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1.
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings ; 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-20241823

ABSTRACT

Mobile Financial Services (MFS) has gained significant popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among marginalized and low-income, low-literate communities around the world. Such communities have not been traditionally considered while designing MFS services via smartphone apps or USSD services in featurephones. Financial constraints limit such end-users towards basic featurephones, where recent appstore support has made it possible to deploy app-based MFS solutions beyond USSD. This new featurephone platform is a relatively underexplored area in terms of addressing design issues related to aforementioned end-users while developing MFS solutions. Our work addresses this gap by presenting qualitative findings on barriers to technology access focused on MFS solutions in marginal communities. We present a prototype non-USSD, app-based solution on an appstore-supported featurephone platform designed via a human-centered approach. This work has the potential to increase the financial inclusivity of marginalized communities in cashless MFS transactions via low-cost, appstore-enabled featurephones. © 2023 ACM.

2.
Journal of Civil Engineering and Management ; 29(5):398-417, 2023.
Article in English | Web of Science | ID: covidwho-2322451

ABSTRACT

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, many construction sites must limit the number of people on the jobsite or conduct work independently to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The quality of construction may be in doubt with unclear job handover, especially when workers have COVID-19 infection that should be isolated immediately. On top of that, first-level subcontractor self-inspections are crucial parts of construction process management, and neglecting inspec-tion processes can lead to construction errors and poor quality. To improve current quality inspection methods for private projects, a literature analysis was conducted to identify construction quality management issues that are faced in private housing projects. In-depth interviews with small and medium-sized subcontractors of private housing projects were per-formed to understand the quality management methods that they use in practice. Next, improvement measures for quality management were formulated and a simplified checklist for private project subcontractors, based on the practical feedback obtained, was created. Finally, the AppSheet platform was used to develop an inspection application for construction, and a subcontractor was invited to confirm its feasibility. The paperless design avoids redundant human contact, and the re-sults of this study greatly facilitate construction practice, particularly during the pandemic. The main contribution of this study is its investigation of the procedures that are used by private project subcontractors to inspect their work for quality management;its results can serve as a reference for academics in evaluating construction quality management levels and improving the management of work by subcontractors to promote safety and health.

3.
Manufacturing and Service Operations Management ; 24(6):2882-2900, 2022.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2285981

ABSTRACT

Problem definition: This study addresses three important questions concerning the effectiveness of stay-at-home orders and sociodemographic disparities. (1) What is the average effect of the orders on the percentage of residents staying at home? (2) Is the effect heterogeneous across counties with different percentages of vulnerable populations (defined as those without health insurance or who did not attend high school)? (3) If so, why are the orders less effective for some counties than for others? Academic/practical relevance: To combat the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a number of states in the United States implemented stay-at-home orders that prevent residents from leaving their homes except for essential trips. These orders have drawn heavy criticism from the public because whether they are necessary and effective in increasing the number of residents staying at home is unclear. Methodology: We estimate the average effect of the orders using a difference-in-differences model, where the control group is the counties that did not implement the orders and the treatment group is the counties that did implement the orders during our study period. We estimate the heterogeneous effects of the orders by interacting county features with treatment dummies in a triple-difference model. Results: Using a unique set of mobile device data that track residents' mobility, we find that, although some residents already voluntarily stayed at home before the implementation of any order, the stay-at-home orders increased the number of residents staying at home by 2.832 percentage points (or 11.25%). We also find that these orders are less effective for counties with higher percentages of uninsured or less educated (i.e., did not attend high school) residents. To explore the mechanisms behind these results, we analyze the effect of the orders on the average number of work and nonwork trips per person. We find that the orders reduce the number of work trips by 0.053 (or 7.87%) and nonwork trips by 0.183 (or 6.50%). The percentage of uninsured or less educated residents in a county negatively correlates with the reduction in the number of work trips but does not correlate with the reduction in the number of nonwork trips. Managerial implications: Our results suggest that uninsured and less educated residents are less likely to follow the orders because their jobs prevent them from working from home. Policy makers must take into account the differences in residents' socioeconomic status when developing new policies or allocating limited healthcare resources. © 2021 INFORMS.

4.
Community, Work & Family ; 26(2):242-257, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2282670

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACTWith the widespread ownership and usage of mobile devices combined with the subsequent challenges usage poses on relationships, this research examines how people negotiate time spent on mobile devices (smartphones and/or tablets) accomplishing professional tasks. Participants in this study were the users of the mobile device within a full-time managerial level position. Diverse organizational representation included, but not limited to health care, engineering, public relations, finance, education, and distribution management industries. Using qualitative methods and semi-structured interviews, data analysis unveiled what negotiation means when using mobile devices in any capacity for professional reasons within the domestic (familial) sphere. Management-level organizational members share how parameters (sometimes called boundaries or borders) are both in and out of their control when using mobile devices to communicate professionally. Within their control was the users' ability to engage or disengage, while also challenged with situations out of their control due to organizational directives. This research re-conceptualizes the concepts of Clark's (2000) Work/Family Border Theory. While this data was gathered prior to Covid19, understanding this balance has current and future relevancy from an academic and applied perspective.

5.
Education + Training ; 65(2):210-231, 2023.
Article in English | Academic Search Complete | ID: covidwho-2247808

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Mobile learning has emerged as one of the main methods for training and academic activities in the present era. It is, also, highly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic whereupon digitization of mobile learning has made it possible for many students to continue with their education. This study investigated attitudes and intentions towards the adoption of mobile learning in vocational education. Design/methodology/approach: This is a quantitative study based on cross-sectional empirical data. In targeting vocational students throughout Pakistan, the study used a survey questionnaire with a convenience sampling method. From the responses to the questionnaire, 320 samples were used to obtain the study outcomes. Findings: The structural equation modeling's (SEM) findings reveal that learning autonomy (LA), mobile device self-efficacy (MDSE), task-technology fit (TTF), perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PUS) and perceived enjoyment (PE) have a positive and significant effect on mobile usage attitudes (MUA) and intentions to adopt mobile learning (ITAML). Moreover, this study's findings confirm, also, MUA's predictive power on ITAML. Practical implications: Further, this study's findings encourage individuals to use mobile devices to properly promote knowledge in society. In addition, this study's findings support vocational institutions' operators' and policymakers' development of online education and training strategies to resist the complications arising from the transmission of COVID-19. Moreover, this study's findings open new doors when conducting similar research studies on students' perceptions and learning behaviors. Originality/value: The empirical investigation of attitudes and intentions to adopt mobile learning in the context of COVID-19 helps potential adopters to test the likely behaviors. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Education + Training is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited 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.)

6.
Transp Policy (Oxf) ; 136: 98-112, 2023 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2287140

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial negative impacts on social equity. To investigate transport inequities in communities with varying medical resources and COVID controlling measures during the COVID pandemic and to develop transport-related policies for the post-COVID-19 world, it is necessary to evaluate how the pandemic has affected travel behavior patterns in different socio-economic segments (SES). We first analyze the travel behavior change percentage due to COVID, e.g., increased working from home (WFH), decreased in-person shopping trips, decreased public transit trips, and canceled overnight trips of individuals with varying age, gender, education levels, and household income, based on the most recent US Household Pulse Survey census data during Aug 2020 âˆ¼ Dec 2021. We then quantify the impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior of different socio-economic segments, using integrated mobile device location data in the USA over the period 1 Jan 2020-20 Apr 2021. Fixed-effect panel regression models are proposed to statistically estimate the impact of COVID monitoring measures and medical resources on travel behavior such as nonwork/work trips, travel miles, out-of-state trips, and the incidence of WFH for low SES and high SES. We find that as exposure to COVID increases, the number of trips, traveling miles, and overnight trips started to bounce back to pre-COVID levels, while the incidence of WFH remained relatively stable and did not tend to return to pre-COVID level. We find that the increase in new COVID cases has a significant impact on the number of work trips in the low SES but has little impact on the number of work trips in the high SES. We find that the fewer medical resources there are, the fewer mobility behavior changes that individuals in the low SES will undertake. The findings have implications for understanding the heterogeneous mobility response of individuals in different SES to various COVID waves and thus provide insights into the equitable transport governance and resiliency of the transport system in the "post-COVID" era.

7.
J Med Internet Res ; 25: e42660, 2023 03 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2276216

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health programs delivered through digital devices such as mobile phones (mobile health [mHealth]) have become an increasingly important component of the health care tool kit. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of reproductive age are likely to be caring for children and family members and needing health care, but little is known about their access to and interest in mHealth. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's ownership of digital devices, access to the internet, current mHealth use, and interest and preferences for future mHealth. We examined the factors (age, remoteness, caring for a child younger than 5 years, and level of education) associated with the ownership of digital devices, use of internet, and interest in using a mobile phone to improve health. This study also examines if women are more likely to use mHealth for topics that they are less confident to talk about face-to-face with a health professional. METHODS: A national web-based cross-sectional survey targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of reproductive age (16-49 years) was performed. Descriptive statistics were reported, and logistic regressions were used to examine the associations. RESULTS: In total, 379 women completed the survey; 89.2% (338/379) owned a smartphone, 53.5% (203/379) a laptop or home computer, 35.6% (135/379) a tablet, and 93.1% (353/379) had access to the internet at home. Most women used social media (337/379, 88.9%) or the internet (285/379, 75.2%) everyday. The most common modality used on the mobile phone for health was Google (232/379, 61.2%), followed by social media (195/379, 51.5%). The most preferred modality for future programs was SMS text messaging (211/379, 55.7%) and social media (195/379, 51.4%). The most preferred topics for future mHealth programs were healthy eating (210/379, 55.4%) and cultural engagement (205/379, 54.1%). Women who were younger had greater odds of owning a smartphone, and women with tertiary education were more likely to own a tablet or laptop. Older age was associated with interest to use telehealth, and higher educational attainment was associated with interest for videoconferencing. Most women (269/379, 70.9%) used an Aboriginal medical service and overall reported high rates of confidence to discuss health topics with a health professional. Overall, women showed a similar likelihood of selecting a topic in mHealth whether they were or were not confident to talk to a health professional about that. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were avid users of the internet and had strong interest in mHealth. Future mHealth programs for these women should consider utilizing SMS text messaging and social media modalities and including content on nutrition and culture. A noteworthy limitation of this study was that participant recruitment was web-based (due to COVID-19 restrictions).


Subject(s)
Health Services Accessibility , Telemedicine , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples , Cross-Sectional Studies , Internet
8.
Aslib Journal of Information Management ; 75(1):90-111, 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2239750

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The present study aims to clarify the following two research objectives: (1) the user behavior of government websites during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) period and (2) how the government improved government's website design during the COVID-19 period. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used website analytics to examine usage patterns and behaviors of the government website via personal computer (PC) and mobile devices during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth interviews were conducted to understand the user experience of government website users and to gather users' opinions about how government websites should be redesigned. Findings: With the rising of the COIVID-19 pandemic, most studies expect that the use of government websites through a mobile device will grow astonishingly. The authors uncovered that the COVID-19 pandemic did not increase the use of government websites. Instead, severe declines in website usage were observed for all device users with the declines being more pronounced in mobile device users than in PC users. This is an admonitory caveat that reveals public health and pandemic prevention information announced on government websites cannot be effectively transmitted to the general public through official online platforms. Originality/value: The study highlights the gap in information behavior and usage patterns between PC and mobile device users when visiting government websites. Although mobile devices brought many new visitors, mobile devices are ineffective in retaining visitors and continuous long-term use. The results of localize experience is helpful in the improvement of government website evaluation worldwide. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

9.
2022 International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security, ICCWS 2022 ; : 62-68, 2022.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2213246

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of human life during last three years. One of these aspects is the adaption of new trends and technologies for everyday activities such as delivery and transportation. People now prefer to shop online and get their products delivered at home without wasting any time. Therefore, the security and importance of online and delivery applications is the main concern these days. The payment mode of these applications is online which involves personal data like bank information and user details. This problem led to the research contribution of our work. The main objective and implication of this study is to find personally identifiable information (PII) of users which uniquely identifies a person at personal and organizational scopes. In this paper, we present the forensics analysis of eight popular Android delivery and transport applications i.e. Daraz.pk, Foodpanda, Grocer app, Airlift express, Bykea, Indriver, Uber and Clicky shopping app. These applications have not been previously studied and investigated by other researchers. Furthermore, these applications are among the top android apps used by customers. It is expected that such an analysis can guide investigators towards obtaining useful information about a suspect who has used such an application on their device. The analysis process started with the installation of each application on a rooted Samsung S7 Edge smartphone. Then various activities were performed such as setting up an account, booking a ride, or ordering a delivery. After this, a physical image of the device was acquired. A detailed analysis of the image was carried out using Autopsy and all relevant artifacts were collected. A comparison of the results showed largest number of artifacts have been gathered from installation activity and the most number of unique artifacts have been collected from order and booking activity. A tabular form of analysis has also been shown with all of the source and path files from which the data has been gathered. © 2022 IEEE.

10.
2022 IEEE International Conference on E-health Networking, Application and Services, HealthCom 2022 ; : 13-18, 2022.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2213188

ABSTRACT

Proximity-based contact tracing relies on mobile-device interaction to estimate the spread of disease. ShareTrace is one such approach that improves the efficacy of tracking disease spread by considering direct and indirect forms of contact. In this work, we utilize the actor model to provide an efficient and scalable formulation of ShareTrace with asynchronous, concurrent message passing on a temporal contact network. We also introduce message reachability, an extension of temporal reachability that accounts for network topology and message-passing semantics. Our evaluation on both synthetic and real-world contact networks indicates that correct parameter values optimize for algorithmic accuracy and efficiency. In addition, we demonstrate that message reachability can accurately estimate the risk a user poses to their contacts. © 2022 IEEE.

11.
Aslib Journal of Information Management ; 75(1):90-111, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2191292

ABSTRACT

Purpose>The present study aims to clarify the following two research objectives: (1) the user behavior of government websites during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) period and (2) how the government improved government's website design during the COVID-19 period.Design/methodology/approach>The authors used website analytics to examine usage patterns and behaviors of the government website via personal computer (PC) and mobile devices during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth interviews were conducted to understand the user experience of government website users and to gather users' opinions about how government websites should be redesigned.Findings>With the rising of the COIVID-19 pandemic, most studies expect that the use of government websites through a mobile device will grow astonishingly. The authors uncovered that the COVID-19 pandemic did not increase the use of government websites. Instead, severe declines in website usage were observed for all device users with the declines being more pronounced in mobile device users than in PC users. This is an admonitory caveat that reveals public health and pandemic prevention information announced on government websites cannot be effectively transmitted to the general public through official online platforms.Originality/value>The study highlights the gap in information behavior and usage patterns between PC and mobile device users when visiting government websites. Although mobile devices brought many new visitors, mobile devices are ineffective in retaining visitors and continuous long-term use. The results of localize experience is helpful in the improvement of government website evaluation worldwide.

12.
Front Public Health ; 10: 970363, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2199461

ABSTRACT

Methods: We relied on reports of confirmed case incidence and test positivity, along with data on the movements of devices with location-tracking software, to evaluate a novel scheme of three concentric regulatory zones introduced by then New York Governor Cuomo to address an outbreak of COVID-19 in South Brooklyn in the fall of 2020. The regulatory scheme imposed differential controls on access to eating places, schools, houses of worship, large gatherings and other businesses within the three zones, but without restrictions on mobility. Results: Within the central red zone, COVID-19 incidence temporarily declined from 131.2 per 100,000 population during the week ending October 3 to 62.5 per 100,000 by the week ending October 31, but then rebounded to 153.6 per 100,000 by the week ending November 28. Within the intermediate orange and peripheral yellow zones combined, incidence steadily rose from 28.8 per 100,000 during the week ending October 3 to 109.9 per 100,000 by the week ending November 28. Data on device visits to pairs of eating establishments straddling the red-orange boundary confirmed compliance with access controls. More general analysis of device movements showed stable patterns of movement between and beyond zones unaffected by the Governor's orders. A geospatial regression model of COVID-19 incidence in relation to device movements across zip code tabulation areas identified a cluster of five high-movement ZCTAs with estimated reproduction number 1.91 (95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.55). Discussion: In the highly populous area of South Brooklyn, controls on access alone, without restrictions on movement, were inadequate to halt an advancing COVID-19 outbreak.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Disease Outbreaks , Incidence , Commerce
13.
JMIR Form Res ; 6(9): e32453, 2022 Sep 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2054745

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Individuals who use wheelchairs and scooters rarely undergo fall risk screening. Mobile health technology is a possible avenue to provide fall risk assessment. The promise of this approach is dependent upon its usability. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the usability of a fall risk mobile health app and identify key technology development insights for aging adults who use wheeled devices. METHODS: Two rounds (with 5 participants in each round) of usability testing utilizing an iterative design-evaluation process were performed. Participants completed use of the custom-designed fall risk app, Steady-Wheels. To quantify fall risk, the app led participants through 12 demographic questions and 3 progressively more challenging seated balance tasks. Once completed, participants shared insights on the app's usability through semistructured interviews and completion of the Systematic Usability Scale. Testing sessions were recorded and transcribed. Codes were identified within the transcriptions to create themes. Average Systematic Usability Scale scores were calculated for each round. RESULTS: The first round of testing yielded 2 main themes: ease of use and flexibility of design. Systematic Usability Scale scores ranged from 72.5 to 97.5 with a mean score of 84.5 (SD 11.4). After modifications were made, the second round of testing yielded 2 new themes: app layout and clarity of instruction. Systematic Usability Scale scores improved in the second iteration and ranged from 87.5 to 97.5 with a mean score of 91.9 (SD 4.3). CONCLUSIONS: The mobile health app, Steady-Wheels, has excellent usability and the potential to provide adult wheeled device users with an easy-to-use, remote fall risk assessment tool. Characteristics that promoted usability were guided navigation, large text and radio buttons, clear and brief instructions accompanied by representative illustrations, and simple error recovery. Intuitive fall risk reporting was achieved through the presentation of a single number located on a color-coordinated continuum that delineated low, medium, and high risk.

14.
23rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, AIED 2022 ; 13356 LNCS:375-378, 2022.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2013940

ABSTRACT

Online learning environments have become a crucial means to provide flexible and personalised pedagogical material, and a major driving cause is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has rapidly forced the migration and implementation of online education strategies across the world. Online learning environments have a requirement for high trust and confidence in establishing a student’s identity and the authenticity of their work, and this need to lessen academic malpractices due to increased online delivery and assure the quality in education has accelerated. In addition to this, due to the ubiquity of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, students use a variety of devices to access online learning environments. Therefore, authentication systems for online learning environments should operate effectively on those devices to authenticate and invigilate online students. Confidence in authentication systems is also crucial to detect cheating and plagiarism for online education as strong authorisation and protection mechanisms for sensitive information and services are bypassed if authentication confidence is low. In this paper, we examine issues of existing authentication solutions for online learning environments and propose a design for an adaptive biometric authentication system for online learning environments that will automatically detect and adapt to changes in the operating environment. Multi-modal biometrics are applied in the proposed system which will dynamically select combinations of biometrics depending on a user’s authenticating device. The adaptation strategy updates two thresholds (decision and adaptation) as well as the user’s biometric template they are using the authentication system. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

15.
15th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments, PETRA 2022 ; : 694-699, 2022.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-1962420

ABSTRACT

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) encounter several problems in their daily life, regarding the interaction with their environment, the communication with their caregivers and their mobility. Mobile and modern smartwatch applications have great potential to provide early warning for medical emergencies, such as fever, oxygen saturation decline and, recently, Covid-19 disease. Furthermore, such apps can also track their position, if necessary, and even automatically detect wandering behaviour. In this paper, we propose a platform that will be able to a) automatically recognize health emergency situations and/or detection of wandering behaviour based on smartwatch/smartphone sensors, b) provide appropriate notifications to both user and caregiver when needed. The final system is currently developed within a Greek national research project and a pilot implementation will be evaluated by a Greek assistive center for people with ID. © 2022 ACM.

16.
2021 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence, CSCI 2021 ; : 1026-1030, 2021.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-1948734

ABSTRACT

The researchers participated in a Mobile Device Forensics Detectives Summer Camp with intermediate students from the surrounding areas of Jackson, MS, who debated on critical thinking, deductive reasoning, problem-solving skills, defined the meaning of Mobile Device Forensics and what it entails in order for the students to achieve proficient or advanced levels on the students' state exams. The researchers had to overcome some barriers for the middle school students that subsequently had not occurred previously due to Covid-19, measure how effective this process progressed moving forward by the external evaluator, and discuss the challenges faced by the Leadership Team of the Mobile Device Forensics Group and how the researchers alleviated some of those issues. © 2021 IEEE.

17.
Int J Environ Res Public Health ; 19(14)2022 07 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1917489

ABSTRACT

Technology has played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite affording a safe way for people to connect with others, the potential for problematic device usage (e.g., overuse, addiction) should be considered. The goal of this study was to examine mobile device use during the COVID-19 pandemic among rural and urban people in Canada. Based on an online survey conducted in the summer of 2021 in British Columbia (n = 465), participants self-reported spending more hours per day (M = 8.35 h) using technology during the pandemic compared to prior (M = 6.02 h), with higher increases among urban participants (p < 0.001). Mobile device usage scores were highest for reasons of social connectedness and productivity, with no rural/urban differences; however, urban participants reported higher use of mobile devices for their mental well-being (p = 0.001), but also reported higher, continuous use (p < 0.001), addiction (p < 0.001), and detrimental impacts on their physical health (p < 0.001) compared to rural participants. Because urban participants were more vulnerable to mobile device overuse and addiction during the pandemic, researchers and policy makers should consider the ongoing role and positive/negative impacts of mobile device use, paying particular attention to urban populations.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Adult , British Columbia/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Computers, Handheld , Humans , Rural Population
18.
Education and Training ; 2022.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-1891309

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Mobile learning has emerged as one of the main methods for training and academic activities in the present era. It is, also, highly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic whereupon digitization of mobile learning has made it possible for many students to continue with their education. This study investigated attitudes and intentions towards the adoption of mobile learning in vocational education. Design/methodology/approach: This is a quantitative study based on cross-sectional empirical data. In targeting vocational students throughout Pakistan, the study used a survey questionnaire with a convenience sampling method. From the responses to the questionnaire, 320 samples were used to obtain the study outcomes. Findings: The structural equation modeling’s (SEM) findings reveal that learning autonomy (LA), mobile device self-efficacy (MDSE), task-technology fit (TTF), perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PUS) and perceived enjoyment (PE) have a positive and significant effect on mobile usage attitudes (MUA) and intentions to adopt mobile learning (ITAML). Moreover, this study’s findings confirm, also, MUA’s predictive power on ITAML. Practical implications: Further, this study’s findings encourage individuals to use mobile devices to properly promote knowledge in society. In addition, this study’s findings support vocational institutions’ operators’ and policymakers’ development of online education and training strategies to resist the complications arising from the transmission of COVID-19. Moreover, this study’s findings open new doors when conducting similar research studies on students’ perceptions and learning behaviors. Originality/value: The empirical investigation of attitudes and intentions to adopt mobile learning in the context of COVID-19 helps potential adopters to test the likely behaviors. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

19.
Aslib Journal of Information Management ; : 22, 2022.
Article in English | Web of Science | ID: covidwho-1886539

ABSTRACT

Purpose The present study aims to clarify the following two research objectives: (1) the user behavior of government websites during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) period and (2) how the government improved government's website design during the COVID-19 period. Design/methodology/approach The authors used website analytics to examine usage patterns and behaviors of the government website via personal computer (PC) and mobile devices during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth interviews were conducted to understand the user experience of government website users and to gather users' opinions about how government websites should be redesigned. Findings With the rising of the COIVID-19 pandemic, most studies expect that the use of government websites through a mobile device will grow astonishingly. The authors uncovered that the COVID-19 pandemic did not increase the use of government websites. Instead, severe declines in website usage were observed for all device users with the declines being more pronounced in mobile device users than in PC users. This is an admonitory caveat that reveals public health and pandemic prevention information announced on government websites cannot be effectively transmitted to the general public through official online platforms. Originality/value The study highlights the gap in information behavior and usage patterns between PC and mobile device users when visiting government websites. Although mobile devices brought many new visitors, mobile devices are ineffective in retaining visitors and continuous long-term use. The results of localize experience is helpful in the improvement of government website evaluation worldwide.

20.
Transp Policy (Oxf) ; 125: 70-78, 2022 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1867839

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected human mobility. This study examines the changes in people's activity-travel behavior over 23 months (from Jan 2020 to Nov 2021) and how these changes are associated with the socio-economic status (SES) at the block group level in North Carolina. We identified 5 pandemic stages with different restriction regimes: the pre-pandemic, lockdown, reopening stage, restriction, and complete opening stage. Using the block-group mobility data from SafeGraph, we quantify visits to 8 types of destinations during the 5 stages. We construct regression models with interaction terms between SES and stages and find that visit patterns during the pandemic vary for different types of destinations and SES areas. Specifically, we show that visits to retail stores have a slight decrease for low and medium SES areas, and visits to retail stores and restaurants and bars bounced back immediately after the lockdown for all SES areas. The results suggest that people in low SES areas continued traveling during the pandemic. Transportation planners and policymakers should carefully design the transportation system to satisfy travel needs of those residents. Furthermore, the results also highlight the importance of designing mitigation policies that recognize the immediate recovery of visits to retail locations, restaurants, and bars.

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