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Construction courses are characterized by a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge;however, the teaching of practical knowledge is often absent due to safety and cost considerations. VR can improve the teaching of practical knowledge by facilitating interactions between teachers and students through virtual means, regardless of location, which is a weakness of current lecture-based teaching, especially in the COVID-19 era. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the effect and discuss the prospect of VR in construction teaching, with a comparative study of 50 students who were evenly divided into two groups and taught using traditional teaching and VR teaching, respectively. This experiment shows that VR teaching improves the students' learning enthusiasm and satisfaction, especially in terms of practical knowledge. Additionally, students believe the combination of traditional and VR teachings can be more helpful in construction teaching. The findings of this research strengthened the advantages of VR in delivering practical knowledge in construction teaching.
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With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of concern regarding employee digital competence has increased significantly. Several studies provide different surveys, but they cannot describe the relationship between digital autonomy and innovative work behaviour concerning the impact of employee digital competence. Hence, it is necessary to conduct a survey that provides a deeper understanding of these concerns and suggests a suitable study for other researchers. Using scientific publication databases and adhering to the PRISMA statement, this systematic literature review aims to offer a current overview of employee digital competence impact on the relationship between digital autonomy and innovative work behaviour from 2015 to 2022, covering definitions, research purposes, methodologies, outcomes, and limitations. When reviewing the selected articles, 18 articles were examined under relationship topics, and 12 articles reported on impact topics under different tasks. The main findings highlight the significance of digital competence and autonomy in promoting employee creativity, learning, and sharing knowledge. According to the review findings, employees with greater digital autonomy are more likely to engage in innovative work, leading to improved job performance and empowerment. Therefore, the development of digital autonomy prioritizes organizations by providing access to digital tools, training, and a supportive work environment. Overall, the current review indicates a strong positive correlation between digital autonomy, innovative work behaviour, and employee impact. This underscores the importance for organizations to not only participate in digital competence and skills, but also to create a culture that values autonomy, creativity, and innovation among its employees.
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Knowledge regarding digital practices in the field of systemic therapy is poor. A few surveys have been conducted in non-European countries investigating the provision of digitally based therapy, counselling, training, and supervision by systemic family and couple therapists (SCFTs). Thus, a survey aiming to investigate the use of information and communication technology (ICT) among European SCFTs was launched in 2017. A sample of 220 SCFTs was included in the survey. The majority were residents in Greece, France and Italy. Descriptive analysis compared SCFTs' digital practices and concerns from the above three countries with those from the rest of Europe. Results showed that 81.4 per cent of European SCFTs used ICT for clinical purposes and 47.7 per cent in training and supervision. Main concerns among European SCFTs related to the quality of therapeutic relationship, ethical and legal issues, and a lack of national and transnational regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement ICT use and e-therapy increase access to mental health services and maintain therapeutic contact. Systemic individual therapy, supervision and training are workable online settings. Legislation regulating ICT use in therapy, supervision and training (e.g. General Data Protection Regulation) has to be respected. Training and continuous education in online practices enhance therapists' and clients' options, and ensure digital safeness and effective treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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PurposeThe purpose of the study is to examine whether the remote teaching experience of instructors in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic has improved after one year.Design/methodology/approachThe study involved 75 instructors teaching at an institution of higher education in Israel, who answered twice (once in 2020 and again in 2021) a quantitative questionnaire that examined their remote teaching experience.FindingsThe hypotheses about greater use of digital tools and about more positive attitudes of instructors toward remote teaching and learning at the second measurement than at the first one were confirmed. This hypothesis about lower levels of technical difficulties in remote teaching at the second measurement was not confirmed, but the level of reported difficulty was already low at the first measurement.Practical implicationsIt is recommended that academic institutions continue the trend of deploying innovation in teaching with confidence in the ability of instructors to adapt to change. At the same time, instructors should be provided with mental and technical support.Originality/valueFew studies have examined the change in attitudes of instructors toward remote teaching over time. In the present study, we used a repeated measures design, which made it possible to monitor the instructors' adaptation to remote teaching. Adaptation to the new teaching method can contribute to innovation in teaching in academic institutions and to improvement in its quality.
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BACKGROUND: Online learning, also known as e-learning, has increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now an important feature of nursing education globally. An understanding of registered nurses' online self-regulated learning, attitudes to e-learning and the relationship of these to attitudes to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in healthcare facilitates successful educational outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between registered nurses' attitudes to e-learning and self-regulated online learning skills on their attitudes towards the use of ICT in healthcare. DESIGN: A quantitative study employing a cross-sectional survey. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of registered nurses (n = 120) enrolled in a nursing degree conversion program delivered in Singapore. METHODS: Participants (n = 120) completed an online anonymous survey consisting of three validated instruments (Information Technology Attitude Scale for Health (ITASH), Attitudes towards e-learning and, Online Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Participant's levels of online self-regulated learning were positively correlated with attitudes to e-learning (r = 0.663, p < 0.001). Attitudes to e-learning (70.4, SD 11.5) were also positively predictive of ITASH (R2 = 0.306, p < 0.001), but online self-regulated learning was not contributory to the prediction of attitudes to ICT in healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended that educators involved in online learning focus on strategies aimed at promoting positive attitudes to e-learning and ICT prior to employing those aimed at developing online self-regulation skills. Further research exploring online learning and ICT needs in the workplace are required.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Computer-Assisted Instruction , Nurses , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , Delivery of Health Care , Technology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Attitude of Health PersonnelABSTRACT
Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies are facing a substantial increase in the information and communication technology (ICT) investments in the context of rapid spread of the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic and constraints of emissions reduction. However, the mechanism of the impact of ICT investments on carbon dioxide is still unclear. Therefore, by employing the decoupling-factor model and Generalized Divisia Index Method, we explore the decoupling states of ICT investments and emission intensity, and the driving factors of ICT investments' scale, intensity, structure, and efficiency effects on carbon emissions in 20 OECD economies between 2000 and 2018. The results indicate that the number of economies with an ideal state of strong decoupling rose to nine between 2009 and 2018 compared to no economies between 2000 and 2009. The emission intensity of ICT investments contributes to a significant increase of carbon emissions, and the structure and efficiency of ICT investments always restrain the growth of carbon emissions. Significant emissions changes caused by the driving factors are shown in many economies before and after the crisis, reflecting the differences in the strategic choices of ICT investments and the impact on emissions due to the crisis such as the COVID-2019 pandemic. And policy implications for energy and carbon dioxide mitigation strategies in the post-COVID-2019 era are also provided.
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Smart governance technologies are emergent information and communication technologies (ICT), which amid the COVID-19 pandemic have been widely used to govern COVID’s impacts. However, very few studies have provided insight into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of smart governance technologies under COVID-19. This prevents the widespread usage of smart governance technologies across cities and countries and impedes their usefulness during emergencies. This study combines knowledge of emergency management theory and planning support systems (PSS) to frame the functional usefulness of smart governance technologies in handling practical tasks amid the COVID-19 state of emergency into a task-technology fit model. By employing qualitative content analysis to collect views and insights from the international news-based cases (n= 69), we identify SWOT of smart governance technologies under COVID-19. Results indicate that usefulness of smart governance technologies is reflected in task-handling in the ex-post emergency phases of response (e.g., provide e-health service, tracing and tracking) and recovery (e.g., improve e-government services, enhance collaboration for renewal), whereas few applications focus on tasks in the ex-ante emergency phases of mitigation (e.g., hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment) and preparedness (e.g., planning, training and exercises). Main findings lead to a conclusion that hidden capacities of smart governance technologies can be fully achieved if policy makers and practitioners can focus on the full range of tasks and demands before, amid, or after emergencies and identify collaborative opportunities for technological development. [ FROM AUTHOR]
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Purpose The purpose of the study is to examine whether the remote teaching experience of instructors in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic has improved after one year. Design/methodology/approach The study involved 75 instructors teaching at an institution of higher education in Israel, who answered twice (once in 2020 and again in 2021) a quantitative questionnaire that examined their remote teaching experience. Findings The hypotheses about greater use of digital tools and about more positive attitudes of instructors toward remote teaching and learning at the second measurement than at the first one were confirmed. This hypothesis about lower levels of technical difficulties in remote teaching at the second measurement was not confirmed, but the level of reported difficulty was already low at the first measurement. Practical implications It is recommended that academic institutions continue the trend of deploying innovation in teaching with confidence in the ability of instructors to adapt to change. At the same time, instructors should be provided with mental and technical support. Originality/value Few studies have examined the change in attitudes of instructors toward remote teaching over time. In the present study, we used a repeated measures design, which made it possible to monitor the instructors' adaptation to remote teaching. Adaptation to the new teaching method can contribute to innovation in teaching in academic institutions and to improvement in its quality.
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The sharing economy has seen a worldwide boom in recent years. In tourism, such platforms are being increasingly used;however, analysis of consumers’ behavior toward such platforms in the context of technological innovation since the COVID-19 pandemic is almost non-existent. The aim of the present research is to fill this gap by studying, with the aid of structural equations, factors that influence the attitudes and behavior of consumers of tourist services offered through sharing economy platforms. Under the impact of the adoption of new technologies, the perceived value generated by these platforms is considered in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trust in tourism sharing economy platforms and their perceived value is determined by consumers’ experience of using them, the authenticity of platforms, propensity toward technological innovation, and users’ demand for novelty. Data collected from 548 respondents were modeled using structural equations in SmartPLS. Results show that experience, the authenticity of platform, openness to new things, and technological innovation are the determining factors that influence consumers’ behavior on sharing economy tourism platforms. The originality of the research consists of the implementation, in a sharing economy context, of a new construct for this sector, which can also be used in other fields, namely that of pandemic fear. Furthermore, the way in which other constructs are included in the proposed conceptual model and the links between them presents additional novelty. Given the trend of increasing demand for such platforms and tourists’ appetite for technological innovation, it will become a managerial challenge for businesses in this field to keep up with the constant evolution of cutting-edge technologies. © 2022 by the authors.
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BACKGROUND: Access to mass media and emerging technologies (e.g., cell phones, the internet, and social media) is a social determinant of health that has been shown to profoundly influence women's health outcomes. In the African region, where women in rural settings with limited access to care are most vulnerable to maternal mortality and other pregnancy-related morbidities, mobile phone access can be an important and life-saving health determinant. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine the association between mobile/cellular phone ownership and health behaviors of post-partum mothers in rural Malawi. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited and consented a convenient sample of 174 post-partum mothers of 4- and 5-month-olds who were attending well-child clinics in Gowa, situated in the rural Ntcheu district of Malawi. Using logistic regression models, we hypothesized that compared to non-cell phone owners, mobile phone ownership will be predictive (greater odds) of antenatal visit frequency, exclusive breastfeeding knowledge and practices, health-seeking behaviors, and involvement in motherhood support groups; and protective (lower odds) of infant illnesses, breastfeeding challenges, and post-partum depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Mobile phones were highly prevalent in this rural setting, with 45% (n = 79) of post-partum women indicating they owned at least one cell phone. Cell phone owners tended to have higher levels of education (p < 0.012) and wealth (p < 0.001). Interestingly, mobile phone ownership was only associated with exclusive breastfeeding practices; and phone owners had 75% lower odds of exclusively breastfeeding (adj. OR 0.25; 95% CI: 0.07-0.92, p = 0.038) in multivariable models. Though not statistically significant but clinically meaningful, cell phone ownership was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (adj. OR 0.84; 95% CI: 0.39-1.84, p = 0.67) and more social support (adj. OR 1.14; 95% CI: 0.61-2.13, p = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Digital literacy and internet connectivity are social determinants of health, thus delving deeper into mothers' digital experiences to identify and ameliorate their unique barriers to full digital access will be crucial to successful implementation of digital interventions to address post-partum challenges for women in hard-to-reach settings such as ours. Such interventions are of even greater relevance as the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the urgency of reaching vulnerable, marginalized populations.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cell Phone , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Infant , Malawi , Mothers , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Pandemics , Postpartum Period , PregnancyABSTRACT
The geographical widespread apart of communities in South Africa is increasingly a challenge in the delivery of healthcare services. COVID-19 pandemic emergency has impacted the South African healthcare system directly. As a result, mobile devices have been employed in recent years. However, the devices are not challenge-free, and have constrained healthcare service delivering in many instances, at various locations. As such, communities in rural areas continue to bear the brunt, which negatively affect their wellbeing. This study was therefore undertaken to provide critical analysis of how the devices can be better employed and utilised, to improve healthcare service delivery in the country. The study applied qualitative case study, and the data was analysed exhausting the Actor Network Theory (ANT). The researchers employed the documentation review approach within the healthcare sector. Healthcare documents enabled the researchers to gain more understanding of the role of ICT within healthcare and the data gathered through the healthcare document review was analysed using the Moments of Translation from the ANT perspective. Thereafter, a framework was developed to guide the delivery of healthcare services through the use of mobile devices. The primary aim of the framework, is to give guidance on what should be considered by healthcare in order to deliver a good service in South Africa.
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The COVID-19 lockdown provided many individuals an opportunity to explore changes in their daily routines, particularly when considered in combination with an ever-changing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) landscape. These new routines and alternative activities have the potential to be continued in the post-COVID era. Transportation planners must understand how routines vary to effectively estimate activity-travel scheduling. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on activity-travel behavior and the adoption of ICT-based alternative options. A special emphasis is placed on predicting the long-term effects of this disturbance on activity-travel scheduling. This study examines the changes in the frequency and mode of completing five of the most repetitious tasks in the daily schedule (working, grocery and non-grocery shopping, preparing/eating meals, and visiting family/friends) during the lockdown and immediately after reopening. We find an increased preference for home meal preparation over online ordering and a reluctance to engage in in-person shopping until a substantial proportion of the population has acquired a vaccination against the virus. Respondents prefer to work from home if they have adequate access to home office materials (e.g., desk, chair, computer monitor). Individuals with children must also consider suitable childcare before considering a return to work.
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Purpose—The objective of this paper is to suggest methods to compute an effective Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Capability Index for Supply Chain Management (SCM) as part of assessment framework on ICT impact on SCM. The other part of this assessment framework is an empirical model based on SCOR level I performance indicators. This framework can be seamlessly dovetailed into the universally accepted and popular APICS Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model as its constructs are based on SCOR. The assessment framework will be a welcome addition to the Industry 4.0 research underway. Design/methodology/approach—Survey questionnaire was administered and collected from 200 + SCM professionals in sectors such as manufacturing, services, MSMEs, international companies as well as SCM/ERP professionals working as domain experts in IT and service companies. Snowball sampling was primarily used with the support of various industrial associations and professional body chapters. This questionnaire combines quantitative and qualitative inputs with adequate provision for open-ended questions with user input as a means of eliciting case interviews. After Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using SEM was employed to validate the empirical model, its performance indicators are ranked using AHP and the weights are ascertained. Computing the ICT Capability Index for SCM from the metrics of the assessment model is done using tools such as Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and Snorm De Boer standardized normalization (SNORM) method. Findings—An ICT capability index for SCM is computed based on user input with respect to the impact of ICT on the supply chain performance indicator as part of this framework using the methods of BSC & SNORM. 2 industry case studies are used for the computation and analysis of this index. Research limitations/implications—Discussion with an enterprise is needed to take input on the impact of ICT on each supply chain performance indicator in our calculation for the index. This investigation considers ICT deployment as the variable which encompasses the entire gamut of ICT tools and technologies. There could be different granular approaches to ICT as a variable. A scoring system, scale, and rubric are proposed to be evolved based on multiple case studies of various enterprises as an extension to this research work. There is tremendous scope to extend the investigation into SCOR level II metrics which are diagnostics of strategic metrics and level III metrics which are context or sector-specific and also considering various geographies. Originality/value–The managerial implications of this ICT Capability Index for SCM assumes greater significance as a result of the present situation due to Covid-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the need for Industry 4.0, digitalization and embracing of ICT not only for supply chain but also all aspects of the enterprise. There is also an identified lacuna in terms of performance scoring and assessment framework with respect to impact of ICT in SCM. The advantages of this index are that it is universal and can be used by any enterprise irrespective of the geography or country, vertical or domain, manufacturing or services. This index will provide insights to enterprises on their ICT capabilities and help them to further leverage ICT so as to adapt their organizations, digitize their operations and also benchmark with their peers and competitors. A scoring system and rubric is proposed to be evolved based on multiple case studies of various enterprises as an extension to this research work. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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Hospital e-healthcare management is one of the important and challenging application domains of Internet of Things (IoT). During the pandemic period of Covid-19, government advices the people through media, only come to the hospital if any urgency and to take the opportunities of e-service from the hospital to control the infection. Internet plays an important role during this crucial period. The important problems are the network problem and effective way to handle e-healthcare service. Efficient management of e-healthcare possible by using IoT based 5G mobile technology. The latest technology improves the quality of e-healthcare service and efficient management of the application. Healthcare management depends on patient's satisfaction, service quality and customer experience etc. In this paper we proposed a model on Patient Relationship Management (PRM) which improves the quality of e-healthcare facilities by using the new technologies like RFID, IoT and 5G. Comparisons are shown between 3G/4G ICT based system and 5G ICT-RFID-IoT enabled system. The PRM parameters cost, accuracy and satisfaction are taken into consideration and how these parameters significantly perform better in healthcare sector with the advent of newer technologies in is main the focus of the paper. © 2021 IEEE.
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The paper tackles the cultural-educational role of libraries as local, information, educational and cultural centres of local communities in the contemporary information society;it further presents changes in their cultural-educational paradigm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the global health-related and social crisis triggered by the spreading of the coronavirus. The paper furthermore points to the role of information-communication technology in bridging the communication gap with library users, caused by the introduction of epidemiological measures or rather the closing of library premises. The methodological approach is based on the available relevant literature, primarily covering the areas of librarianship and information sciences, but other scientific areas as well. The research has been conducted by the means of carrying out a questionnaire and gaining an insight into the official statistical data regarding the libraries of the Bjelovar-Bilogora County, with the aim of collecting information on the impact of epidemiological measures on their operation (changed opening hours, prohibited/limited stay of users at library premises), as well as the quantitative and qualitative levels of cultural-educational services the libraries provide to the community. The results of empirical research have shown that national libraries are capable of conducting diverse cultural-educational services adjusted to functioning in crisis situations (such as during the COVID-19 pandemic), and thus - using information-communication technology - retaining their major cultural-educational role in local communities and the society. © 2021 Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. All rights reserved.
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The fact that COVID-19 caused unprecedented challenges for the first time in the human race and eventually rose against all odds in such a short period is a testament to transdisciplinary capacity building. This study analyzes the approaches to disaster management during the pandemic by examining some cases in the Asian region. Managing disasters during a pandemic requires a transdisciplinary approach (TDA), including multi-sectoral coordination, and an interdisciplinary approach based on sound knowledge sharing. The session, in September 2021, in which nine presenters participated, discussed the role of TDA in managing disasters. Through this special session, it was found that the TDA contributed to managing disasters in complex situations, and three characteristics could be identified. First, as per institutional arrangements, case studies show how disaster risk reduction agencies, which had been responding to the expected scale of disasters, have started to respond to multiple different disasters and infectious diseases because of COVID-19. Second, public trust based on sound knowledge and information sharing is essential for promoting multi-stakeholder coordination. Third, information and communication technology utilization was found not only for information sharing and contact-base registration systems on disaster response to COVID-19 but also for monitoring the reconstruction process after a disaster in a remote manner. Further analysis and review will be conducted to develop these evolving practices to build disaster resilience. © Fuji Technology Press Ltd.
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This paper explores the unique relationships care home residents have with communication media. Drawing on findings from an ethnographic case study at a long-term care site in British Columbia, Canada, I describe how care home residents’ everyday media practices are intertwined with their negotiations of longstanding attachments and new living spaces. The research draws connections between the spatiotemporal contexts of media use and residents’ experiences of social agency. Long-term care residents in this research were challenged to engage with the wider community, maintain friendships, or stay current with events and politics because their preferred ways of using communication media were not possible in long-term care. The communication inequalities experienced by care home residents were not simply about their lack of access to media or content but about their inability to find continuity with their established media habits in terms of time and place. While most research about communication media in care homes has been intervention oriented, this research suggests that long-term care service and funding policies require greater attention to create flexible, diverse, and supportive media environments.
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BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the importance of using information and communication technology (ICT) to address daily and healthcare needs. The barriers for older adults in the United States to learn a new technology to go online during the pandemic remain to be studied. METHODS: Using data from the 2019-2020 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative survey of older Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older in the United States, we used multivariable logistic regression models to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with learning a new technology to go online during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Our sample represented 23,547,688 older adults nationally, of which the majority (60.2%) increased ICT use during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most older adults (71.8%) did not report learning a new technology to go online. Those who did not learn a new technology to go online had less of an increase in ICT use than those who learned either with help or by themselves (50.7% vs. 78.4% or 89.2% respectively, p < 0.01). The odds of learning a new technology decreased with increasing age (aOR [95%CI] = 0.96 [0.94-0.98]), being male (aOR [95%CI] = 0.56 [0.45-0.72]), having lower than high school educational attainment (aOR [95%CI] = 0.38 [0.29-0.50]), decreasing income levels (aORs ranged from 0.28 to 0.54), and self-reported fair or poor general health (aOR [95%CI] = 0.65 [0.47-0.90]). CONCLUSION: The identified sociodemographic and clinical factors could inform targeted intervention strategies to improve ICT use among older adults during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and in the future.