Automated Grading System

If bridges and buildings were made like we make software, then we would have disasters happening daily. I have heard this several times from many people. It is sad but true. Buggy software is the bane of the software industry. One of the ways of increasing software quality is by proper education. Several professionals from the software industry also attest to this. They believe that a greater emphasis should be given to quality and testing in university courses. But simply explaining the principles of software quality is not sufficient.Students tend to forget theoretical principles over time. Practical exposure and experience is equally important. Students should be put in an environment where they can appreciate the importance of quality software and can experience the benefits of processes that enhance quality. Many universities have a period of internship for the students in which they work in a software company and experience these factors first hand. However because the internsh ip usually is of a duration of 3-6 months, it is not sufficient to instill the importance of quality.Emphasis on code quality should be made a part of the entire software curriculum for it to have proper impact. Every assignment that the students submit should be subjected to the same quality standards that an industrial project would be subjected to. Having university assignments adhere to industrial standards will result in the faculty having to spend more time grading the assignments. The faculty can no longer just give an assignment, wait for the students to submit it, and grade them. The faculty must be more like a project manager who constantly mentors the students and helps them improve the quality of their work.Along with spending a good amount of time mentoring students off class hours another challenge is timely evaluation of student assignments. Faculty members are already overloaded with the task of teaching, designing projects, grading, and research. Once we incorporate testing and quality into the curricula, each assignment will have to be graded along many more dimensions, such as quality of the tests, coverage of the tests, etc. This can be very time consuming. We need a mechanism which will automatically grade student assignments to the best possible extent, so that students are iven a timely feedback, and faculty can focus more on providing feedback on the style, design, and documentation of the project. Such a system will also bring consistency to the grading process and will eliminate discrepancies due to instructors bias and lethargy. A good automated grading system should be capable of executing the test cases written by students as well as the faculty on the project, determining the coverage of the test cases, and compiling and executing the submitted programs. It should be configurable so that faculty can determine the importance of various factors that make up the final grade.Several efforts have been made to design and implement autom ated grading systems in universities. Some existing systems are: 1. WEB-CAT[1] 2. Curator[2] 3. ASSYST[3] 4. Praktomat[4] 5. PGSE[5] 6. PILOT[6] In this article I will briefly explain two such automated grading systems – WEB-CAT, and the Praktomat systems, and propose a system that contains useful features from them as well as some new features. WEB-CAT WEB-CAT was created at Virginia Tech university to address the need for incorporating software testing as an integral part of all programming courses.The creators realized the need for a software to automatically grade student assignments to enable faster feedback to students and to balance the working load of faculty members. Since Test Driven Development (TDD) was to be used for all the assignments, the students had to be graded not only on the quality of code, but also on the quality of their test suite. WEB-CAT grades students on three criteria. It gives each assignment a test validity score, a test correctness score, and a code correctness score. Test validity measures the accuracy of the students tests. It determines if the tests are consistent with the problem tatement. Test coverage determines how much of the source code the tests cover. It determines if all paths and conditionals are adequately covered. Code correctness measures correctness of the actual code. All three criteria are given a certain weight-age and a final score is determined. WEB-CAT’s graphical user interface is inspired by the unit testing tool JUnit[7]. Just like JUnit it uses a green bar to show the test results. A text description containing details such as the number of tests that were run, and the number that passed is also provided. Basic features provided by WEB-CAT are: Submission of student assignments using a web based wizard interface †¢ Submission of test cases using a web based wizard interface †¢ Setup of assignments by faculty †¢ Download of student scores by the faculty †¢ Automatic gr ading with immediate feedback for student assignment WEB-CAT follows a certain sequence of steps to assess a project submission. A submission is assessed only if it compiles successfully. If compilation fails, then a summary of errors is displayed to the user. If the program is compiled successfully then WEB-CAT will assess the project on various parameters.It first tests the correctness of the program by running the student’s tests against the program. Since these tests are submitted by the students, and it is expected that 100% of the tests will pass, because we do not expect students to submit a program that fails their own tests. After this the student’s test cases are validated by running them against a reference implementation of the project created by the instructor. If a student’s test case fails on the reference implementation then it is deemed to be invalid. Finally the coverage of the student’s test cases is evaluated.Once the scores are obtain ed a cumulative score out of 100 is calculated applying a certain formula on the scores from all criteria. The results are displayed immediately to the student on an HTML interface. It was observed that the quality of student assignments increased significantly after using WEB-CAT. It was found that the code developed using WEB-CAT contained 45% fewer defects per 1000 (non commented) lines of code[8]. Praktomat Praktomat was created at Universitat Passau in Germany. The purpose of creating Praktomat was to build an environment which would help students enhance the quality of their code.Along with automated grading it also has a focus on peer reviews. The creators of Praktomat felt that reviewing others software and having one’s software reviewed helps in producing better code. This is the reason why Praktomat has a strong focus on peer review and allows users to review as well as annotate code written by other students. Students can resubmit their code any number of times til l the deadline. This way they can improve their code by adopting things they learned by reviewing other students code as well as lessons they learned by others feedback of their own code.Praktomat evaluates student assignments by running them against a test suite provided by the faculty. The faculty creates two test suites – a public suite and a secret suite. The public suite is distributed to the students to help them validate their project. The secret test suite is not made available to the students, but they are aware of its existence. An assignment is evaluated by automatically running both the test suites against it, and also by manual examination by the faculty. Praktomat was developed in Python, and is hosted on SourceForge[9]. ObservationsMy contention that student project submissions should be backed by a process to encourage best practices, and a software to automate as well as facilitate the process, has become stronger after reviewing WEB-CAT and Praktomat. What b est practices should we incorporate in the process? What are the features that an automated grading software should contain? WEB-CAT, Praktomat, and several other software give a good starting point. We can learn from their successes and failures, and enhance the offering by adding our own experience. WEB-CAT and several other sources[10] have shown us that TDD is definitely a good practice.In a university environment TDD will work best if it is complemented by instant feedback to the students. We want to have a process that will encourage students to improve the quality of their code. They should be graded on the best code they can submit till the deadline. Two things are needed for this – instant feedback and the ability to resubmit assignments. WEB-CAT achieves this by assessing submissions in real time, and displaying the results to the students immediately. WEB-CAT allows students to re-submit assignments any number of time till the due date.Since faculty members are alr eady overloaded with work, the software should take some of the faculties responsibilities. WEB-CAT automatically evaluates and grades the student’s assignments, leaving faculty with time for more meaningful activities. Praktomat has shown us that there is a definite benefit to peer review. When we review code written by others, we can go beyond the paradigms set in our own mind. Having our code reviewed by others can help us see our shortcomings which we may have earlier overlooked. Praktomat allows students to review code written by others.However the review is hidden from the faculty, to ensure that it does not impact grading. Praktomat does not rely on 100% automatic evaluation of the assignments. Praktomat evaluates certain aspects automatically and the rest are evaluated manually. Factors like code quality, documentation, etc are reviewed and evaluated manually by the faculty. There may be two reasons for this. Software to support automatic evaluation of these things ma y not have been available when Praktomat was written, or the creators felt that certain things are best evaluated by the faculty.A proposed system for automated grading Based on my observations from reviewing the above software systems and from my own experience, I have defined a process and the functional expectations of a software system that supports TDD and automated grading. The Process †¢ Every project should have a deadline, just like the real world †¢ The project should be defined as a set of use cases and a functional test suite. Both should be made available to the students. †¢ Students should start developing their project using the TDD philosophy. †¢ They should also be provided a source code repository like CVS or VSS. Once the students have completed their project they should tag the build and should upload the tag number to a web based submission software. †¢ It must be clearly defined how the students should submit their unit test suite. â₠¬ ¢ They should also provide one file which will trigger the remaining unit tests.†¢ The software will pull the source from the repository, and evaluate it. o Failure is reported to the student if the project fails to compile. Failure here does not mean that the student fails in the assignment. Assignments can be corrected and submitted any number of time till the deadline. Once the compilation succeeds, the software will run the unit tests written by the student on their code. o After collecting results from the unit tests, the test coverage is measured. o Then the functional tests created by the faculty are executed against the software. o The software is then run through a source code format checker which evaluates it for adherence to coding standards,The software is then run through a source code quality checker which evaluates the quality of code based on known best practices, and anti patterns. o The software is finally channeled to the faculty who evaluates it for design . Results from all the tests are given out of 100%. o After collecting all the results a formula (provided by the faculty) is applied to derive the final score. The Software †¢ The software should provide an account with a username and password to each student and faculty. †¢ The software should be web based so that it can be accessed from anywhere using a standard web browser. †¢ After logging in students should be able to browse to the homepage for a particular assignment and view the details, such as specification, due dates, and any other details posted by the faculty. When a student completes her assignment, she should be able to upload the CVS tag number to the server.†¢ Once the tag number is uploaded the server should pull the source code from a CVS repository and perform the checks mentioned above. †¢ Results from each check is recorded in the database. †¢ The detailed result is then displayed to the student. †¢ Students should be able to resubmit an assignment any number of times till the deadline. †¢ Student code should be available for peer review and annotations if the faculty desires. The faculty should be able to create an assignment and upload details and files. †¢ The faculty should be able to trigger the final evaluation of all assignments either manually, or at a scheduled time. †¢ An evaluation should take the latest tag numbers provided by the student and perform tests on the respective source code. †¢ Results should be made available to the faculty, and students. †¢ The faculty should be able to add their own scores for parts that were checked manually. †¢ The final result is computed by applying a formula provided by the faculty. The final results should be downloadable as a csv text file. Several technologies such as Java, Python, PHP, . NET, and Ruby can be used to implement such a system. Each have their pros and cons. We will not cover the implementation technology in t his paper. Evaluation of these technologies and a final choice based on the evaluation will be dealt with in a separate paper.Reference: 1. http://scholar. lib. vt. edu/theses/available/etd-05222003-225759/unrestricted/Web-CAT. pdf 2. http://www. cs. vt. edu/curator/PublicInfo/CuratorIntroduction. pdf 3. http://portal. cm. org/citation. cfm? id=268210 4. ]http://www. infosun. fmi. uni-passau. de/st/papers/iticse2000/iticse2000. pdf 5. Jones, E. L. Grading student programs – a software testing approach. J. Computing in Small Colleges, 16(2): pp. 185-192. 6. http://www-2. cs. cmu. edu/~rsbaker/pilot. pdf 7. http://www. junit. org 8. Using Test Driven Development in the Classroom: Providing Students with Automatic, Concrete Feedback on Performance. http://web-cat. cs. vt. edu/grader/Edwards-EISTA03. pdf 9. http://sourceforge. net/projects/praktomat/ 10. http://www. testdriven. com

Factors Affecting Program Selection of Selected Polytechnic University of the Philippines

It is well acknowledge that education environment is an important element in determining students' ability to reach their fullest quality (dealing Jar. Et al. , 2006). Education is a medium of shaping students' ability and behavior. It is a process wherein one can achieve social competence. And also, it is through education that different knowledge can be transported and disseminated to everyone. Educational institutions also play an important tool in developing the students as they mold their mind and intellect.One of the famous and competitive educational institutions in the Philippines is the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). It is a public, non – sectarian and non – profit institution of higher learning which aids to strengthen the students' potentials. In today's environment, students select programs based on the quality of placement they are likely to get after the completion of their studies. In the case of the students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the students aspire to Join those programs which ensure for a gainful employment.There are programs which are dominating from the other programs. It is due to the fact that some programs doesn't remises good placement for the students. Students formulate decisions throughout their college career, and decision- making is an important building block in the learning process. F. Yates, Venison, & Petulant (2003), defined decision as â€Å"a commitment to a course of action that is intended to produce a satisfying state of affairs. † Decision – making is essential because it makes things possible to take up the most excellent course of accomplishment in carrying out a given assignment.When there are different ways of performing a task, it becomes necessary to discover the greatest way and that is what decision-making is all about. The course of action finally selected would produce the best outcome. The program selection decisions of students are amo ng the most significant in the success of their education. It is vital to select carefully a program in order to fully accomplish their goals in life and to have a better and good quality future. Program selection is necessary for the reason that it helps us decides what our own lives what to be like.Particularly, the researchers aim to determine the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students at Star. Mesa, Manila. Statement of the Problem The main purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. Specifically, the study aims to answer the following research questions: 1 . What are the respondents' profile as to age, gender, socio economic status and program? 2. What are the factors affecting program selection of the respondents? 3.Is there a relationship between the respondents' profile and their selection of programs? 4. What are the possible recommendations that can aid future college students in selecting their programs? Significance of the Study Through this study, future college freshmen students will have insights on the factors affecting present college students on how they select their degree programs and this will also serve as a guide in choosing their own programs wisely as they go on to college. This study will also provide some insights to present college students if in case they want to shift programs.This study will also profit the parents so that they will realize how important they are as a source of encouragement in which children are free to explore different areas of program selection. This study will look forward in giving their children n assurance to acquire quality education that would enable them to obtain better job, better income, and brighter future. This can also benefit guidance counselors from the different public and private high schools so that they can discuss the factors affect ing program selection of college students to current fourth year high school students and to guide them to choose their own programs carefully.The findings will serve as a guide to different universities and colleges so that they will know the most preferred programs of the students. This will also contribute to the government, most especially the Commission on Higher Education, for them to fully understand the state of the students of today, and for them to give appropriate action. This will also be helpful to future researchers so that they will have a guide and a reference for future study. This will also make them aware of the factors affecting college students' program selection.Scope and Delimitation of the Study This study deals on the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students located at Star. Mesa, Manila which is the main campus of the said university. The researchers limit the respondents to 100 elected Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. Definition of Terms In order to fully understand the research, it is important to have an in-depth understanding of the terms being used by the researchers.These are the following: Commitment is remaining steadfast and true to your principles and goals, no matter how much dust is kicked up on the path ahead. It means reminding yourself of the obligations you have – not solely to other people but to yourself – and honoring those obligations (Raman, 2007). Education is an act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, evolving the powers of reasoning and Judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life Jackson, 2008). Gainful employment is a general term referring to a Job, especially a Job that a student takes after graduation (Local, 2011).Institutions are the kinds of structures that matter most in the social realm: they make up the stuff of social life (Hodgkin, 2006). Kno wledge is to represent reality in thought or experience the way it really is on the basis of adequate grounds (Moreland, 2008). Non – Sectarian means not restricted to one sector school or party (Russell, 2012). Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is a government educational institution by Republic Act Number 8292 known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations contained in the Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Circular No. , series 1997 (Polytechnic University of the Philippines, 2010). Quality is a measure of excellence; quality defines desirable characteristics of a product, a process, or a service (Hatfield, 2012). Selection is an act or instance of selecting or the state of being selected; choice (Yoder, 2011). Social Competence is the ability to get along well with oneself and with his environment (Adler, 2012). CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Program selection is the process of decision-mak ing.A great number of studies, researches, and write-ups has been conducted for a period of time and still emerged as one of the top-priority researches due to rapid changing and need of time. This chapter is the presentation of literature and studies from foreign to local which may directly or indirectly bearing to study at hand. Relevance to present studies will give a big picture why these literature and studies from foreign to local re used. Local Literature According to Syrians and Roses (1989), career planning is life goal-setting. Without such a plan, it is like making a Journey to an unfamiliar destination without a map.He proposed a Career Planning Guide that will help the students in choosing their appropriate program from planning a career, steps in planning career, goal- setting and self-understanding. Also, it reveals that guidance and counseling is intervention of underemployment individuals and career preparedness must be initiated. Foreign Literature According to Goo finess's Developmental Theory of Occupational Aspirations, it ascribes how people become attracted to certain occupations. Self-concept in career development is the key factor to career selection and people want Jobs that are compatible with their self-image.The key determinants of self-concept are one's social class, level of intelligence, and experiences. Roe's need approach emphasized that early childhood experiences play an important role in finding satisfaction in one's chosen field. The need structure of the individual, according to Roe, would be greatly influenced by early childhood frustrations and satisfactions. According to John Holland (2004), persons are paying attention to a given career by their particular personalities and various variables that represent their backgrounds.First of all, career choice is an expression of, or an extension of personality into the world of work followed by succeeding classification with particular working stereotypes. In view of that, one selects a program to satisfy preferred modal personal orientation. Modal personal orientation is a developmental process established through heredity and the individual's life history of reacting to environmental demands. If the individual has developed a strong dominant orientation, satisfaction is probable in a corresponding occupational environment.If, however the orientation is one of indecision, the livelihood of satisfaction diminishes. Local Studies According to the study conducted by Assign (1994), it was found out that the students' self-concept showed no significant influence on their career preferences. The academic achievements of students proved to be significant related to their program selection. The school were students came from had no influence on their choice of program. He recommends that a more improved and functional guidance revived in school to help students make sound career choices.The guidance services in school must be collaborative efforts of the admini strator, guidance counselors, and teachers. Classroom teachers are encouraged to do their best in improving teaching learning processes, considering that academic achievement of student influences their career preferences. Another study conducted by Lamellar (2003), it was found out that a large image off big family with low educational achievement and insufficient savings was the only basis of choosing a program, which was psychologically motivated. The exponent's level of preferred intelligence did not match to their chosen program.This could be drawn from the required level of the course in contrast with their level of preferred intelligence. The necessity of developing a career development program was need in order to prevent any misfits and to assist students in the process of crystallizing their career in life. She recommended that this program be effectively implemented. Foreign Studies According to the study conducted by Garage (2007), it was found out that by increasing car eer development activities, which includes setting career goals, students had a higher self-esteem.Maybe even more important, however, is that students were more satisfied about the education they were receiving. This will, in turn, hopefully lead to students having a deeper desire and commitment to succeed in their education. Another outcome of a higher self-esteem is that those students chose more difficult goals than students with low self-esteems. She noted that excellent detailed plan for teaching parents and teachers how to teach young students to set career goals.The plan requires a total community effort through educators, parents, and businesses. Students must be given an opportunity to identify and explore their desired careers. They can accomplish this through the â€Å"School to Work Transition† or â€Å"Job Shadowing Program. † Through the cooperative efforts of the entire community, students can identify career choices, set career goals, and have higher s elf-esteems at an early age. Ultimately, they will further their education and have a better chance of succeeding in the â€Å"do or die† world in which we live.CHAPTER Ill Research Methodology This chapter presents in detail the research method and design used, the sampling scheme, the description of the respondents, the survey instrument used for gathering the data, and the statistical treatment of the data. Research Method The major goal of the study was to find out the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. The researchers used the descriptive method which is a statistical procedure concerned with describing the characteristics and properties of persons, places or things.It is also based on easily verifiable facts. The descriptive method, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. It is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical calculations. Research Design T he research plan of the study conducted a survey to Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students in the form of descriptive method wherein the researchers evaluated the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students.The study made use of personal data sheet and survey questionnaire which is planned to gather quantitative and qualitative information. In which the researchers was able to assess the results that served as the foundation in the making of the conclusion and recommendations of the research. Population Frame and Sampling Scheme The research is focused only on Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) dents; the researchers used selective sampling with the use of target population.The sampling scheme was conducted on Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) to go well with the purpose of the study which is to find out the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Phi lippines (PUP) students. Description of Respondents A total of 100 students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines were used as the subject of this study. The respondents' ages ranged from 16 years old and above. Survey Instrument The personal data sheet was used as one of the survey instrument to get the exponents' profile, especially age, gender, socio economic status and programs they were in.The survey questionnaire was used as the instrument in gathering the data. There were only one (1) item; the question corresponds to factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students in the form of multiple choice questions. Data Gathering Method(s) and Procedures The researchers requested from the adviser to assist in the validation, finalization, and approval of the instrument. The researchers administered the survey in the form of questionnaires to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students.The survey results were s ubjected to data analysis and from the findings, conclusions and recommendations were drawn. Statistical Analysis of Data The researchers used the percentage method and mean value for the analysis of data. The percentage method was used to express how large or small one quantity is, relative to another quantity. It is defined by the formula: The mean is the sum of all of the data values divided by the number of data values. It is defined by the formula: where: I x = sum of all the sample observed n = total number of sample observedCHAPTER RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter aims to present how the data are analyzed, and interpreted. The data were organized as to the condition of the study, which is to determine the factors affecting program selection of selected Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. They were presented through graphs and tables for easier understanding. The data were taken from the personal data sheet and the survey questionnaire. Respondents' Pr ofile The following charts and tables show the profile of the respondents as to age, gender, socio-economic status and program.TABLE 1 Distribution of Respondents' as to Age Table one shows the distribution of the age of the respondents. The age of the respondents with the highest frequency is eighteen (18) years old with thirty-four (34) percent while the age with the lowest frequency is sixteen (16) years old, having a percentage of three (3). FIGURE 1 Distribution of Respondents' as to Gender Figure one shows the distribution of the respondents as to gender. Majority of the respondents are females, with sixty (60) percent while the remaining forty (40) percent are males.FIGURE 2 Distribution of Respondents' as to Socio -Economic Status Figure two shows that majority of the respondents, which is 44%, belong to average class (PH 14, 700 – PH 22, 300) of the monthly household income bracket, while 34% of the respondents were classified as lower class (PH 5,200- PH 14, 700). T here were 15% of the respondents who belong to the upper class (PH 22, 300 – Above), and 7% were from the poor (Below PH 5, 200) of the monthly household income bracket. TABLE 2 Distribution of Respondents' Based on Their Program Table three shows the programs of the respondents.The program with the highest weight value is ‘Bachelor in Communication Research' with a mean of 0. 8. Eleven (11) programs tied for the last rank, with 0. 01 mean rating. Respondents' Factors on Program Selection This part discussed the different factors affecting program selection of the respondents. The researchers based the choices on other researches. The researchers provided 24 factors. The respondents were asked to choose five factors. TABLE 3 Distribution of Respondents' on the Factors Affecting Program Selection Table two shows the factors affecting program selection of the respondents.The factor ‘Based on my passion' got the highest weight value with a mean rating of 0. 27, Acade mic achievements' ranked second with a mean rating of 0. 23, ‘My Ideals' on the third with 0. 18 mean rating, and, ‘Compensates high income' and â€Å"Level of intelligence' tied at the rank 4. 5, with a mean rating of 0. 16. Relationship between the Respondents' Profile and Program Selection This part show the relationship of the respondents' profile and program selection by analyzing the data connected to every variable.Syntheses were used in order to support the explanation of the researchers. Based on the data gathered, majority of the respondents are on the 18 year old age bracket. According to Wilkinson (2010), the start of being matured is when a person reached eighteen years old. As a matured student, they are likely to have more confidence in themselves, as they've been around longer and seen more things, which can give them greater understanding of the program your about to select. Based on the data gathered, majority of the respondents are females.According t o Bureau of Labor Statistics, among high school graduates, females were more likely to attend college than males. Once enrolled in college, females were less likely than males to leave college between school years. Females tend to value higher education ore highly than males do and believe it has had a more positive impact on their lives. This is because males often mature more slowly than females. According to Pillion (2006), females are more interested in learning than males because they are more motivated to improve, to achieve their goals and to perform well in whatever they do.And also, according to Mottos (2006), Females love to learn and gain knowledge because they know that being excellent academically means that they would get better Jobs for their future. Based on the data gathered, most of the respondents fall under the average class. According to Midland and Bunker (201 1), people living in average or middle class societies are more involved in school activities. They al so push to raise educational standards and put more pressure on school administrators to fire or transfer bad teachers.And some of the culture and behaviors that middle-class parents pass on to their children about education, such as valuing school achievement and attending school, are thought to come from their middle position in society with a level of income and security that makes them neither rich nor poor. All of the factors mentioned above helps boost educational achievement. Also, students in average or middle class societies tend to be healthier students academically. Based on the data gathered, majority of the respondents came from Bachelor in Communication Research. â€Å"The major is wonderful because the classes you take are so diverse.The professors in this major really care about their students and want us to succeed. The classes are the perfect size to make new friends and get to know your professors well. I would highly recommend this major† (Kari Event, 2006 ). According to Holloway (2006), Bachelor in Communication Research is the mostly picked program by the students cause it helps them to learn and develop the key skills they need to function in life instead of other programs. Communication is a fundamental needed to maintain work relationships, intimate relationships, family relationships and friendship.

Industrial Revolution and Agricultural Revolution

The Industrial revolution began in the early 1800s. The industrial revolution could not have happened if the agricultural revolution had not preceded it. During the Agricultural Revolution several inventions that reduced the need for man power were invented. Two of those inventions were the Jethro Tull seeding drill and the cotton gin. The seeding drill planted seeds in rows which made the crops easier to manage and harvest. The cotton gin was invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney, it took the seeds out of the cotton. The cotton gin made it so that the work that previously needed to be done y fifty men could now be done by one. An idea of the agricultural revolution was crop rotation. Crop rotation was switching the crops into different fields each year which allowed farmers to produce 25 % more crops and more During the agricultural revolution population went up and less people were needed to work on the farms. There were a lot of people that needed jobs but there were not a lot of jobs for people on farms so the people turned to the cities. The time when people went into the cities looking for jobs which caused the populations of the cities to at east double was called urbanization. During urbanization the city of Manchester in the United kingdom grew from 50,000 people to 500,00 people, this rapid increase of population took place during an extremely short period of time. The United Kingdom became the place where the industrial revolution was born. It happened here because the UK had land, labor, and wealth. Factories arose first in Since there were factories everywhere, there were plenty of jobs for the people. Even though the factories did provide jobs for the people they were not good jobs. People started working as young as the age of six. The average work day was 14-16 hours, and that†s a lot of working hours, especially for a young child. Inside the factories the conditions were absolutely dreadful. The air was full of dust and other things that made it practically unbreathable, the machines were dangerous and often took a persons limbs or injured them in other ways. Because the work days were so long and the workers were practically on their feet the entire day people became deformed and had problems with their legs. Despite all the hard labor and dangers of the work place the workers were still paid next to nothing. Eventually working conditions did improve. One of the things that helped improve conditions were unions. Unions were when all of the workers got together to get things that they wanted, they mainly used collective bargaining to get what they wanted. Another thing that helped improve working conditions were legislative reforms. Legislative reforms helped improve working conditions because they regulated and limited several things such as how old you had to be before you could work, how many ours you could work, and how much you got paid. The government also made sure that the factories were safe for people to be working in so that people did not get hurt by the machines so often. Another thing that changed during the Industrial Revolution was public education. Horace Mann made public education free. It is important that we have free public education because we live in a democratic society and people have to be educated to make wise There were also some more positive effects of all these factories. People began to dress better than they had efore and they owned more possessions because the machines were able to make things that they wanted in larger quantities much faster than if they were hand made. People also had money to purchase things that they Laissez Faire translates to â€Å"let do. † The economy called laissez fair had no governmental controls over the economy. In Laissez Faire free trade was allowed which made for a strong natural economy. Adam Smith was a Laissez Faire economist he wrote â€Å"Wealth of Nations,† and his ideas became the basis for capitalism. Capitalism was an economic system in which oney was invested in business ventures with the goal of making a profit. The Laissez Faire economists believed that government controls would ruin the economy. Socialism was the economic system in which the means of production are owned by the public to benefit all equality. Karl Marx was a radical socialist that wrote â€Å"The communist Manifest. † He believed that owners were the â€Å"haves† because they had the money and that the workers were the â€Å"have nots† because they did not have much money. Marx saw this as unfair. He saw history as a class warfare and an overflow of the working class.

Mncs As A Force For Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mncs As A Force For Development - Essay Example The unprecedented increase and expansion of multinational corporations has seen increase of interest among the media, scholars and the public who have explored the subject. Multinationals are deemed as key instruments in maximizing economic welfare across the globe while in other aspects they are deemed dangerous agents of economic imperialism (Ietto-Â ­Giles 2012, p. 33). These are issues and basic facts that have been examined by different scholars using different theories and have had different views and conclusions through different opinions and ideologies. Growth in multinational enterprises has been associated with growth in world economies through development of technology, information and communication as well as distribution of resources across the globe (Buckley 2009, 132). Multinationals have also been deemed vital in creating employment in the world markets and enhancing economic development in the economies where they have invested. However, these positive aspects have not been free from the possible perils that come with foreign investments and growth of multinationals. For instance, growth of multinationals in third world nations has been associated with the uneven development; this has mainly risen from overpricing of technology (Rodriguez-Clare 1996, p. 852). Aim of the study The main aim of this study is to explore the growth in multinational corporations and their spread across the world, with a view to examine the extent to which they are a force of development and progress. The study will explore the current trend in multinational corporations and identify how the growth has been associated with economic development and progress. The study will also examine possible perils associated with growth of multinationals. This will help identify whether the positive results of multinationals growth far outweighs the possible perils. Growth trend in multinational enterprises According to Buckley and Casson (2009, p. 1563), Multinational enterprises or the MNEs are defined as firms that own and control activities in more than one country through mergers joint ventures or franchises. These are businesses that are started in one country and later on start investing in foreign countries by establishing their market operations in the existing and emerging markets. There has been enormous growth in multinational enterprises or the MNCs and the international direct investment in the recent decades (Buckley, P & Casson 2003, p. 219). Companies based in industrialized nations have been leaders in establishment of multinational operations due to their strength in ownership advantages that is derived from innovation and highly advanced technological applications. Multinationals have been strongly associated with economic growth and trade. United States, Japan and Sweden among other developed nations are identified as leading home countries for most multinationals since the countries are mainly the source of the foreign direct investment (Dunning & Sarianna 2008, p. 182). FDI is one of the most common mechanisms used by MNCs to start and maintain business operations in foreign countries. Few companies were investing overseas in the early and mid-1960s, however, the trend of growth changed and there was significant change towards foreign direct investment activities. Since 1990s, there has been significant growth in international trade and production that has not only been reflected by the magnitude of the multinational firms but has also had sectoral composition of inflows and outflows. The significant change in sectoral composition and geographical investment activi

Different aspects of econimic growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Different aspects of econimic growth - Essay Example Upon undertaking the stated consideration through reference to the classical and the neo-classical economists, one finds that growth is alternately linked to capital accumulation and technological progress. Classical economists maintain that economic growth is inextricably linked to the unlimited supply of labor. As Lewis (1954) explains, plentiful supplies of cheap labor comprise the key to both economic growth and sustained growth. The presence of unlimited labor supplies at subsistence wages functions as a predicator of expanded growth, insofar as cheap labor implies low production costs and plentiful labor enables the evolution of several labor-intensive industries, implying that growth is not reliant on one industry and sector but on several. The neoclassical economists, as may be inferred from both Lewis (1954) and Allen (2005) largely concede to the above-mentioned but highlight their limitations. Quite simply stated, unlimited supplies of labor is not a permanent situation with the American South's reliance on slave labor and the subsequent abrupt halt of that reliance, functioning as a case in point. This means, and as borne out by the history of both the British Industrial Revolution and the South's large-scale plantation era that growth as predicated on unlimited supply of subsistence wage labor is not a stable strategy/means for economic growth. Accordingly, technological innovations, especially as in the automation of the means of production, step in as a central component of economic growth (Lewis, 1954; Allen, 2005). Consequently, one may argue that technological innovations and developments pick up from where labor leaves of, in which case both explanations for economic growth emerge as complimentary, rather t han as alternatives. The pace of economic growth, however, is determined by variables other than those outlined in the preceding paragraphs. Within the context of neoclassical economic theory, the predominant growth model is the Kuznets cycle. As per the aforementioned, the pace, or rate of economic growth is measured in terms of cycles, ranging from 10 to 60 to 100 year cycles, with the twenty-year one being the most popular or viable. In accordance with this particular perspective on economic growth rate, during a long swing/rate of growth cycle, an economy first experiences an expansion stage, supposedly accompanied by the accumulation of capital. The expansion phase is followed by a continued period of sustained growth, although with growth rates measured lower than in the preceding phase. The third phase, marking the termination of the second, is the depression stage, where economic growth slows down to a halt, possibly culminating in negative growth. From the neoclassical perspective, the aforement ioned theory of the pace of economic growth is validated through historical examples, encompassing the experiences of the United States and Great Britain, among others. A close reading of both Lewis (1954) and Allen (2005) explanations of growth and pace of growth, alongside class notes, highlight another important set of economic factors. These are surplus and capital accumulation both of which, when taken in conjunction, effectively explain why nation economies are able to sustain themselves during periods of depression, supposing of course, that the latter is not extended and extensive. Basically, periods of rapid economic growth

Planning and Recruitment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning and Recruitment - Coursework Example This would obviously keep the organization abreast of the changes that are happening globally and which are important to comprehend. The importance of effective planning is that it keeps everything in order and allows one to understand the proper nuances of staffing and recruitment that come within the aegis of an organization in this day and age. The future of any organization is quite dependent on how staffing aspects shape up and what these will bring within its people to people contact within it in the long run. This shall mean a great deal of significance for the employees who get recruited within it for one reason or the other. Q 2: Construct a Job Advertisement of Human Resources Manager vacancy taking into consideration the below fields: Attention, Interest, Desire & Action As far as attention is concerned, there should be a proper heading in place which gains the much needed concentration of the intended audience. This will solve the issue of breaking through the clutter and reaching out to the end reader in a clear cut way. It will be very precise and to the point. Interest is gained with a proper visual in place which is provided the necessary cover through the body copy that is mentioned in the advertisement. It will make sure that the exact message is conveyed here which would be very crisp and interesting in its entirety. This will ask the reader to be a part of the advertisement even more. The desire aspect comes in when the audience long to be a part of the human resources manager vacancy which is given significance by what he is asked to do and what he must carry out in order to be a part of the organization that by now he is willing to recruit within. The action phase is made apparent when the prospective applicant is asked to either contact the person who has been mentioned through e-mail or a mailing address. This is the part where the applicant would contact the organization and thus get in line with the company that he wishes to be a part of. Q 3: Explain the internal and external Recruiting Strategies. Internal recruiting strategy is when the organization wishes to fill up a vacancy from inside its entirety. On the other hand, external recruiting strategy is applied when the business seeks a new applicant from other sources that are outside the business domains. The recruiting strategy that is best utilized by the organization is the one that seeks the best talent for the said position under consideration and is less costly in terms of the amount spent. This would mean that some organizations would like to use a combination of both of these recruiting strategies from time to time while others stick to one of the two. It entirely depends on what kind of understanding the organization has with its own labor force and what it wants to achieve from the people that are working under its aegis. The internal recruiting strategy is usually fast-tracked because an employee would only need to change his position within the of fice. The external recruiting strategy is different and more cumbersome, as it demands more vigilance and extra controls to be implemented within its fore. This would mean that the external recruiting strategy is usually costly and requires hard work on the part of the human resources management realms. Q 4: Discuss the importance of Code of

Organizational Behavior, Integrative Paper Essay

Organizational Behavior, Integrative Paper - Essay Example ions, interpersonal conflict management strategies, how groups become teams, leadership different from management, and types of organizational structures. Strategic decisions differ form operational decisions in that strategic decisions deal with long term issues, while operational decisions cover the immediate or short term. Some examples of strategic decisions are decisions to purchase new equipment to implement upgrades, profitability decisions, capital investment decisions, and decisions on how to improve the market share of an enterprise. The executive management team of a company is responsible for the strategic decisions of a company. A few years ago I encountered at my job the difficulties associated with strategic and operational decisions. The crew of employees I was working with made a request for new equipment to be used immediately in the company. The use of the $30,000 machinery would reduce the completion time of the project by 50%. The overall project cost was going to be lower due to the labor savings. The team was very frustrated when the petition was denied. The justification for denying the request was that money w as being reserve to purchase new equipment in the summer of 2013. Our team was not able to produce like they could because the company preferred to save money for the long term strategic decisions than to invest money to improve the current operations of the firm. Strategic decisions are also important. For instance companies such as Microsoft when they release a new product they already have a plan ready on how to substitute the product once it reaches the declining stage of its product life cycle. Conflict in the workplace is an undesirable outcome that occurs due to the inevitable differences among human beings. Conflict occurs when two or more parties disagree over a substantial issue. One of the causes of conflict is people not being able to control their emotions. The four stages of conflict are antecedent conditions, felt

Haircare Limited Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Haircare Limited - Case Study Example They include both present and future expected losses." (Cornell Law School) The torts may be classified as specific torts pertaining to trespass, assault, battery, negligence, products liability and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In the instant case study of Hair Care Limited this paper envisages analyzing the legal position with respect to the claim for damages by Joan, the claimant against the Hair colorant manufacturers Hair Care Limited and Barber, the proprietor of a hair dressing salon for the personal injury suffered by her by using the colourant manufactured by Hair Care Limited. The paper also discusses the liability of the hair dresser Barber towards compensating Joan for her injury and suffering. The instant case is because of the negligence of Barber, the hairdresser to advise the beautician or the customer about the potential danger of the usage of the colourant and the requirement that a patch test is to be conducted before use. Although, he was having knowledge of the potential injury he didn't care to advise the people concerned. Hence it is a case to be claimed by the plaintiff Joan under Tort arising out of negligence. The following is the discussion on some of the issues concerned with negligence and tort. Negligence is the most important tort in terms of cases and mon... Negligence may be defined as breach of a legal duty to take care, resulting in damage undesired by defendant to the plaintiff. Tortuous liability arises from the breach of the duty primarily fixed by law. Such duty is to care. In order to have negligence there: Must be a duty of care Breach of that duty Result in damage Breach of a Duty: "In many cases no duty of care has to be investigated because they are obvious. The question is therefore: is there s a breach of that duty. It is obviously a question of standards. The idea of reasonableness is linked with how people react." ("Jus" d'orange) Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks 1856: Negligence is the omission to do something which the reasonable man would do or not do something which the reasonable man would not do. Other factors in accessing that reasonable care are: Probability of the thing occurring Seriousness of the event at risk if it did happen Practicality and precautions Consideration of the social value of the defendant's activities Product Liability and Manufacturing Risks: A manufacturing defect will attract liability. In Grant v. Australian Knitting Mills (1935) Manufacturer of underwear out of wool. One of the products to clean wool is sulfate. Through an error, the garment bought by plaintiff was not washed off from sulfate. He was sensitive & washed them but not sufficient which resulted in huge dermatological reaction which almost killed him. Proceedings were brought against both the seller and the manufacturer. The manufacturer's defense was that it was the first instance they ever had any complaint and hence they should not be blamed. On the contrary they were really careful. The Privy Council said: one explanation is that an employee was negligent then it

Langauge structure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Langauge structure - Assignment Example Arabski (1979 pp.135-143) says that making errors is part of the process of acquiring a language and is mostly influenced by transference and simplification. English and Arabic languages are different in many ways and as expected Arab speakers encounter many phonological, morphological and semantic problems when learning English. Arabic speakers do not recognize how to use adjectives in sentences. This is because in Arabic adjectives come after the noun whereas in English adjectives come before the noun. Most Arabic speaks erroneously transfer their knowledge of adjectives during the course of learning English (Cruse 1986 pp.40). This paper will discuss how Arab speakers struggle using adjectives while giving specific learner errors. The discussion will focus on some published language teaching material and it will analyze, compare and evaluate these errors. Project Description Theoretical Framework Studying errors second language learners make is a field that has created a buzz amon g linguists. Several theories have been advanced, and one such theory is the Contrastive Analysis This is a process that explains the comparative aspects of the Mother tongue (MT) and the Target Language (TL). James (1998) provides examples for instance consonant clusters, tense and comparison of the form and meaning of the two languages. This according to Fries (1945) is supposed to determine the oddities that result to interference and error. The reason being a second language learner may find some aspects of the target language easy to learn and others hard. The assumption second language learners make is that it will be easy to learn those aspects that are similar to their native language and very difficult to learn those aspects that are different from their native language. Contrastive Analysis has been conducted on many languages. Khuwaileh and Al Shoumali (2000) studied the writing of Arabic learners of academic English. He was focusing the frequent errors on coherence tense errors, lack of cohesion and parts of speech errors. The study compared the Arabic language and English. Bataineh (2005) investigated the problems Arab learners of language and translators’ encounter when translating Arabic sentences. The focus was on articles. Contrastive Analysis has faced some criticism and thus other theories emerged to fill the gap. The theory advocating for the existence of a â€Å"psychological structure latent in the brain† brought in the idea of Interlanguage (IL) seen in the process of learning a second language. Selinker (1972 pp.209-231) claimed that second language learners created some interim grammars in trying to achieve the target language but this vocabulary changes depending on the task of extraction and the context. IL is influenced by Transfer of training, Language transfer, Strategies of second language communication, Overgeneralization and Strategies of second language learning. As it is impossible to acquire a second language w ithout making errors, many linguists have invested time and resources in analyzing errors and why they occur. There are several reasons for studying errors. According to Corder (1975 pp.122-154) errors can tell a linguist how much a second language learner has acquired and what other aspects of the language require to be emphasized. Also as, James (1980) put it, errors are also markers of how the process of acquiring a second

Political socialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political socialization - Essay Example Indeed, to the best of my understanding, integrity and fear of God cannot be perceived to be different. Rather, they are complementary to each other. Politics is said to be a dirty game. This is a conclusion made after observing too many incidences of political foul play. Indeed, politicians acknowledge there is no true friendship when it comes to politics. I have grown hearing this word in news bulletins. Therefore, politicians and community leaders thrive by painting their opponents as enemies of their course and unacceptable to people, especially when elections are near. They do this through character assassination. However, there are certain positions I accepted, not because of experience or exposure. I grew up knowing that. For example, it was unacceptable to try to imagine a leader endorsing same sex relationships. We have lived to see gays running for political offices and claiming equal rights with others. As long as I can remember, the society treated such people as outcasts , and in some societies, they were killed. Through childhood training, I knew that people who subscribe to my value system as the best when it comes to politics and economy. This has caused communities to stick to the leaders to who come from their background. It becomes hard to accept people across the economic and political divide. Prejudices occur after years of training during the growing process of a child. I feel safe when I have a leader who can be fit into my community or convictions. This includes sharing the same faith and the same origin. After years of aggressive campaigns on government, political and society, the stand has softened. It is now possible to endorse a political leader who does not share the same roots with me. However, the mistrust still continues because politicians thrive by defining positions and power in terms of communities support and ethnicity. Extremely rich people prefer rich

Barack Obama and Rick Santorum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Barack Obama and Rick Santorum - Research Paper Example The paper will look into details in a succinct manner Rick Santorum’s policy regarding Iran and their weapons. Rick seems quite radical and static about the Iranians. In one of the NBC press, he stated that he would work effectively with Israel to dismantle the ongoing nuclear weapon making process in Iran. The policy is to ensure that the Iranians remains under the control of the US militia ands that they do not grow weapons that can harm the US, in one way or the other. Some people, especially the Muslims in the US, have seen this as a form of hatred that the aspirant has towards the Muslims in the United States. Other evidence is revealed on Rick’s claims on Obama’s religion. He supported a claim that the US president is a vowed Muslim and should not be the president of the US (Lysiak & Reddan, 2012). As a presidential aspirant, the above stand has seriously affected his candidature, especially among the American Muslims. Most Muslims have seen him as anti-Muslim aspirant, and quite a number of them have withdrawn their interest in him. His claim or policy has not affected any other US citizen apart from himself. His crucial support in Muslim societies has significantly gone

The Law of Healthcare Administration Essay Example for Free

The Law of Healthcare Administration Essay 1) Compare and contrast the Stark Self-Referral Laws and the Anti-Kickback Statute.   Both the Stark Self-Referral Laws and the Anti-Kickback Statute were enacted to prevent healthcare providers from improperly benefiting from their referrals.   The Stark Self-Referral Laws are three separate provisions which govern physician self-referral for Medicaid and Medicare patients. The Stark Law states in essence that a physician wouldn’t be allowed to refer a patient to a place where the physician has either a compensation arrangement or ownership interest if payments for services will be made by the Medicaid or the Medicare programs.   The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from willfully and knowingly from soliciting or offering any type of payment or gift to give referrals of services or items Medicaid, Medicare or most any federally funded program (excludes Federal employees Health Benefits Program). A defendant would have to be proven by the government to have specific intent to be disobedient to this law.   Unlike the Anti-Kickback Statute which gives the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services the ability to make exceptions, the Stark Law came with the exceptions already in place. Also, unlike the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law doesn’t allow referrals for specific health services.   The Anti-Kickback Statute is a criminal statute whereas the Stark Self-Referral Laws are civil statutes. Therefore, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute would be considered felonies with penalties up to $25,000 and five years in prison. Also, civil penalties could be up to $50,000 and dismissal from the Federal Program. Whereas, violations of the Stark Law could result in penalties and non-payment, however, violators of the Stark Law wouldn’t be threatened with imprisonment.   Although they both can be confusing, the Stark Self-Referral Laws are more confusing because of how they came with numerous exceptions in place. 2) In examining the relationship between hospitals and physicians, under what conditions can the hospital be held liable for the physicians negligence? Under what conditions will the hospital not be liable for the physicians` negligence? If the hospital has prior knowledge of or should reasonably be expected to have knowledge of the incompetency of said physician and the hospital failed to protect the patient(s), the hospital could reasonably be held liable for that physician’s negligence. I would turn that around then and state that if it is reasonable that the hospital had no prior knowledge of incompetency on the physician’s part, and it could not be proven that the hospital was aware of any past incompetent actions of said physician, they would not be held liable. However, there is another complication to this which I will just include as a quote because I could make it more complicated in my own words, â€Å"The entity employing independent contractors is generally not liable for the negligence of such independent contractors, since the employing entity does not control the means and methods of the work to be accomplished by the independent contractors. However, hospitals may remain liable for actions performed by independent contractors on a variety of grounds† (Scott, 1998). 3) Discuss your perspective on whether a hospital should revoke a physician`s privileges. provide examples in your discussion. Are your examples â€Å"ethical and/or Legal in nature†?   I feel that a hospital should revoke a physician’s privileges if his license to practice is suspended, revoked or restricted. Also, if the physician loses Medicaid or Medicare privileges, their board certification or loses their Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, I feel a hospital has the right to revoke a physician’s privileges if the physician is found to use illegal drugs or alcohol and if the physician is convicted of a criminal act. Having said that, I also support the physician’s request for a cure period which could be negotiated between the hospital and the physician. However, the hospital should have this in writing so that staff are aware of it prior to any revocations. Most of the examples I list can be considered as both ethical and legal in nature. 4) As the chief executive officer of a hospital and a member of its executive board, what are some of the key attributes you and your board should consider when hiring physicians and other clinical personnel? Could one actually deny a physician to a hospital without receiving backlash?   I would look for leadership qualities and if there is any experience or volunteer work in their past to indicate they have been in a leadership position in some respect. I would also look for good to excellent communication skills. This can be beneficial for a physician and clinical personnel in many ways. If there is something to indicate they are a strategic thinker, I would value this in regards to those positions. Of course, being a team player would be a valued attribute I would look for also. In addition to those attributes, physicians and clinical personnel considered for these areas need to demonstrate that they handle stressful situations well.   I feel one could absolutely deny a physician to the hospital and whether or not they receive backlash will depend on the staff involved in the interview process and how their morale is and trust in the final judgment of whoever it is that makes that judgment. 5) Please discuss your perspective on U.S. hospitals admitting illegal immigrants as patients? I am not opposed to U.S. hospitals admitting illegal immigrants as patients, however, just like U.S. residents, they need to be contractually and financially obligated to pay for their medical expenses or pay repercussions, which could and possibly should include deportation. Although I believe in humane treatment for all, we cannot allow the financial obligations created by illegal immigrants to fall on U.S. citizens or be absorbed by the U.S. health care system which in turn makes it more difficult and more expensive for U.S. citizens to receive affordable health care. 6) Healthcare organizations in the USA have been impacted with personnel turnover leading to such issues as closures of clinical units or diversion of patients to other hospital emergency departments. Based on your reading of hospital admission, please discuss your perspective of hospitals diverting patients to other facilities. Is this a Legal act? What can we do to effectively address the diversion issue in the US?   It is not illegal to divert patients to other facilities. This is often a necessary move especially if a hospital is full, too busy, if the patient is more critical than the hospital is rated for and a â€Å"for profit† hospital may divert non-paying patients. The hospital should make sure the patient is stable prior to doing any transfer or diversion. However, there are methods of effectively addressing the diversion issue in the U.S. For example, one cause of this diversion is patient-flow problems. Some hospitals have begun installing bed-tracking and patient-tracking systems that are aimed at reducing this patient-flow problem. United Hospital’s emergency department in Minneapolis used to have one of the highest divert rates in that area. However, a year after implementing a bed-tracking system, United Hospital had the lowest patient diversion rate in the Twin Cities metro area (Going, 2003). 7) Discuss a hospital’s process for ensuring it is in compliance with â€Å"HIPAA† of 1996. The hospital needs to have meetings to address the HIPAA and any modifications, and revisions to all of its affected staff. The staff then is given the information and must sign off on having read and understood it. The personnel needs to be able to direct staff to the site or person(s) that can answer additional questions pertaining to HIPAA. â€Å"HIPAA consultants who were intimately familiar with the details of the legislation and offered their services to ensure that physicians and medical centers were fully in compliance† (Health, 2007). 8) Identify a negative aspect of HIPAA, then develop a 200-300 word memo to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that addresses the identified concern and your suggestion for improving it. July 03, 2007 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In all due respect, many other physicians including myself are finding lack of clarity in what needs to be basic issues the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Because we must attempt to understand laws and new health care data on an ongoing basis, it is important that it be written as clearly as possible for we very much want to be compliant in this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having said this, in speaking with many of my colleagues, we are unclear of who all can have access to the privacy medical records in regards to how this is written up in HIPAA. At first I felt I possibly was the only one having this difficulty, however, after speaking with my colleagues it appears to be an item that is unclear for all of us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When you update or revise this, please address this issue and let it be known that I represent many others in this field who are having difficulty with this. If it were just myself, I wouldn’t take the time to compose this letter. I do sincerely appreciate your time and effort in this matter. I will be looking forward to reading and understanding your revised copy of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Sincerely, Your Name 9) Can a physician who is receiving a large increase in Medicaid patients legally dissolve the physician-patient relationship with these patients because of the poor reimbursement rate? Explain your position. No.   By federal law a physician cannot dissolve a patient due to poor reimbursement of their Medicaid payment. One cannot pick and choose patients dependent upon the time it takes for the Medicaid reimbursement to arrive. 10) Discuss your perspective of physician-patient relationship and physician assisted suicide in your discussion, include whether a physician has the legal and ethical right to dissolve the relationship because of the patient wishes to end his/her life. Also, discuss your perspective if the physician honors this patient`s request. A physician has the right to tell the patient that he could not perform that particular procedure dependent upon the procedures they are expected to perform and recommend alternatives to the patient. If the patient is serious about what they want, the patient could then initiate the dissolution of the relationship and go elsewhere. However, I don’t believe the physician should dissolve the relationship because that puts the patient in too vulnerable a position. As a physician, I would follow the guidelines of where I work. I would also inquire as to those guidelines in such an area as this and make my decision as to whether that would be a place I would want to be employed by dependent upon matters and required procedures such as these. 11) How can the US contain the high cost of professional liability insurance? One way would be in changing the laws the way they currently address liability issues in the area of medicine. Other countries don’t even allow for this, however, even modifications in the current laws could help. As mentioned in one of the previous answers, going towards independent contractor physicians takes some of the cost away in that the hospital is not made responsible in most of these cases. References (2003, December). Going with the flow: tracking system helps Midwest hospital   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   streamline patient flow and lower emergency room divert rate. Retrieved July 2, 2007,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from findarticles.com Web site:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DUD/is_12_24/ai_111646161 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. (2007, June 27). In Wikipedia, The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:37, July 2, 2007, from  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Actoldid=141030639 Scott, R (1998, June 4). Hospital liability for negligence of independent contractor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   physicians. Retrieved July 2, 2007, from Healthlaw Web site:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/Tort/980604Hospital.html Showalter, J (2003). The law of healthcare administration. Chicago, IL: Health   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administration Press. Watnik, R (2000, March 1). Antikickback versus Stark: Whats the difference?. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   July 2, 2007, from AllBusiness.com Web site: http://www.allbusiness.com/health-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   care-social-assistance/468779-1.html

Critical Pedagogy Is Very Broad Education Essay

Critical Pedagogy Is Very Broad Education Essay The literature of critical pedagogy is very broad indeed and contains dense information. In fact, the political perspective of critical pedagogy towards the curriculum contributes much to creating abundant scholarships in the field. In addition, as many authors perceive, critical pedagogy lacks a set of definite principles; which makes the process of setting a unified definition of its premises so challenging. Still, the implementation of aspects of critical pedagogy in the classroom setting can have wide scale results on the teaching process as a whole. Hence, it is important to give a brief examination of the literature of critical pedagogy, an analysis of its core principles, and an investigation of the critique directed against its assumptions. By virtue of being critical, critical pedagogy and critical thinking share some common grounds. However, despite the existence of the critical stance in both disciplines, there are broad differences between them. One of these differences is related to the expectation of action in each discipline. In its emphasis on analysis and deep interpretation, critical thinking does not necessitate any action to achieve social change. On the other hand, the principles of critical pedagogy aim at creating a social action that comes mainly through educational practices. Another important difference has to do with the scope of interest of each discipline. Critical thinking is, by definition, individualistic and largely ignores the collective relations. Critical pedagogy, on the other hand, is more concerned with corporate action; that is why, as Burbules and Berk suggest, in critical pedagogy individual criticality is intimately linked to social criticality (55-56). Critical pedagogy might also be thought of as an extension of critical theory. Both critical theory and critical pedagogy employ their strategies with view at obliterating the hegemonic collective standards and paradigms. However, critical pedagogy is different from critical theory in the fact that it is mainly an educational philosophy that reacts towards the oppressive systems in the educational arena. The primary concern of critical pedagogy in this aspect is with issues that have to do with maintaining equal opportunities and establishing dialogical mode of discourse. As Burbules and Berk put it in the language of critical pedagogy, the critical person is one who is empowered to seek justice, to seek emancipation (50). Collins also describes the framework of critical pedagogy as being realistically involved in enlarging the sites within our institutions where genuine, noncoercive dialogue and reasonable opposition to oppressive bureaucratic controls can emerge (63). This proves that critical pedagogy involves an entirely new orientation that departs from traditional models of education and embraces a number of principles that may not be familiar in the generic pedagogical systems. The basic characteristic that separates critical pedagogy from other approaches is its celebration of social justice and emancipation. In addition, a critical approach to pedagogy is distinguished by an emphasis on dialogic interactions with view at giving equal opportunities for all voices. Critical pedagogy values the students experiences and locates these experiences at the centre of the learning process. The mission of critical pedagogy is more complex than it seems to be, and its scope encompasses a plethora of pedagogical approaches and practices. In Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Social Foundations of Education, McLaren points out that critical pedagogy aims at investigating, questioning and changing the relationship among different factors in the learning experience. These factors include classroom teaching, the structure of the school, and the social relations with the community. This imposes a great task on the critical pedagogue as he has to take into account a wide range of social and educational variables in his work (26-28). Critical pedagogy has its roots in Paulo Freire who is generally considered to be the inaugural philosopher of critical pedagogy (McLaren, Paulo 1). Although at first Freire dedicated his efforts to issues related to literacy in Brazil, his philosophy expanded gradually to embrace a cornucopia of social and educational issues that have been the object of criticism. In Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage, Freire pointed out that what he called for was not merely a pedagogical method; rather, it was a strategy of living within the educational system (67). McLaren observes that the bottom-line of Freires pedagogy is to establish a non-hegemonic approach that is based on dialogue and interaction (McLaren, Paulo 2). This clearly shows the political dimensions of Freires philosophy. Freire actually stressed the importance of incorporating social and political critiques in the curriculum. This explains why his approach promotes a liberatory form of education that emphasizes emancipation and rejects all forms of oppression and domestication. In The Politics of Education, Freire maintains that the learning process should take into consideration two essential dimensions. The first is the context of authentic dialogue between learners and educators (49). The dialogue will empower students to move toward becoming knowing subjects and they will develop a relationship with the teacher in which one knowing subject [is] face to face with other knowing subjects (49). For Freire, by employing authentic dialogue in the teaching process, education becomes pedagogy of knowing rather than an experience of narration sickness (Freire, Oppressed 57). However, Freire warns that the dialogic process should not be reduced to simple to-and-fro questions that may also become tedious and sterile. Instead, there should be a focus on creating interaction between students and teachers in problematizing knowledge. In this regard, it is the responsibility of the teacher to inspire students to move forward within this critical practice (Freire, Freedom 80). The second dimension that should be considered in the learning process is the social realities in which students live. Freire states that authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about the world is concerned with reality, and does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication (Freire, Oppressed 64). This suggests that earning should be connected to the realities of students lives. Otherwise, by ignoring these realities, educators will be creating divisions that make difficult the construction of our ideals of change and transformation (Freire, Freedom 55). A very influential concept in Freires philosophy is that of praxis. Freires praxis, which delineates critical reflection and action, entails the application of educational practices and philosophies to create a better educational experience. To this end, students should be viewed as active participants in the teaching process and in the formulation of teaching methods. They are engaged in what Simon calls a transformative critique of their everyday lives (Simon, Teaching 60). The teachers role here resides in encouraging students to get involved in reflection on their worlds so as to assist them in engaging in critical consciousness. For Freire, the development of critical consciousness in the student can be attained by means of implementing what he called the problem-posing model of education. Freire proposed this model as a counterpart to the banking system of education dominating the educational institutions. He asserts that the banking system fosters domination and oppression, whereas the problem-posing mode promotes liberation and democracy. He goes on to claim that whereas banking education anesthetizes and inhibits creative power, problem-posing education involves a constant unveiling of reality. The former attempts to maintain the submersion of consciousness; the latter strives for the emergence of consciousness and critical intervention in reality. (Freire Oppressed 68). Freires philosophy of education was adopted and modified by various writers. The most prominent figure in this aspect is Ira Shor, who was mainly influenced by Freire. In his Critical Teaching and Everyday Life, Shor criticizes the institutionalized modes of education which involve undemocratic approaches. He demonstrates that these traditional systems have restricted students from contributing to the learning processes. He calls for implementing learning activities that are democratic in nature. These activities are set against the notions of education that students have from their previous experiences within the traditional pedagogical system. The democratic methods of teaching would change the role of students from passive to active critical subjects in which they become active participants in their own learning (111-113). Shor also pointed out some of the limitations of Freires assumptions. Examining the applicability of the Freirean philosophy, he stressed the difficulties involved in implementing the principles of this philosophy within the classroom setting. In his When Students Have Power, he strongly argues that despite the benefits gained from the implementation of the assumptions of critical pedagogy; these assumptions do not go smoothly when turned into practice in the context of classroom environment (56). However, Freire responded to this claim when he stressed the fact that his educational philosophy was not merely a collection of strategies that could be implemented in all educational environments. Rather, different educational practices should be adapted depending on each individual context. Freire acknowledged that pedagogy is influenced by ideology and since ideologies vary a lot, the existence of a single philosophy of critical pedagogy is not practical. Hence, one cannot speak of pedagogy but must speak instead of pedagogies which respond to particular necessities, interests and conditions (Gaudiano and de Alba 128). The challenges of reaching a definite conception of critical pedagogy brought about different approaches to the philosophy by many writers. bell hooks, for example, supports Freire in promoting the link between theory and practice in order for the student to be the center of the teaching process. However, she does not employ Freires concept of critical pedagogy. Rather, she has introduced what she calls engaged pedagogy. She defines it as a system that combines anticolonial, critical, and feminist pedagogies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for interrogating biases in curricula that reinscribe systems of domination à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ while simultaneously providing new ways to teach diverse groups of students (qtd. in Florence 10). A central feature of this model is the repudiation of the use of sophisticated language; a key feature of traditional educational methods that creates barriers between students and teachers. Roger Simon has introduced another significant approach to critical pedagogy which he calls pedagogy of possibility. In his Empowerment as a Pedagogy of Possibility Simon contends that proposing pedagogy is also proposing a political ideology. Hence, this model of pedagogy aims at enabling a particular moral project, a particular not yet of how we might live our lives together (372). He stresses the fact that such a pedagogy will require forms of teaching and learning linked to the goal of educating students to take risks, to struggle with ongoing relations of power, to critically appropriate forms of knowledge that exist outside their immediate experience, and to envisage versions of a world that is not yet in order to be able to alter the grounds upon which life is lived (375). Like Freire, Simon stresses the importance of not looking at his ideas as mere abstractions. Rather, they should be put into practice in all educational environments. Teachers who would implement the principles of the pedagogy of possibility must not expect a guideline for techniques to be adopted, but rather approach such a task strategically, locally and contextually formulating practice within an integrated moral and epistemological stance (Simon, Teaching 58). This will lead to a possibility for creating counterdiscursive activity that attempts to provoke a process through which people might engage in a transformative critique of their everyday lives (60). The complexities inherent in critical pedagogy have given rise to many critiques of its principles and assumptions. The scope of the criticism directed against critical pedagogy is so vast that it includes critiques from disciplines such as feminism, and postmodernism. It is of high importance to shed light on some these critiques directed against critical pedagogy in order to identify the potential challenges in implementing its practices in classroom environment. The first critique to be considered is that which comes from the very nature of critical pedagogy itself. Critical pedagogy inherently requires a constant investigation of its principles and practices. In this aspect, Giroux and McLaren contend that many current trends in critical pedagogy are embedded in the endemic weaknesses of a theoretical project overly concerned with developing a language of critique. Critical pedagogy is steeped in a posture of moral indignation toward the injustices reproduced in American public schools. Unfortunately, this one-sided emphasis on critique is matched by the lack of theoretical and pragmatic discourse upon which to ground its own vision of society and schooling and to shape the direction of a critical praxis (32). In her The Struggle for Pedagogies: Critical and Feminist Discourses as Regimes of Truth, Jennifer Gores critique of critical pedagogy is based on her contention that there are two distinct versions within critical pedagogy; she identifies these versions according the prominent figures who most contributed to the philosophy of each strand. The first version contributes to what she calls pedagogical practice. She suggests that Freire and Shor represent this strand of critical pedagogy which offers concrete suggestions and examples taken from their own pedagogical practice, and which is intended to help other educators (40). Gores criticism is directed against the other approach which she calls pedagogical project. This approach is represented in the contributions of many significant pedagogues, mainly Giroux and McLaren. Gore claims that their approach relies heavily on an abstract political vision and should not be called critical pedagogy, but critical educational theory (42). She goes on to argue that the major shortcoming of such an approach resides in its failure to delineate a set of practices for classroom teaching. As a result, their pedagogy might be seen to restrict its audience to those readers who have the time, energy, or inclination to struggle with it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and, in so limiting its audience, it subsequently limits its political potential (38). Essentially, Gores criticizes the fact that such critical pedagogues tend to focus on abstract theories that lack the potential for implementation. As an example, Gore cites the concept of empowerment, which is a key principle in critical pedagogy. Within the pedagogical project model, the concept of empowerment has been confined to extreme abstraction that forces teachers to be the agents of empowerment, without providing much in the way of tangible guidance for that work (Gore, What 66). Hence Gore calls for creating guidance for teachers so that principles of critical pedagogy can be translated into reality. However, Gore does not call for creating recipes for educational practices. Rather, she contends that theorists of critical pedagogy should take into consideration the context of the educational process instead of merely adhering to a unified theoretical background (Gore, What 67). As mentioned above, Freire himself rejected an essentialist view of critical pedagogy and called on teachers to adapt the learning process to the context of students experiences. In this regard, a great responsibility lies on teachers in determining the methodologies appropriate for each particular context. Similarly, Elizabeth Ellsworth employs a feminist perspective to refute any essentialist interpretation of critical pedagogy. She goes on to claim that even the term critical is a repressive myth[s] that perpetuate[s] relations of domination and hides the actual political agendas à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ namely antiracism, antisexism, anti-elitism, anti-heterosexism, anti-ableism, anti-classism, and anti-neoconservatism (93). She also believes that theorists of critical pedagogy have failed to launch any meaningful analysis of or program for reformulating the institutionalized power imbalances between themselves and their students, or of the essentially paternalistic project of education itself (98). Moreover, Ellsworth develops a deconstructionist critique of critical pedagogues. She claims that these pedagogues are implicated in the very structures they are trying to change (101). She criticizes the fact that much of the literature of critical pedagogy is the work of the dominant white middle class men. She goes on to argue that a relation between teacher/student becomes voyeuristic when the voice of the pedagogue himself goes unexamined (104). In his Elements of a Post-liberal Theory of Education, Bowers basic criticism resides in his claim that, in a way, critical pedagogy enforces the assumptions and values of Western metaphysics. Although he promoted the contributions of Freire and his followers, Bowers believes that Freires model emphasizes the modernist way of thinking, and thus it reinforces Western values and principles. For Bowers, all Freires pedagogy is based on Western assumptions about man, freedom, progress, and the authority of the rational process (127). He claims that the problem with Freires position is not that he advocates critical reflection but that he makes it the only legitimate source of knowledge and authority (129). Although Freires emphasis on dialogue as a basic component of the educational process has been praised as a democratic strategy, Bowers criticizes the very notion of using dialogue as a tool for emancipation. He contends that relying on dialogue in this aspect shifts the locus of authority from that of community and tradition to the individual who unifies thought and action in a new praxis (129). This focus on the individual on the expense of other collective concerns has lead to the failure of critical pedagogy in addressing issues related to ecology and the nature of the world. As he puts it, The problems of inequality and restricted individual empowerment are not nearly as important as the cultural roots of our alienation from nature. Regardless of how our agenda for social reform is framed, the bottom line has to do with reversing the global ecological deterioration we are now witnessing (159). A very important critique of critical pedagogy that should be highlighted here is that which comes from a postmodern perspective. In their Dialogue across Difference: Continuing the Conversation, Burbules and Rice explore the postmodern critique of critical pedagogy. The authors start their argument by suggesting that there are two versions of postmodernism that hold different positions relative to modernism itself (397). They call these two versions postmodernism and antimodernism. The authors suggest that a basic characteristic of postmodernism is that it goes beyond the norm but at the same time accepts the basic significance of the tradition it proposes to go beyond (397). They cite Giroux and McLaren as examples on postmodernist critics who relish some key democratic assumptions of modernism and yet go beyond them. Antimodernism, on the other hand, defines itself as the antithesis of modernism and is characterized by a strong antipathy to the language, issues, and values of modernism (398). The authors criticize this strand and assert that having deconstructed all metanarratives and radically relativized all possible values, antimodernism is left with no clear way of justifying any alternatives (398). The different positions of postmodernism and antimodernism account for the dissenting views related to the relationship between critical pedagogy and postmodernism. In this regard, some writers strongly believe that critical pedagogy is far from incorporating the premises of postmodernism. In Reflective Teaching in the Postmodern World: A Manifesto for Education in Postmodernity, Parker holds the view that many critical educational practices involve some modernist assumptions and fail to account for a genuine understanding of the process of knowledge construction from a postmodern perspective (16). Similarly, there are other feminist and postmodernist writers who assert that some strands of critical pedagogy do not address such issues which are of high importance in the field. In her Freire and a Feminist Pedagogy of Difference, Weiler explores the conflict she perceives between the modernist orientations of critical pedagogy and postmodernism. As a feminist writer arguing from a postmodern perspective, she claims that her goal is to retain the vision of social justice and transformation that underlies liberatory pedagogies (450). She suggests that the universal goals of liberation do not directly analyze the contradictions between conflicting oppressed groups or the ways in which a single individual can experience oppression in one sphere while being privileged or oppressive in another (450). Accordingly, Weiler believes that the theory that calls for the existence of universal experience of oppression does not take into account the specific contexts of the classroom experience. Hence the focal point of her argument resides in redefining the collective experience in the context of historically defined struggles (Weiler 451). In this regard, Weiler claims that Freire ignored the existence of diverse experience of oppression; hence she calls for a more situated theory of oppression and subjectivity, and for the need to consider the contradictions of such universal claims of truth or process (456). Weiler argues for a feminist-postmodern approach to confront the deficits in Freires philosophy of pedagogy. In this regard, she delineates three major issues where this process can be implemented. She names these as the role and authority of the teacher, the claims for knowledge and truth in personal experience, and the question of difference. Weiler concludes by asserting that the existence of different approaches in this arena does not necessitate abandonment of the goals of social justice and empowerment, but it does make clear the need to recognize contingent and situated claims and to acknowledge our own histories and selves in process (470). On the other side of the spectrum, there are many writers who strongly believe that critical pedagogy strongly incorporates some aspects of postmodernism. In Critical Crosscurrents in Education, Collins sheds light on this link between critical pedagogy and postmodernism as he suggests that, like critical pedagogy, postmodernist critical discourse is about the struggles for power to be heard about the empowerment of other voices' (76). In the same vein, Pinar et al. suggest that there is a possibility for developing a strand of pedagogy that engages in some postmodern principles. This version of pedagogy goes beyond the issues of oppression and suffering that are merely viewed from a class- struggle perspective (305). Other writers share the same view and contend that the philosophy of Freire and other critical pedagogues does incorporate some postmodern dimensions. Most of these writers approach this issue through dividing Freires writing into different phases, stressing that the postmodern orientations appear in his later work. Peters, for example, suggests that there are some postmodern ideas that can be clearly seen in Freires later work. These ideas include Freires emphasis on textuality, subjectivity, experience and culture in addition to his own interpretation of oppression and power (117). Similar to Peters, Roberts asserts that in order to locate the modernist inclinations in Freires writing we should look at Freires work as a whole, and not to focus on his writings during the first stage of his work. Roberts contends that Freire did promote some postmodern techniques in confronting all forms of oppression. He also highlights Freires confrontation with postmodern critics, especially in his later writing. Roberts examination of this issue concluded in his contention that Freire argues for what he called progressive postmodernism. Freire has stressed the fact that educators should challenge modern ways of thinking through becoming more tolerant, open and forthright, critical, curious, and humble (112). Clearly, the above argument proves that any attempt to come up with a clear-cut definition of critical pedagogy is utterly challenging. As mentioned above, there are multiple approaches to critical pedagogy, and there are also variables from other disciplines that are easily accommodated in this literature. All this results in creating critical pedagogies rather than one definite and universally- accepted form of critical pedagogy. These critical pedagogies are always involved in a constant process of redefinition and change, thus imposing great challenge on pedagogues in this regard. Despite these variations and challenges, teachers are always urged to go beyond the mere theoretical background of critical pedagogy. The process of theorizing without action creates no change and goes against the objectives of critical pedagogy. Teachers must promote an integrated approach of theory and practice, or what Freire called praxis. In other words, they should seriously consider the potential for implementing the premises of critical pedagogy in the teaching process. This implementation should go beyond the mere adherence to an essentialist view of a critical pedagogical methodology. Teachers should attempt, to the best of their abilities, to locate the teaching process within the realities of students lives. They should take into account the various variables, realities and experiences pertinent to students lives. Hence, they should adapt their techniques according to the specific variables pertinent to the context in which they work. The critique directed against critical pedagogy maximizes the need for this constant action on the part of teachers. In addition to adapting their educational tools to the classroom context, teachers are exhorted to encourage the involvement and empowerment of the students. Without putting the assumptions, principles and paradigms of critical pedagogy into practice, teachers run the risk of going within the traditional mainstream models of education. As Bahruth and Steiner beautifully put it: in our profession we have two choices; we can succumb to the mainstream and become programmed toward deskilling our intellect, or we can become critical pedagogues and liberate ourselves and those who choose to join in the dialogue (143).