ABSTRACT
The assessment process of readiness for adoption an educational system considers the lifeblood of the e-learning system in a particular educational organization and the ability to assess the organization's readiness among the main factors which contributes to the success and progress. The readiness models are instruments that assist educational organizations in measuring their capability level and identifying the gaps to develop a strategy for implementing and adopting e-learning system. Due to the sudden chaos that Iraqi educational institutions have been exposed to the Covid-19 epidemic since the beginning of 2020, the e-learning system has been adopted as a quick alternative educational system for the continuation of the educational process without taking into consideration the readiness of the basic components of the educational process, which comprises the readiness of the infrastructure, human and educational organization to adopt such systems. Despite increased attention by stakeholders and the government with the readiness assessment process recently, there is no comprehensive model for assessing e-learning readiness in Iraqi higher education institutions, the purpose of this study is to design a model of an e-learning readiness assessment for Iraqi universities based on the comparative studies and the experts' views. It is worth to mention that the proposed model has objectively designed according to particular features and local characteristics country. The fuzzy delphi method was utilized for the validation process of the proposed model. The main dimensions and all factors of the proposed model reached the experts' agreement except a number of measures that did not achieve the assessment requirements. The final analysis result indicates that the e-learning readiness assessment model includes 3 main dimensions and 13 factors with 86 measures. Iraqi higher educational institutions can employ the designed model to assess their readiness and identify the areas that need improvement and reduce the gaps failures in e-learning adoption.
ABSTRACT
This study contributes to the complex adaptive system theory by offering a valid hierarchical model to evaluate the theory's important features related to resilience. The garment industry in Bangladesh encountered disruption in the supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain competencies played a vital role in overcoming the crisis. Limited studies are built on a solid theoretical foundation and considered supply chain competencies in assessing supply chain resilience. This study aims to develop a multi-criteria hierarchical measurement structure by considering the supply chain competencies to evaluate supply chain resilience. Fuzzy Delphi method and Fuzzy importance and performance analysis approach were applied for the study purpose. Findings reveal health and safety management, information management system, business intelligence, innovation capabilities management, technological innovation, and artificial intelligence as critical criteria, and data, information, and computing, technological innovation and adaptation are critical aspects that require improvement. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Industrial & Production Engineering is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
This research identifies the critical factors of student engagement and distance learning that will improve academic performance during a pandemic. The fuzzy Delphi method and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process method are applied to this research, which is a multicriteria decision-making technique. A survey is conducted and evaluated based on experts' opinions. The social constructivism theory was selected to be applied here;it supports student engagement and distance-learning factors' relationships with academic performance. After the analysis, the six most significant factors are evaluated. It is observed that Social isolation (C1), Technology effectiveness (C2), Social status enhancement (C3), Student Competency (C4), Motivation (C5), and Satisfaction (C6) are the highest-ranking factors that increase academic performance. On the basis of the results, it is suggested that management's primary responsibility is to provide training and guidance to instructors/teachers to enhance, motivate the students, and create opportunities for every student to improve their academic performance in a pandemic situation through distance learning.
ABSTRACT
To respond to the urgent call for preventive action against COVID-19 pandemic implications for societies, this research is carried out. The main aim of our research is providing a new insight for the effects of the newly emerged restrictions by COVID-19 on the SD Goals (SDGs). This research, for the first time applied a two-phase qualitative approach for supporting the SDGs achievement post-COVID in Iran, as a developing country in the Middle East. In the first phase, using a fuzzy Delphi method, the SDGs affected by COVID-19 were identified. In the next phase, a fuzzy cognitive map, as a qualitative system dynamics modeling, was conducted to specify the key interconnections among the SDGs post COVID-19. Finally, three strategies including focus on people in vulnerable situation, support for industrial units and small and medium-sized enterprises, and national aggregation to Fight COVID-19 were examined. As a result, different scenarios associated with the three proposed strategies were tested based on the identified interconnections among the SDGs to reduce the potential negative effects of COVID-19 crisis on the achievement of the SDGs. The results provide a decision support for stakeholders and policy makers involved in SD action plan. © Iran University of Science and Technology 2022.
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Purpose The inclusion of sustainability in higher education courses has been debated in recent decades and has gained particular emphasis throughout the COVID-19. This paper aims to show how the context of the pandemic, which demanded the transition from in-person classes to virtual classes, was used to illustrate better the concepts of life cycle assessment (LCA) for Production Engineering students in a Brazilian University. Design/methodology/approach The research strategy used was action research. Throughout the discipline offering, the environmental impacts resulting from in-person and remote classes were comparatively assessed through a practical activity using LCA. Students' behaviour and perception of the activities were recorded by the professor and discussed with the other researchers on the team. At the end of the course, students answered a questionnaire to assess their satisfaction with different aspects of the discipline, and these data were analysed via Fuzzy Delphi. Findings The results focus on discussing the pedagogical aspects of this experience and not the environmental impacts resulting from each class modality. It was possible to notice a greater engagement of students when using a project that directly involved their daily activities (food, transportation, use of electronics, etc.) compared to the traditional approach of teaching LCA concepts. In this traditional approach, the examples focussed on the industrial sector, a more distant context from the reality of most students. Student feedback demonstrated great acceptance by them regarding the approach adopted. Originality/value This study contributes to expanding debates about sustainability insertion in higher education and the training of professionals more aligned with the sustainable development agenda.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is first to propose a comprehensive evaluation model for sustainable island tourism, and then to provide guidelines and suggestions for the development thereof. Based on the advantages of using fuzzy set theory, this study’s method included the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), the analytic network process (ANP), and FDM-DEMATEL-ANP (FDANP). From the literature review results and experts’ surveys, the dimensions of the evaluation criteria for sustainable island tourism are governance, economy and finance, socio-culture, and the environment. Compared with other studies, its major contributions and differences are the governance and finance dimensions, and the evaluation criteria for the marine industry, marine cultures, and marine environments. The findings show that the relative importance of the dimensions from high to low are economy and finance, governance, the environment, and socio-culture. The top five key criteria begin with having an of-ficial administration organization, having a tourism industry, and revenue uncertainties based on public health events. These, along with policies and regulations, and local food and drink, are thought to provide the necessary conditions for sustainable island tourism. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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Cardiothoracic intensive care unit (CICU) nurses have shared the role and responsibility for ventilator-weaning to expedite decision-making in patient care. However, the actions taken are based on individual's unstructured training experience as there is no clinical practice guideline (CPG) for nurses in Malaysia. Hence, this study aims to design a CPG for the process of weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) for a structured nursing training in a CICU at the National Heart Institute (Institut Jantung Negara, IJN) Malaysia. The Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) was employed to seek consensus among a panel of 30 experts in cardiac clinical practice on the guidelines. First, five experts were interviewed and their responses were transcribed and analyzed to develop the items for a FDM questionnaire. The questionnaire, comprising of 73 items, was distributed to the panel and their responses were analyzed for consensus on the design of the CPG. The findings suggested that the requirements expected for the nurses include: (a) the ability to interpret arterial blood gases, (b) knowledge and skills on the basics of mechanical ventilation, and (c) having a minimum 1-year working experience in the ICU. On the other hand, the CPG should mainly focus on developing an ability to identify criteria of patient eligible for weaning from MV. The learning content should focus on: (a) developing the understanding and reasoning for weaning and extubating and (b) technique/algorithm for extubating and weaning. Also, the experts agreed that the log book/competency book should be used for evaluation of the program. The CPG for structured nursing training at IJN in the context of the study is important for developing the professionalism of CICU nurses in IJN and could be used for training nurses in other CICUs, so that decision for ventilator-weaning from postcardiac surgery could be expedited.
Subject(s)
Nurse's Role , Ventilator Weaning , Humans , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Ventilator Weaning/nursingABSTRACT
Resilience is the concept that emphasizes change and adaptation and focuses on the capacity to absorb shocks and still maintain function. How can an Indigenous community assess the resilience of the tribe when it is affected by an array of obstacles? What are the assessment factors of resilience? This study consolidated relevant literature on resilience through in-depth interviews and the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to identify the resilience indicators for Indigenous community development. It eventually identified 5 domains, 26 types, and 45 evaluation indicators. The final indicators are divided into five domains: economic, social, cultural, environmental, and policy. The social resilience indicators: “the ability to overcome obstacles”, “the ability to accept stimuli”, and “the degree of connection between tribal and external resources” were not mentioned in the past studies of resilience. For the first time, the following cultural resilience indicator was also included: “maintain the traditional ancestral teachings and respect for ancestral norms”. Finally, this study suggests that follow-up research may extend these resilience indicators and apply them to other Indigenous tribes. These 26 types of assessment will also be the factors that must be considered in the process of adaptation and reconstruction when the community is faced with emergencies or catastrophes.
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After the outbreak of COVID-19, traditional offline teaching is not carried out normally. However, education cannot be stopped. In this case, many teachers are facing challenges, not subject to geographical restrictions, diverse ways, and other advantages. Thus, online teaching has become an important teaching method in this special period. Based on the literature review, this paper summarizes the evaluation criteria of different levels of online English teaching. Using the questionnaire survey, experts and scholars were consulted for several rounds. After the validity of the questionnaire by using a fuzzy Delphi method, the evaluation criteria system of English online teaching was established, and the importance, order, and grade of the evaluation criteria were evaluated. This system allows teachers to formulate teaching strategies to optimize and improve English online teaching. The findings of this paper shed some light on efficient learning strategies and ensure the effect of online English teaching. © 2021 ECBIOS 2021. All rights reserved.