The Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy

by Ihor Cap, Ph.D.

Caserta, Italy     Photo: Ihor Cap

In the mid-18^th century, Charles III of the Bourbons of Naples, a king so taken by the scenic splendor of Caserta, he decided to build Italy’s most enchanting Palace here. To bring the Monarch’s dream to fruition required the genius of a world famous architect, artist and poet. Only one person enjoyed these prerogatives at the time and he worked on the Basilica at Loreto for the Vatican.  His name was Luigi Vanvitelli, son of the Dutch view artist, Gaspard Van Wittel.  In the end, this gifted architect was “borrowed” with the Pope’s permission to design and oversee the development of the great rectangular Palace, garden-park, and the Carolina aqueduct that supply the falls and magnificent chain of descending fountains with basins in the Royal Park. Vanvitelli also provided the plans for the new city of Caserta.  A royal ceremony took place in 1752 to commemorate the laying of the first foundation stone.

Thus and so, the new city of Caserta grew in importance alongside the development of Italy’s most enchanting Palace. Luigi Vanvitelli died 21 years later and his son Carlo completed the remaining details. Today, Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, says the following about this Versailles-like residence (“Reggia”) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caserta ):

It is one of the most visited monuments in the country. Inside are more than 1200 rooms, decorated in various styles. It has been the set for several famous movies such as Star Wars and Mission Impossible III. The park is 2 miles (3.2 km) long and contains many waterfalls, lakes and gardens, as well as a very famous English garden. 

As well, the new edition Caserta (undated) tourist guide has this to say about the Royal Staircase with its lions:

The 117 steps are carved in one single block of sedimentary stone of Trapani, and to their sides there are two enormous and wonderful marble lions; in the wall to their backs there are a door and more over a big niche with a statue of Tommaso Solari which represents the Royal Majesty with the Truth to his right and the Merit to his left. 
The Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy: Slide Show of over 50 photos

 

Transportation

You can get to Caserta Nuova (New) by using the Italian railway network. The trains are affordable, reasonably quiet and comfortable.  They are also quite fast. We arrived to Caserta Nuova from Naples in less than one hour.

Once inside the Palace, you can decide whether you want to walk straight up to the top of the spectacular waterfall, take a horse and carriage up there or for only one Euro, take the tourist bus right up to the waterfall. We decided to hop on the bus the way up and enjoy the most enchanting 2-mile stretch walking back to the Royal Palace where once Kings and royalty frolicked about. 

So, when you are in Italy, do not miss the magnificent splendor of elegant rooms within the walls of the Palace of Caserta.  It is one of the finest examples of the Baroque era. Plus, if you get hungry and thirsty at the end of the day, you can always stop by the Palace cafeteria with the rest of the simpletons for drinks and snacks. 

MSN Live Search has a wonderful search feature to calculate distances between cities for any country in the world. (See  http://www.live.com/) I used it to arrive at the distances between various known Italian cities and Nuova itself. See Table 1 below.  I had to go to another useful site to convert between miles and kilometers and that offers dozens of quick links for other conversions too. (See http://www.onlineconver sion.com/length.htm)

Table 1. Distance from Caserta Nuova to nearby Italian cities and approximate distance in kilometers and miles

From	To	Approx. Distance
Aversa	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	22 km (13.7 miles)
Benevento	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	99 km (61.4 miles)
Caserta Vecchia (Old)	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	11.7km (7.3 miles)
Marcianise	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	8 km (5 miles)
Maddaloni	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	9.2 km (5.7 miles)
Rome	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	199 km (123.6 miles)
Santa Maria Capua Vetere	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	7.6 km (4.8 miles)
Naples	Caserta Nuova (New) the location of the Palace	45 km (28 miles)

Author: Ihor Cap, Ph.D. Ihor Cap is an Education Research Specialist, a web author and Marketing and Promotions Manager for EzReklama.
Source: http:articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com

Bibliography

Caserta The Royal Palace. The Paintings of the 800. The Great Waterfall. The English Garden. Old Caserta. (undated, new edition). Libri Completi. Proprita materiale e fotografie: Vincenzo Alfonsi - Edizioni Alfonsi - Tutti i dirittiper testi e foto riservati - Riproduzione anche parziale vietata.

Internet Bibliography

http://www.sitiunesco.it/index.phtml/? id=648

http:/ /www.initalytoday.com/campania/caserta/cityguide2.htm

http://www. initalytoday.com/campania/caserta/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Caserta

This article was first published April 30, 2009 in http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com.

Truskavets – a city resort in Western Ukraine

By Ihor Cap, Ph.D.

Entering the Resort City of Truskavets'                  Photo: by Ihor Cap

Truskavets, a Ukrainian city resort of just 27,000 people is located in the picturesque foothills of the eastern Carpathian Mountains.  Despite its small population, the city has a right to claim as one of Europe’s great balneological resort centers. Truskavets has over 2500 doctors, 23 sanatoriums’, 20 pansionaty, 17 villas, 17 public libraries, 14 hotels, 2 resort polyclinics, 2 balneological hospitals, 2 public mineral buvets taps, one city hospital, a movie theatre, 2 children’s health camps, a beautiful park to walk around in, ride a bike or a horse, and plenty of bars, cafes, shops and restaurants.

The city is also widely known for its 14 different reserves of curative mineral waters and ozokerite (ozocerite) “mountain wax” deposits that are uniquely concentrated to this part of the world alone.  “Naftusia” (Naftusya) holds a special place among them.  The immunomodulating properties of Naftusia are known to boost the body’s immune system and prevent oncological diseases.  Specifically, Naftusia’s curative properties are said to reduce and remove small stone formations in the kidneys and gall bladder, and urinary and bile ducts.  Naftusia’s other medicinal effects apparently help: stabilize the carbohydrate metabolism in diabetic patients, improve the alimentary tract and pancreas, and restore liver cells and removes radionuclides and toxins from the body. 

This ancient European resort is situated in an ecologically friendly zone with a moderate continental climate.  Over 200 thousand people come to Truskavets for treatment and relaxation every year.  Mostly, Ukrainians and Russians, but tens of thousands European Union countries come here too, making it one of the largest health industry centers in all of Europe.

Historical Background to Truskavets

The territory of Truskavets becomes a part of the first Ukrainian state of Kyivan Rus’ in the X-XI centuries. After the fall of Kyivan Rus’ it becomes part of the Halych (Galicia) and Halych-Volhynian Kingdom.

Feudal Poland occupies Truskavets in the 14 century and the city becomes the property of the Polish Lords (shliakhta).

By 1772, Truskavets and all of Galicia become part of the Austrian empire. Several mineral wells open at this time for medicinal purposes.

The city of Truskavets technically becomes a resort in 1827, with the establishment of a “mineral clinic” and the construction of four buildings to support houseguests.  It expands significantly in the latter half of the 19^th century with new villas, hotels and pansionaty.

The Europeanization of the resort begins in 1911 with the establishment of a coop auction. This encourages further waves of visitors.  Over 5000 visitors arrived here in 1913.

Communist Russian armies occupy Truskavets in WWI for a few years and Polish armies occupy Galicia and Truskavets in 1919.

Truskavets resumes its work as a leading European resort when its growth and success multiplies exponentially in the 1920s and 1930s with over 17,000 visitors frequenting the resort in 1933.  Its recovery capacity easily challenges such other world famous resorts as Vichy, Baden-Baden and Karlovy Vary.

Fascist German armies occupy Truskavets from 1941 to 1944.  Truskavets resumes its work as a resort in 1945 and by 1947; it receives the status of a city.

In 1950, some 50,000 people visit this Ukrainian resort and about 150,000 in 1965.

The city continues to function and develop its capacity and resources as one of the finest resort centers in Ukraine and Europe. Please wait a few minutes for Slide Show to Download.

Truskavets Health Resort Slide Show

Transportation

You can get to Truskavets the way many Ukrainians get there, by “marshrutka” (mini-bus or taxi van) or by car.  Once there, everything is within walking distance. MSN Live Search has a wonderful search feature to calculate distances between cities for any country in the world. (See http://www.live.com/) I used it to arrive at the distances between various known Ukrainian cities and Truskavets itself.  See Table 1 below.  I had to go to another useful site to convert between miles and kilometers and that offers dozens of quick links for other conversions too. (See http://www.onlineconversion.com/length.htm)

Table 1. Distance from Truskavets to nearby Ukrainian cities and approximate distance in kilometers and miles

From	To	Approximate Distance
Truskavets (aka, Truskawiec)	Borislav (aka Boryslav, Boryslaw)	8.2 km  (5.1 miles)
Truskavets	Drohobych (aka Drogobych, Drohobycz)	10 km (6.2 miles)
Truskavets	Stryy (aka Stryj)	35.2 km (21.9 miles)
Truskavets	Lviv   (aka Lwow, Lvov, Lemberg)	93.2 km (57.9 miles)
Truskavets	Ivano-Frankivsk   (aka Ivano-Frankovsk)	134.5 km (83.6 miles)
Truskavets	Przemysl (Poland)   (aka. Ukr. Peremyshl)	94.3 km (58.6 miles)
	1 mile=1.609344 km

Ihor Cap, Ph.D is an Education Research Specialist, a web author and Marketing and Promotions Manager for EzReklama.

Photos: All slide show photos by Ihor Cap and Dariya Dyryk-Cap except where indicated

English language Bibliography:

Truskavets, Wikipedia address is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truskavets

http://rixos.com.ua/eng/about/truskavets.bhtml

http://turportal.org/truskavets.html

http://olechko.org/2007-02-18/truskavets/

http://www.traveltoukraine.org/truskavets.htm

Ukrainian language Bibliography:

http://www.truskavets-kurort.com/

 This article was first published April 7, 2009 in http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com.

Design For Evaluating Multicultural Behavior Change

by Ihor Cap, Ph.D.
The Instructional Situation
Many groups or populations of society remain outdated and out of touch with the new reality of multiculturalism ...being Canadian, as rationalized within the framework of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988.  Existing opportunities to multicultural behavior change (learning) tend to emphasize cross cultural awareness and race relations, each providing a sliver of insightful characteristic but each leaving the learner with an inadequate picture of the whole.  This feeling stems from a concerned awareness that neither approach highlights "vision" in their programmatic efforts necessary to form a more comprehensive view.  Vision, or the ability to identify past analogies, synthesize these to the demands of the new situation and, subsequently articulate a meaningful vision of the future is important to the development of such a view (Bennis & Nanus, 1985).  The product thrust associated with this behavior might be a shared vision of the present "realities" and desired "priorities" of multiculturalism, directed toward establishing "equal appeal" (i.e., statistically) among participants of all origins. 
The macro objective of the instructional situation in the learning media transaction is directed toward such an endeavor; i.e., to assess the usefulness and effectiveness of a  self instructional print module on multicultural behavior change in learners in trade apprenticeships.  Multicultural behavior change can be classified broadly under three domains of human experience and learning: (1) cognitive learning based on one's knowledge or range of information about multiculturalism (Bloom, et al., 1956), (2) affective learning  involving attitudinal responses toward multiculturalism and motivational attitudes toward the particular contents to be learned (Krathwohl, Bloom, & Bertram, 1964), and (3) psychomotor learning based on mastering a complex overt response (Simpson, 1966), as in adjusting interpersonal communication skills to various family, ethnocultural and social class groups having a historical and socio cultural perspective of the client's lifestyle and well being.  The implication is that any approach to multicultural behavior change may produce combined effects.  A unit of instruction effecting increases in the participants' knowledge for a given subject may have an analogous effect upon their acceptance of an ideology at the abstract affective level and may affect their motivational attitudes toward the usefulness of contents presented at the operational level.  Thus, the foci relevant to this study are on learning moved by changes in multicultural behavior in the cognitive and affective domains following exposure to a self instructional print module on the origins and purpose of multiculturalism.
Evaluation Design for Researching Multicultural Beavior Change
Figure 1 presents a conceptual framework with the macro objective depicted as assessing the usefulness and effectiveness of a self-instructional print module on multicultural behavior change (Cap, 1995).  This framework is similar to that employed by Boone and White (1976) in their research project. Consistent with the second definition of instructional technology offered earlier (See article entitled The Learning-Media Transaction), the framework illustrates that the learning-media transaction emerges from the interaction of (1) the learner's characteristics and (2) the instructional situation. 

Figure 1: The Learning-Media Transaction: A Human Process
 

Effectiveness or a receptive framework for multicultural behavior change is mediated in part  by the learners individual, household, cultural and other entry/behavioral characteristics (e.g., initial cognitions, perceptions, preferences, opinions, beliefs, attitudes and motivations) that shape the  parameters of their vision.  Effectiveness may be reduced in the change process if learners do not perceive the contents and activities of the instructional situation (i.e., learning opportunity) as motivationally appealing or useful.  Consequently, the learning-media transaction is evaluated within the framework of the macro objective for evidence of usefulness and effectiveness.
To accomplish this objective, two before and after measures of learning effectiveness are  employed to evaluate the behavior change capabilities of the module.  Change, therefore, is equated with the learning that occurred in apprentices or difference scores obtained by subtraction (Posttest score - adjPretest score), as Figure 1 shows.  This hypothetical relationship is usually established by capitalizing on a concomitant or control variable to permit an evaluation that adjusts for initial baseline design factors and improve experimental precision (Feldt, 1958).  Figure 1 also shows that participating apprentices are randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group.  The control group, according to Tuckman (1988, p.114), "...is a group of subjects, whose selection and experiences are identical in every way possible to the treatment or experimental group except that they do not receive the treatment" (that is, the print module is withheld).  Since this study capitalizes on a control group, it could be assumed that environmental references to behavioral change indices (i.e., knowledge and ideology) and maturation would be experienced equally by both the experimental and control groups, and "...not unduly influence the final differences between the groups" (Weldon, 1962, p.35).
A posttest analysis is used to secure evaluative data on the overall "usefulness" or  motivational appeal of contents and activities presented in the module with apprentices in the experimental group, as Figure 1 indicates.  The posttests serve as added measures for the purposes of comparing the motivational appeal of contents between majority and minority apprentice groups, and apprentice groups stemming from either white or non-white racial backgrounds.  The assumption underlying these comparisons is that individual motivation "...tends somewhat to reflect group motivation" (Wardhaugh, 1983, pp.170-1).  Accordingly, the intensity (degree of involvement) and direction (positive or negative) of learner-apprentice motives may tend to magnify distinctions not only characteristic to race (i.e., whites and non-whites) but also with learners' existing social reality in Canada so far as their respective status is concerned (i.e., majority, minority).  The implication is that factors other than the overall motivational appeal of contents presented in the module influence or interact with the learning-change process; their knowledge about multiculturalism and their acceptance of a multicultural ideology or "... general beliefs associated with the existence of cultural diversity in Canada" notwithstanding (Berry, Kalin & Taylor, 1976, p.240).
Definition of Terms
For the purposes of this study, the following definitions apply to the terms used herein:
Apprentice: "... means a person of at least 16 years of age, who enters into a written agreement with an employer to learn a designated trade requiring a minimum of two years of reasonably continuous employment, which provide practical experience and related technical instruction for that person" (Chapter A110: The Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act, 1987, p.1).
Knowledge: refers to  "... those behaviors and test situations which emphasize the remembering, either by recognition or recall, of ideas, material, or phenomena," (Bloom, et al., 1956, p.62) and for the purposes of measurement, "the recall situation involves little more than bringing to mind the appropriate material" (Bloom, et al., 1956, p.201).
Module: a self-instructional print package designed especially for apprentices and evaluated for contributing to a receptive framework for multiculturalism ... being Canadian.
Majority: Subjects who identify their ancestral origin or ethnocultural background as British (English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh) and French and record it as such on the Background Information Questionnaire.
Minority: Subjects who identify their ancestral origin or ethnocultural background as non British and non French and record it as such on the Background Information Questionnaire.
Multiculturalism: "... is part of what it means to be Canadian.  It is inseparable from Canadians' fundamental citizenship values, which are based on the enduring principles of equality, diversity and community - equality of opportunity; diversity of cultures, experience and skills; and a strong, supportive sense of community" (Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, Multiculturalism, 1987, p.3).
Multicultural Ideology:  "... refers to the general beliefs associated with the existence of cultural diversity in Canada" (Berry, Kalin & Taylor, 1976, p.240).
White: Subjects who identify their race as white and record it as such on the Background Information Questionnaire.
Non white: Subjects who identify their race as non white and record it as such on the Background Information Questionnaire.
Operational Definitions
The following terms are operationalized for a better understanding of the dependent measures employed in this study.
Change: is equated with the learning that occurred in apprentices' or difference scores obtained by  subtraction after adjusting for initial baseline differences (Posttest score - adjPretest score).
Multicultural behavior change (learning): For the purposes of this study, multicultural behavior change is equated with cognitive (recall or recognition of knowledge) and affective (degree of acceptance) learning behavior as measured by 1) the range of scores received on the researcher-constructed CMKI - Canadian Multiculturalism Knowledge Inventory (See Cap, 1995, Appendix C) and 2) scores received on the MI - Multicultural Ideology scale (Berry et al., 1976, p.141).
Motivational Appeal (Usefulness):  The extent to which learners perceive the contents and activities presented in the print module as motivationally appealing or useful, as rated by the study subjects themselves on the IMMS - Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (Keller, 1990).
Author: Ihor Cap, Ph.D. This article first appeared February 9, 2009 in http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com.
About the Author: Ihor Cap is Training Standards Coordinator with Apprenticeship Manitoba. He holds an Education Specialist degree and Ph.D. in Comprehensive Vocational Education from the Florida State University  and a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology from the University of Manitoba. Ihor is also a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada.   
References
Bennis, W., & Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders: The strategies for taking charge. New Yok: Harper & Row.
Berry, W. J., Kalin, R., & Taylor, M.D. (1976). Multiculturalism and ethnic attitudes in Canada (Catalogue No. S96-3/1977). Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services Canada.
Bloom, S.B. Englehart, D.M., Furst, J.E., Hill, H.W., & Krathwohl, R. D. (Eds.) (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook 1. Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Company.
Boone, J.E., and White, E.E. (1976). The effect of extension service's youth nutrition lesson series on behavioral change in EFNEP youth utilization different educational environments and teachers (Agreement No. 12-05-300-280). Washington, DC: The North Crolina Agricultural Extension Service, Oklahoma Extension Service, and Vermont Extension Service, under Cooperative Agreement with the Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Home Economics Division.
Cap, Ihor. (1995). A study of the usefulness and effectiveness of a self-instructional print module on multicultural behaviour change in apprentices in Manitoba. A dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational  Leadership in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The Florida State  University, College of Education, Tallahassee, Florida.
Chapter A110: The apprenticeship and trades qualifications act. (1987). The Queen's Printer for the Province of Manitoba.
Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, Multiculturalism. (1987). Multiculturalism...being Canadian. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services Canada.
Feldt, S. L. (1958). A comparison of the precision of three experimental designs employing a concomitant variable. Psychometrika, 23(4), 335-353.
Keller,  M.J. (1990). Manual for the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS). Unpublished manuscript, Occassional Paper (draft), Florida State University, Department of Educational Research, Tallahassee.
Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom, S.B., & Bertram, B.M. (Eds.) (1964). Taxonomy of educational objectives, Handbook II: Affective domain. New York: David Mckay Company.
Simpson, E. J. (1966). The classification of educational objectives: Psychomotor domain (Contract No. OE 5-85-104). Urbana: university of illinois.
Tuckman, W. B. (1988). Conducting educational research (3rd ed.) Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Wardhaugh,  R. (1983). Language and nationhood: The Canadian experience. Vancouver: New Star Books Ltd.
Weldon, S.E. Jr. (1962). Effects of a television course on attitudes of a selected group of teachers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Florida.

Findings of a Manitoba Research Study on Multicultural Behavior Change in Apprentices

by Ihor Cap, Ph.D.
A study assessed the usefulness and effectiveness of a self-instructional print module on multicultural behavior change (i.e., knowledge and ideology) in apprentices in the province of Manitoba. The review of literature reported the results of individual experimentation studies on the effectiveness of instructional media (technology) in relation to Information (Knowledge) and Attitude Change, and Persuasiveness with various ethnocultural subjects.
The Multicultural Ideology Scale, Instructional Materials Motivation Survey, Background Information Questionnaire, researcher-constructed Canadian Multiculturalism Knowledge Inventory and self-study module, underwent a one-to-one evaluation and a field trial (test) run. The Kuder-Richardson 20 measure and Cronbach’s Alpha defined the reliability of the instruments. Measurement and content review experts gave feedback and suggestions for revision before field-testing. This phase of the study provided the necessary “pretest” data for (1) clarifying procedures, test directions and materials, and (2) estimating the effectiveness and usefulness of the final prototype. T-tests determined that the pre- to posttest gains were significant.
The main experimental research study followed a “Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design” with randomization. Descriptive and inferential statistics provided answers to the hypotheses posed. All data were analyzed at the .05 level of significance using the SAS System at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
     The findings of the study revealed:
1: no significant entry knowledge or attitudinal differences between majority and minority apprentices regarding Canadian multiculturalism or their acceptance of a multicultural ideology.
2: a large and significant posttest difference between the experimental group and the nontreatment control group regarding apprentices’ knowledge of multiculturalism after adjusting for initial baseline differences.
3: a moderate but nonsignificant posttest difference between the experimental group and the nontreatment control group regarding apprentices’ acceptance of a multicultural ideology after adjusting for initial baseline differences.
4: no significant posttest interaction effects between ancestry and type of group regarding knowledge of multiculturalism or acceptance of a multicultural ideology after adjusting for initial baseline differences.
5: no significant motivational module appeal difference between majority and minority.
The conclusion was drawn that the same or similarly designed instruction provides one avenue to fostering multicultural behavior change in learners in trade apprenticeships.
References
Cap, Ihor. (1995). A study of the usefulness and effectiveness of a self-instructional print module on multicultural behaviour change in apprentices in Manitoba. A dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational  Leadership in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The Florida State  University, College of Education, Tallahassee, Florida.
About the Author: Ihor Cap is Training Standards Coordinator with Apprenticeship Manitoba. He holds an Education Specialist degree and Ph.D. in Comprehensive Vocational Education from the Florida State University  and a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology from the University of Manitoba. Ihor is also a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada.
This article first appeared on March 13, 2009 in http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com.

The Learning-Media Transaction

by Ihor Cap, Ph.D.
The manner in which the learning-media transaction materializes depends largely upon what is understood and believed about instructional technology.  According to the Commission on Instructional Technology this involves consideration of at least two major viewpoints or definitions.  The Commission (Tickton, 1970, p.21) reports that:

In its more familiar sense, it means the media born of the communications revolution which  can be used for instructional purposes alongside the teacher, textbook and blackboard. . ... In order to reflect present-day reality, the Commission has had to look at the pieces that make up instructional technology: television, films, overhead projectors,  computers, and other items of "hardware" and "software" (to use the convenient jargon that distinguishes machines from programs).   ... The second and less familiar definition of instructional technology goes beyond any   particular medium or device.  In this sense, instructional technology is more than the sum of its parts.  It is a systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communication, and employing a combination of human and nonhuman resources to bring about more effective instruction.

The general notion of educators having always been dependent on the physical manifestations of technology in enhancing or improving instruction enjoys a long history (Anderson, 1962; Reiser, 1987; Saettler, 1968).  The first definition mentioned above supports this general notion.  More often than not, this viewpoint assumes that media other than the instructor's lecture and printed text will not serve as the primary vehicle of dispersing information or subject matter to learners (Hooper, 1969, p.246).  Alternatively, or in addition to the above, instruction may be rendered complete once the learners "...can hand back such information" to those who guide them (Bender & Boucher,1977, p.4).

However, only the second definition contemplates learning.  A fundamental objective of media in instruction is to improve learning (Tickton, 1970, p.9).  If learning, not technology in instruction, is the heart of educational growth and improvement then technology's capacity for improving this fundamental must be measured.  To accept this viewpoint is to equate learning with change (Kidd, 1973, p.15) in the learners and their behavior (Tyler, 1949, p.44), and hence in the mirroring of their worlds (Tiffin, Knight & Asher, 1946, p.448).  The "process or processes whereby such change is brought about" (Heinich, Molenda & Russell, 1982, p.9) must, therefore, be inferred from systematic recording (Wentling & Lawson, 1975).  The plurality of this latter feature requires multiple sources of evidence (Wentling & Lawson, 1975) with the understanding that many factors, both internal and external to the instructional intervention, affect or influence learning.  Some of these factors are predetermined "...by the nature and experience of the learner, but many of the factors are not fixed in any way; they can be modified and improved with planning and practice" concludes Kidd (1973, p.266) in his chapter on environmental factors in learning.
Here is an example of how one investigator's evaluative research study was implemented toward just such an effort. The chief elements directed toward the improvement of his learning or change effort, considered evaluating, (a) multicultural behavior change, (b) the learner, and (c) the instructional situation.   Hence, these three elements were included in the general design for the learning-media transaction, as shown in Figure 1 (Cap, 1995, p. 8). Read about it in the Design for Evaluating Multicultural Behavior Change article.
Author: Ihor Cap, Ph.D.

About the Author

About the Author: Ihor Cap is Training Development Coordinator with Apprenticeship Manitoba. He holds an Education Specialist degree and Ph.D. in Comprehensive Vocational Education from the Florida State University  and a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology from the University of Manitoba. Ihor is also a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada.

References
Anderson, C. (1962). Technology in American education 1650-1900. U.S. Department of health,  Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Principal Investigator: James D. Finn and  Associate Investigator: Lee E. Campion, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Bender, E. R., & Boucher, W. L. (1977).  Part A - The role of the teacher with students. In L.W. Dull (Ed.), Series #9 - Classroom climate for effective learning: The heart of instruction. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Department of  Education - Division of Vocational Education.
Cap, Ihor. (1995). A study of the usefulness and effectiveness of a self-instructional print module on multicultural behaviour change in apprentices in Manitoba. A dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational  Leadership in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The Florida State  University, College of Education, Tallahassee, Florida.
Heinich, R., Molenda, M., & Russell, D.J. (1982) Instructional media, and the new technologies of instruction. New York:  John Wiley & Sons. & Russell, 1982
Hooper, R. (1969). A diagnosis of failure. AV Communication Review, 17(3), 245-264.
Kidd, R. J. (1973) How adults learn. New York: The Adult Education Company.
Reiser, R. A. (1987). Instructional technology: A history. In R.M. Gagne (Ed.), Instructional technology:  Foundations (pp. 11-48). Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum.
Saettler, Paul. (1968). A history of instructional technology. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Tickton G. S. (Ed.). (1970). To improve learning: An evaluation of instructional technology. Part One, A Report by the Commission on Instructional Technology, Volume I, Edited by Sidney G. Tickton  with the Staff of the Academy for Educational Development. New York: R.R. Bowker  Company, New York.
Tiffin, J., Knight, B.F., & Asher, J.E. (1946). The psychology of normal people. Boston: D.C. Health and Company.
Tyler, W. R. (1949). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Wentling, T. L., & Lawson, T. E. (1975). Evaluating occupational education and training programs. Boston. MA: Allyn and Bacon.


This article first appeared in  Feb 7, 2009 in http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com.

 

Walentina's Montreal Style Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Walentina Cap

Ingredients Required
1.   Regular Ground Beef (2.4 kg)
2.   2 large onions
3.   1 pepper (red or green)
4.   2 Campbell’s tomato soup cans  (1.36 litre or 48 oz fl can, plus another 28 oz can)
5.   2 bay leafs
6.   Heinz Ketchup (half of a 1.25 litre bottle)
7.   Pigment chili (sprinkle to cover pot)
8.   Black pepper (sprinkle)
9.   Garlic powder (sprinkle)
10. Brown sugar (3 large spoons)
11. Table Salt (dash)

Method
1. Place ground beef into large pot and bring to boil until brown (use light flame). Note, bring natural juices from beef to boil. (Always stir occasionally)
2. Dice ingredient #s 2 and 3 and add to pot, stir. Once beef is brown and peppers soft add the remaining ingredients. (Note about 1 to 1.5 hours have passed for beef to brown)
3. Add ingredient #s 4 to 11 to pot and stir.
4. Wait another ten minutes before closing top stove elements.

TOTAL COOKING TIME: ABOUT ONE HOUR AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES
Recipe by: Walentina Cap
Author: Ihor Cap

Pompei (Pompeii), Italy. An archeological and tourist hinterland.

by Ihor Cap, Ph.D.

Pompei is an impressive archeological and tourist locality situated on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius in the province of Naples, Italy. Its name probably comes from the Oscan word “pompe,” a local tribe who inhabited the Campania region, or from the Greek word “pempo” or “pompe.” There were signs of inhabitants and a town as early as the 6th century BC.  It was an important commercial and political hinterland for the Greeks who had overtaken the entire gulf of Naples by 8th century BC. Like many cities and towns in the Campania area, Pompei survived many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. However, the one that brought this ancient Roman city-town to total ruination was the volcanic eruption that buried it altogether on August 24, in 79 AD.  This is how one of the most vibrant and splendid centers of Roman civilization came to a complete halt.
As many as 20 thousand Pompeians died over the course of two days covered under six or seven meters of ashes and other volcanic material. Then, the city-town disappeared into historic oblivion for approximately 1520 years until architect Domenico Fontana who did some construction work on a canal, between 1594 and 1600, rediscovered its ruins accidently. Even then, no one was sure it was Pompei. 
King Charles of Bourbon made the first trial digs in 1748. Excavation work continued, but it was not until the Kingdom of Italy was declared and that in 1860 that the excavation methods became more scientific under the capable direction of archeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli. Amedeo Maiuri did most of the excavation work between the years of 1924 and 1962. He uncovered as much as 60% of Pompei. It is this Pompei that millions of tourists have come to know.
The uniqueness of this excavation site and the surrounding archeological communities of Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata ensured a special place for them on the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 1997.  You will see, amongst other, the most interesting urban configurations, structures and artifacts left by the Etruscans, Samnite, Roman and original Italic peoples.  There is a lot to see in one day. From ancient times, there remain three kilometers and 220 meters long of the fortification walls that archeologists have divided into 9 regions and blocks. This assists visitors with city orientation and layout. Noteworthy in the far southern sector is the Triangular Forum and the theatres. The amphitheater and the palaestra are located in the far southeastern sector of the city ruins. The streets of Pompei crisscross each other at right angles and have very narrow sidewalks. Little wonder why tourists mostly walk the streets. The city centre consists of a cluster of houses organized in block formation. As you walk through the narrow stretch of Via dell’ Abbondanza, every now and then you will come across a fountain or several large blocks of stones that are arranged in a line. The pedestrians once used these stones to cross to the other side perhaps when water levels rose to high.  
Nearby is the Suburban Quarter and the Suburban Thermae (or public baths) that date back to Emperor Augustus.  You can see the external walls of these bathhouses on your left hand side in clear view as you enter the “dead city” and walk up the brick road into Pompei.  This particular bathhouse may in fact have been an ancient “health” center servicing both men and women and contains very intimate illustrations decorating the various rooms. Adjacent rooms have bathing pools, waterfalls and hot baths. There are many Houses to see, each with their own unique interior and assorted rooms. A passageway typically leads to the atrium (today’s living room). The atrium later evolved into an open courtyard that may have included a garden, a fountain and even a statue. A shop or tavern may be nearby depending on the activities and interests of the type of persons living in the sector. The wealthier patrician Houses and Villas enriched themselves with various objects d’art, wall paintings, frescoes or mosaics, and small sculptures. Also noteworthy is the Antiquarium that holds a multitude of interesting artifacts from the excavations not accessible but visible to the public. These artifacts include such things as tools, weapons, vases and plaster casts of humans and animals found after the catastrophic eruption. From here, the tourists’ trail is an easy scenic walk to other striking quarters of the city where a bakery, fishponds, laundry quarters, municipal offices, and even the gladiators’ barracks await you. 
If you are unable to visit Pompei just now, view the slideshow or video presentation below and they will give you an awe-inspiring and well-detailed glimpse of the lives of Pompeians just as it was back in 79 AD.  Thank you for visiting. 
Author: Ihor Cap

Transportation
Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi or as Old Pompei is officially known has a railway station but you can get to Old Pompei by walking to the heritage site from Modern Pompei which is only 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) away. You must stop at the Pompei Scavi train station if you are to see the ruins described and illustrated in this article. If you stop at the Pompei station you will end up in the Modern city of Pompei which is 2.6 kilometers away from the ruins you want to see. MSN Live Search has a wonderful search feature to calculate distances between cities for any country in the world. (See  http://www.live.com/) I used it to arrive at the distances between various known Italian cities and Pompei Scavi itself. See Table 1 below.  I had to go to another useful site to convert between miles and kilometers and that offers dozens of quick links for other conversions too. (See http://www.onlineconversion.com/length.htm)

Table 1. Distance from Pompei Scavi to nearby Italian cities and approximate distance in kilometers and miles

From	To	Approx. Distance
Pompei (Pompeii)	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	2.6 km (1.6 miles)
Amalfi	Circumvesuviana  - Pompei Scavi	48.2 km (30 miles)
Aversa	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	39.4 km (24 miles)
Herculaneum (Ercolano)	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	16 km (10 miles)
Naples (Napoli, Neapolis)	Circumvesuviana  - Pompei Scavi	25.4 km (16 miles)
Positano	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	32.9 km (20 miles)
Rome	Circumvesuviana  - Pompei Scavi	240.3 km (149 miles)
Sorrento	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	24.4 km (15 miles)
Stabiar	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	7 km (4 miles)
Torre Annunziata	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	3.1 km (2 miles)
Torre del Greco	Circumvesuviana - Pompei Scavi	13.2 km (8 miles)

Bibliography

Bonechi, Barbara (Publishing Editor). (2005). Pompeii.Naples. Florence, Italy: Bonechi-Edizioni " Il Turismo" S.r.l. Texts of Pompei edited by Ferrucio Canali, ISBN: 88-7204-557-6.
Author:
Ihor Cap, Ph.D.  This article was first published in http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com on Jan 9, 2009.   
Ihor Cap is an Education Research Specialist, a web author and Marketing and Promotions Manager for EzReklama.

Tustan, a City-Fortress in Ancient Ukraine

by Ihor Cap, PH.D.

The White Croats, an old Slavic tribe that lived in the foothills of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains founded the city-fortress known as Tustan.  It’s cultural and historical significance stems back to the IX-XIII centuries of the first Ukrainian state known as Kyivan Rus’, Halych, and the Halych (Galician)-Volhynian principalities. As a city-fortress, it defended the western frontiers of Europe from undesirable hordes.  As a midway customs checkpoint for the China-Portugal “Silk Route”, it provided many merchants and traders with overnight safe shelter.  Arab origin monetary units, the Dirham (a.k.a. Dirhem, Derham), which were in use during the IX-XI centuries were discovered in the Tustan archeological digs.  Much later still, it served as a very important pathway for the lucrative salt trade from Drohobych, across the Carpathian Mountains to the West. In fact, it could very well be that Halych (Galicia) received its name from the Greek word 'als or "hals" in Roman letters, meaning salt.

 

No fortress in the history of world architecture is comparable to that of Tustan. Its unique wooden construction blended directly into the side-cliffs, reaching a height of approximately 80 meters.  The local museum exhibit provides several graphic illustrations of its developmental phases. These illustrations reflect the 4000 chiseled slots, grooves or cliff-side postholes identified and documented by archeological and scientific research. Throughout the years of its existence (IX-XII centuries), the fortress has gone through five rebuild phases. It steadily grew from a one-story construction into a five-story one. Tustan’s importance and role steadily diminished due to the changing economic, political and military realities of the day. Today, Tustan is a state owned historical-cultural preserve and home to a Medieval Festival of music, medieval duels, and merriment.

Early History of the Big Rock

 

Roman Shchur, researcher and museum curator, provides tourists with a wealth of information previously forgotten or unknown about Tustan. The Frankians have left their traces here as far back as 1000 B.C., he informs us.  Their sacrificial altar stands nearby.  Archeologists also discovered 270 pagan mandalas and petroglyph rock art hewn into the cliff-side and their settlement. These petroglyph artists etched spirals, wheels with spears, dancers, animals and horns, but the most frequent in appearance was the sun sign – a Pre-Christian symbol worshiping the Sun God. By the end of the first century, the Frankians melded into the Old Slavic ethnos, and the Frakian sun symbol could very well have transformed to mean the Pagan Slavic Sun-God – Dazhboh. Throughout the VI-IX centuries, 14 Old-Ukraine Rus’ tribes co-existed in this area, the Dulibians (Duliby) in the Halych area. With time, the Duliby melded with the Volhynians and under that name joined the state of Rus’-Ukraine.  

Transportation

The state owned historical-cultural preserve Tustan is located nearby the village of Urych (Urich), Skole Region, Lviv oblast in Western Ukraine. It is not to be confused with the town of Tustan located near Halych (Galich) that is much further eastward. Consult Table 1 below for other places nearby and approximate distance to Urych in kilometers and miles where the historical-cultural preserve is located. MSN Live Search has a wonderful search feature to calculate distances between cities for any country in the world. It’s this feature that I used to arrive at the distances between various known Ukrainian cities and the village of Urych itself. (http://www.live.com/ ) I had to go to another useful site to convert between miles and kilometers and that offers dozens of quick links for other conversions too. (See http://www.onlineconversion.com/length.htm ).

Table 1. Distance from Urych to nearby Ukrainian cities and approximate distance in kilometers and miles

From	To	Distance in kilometers & miles
Boryslav (a.k.a. Borislav)	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	18.6 km or 11.56 miles
Drohobych (a.k.a Drogobych, Drogobycz)	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	28.8 km or 17.9 miles
Ivano-Frankivsk (a.k.a. Ivano-Frankovsk)	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	144.4 km or 89.7 miles
Kyiv (a.k.a. Kiev, Kiew)	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	643.8 km or 400 miles
Lviv (a.k.a. Lvov, Lwow, Lemberg)	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	105.5 km or 65.6 miles
Morshyn (a.k.a. Morshin)	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	58.3 km or 36.2 miles
Stryy	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	47.5 km or 29.5 miles
Ternopil	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	200.5 km or 124.8 miles
Truskavets	Urych (a.k.a. Urich)	26.2 km or 16.3 miles

Bibliography

ISBN 966-95279-2-9.

Shchur, R.; Kokhanets, M. Tustan (State Historical-Cultural Preserve) History. Folklore/ Roman Shchur; Skolivs’ki Beskydy (National natural park) / Mykhailo Kokhanets. - Lviv: Novyj Chas Publishers, Ukraine. ISBN 966-95279-2-9 
Author: Ihor Cap, Ph.D. Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada. This article was first published December 8, 2008 in http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com.