A Critical Analysis of Examination in Assessing Psychology Students at Coursework

A Critical Analysis of Examination in Assessing Psychology Students at University - Coursework Example Students are assessed for a variety of reasons such as for motivation of students, producing learning opportunities, enabling feedback to students and teachers, grading and for improving quality of education provided and institutions (Rust, 2002). Teachers design assessment and examination techniques to facilitate learning of students and give feedback of the conduct of the students during the course. It is essential to fully understand the real purpose of assessment and the assessment method used should be critically analyzed and evaluated, for the assessment technique to be effective in achieving its purposes. As according to Broadfoot, â€Å"Assessment is on the agenda because change is on the agenda; because there is growing pressure in many countries for the education system to do more and different things; because it is felt that assessment is key to achieving these changes†. This paper identifies the purpose of the assessment and indicates what should be assessed. It fu rther analyzes the attributes of an efficacious assessment. There are more than one examination methods used in assessing students at educational settings, and this paper analyzes those methods and further describes the strengths and weaknesses, and advantages and disadvantages of the examination method to assess the students. ... Assessment of examination can include giving grades as a part of it, but it does not limited to this act. It is a subjective process of evaluation as well as objective one (Rust, 2002). The main purpose of assessment of students is the most important consideration before analyzing and evaluating the assessment and examination methods. Assessment through examination is considered as a dynamic process having multiple aspects and diverse intentions. Such diverse intents include providing the examination criteria on the basis of which students are graded and promoted to next higher level. In assessing students, proper feedback is enabled so as to highlight the quality of student learning, and also teachers are capable to evaluate the the extent to which their teaching is effective. The assessment through examination method is crucial in maintaining academic standards (Brown et al., 1996). The deep understanding of purpose of assessing students facilitates the teacher in establishing a mo del which defines the assessment method to use in particular educational setting. But before moving to that step of developing assessment framework, the facets of student learning that are to be assessed or examined should be considered. The assessment content majorly depends on the course objectives as both of these assist to achieve the same educational goals for student learning. This is the basic element of an effectively-designed curriculum. The extensive classification of educational and learning objectives covers three critical areas that are knowledge, skills, and attitudes. For the knowledge domain, Harden has illustrated that cognitive measures are addressed by knowledge objectives (Harden, 1979).

Business Decision Mapping Essay Example for Free

Business Decision Mapping Essay The Shamrock Manufacturing Chicago plant manager, Sean Fitzpatrick is contemplating replacing a large piece of manufacturing equipment. Mr. Fitzpatrick is also inline for a promotion to Shamrocks larger Houston plant within the next year, and is hesitant to make any decisions that will reduce short-run operating income and his performance evaluation. While the prospective replacement equipment promises to reduce cash operating costs, it costs $90,000, as well as the loss on disposal cost of the old equipment, which has not fully depreciated. Prior to making a decision, Mr. Fitzgerald must identify all relevant costs and chose a decision for the best interest of Shamrock (Datar, Rajan, 2013). Analysis The available data to consider in this case is the old machines purchase price ($150,000); the current book value of the old machine ($60,000); the market value of the old machine ($36,000); the cost of the new equipment ($90,000); and the reduction in annual cash operating costs ($32,500). All historical costs are considered irrelevant, as they have already occurred and have no effect on future costs. The only relevant costs that should be considered for this decision are the future cash operating costs, the disposal value of the old machine, and the cost of the new machine that will be deprecated over the next two years. Based on the #1 and #2 worksheets in Appendix A of this document, year one yields an increase in expenditures of $6500, but includes the $24,000 loss of disposal of the old machine, which is irrelevant. The only relevant data is the total two-year costs shown on worksheet #2 that shows a reduction in total relevant cash flow of $11,000. The results of worksheet #1 are not beneficial for Mr. Fitzgerald, but the overall results in year two benefit Shamrock. Based on the #3 worksheet, with a lower new equipment cost ($77,000), year one breaks even, which is irrelevant, and the total two-year reductions in total relevant cash flow are $24,000. Conclusion Based solely on the worksheet information (Appendix A), the company should replace the equipment. All relevant costs located in worksheets #2, and #3 indicate that Shamrock manufacturing will benefit by replacing the machines at either equipment cost. However, worksheet #1 presents a problem for Mr. Fitzgerald as it shows a $6500 increase in the first year expenses, which are irrelevant in the long-run, but may encourage Mr. Fitzgerald not to purchase the new equipment because it may reflect badly on the short-run net operating income of his plant during the evaluation period for his promotion. Worksheet #3 offers a breakeven scenario in the first year and a $24,000 reduction in relevant cash flows in year two, which is the best option for Mr. Fitzgerald and Shamrock, if available. Reference: Datar, S., Rajan, M., (2013). Financial and Managerial accounting, custom edition, Pearson Learning Solutions, Ch. 9 Appendix A Shamrock Manufacturing relevant cash flow analysis Appendix B 5-Step Critical Thinking Decision-Making Process Matrix Step 1: Identify the problem(s) and uncertainties. What exactly is the problem†¦ Sean Fitzpatrick has an opportunity to decrease long-run cash flow by replacing a large piece of plant equipment. The problem is this †¦ Mr. Fitzpatrick is up for a promotion and is concerned that any short-run decreases in operating income will affect his performance evaluation. This is an important problem because†¦ Mr. Fitzpatrick’s decision may be good for the company, but could hurt his career aspirations. The key question(s) that needs to be answered to solve this problem is†¦ What is the best decision for shamrock in the long-run? Step 2: Obtain information. The following information is needed to answer this question†¦ What are the relevant costs that impact the decision to keep or replace the equipment? Based on the #1 and #2 worksheets, what decision would be made in years one and two? Based on the #3 worksheet, would the decision be different for years one and two compared to the initial cost of the new equipment? Some important assumptions I am using in my thinking are†¦ I believe that the best decision for Shamrock is not the best decision for Mr. Fitzpatrick, which creates an ethical dilemma. The points of view relevant to this problem belong to†¦ Sean Fitzpatrick. Note: Remember to view the information you have obtained for potential bias. This is from the perspective of your own bias to the research and the bias of the authors who compiled the data and the research you gathered. In other words, do not discount the importance of other’s data because of your own bias(is). Step 3: Make predictions about the future. If this problem gets solved, some important implications are†¦ Long-run relevant cash flows will be reduced, and operating income will increase. If this problem does not get solved, some important implications are†¦ An opportunity to decrease relevant cash flows will be missed. The potential alternative solutions to solve the problem are†¦ Keep the status quo or make a tough decision that will benefit Shamrock in the long-run. Note: if the problem is one-dimensional, there may be just one correct solution. Step 4: Make decisions by choosing among alternatives. What is the best solution and why†¦ By the new equipment, because it decreases long-run relevant cash flows. Step 5: Implement the decision, evaluate performance, and learn. In business, the fifth step in the decision making process is implementation. In the MBA program, most times you will end with Step 4 since you will not have the opportunity to implement. You may be asked to develop an implementation plan and recommend how you will evaluate performance in some assignments.

Compare and contrast Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band. :: English Literature

Compare and contrast Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band. To what extent are they typical of murder mystery stories? In my opinion a typical murder mystery is one where it keeps you reading in anticipation wanting to know who has committed the well planed out murder, the whole way through. Until the end where the clever detective (who is usually quite an old man, dressed in a smart tweed suit) goes through one by one all of the suspects telling them exactly why they could have committed the murder, but then why they didn't. He then confronts the real murderer who is normally the one everyone least suspects. This all takes place in a large country manor where lots of people would have been busying round but for the murderer, conveniently there are never any witnesses to the crime. The murder is most often well planed out, with a devious reason behind it. The two stories are both very different and mainly the only similarities are that they are both about murders that are done by people that are close family to the victims they murder in there own homes.7 The settings in both of them are very different; in lamb to the slaughter the setting is in a normal home in a small village, where normal family life goes on. To begin with everything is going fine and things are going on the same, as they would do every other day. The husband has just got home from work and his wife asks him how his day has been 'Hullo darling' she says and then gets him a drink. The fact it is just like every other day shows in the relaxed atmosphere, which is described as 'a blissful time of day' The atmosphere also seams to be warm and cosy as she was 'luxuriating in his company' Where as in the Speckled Band the setting is really as you would expected a murder mystery setting to be. This shows as at the start there is an air of panic as Watson and Holmes have been 'knocked up' as 'a young lady had arrived in a considerable state of excitement' The murder setting is also typical as it is in a large country manor, owned by the well-known Surry Family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran. But unlike an average murder mystery there wouldn't be an awful lot of people around to be suspects, as only the two stepdaughters and their father were in the house. Although there wasn't a lot of atmosphere after the opening part of the story, as there is just a woman telling Compare and contrast Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band. :: English Literature Compare and contrast Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band. To what extent are they typical of murder mystery stories? In my opinion a typical murder mystery is one where it keeps you reading in anticipation wanting to know who has committed the well planed out murder, the whole way through. Until the end where the clever detective (who is usually quite an old man, dressed in a smart tweed suit) goes through one by one all of the suspects telling them exactly why they could have committed the murder, but then why they didn't. He then confronts the real murderer who is normally the one everyone least suspects. This all takes place in a large country manor where lots of people would have been busying round but for the murderer, conveniently there are never any witnesses to the crime. The murder is most often well planed out, with a devious reason behind it. The two stories are both very different and mainly the only similarities are that they are both about murders that are done by people that are close family to the victims they murder in there own homes.7 The settings in both of them are very different; in lamb to the slaughter the setting is in a normal home in a small village, where normal family life goes on. To begin with everything is going fine and things are going on the same, as they would do every other day. The husband has just got home from work and his wife asks him how his day has been 'Hullo darling' she says and then gets him a drink. The fact it is just like every other day shows in the relaxed atmosphere, which is described as 'a blissful time of day' The atmosphere also seams to be warm and cosy as she was 'luxuriating in his company' Where as in the Speckled Band the setting is really as you would expected a murder mystery setting to be. This shows as at the start there is an air of panic as Watson and Holmes have been 'knocked up' as 'a young lady had arrived in a considerable state of excitement' The murder setting is also typical as it is in a large country manor, owned by the well-known Surry Family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran. But unlike an average murder mystery there wouldn't be an awful lot of people around to be suspects, as only the two stepdaughters and their father were in the house. Although there wasn't a lot of atmosphere after the opening part of the story, as there is just a woman telling

Freedom of Choice

â€Å"To be or not to be that a question. † This saying is from a very famous poet called William Shakespeare. It means that we need to make choices when we face some questions and we need bear all the consequences and before we make choices, we need to mull. Sometimes, we can make choices by ourselves, but they can cause mistakes.So, I think it costs society for people to have the freedom of making choices. I will show three examples of making choices and they are from a book called â€Å"The Giver†, a fictional story called â€Å" Mermaid† and an article we read in class called â€Å"what makes teens drink†.In the book, in Jonas society, a receiver called Rosemary, she ask to release because she think that she can’t bear too much pain and she think that release is just go to another community, but she doesn’t know release means euthanasia. She makes a wrong choice, that cause she dies and all of her memories return to the people in the comm unity and cause disturbance.Hans Christian Andersen writes the story called and it tell us that a beautiful mermaid save a prince’s life in the ocean, and she loves the prince but the prince doesn’t know he was saved by the mermaid, he thinks that the princess from another country.The mermaid wants to meet the prince, she makes a decision that she lost her nice voice and she gets feet. But if the mermaid can’t get married with the prince, she will become bubble. Then, the prince meet her but he still think the princess save his life.As the result of mermaid’s throat, she can’t tell prince. Finally, prince get married with the princess and mermaid become bubble. The article we read in class tells us that many minors drink in Nebraska and it is illegal. But major teens are not. So that is because of teen’s own choice and their parents don’t set the standard and rules very clear.Pressure is the reason of teens drink and that may cause cr ime. Alcohol can affect decision-making and the body. So teens should know why underage drinking is not allowed. This information is from â€Å"The Torch Plpillion-LaVista South High SchoolPapillion, NE.†I think it is not important that people make their own choices even if they make harmful ones. Relate to the third example, teens drink in Nebraska, they know what law is but they still do it because their parents give them too many chances to make their own choices. I think they are not adults, so they don’t have experiences and ability to make their own decision.Alcohol can affect decision-making and the body and they can easily to get injured. If they get injured, they will regret forever. A small mistake can cause sad, so, parents should not allowed them to make their own choice. They are many costs of freedom of choice, just like the first example.Rosemary choose to release, she lost her life, that makes the giver sad and her memories return to the people live in Jonas society, if people have memories, the organization of their community can not control them easily because people have minds. Maybe people will against the organization.All of these results Rosemary has never think about. Nobody can stop her because of rules, so this freedom choice is harmful for people. I don’t think benefits outweigh the costs. Come back to Rosemary, although she will not bear all the pain, she lost her life, she can’t do anything and she makes others sad, she also break the balance of the community, there are too many costs and they are more important than the benefits. I think it is not possible to have too many choices because we can see the second example, mermaid loves the prince and she want to see him. There are only one way can see him and she need to pay a price.Otherwise the mermaid will not lost her voice and her life, but she will never see the prince. That is impossible, so, she must make decision. But if someone stop her such as he r parents, the result maybe different. Freedom choice can cause too many mistakes and most of mistakes can give super hits and harmful for the society. In conclusion, it is not important that people need to make their own choices. All of the choices need to have good results and most of people don’t think over their choices and cause serious mistakes. So it is costs society for people to have the freedom of making choices.

Existentialism: Sartre’s Views Essay

Existentialism is a movement that focuses on the significance of human features and its primary effects in our life and in our society. Since we always interact in the society, this movement had explained certain social phenomena that are left unexplained by other sociological and psychological theory. Since we deal with the conscious minds of the people around us, such a theory would explain why some people chose to do certain things that we think should not. This movement values the importance of real and existing rather than the concept and abstract. Jean Paul Sarte is one of the pioneer philosophers who introduced this kind of theory. He is one of the best existentialist philosopher and also a writer who wrote novels and autobiography of some prominent people. His experiences in his childhood and early youth had given him experiences for him to be able to reach the point of discovering the importance of existentialism. One of his claims is that if a person chooses to perform some action, then that person affirms that the action is good. He believed that we consciously choose the way we act and our counter reactions in everything that we experience in our daily lives. He believed that because we choose to do that action, therefore, we accept the consequences of it, believing that this is the good for us. Since being good is relative, therefore, it answers the questions and doubts about the legality of such concept. He claimed that in every action that we did, we choose what we think is the best for us and the best for all. We do not choose the evil or something that will result in a massive negative effect in our society because of our capability to think rationally. He argued that we do not have the capability of choosing an absolute evil. Because we are aware of the possible consequences of every actions that we do, we consciously weigh the possible outcomes of every actions that we are doing for us to be able to have the best reaction towards a certain situation. Then, if we assume that every thing that we are doing is good, and we believe it is good, therefore, no one is doing the â€Å"wrong† thing. As Sartre is trying to point out, â€Å"goodness† is relative across different ideas and beliefs and concepts of it. And he extended an explanation to address these kinds of arguments that tackles the reason why there are people who we think that what they are doing is right while some will say that obviously, it is not. This will lead us to his next assumption that it is psychologically distressing to affirm the value of an action which cannot be universalized. This will answer the question of the effects of our basis in doing things that we think are good and for the better of all the concerned party. He added that it should be universalized, or in other words, should be applicable to different people in a society having different point of views in their life. If such action that we affirm that is something good and for the betterment of our community, therefore, this action will lead to social dysfunction and some functional problems of our society. So therefore, he is trying to point out that our action should be applicable to different people for it to have a higher value in the society. Or else, if such action have different connotations to different people, it will only produce distress to the minds of the people thinking that what they are doing is something worthwhile not only for them but also for the society they belong. In universalizing certain actions, we should take into consideration his claims about the existence of different beliefs wherein many of the people are trying to relate themselves in the way that their society identifies them. This would give us the idea of having different meanings attached to certain actions that most of the people take for granted that it is the best thing that they should do. But for us to attain this level of explanation in certain actions that they are doing, we should assess the possible outcome of it or the realistic result and consequences that was due to the unbalanced acceptance of different people to different actions and roles that we are portraying. If we will take his two claims about the level of goodness of an action and its universality, therefore, it proves his third claim that to choose an action that can not be universalized is an error, and there is a reason not to choose such an action. Since we are assuming that what we are doing is the good for us and for the society we have, we must take into consideration in choosing the action that we are supposed to do the acceptance of different people and different subculture of the society. We are aware that we have different meanings attached to certain actions that we are doing and at the same time, these meanings vary depend upon the cultural explanation that they are offering. This cultural diversity that we have in effect will consolidate a certain sets of norms that were accepted by every body or the majority of the community and brand those actions that lie behind the accepted cultural norms as immoral. One of the major effects of this claim is that whenever that we are doing something for our self that we claim that this action is the good for us and somehow will benefit the people around you, but the society thinks that your action is well outside the boundary of accepted cultural beliefs, then you will be classified as an immoral being that failed to conform to the rigid rules of the society. This is one of the thresholds of the claims of Sartre. Because of his belief that what we do is something that we think is the best for us and the value of the action should conform to the norms of different parts of the society for it to be universalized, therefore, if we failed in doing the action that will be accepted by majority of the people then this is an error in our part because we failed to recognize the importance and the consequences of the actions that we did. This in fact is a manifestation of our wanting of doing the best things that we think is fitted in the situation that we are in. If ever that we failed to recognize and to choose the action that will be universalized and instead, we did the things that will cause distress to some people, he also claimed that there is always a valid reason in choosing that kind of behavior. We did a behavior that was consciously chosen by us to portray the good side of the action that we did. But we can not remove the fact that because of the social factors that affect the symbols and meanings of certain things that we did, in result, it will lead to doing things according to our own biases and cultural knowledge that is most probably, our own definition of goodness. And aside from that, we can not remove the fact that we choose things according to what is beneficial to us and according to our preferences, thus, some actions that we did seem to be outside the limitations set by the other people. Facticity and Transcendence: Bad Faith One of the concepts that he believed is having a two dimension of human beings. Since the For-Itself focuses on the experiences that we had and is consciously aware to what is happening in the environment, it is divided into two parts that have different functions and significance to the contribution to our reaction formation in certain circumstances that we are involved in. The first is the facticity. This gives importance to the past scenarios of every situation and the present or the actual scenario itself. It has a conscious definition of the things that was happened in the past as well as the physical characteristics of the environment he is in. On the other hand, the transcendence is the ability to explore the future and to decide on making choices that will affect the possible outcome of our actions. This includes the negating of the actual scenario for us to be able to have the capacity to think the worst possible scenario and therefore, giving us a broader perspective in the situations that we are all in. Also, in contrast with the facticity which primarily based the decision on the actual facts, the transcendence takes into consideration the things that are not actually happening or the situations that are non-existent. He tackled about the three persons who failed to establish the connection between the facticity of their For-Itself and its transcendence. In effect, they experience different kind of consequences that is somehow dysfunctional in the way that it should happen. This is what he called bad faith. The first one is the woman on a date. She had defined her factical and transcendence state but he failed to set the connection between them. She moved back and forth in its structure and therefore defined different actions that had no relation with each other. In effect, her consciousness as being a beautiful object had hindered her to express and to give a credit to the actual feeling that her date had for her. She thought that her body is just a mere object of attraction but eventually, shifted to different focus like her future plans in life. This unstable situation of her being resulted to confusion of the meaning of the reactions and the situation itself. The second one is the waiter. In contrast to the woman on a date, the waiter totally failed to establish his transcendence and focused on the actual scenario. He defined himself as a bounded creature and has limited opportunities and capabilities. But in reality, his failure of establishing this part of his being had affected the way he understood the flow of life of the society. Because he already assumed that his current situation is fixed, he had suppressed his freedom to explore many things in life that in reality, he has the capability to do so. The last one he mentioned is the homosexual. This is the contrast of the waiter, where he failed t recognized his facticity. In result, he sensationalized his transcendence being and thought the whole actual scenario as non-existence or being a false happening. He does not accept the facts that he had several relationship and encounters with the same sex. This facts had modified his own perception on what he is doing and in effect, had produced a feeling of guilt. This feeling of guilt had resulted to the manifestation of his tolerance to his actual doings and gave reasons to him to continue his behavior. But in reality, his clam that he is not gay while his conscious mind knew that he is a gay, therefore is a sign of having a bad faith because of his false knowledge. Bad faith is somehow the manifestation of our failure to set up the fluid connection of the two, as discussed on the different situation of three different people, failure to do so will result to functional dysfunction and will be a great social phenomena. Existentialism: Heidegger’s Perspective On the other hand, another philosopher from Germany, Martin Heidegger, had introduced some theories about existentialism. He has a close affinity to the church and therefore based most of his works in metaphysical aspects. One of his major concepts is how the worldly characters defined itself within the world. His structure of societal activities is composed of many assignments and references that if splited, will define the ready-to-hand objects in contrast with presence-at-hand objects. Presence-to-hand involved mainly observing the natural phenomenon and basing everything to known facts. But, against the common notion of its equality, it has different moods that affect the presence of an object and mainly deal with the metaphysical aspects that tend to bring all the level down. For example, we had a chair. When the chair is broken, it exists as presence-to-hand and needs the immediate action like repair or replace. The importance of the object is seen not because of its mere existence but its practical use for our benefit. By the time that this chair is fixed, it will suddenly turn into ready-to-hand object. Ready-to-hand concept primarily deals with the things without considering its theoretical importance. Ready-to-hand literally is the things that are present as of the moment and is available for practical purposes. This happens when we have conscious ideas on what is going on in our environment and society. Therefore, this ready-to-hand experience gives us a top view of the physical things that we are seeing today. We value greatly not its metaphysical value but its practicality for us. Connecting the two concepts of being, based on Heidegger, ready-to-hand is a more primordial way of life. It does not mean that being primordial is primitive or ancient way. What he meant is this is the basic foundation of our perception of different entities that we had an interaction. These entities are primarily affected by the question of which is the ready-to-hand and presence-at-hand entity. Therefore, in finding dealing with our everyday experience of the two, the ready-to-hand serves as the first implication of the things that we see in our common days. We do things not because of its theoretical backgrounds but because we have to use such thing without thinking deeper. In addition, the ready-to-hand lead us to a broader understanding of our being, because we understood it not just by theoretical assumption but through our experiences, therefore giving the notion that we can fully understand the essence of being through what is everyday or common experience for everyone and what is close to their habits and behaviors. (Guignon & Pereboom, 2001) Existentialism gives primary importance to the existence of human essence and beings. Therefore, a critical analysis of our own beings is needed for us to be able to give explanation to the reasons of our own behaviors, attitude and way of life.

Crossing the Line essays

Crossing the Line essays What creates controversy? Controversy is caused when an idea or a thought contradicts the traditional social norms. But without ideas, we would not be where we are today. Art has seen so much metamorphosis that comparing classical art and contemporary art one sees drastic differences. Thus innovation and recreation has become almost obligatory to maintain arts fluidity. Controversial art is merely a terminology for original and creative thinking. Art is not a crime. Art should cross the line. It exists to provoke thought and controversy. Throughout history, when society was conservative, among the first to be attacked are artistic institutions. Literature, music, art, cries of, "pornography," "values," and "taste". Without these aspects then art would be monotonous. Controversial artist making headlines is, Chris Cooper, better known as, Coop. Coop is probably best known to America as the artist responsible for an embarrassing painting of a pair of naked women, represented as female devils engaging in graphic, explicit lesbian sex. The painting involving carnal pleasures between two women became the cover of the recent Lords of Acid album, Voodoo-U. The painting had also caused a national debate involving pornography and art. Coop's art, especially through his theme of a sexual woman as a devil, is misogynistic explaining that such vivid thoughts of sexuality could not come across a womans mind. This caused much uproar in the conservative and ignorant societys as it challenged every aspect of decent human society. Coop treads the same turf as Manet did in, "The Olympia," and Duchamp did with, "Le Voyeur," paintings that in their time stirred controversy to the censors as well, and inspired debates that have forced untold millions to question their beliefs, and the society that taught them. Thanks to controversial artists like Coop, Manet and Duchamp the debate concerning pornography and art will continue, a...

Eco Paper Essays

Eco Paper Essays Eco Paper Essay Eco Paper Essay Nicanor Reyes Street, Sampaloc Manila City, 1008 Metro Manila In Partial Fulfillment in Introduction to Economics Present: An Economic Analysis Submitted by : Gladys Socia Jen Chua Lei Ureta Nicole Yu Jihad Taha Aaron Ogad Christian Vinas Charles Oroceo Nicka Casssandra Jerao Abbygale Evangelista Michaela Ronquillo Abigail Tiongson Submitted To: Dr. Darwin Bonifacio Professor Date Submitted : ______________________ I. Problem: Import-Export Imbalance Introduction:Among the many economic problems faced by the Philippines, the imbalance of imports and exports creates a toll on our development with foreign countries. The negative trade is heavy and only counterbalanced by the service account surplus. Over the last two decades, Philippine exports have shifted from commodity-based products to manufactured goods. However, in the midst of the current global economic recession, the exports of electronics, garments and textiles have yet to reach a level of import neutralization. Economic Anal ysis: Our country produces a variety of different products.But Filipinos don’t give as much patronage to local products as compared to imported goods. If asked, most of our countrymen would prefer purchasing goods from other countries, over products that are domestically grown and produced. Most countries attempt to achieve a trade balance, in which the flow of imports and exports is relatively equal. If a country exports too much, it may not be able to support its domestic needs, while a country which imports excessive amounts of products may not have enough money to support the high volume of imports.In a country with a trade balance, import and export rates are about equal, with nations exporting excess items for sale, and importing the goods that it needs. Historically, the Philippines has been an important centre for commerce for centuries for its ethnic minority, namely, the Chinese who were also its first occupants. The archipelago has also been visited by Arabs and In dians for the purpose of trading in the first and early second millennium. As of 21st century, the country is member in several international trade organizations including the APEC, ASEAN and WTO.Since 1980s, the Philippines have opened their economy to foreign markets, and established a network of free trade agreements with several countries. The United States is one of the Philippines top trading partners. In 2010, according to US Department of Commerce dad, trade between the Philippines and US amounts to US$15. 4 billion. US is also the Philippines largest foreign investor, with foreign direct investment close to US$6 billion at the end of 2009. Under the new Aquino administration, the government plans to open up the country to more foreign investment in industries such as business processing operations, mining and tourism.However, this move may be hindered by restrictions such a prohibition of foreign ownership of land and public utilities. Philippines Import and Export Indicato rs and Statistics at a Glance (2010) Total value of exports:  US$50. 72 billion Primary exports commodities: semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, fruits Primary exports partners:  US (17. 6 percent of total exports), Japan (16. 2 percent), Netherlands (9. 8 percent), Hong Kong (8. 6 percent), China (7. 7 percent), Germany (6. percent), Singapore (6. 2 percent), South Korea (4. 8 percent) Total value of imports:  US$59. 9 billion Primary imports commodities:  electronic products, mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel, textile fabrics, grains, chemicals, plastic Primary imports partners:  Japan (12. 5 percent of total imports), US (12 percent), China (8. 8 percent), Singapore (8. 7 percent), South Korea (7. 9 percent), Taiwan (7. 1 percent), Thailand (5. 7 percent) Although there are many variances that cause the imbalances, the following are some specific reasons .Convergent or divergent dynamics of imports and exports are the first causes of trade balance changes. Everything that impacts asymmetrically on imports and exports can impact the trade balance. In particular, price and non-price competitiveness is relevant. If external pressure forces down the prices at which a country sells its exports, then a trade deficit is more likely (terms of trade effect). In other words, in a hierarchical world, trade balance can reflect political balance of power.A faster GDP growth than trade partners ones usually results in trade deficit, since imports are elastic to GDP (they raise more than proportionally). Currency exchange rate can be very important: possibly due to a fixed exchange rate and a higher inflation rate than commercial partners, an overvaluation of the domestic currency can lead to deep trade deficits on most products and with most countries. A sharp devaluation can dramatically improve all these relationships Our country is producing a lot of different product.But we rarely notice it, we Filipinos patronized the product of our neighboring country because now in our day using foreign and branded products will make you look â€Å"cool† while using Philippine products will make you look cheap, without knowing that some of Philippine product was bought by other countries and they just use their brand name in our products. I think that our government should follow what the Chinese did before, they control the importing of foreign products and let make their people buy their own products. Now as we see the China was one of the richest countries in the world.I think that if we do the same there is a great chance that our country will one day became one of the richest countries in the world. II. Problem: Low Market Development Introduction: Marketing has always been prevalent in creating various impacts on a nations growing economy. Economics is strongly involved with the booming industries through the use of busi ness strategies. Product innovation is also an important factor in the economic development of any country. It is primarily vested on the ability of the constituents to formulate ideas beneficial to both the masses and the countrys financial status.The Philippines, known as a financially democratic country, has an economy that is marked as the 40th largest in the entire world as stated by the 2012 International Monetary Fund statistics. It is also one of the emerging markets in the world as a heavily industrialized country, it has been transitioning from being centered on the agricultural sector to service providing and then to manufacturing various products. According to the CIA Fact book, the estimated 2012 GDP (purchasing power parity) of the Philippines was 424. 355 billion in estimation.Goldman Sachs, an American multinational financing bank, estimates that by the year 2050, the Philippines will be the 14th largest economy in the world. Goldman Sachs also included the Philippi nes in its list of the Next Eleven economies. According to HSBC, another well-known and influential financial institution, the Philippine economy will become the 16th largest economy in the world, 5th largest economy in Asia and the largest economy in the Southeast Asian region by 2050. These predictions speak highly about the Philippines improvement in the business sector which will probably lift the country out of the 3rd world nation stigma.In order to make the possible improvements, it is suggested that the Philippines must focus more on exportation of goods and services such as: electronic products, semiconductors, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, and fruits. With the help of foreign countries charting throughout the globe, the plan on investing more on exportation may be a plausible stepping stone in the transformation of the once forlorn economy to a thriving economy that is at par with first world economies like that of Japan, Singapore and the like.Market development pays a huge page in promoting innovation within the business sectors. This would entail the expanding of potentials markets through new users and new uses. The strategy would have to be remodeled with the use of new geographic segments, new demographic segments, new institutional segments and new psychographic segments in order to reach out to important factors in the market. Economic Analysis/Conclusion: The year 2012 has been a magical year for the Philippines real state industry.Stbale economic growth, low interest rates, and increasing home investment of overseas Filipino workers drove the steady demand in the local property market. Add in the continuous growth of foreign investment, expansion of the off-shoringand outsourcing industries, and the influx of expatriate workers. All these factors have combined to the shape the property boom that is changing the skyline not only of the metropolitan region but of the provincial cities as we ll. The Philippines has the fastest growing economy among Asian countries for the first quarter of 2013 according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).Our beloved country is also considered as the 40th largest economy and one of the emerging markets in the world. Philippines is considered as a newly industrialized country. It has been transitioning from agriculture to services and manufacturing. It is said that the quarterly growth rate was the highest record since reformist President Benigno Aquino III took office in 2010 on a promise to fight corruption and cut poverty. The Philippines is on the verge of regaining decades lost to slow growth, thanks to government efforts to instill confidence that have kept the country on the investors’ radar even amid financial volatility. The restoration of macroeconomic balance has helped insulate domestic conditions from recurring global financial turmoil and volatile capital flows,† the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said in report dated Aug. 14. â€Å"The key issue for the near-term outlook is maintaining macroeconomic stability. The strong growth at the turn of the year was not a transitory phenomenon, but evidence that the economy was regaining momentum,† it added. IIF- a group of global financial institutions- noted the economy could surprise with a 7. -percent growth this year, faster than last year’s 6. 8 percent, following the first-quarter uptick of 7. 8 percent. Part of the reason for the sterling performance, the group said, was the Philippines’ â€Å"rising global prominence† hinged on the Aquino administration’s budget discipline and improving public governance. In the SONA last month, Mr. Aquino outlined several economic reforms such as the rationalization of fiscal incentives and the relaxation of the â€Å"cabotage† law, which currently restricts foreigners from plying interisland shipping routes in the country.These plann ed reforms, as well as the crackdown on smuggling that was also highlighted in the President’s speech before Congress, were welcomed by foreign investors as signs of the administration’s seriousness to further strengthen the country’s economic base. Registered investments for the month reached $2. 5 billion. The bulk of these funds went to publicly listed shares, while the remaining went to peso time deposits and government securities. The registered investments for the month were 11. 3 percent lower than June’s figure, but this was mainly due to the one-time block sale of shares in publicly listed Cosco Capital Inc. the BSP said. Based on the research conducted, the country must appoint credible and competent managerial heads in order to reach its optimal goal in progressing market structures. A marketing manager has to consider certain questions before implementing a market development strategy. For example: 1. Are they profitable? Profitability is an i mportant factor in implementing ideas within a market-centered civilization. Other questions regarding the development of the market would include the following: 2. Will it require the introduction of new or modified products?And, 3. Are the customer and channel well enough researched and understood? The marketing manager uses four groups to focus the market segment decision: existing customers, competitor customers, non-buying in current segments and, new segments. III. Problem: Unemployment Introduction: Unemployment occurs when people are without work and actively seeking work. The unemployment rate is a measure of the prevalence of unemployment and it is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed individuals by all individuals currently in the labor force.The Philippines remains one of the most resilient economies in Southeast Asia, but such growth is neither sustainable nor inclusive as joblessness remains a problem for most Filipinos. Philippines jobless r ate increased to 7. 5 percent in April from 7. 1 percent reported in January and 6. 9 percent in April of 2012. The unemployment rate was pushed up by job losses in the agricultural sector due to extreme weather conditions. The employment rate reached 92. 5 percent, down from 93. 1 percent a year ago, due to a drop in the number of agricultural workers.Laborers and unskilled workers comprised the biggest group making up one-third (32. 6 percent) of the total employed persons; 57. 5 percent of the total employed population were wage and salary workers and 63. 5 percent were working full time. There were more males (61. 4 percent) than females (38. 6 percent) among the unemployed. The age group 15-24 made up 48. 2 percent of the total unemployed, while the age group 25-34, 30. 9 percent. By education, about one-fifth (21. 3 percent) of the unemployed were college graduates, 14. percent were college undergraduates, and 31. 7 percent were high school graduates. In the latest Asian Devel opment Outlook 2013 released, the Manila-based lender forecasts Philippine gross domestic product to expand 6 percent this year and in 2014. According to ADO 2013, persistently high levels of unemployment and underemployment remain a key concern in the country. As the latest data from the National Statistics Office has shown, about 7 percent of the 40 million labor forces are unemployed, while about 20 percent are underemployed.The Philippines has a strong growth in its hand and the next step for the Philippine government is to translate this strong growth into more jobs that will benefit most Filipinos. President  Benigno Aquino  has promised to cut unemployment to 6 percent at most by the end of his term in 2016. Proposals include easing curbs on foreign investment, boosting tourism and infrastructure to provide more work outside the capital, and expanding farming and fishing, said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who’s in charge of the plan.The low invest ment share is because past economic growth has depended more on services that are less capital intensive than industry. We have to provide something like a million new jobs; we do have a significant increase in population. † Almost  half of all jobless  Filipinos are between the ages of 15 and 24, according to the government statistics office. The biggest area of employment remains  agriculture and fishing, which provides work for 30. 4 million people, or almost a third of the population. About 8 percent work in manufacturing.Call center agents are the most in demand, followed by salespeople and service crew, according to  Phil-JobNet, the government’s official job portal. The site has 14,165 vacancies in so-called business process outsourcing. With limited opportunities at home, many jobseekers go abroad to find work. The number of overseas Filipino workers climbed 15 percent in 2011 to almost 1. 7 million, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said . The funds they sent home totaled  $21. 4 billion  last year, about 10 percent of gross domestic product. Economic Analysis/Conclusion:One of the reasons why people nowadays are jobless is because people are lazy. The global crisis does take effect on this issue; so does one’s stature in life, but being predominantly sluggish is also a factor in unemployment. One’s financial status can also be a factor, in a sense that without proper and complete education, one’s chances of being hired is gradually slimmed down. Here are points on why a lot of people remain jobless amidst modern globalization efforts: 1. Low self-esteem due to lack of financial aid, 2. The Global Crisis which deeply affects the nation’s economic progress, 3.Educational attainment does not go pass collegiate level due to lack of financial resources. As the days go by, developers take more technological advances in creating more job opportunities for the masses. One example would have to be the efforts done by local institutions such as TESDA – which aims to provide vocational courses and setting lower costs so education can be better attained. This is where the blue collar jobs come in. more and more people are being open to blue collar jobs than white collar jobs due to its attainability to the masses.Even non-collegiate graduates may belonged to the blue collared sector. One of the factors we take much pride in is our bountiful number of English proficient workers in all different kinds of fields of expertise. This is possibly why our industry has reached so much success in business process outsourcing sectors such as call centers. But given those facts, why do we still see an evident gap in the job sector in the Philippines? Around 2. 8 million people are jobless today. According to the World Bank around 10 million people nationwide are unemployed and underemployed.Based on a million Filipinos added to labor force annually in the Philippines, our gover nment can create 14. 6 million jobs until 2016. Half a million Filipinos graduate college every year, yet a lot of companies still have difficulty looking for credible workers. This is because the courses chosen by the graduates are usually not in-sync with the job description needed for employment. Courses/programs being taken up in school are essential since they give an edge of expertise for someone in the labor force over those whose course may be considered far-fetched.Colleges and universities across the nation are now taking action to revise and update their course offerings that would jive well with the ever-changing trends of the industry and business sector. CHED encourages schools to open new courses leaning towards business, medicine, education, hotel and restaurant management, information technology and, computer courses. It is believed that through this, students will be more mindful and rightfully guided to take courses that are in demand. IV. Recommendation: * We the refore recommend that Filipinos should support, patronize and buy locally made products.This can help shape the economy and aid in its growth and development. Not only can it help support the money flow and ease financial burdens, it can also be a factor in promoting nationalism amongst countrymen. * We therefore recommend that the government must create steps in further developing and supporting every sector in the economy. For instance, the government should regulate and implement more rigid rules in the overall control of the importation of foreign products. * We therefore recommend that Filipinos be aware of information about the economy and the various ways to help support, preserve and flourish it.