Information System and Knowledge Management Essay

Information System and Knowledge Management - Essay Example Ans: In Information systems the name of a particular aspect does not represent its identity. It can be catered to several aspects of Information system. In data communication terminology, data is sent across several networks and it faces possible threats of stealing information by intruders. Thus obscuring data is essential and thereby name is hidden from its identity for safety reasons. It is also termed as encryption where the original data or identity is concealed and does not represents its real name. The concept of I-names and IP addresses where the original name is usually hidden with user friendly ones are also a good example. The domain names are usually represented by user friendly names which are in reality numbers which represents a unique address. Domain names are intended to unambiguously associate a name to an IP address. This cultural identity and empowerment comes from seeing communication and identification occurring in a way that seems natural in one's native language. While the bulk of the content on the Internet has been in English, this is increasingly changing. (Christine, 2006) The importance of the distinction is a balanced presentation of whether names should be allowed to represent its identity or not. Online personal spaces which allow a person to be known over the internet are often represented by his identity and his real name is often hidden. For instance, in many cases in these spaces it is difficult to check the validity of the information declared by a user, and therefore to trust the validity of the "displayed" identity (for instance people do not hesitate to change gender in online forums or online games). For instance, a... The importance of the distinction is a balanced presentation of whether names should be allowed to represent its identity or not. Online personal spaces which allow a person to be known over the internet are often represented by his identity and his real name is often hidden. For instance, in many cases in these spaces it is difficult to check the validity of the information declared by a user, and therefore to trust the validity of the â€Å"displayed† identity (for instance people do not hesitate to change gender in online forums or online games). For instance, a fantasy world will give an insignificant employee in the real world the opportunity to become a renowned knight, a blog will provide a professor the possibility to become a rock and cultural critic, and a dating system will permit an introvert to overcome his/her shyness in an online world and to engage in some relationships with individuals of the opposite gender. The negative approach to the distinction is that enormous fraud is taking place with regard to identity theft and false impersonation which results in a breach of law and trust. There are several ways in which universal categories obscure important information. In the field of astronomy, it is observed quite a much. The scientific case is itself controversial, but many scientists and philosophers believe in the existence of unobservable, provided the theories that postulate them best explain the observable phenomena under study. For example, many believe the universe contains â€Å"black holes".

Strategic Management Case Analysis section on how to prepare a Research Paper

Strategic Management Case Analysis section on how to prepare a strategic case analysis. (IP 4) - Research Paper Example It has been subject to serious design level issues wherein product recalls were traced back to the to the faults in design and manufacturing processes of Toyota. This suggests that its operational weaknesses may be on the rise during the recent past. Ford as a part of automobile industry is facing stiff social challenge of improving its image. There is a general perception within the general public that car automakers are thriving on tax payers’ money. Overall market demand is emerging from US market. Ford’s primary demographics is in North American market besides it serves EU market also. Its overall product range serve both high end and low end market. In order to overcome the weakness of low consumer demand, Ford can enter into small car manufacturing. It needs to improve its R&D efforts to produce more cost effective vehicles which can serve the mass market at the global market (Nilsson-Witell, Antoni, & Dahlgaard, 2005). It needs to increase its R&D budget and engage into further improving its fuel efficient cars. In order to overcome it dependence on two markets, Toyota need to establish its manufacturing and distribution facilities in other emerging markets specially in India and other growing markets where demand for low cost fuel efficient cars can be enormous. It can expand into these markets through effective quality management. (Taddese & Osada, 2011) It needs to enter into market development process in a way which can ensure its presence in optimal market locations across the whole globe. Nilsson-Witell, L., Antoni, M., & Dahlgaard, J. (2005). Continuous improvement in product development: Improvement programs and quality principles". International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management,, 22(8),

Personal Definition and Understanding of Mythology and its Influences Essay Example for Free

Personal Definition and Understanding of Mythology and its Influences Essay Heaven, hell, angels, devils, gods, goddesses, monsters, and immortal heroes— as I was growing up as a child, these were the things which have been said to me about places, supreme beings, and creatures the existence of which I was not able to prove up to this moment. Over the years of growing up, I have come across lots of stories which both seemed believable but unverifiable to me. Thus, I can only conclude that these things, stories, and people are what are known today as myths. These things should be told to me to make me believe that supreme powers exist. Supreme powers, aside from the ultimate God whom my religion has taught me, govern and guide people to do good acts and avoid evil. Eventually, these things roused my curiosity. As I try to discover these unverifiable creatures, places, and supreme beings, I was able to understand myth and mythology. Mythology, in the literal sense, pertains to a collection of revered stories about a person, a group of persons, a culture, or humankind as a whole (Emery, 2008). Thus, through this definition, my own conception of myth and mythology matches as I see these stories as tales and epics that are made to provide people sacred role models to urge them to do such good acts based on the actions and experiences of these mythological beings. In this sense, mythological places and powers were told to influence the belief and ideology of individuals that humankind can be punished and rewarded according to their acts of either righteousness or evil. Also, mythological stories are also studied to somehow give a specific group of people an idea and grasp of their identity, the origin of their world, the rites and rituals in their culture, the basic point of view about life, and the concepts of death and after death (Kohler, 2008). When myths and mythologies are mentioned, the society that first enters my mind is that of the Greeks. Greek mythology has been the everlasting source of mythical gods and goddesses, epic wars of mortal and immortal heroes, stories of salvation, immortalization, condemnation to the underworld, and even the sacred stories of love and romance. These stories have been exposed to most of us in our primary and secondary educations, but these stories have existed and have remained immortal as its characters. These stories have existed since the immemorial history of the Greek race and society. I also find Greek mythology as one of the greatest mythologies that tells the story of humankind, as it reflects real-life acts, consequences, and tendencies. The aspect of gods talking and communicating to people may seem unrealistic, but if this aspect would be deeply examined, it could be inferred that Greek mythology gives people that idea in illusive form that communicating with God is never a hard or impossible task. Its characters also go through what usual people experience. As a result, even modern people can easily relate to and reflect on its stories. Personally, I believe that mythology, Greek mythology specifically, has had significant impacts in my beliefs and how I view life. I may be practicing one specific religion, but the stories I was able to learn in Greek mythology have affected me in such a way that I believed that all the good things people do in their lifetime have an equivalent reward (or penalty). The mythology’s concept of a grand place for people who have been fair and righteous in their lives have been guiding my beliefs all these years—that there might indeed be a special place for people who chose to do good and fair acts in their lives. These stories and tales from the mythologies of not just the Greeks but all the other ancient and even current societies may not all seem verifiable or credible for us contemporary individuals to believe. However, there appears neither harm nor threat in allowing these myths, mythological characters, and mythological epics to guide us in how we view life and what it offers us. As how I understand mythology, it is but a collection of lifetime stories that are bound to show people how to deal with life in the most positive way possible.

The Debate on E-learning: Advantages and Disadvantages

The Debate on E-learning: Advantages and Disadvantages People have different opinions about e learning. Some people think that e-learning is innovative and it reduces the time and distance barriers of education while the other group thinks that e-learning leads to feelings of isolation and frustrations (Handzic Ho-hur, 2005). E-learning can be defined as using network technologies to create, foster, deliver and facilitate learning, anytime and anywhere (Liaw, 2008 cited in Duan et.al., 2010). Due to globalisation corporations have to deal with more complex and uncertain situations nowadays. To survive and succeed in this environment the organisations have to keep up with the pace and have to be more innovative and efficient (Handzic Ho-hur, 2005). It is important to keep the employees up-to-date not only in the technology but also with the implications which use the technology and yield for more efficient and effective working (Newton Doonga, 2007). Corporate e-learning can be done in the form of e-training. Newton (2007) Doonga (2007) define Entraining as an environment in which training or instruction in a range of skills or techniques can be developed using computer technology. The purpose of this paper is to identify the benefits limitations of corporate e-learning to organisations. Corporate E-learning is the future of the business world. Corporate want to save more and more costs by having more corporate e-learning rather than sending their employees to different locations for getting the required training. Literature review Secondary Data: The literature review will discuss the various advantages and limitations of e-learning. The literature reviewed considers both qualitative and quantitative analysis in their research. The purpose of the literature review is to find gaps in the study that has been conducted on e-learning. This includes benefits, limitations and purpose of e-learning. Following are the benefits of e-learning: 1. Technological changes increase the velocity of work environment:   Technology has changed the way people live, work, think, and learn (Urdan Weggen 2000). The work force of today has to be on their toes to get a contract, to achieve targets and all the challenges that come their way. They have to understand a lot of information in a short span of time. The rate at which new products and services are introduced in the market is extra ordinary. As production cycles and life spans of products continue to shorten, information and training quickly become obsolete (Urdan Weggen 2000). The training managers have to deliver the services more efficiently and quickly. Training managers feel the urgency to deliver knowledge and skills more rapidly and efficiently whenever and wherever needed. In the age of just-in-time production, just-in-time training becomes a critical element to organizational success (Urdan Weggen 2000). 2. Cost Savings: Strother citing Newton Doonga (2007) assesses the effectiveness of e-learning in corporate training programs and gives some very impressive examples of à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nancial beneà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ts of corporate e-learning. She quotes that IBMs reported saving of $200 million in 1999 through conversion of their training delivery methods to e-learning, Ernst and Youngs reduction of training costs by 35% gained by replacing 80% of classroom instruction by using e-training and Rockwell Collins reduction of training expenditure of 40% by converting 25% of their traditional instruction to e-training (Newton Doonga, 2007) . Corporate e-learning also saves on the travelling of the trainers which can be used as optimum use of their skills.   3. Accessibility Flexibility of delivery: Schriver Giles 1999 prove that one of the benefits of e-learning us the accessibility and flexibility of delivery. It is cheaper to deliver the projects through reduced opportunity costs and reduced time away from work. It also helps to reach the wider constituencies, also to the most remote areas.  Ã‚   4. Globalization of business is resulting in manifold challenges: Advances in information technology and falling trade barriers facilitate business around the globe. As borders become less meaningful, global competition intensifies. International expansion has led to larger and more complex corporations. Todays businesses have more locations in different time zones and employ larger numbers of workers with diverse cultural backgrounds and educational levels than ever. Thus, more information has to be delivered in increasingly larger organizations, challenging internal planning, logistics, and distribution. Corporations worldwide are now seeking more innovative and efficient ways to deliver training to their geographically-dispersed workforce (Urdan Weggen 2000).   5. Trainees learn at their own pace: The trainees can take their own time in understanding the concept and dont have to rush. E-learning also helps them to have the training material in their gasp whenever required. Also it can be referred whenever needed (Elliot Clayton, 2007).   Community building and Interactivity (Handzic Ho-Hur, 2005): E-learning helps in community building and increases a lot of interactivity between the trainer and the trainee between different parts of the world. A research was conducted in state of online learning in U.S. higher education. The study was aimed at answering some of the fundamental questions about the nature and extent of online education based on responses from more than 2,500 colleges and universities. The below graph indicates the growth of students taking at least one online course. Limitations of e-learning: E-learning limitations can be categorized as technological limitations, personal issues and design limitations (Wong, 2007). Technological limitations: Wong 2007 believes that for e-learning you need to have a computer or a laptop to have access to e-learning. Rumble (2000) cited in Wong (2007) says that e-learning comes with benefits such as unlimited access 24 hours, 7 days a week, this privilege does not seem to be feasible for some people in rural areas due to the inability to access Internet services. The Internet penetration rate in Malaysia is only 31.8 % (Phang, 2004 cited in Wong, 2007). Good internet speeds are the basic requirement and these are only available in few places and not in all. Bose 2003 cited in Wong 2007 mentioned that, while it is feasible to access to high-speed bandwidth within the university campus, it becomes a problem outside the campus, where Internet facilities are less sophisticated. Handzic Ho-hur (2007) say that a lot of researchers think that e-learning lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, anxiety and confusion.   Personal issues (Wong 2007): Lack of personal technological skills can be an issue in e-learning. The new people coming and joining e-learning might feel clueless as they dont have a teacher to guide them.   Elearners have to be techno savvy. Hamid (2002) cited in Wong (2007) stated that technical skills could cause frustration to e-learning students due to the unconventional e-learning environment and isolation from others. Dringus (200) cited in Macpherson et al. (2004) agrees Hamid saying that e-learners may be unable to sustain their momentum unless they have right skills and they are self motivated. Design Limitations: Poor design of the e-learning courseware is a major issue for learners and e-learning providers Ivergard Hunt (2005) cited in Wong (2007). The design should be easy to understand so that the learner has the motivation to learn. Courseware design should be tailored to the needs of the learners: it should be easy to use and students should have easy access to guidance and information (Howell, Williams Lindsay 2003; James-Gordon, Young Bal, 2003 cited in Wong 2007). The following example explains how China adopted E-learning with the help of 5 influential factors (Duan et al., 2010). Another example of corporate e-learning is taken up by Japan. The Japan e-learning market reached 1350 billion yen in 2004, an increase of 41.3% from 2003 (Schnack, 2005). Traditional learning: Traditional learning is sitting in the class physically and taking lessons. The traditional classroom setting adds value in terms of instruction clarity. Traditional learning is available almost every part of the world where education is available. Students and the teachers are comfortable with the classroom environment as they have been always used to it. Teaching in this environment is more informal (Chen Jones, 2007). Traditional classroom teaching gives an opportunity to the students to ask spontaneous questions in the class. The teacher can answer to the queries of the students right in the class. Traditional learning gives opportunity to students to interact with other students and have live discussions on topics and have different opinions on one concept. Interaction between students is an important part of individual development. Teachers use situations to explain concepts to students which give them a practice to think on the spot and come up with solutions in a quick time (Lunce, 2006). Studies on e-learning have identified lots of benefits like cost savings, flexibility and accessibility of delivery and community building and interactivity (Newton Doonga). Also there is extensive research on the limitations of e-learning. The biggest difference between the two learning is the delivery methods so it is very important to do a proper research in this matter to find the differences. Important goal of this study was to be able to make meaningful comparisons between two delivery methods (Chen Jones, 2007). Mind the gap: Studies on e-learning have identified a lot of benefits and limitations. There is not a lot of research done on the difference between traditional room learning and  e-learning. This research will give us an idea about what do people prefers? Though there are many benefits proven but its the people who will be using e-learning in day to day life, so it is very important to take their opinion into  consideration. In other words we will try to find the user friendly of e-learning in the opinion of the people using this. This research will also give an idea to the people planning to take up e-learning in future. This research should be able to justify the benefits and limitations of e-learning in comparison to the traditional classroom learning. Research question: What do people prefer, e-learning or traditional classroom learning and why? Research Design: Methods, Methodology Data Collection: Methods are the techniques that are used to collect and analyse the data. Methodology determines whether the implementation of particular methods is successful or not (Veal. The method that can be used for this will be quantitative qualitative methods. The qualitative methods will help gathering information in depth and will be more subjective. The quantitative research will be more objective and will be analysed more statistically. Qualitative methods Samples / Focus groups: People from different organisations who use e-learning, a sample will be from organisation which does not use e-learning, a group of students who use learning and the last group who does not. Focus groups can be made and asked about the benefits of e-learning and traditional learning. This debate will give a good knowledge about the thoughts of people about both the concepts. The findings from the focus groups will help us to prepare the questionnaire for the in depth interviews. Different questionnaires will be used for different groups. As the demographics of each group will be different the questions have to be prepared keeping the purpose of the research in mind. Questions asked to the organisations using e-learning will be mostly based on the benefits, limitations and the improvements to be made in e-learning, while on the other side the non user group will be educated first about e-learning and then asked whether they will be keen to move to e-learning. The questions will be based on workplace e-learning. Same technique of two different questionnaire used for two groups will be used for the student groups but with different set of questions which will be more based on e-learning school education. In-depth interviews: The questionnaire made with the help of the findings of the focus groups will be explanatory. In-depth interviews will give an insight of the thinking of people regarding these concepts. The in depth interviews questions will be connected to each other. Quantitative methods: Surveys: Surveys will be conducted in general to get statistics of the number of people interested in e-learning or traditional learning. The questionnaire of the survey will be a mix of open ended and close ended questions. The questions in this survey will be more general to get the numbers only, like how many people are interested in e-learning and how many in traditional classroom learning. Data Analysis: Data Analysis will be divided into 3 different stages: Data Reduction: The irrelevant data will be discarded and only the data which is necessary and related to the research topic will be kept. Data Display :The data will be displayed with the help of graphs and tables as visual graphs can give a better understanding of the data. Conclusion: The findings and the important stuff of the research will be entered in the form of a report. These conclusions are stored so that they be used for future researches as well. Conclusion: As seen through the various journals and sources related to e-learning, it is quite obvious that the story is rather two-fold. There are studies conducted to test the worthiness of e-journal, whether people prefer to use this method, but as indicated earlier, there isnt much research on comparing the traditional classroom method of teaching with the so-called future of teaching e-learning. Where corporate are required to provide knowledge through interdisciplinary areas of the organization, e-learning tends to be a cost-saving method of knowledge dispersion. Though this might be true, there are a lot of people who prefer human interaction, rather the traditional method of learning. Based on this, I decided that future research can be conducted to find out what types of industries, entities or any such establishment, hence an increased number of surveys throughout the workspace spectrum are extremely important to find out the preferences of people in different parts of the globe.

William Shakespeare :: essays research papers

	William Shakespeare was one of the best authors, actors/playwrights of all time. William's poetry was full of images from nature, gardening, agricultural, pursuits, and country folklore. He was born and died on exactly the same date 52 years later. William has written a total of 37 plays including articles of time, love, death, friendship and the immortality of poetry. William was exceptionally good at his work and he generated a few enemies along the way. 	William was born in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23, 1564. His parents, John and Mary Shakespeare lived on Henley Street, Stratford. His father was a whittawer, which is a maker, worker and seller of leather goods such as purses, belts, and gloves. His father was a well-known man in society, occupying such positions as a member of council, constable, chamberlain, alderman, and also a high bailiff. Shakespeare's father died in 1601 and his mother died in 1608. 	William was married at the age of 18 in 1582. His bride Anne was three months pregnant and eight years' older then William when they wed. His wife Anne was the daughter of Richard Hathaway. Richard was a substantial Warwickshire farmer. He had a spacious house and owned large amounts of farm land. Anne's father Richard called her Agnes which was interchangeably in the sixteenth century. The Hathaway farm house has now become known to the tourist industry as "Anne Hathaway's cottage." William and his wife Anne had three children. Susanna was born on May 26, 1583. The other two children, Judith and Hamnet were twins, born in 1585. Susanna married Doctor John Hall in 1607. Their home Hall's Croft, is today preserved as one of Shakespeare's properties. Judith Shakespeare married Thomas Quiney in 1616, at the age of 31. Hamnet Shakespeare died at the age of 11 in 1596. 	Shakespeare was unquestionably a famous man because of the distinguished plays he wrote throughout his live. In 1599 the Globe theatre was built and Shakespeare received 10% of their profits. This theatre burnt down while William Shakespeare was preforming one of his master pieces. Shakespeare's comedies of the late 90's relied very strongly on women's parts. One enemy, Robert Greene, wrote a poem conveying his feelings about his younger rival Shakespeare: 			Groats Worth of Witte: 	For there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, 	that with his Tygers hart wrapt in a players hyde, supposes 	he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best

The Mobot Project: Longwood :: essays research papers

The MOBOT Project: Longwood In modern engineering, a systematic approach is used in the design, operation, and construction of an object to reach a desired goal. The first step of the process employs what is commonly known as the scientific method. The next step involves forming an interdisciplinary team of specialists from not only the various engineering disciplines, but from other fields whose knowledge may be useful or even necessary to completing the project. This step doesn't apply to our project, due the confined nature of the class. Finally, considerations must be taken into account to ensure that the project is efficient as well as cost effective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The goal of the MOBOT Project was to design and build a programmable robot. The robot had to complete a series of four movements in four given directions over a distance of at least 6 inches. Power and weight restrictions were applied to ensure the safety of the students and, more importantly, the teacher. As the goals of the project were made clearer, our group began discussing possible ideas for the design. There were some disagreements about whether we should take the electromechanical route or the purely electrical one. And after some deep thought, we all agreed that the mechanical way would be the simplest to build and the most merciful on our pocketbooks. Even though we were coming up with some good ideas, each design seemed to contain some major problems. One of the reoccurring problems dealt with the synchronization of the driver motor and the steering system. Finally the team came up with a design that allowed the drive and steering controls to be independent of one another, but still allowing each one to be linked in time. This design has now become what is known as LONGWOOD.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Longwood is divided into two main parts: 1)motion system and 2)logic board. As the engineer, I was responsible for motion design. Therefore, that will be the focus for the remainder of this section.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main components of the motion system consist of a platform, three wheels, a wheel frame, two motors, and two contact switches. Two of the wheels were connected to a motor and attached at the front end of the platform. These wheels were only allowed to move simultaneously in either a forward or reverse direction. The third wheel was hooked up to the wheel frame and free to rotate approximately 45 degrees in either direction. Figure 1.1 shows an illustration of how the wheel frame works. The wheel frame and third wheel were then attached to the platform completing the basic assembly.

Importance of Physical Education in Schools Essay

Importance of Physical Education in Schools SPO3001 Learn to Swim Table of Contents Page Introduction3 Definition of Physical Education3 What is taught in Physical Education?4 Importance of Physical Education5 The Importance of Physical Education as it relates to Swimming7 Disadvantages of lack of Physical Education 9 Conclusion10 References11 Introduction Physical education plays a vital role in students’ development and growth. According to recent medical studies, physical well being of a student is directly related to his or her performance whether in class or in the office. The optimal physical education program will foster a lifetime commitment to physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. Ultimately, improved coordinated school health programs, of which physical education is a central component, will augment other prevention efforts and help to reverse the growing epidemic of childhood obesity which threatens to undo decades of progress in the fight against cardiovascular and other diseases. Effective efforts made now will help children avoid a lifetime of chronic disease and disability. Before further discussion of the importance of physical education, there first needs to a formal definition of what physical education is and what type of teachings occur in such a class. Definition of Physical Education People are often mistaken in defining physical education as they often assume that physical education is sport education. Simply put, physical education is defined as a process of education through physical activity. The goal is the development of individuals acquired through experience of motion. In a  broader context, physical education is defined as a process of learning through physical activities designed to improve physical fitness, develop motor skills, knowledge and behavior of healthy and active living, sportsmanship, and emotional intelligence. Thus, Physical Education is not only aimed at physical development but also includes the development of the individual as a whole. With Physical Education students will acquire a variety of expressions which are closely related with the personal impressions of fun as well as various expressions of a creative, innovative, and skilled, have the physical fitness, healthy habits and have the knowledge and understanding of human motion. What is taught in Physical Education? The health and physical education programs should be designed to teach students the skills, knowledge and attitudes essential to live a healthy lifestyle and select healthy and safe behaviors. Physical education is unique as it provides students with opportunities to learn motor skills, develop fitness, and gain understanding about the importance of physical activity. Students should be provided an individualized, developmentally appropriate, and personally challenging instructional program that will advance the knowledge, confidence, skills, and motivation needed to engage in a lifelong, healthy, active lifestyle. There are many branches to physical education and it does not just deal with the teaching of a sport of any kind whether basketball or track, etc. Some major topics include nutrition and health, which entails the teaching of proper eating habits. Sport science, which is the teachings of the rules and play of a specific sport and the necessary equipment that sport requires. Anatomy and physiology, which looks into the human body for e.g. skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, and respiratory systems. Exercise physiology e.g. components of health related fitness; fitness guideline such as frequency, intensity, time/duration and type/mode; principles of exercise such as specificity, overload, and progression; roles of the body systems in exercise; short and long-term effects of physical training, nutrition as related to effects of physical training and nutrition as related to exercise, fitness, and metabolic response to exercise. Other topics include movement concepts such as body awareness and effects of substance abuse on  body performance, health and behavior. Importance of Physical Education Fitness Obesity is a very common problem faced, which if not taken care of in time, can lead to many lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Engaging in physical activities help to burn calories and lose fat. Regular exercising builds muscles, makes the immune system strong and improves upon stamina. This increases the fitness levels and keeps various diseases and health conditions in check. It Builds Self Esteem Students who are active in physical activities like basketball, volleyball, martial arts and running just to name a few are more confident with themselves according to most social school studies. It’s probably because of the self discipline and dedication to excel in a sport that brings out the best in students. In school, the physical education program introduces these sport activities to students allowing them to make choices to which sport areas they want to get involved in. Life Lessons By participating in various sports, a student gets to learn so many things about life. A student wins some games and loses some; this makes him understand that winning and losing are a part of life and should be accepted with grace. When a student participates in team games, he learns that co-operating with others is very important if goals are to be achieved. Likewise, sports can teach so many life lessons to students and thus, help them evolve mentally. Hygiene Physical education classes lay great emphasis on maintaining hygiene. They teach students how to remain clean and germ-free at all times. Sex education is sometimes part of this curriculum too. The safe practices taught in these classes, and if the lessons are followed throughout a persons’ life, will save them from many diseases. Stress Management Often times, students, particularly in their adolescent years, face various kinds of pressure and experience stress and anxiety. Participation in physical activities can act as a stress buster for them. Research has shown  that when a person exercises, the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone which increases blood sugar, get reduced. Moreover, a person who exercises every day is able to sleep better, thus giving enough time to his body to repair and restore. This proves that by making an exercise routine, a student can remain stress-free, relaxed and concentrate more on his studies and other important things. Productivity Researches show that students who participate in physical activities have high energy levels and are more alert than those who led sedentary lifestyles. Due to these very reasons, the productivity of such students in various spheres of life, including their studies, improves considerably. As can be seen, physical education contributes so much towards making a child grow into a healthy, intelligent, confident and level-headed adult. It can be rightly said that it’s not just for individual growth, but for the improvement of the whole society, physical education should be made an important part of the school curriculum. Academic Performance Though a lack of attention on PE is often justified as an opportunity to spend more time in the classroom, studies show that physical activity contributes to improved academic performance. Regular activity during the school day is strongly associated with higher concentration levels as well as more directed, composed behavior. A statewide policy in North Carolina required that children from kindergarten to eighth grade participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. A survey of school representatives from 106 of the state’s school districts reported that the most recognizable benefit of the mandate was â€Å"improved academic focus.† Importance of Physical Education as it relates to Swimming In an article about â€Å"How to Learn† by Swim Smooth written in 2009, it speaks about the brain in two parts, our conscious and our subconscious. When we perform a familiar movement pattern such as walking or riding a bike we perform the movements on auto-pilot. The same goes for swimming stroke. Freestyle is such a complex set of movements that nearly every action is controlled by our subconscious. It may be thought that you are concentrating very hard on your stroke but in reality you can only make small changes through pure ‘conscious thought power’ or concentration. The subconscious mind is very fast, can do complicated things in a fraction of a second, and can react before you have time to think. The conscious mind on the other hand is very much slower and could never react or co-ordinate things this quickly. It can only co-ordinate one thing at a time and often very clumsily. With proper physical education, a swim coach can teach about the muscle groups used in each different form of swim stroke, the proper nutrition required in order to keep the body fit for doing swimming on a regular basis and give proper instruction on swimming techniques so that as the individual practices and it starts to move from conscious thought to subconscious forms of movement, the actions being carried out are correct and precise. It can also be of benefit where the physical education is concerned because with technique again, focus will be made on single aspects of a stroke and gradually everything at once in order to give the body a full feel and more susceptible to get it done correctly than a person teaching themselves and trying to do everything at once. Since the conscious mind can only do one thing at a time, focus should only be on one part of the swimming technique at a time and the subconscious gets a feel for things most quickly by doing the action. Many swimmers believe they have to concentrate very hard when they swim or their stroke technique will ‘fall apart’. They’re vastly over-estimating the influence of their conscious mind as they’re swimming! If they mentally switched off they would swim almost identically – sometimes better because they’d be more relaxed. Disadvantages of a lack of Physical Education Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure. Physical inactivity (lack of physical activity) has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (6% of deaths globally). Moreover, physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21–25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes and approximately 30% of ischemic heart disease burden. Being inactive increases the risk of developing depression or dementia, according to studies presented at a conference of the British Nutrition Foundation. According to Nannette Mutrie of the University of Strathclyde, researchers are coming to understand how important physical activity is for psychological health. She said that recent research suggests that exercise can be successfully used to treat depression. Conversely, people who do live inactive lifestyles are twice as likely to become depressed. â€Å"It’s only recently that people have begun to see the link between physical activity and mental health,† Mutrie said. â€Å"It’s important for increasing people’s self esteem, general mood, coping with stress and even sleeping better. And we now have very strong evidence that physical activity can prevent depression.† As it relates to the theory aspect of physical education, a person wanting to be in better shape would not know the proper steps to take in order to make it happen. They would be ignorant about how the body works and how to eat healthy and so thought exercise is carried out often, may not see the results for all the work put in. Technique and precision is necessary for anyone to become good at whatever sport or activity they take part in and this can be more easily achieved if guidance through physical education is given. Conclusion In conclusion, physical education is very important as it helps with teaching of a healthy lifestyle, keeps the body active and promotes long life. Lack of physical education too has its disadvantages as it can promote various diseases, lead to obesity and more susceptible to mental issues such as depression or dementia. When relating to swimming specifically, physical education can help better with technique and necessary stretches and eating habits required to more develop on that skill. References Internet Sources American Diabetes Association (2008). Physical Education in Schools – Both Quality and Quantity are Important. Retrieved from http://www.everydaychoices.org/082008/PE%20in%20Schools%20Statement%20ACS%20ADA%20AHA%205.27.08%20_final_.pdf Greenlaw, E. (2012). What Do You Know About PE for Kids? Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/move/parents-pe-questions Datka, A. (2011). What Are the Benefits of Physical Education in School? Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/529108-what-are-the-benefits-of-physical-education-in-school/ Dogra, A. (2011). Importance of Physical Education in Schools. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-physical-education-in-schools.html Newspaper Articles Blair, L. (2003, May 11). Could PE fight the fat attack? Jamaica Gleaner Burke, D. (2012, September 3). The importance of play. Jamaica Observer Book Source Ayers, S. & Sariscsany, M. (2011). The Physical Best Teachers Guide: Physical Education For Lifelong Fitness, Third Edition. United States