The Effectiveness Of Technology

The Effectiveness Of Technology Over the years, technology has played a vital role in educational innovation, providing both teachers and students with more options and flexibility in their teaching and learning practices. With the internet and computer technology availability, technology becomes increasingly indispensable in the field of education. In todays schools, multimedia software, content based CD-ROMs, online resources and many other technologies provide students and teachers with many new research tools, limitless wealth of information, shared professional practices, communication tools, and new modes of learning (keane, 2002) in (Eunjoo Russell, 2002). Availability of internet in schools enables both the teachers and students to have a variety of opportunities to expand the curriculum. Todays school continue to be challenged by the increased visibility, roles and cost of instructional technology tools. Considering current trends in education, a modern classroom would not be complete without computers, software, internet connections, projectors and a variety of other high-tech device (Keane, 2002). According to Hasselbring, Barron Risko, (2000), schools will be equipped with the best hardware and software in the near future, but it is unlikely that teachers and students will use them effectively if teachers are not trained. The success of technology infusion in schools depends on training teachers. In the digital age, schools will require teachers to have competent technology skills and be able to effectively implement the use of instructional technology in classrooms. Therefore, it is logical to require teachers to be trained to handle such technologically equipped classrooms. Technology integration in the classroom has become an important aspect of successful teaching. It has triggered many researchers to investigate different aspects of such integration (e.g., Kotrlik Redmann, 2005; Bauer Kenton, 2005; Judson, 2006; Zhao, 2007; Gulbahar, 2007; Anderson Maninger, 2007; Abbit Klett, 2007; and Wood Ashfield, 2008). This is because it allows students to learn more in less time and allows schools to focus on global learning environments if used appropriately. It could also be an effective teaching tool when used to engage all students in the learning process. During the last few years, technology has been adopted in many areas such as business, entertainment, government and education. The global adoption of technology has been the landmark on the educational scene for the last few years (Albirini, 2006). Harvey (1983) envisages that the effectiveness of the use of computers in education may be an important factor in determining which countries will succe ed in the future. In recent years, educational technology has been to a large extent incorporated into teaching and learning practice in many educational institutions across the globe. This phenomenon has taken place as a response to economic, social and pedagogical pressures (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2001). From the economic rationale, it is believed that knowledge and competence in technology will enhance graduates opportunity to be professionally employed (Thornburg, 2002). Indeed, it is argued that the measured level of employability will strengthen the economy of a nation (Mutula Bakel, 2007). The social rationale sees competence in the use of technology as a necessary skill for graduate to participate in community development (OECD, 2001). This can aid students to lead the society to meet the challenges of the global information. As regarding the pedagogical rationale, the integration of technology in education claimed to facilitate a transformation of teaching an d learning process from being highly teacher centered to student centered (Trucano, 2005). The student-centered environment is argued to be more favourable than the teacher-centered environment because it gives learners the opportunity to actively participate in knowledge construction (Roblyer, Edward Havriluv, 2004). Teachers are managers of learning experience. As managers, they are meant to ensure that the environment is structured in a way that learners are given the opportunity to engage in a deep and meaningful learning process. A way through which this role can be accomplished is for teachers to assume the responsibility of an educational technologist, i.e., a professional who embarks on the study of theories and practices associated with the use of technology in instruction. According to Seels (2004), in Westergaad (2008), there are general roles that educational technologists must take. First is the regulation and reinforcement of selected media to promote learning, second is to educate teachers and stake holders about the use of media and the third is critique and lobby policies that influence media utilization. Among the three roles, the first is expected from teachers in the classroom. The fact that a lot of factors are responsible for students underachievement is not new to researcher s but amongst those factors could be teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology. Perception refers the way one think about something and ones idea of what it is like, also it is an ability to understand the true nature of a subject especially as it affects our environment. However teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology is in different ways hence, learning is a process which produces series of changes in behaviour or it is more or less a change in behaviour that result from activities, training or observation. It is a change in behaviour that confirms learning. Technology has had a significant impact on teaching and learning in schools (Cuttance, 2001). Reviews of several research projects have substantiated the potential of educational technology to enhance learning environments (Sivin-Kachala Bialo, 1994) and improve student learning outcomes (Hativa Becker, 1994) through active student engagement, collaborative learning, frequent and immediate feedback and real-world contexts for learning (Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin Means, 2000). In addition, ICT enhances higher order thinking (Educational Testing Service, 1989), and impacts on student attitudes, motivation, self esteem, social competencies and enjoyment of learning (Joiner, 1996: Rowe, 1993: Tiernay, 1996; Wellburn, 1996). However, the extent to which ICT facilitates and enhance teaching, learning and the learning environment is dependent in part on the adequacy of teachers skills and knowledge (Wenglinsky, 1998). Technology integration into teaching and learning process is an effective way to widen educational opportunities, but this is yet to be fully utilized by teachers as an instructional delivery system. Bauer Kenton (2005) in their research found that some teachers were highly educated and skilled with using technology, but are not integrating technology on a consistent basis in the teaching and learning process. Ertmer, Conklin, Lewandowski, Osika, Selo, and Wignall (2003) indicated that beginning teachers wanted to use technology and have adequate technical skills, but teachers lacked knowledge on how to integrate technology in teaching and learning. Technology integration is not a one size fits all (Wepner, Tao, Ziomek, 2006) where teachers do the same thing for their students or where teachers possess the same specific skills to be competent technology users. Teachers need to know how and why to use technology in meaningful ways in the learning process for technology integration t o work. Like many educational reform efforts, the introduction of technology in schools has been less than successful. Over the last century there were several waves of massive investment in technology to improve education, but none has had significant lasting impact on education (Cuban, 1986). Implementation of technology is a complex process that depends on characteristics of technology, workers, environment, and subtle interactions among these components (Bayer and Melone 1989; Yetton, Sharma Southon 1999; Wolfe, 1994). Questions have been asked in studies about many failed educational innovations. In Fullan (1991) a question was raised that Why technology isnt used more in schools? Also in Tyack Cuban (1995) a question was also raised that Why cant innovations that seem to hold great promises be adopted by schools in spite of great efforts? Many researchers have been searching for solutions to this persistent puzzle. In this study, the search continues by the examination of teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology in enhancing teaching and learning. But it is not intend to simply repeat previous research but to search for new factors that may affect technology uses in schools because it is believed that previous research have identified most, if not all, factors that may have an effect on technology integration in schools. What is needed is an integrating framework that can provide new directions for research and specific suggestions for policy and practice. Thus it is taken as a res ponsibility to extend existing research by investigating the relationships among the long list of factors that have already been identified to be related to school technology uses. In particular, teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology to theoretically integrate and organize sets of factors that affect implementation of technology. It is also hoped that this framework will help in better understanding of other educational innovations, since technology, is a special case of innovation. Statement of Problem Due to the role of technology in the advancement of society in general and educational sector in particular, effective technology integration into teaching and learning has become the focus of many educators. Over the years, the problem of under achievement has been a general problem. For example, many researchers in Nigeria which include; Adeyemi (2005), Balduf (2009), Chukwu (2009), Patric (2010), Obomanu (2011) and Anakwe (2011) have conducted series of research to investigate what could be responsible for the problem. In their studies, factors such as lack of adequate laboratory equipment, ineffectiveness and lack of teaching proficiency of teachers, lack of qualified teachers and school factors have been identified as major causes of underachievement of students. Despite all these efforts of research and findings, the poor performances of students still exist. However, little emphasis has been laid on the integration of instructional technology into teaching. Disproportionately very few schools and teachers adopt the use of instructional technology in classroom teaching in Lagos state. As indicated by Byers (2000), Cope (2002), and also Kahveci (2011) the perception of the effectiveness of instructional technology by teachers may play a role in the adoption and integration of these technologies. This henceforth justifies the need for this study to investigate the effect of teachers perception of their technology integration competencies, barriers obstructing such integration, and incentives to increase it, in addition to other related issues in classroom learning environment. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to examine teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology and the rate at which they adopt technology into classroom teaching. Research Question The following questions will guide this study; How do teachers perceptions of the effectiveness of technology affect the rate at which they integrate it in their teaching process? Does the demographic characteristic of teachers such as gender, age, years of teaching experience, grade level taught, content area, and educational level affect the rate at which they integrate instructional technology? Statement of Hypothesis There will be no significant effect of teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology on the rate at which they integrate it in their teaching process. Significance of Study Mode of teaching and instructional tools employed in the teaching process is of a major importance in determining the achievement of students. This study will create in the students, teachers and curriculum builders the awareness of technology, its integration, effect and benefits. These will also help the teachers in knowing there level of technological competency and also factors that might be militating against the integration of these technologies in teaching. It will also highlight the need for teachers to combat deficit thinking. Because only by this will teachers develop positive attitude towards instructional technology utilization in teaching process. This study will also clarify to the teachers the need to use technology as a catalyst for change and improvement in the practice of teaching. Further, it will clarify to the teachers the need to integrate technology into teaching so as to facilitate the constructivist method of teaching which can be used to enhance student lear ning of specific subject matter. For the school administrators and curriculum builders this study will assist in their planning by suggesting specific strategies and procedures that can make technology integration easy and achievable. It will also give empirical support for a need to upgrade and increase the level of instructional technology integration in the classroom in a manner that will enhances student learning. It will also show them the need to orientate teachers on the need for technology integration in their teaching practices. If the findings of this study are adequately applied, the learning facilities available to the students will be enriched in technology by school administrators and this will in turn enhance the students performance and better their achievement. Scope of Study and Delimitation This is a study into the effect of teachers perception of the effectiveness of instructional technology integration in enhancing teaching in selected tertiary institution in Lagos state. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In this literature, teachers perception of technology integration and factors affecting their level of technology integration will be discussed. This chapter therefore reviews related literature based on the purpose of the study. The literature of this study is derived from researches from 1999 to 2012. Outline of Literature Review Introduction Difference between Technology Integration and Technology Use Impact of Technology Integration on Teachers and students Factors Affecting Teachers Level of Technology Integration Teachers Perceptions of Technology Integration and Gender Differences Barriers Technology Integration 2.1 Introduction The use of technology in education has emerged to become an increasingly indispensible part of higher and professional education (Almekhlafi, 2006a). Technology, in addition to giving learners the opportunity to control their own learning process, also makes available for them ready access to a large amount of information over which the teacher has no control (Lam Lawrence, 2002). Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write, but currently, the definition of literacy has gone beyond this. A new type of literacy is developing as our society makes new technological developments. Teachers are now faced in addition to their preparing students to read and write with the task of educating students to be technologically literate. Definition of literacy according to Mullen and Wedwick (2008) in Catherine (2011) is no longer the traditional definition which is being able to read and write, the definition is now expanding to computer and technology literacy. The literate of the twenty-first century must be able to download, upload, rip, burn, chat, save, blog, Skype, IM, and share. The main goal of literacy, no matter what type, is to be able to communicate effectively. Digital literacy, computer literacy or technological literacy all enhance a persons ability to communicate by adding another dimension to the arsenal of skills a literate person already possesses (Jones-Kavalier Flannigan, 2008) in (Catherine, 2011). The each day growing complexity of education, the rise of the information to learn, the need for qualified and modern education require the use of computers as a tool in education. The use of technology in education will provide that the education will be carried out in accordance with the needs of the era as well as that the highest appropriate yield will be received from education (Kayri, Genà §oglu and Kayri , 2012). The computer which is one of the technological capabilities and a basic element of culture in our century, has become a tool which its use is rapidly spreading (Arslan, 2003 Odabasi, 2006) in (Kayri, Genà §oglu and Kayri, 2012). 2.2 Difference between Technology Integration and Technology Use When using technology in the classroom, it is important to distinguish between technology use and technology integration. Technology use is just the use of technology; it means much more to integrate technology (Catherine, 2011). The difference between technology use and technology integration for learning is that integration implies full-time, daily operation within lessons. Integration involves daily use of technology in reforming the everyday classroom routines (Gorder, 2008). Technology integration is not about the availability of technology, but more about the teachers effective use of technology that makes a difference in reforming the classroom. The teacher is the most important ingredient for success when using and integrating technology (Mandell, Sorge, Russell, 2002). Beckett, Wetzel, Chishlom, Zambo, Buss, Padgett, Williams and Odom (2003) in Gorder, (2008) said teachers are central to the creation of a technology-integrated environment that is learner-centered and motiva ting. Therefore, without teachers who can integrate technology, students exposure to technology remains limited and inequitable. Ozel, Yetkiner and Capraro (2008) in (Catherin, 2011) claim that there are five phases for properly integrating technology. These five phases employ the following questions: Why should I use a technology-based method? How will I know students have learned? What teaching strategies and activities will work best? Are adequate hardware, software and technical support available? What worked well and what could be improved? By examining each of these questions, a teacher is not just using technology, the teacher is thoughtfully planning how technology can be used in the lesson in order to best suit the needs of the students which is integration. 2.3 Impact of Technology Integration on Teachers and students Technology is appealing to teachers because it addresses the need of learners with visual styles as well as of learners with special needs. Moreover, technology exposes learners to a world of information. It has also enabled some teachers to implement new teaching techniques learned through computer (U.S congress of Technology Assessment, 1995) in (Almekhafi, 2004). There are numerous researchers who have explored the area of technology integration worldwide and have came up with reports indicating its positive impact on teaching and learning for teachers using technology. These studies include; Guha, 2000; Manzo, 2001; Shelly, Bilig, Jesse Acosta (2001); Zorfass and Rivero, 2005; Almekhlafi, 2006. Guha (2000) conducted a study to investigate the personal experience of elementary school teachers using computers in the classroom. He investigated their present use of computers in the classroom, and their views on current computer use as compared to their preferred use in classroom instruction. He came up with findings which reported positive correlations and significant differences between the previous training, computer usage in the classroom and comfort level of teachers and their present computer training, level of comfort, and computer usage in the classroom. Manzo (2001) also carried out a study on technology integration in an Art class. He found out that most of the students, who are enrolled in the Electronic Arts Class prior to enrolment, were not able to compete effectively in most of their other classes. But after experiencing the effect of technology utilization, they began to appreciate the importance of doing well in all subjects. Also, Shelly et al. (2001) in their study examine a project titled the WEB Project. The findings of their survey suggest that teachers should as they integrate technology into different areas in the academic content, emphasize the use of meta-cognitive skills, application of skills, and inquiry of learning. Almekhlafi, A.G. (2006a) in his study investigated the effect of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on elementary-prep school students improvement in English as a foreign language (EFL). Results from the study show evidence of the effect of CALL on learning English as a foreign language. It was discovered that a positive attitude was experienced toward CALL, it was also perceived its utility for helping them learn EFL, and the students had a strong intention to use it in the future. The literatures, both in theory and practice, supports the idea that students learning in a community of learners environment using technology as a tool for learning, are able to build on prior knowledge, feel success and grow to their fullest potential. It seems evident that a constructivist-learning environment allows students to experience success with the integration of technology. However, researchers caution us to recognize that technology alone cannot bring about all the needed changes in todays classrooms. 2.4 Factors Affecting Teachers Level of Technology Integration Numerous studies have been carried out as a result of the attention of many researchers drawn to the integration of technology at schools and factors influencing such integration. In a study on teachers who used computer technology in their instruction conducted by Bauer Kenton (2005), to investigate how much they used technology, the obstacles they had to overcome to succeed in its use, and their general issues and concerns regarding technology. It was observed that the teachers were who are highly educated and skilled with technology, were innovative and adept at overcoming obstacles, but that they did not integrate technology on a consistent basis as both a teaching and learning tool. Two key issues that were noted are; their students did not have enough time at computers, and that teachers needed extra planning time for technology lessons. Other concerns were outdated hardware, lack of appropriate software, technical difficulties, and student skill levels. Kotrlik Redmann (2005) examined the extent of technology integration in instruction by adult basic education teachers. The teachers used for this study are in the early stage of technology integration thereby more active in the area of exploration. The findings from the study reveals that that teachers feel some anxiety when it comes to technology integration, they perceived that they are effective in using technology regardless of whether they have integrated technology, and they are encountering barriers. As teachers perceive an increase in barriers, their integration of technology decreases; also, as the availability and increase of ICT tools, such as computers with Internet connection in the classroom and/or lab increases their level of technology integration. In a study conducted by Gulbahar (2007), investigating both student and teachers perception to illustrate how technology planning process was carried out in a private school in Turkey. Findings from the study indicated that even teachers and administrator staff felt themselves competent in using ICT available at the school; still, they reported a lack of guidelines that would lead them to successful integration. On the other hand, students reported that ICT is not utilized sufficiently in their classes. Zhao (2007) conducted a qualitative research to investigate the perspectives and experiences of teachers following technology integration training. The findings of his study indicated that teachers view towards technology integration is diverse, and this has an influence on their use of technology in the classroom. It further reveals that; willingness to use technology and positive experiences were related to teachers increased use of technology and to more creative use of technology, because most teachers who are willing to use technology, expressed positive experiences with technology integration training, increased their use of technology in the classroom, and used technology more creatively. But this did not ensure that teachers would replace their teaching with technology. 2.5 Teachers Perceptions of Technology Integration and Gender Differences The perspective of teachers of their understanding of technology, their utilization of instructional technology, and feelings about the support structure associated with this equipment have been examined with the findings suggesting that teachers believe technology is an integral part of the process of educating their students Almekhlafi Almeqdadi 2010. There are different literatures relating to gender differences in the technology integration. Of these studies include; Hong Koh, 2002; Kian Chee, 2002; Zhou Xu, 2007; Aremu Fasan, 2011; Hon Alison, 2012). Gender discrepancy was studied in both classroom access and use by Hong and Koh (2002), it was found that male teachers were less anxious when compared with the female teachers toward hardware. They also found that there is no significant difference in the overall level of computer anxiety of male teachers was not significantly different from the anxiety levels of female teachers. Only for the hardware anxiety domain was significant differences detected between male and female teachers. Zhou Xu (2007) conducted a study which was aimed at exploring how gender affects the process of technology adoption in post-secondary teaching. Findings from this study suggest that females had lower confidence and less experience in the use of computers in teaching. Also, they tended to learn how to use technology from others, unlike the males who were more likely to learn from their own experience. Also, in a study by Aremu Fasan (2011) which was aimed at investigating factors that could affect technology use and by teachers analysis from the study showed that the computer self efficacy was average for most of the teachers though female teachers have higher Computer self efficacy than male teachers. Hon Alison (2012) conducted a study which was used to examining the effect of gender difference regarding confidence toward using technology for learning in higher educational institutions. The findings of this study confirmed that male have more confidence in using technology for learning than do females because gender imbalances in computing are socially constructed and not related to a learners innate ability. 2.6 Barriers Technology Integration There are numerous researches that have documented a number of barriers which hinder the integration of technology. Out of these include ; Earle, 2002; Flores, 2002, Brinkerhof, 2006 and Almekhlafi Almeqdadi, 2010. In the study by Robert Ferries (1994) cited by Almekhlafi Almeqdadi, (2010), it was stated that barriers to technology integration included lack of knowledge of the available technological resources, time commitment, the risk associated with the use of technology and also the view of technology as an ever changing thing. According to Earle (2002), in her study, she classified the factors that affect technology integration in the classroom into two. These are extrinsic and intrinsic. These factors are defined as restraining force to the teachers. The extrinsic factors are identified as access, available resources, support, time, and training of teachers while the restraining factors that are intrinsic are identified as teachers attitudes, beliefs, practices, and resistan ce. In the study of Flores (2002), it was identified that in the attempt of teachers to integrate technology in their teaching activity, they were faced by many obstacle. In addition to administrative support and time scheduling for the use of technology, equity is another important issue. The introduction of technology is particularly hard when there are few resources. This is supported by Almekhlafi Almeqdadi, (2010) where he cited Brinkerhof (2006) who grouped the restraining into four (4) main categories: administrative and institutional resources and support, attitudinal or personality factors, and experience and training. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Introduction This chapter highlights how the field work will be carried out. It describes the design, nature of population, sample, instruments used and how the instrument will be administered as well as analyzed. Research Design This study is a descriptive study which will be conducted to investigate the effect of teachers perception of instructional technology and the level at which they integrate these technologies in the process of teaching and learning. Area of Study The study was carried out in Lagos state. Population of Study The population for this study will consists of all lecturers in the tertiary institution in Lagos state with special reference to the lecturers of selected tertiary institutions in Lagos state. Sample and Sampling Technique The tertiary institution in comprises of Colleges of Education, Poly-techniques, and Universities. In Lagos state, there are ____ Colleges of Education, ____ Poly Techniques, and ____ Universities out of which one will be randomly selected from each as a representative sample. In each of the selected schools, 60 lecturers will be selected using a purposeful random selection The sample of this study will be lecturers who will be selected using a purposefully random sampling technique. This will be the sample the questionnaire will be administered to. Instrumentation The instrument that will be used in this study is; The Mills Tincher Technology Integration Standards Configuration Matrix (TISCM). This is a model for determining technology integration by teachers (Mills Tincher, 2003). This instrument will consist of two sections as follows; Section A: Demographic data Section B: 18 Survey questions Validation of Instrument The instruments will be critically examined, scrutinized and amended by my supervisor and experts who are experienced in area of research to ensure the validity its of. Data Collection To answer the research questions in this study, a research tool (Technology Integration Standards Configuration Matrix (TISCM)) which was developed by Dr. Steven Mills, will be used to investigate teachers perception of technology and how they integrated technology on a daily basis. This tool will consist of a number of subthemes that will investigated teachers perceptions of their technology competencies and usage, determined how teachers integrate and use technology. Data Analysis Data gathered from questionnaire items will be analyzed using SPSS 17.0. Descriptive statistics, a multivariate analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used. In addition, items will be analysed using Item Analysis method in order to get a deep understanding of the results from the questionnaire.

Behaviorist BF Skinner

Behaviorist BF Skinner’s work with behavior analysis which led him to develop his theory surrounding operant conditioning methods have had a profound impact on today’s educational system as it led him to research the method of programmed instruction; its use in contemporary education has shaped the minds of countless students and offered an alternative method of teaching through its concept of trying to achieve errorless learning through swift feedback. BF Skinner, the renowned psychologist was known for his controversial scientific approach to human behavior.(Pierce & Cheney, 2003, p.9) The 1938 publication The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis became Skinner’s first professional work and contained almost 400 pages of the behaviorist’s research. It has since been described as â€Å"a significant volume in the history of the twentieth-century psychology. † (Todd & Morris, 1995, p. 7) He wrote a number of books and essays focusing on hi s philosophy of behaviorism; however two of the most notable are Science and Behavior and Verbal Behavior. (Todd & Morris, 1995, p. xxi)His theories offered a contemporary definition to the study of behavior and were not well received by his peers. Skinner proposed a â€Å"natural-science approach to human behavior† (Pierce & Cheney, 2004, p. 9) and this contradicted other accepted theories. He believed that the behavior of an organism was determined and a result of genetic and environmental factors. His hypothesis alleged that behavior caused emotions and described them as â€Å"additional activities of people that needed to be explained. † (Pierce & Cheney, 2004, p.9)The opposition believed that human behavior was a product of self-determination – a result of our feelings, thoughts and intentions. Skinner’s achievements were endless; however he’s most noted for his work with experimental behavior analysis, where he developed the theory surroundin g Operant behavior. His theory consisted of operant conditioning or learning by consequences as its major concept. As he was not the first to approach the subject of operant conditioning, he labeled his philosophy, radical behaviorism to separate him from the others who had approached the same topic.(Pierce & Cheney, 2004, p. 9) His analysis of behavior brought him to the conclusion that behavior was influenced by the environment and organisms responded in two fashions – emotional response and by the involuntary response of the nervous system. In order to change an organism’s behavior there must be a new stimulus introduced to the surrounding environment that influenced both areas of human nature. Operant behavior was learned via a series of reinforcements to strengthen the new response. (Staats, 1996, p. 40-41)Skinner’s approach was to offer reinforcement when the organism displayed the defined behavior over a period of time and on a number of occasions  œ the process of operant conditioning. His theory stated that in order to obtain the appropriate response the conditioning process must determine â€Å"the strength of response. † (Staats, 1996, p. 58) Though many of his peers advocated punishment as a deterrent to unwanted behavior Skinner did not agree. His negative response consisted of the simple process of deprivation. (Staats, 1996, p. 58) Through a series of animal experiments, Skinner continued to validate his theory.The Skinner Box was his primary tool for his study of operational conditioning. He designed various versions of the tool to accommodate various species – for example, pigeons could peck to obtain the reinforcement and a rat could not. If the animal performed the desired behavior, a positive reinforcement was automatically provided, if not it was withheld. The box allowed him to study operant conditioning and the contingencies of reinforcement. (Leonard, 2002, p. 98) In the 1950’s Skinnerâ₠¬â„¢s behavior analysis research began to focus on teaching machines.In the 1958 article titled Teaching Machines: From the Experimental Study of Learning Comes Devices Which Arrange Optimal Conditions for Self-Instruction, Skinner stated that the motivation to obtain more education existed and in order to meet that demand we needed to do more than continue to build more schools and train more teachers. He believed that â€Å"Education must become more efficient. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 969) He created teaching devices that arranged specific â€Å"contingencies of reinforcement† that rewarded â€Å"specific forms of behavior. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 970)Once the desired behavior was exerted Skinner was convinced that the â€Å"resulting behavior can be maintained in strength for long periods of time. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 970) Later in the article he addressed specific subjects, â€Å"Teaching spelling is mainly a process of shaping complex forms of behavior. I n other subjects-for example, arithmetic- responses must be brought under the control of appropriate stimuli. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 970) Skinner’s programmed instruction consists of three phases:1) Small steps – obtain small information in a step-by-step fashion.2) Overt responding – provide a clear response to generate reinforcement.3) Self-pacing – working through programmed activity at his or her own pace. (Leonard, 2002, p. 90)In 1958 Skinner incorporated his reinforcement methods into the first class of programmed instruction. (Lysaught & Williams, 1963, p. 10) In a speech titled Psychology in the year 2000 given in 1968 to the Department of Psychology of Wayne University, he not only expressed his opinion of the school system prior to his studies, he addressed what he believed to be the future of America’s schools.He believed that prior to his research that â€Å"educational psychology was primarily a matter of measurement. Mental tests dominated the field. Teaching was generally left to common sense. † (Skinner, 2004, p. 210) He felt that the students â€Å"studied because he feared the consequences of not studying. † (Skinner, 2004, p. 210) He went on to conclude that student’s slow recognition was a result of teachers’ inappropriate approach to teaching. (Skinner, 2004, p. 210)He felt that, â€Å"A good program is simply a reorganization of what is to be learned in such a way that the student is maximally reinforced for learning it in positive ways rather than as a means of escape from undesirable consequences. † (Skinner, 2004, p. 210) Though primitive at the time of inception, over the years and combined with modern technology our students are benefiting from his methods by way of computer-based teaching. Programs have been developed to teach spelling, reading, math, and a number of other subjects, as well as colleges and Universities offer certain Internet-based courses.The program models vary; some programs will not allow the student to advance without giving the appropriate response, others will offer more information to guide students to the appropriate response and universities are creating virtual classrooms that students have access to tools that perform a variety of functions. Though the approach has received mixed feedback, teachers are able to provide more of a one-on-one teaching, as well as further the efficiency of classroom procedure and in the case of universities, students are able to enjoy the convenience of online courses. (â€Å"Programmed Instruction,† 2004)In conclusion, Skinner’s controversial approach to psychology changed the approach to behavior modification and his methods have shaped the educational setting. Student behavior has improved; as positive reinforcement is applied to the learning process builds confidence and a willingness to comply. Students of all ages are able to progress at their own pace, which pr ovides and individualized education plan. College students report that they are able to attend college courses and maintain full time employment due to the convenience of online schooling.Skinner’s over all concern for providing an environment to influence behavior combined with technology creates a setting that is unique to each student and he or she can learn at a pace appropriate for the individual.ReferencesPierce, W. D. , & Cheney, C. D. (2003). Behavior Analysis and Learning. Mawwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Skinner, B. F. (1958). Teaching Machines: From the experimental study of learning come devices which arrange optimal conditions for self-instruction. Science, 128, 969 – 977.Skinner, B. F. (2004). PSYCHOLOGY IN THE YEAR 2000 Harvard University. JOURNAL OF THE EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR, 81, 207 – 213.Programmed Instruction. (2004). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed. ). New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101265989.Leonard, D. C. (2002). Learning Theories, A to Z. Westport, CT: Oryx Press. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101313032Lysaught, J. P. , & Williams, C. A. (1963). A Guide to Programmed Instruction. New York: Wiley. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=14538707.Pierce, W. D. , & Cheney, C. D. (2004). Behavior Analysis and Learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=104826262.Skinner, B. F. (2003). Chapter 14 Radical Behaviorism. In An Introduction to Theories of Personality (pp. 311-339).Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=104786837.Staats, A. W. (1996). Behavior and Personality: Psychological Behaviori sm. New York: Springer. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101935859.Todd, J. T. & Morris, E. K. (Eds. ). (1995). Modern Perspectives on B. F. Skinner and Contemporary Behaviorism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=24397049.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Sixteen

Jack did not sleep well that night, which left him irritable and out of sorts, so he dispensed with breakfast, where he was sure to run into persons with whom he might be expected to converse, and instead went directly outside for his now customary morning ride. It was one of the finest things about horses – they never expected conversation. He had no idea what he was meant to say to Grace once he saw her again. Lovely kissing you. Wish we'd done more. It was the truth, even if he'd been the one to cut them off. He'd been aching for her all night. He might have to marry this one. Jack stopped cold. Where had that come from? From your conscience, a niggling little voice – probably his conscience – told him. Damn. He really needed to get a better night's sleep. His conscience was never this loud. But could he? Marry her? It was certainly the only way he'd ever be able to bed her. Grace was not the sort of woman one dallied with. It wasn't a question of her birth, although that certainly was a factor. It was just†¦ her. The way she was. Her uncommon dignity, her quiet and sly humor. Marriage. What a curious notion. It wasn't that he'd been avoiding it. It was just that he'd never considered it. He was rarely in one place for long enough to form a lasting attachment. And his income was, by nature of his profession, sporadic. He wouldn't have dreamed of asking a woman to make a life with a highwayman. Except he wasn't a highwayman. Not any longer. The dowager had seen to that. â€Å"Lovely Lucy,† Jack murmured, patting his gelding on the neck before dismounting at the stables. He supposed he ought to give the poor thing a man's name. They'd been together for so long, though. It'd be hard to make the change. â€Å"My longest lasting attachment,† Jack murmured to himself as he walked back to the house. â€Å"Now that's pathetic.† Lucy was a prince, as far as horses went, but still, he was a horse. What did he have to offer Grace? He looked up at Belgrave, looming over him like a stone monster, and almost laughed. A dukedom, possibly. Good Lord, but he didn't want the thing. It was too much. And what if he wasn't the duke? He knew that he was, of course. His parents had been married; he was quite certain of that. But what if there was no proof? What if there had been a church fire? Or a flood? Or mice? Didn't mice nibble at paper? What if a mouse – no, what if an entire legion of mice had chewed through the vicarage register? It could happen. But what did he have to offer her if he was not the duke? Nothing. Nothing at all. A horse named Lucy, and a grandmother who, he was growing increasingly convinced, was the spawn of Satan. He had no skills to speak of – it was difficult to imagine parlaying his talents at highway thievery into any sort of honest employment. And he would not go back into the army. Even if it was respectable, it would take him away from his wife, and wasn't that the entire point? He supposed that Wyndham would pension him off with some cozy little rural property, as far away from Belgrave as possible. He would take it, of course; he'd never been one for misplaced pride. But what did he know about cozy little rural properties? He'd grown up in one but never bothered to pay attention to how it was run. He knew how to muck out a stall and flirt with the maids, but he was quite certain there was more to it than that, if one wanted to make a decent go of it. And then there was Belgrave, still looming over him, still blotting out the sun. Good Lord, if he did not think he could properly manage a small rural property, what the devil would he do with this? Not to mention the dozen or so other holdings in the Wyndham portfolio. The dowager had listed them one night at supper. He couldn't begin to imagine the paperwork he'd be required to review. Mounds of contracts, and ledgers, and proposals, and letters – his brain hurt just thinking of it. And yet, if he did not take the dukedom, if he somehow found a way to stop it all before it engulfed him – what would he have to offer Grace? His stomach was protesting his skipped breakfast, so he made haste up the steps to the castle's entrance and went inside. The hall was quite busy, with servants moving through, carrying out their myriad tasks, and his entrance went mostly unnoticed, which he did not mind. He pulled off his gloves and was rubbing his hands together to warm them back up when he glimpsed Grace at the other end of the hall. He did not think she'd seen him, and he started to go to her, but as he passed one of the drawing rooms, he heard an odd collection of voices and could not contain his curiosity. Pausing, he peeked in. â€Å"Lady Amelia,† he said with surprise. She was standing rather stiffly, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. He could not blame her. He was sure he'd feel tense and pinched if he were engaged to marry Wyndham. He entered the room to greet her. â€Å"I did not realize you had graced us with your lovely presence.† It was then that he noticed Wyndham. He couldn't not, really. The duke was emitting a rather macabre sound. Almost like laughter. Standing next to him was an older gentleman of middling height and paunch. He looked every inch the aristocrat, but his complexion was tanned and wind-worn, hinting at time spent out of doors. Lady Amelia coughed and swallowed, looking rather queasy. â€Å"Er, Father,† she said to the older man, â€Å"may I present Mr. Audley? He is a houseguest at Belgrave. I made his acquaintance the other day when I was here visiting Grace.† â€Å"Where is Grace?† Wyndham said. Something about his tone struck Jack as off, but nonetheless he said, â€Å"Just down the hall, actually. I was walking – â€Å" â€Å"I'm sure you were,† Wyndham snapped, not even looking at him. Then, to Lord Crowland: â€Å"Right. You wished to know my intentions.† Intentions? Jack stepped farther into the room. This could be nothing but interesting. â€Å"This might not be the best time,† Lady Amelia said. â€Å"No,† said Wyndham, his manner uncharacteristically grand. â€Å"This might be our only time.† While Jack was deciding what to make of that, Grace arrived. â€Å"You wished to see me, your grace?† For a moment Wyndham was nonplussed. â€Å"Was I that loud?† Graced motioned back toward the hall. â€Å"The footman heard you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ah yes, footmen abounded at Belgrave. It did make one wonder why the dowager thought she might actually be able to keep the journey to Ireland a secret. But if Wyndham minded, he did not show it. â€Å"Do come in, Miss Eversleigh,† he said, sweeping his arm in welcome. â€Å"You might as well have a seat at this farce.† Jack began to feel uneasy. He did not know his newfound cousin well, nor did he wish to, but this was not his customary behavior. Wyndham was too dramatic, too grand. He was a man pushed to the edge and teetering badly. Jack recognized the signs. He had been there himself. Should he intercede? He could make some sort of inane comment to pierce the tension. It might help, and it would certainly affirm what Wyndham already thought of him – rootless joker, not to be taken seriously. Jack decided to hold his tongue. He watched as Grace entered the room, taking a spot near the window. He was able to catch her eye, but only briefly. She looked just as puzzled as he, and a good deal more concerned. â€Å"I demand to know what is going on,† Lord Crowland said. â€Å"Of course,† Wyndham said. â€Å"How rude of me. Where are my manners?† Jack looked over at Grace. She had her hand over her mouth. â€Å"We've had quite an exciting week at Belgrave,† Wyndham continued. â€Å"Quite beyond my wildest imaginings.† â€Å"Your meaning?† Lord Crowland said curtly. â€Å"Ah, yes. You probably should know – this man, right here† – Thomas flicked a wrist toward Jack – â€Å"is my cousin. He might even be the duke.† He looked at Lord Crowland and shrugged. â€Å"We're not sure.† Silence. And then: â€Å"Oh dear God.† Jack looked sharply over to Lady Amelia. She'd gone white. He could not imagine what she must be thinking. â€Å"The trip to Ireland†¦Ã¢â‚¬  her father was saying. â€Å"Is to determine his legitimacy,† Wyndham confirmed. And then, with a morbidly jolly expression, he continued, â€Å"It's going to be quite a party. Even my grandmother is going.† Jack fought to keep the shock off his face, then looked over at Grace. She, too, was staring at the duke in horror. Lord Crowland's countenance, on the other hand, was nothing but grim. â€Å"We will join you,† he said. Lady Amelia lurched forward. â€Å"Father?† Her father didn't even turn around. â€Å"Stay out of this, Amelia.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"I assure you,† Wyndham cut in, â€Å"we will make our determinations with all possible haste and report back to you immediately.† â€Å"My daughter's future hangs in the balance,† Crowland returned hotly. â€Å"I will be there to examine the papers.† Wyndham's expression grew lethal, and his voice dangerously low. â€Å"Do you think we try to deceive you?† â€Å"I only look out for my daughter's rights.† â€Å"Father, please.† Amelia had come up to Crowland and placed her hand on his sleeve. â€Å"Please, just a moment.† â€Å"I said stay out of this!† her father yelled, and he shook her from his arm with enough force to cause her to stumble. Jack stepped forward to aid her, but Wyndham was there before he could blink. â€Å"Apologize to your daughter,† Wyndham said. Crowland sputtered in confusion. â€Å"What the devil are you talking about?† â€Å"Apologize to her!† Wyndham roared. â€Å"Your grace,† Amelia said, trying to insinuate herself between the two men. â€Å"Please, do not judge my father too harshly. These are exceptional circumstances.† â€Å"No one knows that more clearly than I.† But Wyndham wasn't looking at her as he said it, nor did he remove his eyes from her father's face when he added, â€Å"Apologize to Amelia or I will have you removed from the estate.† And for the first time, Jack admired him. He had already realized that he respected him, but that was not the same thing. Wyndham was a bore, in his humble opinion, but everything he did, every last decision and action – they were for others. It was all for Wyndham – the heritage, not the person. It was impossible not to respect such a man. But this was different. The duke wasn't standing up for his people, he was standing up for one person. It was a far more difficult thing to do. And yet, looking at Wyndham now, he would say that it had come as naturally as breathing. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Lord Crowland finally said, looking as if he was not quite certain what had just happened. â€Å"Amelia, you know I – â€Å" â€Å"I know,† she said, cutting him off. And then finally Jack found himself at center stage. â€Å"Who is this man?† Lord Crowland asked, thrusting an arm in his direction. Jack turned to Wyndham and quirked a brow, allowing him to answer. â€Å"He is the son of my father's elder brother,† Wyndham told Lord Crowland. â€Å"Charles?† Amelia asked. â€Å"John.† Lord Crowland nodded, still directing his questions to Wyndham. â€Å"Are you certain of this?† Thomas only shrugged. â€Å"You may look at the portrait yourself.† â€Å"But his name – â€Å" â€Å"Was Cavendish at birth,† Jack cut in. If he was going to be the subject of the discussion, he would bloody well be given a place in it. â€Å"I went by Cavendish-Audley at school. You may check the records, should you wish.† â€Å"Here?† Crowland asked. â€Å"In Enniskillen. I only came to England after serving in the army.† â€Å"I am satisfied that he is a blood relation,† Wyndham said quietly. â€Å"All that remains is to determine whether he is also one by law.† Jack looked to him in surprise. It was the first time he had publicly acknowledged him aloud as a relative. The earl did not comment. Not directly, at least. He just muttered, â€Å"This is a disaster,† and walked over to the window. And said nothing. Nor did anyone else. And then, in a voice low and furious, came the earl's comment. â€Å"I signed the contract in good faith,† he said, still staring out over the lawn. â€Å"Twenty years ago, I signed the contract.† Still no one spoke. Abruptly, he turned around. â€Å"Do you understand?† he demanded, glaring at Wyndham. â€Å"Your father came to me with his plans, and I agreed to them, believing you to be the rightful heir to the dukedom. She was to be a duchess. A duchess! Do you think I would have signed away my daughter had I known you were nothing but†¦but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But one such as me, Jack wanted to say. But for once it did not seem the time or the place for a light, sly quip. And then Wyndham – Thomas, Jack suddenly decided he wished to call him – stared the earl down and said, â€Å"You may call me Mr. Cavendish, if you so desire. If you think it might help you to accustom yourself to the idea.† It was exactly what Jack would have wanted to say. If he'd been in Thomas's shoes. If he'd thought of it. But the earl was not cowed by the sarcastic rebuke. He glared at Thomas, practically shaking as he hissed, â€Å"I will not allow my daughter to be cheated. If you do not prove to be the right and lawful Duke of Wyndham, you may consider the betrothal null and void.† â€Å"As you wish,† Thomas said curtly. He made no argument, no indication that he might wish to fight for his betrothed. Jack looked over at Lady Amelia, then looked away. There were some things, some emotions, a gentleman could not watch. But when he turned back, he found himself face-to-face with the earl. Her father. And the man's finger was pointed at his chest. â€Å"If that is the case,† he said, â€Å"if you are the Duke of Wyndham, then you will marry her.† It took a great deal to render Jack Audley speechless. This, however, had done it. When he regained his voice, after a rather unattractive choking sound he assumed had come from his throat, he managed the following: â€Å"Oh. No.† â€Å"Oh, you will,† Crowland warned him. â€Å"You will marry her if I have to march you to the altar with my blunderbuss at your back.† â€Å"Father,† Lady Amelia cried out, â€Å"you cannot do this.† Crowland ignored his daughter completely. â€Å"My daughter is betrothed to the Duke of Wyndham, and the Duke of Wyndham she will marry.† â€Å"I am not the Duke of Wyndham,† Jack said, recovering some of his composure. â€Å"Not yet. Perhaps not ever. But I will be present when the truth comes out. And I will make sure she marries the right man.† Jack took his measure. Lord Crowland was not a feeble man, and although he did not exude quite the same haughty power as Wyndham, he clearly knew his worth and his place in society. He would not allow his daughter to be wronged. Jack respected that. If he had a daughter, he supposed he'd do the same. But not, he hoped, at the expense of an innocent man. He looked at Grace. Just for a moment. Fleeting, but he caught the expression in her eyes, the subdued horror at the unfolding scene. He would not give her up. Not for any bloody title, and certainly not to honor someone else's betrothal contract. â€Å"This is madness,† Jack said, looking around the room, unable to believe that he was the only one speaking in his defense. â€Å"I do not even know her.† â€Å"That is hardly a concern,† Crowland said gruffly. â€Å"You are mad,† Jack exclaimed. â€Å"I am not going to marry her.† He looked quickly at Amelia, then wished he hadn't. â€Å"My pardons, my lady,† he practically mumbled. â€Å"It is not personal.† Her head jerked a bit, fast and pained. It wasn't a yes, or a no, but more of a stricken acknowledgment, the sort of motion one made when it was all one was capable of. It ripped Jack straight through his gut. No, he told himself. This is not your responsibility. You do not have to make it right. And all around him, no one said a word in his defense. Grace, he understood, since it was not her position to do so, but by God, what about Wyndham? Didn't he care that Crowland was trying to give his fiancee away? But the duke just stood there, still as a stone, his eyes burning with something Jack could not identify. â€Å"I did not agree to this,† Jack said. â€Å"I signed no contract.† Surely that had to mean something. â€Å"Neither did he,† Crowland responded, with a shrug in Wyndham's direction. â€Å"His father did it.† â€Å"In his name,† Jack fairly yelled. â€Å"That is where you are wrong, Mr. Audley. It did not specify his name at all. My daughter, Amelia Honoria Rose, was to marry the seventh Duke of Wyndham.† â€Å"Really?† This, finally, from Thomas. â€Å"Have you not looked at the papers?† Jack demanded. â€Å"No,† Thomas said simply. â€Å"I never saw the need.† â€Å"Good God,† Jack swore, â€Å"I have fallen in with a band of bloody idiots.† No one contradicted him, he noticed. He looked desperately to Grace, who had to be the one sane member of humanity left in the building. But she would not meet his eyes. That was enough. He had to put an end to this. He stood straight and looked hard into Lord Crowland's face. â€Å"Sir,† he said, â€Å"I will not marry your daughter.† â€Å"Oh, you will.† But this was not said by Crowland. It was Thomas, stalking across the room, his eyes burning with barely contained rage. He did not stop until they were nearly nose-to-nose. â€Å"What did you say?† Jack asked, certain he'd heard incorrectly. From all he had seen, which, admittedly, wasn't much, Thomas rather liked his little fiancee. â€Å"This woman,† Thomas said, motioning back to Amelia, â€Å"has spent her entire life preparing to be the Duchess of Wyndham. I will not permit you to leave her life in shambles.† Around them the room went utterly still. Except for Amelia, who looked ready to crumble. â€Å"Do you understand me?† And Jack†¦Well, he was Jack, and so he simply lifted his brows, and he didn't quite smirk, but he was quite certain that his smile clearly lacked sincerity. He looked Thomas in the eye. â€Å"No.† Thomas said nothing. â€Å"No, I don't understand.† Jack shrugged. â€Å"Sorry.† Thomas looked at him. And then: â€Å"I believe I will kill you.† Lady Amelia let out a shriek and leapt forward, grabbing onto Thomas seconds before he could attack Jack. â€Å"You may steal my life away,† Thomas growled, just barely allowing her to subdue him. â€Å"You may steal my very name, but by God you will not steal hers.† â€Å"She has a name,† Jack said. â€Å"It's Willoughby. And for the love of God, she's the daughter of an earl. She'll find someone else.† â€Å"If you are the Duke of Wyndham,† Thomas said furiously, â€Å"you will honor your commitments.† â€Å"If I'm the Duke of Wyndham, then you can't tell me what to do.† â€Å"Amelia,† Thomas said with deadly calm, â€Å"release my arm.† If anything, she pulled him back. â€Å"I don't think that's a good idea.† Lord Crowland chose that moment to step between them. â€Å"Er, gentlemen, this is all hypothetical at this point. Perhaps we should wait until – â€Å" And then Jack saw his escape. â€Å"I wouldn't be the seventh duke, anyway,† he said. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† Crowland said, as if Jack were some irritant and not the man he was attempting to bludgeon into marrying his daughter. â€Å"I wouldn't.† Jack thought furiously, trying to put together all the details of the family history he'd learned in the past few days. He looked at Thomas. â€Å"Would I? Because your father was the sixth duke. Except he wasn't. Would he have been? If I was?† â€Å"What the devil are you talking about?† Crowland demanded. But Jack saw that Thomas understood his point precisely. And indeed, he said, â€Å"Your father died before his own father. If your parents were married, then you would have inherited upon the fifth duke's death, eliminating my father – and myself – from the succession entirely.† â€Å"Which makes me number six,† Jack said quietly. â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"Then I am not bound to honor the contract,† Jack declared. â€Å"No court in the land would hold me to it. I doubt they'd do so even if I were the seventh duke.† â€Å"It is not to a legal court you must appeal,† Thomas said, â€Å"but to the court of your own moral responsibility.† â€Å"I did not ask for this,† Jack said. â€Å"Neither,† Thomas said softly, â€Å"did I.† Jack said nothing. His voice felt like it was trapped in his chest, pounding and rumbling and squeezing out the air. The room was growing hot, and his cravat felt tight, and in that moment, as his life was flipping and spiraling out of his control, he knew only one thing for certain. He had to get out. He looked over for Grace, but she'd moved. She was standing now by Amelia, holding her hand. He would not give her up. He could not. For the first time in his life he'd found someone who filled all the empty spaces in his heart. He did not know who he would be, once they went to Ireland and found whatever it was they all thought they were looking for. But whoever he was – duke, highwayman, soldier, rogue – he wanted her by his side. He loved her. He loved her. There were a million reasons he did not deserve her, but he loved her. And he was a selfish bastard, but he was going to marry her. He'd find a way. No matter who he was or what he owned. Maybe he was engaged to Amelia. He probably wasn't smart enough to understand the legalities of it all – certainly not without the contract in hand and someone to translate the legalspeak for him. He would marry Grace. He would. But first he had to go to Ireland. He couldn't marry Grace until he knew what he was, but more than that – he could not marry her until he'd atoned for his sins. And that could only be done in Ireland.

Change Brought by Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect to Hong Kong - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3132 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Research paper Level High school Did you like this example? 1 Topic: To find out the level of the change brought by Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect to the Hong Kong economic. Aims and objectives: The reason of I choosing this topic is because the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a new tool between Hong Kong and China. It will going to change the Hong Kong and China economic. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Change Brought by Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect to Hong Kong" essay for you Create order As a citizen the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect related to our life in many different way when is effect our economic. Also, the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a new policy that are not much people understand how is work. So that I want to learn more knowledge about the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect. Thats why I am interested in researching this topic Rationale for selection: The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a new investment channel between Hong Kong stock exchange and Shang Hai stock exchange market. The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect started in 2014,11,17. The first day of the opening day. The Hang Seng index is full down about 12%. The daily limited from Hong Kong buy in Shanghai stock exchange as know as northbound trading used all 170 hundred million before 2p.m. On the other hand the Shang Hai stock exchange through the Hong Kong stock market as know as southbound trading is only used 17%. I collect the two month Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect finance data from wiki and Hkex. The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a new tool of the investor between china and Hong Kong. My rationale is to find out whatever Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect benefits Hong Kong or PRC and the level of change that may occur for Hong Kong investors. Methodology: The methodology for data collection is based on the variety of different articles , journals, wed site, finance report, news, special column and interview meeting. I will going to collect primary data and secondly data to find out the level of the change brought by Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect g to the Hong Kong economic. In the secondly data, I want to find out the information about the background information of the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect like how the process work and when is the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect started. After that, I collect the data from articles from Zhiwu Chen a professor of Finance at Yale School of management which about how he feel about Shanghai -Hong Kong Stock Connect and how is that going to effect the Hong Kong and China economic. Also I find the finance data record on HkEx which include two month data of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect. Furthermore, I read the some special column about how the writer analysis how did the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect doing after is started few months. The secondly data are easy, fast and provided many data for my topic. Also most of the data is accurate and come from the people with the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and economic knowledge. In the primary data, I create a interview to collect the opinion from the investor who got more than 8 years invest experiences. I use interview to collect the data I need is because I can get the first hand information and the information I need exactly. I can create the own question in the interview, also ask the people with the economic knowledge. It is better than asking the people totally do not understand what is Shanghai-Hong Kong st ock connect. literature review: According to Zhiwu Chen a professor of Finance at Yale School of management. The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is obvious advantage to Hong Kong economic. The Shanghai Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock exchange link together will improve the Hong Kong union and the financial centre status of the country . To keeping the Hong Kong union value, The main point is to keep Hong Kong international view and International orientation. That mean cant be too Mainland Hong Kong . According the new of Sing Tao Drily, Since the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect started 11,17,2014. The money flow into A-share market through northbound trading is 1006.18 billion(Renminbi). and the funds through southbound trading in Hong Kong stock market is only 239 billion. According to special column of yicai, the reason of southbound trading keep Stillness is because of the southbound trading need the mainland investor got 50 million cash in the investor account. On the other hand the northbound trading do not got any condition to the investor. The investors who got more than 50 million cash flow and interest in Hong Kong stock market is already using other tool to investing in Hong Kong. The policy of the limited of 50million cash flow is block the asset smaller investor outside to the Hong Kong market. According to the Charles Li the CEO of Hong Kong Stock Exchange and clearing Limited, the reason of the southbound trading is not popular is because of four main reason: AH share do not got arbitrage opportunity, many invest organise are still waiting the clear view, the mainland investors are more interest in penny stock and not familiar with the Hong Kong stock. According to Chen Fuxin the CTO of Deloitte , Government financial year of 2014/15 last four month of surplus is expert of 48 billion competitive with last year it have been increase 25 billion. Most of increase are from the stamp duty grow. He explain that, since the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect started the turnover of Hong Kong stock market is increase, so that the add up 6 to 8 billion income per month. The critique of references: The reason of the secondly data is from professor, new, special column, CEO and CTO is because I collect the data basic on the information come from the people or the media with the economic knowledge and understanding Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect policy. The information I collect in secondly data is help me develop the hypothesis and also make the reader understand more about how the level of the change brought by Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect to the Hong Kong economic. Most of the secondly data is from the internet it is fast and free to get the information on internet. But it is hard to find out what kind of data is useful because there are so many false and outdate data on internet. The reason of the primary resource using the interview question is because I can design my own question to collect the data. So that, the source of the answer can be credible and exactly what I needed. The information I find out in the interview is very useful and is show how do the interviewer feel about Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect. Action plan: Start date End date Milestone Giving the assignment and brainstorming on topics 18-12-14 ÃÆ' ¢-Ã…Â ½ Searching topic 19-12-14 23-12-14 Confirm the topic 24-12-14 ÃÆ' ¢-Ã…Â ½ Secondly Data collection 27-12-14 06-01-14 Secondly Data analysis 08 -01-15 11-01-15 select the information that useful 13-01-15 16-01-15 Design the hypothesis 17-01-15 20-01-15 ÃÆ' ¢-Ã…Â ½ Research design 22-01-15 25-01-15 Collect the finance data 27-01-15 Design the Interview question 28-01-15 30-01-15 Interview 05-02-15 ÃÆ' ¢-Ã…Â ½ Analysis data 07-02-15 09-02-15 Summary 10-02-15 ÃÆ' ¢-Ã…Â ½ Hypothesis: The definition of hypothesis is A hypothesis can be defined as a tentative explanation of the research problem, a possible outcome of the research, or a n educated guess about the research outcome.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Sarandakos 1993:1991 From the literature I read, I suggest that the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is has more disadvantage more than advantage to the Hong Kong economic. My aim and objectives is to test my hypothesis to find out is that true the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect is bring more damage than benefit to the Hong Kong economic. The skills and knowledge to gained the hypothesis will need the economic knowledge and enough stock market experience. Term of reference: the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect is a new policy there you can buy in Shanghai stock in Hong Kong, also the mainland people can buy in Hong Kong stock. The northbound trading is a path that the mainland investors buy in Hong Kong stock. It is inside the Shanghai-Ho ng Kong Stock Connect. The southbound trading is a path the Hong Kong investor buy in shanghai stock market. Duration: I spent 4 days to design the hypothesis. 3days to design the interview question. the interview is fast only take few minute but in here i will i spent 1 day. so totally 8 days. Ethical issues: All the interview information are only keep for this research, Also after the report is finish the data will not going to keep longer than is necessary. Research design: I use a interview to collect the data and test my hypothesis which mean is a qualitative research and using graph to compare a few months northbound trading and southbound trading finance record to test my hypothesis which is quantitative research. My interviewer will be a face to face meeting and I will choose a quiet place to do the meeting such as Study room in library. Also the interviewer will have the enough experience or enough knowledge to answer my question. My interviewer is a in vestor got more than 8 years invest experiences. Before the interview start I will prepare and print out the interview question just in case I forget the question. Also, I will get a page to write down the answer from the interviewer. then, I will collect the basic person information from my interviewer and explain that all the information I collect is only use in the research project. The interview I expert of 10-15min so that I will create the interview question short and exactly the information I need because I am afraid that the interviewer will lost patient in the meeting if the interview is too long. The interview will operate in Cantonese, this is our first language, so that to less the misunderstanding. Also, I want to statistical analysis the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect finance record in this two month, so that I can have a clearly picture of what happen in Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect. The finance record is realistic to prove my hypothesis. Interview: 1Q: Can you tell me a several change brought by the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect to the Hong Kong stock market? A: At first, the cash flow in the Hong Kong stock market had been decrease because many investor are interest in Shanghai stock market. Secondly, it bring some foreign investor and foundation interest in Hong Kong and Shanghai stock market. Thirdly, There are more option to the Hong Kong investor. Fourthly, Before is started this policy main point is want to draw the cash flow from mainland market to Hong Kong stock market. So that, the good new increase Hang seng index a week. 2Q:Do you like the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect policy? why? A:No, I dont like the policy. Because this policy didnt bring any visible and positive benefit to me. I am not interest in Shanghai stock market. My focus in Hong Kong stock market. 3Q:Can you tell me some advantage of the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect bring to the Hong Kong economic? A: It draw some foreign investor and company to develop in Hong Kong, that mean some employee. Also, for the long term is increase the link between Hong Kong and China economic. Furthermore it increase the international status of Hong Kong too. Then, it bring some income to the Government from the tax. 4Q:Can you tell me some disadvantage of Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect bring to the Hong Kong economic? A: The Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect didnt bring much cash flow in to Hong Kong stock market. At first, this policy is want to attract the mainland investor in to Hong Kong stock market, but it is totally different when is started. As if the situation do not change the Hong Kong stock market will keep flowing cash flow to mainland . Also, the policy increase the Shanghai economic status in international too. That will make a challenge to the Hong Kong status as a financial center. 5Q:The Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect is bring more benefit to China economic or Hong Kong economic? A: I will say t hat mainland is getting more benefit than Hong Kong. As a long term it increase the contact between mainland and international economic. As a short term it increase the investor in Shanghai stock market. Data collection and analysis: The problem of the interview show that there are some problem of my interviewer which is personally do not like the policy of the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock because he is more interest in Hong Kong stock market. It might lead some bias opinion of this policy. Also, when the face to face meeting, it is hard to writing down the answer in detail and make the meeting going smoothly so that I only got time to write down the main point of the answer. Then I collect the finance recode from HKEx, It is reliability because it is a official information that cannot be false . This graph show that how the northbound trading total Buy Trade Value in the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect from started in Nov to Fed. As the graph show the trends of the northbo und trading totally buy in is decreasing in last two month. So that i forecast that the next few months the totally buy in will keep decrease. This graph show that how the southbound trading total Buy Trade Value in the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect from started in Nov to Fed. The southbound trading is increasing . But still cant compare with northbound. The higher totally buy in southbound is 23,260.55million. The Northbound higher buy in is 74,469.42 million. This graph show that southbound trading is only 15% and northbound trading are 85%. That mean the Hong Kong stock exchange market are flow the funds in to the mainland stock market. this is the graph show how is the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect doing in January. As you can see the southbound trading is 24% is compare with last month is got a 9% increase. On the other hand the northbound trading is dropped. Even the southbound trading is increase the cash transfer is still no close to balance. According this two month record, I suggest that the southbound trading is not going to increase more than northbound trading or even balance. The cash flow in the Hong Kong market is flowing to mainland market. That prove my hypothesis the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect is bring a damage of the Hong Kong stock market and economic. Data interpretation: According of the interview and the finance record, the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect is making damage to the Stock market but benefit Hong Kong economic in a long term. This hard to compare the damage and the benefit because some of the benefit is invisible like the internal status and the effect will show in long term but the disadvantage is visible and show in short term such as the damage to the Hong Kong stock market. so that, my hypothesis is can be say is true in a short term but in long term the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect will bring more benefit to the Hong Kong economic. Evaluation of outcomes: I think my research project plan is half successful in planning. Because my aim and objectives is to understand more about the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect and find out a few change bring by this policy. After the data I collect and analysis the aim and objective has been complete. Most of the finding is validity and reliability because is from the people or media have enough knowledge to judge but I got some failure in selecting the data. I focus in the stock market not the overall Hong Kong economic. The secondly data research is easy to collect there are many data on internet .But I have to pick the literature carefully because it is hard to know that is the literature r eliability and useful. When I collect the data, some of them a guessing without the prove and not from the people with enough knowledge. So that I have to analysis data to find the information that useful and reliability. The hard part is the hypothesis, because the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect is only started two month, There is not enough data and fact to test my hypothesis. As a conclusion, there are some point I do it wrong but finally the finding is success to meet my aim and objective. But it is hard to tell I got a overview of the change to Hong Kong economic by Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect . Future consideration: In this research, I learn how to do the research project smoothly and how to collect the reliability data. The research result show me more information about the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect and fully understand how this invest tool work. So that I have more choose to investing the money. In the research, I forces on the change of Hong Kong e conomic, The limitations of the investigation is I did not got enough time and resource to develop more view to see the whole picture of all changing of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect bring to Hong Kong and mainland economic. Also most of my research is focus in the stock market not the change to whole Hong Kong economic. So that I want to improvement for next time investigation. When I have more time and resource I want to develop the whole picture of t both side economic. The future of the research area is there are news said that the new investment tool is coming up in next half year, this time is Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock market can buy each other stock. So that, When the new policy start it will going to change a lot of my research. In the future, I want to find out how this two policy effect to the Hong Kong and mainland economic. Reference: HKEx shanghai-hong kong stock connect. available on: https://www.hkex.com.hk/eng/csm/MonthlyStat/M201412e.htm Prof. T errill Frantz Discusses Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect at China Briefing. available on: https://english.phbs.pku.edu.cn/index.php?m=contentc=indexa=showcatid=591id=682 Sing tao Daily(2015). available on: https://hk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ÃÆ' ¦Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ »Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¦Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¸Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¯ÃƒÆ' ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡-ÃÆ' ¦Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ µÃƒâ€šÃ‚ ÃƒÆ' ¥Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¥aÃÆ' ¨Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¡ÃƒÆ' ¨Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ³Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¡ÃƒÆ' ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"ÃÆ' ©Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ½ÃƒÆ' ¥Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒâ€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÆ' ¥Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ' ¤Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ºÃƒâ€šÃ‚ ºÃƒÆ' ¥Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¹Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ £-ÃÆ' ¥Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢-ÃÆ' §Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ±ÃƒÆ' ¥Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ -ÃÆ' ¥Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ·ÃƒÆ' ¦Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å" ªÃƒÆ' ¨Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ®Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚  -013600754.html (Accessed: 11 Fed 2015). Yicai new(2014): available on: https://www.yicai.com/news/2014/12/4052878.html(2014-12-16) AA Stock news. available on: https://www.aastocks.com/t c/stocks/news/aafn-content/NOW.649369/latest-news Zhiwu Chen a professor of Finance at Yale School of management: https://news.takungpao.com/paper/q/2014/1211/2854648.html Charles, L.(2014) Sing tao Daily, ,available on: https://la.stgloballink.com/fin/2014/1124/157194.shtml