Relational Database Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Relational Database - Assignment Example This assists the user in matching the data with the help of common characteristics contained in the data set including the relation or tables. Relationships play a role in making the data more organized and manageable. This helps the user in perceiving the real concept of design of the database. This also increases the integrity of data through proper arrangement of the data which is logically related into distinct relations. Thinking about the efficiency of database and relationships is an essential component of the normalization process (yaldex.com, n.d.). A relationship is a prime component of the relational database as it develops an association between the logically related pair of tables. The data contained by each of the two tables is the bonding agent between the pair of tables. Relationship if properly defined promotes relationship-level integrity, that in turn ensures the reliability and strength of the relationship (eTutorials, 2012). In addition to that, relationships mak e it possible for the user to perform algebraic operations upon the tables. Division of the elements of a data into the related tables is one of the most challenging tasks of designing a relational database. Once the user is all set to begin work with the data, the user depends upon the relationships among individual tables so that the data can be pulled together in purposeful ways. For example, information about a particular order is of no use if the user does not know the customer who has placed it. Nevertheless, the customer and the information about his/her order are not stored in the same table. Instead of this, the user stores the customer data and the order in two tables that are interrelated. The very relationship between the tables is used to view both the order and the customer data simultaneously. Relationships are the cornerstone when the normalized tables play the role of foundations of the relational database Relationships also help prevent the redundant data in a rela tional database (Microsoft Support, 2011). Defining Relationships between Two Tables A very essential characteristic of the database design is the use of relationships between tables. Defining relationships between tables is very essential for efficient working of the system. â€Å"Relationships between tables are often missing for performance reasons† (Olson, 2009, p. 111). Relationships between two tables are defined through the database system which depends upon matching the values contained in the two tables. When matching values are located, the database system retrieves data from the two tables so that a virtual record can be established. For example, let’s suppose an individual wants to view all the perfumes made by a certain brand. In this example, the database system would locate matching values between the tables of Perfumes and Brands. It is noteworthy here that in a vast majority of cases, the record which results is dynamic that essentially means that chan ges which are made to the virtual record normally identify the path to the underlying table. The matching values that the database system finds include the foreign and primary key values. It is not necessary for a relational model to base the relationship upon a primary key. The user can make use of any candidate key from the table. However, the standard practice requires the use of primary key only. When the primary key of one table is put into another table, a foreign key is formed. All a user needs to do is add the field of the primary key as a foreign key to the

Resume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Resume - Essay Example My ardent interests in the academics and commitment towards the wider ramifications of good educations have always encouraged me to put my best in all areas of academia. The turning point had come when I immigrated to America in 2004 for advance studies and came to live with my grandfather who was residing in New York. He had always been a role model for me and he had been a strong pillar of support for me and my family during the turbulent political times when USSR was on the verge of breakup. His inimitable spirit and courage during his fight against cancer, became my inspiration for doing something constructive in this area. This has become a mission of my life and I know that someday, I would be able to contribute something positive which would help alleviate the sufferings of the cancer patients. I am hopeful that my admission into the research study would facilitate towards opportunities that would help me realize my long term objective of becoming a worthy scientist who would help the society at large through his research efforts to conquer cancer which is increasingly becoming more

Research and Comparing Documentaries Assignment

Research and Comparing Documentaries - Assignment Example Almost 90% of converted women agree that they can dress more conservatively and feel more comfortable with the Hijab. They also give their reasons for conversion as the need to be close to God as they now pray 5 times a day3. Other related sources also show that a third of inmates in British jails are converting to Islam. According to Richard Eddie’s 4book â€Å"Black Muslims in Britain†, Malcolm X continues to influence most black men into Islam. Richard’s interviewees reveal that converts appreciate the law of Islam since the law has enabled them to live in the society considered as corrupt and moral. The most interesting stereotype about this religion is how it oppresses women. The religion targets most young men. Recent stories from media in Kenya reveal how the Al-Shabaab militia group recruits young men from East Africa to fight and protect their religion. In â€Å"Islam empire of state†, Islamic history and culture shows how the religion has made gr eat contribution in trade, education, scientific theorems, philosophy and medicine. The rapid conversion and growth of the Islam religion is resulting from rapid crusades conducted by Sheikhs. The crusades led to great civilization of the Islam religion in terms of economic and scientific discoveries made during the period of renaissance. According to 5 â€Å"what the west needs to know†, Islam is a peaceful religious group and those who fight do so to hide under the religion. The religion perceived as an authoritarian group not only emphasizes that there is no other God but Allah and his prophet Mohamed6. Most of the people targeted by these documentaries are the youth’s especially young men7. The â€Å"divine woman† by Bettany Hugdes reveals how Buddhism started with a female. In this documentary, a woman goddess controls life and death. The Durga Puja festival shows the organization of the Hindu religion. Use of art and culture with paintings on the skin of I ndian women reveals how important a female is within the religion. The construction and design of the temples brings out rich creativity and architectural work in this religion. The documentaries quote the Quran stating the reason as to why the religion is conflict linked and war bound. The Quran states that one should fight for his own faith. Mohamed himself plays a war oriented leadership role according to his history from Mecca hence the continuous perception of Muslim religion as a conflict religion. The usual suicide bombing and attacks originates from Judaism symbolically fighting paganism. From the documentary â€Å"what the west needs to know†, Quran and hadiths encourage the killing of non-Muslims. From the background history of Mohamed, it is evident that he spread his territory through war and his followers did the same to conquer Mecca a city where he was born. Background music used in the documentaries emphasizes the religion. A lot of art 8 observed in the docum entaries show the culture of the religion. The style of presentation of the documentaries is both educational and formal. Islam religion is widely publicized and therefore the documentaries try to educate the public on the religion9. The great contribution of Islam into modern civilization and various fields of study such as philosophy, medicine, and trade make the documentaries educative. We also observe the speeches from several leaders used to emphasize the religion. Quotations from the Quran are also

Drama, Comed, and Documentary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drama, Comed, and Documentary - Essay Example Generally, both drama and comedy attract a larger audience when compared to documentaries. Comedy contains a lot of humor and therefore the liberals and the moderates make up the wide audience that is enjoyed. Conservatives, on the other hand, are able to relish documentaries, News and business channels and Sports. There are many similarities as well as differences between Drama, Comedy, and Documentaries. While Drama appeals to one's emotions and feelings, Comedy does not appeal to one's emotions but appeals to one's senses. If a person is not a humorous person or does not have a good sense of humor, he will not have the capacity to enjoy any type of Comedy. Drama does not have to be all that serious, neither does Comedy have to be totally hilarious. They could borrow from and lend to each other. Drama is based on people in difficult situations who try to find solutions to come out of it. It is primarily held together by emotionalism. It is supposed to look real and move the audiences emotionally. Comedy, on the other hand, is mostly hilarious and engages its audience by compelling them to interact, laugh, cry and exhibit the humorous side of their personality. In Drama, there is little or no interaction, but it makes one feel the situation that is being enacted. Drama draws its audience slowly and gradually, whereas Comedy has the capacity to grab at its audience on the spur of the moment. The centrifugal point in Drama is that it has a strong emotional knot that is slowly unraveled as the scenes proceed. Comedy could be a completely separate track all by itself and does not have to depend on other factors. In Drama, we have both Tragedy and Comedy. Tragedy goes beyond just Drama because it has heightened emotion, creates a greater impact on the audience and culminates in a catharsis.

Hidden Rules of Class in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hidden Rules of Class in the UK - Essay Example I think a lot about these people who have money. In Cowley I see garbage everywhere and wild uncut grass growing in front of houses. And only bikes in the gardens, which I think this is an indication of less wealth. Doctors and lawyers and university teachers are given more status than unskilled laborers in the society. This difference in the social positions represents different levels of power, influence and money (Lucas, 2000, pp.95) The British society is often considered to be divided into three main groups of classes, namely, the Upper Class, the Middle Class and the Lower or Working Class. This is known as class system (Kendall, 2008, pp.219). The Upper Classes tends to consist of people with inherited wealth, and includes some of the oldest families, with many of them being titled aristocrats. The upper classes are not only defined by their title, but also by their education, and their pastimes which include the traditional and luxurious sporting life involving hunting, shooting and fishing, as well as a great deal of horse riding for both leisure and as a competitive pursuit. The middle Classes are the majority of the population of Britain today. They include industrialists, professionals, business people and shop owners. In the "Social structure of the United Kingdom" there is Received Pronunciation used by upper classes and upper middle classes people and there is Estuary English used by lower middle class British people (Marx, 2001, pp.85). Many people in Oxford colleges who speak with supposedly good pronunciation are members of upper

Cold War pattern of conflicts and its influence on international Dissertation

Cold War pattern of conflicts and its influence on international relations in the context of Vietnam War - Dissertation Example ‘Domino Effect’ was stated in viewing Russia’s increasing influence over the South East Asian regions, which was taken by America as a major threat against it (Kane, 2006, pp. 101-102). The Cold War was the most significant diplomatic concern in the post war era. The beginning of the cold war made the European countries from a dispute between them in supporting the capitalist and communist regimes. This dispute between the European nations culminated into the division of the European continent into two ideological factions. Marshall Plan, which was developed by John Marshall during 1947, signified America’s economic cooperation to develop the European continent and form a reunion. The plan signified America’s continuous interests in political, strategic and economic interests over Western Europe (Northrup, 2003, p.177). President Truman during 1947 passed his doctrine which proclaimed Cold War with the Communist regions of the world along with Soviet Russia. This anti-communist program of President Truman observed as a global policy for maintaining security targeted the communist nations as plausible threat towards obstructing America’s dominion over the East Asian countries (Murrin, Johnson, McPherson, & Gerstle, 2007, pp.1012-1013). The tension and competition between the two countries United States and Russia gained ground along their nuclear and space programs. America and Russia focused on enhancing their space technology programs to further strengthen their security dynamism and gaining political and strategic advantage. Both the countries started specializing on the development of rockets and spaceships to gain supremacy in outer space (Sagdeev & Eisenhower, 2008). In the field of nuclear technology the two countries also contested heavily with the discovery of atomic materials. America was found opposing the Soviet stands in gaining supremacy over entering into new atomic areas and discoveries (Crockatt, 1996, p. 57). The Cold War conflicts between the superpower nations belonging to the Communist and Western powers accumulated to the spreading of war in the Korean and Vietnamese territory. Russian attacks on South Korea were heavily counteracted by the American troops through the sending of required resources to the newly independent colonies, which were under French rule. United States government in their move to restrict the ascension of Russian troops to gain control over South Korea strongly conducted the opposition, which resulted in heavy combat. United States also took a firm stand of restricting Communist factions from gaining their stand in the Vietnamese regions. The government of America took control of the Southern region of Vietnam and defended further Communist aggression (Wouri, 2000). Further the region of South East Asia reflected conflicts between countries like Russia, United States and China. The end of the Cold War period led to the downfall of Russia and the rise of Un ited States to gain supremacy over the East Asian region. The period of Cold War also led to the emergence of China as a regional power through the increased collaboration of United States. Both countries United States and China however helped each other in removing Russia and gaining dominance over South East Asia (Ross, 2009, p.47). The paper attempts to find out how

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Essay Example for Free

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Essay The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative assessment about mathematics and science education that is organized by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The survey has been administered periodically in cycles of 4 years since 1995. Initially TIMSS was an acronym for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, which identified its position as the third study following the First and Second International Mathematics and Science Studies (FIMS SIMS) in 1964 and 1982 respectively. A similar study to the 1995 TIMSS (using the same technical framework) was carried out in 1999, and was referred to as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat (TIMSS-R). The 2003 study was the third cycle of studies based on the 1995 assessment framework, and the acronym TIMSS was redefined to mean Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (http://nces.ed.gov/timss). With funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the TIMSS assessment was to be offered more timely in intervals of 4 years. Table 1 gives an overview on the TIMSS assessment, target populations, and the number of countries that participated in each administration. Table 1. TIMSS assessments and participating countries at the 8th grade level Study Name Acronym Year Number of Countries Target population Grades tested Third International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 1994/5 42 3rd /4th, 7th/8th , 12th Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat. TIMSS-R 1998/9 40 8th Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 2002/3 46 4th 8th Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 2006/7 Over 60 4th, 8th, (12th rescheduled 2008) TIMSS is considered the largest, most comprehensive, rigorous, and extensive international comparative educational study ever conducted (Alejandro, 2000). It touches on almost every facet of the learning of science and mathematics. The 2003 TIMSS project was comprised of over 360 000 students, over 38 000 teachers, and over 12 000 school principals, and as many as 1 500 contextual variables were included in addition to variables on student achievement scores (Nelson, 2002; TIMSS‟ User guide 2003). TIMSS aims at providing policy makers and educational practitioners with information and indicators about their national educational systems from an international perspective. Alejandro argues that TIMSS serves a â€Å"mirror† function to participating countries to reflect comparatively on their education systems. Martin and Kelly (2004) suggest that TIMSS tests go beyond measuring achievement to including a thorough investigation of curriculum and how it is delivered in classrooms around the world. In a nutshell, the assessment is perceived to be valid and reliable as a measure of student achievement. However, the TIMSS assessments are not without critics. Among the critical voices is that of Wolf (2002) who questions the validity issues of the TIMSS studies. His contention is that TIMSS, being an international assessment, may have testing procedures that are not appropriate for some countries‟ usual testing practices. Related to that, Zuzovsky (2000) specifically questions the reliability of these tests. He argues that the heavily elaborated coding systems inherent in the TIMSS scoring procedures yield lower inter-rater consistency and also that translation of achievement tests into different languages brings the reliability of the assessments into question. The downside of cross-sectional assessments such as the TIMSS projects did not escape the attention of de Lange (2007) who questions the assumption behind international studies that a single test can give comparable measures of curriculum effects across countries. In spite of these criticisms, Alejandro, the chairman of IEA, sees the worth in countries participating in the TIMSS surveys. He argues that â€Å"More than just league tables, the TIMSS data place achievement in an international context where it can be considered from multiple perspectives† (Alejandro, 2000, p. 2). A similar statement was expressed more than 35 years ago by Bock (1970). He perceived the world as shrinking through technology. In support of international studies, he argued that through participation in international studies and by sharing educational reports, countries get a glimpse of each other‟s cultural practices. The TIMSS international reports give an overall impression of the impact that different education factors have on students‟ performance in different countries. It is by further engaging in secondary analysis of the TIMSS data and by conducting further studies related to the findings of TIMSS assessments that countries better understand their schooling system. In particular, it is important to identify areas of concern and address those systematically rather than attempt to replicate another country`s curriculum system simply because the schooling system there seems to be effective. Education indicators are numerous and vary in their effect from country to country. It is possible that each of the 1,500 contextual variables administered in the TIMSS surveys were included because of some supporting literature on their influence on students‟ learning. TIMSS as model of Educational Achievement The literature on models of educational indicators and their performance as a system together with research studies that model student learning achievement as a function of the characteristics of their schools and their family background is extensive (Oakes, 2006; Kaplan Elliott, 2007; Kaplan Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001). However, in spite of the extensive literature on the subject of modeling of educational data, no single model of educational performance has gained widespread acceptance (Oakes, 2006; Nelson, 2002). This lack of a global model was noted by Nelson in relation to the TIMSS projects, that, although rigorously executed, and with all its popularity (with more participants than any other IEA study), TIMSS has not attempted to come up with a prescriptive model that relates educational factors to student achievement that can be applicable across nations. Nelson is adamant that any attempt to provide a universal model would not be wise because countries differ in their educational policies and instructional practices so that a one-size fits- all model would not be realistic. That said, though models of educational performance seem diverse as suggested by the literature, in Haertel, Walberg, and Weinstein‟s (2003) view, they have more commonalities than differences. Haertel et al. conducted a meta-analysis of studies that modeled school performance data and found that the presented models had a common structure. Though the models differed in their specifications, their structures were comprised of three categories of pre-existing conditions (cognitive/affective attributes and resources), instructional processes (opportunity to learn, quality of instruction), and outcome measures (achievement, affective behaviors). These models presented student performance as a function of student, teacher, and/or school background variables. Studies of interest to my research are those that modeled students‟ performance as a function of their background variables; the model of interest that informed my variable selection is the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model by Oakes (2006), or Rand Model (Shavelson, McDonnell, Oakes, 2006). The IPO model has similar structural components as the models that were reviewed by Haertel et al. (2003) and models student achievement as a function of some resources. I selected this model for my conceptual framework because of its scope of coverage of educational indicators. The model presents a holistic conception of student learning in a classroom setting and it appears frequently in literature that analyzes large scale data (e.g. Kaplan and Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001 analyzing TIMSS data). Additionally, it has been used extensively to guide education researchers in the selection, specification, and analysis of educational variables that correlate with student learning outcomes (Kaplan Elliott, 2007; Kaplan Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001). It is taken as one of the influential models in shaping public opinion and policy on how to foster school improvement. TIMSS Input-Process-Output Model The input-process-output (IPO) model by TIMSS is one of the improved versions of the traditional input-output (IO) models of school organizational data (Glasman, Biniaminov, 2001). Glasman and Biniaminov reported that the input-output traditional model employed research strategies that measured changes in the systems‟ outputs brought about by changes in the systems‟ inputs. The IO model was criticized for not taking the academic environment into account and for oversimplifying the schooling process by portraying it as linear. According to Glasman and Biniaminov, â€Å"the input-output analyses [did] not deal with characteristics of the dynamic and ongoing interrelationships between students and teachers or those among students themselves† (p. 509). To overcome the problem, Oakes‟ model added a third component (processes) that mediated the input variables into the output variables and that also provided an educational context for the model. The process component focuses on classroom characteristics such as instructional quality issues (explained in the next section under measures for the model). Oakes‟ model is therefore comprised of three components of an educational system: inputs, processes, and outputs (IPO) (Figure1). Figure 1. A comprehensive Model of an Educational System INPUTS PROCESSES OUTPUTS Fiscal and Curriculum Achievement other quality resources School quality Instructional Participation Quality Dropouts Teacher Characteristics Teaching quality Student Attitudes Background Aspirations Note. The arrows indicate the direction of effect Briefly stated, according to Shavelson, McDonnell, and Oakes, (2001) â€Å"the TIMSS model‟s inputs are the human and financial resources available to education† (p. 13): This includes teacher quality (e.g. certification and experience), student background (e.g. parents‟ education and home possessions), and school quality (e.g. school climate). â€Å"Its processes are what is taught and how it is taught† (p. 13): This includes classroom characteristics such as curriculum quality (e.g. pace and coverage of materials), teaching quality (e.g. integration between teacher, pupil, and materials), and instructional quality (e.g. instructional tasks, teaching methods, and classroom climate) and â€Å"its outputs are the consequences of schooling for students from different backgrounds† (p. 13) such as academic achievement, participation (what percentage graduate versus drop out), and attitudes (e.g. any desires to continue studying math or career goals that are math related). The TIMSS model is complex and provides insight into how the various components of the education system relate to one another. As noted earlier, one of the shortcomings of the traditional input output model was its structure in which nested data was treated as though linear, and the TIMSS model addressed that problem. This was noted by Kaplan and Elliott that â€Å"the TIMSS‟ model, is one instantiation of the organizational structure of schooling that captures its hierarchical nature† (Kaplan, Elliott, 2007; p. 221). The two suggested that the model was multilevel in form and was testable through statistical methodologies that take the multilevel nature of educational data into consideration. Kaplan and Elliot used the model for their framework to propose a model-based approach for validating educational indicators that explicitly took into account the organizational features of schooling. The two contended from their model that it was not necessary for every indicator that has ever been suggested for collection to actually appear in the model. To them, it is the research questions and the goals for the investigations that should determine which indicators to include in a statistical model. Nevertheless, Oakes (2006) advised that a single indicator of each component of the educational system was inadequate. What was needed, in his view, was for each component to have indicators of all its most critical dimensions, and, â€Å"without a series of indicators that assesses all important facets of the schooling processes (the 3 components of the model), we can neither understand the system`s overall health nor determine the conditions under which a particular goal is met† (Oakes, 2006, p. 8). Oakes further observed that each of the three components appeared to be necessary but insufficient by itself to convey full information about school effects. That is, although a system of indicators measures distinct components of the education model, it also provides information about how the individual components work together to produce the overall effect. What can be deduced from Oake`s remarks is that studies that model only one component of the educational system may not be doing an adequate job of conveying the necessary information about the school effects. Conclusions What I considered informative from TIMSS and through the deliberations by Kaplan and Elliott (2007) about TIMSS`s model in general, and its use in particular, was how to utilize its structure to reach the different components of an education system holistically. It was of interest that the TIMSS model has flexible attributes in those variables could be rearranged to reflect the hierarchical nature of classroom data as evidenced in the current study in subsequent chapters. In one study, Kaplan and Kreisman (2000) used the TIMSS` model to validate indicators of mathematics education using its data. Rather than group their variables into the three distinct categories of Input-Process-Output as outlined in the model structure, they contended that since TIMSS` model was inherently multilevel, a subset of the inputs and processes occurred at higher levels of the education system. As a result, they grouped their indicators into three organizational levels: student, teacher, and school. That is to say, although TIMMS` model (Figure 1) groups school resources, teacher quality, and student background as one category of input (or prerequisite) variables, these indicators occur at different hierarchical levels of the school organization. Some of the variables included in the Kaplan and Kreisman model were: †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At student level: mathematics achievement, attitude toward mathematics, utility of mathematics, parents’ education, and mother’s expectations. †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At teacher level: method of instruction, teacher collaboration with colleagues, teacher’s level of education, and teaching experience. †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At school level: opportunities for continuing professional development, good facilities, school climate, level of discipline, and outstanding teacher recognition. Needless to say, Kaplan and Kreisman`s (2000) variables were representative of the three components of the IPO model even though the variables were grouped differently. Some of the variables they used were composite indicators. These were variables such as attitudes and methods of instruction. The two authors ran factor analyses to help group related items into the composite indicators and they had mathematics achievement as their outcome measure. In summary, TIMMS` model is more of a conceptual framework than a prescriptive one. That is, it does not prescribe what variables one should include in a statistical model for testing educational performance, but offers guidance about the components from which to draw the variables. Directions for Future Research TIMSS data have opened extensive avenues for further research work. In conclusion, this paper has evidenced the complexities involved in TIMSS data. It is hoped that this study and other studies that continue to model TIMSS data and pilot TIMSS instruments will help to illuminate the factors that explain student achievement in the us and in many other countries and to direct policy interventions.