teams, and he also played football, his exceptional height helped him. In ‘Boy: Tales of Childhood’, Dahl also said that the chocolate company sent over boxes of new chocolates to be tasted. The chocolates were expected to be rated and commented on, be it the flavor or the enhanced needed in those chocolates. Roald wished to earn the praise of Mr. Cadbury himself. This wish of his gave him the inspiration to write the amazing book, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Roald had also said that he originally did not plan to include children in his book at all! But he changed his mind when his nephew said to him, â€Å"Uncle Roald, I do not like it a bit.†Ã‚  Another book, ‘Matilda’ is the second of my favourites of his books. It revolves around Matilda Wormwood, a girl who had an immense love for reading. Matilda, because of her parents’ ignorance towards her, taught herself to do things like cooking and reading. Her parents considered her a nuisance, who, according to them, should’ve been watching more television and reading fewer books! To add up to this, Matilda’s headmistress, a horribly cruel woman, Miss Trunchbull who believed Matilda’s father’s words indicating that his daughter-Matilda- was not well-behaved. Matilda later discovers magical powers within herself, powers that, with practice, allowed her to levitate things, with just a glance in its direction and a little concentration. This book is about how Matilda teaches her parents and headmistress a lesson, and makes friends with Miss Honey in the process. I have observed that Roald Dahl’s books for children, quite typically, comprise of evildoers who hate little children. These wicked people are either simply villains or tremendous gluttons. These characters or stories can also be a metaphor for the abuse the older boys put him through. His books also usually contain dark humor. These wicked people are usually punished for their evil, wicked deeds. Some of Roald Dahl’s other well known children’s books are, The BFG, The Twits, The Witches, Fantastic Mr. Fox, James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl joined the RAF (Royal Air Force) as an aircraftsman. He married actress Patricia Neal fourteen years later after his involvement in wars, and they had five children. Roald Dahl died in 1990 of leukemia. Though Roald Dahl is no longer in this world, the magical worlds created by him in his wonderful, or, in his words- phizz-whizzing!-books, and characters will always live on. Roald Dahl will always be my favourite author.

A Confederacy of Dunces as a Criticism of Higher Education

Whether in an effort to become more educated and to obtain more lucrative jobs or due to the need for better education in an increasingly technological job market, the United States has seen a rising trend in the percentage of individuals who choose to attend college and graduate school. Not only has the number of individuals seeking higher education increased, but criticism of higher education has increased as well. Common criticism has included the idea of colleges and universities being more concerned with financial aspects than with their students, as well as the idea of students using higher education not to become more educated individuals, but to increase their chances of earning higher wages after college or graduate school. A Confederacy of Dunces' satirical focus on education and learning provides examples of these and other criticisms of higher education. More specifically, the characters of the story show the reader the educated are not always the ones who fare the best in terms of their emotional well-being and their ability to function in society. In looking at the characters in the novel there seems to be an inverse relationship in terms of the amount of education a character has received in comparison to that character's ability to function normally in society (to not cause others distress, to contribute physically and mentally, etc. ) For example, Ignatius has the greatest amount of education and proves himself the most socially backwards, followed by Myrna, then by Mrs. Levy, an overconfident psychologist with no more than community college experience. Also, the reader is shown that the most educated characters are also the most satirized and laughable characters in the story. Two obvious characters, the characters of Ignatius Reilly and Myrna Minkoff, illustrate some of the possible detrimental effects of higher education. Although it is difficult to comment on Myrna, evidence is provided throughout the novel that portrays Ignatius as a much more sociable and pleasant individual before his days at college. For both of these characters education has distorted their view of society in such a way that it makes them miserable to be part of such an â€Å"abominable and debauched† society. Ignatius complains throughout the novel about other's lack of intelligence and their supposedly â€Å"distorted† view of society. Not only has Ignatius and Myrna's view of society been affected by higher education, but their ability to function socially in society has been affected as well. Neither character is able to maintain a long lasting relationship with others than themselves. Also, Ignatius has difficulty finding employment and has even greater difficulty keeping any job which he obtains. Myrna herself would undoubtedly face similar difficulty if she did not receive substantial funding from her father. Finally, Myrna's view on sex, one that clashes with the social norm, and her propensity to discuss this subject almost gets her raped by a university janitor. Another character who is highly involved in academia, Professor Talc, helps to illustrate the criticism of college being a business for those who run it and by those who work for it. Professor Talc himself admits that he does not know or teach much at all-that his lectures are vague, that he is only popular because of his humor, and that he is not qualified to teach college level Social Studies. Talc's disinterest in educating his students supports the idea that many professors view their work only as a secure job with substantial benefits. Another example of Professor Talc illustrating criticism of higher education comes in the episode of his meeting with a female student. While Talc originally believes that the student set up the meeting either because of her interest in his class or because of her interest in him, the actual motive of the student is only to find out the grade of her most recent project. This episode represents the common criticism of higher education simply providing a means to an end. While the primary goal of a college education was at one time to become a more educated individual, this goal has shifted to receiving good grades, obtaining a good job, making a lot of money, etc. In the author's final attempt to satirize, and therefore criticize, higher education, Professor Talc, the novel's symbol of higher education itself, ends the story being mocked and ridiculed by both teachers and students. In comparing the less-educated characters of the story, the reader is shown that although these characters may not be the most materially well-off or have the greatest intellectual capacity, they do finish the story as the most emotionally, and in some cases financially, stable characters of the story. Also, although they are not formally educated, these characters are able to function well in everyday, practical situations. One such uneducated character who finishes the novel better off than many of the educated characters is Ignatius' mother. By the end of the story, Mrs. Reilly is free of Ignatius, who oppresses her social interests and forces her to cook and clean, and has a chance at marrying Claude Robichaux, a well-off and apparently sympathetic man. Mrs. Reilly has little education and therefore seems to expect and desire little. Unlike those who desire a good job and a good income simply because they attended college, Mrs. Reilly is satisfied by more simple pleasures: the company of friends, dancing, bowling etc. Her simple pleasures illustrate the ideal of the Zen road to affluence-if you do not desire a lot, it takes very little to be happy. In comparing this to higher education, again many of those individuals who attend college and/or graduate school do expect and desire more: a more lucrative job, more socially affluent friends, a wealthier, more attractive spouse. Higher education may also perpetuate the need to be competitive-the need to work increasingly hard in order to get ahead. Evidence of this idea can be found in the fact that an increasing percentage of the population attend college and/or graduate school than in years past. No longer is a high school education sufficient to secure a well-paying job. Both Darlene and Jones also prove to be less educated characters who end the story in better emotional and financial situations than many of those characters who have received some type of higher education. Both Darlene and Jones finish the story with better, more secure employment as well as newfound happiness. Darlene, who is portrayed in the novel as somewhat flaky, demonstrates the idea that â€Å"ignorance is bliss†. As a result of her lack of intelligence, Darlene expects very little, and her highest goal is only to be a well-paid exotic dancer. After reaching this goal at the close of the novel, Darlene's exuberance again shows that if one does not have a lot, it will not take much to become content. Although also appearing uneducated, Jones proves to have a great deal of common sense that allows him to function in society. In this way Jones provides the reader with evidence that knowledge gained through higher education is not the only type of knowledge one needs in order to be successful and achieve goals. In comparing Ignatius with Jones the reader notices this difference between â€Å"book smarts† and â€Å"street smarts† and their use in functioning in society. Using his common sense, an intelligence that Ignatius clearly lacks, Jones can tell when whites are scared of him, and is also able to figure out Lana Lee's scam, using it to maintain job security and eventually to get a more desirable job. In an apparent attempt to both satirize and criticize higher education, John Kennedy Toole creates characters in A Confederacy of Dunces who offer proof that the business of higher education perpetuates competition and the desire to achieve more than others. This increased competition in turn causes both stress and an increased likelihood of falling short of set goals, both eventually leading to unhappiness. Also, as seen in the character Ignatius, the intelligence gained as a result of college or graduate school may cause the educated to look down upon and even to dislike the members of society with average or below average intelligence. The author further mocks education by leaving each character in a particular position at the end of the novel. While the uneducated characters tend to end up better off, the educated characters generally prove unhappy by the end of the story.

Analysis of Spotify's strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Spotify's strategy - Case Study Example This paper takes off from an examination of the historical and current business moves of Spotify, alongside its traditional cost structure and other relevant data, to piece together its current and emerging business strategies. From there, the paper uses theoretical analytical models, among them SWOT and Porter’s Five Forces models, to assess and analyze the soundness of Spotify’s business strategies, and to recommend ways forward for the firm based on the findings of that analysis. Piecing Together Spotify’s Current and Evolving Strategy Newer data reveals that the total user base of Spotify has grown to 24 million users who are active by 2013, with the number of paying subscribers roughly equal to one quarter of that number, or six million. Moreover, the company has pushed to widen the range of free music it is able to offer to mobile users, aiming to break free from a model where users have to pay 10 British pounds in the UK, to be able to access music from mobile devices as well as tablets. This is in line with the pricing of rivals such as Deezer, Napster and Rdio, which all charge the same monthly fee. A glimpse of its business model can be gleaned from the way it has allocated revenues to differing costs, key among them the payouts to the holders of the copyrights to the songs, which reached 188 million Euros in 2011. This payout to the holders of the song copyrights translates to 70 percent of all revenues. Since 2006 when it was launched, total payout estimate to the holders of the copyrights has reached half a billion dollars. The company has not turned a profit from its operations as of 2012 (Halliday 2013; CrunchBase 2013; Facebook 2013). Other recent developments that give a hint as to the evolving business strategy of Spotify include its first forays into advertising in the

Broadcasting Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Broadcasting Industry - Essay Example The CSA also commands and gives financial support for academic research projects for communication. CSA has consultative powers and safeguards the general interests of viewers. It also licenses radio and TV commercial and public, terrestrial and cable and satellite. It conducts research and monitoring and considers complaints. A 1994 ruling negated the fact that the CSA has regulatory powers but it can take decisions that may be of general significance. Government has overall responsibility for the public sector especially in drawing up terms and conditions. CSA powers are limited to supervising the proper implementation of these requirements, although its opinions are binding. Cable operating networks have to seek authorization from the commune or groups of communes involved before seeking CSA approval. The Public Prosecutor consults the CSA before issuing satellite licenses. A 1989 judgement removed the CSA's power to determine general rules for programming. In addition to guarantees concerning pluralism, the CSA can also impose specific requirements in respect of terms and conditions. ... CSA can fine but cannot withdraw public licenses, but publishes observations. CSA can give notice to private licensee to comply with its requirements, suspend, reduce or withdraw licenses, impose financial penalty, and can order a statement to be broadcast. Codes of practice CSA code of practice for the protection of children and young people was introduced in 1996. It obliges broadcasters to issue warnings for certain programs. Cultural Diversity Defending and promoting French culture is the cornerstone of French broadcasting regulation. All governments have shared the view of media products being different from other merchandise. This is because media promote the country's identity and image. In Europe, it led to the EU's "Television without Frontiers"; directive, which recognised the principle of quotas in 1989. At the national level, this means obligations and restrictions as well as provisions to encourage national, French-language productions. These quotas are such that approximately 60% of movies and series broadcast in France have to be European and 40% from French-speaking countries. The quota system applied for radio stations should promote French singers, requiring 40% of songs to be in French or in a regional language (Eumap, 2005, 695.). Recently, the representation of the society's cultural diversity has also become an issue in French broadcasting as part of a general political agenda. The diversity of French society is reflected poorly on French television, but regulation is very difficult to implement. One reason for this is the French constitution in which all citizens are considered equal, whatever their origin. Ethnic groups are not to be identified and cannot be counted, and only negative discrimination can lead to legal

The People of the Book Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The People of the Book - Research Paper Example The Quran view on the question of salvation is, to a significant determined by the question of difference in terms of practice. There seems to be some deep brotherly concern as the Quran engages the Christians in a reflective argument about some practices, which are inconsistent with its own beliefs. For instance, the Quran embraces the practice of religion as carried out by Abraham and suggests for the Christians to engage in the same â€Å"They say: "Become Jews or Christians if ye would be guided (To salvation)." Say thou: "Nay! (I would rather) the Religion of Abraham the True, and he joined not gods with Allah,† (Quran 2:135)1. A clearer view of the Quran perception on Christianity and Judaism could be understood from the perspective of the Quran on biblical figures. In the perspective of the Quran, Jesus was just among the great prophets sent by God to the world and should be treated as such without necessarily elevating him to the level of a deity. This position appears to challenge the position adopted by Christians on the position of Christ. Further, the Quran reserves special recognition for religious figures who feature prominently in the old testament such as Abraham and Isaac. This appears to affirm some close kinship between the Christians and the Muslims. ... It holds that Christians and Jews should make amends for their wrongs in order to reestablish themselves in the true worship of God. There seems to be a deep yearning in the Quran to reestablish connections with the Christians and Jews if they change certain aspects of their lives. â€Å"So if they believe as ye believe, they are indeed on the right path; but if they turn back, it is they who are in schism; but Allah will suffice thee as against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,† (Quran, 2:137)3. The Quran expresses concern to particular religious practices conducted by the Christians. It suggests change from such practices and stipulates the correct manner in which they should be conducted. For instance, the Quran argues against the Christian practice of baptism with the view that only God can baptize, â€Å"(Our religion is) the Baptism of Allah: And who can baptize better than Allah? And it is He Whom we worship,† (Quran 2:138)4. Despite the heavy cri ticism that the Quran reserves for the Christians, there is an acknowledgement of the kinship between the religions. The underlying message is that the Christians have just lost their way leaving the Muslims to worship the God they share, â€Å"Say: Will ye dispute with us about Allah, seeing that He is our Lord and your Lord; that we are responsible for our doings and ye for yours; and that We are sincere (in our faith) in Him?,) (Quran 2: 139)5. In order to create impact for change the Quran offers Christianity and Jews various examples of personalities in the old testament famed for great deeds but who never practiced the kind of religious practices that is generally common in the Christian doctrine.

STP Analysis, Instacart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

STP Analysis, Instacart - Essay Example These are different market segments with different needs. For schools Instacart provides a combination of high quality and affordable groceries. On the other hand, for the light commercial customers, Instacart offers a variety of comprehensive groceries with extraordinary convenience. Instacart relentlessly focuses on its quality and customer experience. In doing this, Instacart offers its customers low prices, wide selection and convenience products and brands. Achieving repeat purchases and customer loyalty remains the key aspects to Instacart success. Instacart communicates fulfillment of its promises including the delivery of date estimates, options for expedited delivery, update facilities, delivery shipment notifications and presentation of latest inventory through availability of information (Cheng 32). Instacart provides quality, timely customer service, fast and reliable fulfillment, and trusted transaction environment. It also features rich in nutrients products and repeated customer purchases systems. Large retailers, physical retailers, vendors, manufacturers and distributors of alternative products most of which tend to possess sales volumes, significant grocery awareness. Some competitors who sell the franchise products through direct marketing, mail order and the internet The primary competitive factor in Instacart is its market segments that include quality and fresh products, convenience, selection, availability, price, personalized services, brand recognition, discovery, information, speed of fulfillment and customer service (Manjoo). Other competitive factors include: reliability, trust in transactions and having the ability to adapt changing markets conditions. For products offered to individual and business sellers, additional competitive factors in this case includes their ability to generate sales especially for third parties in which Instacart serves,

U.S. and Texas government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

U.S. and Texas government - Essay Example While those that are republicans include among others; Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Texas, South Dakota, Utah, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina among others. c) Battle states are the states where both the democratic and the republicans have the same chances of winning in a given voting period. They are very important in the manner that they determine who will rule the nation after the elections. 2. Why does the SMSP election system lead to a two-party system? SMSP is the process of voting whereby the person who gets most votes wins. It leads to a two-party system because voters end up choosing among the two of the leaders to lead to them. All regions too elect one individual to represent them during the elections. a. What are the advantages of such a two-party dominant system? It enables the leaders to have a strong candidate so that their political agendas are represented. Voters are also not confused during voting to elect their leaders using their agendas. b. What are the drawbacks of a two-party dominant system? A two –party dominant system do not allow full participation of the rest of the members in other parties. They are also supported more by the government which leads to inequality. c. If you had the power to alter the American political system to a proportional representation and multi-party model, would you favor that change? Why or why not? It’s a voting method that uses quota system to ensure that each part wins with a given number of votes. It can’t represent all the voters.