International Entrepreneurship Group Project

Business Plan The need After conducting thorough research on the market concerning kitchen appliances, it is clear that there exists a market gap for dish washing machine. From the findings, currently in the market, there are only two business entities providing the dish washing service – one dish washing machine and the house help. The idea of setting up another washing machine manufacturing firm is, therefore, in line with the current market behavior.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Entrepreneurship Group Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Setting up another company that makes the washing machines will, as a result, provide customers with alternative to choose from; it will also push the already existing company towards producing better quality products (Kolb, 2008). In addition, proper management would allow the firm to thrive by establishing itself as the best in manufacturing washi ng machines through initiating a healthy competition within the sector. Merits The firm’s produce is environmental-friendly since the product does not release harmful wastes to the environment. The product is also convenient; it easies people’s life and saves their time. The washing machine like any other machine would serve to make work easier by working at users’ convenience. The commodity also seeks to help consumers save time by doing the required duty within the limited time. The equipment should be designed in such a manner that it should be easy in use by the target group through initiation of simple commands. The user interface should be fit by well-placed buttons with lightings that are to be easily interpreted by the user. Low cost of maintenance is another advantage of the company. Its design is well-thought in order to avoid complexity by reducing the frequency of occurrence of moving parts within the machine One of the advantages of mechanization is its speed of operation because people can do the same operation slower as compared to the output of machines.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Target market In line with its production, the produced commodity targets, in particular, the working class with lots of office work to take care of, and as such they have little time to do their house duties. Equally, the firm is also targeting the hotel and catering industry in general. Big hotels serving a large number of customers require efficiency and fastness in order to attend to the needs of their customers within favorable time. It is clear that by mechanizing the industry, they will not only increase the speed of the hotel operations but also ensure that employees meet all the needs of their clients as thus they have time to do that (Landstrà ¶m, 2012). The commodity will also equip the catering companies, which deliver se rvices to a large number of persons. Expected unit volume sales Given the high number in the targeted region, with the USA boasting a larger population of up to over three hundred and thirteen million, and Germany having over eighty million heads, the company stipulates to serve the outlined population by delivering the below mentionedquantity to the market. The firm will, however, concentrate on supplying the local market before setting up its operations abroad. COUNTRY POLUTATION (In millions) QTY (in ‘000) USA About 313 500 Germany About 81 150 Table 1. Estimate sales volume against population count in the USA and Germany. 4P’S Product Considering the nature of the market, both local and foreign, as outlined in the market research report, both markets have mechanized and human labor. The washing machine that is to be produced by the firm will seek to bridge the gap between the services offered by the human labor and the already established washing machine m ethod. The machine, therefore, will be designed to provide the much needed speed, efficiency, convenience and the ability to handle large volumes of load. Verily, the machine will also be easy to use, with much attention given to raw materials used in manufacturing the machine to ensure that the final product does not wear out fast. The firm will also study the prevailing market behavior to ensure that it produces the required amount of goods for the available market. This will help reduce wastage as a result of poor planning. Price In order to enter into the market, which has already been traversed by the competitors and other service providing companies, the firm would set price at a reasonable value in between the cost of hiring a house help and the pricing of the already occurring alternatives. The set price will allow the firm to maximize its profit from sales in addition to luring more customers. While the price of the commodity is expected to remain fairly static, it will be subject to change depending on the changes in the factors of production. Commodity Manufactured washing machine Washing machine in the market House-help Price $100 $130 $200 per month Table 2. Prices of the commodities in the marketAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Entrepreneurship Group Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Place The firm should be located in proximity both to the target market and the factors of production. This would help cut on the cost of transportation from the firm’s warehouse to the market and even in shipping the raw materials from their point of production to the factory (Lord, 2012). The presence of the international airport is also an added advantage since it allows for easier exportation and transportation of the machines The Company, therefore, may be located in New York. Promotion In line with the market structure, since the market already has other substitute commodities and service providing entities, the firm, therefore, will need to do more aggressive advertisements and sales promotion in order to penetrate the market (Hisrich, 2010). The firm, therefore, plans to invest in running advertisements of the existing new product in sensitizing the population at large through business magazines; participation in business shows, televisions and even radios. Additionally, the firm seeks to provide a fifteen percent discount on the first one thousand goods to be sold.The firm also intends to do door-to-door campaigns in areas where the competitors have strongly set their base. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis allows for evaluation of the business strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats both internally and externally. From the SWOT analysis done on establishing the firm, the factors listed below have been established as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the manufacturing of a washing machine. Strengths Well- organized management team, this will ensure smooth flow of firm operations in terms of supervision and execution of duties (Dana Therese, 2010). The firm intends to employ particularly from the local labor market in order to minimize on movement of the employees for proper service delivery. The management would help in supervising the firm’s operation so as to ensure the firm’s growth within the established boundary. Weaknesses The possible weaknesses for the manufacturing exercise include: – low capital base that will limit the expansion of the whole production exercise;Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More – inability to recruit experienced expertise for the manufacturing of the washing machine, which may limit the number of well-trained employees that the firm can accommodate in terms of wages. Opportunities Some of the existing opportunities that the firm seeks to take advantage of include well-established position with a clearly spelt out channel for market reach. The firm is to be set up the country’s capital that boasts well-developed infrastructure in addition to its large number of inhabitants. This will present the firm with a greater chance of delivering its product to the readily available market within the intended time. Opportunities presented for the company also include readily available market for the washing machines. This will allow for mass production of the machines, hence high profit from large sales volume. Threats Already established firms dealing with manufacturing of washing machines will offer stiff competition to the newly established firm. Gene rally, house-helps are more appealing to people than machines; therefore, they may prove a hindrance to market penetration. Possibilities of emergence of other manufacturing firms will lead to production of commodities in excess of the market; as a result, there will be reduced volume of sales hence low returns. Marketing in Germany Although marketing the product both in the USA and Germany will be more expensive in comparison to marketing only in the USA, it comes with lots of benefit as compared to the latter. Marketing in both countries (the USA and Germany) would ensure that a greater geographical region is covered within the appropriate time. This will make the brand known to a greater number of people, drawing attention to a new commodity in the market, which will translate to large sales volume as a result of reaching (Harper et al, 2010). The firm will, therefore, conduct marketing in Germany due to its large population with a view of tapping its wide market. After considera tions on the availability and occurrence of factors of production, the USA stood out as the best choice of place for setting up the firm. The reasons in favor of the US as the best location: The USA enjoys a fairly stable economy; therefore, it provides a financial security the investment. The USA has a higher population than that of Germany (U.S. CB, 2013), and since the kitchen appliance is targeting households by default, the USA would, therefore, provide a wider market. The USA is open to the whole world. Countries around the world look up to the USA for delivering better and quality products. Having the firm set up in the USA would, therefore, allow for easy penetration into the market, especially the foreign one. Generally, English, which is the national language in the country, is widely used across the whole continent. Setting up the firm in the USA will, therefore, allow for labeling, user guides and even advertisements to be done in English. This will allow the company to reach larger target group over a short time (George Yvonne, 2007). The USA also enjoys a favorable political environment, which is essential for growth of the business. Favorable political environment enables proper formulation and implementation of business policies as outlined by the government of the day. This provides protection to business entities against unfavorable completion. Additionally, the USA has better trade relations with the rest of the world, Europe in specific, which happens to be a significant target market for the product. Having the firm established in the USA will enable the firm easily to ship the product to the foreign market. Self-manufacturing versus potential outsourcing decisions and reasoning While outsourcing for ideas as well as reasoning is a more cohesive approach, it comes with increased expenditure on hiring additional professionals for the already catered for areas. While it enables the firm management to make informed decisions on policies formu lation and implementation, outsourcing for ideas slows the rate of operation especially if it comes to decision making process and implementation of policies since all the ideas drawn from outside will also be put under consideration (Christopher et al, 2012). Self-manufacturing, on the other hand, would allow the recently set-up company to blend in original ideas into operation to ensure uniqueness of the produced product. Since the firm is still a young enterprise, self –manufacturing would allow it to be run in accordance to the set objectives, without interference from external input. It will also allow the firm to make faster decision in addition to ensuring that decisions made are in line with the business objectives (Gary, 2010). In line with this understanding, owing to the firm’s limited financial base, the company will be looking to establish itself as a self- manufacturing entity. Distribution methods Taking into consideration the firm’s proximity to the market and the nature of commodity that the firm would be dealing with, the company should consider setting up sales point in the major targeted areas for an easy access by the potential customers. Areas where low sales volume is anticipated will be served on customer orders by the door-to-door delivery method, by a van in order to create a good rapport with customers (Malcolm, 2012). Goods made for the external market will be airlifted to the firm’s warehouses, which have been set up in the foreign market. From the warehouses, the company will deliver the product to the customers upon purchase by a van. In some areas, however, the product will be stored in the warehouse long enough until demand arises. HR plan Being a business setup dealing in the manufacturing of electrical washing machine, the firm will obviously need to have a human resource plan dealing with the recruitment, evaluation and dismissal of its employees. In this line, the HR would be required to abide by the labor laws and regulations employed in the different countries (Coase, 2012). In the USA, for example, the firm is to abide by the following labor policies. The set minimum wage for every employee act outlines the minimum wage to be paid. The Fair Labor Standards Act established in 1938 dictates the minimum wage and payments for overtime hours that employers in the private sector need to pay their employees taking into consideration a number of exceptions in reference to the nature and capacity of the business operations. The USA also has in place the free movement and immigration act that allows employees to roam freely within the country borders, when discharging their duties. Employers, therefore, should ensure that employees that they seek to employ are available within the allocated time as spelt out in the contract signed between the two parties. The labor industry is also regulated by the pension policy, which seeks to protect employees from being denied their rightful r etirement gains, upon expiry of the contract or on official retirement as outlined in the policies. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act establishes the agreed standard and criteria for funding the retirement and care benefits that the employers offer to their employees upon retirement. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act also spells out the necessary actions to be taken against the employers that discriminate against employees preventing them from obtaining their deserved benefits as outlinedin the state laws that govern the labor industry. Health care and safety act outlines the standards for workplace safety. This act also enables workers to refuse to work under unhealthy and unsafe conditions (USA DOL, 2013). The act also provides that the employers, especially in the manufacturing industry, should give their employees protective guards to offer protection against injuries and harmful chemicals. Trade union act allows workers to participate in trade unions, activi ties dealing with union’s welfares and other businesses within the set state laws, in which the workers would like to involve (William, 2004). Right to organize, this state law allows the employees in the private sector to be represented by their trade unions in legal disputes between employers and employees. Equally, the dismissal protection policy protects the workers against unlawful dismissal form duty by their employers. Alike the USA, Germany also has state laws and provisions that aim at protecting both the employers and the employees. Some of these policies are listed below. Federal Data Protection Act protects the employees against infringement of their right to privacy as a result of improper handling of their personal data by the interested parties. It also outlines equivalent penalties for employers who do not comply with the set standards. Germany also has adopted the Termination Protection Act which protects the employees from untimely voluntary resignation of e mployees without prior notice or ascension of the employer. Germany also has the environmental protection policy that requires manufacturing firms in the country properly to dispose their waste products. This policy also providesfor the allowed amount of poisonous gaseous wastes that industries can release into the atmosphere. It also provides for the penalties that the industries may face should they violate the environmental control policies. From the foregoing, it is true that there are policies that cut across in both countries, the USA and Germany. These policies include the employee protection act which protects the employees from unlawful dismissal from their duties by their employers. Additionally, both countries have the environmental protection act that seeks to regulate the amount of wastes that manufacturing firms release into environment. The states also have different sets of policies regarding the labor industry. Unlike the USA, in Germany, the labor policy requires t he employees to provide their employers with prior notification of their resignation from duty in correspondence with German’s employment statutes. The employees are, however, exempted from providing such a notice in cases where they have been involved in criminal acts, and when the working conditions are deemed unhealthy for both parties involved. Additionally, in comparison with the USA which has put more restrictions on the employee’s background checks through state and local laws, in Germany, such restrictions have more obligations that outweigh the advantages attached to the whole exercise. Again, unlike in the USA, employers in Germany should take into consideration the German quota obligation that requires at least five percent of employees to be disabled in cases where the firm intends to employ more than twenty workers (Jens et al, 2010). References Christopher, R., Fraser, M., Mary, A. (2012). The Engagement Equation: Leadership Strategies for an Inspired Wo rkforce. New Jersey: Wiley publishers. Coase, R. (2012). The Firm, the Market, and the Law. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Dana, M., Therese, H. (2010). Business Planning. New York City: Aspen Publishers. Gary, N. (2010).Managing a Diverse Workforce: Learning Activities. California: SAGE Publications, Inc. George, M., Yvonne, R. (2007). The Language of Environment: A New Rhetoric. London: Routledge. Harper, B., John, M., Orville, W. (2010).Marketing Strategy: A Decision Focused Approach. New York City: McGraw-Hill. Hisrich, R. D. (2010). International Entrepreneurship: Starting, Developing and Managing a Global Venture. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc. Jens, K., Pascal, R., Michael M. (2010). Key Aspects of German Employment and Labor Law. New York City: Springer. Kolb, B. (2008). Marketing Research: A Practical Approach. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications. Landstrà ¶m, H. (2012). Handbook of Research on Venture Capital, Volume 2. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Lord , Y. (2012). A Guide to Starting and Developing a New Business. London: HM government. Malcolm, R. (2012). How to start a business: Take control of your own future. Chicago: Abby Logan. United States Census Bureau. (2013). U.S. and World Population Clock. Web. United States Department Of Labor. (2013). Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/majorlaws William, B. (2004). A Primer on American Labor. Cambridge: The MIT Press. This essay on International Entrepreneurship Group Project was written and submitted by user Jimmy E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

20 Exploratory Essay Topics on Mayan Civilization

20 Exploratory Essay Topics on Mayan Civilization Mayan civilization is probably one of the most fascinating and intriguing cultures that ever existed on Earth. From its unclear origins to incredible scientific and artistic advances achieved by the Mayan culture at its peak to its sudden unexplainable demise – everything about it looks as if it was invented specifically to pique the curiosity of later generations. Mayan civilization is a mind-boggling combination of seemingly incompatible elements. It never evolved past the Stone Age. Like all other Mesoamerican cultures, ancient Mayans never knew metalworking, the wheel and many other advances that most civilizations make relatively early in their development. Nevertheless, they managed to create architecture that took into account advanced factors such as stress and strain, astronomical and mathematical systems that were by far superior to anything that existed at the time and were far beyond their own needs. They could do sums up into the millions, predict movements of the planets for thousands of years ahead and were probably the first to define the concept of the mathematical zero. At the same time, they practiced brutal human sacrifices, ritual torture, bloodletting and cannibalism. Any and all of these aspects of their civilization can be used as a basis for an excellent exploratory essay – here are 20 sample Mayan civilization e ssay topics for you to start from: Mass Exodus of the Maya: Possible Reasons The Mayan Religion and Human Sacrifice The Concept of Death in the Mayan Culture The Significance of Bloodletting Ceremony in the Mayan Culture Maya Calendar and the End of the World in 2012 Syncretic Religion of Modern Maya The Ritual Ballgame and Its Importance for the Mayan Culture The Idea of Cyclical Development in the Mayan Culture Discovery of the Mayan Civilization by John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood Scientific and Cultural Achievements of the Mayan Civilization The Written Legacy of the Mayan Civilization The Economy of Ancient Mayan City-States The Mayan Language and Preservation of the Mayan Culture The Modern Maya: Keeping the Traditions of the Past Maya Mythology and Its Connections with Other Mesoamerican Beliefs Urban Design of Ancient Mayan Cities Peculiarities of the Maya Script Ancient Mayan Cuisine and Agriculture as a Reflection of the Culture Methods of Human Sacrifice used by the Mayan Civilization and their Ritual Significance Incredible Advances of Mayan Astronomy and Mathematics As you may see, there is a lot you can say about the Mayan civilization, and since its discovery in the 19th century a lot has been added to our knowledge about this ancient culture – which means that whatever topic you choose or create on your own, there is almost certain to be plenty of information you can use. Unhealthy fascination a lot of people had about the end of the world allegedly prophesized by the Mayan calendar to happen in 2012 did a lot to popularize Maya – which you can easily use to your own advantage.

Definition of the Pendleton Act - 19th Century History

Definition of the Pendleton Act - 19th Century History The Pendleton Act was a law passed by Congress, and signed by President Chester A. Arthur in January 1883, which reformed the federal government’s civil service system. A persistent problem, going back to the earliest days of the United States, had been the dispensing of federal jobs. Thomas Jefferson, in the earliest years of the 19th century, replaced some Federalists, who had attained their government jobs during the administrations of George Washington and John Adams, with people more closely aligned to his own  political views. Such replacements of government officials increasingly became standard practice under what became known as the Spoils System. In the era of Andrew Jackson, jobs in the federal government were routinely given to political supporters. And changes in administration could bring about widespread changes in federal personnel. This  system of political patronage became entrenched, and as the government grew, the practice eventually became a major problem. By the time of the Civil War, it was widely accepted that work for a political party entitled someone to a job on the public payroll. And there were often widespread reports of bribes being given to obtain jobs, and jobs being awarded to friends of politicians essentially as indirect bribes. President Abraham Lincoln routinely complained about office seekers who made demands on his time. A movement to reform the system of dispensing jobs began in the years following the Civil War, and some progress was made in the 1870s. However, the 1881 assassination of President James Garfield by a frustrated office seeker put the entire system into the spotlight and intensified calls for reform. Drafting of the Pendleton Act The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act was named for its primary sponsor, Senator George Pendleton, a Democrat from Ohio. But it was primarily written by a noted attorney and crusader for civil service reform, Dorman Bridgman Eaton (1823-1899). During the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, Eaton had been the head of the first civil service commission, which was intended to curb abuses and regulate the civil service. But the commission was not very effective. And when Congress cut off its funds in 1875, after only a few years of operation, its purpose was thwarted. In the 1870s Eaton had visited Britain and studied its civil service system. He returned to America and published a book about the British system which argued that Americans adopt many of the same practices. Garfield’s Assassination and Its Influence on the Law Presidents for decades had been annoyed by office-seekers. For instance, so many people looking for government jobs visited the White House during the administration of Abraham Lincoln that he built a special hallway he could use to avoid encountering them. And there are many stories about Lincoln complaining that he had to spend so much of his time, even at the height of the Civil War, dealing with people who traveled to Washington specifically to lobby for jobs. The situation got far more serious in 1881, when newly inaugurated President James Garfield was stalked by Charles Guiteau, who had been rebuffed after aggressively seeking a government job. Guiteau had even been ejected from the White House at one point when his attempts to lobby Garfield for a job became too aggressive. Guiteau, who appeared to suffer from mental illness, eventually approached Garfield in a Washington train station. He pulled out a revolver and shot the president in the back. The shooting of Garfield, which would eventually prove fatal, shocked the nation, of course. It was the second time in 20 years that a president had been murdered. And what seemed particularly outrageous was the idea that Guiteau had been motivated, at least in part, by his frustration at not obtaining a coveted job through the patronage system. The idea that the federal government had to eliminate the nuisance, and potential danger, of political office-seekers became an urgent matter. The Civil Service Reformed Proposals such as those put forward by Dorman Eaton were suddenly taken much more seriously. Under Eaton’s proposals, the civil service would award jobs based on merit examinations, and a civil service commission would oversee the process. The new law, essentially as drafted by Eaton, passed the Congress and was signed by President Chester Alan Arthur on January 16, 1883. Arthur appointed Eaton as the first chairman of the three-man Civil Service Commission, and he served in that post until he resigned in 1886. One unexpected feature of the new law was President Arthurs involvement with it. Prior to running for vice president on the ticket with Garfield in 1880, Arthur had never run for public office. Yet he had held political jobs for decades, obtained through the patronage system in his native New York. So a product of the patronage system took a major role in seeking to end it. The role played by Dorman Eaton was highly unusual: he was an advocate for civil service reform, drafted the law pertaining to it, and was ultimately given the job of seeing to its enforcement. The new law originally affected about 10 percent of the federal workforce, and had no impact on state and local offices. But over time the Pendleton Act, as it became known, was expanded a number of times to cover more federal workers. And the success of the measure at the federal level also inspired reforms by state and city governments.

Enterprise Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enterprise Management - Essay Example l 2009), Sky News, UK, [Online] Available: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/British-Airways-Job-Losses-Profits-Down-During-February-Snow-As-Passenger-Numbers-Continue-To-Fall/Article/200904115255103 [April 28, 2009] 11 Brimelow P., March 2009, First a Rally, then Hyperinflation? Market Watch, New York, [Online] Available: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/first-rally-then-hyperinflation/story.aspx?guid={F8CFE313-144B-4CFD-9EE7-BC2F4A4B9A63}&dist=TNMostRead [April 28, 2009] 11 Krasny R., April 2009, What the Fed is considering at this weeks meeting, Reuters, [Online] Available: http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE53Q6KP20090427?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews [April 28, 2009] 11 The growth potential of the core companies with a country largely impacts the economy. At the same time the economic health of a country instantly affects the companies working within it. The enterprises within a nation and the nation’s economy are two inseparable entities; one affects the other. Any economic downfall thus results in the poor health of the enterprises. And if the affected economy is the largest and in the world, the ill effects of the economic downturn is dissipated throughout the countries of the world. History has witnessed on such severe economic downfall in 1929, named Great Depression. The present economic recession, termed as the Credit Crunch of 2009 is and perhaps will be more striking. Globalization has led to integration of companies all over the world. Organisations have taken a cue from the Global Commodity Chain model and went overseas, often to enjoy comparative advantages of cost. These moves have boomeranged now. Different divisions of the same company are facing problem for being based out in different countries (February Snowfall Cost British Airways  £20m, April 2009) There is a very low probability that the cash and cash equivalents of a company deposited with a bank gets dissolved. In fact banks always invest their

Professional Affiliations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Professional Affiliations - Essay Example They also promote the rights of nurses in the workplace, forecasting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying.  For instance, making their voice heard through the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting every nurse and the public. Through the AJCC, which has been a reputable journal, members are helped not only to be at par with the modern day nursing requirement and policies but also enhance career growths. Journal is unique for it offers the latest advances in the area of clinical research, with special features. This professional body was established in 1969.The professional body is the worlds largest specialty nursing group, and assists educate nurses working in newly created intensive care units. AACN represents the interests of more than 500,000 nurses charged with the responsibility of caring for critically ill patients. The professional body is essential as a professional body since caring for critically ill patients is a critical area in nursing (Daly, 2005).   AACN also happens to be the worlds largest specialty organization representing nurses, and that makes it reputable and showcasing commitment to a nursing profession. The profession is majorly served by AACN Bold Voices and launched in July 2009. AACN Bold Voices contains concise, reader-friendly stories, reputable articles that capture the depth and breadth of critical care and acute nursing. Bold Voices carries current clinical tips along with various articles about certification and chapters. Emergency Nurses Association was founded in 1970. Initially, it aimed at networking and teaching; the professional body has evolved into an authority, lobbyist, advocate and voice for emergency nursing. The professional body currently has more than 40,000 members around the globe and is the only professional nursing association entirely

Describe the possible signs Essay Example for Free

Describe the possible signs Essay Bullying is not defined as a form of abuse in Working Together but there is clear evidence that it is abusive and will include at least one, if not two, three or all four, of the defined categories of abuse. Recognising child abuse is not easy. It is not our responsibility to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place or if a child is at significant risk of harm from someone. We do however, have both a responsibility and duty, as set out in your organisation’s child protection procedures, to act in order that the appropriate agencies can investigate and take any necessary action to protect a child. Physical abuse Physical abuse is deliberately causing physical harm to a child. This might involve punching; kicking, biting, burning, scalding, shaking, throwing or beating with objects such as belts, whips, or sticks. It also includes poisoning, giving a child alcohol or illegal drugs, drowning or suffocation. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of illness in a child. Signs of Physical Abuse There are certain signs that need to be acknowledged when suspicion arises that physical abuse is occurring: Any injuries not consistent with the explanation given to staff. Injuries which occur to any part of the body but usually in places which are not normally exposed to falls or rough games Injuries which have not received medical attention Reluctance to change in the heat, or to change/participate in activities such as, PE or swimming Bruises (usually in clusters), human bites, cigarette burns and fractures, for example, which do not have an accidental explanation multiple burns with a clearly demarcated edge Fear of parents being approached for an explanation Flinching when approached or touched Aggressive behaviour and/or sudden anger outbursts Depression Running away from home Possible effects of physical abuse Physical abuse can lead directly to neurological damage, physical injuries, disability and in extreme cases death. Physical abuse has been linked to aggressive behavior in children, emotional and behavioral problems and learning difficulties. Emotional Abuse Emotional abuse is where repeated verbal threats, criticism, shouting, lack of love and affection causes a severe adverse effect on a childs emotional development. It consists of communicating to children that they are worthless, unloved, and inadequate or valued. Emotional abuse may include not giving a child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or making fun of what they say. It may feature inappropriate expectations being imposed on a child, over protection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child from taking part in normal social interaction. Signs of possible emotional abuse †¢ Depression, aggression, extreme anxiety, changes or regression in mood or behavior, particularly where a child withdraws or becomes clingy †¢ Obsessions or phobias †¢ Sudden underachievement or lack of concentration †¢ Seeking adult attention and not mixing well with other children †¢ Sleep or speech disorders †¢ Low self-esteem †¢ Fear of parents/carer being approached regarding their behavior †¢ Fear of making mistakes Possible effects of emotional abuse This type of abuse can lead to adverse long-term effects on the child’s development. Emotional abuse has a significant impact on a developing childs mental health, behavior and self-esteem. This type of abuse is as important as the other three types, and can be detected as the signs are more visible and can be easily detected. Domestic violence, adult mental health problems and parental substance misuse may be features in families where children are exposed to such abuse. Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. This may involve physical contact including penetrative sex, oral sex, masturbation, kissing, rubbing, or touching outside of clothing, or it may involve non-contact activities such as involving children in watching sexual activities, producing or looking at sexual images, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Abusers can be men, women or other children. Between 21% and 36% of sexually abused children will display few or no symptoms but it is usually a child’s behavior which becomes a cause for concern. Children who tell of sexual abuse do so because they want it to stop therefore is extremely important to listen to a child that discloses such an allegation. Signs of possible sexual abuse †¢ Any allegations made by a child concerning sexual abuse †¢ self-harming, sometimes leading to suicide attempts †¢ Sexual activity through words, play or drawing †¢ Repeated urinary infections, itching or bleeding around genital area and/or unexplained stomach pains †¢ The child is sexually provocative or seductive with adults †¢ Saying they have a secrets that they cannot share with anyone †¢ Severe sleep disturbances with fears, phobias, vivid dreams or nightmares which sometimes have overt or veiled sexual connotations or bedwetting †¢ Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia Possible effects of sexual abuse Behavior such as self-harm, inappropriate sexual behavior, sadness, depression and loss of self-esteem has all been linked to sexual abuse. The effects of sexual abuse can affect the individual into their adult life. The extent or the severity of each case is determined by the time span of abuse, the more serious the abuse, the younger the child is and the relationship of the child to the abuser. Once sexual abuse has been identified the support of an adult who believes the child helps, starts to help the child understand the abuse and can therefore offer help and protection to the abused child. Neglect Neglect has been described as the â€Å"most serious type of child maltreatment and the least understood† (Crittenden 1999: 67). It is the most common reason for a child to be placed on the child protection register in the UK. Neglect is the failure to meet a child’s basic physical and or psychological needs, which is likely to affect the child’s health or development. Neglect is when a parent or carer fails to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment), medical care, or protection from physical and emotional harm or danger. Additionally failure to ensure access to education or to look after a child because the carer is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, is considered as Neglect. Signs of possible neglect †¢ Dirty skin, body smells, unwashed, uncombed hair and untreated lice †¢ Clothing that is dirty, too big or small, or inappropriate for weather conditions †¢ frequently left unsupervised or alone †¢ Frequent diarrhoea †¢ complaints of being tired all the time †¢ Untreated illnesses, infected cuts or physical complaints which the carer doesn’t respond to †¢ frequently hungry sometimes stealing other children’s food †¢ Being underweight Possible effects of neglect Neglect can seriously impair a childs health, physical and intellectual growth and development, and can cause long term difficulties with social functioning, relationships and educational progress. Extreme cases of neglect can cause death. Bullying Bullying is also recognized as a type of abuse. Bullying is always distressing for the victim and can have serious consequences. Bullying should always be taken seriously. Emotional bullying is the most commonly reported by children and young people and is often more difficult to spot. Bullying can take place both inside and outside of the school. Bullying happens when an individual or a group show hostility towards an individual and this can be: †¢ Emotional, such as name-calling, not talking to someone, taking or hiding personal items, humiliating, spreading rumors or teasing †¢ Physical, such as pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching or threatening to use physical force †¢ Racist, such as racial taunts or gestures †¢ Sexual, such as inappropriate physical contact, sexual comments and innuendo, or homophobic taunts. Signs of possible bullying Loss of personal possessions, dinner money or items of clothing Torn clothing, maybe even having cuts and bruises (if physically bullied) Shyness, withdrawn behavior, lack of self-esteem and depression Aggressive, bad tempered behavior and may become aggressive to younger siblings Threaten or attempt suicide Not achieving very well academically Not wanting to leave their home Possible effects of bullying Bullying will most definitely affect a child’s social and emotional development as they have very low self-esteem maybe depression and will probably try to isolate themselves from others which will have a profound effect on their social skills with their peers and pretty much everybody around them, they may become aggressive and bad tempered and may threaten or attempt suicide and in some extreme cases may actually commit suicide. Cyber-bullying In recent years, a new form of bullying known as ‘cyber-bullying’ has become increasingly common. Cyber-bullying may be emotional, racist or sexual forms of abuse. It happens through emails, text messages or telephone calls. Information about someone may also be shared by putting it on to social networking sites. This can include the sharing of private photographs. Children and young people who use this method of bullying often feel disassociated from their actions, but the consequences can be just as serious for the child. This type of bullying can be particularly distressing as children are unable to get away from it, it even invades their home.

Ethics Of The Hellenistic World Essay -- essays research papers fc

In comparing the ethical theories of the Epicureans, Aristotle, and the Stoics it’s found that they possess three separate ideas. These ideas are different in their individual beliefs; yet attempt to accomplish the same goals of creating an inner peace and sense of well being in their followers. Generally these three disciplines had distinctly separate ideas on how to set about accomplishing these goals; the Epicureans felt that the pursuit of pleasure was the correct path to enlightenment, while the Stoics had the idea that the conformation to strict laws regarding virtue was the proper path, and as for Aristotle, he held the middle ground in this debate of the minds, feeling that moderation was the key to complete happiness. Epicurus' ethics was a form of egoistic hedonism, meaning that the only thing essentially valuable is one's own pleasure. Anything else that has value is valuable merely as a means to securing pleasure for oneself. Epicurus associated this theory to a refined and individual view of the nature of pleasure, which lead him to recommend a virtuous, moderately frugal life as the best means to securing pleasure. His ethical theories find a foundation in the Aristotelian commonplace that the highest good is what is valued for its own sake, and not for the sake of anything else. Epicurus also agreed with Aristotle that happiness is the highest good. However, he disagreed with Aristotle by identifying happiness with pleasure. Epicurus gave two reasons for this. The main reason was that pleasure is the only thing that people do having value just for its own sake; that is, Epicurus' ethical hedonism is based upon his psychological hedonism. Everything we do, he claimed, we do for the sake of ul timately gaining pleasure for ourselves. This is supposedly confirmed by observing the obvious behavior of infants, who instinctively pursue pleasure and shun pain. The truth in this is also found in the behavior of adults, but in adults it is more difficult to see that this truth, since they have much more complicated beliefs about what will bring them pleasure. This hedonism was widely denounced in the ancient world as undermining traditional morality. "The trouble with Epicureanism is its assumption that the self is a bundle of natural appetites and passions, and that the end of life is their gratification. Experience shows that such a policy consi... ...le relates that the healthy exercise of virtuous function in a well-rounded life exploring personal interests and friendships is the cause of which happiness is the unavoidable and fitting effect. In other words, if you pursue the cause you will create the effect, but if you pursue only the effect circumventing the cause, you will miss both effect and cause entirely. â€Å"Aristotle rejects the Epicurean principle of pleasure; because, though a proof that isolated tendencies are satisfied, it is no adequate criterion of the satisfaction of the self as a whole. He rejects the Stoic principle of conformity to law; because it fails to recognize the supreme worth of individuality†(Hyde, 175). Even after this comparison it is difficult to contend which of these three theories would be a valid philosophy today. As they all have their seemingly strong points, there are still intrinsic weaknesses that would not hold up under the scrutiny of contemporary philosophers. Bibliography Hardie, W.F.R. Aristotle’s Ethical Theory. Great Britain: Oxford UP, 1968. Hyde, William. The Five Great Philosophies of Life. New York: Macmillan, 1945. Long, A.A. Hellenistic Philosophy. New York: Scribner’s, 1974.

Ctlls Unit 3 Principles and Practice of Assessment

Unit Three: Principles and practice of assessment Methodology Firstly we had input during classes from our tutor on the categories of concepts and principles of assessments, how to use different types of assessments and some of the strengths and weaknesses of these methods, the role of feedback and questioning in the assessment of learning and the different types of assessment records and their uses. Next we individually researched these topics, to do this firstly I used discussions with my mentor, observations of colleague’s sessions, discussions with my peers and evaluation and reflection of my own teaching sessions. My secondary research consisted of academic books, internet sources, as identified in the bibliography. I chose this approach because it gave me the widest range of resources, varying information and views on the subjects. I could then collate the primary and secondary research to write my precis and form my opinions on the research I had undertaken. The focus of my research was on concepts and principles of assessment, the different types of assessments and how to use these, the different assessment methods available along with their strengths and weaknesses especially peer and self assessment, what is feedback and how to make it effective and reviewing and recording learner progress and achievement. This precis will then enable me to better evaluate my own practice and help me to ensure I undertake the assessment process more effectively in the future. Precis ‘Assessment is about several things at once†¦ It is about reporting on students’ achievements and about teaching them better through expressing to them more clearly the goals or our curricula. It is about measuring student learning; it is about diagnosing misunderstandings in order to help students to learn more effectively. It concerns the quality of the teaching as well as the quality of the learning. Ramsden (2003). Assessment is a regular process that enables both tutors and learners to assess the progress of a learner and make judgements about the learning. These judgements then guide the tutor and learner towards the intended learning outcomes, goals that are to be achieved and any improvements required to obtain the desired qualification. Good practice is to reflect and evaluate after each assessment as this will give you the opportunity to improve in the future. The programme syllabus or qualification handbook is the starting point when planning assessments. These will ‘state how the subject should be assessed, and will give information and guidance in the form of an assessment strategy. ’ Petty (2009). If the subject you are teaching is with an official awarding body, they may also have some requirements with regards to assessments that a tutor should be familiar with. When planning assessments you should ensure they are valid, authentic, current, sufficient and reliable (VACSR). This can be done by asking yourself what, when, where, why, who and how questions; for example, does it assess what is in the syllabus? Remember that assessments should never discriminate or exclude any learners and should always allow equality of opportunity. There are two forms of assessment; Assessment of Learning – this is basically what the learner has learnt at the moment. It measures knowledge retention and uses grading and/or marks. This is summative assessment. Assessment for Learning (AFL) – this determines learner’s goals/targets to build a program or course. This type of assessment focus more on the gaps in learners knowledge rather than teaching the whole subject and about finding faults and fixing them (monitoring improvement). This is formative assessment. These two forms of assessment are both needed by individual learners and society but I think that AFL is a more valuable tool for the individual learner as it is much more centred on where a learner is in their learning, where they need to go, what is the best way to get there and allows time to achieve their full potential (learner focused). The Assessment reform group (1999), list AFL having and learning * AFL should focus on how students learn * AFL should be recognised as central to classroom practice * AFL should be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers * AFL should be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has an emotional impact * AFL should take account of the importance of learner motivation * AFL should promote commitment to learning goals and a shared understanding f the criteria by which they are assessed * Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve * AFL develops learners capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing * AFL should recognise the full range of achievements of all learners. These principles mean providing effective feedback that enables learners to improve and plan the next steps; adjusting our teaching to take account of the results of assessments, including focusing on the whole person their feelings, skills and barriers; recognising the influences of assessment on motivation and self esteem of learners as well as learners taking responsibility for their own learning which in turn can help with knowledge retention and the need for learners to be able to assess themselves and understand fully how to improve through peer and self assessment and reflection. This helps with the next steps needed for further learning. AFL is a particular view of learning that believes all learners can improve and achieve their full potential, that ability is incremental not fixed. Within these forms of assessment there are different types of assessments that are used at different points throughout a learners learning journey and these different assessments may be formal or informal. Formal assessments are usually based on the results of standardised tests or other exams that are done under controlled conditions, the criteria is often set by the awarding body or organisation and the results can contribute to the final grade. Informal assessments are methods of measuring a learner’s performance by casually watching their behaviour or using other informal assessment methods, they check ongoing progress and the criteria are often decided by the tutor. The main types of assessments are; diagnostic/initial, formative and summative and ipsative. Within my experience at the training centre of the YMCA and within most HE organisations the first assessment that learners would come across is Diagnostic/Initial assessment. Initial assessment occurs prior or at the start of a course. It is used to find a starting point for learning, making the development of a learning plan possible. During initial assessment you can ‘start to build up a picture of an individual’s skills, achievements, interests, previous learning experiences and goals, and the learning needs associated with these goals. ’ Skills for life improvement programme (2008). Diagnostic assessment also occurs at the beginning of a course and then when needed throughout. It is used to assess more specific skills like a ‘skills check’ would and to identify learning strengths and needs. Diagnostic assessment also helps to ‘determine learning targets and appropriate teaching and learning strategies to achieve them. ’ Skills for life improvement programme (2008). These two assessments types are often done at the same time and are closely linked, together they help the tutor and learner build a clear picture of the individual to personalise the learning and develop an ILP. When under taking these two assessment types a range of methods should be used to ensure the learner is able to show their strengths and weaknesses adequately. Use assessment methods that are relevant to the individuals interests (vocational area or life interests), select a blend of methods to suit them and their circumstances and try to gather information from other areas, for example, observe the learner on a work placement if possible. There are many assessment methods that can be used during initial and diagnostic assessment, here are a few: enrolment forms – these can give you the basic information about an individual, however, they may not put all relevant information on this form such as any learning difficulties or cultural needs. APL – this can mean there would be no need for the learner to duplicate work done previously but the criteria may not be the same and you would need to check currency of the work. Interviews – these allow tutor and learner to get to know each other and discuss any issues in more depth whilst enabling the tutor to see how much a learner knows. The disadvantage with this method may be that the planning has not been done carefully or thoroughly to ensure the consistency of questions between learners and some learners may not react well in this circumstance. Observations – this gives a broader picture of the learner and how they perform in a range of contexts giving insights into their strengths, team work etc. Disadvantages with this method are time constraints and if a learner feels nervous of being observed you may not get a true picture of their abilities. Online assessments/tests – results are generated instantly, easily blended with other methods and can take place at a time to suit all parties. However, clear targets need to be set, may be technical problems and what is actually being assessed. Is the learner computer literate? At the YMCA I devised a short general computer knowledge diagnostic assessment worksheet for my learners. This worksheet consisted f naming different parts of a computer along with writing a brief description of what each listed software could be used for. I used this after an initial assessment informal discussion with individual learners to ascertain their level of computer knowledge as well as a basic writing assessment. The diagnostic worksheet then allowed me to assess their knowledge further so that I could devise ILP’s with each learner to cover any gaps in their knowledge, help them to achieve agreed goals and to offer further support to those learners that required help with writing skills. The next assessment type that may be used is Formative assessment. This type of assessment is ongoing during learning and is used to ‘tell the student how the learning is proceeding as well as telling the teacher about the success of the teaching. ’ Reece & Walker (2007). Formative assessments are used to enhance learning; therefore the goal of formative assessment is to improve. William and Black believe that what a learner is taught is reflected in what they are assessed. Formative assessment can be characterised as Assessment for learning. This type of assessment can produce; non-threatening results as they are scored but not always graded, direct and immediate feedback, structured information as tutors can see success and plan improvements and learners can see progress as well as experience success and they produce ways to improve by allowing the tutor to revisit areas that need further development and allowing learners to have additional support or time on areas they performed less well on. As this type of assessment is ongoing many methods are used. In my subject area of ICT within the YMCA the courses are not accredited so there is no awarding body’s criteria to adhere to. As ICT is a very ‘hands on’ subject I use observations often in formative assessments. Gravells (2009) suggests that the advantages to observations are ‘enables skills to be seen in action, learners can make a mistake†¦ enabling them to realise what they have done wrong, can assess several aspects of a qualification at the same time (holistic). According to Reece & Walker (2007) there are four types of direct observation assessments, global impression – look and describe what you see, this method has no structure and lacks reliability. Semi-structured – a number of open questions relevant to the tasks, answers to the questions are written either during, or after observation. Rating schedules – tutor rates a performance on say a five point scale, pe rsonal interpretation of scale can cause unreliability and finally Checklists – mark whether a specific feature of the task was or was not carried out. My observations are mainly informal and consist of watching what the learner is doing and asking questions about why they have done something a certain way etc. When I have done a formal observation I have used the checklist formative assessment as I agree with Reece & Walker that this type of observation is less open to personal interpretation, the criteria is clearly set out and if being used by the learners as peer or self assessment they have a clear understanding of what is required and what is to be achieved. Other methods I have used in both teaching at the YMCA and South Cheshire College have been questioning (both direct and indirect oral), multiple choice – as these can test a variety of levels in blooms taxonomy from knowledge, understanding and higher, discussions – these allow freedom of views and learning from peers, presentations – assess skills, knowledge and can help with confidence but if a group presentation some learners may do more work than others so it is important to assess individual contributions, assignments and projects – these help to ensure that the knowledge has been understood and retained, tutorials – used to discuss progress and address any issues, tests – assesses skills and knowledge, however, some learners do not perform well in test conditions and may need additional support to overcome this or if possible an alternative assessment method, traffic lights – used as a visual means to show understanding. During the courses at the YMCA in the next academic year I intend to introduce an informal mid-unit assessment. This will allow time to review, reflect and revisit any areas of weak understanding or areas that learners have struggled with. If assessments are left till the end of the course there is no way to revisit these unlearnt areas. I am aware of online assessments but as of yet have not used these, mainly because the courses at the college that I have been teaching on do not use them and at the YMCA there is not reliable facilities for online assessment/testing. I do intend to look further into this aspect of assessment once the new premises at the YMCA are finished and I think that the learners would benefit from online assessments as these can assess both cognitive and practical abilities. However this method of assessment needs to be monitored carefully to ensure who is actually taking the test/assessment, is the software or hardware up to date and that extensive objective testing is not done as this can result in learners guessing the answers. Summative assessment is on completion of learning. This may be at the end of a course or programme or may be at the end of a unit or topic. It is mainly used to see if the learner has learnt the material and is capable of going onto further learning. Brown (2001) suggests the purpose of summative assessment is ‘to give a license to proceed to the next stage of graduation (certification). ’ Reece & Walker suggest that summative assessment is ‘to satisfy the needs of society. ’ Both of these quotes imply that this type of assessment is about grades and is to show that the learner has the knowledge and at what level (pass, merit, distinction) to continue or not (failed). These grades do not always tell the learner why they achieved a certain level or why they failed. Summative assessment can be characterised as Assessment of learning. Many of the methods used for summative assessment are the same as formative assessment but often done in a formal setting rather than an informal setting. During my teaching at the YMCA I have used the following methods for summative assessments; Individual presentation – knowledge, skills, creativity, performance, design and communication, exam – demonstrating knowledge and understanding, performing procedures and demonstrating techniques, Portfolio – managing and developing self, oral exam and observations – for learners with reading and writing difficulties. Ipsative assessment can be used as a form of self assessment. It is assessing present performance against the prior performance of the person being assessed. They do not always relate to any external criteria or make comparisons to the performance of other learners. My teaching at the YMCA I have used this type of assessment mainly during feedback sessions, where learners and I will discuss previous work and present work, what has improved and what could still be improved upon. Another way to implement ipsative assessment is to encourage learners to assess their own work, to select the best pieces for their records of achievements folders and to identify areas for improvement. This can then be continued with self-evaluation of progress during sessions/lessons and on specific tasks. There are many more methods to use during assessments each with its own advantages and disadvantages, such as; Accreditation of prior learning (APL), buzz groups, case studies, discussions, e-assessments, homework, journals, professional discussion, projects, puzzles and quizzes, reports and dissertations, role play, tutorials, tests, etc. The main disadvantage to any assessment method is that many learners and tutors may not be use to them as some of them may be new and innovative or there may be a lack of technology available. By ensuring tutors are up to date with assessment methods and a variety of methods are used learners will benefit by being able to fairly show their strengths and weaknesses in a range of circumstances, therefore, it is best practice to use a blend of methods to get the best and most reliable results for your learners. Two other types of assessments I would like to investigate further in this paper are Self and peer assessment. These are often combined or considered together and have many potential advantages in common. Peer assessment can help self assessment. By judging the work of others, learners gain insight into their own performance. ‘Peer and self assessment help students develop the ability to make judgements, a necessary skill for study and professional life. ’ Brown, Rust & Gibbs (1994). Black & Wiliam’s research ‘Inside the black box’ concludes that self assessment is an essential component of formative assessment if it is to be used to improve student learning. I agree with the findings of this research in that self assessment is a skill that should be encouraged and developed as it can have a positive effect on learners performance and motivation. Peer and self assessments are used to enhance learning by increasing learner involvement in the learning process, increasing social interactions and trust in others, facilitation of individual feedback and to help focus learners on the process rather than the product. For both peer and self assessment to be successful Black states that ‘criteria must be understood by students†¦. students must be taught to collaborate in peer assessment for this helps develop objectivity for self-assessment†¦.. students should be taught to assess their progress as they proceed keeping the aims and criteria in mind†¦. This means that tutors should plan lessons that will teach learners to collaboration skills and make it visible as a part of the classroom, criteria could be provided by the tutor or devised by the learners and could also include a mark scheme, making these judgements about another person’s work can clarify a learners own understanding of the subject. During teaching at the YMCA I used self and peer assessments in group projects. I gave the project a final mark but used these assessment methods to give individuals within the group marks. To do this I got the learners to peer assess each other and based my individual marks upon these peer assessments. However, I was aware that there could be problems with this method such as some learners being too generous with marks or too low with marks. To overcome these problems I checked the marking to ensure consistency throughout the group and set out clear mark schemes. Another method of self assessment I use is ‘learning loops’ Petty (2009). This is where at the beginning of the next piece of work the learner will write a target from the last piece of work and then work towards that target, then I will mark this work with that target in mind and comment as to whether the target was met or if any improvement was shown. This method was useful with my learners in getting them to reflect upon their own work and take responsibility for their own learning as well as helping with their motivation. I have also used an adaptation of the feedback sandwich, called the Peer assessment Hamburger (included in my portfolio). This assessment activity was given to the learners to assess each other’s work; they first had to write about something positive about the piece of work then something to work on and how to work on it, then something positive again. This method was successful in my group of learners as getting them to receive any form of constructive feedback or advice is difficult, so by praising first they were more willing to listen and act upon the points for improvement. This method also helped the learners to gain skills in judging and evaluating work which in turn helped with self assessment/evaluation techniques. It is important to follow up on the improvement points at a later stage to ensure that an improvement has been made or to offer further assistance or teaching in that area if necessary. These areas for improvement were also noted in ILP’s during tutorial sessions as ‘Medals and Missions’, medals are what has been done well this may be the work itself (product) or may be the effort and planning (process). Missions are information about what needs improving along with how to do this, they are not criticism but advice and help to close the gap between where learners are and their goals. I believe that peer and self assessment are two very important and useful methods of assessment as ‘whatever a person discovers himself is what they really know. ’ Shapiro (2003). A learner needs to know where they are in their learning, where they are going and how to get there, these two methods help learners to understand this and achieve much more. Feedback simply put is ‘the passing of information to the student of their ability to perform a task’ Reece & Walker (2009). Although feedback is about giving the learner information on how they have performed it is much more than this, it is about progression, motivation, encouragement, self-esteem and confidence, promoting communication, improving standards etc and is a two way process. During all the research I undertook for this part of my paper I found one thing in common throughout, that feedback is a very important and powerful tool in relation to achievement when done constructively and properly. ‘The most powerful single moderator that enhances achievement is feedback’ Hattie (1999). Feedback can be formal or informal, it can be written, verbal or online, and it can be given after an assessment or during a lesson or tutorial. Whichever form feedback takes it should be constructive, descriptive not judgemental, specific, fully understood and timely. Feedback is used often during formative assessment and Sadler (1989) suggests ‘three elements of enhanced feedback are; recognition of the desired goal, evidence about present position and some understanding of a way to close the gap between the two. ’ This means the learner needs to have some understanding or concept of the goal being aimed for, learners need to be shown the comparison with current level of performance with that of the goal and learners should be shown ways in which the gap between the goal and current level can be closed. It is important to prepare learners for feedback to help them gauge how well they are doing, to actively involve them in the assessment process and to help them to understand the feedback. To do this you should agree the purpose of the feedback prior to the assessment, state the type of feedback to be used, show learners how their work. Written feedback is important for giving positive encouragement and correcting errors but is more effective if this feedback is accompanied with dialogue where possible. This dialogue or discussion can improve learner involvement and ownership of the feedback and create a deeper understanding of what was done well and what can be done to close any gaps. Also Gravells (2009) states that ‘you need to appreciate that how you write it may not be how they read it. It is easy to interpret words or phrases differently to what is intended. ’ Therefore when using written feedback you need to use a level of language suitable for your learners, make it clear how the required outcomes were met and what to do next. Using some form of feedback sandwich or hamburger is a good form for written feedback as this nestles the negative between two positives. This makes it more likely to be listened to and acted upon, whereas starting with a negative can stop the learner from listening/reading anything further. Another form of written feedback is comment only marking, this provides learners with a focus for progression instead of a reward or punishment for their ego as marks can. Comments can be made in books, in a learning diary or journal for example. Learning journals are useful for tutors and learners to track the progression of these comments and see improvements. During feedback sessions there should be time for questions as these will help to open up the assessment process and eliminate ambiguity. Using questions to ask learners how they feel they have done prior to giving them your feedback allows them to consider their own achievements, ‘gives them the opportunity to realise their own mistakes, or reflect on what they could do differently. ’ Gravells (2009). Also learners may need time to reflect upon the feedback they have been given and then have questions to it later, time to discuss these questions at the earliest opportunity should be made. Another important point in the feedback process is timing. Feedback should be given as soon as possible whilst the task and goal are still fresh in both the tutor and learners minds. Peer feedback is another useful form of feedback. This enhances learners active engagement in learning, can increase the amount of feedback they receive and they can receive it quicker than a tutor can give sometimes, it uses higher level thinking skills as it requires explanation and justification. The process of reviewing someone else’s work can help learners understand what is considered good work and increase their ability to achieve. Peer feedback should be monitored carefully as not all learners will be accustom to this and there may be some friction amongst your learners. To help overcome this allow practice sessions on peer assessment and feedback, set clear assessment criteria, stress that all will gain as much from reviewing the work of their peers as from any feedback they receive, use tutor-selected groups to peer assess and feedback work, have multiple peers review work, reviewers should feedback immediately, orally preferably, and tutors should explain clearly the best feedback method of Medal and Mission as suggested by Black & Wiliam. As well as giving feedback on assessments you should review learner’s progress at regular intervals on a one-to-one basis. This will allow you to motivate learners, plan for future learning and assessments, discuss any concerns, learners can ask questions, enhance learner involvement, update ILP, review your lessons and ‘differentiate effectively, ensuring that the needs of your learners are met, and that they are being challenged to develop to their full potential. ’ Gravells (2009). The review should be arranged at a suitable time for both the learner and tutor, be used to plan future assessments and targets with SMART objectives and you should ensure that all relevant records are available, etc. When doing any type of assessment, review or feedback there are records that need to be kept, this is important ‘otherwise how would you know what your learners have achieved? ’ Gravells (2009). Assessment records are used by tutors, your organisation, awarding body, regulatory authority, stakeholders and learners. Records can be electronic, paper or a mixture of both. The types of records I keep at the YMCA are; ILP’s, feedback sheets, tracking sheets, assessment forms, lesson plans, schemes of work, evaluations and review sheets. These records are kept in their original forms and used to help me plan future lessons and make any adaptations to existing courses if necessary, keep track of learners marks to be able to see any progression and if a learner loses work I have a record of when it was handed in, marked and what mark it got, what feedback they received to help learners know what they did well and what needs further improvement and how to do this improvement also feedback sheets can be used by an IV or EV to check your judgements and assessments are fair, and to keep a record of learners progress, areas that need attention, learning difficulties etc if any, agreed goals and targets. Whatever method or type of record is used there is legislation that must be adhered to with regards to these records and the information held within them. These legislations are; Data protection Act (1998) and Freedom of information act (2000). These acts cover how the information about living eople is used and stored, and g ive learners the right to see any information held about them, so tutors need to be aware that anything they write about a learner they can see at any time. Records should be kept organised, up to date, confidential, legible, accurate, secure and only kept for as long as necessary. Once these records are no longer needed they should be destroyed in a secure manner such as double shredding and bagging for paper based records, and hard drive cleaners to ensure computer based records are completely deleted. Assessment is a large part of the work teachers, tutors and trainers; it is an ongoing process throughout a learners educational journey and can be the most difficult part of the teaching process. There is recognition here that assessment is more than an isolated judgement of a specific performance; that is should be integrated into a system of reviewing, recording and reporting achievement which teacher and student are at the centre of. ’ Armitage et al (2007). Bibliography Books: Armitage et al (2007), Teaching and training in post-compulsory education, 3rd Ed, Berkshire, Open University Press Gravells. A. (2009), Principles and practice of assessment in the lifelong learning sector, Exeter, Learning matters Ltd Hattie, J. (1999), Influences on student learning, University of Auckland, New Zealand: Inaugural professional lecture paper Petty G (2009), Teaching today, 4th Ed, Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Ltd Ramsden. P, (2003), Learning to teach in higher education, 2nd Ed, Routledge. Reece, I. & Walker, S. (2007), Teaching, training and learning a practical guide, 6th Ed revised, Tyne and Wear, Business Education Publishers ltd Shapiro, (2003), Case studies in constructivist classrooms and teaching, Lanham MD, Scarecrow press. Websites: Assessment reform group (1999), available from http://nationalstrategies. standards. dcsf. gov. uk/secondary/assessment/assessmentforlearningafl [accessed 06 July 2010] Brown, Rust & Gibbs, (1994), available from www. lgu. ac. uk/deliberations/ocsd-pubs/div-ass5. html [accessed 04 July 2010] Department for education and skills, available from www. dfes. ov. uk [accessed 04 July 2010] Excellence gateway, available from www. excellencegateway. org. uk [accessed 04 July 2010] Petty. G, Feedback: Medal and missions [online] Available from www. geoffpetty. com/feedback. html [accessed 05 July 2010] Queens University Belfast, available from www. qub. ac. uk/directorate s/AcademicStudentAffairs/CentreforEducationalDevelopment/Resources/Assessment [accessed 06 July 2010] Sadler, (1989), available from www. leeds. ac. uk/educol/documents/00001862. htm [accessed 03 July 2010] The Higher Education Academy, available from www. heacademy. ac. uk/ourwork/teachingandlearning/assessment [accessed 06 July 2010]

General Evidence To Ipo Under-Pricing

During the 1980s, the market expected an average of 11% returns on the initial public offerings (IPOs) within the first week of opening, which subsequently almost reached up to 21% during the period of 1991-1999. During the magical period of 1999 – 2000, the returns were almost 66%.   These effects can be largely credited to the amendments in the composition of a number of listed companies appearing as public.What is the most prominent reason behind the harsh under pricing of initial public offerings where the returns have been unexpectedly higher?According to the statistics, the IPO under pricing had almost doubled from 7% to 16% from the 1980’s to the late 1990’s. In general, the increase in the under pricing can be pointed towards the previously concealed group troubles between underwriters and issuing firms.Stating in other words, the problems between the two, that were initially not present on the main scene became of overriding importance during the 1999 – 2000. These two propositions are often referred to as the varying composition theory and the agency theory.The first theory of varying composition is supported by the postulation that dicey and unsafe IPO’s will be obviously underpriced by more than less dicey IPO’s. If the percentage of IPOs that correspond to unsafe stocks swells up, then the average under pricing ought to increase (Ritter (1983)).As a note, the number of IPO’s from the Information technology sector has risen up with time. Another significant point to note was that, there exists no proof about the companies which were appearing as public during the late eighties was actually older than those who went into the public sector during the nineties.The average age of an issuing company was around 7 years during the 1980s and 8 years during the 1990s, before it came down to 5 years during 1999-2000 (â€Å"the internet bubble or the magical period†). An analogous outline holds for sale s structure, that there was no secular inclination in the average sales of public companies.In contrast to the late 1980’s, the IPOs which were administered by high profile investment banks / underwriters in the 1990’s, were more highly underpriced than IPO’s which were linked to inferior status under writers or investment institutions.This phenomenon was explained as- since the underwriting in the IPO business became more profitable due to the augmented enthusiasm of firms to put down more money on the table. (Money on the table is defined as – the first-day price change (offer price to close) times the number of shares issued).As a result the underwriters / investment institutions made more profit from the money that was left on the table with the help of a rent-seeking action of buy-side investors. Moreover the market investors are prepared to give higher rates to the underwriters in order to receive IPO allocations.At the same time, the issuing compan ies are also ready to accept higher under pricing from high profile underwriters because of augmentation in the apparent significance of market analyst reporting and superior capital levels.One more reason that has come into light about the causes of IPO under pricing is that the under writers actually want to under price the issue in spite of the gross spread profits that they sacrifice.At the same the issuing firms most of the times do not try to bargain for a higher offer price when they are sure that the demand for the issue will be high enough. A number of firms went public which resulted in an obvious under pricing of IPO’s.According to Lungqist and Wilhelm (2003) as stated in a paper, that the increase in the IPO under pricing during the period of 1996 to 2000, was mainly due to the increased sharing programs like – the friends and family share allotment programs.Even more the number of shares that were owned by the company seniors like managers, CEO and venture capitalists had decreased by a significant amount, which offered fewer profits to them to stay away from harsh under pricing.Lungqist and Wilhelm further advocate that ruthless under pricing of IPO’s is also a consequence of a blend of premeditated under pricing by the issuing firms, who often assume to observe it as a way of drawing market awareness, and essential under pricing in order to pull out information from probable investors about demand for the IPO.In the year 2005, the European market had heaved up more money with the help of the initial public offerings (IPOs) and were able to create a center of attention for a large number of international IPOs as compared to the US exchanges.This increase was due to the increment in the business activities at the London Stock Exchange and in particular to the AIM, which were accountable for more than 53% of the total IPO’s in the year 2005.The London stock exchange has been the most active of the IPO world markets and a s figures suggest, the IPO activity at the LSE is much higher than all the US markets. This paper makes an attempt to further study the under pricing in the London Stock Exchange (LSE) Main market and the AIM.As the study suggests, the cost of raising IPO in the LSE is quite cheaper than on the US markets and there are some reasons that are evidence to this fact. London’s position in terms of measurable costs is similar to that of Euronext and Deutsche Boerse.UNDER PRICING OF IPO – LONDON STOCK EXCHANGEThe capital trading markets all over the world are experiencing a new level of global integration as obstacles to the flow of international funds are being removed slowly. As a result, firms now possess high amounts of flexibility while listing and raising capital.There are locations / markets that can actually prove to be quite cheaper for raising capital. This has given an opportunity to the companies as to select their own choice of trading market around the world kee ping in mind, cost of raising capital, equity, debt and market advantages.The decision of the firms to select a particular market depends upon varied issues like the market size, directness, level of expertise accessible in its financial centre, and the listing procedure involved.Also, there exist several ways to float a company – the choices of which are highly affected by the size of the company, the risk involved, and the authoritarian planning and procedures in each country.   The most common of all the methods in the London Stock Exchange or the LSE are: offer for subscription, an open issue and a stock exchange opening.The under pricing of IPO’s in the market refers to the extensive inspection that regardless of the scheme of entering into the market, the IPO’s be inclined to give considerable returns within days or weeks after the issue has been opened. Rilter (1985), Welch (1987), Ibotsen et al.(1995), Dimson (1979), Buckland et al. (1981), Jenkins and Meyer (1988) point toward the average first day gains at the UK main market which varies from 9 % to 17%. According to Levis and Thomas (1995), during the period from 1985 to 1992, the LSE market had an average first day gains of 1.87% for a total of 106 IPO’s that was issues during the period.

NMSQT Expert Guide

About the PSAT/NMSQT Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you think the PSAT is just a practice test, then you're missing a key part of the story. The Preliminary SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, more commonly known as the PSAT/NMSQT or just the PSAT, is also essential in the competition for National Merit distinction and scholarships. Plus, it can help you figure out exactly how to study for the SAT. This guide's dedicated to the PSAT/NMSQT, from its overall structure to how it’s scored to what kind of questions show up in each section. Before putting the test under the microscope, let’s go over the purpose of this test. What is the PSAT NMSQT for, anyway? What’s the Purpose of the PSAT/NMSQT? The PSAT/NMSQT, which I’ll sometimes just refer to as the PSAT so I don’t have to keep typing out all those letters, is automatically administered to most high school juniors. If you attend one of the many participating high schools, then you’ll be taking the PSAT one October school day in 11th grade. Unlike the SAT, the PSAT NMSQT test dates are predetermined; in 2016, schools are encouraged to give it on October 19. Younger students can also elect to take it as practice, but they’ll have to make a registration request to their school counselor. College Board has recently offered other versions of the PSAT, the PSAT 8/9 and the PSAT 10, for younger students, as well. Depending on your grade level and academic readiness, you can decide which test, if any, would be most useful for you to take before junior year. Whenever you take the PSAT NMSQT, you’ll find that it’s useful practice for the SAT. The two tests are extremely similar; the main difference is that the PSAT doesn’t have an optional essay section. They’re even scored on a similar scale, with PSAT/NMSQT scores shifted down 80 points to account for the fact that it’s a slightly easier test. Your PSAT score report will give you detailed feedback on your performance with a bunch of section scores and subscores. You can use this feedback to direct your studying for the SAT. The PSAT’s other main purpose is to qualify for National Merit distinction and scholarships. Only 11th graders with PSAT NMSQT qualifying scores are eligible. Students who score in the top 3-4% are named Commended Students while those who score in the top 1% are named Semifinalists. The majority of these Semifinalists, about 15,000 out of 16,000 students, are then invited to apply to become Finalists, also called National Merit Scholars. Finalists may receive scholarship money from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation or a participating college. If you’re looking to achieve top scores on the PSAT and ultimately earn scholarship money, then the PSAT/NMSQT becomes a very important test on your road to college. Even if you’re not, the PSAT is still highly useful as practice for the SAT. Want to improve your PSAT score by 150 points? We have the industry's leading PSAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Now that you have a sense of when and why students take the PSAT/NMSQT, let’s examine the test itself, starting with its overall structure. The PSAT/NMSQT is almost identical twins with the SAT. It just has a few key differences and slightly easier questions overall. How's the PSAT / NMSQT Structured? The PSAT NMSQT is a time intensive test, clocking in at 2 hours and 45 minutes. It has four sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math No Calculator, and Math with Calculator. The names and order of these sections match that of the SAT. The only difference, as mentioned above, is that the PSAT doesn’t offer an optional essay section. The chart below shows the order and length of the sections, along with the number of questions in each and approximate time per question. Order Section Time in Minutes # of Questions Time per Question 1 Reading 60 47 76 seconds 2 Writing and Language 35 44 48 seconds 3 Math No Calculator 25 17 88 seconds 4 Math Calculator 45 31 87 seconds Total: 2 hours, 45 minutes You’ll get a five-minute break after about each hour of testing. There will be a break after Reading and a break after Math No Calculator. Before checking out the content of each section, let’s go over how the PSAT is scored. How's the PSAT/NMSQT Scored? Your PSAT score report will break down your performance with a bunch of different score types. One of the most important is your total score, which will fall between 320 and 1520. This total score represents the sum of two section scores, one for Evidence-based Reading and Writing and one for Math. Notice that certain test sections are combined to bring you two section scores, rather than four. These two section scores range between 160 and 760. In addition to these section scores, you’ll get three â€Å"test scores† that tell you how you did on the Reading, Writing and Language, and Math sections. Essentially, these test scores separate out the Reading and Writing and Language sections so you can see how you did on each individually. These test scores will range from 8 to 38. Test scores are also important for the PSAT NMSQT Selection Index, which is another scoring scale that the National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses to determine who makes Semifinalist. If these score types weren’t enough, you’ll also get â€Å"cross-test scores† and â€Å"subscores† between 1 and 15 that tell you how you did in certain skill areas. All of this detailed feedback can actually be really useful in telling you how to prep for the SAT. You can even calculate all these score types yourself on PSAT/NMSQT practice tests and use them to figure out your strengths and weaknesses as a test-taker. Finally, it’s important to note that the PSAT/NMSQT uses rights-only scoring. You’ll get one point for every correct answer, and no points for wrong or skipped answers. There aren’t any point deductions as there were in past years, so it’s in your best interest to answer every question. Now that you know how the PSAT NMSQT is structured and scored, your next step is to learn about the content and skills tested in each section. Let’s start with Reading. Rights-only scoring means you might as well roll the dice and give every question your best guess! PSAT Reading: Structure, Skills, and Study Tips The Reading section on the PSAT is all about reading comprehension. You’ll read passages and answer questions about their meaning. To cover every nook and cranny of this section, let’s start by reviewing its structure, then take a look at some sample questions, and finally go over some of the best PSAT/NMSQT approaches to studying. PSAT Reading: Structure Every question on the Reading section of the PSAT is multiple choice and based on a passage or a set of paired passages. You’ll get one passage from US and World Literature, two from History/Social Studies, and two from Science, for a total of five passages. One or more passages may accompany a graphic, like a graph or chart. The chart below further describes the passage types you’ll encounter on the SAT, along with an estimate of how many questions you’ll answer about each type. Passage Description # of Questions 1 US and World Literature Prose passage selected from a work of US or World Literature 9 2 History / Social Sciences (or 1 passage and 1 passage pair) Passage based on US founding document or selected from work in economics, psychology, sociology, or related field 18-20 2 Science (or 1 passage and 1 passage pair) Focused on Earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics 18-20 You’ll get a total of 47 questions in the Reading section. Read on to learn what these questions will ask. PSAT Reading: Skills and Sample Questions The reading section asks you to read passages from a variety of genres, including prose, argument, and nonfiction narrative, and comprehend their meaning. You might be asked about the meaning of the passage or a paragraph as a whole, a particular sentence or detail, or even just a vocabulary word or phrase. By analyzing the test, we’ve picked out eight main question types: big picture/main, little picture/detail, inference, vocabulary in context, function, author technique, evidence support, and data interpretation. To give you an idea of what these look like, here are some representative sample problems of each question type. For the complete test, check out College Board's official PSAT practice test. #1: Big Picture/Main Point: These questions ask about the main purpose of a passage. #2: Little Picture/Detail: These questions refer you to one or more specific lines within a passage and ask you to interpret their meaning. #3: Inference: These questions ask you to make some sort of reasonable inference from a line or paragraph. #4: Vocabulary in Context: These questions ask about the meaning of a word or phrase. #5: Function: These questions ask what one or more lines accomplish within the passage. Why did the author choose to include them? #6: Author Technique: These questions often ask about an author's style, tone, or some other technique. #7: Evidence Support: These questions tend to refer back to a previous question. They ask for the reason behind your last answer. #8: Data Interpretation: These questions ask you to read the data in a graph or chart. They often ask about the relationship between the graphic and the passage. Again, the above are not official categories, but rather based on our analysis of official PSAT/NMSQT tests. As for the official categories that College Board defines, there are four: Command of Evidence, Words in Context, Analysis in History/Social Studies, and Analysis in Science. The "evidence support" and function questions you read about above tend to fall into the Command of Evidence area, while questions on vocabulary in context and author technique tend to fall into the Words in Context skill area. Many of the above question types could be considered Analysis in History/Social Studies or Science; they tend to be the ones that follow the history and science passages. For instance, here’s an example of an Analysis in History/Social Studies question, followed by an Analysis in Science sample question. Analysis in History/Social Studies Sample Question Analysis in Science Sample Question The first example, you might notice, falls into the "big picture/main point" category mentioned above. The second one is more like a "little picture/detail" question. None of the Reading questions require you to have any pre-existing knowledge on a topic. Instead, all of your answers should be entirely based on information present in a passage. The questions should go in chronological order alongside the passages, so you should be able to locate information with some efficiency. To some extent, this section tests the reading skills you’ve accumulated throughout all your years of schooling. However, there are still ways you can prepare to do well on the Reading section. On your mark, get set, read! PSAT Reading: Study Tips The Reading section is a challenging part of the SAT. A lot of students have the reading comprehension skills to do well on this section, but they still need to prepare specifically for the unique question types and fast-paced nature of the test. Below are a few tips for studying for the Reading section of the SAT. Read, read, read! One key way to improve your reading comprehension is to read a lot! Make it a point to read works from various genres and pay attention to their main point, tone, and style. Note how certain words and phrases take on different meanings depending on context. If you’re reading fiction, consider what the characters do and say to move the plot forward. If you’re reading an argument-based text, take notes on how the author structures the piece and uses details to support her point. Taking the time to really engage with a work of literature or nonfiction will allow you to build your reading comprehension skills across genres. Take Timed Practice Tests While reading in and out of class should help you develop your reading skills, you should especially focus on passages from PSAT practice materials. Take timed PSAT/NMSQT practice tests and try out various reading strategies, like skimming the passage for key points or reading the questions first. Through practice, figure out which strategy works best for you. By scoring your tests and analyzing your results, you can figure out where you most need to improve. You can also learn whether you need to brush up on certain skills or improve your time management. Taking timed practice tests will gradually turn you into a test-taking rock star. Learn About Each Question Type Just as this guide does, make sure your study materials break down each Reading question type so you can recognize exactly what each question is asking you. The data interpretation questions are a relatively new addition. Practice reading graphs and charts to make sure you’re prepared for these unusual question types. Since the Reading section doesn’t require you to have any preexisting knowledge of a topic, make sure that your answers are based completely on a passage. The evidence-based question types are a useful reminder that your interpretations should be entirely based on the information before you. As you read above, your Reading score will eventually get combined with your Writing and Language score to form one Evidence-based Reading and Writing score. Read on to learn how the two sections are different. Get out your red pen! It's time to proofread some messy papers. (Not actually, though. Only No. 2 pencils are allowed on the PSAT.) PSAT Writing and Language: Structure, Skills, and Study Tips The Writing and Language section asks you to be an editor. You’ll read some passages that have errors in word choice and problems with organization. Your job is to identify and fix these issues. This section’s technically called Writing and Language, but you’ll probably hear it shortened to Writing. Writing Section: Structure Just like in the Reading section, all of the questions in the Writing section are multiple choice and based on passages. Another similarity between the two sections is that the sources of the passages are pre-determined. You’ll get one that has to do with Careers, another with History/Social Studies, a third with Humanities, and the fourth with Science. You’ll answer 11 questions on each passage for a total of 44 questions. As you saw in the Reading section, some of your questions will refer to graphs or charts. In the Writing section, this kind of data interpretation question may ask you if the passage accurately reflects the graph or where you could add a data point to strengthen a passage’s argument. You won’t find any prose in the Writing and Language section. All of the passages will be argument-based, informative, or nonfiction narrative. The chart below describes the passage types in greater detail. Passage Description # of Questions 1 Careers Passage may deal with trends or debates in major fields of work, such as information technology or health care. 11 1 History/Social Studies Passage based on US founding document or selected from work in economics, psychology, sociology, or related field 11 1 Humanities Passage explores arts or literature 11 1 Science Focused on Earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics 11 So how does the Writing section ask you to edit for grammar, organization, and meaning? Read on to find out. Writing Section: Skills and Sample Questions What exactly do I mean when I say the Writing section asks you to be an editor? The questions ask you to edit the passage for meaning and clarity in a few ways. They may ask you whether or not a specific word is the best choice in a sentence. They might ask you to reorganize the order of ideas. You might also have to add or delete a sentence, along with explaining the reason behind your change. Most questions give you the option of, â€Å"No Change,† meaning there might not always be an error. Not only will you have to recognize whether or not there’s an error, but if there is, you’ll have to find the correct or improved revision. According to College Board, 20 of the 44 questions ask about Standard English Conventions. These questions ask about concepts like grammar, usage, and punctuation. You might need to insert or delete a comma, fix an apostrophe, change a verb tense, or ensure subject-verb agreement. Here's a straightforward sample question about apostrophe rules in singular vs. plural nouns. This question, as with all the Writing questions, refers to a passage (not pictured here). The remaining 24 questions fall into an umbrella category that College Board calls Expression of Ideas. These questions ask you to make larger structural changes to improve the flow of ideas and organization of paragraphs. Just like in the Reading section, some of these questions have to do with the skill areas, Command of Evidence, Words in Context, and Analysis in History/Social Studies and Science. This sample question, for example, asks you to how to choose the best introductory sentence for a passage. This next sample question is focused on evidence, or the reason why a writer should or shouldn't add a sentence to improve clarity. In this example, you can see a portion of the passage to which the questions refer. Both of these questions can be classified as Words in Context questions, since they ask you to improve word choice. Finally, these next couple of questions ask about data interpretation. These ones are an example of an Analysis in Science question. College Board classifies these questions in a variety of ways, and these categories can get blurry since some of them appear on both the Reading and Writing sections. One way to keep them straight is to divide them into "little picture" and "big picture" questions. Little picture questions ask you to apply a grammar rule or fix punctuation. Big picture questions ask you to reorganize ideas, provide evidence for a change, or interpret data. Altogether, the questions ask you to fix a passage and make it better with editorial revisions. Now that you have a sense of what’s tested in Writing, read on for a few study tips for mastering this section. Writing Section: Study Tips If you've written a paper, email, or even just a text message, then you've surely done some editing to make sure you're communicating exactly what you want to say. Below are a few tips to develop the kind of editing skills that will help you succeed on the Writing section of the SAT. Study Grammar Rules As mentioned above, you can think of the Writing section as containing two main types of questions- those that have to do with little picture changes, like grammar and punctuation, and those that ask about big picture changes, like sentence order and organization of ideas. To prepare for little picture questions, you should review all the relevant rules of grammar, punctuation, and usage. Some of these rules include subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, and comma and apostrophe use. Your prep materials should break down each rule and pair it with sample questions so you can see how the PSAT tests each one. Read With an Eye for Structure As for the big picture changes, you should practice active reading on argument-based, explanatory, and nonfiction narrative texts. As you read SAT passages and other works that you may be assigned in school, keep an eye on structure, how ideas are introduced, transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and introductions and conclusions. Engage with a work and think about why the author chose to present the information in a certain way. It may also help to pay attention to teacher and peer feedback on your own writing. Similarly, you should take the time to edit your writing and, if possible, that of a peer. Through practice, you’ll develop your editorial eye! Take Timed Practice Tests Taking timed PSAT/NMSQT practice tests is a key part of your prep for all the sections. After you take a test, make sure you thoroughly go through the answer explanations and analyze your results. You might also calculate your subscores and cross-test scores to see how you fare on certain question types. For instance, you could calculate your cross-test score for Analysis in Science questions to see how you do on these questions across both Reading and Writing and Language. By targeting your weak spots, you can focus on improving them and thereby bringing up your scores. Don't worry too much about the Math No Calculator section. Rumor has it, some people did math before calculators were even invented. PSAT Math No Calculator: Structure, Skills, and Study Tips This Math No Calculator is new to the PSAT (and SAT) this year. It’s very similar to the Math with Calculator, with one clear difference: you’re not allowed to use a calculator on any of the questions. Don’t worry, though- the questions won’t require very complex calculations. They’re meant to test your conceptual understanding, rather than your ability to write out complicated arithmetic by hand. Read on for the structure and skills tested in the Math No Calculator section, followed by some suggestions for your prep. PSAT Math No Calculator: Structure The Math No Calculator is the shortest section on the PSAT at 25 minutes. You’ll answer 17 questions: first, 13 multiple choice and then 4 grid-ins, or student-produced responses. The questions fall into three major skills areas, as you’ll see below. PSAT Math No Calculator: Skills and Sample Questions The Math No Calculator section asks questions that fall into three main skills areas, as defined by College Board: Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional Topics. The chart below shows how many questions test each skill area. Content Area Number of Questions % of Test Heart of Algebra 8 47% Passport to Advanced Math 8 47% Additional Topics 1 6% Questions that fall into the Heart of Algebra questions ask about, as you might have guessed, algebra. You might find word problems or questions that ask you to solve for variables in linear equations or inequalities. Here’s one example of a Heart of Algebra question. Passport to Advanced Mathproblems may ask you to work with quadratic functions and equations or exponential functions and equations. You may also solve for variables in nonlinear expressions. Here’s an example of this question type: The vaguely named Additional Topics contains all the concepts that don’t fit in the other categories. These include some geometry, trigonometry, and complex numbers questions. Here’s an example: Read on for a few study tips to keep in mind as you prep for the PSAT NMSQT Math No Calculator section. PSAT Math No Calculator: Study Tips While you may feel nervous about not getting to use a calculator on this section, rest assured that none of the problems require especially complex calculations. There may be a few that ask you to write out addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, so you should brush up on your arithmetic skills and ability to write out problems by hand. The most common mistakes here are simply rushing through and making a calculation error, so work on writing out these problems efficiently. Make sure your study materials break down each concept and try lots of practice questions in addition to taking timed practice tests. A thorough conceptual understanding of the tested concepts is essential for doing well in this section. Finally, you can take out your trusty calculator and use it for the rest of the test. You might find, though, that you don't actually need to use it on too many questions. PSAT Math with Calculator: Structure, Skills, and Sample Questions The Math with Calculator section doesn’t look all that different than the Math No Calculator section apart from two key differences. First, of course, you can use a calculator throughout. Second, over half of the questions in this section fall into a new skill area, Problem Solving and Data Analysis. Read on to see how this section works. PSAT Math with Calculator: Structure The Math with Calculator section asks 31 questions. The first 27 are multiple choice and the remaining four are grid-ins. A couple of these grid-ins may be related to each other in what’s known as an Extended Thinking question. Read on for a more detailed breakdown of the requisite skills, along with sample questions in each skill area. PSAT Math with Calculator: Skills and Sample Questions About half of the questions in this section are similar to the ones in the Math No Calculator section. They cover Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional Topics. The other half cover Problem Solving and Data Analysis. Here’s the exact breakdown: Content Area Number of Questions % of Test Heart of Algebra 8 26% Passport to Advanced Math 6 19% Problem Solving and Data Analysis 16 52% Additional Topics 1 3% You saw an example of a Heart of Algebra above, but here’s one taken from the Math with Calculator section. You don’t really even need to use your calculator here, though you could if you wanted to plug in numbers to check your answer. This Passport to Advanced Math question asks about functions. Again, you don't really need a calculator, even though you have the option of using one. As you read above, half the questions involve Problem Solving and Data Analysis. These questions may ask you to calculate ratios, rates, or percentages or work with scatterplots and graphs. Here’s are two sample questions: Sample Question #1 Sample Question #2 Finally, Additional Topics covers geometry, trigonometry, and complex numbers. The following is a sample geometry question from the Math with Calculator section on the PSAT/NMSQT. While most of the tips you read above will help you on both PSAT math sections, read on for a few tips specific to the Math with Calculator section. PSAT Math with Calculator: Study Tips In addition to studying all the algebra, geometry, and trigonometry concepts you need to know for both sections, you should focus on Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems. These questions involve word problems, graphs, scatterplots, percentages, rate, and ratios. Make sure you can work in these areas, since they make up half of the questions in this section. Another consideration for this section is the idea of calculator fluency. Just because you can use a calculator on every problem doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. There are plenty of problems here that don’t require a calculator at all; using one might end up costing you time. As you study, make note of when a calculator is a useful and productive tool and when it’s not helpful for the work at hand. If you’ve made it this far, then you should have a good sense of the content and structure of all four sections of the PSAT/NMSQT. Let’s conclude with some final thoughts about the test and why it’s important for high school students. If you're a U.S. citizen taking the PSAT/NMSQT in 11th grade, then you're in the running for National Merit distinction and scholarships! Final Thoughts About the PSAT/NMSQT Most students take the PSAT/NMSQT in October of 11th grade. Some may ask to take it earlier for practice. Let's review the two important functions of the SAT: National Merit distinction and preparation for the SAT. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT for National Merit While taking the PSAT NMSQT as a younger student can be valuable test-taking experience earlier than 11th grade, you won’t be eligible for National Merit until you take it as a junior. Juniors who score in the top 3-4%, or 96th to 97th percentile, are named Commended Scholars. Those who earn top 1%, or 99th percentile, scores get named Semifinalists. Most of these Semifinalists can then apply to become Finalist and potentially gain scholarships. Even if you don’t ultimately get National Merit scholarship money, having that distinction on your college application is an impressive achievement. If you’re aiming for National Merit, you should set aside time to prep in the months leading up to the test. Familiarizing yourself with the test, as you did if you got this far in the guide, is a first great step. Then you can go on to review the tested concepts, take timed practice tests, and analyze your results to figure out how you can improve. All of this studying will also help you get ready for the SAT, the other important benefit of taking the PSAT/NMSQT. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT to Get Ready for the SAT Studying for the PSAT/NMSQT will not only help you earn your target scores, but it will also help you get ready for the SAT! The two tests are very similar, so any studying you do for one will help on the other. In fact, the two tests are almost identical, with the SAT featuring slightly more advanced questions, as well as an optional Essay section. If you're running low on PSAT prep materials, you could use SAT practice tests or other prep guides to help you get ready. Once you get your PSAT/NMSQT score report, you can use it to figure out your specific strengths and weaknesses and go from there. The PSAT NMSQT helps break the ice for test-takers. Rather than going into the SAT cold, you can feel more experienced because you already sat through a very similar College Board test. Whether or not you’re aiming for PSAT NMSQT scholarships, the PSAT is great practice for the SAT and an important landmark on your road to college! What's Next? If you made it through this guide, it might be safe to assume you're getting ready for the PSAT! Check out this guide to find official PSAT practice tests and tips for how to make the most of them. While you now have a sense of how the PSAT is scored, you might be wondering what scores are considered good. Check out this guide to figure out what makes a good score on the PSAT/NMSQT. Are you aiming for National Merit scholarships? This guide is for high scorers looking to achieve top scores on the PSAT! 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: