Monday, October 31, 2011

Evaluating effectiveness of Mind Mapping in TBLT in Chinese

INTRODUCTION

Mind Mapping is a thinking tool created by Buzan (1993) based on his own personal learning experiences associated with memory retention. A typical Mind Map will contain words, visual images and lines in color radiating from the centre to branch out to express one's thoughts and ideas. It is simply a note-making device which could assist the learner to visualise his or her thoughts and ideas on paper. According to Buzan (2003), note making is different from note taking in the way in which the former refers to taking notes from one's own head; whereas the latter refers to taking notes from other people or books. There are a number of declared benefits associated with Mind Mapping: (1) creative in ideas exploration; (2) easy to apply; (3) interesting and motivating in engaging tasks; (4) efficient in managing study time; (5) effective in problem solving; and (6) helpful with memory retention (Buzan, 2002, 2003).

Since its creation, Mind Mapping has benefited people from a great variety of professions such as nursing (Tattersall, Watts, & Vernon, 2007), health education (Wickramasinghe, Widanapathirana, Kuruppu, Liyanage, & Karunathilake, 2008), business management (Ganglami, 2007), customer service (Williams, 2009), teaching (Yee, 2006) to list just a few. However, there is little reported in the literature focusing on the application of Mind Mapping in TBLT and its effectiveness in TBLT has not been explored. The purpose of this study is to evaluate effectiveness of Mind Mapping in TBLT to complete the tasks designed in CSL which could also be applicable to the teaching of other foreign or second languages.

Given the listed benefits of Mind Mapping in learning in general, one would assume that Mind Mapping should play a very effective role in assisting CSL learners to complete various tasks in TBLT. Taking this assumption as a starting point for an investigation, this study will examine effectiveness of Mind Mapping in CSL in the areas of task phase application, problem solving, note making, memory retention and learner motivation. To be more specific, this study intends to investigate and seek answers to the following questions:

1. In which phase of TBLT will Mind Mapping be more effective?

2. How effective could Mind Mapping help CSL learners in problem solving?

3. How effective is Mind Mapping in note making by CSL learners?

4. How effective could Mind Mapping assist CSL learners to remember things?

5. How much will Mind Mapping motivate CSL learners to complete TBLT tasks?

METHODS

Participants

Sixty-four boys aged from 13-17 years old participated in this study. They were all from an independent K-12 boys' school in Melbourne, Australia and studied CSL as an elective offered in the school curriculum. Among these boys, 44% of them were from Junior High covering Year 7-8 and 56% of them from Senior High covering Year 9-12. 88% of the boys studied CSL for over 5 years priority to their enrollment into the advanced class.

Data collection

The data were collected via a multiple-choice and open-ended questionnaire. The participants were asked to respond to 15 questions by following a five-point Likert scale to indicate their attitudes towards effectiveness of applying Mind Mapping in TBLT. The responses were anonymous and were collected in class at the end of a 14-day teaching circle in Term 3, 2008. The response rate was 100%.

Task design in CSL

The Chinese language tasks completed by the participants in this study were part of their language program covered in the first 10-day teaching cycle in Term 3, 2008. These tasks were designed based on Willis' (1998) model of Tasks Typology for TBL Task Design mainly for TESOL. In this model, Willis (1998) proposed six type of tasks of which each involves a different cognitive process with the first three (viz., Listing, Classifying/Ordering/Sorting and Comparing/Matching) being more challenging than the last three (viz., Problem-Solving, Projective Work and Experience-Sharing).

In this study, 8 tasks were designed covering all three phases of TBLT. Below is the summary of these tasks:

Topic:Use of laptop computers at home

Task for Pre-Task Phase:

(1) Brainstorming the most frequently-used Chinese character phrases for computers in general

Tasks for During-Task Phase:

(2) Listing as many good reasons as possible for families to have a laptop computer at home

(3) Classifying laptop computers in as many ways as possible, e.g., brand, colour, weight, price, function, etc.

(4) Comparing laptop with desktop computers used at home

(5) Problem-Solving: to think of as many solutions as possible to solve the problem of insufficient memory space of a laptop computer at home

(6) Questionnaire-Design: to design a questionnaire to survey the class in order to find out how many ways a laptop computer could be used at home

Tasks for Post-Task Phase:

(7) Story-Writing: to write a story about the use of laptop computer at home

(8) Story-Telling: to share stories with your classmates about solving a technical problem of your laptop computer at home.

Before the commencement of the main topic, all the participants were introduced the Mind-Mapping technique and were asked to use this thinking tool throughout their task completion in TBLT in Chinese. The participants were also asked to complete each required task in pairs within two teaching periods of 80 minutes' duration. Some tasks which were more cognitively challenging such as Tasks 6-8 listed above would need a triple-period (120 minutes) to complete. The time factor was considered in order to keep the level of difficulty of the chosen tasks comparable with the proficiency level of the participants who were all advanced CSL learners. The timed task or speeded' task referred to by Oxford (2006) could increase the degree of difficulty of the task. A rubric marking sheet was designed to assess the participants' outcomes covering the areas of relevance, accuracy, appropriateness and range at the word level and relevance, breadth, depth and appropriateness of structure a nd sequence at the sentence level (i.e., in story writing). Task 8 was assessed by checking each individual participant's pronunciation, intonation, control of tone marks, phrasing, fluency and understanding of the written stories.

DATA PRESNTATION AND DISCUSSION

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate how effective Mind Mapping was in TBLT in the teaching of CSL to secondary school boys. When the participants were asked to rank 8 tasks associated with the three phases of TBLT in Chinese through the application of Mind Mapping during the task completion stage, the boys generated the following ranking order:

As indicated above, the top 4 tasks which helped the boys in this study the most with their tasks completion through Mind Mapping were: Brainstorming, Classifying, Listing and Comparing. Among these 4 tasks, Brainstorming is associated with Pre-Task Phase and the remaining three with During-Task Phase. This suggests that Mind Mapping would be most effective in Pre-Task Phase of TBLT as 80% of the boys surveyed ranked Brainstorming as the top effective task through Mind Mapping in TBLT. It's also evident that Mind Mapping is quite effective in During-Task Phase, because the next three tasks (i.e., Classifying, Listing and Comparing) were all associated with During-Task Phase. 75% of the boys in this study ranked Classifying 2nd in terms of effectiveness of Mind Mapping application; 64% of the boys ranked Listening in 3rd position, and 63% of the boys ranked Comparing in 4th position.

Table 1 above also indicates that Mind Mapping was not regarded as an effective tool in Post-Task Phase, because the rankings of the tasks of Story Writing and Story Telling which were directly associated with Post-Task Phase were not high enough to be regarded as effective. For instance, the task of Story Writing was ranked 5th and Story Telling only 8th, the lowest among all the 8 tasks by the boys surveyed.

It is worth noticing that although problem solving remains to be the main focus of TBLT, the boys in this study did not rely heavily on Mind Mapping to solve the problems presented in CSL. As shown in Table 1 above, effectiveness of Mind Mapping in the completion of the problem-solving task was only ranked 7th, the second lowest among the 8 tasks.

Note making is an area which Mind Mapping shows advantage. When the boys were asked if

Mind Mapping helped them make clearer notes in TBLT in Chinese, they generated the following responses:

As indicated above, 41% of the boys in this study neither agreed nor disagreed to the effective use of Mind Mapping in note making in TBLT. If we combined the figures given by those who agreed with those who strongly agreed, the approval rating only reached 48%; therefore, the level of effectiveness of note making in terms of clarity through Mind Mapping was not high.

When the participants were asked if Mind Mapping helped them shorten their time in note making during TBLT, the overall responses were not positive either as revealed in Table 3 below:

Clearly, the majority of the participants took a neutral stance on the issue regarding time efficiency of Mind Mapping in note making in TBLT in Chinese. They neither agreed nor disagreed generating a reading of 36%. This made the approval rating, even if the percentage of those agreed and those strongly agreed were combined, still below 40%. This suggests that Mind Mapping was not as effective as it seems to be in terms of note making in TBLT in Chinese.

Effectiveness of Mind Mapping in TBLT in terms of memory retention was measured by the participants' responses to the question of if Mind Mapping helped them remember things better. Table 4 below summarises their responses:

Again, the majority of the participants took a neutral stance on this issue. 58% of them neither agreed nor disagreed that Mind Mapping could help them with their memory retention in TBLT. Those who agreed or strongly agreed took up only 25% collectively and those who totally disagreed or strongly disagreed reached 17%. This could mean that Mind Mapping would not be an effective tool for the boys of this age group to enhance their memory retention during their completion of various CSL tasks in TBLT.

Whether Mind Mapping could motivate the boys of this age group to complete the tasks in TBLT is shown in Table 5 below:

As Table 5 above indicates, the majority of the boys in this study took a neutral stance on this issue as 50% of them neither agreed nor disagreed with this evaluation. Those who disagreed or strongly disagreed took up 28% and those who agreed took up 22% only. No percentage figures recorded in the Strongly Agree category. From this we could be certain that Mind Mapping would not be an important motivating factor to help the boys of this age group to complete the tasks in TBLT in Chinese.

When the participants were asked if they prefer to use Mind Mapping in TBLT in Chinese, the boys gave the following answers:

The above distribution shows that 66% of the boys of this age group would prefer Mind Mapping in TBLT in Chinese. This supports the point made earlier in this paper that Mind Mapping is regarded by the boys of this age group as an effective tool to complete the assigned tasks in TBLT in Chinese, but mainly in Pre-Task and During-Task Phase.

When the participants were asked to specify what they like the most about Mind Mapping in TBLT, they listed the following:

Table 7 above displays eight reasons of why the boys of this group liked to use Mind Mapping in TBLT. Among them, "Easy to categorise items", "Easy to read" and "Organising ideas better" remain to be the top-3 reasons on the list. These would help confirm that Mind Mapping is effective in helping the boys of this age group with their organisation in completing various CSL tasks in TBLT.

When being asked to identify the negative elements of Mind Mapping in TBLT in Chinese, the participants responded below:

Based on the figures shown in Table 8 above, there were five negative reasons about Mind Mapping in TBLT and the top negative reason was associated with the issue of time efficiency in applying Mind Mapping in TBLT. 50% of the participants responded that Mind Mapping was too time-consuming in their attempt to complete the tasks in TBLT in Chinese. This correlates well with the results presented in Table 3 earlier that Mind Mapping was not an effective tool in TBLT as far as note-making time is concerned.

FINDINGS

It has been found in this study that Mind Mapping is most effective in Pre-Task Phase of TBLT as 80% of the boys surveyed have supported this claim. Mind Mapping is also quite effective in During-Task Phase since over 60% of the boys surveyed have contributed to this claim. This study has also found that Mind Mapping is least effective in Post-Task Phase as the ranking of the tasks associated with this phase are low and only less than 34% of the boys have responded positively to this claim. Overall, the boys aged from 13-17 years old still support the use of Mind Mapping in TBLT in Chinese as 66% of them have indicated that they would prefer to use this thinking tool in TBLT in Chinese.

In addition, Brainstorming, Classifying, Listing and Comparing have been regarded as the most popular task types among the boys surveyed as far as the use of Mind Mapping is concerned. They believe that Mind Mapping works much better in completing these types of tasks in CSL, whereas Story Writing, Questionnaire Designing, Problem Solving and Story Telling are the least popular types of tasks among these boys.

It has also been found in this study that Mind Mapping is effective in the area of note making, but the degree of its effectiveness in this area is not as high as it is declared to be in the area of learning in general. This study has identified two most negative reasons of why the boys aged from 13-17 did not enjoy the most about using Mind Mapping in completing various tasks in CSL in TBLT. These two negative reasons are (1) too time-consuming; and (2) too messy.

Although the main focus of TBLT is on problem solving through meaningful communication in the target language, Mind Mapping seems not effective in helping learners in problem solving, because the boys in this study ranked this task the second lowest among the eight tasks completed via Mind Mapping.

Mind Mapping also appears to be ineffective in memory retention as only 25% of the boys surveyed in this study supported the view that this technique helped them remember things better while completing various tasks in TBLT in Chinese.

Mind Mapping seems not effective in motivating the boys in this study to complete various tasks in TBLT in Chinese, because only 22% of the boys surveyed supported the view that Mind Mapping motivated them to carry out various tasks in CSL in TBLT.

CONCLUSION

It is evident that Mind Mapping works effectively in Pre-Task and During-Task Phase of TBLT in Chinese where the main focus is on meaning and language use, but this is not the case in Post-Task Phase of TBLT where the primary focus is on language form. This may help us determine that Mind Mapping would help learners how to learn and improve their organisational skills in learning the target language, but it is not necessarily helpful with their mastering of language form.

Ineffectiveness of Mind Mapping as shown in memory retention and learner motivation in this study might not be inconclusive if a large-scale investigation were conducted among secondary school girls or students from co-ed schools which may produce a different outcome in these areas. Whether this is true or not remains to be a topic for further investigation for those who might be interested.

Nevertheless, the investigation of effectiveness of Mind Mapping in TBLT would not only apply to CSL, but also to the teaching of EFL and ESL or any other second languages. The implication this study has could be greater if much could be done based on what has been initiated in CSL.

REFERENCES

Buzan, T. (2003). The Mind Maps for Kids. London: Thorsons.

Buzan, T. (2002) How to mind map. London: Thorsons.

Buzan, T. (1993). The Mind Map Book. London: BBC Books.

Ellis, R. (2006). The methodology of task-based teaching. Asian EFL Journal, 8, 3.

Ganglani, R. 2007. The far reaching benefits of Mind Mapping. Retrieved 8 April 2009 from http://www.buzanworld.com/far_reaching_benefits_of_Mind_mapping.htm

Oxford, R.L. (2006). Task-based language teaching and learning: an overview. Asian EFL Journal, 8, 3.

Tattersall, C., Watts, A., & Vernon, S. 2007. Mind mapping as a tool in qualitative research. Nursing, 103, 26, 32-33.

Wickramasinghe, A., Widanapathirana, N., Kuruppu, O., Liyanage, I., & Karunathilake I.

2008. Effectiveness of mind maps as a learning tool for medical students. South East Asian Journal of Medical Education, 1, 1, 30-32.

Williams, C. 2009. Mind maps for customer service: Minding your customers. Retrieved 18 April 2009 from http://www.fenman.co.uk/traineractive/training-activity/mind- map-for-customer-service.html

Willis, D. and J. Willis (2006). Doing Task-Based Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Yee, L.M. 2006. Gift of mind-mapping. Retrieved April 18, 2009 from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/25/central/16366178&sec=central


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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Discounts on Health & Fitness Equipments

Can't imagine your life for running hundreds of miles every day to stay fit, and hence needing a treadmill but being scanted of money makes new yet indispensable purchases impossible? Quell your worries about prices, and make smart moves to fulfill your desires without fearing the current fiscal slump. As ironic as it may sound, the recession has forced a common man to cut back on leisure pursuits like traveling, entertainment, gym sessions, art classes and so on. What used to be taken as for granted now requires a thorough glance at pre-defined budget.

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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Best And Affordable Pre GED Practice Test - Buy Online

Introduction To GED

How can a ged preparation book helps you getting top scores?

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Computer-Based GED Tests Planned

Over 39 million American adults lack a high school diploma, and the GED exam plays a significant role in preparing these adults for higher education and better jobs. The GED 21st Century Initiative set goals for the GED Test, to align it with the Common Core State Standards and assure that GED test-takers are prepared for today's colleges, universities, and jobs. The American Council on Education (ACE) and Pearson VUE have formed a new partnership that will continue using the name GED Testing Service and that will design and deliver the GED Test, in line with these goals.

In the last year, Pearson VUE has partnered with the ACE in a study to compare GED scores in computer-based testing with scores in traditional pencil-and-paper tests. Now, the partners are moving forward with plans to convert the GED exam into a computer-based test.

A new version of the GED Test is planned for 2014. Meanwhile, computer versions of the current test will be offered in California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas at official testing centers starting in April, 2011. The GED exam is not offered online, and no online GED exams are planned. However, online GED test preparation is available.

A computer-based GED exam is only one part of the upcoming changes in the GED Test. The new GED exam planned for 2014 is intended to be more rigorous and reflect the Common Core State Standards in order to make sure everyone who earns a GED diploma is ready for higher education and better careers. The GED Testing Service also plans a national test preparation program to include individualized resources to prepare for the GED exam, as well as a transition network to help GED earners connect with job opportunities and colleges or universities.

Preparation for the GED Test needs to focus on the skills students need to succeed in higher education, including goal-oriented planning, self-motivation, and critical thinking. Learning basic skills needs to be part of a comprehensive preparation to expand on those skills so that they can provide the most real-world benefits in the workforce and in higher education.

GED and GED Testing Service are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). Use of the GED trademark does not imply support or endorsement by ACE.


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Thursday, October 27, 2011

A Comprehensive Categorization for High Heel Shoes

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Styles Material Attributes Occasions Heels Height Ankle boots Leather Ankle Strap Day Flat Ballet Flats Patent Ankle Wrap Prom High D'Orsay Exotic Block Heel Work Medium Espadrilles Patent Leather Comfort Party Low Gladiator Glitter Flats Evening Knee Boots PVC Open Toe Wedding Mary Jane Metallic Leather Platform Weekend Pumps Biker Leather Pointed Toe Transitional Sandal Metallic Suede Rounded Toe Slide Vintage Suede Slingback Spectator Coarse Suede Stiletto Heels Thigh Boots Satin Wedges Thong Jeweled T-Strap Embossed Leather
Regarding the above mentioned diagram, it is kindly noted that the high heel shoes are not so simply classified, for the high heel shoes nowadays incorporate several factors such as style, attributes, heels height and etc. The different combination will offer you sheer different feeling when wearing them. That is maybe the reason why ladies are usually smitten by the high heels.

Apart from sorting them out from styes, attributes, materials and so on, there is one important clue for tracing them. That is, from the brand itself. However, it is always not easy neither. Not only there are more and more brands going into fashion, but also the intricated product names are too difficult to remember them. Thus, the category of brands was ominized here. But if you prefer to sort them out via brands, I'd like to recommend a valuable women high heel shoes website for you, that is LadyShoesMall.com, which is an exclusive women high heel shoes online store.

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Protocol testing

Protocol testing

Generally, only the simplest protocols are used alone. Most protocols, especially in the context of communications or networking, are layered together into protocol stacks where the various tasks listed above are divided among different protocols in the stack.Whereas the protocol stack denotes a specific combination of protocols that work together, a reference model is a software architecture that lists each layer and the services each should offer. The classic seven-layer reference model is the OSI model, which is used for conceptualizing protocol stacks and peer entities. This reference model also provides an opportunity to teach more general software engineering concepts like hiding, modularity, and delegation of tasks. This model has endured in spite of the demise of many of its protocols (and protocol stacks) originally sanctioned by the ISO.

In the field of telecommunications, a communications protocol is the set of standard rules for data representation, signaling, authentication and error detection required to send information over a communications channel.protocol testing An example of a simple communications protocol adapted to voice communication is the case of a radio dispatcher talking to mobile stations. Communication protocols for digital computer network communication have features intended to ensure reliable interchange of data over an imperfect communication channel. Communication protocol is basically following certain rules so that the system works properly
The TCP/IP protocol suite establishes the technical foundation of the Internet. (UDP/IP is part of the the family). Development of the TCP/IP was started by DOD projects and now, most protocols in the suite are developed by the industry non-for-profit organization named Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) under the Internet Architectu re Board (IAB), an organization initially sponsored by the US government and now an open and autonomous organization. The IAB provides the coordination for the R&D underlying the TCP/IP protocols and guides the evolution of the Internet. The TCP/IP protocols are well documented by the Request For Comments (RFC), which are drafted, discussed, circulated and approved by the IETF committees. All documents are open and free and could be found online in the IETF site listed in the reference.

In computing, a protocol is a set of rules which is used by computers to communicate with each other across a network. A protocol is a convention or standard that controls or enables the connection, communication, and data transfer between computing endpoints. In its simplest form, a protocol can be defined as the rules governing the syntax, semantics, and synchronization of communication. Protocols may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of the two. At the lowest level, a protocol defines the behavior of a hardware connection. A protocol is a formal description of message formats and the rules for exchanging those messages.

Software Testing

It is the process used to help identify the correctness, completeness, security, and quality of developed computer . Testing is a process of technical investigation, performed on behalf of stakeholders, that is intended to reveal quality-related information about the product with respect to the context in which it is intended to operate. This includes, but is not limited to, the process of executing a program with the intent of finding errors. Quality is not an absolute; it is value to some person. With that in mind, testing can never completely establish the correctness of arbitrary computer software; testing furnishes a criticism or comparison that compares the state and behaviour of the product against a specification. An important point is that software testing should be distinguished from the separate discipline of Software Quality Assurance (SQA), which encompasses all business process areas, not just testing.

Discovering the design defects in software, is equally difficult, for the same reason of complexity. Because software and any digital systems are not continuous, testing boundary values are not sufficient to guarantee correctness. All the possible values need to be tested and verified, but complete testing is infeasible. Exhaustively testing a simple program to add only two integer inputs of 32-bits (yielding 2^64 distinct test cases) would take hundreds of years, even if tests were performed at a rate of thousands per second. Obviously, for a realistic software module, the complexity can be far beyond the example mentioned here. If inputs from the real world are involved, the problem will get worse, because timing and unpredictable environmental effects and human interactions are all possible input parameters under consideration.

Good testing provides measures for all relevant factors. The importance of any particular factor varies from application to application. Any system where human lives are at stake must place extreme emphasis on reliability and integrity. In the typical business system usability and maintainability are the key factors, while for a one-time scientific program neither may be significant. Our testing, to be fully effective, must be geared to measuring each relevant factor and thus forcing quality to become tangible and visible.

Tests with the purpose of validating the product works are named clean tests, or positive tests. The drawbacks are that it can only validate that the software works for the specified test cases. A finite number of tests can not validate that the software works for all situations. On the contrary, only one failed test is sufficient enough to show that the software does not work. Dirty tests, or negative tests, refers to the tests aiming at breaking the software, or showing that it does not work. A piece of software must have sufficient exception handling capabilities to survive a significant level of dirty tests.

A testable design is a design that can be easily validated, falsified and maintained. Because testing is a rigorous effort and requires significant time and cost, design for testability is also an important design rule for software development.

Software reliability has important relations Software testing with many aspects of software, including the structure, and the amount of testing it has been subjected to. Based on an operational profile (an estimate of the relative frequency of use of various inputs to the program, testing can serve as a statistical sampling method to gain failure data for reliability estimation.

Software testing is not mature. It still remains an art, because we still cannot make it a science. We are still using the same testing techniques invented 20-30 years ago, some of which are crafted methods or heuristics rather than good engineering methods. Software testing can be costly, but not testing software is even more expensive, especially in places that human lives are at stake. Solving the software-testing problem is no easier than solving the Turing halting problem. We can never be sure that a piece of software is correct. We can never be sure that the specifications are correct. No verification system can verify every correct program. We can never be certain that a verification system is correct either.

Conclusions Software testing is an art. Most of the testing methods and practices are not very different from 20 years ago. It is nowhere near maturity, although there are many tools and techniques available to use. Good testing also requires a tester's creativity, experience and intuition, together with proper techniques. Testing is more than just debugging. Testing is not only used to locate defects and correct them. It is also used in validation, verification process, and reliability measurement. Testing is expensive. Automation is a good way to cut down cost and time. Testing efficiency and effectiveness is the criteria for coverage-based testing techniques. Complete testing is infeasible. Complexity is the root of the problem. At some point, software testing has to be stopped and product has to be shipped. The stopping time can be decided by the trade-off of time and budget. Or if the reliability estimate of the software product meets requirement. Testing may not be the most effective method to improve software quality. Alternative methods, such as inspection, and clean-room engineering, may be even better.

Network testing

Users and network administrators often have different views of their networks. Often, users who share printers and some servers form a workgroup, which usually means they are in the same geographic location and are on the same LAN. Acommunity of interesthas less of a connection of being in a local area, and should be thought of as a set of arbitrarily located users who share a set of servers, and possibly also communicate viapeer-to-peer technologies.technologies.

Network administrators see networks from both physical and logical perspectives. The physical perspective involves geographic locations, physical cabling, and the network elements (e.g., routers, bridges and application layer gateways that interconnect the physical media. Logical networks, called, in the TCP/IP architecture, subnets, map onto one or more physical media. For example, a common practice in a campus of buildings is to make a set of LAN cables in each building appear to be a common subnet, using virtual LAN (VLAN) technology.
Both users and administrators will be aware, to varying extents, of the trust and scope characteristics of a network. Network testing Again using TCP/IP architectural terminology, an intranet is a community of interest under private administration usually by an enterprise, and is only accessible by authorized users (e.g. employees).[5] Intranets do not have to be connected to the Internet, but generally have a limited connection. An e xtranet is an extension of an intranet that allows secure communications to users outside of the intranet (e.g. business partners, customers).[5]

L2 - L2 protocol testing

L2 - Layer 2

This is also referred to as the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Data Link Layer. It provides the means for synchronizing the bit stream flowing to and from the physical layer and for the detection of errors due to transmission problems e.g. noise and interference. An example of a Data Link protocol would be Ethernet operating on a LAN (Local Area Network).


L3 - Layer 3
This is also referred to as the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Network Layer. It provides the paths for the transfer of data between systems and acrossnetworks. The paths between systems may include switched services and interconnections of multiple subnetworks on route. An example of a protocol operating at the network layer would be IP (Internet Protocol).


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Monday, October 24, 2011

Ten points to bear in mind when choosing a psychometric test

From personality tests and career guidance tests to tests that measure IQ and EQ, there's a wide range of psychometric tests currently available on the market. If you're trying to find the tests that best suit your company's needs, here are ten pointers you should bear in mind:

1. Each test has a target audience

Keep both your audience and your objectives in mind. A well-defined target profile will help you select the test or tests that are most appropriate to the position you are trying to fill. For example, the Reasoning Test (an IQ test) is aimed at defining a more technical profile, whereas the Emotional Intelligence Test � Corporate, may be a better choice when you're recruiting for junior management positions. The same principle applies with personality tests; some are designed to be more management-oriented than others. Your best strategy is to choose a publisher that offers a wide range of tests from which you can choose two or three core tests.

2. Choose a scientifically validated test

The development and validation of a single psychometric test takes an average of four years of intensive research. Validity studies are carried out according to international psychometric standards and you should look for a reference to these in the user's guide of any test you intend to use. If the user's guide for a particular test contains only general information and has no reference to specific statistics, then the validity of this test is questionable. You should also look to see when a test was last updated; in order for any test to remain relevant, it should be revised approximately every three years.

3. Choose a test that's available on line

Nowadays, with Web 2.0 technology, tests that yield immediate results have a clear advantage over those that don't � and online tests are every bit as reliable as the traditional, paper versions. Online tests will help you to save both time and money by allowing you to evaluate candidates and employees remotely.

4. Make sure you get customer support

Opting for online tests doesn't mean that you have to fend for yourself if you encounter a problem. But choosing a publisher with a reliable and easily accessible customer support service is a must.

5. Choose a test that's available in several languages

If your company has branches in more than one country, or you work with people from different language groups, you may need to consider tests that are available in a choice of languages. Choose a publisher that offers this option, but be aware that tests need to be re-validated after they have been translated � the validation of a test in its original language is not enough to authenticate it in its translated form.

6. Look for a social desirability indicator

Make sure a test cannot be "outwitted" by a candidate who, consciously or subconsciously, seeks to give an overly favourable account of their personality or skills. Look at the way in which the questionnaire is structured, the transparency of the individual questions, and, most importantly, the presence of a social desirability indicator.

7. Look for a personalized report

To prevent interpretational mistakes and to offer effective feedback, tests should come with clear, written reports, giving unambiguous results accompanied by graphs and a summary.

8. Choose a test you can configure yourself

Reputable psychometric tests allow you to set your own parameters or compile a list of skills that you require to fill a specific position. This is a particularly effective feature that helps you to get the best out of any test, whether you're using it for recruitment or to manage internal mobility.

9.The training component

Some publishers require you to take a training course in their tests before you can usethem while others offer an optional training seminar. But whether it's mandatory or elective, you should take full advantage of this training stage in order to better understand the administration of psychometric tests and interpret them more effectively.

10. Financial investment

The best tests aren't necessarily the most expensive ones. Online versions can help you to keep your costs low while still maintaining the highest quality. Publishers often offer the choice of a single payment method or an unlimited subscription. Opting for an initial single payment gives you time to think more about the product, to take the test yourself, and even to try it on colleagues or volunteer candidates before completely committing yourself.

Patrick Leguide, CEO Central Test


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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Safe Guard your Office and Home by using Testing and Tagging Services

Mostly people start testing and tagging on their own without taking help of professional test and tag Melbourne or others. It is not the wise idea because hiring test and tag service provider for your office appliances testing is the best alternative. Nevertheless electrical testing requires expertise so hiring test and tag service provider is the best option. Even one can understand the technique of testing and tagging by having test and tag course. Normally test and tag course contains matters and contents of testing and tagging techniques including electrical safety testing, appliance testing, electrical testing and tagging, electrical testing, portable appliance testing and many more.

There are many websites who offer test and tag course to aspirants who want to be the expert in electrical testing and tagging. However you need to choose the best one who must have informative and unique test and tag course. If you are working in portable appliance testing, then you must know the basics of testing and tagging. The more knowledge you will obtain about test and tag, the faster you will be expert in electrical testing and tagging. It is quite obvious that nowadays most of the people get shocked by the power or energy via power cord or other electrical appliances. Therefore hiring service of test and tag is the best idea to manage all the appliances. In case portable appliances testing take too much time, and then have patience because electrical testing requires more precautions and expertise to deliver result.

You can find your test and tag course via web portals. All you need to do is just verify the authorization of selected test and tag Melbourne. Once you select the best test and tag Melbourne, you can continue your study by having relevant contents from your service provider in order to be expert in electrical safety testing. Whatsoever, you know about portable appliance testing or electrical testing theoretically, you have to avoid doing these appliance testing in order to keep yourself safe from being get electric shocked suddenly. Therefore only professional allows to do proper electrical testing and tagging in your home or office.

Hiring test and tag Melbourne require only some time to spend over the web and choose the best test and tag Melbourne for electrical testing or portable appliance testing. Test and tag course caries only relevant matters which is essential to understand. You can compare different test and tag course of multiple online courses before selecting the best one. Once you find yourself satisfied with rate and contents of test and tag course then move further to be expert in electrical testing. All you will have to do just browse over the web for more details and information about test and tag.


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