In What Ways Have ASDA Maintained Competitive Advantage Essay Example

In What Ways Have ASDA Maintained Competitive Advantage Paper The supermarket industry is fiercely competitive and is currently dominated by the Big Three companies: Sainsburys, Tesco and ASDA. To ensure that they remain in these three, it is important that each company gains and maintains their own competitive advantage. So, in what ways does ASDA do this? The three main factors that help ASDA maintain a competitive advantage are: * Reputation * Advertising * Market Research ASDA is well known for being the friendliest and cheapest supermarket. Customers can expect the legendary service with personality from all employees and the products they want at the lowest prices. This reputation is invaluable as it is the main reason why people shop and continue to shop at ASDA. To maintain this competitive advantage, ASDA make sure that their staff are as helpful as possible and regularly check to ensure that they are. All members of staff also wear Happy To Help badges to make them more approachable. ASDA try to emphasise this as much as possible, even one of their popular slogans is, Always Happy To Help. To ensure that they also have the lowest prices possible, ASDA hire employees to price check at rival supermarket chains. This has proven to be effective as they have been awarded the title of Britains Best Value Supermarket for the fifth consecutive year. Since 1999, ASDA have cut their prices by around i 0. 5 billion. Customers obviously recognise and value this as they continue to shop at ASDA. ASDA utilise advertising as an extremely powerful tool to attract customers. ASDA air more television commercials during daytime than any of their main competitors. We will write a custom essay sample on In What Ways Have ASDA Maintained Competitive Advantage specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on In What Ways Have ASDA Maintained Competitive Advantage specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on In What Ways Have ASDA Maintained Competitive Advantage specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They use this to make existing and potential customers aware of their latest deals and of course, that they are, always happy to help. These advertisements not only interest customers with their products but also make familiarise them with the name and associate ASDA with friendliness and great value. This association will make people who tend to shop at different supermarkets want to shop at ASDA if they feel that they offer a better service and are better value. Market research is also vitally important to maintain their competitive advantage. Market Research ensures that ASDA provide everything that their customer needs and also finds new products that customers would be interested in. To make this competitive advantage as long-lasting as possible, ASDA frequently research into customer care, consumer issues and product development, as well as ongoing advertising campaigns and price comparison. This helps ASDA keep ahead of the game and offer goods and services that their main competitors do not yet offer. Customers are also welcome to submit their feedback to ASDA through questionnaires available on their exit. These questionnaires help ASDA to find out the needs of their customers by interacting directly with them. Although these are the three main factors that help ASDA maintain a competitive advantage, others are just as important. These include the use of the Internet and innovation. ASDAs Internet shopping system has proven to be extremely popular. It is also a very cost-efficient way of advertising, which ASDA use to their full advantage. Internet shopping is becoming increasingly popular as it allows customers to shop from their own home instead of having to make the journey to the supermarket. Many customers prefer this because it allows them more free time, something that many people do not have much of in a busy, modern life. ASDA recognised this very early on and was one of the first UK Supermarkets to try out this system. Advertising on the Internet allows ASDA to target potential customers by advertising on a website that potential customers would be interested in. ASDA hire a group of people to constantly think up new ideas to stay ahead of the game and encourage staff and customers alike to make any suggestion that they want. ASDAs constant innovation has allowed customers a wider range of products available in ASDA. New specialised counters are constantly being added to help customers find what they want more easily and to ensure that the food is of high standard. These include specialisation in pizza, chicken, and fresh salads and fruits. Specialisation allows ASDA to assign employees to make a certain type of food. By just concentrating on this food, this ensures that it is of high quality and the employee will be as helpful as possible because they will know a lot about it. Conclusion ASDA rely on competitive advantage to keep their existing customers and to encourage other people to shop there. ASDA have many ways to ensure that they maintain this advantage. These include market research, advertising, the Internet, innovation and most importantly, their reputation. All of these factors guarantee that ASDA is more attractive to shoppers than their main competitors and make people want to shop there. ASDA take competitive advantage very seriously and this has caused them to win numerous awards including, Britains best value supermarket and also become the most popular supermarket in the UK.

Football kick biomechanics Essay Example

Football kick biomechanics Essay Example Football kick biomechanics Essay Football kick biomechanics Essay The effects of a strength and kick co-ordination preparation programme on lower limb speed, ball speed and articulatio genus extensor strength: Differences between male and female football participants. Football ( besides known as association football ) is one of the most popular squad athleticss worldwide ( Katis A ; Kellis, 2007 ) with 100s of 1000000s purported to play ( Masuda et al, 2005 ) and in conformity is watched on 6 continents ( Ekstrand, 1994 ) . Due to this popularity, football is a widely researched country with the volume of literature extended. Assorted research programmes have been undertaken in the country of football boot biomechanics with a scope of parametric quantities being measured and analysed, in an effort to understand the cardinal accomplishments required by the athletics, particularly the maximum association football boot ( Lees A ; Nolan, 1998 ) . Although the field is widely researched spreads still transpire. One of these spreads is gender differences ; small research is documented on the kick biomechanics of adult females s football as said by Barfield et Al ( 2002 ) , who states the rapid rise in female engagement in association football worldwid e has non been followed by a corresponding addition in the figure of surveies biomechanically that mark female kicking forms to find if differences exist between males and females . Lee and Nolan ( 1998 ) province that success in football depends on kicking public presentation, with new facets of this being identified ( Kathis A ; Kellis, 2007 ) . Shan and Westerhoff ( 2005 ) believe that the scientific apprehension of the athletics is non yet on the same echelon as its pattern, later its sharers get their accomplishments non through research based direction but through single experience ; proposing that biomechanical feedback may ease an jock further. Kicking public presentation and kick co-ordination : Biomechanical kicking success in football has been measured predominately by maximal ball speed ( Markovic et al, 2006 ) with Dorge et Al ( 2002 ) saying it could be this velocity that is peculiarly of import when kicking towards end. When kicking a ball, participants will utilize the most appropriate signifier dependent on the purpose and nature of the result ( Numone et al, 2002 ) and harmonizing to a survey by Grant et Al ( 1998 ) , who analysed informations from the 1998 World Cup, the instep boot ( IK ) ( see figure 1 ) and sidefoot boot are the most normally used techniques to hit. The ball speed of the maximal IK is the chief index in kicking public presentation ( Orloff et al, 2008 ) and has been said to be the consequence of assorted factors including technique ( Lees and Nolan, 1998 ) , gender ( Barfield et al, 2002 ) , musculus strength and power of participants ( De Proft et Al, 1988 ; Dutta A ; Subraminium, 2002 ) . The IK is a cardinal accomplishment that is used on many occasions during football ( see figure 1 ) , with Orloff et Al ( 2008 ) saying that the mechanics in instep kicking are critical in finding kick public presentation. Transportation of impulse from the thigh to the leg is believed to play an of import function in instep kicking, nevertheless these claims have non been once and for all quantified ( Dunn A ; Putnam, 1988 ) . The IK involves a sequence of impulse from proximal ( thigh ) to distal ( shank and pes ) organic structure sections in the kicking limb as it is a swing action ( Barfield et al, 2002 ) that should be a natural fluid gesture ( Clagg et al, 2009 ) . When a boot is performed the proximal section initiates the motion taking the kicking leg backwards, with the distal section dawdling behind, forward motion of the leg occurs when the proximal section has reached its possible at backswing and is brought frontward whilst the articulatio genus continues to flex ( Wickstrom, 1975 ; Dorge et Al, 2002 ) . This is followed by a slowing of the proximal section due to gesture dependent minutes from the shank ( Putnam, 1991 ) ; upon ball impact the proximal section is about stationary, at which point the distal section is speed uping and smartly widening about the articulatio genus to about full extension at ball impact ( Wickstrom, 1975 ) ( see figure 2 ) . At the point of contact, of instep to ba ll, powerful kickers keep the foot/ankle composite locked and plantarflexed, as a effect the forces that propel the ball are maximised ( Hay, 1996 ; Tsaousidid and Zatsiorsky, 1996 ) . Lower limb speeds ( Levanon A ; Dapena, 1988 ) are said to be an of import determiner of ball speed. Manolopoulos et Al ( 2006 ) province that a greater shank speed is declarative of a more powerful shooting, the survey conducted by Manolopoulous et Al ( 2006 ) concluded that a strength and kick co-ordination preparation programme over a 10 hebdomad period can do an betterment in angular speeds of sections. A survey conducted by Barfield et Al ( 2002 ) found that a greater ball speed was found with greater angular speed of the distal section ( in male football players ) . From this literature it can be assumed that a individual with a high lower limb speed should hold a high ball speed. It has been theorised that the length, velocity and angle of attack are the most of import facets of the preparatory stage, before motion transpires, holding a important consequence on football boot success ( Isokawa A ; Lees, 1988 ; Kellis et Al, 2004 ) .When a football boot is performed the jock may kick the ball from a stationary place or attack the ball from a certain distance ( Kathis A ; Kellis, 2007 ) , Opavsky ( 1988 ) states that higher ball speeds are established when there is a running attack, of at least two to three stairss, to the ball in contrast to a dead attack. Another of import point is that a ball will in most instances be traveling towards the participant ; accordingly the participant will non be hitting a stationary ball as is frequently the instance in research lab conditions, supported by Tol et Al ( 2002 ) . Kellis and Katis ( 2007 ) province that higher ball velocity values have been during competition in contrast to a research lab scene. Isokawa A ; Lees ( 1988 ) concluded that on mean maximal swing leg speed occurred at an attack angle of between 30 A ; deg ; and 45 A ; deg ; , with a maximal speed resulting at 45 A ; deg ; . From this happening it can be alleged that 45 A ; deg ; is the optimum attack angle for a maximum speed instep association football boot ( Clagg et al, 2009 ) . Maximum ball velocity and its relationship with truth is one which has been investigated with interesting consequences. Asami et Al ( 1976 ) reported that by demanding both velocity and truth from participants, an 80 % bead of the maximum value occurs as a consequence, this is a considerable decrease ; nevertheless is farther supported in literature saying that accurate kicking is achieved through slower ball speeds and kicking gesture ( Katis A ; Kellis, 2007 ; Lees A ; Nolan, 1998 ; Teixeira et Al, 1999 ) . Katis A ; Kellis ( 2007 ) deduce that a defined mark, such as a end, will find the existent restraints on truth, with its use taking to a tradeoff between velocity and truth of boot. Another factor that could suppress a maximum speed IK is the kicking limb chosen. Many surveies have found that higher ball speeds are found when football participants kick with their dominant limb as opposed to boots with the non-dominant limb ; this has been attributed to higher pes velocities and a better inter-segmental form ( Numone et al, 2006 ; Dorge et Al, 2002 ) ; Manopoluous et Al ( 2006 ) province that ball velocity is the consequence of several segmental actions of the organic structure during a boot, figure 3 illustrates the motions of the organic structure sections during different stages of the boot. Female and Male football players Surveies sing male football public presentation in relation to kick biomechanics is a good researched country, nevertheless this does non correlate to the deficiency of cognition gained when researching for female information. This statement is supported by McLean et Al ( 2005 ) and Hewett et Al ( 2006 ) who both acknowledge that few surveies have characterised or examined female athletic public presentation in specific athleticss such as association football, along with the averment from Barfield ( 2002 ) that the rapid rise in female engagement in association football worldwide has non been followed by a corresponding addition in the figure of surveies biomechanically that mark female kicking forms to find if differences exist between males and females . It is thought that the designation of kinematic differences between the sexes could potentially play a critical function in the instruction and preparation of draw a bead oning female association football participants ( Barfield et al, 2002 ) . Consequently it can be assumed that female surveies should be regarded to be of high importance and those found could assist to eliminate immense differences between the sexes. With this said there are a few surveies that have compared male and females, and surveies that have entirely looked at females. A survey by Barfield et Al ( 2002 ) investigated differences between elect female and male association football participants. The survey concluded that males kick the ball with greater ball speed on the instep boot than adult females ( see table 1 for average ball speed achieved in this survey ) and the differences in kinematic variables investigated were significantly different between the sexes, although this was little. However in this survey there was one exclusion to the instance, as it was found that one female generated greater ball speed on two of her three boots than the males on her dominant side, proposing that non everyone follows the tendency. A survey by Tant et Al ( 1991 ) supports Barfield et Al ( 2002 ) findings, as it was found that male participants produce greater ball velocities than their female opposite numbers, they attributed this determination to greater strength that males recorded ; as tested on an isokinetic ergometer. In contrast to these findings, a survey by Orloff et Al ( 2008 ) comparing the dynamicss and kinematics of the works leg place between males and female collegiate association football participant during an instep boot, found that ball velocity did non differ significantly between the two sexes as was hypothesised. Table 1 illustrates mean ball speeds, runing from 15 to 30 m.s-1, achieved during a figure of surveies most of which occurred with the instep boot. Merely one survey shown provides inside informations of a average female ball speed one time more bespeaking the deficiency of research on female football engagement. Strength preparation It has been stated that kicking public presentation when measured by agencies of maximum ball speed, can be improved by strength preparation ( DeProft et al, 1988 ; Jelusic et Al, 1992 ; Taiana et Al, 1993 ) , associating to Wisloff et Al ( 2004 ) who states that maximum strength is an of import factor in successful association football public presentation ; this is because of the evident demands seeable from the game. Strength has been defined as the integrated consequences of several force bring forthing musculuss executing maximally, either isometrically or dynamically during a individual voluntary attempt of a defined undertaking ( Hoff A ; Helgerud, 2004 ) ; Schmidtbleicher ( 1992 ) provinces that strength influences all other constituents and therefore it is located in an upper hierarchal degree. The usage of strength preparation is a common agency of bettering musculus map and has been said to develop public presentation of kicking accomplishment through apt preparation ( Ma suda et al, 2005 ) . Gomez et Al ( 2008 ) believe that the coalescing of strength preparation with proficient preparation affecting motor undertakings is required for betterments in public presentations to happen, this relates to the traditional preparation rule of specificity ; Behm A ; Sale ( 1993 ) and Sale ( 1992 ) support this rule as they believe that preparation is intended to match to specificity in athletics itself, this is in footings of contraction type, contraction force, motions and speed. This can be related to football preparation, since the cardinal facet of football is kicking and this involves a complex series of interactive motions of the lower limbs, which in kernel would be highly complex to copy with simple strength-training motions ( Bangsbo, 1994 ) . Therefore strength preparation should be integrated into football preparation with several types and velocities of preparation affecting the existent motion form in order to increase public presentation ( Masuda et al, 2005 ) . If a relationship between musculus strength and public presentation exists so it can be assumed that positive effects should go perceptible when mensurating ball speed, if these public presentation heightening developing benefits are non apparent so jocks may non be motivated to take part in strength preparation ( Myer et al, 2005 ) . Myer et Al ( 2005 ) conducted a survey that explored the effects that a comprehensive neuromuscular preparation programme had over a period of six hebdomads. The research workers measured public presentation and lower appendage motion biomechanics in female jocks, it was concluded that female jocks who trained with this six hebdomad programme could derive public presentation sweetenings and important betterments in motion biomechanics. Myer et Al ( 2005 ) states that female jocks may particularly profit from multi-component neuromuscular preparation, as females frequently display decreased baseline degrees of strength and power when compared with their male opposite numbers. The old statement is supported by Kraemer et Al ( 2003 ) and Kraemer et Al ( 2001 ) who believe that a comprehensive preparation programme may significantly increase power, strength and neuromuscular control and hence decrease gender differences in these steps. Campo et Al ( 2009 ) conducted a survey over a period of 12 hebdomads on female association football participants ; this involved the project of a plyometric plan. It was found that this plan produced betterments in explosive strength in the female jocks and accordingly this betterment could be transferred to soccer kick public presentation in footings of ball speed ; this survey besides lends grounds to the usage of plyometrics in a strength preparation plan. Surveies by Aagaard et Al ( 1996 ) and Trolle et Al ( 1993 ) found similarities within their consequences, since no important betterments in kicking public presentation were established after knee-extension strength preparation. However De Proft et Al ( 1988 ) , Gomez et Al ( 2008 ) and Monolopoulos et Al ( 2006 ) all conducted strength developing programmes that combined strength with another signifier of preparation, football preparation, plyometric exercisings and technique exercisings ( kick co-ordination ) severally, found important betterments in kicking public presentation ( maximum instep football boot ) . The surveies by Gomez et Al ( 2008 ) and Myer et Al ( 2005 ) took topographic point over a 6wk period, with the survey by Monolopoulos et Al ( 2006 ) taking topographic point over 10 hebdomads and Campo et Al ( 2009 ) over a 12 hebdomad period, proposing that the length of a preparation programme is interchangeable to derive relevant consequences. Hoff A ; Helgerud ( 2004 ) province that research based on strength preparation is frequently non conclusive ; this may be due to the discrepancies in measuring techniques. Knee musculuss Assorted surveies have examined the musculus activation patterns that arise during a football boot ; one of the findings to come from surveies is the high activation of articulatio genus musculus groups ( De Proft et Al, 1988 ) . To analyze this farther, maximum isokinetic information has been undertaken to analyze the minute of force of the articulatio genus extensors and flexors, this has been investigated in male participants ( Brady et al, 1993 ; Oberg et Al, 1984 ; Oberg et Al, 1986 ) , female participants ( Reilly A ; Drust, 1997 ) and in relation to football kick public presentation ( Cabri et al, 1988 ; Poulmedis, 1988 ; Reilly A ; Drust, 1997 ) . Rapid articulatio genus flexure and extension is an of import portion of a football boot as the articulatio genus flexes so extends at impact, this motion is accompanied by a stretch of the knee muscular structure during backswing ensued by immediate shortening during distal section motion ( Katis A ; Kellis, 2009 ) . The action of the proximal section being brought frontward whilst the distal section slowdowns behind ( as the articulatio genus is still flexing ) serves to stretch the extensor musculuss of the proximal section before shortening of them is needed, this necessitates the coevals of big end-point velocity ( Lees A ; Nolan, 1998 ) . It can be assumed that if the articulatio genus extensor musculuss are powerful so they should ease in big terminal point velocity ( greater ball speed ) . Isokinetic musculus testing is frequently used to measure strength within athletics, with a scope of informations gettable from its usage ( Ozcakar et al, 2003 ) nevertheless controversy surrounds its application. Wisloff et Al ( 2004 ) believe that isokinetic trials do non reflect the existent motions of the lower limb sections during a football boot, and Dvir ( 1996 ) states that this is due to the nature of proving articulatio genus extensors, as it is a single-joint constellation, it is limited in functional range. A survey by Reilly A ; Drust ( 1994 ) , have reported consequences for female association football participants that show a high correlativity between ball velocity and articulatio genus extensor strength, this is supported by McLean and Tumilty ( 1993 ) who province that maximum strength of articulatio genus extensor musculuss is an of import determiner of kick public presentation. Asami et Al ( 1982 ) study that the ball speed and articulatio genus extensor strength relationship of the kicking limb may good depend on the skill degree of the participants, proposing that the strength of the musculuss in the articulatio genus has less input on ball speed in football participants whom are more skilled. This statement implies that less skilled participants rely more on their muscular strength than accomplishment. De Proft et Al ( 1988 ) conducted a strength preparation programme for football players and found a 25 % addition in homocentric musculus strength of extensors. Surveies have shown that articulatio genus extensor strength and boot public presentation nevertheless did non hold a positive relationship, as for illustration Masuda et Al ( 2005 ) found that articulatio genus extension/flexion strength was non correlated with the ball speed and Aagaard et Al ( 1996 ) conducted a 12 hebdomad preparation programme on the isokinetic strength of the articulatio genus extensors and flexors, with an addition in isokinetic and homocentric strength found, but it was concluded that this addition did non assist ease betterments in public presentation. Expectations and hypotheses From current literature it is expected that the usage of a strength preparation programme integrated with proficient game drama, will hold a positive important betterment from pre-test to post-test on both females and males as old research has shown that a strength preparation programme improves public presentation ( Manolopoulos et al. , 2004 ; De Proft et al. , 1988 ; Dutta A ; Subramanium, 2002 ) , nevertheless the female group are expected to hold a bigger betterment as they frequently have lower degree of strength to get down ( Myer et al, 2005 ) go forthing more room for betterment, and work forces will hold a better kicking public presentation determined by ball speed as they possess more power ( Barfield et al, 2002 ; Tant et Al, 1991 ) . It is besides expected that an betterment in articulatio genus musculus strength, limb speed and pes speed at ball contact will take to an betterment in ball speed as it can be said that kicking public presentation can be related to leg mus culus strength as it is the musculuss which are straight responsible for the increasing velocity of the pes and hence attendant ball speed ( Lees A ; Nolan, 1998 ) . This information leads to the hypotheses for this survey. It is hypothesised that after a strength preparation and kick co-ordination programme both work forces and adult females will happen important betterments in their kicking public presentation and articulatio genus extensor strength, females will hold a greater betterment in the pre to post trial consequences than their male opposite numbers, work forces will hold greater ball speed both pre and station trial than adult females, betterments in articulatio genus strength, limb speed and pes speed will take to an betterment in ball speed. Materials and methods Pilot proving Before any existent informations aggregation commenced two pilot trials were conducted. This was to enable any facets of the proving process to be checked, leting countries of failing and uncertainness to be enhanced and/or alterations necessitating to happen to be implemented before existent testing transpired. The first pilot trial involved kinematic analysis informations aggregation, utilizing Qualysis Oqus 3D gesture gaining control system, at a trying rate of 500 Hz, under laboratory conditions. A participant was marked up with a lower limb marker set ( see figure 7 and 8 ) , a warm up and relevant instructions were given. 5 maximal speed boots were performed with the dominant pes at a mark ( 1.82m x 1.2m ) set 6 meters off from the place of the ball, a 2metre attack distance of ego selected attack angle was allowed and a Sports radio detection and ranging preciseness gun ( SRA 3000 ) was positioned behind the mark. Uncertainties sing mark size, attack distance and quality of informations aggregation were put under examination. Collaboration with the participant allowed for uncertainnesss such as mark size and distance of attack to be modified. Quality of informations was checked and it appeared non all parts of the motion were captured or markers seeable at all times ( see figure 4 ) . Due to these findings the pilot proving resulted in alterations to the planned protocol, such as attack distance ( an excess meter allowance was given ) , patch size ( was halved to forestall covering of markers ) , standardization technique in respects to country dynamically covered was increased ( to cover all motion performed ) and appropriate marker arrangement took topographic point ( wrong palpitation had antecedently taken topographic point ) . The 2nd pilot trial was an extension of the first, relevant alterations were made as celebrated in pilot trial 1, with proving on the isokinetic ergometer ( ISOCOM- isokinetic engineering, eurokinetics ) included for strength informations. A warm up was conducted prior to utilize, with the engagement of dynamic motions to assist retroflex the motion on the isokinetic ergometer, one time completed 5 pattern tests took topographic point followed by 3 tests that were collected as the information. This allowed for any clip restraints for the two conjoined to be noted. It was found that the proving on the isocom took longer than the kinematic informations, as it was expected that this would be approximately the same clip ; so execution of a suited clip system could happen. Marker issues antecedently noted in pilot 1 were non debatable ; this could be due to the increased country of standardization and anatomical landmark markers non being covered by patchs. Figure 5 shows that most inform ations was captured and tracked, giving grounds to betterments made being effectual, when comparing figure 4 and 5 against each other. The excess meter attack distance allowance proved successful with aggregation of informations running more smoothly. Participants Sixteen amateur football participants volunteered to take part in this survey, eight females and eight males. Participants were split with respects to gender and assigned to either the female control group ( FCG ) ( n= 4 females ; age 20  ± 0.8 old ages ; height 169  ± 5.8cm ; organic structure mass 68.9  ± 11.1 kilogram ; all mean  ± venereal disease ) , the male control group ( MCG ) ( n= 4 males ; age, 21  ± 1 twelvemonth ; height 177.5  ± 7 centimeter ; organic structure mass 77  ± 10 kilogram ; all mean  ± venereal disease ) , the female strength preparation experimental group ( FTG ) ( n= 4 females ; age 20  ± 1.3 twelvemonth ; height 160  ± 1.8 centimeter ; organic structure mass 58.1  ± 4.3 kilogram ; all mean  ± venereal disease ) or the male strength preparation experimental group ( MTG ) ( n= 4 males ; age 17  ± 1. 2 twelvemonth ; height 174.9  ± 4.1 centimeter ; organic structure mass 73.1  ± 13.7 kilogram ; all mean  ± venereal disease ) . All females were right pes dominant, with 6 males being right pes dominant and 2 left pes dominant. Foot laterality was self selected based on the participants answer to which pes they preferred kicking with to derive a maximum ball speed result. Subjects were informed about the demands, benefits and hazards of the survey, and completed an informed consent signifier and Par- Q prior to any testing ( see Appendix ) . Kick public presentation trial / Biomechanical proving In conformity to the survey of Masuda et Al ( 2004 ) kick public presentation was evaluated by mensurating the maximal and average speed of the ball, by the usage of Sports radio detection and ranging preciseness gun ( SRA 3000 ) , and a set figure of tests in which the ball hit the mark ( 5 times ) . Other measurings from this maximum boot were besides taken by agencies of Qualysis Oqus 3D gesture gaining control system, this uses multiple cameras ( an eight camera system ) to retrace three dimensional motion informations ; this was captured at a trying rate of 500 Hz for 5 seconds. This enabled human motion analysis during the executing of a motor undertaking ( instep boot ) to be traced via the usage of brooding markers, garnering quantitative information ( Cappozzo et al, 2005 ) . The graduated anatomical system technique ( CAST ) marker set was used ( Cappozzo et al, 1995 ) , each participant was instrumented with 44 retroflective markers ( see figure 7 and 8 ) . All markers and bunchs used when capturing the information was with the purpose to: non significantly modify the public presentation being captured and measured as stated by Brand and Crownshield ( 1981 ) . These markers were placed on anatomical landmarks ( median and sidelong side of proximal and distal terminal of segements ) by tactual exploration utilizing counsel from Croce et Al ( 2005 ) , and on sections utilizing bunchs in conformity with Manal et Al ( 2000 ) who province that a stiff shell with a bunch of four markers is the optimum constellation for a bunch set. Specific places were provided for all participants, with the anatomical landmarks placed on these anterior to proving ( figure 6 ) . Before informations aggregation of each participant commenced, the gesture gaining control system was calibrated ( see figure 9a ) to let information assemblage of spacial location of anatomical landmarks in respects to a known frame of mention ( Cappozzo et al, 1994 ) . This occurred by the usage of a wand, which carries two markers of a given distance ( 750.5mm ) , and is made to co-occur with the mark anatomical landmarks by traveling dynamically through the volume of cameras ( Cappozzo et al, 2005 ; Richards, 2008 ) over a standardization frame placed in the informations aggregation country ( see figure 9b ) , this is removed so informations for the intended activity ( instep boot ) can be performed and recorded. A inactive of each participant with bunchs and anatomical markers was so taken ( see figure 10 ) inquiring participants to derive a position where anatomical markers can be seen by two or more cameras for at least a frame. Once this was achieved merely tracking markers w ere kept on ( thigh and shank bunchs, anterior superior iliac spinal column ( ASIS ) , posterior superior iliac spinal column ( PSIS ) , greater trochanter, iliacs, pes markers except 1st and 5th metatarsals ) , as Cappozzo ( 1984 ) states markers used for placing anatomical landmarks should be removed earlier physical motion is performed. Qualysis Track Manager ( QTM ) was the package used to capture the informations including statics, dynamic motion and standardization. The set-up design for the kick public presentation trial can be seen in figure 11. Specific instructions were given to participants sing their boots, it was stated that although the boots that missed the mark would be repeated, they should non give velocity in order to better truth. A ball of standard size and standard rising prices ( F A ; eacute ; vitamin D A ; eacute ; ration Internationale de Football Association, FIFA, criterion ) was used. A tune-up was conducted, this took topographic point on a treadmill ( 5-10 mins ) followed by stretching, one time the campaigner felt they had been sufficiently warmed up pattern tests took topographic point. 2-3 pattern tests were implemented leting participants to introduce themselves with trial equipment and kicking conditions. Participants were allowed to self choose their attack angle to the ball ( between 0 A ; deg ; to 60 A ; deg ; ) , the lone restraint utilised was the attack distance to the ball ; participants were allowed a ru n up of between 2 to 3 meters this distance was marked and made noticeable to the participants. 5 successful tests were recorded on the dominant leg, a successful test was classed as one which hit the mark and the gesture gaining control informations was seen to be equal, merely 3 of these tests were analysed ( informations deemed as hapless quality was discarded ) . This proving took topographic point both pre and station intercession. Once informations aggregation had been completed in QTM, the information was used and markers labelled ; including both inactive and dynamic informations. For dynamic informations, this took topographic point through calling the markers in a dynamic frame and processing this to the corresponding information. An purpose theoretical account was built, this was so generated and batch processed to all the dynamic tests, the checking of each anatomical frame ensued to guarantee all markers were labelled right. Once this process was completed information was so exported to Visual 3D for farther analysis and theoretical account edifice. Datas from QTM ( see figure 10 ) was built in to existent organic structure sections that could be visually seen and recognised ; this occurred through theoretical account edifice on Ocular 3D. Figure 12 shows some illustrations of how the right manus side of the organic structure was built ; the same was done for the left side. Once exemplary edifice had be en completed, all tests were checked and different grapevines were put in topographic point ( a set of bids that can alter or bring forth informations wanted ) . An insertion grapevine was conducted on the information to make full in losing information points, a 10 frame spread fill was instrumented, make fulling in spreads more than this suggest that information is of hapless quality. A low base on balls filter ( utilizing Butterworth filter ) grapevine was put in topographic point on the information, to smooth and take noise that could be due to comparative and absolute mistakes ( soft tissue artifacts ) ( Richards, 2008 ) , with a cut of frequence of 6 Hz used. Cut off frequences antecedently used in other literature are between 6-18 Hz ( Andersen et al, 1999 ; Dorge et Al, 2002 ; Nunome et Al, 2002 ; Teixeira, 1999 ) . To find heel work stoppage of the non-kicking leg at arrangement the event minimal grapevine was used on the non-dominant leg ( heel ) , to happen the lowest poin t of the heel in the omega axis ( see figure 13 ) . For information between a scope of motions to be determined, the event ball contact was defined ( see figure 14 ) . Segment speed ( in x axis ) of the thigh, shank and pes was extracted from the informations, in the studies subdivision, utilizing the scope of events antecedently defined ( non-dominant leg heel contact and ball impact ) to visually see informations between and up to those chosen points. Muscular strength trial Isokinetic concentric extremum torsion of the dominant leg was measured utilizing an isokinetic ergometer ( ISOCOM- isokinetic engineering, eurokinetics ) see figure 15. The strength trial involved motion of the articulatio genus ( extension and flexure ) to observe muscular strength in the articulatio genus extensor musculus groups. The angular speed used for the motion was 60 A ; deg ; s-1 ; this angular speed has been used by many research workers to measure articulatio genus muscular strength of football participants ( Kellis et al, 2001 ; Ergun et Al, 2004 ; Dauty et Al, 2002 ) . Prior to undergoing the trial a tune-up was conducted, dwelling of a 10 min warm up of cycling and 5mins of dynamic stretching, completion of this lead to the familiarization procedure of the trial protocols for the isokinetic motions that were tested including pattern tests. Three maximal voluntary repeats of flexure and extension at 60 A ; deg ; s-1 took topographic point in a sitting place, with fi ve familiarization tests taking topographic point beforehand, the participants were warned as to when the existent tests were about to get down. The extremum torsion value was used to stand for muscular strength ; this is considered to be the gilded criterion in isokinetic measuring ( ISOCOM proving and rehabilitation user manual ) . This proving took topographic point both pre and station intercession with the same protocol applied for both proving. Training programme The preparation programme undertaken in this survey was a synthesis of findings derived from published articles for illustration preparation books and diaries ( Manolopoulous et Al, 2006 ; Zatsiorsky A ; Kraemer, 2006 ; Chu, 1998 ) . The FTG and MTG followed a 6-week preparation programme dwelling of 1 session per hebdomad ( each session consisting of up to an hr and a half ) including a warm up and chief activities. The chief activity consisted of a circuit manner manner plyometrics, kick co-ordination and strength work ensemble, with exercisings such as ; lurchs, knee bend leaps, opposition set work, nucleus stableness ball work and hurdle work included. Technical game drama was incorporated into each session at the terminal of the circuit ; with the purpose of bettering kick coordination and accent placed on maximum speed boots. All facets of the preparation programme were designed to acquire increasingly harder over the period of six hebdomads with appropriate accommodations in strength made to adhere to this. The first two hebdomads were aimed at bettering general strength and kick co-ordination, with participants put to deathing basic exercisings such as sidelong leaps and lurchs in the circuit. In the undermentioned two hebdomads opposition was added to exercisings such as lurchs, as the usage of 5kg weights was implemented, and opposition sets were introduced, the strength was increased consequently ; farther kick co-ordination exercisings took topographic point to assist increase ball speed. In the concluding two hebdomads the strength was increased with fluctuations to exercisings already implemented such as the sideways board, sidelong hurdle leaps with a boot up and side pes fusillade, the usage of footballs within the circuit was farther instigated to ease football specific strength of the limbs. Strength work was still in topographic point via usage of altered plyometric exercisings and opposition sets and kick-coordination technique drills were still implemented. ( See Appendix for elaborate lineation of the preparation programme ) . Data decrease and analysis All kick public presentation and strength informations were recorded on a Personal computer utilizing the plan QTM at a trying rate of 500Hz, with certain informations extracted from participant information sheets. QTM information was exported into Ocular 3D and used to derive natural informations via the procedures antecedently explained ( see Appendix for natural informations and an illustration of a participant information sheet ) . All natural informations is expressed as agencies and standard divergence ( STD ) . The mean value over 3 tests for each status was calculated and statistically analysed, apart from muscular strength where extremum torsion was used, to assist history for human variableness. 2 ten 2 analyses of discrepancy ( ANOVA ) with repeated steps design was used to place potentially important differences in ball speed and articulatio genus extensor strength informations, between the groups, before and after the intercession and besides for articulatio genus extens or strength. This examined the chief effects and the interactions between these two effects, as one independent variable was within and the other between. This type of ANOVA was conducted as two independent variables, were related to a individual quantitative dependant variable. Where important interactions were found, independent and mated samples post-hoc t-tests were conducted, to analyze where the differences between the agencies lie. The most of import forecaster of ball speed was assessed utilizing a multiple arrested development analysis and Pearson s correlativity co-efficient was calculated. SPSS package ( SPSS Inc. , Chicago, Ill. ) was used for statistical analysis. An alpha degree of.05 was used to find statistical significance.

Interactivity Enhancing Learning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interactivity Enhancing Learning - Case Study Example First is the use of the social media which is normally a personalized method and involve the use of weblogs and blogs that help give the learning children a ground to share and express their thoughts and ideas with their peers and other members of the society. Though highly criticized, social media such as my space and Facebook help connect millions and millions of learners who share information and other learning materials. Therefore the social media is credited with the creation of the global network of knowledge sharing that incorporate learners, teachers and other knowledge minded people. Secondly, interactive learning has taken advantage of urban computing technology like the wireless network, smartphones, search engines and other location-based media. These methods allow the competent and high level of interactivity between the people themselves and sometimes with their environment. The technology gives the learners easier time to assimilate knowledge that can be localized. Finally is the intelligent but complex use of serious games that create a virtual world by creating room for role commanding and community interaction. Games help in critical and analytical thinking, cooperation and problem-solving concept development. Research shows that game provides an excellent way of improving one's problem-solving ability; develop creativity, leadership quality, collaboration and other interpersonal skills (Milheim, 1995). According to (Bullard,2014) the adoption and introduction of technology like use of computers have improved both children and adult education through improving the social and the cognitive skills and at the same time enhance children technology skills. According to report from the international society for technology in education (ISTE) the use of technology improve the children through: i) use of devices such as mouse, keyboards, Audiotape and other technologies help develop thinking ability; ii).

The Role of Rearmament in International Relations Essay

The Role of Rearmament in International Relations - Essay Example After the World War I, many nations were disarming themselves to concentrate on rebuilding as the war had destroyed a lot of resources in terms of public infrastructure, killed a lot of people and the economies of most nations were on the downfall. Germany on the other hand left the league of nations and begun rearming itself again. This caused a threat to other nations in the region they could no sit back and wait to be attacked. 1The UK also embarked on rearmament program because Germany was becoming a threat. In the middle of 1930s, the British government obtained the biplanes to be used by the Royal Air Force and this was quite different from that which was being used in the First World War. Other weaponry obtained by the rearmament program included hawker hurricane, battleships, aircraft carriers and super marine spitfire. This came to be useful to them during the Second World War. 2 The end of the First World War was marked by the signing of the accord termed as the treaty of Versailles in the year 1919. The treaty was assented to by France, Italy, the Great Britain and not the US since it was later to draft its own accord with Germany in 1921. Many historians view the signing of the Versailles treaty as the major driving force that lead to the Second World War. ... Rearmament in the Rest of the World It's quite obvious that the most war oriented nations are those that spend a lot on rearmament obtaining more dangerous weaponry and military personnel. Germany has been criticized a lot for stimulating or rather initiating the Second World War. This is because by the time other nations were disarming and concentrating on development to recover what had been lost in the war, the Germans did the contrary and started building new weapons. In reaction to that, other countries like the UK begun to build weapons in fear that the Germans would attack them as the memories of the First World War were still fresh in their minds. 3 Hitler decided to violate the Versailles treaty claiming it was imposed to the German people. He called on all Germans to reunite and rearm and he stated clearly that the German would be the centre of the Europe and use the land to produce the food that the nation needed. For him to achieve this, Adolph Hitler realized that he needed a stronger army, than what he had inherited from his predecessor. He ordered the then army general to prepare an army of about 300,000 men, the ministry in charge of military was ordered to build 1,000 war planes and more military barracks were built as well. When the French refused his proposal to rearm, Hitler led the Nazi Germany out of the Geneva conference and was seen by many leaders as not being a supporter of external democracy and foreign policy. This led to reaction from other nations to follow suit. Japan was one of the nations to initiate a rearmament program. In 1936, its expenditure on national defense was estimated to be about 307 million dollars. France spent 716 million, the United Kingdom spent

Violations of Human Rights and Slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Violations of Human Rights and Slavery - Essay Example Upon arrival into America, slaves had to deal with dehumanizing effects that destroyed their African culture. Although slave trade is no longer practiced in America today, Friglich, Kent, Hess, Mclyntyre, & Allen, (1-6)Â   confirm that there still are 10 states in America that deemed to be the worse for African American to live in. The index used to determine the ten states included household income, rates of home ownership, educational attainment costs, educational attainments, and poverty rates. These states are Connecticut, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, New Jersey, Kansas, Rhode island, Illinos, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In these states, the disparity between the White and Black Americans is very pronounced resulting to uneven accessibility of job opportunities, payment, and better housing. In addition to discrimination, African americans have been stereotyped as lazy and are left to deal with their problems.

Teaching And Learning In The Digital Age Education Essay

Teaching And Learning In The Digital Age Education Essay Preparing learners for the demands of the 21st century requires committed, innovative teachers willing to push existing restrictions. It is also about effectively using the emerging technologies to enhance teaching and learning strategies. The unique and rapid changes happening in this field present various problems for teachers who are willing to experiment with their teaching and learning, roles and responsibilities, learning atmosphere and situations, patterns of interaction, strategies and theories, as well as, modes of assessment. Integrating technology in education can range from replicating existing educational practices through digital media with technology as tools, to transforming education to bring about new learning goals. Incorporating technology in the classroom can bring significant and positive changes in the teaching-learning process but it is not at all easy as we have strong conventional educational practices in our education system and integrating ICT will demand for the innovative role of the teacher as facilitator of the learning to the active role of the learner. The present paper focuses its attention on the problems and issues of the classroom and teaching-learning process in the digital age as it wont be easy to break existing pedagogical practices and adapt new ones. The paper further proposes the ways through which ICT can be effectively incorporated in the classroom. The paper also talks about the changing role of the teacher as well as of the learner in the world of technology and suggests the ways through which teachers can be motivated to use technological tools in their teaching-learning process. Key Terms: Teaching, Learning, Digital Age. INTRODUCTION: Integrating technology in education is a complex issue taking many forms that differ in purpose. This can range from replicating existing educational practices through digital media with technology as tools, to transforming education to bring about new learning goals. Education is at the core of powerful and rapidly shifting educational, technological and political forces that will shape the structure of educational systems across the globe for the rest of this century. Many countries are engaged in a number of efforts to achieve changes in the teaching-learning process to prepare students for information and technology based society. The UNESCO World Education Report (1998) notes that the new technologies challenge traditional conceptions of both teaching and learning and, by reconfiguring how teachers and learners gain access to knowledge, have the potential to transform teaching and learning processes. ICTs provide a range of powerful tools that may help in transforming the presen t isolated, teacher-centered and text-bound classrooms into rich, student-focused, interactive knowledge environments. The digital age means we now have interactive tools for the classroom to go alongside our more usual set of ideas and activities. Technology is both part of the problem and part of the solution. The information revolution itself has been fuelled by the growth of the Internet networked society but this revolution also offers alternative approaches to access, process and share knowledge, significantly reducing the importance of memory and the retention of a vast subject knowledge base (Burden, 2010). There is no longer the essential for teachers to retain a comprehensive body of subject knowledge which they are expected to be able to access and repeat with accuracy and speed. Subject knowledge is less likely to be perceived as placed in the individual teacher but rather as a shared effort in which the learner is capable of re-constructing new knowledge, both by themselves and as part of a collaborative effort (Ellis, 2007). The passive 3 Rs replaced by the more dynamic 3 Cs of collaboration, creativity and communication. These features challenge the traditional basis for teaching in schools. TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS: Schools today serve and shape a world in which there can be great opportunity to grow if people can learn to work creatively and collaboratively. Yet, instead of fostering creativity and uniqueness, more and more school systems have become preoccupied with traditional curriculum uniformity and pedagogical practices. Schools and teachers have been bound into the web of test scores and achievement targets. By and large, our schools are preparing young people neither to work nor to live well in this digital age. Twenty-first century teaching is no longer about the four walls of the classroom. Technology has enlarged the area of teaching-learning process as learners have the reach to vast store of information i.e. internet and they have lots of queries for this reason. So, pedagogical practices should necessarily be changed and capable enough to provide opportunities to the learners to discover the answers. It is also a fact that teaching has always adapted to its circumstances methodologically and physically, moving from lecture to pair work and from translation to communication, for example. Likewise, teachers have always tried to make the best use of any materials that they could get their hands on from slate to whiteboards, from hand-written postcards to authentic magazine articles, from radio recordings through to DVDs. Fig. 1, Teaching-Learning in the Digital Age The absolute degree of human knowledge, globalization and the accelerating rate of change due to technology necessitates a shift in our childrens education- from merely knowing to continuous cycle of learning, thus demanding the total change in the teaching learning process which is currently based on rote learning and memory. Digital age has opened up the new dimensions to the learning which are not visible in our existing traditional school system. Twenty first century learning is more complex than ever before as it includes various skills that must be acquired by the learner. Figure 2 presents these skills: Fig. 2, Skills of 21st Century Learner The days of only using chalkboards and books in the teaching learning process have gone. Nowadays, there is video or audioà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ video interaction in childrens classrooms. Using the same skills used for centuries-analysis, synthesis, and evaluation-teachers now must look at digital literacy as another realm within which to apply elements of critical thinking. TEACHER IN THE DIGITAL AGE: In the recent years school education sector has realized that the teacher is the ultimate key to educational change and school effectiveness. The teachers do not merely deliver the curriculum, but they also develop, define and reinterpret. It is the task of teachers to tackle with the technology and to grow their learners to acquire skills of the 21st century. In the current scenario, the voice of the innovative teacher in the country is barely audible. This voice is rich in practice and experience and can aid us in understanding best suited pedagogical practices for learners. ICT has given new roles and responsibilities to the teacher. ICT challenges the existing authoritarian role of the teachers as the sole source of knowledge and information and demands to be themselves learner first. Teachers themselves need to learn the new way of learning, and in addition to new ways of helping others learn. This also means a massive shift in the role of the teacher and in all structural aspects of the school system. It can be a highlight for most of the teachers when they suddenly realize that they learned something by and for themselves, not just for next class tomorrow. Teachers are hardly ever asked what they already know and can do, what experiences they bring, which problems they would like to tackle. Such low expectations are set in their teacher education courses in university and more traditional professional development settings. Fig. 3, Roles Responsibilities of the Teacher in the Digital Age The greatest teachers teach naturally. It flows from them like a gentle rain; they cant help but teach. ICT is just another tool in the toolbox of a good teacher. ICT expects teachers to give the students middle stage in the classroom, providing opportunities to explore and inquire for their learning. Teachers should act as guides, facilitators and advisors, building linkages between their students individual interests and understandings and the common skills and knowledge society expects them to acquire. Teachers hold personal theories, cognitive constructs and guiding principles that determine their instructional decisions and technology integration. Teachers are reflective by nature and use their own systems of beliefs to pursue solutions to problems as determined by their contexts. ICT has made it relevant for a teacher to be a subject specialist, in addition be able to utilize the amazing power that computers offer. The real facts remain the same. The good teachers love and passion for their subject, whether it be art, poetry or geography, can and do enrich the childs learning experience. ICT enhances this enrichment, but it will be difficult to break the existing boundaries and to convince the teachers to play their new role. LEARNER IN THE DIGITAL AGE: Students in a traditional classroom are passive. They listen and react to the teachers direct instruction. NCF, 2005 also articulates that childrens voices and experiences do not find expression in the class. It further says that children will learn only in an atmosphere where they feel they are valued and our schools still do not convey this to all children. But ICT has changed the way students learn and the styles of learning they adopt. The learner today has multiple resources available to them. They are ahead of their teachers in using the technology and accessing information in various fields. They are less dependent on teachers and prescribed text books. They build upon their existing knowledge and derive their own meanings. It has provided them freedom and flexibility which was not available earlier. Learners have active, reflective role in this digital age. Todays children are growing up digital. Their view of the world is very different from that of adults, thanks to exceptional access to information, people, and ideas across highly interactive media. Todays children are the latest model of human being. Looking at the world of children is not looking backward at our own past-its looking ahead. They are our evolutionary future. But, it also proposes the biggest problem in the teaching-learning process in the present digital age. A common scenario today is a classroom filled with digitally literate students being taught by linearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ thinking, technologically obstructed teachers. Students have been exposed to these technologies or similar ones early on during their formative years while their teachers have just been exposed to it only recently. As a result, the students are sometimes more capable with the technology. In spite of this teachers are rarely given the chance to learn how to use this technologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ teachers are given the tools, but not the knowledge. Teachers increasingly are learning the technology on their own time. Students on the other are confident enough to use these technological advancements effectively and they even prefer it more on traditional methods of teaching and learning. Learners now have freedom to explore, discover and inquire whatever they want. ROLE OF ICT IN EDUCATION: Contemporary beliefs regarding learning have moved away from knowledge transmission models of simply imparting information to constructive knowledge models where knowledge is constructed. In the process of meaning making, technology is roped in to support the communication and construction of new knowledge resulting in new learning. Teachers want their learners to make their own decisions in future, enabling them to learn for themselves. The role of ICT in education can be seen as learning about, learning with and learning through ICT. ICT is used to liberate learners from the limitations of their physical environments due to inadequate infrastructure or lack of resources. ICT can mainly help in three areas that are as follows: Fig. 4, How ICT can help in the process of Teaching-Learning? Today ICT is an essential life skill in the same way as literacy and numeracy are. ICT provides an opportunity for economic development and is a requirement for employability. ICT is a tool for educational management that can improve teaching and learning. Teachers should utilize these technological advancements according to the particular context, pedagogy and activities during the lesson. Teachers need to be flexible to enough to use ICT. Use of ICT can create an interest among students which will result in learning at better pace and with ample opportunities to explore the answers to their various queries. But, it is not at all possible without changing the current traditional practices and roles that teachers and students are playing. CONCLUSION: ICT or digital age is the truth of our lives today which is unavoidable if one want to live, learn and move ahead in 21st century world. This digital age is a potentially liberating process freeing teachers and students from the acquisition and retention of information and enabling them to focus more on the creative processes of making connections and creating new paths which have meaning and purpose for the present time (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2000). ICT or digital age resources today offer great opportunities in education sector and especially to our schools for the beneficiary role they provide in information, learning and research. It clearly states that teachers should be digitally literate in order to use these ICT resources and tools. Existing traditional practices and roles necessarily be changed by the use of technology in the classroom. Teachers must be a facilitator and direct the students towards the right direction where as students should be provided with the freedom t o explore, discover and inquire. Resources should be made available to the schools in order to fulfill this objective and teachers must be educated digitally. It means, curriculum of teacher education will eventually be transformed into ICT based curriculum and exploratory pedagogical practices. ICT can enhance the teaching learning process and can make it more interactive than today. It will provide new dimensions to the learning as it will lead to autonomous learning. Constructivism will emerge as the new theory and technology will follow it in practice as it emphasizes on collaborative learning, real-world projects with authentic assessments with students accepting responsibility for their own learning. But all this will require internal inspiration and support system from our education system as well as the readiness to change and learn from everyone even from the students. Teacher training curriculum also need to be redesigned as teachers should themselves be learner and digita lly educated to be capable of using these ICT tools. REFRENCES: Anderson, L. and Krathwohl, D. (2000): Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Allyn Bacon: New York. Burden, K. (2010): Conceptualizing teachers professional learning with Web 2.0, Campus-Wide Information Systems 27, no. 3: 148-161.    Churchill, D. (2006): Teachers private theories and their design of technology-based learning; British Journal of Educational Technology, 37(4): p. 559-576. Dey, B., Saxena, K.M. Gihar, S. (2005), Information and Communication Technology and teacher Education : An empirical study : The Journal of Education, Vol. 1(2), pp.60-63 Ellis, V. (2007): Taking Subject Knowledge Seriously: From Professional Knowledge Recipes to Complex Conceptualizations of Teacher Development, The Curriculum Journal 18, 3: 447 462 Gardner, H. (1983): Frames of mind: A theory of multiple intelligences; Basic Books: New York. Glaserfeld, V. (1989): Constructivism in education; Pergamon Press: England. Jonesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Kavalier, B., Flannigan, S. (2006): Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century; Educause Quarterly, 29(2), 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 3. Leask, M. Paschler, N.(2003), learning to teach using ICT in the secondary schools, Routledge: London. National Curriculum Framework (2005): National Council of Educational Research and Training: New Delhi. UNESCO World Education Report (1998): United Nation.

Imagery of Snakes in Macbeth Essay examples -- European Literature

In the biblical book of Genesis, Eve is tempted by a serpent to commit an ungodly act of eating a forbidden fruit. As a result of the snake's temptation, Eve eats the fruit, resulting in the presence of worldwide sin and the downfall of perfection. From this story of Adam and Eve, the figure of the snake has become generally associated with temptation, evil, and cynicism. William Shakespeare employs this symbolic imagery of snakes in Macbeth, to enhance the story of the rise and fall of Macbeth's power. For poetic and playwright purposes, Shakespeare uses serpentine imagery to reveal the malevolence of characters, and portray the threatening position of the throne, all while provoking a heightened emotion of fear and tragedy from the audience. The first image of the snake is revealed during the initial arrival of evil. In act one, scene five, Lady Macbeth cries out for evil to fulfill her, so that she can posses the power to commit acts of treason. She describes this process as "unsexing" herself. "Come to my woman's breasts and take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers" (1.5.48-49). In ancient history it was believed that the venom of serpents was produced from their gall1. The process of "unsexing" herself could, as a result, be perceived as a metaphorical transformation into a snakelike creature. The "unsexing" process is an important part of the evil and complexity that Shakespeare was attempting to develop throughout the story, in order to invoke emotion from the audience. This "unsexing" process not only brings about a theme of witchcraft, but it also introduces a complex situation that the character must face: whether or not to give up good and loyalty for personal ambition. This decision is one that p... ...ke." The imagery of snakes throughout the story of Macbeth contributes to the mood and poetic prose of Shakespeare. Yet more importantly, the snake is a symbolic figure for malevolence and treachery. Shakespeare uses the "snake" to enhance the quality of his characters, and provide insight into their malevolence. The serpentine image also provokes emotion. As the story of Macbeth is a tragedy, the snake images provide a dark contrasting mood to the play, designed to heighten the sense of fear from the audience. People are generally afraid snakes, and Shakespeare uses this object as a tool to relate certain fears of the characters to the audience. Shakespeare is able to develop his characters while capturing the emotion of his audience all by his use of serpentine imagery. Works cited 1. Oxford English Dictionary. Search: gall.

Not What it Seems Essay

The quote, â€Å"Things are not always as they seem when you are looking from the outside in† is a perfect example of how we might think the world is perfect but in reality our life is a spider web. Playwright, Arthur Miller, captured this idea in his play, The Crucible. Miller focuses on the idea of image versus the reality in Salem. The purpose of Salem was to be a sin-free town; however, it was plagued with adultery, greed, and deceit. There is one sin that, because of its selfish and evil ways, causes the destruction of John Proctor and his image; this sin is adultery. In the Bible it is said that we are to lead a sin free life, and, more specifically, we are not supposed to commit adultery. Mentioned in Exodus 20:14 â€Å"Thou shall not commit adultery†, it clearly states that if anyone commits adultery then they have committed a sin. Salem, as mentioned, was created to be a â€Å"perfect† town, and Abigail and John’s affair goes against that philosophy. Not only is this a sin in the Bible, it also creates tension between John and Abigail. More importantly, it created an untrustworthy marriage for Elizabeth and John. However, John Proctor willingly admits to committing adultery with Abigail, and sees Abigail as a child and says, â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby† (Miller, 23). This shows us that John knows what he did was wrong and wants to gain forgiveness from God, but Abigail stands in his way of doing so. Since John said this to Abigail, she has been trying to get rid of the one person that stands in her way. Abigail thinks that if Elizabeth is out the picture then John will fall for her again; but this is not true, and she does whatever it takes to make John hers. In addition, Salem did not live up to its â€Å"image† is in greed. Greed can be a very destructive part of everyone’s life, and some people let their greed get out of control, which was exactly what happened in Salem during the witch trials. Two people’s greed brought up the whole tragedy of the trials, convictions and hangings; these individuals were Thomas Putnam and Reverend Parris. Unquestionably, Thomas Putnam was a hard-handed, landowner. He valued his land probably more than his marriage, or his possessions. He used his land as a power source to get anything that he wanted, he also used this power to get his neighbors accused and convicted of being witches. â€Å"He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacob’s that is now in jail† (Miller 96). Putnam would convince his daughter to falsely accuse people of witch craft so once they were convicted; he would be able to purchase the deceased’s land, just giving him more land and power. He alone got others to start believing that some people among them were witches. The second greed-filled person is Reverend Parris; he felt that he was underpaid for his services. At one time he said to Giles Corey, â€Å"I regard that six pound as part of my salary†¦ You will look far for a man of my kind at sixty pound a year! † (Miller, 45) This shows us that Reverend Paris wants more material wealth; another case where this is present is when he preached for twenty weeks about having golden candlesticks on the altar until he finally got them. As the story progressed, he became greedier for his life and the life of his friends. When Proctor was about to be hanged, Paris begged and pleaded for Proctor’s life so that he would not be blamed for killing one of Salem’s â€Å"upper class†. Greed can make a person grow far from the lord and that is exactly what was going on in Salem. Without a doubt, deceit was the final and most important ingredient to Salem being filled and over-ran with the devil. The first example of deceit was found with Abigail Williams; she was the first person who was caught dancing in the woods and realized that if she turned on the others, her own life would be spared. She started making things up so that she would be in the center of life in Salem. Abigail threatened to kill anyone that told on her for witch craft and yet she went ahead and accused innocent people. â€Å"And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! † (Miller, 20) She accused many innocent people of being witches for her own personal good. She was worried about her image and did not want to get in trouble, but she thought she had the authority to accuse others for her own personal gain so she would not be considered of performing witch-craft. The best example of this would be when she accused Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch. Meanwhile, Abigail and John Proctor had an affair, and she perceived this to mean that John wanted to be with her instead of his wife. Then, she realized that the only way for the two of them to be together would be to kill Elizabeth in some way. The only â€Å"legal† way to do this would be to accuse Elizabeth of being a witch and making sure that she was convicted of this crime. Abigail knew that the punishment for the crime of witchcraft was hanging, and carried out her accusation so that she and John could â€Å"dance upon her grave together† (Miller, 110) With her saying this shows us that she cares for nothing more than her happiness and that she has devilish thoughts. This lie was a major sin and shows us that Abigail is: mean, selfish, backstabber. Since being condemned with adultery, greed, and deceit, the so-called â€Å"sin-free† town of Salem was everything but that; it was filled with the devil and evil. With Abigail and John committing adultery, Mr. Putnam’s obsession with wealth, and finally all the lies and backstabbing of Abigail, we can see Salem is not so perfect after all. Salem is a prime example of something looking good from the outside, but once you get inside, one can see the dirt and grime.

Answering questions

2-A. Recently, a comedian on a television show remarked that he thought it was funny that people turn the car radio off when they are looking for a house number in a strange neighborhood. What theory of attention is this comedian adhering to? The comedian based his remarks on the theory of divided attention. This theory states that attention can be divided into two separate states, wherein one can attend to two things or stimuli at the same time, without sacrificing the quality of attention given to either of the two stimuli (Reisberg, 2001). Thus to the comedian, one can continue listening to the radio and at the same time look for the house number, and it perfectly makes sense to him that a person can do both of it since it does not really require an intense concentration. However, a case in point is that looking for a house number in a long row of houses may be quite a challenging task, one that requires concentration and selective attention. Yes, it can be said that keeping the radio on would not make any difference but to those who prefer to look closely and to be able to do so safely would naturally turn their radios off. Just imagine yourself driving slowly in a street you are unfamiliar with and keeping the radio on would mask the noise of incoming traffic or even pedestrians. Besides, when a person is involved in one task, like looking for a house, then one instinctively attends to it and disregards the other sounds, sights and disturbances in the immediate environment. Divided attention is very real, we engage it once in a while especially if we multi-task but we could do so in a limited period, for example think of how you can possibly manage to entertain questions from an officemate at your table and at the same time talk to someone on the phone, you could do both for a maximum of 2 minutes, but eventually one stimuli takes greater attention and we must give our full attention to it. On the other hand, with training, anybody can make use of divided attention, but its contributions and benefits in engaging in it remains to be seen since much research has to be done in this area. 2-B. Based on what you have learned about perception and attention, do you think it’s safe for people to talk on cellular phones while they are driving? Learning about how we perceive the world around us gives us a better way of understanding how intricate the human mind is and how even a faculty that we often take for granted can have a profound impact in our daily lives. Perception refers to a complex process of how we receive a stimuli, how our brain process the stimuli, and how our mind tells us what to do and how to react to the stimuli (Reisberg, 2001). It can be said that a disruption of any of the lines of our perception may have adverse consequences; sometimes it can be bizarre, like when a person cannot recognize the face of love one but instead are able to say that they look like a family member. Taking our study of perception into our daily activities, a debated issue like â€Å"is it safe to talk on the cell phone while driving† is better explained. I still believe that it is not safe to talk on the cellular phones while driving. Driving already entails a number of processes and is quite demanding of our attention, like when you are in the freeway, one has to be conscious of incoming traffic, cars at you back, the speed limit of the highway, and even looking out for possible mishaps in the road, on top of which, the driver must be conscious of the cars fuel level, brake fluid and tire conditions. So how could anybody be able to talk on the phone while driving? Talking on the phone also demands attention; we have to perceive and process what the other person is saying, and to even think of the appropriate response to what they are saying. Theories on perception have stated that our mind works overtime just to process and be able to respond to external stimuli, and that each part of the brain is involve in different ways just to come up with the correct processing of information (Reisberg, 2001), like being able to recognize faces of family members. Perceptual illusions demonstrate that what we see may not be true or real, hence while driving we may not be able to accurately tell how far we are from the car ahead of us or how near we are to the railings without our full concentration. Reports have shown that many people die on the road or in car accidents than any disease. Perceptual overload occurs when we drive and talk on the phone, based on previous researches (Reisberg, 2001), perceptual overload makes us incorrectly perceive our surroundings and hence we may see what is not there, or we may not see what is really there. When we overload our senses it would mean that one part of the brain or our faculties might be sacrificed to compensate for the attention we give to another stimulus. And in an activity like driving which in itself is a high-risk behavior, we need complete control of our faculties, thus talking on the cell phone is not advisable. 2-C. Write a 200 word summary and critical analysis on Rayner’s article. Discuss what the article is basically about, its strong and weak points, how convincing (or unconvincing) you find its arguments, and how it might be followed up (e.g., if you think the article suggests any promising, new ideas for future research, describe what they are and how they might best be pursued.) The article â€Å"Eye Movements in Reading: Recent Developments† by Keith Rayner (1993) presents the latest development in the study of eye movement in the reading process. The strength of the article is that it gives a background of what has been discovered so far in the field of study, the article argues that studying eye movement is important for it help build theory and also used to infer perceptual and cognitive processes during reading thus the objective of the article. It also presents a number of theories that have used new methods in studying eye movement. What was weak about the article was that it was not able to connect how the new methods of studying would contrite to a better understanding of the cognitive processes that occur during reading. The article basically was not convincing when the author says that much remains to be seen when researchers realize how interesting a research data eye movement can be. The article does not arouse this interest and simply goes on to say that eye movement is a natural consequence of reading, which contradicts his claims earlier in the introduction part. The article was also too technical for the average reader even if the reader is interested in eye movement. References Rayner, K. (1993). Eye movements in reading: Recent developments. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2 (3): 81-85 Reisberg, D. (2001). Cognition: Exploring the science of the Mind, 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.                  

College Essay Prompts Complete List, Analysis, and Advice

College Essay Prompts Complete List, Analysis, and Advice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When talking about college essays, wetend to focus on the Common Application prompts, and it's true that many students will need to write a Common App essay. However, there are actually quite a few schools, including both public and private universities,that don't use the Common App and instead ask applicants to respond to their own college essay prompts. Luckily, college essay prompts tend to be pretty similar to each other. In this guide, I'll list all the college essay questions for popular schools in the US (and a few abroad) and then break down the patterns to help you brainstorm topics and plan how to approach multiple essays efficiently. After reading this guide, you'll be able to strategize which essays you'll write for which colleges. Feature image: Mayr/Flickr Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay? The short answer: the essay gives admissions committees a sense of your personality beyond the statistics on the rest of your application.The essay is your chance to show the committee your unique perspectiveand impress them with your maturity and insight. College application essay promptsarewritten with this goal in mind. Admissions officers want to give you the chance to share your interests, aspirations, and views on the world, so most prompts ask about how yourexperiences have shaped you or what you're excited about studying or doing in college. I've collecteda ton of examples below and provided some analysis to help you begin planning and crafting your own essays. Keep in mind that the personal statement alone won’t be enough to get you in- your grades and test scores are still the most important factors in your application. That being said, a stellar essaycan help bring a borderline applicantover the top or give an excellent but not extraordinary student the opportunity tostand out in a competitive applicant pool. As such, the essay tends to matter most for very competitive schools. Non-competitive schools generally don’t ask you to submit an essay. Complete List of College Essay Prompts This list collectsthe 2018 college essay prompts formajor state universities, top-50 schools, and other popular schools. They're divided by region, with all optional essays listed at the end. I left off the Common App supplements, as those often require a substantiallydifferent approach. I also stuck tofour-year schools, meaning Ididn't includespecial two-year programs, such as Deep Springs College or Miami Dade College’s Honors Program (both of which require essays). Finally, note that these prompts are for freshman applicants, so the requirements might be different for transfer students. General Applications There are three general applicationsyou can use to apply to many different schools at once: Common Application Universal College Application Coalition Application Each application has its own personal statement requirement. Some schools will ask for additional supplemental essays. Many more schools accept the Common App than they do the UCAor Coalition Application, though some will accept more than one of theseapplications. Common Application For the Common App essay, you pick one of the prompts and write 250-650 words about it. Here are the prompts for the 2018-19 school year: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. The lessons we take fromobstacles we encountercan be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced achallenge, setback, or failure.How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Reflect on a time when youquestionedor challenged a belief or idea. What prompted yourthinking? Whatwas the outcome? Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma- anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. Discuss an accomplishment, event, orrealizationthatsparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Universal College Application The UCA essay prompt is completely open ended and has a 650-word limit. Here is the 2018-19 prompt: Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event. Coalition Application For the Coalition Application, you'll pick one of five prompts listed below. While there is no hard word limit, the range guidelines are 500-550 words. Here are the prompts for 2017-19: Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution. Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs? What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)? Submit anessayon a topic of your choice. Northeast/Mid-Atlantic The Great Dome at MIT Georgetown University Georgetown asks applicants to writeone short essay (about half a single-spaced page)and two longer essays(approximately one single-spaced page each).Each applicant must respond to the first two prompts and can choose among the other four based on the specific program she's interested in. Short Essay:Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which youhave been most involved. All Applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in yourown words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. Applicants to Georgetown College: What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achievethis aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosencourse of study). Applicants to the School of Nursing Health Studies: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studyinghealthcare. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management Policy, Human Science,orNursing). Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service: Briefly discuss a current global issue, indicating why you consider itimportant and what you suggest should be done to deal with it. Applicants to the McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader inproviding graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown. Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT doesn't ask for a single personal statement but rather asks applicants torespond to a series of questions with just aparagraph or two. We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (100 words or fewer) Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? (100 words or fewer) At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words) Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? (200-250 words) Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? (200-250 words) Midwest University of Wisconsin, Madison Indiana University Bloomington IU asks for 200-400 words on your plans and interests. Describe your academic and career plans and any special interest (for example, undergraduate research, academic interests, leadership opportunities, etc.) that you are eager to pursue as an undergraduate at Indiana University. Also, if you encountered any unusual circumstances, challenges, or obstacles in pursuit of your education, share those experiences and how you overcame them. (200-400 words) This essay may be used in scholarship consideration. University of Illinois The University of Illinois asks for two essays only if you have selected a second-choice major other than what's noted on your application. Both responses should be 300-400 words. Explain your interest in the major you selected and describe how you have recently explored or developed this interest inside and/or outside the classroom. You may also explain how this major relates to your future career goals. If you're applying to theDivision of General Studies, explain your academic interests and strengths or your future career goals. You may include any majors or areas of study you're currentlyconsidering. If you select a second-choice major other than the Division of General Studies on your application, write a second essay explaining your interest in this major, too. University of Wisconsin–Madison All applicants must complete two essays for UW–Madison. Theessays should be 300-500 words each (with a max of 650 words) and may be used for scholarship and campus program review.For the first essay, you may also use any of the Common Application prompts if you apply through the Common Application. Tell us about your academic and personal achievements. What have you learned from your success and/or challenges, and how will this influence you as you pursue your college education? Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: South Kyle Field at Texas AM (Ed Schipul/Flickr) ApplyTexas The ApplyTexas application is used by all Texas public universitiesand some private colleges. There are four ApplyTexas essay prompts. Which ones you need to respond to will depend on where you're applying.UT Austin, for example, requires applicants to submit one essay responding to Topic A and another on a topic of their choice. While there's no set word limit, the online application will cut off eachessay at 120 lines (~1000 words). Topic A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Topic B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself. Topic C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there? Topic D: Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education, you are not required to write this essay. Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area? University of Georgia For UGA, applicants mustwrite two essays of 200-300 words each. One prompt is required. You may choose your other essay from among four options. Required: The college admissions process can create anxiety. In an attempt to make it less stressful, please tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself from your high school years that you have not already shared in your application. Choose One: UGA’s 2017 Commencement speaker Ernie Johnson (Class of ’79) told a story from his youth about what he refers to as blackberry moments. He has described these asâ€Å"the sweet moments that are right there to be had but we’re just too focused on what we’re doing †¦ and we see things that are right there within our reach and we neglect them.Blackberry moments can be anything that makes somebody else’s day, that makes your day, that are just sweet moments that you always remember.† Tell us about one of your â€Å"blackberry moments† from the past five years. Creativity is found in many forms including artistic avenues, intellectual pursuits, social interactions, innovative solutions, et cetera. Tell us how you express your creativity. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. Describe a problem, possibly related to your area of study, which you would like to solve. Explain its importance to you and what actions you would take to solve this issue. West The Campanile at UC Berkeley University of California Students applying to the UC system must respond to four out of eightshort personal insight questions.The maximum word count for each response is 350 words. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? University of Oregon The UO is interested in learning more about you. Write an essay of 650 words or less that shares information that we cannot find elsewhere on your application. Any topic you choose is welcome. Some ideas you might consider include your future ambitions and goals, a special talent, extracurricular activity, or unusual interest that sets you apart from your peers, or a significant experience that influenced your life. If you are applying to the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College, feel free to resubmit your honors college application essay. University of Washington As part of theCoalition for Access, Affordability, and Success, UW will accept an essay on any of the five Coalition prompts. This essay will ideally be around 300-400 words long.UW also requiresan answer to a short-response question, with a maximum of 300 words: Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington. International Generally speaking, international schools are less likely to ask for an essay, since admission tends to be heavily focused on grades and test results. However, a few popular international schools do ask for a personal statement as part of their application. Universities and Colleges Admissions Service(UK Schools) UCAS is a general application for UK schools (similar to the Common App in the US). There's no specific prompt for the personal statement- instead, applicants are required to write an essay describing what they want to study, why they want to study it, and what they bring to the table. There is a 4,000-character limit. University of British Columbia UBC asks applicants to fill out a personal profile consisting of five to seven short-answer questions that vary depending on the program you're applying to. Answers should be 50-200 words. While UBC doesn't provide specific questions for your program until you start an application, they do advise that you think about the following questions as you prepare: What are the qualities you think make for a successful university student? How have you demonstrated such qualities in the past? Think about your first-choice UBC degree. What kinds of activities, accomplishments, and insights- learned in or outside of the classroom- do you think would be relevant to this degree? Think about your accomplishments and activities. What have you learned from these experiences? When have you taken on a leadership role? What do you excel in at school or outside of school?What do you enjoy learning in school? Or what do you enjoy doing outside of school that has influenced what you want to learn? Think about the role others have played in your accomplishments and experiences. Think about how your favourite teacher would describe you. Why would your teacher describe you this way? Be specific. Try to incorporate this information into your responses. Think about two or three adjectives that best describe you. For each, provide some evidence of why they describe. Be specific. Try to incorporate this information into your responses. Think about the challenges that you have had to overcome in your life. What have those experiences taught you about yourself and about your community? Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: University of Cambridge Optional Essays Some schools don't require an essay from all applicants but do recommend or require an essay for certain programs. I've listed a selection of those prompts below. Arizona State University Students applying to the Barrett Honors College at ASU must submit two essays of up to 300 words each on the following topics: How will your honors educational experience enrich you, both in relation to your chosen field of study and in relation to your broader education? How will you and your experiences contribute to the Barrett educational and residential community? City University of New York Applicants to MacaulayHonors College mustrespond to one of two "Personal Reflection" prompts and one of two "Social Issues" prompts. The maximum length is 500 words per response. Personal Reflection: Describe an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. Reflecting on your experience and aspirations, discuss how your life will differ from your parents' lives. Provide concrete evidence to illustrate your position. Social Issues: Pick a story of local, national, or international importance from the front page of any newspaper. Identify your source and give the date the article appeared. Then use your sense of humor, sense of outrage, sense of justice- or just plain good sense- to explain why the story engages your attention. If someone gave you a $50 million grant, how would you use it to make New York City a better place? Florida International University Only applicants who don't meet the criteria for automatic admissions and whose applications undergo holistic review will need to submit a 500-word essay: Qualities such as motivation, drive, courage, perseverance, resolve and strength of character play an important role in students' ability to succeed at FIU and in life. Write a 500-word (one-page, single spaced) essay explaining which of these measures makes you a good candidate for admission to FIU and what strategies you will use to ensure your success in and out of the classroom. The Ohio State University Applicants to the University Honors program or the Ohio State Scholars program must respond to the following prompt: To what fictional character do you most relate, and why? You may select a character from animation, art, film, literature, television, theater or any other medium. Ohio University For theOhio University application, students who've been out of a school for more thana year must submit an essay explaining what they've done in their time off from school. If there is a period of three months or longer that you have not been enrolled in a high school, college, or university, please provide a statement documenting your activities for that period. Examples include language study, vacation, work experience, family responsibilities. Additionally, applicants to the journalism schoolare encouraged to write a 250- to 500-word essay "detailing how they want to help shape the future of journalism, advertising, or public relations." For all other applicants, submitting an essay here is optional. Finally, those interested inOhio University's Cutler Scholars Program must answer the following essay prompt (max 250 words): Reflect on a service activity or other efforts you've undertaken to contribute to your community or communities. Your actions might involve individual service, a group project, or substantial activities to support your family, such as employment or caring for a sick relative. What did you learn about yourself and your community? What did you learn about how society functions more generally? Ohio University in the 1970s (Sent From the Past/Flickr) Pennsylvania State University Penn State allows applicants to complete the two following optional essays, each withalimit of 500 words: Please use this space to discuss your activities (other than academic work) during the last several years (for example: school organizations, jobs, athletics, the arts, community service, religious groups, or other individual interests). Please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State. This is your opportunity to tell us something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records. Additionally, applicants to the Schreyer Honors College must answer the following three essay prompts. There are no word count or formatting requirements. There are 27 amendments to the Constitution of the United States. What should be the 28th? Are China and India developing countries? Why or why not? The Seven Wonders of the World is a well-known list highlighting spectacular natural phenomena or human-made structures. Please describe some of the Seven Wonders ofyourworld: They could include people, places, events, or things that have significantly affected who you are. Lastly, if you took any time off before starting college, you'll need to explain what you did during this time and whyin the area of the application titled "Educational Gap Statement." University of Arizona Applicants to UA who do not meet the assured admission criteria will go through the comprehensive review process, which allows for an optional personal statement: The inclusion of anoptionalshort answer, personal narrative or statement to the UA application gives you the opportunity to include unique life experiences and personal achievements in your application University of Central Florida The essays for UCF are optional but recommended. Applicants are asked to pick two of the prompts and compose responses of no more than 500 words (or 7,000 characters) each. If there has been some obstacle or bump in the road in your academic or personal life, please explain the circumstances. How has your family history, culture, or environment influenced who you are? Why did you choose to apply to UCF? What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that will allow you to contribute to the UCF community? University of Kansas Applicants to KU's honors program must answer one of the following three essay promptsin 500 words or fewer: Give us your top five. Elaborate Consider a time when you strongly held a position, then changed your mind. How did you come to your original stance and how did it change? The University of Kansas cultivates visionaries who contribute to local and global communities. Discuss your passion and why it’s important to you Applicants may also submit an "Extenuating Circumstances Statement." The word limit for this response is 150 words. Is there additional information about yourself, your family, your background, or any adversity (e.g. financial hardship, illness, etc.) you would like us to take into consideration while reviewing your application? University of Nebraska, Lincoln UNL doesn't require applicants to submit an essay, but you will need to write one to be considered for scholarships. There is a 500-word limit. Tell us about the experiences that have shaped you as person- the community circumstances you’ve overcome, your leadership experiences, your career goals, examples of your commitment to help under-served communities and experiences you’ve had with the global community. University of Utah Applicants to the Honors College must complete two essays. The first has a limit of 500 words, and the second has a limit of just 50 words: In 500 words: Keeping in mind that there are many ways to think about â€Å"justice† and a â€Å"just society†, what would YOU personally require of a society in order for YOU to consider it â€Å"just†? It might be helpful to explain what you believe is â€Å"just† or â€Å"justice† but please don’t incorporate a dictionary definition in your essay.Take a little risk, and have fun. In 50 words:... Please give us a hint about what makes you, YOU: a personality quirk, an unexpected interest, an unusual hobby or pursuit, how your earned your nickname, your most embarrassing moment, your wildest dream, the title of your autobiography, why your friends think you’re funny, what you’re doing to get into the Guinness Book of Records, your latest invention? This parrot has questions. Do you have answers? (Matthias Ripp/Flickr) Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: The 3 Main Types of College Essay Questions As you can see above, a few schools ask simply, â€Å"Tell us something about yourself,† but most have a more specific prompt. Still, many questionsare pretty similar to each other and can be grouped intothree general types. In this section, we'll break down each type of college essay question to see why colleges ask about it and how you can respond effectively. Type 1: QuestionsAbout a Meaningful Experience This type of college essay question is the most common. The exact focus of these prompts can vary quite a bit,but they all ask you to reflect on an important experience. Some questions specify atype of experience whereas others don't, simply opting to have applicants write about whatever matters to them. There are three basic sub-types that you'll see when dealing with these prompts. Let's look at an example of each. #1: Overcoming a Challenge These prompts ask about how you dealt with a particular challenge or solved a problem. Below is a typical example of this question type from the MITapplication: Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? To address a question like this, you need a topic that has real stakes- that is, something that you genuinely struggled with.Even though it can seem as though you should only discusspositive experiences and feelings in your college essay (you want to impress your readers with how awesome you are!), unwavering positivity actually hurts your essaybecause it makes you seem fake. Instead, be honest: if you're writing about a negative experience, acknowledge that it was unpleasant or hard and explain why.Doing so will just make your overcoming it that much more impressive. #2: Engaging WithDiversity Questions about diversity ask how you interact with those who are different from you. See an example below from the Common Application: Reflect on a time when youquestionedor challenged a belief or idea. What prompted yourthinking? Whatwas the outcome? When approaching this type of question, you need to showthat you're thoughtful about new ideas and perspectives.Colleges are full of students from all kinds of backgrounds, and admissions officers want to know that you'll be accepting of the diversity of other students, even if you don't necessarily agree with them. Also, make sure to pick aspecific instance to focus on. Writing a general essay about how you accept others won't impress admissions officers- you needto show them an example of a time that you did so. #3: Growing Up Finally, this type of prompt asks about a transitional experience or rite of passage that made you feel like an adult. I've reprinted another example from the Common App: Discuss an accomplishment, event, orrealizationthatsparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. For these types of prompts, you want to show personal growth. Explain to the reader not just who you are but also how you've changed. (Really, this is a good idea no matter which prompt you're addressing!) College can be challenging, soadmissions officers want to know that you have the maturity to deal with (likely) living on your own, managing your own life, and planning for your future. Regardless of the exact prompt, the key to this type of college essay is to show what you’ve learned from the experience.Admissions officersdon't care that much about what happened to you- they care about what you think and feel about that event. That's what will give them a sense of who you are and what kind of college student you'll make. How have you changed between graduating from kindergarten and graduating from high school? Type 2: Questions About How You Would Fit Into the Community Examples:UW–Madison, FIU, UCF When admissions committees evaluate applicants, they consider how a student will contributeto the college as a whole. These college essay questions ask you to explain what you would bring to the college’s community and how you'd fit in with its values. Here is an example fromUW–Madison: Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest. To address this type of prompt, you’ll want to give specific examples of how you embody the traits they’re looking for or what benefits you’d provide to the school’s community. Some prompts will ask youto addressmore specific ideas about the school than others, but it's always a good idea to touch onthe individual school's values or philosophy. Balancing talking about your experiences and traits with describing what excites you about the school can be tricky, but it's vital that you touch on both. If you don't talk about yourself, you're missing your chance to give the admissions committee a sense of who you are and how you would fit in to their community. And if you don't discuss the school itself, you risk coming off as uninterested. So make sure to do both! Type 3: Questions About Your Goals Examples:MIT 2,University of Illinois,ApplyTexas C These college essay questions ask about your professional, personal, or academic goals and how you’ll pursue them.They also often ask you to outline how you’ve worked toward these goals so far. Take a look at an example from the University of Illinois application: Explain your interest in the major you selected and describe how you have recently explored or developed this interest inside and/or outside the classroom. You may also explain how this major relates to your future career goals. If you're applying to theDivision of General Studies, explain your academic interests and strengths or your future career goals. You may include any majors or areas of study you're currentlyconsidering. When addressingthis type of question, you'll want to prove to admissions officers that you’re thoughtful about your future and excited about the opportunities college provides.Colleges want to admit students who will be successful, and a big part of finding success is having the drive to work toward it. As always, remember to use specific examples to illustrate your point.What relevant experiences have you had or interests have you pursued? What made you think this subject or career would be a good fit for you? Are there related classes or activities you're excited to participate in at the school? The more specific you can be in addressingthese questions, the stronger your essay will be. Of course, these three types of questions don't cover every essay prompt, and some questions will be more unusual (especially those for supplemental essays). Nonetheless, you should analyze any prompts you encounter in the same way. Ask yourself why the college is asking that question and what admissions officers are hoping to see- not in terms of specific topics but in terms of general trends and traits. Understanding what admissions officers are hoping to get out of your essay will help you pick a great topic that'll help you exhibit your unique personality and perspective in the most effective way possible. How to Plan Your College Essay Writing Now that you’ve seen the range of questions you might be asked to answer for your college apps, let’s discuss how you can plan your college essay writing process most efficiently. Make a Chart of All the Essays You Need to Write Depending on how many schoolsyou're applying to and what their requirements are, you might have to respond to10 or more college essay prompts. Therefore,you'll want to make sure that you're organized about what needs to get done. I recommend creating a chart with the school, its deadline, and its essay's word count in one column, and theprompt(s) in the other. Then, prioritize your essays by deadline and preference. In other words, focus first on essays for the schools with the earliest deadlines and the ones you’re mostexcited about. You’ll also want to consider whether you truly need to write a different essay for each school. If the prompts are similar enough, you might be able to reuse essays for more than one college. I'll go over how to make these calls in more depth below. When Writing Multiple Essays for OneSchool, Use DifferentTopics You probably noticed that many of the schools listed above ask for more than one essay. When completing one of these applications, make sure your essays aren’t repetitive.You want to take the opportunity to give admissions officers as fleshed out a sense of who you are as you can,so pick topics that show different sides of your personality. For example, let’s consider a student who’s hoping to become an engineer. If she writes her first essay about competing in a science fair, she’ll want to focus on something slightly different for her second essay- perhaps an unexpected interest, such as figure skating, or a time that she used her scientific skills to solve an unscientific problem. Be Careful About Reusing Essays A common question students have is whetheryou can just write one essay and submit it to every school. The answer is, unfortunately, no. As you can see,college essay questionsdiffer enough that there's no way you could use the same essay for every single one (not to mention the fact that many schools require two or more essays anyway!). However, it doessometimeswork to reusean essay for more than one school. The key is that the prompts have to be asking about basically the same type of thing. For example, you could use the same essay for two prompts that both ask about a time you solved a problem, but you probably wouldn't want to use the same essay for one prompt that asks about a problem you solved and one that asks about a time you interacted with someone different from yourself. You can also reuse an essay bysubmitting an essay originally written for a specific prompt for a more general prompt as well.For example, you couldsubmit your ApplyTexas topic B app (the one that's about overcoming a specific obstacle) for the Coalition essay prompt 1 (the one about a meaningful story from your life and what you learned). In that case, you might want to tweak the essay slightly to address the question of what you learned more explicitly, but you could likely use the same personal statement with minimal changes. The other reason thisinstance of essay recycling works is because the ApplyTexasand Coalition applications have compatibleword limits.In general, you can't reuse a 600-word essay for a prompt with a 250-word limit. Why? Because by the time you've cut out that many words, you'll usually be left with something that either doesn't make much sense or that doesn't show much about you (since you've only left enoughof the story to explainwhat happened). Although, technically, you could use a short essay (200-300 words) for an application with a higher word limit (say, 500-650 words), I strongly advise against doing this. If you have the space to tell a more in-depth story and explain your perspective and feelings in more detail, you should take it. Reusing a much shorter essay out of laziness is a waste of an important opportunity to impress the admissions committee.(You can, however, write a longer essay on the same topic.) Ultimately, whether you can use a recycled essay for a given prompt willdepend on the specific prompts involved and your chosen topic. However, I've outlined some general guidelines below. Essays About Experiences Arethe Most Easily TransferredBetween Schools There’s a reason the Common App promptsare all type 1: Because they ask about important experiences, these prompts are much more about you than they are about the school. As such, it’s much easier to use them for more than one school. That being said, as I described above, if the prompts are different sub-types or are otherwise clearly distinct from each other, you’ll still need to write unique essays. Essays About a Specific School Generally Can’t Be Recycled If a prompt asks about why you’re interested in a specific school or how you'd fit in, don't try to use it for more than one school. Admissions officers want to see that you're excited about their school and will bring something interesting or special to their community. It's impossible to show them this if you can't be bothered to write a unique essay for their application. Take the time to think about what appeals to you about the specific school or how you relate to its core values. Essays About Your Goals or Interests Might Need to Be Customized to Each School For questions that ask about your future, you might be able to keep the same basic structure- assuming you’re interested in studying the same subject- and simply tweak the section about your plans for the future to reflect eachschool's specific programs or activities. However, don’t lie to avoid having to write a new essay. If one school’s music program interests you while another school’s architecture program does, write a unique essay for each. How to Write a College Essay That Works: 3 Key Tips There's one key takeaway from looking at the many prompts above: colleges are looking for your essay to tell them something about you.This idea should be your guiding principle as you write and edit your essay. I've summarized our top three college essay writingtipsbelow, but for a more in-depth take on the writing process, check out our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay. #1: Pick a Topic You're Excited About A great essay requires a great topic, and a great topic is one that you really want to write about.Remember that admissions officers want to get to know you: you'll have to be honest about your interests and your perspectives if you want to impress them. For more guidance on picking a great topic, check out our guides to brainstorming college essay ideasand finding the besttopic for you. #2: Focus On Specific Details No matter how great your topic, your essay won't be compelling without detailed descriptions that put the reader in your shoes and let them see the world from your perspective. Details are what make an essay stand out because they're unique to you. For example, alot of people might have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, but only one could have stood outside in a pink hat listening to her high school history teacher drone on about the different types of screws for 25 minutes.In short, don't settle for telling readers what you did- show them with specific details. You also need to explain howthe experience affected you and/or whyyour topic is important to you. Students often get so wrapped up in telling astory that they forget to show why it matters, but your feelings arethe most important part of your essay. This aspectof the essay should also include plenty ofdetails. Otherwise, it's easy to fall into clichà ©s that bog down your storytelling. #3: Edit Carefully As you embark upon the college essay writing process, keep in mind thefamous Ernest Hemingway quote: "The only kind of writing is rewriting." It might be extremely tempting to just write a draft and call it a day, but revising is a vital step in crafting an engaging essay. Once you write a first draft, put it in a drawer for a week. Taking some time away from it will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. Then, try to read your essay from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you.Would they be able to understand the story? Do you explain clearly what you learned? Does yourintro grab the reader's attention? It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or peer, to read your essay and give you feedback. Really listen to what they say and think about how you can improve your writing. Finally, try reading your essay aloud. This will help you catch any weird or awkward phrasings. What's Next? If you're struggling with how to approach your personal statement, consider looking at some college essay examples. The essay is just one part of the college application process. Check out our guide to applying to college for a step-by-step breakdown of what you'll need to do. Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT, consider taking a look at our expert test-prep guides for some helpful advice on whatever you might be struggling with. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points 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: