Slaughterhouse Five and 1984 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Slaughterhouse Five and 1984 - Essay Example This war not only drastically changed the geo-political landscape, but had ramifications that ran deeply into artistic and philosophical paradigms. While published directly after the War, George Orwell’s 1984 is a strongly modernist text. In this work Orwell presents a political satire set in the future context of Oceania. This city has given way to extreme an extreme collectivist and totalitarian regime known simply as The Party. Within this context of understanding Orwell presents a significant perspective on the nature of the human condition, warning future generations about potential threats to human existence. Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five is firmly rooted in modes of post-modern expression. This work follows protagonist Billy Pilgrim through a variety of wartime narrative explorations. Ultimately this novel’s depiction of the human experience is profoundly unsettling and destabilizing. Even as these texts demonstrate many contrasting concerns, at thei r core they both explore the essence of the human condition. This essay compares and contrasts Orwell’s 1984 and Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five in terms of their portrayal of what it means to be human and what the respective novels offer as the major threats to the humanity of humans. Analysis The exploration of the human condition and threats to humanity form the backbone of thematic explorations in George Orwell’s 1984.... In these regards, Orwell notes, The Ministry of Truth, which concerned itself with news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerned itself with war. The Ministry of Love, which maintained law and order. And the Ministry of Plenty, which was responsible for economic affairs. Their names, in Newspeak: Minitrue, Minipax, Miniluv, and Miniplenty (Orwell, pg. 3). Here, Orwell plays on both the nature of language and satire in his consideration of modes of government. Consider the cyclical recurrence of The Party’s slogan, â€Å"WAR IS PEACE/ FREEDOM IS SLAVERY/ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH† (Orwell, pg. 1). In addition to further establishing the political message of the oppressive government apparatus, Orwell’s implementation of this mode of propaganda speaks to one of the fundamental threats to humanity existing in the linguistic realm. In these regards, The Party slogan where traditional words that were associated with virtuous pra ctices, such as peace, freedom, and strength, are replaced with words that have traditionally been associated with negativity – war, slavery, and strength. This aspect of the novel, which is also exemplified in the naming of the government institutions as well as in a variety of other incarnations including Newspeak is significant in that it shows one of the fundamental aspects of the human condition is humanity’s access to reality through language. As these certain elements in language have become traditionally associated with positive values, a prominent threat to humanity becomes the potential of the government or political interests to co-opt these modes of language for their own political aims. The prominence of language to the human condition is further expressed

Segmentation method used by LOreal Essay Example for Free

Segmentation method used by LOreal Essay In â€Å"The Crisis, No. 1,† an article written by Thomas Paine in 1776, there are many literary tools. This Article speaks of how the colonists need to stand up and fight for themselves against Britain and gain their independence. Three forms of language that Paine uses in order to convince the colonists that this is necessary were pathos, diction, and logos. The most prevalent literary tool, also form of rhetoric in this document was Pathos as Paine uses a lot of emotion to connect with his target audience. â€Å"I call not upon a few, but upon all; not on this state or that state, but on every state,† shows how he uses pathos to arouse a feeling of patriotism or unity. Paine obviously tries to connect with the audience through feelings of connection with each member of their society. He also often uses the word â€Å"we† to show how he is just one of them, another simple colonist who wants to break free from Britain. He ensues fear in the colonists through God, the devil, and how they would be slaves if the British kept ruling over them. Paine says that if they kept acting so naive then the British would come over and kill them. Another obvious literary tool that Paine uses is diction. He uses many thought provoking words that allow people to think more about the topic at hand. â€Å" suffer the misery of devils†¦Ã¢â‚¬  represents a form of Paine’s diction. The word misery evokes great emotion in regular people as they could have been through some form of misery, such as being under control of Britain, giving them a greater understanding of the word. To go even further, it being the â€Å"misery of devils† makes it an even greater misery and more disturbing to the public, giving them thoughts of what a devil’s true misery might be. The use of the word â€Å"suffer† in this quote, as well, brings even greater understanding and fear as it is a harsh word. All of these words together bring a jarring tone of misery, giving great emotion and feeling to the colonists. The final and least evident literary structure Paine uses in this document is logos as there are few forms of logic. Throughout the writing, there are a few times where Paine uses actual reason over emotions, but enough times that it stimulates thought on the colonists’ part. â€Å"We did not make a proper use of last winter, neither could we, while we were in a dependent state. However, the fault, if it were one, was all our own; We have none to blame but ourselves,† shows Paine’s thoughts on an actual problem that happened. He speaks about how it was the colonists, including his own, fault for what happened, no one elses, stating the blunt truth. This makes the colonists think and recount on what they have done and what they can do to fix it. Overall, Paine uses many literary forms in this document, allowing the colonists to think more about what they should do, and evoking emotions of disgust and hatred toward Britain. This article pushed the colonists more toward wanting to be free of Britain and to not be slaves to them. They wanted to break away and gain their independence more due to this document and Paine’s way of writing this. Al of the language he uses, from pathos to diction and to logos, Paine ensued hope into the colonists for a better, more free future.

Treasure Island and Hard Times Essays -- Character Analysis, Stevenson

Treasure Island and Hard Times are novels in which, the effects of human influence are taken to their limit. These novels explore the terrors of two protagonists constantly being bombarded with thoughts and ideas of others. Because of the strong authority placed around them, they are exiled into their own minds. Yet, these characters still demonstrate the willingness to think on their own and express themselves freely. Stevenson and Dickens depict through their characters that the innate human ability to think and act is a product that can be influenced by all individuals one may come across. It is normal for humans to express themselves in any way they please, but for the protagonists in Treasure Island and Hard Times it is something that does not come to them naturally. When someone is being influenced, it is difficult for that person to take a stand and disregard any thoughts that are being thrown at them. They may find it challenging to think for themselves or their ideas may be completely disregarded. Jim Hawkins, the protagonist in Treasure Island is a man who experiences these situations. In the novel Treasure Island, the narrative of the story leads the readers to believe that the protagonist Jim Hawkins is a very knowledgeable boy. On his own he has, â€Å"discovered a map that leads to riches,† [Stevenson 48] and was able to find the most trustworthy men in town to tell this important information to. This proves to the reader, that Jim is wise and not foolish. However Long John Silver, The Squire and Dr. Livesey are three characters who, at times seem to believe otherwise. Long John Silver seems to doubt the competence of Jim Hawkins. He is not confident in the ideas that Jim may have to offer, so instea... ...e to tell her father that she has been, â€Å"tired and [that she has] been tired for a long time.† [Dickens 168] Louisa has developed the strength to tell her father the real emotions she has towards him and the way she felt about his various influences on her. She can explain to her father that she is very sick of his teachings, and that she wants the freedom to explore and discover for her own whim. She is finally able to confess to her father that she has been burdened by her father’s presence and that she does not agree with his ideologies. Jim Hawkins and Louisa Gradgrind have the similar desire to be heard. They are constantly battling the people in their lives who constantly sway them in various directions- not of their own. These characters both go through a cycle of discovering their own thoughts and ideas without the influence of others.

Reforms Are Need In Canadas Government :: essays research papers

Reforms Are Need In Canada's Government Canada is a country who's future is in question. Serious political issues have recently overshadowed economic concerns. Constitutional debate over unity and Quebec's future in the country is in the heart of every Canadian today. Continuing conflicts concerning Aboriginal self-determination and treatment are reaching the boiling point. How can Canada expect to pull herself out of this seemingly bottomless pit? Are Canadians looking at the right people to lay their blame? In the 1992 Referendum, "The Charlottetown Accord" addressed all of these issues, giving Canadians the opportunity to finally let the dead horse be - but oh, if it were that simple. A red faced Brian Mulroney pontificated that a vote against the accord would be one against Canada. Canadians would essentially be expressing the desire for Quebec to remain excluded from the constitution. How could the Right-Honorable Mulroney expect anyone to vote on a document that contained so much more than simply the issue of Quebec sovereignty? Ironically, hidden deep within "The Charlottetown Accord," was the opportunity for Canadians to make a difference; to change the way the government ran, giving less power to the politicians and more to the people. This was the issue of Senate Reform. Why is Senate Reform such an important issue? An argument could be made that a political body, which has survived over one hundred years in Canada, must obviously work, or it would have already been reformed. This is simply not true, and this becomes apparent when analyzing the current Canadian Senate. In its inception, the Senate was designed to play an important role in the Government of Canada, representing various regions of the federation. Quebec, Ontario, the maritimes and the west were allotted twenty-four Senators each. Considered to be the heart of the federal system, the Senate was to be a crucial balancing mechanism between Upper and Lower Canada (Mallory pg. 247). It was important for there to be equal representation, and not representation by population. Senators were to be appointed, in order to ensure that the House was independent and had the freedom to act on its own. As well, Senators had to be seen as a conservative restraint on the young, the impressionable, and the impulsive in the House of Commons (Van Loon and Whittington pg. 625). They therefore had to be over thirty years old and own property exceeding four thousand dollars in the province they represented. This idea was called 'second sober thought.' As this independent, intellectual body, the Senate's main function wasto ensure that all power did not come from one source.

Operation Management Essay

To be able produce specialized managers capable of fulfilling strategic tasks within business and government enterprises the need for the practice of operations management cannot be forgone. Operations management is very significant in business operations since it forms the heart of the organisation by controlling the system of operation. Operations management deals with the design, operation, and enhancement of the systems that generate and deliver a firm’s primary products and services. Like marketing and finance, operations management is a well-designed field of business with clear management responsibilities. Panasonic Corp. is a company in which produces various electronic components such as Audio, Video, Televisions, Information and Communication, Semi-conductors and other Electronic Components. In a business entity like Panasonic Corp. the use of operations management is very essential in every framework of the company’s activities. Panasonic Corp. uses operations management to ensure and maintain competence and effectiveness in the organisation. Efficiency in Panasonic Corp. s concerned with how well resources such as individual expertise and inputs are put in use irrespective of the reason for which they were deployed in the organization. The company through its performance ensures that the main objective for its establishment to generate profits and maximize shareholders value is realized. The company reduces its cost of production by ensuring that tangible and intangible possessions are not over stretched or wasted in the organisation. This is a situation where the company carries out effectively its goals to be the market leader using minimum resources to attain maximum output. The methods of effectiveness and competence in Panasonic Corp. leads to labour efficiency, yield, and capability fill working capital utilization and the efficiency of production systems. Panasonic Corp. also makes fine use of its products and services management through operations management. Product (or service) management includes a broad range of management activities, ranging from the time that there’s a new idea for a product to ultimately provide ongoing support to consumers who have purchased the fresh and innovative product. Every organization conducts product supervision, whether it’s done deliberately or not deliberately. Panasonic Corp. through this module provides a wide idea of considerations in producing and managing its goods. Panasonic Corp. uses it hub competences in the areas of manufacturing, branding, promoting through wholesale and retail outlets to achieve competitive benefits in the market place. Quality management is also a very essential aspect of operations management in every organisation. Panasonic Corp. s very crucial about its products developed for the consumer in the market place. Quality management is vital to effective operations management, particularly ongoing perfection to match the consumers taste and preference at all times. Management Control and Coordinating Function cannot be forgone in operations management particularly in a company like Panasonic Corp. Management control and coordination includes a wide series of activities to make certain that the company’s objectives are consistently being met in an effective and efficient style. Key approaches to the company’s organizational control and coordination contain product assessment, product allocation, marketing and promotion, sales and service and product advancement. The company also uses advertisements as a major tool to reach the customer. In this increasingly expanding and competitive marketplace, the company make sure its products and services are notably in the minds of their customers and clients. This occurs as a consequence of ongoing promotion and advertising by the company. Facilities management is also an essential task and its importance on operations management for Panasonic Corp. s required. Effective operations management in the company’s activities depends on a big deal of effective management of facilities, such as buildings, computer system, plants and machinery etc. Facilities management in Panasonic corp. is very important since the company may be busy in a batch or mass production depending on the demand conditions on the market. In this case facilities need to be managed in producing large quantities of products which must be consistent to meet the market demand at definite period. Well managed facilities help in production speed, lower per unit cost, manage and control the efficiency in the company’s production process. Inventory control and management is one important factor of operations management that Panasonic Corp. uses in its operations. Managing and controlling the inventory of the company is very critical and essential. Innovative methods, such as Just-in-Time inventory control, are some of the most important instruments used by the company to cut costs and move products and services to consumers more rapidly. Generally the significance of operations management on business is urrounded in every aspect of the organizations activities and therefore has vital role to play in ensuring that organizations attain their objectives and goals. Every organization, whether it produces goods or provides services furnishes customers with worthy products. Thus, to compete with other organizations, a company must transform resources (materials, labour, money, information) into goods or services as efficiently as possible. The upper-level manager who directs this transformation process is called an operations manager. The job of operations management (OM) is to transform resources into products which consist of all the activities involved in transforming a product idea into finished and final products. In other words, operations managers manage the process that transforms inputs into outputs. Like Panasonic Corp. all manufacturers set out to execute the same basic roles: to transform resources into finished goods. To perform this function in today’s business surroundings, manufacturers must constantly struggle to improve operational effectiveness. They must focus on quality, the costs of materials and labour and all costs that add no value to the finished product. Making the decisions in the effort to achieve these objectives is the job of the operations manager. That person’s responsibilities can be grouped as follows: * Production planning. During production planning, managers determine how goods will be produced, where production will be carried out, and how manufacturing facilities will be done. * Production control. Once the production process is started, managers must repetitively schedule and monitor the activities that make up that process. They must respond to feedback and make adjustments where required. At this stage, they also supervise the purchasing of raw materials and the usage of inventories. * Quality control. Finally, the operations manager is directly concerned in efforts to make sure that goods are produced according to terms and that quality values are maintained. Planning the Production Process Managers in Panasonic Corp. believe that the decisions made in the planning phase have long-range implications and are vital to a firm’s achievement. Before making decisions about the operations process, managers must consider the goals set by marketing managers. Does the company aim to be a low-cost producer and to struggle on the basis of price? Or does it plan to focus on quality and go after the high end of the market? Perhaps it wants to build a standard of consistency. What if it intends to offer a wide range of products? To make things even more complicated, all these decisions involve trade-offs. Upholding a reputation for reliability isn’t necessarily compatible with offering a wide range of products. Low cost doesn’t normally go hand in hand with high quality. With these factors in mind, let’s look at the specific types of decisions that have to be made in the production planning process. We’ve divided these decisions into those dealing with production methods, site selection, facility layout, and components and materials management. Production-Method Decisions The first step in production planning is deciding which type of production process is best for making the goods that your company intends to manufacture. In reaching this decision, you should answer such questions as the following: * How much input do I receive from a particular customer before producing my goods? * Am I making a one-of-a-kind good based solely on customer specifications, or am I producing high-volume standardized goods to be sold later? * Do I offer customers the option of â€Å"customizing† an otherwise standardized good to meet their specific needs? One way to appreciate the nature of this decision is by comparing three basic types of processes or methods: make-to-order, mass production, and mass customization. The task of the operations manager is to work with other managers, particularly marketers, to select the process that best serves the needs of the company’s customers. Make-to-Order At one time, most consumer goods, such as furniture and clothing, were made by individuals practicing various crafts. By their very nature, products were customized to meet the needs of the buyers who ordered them. This process, which is called a make-to-order strategymake-to-order strategyProduction method in which products are made to customer specification. is still commonly used by such businesses as print or sign shops that produce low-volume, high-variety goods according to customer specifications. Mass Production Automakers produce a high volume of cars in anticipation of future demand. By the early twentieth century, however, a new concept of producing goods had been introduced: mass production (or make-to-stock strategy)mass production (or make-to-stock strategy)Production method in which high volumes of products are made at low cost and held in inventory in anticipation of future demand. s the practice of producing high volumes of identical goods at a cost low enough to price them for large numbers of customers. Goods are made in anticipation of future demand (based on forecasts) and kept in inventory for later sale. This approach is particularly appropriate for standardized goods ranging from processed foods to electronic appliances. Mass Customization But there’s a disadvantage to mass production: customers, as one contemporary advertising slogan puts it, can’t â€Å"have it their way. They have to accept standardized products as they come off assembly lines. Increasingly, however, customers are looking for products that are designed to accommodate individual tastes or needs but can still be bought at reasonable prices. To meet the demands of these consumers, many companies have turned to an approach called mass customizationmass customizationProduction method in which fairly high volumes of customized products are made at fairly low prices. , which (as the term suggests) combines the advantages of customized products with those of mass production. This approach requires that a company interact with the customer to find out exactly what the customer wants and then manufacture the good, using efficient production methods to hold down costs. One efficient method is to mass-produce a product up to a certain cut-off point and then to customize it to satisfy different customers. The list of companies devoting at least a portion of their operations to mass customization is growing steadily. Perhaps the best-known mass customizer is Dell, which has achieved phenomenal success by allowing customers to configure their own personal computers. The Web has a lot to do with the growth of mass customization. Nike, for instance, now lets customers design their own athletic shoes on the firm’s Web site. Procter & Gamble offers made-to-order, personal-care products, such as shampoos and fragrances, while Mars, Inc. can make M&M’s in any color the customer wants (say, school colors). Naturally, mass customization doesn’t work for all types of goods. Most people don’t care about customized detergents or paper products. And while many of us like the idea of customized clothes from Levi’s or Lands’ End, we often aren’t willing to pay the higher prices they command.

Philippines Informative essays

Philippines Informative essays In chapter 6 of our speech book we covered what the definition of a culture is and discussed a little bit of the differences and kinds of cultures around the world. How many of you know where the country of the Philippines is located? Did you know that America purchased the islands of the Philippines from the Spaniards for $20million dollars? Today I will be discussing briefly about the history of the country, where the country is located, and the different cultures each region has and share with you some of my personal experiences when I was living there. According to askjeeves.com, Philippines is located about 7,772 miles from Sioux Falls, SD. It takes approximately sixteen hrs. none-stop flight from Sioux Falls airport to Ninoy Aquino airport in Manila. There is no none-stop flight so when mom and I went to the Philippines 2years ago, it took us approximately 23hrs to get there stopping in Minneapolis and in Tokyo,Japan. According to Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, copyrighted in 96; situated about 750miles east of the coast of Vietnam, the Philippines are separated from Taiwan on the North by the Bashi Channel. The country comprises about 7100 islands, of which only about 460 are more than 1sq mile in area. The total area of the Philippines is about 115,830 sq miles that is approximately 4times the size of Maine according to askjeeves.com. The islands of the Philippines are divided into three major geographic groups; Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Manila is the capital and the largest city of the Philippines. The first humans in t he Philippine Islands are thought to have come from China and the Malayan Archipelago some 250,000 years ago. A Filipino is a mixed of Chinese, American, Spanish and Arab blood. The Philippines has a population of 76.5million as of May 2000. The Philippines is currently the third-largest English speaking country in the world, after United States and the United Kingdom. From fourth grade throug...

Synthesis Writing Essay

Synthesis Writing Essay Synthesis Writing Essay Gage Ramsey English 3, per. 7 September 5, 2014 Synthesis Writing All three of these stories are about three different myths on belief on the creation of the world. â€Å"The World on the Turtles Back† (Iroquois), â€Å"The Story of Corn and Medicine† (Cherokee), and â€Å"The Legend of the Beginning† Blackfoot†. They also, even though from different cultures compare in certain ways, but have many differences in idea and belief on how the world was created. The Iroquois myth began in the sky world, and ended on earth, but also the water had some major parts to do with this myth, like all three myths they had a major part occurring on earth of course, but then also with the Cherokee myth things had been happening above earth, above the vault in the sky and creation begins on earth then the plot changes. Blackfoot myth, all takes places on land here on earth traveling north, coming from the farthest north point, going all the way around the world. Practically everything is created in these myths, I thi nk they are an explanation of how life began, and that of course would involve knowing the necessary things for survival like how to get and cook food, make shelter, and do all these other things. Then also to keep things in order, like having a food chain of animals to keep one from dominating, for peace. For example in the Blackfoot myth, the old man from the south created all the land practically, including all mountains, grass, forests, and prairies. Then animals, birds, and even

Common High School Policies For Recommendation Letters

Common High School Policies For Recommendation Letters SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When should you ask for a recommendation letter? Many high schools answer this question for you with an official timeline and procedure for your recletter requests. In addition to school policy, your teachers might also set rules aroundhow and when to ask for letters of rec. This guide will go over the most common recommendation letter guidelines, as well as some not so common ones that you hopefully won’t encounter (like a lottery system!). To start, let’s consider whichguidelines are set on a school-wide basis and which ones fall into the realm of individual teachers. What Do Schools Say About Recommendation Letters? You should receive directions from your school, or more specifically, your guidance or college counseling office, on two mainsteps: When to ask for letters of rec, and What information to give your teachers. Let's first take a look at the three most common guidelines around when to ask for letters. 1. Ask in the Spring of Junior Year Generally, schools with strong college counseling departments have their students ask for letters in the spring of junior year, usually by April or May. This system tends to be part of the school’s culture, so teachers, mainly th grade teachers, expect to get requests then. Asking later is seen as inappropriate and last minute. 2. Ask Within a Month of Your Deadlines Other schools take a more hands off approach and tell students to ask anytime up to three or four weeks before their deadlines. Larger public schools often use this approach, where students are given more independence and a longertime window in which to make their requests. Some students still may ask in junior year or email their teachers over the summer with a promise to follow up with information in the fall. 3. Submit a List of Names to Your Counselor A third, less common system used by a few schools involves some chance. Students give three names of teachers to college counselors, who then assign each student two teachers. Usually smaller private schools with a large percentage of college-going graduates use this method to ease the burden on teachers who get the most requests. Schools with this system are a bit more strict, while, as you read above, others put the responsibility largely in thehands of students. Most schools, however, have similar guidelines about what information to give to your recommenders. This information typically goes into a "brag sheet." Prepare a Brag Sheet In addition to setting rules for when you ask, your counseling department should give you a packet to fill out to help your recommenders. This packet should include space for you to write your college list and deadlines, as well as a formcommonly referred to as a "brag sheet." Here you'll describe yourself and your goals. There may be space for your parents to contribute their ideas, too. Whatever systems your school uses, there are two best practicesto go by when planning your recommendations: ask early, and give your recommenders a detailed resume and brag sheet. Just how early you ask may depend on your school’s policy, as just described, but it may also be influenced by the teachers you plan to ask. Let’s take a look at what teachers control in this process. Some teachers limit the number of rec letters they'll write, so you have to ask them early! What Do Teachers Say About Recommendation Letters? While your school tells you when and how to ask, your teacher decides how many recommendation letters they’ll write for students. Some don’t set a limit at all, while others set a cap at around fifteento twenty letters. It may be disappointing to learn that your teachers limit their letters, but on the bright side it suggests that they put time and thought into each letter they produce. In a few, unfortunate cases, teachers set a very strict limit and don’t seem too eager to write recommendations. One student on College Confidential talked about how his teacher collected everyone’s requests and drew only six â€Å"winners† out of a hat. Luckily, it’s not common for teachers to set a cap this low or to select students arbitrarily. If you have a good relationship with the teacher and make your request early enough, then she should agree to provide you with a letter of rec. At this point, you may be wondering what your school and teachers have to say about recommendation letter guidelines. If you don’t know already, how can you find out? If you don't know your school's rec letter policy, how can you search for clues? How Can You Learn About Recommendation Letter Guidelines? It’s never too early to find out this information, as you want to get your requests in early and devote a good amount of time to preparing your packet. Ideally, your counselors give you this information during college planning presentations. If not, you can absolutely set up an appointment to meet with your counselor. Prepare a list of questions, like when and how you should ask, and go into the meeting prepared so you find out everything you need to know. Your counselors should also have some advice on which teachers have a reputation for writing strong letters, and which ones get flooded with requests. If your counselor hasn’t already given you the details on your teachers, you can speak to older students, as well as your teachers themselves to find out when’s an ideal time to ask. Even if it’s only halfway through the year, you could tell your th grade teacher that you’re curious about recommendation letters and wonder if she has any special deadline for accepting requests. Even if you’re not ready to ask yet, you can plan when to do so. Some of these concerns are obvious requirements, while some are not so immediately apparent. Why’s it important to make sure you know about all recommendation letter guidelines from all involved parties? Guidelines help make sure your recommendation letters get into the system by your application deadlines. Why Do You Need to Know About Recommendation Letter Guidelines? These guidelines influence when you ask, who you ask, and what information you prepare. By figuring this all out early, you can spend a few weeks deciding who to ask and producing your materials. It’s especially important to put time and thought into your resume and brag sheet, as your recommenders will rely on these documents to write their letters. Not only should your recommenders already have a positive impression of you from class, but giving them thorough materials willalso impress them and show them how seriously you’re taking the college application process. As discussed above, some schools require students to ask in junior year while others take a more hands-off approach. Even if your school doesn’t give you a specific deadline, you might consider asking at the end of th grade. That way you’re fresh in your teachers’ minds, plus you can ensure that you won’t lose a spot to other students who were ahead of the game. If you’re unclear about the answers to any of these questions around recommendation letters, you should definitely speak with your counselor and teachers. Make sure you have the information you need to feel empowered through the process of applying to college. What’s Next? Speaking of the steps you need to apply to college, check out this full guideon how to apply to college. It goes over everything you need to know, from choosing the right classes to taking standardized tests to filling out your application forms. For more on planning your recommendation letters, you can learn about how to request your letters here and why exactly these letters are so important to your overall application. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Private law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Private law - Essay Example union between Springer and the relatives made it possible for her to regain her health and continued to move together as a group in the waters (Henderson, 151-161). The issue raised in the story has raised the emotions of the readers. Luna the most loved whale dies in British Columbia waters. The orphaned whale had won the heart of many whale lovers around the world the globe. The appearance of the young killer whale at Nootka had attracted much attention from the media around the world. The whale enjoyed developing relationship with people and played with anything around it including the boats. The close relationship between the whale and the humans was, unfortunately, the cause of its death. The young Luna was killed had been killed by a boats propeller in 2006. Even though the occurrence saddened many people, a few individuals were relieved since the animal’s curious behavior had resulted in number problems that had not yet been resolved. Luna’s playfulness had destroyed many boats creating conflicts with the boat owners. The challenges were difficult to determine by fisheries officers (Henderson, 160-162). Groc was not success ful in avoiding emotional response. The writer tried to explain the issues that may have led to the whale being lonely. The writer continued to explain how the whale had struggled to develop a relationship with the human beings. It was desirable for the writer to produce an emotional response with an intention of keeping the reader on the track. The authors desire to look at the issues objectively and equitably were effectively achieved. She explains how the orphaned whale had developed friends and enemies in different measures. Despite the whale struggling to build a relationship with humans, she was killed by the same people that she used to play with. I totally agree that humans were responsible for the demise of the orphaned Luna, since the whale was discovered; it was always struggling to develop a relationship with persons, a

Media Broadcasting Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media Broadcasting Sustainability - Essay Example According to Sachs and Finkelpearl, the marketing operations have also been identified to be playing an effective role in the development of businesses and other corporate entities. In this respect, business entities, with the assistance of social marketing, have assisted in changing the behavior along with cultural values as observed in the society. Respectively, social marketing have assisted business entities in developing better communities and societies focusing on the aim of addressing to the issues in relation to environmental sustainability (Sachs and Finkelpearl, â€Å"From Selling Soap to Selling Sustainability: Social Marketing†). Again, in the second article titled ‘Media Literacy, Citizenship, and Sustainability’ by Robin Andersen and Pamela Miller, emphasis has been laid on the trend, which implies that different business organizations have adopted various marketing strategies with the aim of ensuring that the products are marketed effectively in loc al, national as well as international markets in today’s contemporary era. Contextually, the importance of visual advertisements has been recognized to play a major role in attracting consumers towards a product. There are different media technologies, which include televisions, internets and magazines among others that have assisted in influencing the consumer culture to a substantial extent. In this regard, the article illustrates that the Diesel Company has used different media technologies in promoting its products through visual messages. Thus, media technologies have assisted the company to perform in a sustainable manner. In this regard, media literacy and education is important in the present business scenario to develop better creative as well as innovative ads and facilitate an effective bondage with different cultures and peoples. Media literacy will also facilitate consumers in having a better understanding and information in relation to factors accountable for cl imate change along with other awareness programs. Contextually, media literacy has also been argued as essential to develop a better sustainability along with citizenship on a global context in this article (Andersen and Miller, â€Å"Media Literacy, Citizenship, and Sustainability†). In the third article titled, ‘Music: Using Education and Entertainment to Motivate Change’ by Amy Han, arguments have been centered to the notion that music from traditional era till the present day context has been used as an effective role in developing better connection amid people. It also assists in developing the spiritual aspects of people in an entertaining manner. The article further argues that in the present digital age, media technologies, which include ‘social networking sites’ such as Facebook and Twitter among others are used to preserve music and also share it within the social circle irrespective of geographical and political limits. Music is used in ed ucation with the intention of developing cognitive skills and self-awareness along with self-confidence skills amid individuals. Music is also recognized to influence the moral character of an individual. Music education also assists individuals in having a better understanding of environment and its sustainability. In this regard, the article denotes that music has been used in different festivals and entertainment events. These events are organized and educate people about the way of minimizing waste and preserving the natural beauty (Han, â€Å"Music: Using Education and Entertainment to Motivate Change†). PART II The articles summarized in the discussion of part

Death in the Woods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Death in the Woods - Research Paper Example umber of short stories where the narrator has made an attempt to describe the death of an old woman who dies on her way home from the village, and how soon after, how body becomes transformed mystically. The story is set in the nineteenth century in the deep dark areas of Illinois. This paper helps to provide an analysis on the same. Mrs Grimes is the main protagonist around whom the story has been woven. The narrator has presented himself as a very unreliable source upon which no one has a choice but to bank upon in order to hear the entire story of how Mrs Grimes died. She lived on the edge of society and made a livelihood by selling eggs. She and her husband did not have much standing in society as they were frowned down upon because her husband was called a horse thief. People were under the impression that they did not belong to a good family and thus did not deserve to be a part of the social circle. Mrs Grimes is thus ignored by the people around her, on a daily basis and she is quite used to the fact as well. Despite being quite an old woman, the narrator has described her physique as a rather appealing one. â€Å"A thing so complete has its own beauty.† (Anderson, S) She grew up as an indentured servant in the house of a German man. He treated her badly and made her provide him with sexual favours, as it has been suggested within the book, and this put her in the bad books of his wife, who beat Mrs Grimes up cruelly. However, she was rescued by Jake who helped her escape and married her. However, the two gave birth to a son and daughter – the daughter died during childhood and the son grew up to be like his father, and they both abused Mrs Grimes and gave her the worst time. They treated her much like the German master did and thus the narrator stated that for Mrs Grimes, life had always been rough, brutish and the worst form experienced by her and thus she did not know a different side to life at all. As she grew up, she began to take care of animals

Second Great Awakening and Women Activism Essay

Second Great Awakening and Women Activism - Essay Example A female antislavery society was formed by some reformers so as to ensure that women are not ill-treated in the society. American slavery was regarded as a sin against God mainly by female reformers. On the contrary, Congregational Church had denounced abolitionist efforts which were undertaken publicly by women. The social influences were used by females in order to focus on Christian benevolence objects and promoting piety. It has been proclaimed by critics that her tone changes when she assumes to be a public reformer like the man. Female reformers eventually tend to become ostentatious and obtrusive. The charm linked with domestic life is lost when women loose such modesty, which constitutes the real societal influence by women. Sarah Grimke was another female reformer, who had stated her point against the criticism. Grimke sisters had the strong belief on evils related to slavery, after being converted to Quakerism. Sarah Grimke clearly defines in her letter that women have the capability to identify causes behind dangers. This capability is hindered when men feel that women are ruining their modesty by becoming public reformers. She further argued by saying, the New Testament highlights the influence and appropriate duties of women, which can also be regarded as the origin of mighty power. The sense of morality in women had been adversely affected by men in terms of interpreting duties of women. This debate was extended to sayings of Holy Bible, where God has not differentiated amongst human beings.

Psychologic Disorders Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychologic Disorders - Case Study Example The current psychological state of the patient is due to her history of mood issues; this makes her prone to mood swings throughout the menopause period. The patient is going through the maniac state, explaining the loss of sleep, increased energy, elation, and spending. In accordance to her psychological history, this condition has persisted for sometime; bipolar disorders persist for a long period. Based on medical facts, the symptoms of menopause repeatedly persist in post- menopause phase. Vasomotor symptoms are evident and are displayed by the patient. Examples of these symptoms include; hot flashes leading to lack of sleep at night and mood changes leading to aggression- continually spending money on various items. The appropriate treatment for the patient under investigation is referral to a psychological health specialist. This approach is necessary so the medical practitioner can determine if the symptoms are due to menopause or by the psychological illness (Akiskal, & Tohen, 2011). As per the patient under evaluation, the symptoms are due to psychological illness. Medication administered to the patient is a combination of mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotic medication. Mood stabilizers aid in stabilizing maniac symptoms, limiting risk factors like self harm and reducing future episodes. Mood stabilizer drugs include; lithium, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, topiramate, and valproate. Antipsychotic drugs and or benzodiazepine are included to the mood stabilizers so as to subside mania. Examples of antipsychotic drugs include; olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine, risperidone, and aripiprazole. According to the maniac symptoms of the patient, clonazepam must be used to treat the maniac qualities (Suppes, Dennehy, & Suppes, 2012). The most effective treatment according to the patient’s diagnosis is supportive psychotherapy, prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, and psycho

Second Great Awakening and Women Activism Essay

Second Great Awakening and Women Activism - Essay Example A female antislavery society was formed by some reformers so as to ensure that women are not ill-treated in the society. American slavery was regarded as a sin against God mainly by female reformers. On the contrary, Congregational Church had denounced abolitionist efforts which were undertaken publicly by women. The social influences were used by females in order to focus on Christian benevolence objects and promoting piety. It has been proclaimed by critics that her tone changes when she assumes to be a public reformer like the man. Female reformers eventually tend to become ostentatious and obtrusive. The charm linked with domestic life is lost when women loose such modesty, which constitutes the real societal influence by women. Sarah Grimke was another female reformer, who had stated her point against the criticism. Grimke sisters had the strong belief on evils related to slavery, after being converted to Quakerism. Sarah Grimke clearly defines in her letter that women have the capability to identify causes behind dangers. This capability is hindered when men feel that women are ruining their modesty by becoming public reformers. She further argued by saying, the New Testament highlights the influence and appropriate duties of women, which can also be regarded as the origin of mighty power. The sense of morality in women had been adversely affected by men in terms of interpreting duties of women. This debate was extended to sayings of Holy Bible, where God has not differentiated amongst human beings.

Critically evaluate the claim that Marxism offers a coherent account Essay

Critically evaluate the claim that Marxism offers a coherent account of the modern international political system - Essay Example The most notable example of its failure to build up a fruitful political system is the Soviet Union whose eventual collapse was engendered by the flaws and paradoxes lying at its heart. In the first place, Marxism fails to perceive the corruption of absolute power. Secondly, it fails to perceive that ruling proletariats in the power of a socialist state are bound to assume the behaviors of capitalist elite class. The third flaw lies in its attempt to impose equality and to steal away freedom in the name of a classless society. Such socialist attempt to maintain equality by robbing a man’s freedom is essentially Totalitarianism which inspires corruption and discourages people’s protest against this corruption. Further the paradox of an equal society does not permit a congenially productive economic system. When the equal distribution of wealth among the citizens theoretically seems to contribute to an equal and just society, this distribution ultimately discourages the i ndividual to involve in production activities. Thus a socialist economy goes futile. Again, a Marxist state continually aims at establishing the working class at the power of a country. Therefore, a socialist political system poses threat to other states which do not hold a socialist view. A Brief Overview of Marxism and a Marxist State Being commissioned by the Communist League, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels jointly wrote the book, â€Å"The Communist Manifesto†, in 1848, which is often accepted as one of the most influential political documents around the world. Indeed, Marxism is regarded as a social theory which foretells and philosophizes about the future of modern capitalist society as well as human history. But it is also true that the Communist Manifesto can be considered as the political guidance for those who are involved in the production system of the modern capitalist society. For these authors, modern society is essentially the latest one of those changes in th e mode of production throughout the evolution of human society. At the same time, since Marx and Engels envisaged that the stage of human society, next to Capitalism, is a world of the working class people, in Marx and Engel’s word the proletariats, that is based on the socialist modes of labor as well as production, the proletariat or the working class people of the world should unite themselves to take the society to this stage. Theory of Class-struggle and Marx’s View of a Socialist Political System Marx and Engels have assumed that the Capitalist society has evolved from the breakdown of the previous feudalist society through the conflicts between the feudal landowners and their subjects. Through this dissolution of the feudal society two more incompatible classes emerged: the bourgeoisie and the working class. While the bourgeoisies, occupying a country’s political system, control the instruments of production, the working-class are economically subjugated by those in a capitalist political system. These bourgeoisies are exclusively profit-driven. Though they lack any morals, they continue to support any moral system which is congenial to

Lord of the Flies Central Thematic Dichotomy Essay Example for Free

Lord of the Flies Central Thematic Dichotomy Essay The theme of the central thematic dichotomy in lord of the flies is conveyed through many ways through out the first three chapters. The once majestic island has begun to seem as if it is only a mask for the true concealed â€Å"beastie.† The seemingly paradisiacal island is very similar to the Garden of Eden as it obtains beauty by the vast amounts of growing foliage such as the â€Å"blue flowers,† â€Å"candlebuds,† and dense green forest. On the crust the cool, calm and peaceful persona is vivid and clear however just below lies the greed and savagery of all man kind which in the biblical story says that evil was exposed through Eve when she gave into temptation and disobeyed god’s commands however, in Lord of the flies the sinister one who gives into temptations and leads others with him is Jack as he gives into his primal urges and disobeys his civilized upbringing because of his constant rationalizations of the fact that they need meat but, in reality his interest in meat for the boys is clouded by his desire to kill. The garden of Eden references are also foreshadowing devices as at first the Garden is full of joy and laughter and then humans fall because of greed and temptation which is what happens to the boys at first they believe â€Å"this is a good island† but soon they fall to the primal instincts from within. This shows that the island although beautiful on the surface is merely a disguise for the underlying evil that is rooting itself into the boys. Secondly in my opinion I believe the island and the boys is very much like Libya, it has a hierarchy, it has an infrastructure, it has rules and regulations. It seems civilized. However it is not. As we know, the hierarchy is a dictatorship conducted my Gaussian, much like Jack who is urging himself to be a dictator which is shown when he says â€Å"Come on, Follow me!† leaving only Piggy and Raplh alone as well as, his control over the choir boys, even though Ralph is leader. Its infrastructure is weak, as is the shelters built by the boys, and lastly the rules and regulations are kept but enforced in a cruel , barbaric way which is how the boys are beginning to edge towards as shown when Ralph makes the boys stand until one collapses and he is left and teased for his lack of stamina. Although the boys try to stay within the paths of civilization they slowly are drifting onto the trail of savagery. Also the components of civilization they brought or found are slowly being destroyed and replaced with demonist items such as fire. They begin with their clothes. Clothes have been worn for 170,000 years, since the dawn of civilization, at first the purpose of piggy removing his â€Å"school sweater† is because of his desperation to escape the heat and although Raplh strips, during the first chapter he eventually puts his clothes back on, showing that within him he still sides with humanity rather than savagery however, as time continues the boys slowly begin to rip and destroy as well as remove more clothing and the most covered, Jack, who begins wearing his long black cloak in the first chapter becomes the least clothed with his â€Å"bare back† described when he is hunting in the third chapter. This shows the backwards evolution of the boys where they are beginning to strip away all that is civil and proper and go back to the nature they were created with. As if the once civilized island is now manipulating them to become Neanderthal like creatures. Secondly Piggy’s glasses represent intelligence and humans overpowering nature and the boys use them as †burning glasses† which shows that they are starting to lack respect for human kinds inventions and innovations and interchange over to a side where items/technology are not worth what they would be in a civilized town. Also the fact that they took the glasses forcefully without Piggy’s consent is a sign that the children have not only begun to loose respect for items but also for manners which coincides with the theme that the boys are loosing respect for proper behavior and therefore loosing respect for civilization. This again also foreshadows the future because Piggy’s glasses are also broken just like the shattering of civilization on the island. Lastly the fire the boys create begins as a sign of hope, they try to create a signal so someone might rescue them however it slowly turns into a much larger fire than expected and sets fire to some of the trees and eventually kills a young boy. This is Goldings way of saying that even something that has good intentions can quickly turn into something heinous if given the chance. It is foreshadowing the boys development from good natured English school boys to savage, cold, cantankerous monsters of human beings. To conclude on the surface the boys and the island seem, pleasant, empyrean and majestic however, the inner core opposes the outer drastically and surfaces when times are tough. This shows that the primitive barbaric attitudes of our ancestors comes fourth when in a time of crisis and pressure even if we have the greatest of intentions in the end as Golding shows no-one has the ability to deny or defeat our urges even ones as pure as Simon. Our greatest enemy is truly ourselves.

Data Stream Classification Of Red And White Wines Marketing Essay

Data Stream Classification Of Red And White Wines Marketing Essay Introduction Well we got 2 data sets to analysis using SPSS PASW 1) Wine Quality Data Set and 2) The Poker Hand Data Set. We can do this using CRISP methodology. Let us look what is CRISP by wikipedia CRISP-DM stands for Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining It is a data mining process model that describes commonly used approaches that expert data miners use to tackle problems. PASW Modeler is a data mining workbench that enables you to quickly develop predictive models using business expertise and deploy them into business operations to improve decision making. Designed around the industry-standard CRISP-DM model, IBM SPSS PASW Modeler supports the entire data mining process, from data to better business results. CRISP DM, Clementines own lightweight methodology of 5 stages Business Understanding, Data Understanding, Data Preparation Modelling, Evaluation and Deployment. CRISP Methodology Business Understanding: Understanding the project requirements objectives from a business perspective, and then converting this knowledge into a data mining problem definition Data understanding In this step following activities are going on, Data understanding, Collecting Initial Data then describing Data, Exploring Data and lastly verifying Data Quality The data preparation phase Tasks include table, record, and attribute selection as well as transformation and cleaning of data for modeling tools.Cleaning Data using appropriate cleaning and cleansing strategies then Integrating Data into a single point. Modeling: Selection and application of various modeling techniques done in this phase, and their parameters are adjusted to optimal values. Basically, there are more than one technique for the same data mining problem type. Some techniques have specific requirements on the form of data. Therefore, stepping back to the data preparation phase is often needed. Steps consist of Generating a Test Design, Building the Models assessing the Model Evaluation Building of model (or models) takes place in this phase. Before proceeding to final deployment of the model, it is important to more thoroughly evaluate the model, and review the steps executed to construct the model. Deployment In the final stage Knowledge gained is organized presented so that an end user can easily use it. As per the requirements this can be a report or a complex data mining process. Normally Customers carry out the deployment step Wine quality data set Wine quality is modeled under classification and regression approaches, which preserves the order of the grades. Explanatory knowledge is given in terms of a sensitivity analysis, which measures the response changes when a given input variable is varied through its domain The red wine data set contains 1600 samples out of which I have selected 200 random samples and doing the analysis(Data mining cannot discover patterns that may be present in the larger body of data if those patterns are not present in the sample being mined ) .So I selected the data set bearing in mind. The data set I have selected has high confidence. With measurements of 13 chemical constituents (e.g. alcohol, Mg) and the goal is to find the quality of red and white wine. Input variables 1 fixed acidity 2 volatile acidity 3 citric acid 4 residual sugar 5 chlorides 6 free sulphur dioxide 7 total sulfur dioxide 8 density 9 pH 10 sulphates 11 alcohol Output variable is quality (score between 0 and 10) CRISP methodology has been followed through out the phase .By checking the web site and resources learned about the wine domain .the next step was to check whether incorrect, missing or abnormal values in the data set end ensure the data quality. Data quality of the data set is very good. PASW Data stream classification of red and white wines Classification for Red and White wine 2 data sets red wine and white wine have been imported using variable file nodes Use of type node here is to describe the characteristics of data. . The Classification and Regression (CR) Tree node is a tree-based classification and prediction method. Similar to C5.0, this method uses recursive partitioning to split the training records into segments with similar output field values. The CR Tree node starts by examining the input fields to find the best split, measured by the reduction in an impurity index that results from the split. The split defines two subgroups, each of which is subsequently split into two more subgroups, and so on, until one of the stopping criteria is triggered. All splits are binary (only two subgroups) Red Wines variable importance White wine variable importance From variable importance diagram we can say that important attribute to determine Red wine quality is pH. The variable importance is in the order pH, citric acid, chloride as shown in the figure1. But for determining White wines quality the most contributing attribute is chloride and 2nd attribute is Alcohol. Decision Tree Model of white wine (only a portion) Analysis and conclusion The above generated tree consists of nodes and its children. The top node represent the total number of wine samples and how many number belongs to different categories(1 to 9).The first split is on chloride. This implies that most of the wine belongs to chloride level0.041.We see that good quality wine has chloride level It has been found from count Vs Quality graph that how many belongs to good quality categories. Alcoholic concentration of white wine samples is more than that of red wine sample. Good wines normally have high concentration. So we can conclude that White wine samples are good. In the white wine chloride level is normally high that implies it has got good Aroma. Where as in red wine the citric level is between particular levels that shows the red wine is very tasty!! PASW has got a number of 2-D and 3-D charts like bar, pie, histogram, scatter etc for time being I am using linear graph and 3-d scatter graph. You can use any of the graph as per the requirements. Some graphs are easy to interpret .Let us consider a 2-D graph between most contributing variable pH and quality from the graph it is clear that the relation ship between pH and quality is in such a way that if pH is in between 3.23 and 3.27 quality is good. Quality is very low for 3.38 and 3.50.We can plot similar graph between quality and citric acid or towards what ever contributing variable then find out the relation ship between them 2-D graph represent the relation ship between quality and pH of Red wine Let us plot a graph between chloride and Quality for the white wine. In the below figure it shows the quality is very good when chloride level below 0.036.And quality in the range 5 to 6 when chloride level is above .048. Like this if plot a graph between quality and alcohol we will see the quality is too good if alcoholic concentration in between 12.5 and 13(as per the sample I have analyzed) 3D graph which shows the relation ship between alcohol, quality and chloride level of white wine from the 2d analysis it was shown how the quality is being affected by single variable. If the one variable does not tell about how quality being related we can check relation ship between 3 variables using a 3d graph. It is having 3 axes. How Regression is useful In this multiple regression ,Predictors such as (Constant), alcohol, fixed acidity, residual sugar, chlorides, volatile acidity, free sulfur dioxide, sulphates, pH, total sulfur dioxide, citric acid, density determine the value of quality. Below gave a Pasw stream for regression. As per the variable importance graph volatile acidity, total SO2 and alcohol are most important variables in Regression analysis. Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate 1 .792(a) .626 .474 .542 Each by changing the independent variables value we can get value of dependent variable quality. With the help of a hypothesis we need to understand and build a relation ship among the variables. To predict the mean quality value for a given independent variable (say volatile acidity) we need a line which passes between the mean value of both quality and volatile acidity and which minimize the sum of distance between each of the points and predictive line. This fits into a line. The Poker Hand Data Set Each record is an example of a hand consisting of five playing cards drawn from a standard deck of 52. Each card is described using two attributes (suit and rank), for a total of 10 predictive attributes. There is one Class attribute that describes the Poker Hand. The order of cards is important and there are 480 possible Royal Flush hands. Below discussing about how to determine poker hands using data mining. I am considering classification only. If we consider clustering/Regression it does not make any sense PASW MODEL CLASSIFICATION USING CRT ALGORITHAM We got training and testing data set .First applying a model on training data set. Source file is a Comma separated file (CSV) with 1 million rows. It is difficult to do analyse on this input data set so selected sample data set and doing the analysis. Problem faced The given source data was not in a meaning full format so I have given meaningful attribute name and Values by using Vlookup function in MS excel, now the data has become more meaning full and it looks like below. Data cleansing is very important and comes under data preparation phase of the methodology Accuracy of predictive model The accuracy of predictive model is checked by analysis node. It has been found that accuracy is 90%. Using the Algorithm need to predict any of these: 0: Nothing in hand; 1: One pair;2: Two pairs;3: Three of a kind;4: Straight;5: Flush; 6: Full house;7: Four of a kind;8: Straight flush;9: Royal flush; Pocker hands variable importance diagram Let me say what did I understood from the diagram. Rank2 (rank of card2) is most contributing variable to predict poker hands. It is clear that Rank of 1st, 4th and 2nd cards are more contributing than suit of those cards. The different section of pie chart represents number of cards in a particular poker category. Blue represents No Poker; Red represents ONE PAIR, Green represent Royal flesh How Pasw helps to do classification Pasw has got number tree constructing algorithms(CR, c5.0) to do classification. I considered Classification and Regression (CR) though this is not a time efficient algorithm time complexity is more when compared to c5.0)I selected CR.The data set I have got is simple one and I am not considering the deep analysis all I need to do is to predict poker hands so CR can do it. Below shows the constructed tree using CR (Ashort description of tree already given above) Analysis Data has been classified into Training set and Testing set .Here most of the data set into a training set and small portion of data is used for testing.After a model has been processed by using the Training set, we can test the model by making predictions against the Test set. Since the data in the training set already contains known values for the attribute that you want to predict. Below giving the portion of training set being used. Integrating classification and association rule mining can produce more efficient and accurate classifiers.Here each row is an instance Trial: pair of 5 attributes (SUIT and RANK) + classification class. So this can be used to predict the classification of other unclassified instances. consider the training set given below suit1 rank1 suit2 rank2 suit3 rank3 suit4 rank4 suit5 Rank5 poker Heart ASS heart KING spades 4 Spades 3 heart QUEEN Nothing in hand Diamonds QUEEN diamonds 2 diamonds JACK Clubs 5 spades 5 ONE PAIR Hearts 10 hearts jack hearts king Hearts queen hearts 1 royal flesh Spades Jack spades king spades 10 Spades queen spades 1 royal flesh Diamond queen diamond jack diamond king diamond 10 diamond 1 royal flesh Hearts 5 diamond king spades king spades 7 clubs 5 two pairs Hearts 4 hearts 1 hearts 3 diamond 5 diamond 2 straight Suppose want to predict below hand is what type of Poker hand? suit1 rank1 suit2 rank2 suit3 rank3 suit4 rank4 suit5 rank5 poker Club 10 club jack club A club king club queen From the training set data the testing set is predicted, answer is Royal Flesh Conclusion Two data sets the wine and poker have been analysed using CRISP methodology and using the tool IBM SPSS PASW, used different modelling techniques which suits. Analysed the knowledge elicited by each model DATA MINING KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY IN MARKETING (PART 2) Abstract Now-a-days Using the high power computing and information technology enables to collect store and process complex Marketing data. Data mining is used to extract knowledge from this marketing data. This report discuss about Data mining process, short discussion about different mining techniques such as classification tree, neural network, Regression and their application in marketing domain. My report Also cover different type of analyzes and tasks being used Introduction From the given topics I have selected the topic Data mining and Knowledge discovery for marketing since my cup of tea is Business and computing. I would always like to do research in Business analytics .Well let us look at what is data mining Data mining is the process of discovery of interesting, meaningful and actionable patterns hidden in large amounts of data . This is one of the tools to transform data into information. It is widely used in almost all fields of science and business profiling practice such as marketing, fraud detection, and scientific discovery. The technique to uncover pattern on data can also apply on sample data .so the sample data should be so the sample should be a good representative of larger data set. data mining can not find out the pattern which may be present in larger body of data and not contains in the small sub set of data. So this is very useful when sufficiently represented data are collected Most well known branches of data mining is knowledge discovery or KDD It derives knowledge from input data .This knowledge which have got from the process will become additional data and can be used for further discovery in related field normally an analyst can analysis and predict it.DM can generate thousands of pattern but all these patterns are not interested and useful. In this I am considering Data mining in a marketing field prospective. The data coming from different sources like transactions, loyalty cards, and discount coupons; customer complaint calls public life style studies using this data we can make Target marketing like to identify appropriate customer segments for new marketing initiatives determine customer purchasing pattern over time associations/co-relations between product sales, predict based on such association I mean cross market analysis what type of customer buys what type of product that is customer profiling Predict likelihood of customer churn and target those likely to leave with retention campaigns Customer requirement analysis like Identify the best products for different groups of customers and Predict what factors will attract new customers Provision of summary information such as Multidimensional summary reports and Statistical summary information (data central tendency and variation) Another question is why can not we go for a traditional data analysis instead of data mining? Answer is the field like marketing has tremendous Amount of data and it has multi dimension and complexity.A Marketing firm would likely to segment their customers into similar groups or clusters in order to better understand consumer behavior and more effectively market their products. In the past for a small business initiatives did not have trouble to understand their customers. They knew what they have to do once a customer approach them .Todays business is more competitive, more customer oriented, more products oriented so it is very difficult to understand the customer behavior, wants, needs the hidden relation ship between the data and preferences. With the help of data mining an analyst can deliver timely, personalized promotional offers. 1 Knowledge Discovery (KDD) Process S2 S1 S3 Data Cleaning Data Integration Databases Data Warehouse Knowledge Task-relevant Data Selection Data Mining Pattern Evaluation Normally in the huge DWH data mining environment data coming from various sources integrated and put it in data warehousing. Various data mining soft wares like teradata intelligent miners are used to mine Tera bytes of data and find market prediction. As I mentioned the DM is a Tools for developing predictive and descriptive models. Some are statistical method such as regression. Other use non statistical method like neural networks, classification trees. Here I considered some important tools then their How Classification trees are being used in marketing data mining Classification tree partition the data to maximize the difference in the dependent variable. it is also called a decision tree. Aim of classification tree is to classify the data into distinct groups or branches that create the strongest separation in the values of the dependent variables.The tree can identify segments. This can be helpful when a company is trying to understand what is driving market behavior. It detects nonlinear relationship. Mailed 10000 2.6% Male 4677 3.2% Female 2.15 2.1 % 1.7%  £30-45 3.6% > £45 4.1% Age>40 4.3% Age 0.7% Box shows resp rate in percentage The tree growth is through series of steps and rules .say for example sales pieces were mailed to 100000 names and yielded a response rate of 2.6%.the first split is on gender. This indicates that greatest difference between responders and non responders is gender. We see that males are much more responsive than females. We would consider males the better target group If we stop after one split. Our goal is to find out group with in both genders that discriminates between responders and non responders. In the next level split male and female groups are considered separately The second level split from the male node is on income, this implies that the income level varies in most between responders and non responders among the males. For female greatest difference is among the age group .It is very easy to identify the group with the highest response rate. Lets say that management decides to mail only to groups where the response rate is more than 3.5%.the offers would be directed to males who makes more than  £30000 a year and female over age 40 Some typical Classification tree Algorithms are 1) C4.5: Quinlan, J. R. C4.5: Programs for Machine Learning. Morgan Kaufmann., 1993. 2) CART: L. Breiman, J. Friedman, R. Olshen, and C. Stone. Classification and Regression Trees. Wadsworth, 1984 Linear regression and its applicability in marketing Knowledge of deviation from normal is very important for a marketer. In the past such deviations were very difficult to detect. Now-a-days data mining tools give great flexibility to detect and classify these changes. It is a statistical technique that quantifies the relationship between dependent variable and the independent variable, these are continuous. Consider the below equation, it shows a relation ship between sales and advertising along the regression equation .Our goal is to predict the sales based on the amount spend on advt. Plot a graph sales vs. advt that would be linear. A key measure of the strength of the relationship is the R-square. It measures the amount of overall variation in data that explained by the model. More than 70% Of the variation in sales can be explained by variation in advertising. Some times the relationship between sales and Advt is non linear (may be curvilinear) .By using the square root of advertising we are able to find better fit for the data. Sales=17.813+.0897*Advertising  £120  £1,503  £160  £1,755  £205  £2,971  £210  £1,682  £225  £3,497  £230  £1,998  £290  £4,598  £315  £2,937  £375  £3,622  £390  £4,402  £440  £3,844  £475  £4,470  £490  £5,492MINIMIZE SQUARED ERROR Advt sales ADVEGRTISIN -Æ’Â   x axis When building targeting models for marketing, risk and CRM, it is common to have much predictive variable. Using multiple predictive or independent continuous variables to predict a single continuous variable is called multiple linear regression .Targeting model created using linear regression is generally very robust. In marketing they can be used alone or in combination with other model. Neural Networks and its applicability in marketing Neural network does not follow any statistical distribution (Neural network is very vast topic a complete discussion is beyond the scope of this report) .it is modeled after the function of the human brain. The process is one of pattern recognition and error minimization. we can say it as nodes that are arranged in layers. The figure tells simple neural network with one hidden layer. Data has been classified into training and testing set (before the process).Then weight or input is assigned to each of the nodes in the first layer. During each iteration ,the input are processed through the system and compared to the actual value .the error is measured and fed back through the system to adjust the weights. The weights get better at predicting the actual results. A error limit is defined and it check with the error limit the process finishes when the minimum error limit reached One specific type of neural network commonly used in marketing uses sigmoidal functions to fit each node. This technique is very powerful in fitting a binary or twoilevel outcome such as response to an offer or a default on a loan Neural network not only pick linear data but also do a good pick up with non linear relation ship in the data. So this allows fitting data which is not possible to fit using regression. One disadvantage we can say that the result of neural net work is some what difficult to interpret A brief description on how Clustering can applicable in data mining Cluster analysis Cluster analysis group respondents with similar behaviors, preferences, or characteristics into segments. By doing so we can understand important similarities and differences between the respondents. Analyst can use this information to develop targeted marketing strategies, or to provide subgroups for analysis. In market survey data, clustering enables market researchers to group respondents who provide similar responses on several questions. In Clustering we use more than one variable that analyzes responses to several questions in order to find similar respondents. Clustering is based on the concept of creating groups based on their proximity to, or distance from, each other. Respondents within a cluster, therefore, are relatively homogenous. Most widely used Algorithms are 1)K-Means: MacQueen, J. B., Some methods for classification and analysis of multivariate observations, in Proc. 5th Berkeley Symp. Mathematical Statistics and Probability, 1967 2) BIRCH: Zhang, T., Ramakrishna, R., and Livny, M. 1996. BIRCH: an efficient data clustering method for very large databases. In SIGMOD 96 Let us look at some more major areas of application of data mining in the marketing like Customer profiling, Deviation analysis and Trend analysis. The pattern which formed after mining the data helps in analytics. Customer profiling This help to predict several marketing decision. A customer profile is a model of customer based on this marketer decides on the right strategies and tactics to meet the needs of that customer .The data mining task used in customer profiling can be dependency analysis, class identification and concept description. Below giving set of transaction that can help marketer to construct useful customer profiles. Frequency of purchases Marketing firm can build targeted promotion offer such as frequent buyer programs by looking how often their customer purchases product from their shop. Rcency of purchases The meaning of term is How long has it been since this customer last placed an order? Suppose a customer frequently visit the shop.It has been found that the specific customer or customer group not visiting the firm over long period of time .Market investigate the reason. By knowing this they can take appropriate offer or action. Size of purchases It tells, on a particular transaction how much he or she spends. This information helps to give resources to those customer groups. Identifying typical customer groups It gives characteristics of each group .For example a profile indicating that the customer has purchased a WINDOWS 7 SOFTWARE CD may hold to the marketer offering a special deal for MICROSOFT OFFICE SOFTWARE CD. Prospecting Customer profiles like buying patterns, give clues to the marketer on prospective customers. Say for example, consider the pattern Purchase of Norton Anti Virus package with one year validity is followed by purchase of Norton Up gradation version /or new version within 11 months about 85% of the time by high income customers discovered by data mining. Analyst who analysis pattern can identify the prospective customers for Upgraded/new version based on first time purchase details and tailor the mail catalog accordingly, thus, increasing the prospect of sales. 2 Deviation analysis Deviation analysis is one of the important analysis for example a higher than normal credit purchase on a credit card can be a fraud anomaly or a genuine purchase by the customer changes.Once a deviation has been discovered as a fraud, the marketer takes appropriate steps to prevent such frauds and initiates corrective action.If the deviation has been discovered as a change, further information collection is necessary. For example, a change can be that a customer got a new job and moved to a new house. In this case, the marketer has to update the knowledge about the customer. 3) Trend analysis Trends are patterns that persist over a period of time. Trends could be short-term trends like the immediate increase and subsequent slow decrease of sales following a sales campaign. Or, trends could be long-term, like the slow flattening of sales of a product over a few years. Data mining tools, such as visualization, help us detect trends, sometimes very subtle and hidden in the database, which would have been missed using traditional analysis tools like scatter plots. In marketing decisions, trends can be used for evaluating marketing programs or to forecast future sales. Data mining task in marketing data mining domain These tasks present in all data mining process we are just looking it into marketing prospective Dependency analysis Data Visualization Class identification Deviation Detection Concept Description Dependency analysis The market basket analysis gives the relationship between different product purchased by a customer .Using this techniques we can develop marketing strategy for promoting product that have dependency relationship in customers mind. Class identification It groups customers into classes which are defined in advance. Mathematical taxonomy and clustering are being used for class identification task. What the first one does is it maximizes the similarity with in classes but minimize similarity between classes. In clustering approach it determine the clustering according to attribute similarity as well as conceptual cohesiveness as defined by domain knowledge (describe above). A company doing business over the net, based on the session log data of internet users, the firm can classify the web users into email only users Surfers or Just for fun Surfer etc Concept description Comparison analysis will be done using statistical techniques. Using this we can compare marketing and customer knowledge. Deviation detection This helps us to determine the anomaly and changes. We can find the anomaly from various statistical techniques. This is already being explained above. Data visualization This kind of softwares allows the market research team or concerned people to view complex 3-D and 2-D patterns. They also provide drill down drill up slice facilities. In the KDD (knowledge discovery from data base) process, data visualization is used in association with other tasks such as dependency analysis, class identification, deviation detection and clustering. IBM SPSS PASW has got good data visualization techniques. Some of them are explained in Part 1 of the report. Conclusion Report discussed about Data mining process,

Midnights Children essay :: essays research papers

Midnight’s Children essay Salman Rushdie's creation, Saleem Sinai, has a self-proclaimed "overpowering desire for form" (363). In writing his own autobiography Saleem seems to be after what Frank Kermode says every writer is a after: concordance. Concordance would allow Saleem to bring meaning to moments in the "middest" by elucidating (or creating) their coherence with moments in the past and future. While Kermode talks about providing this order primarily through an "imaginatively predicted future" (8), Saleem approaches the project by ordering everything in his past into neat, causal relationships, with each event a result of what preceded it. While he is frequently skeptical of the true order of the past, he never doubts its eminence; he is certain that everyone is "handcuffed to history" (482). His belief in the preeminence of the past, though, is distinctly different than the reality of time for the Saleem who emerges through that part of the novel that Gerard Gen ette calls "the event that consists of someone recounting something" (26) (Saleem-now, we can call this figure). Saleem-now is motivated to act not by the past, but instead by the uncertainty and ambiguity of the future. Saleem's construction of his own story is an effort to mitigate the lack of control he feels in looking toward the unknown future. To pacify himself he creates a world that is ordered but this world is contrary to his own reality. Saleem spends much of his energy in the story setting up neat causal relationships between events in his past to demonstrate his place "at the center of things" (272). He carefully mentions his tumble into the middle of a parade for the partition of Bombay and then proceeds to propose that "in this way I became directly responsible for triggering off the violence which ended with the partition of the state of Bombay" (219). When telling us of his school-mate Cyrus disappearance from school and emergence as a great religious prophet Saleem quickly mentions the Superman comics that he had given Cyrus earlier, and attributes Cyrus' rise to prophetdom as a direct response to these comics. By viewing Cyrus' motivation in this way Saleem says "[I] found myself obliged, yet again, to accept responsibility for the events of my turbulent, fabulous world" (309). There is an obvious note of skepticism toward these most overt acts of placing himself at the center of things. At one point he asks himself "am I so far gone, in my desperate need for meaning, that I'm prepared to distort everything†¹to re-write the whole history of my times purely in order to place myself in a central role?

Bursitis :: essays research papers fc

Bursitis Does it hurt to move your arm? Is it tender and radiating pain to your neck and finger tips? Do you have a fever? If you answered yes to two or more of these questions then you may have typical joint injury called bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa that is easily prevented, detected and treated. Bursitis is a common condition that can cause much pain and swelling around an affected bursa. A bursa is a sac between body tissues that move against each other. They are filled with a lubricating liquid to minimize the fiction between the tissues. The bursa are found mostly in joints between skin and bone or bone and tendons. When you irritate these lubricating sacs, the bursae fill with fluid and become irritated and inflamed. This inflammation causes severe pain with movement of the joint, often limiting the movement of the affected area. Bursitis commonly strikes in the shoulders, elbows, knees, pelvis, hips or Achilles tendons. Bursitis can affect nearly anyone for any number of reasons. It affects mainly adults both male and female. The individuals most at risk are people who engage in excessive and improper stretching and people who are involved heavily in athletic training. Bursitis can be caused by many things. For one, it can be caused by injury or overuse of a joint. Strenuous unfamiliar exercise also can cause Bursitis. Plus, such diseases as gout, arthritis, and chronic infection of a joint can be likely causes. But frequently the cause of Bursitis can not be determined. The only ways to prevent getting it are to wear protective gear when exorcising, practice appropriate warm ups and cool downs during exercise and to maintain a high fitness level. Bursitis is an easily treatable disease. If you suspect that you have bursitis, you will probably seek the advice of a doctor. Most likely the doctor will look at your medical history and take some x-rays. If you are diagnosed with bursitis the doctor may prescribe some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or pain relievers and may make some cortisone injections into the bursa to relieve inflammation. Once at home you are expected rest the affected area as much as possible and to apply RICE ( rest, ice, compression and elevation of the inflamed joint). Also to prevent the joint from freezing you should begin moving and exercising the affected area as soon as possible. Most likely the problem will subside in 7 to

Lenin’s View of Economic Policies in Russia Essay

Lenin’s view of economic polices in Russia between 1917 and 1923 was shaped by the factors of War Communism, and the New Economic Plan (NEP). Lenin realized that to have a successful economy and to keep the idea of equality in Communism there had to be a compromise; there needed to be a balance of state control and individual incentive for the economy to prosper. Through the failure of War Communism and the success of the economy and the drift away from Communism with the NEP; Lenin learned the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of a successful economy. Lenin described what the country needed to do to have a successful economy, he said, † We have found that a degree of private commercial interest, with state supervision and control of that interest, is all we actually need†¦ (doc. 5). This shows how both War Communism and the NEP were factors that shaped Lenin’s compromising idea of what a economy needed to be successful. The War Communism policy was adopted to keep the Red Army supplied. During War Communism the government took control of industry, and told factories what to produce; and the government would take any grain that was produced by the farmers. The Cheka would steel the grain that the farmers produced, this made the farmers angry and they no longer had any incentive to grow crops because the crops would just be taken away from them. Also money became worthless, wages were paid in food or other goods, and many people bartered goods instead of using money. The situation for the farmers and the peasants got worse. By 1921 Russia’s economy was shattered. Industrial production had drastically decreased; and the cities were in chaos. Agriculture had been demolished. War Communism was put in affect to increase the productivity of both industrial goods and food, but the workers and farmers saw no point in putting in the effort if in the end it would be taken away from them. War Communism led to the destruction of the economy of Russia. Lenin finally admitted that War Communism was a mistake, he said, â€Å"The small farmer needs a spur, and incentive that accords with his condition†¦ We are very much to blame for having gone to far; we overdid the nationalization of industry and trade, clamping down on the local exchange of commodities. Was that a mistake? It certainly was. (doc. 4)† This quote is an example of how Lenin realized that he had made a mistake and this quote also shows that Lenin understands that the workers and farmers need an incentive to work; with an incentive the economy will grow. Lenin’s view of economic policies was greatly influenced by the failure of War Communism, and by the failure he was able to figure out another system that would revive Russia’s economy. Lenin realized that to have a successful economy the people have to have the incentive to work. Lenin also knew that if he did not improve the economic state of Russia that the Communists would not survive; War Communism took the ‘safety net’ away from the Communists. Lenin had to act quickly to figure out another policy that would make the people want to work, and to revive the economy. In 1921 the NEP was created to fix the economy. Lenin created this new policy to try to burst the morale of the people and make them want to produce more grain or products. The transition form War Communism to the NEP was drastic, the people had to change there lives to fit this new, more capitalists society. Though the change to a more capitalist economy, the NEP was successful in ‘jump starting’ the farming production, for example. Lenin says, â€Å"Release of [surplus goods] into circulation would stimulate small farming, which is in terrible state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (doc. 4) This is a great example of how Lenin realizes why he needs to change from the War Communism to the NEP, for a least one reason to increase the amount of grain produced. The creation of the NEP changed many laws that were once holding Russia’s economy back. Grain requisitioning was stopped. Grain was no longer taken from the peasants. Also traders could buy and sell goods, which was illegal during War Communism. Smaller factories were returned to their former owners; and they were allowed to sell the goods they made and make a profit from them. Finally larger industries like coal and steel remained under state control; but some larger factories were able to sell their products. These were some of the main differences between War Communism and NEP. During the NEP the economy prospered, because people were now allowed to keep some of the goods they made and then sell them for their own profit. This made the people want to produce more so they could have more for their family. Lenin described some of the good affects that the NEP had, he said, â€Å"We have achieved much with our requisitioning system. Our food policy has made it possible in the second year to acquire three times as much grain as in the first.† (doc. 2) Lenin was talking about the great increase in the production of grain, this great increase was directly related to the NEP; because the peasants could keep some of the grain they made which gave them an incentive to work hard. Communists were angry because they saw the country returning to capitalism. They did not like the fact that bosses of factories called kulacks could hire men to work for them. Also Communists disliked the ‘Nepmen’, because they made a high profit by buying goods cheaply and then selling them for more. Though the NEP revived the economy, people, especially peasants were unhappy with the new capitalist society. Lenin’s view of economic policies was changed through the NEP, he knew that people need the incentive to work, but he also knew he could not give the people to much economic freedom; the idea of balancing the policy of War Communism and NEP was Lenin’s final view of how to keep the people happy and to sustain a great economy.

Gestalt Learning Theory Essay

Doing my research on learning and instruction in complex simulation-based learning environments, I experienced a large difference in how learners reacted to my learning material (Kluge, in press, 2004). Complex technical simulations involve the placement of the learner into a realistic computer simulated situation or technical scenario which puts control back into the learner’s hands. The contextual content of simulations allows the learner to â€Å"learn by doing. † Although my primary purpose was in improving research methods and testing procedures for evaluating learning results of simulation-based learning, the different reaction of our participants were so obvious that we took a closer look. I had two different groups participating in my learning experiments: students from an engineering department at the University, mostly in their 3rd semester, and apprentices from vocational training programs in mechanics and electronics of several companies near the University area in their 3rd year of vocational training. Most of the students worked very intensively and concentrated on solving these complex simulation tasks whereas apprentices became easily frustrated and bored. Although my first research purpose was not in investigating the differences between these groups, colleagues and practitioners showed their interest and encouraged me to look especially at that difference. Practitioners especially hoped to find explanations why apprentices sometimes are less enthusiastic about simulation learning although it is said to be motivating for their perception. Therefore, in this dissertation I address the difference in the effectiveness of using simulation intervention program based on a Gestalt learning theory. Moreover, to find out if the program improves either or both the quality and speed of the learning process of students enrolled in a highly technical training program. This dissertation focuses on using simulation based learning environments in vocational training program. In this chapter, the experimental methodology and instruments are described, results presented and finally discussed. As mentioned above, my primary purpose when I started to investigate learning and simulation based on Gestalt learning theory was focused on improving the research methodology and test material (see Kluge, in press, 2004) for experimenting with simulation-based learning environments. But observing the subjects’ reactions to the learning and testing material the question arose whether there might be a difference in the quality of and speed of the learning process of students involved in my study. Research Design: A 3-factor 2 ? 2 ? 2 factorial control-group-design was performed (factor 1: â€Å"Simulation complexity†: ColorSim 5 vs ColorSim 7; factor 2: â€Å"support method†: GES vs. DI-GES; factor 3: target group, see Table 2). Two hundred and fifteen mostly male students (16% female) in eight groups (separated into four experimental and four control groups) participated in the main study. The control group served as a treatment check for the learning phase and to demonstrate whether subjects acquired any knowledge within the learning-phase. While the experimental groups filled in the knowledge test at the end of the experiment (after the learning and the transfer tasks), the control groups filled in the knowledge test directly after the learning phase. I did not want to give the knowledge test to the experimental group after the learning phase because of its sensitivity to testing-effects. I assumed that learners who did not acquire the relevant knowledge in the learning phase could acquire useful knowledge by taking the knowledge test, which could have led to a better transfer performance which is not due to the learning method but caused by learning from taking the knowledge test. The procedure subjects had to follow included a learning phase in which they explored the structure of the simulation aiming at knowledge acquisition. After the learning phase, subjects first had to fill in the four-item questionnaire on self-efficacy before they performed 18 transfer tasks. The transfer tasks were separated into two blocks (consisting of nine control tasks each) by a 30-minute break. In four experimental groups (EG), 117 students and apprentices performed the learning phase (28 female participants), the 18 control tasks and the knowledge test. As said before, the knowledge test was applied at the end because of its sensitivity to additional learning effects caused by filling in the knowledge test. In four control groups (CG), 98 students and apprentices performed the knowledge test directly after the learning phase, without working on the transfer task (four female participants). The EGs took about 2-2. 5 hours and the CG about 1. 5 hours to finish the experiment. Both groups (EGs and CGs) were asked to take notes during the learning phase. Subjects were randomly assigned to the EGs and CGs, nonetheless ensuring that the same number of students and apprentices were in each group. The Simulation-Based Learning Environment The computer-based simulation ColorSim, which we had developed for our experimental research previously, was used in two different variants. The simulation is based on the work by Funke (1993) and simulates a small chemical plant to produce colors for later subsequent processing and treatment such as dyeing fabrics. The task is to produce a given amount of colors in a predefined number of steps (nine steps). To avoid the uncontrolled influence of prior knowledge, the structure of the plant simulation cannot be derived from prior knowledge of a certain domain, but has to be learned by all subjects. ColorSim contains three endogenous variables (termed green, black, and yellow) and three exogenous variables (termed x, y, and z ). Figure 1 illustrates the ColorSim screen. Subjects control the simulation step by step (in contrast to a real time running continuous control). The predefined goal states of each color have to be reached by step nine. Subjects enter values for x, y, and z within the range of 0-100. There is no time limit for the transfer tasks. During the transfer tasks, the subjects have to reach defined system states for green (e. g. , 500), black (e. g. , 990), and yellow (e. g. , 125) and/or try to keep the variable values as close as possible to the values defined as goal states. Subjects are instructed to reach the defined system states at the end of a multi-step process of nine steps. The task for the subjects was first to explore or learn about the simulated system (to find out the causal links between the system variables), and then to control the endogenous variables by means of the exogenous variables with respect to a set of given goal states. With respect to the empirical evidence of Funke (2001) and Strau? (1995), the theoretical concept for the variation in complexity is based on Woods’ (1986) theoretical arguments that complexity depends on an increasing number of relations between a stable number of (in this case six) variables (three input, three output: for details of the construction rational and empirical evidence see Kluge, 2004, and Kluge, in press, see Table 1). To meet reliability requirements, subjects had to complete several trials in the transfer task. For each of the 18 control tasks a predefined correct solution exists, to which the subjects’ solutions could be compared. In addition, knowledge acquisition and knowledge application phases were separated. The procedure for the development of a valid and reliable knowledge test is described in the next section. Different methods have been developed to provide learners with support to effectively learn from using simulations. De Jong and van Joolingen (1998) categorize these into five groups: 1. Direct access to domain knowledge, which means that learners should know something about the field or subject beforehand, if discovery learning is to be fruitful. 2. Support for hypothesis generation, which means learners are offered elements of hypotheses that they have to assemble themselves. 3. Support for the design of experiments, e. g. , by providing hints like â€Å"It is wise to vary only one variable at a time† 4. Support for making predictions, e. g. , by giving learners a graphic tool in which they can draw a curve that gives predictions at three levels of precision: as numerical data, as a drawn graph, and as an area in which the graph would be located. 5. Support for regulative learning processes: e. g. , by introducing model progression, which means that the model is introduced gradually, and by providing planning support, which means freeing learners from the necessity of making decisions and thus helping them to manage the learning process. In addition, regulative processes can be supported by leading the learner through different stages, like â€Å"Before doing the experiment . . . ,† â€Å"Now do the experiment,† â€Å"After doing the experiment. . . .† Altogether, empirical findings and theoretical assumptions have so far led to the conclusion that experiential learning needs additional support to enhance knowledge acquisition and transfer. Target Population and Participant Selection: In the introductory part, I mentioned that there were two sub groups in the sample which I see as different target groups for using simulation-based learning environments. Subjects were for the most part recruited from the technical departments of a Technical University (Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electronics, Information Technology as well as apprentices from the vocational training programs in mechanics