Mass Communication History Essay

Mass communication is the study of how we get information to the greatest number of people as quickly and effectively as possible. This broad-based area of study has evolved from print and broadcast journalism to today’s Internet-connected social media community. As opportunities to communicate to larger audiences grew, universities started offering programs to help students learn how to best communicate with the masses. Basic to the study of mass communications is examining the important and memorable events that emerged along the way Communication to an Immediate Audience People and societies have been communicating with each other since the time of cave drawings and drums. Ancient cultures, such as the Chinese and Romans, communicated through plays and art works. The beginnings of print media were seen in China where movable clay type was invented in 1041. Monks and holy men copied the Bible by hand, but mass media really took off around 1439 whenJohannes Gutenberg‘s invention of movable type allowed the mass production and distribution of books. Although newspapers began in the early 1600s, many American colonists still relied on the town crier as their sole source of information. Communication Spreads to the Masses Digital History focuses on the period from 1880 -1920 as leading the rise of mass communication, with the introduction of the mass market newspapers featuring comic strips, fashion pages, sports news, and women’s pages. National mass circulation magazines, such as Ladies’ Home Journal, also began to appear at that time. Frank Doubleday started organizing book tours to make and promote bestsellers. Thomas Edison introduced us to the wonders of music with his phonograph. Advertising became popular in the late 1800s when the National Biscuit Company, which later became Nabisco, spent the unheard-of sum of one million dollars on a national advertising campaign. Others (like Campbell Soups, Heinz, and Quaker Oats) quickly followed suit in communicating their products’ benefits to the buying public. At the same time, schools of higher learning were beginning to realize that they needed to instruct students on these communication techniques. Although known more for its business degrees, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania offered the first communications courses in 1893. The University opened an official school of communications 60 years later. However, Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio is distinctly known for having the first communications program. Their program, which was founded in 1906, began awarding degrees in 1909. A Rapid Rise Communication programs at schools first focused on writing, publishing, and newspaper journalism. As photography, radio, and movies became part of the mainstream media, universities had to work hard to bring their programs up to date. In 1903, the movie The Great Train Robbery began to show the ability of the motion picture to tell a story. Marconi introduced wireless communications in 1895, which lead to commercial radio broadcasting in 1920 and television broadcasts in 1939. By 1922, movies had become so popular that they sold up to 40 million tickets a week. Walt Disney himself said, â€Å"Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.† The first doctoral degree in mass communication was conveyed by the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1948. After World War II, class offerings in mass communication started growing dramatically as students looked for information on communicating through media such as magazines, radio, and television. A Bold New World of Mass Communication In the digital age, the possibilities for mass communication are growing even larger. Since the first commercial communication satellite was launched in 1960, communication possibilities have expanded to include Internet, social media, blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, online video, and mobile media. In the 1990s, schools started offering courses in online communications. In 2007, Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication introduced a digital newsroom to train the news reporters of the future. A degree in mass communication can take you in many directions—business, advertising, acting, journalism, public relations, government, and international relations—and into the future. But you have to take the first step and start by getting solid fundamentals offered in advanced degree programs. Examples of Major Corporations Deploying Mass Media Strategies Mass Media Strategies Make a Marketing Difference The study of mass communication can lead you in many exciting career  directions—politics, corporate marketing, charitable work, and more. Many organizations effectively utilize mass media strategies to get their message out to their target audiences. Savvy politicians are using social mass media strategies to reach today’s highly-connected generation of voters. Some mass media strategists are now using their knowledge and abilities to fight for change and equality in the world. The following examples highlight where a degree in mass communication could take you. Ford Fuses Mass Media Strategies to Sell the Fusion When Ford Motor Company introduced its new Ford Fusion in 2005, the manufacturer wanted to move from its traditional Taurus-driving family appeal to attracting younger, hipper drivers. The â€Å"Life in Drive† mass media strategy fused traditional television advertising with an online â€Å"Photo Fusion† interactive component to build awareness. The campaign helped Ford sell more than 23,000 Fusions in just three months and motivated the company to increase production quantities to meet demand. Olympus Uses Mass Media Strategies to Climb to the Top Olympus Imaging used an innovative â€Å"augmented reality† campaign to motivate prospective customers to try out a simulated version of their new portable digital camera. They relied on a mass media strategy to drive consumers to a website for an interactive tutorial and simulated product â€Å"test drive.† Olympus quickly managed to get a version of their product into the hands of over 50,000 potential buyers without ever asking them to walk into a store. In addition, a contest which motivated enthusiastic visitors to share their experience through social networks spread the news even further. Green Mass Media Strategies Help Book Authors See Green Results Similar to the results that can be seen in product marketing, a mass media strategy can also be effective in book marketing. When Shel Horowitz, a green marketing consultant, and his co-author, Jay Conrad, wanted to promote their book, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green, they combined traditional media, social marketing, and green guerilla marketing elements to achieve success. The book was published in January 2010; three months later it was number one on Amazon’s environmental list. Using Social Mass Media Strategies to Become President Perhaps the best example of using today’s social mass media outlets to raise money, generate awareness, and build momentum is the Barack Obama Campaign for president in 2008. Through his campaign’s unprecedented use of social mass media, over 30 million dollars was raised by thousands of individuals and groups that were motivated to work on his behalf. Voters can count on seeing more of this effective use of mass media strategies in the 2012 presidential election campaign as traditional media costs soar and it becomes more difficult than ever before to reach a targeted voting audience. Using Mass Media Strategies to Effect Positive Change in the World Mass media strategies can also play a part in developing global strategic communications. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women has effectively used a combination of community mobilization, outreach, and mass media to provide education, reduce violence, and develop initiatives to promote gender equality in developing countries around the world. In the United States, the Family Violence Prevention Fund used a mass media public service announcements strategy to promote the availability of a â€Å"Coaching Boys into Men† program that provided sports coaches with a â€Å"playbook† on how to talk to their teams about domestic violence. As more mass media opportunities are becoming available to promote products, services, and ideas, more mass media marketers will be needed to help develop and direct these campaigns. You can start building your knowledge and insight into the world of mass media with an online degree in mass communication. This program can give you an understanding of the various mass media strategies that are av ailable today and provide you with knowledge to help you make informed decisions in a world where mass integrated communication can make a massive difference.

Voluntary Euthanasia

St Peter’s Catholic College, Tuggerah Task: Catholic Ethical Teaching Ethan Fortis 1. Name the Issue (I mark) Euthanasia| 2. Outline the ethical issue (5 marks) Euthanasia, also sometimes known as mercy killing, is the act of painlessly allowing death. This is especially used to relieve the pain of an animal or person suffering incurable and/or severely painful disease. There are 4 different types of euthanasia; these include voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary, and passive & active euthanasia.Voluntary euthanasia is conducted with the consent of the patient, non-voluntary occurs when the patient is unable to give or deny consent, and involuntary happens when euthanasia is performed without the patient’s consent. All of the above varieties of euthanasia can be divided into passive & active euthanasia. Passive euthanasia refers to the withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention of hurrying along a terminally ill patient. Active euthanasia occurs when a lethal dose of medication is given to the patient to deliberately take their life. | 3.Provide and briefly explain the main arguments for and against the issue (6marks) There are a number of arguments supporting the use of euthanasia in society. An example of these includes that euthanasia quickly and humanely ends a patient’s life who’s suffering severe and unbearable pain, allowing them to die in dignity. People that are terminally ill don’t deserve to endure the immense pain they go through if they have personally chose to undergo euthanasia. Another argument for euthanasia is the fact that it shortens the grief and suffering the patient’s loved ones go through day after day of the inevitable death dragging on.Loved ones and family of someone who is terminally ill go through a huge amount of psychological issues knowing they aren’t able do to anything about it while a person in their life is slowly and painfully dying. Euthanasia allows these people to rest easy, knowing that their loved one will leave them in a peaceful manor instead of suffering. Also, death is a very private matter and no one else should be allowed to stop you making decisions for yourself, as it is not their life but yours.Euthanasia should be a personal option that should be respected and in cases where the patient is incapable to make the decision for themselves and is suffering greatly, the option should be left to the spouse/close loved one to decide. Although the arguments supporting the act of euthanasia are strong, there are a number of reasons against the issue. An example of this is that allowing euthanasia will lead to less good care for the terminally ill that do not chose it. The Hippocratic Oath is an oath all physicians and other health care professionals swear upon to practise medicine ethically and honestly.Is allowing euthanasia violating this verbal contract? Doctors should do everything they can possibly do to keep patients alive a nd practising euthanasia is going against this. Allowing euthanasia may lead to doctors and nurses becoming less determined to save the lives of the terminally ill, thus disregarding the Hippocratic Oath completely. Also, some people think that implementing euthanasia may send the message across to society that it’s better to be dead than sick/disabled. This suggests that some lives aren’t worth living and this is wrong.Every life is equal, even if the life is of a person who is terminally ill or disabled, mentally or physically. Allowing euthanasia may weaken society’s respect for the value of life. All humans, whether they are disabled, terminally ill, or just different, should be valued no matter what. Human life is sacred and should be lived to the full potential until the natural end of someone’s life. It’s better to be alive than dead, right? | 4. Clearly outline and articulate Catholic Teaching on your issue (making sure you explain the Cath olic Church’s stance on the issue and reasons for its stance).Make sure you use at least one biblical reference and one reference from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (10 marks) The Catholic Church believes that God gave us both death and life; in return for this we should respect these processes. Conflict arises when there are disagreements of the boundaries. In regards to the act of euthanasia, Pope John Paul II stated in 1995 ‘Euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, Since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person. ’ The Catholic Church has always been strong in its teaching of euthanasia and how they view it as morally wrong.The Church believes that any law allowing euthanasia to be practiced is an intrinsically unjust law. Emphasis has been put on the absolute and unchanging value of the bible commandment ‘You shall not kill’. The Catholic Church does not accept the notion that people have the right to die and should be able to choose whether to accept death or to live, suffering or not. An excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2277 reads ‘Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded’. A number of biblical verses can relate to the views on euthanasia. One of these includes 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ‘Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body’. It is believed that each human life is a manifestation of God in the world, a sign of his presence, a trace of his glory. This in mind, a person whom is insisting on death is breaking their relationship with God. | 5. Clearly explain why your issue is an ethical issue for our society. (6 marks) Euthanasia is a debatable issue that questions the very core of morality. It can’t be dealt with by a simple answer, as ‘what is ethical’ is viewed in a variety of different views and opinions amongst society and law.More knowledge and resources are available today than there was back in biblical times. People are entitled to their own opinions and beliefs in the world today, so the issue can be discussed and voiced more regularly. Many questions are asked such as ‘is it wrong to kill? ’, ‘is killing the same as letting die? And the most important one, ‘do we have the right to die? ’ It all comes down to personal vi ews. An atheist’s views on whether we have the right to die or not will be different to a Roman Catholic’s views and vice versa.As there will be ethically right answer to any of these questions, the act of euthanasia should ultimately come down to the individual preference. If a atheist patient who is terminally ill with cancer would like euthanasia to be practised, what right does a Catholic doctor have to say no? | 6. Present an accurately constructed bibliography of all resources used (2 marks) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Euthanasia 20/2/13 | http://www. ndtv. com/article/india/what-is-passive-euthanasia-89964 20/2/13| http://medical-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/Active+Euthanasia 20/2/13| http://www. rsrevision. om/GCSE/christian_perspectives/life/euthanasia/for. htm 21/2/13| http://euthanasia. procon. org/view. answers. php? questionID=000198 22/2/13| http://www. catholicnewsagency. com/resources/life-and-family/euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide/euthanasia-c atechism-of-the-catholic-church/ 15/3/13| http://www. openbible. info/topics/euthanasia 15/3/13| http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/euthanasia_1. shtml 15/3/13| http://www. bbc. co. uk/ethics/euthanasia/against/against_1. shtml#h3 16/3/13| http://www. rsrevision. com/Alevel/ethics/euthanasia/index. htm 17/3/13| | | | |

Color of my personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Color of my personality - Essay Example In recent times, psychologists have pointed out that hereditary factors being more central specifically for personality traits like emotional tones. Nevertheless, acquisition of values, beliefs and expectations seem more ascribed due to the socialization process and early childhood experiences. The green persona is straightforward and does things right for a fast time. They like a neat surrounding, therefore, keep everything in order. They are the most creative and rely heavily on their intuitions. They spend most of their time articulating and discovering new ideas thus embrace the brainstorming sessions since it involves coming up with new ideas. Moreover, the mental impediments that deter other personality colors do not restrict them. Consequently, the combination of their creative nature and absence of mental deterrents prompts the establishment of opportunities and solutions that meets needs of every participant. They are agents of change in the society though they seek it in a more peaceful environment unlike the yellows that are not collaborative. The greens are proponents of growth and prosperity (DiTullio,

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Research Paper

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln - Research Paper Example Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln? Did other politicians hire the killer or was the killer himself a politician? Did the man behind the shooting of President Abraham Lincoln have any personal interests in his death? What exactly did he stand to gain if the president died? Where exactly did the assassination of Abraham Lincoln take place? What kind of weapon did the assassinator use to perpetrate the act? The person who killed Abraham Lincoln was not a politician but a renowned actor, John Wilkes Booth. The death of the president as he thought would put an end to the civil war, giving the Confederates victory over the Union. To understand the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, it is important to know the person who killed him and the motive behind the assassination. Moreover, the factors that facilitated the killing of the president will help in shedding light on the issue. A myriad of questions focusing on the main reason why Booth had to assassinate the president arose shortly after h e killed him. At the time he was killing Abraham, Booth was not only rich but famous too, owing to his acting prowess. Coming from a family of successful actors, he was a highly rated actor, earning approximately $20,000 while most of the people in the United States earned an average of $3,000 annually. John Wilkes Booth on 14th April 1865 managed to pull the trigger of a .44 caliber derringer pistol, from the president’s box in a full Ford Theatre, firing a single bullet that killed the president (Good, 11). As Streers writes, â€Å"at approximately twenty minutes past ten o’clock on that fateful night of April 14th 1865, the famous actor John Wilkes Booth entered the box above and fired a bullet from a small derringer pistol into the brain of Abraham Lincholn† (12). Amid the laughers of the audience, the actor took aim at the president, shot at his head before jumping into the stage and escaping into the night. However, after two weeks of chasing Booth, the po lice found him at a barn in Maryland, where a Union officer shot him in the neck killing him two hours later. Box and John (18) argue that, â€Å"I do not look upon the murder of the President as an act of mere private vengeance; it was a blow aimed at the people who elected him and for the principles he represented.† According to Steers (20-30), having been born in Maryland, Booth openly supported the Confederate during the civil war of America. Additionally, he advocated for slavery, which was in contrary to Abraham’s perception on slavery (McCarty 50). Booth reasoned that by supporting the slaves, Lincoln was out to overthrow the constitution of the United States and destroy the south, which he so much loved. Booth was unsatisfied and angry with the management of the war, especially the handling of the war prisoners (McCarty 5). Moreover, when general Ulysses Grant stopped the exchange of the war prisoners as the war approached its end, Booth became even more agitat ed. Inspired by his personal opinion of how things ought to have been, the ardent supporter of slavery believed that the south had every right to be free to decide on its own on issues such as slavery and governance (Box and John 18). The progress of the war greatly wrecked the south, a region where slavery was legal, which motivated them to fight effortlessly to win the war. Lincoln on the other hand supported the north, the segment that was against slavery in the United States. Nevertheless, Booth thought that the death of the president as well as other high-ranking politicians among them the vice president, Johnson and the Secretary of The State, Steward would help the south in winning the civil war. According to Booth, if the three politicians died simultaneously, it would throw the union government into a turmoil that would automatically give the Confederates an upper hand in the war. As he learned from the media and from Lincoln’s character and media, Lincoln was easy t o reach. Fradin (19) writes, â€Å"

Leadership and organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership and organisations - Essay Example This essay discusses only some of the various leadership theories, styles, and models that have been developed in the interest of management science. Many have been conceptualized from observing the practices of leaders and viewing them in the context of their organizational setting. While the discussion is not exhaustive, it is illustrative of the breadth of leadership theory and its situation within the larger arena of organizational management theory. Throughout history, nations rose and fell on account of good and bad leaders, compelling social and behavioural theorists to seek a pattern of attributes or behaviours that would account for the difference. The presumed objective is to identify what makes good leaders, and from thence to formulate guidelines by which good leaders may be identified (in the case of inborn leaders) or developed (in those cases where leaders are seen as created). A brief summary of leadership theories in modern history are shown in the table below. Great man theories espoused the view that leaders are born and not made, meaning that there are only those select few (whether chosen by the divine wisdom or by destiny) who rise above the rest and emerge as leaders. The term alludes to the early concept that all leaders are male, or women with male qualities, particularly in battle. The notion of leadership as birthright is consistent with the traditions of several nations until now, whose leaders acquire their status from their lineage. Aside from the monarchies still existing in Europe (England, the Netherlands), Asia (Japan, Thailand), the Middle East (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the emirates of the UAE), or the ethnic tribes in Africa (Zulu, Burundi, Chad), there are militarily installed dictatorial dynasties such as the Kims of North Korea and the Castros of Cuba. In such cases, the original leader is looked up to as some benign national patriarch, and his issue by rule are endowed with the mandate to be revered, even

Oppurtunity Cost Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Oppurtunity Cost - Term Paper Example The articles also indicate how the country has decreased revenue generated from local consumption. The change in energy sources are triggered by the fact that most of the countries are embracing green energy and attributes to the future benefits the energy could have to the environment (196). The environmental benefits according to the article are of environmental benefits are far more important than economic benefits. The country has two energy alternatives. The choice to use renewal energy rather than the natural oil and gas are based on environmental factors rather than the economical value. The natural oil contributed largely to the national income. The country being among the largest producers of oil, the government’s decision to cut off their second largest source of revenue and invest on other sources indicates how choices where triggered by other factors. The decision has nothing t do with the economic benefit but the environmental factors. The decision is triggered by the world millennium development goals. The initial investments may be high and the country may take a longer period to realize the economical benefit to their planned investment. New infrastructure could consume half of the revenue invested by the government towards the sector. Choosing the option would mean that the governments revenue on oil and natural would dwindle. The country depends on agriculture and oil export to contribute to the national revenue. The elimination of natural oil will mean that the country depend mostly on agriculture as their main economic activity. The national expenditure will increase meaning resources allocated to national development. This means their opportunity cost would be the revenue collected from the renewable energy subtracted from the income that would otherwise be collected from exports of natural oil and gas. The result is the sacrifice foregone by the government to ensure a sustainable environment. The new investment

Censorship of Textbooks in Public Schools Essay

Censorship of Textbooks in Public Schools - Essay Example Indeed, while it is perhaps a precaution to protect a child from violent images, it becomes counterproductive to protect students from educational facts that exist only to enhance their learning experiences. The greatest argument for book censorship is the fact that children should not be subjected to certain topics. Some people even go as far as to say that there are some topics that a person of any age should not be aware of (Edwards 29). School and public libraries, and even many bookstores and distributors do not carry certain books, or else put them in a section that warns potential buyers that the books contain material that is considered censor-worthy. Books ranging from The Catcher in the Rye to the beloved Harry Potter series have found themselves victims of censorship; J.D. Salinger’s acclaimed novel for its adult subject matter, and J.K. Rowling’s masterpiece due to its magical, imaginative content. In response to this argument, those against censorship feel that it should be up to a parent to decide what their children should or should not be reading. For older children and teenagers, the choice should be their own. People on the outside of a family, like school teachers or librarians, should not be influencing a child’s taste in reading because it prevents them from exploring the world through books. In regard to the censoring of textbooks, parents find it ridiculous that facts should be considered horrid enough that others have found a need to censor them at all (Sherrow 15). Information provided to students in a school setting, controlled by a teacher and a textbook, can hardly be considered dangerous to the students. When a subject is being taught in schools, it is due to the fact that the subject serves a purpose, whether as simply knowledge or to help further a child’s education. If certain information is being censored, children are being denied vital intelligence; in many cases, children are given false informatio n to make up for the lack of truth (Kravitz 147). This causes students to be misinformed, which can bring about negative impacts years down the road, like when the students are preparing for higher education. If the information they learned during their time in public schools is incorrect or else missing, these students risk falling further behind in their later studies. It should not be up to a teacher or school administration if a topic should not be covered by the school. Textbooks are written based on grade and age level, providing information that specific age groups should be taught (Brown 82). If these books pass approval as textbooks for public schools, then, upon being bought, they should be entirely implemented in the classroom. Unless the information presented in the textbook is inaccurate, there is no reason that the textbooks should be censored. They are not providing students with dangerous information or ideas, nor are they presenting students with lies or false facts . They serve the purpose of teaching children vital information. Censoring school textbooks have more negative effects than positive. In fact, many textbook writers and teachers alike are unable to find any positive effects of censoring textbooks.

Role of International Non-Government Organizations Essay

Role of International Non-Government Organizations - Essay Example Risk identification is basically a process that allows an organization or a company to identify any potential risks that the organization faces. Risk identification is the first and one of the main steps of the risk management process. Organizations usually carry out risk management to ensure that their assets and their operations are not damaged by a certain imminent threat. In case the company is unable to prevent any threat from occurring the organization implements certain measures that ensure that the damage is kept to a minimum (Karolak, 1995).In this paper, the author will evaluate how the tourism industry of Thailand recovered from the aftermath of Tsunami in 2004 and what role was played by government, NGOs and other stakeholders in helping the industry to return to its usual form. The tsunami of December 2004 affected six provinces along Thailand’s Andaman coast. It had an impact on 407 villages, completely destroying 47 of them, and killing more than 8,200 people. As of December 2005, 929 bodies remained unidentified, though by May 2006 this number had been reduced to around 500Í ¾ these bodies are at the Bang Maruan cemetery in Tsunami that disrupted the environment and created economic problems for the country required a coordinated relief effort supported by the government and international agencies to prevent further destruction, build back Thailand and its tourism sector. In this regard, it is essential to take into consideration the role of the non-profitable organizations like NGO’s who played their part in integrating all the activities related to crises management. There were many national and international operations carried out who had the purpose of delivering aid to the affected persons. However, there were many difficulties faced by these non-government organizations.

Biometric Authentication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Biometric Authentication - Essay Example herefore designed several technology software which authenticate or grant an individual access to an account by virtue of a physical character such as a fingerprint. This kind of authentication is what is referred to as biometric authentication. The security of a nation is very sensitive and therefore military bases and locations of security valuables need to be under 24 hour surveillance to ensure that there is no breaching in the perimeter. Ministries of defense in various developed countries have therefore employed biometric authentication in their military bases to restrict access to only authorized people and not just anyone. This paper will be assessing biometric authentication in the context of Ministry of Defense and its necessities, alternatives, weaknesses and strengths among other pertinent issues. The biometrics technology does not go without fault as it has been termed as both a promising and disruptive technology. The main reason why a dedicated biometric solution is needed is because the current biometric authentication services are not applicable under certain circumstances. Before a biometric is chosen for use in biometric authentication, it is necessary that a suitability test be performed on the biometric authentication. Jain, Bolle, and Pankanti (1996) have identified several factors which point out to the necessity of a dedicated biometric solution. The first thing that needs to be considered is the universality of the trait; the biometric that is to be used should be possessed by everyone. The biometric needed for authentication should also be unique to a particular person. Another important factor is permanence. This is in relation to the manner in which the biometric changes over time. Role-based access

Critical Thinking Case Study (Marketing) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical Thinking (Marketing) - Case Study Example He is confident that a new product can be delivered despite budgetary cuts. 2b. Pat Lambert Pat believes that the retail version of the original AcuScan scanner will be a big hit. If not the perfect version, a prototype can be developed by August, to which further changes can be made. If this deadline is not met, the competitor will launch their product before AcuScan Inc. and grab the market share. The features are slight changes to the original AcuScan and need additional databases and modifications to make Operation Optimize possible. Kelly is making things difficult because on talking to one of the engineers Pat discovered that such a new product is very much possible to me made within the stipulated time and existing resources. 2c. Kelly Thomas Kelly initially thought that the new product requires minor alterations to the existing. However, later he discovered that the new product is too much of an innovation on the existing one and would require a lot of time and effort. Kelly believes that others don't understand the mechanics of product engineering and what goes into making a new product. In this time frame, with the existing workforce he can only deliver a certain feature of the product and not the entire product itself. 2d. Chris Martinas Chris like Cliff believes that the retail version of the scanner will position AcuScan on a path to success and regain its leadership position in the technology landscape. He believes that product engineering is Kelly's domain and only when Kelly and Pat both work together, would it be possible that the new product comes into being. 3a. Cliff Cliff's argument is logical as well as emotional in nature. He understands that innovation in the dynamic landscape of technology is a must...and grab the market share. The features are slight changes to the original AcuScan and need additional databases and modifications to make Operation Optimize possible. Kelly is making things difficult because on talking to one of the engineers Pat discovered that such a new product is very much possible to me made within the stipulated time and existing resources. Kelly initially thought that the new product requires minor alterations to the existing. However, later he discovered that the new product is too much of an innovation on the existing one and would require a lot of time and effort. Kelly believes that others don't understand the mechanics of product engineering and what goes into making a new product. In this time frame, with the existing workforce he can only deliver a certain feature of the product and not the entire product itself. Chris like Cliff believes that the retail version of the scanner will position AcuScan on a path to success and regain its leadership position in the technology landscape. He believes that product engineering is Kelly's domain and only when Kelly and Pat both work together, would it be possible that the new product comes into being. Cliff's argument is logical as well as emotional in nature. He understands that innovation in the dynamic landscape of technology is a must for any organization to do well.

SELF ESTEEM & SOCIAL ANXIETY Essay Example for Free

SELF ESTEEM SOCIAL ANXIETY Essay Self Esteem and Social Anxiety The study searched measures of self- esteem and social anxiety using self-report. Social Anxiety Disorder is someone who has the fear of being social with anyone or anything, said (Rasmussen and Pidgeon, 2011). Low self-esteem is a cause of Social Anxiety Disorder. Research stated that there is evidence that individual’s with social anxiety show low self-esteem (Baumeister Twenge, 2003). (Kocovski and Endler’s, 2000) Social anxiety showed that low self-esteem had a gain in fears of negative evaluation, which in turn showed gains in social anxiety. A person who checks themself in a negative way will think that others are of the same opinion, and this anticipation of negative evaluation of the self might result in anxiety in social situations (Kocovski Endler, 2000). It was hypothesized that higher levels of mindfulness would significantly predict higher levels of self- esteem. Recent experimental evidence has shown that mindfulness buffers self-esteem from negatively valenced social experiences, which in turn reduces defensive reactions to social threats. It was hypothesized that higher self- esteem would significantly predict lower social anxiety. It was predicted that mindfulness indirectly predicted lower social anxiety via self-esteem. (Fennel Jenkins, 2004) In this experiment it was an experiment to see the levels of low or high self- esteem, which would inflict a difference on social anxiety. The mean age for this was 23.1 years old. The standard deviation was 6.72. In this experiment the percent of female students was 59%. There were coefficients ranging from 0.82- 0.86 in different studies. Results showed higher increases in self- esteem and said there were lower levels of social anxiety. This study for future research can be questioned like what variables influence the effectiveness in mindfulness practice in relation to self-esteem and social anxiety? These three different study groups could not differentiate on treatment dropout also families were more intrigued by GANA and PCIT, instead of TAU. We even hypothesized that PCIT would outperform TAU. Participants included 58 Mexican- American families. In this clinical sample, the children were in dire need of treatment. As stated, the IV is PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy), treatment as usual. GANA guided active children. The DV stated that there would be lower dropout, higher father participation, better outcomes, higher parent satisfaction. The studies psychological perspective is social cultural. This is social cultural because it is studying the different social groups of different cultures of the society. A new question raised for possible future study is why dropout rates do not differ? (Bandura, A. Ross, D., Ross, S.A) The advancement concerning the influence of the gender of the model and the sex of the children in imitation of a sample experiment. The number of participants was 72. 36 boys and 36 girls had participated as the imitators of the experiment. The mean age of the children equals 37 to 69 months. The IV with operational definition was Aggressive vs. Non- aggressive children and same vs. Different sex. The DV is imitative responses (physical aggression, verbal aggression, and non-verbal responses. The result of this experiment was participants who observed aggressive models scored significantly higher in imitative responses including physical and verbal aggression as well as non aggressive verbal responses. The psychological perspective is social learning. The perspective is social learning because a child observing a behavior from an adult will impact the way they react to the independent variable of the experiment. A questioned raised to continue this study in the future is how much aggression was transmitted through imitation of the aggressive models? It is important to go about studying hypotheses using different psychological perspectives because it gives us a better and more accurate hypothesis as well as more accurate results. The study I will discuss further is Mallet Aggression (Bandura 1961). The hypothesis explored in this study was subjects exposed to aggressive models would reproduce aggressive reactions resembling their models and would differ in this of both from participants who observed nonaggressive models and those of no prior witness  to any model. They tested the hypothesis with the psychological perspective known as social learning. Mood personality is another psychological perspective because a participant’s mood if experiencing anger will show that the individual will be destructive with the mallet after learning from the model. An individual could test the hypothesis with the new psychological perspective by bringing in participants experiencing anger and participants who are not experiencing anger a nd have them observe the model and see what their reaction is. References Rasmussen, Michael K., Pidgeon, Aileen M., (2010) The direct and indirect benefits of dispositional mindfulness on self- esteem and social anxiety, Anxiety, Stress Coping, 24, (2), 227-233. McCabe, K., Yeh, M. (2009) parent- child interaction therapy for Mexican Americans: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Child Adolescent Psychology, 38, (5), 753-759. 10.1080/15374410903544 Bandura, Ross A., D., Ross, S. A, (1961) transmission of aggressive through imitation of aggressive models, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, (3), 575-582.

Development of an inventory management system

Development of an inventory management system INTRODUCTION This project is on the design and development of an inventory management system which is part of the supply-chain Management. This system will attempt to solve issues with current inventory management systems in order to give businesses a better competitive edge. The literature review will provide a detailed overview about Inventory management; why business need to manage their inventory, benefits and objectives of inventory management and best practice in inventory management. It will go on to further discuss what inventory management system is all about, a detailed explanation of the benefits, future of inventory management systems and talk about success of inventory management system. In the review, various factors for implementing efficient inventory management systems were listed in order to understand fully how to design and develop a software solution for a company that would provide the best services and effective solution to their current problems. The report also discussed some challenges faced by most inventory management system in providing businesses with an effective solution. As part of the literature review, a case study was carried out on Sahad Stores, a distribution company in Nigeria and a detailed investigation into their existing system was accomplished highlighting the problems of the current system. Based on knowledge gained from the literature review, a proposed solution was presented to resolve the issues with the companys current system of inventory management. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT An inventory is basically a detailed list of all the items in stock. Inventory consists of raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods. In todays highly competitive market, businesses need to maintain an appropriate level of stock to meet the customer demands at any time. Inventory management is part of the supply chain management. Over the past years, the concept of supply chain management SCM has been given a considerable attention. This is an approach to view the supply chain as a whole rather than as a set of separate processes (Weele, 2002). Mentzer, Dewitt, Keebler, Min, Nix, Smith and Zacharia defined Supply chain management SCM as the systematic and strategic coordination of the traditional business operations. The main aim of supply chain management SCM is to improve the long term performance of each firm as well as the whole supply chain (Mentzer, Dewitt, Keebler, Min, Nix, Smith and Zacharia, 2001). Inventory management involves system and processes of maintaining the appropriate level of stock in a warehouse (Barcodes, 2010). These activities includes identifying necessary inventory requirements, and creating replenishment processes, tracking and monitoring the usage of items/stock, reconciling inventory balances as well as reporting inventory status.(Barcodes , 2010). It is basically the process of efficiently controlling the amount of stock in order to avoid excess inventory. Reliable inventory management will therefore minimise the cost associated with inventory (Barcodes, 2010). Inventory management involves a wide scope of processes ranging from inventory forecasting , replenishment, demand forecasting as well as quality management (Wikipedia, 2009). Objectives and benefits of inventory management According to Stylus Systems, The 3 main objectives in inventory management are (Stylus, 2008): To reduce inventory investment or cost which is one of the most important goals of any business. Balancing the cost of keeping inventory with the benefits gained from it is vital to the successes of an organisation To provide improved customer satisfaction To increase sales and profits realised from effective inventory management which therefore improve overall business productivity Benefits of inventory management In a report by Stylus, he highlighted the following as some of the benefits of inventory management (Stylus, 2008): Inventory management systems can help reduce the time to respond to changing market demand of products and can help control excess stock IMS provide a means for business to effectively manage or control their inventory IMS helps businesses to constantly analyse their business processes such as sales and purchasing in order to make efficient inventory decisions Stylus systems also reported that inventory management systems IMS can provide total insight on stock transactions Stylus systems also stated that IMS can provide hands on knowledge on inventory which might lead to increased sales and efficient customer services. Development in inventory management Presently, there are two major approaches to inventory management Materials requirement planning (MRP): MRP is simply a management system in which sales are converted into loads by sub-unit and time. In this system, orders are scheduled more closely thereby reducing inventory and making delivery times shorter and more predictable (Hedrick, 2003). MPR review order quantities periodically and as such allow ordering only what is currently needed. This helps keep inventory levels very low. Just-in-Time (JIT): JIT approach ensures that a business should only keep inventory in the right quantity at the right time with the right quality (David, 2004) .Most organizations adapt to this system to integrate inventory management for a more competitive advantage (Kaynak, 2005). It eliminates inventories rather than optimize them. Why keep Inventory Inventory refers to a detailed list of all the items in store or warehouse. According to Inman, Inventory refers to the items that are stored in warehouses or distribution centres in excess of what the store needs (Inman, 2010). The following are the reason why business keeps more inventory than they currently need (Inventory Management, 2010). Meet Demand: this ensures that customers get the product or item that they want when they want it. Keep Operations running: When for example manufacturers run out of stock to manufacture certain product, the whole production process or operations will be halted and thus manufacture of the finished product. In order to prevent this, most manufacturers purchase excess inventory. Lead time: When a shop or a factory places an order for a particular item, the period of time between the order placements and when the order is received is known as lead time. Business therefore should have hands on inventory during the lead time in order to keep its operations running. Hedge: This involves keeping inventory against inflation in price of products. This allows the buyer to buy at a lower price than when the price increases. Quantity Discount: Quantity discount refers to reduction in price of an item when purchasing in bulk. This always influences most businesses to buy more than it needs which might lead to excess inventory. Smoothing Requirements: businesses sometimes acquire access inventory for products that have unpredictable demands in order to meet demand. According to Edwars Silver (Silver, 2008), inventory management involves knowing the following Questions: The size of replenishment order that will be required The time this order will be placed And finally how frequent inventory records should be analysed Best practice in inventory management In an effort to maximise their return on investment (ROI) and avoid excess inventory, many businesses invest a fortune in inventory management systems. In a report by Philip Slater (Slater, 2009), he stated that most of these systems fails to render expected services and rather result in excess inventory. This is because software can only optimise the values it has and not what it could be and as a result, it neglects some important external influences like changes in the management process. He stated that Worlds best practice inventory management demands that the inventory management system is optimised not just the inventory. Inventory management therefore goes beyond software system and as stated by Philip Slater (Slater, 2009) inventory management involves combination of know-how, process and reporting that collectively provide a means of maximizing availability while minimizing cash investment. In the report, he stated five level of worlds best practice inventory management that when fully implemented, can enable businesses to reduce their inventory investment or cost. These levels are: Ad Hoc: this level require less control as inventory is expensed when purchased on an as needed basis and used immediately. Storage: this level involves the storage of items for use and not strictly controlled. Here, inventory is expensed when purchased. This approach tends to increase total expenditure as items are purchased in economic quantities and discourage review and development due to lack of control Capitalisation: This approach entails the use of software solution to control inventory and provide good availability. Unfortunately, most businesses use their software mostly for counting and accounting. Software Optimisation: at this level, inventory is capitalised and the levels of stock are optimised based on a risk/return algorithm. Software solution can automatically adjust stock levels based on the history of demand and supply but these level are not trusted by most business because they believe the supply and demand may not represent actual usage System Optimisation: At this level, all factors influencing inventory investment are reviewed periodically. The main purpose of inventory management is to minimise overall cash investment without increasing risk. This according to Philip Slater is the worlds best practice in inventory management (Slater, 2009). Capitalisation and system optimisation goes hand-in-hand. For an effective system, the management is therefore required to possess the know-how, measures, policy development, and reporting required to take the business to level 5 (System Optimization) and not just the software alone(Slater, 2009). INVENTORY CONTROL According to business link in an article, an organisation has an efficient inventory control only when they have the right amount of stock in the right place and at the right time (Business link, 2006). Inefficient Inventory control can leads slower sales and disappointed customers. Inventory control basically deals with reducing the total cost of inventory. Inventory control is very relevant for businesses, especially businesses dealing with a large variety of products. As site by Hossein Arsham, Inventory management or control can be used to streamline warehouse processes in order to track orders and shipment (Arsham, 2006). Other important applications of inventory management systems are in manufacturing, shipping, and receiving. As stated by Arsham, there are three main factors in inventory control decision making process (Arsham, 2006). The cost of holding the stock: this is the cost associated carrying inventory over time and involves having items in storage. This includes interest, taxes, insurance, spoilage, breakage and warehousing cost like light, rent. The cost of placing an order: this is the cost of ordering and receiving inventory which include shipping cost, preparing invoices, determine how much is needed and moving goods. The cost of shortage: this cost involves what is lost if the stock is insufficient to meet all demand. This normally happens when demand exceeds the supply of inventory on hand. MerchantOS argued that the easiest way to manage inventory is with a computer inventory management s ystem (Merchant, 2010). The systems below help to reduce the time spent in managing inventory: Point-of-sale terminals: this system updates stock level automatically and provide a more error free sales transaction Barcodes and barcode readers which proved a way to effectively input inventory and stock takes faster into the system Job costing and inventory systems which are systems that also automatically update stock counts as orders are being made. Electronic Supplier product catalogs: allows the use of electronic devices like CD/DVDs to record inventory data. These systems ensure accurate inventory records through the use of electronic and wireless technologies that provide error free data. These systems are very efficient in that they: Keep only up-to-date records of items and remove all sold items from the system It is possible to Review stock reports periodically to check the products status and identify low demand products. Periodically check record to ensure the level of accuracy of the system and to check against physical stock quantities. Methods of Inventory Control There are several method of inventory control which include (Hedrick, 2010): Visual control: this is used to determine if additional inventory is required through visual examination. This method is mostly used in small businesses and may not require any records. Tickler control: this is the physical counting of small portion of the inventory on a regular basis. Click Sheet Control: this involves the recording of items as they are used on a sheet of paper and used for reorder purposes Stub control: mostly used by retailers and allow managers have certain control of prices. Today, the growth of businesses has provided a necessity to develop a more complicated and highly analytical form of inventory management. The above inventory management systems became difficult and inefficient. As a result, computer systems to control inventory was introduced. These systems include: Point-of-sale terminals: this stores information of each item that is used or sold. Off-line point-of-sale terminals: this transmits sales information directly to the suppliers computer system. The supplier then uses this information to ship necessary items automatically to the retailers The last method for inventory control is carried out by an external agency. As sited by Floyd Hedrick, it involves removal of unwanted products from stock which can be returned to the manufacture. This however has to occur after an agreement and frequent scheduled visit by the manufacturers representative to the large retailer in order to record stock count and writes the reorder (Hedrick, 2010). The main aim of the above systems was to provide a more efficient system that will be able to identify the cost of each inventory (Hedrick, 2010). According to the report, two main control values are used: The Economic order quantity (EOQ) that is the size of the order The reorder point which is the lowest quantity that a stock or an item can be before more quantity is ordered. The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) is a formula that is used mainly for calculating the annual cost for ordering an item. It is widely used by most businesses and involves the actual cost of placing an order, the cost of carrying inventory as well as the annual sales rate. (Hedrick, 2010). INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS An Inventory management system is a system that automates all the processes involved in inventory management. These system are a vital part of any successful business and is basically used to efficiently track inventory using both hardware and software tools. The types of inventory tracked with an inventory management system includes almost any type of quantifiable products like clothing, household products, food, as well as equipment (Barcodes inc, 2010 ). These inventory management systems can influence the overall efficiency of a companys performance resulting in profits. An overview of the whole system is as shown in the diagram below: The diagram above show an over view of the whole inventory management system indication how numerous branches. It shows how the inventory management system manages inventory, sales as well as Employee information. Through the end of 1980s, sales and accounting related modules were the main focus of majority of software solution for retailer, manufacturers, and wholesalers. During the early 1990s, many distributors began to notice the relevance of an effective way of controlling and managing their largest investment of corporate assets which is inventory. This lead to the development of comprehensive inventory management modules and systems by several software companies (Schreibfeder, 2009). Presently, many businesses rely on modern inventory management systems to automate and integrate all aspects their business operations from order management, shipping management, billing systems, to inventory control all in one software package (Schreibfeder, 2009). Tim Cosby reported that, inventory management systems must have ability to track sales and availability, communicate with suppliers in near real-time and receive and incorporate other data like seasonal demand (Cosby, 2007). This means that the system must tell the storeowner for example when its stock level is low so as to reorder and how much to purchase. Information technology provided a way to convert sales and purchasing into a strategic business operation. Businesses now are faced with the challenge of finding out how to use these technologies to gain value and competitive advantage. Inventory management system can deliver these advantages (Stylus Systems, 2008). Modern inventory management systems now depend on barcodes, and potentially RFID systems to enable automatic identification of objects. According to a case study at Wal-Mart, for products selling between 1 and 15 units a day, RFID was able to reduced Out of Stocks by up to 30% (Mathieu, 2007). In order to record an inventory transaction accurately, the inventory management system uses abarcode scanneror RFID reader to identify products automatically, and then collects additional information on the specific product from the operators via fixedwireless terminals, or mobile computers (Mathieu, 2007). Mathieu defined RFID (RadioFrequencyIdentification) as a data collection technology that uses electronic tags also known as electronic label to store data and can be used to identify items just like bar codes. The main difference between RFID and bar codes is that RFID uses wireless technology to transmit information into the system and can be inserted within packages and does not have to be close to the scanner. On the other hand, barcodes require line of sight and closure to the scanner for information to be read. As stated by Mathieu, RFID tagged cartons rolling on a conveyer belt can be read many times faster than bar-coded boxes (Mathieu, 2007). Large software companies like IBM, Microsoft, SAP, and Oracle have already designed effective inventory management systems for large businesses. These software solutions cost thousands to millions of dollars. They have now turned to focus on smaller businesses. Some of the popular inventory (supply chain) management systems produced by Microsoft include Great Plains and Solomon, which are now joined together and called Microsoft Dynamics GP (Quittner, 2008). Implementing effective inventory management systems Inventory management is very relevant for todays businesses in order to ensure quality control in businesses which presently is centred mostly on customer satisfaction. Inefficient inventory control or management can therefore cause customer dissatisfaction when they run out of stock of an item the customer needs. In order to avoid this, most businesses are willing to invest large amount of money in acquiring an effective and efficient inventory management systems. A good inventory management system will be able to alert the retailer when it is time to reorder. It is also an important way automatically tracking moving inventory. An efficient inventory management system helps to minimize the risk of error. For example, if a business orders large quantity of goods, and say 10,000 are missing. Manual counting each goods is likely to result in error but these errors can be avoided using an automated inventory management system. In retail stores, an inventory management system can also be used to track theft of retail merchandise, providing valuable information about store activities (Schreibfeder, 2009). Inventory management systems must be designed to reflect and support companys strategic plan as well as adapt to market changes due to worldwide marketing or new technology. It should also provide relevant information to efficiently monitor inventory movements, coordinate and integrate internal processes like accounting or billing, manage people and equipment and communicate with customers. According to Invatol, inventory management system must be able to integrate the following processes in order to ensure continuity between functions (Invatol, 2003): Sales Forecasting: this requires the system to provide necessary information to coordinate business operations effectively and manage equipment and people. It should allow managers to make accurate and real time decisions. Sales and Operations planning: inventory management should control or handle fluctuations in market demands and lead time Companys Strategic goals: Alignment with company strategy is an important aspect of the business and necessary for its success and therefore inventory management should be designed to align with the companys strategic goal and market demand. Production and materials requirement planning: inventory system s should provide a balance of demand and supply at a minimised cost, inventory level and work load to achieve customer satisfaction. These processes however vary from business to business depending on how the businesses carry out its processes, and on the market demand. Benefits of using Inventory management systems As cited by David Essex (Essex, 2009), he stated that the following are some of the advantages that businesses achieve while using inventory management software: Businesses get faster return on investment (ROI) which is as a result of lower carrying cost. Inventory software can provide accurate up-to-date information about inventory thereby improving sales forecasts. Replenishment Planning. This means that Inventory management software can notify businesses the safest time to delay order without affecting customer satisfaction and cost. It also proved the ability to separate safety stock according to customer satisfaction and profitability. Increased sales It can also encourage sales staff to promote products without running out of stock by improving inventory visibility (Essex, 2009). Successful Inventory management systems For any successful business, inventory management must be a critical aspect of its business. The most important aspect of an efficient inventory management is to achieve accurate data in terms of figures and facts and to implement policies to protect this information (Inventory Management, 2007). A successful inventory management system will provided businesses with proper inventory control that reduces overall operating cost leading to customer satisfaction as well as give a competitive advantage. As sited by Alan Smith, a well-structured inventory management system should be able to adjust to an existing system (Smith, 2009) Success in manufacturing industry entails producing the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time, with good quality, and at a price the customer is willing to pay. Success in the manufacturing industry requires producing the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time, with good quality, and at a price the customer is willing to pay. The flexibility to respond to compliance standards and the ever-changing needs of customers, such as providing real-time visibility into global operations, is also imperative for success. Meeting these demands requires the ability to make quick decisions based on accurate data. Successful inventory management has to do with balancing the cost of keeping inventory with the benefits gained from inventory. Some of the reasons for inventory management include (Hedrick, 2003): Obtaining lower prices by purchasing products in bulk Keeping stock low just enough to meet demand and avoid excess inventory Maintaining a wide range of stock Increasing inventory turnover or return on investment Having adequate inventory on hand so as to provide reliable customer services However, the degree of success in addressing these issues varies within the functionality of inventory as well as the type of business. A successful inventory management system will accelerate the process of tracking and removing from inventory those items that needed by customer. This process minimises the lead-time for order fulfilment (Merchantos, 2010). Ideally, in order to avoid late re-order times, inventory software should be able to adjust the order quantity and delivery lead time to match that of the suppliers performance. Future of Inventory Management Systems During the late 1990s, there was a large amount of businesses investing in integrated order and inventory system which were basically designed to reduce the amount of inventories as well as manage stock level (replenish stock). There were a wide range of system integration options based on the business needs and financial ability (Gale Group, 2002). However, these stand-alone systems do not integrate well with each other. In 1996, a study by the International Mass Retail Association (IMRA), concluded that stand alone warehouse Management System (WMS) for example which perform only individual business operations will become obsolete because of their lack of integration well with other systems (Gale Group, 2002). Presently, organisations can no longer compete effectively in isolation of their suppliers and other entities. The future success of many businesses depends on the co-ordination and co-operation of efforts, thereby making supply Chain management important. JIT and VMI are the two of the philosophies that have been used to update supply chain relationships and management (David, 2004). The trend now in inventory management is to strives to improve not just specific aspect of the supply chain but system-wide (the entire supply chain) efficiency through automatic replenishment programs (ARPs) like the vendor managed inventory (VMI). In this system, the vendors are responsible for inventory replenishment or restocking of inventory for their retailers. They get retailers warehouse or point of sale information and use it to track retailers inventory thereby placing the whole responsibility for inventory management of the shoulders of the vendors (Gale Group, 2002). Popular Automatic replenishment programs (ARP) includes continuous replenishment planning (CRP) and vendor managed inventory (VMI). CRP and VMI are similar but differ in the sense that VMI also decides what and when to ship. Another widely used ARP is the efficient consumer response (ECR) used within the grocery industry and quick response (QR) programs which are common in the apparel industry (Daugherty, Mye rs, Matthew, Autry and Chad, 1999). Future inventory management systems will be able to integrate all business processes for the whole supply chain. Another future development would be the use of RFID with GPRS to track inventory. ANALYSING INVENTORY ADJUSTMENTS Inventory Adjustment as the name implies is implemented as a stock adjuster with the main objective of synchronising the system with the actual stock on hand. According to Jon Schreibfeder, in a case study with a large food distributor, he stated that the company began a program to achieve effective inventory management. As part of the program, they were cycle counting products and entering inventory adjustments as they find any miss match between the quality of a product in their warehouse and the inventory maintained by their computer system (Schreibfeder, 2009). In his analysis, Schreibfeder stated that the company was able to adopt a system that improved their future inventory accuracy that is methods of handling stock in order to prevent additional stock discrepancies. They did this by carefully analysing the reasons for inventory adjustments (Schreibfeder, 2009). This I believe was because most inventory adjustments are the result of problems encountered in the normal handling of materials. The reason to make inventory Adjustments are basically the same for most businesses irrespective of the systems and operative methodologies they are using but the way these inventory adjustments are made will affect the inventory cost differently. The main reasons why inventory adjustments are required are (Schreibfeder, 2009): Some of the products in inventory are damaged or spoiled and therefore cannot be sold Material is missing from inventory Product in inventory might be out-dated or cannot be sold because it has been in inventory for too long More products available in the inventory than is recorded in the system The remaining inventory in stock is less than the quantity a customer will normally buy Some inventory management system like FoodConnex implement inventory adjustment modules. According to FoodConnex, inventory adjustment can be categorized as follows (Solutions, 2009): Stock Quantity Adjustments as a result of spoilage, damage, theft, samples. These are adjustments made when stock in a store or warehouse is removed from the warehouse or store for a known reason (Solutions, 2009). Quality Adjustment due to a Receiving Error. The adjustments are made when the quantity entered as received into the system was incorrect. This will result in the re-calculation of the average cost of that item (Solutions, 2009). Cost Adjustment due to a Receiving Error: when the cost of an item is entered incorrectly this will require inventory adjustment. This will also cause the average cost of the item to be re-calculated (Solutions, 2009). Based on the information presented, every inventory adjustment should be considered as an opportunity for businesses to improve which can result to greater corporate profitability. Challenges of Inventory management systems Several inventory management systems now include many new features designed to help distributors effectively manage their inventory. However, after implementing such systems, many businesses still continue to face the same challenges they experience with their old system. These challenges include (Schreibfeder, 2000): Stock-out and lost sales Inaccurate On-hand and available-for-sale quantities in their systems Unsatisfactory return on investments from inventory

Role of Self Assessment in Learning

Role of Self Assessment in Learning My interest in self-assessment stems from personal experiences of being assessed and the frustration felt when most assessed work was simply awarded a grade, contained minimum feedback if any and was then expected to be filed away despite the many questions I may have had. However, many years later, while attended a language teaching training course, I was given a self-evaluation sheet to complete by the instructor. Uncomfortable as this was, I realised that this was the first time that I had been presented a format to self-assess/reflect on my work. After completing the sheet and the subsequent discussion about the contents, the instructor provided feedback of a type that I could use, in a context which was supportive and which respected my goals as a language teacher. Since then I have developed an interest in how self-assessment can be used to promote learning in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. During my teaching in Asia I have seen the need for learners to take greater responsibility for their own learning in order to move away from the more traditional teacher-led, didactic approach. I have found that using self-assessment as part of reflective learning can lead to greater ownership and autonomous learning as more attention is paid to how learners acquire knowledge. This essay evaluates the role of assessments, particularly self-assessment as a tool for promoting learning, as I recount the journey taken with my Chinese learners on an English Pathways Program (EPP) and what has led to the decision for using a range of formative tasks contained in a portfolio of written work, with learners ultimately taking ownership of their learning. What is the role of assessments? Assessment according to Gipps (1994, p. vii) is: a wide range of methods for evaluating student performance and attainment including formal testing and examinations, practical and oral assessment, and classroom based assessment carried out by teachers and portfolios. Many curricula in language schools reflect Tylers (1949) classical model that specified objectives, content, and means of achieving and assessing pre-determined learning outcomes. This model of behaviourism views the learner as a passive absorber of information provided by the teacher and in this way learning becomes an incidental rather than an intentional process. Gipps (1994) argues that the dominance of this model in the classroom, has meant that teachers have focused their instruction on discrete skills and on decontextualized test items, with continued practice until mastery is achieved. Black and Wiliam (1998a) found this type of testing encourages superficial or shallow rote learning, as learning isolated facts, quickly disappear from the memory because they have no meaning and do not fit into the learners conceptual map. This has been witnessed many time in our classrooms where on one day students are able to recite easily a list of vocabulary or grammatical rules, as they have just done that in class or in a test, but are unable to recall the same information, a few days later. An alternative to this behaviourist/objectives model comes from constructivist psychology which argues that knowledge is not directly transmittable from person to person, but rather is individually constructed or discovered. Glasersfeld (1989) argues that the responsibility of learning should reside increasingly with the learner and constructivism emphasizes the importance of the learner being actively involved in the learning process, unlike previous educational viewpoints where as we noted above the responsibility rested with the instructor to teach and where the learner played a passive, receptive role. Glasersf eld (1989) urges that learners be taught how to learn by engaging their metacognitive functions, resulting in learning being an intentional process and leading to deep learning. Sadler (1989) supports this by saying that developments in metacognition tell us students need to become competent assessors of their own work. McDonald and Boud (2003) have argued that the formal development of self-assessment skills is an important part of the curriculum at all levels (p. 210) with Black and Wiliam (1998b) stating that self-assessment is an essential component of formative assessment. In support of this active learning approach, Gipps (1994) advocates for more frequent and a greater range of assessments, such as essays, performance assessments, small group tasks and projects. Bould (1991) defines self-assessment as the involvement of students in identifying standards and/or criteria to apply to their work and making judgements about the extent to which they have met these criteria and standards. (Boud, 1991, p.5). The latter stage, often called self-grading or self-testing is only one aspect of self-assessment and Bould (1995) warns against an overemphasis on this aspect as it can direct attention away from involving learners in identifying and engaging with criteria, a stage which he says is both difficult and often neglected. In China today, assessments give all the power to the teacher, to make unilateral and final judgements on a students work. However, if we want our students to become independent, active learners, then this relationship between student and teacher needs to be changed and by incorporating self-assessment into classroom learning, students as well as teachers acknowledge assessment as a mutual responsibility, and not as the sole respon sibility of the teacher (Oscarson, 1989). Other relevant issues concerning assessments noted by Black and Wiliam (1998a) were: the filling in of records rather than analysing students work to identify their learning needs; and the over-emphasis on awarding marks and grades, often using normative referencing, which encourages competition rather than personal improvement. Many of our learners experience of normative referencing in their previous schools led them to believe that they lacked ability and as a result they had lost confidence in their own capacity to learn. Therefore, as a result of this, we adopted a more ipsative approach where learners are more focussed on their own gains rather than others grades. In support of this Hounsell et al. (2008) noted that awarding grades often comes at the expense of giving useful advice or feedback, which needs to be integral to the ongoing teaching and learning cycle, as achievement gains from formative assessment are amongst the most substantive of all pedagogical interventions. E llery (2008, p. 422) elaborates on this by saying that, the opportunities for learning are greatest in formative assignments requiring drafts where students receive feedback and have the occasion to actively engage with the feedback to improve the product in its subsequent draft(s), such as in essays. Gipps (1994) argues for the use of qualitative descriptors believing that collapsing or aggregating all results to provide a single figure for reporting is to lose detailed information. When scores must be aggregated for reporting then we need to use models which result in the least loss of information and to make the rules explicit. To summarise, I feel the program should consider the learner as an active participant, use a range of formative assessments, with a focus on self-assessments, feedback and leaners progress rather than awarding grades. What are the benefits, issues of using self-assessments and are they reliable? To evaluate self-assessments, the literature was reviewed to establish the associated benefits and issues, in addition to the reliability of the tool for sour situation. Several benefits of using self-assessment have been identified. A number of language researchers have found self-assessment to be a reliable method of improving students language skills and abilities (Ekbatani, 2000; Nunan, 1988), developing learner autonomy and metacognitive engagement (Andrade and Du 2007; Cassidy 2007), enhancing learning, including deep and lifelong learning (Taras 2008) and it contributes to student achievement (Hughes, Sullivan Mosley 1985; Schunk, 1996; Ross 2006). Studies have also shown that self-assessments has a positive effect on students learning motivation (Pope, 2001) and learning performance (McDonald Boud, 2003). However, several issues with self-assessment have also been identified. Some students are reluctant to self-assess, feeling they lack the necessary skills, confidence or ability to judge their own work or simply are afraid of being wrong (Leach 2012), preferring and expecting to be assessed by experts (Evans, McKenna, and Oliver 2005) or students may see it as the teachers responsibility (Brown and Knight 1994). In addition, in many Asian countries the very concept of self-assessment goes against deep-rooted cultural expectations about learning and giving themselves a good grade is considered inappropriate, boasting (Leach 2012), resulting in individuals from Eastern cultures generally displaying a modesty bias, and thereby underrating their performance (Yik, Bond, and Paulhus, 1998). Therefore, it is important to explain the rationale to the learners and demonstrate that as learners we daily self-evaluate (e.g. reciting a list of words). To address cultural issues it may require ind ividual consultations to allay concerns. Although self-assessment is being used in a range of settings: science, maths, and language classes; primary, secondary and tertiary education; there is still some doubt about its reliability which Gipps defines as the extent to which an assessment would produce the same, or similar, score on two occasions or if given by two assessors (1994: p. vii). Bachman and Palmer (1989) found that a group of EFL learners in the US were able to reliably self-rate themselves for their communicative language abilities. Boud and Falchikov (1989) found there was no consistent tendency to over or underestimate performance by students. Some students in some circumstances tended towards one di ­rection, others in the same or different situations towards the other. However, they found the ability of self-assessors was a noticeable variable, with the more able students making more accurate self-assessments than their less able peers. Weaker and less mature students also tended to overrate themselves an d the weaker they are, in terms of teacher ratings, the greater the degree of overrating. One explanation offered by Boud and Falchikov (1989) for this was learners not being aware of, or choosing not to subscribe to, the standards set by teachers, erred on the side of optimism. Boud and Falchikov (1989) also found that over-estimates are more likely to be found if the self-assessments contribute to the students grade in a course and young children may over-estimate due to a lack of cognitive skills to integrate information about their abilities and are more vulnerable to wishful thinking. Ross, et. al (1999) found that agreement of teacher and student assessments is higher when teachers provide direct instruction to students on how to self-assess their work, Ross (2006) says that the strengths of self-assessment can be enhanced and weaknesses addressed through training students how to assess their work thereby placing training as central to the successful implementation of self-ass essment. According to Ross (2006), one other factor which may be overlooked by teachers is that students may include in their self-assessments information that is not available or obvious to the teacher, such as effort. We have found that discussing with the students their grade helps to draw out underlying beliefs of the students on their work, rather than relying totally on the physical evidence presented. Issues identified with previous studies Ross (2006) and Boud and Falchikov (1989) after extensive review, both found a lack of sufficient studies looking at improvement over time, to draw any firm conclusions and there is particularly a lack of studies on the influence of practice on self-marking over time. They also expressed some concern about the quality, especially regarding the lack of definition in the criteria used by teachers and students, something we address later in the essay. What needs to be consider before Implementing Self-Assessment Considering what the literature provided, outlined below is the approach taken on implementing self-assessment in EPP. Firstly, as identified by Boud (1995, p.189), an effective program needs to gain student commitment, link well with the subject matter, and encourage students to take greater responsibility for learning. A common issue on many language courses which follow the objectives approach, is only the products of learning are assessed which is insufficient to guide learning. However, on the EPP the process of learning is often of greater importance than specifically what is learned as not all learning is evident in a final product, no matter how well thought out the assessment tool may be. We will look at now how negotiating criteria and the selection of evidence can involve learners more in the assessment process. Negotiating the Criteria Boud (1986), maintains that the involvement of learners in making decisions about the criteria which are appropriately applied to their work and their making of judgements about achievements is the key characteristic of self-assessment. He further says that engagement in such activities helps to stimulate metacognitive skills and wean students from dependence on the assessments of others. Boud (1995) suggests two approaches to generating criteria; structured group activities and structured written schedules. The former is used to generate common criteria for a class, and I have found it a good way to start the process as the class generates and discusses potential criteria for inclusion. This can address some of the issues identified earlier such as; students reluctance to self-assess, supporting less able students, and poorly defined criteria. In general, for writing tasks there are four areas that are looked at, Grammar, Lexis, Coherency and Content. The discussion can help student s to become more aware of the criteria and assist them in the structured written schedules, which consists of three steps to guide each student in individualising the process. These steps are as follows: identifying the criteria which they consider appropriate to apply to their work, for example they may choose a number of the four areas or another such as format, thereby taking responsibility for learning and personalising it; clarifying these criteria, what specific area for example are they examining; and assessing the priority or emphasis which they wish to give to each criteria, encouraging deeper thinking and learning Once satisfactory criteria have been generated, students then use them to judge their own performance. From a checklist of the criteria, students may simply award themselves a mark with respect to each criterion chosen, and then make a statement justifying that mark (e.g. on format, I have written four paragraphs, including a clear introduction and conclusion). The emphasis on which criteria is important to the learner will change over time as they identify additional areas of weakness or choose to challenge themselves. The initial negotiation of the criteria occurs within the first two weeks of the program so learners can become familiar and start using them as quickly as possible. Learners discuss with teachers the criteria that they have chosen to be used in assessments, to eliminate potential confusion and to avail of support. The selection of evidence. The learners are involved in deciding on the form and quantity of evidence to be used in assessment, which allows for individuals to take more responsibility, by selecting from their own work and creating a portfolio, which will be explained in greater detail later. Learners indicate what evidence they have chosen, for the attainment of their goals, including essays written, as well as feedback received, and reflections. The negotiation of learning goals. Historically, the majority of assessment tools have been created based on external goals and imposed on the learners usually by the curriculum. However, it is important and appropriate that students are actively involved in setting class or personal goals and assessing themselves so that through this, they are more invested in learning and develop the skills required in how to learn, leading to the development of independent learners and critical thinkers. Self-assessment can provide a very personal and detailed record of learning. This negotiating of goals occurs early in the program so that the purposes and directions of the program are set to meet the learners self-perceived needs. Initially these are quite general but over time become more refined and individualistic as they are reviewed or change during the course. Goals may relate to the process as well as the outcomes of the course. Goals should be of a personal or context-specific nature (e.g. I want to be able to write a per sonal statement). Assessment approach on EPP On the EPP we have endeavoured to compile an assessment for learning approach, which supports the teaching/learning process, rather than assessments of learning which, simply measures student performance by tests and examinations. Tasks, which support higher order skills and support learners learning goals are utilised. Examples of tasks used are as follows; written essays, role plays, maintaining vocabulary and reflective learning journals. Some of the characteristics, and underlying reasons for the tasks are as follows: a clear rationale for the activity, so that learners can be actively engaged with a task which they accept is for learning (not passively following a set of instructions); explicit procedures so learners know what is expected of them, both in carrying out the tasks and in self-assessing; given that these were mainly new experiences for them, and that lack of training was identified as a major failing in previous studies; the task is constructed to allow significant elements of choice by the learners so that they can begin to own it and make it meaningful and worthwhile for them, taking greater responsibility for their own learning and learn to become independent of their teachers (Boud 1988); selection and reflection elements which reinforce student responsibility in taking charge of their learning and it provides a more valid, individualised assessment (Boud, 1995); reassurance so that learners can be honest about their own performance without the fear that they will expose information which can be used against them, and to address and cultural sensitivities or bias; tasks contribute to the final grade, although, based on the findings of previous studies, there is the potential for learners to overestimate or underestimating due to cultural bias, it was deemed necessary to do this to because of the general need for recognition by learners and to comply with external bodies; allocation of class time to complete the tasks and to enable learners to get assistance, this alleviates time pressures on the leaners and to also allow for sufficient training/retraining to take place so learners gain confidence in the process; Finally there was an emphasis on the process rather than just the product of assessment (Boud 1995). Students on the program are allowed to work and re-work their written drafts, based upon multiple sources of feedback, until such time that it is ready to be submitted allowing for students writing ability to be assessed in an ongoing, authentic context. Teachers were advised to exercise caution as tasks are usually completed over a period of time, both inside and outside the class and the degree students are assisted with feedback has the potential to affect validity (Boud, 1995). To address reliability, moderation where teachers and students scores are compared, can be used. However, if teachers moderate students results excessively, then students do not put much effort into being objective but simply rely on the teacher to do the assessing. At the same time, if teachers place the full responsibility on students, the danger is that there will always be some students whose self-assessment is not justified, however, the payoff is that the majority of students undertake their self-assessment much more seriously, and therefore learn a great deal more in the process of doing it (Boud, 1995). Portfolios of Evidence A recent trend in language assessment advocated by Boud (1995) and Race (2001) is the inclusion of portfolios in a course. A portfolio allows students to track their progress by compiling a selection of their work, selected from larger body of work. The portfolio is then presented with feedback comments and a reflective piece written by the student to justify the selection. Race (2001) points out that while most other forms of assessment are like snapshots of particular levels of development, portfolios can illustrate progression, reflecting how quickly students can learn from and implement feedback. The involvement of the student in reviewing and selecting is central, helping student-centred learning to become a reality (Calfee Freedman, 1996). Kathpalia and Heah (2008), stress the importance of reflection stating that a writing portfolio without reflection is merely a collection of written work which does not contribute to real learning. Portfolio Procedure At the beginning of the program, time is taken to ensure learners are provided with instructions on how to reflect on activities as well as filling self-assessment checklists through which they could improve their autonomy in writing. As identified earlier, training is key to the successful implementation of self-assessment. After the first two weeks, a simple class checklist was created for the purposes of self-assessment. An exemplar piece of writing was then given to the individual learners and they were asked to use the self-assessment checklist with this writing. The results were discussed with the class along with individual consultations. This process was then repeated with another piece of writing. Once learners were familiar with using the checklists, they could create their own, using the individual criteria chosen by themselves. After that, learners were then given a list of topics to choose from and were required to write one task during class and one outside the classroo m. Learners then had to assess their work using their individual checklists. Again, the general results were discussed with the whole class in addition to individual feedback sessions. After one month learners showed significant improvement in self-assessing as confidence grew and could begin to self-evaluate their own work independently, using their own checklists, and to add them to their body of work. Grades were awarded by the learner based on their individual, agreed negotiated criteria. Initially, each student awarded themselves a grade together with a justification for it based upon the evidence submitted. Students are encouraged to consult with their peers if they are lacking confidence and to focus on the process of evaluation rather than simply the grade. Independently of this, a teacher assessment is made using the agreed criteria on the evidence available but without knowledge of the students proposed grade. If the two proposed grades did not fall within the same band, a discussion took place during which each party justifies their grade. Agreement generally resulted, but there is provision for final arbitration by a third party if needed. Race (2001) argues that portfolios can be high on validity as it is possible to assess appropriate evidence of achievement relating more directly to intended learning outcomes, than (for example) can be achieved just with written exams. Race continues by saying that portfolios contain evidence reflecting a wide range of skills and attributes, and can reflect students work at its best, rather than just a cross-section on a particular occasion, such as one-off exams. He cautions that ownership of the work can sometimes be in doubt and the inclusion of an oral assessment or interview, can validate the origin of the contents of portfolios. There are however, some issues with portfolio use, with McMillan (2004) and Race (2001) highlighting that assessing portfolios is time-consuming, requiring time for both designing the portfolio and preparing rubrics for scoring. In addition to that, the teacher has to train learners to self-assess their work adequately, which often entails a one-to-one conference with each student so that portfolio implementation is done properly. As McMillan puts it, portfolio assessment requires time, expertise, and commitment (2004, p. 238), all of which are not always available. Reflective Learning Journals Reflective learning journals are another important aspect of self-assessment and the EPP, with evidence showing that good learners have better metacognitive processes than poor learners (Ertmer and Newby, 1996). Developing reflective skills is an important aspect of self-assessment, leading to a reflective practitioner which according to Schà ¶n (1987), includes: reflection-in-action that is immediate, short term, concerned with a devising a new strategy for approaching the situation; and reflection-on-action, typically undertaken some time after an event has occurred. The challenge we had was ways of incorporating reflective activities in the course. Boud et al, (1983) suggests that learners maintain a journal, to reflect on their learning, over a sustained period, maintained with the intention of improving or supporting learning. Records can include both academic as well as personal development with students generating records on such items as: their objectives and how these have been addressed and achieved; expectations, attitudes, values, beliefs, and skills. The records can start off structured but may become more unstructured as learners take ownership. Morrison (1996) identified some matters which need to be considered regarding the reflective activity: not all students find reflection easy; there may also be cultural issues where the concept is particularly difficult to grasp; and what is the depth of reflection required. A means of addressing these is to provide real examples of reflective writing, as well as some structured questions to the learners. Allowing for adequate practice and providing opportunities for feedback can also alleviate any potential problems. In terms of assessing the work, initially a journal may be considered satisfactory and passed, or not yet satisfactory and not yet passed, avoiding some of the difficult judgements about work that may be very diverse and / or creative (Morrison 1996). We found that this can also encourage gr eater participation as leaners feel that they are not being scrutinised about what they are writing. Evaluation of using Self-assessment in EPP One of the greatest challenges was with the concept of criteria where both the teachers and learners preferred to rely on well-known externally imposed criteria rather than take ownership of self-generated criteria, negotiated in the classroom. Indeed, there was also a strong resistance from the institute itself, however the future success of this approach the acceptance and willingness of all the participants. From an learners perspective Each term, a survey concerning the course in general and the use of the self-assessments is conducted to gather the views of the learners. For the most part, after the initial introductory phase, learners find self-assessment a useful tool which helps them focus on their own learning: I found it very difficult in the beginning but now I know it will be good for my future study. Difficult to start but then I started to enjoy it when I realised what I had achieved. Students commented on the tasks in general (reflective journal; self-assessment): A very interesting and different experience for me. I learned how disorganised I am and that I need to change. I now have more confidence in my work before I submit it. Students were very positive on the experience: Amazing, I had no idea that I had achieved so much until I reviewed my journal at the end. I now really enjoy reflecting on what I have done not just memorising information. Students rarely, if ever find the task of self-assessment easy, especially in a Chinese society where the teacher is traditionally viewed as having ultimate control. Some learners are naturally more self-reflective or self-critical than others, and some are more willing to share their learning than others. It provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning and think about the applications of ideas in their own situations. It is common for them to report that they only start to become aware of what they have learned when they looked back on the course in a systematic fashion, in preparing to submit their portfolios. Two major obstacles that learners had difficulty overcoming was the doubt in their ability to assess themselves and the objection to the concept of self-grading, arguing that grading should be the sole responsibility of the teacher, which is similar to studies mentioned earlier (Leach 2012, Brown and Knight 1994) however, we feel this has been addressed. From the Teachers Perspective Despite the increase in using self-assessment, Ross (2006) explains that teachers still retain doubts about the value and accuracy of the technique, saying many teachers holding the view that learners are incapable of self-assessment believing that learners are unable to appreciate or understand the process. In our situation some of the more senior teachers resisted the change in the power dynamic that self-assessment entails as it not only changes the role of the teacher but also the relationship between the teacher and learner. A secondary issue we experienced was when the teachers themselves are unsure of or are having difficulty in interpreting criteria and are therefore reluctant to negotiate with the learners. However, I have found that through the process of discussion the criteria ultimately become clearer. From my perspective Producing a portfolio of evidence has the advantage of students summarised and demonstrating their learning at many different stages of learning and has been a valuable takeaway from the program for the learners. Now before submitting a written piece of work, many learners have gone through the process of self-assessing and therefore have formed an educated opinion of how good they think the work is which leads to reduced anxiety. Overall, assessment portfolios are beneficial to students. They give them the opportunity to reflect, and to develop their abilities in assessing their own work and understanding. Thus, learners end up eventually taking responsibility for their own learning and have continuing opportunities for using their creativity and imagination and increasing the quality of their work (Barton and Collins 1997). On reflection, I believe that although portfolios require considerable work on the part of both the students and the teacher, they provide a much more effective assessment tool than those used traditionally because the ongoing and developing nature of the portfolio provides a much clearer indication not only of what the learners have achieved (the learning process) but also what the teacher has enabled the learners to achieve (the teaching process