The levels of organizational change readiness

The levels of organizational change readiness This chapter will show my devised framework of the transformation change model to assess the level of readiness for change at AFH,across departments and units; to answer the major and minor research questions; and to achieve the research objective. The devised framework will be examined and evaluated by the use of its different variables in this paper. This chapter will illustrate the research problem, sampling method, propositions and data analysis method. 3.2 Problem Statement Senior management decided to introduce new equipment into all departments across the hospital. This has been a major change project that started in 2007. The main advantages of this change include a reduction in the rate of human error and an increase in the production of patient reports. Despite the positive impact this change would have on the ways of working in the hospital, employees had not been informed of any change prior to it being introduced, and were therefore not ready to accept the new ways of working. Reasons for this lack of acceptance will be discussed later in this paper, including: No communication between senior management and their staff. (Kotter, 2007). Training not being made available to all staff. (Lehman et al, 2002). People resisting change due to both lack of ability and knowledge, and their competing commitment of the big assumptions they will have made regarding the change process. (Kegan and Lahey, 2001). Weak management style, for example, not involving employees in the decision-making process. (Garvin and Roberto, 2001). Weak leadership style such as not clearly explaining the new vision that would come from the change (Garvin and Roberto, 2001). The level of readiness for change at AFH will be assessed and evaluated by applying the change readiness model from the literature so that the organization can achieve its goal of a completing a successful transformation process. In addition, AFH is undergoing further organizational change replacing existing managers with new managers and a new structure, based on the decision of the Ministry of Defense Headquarters in 2010. This change has been implemented in the administration department at AFH as well as across other departments and units. Some of the departments have increased in size and other departments have had to raise staffing levels due to the increased number of patients each year. Goals of the Armed Forces Hospital (AFH): To gain competitive advantage through improving the quality of work-flow by meeting the patients needs through the use of highly specialized and up-to date equipment; to ensure the accuracy of results and to decrease the rate of human error; to produce an increased level of patient results more efficiently. 3.3 Research Objective: The main objective of the thesis is to study the level of organizational change readiness in different departments of the hospital. Creating an acceptance for the need to implement change in the different departments of the hospital will result in the organization achieving its goal of improving the quality of work to treat more patients in less time. which in turn will lead to greater patient and employee satisfaction. To make useful recommendations. To learn more about readiness for change at AFH. 3.4 Conceptual Framework The devised framework is a combination of the Transformational Change Model, John P. Kotter (2007) and the Model of Change Program, Simpson (2002). The conceptual framework has six factors that affect the level of readiness for change in our case study organization (AFH) in Kuwait. We will be using both qualitative (semi-structured interviews) and quantitative (surveys) methods of research to collect our data. Staff Empowerment Leadership Skills Communication Computer availability internet access Adequate qualified staff Adequate Budget Adequate space for each employee Teamwork Vision Organizational Resources Readiness for organizational change Figure 3.1 Conceptual Framework 3.4.1 Dependent Variable of the Model as the following Ready for Organizational Change Judge and Douglas (2009) have defined employee readiness for change as the extent to which an individual or individuals are cognitively and emotionally inclined to accept, embrace and adopt a particular plan to purposefully alter the status-quo. (Judge and Douglas, 2009, P. 637). Arlbjorn et al (2006) have defined change readiness in an organization that the participant gains an understanding of the need to make change in the organization and display a willingness to take part in the change. (Arlbjorn et al, 2006, P. 129). He refers to the importance of staff involvement in the whole journey of the change process (Arlbjorn et al, 2006). He also refers to the importance of organizational alignment where employees from different departments of the organization participate in the change process and discuss shared problems and issues during group exercises. (Arlbjorn et al, 2006, P. 133). An organization that involves its employees at all levels and which has organizational alignment during the change process has an adequate level of organization readiness for change. Our research will assess the organizational readiness for change through a survey of 20 questions to assess employees overall readiness for change, and 26 interviews to find the effect and the relation of the 6 different independent variables of our model on the organizational readiness for change. 3.4.2 Independent Variables of the Model as the following Empowerment: Organizations are currently facing tough competition in a turbulent external environment. In order to ensure their survival they need to have sustained competitive advantage perceived benefits and advantages over their competitors. Competitive advantage provides an organization with the ability to increase the value of the company for its stakeholders. There is a need to transform the way they function by moving away from the traditional hierarchal and bureaucratic model of organization to the delegation of responsibilities to employees and giving more accountability further down the hierarchy to the first-line employees (Beer et al, 1990). This is done by encouraging employees to make more independent decisions at work without the need to constantly refer to their supervisors. Menon (2001) defined employee empowerment as the transfer of organizational power, energizing followers through leadership, enhancing self-efficacy through reducing powerlessness and increasing intrinsic task motivation (Menon, 2001, P. 154). Empowerment has been used to donate the act of empowering others and also to describe the internal process of the individual being empowered i.e. psychological empowerment. Empowerment means the delegating of responsibilities to other employees in decision making that will not only motivate them but make them more innovative towards the new change project which will increase job autonomy and cause job enrichment (Menon, 2001, P. 155). A good leader always empowers their staff in order to perform their work and make independent decisions. Leadership: Leadership is a relationship through which one person influences the behavior or actions of other people (Crossman, 2007, P. 514). Another definition is the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals (Robbins, 2005, P. 332). Burns (1978) has characterized transformational leadership through the following characteristics: Changes the status-quo Able to transform the organization Based on creativity and innovation Purpose to engender commitment of the leader and the staff as well to the change process In a successful transformational process we need to acknowledge the importance of leadership skills, such as effective communication, delegation of responsibilities to other employees and commitment. Modern change theories have emphasized both the importance of and the role of a strategic change leader in an organization who enhances the participation and cooperation of their colleagues in the decision-making process. This is unlike the traditional change theories where the emphasis was on the manager for the day to day operation of the business (Almaraz, 1994). In addition there is a need to have senior management support and commitment towards the change process to create the required level of readiness in an organization. In a successful transformation process it is important to establish a change project by having competent employees and by having participative leaders that encourage specialised training for their staff rather than directive managers to acquire change (Arlbjorn et al, 2006). A change leader must know the process of transformation and know how to create and communicate a clear change message to employees. This message determines the nature of the change and shows how employees react differently to the transformation process (Armenakis and Harris. 2002). Change leaders must also know how to answer any questions or concerns staff have regarding the need for change in a proper, convincing way. They must be able to provide tangible evidence to gain the support of their employees and their commitment to the change process (Armenakis and Harris. 2002). Communication: Communication in an organization is the most effective source of learning and developing any transformation process. Regular meetings, conferences and educational programs can all facilitate learning and increase the competency levels of staffing in order to reach the organizational goal of having a successful transformation and adequate level of readiness for change (Beer et al, 1990). A change leader must communicate the change message to employees on a regular basis. They must know how to introduce them to, and convince them of the new change vision through regular meetings to discuss work-related issues, the new change plan and strategies on how to achieve it. Email is an effective communication tool using the internet to send out the most recent and updated information. Use of an organizations intranet is another communication tool where reports can be circulated to employees on a regular basis. A skilled leader must establish a simple plan for change very early on in the change process that ensures employee acceptance, resulting in favourable outcomes and ensures employee involvement in the change process (Garvin and Roberto, 2005). Having regular meetings ensures and enhances active participation from employees in the change process. Teleconferences of live presentations is another way of communicating the change vision and message to employees. Such a teleconference presentation is called readiness speech and so managers and their staff must use the change message component framework to guide the content of the speech. The change concept should be established by a need that is easily understood and circulated among the employees of an organization (Armenakis and Harris. 2002, P. 176). A change leader manager must know how to introduce and regularly communicate the new change vision and the change message with employees through different communication channels such as meetings, speeches and newsletters. Kotter (2007). Leadership by example in different organizational departments/units is highly appreciated. A change leader must walk the talk that is consistent with the organization goal in the workplace and provide support and commitment to the transformation process. Additionally a manager with an open management style provides staff with the opportunity of open discussion and criticism which will be of benefit to both employees as well as the organization. Vision: Leadership vision is designed to mobilize an organization towards the attainment of some future state that is expressed in terms that generate enthusiasm (Armenakis and Harris. 2002). It is important to have a new change vision in the organization and to find strategies to achieve it. Vision is to gain insight into the purpose and objectives with the organization vision whether it is (differentiation, responsiveness and cost-optimization) (Arlbjorn et al, 2006, P. 133). In order to reach an organizational target it is important to develop a shared visionof how to organize and manage for competitiveness (Beer et al, 1990, P. 162). A change leader manager must define and communicate the new change vision to employees and encourage everyone to work towards achieving this vision. The new change vision should define new roles and responsibilities and coordinate the flow of information and work across independent functions at all levels of the organization. There is a need to have strategies to show everyone how to achieve the organizations goals, as well as how to achieve and accomplish the vision. For example, having a simple vision set out in a five year plan that is easy to understand, that is communicated by different stakeholders within the organization e.g. employees, clients and management, and clearly states how to reach the goals and clarifies the direction of the organization. Having a simple vision that is easily communicated and understood by the organization staff within 5 minutes or less is a useful rule of thumb (Kotter, 2007). A successful leader must know how to achieve and accomplish the organizations goals by recognizing obstacles and removing them to overcome different forms of resistance to change such as: Enhancing and increasing employee knowledge and competencies by providing training courses, lectures and workshops on a regular basis to overcome resistance to change. Change and improve organization structure by improving staff performance appraisals to be able to assess change that is consistent with staff interests and develop a staff compensation system to achieve success in the transformation process. Know how to deal with the more rigid management who are against organization development. In brief, leader managers need to treat their staff fairly, delegate accountable responsibilities, provide credibility and motivate them to become involved in the new change project. Teamwork: A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable (Katzenba ch, 1993). A team is a formal primary group of co-acting individuals who are dedicated and committed toward a common purpose to achieve the organizational goals. It is important to have collaborative, dedicated and cohesive teamwork after the establishment of the change plan as this will ensure the continuing and the accomplishing of the change plan. It will build the sense of employees ownership towards the change project to enhance their support and responsibilities towards the transformation process ((Armenakis and Harris. 2002). In order to have effective teamwork throughout the departments and across the different organizational departments, senior management must enhance employees active participation which is involving employees in activities that are designed to have them learn directly and enjoy the implementation of new issues to add value that is consistent with both employees and organization goals. This will provide opportunities to demonstrate and understand the change message and build the confidence and trust in their managers, supervisors and team based approach taken by their executives (Armenakis and Harris. 2002). In brief, teamwork without strong line leader managers will never achieve the success of the change process, and efforts without powerful guiding teams can make minor progress but will soon stop the change progress (Kotter, 2007, P. 7). Organizational Resources: Having different and adequate organizational resources is an important factor to successfully create readiness in an organization. Change requires adequate resources in various forms such as: competent employees, availability of computers and internet access and covering budget, and requires staff commitment to see the change process through to completion. Employees also need to see support of the change process from their departments (Armenakis and Harris. 2002). Organizational change might be highly desirable but unreachable due to the lack of the following resources: (Lehman et al, 2002) Open budget: in order to support and enhance the change project an organization must have a dedicated budget supported by senior management. This should be spent on having the right offices, furniture and equipment such as computers i.e. components of a healthy working environment, and spent on different specialised training courses, lectures and workshops on a regular basis to facilitate learning and to increase and develop the knowledge, skills and performance of employees (Lehman et al, 2002). Adequate and qualified staffing: an organization should have enough skilled employees to do the required job and must encourage learning to adopt the new ways of working in the transformation process. This is done by increasing the knowledge and competency levels of staff by having regular training courses, presentations and workshops to cope with change and to serve the increased number of patients at the hospital to serve more patients in less time. Providing adequate space/employees: it is important to have the right number of employees in each department section to ensure effective and efficient work-flow and to ensure monitoring and observing of the work process. Computer availability and internet access: an organization must ensure the availability of access to computers, to certain programs and e-communication between management and their staff via e-mails within departments and across departments to exchange useful information and share up to date knowledge regarding the change process. Having e-communication via e-mails and e-conferences is considered to be an effective and professional communication method. In brief, an organization that provides a dedicated budget, reported higher levels of staffing, adequate space and a healthy working environment with more I.T. resources, and that is open to effective communication will be more open to change than those organizations than those that do not. 3.4.3 Major Research Questions: To what extent are the different departments at the AFH ready for change? 3.4.4 Minor Research Questions: 1. Is the level of communication adequate in the different departments of AFH? 2. Is the level of empowerment adequate in the different departments of AFH? 3. Is the level of organizational resources appropriate in the different departments of AFH? 4. Is the level of leadership adequate in the different departments of AFH? 5. Is there a well known vision or strategic objective to the different departments of AFH? 6. Is the level of teamwork satisfactory in the different departments of AFH? 3.4.5 Propositions 1. It is proposed that management do not encourage open communication with their employees as they have seen no benefit from it during several meetings. 2. It is proposed that management do not consult other employees in the decision making process. 3. It is proposed that supervisors are unable to address issues from their staff due to low morale and a low work ethic. 4. It is proposed that management rarely communicate the new change vision during meetings, presentations or through the staff newsletters. 5. It is proposed that there is limited staff accountability and empowerment in the different AFH departments and units. The decision-making power is limited to management only. 6. It is proposed that there is are no risk taking as it is considered costly to both the organization and employees themselves. 7. It is proposed that employees did not receive the necessary training courses to improve their level of competence and readiness for change. 8. It is proposed that internet access is limited to those in more senior positions. 9. It is proposed that management did not fully involve their staff in the work produced. Only verbal guidance was given from behind their desks, showing lack of leadership by example. 10. It is proposed that management listened to employee suggestions and complaints but did not act on or implement them. 11. It is proposed that employees were not informed of the new change vision. 12. It is proposed that management in the different hospital departments did not develop strategies to meet the organization vision. 13. It is proposed that employees are not aware of teamwork. 14. It is proposed that employees lack the sense of ownership towards the change process. Relationship of the Minor Research Questions to the Proposition: Research minor questions Propositions Is the level of communication adequate in the different departments of AFH? 1. It is proposed that management do not encourage open communication with their employees because they have seen no benefit from it during several meetings. 2. It is proposed that management do not consult other employees before taking their decisions. 3. It is proposed that supervisors are unable to address issues from their staff due to low morale and a low work ethic. 4. It is proposed that management rarely communicate the new change vision during meetings, presentations or through staff newsletters. Is the level of empowerment adequate in the different departments of AFH? 5. It is proposed that there is limited staff accountability and empowerment in the different AFH department/unit. The decision-making power is limited to the management only. 6. It is proposed that there is no risk taking as it is considered costly to both the organization and employees themselves. Is the level of organizational resources adequate the different departments of AFH? 7. It is proposed that employees did not receive the necessary training courses to improve their level of competence and readiness for change. 8. It is proposed that internet access is limited to those in higher positions only. Is the level of leadership adequate in the different departments of AFH? 9. It is proposed that managers did not fully involve their staff in the work produced. Only verbal guidance was given from behind their desks, showing lack of leadership by example. 10. It is proposed that management listened to employee suggestions and complaints but did not act on them. Is there a well known vision or strategic objective to the different departments of AFH? 11. It is proposed that employees were not informed of the new change vision. 12. It is proposed that management in the different hospital departments did not develop strategies to meet the organization vision. Is the level of teamwork adequate in the different departments of AFH? 13. It is proposed that employees are not aware of teamwork. 14. It is proposed that employees lack the sense of ownership towards the change process. 3.5 Research Design: There are steps the researcher must follow to answer the research questions such as data collection, sampling, and analysis of interviews and the questionnaire. in order to be able as a researcher to examine the elements of the conceptual framework and how they impact the organizational readiness of change at AFH and to show how these elements can add value to the purpose of the research. We chose to use the qualitative and quantitative (see Appendix A) method and analysis of the data collected from my personal observations and from in-depth interviews as the rigid statistical analysis from quantitative data lacks creativity from the researchers perspective. By contrast, analysis of qualitative data deals with words and human expressions that will enrich the research paper with fewer standardized procedures and allows more creativity from the researcher. The research will be based on using semi-structured interviews with a sample of 26 interviewees. The interview questions are based on the literature and the devised model of transformational process to assess the organizations level of readiness for change. Each interview will last between 8-28 minutes. As mentioned by Sanders et al (2007) either unstructured interviews or semi-structured interviews should be used for exploratory research. As a researcher I decided to use a semi-structured interview as it provides more flexibility and convenience during data collection, as well as allowing deeper exploration of data from the answers given that would add value and credibility to the researcher itself. The research results will be supplemented by the quantitative research method, using a mini survey on a sample of 50 to measure the readiness for change level at AFH. 3.5.1 Research Sampling Methods: Sampling of 26 interviews from different departments / units, different hierarchal positions ranging from managers to front line employees with different working experiences, and different nationalities, to gain feedback on the implementation of the new change project, the establishment of new departments / units, the increase in number of employees, and restructuring of departments to assess the level of readiness towards the major change project / renewal program and new equipment . Mini survey sampling 50 employees (see Appendix B) to measure the readiness for change level at AFH. Interview Questions: For managers For employees 1. Do you encourage your staff to take independent decisions in work related issues? 1. Did your manager encourage you to take independent decisions in work related issues? 2. Did you involve your staff in the new change vision? 3. Did you know/hear about the new change vision? 2. Did your manager mention to you the new change vision? What was it? 3. Did you know/hear about the new change vision? 4. As a manager do you encourage team-work? 5. Did your staff have a sense of ownership for their project? 4. Did your manager encourage you to work as a team? 5. Did you have any sense of ownership towards the new change project? 6. How often do you meet with your staff to discuss work related issues? 6. Did your manager ask you to attend meetings? 7. Did your manager use any speeches or information boards to inform you about new work issues? 8. How often does your manager communicate with you on work related issues? 7. Can you answer your staff on reasons for the need for change? What do you say? 8. Do you encourage open-criticism when you meet with your staff? 9. Do you listen to your staff when making decisions (individualism, collectivism) 10. What do you do in order to convince people regarding change? 9. Did you ask your manager why change is needed? What did they say? 10. Did your manager encourage you to criticize their working style to improve the quality of work? 11. Did your manager listen to you when you gave your opinion on work related issues? 12. What do you learn from your manager (leadership by example)? 11. Do you attend any special training courses/lectures nationally and/or internationally? 12. Is there is any dedicated budget for training courses? 13. How often do you attend training courses/lectures/workshops? Organizational Change Readiness Assessment (Survey) -3=strongly disagree +1=slightly agree -2=disagree +2=agree -1=slightly disagree +3=strongly agree 0=not sure/dont knowIndicate your level of agreement with each statement using the following scale: Organizational Support: Level of agreement 1. The organizations visions are truly a shared vision in that employees at all levels understand, value, and work toward accomplishing this vision through their daily work. 2. Decision making and authority are decentralized (there are multiple levels of decision makers throughout the organization-decision making is not centralized at the top). 3. Employees have, in the past, actively participated in organizational decision making, goal setting, and organizational change initiatives. 4. Employee ideas and suggestions for improving their work and the organization are listened to. 5. Employees view the organizations training and development programmes as effective and supportive of change-driven training needs. 6. The organization is effective at setting and achieving measurable performance goals and targets. 7. The organization effectively uses multiple communication channels to routinely and effectively communicate with employees. Cultural: Level of agreement 8. Real teamwork and collaboration exist within and between organizational works unit/departments. 9. There is a high level of trust between leaders and employees. 10. Employees generally feel encouraged to innovate, offer ideas and take risks. 11. People here generally feel that they personally responsible for their own success. Change Environment: Level of agreement 12. The proposed change and its effects on all organizational dimensions (e.g., structure, strategy, processes, workflow, systems, etc.) are clearly defined and understood by those leading the change. 13. When the change is completed, we will be able to gauge our success with the change effort (there are clear measures to evaluate the change results). 14. The organization has successfully implemented change initiatives in the past. 15. The reason or the why of the coming change can easily be translated into tangible evidence that will get the attention of employees. Employee Attitudes: Level of agreement 16. Employees feel a sense of urgency- a felt need -for change. 17. Employees have a high level of job engagement (job engagement reflects employee commitment to their jobs and the organization). 18. Employees feel able to make decisions and act independently concerning their daily work. 19. Innovators and risk takers exist at all levels of the organization. 20. Employees have confidence in their managers ability to successfully guide them through the change. Readiness component Score Organizational support Cultural Change environment Employee attitudes Total overall change readiness

Labelling Processes Essay

The labelling theory is a micro interactionist approach, this is because it focuses on how individuals construct the social world through face-face interactions. It recognises the concept of the ‘procedural self’ where ones identity is continuously constructed and recognised in interaction with significant others, this results in the individual’s behaviour, including that related to crime and deviance. Significant others are those who are in high social power and thus able to dictate influence and actively determine an individual’s life. Such individuals may include police officers, prison officers, politicians, parents and teachers. Feminists would argue however that these are all the males in society, determining and controlling the lives of females, keeping society patriarchal. The influence that significant others place on individuals lives is through the use of labels, the labels aren’t usually based on individual characteristics, more so stereotypes, working assumptions and professional knowledge. For example Cicaurel found that police patrolled working class areas more intensively, resulting in more arrests, this is due to the police’s stereotypical view that delinquent individuals are part of the working class. Lemert distinguishes between primary and secondary deviance in society. Primary deviance involves minor offences such as vandalism or smoking underage and these acts are usually uncaught or insignificant. However an individual may be caught for such acts and inturn be labelled as delinquent or deviant, the social reaction of this label results in the development of secondary deviance: more serious crimes such as assault or drugs. This therefore illustrates that it is not the act itself but the hostile societal reaction by significant others that creates serious deviance, thus crime and deviance being products of the labelling process. Support for this idea is research conducted by Jock Young on hippy marijuana users. Drugs were associated with hippies which demonstrate primary deviance. Police then labelled and persecuted hippies for their behaviour, excluding them from normal society. AS a result a deviant subculture emerged where hippies retreated into closed groups, grew hair out long, wore eccentric clothes and drug use became a central activity. Gove argued that there are two consequences of labelling: creation of sigma, modification of self images. Stigma is the negative branding of an individual and refers to the public condemnation and exclusion of the criminal. The media tend to exaggerate the behaviour of such people, causing increased fear and moral panic in society, resulting in avoidance and constantly being treated with suspicion. Becker refers to a ‘master status’ where once a person is labelled all of their actions are interpreted in light of the label and only negative aspects of that individual’s behaviour are focussed on. Because of the stigma created from the label a modification of self image occurs in the individual. The individual essentially lives up to their deviant label, becoming the person described in the label. The process of deviancy amplification whereby any punishments or treatment therefore reinforce the individual perception of the criminal, thus more crimes fitting to the label are carried out. This theory can however by criticised because it is determinist, where individuals have n control over the process and once they have been labelled they will inevitably turn deviant or criminal. Social action theorists believe in free will and individual’s choice to reject their label. In addition the label may cause the opposite result where an individual seeks to actively prove their label wrong by thriving and succeeding in their work/ life. Furthermore the labelling theory claims that deviant and criminal behaviour only occurs when a label is given, it does not account for crimes committed by those who have no labels placed upon them. Marxists, for example, would argue the theory fails to explain middle class, white collar or corporate crime, since the offenders have high social power and would be significant others rather than the individuals labelled. In conclusion although the labelling theory offers some explanation as to the crime and deviance in today’s society there are many gaps. Other explanation such as subcultural crime and deviance would argue that it is not the interaction of individuals but the illegitimate opportunity structures within society that results in crime and deviance.

Management Skills Development Assignment Self Explanatory

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Rates of Change Worksheets with Solutions

Prior to working with rates of change, one should have an understanding of basic algebra, a variety of constants and non-constants ways in which a dependent variable can change with respect to changes in a second independent variable. It is also recommended that one has experience calculating slope and slope intercepts. The rate of change is a measure of how much one variable changes for a given change of a second variable, which is, how much one variable grows (or shrinks) in relation to another variable. The following questions require you to calculate the rate of change. Solutions are provided in the PDF. The speed at which a variable changes over a specific amount of time is considered the rate of change. Real life problems as those presented below require an understanding of calculating the rate of change. Graphs and formulas are used to calculate rates of change. Finding the average rate of change is similar to a slope of the secant line that passes through two points. Here are 10 practice questions below to test your understanding of rates of change. You will find PDF solutions here and at the end of the questions. Questions The distance a race car travels around a track during a race is measured by the equation: s(t)2t25t Where t is the time in seconds and s is the distance in meters. Determine the car’s average speed: During the first 5 secondsBetween 10 and 20 seconds.25 m from the start Determine the instantaneous speed of the car: At 1 secondAt 10 secondsAt 75 m The amount of medicine in a milliliter of a patient’s blood is given by the equation:M(t)t-1/3 t2Where M is the amount of medicine in mg, and t is the number of hours passed since administration.Determine the average change in medicine: In the first hour.Between 2 and 3 hours.1 hour after administration.3 hours after administration. Examples of rates of change are used daily in life and include but are not limited to: temperature and time of day, rate of growth over time, rate of decay over time, size and weight, increases and decreases of stock over time, cancer rates of growth, in sports rates of change are calculated about players and their statistics. Learning about rates of change usually begins in high school and the concept is then re-visited in calculus. There are often questions about the rate of change on SATs and other college entry assessments in mathematics. Graphing calculators and online calculators also have the ability to calculate a variety of problems involving the rate of change.

Observation Of One Child s A Natural Setting - 1767 Words

The following paper will summarize the observation of one child in a natural setting, captivating in typical behavior and make an examination on what stage of development the child was in based on the observations. Observations took place twice a week over a four week period for about two hours each time. One child was observed, Summer age 7 over this four week period. The first observation took place at Summer’s home. I have visited Kelly and Summer’s house a few times prior to doing my observations. I have known Kelly for about 2 years and not long after we met we became really good friends. In the living room, I observed Kelly reading a book to Summer about The Three Little Pigs and she made Summer give her a summary of book after she was done. Not long after that Kelly set up a little paly house in her living room for Summer to play with her toys. She played with some ABC blocks, a baby doll, and she had a play cell phone that she used to act like she was makin g a phone call. This was the end of the first observation. The second observation took place at Lawtell Elementary (Summer’s school). When I arrived in Summer’s classroom she ran up to me and immediately gave me a hug. I then sat down in the back of the class and observed Summer. As I was sat down I could here Summer whispering to another classmate but I couldn’t make out what she was telling her. She then turned around and looked me and I told her to be quiet while the teacher is teaching. Not long after, IShow MoreRelatedThe Outline Of Attachment Theory By Mary Ainsworth1359 Words   |  6 Pageswas the first to provide a detailed description of maternal sensitivity. Maternal sensitivity is a mother s ability to perceive and understand the meaning behind her infant s behavioral signals, and to respond to them quickly and appropriately. In study with 73 mothers and their second-born child, stability and main-level differences between measures of maternal sensitivity across settings and over time were studied. Materna l sensitivity was considered at three and six months during bathing, freeRead MoreThe Developmental Assessment Of Young Children Second Edition ( Dayc 2 ) Essay1060 Words   |  5 Pagesearly childhood development. - The Cognitive Domain measures the child ability to conceptual think, measure memory, and mental process. - Communication Domain measures the ability to comprehend language and express his thoughts, which is divided into two subdomains: Receptive Language and Expressive Language. - Social-Emotional Domain measures social awareness, social relationships, and social competence. 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Initially, the essay will discuss the two traditional methods of investigation which are experimentation and observation, before undertaking a deeper examination of the observational method itself. It will then consider where the use of the observational method has proven successful, with supporting evidence of re search in which it played a key role. In closing, the limitations of the observational method in psychologicalRead More Autism Spectrum Disorder and Interventions1042 Words   |  5 Pagesskills, thinking, and activities. On top of all of those developmental difficulties as many as 70% of children with autism spectrum disorder show challenging behaviors, including aggression, disruptive behaviors, and cause injury to themselves. When a child with autism has disruptive behaviors is can lessen the response to educational intervention and then turn into further separation from children around their age, which increases the caregivers stress related to disruptions in daily activities (LesackRead MoreIncreasing A Desired Social Skill For A Typically Developing Male1623 Words   |  7 Pagesintervention was to increase the Sean s appropriate sharing behavior with his younger brother. Sean would be taught to hand toys over to his brother without displaying throwing, yelling, or crying behavior within 5 seconds of the request from his brother. Percentage of opportunities was used as the behavior measure for every opportunity presented in which Sean displayed the correct behavior. After baseline data was collected, the intervention was implemented in the child s home in which the most to leastRead MoreParticipant, Nonparticipant, Naturalistic, Overt And Covert Observations1246 Words   |  5 Pages Mani Kallupurackal Evaluate participant, nonparticipant, naturalistic, overt and covert observations Participant Become part of the group you observe Form relationships with group members- may become subjective as they develop personal relationships with the members Record data on what they say, how they interact Be reflexive Researcher must reflect on their interpretation and how they are affected by joining the group Can get detailed knowledge about a group of people or phenomenon- becauseRead MoreCognitive And Support The Sensory Experience Essay1680 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many theoretical perspectives which underpin and support the sensory experience, whom have based their theories around sensory engagement. Jean Piaget is one theorist whom believed that thought developed from actions. Piaget had four stages of development, these are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. The sensorimotor stage is right at the start of our lives. Piaget stated that babies are born with many means of interacting and exploring their environmentRead MoreRole Of Teacher : The Montessori Classroom Essay1458 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words, but in virtue of experiences in which the chil d acts on his environment. The teacher s task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child.† It takes a very special person to become a Montessori Teacher. The Montessori teachingRead MoreResearch Methodology: Qualitative Methods of Data Collection Essay1720 Words   |  7 Pageshealthy eating promotion in schools. The three types of data collection I plan to use are: direct observation, focus groups and a questionnaire. These methods will be clarified later in this chapter. Rationale for Qualitative Methodology Qualitative research is an approach that attempts to situate an activity that locates the observer in the world by providing the study to occur in their natural setting and by attempting to make sense of, or interpret information (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005). A characteristic

School Assemblies How to Plan a Successful Event Free Essays

School Assemblies – How to Plan a Successful Event! If you are given the task of picking school assemblies for your school, the job, though exciting, may have some questions that may be difficult for you to answer. How do you know which programs and how many presentations to do for your school? This is a question which comes up with any Elementary school or Middle School looking for ideas for school assemblies. Well, as famous detective Sherlock Holmes used to say: â€Å"Elementary, my dear Watson! , Elementary! † Have you talked to a twelve year old lately? Have you tried to read a bedtime story to them from a book designed to be read to a 6 year old? How did that work out for you? Not so good, huh? Kids minds change as they age. We will write a custom essay sample on School Assemblies: How to Plan a Successful Event or any similar topic only for you Order Now Well, that is a profound statement, right? Of course they do! And what appeals to and entertains the mind of a student in Kindergarten is radically different from what entertains a seventh grader. Even the differences from Kindergarten to 3rd grade are profound. And yet, many schools think nothing of arranging a school assembly program for an audience of all grades, from Kindergarten through eighth grade! It always amazes me! Sure, there are presenters who can pull this off and the school may think that they had a good show. But what they do not realize is how much better the results would have been had they simply split the audience in half according to age. They might have had a great show instead! When all grades are combined, the performer of a school assembly has to become somewhat schizophrenic, addressing first the needs of one age group, then turning away from them to address the other half. The alternative is to simply present to one half and let the other half struggle. Or to shoot for the middle and ignore the extremes. Whichever way you try, it’s basically a compromise that rarely please everyone. From the perspective of most school assembly performers, elementary school enrichment programs basically have three comfortably similar audience levels, with some overlap among them. The first, or Primary audience, starts with pre-K and continues up to roughly 3rd grade. The second, or Intermediate audience, can begin as early as 2nd grade and continue through 6th grade. The oldest, or Middle school, audience, begins at 4th grade and continues usually up through young adult. When audiences are split this way the presenter can change the style, vocabulary and content of the performance to best meet the needs and likes of that particular audience. It is one thing to consider whether a school assembly program is appropriate for all grades combined, but one must also ask if a particular program is indeed suited for a particular age group at all. For example, some school assemblies, when split into different performances, are quite good for all elementary school grades, but fare poorly in Middle Schools. Other school assemblies play wonderfully for Middle Schools but fly right over the heads of primary school audiences. It is wise to ascertain before scheduling a program whether or not the program is indeed appropriate for all the grades you wish to involve. Finally, one may also consider arranging different programs for different grade levels. For instance one might have a historical character for the 4th Grade, a science show for the 3rd grade, a live animal program for the 2nd grade and so on. This way everyone gets exactly what they want according to their needs. However, this supposes that cost is of little concern to you, and, sadly, we all know that cost is almost always a concern. Obviously, multiple performances will be more expensive than a single, all encompassing performance. But one should remember that â€Å"one size never really does fit all†! If you are going to spend the money to bring in a presentation it is worth making sure the experience is the best it can be. And most assembly companies and performers charge less per show for the second and third presentations, and sometimes considerably less. It is worth checking. There is really nothing worse than having a program fail and realizing after the fact that a little extra planning and a few more dollars would have turned a sad experience into something great! Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where â€Å"Education Through Entertainment† has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed’s THE LIVING * School Assembly Presentations 1. Organized and presented four class assemblies with Grades 5 7 around environmental/spiritual themes using songs, chants, circle story telling, drama and poems. 2. Screened a short documentary ‘Give Us a Life Please’ showing the dangers of toxic waste and other environmental pollution on Indian children’s health. . Arranged the purchase, introduced and displayed ‘Herbotique’, a herbal, multi-purpose floor wash and cleaner and the chemical cleaners our school has been using up to this time with a full-explanation of the environmental and health effects of both. Arranged for empty containers to be available at the Tuck Shop so teachers and staff can purchase it by using our bulk order. 4. Arranged and anchored a student-led visual pr esentation to educate the school body about garbage separation. 5. Organized and presented a four-day ‘Climate Change Week’ to help inform the entire school body about this global threat and how it is connected to our daily lives. Five sets of six posters especially created for schools by TERI were placed on notice boards around the school including in the staff room. Four extended morning assemblies, each of 45 minutes duration, covered the following: (Saturday): First clue of ‘Climate Change Challenge’ Treasure Hunt) was given at the end of the morning assembly. Attention was drawn to the 20 ‘True or False’ statements placed on the walls around the assembly hall and to the posters around the school. Monday): Screening of a narrated Power Point Presentation introducing Climate Change and highlighting its cause and effects. (Tuesday): Screening of a video ‘Global Warning’ which focused on the possible effects of Climate Change on various regions of India. (Wednesday): ‘Quiz Results Dayâ€℠¢. a. Students were asked to raise their hands regarding the truth or falsity of the statements placed around the assembly hall giving reasons for their choices based on†¦ [continues] Read full essay Planning a School Assembly Checklist Planning a school assembly is fun but hectic at the same time for teachers. The dos and don’ts of planning a school assembly are to be well considered before organizing one. No matter what the event is, the basics always remain the same. Therefore, every teacher must have a school assembly checklist to ensure the success of the whole event. Firstly, to organize a proper assembly it is imperative to classify the responsibilities into three categories; tasks to be undertaken before the event, tasks during the school assembly and activities to carry out right after the assembly. Categorizing your tasks will make it easier to organize the event. Checklist for tasks before the event: Here’s a school assembly checklist for tasks you should perform before the event: * Choose a single theme for the event to get administrative approval if necessary. Select a date that is convenient for the staff and students. Make sure the date does not conflict with any other events held by the school. * Develop a set of rules for the event that should include the time limit, attire to be worn, the dos and don’ts for students and teachers, etc. * Make a list of guests – students, teachers, principal, and any outsider if permitted. Create invitation cards for special guests – You can have your students make them as a fun activity. * Create a management plan of how to carry out the activities on the day of the school assembly. Checklist for the day of assembly: The following is a list of tasks and considerations teachers need to make for the day of assembly: * Before the assembly starts, check whether everyone is ready for the activities they are carrying out. * Check the audio and visual equipment thoroughly to avoid any mishaps. * If any special guests are invited, make sure that you and the principal are ready to welcome them. Distribute lists of the activities to be held to parents, students and guests. * Distribute questionnaires to guests and parents afterwards to know their comments about the event. * Check if the refreshments are ready to be served on time. * Make sure the welcome speech is ready. Let the guests, students, and parents know in the welcome speech about the purpose of the event and the activities once again. After the School assembly checklist: It is important to create an after school assembly checklist to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Here are some tips for that: * Most important  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ make sure all the guests are taken care of properly once the event is over. * Make sure all the equipment used are unplugged and kept safely. * Make sure to acknowledge everyone – guests, sponsors, performers, etc. * Create a file of activities that were carried out, guests who came, sponsors, etc. for next year. * Take all suggestions in writing from guests, parents, and others involved. For More On School Assemblies Visit 1. Academic Entertainment- K-12 school assembly programs through quality entertainment. 2. Assemblies- Assemblies is a bank of over 100 resources written by teachers for teachers. They should save you time when creating and preparing assemblies for use with your class, year group or school. 3. The assemblies website- United Kingdom site. 4. Circus of the Kids- Provides programs for K-12 schools or organizations. 5. National Theatre for Children- Develops programs that tour elementary and middle schools teaching kids about societal issues. 6. The Puppet Showplace Theatre- A non-profit performing arts organization committed to excellence in puppetry for all audiences. 7. Royalty Theatre, Sunderland- Amateur theatre group site with information about their history and past and present productions. 8. School Assemblies for Busy Teachers- A site where teachers can freely download and submit assembly, ideas, scripts, and links. 9. SchoolGigs. com 10. School Shows. com- A nationwide directory of school shows, assemblies, workshops, and residencies. Please note:  The performers in this directory are solely responsible for the content of their listing. 11. Storyteller. net- â€Å"You can search here for a teller in your own neighborhood or even around the world! If a state or country is not listed we have no tellers from that state/country. † How to Set Up a Great School Assembly Program Over the last few decades school assemblies, or school shows have become a staple of the day to day life of many schools across the United States. Once a simple burst of entertainment to break up the year, usually in the form of a magic show or a juggler, school assemblies have blossomed into an entire industry, filled with a magnificent array of options ranging from entertainment to education and with pretty much everything in between. Knowing how to select what is right for your school can be a difficult job! It is important to decide what you are looking for, then track down the types of programs which will best serve your needs. Traditional â€Å"entertainment† shows,   while fun for the kids, have given way over the past few decades to educational programs which often provide a cost effective alternative to field trips. Newer programs are designed to strictly adhere to and support the educational standards of your state, and thus to augment the educational process, while providing every bit as much entertainment and fascination for the kids as do the shows which focus strictly on entertainment. There are many school assemblies available which focus on one or more areas of science. You may opt for a program on chemistry, or a visiting planetarium, or or a natural science assembly taught through the introduction of live animals. Social studies are also represented in the form of living history characters such as Abraham Lincoln or Harriett Tubbman. Fine Arts programs abound, and it is possible to schedule visits from dance companies, bands and orchestras, strolling individual musicians and various applied arts programs as well. And in the field of writing the option exists to arrange for a visit from an author or from a performing artist who will present performances of stories written by your students. Once you have determined which area is of interest, the next task is to locate the appropriate artist. If you live in a major metropolitan area such as Chicago or New York, you may have access to an assembly showcase. These are good options for getting ideas, but leave out many able presenters who may not have the option of traveling to the showcase, but who are, nevertheless, available to your school. The internet is a good place to start, and a simple search under â€Å"school assembly programs† or school assemblies† and including your state, will often yield good results. It is important to add your state, as many performers are only available on a local basis, though there are also major and very reputable companies that are available nationwide. Often your school will keep a file of brochures that have been mailed to the school. And you may also want to contact other schools in your area to see if they have recommendations. Some school show presenters are totally independent and must be contacted personally. This can be challenging as these independent â€Å"acts† are often busy performing when you call so patience is required. You may need to wait a day or two until they can reply to your inquiry. Others are represented by agencies or perform programs on behalf of companies. In these cases there is usually a staffed office available with customer service to assist you, on your schedule. Writers and authors are usually contacted through the auspices of a literary agent. Fees will vary widely. Programs may range from free up to thousands of dollars. Some authors can be very expensive. Science Museums often have outreach programs but these are also oftentimes very costly. On the other extreme, simple but effective programs can be found for free. Hospitals may provide a bike safety program. Ronald McDonald has programs in some areas for which the school pays nothing. But most presenters will charge some kind of fee. A common price range may start at $200-300 but range up from there quickly according to the number of performances. This touches on another area needing planning. As anyone who has ever shopped for clothing will tell you, one size never fits all. If your school has 400-500 or more students, that is usually too many for a single performance. This is especially true when the performer is asked to address many different grade levels simultaneously. The needs of a first grader are different from the interests of a fifth grader. Skilled presenters know how to address these needs in different, age-appropriate assemblies. So make sure to schedule enough presentations. Be sure to also ascertain whether additional fees are involved. Many performers will tack on fees for travel or accommodation. Others will require non refundable deposits, and charge the school for weather cancellations. Some will even require you to convince other local schools to also book a date before they will allow you to schedule your own. Make sure you are clear on everything that is involved! Finally, you will be ready to schedule your dates. Try to obtain programs at times of the year when the content is aligned with what the students are studying at that time. Examples might include hosting an Abraham Lincoln impersonator during February, or a science program to kick off the period leading up to your science fair. Avoid bringing in programs just before or during state mandated test windows or you will certainly incur the wrath of your teachers! Parochial schools may want to have a program during Catholic Schools week. Some schools like to look for something to highlight anti-substance abuse issues during Red Ribbon Week. There are many options available to you. But don’t wait too long. Try to schedule far in advance! While it is sometimes possible to get lucky and be able to arrange a program at the last minute, more than likely if you wait you will be disappointed. The best programs will fill in. And often, programs may only be in your area of the country at certain times. It is wise to begin your planning for the upcoming school year during the previous Spring. Regardless of what you choose, prepare to have a good time. There is nothing as rewarding a the sound of a gymnasium full of students erupting with laughter and awe from a performance you helped to bring to them! How to cite School Assemblies: How to Plan a Successful Event, Papers

The Research Proposal of Dementia †Free Sample Assignment

Question: Does physical activity reduce cognitive impairment in the elderly with dementia? Answer: Abstract The research proposal aims at conducting clinical study for evaluating the influence of physical activity on the cognitive impairment of elderly patients affected with dementia. Indeed, dementia prevalently occurs in aged population and treatment requires heavy investment for reducing the clinical manifestations. Limited research conducted until date for identifying the patterns of life style changes and physical exercise for reducing the cognitive manifestations among patients affected with dementia. However, the evidence based research literature reveals the effectiveness of physical activity in reducing the risk of cognitive impairment across elderly population. The proposed clinical study intends to record the physical activity of elderly demented patients affected with cognitive decline and over the course of time the brain activity of elderly patients effectively captured through EEG and MRI interventions followed by the clinical interview to determine the influence of the prop osed physical activity on the mental enhancement of the target population. The proposed qualitative research study requires execution for tenure of three months in the clinical setting under the supervision of clinical investigator. Indeed, 200 randomly selected patients suffering from dementia and cognitive impairment require undergoing systematic exercise sessions assisted by physiotherapists and the outcomes of the sessions require effective recording by the healthcare professionals facilitating the clinical study. The findings of the clinical study require strategic meta-analysis with the application of SPSS software for potentially identifying the impact of the physical activities in reducing the cognitive decline among the demented patients. The research findings will validate the contention advocating the positive influence of physical activity on the reduction in cognitive decline of the affected patients. Introduction The evidence based clinical literature advocates the contention indicating the positive influence of physical activity in reducing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebral manifestations (Wahlund, Erkinjuntti Gauthier, 2009, p. 159). Therefore, the potential influence of physical activity on the neurophysiological status of individuals in terms of enhancing patterns of cognition and intellect require prospective analysis for devising clinical strategies in reducing cognitive impairment. Clow and Edmunds (2014, p. 188) describe physical activity as non-pharmacological intervention utilized for mitigating manifestations of Alzheimers disease and Dementia. Martin and Preedy (2015) describe the concomitant existence of cognitive decline with the patterns of dementia among affected patients. Therefore, the direct influence of physical activity on the cognitive impairment of demented elderly patients requires conducting prospective qualitative research study in controlled environment acros s clinical setting. The clinical study in the controlled environment requires prospective execution in a UK based hospital by a team of neurophysiologists for comparing and contrasting the neurodegenerative patterns, cerebral atrophy, white matter changes and small vessel disease before and after inducing physical exercise among the study subjects. The effective tracking of these clinical findings followed by the clinical interview with study subjects will determine the extent of behavioural and cognitive modification following the consistent physical activity sessions conducted throughout the tenure of research study. The organization of the study across hospital environment will ensure effective tracking of the study findings by clinicians and radiologists in the controlled environment. The random selection of study subjects will ascertain minimizing study bias and reducing inaccuracies in the clinical outcomes. The study findings will undoubtedly assist the research community in improvising non-thera peutic interventions and physical exercise sessions for improving the patterns of cognition among elderly patients affected with dementia episodes. Background The evidence based clinical literature describes the patterns of cognitive decline among individuals of higher age groups affected with normal aging or episodes of vascular dementia (Panza, Solfrizzi Capurso, 2004, p. 15). Tuokko and Hultsch (2006, p. 64) describe the contention revealing the development of mild cognitive impairment among elderly individuals under the absence of dementia episodes. The research findings reveal the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment under the influence of advancing age with or without the presence of dementia patterns or other developmental abnormalities of brain. The cognitive impairment also relates with the development of Alzheimers disease, brain trauma and cerebrovascular accident as evidenced by the clinical literature. The manifestations of cognitive impairment attribute to the patterns of visual disturbances, memory loss, judgemental problems and behavioural alterations. Indeed, definitive therapeutic interventions warranted for treating cognitive manifestations in accordance with the mental abnormalities. However, the determination of direct influence of lifestyle changes and physical activity on cognitive manifestations still requires conducting prospective clinical studies in controlled environment in terms of evaluating mental outcomes and modifications in the brain physiology of the target population. Biddle, Mutrie and Gorely (2015, p. 135) describe weaker links between the impact of physical activity on the cognitive impairment of the younger population. Some research studies reveal the probable enhancement in academic achievement following the physical exercise among population pertaining to younger age groups; however the evidences are yet inconclusive and warrant conducting further studies for re-evaluating the contention. The causal association between physical activity and predisposition of older population toward developing cognitive decline supported by research studies; however, the improvement of cog nition under the influence of physical activity among demented elderly people yet requires conducting prospective studies for devising non therapeutic treatment strategies in controlling dementia manifestations. Indeed, the significant aspects of the influence of types of physical activities on physical fitness and the mode of action of physical activity on the reaction time and cognitive adaptability require effective validation while determining the influence of physical activity on the mental enhancement of demented patients. Furthermore, the impact of the social and physical environment of the individuals on the patterns of physical activity and its subsequent influence on cognitive function need evaluation in the controlled environment for evaluating the different aspects of cognitive enhancement of patients population. The differential analysis between the positive influences of physical activity on various disease conditions, cognitive dysfunction and predisposition toward de veloping cognitive decline require effective validation to explore the non therapeutic aspects of cognitive impairment among patients affected with various mental conditions. Lazarov et al. (cited in Yaffe, 2013, p. 188) describe the significance of physical activity in enhancing the patterns of neurogenesis across the elderly brain. The preclinical studies also contend the partial reduction in age associated neurogenesis with the enhancement of physical activity among the target population. However, these research studies exhibit inconsistencies in terms of variations in cognitive improvement measured between target populations of various age groups in controlled situations. The influence of physical activity on the clinical outcomes of dementia in terms of sustained alteration in anti oxidative defense pathways of brain need in-depth analysis while determining the its actual influence on cognitive decline among elderly demented patients. Indeed, exploration of biochemical mechanisms related to the patterns of physical activity on the cognitive function, mental health and predisposition toward developing dementia would open up new gateways to strategize the non-therapeutic treatment interventions for mitigating the adverse cognitive outcomes in elderly patients affected with cognitive reduction under the influence of pre existing dementia. This would further require analysing the cumulative effect of other clinical comorbidities including metabolic syndromes, cerebral inflammation, oxidative decline and vascular disorders on impairment of memory and cognition among the elderly demented patients. The analysis of the cerebral mechanisms indicating enhancement of cerebral vascularity and hippocampal volume with the initiation of physical activity will identify new paradigms in terms of devising patterns of physical activity for treating various mental conditions including cognitive decline and dementia. McNamara (2011, p. 78) evaluates the findings from clinical studies indicating the reduced predisposition among elderly individuals in terms of developing dementia under the influence of physical activity. Another contention revealin g the influence of physical activity during middle age on the cognitive decline in later stages of life explored through various clinical studies revealed evidences advocating the potential influence of physical exercise in early stages of life in reducing the predisposition toward cognitive impairment in later stages. However, the age specific variations in cognitive improvement under the influence of physical activity require further exploration in terms of prospective clinical studies. Indeed, the concrete clinical evidences indicating the direct improvement in cognitive adaptability and predisposition, or delay in cognitive impairment are still missing in evidence based clinical literature and require conducting prospective studies for exploring the clinical outcomes. The evidence based clinical literature reveals the multifactorial complex mechanisms attributing to the influence of physical activity on the cognitive enhancement of elderly population. Indeed, the reduction of v ascular disruption with the exercise induced neurotrophic enhancement of brain activity facilitated by neurophysiological repair processes improves cognition among demented patients as evidenced by the research studies. The moderate evidences in relation to the influence of physical activity on the cognitive enhancement of elderly demented population warrant the need of conducting qualitative research studies on the larger scale for preventing the state of cognitive decline and predisposition toward developing dementia in the older ages. The evidence based clinical literature demonstrates the influence of cardiovascular comorbidities on the cognitive status of the demented population (Mancia, Grassi Redon, 2014, p. 185). However, direct causal relationship between the influence of physical exercise and reduction in cardiovascular predisposition provides some insight in terms of conducting clinical trials for exploring direct linkage between the potential effects of physical activit y and cognitive enhancement of elderly demented population. Acevedo and Ekkekakis (2006, p. 47) reveal the positive impact of physical activity training on the executive control processes of the aged population. Indeed, the executive control procedures include the activities pertaining to scheduling, task coordination, working memory, interference control and planning. The evidence based literature further describes the consistent decline of these processes among human population with the progression of the aging process. The effective delineation of the substantial decline of these executive cognitive functions due to age vs. dementia highly required for devising mitigating strategies in reducing cognitive reduction resulting under the influence of dementia episodes across the elderly population. Further clinical studies reveal the protective influence of physical activity on the cognition and verbal memory of the middle aged individuals; however, the degree of brain fitness enhanc ement from physical activity among elderly individuals require further exploration in terms of clinical studies for recording the improvement in brain potential through EEG following the physical activity. Research Question The research objective in the context of evidence based clinical literature relates to identifying the effect of physical activity on cognitive impairment of the elderly demented individuals. The interference of physical activity on dementia and cognitive impairment in terms of improving the mental outcomes and positive influence on white matter changes requires effective evaluation in the clinical setting under controlled conditions. The Research Design The qualitative randomized clinical study will focus on performing multifactorial analysis of the influence of physical activity on the cognitive outcomes of the demented patients in the controlled environment. Indeed, 200 study subjects suffering from dementia and cognitive impairment, and pertaining to age groups between 65 75 years require prospective selection randomly from various multispecialty hospitals across United Kingdom. The degree of dementia and cognitive impairment need thorough analysis with the application of MRI and EEG interventions. The brain potentials and white matter changes of the selected subjects require analysis and initial findings need to be captured in clinical database with the commencement of the study. Three months of regular physical exercise sessions for the research subjects require effective organization in clinical setting for a tenure of three months following which the MRI and EEG investigation repeated and contrasted with the initial findings . Furthermore, the clinical interview requires to be conducted at the time of enrolment of participants for evaluating their executive status and dementia rating. Indeed, the formal cognitive assessment through the clinical interview will focus on evaluating the orientation, attention, memory, language, executive function, praxis and visuospatial orientation of the target population (Cooper and Greene, 2005). The comparative analysis of both clinical assessments will indeed assist in determining the changes in memory and cognition of the target population following the exercise/physical activity intervention during the clinical study. The study subjects require random bifurcation into two equal groups A and B; however, group A will actively undertake physical activity session contrary to group B that will remain under observational mode throughout the study. The comparative analysis of the clinical findings between both groups will assist in determining patterns of cognitive alterat ions following the exercise induction among the target population. Methods Participants The rationale of the clinical study follows the effective evaluation of the influence of physical activity on the cognitive impairment of demented patients. The inclusion criteria of the research study follows the below mention convention: The prospective participants correspond to age groups between 65 75 years. The participants undergoing treatment for Dementia under various medical specialties. The sustained level of cognitive decline observed in the research participants and evident through clinical interview and MRI/EEG interventions. The research participants must be capable of effectively performing activities of daily living without any external assistance. The exclusion parameters contend the following pre-requisites: Patients suffering from cardiovascular comorbidities. Patients affected with gastrointestinal and cerebral malignancies. Physically disabled patients. The qualitative nature of clinical study ascertains the accuracy in clinical findings with added flexibility in research configuration. The findings by Willis, Inman and Valenti (2010, p. 223) reveal the utilization of multiple-methods, critical multiplism, theoretical pluralism and interdisciplinary approaches in qualitative research models. The proposed clinical study also intends to employ the blend of clinical approaches including comparative analysis between MRI, EEG and clinical interview findings to track and evaluate the improvement in cognitive decline following the exercise intervention. Indeed, obtaining informed consent from each research participant is a prerequisite for initiating the clinical study. Chin and Lee (2008, pp. 28-29) describe the significance of informed consent in clinical studies for retaining the autonomy and dignity of the research subjects. The proposed study requires attaining informed consent from all participants for avoiding any kind of bias during the tenure of the clinical investigation. Indeed, informed consent is the preliminary ethical requirement for retaining patients autonomy in the clinical study (Ravina, 2012, p. 187). Data Collection The clinical data requires collection electronically in medical database for its effective retrieval following the research intervention. The database requires funding from the sponsoring authorities for configuring site based electronic health records. The evidence based clinical literature documents electronic health records and government payer administrative data sets as preliminary sources of data for recording the clinical trial information (Institute of Medicine, 2010, p. 91). The acquisition of informed consent will also facilitate the ethical approval of research study in accordance with the international ethical standards. The following clinical parameters retrieved through clinical interview require recording in medical database for their prospective analysis following the accomplishment of research study: Clinical Findings Manifestations Status Executive Function Poor/Average/Good/Excellent Memory Poor/Average/Good/Excellent Mental Speed Poor/Average/Good/Excellent Letter Fluency Poor/Average/Good/Excellent Motor Speed Poor/Average/Good/Excellent Mental Processing Speed Poor/Average/Good/Excellent IQ Poor/Average/Good/Excellent Cambridge Cognitive Examination Poor/Average/Good/Excellent MRI Brain Findings Manifestations Intensity White Matter Lesions Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Dementia Scale Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Temporal Lobe Atrophy Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Cambridge Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Birth Defect Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Old CVA Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Intracranial Haemorrhage Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Multiple Sclerosis Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Stroke Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Pituitary Tumor Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Brain Abscess Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Cerebral Atrophy Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe TIA Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Visual Memory Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Neurophysiological Function Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Small Vessel Disease Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe Neurodegenerative Disease Minimal/Mild/Moderate/Severe EEG Findings Attributes Clinical Description Tonic Changes Alpha Frequency Theta Frequency Cognition Data Analysis The comparative analysis of study findings between both groups of participants prior and after the study will track and identify the changes in mental function, cognition and vascular activity of brain following the systematized exercise sessions executed during the clinical study. The clinical findings among group A will determine the extent of cognitive improvement under study subjects following the physical activity; however, the findings with group B will indicate the cognitive stability or decline over the course of time in the absence of physical activity. The comparison of findings between both age groups will precisely identify the intensity and scope of cognitive alteration following the physical activity. The clinical variables require evaluation with the application of SPSS software for deriving the final conclusion. Verma (2013, p. 10) elaborates the capacity of SPSS software in effectively detecting data errors with the application of its descriptive statistics. The regr ession analysis, logical checks, standard deviation and minimum vs. maximum score pertaining to clinical findings will assist in statistically evaluating the percentage of cognitive improvement among demented patients under the influence of physical exercise. The analysis of confidence intervals and p values will determine the authenticity of clinical study in evaluating the study findings. Practical Considerations The proposed timetable for undertaking the research study categorically bifurcates each phase of study in accordance with the following convention: Task Q - 1 Q - 2 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 Planning Scheduled Ethical Approval Procedure Scheduled Clinical Study Scheduled Scheduled Scheduled Evaluation Publishing of Results Scheduled The estimates cost incurred in executing the study attributes to $ 50, 000 in accordance with the expenses related to patients enrolment, clinical investigations, physical activity sessions, deployment of health care staff and other miscellaneous considerations. Conclusion The proposed research study will indeed track and evaluate the clinical links between the physical activity and its potential influence on the patterns of cognitive deficit among elderly patients affected with dementia episodes. The study protocol will undoubtedly define systematic patterns in context to the intensity of physical activity warranted to generate the clinical goals in terms of enhancing the cognition and mental capacity of the aged people suffering with dementia. The study will also delineate the cognitive decline under the influence of age advancement from the cognitive impairment resulting from sustained patterns of dementia among the target population. This will further facilitate the configuration of non therapeutic clinical interventions (including diet management and exercise) for mitigating the cognitive manifestations among elderly population for prophylactically treating them to prevent the progression of dementia episodes. The particular focus on the improvem ent of demented patients executive functions by physical activity will indeed define new realm of medical therapeutics for treating the cognitive manifestations with the acquisition of minimal invasive techniques. The clinical findings from the proposed study will enhance the scope of prospectively conducting qualitative and quantitative studies to validate and explore the definitive relationship between various types of physical activities and enhancement of brains vascularity and functional capacity in the community environment. The proposal holds promise in effectively identifying the influence of physical activities on the vascular enhancement, increase in the volume of grey matter, neurophysiological performance, plasticity, size and amyloid deposition in human brain. References Acevedo, E.O. and Ekkekakis, P., 2006. Psychobiology of Physical Activity. USA: Human Kinetics. Biddle, S.J.H., Mutrie, N. and Gorely, T., 2015. 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