Friday, January 24, 2020

Analysis Of Writers Paulo Frei Essay -- essays research papers

Perspectives in the Arts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stories behind a piece of art are infinite. The reasons the artist produced the piece is only one explanation behind the work. Even so, who is to know the specific thoughts the artist was thinking at the time? As each art critic may conclude his own analysis of an artwork, who is right and who is wrong? Just as students challenge the information that is supposedly â€Å"deposited† in them by the teacher in the classroom setting, art challenges the belief- that information can only be used as it was intended, which is highly rare in our day and age. The concept of perspectivism falls into place in this scenario. Art is perceived differently by varying individuals. There can be millions of interpretations that exist for one piece of artwork, however none more or less correct than the next interpretation. Similar to teachers depositing information to the students, each student may receive the information in different contexts. Whose to say whether or not the students’ interpretation is wrong? As writer John Berger points out the concept of reproducing art, in his essay â€Å"Ways of Seeing,† he addresses the idea how perspectives change completely when an artwork is reproduced to be used in a different context. As this is done, new thoughts and interpretations are created, thus can be seen as a progression of ideas. Writer Paulo Freire used the idea that â€Å"knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention(Freire 348)† in his essay, â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education.† This idea is the essence of what Berger is trying to point out through the reproducing of art. That the reproduction of art is basically the â€Å"re-invention† of the ideas and interpretations that already exist. And thus only through the re-invention of art, new ideas and new interpretations can be formed, a progression of ideas, achieving true knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"[Art] becomes information of a sort, and, like all information, it is either put to use or ignored(Berger 120)†. Each individual sees art differently, images become information that is incorporated with the individual’s own knowledge and personality. As art is reproduced over and over again in different contexts, the artist’s original purpose of the image is altered, a progression from old ideas to new ideas. Clearly one can see how the original intended purp... ... of an image, even more ideas and thoughts are evoked. These reproductions now represented in new contexts bear new ideas that are to looked upon in a different manner for these images, â€Å"like all information, have to hold their own against all the other information being continually transmitted(Berger 123)†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea that surrounds an image having one clear message has been proved to be obsolete. Information cannot be used in one single manner. Matter of fact, there are just too many variables regarding perspectivism, individuality, and personal knowledge that prohibits a single idea that is to be received universally. Berger’s reproduction of art only further implicates the ideas that already exists, and takes it to the next level of thinking, incorporating new ideas that originally may have had no relevance whatsoever, the progression of ideas, so to speak. As art challenges the belief- that information can only be used as it was intended, the conclusion is that information can be used in innumerable ways. Information was meant to be challenged, evoking new challenges and new thoughts and ideas in a never ending cycle of progression from old to new.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Bandura theories social cognition Essay

Albert Bandura`s social learning theory places learning in a social context. Bandura and his colleagues take the position that personality is acquired, or learned behavior. In particular, Bandura`s insistence that behavior can be learned from mere observation is a significant departure from Skinner’s behaviorist position. An original empirical demonstration of observational learning was presented in a study by Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1993). Nursery school children were allowed to watch an adult’s unusual aggressive actions against an inflated Bobo doll – the kind that pops back up after it has been punched or knocked down. The adult models hit the doll with a hammer and kicked it, tossed it in the air, and even sat on it and punched it. After merely observing this behavior, the children were later allowed to play with toys that included the Bobo doll and hammer. The children who observed the adult model, either live or on videotape, hit the doll more frequently than a control group who had not seen a model. They also tended to hit the doll the way they had observed the adult model do it. Bandura interpreted this study as demonstrating that the probability of behavior can be strengthened through observation. Indeed, in Bandura`s approach to personality, much of one’s behavior is learned and strengthened through imitation, which is a kind of social cognition learning. In this term paper I address the difference in the effectiveness of using simulation intervention program based on a Bandura`s Social learning theory. Moreover, to find out if the program improves either or both the quality and speed of the learning process of students enrolled in a highly technical training program. This term paper focuses on using simulation based learning environments in vocational training program. In this paper, the experimental methodology and instruments are described, results and findings presented and finally discussed and concluded. METHODOLOGY Doing my research on Bandura`s Social learning theory in complex simulation-based learning environments, I experienced a large difference in how learners reacted to my learning material (Kluge, in press, 2004). Complex technical simulations involve the placement of the learner into a realistic computer simulated situation or technical scenario which puts control back into the learner’s hands. The contextual content of simulations allows the learner to â€Å"learn by doing. † Although my primary purpose was in improving research methods and testing procedures for evaluating learning results of simulation-based learning, the different reaction of the participants were so obvious that I took a closer look. I had two different groups participating in my learning experiments: students from an engineering department at the University, mostly in their 3rd semester, and apprentices from vocational training programs in mechanics and electronics of several companies near the University area in their 3rd year of vocational training. Most of the students worked very intensively and concentrated on solving these complex simulation tasks whereas apprentices became easily frustrated and bored. Purposes of the Study Although my first research purpose was not in investigating the differences between these groups, colleagues and practitioners showed their interest and encouraged me to look especially at that difference. Practitioners especially hoped to find explanations why apprentices sometimes are less enthusiastic about simulation learning although it is said to be motivating for their perception. As mentioned above, my primary purpose when I started to investigate learning and simulation based on Bandura`s Social Cognition theories was focused on improving the research methodology and test material (see Kluge, in press, 2004) for experimenting with simulation-based learning environments. But observing the subjects’ reactions to the learning and testing material the question arose whether there might be a difference in the quality of and speed of the learning process of students involved in my study. Research Design A 3-factor 2 ? 2 ? 2 factorial control-group-design was performed (factor 1: â€Å"Simulation complexity†: ColorSim 5 vs ColorSim 7; factor 2: â€Å"support method†: GES vs. DI-GES; factor 3: target group, see Table 2). Two hundred and fifteen mostly male students (16% female) in eight groups (separated into four experimental and four control groups) participated in the main study. The control group served as a treatment check for the learning phase and to demonstrate whether subjects acquired any knowledge within the learning-phase. While the experimental groups filled in the knowledge test at the end of the experiment (after the learning and the transfer tasks), the control groups filled in the knowledge test directly after the learning phase. I did not want to give the knowledge test to the experimental group after the learning phase because of its sensitivity to testing-effects. I assumed that learners who did not acquire the relevant knowledge in the learning phase could acquire useful knowledge by taking the knowledge test, which could have led to a better transfer performance which is not due to the learning method but caused by learning from taking the knowledge test. The procedure subjects had to follow included a learning phase in which they explored the structure of the simulation aiming at knowledge acquisition. After the learning phase, subjects first had to fill in the four-item questionnaire on self-efficacy before they performed 18 transfer tasks. The transfer tasks were separated into two blocks (consisting of nine control tasks each) by a 30-minute break. In four experimental groups (EG), 117 students and apprentices performed the learning phase (28 female participants), the 18 control tasks and the knowledge test. As said before, the knowledge test was applied at the end because of its sensitivity to additional learning effects caused by filling in the knowledge test. In four control groups (CG), 98 students and apprentices performed the knowledge test directly after the learning phase, without working on the transfer task (four female participants). The EGs took about 2-2. 5 hours and the CG about 1. 5 hours to finish the experiment. Both groups (EGs and CGs) were asked to take notes during the learning phase. Subjects were randomly assigned to the EGs and CGs, nonetheless ensuring that the same number of students and apprentices were in each group.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

16 Inspiring Thanksgiving Quotes

These inspirational Thanksgiving quotes teach us to count our blessings. If we wish to express gratitude to our friends, family, and God for these blessings, then these Thanksgiving quotes  should be helpful there, too. Giving Thanks Here are some thoughts on being grateful: Johannes A. Gaertner: AuthorTo speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. William Law: English clericWould you know who is the greatest saint in the world: It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of Gods goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. Melody Beattie: American authorGratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Frank A. Clark: Former English soccer playerIf a fellow isnt thankful for what hes got, he isnt likely to be thankful for what hes going to get. Fred De Witt Van Amburgh: Dutch cartographer and artistNone is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy. John Fitzgerald Kennedy: Late American presidentAs we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Estonian ProverbWho does not thank for little will not thank for much. Ethel Watts Mumford: American authorGod gave us our relatives; thank God we can choose our friends. Meister Eckhart; German theologianIf the only prayer you said in your whole life was, Thank you, that would suffice. Galatians 6:9Do not get tired of doing what is good. Dont get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Thomas Aquinas: Catholic priest, philosopherThanksgiving is a special virtue. But ingratitude is opposed to Thanksgiving. Therefore ingratitude is a special sin. Albert Barnes: American theologianWe can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning. Henry Ward Beecher: American clergymanThe unthankful heart ... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! William Faulkner: American novelistGratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. George Herbert: English poetThou that has given so much to me,Give one thing more—a grateful heart;Not thankful when it pleases me,As if Thy blessings had spare days;But such a heart, whose pulse may beThy praise.