Asynchronous Communication Tools Research Articles

A Novel Radiology Communication Tool to Reduce Workflow Interruptions: Clinical Evaluation of RadConnect.

Despite the importance of communication, radiology departments often depend on communication tools that were not created for the unique needs of imaging workflows, leading to frequent radiologist interruptions. The objective of this study was test the hypothesis that a novel asynchronous communication tool for the imaging workflow (RadConnect) reduces the daily average number of synchronous (in-person, telephone) communication requests for radiologists. We conducted a before-after study. Before adoption of RadConnect, technologists used three conventional communication methods to consult radiologists (in-person, telephone, general-purpose enterprise chat (GPEC)). After adoption, participants used RadConnect as a fourth method. Technologists manually recorded every radiologist consult request related to neuro and thorax CT scans in the 40 days before and 40 days after RadConnect adoption. Telephone traffic volume to section beepers was obtained from the hospital telephone system for the same period. The value and usability experiences were collected through an electronic survey and structured interviews. RadConnect adoption resulted in 53% reduction of synchronous (in-person, telephone) consult requests: from 6.1 ± 4.2 per day to 2.9 ± 2.9 (P < 0.001). There was 77% decrease (P < 0.001) in telephone volume to the neuro and thorax beepers, while no significant volume change was noted to the abdomen beeper (control group). Survey responses (46% response rate) and interviews confirmed the positive impact of RadConnect on interruptions. RadConnect significantly reduced radiologists' telephone interruptions. Study participants valued the role-based interaction and prioritized worklist overview in the survey and interviews. Findings from this study will contribute to a more focused work environment.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE INTRODUCTION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ENGLISH LESSONS FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

The article is devoted to the problem of using digital technologies, describes their positive aspects and presents some modern pedagogical tools in the process of learning English for professional purposes.The author explores the potential of using widespread software such as editorial and publishing applications such as blogging platforms: WordPress and Blogger, podcasting services such as Podomatic; platforms that serve as repositories and sharing environments for videos, slides and images, such as Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo and Slideshare; tools for collaborative accumulation of information and publications such as wikis; learning management systems such as Moodle; social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook or the alternative for educational use Edmodo.Online games, wikis and blogs are explored, where games have always been used in language classes, but recently the concept of gamification has been applied to justify its introduction into the educational process. The role of the Internet as an authentic environment where English teachers conduct the educational process, enhance their professional development, and search for new materials and ideas for their classes is clarified.The global Internet helps students to implement autonomous learning and search for material for personal growth according to their own needs.A blended learning approach combines classroom learning with online learning, as well as synchronous (e.g. Skype, video conferencing rooms) and asynchronous (discussion groups, blogs, learning management systems, etc.) communication tools, which helps to increase learning efficiency.Modern information and communication technologies ensure active, creative learning of new material by students and allow them to present material at a new and higher level.

Reading Room Interruptions are Less Disruptive When Using Asynchronous Communication Methods.

Radiologist interruptions, though often necessary, can be disruptive. Prior literature has shown interruptions to be frequent, occurring during cases, and predominantly through synchronous communication methods such as phone or in person causing significant disengagement from the study being read. Asynchronous communication methods are now more widely available in hospital systems such as ours. Considering the increasing use of asynchronous communication methods, we conducted an observational study to understand the evolving nature of radiology interruptions. We hypothesize that compared to interruptions occurring through synchronous methods, interruptions via asynchronous methods reduce the disruptive nature of interruptions by occurring between cases, being shorter, and less severe. During standard weekday hours, 30 radiologists (14 attendings, 12 residents, and 4 fellows) were directly observed for approximately 90-min sessions across three different reading rooms (body, neuroradiology, general). The frequency of interruptions was documented including characteristics such as timing, severity, method, and length. Two hundred twenty-five interruptions (43 Teams, 47 phone, 89 in-person, 46 other) occurred, averaging 2min and 5s with 5.2 interruptions per hour. Microsoft Teams interruptions averaged 1min 12s with only 60.5% during cases. In-person interruptions averaged 2min 12s with 82% during cases. Phone interruptions averaged 2min and 48s with 97.9% during cases. A substantial portion of reading room interruptions occur via predominantly asynchronous communication tools, a new development compared to prior literature. Interruptions via predominantly asynchronous communications tools are shorter and less likely to occur during cases. In our practice, we are developing tools and mechanisms to promote asynchronous communication to harness these benefits.

Turning asynchronicity into an opportunity: asynchronous communication for shared understanding with vision videos

The success of software projects depends on developing a system that satisfies the stakeholders’ wishes and needs according to their mental models of the intended system. However, stakeholders may have misaligned mental models of the same system, resulting in conflicting requirements. For this reason, a shared understanding of the project vision is essential for the success of software projects. While it is already challenging to achieve shared understanding in synchronous contexts, such as meetings, it is even more challenging when only asynchronous contexts, like messaging services, are possible. When multiple stakeholders are involved from different locations and time zones, primarily asynchronous communication occurs. The use of asynchronous communication tools for the development of a shared understanding has hardly been analyzed. In this paper, we look to turn the potential detriment of having to discuss a project vision asynchronously into an opportunity for stakeholders to achieve a shared understanding. For this purpose, we give an overview of common challenges of asynchronous communication. We also propose five concepts designed to minimize the impact of these challenges. We examine categories of asynchronous communication tools and assess their adaptability to our concepts. In a workshop, we chose three most suited representatives to include in our main experiment. In this experiment, we evaluate the adapted representatives and a prototype of our own with 30 participants. Our results show the suitability of our concepts. Participants using our concepts were able to achieve a higher level of shared understanding.

Telecollaboration in English Language Teacher Education: A Systematic Review

Telecollaboration practices enable geographically dispersed participants to interact with each other through synchronous or asynchronous computer-mediated communication tools. Telecollaboration plays a significant role in learning cultural differences, raising awareness, and training language teachers by improving intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and language skills. With this role in mind, this paper aims to present a systematic review of the telecollaboration studies conducted within the scope of English language teacher training programs between 2018 and 2022 by analyzing twenty up-to-date and peer-reviewed articles according to the steps of the systematic review study. Along with the differences among study aims and designs, it is found that the findings of the reviewed studies can be grouped under three main themes, which are the benefits of telecollaborative exchanges, the drawbacks associated with telecollaboration and suggestions for further telecollaborative projects. Accordingly, some implications are provided for integrating telecollaboration into language teacher education programs.

From classic communication to online communication: Identifying online communication tools

The emergence of the internet and digital technologies has facilitated the transition from classic communication to online communication. This shift has significantly expanded the possibilities of online communication. In this article, we will explore the development of a variety of online communication tools, such as synchronous and asynchronous online communication tools. These online communication tools support various types of communication. Ultimately, we will present how online communication offers new opportunities while requiring constant vigilance to maximize its benefits.

Developing and measuring interpersonal communication in the online second language (L2) spanish classroom

This paper examines the use of technology in the development and assessment of interpersonal communication skills in an online second language (L2) Spanish classroom. The study explores the use of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools and strategies to promote interaction among learners, while also considering the challenges and limitations of assessing interpersonal communication skills in an online setting. The results of the study provide insights into effective evaluation methods for measuring the progress of L2 Spanish learners in the area of interpersonal communication.

Asynchronous communication of microservices

More and more business projects use microservice architecture, where large scale and long evolution of the project with the involvement of many developers are expected. This is due to the flexibility of scaling, the possibility of continuous deployment, ease of maintenance, and different teams can work on services without affecting the work pro-cesses as a whole, which is impossible with other architectural styles. Since micro-services are a complex structure consisting of independently designed and deployed ser-vices, communication between them can become a bottleneck, so we must be careful when considering asynchronous communication tools. The most popular open-source tools for asynchronous communication between RabbitMQ and Kafka services are considered. Although RabbitMQ and Kafka are some-times used interchangeably, their implementations are very different from each other. As a result, we cannot consider them as members of the same instrument category; one is a message broker, and the other is a distributed streaming platform. RabbitMQ is best used when we need: advanced and flexible routing rules, mes-sage timing control (managing message expiration or message delay). Advanced fault handling capabilities in cases where consumers are likely to be unable to process mes-sages (temporarily or permanently), simple implementations for consumers. Kafka is used when strict ordering of messages is required, the storage of messages for long periods of time, including the ability to replay past messages, and the ability to achieve high scale when traditional solutions are insufficient. We can implement most use cases using both platforms. However, the project ar-chitect must choose the most appropriate tool for the job. In making this choice, we must consider differences, as noted above. In other cases, when developing complex software systems, it may be tempting to implement all of the necessary messaging use cases using one platform when there are many advantages to using both platforms.

Drivers and Barriers of Using Web-Based Asynchronous Communication Tools for Monitoring Construction Projects

Drivers and Barriers of Using Web-Based Asynchronous Communication Tools for Monitoring Construction Projects

Game learning analytics of instant messaging and online discussion forums in higher education

PurposeWith the growth of digital education, students increasingly interact in a variety of ways. The potential effects of these interactions on their learning process are not fully understood and the outcomes may depend on the tool used. This study explores the communication patterns and learning effectiveness developed by students using two basic synchronous and asynchronous communication tools in e-learning environments, specifically business simulation games.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct a quasi-experiment research with 478 online business students, 267 of whom used online discussion forums and 211 interacted via an instant messaging app. The application of learning analytics and text mining on natural language processing allows us to explore the student communication patterns with each of tools and their effectiveness in terms of learning.FindingsThe results confirm the complementarity of the communication tools, asynchronous tools being especially the suitable for task-related communication and synchronous ones for speeding up and facilitating student social interactions.Originality/valueThe main value of this research lies in the use of data analytics and text mining to access and analyse the content of student interactions to assess the learning process in greater depth, comparing synchronous and asynchronous learning modes, considering that little is known about the impact of online synchronous interaction or instant messaging, and even less about the different features, content and performance that emerge when these two learner interaction modalities are compared.

РАЗВИТИЕ ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-КОММУНИКАТИВНЫХ УМЕНИЙ ПРЕПОДАВАТЕЛЯ УНИВЕРСИТЕТА В УСЛОВИЯХ ЦИФРОВИЗАЦИИ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЙ СРЕДЫ

Promising trends in the development and application of information and communication technologies in the field of education actualized the problem of developing information and communication skills of University teachers. The digitalization of the educational environment has ensured the formation of a new type of high school teacher, able to design a personal learning environment, which is a set of interrelated and interdependent components: educational-methodical, material-technical, organizational and axiological. The purpose of the study was to clarify the essence and develop a classification of information and communication skills of a University teacher in the conditions of digitalization of the educational environment. As a result of theoretical study of the scientific and pedagogical literature revealed that the digitalization of the educational environment is currently being implemented in the following areas: transfer of learning materials (lectures, presentations, textbooks, complexes of individual creative tasks, control knowledge) in the electronic environment; designing interactive e-learning environment interaction between teacher and students, providing access to electronic information and educational resources of the University; development of innovative educational resources (electronic textbooks, video lectures, electronic problem books, etc.); organization of innovative forms of obuchenie through the use of electronic resources the educational environment of the University; use in educational activities resources artificial intelligence. We see the essence of the concept of “information and communication skills” as a complex of General user, pedagogical and subject-pedagogical skills that ensure adequate perception, processing and reproduction of information. The developed author’s classification allows us to systematize the information and communication skills of a University teacher in accordance with the leading directions of digitalization of the educational environment. The information and communication skills of a University teacher in the conditions of digitalization of the educational environment include: the ability to use office software to present educational materials and pedagogical work; use Internet resources for educational purposes; use synchronous and asynchronous Internet communication tools; develop electronic textbooks with elements of interactive technologies; carry out the educational process in online and (or) mixed mode; work in online pedagogical communities; work in the format of video conferences; use artificial intelligence technologies for educational purposes. We note that to a large extent, the effectiveness of the development of information and communication skills of a university teacher is ensured by activating the axiological component of the personal educational environment. The paper considers the axiologization of education as a key modern trend in the development of higher education in a rapidly changing world. It is proved that the result of axiologization of education is the development of the value attitude of the university teacher to the profession, stable professionally significant and vital value orientations that determine the achievement of high results in life and in professional activity.

Asynchronous c-VEP communication tools\u2014efficiency comparison of low-target, multi-target and dictionary-assisted BCI spellers

Keyboards and smartphones allow users to express their thoughts freely via manual control. Hands-free communication can be realized with brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) based on code-modulated visual evoked potentials (c-VEPs). Various variations of such spellers have been developed: Low-target systems, multi-target systems and systems with dictionary support. In general, it is not clear which kinds of systems are optimal in terms of reliability, speed, cognitive load, and visual load. The presented study investigates the feasibility of different speller variations. 58 users tested a 4-target speller and a 32-target speller with and without dictionary functionality. For classification, multiple individualized spatial filters were generated via canonical correlation analysis (CCA). We used an asynchronous implementation allowing non-control state, thus aiming for high accuracy rather than speed. All users were able to control the tested spellers. Interestingly, no significant differences in accuracy were found: 94.4%, 95.5% and 94.0% for 4-target spelling, 32-target spelling, and dictionary-assisted 32-target spelling. The mean ITRs were highest for the 32-target interface: 45.2, 96.9 and 88.9 bit/min. The output speed in characters per minute, was highest in dictionary-assisted spelling: 8.2, 19.5 and 31.6 characters/min. According to questionnaire results, 86% of the participants preferred the 32-target speller over the 4-target speller.

Cloud technologies for enhancing communication of IT-professionals

The paper deals with the urgent problem of enabling better communication of IT-specialists in their business and interpersonal interaction using information and communication technologies, including cloud technologies. It is emphasized, that effective communication is an integral part of the successful professional work of IT-professionals, but in recent years it has undergone significant transformations, which have been expressed in new forms and means of communication, its content changes, its complications and volume increases, the need to improve its accuracy, and the level of understanding for a wide range of people. Certain peculiarities of communication in the IT-environment have been discussed. It is noted that typical forms of communication in the IT-environment are synchronous and asynchronous ones. The authors insist that during their professional career IT-specialists communicate in the professional community from a variety of positions and common types of task formulation can be expressed through verbal or symbolic communication means. Due to the specifics of their professional activities, IT-professionals often need to communicate using synchronous communication (chats, video chats, audio chats, instant messaging) and asynchronous communication (email, forums, comments) tools, hence there is a demand to teach corresponding communication skills at universities. Certain practical examples of teaching communication skills using modern technologies are given. Advantages of cloud technologies for better communication within a company or an educational institution are presented. Microsoft Office 365 services, which can be successfully used to enable better communication and collaboration within a company or an educational institution are analyzed.

Inventing Others in Digital Written Communication: Intercultural Encounters on the U.S.-Mexico Border

At a multinational company, daily written communication between staff, supervisors, customers, and suppliers is frequently conducted using digital tools (e.g., emails, smartphones, and texting applications) often across multiple nationally, linguistically, and conceptually defined borders. Determining digital tools’ impact on intercultural encounters in professional environments like these is difficult but important given the sheer volume of digital contact in technical and professional environments and the ongoing global struggle to broker peace and productivity amid communities’ many perceived differences. Using examples drawn from a case study of binational manufacturing sister companies, I build on recent work in professional, networked written communication to analyze two WhatsApp exchanges, one between a central study participant and his customer, another between the participant and an employee. This study shows how asynchronous digital communication tools created complex “silences” in writing between participants. In these silences (e.g., a lack of or delayed response to a text) individuals try to explain others’ actions for themselves. Drawing on a combination of third-generation activity theory and Latourian actor-network theory, I show that while explaining others’ actions in writing with whatever cultural shorthand is available may remain a common part of everyday life and research, it can be a poor guide for explaining others’ actions, especially in digital writing. My study shows how research of, and instruction in, digital tool use in intercultural writing contexts requires attention to the material conditions and objectives potentially shaping one’s own as well as others’ composition choices.

EDUCAÇÃO E COVID-19: AS TECNOLOGIAS DIGITAIS MEDIANDO A APRENDIZAGEM EM TEMPOS DE PANDEMIA

The article addresses digital technologies as a key element for mediating the learning process in pandemic times. It aims to present the pedagogical potential for remote teaching with Google Classroom and ZOOM application, asynchronous and synchronous communication tools, respectively. This study of a descriptive- exploratory nature, uses bibliographic and documentary analysis to discuss the contributions of digital technologies to the learning process in times when education is forced to face a new scenario due to the COVID – 19. The results demonstrate how the learning process had to adapt in times of pandemic, especially with the use of digital technologies. In this context, the study considers that although Google Classroom and the ZOOM applications are effective tools to remote mediation, their strategic insertion into the formative process demands more technology training for teachers.

What to expect, and how to improve online discussion forums: the instructors\u2019 perspective

Online discussion forums are asynchronous communication tools that are widely used in Learning Management Systems. However, instructors and students face various difficulties, and instructors lack a guide on what strategies they can use to achieve a more participatory forum environment. This work aims to identify benefits and difficulties of using online discussion forums from the instructors’ point of view, and to provide a list of strategies and improvements that can mitigate the challenges and lead to a more participatory forum. We used coding procedures to analyze data collected through semi-structured interviews. The results of our exploratory analysis are relevant to the distance learning community and can inform instructors, developers, and researchers to help them improve the quality of mediation and use of forums.

أثر التواصل الإلکتروني( المتزامن/ غيرالمتزامن) على الشعور بالرضا نحو التربية العملية لدى الطلاب المعلمين بکلية التربية جامعة السويس The Effect of Electronic Communication (Simultaneous / Asynchronous) on Satisfaction towards Practical Education among Teachers Students at the Faculty of Education, University of Suez

هدف البحث الحالي إلى تحديد أثر التواصل الإلکتروني بنمطيه( المتزامن/ الغير متزامن) في تنمية الشعور بالرضا نحو التربية العملية لدى الطلاب المعلمين بکلية التربية بالسويس، وتحديد النمط الأفضل في التواصل الإلکتروني منهما، وللتحقق من ذلک أعدت الباحثة أدوات للتواصل الإلکتروني تتمثل في صفحة على الفيس بوک، والتواصل عبر المحادثات المباشرة ، والبث المباشرOnline video، والنماذج الإلکترونية لاختيار الطلاب المعلمين المدراس التي يرغب في التدريب بها، ومجموعة على تطبيق الواتس آب للتواصل مع الموجهين المعاونيين، ومجموعة أخرى للتواصل تضم المشرفين التربويين بالکلية، کما أعدت الباحثة استبيان إلکتروني لقياس الشعور بالرضا نحو استخدام أداوت التواصل الإلکتروني في التربية العملية، وتم تطبيقة قبليا وبعديا على (105) طالب أجابوا على الأستبيان من أصل(478) طالبا من طلاب الفرقة الرابعة اختيروا عشوائيا من شعب(أساسي عربي، وأساسي إنجليزي، وتکنولوجيا تعليم، وکيمياء، وبيولوجي، أساسي علوم، اللغة العربية عام، واللغة الإنجليزية عام، والتربية الفنية).وبعد المعالجة الإحصائية للنتائج توصل البحث إلى وجود فروق دالة إحصائية عند مستوى(0.05)، بين متوسطات مجموعة البحث في التطبيقين القبلي/البعدي، على استبيان رضا الطلاب نحو استخدام أدوات التواصل الإلکتروني (المتزامن، والغير متزامن) في التربية العملية، لصالح التطبيق البعدي، کما توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى (0.05) بين متوسطات مجموعة البحث في التطبيق البعدي على استبيان رضا الطلاب نحو أدوات التواصل الإلکتروني المتزامن والغير متزامن، لصالح أدوات التواصل الغير متزامن. The objective of the current research is to determine the impact of electronic communication (synchronous / asynchronous) in the development of satisfaction towards the practical education of the student teachers at the Faculty of Education in Suez, and determine the best in electronic communication (synchronous / asynchronous) during practical education, The researcher is an online communica- tion tool consisting of a page on Facebook, communication through direct conversations, online video, electronic forms for the selection of students, the schools in which wishes to train, and a group on the application of Watsapp, to communicate with educators (105) students who answered the questionnaire out of (478) students of the fourth year were randomly selected from (Basic Arabic , Basic English, teaching technology, chemistry, biology, basic science, general Arabic, general English, and technical education) enrolled in practical education for the academic year 2019/2018. After the statistical processing of the results, the study found that there were statistically significant differences at (0.05) between the mean of the research group in the pre / post-application applications, the questionnaire of students' satisfaction with the use of electronic communication tools (synchronous and asynchronous) There were statistically significant differences at (0.05) between the averages of the research group in the post application on the student satisfaction questionnaire towards the simultaneous and asynchronous electronic communication tools, in favor of asynchronous communication tools.

Navigating assigned roles for asynchronous online discussions: Examining participants’ orientation using conversation analysis

Asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools, such as asynchronous online discussions (AODs), are widely used in higher education. Particularly for online-only classes the organization of AOD forums is of pedagogical importance, as these discussions are one of the major opportunities for participants to develop understanding of course content. This study examines participant orientations to a common AOD practice, assigning roles. The data were gathered from a graduate-level teacher education course that used forum discussion module included in Sakai. Using a conversation analytic perspective, data were examined to understand patterns in participants’ uptake of Discussion Starter and Devil’s Advocate roles in the forum. The findings demonstrate how assigning roles established a frame for participants’ understanding of course content and delimited possibilities for participation. Further, patterns of engagement related to these roles encouraged participants to distance themselves epistemically from the content of their posts. Specifically, students took up the Devil’s Advocate role in both expected and unexpected ways. While students did use this role as an opportunity to disagree with others in the forum, they also took up the role of Devil’s Advocate to pose non-critical questions as well. Pedagogical insights and the usefulness of conversation analysis as an analytical approach are discussed.

A Systematic Review of Asynchronous, Provider-to-Provider, Electronic Consultation Services to Improve Access to Specialty Care Available Worldwide.

Electronic consultation (eConsult) is an asynchronous electronic communication tool allowing primary care providers to obtain a specialist consultant's expert opinion in a timely manner, thereby offering a potential solution to excessive wait times for specialist care, which remain a serious concern in many countries. Our 2014 review of eConsult services demonstrated feasibility and high acceptability among patients and providers. However, gaps remain in knowledge regarding eConsult's impact on system costs and patient outcomes. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review in May 2017 of English and French literature on OVID Medline, EMBASE, ERIC, and CINAHL databases, examining all studies on eConsult services published since our previous review. The Quadruple Aim Framework was used to synthesize outcomes. Articles reporting on the impact of eConsult on access, patient safety and satisfaction, utilization rates, clinical workflow, and continuing medical education were analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach. The initial search yielded 1,021 results, 50 of which were included on abstract and received a quality assessment and full text review. Of these, 43 were included in our final analysis. Results demonstrated the worldwide presence of eConsult services in North America and countries beyond, including Brazil, Australia, Spain, and The Netherlands. The breadth of specialty services offered has greatly expanded beyond dermatology and includes cardiology, nephrology, and hematology among others. Overall impact on access measures, acceptability, cost, and provider satisfaction remain positive. There is limited research on population health outcomes of morbidity and mortality. The availability of eConsult services has spread both geographically and in terms of specialty services offered. By allowing for a greater population to be served, access to care is being improved; however, long-term impact should continue to be assessed with a focus on patient safety, morbidity, mortality, and cost effectiveness metrics.

Discussion structure: Does it influence student participation and learning through online interactions with block mode students?

Interaction in online learning is becoming quite common in higher education. Online communication tools are thought to promote student-centred learning and encourage wider student participation as well as provide an important learning opportunity for students. This paper presents a study based on a survey of seventeen students regarding perceptions on the usefulness of online communication, analysed through an interactive discussion structure with selected synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. The article considers student feedback on the new interactive discussion structure provided to them and compares the level of participation between the old structure and the new structure. The results show that there was a significant increase in the level of participation in the new structure. However, it also indicates that simply providing an interactive discussion structure does not mean that it will be used effectively. Several other factors were related to actual participation and perceived usefulness of the structure.