Navigating crisis, navigating ICTs: A study of Indian migrant workers during the pandemic

In this note, we present the preliminary findings from a qualitative interview-based study among migrant workers in India who went through much hardship in the wake of one of most strict pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020. Through this study, we narrate the four ways in which digital technologies enabled the relief and crisis mitigation efforts targeted to migrant workers and how that in turn shaped the workers' experience of the crisis and associated relief efforts. We argue that more flexible use of familiar digital tools and channels, collaboration across state and non-state actors and assistance from human intermediaries in navigating ICTs make for more effective and inclusive relief measures. © 2022 ACM.

Methodology for Virtual Education of Clinical Engineering through the Implementation of Digital Tools for Simulated Scenarios and International Collaboration

The Covid-19 global pandemic has represented a challenge for education, which had to migrate to virtual environments. Universities adopted different teaching methods to keep contributing to the growth of the professionals in various fields. In this context, the Biomedical Engineering program of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia had to change or adapt the methodology of the courses included in its curriculum in order to reach the learning objectives. This paper presents a methodology for an innovative approach of simulated scenarios using digital tools for the virtual teaching of Clinical Engineering. The learning results achieved in two semesters of implementation of the methodology, during 2020 and 2021, were measured by means of a survey applied to the students at the end of the course. Obtaining achievement results above 76 % and improvement opportunities that would be useful for the next version of this course and for the replication of the methodology in other universities. © 2023 IEEE.

Population perceived eye strain due to digital devices usage during COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: To assess the magnitude severity and determinants of eyestrain and the use of digital devices in a Saudi population during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. METHODS: This web-based survey was conducted in September 2020 and enrolled only Saudi nationals 15 years or older. Data were collected on demographics, eye strain related symptoms, severity, and the use of optical aids during the COVID-19 lockdown. The frequency and severity of eye strain were calculated. A Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) score was graded as none/mild moderate and severe, based on the sum of 15-eye strain related signs and symptoms. Correlation analysis was performed for determinants of CVS. RESULTS: The study sample was comprised of 2009 individuals with median age of 20 years. Among those who used digital devices for more than 6 h daily, the main reasons for use were work and social purposes among 68.4%, and 61% of respondents, respectively. The prevalence of knowledge on CVS and the '20-20 rule for using digital devices' was 9.4% and 6.9, respectively. The most common symptoms of eye strain from digital device usage were headache, burning, itching, tearing, and redness of eyes. Six hours of daily usage of digital devices was positively associated to the grade of eye strain severity during the COVID-19 lockdown (P < 0.05)). CONCLUSION: The Saudi population experienced eye strain during COVID-19 lockdown due to excessive digital devices usage. Longer duration of digital device usage was associated to eye strain. Health care providers should educate the general population on measures to mitigate eye strain due to digital devices. Trial registration ID None applicable.

Healthcare Industry: Embracing Potential of Big Data across Value Chain

In the fast-moving era of the Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), digitally fueled devices and technologies are paramount for driving innovation and creating values across a myriad of industries. A case in point is - Healthcare Industry. Healthcare insurance companies, hospitals, and other providers around the world are belligerently leveraging digital tools and technologies such as Big Data analytics, Lake, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), Natural Language Processing, smart sensors, and the Internet of Things (IoT), for improving the overall quality of care and overall process efficiency and effectiveness. The Healthcare industry has been a center of discussion for embracing Big Data practice across the value chain for the past couple of decades due to the prodigious potential that is concealed in it. With so much abundant information, there have been numerous provocations related to the apiece stage of maneuvering big data that can only be amplified by leveraging high-end computer science results for big data analytics, as mentioned above. Well-organized healthcare ecosystem, analysis, and magnification of big data can influence the course of the game by opening new paths in terms of offering unique yet innovative products and services for the modern age technology-propelled healthcare value chain. This paper emphasizes the impetus of Big Data across the healthcare value chain, which involves the amalgamation of technology, data, and business, yielding better decisions and improving the experience across all touch points. © 2022 IEEE.

Identification of Online Learning Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Developing Countries: A Case Study of a Metropolis Faculty of Sciences

The unexpected outbreak of the Corona virus (COVID-19) disrupted schools and universities around the world. Traditional classes were canceled, forcing schools and universities to switch to online learning. While developed countries have already adopted e-learning and online learning into their teaching practices, which made the transition relatively easy during the COVID-19 crisis, other developing countries continue to struggle with problems of electricity and information technology infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges of online learning faced by students and teachers at the Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco. Thus, two anonymous structured Google Forms questionnaires were sent to participants via email. 498 responses were returned from students and 105 from teachers. We use descriptive statistics to better understand the distribution of study participants. The study reveals that the faculty during the lockdown ensured educational continuity and offered a reliable online learning in terms of digital and educational materials. However, technical problems such as the slow speed of the Internet connection, lack of knowledge about the use of information and communication technologies to teach and learn, low motivation of students, were significant challenges to students' and teachers' use of the digital tools. © 2023, International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Visual complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and Portugal.

PURPOSE: This study reports visual health during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 in Spain and Portugal, focusing on eye complaints and population habits. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional survey through an online email invitation to patients attending ophthalmology clinics in Spain and Portugal from September to November 2021. Around 3833 participants offered valid anonymous responses in a questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty percent of respondents identified significant discomfort related to dry eye symptoms for increased screen time and lens fogging using facemasks. 81.6% of the participants used digital devices for more than 3 h per day and 40% for more than 8 h. In addition, 44% of participants referred to worsening near vision. The most frequent ametropias were myopia (40.2%) and astigmatism (36.7%). Parents considered eyesight the most important aspect of their children (87.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The results show the challenges for eye practices during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions is an essential concern, especially in our digital society highly dependent on vision. At the same time, the excessive use of digital devices during this pandemic has aggravated dry eye and myopia.

[Visual complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and Portugal]. / Quejas visuales durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en España y Portugal.

Purpose: This study reports visual health during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 in Spain and Portugal, focusing on eye complaints and population habits. Material and methods: Cross-sectional survey through an online email invitation to patients attending ophthalmology clinics in Spain and Portugal from September to November 2021. Around 3833 participants offered valid anonymous responses in a questionnaire. Results: Sixty percent of respondents identified significant discomfort related to dry eye symptoms for increased screen time and lens fogging using facemasks. 81.6% of the participants used digital devices for more than 3 h per day and 40% for more than 8 h. In addition, 44% of participants referred to worsening near vision. The most frequent ametropias were myopia (40.2%) and astigmatism (36.7%). Parents considered eyesight the most important aspect of their children (87.2%). Conclusions: The results show the challenges for eye practices during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions is an essential concern, especially in our digital society highly dependent on vision. At the same time, the excessive use of digital devices during this pandemic has aggravated dry eye and myopia.

Enriching Social Sharing for the Dementia Community: Insights from In-Person and Online Social Programs

The dementia community faces major challenges in social engagements, which have been further complicated by the prolonged physical distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Designing digital tools for in-person social sharing in family and care facility settings has been well explored, but comparatively little HCI work has focused on the design of community-based social technologies for virtual settings. We present our virtual fieldwork on remote social activities explored by one dementia community in response to the impacts of the pandemic. Building upon our previously published on-site fieldwork in this community, we expand on our initial publication by follow-up interviewing caregivers and facilitators and reflecting on a virtual social program. Through thematic analysis and contrasting in-person and online formats of the program, we deepened the understanding of virtual social engagements of the dementia community, examining their efforts to leverage physical objects and environments, enhance open and flexible experiences, and expand collaborative space. We propose to open new design opportunities through holistic approaches, including reimagining community social spaces, rethinking agency in people with dementia and caregivers, and diversifying HCI support across communities and stakeholders. © 2023 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM.

Development of Rail Container Transportation Based on Mobility and Logistics Efficiency

Increasing the level of containerization in Russia is a source of competitiveness growth, since it focuses on increasing the efficiency of nationally oriented logistics and integration into global logistics chains, ensures transparency and productivity of the transport and logistics sector. The negative consequences caused by COVID-19 have affected freight transportation by all modes of transport. The reaction of carriers to the existing challenges largely determines the trajectory of development not only of railway container transportation, but also the format of the development of Russian cargo traffic for the coming years or even decades. The purpose of this study is to develop measures to increase the mobility of container cargo turnover on Russian railways and indicative designation of possible effects from their implementation. We prove that the development of infrastructure, stabilization of tariff policy, optimization of operational activities, expansion of the digital platform significantly affects the qualitative and quantitative development of rail container transportation based on mobility and logistics efficiency. The methodology of the study is based on the analysis of the target indicators of containerization of Russian railways for 2010–2020, the main product line of container transportation and competitors of the railway by means of transport. As a result of the study, trends in the growth of the share of container cargo turn-over on the Russian railway network are determined, the support of digital tools is justified in order to increase the mobility of container cargo turnover, a set of mechanisms for supporting and developing railway container transportation based on mobility and logistics efficiency is proposed. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Learning Analytics in the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) and Big Data: What Resources? For What Skills?

Today, Big Data technologies and the generalization of the use of digital tools by students allow us to build large bodies of data on their behavior. After the arrival of the pandemic (Covid 19), learning analytics has become an emerging trend in Moroccan universities. It offers advantages and challenges for online learning. To answer questions related to the exploitation of this data which may provide useful information to language teachers in the context of specific lessons or learning environments. A quantitative analysis was conducted for the collection and evaluation of the student interaction process for distance language courses. We have found that the main potential of digital learning of French as a foreign language (FFL) lies in the provision of authentic linguistic resources accessible to learners. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Smartphones Usefulness in Mobile Learning: The Moroccan University Case - Students of High School of Education and Training, Agadir

The development of digital technology has transformed our lifestyle and habits in all areas especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. Higher education is a field where digital pedagogy has impacted the practices of teachers and students on mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.). Mobile learning has become one of the information and communication technologies in education (ICTE) used to search, communicate, study and disseminate information through several learning modalities. According to several studies, the latter is widely used among students. The aim of the present paper is to identify the use of mobile learning in the learning process of teacher training. More precisely, we question the contribution of smartphones in the learning process of students from the High School of Education and Training of Agadir. The data we have presented comes from a quantitative survey along with an interview-based research to analyze the effects of mobile technology. The research shows that students use their cell phones to search for educational resources, and also to interact with the instructors and exchange files with their peers, and they are highly motivated to have opted for this type of learning. Ideally, this article is intended to stimulate reflections on the subject of mobile learning and its integration in education in Morocco. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

A Virtual Reality Lab for Automotive Service Specialists: A Knowledge Transfer System in the Digital Age

Under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an accelerated transition from the traditional form of knowledge transfer to online learning. Our study of 344 automotive students showed that the success of this transition depends on the readiness to introduce special digital tools for organizing knowledge and conducting practical forms of classes. In this regard, a modern digital form of organizing and transferring knowledge to automotive service engineers in the form of virtual laboratories was developed and presented in the article. The work scenarios, functionality, and minimum technical requirements of virtual laboratories as software systems are described and reviewed in the paper. The rationale for the effectiveness of the application, based on the results of using 109 university students in training practice, is presented as a result of the research. An analysis of the distributions of the student survey results and their training progress revealed differences at the p = 0.05 significance level. This confirmed the hypothesis that the use of methods for teaching engineers special disciplines and language skills using VR technologies is much more effective than the traditional one. An increase in students' interest in learning was revealed, and their performance improved markedly. This proves that the immersive nature of VR technology makes it possible to better assimilate the studied material, increase the level of motivation of future car service specialists, and also allow the organization of the transfer of knowledge online. The very process of knowledge transfer becomes the point of acquiring new digital competencies necessary for high-tech industries. © 2023 by the authors.

Digital Requirement Development: Three Years of Using Digital Methods to Improve Standardization of Procurement Specifications

Joint Industry Program 33 (JIP33) was established through IOGP with backing from the World Economic Forum to drive industry level standardization for procurement of equipment and packages. During Phases 1 and 2 of JIP33 the traditional business applications Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and e-mail were used to develop, collaborate and publish 14 specifications. For phase 3 a digital requirements management platform was implemented to enhance capacity, efficiency and auditability of specification development and maintenance. This platform has subsequently been used to develop and publish 27 ‘exception' style specifications and 4 ‘narrative' style specifications, bringing the JIP33 published specification library to 45 since the program's commencement in 2016. JIP33 proposed that the adoption of a digital requirements management platform would reduce the cost and time of development, simplify collaboration and improve the quality and maintainability of output. The platform's original configuration and work processes have evolved to enhance collaboration and improve traceability. Natural language processing technology has been integrated into the platform to support JIP33 writing protocols and reduce user dependence on external tools. Document production is automated using customised data transformations to output the specifications in a publishable form. Requirement Interchange Format (ReqIF) data exports are being piloted in collaboration with the IOGP Standards committee to test the digital transfer of JIP33 specifications into user databases. Changes to JIP33 work processes aimed at improving user engagement also provided resilience to the Covid pandemic and the sudden shift globally to virtual working. However, notwithstanding improvements in the tools and process, timely engagement of collaborators in content development and reviews remains a significant area for improvement. Resistance to ‘sentence centric' requirement writing should decline as familiarity and culture change programs take effect. Improvements to JIP33 data transformations are predicted to streamline extraction of publishable specification documents from the platform. Digital transfer of JIP33 specifications has also been piloted and advances in the standardisation of data attributes across the industry will drive the future evolution of the JIP33 program's use of these tools. This paper will present an update of the JIP33 program's sustained use of a requirement management platform and other digital tools for specification development and future digital integration of JIP33 specifications by users. © 2022, Offshore Technology Conference. All rights reserved.

Digital Financial Literacy, Risk Aversion, and College Students' Online Security Behavior

The emergence of financial technology, coupled with the recent Covid-19 pandemic, has resulted in the rapid expansion of digital financial services and products that are accessed and delivered through digital channels. However, such technology has also exposed digital consumers to online security risks. College students have been considered vulnerable to online security risks. Digital financial literacy (DFL) refers to knowing how to use devices to safely access financial products and services via digital channels in ways that help consumers achieve their financial goals, protect against financial harm, and enhance the ability to know where to get help. Research is lacking in understanding how DFL impacts online security behavior. This study employs a survey method to investigate how DFL affects college students' online security intentions and the mediating role of risk aversion on the relationship between DFL and online security intentions. With a sample of 92 college students, we found college students' online security intentions are positively correlated with both DFL and risk aversion. In the mediation analyses, we found DFL only affects online security intentions indirectly through risk aversion. Our findings have implications for academia and college education. © 2022 IEEE.

The Digital Divide in the Post-corona Era: Focused on Social Participation

With the worldwide spread of COVID-19, existing face-to-face activities, especially social activities, have been incorporated as part of online services in the pandemic era. Therefore, the digital divide that continues to change with the development of technology has also become a serious social problem in the aftermath of COVID-19. This study aims to illuminate how the divide in a more digitized society and changes in Internet use caused by COVID-19 affect satisfaction with social participation activities. The analysis revealed that the motivation to use digital devices has a static effect on satisfaction with social participation activities. The variance in Internet social participation due to COVID-19 showed a significant mediating effect between digital motivation and social participation satisfaction. Furthermore, mobile usage skills were found to have static moderating effects between digital motivation and variance in Internet social participation, digital motivation, and satisfaction with social participation. These results suggest that there is a clear gap in social participation according to individual digital capabilities in the spread of information and communication technology services after COVID-19. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

A CANVAS FOR THE ETHICAL DESIGN OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES WITH DIGITAL TOOLS

The use of digital tools has drastically increased in engineering education, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These tools generate important ethical issues, in particular in terms of privacy and fairness. However, very few teacher training programmes address those topics, which means that teachers are often left to figure out by themselves how to address these issues when they want (or have) to use digital tools in their teaching. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to a pragmatic approach to the ethical design of learning experiences that involve digital tools using a visual thinking guide called a 'canvas'. Applied and hands-on, this workshop will help participants to develop a practical understanding of the specific ethical issues related to the use of digital tools in teaching and to integrate ethical reflection into design processes when digital technology is involved. © 2022 SEFI 2022 - 50th Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education, Proceedings. All rights reserved.

Role of Digital Healthcare in Rehabilitation During a Pandemic

The pandemic turned life upside down, including causing unavailability and an inability to access rehabilitation in the hospital. However, the need to be fit and healed does not stop, so rehabilitation innovation from the digital sectors plays a role in approaching the patient, as the patient requires a medical professional to be healed. Rehabilitation via a digital pathway is fraught with difficulties, but advances in technology and research have enabled it to be used to the greatest extent possible in this disaster. Digital health has increased its efficacy in response to the pandemic, as it is now available in developing countries where there is an inability to visit a clinic for rehabilitation, and now the rehabilitation tool is accessible to the patients in their hands and they can connect to their therapist at any time. The rehabilitation is designed based on the patient's illness, feedback, and health data stored on the application devices, which regulate and provide feedback from both sides, from the patient and other improvement changes gathered with the help of digital applications. Digital health allows for online consultation, assessment, and 24-h monitoring, all of which are directly shared with the rehabilitation team. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Digital dependence: Online fatigue and coping strategies during the COVID-19 lockdown

As the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns forced populations across the world to become completely dependent on digital devices for working, studying, and socializing, there has been no shortage of published studies about the possible negative effects of the increased use of digital devices during this exceptional period. In seeking to empirically address how the concern with digital dependency has been experienced during the pandemic, we present findings from a study of daily self-reported logbooks by 59 university students in Copenhagen, Denmark, over 4 weeks in April and May 2020, investigating their everyday use of digital devices. We highlight two main findings. First, students report high levels of online fatigue, expressed as frustration with their constant reliance on digital devices. On the other hand, students found creative ways of using digital devices for maintaining social relations, helping them to cope with isolation. Such online interactions were nevertheless seen as a poor substitute for physical interactions in the long run. Our findings show how the dependence on digital devices was marked by ambivalence, where digital communication was seen as both the cure against, and cause of, feeling isolated and estranged from a sense of normality. © The Author(s) 2023.

Digital Tools and methods to Enhance Learning: The Digitools Project

The use of distance education using digital tools in higher education has increased over the last decade, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has resulted in schools shutting down all across the world. This paper aims to present a brief summary of the Digitools Project and a multicultural analysis of the use of e-learning during Covid-19 in six countries. The methodology used was a survey by questionnaire involving teachers, librarians and students. The analysis of the questionnaire results allowed us to identify which dimensions to assess the sustainability of eLearning namely the organizational, socio-cultural and technological context. It also made it possible to assess the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, intention to use, actual use and perceived satisfaction. Furthermore, personal, technological and organizational dimensions are also valued for e-learning usage. After reviewing the state of the art, there was a need to define a strategic training plan for the acquisition of basic and advanced skills for eLearning's implementation and usage. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

A Review of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) for Technology-Assisted Learning: Solving Teaching and Learning Challenges

During the COVID-19 outbreak, all the physical classes suspended, and switched to online learning. The new era of learning presented several challenges for the teachers and students. The students did not have the opportunity to participate in the classroom activities successfully as a physical class due to a lack of educational creativity, a lack of digital tools, and a dependency on the internet. Strengthening self-directed learning and improving the technical infrastructure are required, to advance innovation-centric education from "teaching" to "learning" and to develop digital literacy. By incorporating technology into classroom instruction everyone can understand the concepts and realize their right to education. The recent technological advances in deep learning are referred to as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). The GANs used as an Assistive Technology (AT) to generate the sequence of images of the descriptive input text. The goal of this review is the Visual Storytelling by utilizing the Text-to-Image GAN which strengthens self-directed learning through visualization and improve the critical thinking, and logical reasoning. © 2022 IEEE