Principles of Learning David Robertson

As the Course Lecturer for the Automotive Department at Newcastle College it is my duty, and end, to guarantee that the basic underpinning cognition ( both practical and theoretical ) of Motor Vehicle Engineering is delivered to the pupils of the section so they may fix, either for City and Guilds scrutiny, or employment in a local motor vehicle constitution. Many weighty volumes have been penned with respect to the annoyed inquiry of Learning Theories in instruction, their supposed benefits, and their effects upon larning and whether they exist as separate entities at all. However, before any decisions can be arrived at, an apprehension of the assorted theories, their chief supporters and their consequence upon larning will necessitate to be grasped. After a casual probe into the single theory I will follow up with my ideas as to the deductions in relation to my peculiar country of instruction. Prior to this analysis it is necessary to supply an overview of the acquisition manners presently used in the field of Education These manners fall into three groups: A/ Cognitive- In the Cognitive manner pupils gain theoretical cognition through the airing of information normally in a category based environment. This is extremely relevant to drive vehicle technology as the topic is inherently complex. B/ Psychomotor- In the Psychomotor manner pupils are required to show a scope of practical workshop based accomplishments. This is critical in that the topic is one that demands a grade of manual sleight. C/ Affective- In the Affective manner pupils learn how to carry on themselves perform and follow the right attitude in a workshop environment. This is merely a instance of endurance ; a workshop is a potentially unsafe topographic point to be in. All of the above manners are, to changing grades and dependent upon the lesson in inquiry, employed in the theories listed below. Learning theories, or rules of acquisition, have been developed ( sometimes over decennaries ) and honed to better the instructors apprehension of the procedure of pupil acquisition. Therefore, instructors require an apprehension of these rules, which highlight countries where pupils are most likely to associate to, and so learn from. These rules include the Fieldss of:CognitivismBehaviorismHumanitarianismGestaltSocial LearningWe as instructors, sometimes without cognizing it, be given to accommodate our manner of bringing to suit these rules subconsciously. However, with an apprehension of these rules combined with a background cognition of the pupils themselves, such rules, as listed above, could good better the manner in which a lesson is delivered, and so, accordingly, better the acquisition of the pupils.CognitivismThe group of educationists, known jointly as the Cognitivists, among whom are the noteworthy figures of Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner and Lev Vygotsky topographic point major accent on the pupils themselves and how they get, and mentally organize, the cognition they gain, in consequence how they â€Å" know † the universe around them. The over all procedure is a complex system of unseeable mental activities working together to bring forth a nett addition in understanding. Basically, it is about thought, deriving cognition, retrieving and concluding. Pioneering work in the field of cognitive development was chiefly done with kids in an effort to understand how they learn, so cognitive development can be viewed as the growing of logical thought over clip ( state as the kid matures ) and with due mention to the scholars environment from childhood to adulthood. Professor J.Bruner termed this as a signifier of â€Å" scaffolding † , whereby an grownup would bit by bit take the support built up around the kid ( or older scholar ) as they become more able to understand, or maestro, a peculiar undertaking. The Russian Marxist Philosopher Lev Vygotsky nevertheless ( working in pre WWII Russia ) , given he is in the Cognitivist cantonment, did non utilize the staging theory at all, alternatively he developed a parallel theory called The Zone of Proximal Development in which the scholar is at the Centre of a group of homocentric circles, with what is already known at the Centre and what is to be learned radiating out in rings. The overall construct is that the scholar, with aid from either older kids or grownups, moves ( via direction ) from the interior countries to the outer thereby deriving cognition and proficiency. This is reinforced by Reece & A ; Walker who province â€Å" Students do non simply receive information, but actively make a form of what it means to them † . ( Reece & A ; Walker 2003 p86 ) In the Cognitive attack to instruction, cognition is viewed as symbolic and as the overall consequence of larning while larning itself occurs through the repeat of a peculiar undertaking. The pupil is encouraged and motivated to experiment, from which they will hopefully deduce a sense of accomplishment. With mention to my learning the Cognitive attack is clearly apparent, and so it lends itself ideally to the country as job resolution and experimentation ( for illustration reiterating a undertaking until proficient ) is a major tool in the assessment procedure of my scholars. An illustration of this is when a peculiar pupil listens to my verbal bringing, so understands the construct and eventually remembers the solution to a job ; besides if they can hold on the logical thinking behind the job so they will hold fulfilled all four standards for cognitive acquisition. They can so come on and utilize this maintained cognition to work out other, more complex, Motor Vehicle Engineering inquiries. The of import thing to retrieve is that my scholars are non inactive in this state of affairs, but originative in footings of what the instruction and acquisition agencies to them, they are active participants in the acquisition procedure, utilizing their cognitive accomplishments to understand a fresh state of affairs.BehaviorismAs Curzon ( 1997 p36 ) states â€Å" Behaviourism arose as a reaction to larning being interpreted as mere mental operation † . The Behaviourist attack to acquisition is based on a chiefly nineteenth century construct that following a scientific attack to the survey of human existences, and their responses to outside stimulations, may good supply an penetration into how people learn. It was to a great extent influenced by animate being experiments ( a front-runner of many behaviorists ) which demonstrated the consequence on encephalon forms of controlled conditions and stimulation ; it was further argued that this could be carried over to worlds. The Russian Physicist Pavlov ( 1849-1936 ) is best known for his experiments with Canis familiariss. Basically, he linked a specific sound with the proviso of nutrient which caused the Canis familiaris to salivate. After some clip he discovered that the mere sound would do the Canis familiaris to salivate, so reenforcing the theory that a stimulation based response was taking topographic point in the Canis familiaris. However when this was carried over to conditional human responses the ability of worlds to utilize linguistic communication to pass on â€Å" muddied the Waterss † slightly as this accomplishment interfered with pure inherent aptitudes based responses. He concluded that worlds have fewer inherent aptitudes than animate beings ( or instead the 1s we had have been eroded by development ) hence human behavior is governed by conditional responses. He besides believed that mental phenomenon could be dealt with objectively and scientifically when it is seen as discernible and mensurable behavior. John B Watson was another chief advocate of the Behaviourist school of idea in relation to human acquisition. He thought that behavior could be modified through the actions of assorted stimulations upon the individual and that, as a effect, the person in inquiry could be â€Å" conditioned † through these stimulations to bring on a alteration in behavior so prima to larning taking topographic point. In my instruction I use the procedure of giving feedback as a signifier of encouragement, and sometimes dispute, whether it is in the signifier of verbal congratulations, following a direct inquiry aimed at a peculiar pupil or in a written mode after measuring an assignment. I have found that positive feedback from me will take to better future work, and an increased degree of assurance, from the pupil. So in this manner a stimulations based response system is productive in my field. Positive feedback is an about guaranteed manner of bring oning larning in a pupil but this has to be tempered by the times when I have to be critical of the work of a pupil, it is a equilibrating act, on my portion, to happen the right degree of stimulations ( feedback ) to promote a pupil without detering them by being excessively critical. Sometimes a critical feedback study from me is designed, and worded, to advance a response in the peculiar pupil as if I am throwing down a challenge to them to better.HumanitarianismThe Humanist acquisition rule, or Humanism, grew out of a sense of dissatisfaction with other larning theories, particularly Behaviourism. The humanistic Psychologist Abraham Maslow ( 1890-1970 ) believed a scholar ‘s physiological demands, safety demands and the sense of belonging to a group had to be fulfilled before the motive to larn was realised, and his now celebrated ‘Hierarchy of Needs ‘ pyramid high spots this in item, runing, as it does, from the basic demands of nutrient and shelter at the base up to self-actualisation at the vertex. Maslow confirmed this, as quoted by Curzon ( 1997 p121 ) who states that â€Å" instruction has the undertaking of assisting each individual to go the best that he is able to go † . Among his beliefs were that scientific psychological science was inherently unfertile and dehumanising, he argued that people should be viewed as whole human existences and that the function of the instructor was to assist, rede and steer the pupil towards understanding. The basic needs nevertheless ( at the base of the pyramid ) are chiefly issues beyond the instructors ‘ control. However, Kyriacou ( 1998 p72 ) states â€Å" the increasing consciousness of the importance of furthering students ‘ ego regard has been a major development over the old ages † . This holistic attack to instruction pioneered by Maslow was shared by Carl Rogers who proposed that larning should be student find led. Building upon the consensus that pupils retain about 5 % of instruction delivered strictly by talk and that they retain a great trade more if the pupil finds out, or discovers, the information for themselves. Rogers called for the â€Å" humanization of the schoolroom † in order to make the ideal environment for acquisition. In relation to my learning the humanistic attack to acquisition has the undermentioned deductions: The demand to put the room environment in a mode contributing to larning ( so at least trying to carry through Maslow ‘s most basic demands ) for illustration warming, illuming and chair agreement to name but three is non ever possible for logistical grounds. I need to move as a facilitator, or conduit, through which pupil acquisition can happen. In other words become a resource for the pupils to use and work. There is a demand to integrate my ain experiences of the topic into the lesson bringing, but some of my â€Å" narratives † loose something in the relation. All the clip non burying that I am the instructor and the pupils are at College to larn through my direction so at that place will necessarily be a certain grade of farness on my portion even if merely for the fact that I can ne'er be a portion of the group wholly, there is, and has to be, a limit line between instructor and pupil. For this ground entirely ( if no other ) the Humanism theory of instruction is one that I do non favor in its classical complete sense. However parts of it I can, and do, utilize for illustration I find it benefits most groups if I adopt the â€Å" older brother † ethos on occasion instead than ever portraying the distant instructor.GestaltGestalt ( from the German for structured form ) is the school of educational thought concerned with following an overall position to acquisition, in other words the whole is greater than the amount of the single parts. Gestaltists believe that understanding demands consciousness, on the portion of the pupil, of th e relationship between assorted facts and how they interrelate to bring forth an overall image. Previous experiences in the life of the scholar will assist to lend to the procedure of apprehension, but the existent procedure of thought is more of import than mere callback. Understanding, harmonizing to Gestaltists, is based upon a procedure known as Insight. Insight is non a lucky conjecture, arrived at by mere opportunity, but is when a pupil all of a sudden becomes cognizant of the solution to a job ; the â€Å" light bulb above the caput † or the â€Å" penny dropping † seems to sum up the state of affairs absolutely. Something that, on the surface, is an bete noire to repetitive or rote acquisition. It is fundamentally the gaining, or acquisition, and keeping of penetration, by the pupil, that is at the bosom of the theory of Gestalt. Besides the choice and retrieval of information is indispensable if other, new constructions of perceptual experience are to be created. The thought is that the instructor must construction larning during the lesson so that scholars reach an overview, detect inter-relationships, and can therefore pattern independent productive thought. In the world of my mundane learning the whole construct of leting the pupil to come across the correct reply by penetration is to state the least impractical. Faced with a group of Motor Vehicle pupils fighting to hold on the complexnesss of the internals of a auto engine and stating to them that the reply will come if merely they had insight is unusually brave of any teacher Lashkar-e-Taiba alone me. This may good work on a one to one footing when I, the instructor, have the clip to give but with a big category, of changing ability, it is a non-starter in footings of a instruction scheme.Social LearningBesides known as the Social Cognitive Theory, this peculiar field of involvement narrows in on how people learn in a societal context or, in other words, the procedure whereby people gain cognition through societal interaction either by talking to, detecting, or following the illustration of another individual, or group of people, in a societal ( or vocational ) scene. An illustration of Social Learning ( that most people will hold undergone ) is when a new employee is inducted into the ethos of their new employer. The innovators of Social Learning Theory ( among whom are the honored figures of A. Bandura, J. Lave and E. Wenger ) propose that the group state of affairs is ideal for breeding larning via the persons in that group working together to accomplish a common end. Inevitably, in any group, there will be a broad assortment of anterior acquisition or experience but it is this really diverseness that is the strength of this peculiar theory. Because a diverse scope of people are â€Å" thrown † together in a group state of affairs this requires them to speak, interact, communicate & A ; acquire involved in the job in inquiry hopefully taking to a solution to the job and bring oning a alteration in behavior ( larning ) in the persons. Because the group have a inquiry to reply this is the foundation upon which duologue is built and, as Lindeman ( 1926 p86 ) says: â€Å" Active engagement in interesting personal businesss furnishes proper stimulations for rational growing † . In my instruction I use the Social Learning attack rather frequently. I find that a group work state of affairs will normally be more productive in footings of retained larning than a talk based bringing manner. I see myself as more of a ‘facilitator ‘ than a ‘teacher ‘ in these Sessionss, by steering the pupils towards accomplishing larning by their ain, co-operative, attempts. I simply lay the foundations for the session by presenting certain inquiries and so ‘taking a spot of a back place ‘ as it were, all the clip monitoring advancement. At the terminal of the allowed clip for the exercising I will draw together the ideas from the disparate groups hopefully reenforcing the acquisition that has taken topographic point and rounding up any accomplishment in the session. Of the instruction theories illustrated above I have found that I personally favour the Cognitivist attack ; it has good deductions for my instruction, it lends itself ideally to the instruction of Engineering although the other theories are, to changing grades, helpful ( except Gestalt ) depending upon the peculiar acquisition activity in inquiry. Understanding the assorted larning theories can be utile, if non indispensable, in integrating different learning methods into the lessons. I recognise that over clip I teach, and deliver in, all of the larning countries nevertheless, concentrating on the most appropriate country ( and pupil larning manner ) should assist to better the success of my instruction.

Which Edward Thomas Presents Feelings About Death in ‘Rain’

â€Å"Remembering again that I shall die† Discuss ways in which Thomas presents feelings about death in ‘Rain’ The oblivion of nothing is accepted by Edward Thomas as he contemplates over the nature of both life and death. Aside, Thomas’ usual theme of preserving England’s nature a theme of isolation, darkness and melancholy takes over in ‘Rain’ and was, understandably, common within poets around the First World War. In particular Thomas’ collection is reflective of the work by Thomas Hardy and Wilfred Owen.Introspection of Thomas’ own death is portrayed in ‘Rain’ and ‘The Glory’. Thomas is particularly affected by the contemplation of the effects of war due to the brutality and inhumanity. Words such as ‘broken’, ‘pain’, ‘solitary’ are used through the poem, ‘Rain’, and the repetition of these melancholic words exemplify his introspection of deat h, particularly his own, which further evokes sympathy as we identify his mental suffering due to the work of war.Similarly in ‘Aspens’ the absence of humanity due to the war is exposed through the portrayal of emptiness from the use of the simile ‘empty as sky’, which emphasises the emptiness as so vast it is overpowering. This suggests Thomas contemplates his significance as an individual in the war. Emptiness is also a theme in the poem ‘As the Team’s Head Brass’ where a conversational tone conveys the effects the war has had on a farm. Thomas seems to accept the oblivion of nothing and the idea of love and death becomes a psychological theory.Thanatos is the motivation or desire to escape and therefore this completion of oblivion seems to conclude the poem. Further the ‘tempest’ brought Thomas a vision of nature of both life and death as it ‘tells me [him]’ and gives him a glimpse of death, which is at once a ‘bleak’ sense of consolidation. The epiphany that Thomas experiences gives this sense of awareness of mortality and the value of life. The oblivion of death is contrasted with the gift of life as Thomas describes himself as ‘helpless among the living and the dead’, which shows his introspection of his personal significance in the world.Although similar poets the World War 1 era looked at the effects of war all poets revealed different perspectives. In ‘The Solider’ by Rupert Brooke the poet looks at his own significance of his life after death by asking the reader to think of ‘forever England’, unchanged and undamaged, ‘if I [he] should die’ rather than contemplating the negative side of death unlike Thomas does so in ‘Rain’. A further contrast to make would be with Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ as it reveals the horror of war and the deaths of soldiers, rather than looking at his own suffering and death.Another comparison to make is with the poem ‘A Man I Killed’ by Thomas Hardy who identifies not what war does to the villages back home but what war does to the soldier. His introspection of his actions suggest his guilt and shame of killing a man who, if ‘met where any bar is’, would be a simple friend. This is complimented by the suggestion of the analogy between ‘broken reeds’ and broken men as a result of the war within the poem ‘Rain’. Thomas further expresses his identification of death through the structure of the poem.Particularly his experimentation of spondee and iambic pentameter is used to show the continuity of the rainfall and perhaps reflects the sense of infinite damage due to the war and vulnerability for soldiers in the war, including the exposure of Thomas’ life. Further, the use of blank verse conveys Thomas’ thought process as unremitting and overwhelming thus suggesti ng that Thomas is incessantly contemplating the oblivion of death and the value of life. Specifically, the use of enjambment present in the first 6 lines conveys the flow of Thomas’ thought process and his contemplation of the value of life and the reality of his mortality.In comparison, the 18 line unbroken stanza that forms ‘Tears’ by Thomas is appropriate in connection to the content of the poem where a sense of continuity allows the reader to identify the suitability of free verse as it reflects Thomas’ thought process. In further contrast, the familiarity of iambic pentameter and the repetition in the stresses of the line mimics the rhythm of the conversation as it lacks dynamism, which therefore conveys the emptiness of the field. Thomas contemplates death as inevitable within ‘Rain’ and introspects how it affects him as an individual and as a soldier.The simile ‘like a cold water among broken reeds’ suggests Thomas pictures those in trenches, possibly including himself, as being ‘like a cold water’. In other words, ruined by guns and changed through the sin of killing. Melancholy is a major theme in this poem shown through words such as ‘helpless’, ‘solitude, ‘pain’, which further portrays the presentation of death from Thomas’ perspective. His personal introspection is reinforced from the use of first person narrative and his deep thought process, which allows the reader to identify his with his misery and understand his contemplation further.

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SWOT Analysis. Avon - Case Study Example Strength †¢ The company had a wide range of products to be marketed, from skin care to fragrances for both men and women †¢ It had a market coverage in 137 countries and marketed its products with the assistance of over 3 million sales representatives †¢ Most of the marketing strategies were directed towards the young generation which was termed as the most potential market segment in the personal care industry †¢ The company focused on direct selling, retail selling through kiosks and online selling as its marketing strategy which helped it to be focused and also simplified the organizational operations Weaknesses †¢ Avon’s financial structure was remarkably weakening with stagnant sales revenue and lower growth rate †¢ The brand image of the company got fragmented due to over diversification of the product line †¢ Lack of aggressive purchase of Avon products by targeted customers, i.e. the Generation Y †¢ Increasing competition in online selling †¢ Loyalty in brand segments were unequal due to inadequate distribution channels †¢ Growth in all the sectors were not adequate, i.e. in the women section the company had a significant growth comprising of elderly females while in the men’s section the company was quite weak ... in the women section the company had a significant growth comprising of elderly females while in the men’s section the company was quite weak Inefficiency in the recruitment and retaining of quality employees Increasing competition in online marketing along with major disputes between the company’s strategies and the interests of sales representatives Markets were weakening in the developed economies including the European region Opportunities The Personal-Care industry was growing, although it at a slower pace Reliable growth in the hair-care section in the market segment based on ethnic backgrounds of the customers Rapid growth was witnessed in the personal hygiene, men’s fragrances and makeup/color cosmetics sections Spa services were gaining consistent attention among the customers and marketers as a medium to generate higher customer loyalty Personal care products were highly favored by the Generation X customers Kiosks were receiving more and more attention in the industry supply chain North and South America were termed as the most potential markets for personal care products Online selling is most likely to gain a rapid growth in the near future The regulatory framework supported the operations of self-inspections, good manufacturing and maintenance of good relation with the regulatory bodies It had only two major competitors, i.e. Mary Kay Inc. and L’Oreal Mary Kay had no growth with weak existence in the women section Threats Mary Kay had only 8 categories of products with 200 different product lines primarily focused on the men’s section with limited women customers Mary Kay also segmented its market only in

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Reflection Paper - Essay Example Up to this point in time, including this very moment, the Roman Catholic Church is undergoing many changes as secular culture continuously challenges the church to keep up with the signs of the times. We find the church moving in various directions as a result of the many cultures and sub-cultures in America that need attention. It is so important for the church to adopt ways, strategies and techniques so that the mission that was handed down from Christ through the Apostles will be carried out to the end. As a contemporary Roman Catholic priest in today’s America, my vision is to lead my flock to the concept of piety and holiness reflected in these ideas. I hope to live up to the vision of our founder and lead the flock based on the work that was handed down to me by our brothers as it is shaped and defined by the modern era. I will continually seek innovative ways, strategies and techniques to achieve the social, political, economical, religious, institutional and personal goals of the individual members of my flock in keeping with the traditional values and beliefs of our order. Considering these goals, I am recognizing that each one of us is affected one way or the other by those around us and this will be a major challenge. My own vision of the piety and holiness to which I want to lead my flock is that it must first be based on the personal, social, political, emotional, cultural, intellectual and religious background of what I have had experienced throughout the course of my life. This will not be easy as my experiences here in America are an ongoing learning experience culturally and mentally. It will require consistent reflec tion and self-understanding. However, in understanding these things, it is very crucial to consider and internalize the many changes experienced in both the American culture and the Catholic Church on a

Research Methods and Stats for Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Methods and Stats for Finance - Essay Example ore, the appropriate and integrative application of "Software as electronic commerce platform for manufacturers and wholesale distributors" with a focus on education and implementation of supply chain management software could have a significant impact on the manner that supply chains function within the companies (Karpinski p 9 1999). Business process re-engineering (BPR) is applied at the local, managerial, and corporate levels of the business. This concept has a significant impact on the various phases of the business process, where the changes that occur can be related to the flow of information and products (Desel & Erwin, 2000). BPR is used in SCM to renovate the managed and integrated processes that create a capable and viable business environment (Chan and Qi 2003). The crucial tenants of BPR is that it reduces tension between inter-organisational departments and business partners, particularly when the there is friction within the SC process (McCormack & Johnson, 2000). Business process re-engineering, specifically related to the main focus of technology and communication in supply chain management includes: (1)Further integration of activities between suppliers and customers across the entire supply chain;(2) on-going changes in supply chain needs and required flexibility from IT; (3) more mass customization of products and services leading to increasing assortments while decreasing cycle times and inventories; (4) the locus of the driver’s seat of the entire supply chain and (5) supply chains consisting of several independent enterprises (Akkermans et al p 284 2003). The benefits of using the BPR concept to promote SCM needs are that it connects information management (McCormack & Johnson, 2000); promotes cost saving activities through efficiency and communication (Horvath, 2001), and reduces financial risk in unsuccessful supply chains (Cross 2000). This project is to examine management logistics in supply chain management as it relates to the

USA Admission Essay Essay Example for Free

USA Admission Essay Essay Every person is affected by the myriad of events and people who have managed to change their life direction. The same was with me. Many people have seriously influenced my decisions, choosing my life path and future career. For example, my mother taught me the heroism of selfless devotion to worthy cause as she was interested in the destinies of abused children. My playwriting teacher changed my attitude towards music and now I do appreciate the role of classical music in our dazzling world. My teacher of world history showed me that the history isn’t simply facts and dates – the history is the connection between cultures. In such a way my history teacher broadened my view that the world is wrapped up in lots of historical mysteries. Of course, these people influenced my life and contributed to my spiritual and psychological development, and these people easily strike my mind. Nevertheless, these people are elders and I am rather distanced from them. The person, whom I am going to devote my essay, has influenced me to change my life direction, but his influence is hardly describable. James was the first international student in my class and it is he who had influenced my decision to become international student, too. Before our meeting I thought I’d not be able to leave my native country and to become labeled as ‘international student’. It sounded for me as death penalty – I was afraid of discrimination. However, James showed how wrong I was. Together we developed our new personalities open to perception of new cultures and nationalities; we developed our own sense of humor and attitude towards girls. James came to my country having no friends and not knowing the language, but he was a strong person ready to fight all difficulties. I really admired his personal strength and his character. He said that leaving his native country was the most difficult decision he had ever made, but he realized that he would have more opportunities here. I saw how difficult for him it was to find new friends and to communicate with other people, but he never gave up. Before meeting James I felt sometimes like an outcast, but James made me feel more confident and find myself. Moreover, I re-affirmed my inspirations and drives. James and I had the same thoughts and the same problems and, therefore, sometimes I felt we are brothers. However, everything ends in our life and James left my school as his family moved to another city. Despite our efforts to maintain our relations, our friendship gradually drifted apart. Now I understand that our friendship was based on growing at the same surrounding and under the same conditions sharing similar hopes and fears. Our friendship in the middle school was magical, but, it is a pity that lighting doesn’t strike twice. Nevertheless, I became firm of purpose to become international student as James showed that I had nothing to fear. Yes, difficulties did challenge me, but I found strength to cope with them. James did work the lesson in my heart – you should be always confident in who you are and others will perceive you the same way. Actually, if I had never met James, I definitely would have missed experience of being international student. James exerted positive influence on my future life which became full of projects, ideas and companionships with new friends and classmates. Newton’s First Law of Motion states that ‘an object in motion tends to stay in motion in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force’. Actually, James was that external force! Now I made up decision to transfer to the University of South Carolina as it is one of the best private research universities in the world. I think that University will provide me with more opportunities and knowledge how to succeed in our highly-competitive business world. Moreover, I will be provided with the highest-quality education, skills and values which will be necessary for responsible citizenship in changing world. Apparent strength of University is diversity of faculties, where each student is able to choose the direction he is interested in the most.

New building †Tools and Wiring Essay Example for Free

New building – Tools and Wiring Essay Now that we understand the codes and standards needed to create this building, it’s time to put stuff in it. Our task at hand is to start wiring the building for a new computer science and electrical engineering labs. This building will have a lot of devices that need to be connected to the school campus network and we will need a lot of tools to do it. First off I think since our building is going to be connected to a lot of students I believe that our best choice of cabling to connect to the building will be fiber-optics. This way the students and professors can access whatever they need as fast as possible from any location on campus. On the inside to save money I would run cat5e cables to each individual device. Running fiber-optics to each computer in the computer labs would take a lot of work since fiber is so hard to handle. This will allow them to do all kinds of test involving the network while not being too budget heavy. Depending on how many floors we have in the building we will need at least one telecommunication room. This is where we will house our skeletal frame that holds our servers and networking equipment. We will run the horizontal cables to all of the room wall plates. We will leave the patch cables to the person in charge of the room arrangements. If there are multiple floors in the building we will install backbone cables through the risers so we can have another telecommunication room for the other floors. Depending on where the plenum is for the floor we will run the horizontal cables under the floor or on top of the false ceiling. If the plenum is over the false ceiling we will need to install a ladder rack and cable trays. We will need a lot of tools to install this network. First off we will need connectors and crimpers so we can connect the cat5 cables to the devices on both sides. Then after we crimp the cables we will have to test the cables  with the wire map testers to make sure that all the wires are connected correctly. We will also need a tone and probe so we can figure out where each cable is going, there’s a chance we will forget which cable is which and that is why we will need this. When the installation is done we will need at least one laptop to connect to the wall jacks so we can test to see if the connection is live in every room the from there we need to find out how many devices will be connected in each room so we can create a rack for them. After the racks are connected to the wall jacks and once they arrange the devices around the room wecan come back and set up the patch cords to the computers and then the building will be completely wired to the school campuses network. References Handout NT1310 Physical Networking Unit 4 Key Concepts: Cabling and Cabling Systems Textbook- Cabling: the complete guide to Copper and Fiber-Optic Networking 4th Edition by Andrew Olivero / Bill Woodward

Professional Development And Reflective Practice Education Essay

Professional Development And Reflective Practice Education Essay Counsellor self-awareness has been frequently emphasised as a critical professional competency for all counsellors (Remley Herlihy, 2007). To support this key competency, reflective practice is an important means of supporting self-awareness in students and beginning counsellors. This paper will look at some definitions of reflective practice, and how it is far more than just thinking about what has happened. Reflective practice is an approach used in counselling and other health professions where models of reflection offer a way to evaluate applied learning: it is a method of refining skills and expertise by scrutinizing actions while they are being carried out, and then assessing them through discussion, writing exercises such as journalling, similar assessments or by professional supervision. Reflective practice has been developed in a variety of fields over the last few decades, most markedly in professions where interpersonal relationships are central and a high degree of intuitive judgement and decision-making is needed. Because of this, counselling and teaching make great use of reflective practice methods, along with community and youth workers, and allied health professionals. Professional practice was pioneered by Donald Schà ¶n in the 1980s. Several models exist, but basically reflective practice and learning involves growth and development as a professional by considering at an event or incident, understanding it and learning from it. Different models may emphasise different areas of reflective learning, or broaden the process to include a range of peers, communities and professional or learning colleagues Reflective practice is a continuous process and involves the learner considering critical incidents in their life experiences. As defined by Schà ¶n, reflective practice involves thoughtfully considering ones own experiences in applying knowledge to practice while being coached by professionals in the discipline. It has been described as an unstructured, self-regulated process approach directing understanding and learning. Reflective practice as a way of working that involves acting consciously and deliberately on the basis of critical insight and understanding. A reflective practitioner needs to develop an awareness of new ways to look at situations, consider new opportunities and techniques, and finds fresh means to challenge states an circumstances. A reflective practioners is a Iifelong learner, as each experience will shape their practice and approach. A belief which underpins reflective practice is that counsellors should consolidate or frame our understanding. Framing is an inevitable thing: There is no way of perceiving and making sense of reality except through a frame, for the very task of making sense of complex, information-rich situations requires an operation of selectivity and organisation, which is what framing means à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Schà ¶n, 1994, p29). To be reflective does not imply disregarding all assumptions and prior opinions. Instead, it is about being aware of what practioners bring with us when we meet with others. Reflective practitioners must be able to put themselves in the shoes of other actors, but and they must also have the complementary ability to consider how their own frames may contribute to problematic situations (Schà ¶n, 1994, p187). Reflective practice is consequently something that takes persistent and constant time, commitment and practice. To help counsellors, particularly as beginning counsellors, this can be where an good supervisor is so important, inspiring the counsellor to grow as a person and a professional, to think and act outside of the box and avoid falling into self-deception or pitfalls. An continuing commitment to education and also an essential basic requirement to aid this growth and development. In reflective practice it is possible to distinguish three different phases. Schà ¶n (1983) distinguished between reflection-in-action (at the same time as the practice takes place) and reflection-on-action (afterwards). reflection on practice which involves stepping back from an experience and exploring (a) what happened (b) what can be learned from it and (b) what should be done next time. This approach is used widely with students in various disciplines who are encouraged to keep a journal of learning experiences and their practice implications. Kolbs learning circle (experience _reflection _ making sense _ planning for action) is a common tool used by supervisors to help students learn this process in systematic form. Secondly, there is reflection in practice which involves being aware and conscious in the here-and-now moment; i.e. during supervision/counselling as its actually happening. This is, in some respects, an advanced-level application of reflection on practice and essential for those engaged in counselling and supervision approaches that involve working primarily with immediacy (e.g. psychotherapy: recognising transference, projection, parallel process etc.). It is also especially valuable for people working in crisis situations where conditions change rapidly and the ability to think continually on ones feet is critical. the difference between reflection on and reflection in is, in essence, the difference between What happened thenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? and What is happening nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦?. The practice dimension reminds us that for learning-through-reflection to become genuinely transformational, it needs to be applied. The role of supervisor, therefore, involves not only helping the counsellor to learn through reflection but to support application of that learning to enhance his or her counselling practice. When these dimensions are drawn together in continual process, the counsellor can be described as a reflective practitioner. According to Schon (1983), reflection-in-action is a rigorous professional process involving acknowledgement of and reflection on uncertainty and complexity in ones practice leading to a legitimate form of professional knowing (p.69). Reflection-in-action is defined by Schà ¶n as the ability of professionals to think what they are doing while they are doing it. the only way to manage the indeterminate zones of (professional) practice is through the ability to think on your feet, and apply previous experience to new situations. This is essential work of the professional, and requires the capability of reflection-in-action. Schà ¶n also offers his thoughts on how this kind of professional is produced. He describes a number of key concepts: The Reflective Practicum. a term for the educational setting, or environment: A practicum is a setting designed for the task of learning a practice. This is where students learn by doing, with the help of coaching. The practicum is reflective in two senses: it is intended to help students become proficient in a kind of reflection-in-action; and, when it works well, it involves a dialogue of coach and student that takes the form of reciprocal reflection-in-action.    Tacit knowledge: his comes from the work of Michael Polanyi3. He describes for example the remarkable way we are able to pick out a familiar face in a crowd. This does not require thinking about, or a systematic analysis of features. We cannot verbalise how this is done, and so the knowledge is unspoken or tacit.   Knowing-in-action derives from the idea of tacit knowledge. It refers to the kinds of knowledge revealed in the way we carry out tasks and approach problems. The knowing is in the action. It is revealed by the skilful execution of the performance we are characteristically unable to make it verbally explicit. This tacit knowledge is derived from research, and also from the practitioners own reflections and experience.   Reflection-in-action: reflection that occurs whilst a problem is being addressed, in what Schon calls the action-present. It is a response to a surprise where the expected outcome is outside of our knowing-in-action. The reflective process is at least to some degree conscious, but may not be verbalised. Reflection-in-action is about challenging our assumptions (because knowing-in-action forms the basis of assumption). It is about thinking again, in a new way, about a problem we have encountered.   Reflection-on-action: reflection after the event. Consciously undertaken, and often documented.   Willing suspension of disbelief: describes the process of entering into an experience, without judgment, in order to learn from it. Schà ¶n uses the term in relation to the idea of learning by doing. One cannot will oneself to believe until one understands. But understanding often will only arise from experience. So it is necessary first to allow the experience to happen.   Operative attention: listening and absorbing information, in a state of readiness to apply and experiment with the new information. An everyday example would be when we listen to directions on how to find an obscure address. This participation is important in the learning process a learner needs to be already engaged in activity for further information to have meaning. This in turn is partly derived from Wittgensteins5 contention that the meaning of an operation can only be learned through its performance. Hence mechanical or imperfect performance of an activity prepares the learner for new information (feedback) on that activity, in order to develop understanding.   The ladder of reflection: Schà ¶n speaks of a vertical dimension of analysis that can happen in the dialogue between learner and teacher. To move up a rung on the ladder involves reflecting on an activity. To move down a rung is to move from reflection to experimentation. This ladder has more than two rungs it is also possible to reflect on the process of reflection. The importance of this concept is in its potential for helping out with stuck situations in learning. Being able to move to another level may assist coach and learner to achieve together what Schà ¶n refers to as convergence of meaning.   Professional reflective practice is an intricate and challenging activity. It takes time, commitment and support, ongoing professional development and supervision to mature. It should leads to new action and a confirmation of existing actions. Reflective practice needs to be more than just thoughtful practice, it needs to be a continual process of turning practice into educational opportunities. Also very useful in expressing an approach to reflective practice is Kolbs experiential learning theory. Kolb (1984), a leader in the contemporary experiential education movement, defined experiential learning as the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience (p. 38). His model of experiential learning was based on the works of developmental theorists John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and Jean Piaget. Ideally there is a learning cycle or spiral where the learner passed through a four stage learning cycle: first a cycle of experiencing, then of reflecting, thirdly thinking, and finally acting. Immediate or concrete experiences lead to observations and reflections. These reflections are then assimilated (absorbed and translated) into abstract concepts with implications for action, which the person can actively test and experiment with, which in turn enable the creation of new experiences. As learners continue to have new concrete experiences, by reflecting and thinking about them, we can plan, test hypotheses, and have a positive impact on new experiences. Kolbs learning circle (experience, reflection, making sense, then planning for action) is a practical tool to help students learn (Wright, 202) . (a) concrete experience, (b) reflective observation, (c) abstract conceptualization, and (d) active experimentation. The process of experiential education and learning begins with the concrete experience itself (e.g., participating as a member in a small group) and continues with intentional and guided reflection on or debriefing of that experience. Abstract conceptualization represents both the integration of learning experiences and the generation of new ideas. This might include identifying and understanding the monopolizing behaviour on the part of a group member and brainstorming ways to address it in the next group session. Through active experimentation, these new ideas can be tested and explored. the process of reflection is one of the necessary stages of learning (Kolb 1984; Bennett-Levy 2006) and therefore Part of clinical wisdom is reflection on practice. Supervision provides the reflective space in which to consider the difficulties and particulars of counselling, within a supportive relationship. Supervision provides the opportunity to develop skills and understanding, and provides an avenue for comparing different approaches to managing and conceptualising client problems. Supervision can provided the reflective space to help the supervisee learn about their own thoughts and feelings, and the effect of self on clients. As a beginning counsellor, there a variety of excellent refection strategies to assist in personal and professional growth and development, to help improve counselling skills, and to prevent burn out and being overwhelmed by worries and concerns of clients. Appropriate and effective supervision (as well as group and peer supervision), journalling, feedback from clients and supervisors, measures of client progress, and continued education. Padesky (1996: 273-4) wrote: The art and skill of therapy are best developed in a therapist who consistently analyses and learns from both positive and negative client feedback and outcome.

Evaluation of Maquiladoras on the U.S.-Mexico Border with Respect to Wo

Evaluation of Maquiladoras on the U.S.-Mexico Border with Respect to Women’s Health The U.S.-Mexico border is a true contact zone. It is a physical place where two distinct cultures meet, conflict, and ultimately collide. For its inhabitants, the border is never an easy place to live in. In fact, Gloria Anzaldà ºa, who calls herself a â€Å"border woman,† describes the U.S.-Mexican border as a â€Å"1950 mile long open wound†¦a vague and undetermined place† (1, 3-4). Currently, a powerful characteristic that defines life on the border for many of its residents is the growing number of maquiladoras that have become a standard sight in any border town. Maquiladoras are essentially foreign owned factories that employ workers in U.S.-Mexico border towns for cheap labor. The border and the maquiladoras seem to share a unique synergy in today’s society. They are tightly tied together, each having mutual positive and negative qualities. For example, while the physical border can be a place of excitement and learning about another cultu re and way of life, the psychological border can be restrictive, an all-encompassing dividing line between those who are and those who are not. It separates â€Å"us from them† (Anzaldà ºa 3). Similarly, while the maquiladoras have brought jobs and economic commerce to border towns, they have also been characterized as having unhealthy working conditions that are detrimental to the workers and surrounding community. Today, the maquiladoras have certainly become a topic of much discourse because of their possible harmful effects on people’s health. An important issue is their effect on women’s health, since women compose the majority of the workforce in the maquiladoras. The influx of maquiladoras in the U.S.... ... Maquiladora Workers in Tijuana, Mexico.† American Journal of Industrial Medicine 24 (1993): 667-676. Guendelman, Sylvia, Steven Samuels, and Martha Ramirez. â€Å"Women Who Quit Maquiladora Work on the U.S.-Mexico Border: Assessing Health, Occupation, and Social Dimensions in Two Transnational Electronics Plants.† American Journal of Industrial Medicine 33 (1998): 501-509. Guendelman, Sylvia and Monica Jasis Silberg. â€Å"The Health Consequences of Maquiladora Work: Women on the US-Mexican Border.† American Journal of Public Health 83 (1993): 37-44. Moure-Eraso, Rafael, et al. â€Å"Back to the Future: Sweatshop Conditions on the Mexico-U.S. Border.† American Journal of Industrial Medicine 25 (1994): 311-324. Prieto, Norma Iglesias. Beautiful Flowers of the Maquiladora. Trans. Michael Stone and Gabrielle Winkler. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997.

Gregors Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis Es

Gregor's Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis In his story The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka gives us the story of Gregor Samsa, a young man who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect-like creature. Gregor, however, remains strangely indifferent to his plight, in a manner that seems inhuman to most readers. This is not due to a lack of omniscience on the narrator's part that causes the indifference to go unmentioned, and neither is it due to inobservance on the part of Gregor to the point of not noticing that he has been changed into an insect. Rather, Gregor does not pay much attention to his new form as an insect because his life as a human lacked many ordinary human characteristics. In other words, Gregor was mentally not human even before his change in physical form. Just after his metamorphosis, Gregor makes an important observation on his job as a traveling salesman: "Oh God," he thought, "what a grueling job I've picked! Day in, day out - on the road. The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I've got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. To the devil with it all!" (4) Most "normal" people would claim that meaningful relationships constitute the core of the human experience. But Gregor's concerns seem much more mundane. He begins with complaining about the quotidian problems of his job and only in the end reaches that which is really important - and then he immediately goes on to continue thinking about his job. He is obsessed with work, "a tool of the boss, without brains... ...c. But we could also interpret this sentence in the opposite light, to assert that Gregor is an animal by dint of his ability to feel. This is supported by Gregor's ruminations on his plan to send Grete to the Conservatory: "...and it was his secret plan that she who, unlike him, loved music and could play the violin movingly..." (27, italics added). Thus, Gregor as a human being could not derive pleasure from music, indicating that he lived in a deprived, insect-like emotional state. As we have seen, Gregor's mental life was extremely limited even before his physical metamorphosis. Perhaps Kafka intended this story as a means of pointing out that many people in an increasingly capitalist society, like Gregor, become more and more obsessed with money and thus live a mechanical life, like an insect. Thus, they sequester themselves from the pleasures of the soul. Gregor's Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis Es Gregor's Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis In his story The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka gives us the story of Gregor Samsa, a young man who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect-like creature. Gregor, however, remains strangely indifferent to his plight, in a manner that seems inhuman to most readers. This is not due to a lack of omniscience on the narrator's part that causes the indifference to go unmentioned, and neither is it due to inobservance on the part of Gregor to the point of not noticing that he has been changed into an insect. Rather, Gregor does not pay much attention to his new form as an insect because his life as a human lacked many ordinary human characteristics. In other words, Gregor was mentally not human even before his change in physical form. Just after his metamorphosis, Gregor makes an important observation on his job as a traveling salesman: "Oh God," he thought, "what a grueling job I've picked! Day in, day out - on the road. The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I've got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. To the devil with it all!" (4) Most "normal" people would claim that meaningful relationships constitute the core of the human experience. But Gregor's concerns seem much more mundane. He begins with complaining about the quotidian problems of his job and only in the end reaches that which is really important - and then he immediately goes on to continue thinking about his job. He is obsessed with work, "a tool of the boss, without brains... ...c. But we could also interpret this sentence in the opposite light, to assert that Gregor is an animal by dint of his ability to feel. This is supported by Gregor's ruminations on his plan to send Grete to the Conservatory: "...and it was his secret plan that she who, unlike him, loved music and could play the violin movingly..." (27, italics added). Thus, Gregor as a human being could not derive pleasure from music, indicating that he lived in a deprived, insect-like emotional state. As we have seen, Gregor's mental life was extremely limited even before his physical metamorphosis. Perhaps Kafka intended this story as a means of pointing out that many people in an increasingly capitalist society, like Gregor, become more and more obsessed with money and thus live a mechanical life, like an insect. Thus, they sequester themselves from the pleasures of the soul.

Developmental Psychology Journal Articles Essay -- Papers

Developmental Psychology Journal Articles The five journal articles I examined were all from a journal titled Developmental Psychology, May 2000. The first journal article that I observed was "Sleep Patterns and Sleep Disruptions in School-Aged Children." This study assessed the sleep patterns, sleep disruptions, and sleepiness of school-age children. Sleep patterns of 140 children (72 boys and 68 girls; 2nd-, 4th-, and 6th-grade students) were evaluated with activity monitors (actigraphs). In addition, the children and their parents completed complementary sleep questionnaires and daily reports. The findings reflected significant age differences, indicating that older children have more delayed sleep onset times and increased reported daytime sleepiness. Girls were found to spend more time in sleep and to have an increased percentage of motionless sleep. Fragmented sleep was found in 18% of the children. No age differences were found in any of the sleep quality measures. Scores on objective sleep measures were associated with subjective reports of sleepiness. Family stress, parental age, and parental education were related to the child's sleep-wake measures. The next article I observed was "Shared Caregiving: Comparisons Between Home and Child-Care Settings." The experiences of 84 German toddlers (12-24 months old) who were either enrolled or not enrolled in child care were described with observational checklists from the time they woke up until they went to bed. The total amount of care experienced over the course of a weekday by 35 pairs of toddlers (1 member of each pair in child care, 1 member not) did not differ according to whether the toddlers spent time in child care. Although the child... ...h their mothers and their fathers on separate occasions in their families' homes. Parent-child pairs played for 8 minutes each with a feminine-stereotyped toy set (foods and plates) and a masculine-stereotyped toy set (track and cars). Levels of affiliation (engaging vs. distancing) and assertion (direct vs. non-direct) were rated on 7-point scales every 5 seconds from the videotapes for both parent and child. Overall, the play activity accounted for a large proportion of the variance in parents' and children's mean affiliation and assertion ratings. Some hypothesized gender-related differences in behavior were also observed. In addition, exploratory analyses revealed some differences between the different ethnic groups. The results highlight the importance of role modeling and activity settings in the socialization and social construction of gender.

Financial Market

International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management Emerald Article: Financial market risk and gold investment in an emerging market: the case of Malaysia Mansor H. Ibrahim Article information: To cite this document: Mansor H. Ibrahim, (2012),†Financial market risk and gold investment in an emerging market: the case of Malaysia†, International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, Vol. 5 Iss: 1 pp. 25 – 34 Permanent link to this document: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/17538391211216802 Downloaded on: 26-09-2012References: This document contains references to 13 other documents To copy this document: [email  protected] com This document has been downloaded 335 times since 2012. * Users who downloaded this Article also downloaded: * Mohamed Hisham Yahya, Junaina Muhammad, Abdul Razak Abdul Hadi, (2012),†A comparative study on the level of efficiency between Islamic and conventional banking systems in Malaysia†, International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, Vol. 5 Iss: 1 pp. 48 – 62 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/17538391211216820Muhamad Abduh, Mohd Azmi Omar, (2012),†Islamic banking and economic growth: the Indonesian experience†, International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, Vol. 5 Iss: 1 pp. 35 – 47 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/17538391211216811 Samy Nathan Garas, (2012),†The control of the Shari'a Supervisory Board in the Islamic financial institutions†, International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, Vol. 5 Iss: 1 pp. 8 – 24 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/17538391211216794 Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided y ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY OF THAILAND For Authors: If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. 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The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/1753-8394. htm Financial market risk and gold investment in an emerging market: the case of MalaysiaMansor H. Ibrahim Mar ket risk and gold investment 25 Department of Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between gold return and stock market return and whether its relation changes in times of consecutive negative market returns for an emerging market, Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies the autoregressive distributed model to link gold returns to stock returns with TGARCH/EGARCH error speci? cation using daily data from August 1, 2001 to March 31, 2010, a total of 2,261 observations.Findings – A signi? cant positive but low correlation is found between gold and once-lagged stock returns. Moreover, consecutive negative market returns do not seem to intensify the co-movement between the gold and stock markets as normally documented among national stock markets in times of ? nancial turbulences. Indeed, there is some evidence that the gold market surges when faced with cons ecutive market declines. Practical implications – Based on these results, there are potential bene? ts of gold investment during periods of stock market slumps. The ? ndings should prove useful for designing ? ancial investment portfolios. Originality/value – The paper evaluates the role of gold from a domestic perspective, which should be more relevant to domestic investors in guarding against recurring heightened stock market risk. Keywords Malaysia, Emerging markets, Gold, Returns, Investments, Stock markets, Gold investment, Market return, Correlations, Market risk Paper type Research paper Introduction Over the past decades, the global ? nancial markets have witnessed a string of ? nancial crises, among them include the Mexican peso crisis in 1994, the Asian ? nancial ? in 1997/1998, the Russian crisis in 1998, the Brazilian crisis in 1999, the Argentine ? nancial crisis in 2001/2002 and most recently the US subprime crisis in 2007 and the Greece ? nancial crisis in 2009. Mentioning of these crises is likely to conjure up in the mind of many the images of excessive risk in stock market investment and to bring back interest in gold as an alternative investment asset. This interest is well-placed as gold used to be a standard of value, is still considered as a store of value and is universally accepted. Moreover, there seems to be a trong belief that gold can provide protection, as a hedge or a safe haven, against this heightened risk in the ? nancial markets. As noted by Baur and McDermott (2010), gold differs from other assets in that it reacts positively to adverse market shocks. As they mention, real gold value reached its historic high roughly in 1980 when the global economy faced the threat of stag? ation due to oil crises in 1970s. Likewise, at the time the US subprime crisis intensi? ed in September 2008, gold has responded with a surge in its value (Baur and McDermott, 2010). International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance andManagement Vol. 5 No. 1, 2012 pp. 25-34 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1753-8394 DOI 10. 1108/17538391211216802 IMEFM 5,1 26 Against a backdrop of recurring ? nancial crises and contagion as well as emerging interest in gold, several studies have attempted empirical investigation of gold hedging property. Notable among these studies are recent works by Capie et al. (2005), Hillier et al. (2006), Baur and Lucey (2010) and Baur and McDermott (2010). Capie et al. (2005) investigate an exchange rate hedge of gold using weekly data of gold price and sterling-dollar and yen-dollar exchange rates from January 1971 to February 2004.They ? nd supportive evidence for exchange rate hedging property of gold, although the strength of hedging tends to vary over time. Hillier et al. (2006) assesses the investment role of precious metals, namely gold, platinum and silver for the US market. They note low correlations between these three metals and stock market returns, which suggests diversi ? cation bene? ts of gold investment. Baur and Lucey (2010) examines whether gold is a safe haven, i. e. maintaining its value in times of market stress or turmoil, for the US, UK and German markets.They document evidence suggesting the ability of gold to hedge against ? nancial risks and to serve as a safe haven in extreme market conditions for these markets. Most recently, Baur and McDermott (2010) extend the work of Baur and Lucey (2010) to a larger number of markets, which include both major developed and emerging markets. They analyze the relations between gold return and returns of world and emerging market indexes, various regional market indexes, and 13 individual market indexes. Their results demonstrate the ability of gold to provide a hedge and a strong safe haven for European and US markets.Thus, for developed markets, gold provides protection against losses during extreme market conditions. As they explain, investors in these markets sell stocks and buy gold when faced with heightened ? nancial risk. By contrast, the emerging markets seem to lack these properties indicating that investors tend to react differently to adverse shocks in emerging markets. Namely, they shift the composition of their portfolios by selling shares of emerging markets and seeking shelter in the developed markets, which are viewed to be relatively safe.In the present paper, we take lead from these studies and examine the investment role of gold for an emerging Asian market, Malaysia. We attempt to contribute to this line of inquiry in several aspects. First, in Baur and McDermott (2010), the investment role of gold for emerging markets is examined by looking at the relation between gold return and emerging market index return and individual market returns of four largest emerging markets, i. e. Brazil, Russia, India and China. We add to their study by looking at a smaller emerging market.Second, while the present study looks at gold investment from an international perspec tive, we look at the issue from a domestic perspective. All aforementioned studies employ gold price in US dollar in their analysis. Instead of using the dollar-denominated gold price and converting it into domestic currency unit as in Baur and Lucey (2010), we use domestic gold price instead. While we acknowledge that the Malaysian gold price may have depended on the global gold price, the use of gold price quoted domestically in ringgit screens out potential confounding effect of exchange rate movement and currency onversion. Finally, we bring out a new empirical perspective in evaluating the investment role of gold. Namely, we examine whether gold maintains its value or its relation with market returns when faced with consecutive negative daily returns. We focus on Malaysia due to deep interest in gold shown by Malaysian policymakers and academics in the face of 1997/1998 Asian ? nancial crisis. Tun Mahathir Mohamad, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, voiced interest in this un iversally accepted asset and proposed the use of gold particularly in international trade settlement The News Strait Times, 2001). A series of international conferences have been organized on the subject of gold and gold Dinar[1], among them include International Conference on Stable and Just Monetary System and International Conference on the Gold Dinar in Multilateral Trade in 2002, International Conference on Gold in International Trade in 2003 and International Conference on Gold Dinar Economy in 2007. In July 2001, Malaysia became the 12th country in the world to have its own gold bullion coins through the launching of the gold bullion coins known as Kijang Emas by the Royal Mint Malaysia.This is followed by the issuance of Royal Mint gold Dinar in 2003 and Kelantan State gold Dinar in 2006. While the introduction of these gold coins is to serve primarily as a store of value or an alternative ? nancial asset for investment, the gold investment performance for the case of Malays ia has hardly received any empirical attention. The availability of daily domestic gold bullion price since 2001 provides us an opportunity to examine the investment role of gold from a domestic market perspective and, at the same time, widens the literature on emerging markets. The rest of the paper is structured as follows.In the next section, we provides the empirical framework used in the analysis. Then, we describes the data and present estimation results. Finally, we conclude with the main ? ndings and some concluding remarks. Empirical framework We specify our empirical model using an autoregressive distributed lag model along the line of Capie et al. (2005). Thus, we have: RG;t ? a ? rRG;t21 ? b1 RS;t ? b2 RS;t21 ? 1t ?1? where RG is the daily return of gold investment and RS is the corresponding return of stock investment. The lagged dependent is included to allow for autocorrelation structure in gold return.Meanwhile, the incorporation of once-lagged stock return is based on our presumption that, in emerging markets, the transmission of information among markets may take time. That is, the changes in stock return may be impounded into the gold return with lag. The total sensitivity of gold return to stock market ? uctuations is based on the sum of stock market coef? cients, i. e. b1 ? b2. If this sum is signi? cantly positive and is far from unity or the model explanatory is close to zero, we may conclude that gold serves as a diversi? cation asset (Hillier et al. , 2006).Meanwhile, if it is not signi? cant or is signi? cantly negative, then gold investment can provide a hedge against ? nancial market risk (Baur and Lucey, 2010; Baur and McDermott, 2010). We refer to equation (1) as our basic model. Based on equation (1), we ask further whether gold return dynamics remain similar under conditions of consecutive negative market returns. To this end, we adapt the framework used by Nam et al. (2005) in their analysis of stock return asymmetry by modifyi ng equation (1) as: RG;t ? a0 ? a1 Nmt ? rRG;t21 ? ?b10 ? b11 Nmt ? ? RS;t ? ?b20 ? b21 Nmt ? ? RS;t21 ? 1t ?2? here Nmt is a dummy variable representing consecutive negative market returns. Five alternative dummies corresponding to days of consecutive negative returns are considered and they are de? ned as: Market risk and gold investment 27 IMEFM 5,1 N0 ? 28 † N1 ? N4 ? † † 1 if RS;t , 0 0 otherwise 1 if RS;t , 0; RS;t21 , 0 0 otherwise ?3? ?4? . . . 1 if RS;t , 0; 0 otherwise RS;t21 , 0; :::; RS;t24 , 0 ?5? Note that we include Nm as both intercept and interactive dummies. The intercept dummy is intended to capture the level effect of m ? 1 consecutive negative market returns, current return and the returns of last m days, on gold return.Meanwhile, the interactive dummy is to capture the changing relations between stock return and gold return under conditions of consecutive negative market returns, the main interest of the paper. In the paper, we denote these mo dels with alternative de? nition of dummies, respectively, as model N0, N1, N2, N3 and N4. In equation (2), the sum b10 ? b20 captures the relation between the two markets under normal market conditions while b10 ? b20 ? b11 ? b21 measures their relation when the stock market experiences m ? 1 days of consecutive negative returns. Accordingly, the signi? cance of b11 and b21 re? cts the changing relations between gold return and market return in times of market downturns. If they are signi? cantly positive, then the gold return tends to move in closer tandem to stock market movement, weakening gold investment role as a diversi? cation asset. However, if they are signi? cantly negative, then gold investment is said to provide at least a hedge against ? nancial losses during market downturns. Finally, if they are insigni? cantly different from 0, the dynamics of gold return tends to resist the slumps in stock prices and preserves its relation to the stock market regardless of the mark et conditions.We believe that this perspective that we bring provides a nice complementary empirical exercise to the works of Baur and Lucey (2010) and Baur and McDermott (2010) that look at the relations between the two during extreme market conditions. In the implementation of equations (1) and (2), we take note of ample evidence that high-frequency asset returns tend to exhibit leptokurtic property or volatility clustering, the so-called autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH) effect. In ? nance literature, various error distributions have been assumed and variance equation speci? cations have been suggested.The error distribution is assumed to be distributed according to either the normal distribution (N), t-distribution (T), or generalized error distribution (G). Among the time-varying variance speci? cations include the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH), threshold ARCH (TARCH), and exponentional GARCH (EGARCH). The latter two allow for asymmetric responses of volatility to positive and negative shocks. To avoid arbitrary model selection, we follow Capie et al. (2005) by basing on the maximum of log likelihood as a selection criterion. We ? nd asymmetric volatility speci? cation (TARCH or EGARCH) to best ? the gold return dynamics and generalized error distribution to best describe the error distribution. The suitability of asymmetric volatility modeling for gold return is in conformity with the behavior of other asset returns (Lobo, 2000; Koutmos and Martin, 2003). Data We employ 2,261 daily observations spanning from August 1, 2001 to March 31, 2010. The beginning date is dictated by data availability of gold bullion price. The selling prices of one troy ounce domestic gold bullion are used to represent domestic gold prices while the Kuala Lumpur composite index is used to represent aggregate prices of stock market investment.The data on the two prices are sourced, respectively, from Malaysia’s central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, and Data Stream International. We compute gold and stock market returns as the ? rst difference of the natural log of respective series. Table I provides descriptive statistics of the two returns. We also plot these series in level and ? rst-differenced forms in Figure 1. Both gold and stock prices experience an upward trend over the sample period. While the daily average gold return is relatively higher than the daily average stock market return (i. e. 0. 6 percent against 0. 03 percent), it is more volatile than the market return as re? ected their respective standard deviations. This is accounted by the more extreme positive values of gold return (0. 1246) than the stock market return (0. 0426). Meanwhile, the extreme negative value of stock market return (2 0. 9997) is only slightly higher than the corresponding value of gold return (2 0. 0782). From the plots, we also note marked reduction of stock market prices around years of the Argentine ? nanci al crisis in 2001/2002 and of the US subprime crisis in 2007/2008.While the gold return is positively skewed, the market return demonstrates a negative skewness. Both return series are characterized by excess peakness having kurtosis statistics to be substantially higher than 3. This suggests volatility clustering in the return series, which is apparent in the graphical plots. The Jarge-Bera statistics reported at the bottom of Table I soundly rejects the null of normality for both returns. These characteristics in the data seem to justify the use of GARCH-type models for model speci? cation. As a preliminary analysis, we report the cross-correlations between RG,t and RS,t for up to ? e lags. With the standard error in the order of 0. 021 in absolute value, the correlation of roughly 0. 042 and higher suggests signi? cance correlation between the two returns. We note very low and mostly positive correlations between gold return and contemporaneous and lagged stock returns. Among the se correlations, only the DG Mean Median Maximum Minimum SD Skewness Kurtosis Jarque-Bera Probability Observations 0. 000305 8. 72 ? 102 5 0. 042587 2 0. 099785 0. 008518 2 0. 999659 15. 06466 14,082. 94 0. 000000 2,260 29 DS 0. 000561 0. 000000 0. 124645 2 0. 078182 0. 011909 0. 092587 12. 8588 8,656. 123 0. 000000 2,260 Market risk and gold investment Table I. Descriptive statistics IMEFM 5,1 8. 4 0. 15 0. 10 8. 0 0. 05 30 7. 6 0. 00 7. 2 6. 8 –0. 05 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 –0. 10 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 08 09 (b) Gold Return (a) Natural Log of Gold Price 7. 4 0. 08 7. 2 0. 04 7. 0 0. 00 6. 8 –0. 04 6. 6 Figure 1. Graphical plots of gold and stock prices and returns –0. 08 6. 4 6. 2 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 –0. 12 (c) Natural Log of Kuala Lumpur Composite Index 02 03 04 05 06 07 (d) Stock Market Return correlation between gold return and once-lagged stock return is signi? ant. Its correlation is positive, suggesting that the gold market tends to f ollow the stock market with one-day lag. The cross-correlations between gold return and lead stock returns indicate the absence of signi? cation correlations. Accordingly, the gold market does not lead the stock market. This preliminary analysis seems to provide a basis for our one-equation empirical approach with no feedback from gold return to stock return and with the inclusion of once-lagged stock return in the mean equation of gold return. As regards to our main interest, it indicates at best the diversi? ation property of gold investment since its noted positive correlation is far from unity. However, this ? nding is only suggestive and must be subject to a formal analysis, which we turn next (Table II). Estimation results This section conducts a formal analysis of gold return and its relation to stock market return as speci? ed in equations (1) and (2) using GARCH-type models. We experiment with various error distribution assumption and variance speci? cation and choose the o ne that maximizes the log likelihood. The values of log likelihood functions for alternative models are given in Table III.This log likelihood criterion unequivocally suggests the generalized error distribution of error terms. It also suggests either TARCH or EGARCH speci? cation to best describe variance speci? cation. TARCH speci? cation is chosen for basic model, model N0 and model N1 while EGARCH speci? cation for other models. Note that the differences in the log likelihood values between the two speci? cations are marginal. Estimation of the TARCH (1, 1) model for the basic mean equation yields the following results (numbers in parentheses are p-values): RG;t ? ht ? 0:0004 20:0344RG;t21 20:0111RS;t ?0:016? ?0:046? 0:582? 0:0000014 ?0:008? ?0:07721221 t 31 ?0:0502RS;t21 ?0:014? 20:05351221 I t21 t ?0:000? Market risk and gold investment ?0:003? ?0:9413ht21 ?0:000? N ? 2; 259; GED Parameter ? 1:7025 ? 0:000? ; Log Likelihood ? 7; 168:42 where It ? 1 if 1t , 0 and 0 otherwise. Th e use of TARCH model implies that previous shocks have asymmetric effects on volatility. Since the coef? cient of 1221 I t21 is negative, t bad news (1t , 0) tends to dampen market volatility. In other words, once-lagged positive news (1t2 1 . 0) exerts a greater impact on gold return volatility than negative news does, which conforms to the ? ding of Capie et al. (2005). Moreover, gold return volatility tends to be highly persistent as suggested by large coef? cient of lagged volatility. Turning to our main theme, we note the signi? cance of only once-lagged stock return. This conforms to the correlation structure observed in the previous section. However, its coef? cient is small, in the order of 0. 05. Thus, a 10 percentage point k RG,t, RS,t-k RG,t, RS,t? k 0 1 2 3 4 5 0. 0032 0. 0579 2 0. 0224 0. 0127 2 0. 0085 0. 0173 0. 0032 0. 0240 0. 0151 0. 0254 0. 0258 2 0. 0167 GARCH Speci? cation Basic N0 N1 N2 N3 N4GARCH-N GARCH-T GARCH-G TGARCH-N TGARCH-T TGARCH-G EGARCH-N EGARCH-T EG ARCH-G 7,035. 569 7,146. 246 7,163. 378 7,046. 186 7,153. 767 7,168. 421 7,026. 377 7,158. 247 7,168. 083 7,035. 893 7,146. 520 7,165. 204 7,046. 458 7,154. 348 7,170. 701 7,026. 710 7,158. 82 7,170. 554 7,036. 291 7,146. 26 7,163. 645 7,046. 785 7,153. 782 7,168. 730 7,027. 169 7,158. 361 7,168. 641 7,034. 568 7,142. 140 7,159. 647 7,045. 231 7,149. 472 7,164. 399 7,031. 521 7,154. 147 7,164. 628 7,031. 221 7,138. 171 7,156. 706 7,043. 397 7,146. 017 7,162. 170 7,030. 436 7,151. 064 7,163. 104 7,030. 379 ,134. 302 7,152. 533 7,042. 447 7,141. 644 7,157. 886 7,031. 285 7,146. 542 7,159. 008 Table II. Estimated cross-correlations Model Table III. Log likelihood of alternative GARCH speci? cations IMEFM 5,1 32 reduction in stock returns is associated the decrease in stock return by 0. 50 percentage point on average and likewise for the stock market increase. Note that the coef? cient of lagged gold return is negative. This suggests that the gold return tends to exhibit a reversal patt ern and that the long run impact on gold return of stock market variations is even smaller.In order to evaluate the dynamics of gold return during times of consecutive negative market returns, we estimate the chosen GARCH models (Table III) for the consecutive negative returns ranging from one to ? ve days (equation (2)). Results of the estimation are provided in Table IV. Note from the table that there are no changes in the results for the variance equation. Gold return volatility depends mostly on its past volatility and positive shocks tend to propel higher volatility. In the mean equation, we generally observe no level effect of consecutive negative market returns on gold return except for model 3.Similar to the basic model, we note signi? cant positive coef? cient of lagged stock return in all models except one, i. e. model N0. More importantly, there seems to be no changes in the relations between gold and stock returns in times of consecutive negative market returns. The coef ? cients of interactive dummies are all indistinguishable from 0 except one, i. e. the N3 model. In the case of N3 model, the investment role of gold is further enhanced. In responses to four consecutive Estimated coef? cients Mean equation a0 a1 r b10 b11 b20 b21 Variance equation u0 u1 u2 u3 N0 (TARCH) 0. 0000 2 0. 0007 2 0. 315 * 0. 0465 2 0. 0602 0. 0352 0. 0254 N1 (TARCH) 0. 0003 2 0. 0004 2 0. 0320 * 2 0. 0054 0. 0263 0. 0545 * * 2 0. 0114 Model N2 (EGARCH) N3 (EGARCH) N4 (EGARCH) 0. 0004 * * 0. 0001 2 0. 0341 * * 2 0. 0093 0. 0110 0. 0474 * * 0. 0150 0. 0004 * * 2 0. 0025 * * 2 0. 0265 2 0. 0034 2 0. 0979 0. 0549 * 2 0. 2243 * * 0. 0004 * * 2 0. 0008 2 0. 0284 * 2 0. 0036 2 0. 0146 0. 0507 * * 2 0. 2640 0. 000001 * * * 0. 000001 * * * 2 0. 1156 * * * 2 0. 1064 * * * 2 0. 1261 * * * 0. 0809 * * * 0. 0776 * * * 0. 0858 * * * 0. 0830 * * * 0. 0923 * * * 2 0. 0575 * * * 2 0. 0539 * * * 0. 0595 * * * 0. 0603 * * * 0. 0592 * * * . 9402 * * * 0. 9410 * * * 0. 9942 * * * 0. 9950 * * * 0. 9936 * * * Notes: Signi? cant at: *10, * *5 and * * *1 percent, respectively; the estimated models are: Mean equation: RG;t ? a0 ? a1 Nmt ? rRG;t21 ? ?b10 ? b11 Nmt ? ? RS;t ? ?b20 ? b21 Nmt ? ? RS;t21 ? 1t Variance equations: TARCH: Table IV. Estimation results of extended models ht ? u0 ? u1 1221 ? u2 1221 ? I t21 ? u3 ht21 t t GARCH: p log ht ? u0 ? u1 j1t21 = ht21 j ? u2 1t21 =ht21 ? u3 log ht21 negative market returns, current and last three-day returns, the gold market tends to move in the opposite direction of stock market slumps.The coef? cient of interactive dummy-lagged stock return in the N3 model is signi? cantly negative and its magnitude (in absolute term) is substantially higher than the coef? cient of lagged stock return. Thus, there seems to be a movement of the gold market away from downward trend in the stock market. The evidence that we uncover, thus, supports strong resistance of the gold market to stock market downturns. This is in sharp contrast to the we ll-documented ? nding that national stock markets tend to have strong co-movements during times of market decline and turmoil, which limit potential diversi? cation bene? across national stock markets. The heightened reaction of domestic stock markets to downturns in other markets have been documented by Pagan and Soydemir (2001) and Bahng and Shin (2003) for several emerging markets. Moreover, the ? nancial crises are noted to propagate shocks more strongly through the contagion or domino effect (Dornbusch et al. , 2000; Hasman and Samartin, 2008; Markwat et al. , 2009). Thus, a ? ight to other markets for shelter during times of ? nancial crises may not help. In the case of gold investment, its diversi? cation bene? ts are not restrained in times of market downturns.Indeed, there is some evidence that the stock market may surge in value when the stock market posts a negative trend. Conclusion A series of ? nancial crises that erupted in different parts of the world and their accom panying excessive risk have raised serious concern over investment in stock markets and are likely to bring back interest in gold as an alternative investment asset. In light of this, we examine the relation between gold and stock returns and investigate whether it changes during times of consecutive negative market returns for an emerging market, Malaysia.Applying GARCH-type models to daily gold and stock returns over the period August 2001-March 2010, we uncover evidence indicating signi? cant positive relation between gold return and once-lagged stock return. However, the coef? cient of the once-lagged stock return in gold return equation is small and far from unity. We further note that, their relation has not strengthened during times of consecutive days of market declines. To the contrary, we ? nd some evidence that gold return tends to break from its positive relation with stock market return following four consecutive stock market returns. These ? dings are in sharp contrast to the observed strong co-movements among national stock markets in periods of market downturns, which are attributed to contagion or domino effect. Based on these results, we incline to suggest the favorable property of gold as an investment asset for the Malaysian emerging market. At least, gold provides a diversi? cation bene? t to investors in the Malaysian market. The domestic Malaysian gold market tends to have resistance to heightened risk in the stock market as its preserve its low positive relation with stock market variations regardless of the market conditions.At best, with evidence pointing to the negative relation between gold return and stock market return after four consecutive negative market returns, gold tends to possess a hedging property in times of market declines. In short, our results seem to support the initiative by Malaysia in introducing various gold coins, namely Kijang Emas, Royal Mint gold Dinar and Kelantan State gold Dinar, as a vehicle for preservin g wealth in the midst of recurring ? nancial turbulences during the present time. Market risk and gold investment 33 IMEFM 5,1 34 Note 1. 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