Friday, March 20, 2020

20 Compare and Contrast Essay Topics on IT from the Academic Perspective

20 Compare and Contrast Essay Topics on IT from the Academic Perspective Academically, IT has great potential to help and reform the learning abilities of a modern day student. There is so much to talk about the changes IT can bring in the world of education. If you want to write a comparative analysis in the form of an essay, this guide should prove very helpful. If you recall, the first in the series of these guides was 12 facts on it in the academic perspective for a compare and contrast essay, which helped you kick-start your research. This is the next part which will help pinpoint your research focus and choose a topic. Here are 20 topics on IT in the academic perspective for a compare and contrast essay: Codified Knowledge in IT System: Is It Required? Teaching Methods with IT Systems Issues in Adopting an IT Based System IT-based Performance Measurement Indicators Effects on Teaching Jobs: Tenures and Motivation if IT Is Implemented IT Systems Integration in the Autonomy of Teaching Staff Concept of Productivity Under IT IT Implementation and Economies of Scale How Non-Traditional Education Providers Can Offer High Quality Education through IT Based Systems Cost Comparison of IT Learning System and Traditional Education System Academic Administrative Record Keeping through IT Implementation Ease of Access to Education through IT and its Economic Repercussions on Traditional Institutes Ease of Preparation for Teaching Staff before a Lecture Due to IT System Integration Concept of Online Portals and How They Are Beneficial to Students Who Want to Revise Lectures Academic Research in IT-based Educational Systems Is Complete IT Reformation of Educational System Financially and Administratively Possible? Reprogramming IT Systems vs Retraining Teachers Printed and Electronic Educational Material: What Is Better? Outsourcing Teachers through IT Systems Time Management in IT Systems: The Problem of Relocating Time and Resources For now, here is a sample essay on one of the topics mentioned above. It is recommended that you read the following before we discuss how to write the actual essay, Sample Compare and Contrast Essay: Issues to Adopting an IT-based System In order to have full-scale implementation of IT strategies, methods and technology, one must understand and know how to address various issues revolving around the acceptance of IT in academic institutions. Even in nature or life, when we generally try to introduce change in an existing and established system, its first response is to fight back, much like immune systems respond to foreign organisms or bacteria. Similarly when we talk about changing the education system, there is a huge divide between different school of thoughts, primarily due to fear of the unknown and the financial investments that follow. People love consistency and they believe the existing educational system is perfect in every sense, and that IT integration is a bit of a farfetched and not really necessary concept. One of the biggest issues to full IT adoption is dealing with people who have invested in the traditional way of doing things like teaching techniques, how to scale productivity and faculty autonomy. Going in more detail of scale of productivity, for example, I believe the real factors are the student-teacher ratio, teaching loads and sizes of classrooms. One solution to the above is teachers changing their perspective and allowing change. Simply saying that they prefer things a certain way isn’t enough; for progress’s sake, the systems need to be upgraded. The concept of faculty autonomy comes under scrutiny if interconnectivity is introduced, meaning the teachers and professors will no longer be able to control where, when and what they teach. This alone gives them reason enough to make sure that the system doesn’t get IT upgrades, and this ultimately, affects the students’ learning productivity and capacity. Academic faculties are run by people and not everyone is good at their job, frankly speaking. Unfortunately, there is a sizeable amount of teaching faculties in the US who believe that productivity and quality learning is calculated through the sheer number of scholarships. Traditional teaching systems rely heavily on scholarship-based assessments rather than promoting education that can be used actively by students in their daily lives, It is natural that teachers will see this as a threat and they would prefer more faculty members rather than adopting IT. None of them would be in favor of going for the additional expenses of investing in an IT system either. But facts are facts; academic institutes have very little incentive to teach and a lot of incentive to carry out research work. This means that the institutes are heading towards more research work and seriously reducing class workload for students. In educational institutes, nearly all departments give little attention to teaching itself and the overall learning process; rather, research is evaluated in detail while teaching and learning aren’t properly scrutinized. While teachers do put in extra effort and evaluate each student individually, departments, however, do not strictly regulate educational objectives and performance assessments. Cost comparisons are where most IT proposals are rejected because traditional policy makers often can’t fathom the cost-cutting that eventually comes with an IT investment. For them, the initial investment is way too much, or so they think. Traditional policy makers have a â€Å"don’t change till it breaks† mindset and for them, it’s almost impossible to understand some of the rewards that come with making new investments. This concludes our sample compare and contrast essay on IT in the academic perspective. Make sure to check our guide on this academic genre and subject in our next piece. References: The Joint Task Force for Computing Curricula 2005.Computing Curricula 2005: The Overview Report (pdf) Using Information Technology to Enhance Academic Productivity. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2016, from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/html/nli0004.html Alrafi, A. (n.d.). Information systems adoption: A study of the technology acceptance model. Bouwman, H. (2005). Information and communication technology in organizations: Adoption, implementation, use and effects. London: SAGE. Centre for Education in Science Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2016, from cest.org.uk/importance-of-technology-in-schools/ Five Ways Teachers Can Use Technology to Help Students. (2013). Retrieved July 19, 2016, from brookings.edu/research/opinions/2013/05/07-teachers-technology-students-education-west-bleiberg Need and Importance of Information Technology in Education. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2016, from http://wikieducator.org/Need_and_Importance_of_Information_Technology_in_Education

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Travel Writing 101

Travel Writing 101 A lot of freelance writers dream of breaking into travel journalism. Who doesn’t want to see the world and get paid for the privilege? Most of us fall into one of two camps. We either think travel journalism is easy and anyone can do it, or we think it’s an impossible dream. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. In addition to numerous specialist travel magazines and websites worldwide, the vast majority of which use freelancers to provide content, most national newspapers and lifestyle publications also have travel sections. All told, this is a lot of markets you could be writing for. Think of an angle, with one eye on current trends, obviously based around a specific destination (the more off the beaten track the better – there are only so many articles about Paris or New York City a publication needs) and pitch away until you get a commission. Bear in mind editors will generally be more receptive to fully-formed ideas that adhere to their contributor’s guidelines and fit their existing format. Then, you can start planning. Write up a detailed itinerary listing everything from how you plan to get there and where you are going to stay, to activities and airport transfers. Always check local events listings and try to maximize your time Now the hard work begins. Use your newly-acquired commission as leverage to approach tour operators, airlines, car hire companies, hotels, local amenities, businesses and tourist attractions which could theoretically slot into your schedule. Explain that you would be happy to namecheck them in your article in exchange for a free ticket, a room for a night, or even a meal, depending on what service the business provides. Be warned, the potential provider will likely want to see details of the publication you are writing for (circulation, readership, demographic, etc.), proof of commission (a short-headed letter from a commissioning editor will suffice) and will need you to explain how their service or product will be integrated into your feature. In short, they will want to know if working with you will be worth their investment. This step requires a lot of legwork, but in a perfect world, you should be able to subsidize your trip, if not pay for the whole thing. Unless you are a staf fer, in the current climate very few publications are prepared to pay contributor’s expenses, but it never hurts to ask. In the digital age, most freelance travel writers have a large social media presence and a blog. Some also have YouTube channels. Maintaining a blog and building a following takes time. But the old adage ‘Sell it and they will come’ bears fruit. If you provide a worthwhile product and promote it well, readers will find you. How do you provide a worthwhile product? Make your posts valuable, practical, and ensure each has a jewel, some hidden or little-known fact or nugget of knowledge. Aim to fill a niche, such as traveling on a budget or being a solo traveler. Remember, your blog is your showcase. When it has gained some traction, arm yourself with the vital stats such as your total followers and site hits (screenshots are more impressive) and go about the subsequent steps as you would if you’d won a commission from a national publication. There are a few free platforms you can use for blogging. I recommend WordPress or Wix. https://wordpress.com https://www.wix.com/ Alternatively, try contacting various agencies such as international tourist boards and other official bodies. Introduce yourself and ask about any promotional press trips. This is something countries do to boost international tourism. Then you can pitch editors according to what’s available. Play your cards right, and you could be writing your next assignment from a beach hut in Madagascar.