Learning approach Essay Example for Free

Learning approach Essay The essay examines the comparison of surface approach and deep approach used in university students. As a fact, many first year students, regardless of majors, adopt surface approaches to learning. However, universities encourage students to accept a deep approach to learn rather than surface approach. Therefore, many first year students face a challenge to use which approach to achieve high academic grades. The essay presents the two opposite arguments about the learning approaches, and then raises opinion that deep approach is a much feasible method. The surface approach to learning mentions students just recite study content rather than acknowledge the true meaning. Many first year students nowadays, regardless of their area of study, adopt surface approaches to learning. Actually, such surface learning approach is not quite effective. This is because such approach is stemmed from students’ previous learning knowledge, while the knowledge is not related with positive absorption. The knowledge is owned by students’ tutors rather than students themselves (Masters Donnison, 2010). Students treat the learning courses as routine  memorizing process or requirement. They tend to focus much more energy on the surface requirements like reciting words or sentences, pursuit surface meaning of the tasks or courses without their own deep thoughts. Such learning approach makes students seldom timely respond learning strategies, lack learning enthusiasm and driving forces (Entwistle Peterson, 2004). They will often feel pressure about study task, which will impact their confidence from a long run. Furthermore, due to these features, surface approach is usually thought as lack of understanding. Facts have proved that  surface approaches to learning are often related with poor academic performance over the first semester of study (Entwistle Peterson, 2004). However, some researchers think it is not correct to think surface approaches to learning are always inefficient or ineffective, for example, as to some courses such as foreign languages study, basic mathematics and etc. , the capability of memory is regarded as necessary, because it builds up the base for deeper learning in such courses (Masters Donnison, 2010). It is well known that advanced study contains learning process which makes  students become competent learner who fully understand the academic knowledge and restructure knowledge systems from his own perspective of view. Actually, this explanation reflects the essence of deep approach to learning. A deep approach to learning is defined as a complicated process of individual development which generates the fundamental change of learning habits and perspectives (Rawson, 2000). It is also required students to set up meaningful tasks objectives for engagement, put efforts on understanding deep context meanings and main principles, and utilize academic knowledge  into actual practice. Some researchers argue that the deep approach to learning is a kind of innovations in university course, but however it has none business with first year students (Masters Donnison, 2010). The reason is that first year students have limited experiences in campus living and the priority thing for them is get quick familiar with the new surroundings. And what is more, they think it is difficult for first year students to go beyond basic understanding of the learning courses as most of them just start live and study independently (Entwistle Peterson, 2004). Students in first year fail to present the all characteristics related to deep learning such as dedication in specific tasks continuously and persistently (Entwistle Peterson, 2004). But the essay holds on the opinion that deep learning approach is not necessarily impracticable for first year students. The reason is because some first year students have used the deep approach to learning when they are studying in high school. Good learning habits or method is not directly limited by students existing experience and incapacity to merge various kinds of  basic knowledge (Donnison Penn-Edwards,2012). Besides the above argument, for first year students, it is important to use strategic approach and put efforts into organized study since study is a process with a specific learning intention to fulfill all kind of assessment (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, Lawrence, 2009). The said organized study contains effective time management and learning behaviors management which mean students need to learn to monitor the effectiveness of their study outcomes. From this point of view, therefore, a deep learning is preferable. At the first year stage, it is suggested that there is a need for students to change students learning habits from surface approaches to deep learning since one of the ultimate objectives of undergraduate education is to establish and develop students’ correct lifelong learning habits and thinking skills, which can benefit their whole life (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, Lawrence, 2009). The learning approaches are much more important and meaningful than academic grades. Many educators argue that the first year in university should be assigned to build up a mature  methodology which could consistently help students take advanced learning, and assist them to change learning behaviors to become adaptive with higher education (Entwistle Peterson, 2004). Additionally, deep approach to learning can make many students achieve good academic assessment from a long run. Students engage in learning just because of academic assessment demands, therefore using the appropriate assessment would seem much meaningful. Nowadays, university begins to take the comprehensive assessment system to evaluate students’ achievement rather than just use course scores before. Such changes of assessment practice will also push students to move from initial surface learner to deep learner. Students are encouraged to focus on soft aspects instead of hard scores. It is argued that it is necessary for first year students to make their learning processes transparent. And what is more, it is important to come into being the understanding (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, Lawrence, 2009). In conclusion, some researchers have different arguments or indication for first year students to use a surface approach or a deep approach to learning. Researchers argue that some surface approaches of learning is important for first year students because the skills of memorization can be used to deepen and develop understanding which students can accept and come into being an learning approach (Entwistle Peterson, 2004). They think the deep learning is impracticable and unexpected to first year students. While other opinions think the deep approaches of learning is much more important than surface one because learning attitude and methodology can build up solid base for student lifelong study. There is a place in higher education for a deep  approach to learning. The academic scores should not be put into first place for first year students (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, Lawrence, 2009). Certainly, a complete education is aimed to keep balance between knowledge memorization and utilization. The essay proposes that deep approach of learning rather than surface learning should be regarded as an important and necessary method in university study, particularly first year study. Therefore, how to transit from surface approach to deep approach in order to go through the courses smoothly and achieve study objectives is the most critical topic  for most of first year students. References list: Burton, L. , Taylor, J. , Dowling, D. , Lawrence, J. (2009). Learning approaches, personality and concepts of knowledge of first-year students: Mature-age versus school leavers. Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development, 6(1), 65-81. Donnison, S. Penn-Edwards, S. (2012). Focusing on first year assessment: Surface or deep approaches to learning? The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 3(2),9-20 Entwistle, N. , Peterson, E. (2004). Conceptions of learning and knowledge in  higher education: Relationships with study behaviour and influences of learning environments. International Journal of Educational Research, 41, 407-428. Masters, J. , Donnison, S. (2010). First year transition in teacher education: The pod experience. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(2), 87-98. Penn-Edwards, S. , Donnison, S. (2011). Engaging with higher education academic support: A first year student teacher transition model. European Journal of Education, 46(4), 566-580. Rawson, M. (2000). Learning to learn: More than a skill set. Studies in Higher Education, 25(2), 225-238.

Captain Swing :: essays research papers

Hobsbawm, E. J. and Rude, George (1975) Captain Swing. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 384 pp.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Swing is an enjoyable collaboration between E. J. Hobsbawm and George Rude that depicts the social history of the English agricultural wage-laborers’ uprising of 1830. According to Hobsbawm and Rude, historiography of the laborers’ rising of 1830 is negligible. Most of what is known by the general public comes from J. L. And Barbara Hammond’s The Village Laborer published in 1911. They consider this an exceedingly valuable work, but state that the Hammonds oversimplified events in order to dramatize them. They placed too much emphasis on enclosure, oversimplified both the nature and prevalence of the â€Å"Speenhamland System† of poor relief, and neglected the range and scope of the uprising. Hobsbawm and Rude do not claim to present any new data, and believe that the Hammonds will still be read for enjoyment, but believe that by asking different questions, they can shed new light on the social history of the movement. Therefore , this book tries to â€Å"describe and analyze the most impressive episode in the English farm-labourers’ long and doomed struggle against poverty and degradation.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the nineteenth century, England had no peasantry to speak of in the sense that other nations did. Where families who owned or occupied their own small plot of land and cultivated it themselves, apart from work on their lord’s farms, farmed most of Europe, England’s â€Å"peasants† were agricultural wage-laborers. As such, both tithes and taxes hit them hard. Lords and farmers were also against tithes and taxes and tolerated or even welcomed some outcry against them. Most county leaders in 1830 agreed with the laborers, but the government in London did not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Further, enclosure eliminated the common lands whose use had helped the very poor to live. As a result, the relationship between farmers and laborers changed to a â€Å"purely market relationship between employer and proletarian.† At the same time, work once done by annual servants was given over to wage labor. Farmers were driven by income rather than social concerns and it was cheaper to pay a small wage for all positions and let laborers pay their own living out of it than to provide them room and board, however minimal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The laborers were not revolutionary, however. They did not wish to overturn the traditional social order. They merely demanded the restoration of their meager rights within it.

Revolutionary Republicanism Essay

Revolutionary republicanism is an ideal example of the American war fighting for their independence from England. The ideology of revolutionary republicanism is pieced together from English political ideas, Enlightenment theories, and religious beliefs. This was all constituted with the revolution in thought. Many lives, economies, politics, religions, and even thoughts were changed in effect to the American war. The Revolutionary republicanism by the American War caused a lot of change in many people’s lives. Native Americans, women, African Americans, and Loyalists were all affected by this change. Many Native Americans homes, family, and fields were destroyed by the war. The group from the Native Americans mostly affected by war were the Iroquois. In the summer of 1779, American troops launched raids into the Iroquois country. These attacks caused many burning villages, the killing of men, women, and children, and destroying a lot of corn. By the end of the war the Iroquois had lost about one-third of their people as well as many towns. Even though many Native Americans lost lives because of the war, it brought countless numbers of them to America. The second group of lives changed by war were women. Women still continued to fight for their rights and freedom but they continued to be denied franchise. Women had still never voted nor held office positions except on a few occasions. Then in New Jersey the constitution of 1776 opened the franchise to â€Å"all free inhabitants† who met property and residence requirements. Many women took advantage of this. After this women’s traditional roles took a new and improved political meaning. The third group that had their lives changed because of revolutionary republicanism was the African Americans. During the war many African Americans were enlisted in support of the revolutionary cause. Then after the war about 20% of African Americans went to behind the British lines to gain freedom. Most of the blacks saw England as freedom not tyranny. The slaves who fled behind British lines never sought out their freedom. Then lastly many Loyalists’ lives were changed. Most of the Loyalists gained partial reimbursement for their losses. All loyalists were deprived of voting, confiscating houses, and banishing from their homes. Also the punishing of Loyalists, accused of Loyalism, was popular. The American war didn’t just change people’s lives it changed the economy, religion, and politics too. After the War people were into politics like never before. Newspapers multiplied and pamphlets by the thousands followed the political debates. The expansion of popular politics resulted from an explosive combination of circumstances. The war also put huge stress on the economy too even though the war ended with an American victory. The war had caused many casualties, properties being destroyed, and the local economies being unbalanced. This conflict left the Iroquois and the Cherokee severely weakened. This opened the doors to the western expansion. The ideology of revolutionary republicanism is pieced together from English political ideas, Enlightenment theories, and religious beliefs. This was all constituted with the revolution in thought. Because the war had changed so many lives and thoughts the nation as a whole began to transform. By 1783 a new nation had come into being, and it was based on doctrines of republican liberty.

Personal Ethics Statement

My Personal Ethics Statement My personal ethics have been formed through family influence, religious beliefs, life experiences, my internal reflection and the culture in which I was raised. Family instilled a strong work ethic in me as a child. My parents never missed a day of work. I was taught that if you want something, you must work for it. According to my ethical lens inventory, this supports my classical value of temperance. I seek to satisfy my duties. My strong desire to succeed and lead a fruitful life also comes from the influence of my family.It is important to me to be a good role model for my husband and my children. Actions speak much louder than words ever can. My key phrase according to the ethical lends inventory is, â€Å"I am responsible. † I am guided by my religious beliefs. I try to live by the Golden Rule when dealing with others. It is important to me to do the right thing even if it is not the popular thing. My definition of ethical behavior is fulfill ing duties while balancing fairness. I believe that we should all practice religious tolerance. Each person was created uniquely and therefore each person should be able to worship in his or her own way.My ethical blind spot according to the ethical lens is that I tend to believe that motive justifies method. I trust that each person should be ethical and that ethics are a set of universal rules that we should all be held to. Life experiences have been a big influence in forming my ethics. Setting a good example is one of the most important values you can have. A person is only as good as their word. My ethical lens inventory states that my gift is self-knowledge. I follow through with my duties when I make a commitment. When faced with a challenge you should always do your best.Trying and failing is better than never trying. Because of this sense of duty, I tend to come across as bossy, which is my ethical lens risk. Internal reflection has helped me to develop my personal ethics. I have learned to rely on my gut feelings when faced with a difficult situation. If something feels wrong, there is a strong possibility it is. My ethical lens states that in order for me to see clearly I should listen to my heart. Making hasty decisions does not tend to serve me well. Thinking about my decisions with regard to how the outcome will affect others is important to me.I use reason to analyze problems according to my ethical lens inventory. I have been raised in the culture of Southern hospitality. In the South, manners are taught and expected. I find that I assume that others will mind their manners and I am offended if they choose not to do so. It makes sense that my ethical lens vice is becoming judgmental and legalistic. The female nature is to be the caregiver and nurturer of the family. I fall into this behavior and try to meet the needs of others before I take care of myself.My crisis, according to the ethical lens inventory, is becoming exhausted. My ethics have been formed over a lifetime of experiences. Because of these experiences and my personal beliefs, I use my rationality to decide what my duties are. I believe that each individual is independently responsible for their own morals. This corresponds with my personal preferred lens which is rights and responsibility. When faced with adversity, I use my practical nature to determine the best course of action. I want to ensure I have examined all angles and outcomes prior to making a decision. Personal Ethics Statement Personal Ethics Statement Jessica Dockery GEN/195 February 28, 2012 Jennifer Meunier Personal Ethics Statement To be ethical means to do the right thing and to be the best person one knows how without being judgmental of others, especially if their intentions are honorable. One should get in the habit of displaying good values and morals at all times. When thinking of a personal ethics statement, the Ten Commandments come to mind.The Ten Commandments state that thou shall have no other gods, no graven images or likenesses, not take the Lord’s name in vain, remember the Sabbath day, honor thy father and thy mother, thou shall not kill, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not steal, thou shall not bear false witness, and thou shall not covet. These things were taught and practiced even in the bible days and have been passed on from generation to generation. Although these commandments are not taken into consideration at all times, it is known that this is the way one shou ld try living their life daily.The ethics game helped to determine the level of morals, values, and standards a person has. It also explained how one might deal or reason in certain situations. After completing the ethical lens inventory, no ethical lens was determined. This means that the preferred lens was neither periscope nor paralysis. A person that is neither periscope nor paralysis sees the gifts and weaknesses of both and is able to adapt to different situations and get the best results possible. This type of person is non judgmental and considers all things before coming to a conclusion.According to the ethical lens inventory, autonomy and equality are valued equally. Their belief is that everyone has a valid point. No blind spot was determined. The maturity of this person sees both strengths and weaknesses and is able to bring together the four core values of autonomy, equality, rationality, and sensibility. There is a downside to being able to see everyone’s perspe ctive. This may cause confusion with one’s self. Listen to the heart, do not ignore the head, and act with confidence. Exhibiting good personal ethics is something one may want to make habit of.People are often put in situations where those morals and values must come in to play. No one wants to be a called a snitch, but sometimes one must put personal feelings aside. If a person is working alongside another coworker, and they see this coworker pocketing money from the register, the ethical thing to do would be to report this to higher management. This person is obviously untrustworthy and bad news. Everyone has a personal responsibility to ensure the safety and upkeep of their community, work environment, and school. Personal ethics, simply put, means to do the right thing.

Columbine Shooting

Columbine Shooting The Columbine Shooting that happened on April 20, 1999 was molded with a bigger plan of killing and destruction in the high school. Along with the attack on the high school they had other plans of chaos, which were thankfully never executed. Reasons why they were planning to kill and destroy are still not perfectly clear today, but psychologists have a pretty good idea of their reason or reasons.The two students of Columbine High School, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, had been planning the school shooting for a long time. They kept journals on the Internet and then got in trouble for the threats that were made so their site was deleted. They began to write with paper and pencil in a journal. In the journal they kept records of the guns and bombs they received illegally. Eric had a pump-action shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle. Dylan had a semi-automatic handgun and a sawed-off shotgun.An Intratec TEC-DC9 with 32-round magazine; a semi...They both carried knives and a lot of ammuniti on. The main idea of their plan was for the propane bombs to be placed in the cafeteria and destroy the library above. After the explosion, which would kill around 600 people, they would sit back and shoot the fleeing survivors. Their plan for the death of students in their school was complete after a lot of planning. All they needed to do now was initiate their "perfect" plan.On the morning of April 20, 1990 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold set up a small fire bomb in a field a half mile away from the school. This would act as a diversion to fire fighters. The bomb only partially exploded and made a small fire that one truck put out easily. They arrived at Columbine High School in separate cars and they both carefully...

Chose an interesting Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chose an interesting Topic - Essay Example The purpose of this brief paper is to identify the various stages of relationship that my best friend and I went through growing up, identify conflicts that emerged between us, and to formulate a conclusion about the value of such interpersonal relationships. Our friendship was initiated during grade school. Ahmed and I ended up in the same class one particular year, with him being new to the school. Like most kids, I did not pay much attention to the ‘new kids’. Over time, however, I realized that we both had so much in common. We shared the same interests in sports, classes at school, and outside activities. It seemed that we would have been great brothers. During this stage of our just beginning friendship, I suppose we began to explore each other. Good friends are hard to come by, and we both wanted to make sure that we truly desired to invest the time in each other to make such a friendship work, blossom, and become a lifelong partnership. As the months of that scho ol year went by, our friendship began to intensify. This began with us playing simple games in the schoolyard. Before long, Ahmed was regularly in with my own group of friends, and he quickly became one of the ‘gang’. Over time, Ahmed and I spent more time with each other than others in the group because of our intensifying belief that we would make great friends. We had so much in common, it seemed that we were meant to help each other along life’s journey. Naturally, we were typical school age children growing up in the Middle East. We got into mischief, respected our elders when they were in our presence, and scorned them when they were not. During this intensifying portion of our friendship, Ahmed and I frequently would go to each other home’s after school, and we both got to know each other’s family well. In short, we became best friends within the span of a single school year. During the school year, life is quite hectic, especially for a youn g boy. There are many responsibilities to take care of, both at school and at home. Since Ahmed and I only met at the beginning of a school term, we needed that first year to discover one another and begin the process of growing our friendship. It was not until the end of the school year, and the beginning of the summer break, that our relationship turned quite stable. It was during that first summer that we were truly inseparable. Every day we were together, playing together and just enjoying life together. We shared our experiences together and it was during this stable stage of our relationship that I can honestly say forged our friendship for life, even when conflict eventually would arise. We remained like that for several years. A stable foundation had been laid and we were comfortable around one another. We continued to study together, played on various teams together, and our families even became great friends. On two different occasions, Ahmed took a holiday with my family, and I went with him and his family at least once that I can remember. Most every relationship will have its difficult times, and my friendship with Ahmed was no exception. While we had our minor disagreements during grade school, they were easily resolved as being over something petty. As we entered high school, however, our friendship entered into a period of decline. Looking back upon it, different interests got in our way and we both lost sight of what friendship truly was about. In high school, we were often in different classes, separate from

Explain the evolutionary mechanisms that can change the composition of Essay

Explain the evolutionary mechanisms that can change the composition of the gene pool - Essay Example In addition, certain evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift cause a decrease in these genetic variations (Colby; Lerner). Mutation is a phenomenon by which chemical changes occur within the DNA which in turn alters the sequence of the gene resulting in a mutant gene. The extent to which the DNA is altered depends on the type of mutation which could be a point mutation in which on letter of the genetic code is changed, insertion or deletion of a stretch of DNA within a gene or inversion, translocation or duplication of a segment of the DNA. Such mutations can produce truncated proteins, abnormal proteins or a silent mutation that does not introduce any change in the resulting protein. Hence a mutation can have both a deleterious as well as a beneficial effect on the organism (Colby; Lerner). In addition to mutation, gene expression within an organism also depends on the built-in natural variation that occurs within a gene pool. Not all genes within an organ ism are expressed as only those which are activated produce their respective proteins and are hence expressed in the phenotype. Such selective expression of genes is also responsible for the variations observed between each individual (Veith).