Importance of Education Theories

Importance of Education Theories There is nothing so practical as a good theory (Lewin, 1946) Good theory, guides effective action by turning knowledge into wisdom. It is a process of forming new ideas.   Ã‚   The importance of thorising in education is to underpin that what students are doing, along with supported research, discussion, argument and a range of acedemic reading. Furthermore, it is best practice for students to regularly review their work from a critical aspect and ensure what they are writing reflects the comprehension of a fellow higher educated student. Being able to collate a range of ideas and analyse whether they compliment one another or even contrast, then reflect how they relate to ones own thoughts and experiences. In essence, how theorists provoke us and how we react or correspond to their provocation. Being theoretical, in an active, engaged way, is different to simply learning theory that other people have come up with and writing about it (MacDougall et. al, 2009). Education draws on a range of academic disciplines such as; Psychology, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Philosophy and History of Education. In particular, Howard Gardeners theory looks at different forms of intelligence in the form of learner dispositions, be they visual, auditory or kinaesthic learners and that intelligence is measured in different forms. (Gardener, 1993). If this is indeed the case, we then need to ask why our education system still favours formal assessment which is often tested within stressfull conditions, that produce high anxiety for the individual. It is here one needs to take a step back and examine the broader social structure on how our society finds the need to structure and rank its people by merely determing a portfolio of qualifications in order to function within the correct levels deemed appropriate by society itself. However good a theory, it cannot simply stand alone as a theory itself without being put into practice and tested in relation to other ideas by exploring, reflecting on and reworking to create new ideas. This re-mixing is a way of thinking that is dialectical (MacDougall et. al, 2009). Within the study of education, applying dialectical thinking is an important skill which contributes to interpretaion of educational phenomena. Socialogical imagination was introduced by Charles Wright Mills in 1959 and looked at how the impact on the individual differs if the same imact affects society as a whole and how a social structire (education) contributes to social problems. The social imagination enable us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two with society (Wright Mills 1959). Critical thinking is a means to obtaining crutial knowledge. We should not simply take something as given, but by applying a social imagination look at things from   new and different perspectives allowing us to consider alternative posibilities. Higher eduation should see the adult student as a more intrinsic learner, as they see the benefit in the end goal. However, how they travel on that journey can differ. As John Biggs imples, some students will tend towards taking a deep approach while others will tend towards taking a surface approach (Biggs, 1999). Interestingly, Bloom suggests that student engagement has a role to play in the way we learn and identified behavioural, emotional and cognitive as three dimensions to student engagement, shown in the example below (Bloom, 1956). I can see how these two work hand in hand, as a deeper approach to learning sees students engaging with and intentionally seeking in gaining that extra knowledge, as well as welcoming the challenge of deeper learning to improve their own intelligence. I believe that during my last assignment, I actually took those positive steps towards becomming a student of deeper learning. I know it was because the subject matter was of great interest to me and as it related greatly to my role with school which motivated me more into seeking that greater depth of knowledge. I was pleased with obtaining my distinction, it proved to me that I had the ability to achieve more knowing I had that added value of interest in this specific assignment (Hastilow-Ali, S. 2017). I now hope that I will be able to apply the same strategies to my specialism and interact more vigorously relating new ideas to previous experiences. The surfaced level approach sees the less engaged student sticking closely to the courses requirement throughout and doing the bare minimum to get by, as their only goal is the qualification itself. A stategic approach to learning sees the type if student who desires a positive outcome. They will organise their time and ensure that the materials and resources for studying are appropriate. The strategic approach derives from an intention to obtain the highest possible grades and involves adopting well-organised and efficient study methods (Entwistle, 1992). I have found in writing assignments on how I learn as a student, and what its like to be in higher education, are subjects which have not stimulated me into wanting to seek a greater depth of knowledge. This I equate to being a compulsory part of the course, but of little relevance to my current professional role. Here is where I struggle, as being bombarded with lots of reading material on theory that generally has no great interest to me leads me to switch off. I then have to really work hard at encouraging and motivating myself to press on and work through the necessary steps to help me achieve the understanding of the subject matter I need for my assignment. Therefore, I definitely see myself as dipping in between a surface and strategic learner for the above subjects in question.

Bloom’s Research and Response

Bloom's Research and Response Bloom's Research and Response Benjamin Bloom developed Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education in 1956. It is a teaching system developed to classify learning objectives and skills (Larkin & Burton, 2008). Lori Anderson and David Krathwohl revised the original publication- Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational objectives and also added new knowledge and ideas to the original material. This is the handbook in use by educators today. The Educational objectives that Bloom developed he categorized into three domains: Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor.Each domain has its own set of specific expectations. Bloom broke down his taxonomy into different levels of complexity. They are arraigned in a hierarchy from less to more complex. When teaching, the educator will use the levels so that mastery of the first level is necessary by the learner before the next level can be achieved. The Cognitive Domain focuses on knowledge and developing the skills of comprehens ion, it also uses critical thinking skills. There are six levels of complexity in this Domain: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.The Affective Domain focuses on how the learner deals with emotions and with his ability to feel empathy for others. Bloom broke down this domain into five levels: Receiving (awareness), Responding (active participation in the learning process), Valuing, Organization, and Internalizing (values held that influence a behavior so it becomes a characteristic). The third domain, the Psychomotor Domain was not broken down into subcategories by Bloom but by Simpson in 1972. The Psychomotor Domain focuses on the ability to manipulate an object physically.This domain has seven levels: Perception, Set (readiness to act), Guided Response, Mechanism, Complex Overt Response (the ability to perform without hesitation), Adaptation, and Origination. When used, Bloom’s Taxonomy will provide the educator with a measurable way to assess the level of comprehension of the taught information by the learner (â€Å"Big Dog and Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition,† 2010). Nurses can use Bloom’s teaching method in educating patients with chronic diseases. First the nurse must assess the patient for level of understanding and readiness to learn.The nurse uses the Cognitive Domain to teach the patient about his specific disease and to facilitate understanding of all concepts associated with the disease and its treatments. In following the hierarchy the nurse would start with the simplest information and ideas and increase the complexity of the information after the patient has exhibited comprehension of the previously taught material. Using the Affective Domain the nurse helps the patient deal with his emotions related to his diagnosis and to attach a value to it.Once a patient has processed the information given to him, realizes the importance of managing his care and placing a value on it s importance, he is ready to use the psychomotor domain. The educator uses the Psychomotor domain to teach the skills portion of education. Diabetics need to learn how to use blood glucose testing equipment; patients may need to learn how to self-catheterize these are just two examples of skills that nurses teach that fall under this domain. There are many areas of education a nurse teaches daily.One of which is the information given to patients with chronic diseases in order for them to achieve or maintain self-sufficiency. Bloom’s teaching method gives those patients the best chance at mastering the necessary information and skills needed to live day-to-day with a chronic illness. References Big Dog and Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. nwlink. com/~donclark/hrd/bloom. html Larkin, B. G. , & Burton, K. J. (2008, September). Evaluating a Case Study Using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education. AORN Journal, 88(3), 390-402

Financial Ratio Analysis: Daimler Group and Bmw Group Essay

Abstract In this report, we calculate and compare the financial performance between Daimler Group and BMW Group in two financial years 2010-2011. The objective is to analyse the financial performance of both groups and identify our company’s position, thus suggesting the potential areas for improvement for our company. I) Introduction In this report, we analyse and compare the financial performance between BMW Group and Daimler Group in 2010 and 2011 using financial ratios analysis. The BMW Group and Daimler Group are two of Germany’s largest industrial companies and are among the most successful car and motorcycle manufacturers in the world. By doing comparisons, we will be able to identify the financial position and the potential areas of improvement for our firm. All the figures were taken from the firms’ annual reports. II) Financial Ratio Analysis Financial ratios for BMW Group and Daimler Group are provided below. 1) Profitability The ROCE ratio measures how well the business has used the capital invested to generate profits while the ROE indicates the business’s ability to generate profits using shareholders’ funds. The GPM indicates how much a company earns taking into consideration the cost of sales. The NPM shows the amount of each sales dollar left over after all expenses have been paid. Both groups have achieved significant increase in revenues in 2011 leading to improvements in all profitability ratios comparing to 2010. Both firms have been more efficient in using its resources to generate returns, where both ROCE and ROE ratios have showed significant increases in 2011. It is also worth noticing that despite having higher GPM for both years, Daimler’s NPM figures were lower than that of BMW, indicating that Daimler has higher operating expenses than BMW. Overall, BMW has performed better than Daimler in terms of profitability. 2) Efficiency Efficiency ratios are typically used to analyse how well a company uses its assets and liabilities internally. The sales revenue to capital employed ratio indicates how well the organization used the capital invested in the business to generate revenue for the company as whole. Both companies have experienced an increase in the revenues over the past two years but both companies haven’t experienced an increase in the asset turnover ratio. It has increased with BMW probably as a result of the reduction in the non-current liabilities. The opposite has occurred with Daimler Group most likely as a result of the massive increase in the non-current liabilities. This ratio can be further explained using the sales revenue to non-current assets and sales revenue to working capital ratio. The sales revenue to non-current assets ratio measures how well the managers invested the non-current assets of the company to generate revenue for the growth of the business. This ratio has most definitely been affected by the investment in new non-current assets by both groups but Daimler has managed to use these assets to generate more revenue than BMW but still has used its new non-current assets efficiently to generate a sales revenue which would in turn lead to a ratio higher than the previous year’s ratio figure. The sales revenue to working capital explains how well the company is using its working capital to generate sales revenue. It is one of the best ways to watch the changes in cash overtime, this is important because the company needs cash to operate. Daimler has experienced a significant decrease in this ratio and BMW, the opposite occurred. This could be as result of fluctuations in the current assets and liabilities of both companies. The inventory turnover period ratio measures the length of time stock is held within the business. Both companies are now holding stock for longer than they did in 2010. It takes Daimler 77 days to sell its products while it takes BMW 65days. Both results are quite high but BMW has an advantage. This means that BMW has fewer inventories in store than Daimler at the end of the year, which means lower holding costs for BMW. The trade receivables period ratio calculates how long it takes the company to collect payments from its customers. A business will naturally be concerned with the amount of funds tied up in trade receivables and try to keep this at a minimum as it can have a significant impact on the cash flow of the business. This has not changed much for both companies over the past two years but has increased slightly for BMW in 2011. Daimler has more funds tied up in trade receivables. The trade payables period indicates how long it takes the company to pay its suppliers. Most companies would prefer this to be as long as possible but this can be taken to far and result in the loss of goodwill of suppliers. Both groups have managed to increase the period it takes them to pay their creditors. Both companies take a longer period to pay their suppliers than it takes for their debtors to pay what they owe. This shows a good cash flow movement for both companies. The operating cycle is expressed as an indicator of management efficiency. It has three components of inventory turnover period, trade receivables period and trade payables period. These come together to form the complete measurement of operating cycle days. This hasn’t changed for Daimler over the past two years and has increased slightly for BMW. It takes BMW a shorter period to generate revenue from its purchase of inventory than it takes Daimler. 3) Liquidity Liquidity ratios attempt to measure a company’s ability to pay off its short-term debt obligations. In general, the greater the coverage of liquid assets to short-term liabilities the better it is, because it gives a clear signal to whether a company can pay its debts that are due in the near future and still be able to fund its ongoing operations. The current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay back its short-term debts in short notice. The acid test ratio is similar to the current ratio except does not include inventory and prepaid expenses as assets but only those that can be turned into cash easily. Therefore, it measures the firm’s ability to pay its current obligations immediately. Comparing the two companies, those figures are quite similar. As for manufacturing companies like Daimler and BMW, current ratio of/more than 1 is desirable. Both companies did manage well to achieve the target figures in both years. Changes in the ratios between two years are not significant, but it is worth pointing out that Mercedes showed a small improvement in liquidity (from 1.07 to 1.22), whereas BMW got a minor decline (from 1.08 to 1.04). Although the acid test ratios falls below 1 in both years for both firms, thus both firms are unable to pay back its short term debts immediately, it does not necessarily mean that it will go bankrupt – as there are many ways to access financing – but it is definitely not a good sign. In general, Daimler’s current and quick ratios showed a slightly better liquidity position, comparing to BMW’s. In fact, liquidity ratios are remarkably affected by the company’s working capital management. That is why we should examine some working capital figures to fully analyze two companies’ liquidity circumstances. The Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) is similar to the Operating Cycle. While the parts are the same – receivables, inventory and payables – in the CCC, they are analysed from the perspective of how well the company manages its cash, as opposed to their impact on operational capital assets. The CCC measures the number of days a company’s cash is tied up in the production and sales process of its operations and the benefit it gets from payment terms from its creditors. The shorter this cycle, the more liquid the company’s working capital position is. In general, both firms have taken longer to shift their stocks, receive payments and pay out their creditors in 2011 comparing to 2010. This trend could mean the demand for the firms’ products has been decreasing. Moreover, BMW performed better than Daimler with all of its figures being noticeably lower in both years. Therefore, the CCC of BMW is considerably lower than that of Daimler. Apparently, we can see that both companies had reasonable figures and good working capital management. Yet, overall, BMW seemed to have performed better than Daimler, as the processes were faster. 4) Solvency Gearing measures the proportion of a company’s finance which is provided from external sources. In theory, the higher level of gearing, the riskier the business, since interest and repayment of debts must be paid regardless of the situations. However, gearing can be a financially sound part of a business’s capital structure, especially if the business has strong, predictable cash flows. Both companies have had a consistent gearing ratio of about 65% (for BMW) and about 55% (for Damlier Group) over the course of 2 years (2010 and 2011) which states that the companies are highly geared. Debt Equity Ratio is the ratio of the debt that a company has to the its shareholders’ equity. A higher the percentage means that a company is using more leverage and has a weaker equity position. Optimally the debt equity ratio of a company should be 1. For most companies, the ratio is usually between 1.5-2. The debt equity ratio of BMW shows a slight fall this year and a slight increase in the case of Daimler Group. BMW’s gearing ratio and debt to equity ratio indicate that BMW is more leveraged than Daimler. Interest cover ratio is used to determine how easily a company can pay interest on outstanding debt. There has been a good amount of increase in this ratio in BMW as well as in Daimler Group as it can be seen above. It can be said that the profit of BMW was 8.5 times and 6.94 times (for Daimler) greater than the amount of interest that it incurred on its respective outstanding debts. A higher interest cover ratio indicates that the business is easily able to meet its interest obligations. Usually any interest coverage ratio higher than 1.6 is considered safe which leaves us to the conclusion that BMW and Daimler Group both are safe companies in matters of Interest payable on outstanding debt. III) Conclusion The 2011 financial year was an excellent one for the Daimler where sales volume, revenue and earnings figures all significantly improved. Daimler Group should control its operating costs and continue to invest in R&D to maintain and improve its profitability levels. It could also further improve its efficiency by better managing the Operating Cycle. In this paper, we have illustrated relationships between different aspects of the firms’ operations and provided relative measures of the firms’ conditions and performance. By comparing two similar firms in the same industry in two years, we have found that BMW has performed slightly better than our firm (Daimler) despite being more leveraged. However, the financial ratios are pure mathematics and do not take into account other aspects of the business, therefore, users should approach them with caution.

Could Schizophrenia Be the Answer to the Mysterious...

Could Schizophrenia be the Answer to the Mysterious Vampire Legend? The vampire legend and many behaviors and experiences of schizophrenics seem to share many common traits. The traits that are most recognizable are fears of being enclosed, periods of semistarvation or complete starvation, which can be associated with periodic gorging, reversal of the day-night cycle, and a preoccupation with or dread of mirrors (Kayton 304). Though the term schizophrenia or demence precoce was only introduced in 1852 (Boyle 43), behaviors of people affected by this illness have been documented much earlier. The concept of a dead person returning in his living physical form and feeding on the living is considered a vampire. The†¦show more content†¦Here is where an important part of the legend draws reference. According to Kayton, the vampire (young suicide) was known to either devour or steal the hearts of his victims. When the heart was stolen, it was placed over a fire to create an intense unfulfilled love in the bosom of the person it was taken from (307). In Dracula we sort of get that sense the three vampire women wanted this from Jonathan. Because when the Count told them that they could not have him, one of them boldly told him: You yourself never loved (55). Also, according to schizophrenic suicide history the family members who were often attacked were mainly members who showed their guilt over the oral deprivation onto the fantasized vampire (patient) with a feared oral attack (Kayton 311). That would be the logic of why the victims of the vampire are usually fa mily members or persons they love; as we witness this with Lucy as she tried to kiss Arthur a two different occasions when she became a vampire. This theory also suggests that the parent s role is very important and their actions with the child of either showing affection or rejection when the child attempts to become close to them (McMahon 212). Besides the removal of the heart, unmistakably, the most important part of the legend is that the vampire attacks his victims by sucking out their blood. There are claims that the attack of the vampire shows consistency with some of the unconscious fantasies of schizophrenic