Economic Turmoil and Risk of War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic Turmoil and Risk of War - Essay Example Patrick Purcell (2010) emphasized the authoritarian regimes can influence the outcome of economic turmoil. The authoritarian authority does not answer to the people. The authority is concentrated on a few unelected persons. Such person implement political repressions and the elimination of other parties to freely be elected for a government position. In some countries, the authoritarian leader forcibly takes the reigns of government from the duly elected officials. The power grabbers form a government and impressing on the people that they will intervene in the current economic turmoil by grabbing all the assets of the state and equally distributing the wealth among the people. The economic turmoil of the depression of the early 1900s increased unemployment. Michael Bernstein (1989) reiterated the economic turmoil of the 1929 depression forced many companies to close shop. Consequently, many people lost their jobs. Consequently, the people looked at the government as the cause of the ir economic hardship. The poverty-stricken people are easy preys for people espousing authoritarianism.

'Discuss the geochemical cycle of the element sulfur' Essay

'Discuss the geochemical cycle of the element sulfur' - Essay Example Sulfur occurs in nature and it is also present in coal, crude oil, natural gas, oil shale and many other minerals. The most abundant of all sulfur is a compound of sulfur and iron called pyrite. Sulfur cycle is a major biogeochemical cycle of significance to climate and life on the planet earth. Living things require certain safe, low levels of this nutrient. It is an essential component of proteins and amino acids. All plants and animals require small amounts of sulfur to live. Plants obtain sulfur form soil. Many foods from plants including cabbage, onion, and soybean flour are rich in sulfur. Methionine a substance required in the human diet also contains sulfur. It is also present in the foods such as eggs, dairy products and meats. In nature sulfur exists in various forms such as elemental sulfur, sulfides, sulfites, sulfates, oxides of sulfur, etc. However the majority mainly occurs in the form of elemental sulfur, sulfides and sulfates. Early earth ecosystems with well developed sulfur cycles thriving in environments receiving reduced sulfur gases (and H2) from the mantle. Such environments might include recirculating hydrothermal systems as found in areas of ocean crust formation and places of active terrestrial volcanism. These environments were likely thermophilic to hyperthermophilic with primary production occurring by anaerobic photosynthesis when light was available. In the absence of light, organic matter production occurred by chemolithoautotrophic metabolisms utilizing H2 as the electron donor and oxidized species such as elemental sulfur (forming H2S) or carbon dioxide (forming methane) as the electron acceptors. Organic compounds were oxidized by the reduction of elemental sulfur and sulfate (chemoheterotrophic metabolisms), as well as by the fermentation of acetate, producing methane. Elemental sulfur was produced by the reaction between H2S and SO2, while anaerobic photosynthesis was an important source of sulfate. The evolution of

The Benefits of Information Technology in Education

The Benefits of Information Technology in Education The present era is an era of technology. Everywhere we are surrounded with technological devices and everyone is somehow familiar with technology. The foundation of all types of technology is laid down in educational institutions. The education in secondary level plays an essential role since it is responsible for the development of society. Therefore, secondary education can be made more effective by the use of technology and all resources made available through technology. This introduces us to the term Educational Technology. The word was recognised in 1967 with the establishment of National Council for Educational Technology in the United Kingdom.  [1]  N. Venkataiah in his book Educational Technology noted that For different reasons educational technology perhaps will perform support or enriching role relative to classroom teaching in college and University rather than serving a replacement for such instruction.  [2]  Every technology has its merits and limitations and no one technology is useful for all types of learning. 2.2 Benefits of using technology in the learning context We can talk of many benefits and criticism related to the use of technology in education. First we are going to deal with few advantages of making use of technology in the learning context. Technology in the learning process can increase students motivation. Computer based education can give immediate feedback to student and the right answers. Moreover a computer can give student motivation to continue learning, since a computer is patient and non-judgemental. According to James Kulik, who studies the effectiveness of computers used for leaning, students usually gain more in less time when receiving computer-based instructions and they build up more positive approach to the subject learned.  [3]  The American educator, Cassandra B. Whyte thought that successful academic performance in the future will depend on how computer usage and information technology would become important in the education experience of the future.  [4]   Educational technology provides the way for students to be active participants in their learning and to present differentiated questioning approaches. It expands individualized education and encourages the progress of personalized learning plans. Students are encouraged to use multimedia components and to integrate the knowledge they achieved in innovative ways.  [5]   2.3 Criticism to Learning Technology Although technology in the classroom does have many benefits, there are clear shortcomings as well. Not having proper training, limited access to enough quantities of a technology, and the additional time required for many running of technology are just a few reasons that technology is often not used widely in the classroom. Similar to learning a new task, special training is vital to ensure effectiveness when using things like technology. Training is a must when dealing with technology and education. Since technology is not the end goal of technology, but a means to be more effective in learning, educators must having a good grasp of the technology they can use or they are using and its advantages over the traditional means. If there is a lack of training, the use of technology will not give the all the good results that are given when technology is being used correctly. Another difficulty that which might arose when using technology for teaching/learning is the access to an enough amount of resources. Many teachers use technology by using a projector or screen, to show picture or videos, since there are not enough computers available for the students in order to be used by them and create or use it during the lesson. This also occurs when there is limited amount of access to technology because of high cost of technology and the fear of damages. There other cases when there the inconvenience of resources in such cases, such as having to transport the whole class to a computer lab or media room.  [6]   One of the disadvantages of using technology in education is that it is time consuming. Teachers had to prepare not only their lesson plans but had to prepare these resources using technology, which for teachers not familiar with technology can be a bit of headache. Another major issue which arise is that technology is too fast evolving. New resources have to be designed whenever the technological platform is changed. Changing for many times is not possible because of expenses and therefore there is the need to train teachers in order to know how to use new technologies.  [7]   But even there are all these disadvantages, one had to continue support the use of technology while investing in training of teachers, creating resources and made them available. 2.4 Technologies of information and their implementation in learning In this part we are going to deal with some of the technologies of information available that can be used in education. While observing their strengths and weaknesses, we are going to evaluate their implementation in the teaching/learning context. Interactive Whiteboard An interactive whiteboard is a large display connected to a projector and a laptop/computer. By using a pen, stylus or finger users can control what is seen on the display through these tools. So, by touching the screen one manages and controls the computer. Through a pen/stylus the user can calibrate the system if necessary, activate programs, buttons and menus found on the computer which is connected to the interactive whiteboard. If the user wants to enter text, can either make use of on-screen keyboard or else can utilize handwriting by using the pen/stylus. As technology and software programs are continuing to develop, there is an increase in interactivity, since interactive whiteboards are being supplied with software programs that provide all necessary tools and functions which can give the capacity to produce virtual edition of paper flipcharts with pen and highlighter options. Such softwares also include tools like protractors, rulers and compasses to make use of traditional teaching tools, since students are more familiar with and more available to use.  [8]   Interactive whiteboards are being used in many schools as a replacement for the traditional whiteboards or flipcharts or video/media systems. Interactive whiteboards can be used to connect to online shared annotations and drawing environments. The software helps teacher to keep electronic records of their note for later use. Also, teacher can record their instruction which they had done during the lesson on the interactive whiteboard, which can be saved as a digital video format and then can post this material for review and revision by the students. This is an advantage for the students to see a revision of what had been done in school, especially when something was not understood well, when they are absent or when they want to revise for examination. Some software programs used with interactive whiteboards allow also the recording of the teachers voice.  [9]   Obviously the main advantage of this technology is interactivity as the name reflects. Students also by the help of the teacher can make use of the interactive whiteboard during the lesson, to choose picture, drawing, write and more. Research by Glover and Miller on the impact of interactive whiteboards in secondary schools, shows that even interactive whiteboards are a technology more than a computer, their use in schools and by teachers reflects that their potential is unrealized. According to the authors of this research the use of interactive whiteboards by teachers is made in three ways: as an aid to efficiency, as an extension device, and as a transformative device.  [10]   Even if technology always is done for the benefit of humanity and to make life more easer, interactive whiteboards also were criticised by many for diverse reasons. According to the Washington Post article, published in June 11, 2010: Many academics question industry-backed studies linking improved test scores to their products. And some go further. They argue that the most ubiquitous device-of-the-future, the interactive whiteboard essentially a giant interactive computer screen that is usurping blackboards in classrooms across America locks teachers into a 19th-century lecture style of instruction counter to the more collaborative small-group models that many reformers favour.  [11]   The Londons Institute of Education in a report on the interactive whiteboards says that, Although the newness of the technology was initially welcomed by pupils any boost in motivation seems short-lived. Statistical analysis showed no impact on pupil performance in the first year in which departments were fully equipped.  [12]  The report also emphasize such issues such as the fact that teacher gives more importance to the innovative technology than on what scholars should be learning. It was noted that the focus on interactivity as a mechanical development can lead to everyday activities which were being overestimated and also that in lower-ability classes it would slow the pace of whole class learning since individual pupils took turns at the board.  [13]   Internet In many countries and homes, the Internet and the World Wide Web in particular can be considered as part of the household and as common household term. This is proven by amount of reference to internet in the daily life and the amount of time which people, especially those who are still studying in schools, spend surfing on the internet.  [14]  The popularity of internet had made it as an important tool in education both as a great resource and as tool in class. The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that are accessible to billions of users around the globe. It is a network of networks that is made up of so many networks which are private, public, academic, business and government use. The internet holds a vast range of information resources and services.  [15]   When for the first time teachers were introduced to the internet, there first reaction was about the tremendous educational potentials which exist on the internet. Internet was seen as an instrument to answer the learning needs of many students since it have vast amount of resources.  [16]   The use of internet adds something new, some real value, to teaching. The internet offers a tremendous way of communication between students themselves and with experts regarding the subject they are studying. Moreover students can join groups which discuss their favourite subject to continue enhance their information regarding that particular subject.  [17]   The internet can be a support when teacher using animation, pictures, maps, images and other resources. For example when studying the land in which Jesus lives, to which the student has never been, a virtual tour to some of the landmarks through the internet can make the lesson more attractive and interesting, since they are not only imagining what the teacher is saying about the Holy Land but also seeing how the Holy Land looks like. The use of internet is in contrast with the use of textbooks. Many of our textbooks can be considered outdated. The use of internet can gives us the opportunity to include current data in our lessons. On the other side the internet has also its weaknesses. Teaching involves human process that cannot be automated or manufactured. One important instrument of teaching is the human touch, which cannot be replaced. The extreme use of internet and computer lead to lacking of human touch when computer replace teachers.  [18]   Moreover there is no solid confirmation that computers develop positively students performance, since stories of success are isolated cases. This may result due to time needed for teachers to develop good applications to be used in classrooms. Even if the Internet improves learning, no one is yet to prove that the advantages of teaching using the Internet significantly outweigh the advantages of using other cheaper information media. Every new technology brings with it positive and negative impact. Nobody has taken time to analyze the negative impact of exposing children to the Internet may have on their social development.  [19]   Microsoft PowerPoint or other presentation software The use of PowerPoint during teaching has a significant amount of potentialities for encouraging more visual use and more proficient presentations, since one can put text, audio, videos, pictures, graphs and much more. PowerPoint is a widely used presentation programme which had originated in the business world but today had found also a very comfortable place in the world of teaching. The popularity of PowerPoint in educational technology stem directly from one of its famous features, that is, the ease of use, also by those who cannot be considered as experts on computer.  [20]   Good use of PowerPoint enhances the teaching and learning experience of both teachers and the students. This is continuously developing since the Microsoft Corporation which created PowerPoint is endlessly developing and adding more features to its software to make it more easy and professional look like, such as the integration of video clips and words at the same time and the use of the presenters view, in order for whom is doing the presentation to see what comes next or work with other programs at the same time. As well, the templates provided can help to make simple professional look of the presentation in order to be more effective and successful.  [21]   PowerPoint software also gives the accessibility to print what had been shown in the presentation in order for students to have a copy of the presentation shown during the lesson. Few are those disadvantages when using PowerPoint. An important element when using PowerPoint is the way how teachers should use it when they are making use of it in classrooms. Teacher should give attention to not have large amount of material on one slide which can make difficult for the students to comprehend what the teacher is actually doing in the lesson.  [22]   Video clip The use of video clips in education is developing very faster, since time has pass on static images and pictures. Today we are developing the idea of movement in pictures and in our presentations. The fact that video editing programs are now available for everyone to use on his personal computer, the trend that is developing is to create videos to enhance more the attention and motivation of the students. This developing is made easier through websites such as Youtube.com and Vimeo.com, where one can upload his videos while others can see and download for personal use. This innovative idea had created a planet of video resources which can be use for teaching. 2.5 Conclusion The use of these available technologies and others can make our teaching more effective and interesting. This use of old textbooks and methods of learning are a bit out of this world, since students are all surrounded by this new technologies which are developing very fast. This does not mean that we have to trash all old methods and textbooks but it is important to incorporate technology to make lessons more enjoyable, creative and effective.

Is There a Criminal Brain? Essay -- Biology Biological Essays

Is There a Criminal Brain? It is very rare these days to turn on the news and not hear about a crime or a murder. Crime is a common occurrence yet many times it is difficult to understand how someone could bring themselves to do these things. It does seem to make any sense why a young handsome man from a good family would want to kill someone and then be able to go through with it. This leads one to wonder if the brains of people who behave in socially unacceptable ways are different from everyone else's brains. There is a substantial amount of evidence that suggests some criminals do have differences in their brains that most likely contribute to their behavior. Many of these individuals have Antisocial Personality Disorder and some are considered sociopaths. Everyone's brain is made up slightly differently, which is good because it provides individual variation. These biological differences can greatly influence how the individual behaves. For example, the frog brain and the human brain look very different structurally and the behaviors exhibited by a frog and a human are very different. Differences in brain structure are not limited to different species, there can be differences within the same species. Wildcats and domestic cats are a good example of this. The visual system of the wild cat and the domestic cat differ in substantial ways. Domestic cats have fewer ganglion cells in the retina and have a smaller lateral geniculate nucleus, which is a part of the thalamus (9). In addition, they have fewer total neurons involved in the visual system of the brain, however the sizes of neurons do not change between the wild and domestic cats (9). It may be possible to explain these changes by looking at "domesticati... ... http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/antisocials000214.html 2)What Lurks Within Murderous Minds? http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/discipline.html 3)Neural Roots of Murder http://www.academicpress.com/inscight/09151997/graphb.htm 4)Crime & Nourishment http://mhnet.org/perspectives/articles/art03964.htm 5)Prenatal Smoking Linked to Conduct Disorder in Boys http://www.cqs.com/smokaspd.htm 6)Psychopathy and Antisocial Personality Disorder: A Case of Diagnostic Confusion http://www.mhsource.com/pt/p960239.jhtml?_requestid=454630 7)The Psychopath's Brain: Tormented Souls, Diseased Brains http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n07/doencas/disease_i.htm 8)Functional Families, Dysfunctional Brains http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980410101830.htm 9)>Different Brains, Different Behaviors http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/~pkinser/bb/ Is There a Criminal Brain? Essay -- Biology Biological Essays Is There a Criminal Brain? It is very rare these days to turn on the news and not hear about a crime or a murder. Crime is a common occurrence yet many times it is difficult to understand how someone could bring themselves to do these things. It does seem to make any sense why a young handsome man from a good family would want to kill someone and then be able to go through with it. This leads one to wonder if the brains of people who behave in socially unacceptable ways are different from everyone else's brains. There is a substantial amount of evidence that suggests some criminals do have differences in their brains that most likely contribute to their behavior. Many of these individuals have Antisocial Personality Disorder and some are considered sociopaths. Everyone's brain is made up slightly differently, which is good because it provides individual variation. These biological differences can greatly influence how the individual behaves. For example, the frog brain and the human brain look very different structurally and the behaviors exhibited by a frog and a human are very different. Differences in brain structure are not limited to different species, there can be differences within the same species. Wildcats and domestic cats are a good example of this. The visual system of the wild cat and the domestic cat differ in substantial ways. Domestic cats have fewer ganglion cells in the retina and have a smaller lateral geniculate nucleus, which is a part of the thalamus (9). In addition, they have fewer total neurons involved in the visual system of the brain, however the sizes of neurons do not change between the wild and domestic cats (9). It may be possible to explain these changes by looking at "domesticati... ... http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/antisocials000214.html 2)What Lurks Within Murderous Minds? http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/discipline.html 3)Neural Roots of Murder http://www.academicpress.com/inscight/09151997/graphb.htm 4)Crime & Nourishment http://mhnet.org/perspectives/articles/art03964.htm 5)Prenatal Smoking Linked to Conduct Disorder in Boys http://www.cqs.com/smokaspd.htm 6)Psychopathy and Antisocial Personality Disorder: A Case of Diagnostic Confusion http://www.mhsource.com/pt/p960239.jhtml?_requestid=454630 7)The Psychopath's Brain: Tormented Souls, Diseased Brains http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n07/doencas/disease_i.htm 8)Functional Families, Dysfunctional Brains http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980410101830.htm 9)>Different Brains, Different Behaviors http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/~pkinser/bb/

Hamlets Character is contradictory&quot Essay

Shakespeare gives Hamlet a very indecisive character in this play. This in turn leads to Hamlet becoming contradictive, more and more so throughout the play. His main problem is that he is more of a ‘thinker’ than a ‘doer’. This causes him many problems throughout the whole play. The first example we get of this comes in Hamlets first soliloquy. Here we find out what Hamlet truly feels about the situation he finds himself in after his fathers death. After initially seeming to be willing to go along with Claudius’s and his mother’s marriage here we find out how he truly feels. He expresses his disgust at the hastiness from which his Mother has married to Claudius so soon after his fathers death. He also expresses how devastated he is at the death of his father and Claudius taking the crown, which Hamlet believes should rightfully be his. Hamlet once again shows this when he goes with his Fathers ghost. He comes back from this encounter determined to take revenge on Claudius but then passes up many chances to do so in order to make sure that the ghost is telling the truth. Hamlet continues this throughout the play and ironically this leads to him doing exactly the opposite of what the ghost wants by hurting his Mother and not taking revenge on Claudius when he has many chances to. Another appearance of Hamlets contradiction appears in his first soliloquy when he is very damning towards women: â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman! † This contradicts with his apparent infatuation with his mother, and especially with her sexual behaviour. Hamlets contradictory character is also reflected in the many mood swings he has during the play. He constantly changes his mood one minute appearing relatively happy, the next he is at his sadistic worse cruelly teasing others with his wordplay. The worst of this comes when he is talking to Ophelia in Act 3 Scene 1, where nearly everything he says to her has a sexual double meaning. Here Hamlet has realised that he is being spied on and intend to have some fun at Ophelia’s expense as he feels that she has been used as a spy whereas in reality she knows nothing of the situation. Hamlets character however can not just be described as contradictory, it id far too complex for that. Hamlet could also be described as erudite, ingenious and quick-minded for the way he took advantage of the players arriving and setting up the play â€Å"Murder of Gonzago† in order to test the Kings guilty conscience and find out if he really did kills Old Hamlet. Hamlet is also regarded as pessimistic, over – dramatic, angry, desperate and frustrated for his outlook on life and human nature and the way he feels about being denied the chance to become king after his father’s death. Many people also feel that Hamlet is obsessive; this is shown with his fixation with his mother’s sexuality and is once again brought into light by Ophelia revealing all of the love letters that Hamlet has sent to her in the past. All in all I believe that whilst contradiction is one of Hamlets main characteristics, his character is too broad for it to be described as any one thing.

E-Library – Requirements Specification

E-Library – Requirements Specification Author:Jiri Walek Status:Draft Contents 1. Introduction2 1. 1. Overview of the E-Library System2 1. 2. Keywords2 1. 3. Abbreviations and Terms2 2. Administration Requirements3 1. 4. Types of User Accounts and Permissions3 1. 5. Administration Interfaces3 3. User Requirements4 1. 6. Online User Registration4 1. 7. User Login/out4 1. 8. Catalog Search4 1. 9. Catalog Quick Search4 1. 10. Catalog Browsing5 1. 11. Advanced Catalog Browsing5 1. 12. Create Select List5 1. 13. Check Out eBooks6 1. 14. Explicit eBook â€Å"Return†6 ? 1. Introduction This document is an example of a Software Requirements Specification document which can be imported into Polarion, then exported and re-imported in a collaborative process utilizing the Word Round-trip feature. It is intended for demonstration only. The document describes a fictitious online eBook lending library with optional eBook online sales component. The focus is on simplicity rather than depth and completeness, that you may more easily understand the Document features. 1. 1. Overview of the E-Library System This system provides an online portal analogous to a public library where registered patrons can borrow books. The main difference is of course that the books in the library catalog are all in electronic formats which incorporate Digital Rights Management (DRM) enabling the system to â€Å"lend† an allowed number of copies to registered users. In addition, when a book has the proper rights, the E-Library can sell patrons a license for a personal copy of the electronic book which they can retain permanently. 1. 2. Keywords This document contains keywords which correspond to Severity values in the Polarion system when to document is imported for management by Polarion. DOCUMENT KEYWORDPOLARION SEVERITY VALUEMEANING â€Å"MUST_HAVE†must_haveNo release without SHOULD_HAVE†should_haveMay slip to next release if time runs short â€Å"MAY_HAVE†may_haveMay be included in release if dependent things are implemented, otherwise will not be included â€Å"OPTIONAL†optionalMay be included in release if time/resources allow, otherwise will be postponed to another release 1 . 3. Abbreviations and Terms TERMDEFINITION Carti. e. â€Å"shopping cart† – a collection of one or more eBooks that a patron has marked for purchase during the current session CatalogThe database of eBooks available for loan and possibly for sale as well Check OutThe act of â€Å"borrowing† an eBook from the library. Term is not used in reference to the process of paying for a purchased eBook (see Purchase) Check InThe act or â€Å"returning† a previously â€Å"borrowed† (checked out) eBook. DRMDigital Rights Management eBookAn electronic book or other publication lent or sold by the E-Library system ISBNInternational Standard Book Number LCLibrary of Congress Loansee Lend LendThe process of flagging an eBook so the appropriate DRM understands that one of the allowable number of â€Å"copies† has been allocated to a patron for the lending period. PatronA user of the E-Library portal PurchaseThe process by which library patrons purchase a DRM license for a personal copy of an eBook. Also the action of a user navigating into the process for purchasing the eBooks listed in their Cart. StoreAn area of the portal that lists a subset of the library’s eBooks, that being eBooks for which users may purchase a license for a personal copy of the eBook. 2. Administration Requirements This section outlines the main requirements that relate to administration and management of the E-Library system. 1. 4. Types of User Accounts and Permissions The system must provide for the following types of user accounts: ACCOUNT TYPE NAMEPERMISSIONS AdministratorUser can access any component or area of the system including accounts of other users LibrarianUser can access the catalog management features of the system PatronUser can access the general library features, including browsing, searching, check out, check in, reserve, and purchase StudentSame as a Patron, except may not access Purchase features The system must provide user management to manage the user role assignments. Each user can have multiple user roles assigned. It must be possible to 1. 5. Administration Interfaces The system must provide user interfaces for the following roles/functions: †¢System Administration – including database management, server management, backups, etc. User type: Administrator †¢Catalog Management – all non-technical functionality related to managing eBooks in the library catalog. User types: Administrator, Librarian 3. User Requirements This section outlines the main requirements that relate to the end users who borrow and purchase eBooks from the E-Library. . 6. Online User Registration Users must be able to create Patron or Student accounts by registering online. A suitable registration page or pages should be provided. New users must go thru a verification process (TBD) to confirm their email address before their account is activated in the system. 1. 7. User Login/out Once verified, users must be able to log in to the portal. Users must be able to change their password (but not their user name/ID) There must be a way for users to retrieve a lost password Users must be able to log out. There must be a session timeout mechanism that will automatically log the user out after a period of time (period TBD). On logout, the contents of user’s Select List and Cart are cleared. The contents of the Reserved List is preserved. 1. 8. Catalog Search Users must be able to search for eBooks The system should provide interfaces for both â€Å"simple† and â€Å"advanced† searches †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"simple† should be a search on any one of fields Author, Title, or ISBN. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"advanced† should provide an easy way to construct complex searches on multiple fields with different logic (e. g. AND, OR, NOT) 1. 9. Catalog Quick Search The system should provide several â€Å"quick search† options: †¢Newest eBooks – returns a listing of the 10- 50 (configurable) most recently added eBooks †¢Top 20 Titles – returns a listing of the 20 most frequently borrowed eBooks oThe actual number should be configurable by an administrator oThe UI should provide a pick list of values: 10, 20, 25, 50, 100 †¢Latest Returns – returns a list of 10-50 (configurable) most recently checked-in eBooks oEither explicitly checked in by a patron, or lending period expired freeing the eBook for loan oeBooks listed in this set must not have any reservations†¦ must be available for immediate loan 1. 0. Catalog Browsing Users must be able to browse the eBooks in the catalog Users must be able to select how they want to browse: †¢Browse by Author oMust be able to select an alphabetical subset†¦ e. g. author names beginning with A, or M for example †¢Browse by Title oMust be able to se lect an alphabetical subset†¦ e. g. author names beginning with A, or M for example †¢Browse by genre (e. g. fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, etc. 1. 11. Advanced Catalog Browsing Users should be able to browse by Publisher Users should be able to browse by Book Award Users should be able to browse according to a combination of data, such as by Author + Genre, Title + Year of Publication, Author + Book Award, etc. 1. 12. Create Select List The Select List is similar to a shopping cart except that the checkout processes a loan of the eBooks in the list rather than a purchase. Each user must be able to save a list of eBooks they want to borrow – their â€Å"Select List† †¢The Select List is only for the current session and is cleared when the session terminates †¢Each eBook added to the Select List remains in the list for 20 minutes. During this time, the number of copies available for loan is reduced by 1 and the number available is shown to ot her users. oIf the time expires and the eBook is removed from the Select List, then the number of copies available for loan is increased by 1 and the number available is shown to other users. The number of eBooks user may add to their Select List is limited to the checkout limit defined in the system configuration minus the number of eBooks patron has currently checked out. oIf user currently has the maximum number checked out, then all Add to Select List links should be disabled for that user. †¢If all copies allowable under the eBook’s DRM are currently on loan to other users, then the eBook cannot be added to any user’s Select List (the UI widget is disabled) and the UI must inform the user that no copy is currently available for loan. 1. 13. Check Out eBooks User should be able to navigate to Check Out any time via a readily visible link or button The checkout page must display the eBooks in the user’s Select List The user must be able to remove eBooks from the Select List at this point Via an appropriate UI widget, user should be able to execute check out which processes on all the eBooks left on the Select List. When checkout is complete, user must be presented with a page of the checked out titles, each title having a DOWNLOAD widget. Clicking the widget downloads a copy of the eBook with appropriate DRM applied. Each checked out eBook should remain listed on the user’s Downloads page until the loan period expires. 1. 14. Explicit eBook â€Å"Return† Users must be able to â€Å"return† any eBook on their Downloads page that has not yet been downloaded via an appropriate â€Å"RETURN THIS EBOOK† widget. Executing the return must remove the eBook from the user’s downloads page, decreases the count of eBooks the user currently has checked out (if that value is greater than zero), and increases by 1 the number of copies of the eBook available for loan.