Help for Various as Level History Essays

version 1. 1 abc General Certificate of Education AS History 1041 Unit 1: HIS1C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564 Mark Scheme 2009 examination – June series This mark scheme uses the new numbering system which is being introduced for examinations from June 2010 The specimen assessment materials are provided to give centres a reasonable idea of the general shape and character of the planned question papers and mark schemes in advance of the operational exams. Further copies of this Mark Scheme are available to download from the AQA Website: www. qa. org. uk Copyright  © 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered centres for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to centres to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the cent re. Set and published by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance.The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number 3644723) and a registered charity (registered charity number 1073334). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX Dr Michael Cresswell Director General History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards) Generic Introduction for AS The AS History specification is based on the assessment objectives laid down in QCA’s GCE History subject criteria and published in the AQA specification booklet.These cover the skills, knowledge and understanding which are expected of A Level candidates. Most questions address more than one objective since historical skills, which include knowledge and understanding, are usually deployed together. Consequently, the marking scheme which follows is a ‘levels of response’ scheme and assesses candidates’ his torical skills in the context of their knowledge and understanding of History. The levels of response are a graduated recognition of how candidates have demonstrated their abilities in the Assessment Objectives.Candidates who predominantly address AO1(a) by writing narrative or description will perform at Level 1 or Level 2 depending on its relevance. Candidates who provide more explanation – (AO1(b), supported by the relevant selection of material, AO1(a)) – will perform at high Level 2 or low-mid Level 3 depending on how explicit they are in their response to the question. Candidates who provide explanation with evaluation, judgement and an awareness of historical interpretations will be addressing all 3 AOs (AO1(a); AO1(b): AO2(a) and (b) and will have access to the higher mark ranges.AO2(a) which requires the evaluation of source material is assessed in Unit 2. Differentiation between Levels 3, 4 and 5 is judged according to the extent to which candidates meet this range of assessment objectives. At Level 3 the answers will show more characteristics of the AO1 objectives, although there should be elements of AO2. At Level 4, AO2 criteria, particularly an understanding of how the past has been interpreted, will be more in evidence and this will be even more dominant at Level 5.The demands on written communication, particularly the organisation of ideas and the use of specialist vocabulary also increase through the various levels so that a candidate performing at the highest AS level is already well prepared for the demands of A2. 3 History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards) CRITERIA FOR MARKING GCE HISTORY: AS EXAMINATION PAPERS General Guidance for Examiners (to accompany Level Descriptors) Deciding on a level and the award of marks within a levelIt is of vital importance that examiners familiarise themselves with the generic mark scheme and apply it consistently, as directed by the Principal Examiner, in order to facil itate comparability across options. The indicative mark scheme for each paper is designed to illustrate some of the material that candidates might refer to (knowledge) and some of the approaches and ideas they might develop (skills). It is not, however, prescriptive and should only be used to exemplify the generic mark scheme. When applying the generic mark scheme, examiners will constantly need to exercise judgement to decide which level fits an answer best.Few essays will display all the characteristics of a level, so deciding the most appropriate will always be the first task. Each level has a range of marks and for an essay which has a strong correlation with the level descriptors the middle mark should be given. However, when an answer has some of the characteristics of the level above or below, or seems stronger or weaker on comparison with many other candidates’ responses to the same question, the mark will need to be adjusted up or down. When deciding on the mark with in a level, the following criteria should be considered in relation to the level descriptors.Candidates should never be doubly penalised. If a candidate with poor communication skills has been placed in Level 2, he or she should not be moved to the bottom of the level on the basis of the poor quality of written communication. On the other hand, a candidate with similarly poor skills, whose work otherwise matched the criteria for Level 4 should be adjusted downwards within the level. Criteria for deciding marks within a level: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The accuracy of factual information The level of detail The depth and precision displayed The quality of links and argumentsThe quality of written communication (grammar, spelling, punctuation and legibility; an appropriate form and style of writing; clear and coherent organisation of ideas, including the use of specialist vocabulary) Appropriate references to historical interpretation and debate The concl usion 4 History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards) Specimen Mark Scheme for examinations in June 2010 onwards GCE AS History Unit 1: Change and Consolidation HIS1C: The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564 Question 1 01 Explain why Luther attacked the sale of indulgences in 1517. (12 marks) Target: AO1(a), AO1(b) Generic Mark SchemeNothing written worthy of credit. 0 L1: Answers will contain either some descriptive material which is only loosely linked to the focus of the question or some explicit comment with little, if any, appropriate support. Answers are likely to be generalised and assertive. The response will be limited in development and skills of written communication will be weak. 1-2 L2: Answers will demonstrate some knowledge and understanding of the demands of the question. They will either be almost entirely descriptive with few explicit links to the question or they will provide some explanations backed by evidence that is limited in range an d/or depth.Answers will be coherent but weakly expressed and/or poorly structured. 3-6 L3: Answers will demonstrate good understanding of the demands of the question providing relevant explanations backed by appropriately selected information, although this may not be full or comprehensive. Answers will, for the most part, be clearly expressed and show some organisation in the presentation of material. 7-9 L4: Answers will be well-focused, identifying a range of specific explanations, backed by precise evidence and demonstrating good understanding of the connections and links between events/issues.Answers will, for the most part, be well-written and organised. 10-12 Indicative content Candidates will need to be able to link Luther’s own intellectual development with the wider political and religious context. Luther’s hostility towards indulgences had hardened from about 1513 as he developed his solifidian ideas. In particular, their issue had no scriptural basis. Howev er, the formulation of the 95 Theses was sparked off by the aggressive peddling of indulgences by the Dominican Johannes Tetzel at Juterbog, not far from Wittenberg but outside the jurisdiction of Electoral Saxony.Concern, therefore, for the mortal souls of innocent dupes was thus a catalyst for Luther’s protest. On the other hand, Luther’s initial objections were as much the product of the scale of sale and the style of salesmanship as it was a product of a considered theological analysis. The scale of the operation was a consequence of the indebtedness of both Pope Leo X, on account not only of his extravagant lifestyle but also the spiralling cost of rebuilding St. Peters, and the 5 History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards)Archbishop of Mainz, in huge debt to the Fuggers because of the amount he had borrowed to secure the simoniacal acquisition of the archbishopric. Tetzel’s sales pitch had included the claim of plenary remission of si ns as heinous as raping the Virgin Mary. Question 1 02 How far was the success of the Lutheran movement in Germany due to the reformers’ use of the printing press in the years 1517 to 1555? (24 marks) Target: AO1(a), AO1(b), AO2(b) Generic Mark Scheme Nothing written worthy of credit. 0 L1:Answers may either contain some descriptive material which is only loosely linked to the focus of the question or they may address only a part of the question. Alternatively, there may be some explicit comment with little, if any, appropriate support. Answers are likely to be generalised and assertive. There will be little, if any, awareness of differing historical interpretations. The response will be limited in development and skills of written communication will be weak. 1-6 L2: Answers will show some understanding of the focus of the question.They will either be almost entirely descriptive with few explicit links to the question or they may contain some explicit comment with relevant bu t limited support. They will display limited understanding of differing historical interpretations. Answers will be coherent but weakly expressed and/or poorly structured. 7-11 L3: Answers will show a developed understanding of the demands of the question. They will provide some assessment, backed by relevant and appropriately selected evidence, but they will lack depth and/or balance.There will be some understanding of varying historical interpretations. Answers will, for the most part, be clearly expressed and show some organisation in the presentation of material. 12-16 L4: Answers will show explicit understanding of the demands of the question. They will develop a balanced argument backed by a good range of appropriately selected evidence and a good understanding of historical interpretations. Answers will, for the most part, show organisation and good skills of written communication. 17-21 L5: Answers will be well-focused and closely argued.The arguments will be supported by pr ecisely selected evidence leading to a relevant conclusion/judgement, incorporating well-developed understanding of historical interpretations and debate. Answers will, for the most part, be carefully organised and fluently written, using appropriate vocabulary. 22-24 Indicative content Printing had a fundamental role in the success of the Lutheran movement: †¢ this can be traced back to November 1517 when Luther’s 95 Theses were translated and printed in numerous editions, suggesting the existence of an avid and informed readership History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards) †¢ †¢ †¢ the 1520 pamphlets sold in large numbers and were pivotal in disseminating Luther’s theological ideas and their relationship to the contemporary political context Luther and his colleagues continued to publish widely, his translation of the Bible proved very influential and the Lutheran message was spread visually in huge numbers of woodcuts, whic h meant that the message could be assimilated by the illiterate as well as the literate n contrast, the Catholic Church responded rather slowly at first to the Lutheran challenge; in the short-term, at any rate, its exploitation of the potential offered by the new technology left much to be desired. Other factors: The importance of printing should be placed in the context of a range of other factors, including: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ the political impetus created by the support for Luther of many German princes the problems faced by Charles V which prevented his prioritising the destruction of the Lutheran threat before 1546 and also prevented him from achieving a triumph even though he had been militarily successful he appeal of Luther’s ideas the social impact of Luther’s teaching (at least until 1525) the impact of preaching the contribution of other reformers, such as Melanchthon. 7 History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 o nwards) Question 2 03 Explain why the Anabaptists were suppressed in Munster in 1535. (12 marks) Target: AO1(a), AO1(b) Generic Mark Scheme Nothing written worthy of credit. 0 L1: Answers will contain either some descriptive material which is only loosely linked to the focus of the question or some explicit comment with little, if any, appropriate support.Answers are likely to be generalised and assertive. The response will be limited in development and skills of written communication will be weak. 1-2 L2: Answers will demonstrate some knowledge and understanding of the demands of the question. They will either be almost entirely descriptive with few explicit links to the question or they will provide some explanations backed by evidence that is limited in range and/or depth. Answers will be coherent but weakly expressed and/or poorly structured. 3-6 L3:Answers will demonstrate good understanding of the demands of the question providing relevant explanations backed by appropriately selected information, although this may not be full or comprehensive. Answers will, for the most part, be clearly expressed and show some organisation in the presentation of material. 7-9 L4: Answers will be well-focused, identifying a range of specific explanations, backed by precise evidence and demonstrating good understanding of the connections and links between events/issues. Answers will, for the most part, be well-written and organised. 10-12 Indicative contentCandidates might include some of the following factors: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ all authority, both secular and religious, appeared to be challenged by the rule of the ‘Saints’ in Munster; and this encouraged the traditional authorities to take violent action traditional morality was challenged with the introduction of polygamy and was regarded with particular repugnance by socially conservative rulers, both Lutheran and Catholic property rights were challenged with the introduction of a form of com munism which was a direct challenge to the basis on which traditional rulership was conducted all existing political authority was rejected.This was a threat which could not be ignored by both the Catholic Bishop and the Lutheran Philip of Hesse. The Anabaptists rejected Bibliocentrism and stressed instead direct divine inspiration, which tended conveniently to reinforce the above points. The result was a dramatic and apocalyptic movement which frightened Catholics and Lutherans alike. This even led the Landgrave of Hesse, the political leader of the Lutheran movement, and the Bishop of Munster to set aside their differences in order to join forces to suppress the ‘Saints’. 8 History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards)Question 2 04 How far was the success of the Genevan Reformation to 1564 a result of Calvin’s actions against his opponents? (24 marks) Target: AO1(a), AO1(b), AO2(b) Generic Mark Scheme Nothing written worthy of credit. 0 L1: Answers may either contain some descriptive material which is only loosely linked to the focus of the question or they may address only a part of the question. Alternatively, there may be some explicit comment with little, if any, appropriate support. Answers are likely to be generalised and assertive. There will be little, if any, awareness of differing historical interpretations.The response will be limited in development and skills of written communication will be weak. 1-6 L2: Answers will show some understanding of the focus of the question. They will either be almost entirely descriptive with few explicit links to the question or they may contain some explicit comment with relevant but limited support. They will display limited understanding of differing historical interpretations. Answers will be coherent but weakly expressed and/or poorly structured. 7-11 L3: Answers will show a developed understanding of the demands of the question.They will provide some assessment, backed by relevant and appropriately selected evidence, but they will lack depth and/or balance. There will be some understanding of varying historical interpretations. Answers will, for the most part, be clearly expressed and show some organisation in the presentation of material. 12-16 L4: Answers will show explicit understanding of the demands of the question. They will develop a balanced argument backed by a good range of appropriately selected evidence and a good understanding of historical interpretations. Answers will, for the most part, show organisation and good skills of written communication. 7-21 L5: Answers will be well-focused and closely argued. The arguments will be supported by precisely selected evidence leading to a relevant conclusion/judgement, incorporating well-developed understanding of historical interpretations and debate. Answers will, for the most part, be carefully organised and fluently written, using appropriate vocabulary. 22-24 Indicative content Calvin, on ce he had recovered from early setbacks, made short work of religious opponents, such as Castellio, Bolsec and Servetus. His triumph over Perrin and the Libertines demonstrated the extent of his political as well as his theological control over Geneva.The discipline thus engendered made Geneva an even more successful centre of reform, becoming in effect the hub of a huge missionary movement. Other factors help to explain the success of reform in Geneva, including: †¢ †¢ the importance of Calvin’s writing and preaching should not be underestimated church organisation was important in holstering reform in Geneva 9 History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards) †¢ †¢ †¢ Calvin’s authority was bolstered by such institutions as the Consistory and the Grabeau the assistance of the Genevan Council, once it had been purged of Calvin’s opponents, was critical he Genevan Academy became an important institution for the training o f Calvinist clergy, though, as it was only founded in 1559, its impact by 1564 was necessarily limited. Question 3 05 Explain why many new orders developed within the Catholic Church in the early sixteenth century (before 1540). (12 marks) Target: AO1(a), AO1(b) Generic Mark Scheme Nothing written worthy of credit. 0 L1: Answers will contain either some descriptive material which is only loosely linked to the focus of the question or some explicit comment with little, if any, appropriate support.Answers are likely to be generalised and assertive. The response will be limited in development and skills of written communication will be weak. 1-2 L2: Answers will demonstrate some knowledge and understanding of the demands of the question. They will either be almost entirely descriptive with few explicit links to the question or they will provide some explanations backed by evidence that is limited in range and/or depth. Answers will be coherent but weakly expressed and/or poorly structu red. 3-6 L3:Answers will demonstrate good understanding of the demands of the question providing relevant explanations backed by appropriately selected information, although this may not be full or comprehensive. Answers will, for the most part, be clearly expressed and show some organisation in the presentation of material. 7-9 L4: Answers will be well-focused, identifying a range of specific explanations, backed by precise evidence and demonstrating good understanding of the connections and links between events/issues. Answers will, for the most part, be well-written and organised. 10-12 Indicative contentThe process of Catholic renewal was exemplified by the creation and activity of new orders within the Church, mostly in central and northern Italy. A number of factors help to explain their emergence: †¢ †¢ †¢ there was clearly a ‘rising spirituality’ particularly amongst a number of committed churchmen such as Gaetano di Thiene there was an increasing perception that traditional monasticism was no longer able to provide the spiritual impetus and evangelising which the Church needed there was a willingness on the part of wealthy patrons to support the orders’ spiritual aims 10 History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards) there is clear evidence that the foundation of some orders was a response to the social misery which characterised parts of Italy in the 1520s. Question 3 06 How important was the Papacy in reforming the Catholic Church in the years 1534 to 1564? (24 marks) Target: AO1(a), AO1(b), AO2(b) Generic Mark Scheme Nothing written worthy of credit. 0 L1: Answers may either contain some descriptive material which is only loosely linked to the focus of the question or they may address only a part of the question. Alternatively, there may be some explicit comment with little, if any, appropriate support.Answers are likely to be generalised and assertive. There will be little, if any, awareness of differing historical interpretations. The response will be limited in development and skills of written communication will be weak. 1-6 L2: Answers will show some understanding of the focus of the question. They will either be almost entirely descriptive with few explicit links to the question or they may contain some explicit comment with relevant but limited support. They will display limited understanding of differing historical interpretations. Answers will be coherent but weakly expressed and/or poorly structured. 7-11 L3:Answers will show a developed understanding of the demands of the question. They will provide some assessment, backed by relevant and appropriately selected evidence, but they will lack depth and/or balance. There will be some understanding of varying historical interpretations. Answers will, for the most part, be clearly expressed and show some organisation in the presentation of material. 12-16 L4: Answers will show explicit understanding of the demands of the question. They will develop a balanced argument backed by a good range of appropriately selected evidence and a good understanding of historical interpretations.Answers will, for the most part, show organisation and good skills of written communication. 17-21 Answers will be well-focused and closely argued. The arguments will be supported by precisely selected evidence leading to a relevant conclusion/judgement, incorporating well-developed understanding of historical interpretations and debate. Answers will, for the most part, be carefully organised and fluently written, using appropriate vocabulary. 22-24 L5: Indicative content The impact of the papacy during this period was, at best, variable.Paul III, despite his evident corruption and shortcomings, set up in 1536 the commission which produced the reform proposals contained in the Consilium†¦de Emendanda Ecclesia. Despite papal sponsorship, the Consilium achieved only a small proportion of its objectives, which might re inforce a critical stance concerning Paul III as a proponent of reform. On the other hand, he did set up the Council of Trent, though it achieved little during his pontificate. His successor, Julius III, had little interest in reform, though he did keep the Council in session. Paul IV, though genuinely 11History – AQA GCE Mark Scheme SPECIMEN (June 2010 onwards) interested in reform, almost destroyed the reforming impetus on account of his divisiveness, antagonising both ecclesiastical colleagues such as Cardinal Morone and key Catholic monarchs such as Charles V, Philip II and Ferdinand. Pius IV managed to assuage Paul IV’s bitter legacy and, most importantly, set the Council of Trent back in motion and drove it to a successful conclusion. Other factors assisted the process of reform: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ the effects of the New Orders the early work of the Jesuits the eventual assertiveness of the Council of Trent reforming bishops. 12

Microsoft Outlook® User Manual Critique

Microsoft Outlook ® User Manual Critique The objective of this paper will be to evaluate Microsoft manual for Outlook ®. According to Torkzadeh (1988), author of The Quality of User Documentation, â€Å"User documentation is an important tool for communications. It enhances the value of an application to the user and in turn, improves user satisfaction† (p. 99).When designing a manual Ganier (2007) suggests in his article, Comparative User-Focused Evaluation of User Guides, the strategy for a user manual should focus on 3 characteristics: format, structure, and its content. Ganier in his article also includes the criteria for measuring the quality and efficiency of the manual as, â€Å"attractiveness, practicality, simplicity, and efficiency†. The critique of the Outlook ® user manual will not evaluate the criteria using a weighted score for each criteria on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is very bad and 5 is very good (Ganier, 2007).Instead, it will provide a written critique of the Outlook ® user manual based upon Ganier’s identified characteristics and criteria. Assessment of the Design Strategy The first characteristic of the Outlook ® user e-manual is format. Since the Outlook ® user manual is in electronic format or e-manual, it can be launched from the application by pressing the F1 key on the keyboard. The cognitive workload required to utilize the function of the e-manual is minimal. Structure, the second characteristic, refers to the layout of the information and how users access the information based upon their knowledge.New users will typically access the information linearly; in a step-by-step fashion whereas, more experienced users will access the information by function. There is no â€Å"Getting Started† section on the main menu with directed instruction for new users. The Outlook ® manual is focused toward the experienced user, who would be searching for instructions to perform a particular function. The la st characteristic of the design of the Outlook ® user e-manual is content, which includes prominent headings, the use of vocabulary the user can comprehend, and the combined use of text and illustrations.The Outlook ® e-manual contained very good content. It has step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow with a mixture of applicable illustrations. The manual uses clear and concise language which is easily understood; however, the only drawback is a lack of illustrations in the manual’s headers. Assessment of Criteria The first criterion Ganier identified for measuring the quality and efficiency of a user manual is attractiveness. (Merriam-Webster’s, 2010) defines attractive as â€Å"arousing interest or engaging one's thought, consideration, etc†.Attractiveness is a subjective measurement which attempts to measure the ability of a manual to entice users to access it. The attractiveness of the Outlook ® user e-manual is minimal and the format is very simplistic. The headers are basic, but functional, and the lack of graphics or icons to help identify the topics makes the appearance less attractive and approachable. By using icons along with the headers, it would improve the overall look, making the document look more appealing and approachable.When clicking on a high level header for â€Å"creating messages†, the user is presented with a list of submenu topics from which to choose. The submenu topics have a third level of headings with instruction options for creating an e-mail message. The actual instruction is presented to the user after clicking on 3 levels of topics and sub-topics. It contains an explanation of creating an e-mail with step-by-step instruction and includes a good combination of illustration and white space.Practicality, the second criteria, as it applies to a user manual or an instruction, is whether or not the manual or instruction is designed and applicable to actual use. Overall, the manual is usef ul if the user is looking for instruction on performing a specific task. The user e-manual does a good job of explaining the various functions of the Outlook ® application. The tool bar menu items include navigation buttons which allow the user to easily move the focus of the manual back one page at a time or by clicking on the home button, to return to the first page. Simplicity is the lack of complexity, r intricacy, (Merriam-Webster’s, 2010). The Outlook ® user e-manual fulfills the definition of simplicity in its ability to reach a diverse target audience, with the ability to read and understand the content. Both basic and advanced users can utilize the search function of the manual to find instructions on the topic being searched. Basic tasks, such as creating an e-mail, or tasks for more advanced users, can easily be found in the manual. The user e-manual lacks overall efficiency as it does not give the user the ability to accomplish a task with ease and speed.The u ser e-manual should allow the user, no matter what their experience level with the application, to be able to access the information in the most efficient manner. The Outlook ® user e-manual headings are not in any particular order and the user must scan the headings to find a specific topic. If the headers were sorted alphabetically, finding the topics would be more efficient. Once the information is found the instruction are clear and concise, and include the appropriate amount of illustrations along with step-by-step instructions. ConclusionThe Outlook ® user e-manual is designed to be used in conjunction with the Outlook ® application. The manual has good content and is relatively easy to use, with the exception of the need to drill down to multiple sub-headings. The search function of the manual provides an easy way to find information on a particular topic if the reader knows what they are searching for. The lack of icons to illustrate the headings, and the headings not being sorted alphabetically detracts from the attractiveness and the overall usefulness of the document.Both beginning and advanced users of the Outlook ® application can benefit from reading the user e-manual. With the lack of a â€Å"Getting Started† section it makes utilizing the document for new users a little more tedious for progressive learning. The actual step-by-step instruction contains detailed and accurate information, which is attractively designed with the appropriate amount of whitespace and illustrations. Overall the user e-manual enhances the value of the Outlook ® application and helps the user improve their knowledge in using the application.References Torkzadeh, G. 1988, Fall). The Quality of User Documentation. Journal of Managment Information Systems, 5(2), 99-108. Ganier, F. (2007). Comparative User-Focused Evaluation of User Guides: A Case Study. J. Technical Writting and Communications, 37(3), 305-322. Attractive. 2010. In Merriam-Webster Online D ictionary. Retrieved Nov 23, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/attractive Simplicity. 2010. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 23, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/ simplicity Outlook ® is a registered trademarks of the Microsoft © 2010

Electro Learning Essay

In the recent years, technology continues to evolve and improves its capability affecting every individual’s daily routines. Technology has impacted the different facets of life and certainly changed and redefined the way we live (Oak, 2011). One of the most common technologies used by people around the globe is computer. According to International Telecommunications Union or ITU, in 2010, the ratio of Filipino computer users over the Philippines’ population results in 29,700,000 over 99,900,177 or 29. 7% of our population. The users of computers vastly increased and prospered since it was invented. Nowadays, computers in any form become an integral part of our lives due to its functionality. The purpose of computers has engaged into complexity which made everything possible beyond our thoughts. Since there was a wide-range of computer usability, one of the emerging areas of computing is software development. Software varies with application depending on the contents and purpose. One way to implement good software amongst series of development is electronic learning or simply e-Learning. Rapid e-Learning is an ongoing trend which enables flexible and cost-effective creation of learning materials (Pforte & Stolzenberg, 2007). One of such obvious transformation and enhancement that will greatly affect the living standard in the future is the revolutionized technology being implemented in the education section (StudyUp, 2010). Technological development in the 1990s and 2000s appears to be beneficial to education. Currently, technology improvement follows Moore’s law which states that computers become twice as efficient approximately every two years (Lebedev, 2010). Education has changed significantly in the last twenty years. One of the main reasons education has undergone so many changes is because of technological development (Lebedev, 2010). Learning across the world is changing and bringing about this change is the use of information and communications technology (ICT) or simply, computer, which has advanced the access to information and is providing a richer, more immediate and relevant opportunities for those who have embraced it (Famor, 2011). The use of ICT for education is revolutionizing the traditional classroom and encourages learners to progress outside of the four walls of classroom, is more personalized and has become powerful motivational tool; the use of ICT in education is greatly helping developing countries to catch up with the education race becoming a great equalizer and providing access (Famor, 2011). E-Learning develops into different phases which targets not just higher education and adults but also children. The case of collaborative learning becomes available for children as a computer user (Crook, 1998). Kids and computers are nearly inseparable these days (Heiting, 2011). A recent study on Internet Access and Use by Filipino School children showed 74 percent of the children respondents use the computer or internet and 34 percent started between 2-9 years of age (Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, 2009). The statistics showed that computer becomes more popular not only for adults but also for children. Our children’s lives are already influenced by the technology (Indian Child, 2011). Computers are an important (and virtually unavoidable) part of your child’s life and education (Heiting, 2011). The introduction of technology in the educational field has made the process of learning and knowledge sharing, an interactive and fun-filled activity (Oak, 2010). A positive and effective combination of education for children and technology could be a good impact on the advancement and preparation on Filipino children’s learning process providing with parental guidance. PROJECT CONTEXT According to the human capital theory, the economic development of a nation is a correlation of the quality and quantity of its education (Okemakinde & Olaniyan, 2008). Economic development of a nation corresponds with the number of educated people. â€Å"The modern world in which we live is often termed a â€Å"knowledge society†; education and information have become production factors potentially more valuable than labor and capital. Thus, in a globalized setting, investment in human capital has become a condition for international competitiveness (Meinardus, 2003)† The Philippines education system faces different problems causes for the quality of education in the Philippines to take risks. As Cruz stated, our country needs 10,549 new classrooms, 1. 22 million additional seats, 67. 03 million new text books, and 12,131 more teachers for 2006 and summing up to 11. 30 billion in Philippine currency which is impossible to solve (2006, January 22). Another potential problem reported from DepEd Fact Sheet for Academic Year 2002 to 2007 gives the following education data: Teacher : Pupil (Elementary Students) Average Ratio is 1:36 while Teacher : Student (High School Students) Average Ratio is 1:41 ( Jobo, 26 March 2009). Population growth in the country is 2. 3 percent annually which results to 1. 7 millions of babies born every year and probably claims their educational provision but as a conflict with gargantuan problem, our country only has few resources, lack of facilities and too many students (Meinardus, 2003). With what reality reflects, Mainardus states that the quality of Philippine education has been declining continuously for 25 years agreed with the statement from senior department of education that schools are failing to teach the competence the average citizens need to become responsible, productive and self-fulfilling (2003). The mission of DepEd is to provide quality basic education that is equitably accessible to all and lays the foundation for life-long learning and service for the common good (Department of Education [DepEd], 2011). Ironically, the problems stated and the mission of DepEd seems to contradict with each other. Since the computers continue to grow and the users continue patronizing it, e-Learning could be a complement in eliminating problems concern with the education issues. The problem in education remained unsolved for years but through technology, the problems might be reduced. New technology can support learning; in particular, computers can be a medium in which material can be rendered accessible through creating visible and manipulative representations (Crook, 1998). I-Turo is an electronic learning tutorial software application especially made to nurture minds of young generation. I-Turo provides teaching and tutorial methodologies for young learners between 3-6 years of age. It responds with the need of our society in terms of early education and parental tutoring both accessible at home and based on Philippine context. It answers the needs of e-Learning software for a child which is purely based on the standardized Philippine curriculum. The Software application satisfies the interaction between parents and children in a convenient and educational way. From the software title itself, I-Turo, a Filipino word meant to teach and to give knowledge is the main concern of the aforesaid software. From manual teaching, I-Turo requires the integration of teaching electronically through computers. I-Turo centers contents based upon Philippine curriculum for pre-school education while contextualizing the Philippine culture and environment. As differ with e-Learning, the software is not intended to be learned alone or even distance learning but to be a medium for educating children with the guidance of the parents. PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION A. PURPOSE The primary purpose of I-Turo is to enrich the knowledge of young Filipinos on the pre-school level which is the foundation of fundamental knowledge combining different elements of teaching from the creative interfacing that captures the interest of the child into the valuable contents. Cognitive development is the focus of the software to help young learners to cope up from the possible impact of education crisis. Cognitive development includes development of communication skills, sensory-perceptual and numeracy concepts and skills. Communication skills refer to competencies in expressing ideas and feelings both in English and Filipino such as oral expression and basic readiness skills of listening, pre-reading and writing (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Sensory-perceptual and numeracy skills refer to the ability to observe, discriminate, compare and classify, and to understand, count, read and write numbers (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Pre-school services in the country is 19. 5 % over 11. 5 million children aged 0 to 6 years (Education Encyclopedia, n. d). As concluded, pre-schools in the country only served few children under the aforesaid ages. It shows that more than half of Filipino children doesn’t go to school for nursery and kindergarten which logically results to more than half of children population spend their pre-primary learning at home or might not experience this level of learning. Since pre-school level is compulsory, I-Turo provides an alternative way to experience early childhood education which is important to child’s cognitive development. Early childhood education showed benefit and positive outcome on child’s intellectual Quotient (IQ) development and fewer social or behavioral problems (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Some long-term benefits of early education in pre-school learners are greater parental involvement, fewer referrals to special education or remedial services, higher grades, better social skills, greater ability to focus and even less likely to commit illegal acts (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Computers and software titles increases in numbers and targets young children progressively (Indian Child, 2011). Nowadays, children learns to read and write with computer games becoming a child’s learning tool instead of traditional flash cards and other materials (Indian Child, 2011). With the following computer usage, pre-school children today spend hours in front of computer everyday (Heiting, 2011). These evidences purposely support what the software aims which is to apply information technology into education that can lessen some problems. Pre-school education consists of nurseries and kindergartens that cater children under the age of 3-6 (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Children 3-5 year of age are developmentally ready to use computers and a best opportunity to let them control and explore computer and software (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). On the other hand, children ages 5-7 are ready to begin using computers for more directed purposes, which includes communication, information gathering and skills development (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). Research suggests computer use among pre-school children might actually improve their readiness and academic achievement (Heiting, 2011). In a study, children who worked on computer at home and at school using educational software performed better on measures of school readiness and cognitive development rather than children without computers (Heiting, 2011). I-Turo aims to provide a quality early education with the help of parental tutorial. The software application does not intend to replace the pedagogical and traditional approaches but to be a supportive education to add up on the learning experience of a child. Since numerous problems were discussed in the Philippines quality of education, it is the time to make necessary action of both parents and child. Parental involvement is a great factor influencing child development which benefits positively into child’s growth. The Importance of parental involvement is reinforced with the increase of effectiveness of the education the child receives (Hornby, 2000). Parent involvement at pre-school was a major component and tends for more success and achievements of a child. As Hornby states that greatest gains are made when parents are more directly involved such as when they act as tutors with their children (2000). Perry preschool project in the USA concluded that children who had undergone with parental tutorial had significantly higher IQs, increased academic achievement, decreased need for special education placement, and less unemployment (Hornby, 2000). Some parents rely with computer for learning process of their children applicable for interaction, which is one important learning step (Indian Child, 2011). As a part of I-Turo, parental involvement would help in shaping child’s intellectual growth with tutorial system. Early childhood education is general term that describes a diverse range of programs (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Since preprimary education is not compulsory, the software can provide the needs for education in convenient way with unlimited access (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Software can provide compilation of programs for early childhood education and tutorial in less expense with more parental bonding, peer interaction while learning. Parents who commit to an â€Å"at home† education, need to commit to being creative and engage in raising their children (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). The software could enhance child’s progress through different methods of learning and new form of material for teaching. Most experts agree that early childhood education works best in low pressure, social and very friendly environments (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Another purpose of the software application is to support collaborative learning with multi-users. Through different set of knowledge and activities, the software could inform children with knowledge according to their need, from basic up to moral values. The software also intends to uplift and popularize the values and Philippines-based knowledge to the eye of Filipino youth at an early stage. I-Turo pursues to educate the children as a home learning experience with the parents since the ratio of teacher and students continues to increase and the focus for each student directly lessen affecting the learners progress. The pre-school level of education is not a requirement to basic education, through the software application children could learn providing with guidance and interaction between parents and child or with other users. Through considerations on different factors influencing learning, the purpose of the software could successfully integrate technology in form of education. Thorough explanation of I-Turo is provided in the description. B. DESCRIPTION B. 1 What is I-Turo? I-Turo is an electronic learning tutorial software application primarily intends to support pre-school learners and provides basic knowledge for cognitive development. The software caters early childhood education and parental involvement through tutoring system. The software is designed base on the needs, interests and applicability for child’s knowledge progress. The software is a supplement for educational tools and another medium to impart basic information in a new set of material that would match the interest of the children today. It will not be a new form of technological invention but an enhancement and upgrade on the existing educational software across the globe. It will add innovative and interactive ways of implementing tutorial software to the child by the parents and new input device depending on the child’s capability. It will also include multiple users on a single computer for parental tutorial interaction and even parent to children tutorial which means of tutoring children simultaneously and interactively. Cooperative work skills and language skills develop through working with others on computer through cooperative activities (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). B. 2 The Software users Since I-turo is designed for children at age of three (3) to six (6) years, parents and child are the target users of the software. Children at these stages enjoy interacting with active links and areas on the screen, discovering the effects of clicking different choices (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). At an early stage of 3-6, children need guidance from an adult. Parents play an important role into the child development process that will depend on the proper way they interact and support their children on their cognitive progress as a part of growth. The software requires minimum of two users, one would be the tutor and another would be the child. The tutor will be the master educator, most probably the parent to work with the child at early stage who will guide the child on the over-all process of tutorial and education with the help of the software. The tutor does not need to be professional, as long as he or she knows basic knowledge o ncomputer literacy, the software will guide user in the flow of tutorial process. The second user will be the child who acts as the preprimary learner. The child should be at 3 to 6 to appropriately imbibe the information on the software. The tutor could also handle simultaneous users with maximum of 4. The software could accept additional children users each time ranges up to 4, while additional new mouse is compulsory every time new child user is associated with the group. B. 3 Multi-pointing Technology The software applied one of the latest innovations technology to date which is Multi-pointing. Multi-pointing technology can handle multiple mice synchronously without any error or confusion on the computer. Every input mouse on the software has its own identity and does not affect the cursor movement of another. Multi-pointing improves the interaction for multi-users in the software which mainly a subject in providing parental involvement in tutorial software such as I-Turo. This technology helps the software to establish advancement on early education and parental tutoring software with the increase on access of possible users and reduction on the cost for additional personal computers. It supports collaborative learning between children and reduces time framework on the tutorial session of different child which can be done in one certain time concurrently with the children. Through the use of this technology, the objective to handle 5 users in one software application could be implied successfully. According to Crook, technology could be used in collaborative learning effectively (1998). B. 4 The Software contents The contents of the software are the most important aspects in an effective learning experience for pre-school learners through technology. The software development is intended for children under 3 to 6 years of age. This supplement or tool for early education and tutorial is base on the contents suitable for the children. From the top approach, the design of I-Turo is graphically friendly into children’s eye view. It combines good color combination and intermediate graphics resolution to hinge on children’s visual capability. The color scheme of the software consists of primary colors, soft textured colors, and light and bright variety of color combination to introduce children to different colors. The appearance of the  software targets to accommodate the appropriate design for children’s interest and attention which affect learning through visual implications. The software is also composed of sounds and music to boost the enjoyment and to carry on children’s focus. It also shows graphic images such as different objects to reflect the reality into the software. The category of knowledge for tutorial is divided into different subjects such as English (language and reading) and Filipino (Wika and Pagbasa) based on the curriculum. Each â€Å"Unit† included in the software’s contents covers knowledge for cognitive development of a child. Each â€Å"Unit† also consists of lectures, activities and assessments. Lectures are managed by the parents, tutor to be precise to educate children from the software contents. Lectures are purposely designed for exiguous interaction to inform the child relaxingly by the tutor little by little. Lectures acquire small mice movements from the tutor and child/children to embark the knowledge into their minds. Activities follow variety of methods to enrich their minds actively on what have they learned and as a practice and application. Activities might be done interactively with peers and tutor or a choice of alone depending on the preference of the tutor or the child. Assessment is done through testing and examinations in a friendly environment. Every assessment is graded right after to see the progress and can be easily evaluated. The lectures and activities are fixed in format while assessments come randomly for the number of mice involved in a session. All the contents can handle 1 tutor and children up to 4 users as long as the tutor can work smoothly with these children. Each level also has sub category of subjects to organize certain information accordingly. The subjects of each all level are similar on the field but differ in scope and difficulty. The subjects of the system are based on the Philippine curriculum prescribed by the Department of Education for preschool students or pre-primary learners. All information is based upon books referred and preferred by the Department of Education, educators, and other professionals. All the contents are assured to be relevant, related, and accurate. The methods of implementing information undergo with psychological approvals and referrals from the child psychologists and come also from researches and documentations by the professionals. I-Turo is contextualized from Philippine based context. It adds moral values and guidance tutorial for childhood good manners and right conducts. Since the software is designed for Filipino children, it promotes Philippines not just graphically but also some lectures and activities which mainly involve Philippine literature, culture, values, and other country based facts. The design of the software such as objects is mainly a part reflected by the Philippine’s context and reality applicable for kids. B. 5 The Hardware The hardware of I-Turo is composed of any computer as the main that can install software based on software requirements. The Compact Disc would be the default storage of the software installer for computers. The I-Turo is designed for kids hence, the input device of the software should respond with children’s capability in interacting with computers. Handling normal mouse is an issue on ease of use for children under 6 years old below. One way to solve difficulty in handling interaction with computer is to produce a child-friendly mouse which can accommodate children’s capability in convenient manner. The design of USB (Universal Serial Bus) cabled mouse is bigger than the normal size and shaped circularly to easily and comfortably hold it. The mouse has equal and proportional shape to easily notice the middle button by the users. The design is proportional to cater not only right-handed but also left-handed. The mouse is big enough to support children’s hand and navigate the mouse through optical sensors. Since children took a hard time to understand the dissimilarities in clicking the left click and right click, a new design of mouse is implemented to handle software application for kids. The mouse only has a one click functions as the usual left click of ordinary mouse. The right click is not necessary to be a part of input device of the software so; right click is removed to eliminate confusion of children between left and right click. The left click is placed at the center as one and only press button for inputting or clicking. In terms of physical design, the color of the five mice varies with different colors such as blue, yellow, green, pink, and purple to showcase variation of colors. The mouse is rounded, soft edged, and lighted with simple yet creative designs to capture the attention of children. Since computers is limited with a few number of USB ports, the mouse will include USB port hub to provide access on the five mice simultaneously. The hub has 6 ports, 5 for the mice and 1 as an extra. The hub is designed with soft color and child-friendly structure. The computer, installer, hub and mice work together as one to be a medium of tutorial and education through the use of technology today. The proposed design of the mouse without the hub is shown in the figure 1. Figure 1: Sample computer mouse proposal without the hub (actual size and design may change). B. 6 Implementation Numerous computers spread out in different places, with different forms and versions but, most of it functions exactly the same. Since computers are everywhere, the implementation of the software would be easy. After completing the hardware requirements, the software should be compatible to the operating system of the computer also based on the system requirements set by the software developers. Installation of the software to the computer would come next. Possible implementation of the software works with only 1 tutor, 1 computer and differs on the number of children and mice depending on the number of users. Different implementations are shown in the following figures. a. Figure 2: 1 child, 1 computer, 1 tutor, and 2 mice b. Figure 3: 2 children, 1 computer, 1 tutor, 3 mice c. Figure 4: 3 children, 1 computer, 1 tutor, 4 mice d. Figure 5: 4 children, 1 computer, 1 tutor, 5 mice I-Turo does not influence young learners to concentrate on computers which pessimistically affect and ruin the normal life of a child. On the other hand, I-Turo lends technology to be an aid and tool for educating children without affecting the bond between parents and child. Through a good foundation of education, Filipinos could be highly competent around the world. Providing good sources for education, students can be highly knowledgeable even at early stage. OBJECTIVES GENERAL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES I-Turo entailed development on an electronic learning tutorial software application for childhood cognitive development containing effective lessons based on Philippine context. The primary objectives of the project beyond accuracy, reliability and effectiveness were: (1) To develop a computer-based software application engaging into maximum usability solving problems related in education focusing on childhood cognitive development and moral guidance stages between 3-6 years of age through e-Learning technology and based on Philippine educational curriculum; Specific objective as follows: †¢to design a software application catering its usability and applicability for more numbers of people in the society †¢to create software concerning with Philippine based context such as traditions, history, values, Filipino language, epics and etc. †¢to include information from basic level into kindergarten level lessons (English (language and reading) and Filipino (Wika and Pagbasa) ) for home study purposes and thorough understanding †¢to focus on the information intended to be learned during the childhood mental development stage as a good foundation of knowledge †¢to integrate good manners and right conduct in the software contents †¢to categorize subject content into different level of learning and understanding depending on the applicable knowledge for each age based upon the curriculum. (2) To improve and enhance the knowledge of young Filipinos through introductory and exploratory learning with computers as a positive, effective and easier way of collaborative learning experience; Specific objective as follows: †¢to introduce a well constructed graphics for early education that could interest young learners †¢to provide an accurate and efficient information and software contents applicable for young learners (3) To implement a new form of input device and interactive tutorial medium responding on the needs for parental tutoring, early education preparation and assistance for child’s progress and knowledge updates. Specific objective as follows: †¢to implement the breakthrough on Multi-pointing Technology supporting on multi-users for mouse control handling †¢to create an application satisfying parenthood guidance for young learners †¢to support interaction between multiple user such as parent-child, parent-children, parents-child and parents-children †¢to ease the use and access of educational medium such as cards, posters, books, charts, and other more and transfer it in a computer-based software as one tool. †¢to engage young learners into early education with the use of technology corresponding with parent-child bonding while learning at a convenient manner †¢to maximize the use of computers for teaching young learners with different methods †¢to guide every progress on children’s accumulated knowledge through testing and examination †¢to implement new form of input device under children’s capability for ease of use SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS This project will focus on implementation of computer-based software application designed for childhood tutorial and early education for cognitive development and integrating moral values guidance. The project will mainly cover Philippine based curriculum corresponding on the knowledge needed by young Filipino learners approved by professionals such as psychologists, educators, guidance councilors and government agencies and its officials. The contents would be guided by accurate information which undergoes with studies and supported by certified books applicable for young learners referred by professionals. The project will target learners under the age of three (3) and up to age of six (6), to be general, pre-school learners. Even though the application will be designed for normal learners, special cases of learners with disability or disorder might be also guided by the software but it does not assure that the software could give an effective feedback on the user’s learning process since it does not undergoes with a study for special cases. Moreover, the application efficiently caters relevant knowledge based upon studies for tutoring and early education for pre-school. Fundamental information regarding on different subjects and context will be applied as a further investment on child’s cognitive development. The application will include school subject’s references such as Language, Reading, Wika, and Pagbasa with integration on Values Education. Other information related on Philippine history, culture, traditions, tales, epics and other important facts are also included for exemplifications or activities. All the contents are limited only the curriculum provided by Department of Education for pre-school. Thus, different levels of learning will be categorized based on subjects and ages for understandability and different type of strategic teaching and learning methods will be featured. Every subject on each category covers lecture, activity and assessment or testing and examinations. As a part of child’s improvement, the application will address a progress status of a child and analysis of performance during the assessment period done after lecture and activities. The application will adopt the latest Multi-pointing Technology which utilizes its function for handling multi-users. Through Multi-pointing Technology, the application can support parent and child tutorial interactively. It does not just provide a single human –computer interaction but can also be used by more than one (1) user up to five (5) and may also be depend on computer mouse availability. In the process of learning, parents will participate in tutorial with the computer and child. The parent will be the tutor, the child will be the student and the application will be the medium and source of education. The software recommends parents to guide their child for electronic learning tutorial. It also encloses collaborative learning with parent and with peers or other students simultaneously and interactively. One (1) tutor and one (1) child are the basic user requirements and can add up limited into four children (4). In terms of the software development, the contents of the software is limited on the information provided by professionals, study or research and from pre-school books which is fixed on the system. Since the application will contain Philippine based-curriculum, the subject would only be effective for young learners in the Philippines. The application will be limited on usage because it is not accessible on the internet and works only with a computer and software installer. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE/SYSTEM EARLY CHILDHOOD The developmental period that extends from the end of infancy (3 years old) to about 5 to 6 years of age.

Strategic intelligence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic intelligence - Assignment Example â€Å"Open sources often equal or surpass classified information in monitoring and analyzing such pressing problems as terrorism, proliferation, and counterintelligence† In this sense, OSINT is extremely important for formulation of military plans and government policies The OSINT can be segmented further into various divisions, according to the nature of the sources from which the information is extracted. However many a times officials feel that open source information are too open to be benefited for the secretive nature of military strategy or Governmental policies? OSINT can be related to wide variety of resources like internet, media and public data. The OSINT is the publicly available information which is utilized by American Intelligence Agency and U.S. Department of Defense. Apart from publicly available data, various vendors also supply information to the intelligence agency and government under one name. Generally speaking, OSINT is the easiest way of procuring information from a particular resource. Apart from OSINT, another data collection method which is of primary importance is HUMINT.HUMINT here refers to the human intelligence and information gathered with the assistance of interpersonal connection. This can be acquired with the aid of interview with people, government advisors, accredited diplomats, espionage, Nongovernmental organizations, prisoners or detainees and refugees. Here the information is gathered or collected from interacting with real human beings. However the information collector needs to have accurate knowledge about what needs to be collected in order to make good use of the gathered information. If the information collected is inadequate, there is a chance that there would be loss of energy time and expenditure. Even while collecting information through HUMINT, attention should be given that information collected are genuine. A lack of authenticity in information gathered can result in poor military strategic plans

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Transition from Military to a Democracy Rule in South Korea Research Paper

Transition from Military to a Democracy Rule in South Korea - Research Paper Example This paper considers the process of successful transition from a military dictatorship regime to a democratic led nation in South Korea. It attempts to study that process and give an explanation to success of that transition, that brought economic prosperity to the country. The history of the path to democracy in South Korea began in the year 1945 when the country liberated itself from colonial rule by the Japanese. Economic development was envisaged to pick soon after. However, the postcolonial period saw a shift from Japanese led colonial leadership to an authoritarian rule, also referred to as a strong state. This shift was mostly fuelled by political divisions in the period after liberalization and the Korean War. The continued authoritarian rule elicited country wide protests, which continued to gain support and momentum as the strong state ideology also continued to widen and deepen. The protests were in favor of democratization, with the protestors demanding the adoption of democracy in governance, and consequently formed a resistance union, called the democratization movement’s resistance. Increased confrontations and resultant clashes between the pro democracy and the authoritarian rule parties led to the start of the journey to democracy which was characterized by a series of movements. These include the 1960 revolution which took place on April 19th, the uprising of 1980 popularly known as the Gwangju Popular Uprising, and lastly the 1987 June Democratic Uprising. The direct and democratic election of Kim Dae Jung as president of South Korea in 1997 propelled the country into a state of political and economic stability signifying the strong correlation that exists between democracy and economic development.

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Nursing as a Profession - Research Paper Example Nowadays, there are several professions which an individual can select according to his skill and knowledge. According to Michael Plaut, PhD, the assistant Dean for Student Affairs Associate Professor of Psychiatry University of Maryland School of Medicine, a professional is person, with a specialized body of knowledge, set of skills, who beholds certain group mission or identity and maintains a set of standards of behavior and practice (Plaut, n.d.). From this, it transpires that a nurse, whose job involves all these factors and more, is a professional. Thus, it can be argued that nursing is a profession and not merely job or work. A profession is characterized by its traits. Some traits are common to all professionals. The main thing, which is required, is the diligence in one’s own duty. A person, to be called a true professional, needs to conscientiously be aware of her duties as a professional and follow the ethical principles that guide such a profession. He or she should also be highly competent and well-versed with the requirements of the profession and possess the relevant skill sets. Besides, he or she should also be able to understand the feelings of others and have effective communication skills. A professional should be confident in the work and have the quality of integrity. Moreover, a positive attitude along with the willingness to serve the public, are the qualities that are distinct traits of a professional. If one examines the job of a nurse, it can be seen that a nurse needs to possess all these traits, especially in terms of serving others. The American Nurses Association considers t hat â€Å"the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting different health care needs of the population† (Considering Nursing, 2004). Thus, nursing can, unequivocally, be construed as a profession and not a mere job or call. To explain it further, the term nursing needs to

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Why College Education Is Important To You Essay Example for Free

Why College Education Is Important To You Essay Returning to college is not an easy task to take on with a family and full time employment in a financial field. Returning to college takes time, which is what people with busy lives wish they always had more of. Making the decision to return to further your education, means that a person has goals and ambitions, something that they would like to accomplish in life. People who return to college in some way are looking to better themselves. College education is important to myself for all of the above reason and more. A college degree is a must in the financial field. The customers that come into the bank look at their assistant branch manager as a financial advisor. They look for the best financial advice that you can give them. Doctors, Lawyers, and Certified Public Accountants do not want a financial advisor with a high school education. A college degree is a growing need in all occupations in order to compete competitively in a professional field. Employers are looking for well-rounded employees who are able to keep up in an ever changing atmosphere. They are also looking for people who can work independently and efficiently without constant supervision. I believe a college education teaches many of the aspects to not only make a better employee efficient in their field but also a well-rounded individual in society. I believe receiving my college degree will make me that competitive employee my company is looking for. My college start came to a haul for me eight years ago, when I was unable to continue due to extenuating circumstances. It has always been a goal of mine to attend college again and finish the program this time around. My career goals may have changed from forensic science to finance but the thought of going back to school has never expired. As Thomas Edison once said â€Å"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always try just one more time.† This is my chance to try one more time. This is my chance to prove that I can complete this program and  receive my associates’ degree. Another reason that college is important to me is the fact that this has the potential to propel me forward in my career. Banking and finance is the career I have choose in life. Studies have shown that people with a college education make more money annually then people with a high school education. I would like to live comfortably and not pay check to pay check. I would like to travel and be able to take exotic vacations. I would like to be able to securely take care of my family one day. Education can mean so many things to so many people. There are so many different reasons why people choose to further their education. Success, knowledge, and financial gain are the main reasons that receiving a college degree is important to me. As Napolà ©on Hill said â€Å"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.† At 28 years old I now have the desire to continue my education to not only better my own life but to better the lives of my family as well. References Thomas A. Edison. (n.d.) BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from BrainyQuote.com.Website:http://www.brainyquotes.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasaed149049.html Napoleon Hill. (n.d.) BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from BrainyQuote.com. Website: http://www.brainyquotes.com/quotes/quotes/n/napleonhil65555.html

Analysis Of Gdp Determinants Statistics Economics Essay

Analysis Of Gdp Determinants Statistics Economics Essay The aim of our report is to identify the factors which affects GDP for any country. In our report we are analyzing such factors in relation to Indias GDP. The report will be dealing with regression analysis, hypothesis testing, mean, median, mode etc of such factors which are independent variables and their affect on GDP which is a dependent variable. 2. Introduction: The report revolves around an exploratory study. It includes analyzing the statistical data of Indias GDP and other factors like Employment to population ratio, FDI, population for the past 20 years. Our aim is to identify the dependence of above mentioned factors on GDP of India and results of the regression analysis. Here we take GDP as the dependent variable and other three factors as the independent variables. Before getting into analysis we look into the substitute measures of each variable used in the report for analyzing regression, hypothesis testing and calculating the mean and median values. GDP Lending Interest Rates FDI Population Employment to population ratio 2.1) GDP: GDP forms the dependent variable of our research study. GDP is an indicator of overall economic welfare of a country. It is the sum total of the final goods and services produced within the borders of the nation. In other words, summing up the consumption, government expenditure, investments and net exports results in the GDP growth rate of a country. It is considered to be a very important element as it helps in estimating the health of countrys economy. Calculating the GDP is not an easy task because of which they are left to be calculated by the economists. GDP growth rate of an economy is dependent on various factors like FDI, population to employment ratio, lending interest rate, population etc. Governments closely watch out the GDP as it measures the economic performance of the country. If GDP rises it means the economy has grown and vice versa. GDP is criticized on various grounds like it does not talks about the spending power, distribution of income or well being of countrys inhabitant. Formula of calculating GDP: GDP=C+I+G+(X-M) Where, C=consumption I=investment G=government expenditure (X-M) =Net Exports The independent variables (Population, Lending Interest rates, FDI, Employment to population ratio etc ) that we are using in the research analysis affect each of these above mentioned components. The data related to GDP has been shown in the appendix 9.1 2.2 ) Employment to population ratio: It is taken as an independent variable in our study. We attempt to measure the impact of this ratio on GDP growth in India. Employment to population ratio basically means the ratio of the total working age of the labor force employed over total population. Following formula is used in calculating the ratio: Employment to population ratio= Employed Persons/ Total non-institutionalized civilian population *100 This ratio does not bear underrating problems relating to unemployed persons and other discouraged workers that enter or exit the labor force. The data of employment ratio is shown in appendix 9.1 2.3) FDI: Foreign direct investment is an independent variable in our research report. We try finding out the impact of FDI on GDP growth rate. In simple words it is an investment made by one company in a given country in another company based or set up in another country. FDI has been a major source of managerial skills, technology, capital and access to market desired for sustained economic development and growth in the recent past. All the Countries are involved in inviting more and more of foreign direct investment to come and invest in their country resulting in rapid economic growth. FDI is considered to be an important factor in facilitating growth, however, it will result in growth only if the inflows are carefully managed and invested. The related data is included in the appendix 9.1 for the past 20 years . All the inferences related to FDI has been drawn on the basis of such data. 2.4) Population: The growth of population has always been a debating issue. There is no conclusion as to it is negative or positive for growth of an economy. Population and economic growth are interrelated to each other in a way that, population increases due to high economic growth leading to early marriages and hiking birth rates and checking on the mortality rates by providing healthy environment to the citizens. Higher population also depresses economic growth through diminishing returns. (Becker, Glaeser, and Murphy 1999, p. 145) In our study we attempt to study the impact of population on economic growth which is expressed as the real GDP per capita. The data regarding population for past 20 years has been included in the appendix 9.1. All the analysis related to it has been done on the basis of such data and various results has been drawn on such basis. 2.5) Lending Interest Rate: Lending Interest rate is the amount of interest charged by a lender from a borrower in case of loan being offered. A countrys real GDP and interest rates are interlinked in a variety of means. They have a direct relationship, i.e., high lending rate results in high growth for the economy. The dependence of GDP on Lending Interest Rate can be studied in the analysis of the study. The related data regarding interest rate is included in appendix 9.1 3. Tools used for research study: The statistical tools used in our research study with the objective of finding the dependence of GDP on various independent variables like, Population, Lending interest rates, FDI, Employment to population ratio are Regression Analysis, Mean, Median, Mode, Hypothesis Testing Steps involved in analysis: Our first step was to scrutinize and identify the factors responsible for GDP growth of a nation. Next, we tried locating data of the identified factors for the past 20 years. Than we tried finding relationship of various factors with the GDP of a nation. The data was than constructed and summarised in a proper manner to conduct regression analysis. SPSS software was used to conduct the regression analysis and hypothesis testing. All the data and factors collected are using the secondary sources, i.e., Internet and Journals. 4. Data Description: N i.e. the number of observations for our research is 20. There are two types of data: Qualitative Quantitative Qualitative data deals with categorical measurement and is not measured in terms of numeric values. For our study the qualitative factors can be like Market Risk, Business Confidence etc, which affects the GDP but due to their qualitative nature we overlooked them of the study. Quantitative data deals with the numerical measurement of the database. Relating to our study, the quantitative data factors are Population, GDP, Lending interest rates, FDI etc. We have limited our research taking in account only the quantitative data. Data can also be time series or cross sectional: Cross sectional data is the data for a given point of time analyzing the differences among the subjects. Whereas time series data is concerned with the data over a spread time course In our report we are using time-series data, for 20 years i.e. from 1991 to 2010. Regression Analysis: Regression Analysis means scrutinizing the relationship between a dependent and independent variable. After conducting an analysis, regression statistics is helpful in identifying the dependent variable when the independent variables are unknown. Dependent Variable- GDP growth of India Independent variable- FDI, Employment to Population ratio and Real Interest Rate The regression equation is: Y=b1X1+b2X2+.+E In the above equation- Y= dependent variable X1, X2 =independent variables b1, b2 =coefficients describing effect of independent variables on the dependent variables E=error term In our study, the equation looks like, GDP=b1F1+b2F2+b3F3++bnfn Where, F1 to Fn= independent variable factors Hypothesis testing: Hypothesis testing is the test of significance wherein we identify the likelihood that an assumption is true, and at what likelihood we would hold the assumption as true. The assumption made is referred as the Null hypothesis and is denoted by H0 and an alternate hypothesis is defined known as an Alternative Hypothesis and is denoted by Ha. The rationale behind this test is to hold null hypothesis to be true and then performing the study on the argument in question. Once the hypothesis is defined and data is collected and constructed, following steps of hypothesis are followed: A critical region of size alpha is determined using the sample distribution of the test statistics Using the sample data, identify the values of test statistics The last step is confirming that the value of test statistics falls under the critical region defined; if no, we accept the null in favour of the alternative hypothesis and if yes, we reject the null hypothesis. 5). Variables considered as independent in hypothesis and doing regression analysis In doing the analysis of various factors affecting GDP growth some of the factors which is been considered as the variables are FDI, Employment ratio, Population and Lending interest rate as they impact directly in the growth of GDP for any country. The factors are denoted by r and following relation between the factors as stated above and the regression can be explained under 5.1) Population (H1) Although increase in population has a negative impact on the economy of any country. However, such increase allows availability of labor at cheap rates which attracts the companies or firms to make more investment in the form of Foreign direct investment or FIIs that helps to give upward thrust in GDP. 5.2) Foreign Direct Investment(H2) It can be argued on the grounds of proven facts that Foreign Direct Investment has a positive relation for boosting the economic growth of any country which results in increasing the GDP of the country. FDI allows the money to come in the economy which creates opportunities to increase growth of the economy. 5.3) Employment Ratio(H3) It also affects the economy which indeed affects GDP growth as with the increase in the employment more expenditure will have to be incurred which in turn affect countrys GDP 5.4) Lending Interest Rate(H4) If the interest rate increases it will lead to less money circulation in the economy. The banks and financial institutions of the country will not able to lend money as the people will not be willing to accept because the increase in interest rate will attract more interest expense and hence will resist to it. This will result in decrease in the consumption which will bend the GDP down and secondly money circulation will also reduce which result in the fall in GDP growth. Hence the whole discussion can be summarized in the following manner-: H1- Increase in population lead to increased GDP. Hence it has a positive relation H2- Increase in FDI Increases GDP. It also has a positive relation H3- Increase in employment leads to increase in GDP. It shows positive relation H4- Increase in Interest rate leads to fall in GDP. It has a negative relation 6). Regression results 6.1) Employment Regression (Appendix 9.3.1) In this regression model, Employment ratio is an independent variable and on X-axis. GDP is a dependent variable and on y-axis. After doing data analysis of this model, we conclude that the regression equation for this is: Here, is an intercept which is 1.736 is a slope of this equation which is -2.958 Estimated value If employment ratio is increase by 1, there is decrease in GDP by 2.958. There is negative linear relationship between GDP and employment ratio. Now if we talk about correlation between these two variable which is R. = +à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡(.720) = +.849 In this + sign shows that correlation is positive and is .849 Now is .72 which shows that 72 % variance in GDP is explained by employment ratio. Now if we talk about this model whether it is good or bad, we have to check two condition. should be high In this is high. Hypothesis test: : ÃŽÂ ² = 0 (no linear relationship between X and Y) : ÃŽÂ ² à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   0 (linear relationship between X and Y) This is conclude by t statistics Now, = -6.80 Standard error à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢value is .000 and we assume ÃŽÂ ± is .05 which is greater than p-value. Hence we reject . So we conclude that it is a good regression model. 6.2) FDI Regression (Appendix 9.3.2) In this regression model, FDI is an independent variable and on X-axis. GDP is a dependent variable and on y-axis. After doing data analysis of this model, we conclude that the regression equation for this is: Here, is an intercept which is 3.894 is a slope of this equation which is 0.029 Estimated value If FDI is increase by 1, there is increase in GDP by . There is positive linear relationship between GDP and FDI as the slope is positive. Now if we talk about correlation between these two variable which is R. = +à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡(.782) = +.884 In this + sign shows that correlation is positive and is .884 Now is .78 which shows that 78 % variance in GDP is explained by FDI. Now if we talk about this model whether it is good or bad, we have to check two condition. should be high In this is high. Hypothesis test: : ÃŽÂ ² = 0 (no linear relationship between X and Y) : ÃŽÂ ² à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   0 (linear relationship between X and Y) This is conclude by t statistics Now, = 8.025 Standard error à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢value is .000 and we assume ÃŽÂ ± is .05 which is greater than p-value. Hence we reject . So we conclude that it is a good regression model. 6.3) Lending interest rate (Appendix 9. 3.3) In this regression model, Lending interest rate is an independent variable and on X-axis. GDP is a dependent variable and on y-axis. After doing data analysis of this model, we conclude that the regression equation for this is: Here, is an intercept which is 2.088 is a slope of this equation which is -1.066 Estimated value If lending interest rate increases by 1, there is decrease in GDP by 1.066. There is negative linear relationship between GDP and lending interest rate as the slope is negative. Now if we talk about correlation between these two variable which is R. = +à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡(.466) = +.683 In this + sign shows that correlation is positive and is .849 Now is .46 which shows that 46 % variance in GDP is explained by employment ratio. Now if we talk about this model whether it is good or bad, we have check two condition. should be high In this is high. Hypothesis test: : ÃŽÂ ² = 0 (no linear relationship between X and Y) : ÃŽÂ ² à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   0 (linear relationship between X and Y) This is conclude by t statistics Now, = -3.964 Standard error à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢value is .001 and we assume ÃŽÂ ± is .05 which is greater than p-value. Hence we reject . So we conclude that it is a good regression model. 6.4) Population Regression (Appendix 9.3.4) In this regression model, Population is an independent variable and on X-axis. GDP is a dependent variable and on y-axis. After doing data analysis of this model, we conclude that the regression equation for this is: Here, is an intercept which is 3.894 is a slope of this equation which is 0.029 Estimated value If population is increase by 1, there is increase in GDP by 3.60 There is strong positive linear relationship between GDP and POPULATION as the slope is positive. Now if we talk about correlation between these two variable which is R. = +à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡(.819) = +.905 In this + sign shows that correlation is positive and is .905 Now is .81 which shows that 81 % variance in GDP is explained by population. Now if we talk about this model whether it is good or bad, we have to check two condition. should be high In this is high. Hypothesis test: : ÃŽÂ ² = 0 (no linear relationship between X and Y) : ÃŽÂ ² à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   0 (linear relationship between X and Y) This is conclude by t statistics Now, = 9.031 Standard error à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢value is .000 and we assume ÃŽÂ ± is .05 which is greater than p-value. Hence we reject . So we conclude that it is a good regression model. 7) Conclusion The effect of factors like employment ratio, foreign direct investment, lending interest rate and population on GDP of India are considered as important variables which we have tried to explain with the help of regression analysis and hypothesis testing. By considering the data of past 20 years we have also calculated its mean, median, mode, Variance, standard deviation (appendix 2). We have one dependent variable that is GDP and four independent variables which are FDI, employment ratio, population, and interest rate. According to multiple regressions, the equation for the model is: Where x1, x2, x3, x4 are the independent variable, estimated value E(y) is expected by these variable. In our report, we have taken separate simple regression models Regression analysis cannot interpret as a procedure for establishing a cause and effect relationship between variables. It can only show that how much these variables are related or associated with each other. Regression equation tells us about mean value of y for given value of x. According to Hypothesis test, all four regression model is good model and it estimates the mean value for these independent variables with less errors. The models also shows the relationship between GDP and these independent variables and their effect on GDP. If value of these independent variables is increase by 1, we conclude how much it affects the estimated value of GDP. Estimated value of GDP is increases by 3.60 if there is one unit increase in population Estimated value of GDP is increased by .029 if there is one unit increase in FDI Estimated value of GDP is decreased by 2.958 if there is one unit increase in employment ratio Estimated value of GDP is decreased by 1.066 if there is one unit increase in interest rate Hence it can be concluded that all factors affects GDP and we cant estimate GDP if we dont have particular value of these independent variable. 8) Bibliography References Amosweb.com (2012) AmosWEB is Economics: Encyclonomic WEB*pedia. [online] Available at: http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=wpdc=dspk=employment-population+ratio [Accessed: 29 Nov 2012]. Anderson, D. and Sweeney, D. (2011) Statistics for Business and Economics. 11th ed. New Delhi: Cengage Learning India Private Limited. Databank.worldbank.org (2012) World Databank. [online] Available at: http://databank.worldbank.org/ddp/home.do [Accessed: 29 Nov 2012]. Investopedia.com (2012) Real Interest Rate Definition | Investopedia. [online] Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/realinterestrate.asp#axzz2DS1wJc9k [Accessed: 29 Nov 2012]. Scribd.com (2012) GDP. [online] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/81376677/GDP [Accessed: 29 Nov 2012]. Scribd.com (2001) FACTORS INFLUENCING THE GDP OF INDIA. [online] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/84520340/FACTORS-INFLUENCING-THE-GDP-OF-INDIA [Accessed: 29 Nov 2012]. Unknown. (2012) [online] Available at: http://web.williams.edu/go/math/sjmiller/public_html/BrownClasses/162/Handouts/StatsTests04.pdf [Accessed: 29 Nov 2012].

Fresh Water Supply and Demand: Literature Review

Fresh Water Supply and Demand: Literature Review Literature Review: Although water is most abundant substance that find on earth surface but amount of global fresh water only accounts for 3%. This small amount of fresh water underpins life and vegetation on the earth surface. Out of this 3%, the main share about 68.7% is found in Polar Regions and glaciers as ice and 30.1% as ground water. The thin share about 0.3% water of total global fresh water is found as fresh surface water which is available in lakes (87%), Swamps (11%) and rivers (2%) (Gupta 2012)[1]. In addition to that water is unequally distributed on earth and population growth varies on every continent. If we look into history before the industrial revolution, it was possible to withdraw and consume water to everyone’s satisfaction. However times changed in the last few decades the last three centuries, with increased demographic pressure and quest for development and modernization, no longer allows management of water resources without cooperation among countries. Thus water, the need of life, is likely to pose the greatest challenge on account of an increased demand with population rise and economic development, and shrinking supplies due to over-exploitation and pollution. This has caught the attention of many scholars who had written lot about water management, water security and water scarcity. However while doing literature review, a selective approach has been adopted and only those works has been picked that are related to hydro politics, water conflicts, water politics and diplomacy, water security, water competition and challenges; which are succinctly discussed in following paragraphs. First category of literature that is discussed is related to hydro politics which emerged in late 1970’s. John Waterbury (1979) used the word ‘hydro-politics’ first time in 1979 and followed by other writers such as Allan, Coskun, Earle and Howe. Waterbury (1979) attempted to show how the politics and water overlap and intersect each other and affect the use of water resource in Nile Valley. He basically focussed on the Egypt and Sudanese relations from 19th century to 20th century. Egypt knows it vulnerabilities being a downstream country and vied to annex Sudan insisted on the ‘Unity of Nile Valley while Sudan never wants to come under the new imperialism of Egypt. He depicted that by end of 20th century there will be shortage of water in Nile valley as both countries reaching outer limits of what water storage facilities could provide. Allan (2002) argued that the potentiality of water scarcity is very big issue in the global politics and Middle East. Mid dle East is the region that suffers from this problem more than any other region in the world. The problem of water scarcity is become very critical in Middle East after 1970. He highlighted that this problem is very much correlated the security of the region. In the upcoming decades the problem of water and food will become very serious in the region and this not only affects the Middle East region but also the whole global politics. Coskun (2004) analysed that after independence from former Soviet Union, the water management of transboundary Rivers become very complicated and the tension over water resources increased drastically among the central Asian countries. He argued that disputes over water resources become big threat for the Central Asian security with increase in quests for meeting national interests. He also tried to explore the role of external and internal dynamics in building the cooperation for water regime. Earle (2005) discussed the hydro politics in Southern Afri ca and chances of peaceful development for sharing of water resources. He illustrated that the region has started to experience economic development with industrial and intensive agricultural growth by going beyond from past history of conflicts. He argued that the climate change can affect the region that has arid climate and prone to climatic changes. This climate change in Southern Africa is also a matter of concern at global level like many other parts of the world. The combination of above factors made the region hydro politically vulnerable but put forward that direct conflicts are not possible over water resources because of economic factors and benefits of co-operation and sharing. He justified his view about chances of co-operation with the statements of Kofi Annan (former UN general secretary) and Ismael Serageadin (former vice president of World Bank) is that the next war in the world will be fought on water not oil. Howe (2010) discussed hydro politics of the Nile River basin and highlights the chances of conflict and future course of policy making. She told that the Nile River basin is one of those regions in the world that is suffering with the problem of water scarcity. The Nile river basin is shared by ten countries i.e. Sudan, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Ethiopia. She argued that water is main reason for conflict between the countries of the basin. The high growth of urbanization and population and the difference in interests between the riparian countries create many problems like sanitation, shortage of food, power and water for irrigation etc. She correlated the water with other problems of the region especially security of the region. The second category of literature is about water diplomacy and hydro diplomacy including the competition and challenges related to water. This includes the works of Karaev, Renner Roul and Chellaney. Karaev (2005) depicted the water diplomacy in Central Asia. He argued that after the independence from Soviet rule the rivers of Central Asia become international and became one of the main causes of conflicts between all the five countries of central Asia. In the time of Soviet rule all these rivers are managed by a central agency that is in the Moscow, all the decision is taken by this agency. But after the collapse of USSR this system is also broken management of these rivers become politicized. He discussed the main historical and geopolitical cause of conflicts in the Central Asia region. He also illustrated the policies of all Central Asian countries about the different issues among them. Renner (2009) highlights the water challenges in Central and South Asia that emerged due to issues of water and role played by them as both the region faced the same problems of water shortage and poor management of water resources. He also through light on changing climate in the form of melting glaciers, rising temperature, change in monsoon cycle and droughts that increases the water scarcity in both the regions. The wastage of water is very big problem in regions, but it is many times higher in Central Asian countries then the countries of world like Egypt, Spain, Israel, and Turkey etc. He cautioned that the hydro-power projects in Central Asia for irrigation needs could lead to transboundary water disputes in the Failure of absence of regional agreement. Izqzierdo et al. (2010) analysed the water crisis in Central Asia and discussed the key challenges and opportunities related to it. He explained the political, socio- economic, climatic and environmental causes of water dispute s in Central Asian region which made the situation very critical. They highlighted that before the independence from the rule of the USSR, there is not any problem related to sharing of water among five new countries. The downstream countries supply energy resources to upstream countries in winter season when the demand of energy resources at the peak and the upstream countries supply water to downstream counties when they need water for the irrigation of cotton crops. But after independence this system is broken. Due to the rise of nationalism and increasing mistrust on each other is very major cause of conflicts between the countries of Central Asia region. They also discuss about the mismanagement of water resources in the region and wastage of water. They also discussed the geopolitical role of Russia, China and Iran and also warned about the impacts that will have to face by Central Asian countries when Afghanistan demands its share from rivers waters. Roul (2013) discussed the hydro diplomacy related to transboundary rivers in Central Asia and highlights the relationship and difference in dependency on rivers among the upstream (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and downstream countries (Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) countries. He put forward that upstream countries need water for hydro power to meet their domestic energy demands while downstream countries need water for irrigation of agriculture fields. Thus geographical positions of countries increased the difficulties in solving the disputes related transboundary rivers. He argued that in Central Asian region all the international laws, framework, treaties and declaration related to transboundary or international rivers are negligible due to economic and geographical difficulties faced by respective countries. Chellaney (2014) examined the relationship between water and power and competition emerged in Asia due to it. He argued that pressure on water resources emerged as one of the most serious ch allenge especially in the rapidly growing economy of Asian continent. The scarcity of water resources and increasing competition for fresh water resources is became a very serious problem and increased the tension among the countries in the Asia. He illustrated that Central Asia is one of the most volatile regions in the world where rising nationalism and competition over water resources increasing every passing day. He put forward that Central Asian region is an example of how water resources are used for geopolitical gains by poor upstream and rich downstream countries. Third category includes the literature on water related conflicts. This includes the works of Wolf (1998), International Crisis Group (ICG, 2002) Olmstead (2005) Kraemer 2012. Wolf (1998) analysed the major water treaties among transboundary Rivers on the basis of FAO’s collected data. He illustrated the conflict and cooperation along international waterways and studied the problem of upstream- downstream country issue, water sharing issue; economic issues. He argued that Institutional resiliency is the main causes of conflicts among nations. His analysis about world stood same for the situation of Central Asia. Here the issues of water are much co-related like the other issues such as economic, geopolitical and social etc. Water Conflicts in Central Asia: In the report by International Crisis Group â€Å"Central Asia: Water and Conflict† (2002) explore that in Central Asia region competition for fresh water is increasing at a very fast rate. The main source of employment is agriculture in region and played very important role in economy of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The cotton is the main crop of the region that required intensiv e irrigation. Water use has increased rapidly since the Central Asian states became independent in 1991 and is now at an unsustainable level. This report explores the political, environmental and socio- economic causes of water conflicts between the upstream and downstream countries of the region. This report also identifies the main areas that fuel tension in Central Asia region that are, mismanagement of water resources, failure of barter, Non-implemented and untimely barter agreements and payments, insecurity about future plans of water infrastructure like Rogan dam, Kambarata-1, Golden Age Century lake etc. Olmstead (2005) explores the ways in which economic development and local-level violent and non-violent conflict in the Ferghana Valley, Uzbekistan interact, using water scarcity as an instrumental variable for economic growth. Analysis shows significant negative correlation between rural incomes and the likelihood of local-level conflict. The importance to rural GDP of the release of water in the vegetative season, it seems that Uzbekistan should have a greater incentive to provide energy resources to upstream water producers (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) in order to insure properly timed water transfers. Currently, the negotiation process among the five Central Asian Republics that occurs year after year with regards to water allocation is highly contentious and Uzbekistan is generally unwilling to pay for water. Kreamer (2012) in his article, â€Å"Past, Present, Future of Water Conflicts and International Security† told that stress and scarcity of water has affected the stability of societies and it will continue to affect. An indication of worldwide water security challenges point out reflective problems and potential of crises. All over the world, there are many examples of struggles for water and how water is used as a strategic tool by different countries in the world. Water has also been an instrument of religious, ethnic conflicts and has recently been used in local and regional clashes. Fourth category focused on literature that illustrates the importance of water and geopolitical and political risk emerging because of water. (Allouche, 2004) Ruziev (2004), Chellaney (2012), â€Å"Kraak, 2012),† Kushkumbayev and Kushkumbayev (2013), (Allouche, 2004) in his article, â€Å"A source of regional tension in Central Asia: The case of water† explained historical and hydrological factors of the current water crisis in central Asia. He argued that water crisis between the countries of Central Asia is largely by the former Soviet Union’s plans in central Asia. The water conflicts in Central Asia region should not be separated from other issues of the region like ethnic tensions, territorial delimitation, nationalism, and political Islam etc. All these issues are many times responsible for water conflicts in the region especially in Farghana valley. Ramses Ruziev (2004), in his article, â€Å"Economic, Environmental, and Political Aspects of Hydropower Infrastructure Expansion in Central Asia† analysed the economic, environment and political aspects of developments of hydropower infrastructure development in the region. He examines that at the time of former USSR, the water and irrigation systems were managed by a centralized agency, based on Moscow, but after the independence the situation is changed regarding the allocation of water resources allocation. Before independence the upstream and downstream countries shared their resources (the downstream countries provided energy resources ex. Coal, oil and gas and upstream countries provided them water of irrigation). But after independence this system was collapsed. The upstream countries started store water in reservoir in summer season for making electricity in winter season, but downstream countries needed water in summer season for irrigation. He also mentioned the pos sible consequences of development of hydropower on the up and down streaming countries. Chellaney (2012), in his article, â€Å"From Arms Racing to â€Å"Dam Racing† in Asia: How to Contain the Geopolitical Risks of the Dam-Building Competition† examined that Asia’s economy is most fast growing economy in the world. The Race of dam is a major geopolitical issue in Asia continent and is also known for the brut lest competition for natural resources, particularly water and energy resources. The building of dams on international Rivers is the main problem between inter-riparian in Asia continent. In this article also explained how arising geopolitical risks with building of dams on transboundary Rivers. He examines the four different zones where this geopolitical risk is very high: these 4 regions are South Asia, Southeast Asia; China and its neighbouring countries; and Central Asia region, especially between the five â€Å"stans† nations — Tajikistan , Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Kraak, 2012), in his article, â€Å"Geopolitics of hydropower in Central Asia: The Syr Darya†, told about the geopolitics of hydropower between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on Syr Darya river. He examined that the main cause of current dispute between them is on the construction of Kambarta-1 hydro project and tried to examine the Russia’s diplomacy in Central Asian water by obtaining major share in hydro projects in Kyrgyzstan by providing funds of construction of hydro projects, Uzbekistan blamed that with this Russia want virtual control of Central Asia rivers water. Kushkumbayev and Kushkumbayev (2013), in their article, â€Å"Water and Energy Issues in the Context of International and Political Dispute in Central Asia† argued that water is increasingly became scarce resources in the Central Asia region. The disagreements of downstream countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan) are increasing rapidly with the upstream (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan) countries on the water resources issues. The downstream countries have abundance of hydrocarbon resources, while on the other hand, the upstream countries suffer a deficiency of non- water resources. So, the upstream countries started think about their transboundary Rivers as resources of hydropower generations. The downstream countries need water for irrigation purposes but upstream want water for producing hydroelectricity and they declared river water commodity as gas and oil. Thus the difference in needs becomes a major cause of conflicts between downstream and upstream states in the Central Asia. [1] Gupta R. C. (2012). Energy, Environment and Management in Metallurgical Industries. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.