Marketing guru 101: 4月 2012

2012年4月30日星期一

Software Product Development Has Given Rise to Software Product Design

Software Product Development is directly involved with Software development. It includes research, modification, maintenance and re-engineering. A successful software product should follow all the stages. The demand for product development arises due to the requirement of the customers. Software product is in demand among all the organizations. Every company wants to reach their potential customers and this has given rise to Software Product Development.

Software Product Design is a part of Software Product Development. Designing requires innovation and research of the product. Product Design is inter-linked with Product Development as well as Product Management. Software Product Design firstly requires analyzing the requirements, followed by designing the solution, and writing the specifications; and Software Product Development firstly builds the solution, followed by testing and fixation of bugs, and writing the documentation. Software Product Design mainly focuses on the experience and interaction of the user's with the technology. Enterprise software helps to bring efficiency in the operation system of the organization.
Software Product Design and Software Product Development both help to understand the market, the need of the customers and to develop the technology that would satisfy the requirements of the customers. In this competitive market it is essential to develop and design new software products to keep its existence. A good software development process requires being cost-effective, should work in a timely manner and needs to be high in quality.

For developing software product we require highly technical expertise. Without the knowledge of product development and product design one cannot deliver the desired solutions to their customers. It is important for an organization to understand its needs so that the software development team can provide them with the ultimate solutions. This is reason why the software product development follows certain methodologies:

1. Market research.

2. Understanding the requirements of the c lients.

3. Discussing the problems.

4. Suggesting a plan or design to the client.

5. Implementing the software.

6. Software testing.

7. Maintaining and fixing the bugs.

A software development process is actually a structure that is imposed on the development of a software product. Software has too many dimensions that have been combined within a single framework.

Software Product Design has developed due to the huge demand among the customers. Hugh competition in the market has forced every organization to adopt new technology that would make them flexible enough to reach their customers. Growth in technology and communication has made the software products so very popular.

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Introduction to validation of analytical methods

INTRODUCTION TO VALIDATION OF ANALYTICAL METHODS

The philosophy behind process of analytical method validation should demonstrate that the method is best fit for its purpose. The validation should follow a plan that must cover the scope of the method, its performance characteristics and acceptance limits.

Introduction

Method validation is defined by the process that establishes the performance characteristics of the method and meets the requirements for the intended analytical applications. Methods need to be validated or revalidated before their introduction for routine use. International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use has developed a formal literature on the validation of analytical procedures. The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) have certain guidelines on submitting samples and analytical data for methods validation.

Stages in Method Validation

1. Development of validation protocol or procedure for the Validation

2. Purpose of application, purpose and scope of the method

3. Various performance parameters and acceptance criteria

4. Execution of validation experiments

5. Verification of relevant performance characteristics of equipments used

6. Approved materials e.g. standards and reagents

7. Evaluation of pre-validation experiments

8. Adjustment of various method parameters or/and acceptance criteria

9. Apply full internal and external validation experiments set up

10. Development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for execution of the method

11. Explanation of criteria for revalidation

12. Type and frequency of system suitability tests for the routine checks

13. Documentation of validation experiments and results obtained in the validation

Parameters for Method Validation:

The parameters as defined by the ICH and by other regulatory body are Specificity, selectivity, precision, repeatability, intermediate precision, reproducibility, accuracy, linearity range, limit of detection, limit of quantization, robustness and ruggedness.

Selectivity / Specificity

The terms selectivity and specificity are often used interchangeably. The term specific generally refers to a method that produces a response for a single analyte only, while the term selective refers to a method which gives responses for a number of chemical entities that may or may not be distinguished from each other. If the response is notable from all other responses, the method is said to be selective.

Determination

In the case of qualitative determination, the ability to select between compounds of closely related structure that are likely to be present should be established. This should be confirmed by obtaining desired results from samples containing the substance, coupled with negative results from samples that do not contain the substance and by confirming that a positive response is not obtained from materials structurally similar to the substance.

Precisions and Reproducibility

The precision of a method is the extent to which the individual test results of multiple samples of a series of standards having same opinion. The measured standard deviation can be further divided into three sub categories: repeatability, intermediate precision and reproducibility.

Repeatability is obtained by using one piece of equipment over a relatively short time-span analysis in one laboratory. At least 5 or 6 determinations of three different samples at two or three different concentrations should be done to calculate relative standard deviation.

Intermediate precision is defined as the long-term variability of the measurement process and is determined by comparing the results of particular method performance within a single lab over a number of weeks. Objective of this validation is to verify that in the same laboratory the method will provide the same output once the development phase is over.

Reproducibility defined as precision obtained between labs. Objective is to verify that the method will provide the same results in different labs.

Accuracy and recovery

The accuracy of any analytical method is the extent up to which test results generated by the method and the true value satisfy.

Linearity

The linearity of an analytical method is to judge its ability to elicit test results that are (directly or by means of well-defined mathematical transformations) proportional to the concentration of substance in samples within a given range. Linearity is determined by a series of two to six samples of five or more standards whose concentrations span 80-130 percent of the desired concentration range.

Range

The range of an analytical method is the gap between the upper and lower levels that have been established to be resolute with precision, accuracy and linearity using the method.

Limit of Detection and Quantitation

Limit of detection: It is the lowest concentration of substance in a sample that can be detected but not necessarily quantified.

Limit of quantitation: Itis the minimum amount that gives precise measurements.

Ruggedness

Ruggedness is assessment of reproducibility test results under the variation conditions normally expected from lab to lab and from analyst to analyst.

Robustness

Robustness is a measurement of its capacity to remain unchanged by small but deliberate variations in method process and parameters and provides a sign of its consistency during normal practice.

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2012年4月29日星期日

Development and Validation of Giftedness Assessment Instrument (GAI) for the Identification of Creative –Productive Giftedness ability

INTRODUCTION

Every society, and every school (formal or non-formal) within it, has its own gifted and talented persons. Across cultures and over period in history, such gifted and talented persons have been recognized either through their significantly outstanding positive contributions to society or for some spectacular achievements or positive behavioural manifestation. Children are said to be gifted if their cognitive powers, when developed qualify them to become high level innovators, evaluators, problem solvers, leaders or perpetuators in the complex society in which they live (Oghounu & Oniyama, 2004). They are said to be talented if in the process of doing things, evidences of positive exceptionality and creativity is manifested (Onu, 2002). Sometimes, it is difficult to separate or even distinguish between the two terms since often; one connotes the other (Anih, 2001).

Most countries of the world deliberately and systematically id entify and nurture such of their children who are of high intellectual ability. Those who show evidences of exceptional performance or demonstrate very high degree of creativity, memory, motivation, physical dexterity or psycho-motor ability, social adeptness or leadership ability, aesthetic sensitivity or pronounced ability in visual and performing arts, or who demonstrate potential ability in any of these areas (Senate, 1988).

Often times, some of such countries are jolted into action by specific instances or factors like the sputnik which shocked America, or Israel finding herself in the desert or Japan after the Second World War, or Korea after some unfavourable experiences or even some countries planning to dominate world sports and gymnastics (Yoloye, 1986).

Nigeria is anxious to take-off technologically to revamp her economy and improve over-all standards of life and living for the generality of her citizens. The decision therefore to identify Nigerian c hildren who by virtue of outstanding ability are capable of High performance is of paramount importance. Onu (2002) opines that children thus identified require differentiated educational programmes, experiences and services beyond those normally provided by the regular school programme.

However, the development and recognition of giftedness in children started to be of major concern to the Federal Government of Nigeria within the last two decades (Anih, 2001). The National Policy on Education (2004) recognized the existence of the gifted and talented individuals by emphasizing that:

People (children and adult) who have/posses very high intelligence quotient (IQ) and are naturally endowed with special traits (in arts, creativity, music, leadership, intellectual precocity, etc.) and therefore find themselves insufficiently, challenged by the regular school/college/university programmes (p. 47-48).

The policy further enumerated that opportunities should be provided for exceptionally gifted and talented children to develop their talents, natural endowments/traits at their own pace in the interest of the nations economic and technological developments.

In the continued efforts of the Federal Government to see the gifted and talented through in her educational system, an operation catch the genius was launched in 1982 with the help of Aminu the Federal Minister of Education at that time (Makinde, 1998). The Minister clearly stated that the purpose of the policy was to ensure that children in Nigeria were not neglected any longer. This policy was buttressed by the establishment of the Suleja Academy for the Gifted and Talented which took off on the 25th of May 1990 (Omoegun, 1998).

Silverman (2003) opines that Giftedness is like developmental delay, which must be identified in children as early as possible. According to her, early intervention is essential for optimal development. She further states that Gifted fou r or five year olds are mentally like six or seven year olds, and usually have excellent attention spans, so this is an ideal time for testing. In Nigeria, selection into the gifted programme is done at primary six levels which fall within the average age of 12 years, according to the Blue print on Education of the Gifted and Talented (1986), it is the ideal age when the children must have finished primary school and are about to start secondary school.

However, the task of identifying the gifted and talented children has become a growing concern for our Nations public and private school systems. For years, our society has judged intelligence on performance records and equated high grades with high intellect. Even though many educators and researchers long realized that many of our brightest students are not necessarily the A students. Apart from this, some current definitions of giftedness have also grown out of the awareness that IQ alone does not define all the pos sible areas of giftedness. Some people have advanced talents in socially valued endeavours that cannot be measured by intelligence tests. Intelligence tests are as Guilford (1985) suggests only a small sample of intellectual activity in limited areas of human endeavour.

The concept of giftedness has also expanded in recent times to include many talents that have contributed substantially to the quality of life for both individual and society (Robinson, 2003). For instance, the contributions of gifted individuals such as William Jerferson, Philip Emeagwali,Wole Soyinka to mention but a few have called for the re-definition of what makes giftedness and how to identify the real gifted persons for placement in the special programmes. Since our main challenge as educators in Nigeria is to create the conditions that convert potentials into performance, it is pertinent therefore to identify the creative productive gifted persons, by the use of proper identification instrume nt (Renzulli, 2005).

Renzulli (2005) conceptualized creative productive giftedness as the cluster of three interlocking abilities namely, above average, creativity and task commitment /motivation. He further explain that gifted and talented children are those possessing or capable of developing this composite set of traits and applying them to any potentially valuable area of human performance.

Fig: 1 RENZULLIS Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness

The above clusters of abilities focused on the cognitive and non-cognitive/ affective domains of educational objective. Unfortunately, all the instruments used in Nigeria and abroad to identify gifted children have been focusing on the cognitive domain which is based on intelligence test and observation with rating scales by teachers.

Of recent, the Blooms taxonomy of Educational Objectives has been expanded to include the sixth one which is creativity. This can only be assessed properly by the use of attitude scales. Depending on observations also is not reliable as Nigerian teachers cannot be visiting homes to observe, nor to keep accurate record of their observations (Obe & Nna, 2004). They reliable approach is through the use of attitude scales, they affirmed.

Aiken & Groth-Marnat (2006) opine that one of the affective variables that has received a great deal of research attention is attitude scale. Allport as cited by Obe & Nna (2004), defined attitude as a mental and neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive and dynamic influence upon an individuals response to all objects and situations with which it is related. Ramsden (1998) also sees attitude as the cognitive, emotional and action tendency components, because it is this action- tendency that leads to particular behavioural intents.

An overview of the gifted programme currently going on in Nigeria seems that the children have not made any impac t in the society like their other counterparts in the USA, Canada, UK and Israel, despite the entire amount spent on the programme (Onu, 2002, Anih, 2001). The reason also seems to be based on the fact that the real gifted- creative- productive persons are left out as a result of over- reliance on cognitive ability/ intelligence test only in the selection process. This is akin to Renzullis (2005) definition that giftedness is made up of three inter locking clusters of ability namely above average (cognitive ability), creativity and task commitment/motivation, with their underlining attributes. The cognitive ability test currently in use is measuring only two attributes (verbal and numerical (quantitative) aptitude among all other attributes enumerated by Renzullis (2005) conception of giftedness. Secondly, the length and complexity of administration, scoring and interpretation make its use difficult for teachers and career masters with littl e sophistication in psychometrics.

Moreover, percentile norms are used for the selection process of the gifted .Unfortunately, percentile ranks are unequal score units and also ordinal- level rather than interval measures, hence, the units are not equal on all parts of the scale. The fact that percentile rank units bunch up in the middle and spread out at the extremes of the scale causes difficulty in the interpretation of changes and differences in the transformed scores (Aiken & Groth-Marnat, 2006)

The other two clusters of giftedness (creativity and task commitment / motivation are totally neglected as selection measures. Although, some scales have been developed by psychologists to measure creativity and task commitment / motivation, its application to the selection criteria for the gifted programme is yet to be effected by stakeholders. Similarly, this scale did not also cover all the attributes of creative-productive giftedness, as enumerated by Renzu lli (2005). Even for use outside African context, some other properties which call for urgent revision of these present instruments include their considerable length which makes their uses rather time-consuming and method of scoring which is rather cumbersome, for the gifted programme. It is in the light of these numerous problems that the present instrument is being developed with the use of factor analysis.

The theoretical underpinning of the measurement of creative-productive giftedness is that the use of non-cognitive factors like creativity and task commitment are as important as the ability to process information, reason analytically, understand spatial relations and think conceptually that is associated with the use of intelligence/cognitive test. This means that giftedness must incorporate non- academic or non- cognitive components and also the interaction of extraordinary character traits and the socio-cultural adaptive skills that appear to be essential to i t.

The traditional method of identification of giftedness relied solely on intelligence tests with evidence from the works of Terman 1925, Getzels & Jackson (1962), Witty (1958) and Dehaan (1962). A review of the literature shows that most of the intelligence tests used for instance Wechsler intelligence test for children (WISC-iv), Wechsler (2003) has four indices namely verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory and processing speed. The Slossons Intelligence Test (SIT) for children and Adults Slosson (1985) which measures the general intelligence and the Differential Ability Scales (DAS) which is found particularly useful with visual spatial children (Silverman 2003). The Gifted Children Education screening examination paper 1&2 (English, and verbal and Mathematics and quantitative) (NECO 2005) have four subsections of 80 items. The main demerits of I.Q tests of this nature, is that they underestimate childrens abilities rather than overest imating them.

Secondly, these tests are cumbersome to administer, they require training and expertise to do so, and the time for administration is rather long as a result of which testees sometimes feel bored and disinterested in the exercise. The use of IQ tests for identification was partially remedied in tests like Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) (Torrance 1998), Scales of Rating the Behavioual Characteristics of Superior Students (SRBCSS) (Renzulli 2004), Ibadan Creative Assessment Scale (ICAS) (Akinboye 1979).

Although, these tests measure creativity which is an aspect of giftedness, they have their own problems. For instance, SRBCSS requires only the teachers ratings which may be subjective. ICAS has 5 subsections and 75 items; TTCT has 4 sub sections and 72 items. The gifted children education programme screening examination I & II has 2 sections each with 80 multiple choice questions on each. The numerous items in these tests and t he lengthy time it takes to complete them makes them unsuitable as tests that can be used for quick screening for the identification of gifted children for placement in a gifted programme. Secondly, these tests are each measuring an aspect of giftedness which is either creativity (affective) or above average ability (cognitive).

Another aspect of the literature review is in respect of effort that has been made to use multiple criteria approach for identification of gifted children in Nigeria Blue print on the identification of the gifted and Onu (2002).

Even though a lot of instruments were developed to discover the cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics of the gifted. For instance, standardized tests, test of special abilities, cumulative school History, teachers information questionnaire, peer observation technique and pupils checklist. The basic assumption of the authors is that pupils who scored 80 percent and above in all these measures put together sho uld be rated as gifted. The focus of the above multiple measures were rather narrow as the instruments did not go through proper validation and standardization process (Fakolade, 2006). Moreover, Nigeria is still over relying on the use of intelligence test only which is just an aspect of giftedness.

These numerous problems of the various cognitive and non cognitive instruments for the identification of giftedness are the main challenges that have been tackled in the development of Giftedness Assessment Instrument (GAI). The GAI is integration, of cognitive and non-cognitive measures. The cognitive aspect covers the characteristics of above average ability which is one of the domains of giftedness and the non-cognitive measures dealt with the affective (creativity and Task commitment /motivation) domains of giftedness respectively (Renzulli 2005).

The main purpose of developing and validating GAI is to produce a reliable and valid instrument that will possess thes e characteristics by Renzulli (2005) for the identification of creative-productive giftedness ability among Basic six school pupils. To achieve this objective using a large enough sample size as well as minimising the short comings of the existing instruments that have been enumerated. It is therefore hypothesised that GAI will have adequate psychometric properties.

Methodology

Participants

The participants for the study were 600(males=275, females =325) in the age of 9-13 (mean=12.24,S.D=1.94) years randomly selected from both public and private primary schools in Lagos state. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select four schools (two public and two private) from each educational district in Lagos, while intact classes were adopted for the study in order not to eliminate the target group-creative-productive gifted persons. The locations of the schools cut across all the local Governments in the state.

INSTRUMENTATION

The following instruments were used to obtain relevant data for the study.

(1) Above average/Cognitive ability test (GAI-1)

(2) Creative ability scale (GAI 2)

(3) Task Commitment/Motivation Scale (GAI 3)

(4) Gifted Children Education Programme Screening Examination (2005) paper I (Mathematics and Quantitative aptitude)

(5) Gifted children Education Programme screening Examination (2005) paper 2 (English language and Verbal Aptitude).

(6) Answer sheet (OMR form)

(7) Lagos State (2007) Primary Six Mock Examination in Aptitude test and General Paper / Civic

(8) Ibadan Creativity Assessment Scale (ICAS)

(9) Ibadan Task Commitment/Motivation Scale (ITCMS)

(10) Mathematics Attitude Scale (MAS)

Above Ability/Cognitive test (GAI-1): It is the first component of GAI. It is a 40-item multiple choice aptitude test designed by the researcher and her supervisors, to measure the cognitive ability of the participants. It has five options lettered A-E, testees are expected to choose the letter that bears the answer to the question. They are allowed 20 minutes to finish the test. It is presently going through a process of validation.

Creative Ability Scale (GAI -2). It is the second component of GAI made up of a 22 item inventory also designed by the researcher and her supervisors, to measure the pupils creative ability. It yields scores on a 4-point responds format ranging from 1-4. The scale is also going through a process of validation.

Task commitment/Motivation scale: This is the third component of GAI measure that comprises of a 21-item inventory designed by the researcher and her supervisors to measur e the pupils motivation and competent ability in pursuing a certain task. It is also a self rating scale that yields score on a 4-point responds format ranging from 1-4. It is also a section of the newly constructed instrument going through the process of validation.

Gifted Childrens screening examination Paper I & II

This examination was designed by the National Examination Council of Nigeria (NECO 2005), to identify the pupils that are gifted for placement in the Gifted Childrens Academy in Suleja.It consists of an 80-item multiple choice aptitude test respectively for both mathematics and quantitative in paper I and English and verbal aptitude in paper II. The time allocated for the examinations is 1 hours respectively. NECO reported a three week test-retest reliability coefficient of 0.88 and 0.85 respectively. It has an internal consistency of 0.87.

Scoring: Each question carries 1 mark for the 80 questions. T he test scores for each testee is converted into percentile and the highest score in the percentile rank is regarded as gifted and is admitted into the school for the gifted and talented in Suleja. The aim of using this test is to determine its construct validity with the GAI-1.

Answer sheet: This is an OMR form, designed to be used by the pupils to supply the answers to the multiple choice questions. They are three types- the form used for the GAI-I test contains 40-items with 5 options A-E while the form for the screening and mock examinations contain 80-items with 5 options A-E and 50 items respectively. The pupils are expected to use HB pencil to shade the correct answer, since the OMR is being scored by the computer. The form is divided into two sections; section A contains the pupils demographic information while section B contains the options.

Basic Six Mock Examinations 2007 (General paper): This is mad e up of a 50-item multiple choice aptitude test and also a 50-item multiple choice questions in general knowledge/civic developed by the Lagos State Examination Board. The first test is specifically designed to measure the pupils aptitude in Mathematics, quantitative, English, verbal aptitude and vocational aptitude. The developers obtained a test-retest reliability of 0.82 and an internal consistency of 0.88 with Cronbachs alpha method. The second part of the mock examination is testing the pupils knowledge of the world around them. The test developers also obtained a test-retest reliability of 0.73 and an internal consistency of 0.86 with Cronbachs alpha method.

Scoring: Each test type has a total score of 100% with 2 marks for each correct answer. The total score is calculated by multiplying the overall correct answers by 2.

Ibadan Creativity Assessment Scale (ICAS): This is a self-rating attitude scale designed by Akinboye (1979) to assess an individuals degree of creativity. The scale has four subsections namely: ideative fluency, flexibility, originality and task motivation. It is a 75-item inventory with 9-point scale. Akinboye reported a test-retest reliability of 0.79 and internal consistency with coefficient alpha of 0.76.

Scoring: It yields a 9-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (totally unlike me) to 9 (very much like me).It has both direct and reverses scoring method. Mathematics Attitude Scale (MAS): It was developed by Obe (2002) to measure an individuals attitude towards mathematics. It consists of 30-items that yield scores on a 5-point Likert scale. Obe (2002) recorded a high stability coefficient of 0.79 and Cronbachs coefficient alpha ranging between 0.76 to 0.82.

Scoring: Scoring of the instruments was by assigning 5,4,3,2 and 1 for positively stated items. The points were also awarded in the reversed order for ne gatively stated items.

Development of the Instrument The development of GAI started by item selection based on the attributes and theories of Giftedness. For GAI-1 an initial pool of 64 items were generated. These items were then assessed for face and content validity with the help of experts in measurement and evaluation and psychology including the supervisors of this work. Based on the recommendation of these individuals some items were removed and others revised or reworded, as a result of which the number of items was pruned down to 50.

The draft of the instrument was then written out on a five option multiple choice test designed to measure the aptitude of the respondents. It was then administered to a selected sample of 100 male and 100 female Basic six pupils from Owerri-Imo state for the initial pilot study. The test was scored according to the provision in the manual and the scores were subjected to item analysis. In the item analysis , items whose index ranges from 0.5 and 0.9 are selected as good, while those having below 0 and 0.4 were eliminated as bad items (Ilogu, (1994) & Doran, (1980). This brought the final test to 40 items. A table of specification was also used in the construction of the test which also indicates the content validity of GAI.

Table 1: Table of specification for GAI-1

Content / behaviour objectives

Weight

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

Total

30%

20%

15%

14%

100%

Abstract th inking

30%

9, 3, 4

2,8,34

1,7

Verbal reasoning

24%

10,11,12,13

14, 36

15, 17

Numerical reasoning

18%

19,24,25,

Special reasoning

14%

35, 32,33

26,28

Vocational Aptitude

14%

39,37,5

Total

100%

Scoring: There is no special rule in the scoring of GAI-1.The whole test carries 40 marks of 1 mark for e ach correct answer. A participants overall score is calculated by counting the total number of right answers. The higher the score, the higher the possession of above average ability.

The development of creative Ability scale (GAI-2) also followed the same process; an initial pool of 48 items was generated and given for assessment by experts. This was also reduced to 22 items after item analysis. The draft was also written with 4-point Likert scale response from 1-4 which is generally accepted format for instruments designed to measure attitudes.

Scoring: The total score was obtained by reversing the values of items 2, 4,6,9,12,14,17,20,21 and using direct scoring for the remaining items. The sum of the reverse and direct score items gave a participants overall score in GAI-2.The higher the score, the higher the possession of a creative ability by the individual.

Development of the third section of the GAI also followed the same method, after generating an initial pool of 45 items which was given to experts for assessment. The items were reduced to the final draft of 21.

Scoring: The total score was also obtained by reversing the values of items 2, 4,7,9,10,14,17,19,21 and using direct scoring for the remaining items. The sum of the reverse and direct score items gave a participants overall score in GAI-3.The higher the score, the higher the possession of a task commitment/motivation ability by the individual.

Procedure

The first set of the instruments comprising the GAI were administered to them. The second day, the Gifted Children Screening test was administered to them in the morning period, the afternoon period was used for ICAS, ITCAS and MAS.The third and last day was used for the Mock Examination. As a sort of reinforcement and also to sustain their interest and continued presence for the duration of the exercise, the researcher brought a lot of refreshment which was shared after each section of the test. The pupils were happy and each time promised to participate in the next session The well-behaved ones were given cash rewards as a sort of encouragement to others.

Data Analysis and Presentation of Results

The data obtained in this study were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme to compute for mean, standard deviation, standard scores, Cronbachs alpha, correlation coefficients as well as factor analysis by principal factoring with iteration.

Norms: To obtain norms for the measure of creative-productive giftedness (GAI), the three components were administered to the participants. Mean scores, standard deviation and standard scores (Z-score to T-score) obtained across gender and type of school under the normal testing condition were computed as the local norm.

T able 2: Mean scores, Standard Deviation of the participants on GAI

Sex

Descriptive statistics

GAI-I

GAI-2

GAI-3

Male

Mean

19.88

5.30

275

74.78

7.63

275

54.12

7.65

275

Female

Mean

21.17

5.40

325

74.65

7.05

325

56.03

7.58

325

Total

Mean

20.54

5.40

600

74.71

7.31

600

55.15

7.67

600

Type of school

Descriptive statistics

GAI-I

GAI-2

GAI-3

Public

Mean

17.43

4.4

350

74.02

7.1

35 0

53.56

7.3

350

Private

Mean

24.9

3.4

250

75.67

7.5

250

57.39

7.7

250

Total

Mean

20.54

5.4

600

74.71

7.31

600

55.15

7.7

600

The descriptive data presented in Table 3 indicates that females recorded higher scores in the GAI-I and GAI-3 while males recoded higher scores in GAI-2. Consequently, the pupils in private schools recorded higher scores than their public school counterparts.

To further enhance the interpretation of norms for the GAL-1, the raw scores of the participants were grouped and converted to standard scores (T-score) as presented in table 3.

Table 3: T-score Norms for GAL-1 (N=600)

CLASS INTERVAL

Z - SCORE

T SCORE

7-9

-2.3

10-12

-1.7

13-15

1.2

16-18

-0.6

19-21

118

-0.1

22-24

0.5

25-27

127

1.0

28-30

1.6

31-33

2.1

Table 3 indicates that T - Scores of 60-71 fall above the mean scores. The T Score is useful in order to enable a layperson to understand the scores and for easy interpretation to the parents (Nwadinigwe, 2002).

In order to determine the reliability coefficient of the GAI, a two week test retest with Pearson product moment statistical technique, Cronbachs Alpha for internal consistency and split half were computed.

Table 4: Reliability Coefficient of GAL Components

GAI COMPONENTS

Sd1

Sd2

Cronbachs

alpha

Split- half

GAI 1

200

29.17

28.40

4.83

5.35

0.89

0.94

0.89

GAI 2

200

66.56

65.68

7.41

9.28

0.78

0.87

0.86

GAI 3

200

61.42

60.97

6.26

7.21

0.84

0.86

0.78

*Significant at P<.05 df 198 r crit. = 0.139

The result in table 6: Shows that GAL has a significa nt high test- retest and internal consistency reliability coefficient, with GAI I having r = 0.89, Alpha of 0.94 and split half reliability coefficient of 0.89, respectively. GAI 2 recorded a remarkable value of r = 0.78, alpha of 0.87 and split half reliability coefficient of 0.86 especially, while the analysis also produced for GAI -3 an alpha coefficient of 0.86, r of 0.84 and split half of 0.78.

In order to determine the concurrent and discriminant validity of GAI, Pearson Product movement statistics was used to correlate the scores of the 600 participants in the three components of GAI and other psychological measures (criterion) as indicated in table 6.

Table 5: Intercorelation matrix of GAI Components and other measures (Criterion).

GAI-1

GAI-2

GAI-3

Mock (Aptitude test)

ICAS

MAS

GCSE-1

GCSE-2

IBTCMAS

Mock(General kn owledge/civic)

GAI-1

GAL-2

.129**

GAL-3

.251**

.038

Mock (Aptitude test)

.823**

.153**

.235**

ICAS

.151**

.679**

.306**

.116**

MAS

-.074

-.085*

-.009

-.080

.033

GCSE-1

.203**

.145**

.075

.191**

.247**

-.010

GCSE-2

.361**

.103*

.148**

.296**

.197**

.041

.474**

IBTCMAS

.148**

.183**

.64 6

.166**

.297**

-.085

.146**

.111**

Mock(General knowledge/civic)

.123**

.035

.056**

.265**

.171**

.018

.121**

.189**

.026

** Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

The above table indicates that the components of GAI have significant relationships with other convergent and divergent criterions.

Factorial Validity: To determine the factorial validity of GAI the technique of principal component analysis with iteration was used to factor analyse the scores of 200 participants as indicated in table 6.

Table 6: Initial Eignevalues of the extracted Factors of GAI 1.

COMPONENTS

TOTAL

% OF VARIANCE

CUMULATIVE %

5.16

12.90

5.86

12.15

25.05

3.21

8.06

33.11

2.79

6.97

40.08

2.64

6.61

46.69

1.91

4.77

51.45

1.73

4.39

63.32

1.67

4.17

59.94

1.36

3.39

63.32

10.

1.34

3.35

66.68

11.

1.25

3.12

69.78

12.

1.03

2.57

72.38

Evidence from table 6: Shows that the analysis extracted 12 component factors that conformed to Kaisers Criterion by each having eigenvalues greeter than one before rotation. The result also shows that the 12 factors accounted for 72.38% of the total variance.

The extracted factors were maximized using varimax rotation. Using Burt-Bank formula to determine significant factor loading, 5 factors were extracted that conformed to Kaisers criterion and Thurnstons principle as indicat ed in table 7.

Table 7: Names, Eigenvalues and Percentages of variances of Varimax Rotated Orthogonal Factors of GAI - 1.

FACTORS

NAME

EIGENVALUE

% OF Variance

CUMULATIVE %

Abstract Reasoning

4.64

11.59

Verbal Reasoning

4.53

11.33

22.93

Numerical Reasoning

3.59

8.97

31.89

Spatial Reasoning

3.17

7.92

39.82

Vocational Aptitude

2.75

6.92

46.69

The result shows that 46.69% of the total variance was accounted for by the 5 factors. The factors were named on the basis of the items which significantly loaded or distinctively clustered on each factor.

Table 8: Initial Eigenvalues of the extracted component of GAI 2

FACTORS

EIGENVALUE

% OF Variance

CUMULATIVE %

2.45

11.15

2.06

9.34

20.49

1.93

8.76

29.28

1.80

8.19

37.47

1.42

6.45

43.92

1.29

5.89

49.82

1.19

5.40

55.22

1.097

4.99

60.22

This table indicates that the analysis for GAI-2 extracted 8 component factors that conformed to Kaisers Criterion by each having eigenvalues greater than one before rotation. The result also shows that the 8 factors accounted for 60.22% of the total variance. The extracted factors were maximized using varimax rotation. Using Burt-Bank formula to determine significant factor loading, 7 factors were extracted that conformed to Kaisers criterion and Thurnstons principle as indicated in table 9.

Table 9: Names, Eigenvalues and Percentages of variances of Varimax rotated orthogonal factors of GAI-2.

FACTORS

NAMES

EIGENVALUES

% OF VARIANCE

CUMULATIVE

Fluency

2.00

9.09

Flexibility

1.80

8.19

17.29

Originality

1.79

8.16

25.46

Curiosity

1.73

7.85

33.31

Speculative

1.71

7.79

41.09

Adventurous

1.59

7.20

48.29

Elaboration

1.52

6.92

55.22

Table 9 shows that 55.22% of the total variance was accounted for, and se ven factors were extracted that conformed to Kaisers Criterion and Thurnstons principle. Hence, the factors were named on the basis of the items which significantly loaded or clustered on each factor.

Table 10: Initial Eigenvalues of the extracted component of GAI 3

FACTORS

EIGENVALUES

% OF Variance

CUMULATIVE %

2.07

9.87

1.76

8.37

18.24

1.63

7.77

26.01

1.56

7.55

33.56

1.33

6.35

39.91

1.18

5.61

45.52

1.14

5.41

50.93

1.04

4.97

55.90

Evidence from table 10 shows that the analysis for GAI -3 extracted 8 component factors that conformed to Kaisers Criterion by each having eigenvalues greater than one before rotation. The result also shows that the factors accounted for 55.90% of the total variance.

The extracted factors were maximized using varimax rotation. Using Burt Bank formula to determine significant factor loading, 7 factors were extracted that conformed to Kaisers Criterion and Thurnstons principle. The result is presented in table 11.

Table 11: Names, Eigenvalues and Percentages of variances of Varimax rotated orthogonal factors of GAI-3.

FACTORS

NAMES

EIGENVALUES

% OF VARIANCE

CUMULATIVE

Interest

1.70

8.10

Enthusiasm

1.61

7.69

15.79

Fascination

1.55

7.38

23.17

Perseverance

1.49

7.08

30.25

Endurance

1.49

7.07

37.33

Determination

1.45

6.91

44.24

Self-confidence

1.41

6.69

50.93

The result in table 11 shows that 50.93% of the total variance was accounted for by the 7 factors. Hence, the factors were named on the basis of the items which significantly loaded or clustered on each factor.

DISCUSSION

The results, which are basically the psychometric properties of GAI, reflect the extent to which it is a reliable and valid measure of creative-productive Giftedness. The norms in Table 2 indicate the cut-off points for evaluating the relative potentials of individual participants and hence the performance level for decision making in recruitment and screening of pupils (Omoluabi, 2006). The importance of the norms lies in the fact that such decision making is not arbitrary but one that is based on objective criterion. This view t herefore negates the common practice of arbitrary taking 80% performance as the criterion for decision making when the cognitive test only was adopted for the recruitment of students into the Gifted Academy. A norm therefore represents an equitable value of the relative performance of all the participants in the standardization sample.

The reliability coefficient obtained: Cronbach alpha, test retest and split half are both high and significant (p <.05) and thereby confirming the hypothesis stated. This result is in consonance with Aiken (2006) who affirmed that the acceptable reliability coefficient of a new test must not be less than .70.

In respect of the validity of GAI, the result in Table 5 shows that its components have very high convergent validity coefficient with different related criterions and expected direction (negative) divergent validity coefficient with non-related measures (criterion).The low value is expected because it shows that GAI comp onents and these measures are not related eventhough the are both cognitive and attitude measures (Anastasi & Urbina, 2004).The abilities required to perform GAI-1 are very different from those required for GAI-2 or ICAS.The fact that a modicum of relationship between GAL components and other measures may be due to the similarity in the abilities required for the subscales.

Tables 6-11 reported the factorial validity of GAI with factor analysis. The 5, 7 and 7 orthogonal factors extracted by the different GAI components indicate that similar items or those describing similar manifestations are grouped together. The factors may be regarded as different domains of creative- productive giftedness as contained in the GAI components because they conformed to kaisers criterion in the process of initial factoring. The fact that these factors fulfilled Thurnstones principle suggests that the domains or clusters are separate and distinct entities. Also, the fact th at all the factors have each eigenvalues greater than one suggests that they are independent of one another. This implies that an individual may score high in one factor and low in another suggesting lack of overlapping of items. This apparent lack of overlapping of items also implies the enhanced factorial validity of GAI.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The psychometrics properties of GAI indicate that it is a reliable and valid measure of creative-productive Giftedness ability and its use can be generalized to other populations owing to the heterogeneous characteristics of the sample.GAI has therefore objectified the works of Akinboye (1979), NECO (2005), Wechsler (2004), Torrance (1998) and Renzulli (2004).Generalization will be enhanced if this study is replicated with adult sample.

Specifically, individuals whose scores are equal to or above the norms of the components qualify for placements in the gifted Academy.

REFERENCES

Oghounu, A.E. & Oniyama, H. O. (2003). Introduction to Giftedness and Talentedness. In Oniyama E.E. & E.E. Ebiowie (Ed), Essentials of Special Education (130-140), Warri: Umpeta Press.

Onu, V. C. (2001). Effects of Blooms Taxonomy Based Teaching Strategy on High ability learners cognitive skills. A Ph.D Thesis. Nsukka, University of Nigeria.

Anih, H. V. (2001). Evaluation of gifted education practices in Nigeria: A case study of Suleja Academy. A Ph.D. Thesis, Nsukka. University of Nigeria.

Omoegun, M. (1998). Identification and Management of Gifted Chidlren for National Scientific and Technological Advancement: A case study of Unilag Staff School. African Journal of Education, 1(1), 236-244.

Blue Print on Education for the Gifted and Talented Persons, 11-15.

Omoluabi,P.F.(2006).Development and Standardization of Perafom Integrated Aptitude Test(PAIT).Ife Psychologla. 14,(1).1-14.

Federal Ministry of Education (2004). National Policy on Education. Lagos: NERDC.

Fokolade, O. A. (2006). Efficiency of WISC-R and SIT in identifying Gifted and Talented Children in Nigeria. Ife Psychologia, 14, (2), 142-151.

Obe, E.O. & Nna, E.C. (2004). Development, validation and application of attitude scales to Mathematics, Integrated Science and Introductory Technology. Lagos Journal of Educational Research. LAJER.

Guilford, J.P. (1985). The Nature of Human Intelligence. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Renzulli, J. (2003). What makes giftedness and how we can develop high levels of talent in young people. Gifted and Talented, 7, 2.

Aiken, L.R. & Groth-Marnat, G. (2006). Psychological Testing and Assessment. Boston: Pearson inc.

Obe, E.O. (1982). Scholastic Aptitude Test: Users Manual. Lagos Premier Press and Publishers. 1-22.

Obe, E. O. (2002). Mathematics Attitude Scale.

Silverman, L. K. (2003) . A comparison of Assessments in the identification of Gifted. http://www.gifteddevelopment.com

Anastasi, A. & Urbina, S.(2004). Psychological Testing. India: Pearson Education Inc.

Senate select committee on the Education of the Gifted and Talented Children (1998). Definition and identification 3, 1, 46.

Akinboye, J.O. (1979). Ibadan Creativity Assessment Scale. Menograph, Department of Guidance and counseling, University of Ibadan. Ibadan.

Nwadinigwe, I.P. (2002). Fundamentals of Research Method and statistics. Ibadan: Sibon Book Limited.

Nicola, B; Richard, K & Snelgar, R. (2006). SPSS for Psychologists. New York: Palgrave Macmillian.

Yoloye, E.A. (1986). Identification of Gifted persons. Psychology for Everybody living. A Nigerian Journal of Applied Psychology. 2, 47.

Ilogu, G.C. (1994). Validation of Instrument using Factor Analysis. Journal of Studies in Curriculum ( JOISC), 2, 122 131.

Renzulli, J.S. (2 005). The Three Ring, Conception of Giftedness. A Developmental Model for promoting creative, productivity. In R.J. Stemberg & J.E. Davidson (Eds), Conceptions of Giftedness. 246-279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Terman, L.M. (1925). Genetic studies of genuius: Vol. 1. Mental physical facts of a thousand gifted children. Standford CA: Standford University Press.

Wechsler, D. (2003). The WISC- IV technical interpretive manual. San Antonio, Tx: Psychological corporation.

Slossons, R.L. (1991). Manual for test Administration and interpretation. New York: Slosson Education Publications Inc.

Akinboye, J.O. (1979). Ibadan Creativity Assessment Scale. Menograph, Department of Guidance and counseling, University of Ibadan. Ibadan.

Fakolade, O.A. (2006). Efficiency of wisc- R and SIT in identifying gifted and Talented Children in Nigeria. Ife Psychologia, 14,2,142-151.

Makinde,S.A.(1998).Identification and Supervision of Gifted children in the 6-3-3-4 Educational System in Nigeria. Journal of Counseling and Development, 5,102-108.

Ramsden,J.M.(1998).Mission impossible? Can anything be done about attitudes to science ?.International Journal of Science Educational, 20, 2,125-137.

Cronbach,L.J.(1971).The Validation.In R.I Thorndike Educational Measurement (Ed). Washington D.C: American council of education.

Doran, R.L.(1980). Basic Measurement and Evaluation in Sciences.Washington D.C:STANL.

Torrance, E.P (1998).Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. Retrieved 6th September, 2006. http://www.creativelearning.com/assess/test 72.html

Terman, L.(1925). Genetic Studies of Genius: Vol 1 Mental and Physical Traits of a Thousand Gifted children. Stanford, CA: Stanford university press.

Witty,P.A.(1958). Who are the gifted? In W.B.Henry (Ed.), Education of the gifted. Fifty-Seventh yearbook of the National Society for the Study of the Education, 2,41-63.Chicago:University of Chicago Press.

DaHaan,R.G.(1962). Educating the Gifted.Chicago:University press.

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Testing Lead to Preventive Measure

Why testing is important for any product? Everybody knows about it but ignores it intentionally, especially when change is minor. Normally, people assume that for small changes why we should spend so much time on testing. The reason is, we are using so many tools and technologies available in the market without even knowing 20% of its usage and implication. Do we really aware of these tools being passed all the testing hurdles? Do we really understand the limitations? Do we understand internal complexity of it? Do we analyze if it would be fit for our project? Even though, if, it is known to the architect/designer, is this knowledge pass down to the developer level? The answer is NO!!!!!

That is reason why I would suggest having more review & testing time than earlier.

Testing team should be completely different from development team and directly reporting to client. That way, client can ensure correctness and completeness of development. It is a difficult thing to convince service industry, but, client should make themselves aware of these facts.

Software testing is to ensure the business and technical requirement is being met based on the test data and controlled as well as uncontrolled operating conditions.

Software testing is a process of creating test cases based on requirement (both business & technical) and run it under conditions to see the expected results. The result in software testing is either pass or fail. You can compare this to your exams!!!!! It is the examination time for development team.

There various methods that can be used for software product. But, the methods should be chosen based on following criteria: 1. Type of project/product (Development, Maintenance, Support,) 2. Size of the project/product 3. Type of talent in the team Testing is a major contributor in deciding on preventive action to be taken.

Companies normally put good amount of money on quality, six sigma, CMM assessment but one thing that they forget is all these processes will work perfectly when you have strong review & testing team/process. Unless, you understand every possible issue, small or big, there is no way you can prevent it in future.

I remember one incident when we were developing a client based product. This was the time when we were hardcore developers. We have developed it with solid design (using OOPs methodology, those days it was bigger achievement) and used all the robust objects under VC++. The product got developed and I was assigned to do the testing of the product. I did the testing and passed it. However, one of my friends had some doubt on this and sat with me for another round of testing. We have tested this product by running the same application again and again. After testing it 14th time, there is an object in the menu got disappear!! Subsequently, for each cycle of testing objects are getting disappeared

The problem was we release an object which is created by us, however, as per the guideline this object will also get released by compiler as well.

You know, what the preventive measure is for this..Why testing is important for any product? Everybody knows about it but ignores it intentionally, especially when change is minor. Normally, people assume that for small changes why we should spend so much time on testing. The reason is, we are using so many tools and technologies available in the market without even knowing 20% of its usage and implication. Do we really aware of these tools being passed all the testing hurdles? Do we really understand the limitations? Do we understand internal complexity of it? Do we analyze if it would be fit for our project? Even though, if, it is known to the architect/designer, is this knowledge pass down to the developer level? The answer is NO!!!!!

That is reason why I would suggest having more review & testing time than earlier.

Software testing is to ensure the business and technical requirement is being met based on the test data and controlled as well as uncontrolled operating conditions.

The problem was we release an object which is created by us, however, as per the guideline this object will also get released by compiler as well.

You know, what the preventive measure is for this..

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2012年4月28日星期六

The Importance Of Personal Growth And Building Your MLM Business

Having a successful MLM business can give you the money that you have always dreamed of having. But there is another benefit to having a successful business. Personal growth is another factor that figures into a building a successful MLM business. You may not think that you have confidence now, and that might be holding you back on a successful start in this business. But once you have achieved a goal, even a small goal, your confidence level will start to grow. This will, in turn, draw more people to you and help you reach your next goal.

Many people who have joined an MLM or started their own business started with very little money and some had a lack of confidence. As they continued to work at their business and achieve small goals that led a path to their larger goals, they began to develop a stronger sense of confidence in themselves that did not just help them financially, but also on a personal growth level as well.

If you have not reached a goal that you have set already now or in the past, then it requires you to grow and get out of your comfort zone. If you have never made any real money in the past with your Network Marketing business, then you must achieve some major growth before you can attain the financial goal that you desire. Personal growth helps us improve ourselves and at the same time improve our Network Marketing business. When we do this, we not just help ourselves, but we make a profound impact on the other people around us who are looking for leadership. Personal growth helps us tap into that hidden genius that we all have inside of us.

Personal growth is not something that can be rushed. It is not a technique or tool to make a quick fix. Personal growth is the attitude you have that you are constantly improving your life. Personal growth is driven by your desire to improve yourself and becoming the leader that you are searching for. It is a life long pursuit because the game of life is a work in progress!

Personal growth is not just about achieving confidence, although that is a big part of this process. The new freedom and confidence are like a snowball that keeps growing as you continue to roll it. You will start to see personal development in other areas of your life. You will begin to appreciate yourself and as a result, others will appreciate you. The personal growth that you receive from building a successful MLM business will not only help you get financial freedom, but will also help you in all aspects of your life. This includes your personal life as well as your relationships with friends and family. As you continue to grow, you will start to see a difference in the way that you view life as well as the way that others view you.

You will also be reaching out to form relationships with people you do not know. This, in itself, is personal growth as you begin to see others who may come from different backgrounds or cultures as who they are as people. Having a successful business with a huge downline forces you to develop relationships with those in your network as well as others who are also in the same boat as you. It changes you for the better as you are able to open up your eyes to a whole new world that is out there waiting for you. As you continue to grow both personally and professionally, you will continue to build a successful business.

If you think that building a successful MLM business is all about the money, think again. Most of those who have succeeded in this business find that they gain more from learning new skills and meeting new people than anything else. Personal growth will make you a better and more confident person who feels comfortable with yourself. Once you feel comfortable with who you are then you will start to attract those leaders that will help you build your business. You will no longer look at life the same way again as you continue to reach out to others, learn from others and grow as a per son with your MLM business.

If you would like more information on resources to help you start on your personal development please visit my blog and review my personal growth section.

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Tips On Aerobics Cardio

All forms of aerobics and cardio exercises basically refer to the process of physical conditioning that is designed to improve respiratory and circulatory efficiency. Aerobics itself means with oxygen and involves intense and sustained exercise such as swimming, cycling, and jogging etc. It has been seen that the regular aerobics exercise helps to keep you fit and healthy and through these you can also improve the efficiency and stamina of the body.

Aerobic and cardio exercises are very beneficial to your health and if these are carried out consistently and regularly, they can be effective in weight loss. The main reasons for the same are that these exercises burn calories and can potentially increase your BMR rate, which is also known as the basic metabolic rate. Some of the other advantages of these exercises include improvement in the respiration system by strengthening muscles that facilitate air flow around the body.

Then these exercises are idea l to improve your stamina by strengthening your heart and lungs and also help to tone the muscle which improves overall blood circulation around your body. With the combination of the aerobic and cardio exercises you can also improve the flow of oxygen around your body,Diagnosis mainly in the heart, lungs and blood system which are strengthened. All forms of prolonged and sustained exercises help in significant improvement of the health and reduce health risks associated with cardiovascular problems.
With the help of these exercises the lungs work harder and develop the lung power of the body and increase the respiratory system. These also help in increasing the energy levels of the body and reduce the stress levels of the body. There are various kinds of tips and suggestions implemented while performing these exercises because the body can gain through the same.

It is vital to perform warm and cool down exercises before and after the sessions respectively. Also it is vital that these exercises should be performed in moderation and with the right forms of breathing postures and techniques. Without these form of exercises the body will not be able to get the benefits that are provided to the body.

It is essential that you wear the right form of shoes and outfits while performing these exercises because the shoes help to absorb the shocks in the joints caused during these exercises.Diagnosis There are various oth er considerations and tips which should be kept in mind while implementing these exercises so that the body can gain from the same. But remember that all forms of these exercises should be accompanied with healthy eating and nutrition for good health.

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2012年4月27日星期五

Website On Aerobics Cardio

But if you follow them the right way and follow the tips and suggestions given by these websites then you can avail a healthy style of weight loss and exercise patterns. It is true that the bodies of women and men are not the same kinds but most of these aerobic and cardio exercises remain same in spite of these differences. Both men and women can gain from various kinds of exercise like aerobics and cardio exercises though their repetitions and duration vary largely.Diagnosis This is suggested because both want different body shapes and target different area of weight loss.

Aerobic means 'with oxygen', and thus when you are performing aerobic exercises the body increases the blood and oxygen supply. With the increase of this supply of oxygen the body muscles condition are also improved and the body starts to operate at much faster rate. It has been seen that some for some people aerobic exercises are the best way to strengthen the body muscles because it makes breath heavily and allows you to take more oxygen in your body.

Also the aerobic exercises improve your heart and lungs condition and there are various other kinds of benefits of these aerobic exercises. All of these aerobic exercises help you to strengthen your heart and thus every time you perform these exercises the heart pumps more oxygen and this is also an ideal way of exercising the muscles of the heart. Through aerobic exercises one can also increase stamina and flexibility of your body muscles along with improving recovery time and making you more resistant to fatigue.

These exercises help to prevent certain type of cancer and also increase the quality or your sleep along with improving cholesterol level and reduce fat on your body. But it should be kept in mind that these exercises should be started with some warm ups because this will prevent you from any injury that may occur later one. Hence the first ten 10 minutes should be spent for warming up before starting the exercise. You also need to keep a control on your movement and this good balance will enable you to perform these exercises better.

Avoid talking during these exercises and always perform a cooling down session once these exercises are over.Diagnosis It is also essential to keep breathing while exercising as it improves oxygen circulation in your body and you will able to perform different exercises with ease. Avoid over exerting the body but make sure that you perform exercises with new challenges to keep the body motivated.

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Books On Aerobics Cardio

It has been seen that these forms of exercises are common with women, as compared to men because women want to lose fat and weight and the men usually want to gain muscles. But there is a general misconception here that men don't perform too many cardio exercises but these forms of exercises are essential for weight loss and muscles gain. These forms of physical exercises are ideal for toning their bodies and there are different kinds of books available on aerobics and cardio exercises.Diagnosis Some of the most common books available on them usually deal with two main issues.

These issues are gaining muscles and loss of weight. Both cardio and aerobic exercises are very similar to each other and they help people to lose weight the healthy way. Most of these books suggest that eating a healthy diet aids in the process of weight loss and gain in strength. These books suggest that users should exercise and follow a healthy diet where eating less o f proteins and carbohydrates mentioned because this helps in weight loss.

The various books on aerobic exercises lay emphasis on the various kinds of exercises that help to develop cardio vascular strength as well as stamina to the body. Most of these exercises help to work large muscle gropes together bringing activeness to the body and thus they also help to improve the coordination of movements of the body. It has been seen that these exercises also help to make the lungs work harder so that the lung can develop the power of the body and increase the respiratory system. This also implies that the stamina of the body is improved.

Along with these benefits these exercises also help to increase the metabolism rate of the body and thus lose weight.Diagnosis Most of these books suggest that men should also perform various kinds of aerobic exercises because these will help to develop the flexibility of the body, which will aid in reducing the chances of injuries to the body. Also through these exercises you can benefit from the continuous development of the body as these exercises work to increase the activity level and the oxygen supply to the various parts of the body.

Basically, these books list benefits of the aerobic exercises, which include increasing the energy levels of the body, and reduction in the stress levels of the same. Through the regular aerobics exercises you can achieve better mental health along with reducing the risks of various kinds of ailments and diseases caused due to obesity.

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2012年4月26日星期四

Different Aerobics Cardio Centers

It has been researched and studied that the cardio and aerobics are one of the best options for losing weight fast because it works on the multiple muscle groups of the body and also helps to burn calories faster.Diagnosis Both these exercises have various kinds of benefits but it should be understood that these are often used interchangeably because the patterns of their performance and techniques are the same. Aerobics can be defined as the form of exercise, which includes various kinds of rhythmic exercise with stretching and strength training routines.

All of these exercises are done with the goal of improving all elements of fitness and the term aerobics means "using oxygen n" and every time that you perform the same you are breathing, and the oxygen passes through your body. Cardio exercises use a lot of techniques which are there in aerobics and walking and jogging are common forms of these exercises. It has also been seen that some of th ese forms of exercises also include some muscle training exercises like bench pressing or sprinting uses up the body's storage of oxygen.

Most of the aerobics exercises are performed with loud music with an instructor to direct the various movements of the body and thus it is essential that you perform the same at these centers. There are various aerobic classes are divided into beginner, an intermediate and advanced class, and the selection for the same is also decided according to your fitness level. You can get various benefits from the cardio and aerobic classes because these are one of the healthiest forms of exercises.

Some of the most vital benefits of these exercises are that it encourages cardiovascular fitness and is wonderful for building leaner bodies and a stronger hearts along with improving the sleeping patterns of the body. Those who have higher cholesterol levels can lower the same through aerobics and cardio exercises because it burns calories much faster than other modes of exercises.Diagnosis If these exercises are done on a regular basis, then it can increase the basal metabolic rate, which is again vital for weight loss.

Thus with the help of these exercises you can also enhance the flexibility in both the joints and the muscle and thus reduces the risks of various ailments and also normalize the hormone levels that cause premenstrual syndromes and menopausal systems. With the help of these exercises you can also prevent the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries. But always consult the trainer at these centers about the kinds of exercise that you should perform.

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Easiest Ways To Get Aerobics Cardio

Basically these cardio & aerobic exercises are helpful to strengthen the respiratory muscles and also help to smoothen unlabored breathing along with strengthening the cardiovascular muscles and improving the hearts pumping efficiency.Diagnosis These exercises also help to tone the muscles of all parts of body that results in improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure. With the help of these exercises one can also increase the number of red blood cells in the body, which improve the transportation of oxygen throughout the body.

By following these regular and disciplined aerobic exercises you can reduce the risks of having cardiovascular diseases. These are also helpful in lowering the risk of having other health problems such as respiratory diseases and osteoporosis. Some of the most common forms of cardio exercises are walking, which is also considered the most common form of cardio exercise. This a low-impact exercise and it can be done just about anywhere and is also one of the few aerobics exercises that can actually be incorporated into your lifestyle.
For this you need to practice 15-30 minute walk around the park or even at the mall. The other most popular form of exercise is running and jogging, which helps to lose weight and improve the stamina of a person but for this it is essential to try speed walking before progressing to jogging and then running. This exercise can also be done on the beach, park, in the neighborhood or at a track. Then there is the most popular form of aerobic dance, which includes jumping and a series of regulated movements along with loud music.

Basically the cardio fitness training is a fundamental part of any exercise program and the words "cardio" is interchangeable with "aerobic". These exercises are ideal for improving the ability of the heart to deliver oxygen to the muscles. They also enable the muscle's ability to generate energy with oxygen results in increased aerobic fitness. Through the modes of aerobic training you can increase your energy levels and also increase m etabolism, which means that stored body fat burns faster.

Some of the easiest forms of aerobic activities include various kinds of outdoor sports and forms of regular exercises like walking, jogging, dancing and other forms of activities also. The outdoor sports include tennis, racquetball and basketball along with swimming, running, cycling and hiking.Diagnosis These forms of exercise are ideal for weight loss and also for improving the overall health of the body.

There are various ways that these exercises can be done be done at home also with the help of the aerobic stepper or dancing forms of aerobics.

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2012年4月25日星期三

Aerobics Cardio

Aerobics (long, steady state sub-maximal cardio) aren't much good for many health or fat loss related benefits. I've already done a post on why aerobics suck for fat loss. And then I went over the health benefits of interval training versus steady-state aerobics in my interval training for fat loss article

Cardio is used in reference to exercises and/or equipment intended for cardiovascular fitness and endurance training (aerobic exercise). "To do cardio" is a common term which means to engage in Running or other endurance training for a set period of time. Having Cardio equipment at home is a great way to be sure to get it in.

The exercises are also very much important to the men. These exercises will help develop the flexibility that will aid in reducing the chances of injuries to the body. These exercises also help in the continuous development of the body. The exercises work to increase the activity level and the oxygen supply to the va rious parts of the body.

It is important that we work out the cardio system. This is because the cardio system is the core of the body. With a weak cardio system there are not many exercises that we can perform. A weak cardio system also makes a person prone to many heart problems and diseases.

Again, that's why you see these overweight aerobics instructors that can probably do well in a triathlon (because of excellent endurance), but don't lose any fat weight.

Aerobics is also known as cardiovascular exercises and it improves oxygen intake and works major muscle groups like the lungs and heart. Aerobics speeds up your metabolism and this leads to fat burning and weight loss, by keeping your heart rate up for an extended period of time. Most instructors suggest 30 minutes of exercise to get the heart rate up to with a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down.

Because you would look forward to doing it and won't likely miss (or "play truant") and would likely stay put in it long, to achieve your goal- either to lose weight or to maintain good health.

Cardio and aerobic exercises are helpful to strengthen the respiratory muscles and it results in smoother and unlabored breathing. These exercises are good for strengthening the c ardiovascular muscles and it also improves the hearts pumping efficiency. It tones the muscles of all parts of body that results in improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure.

Most people perform cardio training to burn excess calories. With obesity as one of the leading health problems in the Western world today, people are seriously considering doing cardio workouts since they burn much more fats and carbohydrates in so little span of time. But it must be noted that the amount of calories burned during cardio training will always be dependent on the body weight of the exerciser, the intensity of his workouts and the type of activity he does.

If you were looking to change up your aerobic routine, I would suggest you try water aerobics.Also known as aqua aerobics or aqua-fit. Water aerobics is similar to any other kind of cardio exercise. You run, do jumping jacks, perform arm movements and kicks, except you are in the water.

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How To Avail Aerobics Cardio

The routine involves a warm up session that is succeeded by around thirty to forty minutes of a fair to rigorous routine that includes the thorough working of several muscles assembled together.Diagnosis It is followed by a span of period that involves the cooling off the muscles. The basic process involves the break down of glycogen with the aid of oxygen for the generation and liberation of energy.

This aerobics cardio routine has several benefits with the most significant ones being mentioned here. It toughens the muscles that are involved in the process of respiration and are hence responsible for the facilitation of air within and also outside of the lungs. Further it also works towards the build up of the existent muscle group of the heart and its extension. This helps in the eventual development of the heart and the improvement in both the heart rate and its capability.

In addition muscles all through the body are toned, overal l blood pressure and anxiety levels are brought down along with the threat level of the malevolent ailment of osteoporosis in members of both gender. This aerobics cardio routine can also be followed via the mode of running and leaping ropes which also assist in the stimulation of bone development.
Despite these beneficial results many experts are known to criticize it. They say that owing to aerobics cardio many individuals endure recurring stress or anxiety damages and hence should choose some other kinds of exercise that has a lesser on the whole affect. Aerobics cardio also maintain that it is utilized as an appetite suppressor by the individuals who have the medical condition of anorexia.

The aerobics exercises are good cardio vascular exercise also. These exercises help to develop cardio vascular strength and stamina to the body. These aerobics cardio exercises help to work large muscle gropes together bringing activeness to the body. As such these exercises help to make the lungs work harder that develop the lung power of the body and boost the respiratory system. This also means that it improves the stamina of the body that helps in performing other activities and work outs.

It is a great misconception that aerobics are only for women .Diagnosis The aerobics cardio exercises are also very much important to the men as well. These exercises can help to develop the flexibility that will aid in reducing the chances of injuries to the body. These exercises also help in the continuous development of various physiological systems. The exercises work to increase the activity level and the oxygen supply to the different parts of the body. This means that there will be more energy released from the different parts of the body to perform different work outs. These exercises also actively aid to reduce over all body weight. The exercises are perfect for people who are only recommended to low intensity exercise.

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2012年4月24日星期二

Aerobics Cardio Exercises To Lose Weight

Weight loss and aerobics cardio exercises go hand in hand. Abs crunches and sit ups are good but they do not get the blood pumping, nor do they really help to reduce belly fat. If you are looking for the answer to losing weight and being fit and healthy, then aerobics is the way to go. The days when we were told to exercise for an hour to actually start losing weight are a thing of the past. When we perform aerobics we increase our metabolism which in turn burns fat.

In this article we describe the benefits of aerobics cardio exercises and how you can use them to become fit. You need to exercise vigorously enough for at least 20 minutes to speed up your heart beat and get the blood pumping, because it takes at least this amount of time for your body to release endorphins and get the heart rate up. You need to break a sweat, pant a bit and burn energy, and you can do this quite easily by fast dancing, jogging or sprinting. The endorp hins that the brain releases are natural drugs that give you a natural high, the only kind that is legal so enjoy!

Let me give you a quick rundown of the aerobics cardio exercises you can do to achieve the maximum benefits possible.

Cycling: indoors on a stationary bike or outdoors are equally good ways to exercise and is a form of high intensity aerobic exercise.

Aerobics classes: you will probably find plenty of classes to choose from: aerobic dancing, step, spinning, power pump and jazzercise; all available at your local health club or gym. Cardio equipment: treadmill, cross country ski equipment, step machines and rowing machines. Here again you can probably find all of these at your local health club or gym. You can also try the local hotel gyms if you dont find what you are looking for at the health clubs.

Get started on your aerobics cardio exercises today to re ap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

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Premier Pure MLM: Is Financial Investment Really Not Required?

Some of you readers would know that Magnetic Sponsoring was my very first investment one year after I stepped into Premier Pure, my primary MLM company. To date, I've spent close to a thousand dollars on information, software and services related to network marketing, web technology, psychology, copywriting, social media and etc.

The silly thing was that before Magnetic Sponsoring, I was never of the mindset that I had to invest a single cent into my business. From my observations, most newcomers to the industry have this impression as well. This can be traced back to 2 main reasons.

1. Most people enter the industry with a J-O-B mentality, with zero education in entrepreneurship and zero marketing experience.

2. Prior to my decision to sign up with the company,I was assured that I would not have to invest a single cent. Everything I needed to learn and apply can and will be provided by my uplines,the team I'm in and the company. Till today, I still come across Premier Pure distributors showing presentations to prospects and subsequently reassuring them that there will be no investment required and thereby, no risks involved. Even I was guilty of saying that when I was brand new to the trade.

The reason why these combined can become a huge obstacle your success in business, is this. If you're like me,and most other people, you probably joined the industry without any prior business and marketing experience or success.

If this was the case. The first thing you ought to do is to get yourself educated. Yes, you'll have to spend money on mastering sales and marketing, and not blow your cash "trying out the company products for yourself so that you're convinced". There's always time for product samples later.

If your team does happen to offer free marketing training for real,count yourself lucky. But more often than not, these so called trainings only deal with salesmanship and closing prospects within your warm market*. What's missing and really important for having a profitable and healthy business is education in marketing - the art of getting qualified prospects to FIND YOU.

*I wouldn't flat out claim that warm market approach does not work. I've had limited success with it. However, getting results from this approach it has got more to do with the quality of an individual's pre-existing social network and his relationship with those in there rather than true marketing ability. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this approach as long as it is done professionally. The actual problem is when your entire team depends on it as the main strategy (or lack thereof). A normal person's warm market is usually not targeted or large enough to sustain any business and generate sufficient referrals. You should, however, share your products or opportunity to your warm market passively and as a supplement to your main marketing efforts.

As a result, a common scenario would have an entire team of Premier Pure distributors using outdated and ineffective ways to run a business. Regardless of each individual's ability to upgrade themselves, and a convenient excuse you'll hear from most MLM leaders is that "more advanced marketing strategies are too difficult for the average person and not duplicable". You may or may not be an average person. If you ask me, I definitely did not go into marketing to remain an average person with an average income and average lifestyle.

Bear in mind that mediocre methods will yield you mediocre results.

When I understood this truth, I decided to go out of my way to master real world marketing techniques that my uplines, my team and my company could not offer me. I couldn't stand to settle for unprofessional, second-rate methods and struggle like everyone else. You do not deserve this either.

I still believe that Premier Pure is a viable opportunity for any budding entrepreneur on a budget. You don't have to spend a hell lot of money for a start, but you'll still need to be prepared to spend some money.

As far as running a business is concerned, there will always be some sort of risk involved. Even if your opportunity does not require you to purchase anything in order to participate, you're putting your time at risk. Everything has an opportunity cost. Without investing time and money into your business, it's profitability and growth will be limited. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise.

I highly recommend that your first purchase be an information product that introduces to you core marketing principles, Magnetic Sponsoring for instance. This will give u an idea of how the various marketing tools and systems out there are gonna fit into your business model.

With that being said, do understand that network marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme where you can expect to see results in days. If you're in desperate need of cash, please go get a job and come back to Premier Pure later. And choose the right team for yourself.

If you'd like my opinion on any sort of info product or marketing tools you've came across but felt unsure about, feel free to talk about it in the comments section.

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