Have you ever tried to write down a piece of music for the piano?Even if you are not a composer, this is a task from which you could learn a lot. Among other things, it will show you how there is always a variety of ways to do it, even if all you want to do is to write simple notes. If you want to include instructions of touch, articulation or pedalling, the complications grow even more numerous.Through the centuries composers seem to have become more and more ambitious about this sort of thing – you only need to compare a score by Scarlatti or Bach with one by Debussy or Rachmaninoff to realise that. Of course, there are many exceptions to this, and one must not stop looking for all the subtle hints in early scores – this is the mistaken approach that led 19th century editors to feel the need to “fill in the gaps” left by their predecessors.If you know where to look for them, a composer like Mozart certainly gives you all the hints you need to play his music like he envisaged it. If the score sometimes allows for different approaches, that is because he leaves that particular decision to you. In that sense, nothing has really changed over the years, except that it would seem that modern composers tend to leave less to the taste of the performer. But quite possibly that is also partly a misunderstanding. The composer of early music probably trusted his performers more because he (at that time, composers were sure to be male) knew that they would recognise the conventions of the particular time and place. Of course he hoped that his art would survive his own circumstances, but he wrote it down for people of his own culture, with roughly the same sort of references and education.The composer of the 20th or the 21st century doesn’t belong to such a well-defined tradition. He or she often feels as if they are writing something entirely new, and for the whole world at once. Now, if you’re speaking to somebody on the other side of the globe about something that you just have invented, there are a lot more things to be explained than if you’re speaking to an old friend about a movie that you’ve both seen five times.So, what do we learn from this?Well, that it’s always important to look for the details of the score; that it’s important that you use reliable, urtext editions; that it’s important that you try to learn as much as possible about historical notation and performance practices. If you really want to understand a composer – Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, Scriabin or anybody else – you need to reflect why they wrote their music down the way they did.
Allied Health Education Trends – The Changing Landscape Behind the Scenes
With more than 500,000 jobs added since the start of the recession, it’s no surprise that allied health fields are forecasted to remain a key source of job growth. Jobs in inpatient and outpatient settings and nurse care facilities will be in high demand and the healthcare support industry (such as medical technicians, physician’s assistants and physical therapist assistants) are slated to experience 48% growth.
Involved with the delivery of health or related services, workers in allied health care fields include a cluster of health professions encompassing as many as 200 health careers. There are 5 million allied health care providers in the United States who work in more than 80 different professions representing approximately 60% of all health care providers. Yet, that number is no match to the number of allied health care workers that are needed to meet current and future needs in America.
Highly regarded as experts in their field, allied health professions fall into two broad categories – technicians (assistants) and therapists/technologists. With education requirements and curriculum varying depending on the chosen field, academic prerequisites range from less than two years for technicians to a more intensive educational process for therapists and technologists that include acquiring procedural skills. With such explosive growth in allied health care career options and so many diverse fields from which to choose, it’s no wonder students preparing for their future are seeking opportunities in allied health fields.
Yet, with more than 5 million current allied health professions in the U.S. and more on the horizon, careful examination of the educational development and environment of emerging students identifies areas of needed improvement to meet the diverse needs of this ever-changing landscape.
A New Path of Education – Trends Affecting Allied Health Education
With student enrollment in allied health education programs gaining momentum, major advancements in technology coupled with shifts in education audiences, learner profiles, campus cultures, campus design and faculty development have spawned a new wave of trends that are dramatically affecting where and how allied health students learn. Understanding the dynamics of allied health trends begins by taking a brief look at a few of the societal and economic factors that have affected the educational landscape as a whole.
Economic Trends:
* With the economy in a recession, the nations’ workforce is being challenged to learn new skills or explore advanced training options.
* The U.S. Labor Department estimates that with the current economic climate, nearly 40% of the workforce will change jobs every year. As a result, the demand for short, accelerated educational programs is on the rise.
* With retirement being delayed until later in life, a “new age” of workers has emerged into the job market creating an older generation of students.
Societal Trends:
* Adult learners are the fastest growing segment in higher education. Approximately 42% of all students in both private and public institutions are age 25 or older.
* This highly competitive learning market allows educational institutions to specialize in meeting particular niches in the market.
* The number of minority learners is increasing.
* More women continue to enter the workforce – 57% of students are women.
Student / Enrollment Trends:
* Students are seeking educational programs that meet their individual demographics, schedule and learning style.
* More students are requiring flexibility in the educational structure to allow more time for other areas of responsibility.
* Students are attending multiple schools to attain degrees – 77% of all students graduating with a baccalaureate degree have attended two or more institutions.
Academic Trends:
* According to the Chronicle of High Education, traditional college campuses are declining as for-profit institutions grow and public and private institutions continue to emerge.
* Instruction is moving more toward diversified learner-centered versus self-directed, traditional classroom instruction.
* Educational partnerships are increasing as institutions share technology and information with other colleges, universities and companies to deliver cooperative educational programs.
* Emphasis is shifting from degrees to competency as employers place more importance on knowledge, performance and skills.
Technology Trends:
* Technology competency is becoming a requirement.
* Immense growth in Internet and technological devices.
* Institutional instruction will involve more computerized programs.
* Colleges will be required to offer the best technological equipment to remain competitive.
Classroom Environment Trends:
* Classroom environments are being designed to mirror real-life career settings.
* Flexible classroom settings geared for multi-instructional learning.
* Color, lighting, acoustics, furniture and design capitalize on comfortable learner-centered environments.
The Application of Knowledge – A Move Toward Lifelong Learning Concepts
To meet the ever-changing educational needs of students entering allied health fields, classrooms, curricula and teaching philosophies are becoming more responsive to the diverse settings in which varied populations are served. Educators and administrators are seeking educational environments that engage and connect students with their learning space to capitalize and foster knowledge, growth and learning.
Flexible Classrooms and Lab Space:
Adaptable learning environments that provide versatility to shift from classroom to lab space and the flexibility for plenty of future growth are the driving force behind allied health classrooms of the future. Modern allied health classrooms will provide flexible, multi-functional, comfortable classroom environments that encourage a sense of community, essentially inviting the students and instructors to work together and interrelate. Studies reflect that students are better able to actively process information when sensory, stimulation, information exchange and application opportunities are available. Flexible classroom spaces encourage students to share what they know and build on this shared base.
Student Areas:
Connecting students with the “center of gravity” core spaces for studying and socializing further enhances the new wave of allied health campuses. Flexible student areas that foster circulation, interaction, collaboration and learning enhance various learning styles and further reinforce students’ abilities to harmoniously blend learning with discovery and collaboration.
Integrating Advanced Technology:
The use of technology in the classroom plays a vital role in how students learn and the long-term effect of knowledge gained. When students are using technology as an educational tool they are in an active role rather than a passive role in a typical teacher-led lesson. The integration of advanced technology in an allied health classroom allows students to actively engage in generating, obtaining manipulating or displaying information. Through this process, students become empowered to define their goals, make decisions and evaluate their progress. Coupled with student applied technology, classrooms are being equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and tools to prepare students for the transition from classroom to career.
Lecture / Laboratory and Classroom Models:
High Performing Buildings: As allied health programs shift to incorporate collaborative, interdisciplinary classrooms and clinical experiences that mirror real-life settings, students are empowered to move beyond mastery of skill to lifelong learning concepts. By creating classroom models that take students directly into their chosen field and allow them to “step into” their chosen career in a classroom setting, students are essentially provided a “business internship” that prepares them for their careers far beyond traditional text book curriculum. Bridging the gap between textbook knowledge and the application of “real world” experiences is the foundation of the new allied health classrooms settings.
Each school day 50 million children and 6 million adults enter our schools nationwide; each of whom is directly affected by the physical environment. And, while most people have heard about the benefits of sustainable design from an energy savings standpoint, few truly understand the benefits gained from a student performance perspective. High performance schools have several distinct advantages:
* Higher Test Scores. Studies are confirming the relationship between a school’s physical condition and student performance. Factors such as increased day light, indoor thermal comfort and indoor air quality will enhance learning which equates to improved test results.
* Increased Average Daily Attendance. Indoor air quality plays a vital role in the health of students. By controlling sources of contaminants, providing adequate ventilation and preventing moisture – all designed to reduce sources of health problems and inhibit the spread of airborne infections – students and teachers will experience fewer sick days, especially for those suffering from respiratory or asthma problems.
* Reduced Operating Costs. High performance schools are specifically designed, using life-cycle cost methods, to minimize long-term costs of facility ownership. Using less energy and water than standard schools, means lower operating costs. Savings can then be redirected to supplement other budgets such as computers, books, classrooms and salaries.
* Increased Teacher Satisfaction and Retention. Designed to be pleasant and effective places to work and learn, high performance classrooms are visually pleasing, provide the appropriate thermal comfort and capitalize on effective acoustics for teaching. A positive and inviting place to work and learn improves overall satisfaction for teachers and sets the foundation for improved learning and retention of students.
* Reduced Environmental Impact. High performance buildings are specifically designed to have low environmental impact. They are energy and water efficient, use durable, non-toxic materials that are high in recycled content and they use non-polluting renewable energy to the greatest extent possible.
In short, we have an obligation to equip our students to do the hard work ahead of them.
A Vision for the Future
With the rapidly changing landscape of education as whole, taking on the challenge of designing multi-functional educational facilities means more than just designing a building. From technology to curriculums, campus structure to classroom environments, those involved in the planning, design and construction must be dedicated to providing solutions that meet the distinct needs of today’s students.
Roy Abernathy is Managing Principal with Atlanta-based Jova/Daniels/Busby Architects and is a partner with FWAJDB Architects – a partnership focused on facilities at the intersection of animal and human health. He is actively involved in AIA Georgia serving as 2012 AIA GA President, a member of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional.
Must-Have Features in the Travel Business Portal
Gone are the days, when one used to invest days and months to design a perfect traveling plan. Today neither you need to go and stand in queue for transportation tickets nor roam here and there to find the best hotels for the stay. The travel industry has already shifted from offline to online mode, a few years back. Now travellers are ready with their list of traveling wishes, and it’s the responsibility of travel agency business to make their wishes come true.
To run a successful travel agency business, one must need travel booking software. Your software must be smart and advanced to ease the process of booking transportation tickets, hotels, restaurants, etc. However, who would like to travel somewhere with the responsibility of looking after other activities?
If you are planning to start your traveling agency, here are the must-have features for your travel agency software:
Profile Creation and booking process
The profile creation process on the travel portal should be easy. Allow the multiple profile creation options like creating using email id, through social media, or from mobile number. The profile creation will be the first action taken by the user on your society to book tickets.
The booking process should be easy and short. Make sure you are not asking for too much detail in the ticket booking form, as it can divert the user to other travel agency portals to save their time.
If your booking process is smooth, the customer will come again and again to book their tickets.
Customization packaging option
For traveling, tour packaging is one of the important features. Today people are very particular about their travel accommodations, activities, food, etc. Offering an option to add and subtract few activities from the travel package, will help the customer to buy the best travel package as per their requirement.
Providing limited tour packages will not give your customer the vacation of their dreams. Gone are the days, when people used to make travel plans as per the availability of travel packages in travel agencies. The personalized experience will drag them to visit your travel agency software again for the best traveling experience.
Also, offer them multiple packages of a particular destination by making changes like a number of days, stay in the hotel, participation in any local and cultural activities, etc. While buying travel agency software, make sure you are hiring an experienced company.
Payment method
Keep in mind the payment process is the last step of buying your product and services. Provide your customer’s payment flexibility. Offer multiple payment options like third-party payment applications, payment apps, usage of credit or debit cards.
As everything is digital and fast now, make sure your payment process is fast and secure. The customer will be adding her personal and bank information, the transaction should be safe for you and the customer both. Keeping multiple payment options will even help international travellers to book tickets or hotels without facing any issues.
The more options you will give, the more area of the audience you can attract. Either you can hire software development services to build your Travel agency software from scratch, or buy a white label travel solution like MakeMyTrip from them.
Multi-lingual and currency
How frustrating will it be to convert each word into a local language? While running a travel agency, you will have a wider audience. Your travel agency must be for people from different corners of the world. It is your responsibility to provide a personalized and rich experience to all the visitors.
To attract an international audience, your travel agency software must have multiple languages and currencies supporter features. These features will help you to serve customers of different countries and your revenue will be more.
There are many countries where people speak their local language. While booking any travel package or ticket, for sure they will check the prices. What if you cut the step of transferring the mentioned currency into local currency? It will be a huge deal for them. Reading content on your software will help them to understand your services and they will visit your software over again.
Search Option
Today, we are just one search away from the required information. The customer will not have enough time to go through your software, in brief, to find what she is looking for. Make sure your travel agency should have the search option feature. It will give the liberty to all the customers to directly find the information they are looking for.
Also, you can make it a predictive search. When the customer types the keywords to find the information or services, a drop-down list will be automatically popped up below the search option. This is a great way of eliminating the long list of search results and help the customer to find the relevant information instantly.
Gallery
Will you blindly buy the product without seeing any picture? No, right! For the Travel agency business, the gallery plays an important role. Visuals are the best way to communicate with your audience. Your customers must be looking for breath-taking pictures of their vacation destination. Moreover, it will assist them while choosing hotels, vacation destinations, restaurants, etc.
Make sure the gallery has the best pictures. Try to provide multiple pictures for a single destination or service. Also, you can ask your customers to provide their vacation pictures for the credibility of a customer’s travel agency.