INNOVATIVE UTILIZATION OF VIRTUAL CONFERENCING APPLICATIONS: BASIS FOR NEW TECHNOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT APPROACH

In this fourth industrial revolution of technologies, video conferencing applications are now utilized for online business meetings, online classes, and scientific and experimental purposes engaged in a virtual meeting room due to rigorous cases of coronavirus disease 2019. Several difficulties and technical disruptions were encountered in using the said apps, especially during online classes and business conferences. In connection thereto, this Optimization and Innovative Utilization of Virtual Conferencing Applications dissertation were developed to have a new basis for a technological management approach based on the most commonly used video conferencing applications. The encountered problems, considered factors, and optimization processes were also determined. Descriptive quantitative research was used as methodology, and initial closed-ended questionnaires, evaluation forms with a 4-point Likert scale, interviews, consultations, and testing were the instruments and sources of data. Three hundred one (301) respondents were randomly selected around the Province of Laguna, Philippines, composed of 203 respondents from schools, 78 respondents from companies, and 20 professional evaluators. The developed strategic model was evaluated using 6 out of 8 general characteristics of the ISO/IEC 25010: 2011 system quality model, which includes usability, reliability, performance efficiency, maintainability, compatibility, and security. All data gathered were validated as well as the statistical treatments such as percentage, weighted and composite means, and t-test, which was used to determine the significant difference between the normal and optimized utilization of video conferencing applications. Obtained results revealed that utilizing the developed strategic model was significantly more acceptable and effective rather than the normal utilization of the common apps. The teachers and students and as well as the workers of business enterprises are the beneficiaries of this study to optimize and utilize the said applications for better learning and optimal workflow © 2006-2023 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved

Formation of Digital Skills of Personnel in the Cooperative Sector of the Economy in the Face of New Challenges

Industry 4.0 is the central topic of numerous publications by foreign and Russian scientists, most of which are conceptual in nature. The current labor market requires the formation of new competencies and skills demanded in the digital economy. Digital reality dictates the need to develop new competencies—digital skills. Knowledge of computer technology, the use of software, and programming have become essential. For most organizations worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization and adoption of digital ways of working. The development of new forms of employment (remote and combined) using digital technology will contribute to positive changes in the labor market. Based on these trends in the digital transformation of current society, the research aims to examine the digital skills of employees in the cooperative sector of the economy and their demand in the labor market in the context of Industry 4.0. The authors use descriptive statistical methods to process official data from the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation and the Higher School of Economics. The research indicates that the transformation of the labor market and forms of employment requires the development of new competencies demanded in Industry 4.0. In the digital economy, employment opportunities increasingly depend on a person's digital skills and competencies. This paper is one of the first comprehensive studies of the changing labor conditions, working environment, and the emergence of new competencies in Industry 4.0. This research contributes to the problem of studying digital skills as a component of human capital and can be the basis for further research in this subject area. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Teaching and Learning Mathematics Using Technology in Rwanda Basic Education Schools Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, many countries are investing in integrating technology into education, and Rwanda is not an exception. This chapter explores students' and teachers' self-efficacy, perceptions, and experiences on using technology in learning and teaching mathematics during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, the study sought to reveal differences in technology use according to the participants' backgrounds. To collect quantitative data, the study administered an online self-reported questionnaire to students and teachers in Rwanda in primary and secondary schools. The independent t-test and One-Way ANOVA enabled us to examine differences in technology use according to participants' backgrounds. The findings revealed that most Rwandan primary and secondary mathematics teachers were not equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills to use technology during the covid-19 pandemic, causing them to find e-learning technologies inconvenient. In terms of technology use, using the t-test, it was observed that there were no significant differences at p > 0.05 between male and female students and teachers. Additionally, the study found that teachers with different educational qualifications and teaching experiences used technology similarly when teaching mathematics. In contrast, the t-test showed that there were substantial differences at p > 0.05 between rural and urban students' and teachers' use of technology in mathematics. This study recommends that mathematics teachers be continually trained to embrace new technologies that will equip learners with twenty-first-century skills. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Disruption and Public Policy Education Across Asia: The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Climate Crisis, and Covid-19

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is transforming the skills and competencies needed to lead a successful working life. The climate crisis is threatening ways of life, and the Covid-19 pandemic has tested our social-economic systems. The work and training of public policy professionals is also changing as a result. How graduate and undergraduate learning is designed and delivered should adapt with pedagogies and content relevant to our changing world. This chapter details how public policy is transforming given the 4IR and the educational changes that can be implemented to deliver relevant, impactful public policy learning in Asia. Practitioners working in higher education across Asia can consider case study and simulation learning authentic to real-world scenarios and experiential learning to form professionals ready for the automated world's demands. The chapter provides practical advice for pedagogy and content shifts. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Tools Towards the Sustainability and Circularity of Data Centers.

We are living in an age when data centers are expanding, require abundant spaces, and are an integral part in the urban communities, using massive amounts of environmental resources, and remains in the foreseeable future as the primary driver of the global energy consumption. This demand is disruptive and at times of both peril and opportunity due to impacts such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which is altering the demand of digital infrastructure around the world. With the global call for zero carbon emissions, there needs to be solutions put in place for the de-carbonization of data centers. New innovations are made available, which will have an economic, social, and environmental impact on data centers. Concepts such as circular economy and fourth industrial revolution technologies are useful procedural tools that can be used to systematically analyze data centers, control their mining and critical raw materials, can be utilized in the transition towards a sustainable and circular data center, by objectively assessing the environmental and economic impacts, and evaluating alternative options. In this paper, we will look at the current research and practice, the impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, and look at future strides being taken towards more sustainable and circular data centers. We had discovered that decreasing the environmental effect and energy consumption of data centers is not sufficient. When it comes to data center architecture, both embodied and operational emissions are critical. Data centers also have a vital societal role in our daily lives, enabling us to share data and freely communicate via social media, transacting on the blockchain with cryptocurrencies, free online education, and job creation. As a result, sustainability and efficiency measures have expanded in a variety of ways, including circularity and its associated tools, as well as newer technologies.

The influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on organisational culture: An empirical investigation.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is known to transform and create opportunities for the world of work. However, little is known about how the future workforce, such as university students, are being equipped and exposed to 4IR technologies and ways of thinking in a South African (SA) context. This study's findings contribute to understanding the influence of organisational culture on the uptake of 4IR technology within higher education (HE) in SA during a pandemic. The study uses Edgar Schein's theoretical framework to explore the organisational culture at a university in the Gauteng province. The article responds further to the questions on how 4IR technology and principles are understood and applied within the context, and how to investigate to what extent the 4IR is reflected upon or embedded in the university's culture. A qualitative research design is used, and data are gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews from seven purposively selected academic and senior management staff members. Thematic analysis uncovered that the university's ambitious and competitive culture contributed to a positive uptake of 4IR technology and principles, even pre-COVID-19. Furthermore, the specific influence of the university's Vice-Chancellor to build 4IR thinking into the university helped shape more 4IR thinking and technologies, such as artificial intelligence, whilst still considering the existing disparities of SA, as a developing country.