ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The success of research usually depends on several factors, including the quality of sources, the abilities of researchers, and the established timeframes. However, any researcher should also know that one of the most crucial decisions to be made at the beginning of a working process is data collection (Flower, 2014). In this study, a decision to develop a mixed methods research to investigate ESL teachers’ perceptions regarding the existing teaching technologies is made. The discussion of research questions, design, strategy, rationale, strengths, and weaknesses may prove the correctness of the researcher’s choice. Research Questions Considering that this data collection plan is based on mixed methods, two main research questions should be developed in the study. On the one hand, there must be a qualitative question representing a dominant qualitative paradigm. On the other hand, a quantitative part of the work should contain at least one vital quantitative question. Both questions introduced a strong basis for a future mixed methods research project:  1. What are the ESL teachers’ perceptions that have toward integrating technology in their teaching? (a qualitative question for the first stage of research)  2. What is the relationship between ESL teachers’ perceptions and their experience with using technology in their teaching? (a quantitative question for the second stage of research). Research Design The next step in the development of a data collection plan is a discussion of research design. Creswell and Clark (2018) suggest considering philosophical and theoretical foundations as soon as the research problem is identified. The recognition of design principles, including type, timing, weight, mixing, and domination, is required. In this study, an embedded mixed methods design is used. It is an integrated design that has to be developed specifically to meet the context requirements of the quantitative and qualitative research frameworks by embedding one of the techniques as dominant and another design as complementary (Creswell & Clark, 2018). The peculiar feature of this method is the possibility to link multiple points in data collection and analysis (Fetters, Curry, & Creswell, 2013). In this case, the researcher intends to add important information about the participants through the results of a quantitative survey that has to be embedded within the results of a quantitative (dominant) interview. Primary data from interviews will be gathered and analyzed. Secondary data is obtained from surveys that occur during the implementation of the primary data collection, meaning that the researcher chooses the embedded design with concurrent timing and a qualitative dominant (weight). Both types of information aim to improve recruitment procedures, gain broad perspectives on a topic, cover the weaknesses of the chosen methods, and explain participants’ reactions and perceptions (Creswell & Clark, 2018). The only aspect that should be mentioned is that the priority of the
Any government of the day in any nation must develop specific policies in particular areas to be able to streamline the management of that particular policy area effectively. Policies governing the provision of education are very fundamental to any nation. Research findings indicate that education is highly valued all over the world. Wenger (p. 240) has demonstrated that students all over the world are now going the extra mile in their quest for quality education. Some have gone to the extent of attending after-school and weekend tutoring to improve their academic certificates. This strategy has paid off by effectively raising the literacy levels globally (Wenger, p. 240). Current research findings have shown that the education sector has been experiencing numerous problems with declining rates. According to Wenger (p. 243), these declining levels have been attributed to problems of drugs used within the school system, violence, and the changing family structure. Dye and Susan (p. 320) strongly believe that teachers, school administrators, and the community at large are best suited to change this worrying trend. Community and child welfare agencies for instance have set the ball rolling by working in collaborating with school stakeholders in an attempt to address the problems (Wenger, p. 245). The world has experienced numerous problems in regard to environmental issues in recent times. Water scarcity and pollution, the deterioration of natural ecosystems (Murphy, p. 103), and an explosive population increase have been reported as some of the environmental challenges facing the world. Concerted efforts from NGOs working in conjunction with government agencies at ministerial levels have been put in place to deal with this problem. Murphy (p. 108) underscores the importance of the government’s accountability and efforts to help reduce environmental degradation in addressing this problem. Thirdly, the area of emergency preparedness has been noticed to pose great challenges to society. The majority of deaths occurring in the world today have been attributed to society’s lack of preparedness in dealing with disasters. Researchers argue that the community remains the most critical government agency in emergency management particularly at
Since the beginning of time, man has had to rely on his environment for survival. Whether he was located in the cold regions, tropics or near the sea, in one or the other he has managed to make a living from the environment. Therefore, they have left evidence on their landscapes which enable’s us to get an insight on what ancient life was like. Ancient civilisations were very much influenced by the environment; it affected their type of food, means of transport and economic activities (Boing, 202). The type of landscape, whether flat or hilly, can shed some light on a community’s way of life. For example, a hilly and mountainous region was unsuitable for agriculture. This meant that the residents of the area had to find other economic activities. The Greeks were particularly known for their excellent sailing techniques; and there is a very good reason for that. The Greeks originated from the modern Greece country which has an enormous coastline. Also, the country is full of Rocky Mountains making it unsuitable for farming. Therefore, the Greeks turned to the sea to look for food. Their menu consisted of food from the sea and many people made a living from fishing and the associated economic activities such as boat crafting, lumbering and fishing net making. In the long run, they became excellent sailors which proved to be of huge help during the expansion of their kingdom. Also, the boats were used to transport farm produce food from regions which farming was possible. They had domesticated horses which they used as a means of transport and they were also vital in conquering other lands (Murry, 391). On the other hand, the Egyptian Empire was located on a fai
In recent years, the expenditure of the US military has been rising and now accounts for more than 19 percent of the total federal budget. In 2010, expenditures including costs outside the Department of defense stood at about 35 percent of budget expenditures (Wall par. 2-6). Since the year 2000, the expenditure by the department of defense has been increasing annually by about 9 percent. GDP and military spending In 2009, the budget of the US military amounted to about 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. In 2010, the amount given to the United States Department of defense was approximately US$660 billion (Macias par. 1-7). This amount was the highest in American history, but still 1.5 percent lower than the GDP. Unit                           2010 Budget request  Percentage of Total Army                           US$244.9 billion     31.8%               Navy                           US$149.9 billion     23.4%               Marine Corps                   US$4.0 billion       4%                  Air Force                      US$170.6 billion     22%                 Defense Intelligence           US$80.1 billion      3.3%                Defense-Wide Joint Activities  US$118.7 billion     15.5%                Source: (Macias par. 4-7). Comparison with other countries The budget of the US military is actually the highest in the world. In 2012, China spent about US$100 billion on military activities, but still this amount was almost seven times lower compared with what the US military spent. The main reason behind the spending is that the United States had the largest number of barracks and military bases located in different parts of the world (Wall par. 2-4). In 2005, the United States spent about 5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product on military activities. This was more than what the top four countries combined used on military activities. In 1944, the US military budget was the highest as it was about 40 percent of the GDP. The lowest point was recorded in 1999 where military spending amounted to about three percent of the GDP (Macias par. 3-7). During the Vietnam War, in the late 1960s, the spending on military act
There are a number of common psychological disorders in the world that are non-obvious from first sight. One of them is the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — the syndrome which causes people to have recurring, unwanted thoughts and drives them to uncontrollable, repetitive actions. The actions which OCD forces people to perform can begin as something harmless but grow into obsessions that disrupt daily life, and this problem needs to be addressed. The disorder, as stated in its name, consists of two symptoms: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are thoughts, fears, and images that constantly appear in one’s mind. They can be unreasonable or illogical but will always cause distress and anxiety. The acts people perform in order to prevent obsessions are called compulsions. Sometimes they are directly motivated by fears, such as washing hands to avoid germs, but they can also be utterly absurd, like arranging things in a specific order. Even if the actions themselves are somewhat safe, their constant presence in daily life is damaging. Having OCD brings serious risks to people’s life functions. Firstly, the compulsions consume a lot of time with repetitive rituals, making it impossible to maintain an adequate routine or be productive. Secondly, distressful thoughts can appear at any time, and the attempts to ignore or suppress them can result in panic attacks or severe mental breakdowns. Without proper medical attention, OCD often provokes other mental and physical diseases, such as depression, anxiety, indigestion, and dermatitis. However, a complete recovery from OCD is not possible within the current level of healthcare. The symptoms can only be temporarily eliminated with psychotherapy and anxiety medications. As it can be seen, the disorder is definitely threatening, and there is a need to explore more about its treatment. To summarize, this research presents general information about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The symptoms of this disease are highly dangerous since they affect people’s entire routines and lifestyles. Severe cases of obsessions and compulsions often lead to extreme mental states or harmful physical conditions. However, healthcare now is unable to provide an ultimate cure for OCD, and better treatments are to be discovered.
Introduction Arthritis is one of the major prevalent health conditions that affect most people in Australia. The symptoms have impacted the lives of the larger population of Australians. Arthritis has been prevalent among women aged 45 to 65 years. This paper discusses the significance and issues of arthritis in Australia. Incorporating credible evidence, the paper expounds on biological factors such as unusual bowel permeability, genetic and microorganism as the causes of arthritis The paper examines the use of physical and occupational therapy, as some of the strategies which should be practiced to curb the spread of arthritis. Consequently, the paper looks into the determinant of arthritis in Australia. Moreover, the paper explores how my research has developed my skills, and lastly, the paper concludes by summarizing up the main points. Significance of Arthritis Arthritis is commonly called a “single disease”; this is because it is a word that is used to describe an illness of more than a hundred medical situations that affect the “musculoskeletal system” mostly the joints (Clough 2006). Arthritis exists in different forms such as; Rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, juvenile, gout, spondylitis, and scleroderma among other forms of arthritis. Consequences associated with arthritis include; inflammation, pain, stiffness, and joint cartilage damage. The problems can culminate in weaknesses of the bones, bone instability, and general deformity which can lead to interference in a person’s daily chores such as; food preparation and walking among other imperative duties. Arthritis is one of the major diseases that cause chronic pain and disability in Australia. Arthritis has waged a significant challenge to the gove
In ethics, egoism is a theory that states that the end and motive of conduct is the promotion of one’s own interest and not the interest of others. Egoism is subdivided into several theories including the Ethical Egoism and Psychological Egoism but all of the forms of egoism require explication of “self-interest” or “well-being”. Psychological egoism’s claim is that a person has one ultimate aim and it is her own welfare. This kind of egoism that allows for an action that failed to maximize the perceived self-interest but rules behaviors such as altruistic behavior or the motivation by thoughts of duty. This would allow one to aim at things other than her own welfare while these things are also means to her own welfare. The psychological egoism as an empirical theory has committed the fallacy of hasty generalization or what we also call as converse accident (Psychological Egoism, 2007). The fallacy hasty generalization is the fallacy of considering an exceptional case and making a generalization that fits them alone (Philosophy 103, 2004). This is like stereotyping, when a person sees a child who just had tantrums then he would conclude that all children have tantrums. Ethical egoism’s claim is that to maximize one’s self interest, it is necessary and sufficient for an action to be morally right (Shaver, 2002). This is also a prescriptive or normative doctrine wherein a person is expected to seek an end with his own welfare and the only thing which is important to that individual is his own welfare (Psychological Egoism, 2007). This can also be defined as an action or decision made that answers the person’s best self-interest. If this actions or decisions made have harmed or benefit others then this is not incidental but an expression of our need and desire to do altruistic acts and the actions that we did are not as base or purely self-interest. Ethical egoism has a strong and weak version. The strong version states that it is moral to endorse one’s own good and it is not moral if you do not endorse your own good. The weak version states that it is always a moral thing to do if you endorse your own good and the converse is not necessarily accurate and that there are certain situations that one may find it more important to ignore his own welfare in making moral judgments (Davison, 2006). The difference between the two egoisms is that Psychological egoism is a belief that humans are selfish and always act out of their own self-interest and the result would then be happiness while ethical egoism is the belief that people should act only in their own interests (Maccarelli, 2006). Another difference is that psychological egoism somewhat takes an extreme stance on how our thinking works. It states that all actions of humans are selfish that no matter how altruistic our actions are, it is still not altruistic. On the other hand, ethical egoism believes in actions are based on o
Our Solar System Just as the name implies, the Solar System is a multifaceted system that encompasses an array of celestial bodies orbiting around the sun. A visit into the Adler Planetarium museum showcases these bodies displayed in a state-of-the-art facility. A theatre show ushers viewers with the rubric ‘Welcome to the Universe,’ commencing with a view of a blackened night sky thanks to a range of military-grade projectors. It is of note that the show features a live presenter who guides the viewers on how to locate the fundamental celestial landmarks. A walk into the Solar System room gives one a first-hand experience of how it feels like to be in space. A view of the eight planets together with their specific features agrees with the theoretical explanation. For instance, the planet Saturn is displayed as the second largest and is surrounded by rings. An array of telescopes in the outer space viewing the Solar System shows how the pictures of these bodies are taken. Moreover, the System is donned with meteors and asteroids. A reflection of a theoretical explanation of the Solar System reveals a true picture of the same, as displayed in the exhibition. It shows that the terrestrial planets, including Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, are the smaller planets. On the contrary, the outer four planets are large and they are surrounded by planetary rings, a composite of dust and minute objects. Jupiter is the largest of all the planets followed by Saturn. The exhibition displays the planet Saturn as having numerous and beautiful rings just like it is being depicted in the literature. It is noteworthy that these planets are displayed so that they lie on a flat plane (an ecliptic plane) just like it has been explained in the literature. The Sun is the largest body and lies at the centre of the Solar System (Johnson 1). I chose the Solar System since I wanted to know if the exhibit captures all the important features that are mentioned in the literature. Shoot for the Moon A ‘Shoot for the Moon’ is a revelation of the first maiden journey to space by the Americans in the 1960s. Featured in the exhibition is the Gemini 12 spacecraft, exhibited with an all-time state-of-the-art technology. This was the last type of this series, launched on November 11, 1966, from Cape Canaveral. The visitors of the museum are invited to a Lunar Danger Training Lab to experience at first hand what it feels like to be on the Moon. One experiences a ‘Lunar Leap’ and eventual ‘Touch Down’ on the moon. Alex, a robot, exhibits a series of tests performed on astronauts before they are deemed fit for survival on the surface of the Moon. It is of note that the exhibition is surrounded by artifacts that include “an Apollo 8 in-flight suit, Apollo 13 helmet and gloves, Lovell’s visual acuity test card from Gemini 7, and original flight plans and manuals flown on the Gemini 12 mission” (Pearlman 2). Jim Lovell tells about the initial American journeys into space way back in the 1960s. Lovell shares his personal experiences and the series of setbacks tha
Introduction The history of Christian thought in the Middle Ages has been filled with conflicts inside and outside the Church. At the start of the fourteenth century, the tension between the ruling nobility and papacy increased leading to the Church losing control over its main representative, the pope. 1 The string of events that followed the relocation of the papacy from Italy to France created the Great Western Schism. During this event, the authority of the Church and the overall role of the pope came under question for nobles and commoners. 2 As an outcome of the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Western Schism, the Church entered a challenging period that could have become one of the factors in encouraging the Reformation movement. The Challenges of the Church The Impacts of the Babylonian Captivity and the Western Schism Before the transfer of the papacy to Avignon, Rome was unanimously considered the center of Christianity. 3 However, after the conflict between King Phillip IV and Boniface VIII has escalated, the ruling nobility of France stopped seeing Rome and other Catholic countries as having authority over France’s religious and political decisions. Thus, the French-dominated College of Cardinals soon appointed a new pope who decided to move to Avignon, France, to avoid being persecuted by Italian Christians. 4 The onset of the Babylonian Captivity exacerbated the religious conflicts among different countries. The new pope was under the control of the French king, putting the authority of the Church under that of the political ruler. This change in political leanings altered the way the countries perceived the papacy and the legitimacy of the Church because before the transfer the pope’s position was seen as protected from all judgments. 5 The Western Schism further weakened the influence of the Church on the nobility and commoners as well, although the religion itself remained an inherent part of people’s lives. The lack of recognition of ecclesiastical structures resulted in a century-long conflict between multiple popes, the majority of Western countries, and the Church’s council. The existence of two popes with the initial separation of Rome and Avignon-based locations confused people and called the religious and diplomatic immunity of the papacy into question. 6 Then, when the council established by the Church appointed a third pope whose authority could not overcome or convince the public, the reliability of the existing ecclesiastical system deteriorated further. 7 While the Church succeeded in removing the competing popes and establishing a new pope again, the perception of people toward the Catholic Church was changed. The Significance of Early Reformers The changes that the Church underwent in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries had a great impact on the following events and paved the way for the Reformation movement. The position of the early reformers who doubted the popes’ authority strongly affected the way other people viewed Catholicism and Christianity, in general. The Church was deemed as corrupted and indulgent by the opposition, and