To what extent is society to blame for the mental decline of Nicole Dive in Tender is the Night and Esther Greenwood in The Bell Jar

The mental decline of the two protagonists is apparent within both ‘Tender is the Night' and ‘The Bell Jar' whereby Scott Fitzgerald and Sylvia Plath respectively explore the stifling nature of society and the effect this has on an individual's mental health. An ingrained expectation of culture places certain constraints, most pertinently on the female role, as both authors openly explore the issues faced by those with a basic inability to cope with such pressures; ultimately leading to their mental downfall. Neither Nicole nor Esther fit the social order required of them causing others to label them as insane, but it is the negative influence of society upon them which is the overwhelming cause. Within ‘TisN' the reader witnesses Nicole Diver's fundamental need for a male presence in which contrasts with the strong feminist beliefs of Esther Greenwood. Both novels clearly demonstrate how the masculine world dictates that women are to be regarded as possessions and constantly manipulated by a male counterpart – be it their father or husband. The lack of a father in Nicole's life allowed Dick Diver to become both a replacement father figure and husband giving him escalated dominance which ultimately caused the pressure on Nicole as an individual to increase significantly. Nicole's world had shattered, ‘but it was only a flimsy and scarcely created world' due to the incestuous relationship she was a part of. These flaws in Nicole's upbringing resulted in her inability to create a life for herself as the past still troubled her. Nicole and Esther mutually place men on a pedestal not only due to their reliance on them but also the ideals society forces upon them in regards to male superiority; until they realise that not only can Dick and Buddy not live up to these expectations, but also that they are unrealistic for the society that they live in. Living in a patriarchal society makes Nicole dependent on a controlling figure to make ethical judgements for her. She waits for ‘Dick to make a moral comment', rather than continuing to develop the individuality she was free to express in her private letters to Dick when explaining the mental health problems she was experiencing at that time. Similarly, when Buddy, who has never skied himself, ‘instructs' Esther in the sport, she mindlessly obeys. ‘TisN' Book 1 shows a complete contrast as Nicole is described as ‘happy to exist in a man's world' referring to her allowing a husband or lover to take charge, portrayed with both Dick and Tommy. Nicole is trapped in her feminine role in the 1930s as, although she feels that Tommy ‘opens up whole new worlds for her', he is simply a new domineering character in her life who ‘waited five years' for her marriage to be over. Contrastingly, Esther is able to find power on the slopes which then allows her to see through the hypocrisy of society in making men appear to be the superior gender; mirroring the counter culture revolution emerging in America at the time. This also challenges the mentality of women regarding sexual equality and control as Esther's disgust mounts over Buddy ‘having an affair with that tarty waitress' while continuing to expect a virgin bride. The limited sexual choices available to Esther cause her to view the world as ‘divided into people who had slept with somebody and people who hadn't', thus making us aware of the importance of sex significantly a lack of for women, within this community. Nicole also has a breakthrough in exerting her independence and forcing Dick to take responsibility, when she realises that he ‘is a coward! who tries to blame his failures on her. This disappointment in realising that Dick is not what she had anticipated allows Nicole to see past the disillusionment. This independence is strengthened as the book ends from Nicole's viewpoint as Dick ‘became a dot' in her life. This allows her to become a dominant character which was a great accomplishment before the feminis t movements of the 1960s. Society isn't the only trigger however and the disillusionment of the protagonists is an underlying cause of their mental decline. Nicole uses her relationship with Dick as an escape from her illness but when family life becomes mundane it resurfaces. She consciously uses her marriage to evade problems however she was soon proven wrong as her marriage only instigated more demands on her character due to the expectations of a wife, apparent not only in terms of the society the book was set in, but also that of the writers' reality. Scott Fitzgerald according to Horace Gregory of the New York Herald Tribune, was said to be ‘sharing the failure of his protagonists' as the life of Nicole closely mirrored that of his wife Zelda. This allowed him to use his experiences regarding the effect of society's pressures, and reflect them in Nicole Diver's life. Her dreams of love and accomplishment are quickly distorted by the possession of property which causes emptiness in her life of important things – despite many viewing her life as perfect. Similarly, Esther primarily idolises Buddy as superficially he appears to be perfect: a handsome Yale student with an interest in her despite being older, though soon she finds that ‘he had fooled [her] all these years' with hypocritical actions that society had allowed. 930's American Society had one expectation of women – to marry and have children. Nicole initially gives the impression that she has easily fallen into this position however the role is forced upon her as she struggles to establish autonomy. Despite having few choices Nicole subtly asserts her freedom through finances. Money and materialism are not instinctive to man but imposed by societ y for comfort and this shows itself through Nicole's extravagant shopping sprees when she is able to find comfort in her materialistic ways, demonstrating the excessiveness of the Jazz Age. Nicole buys enough to fill ‘a great list that ran two pages' in an attempt to ‘buy herself happy' since she had few other options, unlike Esther who's ripening choices are presented on the Fig Tree. Yet she finds herself unable to make a decision as she felt that ‘choosing one meant losing all the rest' suppressing her choices due to the stark contrasts between the writer she wants to become and the house-wife she is pushed towards; unlike the male characters around her who can have everything. The American Dream runs parallel throughout the two novels as the ideology forms the national ethos and both writers attack the fundamental values it teaches. The disappointment is too much for the female protagonists to cope with as reality fails to live up to the grand promise such principles make. Wealth forms an integral part of this philosophy as many believe that materialistic items bring about happiness. Early on, Esther's life seems perfect despite being ‘so poor she can't afford a magazine' as she manages to earn a scholarship to college; embodying the main principles of the ethos, though this soon crumbles as the pressure to succeed becomes too great. The demands on Nicole's character similarly build up as she is pushed into becoming wife and mother, while keeping to the traditions of the Warren family. From afar, Nicole appears to have the perfect life, the grand-daughter of a horse trader with ‘white crooks eyes', nevertheless all the riches of the world could not stop her breakdowns. It is apparent that Nicole wants nothing more than to lead a happy life with her family, however being part of the idle American expatriate community, a worldly attitude towards life easily takes over since Nicole has ‘too much money'. This money-orientated outlook on life even goes as far as to drive her to use money as an advantage in her relationship with Dick even though ‘he did not want to be owned', showing that despite the facade of having everything, she was neither happy nor would she ever be under such pretences. Equally Esther's inability to earn her desired place at university is an example of Sylvia Plath attacking the philosophy which gives false hopes to many – especially the youth. These values also feature in Esther's move to New York as despite any outsider believing she was ‘having the time of her life' the truth of the situation couldn't differ more. She ‘was supposed to be the envy of thousands of college girls' however she found the materialistic flaws in society too much to deal with and conventional expectations to be cold after such anticipation. Nicole's anticipation for love and accomplishment mirrors this. In conclusion, society is seen to be the contributing factor towards both Nicole and Esther's mental declines as they both strive to accomplish all that they can. It is once reaching these aims that they realise its irrelevance and it is this disappointment which ultimately becomes too much for each protagonist to deal with. The illusions of society are difficult for these individuals to decipher, and they are both respectively tangled in its complexities.

Reflection on Non Violence Civil Rights Actions

Martin Luther King preferred to achieve Civil Rights for African Americans through non-violent actions. He believed violence would only lead to more problems and conflicts as whites would want to find a way to get revenge for the problems caused by African Americans. Martin Luther King displays success through his non-violent action with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott is a prime example of a non-violent boycott. Rosa Parks, a member of the NAACP, decides to not give up her seat to a white man when the bus runs out of seats.After violating the bus rules, Parks was arrested. As a result, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. African Americans across Montgomery, Alabama, stopped using bus services in order to damage the business financially. According to the Article â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. , Remembers the Montgomery Boycott,† Martin Luther King believed if the protest was done â€Å"courageously, and yet with dignity,† the â€Å"walls of segregati on [would] finally [be] battered by the forces of justice. By boycotting the bus, the company lost a tremendous amount of money because it lost many of its customers. Eventually, as a result, the bus company had to desegregate the buses and begin seating in a â€Å"first-come, first-served† basis. This economic win by Martin Luther King showed that violence is not always needed to solve problems. Even in the Deep South, the â€Å"Cradle of Confederacy† can be transformed into â€Å"Montgomery, the cradle of freedom and justice† through nonviolent actions.Martin Luther King made an Economic change by sparking a boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. He began a change in the way Civil Rights were going to be achieved for African Americans. Instead of getting their equality through violence and possibly another civil war, African Americans damaged segregated businesses through boycotts making non-violent action more effective.

Do Children Read Purely For Enjoyment Education Essay

The term reading for pleasance is the 1 used most frequently in official British course of study paperss. Pleasure and enjoyment are both words that occur, for illustration, in England ‘s National Curriculum ( NC ) programmes of survey for reading ( DfEE/QCA, 1999: 46 ) . Reading is an of import first measure to personal development, and to societal, economic and civic life ( Holden, 2004 cited in Clark and Rumbold, 2006 ) . It allows us to larn â€Å" about other people, about history and societal surveies, linguistic communication, scientific discipline, mathematics, and the other content topics that must be mastered in school. The National Literacy Trust defined reading for pleasance as â€Å" reading that we do of our ain free will, expecting the satisfaction that we will acquire from the act of reading. It besides refers to reading that holding begun at person else ‘s petition we continue because we are interested in it † Nell ( 1988 ) , besides states that reading for pleasance is a signifier of drama that allows us to see other universes and functions in our imaginativeness. This is supported by Holden ( 2004 cited in Clark and Rumbold, 2006 ) who besides regarded reading as a â€Å" originative activity † that is far removed from the inactive chase it is often perceived to be. Others such as Graff ( 1992 ) have described reading for pleasance as an interpretative activity, which is shaped by the reader ‘s outlooks and experiences every bit good as by the societal contexts in which it takes topographic point. However, reading for pleasance could be described as being much more than merely a signifier of drama and escape ; it is besides a manner of linking with a text. Pullman ( 2004 ) , wrote on the characteristics that make reading pleasurable: â€Å" See the nature of what happens when we read a book†¦ It is n't like a talk: its like a conversation. There ‘s a back-and-forthness about it. The book proposes, the reader inquiries, the book responds, the reader considers. And we are active about the procedure†¦ We can plane or we can read it easy ; we can read every word, or we can jump long transitions ; we can read it in the order it presents itself, or we can read it in any order we please ; we can look at the last page foremost, or make up one's mind to wait for it ; we can set the book down and†¦ we can accede or we can differ. † This infusion has been taken from a Guardian article, and is written by the writer Phillip Pullman. He describes reading as a democratic activity because the reader can take charge of what they read. On the other manus, he states that theocracies have a narrow thought of what literacy is, in that they believe it contains merely one thing, and has merely one intent ( Pullman, 2004 ) . Although the article was most likely to hold been written with grownups in head, the infusion taken could be applied to readers of all ages. All definitions fit in with thought of reading for pleasance. Connecting with a text enables the reader to prosecute to the full in what they are reading. However, when engaged in a text we are able to see different universes and functions which can spread out our imaginativenesss.Are kids reading for pleasance?Harmonizing to Clark and Rumbold ( 2006 ) , research suggests that a turning figure of kids do non read for pleasance, and that there appears to be a diminution in the Numberss of kids reading for pleasance over clip. Between 2000 and 2009, on norm, the per centum of kids who reported reading for enjoyment day-to-day dropped by 5 % , from 69 % to 64 % ( OECD, 2010 ) . This signals the challenge for schools to prosecute immature people in reading activities that they find relevant and interesting. The primary purpose of the research conducted by Clark and Rumbold ( 2006 ) was to research reading for pleasance, with the chief focal point being on kids. Their research has been used a great trade within this paper for its relevancy to the assignment rubric. This determination is supported by grounds from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study ( PIRLS ) , which indicated that attitudes to reading hold declined somewhat in England ( in 2006 compared to 2001 ) ( Twist et al. 2007 cited in ESARD, 2012 ) . What was found highlighted that kids in England had less positive attitudes to reading than kids in most other states. It was besides identified that misss by and large enjoy reading more than boys. This is looked at, more in deepness, farther on in the paper. Additionally, a study by the publishing houses Pearson, who questioned instructors, identified that 74 % warned that students did non pass adequate clip reading outside the schoolroom ( BBC News, 2012 ) . Children ‘s writer Frank Cottrell Boyce highlights the issue by stating, â€Å" It ‘s worrying to believe that so many immature kids are non being inspired to pick up a good book and acquire lost in a narrative. † ( BBC News, 2012 ) . This highlights a clear demand to do certain that kids are being provided with the right types of books which stimulate their involvement, capture their imaginativeness and do them desire to turn the following page.Why do kids read?Evidence suggests that reading for pleasance is non ever cited as the chief ground for kids reading. Surveies have explored the issue of why kids read and there have been comparable consequences. The bulk of kids surveyed responded with accomplishments based grounds, grounds to make with acquisition and ap prehension, or emotional grounds ( ESARD, 2012 ) . This is supported by a study conducted by the National Literacy Trust ( NLT ) as portion of Reading Connects ( Clark and Foster, 2005 ) , who found that the bulk of kids emphasised accomplishments related grounds for reading. One-half of the kids said they read because it is a accomplishment for life and because it will assist them happen what they want or need to cognize. More male childs than misss reported that they read because it will assist them acquire a occupation or because they have to. Girls indicated that reading is fun, teaches them how other people live and because it gives them a interruption. However, a survey conducted by Dungworth et Al ( 2004 ) showed consequences that pointed more strongly towards pleasance being a ground for kids reading. This fitted in with the thought that reading was emotional, and related to the manner reading made them experience. Some kids besides said that they read because it was loosen uping. It should be noted that this study was merely conducted with twelvemonth 5 students and hence does non possibly demo a true representation of primary school kids of all ages. The literature suggests that there is a split between grounds why kids read. On the one manus there are the kids who read for enjoyment and for relaxation, whilst others do it chiefly because it is educational and enlightening. However, the bulk of kids do look to tilt towards more skill related grounds as to why they read. This indicates that the pleasance may be taken out of reading for them.The benefits linked with reading for pleasance?Research with kids has shown that reading for pleasance is positively linked with many benefits. Clark and Rumbold ( 2006:8-9 ) identified these chief countries as the benefits to reading for pleasance in the National Literacy Trust ‘s Reading for Pleasure: Reading attainment and composing ability ; Text comprehension and grammar ; Breadth of vocabulary ; Positive reading attitudes ; Greater self assurance as a reader ; Pleasure in reading in ulterior life ; General cognition ; A better apprehension of other civilizations ; Community engagement, and A greater penetration into human nature and decision-making Harmonizing to the National Literacy Trust, they are dedicated to constructing a literate state and emphasize the importance of reading for pleasance as one manner to progress literacy attainment in kids. Similarly, Clark and De Zoysa ( 2011 ) , who have been referred to below, besides focussed their research on immature people. Due to the complexness of some of the inquiries and constructs, they decided to curtail the age scope of take parting students to upper KS2 ( 9-11 old ages and older ) , hence the findings can non possibly be generalised to all students in lower KS2 and KS1. Reading for pleasance in KS1 and lower KS2 is an country that does necessitate more focal point and research. Clark and De Zoysa ( 2011 ) found a important positive relationship between enjoyment and attainment. This indicates that kids who read more are besides better readers. However, they made no deduction sing cause and consequence, hence higher attainment may take to more enjoyment of reading or greater enjoyment may take to higher attainment. In a big graduated table study, Clark ( 2011 ) likewise found that those who reported basking reading were six times more likely than those who did non bask reading to read above the expected degree for their age. In contrast, kids who reported non basking reading at all were 11 times more likely than those who enjoyed reading to read below the degree expected for their age. It was besides found that merely one in 10 kids who read seldom or ne'er, scored above the degree expected for their age compared with one in three of immature people who read everyday. This is once more strongly supported by PIRLS, who reported that â€Å" there is a strong association between the sum of reading for pleasance kids reported and their reading accomplishment. † Guthrie and Wigfield ( 2000 ) besides discovered that kids, who become engaged with reading, provide themselves with â€Å" spontaneous † larning chances that are tantamount to several old ages of instruction. They besides identified that kids with a positive attitude to reading are more likely to pattern the reading accomplishments they are larning at school. Similarly, like Clark and Rumbold ( 2006 ) , Guthrie and Wigfield have focussed chiefly on immature people, through discoursing occupied reading, with its attending being on the part of kids ‘s motive. In add-on to this, research has shown how developing a love of reading is of import for kids ‘s life opportunities. Harmonizing to the OECD ( 2002 ) , detecting ways to prosecute students in reading may be one of the most effectual ways to act upon societal alteration. Their analysis showed that students whose parents had the lowest occupational position, but who were extremely engaged in reading, obtained higher mean reading tonss than pupils whose parents had high or average occupational position but who were ill engaged in reading ( NUT, 2011 ) . â€Å" Reading for Pleasure † is a cardinal policy for the National Union of Teachers ( NUT, 2011:4 ) their usher proposes that, â€Å" the National Curriculum and its statutory appraisal system, Ofsted reviews and the answerability government, mark scene, school betterment and action programs all exert a important influence on what instructors do in the schoolroom. † As a consequence, reading for pleasance can be viewed as a luxury and occurs seldom in the schoolroom. Besides, the inclination towards utilizing infusions from books instead than whole texts for pattern and readying, the attraction and immediateness of a scope of digital media, the shrinking of school and public libraries and the clip demands of guaranting full course of study coverage have all gone against schools promoting students to read for pleasance. Other research into benefits of reading for pleasance has identified that kids who are read to everyday, at age three, have a vocabulary of a kid aged five which is about two months more advanced than those who are non ( Washbook and Waldfogel, 2010 ) . Furthermore, grounds besides illustrates that reading for pleasance can profit kids beyond the schoolroom and into their grownup life, hence enriching the universe around us. The International Reading Association ( 1999 ) believes that kids who enter the grownup universe in the twenty-first century will read and compose more than any other clip in history. They will necessitate advanced degrees of literacy to execute their occupations, run their families and conduct their personal lives etc. They deem literacy to be that of import that they will necessitate it to get by with â€Å" the inundation of information they will happen everyplace they turn. † This is supported by Hargreaves Macintyre ( 2005 ) who stated that hapless reading accomplishments show a relationship with deficiency of employment, lower rewards and fewer chances for promotion. Harmonizing to Clark and Rumbold ( 2006 ) , reading for pleasance has non been a immense research precedence. Nevertheless, surveies are roll uping that emphasise the importance of reading for pleasance, for both educational every bit good as personal development. These surveies show that advancing reading can hold a major impact on kids and their hereafter. However, it should be noted that the bulk of these surveies are based on connected research and would profit from a more strict attack.Motivation for readingResearch into reading has identified the importance of reading motive in explicating literacy behavior. Guthrie and Wigfield ( 2000 ) , define reading motive as. â€Å" the person ‘s personal ends, values and beliefs with respect to the subjects, procedures, and results of reading. † They suggest that reading motive is a multi-faceted â€Å" concept † that includes reading ends, intrinsic and extrinsic motive, self-efficacy and societal motive for reading. In add-on to this, the National Literacy Trust ( 2006 ) province that research has repeatedly shown that motive to read lessenings with age, particularly if kids ‘s attitudes towards reading become less positive ( McKenna et al, 1995 ) . Consequently if kids do non bask reading when they are immature, so they are improbable to make so when they get older. In motive research, research workers and practicians have focused chiefly on task-mastery orientation, i.e. wining at a undertaking. Persons with a public presentation orientation enterprise to maximize favorable ratings to their ability ( Thorkildsen and Nicholls, 1998 ) . Performance orientation is seen as extrinsic motive. It is associated with the usage of surface schemes for reading and desire to finish a undertaking instead than to understand or bask a text ( Meece and Miller, 1999 cited in Guthrie and Wigfield, 2000 ) . Wigfield and Guthrie ( 1997 cited in Guthrie and Wigfield, 2000 ) inform that extrinsic motive was made up of three facets. The first being reading for acknowledgment, this is the pleasance in having a touchable signifier of acknowledgment for success. Second, reading for classs, whereby a kid desires to be favorably evaluated by the instructor, and in conclusion competition in reading is the desire to surpass others in reading. In contrast, Ryan and Deci ( 2000 ) refer to intrinsic motive as battle in an activity that is based on personal involvement in an activity itself. Hidi ( 2000 ) , province that readers who are per se motivated are more likely to happen a assortment of subjects that involvement them, and benefit from an attach toing sense of pleasance. It should be noted that although the surveies by Meece and Miller ( 1999 ) , Thorkildsen and Nicholls ( 1998 ) , Ryan and Deci ( 2000 ) and Hidi ( 2000 ) focused chiefly on kids, they were conducted in America and hence attitudes towards reading may be different to those in the UK. However, a study carried out by the International Reading Association ( 1995 ) identified that like the UK, misss possessed more favorable attitudes than male childs at all class degrees. Self efficaciousness is another facet of reading motive. Bandura ( 1986 ) defines it as â€Å" people ‘s opinions of their capablenesss to organize and put to death class of action required to achieve designated types of public presentations. † An person ‘s beliefs about their capablenesss can act upon motive and behavior ( Bandura, 1982 ) . Therefore, in this context, it could be said that when a kid evaluates their ain competency in reading and, believes their attempts have been successful, their assurance is increased and willingness to seek similar and more ambitious books occurs. Additional surveies by Quirk et Al ( 2009 ) and Jackson ( 2002 ) have supported Bandura ‘s theory. Much research into this country has concluded that pupils with high intrinsic motive, a undertaking orientation, and high ego efficaciousness are comparatively active readers and high winners ( Guthrie et al, 2000 ) .Boys V. GirlsHarmonizing to ESARD ( 2012 ) surveies have revealed that boys enjoy reading less than misss. A study conducted by Clark and Douglas ( 2011 ) for The National Literacy Trust, identified that there has been a important spread between male childs and misss who enjoy reading. In 2005, 10.7 % more misss than male childs enjoyed reading ; by 2009 this had widened to 15 % . As a consequence of these statistics, Clark and Douglas ( 2011 ) made this bold statement: â€Å" Its deductions are important non merely for literacy but for male childs ‘ wider educational attainment and finally their life chances. † This statement stresses the importance of reading for enjoyment. Besides, despite a big figure of national publicities of reading, focused on male childs between 2005 and 2011, they are still non reading for pleasance every bit much as misss. Had these non occurred, the spread may hold been even wider. Schemes that have been introduced to promote male childs to read hold focussed on two attacks. Through programmes such as the National Literacy Trust ‘s Reading Champions undertaking, the purpose is to alter attitudes to reading. Besides, male childs are given the chance to read by being provided with free reading stuffs from strategies such as Boys into Books. Harmonizing to Maloney ( 2000 ) , the writer of Boys and Books: Building a Culture of Reading Around Our Boys, boys by and large similar to read books that reflect their image of themselves, peculiarly what they aspire to be and what they want to make, i.e. something that they can associate to. Besides, books that can do them laugh and appeal to their sense of mischievousness and fiction that focuses on action more than emotions. Interestingly, boys enjoy books that are portion of a series, such as the Harry Potter series as they appear to supply male childs with a sense of comfort and acquaintance. Possibly unsurprisingly, many male childs tend to be passionate about scientific discipline fiction and phantasy. Finally, newspapers, magazines, amusing books, athleticss cards and direction manuals, these are stuffs that are frequently non available in the schoolroom. Research suggests that when male childs read these stuffs, they do non see themselves to be reading at all, because thes e stuffs are non valued at school. It could be said that The National Literacy Trust provides reasonably valuable and dependable information. 17,089 students aged 8-16 from 112 schools from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales participated in the on-line study on immature people ‘s attitudes towards reading in November and December 2009. One piece of research that has been prevailing throughout looking at gender differences and reading for pleasance is that entree to reading stuffs for male child seems still to be an issue and seems to associate to parental attitudes towards reading. Clark and Douglas ( 2011 ) province that male childs are less likely to state that they have entree to a computing machine, magazines, newspapers or books compared with misss. Besides, whilst 79.1 % of misss say they have books of their ain at place, merely 66.5 % of male childs say they do. This indicates that there may be a demand for runs to turn to societal attitudes around male child ‘s reading, and the parental function in resource proviso suggests that parents may hold a function to play in turn toing the gender spread. Interestingly on arrangement more male childs read and appeared to bask reading more, nevertheless this is merely one category and can non be generalised to the population.The current criterion of instruction of reading in schoolsThe Literacy Guide for Primary Schools 2012-2013 announced that the criterion of instruction of literacy, in primary schools around the United Kingdom is better than it of all time has been. They province that schools are presenting lessons which are thorough, advanced and originative and, as a consequence kids are motivated and larning takes topographic point ( National Literacy Trust, 2012 ) . However, there was still one in five kids neglecting to accomplish the expected degree at Key Stage 2 in 2011. In footings of alteration, the new bill of exchange course of study for English ( 2012 cited in National Literacy Trust 2012 ) puts a strong accent on the instruction of systematic man-made phonics. Furthermore, the Teachers ‘ Standards require for all instructors to â€Å" show an apprehension of and take duty for advancing high criterions of literacy, articulacy and the right usage of Standard English. † ( DfEs, 2012 ) . Ofsted ( 2010 ) characterised excellence in reading by set uping phonic cognition and accomplishments and their application through reading, composing and comprehension of what they ‘re reading. Besides broadening and widening the scope and quality of reading, and eventually, heightening the instruction of reading by its application across the wider course of study. The 12 schools chosen for the Ofsted ( 2010 ) analyze all had above mean consequences in both KS1 and KS2. They represented a scope of cultural and socio economic backgrounds, and the schools were widely distributed and included urban and rural scenes. Although the sum of schools chosen is slightly little, the fact that they represent a spectrum of different backgrounds highlights the fact that any school can accomplish excellence in learning kids to read, and promote reading for pleasance. However, one unfavorable judgment of seting so much focal point on phonics and kids being tested on their reading at the age of six is that kids may be put off reading for pleasance ( Guardian, 2011 ) . The study dismisses past concerns sing frights about the consequence of structured acquisition and instruction on three and four twelvemonth olds by stating that they have small foundation. However, they make the strong point that some of the rules of man-made phonics, such as inflexibleness and adhering merely to decidable books until the kid no longer needs formal systematic phonics instruction, could present an â€Å" unreal ceiling and cut down the motive of kids who want to research books and take on the challenge of reading for themselves † ( Ofsted, 2010 ) . It is agreed that what is of import is that kids who struggle to get the critical accomplishments of blending and segmenting are given as much aid as possible ( Ofsted 2010 ) .Promoting reading for pleasance in the schoolroomAside from guaranting a deepness of capable cognition in the rules, theory and patterned advance of phonics, instructors need to â€Å" plunge the kids in a rich reading environment † by reading a broad scope of quality texts ( National Literacy Trust, 2012:4 ) . The NUT ( 2011 ) discusses the benefits of kids being read aloud to in the schoolroom. Surveies have shown that kids who are read to are more likely to make better in school both academically and socially. Alan Gibbon, writer and instructor, knows firsthand the benefits of effectual, reading aloud clip. In his ‘Reading for Pleasure ‘ usher, for the NUT, he states that reading aloud is about making a positive reading experience to prosecute the pupils. Therefore instructors need to pattern their enthusiasm for books and reading them. This can be achieved through executing the voices of the different characters in the books: inquiring inquiries every so frequently to happen out what everyone thinks might go on next to assist construct suspense and to do it more interesting for the hearers and, eventually, halting the narrative at an exciting point. This will do the hearer want to come back and read some more. On arrangement, the instructor demonstrated these accomplishments magnificently and it was apparent that the kids loved being read aloud to. It was clear that the instructor was familiar with the book as there was no stumbling over words and phrases which made it much more gratifying for the hearer. The voices were executed brightly and the kids were kept engaged and ever looked frontward to reading more. Obviously, supplying the kids regular clip to read self-chosen books mutely is besides truly of import. Schraw et Al ( 1998 cited in Clark and Rumbold 2006 ) found that there was a positive relationship between pick and affectional facets of reading, such as motive. Children are much more likely to take a book that looks interesting to them. Research from the United Kingdom Literacy Association ( UKLA ) highlighted the demand for quality clip for independent reading in the schoolroom. In school, it was observed, that the kids normally read mutely when they came into the schoolroom first thing in the forenoon, nevertheless, more clip is possibly needed whereby kids get a set sum of clip to read mutely as it appeared that the sum of kids reading for pleasance was comparatively low. One scheme to be considered is Drop Everything and Read ( DEAR ) ( NUT, 2011 ) . At a set clip of the hebdomad, everyone in the school ( including all staff ) , stops what they are making and read something they enjoy for 20/30 proceedingss. Finally reading publicity programmes need to be implemented that make reading an experience that is actively sought out by pupils ( Clark and Rumbold, 2006 ) . There is besides a demand for schools to recognize that a broad scope of reading stuffs will promote pupils to read. From pattern, it was made cognizant that schools tend to read aloud infusions instead than the whole book. A survey commissioned by the educational publishing house Heinemann, portion of Pearson Education, was the first wide-scale research into the usage of books in literacy instruction in the UK. The research involved over 500 primary learning staff from 500 schools in the state. Amazingly, 12 % of primary school instructors said they had ne'er read a complete book with their category. It appears that this depicts a distressing image of dependance on little infusions, instead than whole books, for literacy. The research besides identified that about two-thirds of instructors felt that reading merely extracts in category could potentially turn kids off reading, at the same clip a farther one in five say they saw grounds of this already go oning. It was besides found that six in 10 instructors believe that reading whole books in their schoolrooms would hold existent academic benefits on their students, both in test public presentation and academic success ( Edinger, 2009 ) . The job that appears to originate here is that if kids are n't acquiring the experience of reading whole books in category, they may ne'er acquire that grasp for them. Reading extracts merely, may besides intend that you are losing out on the best and most critical spots of a book.DecisionTo reason, the research suggests that there has been a little diminution in kids reading for pleasance. It is besides apparent that misss tend to read for enjoyment more so than male childs. However, there are spreads in this country, and more research is required. Male childs who do read are more likely to make so for skills-related grounds, such as, to assist them to acquire a occupation in the hereafter ( Clark and Foster, 2005 ) . It has besides been made evident that there are many benefits to reading for pleasance ; these include reading attainment, positive reading attitudes and greater ego assurance as a reader ( Clark and Rumbold, 2006 ) . There are assorted ways to acquire kids reading for pleasance in the schoolroom. Including the instructor reading aloud to them ; seting on the voices of the different characters and, halting to inquire inquiries associating to the book. Besides, giving the kids the chance to read mutely to themselves and giving them the freedom take their ain book. Finally, there are schemes presently in topographic point to promote kids to non merely read more but to besides read for pleasance. Overall the topic of reading for pleasance has been reasonably good researched. However, there are spreads. One subject that requires more focal point is whether higher attainment leads to more enjoyment of reading or greater enjoyment lead to higher attainment as there is small research in this country. Although the bulk of research workers province that kids who read more and, bask reading are better readers, there is no deduction of its causality. Besides, although there is grounds of research into the country of reading motive, much of it has been conducted in America and therefore it is unknown whether it can be made relevant to the UK. For this ground it would be interesting to carry on work in the UK to see if the findings are the same or if they differ.

Homelessness and Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Homelessness and Health Care - Essay Example The burden imposed by substance abuse and mental illness are well recorded in homeless people. In addition, chronic diseases are common as many homeless persons have peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, renal disease, hypertension, liver disease, and respiratory problems. Skin diseases are also not left out and are extraordinarily frequent leading to costly hospitalization due to cellulitis. Frostbites and hypothermia are feared life hazards in the streets and have been implied as risk factors for the premature demise. Other conditions, such as lice infestations, pellagra, and diphtheria may ultimately lead to endocarditis from the toxins produced by Bartonella Quintana (Badiaga et al., 2008). The persons caring for this cohort of individuals must marry medicine with aspects of public health since HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are endemic, communicable diseases outbreaks such as influenza, violence and trauma are somewhat implied in homeless people and infestations common in shelter. C heung and Hwang (2004) investigated on elevated mortality rates in the United States, England, Denmark, and Canada. A peculiar and disturbing observation made was the apparent absence of notable inputs of health insurance on the predisposition of premature mortality. Incredibly, in the US, there remains 40 million plus citizens without a coverage of health insurance. The rest of the countries had had for a long time universal health insurance. Even with the necessity for a universal coverage, the initiative appears to fall short in preventing early deaths in the homeless population (Cheung & Hwang, 2004). Fundamental improvement in health care delivery is crucial to address the existing health care disparities for such population at risk. The health care of homeless families and individuals poses a distressing challenge to our traditional models of health care delivery. The undying urgency of striving daily for warm meals and safe shelter relegates health care to a less-immediate pr iority (Wright & Tompkins, 2006). Injuries fester and common illnesses progress resulting to increased cases of emergency unit visit and acute care hospitalization. Treatment plans that are sensible to those with family and home support are often inapplicable to difficult, impossible to have bed rest, he homeless people; simple changes of dressing, hard to secure medication and properly store them and adherence to therapy especially those that require multiple daily administrations is flattering.

Scientific and technological advancements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scientific and technological advancements - Essay Example The industrial revolution led to development of new economic systems in the society that greatly affected family relationships. Prior to the Industrial Revolution families worked together in the cottage system to produce their own goods for consumption. The cottage system ensured that there were strong family ties as each person had a role to play in the production process(Stearns, 2013). The Industrial Revolution, however, introduced the factory systems that required people to work for long hours away from home. With this economic system, many family members became engaged in the industrial production process. Parents had little time to spend with their children since they had to compete for the scarce jobs in industries. The Industrial Revolution also led to development and growth of towns and cities. Industries attracted more people who sought employment opportunities. These people often settled around the industries, leading to emergence of new towns and cities. Urbanization occurred at a very rapid rate leading to emergence of various social problems including housing problems, sanitation, crime, and diseases. Urbanization soon became a major challenge to the social wellbeing of the society and a focus had to shift towards addressing the social problems that emerged as a result(Stearns, 2013). The urban centers could not support the ever-increasing population due to the limited availability of resources. The Industrial Revolution led to development of capitalism as a major economic philosophy because it lee to concentration or massive wealth among factory owners. The Industrial Revolution created space for emergence of new forms of production that required workers to improve their skills in order to use machinery and factory equipment. More people moved to seek employment opportunities in the industries as well as opening up markets for the industrial products (Mielants, 2007). The few

FORD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FORD - Essay Example But according to me they should have given their customers the actual information. It would give the public a sense of trust in Ford. The real ethics lies in having the faith of the customers by thinking about their well being. As per a Ford inside notice, the optimal approach to defeat the security issue was by bringing down the core of gravity, enlarging the Explorers wheel base, and utilizing a more diminutive P215 tire. Then again, when further dissection was carried out, Ford understood that stretching the wheel base and bringing down the core of gravity might have deferred the processing, and consequently it chose to act "unethically" Rowell (2008). This shows that Ford was aware of the problem and they also knew the reason for it. It was a fault on their end. They had the thought process of saving their reputation. We can use the Utilitarian approach in this situation. Consistent with the Utilitarian Approach, the maker of the item ought to be considered answerable for the imperfections as opposed to the retailer, and it is the obligation of each maker to guarantee that it processes the most secure items conceivable. Accordingly dependent upon the Utilitarian Approach, it could be reasoned that Ford was "unethical" since it was regulating the methodology through which Explorer was transformed, and in this manner it is to be considered ethically and also lawfully answerable for the imperfections which were available in the vehicle. Based on this theory it can be said that the responsibility should have been taken by Ford. Yes Ford should have taken the responsibility instead of blaming the whole issue on Firestone. It was unethical on their part to protect themselves and blaming a tire manufacture. Ford should have recalled all the faulty cars that had been manufactured by them and should be replaced with the non faulty one or should have repaired the cars on their own expense. According to me it was

HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HR - Essay Example ations on the base pay, which include external competition, employee equity, the Equal Pay Act of 1970, communication strategy, and use of point-factor rating and definition and evaluation of benchmark jobs. In the contingency pay reward structure, the main proposal is to disregard the current system in place (contribution pay) with a combination of Competence Related Pay and Individual Performance Related Pay reward schemes. The section also proposes several cost-cutting measures and exercises. Part three of the report highlights the non-financial rewards and an overall reward recommendation, including learning and development, performance management, career development, and work environment. Part four of the report contains all the possible alternative retention plans and cost cutting strategies that are applicable in MB’s environment, including Employment Stock Ownership Plan, time extension of paying bonuses, and enhancement of job designations. The fifth and final part of the business report concludes with specific recommendations on a cost-effective reward structure for MB that will enhance the commitment of the workers, raise the morale of the employees, and thus increase the profitability of the company. The combination of low profitability, a lack of performance culture, low morale, and commitment in MB is the result of embedded complacent attitude, irrelevant reward structure, and multiple shortcomings in HR practices multiplied by too hierarchical structure and remote location of departments from each other and the Head Office. The changes offered below are vital to stay afloat. 1. Increasingly popular in job evaluation is a method of combining of two analytical schemes: using point-factor rating to define and evaluate benchmark jobs (jobs which can be used as points of comparison for others), and evaluating the remaining jobs by means of analytical matching (Armstrong pg 254 - 263) 2. External competitiveness: it is necessary to operate exact

Patrick Lee and Robert P. George The Wrong of Abortion critically Essay

Patrick Lee and Robert P. George The Wrong of Abortion critically analyzing their argument. Clearly spell out how and why the premises lead to the conclusion - Essay Example That is true to a certain extent. When it comes to the fact that an unborn child is growing inside the mother, that does not mean she has the right to abort the pregnancy. It may be a fact that involuntary childbirth has caused deaths (Lee and George 2005). However, some people do not look at the fetus as a person. People forget, when it comes to abortion, that the unborn child and the mother are two separate entities. Thus, in all actuality, the child is only hitching a ride with mother for only a few months until it is ready to make its way into this world (Kidd 1999). The mother may have rights to be happy. But even our own government, which is full of hypocrites, wrote into our Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and are endowed rights by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Kidd 1999). This proves that even the fetus that is being carried by the mother has the right to live since it was created by God. Furthermore, if a woman pregnant with child is killed by someone, that person is going to be charged with two murders, not one. The law even takes in account the unborn child and prosecutes for the untimely death of the child inside the mother’s womb as well as the mother herself (ChristiaNet). Some people would lead us to believe that the fetus is not a person until it has the ability to be sentient and think for itself. The problem I see in that statement refers to young newborn children. If you say yes that a fetus is not a person since it cannot think for itself, then you must think that a newborn is not a person either. Newborns do not have the ability to think for themselves either. However, we still consider them people. Biologically, how can a fetus not be considered a person? At six weeks of gestation the fetus begins to develop a heartbeat. Thus, to me this essentially shows us that the fetus is a person. Also, it has been proven that a

“In What Ways Does a Rising China Impact the World” Essay

â€Å"In What Ways Does a Rising China Impact the World† - Essay Example China’s rise on the world scene as a growing economic strong house has been received ambivalently. Her increased control on not only the Asian economy but abroad as well has brought a power shift with her neighbor Japan who has been the dominating force since the first world war, as well as abroad. But what exactly does china’s rise mean to the rest of the world? China has a history that makes it renowned for opting to use military force to gets its way. China still holds a lot of anger and resentment towards the treatment it has suffered at the hands of the international community over the past two centuries and there are bones of contention between her and Japan ( Mahbubani, 2005). Though china has held out the olive branch saying that its intentions are peaceful and their sole interest is in economic growth and development, most countries approach her with caution. The slightest show of claws leaves the international community in jitters. What has brought china into the spotlight is the global financial crisis. When Chinese leaders mulled over whether it was time a new currency was created because of the state of the dollar, every one was all ears and waiting to see what was the next step that china would take. It means that china’s intentions are still regarded as being highly suspicious (Gee, 2009). The most wary are the smaller Asian nations who china has been making attempts to do more business with over recent years. China has changed her tactic and has approached south east nations with a more open attitude to dialogue and treating them as equals. China even offered to sign a free trade agreement with Southeast Asian countries as well as recognizing the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Goh, 2006). It seems that china’s new approach is working with the Southeast Asian nations because these nations have been more welcoming of china’s participation in their economies. It has also helped that china has adopted a

Culture diversity Essay Example for Free

Culture diversity Essay Increasingly today, people come into regular contact with individuals from different cultures and its important to learn to talk with people who may not share a common language, background, and/or worldview. Each of us participates in at least one culture, and most of us are products of several cultures Being aware of our own culture and background is really important as it helps us understand how we are shaped by what we have experienced. Even within cultures, we all have different attitudes and beliefs based on our experiences and this will impact on the way we relate to people both professionally and in our personal life. Learning to value diversity, to become conscious of our ways of relating to each other and their ways of relating to us, does not come easily to most of us nor is it something that can be imposed from the outside. In Valuing Relationship (1995), Lewis Brown Griggs sums the interrelationship of knowing ourselves and building relationship with others as follows: Knowing myself is what allows me to know, understand, and value the diversity of others so that I can build trust with them. With more trust comes the ability to communicate more clearly, to problem solve and network more effectively, and to realize the value of synergistic relationships and productive interdependency. Together, investing in my relationship with myself and enhancing my relationship with others are important insurance policies against lost opportunities. (page 210) Griggs, L. B. (1995). Valuing Relationship: The Heart of Valuing Diversity. In L. B. Griggs L. L. Louw (Eds.), Valuing Diversity: New Tools for a New Reality. McGraw Hill, Inc: New York.

Secure Payment Device using NFC

Secure Payment Device using NFC CAREER EPISODE 3 3.1 INTRODUCTION In my last semester, i.e. 8th semester, I made a project called Secure Payment Device using NFC. My last career episode is about this project. I completed this project in six months duration from Jan 2013 to May 2013. I completed my Bachelors Degree in Electronics and Communication in June 2013. I pursued this program from Guru Nanak Dev University, Gurdaspur, India. The project secure payment device using NFC was completed in a group and I was assigned the group leader. Also, it was performed under the supervision of Prof. Rana. 3.2 BACKGROUND NFC Near Field Communication, it is a wireless communication technology. NFC and mobile payments are the two fields which are gaining attention in the society lately. Mostly all mobile phone has this NFC technology, and more to come in near future. Using NFC, if the payments are made possible, it will attract more masses. The project concentrates on how this technology can be used for mobile payments. It stores the credit card or debit card number on the phone i.e. the digital money and uses NFC reader to detect the card number and send it to the server for authentication. For this purpose, I had prepared a dummy database bank system and uploaded it on the server side. 3.3 OBJECTIVES The objective behind implementing this project was to overcome the problems related to payment. People tend to forget their wallet and debit/credit card, or there occurs a problem of security if the card is lost. So, to overcome this issue I designed a NFC based payment method, which replaces the regular money cards. The users mobile system become the mode of payment transaction. This solves the issue of security also and the person always has a mode of payment in his phone. Also, NFC is the new and useful technology, which got me interested in its various forms of application. 3.4 In this device, NFC for requesting on client end and sending card number, POS (Point of Sales) Terminal for client end for receiving data and processing the transaction, Website for registration, account details etc., Web service which is used for authentication and Database for loading and saving users details are required. Various new technology and software are used in designing of this device. The POS terminal is NFC reader interfaced with Arduino, from Arduino the program code is sent to APDU commands on phone to verify the AID of the application. Eclipse software is used to write application for NFC Enabled Phone to send card number and password that is stored in the phone. Computer languages like C#, ASP.NET are used to write the code for website and webserver. And SQL is used for database technology. 3.5 The idea behind this project is that the user just touches his phone to NFC reader when the payment is need to be made, and the phone will act as the credit card or debit card that the user previously used to use. A mobile payment enabled phone is associated with the bank or the credit card company, in a similar way the phone is associated to phone service provider.ÂÂ   For my project a dummy system and bank with some random database is made to use which assigns a card number and authenticates the user the permission required at the time of payment. 3.6 The project was performed in a group, and being a group leader I had many responsibilities and duties that I had to perform perfectly and had to maintain professional rules of conduct. The duties are listed below: To start with, I had to understand the problem statement assigned to me and survey and research relevant and related topics for possible solutions. After having the solution, I mapped a work plan. Based on the work plan, I divided the whole project into small task and assigned each team member the task based on team members ability. Also, I gave a strict deadline. I involved myself in the design procedure of the block diagram for this device based on my research work. I studied and compared all the components and came up with a final set of components. Using my planned circuit diagram and the component list, I started to plot the hardware model. I learned new software for the implementation of the programming codes in my device. Testing and troubleshooting was performed. Regular reports on updates of my project was given to the project guide. 3.7 PERSONAL ENGINEERING ACTIVITY Based on my literature survey, I made a block diagram for my device. For my project, I have used Roboduino with ATmega328, which is Arduino compatible board. I chose this microcontroller due to its simplicity in programming. To display a message at the POS terminal, I used LCD and interfaced it with Arduino. The NFC reader is interfaced with Arduino in SPI mode. I have made use of PN532 NFC IC which prepares NFC reader by matching 13.56MHz frequency with the antenna. The data that is scanned by NFC reader is passed to the computer and further sent to web server for authentication. The web servers code that is written in visual studio will verify the data that is sent to the web service URL. The URL is already hosted. It will then send a notification stating the success or failure of the data and that will be displayed on the LCD. 3.8 To use this system, it involves three parties buyer, bank, and the merchant. The process involves tapping the buyers phone on the reader at the point of sales (POS). Once the AID is selected from the android side, it will return the card number and PIN to the reader. As per the ISO 7816-4 standard, these values received are transferred in HEX code. On the PC terminal, this HEX code is converted into string by serial client. The bank receives the card no and PIN for verification purpose. On receiving the reply, the LCD will display true or false and it will notify the buyer about his or her transaction. 3.9 For the function of the system, I used the following components to suit my requirement. PN532 it is a highly-integrated transmission module which is used for contactless communication at 13.56MHz and it also supports microcontroller functionality based on 80C51 core. Arduino Duemilanove, LCD 162, Resistors, Capacitors, LED, MOSFET, Inductor and Crystal With the help of these components I prepared a circuit diagram using a software called Eclipse. The readers circuit diagram differs than others because it moves from one host interface to other and the SPI interface uses MOSI. PN532 supports three modes. The interfacing is done for the LCD and NFC shield with the Roboduino. The NFC shield operates as SPI modes while interfacing, so 4 pins MOSI, MISO, SS and SCK are interfaced to the Arduino pins. 3.10 Once my hardware part was completed and the components were soldered to the PCB, I progressed my work with the development of the software part for my device. The software part was divided into two parts, one for the hardware functioning and the other part was designed to function the web application. To start with the implementation, I had to learn certain programming software, as they were new for me. The four software that are used in my device are Arduino IDE used for programming Arduino Uno board with C++ language, Microsoft Visual Studio used for developing a serial client software, web application and web service with the use of C#, Eagle is used for PCB designing and schematic layout and Eclipse to develop android applications using Java code. 3.11 For receiving data on COM port and for the verification purpose of the user, a software i.e. serial client is developed with the help of C#.Net. A random website is developed for the registration and processing the NFC payment purpose, editing details of the user, adding money etc. A tap pay app based on android is prepared for NFC shield to communicate and transfer the required card details to serial port. The serial client performs all further procedure. After the completion of the software designing, the project was run on the trial basis to check its working and for any faulty situation. Various troubleshooting and test kits were used to solve any issue in the device. All the connections were checked at the final stage to avoid short circuit situation of the PCB. 3.12 Working in teams is also a challenging situation. And as I was the group leader, I had to present the complete working model of my project on time. I coordinated with each group member. I took a fair, unbiased, and appropriate decision in the state of conflict. I took help from my seniors and project supervisor in the crises of any error or problem. There were two major issues during my project, first was working on software as coming from electronics and communication background, it was difficult and challenge to write such big codes. I took the challenge and learned all possible solutions and techniques to write the code. The second issue was I had to reconnect some of the components as while performing a trial run, the microcontroller got burnt. I took precaution while correcting the issue so that I dont make the same mistake again. 3.13 SUMMARY Therefore, after performing and developing such endless device, I have proposed a trusted and secure option for payment method which is based on NFC. It processes payment without the need of physical card, the mobile does all the work by just tapping it at the reader. Once the users details are verified, the payment is processed and executed successfully. I have kept the window open for expanding my project in future. The details can be encrypted before transferring it from the phone to the POS, thus keeping it more safe and secure. It can be used anywhere, from shopping at small shops to malls, as well as an access system for the door or for buying tickets at railway or bus stations. 3.14 The project was a big step in my bachelors degree. It involved serious knowledge and full dedication. I learned and developed new technologies and software that are related to my electronics and communication field. I used my engineering knowledge at various point during the execution and implementation of the project. I was grateful to my project guide for constantly helping me and training me to develop such device. I made a presentation and report describing the details of my project. I referenced various work of great researchers and scientist wherever needed.

Development of Environmentally Friendly Amphicar

Development of Environmentally Friendly Amphicar AMPHICAR II System Specifications 1 Statement of work Our team has aimed to produce an energy efficient, environmental friendly personal consumer vehicle that is capable of travelling on road and operating as a fun filled water vehicle. The project idea of AMPHICAR II is to introduce the vehicle to the public; the first prototype will be used in crossing in the English Channel, beating Richard Bransons record set in the Gibbs Aquada. The project background given by AdSing systems engineering, world leaders in revolutionary new system development, has undertaken the challenge of developing a state of the art amphibious vehicle for the consumer market. This is defined as the first phase of the project and the budget for this phase is $80000. This phase of the project will be completed in 30 days. After completion of the conceptual design of the AMPHICAR II project, it shall be placed as a proposal put forward by AdSing to independent sub-contractors for further iterations of the system development cycle. For the successful completion of this phase of the project, we will have guided by our tutor (Bill Daniels) who is the systems Engineering Expert. The requirements of the vehicle is achieved by incorporating safety features, capability of travelling on road and water, customer satisfaction, robust design, lower operational cost, and after all the project should be completed within the budget. IEEE 1220 standard specifies the system engineering process and it is primarily targeting our product (Amphicar) oriented system, which defines the inter-disciplinary tasks that are required to our project throughout the lifecycle to transform stakeholder (Customer)needs, requirements and constraints in to our product development. Therefore our group has emphasized to bring ideas in brainstorming session and initially conducted a assessment on potential customers before beginning the conceptual design. Here we have the conceptual design of the AMPHICAR project comprises of four different stages namely System engineering and management plan, Systems requirement specification, functional analysis allocations and final stage of system specification. The project planning in fact it refers to SEMP which includes statement of work, work schedule, cost analysis, product testing methods, program management, risk management, resources required, deliverables, etc., System requirements specification stage are identified based on the needs and the project requirements. Functional analysis allocation stage comprises with functional breakdown is done to determine the system physical design overview, functional analysis and component details. At the final stage of system specification, AMPHICAR II project undergoes evalu ation and final documentation. 2. Referenced documents AMPHICAR concept http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphicar Referred on 06/01/2010 The AMPHICAR Story http://books.google.com/books?id=C-PeNY12Ss8Cpg=PT12dq=Amphicar+designei=ZQlIS5ezBpv-lASmprT3DQcd=4#v=onepageq=Amphicar%20designf=false Referred on 07/012010 IEEE 1220 Standard readings http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.ezlibproxy1.unisa.edu.au/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=arnumber=1631953isnumber=34216 Referred on 09/01/2010 3. Work breakdown structure (this phase of the AMPHICAR project) 3.1 Schedule In fact we have 30days time from 8th January 2010 till 8th February 2010 to complete an attractive high level conceptual design of AMPHICAR II. The Systems specification preparation towards the Amphicar project will be worked in four different stages, under each stage the preparation compiled as draft and submitted through Assign IT on weekly basis. The weekly submission would ensure the timely completion of each stages include the project plan, system requirements specification and the functional analysis allocation and the final systems specification preparation of the AMPHICAR II project to be submitted. The complete details of the schedule can be seen in the Gantt chart on 1. The cost analysis and workout is also shown on Table 1. AMPHICAR II System Specifications 3.2 Cost Sl No. Planned Tasks Budget (S$) No. of hrs Actual Cost (S$) Balance (S$) System Engineering Management Plan 20000 7 days 17850 2150 1 Statement of work 4 500 19500 2 Referenced Documents 6 3000 16500 3 Work Breakdown Structure 3.1 Work Schedule 4 1000 15500 3.2 Cost 12 1500 14000 3.3 Product Testing Methods 15 3500 10500 4 Program Management 8 1750 8750 5 Risk Management 8 1500 7250 6 Resources Required 4 2000 5250 7 Deliverables 4 1250 4000 8 Organizational Structure 4 850 3150 9 Operational Concept 4 1000 2150 Total 20000 73 17850 2150 System Requirement Specification 24000 7 days 20500 3500 10 Scope 10.1 System Overview 6 1500 22500 11 Referenced Documents 5 1250 21250 12 Needs 12 4000 17250 13 Requirements 13.1 General Requirements 8 2000 15250 13.2 System Capability 12 2500 12750 13.3 Safety Requirements 8 2000 10750 13.4 Personnel Related Requirement 8 1750 9000 13.5 Security and Privacy Requirement 10 1500 7500 13.6 Logistics related requirement 12 2500 5000 13.7 Other Requirements 6 1500 3500 Total 24000 87 20500 3500 Table 1 continued†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Functional Analysis Allocation 24000 7days 18500 5500 14 Scope 14.1 System Overview 7 1750 22250 14.2 Document Overview 4 1000 21250 15 Referenced Documents 9 2250 19000 16 Functional Analysis 24 4000 15000 17 Physical Design Overview 24 6250 8750 18 Component Details 8 3250 5500 Total 24000 76 18500 5500 Final System Specification 12000 7 days 11250 1750 19 System Description 8 2000 11000 20 Operational Requirements 5 1500 9500 21 Operational Constraints 5 1500 8250 22 System Evaluation 16 3000 4250 23 Final Documentation 12 3250 1000 Total 13000 46 11250 1000 Final Total 80000 282 68100 11900 Table1. Cost Note * 1 day = 8hrs and 5days per week (Monday to Friday) 3.3. Product testing method Product testing method is one of the most important steps in bringing out of our conceptual design of AMPHICAR II Project, which demands the recognition in the future when the product shall complete and reached at the market. The final product here is the AMPHICAR which is capable of travelling both road and water. The intention of the product testing method is to Ensure that the conceptual design of the product meets the design standards for employability, consistency, and user friendliness towards its functionality. Ensure the design meets the business goals and user needs. Ensure the design does not permit any changes at the final stage of its requirements and concept Ensure the behaviour of the system can be easily understood by the design engineers. Make sure that the design provides proper guidance to the designers to resolve any issues that may arise. Make sure that the design shall not distract the copyright of other brand in the global market. Ensure that the design is properly employed by the design engineers which can be easily interacted by the users and other products. Ensure the physical design matches up with the initial art design Ensure the safety features incorporated in the product shall always be enabling and These reviews are carried out at different phases precisely Project plan, system requirement specification, functional analysis and allocation and final system specification. At the end of each and stage a discussion session is made where all the team members and the manager (who assess the detail of design from the sub-system level to the component level), are gathered to review their respective tasks in each phase and the ideas are taken for any necessary changes of any improvement that can be done for bringing the project successful. The assessed document upon the end of each discussion will be sent as a draft to the project who verifies and evaluates the design and make a note to the manager and the team members if changes that are required for the design improvement and further evaluates after getting his job done by the team and approve the design and promote to the next phase. Thus the design of the final system specification is drawn and reviewed by the project director and approve the design for its release 4. Program management Program management is the mechanism by which the work of various operating functions within a company is integrated to create an effective business model. When program management is properly conceived and executed, it helps to execute business strategies much more effectively than an uncoordinated approach. The program manager must possess operational competencies, including project management methods and tools, to effectively manage the tactical elements of the program. Another important aspect of this core discipline set is that of becoming proficient in the specific processes and practices of the company that the program manager is a part of. Knowing how things get done, the policies and procedures that must be adhered to and who must be involved and approve various aspects of their program are critical for the successful completion of every program. During the early stages of conceptual design, it is essential that good communication between the producer and the customer be established from the beginning. The Design Engineer must fully understand the user requirements of the product to be designed. This can be achieved only we have a good communication between users. The communication modes used are Teleconference, E-mails, Fax and formal meeting between the project team members and others. Meeting agenda ( 2a) will be formatted for all meetings and distributed to all members before one day. And minutes of meeting ( 2b) are drafted and distributed to all members to follow up. The primary objective of our program management plan is to facilitate the timely integration of numerous design considerations into a functioning and Physical system that will be of high value to the user. Our program management consists of SEMP which already Stated in Gantt chart (System Engineering Management Plan), Statement of work (SOW), Work break down structure, schedule of tasks, Projecting costs for program task and interfacing with other planning activities. Our project has mentioned a configuration management plan to track the changes done from the beginning to the final review. During the later stage of our conceptual design we shall develop a comprehensive system engineering management plan (SEMP) to ensure the implementation of a program that will lead to a well coordinated and integrated product. a program is to exploit economies of scale and to reduce coordination costs and risks. programs deliver outcomes, program management is concerned with doing the right projects according to this view, successful projects deliver on time, to budget and to specification, whereas successful program deliver long term improvements to an organization design of the new product this delivers a design specification, modifications to the production factory Program and project management are both practical disciplines, Program management also emphasizes the coordinating and prioritizing of resources across project. Program management may provide a layer above the management of projects and focuses on selecting the projects, defining us in terms of their objectives and prov iding an environment where projects can be run successfully. Our organizations use the concept of Systems engineering where others use program management, ensure there are regular reviews; there is accountability, and that management of projects, allocation of resources influences the cost and success of the program. Infrastructure might cover offices, version control, and IT. A project must always have a specific end date, else it is an ongoing program. A project is designed to deliver an output or deliverable and its success will be in terms of delivering the right output at the right time and to the right cost. Program management is the mechanism by which the work of various operating functions within a company is integrated to create an effective business model. When program management is properly conceived and executed, management includes management of projects which, together, improve the Program management is the mechanism by which the work of various operating functions wit hin a company is integrated to create an effective business model. When program management is properly conceived and executed, performance of the organization. A programs success will be measured in terms of benefits. Program Management comprises a comprehensive suite of services addressing the full program life cycle and implemented by dedicated and highly skilled team members. PMP (Project Management Professional Program management practices put a continual focus on the business aspects of developing products, services and infrastructure. A skilled and competent program manager is the primary business manager on a program. We have Projects Managers that are certified and have decades of experience applying project management techniques and disciplines to client engagements in all industries. During our conceptual design phase we have scheduled a series of formal design reviews at discrete points where the design configuration involves from one level of definition to another. That is conceptual system, evolutions and design reviews. The successful implementation of system engineering principles and concepts is dependent not only on the technology issues and the process, but on management issues as well. Our BLR Engineering prepared a program management plan comprising series review meeting, audits, approval from user, risk managements, and some essential contingency plans. This program management plan guides all over activities throughout the project. 5. Risk management Risk management can therefore be considered the identification of the potential areas of risk. It is a part of the requirements and design stages in a project. Our team of experienced engineers has gone through the assessment and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. One of the first steps of our risk management is the identification of the potential areas of risk. Risk shall include funding, schedule, and contract, relationships, political and technical. All of these hazardous shall be identified and evaluated and risk mitigation performed. Risk analysis should be performed as part of the risk management process for each project. Once a hazard identified as below, the steps of the risk managements process are as follows, Assess the current risk Define the acceptable level of the risk Decision on the response of the risk. Our risk management plan consists of four processes such as 1. Identification 2. Assessment 3. Analysis 4. Controls/Implementation 5. Responsibility As far as concerned about conceptual design process we may have these few types of risk only. Which are? 1. Technical Risk The possibility that technical requirement of the system will not be achieved. That is our design wont meets the system requirements adequately. We have planned to tackle such risk by remedial actions given in the table below 2. Schedule Risk The possibility that the project will fail to meet the scheduled milestones, such as those mentioned in our project plan. To tackle this issue we have identified possible cause and effects and of course the remedial actions to be taken respective 3. Cost Risk The possibility that the project will fail to meet the scheduled milestones and the cost of the project will go up and difficult to meet the budget. These are the probable risk that might be encountered and the contingency plan to overcome in the planning phase: Potential Risk 1 Difficulties in meeting up for our group member to discuss on the project due to different working schedule. Possible Solution to Risk1 Meeting to be done on every Saturday afternoon so the plans can be executed in the weekends before submitting the drafts. Ideally, meeting could also be schedule after 8 pm for a brief update on progress. Potential Risk 2 Group members have difficulties in meeting at convenient venue. Possible Solution to Risk2 Meeting can be done at any National Libraries or APMI campus when not only the environment is convenient for learning Potential Risk 3 Group member/s might fall sick and might not be able to meet for discussion. Possible Solution to Risk3 Work progress should be continually updated through email. Potential Risk 4 Group member/s may face problems in software incompatibility and in data sharing. Possible Solution to Risk4 Group member must work on common PC platform to avoid compatibility issues (e.g. one works on LINUX, and another one works on Mac Operating System and may result in unintended data corruption unable to read or edit documents. Better to work on common platform PC like Microsoft OFFICE and OpenProj for common means of compatibility. Any need of using unfamiliar program must be made known and shared so that each and everyone of the member can learn and use the new program. Potential Risk 5 Anyone of the Group member might encounter risk of data loss or corruption. Possible Solution to Risk5 Group member must regularly backup their data on their PC and must have a secondary means of backup (eg. Thumb drive or external hard drive). Seek advice from Mr. Bill Daniels through the discussion Board provided on course website. Initial Project Risk Assessment SNo Identify Hazard Hazard Assessment Causes Effects Implement / Controls Responsi- bility 1 Budget estimation unlikely 1. Substantial cost increase in the project 1. Source for more economical alternative to control spending. 2. Maintain strict accounting practice. Balaji 2 Unrealistic Projected timeline Frequently 1. Delay in project 2. Bad image for team 3. Loss due to time delay Strict to the time frame set for the work schedule and Gantt chart. Balaji 3 Disruption to System Equipment Frequently 1. Loss of Equipment 2. Delay in project 1. Constant backup. 2. Escalate of any unusual encounter. Rakesh 4 Manpower management Frequently 1. Delay in project 2. Overload of team member 1. Co-ordinate meeting regularly to delegate task and work discussion. 2. Meeting to be done on Saturday Lakshmanan 5 Group members have difficulties in meeting at convenient venue Likely 1. Delay in project 2. Substantial delay in all phases of the project Meeting can be done at any National Libraries or APMI campus when not only the environment is conducive for learning but laptop user could have access to internet wireless connection. Lakshmanan 6 Face problems in software incompatibility and in data sharing. Likely 1. Delay in document work 2. Delay in project Group member must work on common PC platform to avoid compatibility issues (e.g. one works on LINUX, and another one works on APPLE Operating System and may result in unintended data corruption unable to read or edit documents. Better to work on common platform PC like Microsoft OFFICE and OpenProj for common means of compatibility. Any need of using unfamiliar program must be made known and shared so that each and everyone of the member can learn and use the new program Rakesh 7 Group member might encounter risk of data loss or corruption. Likely 1. Loss of all details and documents. Group member must regularly backup their data on their PC and must have a secondary means of backup (e.g. Hard disk, Thumb drive). Rakesh 8 Vendor and Supplier co-ordination issue. Frequently 1. Delay in project 2. Bad image for team 3. Loss due to time delay Plan early and have back-up resources in the event existing vendor meet constraint. Lakshmanan 9 Having doubt in preparing draft. Frequently 1. Delay in project Seek advice from Mr Bill Daniels through the discussion Board provided on course website. Balaji Lakshmanan Rakesh Table2. Initial Project Risk Assessment 6. Resources required Resources are also a very important in the course of a project development. Availability of the different kinds of resources must be used satisfactorily. It is critical to establish a credible schedule because the timing of activities not only depends on the logical dependencies between them, but also on the availability of the required resources. Our group member has used as many as facilities available to achieve the required satisfaction of the information. The resources we use to accomplish the goal of acquiring the conceptual design of an amphibious car are, Hardware I. Computer  § To work on the project report development II. Computer peripherals  § To copy the draft data.  § To print the draft copy for verification. Software III. Core University 5.0 by Vitech Corporation  § To have the breakdown of the requirements  § To display the conceptual design through Flow Functional Block Diagram and Hierarchy Application Packages IV. Microsoft Project Professional 2003  § To create schedule for the entire project plan  § To design the chart for the work task allocation  § Ensure the time limited for the task is look upon V. Microsoft Word  § To type the final specification report of the project Facilities VI. Internet media  § To gain access to the video media regarding amphibious vehicle such as you tube  § To search related information regarding amphibious vehicle  § To gain access to the related websites  § To have communication with the project supervisor  § To have a convenient place to discuss the project development matters  § The usage of this media is vastly great VII. Money/Time Funds  § To have food/refreshments for members attending discussion for the entire project plan  § Towards the expenses like photocopying, phone calls, printing / copying  § To have transport facilities  § To make free ourselves on the discussion planned days. 7 Deliverables For our projects deliverables are the stuff/function that can be the result for the task implementation, it consists of things or stuff such as presentation (MSPowerpoint Slideshows), documentation requirements, total design documentation etc. The documents as deliverables used here are namely the System Engineering Management Plan, System Requirement, Functional Analysis and Allocation, and Final System Specification. System Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) This plan consists of the Scope of the Project, Work Breakdown Structure as Schedule, Cost and Product Testing method, Operation concept. It has to be executed in such a way to get the best result by assigning individual task to the respective team members thereby lead the project together with proper planning to bring the required outcome. System Requirements and Specifications (SRS) This emphasise the task that determines the needs for the product, users, designers, system and subsystems. It identifies the needs of each stakeholder. Functional Analysis and Allocation (FA A) This transforms the system level requirement into functions and analyse the behaviour of the system to get the desired result. And these functions are allocated into a physical design (component level). It can be seen in detail through Functional flow block diagram. Final system specification This document comprises all the above three documents which seeks approval from the Project director for the release of the design to Production. 8. Organisational structure We believe on team work, so at all phases the task has been evenly distributed to our team members according to their role. The process flow is as follows, getting the instruction from project director the task has been distributed to the Project Design engineer by the Project manager and also the whole project is monitored by the Project director. 9. Operational Concept The world is in needs of better and more effective and efficient vehicle that could save money, earth, resources and time of travelling which will be having the various good features when operates in both the environments. Keeping that in mind our Engineering team with the engineering skills would like to design an amphibious vehicle having capable of travelling both in road and water. i.e user friendly navigation system safety protection which will meet the customer needs as customer is mainly dependent on the effective and efficient transportation to commute in his day to day life. As the name goes, the designed Amphibious Car having the capability to travel both on land and on water promises to be more environmental friendly than any other amphibious car compared to existing or future market .The idea behind this is from the automobile researchers who have been done and many have succeeded but unable to market the vehicle as it still needs more work has to be done. Some engineers also did research beyond their imagination but some have succeeded and some are still a long way. The conceptual design of amphibious vehicle will be aimed to provide comfortable journey, trouble free service, energy efficient and environment friendly with Safety features for the customers and the features include well designed with double secured protection against water leak and corrosion of vehicles body parts by using the anti corrosive materials and fail safe controls , fuel efficient, operating at an economical way by giving good mileage and the vehicle would be engineered in way of reducing carbon dioxide emission and reducing pollution to Mother Nature as analysed by our expert engineers it would also benefit the market as a new breed of automobile needs many suitable workshop and fuel station. The vehicle has a robust designed in such a way it is very compatibility for both the conditions either it is in water or on the land. The vehicle will be operated as a boat when in water and navigation system made easy during high tides water currents and during windy seasons. The vehicle will be like normal cars when it operates on the road. The design of the bigger wheels will be providing a better ride in terrain, mud and snow and excellent traction capability with 4 gear power transmission and will provide excellent driving experience. The Vehicle will be designed to have a sportive external look. The look and feel of the designed vehicle is such that it would posses pleasant Interior colours , leg rooms spacious comfortable seatings and incorporating entertainment systems which ensures smooth and comfortable rides both on land and water. The vehicle would be cost effective under long run as the he vehicle has been designed in a way that would have less maintenance. The rugged a nd robust design assures reliability of the vehicle. The vehicle will equipped with a spare tyre and necessary tools. Our team has scheduled the conceptual design tasks and our expertise will fulfil every aspect of the customer requirement in terms of operational, maintenance and service needs and to make it big success in the market. 1. Scope 1.1 System overview Our project â€Å"Amphicar II† as the name suggests the vehicle is designed such that is viable both on land and water. It is a sports convertible full rear seat, well designed family size customer vehicle taking into account for the complete luxury as well as the safety of the customer. Customer can plan to drive right off a road or beach onto any lake or river as it is not only a luxurious car once on land but safely floats on water also because the bottom of the vehicle consists of rubber seals which forms a watertight seal. Some of the key design specification of the Amphicar II are: Its proficient 4 cylinder engine has 4 speed auto transmission forward speeds, Front wheels act as twin rudders for fast responsive handling, rear mounted for superior traction on the road, fitted with accelerator control system making the vehicle to run fuel economically both in road and water fitted with 2 rear lamps each and inbuilt side indicators, Speed O meter (digital) to display the ca rs speed, Coming to the functional aspect of the Amphicar II, once the doors are checked to be closed the customer can just drive into the water edge, and once when the car is into water, the customer is required to put land gear into neutral and then can use the facilities of the propeller or Amphibian jet by engaging it with the smaller stick which has three positions forward, neutral and reverse. Although virtually it is identical to the rest of the Amphibious vehicles, our Amphicar II distinct itself from other late models by having some of the technologies like heater placement, shock mountings, lower body lip and dash treatment and most importantly safety aspect is also considered like emergenc Development of Environmentally Friendly Amphicar Development of Environmentally Friendly Amphicar AMPHICAR II System Specifications 1 Statement of work Our team has aimed to produce an energy efficient, environmental friendly personal consumer vehicle that is capable of travelling on road and operating as a fun filled water vehicle. The project idea of AMPHICAR II is to introduce the vehicle to the public; the first prototype will be used in crossing in the English Channel, beating Richard Bransons record set in the Gibbs Aquada. The project background given by AdSing systems engineering, world leaders in revolutionary new system development, has undertaken the challenge of developing a state of the art amphibious vehicle for the consumer market. This is defined as the first phase of the project and the budget for this phase is $80000. This phase of the project will be completed in 30 days. After completion of the conceptual design of the AMPHICAR II project, it shall be placed as a proposal put forward by AdSing to independent sub-contractors for further iterations of the system development cycle. For the successful completion of this phase of the project, we will have guided by our tutor (Bill Daniels) who is the systems Engineering Expert. The requirements of the vehicle is achieved by incorporating safety features, capability of travelling on road and water, customer satisfaction, robust design, lower operational cost, and after all the project should be completed within the budget. IEEE 1220 standard specifies the system engineering process and it is primarily targeting our product (Amphicar) oriented system, which defines the inter-disciplinary tasks that are required to our project throughout the lifecycle to transform stakeholder (Customer)needs, requirements and constraints in to our product development. Therefore our group has emphasized to bring ideas in brainstorming session and initially conducted a assessment on potential customers before beginning the conceptual design. Here we have the conceptual design of the AMPHICAR project comprises of four different stages namely System engineering and management plan, Systems requirement specification, functional analysis allocations and final stage of system specification. The project planning in fact it refers to SEMP which includes statement of work, work schedule, cost analysis, product testing methods, program management, risk management, resources required, deliverables, etc., System requirements specification stage are identified based on the needs and the project requirements. Functional analysis allocation stage comprises with functional breakdown is done to determine the system physical design overview, functional analysis and component details. At the final stage of system specification, AMPHICAR II project undergoes evalu ation and final documentation. 2. Referenced documents AMPHICAR concept http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphicar Referred on 06/01/2010 The AMPHICAR Story http://books.google.com/books?id=C-PeNY12Ss8Cpg=PT12dq=Amphicar+designei=ZQlIS5ezBpv-lASmprT3DQcd=4#v=onepageq=Amphicar%20designf=false Referred on 07/012010 IEEE 1220 Standard readings http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.ezlibproxy1.unisa.edu.au/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=arnumber=1631953isnumber=34216 Referred on 09/01/2010 3. Work breakdown structure (this phase of the AMPHICAR project) 3.1 Schedule In fact we have 30days time from 8th January 2010 till 8th February 2010 to complete an attractive high level conceptual design of AMPHICAR II. The Systems specification preparation towards the Amphicar project will be worked in four different stages, under each stage the preparation compiled as draft and submitted through Assign IT on weekly basis. The weekly submission would ensure the timely completion of each stages include the project plan, system requirements specification and the functional analysis allocation and the final systems specification preparation of the AMPHICAR II project to be submitted. The complete details of the schedule can be seen in the Gantt chart on 1. The cost analysis and workout is also shown on Table 1. AMPHICAR II System Specifications 3.2 Cost Sl No. Planned Tasks Budget (S$) No. of hrs Actual Cost (S$) Balance (S$) System Engineering Management Plan 20000 7 days 17850 2150 1 Statement of work 4 500 19500 2 Referenced Documents 6 3000 16500 3 Work Breakdown Structure 3.1 Work Schedule 4 1000 15500 3.2 Cost 12 1500 14000 3.3 Product Testing Methods 15 3500 10500 4 Program Management 8 1750 8750 5 Risk Management 8 1500 7250 6 Resources Required 4 2000 5250 7 Deliverables 4 1250 4000 8 Organizational Structure 4 850 3150 9 Operational Concept 4 1000 2150 Total 20000 73 17850 2150 System Requirement Specification 24000 7 days 20500 3500 10 Scope 10.1 System Overview 6 1500 22500 11 Referenced Documents 5 1250 21250 12 Needs 12 4000 17250 13 Requirements 13.1 General Requirements 8 2000 15250 13.2 System Capability 12 2500 12750 13.3 Safety Requirements 8 2000 10750 13.4 Personnel Related Requirement 8 1750 9000 13.5 Security and Privacy Requirement 10 1500 7500 13.6 Logistics related requirement 12 2500 5000 13.7 Other Requirements 6 1500 3500 Total 24000 87 20500 3500 Table 1 continued†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Functional Analysis Allocation 24000 7days 18500 5500 14 Scope 14.1 System Overview 7 1750 22250 14.2 Document Overview 4 1000 21250 15 Referenced Documents 9 2250 19000 16 Functional Analysis 24 4000 15000 17 Physical Design Overview 24 6250 8750 18 Component Details 8 3250 5500 Total 24000 76 18500 5500 Final System Specification 12000 7 days 11250 1750 19 System Description 8 2000 11000 20 Operational Requirements 5 1500 9500 21 Operational Constraints 5 1500 8250 22 System Evaluation 16 3000 4250 23 Final Documentation 12 3250 1000 Total 13000 46 11250 1000 Final Total 80000 282 68100 11900 Table1. Cost Note * 1 day = 8hrs and 5days per week (Monday to Friday) 3.3. Product testing method Product testing method is one of the most important steps in bringing out of our conceptual design of AMPHICAR II Project, which demands the recognition in the future when the product shall complete and reached at the market. The final product here is the AMPHICAR which is capable of travelling both road and water. The intention of the product testing method is to Ensure that the conceptual design of the product meets the design standards for employability, consistency, and user friendliness towards its functionality. Ensure the design meets the business goals and user needs. Ensure the design does not permit any changes at the final stage of its requirements and concept Ensure the behaviour of the system can be easily understood by the design engineers. Make sure that the design provides proper guidance to the designers to resolve any issues that may arise. Make sure that the design shall not distract the copyright of other brand in the global market. Ensure that the design is properly employed by the design engineers which can be easily interacted by the users and other products. Ensure the physical design matches up with the initial art design Ensure the safety features incorporated in the product shall always be enabling and These reviews are carried out at different phases precisely Project plan, system requirement specification, functional analysis and allocation and final system specification. At the end of each and stage a discussion session is made where all the team members and the manager (who assess the detail of design from the sub-system level to the component level), are gathered to review their respective tasks in each phase and the ideas are taken for any necessary changes of any improvement that can be done for bringing the project successful. The assessed document upon the end of each discussion will be sent as a draft to the project who verifies and evaluates the design and make a note to the manager and the team members if changes that are required for the design improvement and further evaluates after getting his job done by the team and approve the design and promote to the next phase. Thus the design of the final system specification is drawn and reviewed by the project director and approve the design for its release 4. Program management Program management is the mechanism by which the work of various operating functions within a company is integrated to create an effective business model. When program management is properly conceived and executed, it helps to execute business strategies much more effectively than an uncoordinated approach. The program manager must possess operational competencies, including project management methods and tools, to effectively manage the tactical elements of the program. Another important aspect of this core discipline set is that of becoming proficient in the specific processes and practices of the company that the program manager is a part of. Knowing how things get done, the policies and procedures that must be adhered to and who must be involved and approve various aspects of their program are critical for the successful completion of every program. During the early stages of conceptual design, it is essential that good communication between the producer and the customer be established from the beginning. The Design Engineer must fully understand the user requirements of the product to be designed. This can be achieved only we have a good communication between users. The communication modes used are Teleconference, E-mails, Fax and formal meeting between the project team members and others. Meeting agenda ( 2a) will be formatted for all meetings and distributed to all members before one day. And minutes of meeting ( 2b) are drafted and distributed to all members to follow up. The primary objective of our program management plan is to facilitate the timely integration of numerous design considerations into a functioning and Physical system that will be of high value to the user. Our program management consists of SEMP which already Stated in Gantt chart (System Engineering Management Plan), Statement of work (SOW), Work break down structure, schedule of tasks, Projecting costs for program task and interfacing with other planning activities. Our project has mentioned a configuration management plan to track the changes done from the beginning to the final review. During the later stage of our conceptual design we shall develop a comprehensive system engineering management plan (SEMP) to ensure the implementation of a program that will lead to a well coordinated and integrated product. a program is to exploit economies of scale and to reduce coordination costs and risks. programs deliver outcomes, program management is concerned with doing the right projects according to this view, successful projects deliver on time, to budget and to specification, whereas successful program deliver long term improvements to an organization design of the new product this delivers a design specification, modifications to the production factory Program and project management are both practical disciplines, Program management also emphasizes the coordinating and prioritizing of resources across project. Program management may provide a layer above the management of projects and focuses on selecting the projects, defining us in terms of their objectives and prov iding an environment where projects can be run successfully. Our organizations use the concept of Systems engineering where others use program management, ensure there are regular reviews; there is accountability, and that management of projects, allocation of resources influences the cost and success of the program. Infrastructure might cover offices, version control, and IT. A project must always have a specific end date, else it is an ongoing program. A project is designed to deliver an output or deliverable and its success will be in terms of delivering the right output at the right time and to the right cost. Program management is the mechanism by which the work of various operating functions within a company is integrated to create an effective business model. When program management is properly conceived and executed, management includes management of projects which, together, improve the Program management is the mechanism by which the work of various operating functions wit hin a company is integrated to create an effective business model. When program management is properly conceived and executed, performance of the organization. A programs success will be measured in terms of benefits. Program Management comprises a comprehensive suite of services addressing the full program life cycle and implemented by dedicated and highly skilled team members. PMP (Project Management Professional Program management practices put a continual focus on the business aspects of developing products, services and infrastructure. A skilled and competent program manager is the primary business manager on a program. We have Projects Managers that are certified and have decades of experience applying project management techniques and disciplines to client engagements in all industries. During our conceptual design phase we have scheduled a series of formal design reviews at discrete points where the design configuration involves from one level of definition to another. That is conceptual system, evolutions and design reviews. The successful implementation of system engineering principles and concepts is dependent not only on the technology issues and the process, but on management issues as well. Our BLR Engineering prepared a program management plan comprising series review meeting, audits, approval from user, risk managements, and some essential contingency plans. This program management plan guides all over activities throughout the project. 5. Risk management Risk management can therefore be considered the identification of the potential areas of risk. It is a part of the requirements and design stages in a project. Our team of experienced engineers has gone through the assessment and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. One of the first steps of our risk management is the identification of the potential areas of risk. Risk shall include funding, schedule, and contract, relationships, political and technical. All of these hazardous shall be identified and evaluated and risk mitigation performed. Risk analysis should be performed as part of the risk management process for each project. Once a hazard identified as below, the steps of the risk managements process are as follows, Assess the current risk Define the acceptable level of the risk Decision on the response of the risk. Our risk management plan consists of four processes such as 1. Identification 2. Assessment 3. Analysis 4. Controls/Implementation 5. Responsibility As far as concerned about conceptual design process we may have these few types of risk only. Which are? 1. Technical Risk The possibility that technical requirement of the system will not be achieved. That is our design wont meets the system requirements adequately. We have planned to tackle such risk by remedial actions given in the table below 2. Schedule Risk The possibility that the project will fail to meet the scheduled milestones, such as those mentioned in our project plan. To tackle this issue we have identified possible cause and effects and of course the remedial actions to be taken respective 3. Cost Risk The possibility that the project will fail to meet the scheduled milestones and the cost of the project will go up and difficult to meet the budget. These are the probable risk that might be encountered and the contingency plan to overcome in the planning phase: Potential Risk 1 Difficulties in meeting up for our group member to discuss on the project due to different working schedule. Possible Solution to Risk1 Meeting to be done on every Saturday afternoon so the plans can be executed in the weekends before submitting the drafts. Ideally, meeting could also be schedule after 8 pm for a brief update on progress. Potential Risk 2 Group members have difficulties in meeting at convenient venue. Possible Solution to Risk2 Meeting can be done at any National Libraries or APMI campus when not only the environment is convenient for learning Potential Risk 3 Group member/s might fall sick and might not be able to meet for discussion. Possible Solution to Risk3 Work progress should be continually updated through email. Potential Risk 4 Group member/s may face problems in software incompatibility and in data sharing. Possible Solution to Risk4 Group member must work on common PC platform to avoid compatibility issues (e.g. one works on LINUX, and another one works on Mac Operating System and may result in unintended data corruption unable to read or edit documents. Better to work on common platform PC like Microsoft OFFICE and OpenProj for common means of compatibility. Any need of using unfamiliar program must be made known and shared so that each and everyone of the member can learn and use the new program. Potential Risk 5 Anyone of the Group member might encounter risk of data loss or corruption. Possible Solution to Risk5 Group member must regularly backup their data on their PC and must have a secondary means of backup (eg. Thumb drive or external hard drive). Seek advice from Mr. Bill Daniels through the discussion Board provided on course website. Initial Project Risk Assessment SNo Identify Hazard Hazard Assessment Causes Effects Implement / Controls Responsi- bility 1 Budget estimation unlikely 1. Substantial cost increase in the project 1. Source for more economical alternative to control spending. 2. Maintain strict accounting practice. Balaji 2 Unrealistic Projected timeline Frequently 1. Delay in project 2. Bad image for team 3. Loss due to time delay Strict to the time frame set for the work schedule and Gantt chart. Balaji 3 Disruption to System Equipment Frequently 1. Loss of Equipment 2. Delay in project 1. Constant backup. 2. Escalate of any unusual encounter. Rakesh 4 Manpower management Frequently 1. Delay in project 2. Overload of team member 1. Co-ordinate meeting regularly to delegate task and work discussion. 2. Meeting to be done on Saturday Lakshmanan 5 Group members have difficulties in meeting at convenient venue Likely 1. Delay in project 2. Substantial delay in all phases of the project Meeting can be done at any National Libraries or APMI campus when not only the environment is conducive for learning but laptop user could have access to internet wireless connection. Lakshmanan 6 Face problems in software incompatibility and in data sharing. Likely 1. Delay in document work 2. Delay in project Group member must work on common PC platform to avoid compatibility issues (e.g. one works on LINUX, and another one works on APPLE Operating System and may result in unintended data corruption unable to read or edit documents. Better to work on common platform PC like Microsoft OFFICE and OpenProj for common means of compatibility. Any need of using unfamiliar program must be made known and shared so that each and everyone of the member can learn and use the new program Rakesh 7 Group member might encounter risk of data loss or corruption. Likely 1. Loss of all details and documents. Group member must regularly backup their data on their PC and must have a secondary means of backup (e.g. Hard disk, Thumb drive). Rakesh 8 Vendor and Supplier co-ordination issue. Frequently 1. Delay in project 2. Bad image for team 3. Loss due to time delay Plan early and have back-up resources in the event existing vendor meet constraint. Lakshmanan 9 Having doubt in preparing draft. Frequently 1. Delay in project Seek advice from Mr Bill Daniels through the discussion Board provided on course website. Balaji Lakshmanan Rakesh Table2. Initial Project Risk Assessment 6. Resources required Resources are also a very important in the course of a project development. Availability of the different kinds of resources must be used satisfactorily. It is critical to establish a credible schedule because the timing of activities not only depends on the logical dependencies between them, but also on the availability of the required resources. Our group member has used as many as facilities available to achieve the required satisfaction of the information. The resources we use to accomplish the goal of acquiring the conceptual design of an amphibious car are, Hardware I. Computer  § To work on the project report development II. Computer peripherals  § To copy the draft data.  § To print the draft copy for verification. Software III. Core University 5.0 by Vitech Corporation  § To have the breakdown of the requirements  § To display the conceptual design through Flow Functional Block Diagram and Hierarchy Application Packages IV. Microsoft Project Professional 2003  § To create schedule for the entire project plan  § To design the chart for the work task allocation  § Ensure the time limited for the task is look upon V. Microsoft Word  § To type the final specification report of the project Facilities VI. Internet media  § To gain access to the video media regarding amphibious vehicle such as you tube  § To search related information regarding amphibious vehicle  § To gain access to the related websites  § To have communication with the project supervisor  § To have a convenient place to discuss the project development matters  § The usage of this media is vastly great VII. Money/Time Funds  § To have food/refreshments for members attending discussion for the entire project plan  § Towards the expenses like photocopying, phone calls, printing / copying  § To have transport facilities  § To make free ourselves on the discussion planned days. 7 Deliverables For our projects deliverables are the stuff/function that can be the result for the task implementation, it consists of things or stuff such as presentation (MSPowerpoint Slideshows), documentation requirements, total design documentation etc. The documents as deliverables used here are namely the System Engineering Management Plan, System Requirement, Functional Analysis and Allocation, and Final System Specification. System Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) This plan consists of the Scope of the Project, Work Breakdown Structure as Schedule, Cost and Product Testing method, Operation concept. It has to be executed in such a way to get the best result by assigning individual task to the respective team members thereby lead the project together with proper planning to bring the required outcome. System Requirements and Specifications (SRS) This emphasise the task that determines the needs for the product, users, designers, system and subsystems. It identifies the needs of each stakeholder. Functional Analysis and Allocation (FA A) This transforms the system level requirement into functions and analyse the behaviour of the system to get the desired result. And these functions are allocated into a physical design (component level). It can be seen in detail through Functional flow block diagram. Final system specification This document comprises all the above three documents which seeks approval from the Project director for the release of the design to Production. 8. Organisational structure We believe on team work, so at all phases the task has been evenly distributed to our team members according to their role. The process flow is as follows, getting the instruction from project director the task has been distributed to the Project Design engineer by the Project manager and also the whole project is monitored by the Project director. 9. Operational Concept The world is in needs of better and more effective and efficient vehicle that could save money, earth, resources and time of travelling which will be having the various good features when operates in both the environments. Keeping that in mind our Engineering team with the engineering skills would like to design an amphibious vehicle having capable of travelling both in road and water. i.e user friendly navigation system safety protection which will meet the customer needs as customer is mainly dependent on the effective and efficient transportation to commute in his day to day life. As the name goes, the designed Amphibious Car having the capability to travel both on land and on water promises to be more environmental friendly than any other amphibious car compared to existing or future market .The idea behind this is from the automobile researchers who have been done and many have succeeded but unable to market the vehicle as it still needs more work has to be done. Some engineers also did research beyond their imagination but some have succeeded and some are still a long way. The conceptual design of amphibious vehicle will be aimed to provide comfortable journey, trouble free service, energy efficient and environment friendly with Safety features for the customers and the features include well designed with double secured protection against water leak and corrosion of vehicles body parts by using the anti corrosive materials and fail safe controls , fuel efficient, operating at an economical way by giving good mileage and the vehicle would be engineered in way of reducing carbon dioxide emission and reducing pollution to Mother Nature as analysed by our expert engineers it would also benefit the market as a new breed of automobile needs many suitable workshop and fuel station. The vehicle has a robust designed in such a way it is very compatibility for both the conditions either it is in water or on the land. The vehicle will be operated as a boat when in water and navigation system made easy during high tides water currents and during windy seasons. The vehicle will be like normal cars when it operates on the road. The design of the bigger wheels will be providing a better ride in terrain, mud and snow and excellent traction capability with 4 gear power transmission and will provide excellent driving experience. The Vehicle will be designed to have a sportive external look. The look and feel of the designed vehicle is such that it would posses pleasant Interior colours , leg rooms spacious comfortable seatings and incorporating entertainment systems which ensures smooth and comfortable rides both on land and water. The vehicle would be cost effective under long run as the he vehicle has been designed in a way that would have less maintenance. The rugged a nd robust design assures reliability of the vehicle. The vehicle will equipped with a spare tyre and necessary tools. Our team has scheduled the conceptual design tasks and our expertise will fulfil every aspect of the customer requirement in terms of operational, maintenance and service needs and to make it big success in the market. 1. Scope 1.1 System overview Our project â€Å"Amphicar II† as the name suggests the vehicle is designed such that is viable both on land and water. It is a sports convertible full rear seat, well designed family size customer vehicle taking into account for the complete luxury as well as the safety of the customer. Customer can plan to drive right off a road or beach onto any lake or river as it is not only a luxurious car once on land but safely floats on water also because the bottom of the vehicle consists of rubber seals which forms a watertight seal. Some of the key design specification of the Amphicar II are: Its proficient 4 cylinder engine has 4 speed auto transmission forward speeds, Front wheels act as twin rudders for fast responsive handling, rear mounted for superior traction on the road, fitted with accelerator control system making the vehicle to run fuel economically both in road and water fitted with 2 rear lamps each and inbuilt side indicators, Speed O meter (digital) to display the ca rs speed, Coming to the functional aspect of the Amphicar II, once the doors are checked to be closed the customer can just drive into the water edge, and once when the car is into water, the customer is required to put land gear into neutral and then can use the facilities of the propeller or Amphibian jet by engaging it with the smaller stick which has three positions forward, neutral and reverse. Although virtually it is identical to the rest of the Amphibious vehicles, our Amphicar II distinct itself from other late models by having some of the technologies like heater placement, shock mountings, lower body lip and dash treatment and most importantly safety aspect is also considered like emergenc