The Star Online: MCA chief: Each BN component party should have equal voice

Comment from sender:
DSDr CSL was rather bold and direct with his speech at the BN Convention.

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/5/nation/20101205190957&sec=nation

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Speech of MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek at the 1 Barisan Nasional convention is below

KUALA LUMPUR: Each Barisan Nasional component party should have an equal voice in raising issues affecting the people in order for it to be a coalition of choice by the rakyat, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said.

He said the people always came first and Barisan had to articulate the hopes, fears, expectations and frustrations of the various communities in the country.

As such, he said each component party must accord full respect to this basis of power sharing.

"There should not be any big brother or small brother within the coalition. We are working towards the same cause and purpose. We are equal partners," said Dr Chua at the Barisan convention here Sunday.

Describing the convention as "most crucial" particularly with the buzz of an impending general election getting louder, Dr Chua also noted that the Barisan must not be seen as merely collaborating during elections but must be genuine about power sharing at all times.

He said there was a need for Barisan component parties to work as equal partners and that decisions pertaining to policies should not be announced at the Umno general assembly or at its supreme council meetings that did not have an equivalent status to the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Dr Chua also expressed concern over the public delivery system that very often did not reflect the thinking of the Barisan government.

He urged the Government to seriously act on addressing such weaknesses.

"We have to accept the reality and weaknesses in our system and act accordingly so as to improve on it. We can no longer live in a denial mode," he stressed.

Apart from that, he said there should also be a clear-cut management mechanism made available to punish civil servants who acted against the 1Malaysia concept.

"There should be no compromise on this," he added.

Urging all Barisan comrades to take heed of the Prime Minister's initiative in taking the lead to "turun padang" to be with the people and feel the nation's pulse, Dr Chua said this was the way to get to know the people's grouses, anger and pain, gather feedback and suggestions and see whether the government policies were implemented in tandem with the expectations and aspirations of the people.

For the nation to flourish, he said the Barisan must draw strength from the humility of moderation and inter-racial harmony founded on justice, democracy, mutual consultation and diversity.

Dr Chua said Barisan had to change to reflect the 1Malaysia agenda, which was inclusive, multi-racial and put people first.

The young people in particular were not satisfied with mere development, he said, adding that they expected the Barisan to be fair and democratic in its decision making.

"They do not want the government to be all talk and no action. It must be accountable in what it preaches and not allow promises to turn out to be mere rhetoric."

Dr Chua also reiterated the party's commitment to achieving the Prime Minister's vision of 1Malaysia, and high income nation by 2020.

He said MCA believed that Barisan under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's leadership gave hope to all Malaysians that a better and dynamic Malaysia could be realised.

Dr Chua also called on all Barisan component parties to join forces to make the coalition a choice of the rakyat, defend Putrajaya from the Pakatan Rakyat and turn the Pakatan Rakyat's march to Putrajaya an unrealised dream.

Speech of MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek at the 1 Barisan Nasional convention

5th December 2010

YAB Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abd Razak, Prime Minister Malaysia cum Chairman of BN

YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister Malaysia cum Deputy Chairman of BN

A very good morning everyone. It is an honour that the Barisan Nasional convention is held in Wisma MCA this time around.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to our beautiful party headquarters.

Ladies & Gentleman,

1. This convention is most crucial especially with the buzz of an impending general election getting louder. At the end of the convention, it is hoped that we can derive at how best we can synergise our resources and further enhance our coalition machinery to the fullest.

2. The March 2008 election has sent a clear signal that Barisan Nasional must change and revamp itself for it to win votes and public support to stay in government.

3. It can't be business as usual for Barisan Nasional.

4. We have to change to reflect the 1Malaysia agenda which is inclusive, multiracial and people first.

5. MCA fully supports the government's 1Malaysia policy of inclusiveness where the people come first. We are for a social contract to better serve the people in all fairness and in realising the wishes of the rakyat.

6. The rebranding process should take into account the mutli-racial framework of co-operation. It should not be just UMNO.

7. The basis of power sharing within the coalition should be fully respected with each component party enjoying equal voice in bringing up issues of the rakyat.

8. There should not be any big brother or small brother within the coalition. We are all working towards the same cause and purpose. We are equal partners.

9. On this note, Barisan National must pursue the middle path of moderation and at the same time we need to strengthen the public delivery system which is a sore point by the voters.

10. We have to accept the reality and weaknesses in our system and act accordingly so as to improve on it. We can no longer be living in denial mode.

11. Fellow comrades, today's young people are not satisfied with merely development. They expect Barisan Nasional to be fair and democratic in its decision making.

12. They do not want the government to be all talk but no action. It must be accountable with what it preaches and not allow promises to turn out to be rhetorics.

13. Barisan National must not be seen as merely collaborating during the elections but must be genuine in power sharing at all times.

14. We must work as equal partners, hence decisions pertaining to policies should not be announced at the Umno general assembly or at its supreme council meetings, which is not equivalent to Cabinet status.

15. Very often the public delivery system does not reflect on the thinking of the BN government. The government should therefore seriously act on addressing those weaknesses.

16. If there are perceptions that the system is deviating, then we certainly will be confronted with problems.

17. We can ill afford to be besieged with such problems and the Public Services Department (JPA) is responsible to ensure the smooth functioning of the civil service and its effectiveness as well.

18. However I believe that the JPA has been given too much power to hire and fire.

19. How can this be the situation? There should be a reward and punishment system in place so that action can be meted out against the wrong doers and incentives or rewards be given to those who excel in their work.

20 A clear cut management mechanism should be made available to punish civil servants who act against the concept of 1Malaysia. There should be no compromise on this.

21. There is an urgent need to review the JPA General Order/1933 on its powers to hire and fire. This is to check abuses and weaknesses, to ensure that the powers of Ministers would not be usurped.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

22. Distinguished comrades, we should also take heed from the Prime Minister's initiative in taking the lead to "turun padang" to be with the people and to feel the pulse of the nation.

23. When we "turun padang", we will be able to feel the people's pulse and get to know their grouses, anger, pain and at the same time gather feedback and suggestion.

24. Only then we will know whether government policies are implemented in tandem with the expectations and aspiration of the people.

25 And when we go down to the ground, we should in all humility be humble. Without humility, there can be no humanity. We must always be friendly and humble and not flaunt our wealth or power.

26. We should also do away with the unofficial protocol of sirens blaring away to signal the arrival of a VIP in some functions. There is no need for such unfounded ceremonial formality. We are supposed to serve the people, not to be served all the time.

27. While we have to address the concerns of the various communities, as leaders we should also be sensitive towards the choice of words used.

28. Certain words should be considered taboo. Some of the examples are Pendatang, Penumpang, terutang budi, kurang patriotic and ketuanan Melayu.

29. We should not shoot ourselves in the foot. Youngsters don't like to hear such remarks which are not only distasteful but considered outrageously derogatory.

30. Leaders must also be reminded that they are expected to not only say the right things but also in doing the right thing. Pledges must be translated into actions. We must practice what we preach.

31. And when it comes to organising Barisan Nasional events or functions, it must reflect that we are working as a team from the State and Federal level.

32. When putting up campaign posters, it must also have the multi-racial ingredients to reflect the 1Malaysia agenda. The posters should feature that of all BN leaders, other than the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.

33. For instance, in the Galas by-election, the Pakatan Raykat put up posters of Nik Aziz, Guan Eng and Anwar Ibrahim.

34. On addressing outdated approaches, the "Undilah Barisan Nasional untuk Kestabilan" slogan has outlived its time and is timely that it be changed to Vote BN = 1Malaysia = High Income for All. Barisan National may not be perfect but we are the better choice.

35. Hence all the BN wakil rakyat should not only serve its own ethnic group but that of all races.

36. In the same way, the allocations given for resources such as publicity materials should also be distributed fairly and all activities organised by Barisan Nasional should involve all component parties as well.

37. Of equal importance are the food served at BN organised functions – it should be taken into consideration the sensitivity of the Hindus who do not eat beef and we should also cater to the vegetarians.

38. Such considerations, although may seem petty are important to the people. No one should be left out in our quest to reach out to the people.

39. Of concern by the people is the crime rate. Although statistics show that it has gone down, the perception of the man in the street has not changed. This is one area we should not neglect.

40. I would like to reinforce the need to make it clear that vernacular schools are part of the educational landscape. The existence of SJKC and SJKT should in no terms be considered as a "political compromise"

41. Vernacular schools should always co exist with other schools such as Sekolah Agama Rakyat, sekolah Arab, international schools and mission schools. Such a feature in our educational landscape is in line with our 1Malaysia agenda of promoting diversity.

42. Mandarin or Chinese education should not be viewed along the racial lines. The emergence of China as the second economic power in the world has made Mandarin language to be of great economic and significant value.

43. The PM decision to offer scholarship to all students regardless of race who scored 9As in the SPM Examination has gone down well. The government should continue with similar initiatives pertaining to education. There should be equal accessibility and fair treatment for all Malaysians.

44. Another area of concern is to ensure that we uphold our judiciary system in high esteem, one which is not tainted and impartial.

45. And when we give aid to the people, all those who deserved assistance shall not be deprived or overlooked. "Rakyat mesti di dahulukan".

46. For the nation to flourish, we must draw strength from the humility of moderation and inter-racial harmony founded on justice, democracy, mutual consultation and diversity.

47. I believe that all Malaysians will want a country that is fully developed with the realization of 2020 whereby all citizens would be a part of the process of nation building and high-income society.

48. Rakyat is the Nation stakeholder. If the country achieves respectable growth every year, the rakyat will benefit and they will trust the government and continue to support the government.

49.To be a party of choice by the rakyat, Barisan Nasional has to articulate the hopes, fears, expectations and frustrations of the various communities in Malaysia. It is always people first.

50. Hence, government must continue its liberalization and economic transformation program to achieve high income status.

51. Since the transformation program is private sector driven, it must inspire confidence in them. Hence, government policy must be transparent, fair and do not flip flop.

52. The way of doing business in Malaysia should also be simplified and be business friendly. We need to address the issue of the influx of foreign workers. No decisive action taken has not gone down well with the rakyat.

53. We support the government effort to reduce the budget deficit so that our debt rating is not affected. We have to maximize the utilization of our nation resources to reduce wastage and leakage.

54. MCA support affirmative action that is based on needs and merit. Needs and merits should be the basis and key fundamental of policy decision.

55. MCA is committed to achieve the PM's vision of 1 Malaysia and High Income Nation by 2020. MCA believe that Barisan Nasional under PM leadership will give hope to all Malaysian for a change towards a better Malaysia.

56. Let us work together to make Barisan National the party of choice by the rakyat. Barisan Nasional must work hand in hand to defend Putrajaya from Pakatan Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat march to Putrajaya will then continue to be a dream.

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http://thestar.com.my

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The Star Online: BN leaders unveil new charter to transform, take the party forward

Comment from sender:
BN Charter based on 7 principles.
Extracts of speeches of BN component parties.

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/5/nation/20101205203740&sec=nation

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KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional is the nation's success story but further improvement in meeting the people's needs and aspiration is necessary to ensure the coalition continues to be supported by the rakyat, leaders told delegates to Sunday's Barisan Nasional Convention.

At the end of the convention, a new Barisan Nasional charter was unveiled by Prime Minister and Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak aimed at guiding the coalition forward.

Najib penned the final signature on the seven-point charter, also signed by leaders from Barisan's 13 component parties after his winding up speech on Sunday.

The charter is based on these principles:

*To uphold the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law

*To strengthen racial relationship and multiracialism inline with the concept of 1Malaysia

*To pursue the improvement of the nation's economy by increasing competitiveness, and at the same time to bestow assurance towards fair economic distribution

*To assure quality education is given to all.

*To increase the quality of life and to continue giving priority to economic development and social welfare

*To strengthen the family institution

*To carry out the principle of positive management and reject corrupt practices

Delegates at the convention recited the charter, a new concept to reinvent Barisan in line with its agenda of political transformation.

Earlier, Barisan Nasional secretary Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the coalition could not be copied or destroyed by outside elements because of the strong bond and sincerity that had been established which reflected the closeness of the party to the people.

"The Barisan is also not one or two years old but has matured and endured numerous problems and crises in the country. It has never surrendered or given in to the challenges faced," he said in his welcoming speech at the third Barisan Nasional Convention at the Wisma MCA here on Sunday.

He said Barisan must also focus on strengthening its position as "pillar of the country".

He said Barisan must continue to pursue its objective to build a Bangsa Malaysia in a united and harmonious spirit.

"My hope is at the end of this convention, we will continue to strengthen Barisan's position without any presumptions, fix our weaknesses, and get rid of all negativitiy in the name of our shared goals," said Tengku Adnan who is also Umno secretary-general.

The convention, which was held for the first time in Wisma MCA's Dewan San Choon, was attended by 2,340 delegates including Barisan component party members, "Friends of Barisan", NGO members and individuals.

He noted that the selection of the venue for Barisan's third convention since the first in 1995 was itself part of the "transformation within Barisan".

"It's a transformation within Barisan Nasional to ensure that each component party has a role," he said. Tengku Adnan added all Barisan conventions would involve all component parties from now on.

The convention also observed a minute's silence for former Penang Chief Minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu who died last month.

Throughout the Barisan convention Sunday, the coalition leadership heard from 13 component parties and its women and youth movement on the need to reinvent and improve performance for Barisan to remain relevant.

Barisan deputy chairman Tan sri Muhyiddin Yassin said political understanding among races had enabled the coalition to manage differences well, adding Barisan was not just about power sharing but also a platform that allowed the people irrespective race and religion to be fairly represented.

"Our priority is to ensure that each citizen is able to advance himself and enjoy prosperity without sidelining other races. As a result, we have successfully maintained racial harmony, political stability and push the economy forward," he said when addressing the convention.

Muhyiddin, who spoke on behalf of Umno said the party fight for Malay and Bumiputra causes based on Barisan's principle which had been agreed upon by all.

Barisan wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil called on component party presidents to "look out for the womenfolk" whose role in bringing the support and votes for the coalition was crucial.

"Please remember that women makes 50.3% of the voters. Please give them due recognition and give room to women in the political arena. If Barisan wants to win, the formula is to take care of women," she said.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said it was important for Barisan to change if it want to "remain in the hearts and mind of the people", adding it must ensure that people be given the same opportunity in development so no one would beleft behind.

"Barisan must lead the way in efforts to strengthen unity and to realise the 1Malaysia concept.

"At the same time, economic disparity need to be addressed and there must be an increased efforts to help improve the quality of life, particularly in rural areas," he said, adding the concept of putting the people first must be practiced.

Coalition youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said Barisan need to potray itself as a party that was "young people-friendly", adding the group would be a crucial element in the next general election.

"In previous by-elections such as in Bagan Pinang, Manik Urai, Galas, Hulu Selangor and Batu Sapi, records showed that support from youths has returned to Barisan," he said.

Khairy said the movement proposed promoting the Barisan brandname, such as the establishment of 1Malaysia BN scholarship to that the coalition would enjoy "dividens" from such branding efforts.

Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that Barisan should remember "who is the boss", adding it was important that rakyat be served efficiently at all times.

"Politicians must serve the people and not the other way around.The rakyat also demands that government service is efficient, be served with respect and their want be given attention," he said.

Dr Koh added Barisan need to be a "truly 1Malaysia" coalition that was fully committed in promoting unity in diversity, guided by the spirit and principle of the Constitution and Rukun Negara.

PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas said the Barisan government was responsible for ensuring that public safety not only meet but surpass all standards.

"No efforts should be spared in maintaining peace and security.

Increase in the type and nature of threats has created a greater awareness on the need to boost public safety,' he said, adding the government should build more police stations and beat base to enable police to respond effectively and fast.

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Copyright © 1995-2010 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.

Joined numerous yahoogroups incl mobile learning

Today, Sat 4 Dec 2010, I have joined many yahoogroups by the keywords of:

"mobile learning";

e-learning;

usability e-learning; and

usability HCI.

 

This blog entry also appears in http://mikeyeap.prodigits.co.uk/blog36.htm

 

Progress reporting key-in

Fri, 3 Dec 2010 - I have keyed in PhD progress reporting into ICEMS.

However, info on milestone, date planned and description of achievement could not be saved (bug).

This blog entry also appears in http://mikeyeap.prodigits.co.uk/blog35.htm

Mobile TWITTER pros & cons

Pros: 1)  simplistic user interface; 2)  easy to read.   Cons: 1)  limited tweets can be read, older tweets cannot be accessed; 2)  numerous features available in web Twitter are not available in mobile Twitter.   This blog entry also appear in http://mikeyeap.prodigits.co.uk/blog34.htm

 

Mobile Phone is more convenient than Notebook Computer

I arrived early at the client's place today and yesterday.  After switching on my wifi modem, I took out my mobile phone to access the internet.  It was convenient to make good use of this waiting time as I travelled early to avoid massive traffic congestion.  I read news articles, chatted with friends via Yahoo Messenger.  This was definitely more convenient than switching on my notebook computer which was in the car boot.   Mobile phone is light and small, and faster start-up as compared with notebook computer. The main downside of using mobile phone for internet access is the small screen size of mobile device.   This blog entry also appears in http://mikeyeap.prodigits.co.uk/blog33.htm

 

reading Bible on Mobile phone in church

Today, Sunday 28 Nov 2010, is my first time using Biblegateway on my mobile phone in church.  Instead of bringing my physical Bible to church, I brought my wifi modem and mobile phones.   When the Preacher quoted the bible verse, I read it from my mobile phone accessing m.Biblegateway.  I found this to be practical as the font size (which is adjustable) in mobile phone is bigger than font size in my physical Bible. I brought both the touchscreen and touchscreen+keyboard. I found keyboard to be useful and fast for entering bible verse to be searched.   This blog entry also appears in http://mikeyeap.prodigits.co.uk/blog32.htm   Future:  Will use mobile phone (accessing m.Biblegateway) instead of physical Bible in church and HF.   P.S. I haven't been to church for a long time. 2 signals that I should start to go to church again. a) Preacher today preached well using story-telling method. He drew my total attention throughout his sermon. (Downside: He quoted little from the Bible, only 2 verses.) b) Suny (in black outfit) was playing keyboard. (Still like the colors white-gray-black??)

 

20101127 - Conceptual/Theoretical Framework (wikipedia)

Conceptual Framework Comments: also known as Theoretical Framework. A conceptual framework is used in research to outline possible courses of action or to present a preferred approach to an idea or thought. For example, the philosopher Isaiah Berlin used the "hedgehogs" versus "foxes" approach;[1] a "hedgehog" might approach the world in terms of a single organizing principle; a "fox" might pursue multiple conflicting goals simultaneously. Alternatively, an empiricist might approach a subject by direct examination, whereas an intuitionist might simply intuit what's next.[2] Conceptual frameworks (theoretical frameworks) are a type of intermediate theory that attempt to connect to all aspects of inquiry (e.g., problem definition, purpose, literature review, methodology, data collection and analysis). Conceptual frameworks can act like maps that give coherence to empirical inquiry. Because conceptual frameworks are potentially so close to empirical inquiry, they take different forms depending upon the research question or problem. Several types of conceptual frameworks have been identified,[3][4] such as Working hypothesis Descriptive categories Practical ideal types Models of operations research Formal hypotheses These are linked to particular research purposes such as:[5] Exploration or Exploratory research Description or Descriptive research Gauging Decision making Explanation Prediction Proponents claim that when purpose and framework are aligned, other aspects of empirical research such as methodological choices and statistical techniques become simpler to identify. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_framework Conceptual System A conceptual system is a system that is composed of non-physical objects, i.e. ideas or concepts. In this context a system is taken to mean "an interrelated, interworking set of objects". Overview A conceptual system is simply a conceptual model. There are no limitations on this kind of model whatsoever except those of human imagination. If there is an experimentally verified correspondence between a conceptual system and a physical system then that conceptual system models the physical system. "values, ideas, and beliefs that make up every persons view of the world": that is a model of the world; a conceptual system that is a model of a physical system (the world). The person who has that model is a physical system. In psychology and social work, when they talk about a conceptual system, they are referring to some person's model of the world, but if they try to understand that model, they end up making a model of that model, which is just a model of the person's behavior. In any case, this is exactly the purpose of the general term "conceptual systems". Examples Examples of conceptual systems are: Entity-relationship model Object-oriented programming: allows conceptual systems to be defined in a robust manner. Metalogic Unified Modeling Language Related topics Concept Main article: Concept A concept is an abstract idea or a mental symbol, typically associated with a corresponding representation in and language or symbology, that denotes all of the objects in a given category or class of entities, interactions, phenomena, or relationships between them. Concepts are abstract in that they omit the differences of the things in their extension, treating them as if they were identical. They are universal in that they apply equally to every thing in their extension. Concepts are also the basic elements of propositions, much the same way a word is the basic semantic element of a sentence. Unlike perceptions, which are particular images of individual objects, concepts cannot be visualized. Because they are not, themselves, individual perceptions, concepts are discursive and result from reason. They can only be thought about, or designated, by means of a name. Words are not concepts. Words are signs for concepts. Conceptual schema Main article: Conceptual schema A conceptual model is a representation of some phenomenon, data or theory by logical and mathematical objects such as functions, relations, tables, stochastic processes, formulas, axiom systems, rules of inference etc. A conceptual model has an ontology, that is the set of expressions in the model which are intended to denote some aspect of the modeled object. Here we are deliberately vague as to how expressions are constructed in a model and particularly what the logical structure of formulas in a model actually is. In fact, we have made no assumption that models are encoded in any formal logical system at all, although we briefly address this issue below. Moreover, the definition given here is oblivious about whether two expressions really should denote the same thing. Note that this notion of ontology is different from (and weaker than) ontology as is sometimes understood in philosophy; in our sense there is no claim that the expressions actually denote anything which exists physically or spatio-temporally (to use W. Quine's formulation). For example, a stochastic model of stock prices includes in its ontology a sample space, random variables, the mean and variance of stock prices, various regression coefficients etc. Models of quantum mechanics in which pure states are represented as unit vectors in a Hilbert space include in their ontologies observables, dynamics, measurement operators etc. It is possible that observables and states of quantum mechanics are as physically real as the electrons they model, but by adopting this purely formal notion of ontology we avoid altogether this question. Conceptual framework Main article: Conceptual framework A conceptual framework is used in research to outline possible courses of action or to present a preferred approach to a system analysis project. The framework is built from a set of concepts linked to a planned or existing system of methods, behaviors, functions, relationships, and objects. A conceptual framework might, in computing terms, be thought of as a relational model. For example a conceptual framework of accounting "seeks to identify the nature, subject, purpose and broad content of general-purpose financial reporting and the qualitative characteristics that financial information should possess".[1] Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_system Concept Map A concept map is a diagram showing the relationships among concepts. They are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge. Concepts, usually represented as boxes or circles, are connected with labeled arrows in a downward-branching hierarchical structure. The relationship between concepts can be articulated in linking phrases such as "gives rise to", "results in", "is required by," or "contributes to".[1] The technique for visualizing these relationships among different concepts is called "Concept mapping". An industry standard that implements formal rules for designing at least a subset of such diagrams is the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Overview A concept map is a way of representing relationships between ideas, images or words, in the same way that a sentence diagram represents the grammar of a sentence, a road map represents the locations of highways and towns, and a circuit diagram represents the workings of an electrical appliance. In a concept map, each word or phrase is connected to another and linked back to the original idea, word or phrase. Concept maps are a way to develop logical thinking and study skills, by revealing connections and helping students see how individual ideas form a larger whole.[2] Concept maps were developed to enhance meaningful learning in the sciences. A well-made concept map grows within a context frame defined by an explicit "focus question," while a mind map often has only branches radiating out from a central picture. There is research evidence that knowledge is stored in the brain in the form of productions (situation-response conditionals) that act on declarative memory content which is also referred to as chunks or propositions [3][4]. Because concept maps are constructed to reflect organization of the declarative memory system, they facilitate sense-making and meaningful learning on the part of individuals who make concept maps and those who use them. Concept mapping versus topic maps and mind mapping Concept maps are rather similar to topic maps (in that both allow to connect concepts or topics via graphs), while both can be contrasted with the similar idea of mind mapping, which is often restricted to radial hierarchies and tree structures. Among the various schema and techniques for visualizing ideas, processes, organizations, concept mapping, as developed by Joseph Novak is unique in philosophical basis, which "makes concepts, and propositions composed of concepts, the central elements in the structure of knowledge and construction of meaning."[5] Another contrast between Concept mapping and Mind mapping is the speed and spontaneity when a Mind map is created. A Mind map reflects what you think about a single topic, which can focus group brainstorming. A Concept map can be a map, a system view, of a real (abstract) system or set of concepts. Concept maps are more free form, as multiple hubs and clusters can be created, unlike mind maps which fix on a single conceptual center. History The technique of concept mapping was developed by Joseph D. Novak[6] and his research team at Cornell University in the 1970s as a means of representing the emerging science knowledge of students. It has subsequently been used as a tool to increase meaningful learning in the sciences and other subjects as well as to represent the expert knowledge of individuals and teams in education, government and business. Concept maps have their origin in the learning movement called constructivism. In particular, constructivists hold that learners actively construct knowledge. Novak's work is based on the cognitive theories of David Ausubel (assimilation theory), who stressed the importance of prior knowledge in being able to learn new concepts: "The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach accordingly."[7] Novak taught students as young as six years old to make concept maps to represent their response to focus questions such as "What is water?" "What causes the seasons?" In his book Learning How to Learn, Novak states that "meaningful learning involves the assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing cognitive structures." Various attempts have been made to conceptualize the process of creating concept maps. Ray McAleese, in a series of articles, has suggested that mapping is a process of off-loading. In this 1998 paper, McAleese draws on the work of Sowa and a paper by Sweller & Chandler. In essence, McAleese suggests that the process of making knowledge explicit, using nodes and relationships, allows the individual to become aware of what they know and as a result to be able to modify what they know.[8] Maria Birbili applies that same idea to helping young children learn to think about what they know.[9]The concept of the Knowledge Arena is suggestive of a virtual space where learners etc. may explore what they know and what they do not know. Use Concept maps are used to stimulate the generation of ideas, and are believed to aid creativity. For example, concept mapping is sometimes used for brain-storming. Although they are often personalized and idiosyncratic, concept maps can be used to communicate complex ideas. Formalized concept maps are used in software design, where a common usage is Unified Modeling Language diagramming amongst similar conventions and development methodologies. Concept mapping can also be seen as a first step in ontology-building, and can also be used flexibly to represent formal argument. Concept maps are widely used in education and business for: Note taking and summarizing key concepts, their relationships and hierarchy from documents and source materials New knowledge creation: e.g., transforming tacit knowledge into an organizational resource, mapping team knowledge Institutional knowledge preservation (retention), e.g., eliciting and mapping expert knowledge of employees prior to retirement Collaborative knowledge modeling and the transfer of expert knowledge Facilitating the creation of shared vision and shared understanding within a team or organization Instructional design: concept maps used as Ausubelian "advance organizers" which provide an initial conceptual frame for subsequent information and learning. Training: concept maps used as Ausubelian "advanced organizers" to represent the training context and its relationship to their jobs, to the organization's strategic objectives, to training goals. Increasing meaningful learning Communicating complex ideas and arguments Examining the symmetry of complex ideas and arguments and associated terminology Detailing the entire structure of an idea, train of thought, or line of argument (with the specific goal of exposing faults, errors, or gaps in one's own reasoning) for the scrutiny of others. Enhancing metacognition (learning to learn, and thinking about knowledge) Improving language ability Knowledge Elicitation Assessing learner understanding of learning objectives, concepts, and the relationship among those concepts Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_mapping Conceptual Schema A conceptual schema or conceptual data model is a map of concepts and their relationships. This describes the semantics of an organization and represents a series of assertions about its nature. Specifically, it describes the things of significance to an organization (entity classes), about which it is inclined to collect information, and characteristics of (attributes) and associations between pairs of those things of significance (relationships). Overview Because a conceptual schema represents the semantics of an organization, and not a database design, it may exist on various levels of abstraction. The original ANSI four-schema architecture began with the set of external schemas that each represent one person's view of the world around him or her. These are consolidated into a single conceptual schema that is the superset of all of those external views. A data model can be as concrete as each person's perspective, but this tends to make it inflexible. If that person's world changes, the model must change. Conceptual data models take a more abstract perspective, identifying the fundamental things, of which the things an individual deals with are just examples. The model does allow for what is called inheritance in object oriented terms. The set of instances of an entity class may be subdivided into entity classes in their own right. Thus, each instance of a sub-type entity class is also an instance of the entity class's super-type. Each instance of the super-type entity class, then is also an instance of one of the sub-type entity classes. Super-type/sub-type relationships may be exclusive or not. A methodology may require that each instance of a super-type may only be an instance of one sub-type. Similarly, a super-type/sub-type relationship may be exhaustive or not. It is exhaustive if the methodology requires that each instance of a super-type must be an instance of a sub-type. Example relationships Each PERSON may be the vendor in one or more ORDERS. Each ORDER must be from one and only one PERSON. PERSON is a sub-type of PARTY. (Meaning that every instance of PERSON is also an instance of PARTY.) Each Employee may have the supervisor within Employee. Data structure diagram A data structure diagram (DSD) is a data model or diagram used to describe conceptual data models by providing graphical notations which document entities and their relationships, and the constraints that binds them. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_schema Conceptual Model In the most general sense, a model is anything used in any way to represent anything else. Some models are physical objects, for instance, a toy model which may be assembled, and may even be made to work like the object it represents. However a conceptual model, may only be drawn on paper, described in words, or imagined in the mind. They are used to help us know and understand the subject matter they represent. Type and scope of conceptual models Conceptual models range in type from the more concrete, such as the mental image of a familiar physical object, to the formal generality and abstractness of mathematical models which do not appear to the mind as an image. Conceptual models also range in terms of the scope of the subject matter that they are taken to represent. A model may, for instance, represent a single thing (e.g. the Statue of Liberty), whole classes of things (e.g. the electron), and even very vast domains of subject matter such as the physical universe. The variety and scope of conceptual models is due to the variety of purposes had by the people using them. Metaphysical models A metaphysical model is a type of conceptual model which is distinguished from other conceptual models by its proposed scope. A metaphysical model intends to represent reality in the broadest possible way. This is to say that it explains the answers to fundamental questions such as whether matter and mind are one or two substances; or whether or not humans have free will. Epistemological models An epistemological model is a type of conceptual model whose proposed scope is the known and the knowable. Ethical models Logical models In logic, a model is a type of interpretation under which a particular statement is true. Logical models can be broadly divided into ones which only attempt to represent concepts, such as mathematical models; and ones which attempt to represent physical objects, and factual relationships, among which are scientific models. Mathematical models Main article: Mathematical model Mathematical models can take many forms, including but not limited to dynamical systems, statistical models, differential equations, or game theoretic models. These and other types of models can overlap, with a given model involving a variety of abstract structures. Scientific models Main article: Scientific model A scientific model is a simplified abstract view of the complex reality. A scientific model represents empirical objects, phenomena, and physical processes in a logical way. Attempts to formalize the principles of the empirical sciences, use an interpretation to model reality, in the same way logicians axiomatize the principles of logic. The aim of these attempts is to construct a formal system for which reality is the only interpretation. The world is an interpretation (or model) of these sciences, only insofar as these sciences are true.[1] Data models Domain Models A domain model is a type of conceptual model used to depict the structural elements and their conceptual constraints within a domain of interest (sometimes called the problem domain). A domain model includes the various entities, their attributes and relationships, plus the constraints governing the conceptual integrity of the structural model elements comprising that problem domain. A domain model may also include a number of conceptual views, where each view is pertinent to a particular subject area of the domain or to a particular subset of the domain model which is of interest to a stakeholder of the domain model. Social and political models Economic models Main article: Economic model In economics, a model is a theoretical construct that represents economic processes by a set of variables and a set of logical and/or quantitative relationships between them. The economic model is a simplified framework designed to illustrate complex processes, often but not always using mathematical techniques. Frequently, economic models use structural parameters. Structural parameters are underlying parameters in a model or class of models.[1] A model may have various parameters and those parameters may change to create various properties. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_(abstract)