Merged School of Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Merged School of Business - Essay Example They are globalization, technology and sustainability (Schuler & MacMillan, 2006). It is worthy of mentioning that the expression ‘human resource management’ has been used in the context of practicing organizations as well as academicians since last ten to fifteen years. Formerly, the concept was referred as personnel administration. Human resource management takes into consideration all the activities that are undertaken by the enterprises for the purpose of utilizing the resources of the organisation effectively in order to attain individual, organisational as well as group goals (Franklyn, n.d.). A well-crafted merger as well as acquisition strategy can assist an organisation to attain competitive advantage and therefore help in the creation of the shareholders value (London Business School, 2011). The case study is related to the problems faced by All Star University which is the product of a government-sponsored amalgamation between two universities as well as their school/departments. One of them is 115 years old Sandstone University and the other one is 20 years old Redbrick Institute of Technology. The main objective of the essay is to identify the key stakeholders involved in the case study and to discuss their major interests. It will also try to examine the HR challenges as well as problems involved in this merger and therefore will present solutions and recommendations in order to overcome the challenges. Stakeholders can be identified as the persons who get influenced by the strategic plan. Stakeholders may be either group of people, institutions, and organisations or may as well be individuals. The term ‘stakeholder’ may as well be identified as actors or as interest groups. It can be mentioned that the acknowledgement of the stakeholders is an iterative procedure. It is significant to mention that the stakeholders may be at any position in the society. They may be at international level to national, regional, household o r intra-household level. It may comprise all those who affect or may get affected because of the policies, actions or decision in any particular method (International Centre For Development Oriented Research In Agriculture, n.d.). It is often noted that universities are termed as typical organisation which are made up of the stakeholders. The overall management as well as development of the university is completely dependent by its close association with the stakeholders. Conventionally, universities were simply taken as institutions comprising of teachers providing lessons or conducting researches, students of all the levels, various other employees who were held accountable for the business work as well as academic work, the course systems and other related resources and management procedures. However, such opinions generally ignore other development resources as well as social capital. The major stakeholders in any university can be teachers, parents, commercial circle, students, public as well as private sectors of the economy, mass media, professional associations as well as the society (Yi & Rui, n.d.). In the context of this case study, there are many parties who are actively involved. Sandstone University is one of the stakeholders which are in operation since 115 years. The other significant stakeholder is Redbrick Institute of Technology which is into existence

Quality Indicators for Safe Medication Preparation and Administration Essay Example for Free

Quality Indicators for Safe Medication Preparation and Administration Essay Being passionate about caring and helping others has influenced and inspired me to enter the medical field and has then encouraged me to become a registered nurse in the Philippines. I have worked in a public hospital located in Manila which caters health care services for people presenting infectious and tropical diseases. One day, I had an admission who was diagnosed with an Acute Gastroenteritis secondary to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The doctor ordered a new antibiotic that should be given intravenously. When the antibiotic was already at hand, I administered the medication with the 100ml solution of normal saline to the patient. Afterward, because of a lot of toxicity in the area caused by a large number of patients, I forgot to reassess the patient whom I gave the antibiotic initially. I was surprised when I got back, the patient was already experiencing an allergic reaction to the antibiotic that the skin was flushed and generalized rashes were observed. I referred the patient immediately to the resident on duty and anti-histamine medications were given right away. Because of the incident happened, I felt overwhelmed with fear due to the possible consequences I had in my mind that the patient might suffer. I had been administering antibiotics many times in the past, but this situation made me feel guilty and uneasy. I even questioned myself if I am really that competent enough to do medical interventions to the patients. A nurse’s role is to render a high quality of care at all times. The reactions of the antibiotic would have been prevented if the proper assessment has been executed. Being knowledgeable in interventions especially medication administration is essential in my role, that I felt I didn’t accomplish fully. I documented all that happened to the patient and I made an internal incident report so that the other team members would be well-informed about the situation and also proper endorsements were done. Further errors and complications will be prevented through active management and effective reporting system would ensure patient’s safety. Administration of medicines to individuals who are ill is part of nurse’s responsibility to deliver holistic and optimal care (Veitch Christie 2007). In the Philippines, nurses are required to practice methodical approach that follows local polices. In regards to my own experience, nurses practice 10 rights of medication administration that are intended to protect patients from any misconduct in promoting health. Some of the key things I have learned include developing my time management, multi-tasking, and organizational habits. One of the ways I would change what I did then would be to assess before and after administering certain medication to the patient especially if it’s an initial dose. I am now more cautious and responsible for my actions when delivering holistic care. Although I should’ve reassessed the patient, the experience I have gained from this has made me more mindful of patient’s rights that safeguard patient’s well-being. In the future, I think I would try to deal with this by improving the level of my competence and not neglect the aspects of nursing as a caring profession. I will continue to provide genuine care to the patients through further developing my skills in performing the 10 rights of medication administration. I intend to become more careful and as well as confident when protecting the health of my patients from possible risks of any treatment and health practices. As a registered nurse, I aim to advance my knowledge and skills that will befit the needs of the clients. Therefore, even if this experience for me was a challenge, I took it as an advantage to help me understand the importance of values in nursing and will guide me in tackling different instances and situations in the future.

Event Organisation Description

Event Organisation Description 1. DEFINITION OF EVENT. a) Experts definition of event. To better understanding the definition of events I would like to mention at the beginning that various terms is used to explain its meaning.   To find the answer for this question I will quote Getz who said that A special event is a unique moment in time celebrated with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs. Getz (1997; p.4), Another event specialists state that an event can be defined as anything which happens; any incidence or occurrence especially a memorable one; contingency or possibility of occurrence; and item in a programme and organised activity at particular venue for sales promotion and fundraising. (Bowdin2011,p.17) b) My own definition of event. In my opinion an event is a special occasion such as football match, festival or concert which has happen in a special place, on specific time and required a lot of different kind of things to be organised before it may take a place. The event doesnt occur very often so its the reason why it is so special and many people is looking forward to be a part of something unique in some way. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THREE EVENTS FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS. T IN THE PARK FESTIVAL The biggest music festival in Scotland, held at a disused airport in Balado.T in the Park is an event that every year attracts over 80,000 music fans from around the world. During the 3 days of the festival there are over 180 artists performing on eleven stages. In the past, there appeared stars such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who, Green Day, The Killers, Foo Fighters, REM, Oasis and Radiohead. First edition took place in 1994 in Strathclyde Country Park. Its name comes from the main sponsor Tennents brewery. Baldo park is an excellent location for the event as most Scottish who want to take part in the festival can get there easily which makes it an ideal place to host this type of event. The festival includes of three days of fun, music and dance. The festival takes place every second weekend of July. People attending for the event are mostly young people interested in pop, rock and electronic music. Through the years the festival has be become increasingly popular and now it is the biggest music festival in UK. OCTOBER FEST- Its the largest beer and folk festival held in Munich in Bavaria (Germany). Oktoberfest takes place from 1810 years. Until 1871, it took place in October, and since 1872 the beginning of the event has been postponed for September. In recent years the average number of visitors was six million people. During the festival is being consumed about five million liters of beer, traditionally sold in one-liter mugs. Fairs called Oktoberfest in Bavaria were not uncommon. Their goal was to use beer from the passing season, before the start of the new brew. The Munich Oktoberfest enjoys more than 200-year tradition. On the occasion of the wedding of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the future King of Bavaria and his bride, Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, which took place on October 12, 1810, they were held on the meadows in front of the city walls (today Theresienwiese ) horse racing. Since Prince Ludwig passion for antiquity competitions were held in the style of the ancient Olympic Games. In the early years of the Munich Oktoberfest was primarily sporty character. Since the event enjoyed great popularity among the inhabitants of the city, the royal court decided to repeat the race a year later at the same time, and so was born the tradition of the Munich Oktoberfest. Due to the involvement of Bavaria in the Napoleonic Wars in 1813 for the first time the festival was abandoned. A break in the tradition also occurred in 1854 and 1873 due to the cholera epidemic in 1866 because of the war and a seven-week 1870 Franco-Prussian war. OLIMPIC GAMES- Are the biggest and most recognised sporting events taking place in summer time (athletics sports) as well as in winter (skiing), which gather participant from all over the world. The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games running every four years but two years apart. Ancient Olympic Games The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia in Greece and were played every four years, so in ancient Greece dates Olympics marked the four-year period between successive Olympics. The first documented Olympic Games were held in 776 BC For the duration of the Olympic Games discontinued wars. During the conflict announced peace of God and the war was stopped for two months. For five days lasted games, the rest was allocated to depart and return from the Olympics for spectators and competitors. The first stage of the ceremony, even before the Games begin, was an oath before the statue of Zeus. Raw meat cut into pieces, scattering or decomposed before the statue and each of the participants, along with his father and his brothers took the oath did not commit any fraud on the competition, which confirmed a second oath in which they said they strictly applied the exercise by previous 10 months. Officially received the prize a wreath of twigs of laurel but winner was just one and became famous and in his hometown built monuments in his honor and wrote poems. The wall of the city won the competitor done a hole through which entered the winner greeted by the locals. This meant that the city could not be afraid anymore because it has such a defender. The winner also received material rewards, but not officially given. Over time, in addition to the wreath of olive branches, they obtained money and valuables. Fame have won the whole city and not just winning. Penalties Olympic were very strict. A player who has committed fraud, was forced to put a statue of Zeus, which is inscribed with his name and vice, which he hath sinned. The most popular with fraudsters is Athenian Kalliopos who bribed his would-be opponents. The whole thing came to light. Athenian and others had put monuments for Zeus. Athenians stopped attending the Olympic Games, as the Delphic oracle said that if they start again participate. In the competition they participated wealthy people who could afford to devote the entire year to exercise, then they were only selected athletes. Occurrence naked, because the games can watch only free men. Woman caught in watching the games waiting for the death penalty. There was no team competition. The games were held in honor of the god Zeus. Olympic Games nowadays Present Olympics held since 1896 (Athens), and the winter of 1924 (Chamonix). Modern Olympic Games refer to the tradition of the ancient Greek Olympics. For most athletes the Olympics are regarded as the most important sports and the Olympic gold medal as the most valuable trophy .Exception of this rule are tennis players, cyclists and footballers, but the international federations of these sports are trying to raise the profile of Olympic 3. EMERGENCY ANG GROW OF OLYMPIC GAMES. HISTORY OF OLYMPIC GAMES The modern Olympic Games were celebrate in london, were opened by the Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated the struggles athletes jubilee XXX Summer Olympics. The competition takes place not only for the gold medal, but also for fame and money. The Olympic Games is a huge organizational undertaking and the media, which attracts the attention of millions of people around the world. The history of the Olympic Games and the international Olympic movement is as interesting as the competition athletes. The Olympic Games are derived from ancient Greece. Already in the seventh century BC athletes met once every four years to honor Zeus. Games traditionally played out in Olympia, and competition gathered crowds of locals and visitors from different parts of Hellas. The competition was fought min. in racing, wrestling and chariot races. The winners waited olive twig and a huge celebrity. During the duration of the games announced peace against any conflicts, which is discontinued fights, and even t he death penalty. Unfortunately, with the fall of Greeces Olympic forgotten, and for the next Olympic Games had to wait 1,500 years. The resurrection of the idea of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹the Olympic Games took place at the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937). This French thinker, educator, historian and sports activist held numerous trips around the world and sought support for the restoration of referring to the tradition of ancient Greek athletes competing from around the world. CHANGES OVER THE YEARS The organization of the games differed significantly from what we currently see. To honour participation in the Olympic women they were not allowed. They had to wait until 1900 for the Olympics in Paris, where competed in golf and tennis. There also were awarded gold medals. The winner was honored a silver disc, an olive branch and a diploma. Not awarded the prize for third place (according to the tradition of awarding medals contemporary model was launched in 1904, the Olympics in St. Louis). GROWTH OF THE EVENT The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, and a terrorist attack in 1972. Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world. 4. IMPACTS OF BEIJING OLIMPICS GAME IN 2008. NEGATIVE SOCIAL IMPACT Dismissive of local people- people habited the area had to be resettle to make a way for new developments like new buildings to accommodate visitors and participants as well as make possible to create the proper infrastructure as a part of preparing to the Olympic Game. This situation intensify differences between poor and rich inhabitants of the city. POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT Job creation-preparation for the Olympic Game generated many job opportunities for the local as well as for people from other part of the country and world. Apart from increased number of vacancies related directly to the event, many people found a job in travel sector such as hotels, restaurants, tourists attractions as well as employment related to ensure security due to unusual flow of visitors. NEGATIVE POLITICAL IMPACT Insecurity-because of the volume of the event, the city might be considered as an excellent opportunity for terrorism groups to organise an assassination where many people could lost they lives .Organisations had to keep particular attention to keep all spectators and participants safe during the games and when moving around the city. According to the Chinese security ministry, protestors planned suicide bomb attacks on some Chinese cities and kidnappings in Beijing to disturb the Olympic Games. 5. IDENTIFY ONE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION RELEVANT TO ONE OF LISTED EVENTS.GIVE DETAILS OF ITS PURPOSE AND THREE BENEFITS TO ITS MEMBERS. The association relevant to T in the park event may be the Association of events Organisers. Their mission statement: AEO is the voice of the event organising community. It serves the collective needs and promotes the interests of the event organisers and the industry at large. The purpose of the AEO is the trade body representing companies which conceive, create, develop or manage trade and consumer events. It is run by its members for the benefit of its members through an elected council of representatives, specialist working groups and a fulltime secretariat. Main benefits of becoming a membership: Members of the AEO benefit from opportunities of which helps them to develop in order to overcome challenges and address issues within the industry The AEO Forums are events which give members a great opportunity for learning different principles related to the day job, delivered by experts both from within and beyond the events industry. Number of AEO Excellence Awards that reward talent such as the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry, Organiser Team of the Year and Unsung Hero awards. Events such as the CEO Summit, International Dinners and annual AEO Conference provide opportunities for senior directors to meet with like-minded individuals and hear from guest speakers on a range of hot topics, developing markets, technologies and growth strategies. If you are a new member, there is an opportunity for senior directors to be mentored by directors in member organisations you aspire to be like in some way, shape or form. The AEO Talent Working Group was set up to share best practice and find solutions to challenges surrounding talent management. This may be training and career development, recruitment concerns, improving skills and cross-functional working practices or discussing equality in the workplace. Members have found that sharing experiences has been extremely beneficial so far. 6. FOUR TRENDS WITHIN THE EVENTS INDUSTRY. Social Medias Social media has made a huge impact on the tourism /events industry. Those industries depend heavily on the use of word-of-mouth to spread opinions and recommendations, and social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. People eagerly use the social media to find out interesting events and check whats going on in the place of their interest. They also share their personal experiences of particular places they have visited. There was significant growth using TripAdvisor in last decade with 320 million reviews and more than 290 million downloads. Its available in form of website as well as an App and it is bespoke company reaching travellers around the world. (Trip Advisor) In the future with technology evolving all the time, social media will become more popular with travellers when comes to booking holidays. Social medias are applied to all of the above three events from the question 2. Growth in Mobile- It is important for tourism and event industries to be up to date with their travellers and event participants in that matters all websites related to the particular event should turn into mobile friendly and start working closer with Social Medias. Nowadays travellers using their mobiles not only to book their trips and events but also may give their recommendation and opinion of the events they took part in. Industries engaged into the new technological tools allow people for a quick access and make it easier to respond either from potential new customers or the existing ones. This trend will help in the future to target different target markets in quick and efficient way in lowest possible cost. E-meetings and digital collaboration- nowadays people have an access to a wide range of methods which allows us to fast communication. Thanks to availability of technologicalplatform such asUber ,airBnB ,TaskTabbit and HotelWall   companies have possibility to conduct a meeting and discussed the most important issues of the business without spending long hours in journey .E-meetings and digital communication are the excellent way to keep our planet away of air pollution by reducing carbon emissions. Eco friendly-increasingly popularity in waste segregation and using bio-materials will be beneficial for the industry as events in which participate a large number of people generate huge amount of waste which if not properly segregated cause many harmful results like formation of the huge garbage dumps by the failure to carry out recycling, higher prices of materials if recycling is not possible ,increase the amount of cutting the threes by the lack of paper for re preparation, minimalize degradation of the landscape. References History (26.01.2017) Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/olympic-games Safeconcerts (26.01.2017) .Retrieved from http://www.safeconcerts.com/festivals/t-in-the-park/t-in-the-park-history.asp Wikipedia-Olympic Games (28.01.2017) .Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games T in the park (26.01.2017) .Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_in_the_Park Wikipedia-Oktoberfest (28.01.2017 ) Retrieved from http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/ Economic impact ( 28.01.2017 ) Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/200686460_Economic_impact_studies_of_Beijing_2008_Olympic_Games Event trends ( 02.02.2017) .Retrieved from https://lessconversationmoreaction.com/2015/01/14/top-10-sustainable-event-trends-for-2020/ Event trends (02.02.2017).Retrieved from http://radar.sustainability.com/annual-trends-report/ Association of Events organisers ( 03.02.2017) .Retrieved from http://www.aeo.org.uk/

Role of Colour in Impressionism :: Essays Papers

Role of Colour in Impressionism In this essay, I shall try to examine how great a role colour played in the evolution of Impressionism. Impressionism in itself can be seen as a linkage in a long chain of procedures, which led the art to the point it is today. In order to do so, colour in Impressionism needs to be placed within an art-historical context for us to see more clearly the role it has played in the evolution of modern painting. In the late eighteenth century, for example, ancient Greek and Roman examples provided the classical sources in art. At the same time, there was a revolt against the formalism of Neo-Classicism. The accepted style was characterised by appeal to reason and intellect, with a demand for a well-disciplined order and restraint in the work. The decisive Romantic movement emphasized the individual’s right in self-expression, in which imagination and emotion were given free reign and stressed colour rather than line; colour can be seen as the expression for emotion, whereas line is the expression of rationality. Their style was painterly rather than linear; colour offered a freedom that line denied. Among the Romanticists who had a strong influence on Impressionism were Joseph Mallord William Turner and Eugà ©ne Delacroix. In Turner’s works, colour took precedence over the realistic portrayal of form; Delacroix led the way for the Impressionists to use unmixed hues. The transition between Romanticism and Impressionism was provided by a small group of artists who lived and worked at the village of Barbizon. Their naturalistic style was based entirely on their observation and painting of nature in the open air. In their natural landscape subjects, they paid careful attention to the colourful expression of light and atmosphere. For them, colour was as important as composition, and this visual approach, with its appeal to emotion, gradually displaced the more studied and forma, with its appeal to reason. Impressionism grew out of and followed immediately after the Barbizon school. A distinctive feature of the work of the Impressionists was the application of paint in touches of mostly pure colour rather than blended; their pictures appeared more luminous and colourful even than the work of Delacroix, from whom they had learned the technique. To the modern eye, the accepted paintings of the salon artists of the day seem pale and dull.

Research on Science Essay

ABSTRACT The study explores ways in which students who have participated in a curriculum innovation, Science ALIVE! acquire Science process skills and perceive the relevance of Science in everyday life. It investigates whether students have, after the programme, perceived an improvement in applying Science process skills. Four classes of Secondary 2 Express students attended one of four modules in the Science ALIVE! programme and responded to a pre- and post-course survey to measure their perceived skill competency for each process skill. They also responded to questions on whether the programme enhanced their awareness of the relevance of Science in everyday life. Five students from each module were selected to provide written feedback at mid-course and write a journal after the course. The content of their feedback and journals were analysed to provide deeper insight of the results of the perception surveys. The data was triangulated with teachers’ feedback, which was used to provide insight of the factors that affect the acquisition of the process skills. The findings show significant increase in students’ perception of skill competency while a high percentage of students indicated that the programme has made them more aware of the relevance of Science in their lives. INTRODUCTION Traditional learning approaches in which students are passive recipients of knowledge are inconsistent with the call for Singapore schools to Teach Less, Learn More (TLLM). There is a need to allow learning to occur in settings that are relevant to students’ experiences and real world problems. In Clementi Town Secondary School (CTSS), Project Work was used as a platform for students to transfer their learning and apply in authentic applications. However, teachers who had conducted Project Work for Science at Secondary 2 observed that students’ projects lacked depth in the specific content area, and the skills needed for scientific investigations. This spurred the need to cover content knowledge relevant to the projects assigned. It also raised the concern that Science process skills, as stipulated in the MOE Lower Secondary Science (LSS) Syllabus, were not sufficiently emphasised compared to acquiring scientific knowledge. Teachers also indicated that students were una ble to appreciate the relevance of Science in solving problems in their lives after past Project Work tasks. Science Process Skills â€Å"Science process skills† is commonly used to describe a set of broadly transferable abilities that are reflective of what scientists do. These skills are grouped into two types – basic and integrated. Basic process skills provide a foundation for learning the integrated skills, which are more complex skills for solving problems or doing Science experiments. In this study, reflecting is listed as a process skill to be investigated, though it is usually considered part of thinking skills which is a broader category that subsumes process skills. Some Science educators have argued that â€Å"teaching students Science facts is not as important as developing their Science process skills so that they can learn this knowledge on their own† (Young, 1995). Studies in the United States have shown that elementary school students who are taught process skills, not only learn to use those processes, but also retain them for future use. In Singapore, the MOE Primary Science syllabus also emphasises the teaching of basic process skills and some integrated skills, while the LSS syllabus emphasises the use of process skills for planning investigations and creative problem solving, and other thinking skills. Curriculum design plays an important role in the acquisition of Science process skills. The MOE Assessment Guidelines for LSS recommends an explicit teaching of the process skills, followed by the integration of these skills by students in experimenting or carrying out investigative projects. Padilla (1990) pointed out that â€Å"when Science process skills are a specific planned outcome of a Science programme, those skills can be learned by students†¦ Teachers need to select curricula which emphasise Science process skills.† These basic skills are learnt more effectively if they are considered an important object of instruction and if proven teaching methods are used. There must be a deliberate effort to focus on teaching process skills through a modified LSS curriculum. Young (1995) recommended that if teachers have the freedom to select their own topics, they should choose topics of direct interest to themselves and which would excite students. Science knowledge serves as background for lessons but should not take up the whole lesson. Instead, more time should be spent on activities that enhance the understanding of Science concepts and improve Science skills. Some studies have shown that instead of using the didactic approach, teaching Science through the use of activity-based approaches significantly improved students’ achievement in Science process skills (Beaumont-Walters, 2001). Berry et al (1999) suggested a few crucial factors that influence the acquisition of process skills used in laboratory work. Firstly, students need the relevant content knowledge that is assumed by the task to be mentally engaged. For example, a more knowledgeable student would be able to explain an observation, which in turn â€Å"validates† his knowledge and gives him a certain amount of intellectual satisfaction. The ‘doing’ of Science has to be coupled with ‘learning about’ Science, if students are to appreciate the value of scientific inquiry (Haigh et al, 2005). A second factor suggested by Berry et al (1999) is students’ ownership of laboratory tasks. Ownership would be more apparent in open laboratory tasks, where the student has to design his own experiment than in closed laboratory tasks, where the â€Å"correct† experimental procedure is written out in a â€Å"cookbook† style and the student is likely to carry out the tasks unthinkingly. Another effective strategy to enhance students’ process skills would be to let students keep a â€Å"scientific journal† (Tomkins & Tunnicliffe, 2001). It was observed that diary writers tend to build more confidence in their own interpretations, engage in intellectual debates with themselves over the plausibility of their explanations and ask questions that are more quantifiable. Relevance of Science in everyday life Research studies conducted in recent decades on students’ perception of school Science have consistently shown that they perceive Science as not relevant (Bennett, 2001). Similar findings have raised a serious concern in several countries. For instance, a report by the Dutch Ministry of Education in 2002 observed that secondary school students did not see a connection between what they learnt in Chemistry lessons and the chemistry happening around them (Van Aalsvoort, 2004a). A subsequent report recommended teaching Science in context. However, a study carried out on a contextualised Science curriculum introduced to Swaziland students highlighted some shortcomings (Campbell et al, 2000). The findings showed that less than half of the sample students could draw on Science concepts to explain everyday experiences or solve everyday problems. It was suggested that contextualised learning could be made more effective through student-initiated project work on everyday problems. Van Aalsvoort (2004b) suggested using activity theory to address the issue of the relevance of Chemistry in chemical education, where reflection plays a key role in evaluating and developing an activity. Reflection could be carried out through writing reflection journals, which also helped enhance the acquisition of process skills, as mentioned earlier (Tomkins & Tunnicliffe, 2001). According to Van Aalsvoort (2004a), relevance can be defined in four aspects: (i) personal relevance – Science education makes connections to students’ lives; (ii) professional relevance – Science education offers students a picture of possible professions; (iii) social relevance – Science education clarifies the purpose of Science in human and social issues; and (iv) personal/social relevance – Science education helps students develop into responsible citizens. This study considers relevance in three aspects – personal, professional and social. INTERVENTION Project Work aims for students to transfer the learning of concepts into applications in authentic settings. To address the areas of concern raised by teachers teaching Project Work, the Science ALIVE! programme was conceived to integrate Project Work and the LSS syllabus. This 13-week programme was conducted during Semester 2 of the Secondary 2 Express Science curriculum and used alternative assessment to replace the traditional end-ofyear examination. In this programme, a team of teachers crafted four modules which covered a variety of topics from Biology, Chemistry and Physics. As a motivating factor, students could choose from one of the four modules offered: Aroma Chemistry, Biodiversity, Life Science and Water Rockets. In each Science ALIVE! module, specific content knowledge was taught using hands-on strategies such as laboratory work, field trips, journal writing and group discussions. These strategies were intended to promote student engagement. Most importantly, the programme addressed the three key issues of concern in the following ways: 1. Content knowledge covered was specific to each module and relevant to the projects that students were assigned. This enabled students to better transfer the concepts to the projects. 2. Science process skills could be applied by students through journal writing, laboratory work and investigative project work. Science process skills were used as criteria for assessment to emphasise their importance and focus. 3. To enhance the relevance of Science, students were given a choice of the elective module to study, and to decide on the problem to work on for their projects. Contextualised learning, which draws on scientific understanding to explain everyday situations, was consciously infused into the curriculum design for each module. Reflection journals were written after selected activities, which according to activity theory helped students evaluate their learning (Van Aalsvoort, 2004b). RESEARCH QUESTIONS The two research questions are: (1) How does the Science ALIVE! programme help students to apply their Science process skills? And (2) How can the Science ALIVE! programme enhance the relevance of Science in students’ lives? METHODOLOGY Participants 147 students from all four Secondary 2 Express classes attended the Science ALIVE! programme and participated in the study. Pre- and post-course perception surveys were conducted for all students to measure their perception of their skill competency and their awareness of the relevance of Science in their lives through the programme. In addition, five students were selected from each module to give written feedback in week 8 (mid-course) and write a journal in week 13 (at the end of the course). To provide maximum variation, the five students from each module were selected based on their Science grade in Semester 1 and their reasons for selecting the module which reflected their motivational level. Instruments In the pre- and post-course surveys, students were asked to rate their perception of their Science process skills using a four-point Likert scale. The post-course survey included an item to measure students’ perception of increased awareness of the relevance of Science in their lives. Data Analysis For survey items on Science process skills, the mean value of each skill was calculated for the individual module (Table 2) as well as across all modules (Table 1). Skills with ratings of less than 3 (out of 4) were identified and analysed. The differences in mean values for pre- and post-course surveys were compared. The differences were considered significant if there was an increase or decrease of at least 0.3 in value (or 10% of the range of scale used). Journals and mid-course written feedback of the 20 selected students were used to surface possible reasons for these perceptions. The data was triangulated with teachers’ feedback, which was used to provide insight of the factors that affect the acquisition of the process skills. For the survey item on the relevance of Science, the total percentage of students who indicated an â€Å"Agree† or â€Å"Strongly Agree† was computed for each module. Content analysis of the journals and written feedback from the selected students were carried out. Frequency counts of the responses were based on three categories: personal, professional and social relevance. Teachers’ feedback was used to provide depth to the findings. RESULTS Acquisition of Science process skills The perception of all students on the level of their skill competency before and after the Science ALIVE! programme was measured through surveys. The survey results were compared using the mean values for each process skill, as shown in Table 1. Table 1: Comparison of students’ perception of skills before and after Science ALIVE! Mean value (scale 1 – 4) Pre-Course Post-Course 3.1 3.2 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 3.1 2.8 2.6 3.0 3.0 2.7 3.1 3.2 Process Skill (a) Elaborating (Research) (b) Conducting scientific investigations (Planning investigations) (c) Conducting scientific investigations (Using scientific apparatus) (d) Conducting scientific investigations (Analysing data) (e) Communicating (Writing scientific reports) (f) Reflecting (g) Questioning (Learning by asking questions) In the pre-course survey, the items which scored less than 3 are the skills of ‘planning investigations’, ‘using scientific apparatus’, ‘analysing data’, ‘writing scientific reports’ and ‘learning by asking questions’. Students’ perception rating increased in the following skills ‘using scientific apparatus’, ‘analysing data’ and ‘learning by asking questions’ suggesting that the Science ALIVE! programme had benefited them in these areas, with the exception of ‘planning investigations’ and ‘writing scientific reports’ where there was marginal increase or no change between the pre- and post-course rating. This revealed that in general, students still did not have much confidence in these skills and suggests that more could be done in the next cycle to guide students in these aspects. The changes in the rating for items (b), (c) and (d) in the pre- and post-course surveys suggest that students’ perceptions that their skills in handling apparatus and equipment have improved. This could be attributed to the fact that students were introduced to various new apparatus or equipment during project experiments in all modules. For example, the Biodiversity module used dataloggers which was equipment new to students. Skills in items (b), (c) and (d) are all part of the process of conducting scientific investigations. However, there was only a marginal increase in the rating for (b) ‘planning investigations’ after the programme. This could be because planning investigations is a higher order process skill which encompasses making hypothesis, identifying variables and writing the experimental procedures. Analysis of Science process skills by skill category The results were further categorised to compare and study the changes in students’ perception of skill competency for the individual modules, as shown in Table 2. Table 2: Comparison of perception of skill competency by module Mean value (Scale 1 – 4) BioLife diversity Science Pre Post Pre Post 2.9 3.2 3.0 3.3 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.9 3.3 2.9 2.4 2.9 2.8 2.4 3.3 3.3 2.4 2.9 2.7 2.5 3.1 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.0 Module Process Skill (a) Elaborating (Research) (b) Conducting investigations (Planning investigations) (c) Conducting investigations (Using scientific apparatus) (d) Conducting investigations (Analysing data) (e) Communicating (Writing scientific report) (f) Reflecting (g) Questioning (Learning by asking questions) Elaborating Aroma Chemistry Pre Post 3.3 3.2 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.7 3.1 3.0 2.7 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.8 3.2 Water Rockets Pre Post 3.1 3.1 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.9 2.6 2.5 3.0 2.9 2.7 3.0 3.2 The results of item (a) in the pre- and post-surveys showed an increase in rating for this skill for the Biodiversity and Life Science modules. This could be because these modules are more content-based topics, which require greater use of such skills. It should, however, be noted that for Aroma Chemistry module, the pre-course survey score was already high and it might be difficult to make further significant improvement. From the written feedback of selected students in the 8th week of the programme, half indicated that they had learnt to research to look for more information. All five students from the Biodiversity module wrote that they had learnt to assess â€Å"how reliable the sources are†. For example, one student from the module wrote in her journal that â€Å"before creating our ecosystem, we need to do research on the organisms that we choose, on what they feed on and their suitable habitat† (Student S8). Teachers conducting the programme felt that most students were still at the developmental stage of doing research, as they could not extract relevant information from sources. They also observed that some students lacked the initiative and discipline to do research work, though teachers had provided a list of resources. This could be seen in project reports, where the evidence of research is lacking. A likely explanation for this observation is the past practice of didactic teaching, resulting in students â€Å"so used to being given all materials and information by teachers that they do not know how to get started† (Teacher T3). Teacher T1 recommended the need to balance between providing students with information and allowing them to be independent in their learning. Conducting Scientific Investigations For item (b) on ‘planning investigations’, the Life Science module had the largest increase in perception rating (more than 10%). Here the Life Science teacher explained that students were taught how to design experiments step-by-step with given examples. The importance of planning in investigations is stated by one of the students in the module: â€Å"When we need to choose something, we need to think about all its aspects. After everything is ok, we can start work† (Student S14). However, Teacher T2 commented that students still needed a lot of hand-holding and practice to be competent. A student from another module echoed this: â€Å"I am not sure how to design an experiment on my own†. Item (c) on the practical skill of ‘using scientific apparatus’ or equipment had the largest increase for all modules, except Life Science where the initial pre-course rating was already high (mean 2.9). All modules were designed to include more hands-on activities, which required the use of apparatus and equipment. One student wrote about the importance of using the right procedures as he â€Å"learnt how to use steam distillation by setting up the apparatus correctly and doing the extraction properly† (Student S2), while another student shared her new skill of using â€Å"dataloggers to measure the different abiotic factors from the †¦forests† (Student S7). Teachers observed that the students were excited and enjoyed themselves when using new apparatus. On their part, teachers also sought to infuse rigour by ensuring that students perform the experimental procedures accurately. The enjoyment of Science through hands-on activities, particularly laboratory work, was a motivating factor in learning Science. The rating for the skill of analysing or inferring from experimental data in item (d) increased more for three modules than for the Biodiversity module. This could be the result of students being given more opportunities to handle experimental data in their projects and make conclusions for the Aroma Chemistry, Life Science and Water Rockets modules. On the other hand, the investigative project for Biodiversity was of a smaller scale, and students’ main form of project assessment was a conservation proposal. One factor which attributed to the increase in perception rating was group collaboration. As students did their projects in groups, they could discuss how to analyse the data obtained from the investigations. Students analysed their data in various ways depending on the type of data collected in each module. For example, Student S11 commented: â€Å"I got a chance to compare and compile the results of surveys, test the reliability of our product, put into tables and identify the similarities and differences present†. Others learnt to analyse the cause of problems in their projects, as noted by Student S16: â€Å"†¦ our rocket failed in launching and we realise that the problem is due to the leaking of our rocket†. Teachers however concurred in their observations that though students could comment on their data, their analysis lacked depth. Besides these investigative skills, many students also reflected in their journals that they had developed observation skills during practical work and investigations. One student wrote: â€Å"In the past, I would have just used my eyes. Now I have learnt to use all of my five senses to know more about the subject I am observing† (Student S10). Communicating In item (e), ‘writing scientific reports’ was the focus in the skill of communicating. Though there was no change in overall student perception (see Table 1), Table 2 showed a significant drop in the rating for Biodiversity module compared to an increase in Life Science module. The Biodiversity teacher attributed the drop in rating to students’ â€Å"realisation and shock† in receiving feedback on their first report draft, as they â€Å"did not anticipate scientific reports to be of slightly different nature and demands though they were briefed†. But she noted that the provision of formative feedback and the re-drafting of reports helped students in this skill. The Life Science teacher linked the increased rating to having provided illustrative examples and templates for students, but she felt that they were still lacking in the skill and could be given more practice. Students’ journals hardly mentioned this skill, except Student S10 who wrote that he â€Å"learnt to sieve through the report for important points to put in the abstract†. Reflecting Generally, students felt that they were able to reflect on their lessons. Item (f) in Table 2 showed an initial high rating which was unchanged after the programme. Students saw their journals as an â€Å"opportunity to clarify and reflect upon their learning† (Student S3). At the end of the programme, a few students said that the reflections helped to monitor their understanding of lessons, and one student mentioned that she would research on the internet to address questions she had (Student S1). Teachers believed that â€Å"journal writing and providing consistent formative feedback help(ed) the students develop reflection skills† (Teacher T1). However, specific journal prompts are necessary to guide students so that they do not simply give a detailed account of the activities and concepts covered without reflecting on the learning points (Teacher T2). Questioning The survey results of item (g) showed more significant increase in the Biodiversity and Water Rockets modules. For each module, students acquired this skill through reflecting on their lessons in their journals and then asking relevant questions to find out more. One student reflected that she dared to ask more questions in class after learning to ask questions through journals (Student S6). Students had opportunities to generate questions when they were verifying the reliability of information. They also formulated questions prior to industrial visits and field trips, and posed them to the experts. At the mid-course feedback, a few students mentioned that they learnt to â€Å"raise questions in class† through ways such as â€Å"being a questioner in group discussions† (Student S13). The Biodiversity teacher attributed this improvement to conducive â€Å"lesson environment and delivery (that) promotes questioning†. Such lesson delivery may include guiding questions in class activities and journal prompts that encouraged further questioning, and peer evaluation where students critiqued the projects of other groups. The Water Rockets teacher reflected that in comparison to traditional Science lessons, â€Å"there was more chance for students to ask questions as things are now less predictable† as in most real world situations. The post-course survey included an item which required students to state whether â€Å"Science ALIVE! lessons have made them more aware of the relevance of Science in their lives†. Table 3 shows the percentage of students who â€Å"agreed† or â€Å"strongly agreed† with the statement. Table 3: Percentage of students who indicated that the programme had made them more aware of the relevance of Science in their lives Module Aroma Chemistry Biodiversity Life Science Water Rockets % Agree 73.5 47.2 64.1 73.0 % Strongly Agree 17.7 50.0 23.1 10.8 % (Agree + Strongly Agree) 91.2 97.2 87.2 83.8 The results in Table 3 show a very high concurrence with the statement for all modules. This is consistent with the programme objective of enhancing the relevance of Science in students’ lives. Students’ journals were analysed for indications of the relevance of Science in three areas: personal, professional and social. A frequency count of the responses showed 82% for personal relevance, 24% for professional relevance and 65% for social relevance. This revealed that students perceived the relevance of Science as mostly related to their personal lives. Only a handful of students could relate the relevance to their future career prospects. Further probing into students’ definition of personal relevance showed an extensive range of interpretation depending on the modules taken. Enhancing one’s quality of life is frequently mentioned in terms of personal relaxation and cure for illnesses. Students from the Aroma Chemistry module stated that they â€Å"could use essential oils to calm a person if he feels nervous† (Student S2). Life Science students surfaced the use of medicines when they fall sick and the growing of genetically modified food (GMF) for convenience (Student S15). Students also stated the importance of process skills in their lives, such as questioning the reliability of information sources. The majority of students could not appreciate Science as having professional relevance. Those who were able to see career possibilities were students who had gone for field trips, where they were introduced to experts in the related field. They saw the knowledge and skills gained through the programme as relevant to their â€Å"future education and working career† (Student S11). Others used the knowledge gained to better understand the requirements of various jobs. A student stated that she â€Å"could understand how people designing furniture, buildings and other things require this knowledge (of centre of gravity)† (Student S16). Three out of five students could relate Science to social relevance, which included how Science affected interaction between people and the environment. One Biodiversity student wrote: â€Å"This also taught me that in school or at work, we have to depend on one another for a living† (Student S10), while another could â€Å"understand nature better† and learnt not to pollute the environment (Student S7). Life Science students pointed out various applications in social and ethical issues, such as the use of forensic Science by police to solve crime (Student S11), knowledge of DNA in cloning (Student S15), and even checking via blood tests whether a child is biologically conceived or adopted (Student S12). Teachers’ feedback indicated that students were generally able to â€Å"connect Science to reality and †¦ in explaining happenings in their lives† (Teacher T2). These observations were made through students’ group discussions and written journals. Examples quoted by the teachers were mostly related to personal and social relevance. It showed that students had an increased awareness of scientific discovery (e.g. antibiotics, genetics) and technology (e.g. making of soap and sweets) that were directly related to their lives and the lives of those around them. The main catalyst that enhanced their awareness was personal experiences through engaging them in experiments that relate to real life and exposing them to more field trips (e.g. Yakult factory, flavour and fragrance industry, nature reserve). DISCUSSION Key features in Science ALIVE! that have helped students acquire Science process skills include scaffolding, group collaboration and journal writing. Scaffolding guides students in learning new or complex skills. Nelson (2004) pointed out that more scaffolding is required for students to be able to do research independently. To illustrate this, the increase in rating for skills on ‘planning investigations’ and ‘writing of scientific report’ in the Life Science module was attributed to â€Å"a lot of hand-holding† and exemplars provided by the teacher. Scaffolding in the form of specific journal prompts can also be adopted to ensure greater depth in student reflection. Teachers, however, will need to balance between providing students support and allowing them to be independent learners. Group collaboration is deployed extensively in the programme, where students worked in groups of three on projects, laboratory work and group assignments. This concurs with findings of a study conducted by Hofstein et al (2004), where cooperative learning in laboratory work helped students construct knowledge. Hofstein et al argued for more time to be spent on laboratory tasks, so that students could reflect on findings and also discuss with their peers. This would be one way to further improve students’ analytical skills, which they are still lacking. Journal writing in Science ALIVE! proves to be very useful in informing teachers of students’ conceptual understanding, acquisition of skills such as reflecting and questioning, and how students relate Science to their everyday life. It allows teachers to give regular feedback as part of assessment for learning. It is also of considerable value to students as it promotes greater ownership to their learning (Tomkins and Tunnicliffe, 2001). This leads to independent learning and moves students to a higher level of thinking, according to the principle on ‘Experience of learning’ in the Principles of Engaged Learning (MOE, 2005). Science ALIVE! lessons are different from the didactic traditional Science lessons, as they focus largely on the application of Science process skills. Hence there is a need to prepare students for the change, for example, from structured experiments to partially open investigations (Haigh et al, 2005). The need for such preparation was evident in the Biodiversity module as students were surprised to learn that scientific reports were different from other project reports, but they managed to overcome it after a few rounds of re-drafting. After the pilot run of Science ALIVE! programme, the teachers recommended that process skills be explicitly taught first followed by opportunities â€Å"created on purpose† for students to practise the skills. This is consistent with Padilla (1990) who suggested the need to provide students with â€Å"multiple opportunities to work with these skills in different content areas and contexts†. To enhance students’ investigative skills, Haigh et al (2005) proposed that teachers provide ‘refresher’ courses to cue students in the planning and conducting of their investigations .On completion of the investigation, students should be given the opportunity to evaluate their work so as to make it more meaningful. In Aroma Chemistry, students were asked to compare the quality of two batches of soap that they had made from different laboratory sessions and analyse the possible causes for the difference, while Biodiversity students had to reflect on the additiona l learning gained after a second trip to the nature reserve. Besides using appropriate strategies to help students adapt to the shift, it is also crucial to rectify students’ mindset on the importance and relevance of acquiring Science process skills. This is because students will be more motivated if they consider process skills an important object of instruction (Padilla, 1990). Thus teachers need to make explicit the â€Å"why† of teaching process skills (Haigh et al, 2005). The deliberate infusion of relevant Science applications in the curriculum of each module has succeeded in enhancing students’ awareness of the usefulness of Science in everyday life. Personal and social relevance dominated students’ ideas of the relevance of Science, though exposure to related industries and appropriate working environments could further promote an awareness of professional relevance. CONCLUSION Going forward, the Science ALIVE! programme would be refined in the next cycle to enhance students’ acquisition of Science process skills. Successful strategies such as the use of reflection journals, activity-based learning, group collaboration and contextualised learning will continue to be used. There would be more emphasis on the explicit teaching of process skills. In addition, more opportunities would be provided for the application of process skills in the core curriculum. RECOMMENDATION Further research on the Science ALIVE! programme could focus on the process skills which students found more difficult to master. With explicit teaching of these skills in the core curriculum prior to Science ALIVE!, the impact could be investigated. The usefulness of Science process skills acquired through the programme could be studied in terms of its impact on Upper Secondary Science, for example, the sustainability of student motivation in Upper Secondary Science. The findings in these research areas will help to inform the effectiveness of future Science ALIVE! programmes. REFERENCES Beaumont-Walters, Y. (2001). An analysis of high school students’ performance on five integrated Science process skills. Research in Science & Technological Education, 19(2), 133-145. Bennett, J. (2001). Science with attitude: the perennial issue of pupils’ responses to Science. School Science Review, 82(300), 59-67. Berry, A., Mulhall, P., Gunstone, R., & Loughran, J. (1999). Helping students learn from laboratory work. Australian Science Teachers’ Journal, 45(1), 27-31. Campbell, B., Lubben, F., & Dlamini, Z. (2000). Learning Science through contexts: helping pupils make sense of everyday situations. International Journal of Science Education, 22(3), 239-252. Haigh, M., France, B., & Forret, M. (2005). Is ‘doing Science’ in New Zealand classrooms an expression of scientific inquiry? International Journal of Science Education, 27(2), 215-226. Hofstein, A., Shore, R., & Kipnis, M. (2004). Providing high school chemistry students with opportunities to develop learning skills in an inquiry-type laboratory: a Case Study. International Journal of Science Education, 26(1), 47-62. Ministry of Education (2005). A toolkit for engaged teaching and learning. Curriculum Planning and Development Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore. Nelson, T.H. (2004). Helping students make connections. The Science Teacher, 71(3), 32-35. Padilla, M.J. (1990). The Science process skills. Research Matters – to the Science Teacher, No. 9004. Retrieved December 1, 2006 from http://www.narst.org/publications/ research/skill.htm Tomkins, S.P., & Tunnicliffe, S.D. (2001). Looking for ideas: observation, interpretation and hypothesis making by 12-year-old pupils undertaking Science investigations. International Journal of Science Education, 23(8), 791-813. Van Aalsvoort, J. (2004a). Logical positivism as a tool to analyse the problem of Chemistry’s lack of relevance in secondary school chemical education. International Journal of Science Education, 26(9), 1151-1168. Van Aalsvoort, J. (2004b). Activity theory as a tool to address the problem of Chemistry’s lack of relevance in secondary school chemical education. International Journal of Science Education, 26(13), 1635-1651. Young, R. M. (1995). Hands-on Science. Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

International Legal and Ethical Issues Essay

A biotechnology company based in Candore called Gentura is contemplating entering into a partnership with a pharmaceutical company based in Florida called CadMex. Candore is a small dictatorship country. Gentura started their company by manufacturing enzymes and has grown into a biotechnology company with a focus on biopharmaceutical products. ProPez is an innovative anti-diabetes agent recently developed by Gentura. The company believes ProPez’s marketing potential will be massive. Because Gentura has no marketing or manufacturing resources, they began discussing a possible partnership with CadMex. Resolving Legal Disputes in International Transactions The choice of law determines the applicable jurisdiction if a dispute should arise between the two contracting parties. The companies have an option of litigation or using an alternative dispute resolution (ADRs). Mediation or arbitration is preferable over litigation because the costs are much lower and less time consuming. CadMex and Gentura decided international commercial arbitration would be their best route. The two parties will design a written agreement as a guide for the arbitrator to follow and know what his or her powers will consist of. An arbitrator from a neutral country will enhance the fairness of the decision. He or she has the same powers as courts do but may ask for assistance from the court in some instances. Considerations of Taking Legal Action Against a Foreign Business Partner When negotiating contracts one must consider the choices of law clauses. CadMex selected the Candore Regulations for Technology Import Contract with will benefit CadMex in that Candore will most likely enforce their own regulations. More considerations should be addressed, such as policies of the foreign government, cultural differences, and employees. These will greatly affect the way businesses conduct themselves in different countries. Sublicensing Agreements Sublicensing probably will work well for CadMex, but there are more factors to consider, such as the length and extreme costs for complying with the standards of production after sublicensing. This will keep CadMex’s goodwill and meet the requirements of control for Candore. CadMex would prefer a generic brand, but the Candorean authorities would probability reject it because of the low cost of generics. Which Customs Should Prevail if Conflicts Prevails Abroad There is a conflict with the different laws when mediation or arbitration break down, companies break contracts, or conflict intensifies. [Insert comma here to set off the adjective phrase beginning with â€Å"according to† (unless it is a dependent phrase)] According to the principles of federal supremacy the United States Constitution and treaties rule supreme and take precedence over local laws and customs. Comparing Issues in Simulation to Issues Discussed in Week One Readings These issues compare to procedural law because laws provide a framework and makes rules for seeking existing rights. International companies could also use common law with the courts making the laws based on past cases that have facts that may be similar. Domestic and international companies should resolve disputes fairly. This means to take both sides into account and judgment should be free from any form of bias.