An Investigation into using Artificial Intelligence in Education Free Essays

Over the past decennary, educational establishments have progressively offered online, web-based classs. While there has been a great trade of research comparing the effectivity of online and traditional classs ( Young, 2006 ) , there has been less research on how to utilize instructional design schemes to increase pupil battle, pupil satisfaction, and accomplishment in online classs ( Gunter, 2007 ) . Research has shown that instructional immediateness can increase knowledge and pupil success ( LaRose A ; Whitten, 2000 ) . We will write a custom essay sample on An Investigation into using Artificial Intelligence in Education or any similar topic only for you Order Now Educators learning online have turned to assorted engineerings to better student-to-instructor interactions. Personal response systems, teleconferencing tools, and computer-supported collaborative acquisition ( CSCL ) environments have been used ( Soh, Khandaker, A ; Jiang, 2008 ) . Educators have used confabs Sessionss to ease communicating, every bit good. However, pupils frequently are required to run into in a confab room or teleconferencing during preset times. While holding synchronal meetings does better student-to-instructor interaction, these systems are mostly inactive ( Soh et al, 2008 ) . Artificial intelligence is a engineering that can supply immediate responses to user inquiries and it can accommodate to single users demands. This paper will discourse what unreal intelligence is and how unreal intelligence has been used. It is hypothesized that the usage of unreal intelligence in online classs will increase pupil success and battle. Artificial intelligence can be defined as the scientific discipline and technology of making intelligent machines, computing machine plans in peculiar ( McCarthy, 2007 ) . There are multiple subdivisions of unreal intelligence or AI, as it will be referred to for the balance of this paper. Logical AI refers to what a plan knows about the universe in general and the facts of a peculiar state of affairs in which it must move. Goals are represented by mathematical logical linguistic communication and the AI Acts of the Apostless by infering which actions are appropriate for accomplishing its ends ( McCarthy ) . Search AI plans study big Numberss of possibilities. A cheat playing computing machine is an illustration of a hunt AI plan. There are pattern acknowledgment AI plans. These types of AI plans are programmed to compare what it sees with a form. There are AI plans that can be after or larn from experience ( McCarthy ) . These illustrations of assorted AI plan types are non thorough . AI plans have been designed for multiple educational intents. I-MINDS is an AI plan that has been created to assist teachers with schoolroom direction and to increase pupil coaction. The theoretical model of the I-MINDS intelligent computer-supported collaborative acquisition ( CSCL ) environment was based on three cardinal rules. In the first rule, the writers proposed constructing a CSCL system that was â€Å" antiphonal, flexible, distributed, and adaptative to single pupil behaviours † ( Khandaker et al. , 2008, p. 3 ) . In the 2nd rule, the writers desired to construct a CSCL â€Å" that is able to germinate over clip in footings of its pedagogical cognition, pupil and even group mold, and public presentation in determination support † ( Khandaker et al. , 2008, p. 3 ) . In the 3rd rule, the writers proposed constructing a CSCL system â€Å" is able to organize effectual pupil larning groups on its ain † ( Khandaker et al. , 2008, p. 3 ) . The writers studied the impact of I-MINDS on structured concerted acquisition. A two-semester survey was launched at the University of Nebraska during the Spring and Fall semesters of 2005. I-MINDS was deployed and evaluated in an introductory computing machine scientific discipline class. The survey utilized a control subdivision where a group of pupils did non utilize I-MINDS. The writers ‘ consequences show â€Å" that I-MINDS can back up concerted larning efficaciously in the topographic point of face-to-face coaction among pupils in hebdomadal research lab Sessionss † ( Khandaker et al. , 2008, p. 28 ) . The consequences besides show that modular extension to the system is supported. Finally, I-MINDS collected informations that provided critical information on pupil group activities. This showed that I-MINDS can be used efficaciously as a test-bed for educational research. AI plans can be developed to supply individualised and adaptative linguistic communication acquisition and vocabulary tutoring. In Personalization of Reading Passages Improves Vocabulary Acquisition by Heilman, Collins-Thompson, Callan, A ; Eskenazi, the REAP tutoring system, which provides English as a Second Language vocabulary pattern, was examined. Harmonizing to the writers, â€Å" REAP can automatically personalise direction by supplying pattern readings about subjects that match involvements every bit good as domain-based, cognitive aims † ( Heilman, Collins-Thompson, Callan, A ; Eskenazi, 2010 ) . The writers pointed out that most old research on motive in intelligent tutoring environments has focused on increasing extrinsic motive. The writers focused their survey on increasing personal involvement. The pupils in the survey were indiscriminately split into control and intervention groups. The control status coach selected texts to maximise domain-based ends. The tre atment-condition coach besides preferred texts that matched personal involvements. The consequences show positive effects of personalization. In add-on, the importance of negociating between motivational and domain-based ends was demonstrated ( Heilman et al. , 2010 ) . Gunter, G. ( 2007 ) . The effects of the impact of instructional. International Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 2 ( 3 ) , 195-201. Heilman, M. , Collins-Thompson, K. , Callan, J. , A ; Eskenazi, M. ( 2010 ) . Personalization of reading transitions improves vocabulary. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 20, 73-98. LaRose, R. , A ; Whitten, P. ( 2000 ) . Re-thinking instructional immediateness for web classs: A societal cognitive geographic expedition. Communication Education, 49 ( 4 ) , 320-338. McCarthy, J. ( 2007, November ) . What is Artificial Intelligence? Retrieved February 14, 2011, from Basic Questions: hypertext transfer protocol: //www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/whatisai/node1.html Soh, L. , Khandaker, N. , A ; Jiang, H. ( 2008 ) . I-MINDS: a multiagent system for intelligent computer-supported collaborative acquisition and schoolroom direction. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 18 ( 2 ) . Young, S. ( 2006 ) . Student positions of effectual online instruction in higher. The American Journal of Distance Education, 20 ( 2 ) . How to cite An Investigation into using Artificial Intelligence in Education, Essay examples

Government Business Relationship in Australia

Question: Discuss about theGovernment Business Relationship in Australia. Answer: Governments across the world play acritical role in the set-up and operations of businesses. The government as the highest authority in the land affects businesses in several ways especially through policies (Afonso, Jalles, 2013). The government and its arms like the legislature make laws which regulate business practices in a given country. The most common roles of government in business today include taxation, consumer protection, employee protection, investor protection, enforcing contracts and bailouts. In general, the role of the government is to create an environment for businesses to thrive so that they can translate their returns into national economic growth (Wang., et al, 2012). The Australian government is no exception to this pattern. For a very long time, the Australian government has been working closely with the car manufacturing industry along several spheres. The fundamental role that the Australian government has been playing for years is offering financial assistance to car manufacturers as a way of empowering them to compete with established brands across the globe as well as cushioning them against fluctuating market trends. The government has been doing this, in the realization that the automotive industry is critical to the economy of the country. In 2005, the Australian government pumped in excess of $7 billion to car manufacturers in the country to boost their capacity and stimulate sustainable growth while increasing local and global competition (Cavanagh Freeman, 2012). This figure stagnated in the following year and declined in 2010, when the government offered $4.5 billion. This fluctuation was attributed to the global financial crisis of 2008/9 which paralyzed economies across the globe. The government of Australia reports that in the last ten years alone, it had allocated more than $50 billion in industry assistance (Produc tivity Commission, 2014).This means that to a larger extent, it is the people of Australia who are footing the bill. The financial assistance accorded to Australian car manufacturers takes both direct and indirect forms. Whereas direct cash injections have been dominant, the Australian government is also involved through tax incentives (Clibborn., et al, 2016). These have been gaining popularity since they are widely acceptable as more impactful and empowering than cash injections. The government through the Australian National Chamber of Commerce undertakes to give manufacturers tax deductions and export subsidies. By reducing the tax rates, companies are able to manufacture more and expand their global competitiveness. For most of the 64 car manufacturers in Australia, the tax rates have been a major hurdle especially in trying to cut down the operational costs. Thus, the government realized that in order to enable companies to increase their capacity and reach out to the global market, it was critical to review the tax rates and settle on a rate that is favorable for the companies, the governmen t as well as the manufacturing industry as a whole. The Australian government, in the same context helps car manufacturers by offering subsidies so that the prices of finished automotive can remain competitive in the local and international market. This takes the form of tariff protection so that in the end, the prices that the Australian-manufactured cars fetch the highest prices possible in the global market. One of the benefits of tariff protection is that the number of cars being imported into Australia will go down significantly. The influx of car imports will increase competition negatively and hurt the local manufacturers. Tariff protection and subsidies will continue to play an important role in shaping the destiny of the market and how its fortunes translate into national growth. In the year 2013, the Australian government under the Labor Party set aside $A5.5 billion to cover for subsidies for car manufacturers covering the period to the year 2020. A breakdown of the figure showed that Holden and Toyota Australia will receiv e a bigger percentage of the money (a combined $A 2.9 billion).This amount will among other things assist companies to invest in innovation, research and development. The involvement of the Australian government in the automotive industry also comes in the form of trade agreements and partnerships at the national or regional level. The government works with other governments in the region to forge common policies that increase trade and innovation. Considering that the automotive industry contributes about 15% in terms of GDP, the government takes a leading role in stimulating growth through signing agreements with countries across the globe so that any existing barriers are eliminated to enhance trade across the borders. The fundamental role of regional trade agreements is to open the borders and establish the export/import balance. This benefits local and international companies because most of the tariff barriers are eliminated in the process. The Free Trade Agreements Australia signed a trade pact with the government of Thailand in 2005 (Baldwin Jaimovich, 2012). This agreement involved among other provisions sought to lift import tariffs imp osed on car imports from Thailand. This, in return stimulated local manufacturing in anticipation of competition and low-cost cars made in Thailand. It is worth noting, however that the pact did not live to its billing as Thailand exported more cars to Australia than it was able to import from the same market. Did the Government Make the Right Decision to Withdraw Financial Support? The Australian government in 2013 undertook a major policy shakeup targeting the automotive industry in the country. Part of the changes included withdrawing financial support for companies and taking a more market-driven assistance. The government promised to create an enabling environment that would increase efficiency, accountability and self-regulation so that companies would become more independent (Magg, 2016).This move came as surprise for manufacturers but for most experts, this was bound to happen at some point especially after the realization that the financial injection was not contributing significantly to economic growth. This opened a long-running debate on whether the government was right to take such a move, and particularly, what was the possible implication on the economy. However, years later, it is evident that the government made the wrong move. The closure of Toyota, General Motors and Holden, the three biggest car manufacturers will have a lasting negative impact on the economy of Australia. Fundamentally, we are looking at a sector that contributes to more than 12% of the countrys GDP and provides thousands of Australians with jobs (Wanhill, 2012). Therefore, the present and looming pullout by manufacturers will push up the unemployment rate in the country. Toyota, the countrys biggest vehicle manufacturer has been part of the economic transformation in Australia and has become an integral part of the nations culture (Conley, van Acker, 2011). Therefore, the impending withdrawal means that many people will become jobless. It is estimated that more than 30,000 jobs could be lost when Toyota finally exits the Australian market. This, adding to the numbers that have been rising in the backdrop of decreased government funding means that the country might be staring at its worst unemployment crisis in decades. The estimated fi nancial cost of the withdrawal runs into billions of dollars ($2 billion) in the first year alone. Another reason why the governments decision is wrong is because the withdrawal of car manufacturers will expose the local consumers to low quality or expensive imported products. The presence of Toyota, Ford and Holden among other automotive manufacturers in Australia created a competitive environment in which companies strived to raise standards (Herald Sun, 2017). However, there is a possibility that more international companies will dump sub-standard cars in the Australian market at inflated rates. In the same context, it will take a very long period for local assembling companies to fill the gap left by the exit of giant manufacturers (Dowling, 2014). During this period, the forces of competition might have risen outside Australia and local manufacturers might find it hard to gain a foothold in the international market. This will affect the economy and the effect will be felt across all sectors that are indirectly involved such as banking institutions. The government assistance given to automotive manufacturers has been able to make a huge difference in terms of research, development and innovation. The automotive industry has been credited as the most innovation-guided industry and by such; it has contributed significantly to the scientific and technological revolution whose impact spills over to other sectors (Howes, 2013). Consequently, the looming withdrawal of renowned brands from the Australian market is a step backwards in the strides that had already been taken. This is both an economic and psychological setback that will take more years to heal. Ultimately, this can portray the Australian market as unfavorable for foreign investors. Amid the fear that has gripped the car manufacturing industry in the country; the government has consistently tried to put on a brave face, arguing that the closure of businesses means that new ones will come up. However, this assertion is not enough to calm the nerves or reverse the current situation (Sydney Morning Herald, 2015). The number of local manufacturers is high, but their capacity to fill the void is unclear. Besides, they will take long to catch up. In totality, the governments move was ill-timed and uncalled for. Whereas there was a need to decrease government injection as a way of promoting growth and self-sufficiency, the process might have been hastily taken without enough attention to the possible implications. It is inevitable that when Toyota finally pulls out of Australia, things will never be the same. References Afonso, A., Jalles, J. T. (2013). Growth and productivity: The role of government debt.International Review of Economics Finance,25, 384-407. Baldwin, R., Jaimovich, D. (2012). Are free trade agreements contagious?.Journal of international Economics,88(1), 1-16. Cavanagh, A., Freeman, S. (2012). The development of subsidiary roles in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry.International Business Review,21(4), 602-617. Clibborn, S., Lansbury, R. D., Wright, C. F. (2016). Who Killed the Australian Automotive Industry: The Employers, Government or Trade Unions?.Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy. Conley, T., van Acker, E. (2011). Whatever happened to industry policy in Australia?.Australian Journal of Political Science,46(3), 503-517. Dowling, J. (2014). Why Australias car manufacturersToyota, Holden and Fordall conked out.Courier Mail,14. Herald Sun (2017) Retrieved from https://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/why-australian-car-manufacturing-died-and-what-it-means-for-our-motoring-future/news-story/0428dc235d1b44639459959f5a3bbf9b Howes, M. (2013).Politics and the Environment: Risk and the Role of Government and Industry. Routledge. Maggo, V. (2016). Toyota is Leaving Australia.Indian Journal of Applied Research,5(9). Productivity Commission. (2014). Australias automotive manufacturing industry. Sydney Morning Herald (2015) Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/who-killed-the-car-industry-20151112-gkx1c8.html Wang, C., Hong, J., Kafouros, M., Wright, M. (2012). Exploring the role of government involvement in outward FDI from emerging economies.Journal of International Business Studies,43(7), 655-676. Wanhill, S. (2012). 19 Role of government incentives.Edited by William F. Theobald, 367.

Huckleberry Finn Research Paper Essay Example Essay Example

Huckleberry Finn Research Paper Essay Example Paper Huckleberry Finn Research Essay Introduction Huckleberry Finn: a Struggle for Freedom Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn so innocently reveals the potential nobility of human nature in its well-loved main characters that it could never successfully support anything so malicious as slavery. Huckleberry Finn and traveling companion Jim, a runaway slave, are unknowing champions for humility, mercy, and selflessness. â€Å"Twain used realistic language in the novel, making Huck’s speech sound like actual conversation and imitating a variety of dialects to bring the other characters to life. † The adventurous ature of the story and its noble characters celebrates freedom from social and economic restraint, and it is apparent from the beginning through his satiric portrayal of human characteristics that Twain believes that all people deserve their own freedom. When Huck is unable to take the restrictions of life any longer, whether they be emotional or physical, he simply releases himself and goes back to what he feel s is right and what makes him happy. Hence, one of the most prominent and important themes of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is freedom. Freedom not only from Huck’s internal aradoxical struggle in defining right and wrong, but also freedom from Huck’s personal relationships with the Widow Douglas and his father, as well as freedom from the societal institutions of government, religion, and prejudices. â€Å"The plot is a deceptively simple story about two runaways: Huck, a white boy fleeing civilization, and Jim, a black man running away from slavery. â€Å" Throughout the story Huck is plagued with an internal moral dilemma of what he feels is right and what he is taught is right. Huck is possibly the only character in the story that operates solely on his own moral convictions. Huckleberry Finn Research Essay Body Paragraphs This produces significant conflict when the accepted rules of society, often corrupt in nature, are imposed upon him. The best example of this internal conflict is Huck’s brief experiences with organized religion. The teachings by the Widow Douglas of the pathways to heaven are in constant conflict with Huck’s own beliefs. Because of this, Huck readily rejects the teachings of organized religion, and therefore must often grapple with the undue guilt that this hypocritical heresy places on him. Such is the case when Huck must decide on whether to protect the whereabouts of Jim or to do the â€Å"Christian† thing and return Miss Watson her â€Å"property†. Although Huck ultimately does what he feels is right, the reader is left with a sense that the issue is not completely eradicated from Huck’s conscience. â€Å"When his true self triumphs over his false conscience the emotional climax of the book is reached. † The fact that Huck gives a valid attempt at conformity signifies that he has somewhat of an interest in becoming what is considered â€Å"normal†, and thereby pleasing the Widow Douglas. There is a sense that Huck has a genuine gratitude towards the Widow Douglas for taking an interest in his well being, especially since she appears to be the only one that does so. However, given that his attempts are short-lived, it can be assumed that Huck’s desire to adhere to his personal virtues overpowers his desire to become civilized or to please the Widow Douglas. In contrast, Huck appears to have no desire to have a relationship with his father. At one point in the story Huck does not even know if his father is alive or not, and apparently does not care to know. Because of his father’s alcoholism and unpredictable behavior, emotional freedom from him is easily chieved by Huck. However, it is the physical freedom from his father that Huck must accomplish in the story. Because of his jealously of Huck, Huck’s father adopts the belief that Huck is attempting to make a fool of him. Consequently, Huck’s father uses this belief as justification to imprison Huck and use him for his own personal gain. For a boy like Huck, physical constriction is undoubtedly the most miserable condition he could be put in. At this point in the story freedom is not only a desire of Huck – it is a necessity. While Twain’s story does have the outward appearance of a boyhood adventure ale, it is impossible to overlook the symbolic nature in the two â€Å"runaways† desires for such an adventure. Both Huck and Jim are running away from the social constraints of their worlds. Huck feels confined by his new civilized life, and Jim by his slave status. In the Widow Douglas’ household, Huck is not allowed to indulge himself in his former delights of boyhood. He feels trapped by the various social rules and expectations the two widows try to enforce upon him. Jim is confi ned by the bonds of slavery into an uncomfortable and immobile spot in society- one that restricts him from being with his wn family. Thus the two â€Å"prisoners† begin their escape for freedom. â€Å"Huck Finn includes events and settings reminiscent of Twain’s boyhood in Hannibal, MO. , a town on the Mississippi River. † And, while it is natural that Twain placed the story on the wide and powerful Mississippi River where he spent part of his life, there is also a symbolic gesture in the setting. While Huck and Jim travel down the flowing river, they feel a distance from stagnant society on the river’s banks. On the natural river, they are free from the shortcomings and evils of human nature that exist in the man-made towns hey have known. On the raft, there is no practical need for racism or greed. The boy and slave are simply two travelers bound for bigger and better waters. Twain is largely successful in illustrating his support of the deserved freed om of the human condition through his main characters. Huck is an innocent young boy who relies only on his surprisingly sharp criticism of human nature and a goodness and gentle- heartedness that he is not even aware of. Huck’s youthful ignorance and lack of education allow for the innocence that makes him such a believable and effective protagonist. Despite his age, however, he is still able to discern the often hypocritical actions of the adults around him. For example, he cannot understand why the fine people of the Grangerford family would be involved in something so horrible and ridiculous as a feud. When Jim become a part of the journey, Huck, much to the argument of his misguided conscience, shows mercy and, eventually, respect towards Jim. Bestowing respect upon a slave would have taken a lot of humility for a white boy, and Huck certainly possessed humility. He had no desire for material possessions, or even a very strong desire for money. Jim’s good nature a nd kindness is indisputable in the novel. He commits himself to watching over Huck during their journey, and often does so at his own expense. â€Å"Jim’s willingness to sacrifice himself for others and take on Huck’s duties as they float down the river causes Huck to see Jim’s basic worth. † The reader cannot help but to admire Jim’s love for his family and kind, selfless nature. All of these characteristics innocence, mercy, humility, kindness are not elements that support the institution of slavery. Perhaps Twain is suggesting that the potential goodness of human nature that exists in his haracters could exist in a world without slavery. Twain has mastered the use of situational and verbal irony and satire, and uses this to reveal truths about human nature. Twain places some instances of dialogue that are so blatantly racist that one cannot help but wonder if the author went to extremes to simply make his point. For example, Aunt Sally asks Huck if anyone was hurt on the steamboat and he replies that it only â€Å"killed a nigger,† to which Aunt Sally replies, â€Å"Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt. † This one statement is so obviously wrong that it eems Twain is not advocating prejudice, but simply displaying it’s wrongfulness. This use of irony is implemented throughout the dialogue in the novel, and, while anti-slavery supporters could misinterpret Twain’s ambition, the other elements in the novel help support the author’s true intentions. It is apparent that he believes that, if put into simple words, one could easily see that such racist views are very hypocritical of the good qualities of human nature that Twain so highly values. Furthermore, the most racist people and advocators of slavery in the novel are always depicted in a negative light. For instance, Twain gives little respect to the King and the Duke who split up the slave family at the Wilks hou sehold, or the mob of angry farmers at the Phelps who want to kill Jim. Twain’s open critique of slavery and its supporters and racial prejudice, therefore, do indeed mark him as an advocate for human freedom. In conclusion, Twain uses the qualities of his main characters and the freedom they seek, as well as criticism of the racial views of the society that Huck and Jim occupy, to illustrate his belief that all humans possess the right to be free, if they so desire it. While it is doubtful that Twain would give himself the title of â€Å"abolitionist,† he certainly states in Huckleberry Finn that he does not believe that imposing an institution such as slavery on any person cannot be deemed any other than a blatant violation against morality. Slavery is indeed an immense evil of society, and Twain uses the contrasting goodness of people like Huck and Jim to battle against it. It is also apparent that Twain does not admire the constraints of society, and, like Huck, wo uld rather be free from it and its hypocrisy. Civilization constricted Mark Twain as badly as it did Huck, and the river liberated him equally. † Therefore it is doubtful that he could support an institution like slavery that had such aristocratic roots. Twain’s characters are too noble, his views of white society too critical, for him to be blamed as a supporter of slavery; he is instead a motivator of the human desire to be free. Twain’s implied lesson expressed within this theme is that true freedom is essential to happiness. Twain ends the novel with a frustrated Huck stating; â€Å"Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t tand it. We will write a custom essay sample on Huckleberry Finn Research Paper Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Huckleberry Finn Research Paper Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Huckleberry Finn Research Paper Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

The eNotes Blog Ten Writers.ErrrrToast the Future Thoughts for New Years2013

Ten Writers.ErrrrToast the Future Thoughts for New Years2013 Looking for some words to guide revelers into the future? Here are some sentiments from writers who have pondered the unknown. 1.   Looking for Alaska  by John Green   Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia†¦You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you’ll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present. 2.   Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power  by Jon Meacham I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. 3.  Ã‚  The Second Sex  by Simone De Beauvoir   Change your life today. Dont gamble on the future, act now, without delay. 4.   Steve Jobs  by Walter Isaacson   Again, you cant connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. 5.   The Last Lecture  by Randy Pausch â€Å"The key question to keep asking is, Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have. † (Bonus, because I love this book so much) â€Å"Look, Im going to find a way to be happy, and Id really love to be happy with you, but if I cant be happy with you, then Ill find a way to be happy without you.† 6.   Of Mice and Men  by John Steinbeck Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They dont belong no place. . . . With us it aint like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We dont have to sit in no bar room blowin in our jack jus because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us. 7.   Tik-Tok  by John Sladek The future, according to some scientists, will be exactly like the past, only far more expensive. 8.   The Theban Plays  by Sophocles Whoever neglects the arts when he is young has lost the past and is dead to the future. 9.   Stephen Wright, Comedian I was a peripheral visionary. I could see the future, but only way off to the side. 10.   Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life  by Anne Lamott   Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you dont give up.

The Absence of Competition and Price Discrimination in the Market Research Paper - 145

The Absence of Competition and Price Discrimination in the Market - Research Paper Example One of the losses to society as a result of monopoly versus perfect competition is limited output and high prices. Because of its market dominance, a firm in a monopolistic marketplace has the exclusive rights to raise prices. Consequently, when it does so, the society has no alternative but to buy high cost products. In contrast, in perfect competition, if one business raises prices the society can just move to the next competitor for a lower price. Thus, society gets better prices (Samuelson & Marks, 326). The losses to society can further be explained in terms of supply and cost curves. In perfect competition, prices and the number of goods produced are arrived at by looking at the market demand and supply curves. Accordingly, society is assured of competitive prices, which necessarily lead to minimum prices. In a monopoly, the supply curve is hardly there. The amount of output does not determine the prices. Whether the sole firm produces less or more, it can still maximize the pr ices because the competitive level is restricted. Hence, in a monopoly, firms maximize their profits by raising prices without any added benefit to society (Samuelson & Marks, 327). In addition, in a monopoly, the sole firm produces less in order to increase the price, consequently exploiting society. Finally, the loss to society as a result of monopoly versus perfect competition is the reduction in the consumer surplus. Under monopoly, because of raised prices firms earn much more than what consumers gain from them. As a result, the reduction in consumer surplus leads to a reduction in consumer social welfare.

The Gross Profit Margin of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd Essay

The Gross Profit Margin of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd - Essay Example The Gross Income Margin is a financial measure to evaluate an organization’s financial wellbeing by disclosing the percentage of cash left after considering the cost of goods sold into account. The gross income value of an organization serves as the basis for the payment of further expenses and future reserves. The gross income margin of an organization can be calculated as the ratio of its revenue less its cost of sales to its revenue value. i.e., Gross Income Margin = (Revenue – Cost of Sales)/ Revenue The cost of sales refers to the direct expenses involved in the manufacturing of the products sold by the organization. The cost of sales value includes the cost of resources utilized in the manufacturing of the products along with the labor expenses utilized in the production of the products. Thus, the cost of sales can be computed as, Cost of Sales = Opening Stock + Purchases – Closing Stock The computation of the cost of sales of a company does not comprise of any indirect costs involved in the process of sale of the products. Thus, the repair and maintenance charges, costs of depreciation of tools and equipments, rent expenditure, wages and charges of water and electricity have been excluded from the calculation of the cost of sales and hence from the computation of the gross profit of the company . Therefore, the cost of sales of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd for the present year and the previous year would be, The assessment of the financial health of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd can be carried out by the examination of the financial ratios of the company. The analysis of the current ratio shows that it has increased from 1.28 in the previous year to 1.34 in the present year. Ideally, the company should have current assets by current liabilities ratio of 2:1, in order to be in a position to comfortably repay their short-term liabilities. Thus, though the percentage of current assets of the company is a little higher than that of the current liabilities, the company should try to improve its current ratio in order to enhance its liquidity. The company also needs to focus on its cash assets so as to improve its creditworthiness. The debt ratio and the debt to equity ratio indicate the financial leverage of the organization. Debt ratio signifies the relationship between the total liabilities and the total assets. The debt ratio of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd has slightly increased from 0.57 to 0.69 during the period. The debt to equity ratio helps in deriving a reasonable relationship between the debt and the equity value of a company . The present value of the debt to equity ratio also increased a little from 0.17 in the previous year to 0.21. Since the values of the mentioned ratios are moderately low, it can be implied that the company is in a position to raise long-term debts, in case it wants to, considering the moderately low interest rate. The fixed asset turnover ratio of Mark Equipment is 22.51 in the present year, whereas the fixed asset turnover of the company for the previous year has been 18.07. The total asset turnover for the previous year was 5.23, whereas it decreased to 3.63 in the present year. It implies that Mark Equipment had been able to generate more volume of sales in relation to the fixed assets it holds . Thus, the company had utilized and managed its fixed assets quite fairly, though it needs to improve the utilization of its overall assets.

Health Promotion And HIV

Health Promotion And HIV The origins of health promotion lie in the 19th century when epidemic disease eventually led to pressure for sanitary reform for the overcrowded industrial towns. Alongside the health movement emerged the idea of educating the public for the good of its health (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). In 1977 the World health Assembly at Alma Ata committed all member countries to the principles of Health for all 2000 (HFA 2000) that there should be the attainment by all the people of the world by the tear 2000 of a level of health that will permit them to lead a socially and economically productive life Naidoo and Wills, 2000). The Ottawa charter held on the 21st of November 1986 was the first international conference on health promotion and provided the basis for the current practice of health promotion. It defined health promotion as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individ ual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment (WHO, 1986). Health is, therefore, seen as a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. Therefore, health promotion is not just the responsibility of the health sector, but goes beyond healthy life-styles to well-being. It went ahead to identify strategies for health promotion namely; build healthy public policy, create supportive environment, strengthen community actions, develop personal skill and reorient health services (WHO, 1986). HIV/AIDS BACKGROUND AND ZIMBABWE The HIV virus is the cause of the Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). All countries of the world are now affected with about 39.5million people living with the disease globally. 2.1million of the global 2.9million deaths due to AIDS in 2006 occurred in Africa ( UNAIDS/WHO, 2007). The extent of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in Africa makes it qualitatively different from other regions. According to UNICEF (2005), the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa has already orphaned a generation of children and it projected that by 2010, 18 million African children less than 18 years are likely to be orphaned by HIV. Africa has the worlds youngest population, with the youth constituting 33% of the total population. Subà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Sahara Africa is home to 70% of young people living with HIV/AIDS and 90% of the AIDS orphans in the world. Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is compounded by gender and age, making young people and women in particular more likely to contract the virus than others. The age distribution of HIV infection in Africa is skewed towards younger females, with infection rates among teenage girls five times higher than teenage boys in some countries.Zimbabwe is not spared this burden. One in six African is a Zimbabwe which has a population of about estimate of 140 million people. The first case of the Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was identified in Zimbabwe in 1986. HIV prevalence then rose steadily from 1.8% in 1998 to 5.8% in 2001. However, in the 2003 survey, the National HIV prevalence had dropped to 5%. At a current level of 5.6%, HIV/AIDS prevalence is highest amongst young people less than 30 years (World Bank, 2006). Several factors have been identified as the most important in driving the HIV epidemic in Zimbabwe. These include; early marriage of females and inadequate access to condoms and contraceptives particularly for young people. Young peoples lack of access to contraceptives is exacerbated by the age-structured society where children and young people have little or no control over their health, especially sexual health. There is also inadequate sexual education in schools as well as a restricted discussion of sexual health matters in public and even in families. Zimbabweans can have multiple wives as they think they can afford to take care of. This is very ambiguous and the result is that a lot of women are mistreated and left to take care of themselves without actually being empowered to do so. Other factors implicated are the presence of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), stigmatization and the inadequacy of health care systems (APIN, 2006). In addition, various cultural prac tices and values influence the health practices and sexual behaviour of our focus group. This makes them particularly vulnerable. Vulnerability can be defined as the degree to which an individual or a population has control over their risk of acquiring HIV, or the degree to which those people who are infected an affected by HIV are able to access appropriate care and support. (AIDS Vancouver, 2005) Zimbabwe being a male-dominated society, women are viewed as inferior to men, in some areas in particular in rural areas and some townships. Womens traditional role is to have children and be responsible for the home. Their low status, lack of access to education, and certain social and cultural practices increase their vulnerability to HIV infection. Many marriage practices violate womens human rights and contribute to increasing HIV rates among women and girls. Zimbabwe has legal minimum age for marriage, however in some areas early marriage is known to be allowed by parents, as they consider it a way to protect their young daughters from the outside world and maintain their chastity. Girls may get married between the ages of 14 and 15, and a large age gap usually exists between husbands and wives. Young married girls are at risk of contracting HIV from their husbands because it is considered acceptable for men to have sexual partners outside of marriage and even for some men to have more than one wife. Because of their age, lack of education, and low status, young married girls cannot negotiate condom use to protect th emselves against HIV and other STIs. Practices such as female genital mutilation also contribute to the scourge (APIN, 2006). COMPARATIVE STATISTICS From Appendix 1(behind), the tables show WHO statistics (2007) and compares different parameters from Zimbabwe, Brazil and South-Africa. It estimates Zimbabwes population, for 2005, at 131.5 million. This is compared to South Africas figure of 47.4 million and 186.4 million for Brazil. Zimbabwe and Brazil are classed as developing countries while South Africa is a middle-income African country. All these countries have achieved varying degrees of success in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Deaths due to HIV (per 100,000) are 8 for Brazil, 167 for Zimbawe and 675 for South Africa. Figures for HIV prevalence in adults aged 15 years and above show that the prevalence is reduced in Brazil (454 per 100,000 people), but Zimbabwe (3,547 per 100,000 population) and South Africa (16,579 per 100,000 population) still have very high numbers. This buttresses the fact that Africa still has major problems in the fight against HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS POLICY IN ZIMBABWE According to the Federal Government of Zimbabwe, the overall goal of the HIV/AIDS Policy is to control the spread of HIV, to provide equitable care and support for those infected by HIV and to mitigate its impact to the point where it is no longer of public health, social and economic concern, such that all Zimbabweans will be able to achieve socially and economically productive lives free of the disease and its effects. (Federal Government of Zimbabwe, National Policy on HIV/AIDS, 2003; pp. 13-14). The objectives of the policy include, among others to foster behaviour change as the main means of controlling the epidemic and to ensure that prevention programmes are developed and targeted at vulnerable groups such as women and children, adolescents and young adults, sex workers, long distance commercial vehicle drivers, prison inmates and migrant labour. The target is to improve the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices of high-risk populations, including youths and adolescents , to HIV/AIDS by 20 percent by the year 2005 and 40% by 2010. With the WHO statistics, there seem to be a lot of work to be done in achieving the above target. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT MODEL THE INTERVENTION The model was developed by a combination of two existing models of health promotion namely Caplan Holland (1990) and Beattie (1991) (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). Beatties model uses criteria of mode of intervention (authoritative-negotiated) and focus of intervention (individual-collective) whereas Caplan and Holland use theories of knowledge and theories of society (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). From Caplan Holland (1990) the following components were taken: radical humanistic perspective (empowerment approach) and humanistic perspective (educational approach). From Beattie (1991) were taken; health Persuasion (educational approach) and personal counselling (behavioural approach). This model thus comprises of the 4 components namely; Radical Humanist/Empowerment approach where individuals are encouraged to form social and organizational networks including self-help groups, Humanist/Health Education approach this involves peer education and awareness campaigns, including activities such as dramas, role plays and debates, Health Persuasion which is essentially behaviour modification and life skills, Personal counselling which is client led and focus on personal development. The health promoter is a facilitator rather than an expert. (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). APPROACHES The components of this model made use of three main approaches to health promotion: behavioural, educational and empowerment approaches. The empowerment approach is based mainly on the formation of social and organisational networks including self-help groups, peer groups, abstinence clubs etc. The emphasis of this approach is to help people to identify their own concerns and gain the skill and confidence to act upon them Naidoo and Wills, (2000), and the behavioural approach aims at behaviour modification. It also uses personal counselling as a means of promoting healthy sexual behaviour, therefore aiming to impart life skills to the students, which would teach them to communicate, to learn to say no to casual sex, to wait till the right time and to make the right decisions. The educational approach aims to provide knowledge and information with the hope that this information would enable the students to make the right and informed choices (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). This would be achieved by means of awareness campaigns, debates, lectures, dramas, role plays, posters and other information, education and communication (IEC) materials. A key part of the education of these students would be peer education. Over the years, there have been various studies and theories supporting the use of peer education as a successful health promotion strategy. Peer pressure can be quite enormous and influential particularly in the focus age group. APPLYING THE COMPONENTS OF THE MODEL DISCUSSION As earlier mentioned, there are four main components of this health promotion model: health education, health persuasion, empowerment and personal counselling. EMPOWERMENT Empowerment in the broadest sense is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.the process by which disadvantaged people work together to increase control over events that determine their lives'(Laverack, 2004). This entails raising consciousness of both the primary and secondary audiences; emphasis is on the exploration of personal responses to health issues. The students are encouraged to form social networks such as self-help groups and peer-educator-led groups. These social networks can lead to self-empowerment. The WHOs definition of health promotion as increasing peoples control over their health places it alongside the key concept of community empowerment (Laverack, 2004). Community empowerment can be viewed as both a process (something used to accomplish a particular goal or objective) and an outcome (in which empowerment is the goal or objective itself). There is considerable overlap between community empowerment and other concepts such as community participation and community development. Community empowerment builds from the individual to the group to the broader community (Laverack, 2004). Health promoters have conventionally viewed community empowerment as a part of bottom-up approached. In this the outside agent act to support the community in the identification of issues which are important and relevant to their lives, and to enable them to develop strategies to resolve these issues. Community empowerment includes personal (psychological) empowerment, organizational empowerment and broader social and political changes. Community empowerment has been viewed in health promotion literature as a five-point continuum model comprising the following elements; personal action, the development of small mutual groups, community organizations, partnership, social and political action. Each point on the continuum can be viewed as an outcome in itself, as well as a progression onto the next point. If not achieved the outcome is stasis or even a move back to the preceding point on the continuum (Laverack, 2004). The latter goes on to say the dichotomy between top-down disease prevention and lifestyle change and bottom-up community empowerment approaches is not as fixed as it is sometimes portrayed. As applied in this youth empowerment model, both approaches were used. HEALTH EDUCATION Health promotion is rooted in the narrower, more established field of health education. Health education is communication activity aimed at enhancing positive health and preventing or diminishing ill-health in individuals and groups, through influencing the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviour of those with power and of the community at large (Downie et al, 2006). Use of education in health promotion has to do with communication aimed at enhancing well-being and preventing ill-health through influencing knowledge and attitudes. The purpose is to provide knowledge and information, and to develop the necessary skills so that a person can make informed choice about their health behaviour (Naidoo and Wills, 2005). Health education interventions are valued because they empower people, enabling them to make desired changes and increase their control over their health. It involves working directly with them, enabling communication and feedback that in turn can be used to fine-tune the intervention, enhancing its effectiveness (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). This can be carried out in classrooms, and clubs aiming to empower the students. The peer educators will also be used at this stage as well as PLWHA. The contents for education in HIV prevention will include issues such as meaning and cause of HIV/AIDS, means of transmission non-transmission, modes of prevention, available treatment and management for PLWHA. HEALTH PERSUASION Health persuasion in this initiative forms a part of the Prevention Education. These are intentions directed at individuals and involve mainly health professionals, trained counsellors and peer educators, all acting as facilitators. The aim of this is to influence the development of positive health behaviour in the students, so that as they grow older, they can have good sexual health. People Living with HIV/AIDS are also involved as they are some of the greatest champions of HIV prevention as earlier mentioned. The ultimate aim of health persuasion is encouraging people to adopt healthy and careful lifestyles. The emphasis is on abstinence, safer sex and faithful partnership. The avenues included: classrooms and School HIV/AIDS prevention clubs, distribution of fliers and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS. PERSONAL COUNSELLING This focused on personal development and students (one-on-one or in groups) are helped by a facilitator to identify their health needs to increase their confidence and life skills. Peer Education This is the teaching or sharing of information, values and behaviours between individuals with shared characteristics such as behaviour, experience, status or social and cultural backgrounds (Macdowall et al, 2006). It is a prevention strategy for reaching youth either in school settings or for marginalized out of school youth, mainly through community based out reach programmes. Approaches to recruiting peer educators have included; providing information about a project and then asking for volunteers (Macdowall et al, 2006) identifying and approaching popular opinion leaders from among target groups; and asking members of the target groups to nominate peers. HEALTH PROMOTION RATIONALE Zimbabwe for obvious reasons stated above has a problem in tackling the scourge of HIV/AIDS and this required a multi-pronged approach in order to make an impact. Thus, developing a health promotion model targeted at the youth is in place. According to WHO, it is imperative to focus on young people because they have a high risk of contracting HIV since once they become sexually active, they often have several, usually consecutive, short-term sexual relationships and do not consistently use condoms. Likewise, IV drug use spreads at an alarming rate in this age group. Furthermore, young people often have insufficient information and understanding about HIV/AIDS; they may not be aware of their vulnerability to it or how best to prevent it. They also often lack access to the means of protecting themselves (WHO, 2004). The National HIV/AIDS policy specifically focuses on adolescents and youths, with a view to changing their sexual behaviour and practices, particularly before they become s exually active. School based programmes are logical avenues to provide most youth with preventive health education which should include helping the youth to identify their personal values and to promote positive self -esteem to enable them to resist pressure to engage in risky sexual behaviour. Zimbabwe practices a 7-2-3 system of education. Here individuals are expected to spend 7 years in the primary school, 2 years in sixth form 3-4 years in the University. The secondary school age in Zimbabwe is between 12-18 years. The focus for the model is in high school students aged 12 to 18. There were several reasons why the school is a key arena for health promotion. First, in accordance with a prevention is better than cure philosophy, it is better to encourage young people to adopt healthful lifestyles than to try to change unhealthful behaviour patterns in adulthood. Secondly, there is evidence that risk factors for disease in adulthood often originate early in life. Thirdly, schools provides a unique opportunity to augment other influences on health-related behaviour with properly planned programmes of health education (Downie et al, 2006). As early as 1982, it was reported that the age of first sexual intercourse had continued to drop in Zimbabwe and was then such that 50% of 16 year kids were already sexually active (Nwokocha and Nwakoby, 2002). Thus, the age range for the study is appropriate to equip them before they become sexually active. Mzikazi High School Bulawayo, Zimbabwe was the chosen high school. Mzilikazi is in Matebelaland, second capital city of Zimbabwe with an estimated population of 1.2 million residents. The city has a rich tourism culture and hospitality. Current research estimates the prevalence of HIV in Bulawayo at 6.19% , making it the second highest of all the states in Zimbabwe (The Herald News, 2006). Its easy access to Victoria Falls makes it a centre for visitors from different parts of the world. All these aid the sex trade in a country so rich yet poverty is the order of the day. People who do possess some knowledge about HIV often do not protect themselves because they lack the skills, support or incentives to adopt safe behaviours. High levels of awareness among the youth, a population group particularly vulnerable and significant as regards the spread of HIV/Aids, have not led, in many cases, to sufficient behavioural change. Young people may lack the skills to negotiate abstinence or condom use, or be fearful or embarrassed to talk with their partner about sex. Lack of open discussion and guidance about sexuality is often lacking in the home, and many young people pick up misinformation from their peers instead. PARTNERS IN THIS HEALTH PROMOTION The key partners in this initiative were the primary the students, and the secondary parents, teachers, school nurse and other members of the school community including staff. Other partners included professionals such as all clinical health practitioners such as doctors, nurses, and others health professionals who will act as facilitators, the local School Authorities, and donor agencies that are focused on HIV/AIDS issues they play a very crucial roles in community HIV prevention programmes. Donor agencies were involved in the provision of funds that were used in executing the project. PLWHA (People living with HIV/AIDS) have very important impact as people see for themselves living testimonies of the HIV scourge. It must be stated that stigmatization and discrimination against PLWHA are common in Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, some progress has been made more recently because of increased national campaigns and more visible and vocal societies and support groups for people infected with or affected by HIV. Their efforts have helped educate the public about HIV/AIDS, dispelling myths and giving the disease a human face (APIN, 2006). A potential reason for failure of school health promotion is that of culture clash between the school and the home and elsewhere (Downie et al, 2006) hence the inclusion of the parents in the secondary audience. However while the concepts of outcome succees were addressed to some degree in the study, there was nevertheless, a lack of firm and consistent evidence that positive outcomes had been achieved by the partnership concerned. Partnership working is seen as providing benefits that are achievable, improve health of whole population through working in partnerships with groups and individual to systematically address health needs within a community, (Coles and Porter, 2009). The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society, (Achenson, 1998). Wilson and Charlton (2004), claim that culture clashes in partnership working can often expected between people from different social background. In this study the barrier between the partners was the cultural background for the children , parents and the leaders. In this instance the NGOs were the leaders of the health promotion. The break down in communication and understanding of the intended education started when the educators told the students it is advisable to use condoms whenever you have sex. In Zimbabwe there is a deep-seated unwillingness to talk openly about sex, partly due to rules of re spect that lie at the heart of family and kinship structures, which limit communication across generation and sexual divides. Certain prevalent cultural norms and practices related to sexuality contribute to the risk of HIV infection. Negative attitudes towards condoms, as well as difficulties negotiating and following through with their use. Men in southern Africa regularly do not want to use condoms, because of beliefs such that flesh to flesh sex is equated with masculinity and is necessary for male health. Condoms also have strong associations of unfaithfulness, lack of trust and love, and disease. Certain sexual practices, such as dry sex (where the vagina is expected to be small and dry), and unprotected anal sex, carry a high risk of HIV because they cause abrasions to the lining of the vagina or anus. In cultures where virginity is a condition for marriage, girls may protect their virginity by engaging in unprotected anal sex. The importance of fertility in African communities may hinder the practice of safer sex. Young women under pressure to prove their fertility prior to marriage may try to fall pregnant, and therefore do not use condoms or abstain from sex. Fathering many children is also seen as a sign of virile masculinity. Polygamy is practised in some parts of southern Africa. Even where traditional polygamy is no longer the norm, men tend to have more sexual partners and to use the services of sex workers. This is condoned by the widespread belief that males are biologically programmed to need sex with more than one woman, ( ). Urbanisation and migrant labour expose people to a variety of new cultural influences, with the result that traditional and modern values often co-exist. Certain traditional values that could serve to protect people from HIV infection, such as abstinence from sex before marriage, are being eroded by cultural modernisation. ( ). However the NGOs wanted to continue with this education even the other secondary partners could tell it is affecting the whole process, with advice to first stop teaching the children, educate the parents first so when the children are taught it does not cause conflict. This dilemma here appears largely about power who has it, who needs it, and how much? Successful partnership requires leaders to redefine the boundaries of power in the organisation, and this can prove challenging, ( ). Careful design of the organisations decision-making processes and the setting of clear boundaries can help you tackle the leadership dilemma. Therefore with partnership, effective communication enables us to discuss each others concerns, acknowledge our different points of view and strive to understand those views. Good communication is especially important when there are strong views or feelings about an issue. The key thing to remember is that communication goes in all directions. Effective communic ation isnt just about telling people things. Its mostly about listening to each other. Consequently good communication is crucial to partnership. Lack of communication often creates an information vacuum. This vacuum is sometimes filled with rumour and speculation. . Evaluation Two different views of evaluation pervade the literature on health promotion. From the first view point, evaluation involves assessing an activity in terms of the aims or specific objectives of that activity. William (1987) has written as follows: .the purpose of evaluation is that it should demonstrate whether an activity has been successful or to what degree it has failed to achievee some stated aims. Before we can evaluate, then, we need to be clear about the aims of the activity in relation to the degree of attainment of these aims. From the second view point, evaluation is a broader process. It involves assessing an activity by measuring it against a standard which is not necessarily related to the specific objectives or purpose of the activity. This approach has been advocated by Green et al. (1980). From the second view point, evaluation is a broader process (Downie et al, 1996). Evaluation can be defined as the critical assessment of the value of an activity (Macdowall et al, 2006). Evaluation is needed to ensure that health promotion activities are having the intended effects. Evaluating activities helps inform future plans and contributes to the building up of a knowledge base for health promotion. It also helps prevent the reinvention of the wheel, by informing other health promoters of the effectiveness of different methods and strategies (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). Downie et al (1996) identifies reasons for evaluating health promotion activities. These are to assess the extent to which projects are achieving their stated objectives, to inform the development of materials and methods, to ensure ethical practice, to optimize use of resources and to assess the place of health promotion within overall efforts to achieve health gain. Evaluation includes assessments of different kinds of events at varying time periods. A distinction is often made between process, impact and outcome evaluation. Process evaluation: this involves assessing the process programme implementation. It addresses participants perceptions and reactions to health promotion interventions. It is therefore a useful means to assess acceptability and may assess the appropriateness and equity of a health promotion intervention (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). In doing this in our health promotion study, inputs (time, IEC materials, money); self-evaluation (self-reflection); feedback from primary and secondary audience (using questionnaires, question and answer sessions, individual discussions) will be used. Impact and Outcome evaluation: Evaluation of health promotion programmes is usually concerned to identify their effects. The effects of an intervention may be evaluated according to its impact ( the immediate effects such as increased knowledge or shifts in attitude) and outcome ( the longer-term effects such as changes in lifestyle). Impact evaluation tends to be more popular because it is easier to do. Outcome evaluation more difficult because it involves an assessment of long-term effects (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). Evaluation of the impact could be planned or unplanned. Planned impact can be assessed using pre-session and post-session questionnaires or a review session with the target audience. Some of the planned impact/outcomes would include increasing attendance to activities, increase in the number of people taking part in voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), increase in age of first sexual encounter and reduction in HIV prevalence rate. Unplanned impact/outcome will include counselling for other issues such as drugs and alcohol use, provision of support for PLWHA within the school community by referrals to NGOs and other support groups that can provide treatment and help them cope with other effects of living with HIV/AIDS. Limitations There are limitations to the implementation of this health promotion model. There is an ethical dilemma with regards what will be too much sexual information for the teenagers considering the cultural background. Many parents will object to some information given to their children. Issues pertaining to funds for running and sustaining the programme need to be considered. There could also be some logistics problems in terms of accessing rural areas: power, security, mobility and communication facilities all have to be provided and these are all functions of funds. Acceptability of the programme by the primary audience may be in question. The students may view the activities as being prescriptive rather than participatory, also, they may view the health professionals and facilitators as being old school in terms of age or social background or socioeconomic status and this could be a barrier which might face the programme. This is where the peer educators come in and may go a long way in overcoming this problem. If the students are able to see the project/activities as theirs, it would help to sustain the efforts after the health professionals may have left. Such continuity could be anchored on peer educator groups, abstinence clubs and other social networks. Long-term assessment of empowerment and change in behaviour is difficult. Is there any behaviour change? If so, is the behaviour change due to this Health Promotion activity alone?. These are pertinent questions which will need to be addressed at the long run. The model focuses mainly on empowerment without addressing other socio-economic determinants of sexual hea