Multimedia Applications for Educational Purposes

Multimedia Applications for Educational Purposes Multimedia Applications for Educational Purposes Tan Ai Fen ABSTRACT Multimedia is a combination of text, graphic, animation, audio, and video which are everything we can see and hear in our daily life (Vaughan, 2006). Multimedia applications can be used in many areas, for example like educations, businesses, homes and public places. This paper surveys the multimedia applications for educational purposes. There are six main elements in multimedia applications for educational purposes which are texts, images, audios, videos, animations and user control. Besides that, this paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia applications in education. There also have few characteristics in education which are screen design, interaction and feedback, navigation, video and audio elements on the development in education. In education, multimedia applications are used as a source of information to deliver learning resources for students. Multimedia applications also used to improve the learning process and increase the interaction between stu dents and teachers or lecturers. Teachers or lecturers can make the lesson more interesting by using the multimedia applications. A multimedia applications can highlight certain important points rather than writing on the white board. There is no doubt that the role of multimedia applications for educational purposes. This new context of learning definitely will influence the way of teachers or lecturers teach and the way of students learn. They continually search for more effective ways to engage their students during learning as well as to increase student learning outcomes. Keywords: learning, multimedia applications, educational purposes. INTRODUCTION According to Vaughan (2006), multimedia is a combination of text, graphic, animation, audio, and video which are everything we can see and hear in our daily life. Multimedia also refers to the uses of computer technology to create, store and experience multimedia content (Singh, 2007). Multimedia applications play a crucial role in education which range from preschool education to postgraduate students and corporate training packages. Multimedia applications can be defined as an application that uses a combination of many media sources such as texts, graphics, audios, videos and animations. It is often use to deliver information which is more powerful than printed learning resources such as printed text book. It also allows users to interact with the information quickly and accurately. Educational multimedia applications enable students to get information in various formats. Examples of multimedia applications are World Wide Web, courseware, interactive TV, computer games, and virtual reality. In education, multimedia application is used to provide computer based training courses and reference books such as encyclopedia. A computer based training courses lets the students go through a series of presentation, text about a particular topic in various information format (Singh, 2007). Multimedia applications are used by teachers and lecturers to convey information such as lecture slides, assessment materials and others learning resources. It can also use by students to learn new skills and knowledge without lecturers guidance. According to Steinmetz and Nahrstedt (1995), â€Å"Multimedia applications are moving from a single PC environment to either a multi-user environment or to a personalized user environment.† The rapid innovation and development in information and communication technologies has been increased the used of multimedia applications in our daily life and brought the changes to computing, entertainment and education. However, educational multimedia applications will not going to replace the roles of teachers or lecturers, it will only allow students to learn more when compare with traditional teaching methods. Multimedia applications for educational purposes are similar like the printed text books and other teaching materials, but they can be come in a wider range of sources. The potential of multimedia applications for educational purposes is well-recognized by the universities, school, government and private organization. Educational multimedia applications can be more focused on specific objectives or in more comprehensive ways (Norhayati Siew, 2004). There has been an increase in demand of educational multimedia applications at all level of citizens for them to apply their knowledge in different field of study and situations. Multimedia applications had greatly influenced the education in many ways. They give teachers or lecturers to prepare study materials for students in a more clearly and comprehensive way such as demonstrate and visualize the study material in a multimedia presentation (Milkova, 2012). Multimedia applications can also be used as a source of information. Multimedia applications can be developed to enhance the learning process and increase the interaction between students and lecturers. Lecturers can make the lesson more interesting by using the multimedia presentations. As the information is presented in variety ways, multimedia applications enhance the user experience and make the learners easier to grasp the information (Singh, 2007). THE ELEMENTS OF MULTIMEDIA APPLICATION IN EDUCATION Although the definition of multimedia application is simple, making it work can be complicated. We need to understand how to make each multimedia element together using educational multimedia computer tools. The elements used in multimedia applications have all existed before. Educational multimedia applications combine those elements into a powerful new tool, especially in the hands of teachers or lecturers and students. Multimedia applications can be used in many areas, for example like educations, businesses, homes and public places. For educational purposes, students can explore variety of information for further understanding by using multimedia applications. Educational multimedia applications are used to improve learning effectiveness. A multimedia learning environment involves numbers of elements in order to enable learning process taking places. There are six main elements in multimedia applications for educational purposes which are texts, images, audio, video, animations a nd user control. Firstly, text is an important element in multimedia applications; it can use to provide information and emphasize specific point by using different styles, fonts, and colours. Secondly, image is an object that has more significant impact than merely reading about text in an educational session. Image can be added to multimedia applications by using colour scanner or digital camera. Examples of image are photographs, artworks, drawings. Thirdly, audio can be used to emphasize certain points and enables teachers to presents a lot of information at once rather than use printed learning resources. Audio allows students to use their imagination without being biased, so it will greatly increase the learning outcome. Fourthly, video can be used to present the information beyond the scope of the ordinary lecture room such as medical operations. The use of video to deliver information can be very powerful and immediately, it allows teachers or lecturers to highlight certain key points or tell the students what are going to do next and understand the real life situation. Fifthly, animation is used to demonstrate an idea or illustrate a concept; an object that appears blurry in video can be presented clearly in animation because it can view the changes of the object over time. Lastly, user control uses to provide students with the option to skip particular parts of the multimedia application and allow them to navigate other areas of that program. All of the elements are combined to provide a platform for students to maximize the effectiveness of educational purposes (Yadav, 2006). ADVANTAGES OF USING EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS The growth in use of multimedia applications for educational purposes has accelerated in recent years, and looks set for continued expansion in the future. The multimedia applications play an undeniable role in education. Multimedia applications have many advantages that allow teachers and lecturers to provide other advice which tailored to particular group of learners’ needs (Cairncross and Mannion, 2001). Teachers or lecturers discover the ways to boost student’s interest and motivate them by using educational multimedia applications. Students can also active involve in the learning process by using multimedia applications such as CD-ROM based textbook, tutorials and laboratory experiments (Yadav, 2006). Multimedia applications increase the learning effectiveness and are more attractive than traditional-based learning methods. This new learning environment definitely influence the way of teachers or lecturers teach and the way students learn. Teachers or lecturers continually search for more effective ways to attract their students during learning as well as to increase student learning outcomes. People learn better from words and pictures than from words alone. Therefore, educational multimedia applications use a combination of multimedia elements to present and emphasize particular points only, thus it is more effective because the students are easier to put attention on it rather than on static printed learning materials. Students often split their attention when they are forced to focus information that is far apart, or it is presented at two separate points at the same time. Therefore, when the related content is presented in words and picture at the same time, the learning outcome is more effective. Research found that students will participate in the lesson more actively when teachers or lecturers integrates multimedia element in learning process because they will pay more attention as the lesson becomes more inter esting (Fatimah Puteh Siti Shuhaida, 2009). For example, when the animation and narration are presented simultaneously, students are easier to understand and that information can be quickly integrated into long term memory. A multimedia presentation is an example of multimedia application, it can highlight certain information that teachers or lecturers wants to deliver. Multimedia applications are used to grab student’s attention and generate interest during learning process. It can improve the student’s attitude toward content and learning. Multimedia applications enable students increase their memory of content and foster deeper learning when compared to traditional teaching ways that use by teachers and lecturers. Multimedia applications for educational purposes also can make the learning fun and decrease the anxiety and tension toward certain scary subjects. There is no doubt that the important role of multimedia applications for educational purposes because it can influence the way of teachers or lecturers teach and the way of students learn. Multimedia applications are easy to use by the students or lecturers. Students are able to navigate and retrieve the information quickly because they have the ability to interact with the multimedia applications. Students can learn more when they can control pace of the presentation such as slow down, start and stop at certain information as they want. Multimedia applications are tailored the information need to the individual because it can be presented in different ways to engage students with different learning styles and strengths. Every student may have different preferences and modes to learn about something. As an example, a student prefers to read certain learning materials from prints, while another student may prefer a visual presentation. Therefore, multimedia applications for educationa l purposes are effective to all particular students and lecturers because it is tailored to their needs. DISADVANTAGES OF USING EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS Multimedia applications for educational purposes that delivered the learning materials via videos or images need computers, projectors and other electronic devices, so the expenses for these applications can be very expensive. Normally multimedia applications for educational purposes are more expensive than printed text book because it requires expensive hardware. Multimedia applications also not so easy for configuration and requires special hardware to run it. When lecturer uses educational multimedia application, he will shift his role from instructor to facilitator. As the amount of multimedia elements increase, it will slow down the delivery and pace of the learning process. For example, a student was allowed to complete the lesson at their own pace as they navigate the stage of learning materials or students works in a group to view multimedia applications, some of them maybe are not proficient with the technology, thus they need to spend more time on learning computer skills rather than access the information. Sometimes educational multimedia applications are not effective for those who have weak learning skills. From student’s perspective, there is disadvantage exist in educational multimedia applications. Multimedia applications have the limitation such as making an e-learning accessible to all students. For example, some of the applications may not suitable to certain students. A hearing impaired student cannot heard the streaming of audio, thus these multimedia applications are not accessible to all students (Nedeva, Dimova, Dineva, 2010). Another disadvantage of multimedia applications for educational purposes is that students feel isolated and unsupported by teachers or lecturers when they don’t understand certain topics. Teachers or lecturers are not always available when students need help from them; as a result they need to work independently without assistance. Hence, educational multimedia applications are least effective to those who need guidance and assistance from teachers or lecturers. CHARACTETISTICS OF EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS There are few characteristics of multimedia applications in education which are screen design, interaction and feedback, navigation, video and audio elements on the development in education. Firstly, screen design is use to coordinate text and graphic elements in order to present sequenced content to facilitate learning and enhance student‘s understanding. Each instruction that display on screen in a multimedia application must provide effective instruction and navigation tools to the students. Screen design also use to boost the interest of the students and convey the required information to them. In short, a good screen design should require focusing student’s attention, maintaining their interest, promoting processing and engagement between student and lesson content, help student find and organize the information and facilitate lesson navigation. The second characteristic is interaction and feedback, it allows student to interact and control the flow of information and stage of learning with the multimedia application. Interaction and feedback also enable student active participant in the instruction learning process and provide feedback immediately following a student response. Feedback is information about the correctness or appropriateness of student’s response which usually displayed on screen. Third characteristic of multimedia applications for educational purposes is navigation. Navigation feature can enhance learning outcome and make an interactive multimedia applications easy to use by the students. Navigation provides students some control over the events and allows them to jump into new sections or revisit the information from earlier screen. Students can also learn and understand more when they can control the multimedia applications such as slow down, start and stop at certain information as they want. Lastly, video and audio elements on the development in education have advantages to present the information to those students who have poor reading and learning skills. Students are easier to understand the lessons which use audio and video to convey the information rather than static learning materials. When audio and video is used to support text, it can provide an opportunity for the students to pause and repeat the sound. (Stemler, 1997) CONCLUSION Multimedia applications are excellent tool for educational purposes. It can improve the effectiveness of learning outcome by deliver the information to the students. Multimedia applications can use to deliver information in an interesting way by combining the elements of texts, images, audios, videos, animations and user control. Multimedia applications have a lot of advantages for the education purposes which can help students have further understanding on certain information or topics. Screen design, interaction and feedback, navigation, video and audio elements are the characteristic of multimedia applications. There is no doubt that the multimedia applications can be used as a tool to assist teachers and lecturers to achieve educational effectiveness. However, multimedia applications for educational purposes have its disadvantages too. Developing a good multimedia application has high cost that involves time and effort of the developer. There are few characteristic that a develop er tries to improve the effectiveness of educational multimedia applications which are attract student’s attention, help students organize the information and facilitate lesson navigation and integrate all the information into knowledge. REFERENCES Cairncross, S., Mannion, M. (2001). Interactive Multimedia and Learning: Realizing the Benefits. 156-164. Fatimah Puteh Siti Shuhaida Shukor. (2009). The Integration Of Multimedia Elements In Classroom Teaching Among TESL Teacher-Trainees. 1-6. Milkova, E. (2012). Multimedia Application Effective Support of  Education.13-21. Nedeva, V., Dimova, E., Dineva, S. (2010). Overcome Disadvantages of E-learning for Training English as Foreign Language. 275-281. Norhayati Abd Mukti, Siew, P. H. (2004). Malaysian Perspective: Designing Interactive Multimedia Learning Environment for Moral Values Education. 143-152. Singh, V. P. (2007). A Text Book of Multimedia. United Stated: Global Media. Steinmetz, R., Nahrstedt, K. (1995). Multimedia: computing, communications, and applications. New York: Prentice Hall. Stemler, L. K. (1997). Educational Characteristics of Multimedia: A Literature Review. 339-359. Vaughan, T. (2010). Multimedia Making It Work, 8th Edition. McGraw Hill Yadav, V. (2006). Using Multimedia in Education. United Stated:  Global Media.

Country Analysis- India Essay

India functions on a democratic system, which heavily influences the political situation of the country. However, this democracy stems from a caste system. A caste system is a social grouping that combines a group of particular members based on specific professions and usually leads to the isolation of each individual caste. The Indian people adopted the caste system to create an easy differentiation of communities and neighborhoods. Recently in India there has been a relaxing of the caste system depending on the part of India in which you are looking. In the cities you will see more of an intermingling and mix of the higher caste systems but as you explore the rural areas, you find a traditional form of the caste system. In recent years India has become the largest democracy in the world. The economy is highly affected by the political situation in India. The country suffers from high unemployment and poverty as two of its main issues that currently influence the economic standing of the country. With two opposing parties with vastly different views for the vision of the economy the country is found being pulled for a free market economy and an economy that strongly opposes globalization and favors a â€Å"land-for-all† attitude. (â€Å"Politics of India†) In India the legal situation highly resembles a common law model that is found in England today but is clout with Indian culture. In the courts India has a judge that acts as a neutral party that enforces the law fairly amongst each party. The government too has three branches: the executive, the judiciary and the legislative. The courts hold a common theme of carrying out justice to the people. (Srikrishna) One article says, â€Å"According to Gallup’s annual public opinion polls, India is perceived by Americans as their 7th favorite nation in the world† (â€Å"India-United State Relations†) Based off this observation, the relationship between the United States of American and India seems to be quite close and cordial. However, this does not mean the countries have always agreed on every matter. Back in the late 1990’s when Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister he began to authorize testing of nuclear weapons and the United Sates chose to form against them and eventually was mandated to cut off economic ties. In 2001 the United States under the Clinton administration began to have economic discussion, opening the door for the Bush administration to partake in close monitoring of India’s nuclear weapons and began strengthening the economic ties. The two countries have really come together in times of need such as  the attacks on September 11,2001 and the December 2004 tsunamis. The most recent development in the relationship is under the pressing of the Obama administration. Right out of the gate of the first term of his presidency, President Obama addressed the issue of the Indian-American relationship and said that he was going to take the steps necessary â€Å"further strengthen the excellent bilateral relationship† (â€Å"India-United State Relations†) This goal was communicated vastly amongst the administration, assuring the citizens of both countries that it was a beneficial relationship. The main person taking care of this relationship is Hilary Clinton. As time passed the country of India became concerned that the relationship was not being as cared for like they were assured would be done. Rather they believed the United States was more focused on their relationship with China and eventually the country of Pakistan. The issues of the bilateral relationship continued to struggle for some time, even after a visit to the White House from Prime Minister Singhin November 2010, which was to hopefully fix or strengthen the relationship. In May 2010 President Obama communicated that shared values, interests and the two larges democracies established the partnership between the United States and India. (â€Å"India-United State Relations†) The economic relation between the United States and India has been continuing to be strengthened since the Clinton administration where the bilateral economic dialogue was established. This is a system where the accountability for consultations amongst multiple high powers. (See exhibit A) (â€Å"Embassy of India†) Since this original discussion; there have been multiple dialogue mechanisms to strengthen the bilateral relationship on the economy and trade issues. This includes different forums and financial partnerships. In the first seven or so months of the year 2013 the United States of America increased the percent they did trade with India 7.4%. (â€Å"Embassy of India†) The relationship of the United States and India is perfectly summed up by the words of the National Security adviser Shivshankar Menon, â€Å"From a time when we dealt with each other formally, sometimes warily, we today have a full spectrum relationship, between our governments, our peoples and our institutions.† (Menon) In the year 2011 the Gross National Product increased over 8 billion INR, an increase of 11,846.1 INR since 2010. It has a forecast of following a trend and reaching almost 9 billion INR for the next year. This is also a steady view of how the inflation levels have  effected the GNP of India and will continue do so in the future. (See exhibit B) (No current data was found) (â€Å"India Gross National Product†) The most current GNP per capita was calculated using the PPP to the US dollar using the atlas method divided by a midyear population. In 2011 in India, the GNP resulted to be $1,420.00 at a ranking of 142/191. In consideration of the past is a very steady increase, however, in comparison the U.S it is hardly an increase at all. (â€Å"India-GNI per capita) As of 2006 India spends 3.11% of their gross national product on their education system. Looking to increase this percentage over the years and have lowered the illiteracy rate by 2015. (â€Å"Infochange India†) Today when discussing the opportunity for a company, of any kind, but especially a U.S company, to manufacture in India the support to do so is quite present. One major benefit of manufacturing in India is that the government has been putting into place a plan of action to create a substantial steady flow of economic progress and one of the crucial aspects is through manufacturing. It began in 2010 with the implementation of a Manufacturing Policy, that industry and the government fully supports. The plan began with the rubber industry in India and where they were choosing to invest, it has continued into medical supplies, a chocolate factory and a huge factory by the direct marketing company, Amway. The Prime Minister has stated that the commitment of expanding the manufacturing in India is of highest priority for the economic growth of the country. (â€Å"Manufacturing Sector in India†) Another great aspect of pursuing manufacturing in India versus a country like China is the possibility of lower wages in India, China continues to raise the minimum wage. There is also the language barrier that disappears when you choose to manufacture in India versus another foreign country with a different native tongue. There is also a younger work force in India than in China and with a similar government as that of the United States it is easier to do business. (Shilling) With all the rage to rush off and pursue manufacturing in India there are those who have doubts, like the unknown author of the article in The Economist, the author says, â€Å"If India is to become ‘the next China’—a manufacturing powerhouse—it is taking its time about it.† (â€Å"Manufacturing in India†) When it comes to a company from the United States and whether or not to compete in India, there is good support that says to go for it. Now a days we have so many jobs outsourced to India it seems foolish to not take it a step further. Particularly in the software industry, there is a large convention that is held there annually and the United States is greatly underrepresented and most likely missing out on big opportunities, because the reality is that the show will go on with out the U.S present. India has been focusing on the service industry over the last years but are now moving towards an industrial form of business. Also present is a strong entrepreneurial spirit, which can be wonderful for a new company coming in because the people will be willing to get in on the ground floor of an international operation, as well as bring new ideas and twists to the table. (â€Å"Americans Should Jump on the India Wave†) Another aspect in general to approach entering any country competitively is the exchange rate and currency. Look into how the country performs monetarily and see how the exchange rate and inflation will affect your business on the day-to-day operations but also over time. (Aimes) When going back and looking at the idea of manufacturing and competing in India based off the Economic Freedom Index, the index can mean multiple things for both. In general India is a 55.2 out of 100 in Economic Freedom. This is 119th out of 177, (not including Lybia) while the United States is scores a 76.0 sitting at the top as number 10 of 177. When assessing the index with the idea of a company from the Unite States manufacturing in India I look the factors that influence the index such as the labor freedom, this looks into the aspect of the legality of the labor market of the country, or in our case, India. This means that as a company we have to be cautious not to abuse or practice the immoral practice of extremely low wages or poor work conditions. As far as competing the issue that stands out to me pertaining to the EFI is the corrupt factor, with a low score like India, as a company one would need to watch closely at the practices taking place overseas. (â€Å"Index of Economic Freedom†) The Human Development Index in India is found in the medium HDI. Since 2011 India’s HDI decreased by 2 but is forecasted to increase .07 over the next year. The HDI refers to how the country’s population is take care of, such as life expectancy, education,  etc. This covers the wellbeing of the citizens of the country; I think this affects the manufacture and competitive aspect equally. If the people are not taken care of who is going to manage and operate the company, as an organization it would just be something that must be kept in mind. (â€Å"Human Development Index†) Pertaining to the Global Competitiveness Report it is hard to know how they would affect us because as a country India is not present in the top 30 for the last four years. So the assumption is made the India is not as competitive as portrayed by some people, but that does not mean there is no room for growth. (â€Å"Global Competitiveness Report†) India holds a score of 36 on the corruption perceptions index; this means that again when looking into entering the country either with manufacturing or competitive ambition one must asses the risk that is going be taken, such as how will the government treat your corporation as well as how will the patrons of the country view your corporation. (â€Å"Corruptions Perception Index†) Last but definitely not least another report that is very useful in assessing the want to on pursuing a manufacture or competitive is the World Press Freedom Index. India is in the difficult situation range in this index meaning, that freedom of speech is kind of difficult to actually have because the government watches closely to what is being spoken and said about their country and the people in it. (â€Å"Reporters without Borders†) Based off the indexes and other information presented above do not believe as a company of the United States need to enter the market in India. I believe this is so because of the uncertainty of the market, as stated above India has great potential to grow and be the next China but it has been heading in that direction since the 1950’s and not much change is evident. There are aspects about the country that would be desirable to enter into and if doing so I recommend the company use the strategy of global standardization. This strategy uses the low cost of the country to its advantage and in the United States outsourcing is chosen for that very reason, so instead of just outsourcing I believe it would be wise to use this method to pursue a start up of an international branch in a country like India where there is low labor cost and where it is not necessary for the people to respond due to the fact that there is a low economic freedom and instead it relies more on the main office back in the United States rather than the host country, or in our case, India. (Aimes) Exhibits Exhibit A Exhibit B Works Cited Aimes, Frederico. Foreign Exchange. Online Lecture, Stillwater. 07 Oct. 2013. Lecture . Aimes, Frederico. â€Å"International Business Strategy.† Lecture. International Management Lecture. D2L, Stillwater. 09 Oct. 2013. Web. 09 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Americans Should Jump on the India Wave.† Web log post. Boston.com. N.p., 21 Feb. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Corruption Perceptions Index.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Embassy of India – Washington DC (official Website) United States of America – Economic Relations.† Embassy of India – Washington DC (official Website) United States of America – Economic Relations. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Global Competitiveness Report.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Index of Economic Freedom.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 June 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"India – GNI per Capita.† India. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"India GDP per Capita.† TRADING ECONOMICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"India Gross National Product.† TRADING ECONOMICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"India–United States Relations.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 May 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Infochange India.† India Invests Just 3.3% of Its GNP on Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"List of Countries by Human Development Index.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Manufacturing in India: The Masala Mittelstand.† Editorial. The Economist 11 Aug. 2012: n. pag. The Economist. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Manufacturing Sector in India.† , Manufacturing Industry, Indian Industries. India Brand Equity Foundation, Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. Menon, Shivshankar. â€Å"India, US Ties Have Come a Long Way: Shivshankar Menon.† The Economic Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Politics of India.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 June 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. â€Å"Reporters Without Borders.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. Shilling, A. Gary. â€Å"Why India Will Displace China as Global Growth Engine.† Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 16 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. Srikrishna, B. N. (2008) â€Å"The Indian Legal System,† International Journal of Legal Information: Vol. 36: Iss.2, Article 8. Available at: http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/ijli/vol36/iss2/8

Writing a Victorian Mystery Novel

Victorian novels are literatures written with the neo-Victorian theme. During the Victorian era, named after the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria, novels were the leading form of English literature. Many English writers, sometimes referred to as â€Å"Victorian novelists†, created legacy as their works were very much appealing to the English speaking communities as well as countries like France and Russia. Until today, works of these novelists still continue to attract people in reading novels as well as writing Victorian murder mystery novels.This essay is about writing novels using the key elements of the Victorian murder mystery style. In writing a Victorian murder mystery novel, there are important elements that should be taken into consideration. The Little Professor has written some â€Å"Rules for Writing Neo-Victorian Novels† which are very much useful in the writing process. I will be using Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of the Speckled B and as an example of a novel written in the neo-Victorian murder mystery style.It is in the form of detective fiction which indeed was very popular. Perhaps the most important element of the neo-Victorian novels is the use of female role models. Victorian wives are usually portrayed as unfulfilled in their emotional and sexual needs resulting to illicit love affairs which create tension in the story—the flesh and blood of the Victorian novels. Other issues also arise from hostile treatment of women especially in the countryside. The Adventure of Speckle Band used this idea though in a different way.Dr. Roylott, the main perpetrator of the novel, was determined to kill his step daughters as soon as they were engaged for the annuity they were about to receive from their late mother. Of course, any case could never be solved without the help of the main character. In The Adventure of Speckle Band, Doyle’s presentation of the fictional character, Sherlock Holmes, and his a mazing deductive and inductive abilities always bring the readers into the scenes drawn into the character’s mind.Throughout the novel, and the whole Sherlock Holmes series, the character was held mysterious but was a great man. Victorian murder mystery novels have heroes and heroines who possess great analytical abilities as the Victorian novels are not much of picturesque and burlesque which were common in the Renaissance literature. Finally, endings must be less of a happy ending. Victorian novels talk about grim experiences of women (and men) living in cities and hostile treatments in the fast-paced changing of female role models in the countryside.Although the Victorian novels were patterned through grim experiences, the endings still show that â€Å"hard work, perseverance, love and luck†, dubbed as good characteristics, win against evil schemes. Reference Rules for Writing Neo-Victorian Novels. 15 March 2006. The Little Professor. 9 May 2007 . The Adventure of t he Speckled Band. 24 April 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 9 May 2007 < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_the_Speckled_Band >.

Global Warming Causes And Effects - 1453 Words

Global Warming Introduction A slight change in temperature may not seem that bad but a small rise in global temperature can do a lot of damage. Global warming is an increase in the earth s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate [11]. This report is going to discuss the many causes of global warming as well as the effects that come with it. It will also discuss ways to prevent global warming from happening. Causes of Global Warming Global warming is what happens when Carbon Dioxide (CO2) gets trapped in the atmosphere and does not get released into space like it should. Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration [13]. Instead†¦show more content†¦[2] The degradation of soils is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes [14]. Fig. 2: Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas Source: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data Methane comes in a second being one of the main releases of greenhouse gas. The 16% of methane release comes from all kinds of agricultural activities, uses of energy, and waste management (Fig. 2). It is also known that volcanoes have affected the cause of global warming. Volcanoes are said to emit carbon dioxide (CO2) in two ways. First during the volcanic eruptions and secondly through underground magma which is a combination of molten rock and gases below the surface of the Earth that may erupt from a volcano as lava [12]. When the volcanoes erupt the gas from the volcanoes pollute the air causing gas emissions to be let out. Most of the carbon dioxide that is released by volcanoes is emitted by degassing of subterranean magma when the volcano is not erupting [5]. It is also said that volcanoes can â€Å"alter the orbit of the earth† which makes it a key factor for climate change. While volcanoes only exist in certain parts of the planet, the release of gas, dust, and ash into the atmosphere can cause a lot of damage. Even the smallest particles of dust can get trapped into the stratosphere for months which in turn will causeShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming : Causes And Effects905 Words   |  4 Pagesindependent variables that are contributing to the cause of a problem the world is currently faced with, global warming. What is global warming? Well, global warming is a rise in the Earth s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect (which I will talk more about.) Which is when our ozone layer has a hole which gradually increases, and increases heat from the sun. 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It has been impacting us negatively in ways such as biodiversity and climate conditions. Several curr ent trends clearly demonstrate that global warming is directly impacting on rising sea levels, the melting of ice caps and significant worldwide climate changes. Over the years, scientists have conductedRead MoreGlobal Warming : Causes And Effects880 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal warming has increased significantly since the 1800s and is becoming a significant impact in our everyday lives. It is considered one of the most challenging environmental problems that exists today. Due to global warming, temperatures on Earth are rising and it’s affecting the way people live. Many people feel concerned about this issue while others could not care less. 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Polar sea iceRead MoreGlobal Warming : Causes And Effects1381 Words   |  6 PagesEarth is broken, and we all had a hand in breaking it, inadvertently though it may have been, by adding an abundance of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere that contribute directly to global warming; and we continue to do so every time we start our car, turn up the heat, turn on the lights or throw away trash. Global warming is a problem, caused in large part by human activity, and as it stands, poses a monumental threat to the planet and all of its occupants; while mega polluters do not have an incentiveRead MoreGlo bal Warming: Causes and Effects1422 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Global warming has been a very contentious issue of late in regards to environmental health and safety. Many pundits and critics alike exclaim that global warming is not as prevalent as individuals claim. One such pundit is that of George Will, whose article, Dark Green Doomsdayers indicates that global warming is simply a hoax. 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