Albert Camus :: essays research papers

Albert Camus was a French-Algerian novelist, essayist, dramatist, and journalist and a Nobel laureate. He was born in Algeria to a French father and Spanish mother. After his father was killed in WWI, he was raised in poverty by his grandmother and mother. He was forced to end his studies and limit his life in theatre as a playwright, director, and actor due to tuberculosis. He then turned his interest to politics and, after briefly being a member of the Communist party, he began a career in journalism in 1930. His articles reflected the suffering of the Arabs in Algeria. This led him to his dismissal of his newspaper job. Later, he worked in Paris for a newspaper and soon he became involved in Resistance movements against the Germans. He started writing an underground newspaper. Camus wrote many novels and his writings, illustrated his view of the absurdity of human existence: Humans are not absurd, and the world is not absurd, but for humans to be in the world is absurd. In his opi nion, humans cannot feel at home in the world because they yearn for order, clarity, meaning, and eternal life, while the world is chaotic, obscure, and indifferent and offers only suffering and death. Thus human beings are alienated from the world. Integrity and dignity require them to face and accept the human condition as it is and to find purely human solutions to their plight. He used a simple and clear but elegant form of writing to convey his ideas about morality, justice and love. In 1957, Camus received the Nobel price for literature. He was deeply troubled by the Algerian War of Independence and he immersed himself in the theatre and working on an autobiographical novel. He died in an automobile accident just before being named director of the national theater. The Theory of Existentialism Existentialism as a distinct philosophical and literary movement belongs to the 19th and 20th centuries. Although existentialism is impossible to define, some of its common themes can be identified. One of the major theme is the stress on concrete individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity, individual freedom, and choice. 19th century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, was the first writer to call himself existential. He wrote in his journal, "I must find a truth that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die.

It’s the End of the Worldand I Feel Fine Essay -- essays papers

It’s the End of the Worldand I Feel Fine It’s the End of the World†¦and I Feel Fine! (The role of intellectuals in the creation and justification of nuclear weapons.) In Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Sidney Lumet and Stanley Kubrick question the relationship between technology and humanity by emphasizing mankind’s tendency to create machines that cannot be adequately controlled. By blatantly revealing the absurdity of game theory (Mutual Assured Destruction as a reasonable deterrence for nuclear war), both directors call into question the dominant pro-Cold War American ideology. One of the most quintessential aspects of this ideology includes the drive for constant technological advance and strategic superiority. Without the brainpower of the scientists and intellectuals who dedicated their lives to the extension of technological power and the study of international conflict, the Arms Race would certainly not have been possible. These academics not only became the architects of atomic weapons but they were also faced with justifying the use of these nuclear bombs, and creating a th eoretical framework within which nuclear warfare might be appropriately (and rationally) conducted. Within this context, one noteworthy parallel between Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove is the existence (in both films) of a single intellectual genius that actively perpetuates the â€Å"science† of nuclear advancement and strategy. Indeed, through the characterizations of Professor Groeteschele and Dr. Strangelove, both Lumet and Kubrick examine the prominent role of intellectuals (both scientists and theorists) in the creation and justification of nuclear warfare. Ultimately, both Lumet and Kubrick reveal the problems with relying solely on science and mathematics to resolve international conflict, thus suggesting that modern warfare requires a more humanistic, ethical definition of right and wrong. Both Fail Safe and Dr Strangelove serve as moralizing responses to the dominant American Cold War culture, rhetoric, and political policy. In his article titled â€Å"Dr. Strangelove (1964): Nightmare Comedy and the ideology of Liberal Consensus,† Charles Maland identi fies the dominant American cultural paradigm (during the Cold War) as â€Å"the Ideology of the Liberal Consensus.† Maland maintains that the Ideology of the ... ...ocosm of possible nuclear disasters, both directors choose to include a character that embodies the contemporary ‘nuclear intellectual.’ Indeed, scientists and theoreticians (like Groeteschele and Strangelove) played a prominent role in defining and perpetuating the new Cold War culture. These academics not only became the architects of nuclear bombs but they were also faced with creating a viable theoretical framework within which the use of these weapons would be both recommended and justified. However, both Kubrick and Lumet suggest that in order to apply their brilliance towards mass destruction and death, intellectuals must give up a portion of their humanity, becoming increasingly more like the devices they create and defend. The mutual catastrophes that occur in Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove show the inevitability of human weakness and scientific fallibility. Through the development of Professor Groeteschele and Dr. Strangelove, both Lumet and Kubrick illustra te the catastrophic possibilities of relying solely on science and mathematics to resolve international conflicts. Ultimately, modern, high stake warfare requires a more humanistic, ethical code of right and wrong.

Rfid in Walmart Essay

In June 2003 Wal-Mart first announced its plan to implement RFID technology in its supply chain by January 2005; this caught many of the suppliers unawares. Though the plans envisaged compliance from the top 100 suppliers, around 129 suppliers jumped into the fray, afraid of being left behind in the race. RFID technology was invented in 1969 and patented in 1973; after thirty long years WalMart has demanded its implementation. Expectations are high, unfortunately RFID technology is still in its infant stage. In November 2003, Wal-Mart once again asserted its requirements. The following were explicitly spelt out: 1. What the EPC (Electronic Product Code) would be, 2. What class of chips they would accept, and 3. Which distribution centres would start accepting RFID deliveries. Much has happened since then. To its suppliers, Wal-Mart has spelt the requirement of 96-bit EPC with a Global Trade Identification number, which is an international standard. The tags are expected to operate in UHF spectrum (868 MHz to 956 MHz). The plan is to standardize the Class 1 Version 2 of the EPC specification [RFIDJournal. Com]. The EPC global, a joint venture between Uniform Code Council and EAN (European Article Number) International, is developing this particular standard. This tag will carry the 96-bit serial number and will be field-programmable. This will enable the suppliers to write serial numbers to the tags, when they apply the tags to the products. The EPC-compliant tags in UHF band consists of 1. EPC data format on 2. One of the existing communication protocols, Class1 or Class0 two main the parts: chip Note: Class0 and Class1 specifications differ. Class0 is a factory programmable tag while Class1 permits the end users to write a serial number on it. They are not interoperable. A multi-protocol reader is required to read both tags. The Class1 Version2 that is being pursued is expected to incorporate both specifications of Class0 and Class1. This Version2 will be a globally accepted protocol. As of now Wal-Mart is already tracking pallets and cases from suppliers coming to one distribution centre. The plan is to expand to other suppliers soon and roll out the technology regionally across the US . By the end of this year, the intention is to track all pallets, and cases of all products from the top 100 US suppliers, and by late 2006, from all US suppliers. Wal-Mart will then begin rolling the technology out internationally. The increased demand has already set Manhattan Associates working on new software that will allow companies to plug RFID technology to warehouse management system, on all platforms. Wal-Mart dreams of achieving a great RFID enabled, fool proof, error free, transparent supply chain. To this end, RFID readers are being installed at distribution centres and stores and buying equipment for printing tags. The expense of investments in new technology every year will be covered in the normal capital budget Why WalMart is adopting RFID? The application of RFID deeper into retail operations than case or pallet-level tracking is not really an Asset Protection driven proposal. The ability to better track SKU level items, smooth out merchandise flow, and prevent out-of-stocks while eliminating non-productive, profit-draining overstock situations is a main tenant of retail. The better Walmart, or anyone can get at doing that, the more control they have in their merchandise investment and the more profit can be squeezed from each dollar invested. With improved profit to investment ratios along with cost-controlling measures such as improved productivity for store level associates, a company can use the gain to pass on in savings to their customers, which is the real secret to success. Asset protection will benefit from the improved operations as well. Shrink is unaccounted for invested dollars. A retailer invests in merchandise to sell and somewhere along the trail from factory to store it is lost, sometimes physically, sometimes in the handling and accounting process. The ability to quickly verify actual quantities of items in a store not only enables the retailer to replenish the stock at the right rate of sale, it also eliminates countless hours of searching for the products in backrooms, overstock boxes, risers and any number of other places merchandise finds to hide in a store. When the count is exact as the product is received, matches the invoice with precision, and is then accurately tracked until it is sold, shrink can theoretically become just a bad memory. There is still theft to consider, however RFID offers some improvements in that respect as well. The key is real-time knowledge of the status of key merchandise. Associates can react to missing one item, instead of hundreds or thousands of dollars worth, before they know there is a problem. Concerns have been expressed over privacy and tags could be used to identify concealed items, but that is not the path to success. If you wait to react to a theft, you still must deal with the situation and there are several pitfalls in apprehending shoplifters and processing internal theft situations. So the bottom line is that it is about immediately identifying loss and taking active measures to prevent further loss. To those expressing concern over the proliferation of technology like RFID in retail, the challenge is to keep the concerns on a productive level. Retailers are not motivated by big brother-like intentions. They are striving to become as efficient as possible in their operation to shave off every non-productive penny invested. It is how they can beat their competition in pricing giving the consumer the benefit of lower prices and the shareholders the benefit of improved profits. There are real concerns relative to unintended consequences of the misuse of technology. Creating a â€Å"personalized customer profile† is a tempting marketing strategy. Imagine knowing exactly what every customer who comes in the doors wants to buy, maybe even before they do. Questions of privacy must be addressed openly and a retailer must make efforts to prevent the misuse of data. This new era is where the professional retail LP leader can make a significant contribution. One day, cash registers may be obsolete. Currency could be exchanged virtually and attached directly to people through some kind of biometric authorization. The role of the LP professional will look much different when that day arrives. Getting from where we are to that point will be an interesting ride. WalMart and RFID: The Test Phase From initial experiences of roll out of EPC in select distribution warehouses and stores, there is confidence that the concept will be a long-term success. Experiments with various tag types and tag placements are underway to see how they impact readability on various products in a non-laboratory environment. Goods shipped to the stores with RFID tags are recorded once at their arrival . By simply waving the scanner at the boxes they are able to know what is inside without having to open anything. Even before the arrival it is possible to know where everything is, which helps to reduce loss during shipment. The tags are read again before they are brought to the sales floor , no reader is installed at the sales point, though. They are read finally at a box crusher after all the items in the case have been put on the store shelves. Their software monitors the different items sold to the customers and the number of cases brought to the sales floor. This generates the information – which items will soon be depleted from the shelves? Automatically, almost instantly, a list is generated of items that need to be picked from the backroom to replenish the store shelves. To reduce the amount of time spent at the backroom Wal-Mart has developed a handheld RFID reader. This acts as a kind of Geiger counter that beeps when a worker gets close to the item he or she needs to pick. It is intended to initially provide this in the original seven stores and then deploy them in rest of the 140 stores in a phased manner during the year. Wal-Mart has also established a retail link extranet with all its suppliers. This enables them to share data from all RFID read points with their suppliers. When a case is brought out to the sales floor, the status reads ~Q being put on the shelves’ , when at the trash compactor the status changes to ~Q on shelf’ . Thus within 30 minutes the suppliers get updated on the movement and location of their goods. Suppliers are also learning how to match tags with products and where to place tags for optimum readability. This initial experience will keep them ahead of their competitors.

Writing Proficiency

Abstract The present study investigated the sentence-level errors of freshmen students at three proficiency levels and the aspects of writing that raters focused on while rating the essays. It views errors as valuable information for the following: For teachers, as it clues them on students’ progress; for researchers as it gives them valuable data as to how language is acquired or learned; for learners, as it enables them to reflect on their learning.The data for the present study is based on the data collected for a previous study. One hundred fifty essays written by freshmen college students on their first week of classes in five private schools in Metro Manila (30 for each participating school) were collected, word-processed, and subjected to rating and coding or errors. Most of the findings of the present study corroborate the findings of previous studies on error analysis and essay evaluation—that sentence-level errors have a significant role in essay scores.The ra ters still have the grammar accuracy model when checking essays, although it is just considered secondary to other aspects of writing such as the ability to address the prompt and organize the ideas logically. Introduction Areas of Writing Research Writing teachers and researchers have always set their teaching and research lenses on the variables that describe successful second language writing vis-a-vis unsuccessful writing.Because of this preoccupation, a plethora of research has been undertaken as regards the role of L1 in L2 Writing (Cumming, 1990; Krapels, 1991), L2 writers’ characteristics and proficiency (Hirose & Sasaki, 1994; Victori, 1999; Deane et al, 2008), L2 writing process/strategies (Arndt, 1987; Becker, 2003), L2 writing feedback/evaluation (Ferris, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003; Goldstein, 2001, 2005) L2 writing instruction (Zhang & Zhou, 2002; Liu, 2003; Chen, 2005; Coombe & Barlow, 2004) and L2 writer’s texts (Zhang, 1997; Hinkel, 1997; Hirose, 2003).In t he analysis of L2 writers’ texts, researchers focus on the rhetorical and linguistic features that impact essay scores in different linguistic backgrounds (Becker, 2010; Gustilo, 2011). These studies are significant in that they help us in understanding the complex factors that underlie proficient and less proficient writing. Emphasis on Essay Evaluation In assessing essays, what do raters consider as more proficient and less proficient writing? Studies have established that factors such as content, rhetorical strategy or linguistic (grammar, spelling, vocabulary) and non-linguistic features (organization, style, content, etc. can separate less proficient and more proficient writing. These factors, however, are weighed differently by raters depending on their background and experience (Kobayashi, n. d. ; Weltig, n. d. , Cumming et al. , 2002). According to Weltig, ESL (English as second language), EFL (English as foreign language), and ENL (English as native language) raters weigh the aspects of writing differently. On the one hand, the ENL raters put more thrust on the non-language aspects (grammar and mechanics) and consider language-related issues as secondary in judging essays.On the other, ESL and EFL raters focus more on language erro Error Analysis As a corollary to this emphasis on essay evaluation, there is no wonder why almost inextricable in the analysis of L2 texts is the focus on errors that learners make in relation to their writing performance (Sarfraz, 2011; Sattayatham & Honsa, 2007; Kitao & Kitao, 2000). Previous studies have indicated that errors do significantly affect raters’ evaluation of the overall quality of essays. For instance, Sweedler-Brown (1993) attributed the low scores of L2 essays for the original than for the corrected essays to sentence-level errors.Kobayashi and Rinnert (1993) found that the same essays gained higher overall holistic scores when the errors were corrected. Kobayashi (n. d. ) also found that lan guage use errors and coherence breaks influenced the English teachers’ (both native speaker and Japanese teachers) judgment in terms of content and clarity but not the Japanese university students’ judgments. The error-free essays were praised as very good, but the error-laden essays were penalized with low scores. Terms and Definitions of Errors Making errors is one of the most unavoidable things in the orld. In language acquisition, learning, and teaching, error has been referred to and has been defined in many ways. Catalan (n. d. ) reviewed the terms and definitions of error in Error Studies and consolidated these definitions using the communicative event framework (addresser; addressee; code, norm, and message; and setting). From the perspective of norm or well-formedness of a sentence, error is regarded as â€Å"an infringement or deviation of the code of the formal system of communication through which the message is conveyed† (Catalan, n. . p. 66). Dulay , Burt, and Krashen (1982 p. 139 as cited in Catalan ) corroborates this definition by saying that error is the â€Å"flawed side of learner speech or writing that deviates from selected norm of mature language performance† (p. 7). Errors are alterations of the rules of the accepted norm and are termed as surface errors which may be further classified as omission errors, addition errors, misformation errors, wrong order, spelling error, systems error, and the like.Also the terms overt and covert errors (Corder, 1973, Faerch, 1984, & Medges, 1989 as cited in Catalan, n. d. ) may be added in the list. The former refers to errors that are not observable within the surface but implied in the message, and the latter refers to those that are clearly identifiable in the surface (Catalan n. d. , p. 8). Benefits of Error Analysis Error Analysis (EA) is concerned with the analyses of the errors made by L2 learners by comparing the learners’ acquired norms with the target languag e norms and explaining the identified errors ( James, 1998).Stephen Pit Corder’s (1967) seminal work â€Å"The Significance of Learner’s Errors† has given EA a significant turn in that it views errors as valuable information for three beneficiaries: for teachers, it clues them on the progress of the students; for researchers, it provides evidence as to how language is acquired or learned; for learners themselves, it gives them resources in order to learn (Corder, 1967 as cited in Maicusi, Maicusi, & Lopez, 2000, p. 170).With this approach errors are regarded as resources for learning and teaching rather than as â€Å"flaws† which connote failure in the acquisition process and ,therefore, needs to be eradicated. Despite the criticisms against EA such as complete reliance on errors per se and not seeing the whole picture of the learners’ linguistic behaviour by looking also at the nonerrors (Gass & Selinker, 1994; Maicusi, Maicusi, & Lopez, 2000), EA has contributed comprehensively to Second Language Acquisition Theory and second language writing instruction. Aim of the Study The present study aims at investigating the sentence-level rrors of freshmen students at three proficiency levels and the aspects of writing that raters focus on while rating the essays. Specifically, the present study aims at providing answers to the following research questions: 1. Do writers with higher levels of writing proficiency commit the same errors that low proficiency writers do? 2. Are there significant differences in the frequency of errors committed by low, mid, and high proficient writers? 3. Which of these errors significantly decrease essay scores? 4. What aspects of writing that affect essay scores did the raters focus on while rating the essays?Method The Essays The data for the present study is based on the data collected for a previous study. One hundred fifty essays written by freshmen college students on their first week of classes i n five private schools in Metro Manila (30 for each participating school) were collected, wordprocessed, and subjected to rating and coding or errors. Rating Three independent raters who are trained ESL teachers rated the essays using a holistic scale patterned after the TOEFL writing section and SAT scoring guides (Gustilo, 2011). Kendall’s Tau coefficient of concordance (. 71, p

Immanuel Kant Metaphysics of Morals Essay

Kant argued that moral requirements are based on a standard of rationality he dubbed the â€Å"Categorical Imperative† (CI). Immorality thus involves a violation of the CI and is thereby irrational. This argument was based on his striking doctrine that a rational will must be regarded as autonomous, or free in the sense of being the author of the law that binds it. The fundamental principle of morality ? the CI ? is none other than this law of an autonomous will. Thus, at the heart of Kant’s moral philosophy is a conception of reason whose reach in practical affairs goes well beyond that of a Humean ?slave’ to the passions. Moreover, it is the presence of this self-governing reason in each person that Kant thought offered decisive grounds for viewing each as possessed of equal worth and deserving of equal respect. In Kant’s terms, a good will is a will whose decisions are wholly determined by moral demands or as he refers to this, by the Moral Law Kant’s analysis of commonsense ideas begins with the thought that the only thing good without qualification is a ? good will’. While the phrases ? he’s good hearted’, ? she’s good natured’ and ? she means well’ are common, ? the good will’ as Kant thinks of it is not the same as any of these ordinary notions. The idea of a good will is closer to the idea of a ? good person’, or, more archaically, a ? person of good will’ The basic idea is that what makes a good person good is his possession of a will that is in a certain way ? determined’ by, or makes its decisions on the basis of, the moral law The idea of a good will is supposed to be the idea of one who only makes decisions that she holds to be morally worthy, taking moral considerations in themselves to be conclusive reasons for guiding her behavior. This sort of disposition or character is something we all highly value. Kant believes we value it without limitation or qualification. First, unlike anything else, there is no conceivable circumstance in which we regard our own moral goodness as worth forfeiting simply in order to obtain some desirable object Second, as a consequence, possessing and maintaining one’s moral goodness is the very condition under which anything else is worth having or pursuing. Intelligence and even pleasure are worth having only on the condition that they do not require giving up a commitment to honor one’s fundamental moral convictions In Kant’s terms, a good will is a will whose decisions are wholly determined by moral demands or as he refers to this, by the Moral Law A holy ordivine will, if it exists, though good, would not be good because it is motivated by thoughts of duty. argues that a dutiful action from any of these motives, however praiseworthy it may be, does not express a good will and other outcomes of lawful behavior. Indeed, we respect these laws to the degree, but only to the degree, that they do not violate values, laws or principles we hold more dear. Yet Kant thinks in acting from duty that we are not at all motivated by a prospective outcome or some other extrinsic feature of our conduct. We are motivated by the mere conformity of our will to law as such Kant holds that the fundamental principle at the basis of all of our moral duties is a categoricalimperative. It is an imperative because it is a command (e. g. , â€Å"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.†) More precisely, it commands us to exercise our wills in a particular way, not to perform some action or other. It is categorical in virtue of applying to us unconditionally, or simply because we possesses rational wills, without reference to any ends that we might or might not have. It does not, in other words, apply to us on the condition that we have antecedently adopted some goal for ourselves. Kant’s first formulation of the CI states that you are to â€Å"act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law. † First, formulate a maxim that enshrines your reason for acting as you propose. Second, recast that maxim as a universal law of nature governing all rational agents, and so as holding that all must, by natural law, act as you yourself propose to act in these circumstances. Third, consider whether your maxim is even conceivable in a world governed by this law of nature. If it is, then, fourth, ask yourself whether you would, or could, rationally will to act on your maxim in such a world. If you could, then your action is morally permissible. Kant held that ordinary moral thought recognized moral duties toward ourselves as well as toward others. Hence, together with the distinction between perfect and imperfect duties, we recognize four categories of duties: perfect duties toward ourselves, perfect duties toward others, imperfect duties toward ourselves and imperfect duties toward others Kant’s example of a perfect duty to others concerns a promise you might consider making but have no intention of keeping in order to get needed money At the heart of Kant’s moral theory is the position that rational human wills are.

The Bribary Scandal at Siemens Ag

For example, I am quite familiar with the ways business is done is Russia and I can assure you that bribing cases are very common there, with number of them being literally unavoidable. As for the case with bribing Wilhelm Seychelles, the chairman of the AUP labor union, I think it was completely unnecessary for such a big and respected company like Siemens to do that. Such bribing is certainly avoidable and It Is not worth for the company to risk It's reputation.In my opinion, It should be a concern of governments to prevent such actions and create mechanisms hat make any types of bribing activities Impossible, especially In companies In which the state owns a controlling stake. 2. I think if a company has a respected name in the field, offers competitive prices and meets all qualifications to win a contract, then it has couple of options to do so without bribing: a. Status off well-known and respected company gives it an ability to contact the government officials and local analogu e of U. S.Securities and Exchange Commission beforehand and ask to monitor the process of tendering. B. If the contract is for a large amount of money and, maybe, socially important, it might e a good Idea to attract the media to the deal. I believe these two options would scare away any company managers who are Intended to benefit from bribing. However, If the company Is In the situation when somebody demands money in return for a contract, it should immediately notify an appropriate agency and provide sufficient evidence in order for the officials to impose punitive sanctions against a breaking company. . In my opinion, the board made a right decision in not extending Killdeer's term. Even though Killed was not implicated in the scandal directly, l, honestly, hardly live that he, as the CEO of Siemens GAG, was unaware of the unlawful actions that had taken place within the company, since the amounts spent on the ‘consulting services' (Ð ²?420 million) seem to be too large n ot to notice them, or at least questionable.The practice of bribing for contracts might have been common at Siemens before and was Inherited by Killed from former CEO, Heimlich von Peeler. This practice doubled with Killdeer's aggressive, American style of management could have been reasons why Siemens GAG performed so well in the last few years roll to ten scandal. I also Delve Tanat whenever Clientele 010, It was Tort ten Detente of the company.After Killdeer's departure, considering how successfully he managed the company, it is most likely that Siemens' rate of growth and value of its shares will drop. If it wasn't for the bribery scandals, Killed could have much more work done for the company benefit over the following years. 4. As I could tell from the case and from my own experience, there are many companies that give money or gifts in exchange for contracts or some sort of favors. Siemens is not the only company accused of bribery.The enormous amounts Siemens spent on bribin g government officials and companies' managers probably led the investigations to begin. There are number of Siemens' competitors who were not as wealthy, and, as a consequence, couldn't get the same contracts, even though they might have been more qualified. My assumption is that the Siemens' competitors, angry about such injustice, could have been initiators of the investigations, which revealed the cases of bribing. Generally, I think Siemens was just unfortunate to get caught.

Advantages of Discovery Learning

Advantages of Discovery Learning Jump to: Advantages of Discovery Learning Discovery learning was first put into writing by Jerome Bruner in the 1970’s. In part II of his book titled â€Å"The Quest for Clarity†, Bruner discusses his views on â€Å"the Act of Discovery†. Bruner states his belief that to successfully educate, the educator must first assess what is already known. In this essay Bruner summarizes the basic principles of discovery learning, their benefits, its process, and a set of experiments that Bruner used which according to him, proved his theory. This essay will use research that supports Bruner’s theory in an attempt to prove that discovery learning is more effective than direct instruction and explain how educators should teach in result of the research. What is discovery learning? Discovery learning is an approach to learning that can be facilitated by specific teaching methods and guided learning strategies. For this essay the term discovery learning will refer to learning that takes place within in the individual, the teaching and instructional strategies designed by the teacher, and the environment created when these strategies are used. Direct or traditional instruction are strategies used in teacher led classrooms, including lectures, drill and practice, and expository learning. Bicknell, Holmes, and Hoffman (2000) describe the three main attributes of discovery learning as 1) exploring and problem solving to create, integrate, and generalize knowledge, 2) student driven, interest based activities in which student determines the sequence and frequency, and 3) activities to encourage integration of new knowledge into the learner’s existing knowledge base. The first attribute to discovery learning is a very important one. By exploring problems, and coming up with their own solutions, student’s are taking an active role in creating integrating, and generalizing knowledge. Student’s are not passively taking in information , as they would during a lecture, but are coming up with broad applications for skills by taking risks, solving problems, and examining unique, but useful experiences (Bicknell-Holmes & Hoffman, 2000). This attribute of discovery learning dramatically changes the role of students and teachers, which some traditional teachers find hard to accept. The second attribute of discovery learning is that it encourages students to learn at their own pace (Bicknell-Holmes & Hoffman, 2000). This attribute allow students learning to progress freely as the student is ready to learn new material. Students must obtain a high level of motivation and take ownership in their learning for this attribute to be met. The third major attribute of discovery learning is that it is based on the principle of using existing knowledge as a basis to build new knowledge (Bicknell-Holmes & Hoffman, 2000). Students must be encouraged and provided with knowledge they already know to extend this knowledge and build ne w ideas. A good example of this is when students discover how to multiply a three digit number by a three digit number, by using their knowledge of multiplying a two digit number by a two digit number. The student would build on what they know about multiplication to come up with a new way of multiplying three digits by three digits.