Towards a Metaverse Workspace: Opportunities, Challenges, and Design Implications

Both enterprises and their employees have globally experienced remote work at an unprecedented scale since the outbreak of COVID-19. As the pandemic becomes less of a threat, some companies have called their employees back to a physical office, citing issues related to working remotely, but many employees have refused to return. Thus, working in the metaverse has gained much attention as an alternative that could complement the weaknesses of completely remote work or even offline work. However, we do not know yet what benefits and drawbacks the metaverse has as a legitimate workspace, because there are few real cases of 1) working in the metaverse and 2) working remotely at such an unprecedented scale. Thus, this paper aims to identify real challenges and opportunities the metaverse workspace presents when compared to remote work by conducting semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops with various employees and company stakeholders (e.g., HR managers and CEOs) who have experienced at least two of three work types: working in a physical office, remotely, or in the metaverse. Consequently, we identified 1) advantages and disadvantages of remote work and 2) opportunities and challenges of the metaverse. We further discuss design implications that may overcome the identified challenges of working in the metaverse. © 2023 Owner/Author.

An examination of virtual exchange on the intercultural competence of college students

This study examines the effect of a virtual exchange experience on the intercultural competence of college students from the United States and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Archival data from the Stevens Initiative was used to test whether 70 students from the United States and 72 students from Iraq and Jordan gained intercultural competence upon completion of a virtual exchange program known as the Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge. Intercultural competence was measured using the variables of cross-cultural collaboration, ethnocentrism, problem solving, perspective taking, and empathy. Results showed a significant increase in cross-cultural collaboration and decrease in ethnocentrism for MENA students. There was a significant increase in problem solving for U.S. students. Contrary to expectations, perspective taking declined for both groups of students and there were no changes in empathy. Overall, the results show support for the effectiveness of virtual exchange on improving the intercultural competence of college students. In light of challenges to international travel due to COVID 19 and the high cost of study abroad, virtual exchange is a viable and creative alternative for developing intercultural competence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Remote arts therapy in collaborative virtual environment: A pilot case study

Motivated by the unique experience of creating three-dimensional artworks in virtual reality (VR) and the need for teletherapy due to the global pandemic, we conducted this pilot case study to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of using a custom-designed collaborative virtual environment (CVE) to enable remote arts therapy. Three participants (two females and one male) experiencing moderate to high stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) joined this study. Each participant had eight 45-minute one-on-one sessions with the therapist for eight consecutive weeks. These eight sessions covered eight art creation themes and were delivered following pre-designed protocols. The CVE was the only medium to facilitate the sessions, during which the therapist and the participants were physically separated into two rooms. The quantitative and qualitative results suggested that the CVE-enabled approach was generally feasible and was welcomed by both the participants and the therapist. However, more evidence of the approach's effectiveness in enhancing the participants' mental wellbeing is needed because the results of the pilot case study were affected by the pandemic. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach and the CVE were investigated from practicality and technological affordance perspectives. Potential improvements to the CVE are also proposed to better facilitate the practice of remote arts therapy in CVE. We encourage future studies to cautiously investigate CVE-enabled remote arts therapy in clinical settings and collect more evidence regarding its effectiveness in addressing clinically diagnosed mental disorders and other complications. Copyright © 2023 Li and Yip.

Putting the 'virtual' into supervision during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond

This study examined the experiences of practicing Children's Services Social Workers in a London Local Authority accessing virtual (online) social work supervision during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and January 2021. This study applied a reflective framework and guiding theories for exploring how supervision brings opportunities for reflective learning, and it considered individual needs within supervision. Study methods comprised an anonymised online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Twenty-two participants completed the questionnaire, and eight participants took part in the semi-structured interviews. This research aimed to explore the impacts on practitioners of the change from face-to-face to 'virtual' supervision and if all core elements of supervision are addressed. The findings suggest that there was a mixed experience for supervisees with some elements of the supervision functions being consistently met, and others being more variable. Generally, participants found virtual supervision a positive experience, whilst however missing some face-to-face elements. Having a pre-existing relationship with the supervisor was noted to help, and connectivity was also highlighted as important. However, for some participants, particular elements of supervision appeared to have been missed altogether such as Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and part of the Mediation function. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Academic Performance in the Virtual Learning Environment: A Systematic Review

With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, mandatory changes occurred in the way of educating students, initiating the global heyday of ICT with its virtual envi-ronments;achieving in a short time the virtualization of the teaching and learning process. The objective of carrying out a systematic review of articles on aca-demic performance in a virtual learning environment in higher educational institutions under the context of a pandemic. The method used is a systematic review, with a methodology based on the PRISMA 2020 Declaration, analyzing the articles found in the SciELO database, with a final sample of 12 articles in a period of time from 2020 to 2022;Obtaining the following results: a) the essence of learning in a vir-tual environment is based on self-management in the construction of learning, b) academic performance in a virtual environment is 90% subjective and 95% of students consider access as an obstacle. to tech-nological means, c) the teaching commitment was up to the 4th objective of sustainable development. Concluding that the student must self-manage the construction of their learning to obtain a positive educational performance in a virtual environment, the teacher's role is essential in the construction of learning.

Examining the predictive relationship between emotional intelligence and turnover intentions in virtual work environments

Emotional intelligence has been found to have a significant impact on team performance and overall employee satisfaction levels, which in turn has been found to have an adverse effect on turnover intentions. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational-predictive study was to determine if and to what extent emotional intelligence (EI) predicts turnover intention (TI) in the employees of virtual Financial Technology (FinTech) organizations in the United States. The emotional intelligence theory by Mayer et al. (1990) and the theory of planned behavior by Ajzen (1985) were utilized as the theoretical foundations of this study. The data were collected on LinkedIn through convenience and snowball sampling from employees working virtually at FinTech organizations. A sample of n =120 was collected using the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) by Wong and Law and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) by Roodt. The findings from multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the overall regression model was statistically significant, F(4,115) = 2.99, p = .022, R2 = .094. Due to the statistical significance, the subsequent hypotheses were tested to answer the overarching research question. The results indicated that the EI subscale items OEA and UOE did not significantly predict TI;however, SEA and ROE did significantly predict TI. These study findings contribute to both the theoretical foundations by expanding the additional predictors of TI in virtual FinTech organizations within the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE USE OF ICT TOOLS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

This article analyzes the self-concept about digital competence in university professors of Sciences, Health Sciences and Engineering and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) use habits of professors in these areas. For this purpose, a survey designed by the authors was completed by 340 university professors in the aforementioned areas. Based on the answers obtained from this survey, a descriptive quantitative analysis of the assessments of the self-concept of digital competence and training of the participants, of the didactic use of ICT and the frequency of their use before and after the pandemic has been carried out. The results showed that the digital competence of the professors is intermediate, but their training is valued as low, especially in Sciences and Health Sciences. The assessment of ICT is very good. The pandemic has caused a generalized increase in the use of ICT, mainly in Health Sciences, which is the area in which university students were most reluctant to use them. In addition, a gender gap which did not exist before the pandemic has been generated favoring females in the use of ICT in Science and Engineering. An age-based digital gap that existed before the pandemic has also been corrected in Health Sciences © Article's contents are provided on an Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 Creative commons International License. Readers are allowed to copy, distribute and communicate article's contents, provided the author's and JOTSE journal's names are included. It must not be used for commercial purposes. To see the complete licence contents, please visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Teaching psychomotor skills in a virtual environment: An educational case study

In March 2020, most physical therapy schools across the globe transitioned to online learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This change posed unique challenges not only because it required adapting to new technology in a short period but, more importantly, it involved developing ways to teach hands-on psychomotor and clinical skills virtually while maintaining the quality of instruction. In response to the rapid transition, the physical therapy program at MGH Institute of Health Professions (IHP)designed and implemented a novel and effective coaching model to address the challenges. The model was developed based on experiential learning theory, constructivism, a coaching framework, and andragogical principles of feedback and reflection. Not only did the model meet its objectives of effectively teaching basic psychomotor skills in the virtual environment, but it may also have andragogical benefits that can be applied to traditional face-to-face methods. This case study describes the theoretical underpinning of the model, its development and implementation, the perceived effectiveness for learning psychomotor skills in a virtual environment, and the potential for broader relevance to future models of physical therapy education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The impact of a pandemic on knowledge sharing behavior: a COR perspective: Very Informal Newsletter on Library Automation

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to look at the attitudes of the employees in terms of sharing knowledge during COVID-19 in an online environment and the various difficulties associated and to analyze knowledge sharing (KS) in a virtual office setting, using the conservation of resources theory.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was used by conducting face-to-face interviews online through GoogleMeet, Skype and Zoom. A total of 34 interviews from 14 multinational companies (or their subsidiaries), in a supervisory role, were conducted for the study. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the responses.FindingsDuring a crisis, the tendency of employees to share knowledge at the individual, team and organizational level increases and is interlinked. The results of this study suggest that during the initial phases of lockdown, the creativity levels among employees were high;however, as the work from the office got postponed because of extended lockdowns, the creativity level of employees saw a dip. Furthermore, the findings of this study also highlighted that KS in remotely located teams was found to be dependent on the extent to which the team members knew each other, such that known teams were in a better position to share knowledge than a newly formed team with unknown or less known members.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has 34 respondents which is an acceptable number for a qualitative inquiry. However, the number of industries could be increased for generalization purposes. Responses were collected from a group of knowledge workers who were willing to correspond digitally, using social media channels of the authors, such as Linkedin. Responses collected personally could provide different results.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights into visible change in organizational processes. The conceptual model developed in this study has several implications which will help chief knowledge officers to understand why the various individual, team and organizational factors lead to KS, particularly with respect to COVID-19.Originality/valueThis study has explored a contemporary phenomenon – KS during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in an online environment. This study depicts the extant literature on knowledge management during a pandemic, thus bridging the scholarly gap. This study tried to bring in a broader perspective by selecting respondents across continents, domains and varied age groups. Fourth, most studies analyzing KS/knowledge hiding in the extant literature, especially during the pandemic, have followed a quantitative approach. This study followed a qualitative approach to gain insights into the KS of the firm and the thoughts and practicalities behind it.

Armchair tourism: Exploring individuals' innovative travel experience in the with-corona era

This study investigates the experiential components of armchair travelling and their effect on the armchair travelers' responses, which include perceived authenticity, destination image, and behavioral intention, by using a mixed-method approach. A total of 414 survey responses collected through an online research panel were analyzed by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The analysis reveals that a sense of telepresence and copresence are the major factors, which generate authenticity and a positive destination image. Perceived ease of use influences building a favorable destination image, whereas self-other online interactions significantly create a sense of authenticity with the armchair travel experience. The content analysis for the qualitative data collected using an open-ended question shows that the armchair travelers gain vicarious travel experiences and resolve mental stress through armchair travelling. Based on the results, this study provides meaningful theoretical and practical implications to the armchair tourism literature and industry. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Employee well-being, perceived stress, and hours worked in a virtual environment

A strategic business goal of human resources is to ensure optimal use of human capital and many factors impact overall employee productivity, such as stress and well-being. The prevalence of virtual work environments grew exponentially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Working virtually may lead to increased hours worked and increased stress, which could adversely impact employee well-being. The theoretical framework for this research was based on the personal resource allocation theory (PRA) and the job demands-resources theory (JD-R). This quantitative study used the data collected from 135 participants in the United States who responded online to an instrument that combined the shortened version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), the shortened version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and background questions including questions on the number of hours worked in a virtual environment. The results support the significant inverse relationship that exists between perceived stress and employee well-being. Additionally, a significant positive relationship was found between perceived stress and total hours worked that included a virtual component. These results may guide human resource professionals in deciding how to structure work environments. The research suggests, as a best business practice, employee well-being for employees who work virtually at least part of the time may be improved by decreasing perceived stress that may result from working a high number of total hours. For scholars, this research indicates the need for further research to see if virtual work environments are related to increases in the total number of hours worked. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Virtual testimony

Since the onset of COVID-19, there was a rush of virtual forensic evaluations and testimony, all for compelling and rational reasons. At different times, jails have not allowed visitors, and courtrooms have been closed to in-person trials and hearings, and sometimes they have just been closed, period. Some research on virtual participation that emerged during the COVID pandemic built on earlier videoconferencing studies. This chapter draws on the experiences of colleagues, especially those of Denis Zavodny and Caroline Parrott, who have had much experience in virtual testimony. Many paths lead to effective as well as ineffective virtual testimony. The experiences of experts testifying by Zoom vary considerably. Workshops and talks are now presented on the topic of virtual testimony. Such testimony offers the possibilities of better and worse experiences for experts, and one can anticipate more guidelines and advice coming forth in the near future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Parallel worlds: Popular education through neuroscience and the fine arts

This chapter describes the Parallel Worlds event series from conception to delivery. Included are the neuroscientific and artistic phenomena explored throughout the project and the bridges between them, the roles of the presenters, the formats of the events, and the dynamic exchanges with the attendees. While originally slated to be experienced live in the galleries and studios of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), the chapter will illustrate the various adaptations employed to rework the project for the virtual environment necessitated by COVID-19 restrictions. While the advantages of experiencing the fine arts and education live cannot be disputed, the virtual format of Parallel Worlds presented several advantages, which will be discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Virtual training in trauma-informed care core principles: Program design and evaluation

This quantitative research study evaluates the effectiveness of virtual training in trauma-informed care that was designed as part of the investigation to disseminate knowledge on SAMHSA's six core principles among human service providers and facilitators in community mental health settings. The online training was designed on the university learning platform Blackboard and used a pretest-posttest design to assess participants' baseline and acquired knowledge and their satisfaction ratings on the course. A convenience sample of 50 participants was recruited from Albizu University's human services program and nearby mental health and behavioral services in the community. A total of 46 participants (92% of those enrolled) completed the training, including licensed professionals (e.g., mental health, family therapists, behavioral analysts), clinical mental health facilitators (e.g., registered behavioral therapists, registered nurses), and social workers. Enrolled participants reviewed course materials and completed pre-and post-training assessments to determine baseline and acquired knowledge on TIC and a final survey rating their perceptions of the training's usefulness. The researcher elaborated the pre-and post-training quizzes as a modified version of the TICOMETER (Bassuk et al., 2016), and the course satisfaction survey was implemented using all 12 items (yes or no questions) of the Training Satisfaction Rating Scale by Holgado Tello, and collaborators (2006). Results showed that the virtual training designed in this investigation enhanced participants' understanding of TIC, with positive difference scores between post-training and pre-training assessments in most participants (42/46, 91%). Only 4 participants (licensed professionals) showed maximum scores at both pre-and post-training assessments. Moreover, all participants rated the training satisfactorily (average score in the sample of 11 out of 12), and 96% of participants rated it at a maximum of 12 points as highly satisfactory.As hypothesized by researchers, the level of knowledge on TIC was lower during the pre-test and increased significantly after the training. There were some differences by occupation where clinical facilitators seemed to benefit the most (higher difference scores post-training minus pre-training) compared to licensed professionals. There were also some trends due to the education levels (higher difference scores in those with bachelor's degrees compared to those holding master's and doctoral degrees). However, these trends by occupation or education level did not reach statistical significance. The study concludes that the design and use of virtual training on SAMHSA's TIC principles effectively disseminate knowledge among professionals and human services providers in the community. The use of the online modality allowed more flexibility through asynchronous activities that can be completed at the participant's own pace and facilitated its applicability. Future studies are needed to improve course materials, adjust content levels of difficulty, enhance participant engagement, and increase sample representativeness for different occupations, roles, and educational levels. This study was not intended or accredited for certification. However, this online modality further investigated and validated may become helpful for SAMHSA considering the current post-COVID situation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Transforming standard pedagogy because of the COVID-19 pandemic: How social presence could establish and apply Watson's theory within the virtual classroom.

Social distancing requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic have made virtual teaching the only means available whereby students' health can be protected as they continue their education. Two key areas to be addressed for those seeking to teach effectively online are: establishing social presence and building from that to extend care toward learners. This paper examines practical ways in which these aims may be achieved, and will hopefully promote the debate and sharing of strategies and pedagogy between nursing educators.

Implementing quiz for learning the introduction to information technology

This article was based on observations made with students from different higher education courses in a Moodle Virtual Learning Environment during online education during the Covid-19 pandemic period, where interactive online games in quiz format were used. In this context, the need to investigate the Quiz format and its effectiveness arose, considering that it is necessary to search for new paths to make learning more dynamic, meaningful and profitable. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of the Quiz in the teaching and learning process. It was established as specific objectives: to develop a learning object in quiz format;to verify the adherence of the use of the Quiz in classes of different higher education courses;investigate the effectiveness of the Quiz in the teaching and learning process. The technique of online questionnaire was applied for the collection of data and information, which were then tabulated and analyzed using the content analysis technique. The results indicate that the use of the "Arena do Saber" quiz contributes to the practice of teaching the content of the Discipline of Introduction to Informatics, confirming its effectiveness as a pedagogical resource that motivates the action of students and assists in the teaching and learning process.

University membership through immersive virtual environments and a sense of belongingness

In this work, we study the feeling of membership in undergraduate students who interact with their higher education institution through a virtual environment. We explore the Centro de Investigaciones en Diseño Industrial (CIDI) case, in which a virtual environment was built using the Roblox platform to enhance the online experience that students were having during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the application of the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, we show that it is possible to evoke a sense of belonging in a physical space with a virtual representation. We achieved this by virtually replicating the physicality of the original CIDI and by promoting social behaviors using three modalities of social interaction. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Virtual education and virtual learning environments for university students in times of the Covid-19 pandemic

The dynamics of all social, economic, trade, health, transportation, hotel, etc. activities. that were developed in all the societies of the world, have had to be reformulated due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Social distancing, restrictions on meetings, contact with other people have affected us all, leading us to an unthinkable situation and therefore we have been forced to use various virtual applications to help us cope with this complicated scenario. In this sense, the educational field at all levels has also had to rethink and adapt the contents to virtuality. The objective of this study was to conceptualize, characterize and describe the importance of virtual education and virtual learning environments in university students in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, based on the review of scientific articles based on the Redalyc, Dialnet and Scielo for the last five years. Made with a descriptive approach, using data collection. Likewise, it was based on the systematic review, using tables for the search, organization and selection of articles, as well as the PRISMA method that may be used by other researchers. The results were 15 articles. In addition, the importance that education and virtual environments have been beneficial for the learning of university students is evident, even more so in times of pandemic. Copyright © 2022, Venezuelan Society of Pharmacology and Clinical and Therapeutic Pharmacology. All rights reserved.

Non-Immersive Virtual Reality Umrah Simulation: A Functionality Test

Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage that Muslims can perform at any time. Umrah will take place at the holy place, Mecca. Usually, before performing the umrah, the pilgrims will attend umrah courses to learn how to practice step-by-step procedures. However, the Covid-19 outbreak stopped the pilgrims from attending the live umrah course. This scenario causes difficulty for pilgrims to visualize the umrah practice. Therefore, we have developed a Non-Immersive Virtual Reality Umrah Simulation (NIVRUS) to help the pilgrimage visualize the umrah practice. This study has implemented a Waterfall Model as a development methodology in which phases are divided into sequential phases. Each phase must be completed before proceeding to the next phase. In this present study, the focus is on evaluating NIVRUS through a functionality test. The findings indicate that all the functions in NIVRUS properly function as expected. © 2022 IEEE.

University membership through immersive virtual environments and a sense of belongingness

In this work, we study the feeling of membership in undergraduate students who interact with their higher education institution through a virtual environment. We explore the Centro de Investigaciones en Diseño Industrial (CIDI) case, in which a virtual environment was built using the Roblox platform to enhance the online experience that students were having during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the application of the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, we show that it is possible to evoke a sense of belonging in a physical space with a virtual representation. We achieved this by virtually replicating the physicality of the original CIDI and by promoting social behaviors using three modalities of social interaction. [ FROM AUTHOR]