The Extent to Which Developmental Psychology Has Been Able to Contribute to Improving Children’s Lives Essay Example for Free

The Extent to Which Developmental Psychology Has Been Able to Contribute to Improving Children’s Lives Essay This essay will explore how developmental psychology has improved the lives of children diagnosed with specific learning difficulties (SpLD). It will explore how these improvements have been made from diagnosis to assessments, consequences to intervention. Dyslexia refers to a specific difficulty in learning to read and write. However this is not the only difficulty that children with dyslexia experience and there are variations of their symptoms. These problems appear to stem from fundamental difficulties in the rapid processing and sequencing of phonological information in short term memory. These children also have difficulties with associations with letters and their sounds. Learning their left from right also is difficult. In the 1970s-80s it was thought Dyslexia was a label given to rich parents underachieving children as an excuse for their poor performance. Contempory definitions of dyslexia combine a discrepancy approach with definition indicators. The discrepancy approach is key in how educational psychologists identify dyslexia. Dyspraxia is used to describe the symptoms of people who experience problems in oorganising their movements and may have problems with thought, perception and language. Dyspraxia is also known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD). Dyspraxia can make written work for children in school very difficult as it has a huge impact on the visual field with writing. Alongside this the mental affects a child may experience in school from being bullied for their condition may then effect their performance in the classroom. Due to late start in researching of DCD, intervention is not often attempted until a child reaches school age. Cormorbidity, where two disorders or illnesses occur in the same peron simultaneously or sequentially, often happens with dyslexia or dyspraxia. Kaplan (2001) found that children with reading difficulties were 51. 6% more likely to have another developmental difficulty. If all these conditions have a common cause then cormorbidity would not be present. Kaplin (2001) states that a combintation of learning difficulties may be a result of atypical brain development (ABD). It is possible that two people with the same atypical brain development may present with differing symptoms as a result of the influence of environmental factors. As a result it is difficult to identify a single biological cause for SpLD. Developmental psychologists have been able to identify a range of factors that appear to contribute to the causes of SpLDs. Heritability may be another factor which influences the presentation of SpLDs. Dyslexia and dyspraxia both appear to have a familial form where parents and siblings also present with these conditions. The extent of heritability has been highlighted through the use of twin studies; both monozygotic and dizygotic. Stevenson (1999) found that heritability was between 46 and 74 per cent chance, which highlights there is some influence from environment as well as genetic factors. Further research has highlighted how some genes on the chromosome are associated with phonological processing and other genes on other chromosomes are associated with reading. Assessments are a key way developmental psychologists are able to further understand children with SpLD, and can then identify and conclude the severity of the SpLD. It is through assessment that developmental psychologists can start to do the most help with improving childrens lives. By assessing them for their SpLD the psychologist can start to make way for the child to gain extra support in school and at home. Assessments for dyslexia such as those which use the discrepancy model assume that it is valid, which is not necessarily the case as there is evidence that children with very different IQ scores can achieve similar reading scores. The assessment is only a snap shot of how the child performed at that time on that particular day. Developmental psychologists have put forward a new method of assessment which would highlight the childs severe and persistent problems when learning to read and write. Such an assessment would assist the child in finding coping stratergies and different ways of learning in order for them to excel as well as a child without such a form of SpLD, it can also speed up intervention, which could allow the child to be assisted earlier on in their school career. When assessing dyspraxia psychologists it can be difficult to identify as the signs of dyspraxia overlap with other SpLD’s. Dyspraxia is often assessed and treated by medical personnel rather than psychologists as with dyslexia, despite signs and causes impacting similarly on the child education and learning abilities. It is usually due to the social impact which dyspraxia has on the child which dyslexia does not which requires medical attention. A large number of professionals are involved in aiding children with dyspraxia including educational psychologists who assess the motor and perceptual development skills such as sequencing and organisation. A DVMI or movement ABC test will be used in order to identify pecific motor skills. The consequences of living with a SpLD for a child can range from social exclusion to self esteem issues. Riddick (1996) found that children with SpLDs often experienced social exclusion; they felt excluded from activities because of their difficulties with reading and writing. Riddick also found that children who were had dyslexia were more likely to befriend other dyslexics which can aid social inclusion. Qualitative and quantitative studies have suggested that people with SpLDs experience emotional and educational consequences. Many children with a SpLD experience soxial exclusion, the self exteem of children with SpLDs is low especially with respect to academic self concept. Children with SpLDs are over represented in statistics on children with depression although the degree of prevelance is not clear. Many children with SpLDs experience reduced academic motivation. Developmental psychologists design and evaluate interventions which can aim to improve the behavioural symptoms of SpLDs. Although intervention often occurs after identification, early intervention in the case of children ‘at risk’ of SpLD is the best approach. School based interventions that aim to improve literacy attainment suggests that intervention needs to be highly personalised and structured if it is to be affective. In order to maximise the long term impact of intervention it is suggested that programmes also need to be intensive and preventative. Given the cost of implications of personalised tuition in the classroom psychologists are evaluating the potential of computers to act as teaching assistants to support children with learning difficulties.

The Formulaic and Episodic X-Files and Supernatural Essays -- Televis

The subjects of this study, The X-Files (Carter, 1993-2002) and Supernatural (Kripke, 2005-), can be seen as innovative pioneers of ‘narrative complexity’ and of the ‘monster-of-the-week’ (MOTW) concept. Mittel identifies narrative complexity, ‘At its most basic level, narrative complexity is a redefinition of episodic forms under the influence of serial narration—not necessarily a complete merger of episodic and serial forms but a shifting balance. Rejecting the need for plot closure within every episode that typifies conventional episodic form, narrative complexity foregrounds ongoing stories across a range of genres. Additionally, narrative complexity moves serial form outside of the generic assumptions[.]’ (Mittel, 2006, p.32) The monster-of-the-week concept is rather self-explanatory, but can be described as telling standalone stories that literally feature a monster, or enemy, every week however, The X-Files have challenged the serial, standalone nature of the concept (Kruse, 1997-8, p.110). The X-Files stars FBI agents, Mulder and Scully, as they take charge in investigating the ‘X’ files (cases that occur through unknown phenomena). Mulder, the believer, and Scully, the sceptic, face corrupt government officials and monstrous mutants while trying to uncover the meaning to unknown phenomena that otherwise, cannot be explained. The episodic and formulaic series allow Mulder and Scully to face phenomena after phenomena while being spliced with an undercurrent of the more serial format of a greater ‘mytharc’ concerning government corruption and of the alien colonisation of earth. Supernatural tells the story of Dean and Sam Winchester, brothers-in-arms, who also, within formulaic and self-contained episodes, hunt monsters... ...d Everyday Life in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In: M. Hammond and L, Mazdon, eds. 2005. The Contemporary Television Series. Edinburgh: Edinburg University Press, pp.159-182. Hodges, L., 2008. Mainstreaming Marginality: Genre, Hybridity, and Postmodernism in The X-Files. In: J. P. Tellote, ed. 2008. The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader. Kentucky: Kentucky University Press, pp.231-246. Mittel, J., 2007. Film and Television Narrative. In: D. Herman, ed. 2007. The Cambridge Companion to Narrative. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.156-171. Mittell, J., 2006. Narrative Complexity in Contemporary American Television. The Velvet Light Trap, 58(32), pp.29-40 Nixon, N., 1998. Making Monsters, or Serializing Killers. In: R. Martin and E, Savoy, eds. 1998. American Gothic: New Interventions in a National Narrative. Iowa: Iowa University Press, pp.217-236.

In Construction Final Report

Through this search we are able to identify & analyze the factors through which small construction companies can gain competitive advantage over their close competitors. Also studied various Project Management techniques that can foster growth of small and developing companies in this sector. This report also identifies the upcoming opportunities that the small and budding companies have in the construction industry. Lastly, it also talks about the key hindrances faced by Indian construction companies in running their operations with suggestions to overcome them. Introduction The Construction industry of India is an important indicator of the placement as it creates investment opportune ties across various related sectors. The construction industry contributed an estimated RSI. 7,807 billion to the national GAP in 2013-14 which amounted to around 9%. The industry is fragmented, with a handful of major companies involved in the construction activities across all segments. Besides, the re are medium sized companies specializing in niche activities and small and medium contractors who work on the subcontractor basis and carry out the work in the field.In 2011 there were slightly over 500 construction equipment manufacturing companies in al of India The sector is labor intensive and provides employment, including indirect jobs, to more than 3. 5 core people. The period from 1950 to mid 1 ass's witnessed the government playing an active role in the development of these services and most of construction activities during this period were carried out by State owned enterprises and supported by government departments. In the first five-year plan, construction of civil works was allotted nearly 50 % of the total capital outlay.The first professional consultancy company, National Industrial Development Corporation (MIND), was set up in the public sector in 1954. Subsequently, many architectural, design engineering and construction companies were set up in the public secto r such as Indian Railways Construction Limited (RECON), National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBC), Rail India Transportation and Engineering Services (RITES), Engineers India Limited (ELL) etc. As well as the private sector such as M N ADSTAR and Co. , Hindustan Construction Company (HOC), Nasals etc.In India Construction has accounted for around 40 per cent of the development investment during the past 50 years. Around 16 per cent of the nation's working population depends on construction for its livelihood and rates assets worth over 200 billion per annum. Total capital expenditure of state and central government was approximately RSI. 8,021 billion in 2011-12 which rose from RSI. L ,436 billion in 1999-2000. The share of the Indian construction sector in total gross capital formation (GIF) came down from 60 per cent in 1970-71 to 34 per cent in 1990-91.Thereafter, it increased to 48 per cent in 1993-94 and stood at 44 per cent in 1999-2000. In the 21st century, there has been an increase in the share of the construction sector in GAP and capital formation. The main reason for this is the increasing emphasis on involving the private sector infrastructure development through public private partnerships (Peps) and mechanisms like build-operate-transfer (BOOT). LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction to the Indian Construction Industry The Construction Industry in India is the second largest employer of the country after agriculture, accounting for 1 1 % of Indian's GAP.It employs more than 3. 5 scores people & its total market size is estimated at RSI. scores. The level Of a country's development is reflected by its infrastructure & the desperate need for infrastructure development has increased the demand of the construction industry in India. The Indian Construction industry can be divided into three broad segments: Residential, Industrial, Commercial & other buildings. Sewer, Roads, Highways, Bridges, Tunnels & other projects. Specialized activity such as ca rpentry, painting, plumbing & electrical work.Characteristics of the Indian Construction Industry Construction industry is a major job creator: The construction industry accounts for 1 1 % of Indian's gross domestic product (GAP). The industry also generates huge employment opportunities, due to its constant requirement for skilled and unskilled laborers. Moreover, the overall growth of this industry is also positive for sectors such as steel and cement, which are key raw materials. Low entry barriers keep industry fragmented: The construction industry is highly fragmented as low fixed capital requirements for construction contracts remove entry barriers.Capital expenditure is only required for procuring necessary equipments unlike a manufacturing businesses, which require a setup of plants and machinery for production. Possibility of payment delays heightens working capital intensity: Construction projects are mainly funded and managed by the owner. Apart from the initial advance, contractors receive payments after each project lessons is completed. However, timely payments also depend on the owner's credit profile and the nature of the project.Most projects, especially infrastructure, have a gestation period of more than a year. Any delay in payments can push up receivables. Such a scenario makes the construction industry working capital intensive. Projects awarded to lowest bidders, but execution skills crucial too: All governmental construction projects are awarded through a competitive bidding process as more domestic and international contractors have forayed into various infrastructure segments. The project is finally awarded to the sweets bidder.However, besides bidding qualifications, contractors also need to have strong project execution and technical skills to avoid cost and time overruns. To make these imperative, institutions such as National Highways Authority of India (NOAH) penalizes delayed execution of national highway projects, while awardin g timely completion of the same. Input-related risks: Access to inputs is crucial for ensuring timely and cost- effective execution of projects. The major inputs for a construction include: 1 . Labor: Construction work involves both skilled and unskilled labor.Currently, instruction players are struggling with wage increases, which can be attributed to labor shortages and rising inflation. Local job opportunities from government welfare schemes, growth in the overall rural economy and migration of laborers to Gulf countries for better prospects are some reasons that have led to a shortage of construction laborers. To solve labor issues, improve quality and cut wage costs, construction companies are now increasing the extent of mechanization, particularly in huge infrastructure projects such as highway projects. . Raw material: The construction industry is raw material-intensive. Any change in prices of raw materials like steel, cement, bitumen etc. Impacts players' profitability. Ho wever, the impact is limited to the extent of the proportion of fixed price contracts in a company's order book. Some construction companies also own quarries so as to ensure constant raw material supply. 3. Land acquisition and government clearances: Land and the related government clearances are the other important inputs for construction work.Delays in these may increase the gestation period of projects, which can impact the profitability of the project. Recent developments in the Indian Construction Industry The Indian government has recently initiated some policy changes in some sectors of the industry and order inflows have improved in some others. Though, the strained financial position Of companies will continue to impact the industry's execution pace in 2014-15. It is therefore expected that the industry's revenues will grow at a tepid pace of 6% to 8% during the year.The poor financial position of construction companies is reflected in their poorly profitable and highly le veraged balance sheets. Operating margins of construction companies fell by about in 2012-13, as input costs rose ND lower margin segments such as road projects gained share in the order book. Competitive pressures have also been impacting margins. Slow execution and its impact on fixed cost of companies shaved off 5% to on an average, from the operating margins of companies in 2013-14.In order to protect their margins, players are now exercising more caution in bidding and competition in the industry has moderated. Yet, the hangover of aggressive bidding of the past and the current execution delays continue to weigh on profitability in 2014-15 also. Further, the gearing (Debt-Equity ratio) f construction companies has been rising over the past two years, impacting the financial flexibility of companies. Gearing of major construction companies rose to 3. 3 times in 2012-13, from 2. 1 times in 2008-09.Net margins, which had been sliding since 2010-11, fell further by 7% in 2012-13 ow ing to higher interest outgo. The industry (with the only exception of L&T) reported net losses from April 2013 to October 2013. According to the twelfth five year plan, more than 40% of the total government spends have been allocated to construction per SE explicitly, along with various construction projects that will be undertaken for other areas of expenditure. The table below illustrates the sector wise investments for the twelfth five year plan.Five Forces Analysis of the Indian Construction Industry Us mammary: The construction and engineering industry is characterized by large incumbents operating alongside smaller companies. Rivalry is eased somewhat by companies diversifying operations into other sectors. There are a small numbers of buyers in this industry, and typically large in size. Similarly suppliers have a great deal of power over market players as their raw materials are essential for players' businesses. However suppliers have also offered the effects of the global economic crisis, seeing the prices of many raw materials rise.There are few, if any, substitutes available in this industry. Bargaining power of Buyers: Buyers in this industry tend to be large and few in number. Typically the main buyers are government agencies or large private-sector customers, usually corporate rather than individuals. Generally, in this industry, customers invite market players to tender for contracts which are on the customers' terms. This means the buyer is in a more powerful position as they specifically define the parameters of the project.

The Components Of Computers Systems Essay - 2306 Words

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