My Life Alert Bracelet Essay Example for Free

My Life Alert Bracelet Essay My Life Alert Bracelet will use many distribution channels to benefit the company success, and use strategies to help promote its product. My Life Alert Bracelet will take advantage of the special promotion provided by our company. We will establish an email database, so we can send customers our special coupons and invite them for the perfect sale events that we offer for that season. We can also attach our coupons to the customer’s receipts to allow future saving on their purchases. Therefore we will be using different advertisements to get our name out to all of the community near and far off. Our goal will be to display the product we offer. Another technique will be to advertise our low coast products to the local community and surrounding areas, by using the free publication aids to attract the attention of the viewers and other vendors that would like to purchase these alert bracelets for their own personal or business uses. Our company plans is to utilize local newspapers advertisements, and making sure we meet with inquiring customers so they will help get the word out through word of mouth from experience. Last but not least we will post flyers out in the local business and the community for the target market. My Life Alert Bracelet will have to persuade the potential audience that they want and need our bracelet for the safety of their family or friends. In the process of being successful with our advertisement can create and also nurture a sense of I want and I need this less expense product to benefit the safety of their family member. The best way our company can measure the effectiveness from our advertisement will be to see how many consumers was aware of our product and the service we offers, meanwhile making contact with the company to purchase our product. After the publicity has simmered down, our company will then compare our current data with our past data in a quarterly session to evaluate our positive success or our negative success of our company. Never the less many people are interested in staying and being more healthier, therefore many people are looking to use the My Life Alert Bracelet to properly identify their medical concerns in the event of an accident or any medical emergency. The M.L.A.B. will help the medical staff or medical personnel to assist you in a timely manner. The promotion strategies that will be utilized in our company will be as follow: 1.Sale Promotion will be one of the methods used to help out with our company promotion strategy. Sale promotion is commonly used for the increase in a sale for a short period. 2. Public Relation it will help develop a positive relationship with the media/media. this will hopefully help the company to handle all negative attention while remaining professional with a successfully mind frame. 3. Personal Selling offering face to face one on one sale to our customers, giving them the best quality sales. 4. Direct Mail this is personalizing the mail by putting the name of the target audience you are trying to reach out too. This will directed to a particular person in hope to increase sales. 5. Sponsorship this is networking in giving another organization the permission to list our product or use our logos. By using this method normally have high profiles that are seen by a large audience. 6. Introduction is when the new company is trying to get the word out that they are in the market we can utilize the push/pull strategies to help push the product towards the introduction stage called the lifecycle. 7. Growth after the M.L.A.B. product line has grown and the target market are happy to accept the lifecycle. We offer true loyalty to our value custom. 8. Maturity at this point our company will take full responsibility to encourage the target audience to purchase our product to benefit a life saving experience. This market research is done to indentify the main goal in purchasing this line of product. The M.L.A.B. main purpose is to help your family member in a time of a serious situation that is not caused intentionally. The alert bracelet will alert the medical staff if your love one wonder off or become ill, it will alarm the emergency hotline, and the emergency staff will place a call to the medical official which will alert the family member of the person condition. This bracelet will alert the medical staff of any medical condition you may have, and any allergic reaction you have or had at one time. The M.L.A.B. is sold at a low price making it affordable for person with insurance or non-insurance persons. We have booths set up at the local Mall or you can stop by the main building to make your purchase. The consumer today has become very demanding. They want high quality products as well as high quality customer service. Delivering value customer service is very important to our company. When there is poor customer service it may bring the value of our company down. The customer are not satisfied, and may bring a gap between the two of us because they might be thinking what should be done, and my company thinking how it should be done causing a dissatisfaction in the mist. When having customer’s complaints that we were not ready to handle at that time can make the customers seek other companies for their service. Our goal is to keep the customers happy at all times, the customers are the main focus because if they are happy then for profit will be greater. In saying that we look forward in customers satisfaction and we make sure we do our best in presenting quality customer service to maintain a quality profits.

Spanish Language Varieties in Spain and in Mexico

Spanish Language Varieties in Spain and in Mexico Spanish language varieties in Spain and in Mexico. George Bernard Shaw regarded Great Britain and America as ‘two countries divided by a common language’. This viewpoint can be also applied to Spain and Mexico, the Spanish-speaking countries with different language varieties and dialects that have been formed under the influence of specific historical, cultural, political and social events. Despite the fact that Spanish is spoken in many countries, the major varieties of Spanish can be observed in Latin America and Spain, where the language, according to Clare Mar-Molinero (2000), â€Å"is buoyant and secure† (p.18). Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family and comes from Vulgar Latin language, although Spanish vocabulary consists of Italian, French and Arabic words. Spanish language in Latin America has five major varieties: the Caribbean, the South American Pacific, the Argentinian-Uruguyan-Paraguayan, the Central American, and the Highland (or Standard) Latin American. However, this classification is too generalised, as it is based only on the differences in pronunciation. Due to â€Å"the immensity of the territory where Latin American Spanish is spoken† (Lipski, 1994 p.3), linguists analyse language varieties â€Å"along geographical, political, ethnic, musicological and social lines† (Lipski, 1994 p.3). The residents of Mexico mainly use the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects that emerged after the formation of Peruvian Spanish. Nahuatl dialect that belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language group (Andrews, 1975) and has â€Å"the greatest influence in centra l Mexico† (Lipski, 1994 p.6) is an ancient Spanish dialect. About one million Mexican people speak Nahuatl dialect nowadays. In Spain there are also two principal language varieties – the Castilian and the Andalusian dialects that were formed in the middle ages, although some regions of Northern and Southern Spain create other specific dialects. As Spanish language descends from Castile, the Spanish region that became a centre of political significance since the thirteenth century, the Castilian dialect is one of the most widespread varieties and is accepted as a national criterion in Spain. Mar-Molinero (2000) considers that the phenomenon of ‘Castilianisation’ was initiated by the Visigoths; however, it was only in the eighteenth century when the Castilian dialect displaced other language varieties as a result of Charles’ III 1768 declaration, demonstrating a profound impact of political prevalence on linguistic prevalence. Mar-Molinero (2000) also states that the Andalusian dialect considerably influenced the formation of the Standard Latin American (pp.36-37), although this viewpoint is strongly opposed by sociolinguists. Other crucial language varieties in Spain are Euskara, Galician and Catalan; these dialects have some parallels with Portuguese and French languages, although they do not belong to the Indo-European language family. The emergence of these three Spanish varieties is closely connected with the spread of nationalism. The Levantine varieties also constitute an important group of dialects utilised in such Spanish regions as Alicante, Valencia and Castellà ³n. People in these areas currently use Catalan/Valencian, Murcian, Andalusian, Aragon, and La Manche/Castile dialects. The differences in all these Spanish language varieties attribute to pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar (Penny, 2000). In particular, pronunciation of the Standard Latin American differs from the Castilian, similar to the dissimilarities between British English and American English. In the Castilian dialect the sounds ‘ce’ or ‘ci’ are changed into ‘th’: ‘gracias’ (thanks) appears as ‘gratheas’; however, in the Standard Latin American the word ‘gracias’ is pronounced as ‘gras-see-as†. Such separate pronunciation of the word ‘grasseeas’ is a characteristic feature of the Standard Latin American dialect. In the Castilian dialect some words are ended in a vocable vowel, losing their last consonants, while two Mexican dialects are characterised by the pronunciation of final consonants. Overall, the speech in Mexico is slow in comparison with the speech in the majority of Spanish regio ns (Hill Hill, 1986); however, the Caribbean, or Lowland dialect is defined as a rather prompt and informal variety of Spanish language. In addition to the differences in pronunciation, there are some differences in grammar. In Mexican Spanish ‘ustedes’ (you) is utilised both for formal and informal address, while in Castilian Spanish there are two words for formal and informal address – ‘ustedes’ and ‘vosotros’, respectively. Some verbs in the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects have changed their initial forms, acquiring certain Anglicisms and Americanisms. In particular, Mexican residents say, â€Å"Apliquà © a la Universidad† (I applied to the university), while Spanish people utilise a more precise form – ‘Postulà © a la universidad’. Similarly, Spaniards in Spain prefer to utilise pasado perfecto (the compound tense that is similar to English Present Perfect tense): ‘Yo he viajado a los Estados Unidos’ (I have travelled to the USA). Mexican people use a more simplified tense – pretà ©rito indefinido (Englis h Past Indefinite), for example, â€Å"Viajà © a Estados Unidos† (I travelled to the USA). According to Julia Kristeva (1989), â€Å"Language is so intimately linked to man and society that they are inseparable† (p.3); thus, the utilisation of Anglicisms and Americanisms in Mexican Spanish reflects historical and social differences between Spain and Mexico. Duncan Green (1997) points at the impact of the United States on language and identity of Mexican population; in particular, the author states that â€Å"The mass media has become a battleground in the struggle to define Latin American’s identity† (pp.98-99). The simplification of Spanish language in Mexico reveals that various social changes modify language, and language shapes the identity of Mexican people. As Mar-Molinero (2000) states, â€Å"Not only does language have an instrumental role as a means of communication, it also has an extremely important symbolic role as marker of identity† (p.3). Due to the fact that social identities of Mexican and Spanish people differ, Spanish language of Mexico and Spain is characterised by a rather diverse vocabulary. For instance, the word ‘Okay’ is translated as ‘Sale’ in Mexico, and as ‘Chungo’ – in Madrid; similarly, the word ‘work’ is rendered as ‘chambear’ in Mexico and as ‘currar’ – in Spain. Another difference that distinguishes Mexican Spanish from Spanish in Spain is the preservation of archaisms in the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects. Such words and expressions as ‘Órale’ (All right), ‘Ya mero’ (almost) or ‘Quà © pedo?† (What is going on?) are normal for Mexican Spanish, but they are not utilised in Spain. John Lipski (1994) considers that these language varieties emerged as a result of cultural and social interactions of Spain and Mexico with other countries. The Standard Latin American dialect was considerably influenced by Italian and African immigrants who arrived in Latin America at the end of the nineteenth – the beginning of the twentieth centuries (Lipski, 1994 pp.11-12). Skidmore and Smith (2000) reveal the similar viewpoint, claiming that in Latin America â€Å"languages, food, sports, and music all show profound and continuing African influence† (p.356). Simultaneously, the Standard Lat in American and the Caribbean dialects reflect native roots, especially Indian roots that are rather distinct in Mexican Spanish. For instance, the language of the Mayans serves as the basis for more than thirty dialects in Mexico, let alone the language of the Aztecs. In particular, many modern Mexican dialects preserve initial and final sounds tl- in certain words, like ‘Nahuatl’, ‘Quetzalcoatl’, the god of Aztecs, or ‘Tlaxcala’, Mexican state. As Skidmore and Smith (2000) point out, â€Å"Aside from the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas, there were many other Indian cultures. In the area of modern-day Mexico alone there were over 200 different linguistic groups† (p.14). However, the impact of the Castilian language on the formation of Mexican Spanish is the greatest, as the Castilian was the only language taught in Mexican schools with the arrival of Spanish settlers. Thus, three major aspects aggravated the differences between Spanish spoken in Spain and Spanish spoken in Mexico: Spanish settlements in Mexico, immigration of English, Italian and African people, and finally, linguistic drift. Analysing Spanish language varieties in Mexico and Spain, the essay demonstrates that the differences mainly exist in spoken language, influencing such linguistic aspects as vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. The Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects in Mexico and the Castilian and the Andalusian dialects in Spain are characterised by diverse accent, idioms and unique words, but these variants are integral parts of Spanish language. As a result of various social and political changes, modern Mexican Spanish has been exposed to the process of Americanisation, which considerably simplifies vocabulary and grammar of Spanish dialects in Mexico and intensifies the differences between Mexican Spanish and Spanish spoken in Spain. The spread of travels and mass media changes Spanish language in both Mexico and various areas of Spain, revealing unique cultural identities of different Spanish-speaking groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Andrews, J. R. (1975) Introduction to Classical Nahuatl. Austin, University of Texas. Green, D. (1997) Faces of Latin America. Nottingham, Russell Press, Latin American Bureau. Hill, J. H. and Hill, K.C. (1986) Speaking Mexicano. Tucson, University of Arizona Press.   Kristeva, J. (1989) Language: The Unknown An Initiation Into Linguistics. London, Harvest Wheatsheaf. Lipski, J.M. (1994) Latin American Spanish. London, New York, Longman. Mar-Molinero, C. (2000) The Politics of Language in the Spanish-Speaking World from Colonization to Globalization. London, New York, Routledge. Penny, R. (2000) Variation and Change in Spanish. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Skidmore, T. E. and Smith, P.H. (2000) Modern Latin America. 5th edition. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Three Principal Meetings that Led to the Adoption of the Constitution o

Three Principal Meetings that Led to the Adoption of the Constitution of the United States There were three principal meetings that led to the adoption of the Constitution of the United States, and only two Virginians attended all three. The meetings were the Mount Vernon Conference of 1785, the Annapolis Convention of 1786 and the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. James Madison was one attendee, and he is well known as the Father of the Constitution and our fourth President. George Mason was the other, yet his name does not spring to mind. Does George Mason deserve the accolade "Founding Father?" This paper will explore the political life of Mason and attempt to answer the question affirmatively. Before exploring Mason through his papers, his biographies and the papers of his contemporaries, it is necessary to decide what one must have done to be included in the list of our republic's founders. For purposes of this investigation, we must find that Mason's words or actions were influential in the document as finally ratified. While Mason's authorship of the Virginia Declaration of Rights is easily tied to the Bill of Rights, the question for this paper is whether Mason's handprints appear on the mold of our Constitution. Mason is well regarded as a political writer. "His three most brilliant papers - 'Extracts from the Virginia Charters', 'The Virginia Resolutions' and 'Declaration of Rights' have become immortalized as the very foundations of American democracy." Herbert Lawrence Ganter identified George Mason as an "eighteenth century champion of liberty for all." But these approbations are difficult to uncover. More commonly, one finds quotations such as "†¦the wr itings of the great thinkers of the age - Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Adams†¦" To adequately examine George Mason, a brief review of his pre-convention life and activities helps set up his provenance as a founding father. George Mason, the fourth so named in this lineage, was born about 1725. His father drowned during a squall while crossing the Potomac in 1735. His education was at the hand of his paternal uncle and co-guardian John Mercer of Marlborough who had "†¦assembled one of the outstanding libraries in the colony†¦" Mercer's collection was heavily weighted toward law and legal treatises but contained the currently popular classic literature as well as works on philosop... ...ited States." In further debate, Colonel Mason moved to insert the words "increased or" before "diminished" in the proposed clause defining the compensation of judges, but this motion was voted down. On August 28, Mason objected to the clause denying States the right to interfere in private contracts. On August 29 Mason joined the fray on the issue of regulation of commerce and States' rights, again expressing his concern that southern states are a minority. On the issue of new western states, he suggested that they be treated equally, a view opposed to those who had moved to place superior power in the existing States. August 30 was a day of silence for Colonel Mason. On August 31, Mason supported those who felt that only nine States needed to ratify rather than ten as was on the table. Nine States had been acceptable for the Confederation and there was no valid reason to change. As August came to a close, Mason seconded the motion of Elbridge Gerry to postpone a decision on how and when the States should be allowed to ratify the Constitution. It was during this speech that Mason declared he would sooner chop off his right hand than put to the people the Constitution as it

An Amazing Book :: Essays Papers

An Amazing Book Been In The Storm So Long, written by Leon F. Litwack exposes the cruel, harsh, and most disgusting attitudes of humans towards one another. This story is about the lives of black slaves, slave owners, and the people fighting for freedom during the Civil War and even after Emancipation. This story reveals the interactions between blacks and whites and dramatizes their inner dependency on one another. It also divulges the tension and friction between the two groups. After reading this short summery of Been In The Storm So Long, I hope one can acknowledge the intentions of this book and perhaps give one the desire to pick up this book and let the story take one to a place Americans tend to keep hidden. As the story begins, it talks about the changes in attitudes of the slaveholders. One slave by the name of Robert Murray recalls how his â€Å"white folks† started to change. Murray was a young slave that had been treated fairly well and was even taught how to read, even though it was against the law. Some of the children were even welcomed in what was called the â€Å"Big House† because the children found warmth there. With Abraham Lincoln’s election as President, things changed for the slaves. The children were not welcomed in the â€Å"Big House† anymore. Robert Murray, along with the other slaves, felt uneasy because he was being watched constantly. The slaveholders started to wonder how the slaves continue their chores as if nothing was going on. Mary Chesnut, a South Carolina slaveholder, wonders, â€Å"Are they stolidy stupid or wiser than we are, silent and strong, biding their time†(4). When the white males of all the plantations go off to war, they think it will be an easy and short fight. One North Carolinian says, â€Å"whup the North† (5) as if he would be back in time for dinner. Needless to say, many of the white males do not return and for those who are restored; it was in mangled bodies. Because many fathers, brothers, and sons do not return, the women left at the plantations became cruel and cold hearted. Mattie Curtis’s mistress whipped the slaves to the point of unbearable pain when she received news on the death of her son. Master Charley hit a slave girl named Missy with a â€Å"hot poker† stick and then says, â€Å"Free de niggers, will dey?

Around The World In 80 Days :: essays research papers

Type of Literary Work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This sensational novel is an adventure novel consisting of an enterprising Englishman touring the globe. Woven within are historical facts, such as the British Empire and colonies around the globe, as well as historically accurate locations. Theme   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme of this breathtaking novel is one of daring and persistence. On the whim of a wager, Fogg is sent around the world in the impossible time span of eighty days. Throughout the work, Fogg’s limitless persistence, entwined with his stereotypical English composure, astound the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fogg represents this boundless daring in the audacious wager he makes. He has promised his arrival back in London in eighty days, regardless of the wilderness, delay, or other problems that may arise on his journey. The reader is, perhaps, driven to the conclusion that Fogg is a madman, who takes lightly to large sums of money. This is not so, as Fogg (although the wager seems unfeasible) is a reserved man, calm and collected at all times atop the punctuality Verne expresses within him in just the first chapters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Verne expresses the stereotypical Englishmen, the seeker of adventure, popular in his time. Almost jokingly does Verne come to this conclusion, he being a Frenchman, in which all Englishmen will go to the corners of the Earth to find an area to â€Å"Europeanize†, find a wild beast to market from, or a project to throw their pounds at.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fogg’s endless persistence, is further shown in his composure while great delays push him back, tragedies occur around him, and loved ones are lost repeatedly. His endless hope was a flood during a great drought within the circumstances he was found in. Train delays were compensated through elephant purchases, steamer delays through chartering yachts, stubborn foreigners subdued through a handful of bank notes – even the weather seemed to fall before Fogg. His devotion to his ultimate goal, not that of the money but of the accomplishment, was infinitely expressed throughout the work. Setting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting for this novel was a constantly shifting one. Taking place during what seems to be the Late Industrial Revolution and the high of the British Empire, the era is portrayed amongst influential Englishmen, the value of the pound, the presence of steamers, railroads, ferries, and a European globe. The novel begins in London, but quickly changes eastward, from Paris, to Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Yokohama, San Francisco, Omaha, New York, Queenstown, Liverpool, and back to London – a complete circumnavigation around the glove condensed into two hundred-odd pages.

The Great City of Calicut

The Great City of Calicut Located on the Malabar (southwestern) Coast of India was its port city of Calicut. Calicut, Kozhikode, was the capitol of a state which served as an important, if not the most important, state in the region in which it lay. Although Calicut lay on the coast, there was no place along its shore deep enough for ships to anchor. Still, as early as the fourteenth century, Calicut conducted a considerable amount of trade.According to the primary sources of Ibn Battuta, Ma Huan, and an annonymous crew member of Vasco da Gama’ s, Calicut flourished as a center of trade because of their resources and trade systems, among other factors, making lasting impressions on these and other foreign visitors. In the account recorded in the Roteiro (Logbook), of Vasco da Gama’s anonymous crew member, various resources of Calicut were given. Calicut was a supplier and producer of several desired spices, including ginger, pepper, and the cinnamon-like spice, cassia.B y the fifteenth century, Calicut had established a system for cultivating pepper. Among spices that were brought to Calicut and traded with other countries were cloves from the island of Melqua and true cinnamon from Cillion. In addition to their natural resources, the people of Calicut created and sold silk. Once the silk was acquired from the silkworm, it was boiled, dyed, then weaved into kerchiefs. Not only was Calicut admired for their resources, but Calicut established trade regulations among foreign countries that was both respected and appreciated.For example, Moroccan traveler-ambassador Ibn Battuta chronicled in his ribla (around 1356), book of travels, that when a ship wrecked along the Malabar Coast, all items from the ship were taken to the treasury. However, in Calicut, the owner of the wreckage was permitted to recollect his items. Merchants appreciated this, thus attracting further business. This policy was strategic of Calicut in that although they did not gain an i mmediate profit from the wrecked ships, long-term, trade efficiency increased, ultimately benefitting Calicut even more.In Chinese Muslim Ma Huan’s book, The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores, published in 1451, he gives a detailed description of Calicut’s trading process. Once a vessel arrived in Calicut, two chiefs were appointed to it to oversee transactions. The king of Calicut sends a chief, an accountant, and a broker to inspect the accountant books. After a date is chosen to fix prices, the price of each good brought to trade to Calicut is fixed, a description, much like a receipt, is given to both parties.Next, the chief, the accountant, and the commander of the visiting ship all shake hands and agree to never retract or change the price fixed for the goods. Then the accountant and wealthy men bring riches to be assessed and priced. This process takes between one and three days. This description shows that because Calicut had such a high volume of tra de, a system was developed and practiced to a â€Å"T† in order to maintain trade efficiency. This also assured that no one was cheated out of goods/money.According to the accounts of the above travelers, the development of Calicut was aided in part by their natural resources and trading systems and regulations. Chief among other factors as to why Calicut was so significant is that it served as a trading route, allowing duties to be paid to the Sultan. However, during these times, the state of Calicut was in religious divide. The king and the people were Hindu, while the chiefs were Muslim. Although the two religions respected each other, this divide may have been seen as weakness among foreigners, which may have ultimately contributed to the decline of Calicut.

Bandura theories social cognition Essay

Albert Bandura`s social learning theory places learning in a social context. Bandura and his colleagues take the position that personality is acquired, or learned behavior. In particular, Bandura`s insistence that behavior can be learned from mere observation is a significant departure from Skinner’s behaviorist position. An original empirical demonstration of observational learning was presented in a study by Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1993). Nursery school children were allowed to watch an adult’s unusual aggressive actions against an inflated Bobo doll – the kind that pops back up after it has been punched or knocked down. The adult models hit the doll with a hammer and kicked it, tossed it in the air, and even sat on it and punched it. After merely observing this behavior, the children were later allowed to play with toys that included the Bobo doll and hammer. The children who observed the adult model, either live or on videotape, hit the doll more frequently than a control group who had not seen a model. They also tended to hit the doll the way they had observed the adult model do it. Bandura interpreted this study as demonstrating that the probability of behavior can be strengthened through observation. Indeed, in Bandura`s approach to personality, much of one’s behavior is learned and strengthened through imitation, which is a kind of social cognition learning. In this term paper I address the difference in the effectiveness of using simulation intervention program based on a Bandura`s Social learning theory. Moreover, to find out if the program improves either or both the quality and speed of the learning process of students enrolled in a highly technical training program. This term paper focuses on using simulation based learning environments in vocational training program. In this paper, the experimental methodology and instruments are described, results and findings presented and finally discussed and concluded. METHODOLOGY Doing my research on Bandura`s Social learning theory in complex simulation-based learning environments, I experienced a large difference in how learners reacted to my learning material (Kluge, in press, 2004). Complex technical simulations involve the placement of the learner into a realistic computer simulated situation or technical scenario which puts control back into the learner’s hands. The contextual content of simulations allows the learner to â€Å"learn by doing. † Although my primary purpose was in improving research methods and testing procedures for evaluating learning results of simulation-based learning, the different reaction of the participants were so obvious that I took a closer look. I had two different groups participating in my learning experiments: students from an engineering department at the University, mostly in their 3rd semester, and apprentices from vocational training programs in mechanics and electronics of several companies near the University area in their 3rd year of vocational training. Most of the students worked very intensively and concentrated on solving these complex simulation tasks whereas apprentices became easily frustrated and bored. Purposes of the Study Although my first research purpose was not in investigating the differences between these groups, colleagues and practitioners showed their interest and encouraged me to look especially at that difference. Practitioners especially hoped to find explanations why apprentices sometimes are less enthusiastic about simulation learning although it is said to be motivating for their perception. As mentioned above, my primary purpose when I started to investigate learning and simulation based on Bandura`s Social Cognition theories was focused on improving the research methodology and test material (see Kluge, in press, 2004) for experimenting with simulation-based learning environments. But observing the subjects’ reactions to the learning and testing material the question arose whether there might be a difference in the quality of and speed of the learning process of students involved in my study. Research Design A 3-factor 2 ? 2 ? 2 factorial control-group-design was performed (factor 1: â€Å"Simulation complexity†: ColorSim 5 vs ColorSim 7; factor 2: â€Å"support method†: GES vs. DI-GES; factor 3: target group, see Table 2). Two hundred and fifteen mostly male students (16% female) in eight groups (separated into four experimental and four control groups) participated in the main study. The control group served as a treatment check for the learning phase and to demonstrate whether subjects acquired any knowledge within the learning-phase. While the experimental groups filled in the knowledge test at the end of the experiment (after the learning and the transfer tasks), the control groups filled in the knowledge test directly after the learning phase. I did not want to give the knowledge test to the experimental group after the learning phase because of its sensitivity to testing-effects. I assumed that learners who did not acquire the relevant knowledge in the learning phase could acquire useful knowledge by taking the knowledge test, which could have led to a better transfer performance which is not due to the learning method but caused by learning from taking the knowledge test. The procedure subjects had to follow included a learning phase in which they explored the structure of the simulation aiming at knowledge acquisition. After the learning phase, subjects first had to fill in the four-item questionnaire on self-efficacy before they performed 18 transfer tasks. The transfer tasks were separated into two blocks (consisting of nine control tasks each) by a 30-minute break. In four experimental groups (EG), 117 students and apprentices performed the learning phase (28 female participants), the 18 control tasks and the knowledge test. As said before, the knowledge test was applied at the end because of its sensitivity to additional learning effects caused by filling in the knowledge test. In four control groups (CG), 98 students and apprentices performed the knowledge test directly after the learning phase, without working on the transfer task (four female participants). The EGs took about 2-2. 5 hours and the CG about 1. 5 hours to finish the experiment. Both groups (EGs and CGs) were asked to take notes during the learning phase. Subjects were randomly assigned to the EGs and CGs, nonetheless ensuring that the same number of students and apprentices were in each group.