City bank Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

City bank - Research Paper Example Despite business operations having an immense impact on the global economy, the economy as well can be said to have impacted on the businesses hence a two way affair. The global economy is surrounded by political, economic and social forces that must be highlighted in the bid to describe how the Bank’s business has influenced the economy (Starrett 2009). The free operation environments that have been advanced, environment that capital is freely movable and barriers to trade have also been eliminated hence free flow of finances. As a result of business operations and wellness in coordination, the global scene has realized a massive growth for businesses to become multinational corporations. Inventions and innovations as a result of idea generations globally have created a lot of new commodities. Moreover, management efficiency of the Bank due to businesses being in a position to attract highly qualified staff from every corner of the universe and in bulk. Labor cost in the global economy have also since reduced due to the unlimited supply of the labor itself as well as its mobility has made it easily accessible and readily available for most business ventures and the question which remains is its affordability. International political decisions, otherwise called foreign policies are highly dictated largely by world economic power houses. This power is achieved depending on the control that such countries posses in the world business arena, the US where the bank originates commands the bigger share of the world economy. In the past countries have been witnessed to collude and come together on the basis of their GDP. The so called G8 or G10 of the current is composed by the world economic forces and they influence all the decisions undertaken upon the surface of the earth. Such decisions are normally geared to only favor the bank and their operations (Starrett 2009). International wars and crimes have normally been propagated due to the fight of supremacy

The Significance Of The English Language English Language Essay

The Significance Of The English Language English Language Essay English language is really considered as a significant language since it has been used for communicating worldwide. Therefore, learning English is very common in many countries and language learning styles, especially reading styles are learned differently by students in globalization. More importantly, language learning styles are the core factors that help decide how the students learn a foreign language. In the article by (Rebecca, 2003), a foreign language is a language studied in an environment where it is not the major vehicle for every day communication and where input in the language is classified. In an article by Mulalic et al. (2009), students learning styles have been unnoticed as an irrelevant module in the learning process. Apparently, once lecturers become aware that different students learn various styles, they try to accommodate those learning styles in the classroom. When looking into lecturers teaching practices, it is possible to understand that the majority of the lecturers are not sensitive with their students learning styles. The problems occur when lecturers are not aware of the significance to create and explore learning styles. In second language teaching or learning situations for academic goals, especially in higher education in English universities which make far-reaching use of academic materials written in English, reading is vital. Surely, without reading proficiency, second language readers cannot achieve at levels they study. Consequently, successful reading in a second language is important. Also, professional in second language education should take into consideration with approaches which can develop the learners reading skills. Interactive approaches to reading are crucial for recognizing the complicated nature of reading, specifically when it happens in a second language and culture (Carrell, Devine Eskey, 2000). In the beginning of 1970s, researchers became aware that learning strategies, styles, and personal characteristics could have significant influence in language acquisition. Michael OMalley and Anna Chamot and their colleagues conducted a lot of learning strategies (reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, etc) and grouped them into three main categories. The first category was metacognitive strategy, which included organization, comprehension, and evaluation in gaining knowledge. The second category is cognitive strategy, which emphasized in learning assignments and its applications. The third one was socioaffective strategy, which focused on interpersonal interaction and social-mediating activity (Brown, 2000). In a globalized world, reading serves as a primary medium for information transmission and communication. Beneficially, reading improves cognitive capacity, sharpens critical thinking ability and enhances problem-solving skills, and it may even transform the development of individuals. Stanovich (1986) suggested that good readers will read more and read better while poor readers read less, and in turn obstruct further growth in reading ability. Since English language has been introduced in Cambodia, EFL students learning styles have adapted to the language acquisition. In the past students were likely to get knowledge through listening to the teachers while teachers lacked specific training about teaching methodology. In the study by (Nguyen 2001), the learning style of Cambodian students is typically memorization at the expense of realistic purpose. Consequently, they would rather learn grammar and reading than on listening and speaking. Specifically, most Cambodian learners feel more comfortable and enjoyable with having things which are written on the whiteboard in order that they can write them down and study at home. Hopefully, students hope to get handouts of summaries or lecture outlines. Furthermore, some Cambodian learners reveal that they face a lot of pressures of how to adapt the new cultural environment and how to get on with their peers in class. Some feel lonely because the ways they dress or talk are so diff erent. As for the case of EFL Cambodian classrooms, Keuk (2009), found that most teachers use practical habitual teaching methods such as vocabulary translation from second language to first language. As a result, students are taught to remember chunks of English language with mainly focused on grammar and vocabulary. 1.2 Research Problems Without recognizing proper learning styles, particularly reading styles students seem not to achieve better results in their academic performance and their English proficiency seems to be slow. Furthermore, students are less likely to improve their language acquisition very quickly, as they do not know the effective learning reading skills. In spite of the variety of academic courses which the EFL undergraduate students take in English, and the tough efforts universities and lecturers apply to develop students language skills, the students language performance, unfortunately, has been tedious. This could be recognized to the diverse learning styles and habits which are used by students in studying English, including preferring having things written on the whiteboard to listening to the lecturers explanation, nervousness of speaking in classroom, preferring working individually and personally to working in pairs or groups, and translating the words they do not know into their own lang uage while reading the text. Frequently, encountering new words in reading is common for learners, especially L2 learners. It may not obstruct the general understanding of the text, but if too many words are not known, then intellectual capacity might suffer a lot. Pedagogically, most of the lecturers practice traditional teaching method, grammar translation method form first language to second language while teaching English language. The final noticeable problem is that large classes pose some significant challenges in class room setting and reduced effectiveness of classroom management. In a study by Nuttal (1982), students learning English seem to be slow due to the fact that they do not have opportunities to read a lot. Most of the class time is devoted to learning about the language, that is learning grammar and learning to read through translation. Students are taught in a traditional way. They approach their reading assignment by putting all their effort and concentration into the passages they read. They carefully read the passage word by word. When reading and encountering an unfamiliar word, they stop reading and look up the meaning of the word in a dictionary. This reading behavior not only slows down their reading speed, but also hinders their reading comprehension. 1.3 Objectives of Study This study aims specifically to identify the learning reading of EFL undergraduate students in Cambodia. An additional aim of the research is to explore the affects and the outcomes of undergraduate students in learning reading in English as a foreign language. 1.4 Research Questions This research aims to investigate the effective factors in learning reading skills in English as a foreign language. The following research questions can be formulated for the study. Are there any differences in learning reading among Cambodian undergraduates? Is there a correlation between learning styles and learning outcomes? 1.5 Significance of Study As a part of educational development, this study is significant for four reasons. First, exploring students learning styles in reading in English in Cambodian higher education will help improve students language acquisition. Second, the study will shed light on the effective learning reading of EFL successful Cambodian undergraduates, which can be used as a model of learning reading in English. Third, this research will help to contribute to the usefulness of appropriate reading teaching and learning techniques in order to promote reading skills, particularly in EFL Cambodian context. In addition, from a methodological perception, it is also hoped that the findings from this study will be useful for providing second language reading and several strategies for reading comprehension based on Brown (2001). More importantly, the findings will help to develop the students capability of dealing with unknown words in their English vocabulary learning process, help to improve their reading c omprehension, and conduct more beneficial suggestions for both English teaching and English learning. 1.6 Definition of Terms In an attempt to better understand this study, some key terms are defined as follows. EFL students learning styles mean techniques, behaviors, actions, habits and steps employed by learners learning English as a Foreign Language to improve and develop their different language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Moreover, the term learning style refers to the general approach preferred by the student when learning a subject, acquiring a language, or dealing with a difficult problem (Oxford 2001; Reid 1998) Extensive reading refers to the improving well habitual reading, increasing knowledge of vocabulary and structure, and motivating a connecting in reading (Richard Schmidt, 2002: 193-194). 1.7 Proposed Chapter This paper will be chronologically composed of five main chapters. Chapter one is the introduction, consisting of background of the study, researcher problem, research objective, research question, significance of the study, and definition of key concepts. Chapter two is literature review, which discusses on the problems and solutions of the study. Chapter three is methodology, which consists of research design, participants, method, instruments, tools data collection, data analysis, ethnical consideration, strengths and limitation of research. Chapter four is discussion and findings, presenting the findings related to the effective learning reading skills to make students learn effectively. Chapter five is conclusion and recommendation, summarizing the problems and findings of the study and suggesting some strategies to help improve the weaknesses. Moreover, these five chapters are followed systematically by references and appendices. 1.8 Conceptual Framework Since English has become popular and international language for communicating, many learning styles are applied in a broader educational context in Cambodia. In Cambodian universities, students learning reading skills inside and outside the classroom are identified as follows: skimming and scanning, semantic mapping or clustering, previewing and predicting, strategies for reading comprehension, interactive reading model, three-part model of reading, extensive reading. Cambodian undergraduate students learning reading skills Skimming and Scanning Previewing and Predicting Strategies for Reading Comprehension Interactive Reading Model Three-part Model of Reading Extensive Reading Metacognitive Knowledge and Self Monitoring Teaching Second Language Reading Skills The Affects of Students Learning Styles and Learning Outcomes CHAPTER2 LITERATURE REVIEW Reading involves a variety of factors which may have an impact on learners reading ability. Weaver (1988) defined reading as the process of constructing meaning through the energetic interaction among the readers existing knowledge, the information recommended by the written language, and the situation in reading context. In a study by (Miller Yochum, 1991; Donnell Wood, 1999), maintained that the reading difficulties students face may be related to inaccurate knowledge of the reading process, lack interest and motivation, fluency, concept density, organization, and difficult vocabulary. Heffernan (1999) as cited in Aqel (2006), determined that many studies on language learning styles applied and gained differently base on motivation and outcome, level of language , years of learning language, teaching methods, difficult content, and students background and sex. He also added that successful language learners use various styles in learning language, and the teacher can help in increasing learning styles through teaching strategies that probably help weak students to choose the appropriate learning styles for dissimilar educational tasks. 2.1 Reading Skills 2.1.1 Skimming and Scanning In their book More Reading Power, Mikulecky Jeferies (1996) stated that skimming and scanning are the two important strategies. Skimming is high-speed reading which can save students a lot of time. Students skim to get the broad idea or gist of a text or a book, the main topic, and some of the supporting ideas. Students should read the words which help them gain the sense of the passage. Also, teachers can train students to skim passages by giving those 30 seconds to look through a few pages of material, close their books and then tell you what they learned. More importantly, there are three effective strategies for skimming: (1) Read quickly as you can; (2) keeping in mind the reason for skimming; (3) be flexible while you are skimming the passage (pp.132-133). Scanning, however, is very high-speed reading. Students should have a question in their mind when they scan the text; they do not read every word, only the words which answer the question. Practicing scanning will help students learn to skip over insignificant words in order that they can read more rapidly. For example, teachers ask students to look for names, dates, to find a definition of a key concept or to list a certain number of supporting details. For academic English, scanning is absolutely essential. In general English, scanning is important in dealing with genres like schedules, manuals, forms, etc (pp.15-16). 2.1.2 Previewing and Predicting Mikulecky et.al (1996), students should make a difference before they read. They can get some ideas about what they are going to read. As a result, they will start to process the information faster as well as they will be able to catch the ideas of the writer better. Even though it takes two or three minutes to preview and predict, those minutes are well invested. Later, they will find that they save lots of time in reading and improve comprehension. Here are the hints for previewing and predicting about language text: (1) read the title of the passage; (2) decide what sort of the text it is; (3) look at the organization of the text; (4) read very fast the first line of each paragraph or sub-division; (5) notice repeated names, numbers, dates, and words; (6) read rapidly the very last few sentences in the last paragraph. 2.1.3 Strategies for Reading Comprehension Comprehension or reading strategies show how readers conceive of a task, how they make sense of what they read, and what they do when they do not understand. In short, such strategies are processes used by the learner to improve reading comprehension and conquer comprehension failures (Singhal, 2001). In a second language study, Hosenfeld (1977) used a think-aloud procedure to identify relations between certain types of reading strategies and successful or unsuccessful second language reading. The successful reader, for instance, kept the meaning of the passage in mind while reading and skipped less important words but the unsuccessful reader lost the meaning of the sentences when decoded and seldom skipped unimportant words. In an article by Youngmee Suh (2005), one of the helpful strategies for reading comprehension is to be aware of the purpose in reading. Teachers should direct students how to get information through reading, to follow directions to do a task, for pleasure, to get in touch with friends and classmates, to know what is happening around the world, to discover out when and where things are, and for being interested about a topic. Furthermore, clear recognition of the intention in reading something is necessary for effective reading. Doing this, we know what we are finding out and we are not disturbed by other information. Consequently, it is compulsory for English reading lecturers to make sure students know their purpose in reading something. 2.1.4 Interactive reading model Whilst a reader constantly moves from a top-down approach to guess feasible meaning to bottom-up approach to prove all the details in interactive reading, interactive-compensatory model. Based on the study by Stanovich(1986), any stage functions interactively with any other stage. Readers are thought to increase the reading processes efficiently. In this model, less-automatic processes cooperate recurrently, and automatic processes activate independently. Therefore, reading difficulties are overcome by both interaction and compensation. According to Youngmee Shu (2005) stated that the reader brings information, knowledge, emotion, experience, and culture to the text. There are two types of schemata, content schemata and formal schemata. Content schemata include our knowledge about people, the world, culture, and the universe, however, formal schemata include knowledge about discourse structure such as illustration, cause-effect, or comparison are broadly studied because reading comprehension is a subject of developing proper, proficient comprehension strategies. Some of the strategies are associated with bottom-up processes and others with the top-down processes, each of which can be practically applied to classroom techniques 2.1.5 Three-part Model of Reading According to Song et.al (1999), there is a positive relationship between reading strategies and successful reading. Moreover, a reading class should be planned focusing on three-part model of reading with interactive activities. Lecturers should present different techniques to teach effectively reading in three various levels of reading, pre-reading, while- reading, and post-reading. Based on Youngmee Shu (2005) identified that In pre-reading level, schema of the text should be activated. Teachers often introduce a topic and ask questions about the text. Students skim the text for an overview of main ideas. Students tune in to the context and topic of the text and consider how the while-reading activity will be done. While-reading is for purposeful reading. Students work on certain facts or rhetorical devices to have a sense of purpose for reading 2.1.6 Extensive Reading In their book Extensive Reading in the Second Language classroom, Day and Bamford (1998) state the following characteristics for the Extensive Approach: reading as much as possible, book after book, where the meaning is the focus, students select their own readings, students cover a variety of materials and topics, students read for pleasure, information and general understanding, reading is its own reward, reading materials are within the range of the students linguistic competence, reading is individual and silent, reading speed is usually fast, reading teachers are guides and facilitators, and teachers are role models of a reader for students. This approach can be very beneficial and rewarding to student readers. Day and Bamford mention the following benefits: developing good reading habits, encouraging a liking for reading, developing structure and vocabulary, increasing general second language competence, developing automaticity, enhancing background knowledge, improving compreh ension skills, and promoting confidence and motivation. In an article by Ming-yueh Shen (2008), reading extensively is to expose students to a great amount of reading materials, enhance students reading fluency, and develop a good reading habit. 2.1.7 Metacognitive knowledge Metacognitive knowledge and self monitoring are the significant elements of fluent reading skills. Knowledge about cognition including knowledge about language, relating to identifying patterns of structure and organization, and using appropriate strategies to achieve specific goals (e.g., comprehending texts, remembering information). Connected with reading this will consist of recognizing the vital information in a text; adjusting reading rate; using context to deal with a misunderstood part; skimming portions of the text; previewing headings; pictures, and summaries; using search strategies for finding specific information; formulating questions about the information; using a dictionary; using word formation and affix information to guess word meanings; taking notes; underlining; and summarizing information. Monitoring of cognition regarding to recognizing problems with information presented in the texts or incapacity to accomplish expected aims. In addition, the ability to use me tacognitive skills successfully is broadly recognized as a critical component of reading skills. The Affects of Studentslearning Styles and Learning Outcomes Since the learning of students is likely to accomplish the better outcomes, there are some effective learning styles and strategies are applied to students learning. As stated by Youngmee shu (2005): Bottom-up models are based on text- or data-driven operations. In bottom-up processing, the letters, words and language features in the text are decoded while reading, and through this process, readers understand intensive and local meaning of the text. The reader is considered as a scientist with a magnifying glass examining the details. On the other hand, top-down models are based on meaning- or conceptually-driven operations. The reader is compared as a person with an eagles eye view of a landscape below. Schema (prior) knowledge for prediction is an important operation for a reader to understand and infer the meaning of the text. More recent research on teaching reading has shown that a combination of top-down and bottom-up processing called interactive reading is important. The interactive model suggests that the reader constructs meaning by the selective use of information from all sources of meaning (graphemic, phonemic, morphemic, syntax, semantics) without adherence to any o ne set order. The reader simultaneously uses all levels of processing even though one source of meaning can be primary at a given time. CHAPTER3 METHODOLOGY 3.1Research design Unlike the qualitative approaches, quantitative research is conducted to test the theory of natural setting (Fraenkel Wallen, 2000). Since the intent of this study significantly is to identify the differences of learning reading skills of Cambodian undergraduate students, the researcher will use a cross-sectional survey research. The researcher will explore the learning reading styles of EFL Cambodian undergraduate students. 3.2 Participants The target population in this study will be students in three private universities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The simple random sampling will be employed in order to obtain information. The participants will be selected through the help of table of random numbers. The sample consists of 100 students, who are studying English Literature in those universities. Also, the researcher will choose 40 female and 60 male students. Before conducting interviews, the researcher will make an appointment and notify the reasons of visit to the Rector of University. 3.3 Research instruments With the purpose of getting trustworthy information, the researcher will use written questionnaire and structured interview to obtain data from participants. The questionnaire will consist of 2 parts. In part 1, there are 42 Likert Scale items. The students will be asked to provide their responses about learning reading both inside and outside classroom. As for part 2, there are four open-ended questions, which a researcher will use to ask them to provide their answers based on their ideas. To ensure content validity, the researcher discussed the problem with the English language teachers who have had experience in teaching English. Reading test will be used to measure to outcomes of the students and questionnaire contains the common learning reading skill of students. Apart from this, interview will be utilized to get information about perception of students on a variety of students learning style. 3.4 Data collection The pilot test will be distributed to participants before conducting interview. Prior to carrying out the interviews, the researcher will ask permission from university rector and students. The researcher expects interview will take 30 minutes and occur in the universities or outside the universities. The options for selecting site for interview will be provided for the participants because it helps reduce the participants difficulties. Moreover, the study objective will be verbally informed to participants before conducting interviews. The researcher might ask different participants to answer the questions based on their preferences. The students will be asked to provide their responses about the learning reading of EFL Cambodian undergraduate students based on their ideas. 3.5 Data analysis After collecting data from the field setting, the researcher will identify any information about the number of members of participants who will not return the survey or response in any questions in order to prevent any respondent bias. The data will be carefully analyzed through SPSS in an attempt to explore scores, percentages and means of students reading skills. The scores of students will be converted into mean in order to compare students with students who use different styles of learning and their learning outcomes. 3.6 Ethical consideration To successfully conduct this study, the researcher will take into consideration about some safeguards. First, the consent form will be given to the participants to sign if they really agree to join in the study. Second, the purpose of this study will be clearly informed to participants in order to build mutual understanding and rapport. Third, the researcher will profoundly tell the participants that their participation will be voluntary and stopping from interviews will be the participants choice. Finally, the researcher will keep data collected in secret place which no one besides researcher will have access to get it. Furthermore, I will bring together the names of participants but keep them confidential. Personal identifiers will be released to the public in a way that protects the identification of participants. 3.7 Limitation of research This study is guided with the following limitations, which affect the generality of the finding. First, the study focuses three universities English students in Department of English. Second, the study may be limited in its analysis or generality as it will be conducted in three private universities, in which 100 students will be selected randomly. Third, since this study will mainly explore only important learning reading, some points might be ignored. However, the purpose of this study is not to provide the broad generalization but to explore the learning reading of Cambodian undergraduate students in three universities in Phnom Penh. Therefore, the above-mentioned compounding circumstances might limit understanding and evaluation; however, these are generally overwhelmed and controlled by the research design.

Sears Kmart Merger Essay -- essays research papers

Due to slow sales and less traffic at both Sears and Kmart, the two have decided to merge creating one entity named Sears Holdings. Kmart has agreed to buy Sears for $11 Billion. This puts Sears Holdings at the third largest retailer behind Wal-Mart and Home Depot. Although Wal-Mart is a direct competitor with Kmart, Sears Holdings goal is not to compete with Wal-Mart directly, but find areas that have been overlooked by other retailers, and take advantage of the expanded line of products the new company has to offer. Sears has had higher sales than Kmart, so hundreds of Kmart’s will be transformed into Sears stores. As of now, most of Sears 870 stores are only found in malls. The new strategy would be to open Sears stores in current Kmart locations, to offer consumers with a different variety of products than what’s currently available from large retailers like Kmart and Wal-Mart. Sears is known for selling items such as their exclusive line of craftsman tools and Ken more appliances. In the future these Sears exclusives will be found in Kmart stores, and Kmart exclusives such as Martha Stewarts line of housewares will be found in Sears. This merger will bring a wide array of products to a larger group of consumers. Currently consumers looking to buy home appliances like stoves or refrigerators have to go to a mall with a Sears store or a specialty store like Best Buy or Circuit City. Not all consumers live near a mall, so buying from Sears may not be an option. Although bot...

Creative writing Belonging

His bony elbow protruded from beneath a thin brown layer of skin, its leathery texture coated with blistering sweat sparkled underneath the unmerciful sun as he leant against his cab. We exchanged glances and spoke in native tongues. As he spoke his skeletal fingers flick the sweat soaked hair from his eyes. Pointed towards the trunk and flung my Pravda luggage beneath the hood. He turned on the radio to a soft Vietnamese melody and headed towards my grandmother's home.I sat in the back, watched the passing sceneries In an alarm- conditioned cab as if they were a movie. I watched as the pale clouds enveloped the sky, engulfed the sun and swallowed my everyday worries. Below on the grassy paddocks kids aged around 6-7, with bent backs and lifted buttocks, worked for their daily meals, knees deep in muddy water, fingers groping pitifully against the blood sucking leeches. Their ‘among la', straw hats, hung over their eyes, their dark pupils dilated and fingers numbed at each plun ge they made Into the murky water.As the driver pulled over at a gas station, got out and headed towards one of the teenage rockers an old man limping with a twisted leg, held raffle tickets In one hand while the other hung mutilated and broken by his side. He begged and begged with a cracked voice choking on each word that sipped from his lips, â€Å"Plea, please I beg of you. Leap me, MME poor. I have nothing. † HIS elongated fingers slipped through the window and begged for money. I stared at his desperation In disbelief, and handed over 100,000 dung, five dollars Australian money.He bowed and bowed as he walked off, glancing back with thanks In his eyes. As he left, more and more beggars started to crowd the car, In pure panic I rolled up my window and watched In disgust as they slammed and rocked the car begging for money. They were Like zombies In an apocalypse. I hate this. I hate this place. I held both hands over my ears, shut my eyes and started humming. The driver emerged from the crowd and made his way towards the front seat. We drove off leaving the Image of poverty behind us. The driver turned and called out to me.HIS deep vibrant voice contrasted against his outward appearance, he tapped me and told me that we had arrived. The vivacious azure colored wall winked at me, welcoming me through the door. There grandmother stood with open arms, she brushed back my fringe and gave me a warm reassuring kiss that wiped away my Jet lag and provided me with the comfort that I missed. The warm embrace made me forget the poverty that was Just on the other side of the wall. It made me realism that even If I worried about the poverty that existed outside, I could do nothing to help It.And soon the worry had disappeared. Nothing but the lingering warmth remained. Grandmother's home. I sat in the back, watched the passing sceneries in an air- dilated and fingers numbed at each plunge they made into the murky water. As the workers an old man limping with a twisted leg, held raffle tickets in one hand while you. Leap me, MME poor. I have nothing. † His elongated fingers slipped through the window and begged for money. I stared at his desperation in disbelief, and he walked off, glancing back with thanks in his eyes.As he left, more and more gears started to crowd the car, in pure panic I rolled up my window and watched in disgust as they slammed and rocked the car begging for money. They were like zombies in an apocalypse. I hate this. I hate this place. Made his way towards the front seat. We drove off leaving the image of poverty behind us. The driver turned and called out to me. His deep vibrant voice contrasted other side of the wall. It made me realism that even if I worried about the poverty that existed outside, I could do nothing to help it. And soon the worry had disappeared.

Education Beyond the Classroom

The assignment is going to outline how ‘Eureka! A Museum for Children’ plays a part in learning outside the classroom environment. The museum will be examined to see how it plays a role in life-long learning. We define learning outside the classroom as: â€Å"The use of places other than the classroom for teaching and learning. † Every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances.Learning is a process of active engagement with experience. It is what people do when they want to make sense of the world. It may involve the development or deepening of skills, knowledge, understanding, awareness, values, ideas and feelings, or an increase in the capacity to reflect. Effective learning leads to change, development and the desire to learn more. (DfEE 2000) Learning outside the classroom is about raising achievement through an organised, powerful approa ch to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance.This is not only about what we learn but importantly how and where we learn. (Learning Outside the Classroom (2006)) †¦ museums and galleries †¦, in themselves, understood as educational establishment. They were set up to enable people to educate themselves†¦ Museums were one opportunity among many of acquiring knowledge. (Hooper-Greenhill 1994, p. 1) Museums are still very much thought of as educational establishments but the audience for whom they cater for varies very much from one museum to another.Formal and informal educations are two terms that are used to describe the type of education that a person receives. Formal is the set ‘curriculum’ that is taught in the traditional school setting. Whereas informal education is the curriculum taught in museums or other institutes that are outside of the schools. (Hein 1998, p. 7) Children’s museums are not museums in the traditional sen se. They are different in their missions, in their approach and in their specifically targeted age-group. (Pearce 1998, p. 19) Eureka! s a museum that has been specially designed for a specific age group, and is the UK’s first and foremost museum for children. Historical context of Eureka! Eureka was first opened in July 1992 by HRHThe Prince of Wales, as an educational charity, the idea for Eureka was modelled on the North American concept of a Children’s Museum and remains to be the only museum of its type and scale. The basis of children’s museums is in interactivity, learning by doing, learning through fun, learning through play. (Pearce 1998, p. 6) Since it has opened it has enjoyed unrivalled success, proving popular with children, parents and teachers alike. At Eureka! there are over 400 hands on, must touch exhibits, each teaching children more about themselves and reflecting the world in which they are growing up in, it is achieved by a fun approach to learning and development. Eureka! meets National Curriculum requirements, it has six themed galleries and a full programme of interactive workshops covering an imaginative range of curriculum themes to support Foundation, KS1 and KS2 learning.The education service aims to take the hassle out of school visits by providing fully structured itineraries, picnic and storage facilities, staff support, teaching resources and work sheets. Museums are the world of ‘infotainment’ and ‘edutainment’ where people have fun but also learn something. (Pearce 1998, p. 80) Learning Experiences Teachers are provided with an education resource pack which includes detailed notes on how to get the best from each of the museum’s section and indicates links to the National Curriculum. There are also special workshops which may be booked for school classes. (Pearce 1998, p. 7) The museum also provides special designed packages for the school holidays and Science activities, also sleepovers that have to be pre-booked.‘Me and My Body’ encourages children to find out more about themselves by using the exhibits to discover how the body and the five different senses work, also it enables visitors to use various aids to experience what it is like to have a disability. ‘Living and Working Together’ that recreates an environment where visitors can discover the mysteries of daily life and try out the jobs people do in the many buildings on a high street and in the house.. Our Global Garden’ helps children the familiar ‘backyard' to amazing gardens that exist in the world. It is themed around seven different ‘gardens'; each telling their own unique story, whilst emphasising the inter-relationships between them, finding out what makes them precious and how best to look after them. ‘SoundSpace’ provides children with a unique experience, enabling them to explore and understand sound, music and performance t hrough state-of-the-art technology, by exploring the physics of sound by seeing and feeling vibrations and creating their very own musical sequences.Throughout the experience, Sound Space aims to enhance the understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) by exploring the unique relationships that exist between music and creativity, science, technology and the arts in a fun and accessible way. Over the past three years Eureka! has been the lead partner for Creative Minds, a ? 3. 8 million pound regional initiative to encourage children’s interest and learning in STEM; to help in the creation of a future workforce. The ‘Creative Minds' project is to provide young people with learning opportunities in STEM from 2003 to 2006.Over 15,000 learning opportunities have been delivered to both young people, their teachers and those who work in the sector. (Publication Material, Creative Minds (2005)) ‘SoundGarden and Desert Discovery’, these galler ies aim to extend opportunities in the museum for babies and young children to develop their senses and stretch their imaginations. These galleries support early education principles of learning through play, reflecting the intentions of the Birth to Three Matters framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum.It is expected that the lifespan of exhibits vary from 5-7 years and that the cost of devising, designing, fabricating and installing new exhibits in the future will need to be raised from various sources including charitable foundations and corporate sponsorships. (Pearce 1998, p. 67) The latest two galleries opened in 2004 and respectively in 2005. The museum needs to keep abreast of changes in school education; for example, the National Curriculum, that now emphasises on practical experience. (McLean 2003, p. 113)Meticulous care is taken when devising and developing new exhibits for a children’s museum, to ensure that they will engage the target audience and enable th em to learn as well as have fun. Exhibits are tested and modified in the light of children’s reaction and views. There are opportunities for comments and suggestions. As child-centred organisations the museums concentrate their resources on ensuring that they serve the needs of the children. (Pearce 1998, p. 113) The learning experiences found in Eureka! helps the child to make sense of the world around them by making links between feelings and learning.This is part of life-long learning as these feelings stay with the child into adulthood and affect their behaviour, lifestyle and work. It influences their values and the decisions made. It allows the child to transfer learning experienced outside to the classroom and vice versa. A commitment to life-long learning can demonstrate a positive social role for a museum and can also meet the demands from funding bodies for demonstrating public benefit and greater public accountability. (American Association of Museums 1993 cited in McLean 2003, p. 114) InclusitivityEureka! is a registered Educational Charitable Trust, in 1987 with the support of the museum’s patron, HRH The Prince of Wales, business sponsorship, government grants and the local council, it found its town centre site in Halifax, it later opened in 1992. The museum is situated five minutes from the motorway in Halifax town centre, next to the railway station on a 12. 5 acre site. It is a two storey, visible steel, stone and glass exposed structure. The whole site is accessible to wheelchair users and there is level access with a lift between floors.The convenience of location and ease of access is an important dominant of usage, the access includes physical access for those who are physically disabled. A limited number of wheelchairs are available on loan and also has special parking for them. It has not debarred the disabled and has attempted to provide for their needs. (McLean 2003, p. 134) For anyone with visual or hearing impairments, there is a full range of multi-sensory, highly stimulating exhibits available. Programmes can be adapted for particular needs as long as the museum is informed beforehand for school groups.Museum information is available in large print and houses a ‘Talking map’ that talks in four different languages. It is ideal for partially sighted individuals but it does not include any Braille for the blind people, so in this case it is a disadvantage for this certain group. Throughout the entire museum there is no inclusion for the blind, even though the galleries and the museum are designed so that these consumers are still able to visit, but it can not be done alone, they need someone to accompany them but the essential carers are admitted free.The talking map also caters for people whose first language is not English. The site is well lit, with colourful lighting that attracts and engages the children into wanting to explore. The signage for directions are appropriate for the audience for whom it caters for, the children mostly, they are all big and colourful with pictures as well as writing. The gallery signage and information is at average eyelevel for all aged grouped children and legible. The toilets for both the able and disabled toilets are clearly marked and changing facilities are also available.The museum was established as an educational charity and not for profit organisation, therefore Eureka! receives no government funding and must rely upon admission fees. These admission fees combined with transport costs mean that individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds or in areas of deprivation are missing out on the experiences that are offered. The prices are debarring a group of individuals from using the museums. These independent museums depend on visitors, it is consumer oriented, and has to be user-friendly, so it has an instinct and a need to reach out and serve their public. Sekers cited in McLean 2003, p. 30) The museum has offers for educa tional visits and large groups in order to reduce the cost of the visits to the museum, but on an individual family outing the prices are fixed. (Eureka! Publication Material, Appendix I) Health & Safety The building has its own risk assessment form that must be filled out before a group of children are allowed to visit for educational school visits. The building and exhibits are designed to minimise risk of injury from slips, trips, falls and finger traps.All elements of the museum are constantly monitored and modified to meet current safety standards. All the signage is marked and the dangers indicated. The museum has a lost children procedure is in place with the staff having the appropriate confirmed by national qualifications. The museum has qualified First Aiders on duty every day and the staffs are checked for relevant criminal history. The maintenance activities are carried out in accordance with HSWA 1974 and MHSW Regulations 1999 by trained technicians.Electrical and porta ble appliance testing is carried out annually in accordance with 16th Edition Regulations. Also, the fire evacuations and training are carried out in accordance with Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Certificates. Group leaders are advised to carry out their own risk assessment in accordance with their organisations aims. (Appendix II) The museum provides the teachers with information sheets for each area of the museum. The risk assessments are available for operations and activities as appropriate with again all the signage clearly marked.As the museum is designed for ‘hands-on’ the risk assessment on all the equipment and facilities are checked daily and regularly to ensure they comply with safety regulations. Eureka! is covered by public liability and Employers liability insurances and has written accident and emergency procedures in place. Eureka! is licensed by local authority regulations for all safety, fire, plant and lifting equipment and appropriate certificates ar e held. ConclusionThere can be no absolute blue print for children’s museums beyond the key characteristics mentioned previously. Otherwise each group or organisation will have its own emphasis and idea of what makes their museum special and important to its area. Diversity is one of the strengths of the movement. The emphasis is always on learning, exploring, on discovery. For that reason, in developing a British model it may be appropriate to adapt the term children’s discovery centre or children’s discovery museum for future use.