Gaps in education sector Free Essays

Therefore, we applied a quality gaps model to ten courses belonging to the open university system In Brazil, researching course coordinatorsand students. Themulti-methods researchnoticed that institutionsgenerallydo not adopta market- riented model for decision-making in their courses and, therefore do not own d well- defined process to identity students’ expectations and, consequently,to create quality strategies andpoliciesbased on theseexpectations. On the otherhand. We will write a custom essay sample on Gaps in education sector or any similar topic only for you Order Now lthoughhigher educatlonls legallyregulatedby the Ministry ofEducatlon, Institutions seekdifferentiation in the market byhiring and retaining qualified and caring personnel end by thedevelopment oflnnovetlveendexcltlnglearnlng actlvltlesthat stimulatestudent motivation. These actions are strategically differentiated and help reducing barriers related to distance education. Theinfrastructure which Is vital to thesuccess of atechnology-based coursels, stlll,a Ilmltanonlnremote areas. Flnally, a t- test shcwved there was a favorableperception of quality for both students andcoordlnators, but the latterwere moreoptlmlstlc Services quality. Introduction The study of services quality date of 1980’s. These studies began with Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry published papers. Until then quality used to be studied only by operations field, which focus on tangible products quality. In operations quality means the absence of defects or compliance with the requirements of production [1]. Operations approach to quality assessment proved inadequate for the study of services, given its peculiar characteristics: intangibility, heterogeneity and inseparability . lntangibility means the inability to account for, store and test a service before its delivery. The heterogeneity comes from the intrinsic variability of the service, it means, a service will have different performance depending on the service provider, the client engagement and the context in which service is provided. Finally, inseparability concerns to the fact that a service is consumed simultaneously to its production. These unique Mantovant Dateliy Mn et. al. l sep. -oct. 2013 | vol. 2 1 Issue 5130-39 characteristics make it difficult to assess quality for a service [1]. Parasuraman et al. were pioneers in assessing quality in services. Their approach was so successful that it has been used since the 80’s. For the authors, unlike tangible products, the quality of a service refers to the perception customers have about it[l] and this perception occurs during the interaction between the client and the service provider [2]. Under this perspective, perceived quality is measured by the difference between the perceived erformance of a service and the initial expectations about it (service quality = perception of service performance – expectations about the service). pproach considers that expectations refer to the service desired by the customer and the minimum level of service acceptable in his/her point of view. Then, a zone of Available online at www. management]ournal. info tolerance is created, determining satisfactory and acceptable levels of service [3]. Difference between perception of service performance and initial expectations gave rise to what is called â€Å"gaps model of service qualityâ€℠¢, the object of this study. Pioneer studies focused on banking services quality, credit card and maintenance services [1]. Services quality assessment became popular and other services began to be studied in the same light. Higher education can be understood under services point of view, since education market has become client-oriented (considering student as a client). This means education market is no longer purely education-oriented (pedagogy-oriented), which makes it possible to consider education institutions as providers of educational products and services [4]. It is important to note that education is not a common service, like banking or estaurant services, since it owns a key role in society and has a non-business mission to develop criticalcitizens. Education core mission is social, non-commercial; it means education aims to develop better human beings and better citizens Higher education institutions (HE’s) have been facing fierce local and global competition, besides of challenges, such as high dropout rates and limited understanding of the market and students’ needs. Online distance education has outstanding participation in increasing competitiveness among institutions around the approach feasible for education comprehension Word of mouth communication In Brazil, distance education has been gaining importance. In 2010, 14. 6 % of college students were attending distance education course, compared to Just 0. 2 % in 2002 [7]. This scenario can be explained by the expansion of education in Brazil, with the creation of new institutions, creation of new vacancies and creation of the Open University of Brazil (I-JAB), subject matter of the article. Distance education, for its peculiar characteristics (space and temporal separation between instructor and student, technology intensive use, learner empowerment etc. faces its own challenges, such as student motivation ifficulties, high dropout rates and time management trouble. Given social importance of education, the growing role of distance education in Brazil and the challenges faced by this modality, the purpose of this article is to assess quality gaps in a distance education undergraduate course. We studied Public Administration undergraduate distance course from the Open University o f Brazil, using the perspective of services quality. Thus, we compared students’ and managers’ (course coordinators) perceptions about the education services provided. We collected data from institutions belonging to I-JAB project and applied oth qualitative and quantitative methods in a multi-method research approach. Quality Gaps Parasuramanet al. [1] were pioneer on services quality research. As a result, they observed gaps between executives perceptions and consumers’ perceptions about a same service quality, which gave rise to a five gap model, presented in Fig. 1. How to cite Gaps in education sector, Papers

Gaps in education sector Free Essays

Therefore, we applied a quality gaps model to ten courses belonging to the open university system In Brazil, researching course coordinatorsand students. Themulti-methods researchnoticed that institutionsgenerallydo not adopta market- riented model for decision-making in their courses and, therefore do not own d well- defined process to identity students’ expectations and, consequently,to create quality strategies andpoliciesbased on theseexpectations. On the otherhand. We will write a custom essay sample on Gaps in education sector or any similar topic only for you Order Now lthoughhigher educatlonls legallyregulatedby the Ministry ofEducatlon, Institutions seekdifferentiation in the market byhiring and retaining qualified and caring personnel end by thedevelopment oflnnovetlveendexcltlnglearnlng actlvltlesthat stimulatestudent motivation. These actions are strategically differentiated and help reducing barriers related to distance education. Theinfrastructure which Is vital to thesuccess of atechnology-based coursels, stlll,a Ilmltanonlnremote areas. Flnally, a t- test shcwved there was a favorableperception of quality for both students andcoordlnators, but the latterwere moreoptlmlstlc Services quality. Introduction The study of services quality date of 1980’s. These studies began with Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry published papers. Until then quality used to be studied only by operations field, which focus on tangible products quality. In operations quality means the absence of defects or compliance with the requirements of production [1]. Operations approach to quality assessment proved inadequate for the study of services, given its peculiar characteristics: intangibility, heterogeneity and inseparability . lntangibility means the inability to account for, store and test a service before its delivery. The heterogeneity comes from the intrinsic variability of the service, it means, a service will have different performance depending on the service provider, the client engagement and the context in which service is provided. Finally, inseparability concerns to the fact that a service is consumed simultaneously to its production. These unique Mantovant Dateliy Mn et. al. l sep. -oct. 2013 | vol. 2 1 Issue 5130-39 characteristics make it difficult to assess quality for a service [1]. Parasuraman et al. were pioneers in assessing quality in services. Their approach was so successful that it has been used since the 80’s. For the authors, unlike tangible products, the quality of a service refers to the perception customers have about it[l] and this perception occurs during the interaction between the client and the service provider [2]. Under this perspective, perceived quality is measured by the difference between the perceived erformance of a service and the initial expectations about it (service quality = perception of service performance – expectations about the service). pproach considers that expectations refer to the service desired by the customer and the minimum level of service acceptable in his/her point of view. Then, a zone of Available online at www. management]ournal. info tolerance is created, determining satisfactory and acceptable levels of service [3]. Difference between perception of service performance and initial expectations gave rise to what is called â€Å"gaps model of service qualityâ€℠¢, the object of this study. Pioneer studies focused on banking services quality, credit card and maintenance services [1]. Services quality assessment became popular and other services began to be studied in the same light. Higher education can be understood under services point of view, since education market has become client-oriented (considering student as a client). This means education market is no longer purely education-oriented (pedagogy-oriented), which makes it possible to consider education institutions as providers of educational products and services [4]. It is important to note that education is not a common service, like banking or estaurant services, since it owns a key role in society and has a non-business mission to develop criticalcitizens. Education core mission is social, non-commercial; it means education aims to develop better human beings and better citizens Higher education institutions (HE’s) have been facing fierce local and global competition, besides of challenges, such as high dropout rates and limited understanding of the market and students’ needs. Online distance education has outstanding participation in increasing competitiveness among institutions around the approach feasible for education comprehension Word of mouth communication In Brazil, distance education has been gaining importance. In 2010, 14. 6 % of college students were attending distance education course, compared to Just 0. 2 % in 2002 [7]. This scenario can be explained by the expansion of education in Brazil, with the creation of new institutions, creation of new vacancies and creation of the Open University of Brazil (I-JAB), subject matter of the article. Distance education, for its peculiar characteristics (space and temporal separation between instructor and student, technology intensive use, learner empowerment etc. faces its own challenges, such as student motivation ifficulties, high dropout rates and time management trouble. Given social importance of education, the growing role of distance education in Brazil and the challenges faced by this modality, the purpose of this article is to assess quality gaps in a distance education undergraduate course. We studied Public Administration undergraduate distance course from the Open University o f Brazil, using the perspective of services quality. Thus, we compared students’ and managers’ (course coordinators) perceptions about the education services provided. We collected data from institutions belonging to I-JAB project and applied oth qualitative and quantitative methods in a multi-method research approach. Quality Gaps Parasuramanet al. [1] were pioneer on services quality research. As a result, they observed gaps between executives perceptions and consumers’ perceptions about a same service quality, which gave rise to a five gap model, presented in Fig. 1. How to cite Gaps in education sector, Papers

Pennsylvania’s Correctional System Essay Example

Pennsylvania’s Correctional System Essay Pennsylvania has made history by being the world’s first true penitentiary, mainly due to its civilized prison cells, its structural edifice, and its groundbreaking facilities. This was constructed in about the same time as the rest of the US states are struggling with their own justice systems. It was the Bureau of Corrections that initiated this, as they saw prison problems fast arising. With their further investigation, they were able to come up with a wholly improved correctional system. This is championed by the retired Army Major General Jacob L. Devers. This pioneering achievement leads to the development of other U.S. State’s penitentiary systems.And as regards to Pennsylvania’s penal system, it was during the late 1600 that the death penalty in the state is commonly served through hanging or as referred to as the gallows. And as expected, this practice is widely adapted by most of the American States. Most of these hangings are actually done open to the public.In 1834, it was the State of Pennsylvania that became the first one to eradicate the idea of public execution. It was shortly legislated that the death penalty sentence was to be done per county and within the confines of its respective county jails. And this had effectively continued on for the next 80 years. By 1913, death by hanging is soon replaced by the electric chair. The chair was used until 1962, and it again has become a widely accepted method of carrying out death penalty throughout America. But by 1990, the electric chair was then replaced by the lethal injection process, which, until currently, is perceived as the most humane way of execution. The then governor, Robert P. Casey, made this feat possible. He was the one who signed the legislation to aptly change Pennsylvania’s mode of execution. But it was earlier in 1982 that lethal injection was first introduced and used in the US, courtesy of the state of Texas.Prison Population and FacilitiesThere are a total of 36 primary state federal adult prisons located within Pennsylvania, nine of which are situated in the 4 Democrat State Senate Districts while the rest are in the 15 Republican State Senate Districts. And right now, there is total of 43,206 prisoners in all its prison cells, which, consequently, has an operating bed capacity of only 38,499. Therefore, given the statistics, the state has an overall percentage capacity of 112%, which is over its limit. Out of the total number of prisoners, about 34,000 of them are in regular prison cells, while 2,465 are inside restricted housing areas. There are 124 inmates under the custody of the Mental Health Unit, and some 1,349, on the other hand, are under Therapeutic Community. There are also about 2,979 prisoners who are listed under the Diagnostic Classification Unit. 1,482 are in the Special Needs Unit and 144 are under the Infirmary.IssuesThe State of Pennsylvania is now looking to reduce its minority overrepresentation statistics in its juvenile justice system. And this is most achieved by evaluating each minority overrepresentation case and by devising a certain program to counter it.And in order for the State to be consistent its sentencing procedures, the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing is established. This is the main organization that comes out with accurate sentencing guidelines and information. Its main goal is to create an unfailing and lucid sentencing policy.Culpability is determined by the defendant’s mental ability to commit a crime; and this concept is well in use in Pennsylvania. It is but a requirement of proof for the prosecution that a certain mental state of the committing a crime is attained, should it be presented in court.Pennsylvania protects a defendant who cannot stand trial as well. This is what competency to stand trial is all about. It is a violation of a person’s right if he is asked to go into trial even if he is not capable of it, either mentally or physicall y, as deemed by the court.These issues, namely minority overrepresentation, arbitrary and discriminatory sentencing, competency and culpability, are the most debated, the most studied, and the most written about. Every state is facing these legal dilemmas. The State of Pennsylvania has its own share of minority overrepresentation with its juvenile cases, as well as its racial ones. And this goes true for arbitrary and discriminatory sentencing procedures as well. But the bottom line is that these issues are well taken cared of by the individual programs specifically made for each by the State of Pennsylvania.Correction Officers and TrainingCurrently, Jeffrey A. Beard is the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He was appointed by Gov. Tom Ridge in December of 2000. He has years of experience in criminal justice and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He also has both masters and doctorate degrees in counseling which are all gained from the Pennsylvani a State University.Reporting to him directly is Executive Deputy Secretary John S. Shaffer. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration, gained from the University of Pittsburgh. He has 28 years of experience as a counselor, a litigation project director, and a deputy superintended for facilities management, among others. He had also previously served as a warden in his career.Under them are Deputy Secretary William Stickman of the Western Region and Donald Vaughn of the Eastern Region. William D. Sprenkle is the Deputy Secretary for Administration while the position of Deputy Secretary Specialized Facilities and Programs is currently vacant at the moment.Elizabethtown houses the Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections training academy. Trainings for all employees, prison wardens, and prison police are all conducted within the institution. And just like the Specialized Facilities and Programs, the Director for the Training Academy is yet to be named.Death Row an d Constitutional ConsiderationsIn Pennsylvania, death penalty can only be affected in cases where the defendant is found guilty of a first-degree murder. A separate hearing is conducted in instances where there could be either aggravating or mitigating circumstances could arise following the case. If it happens that at least one of the 10 aggravating circumstances as presumed by the law exists, and none of the mitigating factors are deemed present, the death penalty sentence also applies.The mitigating factors could well determine one’s ability to escape death penalty or not. The mitigating factors are as follows: (a) The defendant has no significant previous record; (b) The defendant has extreme mental or emotional disturbance; (c) The defendant was simply a minor participant of the crime; (d) And the defendant was a considered a youth at the time of the crime. It is also important to note that different states have different take on these said factors.To date, Pennsylvania has a total of 223 people who has been executed since death penalty was reinstated. Of the count, 218 were men and 5 are women, 136 of who are Blacks. The rest are White, Hispanic, or Asian.Pennsylvania has a current number of 219 people on the death row. It is the former governor, Tom Ridge, who signed 45 of these death warrants. This is a considerably large number, compared to the other states, which have death row numbers less than a hundred. And it is also noted that Pennsylvania has the most disproportionate death row data across the continent. Of the 219 death row inmates, 149 are African-American.ConclusionPennsylvania has its own strong structure of a correctional system. Basing from its history, Pennsylvania was long committed to serve the public, both in protecting its safety and livelihood from people who could take it from them, to the very people who would.Pennsylvania evidently likes to foster life, both within the penitentiary units and outside of it. The Pennsylvania n correctional system upholds truth and justice, just by looking at the very formation and the managing powers behind the institution.People of Pennsylvania should be satisfied that its government is very bent on serving them fully through a straight, a satisfactory, and a performing justice system, which is considered one of its kind, not only here in the U.S. but to the rest of the world.

Managers and Leaders in an OrganizationAccording to a study done by the Small Business Administration (SBA), two-thirds of new business survive at least two years (Schaefer, 2010). Patrick Schaefer speaks on about a company's biggest failure begins with failed leadership. A new business lacks management expertise in areas such as purchasing, hiring employees with the right skills, and finance. Among the most successful companies in the world who foster management skills in a positive way is Costco. Businesses should consist of an equal balance of managing, and leading. Differences between leading a company and managing a company are endless.The definition of managing is the act or manner of managing; handling, direction, or control (NA, 2008). Managers are problem solvers who use resources to find a solution and always ask what problem needs to be solved or what is the best way to achieve goals set by upper management.English: Yearly U.S. spending. Direct expenditure ...b. Restatemen t of topicc. Revisitation of introduction and tying all ideas togetherF. ReferencesAnnotated BibliographyKirk, R. (1993). The Meaning of Justice. Retrieved October 9, 2010, fromheritage.org/research/lecture/the-meaning-of-justiceThis is a lecture discussing the meaning of justice and the confusion of that meaning. The author explains that many definitions of this term are different from one another. In this series of four lectures, the author discusses first the signification of this word "justice". In his second lecture the author examines natural law. In his third lecture, the author deals with criminal justice. In his concluding lecture, he quarrels with certain notions of justice that have been much puffed up during recent years.Luna, E. (2003 November/December). Overextending the criminal law. Journal of theCato Policy Report, Vol. XXV No. 6 Retrieved October 10, 2010, fromcato.org/pubs/policy_report/v25n6/luna.pdfThis journal article from Erica Luna explains...

How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Steps

How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Steps How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Steps A starving writer stands in front of a mailbox, clutching a hefty brown envelope addressed to a publishing company. They say a prayer, push their manuscript in, and begin the long wait for a reply that could make or break their career. It's a romantic image, but most major publishers don't actually accept "unsolicited manuscripts" these days. If that writer were serious about being published, they’d first seek out an agent. And for that, they'd need a query letter. Ready to get an agent? Here's how to write a query letter in 7 steps With the help of our brand-new infographic, this post will show you how to write a query letter that gets results. Note: a lot of research needs to happen before you start querying agents. This article will focus on the query letter itself, and specifically, queries for fiction. You can learn about queries for non-fiction submissions in this post  and how to write a non-fiction book proposal right here. Writing an Effective Query Letter  A query letter is a note asking an agent if they’re interested in representing a book. Agents may receive a dozen or more queries a day - and might only sign four or five authors per year. So you can see how making a good first impression in your query is crucial. Now, there's no "standard" format that all authors use for their letters. However, a query is a business document and as such should look like a formal one-page business letter. Our one universal piece of advice about querying is to keep the letter short. Think 300 to 400 words at the very most. Many agents field queries using their phones, so think about how will your letter look on a small screen. Does it give the impression of being a huge wall of text, or a disjointed series of singles sentences? If so, revise to make it more concise, orderly, and organized. Without further ado, here’s how to write a query letter in 7 steps.Step 1: Capture the agent’s attention with your greetingâ€Å"Dear Ms. Tyler† That’s perfectly fine, assuming that the agent’s name is Tyler and she is, indeed, a woman. The following line should then make the agent prick up their ears. If you’ve published before, why not start with that? Also make sure to mention any critical recognition or awards you've received for your previous work.I’m seeking representation for my novel, The Bedlam Stacks.  This novel is the follow-up to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, which was shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize, and a finalist for the Locust First Novel Prize in 2016.If you haven’t published before, another great way to start is with a personal connection.We met at last year’s Writer’s Digest Annual Conference and chatted briefly about your work with up-and-coming romance authors.Or, better yet, get a referral from an established author or a publishing insider.Jane Doe at Del Rey Books suggested that I contact you regarding representation for my debut science fiction novel, Arbormancer.Networking is crucial in publishing. â€Å"You want something that will bring the submission directly to the agent rather than an assistant or an intern,† says editor and former agent Fran Lebowitz. â€Å"Showing that you are connected never hurts.† If you have no connections to speak of, don’t panic; just jump straight into your pitch.I’m writing to seek representation for my 92,500-word debut thriller, Operation Kill.The title, genre, and word count: three key pieces of information are right there in your first sentence. With that out of the way, let’s really grab their attention!Tip: Always mention your genre, word count and target audience in your query.Step 2: Craft an irresistible hook"Sell the book, don’t apologize for it, and know how to condense its true meaning to a couple of sentences.†Ã‚   - Jonny Geller, CEO of Curtis Brown (John le Carrà ©, David Mitchell, Susanna Clarke)Within the first few pages of a novel, you need to make it impossible for readers to put your book down. In a query letter, you have to make do with just a few lines. This part of the letter is known as the hook. Your hook should show agents how your book is different from the thousands of others in your genre. It could be an awesome concept that makes the reader wonder why someone hasn’t thought of it before. Just look at the hook for Jeff Lindsay’s Darkly Dreaming Dexter:Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He’s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likable: he only kills bad people.Another great hook might involve an intriguing central conflict, like the one in Stepheni e Meyers’ Twilight:About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him - and I didn’t know how potent that part might be -   that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.Not only does this introduce the genre and tone (dark paranormal romance), it sets up the narrator’s dilemma: she knows she’s in love with a man who might kill her. What will happen next? Is she walking into a trap? Will her love conquer the vampire’s bloodlust? Perfecting your hook might take days - but it’s the most important part of your pitch, hands down.

REIT Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

REIT Project - Essay Example RECOMMENDATION: HOLD PRICE: 378 Gp AS OF July2, 2009 Volume 4,063,468 Days High 379.25p Days Low 371.50p Avg. Vol 5,343,894 Company description: The British Land Company PLC operates in the fields of property development, finance and investment in London. The Company’s retail warehouse park investments include Teesside Shopping Park, Giltbrook Retail Park, The Kingston Centre, New Mersey Shopping Park, Glasgow Fort, Parkgate Shopping. Significant financial developments have occurred in the past two years that led to decrease of revenues to 16 percent to  £554M and a net loss of  £63l 93B up from  £1.61B as of March 2009 according to report of Reuters. Based on Reuters report, BLC posted negative performance for the year ended as it has negative operating margin of -65.16 B and a negative net profit margin of -700.54bn. Percentage of management effectiveness are nestled on high negative ratios.. It has low cash availability and zero cash flow which shows company relies heavily on debt borrowings. It has a total debt equity ratio of 117.76% that is a risky investment because of high cost of mo ney. The company has no dividend yield and zero growth rates for the past two years There is no available property map that depicts location of properties of BLC. Based on Yahoo Finance, BLC is the biggest real estate management company in London. One of their properties is over 12 hectares property in Broadgate

Media Audience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media Audience - Essay Example Media research problems are many and some of them are connected with the ethnography. Meeting people, observing them, participating in their activities, experiencing, reflecting, and understanding are considered to be the real ethnography. Media ethnography is virtual, proper, accumulated experiences, matters of every day life, some important and the rest unimportant. There should be a tradition, or continuity in it because the field or object should have existed for at least a certain amount of time, media ethnographies are about the end users, here, they are the audience. It is important to know how ethnography could be contextualised. While researching on the key issue of ethnography, mostly it is done on the constraints placed on the media. Media ethnography studies various fields of media and how it could be used in understanding the audience. "Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are," Abercrombie (1996, p. 140). Media ethnography is a new methodology, and one of... In wireless research communication poses methodological challenges where cell phone usage is concerned. It is interesting to find out the social rules, adherence and breakage from them, and how new rules and new cell phone etiquette are formulated all the time. It maps the cell phone's capacity of fast becoming the social topography markers and it analyses the trend. Researchers face the problems of analysing the modifications, innovations, discoveries, new social interactions, violations, discarding of old social behaviours over the phone. New media research is also forced to analyse the usage of codes in social interactions and conversations. There are many challenges that are confronted by media researchers in coding too. If the research is about the internet, researcher has to find the reason, motivation, kinds of information and decision making while researching on internet. It is important to know how it is used for online interviews, how people are found and positioned, in what way it is better than personal interviews, or over telephone and how it is using the updated technology. It is also interesting to find out about the chat rooms that use many topics, political, economical, social, religious, cultural and informational and why, how and how often they use this facility. Researching on use-net and message boards had not been easy either. Researcher faces difficulties in finding people for interview and retaining their interest for the time of his research. Good sampling is an equally difficult task because to create and structure such a group of par excellence again is very difficult. Formatting the interview, deciding its mode and means of conducting such an