Wednesday, November 27, 2019
True Blue essays
True Blue essays If I have my ticket, Lord, can I ride? My bones are weakening, as is my hope. I overheard Master Tolbert speaking to a man, and I have been a slave for over 40 years. Can I have my ticket Lord, please? It could be worse; I could still be a field slave. Now that my legs and arms are weak, Master Tolbert allowed for me to become a house hand. Working on a plantation allows for more social interaction with other slaves than other places. My wife passed over three years ago but I still enjoy the comfort of the other slaves in our community. On Sunday, we even attend our own church ceremonies, which is the only time I ever feel human. Religion plays a key role in our community. Many of us are tempted to run away, but then we are reminded that the sacrifices that we endure now will be rewarded on judgment day. Master Tolbert was in an extremely foul mood today. I believe that his plan to buy four more slaves collapsed leaving him short a few workers in the field tomorrow. Last week I was helping clean up a mess that one of the children made when Master Tolbert came over and accused me of stealing his cigarettes. Now for all the years I have been alive I cannot remember a single time that I have ever touched, let alone thought about, polluting my body with smoke. For that unfair accusation I received ten lashes and was not allowed diner. Im sure one of his ungrateful children stole his pack of cigarettes or Master Tolbert just misplaced them. In general he is not that cruel, Master has his phases. For all the years I have been a slave, I have only been whipped on four different occasions. I know slaves from other communities who receive that kind of abuse in a year. I saw my son a few days ago. He has grown into a well-developed man, only he has very radical beliefs and I fear the white man will kill him. He was taken from my wife and I at birth and I ha ...
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Unity in Paragraphs and Essays
Unity in Paragraphs and Essays In composition, unity is the quality of oneness in a paragraph or essay that results when all the words and sentences contribute to a single effect or main idea; also called wholeness. For the past two centuries, composition handbooks have insisted that unity is an essential characteristic of an effective text. Professor Andy Crockett points out that the five-paragraph theme andà current-traditional rhetorics emphasis on method reflect further the expediency and utility of unity. However, Crockett also notes that for rhetoricians, the achievement of unity has never been taken for granted (Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition, 1996.) Pronunciation YOO-ni-tee Etymology From the Latin, one. Observations Most pieces of effective writing are unified around one main point. That is, all the subpoints andà supporting details are relevant to that point. Generally, after you have read an essay, you can sum up the writers main point in a sentence, even if the author has not stated it explicitly. We call this summary statement a thesis. (X. J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Marcia F. Muth, The Bedford Guide for College Writers, 8th ed. Bedford/St. Martins, 2008)Unity and CoherenceA good check on unity is to ask yourself if everything in your paragraph or essay is subordinate to and derived from the controlling idea. Make sure that your controlling idea- the topic sentence or thesis- indicates the subject and the focus on that subject...ââ¬â¹ (Lee Brandon and Kelly Brandon, Paragraphs and Essays With Integrated Readings, 12th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Rules of Thumb for Writing Unified Paragraphs Be sure your paragraphs focus on one idea and state that idea in a topic sentence.Place your topic sentence effectively within your paragraph. Let the purpose of your paragraph and the nature of your evidence guide you.Let your paragraphs evidence- the selected details, the examples- illustrate or clarify the idea expressed in your topic sentence.Make sure you explain the relationship between your evidence and your idea so that it is clear to readers.Think about unity among paragraphs when writing essays. Be sure your paragraphs are related, that they fit together and clarify your essays idea.ââ¬â¹ (R. DiYanni, Scribner Handbook for Writers. Allyn Bacon, 2001) A Note on Topic Sentences Paragraphs may not have a topic sentence, but they must have unity and purpose. All the ideas in a paragraph should relate to a clear point readers will easily understand. (Mark Connelly, Get Writing: Paragraphs and Essays. Thomson Wadsworth, 2009) Counterviews on Unity Unity is the shallowest, the cheapest deception of all composition... Every piece of writing, it matters not what it is, has unity. Inexpert or bad writing most terribly so. But ability in an essay is a multiplicity, infinite fracture, the intercrossing of opposed forces establishing any number of opposed centres of stillness.(William Carlos Williams, An Essay on Virginia, 1925)
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Essay Example What differentiates Hermione from many intelligent children is that not only does she learn the magical spells, she practically has the capability to recall from her memory the most appropriate spell that applies on a particular situation whenever required, and thus, serves as the ultimate rescuer for Ron and Harry. Not many brainy children are as practical as Hermione is. Her practicality also reflects in the way she practically indulges in every act with Ron and Harry at every stage till the end of the story. Hermione Granger is indeed, a true friend to Ron and Harry. It is not wrong to state that her friends possess her. She knows the meaning of friendship and can practically go to any lengths to help her friends out of the trouble. She is the very ââ¬Å"friend in needâ⬠as they call it. She is the kind of person most parents would like their child to be friends with, given she is very optimistic and hardworking. Hermione Granger is a muggle born witch who is able to display excellent magical qualities contrary to the fact that none of her parents come from the magical world. Hermione Granger has been presented as a ââ¬Å"know-it-allâ⬠kind of girl whose attitude is not quite welcomed by Ron Weasley particularly in their initial encounters at Hogwarts. In the start of the story, one might even start to think of her as a cheap character that shows its knowledge off to depress others. However, one later gets to realize how genuinely is she interested in learning magic and applying it to assist humanity. At the age of 11, she prefers learning ââ¬Å"Transfiguration Charmsâ⬠upon trying shades of lipstick. She is a genuine learner placed in the ââ¬Å"Gryffindor Houseâ⬠because of her extreme bravery, although she was also suitable for ââ¬Å"Ravenclaw Houseâ⬠because of her smartness. Hermione Granger fits best in the Stage VI of the Kohlbergââ¬â¢s Stages of Moral
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
John Q Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
John Q - Movie Review Example This is where the principle of 'beneficence' comes in, since it deals with the administering of medical help and care to those in need. It not only talks about the administering of medical care, but also of improving the quality of life in terms of health. However, this principle is compromised with, by the doctors portrayed in the movie. Thus, the principle of 'Beneficence' and the compromise made on it, by the authorities of medical care is the motive for the events that take place further ahead in the movie! In the movie, the doctors and medical officials convey that they would treat John Q's son only if he paid a certain amount. This might have been the just thing to do, since they charge the same amount from everyone and John Q is no exception. However, from the egalitarian and idealistic concept of justice, one must charge only according to one's requirement and one's ability in terms of payment. Therefor,e the very purpose of justice in the eyes of providing medical help and improving life is defeated in the movie.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Betting Shop computer investigation Essay Example for Free
Betting Shop computer investigation Essay The task given to me for the following essay was: Assume you have been called in to investigate suspected incidences of computer crime enacted through the computer system at a local betting office. Describe how you would conduct the search and seizure operation. Also explain why you would conduct the operation in the manner you describe. Keywords: Electronic, Evidence, Investigation, Computers, Seizure, Forensic, Computing Introduction I was recently given the task of Head of Forensic Computing Investigation into Operation Gamble. Operation Gamble had been in place for over 12 weeks, in this time it had become obvious that there was every possibility that some kind of computer crimes were being committed on a everyday basis. This job entails making sure that nothing is overlooked, that everything is done in a methodical manner, everything needs logging in one way or another. There are many things to think about , and many that need acting upon, decisions often need to be made on site at the time of the search. Hopefully this essay will inform the reader of a little knowledge into the world of forensic computing investigation. Also that it will become clear that the successful prosecution of offenders means that the investigation must be done thoroughly from start to finish. ACPO state there are 4 principles that should be adhered to at all times, so when reading this must be took into consideration. The four principles are as follows:- Principle 1: No action taken by law enforcement agencies or their agents should change data held on a computer or storage media which may subsequently be relied upon in court. Principle 2: In exceptional circumstances, where a person finds it necessary to access original data held on a computer or on storage media, that person must be competent to do so and be able to give evidence explaining the relevance and the implications of their actions. Principle 3: An audit trail or other record of all processes applied to computer based electronic evidence should be created and preserved. An independent third party should be able to examine those processes and achieve the same result. Principle 4: The person in charge of the investigation (the case officer) has overall responsibility for ensuring that the law and these principles are adhered to. Ruth Suttons investigation into a local betting shop. Firstly I was called into the office and was allocated a new case, which involved investigating a betting shop that may have been involved in some kind of fraud or computer misuse. I wasnt given any information in detail. Without having much detailed information I have to prepare the investigation as though I am looking for every kind of electronic crime there is. With an open mind it makes the investigation much more through and lengthy, maybe turning up more clues to what has been occurring in this particular establishment. Also as I have been put in charge of this investigation I make sure that all staff that had been drafted in to help with this investigation had the expertise to do so, they all needed to be aware how volatile forensic data is, how easily evidence can be lost, changed, or altered and therefore inadmissible in court. If I were to be given this case and was previously made aware that it was child pornography that I was looking for this would set my mind thinking, and turning into the direction of looking for not only images but perhaps photography equipment, chat logs, email, internet usage logs. On the other hand it is a much different case for fraud. Accounting would be looked into address books, credit card data, calendars, credit card skimmers, the list just goes on and on. Having no idea could turn up more things as child porn can often be attached to a ring, perhaps in that ring credit card fraud is being used to purchase entry to child porn sights, so with my open mind and that of my colleagues I start my investigation. Within the ACPO (Association Of Chief Police Officers) guidelines there are 4 stages that are involved in gaining forensic evidence. They are: 1. Acquiring the evidence 2. Identifying the evidence 3. Evaluating any evidence found 4. Presenting the evidence. For the purposes of my investigation in fact all forensic computing investigations, the first 3 rules are paramount as they all rely upon each other being performed correctly. Although it must be said if any of the rules are not followed correctly this wouldnt even get as far as the presenting Evidence rule, as there could be no successful prosecution. Preparation Knowing this is a retail betting shop, the first decision to be made is the time that we will serve our warrant to search the premises. After not much deliberation it is decided to carry out the search before opening time, I was aware that the manager opened up every morning at 8am so meeting him as he opened up would be the best policy. The reason for this decision is that with less staff and no customers there would be less chance of anyone being able to tamper with any networks, data, or any other relevant evidence. In the past it has been known for one member of staff to distract an investigator, while another removes vital evidence. As time went on 3 other members of staff arrived for work, they were all taken aside and asked details of what there job involved, where there individual workstation was and any usernames, passwords or encryption keys that may be relevant to the case. On Entry On entry it was most important to visually identify anything that could be possible evidence. The following items were identified and noted down: 1. Computer 2. Laptop 3. Usb stick 4. Digital camera 5. Printer 6. Scanner 7. Mobile Phones 8. Cds Dvds 9. PDA All these items could be relevant in gaining evidence as they all may contain relevant data. My reasons for each item were as follows: 1. Computer This is obvious that looking for forensic data the desktop computer could hold lots of evidence. 2. Laptop Same reasons as above. 3. Usb Stick This could also contain data. 4. Digital Camera may contain images or even files of any data 5. Printer Printers have their own memory now so this could contain much needed evidence. 6. Scanner May have been used to scan fraudulent documents (if there is any damage or imperfections to the glass this could show that a particular document was created with its use. 7. Mobile Phones Mobile phones have own operating system, could contain not only contacts but also images, files, and time logs etc, lots of relevant data. 8. Cds Dvds Another item that could contain lots of data. 9. PDA This like a mobile phone has its own operating system and could be used to store relevant data, contacts, time logs etc. Before any searches in drawers or anything was moved the whole area was photographed, picturing where all the above items were exactly in relation to the shop. This is done to document the evidence in a visual manner, that can be looked at after things have been moved to unsurface perhaps more clues, for example If a computer mouse was sitting on the left hand side of the desk, perhaps the manager is right handed so it could lead to a clue that perhaps a left handed member of staff uses that desk, which the computer is sitting on. Photographs were taken of the computer screen as it was on and had the user names on it, this was also documented by text. The computer felt quite warm so this could give clues as to whether it had been left on overnight or perhaps used before we had gained entry to the premises. Photographs were also taken of all the cables at the back of the computer, so as reconstructing at a later stage would be easier, also the cables were labelled. The desktop computer was then switched off by removing the power from the computer not the wall socket. The laptop was the next item to be dealt with, it was switched off so removal of the battery was next. Next a search took place which would involve looking in drawers, cupboards etc. The items I was looking for were: 1. Any paper work that may give some clues to any passwords that may have been used 2. Memory Cards 3. Credit card Skimmers 4. Address books 5. Appointment cards/books 6. GPS SAT NAV equipment 7. CCTV footage Most of these items were found lurking in and around the vicinity of the desk where the desktop computer was located, other than the CCTV footage that was located in the DVD recorder next to the kitchen door. The DVD recorder contained a DVD- rw (DVD re- writable), which was left in place until also photographed and noted while in situ. The rest of the items were subsequently photographed and logged before anything else was done. The reasons for seizing these items were as follows: 1. Paperwork passwords, contacts etc. 2. Memory Cards Data, Images 3. Credit card skimmers Evidence in itself or even more so if there is data contained on the magnetic strip. 4. Address books Contacts 5. Appointment cards/books verify evidence of suspects whereabouts 6. GPS SAT NAV Travel logs, previous places visited 7. CCTV Evidence to say who has been in the premises, and when as the camera will have its own time logs. The manger was then asked a few questions about any passwords or encryption keys he may have been aware of, this was done to try and gain any extra information regarding passwords, encryption etc, as this could all save time when it comes to imaging and gaining access to files. All the questions and answers were noted down in a methodical manner. Seizing the evidence The decision was made by myself to take the equipment, rather than live image at the suspected crime scene, as there was no network, wireless or otherwise, I felt this was the best decision to make as the imaging could be done under labatory conditions. Also as there was quite an amount of electronic data that would need to be imaged, this would take far too long and would not be efficient to do so. Although it is seen best for the raw electronic data to be accessed least as possible due to its volatile nature, this would only have to be done the once in the lab, once imaged they actual items (pc, laptop) would not need to be handled again as the image would be an exact copy. Fingerprinting would need to be done, but this could not occur until all equipment had been imaged, as the chemicals used can be destructive The laptop was known to have Bluetooth capability, and wifi so this had to be put into a shielded box, so as that it could not receive any signals from anywhere else. The mobile phone and PDA were treated in the same manner. The boxes were tagged and everything noted so as to start the chain of evidence for these items. All that had to be done now was to actually bag up all the evidence. This has to be done and sealed in anti static bags, and all written down in a methodical manner. This was done item by item individually as each item was tagged and bagged it had to be logged in a chain of evidence. This took quite a long time but this job cannot be rushed, as anything missed could be fatal to a prosecution. Next was the issue of transportation, this would need to be done strategically so as not to damage any possible data evidence. These would have to be kept away from any magnetic fields, e. g. speakers, radios etc, so they were removed with a van that had storage boxes within so as the seized equipment would not get too warm, cold, or anything else happen to them. Evaluating the Evidence This is where the real investigation continues, and where more light may be shed on the situation concerning electronic data found. Encase was used to image the hard drive of the desktop computer and laptop, and various other software was used for the acquisition of the other electronic items. Once imaged work would begin on searching labouredly through the data. To finish this investigation could take quite a few man-hours, as there is so much data to work through. Now is when this case is turned over to the other specialists that I work alongside. Conclusion Alas my work has ended now in this case as I have finished my job of searching the crime scene and seizing the evidence, after a full week of preparation before the actual search, I am quite pleased with the result. I am no clearer about any crimes that were or may have been committed, but hopefully due to myself carrying out the investigation thoroughly I have led the way for a successful prosecution to go ahead. References :- National hi-tech crime unit (2008) The ACPO Good Practice Guide for Computer-Based Electronic Evidence www. acpo. police. uk/asp/policies/Data/gpg_computer_based_evidence_v3. pdf [accessed 05/05/2008]. Computer Crime: ACPO Guidelines (2008) http://www. dataclinic. co. uk/computer-ACPO. htm [accessed 07/05/08].
Friday, November 15, 2019
Importance of Being Ernest :: essays papers
Importance of Being Ernest Oscar Wilde The world has seen many talented literary writers. One of the more famous appeared in the late 19th century. Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland on October 16, 1854. His life produced award-winning poetry and highly acclaimed plays. Although he had a troubled childhood, Wilde gained large popularity for his outlandish wit and compelling personality. Despite his overwhelming public appeal as a playwright, Oscar Wilde ultimately died a sad and lonely death. Oscar Wilde grew up in small house in Dublin, Ireland. His father was a well-known eye surgeon, and his mother was a poet a writer. On February 14---St. Valentine's Day--1895, London was choked with a major snow storm. But this could not prevent the opening night of The Importance of Being Earnest, at the St. James's Theatre, from being a major social event. This was in part due to the stunning popularity of Oscar Wilde in the theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest was Wilde's fourth popular West End play in only three years, and An Ideal Husband had only opened a month before and was still playing to packed house at the Haymarket Theatre a few blocks away. Fashionable London was out in force, in their most elegant clothes. As a tribute to Wilde's dandified aestheticism, women wore sprays of lilies as corsages; and many young men wore lilies of the valley in the buttonholes of lapels of their tailcoats. Wilde spent most of the performance backstage, but he was nevertheless dressed in what one biography called "the depth of fashion": "his coat had a black velvet collar; he carried white gloves; a green scarab ring adorned one of his fingers; a large bunch of seals on a black moir ribbon watch chain hung from his white waistcoat; and, like the young men in the stalls, he wore lilies of the valley in his buttonhole." Audiences came dressed in evening formal to opening nights then; in fact, you had to wear evening formal dress any night if you wanted to sit in the stalls (what we call the orchestra) or the dress circle (the first balcony). And this was true not only at the St. James's Theatre but throughout "Theatreland," the entertainment district in the West End of metropolitan London.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Outcomes Based Education Essay
Introduction Galileo Galilee once said a man cannot teach a man anything but rather he can only help him find in within himself. This means that you can only go so far to help someone learn and make the right condition for the learner to discover what already known to be true. The principle of outcome based education relates to this passage from Galilee where Outcome-Based Education means clearly focusing and organizing everything in an educational system around what is essential for all students to be able to do successfully at the end of their learning experiences. This means starting with a clear picture of what is important for students to be able to do, then organizing the curriculum, instruction, and assessment to make sure this learning ultimately happensâ⬠(Spady, 1994:1). In this approach learners may identify what are the things which are important and what is essential for them. It is indeed true that learning may not be significant with someone unless it may reflect the importanc e of learning in real life and utilize it in different life roles. OBE has been around for centuries. The origins of modern outcomes-based education can be traced back to the work of Italian educator Maria Montessori, whose teaching theories shaped the development of Montessori schools the world over. Working in the early 1900s, Montessori believed that instead of setting up arbitrary grading systems, tests, and the like and teaching inputs based on them, education was best measured by encouraging individual student achievement, which can occur at different rates for different students. This method would allow students of different skill levels and abilities to learn at their own individual rates (or outcomes), rather than lumping all students together and measuring them at the same standard at the same point in time. In the local setting, government educational bureau, school administrators and educational gurus are continuously seeking ways and means to upgrade the standards and quality of education in terms of its delivery system and other related components of quality education. The continuous growth of population, government budgetary allocation for education, and educational political will have been a great factor in the affects the quality of education one can experience. Other than that, some other problems occurred such as: lack of qualified teachers, inadequate classrooms and ineffective programs. These are more evident to public schools here in the country. Recognizant of this reality, the Commission on Higher Education in pursuit of an ongoing paradigm shift to learning competency based standards mandated all Higher Education Institution to incorporate a Quality Policy utilizing an Outcomes Based Education. This policy-standard, which applies to private and public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country, is issued to enhance the quality assurance system of Philippine higher education through learning competency based standards and an outcomes-based system of quality assurance that is differentiated by type of HEI. CHEDââ¬â¢s rationale in implementing this policy is very specific as they believe that this mandate will contribute to building a quality nation capable of transcending the social, political, economic, cultural and ethical issues that constrain the countryââ¬â¢s human development, productivity and global competitiveness. The commissions focused in mandating all HEIââ¬â¢s underscores a quality assurance that is rooted in research which suggest that there has been a lack of a critical pool of graduates with the necessary thinking, technical and behavioral competencies are among the factors constraining the re-launching of the Philippine manufacturing sector and the achievement of the full potentials of the service sector. Another important ideas of this policy is that change is dynamic the Philippine educational system should adopt with the ever changing climate of systems that Philippine s has been left behind. The reality is that in 2015 where ASEAN community will facilitate the free flow of qualified labor in the region and either open up opportunities for graduates of Philippine HEIs or threaten their employment even in this country. The Philippine educational system should move on this suggest that Philippine should keep on track or be left behind. (CMO No. 2 S. of 2011) This mandate from CHED aims to contribute to building a quality nation capable of transcending the social, political, economic, cultural and ethical issues that constrain the countryââ¬â¢s human development, productivity and global competitiveness. The fulfillment of this action entails all HEI to offer quality programs that will meet the national and the international standards of programs for the different professions/disciplines. Quality assurance is viewed as an important ingredient in the social development of the population especially the Filipinos out of the poverty condition. CHED defines quality as the alignment and consistency of the learning environment with the institutionââ¬â¢s vision, mission, and goals demonstrated by exceptional learning and service outcomes and the development of a culture of quality. This definition highlights three perspectives of quality. One the quality as fitness for purpose, which is generally used by international bodies for assessment and accreditation, requires the translation of the institutionââ¬â¢s vision, mission, and goals into its learning outcomes, programs, and systems. Second quality as exceptional means either being distinctive; exceeding very high standards; or conformance to standards based on a system of comparability using criteria and ratings. And lastly quality underlies CHEDââ¬â¢s definition of exceptional; and Quality as ââ¬Å"developing a culture of qualityâ⬠is the transformational dimension of the CHED notion of quality. Quality assurance utilizing the OBE has been widely argued by educational administrators, though this would impact the educational system of the country where Philippines has been left behind years back by our neighboring ASIAN nations. This paper aims to assess how well the HEIââ¬â¢s administratorsââ¬â¢ in Olongapo adapted to the provision of the OBE and the practices of the educators with regards to OBE or are thy well equipped with the knowledge and skills relating to OBE. This issue is very timely and is pressing the education administrators. It is imminent that this policy is another challenge facing the educational sectors to adopt and practice the quality assurance utilizing the OBE principle. There are several questions that determine the direction of this study. What are the best practices of the HEIââ¬â¢s administrators with regards to OBE as well as theory instructors? How well they adopt and practice quality policy as set forth by the CHED? And their reasons in adopting or implanting this quality policy? An explication of OBE will be dealt with this forgoing study this will also illuminate the performance of the HEIs in Olongapo. Review of Related Literature This paper aims to explore the principles of OBE as practiced among the HEIââ¬â¢s in Olongapo. This is intended to explain the principles and how this principle is incorporated in their system. In addition this paper will definitely help teachers and administrators understand the process and practices on OBE among other HEIs in Olongapo which will certainly facilitate other institution to espouse the practices of their counterpart. The Philippine educational system as observed by the researcher has been through a lot of curricular development. Policies and standards have been laid; OBE is one of the recent development to which it has been advocated by some and critics by many. Where will this process lead the curriculum? Outcomes based education is a process that involves the restructuring of curriculum, assessment and reporting practices in education to reflect the achievement of high order learning and mastery rather than the accumulation of course credits (Tucker, 2004). According to Tucker the primary aim of OBE is to facilitate desired changes within the learners, by increasing knowledge, developing skills and/or positively influencing attitudes, values and judgment. OBE embodies the idea that the best way to learn is to first determine what needs to be achieved. Once the end goal (product or outcome) has been determined the strategies, processes, techniques, and other ways and means can be put into place to achieve the goal. The major problem in all curricular frameworks is the outcome or product measurement. Geyser (1999) stated that OBE deals with the product Outcomes are clear learning results that learners have to demonstrate at the end of significant learning experiences: what learners can actually do with what they know and have learned. Outcomes are actions/ performances that embody and reflect learner competence in using content, information, ideas and tools successfully. He further proposed that when learners do important things with what they know they have taken a significant step beyond knowing itself. Vela, Berardinelli & Burrow (1998) reminds us of the importance of accountability mechanisms (learner assessment) that directly reflect student performance and help learners ââ¬Å"know what they knowâ⬠. Thus outcomes describe the results of learning over a period of time ââ¬â the results of what is learned versus what is taught. Spady and Marshall (1994:20) an advocate of OBE has explained the meaning and concept of outcomes as: Outcomes are ââ¬Ëclear, observable demonstrations of student learning that occur after a significant set of learning experiences. They are not values, attitudes, feelings, beliefs, activities, assignments, goals, scores or averages, as many people believe. Typically these demonstrations reflect three things: â⬠¢ What the student knows â⬠¢ What the student can actually do with what he or she knows â⬠¢ The studentââ¬â¢s confidence and motivation in carrying out the demonstration. They further state that outcomes are what learners can actually do with what they know and have learnt. In other words they are the tangible application of what has been learnt. That assists the learners to know themselves. OBE compels educators to use action verbs like describe, explain, design or produce. These action verbs are preferred more than the vague and non-demonstration processes like know, understand, believe or think. It should be noted that since outcomes occur at the end of a learning experience, they represent the ultimate result of the didactic situation. In general, OBE standards are clearly defined and are known by all learners. This system allows the learners to reach and receive full credit for achieving any performance standard. OBE focuses on increasing studentsââ¬â¢ learning and ultimate performance abilities to the highest possible level before leaving school. That means that OBE takes an overview of the studentsââ¬â¢ learning and achievement. In this situation mistakes are treated as inevitable steps towards development and demonstration of high-level performance capabilities. The traditional system takes the opposite approach where testing and permanently grading of learners is very important and emphasizes on rewards learners for assigned work covered in class. Those who are fast and consistent performers get the best grades and records and those who are slower never get the opportunity to catch up because previous mistakes cannot be erased. Outcome-based methods have been adopted in significant ways in the United States, Australia, South, and Hong Kong to mention a few. Each education agency specifies its own outcomes and its own methods of measuring student achievement according to those outcomes (Goals setting strategies). Though it is claimed the focus is not on ââ¬Å"inputsâ⬠, OBE generally is used to justify increased funding requirements, increased graduation and testing requirements, and additional preparation, homework, and continuing education time spent by students, parents and teachers in supporting learning as well as the unit cost of training a student. (European Journal of Social Sciences ââ¬â Volume 13, Number 2 2010) In the Philippine education system, the quality and quality assurance in education has been the major theme from the past decade not only in the Philippines but from the rest of the world. Valisno (2000) in her presentation at the International Conference on the Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Standards, Mechanisms and Mutual Reorganization. She recognized that more and more people are concerned about the products or outputs of universities and colleges, whether societies are getting the real value for their investments in higher education. Harman(1996) points to the following main concerns on the quality issues that presently dominate the debates on higher education: 1) maintenance and improvement of levels of teaching, learning, research and scholarship; 2) improvement in the quality and adaptability of graduates; 3) how to define and measure quality; 4) whether management approaches of and colleges improve outcomes; 5) the use of benchmarking and performance indicators; and 6)how to convince stakeholders that institutions and systems are doing a competent job in ensuring quality outputs. Valisno further explained that universities and government agencies just used different terms such as academic standards, standards of degrees and diplomas, student assessment, and accountability. But the main issue also was largely about maintaining academic standards according to some national or international norm, the maintenance and improvement of levels ofââ¬â¢ teaching and learning, and how to provide sufficient financial and other resources to achieve quality higher education, As can be observed, many ofââ¬â¢ these issues are still significant today, but the new quality debate is centered largely on the achievement of quality outcomes; which necessitates the establishment of appropriate internal quality auditing and quality management processes not only to continuously monitor achievement, and to ensure rising achievement developing but also to determine and implement the quality policy and such as the management ofââ¬â¢ quality control and improvement. The lesson of the past as understood by the researcher could be the driving force of the educational managers of this country to adopt the process of OBE as an educational process which is based on trying to achieve certain specified outcomes in terms of individual student learning. Malan (2000) affirmed that the shift toward OBE is similar to the total quality movement as it reflects the best way for individuals and organizations to get where they are going is first to determine where they want to be then plan backward to determine the best way to get from here to there. Proponents of OBE assume there are many ways to arrive at the same results. OBE is currently favored internationally in countries such as Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and United States. Qualitative Approach This paper utilized the phenomological approach in research. This will illuminate the issue of outcomes based education concerning the best practices of the HEIs in Olongapo where the particular actors of the present phenomenon are the HEI administratorsââ¬â¢ and the instructors. They will be the locus of the study. Personal perspective and personal interpretation of the subjects will be given importance in illuminating the purpose of this study. This approach is very effective in bringing to frontage the experience and perception of individuals their own perspective of OBE and will therefore be used as a basis to inform, be inform and to give support to the surfacing issue on OBE. The strength of qualitative research is its ability to provide complex textual descriptions of how people experience a given research issue. It provides information about the human side of an issue ââ¬â that is, the often contradictory behaviors, beliefs, opinions, emotions, and relationships of individuals (Qualitative Research Methods p.1-2). Qualitative methods are also effective in identifying intangible factors specifically in the light of OBE utilization in some HEI in Olongapo. The data collected in a qualitative study includes more than words; attitudes, feelings, vocal and facial expressions, and other behaviors are also involved. The data which may consist of interview transcripts, field notes from observations, a wide variety of records and historical documents, and memoranda, are treated to rigorous ongoing analysis. Three processes are blended throughout the study: collection, coding, and analysis of data (Glaser & Strauss, 1967): This approach encourages the kind of flexibility so important to the qualitative researcher who can change a line of inquiry and move in new directions, as more information and a better understanding of what are relevant data are acquired (Blumer, 1999) All the higher educational institution in Olongapo will be covered by this study namely; CELTECH College, Columban College, Mondrian Aura College, Gordon College and the Lyceum of Subic Bay. The school administrator represented by their president or the vice president for academic affairs together with the instructors of the premier or the flagship program of the institution will be utilized as the respondents of this study. Data collection and sampling is an important aspect of any type of research study. Inaccurate data collection can impact the results of a study and ultimately lead to invalid results. A purposive sampling technique will be utilized to depict the purpose of this study. According to Cormack (2000) suggests that qualitative researchers use a small selective sample, because of the in-depth nature of the study and the analysis of data required. The HEIââ¬â¢s administrators as well as the instructor are purposively chosen to provide vital information that will shed light to the foregoing study. An interview will be utilized as the primary data collection technique. Interviewing is widely used in qualitative research. Compared with observation, it is more economical in time. Interviewing is trying to understand what people think through their speech. (www.ssrc.hku.hk/er/qr0204.doc) Prior to gaining consent from participants, letters requesting permission to carry out the study will be sent to the necessary institution. If all permission requests are granted, a letter of invitation will be distributed to all the HEI administrators and instructors of the premier program of the HEIââ¬â¢s inviting them to participate in the study. The researcher will use open-ended interviews as it allows participants to discuss their opinions, views and experiences fully in detail where as perhaps a interview with closed ended questions may inhibit them to express their full opinions and feelings. With the use of semi-structured interviews the researcher will have prepared a topic guide or a certain amount of questions to be covered with each participant (Polit and Beck (2008). A face to face interview allows the researcher to observe any non-verbal communication but also allows both the interviewer and participant to seek any clarification necessary. The interviews will be audio-taped with permission from the participant to ascertain an accurate account of the interview which can be replayed for analytic purposes and anonymity will be assured during the course of the recording. A qualitative research interview seeks to cover both a factual and a meaning level, though it is usually more difficult to interview on a meaning level. (Kvale, 1996). Interviews are particularly useful for getting the story behind a participantââ¬â¢s experiences. The interviewer can pursue in-depth information around the topic. Interviews may be useful as follow-up to certain respondents to questionnaires (McNamara, 1999). A general interview guide approach will be used in this study. This guide approach is intended to ensure that the same general areas of information are collected from each interviewee; this provides more focus than the conversational approach, but still allows a degree of freedom and adaptability in getting the information from the interviewee Participantsââ¬â¢ will be reminded of their right to withdraw from the study or terminate the interview at any time before commencing the session. The researcher also vows to ensure the participants anonymity and privacy during the conduct of interview. The purpose of data analysis is to organize, provide structure to, and elicit meaning from research data (Polit and beck 2008). Data analysis will be ongoing in conjunction with data collection as Polit and Hunglar (1999) state as interviews are conducted, gathered data is synthesized, interpreted and communicated to give meaning to it. According to Burns and Grove (1999) qualitative data analysis occurs in three phases: description, analysis and interpretation. The researcher will transcribe the interviews verbatim and analysis of the transcripts will be carried out by the researcher while utilizing Giorgis quality data analyses.
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