Parental Awareness of Educational Play

Parental Awareness of Educational Play Introduction This study will be looking at how parents of children in a foundation stage setting understand and value play based activities to aid their childs learning and to consider their views on play as an integral part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Many policies have been introduced in the last few years concerning the education of young children. Through the implementation of policies which concentrate on supporting families, alongside initiatives like Surestart; childrens welfare and education have been united as well as support being offered for parents, families and the community. The idea of the family is now seen as an important part of early years education and parents should be encouraged and valued as they are important to the well being of their children and their educational benefits. Aubrey (2000) suggests that early education does not happen in a void and notably, we must remember that development begins with the family and reminds us that parents are a childs first educator. The EYFS tries to include all that is needed to ensure a child thrives in a EYFS setting, including children learn through play and parents work in partnership with settings. Although the EYFS is not without its critics. This study will seek to establish the extent of parental awareness of the educational value of play in the EYFS classroom. I have been employed in the early years sector for over fourteen years and have helped with the transition from nursery to primary school for many children, including three children of my own. During this time, I have experienced many parents whom are very happy for their child to be involved in a play based curriculum whilst in nursery education, but become concerned and surprised that children when entering school do not participate in a more structured and traditional curriculum and that the EYFS is continued into school. The next chapter will review the literature in the area of early years education, and will begin by considering some of the many definitions of play. Literature review This literature review, will discuss the many definitions of play. Major learning theories with reference to play, will be considered and how they have influenced education of today. It will also look at how policy has changed and developed, what has defined the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and discuss whether parents are aware of the benefits of a play based curriculum or not. What is play? An early definition of play comes from Isaacs (1999) who viewed play as the work of children. Montessori (2005) believed that children preferred to work whilst playing. Her teaching focused on children developing basic skills, skills could include button and fastening equipment to promote independence in dressing. Though Montessori did not promote learning through play, she did value individual effort as well as working as part of a group. (Lindon, 2001). Lindon (2001) believes play is a range of activities which are undertaken for their own enjoyment, satisfaction and interest. Play is not essential for survival although these activities support psychological wellbeing, learning physical skills and intellectual stimulation. Whereas Moyles (1989) comments on how play is valuable as an excellent learning tool, he also notes the difficulties in finding a definite, precise and conclusive definition of play. He continues by saying there is a need for a different terminology to be used, as the idea of play can be interpreted as something trivial, instead of being seen as play being serious and important to learning. Wood and Attfield (2005) agree by suggesting play cannot easily be defined or grouped as it is always dependant on circumstance and context, which can vary greatly. It has become apparent that although there is no clear definition of play, play is considered to be important by researchers in the field, although Peacocke (1987) argues that the lack of definition causes parents to be suspicious of play as a true learning activity. Child development and play Roussou as far back as 1700 challenged the idea that children were naturally sinful with the opposing idea that children were naturally innocent (Oates et al, date) Roussou as cited in Wood and Attfield (2005) used his knowledge to think practically on how children should be raised and determined that children from birth to twelve, should have their natural innocence appreciated and should be free, to run, jump and play all day. Ideas through the years have often challenged the current thinking of the time and childhood and play has developed and changed because of differing new ideas, to how we define it today. Child development ideas continue to be discussed and challenged with innovative and profound ideas having a large impact on how childhood has been conceptualized and children treated in society. Whilst others asked what do children know Piaget as cited in Garhart Mooney, (2000) suggests that Piagets work was about how children arrived on what they know? Piaget claimed that children construct their own comprehension by giving meaning to their surroundings and the people they meet. Piaget (1967) noted how all children of the same age appeared to think in similar ways, and how they would also make similar mistakes. From the observations Piaget noted the changes in the childrens thinking; this led him to believe that the child was an isolated individual, who adapts to the environment they are in (Smith et el, 1998). Gerhard Mooney, (2000) suggests Piagets theory has created the most comprehensive over view of young children and how they think, although practitioners of today can see some of Piagets theories are not as purposeful as once thought, the basic ideas of his theory still helps practitioners to plan a focused and challenging curriculum for young children. Lindon (2001) continues by suggesting that it is through Piagets beliefs that children create their own understanding of the world, which led him to highlight that adults should create environments which children can discover and learn by themselves. Cadwell (2003) suggests an example of this is the preschools of northern Italy, Reggio Emilia which are strongly influenced by the theories of Piaget. Vygotsky as cited in Garhart Mooney (2000) agreed with Piaget that childrens knowledge was created from personal experiences; although Vygotsky suggests that personal and social experiences can not be separated and that children learn from each other every day, their language develops and they grasp new ideas as they speak to each other, listen to each other and play together. Daniels (1996) proposes that Vygotsky saw play as an important activity to aid learning and development. Vygotsky as cited in Garhart Mooney (2000) suggests play combines time and opportunity for activities in social interaction, language and the use of symbols. He believed that this would empower the childs own interests and operate problem creating and problem solving. As cited in Brock et el (2008) Vygotsky believed these were the tools needed to work within the childs zone of proximal development and that when children are learning, they learn best when what they are learning is just outside their grasp. Th is means that practitioners should know what the child is capable of and what they are capable of understanding. The childs development should then be aided by adult guidance and teamwork with peers. Bruner (1977) continued to develop the ideas and theories of Vygotsky. He believed that children had an in built desire to learn. Bruner, like Vygotsky suggested that it is the work of the practitioner to know where the childs development is at and how they can carry forward the childs development to the next stage, he called this scaffolding. Broadhead (2006) suggests that Vygotsky and Bruners view is that the child and adult will work together, and through this they will develop new schemas. This idea has become increasingly popular, and its relevance to todays education. Development and play Froebel as cited in Macvanel (2009) believed that childhood was a stage in its own right and children were not mini adults. He felt children should learn through play, experience life first hand, self choose activities and use natural motivation. Froebel felt that play was a spiritual activity which reflected deep inner processes and change (Wood and Attfield, 2005). Montessori (2005) believed in an environment which is planned and learning activities supported training. She disregarded fantasy play stating it as insignificant and demeaning to the child, although she provided a child sized setting in which children could learn and rehearse life skills without the adult intervening. Montessori placed less emphasis on free play and fantasy play than Froebel (Montessori and Gutek, 2004). Where Montessori disregarded fantasy play, Isaacs (1995) saw the value of play especially spontaneous, imaginative and manipulative play. She saw that play could be used as a way to gratify frustrated n eeds, work through inner discord and gather understanding of the world in which children live and the relationships they have with people. Play was central to Isaacs curriculum and invited the children to adapt problem solving techniques and develop number, mark making and reading skills (Palmer, Cooper and Bresler, 2001). Current research carried out by Play England entitled Play for a change, revealed that playing had effects on areas of the brain controlling emotion, motivation and reward. The researchers continued by suggesting that play helps children to develop a range of responses to differing situations, experiences and relationships. To conclude it states playing aids children in developing flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing situations (Quarell et el, 2008). Leong (2009) agrees by saying the research into the links between play and cognitive and social skills is apparent and that play is the first stepping stone to children learning more complex ideas as they get older. This research raises new questions for those who view play as a trivial, simple, frivolous, unimportant, and purposeless behaviour and challenges them to recognize play for the important factor it is and the effect it has on childrens learning (Christie, 2001). Smith (2000) categorised play into five areas. He believed that children were active players, learners, social and emotional beings and autonomous players, and their play fitted into each of these areas. Lindon (2001) disagrees saying that researchers must be aware that although they desire areas of play to be clearly defined into categories, that these clear categories can restrict the view of play and when children play normally, they move between areas of play and adult defined areas of development with ease. A child, who is active in play, should not always be seen as just the child engrossed in physically active play (Lindon, 2001). Fisher (1996) agrees and points out that a child engaged in an intellectual activity is just as active as the child pedalling a bicycle. Eden (2008) says that children engrossed in play with others, learn how to work together and live together, that play is a valuable resource to promote equality and cultural awareness in young children. Smith (2000) agrees by saying that children establish healthy relationships with their peers and through play children have to learn to accept others. Bruce (2001) acknowledges that it is this enjoyment of all types of play that aids the children in play. Children reflect on what they have learnt, reproduce their experiences and through this cycle of everyday learning the children consolidate their experiences. Curriculum and play Since the 1944 Education Act, primary teachers and staff were given considerable freedom to teach what they believed to be educationally relevant to the children within their care (Cox and Sanders, 1994). Change was bought about after the Education Reform Act (1988), namely with the introduction of the National Curriculum (Cox, 1996). The national curriculum was introduced in September 1989 and is a framework used by all maintained schools to ensure that teaching and learning is well structured, balanced and sound (directgov, 2010). After the implementation of the national curriculum, it was soon thought that the children under five would also benefit from a curriculum. The Rumbold report (1990) was influential in developing recommendations for provision for these young children. Play and talk were recommended as key approaches. The first attempt to define a curriculum was called desirable outcomes for childrens learning (1996) and included six areas of learning. (Wood and Attfield, 2005). Play in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) The EYFS was implemented in 2007 and brings together the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and Birth to Three Matters. The Effective provision of pre school education (EPPE) project, informed part of the EYFS and among other things showed that the experiences provided for young children in the Foundation Stage and early years settings have a strong impact on childrens learning and social development (DCFS, 2008). All schools and early years settings caring for children under five years have to implement the EYFS programme and the programme ends at the end of the academic year the child turns five (Pugh and Duffy, 2010). The EYFS sets out legal requirements and direction to help practitioners in settings meet the varied developmental and learning needs of all children under five years (Bruce, 2008). The EYFS proposes that flexible plans are used by practitioners to adapt ideas and that carers use observations to link play situations to learning outcomes. The main premise of the EYFS is that play is the central aspect and can support each of the six areas of learning (Canning and Read, 2010). For example, Pimentel (2007) suggests that to develop problem solving reasoning and numeracy in young children, practitioners should be providing mathematical opportunities through play based, open ended and challenging activities like imaginative play, songs and stories. Current research from Bergen (2002) agrees concluding there is a relationship between problem solving and pretend play and that social play has a great influence on problem solving of all kinds. Worthington and Caruthers (2010) continue by suggesting that parents should been shown how children explore mathematical meaning through play, to fully understand the concept. Riley (2003) suggests that play opportunities offer chil dren the chance to acquire knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live and that play has the potential to be the major approach to childrens learning. The EYFS, promotes parents as partners as it recognises that young children whose parents are involved in their early learning make notably better progress (Evangelou, 2004). The child and the family is now recognised as a whole, each able to benefit the other. Initiatives such as Sure Start believe in educating parents in order to educate the child. (Kurtz, 2003). Although Wiltshire (2002) argues that the whole idea of the foundation stage is confusing to parents as they do not know anything about its aims and outcomes. Petrie and Hollaway, (2006) suggest some parents may not be aware of the opportunities for learning that are embedded in a play-oriented curriculum, whilst Brotherson (2009) reminds us that at times, parents have concerns that their child is just playing and not learning what they need to learn and parents must be made aware that play is learning for children. Elkind (2007) continues by saying that parents are concerned their child is at a disadvantage if they are no t constantly engaged in high level learning and educational games, and is of the opinion that parents need to be alerted and reassured of the learning benefits of unscheduled imaginative play situations which will help develop their academic and social abilities. Since the EYFS has been implemented, there has been some who have criticised the initiative. There are fears that a single framework will result in a checklist style curriculum, with practitioners being overwhelmed with the framework (Thompson, 2006). Whitebread and Whitebread (2008) agree by continuing that although concerns over the expanse of the curriculum are minimal, there are serious concerns that in some areas the capabilities of the children are under estimated. Brock et el suggests that practitioners must be fully aware of the breadth and depth of play and a play based curriculum to be able to implement the EYFS effectively and with worthwhile outcomes. Key points As far back as 1929 Isaac defined play as childrens work, now over eighty years later the EYFS is based upon children learning through play. The EYFS principles are based on research and theory of the early years pioneers of education, although it is argued that parents are critical and confused by it. Policy and early years initiatives are encouraging parents to become involved in their childs care, but it is unlikely they will become involved and embrace the EYFS if they do not understand the ideas and concepts which it is built around. I am interested to see if parents understand the benefits of play, or like Peacocke (1978) suggests parents do not see the benefits of play and like Whitebread (2002) states they are confused by the foundation stage. Research Aims To find out what knowledge parents have of the Early Years Foundation stage. To gather information on what parents understand are the benefits of play as a learning tool in the foundation stage classroom. To gain insight into what parents views are of a play based curriculum compared with a more traditional curriculum. Methodology This chapter will look at how the research for this study has been approached, how I have designed the research and how it will help to answer the question Do parents of school age children value play as a learning tool to support the Early Years Foundation Stage? I will look at which methods of research have been chosen and why, highlighting the benefits and problems surrounding the chosen methods. Validity and reliability of the research will be discussed as well as discussing ethical issues which may arise whilst carrying out the study. Method and Approach This piece of research is focused upon parental views and awareness of the educational value of play, it will use qualitative methods during which personal opinions will be sought. As the parents views are paramount within the research the methodology used will be an interpretive approach. Robert Holmes (2005) suggests that qualitative researchers believe that the social world is created by the shared understanding of situations. Cresswell (2003) continues by saying that qualitative methods bring peoples personal views into the study. Peat (2002) suggests that the strengths of qualitative research include being able to gather information on the views of the participant and this in turn can help us gain insight and ideas. However, Silverman (2005) suggests that there can be limitations to qualitative research such as a hypothesis cannot be tested and that more ethical issues relating to qualitative studies can be noted as participants are giving personal viewpoints and opinions. Validity Hughes (2001) suggests that interpretive research is valid as long as it is true and notes the genuine voice of the participant. This is demonstrated through the research as the parents are active people whose understandings and actions are paramount and the intricacy and diversity of these opinions are respected. Robert- Holmes (2005) suggests that multiple understanding of the research is all equally important and the range of interpretations gives the research validity. Although Robson (2002) suggests validy is rarely recognised within a single study, but is built up over time during various research. Silverman (2005) suggests that validity can be affected in qualitative research, if the researcher uses second hand knowledge rather than first hand research. I feel that I must make note of this and be assure that I remain aware of as I feel it would be easy to allow my own thoughts, views and opinions affect the research. Robson (2002) continues by suggesting further concerns with validity can arise with concern to whether the sample of people within the study is representative of the population and this must be questioned. To acknowledge this I am aware that the sample of people I am using for my research are not representative of the population as a whole but is rather focused on a small group of parents within a small community, although these parents come from differing social backgrounds. As Bell (1999) points out researchers are dependent on the amity and availability of subjects, and it can be difficult to achieve a true random sample. Focus group My research will be focusing on the parents of a class of thirty children who have all started at primary school in September 2009. The primary school is set on the edge of the Cotswolds and is the only school in a small town. The children are from mainly white British heritage and the school admits pupils from a wide variety of social backgrounds (Ofsted, 2007). Prior knowledge of the class suggests that majority of the children have attended at least one of three pre school settings in the town including two private day nurseries and a charitable preschool. I decided to research this subject after a discussion with a small group of parents who were concerned that there children were still just playing now they were at school rather than participating in the more traditional curriculum, that they were expecting. This made me realise that some parents still did not view play as a significant learning tool to support the EYFS. I also began to question what parents really felt about pl ay as a learning tool, their views of the benefits or criticisms of a play based curriculum and if they even realised that there children would be taught within the EYFS when they began at primary school. Method To find out the views and knowledge that the parents have of both the EYFS and how they view play, I will be using questionnaires and interviews. I have decided to use questionnaires as they are ideal if you are trying to gather a large amount of primary information from a group of people, as suggested by Green (2000). A pilot questionnaire has been designed and given out to a selection of people who are similar to the people I will be giving my final questionnaire to. Once I have collected the draft questionnaires from my pilot group, I will be able to draw up my final questionnaire using any criticisms and suggestions that my pilot group give me. Green (2000) suggests that piloting your research questionnaire allows for the researcher to get rid of any uncertainty or vagueness that your questionnaire raises. The questions I am asking within my questionnaire are a mixture of differing sorts including open ended and closed questions. Green (2000) suggests that a combination of question types should be used when designing questionnaires, whilst Hucker (2001) reminds us that we should ensure that questions are relevant, using straight forward language avoiding assumptions and using a mixture of question types and avoiding leading questions. I feel that since I will have sent a first draft questionnaire to a pilot group of people, that the finished questionnaire I am sending to the parents will have hopefully been changed and rethought if needed, with questions altered or added and that they will meet all the suggestions of Hucker (2001) and Green (2000). Permission will be gained from the head teacher of the school. If the head teacher is happy with the questionnaire content and the proposed methodology for the research, the questionnaire will be issued to all thirty families within the EYFS classroom. Ethical considerations and confidentiality Aubrey (2000) reminds us that researchers have a duty to ensure that their research will do no harm to their participants and that participants will be treated with respect and their answers treated with anonymity and confidentially. The ethics of this research include ensuring the anonymity of all the participants and to present the information they share with me in a true light and to ensure the information remains confidential. Hucker (2001) reminds us that people who are involved in research have a fundamental right to know how the information collected about them will be used. To ensure that all parents know what my research is about I will enclosed a covering letter with my questionnaire outlining my intentions and the aims of the research, my details in case they wish to contact me to discuss anything regarding the research, alongside a brief paragraph outlining who I am and why I am carrying out this research. I will state within this letter that all questionnaires will be ke pt confidential and at no point will anyone be able to identify parents answers. Arrangements will be made to return all questionnaires in a sealed envelope to the class teacher and then passed onto myself. At no point will I know who has returned their questionnaire and who has not. I will suggest to the parents that the questionnaires are returned to the teacher in a sealed envelope, so that they will also not be able to view the answers given by the parents. Hucker (2001) suggests that it is an important idea to ensure triangulation in the research to show similarities across the range of methods used and to support validity and reliability in the research. Questionnaires are my first research tool and as another method to ensure triangulation, I will ask on my questionnaires if any parent would like to meet with me and participate in an interview. By using more than one method of research, I can hopefully show a fully rounded view of the research topic and as suggested by Robert-Holmes (2005) the different evidence produced can be combined and compared to provide a triangulated analysis. To prepare for the interview with any parent who would like to take part, I have decided to do an unstructured interview rather a structured interview and have decided on a list of questions to prompt me to ensure the interview flows and to aid me in doing this. I have chosen to complete unstructured interviews as Robert-Holmes (2005) suggests that structured interviews are very similar to questionnaires where as unstructured interviews shifts the focus away from the researcher and towards the issues and the true feelings of the participant. Bell (1999) suggests that during questionnaire the responses given by participants have to be taken at face value, where as during an interview rich material can be gathered, he likens this to putting flesh on the bones of any possible questionnaire responses. Robert-Holmes (2005) suggests it is an interviewers job to courteously listen to the responses made and to remain non judgemental at all times, this will be easier to do in a relaxed atmosp here. The prompts I will use will be open ended questions, similar to some of the questions asked within my questionnaire but in a much loser context with the aim to allow me more in-depth information on my research topic and parents views on play as a learning tool and gain an insight into their knowledge of the EYFS. An open ended question is a question in which the respondent is requested to provide their own opinion or ideas (Babbie, 2009). The responses my participant gives will be recorded by me in note form, but if I feel that I am missing out on significant information or not giving the participant my full attention, I may use a Dictaphone. This will be discussed with the participant and if they are not comfortable with this I will remain with note taking only. I will need to address the fact that the participants anonymity will have been compromised when doing the interview as I will obviously know whom they are, but I am aware I must ensure that they realise I will remain a confidant at all times and when quoting them or discussing there interview within this study, I will use a codename for each participant. Participants will also be made aware that they are free to withdraw from the study at any time. Hucker (2001) reminds us that there are many advantages of interviews including that they allow researchers to gain more in-depth information from the participants, but that disadvantages of interviews can be that the researcher can affect the research and that the interviewer can often influence the participants answers. Green (2000) agrees suggesting that interviewers should be aware that asking leading questions can be problematic and personal bias can make the research one sided rather than purposeful. Conclusion To summarise this piece of research seeks personal opinions, therefore will be a qualitative study. Aspects of validity, reliability and ethical issues have been discussed and will be maintained throughout. Questionnaires and Semi-structured interviews will be used to collect data from a sample population of parents with children in a EYFS classroom. Though this is a small study, responses will be interesting with regard to parental views towards views on play as a learning tool and the EYFS. Now that the method of data collection has been established, it is now possible to commence with the data collection. N.B After discussions with the Head teacher of the primary school regarding the content of the questionnaires, she has asked that I include two further questions in my questionnaire, the first being Where parents received their information of the EYFS and If parents would like further information on the EYFS and how they would like to receive this information The head teacher felt on a personal level for the school, that she would be able to use all the research to show how effectively the school is working in partnership with parents and where if at all they need to extend the parents knowledge of the EYFS. If the research shows that the school needed to support the parents further how they needed to improve and how parents would like to receive information was also important to her. I have agreed to this as I feel it could benefit all the parents, the children and the school. Hucker (2001) reminds us that carrying out research helps us analyse how we might do something better or mo re effectively, and the head teacher of the school wanted to be able to do this from my research. Data Collection and Analysis This chapter will discuss the data, how it was collected, analysed and interpreted. It will initially discuss the data collection process, any problems which I experienced and the successes I had. Specific themes will be identified and acknowledged alongside a brief description on the analysis of the data and how this data links to current literature. Once the main themes have been acknowledged, they will be examined and discussed in greater detail, which will lead towards the conclusion of the data and the summarisation of the main themes. Data collection Permission was granted by the head teacher of a primary school for me to carry out this research within the school, she agreed as the results would be beneficial to parents, children and staff. A letter of introduction was then distributed to the foundation stage class parents alongside a questionnaire. The letter outlined the research, and the parents were asked if they would complete the questionnaire and additionally participate in an interview. In total, thirty parents were invited to participate in the study. Problems with data collection On sending out the questionnaires, the initial response was low and after the first week only five parents had returned their questionnaire

Customer Service Analysis Of Easyjet And Ryanair Tourism Essay

Customer Service Analysis Of Easyjet And Ryanair Tourism Essay In reality, an industrys set of characteristics define its own success factors. Different industries will thus have different success factors. In service industry, however, cost and customer service are the major factors that companies compete for. With cost the firm aims to create added value by delivering same benefits as its competitors, but at a lower cost. Customer service is to deliver great service to exceed their expectations. It is the service experience that builds reputations and expands business, or destroys reputations and contracts business (85words). In airline industry, customers demand varies. In the past, most customers travelled in luxury airplanes. British Airlines (BA) is a good example. BA provides great services and travellers had no choice to pay high cost. Today, definition of airline has been changed with the presence of low fare carriers. Air travel is no longer luxury and everyone now can fly at affordable price. The key objective of low fare carriers is to reach the market at a lower cost and to provide the services to large segment. EasyJet and Ryaniar are two top low fare carriers in Europe with different operation strategies. Traveller who look for low price and if comfy is not a factor, Ryanair could be a good choice. Traveller who is in budget and looking for convenience, EasyJet is the best choice. Low fare is a distinct order qualifier in low cost airline industry. EasyJet is the second largest low fare airline service provider behind Ryanair, expanding rapidly since its establishment in 1995. Operating from its Luton headquarters, it carries around 40 million a year with a growing fleet of over 180 aircrafts. Today, EasyJet employed over 7,300 people and flies to over 500 routes including to European, North African, and West Asian countries. (207words) Task 3 Travellers are attracted to different attributes, termed as performance objectives. Travellers with budget control will likely to use either EasyJet or Ryanair; both offer a competitive low price. Ryanair claim an average  £34 per 600km, EasyJet claim  £45. EasyJet is not as cheap as Ryanairs, but travellers have an option to travel at different times on the same day. EasyJets options are more visible and easier to understand compared to Ryanair. However, cost is not only the basis they can compete. This brings to another objective, dependability. EasyJet flies to both primary and secondary airport with high frequency. Flying to main airport is to provide convenience, secondary airport to avoid delays, high turnaround and cut operating cost, and high frequency per day is to enable travellers to choose suitable scheduled flight and load more passengers. Ryanair only flies to secondary airport to keep cost low with minimum flight frequency. Following this is flexibility. In theory, it refers to the ability of EasyJet to offer a wide variety of services to their passengers. With the increasing demand of business travellers who are under budget control, EasyJet is the right option who serves the market with quality services. EasyJet is now serving both, leisure and business travellers, which Ryanair do not have. Low cost, high dependability and flexibility in providing their services are the main competitive factors identified in this study. To differentiate EasyJet further, EasyJet is good in innovation. Corporate customers are now for the first time able to view and make reservation through Global Distribution Systems (GDS), business.EasyJet.com. With such service, there is no change to either EasyJet`s business model or its unique pricing structure. Unlike Ryanair, they innovate their service to cut operating cost but at the same time to charge every single service offered to their passengers. The different the way they innovate their services can distinctly distinguished between the two. Innovation is the EasyJets order winner.(319words) Task 4 From the above, EasyJet has their own competitive factors over their main contender, Ryanair. However, EasyJet values in no frills, care and convenience, low cost concept and to keeping costs low requires high assets utilization and high efficiency in every parts of their operation. There is no reason for travellers not to use EasyJet as their main carrier. (58words) Task 5 In theory, innovation is any new idea or getting ideas from already existing ones and redesigns it to make it work better. It is what keeps EasyJet moving forward and to succeed in its competitive environment. Speedy Boarding Plus is the latest EasyJet innovation to give their customers more choice and flexibility. This new facility builds on the success not only providing passengers with the opportunity to board a flight first and have a wider choice of seats but also offer them a dedicated check-in area compared with Ryanair innovation to cut cost without considering their passengers convenience. This could be seen in their plans to cut costs by making fliers perch on stools with seatbelts around their waists. Ryanair wants passengers to stand onboard so the budget airline can squeeze more people. EasyJet aimed to offer more convenience to passengers while keeping the cost as low as possible. EasyJets innovative deal with Business Travel International (BTI), which is a leading travel management company, will give access to their booking inventory and certain back-office systems. This will help increase EasyJet`s penetration into the lucrative corporate travel market. Also, the innovation of a new technology called AVOID (Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector) which would be mounted on a planes tail fin, will allow pilots to detect dangerously high levels of ash and to avoid violent thunderstorms. This new technology will prevent a repetition of the blanket bans on airspace that brought havoc to millions of passengers across Europe in March and April. (272words) Task 6 Low cost Leadership Strategy EasyJet is adopting a low cost leadership strategy a strategy that allows them to provide services at low price than their competitors. This was identified as EasyJets order qualifier. Low cost concept can be derived from high asset utilization and high operating efficiency (Figure). At EasyJet, the aircraft flies 11 hours a day, four hours longer than BA while the pilots fly 900 hours a year, same as Ryanair, but 50% more than British Airways. EasyJet provide convenience to its customer through direct sales of ticket through the company website, www.easyiet.com. This gives their known consumers no hesitation about booking online and choice is offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week and reductions are offered for booking on the web. Passengers are also given the best fare available on each flight which is quoted one way. This means that the best price for the most convenient flight can be obtained both ways, optimizing the round trip cost for the passenger. This compared with the inflexible pricing and ticketing structures offered by conventional airlines. (223words) Supply Chain It is also identified that EasyJet is adopting a bidirectional supply chain as well as outsourcing strategy (Figure ) in their attempt to cut cost. EasyJet acts as an agent to travellers while outsourced many of its services and goods from suppliers. Services such as aircraft maintenance is oversee by SR Technics, Network Infrastructure to enable the online booking is managed by Alfred McAlpine, and In-flight magazine is provided by Ink Company. Gate Gourmet is responsible for the supply of all food for onboard purchase, duty free products, and crew meals. Both bidirectional and outsourcing strategies helped EasyJet to focus on their core operation and help them to cut their cost.(111words) Quality Service EasyJet make use of value-based approach to quality in terms of cost and customer service. Customers may accept low quality service for a lower price compared to BA where customers are offered great quality service for a higher price. EasyJet offers quality service to its customers by targeting both leisure and business travellers. At EasyJet, the checked in baggage charge is slightly higher than Ryanairs, at  £22, but travellers are allowed 20 kilos of baggage. In addition, EasyJet has no specific weight for hand luggage. EasyJet also charge a booking fee, but this is per booking, rather than per person, as in the case of Ryanair. As for business travellers, they are allowed to check-in and board earlier without charge. Ryanair do not offer such services. At EasyJet, online check-in is also available to all travellers with no fee but Ryanair charged  £5 per traveller. More business services are summarized in table __. (153words)

Writing as Art in The Painted Bird :: Painted Bird Essays

Writing as Art  in  The Painted Bird  Ã‚  Ã‚   Three Works Cited    The use of art has many functions.   It lacks a satisfactory definition and is easier to describe it as a way something is done --â€Å"the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others†Ã‚   --rather than what it is.   Jerzy Kosinski’s The Painted Bird describes the disasters that befall a six-year-old boy who is separated from his parents and wanders through the primitive Polish-Soviet borderlands during the war.   Kosinski fails to mention the boy’s name and the names of the towns the boy travels over throughout the text.   This enables the reader to assume that this child could have possibly been any unfortunate youngster during the war.   Kosinski’s writings organize the chaos of the boy’s life experiences through form.   The use of both organic and conventional form throughout the book draws the reader closer to the horrific encou nters the young boy faced on a daily basis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using writing as a method of art organizes the chaos of experience through form.   Kosinski’s novel applies organic form to portray the appalling predicaments the boy encountered during the separation from his family.   The use of organic form in the formal pattern offers the reader the â€Å"what-will-be-next† scenario before they proceed through the pages.   Kosinski gives the reader a taste of the animalistic characteristics of the towns’ people the boy confronts during the war.   This allows the reader not to be â€Å"shocked† when the peasants the boy faces demonstrated an extraordinary predilection for incest, sodomy, and meaningless violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While reading â€Å"The Painted Bird†, the reader gains the impression that religion seemed to be a high priority for the village people.   However, Kosinski’s use of conventional form to inform his readers that church was a very important part of the   culture in these villages seemed to contradict this portrayal. In the culminating incident of the book, the boy drops a missal while he’s helping service Mass and is flung by the angry parishioners into a pot of manure .   Emerging from the pit he realizes that he has lost the power of speech.   Church goes watched as the young boy was tossed into the manure and no one tried to assist him.   A group of bullies pushes the boy, a presumed spy or Jew, below the ice of a frozen pond.

The Dramatic Intensity of The Crucible’s Courtroom Scene Essays

The Dramatic Intensity of The Crucible’s Courtroom Scene In this assignment I am going to investigate the Dramatic Intensity of The Crucible’s courtroom scene. I am going to do this by exploring the language used, how the characters develop and how Arthur miller unfolds the plot to keep the reader interested and how emotion and feelings dictate the movements of the play. The Crucible is set against the backdrop of the mad hunts of the Salem witch trials in the late 17th century. It is about a town, after accusations from a few girls, which begins a mad hunt for witches that did not exist. Many towns’ people were hanged on charges for of witchcraft. Miller brings out the absurdity of the incident with the theme of truth and righteousness. The theme is conveyed through the struggles of Miller’s main character John Proctor. In The Crucible all the events flow naturally from one event to next. Everything happens naturally from the natures of the characters. The fact that the story isn’t made up and it is based on a true story makes the play interesting. There was sufficient conflict, so many things going on, it kept my interest aroused. There is much tension and suspense in the story. It covers basic human instinct and qualities. It shows the human necessity for survival, and the lengths at which a person will go to save his life. The Crucible is a study of mass hysteria that affects the village of Salem in a foremost way. There are many themes running through the play. One is obviously witchcraft. There is an idea of Abuse of power and, also the individuality and society, this is important because it is set in the 17th century and everyone was the same. There is an idea of honour and truth. Proctor... ...se are very valuable to drama as it adds interest and has the edge of the seat effect. The crucible is a thrilling play which gripped my attention, and after researching the play I have found how Arthur miller has allowed the plot to flow naturally to unfold dramatic intensity shown through themes to add tension and emotion to the story line. The theme witchcraft adds anxiety as other themes are unearthed,. The individual and society theme, when everyone is expected to act the same we discover witchcraft, which is brought by one of the main characters which does not belong to the same society. The narrator & stage instructions added to the text added conflict, however after watching the play I found it greatly enjoyable. I felt Arthur Miller made the crucible dramatic by showing feeling and emotion shone through accusations and the events of the play.

The Truth About Serial and Mass Murders Essay -- different police prof

A murderer is a murderer. There is no doubt about it, a person like that deserves to be punished for the crime they committed. However, not every killer is the same; there are some who are mass murderers who go on killing rampages for reasons of their own, and then there are the serial killers that love to kill people because it makes them feel some sort of emotion. People often mistake these killers as one and the same, but in reality they are completely different in the ways they are profiled by the police, how they commit their murders and the effect they have on the community and the nation. Granted mass and serial murders are both killers, the police profile them differently. Even though they each have a different style of killing, both serial killers and mass murderers follow patterns. In an article written by R.M and S.T. Holmes they say that â€Å"the mass murderer is perceived as a demented, mentally ill person†. As the quote in the book says Prendergast was obviously mentally ill as are most other mass murderers. In the book, The Devil in the White City, Larson says that â€Å"Holmes was warm and charming and talkative, he touched the women with a familiarity that while perhaps back at home would have been offensive, now seemed quite alright in the new city of Chicago† (Larson, 245). R.M and S.T. Holmes observe that â€Å"serial killers give themselves no discernible traits form the other people in society; they walk into the lives of many, invited then fatally dispatched with little concern.† Just like Larson said Holmes invited himself into t he lives of many, and while he may have stood out in the way he touched them, I'm sure it wasn’t a big factor because this was the beginning of a new era and younger people were behaving with mo... ...is committed, it is tragic, no matter the type of killer, but it is important to know the difference between a mass and serial murderer. Figuring out their patterns can possibly help the law enforcers catch them before things get out of hand. It can also help police understand what makes the murderers the way they are, so the police can possibly stop the things that trigger tem to become the killers that they are. These murderers are different because of the way they the police see them, the way they kill their victims and the way they scare they community and the nation. â€Æ' Works Cited Holmes, R. M., and S. T. Holmes. (n.d.): n. pag. Rpt. in Federal Probation. 1st ed. Vol. 56. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 9-53. Ebsco Host. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. New York: Crown, 2003. Print.

A view from the bridge †Arthur Miller :: English Literature

A view from the bridge – How does Arthur Miller A view from the bridge – How does Arthur Miller prepare the audience for the dramatic events at the end of the play? Arthur Miller was born in New York City on the 17th of October 1915. The son of a small businessman, Miller worked in a warehouse after graduating from high school. When he saved enough money he attended the University of Michigan. During the Second World War Miller moved to New York where he began writing plays. A View from the bridge was written in 1955, it was partly based on the idea that his parents were both immigrants into the United States. When writing the play Miller was trying to create a real life story, concerning a tragedy of ordinary people. In the late 1940’s Miller became interested in the workers of New York’s Brooklyn Harbour, which was where he had previously worked. Writing this play allowed him to express his feelings towards poorly paid workers; most of whom were immigrants. The first character introduced in the play is Alfieri; he is a ‘big time lawyer’, who speaks a recognizable standard American English, unlike everybody else featured in the play. Alfieri is a very mysterious character; he is constantly appearing and disappearing into the shadows, or the ‘black of the night,’ which leaves an impact on the audience as they are curious to whom this person is and what his role is in the play. He basically recites the prologue and epilogue to the play and comments on the main action. The audience are constantly kept on their feet guessing as to what will happen to the relationship between Eddie Carbone and Catherine. Instantly they realize that throughout the play there will be a lot of conflict between these two characters. However they are not sure what all the arguments will result in. The most anticipating moment of the play is the final scene; Miller has prepared the audience for this ending throughout the play. Miller creates plenty of tension during this scene, because there are a number of endings that can be used, the audience is eager to find out which one will take place. Miller had prepared a number of endings but thought that the chosen ending would have the most effect. Another possible option to end the play was Eddie committing suicide, although this is very dramatic, it did not suit Eddie’s character. Miller describes Eddie as a strong-minded man, who is always willing to fight for what he wants. Therefore the chosen ending was much more effective as Eddie didn’t

Biology 2160: Test Questions

Question 1 5 out of 5 points The nutrients fall into ______ classes Answer Selected Answer: 3. 6 Correct Answer: 3. 6 †¢Question 2 5 out of 5 points The most energy-rich of the nutrients is: Answer Selected Answer: 2. fat Correct Answer: 2. fat †¢Question 3 5 out of 5 points All of the following nutrients are organic EXCEPT: Answer Selected Answer: 1. minerals Correct Answer: 1. minerals †¢Question 4 0 out of 5 points Effects of physical activity on the body include all of the following EXCEPT: Answer Selected Answer: 5. all of the following are effects of physical activity Correct Answer: 1. decreased bone density Question 5 5 out of 5 points Carbohydrate and protein each contain __ calories in a gram. Answer Selected Answer: 2. 4 Correct Answer: 2. 4 †¢Question 6 5 out of 5 points The abundance of types of foods today has made it: Answer Selected Answer: 1. more difficult to plan a nutritious diet Correct Answer: 1. more difficult to plan a nutritious diet †¢Question 7 5 out of 5 points Your family always has rice available at every meal, just as it has been for every generation. This is an example of ____ of food selection. AnswerSelected Answer: 1. cultural tradition Correct Answer: 1. cultural tradition †¢Question 8 5 out of 5 pointsA study conducted in several countries where a high intake of fish and a low intake of animal fat were correlated with a low rate of breast cancer death is an example of a(n): Answer Selected Answer: 1. epidemiological study Correct Answer: 1. epidemiological study †¢Question 9 0 out of 5 points Scientists have developed a new type of margarine containing plant ingredients they think will lower blood cholesterol levels in people who use the margarine. They want to test this by having some people use the new margarine for a while and then compare their cholesterol levels with those of a group of people who use regular margarine.This is an example of what type of research design? Answer Selected Answer: 4. laboratory study Correct Answer: 3. intervention study †¢Question 10 5 out of 5 points The main purpose of the national research projects, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) and the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII), is to: Answer Selected Answer: 2. determine what the nutrient and dietary intakes of the population in our country are Correct Answer: 2. determine what the nutrient and dietary intakes of the population in our country are