Monday, September 30, 2019
Prison Policy Recommendation Essay
There is currently a bill in the legislature that would double the maximum prison term for anyone convicted of armed robbery. As a criminologist advisor to a state legislator, I have been tasked with proposing a recommendation on whether or not the current bill on the table will be good for the government and the communities it represents or detrimental. The proposed bill would double the current maximum prison term for any individual convicted of armed robbery. The thought behind such a bill is that a longer prison term will deter people from even attempting, or committing a crime in the first place. This bill would also, in hopes, keep offenders from re-offending for the same crime. As a result of these hopes, the bill has gained much popularity within the legislature. As appealing as the possible resulting lower crime rates sound, there are certain costs that must be considered. The bill proposes longer prison terms for offenders. These longer terms will also come with a higher price tag. The cost of keeping inmates for a longer period will rise exponentially. Another cost, though not monetary, should also be considered; that is the risk of even more violent crimes being committed. If the prison terms for armed robbery were to be doubled and is close to that of the crime of attempted murder, whatââ¬â¢s to say an offender would not go all the way if the sentence would be virtually the same? There may be possible solutions for the bill that can be appealing to both the government and the community. The first would be to increase the maximum term served before parole could be offered. For example, instead of a ten-year sentence, with parole after three years; increase it to six or seven years before parole can even be considered. Another option would be to put in place a work program within the prison system. This will be somewhat similar to the outside world, in that if the prisoner does not work, they will not eat or receive rec time. We do not get handed a meal simply because it is supper time. If we donââ¬â¢t work, we donââ¬â¢t eat. Same premise for prisoners. It is my recommendation that the bill notà be approved as it stands but that it is rewritten to reflect changes to the current prison terms. The prison term does not need to be lengthened, but the offenders do need to be made to serve more of their current term before coming up for parole. It is my opinion, and based on crime rates that offenders are often not rehabilitated in such a short period, time, term in prison, and often get paroled and re-offend. This is an endless cycle. If terms were lengthened, it would cost more to house and feed a prisoner, but the costs would outweigh that of releasing them, having them reoffend, costs of trial and a second prison term. Also, the implementation of the work program would help them to realize that prison is not just a free ride, with meals and rec time without hard work and consequences. The parole system must also be overhauled. Parole officers often cannot keep good track of their parolees, and offenders receive too many chances. Perhaps, requiring prisoners to learn a trade would be equally helpful to them outside of prison. The proposed bill for doubling the maximum prison term should not be approved. It cannot succeed as it is. Simply doubling a prison term without further consequences will be a hindrance to the justice system as a whole. A crime is a crime, and an offenders background should not be taken into account. Instead of threatening offenders with a longer possible sentence, change the current rules and statutes for prison terms. Make them serve the majority of their sentence, make them work for basic needs in prison, and educate them. Give them a skill, so that the possibility of reoffending goes down. As popular as the bill may seem, it does not mean that it is the right choice for the government or the communities it represents. All of the options must be considered and weighed carefully before a decision can be made. Instead of creating new laws, perhaps we should first look at ways to enhance and make the current ones better. Only then, can we hope to move forward and create a better nation. References South, T. (2010, June 8). Bill would keep armed robbers in prison longer. Retrieved from timesfreepress.com: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/jun/08/bill-would-keep-armed-robbers-in-prison-longer/ What are positives & negatives to maximum prison sentences? (2011). Retrieved from Yahoo Answers: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index Would doubling the maximum prison term for anyone convicted of armed robbery be a good idea or a bad one, why? (2007). Retrieved from Yahoo Answers: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index
Sunday, September 29, 2019
ICT is a term that describes both computer Essay
Indeed, it is important that each student be equipped with the necessary technology if these students are expected to access, analyze and use data (Zardoya, 2001). Business researchers are similarly concerned with the question of whether or not the introduction of information technology leads to a better competitive advantage, better sense of judgment that leads to better decision making and a greater level of productivity (Al-Gahtani, 2003). ICT is a term that describes both computer software and hardware, access to the internet and information and communication technology resources as he World Wide Web and CD-ROMs (Clark et al. , 2005). That is, the issue should not be whether technology works as a replacement for old, rather, it should be how we can develop and choose visions that will utilize the immense power of technology for the support and creation of new forms of learning (p. 4). Overall, CACSR provides students with the requisite environment, which is interactive, intended to keep up their interest while teaching them the application of comprehension strategies as they read expository text passages (Kim et al. ,). Studies have shown that educational technology in which dictionary component is integrated has been successfully utilized in the promotion of literacy skills among elementary school students (Fry & Gosky, 2007). In analyzing the study, the researcher suggested that CD-ROM storybooks have a positive impact on reading comprehension. This is because they reduce decoding challenges while they allow students to obtain help as often as they need ed it without having to wait for the teacher (Fry & Gosky). QuickSmart is a computer-assisted program designed to improve the automaticity of the basic academic skills of students who have persistent learning difficulties in their middle years of schooling (Graham & Bellert, et al. , 2007,). Based on an information-processing view of cognitive operations QuickSmart was intended to be an strong intervention focused on basic academic skills that can equip students with the requisite skills to engage more successfully with classroom instruction (Graham & Bellert, et al. ,. Concept-mapping software, or webbing, allows students and teachers to construct concept maps using specific software programs (Marchinko, 2004,). Concept-mapping software has been used in middle school science classes to help students decipher both the similarities and differences between and animal and plant cell and in writing class to help students brainstorm and add to the concept network as ideas come from the students in the class (Marchinko,). Teachers also use concept-mapping software to provide their students with a visual roadmap of the direction which each lesson is going (Marchinko,). The KidTools computer programs are electronic performance support systems. They directly seek out behavior and academic performance support software for children with learning difficulties. (Miller & Fitzgerald, 2007, p. 13). A cognitive-behavioral modification program, KidTools is one of several programs which have become increasingly popular during the last two decades as researchers have documented their effectiveness (Miller & Fitzgerald). RockSim is a rocket design program for middle school science class, which takes students through the process of engineering their own rockets and performs flight simulations (Wilson, 2005,). Finally, BodyFun is a computer game can take the children through the rudiments of nutrition and other health information. (Geiger, et al. , 2002,). In a test of BodyFun in a middle school class the opinion of teachers is that the program is of very high quality and the materials of good quality. However, they were also of the opinion that the program is suitable for the school environment. (Geiger & Petri, et al. ,). Education is feeling pressure to respond to a mandate to improve the engagement-level of classrooms, due to surveys which repeatedly find middle school students especially characterize traditional classes as boring (Taylor & Duran, 2006, p. 11). Overall, most classrooms continue to implement instructional practices that focus on memorization of facts and the reading of textbooks and other course materials. (Taylor & Duran,). As a result, many researchers have called for the dire need to move from a didactic to a constructivist approach to teaching (Taylor & Duran, p. 11). In most classes, this entails increasing the studentsââ¬â¢ abilities of inquiry, and this can be enhanced by using appropriate technologies (Taylor & Duran, p . 11). One teacher reports that her middle school students have become experts at creating video projects and slide shows that showed what theyââ¬â¢ve learned (Crawford, 2005, p. 2). InFocus projectors produced a difference that was unmistakably prominent and improved class presentation and involvement (Crawford, p. 1). Studies have shown that students who use computers to write reports had better grades in the same tests as those students that did not use computers for the same purpose at all (Taylor & Duran, 2006, p. 10). One study found that teachers who made regular use of PowerPoint presentations felt more confident in their ability to produce and help students develop skills in creating multimedia presentations and products that support engaged learning (Taylor & Duran, p. 13). Video streaming is another technology being used in some classrooms (Whitaker, 2003), while some K-12 classrooms are even experimenting with robotics activities to enhance student engagement in lessons (Williams & Ma, et al. , 2007, p. 201), although most reports on the usefulness of robotics is anecdotal in nature and evidence is still required to prove to educators that robotics activities have a positive impact on curricular goals (Williams et al. , p. 201). Now, many believe that the convergence of literacy instruction, for instance, the internet is remodeling the face of literacy instruction. This is because teachers now seek to prepare the children for their well deserved future (Witte, 2007, p. 93). A threaded discussion group is a is a series of postings on a single topicââ¬Å" (Grisham & Wolsey, p. 651). The study found that through threaded discussion, student engagement was increased. This was because they were able to establish a community through which control of conversation is achievable. Also, there is also a degree of control over the meanings they jointly constructed and also the connections they wanted to mane to their own worlds. (Grisham & Wolsey, p. 649). Though acknowledging that one of the serious drawbacks to the Web is that students often become lost trying to navigate through a maze of hazy information (Trotter, 2004, p. 1). The MyAccess program is a web-based writing program that instantly scores essays and provides remedial instruction for students at a middle school in Georgia (Ullman, 2006, p. 76). The program was found to not only relieve teachers of much of their paper correcting burden, but also the instant feedback gave room for more quality which led to a significant increase in quality of writing (Ullman, p. 76). Another project reported on in the literature was the creation of a website which supported middle school teachers and students in making connections between literature and science in the context of the local environment (Howes & Hamilton, 2003, p. 454). WebQuest is another powerful tool for teachers to use in improving the engagement level of students in their class (Lipscomb, 2003, p. 154). Though relatively new, educators are already encouraging its impact (Lipscomb, 2003, p. 153). The important pedagogical purpose of a WebQuest is that it provides purposeful experience for students, both with the technology and in the subject matter being explored (Lipscomb, p. 154). More recently, other schools are experimenting with the use of blogs, or web logs, to enhance learning. Witte (2007) pushed for the use of a blog discussion tool on already present school computer networks in order to further engage students in learning (p. 95). Witte (2007) decided that blogs were an important go-between between class and students when he found out that, while some students showed minimal interest in our classroom activities and assignments, they were reported, by their parents, working on the computer, writing poems and essays away late into the night. (Witte, p. 92). A theory was devised as to why diffusion was so slow, with explanations centering on the way farmers gained information about the innovation and which channels were helpful in making them reach the decision to use the new idea (Rogers, p. 14). Diffusion theory can help educators understand why technology is and is not adopted in classrooms (Surry, 1997). Other researchers have adopted the diffusion model to counteract the fact that lack of utilization has been the bane of the utilization of new and innovative instructional products (Minishi-Majanja & Kiplangââ¬â¢at, p. 4). Indeed, Al-Gahtaniââ¬â¢s (2003) literature review revealed 75 articles in which perceived attributes were measured, with the overall result being that compatibility and relative advantage scored high when implemented in companies while complexity was a disadvantage in its adoption process (p. 59). While determinists can be either utopian or dystopian (Marx, McCluhan and Toffler versus Ellul, Orwell or Luddites), all determinists see technology as an autonomous force. They describe it as being beyond the control of humans. They also see technology as a principal cause of social change (Surry, 1997, p. 6). In education, developer-based theory results in top-down technology-based reform initiatives such as Goals 2000, which seek to implement educational change by proposing systems that are better than previously existing one (Surry, p. 7). Overall, the instructional development process is of the basic assumption that technological superiority is enough a condition that directly leads to the adoption and diffusion of products and practices that are innovative (Surry, p. 7). Adopter-based theoreticians such as Ernest Burkman are prone to point out situations where a technologically superior innovation was rejected by users because of the strength of human, interpersonal and social factors which sometimes play a prominent role in adoption than technological superiority (Surry, p. 11). Another by-product of adopter-based theory is the study of revenge effects, which occur when this occurs when alien structures, organisms and devices interact with human beings in ways novel ways which they previously, did not forsee (Surry, p. 11). Indeed, a prominent component of the adopter-based diffusion theories is the need to predict and account for likely revenge effects (Surry, p. 11). Large scale market forces such as sector growth, volatility and concentration of markets effect the acceptance of a particular technology (Park et al. , p. 1480). Subjective norm is another strong construct developed along this line of research. Subjective norm is defined as an individualââ¬â¢s perception that people who are important to him are of the opinion that a certain action or behavior should not be performed by him and has been shown to strongly influence adoption of technology, especially if use is mandatory and not voluntary (Park & Oââ¬â¢Brien, et al. , p. 1480). All of this feeds into instruction through the lens of constructivism, or the belief that learning happens especially agreeably in a situation where the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, be it a sand castle on the beach or the theory of the universe (Williams & Ma, et al. , 2007). In this context, technology is used in education to create a situation that enables ââ¬Ëlearning by makingââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëlearning by designââ¬â¢ (Williams & Ma, et al. ,). Various programs along these lines include efforts to have children design computer games, and making learning easier with programmable bricks (Williams et al). Thus, from the constructivist point of view, the way computers are used is more important than the fact that they are present in a roomââ¬Å" (Sheumaker & Slate,). Integration of computers is deemed successful only when students learn through computers and not about them (Sheumaker & Slate, et al. , p. 3). Finally, reinforcing this model is the ecological model of technology integration in education. According to this model, technologies are just like actors in social systems, embedded visibly or invisibly in the context of activities (Kupperman & Fishman, 2002,). Through the use of new tools we develop new literacies, and from use or non-use are active, inactive or even, semi-active members of class (Kupperman & Fishman,). Mention of the word ââ¬Å"actorâ⬠enlists actor-network theory into these models as well. According to this model, the social world can be describes as materially heterogeneous. It consists of a tangled web of several human and nonhuman participants who participate and negotiate among themselves. They make rules for themselves based on shifting allegiances and interactions (Samarawickrema & Stacey, 2007). In order to have their way, these various actors may use calculation, negotiation, persuasion and even violence (Samarawickrema & Stacey,).
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Cultureââ¬â¢s Impact on Education and Development Essay
Childrenââ¬â¢s participation in education is considerably influenced by several different cultural customs and tendencies. In my opinion, culture signifies a common set of beliefs and values. Different school systems practice what their particular culture believes in and how their culture believes education should take place and be taught. Different cultures have a complete diverse set of expectations for what they believe ââ¬Å"normalâ⬠school behavior consists of. It is important for teachers to understand and to take into consideration these different cultural tendencies. One of the strongest roles played on an individualââ¬â¢s disposition of accepting their schoolââ¬â¢s discipline is the influence of their individual culture and family background (Feinberg & Soltis, 2004). For instance, a teacher who is unaware of the differences between cultures might construe a childââ¬â¢s behavior as disrespectful and misbehaving. However, the child views and considers their behavior as normal. In many cases, due to the fact that these cultures are hard to recognize, students do not always understand why their teachers are punishing them and categorizing their behavior as ill-mannered and inappropriate. Once children are placed in their school environments, what happens next? Every child in the world deserves an equal right to education. Unfortunately, todayââ¬â¢s world faces a very critical issue. Children are not receiving the adequate and plentiful education in which they deserve. While in third world countries, there is a tremendous amount of children who are not attending school, todayââ¬â¢s world faces an even larger issue. In Africa, for instance, attending school can be very dangerous due to the prevalent amount of violence that takes place both in and outside of the school environment. As author Jonathan Jansen explains, ââ¬Å"Opportunity to learn might be less achievable than full enrollmentâ⬠(Jansen, 2005). That is to say, the more pervasive problem facing the education of todayââ¬â¢s developing countries is not quite the access to schools, but the things that occur once the child gets inside those schools. Furthermore, it is imperative that educators truly understand the distinct histories and ideologies concerning the cultural tendencies of groups as well as the education and learning. In America, maintaining eye contact while having a conversation with someone is considered a sign of respect. In contrary, the cultures of different countries, such as Asia and Africa, view making eye contact with an authority figure or elder as disrespectful and in appropriate. With that being said, we can visualize how easily misinterpretations are made between students and teachers of different backgrounds and cultures (ââ¬Å"Non-verbal communication,â⬠). The Japanese teacherââ¬â¢s approach to the studentsââ¬â¢ disputes, in the article about Japan, certainly surprised me. From past personal experience, whenever I would find myself in the middle of a dispute there was always an adult alongside to help resolve it. From elementary school to high school, there were constantly authority figures that would intervene as soon as a dispute between students was recognized. In contrary, the Japanese teacher in the reading emphasized that she restrains herself from intervening disputes because sheââ¬â¢s afraid of sending the wrong message to the children. She doesnââ¬â¢t want them to think that they canââ¬â¢t handle and take care of themselves in any given situation. By intervening, she stresses that it would interrupt the childrenââ¬â¢s experience with complex situations and resolving things upon themselves (Tobin, Hsueh & Karasawa, 2009). References Feinberg, W., & Soltis, J. (2004). School and society. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Jansen, J. (2005). Targeting education: The politics of performance and the prospects of ââ¬ËEducation For Allââ¬â¢. Non-verbal communication. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JMDMvvI0abkJ:sitemaker.umich.edu/356.kyprianides/non-verbal_communication &cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Tobin, J., Hsueh, Y., & Karasawa, M. (2009). Preschool in three cultures revisited: China, Japan, and the United States. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Anselm's Cosmological Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Anselm's Cosmological Argument - Essay Example The above proof is crucial in that ultimately Anselm has to prove that God is the first cause of all things and of itself. Without the above conclusion, there would be some things that God must not have caused. à If there is more than one cause, then a) all things are the one being through which they all exist, or b) all things exist separately each by virtue of itself or they cause one another to exist. The next part of the proof is where Anselm goes back to each of the three parts of statement #5 and disproves each of the three subparts in order to prove in the end that there is only one being that caused the existence of everything: Using the notion of ââ¬Å"masterâ⬠and ââ¬Å"slave,â⬠it is impossible for one being to confer existence on the one being that had originally conferred existence on the former. Moreover, all things ââ¬Å"do not at all exist mutually,â⬠which means that it would be impossible that each one would cause one another, and so there must not be more than one being. Based on statement #6, #7, and #8, and employing elimination in #5, Anselm arrives at the conclusion that there must be only one thing that causes the existence of all things including itself. After Anselm has concluded that there must only be one being that caused the existence of all things including itself, his final task, through the last two paragraphs, was to prove that this one cause was the greatest of all beings: Such an ability to cause itself and others is, therefore, the attribute of the greatest being, while all other things cannot cause themselves. The last part of the proof is the part where Anselm tries to prove that this one being which is the greatest of all is God.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Finance report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words
Finance report - Assignment Example Ratio analysis is done to compare the performance of FHL with its major competitor, Harvey Norman. Profitability, Asset efficiency, Liquidity, Capital structure, and Market performance ratios are calculated for both the companies and performance of the two companies is analyzed in the light of these ratios. Some of the limitations of the analysis are identified, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are given on the basis of the analysis done on FHL. Financial statements include at least two accounting statements that are prepared by a company at the end of its accounting period. These two include Income statement and balance sheet and these statements of Fantastic Holdings LTD (FHL) are analyzed in this report. Financial statement analysis of a company is extremely important for a company so that it can reflect upon performance of the company and can add meaning to the figures of the financial statements. Financial statement analysis involves evaluating three characteristics: profitability, liquidity and solvency. A short term lender will be interested in the liquidity of the company which measures the efficiency of the companies to pay their obligations when they are due. A long term creditor would assess the profitability and solvency of the company which measures the long term standing of the company. Hence financial statement analysis is extremely important for the company as well as for the users of the financial statements. Comparisons can be made on the intra company basis, industry averages and inter company basis. Vertical analysis is done to make intra company comparisons and ratio analysis is done to make inter company comparisons. In this report, both comparisons are made. Intra company analysis is done using vertical and trend analysis and inter company analysis is done through ratio analysis of Fantastic Holdings Ltd and Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. Through the analysis, conclusions will be drawn regarding the performance of FHL from
Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1
Education - Essay Example 369, 2010). For this reason, secondary schooling is vital to how successful the child is in the future, while he or she is gaining further knowledge or working hard to build a career. Recently, however, experts have observed a failure of schools to prepare their students for the future. They trace this failure down to specifically secondary schools, as the skills and confidence that they consider lacking in the adults of today, are those, which one is supposed to acquire in secondary school (Anderman and Maehr, pp. 287, 1994). One example of this failure was published in the press release in the UK, when FSB Education Chairman Collin Williams pointed out how, "The secondary school system is not producing enough sixteen year-olds that can hit the ground running on their first day in the world of workâ⬠(Politics.co.uk, 2007). He explained that he thinks that the British GCSE examination system helps to hide this failure until the student has graduated and is searching employment. However, the truth reveals itself once these students are employed and conducting their duties. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reports the shocking statistics: almost ten percent of the businesses have trouble in finding people to hire who have the required mathematical and literacy skills. The recruits often need training after they are hired, so that they may be taught again, things that they were supposed to have learnt in secondary schools. Apart from this, the FSB also reports the woes of several businesses, who complain about the laws and regulations, which are governing these education policies. They say that when the government changes the minimum working age to eighteen, it should expect a benefit out of this only if it corrects the secondary school system first. According to them, these students will not stand any more a chance of pleasing their employers at the age of 18 than at the age of 16, if they will still receive schooling through the secondary schooling system. They suggest that the secondary schools keep in mind the requirements that the childrenââ¬â¢s future employers will have of them, before commencing to educate them. They raise this suggestion in the light of the fact that the students, which organizations are currently hiring were not educated with these requirements in mind, which is why they fail to please most employers who entrust them with jobs ((Politics.co.uk, 2007). In addition, one can deduce that the failure of a student to be able to do so can be traced down to the failure of his secondary school. This is because it was a function of the secondary school, as mentioned earlier, to prepare the student for his or her future, may it be as an employee or a university student. Moreover, if this is lacking in the student, then one may blame the secondary schools for this failure. Another aim, which a child has from secondary school, is the need to socialize. A child attends secondary school during the ages of 11 to 1 6 (Vlaardingerbroek, & Taylor, pp. 30, 2009). At this age, a child learns to meet new people, and discover the different kinds of people that are present around him. He starts to discover himself, and figures out what his personality is like. He learns about himself, learns to like himself enough to present himself to the world for acceptance. Equally important, he learns to accept and bear rejection. All of these processes are a significant part of growing up, and they are
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Correlation of Crime and Victimization through Race and Ethnicity Research Proposal
Correlation of Crime and Victimization through Race and Ethnicity - Research Proposal Example In turn, a higher number of them have been victimized for the wrong reasons. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the disparity in the rate of victimization among the different races and ethnic communities in the U.S. The study is motivated by the high reports on victimization among the minority groups when compared to the Whites. Previously conducted research indicates that that the rate of crime and victimization among Blacks and Hispanics is higher than that among the Whites. It thus examines the underlying causes of deviant behaviors among the minority groups and what can be done to solve them and reduce the rate of victimization among the members of the minority groups. The quantitative method of data collection will be used in this study to compare the number of Blacks and Hispanics who are victimized against whites. It will be facilitated through the use of questionnaires on a sample of the population within the community and interviews for some of the convicted inmates. The random sampling method will be used to ascertain that the lifestyle exhibited by members of the minority groups within the United States is as a result of the unfavorable conditions that they are exposed to. These result in higher rates of crime and hence victimization, which results from an injury stereotype. In this case, the government must ensure equity and even distribution of resources among these groups to make them more independent, reduce their rate of crime and the ultimate victimization from individuals from the majority groups. In the recent past higher rates of victimization have been reported in the United States, especially among the Blacks and Hispanics who are considered to come from the minority group. This practice is associated with the stereotype that Blacks and Hispanics are criminals and hence should be made victims of their actions. In this sense, research and other records
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Atokawa Advantage Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1
Atokawa Advantage Management - Essay Example While a substantial part of the reporting and operational requirements of Atokowa is currently being addressed by the system, the strain of expansion would only exacerbate the situation. If the expansion initiative of Custom Print and the Online Ordering strategy is suspended the growth of Atokowa will be stunted and its spiral decline will commence because the current difficulties in the system will only feed on itself. The initiatives of George Hargreaves and Hayley Atokowa will diversify the revenue stream of Atokowa and at the same time expand the market while widening the client demography of Atokowa. However, implementing it at this time will only triple if not double the operational problems of Atokowa implementing it after the completion of an Enterprise Resource Planning Solution roll-out would be ideal if not the best. ... Under the leadership of Jonathan, Atokowa has expanded to several stores all around Australia catering mostly to individual and business customers in and around the locality where Atokowa stores are at. This paper would present the analysis of the operation of Atokowa to determine challenge areas, improvement areas, and growth areas. The purpose of the analysis is to recommend solutions that will enable Atokowa to resolve its current issues if there are any and respond to the demands of the ever-changing market landscape in the stationary and office supply retail industry. This report shall first present the result of the analysis conducted on the operation of Atokowa that will define in detail the analysis of focus areas. After the analysis of the focus areas, an assessment of the focus area shall be concluded for purposes of recommending possible solutions to the challenges posed in the focus area. Due to constraints, this paper shall only present the observations in the analysis and not the process in which the analysis was conducted and the observation was arrived at. In summary, the analysis in the operation of the focus areas shall be provided in seriatim as it was presented in the report. The conclusion or assessment shall follow afterward then the recommendations that should be undertaken by the management of Atokowa to resolve its current challenges. Please note that this paper shall only focus on the technological solutions to resolve the operational and management challenges of Atokowa. Analysis of Current Systems and Operations The following focus areas were highlighted in the analysis of the business case of Atokowa.Ã
Monday, September 23, 2019
Airport Master Plans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Airport Master Plans - Research Paper Example 4 billion by 2030 and there is required more runway space to cater to this large number of passenger growth on annual basis. The cargo will increase by 4.8 percent annually whereas, the cargo operations will increase by slightly less momentum than the cargo. The master plan caters to all these issues in a direct and comprehensive manner. The current master plan has catered to all the airport facilities, tenants, airlines, off-airport or transit plan, process to involve public, retail enhancement plan, environmental plan and financial plan for all the facilities at the airport. The new plan has expanded the Terminal 2 West and provided space for 10 jets, constructed new apron, taxilane, second level curb, parking structure, vehicle circulation, new access road, hangars and apron based on 12.4 acres of land. It will reconstruct the taxiway C, demolish the standing facilities at the airport and relocate the SAN Park Pacific Highway (ââ¬ËMaster Planââ¬â¢,
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Give Five Difference on Quality Assurance and Quality Control Essay Example for Free
Give Five Difference on Quality Assurance and Quality Control Essay Quality Assurance (Qa) Qa Is Process that is use to Createà amp; enforce standard amp; guideline to improve the Quality ofà Soiftware Process amp; Prevent Bug from the Application Quality assuranceis a process in which all the roles areà guided and moniteered to accomplish their tasks right fromà the starting of the process till the end Quality Assurance:- customer satisfication by providing value for their money by always supplying quality product as per customer specification and delivery requirement. Quality Control: QC is evaluating the product,identifying the defects and suggesting improvements for the same. It is oriented towards Detection eg:Testing. Quality Control is a system of routine technical activites,à to measure and control the quality of the inventory as ità is being developed. Quality Control includes general methods such as accuracyà checks on data acquisition and calculation and the use ofà approved standardised procedure for emission calculations,à measurements, estimating uncertainites, archivingà informations and reporting. Quality Control (QC)Qc is a process that is use to Find Bugà From The Product , as early as possible amp; make sure theyà get Fixedà Quality control is a process in which sudden checkings areà conducted on the rolesà Quality Control :- QC is evaluating the product,identifying the defects and suggesting improvements for the same. It is oriented towards Detection eg:Testing. What are 8 principles of total quality management and key benefits the eight principles of TQM: 1. quality can and must be manage 2. everyone has a customer to delight 3. processes, not the people, are the problem 4. very employee is responsible for quality 5. problems must be prevented, not just fixed 6. quality must be measured so it can be controlled 7. quality improvements must be continuos 8. quality goals must be base on customer requirements. The concept of TQM (Total Quality Management) Total Quality Management is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more po pular since the early 1980s. Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude and organization of a company that strives to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. The culture requires quality in all aspects of the companys operations, with processes being done right the first time and defects and waste eradicated from operations. Total Quality Management, TQM, is a method by which management and employees can become involved in the continuous improvement of the production of goods and services. It is a combination of quality and management tools aimed at increasing business and reducing losses due to wasteful practices. Some of the companies who have implemented TQM include Ford Motor Company, Phillips Semiconductor, SGL Carbon, Motorola and Toyota Motor Company. TQM Defined TQM is a management philosophy that seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, and production, customer service, etc. ) to focus on meeting customer needs and organizational objectives. TQM views an organization as a collection of processes. It maintains that organizations must strive to continuously improve these processes by incorporating the knowledge and experiences of workers. The simple objective of TQM is Do the right things, right the first time, every time. TQM is infinitely variable and adaptable. Although originally applied to manufacturing operations, and for a number of years only used in that area, TQM is now becoming recognized as a generic management tool, just as applicable in service and public sector organizations. There are a number of evolutionary strands, with different sectors creating their own versions from the common ancestor. TQM is the foundation for activities, hich include: * Commitment by senior management and all employees * Meeting customer requirements * Reducing development cycle times * Just In Time/Demand Flow Manufacturing * Improvement teams Reducing product and service costs * Systems to facilitate improvement * Line Management ownership * Employee involvement and empowerment * Recognition and celebration * Challenging quantified goals and benchmarking * Focus on processes / improvement plans * Specific incorporation in strategic planning This shows that TQM must be practiced in all activities, by all personnel, in Manufacturing, Marketing, Engine ering, R;amp;D, Sales, Purchasing, HR, etc. The core of TQM is the customer-supplier interfaces, both externally and internally, and at each interface lie a number of processes. This core must be surrounded by commitment to quality, communication of the quality message, and recognition of the need to change the culture of the organization to create total quality. These are the foundations of TQM, and they are supported by the key management functions of people, processes and systems in the organization. Difference between Product Quality and Process Quality 1. Product quality means we concentrate always final quality but in case of process quality we set the process parameterProduct quality means we concentrate quality of product that is fit for intended use and as per customer requirement. In the case of process quality we control our rejection rate such that in-house rejection is at minimum level. | | 2. Product quality means we concentrate always final quality but in case of process quality we set the process parameter 3. Product quality is the quality of the final product made. While Process quality means the quality of every process involved in the manufacturing of the final product. 4. Product qualityà is focusing on meeting tolerances in the end result of the manufacturing activities. The end result is measured on a standard of good enough. Process quality focuses on each activity and forces the activities to achieveà maximum tolerancesà irrespective of the end result. Something like a paint can manufacturer, the can and the lid need to match. A product quality focus on whether the paint can and lid fit tight enough but not too tight. This focus would require cans to be inspected and a specific ratio of defective would be expected. Process quality, the can making activities would be evaluated on its ability to to make the can opening exactly 6. 000 inches. The lid making would be evaluated on its ability to makeà lidsà 6. 10 inches. No cans would be defective if the distribution of output sizes is narrow enough. The goal of process quality is to force narrow variance in product output to be able to expect close tolerances. This focus on process quality typically generates higher product quality as a secondary outcome. 5. When we talk about software quality assurance, we often discuss process measurements, proces s improvements, productivity increase, quality improvement etc. And when we talk about quality improvement, mostly people think about product quality improvement. Most of the time people forget about process quality improvement. In fact, people find it difficult to differentiate between product quality and process quality. Let us find out the difference! During software development we have work products like requirement specifications, software design, software code, user documentation, etc. Quality of any of these work products can be done by measuring its attributes and finding of they are good enough. For instance, a requirement specification may be ambiguous or even wrong. In that case, quality of that requirement specification is bad. So during quality assurance audit (peer review, inspection etc. ), this defect can be caught so that it can be rectified. During software development project, a lot of processes are followed. The top processes are the project processes like project initiation, project planning, project monitoring, and project closure. Then we have development processes likeà requirement development, software design, software coding, software testing and software release. All of these processes are not executed perfectly on any project. Improvement in these processes can be achieved if we have audits of these processes. For instance, these audits are done by using standards like CMM (Capability Maturity Model). These standards dictate as to how any project or development process needs to be executed on any project. If any process step is deviating too much from these standards then that process step needs to be improved. The most important job of any software quality assurance department is to audit and ensure that all processes on projects being executed in that organization adhere to these standards and so quality of these processes (project amp; development) is good enough. Effect of ISO on Society Society ISO standards help governments, civil society and the business world translate societal aspirations, such as for social responsibility, health, and safe food and water, into concrete realizations. In so doing, they support the United Nationsââ¬â¢ Millennium Development Goals. Social responsibility 1 November 2010 saw the publication of ISO 26000 which gives organizations guidance on social responsibility, with the objective of sustainability. The standard was eagerly awaited, as shown by the fact that a mere four months after its publication, a Google search resulted in nearly five million references to the standard. This indicates there is a global expectation for organizations in both public and private sectors to be responsible for their actions, to be transparent, and behave in an ethical manner. ISO 26000, developed with the engagement of experts from 99 countries, the majority from developing economies, and more than 40 internationalà organizations, will help move from good intentions about social responsibility to effective action. Health ISO offers more than 1 400 standards for facilitating and improving health-care. These are developed within 19 ISO technical committees addressing specific aspects of healthcare that bring together health practitioners and experts from government, industry and other stakeholder categories. Some of the topics addressed include health informatics, laboratory equipment and testing, medical devices and their evaluation, dentistry, sterilization of healthcare products, implants for surgery, biological evaluation, mechanical contraceptives, prosthetics and orthotics, quality management and protecting patient data. They provide benefits for researchers, manufacturers, regulators, health-care professionals, and, most important of all, for patients. The World Health Organization is a major stakeholder in this work, holding liaison status with 61 of ISOââ¬â¢s health-related technical committees (TCs) or subcommittees (SCs). Food There are some 1 000 ISO food-related standards benefitting producers and manufacturers,à regulators and testing laboratories, packaging and transport companies, merchants and retailers, and the end consumer. In recent years, there has been strong emphasis on standards to ensure safe food supply chains. At the end of 2010, five years after the publication of ISO 22000, the standard was being implemented by users in 138 countries. At least 18 630 certificates of conformity attesting that food safety management systems were being implemented according to the requirements of the standard, had been issued by the end of 2010, an increase of 34 % over the previous year. The level of inter-governmental interest in ISOââ¬â¢s food standards is shown by the fact that the UNââ¬â¢s Food and Agriculture Organizations has liaison status with 41 ISO TCs or SCs. Water The goals of safe water and improved sanitation are ingrained in the UN Millennium Development Goals. ISO is contributing through the development of standards for both drinking water and wastewater services and for water quality. Related areas addressed by ISO include irrigation systems and plastic piping through which water flows. In all, ISO has developed more than 550 water-related standards. A major partner in standards for water quality is the United Nations Environment Programme. The Waterfall Model was first Process Model to be introduced. It is also referred to as aà linear-sequential life cycle model. It is very simple to understand and use. In a waterfall model, each phase must be completed fully before the next phase can begin. At the end of each phase, a review takes place to determine if the project is on the right path and whether or not to continue or discard the project. In waterfall model phases do not overlap. Diagram of Waterfall-model: Advantages of waterfall model: * Simple and easy to understand and use. * Easy to manage due to the rigidity of the model ââ¬â each phase has specific deliverables and a review process. Phases are processed and completed one at a time. * Works well for smaller projects where requirements are very well understood. Disadvantages of waterfall model: * Once an application is in theà testingà stage, it is very difficult to go back and change something that was not well-thought out in the concept stage. * No working software is produced until late during the life cycle. * High amounts of risk and uncertainty. * Not a good model for complex and object-oriented projects. * Poor model for long and ongoing projects. Not suitable for the projects where requirements are at a moderate to high risk of changing. When to use the waterfall model: * Requirements are very well known, clear and fixed. * Product definition is stable. * Technology is understood. * There are no ambiguous requirements * Ample resources with required expertise are available freely * The project is short. The basic idea here is that instead of freezing the requirements before a design or coding can proceed, a throwaway prototype is built to understand the requirements. This prototype is developed based on the currently known requirements. By using this prototype, the client can get an ââ¬Å"actual feelâ⬠of the system, since the interactions with prototype can enable the client to better understand the requirements of the desired system. Prototyping is an attractive idea for complicated and large systems for which there is no manual process or existing system to help determining the requirements. The prototype are usually not complete systems and many of the details are not built in the prototype. The goal is to provide a system with overall functionality. Diagram of Prototype model: Advantages of Prototype model: Users are actively involved in the development * Since in this methodology a working model of the system is provided, the users get a better understanding of the system being developed. * Errors can be detected much earlier. * Quicker user feedback is available leading to better solutions. * Missing functionality can be identified easily * Confusing or difficult functions can be identified Requirements validation, Quick implementation of, incomplete, but functional, application. Disadvantages of Prototype model: * Leads to implementing and then repairing way of building systems. Practically, this methodology may increase the complexity of the system as scope of the system may expand beyond original plans. * Incomplete application may cause application not to be used as the full system was designed Incomplete or inadequate problem analysis. When to use Prototype model: * Prototype model should be used when the desired system needs to have a lot of interaction with the end users. * Typically, online systems, web interfaces have a very high amount of interaction with end users, are best suited for Prototype model. It might take a while for a system to be built that allows ease of use and needs minimal training for the end user. * Prototyping ensures that the end users constantly work with the system and provide a feedback which is incorporated in the prototype to result in a useable system. They are excellent for designing good human computer interface systems. In incremental model the whole requirement is divided into various builds. Multiple development cycles take place here, making the life cycle aââ¬Å"multi-waterfallâ⬠cycle. Cycles are divided up into smaller, more easily managed modules. Each module passes through the requirements, design, mplementation andà testingphases. A working version of software is produced during the first module, so you have working software early on during theà software life cycle. Each subsequent release of the module adds function to the previous release. The process continues till the complete system is achieved. For example: In the diagram above when we workà incrementallyà we are adding piece by piece but expect that each piece is fully finished. Thus keep on adding the pieces until itââ¬â¢s complete. Diagram of Incremental model: Advantages of Incremental model: * Generates working software quickly and early during the software life cycle. More flexible ââ¬â less costly to change scope and requirements. * Easier to test and debug during a smaller iteration. * Customer can respond to each built. * Lowers initial delivery cost. * Easier to manage risk because risky pieces are identified and handled during itââ¬â¢d iteration. Disadvantages of Incremental model: * Needs good planning and design. * Needs a clear and complete definition of the whole system before it can be broken down and built incrementally. * Total cost is higher thanà waterfall. When to use the Incremental model: * Requirements of the complete system are clearly defined and understood. Major requirements must be defined; however, some detail s can evolve with time. * There is a need to get a product to the market early. * A new technology is being used * Resources with needed skill set are not available * There are some high risk features and goals. Difference between spiral model and incremental model Incremental Development Incremental Development is a practice where the system functionalities are sliced into increments (small portions). In each increment, a vertical slice of functionality is delivered by going through all the activities of the software development process, from the requirements to the deployment. Incremental Development (adding) is often used together with Iterative Development (redo) in software development. This is referred to as Iterative and Incremental Development (IID). Spiral model The Spiral Model is another IID approach that has been formalized by Barry Boehm in the mid-1980s as an extension of the Waterfall to better support iterative development and puts a special emphasis on risk management (through iterative risk analysis). 4 Reasons to Use Fishbone Diagrams The fishbone diagram, or the cause and effect diagram, is a simple graphic display that shows all the possible causes of a problem in a business process. It is also called the Ishakawa diagram. Fishbone diagrams are useful due to how they portray information. There are 4 Main Reasons to use a Fishbone Diagram: 1. Display relationshipsà The fishbone diagram captures the associations and relationships among the potential causes and effects displayed in the diagram. These relationships can be easily understood. 2. Show all causes simultaneouslyà Any cause or causal chain featured on the fishbone diagram could be contributing to the problem. The fishbone diagram illustrates each and every possible cause in an easily comprehendible way; this makes it a great tool for presenting the problem to stakeholders. 3. Facilitate brainstormingà The fishbone diagram is a great way to stimulate and structure brainstorming about the causes of the problem because it captures all the causes. Seeing the fishbone diagram may stimulate your team to explore possible solutions to the problems. 4. Help maintain team focusà The fishbone framework can keep your team focused as you discuss what data needs to be gathered. It helps ensure that everyone is collecting information in the most efficient and useful way, and that nobody is wasting energy chasing nonexistent problems. Agile software development is a group of software development methods based on iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams. It promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development and delivery, a time-boxed iterative approach, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change. It is a conceptual framework that promotes foreseen interactions throughout the development cycle. Rapid application development (RAD) is a software development methodology that uses minimal planning in favor of rapid prototyping. The planning of software developed using RAD is interleaved with writing the software itself. The lack of extensive pre-planning generally allows software to be written much faster, and makes it easier to change requirements. Code and fix Code and fix development is not so much a deliberate strategy as an artifact of naivete and schedule pressure on software developers. [5] Without much of a design in the way, programmers immediately begin producing code. At some point, testing begins (often late in the development cycle), and the inevitable bugs must then be fixed before the product can be shipped. See also: Continuous integration and Cowboy coding What Are the Benefits of Pareto Analysis? A Pareto analysis is an observation of causes of problems that occur in either an organization or daily life, which is then displayed in a histogram. A histogram is a chart that prioritizes the causes of problems from the greatest to the least severe. The Pareto analysis is based on the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, which states that 20 percent of effort yields 80 percent of results. For example, if an individual sells items on eBay, he should focus on 20 percent of the items that yield 80 percent of sales. According to Mindtools. com, a Pareto analysis enables individuals to make effective changes. Organizational Efficiency * A Pareto analysis requires that individuals list changes that are needed or organizational problems. Once the changes or problems are listed, they are ranked in order from the biggest to the least severe. The problems ranked highest in severity should become the main focus for problem resolution or improvement. Focusing on problems, causes and problem resolution contributes to organizational efficiency. Companies operate efficiently when employees identify the root causes of problems and spend time resolving the biggest problems to yield the greatest organizational benefit. Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills * You can improve your problem-solving skills when you conduct a Pareto analysis, because it enables you to organize work-related problems into cohesive facts. Once youve clearly outlined these facts, you can begin the planning necessary to solve the problems. Members of a group can conduct a Pareto analysis together. Arriving at a group consensus about the issues that require change fosters organizational learning and increases group cohesiveness. * Improved Decision Making * Individuals who conduct a Pareto analysis can measure and compare the impact of changes that take place in an organization. With a focus on resolving problems, the procedures and processes required to make the changes should be documented during a Pareto analysis. This documentation will enable better preparation and improvements in decision making for future changes. BENEFITS OF CONTROL CHARTS 1. Help you recognize and understand variability and how to control it 2. Identify ââ¬Å"special causesâ⬠of variation and changes in performance 3. Keep you from fixing a process that is varying randomly within control limits; that is, no ââ¬Å"special causesâ⬠are present. If you want to improve it, you have to objectively identify and eliminate the root causes of the process variation 4. Assist in the diagnosis of process problems 5. Determine if process improvement effects are having the desired affects 1st party audit First Party The first party audit is an audit carried out by a company on itself to etermine whether its systems and procedures are consistently improving products and services, and as a means to evaluate conformity with the procedures and the standard. Each second and third party audit should consider the first party audits carried out by the company in question. Ultimately, the only systems that should need to be examined are those of internal audits and reviews. In fact, the second or third parties themselves have to carry out internal or first party audits to ensure their own systems and procedures are meeting business objectives. SECOND PARTY (EXTERNAL) AUDIT Unlike the first party audit, a second party audit is an audit of another organizationââ¬â¢s quality program not under the direct control or within the organizational structure of the auditing organization. Second party audits are usually performed by the customer upon its suppliers (or potential suppliers) to ascertain whether or not the supplier can meet existing or proposed contractual requirements. Obviously, the supplierââ¬â¢s quality system is a very important part of contractual requirements since it is directly (manufacturing, engineering, purchasing, quality control, etc. and indirectly (marketing, inside and outside sales, etc. ) responsible for the design, production, control and continued supportability of the product. Although second party audits are usually conducted by customers on their suppliers, it is sometimes beneficial for the customer to contract with an independent quality auditor. This action helps to promote an image of fairness and objectivity on the p art of the customer. THIRD PARTY AUDIT Compared to first and second party audits where auditors are not independent, the third party audit is objective. It is an assessment of an organizationââ¬â¢s quality system conducted by an independent, outside auditor or team of auditors. When referring to a third party audit as it applies to an international quality standard such as ISO 9000, the term third party is synonymous with a quality system registrar whose primary responsibility is to assess an organizationââ¬â¢s quality system for conformance to that standard and issue a certificate of conformance (upon completion of a successful assessment). Application of IT in supplying Point of saleà (POS) orà checkoutà is the place where a retail transaction is completed. It is the point at which a customer makes a payment to a merchant in exchange for goods or services. At the point of sale the merchant would use any of a range of possible methods to calculate the amount owing, such as a manual system, weighing machines, scanners or an electronic cash register. The merchant will usually provide hardware and options for use by the customer to make payment, such as an EFTPOS terminal. The merchant will also normally issue a receipt for the transaction. Functions of IT in marketing Pricing Pricing plays an important role in determining market success and profitability. If you market products that have many competitors, you may face strong price competition. In that situation, you must aim to be the lowest-cost supplier so you can set low prices and still remain profitable. You can overcome low price competition by differentiating your product and offering customers benefits and value that competitors cannot match. Promotion Promotion makes customers and prospects aware of your products and your company. Using promotional techniques, such as advertising, direct marketing, telemarketing or public relations, you can communicate product benefits and build preference for your companyââ¬â¢s products. Selling Marketing and selling are complementary functions. Marketing creates awareness and builds preference for a product, helping company sales representatives or retail sales staff sell more of a product. Marketing also supports sales by generating leads for the sales team to follow up. Market segmentation Market segmentation is a marketing strategy that involves dividing a broad target market into subsets of consumers who have common needs, and then designing and implementing strategies to target their needs and desires using media channels and other touch-points that best allow to reach them. Types of segmentation Clickstream behaviour A clickstream is the recording of the parts of the screen a computer user clicks on while web browsing or using another software application. As the user clicks anywhere in the webpage or application, the action is logged on a client or inside the web server, as well as possibly the web browser, router, proxy server or ad server. Clickstream analysis is useful for web activity analysis, software testing, market research, and for analyzing employee productivity. Target marketing A target market is a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandise towards. A well-defined target market is the first element to a marketing strategy. The marketing mix variables of product, place (distribution), promotion and price are the four elements of a marketing mix strategy that determine the success of a product in the marketplace. Function of IT in supply chain Making sure the right products are in-store for shoppers as and when they want them is key to customer loyalty. It sounds simple enough, yet why do so many retailers still get it wrong. Demand planning Demand Planning is the art and science of planning customer demand to drive holistic execution of such demand by corporate supply chain and business management. Demand forecasting Demand forecasting is the activity of estimating the quantity of a product or service that consumers will purchase. Demand forecasting involves techniques including both informal methods, such as educated guesses, and quantitative methods, such as the use of historical sales data or current data from test markets. Demand forecasting may be used in making pricing decisions, in assessing future capacity requirements, or in making decisions on whether to enter a new market. Just in time inventory Just in timeà (JIT) is a production strategy that strives to improve a businessà return on investmentà by reducing in-processà inventoryà and associatedà carrying costs. Continuous Replenishment Continuous Replenishment is a process by which a supplier is notified daily of actual sales or warehouse shipments and commits to replenishing these sales (by size, color, and so on) without stock outs and without receiving replenishment orders. The result is a lowering of associated costs and an improvement in inventory turnover. Supply chain sustainability Supply chain sustainability is a business issue affecting an organizationââ¬â¢s supply chain or logistics network in terms of environmental, risk, and waste costs. Sustainability in the supply chain is increasingly seen among high-level executives as essential to delivering long-term profitability and has replaced monetary cost, value, and speed as the dominant topic of discussion among purchasing and supply professionals. Software testing Difference between defect, error, bug, failure and fault: ââ¬Å"A mistake in coding is called error ,error found by tester is called defect,à defect accepted by development team then it is called bug ,build does not meet the requirements then it Is failure. â⬠Error:à A discrepancy between a computed, observed, or measured value or condition and the true, specified, or theoretically correct value or condition. This can be a misunderstanding of the internal state of the software, an oversight in terms of memory management, confusion about the proper way to calculate a value, etc. Failure:à The inability of a system or component to perform its required functions within specified performance requirements. See: bug, crash, exception, and fault. Bug: A fault in a program which causes the program to perform in an unintended or unanticipated manner. See: anomaly, defect, error, exception, and fault. Bug is terminology of Tester. Fault:à An incorrect step, process, or data definition in a computer program which causes the program to perform in an unintended or unanticipated manner. See: bug, defect, error, exception. Defect: Commonly refers to several troubles with the software products, with its external behaviour or with its internal features. Regression testing Regression testing is any type of software testing that seeks to uncover new software bugs, or regressions, in existing functional and non-functional areas of a system after changes, such as enhancements, patches or configuration changes, have been made to them. Verification and Validation example is also given just below to this table. Verification| à à à à à à à à à à à à à Validation| 1. Verification is a static practice of verifying documents, design, code and program. 1. Validation is a dynamic mechanism of validating and testing the actual product. | 2. It does not involve executing the code. | 2. It always involves executing the code. | 3. It is human based checking of documents and files. | 3. It is computer based execution of program. | 4. Verification uses methods like inspections, reviews, walkthroug hs, and Desk-checking etc. | 4. Validation uses methods like black box (functional)à testing, gray box testing, and white box (structural) testing etc. | 5. Verificationà is to check whether the software conforms to specifications. | 5. Validationà is to check whether software meets the customer expectations and requirements. | 6. It can catch errors that validation cannot catch. It is low level exercise. | 6. It can catch errors that verification cannot catch. It is High Level Exercise. | 7. Target is requirements specification, application and software architecture, high level, complete design, and database design etc. | 7. Target is actual product-a unit, a module, a bent of integrated modules, and effective final product. | 8. Verification is done by QA team to ensure that the software is as per the specifications in the SRS document. 8. Validation is carried out with the involvement of testing team. | 9. It generally comes first-done before validation. | 9. It generally follows after verification. | Differences Between Black Box Testing and White Box Testing Criteria| Black Box Testing| White Box Testing| Definition| Black Box Testing is a software testing method in which the internal structure/ design/ imple mentation of the item being tested is NOT known to the tester| White Box Testing is a software testing method in which the internal structure/ design/ implementation of the item being tested is known to the tester. Levels Applicable To| Mainly applicable to higher levels of testing: Acceptance TestingSystem Testing| Mainly applicable to lower levels of testing: Unit TestingIntegration Testing| Responsibility| Generally, independent Software Testers| Generally, Software Developers| Programming Knowledge| Not Required| Required| Implementation Knowledge| Not Required| Required| Basis for Test Cases| Requirement Specifications| Detail Design| A programmer, computer programmer, developer, coder, or software engineer is a person who writes computer software. A quality assurance officer implements strategic plans, supervises quality assurance personnel and is responsible for budgets and allocating resources for a quality assurance division or branch. Levels of testing Inà computer programming,à unit testingà is a method by which individual units ofà source code, sets of one or more computer program modules together with associated control data, usage procedures, and operating procedures, are tested to determine if they are fit for use. Intuitively, one can view a unit as the smallest testable part of an application. Integration testing (sometimes called Integration and Testing, abbreviated Iamp;T) is the phase in software testing in which individual software modules are combined and tested as a group. System testing of software or hardware is testing conducted on a complete, integrated system to evaluate the systems compliance with its specified requirements. System testing falls within the scope of black box testing, and as such, should require no knowledge of the inner design of the code or logic. In engineering and its various sub disciplines, acceptance testing is a test conducted to determine if the requirements of a specification or contract are met. It may involve chemical tests, physical tests, or performance tests. In systems engineering it may involve black-box testing performed on a system (for example: a piece of software, lots of manufactured mechanical parts, or batches of chemical products) prior to its delivery. Software developers often distinguish acceptance testing by the system provider from acceptance testing by the customer (the user or client) prior to accepting transfer of ownership. In the case of software, acceptance testing performed by the customer is known as user acceptance testing (UAT), end-user testing, site (acceptance) testing, or field (acceptance) testing. A sample testing cycle Although variations exist between organizations, there is a typical cycle for testing. The sample below is common among organizations employing the Waterfall development model. Requirements analysis: Testing should begin in the requirements phase of the software development life cycle. During the design phase, testers work with developers in determining what aspects of a design are testable and with what parameters those tests work. Test planning: Test strategy, test plan, testbed creation. Since many activities will be carried out during testing, a plan is needed. Test development: Test procedures, test scenarios, test cases, test datasets, test scripts to use in testing software. Test execution: Testers execute the software based on the plans and test documents then report any errors found to the development team. Test reporting: Once testing is completed, testers generate metrics and make final reports on their test effort and whether or not the software tested is ready for release. Test result analysis: Or Defect Analysis, is done by the development team usually along with the client, in order to decide what defects should be assigned, fixed, rejected (i. e. found software working properly) or deferred to be dealt with later. Defect Retesting: Once a defect has been dealt with by the development team, it is retested by the testing team. AKA Resolution testing. Regression testing: It is common to have a small test program built of a subset of tests, for each integration of new, modified, or fixed software, in order to ensure that the latest delivery has not ruined anything, and that the software product as a whole is still working correctly. Test Closure: Once the test meets the exit criteria, the activities such as capturing the key outputs, lessons learned, results, logs, documents related to the project are archived and used as a reference for future projects. Types of Performance testing Stress testing (sometimes called torture testing) is a form of deliberately intense or thorough testing used to determine the stability of a given system or entity. Usability testing is a technique used in user-centered interaction design to evaluate a product by testing it on users. Volume testing refers to testing a software application with a certain amount of data. This amount can, in generic terms, be the database size or it could also be the size of an interface file that is the subject of volume testing. Maintenance testing is a test that is performed to either identify equipment problems, diagnose equipment problems or to confirm that repair measures have been effective. When it comes to quality management, IT organisations can take a leaf out of industryââ¬â¢s book. Thanks to the success of companies like Toyota and Motorola, methods such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma are gaining rapid popularity. And with good reason. Quality is a good generator of money, and lots of it. Unlike industry, IT has no physical chain. This makes it more difficult at first to be able to take concrete steps towards the implementation of quality management. But the parallels are easily drawn. Regard a satisfied end user as the equivalent of a faultless end product, a carefully conceived system of applications as the equivalent of a streamlined production line and so forth. And similar to industry, things can go wrong in any aspect. The faultless implementation of processes leads to significant savings (and not forgetting satisfied end users). What should you focus on to set up quality management for IT within your own organisation and subsequently make money? The service excellence strategy Organise a strategy of service excellence for the internal IT services, where the optimisation of service to end users receives top priority. After all, poor quality leads to high repair costs. Especially in IT. Resolving incidents costs money (direct costs). And the indirect costs, such as loss of productivity are, though often unobserved, several times these direct costs. Focus on management and service processes The focus within IT is often on the projects and the functionalities of the systems. But to ensure service excellence, the performance of management and service processes are equally important. If these processes are substandard, it could result in a lack of clarity, unnecessary waiting times and ââ¬â in the worst case scenario ââ¬â to malfunctions. A reassessment of processes is vital to prevent these discomforts and reduce relevant costs. Measure the effect of failure and errors The effect of failure and errors at the workplace is rarely measured. Organisations often have no idea how much these mistakes are costing them and what the consequences are for the service to their clients. The costs of incidents and malfunctions are easy to calculate by using a few simple rules of thumb. When you do this regularly, it will become clear for everyone where savings can be realised (read: how much money can be made). This will suddenly put the investments made towards achieving higher quality in an entirely new perspective. Use simple, service-oriented KPIs The moment you have insight into what causes the direct and indirect failure and error costs, itââ¬â¢s a small step to define a number of simple and service-oriented KPIs. These KPIs can form the guideline for measuring and improving service quality. Examples of such KPIs are: * The average number of incidents per employee; * The percentage of incidents resolved during the first contact with the helpdesk (the so-called ââ¬Ëfirst-time rightââ¬â¢ principle); * The percentage of incidents caused by incorrectly implemented changes. Implement a measurement methodology Improvements within a quality system happen on the basis of facts. The collection of facts takes place through measurements within the operational processes, on the basis of preselected metrics (e. . the number of complaints). The key performance indicators (KPIs) show whether a specific objective has been achieved, for example a desired decline in the number of complaints, expressed in percentages. Donââ¬â¢t overestimate the power of ITIL ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) is a collection of best practices for the structuring of operational processes. Many companies have implemented IT IL in an effort to make their service more professional. ITIL lets you lay a good foundation to make the IT service more professional. But beware: it is no quality methodology. It might be good for defining IT processes, but offers no scope for actual improvement. So you will need a separate quality methodology in addition to ITIL. Most organisations require a drastic improvement in the quality of their IT services. Perhaps the realisation that this wonââ¬â¢t be costing any money, but will instead generate it, offers the incentive needed to set to work earnestly on the issue. The end result means two birds with one stone: a service-oriented IT company that saves costs, and an IT company that truly supports the end users in carrying out their activities optimally. The Importance of Quality Improvement in Your Business Venture A career in the business industry requires you to be tough and flexible. Business is a difficult venture. You have to make your way through and outperform competitors. Businesses nowadays have also gone global. You have to compete with other business entities from the world over. Because of the tough competition in the business scenes, getting the attention and the trust of customers has become increasingly difficult. This is where quality improvement comes in. Quality plays a vital role in any business. Consumers want the best and want to pay the lowest possible price for products that are of the greatest quality. Moreover, quality is also one of the main components of being able to stay in the game despite the competition around you. Constant quality improvement is important in keeping you afloat. This has to do with eliminating or reducing the losses and waste in the production processes of any business. Quality improvement most often involves the analysis of the performance of your business, products, and services and finding ways to further improve them. There are certain techniques that can help you in achieving quality improvement. Knowing these steps can lead you to improved quality in your business. Benchmarking or comparing your company to the best or the top of the field will also be beneficial. You have to identify what makes an organization or company ââ¬Ëthe bestââ¬â¢ and why the consumers want to purchase these products or services. Compare the quality and cost of their products with yours. Also include the processes that use to produce them. This can help you in looking for your own business factors that you have to improve upon for success. Setting up your own internal quality checks is important. You have to ensure that in ach step of making your product, you are meeting the standards of the industry and also providing your customers with the best products. This needs to be done with the least amount of waste and as few resources as possible. You need to be rigid about following the quality checks that your company has put forth. This will save you from having to deal with returned items and pr oducts. It also helps in guaranteeing the satisfaction of your customers. You need to assess your own production and your products. You need to know if these have passed the international standards on quality for the respective industry you do business in. Moreover, measure how your product is doing against others in the market. These are important in order to know what aspects you have to improve. You cannot afford to be forgiving when assessing. You need to be honest and blunt when gauging your own company. This will help you in finding needs for improvement. After assessing, you have to take the steps in making the necessary changes that will lead you to improvement. You may need to change your quality policy or do more research about your products and provide better features. You may also need to conduct training for your employees in order to update them with new methods in your processes. Quality improvement is not just a one-time process. It needs to be continued despite the success that a company or organization is appreciating. Competitors will always try their best to outwit you. And so, you have to continue on improving your products and services in order to offer more to your clients. This will not only lead you to more sales but also to a better reputation in the industry. Keep in mind that it is often more work to stay on top than to get to the top!
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Evolution Of The Concerto Grosso Music Essay
Evolution Of The Concerto Grosso Music Essay Describe the evolution of the concerto grosso from its origins up to the time of JS Bach and Handel. Include references to specific composers and works. The concerto grosso is an early form of concerto which is distinguishable from other types of concerto by its two groups of instrumentation, the continuo and the repieno. Concerto grosso translates roughly as great concerted performance. Late in the renaissance period composers such as Giovanni Gabrieli were using methods of contrast and opposition in their works, evident in Gabrielis polychoral canzonas, which were so effectively developed in St marks Cathedral, Venice. The use of St Marks many choir lofts brought new timbres and techniques to such composers, which would develop further in the Baroque era. As in the polychoral music of Gabreili, the concerto grosso would set a concertino small group of solo instruments against the ripieno a full string orchestra. Typically there would be a basso continuo which would be a harpsichord or an organ which would add texture to the ripieno and would support the continuo with harmonies. Ritornello form will typically be found in the faster movements of concerto grossi, the ritornello will start, played by the ripieno, the concertino will then join in stating the main theme. The ritornello and concertinos episode will then alternate with the main theme being reintroduced shortened, altered or in full. TUTTI SOLO TUTTI SOLO TUTTI RITORNELLO CONCERTINO RITORNELLO CONCERTINO RITORNELLO This pattern would happen many times and in different keys, but the main theme wouldve been likely to be repeated in full, and in the tonic key, only at the end. Although this form looks to be quite clear cut, there were many variants, composers such as Corelli, Handel and Vivaldi experimented with the form. The origins of the concerto grosso can be found around 1675, one of the first concerti grossi is by Alessandro Stradella (1642-82), but some of the more celebrated early works are the twelve concerti grossi of Corellis opus six. These works of Corelli seem to have been key in the emergence the concerto grosso. Written in 4, 5 or even six movements and alternating between fast and slow, Corelli based his musical ideas on dances of the baroque period like the allemande, the courante and the gigue. In these compositions Corelli had started to define a strong contrast between soli and tutti, which may have developed from his church sonatas. The development of the orchestra during this period had an effect on the evolving concerto grosso. The relatively new violin family had replaced that of the viols and players were becoming specialists, giving composers more flexibility when writing. Whilst there was no standardisation of the baroque orchestra, it would consist predominately of stringed instruments of the violin family which would double on parts as the colour of timbre was quite limited. The three keyboard instruments of the time, the clavichord, the organ and the harpsichord all benefited from the now commonplace tempered tuning technique. This era started to see virtuosic performers arise in musical schools, mainly in Italy. For example, in the church of San Petronio, Bologna, there was a regular group of performers who became accomplished in there fields, but when the occasion suited ensembles were increased in size by the use of more modestly talented instrumentalists. This created a different standard of difficu lty between the concertino solo passages and the fuller repieno episodes. One of the most notable figures in the Bologna School was Giuseppe Torelli (1658 1709), Torelli contributed a lot to the development of the concerto grosso. It was he who settled on a three movement, fast slow fast structure. In his opus eight concerti, he has developed a distinctive style with a very clear use of the ritornello form in his allegro movements. It is here in the time of Torelli that the markings of a typical concerto grosso start to emerge with its allegro adagio allegro structure, the strong and strict use of ritornello form and then the use of more virtuoso writing for the continuo instruments. With this three movement structure becoming almost standard it is by the works of Antonio Vivaldi that it becomes established. Vivaldi shows a development of melody and rhythm, writing in distinct form which had grown to be expected of a baroque concerto, but at the same time he enhanced the writing of solo lines in a way seen previously by Torelli and Albinoni. Vivaldi started to introduce wind instruments such as flutes, bassoons and horns to the orchestra and sometimes to the continuo, which, in turn led to a more colourful demonstration of timbre. The adagio movement became just as important to Vivaldi as the allegro movements, gaining equal importance; this is something which other composers such as Johannes Sebastian Bach took into their works. Around 1720, Johannes Sebastian Bach wrote a set of six concerti of which three were concerto grosso, numbers 2, 4 and 5. Bach was influenced by the works of Corelli, Albinoni and Vivaldi but started to create more complex texture with counterpoint and sonority. Although developing the style of writing, he largely conformed to the structure set before him. George Fredric Handel (1685 1759) differed here, whilst still writing with the newer, more complex techniques his concerti grossi were more in keeping on a structure basis with those of Corelli. In his concerti he uses more movements and relates them to the baroque dances, for example, opus six, concerto grosso no six. Within this work there is an opening larghetto e affettuoso, a fugal allegro, a pastoral in the form of a musette en rondeau and a minuet like allegro. The concerti of Handel show diversity and variety, which may be due to the fact he was more travelled than other composers of his time. It was during the period of Vivaldi, Bach and Handel that the concerto grosso was to become less popular amongst composers, the writing of virtuoso lines leant itself better to the solo concerto, although the term concerto grosso has still been used in the 20th century by composers such as Bloch and Vaughn Williams. Word Count 992 SUBMISSION 1 ASSIGNMENT TWO Assignment 2A Question 2 Discuss the variety of instrumentation in Bachs Brandenburg Concertos. Johannes Sebastian Bach used an extremely varied combination of instruments in his set of Brandenburg Concertos. For the period, late baroque, it was almost experimental, leaving no stone unturned as he searched for the sonority to compliment his distinctive counterpoint. Because the instrumentation is so varied I will describe each of the concertos separate scoring before discussing the many combinations and instruments. Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major Instrumentation Concertino Two Corni da Caccia (Natural Horn), Three Oboes, Bassoon and a Violino Piccolo (Small Violin). Ripieno Two Violins, Viola, Cello and Basso Continuo (Harpsichord). Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major (Concerto Grosso) Instrumentation Concertino Tromba (Trumpet), Recorder, Oboe, Violin Ripieno Two Violins, Viola, Cello and Basso Continuo (Harpsichord). Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major Instrumentation Concertino Three Violins, Three Violas and Three cellos (split into three groups of equal instrumentation). Ripieno Basso Continuo (Harpsichord). Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major (Concerto Grosso) Instrumentation Concertino -Violin and Two Flauti decho (Recorder). Ripieno Two Violins, Viola, Cello and Basso Continuo (Harpsichord). Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major (Concerto grosso) Instrumentation Concertino Harpsichord, Violin and Flute. Ripieno Violin, Viola, Cello and Violone. Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat major Instrumentation Concertino Two Violas and a Cello. Ripieno Two Viola da Gamba (In unison), a Cello, a Violone and Basso Continuo. There are many things which strike you about Bachs instrumentation when you see it classified in this way. Firstly, for the period, it seems to be quite experimental and certainly in Concerto No. 6, the use of the Viola da Gamba, a somewhat dated instrument of the time, could suggest Bach was searching hard for exactly the texture he wanted, or that in fact Concerto No. 6 predates the other five and is not as the date on the presentation score. This concerto also displays a lack of treble instrumentation, creating a much darker timbre. Also on show is Bachs exposition of wind ensemble, Concertos No. 1 and No. 2 display wind groups as the concertino, adding a real sense of colour and texture to the works. The Harpsichord makes an appearance as the soloist in Concerto No. 5, showing a reluctance to conform to the standard practise of keeping the keyboard instrument in the continuo. Amongst the scoring of the Brandenburg concertos are some Instruments which may be unfamiliar to todays audience. In Concerto No. 1, the only brass instruments are the two Corno da Caccia. Now this is not the Horn that we know today, but would have been a small, natural, valve less horn, not to dissimilar to a hunting horn. This instrument allowed Bach to write the same virtuosity as for a trumpet, but would have given slightly less edge to the sound. The Flauti Decho of the fourth concerto stirs up a lot of debate as to exactly what instrument Bach actually meant. Malcom Boyd, in his book Bach, The Brandenburg Concertos discuss the possibility of the Flauti of the second concerto, the recorder, being the same instrument as the Flauti Decho and in fact not a different version at all. This is a matter that many academics are yet to agree on. The Violin Piccolo is scored in the first concerto amongst the concertino, this instrument, as the name would suggest, is a smaller version of the violin we know today. The violin piccolo is recorded as being pitched either a minor third, or a fourth above the concert violin, but as Malcom Boyd writes in his book It is doubtful whether one can really speak about the violin piccolo as one might about the violin or the viola. Concerto No. 6 gives us the Viola de Gamba, An older instrument, the viola de gamba is a member of the viol family, a six string instrument played with a bow and held between the legs, equivalent to todays double bass. Also required in each one of the six concertos is a violone, this would have been similar to the viola de gamba, a bass like instrument used in the basso continuo. Bachs treatment of concertino and ripieno differs somewhat to that of other concerto composers such as Vivaldi, as he treats the concertino as not just a solo group but likes to bring different instruments to the fore, and create unusual pairings of different instruments. As referred to in The Cambridge Music Guide, in concerto No. 2 the solo instruments are paired in every combination, this makes me wonder if there was also some mathematical logic behind this sort of scoring. Every soloists performs on there own and with the group, and lines are passed seamlessly around the ensemble. Throughout the Brandenburg Concertos, Bach uses the instrumentation to such effect, that there are so many colours and textures on display. However, with the ambiguity of what some of the instruments were it is impossible to recreate the colour and texture that Bach himself was looking for. Word count = 826 SUBMISSION 1 ASSIGNMENT TWO Assignment 2A Question 3 Give a detailed analysis of the first movement of Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 in F major. Include a brief background to this work. It is widely believed that much of the music that Bach wrote during his years as the Kapellmeister in Cothen has been lost, fortunately amongst the surviving works are the celebrated scores of the Brandenburg Concertos. Due to the complex contrapuntal nature of the six instrumental works, they could possibly be classed as chamber works rather than orchestral works. All six concertos are written for differing musical combinations, combinations which show a desire to create new sounds but also celebrate sounds of the period. These six concertos were dedicated in a presentation score to Christian Ludwig, The Margrave of Brandenburg, with the year 1721 as the year on the manuscript. It was whilst on a trip to Berlin during the year of 1719 that Bach met the Margrave, Bachs musicianship as a performer had interested the Margrave so much that he invited Bach to write him some compositions for his extensive library. It was two years later that Bach obliged the offer of the Margrave, sending him the scores to what are now known as The Brandenburg Concertos. This gesture by Bach is widely suggested amongst scholars of the musical world to be Bachs way of submitting his CV, in the hope of earning a job in the court of Christian Ludwig, a job which never materialised. The now labelled Brandenburg Concertos are amongst Bachs most celebrated works, performers, composers and academics regard them as some of the finest musical output of the baroque era. This idea of writing for various combinations of instruments was a new concept in Germany; Bach however had studied the published works of composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, and wrote closely to the Italian style with the use of a clear ritornello form. With the six concertos having mainly a three movement structure of quick slow quick, as per the concertos of Bachs Italian counterparts, it is the varied instrumentation that sets these works apart. Brandenburg concerto No.2 could be said to be one of the more colourful concertos of the set. Written in F major and scored for a concertino of trumpet, recorder, oboe and violin, supported in tutti sections by the typical ripieno section of strings and continuo (commonly a Harpsichord). It is the wind ensemble that delivers the richness of sound yet has the sensitivity to explore the fine counterpoint which so effortlessly flows through the parts. The set of six concertos are some of Bachs most famous works and I now aim to deliver a detailed analysis of the first movement of his Brandenburg Concerto No 2. in F major. Bachs Brandenburg concerto no 2 was written in three movements as follows: Allegro Andante Allegro assai The concerto is written in the key of F major and conforms to the style considered a Concerto Grosso. The composition uses the following instrumentation: Strings, Trumpet, Flute (originally a recorder), Oboe with strings and basso continuo (commonly a Harpsichord). The continuo is never omitted from the movement as it provides the harmonic foundation of the whole movement. This first movement of Bachs Brandenburg Concerto No 2 is written in ritornello form as is his Brandenburg concerto No 5. Example 1 below shows the opening eight bars which I consider to be the ritornello theme, in the tonic key of F major it is written for all instruments throughout the movement. Example 1 Bars 1-8. This ritornello theme is never repeated in full and can be broken down into 6 smaller motifs, shown below in Example 2, as the movement evolves these motifs are introduced at different points. Example 2 The solo subjects can also be split down into their own theme being called S1 and a countersubject called S2. These two lines are shown below in Example 3. This Solo line could be considered as a second ritornello as it is a recurring theme which can be heard to a total of eight times throughout the movement. Interestingly, this theme is only scored to be played by the concertino, unlike the main ritornello theme which passes through the solo and ripieno instruments. As we will see throughout this analysis a large percentage of the melodic material written is manufactured from the two themes that I am calling S1 and S2. Example 3 On completion of the ritornello theme the concertino violin plays a solo (S1) for 2 bars and then it returns back to the ritornello (R1) theme for the following 2 bars. This solo is accompanied by just the cello and is then joined by all the ensemble instruments to play the ritornello theme as in the opening. Bar 13 has the oboe playing a solo (S1) for 2 bars with the violin playing the solo counter subject (S2) once again accompanied by the cello. There is then a modulation for the first time into the dominant key of C Major for 2 bars of the ritornello (R1) theme. This sequence then continues until bar 23, with the flute and then the trumpet each playing solos (S1) for 2 bars with oboe, whilst the flute then plays the solo counter subject (S2). In Bar 23 it is back to the ritornello theme for 6 bars but this time it is with the introduction of the R4, R5 and R6 motifs in the dominant key. The movement then modulates to B flat major (the sub-dominant) and the trumpet plays a small s olo (S1) for 2 bars. This solo is not accompanied by the normal counter subject (S2) as heard previously, but the violin continues to play a semi-quaver rhythm which is leading us on to different ideas. This solo is also harmonised with the other concertino instruments and the cello of the ripieno, Bach is gradually building the instrumentation of the solo lines in comparison to what was heard at the beginning of the movement. At bar 31 the ritornello theme (R1) begins to move the music in the direction of the key of D minor, this is done using a cycle of fifths, the chords are as follows; D Minor G Minor Cdom7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 E Minor Adom7 D Minor. The texture within this cycle of fifths becomes very thick and extremely complex, with the flute and cello playing together in thirds at bars 33-35. The solo violin can be heard playing a pulsating and energetic chordal harmony figure in a virtuosic style whilst the trumpet and the oboe are pigeon stepping from the end of bar 32 until bar 35 (See example 4). This pigeon stepping technique is also written in the viola and violone from bar 33 until bar 35(See example 5). These ideas are used to give a sense of direction and it also helps to disguise the circle of fifths, stopping the idea from becoming a simple clichà ©. Example 4 Bars 32 35. Example 5 Bars 33 35. This cycle of fifths leads the music back to the ritornello theme (R1) at bar 40 for two bars in D Minor and then it begins to travel back to the tonic key, through another cycle of fifths; D Minor G Minor C Major F Major. Throughout this cycle of fifths the ritornello theme (R1) can be heard to pass through the trumpet, flute and lastly the oboe lasting for two bars in each line. Whilst this ritornello theme is passing around the concertino instruments the other solo lines are accompanying it with a fluid semi-quaver rhythm, with the trumpet and then the flute moving in contrary motion against the oboe and violin. There continues to be heard the ritornello theme from bar 46 in the tonic key but it is abruptly interrupted at bar 50 owing to the fact that if the theme was to be heard again here in full, in the tonic key, then you could expect that movement would have had to finish at this point. Bar 46 sees the continuo and cello take over the fluid semiquaver rhythm which seems to be in support of the solo violin this however only lasts for 2 bars until the reintroduction of this figure in the flute and oboe, along with Violin 1 of the ripieno. It is at this point (Bar 50) we can see that Bach begins to introduce a V-I rising sequence with a very strong 7th feel to each of the chords. Beginning with the chord of F7 at bar 50 moving to D7 (V) at bar 51 G7 (I) at bar 52 E7 (V) at bar 53 Amin7 (I) at bar 54 F7 (V) at bar 55 Bb7 (I) at bar 56. This rising sequence starts to move the music away from the tonic key so as not to give the feeling that the movement is coming to the end. This time, however, the ritornello theme R5 is heard to be played in this sequence by the Violin, Oboe, Flute, Violin again Oboe again and then lastly the Trumpet, each for 1 bar at a time. Whilst this theme is being passed seamlessly through the concertino the underlying moving semi-quaver idea is also being passed through the concertino instruments, cleverly intertwining with the ritornello theme R5. Bar 56 sees the continuo and Cello now playing the theme R5 with the Trumpet decorating it in the treble. The end of this section is announced wi th the introduction of the ritornello theme R6 which is an ending theme. At the introduction of this ending theme, R6, we are in the key of B flat (sub-dominant) for 4 bars and a reversion back to the now seemingly solitary solo (S1) and counter subject solo (S2), from the flute and Violin respectively, with just the continuo adding a simple harmonic accompaniment the music can then be heard to modulate to G minor at bar 62 for two bars, with the solo lines reversing and the Violin playing the Solo (S1) and the Flute playing the counter subject (S2). The Oboe then takes over this Solo line (S1) with the violin playing the counter subject (S2) but there is a modulation once again, this time to E flat major, at this point Bach begins building the harmony and texture again, introducing the flute playing an interrupted quaver rhythm. For the final time in this sequence the music modulates once again to C minor, with the Trumpet playing the Solo Line (S1) and the Oboe playing the counter subject (S2).There is a definite feeling of rebuilding of the texture her e again as the flute and solo violin, playing the interrupted quaver rhythm, are heard together at bar 66. All throughout this, from bar 60, it has remained a simple accompaniment from just the continuo with the tutti strings tacet. This idea is the same as in bars 9 23 but without the fragments of the Ritornello theme. Again can be heard the ritornello theme from bar 68, still in the key of C Minor (dominant minor), however, this is soon interrupted by a rising sequence of V I at bar 72. This time it begins with C Minor (V) at bar 72, moving to F major 7 (I) at bar 73. Bar 74 is in D major 7 (V) leading us back to the ritornello theme at bar 75 in G Minor (I). This rising V-I section once again uses the idea of passing the ritornello theme R6 around the concertino instruments, with the fluid semi-quaver movement flowing effortlessly through the solo lines. This ritornello theme modulates to G minor using another cycle of fifths, the chords it uses are as follows; G minor C minor 7 F 7 B flat major 7 E major A minor 7 D major G Minor. In bar 72 there ios a very subtle use of syncopation in the tutti violin part which seems to bind the ripieno ensemble. Bach again uses the pigeon stepping device, but this time it is heard in the trumpet and the oboe from the end of bar 76 up until bar 79. There is also another example of the pigeon stepping in the viola and continuo from bar 77 until bar 79 along with the Cello and Violin playing in 3rds. This again has disguised the circle of fifths and made the texture very rich and extremely complex. In bar 86 I get a very definite feeling that the movement is heading to its climax, the long sustained chords, lasting up until bar 93, within the violins and the viola of the ripieno are something new, seeming to create a different texture and binding to the intricate figures of the concertino and the harmony of the continuo. Bar 94 sees another return of the ritornello theme in A minor, however this time it is introduced by the flute and the violin for two beats, and then the trumpet and oboe join in with an echo effect, maybe a hint of Bachs fugal ideas. This ritornello theme is extremely short lived as once again there is more use the cycle of fifths from bar 96, D minor G7 C Major F Major B minor7 E Major 7 A minor. Heard again is the same idea as previously heard with the Flute and Violin pigeon stepping from bars 95 99, this pigeon stepping is also displayed in the Viola and Violone whilst the Oboe and Cello play the fluid semi-quavers in 3rds. The music stays in the key of A minor for 3 bars and the final ritornello theme is stated, in unison and in octaves, back in the tonic key of F major. This is a sudden change back to the tonic key with the whole ensemble having a quaver rest before. This idea is a stylistic/form aspect from another type of composition the da capo aria. It is with this sudden change back to the tonic and with the ensemble playing in unison that you are tricked into thinking its the end of the movement, but Bach leads off again with another rising V-I Sequence. Beginning this V-I sequence in F Major (V) moving to B flat major 7 (I) at bar 107. Bar 108 moves to G dominant 7 th (V) and leads onto C dominant 7th (I) at bar 109. A dominant 7th (V) begins bar 110 resolving to D dominant 7th (I) at bar 111, and then to finish the sequence it is a diminished 7th on B leading in to C major. This diminished 7th on B natural strengthens the return back to the tonic F major. The rising V I section uses the idea which is previously heard of weaving the ritornello theme R5 through the concertino instruments. Heard then is the ritornello theme R5 played by the Violone and Cello at bar 113. Bar 115 sees the music return to the tonic key of F major and the ritornello theme is stated for the very last time, however, Bach does not write the ritornello theme in full as you would expect with ritornello form, it is left to ritornello theme R5 for 2 bars and then the ending theme R6 to finish the movement. Although this movement can be recognised as being in ritornello form It has become clear during my analysis, that it is very hard to distinguish between the solos and ritornello theme. This is because Bach has used material from the original ritornello theme throughout the whole of this movement and integrated them so seamlessly and subtly into the solo passages. Word count = 2,576
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