Hotel External Environment and Internal Environment Analysis

Hotel External Environment and Internal Environment Analysis Introduction In legal terms Law is defined as, a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority: asÂÂ  aÂÂ  :ÂÂ  a command or provision enacted by a legislature. Basically it is a set of regulation and regulations of conduct, which are practiced in general. These rules and regulations are bound by legislature. In this assignment I will be discussing law in context with Consideration and Contract. Question 1: Marketing emphasises on meeting the needs of the consumers and providing them with value, and benefits, while at the same time handling the organisation in an efficient and profitable manner. Marketing is a process that involves constant adaptation and implementation of the varying consumer trends, and demands. While at the same time having a competitive advantage over the competitors, and while at the same time ensuring that the satisfaction of these needs result in a healthy turnover for the organisation. Objective of the coursework: The objective of this assignment is to analyse the Manor House Country Club Hotels (MHCCH) external environment and internal environment. I shall use PESTEL Analysis, Industry Analysis and MHCCHs Opportunity and Threat analysis to draw out the companys external environment and Core competencies, Value chain, Ansoff Matrix, strength and weakness of MHCCH will be applied to illustrate the internal environment. Overview of the Hotel: In 1992, Manor House Country Club Hotel was established as a family owned business by the Jenkins Family, in Singapore. The MHCCH spans over 3 acres of prestigious reclaimed land, and is operating currently as a single hotel. The Hotel provides various varieties of Luxurious accommodations, and serves tourists from around the World. The hotel also serves its customers with various types of cuisines, from its modernised Restaurant; the hotel also has Bistro that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks. For corporate meetings and conferences to be held in the hotel, the hotel has adequate premises and facilities. And other miscellaneous services provided by the hotel include a Beauty Salon. In short it can be said that the MHCCH stands up to the luxurious benchmark that it projects. Analysis of the Micro Environment: (Internal) The Micro/internal factors are the forces inside the hotel that can affect the performance of the hotel, thus through the micro environment analysis, we search for and devise a strategy to overcome those shortcomings that might hinder the progress of the hotel. SW (Strength and Weakness) Analysis: (S)trengths: The MHCCH is located at a prime and favourable location, which is easily accessible. The MHCCH successfully depicts its Luxury position in the tourism and hospitality industry, thus differentiating it from the competition. It is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks in the hotel, thus widening its consumer base, and scope for profitability. Additional accommodation was added by MHCCH in 2002, so now it can house more customers, hence an increase in productivity. The Market value of MHCCH is eight times more than its actual value, which is the sign of a profitable and stable business. (W)eaknesses: There has been a consecutive decline in the number of corporate clients for the Hotel in the past years, while the number of trade conferences held in the country has gone up by 30%. Over pricing of the room rates above the average price level for similar rooms in other competitive hotels may lead to a decline in the number of customers. As for the current situation the MHCCH lacks direction in terms of a strategic plan for expansion, and its target consumers, those are essential for the development of the MHCCH. Recommendations: MHCCH can provide better meeting/conferencing facilities to its corporate clients to up the number of corporate bookings. Also it can reconsider its pricing policies and provide trade discounts to its clients. The accommodation/room tariffs to be priced at a market competitive rate, and not at exorbitant prices, which might set the customers off. A strategic marketing and action plan to be set by the MHCCH while keeping its prime priorities in focus. Conclusion: The shortcomings of the MHCCH are not of a major nature, they can be rectified by adopting simple corrective actions, like a strategic plan. It is quite natural for any organisations to face hurdles in its developmental phase. Core competencies: (Micro Analysis) Core competencies are what makes an organisation different from others, in most cases its direct competition. The MHCCH can develop its core competency on the basis of its luxury position in the market. It must aim at providing quality services to its customers at competitive prices. This also increases its foothold in the competitive market. As it is in the core culture of an organisation, to satisfy its customers and providing them the value for their money, that is what constitutes the basic differences among the various organisations. Value chain: (Micro Analysis) The basic motive of the value chain is to provide the customers with a certain level of value that surpass the cost of the activities and ultimately it appears in a profit margin. The value chain of MHCCH is presented below: Quality Service: The hotel management has to ensure that the customers are provided with high quality services that are worth the price that a customer is paying. So that the customer is satisfied. Satisfaction of customer needs: The second step is to meet the specific needs and demands of the customers as per their tastes and preferences, as the service industry tends to be very personal, tailor-made arrangements have to be made to meet the customer needs. Trained and Efficient staff: Every customer expects to be treated in the most hospitable and best manner possible, thus MHCCH should be certain that the staffs is well-trained and efficient when it comes to dealing with the customers. Marketing and Brand building: In this stage, MHCCH is looking for potential buyers to sell the services it offers and to do this they do advertising, pricing etc. And build a reputable image in the market, which is also a crucial factor to Customer satisfaction. There are some aiding factors to the points discussed above which cannot be fulfilled without the help of these: 1). Infrastructure: The aesthetic appeal of the hotel is a crucial factor of the quality it signifies in its service, thus the infrastructure should be as enticing and attractive as the services provided within the MHCCH. 2). Specialisation: To satisfy the specific customer demands, the hotel has to keep in mind that meeting those demands is crucial and difficult at the same time, thus specialisation in fulfilling the customer needs is an essential supporting factor. 3). Human Resource Management: The staff must be recruited and accordingly trained to deal with its customers, as the employees of MHCCH reflect the image of the hotel itself. Thus HRM is a bare necessity in the strategic planning process. 4). Marketing Research: With proper analytical tools and a better understanding of the market, the task of marketing becomes much easier for MHCCH, leaving a long lasting impression in the customers mind. Macro analysis: (External) By scanning the macro the environment, the company can devise a better strategy towards overcoming the identified threats and to utilize the available opportunities. OT: (Opportunities and Threats) (O)pportunities: Tapping the benefits of the high growth of tourism industry in Singapore. High demand of varying cuisines/lifestyles. Scope of expansion in conference/family travel groups. Expand the MHCCH brand by investing in external property, through borrowing/re-investing profit. (T)hreats: Highly competitive hotel industry, competitive pricing, similar services, etc. If proper steps to maintain and expand MHCCH are not taken, then this could be a potential threat to the hotel. Lack of Differentiation is another factor that serves as a threat to MHCCH as there are various segments i.e. budget youth hostels, five star hotels, backpacker lodges, etc. MHCCH should hold on to a particular segment and differentiate itself from others on its basis. Increasing Bureaucracy and the various new rules and regulations imposed by the government can cause hindrances in the expansion plans of MHCCH, e.g. licenses and permits required to carry out some activities in the Hotel. Pestel Analysis PESTEL represents Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Environment and Legislative factors which are external in nature. The current and future change of six key areas can affect the MHCCHs business. The PESTEL analysis explores the broad environment in which the MHCCH is operating. Political Factor: These contain the rules and regulations implemented on the Hotel by the Government. The Singapore government is inclined on increasing its popularity as a tourist destination, thus a beneficial factor for MHCCH. Economic Factors: Singapore is among some of the fastest growing eastern economies, thus the GDP and the public spending is on a constant rise, so is the purchasing power of the citizens of Singapore and the Tourists. Again its in favour of MHCCH. Social Factors: The Cultural and social aspects of a country are highly important to the business, the current trend of the growing demand for new styles of food and drink is a sign of the change in the social factor. Technological Factors: Technology is directly linked to modernisation, the hotel has to keep up to date with the latest technological changes in the business environment, for e.g. Wireless internet, Computer bay, HDTVs, etc. This improves the quality and quantity of the stay of the customers. Environmental Factors: Drastic changes are occurring in the global environment nowadays; also environmental awareness is becoming more common by the day. Environment friendly applications need to be adopted by MHCCH to balance its responsibility towards the environment. Legal Factors: The MHCCH must abide by the legislation operating in their geographical territory (Asian Legislation). This affects their business hugely. It may serve in or against their favour, depending on the legislation. Part B The Manor House Country Club Hotel can expand its business in within the next two years by following these strategies/theories. Ansoff Matrix: The Ansoff Matrix is useful in deciding the companys product and market growth strategy. The Ansoff Matrix in reference to MHCCH is: Market Penetration: MHCCH is building a stronger market position by providing similar luxury services as the other hotels in the same market. Market Development: MHCCH is investing in its site to develop its unused land into small leisure centres. These investments are aimed at developing a stronger position of the hotel in the market. Product Development: The main focus of MHCCH is on developing its service package by improving the infrastructure and attracting more customers. By investing in the hotel, the services they offer can be developed Diversification: This involves MHCCH entering a business that is not currently a part of their agenda, which at the moment it is not doing, but they can consider diversification into the alternatives in future, as it leads to added income and goodwill. Porters Grid Porters Grid is also well known as Porters Five Force analysis. These were developed by Michael E. Porter. The competitive environment of the MHCCH is explored in depth through the Porters analysis below: 1). Bargaining power of the Supplier: The supply in this industry is largely based on FMCGs (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) which is quite flexible considering the fact that the Hotel buys its supplies in bulk quantities. Thus the ready availability of the goods by the suppliers and the perennial demand of the goods limit the bargaining power of the suppliers. 2). Bargaining power of Buyers: There are many alternatives to choose from for the customers of MHCCH as there are rooms of varying levels of luxury and prices, ranging from basic single-bed room to ultra luxury Suite packages. There are other hotels offering similar rooms to them at competitive prices, thus buyers do have their share of bargaining power in this case. 3). Threat of new entrants: The hotel industry in Singapore is facing tough competition not only from the entry of locally based hotels but also giant multinational hotel chains, the new entrants might turn up as a threat for the company. 4). Threat of Substitutes: MHCCH basically provides accommodation oriented services to its customers, while there are a large number of substitutes available for them, to obtain similar services. The main differentiating factor here is pricing, and the difference in the quality of the services. There exists a strong threat of substitutes, but with a well planned pricing policy, this threat may be avoided. 5). Rivalry among competitors: Rivalry among competitors is fairly high for MHCCH as the rivals offer the same services/products, and they operate in the same market and environment. While at the same time there are new competitors entering the market. And also the buyers have the power to buy the services/products at lower prices. Conclusion As of now MHCCH is operating as successful enterprise, which through proper strategic planning can be developed into a much more flourishing business, and a highly successful hotel. But for Manor House Country Club Hotel to successfully expand its business in the next two years, it is advisable for them to adopt the Market/Product development strategy, as it provides them with an opportunity to utilise their available resources in an optimum manner, while at the same time continuing the routine functioning of business.

Roles and Responsibilities of Teacher

Unit 008 :Roles ,Responsibility and relationship in lifelong learning. This assignment is about the role and responsibility of teachers in lifelong learning. In order to teach in lifelong learning, a teacher will need different tools, support, understanding and above all a good knowledge of teaching codes of practice. As with all professions, teaching has to be done within the boundaries of the law to achieve a safe learning environment for the student. The legislations are very important to safeguard the teacher, student and adult learners.For example the Health and Safety at work act (1974) (Gravells, 2008, p. 19)is about the safety of the student and teacher. It is crucial for the teacher to ensure all learners are aware of their safety procedures at the beginning of any course. Furthermore, a risk assessment is carried out by the teacher, to reduce any risk on the premise. For example, when a teacher is carrying an experiment which includes heating, the teacher ensures students a re wearing safety goggles. ’The Disability Discrimination Act(1995 and onwards), which has been enforce to ensure nobody is discriminated against irrespective of disability(physical or mental ), gender, religion ,age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or social (domestic circumstances)’’ (Wilson, 2008, p. 20) In order to implement the above legislation, a teacher needs to assess what the requirements of his/her learners’ are, and how they could be supported. A teacher has to make sure that every learner has equal opportunities to access the learning experience. Similar essay: PTLLS Assignments Examples FreeFor example someone who lip reads, the teacher needs to speaks very clearly and avoids standing in darker area which will make it difficult for that particular learner to lip read. For example a learner who uses wheelchair, prior to the course, the teacher ensures the learner has access to all facilities without any problem e. g. a ramp is installed outside the room. At this point the teacher would require internal support services to install the ramp. Data Protection Act (1988) (Wilson, 2008, p. 20), each learner has their own file which holds personal and confidential information (address, contact details and medical history).These files are kept in a safe and secure place in a filing cabinet, which restricts sharing of data. The teacher should be a good team player to encourage and welcome people’s differences and use these qualities to broaden the learning experience. Teaching in a simple language helps the learners to understa nd the concept easily as for most learners’ English is not their first language. The teacher needs to ensure that learning tools like handouts are unbiased and exclude inappropriate comments from the classroom. It is important for a teacher to practise equality and diversity effectively so as to have a maximum impact on the learners.A good teacher needs to tailor their lessons according to learners’ needs and requirements; this is known as inclusive learning. ’’By inclusive learning we mean the greatest degree of match or fit between how learn best, what they need and what is required from the sector, a college and teachers for successful learning to take place’’ (Tomlinson, 1996, p. 200) . These qualities should be within a teacher, which is gain by using the teaching training cycle. The training cycle has five stages which are identifying needs, planning and designing, delivering, assessing and evaluating.A teacher must be certain of his/h er role, responsibilities and boundaries within these stages. During the initial stage of identifying needs and planning, the teacher will identify the needs of his/her learners (Yvonne Hillier,, 2005, p. 61). Firstly, by assessing any physical needs like wheelchair users. A questionnaire can also be used, to find out learners aim, previous experience, learner background, preferred learning style. The teacher would keep the questionnaire in a safe place and ensure no details are left on desks. Also make sure this confidential information is not available to anybody.Some learners’ needs may exceed what the teacher can offer; at this point the teacher will refer the student to another professional. For example, someone who has literacy needs, the teacher would refer the learner a literacy teacher to address his/her needs. During designing phase of the lessons, a teacher’s responsibility is to provide high quality materials example handouts, tutorial and games which will motivate and increase concentration in learners and facilitate learning. Thus, resources should be relevant and easy to access within the premises. The next stage is the delivery of the session.The teacher will ensure that the learners’ are equally involved and engaged in all the activities in order to facilitate the learning by using different learning tools and style . The lessons should be well-structured, clear aims established to ensure that lessons run on time. It is a teacher’s responsibility to establish a good professional relationship with the learners, so that they are comfortable asking any help for learning. Stay within boundaries so that the teacher should not be over friendly, and should always maintain a professional relationship.Avoid touching / leaning across learner during an explanation. In the assessing phases, the teacher ensures the lessons objectives are clear to the learners and check their progression. For example, quizzes can be organised to check the learner’s achievement and development feedback from learners will identify the development areas. However, the teacher should not set task which is not link directly to learning objectives. Among the duties of a teacher in the Lifelong Learning sector, the teacher also has to undertake responsibilities towards the other professionals in the organisation.One of the principal responsibilities as a teacher is to remain within the teaching code of practice. The collaboration between teachers and other professionals is important to maintain smooth running of the organisation. Good communication between professionals ensures that learners are getting the most efficient and effective support. The teacher will need to consult other professionals when needs exceeds his/her boundaries. For example, if a learner has not been able to finish his assignment on time and the reason could be financial problem.The role of the teacher should also include maintaining a safe and appropr iate learning environment to facilitate the learners. For example, before the start of the lesson, the teacher needs to ensure that the classroom layout is safe and accessible to all learners. To implement a safe environment, ground rules are set. Ground rules within a class, is a mutual agreement by the tutor and learners who attend the class. There are three ways of setting ground rules: teacher imposes, learner imposes or through negotiation. The ground rules can be promoted by displaying on the wall of the classroom, video or even by using pictures.

Ray Bradbury’s All Summer in a Day

Ray Bradbury, conveys the key ideas related to power and powerlessness in the text All summer in a day. The power of the group, where the group of children go up against Marmot in a successful attempt to physically and emotionally abuse her. The second idea portrays the lack of power of the Individual, Marmot, as she is isolated, and vulnerable against the majority. These are the key Ideas present related to power and powerlessness. The power of the majority/ group Is a key Idea relating to power and powerlessness.Marmot Is the Individual going up against all her classmates, the majority. The power of the group Is represented as the oppression as all the children confront Marmot and taunt and bully her. This can be the mall plot point of the story of this story. These school children hear Marmot's story of how she has been to Earth and experienced the sun before but they become ignorant and start taunting her and twisting everything that she says. The reason behind all this hate is b ecause they are al jealous that she has seen the sun more frequently and that they can't relate to that experience.Marmot is shown to be powerless as all the children taunt her and abuse her. â€Å"What're you looking at? Said William. Marmot said nothing. Speak when you're spoken to. He gave her a shove. But she did not move; rather she let herself be moved only by him and nothing else. † This shows strong direct speech and sets the tone to a dark and intense atmosphere as Marmot is getting bullied and taunted at. This idea shows how strong the majority is in the eyes of the individual.

Free Essays on Money Laundering

Financial Accounting For Financial Services Assignment Money Laundering The word money laundering, according to the myth, is derived from Al Capone's practice of using a string of coin-operated launderettes in Chicago to disguise his revenues from gambling, prostitution and protection rackets. It's a nice story but not true, money laundering is so called because it perfectly describes the process of removing the stains and smells which money acquires when criminals earn it. In this report I will go on to discuss the topic of money laundering in the following order; firstly, I will begin by explaining what is money laundering?, why it is done?, and how it is done? I will then go on to explain the effects of money laundering and the institutions/organisations that are at risk from these activities. I will also be discussing the current situation in the UK regarding money laundering and whether anything can be done to prevent or restrict laundering activities, and will then go on to conclude my findings. Money laundering is the process by which criminals attempt to conceal the true origin and ownership of the proceeds of their criminal activities. If they are successful they can then maintain control over the proceeds and, so, provide a legitimate cover for their source of income. J.D. Mclean defined money laundering in the International Judicial Assistance as: "Although the proceeds of crime will be kept as capital for further criminal ventures, the sophisticated offender will wish to use the rest for other purposes. If this is to done without running a risk of detection, the money which represents the proceeds of the original crime must be "laundered"; put into a state in which it appears to have an entirely respectable provenance" It is important to bear in mind that money laundering is a process (often a highly complex one) rather than a single act. In an effort to expose and analyse this phenomenon it has bec... Free Essays on Money Laundering Free Essays on Money Laundering Financial Accounting For Financial Services Assignment Money Laundering The word money laundering, according to the myth, is derived from Al Capone's practice of using a string of coin-operated launderettes in Chicago to disguise his revenues from gambling, prostitution and protection rackets. It's a nice story but not true, money laundering is so called because it perfectly describes the process of removing the stains and smells which money acquires when criminals earn it. In this report I will go on to discuss the topic of money laundering in the following order; firstly, I will begin by explaining what is money laundering?, why it is done?, and how it is done? I will then go on to explain the effects of money laundering and the institutions/organisations that are at risk from these activities. I will also be discussing the current situation in the UK regarding money laundering and whether anything can be done to prevent or restrict laundering activities, and will then go on to conclude my findings. Money laundering is the process by which criminals attempt to conceal the true origin and ownership of the proceeds of their criminal activities. If they are successful they can then maintain control over the proceeds and, so, provide a legitimate cover for their source of income. J.D. Mclean defined money laundering in the International Judicial Assistance as: "Although the proceeds of crime will be kept as capital for further criminal ventures, the sophisticated offender will wish to use the rest for other purposes. If this is to done without running a risk of detection, the money which represents the proceeds of the original crime must be "laundered"; put into a state in which it appears to have an entirely respectable provenance" It is important to bear in mind that money laundering is a process (often a highly complex one) rather than a single act. In an effort to expose and analyse this phenomenon it has bec...

What Is a Good ACT Aspire Score for a Sophomore

What Is a Good ACT Aspire Score for a Sophomore SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Being in 10th grade is a little like walking over a bridge. You're crossing from the less consequential testing of early high school to the world of high-stakes tests, like the SAT andthe ACT – tests that can affect your future. One of the ways you get from one side of this metaphorical divide to the other is by getting the chance to practice. For example, some students take the PSAT, which is meant to be a precursor to the SATthat they will take in their junior or senior year. Others take the ACT Aspire, a national achievement test that assesses how well students from 3rd to 10th grade are measuring up toCommon Core standards. The format, structure, and scoring of the ACT Aspire are all very different from the ACT. But, because it is designed by the same organization that creates the ACT, it can feel like a precursor to the real thing. So what’s a good score on the ACT Aspire for a sophomore? In this article, I’ll talk about different ways to think about what makes a good score, and how to tell where you rank based on the score you got. I’ll also discuss whether your 10th grade ACT Aspire score means for your future ACT score. How is the ACT Aspire Test Scored? Since the ACT Aspire is given in elementary, middle, and high schools, it stands to reason that scoring is a little different depending on your class year. I’ll talk specifically about how the test is scored for the 8th-10th graders who take it. ACT Aspire scores for each subject (English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing) currently fall between 400 and 460. When you take this test in high school, here's what you’ll get in your score report: Your 5 individual section scores. These are your scores for each subject section of the test. A composite score. This is an unweighted average of your English, Mathematics, Reading and Science sections scores. Note that this composite score doesn't include your ACT Aspire Writing section, which is only scored individually. Several different kinds of reports about your progress. These include humanities and STEM composite scores, as well as a reading ability prognosis. If you'd like to see an example, the ACT publishes a sample of what your report will look like. The report may also include reports about the PSI pressure of your various organs. It's not really vital information, but you can't accuse them of not being thorough. What’s a Good Sophomore Score on ACT Aspire? My assumption is that sophomore year, you’re curious about what a good score is for 2 reasons. First, you’re concerned abouthow you stack up against your peers. And second, you’re wondering how you’ll do when you take the ACT for real junior year. Luckily, ACT provides a pretty thorough data for the one year that this test has been administered. This makes comparing yourself to your peers and finding any academic areas where you are lagging behind very easy. However, this data also shows that the ACT Aspire is not necessarily a great prediction model for your future ACT scores. Now, let’s examine in detail what your ACT Aspire score can show you. Comparing Yourself to the Baseline One of the goals of the ACT Aspire is to give you, your teachers, and your parents a sense of whether you are as prepared for college as you should be at this point in high school. To answer this question, you can compare your ACT Aspire score to your scores from previous years, to make sure you are consistently getting higher scores in each subject. ACT Aspire also provides minimum benchmarks scores for each test section. Each benchmark is the lowest score you need to get to demonstrate that you are on the right track in terms of your on-grade-level learning. Here is a table that shows the ACT Aspire benchmark scores for each subject for the year 2015 for grades 8-10. This table shows that, for example, if you get at least 432 on the ACT Aspire Science section as a sophomore, you’re considered to be on track to have a high probability of future success in first-year college courses. On the other hand, if your score is below the 10th grade numbers on any of the test sections, then this means that you may need outside help to catch up in these academic areas. The important thing is to just keep growingevery year. (Image:Steven Depolo/Flickr) Comparing Yourself to Your Peers Another goal of national tests like the ACT Aspire is to examine how everyone who is taking the test at the same time compares to each other. Since ACT Aspire publishes data about how students taking the test scored, we can go through the data to see how you can tell where you stand when compared to your peers. Using Your Composite Score for Peer Comparisons The composite score that you receive from ACT is a very quick snapshot of how you did on the test. This average of your individual subject scores can give you fast information about how you did relative to your peers overall. One way to evaluate your composite score is to use this table of the composite scores for 9th and 10th graders in the past year: Grade Min 25% Rank 50% Rank 75% Rank 90% Rank 95% Rank Max 9 408 414 418 423 430 435 438 10 409 415 419 426 433 438 440 This table shows rangeof students'scores. The "Min" and "Max" columns show the lowest and highest composite scores. The percentile columns showthe score you'd need to reachthe given percentile, i.e. the score at which you'd be scoringhigher than that percent of other students. In other words, for 10th grade, the lowest composite score anyone got was 409. 25% of students scored below 415. This means that if your score was 415, you did better than 25% of the studentstaking the test. Likewise, 95% of students got below a 438. This means that if your composite score was 438 or higher, you fall into the top 5% of test takers (since you did better than 95% of everyone taking the test). So what do we learn from this table? If your composite score was 419, you would fall into the middle scoring range, the 50th percentile. This means that 50% of 10th graders did worse, and 49% did better, so everyone who scored 419 falls right in the middle. What does this mean for calculating a good ACT Aspire score for a sophomore? Let’s assume that a good score is roughly at or above the 75th percentile, in other words, scoring higher than 75% of your peers. In that case, a good composite score for the ACT Aspire for sophomores is 426 or higher. Many people climb, but not everyone can reach the top. Using Your Individual Test Sectionsfor Peer Comparisons The composite score is a useful way to eyeball your status. But to figure out where you’re strong and where you're weak academically, you need to look at the scores you got on individual test sections. This much more zoomed-in approach will give you a better clue about the subjects you are learning well and the ones you need to work on more. Now, I’ll go through each ACT Aspire test subject individually to see what a good score on it would be. ACT Aspire English Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 400 1 415 9 430 47 445 92 401 1 416 10 431 50 446 94 402 1 417 12 432 53 447 95 403 1 418 14 433 57 448 96 404 1 419 16 434 60 449 98 405 1 420 19 435 63 450 98 406 1 421 21 436 67 451 99 407 1 422 22 437 70 452 99 408 2 423 25 438 72 453 99 409 2 424 28 439 75 454 99 410 3 425 31 440 79 455 99 411 4 426 33 441 81 456 100 412 5 427 37 442 84 413 6 428 40 443 87 414 7 429 43 444 90 You can see that you don’t need to get all the questions right in order to fall into the top 1% of students. Although the exact number will change slightly from year to year, on this version of the ACT Aspire any sophomore who got 451 or above did better than 99% of the other test takers on the English section. The benchmark English section score of 428 would put you in the 40th percentile, which would mean you scored better than 40% of your peers. If we hang on to our assumption that a good score is around the 75th percentile, we can see that a score of 439 is what you need to reach that ranking. ACT Aspire Reading Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score %Rank Score % Rank Score %Rank 400 1 411 10 422 47 433 92 401 1 412 13 423 51 434 95 402 1 413 14 424 52 435 98 403 1 414 17 425 57 436 98 404 1 415 21 426 62 437 99 405 1 416 24 427 66 438 99 406 1 417 28 428 72 439 99 407 2 418 31 429 77 440 99 408 3 419 35 430 82 441 99 409 4 420 39 431 83 442 100 410 6 421 43 432 87 You can see a similar thing about the Reading section results – quite a few of the top scores would put you in the top 1% of people taking the test. Also, notice how big a difference in the percentile rankings just one point makes. If you earned 424, you scored better than 52% of other sophomores, but if you got 425, you jump 5 percentage points to end up doing better than 57%. The Reading benchmark that ACT determined is 428, in the72nd percentile of test takers, which would also be a good score on this part of the test. ACT Aspire Math Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 400 1 416 15 432 72 448 99 401 1 417 19 433 75 449 99 402 1 418 23 434 79 450 99 403 1 419 26 435 82 451 99 404 1 420 30 436 85 452 99 405 1 421 32 437 87 453 99 406 1 422 36 438 89 454 99 407 1 423 40 439 91 455 99 408 1 424 44 440 93 456 99 409 2 425 48 441 95 457 100 410 2 426 51 442 97 458 100 411 4 427 54 443 98 459 100 412 6 428 58 444 99 460 100 413 6 429 61 445 99 414 9 430 65 446 99 415 12 431 68 447 99 The math section has a huge spread of scores that fall into the top percentile – anyone who scored above 445 did better than 99% of their peers. The ACT Aspire benchmark for this section is 432, or the 72nd percentile. Meanwhile, a good score in the 75th percentile is 433. ACT Aspire Science Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 400 1 413 7 426 50 439 94 401 1 414 9 427 53 440 95 402 1 415 14 428 57 441 97 403 1 416 15 429 61 442 98 404 1 417 19 430 66 443 99 405 1 418 21 431 69 444 99 406 1 419 25 432 73 445 99 407 1 420 29 433 76 446 99 408 2 421 34 434 79 447 99 409 2 422 38 435 83 448 99 410 4 423 39 436 86 449 100 411 4 424 42 437 88 412 6 425 46 438 91 The benchmark for ACT Aspire Science is 432, and this is basically the same as the good score we’ve been discussing, since it falls into the 73rd percentile of test takers. ACT Aspire Writing Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 408 1 419 20 430 66 441 98 409 1 420 24 431 66 442 99 410 4 421 24 432 81 443 99 411 4 422 27 433 81 444 99 412 6 423 27 434 90 445 99 413 6 424 37 435 90 446 99 414 7 425 37 436 92 447 99 415 7 426 55 437 92 448 100 416 10 427 55 438 94 417 10 428 61 439 94 418 20 429 61 440 98 You can immediately see how differently the Writing section is scored from this table. First of all, the lowest score on this section isn’t 400 like it is for all the other sections, but 408. Also, pairs of scores get the same percentile ranking, so for example, both 410 and 411 correlate to doing better than 4% of other sophomores. Here, the benchmark score from ACT is 428, or better than 61% of everyone taking the test at the same time. Meanwhile, a good 10th grade score on Writing is somewhere between 430 and 433, which falls between the 66th and 81st percentiles. Predicting Future Success Now that you’ve seen how your score compares to the scores of all the 10th-graders who took the ACT Aspire last year, you’re probably itching to figure out whether your score on ACT Aspire means anything for the real ACT that you’ll take in your junior year. The truth is thatACT Aspire is not a particularly great predictor of your future accomplishments, though it does give you a very general sense of what you can hope to achieve. But this is fantastic news! It means that the ACT Aspire really does what it’s supposed to do – it shows you where you are now and where you need to improve. And the other great news is that dramatic improvement is clearly possible because as a sophomore, you have 1 or even 2 years in which to do it! Ok, but will the next one tell me my future ACT score? The Relationship Between ACT Aspire and ACT Scores ACT published data on 50 10th grade students – their scores oneach ACT Aspire section, and their scores on theactual ACT when they took it in 11th grade. The problem is that this data is just an unwieldy Excel spreadsheet (you can check it out here:Demonstrating the Student Growth Percentile model for grade 10 ACT Aspire to grade 11 ACT) I used the data to create some scatterplot graphs to show the whatstudents got on each ACT Aspire section and what they ended up getting on the same ACT section. The way each graph works is this: Each blue diamond point stands for one student Ifyou trace straight down from each point, you can see what that student got on ACT Aspire (in this case the Math section) If you trace straight left, you can see what that same student got when taking the ACT for real So what this graph is showing us that in general as scores from ACT Aspire Math increase (x-axis), the scores on ACT Math also tend to get somewhat higher as a group (y-axis). In other words, the swarm of diamonds goes slightly upward as we go from left to right. On a case-by-case basis, we can see that there is significant room to grow, no matter where in the score range students fall. For example, the 3 students who got432 on ACT Aspire Math (our good, 72nd percentilescore), ranged in ACT scores from 16 (approximately in the bottom 25%) to 26 (approximately in the top 15%). In the graph of English scores, we can see that your ACT Aspire score is by no means destiny. For example, look at all the students who ended up with goodACT English scores in the mid-20s. Their ACT Aspire scores ranged from 425 (below benchmark) to 447 (well above the good 75% score of 439). This same general trend of higher ACT Aspire scores leading to higher ACT scores continues when we look at the scatterplot graph for the Reading section. But the relationship is not exact. For example, the two highest scorers on the Aspire Reading section were not the top ACT scorers. Similarly, the person who scored lowest on the ACT did not get the bottom score on the Aspire. The Science section of ACT Aspire probably shows a slightly weaker correlation between high 10th grade ACT Aspire scores and subsequent high 11th grade ACT scores. Incidentally, if you’ve been following along with the visual data presentation in this article’s tables, charts, and graphs, then you’re actually getting in somegood practice for both the ACT Aspire Science section and the real ACT Science section as well! Now that you’ve seen how scatterplot graphs that show correlations look, you can be just as befuddled as I am by what happened to these 50 students on the writing section of these 2 tests. This kind of data may be a part of the reason why ACT Aspire Writing is not factored into the composite score that you get when you take the test in high school. What Does This Mean for What'sa Good Score? I think the best way to think about your scores if you’re worried about what they will eventually for the real ACT is this. First, make sure you’re scoring at least at the 10th grade benchmarks. That’s a pretty good indicator that you’re on trackwith your learning. If you’re below benchmark on any of the sections, that is a warning sign that you need help in that subject, not just to do better on ACT Aspire test but to succeed in your school year as well. Next, compareyour ACT Aspire section scores to each other. Are you scoring in the same percentile range on all 5 subjects? If there is a section (or several) that you are scoring significantly worse in, even if you’re still meeting the benchmark in that area, then this is the time to get extra help with this subject. Talk to your parents and teachers about what resources to improve your learning there are at your school, or maybe even outside of it. Should You Study for the ACT Aspire? For any test to accurately assess what you know and how well you understand when and where to apply that knowledge, the test can't simplythrow you off by its format, question style, or by the way it's administered. So in order for the ACT Aspire to actually measure how you are doing in school, it’s a great idea for you to familiarize yourself with how the test looks and feels.To that end, you should definitely read ourdetailed breakdown of what the ACT Aspire is like and the kinds of questions you’ll face on it. You should also get a sense of what taking the ACT Aspire will be like from their sample questions and computer test simulator. Go to theACT Aspire exemplar page, where you’ll find a link to the simulator and login information for all test sections and grade levels. However, other than getting a general sense of what you will see on test today, I would argue that it goes against the purpose and the benefits of ACT Aspire to study specifically for it. For one thing, this isn’t like the PSAT – no scholarships or awards are resting on the score you get.Also, the point of the test is to see whether you are where you should be in your learning. Spending a lot of effort studying for this test would easily createresults that are meaningless as an indicator of whether you have academic weaknesses that need to be worked on. Finally, there’s the matter of the rest of your class, and the rest of your grade in your school. The ACT Aspire isn’t just a diagnostic test for individual students. It’s also supposed to measure how each classroom is doing as a whole. Imagine, for example, that the ACT Aspire results come back and every single kid in your class bombed the Science section. This is no longer something that an individual student is having trouble with. Instead, this kind of result tells your teacher and school administrators that they really need to beef up how your curriculum addresses science education. And a better grounding in the foundations of science in turn will benefit you down the road when you learn how to do college-level work. Honestly, if you are really very worried about your future testing results, I think you should justtake a practice ACT instead. It’ll more accurately show you how you’d score if you took the ACT now. The one time napping is a better way to prepare for a test thanstudying. The Bottom Line The ACT Aspire tests the same 5 sections as the ACT, but is structured, formatted, and scored very differently. You’ll get scores for each of the sections individually, as well as a composite score that averages English, Reading, Math, and Science. If you aren’t meeting ACT score benchmarks, that’s a serious indicator that you need extra academic help. A good 10th grade ACT Aspire score is one that puts you in the upper 25% of your peers, and is different depending on each ACT Aspire test section. Even if you got a good 10th grade ACT Aspire score, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything in terms of predicting your real ACT score.ACT Aspire is not very good at predicting the ACT because its real purpose is to show you subject areas where you need extra help. There is no need to study for the ACT Aspire, though it would be a good idea to get familiar with the test format by checking out somesample questions. What’s Next? Thinking of jumping into the ACT world early? We have some guidance on whether you should start preparing for the ACT as a 10th grader andwhat a good sophomore ACT score would look like. Thinking about taking the PSAT as a 10th grader as well? Check out our discussion onwhat is a good PSAT score for a sophomore. Planning the rest of your high school academics? Read our articles aboutwhy it’s important to create a rigorous course load for yourself andwhether AP classes are really worth taking. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Iron Ore Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Iron Ore - Dissertation Example However, most of the reserves that harbor such natural ores have now been depleted. Pig iron is made out of iron ore. This pig iron is one of the main raw materials used in the making of steel. Iron ore is believed to contribute more to the global economy than any other commodity in the world. Hematite is the main iron ore in the Brazilian miles (Axinn 2006). In the global world, metallic world is virtually unknown. It is the fourth most abundant element in the world, though, silicate or carbonate minerals are the vastest minerals. Formidable and extremely energy intensive barriers often are used to separate supremely pure iron from other minerals (David 2006). Before the industrial revolution, most of the iron used was obtained from goethite, which was widely available. Societies during the pre historic times used laterite as the main source of ore. Most of the iron ore used by the emergent industrialized societies was obtained from haematite. These deposits are often called the nat ural ores. The increased iron ore demands in conjunction with the depletion of the most high quality haematite in the United States of America led to development of low quality sources of iron. This happened especially after Second World War. These lower sources of iron require beneficiation to improve on their quality. Magnetite on the other hand, is used due to its magnetic properties. Therefore, it is able to be separated easily from other minerals and was able to produce high quality concentrate with minimal impurities. The mining of these iron ores vary considerably with the type of ore that is being mined. Currently, there are four types of ores of iron being worked on. The business of mining ore is often a low margin one due to the significant low level of iron than other base metals. It is expensive to mine, meaning it is extremely capital intensive. It requires a heavy investment in infrastructure such as rail transport in order to transport the ore from the mining sites to the freight ship. Therefore, mining of ore is concentrated among the majority few. The world leading and largest iron producer is Brazil. This mining corporation is referred to as vale. Other developed countries follow the line due to the high costs involved in the mining and transportation of the ore. My research question arises from my curiosity to find out how iron ore is produced, consumed and distributed in the global market. This is because I understand that the cost involved in its mining process and transportation is quite high. Therefore, I would like to find out how extreme the ore is mined and the processes used in the mining process (Edward 2007). Executive Summary This research is concerned with the production, consumption and distribution of iron ore globally. In other words, it seeks to show candidly the cycle of iron ores from its mining and separation from impurities until the moment it is processed and distributed to the global market for various uses. The researc h shows all the methods used in extraction of these iron ores and how it is separated from other metallic substances or impurities. It also reveals research rationale that is used in carrying out my research. In addition, this research paper has addressed my research question based on the prevailing international market and all the key findings that emerge (Institute 1997). Moreover, the methodology I use to address the research question is emergent in the research paper. The paper

Health pyschology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health pyschology - Essay Example There are various reasons why patients fail to comply with medical treatment. One of the reasons involves the negative effects linked with certain medications. There are some medicines associated with an increase in weight and hence people fear that increased weight will impact negatively on their general well being. Others negative effects associated with certain medications that lead to non-compliance include a decrease in sexual drive, as well as other effects such as headaches and nausea. Non-compliance may also b caused by shame associated with taking certain types of medications. For instance, a HIV positive individual may fail to comply with treatment for fear of other people finding out of his or her status as it may lead to discrimination. The cost of medicines and medical treatment is also a major cause of non-compliance. Some treatments are very expensive and if the patient is unable to afford the medicine, then he or she is forced to discontinue with treatment hence non-c ompliance. Other factors that may lead to non-compliance include fear of developing dependence to certain medications, and also unavailability of relevant medicines (Mitchell and Selmes, 2007. There are a lot of intricacies associated with contemporary research on methods to measure compliance. Therefore, the methods currently used are considered conventional. These are grouped into direct and indirect methods. Direct methods comprises of laboratory techniques to measure the levels of certain chemical elements found in certain medicines in body fluids particularly blood and urine. The only limitation to this method is the fact that it does not detect the compliance to all types of medicines (Vermeire et-al, 2001). According to (Vermeire et-al, 2001: 334) "Indirect measures include process measures such as interviews, diaries, tablet counts, prescription filling dates and therapeutic and preventive outcome measures". According to a study