Developing Cadets' Soft Skills through Project-Based Learning in Moodle LMS

This paper reports on a study conducted to examine the development of cadets' soft skills by implementing project-based learning in Moodle LMS during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was classroom action research following the Kemmis & McTaggart's model. It was conducted in three cycles, each consisting of plan, action, observation, and reflection. The participants of this study were the cadets from four different study programs at Sekolah Tinggi Maritim Yogyakarta currently enrolled in online classes. The data were collected through observations and focused-group discussions. The results showed that the implementation of project-based learning in Moodle LMS contributed effectively to the development of the cadets' soft skills including responsibility, discipline, creativity, and problem-solving. After implementing the project-based learning for about 16 week-meetings, the researchers recorded the gradual improvement in the soft skills performed by the cadets as follows: 39.42% (low) in Pre-cycle, 52.71% (average) in Cycle I, 69.91% (high) in Cycle II, and 83.71% (very high) in Cycle III. The aforementioned skills were perceived as key fundamental skills required by the cadets to perform their jobs successfully in the 21st century workplace, particularly in the maritime industry. © 2023, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.

Virtual Flipped Classroom in HCI Courses: Case Studies on the Experience of Brazilian Students

The interest in virtual learning is not new;however, it has become a hot topic since the outbreak of COVID-19. In the area of human-computer interaction (HCI), there have been few educational experiences conducted in fully online mode. This paper examines a virtual flipped classroom-based approach, which was adopted to support HCI teaching-learning by using online tools. We conducted two case studies at a Brazilian University and carried out qualitative data analysis. We also investigated how this approach affected the experience of undergraduate and graduate students, together with the skills it enabled them to acquire. The results revealed a high degree of satisfaction and motivation felt by students when they adopted this approach and a change in their mindset about the importance of HCI in their future job activities as professionals. Skills related to effective work in group management and innovative thinking were also stimulated by our approach.

Soft skill competency and employees' capacity as the intervening factors between training effectiveness and health workers' performance

This study aimed to determine the role of soft skill competency (SSC) and employees' capacity (EC) in mediating the effect of training effectiveness (TE) on health workers' performance (HWP). A quantitative approach was conducted by using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)-Amos version 23 analysis, with data obtained through accidental sampling from 222 health workers who filled out online questionnaires and were declared complete. The results showed that TE improved SSC and HWP, although it did not have a direct effect on increasing EC. This indicated that SSC was needed to mediate the relationship between these two variables. SSC and EC also mediated the effect of TE on HWP. These results were expected to enrich the limited references in explaining the relationship between human resources (HR) planning and HWP, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.

Leveraging customer services technique for organizational and family stability in COVID-19 era: A sociological perspective

This research investigated the extent COVID-19 pandemic affected micro and small businesses that constitutes Nigeria’s critical GDP viability and family relationships, and how the amplification of customer service techniques can stabilize such businesses and hence, promote stability-challenged family relationships. The empirical research applies a qualitative approach and obtains information from 90 respondents on their life and livelihood before and during COVID-19, and explores business and family reconstruction efforts with customer service approach. The data reveal that all respondents are negatively impacted economically and psychologically and lifestyles plunged, a situation that facilitates people’s ingenuity, in absence of meaningful statutory emergency relief assistance. More than before, most respondents established much stronger relationships with their customers during the pandemic, with both sides embracing unavoidable symbiotic business partnerships. Respondents developed customer service ethos of less argument, more empathy, tolerance, smiling and engaging in customers’ business and private events. From the data, the pandemic phenomenon creates an impetus to drive small and micro businesses to sustainability in Nigeria’s young and populous environment with guaranteed customer demand, enhanced revenue and household expendable income. However, catalytic customer service approach needs the complement of public sector driven, secure and informal sector business friendly environment for individual, business, family and national development. © 2022, Association Res Militaris. All rights reserved.