Information Systems Management

Introduction Information communications technology is a general term that explains more about the integration of management systems. These systems include: intelligence, telecommunications and systems of audio-visual, which are currently used by information technology.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Information Systems Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It involves all the technical ways of handling information and enhancing communication. It consists of telephony, audio and video transmission, broadcast media, network-based monitoring and control functions. ICT can be viewed as the combination of audio, visuals and networks enhanced by a link system. Economic incentives that result from this merging of network systems are large as they promote cost saving and effective organizational growth. ICT in the UK: Public Services The UK government does not have effective information technology schemes. This i s as a result of low allocation of budget share to the ICT and public sector. However, the government has come up with a strategy, which is expected to deliver public services in a better way at low costs. The strategy involves sharing and re-use of ICT appliances. As stated by National Audit Office, (2007) this is intended to improve efficiency and productivity thereby reducing wastage and chances of project failure. Online transactions are scheduled to be opened for citizens and firms so as to promote policy debate and good collaboration during public service delivery. Supply of government ICT is focused in a way that small and medium organizations are allowed to participate in an attempt to reduce bureaucracy. This is facilitated by creation of common ICT infrastructure that is built on mandated common standards. Transparency is enhanced through publication of government contract’s details so as to attract the necessary attention from all interested enterprises. Current pr ediction of the UK’s public service ICT indicates that the sector is likely to experience a marginal decline. This is nothing compared to the wider cuts on spending, which should be reversed to ensure growth in a given short period of time. The total spending for 2010-11 financial year is estimated at 17.99 billion pounds. This is expected to decline in the next financial year to stand at 17.75 billion pounds and later a mild decline throughout 2012-13 financial year. The sequence will overturn and see the spending rise to 18.27 billion pounds in 2015-16 indicating an increase of 1.5%.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The processes of cutting operational costs bring about maintenance, increased spending on managed services as well as outsourcing. Rationalization of investment and infrastructure technology in the working of mobile is another form of saving. This contri butes positively to the hardware investment maintenance, offsetting of pressure so as to increase the lifespan of printers and Pcs resulting from the new spending on mobile devices. Cutting of government’s expenditure is seen as the main factor in use, but there has developed a new move to bring reforms in the public services. The reforms are expected to be initiated by the local government followed by radical reforms in health sector. This will generate a considerable ICT investment by reversing the current spending trend. Businesses of various government branches have been joined together after the central government engages itself in a quest to reduce spending. This will see it spending more on outsourcing and reducing the overall cost of ICT in Whitehall. Other departments such as defence, transport and criminal justice are also expected to recover slowly. Labour and conservative ways to technology Labour and conservative are two parties in the UK, which have persistent d ifferences in policy formulation and in the ways society should be shaped. The two parties have clashed in economic sector on the cause of deficit and the appropriate method of handling it. Conservatives condemned the growth of private debts, which were allowed by the Labour party. Butler, (1994) commented that the Labour opposed the review on spending and advocated for the need to delay cuts on expenditure. In the public service, the set plans to distribute power to GPs have received a description, which portrays it as a dangerous experiment when public spending is reduced. The parties have differed in the education sector where: the labour party have analyzed the idea of free schools critically and opposed the move to raise tuition fees in universities to 9000 pounds, the cutting of funding for school sports and the ending of EMA payments of 16-18 year old youths. The party has also opposed the planned educational reforms describing it as a backward move that makes the development strategies stagnant. Concerning the welfare reforms, the labour party has criticized the alleged move to cut housing benefits and elimination of child trust fund claiming that, it would cause poverty.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Information Systems Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apart from having disagreements and distinct points of view, the two parties enhance democracy in various ways: They allow people to participate in elections freely, provide information to the public that might not otherwise be made public, enhance accountability and allow the existence of opposition to act as a watchdog. The parties have also shown unity of agendas assumed to be brought about by the internet. Both have taken common grounds on how the government requires change although from different philosophies. There is a developing consensus of the parties, which will enable the adoption of long-term reforms in te rms of state operations and its relationship with the citizens. Through their technological proposals, it is clear on how the two parties view the future status of the state. This is because they have capitalized on the internet as the only medium of communication between the citizens and the government. The internet is perceived to offer people a chance to reinvent democracy and enable them to make decisions thereby influencing public policy. The conservatives have also developed a competition that will create a platform of tapping wisdom and ideas of dealing with tough policy challenges. In the council of Barking and Dagenham, there is evident democracy in the way they hold elections and later form opposition. The mayor must be an existing councilor and assumes the role of conducting ceremonies in the borough. The council of Kensington and Chelsea has a united local government and a common town hall as well as administration. There is equal representation of all citizens in the co uncil governance signifying a well-developed democratic system. The council of Barnet has majority of councilor elected in the local government being conservatives. This has made them dominate the council and at times make decisions with no one to oppose. This also made them lose money in investments with a report showing that the procedures followed were not genuine. Comparison of other Government’s ICT with that of the UK The government of the UK has the worst IT schemes in terms of effectiveness. Ross, (2003) argued that comparing UK with governments such as Canada, Japan, New Zealand and US, the government of the UK lags behind in many ways. There is recorded poor performance of e-government and a series of failed ICT projects with most of them based on public sector. Allocation of contracts to a limited number of suppliers has caused problems in the UK. This has contributed to lack of expertise and poor ICT as compared to other nations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Challenges of ICT For ICT to be fully adopted there must be affordable access created and infrastructure such as electricity which might not be there. Introducing ICT in education would mean a change in methods of teaching, re-training of teachers and added costs of purchasing new teaching equipment. As people continue using the ICT, their culture is likely to change with respect to the technology in use. ICT brings about dissemination of indigenous knowledge, which when published on the internet gets exploited without economic benefit to the poor owner. According to Cooke, (2007) most people with skills end up losing jobs and as ICT seem to create jobs; they are always different from the disappearing ones. ICT pollutes the environment since most of them contain toxic substances. Disposal of electronics waste proves a great challenge in waste management. Recommendations Establishment of government policies would give guidance to the procurement of ICT systems resulting to the involv ement of smaller companies in the business. Hall, (2010) suggested that, the government should provide enough ICT facilities in school to facilitate easy learning and adoption of e-learning. Proper waste management should be put in place in order to control environmental pollution. Political differences should be kept aside when it comes to formulation of development related policies so as to enhance unity in the process. Countries should define boundaries of what qualifies to be published in the internet. This would prevent exploitation of indigenous knowledge from poor people. Conclusion From the report it is evident that the government of the UK has undeveloped ICT system due to its practice of cutting ICT expenditure. The rivalry that existed between labour and conservatives greatly hindered development and adoption of ICT in the UK. The UK has a poor ICT system as compared to ICTs in other countries hence the call for improvement. There are many challenges related to ICT and th ey range from education, through cultural to economic well-being of the society. However, ICT can help countries tackle their health, social and economic problems leading them to the realization of millennium goals. References Butler, G. (1994). British Political Facts, 1990-1994, UK: Macmillan publishers. Cooke, P. (2007). Regional knowledge economies market, cluster and innovation, Cheltenham: Edward Edgar. Great Britain: National Audit Office. (2007). improving the Disposal of Public Sector Information, Communication and Technology. UK: The stationary office. Hall, D. (2010). The ICT handbook for Primary teachers: a guide for students and professionals, UK: CRS press. Ross, S. (2003). Britain since 1930, UK: Evans publishing group. This report on Information Systems Management was written and submitted by user Sph1nx to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bimetallism Definition and Historical Perspective

Bimetallism Definition and Historical Perspective Bimetallism  is a monetary policy wherein the value of a currency is linked to the value of two metals, usually (but not necessarily) silver and gold. In this system, the value of the two metals would be linked to each other- in other words, the value of silver would be expressed in terms of gold, and  vice versa- and either metal could be used as legal tender.   Paper money  would then be directly convertible to an equivalent amount of either metal- for example, U.S. currency used to explicitly state that the bill was redeemable â€Å"in gold coin payable to the bearer on demand.† Dollars were literally receipts for a quantity of actual metal held by the government, a holdover from the time before paper money was common and standardized. History of Bimetallism From 1792, when the  U.S. Mint was established, until 1900, the United States was a bimetal country, with both silver and gold recognized as legal currency; in fact, you could bring silver or gold to a U.S. mint and have it converted into coins. The U.S. fixed the value of silver to gold as 15:1 (1 ounce of gold was worth 15 ounces of silver; this was later adjusted to 16:1). One problem with  bimetallism  occurs when the face value of a coin is lower than the actual value of the metal it contains. A one-dollar silver coin, for example, might be worth $1.50 on the silver market. These value disparities resulted in a severe silver shortage as people stopped spending silver coins and opted instead to sell them or have them melted down into bullion. In 1853, this shortage of silver prompted the U.S. government to debase its silver coinage- in other words, lowering the amount of silver in the coins. This resulted in more silver coins in circulation. While this stabilized the economy, it also moved the country towards  monometallism  (the use of a single metal in currency)  and the  Gold Standard. Silver was no longer seen as an attractive currency because the coins were not worth their face value. Then, during the  Civil War, hoarding of both gold and silver prompted the United States to temporarily switch to what’s known as â€Å"fiat money.† Fiat money, which is what we use today, is money that the government declares to be legal tender, but thats not backed or convertible to a physical resource like metal.  At this time, the government stopped redeeming paper money for gold or silver. The Debate After the war, the  Coinage Act of 1873  resurrected  the ability to exchange currency for gold- but it eliminated the ability to have silver bullion struck into coins, effectively making the U.S. a Gold Standard country. Supporters of the move (and the Gold Standard) saw stability; instead of having two metals whose value was theoretically linked, but which  in fact fluctuated because foreign countries often valued gold and silver differently than we did, we would have money based on a single metal that the U.S. had plenty of, allowing it to manipulate its market value and keep prices stable. This was controversial for some time, with many arguing that a â€Å"monometal† system limited the amount of money in circulation, making it difficult to obtain loans and deflating prices. This was widely seen by many as benefiting the banks and the rich while hurting farmers and common people, and the solution was seen to be a return to â€Å"free silver†- the ability to convert silver into coins, and true bimetallism. A Depression and a  panic in 1893  crippled the U.S. economy and exacerbated the argument over bimetallism, which came to be seen by some as the solution to all of the United States’ economic troubles. The drama peaked  during the  1896 presidential election. At the National Democratic Convention, eventual nominee  William Jennings Bryan  made his famous  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cross of Gold†Ã‚  speech  arguing for bimetallism. Its success gained him the nomination, but Bryan lost the election to  William McKinley- in part because scientific advances coupled with new sources promised to increase the supply of gold, thus alleviating fears of limited money supplies. The Gold Standard In 1900, President McKinley signed the  Gold Standard Act, which officially made the United States a monometal country, making gold the only metal you could convert paper money into. Silver had lost, and bimetallism was a dead issue in the U.S. The gold standard persisted until 1933, when the  Great Depression  caused people to hoard their gold, thus making the system unstable; President Franklin Delano Roosevelt  ordered all gold and gold certificates to be sold to the government at a fixed price, then Congress changed the laws that required settlement of private and public debts with gold, essentially ending the gold standard here. The currency remained pegged to gold until 1971, when the â€Å"Nixon Shock† made then U.S. currency fiat money once again- as it has remained since.

Famous Leader - Margaret Thatcher EX-Prime Minister of Great Britain Essay

Famous Leader - Margaret Thatcher EX-Prime Minister of Great Britain - Essay Example People often described Thatcher using terms such as decisive, determined, iron willed and confident. These terms typify Thatcher’s inherent leadership traits, thereby, affirming the trait theory of leadership. â€Å"Trait theory of leadership differentiates a leader from a non-leader by concentrating on the individual’s inherent characteristics and qualities† (Northouse, 2012, p. 65). Thatcher further demonstrated numerous behaviors that distinguished her from other leaders. These behaviors included a desire to lead, integrity, intelligence, job related knowledge and self confidence. Although the trait theory of leadership is a viable approach to people’s leadership attributes, the approach has certain limitations, for instance, there are no collective traits, which envisage leadership under all situations. Traits essentially foretell people’s behaviors, particularly in the context of adverse situations rather than constructive situations. Such limi tations have pushed researchers to advocate the consideration of alternative leadership theories. This paper will examine Margaret Thatcher’s leadership traits, skills and behaviors in the context of the traits theory of leadership. ... Effective leaders also have the capacity to appreciate how they can attain their objectives. Leadership traits or qualities differentiate leaders from followers. Thatcher had the aforementioned characteristics, which differentiated her as an effective leader. Some of Thatcher’s most notable leadership traits include courage and resolution, self-confidence and decisiveness. Thatcher’s courage was evidenced by her throwing herself into politics; a male dominated field in which women were not welcomed. Thatcher showed courage and resolution through her single-minded passion to fight off her opposition. Notably, Thatcher had the drive to confront her enemies. Thatcher also demonstrated exceptional conviction and confidence, which enabled her to remain in power. In the course of Thatcher’s premiership, Britain’s unemployment rates rose rapidly. However, Thatcher’s conviction allowed her to offer persuasive arguments, for instance, that a tightly-bound ec onomy would offer future benefits. The mammoth patriotic enthusiasm that followed Thatcher facilitated her persuasive tendencies. Thatcher’s conviction further exemplified her decisiveness. She did not follow multitudes but rather made her own decisions and stuck to her choices. This decisiveness is primarily notable in Thatcher’s successful repulsion of Falkland Islands by Argentina. Thatcher’s decisiveness is also evident from her introduction of an internal market to the nation’s health care sector. Thatcher was a notable champion of capitalism and free markets. Leadership Skills Thatcher had many leadership skills through which she engaged with her followers. Notably, she had transformative skills as she always engaged her followers in processes of

Brothel Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brothel Book - Essay Example A critical analysis of this book shows that Durkheim’s functionalist perspective to deviance as well as Merton’s social structure and anomie theory can be applied to the groups of characters which include the prostitutes and the men who visit the brothel in the above mentioned book. Emile Durkeim suggests that crime is inevitable and he argues that crime is â€Å"an integral part of all healthy societies,† (as cited in Haralambos & Holborn, 1990, p.586). From this perspective, it can be noted that not all individuals are committed to the shared values and moral beliefs of the society. It may be impossible for all the members of the society to be similar and in Durkeim’s words, crime is not only inevitable, but it is functional. He argues that social change begins with some form of deviance and as noted in the definition of deviance above, deviant behaviour can be normal in other societies. In this given book, it can be seen that prostitution is not conside red as deviant behaviour especially by those involved in this practice. It is seen as normal just like any other form of employment. This view is supported by Cohen who developed Durkeim’s ideas when he analyses two functions of crime in a society. Firstly, deviance can be a safety valve providing a relatively harmless expression of discontent while protecting social order (Haralambos & Holborn, 1990). He suggests that prostitution can perform a safety valve function without threatening the fabric of the family. Prostitutes interviewed in this book state that the majority of their clients are married men who will be seeking to relieve their stress and pressure from the demands of their families. The institution of the family is not threatened in this case since the relationship between prostitutes and clients is not binding. On the other hand, Cohen suggests that certain deviant acts are useful in warning that certain aspects of the society are not functioning. For instance, a lot of married couples reveal that their sexual relationship is not satisfactory, the reason why they seek the services of commercial workers to satisfy their sexual desires. In some cases, unsatisfactory sexual relationships among married couples can lead to divorce and the ladies in most cases opt to venture into prostitution. As is the case in this book, a notable number of prostitutes at Mustang brothel are divorcees as a result of unfriendly sexual relationships in their previous marriages. Men on the other hand will solicit for sex from the prostitutes after the marriage has broken down. It can be seen that the element of prostitution is inevitable as long as these negative social trends affecting the institution of the family persist. The other theory that can be applied to the behaviour of the characters in this book is Merton’s social structure and anomie. He argues that deviance results from the culture and structure of society itself (Haralambos & Holborn, 1990). Since members are placed in different class positions in the social structure, it can be noted that they do not have the same opportunity of realising the shared values which leads to deviance. In the given case, many prostitutes interviewed by the author such as Eva revealed that they joined the profession in order to earn a living. Some

Rise of Darkness Essay Example for Free

Rise of Darkness Essay For further understanding of the study, the proponents made use of different reading materials related to the study. Related literature and studies go deeper into certain topics and may include small but important details which will help the proponents in understanding better their chosen topic. It also serves as a guide for the proponents when comparing and analyzing the findings of the study. Related literature is written information that could have a relation or relevance to a specific topic of your research which may come in the form of books, journals, articles, and internet resources. Related studies are research that has something to do with that certain subject and may include anything used to provide any information you need on that specific subject. The review of related literature and studies provides the necessary connection between the ongoing work and studies that have been done before. It tells the proponents about well-established facts and conclusions by other authors, and gives the proponents an appreciation for previously collected evidence and the people that collected them. Review of Related Literature Like most countries in the Asian region, the Philippines recognises the significant role of gaming in increasing tourism growth, according to Naguiat (The Report: The Philippines, 2012). One of the most important considerations will be to ensure that current and future gaming developments showcase the best of the Philippines in terms of culture, locations, activities and cuisine. This study states that the Philippines recognize that an improvement in the gaming development might or can increase the tourism in the country. Action-Adventure games are a hybrid of action games and adventure games and may be the broadest type of game design in the industry, according to Briar  Lee Mitchell (Game Design Essentials; 2012). Adventure games tend to be more slowly paced and are focused primarily on storylines and problem-solving to get through the levels. When designers add some of action elements described earlier to an adventure game, players can immerse themselves in the narrative of the game, experience more and varied personality types with their avatars, and enjoy faster-paced gameplay than in an adventure game while also solving puzzles and often experiencing a detailed and elaborate storyline. Tomb Raider, God of War, and The Legend of Zelda are prime examples of action-adventure games. The above related literature describes very well what the genre is of the proposed game. The action-adventure genre leaves game developers with many options in enhancing the gameplay and storyline of a game. The propon ents seek to develop a game that performs well in these two areas. Review of Related Studies An electronic game is any interactive game operated by computer circuitry, according to Jagretta (2013). The machines, or â€Å"platforms,† on which electronic games are played include general-purpose shared and personal computers, arcade consoles, video consoles connected to home television sets, and handheld game machines. The term video game can be used to represent the totality of these formats, or it can refer more specifically only to games played on devices with video displays: television and arcade consoles. The above related study gives a good description or definition of the term video game. The game has a Multiplayer, Hunting, Solving Puzzle and running action game based, according to Marano and Suba (Stickedshock Brothers: A Two-Dimensional (2D) Local Area Network (LAN) Based Roleplaying Game (RPG) ,2013). In the multiplayer mode the user can choose if the user will use Single or Cooperative mode. The main objective of the game was to eliminate enemies, solve puzzles and save the son of their leader. The proposed game contains many similarities with the game in the above related study. Besides the difference of the proposed game not having a cooperative mode and that it is being developed for Android tablets, these two games have similarities in terms of the intended gameplay, such as puzzle and action elements. Villains are the threats and burden for the protagonist, according to Apostol and De Asis (Middletown High Misery: A Two-Dimensional Role-Playing Game, 2012). They are the ones who make the life of the protagonist difficult and dangerous. The above related study gives a good definition of what a game’s antagonist and villains are. Computer games are one of the most in demand in the market today, according to Carillo and Sagun (Twilight of the Gods: A Two-Dimensional Roleplaying Game, 2012).Through the years, gaming was one of the fastest growing industries in the market. The above related study states the fact that games are desired by many people. This is an economical significance for video games. Whether just for casual fun or competitiveness, games are in demand these days. This paper investigates strategies to generate levels for action adventure games., according to Joris Dormans (Adventures in level design: generating missions and spaces for action adventure games, 2010) This genre relies more strongly on well-designed levels than rule-driven genres such as strategy or roleplaying games for which procedural level generation has been successful in the past. The approach outlined by this paper distinguishes between missions and spaces as two separate structures that need to be generated in two individual steps. It discusses the merits of different types of generative grammars for each individual step in the process. The above related study highlights the importance of level design in the action-adventure genre of games. This aspect of gameplay has been considered before, but this study brings its importance forward. A well-designed level must engage both the player’s reflexes (action element) and problem-solving (adventure element). An attractive element of the gaming experience as a learning tool is that it provides opportunities for continued practice because negative consequences are not typically associated with failure. Rather, failure serves as an integral part of the learning experience, According to Howells Cranmer (2010) This study encourages players to improve through repeated practice by  advancing or replaying the parts of a game. In games failures can become a true gaming experience. As the industry-standard, Photoshop skills are a necessity if you want to be employable in the graphic design field, According to Sue Chastain(2013) Review of Related Readings The video game industry is an 80-billion dollar industry and is considered to be the biggest form of entertainment, according to the article ‘Philippine Government Supports Video Game Industry’ by Pineda (2013). In a global scale, it even beats TV, Music and Film Industries. Because video games are huge, governments from various countries have expressed their support for the industry. In the above related article, it is shown that video games can have an impact economically on a nation because of the size of the video game industry. Android tablets are not a dedicated gaming console, but most of the downloaded applications in the Google Play Store are in the entertainment and games category. We’re all used to looking at 2D images in everyday life, but knowing what things look good isn’t the same as understanding exactly why they they look good, according to the article ‘The Total Beginner’s Guide to Better 2D Game Art’ by Mark Simpson of gamedev.net (2013). Any 2D image can be broken down into basic elements, and you can think about creating 2D art as combining those elements in a way that 1) Looks like what you meant it to be, and 2) Is not super ugly. For example, we all know what a square and a sphere look like, but how do they fit into the process of making an identifiable character? The proposed game will use two-dimensional (2D) visuals. The proponents intend to create original visual art for the game, and the above related reading gives good tips and general instructions to keep in mind for the creation of two-dimensional game sprites and backgrounds. Even though game developers are focused on making games more immersive, all too often they throw things in the game that break the feel and remind you that you are playing a game, according to the article ‘3 Things Video Games Do Too Often To Break The Sense of Immersion’ by Dave LeClair of MakeUseof  (2012). These gameplay trappings will suck you out of the living, breathing world and remind you that it’s just a game. Unfortunately it’s hard to think of alternatives for some of these staples of games, but hopefully, with the incoming next generation of consoles, developers will find alternative ways to accomplish these actions. With the proposed game being in the action-adventure genre, good immersion into the game is one of the goals of the proponents. The storyline is an integral part of the action-adventure genre. The above related reading serves as a good guide when the intent of the game is to also be entertaining in terms of its story. â€Å"The local industry is very small right now and we’re trying to get a bigger share of the market,† says Darwin Tardio, president of the Game Development Association of the Philippines (GDAP) according to the article ‘Game on: the present and future of game development in the Philippines’ by Mardadesch (2011). â€Å"It’s booming, and can be lucrative. When GDAP started there were only four member companies. Now, three to four years later, there are 22 companies working on a lot of game projects, many of them big ones. The game development industry of the Philippines has a lot of room for growth as stated in the related article above. There are many platforms for which game developers may contribute to, and any contribution is a step forward for the game development industry. Building games for Android also contributes to the industry. If you are someone who is not conditioned by Hollywood products, someone who enjoys 2D animation because of its unexpected delights, not necessarily juvenile or always wholesome, you may find it rewarding to check out some of the above-mentioned titles, according to the article ‘Are 2D animated movies dead?’ by Zulueta (2010). If you are a 2D fan who does not always require from your movies the presence of a small animal sidekick, or a string villain to counter point the hero’s goodness, or villains that always die falling from a high place, or gags every couple of minutes just to keep your short, video game-oriented attention span riveted, then 2D animation features are still alive and kicking. The value of three-dimensional (3D) games in modern games is evident. Every advancement in technology means an increasingly accurate visual representation of reality. Yet two-dimensional  graphics are still valuable, as stated in the above related article, for adding its own unique character and feel to a game or animation. Anino Games is a third party game developer specializing in end-to-end game development for the PC, Nintendo DS, and mobile phone platforms, according to an article titled Anino Games by Valencia (2009).. Anino Games is the pioneer and largest game development studio in the Philippines, with more than 50 developers. Anino Games is a big step forward in establishing the game development industry in the Philippines. Anino Games also develops games for mobile platforms which may include Android tablets. Synthesis The review of related literature and studies is a very important part of the research process. It helps the researchers and connects the study to previous studies. It also highlights the opinions and findings of different researchers. From the related literature, the book Game Design Essentials by Briar Lee Mitchell defines wat an action-adventure game is and what are the elements that can be found in games within the genre. Games that combine elements of action and adventure games are called action-adventure games. Some of these elements are the storyline, level design, shooting and platforming, and more. From the related studies, the study ‘Touchscreen vs traditional controllers in handheld gaming’ by Zaman, Natapov and Teather examines the usability of touchscreen controls (virtual gamepads) versus traditional controllers (physical gamepads). This is important to consider as the game to be developed is for Android tablets, and most of them do not have physical controls. Because of this, it is important to have and well-designed control system for the game. From the related readings, the article ‘3 Things Video Games Do Too Often To Break The Sense of Immersion’ by Dave LeClair highlights the importance of immersion and a good storyline that is possible from video games. A good storyline can make the player want to know more about the world within the  game, and that is one goal of the proponents of it is at all possible considering the circumstances and constraints of the study.

Essay --

Not Everyone Can Climb a Tree Many people have gone through our education system believing they are stupid when in fact the schools have failed to teach and assess them in the manner they are best suited to. How we learn and how we are assessed in retaining lessons is key to a productive and inclusive society. In the past, rote learning was the primary method of teaching and assessments were based on how much knowledge the student could recite. Currently, other methods are additionally employed to improve creativity and connection to information and retention is measured by benchmarks and expected developmental stages. However, with weaknesses attributed to both methods, a more inclusive method that incorporates positive aspects of all types of learning and teaches in the way that works best for each individual would be preferable. A blended learning method would be the best because it combines the acquisition of knowledge from rote learning with the creative problem solving connections from prior knowledge learned in creative play and adds critical thinking skills or the ability to assess the value of information. Assessments would be based on the kind of learner each person is and how the students master concepts and essential skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and decision-making. This kind of learning would focus on understanding how individuals learn best and then using that type of learning as the primary tool for teaching that individual. In this way, students who excel in artistic endeavors would not have their intelligence assessed by how well they determine the biochemical structure of the latest new polycarbonate molecule and no one would go through life thinking they are stupid. Historically ... ...ing, which I think is the cost of the development of this learning style and the assessment. The cost would be a big factor in the decision to go ahead with this kind of learning in the classroom or not. In the past, learning was limited to rote memorization and recitation, which resulted in a noticeable segment being bored or turned off by academics, believing they were not smart enough to learn anything. More recently new learning methods have been employed that incorporate play into learning and is more student directed rather than teacher directed. While this method employs additional learning skills it still lacks a critical thinking component. Blended learning employs the best of rote and creative learning while adding the ability to assess the value of information as well. Learning is based on methods that are best suited for each individual student.

Essay on Possible Development on Contemporary Arts Organization

Organizations all over the world are not without problems and difficulties as they face change on a daily basis while trying to keep their traditions and ideals intact. This is most true with organizations that focus on the traditional market/services while having to unite those services with modern innovations. When we say innovations these does not only pertain to certain technological tangible equipments but it can also mean new processes, means and even situations that can only be created by today’s advancing times.Because of this, it is imperative for organizations to have some plan or strategy that would help them stay afloat without sacrificing what they regard as their purpose. An example would be how the traditional art scene have rapidly decreased in activity because of the more â€Å"cool† contemporary arts or worse, because there are other places people can go to like malls and bars instead of being patrons of artistic ventures or exhibits.Going back, these so called problems that organizations face would be the tremendous growth in diversified clients, members and patrons that tends to create a cultural gap between the members and even the leaders who are handling the organizations. This is most true in many forms and types of organizations but for specificities’ sake, this discussion will focus on the contemporary art organizations that cater to very diverse tastes, attitudes and philosophies.Art, after all, can be regarded as a means of freedom of expression and this is most especially true in today’s art scene wherein freedom of expression is not only an option, it is a necessity. Because of the varied and eclectic people that compose the different art organizations around the world, problems arise on the context that too much diversity can cause confusion among the members which is evidently caused by the wide cultural gap not just between one or two persons but even among everyone who are part of said organization.T his diversity and wide cultural gap is of course caused by how tremendous globalization has been that in one art scene or organization, people from different parts of the state, country and even the world would collate to form that single group. Thus, it is essential that organizations keep in mind certain things if they want to survive such a fast-paced world and if they want to even expand in population and improve in terms of their products, projects and provisions.Of the many discussions and articles that other people have written on different important aspects of organizations, there are some which are enlightening and which are sensible and yet people, mostly leaders and management teams, forget or altogether ignore such aspects. These aspects are mostly centred on the following: lack of purpose of the organization, failure to properly pinpoint the cause of the problem and finally, need for effective strategies that would solve the problem.Lack of Purpose of the Organization I n the article of Wheatley (2008), she describes why terrorists groups are one of the finest examples of organizations in the world as they have a single unifying purpose in their agenda. This metaphor for the best organization is rather unusual and even uncomfortable as terrorists groups create horror around the world with their vendettas but Wheatley (2008) does have a point when she says that they are â€Å"among the most effective and powerful organizations in the world today†.What she presents is an analysis on why terrorist networks have no means to â€Å"formal power, advanced technology, large budgets, or great numbers of followers† and yet, they manage to cause such a strong impact that they are â€Å"changing the course of history† (Wheatley, 2008). This is where one of the most fundamental aspects of any organization should have is presented and it lies in the presence of an â€Å"ideal or purpose that gives them a group identity which compels them to act† (Wheatley, 2008).What Wheatley insists on is true, most especially if it is applied in contemporary arts organizations wherein much passion and ideals are present but sometimes misplaced or even divided. The problem with arts organizations all over is that they have too diversified output for their passions that there is no commonality or unity among what they want, what they want done and what they would like to do in the future.Because terrorist groups have such commonality in their purpose, whatever action or â€Å"project† they undertake, it is almost always successful that the world is compelled to watch or prod on their â€Å"projects†. In the arts scene, passion for the art itself can be their common cause and identifying what do they want to achieve with their organization can make their group more efficient and active; as what Wheatley (2008) wrote, â€Å"As networks mature, they are fuelled more by passion than by information.† Failure to P roperly Pinpoint the REAL Cause of the Problem The advice that Wheatley gave on how to have such a successful organization is to have a unified purpose from such diversified members of the group. This is tremendously connected to another possible means in which to have an efficient and effective organization and that is to acknowledge that a problem exists in the group and that the problem is most likely the persistence of misunderstanding caused by cultural gap.According to Hofstede (2005), problems in art organizations usually arise from the fact that there is too much diversity among cultures and that management groups of the organization are remiss in admitting that that is indeed the problem: â€Å"Many leaders do not wish to acknowledge the possibility of a cross-cultural communication problem in international dealings. If negotiations go wrong they blame others or†¦themselves, never the culture gap. † (Hofstede, 2005) The picture than Hofstede painted is common bu t not unsolvable.What leaders of such organizations should do is admit that that is the problem and that they should think up of strategies that would effectively solve those problems—but that will be discussed later on the essay. With all these difficulties that diversity of culture presents, would it not be better to just have a common art organizations among people who have the same culture? This is not entirely the case for culture does not just mean belonging to the same ethnic background of certain group of people, the culture here encompasses a commonality among a certain group of people.Thus, the people who are into the arts have their own culture but then again, there is also a different culture that separates the visual from the performance arts and even that of the traditional from the contemporary forms of art. This means that there is a diversity of culture within a culture within a culture. This scene is inevitable as how Halbreich (2001) puts it, â€Å"We†™ve just crossed into a new century in which the rate and dimension of change promises to test all our powers of invention†.This new century is the modern times; these powers of invention are the possible ventures that we may undertake to support such cultural diversity. However, it is important to note that cultural diversity is not bad; it is the cultural gap that it creates which is the unpleasant and unfortunate factor. Thus, how do we solve this cultural gap among members of organizations? This is discussed in how management groups should have effective strategies that address the problem and this strategy usually starts in something very simple: admit that there is a problem. The Need for Effective Strategies That Would Solve the ProblemWhen Hofstede (2005) claimed that leaders do not acknowledge the presence of cultural gap, Halbriech (2001) provided the answer to how to solve this: â€Å"We must adapt to become a filter, through which some of these competing worldvi ews can be debated and new communities established. † Organizations becoming a â€Å"filter† mean that it is through them that people would be able to identify where they would want to go and belong to (in terms of patronizing an arts organization) and then zeroing on those identified aspects that leaders would be able to establish a permanent community or organization for them.Thus, what leaders should do is recognize the needs (and sometimes, even wants) of the members, build around those needs and cater to them. For example, Ritzer et al. (2008), isolates a particular problem with the diverse culture in arts organizations wherein the problem is that local colour or culture fails to be reflected in the organization. This just means that they focus too much on a global standard without thinking that the organization should also reflect the â€Å"character of the geographic locales† (Ritzer et al. , 2008).If what Ritzer et al. say is true, then it means that the needs and wants of the immediate members of the organizations are ignored which creates a gap or misunderstanding among the group. A great example in trying to come up with strategies in solving gaps in arts organizations can be seen in the illustration of Halbreich (2001): â€Å"We aim to magnify the ways in which visitors†¦can become more active participants in a series of memorable experiences based on discovering links between art and life, as well as among artistic disciplines.† This illustration demonstrates how the art organization presented by Halbreich is very ideal in the sense that they manage to have a standard or purpose in mind (which is for the visitors to become participants in viewing the art) while thinking about the condition of the other end as well (by considering the real life situation of the audience) and linking the two together. ConclusionIn conclusion, difficulties in arts organizations are inevitable since the members and patrons are varied an d diverse in culture and attitude. Difficulties of such organizations are usually caused by cultural gaps in the group but they can be solved and remedied by admitting that there is a problem caused by the gap, and proving necessary strategies that addresses the issue while maintain true to the ideals of the group.However, one cannot help but think that Wheatley is most correct in her suggestion of addressing the overall issue in arts organizations—development and growth of the group, maintain diversity in the organization, and staying on track with the ideals of the organization—which is having a firm passion in the purpose of the organization since everything else would naturally follow suit. References Cummings, S. (2008). Strategy: past, present and future. The Sage Handbook of New Approaches in Management and Organization. SAGE: Singapore. pp. 184-216 Halbreich, K. (2001). Inventing new models for the museum and its audiences. Curating Now: Imaginative Practice/Public Responsibility. Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative: Philadelphia. pp. 67-79. Hofstede, G.J. (2005).   A bridge requires a gap. Introduction to Business Communication. Peter Lang Publishing Group: Frankfurt. pp. 163-170. Lustig, M.W. et al. (2005). Introduction to cultural patterns and intercultural communication. Introduction to Business Communication. Peter Lang Publishing Group: Frankfurt.   pp. 171-182. Ritzer, G. et al. (2008). Empty organizations. The Sage Handbook of New Approaches in Management and Organization. SAGE: Singapore. pp. 215-216. Wheatley, M. (2008). Learning about networks from terrorists. The Sage Handbook of New Approaches in Management and Organization. SAGE: Singapore. pp. 178-179.