ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
It is important for stakeholders to reconsider the assessment methods that are used in online education. Previously, online education was the reserve of a few individuals and it served as a supplement for traditional classrooms. Currently, online education operates in large scale where a single classroom can have more than a hundred thousand students. The fast-rising nature of online education has prompted some colleges to adopt this educational system out of the fear that they will become irrelevant. Consequently, most online education providers lack enough preparation when venturing into this mode of education hence the need to reconsider the assessment methods that are used in this form of learning. Online education is the only form of modern learning that was introduced in a period when higher education was ‘free for all’. Some elements of higher education feature traces of discrimination against women and minorities but online education does not have these aspects (Segers, Dochy and Cascallar 29). The shift from the analog systems to the digital era has also had a significant impact on online education. Therefore, the assessment methods that are used by online students should feature both the new freedoms that have been accorded to online education and the advanced elements of the digital age. Two specific assessments that might be used by online instructors include quizzes and online journals. These two assessment methods can be used for an online American Literature course. The America Literature course examines the literary contributions that have been made by literary-icons since the early days of the American nation. The course will focus on the literary, historical, philosophical, and cultural elements that have shaped American Literature. At the end of this course, students should be able to; read, examine, and understand the literary works that make up American literature. In the second learning outcome, learners are expected to recognize the philosophical, literary, and cultural aspects that have shaped American literature throughout history. As a third learning outcome, learners should be in a position to perform a literary analysis for any work that falls under the category of American literature. When measuring these outcomes, an online journal is a formative assessment method that should assist online instructors in determining their students’ levels of reflection and self-analysis. An online journal is often a web-based tool that consists of the students’ first-person views about a particular subject. The student can use the journal to improve his/her writing and/or reflection skills. The journals can also be used to accomplish the goals of the second and third learning outcomes in the America Literature course. For example, a student can post an online journal about his/her philosophical reflections about a novel from the eighteenth century. Quizzes are summative assessments that can be used by online instructors to point out what a student has learnt. Unlike the online j
Recycling waste has become important for Americans due to a large amount of trash, such as plastic bottles from water, produced by the citizens. However, recycling is possible only after the waste has been separated based on the type of material used. This paper is a brief summary of the article by O’Connor et al. (2010) titled “Effects of number and location of bins on plastic recycling at a university.” Additionally, in this paper, the results of this study will be discussed from the viewpoint of the class material and readings. Recycling practices among students can be enhanced if the universities utilize behavioral sciences and change the location of the recycling bins across the campuses. In summary, in the article “Effects of number and location of bins on plastic recycling at a university,” the authors O’Connor et al. (2010) discuss the relevance of the practices that aim to enhance adherence to the recommendations for sorting the trash that can later be recycled. The goal was to manipulate the number of recycling bins, their location, and the signs indicating that there are recycling bins at this facility to determine which practices are best used to encourage students to recycle more. The outcome of this study shows that students recycle more when the recycling bins are located in the classrooms. The authors also tested other strategies, including the use of signs indicating the places for recycling and changing the number of bins per facility. However, the only intervention that has been effective was the placement of the receptors near the exits from classrooms, which is a conclusion that supports some of the basic theories of behavioral science. Hence, this shows that there are ways of enhancing the adherence to the practices of recycling among college students if the recycling bins are situated appropriately across classrooms. This article relates to the class material because it is based on the behavioral sciences and the basic principles, and the understanding of the motivation drivers. For example, O’Connor et al. (2010) state that the appropriate practices can help address some of the issues related to the rates of recycling. Moreover, previous studies have shown that the number of bottles placed into the recycling receptacles can be increased with appropriate behavioral interventions. One example is placing the recycling bins close to the places where people typically consume the product, which is one of the interventions that O’Connor et al. (2010) tested. Despite the results of this study, the authors acknowledge several limitations that might have affected the outcomes and, therefore, should be co
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, March The famous “March” is a part of “The Nutcracker”, presented as the second piece in the first act. It was written by a Russian composer, Tcaikovsky Pyotr Ilych (1840-1893). It was written in 1891-1892, when the author was in his sixties. This composition is one of his last works. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, I Symphony No.5 in C minor is a part of the first act of the Opera 67. It was written in 1804 -1808 by Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 – 1827). Writing this composition, the author was in his mid-thirties; his hearing was constantly getting worse. To compare the two pieces, several aspects should be analyzed, which include instrumentation, form, harmony, tempo, meter, texture, style period, meaning, and orientation. Instrumentation: The Nutcracker is performed by a range of instruments, namely woodwinds, flutes, triangle, violins, snare drums. The Beethoven’s Symphony uses such instruments as Flutes, oboes, clarinets, trumpets, timpani, piccolo, bassoons, contrabassoon, and trombones. Form: the Nutcracker consists of two acts, and the March is the second composition in the first act. This piece lasts around 7 minutes. The Symphony No. 5 lasts nearly 30 minutes. The work is presented in four movements. The first one has a form of sonata Form A :|| B A’; the second movement is presented by the theme and variations T,V1,V2, V3,V4,V5. Harmony: in Nutcracker the harmony is mainly tonic, sometimes changed by subdominant; the Symphony has tonic and sometimes dominant harmony. Tempo: the Nutcracker is presented in tempo allegro; the Symphony has a comparatively complicated structure and therefore the tempo is changeable. The first movement is in tempo allegro; the second movement has the andante tempo, which is later switched back to tempo allegro and at the end changed to tempo accelerando Meter: the both compositions use duple vs. triple meters. Texture: in Nutcracker the loud parts are supported by soft instrumentation; in Symphony the melody is changed rapidly from soft to very loud and back. Style period: While the Nutcracker was written during the Romantic period, the Beethoven’s Symphony was composed during the Heroic period. The meaning of the Nutcracker is absolute. The meaning of the Beethoven’s Symphony is rather programmatic. The orientation of the Nutcracker is rather secular, while the Symphony has a sacred orientation. In my opinion, the both melodies have some strengths and weaknesses. Concerning the Nutcracker, it is a very harmonic composition, which gives a general impression of good mood and some importance. I liked the party of violins which made the melody smooth and supported the main instrumentation. However, the ending did not impress me much. In my opinion, it would be better to end a march with some kind of slow and loud – textured rising notes than with chords of tempo allegro. This would make the ending more distinctive and exuberant. The Beethoven’s Symphony is a very complicated composition which appeals to me ver
Introduction There has been a consistent decline in population in most of some of the developed countries over the past three decades. In the past, there was a general belief that the solution to higher standards of living in a country would be to reduce birth rates. This strategy worked, but countries have come to realize that this move has its consequences. It is a fact that smaller families are easy to manage, but the problem comes when the population of a country drops significantly. For instance, German, and many other developed nations in Europe have been experiencing a sluggish growth of population. Some have been experiencing a decline in the population. According to Caselli (67), a declining population may have negative consequences for the government. This is so because, with the reduced population, there will be a reduced workforce within the nation. The market for various companies will also drop, making the country unattractive to investors. Although the reduced population will have a higher purchasing power per family, the total purchasing power of the country will drop. The revenues for the government will also be reduced because of the reduced number of people who pay tax. For this reason, many governments in the developed countries have been keen to control the significant decline of the population. According to Weiner (113), scholars and other technocrats have proposed various ways of increasing the population of a country. The United States has maintained a high population increase over the years because of a higher rate of immigration as compared to the rate of emigration. This approach may be good because most of the immigrants have the technical knowledge and therefore, can apply their skills in various sectors. However, some governments have been critical of this approach, especially because such immigrants would repatriate part of their income back to their home countries. This would have negative consequences to a country’s economy. For this reason, many economists have proposed the idea of increasing the birth rate as the best approach to increasing a country’s population. This paper seeks to investigate if it is appropriate for the government to encourage couples to have more children as a way of increasing its population. Discussion Population increase is becoming relevant in some countries around the world. With the technological advancement and improved economic conditions of the third world countries, the need to immigrate to other developed countries have declined. This means that some of the countries that
Introduction Osteoarthritis/ degenerative joint disease is a “chronic condition characterized by deterioration of joint cartilage and the formation of reactive new bone at the margins and sub-chondral areas of the joints” (Schilling, 2010, p. 388). Rheumatoid arthritis is a “chronic systemic inflammatory arthritis of auto-immune origin, and it systematically affects the synovial joints” (Emery, 2011. p. 1). This paper aims at discussing the pathophysiology of the two diseases while highlighting their differences and similarities. Pathophysiology Osteoarthritis As can be seen from the definition of osteoarthritis above, the major issue of osteoarthritis is loss of articular cartilage at the synovial joints, presumably through enzymatic action. But, interleukin has also been suspected to cause this loss. As the cartilage erodes with time, the underlying bone is exposed and left unprotected. Sequentially, thickening and hardening (sclerosis) of the exposed bone results.
Introduction As the sources of income become limited and human being needs become insatiable, man has looked for alternatives for making sure that he is able to fulfill his needs. One such need has been the need to enjoy the aesthetic value which our environment offers. This has resulted in engaging in different activities as he tries to fulfill these aesthetic needs. Several activities which man has engaged in include mountain climbing, beach rallying, and watching wildlife and so on. With globalization and the ability of people to move freely from one place to the other without many barriers a different kind of tourism has gained momentum with the number of tourists increasing day in day out: The cruise tourism industry. The gains from the industry have been increasing, however as the industry grows issues of major concerns have risen concerning the contribution of the cruise tourism industry to unsustainable development with proposals of the sustainable development strategies emerging and the authorities insisting on the need for their implementation. In this essay, we shall discuss the environmental impacts the cruise tourism industry has had on the environment and then propose mitigation measures which need to be observed to promote sustainable development of the industry. Cruise Tourism Any trip taken through the sea with the sole purpose being for leisure is usually defined as a cruise. A cruise involves stopping at several stop points which are usually defined as destinations with in the coast line during the expedition (Dowling, 2006). It is on this basis that a cruise tourist is thereby defined as a person who travels in such a ship (cruise) enjoying visiting the various destinations as well as the journey itself. A cruise ship is different from your ordinary
Introduction Marvin Harris (1985), in his Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and Culture, gives a deep insight into the variations and differences in the food habits and preferences from one society or culture to the other. He explores the reasons behind food habits which are adopted by different communities and he almost uses a theoretical approach to explain why certain communities prefer certain kinds of foods and abhor others. In his book, the author organizes his work in chapters which include good to think or good to eat , meat hunger, the riddle of the sacred cow, the abominable pig, hippophagy, holy beef U.S.A, lactphiles and lactophobes (milk lovers and milk haters), small things, dogs, cats, dingoes and other pets, people eating and better to eat. Review of the Content Marvin (1985) highlights the influence of culture on our food preferences and on shared notions of what is good to eat and what is repulsive. In his book, he also explores the diversity of the various food preferences and habits. He attempts to answer questions that include why various groups detest the mention and consumption of various foods for example the American populace with dog and horse meat, the Jews and Muslims with
Introduction Sociology is the science that deals with the most important phenomenon for every human being. It deals with the society in all its aspects and such spheres of social life as politics, economy, equality of rights, etc. Drawing from this, sociology, as a comprehensive and all-embracing science, is one of the basis sources of knowledge about the principles of human coexistence. It goes without saying, however, that considering the major phenomena of social life it is impossible to be focused on positive things only (Collins and Makowsky, 2004). Problems, social conflicts, various discriminations and rights inequalities constitute a large part of the societal relations. Poverty is one of the most significant issues that the human society faces in its development, and special attention in this respect should be paid to poverty among women (Collins and Makowsky, 2004). This is exactly the focus of this paper aimed at finding out the reasons for women poverty, main factors influencing it and the possible ways of its overcoming. Background to the Problem Stereotyping To start the discussion of such a burning issue as women poverty, it is necessary to find out the reasons for its emergence and for the very distinction between poverty among males and females. Thus, the major factor that makes scholars talk about men and women poverty separately is the patriarchal nature of the human society. In other words, males have dominated the social life from time immemorial while females were viewed as mere housekeepers able for cooking, cleaning and bringing up children (Collins and Makowsky, 2004). Despite the fact that the dawn of the 19 th century and the appearance of feminism movement brought considerable progress into the struggle for the equality of rights for men and women, the traditional public attitude have remained unchanged – women are weaker and more dependant upon men. This phenomenon, according to Buvinic (1997), is called “the “feminization” of poverty” because “women are traditionally found to be more impoverished than men” (p. 38). Governmental Fault Further on, the tradition-based inequality in wages is also a reason for the inequality. However, the major reason for the women poverty as a separate phenomenon is the inadequate policy of the government that did not manage to settle the issues of unemployment, family breaking and overall income decrease that started already in 1920s. The period of the Great Depression was one of the hardest for the social life of the United States. Over a quarter of all the workers started losing their jobs since 1929, and the tendency led to the increase in poverty rates and single parenthood figures. Accordingly, males who were more adjusted to social changes and able for more varied kinds of work could feed themselves while women were left to face poverty and raise chil
Utilitarian principle of ethics assesses outcomes of actions as either right or wrong basing on their goodness or badness. According to the principle, a morally right outcome is the one that gives greatest benefits to most people (Park, 2011). In other words, the principle of utility holds that the consequences of actions should have maximum benefits and minimum losses. Hence, in the case study, the best decision is to let the patient undergo surgery because its consequences have the greatest benefits to the patient and family. Since the patient has been suffering from gallstone disease for eight years, surgery is the best intervention that would heal the patient. The principle of equality holds that all people have equal rights in accessing healthcare services. Rosenbaum (2011) states that the objective of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is to enhance fairness, affordability, accessibility, and quality of healthcare services in the health care system. In this case study, the patient should receive equal healthcare services as other patients irrespective of the nature of insurance package or cost. Underinsurance or high cost of healthcare should not be barriers that hinder patients from accessing quality healthcare services because it is against the principle of equality. Thus, the patient should receive equal treatment as other patients. The principle of need asserts that the needy people should receive a greater share of resources than those who are not needy. Healthcare providers should assess patients and consider their needs in decision-making (Heiskell, 2010). The patient in the case study is very needy because she has endured gallstone disease for 8 years, she is unable to afford surgery, and she is underinsured. What is preventing the patient from receiving appropriate treatment in the healthcare center is the cost of surgery and underinsurance. Therefore, basing on the assessment of needs, the ethical course of action is to fund the patient to undergo surgery. The principle of contribution is also applicable in the analysis of the case study. Insurance companies apply the principle of contribution when compensating their clients. Since the patient subscribed to the underinsurance package, she deserves to get commensurate compensation. According to Rosenbaum (2011), the standard insurance package is virtually impossible, and thus customized packages enhance “stabilization of the insurance foundation on which the entire health care system rests” (p. 131). Therefore, it is ethical for healthcare providers to provide healthcare services that are commensurate to the insurance package that the patient is subscribing. The principle of effort holds that people make achievements that are proportional to their efforts. This means that the amount of efforts that people place on their work determines achievements that they make. According to the ethical principle of justice, patients should receive a fair distribution of benefits and losses (Heiskell, 2010). In this case, the patient should accept that the insurance provides limited compensation according to the subscribed insurance package. M
Every discipline has ethics, which stipulates certain virtues. Diverse disciplines wish to uphold such values. Accordingly, the reference materials provide ethical benchmarks that this discipline should uphold. Faith is a central ethical requirement in science. The article elaborates that scientists have countless tasks such as availing information. The information emanates from the research they undertake. Thus, it is vital for scientists to report their findings faithfully. In the reference materials, the scientists have a central obligation of reporting the estimated volume of species. Estimation of the number of species is a tough challenge due to the enormous array of organisms. Additionally, organisms inhabit enormous geographical regions. This increases the challenges of documenting species owing to linguistic challenges and ecological disparity. As such, it is crucial for scientists to sustain objectivity in their tasks. The species-level is deteriorating owing to the pressure on the environmental resources. The pressure radiates from the rapid escalation of the global demography. Accordingly, the demographic figures have surpassed the planet’s capabilities. Subsequently, it is essential to report the implications of the demographic escalation. This will facilitate the global administrations to institute opposite strategies, which will mitigate the diminishing species levels. The planet is encountering a crisis due to the rapid fading of species. Consequently, ethical virtues like faithfulness and objectivity are paramount since they will present the situation accurately enabling the adoption of apposite measures. Industrial activity emanates from scientific progress. However, industrial activities are influencing the surrounding that scientists seek to study and safeguard negatively. Effluents have ended in alteration of the planetary climatic conditions. As such, calls to reverse the impacts have emerged. The calls require the application of industrial processes based on sound science hence reducing pollution. Utilization of technology that diminishes pollution is expensive, nonetheless; industries are unwilling to integrate such expertise since it lessens profitability. Overall, science should prove that utilization of surrounding friendly technology would terminate in minimal contamination and apposite management of resources (May 2010). Peer rev