Condoms vs Abstinence for Public School Children Essay

Rush Limbaugh’s article, â€Å"Condoms: The New Diploma,† berates the common practice of distributing condoms to school children. The iconic conservative talk show host, who is blessed with â€Å"talent on loan from God,† uses forceful, colloquial arguments and analogies to warn against the messages and possible dire consequences that public school condom distribution can impart on America’s children. He confidently and stridently argues that condom distribution in the schools is a dangerous, immoral policy that tends to minimize or ignore the many possible negative effects of sex. Whether a school-age child wears a condom or not, Limbaugh states that the child is potentially exposing himself and his partner to AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy. Rush’s arguments are sound and persuasive but some of his analogies are far-fetched and extreme, and his righteous tone and attitude may be annoying to those who disagree with him. Limbaugh passionately states his arguments using simple words, messages and analogies. His central premise, that â€Å"abstinence works every time it is tried,† is an irrefutable fact. That is, when a person engages in sexual abstinence she is certain to avoid the negative possible consequences of sex which include pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including the deadly AIDS virus. On the other hand, Limbaugh minimizes the fact that many school children are going to engage in sexual activities regardless of what they are taught and regardless of whether they have easy access to condoms. Limbaugh attacks what he sees as the absurd policy of using public tax dollars to purchase and distribute condoms in public schools. To demonstrate that absurdity, he uses some extreme analogies that are far-fetched and absurd themselves. These plain-spoken, simplistic analogies include providing â€Å"safe, untainted drugs every morning in home room,† and â€Å"packs of low-tar cigarettes to the students for their after-sex smoke. † He goes farther to the extreme as he advocates that public schools should â€Å"convert study halls to Safe Sex Centers,† and that these schools should also â€Å"put disease-free hookers† in these centers. These suggestions are obviously facetious, but Mr. Limbaugh employs them to harshly illuminate and expose what he sees as the wrong-headed, immoral, dangerous policy of condom distribution within schools. He thinks that condom distribution serves to condone and legitimize sexual activity among minors just as providing free illicit drugs to children would legitimize that dangerous, immoral activity. Limbaugh hammers home his point simply and starkly when he asks, â€Å"Would you knowingly have sex with anyone who has AIDS with only a condom to protect you from getting the disease? † He believes the policy of public school condom distribution, funded by taxpayers like him, promotes and legitimizes that possibly deadly scenario for young, careless children who do not care about or comprehend the long-term consequences of their casual sexual activity. But, he fails to point out that these same careless children will be more at risk of contracting AIDS or getting pregnant if they do not use a condom during sexual intercourse. His absolute views and arguments are persuasive, but his presentation is unbalanced and he might be seen by some readers as pompous and arrogant. Whether you love him or hate him, Rush Limbaugh confidently and unapologetically conveys his conservative, moral opinions on the dangers of public school condom distribution programs. He believes that this policy is â€Å"symptomatic of the larger moral decline in our societal values,† and that â€Å"free condom distribution in public schools can be a matter of life and death. † Despite some of his extreme and ridiculous analogies, Rush persuasively and emotionally advocates that sexual abstinence is the right policy for school children and that condom distribution is simply wrong and immoral.

Reversals in “Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton Essay

In Edith Wharton’s novel Ethan Frome, the lives of the characters are turned upside down but not in a sense that they are able to escape from the state are in. It’s more like the physical wellness of the characters and their social place within their microcosm is the one that is reversed rather than them, having totally opposite lives. Not much changes, except that Zeena’s health improves dramatically and Mattie becomes the one who needs medical attention. Ethan on the other hand is still with his wife, miserable and poor. Ethan Frome, as the title suggests is the story about Ethan, a farmer who has to attend to his sickly wife, Zeena. The couple is helped by Mattie, Zeena’s cousin. Ethan is intensely attracted to Mattie but he is duty bound to serve his wife. Zeena is suspicious for Mattie has been living with them for over a year and she has sensed the mutual attraction that Ethan and Mattie have. In defiance to the betrayal going on in her house, Zeena hires a different helper. Ethan of course, objects but in the end, he still obeys his wife. Before Mattie is able to leave town for good, she suggests that they commit suicide by sleighing directly on the path of an elm tree. Unfortunately for them, the â€Å"smash-up† doesn’t prove to be fatal because of Ethan’s hesitation before the impact. The failed suicide attempt causes Mattie to be paralyzed and Ethan almost suffering the same fate. Before the smash-up, Ethan was already in a position that is very similar to where he is at the end of the novel. If anything, he’s even in a poorer state than where he was before. As described by the condition of the house, â€Å"Even for that part of the country the kitchen was a poor-looking place† (Wharton, 1911, p. 63). It means that the reversal that happened to Ethan, isn’t exactly a reversal. He comes full circle, after having high hopes and dreams for a new life with Mattie, he ends up where he started, in that poor house with his wife. The reversal (and return trip) that would happen to Ethan is foreshadowed in Chapter IV; Ethan passes by a graveyard where his ancestors are buried. He sees on the epitaph his name, â€Å"Sacred to the memory of Ethan Frome and Endurance his wife, who dwelled together in peace for fifty years† (Wharton, 1911, p.27). Ethan wonders whether the same words would be place on his Epitaph. The real reversals that happen in the story are with Zeena and Matie. These two cousins would change roles by the end of the novel. Before the smash-up, Zeena was the sickly person that is being tended to by her husband and her cousin Mattie. But in the span of twenty years or so, Zeena would recover from her illness and she would end up to be the one who â€Å"takes care† of Mattie, or at least let her live in the house. Mattie would end up paralyzed after their mishap, or failed suicide attempt about twenty years ago. Now she is the one who needs to be taken care of. Before the smash-up Mattie was a perfectly healthy and beautiful woman, Ethan is not the only one who had eyes for her as evidenced by Eady’s invitations toward her during the opening chapters of the novel. But after the smash-up, she is reduced to be nothing more than a body on an armchair, unable to move with the freedom that she had in the past â€Å"Under her shapeless dress her body kept its limp immobility† (Wharton, 1911, p. 63). The smash-up had caused reversals in the novel, Ethan’s hopes of being with Mattie for the last time is crushed along with Mattie’s spine. Mattie who used to be a healthy and beautiful woman becomes a motionless body. Zeena on the other hand, before the smash-up was a sickly person, but twenty years after the incident, she is revealed to have recovered from her illness. Reference Wharton, E. (1911). Ethan Frome. New York: Scribner’s Publishing.

Difference between Beneficence and Nonmaleficence with Examples Coursework

Difference between Beneficence and Nonmaleficence with Examples - Coursework Example In contrast, the aspect of nonmaleficence signifies refraining physicians to provide ineffective treatments to the patients. The concept of beneficence is recognized as a core value of healthcare ethics. Nevertheless, it is regarded as a principle of delivering proper healthcare services to the patients. Beneficence has the potentiality to provide enough support to the healthcare experts in the context of preventing the patients from any sort of harm. On the other hand, the principle of nonmaleficence is used as guidance for the physicians while treating the patients. At certain times, the beneficial therapy or beneficence can also provide harm to the patients and make them to face serious risks (Hsu, 2011). For instance, a nurse may encourage a patient to quit smoking and start an exercise program, which can be related to beneficence practice. On the other hand, a nurse may also make patients to stop consuming medicines that can be harmful for them in long run. This practice is related to nonmaleficence action (Hsu, 2011).

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Compare and contrast - Essay Example For example, if something sad happen, and then it is going be heart wrenchingly sad. If something is happy, then it is over the top on cloud-nine happy. Whereas American dramas on the other hand, are not melodramatic, the characters seem to have real emotions. For example, if something sad or bad happens, the character seems to run through a day or less of denial, regret and crying. When the situation is happy, then it is just jumping up and down, nothing special like the Korean dramas. People still love watching them, especially the 90’s dramas. Second, the situations the Korean characters go through are not realistic at all. For example, in King of Baking, Kim Takgu the main character Kim Takgu, runs away from his father’s family to strive and find the person who kidnapped his mother, after that he finds a gang member and the gang member told him to get beat in order to find his mother’s location, rather than going to the police officer. He gets distracted by t he secrets of baking. Whereas American dramas tend to be realistic and the topics and situations that could happen to the person next door, the characters may be unique, but if character’s the acting gets ridiculous, then the show does not last very long. For example, in the Ringer the posted girl for the former WB, even Sarah Michelle Gellar could not intrigue the viewers. Third, Korean drama makers, invests so much in following what the fans say. They invest emotionally in the drama. People will watch the drama, go online and discuss it. The Korean drama makers read/re-read the recaps, watch the previews and sometimes if the makers will follow it and that makes such an improvement to the drama. Whereas American drama makers do not seem to have that kind of influence on their viewers. It may be intriguing while it is currently showing, but once it is over or even showing on TV the audience seems to have lost interest or have forgotten the show. Also, the viewers do not seem to have the patience to stay around if the acting is really bad or the story has holes in it. Fourth, Korean dramas will revolve with family issues. For example, pleasing family members/ maintaining family reputation. Even when the main character is trying to solve or doing something there is always family influence. Also, there is this issue of â€Å"what people think of the main character† . Whereas American dramas, they will generally deal with people who are having trouble finding themselves, making their own way in the world and they have the attitude of â€Å" be your own man† kind of attitude. Fifth, Korean characters have this unique innocence and clueless in them. For example know about sex, never been kissed, fighting is horrific, but there are Korean dramas that adhere American aspects whereas American dramas find innocence as ignorance. Lastly, Korean dramas are a bit more corny and cheesy and also in Korean dramas, people are brought to tears and they well say if it's done well â€Å"oh I feel sorry for her†. Whereas In American dramas if a girl was in love, but she is diagnosed with some rare disease, people say â€Å"oh yea, what are the odds?† From American perspective of making dramatic films or TV series, the Korean melodramatic theme may be a flop or just plainly a turn off from their traditional sense of taste of how a drama flick should be. But this traditional perspective is slowly eroding and changing as Korean

Annotated Bibliography on Education Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

On Education - Annotated Bibliography Example The topics of self-esteem, moral development, cultural influences, peer relation, and family influence are all addressed as they pertain to this development of self-concept. Also some of the issues that may arise in any one of these categories are addressed as they may negatively impact this curtail developmental stage in an adolescence life. This book generally covers the psychological view of the stages of development, but it is written from an educational perspective, so they add in many relevant topics and solutions to aid educators in their pursuit of knowledge and growth. This source is very useful in giving a more clinical approach to the study of adolescent behavior and how outside influences can affect or alter psychological development. This source is very comparable to the other sources listed in that it comes from an educational point of view. However, it does have a slightly less emotional, more factual approach, which could prove useful in crediting my essay. I feel the information written in this book is very reliable, and all facts, concepts written are based on credited, sited works. I also do not feel that this source is biased. It is a source based on information, not emotion. The goal of this source is to inform the reader of the different stages of development. Laura E. Berk, is a distinguished professor of psychology at Illinois State University, where she teaches human development to both undergraduate and graduate students. She has a doctoral degree in early childhood development and education. from the University of Chicago. This bo ok was very helpful in aiding me in my search for information on how issues such as community, prejudices, and cultural acceptance affects the youth of our society. It helped to shape my argument by giving me factual, relevant information on ways one’s acceptance into society and by peers, especially at this age, can affect the entire well being and person one becomes. I can use the facts given in this source to aid the development of my argument and the credibility of my essay. This source did not change my initial outlook on the topic, it did, however, give me useful information in developing my ideas. Bode, Patty, and Sonia Nieto. Affirming Diversity: The SocioPolitical Context of Multicultural Education. 5th ed. Boston. Allyon & Bacon, Inc., 2008. Print. This books looks at the necessity and benefits of a multicultural education for all students. It is intended for both current and soon to be teachers. It discusses the topics of how personal, social, political, cultural, and educational factors affect whether a student succeeds or fails in the classroom. It uses several case studies to demonstrate how the issues discussed in this book have played out in a real classroom. With the goal of this book being to enlighten the reader on how diversity affects students in today’s classroom I found it very informative for my research topic. Being that this is a reliable source, with an objective based approach, I found it very comparable to the other sources listed in this bibliography. The primary goal of this source was to inform, not persuade the reader on diversity in the classroom. The authors, Patty Bode and Sonia Nieto, are both well known, reputable publishers and active in the educational community. Patty Bode is a director of education at

Common Inspection Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Common Inspection Framework - Essay Example In conclusion and summary I will suggest how this framework has helped improve or consolidate standards within the educational system and what other features could be incorporated within the framework for future improvement of educational standards. In the process I will discuss whether the framework is essentially a hindrance or is an asset to the educational system. Policy- Common Inspection Framework: The Common Inspection Framework has been introduced by the government and department of education to check and improve the quality and standards of education and to provide insights on the educational system in matters related to training and financial resources. Inspection of educational system helps to understand how the system is working and is almost essential for providing regular appraisals of workings and functioning of the system. According to the Common Inspection Framework, the main purposes of inspection are to: (from Common Inspection Framework, ALI and Ofsted, 2001) - give an independent public account of the quality of education and training, the standards achieved and the efficiency with which resources are managed - help bring about improvement by identifying strengths and weaknesses and highlighting good practice - keep the Secretary of State, the Learning and Skills Council for England and the Employment Service informed about the quality and standards of education and training - promote a culture of self-assessment among providers, leading to continuous improvement or maintenance of very high quality and standards. (from Common Inspection Framework, ALI and Ofsted, 2001) The three main purposes of inspection are thus to give an account of... This discussion stresses that the policy and its establishment, the connections of the policy with college education and the brief literature review that should be aimed during the search process for this article are discussed in the introductory stage of the analysis. The policy is then described and the changes made to date as well as the policy as it now stands are considered in the initial part of the discussion showing how the policy differs at present from its original version. The differences within the policy as seen in its earlier version and present version are studied to provide a better understanding of the meaning and influence of all aspects of the policy within education.From this paper it is clear that the three main purposes of inspection are thus to give an account of the quality of education followed, to identify strengths and weaknesses of educational systems and show room for improvement, and to promote self assessment and higher standards within the educational settings. Inspection seem to be generally associated with the results of what has been evaluated and how the findings are presented and also hw inspections are carried out. The key questions delineated by the Common Inspection Framework are the following.  The Common Inspection Framework helps in evaluating how efficient or effective the provisions and related services are in meeting all of learner’s needs and also suggests the steps that have to be taken to improve the learning provisions provided.  

Critical Issues In Police Civil Liability Essay

Critical Issues In Police Civil Liability - Essay Example There are many instances in which the police fail to prevent harm. The movie starts by a man planting a bomb timed to explode at a certain time in a car. There after a man accompanied by a woman (Joi Lansing) enters the car and starts driving ending to American- Mexico border. On there away, drug enforcement officers from the government of Mexico passed the car on foot and they do not take any action. Joi realizes that there is a problem with the car but the drug enforcement officers did not take any action or search the car to notice the bomb. Immediately after crossing the border, the car exploded and killed the occupants. The explosion of a Mexican bomb in America drew attention of Harry Shannon who was the Police Chief, Mike who was interested in investigating the issue and latter Ray Collins (the district attorney) arrived at the scene. A one legged police officer known as Orson Welles also arrived at the scene together with the district attorney. The officers carried out investigation while suspecting Sanchez who happened to be the husband to the daughter of the victim (Joanna). Quinlan and Menzies carried on with the investigation in order to identify the cause of the tragedy. At the end of the movie, Quinlan admitted that he was not genuine but used to plant evidence on people. He admitted the Menzies that the most of the people were innocent but he planted evidence to have them convicted. Quinlan attempts to kill Menzies using the Vargas gun because they had recorded him testifying on the evils which he did instead of doing police work. He manages to shoot Menzies but Menzies shoots him dead be fore shooting Vargas. At the end of the movie it is noted that Quinlan was preventing investigation by protecting the suspects. Latter Quinlan says that Sanchez had accepted the crime. It is noted that Sanchez was the one who planted the bomb to the car but Quinlan being an investigator was protecting him by

Approaches to Cinema - German Expressionism Essay

Approaches to Cinema - German Expressionism - Essay Example The essay "Approaches to Cinema - German Expressionism" investigates German expressionism and films of this style. To begin with, it may be particularly important to engage Metropolis in the discussion. Thus, the beginning of the previous century was a time in history when the human society grew more and more different and stratified. Revolution in the Russian Empire showed that there is a big group of people, the working class, who is in perpetual conflict with the wealthy class that oppresses them. All this was heavily influenced by the view of Karl Marx. The movie Metropolis takes the division between the two classes to a new extreme: on the one hand it, shows people living in paradise who know little about what lays under their city– the true hell on earth. The directors were able to show that the two worlds are dramatically different in every aspect: space, light, action and many others. This might be interpreted as a fear of the ultimate stratification of classes. Anothe r popular concern in Germany in the beginning of the twentieth century focused on the possibility that machines might take up the place of man. Metropolis highlights this theme very distinctly: it is shown that a man can invent a machine and cover it with human form and no one will be able to tell the difference. In spite of the fact that the process of copying the appearance is not properly explained in the money and looks to fantastic, the outcome is more than realistic: people listen to the robotic Maria and choose her as a leader.

Social Media Individual Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Social Media Individual Assignment - Essay Example These regulations could also be functional to social networks. The following are a list of guidelines firms can use to check social network usage in the office. 1) Competence: notify employees that they must not utilize any social media instrument unless they actually comprehend how it operates. 2) Purpose: remind workers that corporation communications and information system technology are created and purposed for work, not for individual use (Bennett 1-2). 3) Integrity: remind workers that the corporation expects moral and honest behavior from its entire staff, at all times. 4) Appropriate Content: remind workers that any digital communications and social media activities for job-associated purposes must uphold and reflect on the companys values for professionalism. 5) Confidential Information: state clearly those employees must conform to all company rules covering secret information and business secrets (Bennett 1-2). 6) Links: reprove employees not to give links to the firms int ernal or external websites from their individual social networking pages. 7) Endorsements: notify workers that posting statements concerning the companys products and services may be regarded promotion and should be authorized by firm’s officials. 8) Time: company must restrict time employees use social media network so as not to interfere with their work (Bennett 1-2). Social computing sites are a threat to security. Phishing and malware are grave worries in the customer space, and their threat handled in the corporate space (Ghandi 1-2).   Corporate social media are ideal entry points for these risks. Social media make it easier for individuals to form links, comprehend relationships and influence connections in the company (Ghandi 1-2). Yes, social media network can tarnish a firm’s reputation. Web 2.0 offers tools and chances for employees to disclose sensitive data easily, whether deliberately or not they pose risks to security. These risks

Strategic Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic Marketing - Research Paper Example Before getting into the issue of knowing whether marketing is a constraint on innovation, we should first get to know and evaluate the basic purpose of strategic marketing. So starting with strategic marketing, it is that sort of marketing which the organizations and companies use in order to create such plans for the company which should not only be able to satisfy the customers’ needs and demands but also increase the productivity and profitability of the company. Now here it should be noted that productivity depends on the satisfaction and retention of customers of the company. When the customers will be satisfied from the products of the company, they will work as a source to attract more customers for the company and as a result, the productivity and the profitability of the company will increase. As we know that when we get a customer, we get one customer, but when we loose that customer, we loose a hundred customers. So, such a marketing plan should be implemented which should not only retain old customers but also should be able to attract more customers. All these methods have a significant importance in marketing of a company’s strategic plans. And they have really proved to be successful for various organizations for the purposes of customer retention and increased productivity and profitability. Tybout and Calkins (2005) found that every organization should typically create and develop a well written strategic marketing plan which should be able to promote the innovative products of any organization. Not only that, it should also be able to relate the implementation strategies regarding those plans. Scott (2007) found that innovation helps an organization in achieving dominance in a competitive market and suitable marketing strategy is always a key towards a successful innovation. Shilbury, et al., (2003) found

Plato and Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Plato and Aristotle Essay Plato and Aristotle were two philosophers who made an impact on philosophy as we know it as today. Plato is thought of as the first political philosopher and Aristotle as the first metaphysical philosopher. They were both great intellectuals in regards to being the first of the great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to better life by improving the societies in which they were part of during their lives. The views of Plato and Aristotle look different but they do have some similarities to them. Plato is mostly known for his Theory of Forms and Aristotle is known for his thoughts in universals. Even though they both thought a bit differently they did agree in a few things. Plato and Aristotle not only had an impact on society in the past but today’s society as well. Plato was a teacher to Aristotle and lived during the Peloponnesian War, which lead to the end of the Athenian democracy. He had eyewitness account of Socrates, his mentor, trial and execution. Unhappy with the political corruption that plagued the Athenian democratic government, he removed himself from politics. He strongly felt that neither a moral individual nor a state could be established in a democratic environment. Plato felt that the common man was not intelligent enough to deal with concepts that influence the state such as economics, policies and other relative matters. He thought of philosophers as being the most intelligent among men. He viewed political incumbents in the Athens government basically as bought individuals in office for the good of themselves and not society as a whole. Another danger was that extreme liberties given to the people in the democratic society could potentially lead an anarchy. Aristotle was a student of Plato’s and teacher of Alexander the Great. He created his own school in Athens. He thought of metaphysics to be the first philosophy, which was a large interest to him. Aristotle’s stated that forms were universal. According to Aristotle, notion of Essential properties makes something what it is, and accidental properties are the differences of that item. Aristotle believed the state and the individual are similar and democracy would be the better government. In Book VII of The Republic by Plato, Socrates describes the Allegory of the Cave. It is a metaphor to illustrate the effects of education on the human soul. It can also be understood as what is real and what is believed to be real in life. Eventhough Plato had his ideal city, the forms was really what people could connect with. There is so much one can take from his thoughts on the forms that could be applied to society today. Plato starts out comparing people that are uneducated to prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their head. All they can see is the wall of the cave in front of them. A fire behind them burns bright. Between the fire and the prisoners, there is an area for puppeteers to move around and hold up the puppets to cast shadows on the wall that is in front of the prisoners. This is what the prisoners see every single day. This is all they know; shadows, echoes, the smell of the fire, and darkness. They believe that that shadows are reality. One of the prisoners is allowed to go outside of the cave. Once they reach the outside of the cave, they are blinded by the light because they have not seen such. Once their eyes start to adjust, they start seeing shapes and objects around them. They see that the sun is what creates light and that the tall objects with leaves are trees. They are colorful with moving parts. They go back outside to tell the prisoners, but they are not believed. Those still inside of the cave thinks the person just came in from the outside ill because that is not what they see in the cave, they did not see the outside for themselves, so therefore, it does not exist. So now the person that just came in from the bright sun light cannot see very well in the darkness of the cave, their eyes have not adjusted to the darkness, and people think they are crazy. This is where this view fails for Aristotle because it is not realistic. Aristotle rejects Plato’s Theory of Forms, and makes the way for his realistic approach, which underlines observation first and abstract reasoning second. Being a student of Plato’s, I believe he was indebted to justify at lengths why he disagrees with doctrines of his teacher. He provided detailed arguments against many of Plato’s doctrines, a lot of his major works, focusing in particular on the Theory of Forms. In Aristotle’s critique he thinks this theory is essentially an assertion of the superiority of universals over particulars. Plato argues that particular instances of beauty or justice exists only because they participate in the universal Form of Beauty. Say a there are two objects, one is colorless and the other one is red. The colorless one goes where the red on is located. Since the colorless object and the red object are participating, they areboth red objects. They have a certain nurture and nature. However, Aristotle argues that universal concepts of beauty and justice derive from the instances of beauty and justice in this world. We only arrive at an idea of beauty by observing particular instances of beauty. This universal quality of beauty has no existence beyond this idea that we build from particular instances. He is staying that the particulars come first and the universals come after and therefor, Aristotle places emphasis on the importance of observing the details of this world. Which leads me to understand his thoughts on happiness a little more. With putting the weight on observing happiness can measured by a person’s life. Aristotle lays out in Book X in the Nicomachean Ethic’s, the continuation of his thoughts on pleasure, happiness and the end of life, and ethics and politics. His view on happiness and the end of human life really made me question his way of thinking. Aristotle suggests that happiness is the final end of life because nothing is greater than happiness or the good life and it goes against his universal theory. Aristotle proposes that happiness, or the good life, is taken to be a most final end. â€Å"We said, then, that happiness is not a characteristic, for in that case it could be present even to someone asleep thought his life, living the life of plants, and to someone undergoing the greatest misfortunes. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1176a-1176b). The good life for humans is the life of choosing to life the life according to the virtues. â€Å"For we choose everything, so to speak, for the sake of something else-except happiness, for it is the end. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1176b). Also, it seems that only humans can be happy because the happiness is an important nature of every individual human and it is unique to humans in that the function of humans is what distinguishes them from other kinds of things. Happiness is a self-sufficient activity desirable for its own sake. One seeks nothing from happiness beyond the actual experience or performance of it as an activity. Activities that are desirable in themselves are activities in conformity with virtue and indicates that the greatest happiness must be activity in conformity with the highest virtue. It is wrong to confuse happiness with various kinds of amusements involving bodily pleasures, as many people do. Such amusements are neither virtuous nor ends in themselves,but are merely relaxing diversions in which one occasionally engages for the sake of future activity. The greatest happiness is activity in conformity with the highest virtue is excellence. Intelligence is mans highest possession and the objects of intelligence are the highest objects within his grasp. It is clear that the life of contemplation and theoretical wisdom must be the greatest of human virtues and the highest form of happiness. The objects of the contemplative life are the unchangeable and eternal verities that underlie and govern the universe. From contemplation of these truths the soul derives a feeling of purity and stability. â€Å"Further, this active is most continuous, for we are more able to contemplate continuously than we are to do anything else whatever. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1177a). Also, the wise person is able to contemplate by himself, the wiser he is the more adept he will be doing so. Contemplative happiness is not dependent on other men. It is the form of life in which human beings come most nearly to being divine, the life that harmonizes with intellect, and that life seems to be the happiest, according to Aristotle. There is another kind of happiness, based on moral virtue and practical wisdom, which is concerned with feelings that spring from mans bodily nature. It can be defined as the harmonious coordination of all parts of mans complete being. This kind of happiness is not as exalted as the contemplative, but it helps prepare us for the higher happiness and, since man is not all mind and reason, gives us something to fall back upon when we are unable to remain continuously at the higher level. â€Å"For if there is a certain care for human things on the part of gods, as in fact there is held to be, it would be also reasonable for gods to delight in what is best and most akin to them – this would be the intellect – and to benefit in return those who cherish this above all and honor it, on the grounds that these latter are caring for what is dear to gods as well as acting correctly and nobly. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1179a). This person is the happiest and a wise person would be extremely happy. I believe this idea has some hints of Plato’s forms. The one person who went outside of the cave and saw it all was brought down by all the people in the cave that didn’t see the outside. Aristotle states that you cannot be happy with a lot of friends because they are not true friends. I believe those excess friendships would be a similar situation in the cave. They would not bring your happiness, only suffering. Aristotle and Plato have similaritiesin their city states as well. Plato gives a place to women, but Aristotle does not seem to care for women. When reading Plato, the texts are in Socrates’s voice. It makes it hard to connect what he is saying, especially in the Republic since it is a play. Also, one cannot tell if Socrates, Plato, is being serious or straightforward or if it’s Socrates’s thoughts or Plato’s. In Nicomachean Ethics, the text is Aristotle’s lecture notes and he is the author of them. While reading, it seems that Plato comes out and gives his opinion on matters, but Aristotle presents them, but does not come out and say what his thoughts are. Plato and Aristotle were two philosophers who made a huge impact on philosophy. They were both great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to better life by improving the societies in which they were part of during their lives. Although they are thought to have completely different views, when laid out, their views have some similarities.

Proposal for Obesity Management Programme

Proposal for Obesity Management Programme OBESITY PROGRAMEE: â€Å"FITNESS FOR FULFILMENT† Kathiravan Pillay Kumar Abstract The world has seen a rise in the issue of obesity and its effects on the biological, psychological and social wellbeing of individuals. This proposal reviews literature in relation to the causes as well as effects on obesity specifically targeted at children between the ages of 6 – 18 years old and evaluates current programs in place to curb the rise in obesity. Programs from both the United States as well as Singapore are used to analyse the western and Asian perspectives on tackling the issue of obesity. The proposed program would be aimed at reducing social stigma and increasing self-esteem that past or current programs do not address. The program will be made up of three phases which include implementation, motivation and feedback as well as evaluation of the entire program’s effectiveness. Feasibility and efficacy of instilling the program are also discussed. Introduction and Review on Obesity Obesity has been an issue present through various generations and is one faced by many nations worldwide. Recent years has seen a rise in the levels of obesity especially in western nations but is currently seen to be a growing issue even in Asian nations (Ramachandran Snehalatha, 2010). Based on recent findings by Ogden, Carroll, Kit and Flegal (2014) an estimated two third of the adult population in the United States are overweight or obese with about one third of school going children also falling under this category. A growing trend is also seen in Asia where findings in Singapore indicate that approximately one in nine Singaporean adults between the age ranges of 18 to 69 were considered to be obese in 2010 with obesity rates said to be increasing at an estimated 1 percent per year (â€Å"One in nine Singaporean†, 2014). Multiple factors have been suggested as causes to obesity, often focusing on mainly physical and psychological factors. General physical causes of obesity are often due to genetic factors that cause abnormalities in fat cell metabolism and metabolic defects or simply having a sedentary lifestyle (Bray, York DeLany, 1992). There are also various psychological conditions or disorders that have been suggested to lead to obesity however depression is considered to be the main cause of it as evidenced in Blaine’s (2008) study which indicated that individuals who were depressed were proven to be at significantly higher risk of becoming obese. Obesity is also often comorbid with depression and other eating disorders Blaine’s (2008). The key area of concern especially in recent times would be the effects of obesity on the individual as well as society as a whole. Numerous studies have been done to show the physical and psychological effects that obesity has on an individual. Physical aspects often include the risk of contracting illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes (Sturm, 2002). Psychological effects tend to focus on an individual’s body dissatisfaction and self-image (Wardle Cooke, 2005) as well as well as psychosocial effects such as negative experiences through weight bias at home, in school, at work, through the media and even health and fitness areas (Amianto, Lavagnino, Abbate-Daga Fassino, 2011). Evaluation on Obesity Related Programmes Over the years there have been many programs put into place by governments and private agencies around the world that have been aimed to curb obesity. One key program introduced in the United States was the HEROES Initiative which targets tackling issues on childhood obesity (King et. al, 2014). The HEROES Initiative is a grant-funded intervention that targets schools to play a vital role in educating youth in obesity related behaviours (King et. al, 2014). The key aims of this this initiative would be to take a comprehensive school health approach that decreases childhood obesity that in turn promotes healthy lifestyle habits among students as well as their families and also the school staff (King et. al, 2014). Key features that make the intervention unique would be that it offers a supportive means for participating schools by providing regular oversight, significant funding and various implementation strategies that are catered to a particular needs for certain schools depending on the district and neighbourhood that they are located in (King et. al, 2014). This initiative also enables schools to have a sense of ownership over assessing the needs of their students and in turn coming out with a plan to implement certain strategies for changes in the school’s health programs (King et. al, 2014). The key feature in maintaining the effectiveness of this program would be the strong emphasis on an annual cycle of evaluation and assessment on opportunities in enhancing the program to cater to the needs of the students which turn increases the intervention’s efficacy (King et. al, 2014). The evaluation process was broken down into 3 main areas. The process evaluation stage, school level outcome evaluation and student level outcome evaluation (King et. al, 2014). The process evaluation stage is carried out by site visits to schools to view their administrative processes in carrying out health promotion as well as inspection of the school’s general environment and conducting interviews with the staff to determine challenging areas (King et. al, 2014). Feedback on information obtained is given to the staff as a means to address these issues (King et. al, 2014). In the school level outcome evaluation, assessments are made to the systemic changes in promoting healthy behaviour and reducing obesity rates in the students. The school level outcome evaluation is based on domains relating to physical education/activity, nutrition education, food service, staff wellness, as well as family and community involvement (King et. al, 2014). The student level outcome evaluation , focuses on understanding the changes in behaviour and knowledge in relation to obesity and its effects (King et. al, 2014). This done through weight measurements as well as surveys and quizzes to identify student’s knowledge about obesity (King et. al, 2014). With regard to the effectiveness of this initiative, evaluation between the periods of 2011-2012 showed a significant amount of variability between schools. Based on results obtained from the process and school level evaluation outcomes, it was found that the school’s processes were well implemented however some schools found difficulties in coming up with new or improved health and wellness related policies (King et. al, 2014). Based on the student level outcome evaluation it was found that small but significant changes were made in terms of behaviour and mindset of the students (King et. al, 2014). Students were also more engaged in rigorous physical activities in comparison to the baseline from first 18 months of the intervention (King et. al, 2014). However a set back to the intervention was that changes to behaviour were mostly found in overweight students rather than students who were already obese. In relation to the Asian context, there have been various health related programs and promotions carried out in Singapore. The Singapore health promotion board has come up with various programs and initiatives to promote healthy lifestyle practices to prevent conditions such as obesity. Programs such as the 1 million kg challenge, aims to encourage individuals to lose weight by allowing them to set a weight loss target then setting a period for them to lose this weight. If individuals are able to lose the amount of weight within the given time frame they are rewarded with certain incentives and prizes (â€Å"1 million kg challenge†, 2014). In relation to health promotion in schools, a key program that was introduced in the early 90s was the National Physical Fitness Award Test (NAPFA) and the TAF (Trim and Fit) scheme which aimed to increase physical activity and reduce the weight of overweight and obese students in both the primary and secondary levels of education (Gupta et. al, 2010). The TAF program basically tasked students with physical activities before and after the school day (Gupta et. al, 2010). The initiative was a success in the 90s with obesity levels dropping between 10-17% in students (Gupta et. al, 2010). Success of the TAF scheme would later bring about a collaboration between the Singapore Health Promotion Board and the World Health Organisation to introduce a HPB-MOE bi-annual award aimed at targeting the healthy development of students and awarding schools for good health practices (Gupta et. al, 2010). Challenges faced in the TAF program as well as similar programs introduced in Korea as mentioned by Shin and Shin (2008) was that such programs bring about a sort of negative stigma to students involved. Student then tend to become highly self-conscious and develop body dissatisfaction which in turn effects their self-esteem (Shin Shin, 2008). This is often the result of segregation from their peers due to their weight and appearance and this segregation is further contributed by schools who single out overweight or obese individuals to be part of such programs (Shin Shin, 2008). This effect could in turn lead to depression which has been established as a cause for obesity and would hence defeat the whole purpose of having such health promotion programs. Proposed Health Program Having identified the causes and effects of obesity as well as certain health programs available both on the western and Asian context along with their strengths and weaknesses, an alternative health program could be developed. Through analysing the health programs available in both the United States and Singapore, a program catering specifically to the needs of students between the ages of 6 – 18 year olds could be proposed. The program will be entitled the â€Å"Fitness for Fulfilment Programme† (FFFP) catered specifically in the Singaporean context. The program is also given a name that does not infer or refer to obesity so as to prevent any form of social stigma relating to obesity. The main goals of the program would be to reduce the weight of overweight and obese students but to do so in a manner that will not cause stigmatization or embarrassment. The program would also further aim to instil a healthy mindset in these students and encourage them to maintain healt hy behaviour well into adulthood. The FFFP will mainly be broken down into three key phases. The first phase will be the implementation phase which will introduce rigorous exercise specifically catered to losing weight for obese children. These exercises will be done during school hours as part of an enhanced physical education program and these obese students will carry out their activities together with other students so as to limit any sense of being ostracised. The enhanced physical education program will target the specific needs of each student be it normal weight students or overweight or obese students by focusing on their weak physical areas that are limiting them from passing or getting a good grade on their NAPFA test. The fitness program will be one that gradually increases in rigorousness so as to allow the students time to condition themselves to its requirements. Another key feature of the implementation phase would be the enforcement of strict diet practices during the school day. Since schools are al ready given guidelines by the Health Promotion Board on the type of food to be served, there must be a form of enforcement that ensures that students are getting the appropriate meals. Therefore there should be two to three staff on canteen duty to ensure that proper meals are being served to the students and that obese children are getting sufficient food but maintained at healthy levels. The second phase of the FFFP would the feedback and motivation phase. This would be a key feature of the program as it caters to the psychological well-being of the students involved. This phase will be implemented during the first and last session of the enhanced physical education program. During these sessions, time will be set aside for instructors to carry out one on one interviews or feedback sessions with the students which will aim to understand the challenges that they face with physical exercise as well as issues they have with motivating themselves to indulge in physical exercise. With knowledge of the challenges that individual students face, instructors can cater their physical education session to better accommodate to both the strengths and the weaknesses of the students. This will facilitate a more positive outlook in carrying out physical exercise and encourage students to put in a greater effort and hence may lead better physical results and lower obesity levels. An other aspect of this phase would be educating other students in the challenges that overweight and obese students. Students will be taught to encourage and motivate rather than stigmatize or humiliate their overweight or obese peers. The final phase of this program will be the evaluation phase. Ideally a review council should be formed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program at national level. This phase will be similar to the HEROES initiative evaluation process used in the United States, but will comprise of two instead of three key parts of the evaluation process of the effectiveness of the program. The process and school level evaluation will be combined into one. This part of the evaluation process will seek to understand the challenges that the staff have with the FFFP through means of interviews as well as on site assessments of the program in action. Availability of proper equipment and exercise facilities in the school will be key points at this level of evaluation. The next part of the evaluation will be at the student level, the review council will assess data relating to changes in weight as well as NAPFA standards and also find out the level of knowledge that students have with regard to healthy behaviour through surveys and quizzes which can be done through the internet. The evaluation process should be done annually and aim to identify problem areas so that newer and improved implementation could be introduced in the following years. The feasibility and efficacy of the FFFP would depend on the amount support through funding from private agencies or the government as well as having instructors who are trained in not only physical aspects of exercise and healthy lifestyle but also with the psychological capability to deal and understand the needs and challenges for individual students to overcome obesity. References Amianto, F., Lavagnino, L., Abbate-Daga, G., Fassino, S. (2011). The forgotten psychosocial dimension of the obesity epidemic.The Lancet, 378(9805), e8 Blaine, B. (2008). Does depression cause obesity? A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies of depression and weight control.Journal of health psychology,13(8), 1190-1197. Bray, G. A., York, B., DeLany, J. (1992). A survey of the opinions of obesity experts on the causes and treatment of obesity.The American journal of clinical nutrition,55(1 Suppl), 151S-154S. Gupta, N., Chin, M. K., Yang, J., Balasekaran, G., Chia, M., Girandola, R. N., Mok, M. M. C. (2010). Obesity prevention in Singapore: Collaborative efforts among government, health professionals and the community. King, M. H., Lederer, A. M., Sovinski, D., Knoblock, H. M., Meade, R. K., Seo, D. C., Kim, N. (2014). Implementation and Evaluation of the HEROES Initiative A Tri-State Coordinated School Health Program to Reduce Childhood Obesity.Health promotion practice,15(3), 395-405. Ogden C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B.K., Flegal K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012.Journal of the American Medical Association,311(8), 806-814. One in nine Singaporean adults were obese in 2010: Survey (2014, January 17).Today.Retrieved from http://www.todayonline.com/daily-focus/health/one-nine- singaporean-adults-were-obese-2010-survey One million kg challenge. (2014). Retrieved August 21, 2014, from http://www.hpb.gov.sg/ References Ramachandran, A., Snehalatha, C. (2010). Rising burden of obesity in Asia.Journal of obesity,2010. Shin, N. Y., Shin, M. S. (2008). Body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, and depression in obese Korean children.The Journal of pediatrics,152(4), 502-506 Sturm, R. (2002). The effects of obesity, smoking, and drinking on medical problems and costs.Health Affairs,21(2), 245-253. Wardle, J., Cooke, L. (2005). The impact of obesity on psychological well-being.Best Practice Research Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism,19(3), 421-440.

Integration of Technology in Higher Education

Integration of Technology in Higher Education Abstract The potentials of mobile phone technology are huge and it has opened possibilities and avenues for enhancing knowledge sharing activities among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs). However, it was found that there was lack of academic research on the use of mobile phone technologies for knowledge sharing purposes in IHLs. In IHLs, technologies of mobile phones such as cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs provided with interesting features like camera, video, memory, player of MP3, internet approach and finally, presence in a device, by allowing study anywhere, anytime. This paper aimed to understand academics general attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to explore the academics perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to determine academics perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to understand academics behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to identify how will mobile phone technologi es change the work situation of academics, and to identify the possible services that, in their opinion, can improve mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. The overall findings revealed that there were at least four factors could lead to the adoption of mobile phone technology among academics in an Institution of Higher Learning. These factors were; attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology, perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology, perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology, and behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology. Keywords: Mobile Phone Technology, Institutions of Higher Learning, Academics 1.0 Introduction In recent years, information technology (IT) usage in universities and colleges is broadly increasing for the purposes of enhancing the administration and teaching and learning efficiencies. As the population of campuses raises, so does the improvement of technologies. In Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs), technologies of mobile phones such as cell phones, smart phones, PDAs and telephone provided with interesting features like camera, video, memory, player of MP3, internet approach and finally, presence in a device, by allowing study anywhere, anytime (Wilen-Daugenti, 2007). Junior et al. (2008) defined mobile technologies as mobile technologies are exactly what its name refers, i.e., portable technology that can be moved from one place to another without any loss. There are several advantages of mobile technologies. Few of them are the independence in learning at anywhere and anytime, faster and convenient communication as well as rapid access to variety of different sources. Moreover, the ability to conduct impossible experiments in authentic way is truly pleasant. It is safe to experiment with them because the error will only affect in simulation environment (Smidts et al., 2008). According to Naismith et al. (2005), â€Å"mobile technologies are becoming more embedded, ubiquitous and networked, with enhanced capabilities for rich social interactions, context awareness and internet connectivity† (p.6). Additionally, Anderson and Rainie (2008) concluded that the mobile phone technologies will be the most fundamental and compulsory connection device to the internet for everyone in 2020. 2.0 Mobile Phone Technologies in IHLs Academics find mobile phone technologies as their big savior when comes to managing the working tasks. Plenty of important features such as address books, devices of storage of file, cameras, recorder of video and internet added to the working flexibility in IHLs. Todays mobile phones are as influential as computers. According to Nokia (2007), â€Å"Its what computers have become†. Its increase to ubiquity is explained as a †¦stealthy but rapid shift from a telephony device towards a portable, personal media hub that enables an increasing range of personalized and customized communication, entertainment, relationship management and service functions. Its reach is pervasively global and trans-cultural, possibly more so than any other media form including the internet and World Wide Web (Cameron, 2006). Nowadays, it is impossible to resist mobile phone. Each and every aspects of life demand the importance of mobile device. As the international barriers are getting smaller due to globalization, the need of communication is inevitable. Consequently, mobile phone is becoming more and more compulsory and necessary to have. All walks of life celebrate the use of mobile phone technologies, so does the academics. Undeniably, there are myriad of activities for both academics and students provided by mobile phone technologies such as; uploading and downloading of songs, movies and videos to cell phone, MP3 player, iPod, sending and receiving e-mails, instant messages (IMs), short text messages (SMS), transferring files, photos or other data , interactive games, searching for information or services on the web, making video calls, personal organizer (e.g. diary, address book), in-class surveys/questions, in-class media sharing, attendance monitor, distant privileges of library, peer locator, free or inexpensive VoIP phone as well as notification of the security. Academics who have experienced dealing with mobile technologies in working possess several reasons to continue using them. Firstly, to be able to communicate with other people, to seek information, to take pictures and create clips and sharing with others is what most people have become used to (Smidts et al., 2008). The following studies have examined some of the activities of the mobile phone in the IHLs. Corbeil and Valdes-Corbeil (2007) have explored mobile phone activities engaged in by academics and students in their study. According to their findings, these technologies can be applied in many activities such as: uploading and downloading songs/movies/video clips, sending and receiving e-mail, Instant Messages (IMs), Short Text Messages (SMS), transferring files, photos or other data playing the interactive games, transferring photos or other data, downloading Podcasts of appropriate instructive material along with audio and video lectures, reading e-books, reconsidering coursework and getting ready in exams, showing their jobs and sharing plan results, providing visual, adding a microphone to their mobile to capture material for educational use, using an MP3 player to download and listen to Podcasts and audio lectures, and reconsidering the material of courses and studying for exams, audio books and, with some devices as well as the most widely used nowadays which is recording le ctures. Furthermore, findings from studies conducted by Whilst Kennedy et al. (2008a) and Kennedy et al. (2008b), mobile phone technologies allowed users to conduct 9 activities in Institutions of Higher learning as the following: To send pictures or movies to colleagues. To use mobile phone as MP3 player. To access information or services on the web. To make video calls. To take digital photos or movies. To send or receive email. To use mobile phone as a personal organizer (e.g. diary, address book). To send or receive SMS to colleagues. To call the colleagues or others. Besides, according to studies done by Wilen-Daugenti and McKee (2008), mobile phone technologies could be used for many applications for academics and students in both inside and outside the IHLs as example field below; In-Class Surveys/Questions: Students may submit the answers to questions or surveys given by an academic through their mobile phones. In-Class Media Sharing: During lectures, students are able to share interesting pictures or videos to their friends by emailing the files to the lecture halls projector. Attendance Monitor: An academic may demand students to do a virtual â€Å"roll call† by transmitting a message from their mobile phones. Course Materials: During lecture, an academic can directly send the course materials to students phones. Remote Library Privileges: The private privileges of library are also granted to students who can use their mobile phones to search articles without need to use a proxy server  · Peer Locator: Based on networks accuracy, peers may be alerted when their contacts are close by the mobile phones.  · Free or Inexpensive VoIP Calling: Universities may offer cheaper international or local calls made within the campus for students who might really need to do so. Position System: By sharing information contextual about the users actual place, mobile phone serves as a guide of virtual turn which assists the presence of students around the campus. Notification of the Security / Emergency: Depending on the users location, a warning notice is sent immediately to every mobile phone via email and voicemail, by informing the best way to leave the campus or a particular building in case of emergency. Moreover, a study carried out by Duke University (2005) has outlined the major categories of mobile devices employment by the academics as follows: The Instrument of Broadcasting of Lesson Contents- Mobile phone provides access to lessons content such as lectures, songs, historical speeches, conferences and meetings. Tool of Classroom Recording mobile phone can be used as a tool to capture lectures, class discussions and feedbacks. Tool of Supporting Study mobile phone allows academics for repetition of commercial and original audio content, such as music and audio books. Transfer and File Storage mobile phone is able to transfer or backup all sorts of files. Digital Portal: Both academics and students may no longer depend on physical materials. Flexible Location mobile phone provides accessing of digital materials at anywhere and anytime which also contributes to a decreased dependency of library. Digital Recording mobile phone allows convenient digital recording of interviews, field notes, small group discussions and oral assignments. Convenient Tool mobile phone makes students engagement in class discussions, labs, field research, and independent plans much easier.  · Improved Support for Personality Knowledge Preferences and Needs In addition, Duke University (2008) has widened their outlines as follows: Text Messaging: University may send text messages to students to notify them about examination dates for instance. Flexible, Delivery of Mobile Content: students are able to access classes by using their mobile phones in distance learning. Practice Exercises for Study and Review: students may be able to review the materials or quizzes created by the academics in anytime and anywhere. Mobile Creation and Media Publication: students could use their mobile phones to capture images or videos and share them with the entire world by uploading them directly into the Internet. Social Learning in Mobile Network: Facebook, Friendster, and other social networking tools allow users to share their life updates. Students get to interact with the members of a study group across the world.  · Gaming and Simulations: mobile phone is equipped with a feature to keep the academics and students in the games of simulation. Use of Mobile Phone Technologies in the Classroom: students can select answers out of multiple choice questions created by the academics in the classroom. Subsequently, Abilene Christian University (2008) pointed out that mobile phone technologies possess many interesting benefits and have become a standard tool in IHLs. Some of the benefits are summarized as follows: Digital Syllabus: dynamic changes of an individual, the activities of a student or status are allowed Clicker: real-time dynamic class polling or free-form answers are allowed Classroom Communicator: an improved flexibility in classes content and release is allowed Document Reader: an e-Book Internet Communicator: the aggregation of content on the sites of class is facilitated Alert System: a receiving automated information of courses Notes Taker: recording aggregation device for audio recordings is allowed Location Reporter: a college grounds map with active location is reported when needed Attendance Tool: dynamic comment about a users position anywhere anytime is given Business Purposes: wireless communication for bill paying, ticket-buying and bookstore buying or any business related matters are enabled Registrars Office Extension: easy course employment, communication with academic records, and dynamic scoring access are made easier Besides, benefits proposed by Cisco (2008) of a mobile system solution for colleges and universities are as follows: a) easy and convenient communication between academics and students, b) a study is developed beyond a class, by becoming more in collaboration, interactive and dynamic, c) both parties may seek new opportunities to connect resources and training, and d) academics can use context of a study based on interactive mode in managing the approach for students daily. Additionally, by using mobile phone technologies, Lefoe and Olney (2007) and Lefoe et al. (2008) reconsidered academics activities by in IHLs as follows: a) making interview with visiting speakers and return it back to the speaker for editing, d) audio comments, c) setting up mobile phone as database for others to use, d) recording interviews for re-evaluating of issues, e) collecting of thoughtful obviousness of the own teaching of academician to plan for future teaching, f) preparing and carrying the necessary articles needed, g) tutorial roles, h) easier sharing of information to students. Apart from that, Nie (2006) pointed out the potential use of mobile technologies in IHLs as follows: Recorder: students may record their works, interviews, presentations and lectures. Audio: students get to listen to genuine audio materials such as interview, audio book, music, speech and vocabulary. Multimedia: students can access multimedia materials such as film, picture, snap, visual vocabulary etc. Pre-class Resources: academics can create pre-class listening resources containing academic news, review of papers and journal articles, week activities, comments on assignment, etc. Podcasting: allows students to share their own ideas with others. Moreover, Jocelyn et al. (2008) condemned that mobile phone technologies possess many interesting benefits in IHLs as follows: a) academics can access the internet in any time and at any where, b) PDAs enable flexible and timely access to e-learning resources which would lead to empowerment and effective learning, c) academics are enabled to access training resources any time, anywhere, d) academics may hold question and answer sessions via conferences, seminars, workshops, and e) both academics and students can get a real opportunity to make a link between field and college. Finally, BlackBerry (2006) concluded that there are potential benefits of providing mobile access to few applications used by the colleges different departments such as: a) academics may stay in touch and schedule appointments on-the-road, b) healthy data security and remote device management, c) very useful for emergency communications during university trips and d) remote network maintenance via web interface. 3.0 Mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs The literature evidenced that mobile phone technologies playing important role in Institutions of Higher Learning. Mobile technologies have opened the door to possibilities and avenues for knowledge sharing by providing a new platform via wireless communication or other ICT applications. Mobile technology may enhance academics functionalities in Institutions of Higher Learning by supporting Externalization and Combination activities. Subsequently, mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning could be demonstrated as follows: Academics can send and receive short text messages (SMS) from each other. The great advantage of using SMS is that it offers just-in-time information Academics can send and receive instant messages (IMs) from each other. Mobile phone offers a way to send instant messages at a much lower cost than traditional SMS messaging. Messages are sent and received by the use of the Internet means that the cost of messages depends only on the quantity of data sent Academics can send and receive e-mail from each other. Mobile phone offers a way to send to receive emails E-mails are sent and received by the use of the Internet means that the cost of mail depends only on the quantity of data sent Academics can share administrative information with colleague. Mobile phone technologies enhance communications among academics on campus. Through mobile devices, academics can receive administrative information such as announcements and urgent messages from faculty or university Academics can share and listen to Podcasts/audio books with colleague Academics can share downloads and view streaming movies/video clips Mobile phone technology can be used as peer locators, alerting academics when their contacts are nearby. Mobile phone technology represents a classroom communicator that enables increased flexibility in course content and delivery among academics. Academics can create pre-class listening resources containing academic news, review of papers and journal articles, week activities, comments on assignment, etc Academics can create memos which can be sent to colleague from mobile or saved onto his/her office computer Academics have ability to read work related documents via PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Office files Academics can record conferences, seminars, workshops, symposiums , interviews, lectures and sent it to his/her colleague through mobile device Academics can share e-books, journals, or other academic materials Academics can publish e-books and e-papers University can set up mobile phone technologies as database for academics to download documents, applications and university roles Academics can share with colleagues research findings Academics can use the micro web browser for conducting quick research online Academics can stay connected to social networking sites in mobile environment Academics can use a mobile phone technology to send pictures or movies to each other. Mobile technology provides an opportunity for the new generation of people with better communication and activities without taking into account the place and time. This section has outlined the potential use of mobile phone technologies among academics in IHLs. The benefits of mobile phone technologies have been broadly discussed in general. Additionally, this section has evidenced most studies related to the benefits of mobile phones usage among students. Ultimately, this section shows that there are a few studies to examine the benefits of the mobile phone technologies among academics. Despite the advantages of mobile phone technology are clear, only a small number of Institutions of Higher Learning are equipped with integrated mobile phone technologies in their environments (Joan John, 2007; Kim et al., 2006; New Media Consortium, 2007). Figueira (2007) pointed that as of August 2007, however, there are no universities or degree awarding programs with a website designed for downloading on a mobile device (p.1). Sufficient technological means to access mobile devices are not widely used by the academics in Institutions of Higher Learning (Junior et al., 2008). In 2007, Peters conducted a research to 29 manufacturers of mobile devices, businesses and education suppliers and found that mobile phone technologies are in general used in some commercial organizations, but found limited adoption for Institutions of higher learning use. The purpose of this study is to understand academics general attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to explore the academics perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to determine academics perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to understand academics behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to identify how will mobile phone technologies change the work situation of academics, and to identify the possible services that, in their opinion, can improve mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. 4.0 Research Methodology Both primary and secondary data were collected for this research. The primary data was collected by distributing questionnaires to the academics in University Utara Malaysia (UUM). UUM is a public Institution of Higher Learning located n the northern region of Malaysia. The sample of this study was the academics that come from Public Institution of Higher Learning (PIHL). Those academics are different in terms of their academic designation: Tutor, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Professor. A total of 290 questionnaires were distributed to all academics in UUM. The sampling was based on convenience and 153 participants successfully responded, giving a response rate of 52.7 %. The analysis of the survey results is presented based on a valid response of 153 academics of University Utara Malaysia. Data collection for this study was undertaken during the month of May 2009. In gathering information pertaining to the study; a questionnaire was used as the main instrument for data collection in this study. a questionnaire was prepared divided into seven sections as follows: Section 1 was not containing any personally identifiable questions. The demographic and background variables used in this study are gender, status, age, designation, availability of devices, period of time in using device, academics opinion about devices price, academics opinion about devices, usefulness and effectiveness role in the work, connecting to internet through device, and academics preferences for mobile phone functions. This section was adapted from Avenoglu (2005) and Trifonova (2006). Section 2: contains questions that targeted at attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology in Institutions of Higher Leaning. The respondents were given a list of six items to assess their opinions and attitu des to use mobile phone technology. Questions were adapted from Kurnia et al. (2008) and Avenoglu (2005). Section 3: contains questions concerning the perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology. Five items were used to measure the respondents perception toward the usefulness to use mobile phone technology. Questions were adapted from Kurnia et al. (2008) and Trifonova (2006). Section 4: contains questions that targeted at the perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology. Three items were used to measure the respondents perception that used mobile phone technology and found it easy to use. Questions were adapted from Kurnia et al. (2008) and Trifonova (2006). Section 5: contains questions about behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology in Institutions of Higher Leaning. Four items were used to measure behavioral intention of the respondents towards using of mobile phone technology. Questions were adapted form Kurnia et al. (2008). Section 6: contains questions that are related to how can mobile phone technology change the work situation of academics in Institutions of Higher Leaning. Ten items were used to measure the respondents opinions about how can mobile phone technology increases the flexibility and the ability to work on the move. Questions were adapted form Dye et al. (2003). Section 7: contains statements that targeted to mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning. The respondents were given a list of eighteen statements to assess their opinions and potential use of mobile phone technology for knowledge sharing among academics in Institution of Higher Learning. All Questions in this section were chosen from the interview with academics. A five point Likert scale type was used in this study and the academics were required to state the extent to which statements in their point of view were important or not important for them as academics. The Scale was (SD= Strongly Disagree, D = Disagree, N = Neutral, A = Agree, and SA = Strongly Agree). In this study, the questionnaire was pilot tested with 30 UUM academic staff. The table 1 shows the Cronbachs alpha coefficient for section 2, section 3, section 4, section 5, section 6 and section 7. Table 1: Reliability Cronbachs Alpha (ÃŽ ±) for Questionnaires Six Sections The Item Cronbachs Alpha (ÃŽ ±) Reliability Results Section 2 0.891 Good Section 3 0.840 Good Section 4 0.820 Good Section 5 0.805 Good Section 6 0.894 Good Section 7 0.883 Good 5.0 Data Analysis and Results 5.1 Respondents Profile and Background Information Based on the demographics and other personal background information obtained, out of 153 respondents 61.0 % were females. The most of the respondents were married 74 %. 36.4 % of the respondents were 41 to 50 years old and 30.5 % were 31 to 40 years old. Most of the respondents were Lecturers position 39.0 %, following by Senior Lecturers 26.0 %, Tutor 18.2 %, and Associate Professor 16.9 %. Table 2 below gives respondents demographic profile: Table 2: Respondents Demographic Profile Respondents Profile Classification Frequency % Gender Male 60 39 Female 94 61 Status Married 114 74 Unmarried 40 26 Age 20-30 33 21.4 31-40 47 30.5 41-50 56 36.4 Above 50 18 11.7 Designation Tutor 28 18.2 Lecturer 60 39.0 Senior Lecturer 40 26.0 Associate Professor 26 16.9 5.1.2 Availability of Devices The study (refer to 1) shows that 98 % of academics had Cell phone, 36 % PDA, 10 % Smart phone, and 2 % Pocket PC. The study also shows that there were more that 40 % of academics had more that one device, for instance, 33 % of academics had Cell phone and PDA device, 9 % of academics had Cell phone and Smart phone, and 3 % of academics had Cell phone, Smart phone and PDA in one time. 5.1.3 Period in Using Device The study (refer to 2) shows that 50.6 % of academics had Cell phone for more than 8 years, 30 % had Cell phone between 6 to 8 years, 13.6 % had Cell phone between 3 to 5 years, and 0.6 % had Cell phone less than one year. As well, it shows that 2.6 % of academics had Smart phone between 3 to 5 years, 5.2 % had Smart phone between 1 to 2 years, 2.0 % of academics had Smart phone less than one year. In addition, it shows that 3.2. % of academics had PDA device between 6 to 8 years, 7.1 % of academics had PDA device between 3 to 5 years, 19.4 % had PDA device between 1 to 2 years, and 6.5 % of academics had PDA device less than one year. Finally, only three participants 2.0 % had Pocket PC between 1 to 2 years. 5.1.4 Opinion about the Price In view of academics opinion about prices of devices, the general opinion was that Cell phones had reasonable price, were 77.8 % preferred that Cell phone had normal price and 22.8 % refer that Cell phone had low price. In addition, Smart phone, PDAs, and Pocket PC were considered costly price (for Smart phone 58.44 %, for PDAs 61.04 %, and for Pocket PC 64.94 %). Furthermore, a few academics had no opinion on the prices for smart phones, PDAs, and Pocket PC (for Smart phones 4 %, PDAs 5.19 %, and Pocket PC 2.60 %). 3 and shows the academics opinion about devices prices. 5.1.5 The Usefulness and Effectiveness Role of Mobile Phone Technologies in the Work The study (refer to 4) shows that the majority of respondents 97.4 % considered that mobile devices can play a useful and effective role in their daily work. While 0.6 % considered that mobile devices cannot play a useful and effective role in their daily work, and only 1.9 % were not sure about the usefulness and effectiveness of mobile device role in their work. These results indicate that academics had positive opinions regarding using mobile phone technologies in their work, and these results can support researchers opinion about the importance and usefulness of this study in IHLs environment, and to stand up to the factors that could help passing mobile phone technologies in IHLs. 5.1.6 Connecting to Internet though Mobile Phone Technologies 5 shows that the majority of respondents 75.3 % were connecting to internet though mobile phone technologies, and only 24.7 % were not connecting to internet through mobile phone technologies. As evidenced by various studies mentioned above, mobile phone technologies give opportunity to academics to connect to internet and to the world any time anywhere. In addition, mobile phone technologies could able to increase the range of personalized and customized communication, entertainment, relationship management and service function 5.1.7 Academics Preferences of Mobile Phone Functions The academics in this section were given a list of fifteen mobile phone functions and they had to choose one or more of these functions. The results are shown in table 3. Today mobile phone technologies provide a wide range of services. Among these services, a researcher can demonstrate; browsing the Web, MMS, games, alarm/reminder, calling, listening to music, voice recorder, chatting, calendar, camera, phone book, SMS, sending e-mail, dictionary, audio file storage. According to the findings, 100 % of respondents preferred that the function of calling was the most important function, where 98 % preferred that the second important function was SMS. In addition, the findings show that the respondents who choose calendar were 79 %, camera 77 %, alarm/reminder 75 %, phone book 70 %, listening to music 61 %, browsing the Web 53 %, games and sending e-mail 42 %, MMS 41 %, voice recorder 38%, dictionary and audio file storage 29%, and chatting 21 %. Table 3: Academics Preference of Mobile Phone Functions No. Mobile Phone Functions % 1 Calling 100% 2 SMS 98% 3 Calendar 79% 4 Camera 77% 5 Alarm/reminder 75% 6 Phone book 70% 7 Listening to music 61% 8 Browsing the Web 53% 9 Games 42% 10 Sending e-mail 42% 11 MMS 41% 12 Voice recorder 38% 13 Dictionary 29% 14 Audio file storage 29% 15 Chatting 21% 5.2 Attitudes towards the Use of Mobile Phone Technology in IHLs The respondents were given a list of six items to assess their opinions and attitudes toward using mobile phone tec Integration of Technology in Higher Education Integration of Technology in Higher Education Abstract The potentials of mobile phone technology are huge and it has opened possibilities and avenues for enhancing knowledge sharing activities among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs). However, it was found that there was lack of academic research on the use of mobile phone technologies for knowledge sharing purposes in IHLs. In IHLs, technologies of mobile phones such as cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs provided with interesting features like camera, video, memory, player of MP3, internet approach and finally, presence in a device, by allowing study anywhere, anytime. This paper aimed to understand academics general attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to explore the academics perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to determine academics perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to understand academics behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to identify how will mobile phone technologi es change the work situation of academics, and to identify the possible services that, in their opinion, can improve mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. The overall findings revealed that there were at least four factors could lead to the adoption of mobile phone technology among academics in an Institution of Higher Learning. These factors were; attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology, perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology, perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology, and behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology. Keywords: Mobile Phone Technology, Institutions of Higher Learning, Academics 1.0 Introduction In recent years, information technology (IT) usage in universities and colleges is broadly increasing for the purposes of enhancing the administration and teaching and learning efficiencies. As the population of campuses raises, so does the improvement of technologies. In Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs), technologies of mobile phones such as cell phones, smart phones, PDAs and telephone provided with interesting features like camera, video, memory, player of MP3, internet approach and finally, presence in a device, by allowing study anywhere, anytime (Wilen-Daugenti, 2007). Junior et al. (2008) defined mobile technologies as mobile technologies are exactly what its name refers, i.e., portable technology that can be moved from one place to another without any loss. There are several advantages of mobile technologies. Few of them are the independence in learning at anywhere and anytime, faster and convenient communication as well as rapid access to variety of different sources. Moreover, the ability to conduct impossible experiments in authentic way is truly pleasant. It is safe to experiment with them because the error will only affect in simulation environment (Smidts et al., 2008). According to Naismith et al. (2005), â€Å"mobile technologies are becoming more embedded, ubiquitous and networked, with enhanced capabilities for rich social interactions, context awareness and internet connectivity† (p.6). Additionally, Anderson and Rainie (2008) concluded that the mobile phone technologies will be the most fundamental and compulsory connection device to the internet for everyone in 2020. 2.0 Mobile Phone Technologies in IHLs Academics find mobile phone technologies as their big savior when comes to managing the working tasks. Plenty of important features such as address books, devices of storage of file, cameras, recorder of video and internet added to the working flexibility in IHLs. Todays mobile phones are as influential as computers. According to Nokia (2007), â€Å"Its what computers have become†. Its increase to ubiquity is explained as a †¦stealthy but rapid shift from a telephony device towards a portable, personal media hub that enables an increasing range of personalized and customized communication, entertainment, relationship management and service functions. Its reach is pervasively global and trans-cultural, possibly more so than any other media form including the internet and World Wide Web (Cameron, 2006). Nowadays, it is impossible to resist mobile phone. Each and every aspects of life demand the importance of mobile device. As the international barriers are getting smaller due to globalization, the need of communication is inevitable. Consequently, mobile phone is becoming more and more compulsory and necessary to have. All walks of life celebrate the use of mobile phone technologies, so does the academics. Undeniably, there are myriad of activities for both academics and students provided by mobile phone technologies such as; uploading and downloading of songs, movies and videos to cell phone, MP3 player, iPod, sending and receiving e-mails, instant messages (IMs), short text messages (SMS), transferring files, photos or other data , interactive games, searching for information or services on the web, making video calls, personal organizer (e.g. diary, address book), in-class surveys/questions, in-class media sharing, attendance monitor, distant privileges of library, peer locator, free or inexpensive VoIP phone as well as notification of the security. Academics who have experienced dealing with mobile technologies in working possess several reasons to continue using them. Firstly, to be able to communicate with other people, to seek information, to take pictures and create clips and sharing with others is what most people have become used to (Smidts et al., 2008). The following studies have examined some of the activities of the mobile phone in the IHLs. Corbeil and Valdes-Corbeil (2007) have explored mobile phone activities engaged in by academics and students in their study. According to their findings, these technologies can be applied in many activities such as: uploading and downloading songs/movies/video clips, sending and receiving e-mail, Instant Messages (IMs), Short Text Messages (SMS), transferring files, photos or other data playing the interactive games, transferring photos or other data, downloading Podcasts of appropriate instructive material along with audio and video lectures, reading e-books, reconsidering coursework and getting ready in exams, showing their jobs and sharing plan results, providing visual, adding a microphone to their mobile to capture material for educational use, using an MP3 player to download and listen to Podcasts and audio lectures, and reconsidering the material of courses and studying for exams, audio books and, with some devices as well as the most widely used nowadays which is recording le ctures. Furthermore, findings from studies conducted by Whilst Kennedy et al. (2008a) and Kennedy et al. (2008b), mobile phone technologies allowed users to conduct 9 activities in Institutions of Higher learning as the following: To send pictures or movies to colleagues. To use mobile phone as MP3 player. To access information or services on the web. To make video calls. To take digital photos or movies. To send or receive email. To use mobile phone as a personal organizer (e.g. diary, address book). To send or receive SMS to colleagues. To call the colleagues or others. Besides, according to studies done by Wilen-Daugenti and McKee (2008), mobile phone technologies could be used for many applications for academics and students in both inside and outside the IHLs as example field below; In-Class Surveys/Questions: Students may submit the answers to questions or surveys given by an academic through their mobile phones. In-Class Media Sharing: During lectures, students are able to share interesting pictures or videos to their friends by emailing the files to the lecture halls projector. Attendance Monitor: An academic may demand students to do a virtual â€Å"roll call† by transmitting a message from their mobile phones. Course Materials: During lecture, an academic can directly send the course materials to students phones. Remote Library Privileges: The private privileges of library are also granted to students who can use their mobile phones to search articles without need to use a proxy server  · Peer Locator: Based on networks accuracy, peers may be alerted when their contacts are close by the mobile phones.  · Free or Inexpensive VoIP Calling: Universities may offer cheaper international or local calls made within the campus for students who might really need to do so. Position System: By sharing information contextual about the users actual place, mobile phone serves as a guide of virtual turn which assists the presence of students around the campus. Notification of the Security / Emergency: Depending on the users location, a warning notice is sent immediately to every mobile phone via email and voicemail, by informing the best way to leave the campus or a particular building in case of emergency. Moreover, a study carried out by Duke University (2005) has outlined the major categories of mobile devices employment by the academics as follows: The Instrument of Broadcasting of Lesson Contents- Mobile phone provides access to lessons content such as lectures, songs, historical speeches, conferences and meetings. Tool of Classroom Recording mobile phone can be used as a tool to capture lectures, class discussions and feedbacks. Tool of Supporting Study mobile phone allows academics for repetition of commercial and original audio content, such as music and audio books. Transfer and File Storage mobile phone is able to transfer or backup all sorts of files. Digital Portal: Both academics and students may no longer depend on physical materials. Flexible Location mobile phone provides accessing of digital materials at anywhere and anytime which also contributes to a decreased dependency of library. Digital Recording mobile phone allows convenient digital recording of interviews, field notes, small group discussions and oral assignments. Convenient Tool mobile phone makes students engagement in class discussions, labs, field research, and independent plans much easier.  · Improved Support for Personality Knowledge Preferences and Needs In addition, Duke University (2008) has widened their outlines as follows: Text Messaging: University may send text messages to students to notify them about examination dates for instance. Flexible, Delivery of Mobile Content: students are able to access classes by using their mobile phones in distance learning. Practice Exercises for Study and Review: students may be able to review the materials or quizzes created by the academics in anytime and anywhere. Mobile Creation and Media Publication: students could use their mobile phones to capture images or videos and share them with the entire world by uploading them directly into the Internet. Social Learning in Mobile Network: Facebook, Friendster, and other social networking tools allow users to share their life updates. Students get to interact with the members of a study group across the world.  · Gaming and Simulations: mobile phone is equipped with a feature to keep the academics and students in the games of simulation. Use of Mobile Phone Technologies in the Classroom: students can select answers out of multiple choice questions created by the academics in the classroom. Subsequently, Abilene Christian University (2008) pointed out that mobile phone technologies possess many interesting benefits and have become a standard tool in IHLs. Some of the benefits are summarized as follows: Digital Syllabus: dynamic changes of an individual, the activities of a student or status are allowed Clicker: real-time dynamic class polling or free-form answers are allowed Classroom Communicator: an improved flexibility in classes content and release is allowed Document Reader: an e-Book Internet Communicator: the aggregation of content on the sites of class is facilitated Alert System: a receiving automated information of courses Notes Taker: recording aggregation device for audio recordings is allowed Location Reporter: a college grounds map with active location is reported when needed Attendance Tool: dynamic comment about a users position anywhere anytime is given Business Purposes: wireless communication for bill paying, ticket-buying and bookstore buying or any business related matters are enabled Registrars Office Extension: easy course employment, communication with academic records, and dynamic scoring access are made easier Besides, benefits proposed by Cisco (2008) of a mobile system solution for colleges and universities are as follows: a) easy and convenient communication between academics and students, b) a study is developed beyond a class, by becoming more in collaboration, interactive and dynamic, c) both parties may seek new opportunities to connect resources and training, and d) academics can use context of a study based on interactive mode in managing the approach for students daily. Additionally, by using mobile phone technologies, Lefoe and Olney (2007) and Lefoe et al. (2008) reconsidered academics activities by in IHLs as follows: a) making interview with visiting speakers and return it back to the speaker for editing, d) audio comments, c) setting up mobile phone as database for others to use, d) recording interviews for re-evaluating of issues, e) collecting of thoughtful obviousness of the own teaching of academician to plan for future teaching, f) preparing and carrying the necessary articles needed, g) tutorial roles, h) easier sharing of information to students. Apart from that, Nie (2006) pointed out the potential use of mobile technologies in IHLs as follows: Recorder: students may record their works, interviews, presentations and lectures. Audio: students get to listen to genuine audio materials such as interview, audio book, music, speech and vocabulary. Multimedia: students can access multimedia materials such as film, picture, snap, visual vocabulary etc. Pre-class Resources: academics can create pre-class listening resources containing academic news, review of papers and journal articles, week activities, comments on assignment, etc. Podcasting: allows students to share their own ideas with others. Moreover, Jocelyn et al. (2008) condemned that mobile phone technologies possess many interesting benefits in IHLs as follows: a) academics can access the internet in any time and at any where, b) PDAs enable flexible and timely access to e-learning resources which would lead to empowerment and effective learning, c) academics are enabled to access training resources any time, anywhere, d) academics may hold question and answer sessions via conferences, seminars, workshops, and e) both academics and students can get a real opportunity to make a link between field and college. Finally, BlackBerry (2006) concluded that there are potential benefits of providing mobile access to few applications used by the colleges different departments such as: a) academics may stay in touch and schedule appointments on-the-road, b) healthy data security and remote device management, c) very useful for emergency communications during university trips and d) remote network maintenance via web interface. 3.0 Mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs The literature evidenced that mobile phone technologies playing important role in Institutions of Higher Learning. Mobile technologies have opened the door to possibilities and avenues for knowledge sharing by providing a new platform via wireless communication or other ICT applications. Mobile technology may enhance academics functionalities in Institutions of Higher Learning by supporting Externalization and Combination activities. Subsequently, mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning could be demonstrated as follows: Academics can send and receive short text messages (SMS) from each other. The great advantage of using SMS is that it offers just-in-time information Academics can send and receive instant messages (IMs) from each other. Mobile phone offers a way to send instant messages at a much lower cost than traditional SMS messaging. Messages are sent and received by the use of the Internet means that the cost of messages depends only on the quantity of data sent Academics can send and receive e-mail from each other. Mobile phone offers a way to send to receive emails E-mails are sent and received by the use of the Internet means that the cost of mail depends only on the quantity of data sent Academics can share administrative information with colleague. Mobile phone technologies enhance communications among academics on campus. Through mobile devices, academics can receive administrative information such as announcements and urgent messages from faculty or university Academics can share and listen to Podcasts/audio books with colleague Academics can share downloads and view streaming movies/video clips Mobile phone technology can be used as peer locators, alerting academics when their contacts are nearby. Mobile phone technology represents a classroom communicator that enables increased flexibility in course content and delivery among academics. Academics can create pre-class listening resources containing academic news, review of papers and journal articles, week activities, comments on assignment, etc Academics can create memos which can be sent to colleague from mobile or saved onto his/her office computer Academics have ability to read work related documents via PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Office files Academics can record conferences, seminars, workshops, symposiums , interviews, lectures and sent it to his/her colleague through mobile device Academics can share e-books, journals, or other academic materials Academics can publish e-books and e-papers University can set up mobile phone technologies as database for academics to download documents, applications and university roles Academics can share with colleagues research findings Academics can use the micro web browser for conducting quick research online Academics can stay connected to social networking sites in mobile environment Academics can use a mobile phone technology to send pictures or movies to each other. Mobile technology provides an opportunity for the new generation of people with better communication and activities without taking into account the place and time. This section has outlined the potential use of mobile phone technologies among academics in IHLs. The benefits of mobile phone technologies have been broadly discussed in general. Additionally, this section has evidenced most studies related to the benefits of mobile phones usage among students. Ultimately, this section shows that there are a few studies to examine the benefits of the mobile phone technologies among academics. Despite the advantages of mobile phone technology are clear, only a small number of Institutions of Higher Learning are equipped with integrated mobile phone technologies in their environments (Joan John, 2007; Kim et al., 2006; New Media Consortium, 2007). Figueira (2007) pointed that as of August 2007, however, there are no universities or degree awarding programs with a website designed for downloading on a mobile device (p.1). Sufficient technological means to access mobile devices are not widely used by the academics in Institutions of Higher Learning (Junior et al., 2008). In 2007, Peters conducted a research to 29 manufacturers of mobile devices, businesses and education suppliers and found that mobile phone technologies are in general used in some commercial organizations, but found limited adoption for Institutions of higher learning use. The purpose of this study is to understand academics general attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to explore the academics perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to determine academics perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology in IHLs, to understand academics behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology in IHLs, to identify how will mobile phone technologies change the work situation of academics, and to identify the possible services that, in their opinion, can improve mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. 4.0 Research Methodology Both primary and secondary data were collected for this research. The primary data was collected by distributing questionnaires to the academics in University Utara Malaysia (UUM). UUM is a public Institution of Higher Learning located n the northern region of Malaysia. The sample of this study was the academics that come from Public Institution of Higher Learning (PIHL). Those academics are different in terms of their academic designation: Tutor, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Professor. A total of 290 questionnaires were distributed to all academics in UUM. The sampling was based on convenience and 153 participants successfully responded, giving a response rate of 52.7 %. The analysis of the survey results is presented based on a valid response of 153 academics of University Utara Malaysia. Data collection for this study was undertaken during the month of May 2009. In gathering information pertaining to the study; a questionnaire was used as the main instrument for data collection in this study. a questionnaire was prepared divided into seven sections as follows: Section 1 was not containing any personally identifiable questions. The demographic and background variables used in this study are gender, status, age, designation, availability of devices, period of time in using device, academics opinion about devices price, academics opinion about devices, usefulness and effectiveness role in the work, connecting to internet through device, and academics preferences for mobile phone functions. This section was adapted from Avenoglu (2005) and Trifonova (2006). Section 2: contains questions that targeted at attitudes towards the use of mobile phone technology in Institutions of Higher Leaning. The respondents were given a list of six items to assess their opinions and attitu des to use mobile phone technology. Questions were adapted from Kurnia et al. (2008) and Avenoglu (2005). Section 3: contains questions concerning the perceived usefulness to use mobile phone technology. Five items were used to measure the respondents perception toward the usefulness to use mobile phone technology. Questions were adapted from Kurnia et al. (2008) and Trifonova (2006). Section 4: contains questions that targeted at the perceived ease of use of mobile phone technology. Three items were used to measure the respondents perception that used mobile phone technology and found it easy to use. Questions were adapted from Kurnia et al. (2008) and Trifonova (2006). Section 5: contains questions about behavioral intention to use mobile phone technology in Institutions of Higher Leaning. Four items were used to measure behavioral intention of the respondents towards using of mobile phone technology. Questions were adapted form Kurnia et al. (2008). Section 6: contains questions that are related to how can mobile phone technology change the work situation of academics in Institutions of Higher Leaning. Ten items were used to measure the respondents opinions about how can mobile phone technology increases the flexibility and the ability to work on the move. Questions were adapted form Dye et al. (2003). Section 7: contains statements that targeted to mobile phone technology and knowledge sharing among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning. The respondents were given a list of eighteen statements to assess their opinions and potential use of mobile phone technology for knowledge sharing among academics in Institution of Higher Learning. All Questions in this section were chosen from the interview with academics. A five point Likert scale type was used in this study and the academics were required to state the extent to which statements in their point of view were important or not important for them as academics. The Scale was (SD= Strongly Disagree, D = Disagree, N = Neutral, A = Agree, and SA = Strongly Agree). In this study, the questionnaire was pilot tested with 30 UUM academic staff. The table 1 shows the Cronbachs alpha coefficient for section 2, section 3, section 4, section 5, section 6 and section 7. Table 1: Reliability Cronbachs Alpha (ÃŽ ±) for Questionnaires Six Sections The Item Cronbachs Alpha (ÃŽ ±) Reliability Results Section 2 0.891 Good Section 3 0.840 Good Section 4 0.820 Good Section 5 0.805 Good Section 6 0.894 Good Section 7 0.883 Good 5.0 Data Analysis and Results 5.1 Respondents Profile and Background Information Based on the demographics and other personal background information obtained, out of 153 respondents 61.0 % were females. The most of the respondents were married 74 %. 36.4 % of the respondents were 41 to 50 years old and 30.5 % were 31 to 40 years old. Most of the respondents were Lecturers position 39.0 %, following by Senior Lecturers 26.0 %, Tutor 18.2 %, and Associate Professor 16.9 %. Table 2 below gives respondents demographic profile: Table 2: Respondents Demographic Profile Respondents Profile Classification Frequency % Gender Male 60 39 Female 94 61 Status Married 114 74 Unmarried 40 26 Age 20-30 33 21.4 31-40 47 30.5 41-50 56 36.4 Above 50 18 11.7 Designation Tutor 28 18.2 Lecturer 60 39.0 Senior Lecturer 40 26.0 Associate Professor 26 16.9 5.1.2 Availability of Devices The study (refer to 1) shows that 98 % of academics had Cell phone, 36 % PDA, 10 % Smart phone, and 2 % Pocket PC. The study also shows that there were more that 40 % of academics had more that one device, for instance, 33 % of academics had Cell phone and PDA device, 9 % of academics had Cell phone and Smart phone, and 3 % of academics had Cell phone, Smart phone and PDA in one time. 5.1.3 Period in Using Device The study (refer to 2) shows that 50.6 % of academics had Cell phone for more than 8 years, 30 % had Cell phone between 6 to 8 years, 13.6 % had Cell phone between 3 to 5 years, and 0.6 % had Cell phone less than one year. As well, it shows that 2.6 % of academics had Smart phone between 3 to 5 years, 5.2 % had Smart phone between 1 to 2 years, 2.0 % of academics had Smart phone less than one year. In addition, it shows that 3.2. % of academics had PDA device between 6 to 8 years, 7.1 % of academics had PDA device between 3 to 5 years, 19.4 % had PDA device between 1 to 2 years, and 6.5 % of academics had PDA device less than one year. Finally, only three participants 2.0 % had Pocket PC between 1 to 2 years. 5.1.4 Opinion about the Price In view of academics opinion about prices of devices, the general opinion was that Cell phones had reasonable price, were 77.8 % preferred that Cell phone had normal price and 22.8 % refer that Cell phone had low price. In addition, Smart phone, PDAs, and Pocket PC were considered costly price (for Smart phone 58.44 %, for PDAs 61.04 %, and for Pocket PC 64.94 %). Furthermore, a few academics had no opinion on the prices for smart phones, PDAs, and Pocket PC (for Smart phones 4 %, PDAs 5.19 %, and Pocket PC 2.60 %). 3 and shows the academics opinion about devices prices. 5.1.5 The Usefulness and Effectiveness Role of Mobile Phone Technologies in the Work The study (refer to 4) shows that the majority of respondents 97.4 % considered that mobile devices can play a useful and effective role in their daily work. While 0.6 % considered that mobile devices cannot play a useful and effective role in their daily work, and only 1.9 % were not sure about the usefulness and effectiveness of mobile device role in their work. These results indicate that academics had positive opinions regarding using mobile phone technologies in their work, and these results can support researchers opinion about the importance and usefulness of this study in IHLs environment, and to stand up to the factors that could help passing mobile phone technologies in IHLs. 5.1.6 Connecting to Internet though Mobile Phone Technologies 5 shows that the majority of respondents 75.3 % were connecting to internet though mobile phone technologies, and only 24.7 % were not connecting to internet through mobile phone technologies. As evidenced by various studies mentioned above, mobile phone technologies give opportunity to academics to connect to internet and to the world any time anywhere. In addition, mobile phone technologies could able to increase the range of personalized and customized communication, entertainment, relationship management and service function 5.1.7 Academics Preferences of Mobile Phone Functions The academics in this section were given a list of fifteen mobile phone functions and they had to choose one or more of these functions. The results are shown in table 3. Today mobile phone technologies provide a wide range of services. Among these services, a researcher can demonstrate; browsing the Web, MMS, games, alarm/reminder, calling, listening to music, voice recorder, chatting, calendar, camera, phone book, SMS, sending e-mail, dictionary, audio file storage. According to the findings, 100 % of respondents preferred that the function of calling was the most important function, where 98 % preferred that the second important function was SMS. In addition, the findings show that the respondents who choose calendar were 79 %, camera 77 %, alarm/reminder 75 %, phone book 70 %, listening to music 61 %, browsing the Web 53 %, games and sending e-mail 42 %, MMS 41 %, voice recorder 38%, dictionary and audio file storage 29%, and chatting 21 %. Table 3: Academics Preference of Mobile Phone Functions No. Mobile Phone Functions % 1 Calling 100% 2 SMS 98% 3 Calendar 79% 4 Camera 77% 5 Alarm/reminder 75% 6 Phone book 70% 7 Listening to music 61% 8 Browsing the Web 53% 9 Games 42% 10 Sending e-mail 42% 11 MMS 41% 12 Voice recorder 38% 13 Dictionary 29% 14 Audio file storage 29% 15 Chatting 21% 5.2 Attitudes towards the Use of Mobile Phone Technology in IHLs The respondents were given a list of six items to assess their opinions and attitudes toward using mobile phone tec