Paradigms Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Paradigms What do you do when the hypothetical becomes reality? What if something not just unthinkable, but unimaginable, is suddenly proposed to you as a truth. Now, what if this new truth shatters your entire view of the world, of the universe, and of man’s place in all of that. This is a drastic example of a paradigm shift, when people are torn between two different beliefs. Galileo Galilei brought on the paradigm shift that yielded this extreme example when he offered proof of a heliocentric universe in his 1610 publishing Sidereus Nuncius. Thomas S. Kuhn discussed paradigm shifts like this in his 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. While it is never an easy transition, once the new paradigm gains acceptance it will offer brilliant new ideas and explorations. It’s not possible to give a modern parallel to Galileo’s early 1600 publishing Sidereus Nuncius. So we must attempt to consider this in the context of the 1600s. Many things that we take for granted today, things that we know from our days in elementary school and never bother to question, were not even conceived yet. There was no gravitation theory; everything naturally moved towards the center. The heliocentric Copernican model had not yet been accepted; everything naturally rotated around the earth. That put earth, and more importantly humans, at the center of the universe. Everything literally revolved around us, and that was how God the Almighty designed it. In order to change from this view, a new one must be proposed, proven, and finally accepted. As Kuhn writes, â€Å"The decision to reject one paradigm is always simultaneously the decision to accept another, and the judgment leading to that decision involves the comparison of bot... ...uble sin. I am alone against thirty thousand. No. Protect you, the court; protect, you, deception; let me protect the truth. It is all my strength. If I lose it, I am undone. I shall not lack accusations, and persecutions. But I possess the truth, and we shall see who will take it away† (Pascal #921). Works Cited Galilei, Galileo. Sidereus Nuncius or The Sidereal Messenger. Trans. by Albert Van Helden. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989. Kuhn, Thomas S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Third Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1996. Pascal, Blaise. â€Å"Pensees.† Online. Internet. 07 Sept. 2000. http://altair.stmarys-ca.edu/studwork/integral/penseesi.txt. â€Å"Philosophy of Science & Information Technology: A Tribute to Thomas Kuhn† Online. Internet. 07 Sept. 2000. http://www.brint.com/kuhn.htm.

Motivation, Intelligence Essay

Second language learning is the process of learning a different language other than one’s mother tongue resulting in the ability of an individual to use one or more languages different from his first language. It can take place in a natural setting or through classroom instructions; however, the degree of proficiency differs (Gomleksiz, 2001). Learning is a conscious process that includes thorough explanation of grammar rules, practice of those rules, as well as memorizing lists of vocabulary, usually in a classroom setting (Wisniewski, 2007). Learners usually use their culture, first language, environment, background and personal experiences among others to learn a second language. Second Language learning is necessitated by the different situations of different people. For instance, it can be for social or academic purposes. Learners are affected by many factors in the second language acquisition process such as level of cognitive development, socio-economic and cultural background, age, motivation or ability and intelligence (Gomleksiz, 2001; Wisniewski, 2007). This paper will however concentrate on how intelligence or aptitude and motivation affect the learning of a second language. According to (Wisniewski, 2007), second language learning process differs from first language acquisition, with the latter taking place usually from infancy in a community using a  Ã‚  Ã‚   specific language and affected mainly by neurological developments in the brain (McCain, 2000) while the former taking place usually in schools or later in life and affected by age and associated characteristics (McCain, 2000). It is necessary to draw a distinction between foreign language and second language learning. According to (Wisniewski, 2007), a language learnt in a community that uses a different mother tongue, is said to be a foreign language, and the process, a foreign language learning. For instance, a Kenyan student learning French in Kenya is said to be learning a foreign language, since French is not the common language in Kenya. In contrast, a language learnt in a community that uses the language, is said to be a second language. For instance, a Kenyan student studying is Spain will study Spanish as a second language. According to Holt (2001), motivation in second language learning is the learner’s orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language. It is a desire for learning (Gomleksiz, 2001). That is, it is the inner force or strength that drives an individual toward learning a second language. A below average student with the motivation to learn a second language is likes to succeed than an intelligent student not motivated. Motivation is divided into two basic types- integrative and instrumental (Holt, 2001; McCain, 2000). Integrative motivation is the learner’s positive attitude towards the target language group and the desire to integrate into that target language community. For instance, if an individual loves and would like to identify with the Maasai community, he would learn their language. It is thought that students most successful in learning a target language are those who like the people that speak the language, admire the culture and have a desire to become familiar with or even integrate into the society in which the language is used (J. Falk 1978) cited in Holt (2001). This kind of motivation is essential in helping an individual assimilated in a community to develop some proficiency in the language and also in developing a social life with the people in the community, especially if it is the only language widely spoken. It becomes a necessity. Instrumental motivation on the other hand, underlies the goal to gain some social or economic reward through the second language. It is a more functional reason for language learning. For instance, an individual who would like to be an air hostess may learn other languages to enable her easily get the job. The end of instrumental motivation is basically utilitarian such as meeting the requirements of a school, job or achievement of higher social status (Holt, 2001). In this case, the second language acquisition takes place with little or no integration in the community using the language; however, this knowledge comes in handy if one is to ever visit the community. Factors other than social integration necessitate the acquisition of the second language. Both forms of motivation are essential for success in the learning of a second language, however, integrative motivation has been found to sustain long term success (Crookes and Schmidt, 1991). Instrumental motivation has only been acknowledged as a significant factor in some research, whereas integrative motivation is continually linked to successful second language acquisition (Holt, 2001). According to Holt (2001), Generally students select instrumental reasons more frequently than integrative reasons for the study of a second language. Those who choose an integrative approach to language study are usually more highly motivated and in overall more successful. (n.p) Instrumental motivation can only be successful if the student is provided with an opportunity to actively use the language and possibly interact with the community of the target group; otherwise, the language is easily forgotten as it was only a means to an end. Interaction with the community of the target language helps the student learn more than what is learnt in class such as accent, expression and a whole new words and the context of usage; usually, the student is exposed more to language users than in a class setting. Interaction helps the learner solve his or her problems in the learning process. The language becomes part of the student and the degree of proficiency is higher, this is why integrative motivation has far higher long term success rates. The knowledge of the language becomes more than just professional. For students however, instrumental motivation is usually the major underlying factor for the study of the language (Holt, 2001). Holt (2001) in citing H. D. Brown (2000) states that, both integrative and instrumental motivations are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Learners rarely select one form of motivation when learning a second language, but rather a combination of both orientations. For instance, a Spanish student wishing to study in the U.K will learn English both as a requirement for academic purposes and also to enable her integrate well in the English community. According to Teepen (n.d), intelligence and aptitude are significant virtually in all aspects of second language learning. Regardless of all other factors like age, personality, attitude and motivation, some people happen to be better at learning a second language than others (Bot, Lowie, and Verspoor, 2005). The writers at http://www.slideshare.net/cupidlucid/3-factors-affecting-l2-learning-presentation (n.d) refer to intelligence as the mental abilities measured by an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test, usually measuring the Verbal or Linguistic and Mathematical or Logical intelligence and in some cases, Spatial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Musical intelligence (Bot, Lowie, and Verspoor, 2005). Research findings indicate that intelligence, is a strong factor in language learning that involves language analysis and rule learning. In this case, intelligence has a strong positive relation with second language learning (Teepen, n.d.). It was however found to be of less importance in language learning that focuses on communication and interaction (http://www.slideshare.net/cupidlucid/3-factors-affecting-l2-learning-presentation, n.d.). Intelligence is complex as it has various dimensions thus giving people different abilities and strengths. Therefore, an individual with strong academic performance does not necessarily make a second language learning success story. The writers at http://www.slideshare.net/cupidlucid/3-factors-affecting-l2-learning-presentation (n.d.) also describe aptitude as the potential for achievement and that it is designed to make a prediction about an individual’s future achievements. Aptitude can be seen as a characteristic that is similar to intelligence, which cannot be altered through training (Bot et al. 2005). Aptitude for language learning is usually composed of; the ability to identify and memorize new sounds, the ability to understand the function of particular words in sentences, the ability to figure out grammatical rules from language samples and finally, the ability to memorize new words and phrases (Bot et al. 2005). A person’s inherent capability of second-language learning is called Language Learning aptitude (Bot et al. 2005). A number of language aptitude tests have been developed to assess language aptitude, the most common being the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) by Carroll and Sapon (1959) and the Pimsleaur Language Aptitude Battery (PLAB) by Pimsleaur in 1966. Both tests have shown high correlations with proficiency scores in schools, however, the tests are completely geared towards formal second-language learning and in particular, the way in which the language is taught in classrooms (Bot et al. 2005). Past researches have also revealed significant findings. A significant positive relationship between aptitude for language learning taught with grammar translation or audio-lingual methods, but irrelevant to second language learning taught with a more communicative approach, that is, with a focus on meaning rather than on form (http://www.slideshare.net/cupidlucid/3-factors-affecting-l2-learning-presentation, n.d). Just like in intelligence, successful language learners are not necessarily strong in all the components of aptitude. In conclusion, success in second language learning depends on many factors; motivation, aptitude and intelligence are just a number of important ones. For motivation, it has been found that, motivated students are more successful than those not motivated. Motivation is the most important factor compared to intelligence and aptitude, though it has to be considered in light of other factors. This is because, as long as an individual is motivated, even if his IQ and aptitude are low, he will be able to succeed in language learning. In a nutshell, the greater the motivation, intelligence and aptitude levels of a student, the greater the chances of succeeding in learning a second language. References Bot, D. K., Lowie, W. and Verspoor, M. (2005). Second Language Acquisition: An advanced Resource Book. Madison Avenue, New York: Routledge Applied Linguistics Crookes, G., & Schmidt R.W. (1991). Motivation : Reopening the research agenda. Language Learning, Vol. 41, No. 4, p. 469-512. Gomleksiz, M. N. (2001). The effects of Age and Motivation in Second Language Acquisition. Firat University Journal of Social Science, Vol. 11, No. 17, p. 217-224 Factors affecting Second Language Learning. Accessed April 29, 2010 from http://www.slideshare.net/cupidlucid/3-factors-affecting-l2-learning-presentation, n.d) Holt, J. N. (2001). Motivation as a Contributing factor in Second Language Acquisition. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. 7, No. 6. Accessed April 28, 2010 from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Norris-Motivation.html McCain, J. (2000). Language Acquisition and affective Variables. Accessed April 28, 2010 from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web3/mccain3.html Teepen, J. (n.d.). On the Relationship between Aptitude and Intelligence in Second Language Acquisition. Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, Vol. 4. Accessed April 29, 2010 from http://journals.tc-library.org/index.php/tesol/article/viewFile/69/75

My Last Duchess and Othello, IV, iii

In the dramatic form, be it monologue, dialogue or full theatrical scene, the author cannot step into the action to comment or interpret for us, as he can in a novel.   We must draw our own conclusions from what we see and hear, and this makes for powerful effects, as a character reveals him- or herself to us by what he or she says or does.   In the monologue My Last Duchess Browning misleads us with great skill before we realize that we are listening to a criminal lunatic. The dramatic force lies in the surprise we feel as the truth finally emerges.   In Act IV, scene iii of Othello there is again an agonizing irony for the viewer, who knows more than Desdemona and is of course impotent to help her.   Shakespeare works like a dentist without an anaesthetic, and the pain for the audience derives from the unbearable innocence of the doomed Desdemona, who is surely something like the Duchess in Browning’s poem, helpless and bewildered in the face of a murderous insanity in her husband. Browning’s Duke sounds so sane!   He is wonderfully gracious and articulate – â€Å"Will’t please you sit and look at her?† (5).   As he tells his story he seems to weigh his words with great caution, as if he is quite free of the distorting power of anger or any other passion, and is keen to avoid any unfairness in his judgment: â€Å"She had / A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad† (21-2), â€Å"†¦but thanked / Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (31-2). He never raises his voice, and speaks with a measured confidence that quite takes us in. At first we might be tempted to believe that his attitudes are reasonable: â€Å"Sir, ‘twas not / her husband’s presence only, called that spot / Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek† (13-15).   His manner is restrained even as he hints at her infidelity.   The painter flattered her about her appearance, as of course he would, being a Renaissance artist totally dependent on patronage, but she was charmed by it – foolishly, the Duke suggests. â€Å"She liked whate’er / She looked on† (23-24).   She was delighted by the beauty of the sunset, and the little tribute from the man who gave her the cherries, just as much as â€Å"My favour at her breast† (25).   What he seems to be objecting to is her failure to be properly selective and aristocratic in her tastes.   This is a rather extreme sort of snobbery, but perhaps not unprecedented; we may not find it attractive, but we may accept it as a feature of a proud man with a â€Å"nine-hundred-years-old name† (33). All the time, Browning is luring us up the garden path.   We begin to detect the problem.   The Duke is immensely proud, a man of great heritage, while she is free of snobbery, charmed by the delights of the world and human kindness, and genuinely innocent. (Infidelity does not now seem to be the Duke’s concern.)   Then we begin to see how his pride is really pathological arrogance. â€Å"Even had you skill / In speech – (which I have not)† (35-36), (he lies, of course) to explain your objection to her behavior – which is clearly quite â€Å"normal† – it would involve â€Å"stooping, and I choose / Never to stoop† (42-3).   So, rather than speak to her about his dissatisfaction, which would involve impossible condescension by him, he chose to solve the problem rather more radically: â€Å"This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together† (45-6). It takes a moment for us to register what he did, so unbelievable is it and so evasively phrased.   Then, having confessed to murder, or, rather, boasted of it, he continues his negotiations for his next Duchess, celebrating, incidentally, one of his favorite art works, â€Å"Neptune†¦ Taming a sea-horse† (54-5), the very image of the brutal control that he has himself exerted over his innocent last Duchess. The willow scene from Othello works differently, of course, because it is a dialogue, though it is the inner workings of Desdemona’s mind that the dramatic form reveals here, just as much as is the case in Browning’s poem There is an almost intolerable pathos about this scene because Desdemona is so helpless.   She has a good idea of what is going to happen – â€Å"If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me /   In one of those same sheets† (24-5) and is impotent in the face of her fate. There seems to be no defence against the ruthless execution of Othello’s enraged will. She is in a sort of trance, a hypnosis of shock.   All she can do is wait for the end, and the pathetic simplicity of her reflections here is the sign of a wounded spirit in retreat from reality.   The tragic atmosphere is given additional poignancy by the occasional interruption of the everyday details of â€Å"undressing for bed†, the habitual continuing because there is nothing else to do in the face of the worst – â€Å"Prithee unpin me† (21). She continues at moments to pretend that this is just an ordinary night: â€Å"This Lodovico is a proper man† (35), not a comparison of Othello with her country forms, but a pathetic attempt at gossip. But her real thoughts emerge in the obsession with the willow song, which she cannot resist. It is the perfect mirror of her own fortune: â€Å"And she died singing it; that song tonight / Will not go from my mind† (30-1). Like a detail from a psychoanalyst’s casebook comes the unprompted line in the song that gives away the deepest thoughts of the willing victim. –Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve, — Nay, that’s not next.   Hark!   Who’s that knocks? –It is the wind.† (51-3) She corrects herself, but the absolute terror of realisation goes through her. The heroic innocence of Desdemona is highlighted by her conversation with Emilia. While Desdemona genuinely believes that no woman could in fact commit adultery â€Å"for all the world† (63), and swears that she herself would not do it â€Å"by this heavenly light† (64), Emilia responds, â€Å"Nor I neither, by this heavenly light, / I might do it as well in the dark† (65-6), and goes on to consider just what â€Å"all the world† might mean as a reward for the sin. Emilia is not immoral. It is just that Desdemona is on a superhuman and heroic level of behavior, and Emilia is on the normal level.   Compared with Desdemona’s helplessness in the face of the corruption of Othello, Emilia’s jokes have an immensely remedial health.   It is not a criticism of Desdemona, but it is a firm placing of trust in the human by Shakespeare. We can imagine that what Desdemona feels and says is very close to the response of Browning’s Duchess.   Both of them are innocent and benevolent women faced by deranged men.   The creation of character and the realization of human dilemma in the dramatic form are forceful and, in these two cases, immensely painful for the audience or reader.   The form makes the reader peculiarly impotent in the face of disaster. We would like to stand up in the theatre and shout at the stage, like the lady in the famous story, â€Å"You great black fool, can’t you see she’s innocent?†      

Corona’s Bank Essay Example

Corona’s Bank Essay Example Corona’s Bank Essay Corona’s Bank Essay Another bank history shows Corona’s 1000000s Chief Justice Renato Corona owns another peso history incorporating 1000000s. a bank functionary testified on Thursday’s hearing. As of 2010. Corona’s Bank of the Philippine Islands history has P12 million. said Leonora Dizon. subdivision director of BPI Ayala Avenue Branch. Senate before ordered Dizon to attest and convey Corona’s bank records from 2005 to 2010 to be presented as grounds for the impeachment’s Article II. which deals with the truthfulness of statements of assets. liabilities and net worth. The bank director said Corona’s BPI history is still active. Balances at yearend were: P149. 000 in 2005 ; P153. 000 in 2006 ; P5 million in 2007 ; P1. 5 million in 2008 ; P678. 000 in 2009 ; and so P12 million in 2010. This is apart from Corona’s two other histories in Philippine Savings Bank with a combined stoping balance of about P20 million. as revealed in the impeachment tribunal on Wednesday. In his 2010 SALN. Corona’s declared hard currency plus was merely P3. 5 million. Lead defence advocate Serafin Cuevas asked the Senate to subpoena Corona’s bank records from BPI. He wanted to demo that Corona’s P12 million was non due to a individual sedimentation but accumulated over several minutess. But Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. presiding officer of the impeachment tribunal. told both parties to merely travel to the bank to analyze Corona’s records in order to rush things up. AirAsia Philippines Renting 16 Aircraft MANILA. Philippines – Newly licensed AirAsia Inc. ( Philippines ) will rent 14-16 Airbus 320 planes to serve domestic and international paths within 1. 5 to 4 hours flight from its Clark. Pampanga hub in the following half decennary. The air hose on Wednesday received its commercial air bearer certification ( AOC ) from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines ( CAAP ) in the latter’s Manila office. In March. last twelvemonth. AirAsia Inc. registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) to prosecute chiefly in the concern of air transit in the Philippines and abroad for rider and lading. AirAsia Inc. is a 60-40 joint venture between Filipino investors Antonio O. Cojuangco. Michael L. Romero and Marianne B. Hontiveros with Malaysia’s AirAsia International Ltd. . a wholly-owned subordinate of AirAsia Berhad. The latter won the best low cost air hose award for three back-to-back old ages from Skytrax. the world’s largest air hose and airdrome reappraisal site. In the approaching hebdomads. we will get down our domestic and international operations utilizing two trade name new Airbus A-320s flown in from the Airbus mill in Toulouse. France. AirAsia Inc. CEO Marianne Hontiveros announced. The air hose has to the full complied with the new stiff procedure and demands for the AOC meant to guarantee safety conscientiousness in Philippine Aviation. We are committed to do air travel more merriment. low-cost and accessible to all Filipinos. she added. The air hose besides aims to regenerate touristry and hike rider traffic at its hub in the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport ( DMIA ) in Clark. Angeles. Pampanga.

Ten Ways to Avoid Gender Bias

Ten Ways to Avoid Gender Bias Ten Ways to Avoid Gender Bias Ten Ways to Avoid Gender Bias By Mark Nichol How do you write around the outmoded usage of the pronoun he or him when a male is not necessarily the subject of the reference? Here are ten strategies none ideal in every circumstance for achieving gender neutrality. 1. Use He or She Before: â€Å"Ask the student whether he is prepared to give a presentation.† After: â€Å"Ask the student whether he or she is prepared to give a presentation.† This solution is stiffly formal and is awkward in repetition; use sparingly. Using he/she, s/he, or any such alternative (or an invented neutral pronoun like ze) is not advised. 2. Alternate Between He and She Before: â€Å"Ask the student whether he is prepared to give a presentation. If he is ready, tell him that he may begin when he is ready.† After: â€Å"Ask the student whether he is prepared to give a presentation. If she is ready, tell her that she may begin when she is ready.† This solution works only in the case of two or more references to a hypothetical subject of either gender. In the proximity of the references in the examples, this solution is awkward, but when the references are at some distance from each other, it can be effective in moderation. 3. Omit the Pronoun Before: â€Å"Ask the student whether he is prepared to give a presentation.† After: â€Å"Ask whether the student is prepared to give a presentation.† This revision does not clearly indicate whether the student or another person is being asked; writers must recognize and respond to such lack of clarity if it affects comprehension. 4. Repeat the Noun in Place of the Pronoun Before: â€Å"Ask the student whether he is prepared to give a presentation.† After: â€Å"Ask the student whether the student is prepared to give a presentation.† When the noun is repeated in the proximity shown above, the sentence is awkward; in a more complex sentence, the repetition may not seem so obvious. 5. Use a Plural Antecedent for the Pronoun Before: â€Å"Ask the student whether he is prepared to give a presentation.† After: â€Å"Ask the students whether they are prepared to give their presentations.† Employing a plural noun and a plural pronoun may change the meaning somewhat; writers must be alert as to which other nouns, if any, should be made plural as well. 6. Replace the Pronoun with an Article Before: â€Å"Ask the student to prepare his presentation.† After: â€Å"Ask the student to prepare a presentation.† 7. Revise the Sentence to Use the Pronoun One Before: â€Å"A prepared student is more likely to succeed than if he has not done sufficient research.† After: â€Å"A prepared student is more likely to succeed than an unprepared one.† 8. Revise the Sentence to Use the Pronoun Who Before: â€Å"A student is more likely to succeed if he does sufficient research.† After: â€Å"A student who does sufficient research is more likely to succeed.† 9. Revise the Sentence to the Imperative Mood Before: â€Å"A student must be well prepared for his presentation.† After: â€Å"Be well prepared for the presentation.† 10. Use a Plural Pronoun Before: â€Å"Ask the student whether he is prepared to give a presentation.† After: â€Å"Ask the student whether they are prepared to give a presentation.† Many writers reject this solution because traditional grammar rules frown on using a plural pronoun when the antecedent is a singular noun. However, the bewildering absence of a gender-neutral plural pronoun in English calls for a radical solution. This one is widely used in informal writing and in conversation, and it’s commonsensical to welcome it in formal writing. That welcome, however, has not yet been forthcoming, and, regrettably, writers should use the plural pronouns them and they in place of singular pronouns with caution. Some writers reject the notion that one should avoid gender-specific pronouns in universal contexts at all. After all, why change long-standing usage that has only recently been challenged? But these writers, though sensible in the logic of their argument, are culturally insensitive and, ultimately, are on the wrong side of linguistic history. I hope, too, that integration of the singular they and them in any usage will eventually occur. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund PhrasesDisappointed + PrepositionPreposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Integrated Technology Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Integrated Technology Systems - Essay Example However, humanity is developing ever since the first dawn of jungle life when humans were living in caves and eating raw flesh of animals and they used leaves to cover their bodies but one thing they had in common with modern man and it was the urge to develop and grow into better beings. This need helped them in the conquest of building agricultural societies which finally gave birth to industrialized cities and the most advanced form of civilization exists in the form of knowledge communities of the west and all advancement is being considered as the result of the need of humans to experience betterment (Peck, 2005). Wright brothers developed first working model of an aeroplane which was in fact based on the theoretical work of Leonardo Di Vinci and currently same principles are refined in order build planes like Boeing 777 that have a wing span of more than 200 feet. The development is the essence of human existence and therefore, evolution always remained a defining attribute of human race. The climatologists are always remained interested in gauging climate change, rain and wind speed. In early days of the field, raw footers were used in order to measure the level of rainfall and with the passage of time; humans developed more sophisticated means to do that. Again the process of evolution kicked in and scientists effectively developed new measures for gauging rainfall. However, the basic principles remained the same but techniques changed dramatically over the past few decades. Even in the modern age of the 21st century, weather experts are measuring rainfall in millimetres and centimetres. The main idea of scientific development is to minimize the level of human effort needed to get the job done. The concepts remain the same and means of applying them change as world clock moves forwards (Kemp, 1994). The conventional methods of measuring rainfall were crude and these were more

Development of Research Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Development of Research Questions - Essay Example This study has therefore posed a broad based primary research question as follows: In order to arrive at meaningful answers to this research question, a qualitative questionnaire survey approach is proposed. This method of inquiry appears to be best suited to answer the main research question posed above, because such a questionnaire directed towards former juvenile prison inmates would help to elicit their first hand views on the nature of the prison programs. Since the questionnaire would also seek to determine what the former inmates are engaged in presently, it would also help in providing some insight into how many of them have been able to move into a gainful existence in terms of employment or education. This would also provide a means of inferring whether the prison programs those former inmates experienced were effective or not. If the survey questionnaire is to function effectively in answering the research question, it must also contain questions that can elicit information on some other aspects. Firstly, the questionnaire must contain demographic information, such as the age and sex of the respondent, as well as their current occupation and education levels. Secondly, the questionnaire should also seek to determine whether these former juvenile inmates have committed crimes after their release from prison. Thirdly, the questionnaire should also attempt to determine why they chose to offend again, if they had pursued that path. Research has suggested that while the experience of incarceration does place juvenile inmates into a position of readiness to accept positive changes and modify their conduct, prison fails to provide these inmates with the skills they need to bring about these changes (Ashker & Kenny, 2008). Their opinions and views of the prison programs will have to be determined, to arrive at in ferences about whether or not they found these