UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTIES OF ASSESSMENT Essay Example for Free

UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTIES OF ASSESSMENT Essay During the initial assessment the assessor must ensure the learner knowledge performance and practical skills. The assessor must ensure that the learning understands their course, The assessor must explain all the units to the learner and support them in choosing the most suited units for their learner. The assessor and the learner must decide on an assessment plan. Setting dates and times to meet with the learner.as well as Agreeing on the best assessment method. The assessor will be able to use question, observation and examine the learners work. The learner must submit assignment or evidence. That their assessor must review to ensure that they have done what was asked for. The assessor must provide feedback to the learning . the feedback must be positive, constructed and encouraging. Once this has been done a feedback form must be used. Here the assessor can recommend ways of improvement and log, what agreements have been made with the learner and set deadline. The assessor needs to cross reference the leaner work with the assessment criteria to ensure the leaner work and evidence is valid and proves that the leaner is competent in the unit. DEFINE THE KEY CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT. As an assessor you will be observing what the learner are doing. Asking them question and reviewing their progress. The key concepts and principles of assessments would be  INITIAL ASSESSMENT The result of the initial assessment will provide the assessor with information of any previous knowledge or experience on the subject to be assessed. The information can be obtained through application form and interviews. This will help the assessor, assess the learner on any specific requirements their learner may need (I.e. their learning style or any further training they may need. ASSESSMENT PLANNING Planning a suitable types and method of assessment with the learner. Setting appropriate target dates. Always involving other colleagues or supervisors. ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY Observation and questioning the learning. Completing assignments. Writing statements or gathering appropriate evidence of competence .Assessments can be on going or summative at the end. ASSESSMENT DECISION AND FEEDBACK Giving constructive feedback. Always supporting your learner and agreeing and further action that may be needed. Making records of what was assessed and the decision made should always be maintained. REVIEW PROGRESS The assessment plan of the learner can be reviewed updated at any time unit the learner completes . reviewing progress with the learning will give the assessor the opportunity to discuss any other issues that may be relevant to their progress. Assessment activities will give you the opportunity to amend them if necessary. EXPLAIN THE RESONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSESSOR The main role of an assessor is to assess their learner in relation to the agreed criteria to enable the learner to become qualified in their subject. The assessor responsibilities include planning assessment, giving learner feedback, assessing the learner knowledge and understanding of the subject .keeping accurate records. There will be certain records and documents that the assessor will need to maintain. These will include assessment plans. Feedback records and review of progress and overall track sheets. All record must be maintained to organisational and regulatory requirements. An assessor should also store confidential documents and audio or video records that include learner.

Marc Antony’s Funeral Oration Essay -- Julius Caesar, William Shakespe

In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Mark Antony pleads with his â€Å"Friends, Romans (and) countrymen† to lend him their ears in an effort to exonerate Caesar from false charges laid against him. The three main conspirators in Caesar’s murder, Brutus, Casca and Cassius portrayed Caesar as an ambitious tyrant to the Roman people. After Caesar was unjustly killed by his friends and comrades, the crowd was persuaded to believe that his death was necessary for the good of the republic. However, Antony’s oration cleverly manipulates the crowd through the use of pathetic appeals, especially enargeia, into rebelling against the assassins and mourning the death of Caesar. Caesar’s untimely and unnecessary death created a unique rhetorical moment that Marc Antony seized. Bitzer states in his article â€Å"The Rhetorical Situation† that â€Å"a particular discourse comes into existence because of some specific condition or situation which invites utterance† (Bitzer 41). According to the assassins, Caesar’s murder was necessary for the good of all the Roman citizens, who unquestioningly believed Brutus’s accusations that Caesar was ambitious and unfit to govern Rome. Marc Antony used his speech to win back the citizens and unite them in grief and outrage at Caesar’s murder. One of Marc Antony’s objectives as he ascended to the pulpit was to refute the claims of Caesar’s guilt of ambition: â€Å"I thrice presented him a kingly crown, / Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? / Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; / And, sure, he is an honourable man. / I speak not to disprove what Brutus spokeâ €  (3.2.98-102). He reminded the public that Caesar had been offered the opportunity to be crowned King of Rome three times, and each time Caesar had refused it... ...r the name of the slain leader and managed to sway public opinion from one extreme to another. His words cause the angry mob to scour the streets of Rome for anyone who took part in his murder. His pathetic appeals to his friends, Romans and countrymen incited them to become an enraged mob to avenge Caesar’s death. His words display the assassin’s malicious actions for what they were and honor the memory of Caesar. Works Cited Bitzer, Lloyd F. "The Rhetorical Situation." Philosophy and Rhetoric (1968): 39-48. Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. "Chapter 6: Ethical Proof : Arguments From Character." Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. New York: Pearson Longmann, 2004. 163-203. Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. "Chapter 7: Pathetic Proof : Passionate Appeals." Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. New York: Pearson Longmann, 2004. 205-219.

Health and Safety in the Workplace Essay

Health and Safety play a very important role in the workplace today. Many organizations take the responsibility of their employees’ safety and health seriously due to the various affects that could stem from a lack of providing a safe work environment. During the 20th century our nation has become a world leader in setting an example for the world involving the workers right to a safe and healthy environment. Because of the various laws and research conducted in the United States, there have been countless number of accidents that have been prevented and thousands of lives saved because of awareness. I, being a Safety Coordinator and a workplace accident survivor, know firsthand the importance of safety in the workplace and the negative outcome for employees and organizations that do not practice a safe work environment. I would like to take this time to give a little information on my personal experience on workplace accidents and the importance of safety in that environment. In 2007 I was employed as a bridge carpenter working for a large construction company in Biloxi, MS. As a bridge carpenter is was exposed to many dangerous and high risk situations that put my life at risk on an everyday basis. I felt this company actually cared about the safety of their employees. We were provided with every piece of safety equipment that was needed to perform our job as safely as possible. The equipment was fairly new and OSHA approved. If it was found to be inadequate, it was immediately removed out of service and either fixed or replaced. Not to mention every morning we conducted toolbox safety meeting and equipment inspections. This particular day of my near fatal accident, we were setting rebar cages for columns maybe 30 to 40 feet in height. It was my responsibility to climb the cage, after it was set on the footer with a crane, to unhook the rigging from the crane. I had all the proper PPE (personal protective equipment) on and the cage had been secured at th e bottom by come along rigging devices. As I climbed the cage and Unhooked the rigging from the crane, the cage began to sway from side to side. Before I could start my descent, the cage and myself still attached to it with three different positioning, fell in the water, which by the way was the Gulf of Mexico. As my feet touched the bottom I began to panic and fight to free myself by unhooking myself from the cage. Several of my co workers jumped in the water to rescue me, but they were unable to locate my body. But they were able to locate the cage I was attached to. Thanks to quick thinking they were able to hook the crane cables back to the cage and hoist the cage and I out of the water successfully. But by this time I was not breathing and had no pulse. They lowered me on a crew boat and began to perform CPR. The CPR was unsuccessful so they began to take me to the dock where the ambulance was awaiting my arrival. During the time of the boat ride, I suddenly began to cough up water and slowly came to my senses. I was taken to the hospital and was blessed that I did not sustain any major injuries. During the accident investigation it was found that the cage we were setting was not the correct one for that particular footing and one of the come along holding it in place was functioning properly to catch the cage as it began to fall. This is when I actually began to take workplace safety seriously and start my career in that field. During the course of this paper it is my intent to present key components of workplace safety and health and provide new insight and personal experience that has and will affect my career and personal life and lives of those around me. The Role of Safety and Health in the Workplace Workplace safety is the practice of an employer using preventative measures to prevent hazards to the employees’ health and personal safety. This practice includes creating plans and procedures for employees and managers in the workplace. In addition, workplace safety involves creating policies and keeping emergency materials available for employee and manager use while at a work site. Workplace safety has caused strikes, contract negotiations and concerns among the different labor unions. These groups have negotiated union contracts and initiated lawsuits on behalf of workers who have an unsafe workplace. The Union Auto Workers created â€Å"Workers’ Memorial Day† as a day to honor workers who are killed on the job in the United States. David Micheals, the new head of OSHA, made this profound statement â€Å"these catastrophic events are powerful reminders of the risks faced by workers across the country every day. Fourteen workers die on the job each day, far from the headlines, often noted only by their families, friends, and co-workers.† (Markowitz & Rosner, 2011, p.26) Manufacturing jobs are heavily mentioned on this day due to the dangers of operating machinery or equipment. Workplace safety in many businesses requires additional training for the employees and management. This can include a lecture by an expert, hand-on training or a tour of the grounds and materials. For example, an employee whose job requires the use of a machine is not only trained to use the machine, but he is typically trained on how to operate machinery to avoid injury, dismemberment or death. The employee can also be trained on what to do if a co-worker injures herself on the job. As I stated in the introduction of this paper, I know firsthand the importance of safety and health in the workplace. By understanding the role of workplace safety and its history, employers and employees are able to apply these safety concepts to their everyday work related routines. I have learned that workplace safety and health reach far beyond the OSHA Act of 1970. Safety involves adopting a way of thinking and a way of functioning in all environments. Organizations such as unions have fought for workers right to a safety and healthy work environment. The campaigns they have fought so diligently to win have proven to be effective in fighting diseases like tuberculosis, typhoid, and smallpox that not only for the workplace but also for the general public. (Markowitz & Rosner, 2011, p.27) Occupational Safety and Health Administration In 1970 Congress passed into law The Occupational Safety and Health Act which formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or (OSHA). This act â€Å"declared that every worker is entitled to safe and healthful working conditions, and that employers are responsible for work being free from all recognized hazards†.(Silverstein, 2008, p.416) Even forty years later, many people still do not believe that OSHA is up holding the standard in workplace safety and health for which it was designed to do. Today a worker still becomes injured or sick from a dangerous job every 2.5 seconds plus a worker dies from a workplace injury or illness every 8 minutes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety, also known as NIOSH, has authority for workplace safety and health matters at federal workplace locations. In the federal workplace environment, NIOSH has an enforcement authority that corresponds to the authority OSHA exercises over workplaces operated by private sector emplo yers. In some instances, state-run programs supersede OSHA authority, and the Occupational and Safety and Health Act of 1970 encourages the development and operation by individual states of workplace safety and health programs. However, to qualify for this exemption to OSHA authority, a state-run program must establish standards and enforcement criteria that match or exceed the effectiveness of the federal OSHA program. As of April 2010, 26 states and U.S. territories have such programs in place with 23 of those 26 covering state and local government workplaces as well as workplaces operated by private sector employers. The Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 established mandatory health and safety standards and directed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Secretary of Labor to create improved health and safety standards to protect the health and welfare of coal miners in the U.S. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established a national minimum wage, guaranteed time-and-a-half for overtime in certain types of jobs, and prohibited employers from hiring minors. Today the FLSA helps to enforce and protect the rights and wages of non-exempt employees. I do not have much experience working directly with OSHA but as an OSHA outreach trainer, I have become accustom to understand the importance and impact they can and do have in a workplace environment. Working as a safety coordinator for several different contractors has given me an insight as to how some organizations adhere to OSHA regulations and how other organizations do not. With this insight and from knowledge gained from this course, I see that we still need stay focused on continuous safety awareness and to ensure OSHA enforces the laws and regulations for violators. By understanding the history and the need for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in our society, I have a greater enthusiasm to perform my job functions as a safety coordinator at a higher level and expect the people around me to adhere to the same level of faithfulness. Safety Issues In The Workplace Safety issues are an important topic in today’s workplace, especially with the rise in accidents in places of work and business. Accidents may often be small, but they can also lead to life-altering results such as mutilation and even death. The most common type of safety issue in workplaces relates to tripping and falling, however, there are many other causes to be considered. An organization with a superior policy for dealing with safety issues should be considering topics such as ergonomics and the arrangement of the space so that the tasks best fit the people who complete them. In this discussion the focus will be on three in particular which are repetitive stress injuries, workplace stress, and substance abuse. In today’s society, there are many jobs that require sitting at a work station all day. Employees that perform these types of jobs run a higher risk of being injured by chronic and repetitive motion task, like typing on a keyboard, eyestrains, lifting or mov ement injuries, poor ergonomics or workstation accidents. (Lowe, 2012, p.104) Majority of musculoskeletal injuries and pain affecting office workers are a result of sitting for long periods in the same position performing the same or repetitive motions. I have learned that the key to prevention and treatment of these problems is reducing muscle and tendon overuse. A great method to reduce these injuries from happening would be massage therapy. Massage therapy allows the tendons to release pressure that has built up throughout the day or work hours. Another treatment method would be employees do daily stretches at their workstation. When I began working as a carpenter, every morning we would start the day out by doing a series of stretches to loosen our muscle the same way an individual would if they were preparing to exercise. Work related stress is another major safety issue that affects the workplace. Workplace stressors like interpersonal conflict and work overload can have a profound effect on the health of an organization’s employees. â€Å"Findings indicate that work overload and interpersonal conflict mediate the impact of role stress on emotional exhaustion, job attitudes, and behaviors.† (Boles, Jaramillo, Mulki, 2011, p.329) Interpersonal conflict happens due to the negative social interactions between co-workers in the workplace. Also interpersonal conflict is one of the most important stressors at work due to the effect it has on employees’ emotions and their ability to work as a team. Work overload is the employees’ perception that the job is placing excessive work demands on them. In today’s workforce employees are pressured to deliver greater output while using fewer resources. Overloaded individuals often experience feelings of impatience and being rushed, which in turn affects the quality of their interactions with co-workers. â€Å"Because of rising unemployment rates, layoff survivors are more likely to experience larger workloads because they now perform both their former workload and that of those who left.† (Boles, Jaramillo, Mulki, 2011, p.329) From my experience interpersonal conflict and work overload can have a big impact on the health of all employees with no regard to title, pay grade, or seniority. These stressors can cause emotional, mental, and physical health issues for all they affect. Through newly found knowledge, I have gained a greater understanding of the effects that workplace stress can have on an organization’s employees and how they interact with one another. Organizations can counteract these stressors by providing additional support to individuals who are being affected by these workplace stressors and conducting workload/interpersonal conflict evaluations bi annually. â€Å"Handling problems of substance use and abuse at work are some of the most challenging issue s confronting employers.† (Dwoskin, 2012, p. 32) The law requires employers to provide a safe, healthy and productive work environment to employees, but it also requires employers accommodate the needs of substance abusing employees. This could cause a conflict, because the substance abusing employees may be causing the health and safety issues in the workplace. Employers have the right to insist on a drug and alcohol free workplace and to take disciplinary action against individuals who violate the zero tolerance rules. Under the law â€Å"employers may hold alcoholics and recovering addicts to the same performance standards as other employees.† (Dwoskin, 2012, p.32) This means that employees that abuse drugs and alcohol may be discharged or held to disciplinary action based on tardiness, absenteeism, and poor job performance. But on the other hand, the ADA says they cannot be discriminated against if they are found to be disabled. The ADA defines discrimination as â€Å"not making reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability† (Dwoskin, 2012, p.34) During the course of my research of this particular issue, I learned effect that substance abuse in the workplace can have on the safety of that individual and the people around them. I also learned that in certain situations that a person abusing drugs and alcohol can be protected by the ADA if they are found to be disabled and the employer must accommodate their disability in the workplace. I have known several instances where employees have failed random drug screens and have been able to keep their jobs. But in those instances the employer required the employee to seek professional help in dealing with their addiction. Safety Programs â€Å"A safety program can best be described as a dynamic set of intervention activities implemented at a worksite where the aim is to prevent incidents and accidents at the workplace† (Bjerkan, Olsen, Naevestad, 2009, p.391) These safety programs are usually comprised of activities such as safety training, equipment and housekeeping inspections, safety meetings, and safe behavior observations. There are five key components to a properly structured safety incentive program. The first component involves using an entire campaign to promote your program by building teamwork thru interaction with the employees. The next component is establishing an award vehicle that should be handed out weekly. The third component states to award employees with merchandise rather than money. Usually when employees receive money as a reward they tend to forget the reward and wee the money went to. But when an employee is rewarded with merchandise, they can recall how they received it and this enco urages them to win again. The fourth component says to promote the program using items such as posters, caps, balloons, newsletters, flyers, parties, and company drawings. The last component states to make everyone a winner. It might seem to cost more, but it will pay off in the long run by promoting the idea that everyone that practices safety in the workplace is a winner. Wellness is a lifestyle that encourages good physical and mental health. It is a balanced lifestyle that includes an emphasis on the body, mind and spirit. Wellness Programs were created to encourage all faculty, staff, and retirees to live healthier lifestyles and create a culture of health throughout the organization. Workplace wellness includes organizational policies designed to facilitate employee health including allowing flex time for exercise, providing on-site kitchen and eating areas, offering healthy food options in vending machines, holding â€Å"walk and talk† meetings, and offering financial and other incentives for pa rticipation, among many other options. In the course of researching safety programs, I have learned new techniques that will enhance my knowledge in designing safety programs in the future. Working of several different companies has allowed me to be exposed to different types of safety incentive programs. I have seen what does work and also what does not work. During the course of this paper it was my intention to present key components of workplace safety and health and provide new insight and personal experience that has and will affect my career and personal life and lives of those around me. By exploring the role of safety and health in the workplace I have gained greater understanding of its history. I can now assist employers and employees to apply these safety concepts to their everyday work related routines. In researching OSHA, I discovered a greater knowledge of the importance of the OSHA Act of 1970 and the administrative offices that have developed from the Act. Offices such as OSHA and NIOSH were established to up hold the laws and standards set by the OSHA Act in the workplace. My knowledge has grown during the development of this paper which has allowed me to view different aspects of safety and health that I previously did not have knowledge of. References Dwoskin, L.L. (2012). Substance Abuse in the Workplace: ADA and FMLA Issues to Consider, Part II. Employee Benefit Plan Review, 66(8), 32-38 Jaramillo, F., Mulki, J., & Boles, J. S. (2011). WORKPLACE STRESSORS, JOB ATTITUDE, AND JOB BEHAVIORS: IS INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT THE MISSING LINK? Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 31(3), 339-356 Lowe, W. (2012). Keying Into Office Worker Injuries. Massage & Bodywork, 27(4), 104-107 Markowitz, G., & Rosner, D. (20110. FROM THE TRIANGLE FIRE TO THE BP EXPLOSION: A Short History of the Century-Long Movement for Safety and Health. New Labor Forum (Murphy Institute), 20(1), 26-32. Doi10.4179/NLF.201.0000005 Moran, R.E. (2012). WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH: Better OSHA Guidance Needed On Safety Incentive Programs. GAO Reports, 1-46 Olsen, E., Bjerkan, A., & Naevestad, T. (2009). Modeling the effects of a large-scale safety Culture programme: a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. Journal Of Risk research, 12 Silverstein, M. (2008). Getting Home Safe and Sound: Occupational Safety and Health Administration at 38: American Journal Of Public Health, 98(3), 416-423 Stanley, J. (2012). Osha’s Warning on Safety Incentive Programs Are Wide of the Mark. EHS Today; Vol. 5 Issue 10, p. 63-64

Electronics Essay Online For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2560 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Engineering Essay Type Review Did you like this example? Discuss the different types of Pervasive electronicsDate authored: 23 rd August, 2014. The invention of the transistor in mid twentieth century gave birth to modern day electronics. Rapid advancements in semiconductor and fabrication technologies allowed the exponential growth of electronic components especially in the last two decades. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Electronics Essay Online For Free" essay for you Create order Electronics with new functionalities have started to emerge in all aspects of human life. Silicon and other material (organic and inorganic) technologies have enabled electronics to be realised on extremely smaller scales. Apart from smaller scales, these technologies also allow dense packing, durability, simpler integration, flexibility and low weight for electronics. These characteristics have rapidly pushed the trend of pervasive and ubiquitous electronics (Maliniak, 2002). Pervasive Electronics is very much related to consumer electronics. The invention of and later improvement in silicon transistor technology reduced the size and cost of electronic devices such as televisions, video recorders, computers, mobile phones, etc. In the last fifty years, television sets and video recorders have become house-hold devices and more recently computers and mobile phones. These devices could only be realised with the help of improved and cheaper electronic fabrication processes. Th is resulted in the lower cost and smaller size of devices, making them affordable for the people. Rapid penetration of these electronics followed after that and this allowed these devices to become pervasive in nature. The major motivations behind all these improvements were necessity, entertainment, information access, health care, business development and better and easier life (Stern, 2012; Grant, 2011). Now the trend is towards introducing new and radical functionalities. Pervasive electronic systems consist of active and passive electronics devices. Active devices mainly include different sensors. Theses sensors are mostly electronic devices which respond to changes in the ambient environment, user commands, human gestures, etc. These devices are more like input devices. The passive devices are usually actuators. These actuators are electronic devices that respond to the information or command send to them by the controller or user. A complete electronic system consist s of both of these. The electronic system ends up being a complex integration of sensors and actuators, designed for particular or diverse functionalities or applications. The functionalities and applications of modern pervasive electronics include smart and intelligent clothing, flexible displays, smart health monitoring and diagnostic systems, smart phones, wearable computing devices, energy storage and generation, smart bio-compatible devices, etc (Axisa, et al., 2005; Min Cruz, 2012; Gallozzi, 2012). One of the earlier pervasive electronic systems was the television set. The transistor allowed better, smaller and cheaper electrical switching systems. This helped the television set to become a household commodity in the 1950s and 1960s. Later, the advancements in display technologies and better circuitry made television sets much cheaper, lighter and compact. This resulted in an exponential growth in the number of television sets and display screens. Present day tele vision sets are mostly LCD (Liquid crystal display) based. The old initial cathode ray tubes are almost history while other available display technologies including Plasma Displays, LED (Light Emitting Diode) displays, OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) displays, projection displays and rear projection displays are emerging rapidly as alternative electronic technologies. (Goldberg, n.d.; Fischetti, 2001) One interesting technology is the flexible OLED. Flexible electronic displays have been developed recently and they can be used as electronic newspapers, portable TV screens, cloaking, etc. Extensive research is underway in this regard and numerous designs and modifications using different materials have been proposed. Organic materials are the more preferred choice of researchers as they allow more flexibility when compared to inorganic materials. Different substrates has been developed modifying existing printing and fabrication technologies. Inkjet printing has been exte nsively researched for printing electronic circuitry on these substrates (Berggren, et al., 2007). New materials such as Graphene have also been used in developing flexible electronic systems. Graphene is a two dimensional metal which provides ideal flexibility for such applications. Competing materials such as Indium Tin Oxide have emerged but constantly increasing cost along with complex methods for material synthesis have multiplied the demand for Graphene. On the other hand, conventional semiconductor materials do not have the required physical properties as Graphene and therefore, cannot be easily used as a material for flexible electronics. Although, some methods for modifying the physical properties of conventional semiconductor materials are reported in the research literature but still they are unable to match the success of materials like Graphene and Indium Tin Oxide in the domain of flexible electronics (Hamers, 2001; Y. Sun, 2007; Forrest, 2004; Nathan, et al., 2 012). Video recording and playing equipment is another example of a pervasive electronic system. It started with recording on tape. The initial devices were electromechanical devices. Later the tape took the form of a cassette. The recorders became smaller in size and the VCR (video cassette recorder) became the big thing in the 1980s and 1990s. The technology was later replaced by the DVD and DVR recorders. The tape was replaced by a digital disc and the mechanical parts in the systems were reduced to a few components. Blue Ray and Laser based recording technology emerged after the DVD technologies. These devices were compact and were easily able to interface with the existing display technologies which resulted in a massive impact on the popularity of these devices. They were cheap, compact and easily attached with the television sets or projectors, which led to the creation of personalised entertainment systems. The current trend is towards the 3D holographic and optical storage of videos (Gallozzi, 2012). The discussion of pervasive electronics is incomplete without reference to personal computers. Computer started as a bulky machine almost equal in size to a small home, consuming enough power to run a small town and had very slow computation speeds. In the two to three decades, this machine has been transformed to the size of a wrist watch and even smaller. The contributions of people like Steve Jobs and companies like IBM, Apple, Intel, Samsung, HP, etc. cannot be ignored in making computers a personal and pervasive electronic device. The prices have then decreased from millions of dollars to a few hundred dollars. It was estimated in year 2001 that more than 125 million personal computers were sold compared to approximately 48,000 computers in 1977 and that there will be more than 2.5 billion personal computer units by the end of 2014 (Kanellos, 2002; Lunden, 2014). Audio technology has also improved with the advancement in electron ics. Instead of huge and bulky audio systems like gramophones and phonographs, electrical and magnetic recording and sound playing systems emerged. These systems were much smaller, cheaper, compact and less energy consuming. In the last few decades the size of audio playing and recording systems has reduced drastically. The initial tape recorder and player systems, although not the size of gramophones or phonographs, were still lacking portability. First came portable electronic cassette players (e.g. Walkman by Sony) and today people are using electronic Pods and MP3 players (e.g. iPod by Apple) that are not bigger than a wrist watch (Beal, 2010; Boehret, 2012). Apart from the size, they have the ability to store thousands of songs and a battery life of almost a week. These Pods have been very popular for almost a decade now but the recent surveys and reports have shown a decline in the sales of these devices because of the emergence of smart phones, Pads and tablets (Hollist er, 2014). The success of wireless cellular phones, smart computing tablets and the emergence of internet technology is another significant chapter in the story of pervasive electronics. Early telephones were wired and bulky electromechanical devices. Wires caused major portability issues for the phones. The first wireless mobile phone appeared in 1973 developed by Motorola and the flood gates for wireless handset technologies were opened after that. The improvement in radio frequency transmission technologies (GSM, CDMA, etc) and emergence of cellular networks led to the development of better and improved wireless handsets. This again happened because of the advancement in electronic technologies. These sets were initially simple wireless electronic devices which can be easily carried around and had calling and call receiving facilities but in the last decade only, the size reduced and the functionalities provided by the handsets increased drastically. The decrease in c ost along with massive manufacturing allowed the people to have multiple handsets with them having different features. Companies like Samsung, Apple, Nokia, LG, and Motorola have a major contribution in the development and commercialisation of these handsets. Reports suggest that Samsung and Apple respectively shared about 31% and 15.6% of the worlds mobile phone sales in 2013 only (Egham, 2014). The handsets and mobile phones of 1970s and 1980s have improved drastically with introduction of many different features and applications that now they are termed as smart phones. Apart from the voice calling facilities of their predecessors, these smart phones provide numerous other facilities to their users. These facilities include multimedia entertainment, embedded computing, internet connectivity, GPS tracking and navigation, messaging, audio/video recording and playback capabilities, etc. These functionalities are all embedded on a single electronic board inside the smart phon es which only became possible because of improved integrated circuits and micro-fabrication techniques. This makes these devices inherently electronic in nature. Computing Tablets or Smart Tablets are hand held computing devices. These are equipped with sensors, microphones, accelerometers, cameras, high resolution and touch enabled display screens, processors, memories and batteries in a single module. They have capability of a phone and a computer at the same time. The last decade has seen tremendous growth in the concept of such electronic devices. One of the first such devices was developed by ATT in 1991. Many such tablets were later developed by different companies but the trend setting device was iPad developed by Apple Computers and released in 2010. In last four years, many companies have jumped into the tablet computer industry. Samsung, Asus, HP, Microsoft, Google and Lenovo are the major manufacturers of tablets. These tablets have introduced a revolutionised re ading by providing the readers a new interaction experience. High resolution, capacitive and touch enabled screens enjoyed great success among book and newspaper readers. Amazons â€Å"Kindle Fire† and Barnes Nobles â€Å"NOOK† are great examples such electronic devices, with sales reaching more than 5 million units in 2010. These devices are highly portable, efficient, powerful, compact, multi-purpose and cheap. This is why they are having a huge amount of success among the people around the globe. They are now extensively employed in the third world countries for education and learning purposes. It is estimated that by the end of year 2015 the overall number of tablets sold throughout the world will be more than the number of personal computers which is currently estimated to be around 2.5 billion units as mentioned earlier. (Chen, 2012; Lunden, 2014) The smart phones and â€Å"smart tablets† lose the smart word without the availability of the intern et. The internet technology developed out of US defense research and later commercialised in 1990s. The age of internet exploded in 2000s and we are currently living in that age. Internet provides connectivity to billions of computer across the world where they are connected and can share and access information via world wide web. Internet also owes its success to the electronic components involved in it. Computers, communication networks, communication infrastructure, data storage centers, etc. all have electronics involved with them. These things cannot exist without electronics. It is primarily because of the constant improvement in electronics that internet is capable of withstanding connectivity of the 6 billion people across the world. The latest trends and research for the pervasive electronics have been driven by the advancements in flexible electronics. Flexible electronic materials and substrates have renewed the interest in new bio-medical, health care devices an d numerous other areas. Electronic devices with shapes conforming biological surfaces have been realised (Nathan, et al., 2012). Electronic systems replicating human senses have been demonstrated by the researchers. Electronic Tongue (taste sensors) and Nose (smell sensor) has been reported in the literature. (Buratti, et al., 2011) Similarly, bionic versions of human eye have been realised by researchers in many different manners exploiting the advancements in electronics. (Min Cruz, 2012). The flexible electronics has started to revolutionise health care by providing non-invasive monitoring and diagnostics. It has also enabled the researchers and scientists to interact, control and integrate with living organs and organisms (Hamers, 2001). One of the emerging trends in pervasive electronics is towards developing intelligent clothing, wearable computing and autonomous homes. Availability of many electronic technologies such as telecommunications, micro-fabrication, low po wer design, new textiles and sensors have made it possible to develop human friendly materials to enhance comfort and security. Researchers are developing clothes and textiles equipped with smart sensors and electronics for non-invasive monitoring of patients. Apart from the monitoring aspect, these clothing are also designed to be environment friendly, to provide health care facilities and illness protection. (Axisa, et al., 2005) Electronic devices have penetrated in every aspect of modern day human life. Today these electronic devices are used everywhere from our homes, offices, medical centers, schools, government institutions and even for travelling around. Importance of these devices is realised when a device gets damaged. Electronics have now become a part of everyday human life bringing many advantages and disadvantages with it, but, as a whole it is impossible to realise modern world without these electronic devices. References Axisa, F. et al., 2005. Flexible technologies and smart clothing for citizen medicine, home healthcare, and disease prevention. Information Technology in Biomedicine, IEEE Transactions on, 9(3), pp. 325336. Beal, V., 2010. Webopedia. [Online] Available at: https://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/iPod_mp3Player.asp [Accessed 27 August 2014]. Berggren, M., Nilsson, D. Robinson, N. D., 2007. Organic materials for printed electronics. 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