Zillow Revolution in Realty Estate Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Zillow Revolution in Realty Estate - Case Study Example Zillow has 2.3% market shares with 4 million visitors per month. It uses Web 2.0 business model of Google and Network Television. Zillow makes money by the way of selling eyeballs and not by selling homes to buyers. On July 18th, 2006, Zillow landed a big deal with Yahoo to serve as a data point on Yahoo's real estate and search sites.[www.crunchbase.com] Moreover, Legg Mason Capital Management has invested $30 Millions in Zillow.com towards expansion of staff of 155 employees which includes 20 person national advertising sales team. In addition to Legg Mason, other institutions that have invested in Zillow.com are put down in the following table. From the above table it is evident that the corporate companies at a huge level are continuously funded Zillow.com. Zillow has stated that it is a media company and generates revenue from online advertising; however, it also holds real estate brokerage licenses in certain states. With such huge amount of funding, zillow has launched new features like Neighbourhood's, Discussions, and Personalized Home Page to foster social network to catch up with Trulia. It is evident from the above data that most of the online realtors are established much before than Zillow. Founded in 1973, Zillow gives a stiff competition to Realtor.com, whereas others are marginal ahead or behind. Just within a span of year, Zillow has been ranked 669th website most visited by the US citizens. Whereas, RE/MAX which has been founded much before Zillow is lagging behind at 740th whereas Trulia which started in 2005 is ranked at 1,160. Zillow captures eyeballs through advertisements for its earnings, which has made it successful in just 18 months from its launching period, has got 4.4 million unique users in the country, by August 2007. [http://moneycentral.msn.com] Zillow competes with Trulia, HomeGain, HouseValues, PropertyShark.com, RealEstate.com, Redfin, and others. It can be said that Zillow is facing competition from Google too. Because Google has the best keyword search, while latter has home search. Google is looking to solve the problems of local search, vertical search and personalized search. Zillow is the answer to local search, vertical search and personalized search. Real estate agents, who are concerned that their role may be diminished as more people rely on Zillow, statethat the site does not give an accurate reflection and that other factors must be taken into consideration in buying or selling a home. Realtors with specific market knowledge are more likely to know specific factors affecting the sale of a home such as the overall condition of the home, domestic issues such as divorce, job transfer pressures. Consumers have continued to rapidly change their behavior in the last 5

Business Plan Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Plan Issue - Essay Example A few years ago I did some consulting work for a family member that was starting a new company. The firm needed help creating an implementation plan on how to reach the commercialization phase for a new product the firm had developed. The company had already submitted a pre-patent application and the lawyers believed that that the chances of getting the patent approved was very high. Legal protection was one of the variables that were holding back the full launch. Another problem the company faced was a lack of capital. The company had been incorporated for over a year and half doing research and development without generating any revenues. A lack of operating cash led to the failure of the business. This company in its early stages needed a better implementation plan with a better timeframe and action plan. DQ3 The reason most risk management fall short of expectation is because they lack sufficient scope. A lot of managers do not have a clear understanding of all the business risks that can affect a company. For instances variables such as foreign exchange rate are not considered by many when in fact this variable can influence businesses that make many recurrent purchases of materials from foreign distributors. The risk profile of an industry changes and many managers do not keep up with current events sufficiently to realize the new risk variables may affect an industry. For instance the arrival of a wave of new green cars will adversely affect the production of pickup trucks and SUV automobiles. 4. The learning curve has many practical implications for the labor force of a business. Companies that establish themselves in an infant industry are not able to benefit from the virtues of the learning curve. On the other hand firms such as Coca-Cola have gained dominance in the market through years of experience that has enabled the firm to become an expert in the beverage industry. When a company is the first to enter a marketplace they can use that strategy as a tactical advantage to achieve higher market share. Resistance to change can slow down the employee adaption process to a new working environment. 5. I agree with you that planning on many occasions is a weak area on many firms. Not only do companies do not dedicate enough time and money into planning, they also fail to recognize that planning is not limited to the short term. Companies must develop strategic plans five to ten years into the future. I believe that Microsoft when it releases a new product already has the p lans ready for the next generation product that will replace the product that is being introduced. I also agree with you that high moral and ethical standards must be implemented into plans. Back in the late 1990’s a lack of ethics led to the Nike sweatshop fiasco. 6. The use of guidance should be followed to spread the use of strategic thinking within a corporation. Your statement about many firms formulating unrealistic vision statements is also true. Sometimes mission and vision statements are used as publicity acts. I would imagine that Enron had a positive mission statement that was obviously not followed by the corrupt executives of the company. Teamwork is a critical success factor in the business environment of the 21st century. Multi-national corporations must be run efficiently in order to maximize

Pathophysiology of Skin Alterations

Pathophysiology of Skin Alterations Skin Alterations Beverly Phelps Abstract Human skin is the largest multifunctional organ of the body, and knowledge of its structure and function is essential to clinicians and researchers. The skin has two layers, the epidermis and dermis, separated by a basement membrane zone. It provides protection, sensation, thermoregulation, biochemical/metabolic, and immune functions. Key and emerging concepts important to understanding pathophysiological mechanisms for practicing clinicians are: knowledge of differences between acute and chronic wounds; ability to evaluate depth and extent of injury; and understanding stages of healing versus zones of activity. Discussion: Explain pathophysiology of broad categories of skin alterations (e.g., minor, traumatic, burns, benign, parasitic, pressure ulcers, cancerous, infectious, and inflammatory). Also discuss causative agents, assessment data (what it looks like, pathophysiological changes, and presenting symptoms). Skin Alterations This paper will cover minor wounds, burns, pressure injury, and cancer with variations in skin color, as well as the causative agents and assessment data. Minor Wounds Minor skin wounds occur as the result of unanticipated trauma and may include lacerations, abrasions, blisters and more serious wounds such as skin tears and bites. Lacerations are often irregular shaped wounds with ragged skin edges and typically have deeper skin damage and bruising noted. Abrasions are known as grazes and are more superficial wounds in which the top layer of the skin is remove by sliding across a rough surface and usually contains some dirt and sometimes even particles of what scraped it. Blisters are the result of friction of between the top two layers of the skin, or coming in contact with something hot, removing the top of the blister, puncturing the blister, or draining the fluid will cause the area to heal more quickly, and will require a protective dressing afterwards. A cut or incision usually has clean edges as a result of the cause of injury, for example a sharp knife. If it is a deep wound it can bleed profusely and nerve and muscle damage can occur. Human and animal bites are of special concern, especially in puncture wounds, as bacteria from the mouth can enter the wound resulting in an increased risk of tetanus an d infection. Most animal bites are from pets, usually dogs and cats, and can cause abrasions, deep scratches, and lacerations as well as puncture wounds. Cat bites and scratches are considered more serious due to the high incidence of infection due to the germs that are in their mouth and under their claws. Infection is the largest risk of minor traumatic wounds as they often contain debris and bacteria from the cause of the injury. The treatment from a minor traumatic wound is to clean the wound and surrounding skin, removing any debris and other foreign material. Abrasions require thorough irrigation as ground dirt is frequently embedded in these wounds. Apply an antiseptic solution to cleanse the wound using chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine and normal saline. Surgical wounds that have been stitched together, just clean the old blood prior to the application of a dry dressing. The most important thing is to try to determine the cause of the injury or the object which caused the injury and when the injury occurred. Wounds greater than six to eight hours old have an increased risk of infection. With all traumatic injuries assess the patient’s tetanus status and ensure they have adequate coverage. Following this an assessment of the wound can be made for the location, size, and depth and any additional trauma to underlying structures such as muscle, tendon, nerve, vascular and bone. Animal bites must be monitored for 24-48 hours for signs of infection. Precautionary antibiotic may be administered. Burns Burns can be sustained in a number of ways with children and the elderly where it is the most common. Scalds involving hot liquids are the most common type of burns. In adults, flame burns are more prevalent and other causes can include chemical contact, electrical, friction damage, and sunburn. The seriousness of a burn injury depends on several factors including the size, depth of the burn, the location of the burn, and the age and general medical condition of the burn patient. Clinical studies suggest that about 95% of all burns are relatively minor, however about 5% require hospitalization and highly specialized treatment. The severity of a burn determines the type of treatment it requires. There are 5 recognized grades of burns, minor/superficial, superficial partial thickness, mid dermal partial thickness, deep dermal partial thickness, and full thickness, which has replaced the first, second and third degree terminology used before. Minor/Epidermal is characterized by red, painful, usually not blistered, and will heal within approximately 7 days with no scarring. Superficial dermal is characterized by blistered with pale pink base, very painful and usually heals by epithelialization in 10 – 14 days with no scarring. Mid – Deep dermal is characterized by blotchy, red or white base +/- blisters, no capillary return, predominantly painless, prolonged healing with possible scarring and contracture, and heal in 14 – 28 days. Full thickness is characterized by leathery, white or charred, painless, and prolonged healing with scarring and possible loss of function. The clinical objectives for management of burns are stabilize the patient, cool the wound, debride devitalized (necrotic) tissue, protect from infection, and close the wound by first or second intention healing or by grafting. The impact of first aid cannot be overemphasized with rapid, effective first aid helping to prevent further damage and deeper tissue loss. Burn wound conversion refers to the process whereby tissue damage can extend to deeper layers resulting in prolonged healing. This increases the risk of complications post healing such as contraction and keloid or hypertrophic scarring. Pressure Ulcers . A Pressure Injury is a wound caused by unrelieved pressure of tissue compressed between a bony prominence and an external surface which is classified according to the extent of tissue damage. Synonymous terms include pressure sores, bedsores, and decubitus ulcers. As a result of unrelieved pressure, the network of vascular and lymph vessels supplying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues can be occluded. Several factors are involved in determining if a Pressure Injury will develop and include: duration of pressure, intensity of pressure, and the ability of tissue to tolerate pressure (tissue tolerance). However, there is no universal agreement as to the length of time and the intensity of pressure before tissue damage occurs. Other major factors include: shear, friction forces, and moisture. Pressure Injuries affect people who are largely immobile. They are most common amongst the elderly, but can effect anyone who is confined to a bed or wheel chair. On average 10% of hospitalized p atients can develop a pressure ulcer during their stay. Recent prevalence studies undertaken in several major Australian teaching hospitals identified the prevalence rate of pressure ulcers as being between 5.4% and 15.6%. The most common positions for pressure ulcers are Sacrum/tail bone, Heel, Ischia/buttocks, and Greater trochanters/hip Pressure injury classification are classified according to the level of tissue damage that has been sustained and staging system is used. There are 4 stages of pressure injuries, and are as follows. Stage one is described as intact skin with observable changes including areas of persistent redness. Stage two is described by partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis and or dermis. Stage three is described by full thickness involving damage or necrosis of subcutaneous tissue that may extend down to, but not through, underlying fascia. Stage four is described as full thickness skin loss with extensive tissue destruction to muscle, bone, or supporting structures, tendon, and joint capsule, and may have undermining or sinus formation. The primary treatment and objective for management of pressure injuries are: reduction of pressure and shear forces, management of exudate, prevention of contamination leading to infection, creation of a moist wound environment, and to minimize the frequency of dressing changes, which is generally more cost effective, and provide more rapid healing and less disruption to the patient. Skin Cancer. Skin cancer occurs when errors occur in the DNA of skin cells. The mutations cause the cells to grow out of control and form a mass of cancer cells. Cells involved in skin cancer begin in your skin’s epidermis. The epidermis provides a protective cover of skin cells that your body continually sheds. The epidermis contains three main types of cells: the squamous cells that lie just below the outer surface and function as the skin’s inner lining, the basal cells, which produce new skin cells, sit beneath the squamous cells, and melanocytes which produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its normal color, and are located in the lower part of your epidermis. Melanocytes produce more melanin when you’re in the sun to help protect the deeper layers of your skin. Where skin cancer begins, is determined by its type and will also determine the treatment options. Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells that most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But th is common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Checking your skin for suspicious changes can help detect skin cancer at its earliest stages. Early detection of skin cancer gives you the greatest chance for successful skin cancer treatment. Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. But it can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day like your palms, beneath your fingernails or toenails, and your genital area. Skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions. When melanoma occurs in people with dark skin tones, its more likely to occur in areas not normally exposed to the sun Ultraviolet light and other potential causes Much of the damage to DNA in skin cells results from ultraviolet (UV) radiation found in sunlight and in the lights used in tanning beds. But sun exposure doesnt explain skin cancers that develop on skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. This indicates that other factors may contribute to your risk of skin cancer, such as being exposed to toxic substances or having a condition that weakens your immune system. Risk factors Factors that may increase your risk of skin cancer include: Fair skin.  Anyone, regardless of skin color, can get skin cancer. However, having less melanin in your skin provides less protection from damaging UV radiation. If you have blond or red hair and light-colored eyes, and you freckle or sunburn easily, youre much more likely to develop skin cancer than is a person with darker skin. A history of sunburns.  Having had one or more blistering sunburns as a child or teenager increases your risk of developing skin cancer as an adult. Sunburns in adulthood also are a risk factor. Excessive sun exposure.  Anyone who spends considerable time in the sun may develop skin cancer, especially if the skin isnt protected by sunscreen or clothing. Tanning, including exposure to tanning lamps and beds, also puts you at risk. A tan is your skins injury response to excessive UV radiation. Sunny or high-altitude climates.  People who live in sunny, warm climates are exposed to more sunlight than are people who live in colder climates. Living at higher elevations, where the sunlight is strongest, also exposes you to more radiation. Moles.  People who have many moles or abnormal moles called dysplastic nevi are at increased risk of skin cancer. These abnormal moles — which look irregular and are generally larger than normal moles — are more likely than others to become cancerous. If you have a history of abnormal moles, watch them regularly for changes. Precancerous skin lesions.  Having skin lesions known as actinic keratosis can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. These precancerous skin growths typically appear as rough, scaly patches that range in color from brown to dark pink. Theyre most common on the face, head and hands of fair-skinned people whose skin has been sun damaged. A family history of skin cancer.  If one of your parents or a sibling has had skin cancer, you may have an increased risk of the disease. A personal history of skin cancer.  If you developed skin cancer once, youre at risk of developing it again. A weakened immune system.  People with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of developing skin cancer. This includes people living with HIV/AIDS and those taking immunosuppressant drugs after an organ transplant. Exposure to radiation.  People who received radiation treatment for skin conditions such as eczema and acne may have an increased risk of skin cancer, particularly basal cell carcinoma. Exposure to certain substances.  Exposure to certain substances, such as arsenic, may increase your risk of skin cancer References http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/policies/policy_manuals_via_ms_word/wocn/wocn_08.pdf http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/562489_4 http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/9/1425.full http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17523178 http://www.mayoclinic.com

Intention Consists of Belief, Intention Does Not Entail Belief :: Philosophy Essays

Intention Consists of Belief, Intention Does Not Entail Belief In this paper, we will discuss both Gilbert Harman’s and J. David Velleman’s theories of intentions. The central dispute between their two theories of intention is that Harman holds that intention entails belief, while Velleman holds that intention consists of belief. Velleman constructs a model of intention in which intention consists of belief in order to explain the apparent spontaneity of an agent’s self-knowledge. Harman, on the other hand, rejects the thesis that intention consists of belief because of an example involving an insomniac. My goal in this paper is to show how Velleman’s theory of intention can avoid the problem posed by the case of the insomniac. The conclusion will then be that Velleman’s theory is more plausible than Harman’s, because it is able to successfully explain more about our commonsense observations of agents, namely, how an agent’s self-knowledge is spontaneous. In Harman’s model, intention entails belief in that when one intends to A one believes that one will A. According to Harman, intentions are the result of practical reasoning and beliefs are the result of theoretical reasoning. For example, if I intend to write this paper, I must know that it is within my power to write this paper. Since knowing involves believing, I therefore must believe that I will write this paper in order to intend to write this paper. Thus, one comes to have a belief that one can do something, such as the ability to write a paper, as the result of theoretical reasoning, while one comes to have an intention, like writing a paper, as the result of practical reasoning. Simply put, the process goes as follows: practical reasoning forms intentions dependent upon the conclusions (beliefs) of theoretical reasoning. Now that we have an understanding about how intentions are formed in Harman, it is necessary to discuss what he thinks makes an intention an intention. According to Harman, an "‘act’ of forming an intention is always a means to end" (Harman, 157). Stated another way, an intention is always a way of doing something else. This feature of intentions is what leads Harman to conclude that intentions are self-referential, in the sense that one must intend to intend. That is, one always forms an intention intentionally. An important feature of intentions that Harman derives from this observation is that intentions are a means of guaranteeing that an agent will act in a particular way.

Demographic Transitions in Germany

Demographic Passages Germany is one of the industrialised states that have undergone singular demographic and environmental passage, from phase one through to present five. Demographic passage refers to the procedure through which a state changes from a less industrialised society, with high birth and decease rates, to an industrialised society with low birth and decease rates ( Ewert, 2006 ) . Many states have undergone demographic passage including the United States of America, Canada, Italy, Russia, England and Germany ( Lucas, 2002 ) . The demographic passage to an industrialised society is instead damaging for the environment since industrialized societies tend to devour non-renewable resources, giving off pollution. These industrialised states besides have the largest ecological and C footmark relation to the non-industrialized states. The procedure of demographic passage nevertheless presents with lower birth and decease rates, which act as some of its advantages. For case, persons in industrialis ed states such as the United States of America have fewer kids which help to command the overall population size ( Ewert, 2006 ) . The intent of this essay is to depict the demographic and environmental timeline for Germany including the major historical alteration that caused the displacements, alterations in population size, increasing or diminishing birth and decease rates, and environmental impacts associated with the passage. Demographic passage involves five phases: Phase 1: High birth rate, high decease rate, low population size ; Stage 2: High birth rate, diminishing decease rate, increasing population size ; Stage 3: Decreasing birth rate, diminishing decease rate, increasing population size ; Stage 4: Low birth rate, low decease rate, high population size ; Stage 5: Low birth rate, low decease rate, population size diminishing. Basically, really few states have reached phase five of demographic passage ( The World at 7 Billion, 2011 ) . Germany is one of those states that have reached phase five and the causes of the ascertained alterations and environmental impacts are outlined below ; Phase 1: High birth rate, high decease rate, low population size Stage one of demographic passage occurred in Germany in the old ages between 1800 and 1900 ( Kitchen, 2011 ) . Major Historical Changes: At this clip, Germany is utilizing the Continental System and is defying Napoleon. The Prussian Reform Movement undertakes the military and educational reforms. The state is under Metternich and Catholicism together with Liberalism is going more outstanding. Changing Population Size:As a consequence of changeless wars traveling on in Germany through this period, the state records general population lessening. Bonaparte wants to go the swayer of the universe and German is seeking to defy. Birth and Death Ratess: The birth rates are low while the decease rates are high. Sing the political state of affairs of the state at this clip, twosomes are non giving birth as expected and many people are deceasing due to the wars. Environmental Impact: A batch of toxic gases are released into the ambiance as a consequence of the wars, thereby doing high environmental impact. The full population of Germany is affected in the procedure. Phase 2: High birth rate, diminishing decease rate, increasing population size Phase two of demographic passage occurred in Germany in the old ages between 1900 and 1950 ( Kitchen, 2011 ) . Major Historical Changes: There is a call for peace declaration and the Treaty of Versailles is signed to stop the First World War. The nation’s economic system faces Depression and the death of Parliamentary Democracy. The image of the adult female alterations and the adult females are encouraged to venture into assorted concerns. Initial stairss in Foreign Policy are witnesses as Germany embraces National Socialism and Modernity. Changing Population Size: As the state recovers from the First and the Second World Wars, an addition in population size occurs chiefly due to in-migration. The state is going more industrialised and many people are attracted to remain in Germany. Birth and Death Ratess: There are high birth rates and diminishing decease rates following the terminal of the Wars. Peace is easy shacking in the state and women’s rights are being fought for, therefore promoting adult females to bear kids one time more. Environmental Impact:Environmental impact is on the addition due to Industrialization. The state has recovered from the war and is now seeking to stabilise. Phase 3: Decreasing birth rate, diminishing decease rate, increasing population size Stage three of demographic passage occurred in Germany in the old ages between 1960 and 1980 ( Kitchen, 2011 ) . Major Historical Changes: Germany’s Federal Republic forges the Great Alliance of 1966 to 1969. The state confronts with the past and forms the Extra-Parliamentary Opposition. The Chancellorship of Willy Brandt is formalized ; this is followed by subsequent terrorist act in the state, coercing the federal authorities to turn to this issue. During this clip, Germany besides debates on the forging and use of Atomic Weapons. The West German Society undergoes a major transmutation during this clip. Changing Population Size: The population size is still relevantly low and changeless as Germans are seeking to set themselves into the New Germany. Peoples peculiarly aliens are still loath to hold lasting abode in the state. Birth and Death Ratess: The birth rates are still high and decease rates quickly diminishing. Environmental Impact: Industrialization has been embraced to the full and this is doing legion cases of pollution to the ambiance and the general society. Phase 4: Low birth rate, low decease rate, high population size Stage four of demographic passage occurred in Germany in the old ages between 1990 and 2009 ( The World at 7 Billion, 2011 ) . Major Historical Changes: The state welcomes technological promotions. The Berlin Wall is torn down and both East and West Germany reunified after their division in the class of the Cold War. The reunion of Germany brings about arguments over the nation’s yesteryear. Changing Population Size: The population size is on the addition as people have now become comfy plenty to settle in the state. Foreigners are besides puting in concerns though at a lower rate. Birth and Death Ratess: The birth rates have decreased and so has the decease rates. Womans have become more sceptered and are now capable of gaining their single income through employment. They are choosing to work foremost so hold kids when they are financially stable. Environmental Impact: The state is sing increased urbanisation every bit good as industrialisation. Pollution and toxic chemicals from industries and mills are doing challenges to the environment every bit good as the German community, as bulk of persons opt to fire fossil fuels for their day-to-day usage. Phase 5: Low birth rate, low decease rate, population size diminishing Stage five of demographic passage occurred in Germany in the old ages between 2010 and the present twenty-four hours ( Kitchen, 2011 ) . Major Historical Changes: The position of adult females has eventually been established where an estimated 95 % of German adult females are employed outside the place. Following the reunion of the state, the authorities has adapted Angela Merkel’s two Coalition authoritiess. Germany is presently economically stable thanks to globalisation and industrialisation that has seen it opening its markets and concerns to foreign states. Changing Population Size: Germany’s population size has late been on the addition as more and more persons are migrating to the state for concern or lasting residence. The current population size is predicted to increase in the coming old ages as people continue to settle in the state. Birth and Death Ratess: There are presently low birth rates every bit good as low decease rates in Germany. The low birth rates can be attributed to the freedom adult females have in this twenty-four hours and age, one where they can take non to bear kids but alternatively concentrate more on their hubbies and callings. The mean household now has one to two kids. Environmental Impact: The current high criterion of life that has been witnessed in Germany in the recent yesteryear has resulted in a big C footmark every bit good as high degrees of pollution. Environmentalists are doing attempts of raising awareness though more still needs to be done. The car industry for case Mercedes Benz has started fabricating environmentally-friendly vehicles normally known as intercrossed autos, to minimise the impact of pollution in the air caused by conventional autos. Mentions Allen, R.C. ( 2003 ) . Advancement and Poverty in Early Modern Europe.Economic History Review,56: 403 – 443. Ewert, U.C. ( 2006 ) . The Biological Standard of Living on the Decline: Episodes from Germany During Early Industrialization.European Review of Economic History, 10: 51- 88. Kitchen, M. ( 2011 ) .A History of Modern Germany: 1800 to the Present. 2neodymiumEdition. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. Lucas, R.E. , Jr. ( 2002 ) .Lectures on Economic Growth. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. The World at 7 Billion. ( 2011 ) .Germany: Beyond the Demographic Transition’s End. Retrieved, April 27 2014, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2011/world-population-data-sheet/germany.aspx

Negative Aspects of the SAT

The SAT requirement should be completely phased out from the college admission. The SAT has been used as the primary means of assessing students. The SAT is commercially published test that contain a number of items and have a uniform procedure for administration and scoring. The problem with the increase in SAT is that the tests present many challenging obstacles for students and teachers. The message being sent to students is that the only thing that matters in their whole educational experience is their test score. Rather than attacking the ‘root problem’ of academic failure, attention is being focused on comparing scores among schools. Fratt (p. 17) found that 62 percent of the states in which the SAT exams have been adopted to assess the students’ abilities have experienced a high and continuously increasing drop out rate. The high-scoring schools become models, and the low-scoring schools are seen failure (). As test scores are relied on for important educational decisions such as college admission, questions need to be raised about the validity of the SAT. Negative Aspects of SAT The SAT provides worthwhile information, but lacks realism and undermines the educational process. The U.S. is the only nation that relies upon SAT for college admission. Countries such as Europe and Asia use essays, oral exams and exhibit of students’ work. These assessment measures tend to measure students’ skills and knowledge in a more meaningful way including high-order thinking and problem-solving skills, whereas the SAT tend to focus on concrete, isolated skills (Black & Duhon, p. 90-98). An assumption of the SAT is that if a student is able to perform a skill in the test, he or she is able to perform that same skill in his or her own work. For example, if a student can perform de-contextualized editing on a SAT exam, he or she will be able to edit his or her own work. The SAT tends to focus on isolated skills, encourage low-level comprehension, rely only on multiple-choice formats, and produce scores at times that are not useful in planning instruction. Students are not involved in their own assessment. Labels may cause educators or parents to inappropriately alter the treatment towards these children. Children who receive low scores usually are placed in special classes wher the curriculum involves drill and skill worksheets. They fail to learn what their advantages peers are learning. School personnel often have lower expectations for students placed in lower tracts or remedial classes due to low-test scores. These children are more likely to receive an inferior education and they do not get admission in good colleges (Buell & Kralovec, p. 17-18). Using test results can be harmful to students receiving low scores as well as high scores. The SAT exams are used to identify the academically gifted and talented. Children identified as such as usually given additional material and resources in school. The students who score high on standardized tests show stress-related symptoms and a fear of failure. This heavy emphasis on scores can devalue teacher judgment and seriously affect a student’s self-esteem. Test-induced stress can lead to increased anxiety in all students. Low performing students especially feel that they have already failed, and the test just adds to their feelings of low self-worth. The greatest disservice a formal test can have on a student is the depletion of a student’s self-esteem. Students perceive themselves as failures when they receive labels such as ‘behind’, ‘at-risk’, ‘immature’, and ‘remedial’. Children who do poorly on tests tend to feel poorly about themselves and possess negative images. When students are labeled slow learners because of the SAT exams, their educational opportunity becomes narrowed and unchallenged. These students begin a lifetime of drill and skill worksheets. High portions of these students come from minority groups or special classes. Every test reflects the background of the people who construct the test, who are mostly white, upper to middle class professionals. Most of the experiences they are questioning come from their background leaving out the background of many of the potential test-takers (Heriot & Wonnell, p. 467-483). The SAT exams are also biased in favor of English-fluent pupils only. Many limited English proficient (LEP) students are improperly assessed and decisions about their placement are made incorrectly. Language dominance seems to have a negative effect for students of different cultural backgrounds, and non-English speaking students have trouble with interpretations of test language. Tests are written with complex grammar and oftentimes are hard to understand. As test results are shown, students who are more likely to fail include the disproportionately poor and African American students, which undermine the mission of offering all students an opportunity to learn. Children from low income and minority groups are often harmed for life because of low test scores. The curriculum is ‘dumbed-down’ for these students because the educators feel they cannot handle the regular curriculum. This leads to a boring curriculum for these students (Stahlman, p. 242). Civil rights and parent advocacy groups are challenging that these tests penalize minority and at-risk students who have been short changed education. African Americans and Latinos are usually forced into the bottom tracks solely based on their low test scores. Another negative impact to low-income students is the fact they have not had some of the experience as other students. If children come from affluent families and stimulus-rich environments, they are more apt to score higher on the SAT exams. On of the chief reasons that a student’s socioeconomic status is highly correlated to scores on the SAT exams and college admission is because many questions on the tests measure what is learned outside of school. Some students are offered more experiences than others, thus affecting their scores (Ullman, p. 18). Conclusion Assessment is needed in the public schools that benefit all students and focus on improving learning instead of ranking and labeling students into specific categories. The SAT exams are not perfect or absolute measures of what individual students can or cannot do. For instance, paper-and-pencil tests give teacher only part of the picture of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. A student’s scores on a particular test may also vary from day to day, depending on whether the student guesses, received clear directions, follows the directly carefully, takes the test seriously, and is comfortable in taking the test. School personnel must not limit assessment to the SAT exams or allow them to dominate the assessment. Assessment is definitely multidimensional and must take into consideration multiple measures to evaluate a person’s full capabilities. Without a more inclusive assessment process, those who can contribute to and benefit from society will be forever excluded from the opportunities to do so. The researcher after reviewing the literature that has been published in past and that has been discussed in this paper that the SAT requirement to get admission in a college should be phased out in order to make the process of college admission fair and transparent. Works Cited Black, H. T. & Duhon, D. L. 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