ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction One of the countries in the world that could be viewed as an example for economic development is Singapore. In a span of fifty years, Singapore was able to lift itself from a poorly structured country with weak institutions to a country very close to the OECD countries. Among the sectors that witnessed tremendous improvement is the education sector. During the early 60’s, the education standard of Singapore could be equated to that of Africa. It took the country approximately forty years of reform to attain a level of education that is quite similar to the OECD countries. What could be attributed to such great improvements? The discussion of this paper seek to illustrate the history of Singapore and the education reforms that took place in the country resulting into a great leap within the economy in relation to education. The paper will identify various reform agendas in various levels of education starting from primary level and the government priority that set the impetus for the increased economic development. Finally, the paper will conclude on the government’s prioritization of economics within the education sector contributed greatly in its economic improvement since the early sixties. History of the development Reign of the British and political unrest The journey to success of Singapore could be traced well back in time since the pacific war of 1945 which had left the country and its people in a state of social and economic instability. While the Britons celebrated victory, the people of Singapore had discovered that the Britons were not invincible after all. A thirst for political freedom and for a chance to access the economic opportunities greatly increased amongst the people of Singapore. Accordingly, the country witnessed ever increasing cases of industrial strikes and political uprising. This resulted into closures of several British firms and evacuation of Britons from Singapore. In addition, there was an increase in population in Singapore during the 1950s. This affected Singapore’s economy in a number of ways. There was increased unemployment, a phenomenon that the British colonialists failed to control. This period also witnessed racial divergences in the country with several groups referring to themselves as Chinese, Indians or Malays and none of them considering terming themselves as Singaporeans. In addition to this, there were religious differences in the country which also ended up with riots- the Maria Hertogh riots (Boon & Gopinathan 2006). Education system According to Boon &Gopinathan (2006), there were more factors that contributed to the stiff growth in the economic development of Singapore. Among these include the education system that was introduced encouraged by the government. In this form of education, Chinese schools were stifled as more emphasis was laid on the English-stream schools. Those educated in these schools became unprivileged and could not have access to tertiary education neither could they gain employment in the
Introduction The term management is used to refer to a specific function within an organisation or a business entity. The function describes the operations of agents charged with the responsibility of coordinating efforts in the firm with the aim of achieving the set goals in an effective and efficient manner. On its part, a decision support system (DSS) refers to an information network that is anchored on computing technology. The system helps businesses and organisations to make informed decisions (Turban et al. 2005). In other words, DSS is viewed as a set up meant to provide support for organisational processes. In this paper, the author will analyse a project touching on management decision support systems. The project is important given that the management team in a given business firm makes key decisions affecting the enterprise. The team also formulates policies to govern the organisation. According to McNurlin and Sprague (2005), the executives should be well informed when making these decisions. The DSSs that are at their disposal serve as important sources of information. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of America is a body that seeks to protect members of the public from purchasing products that are likely to cause injury. The commission has recently launched a database where consumers can file complaints concerning the safety of products in the American market. The database is operated online and is open to all users. The current project will analyse this database. The undertaking is significant given that the information contained in the database helps consumers to learn about goods that are currently in the market with the hope of coming up with the most appropriate decision. Literature Review Introduction The use of DSS as a tool for decision making is not an entirely new concept. The information tool has been in use since the late 20 th century. Its popularity soared after the introduction of the World Wide Web (McNurlin & Sprague 2005). The kit is important to both manufacturers and consumers. With regards to consumers, the use of these systems has eased the process of making the right decisions when purchasing goods. The networks have also helped manufacturers to respond to complaints made by the consumers. The producers are also in a position to make improvements on the goods that are already in the market. Manufacturers put into consideration the reviews provided by customers when designing new products. The new CPSC website, www.safeproducts.gov , is one such information system used by these stakeholders. It was launched in 1972 under the Consumer Product Safety Act. CPSC is charged with the responsibility of protecting consumers from the use of goods likely to harm them. At the time of its launch, there were very few platforms through which consumers could exchange ideas about products. The reason behind
Variety of Designs There are several designs that can be used to research a topic and meet the goals set during the work. Every research design has its peculiarities and features that have to be taken into consideration before making the final choice (Edmonds & Kennedy, 2012). For example, experimental designs focus on cause and effects with a number of dependent and independent variables and the participants that can be randomly selected (Mitchell & Jolley, 2012). Quasi-experimental designs are similar to the previous one but with an exception that the participants are not randomly chosen (Vogt, Gardner, & Haeffele, 2012). Ex post facto designs are not about the causes and effects but about the possibility to explore a cause as soon as the condition takes place (Creswell, 2013). Research Topic An experimental design can be used in different investigations. For example, it is interesting and important to understand the role of information technologies in educations. There are many institutions that have already accepted the iPad initiative and want to promote the use of different mobile devices in an education process. It is possible to investigate the worth of this initiative among the American college students. The experimental research design is as follows: one class is divided into two groups (50 students: 25/25 with an equal number of female and male students in each group); one group is allowed to use iPads to search for material, answer questions, and participate in discussion, and another group is used the available material expect any mobile devices. The experiment is held during one month. In the end, students are examined orally and in a written form to compare the results and define who is able to use the knowledge gained better. Hypothetical Research Question The question that has to be answered in this kind of research is: Can mobile devices improve the way of how students accept and understand the material or is it only an easy way to look for material and save time? Independent and Dependent Variables There are two groups of variables in this research. Independent variables are the iPads and the students of both genders. A dependent variable is the one that can be manipulated by the two previous variables. That is the results of the tests taken by students at the end of the experiment. Another dependent variable is the time during which students search for material and give answers. Parametric and Nonparametric Statistics: Differences and Examples Statistics can be of two types: parametric and nonparametric. To understand the key differences of these statistics, it is necessary to define the essences of both. Macnee and McCabe (2008) define parametric stats as the one that can be based on normally distributed “bell-shaped” numbers with a certain interval, and nonparametric stats is characterized by ordinary numbers that are not “bell-shaped” and without an equal distance. Taking into consideration these two definitions, it is possible to say that the differences between two types of statistics are:   * The relation of facts: parametric stats represents the information that
Introduction When examining the case of Palmetto Pharmaceuticals and the decline in client patronage indicated by Andrew Lowerston, it becomes immediately apparent that the problem lies in the way in which sales representatives view the customer-client relations model. While a primarily sales oriented approach does address the issue of selling products, it fails to sufficiently address the issue of maintaining a constant stream of customers. As such, a method of evaluation must be implemented which shows the sales representatives the impact of their current approach and how it adversely affects the company’s overall sales performance. Suggested Performance Appraisal Program In this particular case, the most appropriate appraisal system to address the issues discovered by Lowerston is to implement a 360 degree feedback system. Such a system works by having multiple avenues from where data on employee performance is collected, this comes in the form of employee performance data being collected from managers, coworkers, from the employees themselves and, most importantly, from customers and suppliers (Drew, 2009). Such a method would be an effective means of resolving the issue of the case since it enables customers to provide a certain level of feedback on the way in which they were treated by the company’s sales representatives. By comparing the performance input created by managers and other employees with that of the clients, the company will be able to show the sales representatives the impact of their actions vis-à-vis the actual performance of the company (Drew, 2009). The advantage of this particular method is that while it will show sales representatives that they are complying with the sales metrics set by the company, it would also indicate that they are actually failing when it comes to the broader goals of the company in terms of maintaining a constant stream of consumer patronage for its products (Downs, 2012). As a result, this would necessitate a distinct change in performance on the part of the sales representatives wherein they would be more inclined towards developing long lasting relations with their clients rather than focus on a quick sale for the sake of meeting a metric. Unfortunately, the inherent problem with this particular method of appraisal is the fact that it takes a considerable period of time for an evaluation to be completed (Downs, 2012). For example, feedback forms need to be sent to managers, other employees and to customers at which point they have to be filled out and returned to the company. This can take a considerable amount of time and, in the case of some customers, the forms may not be entirely accurate. Not only that, in some cases the performance indicators that are filled out by managers and employees may not be entirely accurate as well and, as such, this places considerable doubt on the accuracy of this particular approach on performance evaluation. Conclusion Based on an analysis of the pros and cons of th
Investing in oil drilling projects is often fraught with a great number of risks, primarily, the ones that are related to the environmental issues (Agwu, Ilori, & Nwachukwu 2013). A recent discovery of oil deposits in Croatia has led to a train of dilemmas regarding the further exploration of the existing opportunities. Starting the drilling process and investing into the project might seem the most adequate step to make, yet the current problems related to the possible environmental hazard and the necessity to avoid the risks such as covering for the damage made to the areas in the vicinity caused by drilling offer a lot of food for thought and room for doubt. The disposition of the oil deposits aggravates the situation. As a recent study of the subject matter shows, the close proximity of the alleged drilling sites to the Adriatic Sea makes the dilemma nearly unsolvable (Bernardini, David, Perkovic, & Tarchi 2014). Regardless of the possible environmental hazard, a range of scholars (Bernadini et al. 2014; Loncar, Leder, & Paladin 2012) point to the fact that the further exploration of the area is bound to lead to impressive outcomes. The choice of a multitask program, which will allow addressing the environmental issues and at the same time reduce the possible losses to the minimum must be viewed as an option in the specified scenario. By focusing on investing in technology and qualified workforce, as well as enhancing precaution measures, investors will be able to avoid the key risks, as well as gain great Seeing that the environmental threat regarding the possibility of an oil spill in the Adriatic Sea is the essential risk at present and that it outweighs the rest of the concerns, addressing it is the most sensible investment decision. Avoiding the chance of an oil spill by improving the quality of the tools used for the drilling process, particularly, purchasing the ones that have a higher precision rate, must be the primary objective for investments at present. An increase in the accuracy of the drilling process will allow for reducing the risk of an oil spill and, therefore, the loss of the investments made in the process, to a minimum. As far as the current investment options are concerned, the acquisition of the tools such as X Drilling Tools ( Welcome to X Drilling Tools , 2015) should be viewed as a possibility, since they have the highest accuracy rates and, therefore, allow for preventing the risk of an oil spill in the area The above-mentioned risk concerning the drop in the state economy and, therefore, the conflict with the Croatian entrepreneurs and government members, will also need to be addressed. Even if the investors put a strong emphasis on the security measures and reinforce the strategies against oil spills in the area, tourists may still feel insecure about the possibility of an environmental hazard. As a result, great drops in tourism rates will be expected in the country. Seeing that the Croatian economy thrives on tourism as one of its crucial industries (Omerzel & Jurdana 2015), losing tourists will mean a slow but cer
Plato’s Republic develops the concept of the types of knowledge. The primary division of Plato’s classification is the division of knowledge into sensory and intellectual knowledge. The first category of knowledge, namely sensory knowledge, is perceived as a lower type, and intellectual knowledge is the higher one. Intellectual knowledge is divided into “thinking” (noesis) and “reason” (dianoia). By “thinking,” Plato understands the activity of the mind alone, free from the admixture of sensuality. By “reason,” Plato understands this kind of intellectual knowledge, in which the subject of cognition also uses the mind to understand sensible things. Sensual knowledge Plato also divides into two areas: “faith” (pistis) and “likeness” (eicasia). Through “faith,” one perceives things as existing and affirms them as such. “Likeliness” is no longer a kind of perception but an intellectual action with sensory images of things. According to Plato, feelings cannot be the source of true knowledge; he considers knowledge as “ability” or even “power,” the most influential of all that a person possesses. Closely related to these differences is Plato’s distinction between knowledge and opinion. The opinion is neither knowledge nor ignorance; it is vaguer than knowledge but more precise than ignorance; it is in between these two categories. Unlike opinion, knowledge is a potency, a special kind of existence. I understand Plato’s distinction between opinion and knowledge; opinions can be both true and wrong, and their true value can fluctuate. Socrates, the protagonist in Plato’s Republic , suggests creating an ideal city as a model for regulating the individual soul. The city’s guardians must be moral and unselfish, living modestly and communally as soldiers do in their camps. Thus, according to Plato, people who have a moral and intellectual approach to governance issues should govern a just republic. These people in their decisions should rely on the knowledge because only it can provide them with an accurate perception of reality, free from feelings. The opinions of modern politicians, such as, for example, Joe Biden, influence the decisions made in government, which, from Plato’s point of view, is not acceptable. The mental activity of the head of state should be aimed at comprehending eternal questions, not the current and changing world.
Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate if there was any difference in mean self-esteem scores for boys and girls. Self-esteem has been recognized for its influences on the quality of life and perceptions about the world. The study design was a quantitative study involving 30 participants selected randomly. An independent-samples t-test was conducted for the two variables (gender and total scores for self-esteem). The result indicated that there was no statistically significant variance between mean self-esteem scores for boys and girls. It was therefore concluded that there was no significant variance between mean self-esteem scores for boys and girls, but further studies should explore other variables other than gender. Introduction It is generally acknowledged that having high self-esteem is clearly advantageous to people (Heatherton & Wyland, 2003). High self-esteem makes individuals feel better about themselves. In addition, they can handle challenges effectively while minimizing the impacts of negative outcomes. Further, individuals with high self-esteem believe that they live in a favorable social world in which other people respect them. While Heatherton and Wyland (2003) had observed that some forms of negative outcomes were associated with exceptionally high-levels of self-esteem, it was generally concluded that many people who had high self-esteem had positive attitudes toward life and led productive lives. On the other hand, people who have low self-esteem have a negative perception of their lives and the world. Such persons have a general dislike for self, which ultimately impaired their overall view of the world. Much evidence has linked cases of depression, loneliness, wariness, and exclusion and self-esteem. These relationships show that low self-esteem adversely affects people who have it. Therefore, self-esteem significantly influences the quality of life. For achievement and productivity, a study showed that “high self-esteem is an important factor, and it strengthens the prediction of academic achievement in students” (Aryana, 2010, p. 2474). This was the case of pre-university students and their related academic achievements. Consequently, self-esteem is an extremely important factor for determining productivity and outcomes, and perhaps it could influence career outcomes or other vital life choices, even if the influence is marginal. Self-esteem is critical for psychological well-being (Heatherton & Wyland, 2003). In fact, educators and other interested parties have taken a keen interest in it to assess its influences on individual levels (Aryana, 2010). In fact, some educators have a curriculum to
The idea of psychological archetypes has an important connection with the portrayal of mythology. This concept is mainly in agreement with Joseph Campbell’s suggestions of mythology in regard to the hero archetype. Campbell claims that the power of mythology lies in the fact that myths reflect realistic and valid archetypes. Since the ancient time, myths have been the main way of explaining battles, major life events and people’s behavior. There is always a hero in such stories or myths, who faces a struggle that acts as the basis of the story’s plot. With a lot of strength, talent, as well as admiration, the hero upholds the most precious thing to the audience, heroism. However, as time goes, the role of the hero remains indistinguishable from any other character (Mitchell 1). A myth about Gilgamesh describes the main hero as a person that beholds different heroic characteristics seen in many stories. At the beginning of the myth, Gilgamesh decides to conquer the jungle’s beast, Humbaba. Gilgamesh sets this goal for himself. Every hero must set a certain aim. Otherwise, there would be nothing to accomplish or tell in a myth. After Gilgamesh defeats the Humbaba, he loses Enkidu, his best friend, which is a great loss and challenge to any hero. In his mourning, Gilgamesh goes through a transformation making him appear like Enkidu. The hero appears in tatters and puts on animal skins. This makes Gilgamesh the opposite to Enkidu. Civilization influences the appearance of Enkidu like that of Gilgamesh. In this case, the hero becomes more savage. Changing appearance is a way of keeping Enkidu alive by appearing like him (Mitchell 11). Gilgamesh finds it hard to believe Enkidu is dead and is in denial of the idea of his death. However, after seeing a worm coming out of Enkidu’s body, Gilgamesh accepts the fact that his friend is no more alive. He realizes that he is not immortal. This makes Gilgamesh seek a way to cheat death. Gilgamesh chooses to look for Utnapishtin, thus he goes to Mashu. He encounters lions on his way and seeks the protection of Sin. These adventures are presented as a dream and actual encounters. In some cases, Gilgamesh is scared even though it is not clear whom the hero faces (Mitchell 1). As Gilgamesh reaches Mashu, at the mountain’s entrance, he walks into darkness. This is a common feature in most heroic myths. Gilgamesh faces a terrifying encounter as he meets Hunbaba. This proves Gilgamesh’s heroism. As a hero, Gilgamesh must go through this experience alone. The whole place is dark, and Gilgamesh can see neither front nor behind. Gilgamesh cannot escape his solitude. Literally, there is nowhere for Gilgamesh to go. There is also nobody to turn to for assista