Aviation Technology

Although the join States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) runs one of the safest atmosphere transportation dodges in the whole world, it is foreseeing an aviation problem caused by increasing passenger verse and consequently, more(prenominal) than(prenominal) crowded skies (U.S. Government Account king Office GAO, 2007). The number of passengers is expect to reach 1 billion per year 8 years from now.FAA (2007) shows engage that if it does non concentrate action, there will be far great delays than what is being experienced right now, leading to economic losses which could fall down up to $22 billion. That is why the agency is starting to institute transformations in its organisation to address this key issue.One of these is the transition from the currently-used system to the Next Generation descent Transportation System (NextGen) a step that promises to prevent gridlock in the skies.One of the circumstantial components of NextGen is ADS-B, short for Automatic D ependent Surveillance Broadcast, which is considered to be the backbone of the NextGen system and utilizes GPS satellite signals to provide both buffer storages and air duty chasteness post with more precise tuition to enable a more high-octane and safer use of the skies (FAA, 2007).How Does ADS-B Work?Unlike radar which involves transmitting electromagnetic pulses and bouncy them off airborne targets and then interpreting reflected signals, ADS-B works by relying on satellite-based GPS system in order to determine the aircrafts exact sic as well as a host of other parameters some(prenominal)(prenominal) as the aircrafts speed, route, heading, altitude and flight number (ADS-B, 2007 ADS-B Creates a juvenile Standard for Aviation condom, 2007).These information are broadcasted via a radio receiver transmitter and base be received by other aircrafts, fuzee stations and state vehicles that are also weaponed with ADS-B (Caisso, 2001). Aircrafts and ground control stati ons within 150-200 miles of the broadcasting aircraft (orADS-B ground station) receive the information and presentment it in an easily understandable format in a computing machine screen. Pilots locoweed view this information on a Cockpit Display of affair Information (CDTI) while air avocation controllers on the ground can see the ADS-B aircrafts on their regular traffic display screen (ADS-B Creates a New Standard for Aviation Safety, 2007).Users of ADS-B are assured of receiving air traffic information in real-time which operator that both the pilot and the controller on the ground can both view the resembling information at the same time.Benefits of ADS-BOne of the major benefits of ADS-B, as stated earlier, is the ability of both the pilot and the ground station, when both equipped with ADS-B, to view authoritative and accurate air traffic information in real time. on that point will also be less need for aircrafts to continually mastermind and receive signals from gr ound-based controllers (FAA, 2007). This will lighten the load of air traffic controllers, change them to accommodate and serve more aircrafts at a more economic rate.The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) also supports the governments move to pursue ADS-B in lieu of radar and other oversight technologies, stating that their members can benefit from ADS-B as it is able to provide graphic weather updates and textual flight advisories (AOPA, 2006).These information were considered to be an pricey add-on to animate aviation technology resulting to its unpopular use in aircrafts (ADS-B Creates a New Standard for Aviation Safety, 2007). Furthermore, AOPA believes that FAA can have enormous savings because ground-based transmitters cost at nigh $200,000 as opposed to radar systems that cost the government millions of dollars.ADS-BAnother reason why ADS-B is preferable to radar systems is that aside from it being less expensive than radars, ADS-B updates at least once a sec ond compared to radars which can sometimes take as long as 12 seconds (AOPA, 2006 FAA, 2007). ADS-B also has wider coverage and ADS-B ground station can be put in place more easily than radars. In fact, FAAs Capstone Program involved armament airlines and air taxis in Southwest Alaska with the new technology.The region was particularly chosen because most of the ground is frozen for the whole year making a lot of places inaccessible by land (FAA, 2001). Furthermore, remote areas cannot be reached by radars making the place a perfect testing ground for ADS-B technology. start in 1999, the program has continued until at present and has even grow to include two more phases.The use of ADS-B has reduced accidents in the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta a place not reached by conventional radar by 43 percent in 2003-2006 (Stapleton, 2006). The results of the Capstone program proves that ADS-B technology can be used to increase efficiency and safety in aircrafts.The drop in the number of ac cidents in Southwest Alaska can probably be attributed to ADS-Bs ability to enhance aviation safety by providing pilots with features such as automatic traffic call-outs and warnings of impending arrivals or take-offs in the runway (ADS-B Creates a New Standard for Aviation Safety, 2007).ADS-B, having a range of more than 100 miles, provides the aircraft with a wider margin in which to detect conflict (e.g. an threatening collision). Compared to existing systems, resolution of conflicts can be enacted within a shorter crossbreed of time.Disadvantages of ADS-BBenenson (2005) noted a certain disadvantage of ADS-B while flying his Cessna Cardinal, which he equipped with ADS-B UAT (Universal Access Transceiver). It was notADS-B 5really a disadvantage of the technology itself but alternatively to the lack of ground-based transceivers (GBTs) at present. In order for non-ADS-B aircrafts to be displayed in a CDTI, the ADS-B equipped knock off must be within the line of bunch of a GBT. The GBT sends traffic information coming from air traffic surveillance sensors, most probably radar.The radar information however is not as accurate as the one received through ADS-B, so the non-ADS-B plane appears in the CDTI distorted. Related to this, pilots who are equipped with the new technology whitethorn be over-confident, thinking that he perfectly understands the surrounding traffic, forgetting that only equipped aircraft are able to transmit their position quite clearly (Caisso, 2001).Evans (2006) tackles more serious issues such as the risk of spoofing by individuals whose sole draped is to produce as many false ASD-B targets on an air traffic controllers screen. Dick Smith, the former head of Australias cultivated Aviation Authority, was the first to pull public the reality of such a risk. He claimed that spoofing can be done using a laptop, an ADS-B transceiver and a $5 antenna.ADS-B experts in the United States, after performing their own tests, agree with Smith th at spoofing is indeed possible with the new technology. FAA, being aware of such a possibility, are putting the pressure on the bidders for ground stations, which should be able to show their systems anti-spoofing ability.Although ADS-B is seen to be less expensive than radar, airline and aviation companies still think that the new technology is not worth the amount theyre going to spend to replace existing systems and are holding off buying until the prices drop (Evans, 2006).However, the prices are not likely to go down until there is a greater remove for the technology. ADS-B Program Manager Vincent Capezzuto said that if consumers are not willing to make any investment risks, it will be difficult to follow airspace mandates and delays in the benefits offered by the program could be delayed.ADS-B 6Evans (2006) also tackled the danger of totally relying on GPS for aircraft navigation and surveillance. FAA acknowledges that GPS may be prone to interference and of course, failure . When such a situation arises, an ADS-B equipped aircraft will have no means by which to obtain air traffic information. It is therefore critical to come up with a backup system.The Implication of ADS-B in the Aviation IndustryADS-B can be considered a milestone in the aviation industry. Never in advance has there been a technology that can provide so much air traffic information and a lot of other features with precisely a single equipment. With the large volume of passengers and greater air traffic expected by FAA in the coming years, ADS-B seems to be a practicable (if not the most) answer to this issue.

National Family Welfare Program

The institution of family is as old as man himself. It is the basic social cell. Sociologists and economists have always been propounding the ways to amelio regulate quality of life, which is difficult to achieve if the people remains unchecked. India launched a nation-wide Family benefit political programme in 1952, during the front five course of study think, making it the premiere country in the world to do so. COMPONENTS The National family welfare programme in India has five components A. Maternal and boor health, extended to reproduction and tike health superintend.B. Immunization of pregnant women by tetanus toxoid and that of children sister and preschoolers by BCG, oral polio , diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and measles. C. Nutritional supplement- Iron and folic sultry to pregnant women and children. Vit. A to prevent blindness D. contraceptive fostering and dissemination dispense with and social marketing i. e Contraceptive Nirodh, Oral Contraceptive i. e Mala D, copper T and that of voluntary surgical contraception E. health learning on primary health headache particularly motive to accept contraception.Emphasis on vasectomy was make in the national program, currently place contraception is promoted. A. Maternal and small fry healthMCH It relates to health of mother during pregnancy, childbearing and post-natal period and that of freshlyborn and neo-natal health. Reproductive and Child Health (RCH)- relates to extended MCH with teenage and post-menopausal womans health. The RCH package covers 1. Pre-reproductive Adolescent age Health care of adolescent girl including health promotion, safe age of marriage > 20 old age, prevention of unsafe abortion and prevention of sexually transmitted complaint (STD/AIDS) . Reproductive Years Contraception. Legal Abortion ( MTP) Effective RCH care to tick off safe motherhood. Risk advancement RCH care is streamlines Male involvement in RCH care is essential. Effective supportal teaching method to all and function to the under fire(predicate) group. Service to promote child survival. Prevention and treatment of reproductive portion infection and sexually transmitted disease including HIV/AIDS high gear risk labor by automobile transport. Prevention and treatment of gynecologic problems menstrual disorders or infertility. 3. Post reproductive Years Prevention and care of genital prolapse fostering on menopause. Screening and treatment of crab louse e finically cervical cancer. B. Immunization Immunization to the mother and child was made one of the important set about. The WHO launched its Expanded program on immunization against fractional-dozen most common preventable puerility diseases, viz. diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, polio, tebibyte and measles. The government of India launched its EPI in 1978 with the objective to reduce mortality and morbidity resulting from vaccine-preventable diseases of childhood and to achieve self sufficiency, in the production of vaccine.UIP in India was started in 1985. It has 2 vital components i. e. immunization of pregnant women against tetanus and immunization of children in their first year against the six targeted diseases. C. Nutritional supplement Special Nutrition program This program was started in 1970 for the nutritional benefit of children below 6 years of age, pregnant and nursing mothers and is in operation in urban slum, tribal areas and backward rural areas. The supplementary food supplies active 300 Kcal and 10-12 gms of protein per child per day.The beneficiary mothers receive daily 500 Kcal and 25 gms of protein. This supplement is provided to them for about 300 days in an year. Balwadi Nutrition Program This program was started in 1970 for the benefit of children in the age group 3-6 years. It is under the overall devote of subdivision of Social Welfare. The food supplement provides 300 Kcal and 10gms of protein per child. Mid-day Meal Program The program was started in 1961 with an objective to promote school admissions, prevent drop-outs and break literacy of children. The food should be a supplement not a substitute. ?Should fork over at least 1/3rd of total energy and half of total protein requirement. ?Economical. ?Should be such that can be easily fain at schools. ?Locally available. ?Avoid monotony. Integrated Child Development turning away (ICDS) ?Improvement of the nutritional and health status of children below 6 years of age, ? Basic service for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child, ? reduction in the incidence of morbidity, mortality, malnutrition and school dropout, ?Effective coordination of policy and murder amongst the miscellaneous departments to promote child development and ? Improvement of the capability of mother to savor after normal health needs of the children. For achieving these objectives next steps were interpreted ?Supplementary Nutrition ?Immunization ?Healt h check-up ?Referral services ?Health and nutrition education ?Non-formal pre-school education. Creches for the children of working or ailing mothers. Welfare of Handicapped children ?Scholarships ? good example schools. ?Educational and rehabilitative services. Financial assistance to voluntary organization. ?Integrated education with normal children in ordinary schools. ?homework of teachers. ?Manufacture and development of special aids. ?Special employment exchanges. The Under-five clinic. This type of service was developed to dispense prophylactic curative and promotive health services in a incorporate manner The Under- five card consists of record of weight, assessment of nutrition and necessary nutritional advice, Immunization, family planning advice, treatment of Illness. D. Contraceptive education and distributionContraception education received a new impetus with the creation of the Mass Education Media (MEM) division within the Department of Family welfare during the In ter-plan period of 1966-69. Under free distribution schemes and the Social Marketing Program, contraceptives, both condoms and oral pills are exchange at subsidized rates. E. Health Education on Primary Health Care. Health education on following components was given through mixed Health professionals. ?MCH care. ?Immunization. ?Nutrition supply and Education. ?Adequate supply of safe drinkable Water, Personal Hygiene and basic sanitation. Prevention and control of local endemics. ? enamor treatment of common diseases and Injuries LANDMARKS oFirst five year plan- (1952-1955)- Establishment of few clinics ?Training and research was conducted. oSecond five year plan- (1961-1966)- Integrated family planning Health education activities and Community development programs. oThird five year plan- (1961-1966)- ?Family was declared as the real centre of planned development. ?The emphasis was shifted from the purely clinical approach to the more vigorous extension education approach for mot ivating the mass for acceptance of the small family norm.Fourth Five year course of study- (1964- 1974)- Family planning services were rendered through sub centers, PHCs and MCH and Family welfare centers. All India Post Partum Program was started in 1970 to motivate mother for planning soon after rescue. In 1972, aesculapian Termination of Pregnancy Act was implemented. oFifth Five Year Plan- (1974- 1979) Renamed as Department of Family Welfare. Population control and Family preparedness were made con current assailable in January 1977 by the 42nd amendment of constitution. 1977- Program got a boost by the involvement of VHGs, Indigenous Trained Dais and local opinion leaders. 6th Five Year Plan- (1980 1985) To attain Health For All by year 2000, through Primary Health Care Approach the Government accept National Health Policy in 1983 which laid down following goals ? Net Reproductive measure 1 ?Crude Birth Rate 21/1000 live births ?Crude death rate 9/1000 population ?Couple protection rate 60% oSeventh Five Year Plan ( 1985- 1990) Department of family welfare was separated from Ministry of Health general immunization Program, oral rehydration therapy and various other MCH programs.All these programs were brought together under the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Program (CSSM) oEighth Five Year Plan (1992 1997) Top priority to slower rate of population. Focus on delivery of quality services and integration of other services. April-96 Target free approach was announced emphasised on providing quality services on take away based on the need of people. RCH launched, included ?All components of safe motherhood programme with added components of RTI/STI. ?All components of Child Survival. ?Fertility regulation with a focusing on quality care. Aims To improve the management services at central, state, regulate and block level ? Seeks to attain holistic approach in implementation of this programme ? Focus on neglected geographical areas. ?Focus on previously neglected segments of population. oNinth Five Year Plan- (1997 -2002) Objectives ?Reduction in population harvest-home ?Meeting all felt needs for contraception ? step-down IMR and MMR and Maternal Morbidity Rate so that reduced fertility rate is achieved. ?1997 -Target Free Approach was renamed as Community need Assessment Approach. ?A Comprehensive National Population Policy 2000 for achieving set goals and objectives.There has been significant ancestry in the mortality and fertility rates due to serial growth and development of family planning programe as shown in the following figure. CONCLUSION The Family Planning Programme in India has come a long way and is considered as a way of life by most people. It can be seen from the figure that there has been an impressive increase in the outlays in the successive plan period. But in reality the outlay for each plan falls short especially for taking up any new venture because most of the cost is utilized for maintaining the infrastructure.

Expect the unexpected

enquire the UnexpectedMany people in the universe get distracted with something they may want. This is no exclusion for Sammy, the supporter, in A & A P by nates Updike. Sammy works at the A & A P diet commercialise write up and he sees something unexpected date he is working. The unexpected distraction causes him to make thing he did non intend to make which causes him to believe virtually things at the incorrect clip and do faults that did non necessitate to be make. Updike examines and shows the jolt of one s environment based on one s determinations as shown by Sammy s actions that he has made in the narrative. end-to-end the narrative, Sammy thinks about deuce-ace misss that walk into the A & A P lead astray while he is working. He gets distracted because of the fact that they argon establish oning but bathing suits. While they walk, Sammy visualizes each miss up and batch and seems to acquire phantasies while believing about them. This causes him to do a er ror while working at the check-out procedure line and the witch- similar lady in her 1950ss gets raw and give Sammy problem because he rang up HiHo crackers twice, I pealing it up once more and the client starts giving me ophidian pit. She s one of these cash-register- catchers, a enchantress about 50 with key fruit on her zygomatic bones and no superciliums, and I know it made her twenty-four hours to trip me up ( 16 ) . Sammy can non concentrate while believing about the three misss who cause his actions and his ideas to clash with each other in the incorrect manner. As it can be seen, Sammy s assimilation alterations every bit currently as he sees something unexpected. His desires catch his heads and he does non cognize what to make as he is non able to believe directly. equally shortly as she finishes up with the lady, he starts to believe about the three misss once more and starts watching them as they go through the fare market discover. He noticed one of the misss and dubbed her Queenie, because she seemed wish she was the leader of the gathering as she was in front leading and noticed her the most. He name calling one of the other misss Plaid because she is have oning a plaid cat valium two-piece bathing suit. He names the last miss grown Tall Goony-Goony because of the fact that she was large and tall. Sammy watches Queenie as she presented herself and noted her physical visual aspect. He describes her face, characteristics, how she walked, and how she goes through the isle and visualizes things. He still is in dismayed how the misss are in only if bathing suits and was believing why they did non exercise set on a shirt or some places. He shortly thinks about how he likes the organic structures on the misss and how thick they are.As the narrative goes on, Lengel, the director, comes and confronts the misss and tells them that following clip that come into the A & A P food market snitch that they should have on shirts and places. T he misss thought that they were nice when they came into the shop but the director did non desire to reason with them stating that it is policy. every bit shortly as that happens, they seem embarrassed and looked like they were in a haste to go forth A & A P. Sammy tells Lengel that he did non hold to abash them like that. Lengel explains to Sammy that the misss were the one abashing the shop for what they were have oning. After that, Sammy expresss he start outs in rule to catch the misss attending as they hurry out the shop because he did non like the manner Lengel embarrassed them, The misss, and who d fault them, are in a haste to acquire out, so I say I quit to Lengel quick plenty for them to hear, trusting they ll halt and watch me, their unsuspected hero ( 20 ) . Lengel ask Sammy if he is certain because Sammy knows that his parents will be really defeated to hear that he discontinue his occupation. Equally shortly as he leaves the shop, he ca nt happen the misss any place. It is as if the misss left no presence of them coming to the A & A P. When Sammy looks behind at the shop, Lengel is in Sammy s topographical point pealing up the remainder of the points for other people, and at that point Sammy starts to believe what is locomotion to go on here after and how everyone will handle him, Lengel in my topographic point in the slot, look intoing the sheep through. His face was dark grey and his dorsum stiff, as if he d merely had an injection of Fe, and my tummy carriage of fell as I felt how hard the universe was traveling to be to me afterlife ( 20 ) . Sammy s actions and his ideas collide which end up traveling at odds with each other which causes him to discontinue merely to acquire some misss attending which did non go on at the terminal.Sammy like most other male childs thinks that they need to make something in order to catch some misss attending. Throughout the narrative, things did non travel the manner Sammy wanted it to travel. Actions and ideas impede with each other doing him to do errors that did non necessitate be made. Not merely did he acquire a witch-like lady client to acquire huffy at him which causes her to give him hell but he besides quit his occupation so he can be noticed by the misss he admires which ended up non go oning. This can be seen as the struggle and the flood tide throughout the whole narrative. These actions Sammy makes cause him to do an impact on the environment and the people around him.Work CitedUpdike, John. A & A P. Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 6th Compact erectile dysfunction. New York Longman, 2010. Pg.16-20.Small, Anne C. , and Robert C. Evans. A & A P. Short Fiction A Critical Companion,1997. 252-255. Literary name and address Center. EBSCO. Web. 20 Jan. 2010.

Particular style and cultural context of the theatre Essay

Taking a range of dallys female genitaliavass on the course show how the play texts atomic number 18 affected by the particular drift and heathenish context of the arena from which they are drawn. For this strain I will be looking at The Menaechmi by genus Plautus, erstwhile upon Four Robbers by Femi Osofisan, Therese Raquin by Emile Zola, Hernani by Victor Hugo, Riders to the Sea by J. M. Synge, Aoi no Uye by Zenchiku Jinobu and tocopherol Lynne by Mrs Wood, altered by T. A. Palmer. I let chosen this selection of plays as I feel it gives an consummate cross section of the plays which have made up the course this year.From delving into the stopping superman surrounding these different plays I will be examining the heathenish and semi g everyplacenmental scenerys which have affected their creation, and how these plays may reflect or affect reality. Plautus having been born in Italy became a Roman soldier, This is probably when he was undefendable to the delights of the Greek lay disclose. After the Macedonian conquest, Greek comedy go away from The daring personal and semi governmental satire of Aristophanes.The Three ages of Greek Comedy are categorised as Old, ticker and New, and the development of comedy is said to be mainly due to the political and social conditions of Athens, it finally held up a mirror to all that was singularity of Athenian manner. Plautus made adaptations of Plays by the Popular Greek dramatist Menander. still the refined work of Menander would hold little interest for a rowdy Roman crowd. So Plautus plays are, as the Romans would have love to watch, full of debauchery and brashness. This support certainly be seen in The Menaechmi, from the genuinely beginning of the play.The Prologue in its integrality encourages the audience to pay attention, with the rhyming spoken communication appealing to all classes and qualification the play really easy to mind to and understand. The part Menaechmus 1 is the epitome of infidelity and licentiousness he says to his bawd Desiree now can you guess what I require to do? Desiree, your regular subservient sex object, replies Yes, I know and whats to a great extent, Ill do what you want. The language Plautus uses throughout is loaded with sexual suggestion twist in it, wont you? and Your Tight pants. Plautus seemed to baby to the wants of his Roman audiences, with great success.another(prenominal) dramatist of the time who took ideas from Menanders comedies was Terence. However Terence, unlike Plautus cared little about public taste, instead he devoted himself to capturing the spirit of the Greek originals which he adapted. East Lynne, adapted by T. A. Palmer, is another play which is a pure product of the prevalent culture of its time. One source of information I used in my research on East Lynne said The storys intense emotionalism made it popular in its time, especially in the U. S. straightaway it is seen as the epitome of melo dramatic excess. This quotation, I believe, really does sum up the feel of the play.The Victorian Era, from which the play is drawn, was filled with similar performances. The behavior was cognize as Pictorial Theatre as it conveyed absolutely no gumption of realism, and simple pictures were used to train scenery. Looking at the play itself you can see the stock characters very understandably, the insipid female roles, the strong oer-bearing and exacting males, and the almost sickening displays of emotion that signify this romanticism. Particular lines that hellionstrate this clearly within the text are this from Isabel Love and contentment can make the humblest home happy. And When he leaves me it seems as though the sunshine had faded from my life. The playwright makes little attempt to influence the actors exposition of characters, with highly brief stage directions that literally just indicate each(prenominal) characters entrances and exits. Costumes at this time were con temporary clothing, and like every other aspect of this style, suggestively un-realistic well at least it was consistent Though this style was very popular at the time, interesting things were happening in IrelandThe hundred long time between 1840 and 1940 saw Ireland struggle for, achieve, and deal with the consequences of political liberty and impudently nationhood. The realism of force field created by the likes of Synge, Yates, and Wilde eventually carried over to Britain and is commonly cognise as the Irish Renaissance. Personally I feel that this resurgence was brought on by the political liberty of Ireland and the desire to find a cultural identity. J. M. Synge wrote plays about Irish peasant life and considering the popularity of melodrama in Britain the differences between East Lynne and Riders to the sea is enormous.The most striking thing you notice when looking at Riders to the Sea is the constant interruptions by the playwright, directing the actor and production towards a realistic style. At the beginning of the play there is a stage direction, setting the scene in so a good deal detail as to include that Cathleen, a girl of about twenty, finishes kneading cake, and puts it down in the hoi polloi oven by the fire then wipes her hands, and begins to spin The majority of the cast are female, with the head of the household being Maurya an old woman.This quotation from the plays sums up her argument and character Bartley will have a fine coffin out of the white boards, and a deep grave surely. What more can we want than that? No man at all can be animate for ever, and we must be satisfied. For sure, J. M. Synge was one(a) of the people who contributed to the naturalism we see in theatre today. In legion(predicate) countries, political theatre can be seen in one form or another. Modern African looseness is a general category of performances that in practise and principle purport to stand in opposition to the dominant trends of cultura l presentations and representations, productions and social transaction.Femi Osofisans play, Once upon Four Robbers, is a hard loaded political tool. The prologue is highly motivational, with quotations like this Slogans about returning to the land, sermons of bourgeois morality, are waste to a man who is born condemned to poverty. And I hope this play shocks us into a new awareness I hope it helps to change our emplacement from passive acceptance or sterile indignation into a more dynamic more enraged determination to confront ourselves and our lives. Within the play itself you can see elements which are almost Brechtian at times, the use of the margin call of the storyteller for pattern. Regarding a section of the text in which three characters register off a list of scandals there are footnotes relating to this list which require In production, the list should be made to include the most fresh public scandals effectively highlighting that the story of the play really is one that transcends eras of time so long as the political references are unplowed up to date.This also shows the flexibility of the writer the flexibility of African theatre as a whole. The ending of the play depends on the settlement of the audiences opinions. twain separate endings are written. One sees the Robbers set free, and the other sees them put to death. This emphasises get ahead Osofisans desire for the audience and for the African people as a whole to start passing judgement on their lives, on their governments and on their burdensomeness. Africa as a continent is one which has always suffered through oppression this play like many others seems to be trying to counteract this.In the words of Paulo Freire What could be a more effective way of making people actors in their own development than to raise their awareness and lecture their energies through cultural activities. The beginning of the amorous Movement was supposedly foretell by the French play, Hernani, w ritten by Victor Hugo. In France some 1660 1830 there were certain rules attached to the writing of a play. These were known as the Unities. The three Unities were that a play must take place in one day the duration of the play could not span weeks or months.The second was that there could only be one setting for the entirety of the play. The third unity was that the action could only be on one plot or story line. Hernani breaks all of these rules as it involved characters from gallant history, had lots of scenery changes and does not hold one plot solely. The Romantic features of Hernani include the character Dona Sol, the emotional, bland female and the character of the Duke who barges into the play at the beginning and assumes control. There is also a sense of spiritualization in the play with the ghostly Mask character.In fact, when the play was first performed in 1830, Hugo announced that he would employ no claque or hired applauders, a customary practise in French Theatres. It seems that Hernani was certainly affected by the style of theatre in France when it was written it went against all the conventions that existed at the time. Another French playwright, Emile Zola, produced Therese Raquin in 1873, another play which certainly went against convention Emile Zolas novels were attacked and even banned for their frankness and sordid detail. In fact when he published the open letter JAccuse in demurral of Alfred Dreyfus, an army officer who had been convicted of treason. Zola was sentenced to prison for libel. Zola was said to have been the Leader of the natural scientist movement in 19th Century Literature. His early writing borrowed heavily from the Romantic Movement but as his style developed he was more influenced by science than art, and was said to have been inspired by Claude Bernhards introduction to experimental medicine (1865).The play itself is very realistic, the setting is in one room which complies with one of the unities but takes plac e over a long stretch of time. The characters Zola creates in Therese Raquin include Camille, an irritating, immature and conventional Man who is seriously cossetted by his mother. His character is epitomised by lines such as She hasnt much brain, poor girl, but she looks after me marvellously when Im ill. Mama has taught her to make my camomile tea. Another Character of great importance is the mother Madame Raquin whose typical lines include Now, now, Therese, Laurent is not very happy.He lives in a garret and they feed him very poorly at that little cafi of his. Madame Raquin is a middle class, self righteous, snob who oppresses and patronises Therese. Camille is just as bad as his mother but is just a result of her conceited values. The subject is clearly an attack at the bourgeois, but many people seemed to have been more concerned with attacking Zolas scientific methods of conveying relationships. Wilde Quipped that Zola was determined to show that if he has not got genius, he can at least be dull. The spirit cosmos and the real world are highly linked in Japanese society and so it would be incredibly strange not to see some reality of this in Japanese Noh Theatre. The play Aoi no Uye by Zenchiku Ujinobu is certainly an example of this, with the witch character reciting a mystic formula which invokes The living hallucination of Rokujo. One of the most important features of the Noh play is the use of the Theatre as a means of enforcing religious morals, in particular the Buddhist doctrine that human salvation is achieved through prayer and penance. Aoi No Uye is an example of a Demon play, one of five of the categories given to all plays in the style of Noh. This particular category usually has a demon or preternatural figure as the protagonist, there is a battle between the demon and hero in which the demon is usually subdued and this is very much the pattern of events in Aoi no Uye. The high status Saint character comes along and drives out the de mon Rokujo, who in his final speech exclaims The interpretive program of the Hannya Book I am afraid. Never again will I come as an angry ghost. Then, in baffle to drive the point forward even further the Ghost ends the play saying When she comprehend the sound of Scripture the demons raging heart was stilled shapes of pity and sufferance, the bodhisats v descend. Her soul casts off its bonds, she walks in Buddhas way. This theatre form seems to be incredibly moralistic and it is clear that religion exerts a dogmatic hold over the people who view such performances. The play text itself is a pinnacle example of the Noh genre, it complies in every aspect.Out of all the plays I have chosen to cover in this essay it is interesting that despite whether the playwright has chosen to write his or her play in the cultural style of the time or to go against the grain entirely in order to produce a new style of theatre, whether the play itself adheres to the politics of a particular soci ety or if it attempts to evoke a political stead in the audience, all are affected by their cultural, social and political circumstances. All these plays have affected the cultures from which they are drawn to a greater or lesser extent.The degree to which they have reflected their theatrical, political or cultural situation is variable and especially remarkable. Bibliography Alice, B, 1935, Minute history of the drama, Grosset and Dunlap. Bates, Alfred, 1906, The Drama Its history, writings and influence on civilisation, London Historical Publishing Company. Crowe, Stanley, 2003, Furman University site. Didaskalia, 1999, Ancient theatre today, UC Berkeley Freire, Paulo, 1972, pedagogy of the oppressed, Penguin. Guardian Unlimited, 2003, Guardian Newspapers LTD. The New Penguin Dictionary of the Theatre, 2001, The Penguin Group.

Older and Wiser Essay

F sheer(a) Heberer, the Human Resources Manager of Medignostics, finds it difficult to accept the develop employees of his inviolable as part of an energetic workforce. According to Heberer, the older employees of the accompany are non as productive as the young. However, Bertha weber from the grocerying department trusts that the older employees of Medignostics are necessary for the firm. She intercedes on behalf of the maturement employees of the firm to point out to Heberer that it is hardly the older employee who truly lease it offs the kind of products to deceive other aged people.As an example, Weber mentions the successful arthritis campaign of Medignostics which was spearheaded by an develop employee somebody who was expected to certainly know more closely arthritis than the young employees. Weber withal points out to Heberer that he, creation only 45 years of age, cannot be expected to successfully market products for the aged people. Rather, it is only the aging employee who understands the aches and pains of old age that can successfully market health products and services for other aging people.In other words, the aging employee of a health products company, or any other plaque for that matter, is stovepipe qualified to market products for the aged. Not only does the aging marketer know the kinds of products and services needed by the aged, but he also is informed of the kind of marketing communication that is required to reach out to the aged. The aging employee is actu aloney expected to most perfectly understand the marketing swagger for products that are especially made for the aged.This employee is in an excellent position to influence on the prices of products to be sold to the aged. Moreover, he knows where to place the products to sell the aged. besides another advantage of older employees put forth by Weber is that the aging employee knows the company break up than anybody else. Having worked for decades with Medignos tics, an aging employee understands well the policies of the firm, in sum total to its goals and requirements. After all, the aging employee has spent plenty of years trying to correct upon his productivity and efficiency in the company.So, Weber refers to the experience of the older employee macrocosm of special significance to the company, seeing that the older employee is in a better position to take the company forward with his experiences of success and failure at Medignostics. To put it another way, the aging employee knows what works and what does not work at his firm. The young employee, on the other hand, would take his time to realize the fundamentals of the company before he can even think of taking the company forward with his youthful energy that Heberer would like to fill the company with in place of the old employees.Weber believes that the older employees still have a lot to render Medignostics. The 58-year-old Hausmann who has worked for the firm for 20 years has been seen to consistently improve his performance. He moved up in organizational rank from bookkeeping to account management. Weber would like Heberer to keep Hausmann employed, the reason being that Hausmann and other aging employees continue to have a lot to offer Medignostics. If Hausmann is not productive in his present function at the company, by demote Weber would suggest that the older employee must be given a new job function to perform.After all, older employees may not only be extremely useful in marketing to all ages seeing as they have lived through them all but also in the area of organizational counseling. The wisdom of the older employees may upbeat young employees tremendously. Older employees may also be given the chance to select their new job functions where they would be most productive, given that the organization trusts them more than it would trust its new employees. Hence, Weber would like Heberer to trust the accompaniment that the older employee i s truly wiser.

Julius Ceasar: Brutus Is the Tragic Hero

In the play Julius Ceasar by William Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus is the sadal hero. Brutus is a tragic hero because he has Tragic Flaws. Brutuss first tragic smirch is that he is naive he is not a shrewd calculate of hoi polloi. As Caius Cassuis states, Well, Brutus, thou art majestic. Yet I escort/thy honest mental may be wrought /There for it is meet / That noble minds keep ever with their likes / For who so firm that cannot be seduced? (1. 2. 319-323). This shows how naive Brutus is because he does not see that Cassuis is trying to manipulate him.Brutuss second tragic flaw is that he has rigid ethics he thinks he is unmovable. Brutus states himself that he is gird so strong in honesty, / that they pass by him as the scant(p) wind (4. 3. 75-76). Brutus thinks he is unmovable because he is so honest that zip fastener can break him down, and because he has these tragic flaws he is a tragic hero. Many tragic heroes are characterized by good and shame, and Brutus has good a nd evil characteristics. Brutuss good character is that he is caring. After Brutus allows his servant Lucius to ease he calls, Boy Lucius Fast a slumber? It is no matter. / Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of tranquillity // Therefore thou sleepst so sound (2. 1. 240-244). Brutus is letting Lucius sleep and this show his good characteristic, that he is caring. Brutus is also characterized by evil. He is characterized by evil because he betrayed his good champ, Julius Ceasar. When Brutus stabs Ceasar, Ceasars words to Brutus were Et tu, Brute? wherefore fall, Ceasar (3. 1. 84). In this scene Ceasar is surprised that Brutus is with the conspirators who murder him, because Brutus was a great friend to Ceasar.Brutus betrays their friendship by stabbing Ceasar. Brutus bad and evil characteristics make him a tragic hero. Brutus faced a spill, which is an event that tragic heros face. The hubis, or the person or thing that cause Brutuss downfall was Mark Antony and the speech he made at Caes ars funeral. Caius Cassius knew or had a intuitive intuitive feeling to not let Antony speech, You know not what you do, do not consent / That Antony speak in Ceasars funeral. / know you how much the people may be moved/ By that which he will expose? / / I know not what may fall.I like it not (3. 1. 250 254, 262). Cassius stated that he does not have a good feeling about letting Mark Antony speak because he had a feeling that something bad will occur because of what Antony will say. What Cassuis said was true, because shortly afterward Antonys speech Brutus and Cassius ran away and the Plebeians went into a rage due to Antonys speech. This led to the downfall of Brutus. The downfall or the death of Brutus makes him a tragic hero because before he commits suicide, he sees justification/glory in his fall.Brutus says himself my heart doth joy, that yet all my life/ I found no man, but he was true to me. / I shall have glory by this losing day/ More that Octavius and Mark Antony (5. 5. 38 41). He sees glory in his death because he realizes that his life wasnt bad, because he had true friends, and that he sees more glory in his suicide than Octavius Ceasar and Mark Antony will see glory in their victory. An because Seo 3 Brutus had many characteristics and events in the play Julius Ceasar by William Shakespeare that tragic heroes face, Marcus Brutus is ta tragic hero.

God and the Philosopher Essay

AbstractPhilosophers are known to be great thinkers. The national itself is concerned with ethics, what things populate and their essential natures, knowledge, and logic. Typically, when one is asked ab show up his or her beliefs, the capable of matinee idol comes up. Whether or non matinee idol dwell is the biggest and closely ultimate question that people shit ever asked. The pointic of God is pregnant to the philosopher. He enjoys the contemplation of the subject. Proofs of the populace of God developed over the some other(prenominal) 2,400 years by different philosophers. It is the foundation of most introductions to philosophy. Does God exist? The existence of God can be compared to space. We know that space does not have an ending. God has no beginning and no end. He is permanent (Cameron, 465). Some people dont believe in eitherthing that is not visible to the eye (Cameron, 471). The link to God for most philosophers is the military man. Thomas Aquinas, a the ologian, specialized in the philosophical analysis of the nature of God and Gods relation to the world (McCarty, 196).He refers to Aristotle as The Philosopher Aquinas uses Aristotles emphasis on the importance of empirical evidence to offer the earthly concern of the world as deduction for the existence of God as its lawsuit (McCarty, 197). He saw the creation of the world as conclusion for the existence of God. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was unstructured and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 11-2). The Big Bang Theory tries to disprove the Genesis musical score of creation by stating that the universe was formed from an explosion. Usually an explosion produces malady and chaos, not trees, flowers, and animals (Cameron, 418). Also, in order for an explosion to occur, thither must be whateverthing present to explode and a means to cause the explosion. You c annot create something out of nothing (Cameron, 419). Proofs of the existence of God is a set of arguments that were developed over the past 2,400 years by different philosophers. The purpose was to demonstrate that there is, or exists, an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent creator of the universe who goes by the name of God (Wolff, 364). The initiatory and philosophically weakest test copy is the Argument from Design. William Paley presented his argument in his restrain Natural Theology. He noted that man-made objects were designed to function a purpose by its maker. We can compare this to the creations of nature, like the sympathetic eye or the brain. They are sophisticated and cannot be duplicated. The conclusion is only God must be the all-powerful Maker (Wolff, 366). The second proof is the cosmologic Argument, which is offered by thirteenth- light speed Christian philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas. His first argument is that some things move in the world. Secondly , there must be a first movement to precede other movements. A first mover must exist. That necessary being is God (Wolff, 373).The final proof and the most famous, the most mystifying, the most outrageous and irritating philosophical argument of all m is the Ontological Argument (Wolff, 378). Saint Anselm writes rough this proof in his philosophical work the Proslogion. The imagination of the existence of God was based on the appraisal of the perfect being. Nothing greater than God is inconceivable (Wolff, 370). Some philosophers, much(prenominal) as Immanuel Kant, have defended this proof over the past nine centuries. On the other hand, it has also been rejected by other philosophers, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, and claimed as invalid because it cannot be proven.In addition to the Cosmological Argument, Aquinas argues his case using five proofs of his own (McCarty, 197). The first proof is motion. As with the Cosmological Argument, a first mover must exist to cause motion. H is second proof is causation. The earthy world holds together through a tight chain of cause-and-effect relationships (McCarty, 198). For example, rain causes vegetation to grow. The third proof is necessity/ surmise. Aquinas argued that all events either have to be necessary or possible. A Necessary Being must exist that actualizes the possibility of the world as we know it (McCarty, 199).The fourth proof is gradation. Some natural beings are more advanced than others. Humans are at the top of the evolutionary chain. God has given him dominion (authority) over all the animals (Genesis 128) (Cameron, 427). This leads into the final proof of governance. Humans are intellectually superior to animals and have priority over them (Cameron, 427). This is part of Gods Order (McCarty, 200). about arguments for the existence of God start with some fact about the world and all of its components and activities (Morris, 243). The topic of God is important because He is the backbone of any ph ilosophical discussion. The watchword states that God is holy (Psalm 999). Websters comment of holy is sanctified, which means to be free from sin.Ethics is a big part of philosophy. It embraces right lot and good life. Ethical conduct is behavior that respects and nurtures truth, beauty, goodness, and unity, in our own lives, and in the lives of people we care for with day to day (Morris, 111). Good people struggle daily to scorn temptations and pressures that they would not consider to be proper behavior. A good soulfulness is a person who shoots at the target of human happiness and lucky for other people as well as himself (Morris, 101). On the other hand, there are people that dont think about the consequences of their behavior. They act to satisfy their own selfish needs (Morris, 111).Philosophers view the concept of morality as a set of many a(prenominal) rules (Morris, 112). The Bible lists many of them. Exodus 20 in the Old Testament lists The Ten Commandments. The track record of Leviticus contains many rules for work, worshipping God, and cleanliness.Another aspect of morality is The Golden Rule. It states So in everything, do to others what you would have the do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 712). In other words, treats others, as you would like to be treated. It captures the main attitude of an honest person regarding the impact of his actions on others (Morris, 114).In conclusion, the existence of God is a link for philosophers to the world. The topic of God is important when discussing ethics, morality, and nature to twentieth century philosophers as well as thirteenth-century ones.ReferencesCameron, Kirk, & Comfort, Ray. (2004). The School of Biblical Evangelism. Gainesville Bridge-Logos Publishers.International Bible Society. (1984). The Holy Bible. Grand Rapids Zondervan Publishing House.McCarty, Marietta. (2006). Little Big Minds Sharing philosophy With Kids. New York The Penguin Group.Morris, Tom. (199 9). Philosophy For Dummies. New York Wiley Publishing Company.Wolff, Robert Paul. (2000). About Philosophy (8th). swiftness Saddle River Prentice Hall.

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay

1. IntroductionThe inquiry project includes the complete lifespan of the work from the rule to the conclusion. I bear witness the reasons for conducting the investigate, how the social club macrocosm power turn a profit from the experience and how trainers whitethorn reflect and add to their toolbox of skills and intimacy. The project excessively librates the background to the European reckoner teara delegacy(a) manifest (ECDL) and how this came to AEGON UK operate, what role employment cultivation service had to play and what part of strategy ECDL was intentioned to meet.The main body of the project, the look itself, sets step forward to consider a pluck of questions linkd to the evaluation of ECDL at bottom a financial services setting which I believe is a valu able-bodied piece of question that is non presently widely available. The enquiry considers the practical implications of the work and the justifications for fol piteo employ the particular actio ns under taken.The conclusion hook shots the project in concert and provides says to the questions considered above. Does ECDL add value deep down the line of reasoning, disc exclusively o rattling learners acquired new-sprung(prenominal) skills, what of the present acquirement manners and how might these be intentional to suit the pauperisms of future learners?I persist my inquiry findings with the results of my data collection exercises together with statistics relating to ECDL including its recent recitation stunnedside of Europe. Finally, I present the detail of material handlingd whilst works on the project as Reference and Bibliography.2 RationaleAEGON UK work (UKS) is the pie-eyedd in(p) book offset or Third Party fluids (TPA) operation for AEGON UK ace of the foundings top ten financial services companies. As a TPA no new strain stick withs into the disposal and particularly in the present economic climate control of cost and expenses becomes par amount. It is not an everyplacestatement to consider that the continuing well being of the UKS invest in Lytham rests with its highly competitive nature. When one considers that the average cost of one round member in Lytham is 40,00 pa whilst the equivalent outlay at the AEGON UK Head Office in Edinburgh is al some double at 65,000 pa, financial evidence becomes clear particularly with close to 900 ply at the Lytham site. in that respect atomic effect 18 m whatsoever reasons for this divergence in cost, not all of which may be assumely influenced by the Comp both simply it is this difference which ashes signalize to the health of the AEGON UK go operation.It is against this background that the search into the European data edgeor Driving certify (ECDL) is set, one of the organisation finding maximum value for to each one pound of sp remainder. As Managing Director, David bow-wow, said at the 2002 Business Plan ready to provide, Through the professionalism, skil l and commitment of its supply AEGON UK service has a tombstone part to play in the ca workout and schooling of the UK operation.It is my responsibility, as instruct Manager for UKS, to provide encyclopedism opportunities, develop lag and upgrade their companionship and skills to meet the contends set by the Managing Director and the Board of AEGON UK. After all, a shortage of skills could threaten the livelihood of the operation. Fingold and Soskice (198922) who created the notion of a low skills/low quality equilibrium argued that the majority of enterprises catered by poorly accomplished coachs and workers raise low quality devouts and services. Their sen judgment of convictionnt was that Britain would not be able to obtain pace with changing economic conditions.A decade on and sedate the need for the training and growth of our supply in relation to the growth of our business remains. As David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education Employment, sets out the challenge ahead for us all when speaking at the National teaching Awards ceremony in December 2000. The key message today is that in that respect is a real economic need for nation to upgrade skills passim life. We need to help everyone fulfil their authorization and respond to the changing earth economy. ( lot Management, Vol 6, No 25). The undertaking facing us in the UKS Training squad is to meet the Secretary of States challenge and drive the business forward at the said(prenominal) time whilst maintaining a tight find on expenditure.In the summer of 2001 our Union Representative introduced me to body of work Training Services and this union with a local education provider originally long bore fruit. A key strategic challenge for AEGON UK in 2002 was the go to sleepledgeability of a joint operate surroundings (COE) among its various UK trading operations the most visible aspect of the COE would be the launch of Microsoft Office 2000 in the various sites . Signifi fecestly, as AEGON UK Services previously usanced Microsoft at that place were no plans to create a formal training plan for the business, rather than relying our sensation of existing applications.The Manager, Dedicated Delivery, of Workplace Training Services (an arm of Preston College), Cyril drinking straw, offered the utilisation of the European Com stupefyer Driving Licence (ECDL) as part of our crimsont to the need for staff learning and development in Office 2000. The seven-module ECDL broadcast is based upon the Microsoft Office 2000 applications and include learning on our key workplace needs, Word, PowerPoint and stick out. Over 50 staff started the ECDL expertness in September 2001 and to-date everyplace 150 hand either achieved the award or atomic cast 18 operative towards it.Further developments of our work with the College keep been the provision of special learning and development for staff, in particular the provision of Learndirect facili ties and the healthy learning partnership that has coarsehanded between an employer, union and education institution. To documentation the development of this significant partnership Workplace Training Services offered AEGON UK Services deoxycytidine monophosphate free places on the ECDL programme in 2002.Although we carry seen a voluminous sum up of staff side by side(p) the ECDL programme, myself included, AEGON UK Services has never conducted every formal evaluation of the learning programme. Whilst I get learned new skills and am able to rile more difficult applications, has the Company benefited from the ECDL partnership, take the staff developed new skills and how might the programme best be carried forward? This is the rationale for the bygoneime seek which is designed for the benefit, primarily, of the Company exactly in any effect for the staff, College and as a valid piece of interrogation.3. BackgroundCongratulations Sara Lundstedt But why is this the Swedish environsal co-ordinator so significant to the history of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Well, Sara became the one gazillionth student to complete the programme, as describe in the June 2001 edition of IT Training (P7).What is ECDL and where did it come from? In 1994 the concept originated in Finland where the Finnish Information Process Association introduced the Computer Driving Licence. in brief after, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) established the User Skills Task impel in 1995. The Task Force, supported by funding from the European Com rush, was to examine how to raise IT skill levels in European industry.The Task Force place the potential of the Finnish Licence and investigated the feasibility of adopting it and making it into a force for the whole of Europe. CEPIS actively encourages IT literacy and promotes meetance of professional standards for ICT professionals throughout Europe. Pilot tests were carried out during 1995 and early 1996 resulting in the launch of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in August 1996, initially in Sweden and then throughout Europe.The ECDL metrical unit was formed in 1997 to administer the ECDL programme on a not-for-profit nucleotide and to promote, develop and certify data processor skills and IT k straightwayledge. According to its official website, the business of the ECDL unveiling is To disseminate, promote and evolve ECDL as a globally accepted IT skills franchise programme that prep bes all people for participation in the Information Society. On the surface, this has been palmy in 1999 the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) was created as the standard qualification for non-European countries.The syllabus is identical to that of ECDL and was initially taken up by Australia, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since then, more countries have joined the ICDL programme, ranging from Greece in 2000 to most recently, Malaysia. Acco rding to The Electric Paper Company Limited (http//www.electricpaper.ie/products/ecdl.asp) to-date, oer 1.75 million people atomic number 18 registered on an ECDL/ICDL programme. This number is growing daily. in that respect argon tens of thousands of accredited test centres worldwide enabling people to take their tests an turn over certificates.So, seven module appears to be works as students be assessed against the future(a) competencies basic concepts of IT, victimization a computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation and discipline and communication. The ECDL Foundation efflorescences out that the programme is now utilise in over 60 countries and IT Training pro filled in its October 2002 edition that the number of students enrolled transcend the half-million mark. The British Computer Society (BCS) in like manner reports that it is issuing 1,000 ECDL certificates every day. adept of the first organisations in the public sector to move towards qualifying the computer skills of its staff is the NHS which recognised the increase role that computer skills had to play in the public health sector. The significance of the ECDL decisiveness is reflected in the slur that it was announced by Health Secretary, Lord Hunt. He said, unseasoned technology investments to support staff to plan, deliver and review health fretfulness leave behind not be self-made un little more priority is dropn to ensuring that all staff have a basic level of IT skills.There is a gigantic deal of published support for the ECDL programme and I have included highlights from dickens triumphful ventures. The Ho example of Commons became the first Parliament in the world to offer staff training in IT skills, aimed at MPs assistants and constituency workers. Dr. Matthew Donaghy, Industry and Parliament Trust ADAPT Project Manager, said, Our objective, and so an important part of securing funding for the project, was to increase the em ployability of staff outside the parliamentary sector. ECDL gives staff an extra qualification showing their competence with IT in the office, but also discontinues flexibility in training for the qualification so that it does not interfere with major projects they may be working on. Donaghy continued, An extra benefit of the course has been the increased level of squadwork between MPs assistants. provide atomic number 18 increasingly sharing tips on office practices, which volition pie-eyed a more professional MPs service all round.The lodge of England is also enabling its staff to take the ECDL programme via individual(prenominal) or on-line training. Bank Deputy Governor, Mervyn King, who has successfully completed the qualification said, across the Bank, the ECDL will enable people to achieve a wide range of essential skills in IT, on which they can build in the future. I am convinced that it is an ideal way for my colleagues to improve and consolidate their knowledge, to build confidence and to improve both productivity and decision making.ECDL appears hence to have electropositive support, endorsed by Peter Bayley, Director of ECDL at the British Computer Society, who confirms that, Since the UK launch in that respect has been a growing demand for discipline well-nigh ECDL wontrs from both the Further Education and Corporate sectors in piece to stride profiles, motivation, satisfaction and in all probability interest in our newly launched ECDL Advanced qualification. apart(predicate) from a gratifying 95 per cent satisfaction rating, almost dickens thirds of those polled chose ECDL because of its broad recognition as a computer skills qualification. In addition, 97% said they would recommend ECDL to family, friends and colleagues and 87% were interested in an ECDL Advanced qualification. contempt the fact that in that respect is a expectant deal of published evidential support for ECDL, thither remains little evidence within AEGON UK Services that the programme has been and remains successful. To date, we have tended to take the view that people pass, therefore it works But does it? As Reay (199423) points out, evaluation can enable you to do better in the future. This is not to say that youve been failing in the past but total trainers realize there is always room for improvement.It is against this background, of a developing IT floriculture within Europe and latterly the rest of the world, that the look for with AEGON UK Services is set. Will the experiences outlined above be matched within the Company?4. searchMost people associate the word question with activities which atomic number 18 substantially removed from day-to-day life and which be pursued by outstandingly gifted persons with an unusual level of commitment, suggested Howard and Sharp (19836). However, Denscombe (19981) takes an p touch onence come up when splaying his piece of work some 15 age later, Social inquiry is no longer the concern of the pocket- coat elite of professionals and full-time researchers. It has become the concern of a far great number of people who atomic number 18 faced with the prospect of undertaking small-scale research projects as part of an academic course or their professional development. In my case, the piece of research was to be carried out over a 3 month period by the Training Manager of a large organisation with very ordinary skills and an extremely heavy workloadPayton (19794) set research as the process of looking for a particular(prenominal) answer in an organised objective reliable way and it is this search for answers that has dictated me to tackle the challenge of evaluating the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in AEGON UK Services. Considering what questions to ask, B overleap suggests (199324/25), may prove a significant challenge in itself, The most difficult part of starting a research project is often that of identifying the best question to ask, o ne that is meaningful, whose answer contributes to the discipline, and whose resulting research can be carried out within the resources available. When considering the questions to answer from the piece of research I was conscious of two things set d receive by Managing Director, David Barker a) what would add value to the business livelihood AEGON UK Services as a key part of the AEGON UK operation and b) provide learning opportunities to develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills? These factors contributed directly to my questionsHow has ECDL added value in AEGON UK Services?How have the learners acquired new skills to help them do their stocks?Has the method of learning for ECDL proved efficacious?What is the most effective way for any supercharge learners to acquire the knowledge and skills obligatory to achieve ECDL?Blaxter et al (199758) identify 2 different methods for blueprint and doing a research project, their research families of soft and denary methods .To Burns (20003), the numeric attack is viewed as scientific and in his opinion, has been the conventional approach to research in all atomic number 18as of investigation. The methods and purposes of scientific inquiry have been moulded by uncounted generations of scientists Burns (20009) outlines the strength of the valued approach as being its preciseness and control, together with a deductive approach and the use of quantitative data (which) permits statistical analysis.Denscombe (1998177) supports Burns standpoint by adding that, The use of quantitative data in social research has its attractions. For one thing, it carries with it an aura of scientific respectability. Because it uses numbers and can present findings in the form of graphs and tables, it conveys a consciousness of solid, objective research. However, an alternative view also exists and caution is stressed by Silverman (20006) when pointing out that the hard data on social structures which quantitative rese archers claim to provide can turn out to be a mirage. circumspection was essential for me when considering the effect of ECDL upon an individuals ability to do their job more effectively, as Cicourel (1964) points to defects with quantitative research, it may be useful but it also may conceal as well as sack up kn decl atomic number 18 social processes.On the opposite hand, soft research is an umbrella circumstance that covers a pastiche of styles of social research, drawing on a variety of disciplines. Tesch (1990) identified 26 distinct kinds of social research which can declination under the term qualitative and no doubt, in time, that list will grow. However, Denscombe (1998207) does see some common elements which begin to give some sense, as he sees it, to qualitative research, a concern with meanings and the way people represent things and a concern with patterns of behaviour.Cohen and Mannion (19988) go a stage raise and view qualitative research as a search for fel low feeling in which the principal concern is with the way in which the individual creates, modifies and interprets the world in which he or she finds himself or herself. seekers who adopted this qualitative approach, reactive to individual perceptions, were felt up by bell (19997) to seek insights rather than statistical analysis.A positive aspect of qualitative research, according to Miles and Huberman (198410), is that they focalisation on course occurring, ordinary events in natural settings, so that we have a strong handle on what real life is like. The approach to this research project was on a qualitative can and whilst there is a range of dis avails to this method, including, as identified by Anderson (1990) the ability to collect a large number of replies, allow for easy collation and cheap and quick available, Anderson did identify advantages with a qualitative approach. Significantly, when gathering data and information Anderson held that a qualitative approach enables the researcher to in truth understand another(prenominal) person, and qualitative research tends to digest on learners, central to the research project, and their views of the world. My own research project mirrors a number of Andersons findings condenseing on the learners and managers and their views, attitudes and feelings is key to my work and as such(prenominal) does not lend itself naturally to a quantitative or scientific basis.However, in Denscombes opinion (1998 173), the two approaches argon not mutually exclusive, the distinction between the two is over-simplified and relates to the discussion of the data. As Strauss (1987 2) argues, the genuinely useful distinction is in how data be treated analytically. Denscombes (1998173) view then is that a distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is far from watertight.To some extent, the research design depends on what Barnes (1992114) highlights as either a deductive or inductive approach to the pro ject, with action research a key method of the latter. Barnes takes the view that when development action research, the outcomesare generally increased knowledge, understanding and change practice. The implication from this is that action research has a relevance for what I will be undertaking and indeed Blaxter et al (199764) confirm this by pointing out that it is well suited to the needs of people conducting research in their own workplaces, and who have a focus on improving aspects of their own and their colleagues practices.Cohen and Mannion (1998186) also focus their thoughts on this work-related aspect of action research by suggesting that it is situational it is interested with diagnosing a problem in a specific consideration and attempting to solve it in that context. Although action research as a basis suits the needs of my project as shown above, there are a number of criticisms about the method, often reflecting Cohen and Mannions (1998193) comments that it is not sc ientific, its sample is restricted and unrepresentativeits findings are restricted to the environment in which the research is carried out. I accept the above but am satisfied that although my findings may be restricted to the environment, they are after all intended for use exclusively within AEGON UK Services, any wider usage will be a bonus.Research data was accumulated by the use of questionnaires completed by learners, discourses with elderberry bush managers and Preston College staff, and focus conferences conducted with groups of learners. This common multi-method approach is referred to as triangulation, as originally identified by the works of Elliott and Adelman (1976), and has been defined in Open University course 811 landing field Guide (198854) as cross-checking the existence of certain phenomena and the veracity of individual accounts by gathering data from a number of informants and a number of sources and afterwards comparing and contrasting one account with another in order to produce as full and balanced a study as possible.The use of triangulation goes some way to meeting the need for this piece of research to be both reliable and valid. Bryman (198955) outlines reliability as something which refers to the consistency of a measure. Blaxter et al (1997200) summarise the issue of reliability in childly price as considering whether you have carried it out in such a way that, if another researcher were to look into the alike(p) questions in the same setting, they would come up with essentially the same results . Validity is identified in a similar tone by the same authors, to do with whether your methods, approaches and techniques actually relate to, or measure, the issues you have been exploring. Triangulation is particularly important to me because it increases the strength and validity of my work.The use of questionnaires is outlined by Denscombe (199888) who suggests that they are at their most productive when utilise with large numbers, straightforward information required, the social climate is open, standardised, time allows for delays, resources allow for the costs and when the responders can be expected to be able to read and understand the questions. However, my own piece of research is much smaller with less in the sample, straightforward questions on information that is current, all of which adds to the simplicity of this process.However, there is a range of issues when using questionnaires with Bell (199975) suggesting that It is harder to produce a really good questionnaire than might be imagined. McKernan (2000125) endorses that view and warns that amongst the disadvantages are the amount of time taken compiling successful questions and low resolution rate. Nevertheless, the use of questionnaires provides direct vex to the learners and adds balance to the interviews with my colleagues and members of Workplace Training Services. addicted that my questionnaire is straightforward with simple que stions I am satisfied that this is a particularly useful method of gathering my research data. Further weight is given to this argument by Burns (2000581) who supports me by adding such strengths as cost, each respondent receives same set of questions, errors in collation of responses reduced, respondents free to reply at own pace/time, fear and embarrassment avoided, may guarantee sure-footediality. Burns also highlights a number of potential concerns with the use of questionnaires including a poor response rate when compared to interviews, the potential for bias referable to poor returns and badly brisk questionnaires. I acknowledge Burns concerns and test my questionnaire on a small pilot group of learners, drawn at random, to assess its ease of use 2 questions are reworded to reflect the comments of this group.Given the small number of staff to have completed the ECDL programme I issue the questionnaire to all 45 which also supports the validity of my research and reduces the potential for any bias due to the choice of my sample. I am conscious that, as Cohen et al (2000245) put it, the questionnaire will always be an intrusion into the life of the respondent, be it in terms of time taken to complete the questionnaireor the possible infringement of privacy. As a result of this, great care is taken over the questions be, the amount of content and the manner in which this is issued to learners.To keep the questionnaire simple I want to largely use closed questions and this method is supported by Wilson and McLean (199421) who confirm that these are simple to completeand do not withdraw unduly on the basis of how articulate the respondents are. However, to ensure that peoples views are gathered I aim to allow respondents a small stratum of space for their own thoughts to be considered which mirrors the views of Oppenheim (1992115) when considering the use of closed questions they do not enable respondents to add any remarks, qualifications and explanati ons to the categories, and there is a risk that the categories might not be exhaustive and that there might be bias in them. A blank questionnaire is included as Appendix B.It is the need to gather personal views and opinions that prompts me to include interviews with senior managers, and focus groups amongst learners. As Denscombe (1998) points out, questionnaires are at their best with large numbers I am dealing with 6 senior managers and am mindful that the culture of my own organisation is such that as Training Manager it is politic for me to see the senior managers rather than issue them with a questionnaire. As McKernan (2000128) claims, Interviewing is a social survey skill which can be taught. I am satisfied that my role in designing and delivering Interviewing Skills training courses for 5 long time to the same group of managers enables me to carry out this processThere are a number of identified advantages in using interview techniques for gathering my research data and th ese include, Burns (2000582/3) who is an exponent of its flexibility, the interviewer has the find oneself to observe the vitrine and the total situation in which they are responding which according to Burns should produce higher response rates and if properly conducted should yield response rates of at least 80-85%. Cohen et al (2000268) provides further thoughts and considerations on interviews, when outlining the need for assertion to exist, suggesting that there should be a relationship between the interviewer and interviewee that transcended the research, that promoted a flummox of friendship, a feeling of togetherness and joint pursuit of a common mission rising above personal egos. Once again, my relationship with the senior managers is such that I am confident that I have this level of verify in place already to enable a smooth process to occur. In addition, greater credibility is given to me conducting these interviews, as Kane (199768) asserts, the closer the intervi ewer is to the respondent in class, sex, age and interests, the greater chance the interviewer has of being successful.When considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of interviews I endorse the comments of Patton (1980206) who sets out the interview guide approach, which mirrors my requirements. The topic and issues to be covered are specified in advance, thus the outline increases the pretension of the data and makes data collection somewhat systematic for each respondent. I recognise that there is a risk of omitting important or large points and that I must pay particular attention to maintaining focus on the key issues, in this case whether the managers consider that the ECDL programme has benefited the business.Consideration heretofore must be given to the school of thought that exists regarding problems with the interview as a method for gathering my research data. Mason (199742) suggests that good qualitative interviewing is hard, creative work. It is a mu ch more complex and exhausting task to plan and carry out than, for example, to develop and use a integrated questionnaire for asking a set of predetermined questions. Tuckman (1972) set out a number of problems with the interview as a technique for gathering data, including the fact that a competent interviewer is required (which may involve payment), a hold in number of respondents can be reached and the reliability is quite limited. Whilst acknowledging these concerns, as I have set out my competency earlier, I require interviews with a controlled group of 6 individuals completely and have a great degree of confidence in the reliability of my data. not to mention that this interviewer requires no additional payment for the work.My final information gathering technique is the focus group which Kreuger (198827) highlights as typically having 5 characteristics, a) people who, b) posses certain characteristics, c) provide data, d) of a qualitative nature, e) in a focussed discussi on. Cohen et al (2000288) support my use of the focus group by suggesting that they might be useful to dissever with more traditional forms of interviewing, questionnaires, observation etc. Although observation is not necessary or appropriate for my research, Cohen et al do concur with my use of the interview and questionnaire.According to the December 2002 issue of Croners A-Z Briefing (12/022), the main advantage of a focus group lies in its ability to collect inhering judgments where several, individual, judgments are better than just one. By using a focus group the researcher can see how and why individual judgments are supported . This aspect of the focus group is particularly useful to me as it enables a group of learners to come together and share their experiences of the ECDL programme including highs and lows. It allows me the fortune to facilitate discussion on the optimum way forward for AEGON UK Services and for future learners. Croner goes on to add that, they perfor m a useful tend when evaluating various aspects of training and development, particularly when qualitative measurements are required and where it is deemed necessary to ascertain any unexpected outcomes or applications which have arisen as a result of such provision. Morgan (198843) cautions on the size of focus groups, suggesting between quatern and twelve whilst Croner takes a similar stance, between 6 and 12 two of the above agree on the need for careful consideration with sampling, in this case with the focus group, as Croner puts it (P3), all those involved do need to be representative of the total population under consideration. I have already decided to use all of my Award-holders as I have 3 months in which to carry out the research and have a small group, as Bell (199983) suggests, The number of subjects in your investigation will necessarily depend on the amount of time you have. However, the question of the size of the sample and how it is selected is an issue.Cohen and Mannion (199887) put forward a range of sampling tools including hazard and non- fortune, random and stratified samples whilst Bryman (1989107) argues the case for a representative sample using a type of probability sample. To ensure that each of my ECDL Award-holders has an equal probability of inclusion in the sample used for the focus groups, names are drawn at random from an transcend spreadsheet. Kerlinger (198645), identifies randomness thus, it means that there is no known law, capable of being expressed in language, that decent explains or describes events and their outcomes. Kerlinger (198644) goes on to provide further evidence that my sampling approach is correct, random sampling is that method of drawing a portion (sample) of a population so that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Taking into account the thoughts of both Morgan and Croner above, I facilitate 2 focus groups of 8 members each.There are some difficulties in using fo cus groups and some of these are identified byKrueger (198846/7) who outlines the following less control of the group as opposed to individuals, difficulties in analysing data, lack of interview skills, varying group dynamics, assembling groups and creating a corroborative environment. I acknowledge Kruegers observations and take extra care when trial the focus groups although I must stress that my background is as a expert interviewer and I am able to create a stable, supportive environment for the attendees who have attended similar workshops and courses in the past, often facilitated by me. whatsoever research project is likely to raise ethical issues. This is particularly so if it involves people directly, but may also be the case even if you conduct your research entirely on documentary evidence, Blaxter et al (1997146). Clearly, it is wrong for me to assume that, given my position as Training Manager, there is no issue with ethics, people know me and are happy to open up an d provide me with valuable and valid information. Bell (199952) warns, People will be doing you a favour if they agree to help, and they will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be do of the information they provide. The view is endorsed by McKernan (2000241), who adds that, It is crucial for all participants to know what their rights are in research of any kind.As such, I take great care when contacting my ECDL learners to alert them to my research and the need for their valuable input to further the learning partnership within AEGON UK Services. Particular attention is paid to the senior managers who give me some of their valuable time for 11 interviews and each of them is contacted in person by telephone to discuss the needs and requirements of the research and agree satisfactory times for the interviews. Hopkins (2000221/2) identifies a range of principles that I must observe in the commitment to my research including, observing protocol, involving participants, reporting on progress, maintaining confidentiality and obtaining authority before using quotations. Particular care was observed when considering the use of quotations from our external partner, Workplace Training Services, and I arranged a special meeting with Cyril Wheat to discuss the learning partnership and seek his agreement to the use of specific quotations, included in the Conclusions to this research.As Burns (200022/3) summarises, All in all it looks fairly difficult to conduct much research without running into ethical arguments. Burns comments alert me to the need to take nothing for given in view of my special position with the learners, Ethical problems are likely to occur in social science research since human subjects are involved. Researchers must be aware of ethical considerations involved in intended and non-voluntary participation, deception, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, the right to discontinue, and obligations of the experimenter.It is this special position, that of somebody who has worked very virtually with most of the ECDL learners, that Sellitz et al (1962583) might have been thinking of then they attested, interviewers are human beings and not machines and their manner may have an effect on respondents. Many factors can influence responses one way or another, for case Borg (198187) highlights a few of the problems that can occur, eagerness of the respondents to please the interviewer, a unclear antagonism or the tendency of the interviewer to seek out the answers that his preconceived notions .These factors are called response effect by survey researchers. ECDL learners know me well and are aware of my enthusiasm for the learning partnership and our work with the ECDL programme. Might this naturally influence their responses to questionnaires, focus group or, even senior managers, interview questions?However, Bell (1999139) offers words of wisdo m, just as the aspiring researcher wilts under the strains of potential bias, by pointing out that it is easier to acknowledge the fact that bias can mouse in than to eliminate it altogether. This is a key consideration for my research as I am very keen for it to succeed being the provoker of the learning partnership with Workplace Training Services and the person accountable for the ECDL programme.A further area for my research to draw upon is the Training teams entry for the 2002 National Training Awards. The entry was based upon the teams work with the ECDL programme in AEGON UK Services and I refer to the comments of the resolve in the Data Analysis and Conclusions.5. Analysis of DataMy research amongst European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) award-holders in particular highlights the very positive aspects of the programme and it is encouraging to learn that all questioned feel that the programme has benefited them, personally and professionally. Significantly, the great m ajority of learners also felt able to now support colleagues with IT-related enquiries, a factor that reflects our status as an Investor In People staff are keen to share knowledge with each other in a positive manner.Being able to solve problems, increasing ones confidence, developing trouble-shooting skills and appropriately staff trained in new technology are benefits to the company, as viewed by the learners. Although it is not the intention in my research to provide statistical analysis, rather to draw conclusions from learners responses, the feedback from learners does represent universal support for developing skills to enhance the business. Learners feel more competent to do their work, have a more confident approach and have developed skills to enable new work to be handled also converting manual tasks to a PC-based system. I am able to speak from personal experience and, as a result of taking the ECDL programme, I can now use Excel with some success. Whilst it is very diff icult to make any claims with the research I am confident that the programme has made a significant difference. Prior to starting the ECDL programme I was uneffective to use Excel despite having access to the program, after completing the Excel module I am now able to design spreadsheets for use in the Training team.There is evidence of other organisations introducing a successful ECDL programme and the following case study extracts are from the ECDLs own website, www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case. Mike Sampson, Human Resources Director at Royal Liver Assurance, commented We are delighted that the ECDL pilot scheme has proved to be so successful and now intend to run ECDL again with further members of staff. It is important that our employees are given the opportunity to refresh and improve upon their IT skills, which ultimately reflects a great benefit to Royal Liver and ensures the companys values and good standing are continually maintained. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/royal)Even i n the world of IT itself, ECDL is viewed as a positive addition to the learning curriculum, Les Williamson, Resources Servicing Manager, IBM, added, We pull in fairly quickly that this certification would be beneficial across the site. Not many a(prenominal) people can claim proficiency in all the IT productivity tools that we could be using everyday. This is a qualification that demonstrates just that. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/ibm)90% of learners feel that they are now more confident when using a PC (66% of the remaining 10% already did so) which is an endorsement of our decision to offer the programme and a statistic from a similar exercise conducted amongst award-holders at Manchester NHS Health Authority in 2002 found that ECDL qualified staff are proven to save an average of 38 minutes per day. Staff within AEGON UK Services also highlighted the speed at which they are now able to process IT-related work as a benefit to the Company.Feedback from the learners in the quest ionnaires suggested that, whilst staff were achieving success using the CD ROM made available by Workplace Training Services, there was less than total satisfaction. Accordingly, amongst the questions I posed at the focus groups was What method of learning would you recommend for future ECDL students? Although only a small percentage of respondents to the questionnaire felt that the quality of learning materials was less than good during the focus groups, the mood was very different and people had the opportunity to express their views in more detail. It became apparent that the majority of the attendees of twelve felt that the CD ROM was difficult to work with, either because of their own IT situation out of the office, some did not have a PC at home, or more commonly because of the great amount of detail included. Their preferable learning method was to use paper-based material although some members of the focus groups felt that the CD ROM was ideal.Comments were also made that i t was often difficult to obtain 11 support as members of the Training team were often involved in other projects and, in truth, were never seen as providing close support for learners. Learners comments were referred to Cyril Wheat who visited the site and spoke with groups of the learners as a result, directly, of the feedback provided to Cyril his Workplace Training Services team started to provide future learning support material in two forms, paper-based for the majority, CD ROM where preferred. In addition, another change in policy as a result of feedback, with the gateway of a dedicated resource from the College, someone who would be guaranteed to be on the Lytham site once a week for personal tutorials.Most move amongst the findings was the feedback from the senior managers. Whilst the Managing Director has given the partnership with Workplace Training Services his blessing and has in fact recently enrolled on the ECDL programme, the same positive views are not held by the focal point team. I conducted the interviews and was surprised by the little knowledge that the managers had of the programme, one actually admitted that he had no sentiency that any of his staff are taking an award. Whilst the general view amongst the managers was that any learning which develops the staff to enhance the business, must be a good thing, only one member of the team was more positive. One manager had experienced the ECDL programme personally, achieved the award, and spoke highly of the benefits to AEGON UK Services in supporting the implementation of COE. More work remains to be done with the steering team for the future of the programme.6. ConclusionsThe comments of learners who have achieved their European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) are extremely encouraging from a purely personal point of view, the initial thoughts are that my efforts in bringing the ECDL programme to AEGON UK Services staff has paid off. But that cursory observation is not sufficient to d eservingness the programme a success.When we set off on the ECDL programme there was a clear business need to be met, successfully implementing the Common Operating Environment (COE) and the transfer to Microsoft Office 2000. What must not be overlooked was that the business was not using any formal training strategy to meet the requirements generated by the COE and I was confident that ECDL could provide many of the training needs. Although I am not able to provide any hard quantitative data I have feedback from learners and managers which supports the use of the programme. As one manager put it, Having achieved the ECDL I can vouch for the skills and knowledge acquired. Members of my team have demonstrated the benefits of the learning through the enhanced use of different programs. The data provides evidence of ECDL supporting the implementation of COE in the business.New skills have been acquired by learners, many of whom are now looking for further opportunities, whilst at the s ame time encouraging colleagues to enrol on the programme. There are numerous examples quoted of staff who are now able to access different programs, use PowerPoint, Access or in my case, get to grips with Excel for the first time.Our relationship with Workplace Training Services has developed, from the first provisional enquiries regarding the use of ECDL, the Colleges first learning partnership in the conglutination West to one of collaboration on other projects as I close this research we are discussing certificated learning to meet behavioural competencies. Cyril Wheat, Manager Dedicated Delivery, is proud of his organisations role with the business and speaks highly of our work, with the commitment of an employer who is providing resources is very important.The need for such support is echoed by Tim Rush of Islington Council who adds, We have been lucky here in Islington, Members of the Council and senior management have been fully supportive. Gaining support at that level is essential to any successful implementation. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/islington). Cyrils teams commitment to us now includes the use of 10 PCs, available for any form of learning, and a dedicated resource on-site for work with the ECDL programme.Significantly, the learning has largely taken place at no cost to the business and during 2002 over 100 learners were enrolled with Workplace Training Services for free and we have ascertained that open learning with the ECDL programme may yet prove to be extremely cost effective to the business. We have 150 staff achieved or working towards the award with 100 more to follow during the course of this year an costs incurred to-date are a little over 3,000 which is approximately 12 per learner. Given that this learning ultimately accredits staff members with a universally accepted IT qualification and attendance on external learning is in my experience over 100 per day then I believe that this equates to value for notes learning.Our work with the fledgling ECDL programme in employer-related learning has highlighted new areas for study. As demonstrated earlier, learners had difficulties with the Computer Based Training and the CD ROM was not viewed as user-friendly as a result, their feedback has been taken into account and staff enrolling more recently have had access to paper-based support material with CR ROMs available where required.The judges at the 2002 National Training Awards were impressed by your decision to encourage your employees to undertake the ECDL qualification and drew upon a number of other positive aspects although they highlighted a number of important issues for the team to consider. As I point out above, there are limitations with my research and issues to consider for the coming months, as the judges point out in their feedback, it is ease quite early in the process of introducing the Common Operating Environment and they have suggested that we re-enter at a later date.I am also conscious that the research has been carried out by someone with a clearly vested interest in its success, the training of staff in the business is after all my responsibility, and that this may have clouded the findings. I acknowledge this limitation and make efforts to minimise the effects of this bias. My ultimate findings are also effected by yet more bias the results are based upon my work with learners at AEGON UK Services in a supportive environment where facilities are made available to them and they do not have to pay any fees. I make no claims about applying my results to a wider audience whether in another industry or with the public at large.However, the final thought lies with Andrew Mayo, writing in the January 2003 edition of Training Journal, who holds out, So here is the challenge for 2003. Will you be able to say, at the end of the year, where and how learning interventions made a difference to the achievements of the organisation(s) you work with . From the feedback receive d from learners and indeed Workplace Training Services staff I am confident that the ECDL programme has already made an impact on AEGON UK Services although greater communication is required with senior managers based upon their own feedback. Furthermore, as the judges of the National Training Awards indicate, there is yet more to come as our learning partnership matures and more staff set out on the road to success through the challenge of ECDL.Project Proposal DHL0730 semiempirical StudyAEGON UK Services in partnership with Workplace Training Services, an arm of Preston College, started to offer the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) to staff in September 2001. The ECDL programme based it is upon Microsoft Office 2000 applications was seen as an ideal accompaniment to the Common Operating Environment (COE) to be launched in 2002. At the same time the launch of ECDL provided further evidence of the Company facilitating learning and development opportunities for its staff. Under COE the whole of AEGON UK would operate with Microsoft Office 2000 whilst over 90% of staff were familiar with the 1997 version or earlier. To-date over 150 staff have started or finished the ECDL programme yet no evaluation of the success or otherwise of ECDL within AEGON UK Services has ever been carried out.Title of ResearchAn evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as used by AEGON UK Services.Brief DescriptionThe ECDL was launched to develop the skills of European citizens and to enable them to become proficient in PC skills. The use of ECDL within AEGON UK Services was designed to provide staff with the skills necessary to deal effectively with the Common Operating Environment (COE), in effect Microsoft Office 2000.