Saturday, August 31, 2019

Bus 630 Week 1 Discussion

BUS630 WEEK 1 Ashford University MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING: This week students will: 1. Explain the primary ethical responsibilities of the management accountant. 2. Illustrate the key principles of managerial accounting including cost concepts. 3. Distinguish between the behavior of variable and fixed cost. 4. Explain the significance of cost behavior to decision making and control. 5. Determine the necessary sales in unit and dollars to break-even or attain desired profit using the break-even formula. FINANCIAL VS MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING-Financial accounting is the branch of accounting that organizes accounting information for presentation to interested parties outside of the organization. The primary financial accounting reports are the balance sheet (often called a statement of financial position), the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. The balance sheet is a summary of assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity at a specified point in time. The income stateme nt reports revenues and expenses resulting from the company’s operations for a particular time period.The statement of cash flows shows the sources and uses of cash over a time period for operating, investing, and financing activities. Managerial accounting is the branch of accounting that meets managers’ information needs. Because managerial accounting is designed to assist the firm’s managers in making business decisions, relatively few restrictions are imposed by regulatory bodies and generally accepted accounting principles. Therefore, a manager must define which data are relevant for a particular purpose and which are not. In managerial accounting, however, the segment is of major importance.Segments may be products, projects, divisions, plants, branches, regions, or any other subset of the business. Tracing or allocating costs, revenues, and assets to segments creates difficult issues for managerial accountants. Two important similarities do exist. The tra nsaction and accounting information systems discussed earlier are used to generate the data inputs for both financial statements and management reports. Therefore, when the system accumulates and classifies information, it should do so in formats that accommodate both types of accounting.Discuss a possible negative managerial scenario that the regional manager may be sensing. The Regional Manager is piecing together trends and abnormalities in order to predict the near future of store #9. At a glance, we determine that store 9 run by an effective manager with a successful track record. However, the lack of investment in training signals an attempt to cut overhead cost in order to show a larger store profit. Cutting employee training may be an effective tool for the short term but may create issues in the future. Additionally, we see that the Store has decided to withdraw from several costly, but high visibility events.Again, this may be a reduction in variable cost in order to reduc e store overhead in the short term and increase profitability. The Regional Manager’s concern is that the entire company profits from these community events, not just the single store, and therefore, the impact may be detrimental to sales in multiple areas. Lastly, we see that store #6 has increased its operating costs since the store manager in question departed. This signals an issue consistent with the concerns above that this manager simply aims to reduce overhead as low as possible in order to increase the overall store profit.Might the manager of Store 9 be an exceptional manager? Although on the surface, the three trends above may appear to be negative; this store manager may in fact be a very effective manager. For example: Perhaps instead of accounting for the trainee’s hours as overhead in training costs, he has put that individual in a position to learn-on-the-job, therefore, making the employee’s working hours into a direct labor cost and minimizing overhead. When it comes to advertising, we saw the manager spent most of his advertising dollars early in the year.It may be possible that the manager elected to spend his variable expense advertising dollars during a time period where they would produce the most sales, and then tapered off his advertising dollars during a time period of steady business flow. Lastly, the cancellation of high visibility events may have been due to the determination that cost was not yielding substantial sales or visibility. Despite this fact, it stands to reason that a store manager would inform a regional manager of any choices having a broader impact to the overall company.If there was a lack of communication here, I believe it is to the detriment of the store manager’s credibility. What are the ethical implications of the scenario? Variable Cost defines the cost of a single assembled product based on the materials consumed and labor invested directly in unit production. To illustrate our po int, we can say that making a single baked potato with all of the fixings will cost $3. 00 to produce (potato, sour cream, chives, plate, fork, napkin and labor). If we decide to go into the baked potato business, we must then sell these potatoes for at least $3. 00 per unit.Any less would cause us to lose money on the endeavor. This cost cannot be made up by increasing volume of sales. Judy Koch discussed the fact that bulk purchases can benefit you reduce these variable costs. If we decided to purchase potato-making materials in larger quantities and hired more workers to produce these products, we could then possibly produce our product for a lower Variable Cost based on the new price. Fixed cost will remain the same no matter how our potato shop does. As an example, our potato restaurant rental costs will be the same whether we sell one hundred potatoes or zero potatoes per month.The electricity, the heating costs, the manager’s salary. All of these factors will stay cons istent no matter how many units we sell. Judy Koch’s statement is in reference to the fact that these costs are indeed changeable, however, they do not vary per unit sold. We can decide to upgrade our successful restaurant and pay higher rental fees, the government can increase our tax liability and we can hire more management. None of these costs will increase if we sell more potatoes. They are independent of unit sales.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Child Observation Paper

Child Observation Paper Jason Betts Pacific Oaks College November 12, 2012 The purpose of this paper is to discuss and review my observation of a 7 year old African American male who is being raised by his grandmother (45 year old Bi-racial female who has 9 children of her own; 7 of the children are still in the house). During my observation of â€Å"Jackson†, I focused on the following domains of child development: * Physical * Cognitive * Social * Emotional I applied Attachment theory throughout the observations, which were completed at his home, at the park, and at the grocery store.I was unable to observe Jackson at his school. Jackson is being raised by his grandmother because his mother is addicted to drugs, and is unable to provide a home for him and his 2 other siblings. Jackson has been raised by the grandmother since age 2. Jackson appears well nourished, dressed appropriately, but looks somewhat withdrawn, especially when interacting with other adults, and sometimes his own family members. Attachment theory is the dynamics of long term relationships between people. The most important relationship is the one between an infant and at least one caregiver.The level of social and emotional development during the relationship is crucial, in order for normal development to occur within the child. The first to develop the theory was John Bowlby, who realized the importance of the child’s relationship with their primary caregiver (usually the mother), in terms of the child’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. The set goal of the attachment behavior system is to maintain the bond with an emotionally available and accessible attachment figure. On September 7, 2012, observation #1 was conducted at the park between 8:30am and 10:00am. I have personally known Jackson’s grandmother for 2 ears. Present at the park was Jackson, 3 of Jackson’s cousins (ages 8, 10, and 11), and Jackson’s grandmother. It was a sunny d ay, and the park was empty at first, but as time passed, a few other families arrived to play. I concentrated on Jackson’s social and emotional development with the use of Attachment theory. During playtime with his cousins, and a few strangers’ children, Jackson was able to play freely for a short period of time, and did not concern himself with the proximity of his caregiver (grandmother) and himself. When agitated for whatever reasons, Jackson was the physical aggressor.This may be related to the ambivalent/resistant attachment he has with his maternal mother. Jackson quickly changed from being positive, to being negative, demonstrated bullying behavior, and his communication skills declined as demonstrated by the profane language he used when upset or agitated. It appears that Jackson has a low self-image and low self-esteem (Ainsworth Attachment Pattern Chart). I think this is why he bullies others. Although Jackson and his grandmother have a somewhat secure attac hment, it is still an insecure attachment, and there are signs of an avoidant attachment pattern.The grandmother has little response when Jackson is distressed, she discourages crying, and reminds Jackson to be independent, and a â€Å"big boy. † On September 21, 2012, observation #2 was conducted at Jackson’s grandmother’s home between the hours of 2:00pm and 3:30pm. It was a sunny day, very hot, and present in the home were all 7 of the grandmother’s children (between the ages of 7-21), and Jackson’s younger siblings (brother-3 years old and sister-4 years old). I concentrated on Jackson’s cognitive and physical development with the use of Attachment theory.Jackson was doing homework, and watching the other children play a video game. The grandmother was in the kitchen cooking dinner. Jackson appeared to be able to work on his subject material without assistance, but was unable to stay focused on the task. The grandmother stated that Jacks on did not perform well in school. I asked Jackson if he received good grades. The other children added their grades to the conversation. They all said they received A’s and B’s. Jackson appeared withdrawn, and was somewhat embarrassed before stating that he did not do well in school.Jackson knows that he can perform better in school. When the other children began to tease Jackson, he was ready to fight some of them. This is typical behavior for Jackson, and is also a pattern of disorganized attachment. Children with a disorganized pattern in infancy tend to show disturbed patterns of relationships, subsequently, their relationships with peers can often be characterized by a â€Å"fight or flight† pattern of alternate aggression and withdrawal. Jackson’s coping skills when upset, threatened, or embarrassed is fight, unless the person is physically bigger than him.If this is the case, Jackson uses flight to cope, and seeks his grandmother for protection an d comfort. On October 13, 2012, observation #3 was conducted at the grocery store and at a fast food restaurant between the hours of 3:00pm and 4:30pm. It was an over cast day, and present at the store and restaurant were 6 of the grandmother’s children (between the ages of 7-21), and Jackson’s mother. I concentrated on Jackson’s social, emotional, and physical development with the use of Attachment theory. Jackson’s mother arrived at the store, and met us inside.I was surprised to see Jackson’s mother, and so was Jackson. The mother and Jackson did not communicate with each other. The mother got upset at the store with the grandmother, and stated she was going to leave, and take Jackson with her. The grandmother said â€Å"No. † Jackson became very upset, and yelled, â€Å"No! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I hate you! † Jackson was able to calm down when the mother left the scene. This occurred in the parking lot at the store. At the r estaurant, Jackson started bulling the smaller cousins. The grandmother did not correct the behavior.The grandmother stated that Jackson was only playing. This lack of correction reassures Jackson that this behavior is appropriate; solving problems with his fists, and when upset or threatened, to fight his own battles. This is another example of disorganized attachment. Although Jackson is being cared for by his grandmother, in a loving home, due to the disorganized attachment he has with his mother, the maternal deprivation from birth to age 2 or 3, the abuse, trauma, and lack of stability throughout his young life, Jackson has to initially protect himself by demonstrating physical behavior.Jackson uses physical aggression as a coping skill in certain situations. Jackson has been harmed by the abusive non- relationship with his mother, which may have internalized a negative self-image and negative expectations into his relationships with his grandmother and others. The grandmotherà ¢â‚¬â„¢s avoidant style in the relationship has continued the mental abuse of Jackson. There is a lack of an intimate, enjoyable relationship between Jackson and his grandmother, which will continue to have a negative impact on the mental and social development of Jackson.Jackson is seeking stability and appropriate responses to the experiences he encounters daily. Jackson and his family are good candidates for therapy; individual for Jackson, and family therapy for the rest of the family. Jackson’s mother needs drug treatment and counseling, in order to possibly repair the damaged non-relationship she has with Jackson, and with her own mother. According to Ainsworth, the early intervention for disorganized attachment, or other problematic styles, is directed toward changing the trajectory of development to provide a better outcome later in the person's life.Jackson is in great need of intervention. Without intervention, it appears that Jackson will continue his development i nto an angrier, emotionally unbalanced, young man. References Ainsworth, MD (1967). Infancy in Uganda. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment. Attachment and Loss. Vol. I. London: Hogarth. Bowlby, J. , Ainsworth, M. D. , ; Fry, M. (1965). Child care and the growth of love (2d Ed. ). Baltimore: Penguin Books.

Human and Evolution Essay

Human desire is unlimited, everyone also will hold a laziness attitude, so to own desires, human need to work harder to satisfy their own, therefore society in constant evolution! Sigmund Freud once said that human evolution is mainly has two conditions as the driving force, one is sex and another is eager to greatness. However, this is unscientific if we observed from another perspective. Through understanding and awareness the history of Europe and Asia, we can assume this argument exists only in the view of philosophy and cannot afford to ponder in reality. With the era and knowledge progress, people have analyzed the reason of human evolution to be more simplified and clearly, it can be summarized in a word: survival. Evolution is a process of fittest survives, not suitable people will be eliminated, each of the person’s genetic are constantly changing, and is non-directional, genes control human’s activities of all life. In addition, when people confronting difficulties or changing, some mutant gene fit, but some do not, so those who do not fit will naturally died and eliminated. Generally, humans will choose to make changes and through evolution to maintain their patterns of life. According to Plato, â€Å"human is an animal that have no feathered and stand on two feet, the selection of human walk upright, maybe just to make walking easier.† Through some scientists verification, as the substantial change in the natural environment, such as the climate was changed erratically and deforestation cause the forest reduce, using walking upright is more conducive to human migration between the various settlements. This real case of human history is showing the evolution of standing and walking firstly to make the human brain has been gradual evolution and improvement. On the other hand, to stand up for walking and running, human need to balance the body and motor coordination of body parts, for the cerebellum of evolution has played a significant role in. Moreover, because of the evolution of standing and walking, human’s hands and feet also gradual evolution of division of labor. Besides that, because of people habit of laziness, there are more and more inventors to create something to provide life convenience for human, such as paper to convenient human communication and armillary sphere, seismograph to facilitate the people to observed celestial bodies and natural disasters. All of these are the inventor’s creative inspiration that obtained by the evolution. After a long time, those items are cannot satisfy people’s needs, then people will have to evolution to reform it or create another items. At the time of human invented complex instruments, the item is also forcing humans to adapt to its complexity, which in turn will promote human accelerated pace of evolution. Until today’s living environment has already evolution to become high tech, human science and technology has been rapid improvement and the invention and use a variety of tools are also complicated, for example: mobile phone has became the main item to work, to connect people communicate, replace people entertainment and vehicle became main transportation for people to move, all of the people who are following in this environment are also affected. So, they have only one way to avoid being eliminated the social environment, and that is evolution together. Everyone needs to make changes by themselves, learning and contacts more stuff, broadening their horizons.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Last philosophy paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Last philosophy paper - Essay Example nce, if a philosopher asks whether knowledge originates in the senses or in the mind, this presupposes the philosopher has the right concept of knowledge, of mind, of senses, and of origination. Without these more basic concepts, the philosophical enterprise is doomed to wander aimlessly. An equally popular example of a philosophical question is, naturally, What is the meaning of life? Likewise, this question presupposes an understanding of the terms involved, and through a realized insight into what the terms refer to, one might come to understand the answer to the question. The question I am asking reflects on that existential quest for meaning. However, the quest for meaning I am concerned about deals not with life in general, but with the subject of a life. What is the meaning of my life? By changing the question, I have introduced a new term, but one which simplifies the issue and makes my life in particular something which must be grasped before attempting to answer the question. However, it is unclear is how I am to understand my life. As opposed to life in general, my life is defined by particular values and experiences that are not shared between different people or cultures. For example, my career as a Director of Sales and Marketing is driven by my experiences, knowledge, and values that I alone possess. My individuality reduces the issue to one of narrowing down what is important to me and finding values in those experiences. Asking the question in terms of my life provides a certain methodology for understanding how to answer the question, for if life shares certain essential characteristics, then it would not matter if it were my life the question asked about, or my neighbors life. This is the existentialist slant in trying to find an answer to the question. The philosopher Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard called this kind of answer a â€Å"leap of faith†1, and that the values, which belong to individuals, vary enough to give themselves, and their lives,

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Explaining a Concept Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Explaining a Concept - Research Paper Example As a person becomes older, the risks of having cancer also increase (CDC b). In the absence of effective therapeutic intervention, the onset of cancer can be deadly. (Figure I – Age-Adjusted Incidence Rate of All Cancer Patients in the U.S. on page 2) Often times, cancer cells may develop in different parts of the human body (i.e. lungs, bronchus, or trachea, liver, stomach, colon, rectum, prostate, esophagus, pancreas, blood, urinary bladder, etc.) (American Cancer Society). In U.S. alone, the most common type of cancer includes prostate cancer amongst men and breast cancer amongst women followed by lung and bronchus, colon and rectum, corpus and uterus, urinary bladder, melanomas of the skin, non-hodgkin lymphoma, kidney and renal pelvis, and thyroid (CDC a). (See Figure II – Different Cancer Sites on page 3; Figure III – Top 10 Cancer Sites in U.S. on page 3) As a common knowledge, cancer is one of the most common types of diseases that can lead to the untimely death of people (Ho). As of 2012, there are as much as 14,090,100 new cases of cancer worldwide (American Cancer Society). However, not much is known with regards to ways on how zinc deficiency can lead to the development of abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells. Therefore, in the process of completing the proposed research study, it is possible to educate people about the importance of having sufficient dose of zinc in our daily nutritional intake. (See Figure IV – New Cancer Cases Worldwide as of 2012 below) The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between zinc deficiency and the development of cancer cells. In the process of conducting a systematic literature review, this study seeks to meet the following research objectives: Several studies strongly suggest that zinc deficiency can lead to the increased risk of developing

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The environmental impacts of the Kuwait invasion and the main Term Paper

The environmental impacts of the Kuwait invasion and the main casualties and losses during the seven month long Iraqi occupation of Kuwait - Term Paper Example However, this invasion did not become without negative impact, especially to the local civilians. Some of the outcomes of the Kuwait invasion were environmental. The long term effect includes climatic, vegetation, and biological changes in Kuwait. They experienced high penetration of sun rays due to global warming, poor vegetation, and poor health. The invasion had some effect on air, water, and land. This paper aims at discussing the environmental impacts of the Kuwait invasion. After the United States of America had come to the aid of Kuwait, Sadam Hussein, the then Iraqi president orders his troops to undertake a scorched earth policy which would see to it that all the oil wells in Kuwait were lit on fire before the soldiers retreated from Kuwait (Wilcox 177). The main aim of using the scorched earth policy was aimed at giving them a military advantage by slowing down the USA troops. The scorched earth policy led to the burning of 700 wells in. The Kuwait atmosphere was one of the most affected by the scorched earth policy. When oil is burned in the presence of air there is always the production of carbon dioxide smoke (Austin 101). Carbon dioxide usually has negative effects to the atmosphere. One thing that is obvious is that the massive production of carbon dioxide, smoke led to climatic changes in the region. This means that the ozone layer was highly interfered with lead to an increase in the rate of global warming in Kuwait. During the burning there is definitely some oil that was not completely burnt and found its way to the atmosphere. Such oil led to the formation of invisible droplets in the air. Such droplets led to the formation of oil mist and fog which is believed to have led to the death of many animals and plants. This is because air, with such composition would definitely find themselves in the animals and human lungs whenever it is inhaled

Monday, August 26, 2019

Consumer Involvement in New Product Development Essay - 1

Consumer Involvement in New Product Development - Essay Example The paper tells that in the development of new products, customers participate to give new ideas to help create the products through communication. The process referred to as co-creation, employed by the developers, is important in the new product development sector. In this case, customers may come up with new goods or services or simply try to improve on what is already circulating in the market to fulfill their needs. These ideas shared by customers reach the intended producer through different avenues like the company website or through social media. Co-creation used this way is a symbiotic relationship in which the customers and the firms collude and make a product where the customer will enjoy interacting with the product and the producer will meet the customer’s needs. Producers nowadays use this mode of collaboration as a way to reduce time in the production process and ease their thinking and the uncertainty that comes with the new product, questioning whether the pro duct fits the market and carrying out surveys for gauging where most customers lie, either in favor or out of favor. The scope of co-creation is the extent to which an organization decides to involve the consumer in the development stages up to the post-launch stage. Threadless.com is a T-shirt manufacturing company high on the scope and they depend on co-creation for manufacturing their products. The consumers submit T-shirt designs online and the company employees and visitors to the site vote. The designer who wins gets a monetary compensation and retains the rights to the design. The co-creation process does not end there, but after launching the product. In the end, it serves as a marketing strategy.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

How do you understand the arts to be theraputic Essay

How do you understand the arts to be theraputic - Essay Example way of communication than to have to go to a therapy where they have to speak of what’s held inside of them, especially with mentally challenged and special individuals who cannot communicate by speaking which makes it harder for a psychiatrist to understand their emotional and mental state. It is now being used in the work of sociologists, psychiatrists, social workers and marriage and family therapists and even physicians with the brief forms of therapy and increasing pressure of completing the therapy sessions in time they found that art therapy has helped them communicate and put an end to issues quicker than any other technique. (Cathy Malchiodi, pg 1,2) Surprisingly the interweaving of art and healing is not really a new phenomenon, at has been existed in this society ever since the human society itself, re-occurring through history across place and time. It is in fact growing importance day by day, proving to be an exceptional medically proven treatment. (Malchiodi 2006) It was not up till the classical period (1940s- 1970s) that the term "Art Therapy" began to be used in written forms for describing their work with their patients/clients. (Cathy Malchiodi pg 9) Who knew it would have come this far to be known as one of the most used and effective processes used by psychiatrists and other counselors for special treatment. Art Therapy can be beneficial for everyone as it does not matter what age, race or gender one is of and so it reaches out to a vast audience of people who need some sort of help psychologically. This form of therapy can be used as a healing strategy in many different psychological disorders such as emotional trauma, depression, and anxiety by expressing themselves fully, creatively without having to worry about them being good at art. Patients with brain damage due to injuries, illnesses and stroke are making a clear relationship between art making and brain function. Sandy Allen, who happened to have a large tumor in her cerebral

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Sales Pitch Wk 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales Pitch Wk 7 - Essay Example Raise the proposal continuously? The proposal could be raised continuously through two approaches: by monitoring the performance of proposed changes and reporting the outcome to management; and by elevating the matter to senior management through performance reports to propose wider target markets (additional schools and universities), as deemed necessary. Package the issue incrementally? Packaging the proposed new product incrementally could mean recommending increasing either the volume, product sizes, or product variants to the target market depending on performance and demand. Tie it to profitability? Bundling techniques mean linking the proposed change to other ideas or issues. In this case, a proposal to market new products to schools, for instance could be tied to profitability by proving to management that the pro-forma financial statements would indicate profits of so much if the projected volume would be sold in a particular time period. Tie it to market share or organizational image? Tying the proposed launching of a new product to market share or organizational image simply means that by targeting children, the market share of the organization would increase by, say 10 to 20% within the defined time frame. The effect would boost organizational image as patronizing a new product through children in school have potentials for brand retention and repurchase. Tie it to concerns of key stakeholders? Key stakeholders include shareholders (who would benefit from increased profits and returns), employees (would be motivated with good financial performance), consumers (needs would be satisfied), community (a healthy product would benefit the community in terms of emphasizing proper nutrition that would be derived from the new product which is needed for child development). Tie it to other issues? The new product could be tied to corporate responsibility and environmental protection. The proposed product must use environmentally promoted packaging

Friday, August 23, 2019

Statestic Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Statestic - Statistics Project Example Further, it has been observed that on average life expectancy at birth for female is greater as compared to male. This paper will analyze whether there is a difference in the life expectancy at birth for male and female population. The data for life expectancy at birth was taken from US Census Bureau. The main benefit that data shows is that from period 1970 to 2005 female life expectancy at birth is greater as compared to male life expectancy at birth. In addition, the data is chosen so that it can be seen actually that living and health conditions are improving day by day and so life expectancy at birth is improving every year.   Figure 1 shows the comparison of US male and female life expectancy at birth for the period 1970 to 2005. It can be seen from figure 1 that for the whole period of 1970 to 2005, female life expectancy at birth was greater than male life expectancy at birth by nearly 7 years. Therefore, it appears that there is a difference in male and female life expectancy at birth. The average male and female life expectancy at birth for the period 1970 to 2005 was about 71.41 years (SD = 2.33), and 78.2 years (SD = 1.53), respectively. Since, the value of test statistic 14.52 falls in right-tail rejection region (greater than critical value of 1.96), thus decision is to reject H0. Therefore, there is a difference in life expectancy at birth for male and female populations. This is also confirmed by the p-value (

Thursday, August 22, 2019

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND GLOBAL CHANGE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND GLOBAL CHANGE - Essay Example International Trade helps nations to make sound macroeconomic policies and help to educate the workforce. In short, nations who ‘globalize’ experience wide range of goods and services, low prices, improved health for citizens, better paying jobs etc. all initiating an improved standard of living with higher per capita incomes. Institutions like World Bank, International Monetary Fund facilitates globalization. World Trade Organization helps to regulate norms and rules of international trade between nations. The key finding of the study is that globalization is indispensible but should be checked with the policy of import substitution and export promotion of every nation. Introduction Choice of production and scarcity of resources is the central economic problem of any nation across the world. A nation should always engage its resources in the production of goods and services over which it has comparative cost advantage (Ricardo, 1992). This is only possible when the worl d economy is open and there is international trade between nations. International trade involves imports and exports. The level of international trade in a country can be found from the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. International trade as a % of world GDP has increased from 42.1% in 1980 to 62.1% in 2007. This is due to the emergence of globalization between nations which involves flow of funds, technology, products between nations. The foreign direct investment increased from 6.5%$ of GDP in 1980 to 31.8% in 2006. This is highly beneficial for the growth of developing nations and it also facilitates the progress of rich developed countries. The objective of this project is to analyse to what extent globalization in 1980 resulting in more even distributions of income. This essay also helps us to understand the importance and progress of international trade in the world economy. The study then emphasises the emergence of globalization in the eve of modern trade acceler ating growth. It also shows the changing pattern in international trade for the last 50 years. The work also gives an overview of the current scale and distribution of international trade across countries. Definitions and Measures of Inequality The level of development between nations is not same. There always exists income inequality between nations due to social, economical, political and natural differences. Income inequality is the inequality of income distribution. Blau (1977) defined income inequality as the average difference in status among a pair having relatively average status. Similarly, Firebaugh (2006) defined disparities in wealth status between people and Nations is defined as wealth inequality. Income inequality divides the economy into ‘haves† and â€Å"have nots†. Income inequality is detrimental to the growth of an economy, social justice and welfare of the peoples of a nation. People with low level of income remain dissatisfied with their fina ncial status thus inequitable income status in an economy often threatens the political stability of a nation. Income Inequality is also responsible for health problems in a country. It can often raise corruption in the society that can finally cause misallocation of resources in the society. There are various measurements of income inequality; the most commonly used is Gini Coefficient. The range of this index lies between 0 to 1 (0% to 100%), where 0 means perfect inequality and 1 shows no inequality. But it does not show why the inequality

Learning Strategies and Information-Processing Development Essay Example for Free

Learning Strategies and Information-Processing Development Essay Learning can be simply defined as the process that leads to relatively permanent change in behavior or potential change in a person’s behavior. Learning makes one change the way they perceive the environment, react to stimuli and interact. Cognitive psychology is a very important branch of modern psychology. The main focus of this approach is the memory-how information is stored and retrieved. Several theories have been developed with regard to this subject such as the stage theory (Atkinson Shriffin, 1968). The stage theory model is widely accepted since it proposes that information is processed and stored in three sequential stages i.e. â€Å"the sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory† (Atkinson Shriffin, 1968, p. 90). In addition to this model other accepted theories include levels-of-processing theory proposed by Craik and Lockhart (1972), the parallel-distributed processing model and the connectionistic model. This paper examines how attention, memory, recognition and knowledge are related to various learning strategies. In addition, the paper discusses how visual-perceptual, motor and language relate to information processing development. Information processing development As stated in the introduction above, cognitive psychology forms an integral part of the discipline of psychology. The most widely used theory is the stage theory whose focus is on how information is stored in memory. Information is processed in three stages and this is done in a serial and scholastic manner. Another important theory is the â€Å"levels-of-processing† theory whose proposition is that the learner utilizes different levels of explanation as he or she processes in formation. A major advantage of the information-processing strategies is in their explicitness and accuracy in diving complex cognitive functions into distinct elements that can be easily studied. However, when it comes to analyzing cognition into its distinct parts; information processing fails to re-unite them into a general, comprehensive construct. In addition, most information processing tools such as computer models have lost touch with real-life learning experiences (Berk, 2009). Information processing approach towards cognition seeks to explain how the learner (children and adults) operate on the different types of information. Most scholars view the mind as a complex system (a type of computer) through which information flows and is manipulated. General models such as the store model by Atkinson and Shiffrin assume that information is stored in three parts of the brain for processing: â€Å"the sensory register, short-term memory, and long-term memory† (Berk, 2010, para.1). Craik and Lockhart (1972) level-of-processing model assumes that information is transferred from working memory to the long-term memory depending on the level processing. There exist several other information processing developmental models such as the Case’s theory which is a reinterpretation of Piaget’s theory of information processing model. Case views cognitive development as the increase in information processing capacity as a result of brain development which can be linked to more efficient learning strategies. Connectionism on the other hand explains information processing development as a result of learning strategies such as computer-simulated strategies which enhance; inter-connectivity of processing units that are well stratified just like the neurological structure of the brain. Siegler’s using his model of learning strategy choice argues that, learners always generate a number of strategies for problem solving, the more the experience, the more strategies are selected or discarded (Kail Cavanaugh, 2008). Attention is a critical factor when it comes to human thinking, it dictates the information that will be considered when undertaking a task. Attention is greatly enhanced during early and middle stages of childhood. Thus, improved attention makes one to be more adaptable, selective and organized. Enhanced cognitive reticence and efficacy of attentional learning strategies are pertinent to the fine-tuning of selective attention. The fine tuning of attentional learning strategies takes place in four stages: â€Å"production deficiency, control deficiency, utilization deficiency, and effective strategy use† (para.2). Whenever there is a problem with attention students would develop learning disorders. The argument here is that, when a student is learning a new concept, their attention needs to be focused on the new concept.   If they fail to fully pay their attention, it means that they will have a serious problem with the learning of the new information (Kail Cavanaugh, 2008). Memory strategies are said to improve with age, as children continue to develop various methods such as, organization, and elaboration. This increases the likelihood of storing information in working memory and its consequential transfer to the long-term knowledge bank. Thus, over childhood stages and even in adolescence, students’ recall steadily improves as knowledge is continually amassed and its organization is improved effectively. Childrens metacognitive abilities usually change from passivity to activity. A more productive view of mental functioning increases with the increase in awareness of information processing strategies, cognitive aptitudes, and task variables. Self-regulation cognitively develops gradually during childhood and adolescence stages. Recently, scholars of information-processing have focused their attention towards academic learning of children (Berk, 2009). Visual-perceptual, motor and language relation to information processing development A visual-perceptual skill is simply the brain’s ability to process information as seen.   Previously, most scholars had assumed that a deficiency in visual-perceptual skills was directly linked to the malfunctioning of the eye.   That is having a poor physical vision or poor muscle control in the eye. However, the presence or absence of physical vision has nothing to do with visual perceptual. Instead, visual perceptual refers to the ability of the brain the receiving of visual information, its interpretation, organization, storage, and transmission Thus, if a student’s brain is not properly storing information, recall will definitely be poor. This directly affects the student’s ability to concentrate and read since he or she has a slow recall of words. The slowing down of recall can also have a negative impact on their mathematical abilities let alone their fluency in speech and reading (Smith 2004). Language and phonological processing abilities are affected by the student’s ability to store, process, and retrieve information.   Usually language and phonological problems are rooted to reading disorders.   Many students with reading disorders have difficulty storing, processing, and retrieving information.   A normal student’s left brain hemisphere becomes dominant when they are carrying out tasks involving language processing (Berk 2009). A student’s motor skills are also an important factor when discussing about learning strategies.   Children will learn from their interaction with the environment; this ability is affected hindered by a child’s motor or verbal skills, a child will learn better when their motor skills are well developed.   This can be observed in a math class.   A conventional practice in the learning of fractions is the use of multiplication.   A student with a problem with their motor skills will have a problem with the use of manipulatives.   Thus they will definitely have it rough when it comes to the learning of fractions (Berk, 2010). Conclusion This paper argues that there exist several other information processing developmental models such as the Case’s theory which is a reinterpretation of Piaget’s theory of information processing model. Case views cognitive development as the increase in information processing capacity as a result of brain development which can be linked to more efficient learning strategies. The most widely used theory is the stage theory whose focus is on how information is stored in memory. Learning strategies such as memory strategies are pertinent to the process of information development. Information processing approach towards cognition explains how the learner operates on various kinds of information. The mind is a complex system (a type of computer) through which information flows and is manipulated. Deficits in information processing skills have negative impacts on a student’s ability to learn effectively. This is attributed to the reason that all learning is relatively cumulative.  Thus, problems in learning should be detected early in enough and solved otherwise; they would get worse with advancement of age.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Capital Market Development Behavior Share Price In Nepal Finance Essay

Capital Market Development Behavior Share Price In Nepal Finance Essay The title itself justify the importance of the research for the finance degree, however, the previous research done in this filed in Nepal is not satisfactory. This is the reason that made researcher to do some research in this topic hoping the conclusion made would be beneficial for investors and fill the gap between the researches. Financial markets can also be defined as the centers or arrangements that provide facilities for buying and selling of financial claims and services. And the role of financial system in economic development has been a much-discussed topic among economists. Financial markets perform four important economic functions. First, they enable individuals to choose more effectively between current and future consumption. Borrowing enables individual to consume more, whereas leading enable them to postpone consumption. The economic units that have a surplus (investors) invest in those that have deficit (borrowers). This provides capital to companies in excess of those generated out to business income. Second, the interaction between buyers and sellers in a financial market determines the price of the assets, or alternatively, the return demanded by investors to invest in the company. Firms can raise further capital if the return on their investments exceeds the return demanded by investors. Third, financial markets provide liquidity to investors. That is, the owner of the financial asset can sell off the asset in the marketplace to realize cash whenever required. The degree of liquidity may vary from asset to asset and market to market. Fourth, financial markets can discipline under-performing managements. The prevailing stock price of a company reflects the opinion of all market participants regarding the outlook for the company under the current management. The financial market consists of two division- money market and capital market. The money market is basically entitled to supply finance on short-term basis to individuals, businesses, enterprises, government and their agencies. The capital market, on the other hand, provides finance on medium to long-term basis to corporate bodies, government and their agencies (Al-Faki, 2006). Capital Market plays a crucial role in any modern economy as they allow investors fund to flow to the most promising opportunities, i.e., the funds are mobilized and channeled efficiently from savers to the users of funds Developing more complete and deeper capital market would enhance a countries growth potential and innovation (Andritzky, 2007). The forces of globalization, technology, new forms of competition have noticeably transformed capital market worldwide (Hassan, 2004). Money market may be defined as short-term financial assets market, which facilitates liquidity and marketability securities. Actually it is the market for short-term market instrument having less than one-year maturity period. The fluctuation of money market interest rates reflects the demand and supply of funds in competitive market. The development of an efficient money market requires the development of institutions, instruments, and operating procedures that facilitate widening and deepening of the market and allocation of shot-term resources with minimum transaction costs and minimum of delays. Thus, the money markets are the markets for short -term, highly liquid debt securities. Capital markets provide an effective way of procuring long-term funds by issuing shares and debentures or bonds for corporate enterprises and government and at the same time provide an investment opportunity for individuals and institutions (Adhikari 2004). Thus, the market place for these financial securities is called securities market which is further subdivided into the primary and secondary market. The former market denotes the market for newly issued securities to the public whereas the latter market refers to the market for secondhand securities, traded previously in the primary market . Capital market plays a vital role in the national economy. It renders very valuable services to the community by increasing the productive capacity of the country there by accelerating the ace of economic development. In short, the growth of economy is tied with the growth of capital market in the country. Capital market facilitates the allocation of funds between saver and borrowers. This allocation will be optimum if the capital market has efficient pricing mechanism. If the capital market is efficient, the current share prices of companies fully reflect available information and there is no question of share price being under- priced and over-priced. The phenomenon of under or over-valuation of shares is possible only in an inefficient capital market. As the capital market is concerned with long- term finance, in the widest sense it consists of series of channels through which the saving of the community are made available for industrial and commercial enterprise and public authorities. It is mainly concerned with those private savings, individuals as well as corporate; those are turned into investments through new capital issues and also new public loans floated by government and semi government bodies. In the capital market demand comes from agriculture, industry trade and government while supply comes from the individual or corporate savings, intuitional investors and surplus of governments. It comprises the savers- individuals and institutions and bodies through which these savings are mobilized. The saving instructions like banks, investment companies specialized financial corporations and stock exchange are some of the important constituents of capital market. An efficient capital market is an essential pre-requisite of economic development and the development of capital market in a country is dependent upon the availability of savings, proper organization of intermediary institutions to bring the investors and business ability together for mutual interest, regulation of investment etc. In an efficient capital market, liquid will channel quickly and accurately where it will do the community best. Such efficient market provides ready financing for worthwhile business ventures and drain capital away form corporations, which are poorly managed, or producing obsolete products. It is essential that a country should have efficient capital markets if that country is to enjoy highest possible level of wealth, welfare and education for its population (Bhalla, 1997, cited by Dangol 2008). Growth of industrial enterprise in a country is limited by the availability of savings. A well-developed capital market presumes the existence of not only the investors individual and institutional, but more significantly the existence of a network of specialized institutions and agencies, which are always on the look out for investment in new ventures. Purpose and Scope Development of capital is must for a sound industrial development of the country like Nepal where more than 85% of capital is raised from stock market. Stock Market are the catalyst for enchancing the operations of the entire domestic financial system and the Capital Market in particular (Kenny and Mosh 1998 cited by Obiakor and Okwu (2011). Capital market institutions help to mobilize the surplus unit to deficit unit for productive investments. As it mobilize the scattered resources and channels them in productive sector. It is an effective instrument of expanding productive capacities of the country. In Nepal, unfortunately, despite a history of half decade of planned economics activities to develop real sector of a country, little attention was paid to the development of financial sector. Over the past one and half decade financial sector, despite many problems, has developed significantly in Nepal. The growth of stock market is remained satisfactory because of low priority in the government financial reform policies. Stock Exchange in many countries has a long history of more than one century. For e.g. the India stock market has a history of more than 130 years. The stock exchange of Nepal has not so long history and it has faced so many ups and downs during this short history. However, gradual improvement in infrastructure and policy has given strong fundamental base for the Nepalese Capital Market. Establishment of NEPSE has given an opportunity to investors to invest in the enterprise sector and participate in the secondary market. Behavior of the stock prices shows the misevaluation of the stock price in the secondary market. The price earning information was not made available timely to the investors. The investors could not identify the good and bad stocks. So, the lack of value judgment to determine the stock price is the serious problem of the Nepalese stock market. This happens due to the inability of the regularity bodies of the stock market to regulate the market mechanism and failure to win the faith of the investors In the Nepalese context, there is the lack of wider investment opportunities, which provide good return. So, there has still been a huge amount of unutilized saving funds with public. But most of the public investors i. e. existing and potential are not well knowledgeable about the real financial strength and weakness of the public companies in which they are investing or going to invest their funds. Further they cannot well analyze and interpret the real financial position of a company on the basis of available data and information to reach the right conclusion. This study may help investors to think about restructuring their investment portfolio. Similarly potential investors may take better timely investment decision on the basis of the findings of the study. Capital market provides investors good investment opportunity with fair return and instant liquidity with minimum risk of loss it helps to mobilize financial resources for the investment in development project and thereby helps economic development of the country. The stock market also imparts liquidity to the securities holder. This offers an opportunity for investors to invest in long term venture, while market also enables to convert their securities into liquid cash before the maturity of the project. Furthermore they can invest their current income against their future income thereby achieve their time preference of consumption. The liquid market also promotes the primary issuances of share because investors participated in the issuance of share markets can get back the fund easily. The primary market is positively and highly elastic with the stock price and liquidity in the secondary markets. Usually the price of common stock in primary market is par value but in secondary market may be any price i.e. more than par value, less than par value and equal to par value. Stock price in secondary market is the main issue of this study. What could be the reasonable price paid for a stock in secondary market? What is the impact of the price trend, volume of stock traded and, Do the investors see the price trend, volume of stock traded and, others views while making investment decision? These are the burning issues regarding stock price determination of secondary market in Nepal. Capital market provides investors good investment opportunities with fair return and instant liquidity with minimum risk of loss. The stock market also imports liquidity to the security holders. Research Aims, Questions and Hypothesis The dissertation tries to help to create the importance of capital market and movement of share price. Efficient Market hypothesis assumes that investors behave on the same way as they get information from the market. To do justice with the study following aims and questions have been set as the predetermined requisition. Research Aims The aim of this research is to find out whether developed Capital Market brings any significant changes in share price and thereafter effect in NEPSE index. Research Questions What are the present state and status and elements that affect NEPSE index? Does developed Nepalese Capital Market follows the price behavior theories? Can financial literacy helps to create developed Capital Market? Research Hypothesis The dissertation formulates the following testable statement: H0: Capital Market has not developed in Nepal H0: There is no difference between NEPSE index before and after signaling factor H0: The successive or lagged price changes are independent Research Objectives The prime objective of the study is to analyze the movement of stock market and the effect of share price of sampled companies. However, the specific objectives of the study are as follows: To analyze the development /growth of Nepalese Capital Market and to examine if investors awareness help to develop capital market. To examine sector wise overall movement of NEPSE Sensitive index to find out risky sector To analyze the signaling factors and impact on stock price with the help of NEPSE index To analyze price behavior theories based on estimated multiple regression analysis and run test. Title Capital Market Development and the behavior if Share Price in Nepal Research Gap Although some very valuable researches in the field of Capital Market have been done so far, there is still a great deal of opportunity remained for researchers in the field in this area to explore and identity new facts and figures about the immature stock market of Nepal. This study will analyze the stock price determinants of common stock in secondary market of Nepal. Usually the price of common stock in primary market is par value but in secondary market it may be in any price. The price of common stock is largely influenced by different market related factors. Most of the studies on share price behavior conducted in the context of Nepal were based on secondary sources of information only. No study has been conducted on price fluctuation of stock price by using share brokers and individual investors as primary sources of information. There was a need to conduct a survey with the share brokers and individual investors who are the major stakeholders of the stock market, in order to find out more subjective facts on share price behavior, which cannot be testes through the use of the primary source of information. The earlier studies were done only in theoretical manner regardless of what the real market is going through while this study is analyzing the real market scenario like the impact of capital gain in the market or the impact of global recession on the Nepalese Security market. Nowadays, Nepalese share market has entered to the new horizon. Its size and market capitalization are growing day by day. New Bye laws are being established to control stock market price. But it is clearly realized that share prices are fluctuating abnormally. If earning, dividend and net worth are taken as the main determinants of price fluctuating, then why the share prices are increased without the increment in such factors. Therefore there is still lack of appropriate researches to find out the causes of volatility of share price in Nepalese share market. Therefore, this study is analyzing the various reasons on the fluctuation of price trend and the cause and effect of different signaling factors over stock price. In addition to this, it also tends to give some measures that should be taken by related parties to develop the Capital Market. Thus, the earlier studies on share price behavior needed to be updated and validated because of the many changes taking place in the stock market in Nepal. This study is an effort to attempt in the same direction. Chapter 2: Capital Market: Global Perspective Modern capital markets have two related parts: (1) the debt and equity markets that intermediate funds between savers and those that need capital, and (2) the derivatives market that consists of contracts such as options, interest rate, and foreign exchange swaps, typically associated with these underlying debt and equity instruments. The debt and equity markets help allocate capital within an economy. The derivatives market helps investors and borrowers to manage the risks inherent in their portfolios and asset/liability exposures (Dudley Hubbard, 2004) In the United Kingdom and in the United States, both of these parts have grown very rapidly over the past few decades. The capital markets in the United Kingdom and the United States dominate these countries financial systems, in marked contrast to France, Germany, and Japan, where banks are more important. Regardless whether one examines the UK or the US over time, or compares the performance with other developed countries on a cross-sectional basis, the conclusion is unmistakable. Capital markets have been the driving force behind the development of the UK and US financial systems. In the US, the capital markets have become the dominant element of the financial system in three ways. First funds raised in US debt markets now substantially exceed funds raised through the US banking system (McKinsley company, 2011) Second, more 36% of US households owned equity in some form ( The Big Picture, 2012) Third, the derivatives market has grown extraordinarily rapidly. The notional value of derivatives securities outstanding rose to $244 trillion September 2011(Mann,2011) from about $6.7 trillion at year-end 1990. Intrest rate swaps has an estimated of 82.1% of derivatives representating the biggest share of this market 10.6% in foreign exchange rate swaps, 6.1 % in credit derivatives, and 1.2 % are in commodities and equity contracts(Comptroller of Currency Administrator of National Banks, 2012) Figure look at PC Source: The Big Picture, 2012 . The global capital market is gaining depth every day. Along with the development of this market, the liquidity is also growing at a rapid pace. financial stocks are growing worldwide and their growth rate is much higher than that of global gross domestic products (AllianceBernstein,2012)   Capital market represents the securities market where stocks, bonds, and several other derivatives are traded, and both long and short-term debts are raised here. This market provides companies, as well as governments with necessary funding, and, simultaneously, grants investors with the opportunity to make regular income (Dodoo,2007).   the size of stock and bond markets around the world in August 2011, shows that global capital market has reached all time high with $ 212 trillion of which about 75% consists of bonds ($175 trillion) and about 25% of stock ($54 trillion) ( McKinsley company, 2011) and the total derivatives has reached to $700 trillion at the end of August 2011(Mann, 2011) The development of the global capital market can also be traced by the fact that the financial holdings of the world is growing quickly. The global stock of debt and equity grew by $11 trillion in 2010 (McKinsley company, 2011) and this amount is expected to cross the $250 trillion mark before the end of 2015 (finance, maps of world, 2012), where as the value of the global market increased by 5% in 2010 to $ 54.9 trillion following a 45% rise in the previous year (Maslakovic, 2011) separate data from SIFMA, puts the US bond market at just under $37 trillion (63.4%) as of the end of 2011 and Bloomberg puts US stocks at about $ 21.4 trillion (36.6%) by the end of April 2012 ( qvmgroup,2012). In these circumstances, the US is playing a vital role in the development of the global capital market and, alone, is the destination of 85% of the net capital flow of the entire globe. Britain also plays a significant role in the market. (McKinsey Company, 2011) Development of capital market Market capitalization of listed companies (% of GDP) Picture lookat PC Source: World Bank 2012 and the Author Capital Market: Asia In the past few decades, Asian countries have experienced a tremendous economic growth, although temporarily interrupted by the Asian financial. Along with the strong economic growth, capital markets in this region have shown a rapid expansion, and have played an increasingly important role in fostering economic development (Hsu, 2000). Hsu further explains, Asian countries have enjoyed abundant savings. Some countries in this region have domestic savings rates of more than 30 percent. In no other regions in the world do countries have such large reservoirs of domestic savings at their disposal. Asians high savings rates have provided the platform for robust capital markets. While Asia has been preoccupied with economic recovery and financial reforms over the past few years, the economic structures of most Asian countries have been gradually modified, and their capital markets are also in the process of transformation. Along with these changes, several key trends are emerging in the regions capital markets. First of all, Asian capital markets are expected to continue to grow and their market capitalization is expected to increase further, as the Asian economy is expected to recover steadily and require increasing capital to meet its investment needs. Also, in some Asian countries, technology-intensive industries have developed rapidly and hence a large sum of capital is needed. The acceleration of privatization programs will also increase market capitalization in this region. The floatation of large state-owned enterprises will generally be the largest new issues on Asias stock markets. In addition, because of easier practices for companies to go public, IPO ¼Ã‹â€ initial public offering ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °issues will flourish and increase market capitalization further. The world of investment is set on a path of rapid change cutting across culture, time and language barriers. We are looking at a new era of deregulation and the standardization of the regulatory environment, together with the introduction of international accounting standards (Takaya, 2000). However there is an argument that asias capital market is no expection to Global markets as it had a risk off 2011. Investors search for safe havens has left Asian market in a muddle state with equity capital volumes slumping to lows not seen since 2009 (Keohane, 2011). Equity Capital market (ECM) in Asia (excluding Japan) have had a dismal fourth quarter so far, rainsing just $22 billion, their worst result since the first quarter of 2009($14 bn) and year to date, ECM volume is down 44 percent from 2010 issuance of $291.1 bn to just 162.4 bn (Keohane, 2011) Picture look at PC Source : Dealogic cited by Keohane, 2011. Capital Market: Nepal Institutional development of securities market in Nepal started from the year 1976 when Securities Exchange Centre (SEC) was established under the companies act with the joint capital contribution of Nepal Rastra Bank Nepal Industrial Development Corporation. The Industrial Policy of the government also encouraged the promotion of securities exchange activities in Nepal. Nepal government under a program initiated to reform capital market converted securities exchange centre into Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) in 1993. NEPSE is non-profit organization, operating under Securities Exchange Act, 1983. Nepalese capital market was given proper structure in June 1993 with the establishment, SEBON as the market regulator. Since its establishment, SEBON has been concentrating its efforts on the legal and statutory frameworks, which are the bases for the healthy development of capital market. SEBON Nepal is the supreme body to regulate the Nepalese securities market (Bhusal 2010, Gurung 2004 and Dangol 2008). As a part of its continuous efforts to build a sound system, the securities exchange act, 1983 was amended for the second time on Jan 30, 1997. This amendment paved the way for establishing SEBON as an apex regulatory body as it widened the horizon of SEBON by bringing Market intermediaries directly under its jurisdiction and also made it mandatory for the corporate bodies to report annually as well as semi annually regarding their performance. After the inception of the Securities Exchange Center, shares of various manufacturing, trading and banking companies became listed. Interestingly, the listed shares were dominated by public enterprises during this stage. Between 1984 and 1990, 42 companies were listed, out of which more than 25 companies had some form of government ownership (Bhusal 2010, Gurung 2004 and Dangol 2008). However, after the democracy the trend has totally changed and the listed number of companies reached at 207 by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2010/2011  [1]  , while the government ownership companies had decreased due to the privatization that took place in different planning stage of privatization act. The main objective of SEBON is to promote and protect the interest of investors by regulating the securities market, to monitor and control the entire capital market, sale and distribution of securities and purchase, sale or exchange of securities. SEBON was established with the objective to render contribution to the development of capital markets by making securities transactions fair, healthy, efficient and responsible. Whereas, its main function are to provide licenses to stock exchange and securities business person and to monitor the activities carried by NEPSE to know if they are in accordance with the law or not (SEBON Annual Report 2010/11) Despite this, Nepalese stock market is still underdeveloped and there is lot of shortcomings in Nepalese stock market. Hence, the present study is conducted on Nepalese stock market in order to find out its potential of development, major problems and prospects by using secondary as well as primary data. Karla (2006) defines capital markets as the market which specializes in giving long term loans to the industry. In broad sense capital market incorporates intermediary institutions, capital formation, mobilization anf channeling of long term capital, as well as regulatory authorities. ( Obiakor Okwu, (2011). Alile (2007) calrifies that the capital market is made up of markets and institutions which facilitate the issuance and secondary trading of long term financial instruments. Aligning with this, Osaze (2007) simply sees it as the market responsible for long-term-growth capital formation. Ologunde, and Asaolu (2006) conceptualize capital a collection of financial institutions set up for the granting of medium and long-term. Further, they considered the stock market as single nor even a dual market but rather a network of specialized financial institutions which, in various ways, help to bring together suppliers and users of long-term capital fund. The capital market is one of the most vital areas of the economy as it provides companies access to capital, and investors with a slice of ownership in the company and the potential of gains based on the companys future performance( Ujunma Modebe,2012), The capital market is unique in a countrys financial system because of its peculiar role in the economy. Levine(1991) cited by (Ujunma Modebe,2012) identified these roles as: raising capital for business, mobilizing savings for investment, facilitating companys growth, redistribution of wealth, promotion of corporate govemance, creating investment opportunities for small investors, government capital raising avenue for development projects and being a barometer of the economy. Improving the efficiency of the capital market has become a recognized means of meeting national objectives such as etihancing productivify and competitiveness, reducing local environmental costs associated with capital market transactions, promoting savings and investment on economic wide basis (Mark, 2011). At intemational level, it is considered a key element of sfrategy to mitigate the risk of capital flight associated with lack of intemational investors confidence in the market. In this context, improving capital market efficiency in the developing and transitionhig countries is particularly important because these countries exhibit considerable potential for such improvement and, in the case of the developing countries, since they will contribute increasingly to the fiiture of the capital market as their economies grow (Ujunwa and Salami, 2010). On the other hand, The capital market is a collection of financial institutions set up for the mobilization and utilization of long-te rm ftmds for developing the long-term end of the financial system (Ologunge; Elumilade and Asaolu, 2006). In this market, lenders (investors) provide long-term funds in exchange for long-term fmancial assets offered by issuers. The market is an important institution for capitalist countries because it encourages investment in corporate securities, providing capital for new businesses and income for investors (Ujunwa, 2008). Capital Market Development Indicator There has been numerous research regarding to measure capital market development. Most of these research tried to like with economic development. Yet there is not any standardize indicator to do so. A study by Applegarth (2004) on levels of capital market development and economic growth in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa shows that capital markets in Asia which continued to add several hundred companies to their exchanges annually experience sizeable increase in the momentum of private sector development, while the reverse was the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa that added fewer than 10 to their exchanges, except South Africa. Thus, using private sector development, liquidity. local savings, bank competition, remittances, corporate govemance, and enhanced economic policy as capital market development indicators, he showed that capital market development drives economic growth. Adeyemi (2009), using gross capital formation and number of quoted companies as measures of capital market development, found that capital market development has positive significant impact on economic growth. Basically, a more reliable measure of the relationship would need inclusion of appropriate stock market development indicators since, according to Obiakor Okwu (2011). on their study they included other indicator than mentioned above such as gross domestic product, value of shares traded, market capitalization, gross capital formation, and foreign private investment in the functional relationship. Udegbunam (2002), in an attempt to estimate the impact of openness to trade and stock market development on industrial growth in Nigeria for the period 1970-1997, related industrial output growth to openness to world trade, stock market development and a set of control variables in a simple model he adapted from the stock market and economic growth model formulated independently by various previous researchers done during 1995 and 1996. Udegbunams empirical evidence strongly suggests that openness to world trade and stock market development are among the key determinants of industrial output growth in developing economy. By implication, this translates to economic growth via sustained increases in GDP. However, he identifies other important factors as human capital input, non-military expenditure, and inflation. The variables included in his model were industrial output, stock market capitalization- GDP ratio. Non-military expenditure-GDP ratio, school enrolment, inflation rate, ma

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Gaming Technology: Definitions

Gaming Technology: Definitions Games have been with humanity since the beginning. It is found that the different games that we play now are evolved from the games played in ancient days. Board game like Mancala was unearthed in the Sahara, Backgammon evolved from games such as Tabula and Nard talked about in ancient Roman scripts, and even in the Bible, Bicycle playing cards evolved form Tarot decks which was initially used to help predict the future. These games then turned into professional sports. Some of the games were even played for heavy money, some for competition and most of them were just for fun. With the introduction of computers, games entered a new era. The main reasons many people buying computers into their homes were games. Computer games became more popular and acceptable with introduction of best selling games such as Doom, Quake and Tomb Raider which had ultra-realistic 3D worlds. In late 90s and early 2000s, Multiplayer gaming became popular for playing games such as Ultima Online, Everquest, and Age of Empires 2. According Bidgoli (2004), by the end of 2003 over a billion people around the world will own a mobile phone and however in 2008 the number of mobile phone users worldwide soared to over 3.3 billion. With this statics games were available to be played in these devices. Mobile phones does not provide a rich and meaningful immersion on a tiny 100100 pixel screen (on average), theres one thing mobile phone benefits for playing games that they are always with you, and can be used anywhere you go. 3.2 TYPES OF MOBILE GAMES According to Fox and Verhosek (2002), the following incomplete list of mobile games genre can be produced. 1. Action games These types of games are usually played by adolescent males and involve fast reflexes. Moreover the graphics are as realistic as possible and the audio is usually rich and loud. Example of such action games include quake, missile command and pac man. 2. Combat games These types of games involve two characters playing against each other and trying to beat each other up. Example includes virtual fighter, street fighter and mortal kombat. 3. Adventure games These games require the player to discover the new worlds and play according to the plot of the game. Example includes zork, adventure island, Mario etc. 4. Puzzle games These kinds of games are usually played by audience of intelligence and cunning adults. The game requires players to use logic. Examples include tetris, Sudoku etc. 5. Strategy games These games also involve the player on thinking ahead and involves lots of pieces and possibilities. These games involve more tactics than long term strategy. Examples include warcraft, age of empire, empire earth etc. 6. Role playing games (RPG) These games are generally played by intelligent, male adolescents who read science fiction. The player has a role and the attributes changes over time and the degree of exploration. Examples include Diablo 3, Everquiest, Ultima online etc. 7. Trivia games These games are played to test the knowledge of the player. These are usually straightforward question-answer format. Examples include who wants to be a millionaire, quiz, buzzer etc 8. Word games These games involve the user to find out a word, based on some hints given. The more words the players know the better the player does. Examples include hangaroo, scrabble, hangman etc 9. Card games These games are played normally as the cards are played. The rules are the same as the rules in the physical cards game played. These may involve bluffing and betting. Examples include hearts, poker, spades, flush etc. 10. Games of chance These games are usually casino games where the game is based upon random result. Examples include roulette, slot machines etc. 11. Sports games These games involve games that we play as sports. Games such as football, basketball, hockey, cricket etc are the most famous sports 3.3 GAMING FEATURES AND TECHNOLOGIES SINGLEPLAYER Most mobile games are single player games where a user plays with an artificially intelligent opponent. The major success of single player games is interesting storylines, impressive graphics, and realistic non player characters and opponents. Some of the mobile games that run in single player mode are Tetris, Sudoku, and Fifa 09 etc. Most of these games can be played as multiplayer mode hence the user has a choice to make to play in single player mode or multiplayer mode. MULTIPLAYER A multiplayer game is a game which is played be several players. The players of a multiplayer game might be independent opponents, formed into teams or be just a single team. These kinds of games can be played in mobile phones as they are connected devices. Multiplayer functionality is achieved in mobile phones through connectivity such as: 1. Infrared connectivity 2. Bluetooth 3. GPRS 4. 3G 5. Wi-Fi 6. AI 7. MMS 8. Wireless LAN One of the main issues faced by multiplayer mobile games is latency. Most networks that exist now have latency at the minimum of 1-2 seconds, with averages more like 3-5 seconds. This stat hasnt stopped the developers on making multiplayer mobile games but teaches that the latency has to be considered with smart game design. These games include speedway and adrenalin which are both car racing games where players can play with other ghost cars. COMMU ITY Community games are a step further than the multiplayer games. In these types of games the players use their cell phones to access a community website where they can play games with many other players. The players may form a group or team and communicate with each other while playing the game. These games typically have limited graphical content and focuses on the interaction between a large number of participants. Monopoly world is one of the best known community mobile games where any player can play the game just for fun or wheel and deal real money. 3D GAMES While most of the consoles are taking the advantages of 3D technologies it is obvious that mobile can take advantage of the same rich environment. Hence a number of handsets having surprising capabilities can cope with this feature of new games. The mobile game developers can use java for 3D implementation since writing 3D is similar to writing 2D games. Java makes it easier with the introduction of M3G, the mobile 3D Graphics API. Some of the most popular 3D games that are available today are World Snooker 09 3D, 3D The Fast and The Furious etc. LOCATION BASED This kind of games uses localization technology like GPS. In most of the mobile games the games are played on mobile hardware where as in location based games the elements that matters is the location of the player and the coordinate and the movement of the player. The best example of location based mobile game is treasure hunt game called Geocaching. 3.4 LIMITATIONS OF MOBILE GAMES Mobile games are small in scope and often have many limitations. Some of the mobile games limitations listed by Marvin (2007) are as follows: Memory There are basic two types of constraints: the first covers the overall size of the application and the second is the memory space required in the memory for the application to run. Application Size Most of the mobile games are distributed to the end user by limiting the memory available. Some of the mobile phone games come on a memory card which limits the size of the application. There are many popular means of delivery such as installation Over-The-Air (OTA), where user selects a game to download on their mobile device from a list of mobile games. Even these games have limits (64 K or 128 K are typical) defined by the operators. Application Memory Space This is the memory space required when the application is running. More memory is required when the application is running than the actual application file this is due to the storage of objects at runtime, graphics storage etc. Processors Games are one among the mobile applications that uses most processor time. The calculations needed for the game takes a lot of processor cycles to perform the calculations. Mobile device manufacturers rarely state the processing power of the mobile chips but however they are much lower than those of a PC. Networking Mobile games use a spontaneous network rather than planned and are often used to fill spare moments resulting in short game sessions. These spontaneous are unreliable in cases the connectivity is lost or deliberately disconnected. For mobile devices even the network available has high latency which is the amount of time it takes to respond. The latency for a mobile network can be as high as few seconds which is too long for majority of fast action multiplayer games. TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access TDMA stands for Time division multiple access. It is mainly a channel access method that is used for shared medium networks as well as a digital transmission technology that allows its users to access a single radio-frequency channels without any interference . and it allocates to its users unique time slots within each channel.TDMA is the widespread type of service that is used in North America.Mainly .TDMA is used in 2G cellular system(GSM,PDC,IDEN,IS-136,DECT) . In this case a single channel is divided into six time slots and each signal is using two time slots . To make the transmission possible each caller is assigned a specific time slot. TDMA offers high performance with respect to capacity, courage and mobility.TDMA mainly transmit data in a buffer-and-burst method and the transmission of any user is non- continuous. TDMA Frame Structure In TDMA frame structure a data stream divided into frames and those frames divided into time slots. and we explain the concept of TDMA frame structure with the help of an example:- In this case there is the TDMA frame shown which use seven set of frequencies that are sufficient to cover the large area that provides the maximum distance d that is larger than twice the maximum radius r , the radius that is being covered by each transmitter.and the length of each time slots that are generated from the frequency channels is 0.577ms and these 8 slots make a TDMA frame of length 4.615ms. There are main three burst present in the TDMA:- Normal Burst(NB) Frequency Correction Burst(FB) Synchronization Burst(SB) Access Burst(AB) Normal Burst:- The transmission of the data during the single time slot is known as a burst.and the guard time that is used to prevent the burst suffering from the overlapping is 8.25 bits. In the Normal Burst there are four types of bits as given below:- Tail Bits :- In the diagram of TDMA there is 3 bits at both of the two ends , in which there is no transmission of the data.At the beginning the the bit is used to rise up the power upto its peak during the transmission and the end it is used to down the power used at the end of the transmission. Data Bit:- Around the training bits there are two data bits each of 57 bits. Stealing Flags :- These are the flags around the training bits that are of length 1 bit and it is used to indicate that whether the burst is being used for voice or the data (set to 0)or whenever it is used for signalling (set to 1 ). Training Sequence :- In the training bits a method is being used to overcome the problem of multi-path fading and the other propagation effects .and in this 26 bits are used. Frequency Correction Burst:- FCB is mainly an unmodulated carrier which then after shift in frequency . The guard time used in the FCB is same as that of the normal bit . It is used for frequency synchronization of the mobile stations. Synchronization Burst:- The time synchronization of the mobile is possible with the help of synchronization burst .The payload used in this carries the FDMA frame number (FN) and Base Station Identity Code (BSIC). and the broadcasting in this case is with the frequency correction burst.and also broadcasting occurs on the synchronization channel. Access Burst:- Firstly the guard burst used in this very longer as compared to the normal burst , so it is 68.25bits . The mobile stations use this type of the burst for random access. It also helps to measure the unknown distance of any mobile station from the tower , when the MS wants to access to the new BTS. Features of TDMA In case of TDMA a single carrier frequency is shared among several users. and each user use the time slots. The time slots used by the users depends on several factors such as modulation techniques and the available bandwidth. Data Transmission in the case of the users of TDMA is not continuous but it occurs in bursts which results in low use of the battery consumption because the subscriber is turned off , when it is not in the use. The Handoff process is much simpler in the case of TDMA because of its discontinuity and it is able to listen to the other base stations during its idle slot time. The Transmission rates are very high in the case of TDMA as compared to the FDMA because of the Adaptive Equalization which is necessary in the case of TDMA. The guard time present in the case of TDMA should be minimum. The main advantage of TDMA is that it is very cost-effective technology which is used for upgrading a current analog system to digital. In this the battery used is of extended life and the talk time , since the mobile is only transmitting the portion of the time of the time during conversations. TDMA technology is used to separate users in time and ensure that there will not be any interference which is presented from any other simultaneous transmissions. Disadvantages of TDMA The main disadvantages of TDMA are given as below:- The main disadvantage of the TDMA is that each user that is used in the TDMA has a predefined time slot that is defined by the system and if the users roaming from one cell to another cell or from one place to any other place and are not alloted a time slot or if all the time slot available for the user are already occupied , then the user will not receive any call. The another main disadvantage of TDMA systems is interference that is created by it at a frequency which is directly connected to the time slot length.In this case or problem with the TDMA is the multiple distortion , so whenever the signal coming from one place or tower to another tower, then there are many buildings that create problem in the signal for arriving at the destination because of the interference. Efficient time schedule that is possible in the case of TDMA but it is not always easy to find it. Clock synchronization needed. Whenever there is the case of dynamic status changes of nodes on the scheduling is also handled by it. The channel utilization in the case of TDMA is very low as compared to CSMA during low contention. TDMA in Mobile Phone Systems 2G Systems:- Many 2G Systems are based on the TDMA.So we can say the TDMA as TDMA cellular systems which include the main examples of the TDMA cellular systems are GSM, IS-95, D-AMPS, PDC,iDEN and PHS. As in the case of GSM it combines the TDMA with frequency hopping and the wideband transmission , so as to minimize the interference .So in the case of GSM system,base station send the timing commands which is then helpful in the synchronization of the mobile phones which are helpful in easier transmission and decide the time .There is the guard interval in the case of GSM.There is the RACH in GSM. Whenever the mobile is in the next base ststion , then the call arrived sucessfully without any delay.and if the mobile is located beyond the 35 km range in GSM, then the RACH used in this will arrive in the time slot that is in the neighboring.So there is no special technique to limit the range of the GSM cell to 35 km .So to overcome this problem , the synchronization is changed between th e uplink and downlink in the base station. 3G Systems:- 3G system use the combination of both CDMA and TDMA . So it take the advantage of both the techniques.The most popular 3G systems are UMTS which use CDMA rather then TDMA, and in TD-CDMA and TD-SCDMA , the TDMA is combined with CDMA and TDD. Comparison Between GSM,TDMA and CDMA TDMA Firstly we all know that the TDMA become a technology of the past.In the case of TDMA the data is compressed in to packets within its same bandwidth.Some important things about the TDMA are given as below:- It act as a bridge between the analog and the digital technologies which led to the development of the GSM and iDEN. iDEN:- It is a Integrated Digital Enhanced Network and it is similar to as that of the GSM technology and it is operating at 800 MHz,1900MHz and 1.5 GHz in the US. It is used to handle the CDMA and GSM technology.It can handle three users per channel and for the purpose of more capacity and demand , it is require the use of more towers which is costly. The Data capacity in the case of TDMA is is around the 56 kbps. GSM GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication uses a narrow band modification of TDMA. GSM can handle up to eight users per channel. GSM mainly operates on 1900MHz. GSM is incapable of the reliable data speeds which requires the alternate technologies. GSM is more widespread around the world CDMA CDMA stand s for Code Division Multiple Access which is a technology that sent as a constant flow across larger bandwidth instead of sending a signal into packets and sent on cycles, CDMA transmissions. CDMA can handle ten users per channel, but it require more frequency to provide service. In the US, CDMA uses the standard 800MHz and 1900MHz. The data capacity in the CDMA,is fastest, which is equal to the 144 kbps. Should GMO Crops be Banned? Should GMO Crops be Banned? Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) are works or creature that have their DNA test consolidated with DNA from the germ, infections, or different plants and creatures keeping in mind the remainder goal too. GMOs are initially used to upgrade general change to dietary substance. The GMO crop has raised worries over their own advantageous in that they are impervious to illnesses, produces more prominent yields, and it enhances the sustenance of nourishments devising the general population ignorant about their holding. Each time we go to any supermarkets or grocery stores, we would not know whether the vegetables and natural products are genetically modified. GMO crops should not be banned as GM substances can be extremely nourishing and can have a much bigger yield than un-adjusted harvests. This is especially helpful in spots like Africa where there isnt great soil to develop the important products to manage themselves. GM nourishments can also withstand colder climates and droughts. Their development time is additionally less in GM subsistence. Developing countries can also sell the crops produced in order to help them in financial trouble. Hereditarily altered nourishments are gainful to nature, well-being, and are more solid than typical plants. By designing the BT poison in the genomes of plants, researchers have diminished the requirement for pesticides. The BT poison is just dangerous to the creepy crawlies that eat it. Likewise, its innocuous to people. This is superior to utilizing customary pesticides since its objective particular, and it influences the bugs that eat underlying foundations of plants and in addition those that tunnel in the plant tissues. Those bugs were beforehand unaffected in light of the fact that pesticides are connected to the plant remotely. Then again, numerous individuals trust that genetically altered sustenance is hurtful to the body. Hereditarily adjusted item is the after-effect of a long biochemical research and item improvement. In spite of the fact that researchers are creating organic chemistry for the lessening of destructive things in the item, regardless, this item conveys a hazardous substance for the body. These unsafe substances consequently prompt to various gastric infections and issues with the skin. This nourishment can likewise prompt to genuine infringement of the bodys digestion system, which prompts to a standout amongst the most unsafe issues of humankind weight. As indicated by measurement of an American researcher, many individuals have stoutness, as a result of eating GM nourishment. In addition, due to the truth that GM merchandise can reason serious fitness troubles people have commenced searching for new methods to replace such dangerous food. A main UN/World Bank-sponsored file compiled with the aid of 400 scientists and endorsed through 58 international locations concluded that GM crops have little to provide world agriculture and the challenges of poverty, hunger, and climate change because better selections are available. In particular, the record championed agro-ecological farming as the sustainable way forward for creating countries. This is one of the ways, which ought to be realized in many countries, according to researchers at Michigan University. Also, agriculture region is working to enhance new methods of farming, which can replace GM food. As I would see it, I think GMO products should be banned as the young era of individuals will have distinctive infections of eating these GMO sustenances. Clearly, these days developing GMO crops has turned into a colossal industry that it cant be stopped however, I accept there are different approaches to spare individuals from hunger. Sources: http://www.mapsofworld.com/infographics/poll/should-genetically-modified-foods-be-banned-text.html http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/food_news/should_the_us_ban_genetically_modified_organisms_gmos https://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/usa.php http://www.geneticallymodifiedfoods.co.uk/fact-sheet-pros-vs-cons.html http://healthresearchfunding.org/pros-cons-genetically-modified-foods/ https://laurenmarieee.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/persuasive-essay/ http://www.fouryearsincollege.com/sample-essay-genetically-modified-foods-good-or-bad http://www.shareyouressays.com/104888/short-essay-on-genetically-modified-crop

Monday, August 19, 2019

Learning Styles and the Brain Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

How Did You Know That?!Learning Styles and the Brain Although most commonly framed in academic contexts, learning style lies at the foundation of individual identity and development. Learning, "the process of acquiring knowledge about the world" (1) and learning style, "...the sum of the patterns of how individuals develop habitual ways of responding to experience" (2) reflect an array of attitudes, emotional responses, preferences and habits. It is the basis of how we interact with, process and are subsequently affected by inputs from our environment. In addition to providing a general overview of learning styles, this paper makes the claim that distinctions resulting from these models support the existence of the I-function. A preliminary understanding of learning styles requires some knowledge of brain functioning. Currently, specific cerebral locations are associated with particular functions. The left and right hemispheres of the brain employ different strategies that classify individuals as either analytic (left) or global (right) learners. "A successive processor (left) prefers to learn in a step-by-step sequential format, beginning with details leading to a conceptual understanding of a skill. A simultaneous processor (right) prefers to learn beginning with the general concept and then going on to specifics." (2) Constructing learning style along these lines has dictated classroom methods for decades. Traditional pedagogy has long favored the left-sided student, emphasizing accurate, rational and sequential thought. Right-sided learners, with a proclivity towards a spontaneous, random, and visual style, possess a mode that is undervalued and often stifled. Current theories of human learning contend that learni... ...ciously change these things, or appreciate how much of who we are is already rooted in the nervous system awaiting the opportunity for expression. Learning models enable students and educators to assess individual learning styles and to tailor strategies and experiences accordingly. Understanding the neuro-biological aspects of learning could provide critical insight for issues such as learning disabilities. Culture affects what particular style is fostered and preferred. Insight into this aspect of learning style might contribute towards understanding inequalities in the educational system that result, for example, in higher dropout rates for minority students, and make educational reform a more attainable goal. Internet Sources: http://www.brains.org/path.htm http://cogsci.ucsd.edu/~stjohn/bbs.abstract.html http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~epritch1/impnexp.htm Learning Styles and the Brain Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers How Did You Know That?!Learning Styles and the Brain Although most commonly framed in academic contexts, learning style lies at the foundation of individual identity and development. Learning, "the process of acquiring knowledge about the world" (1) and learning style, "...the sum of the patterns of how individuals develop habitual ways of responding to experience" (2) reflect an array of attitudes, emotional responses, preferences and habits. It is the basis of how we interact with, process and are subsequently affected by inputs from our environment. In addition to providing a general overview of learning styles, this paper makes the claim that distinctions resulting from these models support the existence of the I-function. A preliminary understanding of learning styles requires some knowledge of brain functioning. Currently, specific cerebral locations are associated with particular functions. The left and right hemispheres of the brain employ different strategies that classify individuals as either analytic (left) or global (right) learners. "A successive processor (left) prefers to learn in a step-by-step sequential format, beginning with details leading to a conceptual understanding of a skill. A simultaneous processor (right) prefers to learn beginning with the general concept and then going on to specifics." (2) Constructing learning style along these lines has dictated classroom methods for decades. Traditional pedagogy has long favored the left-sided student, emphasizing accurate, rational and sequential thought. Right-sided learners, with a proclivity towards a spontaneous, random, and visual style, possess a mode that is undervalued and often stifled. Current theories of human learning contend that learni... ...ciously change these things, or appreciate how much of who we are is already rooted in the nervous system awaiting the opportunity for expression. Learning models enable students and educators to assess individual learning styles and to tailor strategies and experiences accordingly. Understanding the neuro-biological aspects of learning could provide critical insight for issues such as learning disabilities. Culture affects what particular style is fostered and preferred. Insight into this aspect of learning style might contribute towards understanding inequalities in the educational system that result, for example, in higher dropout rates for minority students, and make educational reform a more attainable goal. Internet Sources: http://www.brains.org/path.htm http://cogsci.ucsd.edu/~stjohn/bbs.abstract.html http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~epritch1/impnexp.htm