Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Global Smart Classroom Market Essay Example for Free
Global Smart Classroom Market Essay Classrooms that are technology-enabled are known as smart classrooms. These classrooms are equipped with hardware and software that enhance learning and improve the dissemination of knowledge. Smart classrooms have transformed teaching from a traditional process to an advanced learning process by using an array of audio-visual tools that allow teachers to demonstrate and communicate easily. These technologies consist of software such as educational ERP and disruptive technologies such as LMSs, LCMSs, interactive whiteboards, and simulation-based learning hardware. Smart classrooms use interactive modules, videos, and presentations to improve the teaching process and to engage students in multi-media technologies. Covered in this Report The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Global Smart Classroom market for the period 2015-2019. To calculate the market size, it considers the revenue generated by vendors through the following product segments: Kindergarten K-12 Higher Education View our full TOC here Key Regions EMEA APAC Americas Key Vendors Apple Inc. IBM Corp. Microsoft Corp. SMART Technologies Inc. Other Prominent Vendors Adobe ATT Technologies Blackboard Cisco Systems Dell Desire2Learn Discovery Communication Dreambox Learning Echo360 Ellucian Fujitsu HP Jenzabar Knewton Lenovo Group N2N Services Panasonic Promethean World Saba Software Samsung Toshiba Udemy Key Market Driver Dynamic Interactive Learning Systems For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Challenge Lack of Proper IT Infrastructure For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Trend. Increased Usage of Smart Software For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Questions Answered in this Report What will the market size be in 2018 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? For more insights, view our Global Smart Classroom Market 2014-2018 report.
The Architecture Of Theatres Architecture Essay
The Architecture Of Theatres Architecture Essay Back to the first half of the 20th century and it was in America that mass production was becoming ever more efficient and chains of theatres were blooming all over the country. Architects commissioned to design these theatres were no longer being briefed by the playwrights and managers but by the owners of the chains with the sole intention on increasing box office sales. The aesthetics were clearly intended for the paying customer and the money directed at the entrance lobby and the ever growing auditorium spaces and the less spent on the ever smaller dressing rooms. This problem was less common in Britain around that time as very few theatres were built during the war but a prime example for Britain did come about with the redevelopment of the Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1930. Designed by modernist architect Elizabeth Scott, after months of fundraising and committee meetings, was expressed by the director of the theatre William Bridge-Adam as having, Absolute flexibility, a box of tricks out of which the child like mind of the producer may create whichever shape it pleases. It should be able to offer Mr Poel an Elizabethan stage after his hearts desire. The Architectural Review responded to it with critical acclaim. Sightline was an area singled out as being particularily good with no pillars obstructing any views and no boxes. Acoustics were also mentioned, the shape of the theatre resembles a giant horn and is so deigned that the players can be herd from all parts of the stage and the sound distributed evenly throughout the auditorium. The splays and the ceiling of the proscenium, together with the forestage when in use, act as reinforcment to the source of sound. Finally the use of materials and the style where mentioned. Though new theatres continue to appear in constant succession throughout the country, each newcomer, with very occasional exception, represents no more than another step along the tiresome path of motif ornament and meaningless decoration. Since Palladio built his theatre of Vicenza there has been no development other than an increasing tendency towards vulgarity and over-elaborationà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ in the new theatre in Stratford-on-Avon materials are used with intelligence, selection and fitness of purpose and designed by the nature of the material. It later became clear that the actors did not feel the same way. Comments were made over the distance from the stage and front row and the bare walls stretching from the proscenium to the circle. It was described in The Other Theatre, published in 1947,Word count: 294 as if performing to Calais from the cliffs of Dover. (Baliol Holloway) Clearly the architect had not achieved what she had wanted (an intimate theatre) nor what the client desired. What had happened here was a lack of communication and cooperation between the two professions. In the past there was an understanding of what was required and little was said between either professions but back then the architects working on theatre buildings would have specialised in Theatre design, most of them being builders themselves with several years of experience under their belts. The word specialist was not used in Britain until the mid-19th century, pervious to that an architect who designed theatres would just be referred to as a Theatre Designer. Earlier cases have been recorded in other parts of the world where renowned general architects have thought they could solve the problems aroused by the old theatre designs. At the end of the 18th century London had several theatres which had work done to them such as Benjamin Dean Wyatts Theatre Royal in Drury Lane which also received architectural critical acclaim. Too often theatres built by renowned generalist architects are more extravagant and end up having work done to the auditorium within and around a decade. Luckily for both architect and theatre owner money had become available for rebuilds and amendments however vast. The theatre professions displeasure with the works of Wyatts at Drury Lane and Elizabeth Scott at Stratford -upon-Avon are only a couple of examples of what happens when famed architects try and impose a solution to and old and accustomed problem. Their belief that they could rethink the nature of the auditoriums issues upon their first attempt can be seen a s naÃÆ'à ¯ve and as the theatre profession is more voluble than the architectural realm when provoked, the public tend accept the blame being placed on the architect. Word count: 385 Luckily there are a few first time Architects, Theatre Designers and Consultants who do listen to their clients and are willing to spend the time studying the code for auditorium design as well as meet technical requirements. As a result there are many theatres in both Britain and America which function out of a healthy relationship between both theatre and architecture professions. The breakdown in communication is what both sides have to be wary of and this can often be caused by the architects instinctive to offer slender resources to the external design. In some cases it may be the case that the architect has taken a modernist mind-set, strange to the theatrical precedence which is generally that the outside of the building should express whats inside and also the other way around. Therefore in the name of architectural truthfulness as a whole, the detailing and shape to the auditorium could be sacrificed by the architect under his manifesto. Looking at it the issue in detail, th e same outcome can be caused by the opinion that the architect is not changing anything just reorganising the auditorium elements more effectively which is just as dangerous as believing that they can change the nature of the auditorium itself. Therefore by trying to organise these key components such as lighting, side seating and acoustic materials, and moving them to the perimeter of the space the eye of the viewer may be drawn to the outside of the stage rather than inwards at the actor. The attention would be drawn to the side walls and ceiling hence the actor will have to try harder to gain the attention of the audience. The problem with auditoriums in the past was the failure to draw the attention to the front 15ft of the stage which should appear to float. Some of the causes may have been that the seating went too far back or was spread too wide. The stem for this problem maybe that some architects are taught and become firm believers that form follows function, thus the functionality fallacy. They work only with statistics in creating a design which is dictated purely on numbers. Areas of the design which could not be measured were often ignored or left to the architect to decide on the outcome unattended. This is a clear example of a lack of a real philosophical discussion on the nature of how theatre functions, between the theatrical technician and the architect. Word count: 403 To understand the architect lets look at how the development of the proper approach to theatre design. First of all a team needs to be formed consisting of: an architect, engineer, acoustic consultant, cost consultant and theatre consultant. An architect naturally heads the team as is in the architects office where he or she works alongside partners, associates and has technicians underneath heading different departments on the construction drawings. There will be some younger members of the team which would have graduated high from their architectural schools wanting to work for an experienced architect on high level projects who spend their time trying to find rational solutions through designing sketch schemes with the architect. These young people are who the Theatre Consultants should liaise with. The Engineers occasionally have a tendency to take over a project which can be dangerous for the position of the architect. The electrical engineer has the safest role in terms of lighting which can be overseen by the Theatre Consultant and more central to the success of the project is the mechanical engineer. The mechanical engineer takes charge of the heating and ventilation. Theatres require that the space be dry and cool whilst also being silent, something theatre managers specify as being essential is the silence. Architecture Actor Audience states that Quite simply there is nothing more expensive and nothing more necessary. The overall job of the engineers be them electrical, structural or mechanical is to solve how the design is put together as opposed to the what and the why of the design. This leads us to the dangerous cases in which the engineers take over the role of designer of theatres from the architects. 1950s America and engineers were emerging with numerous qualifications in stage design and acoustic and scenic engineering claiming they had solutions to sights and sounds. Fixed angles where determined for acceptable sightlines in the auditoriums. Ceilings hidden by lighting, previously referred to as the heavens to capture the rising human spirit and to keep a cap on the theatre space to focus the attention back down to the actor. The side walls which had been lined with humanity in the early years were also now shaped for acoustic advantages. To create a theatre that was intimate, it was suggested that the furthest seats from the stage had to be of a certain distance. Jo Melziners so called field tests in which he concluded that the furthest distance of: 55ft (16.8m) for Julie Harris in drama, slightly more for Gertrude Berg in a rather broad comedy and 100ft (30m) for Ethel Merman in anything. What had not seemed to be considered was the density of the space given to the individual audience member or of the impact of the amount of people to be fitted into the full distance allocated. Just to mention some of the theatres loved by the theatre profession; the Old Vic in London, the Lyceum and the Booth in New York, all of which would be considered badly designed with views obstructed with bad sightlines and areas with a lack of legroom but shows succeed in these theatres Word count: 331 Nowadays this is realised as being a mistake in design as functionality actually took away from the experience but in the 50s and 60s this confusion of the criteria of what makes a good theatre experience had not been realised. What differentiates the live theatre is the sense of community and involvement not the emphasis on the visual lines and sound quality. Maybe if we take a step back and look at what Marcus Vitruvius Pollio wrote in the early first century BC on theatre architecture, we could possibly find another angle on design. Vitruvius having been an architect and builder shared most if not all his knowledge in his ten books on architecture. He makes detailed reference to existing buildings and gave recommendations on how to build new ones. Word count: 248 The conclusion is that clients are appearing to be increasingly greedy wanting larger seating volume with equal comfort. The architect must not fall for the naivety that they can solve the problems which have been around for centuries. An architects overconfidence in his technical skills can easily cause the failure of a production and not have the talent of the production or writers to blame. Many newly emerging architects believe that theatres need modernisation but there needs to be a greater understanding of the magic and illusionistic handling of the space of such a complex building type. It seems better then to stick to old strategies which work and if there is an old theatre in question then keep it if it works. Amendments can be made to the dressing room and bar, possibly the foyer but not to the spaces in which the audience interact with the performers. By looking to the past for answers we will find that the majority of successful theatres are based on the principles of the sacred geometry which should be considered as special harmony with the intention to encourage movement of energy not as a robust net of formations. Finally the sightline paradox. It seems the theatres which work well suffer from the occasional views with obstructions but those theatres which have excellent sightlines all-round are universally disliked by actors and audience.
Monday, August 5, 2019
The Success of the First Crusade
The Success of the First Crusade The first crusade was a military expedition by European Christians to regain the holy lands and occurred in 1095. It was viewed as an unprecedented success by historians of the day and by contemporary historians. The reasons for this great success, if it can be named great at all, are numerous. From Pope Urban IIs fiery call to arms at the Council of Clermont, to the lack of preparation from the Turks, there are many reasons for this success. Indeed the extreme faith displayed by the crusaders, the quality of their leaders, and the allies which they gained during their extensive journey were further factors which contributed to their success. After receiving the call for military aid from Alexius I, the Byzantine Emperor in 1095, Pope Urban II seized upon this opportunity for him to renew Papal control and influence in the east and to reunite the churches of Rome and Constantinople. Through his highly charismatic sermon given on 27th November 1095 at the Council of Clermont, Urban was able to arouse enthusiasm from the clergy and nobles present for a Holy War on the Muslims in the east. They then went out to their diocese and spread the command of a call to arms from God. This call to arms created a huge influx of people from all works of life and they were all keen to embark on this pilgrimage to the holy land. This was a good thing as more people would mean a larger army for which to defeat the Muslims with. However a lot of people who showed enthusiasm for this pilgrimage were not knights or trained soldiers but were ordinary men, women and children, and so they can be seen as more of a hindrance than of help. On the o ther hand, by there being women, usually wives, on the journey they would have undoubtedly helped the men on this hazardous journey by providing them with the necessary motivation needed to complete this pilgrimage. However the crusaders did not answer the call for arms from Pope Urban likely; they knew that it would be an arduous journey. But for most it was their undoubted faith which made them embark on this journey and it was faith which was a key factor that carried them to Jerusalem. Until recently it has been thought that one of the main motives for people embarking on the crusade was power and profit which could be gained in the supposedly lucrative east. But contemporary historians now believe that a lot of the crusaders were just devout Christians and wished to secure their place in heaven which the Pope had stated would happen if they liberated Jerusalem from the infidel. Faith is a powerful tool; it can make people push beyond their limits and to achieve unattainable goals, as is stated by Setton and Baldwin ââ¬Ëwithout zeal and a burning faith it could never have been achieved and hence it was definitely a positive factor in helping the success of the crusaders. The crusaders wer e from all different parts of Europe and spoke many different languages. It was their belief in achieving the one aim of capturing Jerusalem that made them work effectively together as a fighting force. This can be seen when the crusaders captured Antioch. As soon as they captured Antioch, after a gruelling siege of seven months, the crusaders themselves were besieged by an army of Kerbogha of Mosuls. The crusaders were hungry and tired. Furthermore their morale was dangerously low, they were fighting night and day to keep the besiegers out, and just when they thought that all was lost a minor monk called Peter Bartholomew claimed to have discovered the holy lance in the city. This was enough of a sign to give the crusaders faith that they would win and made them fight on. On June 28th they defeated Kerboghas forces. This is a prime example to prove that it was their faith which encouraged the Crusaders to go forth and to face the enemy head on instead of giving up. The first crusaders were indeed many but they were in foreign lands, far away from home and without a reliable source of supplies and so it was important for them to make allies within the region. Though there were some troubles between the crusaders and the Byzantines, the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I was very willing to help the crusaders with supplies, a small military force and engineers. The engineers were extremely useful and necessary for the building of siege engines from which they made the capture of towns much easier. Hence the alliance with Alexius was a necessity for the success of the crusade. A further asset to the crusaders was the help from the Armenians. With their help some of the crusaders were able to conquer Edessa and hence form the first of the crusader states called the County of Edessa of which Baldwin was their ruler. Also it was an Armenian guard who Bohemond bribed at Antioch to open the cities gates. Furthermore, it was also an Armenian commander who help ed the crusaders capture Jerusalem by surrendering his tower on the main walls to them. Otherwise the crusaders quite possibly would have had to have gone through a lengthy siege in which many of them would have died. Baldwin of Boulogne also had an Armenian called Pakrad on his staff whom he relied on for advice on the area and the diplomatic stance between states and rulers. Another main ally who the crusaders had but were not as prominent was the Christian people who were already there. They tried their best to help the crusaders by giving them what provisions they could spare and by trying to help overthrow the garrisons of towns of which the crusaders were trying to capture. But there is evidence that a lot of Christians within these Muslim states were quite content with their Muslim overlords and so were not keen in helping a foreign army even if it was a Christian one. Another key factor which can be seen during the first crusade is that of the competency of the crusaders leadership. The crusaders were in the hands of experienced princes whom had seen combat in various wars. This can be seen through the tactics which they employed, such as them used on June 30th 1097 when Bohemonds army was surrounded by a Turkish army. The papal legate Adhemar of Le Puy performed an ingenious diversion of crossing the mountains to flank the enemy and come up on their rear, ââ¬Ëwhich caused them to flee in panic and confusion'[1]. But even though the crusaders leaders were highly skilled at leading they were not always a unifying force. There was a growing tension between Raymond and Bohemond. But other than that there was not much quarrelling within the army itself. Some of the main leaders were driven to a degree by their own ambition and this sometimes led to atrocities occurring. An example of this is the massacre of 300 Norman troops who Baldwin of Boulogne had forced to camp outside the walls of his newly captured town of Tarsus because he did not trust them and hence they were slaughtered by the towns former garrison under nightfall. But through all of the bad decisions, most of the time when they were needed to unify and attack together they did just that. They worked as one army, even if they disagreed on tactics when they assaulted and besieged major cities such as Antioch and Jerusalem. Indeed the assault on Jerusalem was impeded time wise by the arguing between the leaders over who should be given Antioch, but when they eventually got there the remaining princes worked together to gain success. But the fact that most of the princes true ambitions lay in their own personal gain is shown by Bohemond who selfishly never took any further part in the crusade after becoming Prince of Antioch. He never even went to Jerusalem. This was a major reason in why it took so long for the crusaders to take Antioch, because Raymond had wanted t o storm the city but Bohemond refused and wanted to besiege it even though there wasnt enough troops to encircle the city. Bohemonds decision to siege was due to his own greed; he wanted Antioch for himself and so wanted it intact. The siege was perhaps harder on the crusaders than the defenders as they quickly ran out of food which led to desertion and cannibalism. Even though these blasphemous events were occurring, Bohemond still held the siege which shows that he didnt care much about the religious side to the crusade but by taking Antioch he did succeed in completing his own agenda and furthered the crusaders cause. One of the most important reasons for the success of the first crusade was the disunity within the Muslim nations in and around the holy land and their underestimation of the threat to which the crusaders posed. During the time of the first crusade, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt were all under Muslim control. But they were politically and, to some extent, culturally fragmented and hence this would have certainly contributed to the success of the first crusade. These differences can be seen through the internal rivalry which had been going on between competing territories. Anatolia and Syria were controlled by the Sunni Seljuks, and used to be unified in one big empire but in 1092 Malik-Shah, the Seljuk sultan, died and his sons quarrelled over who would succeed him. So the sultans once large empire was split between the competing sons. Hence when the crusaders came marching through, these states were on the whole more concerned with consolidating their own territories and gai ning control of their neighbours, than with cooperating against the crusaders. There was also a failure to react quickly enough to the crusading threat by the Turks and the rest of the Muslim states. During the Peoples crusade The Turkish king Kilij Arslans capital, Nicaea was situated close to where the crusaders were based. He was happy enough to watch them ravage the countryside but as soon as they threatened his city he easily defeated them. This easy defeat of the Christian forces lulled him into a false sense of security. When he heard that another Christian force had amassed at Constantinople he assumed that it would be of the same type of incompetent soldiers as before and so took the majority of his army to attack a rival state, ââ¬Ëhe had not foreseen that the crusading army would be so strong'[2]. This same sort of misconception of the crusading forces was common among many of the Muslim leaders, and hence played a major part in the success of the first crusade. This can be proven by the failure of the second crusade. It contained around the same amount of people as the first crusade but by this time the Muslim leaders were more prepared and swiftly defeated the crusaders in two battles[3]. Even though the main reason for the success of the first crusade was the disunity between the Muslim states, all of the factors mentioned contributed to the crusades success. The crusaders allies played their part in helping the crusaders to succeed in their goals. Also the faith of the people played a major part. Their faith cannot be underestimated, it kept them going and forced them onwards to Jerusalem; it was their faith which stopped them from turning back even when they were dying from starvation and disease. It was ultimately their faith which drove them to succeed. Bibliography Asbridge, T. S. , The First Crusade: A New History,(London, 2004). Baldwin, M. W. ed. , A History of the Crusades Volume I: The First Hundred Years, (Philadelphia, 1958), pp. 177 343. Phillips, J. P. , The First Crusade: Origins and Impact, (Manchester, 1997). Phillips, J. P. , ââ¬ËWho Were the First Crusaders?, History Today 47:5 (Manchester, 1997), pp. 16-22. Riley-Smith J. , The Crusades: Idea and Reality 1095-1274, (London, 1981). Riley-Smith, J. , The First Crusade and the idea of crusading, (London, 1986). Rochester, R. W. , Military Operations in the First Crusade 1097-1099 A.D.,(Liverpool, 1955). Runciman, S. , The First Crusade, (Cambridge, 1980). Wolf, K. B. , ââ¬ËCrusade and Narrative: Bohemond and the Gesta Francorum, Journal of Medieval History 17 (Oxford, 1991), pp. 207-16. [1] M. W. Baldwin, ed. , A History of the Crusades Volume I: The First Hundred Years, (Philadelphia, 1958), p. 293. [2] M. W. Baldwin, ed. , A History of the Crusades Volume I: The First Hundred Years, (Philadelphia, 1958), p. 289. [3] J. Riley-Smith , The Crusades: Idea and Reality 1095-1274, (London, 1981), p. 14.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Reality vs. Illusion in Othello :: Othello essays
Reality vs. Illusion in Othello à à à à à à à à à à à à Reality and illusions are two words which may be confused among people reading or learning about this sort of topic.à Reality is what is real or true and should not be misinterpreted with illusion, which is fake or something a person believes is real.à Often people can put an illusion in some ones head and through words, can manipulate how they think, which affects the person's judgment on what is reality and what is an illusion.à Illusions can be mistaken as being reality and very often there is a person making another believe in the illusion through his/her actions and speech. à à à à à à à à à à à à The play "Othello" has the greatest example of this and is easily understood through this example.à Iago is a very intelligent man who uses peoples weaknesses to his advantage.à Iago has got to be one of Shakespeare's most evil characters and he is a character who stands out among all of the Shakespeare characters.à Iago uses his skill to gain revenge and take advantage of people who he believes deserves this sort of punishment. à à à à à à à à à à à à Iago uses this revenge in many occasions, one in particular he talks to Othello about Casssio and makes Othello believe that Cassio is sleeping with Othello's wife Desdemona.à This is definitely not the truth but Iago talks in such a way that Othello has no choice but to believe him.à Iago also plants Desdemona's handkerchief in Cassio's cabin knowing that Othello will eventually find it.à Iago uses persuasive words to make Othello believe these illusions and as an extra plan Iago is making Othello trust in him because only a good friend would break this kind of news to another friend. à à à à à à à à à à à à Reality and illusion are often mixed up as in Othello.à People have to look out for the situations such as this.à It is hard to believe such opposite words with opposite meanings could be mixed up so easily if a person actually puts some intelligent thinking behind a plan like this.à To give credit where credit is due, Iago is very intelligent and he knows how to get his way. Ã
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Indigo :: essays research papers
Amber Hutchison Post Modern Fiction Indigo February 23, 2000 People are born with passion. The irony is that most people spend all their lives searching for that passion without looking inside that soul to the heart of the passion. The trick to discovering that passion is to find what makes us happy. For Indigo the main character of Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo by her passion lies in the music she creates from her soul while using her violin as her tool. From a modern literary criticism standpoint this passion is seen through her characterization and the symbolic use of the violin. However in peeling back the layers and focusing on this story from a Post ââ¬â Modern standpoint the reader uncovers deeper issues. There is a sense of discontinuity in the linear structure that leads to a discovery about the cultural issues in this story. Indigo challenges the boundaries of her age and a society that struggles to find a place for her and her soul. That is going under the assumption t hat there is a place. "Indigo did not tell her mother about Mr. Lucas being so evil, nor did she mention that her new fiddle could talk."(Norton 43) With in the first few lines of the story Indigoââ¬â¢s violin begins its transformation from merely and instrument to an extension of her soul. Symbolically Indigoââ¬â¢s violin is representative of her soul. With her violin Indigo pursues the passions of her soul as she struggles to find her place somewhere between childhood and womanhood. Indigoââ¬â¢s mother begs her not to play the violin anymore at night because the neighbors complained about the awful noise. She forces Indigo to take lessons or go somewhere else to play. By rejection her violin her mother rejects the heart and soul of Indigo. Only when she flees to Sister Marie Louiseââ¬â¢s shed is she able to play her music and bare her soul to the world. The violin takes on the presence of sin in her life as her mother forbids her to play. It is the forbidden fruit that Indigo longs to taste. Indigoââ¬â¢s character constantly revolves through the turmoil of a young adolescent on the brink of woman hood. "Then she would blush, hurriedly out the fiddle back into the case, the Colored and Romance having got the best of her."(Norton 45) Indigo is not ready to take that final step into womanhood but she is brave enough to sample.
Friday, August 2, 2019
Biblical Symbolism In Rime of the Ancient Mariner :: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
à à à à à Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," written in 1797, has been widely discussed throughout literary history. Although critics have come up with many different interpretations of this poem, one idea that has remained prevalent throughout these discussions is the apparent religious symbolism present throughout this poem. "The Ancient Mariner" contains natural, gothic, and biblical symbolism; however, the religious and natural symbolism, which coincide with one another, play the most important roles in this poem (Piper 43). It is apocalyptic and natural symbolism that dominates the core of this poem (43). The biblical symbolism found in this poem mainly reflects the apocalypse, as it deals with the Mariner's revelation that good will triumph over evil, and his acceptance of all nature as God's creation. It is impossible to believe that Coleridge was not thinking of the mysterious wind that blows on the Mariner, without any awareness of the wind as a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Coleridge could also not associate the murder of the albatross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The reader is told that the Polar Spirit "loved the bird that loved the man who shot him with his bow." It is doubtful that someone with Coleridge's Christian background and faith could fail to see here an analogy with God who loved his son who loved the men that killed him. Another example of symbolism is the fact that the albatross is hung around the Mariner's neck like a crucifix. Event the "cross" in "cross-bow" hints at the murder of Jesus, which logically paces the albatross as a symbol for Christ. It is thought that Coleridge deliberately created these symbols and images with Christian meaning in mind. The apocalypse is heavily reflected upon throughout this poem as Coleridge combined the vivid colors, the ocean, and the death fires of "The Ancient Mariner" with the terror and desolation of the days of wrath in the apocalypse. The section of the poem after the Mariner kills the Albatross is a description of the emptiness and desolation that the Mariners experience, and the curse that is over the ship. This section of the poem has tremendous correspondence to the apocalyptic story. The language and form in this part of the poem represent the images and words, which have traditionally described the wrath of God and the guilt of man in Christian term s. Its is at this point in the poem that the Mariner feels guilty for having killed the Albatross and for the deaths of his shipmates.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
B. F. Skinner and Behavior Conditioning
Behavior conditioning is viewed as a significant psychopathological influence that extends beyond the concept of psychoanalysis and sexual psychology. Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) considers the concept of conditioning as comprehensive type of learning wherein behavioral changes are manipulated rather than intrinsically stimulated. According to the article of Moore (2002), behavior conditioning of Skinner gives rise to two primary components: (1) the biological foundation of behavior manipulation through hormonal systems and other physiologic relations (e. g. neurologic functioning, genetic relationships, etc.), and (2) the occurrence of the behavioral event. Behavior conditioning is the indirect manipulation of activities in order to elicit a behavioral response or behavioral pattern. B. F. Skinnerââ¬â¢s idea of behavior conditioning revolves in his concept of Operant Conditioning, which is a type of learning process wherein stimulation of behaviors illicit behavioral modi fications. According to the article of Oââ¬â¢Donohue and Plaud (1994), Skinnerââ¬â¢s behavioral conditioning involves a mutual relationship between the strengthening and weakening effects rendered by environmental consequences.The mutual relationship between (1) reinforcement and (2) punishment is directed by a stimulus control. According to B. F. Skinner, ââ¬Å"human behavior is not a simple machine-like product of a stimulus, but is something dynamic, changing and in flux, as the environment is in influxâ⬠. Behavior conditioning of B. F. Skinner, indeed, constitutes environmental reinforcements and punishments that set the behavioral trends of a human being. Discussion Behavioral ConditioningThe psychological activities fostering behavior in an individual are said to be dynamic, ever changing and mutually linked with the external forces of the human environment. Skinner has observed early on that a large part of our behavior is not automatically elicited by an uncondit ioned stimulus. According to Moore (2002), the concept of behavioral conditioning is associated to the process of survival wherein a human being is directed to a specific pattern of behavior in order to foster adaptation towards the changing environment.Skinnerââ¬â¢s operant conditioning can be viewed as a diverse behavioral process that evolves and influences the individual's survival during its lifetime by facilitating the adaptation towards the environment (Moore, 2002). The consequence behavior is the result of the individualââ¬â¢s way of adaptation towards the environment. In the process of the individualââ¬â¢s adaptation, the ââ¬Å"environment in turn acts back on the behavior and on the individual: both are changed as a result of reciprocal behavior-environment interchange (Skinner, 1953)â⬠.According to Burgess (1997), Skinnerââ¬â¢s idea of behavior conditioning comprises of three perceivable components that explain to the process of behavioral modification. These elements are (1) the inner activities of behavior, (2) nature of inner behavior, and (3) the role of the environment. Inner activities include the cognitive processes and activities (e. g. thinking, problem solving, decision-making, etc. ) that an individual performs prior to the adaptation of behavior.Meanwhile, the nature of inner behavior is assessed whether the individualââ¬â¢s behavioral change is due to the evolution of society or external environment (phylogenetic) or genetically acquired (ontogenetic). Lastly, the environment facilitates the learning atmosphere that reinforces the permanent change of behavior in the individual (Burgess, 1997). In application of this theoretical proposition, the behavioral transformation of 12-year old that initiates a bullying behavior at school is first established by an inner assessment of self and environment.The child analyzes the capacity of his strength over the others in the class, and then further internalizes the nature of his preferred action. Reinforcers of this behavior can either be other classmates influencing him to bully others or his intrinsic psychological desire to bully others. In a well-appropriate environment where the subject is regarded as the strongest, the chance of producing a bullying behavior to 12-year old boy is more likely (Burgess, 1997; Oââ¬â¢ Donohue and Plaud 1994).As for the analysis above, behavior conditioning is therefore affected by three major components, namely (1) the inner self, (2) the environment and (3) the process of behavioral adaptation. However, according to Moore (2002), another contributing factor to consider is the biological foundation of behavior. In Mooreââ¬â¢s (2002) argument derived from Skinnerââ¬â¢s behavioral conditioning, the influence of hormonal and genetic compositions is another perspective of behavior modifications.ââ¬Å"The science of behavior is concerned with behavior directly selected according to phylogenic contingencies, via inherited genetic mechanisms (Moore 2002)â⬠. The contributions of genetics to causal behavioral events are said to be due to the sensitivity of nervous function to environmental stimulation. Skinner suggests that some behaviors dominating in an individual are not externally fostered, rather elicited only by the environment or other forms of reinforcements (Moore 2002). Components of Behavior Conditioning B. F.Skinnerââ¬â¢s view of behavioral conditioning comprises of diverse factors, specifically (1) the material environment during the lifetime of the individual organism (Moore 2002), (2) inner activities and nature of a behavior ââ¬â phylogenetic (Moore 2002; Burgess 1997), (3) the Gene-Behavior relationship (Moore 2002), and (4) the reciprocal behavior-environment interchange (Oââ¬â¢ Donohue and Plaud 1994). In these four contributing factors of behavior conditioning, Skinner, in his operant conditioning, has proposed two essential balancing components: (1) positive reinforcements (rewards), and (2) negative reinforcements (punishments).Operant conditioning involves the functional relationships between behavior events and environmental events. Consequent behaviors can be demonstrated by systematic and controlled changes in the environment. To Skinner, ââ¬Å"there are three-term contingency that exemplifies the relationship among antecedents, behavior and consequences. â⬠Most activities that human beings perform socially provide the context for other people to react according to these activities in one way or another; thereby, initiating consequences of behavior.Such principle is also true in terms of physical environment through the presence of reinforcements, specifically reward systems and punishments. According to Skinner, ââ¬Å"behavior is governed to some degree by reinforcement, which can be organized in endless variety of ways according to reinforcements and punishments. â⬠In addition by Moore (2002), reinforcements largel y depend on the environmental settings and the behavioral nature present in the individual. Negative and positive reinforcements act as the behavior leverages that manipulates an individualââ¬â¢s behavior.According to Oââ¬â¢ Donohue and Plaud (1994), behavior conditioning and the basic elements of reinforcements and punishments are defined as the Law of Effect responsible for manipulating both desired and undesired behavioral practices. The main emphasis of behavior modification is to reinforce behaviors that are valuable, and negate those behavioral patterns that are not appropriate. In operant conditioning, the individualââ¬â¢s behavior operates on the environment and determines the occurrence of reinforcements as contingent to the behavioral conditioning.According to Moore (2002), reinforcements are interrelated to the individualââ¬â¢s survival and adaptation. ââ¬Å"Operant conditioning occurs when the probability of a response in the presence of an antecedent stimul us increases because of the prior consequences of the response in the presence of the stimulus in question (Moore 2002)â⬠. Skinnerââ¬â¢s view of behavioral conditioning identifies covert, implicit or private events as contributing factors to the mutual relationship between stimuli and the influence on behavior response. Conclusion In conclusion of the study, B.F. Skinner in his idea of behavioral conditioning emphasizes behavior as a consequence of the relationship between environment and behavioral events. Conditioning behaviors is facilitated by manipulating the external reinforcements, specifically reward systems and/or punishments, derived from the different contributing factors. Behavior conditioning revolves in various contributing factors, namely (1) the inner and nature of behavior, (2) physical environment, (3) biochemical processes of behavior, and (4) reciprocal behavior-environment interchange.Consequent behaviors are product of the individualââ¬â¢s adaptation in his environment as a form of survival mechanism. References Jensen, R. , & Burgess, H. (1997). Mythmaking: how introductory psychology texts present B. F. Skinner's analysis of cognition. Journal of Psychological Record, 47, 221-227. Moore, J. (2002). Some Thoughts on the Relation between Behavior Analysis and Behavioral Neuroscience. Journal of Psychological Record, 52, 261-266. O'Donohue, W. , & Plaud, J. (1994). The Conditioning of Human Sexual Arousal. Journal of Sexual Behavior, 23, 221-228.
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