Open University

Democratising higher education: the ignou initiatives Dr. Nayantara Padhi Assistant Professor, Centre for Corporate Education, Training & Consultancy, IGNOU, New Delhi Email:[email  protected] acin Starting with two courses and 4,000 students in 1985, IGNOU has reached the ladder of success being the world’s largest mega university, most diverse and inclusive institution offering over 3500 courses and catering to over 2. 5 million students.IGNOU is committed to be accessible to all by ensuring learner convenience through its unique ‘age no bar, place no bar and pace no bar’ approach. This approach of IGNOU falls in line with the objectives of democratizing higher education as the current initiatives of IGNOU indicate. During last few years IGNOU has been experimenting various innovative ideas and methods for meeting the above mentioned objectives and ultimately to cater to the diverse needs of people. This has resulted into successful launching of number of prog rammes, courses, medium and modules.To name a few, Community College establishment, programmes for physically challenged, providing second career opportunity to Indian Army: Gyan Deep, Convergence of distance education and higher education, starting of face to face programmes, use of 3G technology for imparting education , Flexilearning mode, satellite based communication etc. In this paper an attempt has been made to present an overview of the above mentioned innovations that has been carried out by IGNOU in order to align with the mission of democratising higher education. Also the current status of these innovations and the related issues are highlighted.DEMOCRATISING HIGHER EDUCATION: THE IGNOU INITIATIVES Vision Statement of IGNOU â€Å"Indira Gandhi National Open University, the National Resource Centre for Open and Distance Learning with international recognition and presence, shall provide seamless access to sustainable and learner-centric quality education, skill upgradati on and training to all by using innovative technologies and methodologies and ensuring convergence of existing systems for massive human resource required for promoting integrated national development and global understanding†. IntroductionThe Indira Gandhi National Open University was established by an Act of Parliament in 1985. Today the University is making all efforts to take higher education to the doorsteps of the hitherto unreached. The University imparts education and knowledge through various flexible means suited to the open and distance education mode, including Information and Communication Technologies, in order to fulfill the vision of democratizing higher education, it provides higher education and training to large sections of population, particularly the disadvantaged segments of the society.It promotes national integration and the integrated development of human personality; encourages, co-ordinates and assists open universities and distance learning systems across the country to improve standards in such systems. Learners from varied groups including rural and tribal areas, physically-challenged, jail inmates and rehabilitation houses, government and non-government sectors, parents and home-makers, the employers and the employed have been beneficiaries of the IGNOU programme.The University has put special focus on women, socially and economically disadvantaged groups, the north-east region, and other tribal and low literacy areas of the country. The University provides a multi-mode learning system comprising print, audio, video, radio, television, teleconferencing, interactive radio counseling, Internet-based learning and face-to-face counseling. IGNOU recently has also been involved in the National Skills Mission particularly in generating employment in line with the various schemes of the Central Government and State Government.The aim is to provide flexible knowledge and skill opportunities for the unemployed youth of India so as to meaningfully equip them with skills and opportunities. This approach of IGNOU falls in line with the objectives of democratizing higher education as the current initiatives of IGNOU indicate. During last few years IGNOU has been experimenting various innovative ideas and methods for meeting the above mentioned objectives and ultimately to cater to the diverse needs of people.This has resulted into successful launching of number of programmes, courses, medium and modules. To name a few, Community College establishment, growth, programmes for physically challenged, providing second career opportunity to Indian Army: Gyan Deep, Convergence of distance education and higher education, starting of face to face programmes, use of 3G technology for imparting education , Flexilearning mode, satellite based communication etc. All these noble initiatives of IGNOU are presented in the following paragraphs. A. Empowerment of Indian Soldiers- Gyan DeepGyan Deep is a bold initiative of Indira Gan dhi National Open University (IGNOU) to educationally empower the soldiers of the Indian army by granting of degree- a step aimed at providing the jawans with a second career option. Gyan Deep aims to equip the soldiers who join the force just after school. Nearly 50,000 Indian soldiers retire from the army every year after completion of 15 years in service. They constitute a young workforce but they lack any kind of professional skill to enter the job market after retiring from army.The soldiers would be receiving certification in knowledge and skills within the educational framework stipulated by IGNOU. With the imparting of formal degrees, the soldiers would be in a position to obtain a second career option and earn for themselves and their families reasonably well even after retirement. The certification and enhancement of educational qualifications would be within the broad framework of Community colleges, as set by IGNOU. Community colleges recognised by IGNOU will empower the already excellent training ystem within the Indian army and provide an opportunity for in service trainings to be benchmarked and credits issued for the Indian-Army soldiers to obtain a formal degree. In due course of time this innovative process will allow for lateral entry into the regular university system by allowing the candidates enrolled in Certificate, Diploma or Associate Degree courses to accumulate credits. Associate Degree of Community Colleges includes: †¢ Minimum two years/4 semesters of study †¢ Total of 64 credits 1st Semester: Basic Foundation Course (16credits) – compulsory subject – Basic Military Training – Certificate course. nd Semester: Applied Course in the chosen Programme Sector (16 credits)- compulsory subject –Advanced Military Training – Diploma (minimum one year). 3rd Semester: Army Class 2 Standards (16 credits) –Application oriented courses (8 credits) and elective courses (8 credits). 4th Semester: Army Class I standards (16 credits) – Elective courses, compulsory internship and Project work (16 credits). Degrees offered by IGNOU †¢ 64 credits obtained on successful completion of Associate Degree will become transferable towards the completion of 96 credits in total in order to obtain a degree. The 3rd year of 32 credits will be earned with IGNOU. †¢ Subsequent accumulation of credits and a third year of graduation with IGNOU can be taken within five years of completion of the Associate Degree. †¢ Degrees awarded may be BA, BCom, BSc. , BBA etc. , with varying specilisations. Towards achieving these goals, IGNOU will facilitate the registration of various Regimental Training Centers and Army Schools of Instruction/HRDCs of Indian Army as Community Colleges. If need be, IGNOU would also introduce new subjects in the curriculum.Upon completion of 96 credits, the degree awarded would be similar to the ones awarded to other students. B. Education for All: Co mmunity Colleges Community Colleges are an innovative but alternative system of education aiming to empower the individuals through appropriate skill development leading to gainful employment in collaboration with the local industry. Community Colleges aim at developing skills for self-employability of the marginalized and under-privileged sections of the society including urban-poor, rural poor and women.The methodology employed under the scheme of community colleges is the imparting of skill based training to the uneducated youth. Community Colleges generally have a two year curriculum leading to an Associate Degree by transferring to an undergraduate college or direct entry into an occupation or trade. Starting in July 2009, IGNOU commenced the scheme of Associate Degree Programmes through community colleges in various parts of India. The theme of community college embodies in itself the democratic goal of imparting livelihood based education to the disadvantaged section of the p opulation.Another major contribution of community colleges has been to expand access to post secondary studies for millions of students who would otherwise not have an opportunity to participate. Establishing one community college in each of the 600 districts in the country in the next five years as IGNOU Community College is one of the approaches of IGNOU in this direction. These colleges in different regions will be under the administration and academic control of the regional centres of IGNOU.Community Colleges will ensure vertical mobility for those who opt at a later stage for further education in the respective areas through credit transfer in the open university and distance education system in the country. Through IGNOU Community Colleges, the effort is to institutionalize the mechanism of providing skill based programmes in India till now undertaken by non-governmental organizations and training centres. The training in skills provided in these colleges will be recognized a nd formalized through various certifications. Functioning of Community Colleges . Eligibility for becoming community college An institution applying to IGNOU for registration as a Community College should be run by an educational agency/registered society/trust or corporate body rooted in community-based activites. Theymust be credible institutions with a minimum period of five years of proven service and be located in the community it seeks to serve. On receiving the application, IGNOU will scrutinize its feasibility based on the recommendations of an expert committee and the applicant will be informed of its eligibility.Prior to launching programmes, the agency should have done a need analysis of the local job requirements and opportunities and incorporate these findings into the curriculum. It should have active linkages with rural, agricultural,industrial and commercial organizations of the locality for empanelling part-time instructors, providing on job training to students and provide job placement to successful students. ii. Organisational Structure of Community CollegeThe college will constitute the following bodies to facilitate smooth functioning of its academic and administrative activities: Community College Board will be the Executive body of the college. The Board will manage the academic matters of the college relating to appointment of faculty, approval of programmes leading to award of Certificate/Diploma/Associate Degree, and regulate the finances of the college. Academic Committee will be the principal Academic body of the college responsible for the maintenance of standards of instruction, examination and linkages with the industry/community.The academic committee will: Make regulations regarding admission of students;Recommend to the Community College Board proposals for institution of new programmes of study;Advise the Community College Board on suggestions pertaining to academic affairs made by it;Prepare syllabi for various programmes; and Coordinate the industry/community linkages. Examination Committee will be responsible for the smooth conduct of internal assessments, mid-term examination and term-end examinations.It will be the custodian of processes related to evaluation such as question paper setting, answer script evaluation, moderation, timely announcement of results and handling of examination related grievances. Programme Structure †¢ Associate Degree Programmes are offered both full-time or part-time. †¢ Mode of delivery : face-to-face and Blended †¢ Mandatory apprenticeship. †¢ First year Foundation courses 16 credits per semester. Application oriented courses 16 credits per semester. †¢ Second year-Electives of 8 credits; Application oriented-8 credits, Internship and Project work-16 credits.Programmes under Community Collges: The following academic programmes leading to an Associate Degree may be considered: †¢ AA (Associate Arts) †¢ AS(Associate Science) †¢ AC S (Associate of Computer Science) †¢ AC(Associate of Commerce) †¢ ABA (Associate of Business Administration) †¢ AAT (Associate of Arts in Teaching) Academic Framework of Community Colleges Since Associate Degree is a new academic qualification in India, it is essential to have a common set of descriptors for the programme which articulate entry requirements, curriculum content, teacher qualifications and training and exit avenues. Entry Requirements Students who have completed School final are eligible for direct entry into the Associate Degree Programme. †¢ Alternatively students who have completed 10th standard may enroll in the Bachelor’s Preparatory Progrmmes and on completion of first year may transfer into the Associate Degree Programme. †¢ Non 10+2 (Eighteen years age) will have to complete BPP and Associate Degree Programme from Community college for lateral entry to third year of the Degree Programmme. Curriculum Design †¢ The curriculum of the Associate Degree Programme should include a substantial amount of generic skills with a major portion to be completed in the first year. First Year Courses (all foundation courses, 16 credits), Second Year (application oriented courses, 16 credits) and some of the basic electives in the respective subject of study worth of 32 credits to be completed in the first two years of Associate Degree Programme of the community college. The equivalence of the courses will be recommended by the Committee appointed. †¢ A number of existing courses of IGNOU may be appropriately combined for an Associate Degree. Challenges of Community Colleges †¢ Academic pathways- transfer of students to third year in IGNOU and other universities. Quality assurance – recruitment of faculty, standards in industry – based curriculum development. †¢ Avenues for technical and vocational teacher and trainer-training. †¢ Business/industry linkages including training contracts . †¢ Programmes to be rooted in communities – regional and local needs. C. Flexi Learn: Access to Quality Higher Education e-GyanKosh (www. egyankosh. ac. in), a repository of learning resources, is an initiative that was taken up by IGNOU in October, 2005 to store, index, preserve, distribute and share the digital learning resources developed by the IGNOU.Emerging as one of the world’s largest educational resource repositories, it includes digitized and uploaded storage of over 95% of the IGNOU’s self-instructional print material. With help of special channels like YouTube, IGNOU is providing with video programmes, through the metadata link in the repository. At present about 40,000 self-instructional print materials and over a 1,600 videos are available in the repository. After its public launch in June 9, 2008, the site already had received around 700,000 hits with an average of 1,000 visits per day from all over the world.At present, there are more than 60,000 active registered users of the repository. The facilities of e-GyanKosh are now being extended with a Flexi Learn platform to offer ‘open courses’ free of cost with course wise registration and assessment. IGNOU’s Flexi Learn platform will facilitate informed learning wherein anyone can register and explore courses free of cost to gain knowledge and skill in a particular area of interest. Certification for courses will be based on payment of the requisite fees. The Flexi Learn platform will provide an alternative way of awarding degrees and diplomas.The Flexi Learn platform offers courses in a complete open and flexible environment with following features. – Any visitor to the Flexi Learn site has the option to register for any particular course or a full length academic programme. A modular approach is followed wherein a registered learner can combine course credits to obtain a diploma or degree of their own choice. – The platform provides self learning environment with a list of Academic Advisors/Course Guides to act as mentors. The Personal Learning Environment (PLE) will have interactive tools like Discussion Board , Blogs, Wikis, Podcasting,RSS feeds, etc. Each course has option for both online assessment as well as an offline one as per the choice of the learner wherein a learner can take their exams ‘on demand’. The final exam will be in a proctored environment. The evaluation will be at three levels – diagnostic (where prior knowledge testing is required), formative and summative and will be designed by the faculty based courses requirements. Various of evaluation may be adopted viz. objective, short essay type, term paper, course projects, practical activities etc. A complete tracking mechanism is integrated in the platform through the e-portfolios of individual learners. The e-portfolio will keep a formal record of all formal and informal studies carried out by the registered learner. Cert ification of the course will be based on stipulated time spent on a course (for a 4 credit a minimum at 45 days) and completion of all learning activities identified by the faculty. The Flexi Learn platform provides an opportunity for prospective learners to sample a course before enrolling and also help them in choosing courses and programmes of study.Course wise registration facilitates offering topic specific continuing education progammes especially in skill based and professional areas. A flexible framework is provided through this model for Schools of Studies to identify and combine different courses already available, for offering new tailor-made and need based programmes. In the long run this will help in achieving IGNOU’s objective of democratizing higher education by taking it to the doorsteps of the learners and providing access to high quality education to all those who seek it.D. Convergence Scheme: Merger of ODL and Conventional Higher Education System The objec tive of the Scheme is to achieve the targets setout in the Eleventh Plan Document for Higher Education, and focusing on access and equity issues. Inclusion as a concept goes beyond just providing distance learning access. It takes into account the need to interface with the conventional system, use innovative technologies and to optimize the access to physical facilities, intellectual and knowledge resources in institutions to achieve its goals.The Scheme, jointly conceived by University Grants Commission (UGC) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Distance Education Council and AICTE under the guidance of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, aims to focus on enhancing the quality and quantity of education delivery in the context of social dimensions of the country, with a thrust on capacity building and strengthening of the conventional university and collegiate education system. The success of the Scheme, announced in 2007, is not surprising. Many of the exis ting IGNOU courses have also found new takers with the announcement of the Scheme.Given a target of achieving 15% gross enrollment in higher education by 2015, the scheme aims to move it from the current enrollment ratio of 11% in the 16-23 age group. Under this Scheme, a student can be enrolled for obtaining a regular degree while pursuing another complementary course. Thus, a student can aim to get two degrees at the same time. Another programme, called Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) enables the students who have not been able to get Pre-University/Senior Secondary education to become eligible for applying for bachelor’s degree courses.This is a boon to those who were not able to complete their schooling or pre-university courses. This is a six-month intensive training programme. While IGNOU has over 2500 Learner Support Centres by different names depending on the specific role they play such as Regular Study Centres, Programme Study Centres, Special Study Ce ntres, Recognised Study Centres etc. , the Scheme on Convergence has helped in developing synergies with well endowed colleges. This has resulted in qualified faculty and state of art infrastructure being made available to students, in addition to providing additional mentoring on a flexi time basis.In short, technology in Education, when applied creatively enhances the potential to address both access and inclusion issues, especially in India. E. 3G and Mobile Technology usage for Reaching the Unreached The significance of mobile technology is evident from the fact that increasing number of people have started using mobile devices, carrying mobiles with them all the time. Hence, any service provided to the students through mobile devices enables quick connectivity as compared to any other technology such as PC based internet technologies.IGNOU launched the SMS Alerts service on November 18th 2008. Since then, SMS Alerts Service is being used by various constituents of IGNOU includi ng its Regional Centres to communicate information to its students. Following are some of the applications of 3G technology to ODL system: †¢ ODL institutions can develop high bandwidth applications that can be used by prospective students to apply for admission using their 3G enabled mobile devices. †¢ ODL institutions can develop 3G enabled student response systems.These response systems can respond in real time with information such as Study Centre allocation etc. †¢ Such 3G enabled student response systems can aid in providing responses to queries of students in real time. †¢ Most of ODL institutions send course material to their students by post as well as host material on the web for students to download. It is difficult for students to download course material which occupies large memory due to poor Internet connections. 3G technology enables faster downloads of course material to the student’s mobile devices.They can download course material wherev er they are, anytime. This ensures that the course material is available to every learner who is having a 3G enabled mobile device. F. Education through Digitally Enabled learning The National Mission of Education through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was launched recently with the broad objective of ensuring connectivity of the learners to the ‘World of Knowledge’ in cyberspace and to make them ‘Netizens’ in order to enhance their self-learning skills and develop their capabilities for on-line problems solving†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.The efforts of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) would be geared towards creating an open house for knowledge. The attempt is to harness a large number of knowledge resources in the manner that adds value to them by making them more personalized and useful to the lifelong learner/student. The effort would also involve content packaging and integration to suit specific needs of the students at various levels or with different kinds of talent/mental prowess. A budget allocation of Rs. 02 crores has been made in 2008-09 for the National Mission on Education through ICT. For bridging the digital divide and empowering teachers/learners to harness information and communication technologies for their empowerment through knowledge, the need of the hour is to provide digital literacy to teaching learning community in Higher Education. The aim has to be to ensure that this community should be able to operate the computer or other devices and connect to the knowledge network.It should be for the teacher/learner to identify the content from its suitable pictorial representation and to play the audio-visual content to derive knowledge from the relevant module of knowledge. Obviously, this digital literacy cannot be spread through the computer networks since it aims to empower the teacher/learner to use the network. Hence, digital literacy for teacher empowerment will have to be imparted through oth er means relying heavily on audio-visual material, non-governmental organizations, change agents and institutions established for them, and mass contact programmes.Provision of e-Books and e-Journals Free to the Learners Overall education has two parts, formal and informal. Both forms of education require text books, reading material, journals and magazines and access to them can be provided through digital libraries which would substitute comprehensive brick-and-mortar libraries. Since everything in the library would be available on line with concurrent access to multiple sites for a large number of students, good bandwidth around the year would be the key.Support for Generation of e-Content and Digitization and Indexing of Existing e-Content It shall be the endeavour of the Mission to continuously work for enriching the repository of e-contents of the nation. For the purpose it shall encourage the academicians, scholars and institutions to contribute to the world of knowledge in c yber space by creating e-knowledge content. The Mission shall also evolve a mechanism to rate the quality of the e-content generated before admitting it to the national repository. Evaluation of e-ContentBenchmarking learning content would ensure quality which is central to the philosophy of the Mission. As content generation shall take place at various places, by different sets of experts, the development of quality assurance procedures and testing mechanisms is essential. These tools shall be deployed on the Mission website so that anybody developing content can routinely use these to get proper feedback. The Mission shall also attempt to provide guidance to them in order to facilitate their search for quality material.Finance Assistance to Institutions of Higher Learning for Procurement of Hardware/Replacement of Obsolete Hardware In order to accomplish its major objective of utilizing latest technologies to make higher education easily accessible, the Mission shall provide finan cial assistance to all the institutions of higher learning for the procurement of hardware or replacement of the obsolete hardware essential for accessing to the world of knowledge in cyber space. National Testing ServiceThe Mission shall provide financial and technical support to a designated Government agency for establishment of a National Testing Service (NTS). The Mission shall be free to move for the establishment of a separate body to act as a National Testing Service in order to fulfill its objective of certifying the competence and skills acquired by the individual through formal or non-formal means of education and / or training in different disciplines/professions.This shall help them in gaining employment as also to continue their higher studies/training. Content Generation The National Programme of Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) was started by the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. A good number of quality material on v arious courses has been created by these premier institutions of the country. E-Contents are being continuously generated by the reputed faculty members of the premier institutions under NPTEL programmes.This programmes has been subsumed with the Mission to give it a new dimension. The Mission hopes that the e-contents generated under this programme shall be of great use for the engineering students enrolled in engineering colleges across the country. Standardisation and Quality Assurance of Contents & Certification /Automation of Certification The main objective here would be to evolve Quality Assurance (QA) Process for E-learning Content and to create an environment for Quality Audit of Content.The mission seeks to promote R&D in specific important areas of content creation and management for enriching the QA process and also promote multi-institutional involvement for definition of quality and dissemination of Quality awareness. Developing Suitable Pedagogical Methods for Various Classes and Intellectual Calibers and Research in e-learning Web enabled learning modules suffer from the absence of teacher and peer interaction/pressure. Many a times, the content developers develop the modules keeping in mind their own clientele of students or their own impressions of the student’s caliber, receptivity, etc.This may result in a â€Å"one shoe fit all† syndrome. It is well known that any given class would have very bright students, mediocre students and weak students. Even among them, the grasping power of concepts would vary based on their surroundings and the perceptions that the students have derived over a period of time. The most efficient pedagogical method would also depend on the extent of knowledge that the students has in that area. Development of Language Converter Tool KitThe focus of the National Mission on Education through ICT would be on content for all classes starting from nursery level to research level. Presently, the content bei ng developed for Sakshat under this Mission is in English. English content also makes it possible to tap into the convenient, open access educational resources available on the Internet, be they in text, audio, visual, simulation, animation, question answer or in any other form. This abundant resource, however, cannot be tapped in regional languages because of IPR restrictions.Hence, efforts will be made to convert knowledge modules into various regional languages and also to subsequently launch a movement for creating the above types of content in the regional languages. Development and Realization of Virtual Reality Laboratories and Supporting Facilities for e-learning The Mission shall work for providing all the institutions of higher learning, in the country, with access devices and connectivity through high speed broadband and VPN etc. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 institutions of higher learning shall reap this benefit.It shall be the endeavour of the Mission to en sure that the access devices are available with maximum number of learners in the country to enable them to become ‘Netizens’. To achieve this objective it shall support development of low cost and low power consuming devices through their field trials. The Central Government would also bear 75% of the cost of the connectivity having bandwidth up to 10-25 Mbps per college or per department of a University if remaining cost is borne by State Government or college/institution concerned.Development of Certification & Testing Modules for Virtual Technological Universities & Creation of VTU, Multi Media Research and International Programmes The proposed Virtual Technical University (VTU) shall serve as a nodal agency for imparting training to undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as to the newly recruited teachers in the fields of Science, Technology, Management, Architecture, Pharmacy and other applied areas. The University will provide flexible, credit based cour ses to all registered participants using modern technology. VTU will help them in updating their knowledge and advancing their career objectives.G. Inclusive Growth for the Disadvantaged Group IGNOU with its diverse, low-cost programmes and a wide network has succeeded in attracting a significant group of learners from amongst the disadvantaged. However, a considerable cross-section of people still remains outside its reach. The University is mandated to reach them. The University has taken up a number of new initiatives mainly focused on empowering women, persons of the SC/ST category and the differently abled population of the country. Women’s Empowerment The University has been making conscious efforts to reach out to women, especially those from the remote and rural areas.Some of the initiatives in this direction are: a) Setting up the School of Gender and Development Studies in 2007: One focus are of study of this School is â€Å"Women‘s Studies†, which anal yses the status of women in society with the objective of strengthening individual and institutional efforts that enable women’s empowerment. The School is offering the following pertinent programmers: – Certificate in Empowering Women Through Self-Help Groups (under Women’s Empowerment Project sponsored by Department of Women and Child Development, MHRD, GOI). Certificate in Women’s Empowerment and Development (CWED). – Diploma in Women’s Empowerment and Development (DWED) – Ph. D in Women’s Studies. b) Establishing 26 women-specific study centres across the country. c) Setting up a Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment against Women (CPSHW). This committee oversees all work related to complaints of sexual harassment at IGNOU, besides carrying out awareness-raising workshops, seminars and other related activities.During the year 2008-09, the CPSHW prepared a document on the Policy & Procedures for the Prevention, Prohi bition, and Punishment of Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace, as per the Supreme Court guidelines. The document has been submitted to the University authorities for adoption in the form of an ordinance. SC/ST Empowerment The University has made extensive efforts regarding the empowerment of persons in the SC and ST categories. Some of the measures taken in this direction are: – SC/ST Cell: this cell looks after all issues pertaining to the grievances of SC/ST employees. Increased Access to ST Population: IGNOU has tried to increase its reach to the tribal population of Madhya Pradesh through a new scheme of mobile study centres, which has been found to be successful. – EEBB Centres: To provide access to people in the Economically and Educationally Backward Blocks (EEBB), identified by the Sachar Committee, efforts have been initiated to establish Special Centres in these blocks, irrespective of whether such centres fulfill the conditions normally expected of I GNOU study centres.Through these centres, aspiring learners of these blocks are given opportunities to pursue a variety of vocational programmes, besides BPP and bachelor degree programmes. – EDNERU: Initiative for North East Trbal population education and research. Empowerment of the Differently Abled A national Task Force has been constituted to make the IGNOU premises and its programes completely accessible to people with disabilities across the country. The access audit of the IGNOU campus at the headquarters was conducted on 22-23 October, 2008.In order to develop human resources in various areas related to disability for creating a disabled-friendly society as also promoting interdisciplinary study of disability with the purpose of removing barriers to empowerment of the persons with disabilities, the National Centre for Disability Studies (NCDS) was established in 2006. NCDS has launched a Post-graduate Diploma in Disability Management for Medical Practitioners, in col laboration with the Rehabilitation Council of India. The Pprogramme equips the medical practitioners with the skills and knowledge to effectively deal with persons with disabilities.H. Usage of Satellite The University endeavors constantly to make appropriate use of new technological solutions to achieve its mission of seamless education, cost-efficiency and borderless access to quality education. The University has enhance, in the recent past, its technological capabilities in the production and transmission of audio and video programmes through radio and television as well as the latest Web-enabled online services offered through the internet to learners spread across the globe.Gyan Darshan Gyan Darshan (GD) is a digital bouquet of four channels – GD-1, GD-2, GD-3, and GD-4. These channels beam programmes produced by IGNOU, UGC, NCERT, CIET, NITTTRs, IITs, DST and different ministries of the government of India. The transmission of GD channels is almost completely automated through the installation of the video server, GD-1 is a 24-hour channel which airs enrichment programmes produced by various government and educational organizations, and IGNOU curriculum-based programmes.GD-2 is the Interactive Distance Education Channel, dedicated entirely to distance education. Regular teleconference sessions and induction meetings are held through this channel for learners and trainees of the open university system and other apex bodies. During the year 2008-09,Gyan Darsha-1 and 2 have witnessed a tremendous growth in reach, since both channels were placed on the following DTH platforms – DD Direct Plus, Dish TV, TataSky, Sun TV, Big TV and AirTel. It was also available in the IPTV network for which an MOU with M/s Goldstone was signed.Further, GD-1has been declared a ‘must carry’ channel for all IPTV service providers and has been made available in many cities through the BSNL network. GD-1 and GD-2 are also being webcast through IGNOU†™s website . Test transmission of the Science Channel on GD-2 started, with effect from 23rd December, 2008 to broadcast programmes made by IGNOU,CEC, Vigyan Parsar, etc. Gd-3, â€Å"Eklavya†, was inaugurated on 26th Jan. 2003. It is a 24-hour channel dedicated to technical education and runs programmes generated at variousIITs, for students pursuing degrees n different disciplines in the area of engineering and technology. The signals are sent through microwave links, from where they are uplinked to the satellite. The nodal offer for this is at IIT, Delhi. GD-4, â€Å"Vyas Channel†, launched in Jan. 2004, is a 24-hour channel catering to the needs of students pursuing higher education under the university and college system in the country. The programmes are coordinated by the Consortium of Education Communication (CEC).The Vyas Channel has now become available on the DTH platform as well. Gyan Vani Gyan Vani, a ‘radio cooperative’ funded by the MHRD, i s the only FM Radio channel in the country devoted exclusively to education. Gyan Vani programmes include information relevant to students of pre-primary to post-graduate classes, it also carriers enrichment programmes for generating environmental awareness, awareness on female empowerment, legal literacy, capabilities in professional and science education. Each Gyan Vani has a range of about 60 kms.At present there are 26 GyanVani FM Stations functioning across the country at Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Kolkatta, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Mysore, Nagpur, Patna, Panaji, Raipur, Rajkot, Shillong, Varanasi and Viskhapatnam. Eleven new stations are on the anvil. Gyan Vani has made significant strides in recent years with all the 26 stations producing programmes. The radio programmes are contributed by NCERT, NIOS, IGNOU, NGOs and various State Government Departments.Gyan Vani has crea ted a Programme Exchange Unit and all the radio stations have access to the best productions of each station. Developmental and educational programmes from broadcasting organizations of countries such as Australia, Canada and Germany are also being aired on Gyan Vani stations. Gyan Vani, Delhi, is also webcast using IGNOU’s in-house facility. Interactive Radio Counseling (IRC) IGNOU runs at least one hour of live phone-in counseling programmes every week in the regional languages through the various Gyan Vani stations.The studio invites experts to clarify learners queries put across to them for their homes via the telephone. Both broadcast and non-broadcast modes of delivery were adopted by the University and the audio/video programmes produced at the University’s Electronic Media PrdocutionCentre (EMPC) were broadcast/telecast over Gyan Darshan, Gyan Vani, EduSat, AIR/Doordarshan Channels. In order to infuse interactivity in open and distance learning, one-way video a nd two way audio teleconferencing facilities are offered through GD-2.Important nation-wide programmes for IGNOU learners, lectures by eminent experts/dignitaries, discussions with RC staff, induction for new learners and convocation for graduating learners were conducted live through teleconferencing mode. Besides this, telecounselling and communication sessions were conducted for select application- oriented programmes such as nursing, information technology, MBA etc, in which the students got ample opportunities to interact with the faculty.The teleconferencing facility was also used by other institutions, such as the DAV College Management Committee (DAVCMC), National Board of Examination (NBE), Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), and the Department of Power, amongst others. EDUSAT is the first Indian satellite designed and developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) exclusively for serving the educational sector. It is mainly intended to meet the dema nd for an interactive satellite-based distance education system for the country.It is a collaborative project of the MHRD, ISRO, Department of Space and IGNOU. The satellite has six Ku-Band transponders and six Ext. C-Band transponders. One beam or Ext. C-Band covers the entire country, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It reflects India’s commitment to use space technology for national development, especially for development of human resources in remote and rural locations. The University has established 134 interactive terminals across the country with a two-way interactive facility. An EduSat Mini Hub has been shifted from ISRO, Ahmedabad, to EMPC.ISRO has also provided a new Learning Management System (LMS) for the network. A recent study was conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi, aimed at assessing the impact, effectiveness and sustainability of interactive media technologies being utilized in the delivery system of IGNOU. The study included Gyan Vani, Edust-based teleconferencing, the IGNOU slot on the national channel, Doordarshan, the web platform and internet facilities. The broad findings of the study as stated in the final report submitted, are as under:IGNOU Hour on Gyan Vani Forty percent of students listen to the IGNOU Hour programmes broadcast on Gyan Vani. Fourteen percent students listen to the IGNOU Hour programmes on a regular basis. Forty one percent students tune in sometimes and the rest do not listen to programmes broadcast on Gyan Vani . IGNOU Programmes on Doordarshan Forty seven percent of students watch IGNOU Programmes telecast on Doordarshan channel 1. Ninety three percent students who watch IGNOU programmes on Doordarshan’s main channel are comfortable with the language of telecast.Sixty percent students who watch the IGNOU slot on Doordarshan rated the content quality of programmes telecast as good. More than seven out of ten students said the programmes telecast on the IG NOU slot on Doordarshan are useful in the learning process. Sixty percent students who watch programmes telecast on Doordarshan felt it helped them in understanding their progrmme topics better. The awareness of students about IGNOU programmes on Doordarshan DTH is quite high as more than seven out of ten students were aware about it. Fourteen percent students of IGNOU were found to have Doordarshan DTH in their homes.Conclusion As India strives to become a knowledge society, IGNOU ensures that no section gets left behind, that’s where attaining the objective of democratizing higher education. From the above discussion, it is worth mentioning that IGNOU’s contribution in democratising higher education is commendable. The innovations of IGNOU to impart education anybody, anywhere anytime using all channels is visible from the initiatives and the current status. With the growing demand of skilled workforce across the globe, IGNOU is taking all steps towards this.Right to Education is very much evident from the above mentioned initiatives. To conclude IGNOU’ s initiatives in democratising higher education ,a dynamic and innovative university with a passion to educate all and reaching the unreached, IGNOU has become the People’s University†¦the university of a billion plus. References Annual Report 2008-2009, IGNOU. IGNOU, Celebrating 25th Year of Success in Open & Distance Learning 2009-2010, Vol. 1, Issue1. IGNOU, Education Without Barriers. IGNOU, Profile 2010. IGNOU, IGNOU Community Colleges. IGNOU, Flexi Learn. IGNOU, Gyan Deep. IGNOU, Open Letter. www. ignou. ac. in

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Debate over if the Reconstruction Era was Failure Essay

America was divided in two, the south; which promoted the act of slavery and the north; where individuals encouraged the abolishment of the discriminating structure. Despite the differing opinions of the two regions, ‘Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee [...] sought readmission to the union’ knowing that they were agreeing to the abolishment of slavery under the Thirteenth Amendment; which abolished slavery, Fourteenth Amendment; that stated all persons born in the states were American citizens and finally the Fifteenth Amendment which highlighted that the a citizen’s right to vote should not be denied, thus achieving one of the aims of Reconstruction. As a result of those southern states that rejoined the Union, African Americans were†¦show more content†¦Though, one of the aims of Lincolns plan was achieved there was still the question of what to do with the salves and their freedom, an issue that was not as adequately solved as the problem surrounding the divided sates. For example, even though black Americans, in the eyes of the law, were granted citizenship and awarded the same rights as white Americans this was not a de facto change in the political sense. This is referring to the fact that African Americans were still prohibited from actually talking part in the voting system. Most southern states had become very judgmental on who could actually vote and adopted various vices that enabled them to reduce the electorate, discriminating against race via various laws and regulations. One of the vices used to prevent African Americans from voting was the Grandfather Clause, which stated that in order to vote an individu al’s ancestors must be American, a requirement that would be impossible for black Americans to prove. Furthermore, registrars and those in control of local voting stations could ask for individuals to take certain literacy tests to show that they are intellectually able to vote or take part in something as complicated as politics. These tests were almost always filled with ridiculous questions such as, ‘how many bubbles are there in a bar of soap?’ Clearly, reconstruction failed in terms of enabling Africa Americans deShow MoreRelatedEssay on Reconstruction998 Words   |  4 Pages Many people had different views and ideas about Reconstruction. There was much debate about how the Confederate states, which included Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, should be readmitted into the Union. Some people believed that the states should be treated as territories, and others belie ved that the southern leaders should be punished instead of the states. Still, others believed that the South stillRead MoreMassive Changes During the Reconstruction Era of America817 Words   |  3 Pagessought change was 1865 which was the time period known as Reconstruction. 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After the revolution the states knew that theyRead MoreThe War Of The Civil War1723 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil War is by far the bloodiest war in American history. In the four deadly years of war, over six-hundred thousand Americans were killed. Many disputes that led to the civil war. These conflicts started even before the presidency of James Buchanan, who was a Democrat elected in the election of 1856. The issue of slavery, states’ rights, the abolitionist movement, the Southern secession, the raid on Harper’s Ferry, the election of Abraham Lincoln all contributed to the start of the Civil WarRead MoreThe War On The Battlefield1726 Words   |  7 Pageson the battlefield, a failure to exam the social and political c limate before the first shot fired on Fort Sumter and the furling of the CSS Shenandoah’s Confederate Navy Ensign— the war’s final surrender— does not capture the war’s impact on the nation. Certainly, one can’t discuss a war and never mention a battle. 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This essay will first determine the social and political goals of the Klan, than analyze how successful they were in attaining them. The source that proved most useful during the research process for this paper was the non-fiction White Terror by Allen W. Trelease. He was a recognized historian and Emeritus Professor in the Department of History at the UniversityRead MoreEmancipation And The Historical Memory Of Reconstruction Essay2661 Words   |  11 Pages Emancipation and the Historical Memory of Reconstruction EricR.Jackson Northern Kentucky University Department of History and Geography Eric R. Jackson, associate professor of history and director of the Black Studies Program at Northern Kentucky University, received his BS from Ball State University (1988) and both his MA (1992) and doctorate (2000) from the University of Cincinnati. He is known for his publications in the fields of African American history/studies, early American history, andRead MoreBreak down of compromise between 1820 and 1860 leading to the civil war1471 Words   |  6 PagesCivil War due to the sheer number of deaths and the complete reconstruction of the nation during the aftermath. Just as important as the war itself would be the transformations that took place among the people was a newfound lack of compromise concerning the admission of new territories and whether or not they would be free or slave. This failure to agree was chiefly the fear of public and congressional imbalance. This and dispute over the legitimacy and abuse of popular sovereignty would cause quarrelsRead MoreThe Cotton Gin1708 Words   |  7 Pages The institution of slavery in the southern states of the United States of America was primarily based on economics rather than some type of natural admiration of the practice itself. When the Mason-Dixon line was created in the 1760s, Eli Whitney’s revolutionary cotton gin, which would eventually set slavery in the South, had not been created yet. However, there were still lines being drawn between the more industrial-based economy of the North and the more agricultural economy of the South. Slavery

Entrepreneurial Plan ( Business Plan ) - 11907 Words

INTRODUCTION I. Introduction Snacks have always been a part of our everyday routine and one of the most favored snacks is chips. From students grabbing a fast snack in between classes to professionals having their 30-minute coffee break, chips have been the choice. From the humble potato to whole wheat variants, chips have diversified into more than your basic snack fix. Chips have always been synonymous to junk foods. Junk foods are food that has low nutritional value and often times are high in fat, sodium and cholesterol. Despite that fact, people have always patronized chips. A reason may be because the crunchiness and savory taste is something people have been addicted to. But nowadays, people have been more conscious about†¦show more content†¦Generally, the possibility of the business venture to succeed is highly attainable. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION III. Business Description A. Company Name, Address, Form of Business Organization, Statement of Vision and Mission A.1 Name and Address of the Company The researchers will be naming the company as Healthy Corner Enterprise. The main goal is to offer chips that are good for the health. The company’s aim is to give satisfaction to customers by providing them quality, healthy, and affordable vegetable chips. The store will be located at the University of the East, Manila, EV Room of the Business Administration Building. Healthy Corner Enterprise will be targeting the students of the University of the East, Manila as its primary market. Healthy Corner Enterprise will offer healthy and nutritious vegetable chips. The main components of this product are Potato, Sweet Potato, Purple Yum, Cassava and Squash. A.2 The Business Venture and Form of Business Organization The company will be engaged in a manufacturing type of business operation. The company is involved in producing mix vegetable chips from raw materials. 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Topics for Discussion Free Essays

TOPICS for DISCUSSION Society and the Media 1- Where do you get the news from? radio / newspapers / TV / Internet 2- Reality shows on TV 3- TV and children The Environment 1- Public transport: a real alternative? 2- Recycling: a good way to be green? 3- Plastic bags in shops. The World of Work 1- Teleworking (working from home): pros and cons. 2- Equal opportunities for men and women 3- Unemployment: effects on society Travelling 1- Travelling alone or travelling with friends (or family) – Rural tourism 3- Exotic holidays Relationships 1- Getting married, living together or living alone 2- Families today: working parents / single parents / grandparents bringing up children Health 1- Ways to stay healthy 2- Fast food or traditional food 3- Telemedicine: online patients Language Learning 1- Bilingual education, Internet and language learning 2- Language exchanges, courses abroad Crime 1- How to avoid street robbery or burglary 2- Crime and technology: identity theft Shopping 1- Shopping centres (malls) and department stores versus small shops 2- Opening hours: on Sundays and bank holidays 3- Shopaholics Progress and Science 1- Space exploration: useless or useful 2- The best inventions in 20th century Money matters 1- Is money the most important thing when choosing a job? 2- Charities and NGO’s: for people, animals, civil rights 3- Is pocket money for children a good idea? Computers and Technology 1- Downloading films or going to the cinema – Internet and books: will libraries disappear? 3- Effects of Internet on family life Education 1- Single sex education or co-educational schools 2- State schools or private schools 3- Discipline problems in the classroom Leisure and Entertainment 1- Changes in how people spend their free time: cinema music social networks theatre clubbing computer games others 2- Ways to relax: escaping from your daily routine . We will write a custom essay sample on Topics for Discussion or any similar topic only for you Order Now How to cite Topics for Discussion, Essay examples

Ethics in Information Technology Philosophical Ethics

Questions: 1. Analyzing the ethical dilemma on artificial intelligence in Australian industries from the perspective of philosophical ethics. 2.Criticism of Moors Just-Consequential Framework with suitable examples.3.Comparison between IEEE and Australian Computer Society Answers: 1. The big-businesses of Australia have been embracing the AI or artificial intelligence. About two-third of them has been planning to replace the jobs or has already replaced them. The AI is that area of technology that includes intelligent machines working and reacting like the human beings. They are used for planning, problem solving and speech recognition (Burton et al., 2017). The research done by the technology consultant of Infosys has shown that large number of industries in Australia has been investing in AI on an average of eight million dollars or more per annum. In Australia, this technology has been helping in automatic ordering of driverless tractors at farms, delivering parcels, pharmaceuticals in hospitals and so on. The banks have been also utilizing it to forecast the reaction of the investors to the market shocks. The mining company has been using the predictive analysis in order to reduce the breakdown of machines and schedule maintenance. However, the firms has been also grappling regarding job security and technical skill shortages required to impose the new technology (Burton et al., 2016). Hence, the biggest problem for most of the companies going for AI has been the ethical ones. It deals with when and where it should be deployed and whether it has any impact on the humanity or not. The companies are also required to re-skill their empl oyees so that they could take part in the changing workplace. Despite all these, creation of machines incorporating the philosophical traditions of the world has not been easy. The potential dilemmas faced are that people might become unemployed due to the automation. The AI system helps the industries in becoming more efficient in production rather than replacing the employees. This has been proved by analysis and experiences that shows that it has been creating far more jobs than loosing (Singer, 2015). Another fear rose that people would get more spare times as desired. However, the difference between the leisure and work has become less evident as the tasks could be performed from anywhere in the world. The needs to stay competitive in the current market scenario have resulted in much more engagement of people than in the past. Though the AI has contributed to the continuous evolution of trends and technology, it could be also result in a hope at the same time. This hope has laid in the fact that the automated agents could take some of the jobs providing some spare time for the people. There has been a claim that the AI could be used for the tasks that are not needed and lead to destruction. Disclosures have shown that the government could leverage technology while fighting against terror and crime keeping the monitoring of the innocents at risks (Kernaghan, 2014). Again, many argue that the successful use of the technology might lead to human extinction. However, development of AI has not led to any global catastrophe so far. The AI has contributed to the continuous evolution of trends and technology. It could also result in positive hopes at the same time. The method how the AI is to be utilized does not lie on the development of its technology but on the intention of human beings. In case that it was not been developed there laid no guaranty that terrorism and destruction could be controlled. There is no further warranty that human beings would be able sustain a civilization with its ethical standards existing already without the AI. 2. James Moor was of the most renowned professor of philosophy at the Dartmouth College. His reasoning has been that the computers could be shaped to perform any task. It might include those which were not been thought of also. Moor claimed the ethics of computer and information along with other areas of applied ethics require some theories. These theories must coherently unify the consequentialist and deontological aspects for the analysis of ethics (Kimppa, Heimo Harviainen, 2016). The consequentialist theory, as proposed by Moor, has emphasized on the outcomes of policies under the compulsion of justice. Thus the consequentialism was transformed into both sounding theoretical and practical approaches to the problems of ethics of information and computers. The primary features in the framework of Moor comprises of: Deliberating over different policies from any neutral perspective in determining the criteria for meeting the ethical policies. A policy can be considered ethical if it has: Not been doing any unnecessary harms to people and groups Supporting the rights of individual, fulfilling duties and so on. Selecting the most relevant policy from the collection of policies arrived lately at the deliberation stage. It should be done by ranking the policies of ethics regarding the justifiable harms and advantages. However, it must be ensured that: Careful weighing has been done between the desired and worst outcomes in the policies of ethics Distinguishing between the disagreements about the values or principles and facts are done while deciding about the adoption of specific ethical policies (Eggleston, 2013). Thus it is seen that Moor has indicated the evolution of proper habits of the characters like truthfulness, helpfulness, honesty, justice, generosity, kindness and trustworthiness. These elements have been significant prerequisite to behave morally. Hence, in this example, if someone has not developed this, it might become tough for that person to carry out the successful steps in the consequentialist model of Moor. For such case, the elements of character based or virtue ethics has been also presupposed to be imposed in Moors framework (Hammond, 2016). As claimed by Moor, rational discussion on relevant policies has not been impossible and desirable highly, despite of disagreeing on the abilities of various polices. Moor has shown that the disagreement mainly hinges on the distinction between the facts on the case rather than that on the difference in values. In another example, the disagreement as proposed by Moor might radically change most of the debate about the necessity of securing MP3 files (Grant, 2016). Let the fact of downloading of MP3 file for previewing them, be taken. Here, the downloading has increased the sales dramatically along with declining the quality of the produced music. Thus by permitting the assessment of duties, rights and consequences, one could definitely reach at the clear idea of moral implications. Despite this, the method might leave a compelling unclear area. This is because of the difference between person to person in valuation of the duties, rights and consequences. Hence, the idea received by considering that issues from every angle has been worth the cloudy area. 3. For comparing and contrasting two professional bodies of computing the Australian Computer Society or ACS and the Association for Computing Machinery or ACM are taken. Both the Codes of Ethics has possessed a strong concentration on the ethical role throughout the profession. They both link with the owners responsibilities especially at whatever platform they have been manifested. For example the actor requires internalizing the mentioned perspective of owner. The grammatical role named Who of the information security has been represented effectively. This is done in the 3 ethical codes by aspirations such as deontology, virtue ethics and teleology. In both the cases the mentioned virtues has not been spelt out in codes usually (Aris et al., 2015). However, this could be extrapolated from the specified. The differences of the two ethics of code are shown according to the grammatical heading with its perspective. WHO: This relate to the integrity in relationship to the ultimate aim of leadership of business and the stakeholders responsibilities. In the ACM the aspect has been to contribute to the well-being of people and society. Here protection of the primary human rights and respect to the diversity of every culture is done. The minimization of the threats to the security and health are done. For ACS, the upholding and advancing the effectiveness, dignity and honor of the role of Information Technology is meant. This is done by sustaining the high levels of ethical conduct and competence. The integrity of the responsibilities is also maintained (Clarke, 2016). WHAT: It relate to the stakeholders in the hope to influence a highlighted computer project. The ACM articulates and supports policies supporting the users dignity and other areas harmed by the computer system. In ACS, the moral has been to act with professional roles and integrity while dealing with the employers, clients and employees. WHEN: It relate to the culture of work and relationship with stakeholders. The ACM refers to the respect to others and virtues of same justice (Tang, 2017). The ACS makes in taking the oath to attempt for developing the feelings towards personal competence and satisfaction. One must further not go for enhancing individual reputation in exchange of others reputations. WHY: This relate to the stakeholders in an atmosphere to change specially for those who have been obstructive. The ACM leads to involvement in specific training programs which need discipline but should not be very explicit. The ACS forces to keep professional distance from anyone whose Society membership has been closed due to the unsatisfactory conduct or unethical behavior. WHERE: It regards the needs of habitat and the quality of environment. ACM believes that the well being for human beings include a secured natural environment (Pearce, 2015). As a result of this, the professionals of computers developing and designing systems should remain alert of the potential harms to the global and local environments. They should further avoid harming others including the unwanted environmental impacts. For ACS, the conscientious objections could include imposition of the tasks of information technology on the ambience. From the above comparisons it was seen that the key aspects of difference between the ACS and ACM are found. The ACM has been consisting of the section on environment and incriminating. The ACS on the other hand has been devoid of it. References: Aris, A., Kassim, J. M., Ishak, H. Y., Salim, J., Noah, S. A. M. (2015). A Framework for Ontology Development of Information and Communication Technology Experts Using Thesaurus, Association for Computing Machinery Taxonomy and Domain Experts Approaches.Asia-Pacific Journal of Information Technology and Multimedia,4(2). Burton, E., Goldsmith, J., Mattei, N. (2016, March). Using The Machine Stops for Teaching Ethics in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science. InWorkshops at the Thirtieth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Burton, E., Goldsmith, J., Koenig, S., Kuipers, B., Mattei, N., Walsh, T. (2017). Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence Courses.arXiv preprint arXiv:1701.07769. Clarke, R. (2016). Big data, big risks.Information Systems Journal,26(1), 77-90. Eggleston, B. (2013). Rejecting the publicity condition: The inevitability of esoteric morality.The Philosophical Quarterly,63(250), 29-57. Grant, C. (2016). Improving Business and ICT Ethics Educationthe Potential of Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry. Hammond, P. J. (2016). 4 On Reconciling Arrows Theory of Social Choice with Harsanyi's.Arrow and the Foundations of the Theory of Economic Policy, 179. Kernaghan, K. (2014). Digital dilemmas: Values, ethics and information technology.Canadian Public Administration,57(2), 295-317. Kimppa, K. K., Heimo, O. I., Harviainen, J. T. (2016). First dose is always freemium.ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society,45(3), 132-137. Pearce, A. (2015). Adrian Pearce's Home Page, Department of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne. Singer, A. E. (2015). Corporate moral agency and artificial intelligence. InHuman Rights and Ethics: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications(pp. 505-517). IGI Global. Tang, C. (2017). Community College Corner Community colleges in the United States and around the world.ACM Inroads,8(1), 21-23.

Spartan Education Essays - Sparta, Ancient Greece, Helots

Spartan Education When examining any society, one of the most important aspects of its civilization to identify is the education of the youth. Children yearn to please their instructors. Therefore, when all children throughout a society are taught a certain way to live and think, when they grow up, the society itself models these values instilled upon the children. Naturally, when using this ideal to study the history of the Ancient Greeks, focus falls upon its two major city-states, Athens and Sparta. As in almost every aspect of comparison, the difference between the education of the warlike Spartans compared to the education of the philosophical Athenians is like comparing black to white. The main focus of a Spartan education was not to focus on literacy. Instead, as a result of the system of helotry practiced in Sparta, fitness, obedience, and courage had to be taught in order for the Spartans to retain the militaristic supremacy that they had over the rest of the Peloponnesus. In contrast, an Ath enian education was devoted to the three basic categories of literacy, music, and physical education in hopes of creating intelligent, well-rounded citizens who could responsibly participate in the Assembly. For purposes of comparison, the education of both societies can be broken down into three distinct periods of age in which certain traits were taught and which certain schools were attended. When education was complete, the society had successfully refined another child into its strict system of beliefs and principles. In the eighth century B.C., Sparta was in need of more fertile land to support an ever-growing population that demanded food. Consequently, Sparta was forced to do what any ancient civilization did when in need of