Availability Of Technology Tools Research Articles

The Lecturers and Students’ Voice about Digital Reading

This research attempts to determine whether digital reading has the same effect as traditional reading on students’ reading skill and to explain the lecturers and the students’ perceptions of digital reading. The writer applied mixed-method research. Sixty students participated as a research sample. Ten lecturers were also involved in this research. The instruments of this research were reading tests, questionnaires, and structured interviews. Reading tests were analyzed by using SPSS 22.0. The questionnaires were analyzed quantitatively using Microsoft Excel, and the structured interview was analyzed qualitatively. The writer found that digital and traditional reading does not affect students’ reading skills. It was evidenced by the t-test value being higher than the alpha (0.40 > 0.05). In contrast to many lecturers’ opinions, students do not prefer digital reading because they need more explanations from their lecturer. Meanwhile, the lecturers revealed that digital reading is useful for ongoing virtual learning. They also were confident in their ability to employ these digital readings. Both lecturers and students agree that the availability of technological tools is the key constraint they must deal with. This research hoped to give meaningful information to the government so that online readers can be facilitated with high-quality online reading materials based on their needs, interests, and behavior.

Analysis of the Effect of Remote Audit, Professional Scepticism and Going Concern Assessment on Audit Quality During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Audit quality plays an important role in ensuring the fairness of financial statements to improve decision- making by interested parties. However, there were several cases of suspension of public accountants' licenses in recent years reflecting the low audit quality. The existence of the Covid-19 Pandemic which causes business economic instability conditions and changes in the auditor work mechanism make audit quality increasingly need to be considered. Remote audit during the pandemic cause limited scope for inspection, availability of technological tools, and weak document validity. Fraud increasing is also note for auditors to sharpen their professional skepticism. Another thing in supporting audit quality during the pandemic is the accuracy of going concern assessment which can provide an overview of the company's sustainability. This study aims to analyze and explain the effect of remote audit, professional skepticism, and going concern assessment on audit quality during the Covid-19 Pandemic at Public Accountant Firms in Bali Province. The population in this study are 115 auditors in 17 Public Accountant Firms registered in IAPI Bali with a total of 69 respondents based on convenience sampling method. Primary data were obtained from questionnaires and analyzed with Partial Least Square (PLS) through SmartPLS 3.0 application with a significance level of 5%. The results showed that remote audit, professional scepticism, and going concern assessment have a positive and significant impact on audit quality during the Covid-19 Pandemic at Public Accountant Firms in Bali Province.

Speech and Language Teletherapy in the Chilean Educational Context during Covid-19 Pandemic

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, measures such as the suspension of classes in schools have been implemented. The need to adapt arises with this global emergency and the availability of technological tools has allowed for the activation programs aimed at providing therapeutic care options in the school context, being teletherapy one of them. This study seeks to describe the use of speech-language pathology teletherapy in regular education during the pandemic. For this purpose, a quantitative descriptive-exploratory observational design was chosen. A sample of 190 participants from different regions of the country, who met the eligibility criteria, was studied, using a Google questionnaire to collect information. The information obtained indicates that teletherapy was most frequently performed through synchronous and asynchronous sessions, individually, once a week for 30 minutes. Likewise, difficulties related to the internet signal and the supply of material by the employer were the main barriers. The results suggest that teletherapy can be a tool to provide continuity to the school speech therapy intervention, taking into account that COVID-19 will radically modify the service delivery in the medium term.

INVESTIGATING THE STUDENT-TEACHER TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCY FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: DOES IT MATTER?

The availability of technological tools, the Student and Teacher Technology Competency (STTC) are the essential considerations for the effective use of technology integration in ELT. However, these three aspects are closely interrelated as the key indicators of successful teaching English with technology. This paper reports on the result of an investigation on STTC involving 6 English lecturers and 80 students across the multidisciplinary courses at a vocational higher education setting. The survey is concerned with four domains of technology competencies, they are 1) basic technology operation, 2) personal/ professional use of technology tools, 3) social, ethical, and human issues, and 4) application of technology in instruction (classroom and web-based technology in instruction). This study’s implications call for an inclusion of technological literacy skills in pre-service and in-service EFL teacher professional development programs and education.

Inclusion of Signing Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Students: Factors That Facilitate Versus Challenge Access and Participation

PurposePast studies have consistently indicated a need for improvements in inclusive educational practices. Many have focused on a single actor (e.g., the student), not taking into account the interactive nature of communication.MethodA qualitative study, involving multiple participants in two subject area general education high school classrooms, was completed to examine factors that promote versus challenge deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) students' access to communication and participation in classroom activities. Participants included four classroom teachers, two sign language interpreters, and three DHH students who used sign language as their primary mode of communication. Data consisted of eight 60- to 75-min in-class observations, two interviews, and three questionnaires. Data were analyzed using a participation framework of interaction as coordinated linguistic and nonlinguistic actions between multiple actors.ResultsDespite the availability of technological tools and sign language interpretation, DHH students had inconsistent access to classroom communication and lower participation than their hearing peers.ConclusionsThe results correspond to those of past studies, which suggest a research-to-practice gap that needs to be addressed if we are to see improvements in inclusive practices, particularly for students who use signed communication. Several recommendations are proposed in consideration of teacher, interpreter, and student as integral participants. Speech-language pathologists can participate in assessing whether inclusive education is meeting desired results and contribute to the development and implementation of necessary adaptations. Future studies are needed to systematically examine the efficacy of specific education and training programs.

Reality of applying administrative Reengineering in Imam Mohamed Bin Saud Islamic university from the point of view the academic department heads: واقع تطبيق الهندرة الإدارية بجامعة الإمام محمد بن سعود الإسلامية من وجهة نظر رؤساء الأقسام الأكاديمية

This study aimed to explore the reality of applying administrative reengineering in Imam Mohamed Bin Saud Islamic University from academic department heads point of view. To achieve this goal, a sample of departments’ heads and agents consisting of 61 individuals. A Reengineering questionnaire, prepared by the researcher was applied. The questionnaire has three dimensions which are: electronic jobs, financial resources management and professional development of departments’ heads. The researcher used the descriptive analytic approach. Conclusions of the study were as follow: The study population agreed on the availability of technological tools , the quality of services applying the performance incentives , simplifying work procedures, applying problem solving and decision making. The rate of agreement on these dimensions was (4.006)The study population agrees strongly on applying working with others and through them in Imam Mohamed Ibn Saud University. The rate of agreement on the dimensions (3072). The study sample moderately agrees that there are difficulties in applying Reengineering Management at the University of Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University. Their approval rates (3037).

Integration of Technology in Teaching of Science at Secondary Level in City Muzaffarabad

It is becoming challenging to prepare learners for technological age and use of technology tools in schools. Teachers are integrating technology in schools for instructional purposes. Integrating technology in many content areas is supporting learning, educational environment and enhancing skills of students. Integration of technology is not merely a synonym of computers. The present study is about the integration of technology in teaching of science. The objectives of the study were to explore the current status of instructional technology tools and resources in classroom at secondary level, to identify the effect on learning attitudes of students and to examine the importance of instructional technology for science teachers. This study focused on the current status of the use of technology in the classrooms and about the use of appropriate teaching skills.100 participants were the sample size of the study. In this study two questionnaires were administered to collect data on availability of technology tools and resources in secondary schools along with exploring the status of integrating technology in teaching science at secondary level in city Muzaffarabad. Data analysis revealed that most of the technology resources and tools are available in secondary school of city Muzaffarabad and secondary school teachers are using them in teaching of science. Integration of the technology while teaching learning process benefits the science teachers in the following ways: eases the pressure on them while teaching, professional development, and classroom management and in enhancing their pedagogical skills. Other dimension of this study can be used to measure the students’ performance and their attitude towards learning while integrating technology in teaching science.

Synthesizing Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge in Learning Design

Based on a design rational for constructivist pre-service teacher training on Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), in this paper the authors consider teachers as designers of innovative digital educational content. Under this lens, the selection of appropriate technologies is considered as a threefold process that concerns the availability of technological tools for implementing a virtual classroom that facilitates communication, collaboration, and administration, the enabling technologies for serving specific learning purposes, and the technologies or tools that support trainees to design effective TEL-based courses. A number of questions emerge as the authors are looking for the most appropriate technologies for cultivating certain competences related to class operation, learning design and student engagement in a constructive manner. As a first step, in this paper, they investigate how trainees combine particular technologies with pedagogical tools to cultivate specific competences i.e. certain types of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Lastly, factors that trainees perceive as influential when adopting TEL tools in practice are revealed by their study.

The Impact of Environmental-organizational Factors on the Commercialization of Scientific Research Results in the Branches of Lorestan Islamic Azad University

The current article intends to shed light on the impact of organizational and environmental factors on the commercialization of academic research results from the viewpoint of faculty members practicing in the four branches of Lorestan Islamic Azad University (Aligudarz, Borujerd, Khorramabad, Dorud) by a descriptive-survey methodology. The study statistical population is composed of 525 members of the faculty of the relevant branches, which of them, 222 members were selected as sample by using Cochran formula, and questionnaires were randomly divided between them. After the questionnaires were distributed, 177 completed questionnaires were received, and the data of the same number of questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS software. The research results showed that from the viewpoint of the faculty members of the four branches of Lorestan Islamic Azad University, the availability of technological tools out of university with an average of 3.75, interest and pursuing of research managers with an average of 3.48 and availability of technological tools within university with an average of 3.41 have the greatest impact on the commercialization of scientific research results. On the other hand, from the faculty members’ perspective, creating a database of researchers by universities with an average of 2.43, the presence and activities of technology parks in the surrounding area with an average of 2.72 and faculty members’ access to knowledgeable consultants with an average of 2.75 have the least impact on this area. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s6p326

Chapter 4 Interactions between the immune and neuroendocrine systems

The concept that the mind can affect the body, that emotions can affect disease, is not new. From before the time of Hippocrates until today, the popular culture has championed the belief that stress and the emotions can affect bodily disease. Until recently, however, this concept was dismissed by the scientific and medical community as unfounded. However, the availability of technological tools in neurobiology and immunology, and in the related clinical disciplines of clinical psychiatry, psychology, and rheumatology, has permitted definition of the molecular, biochemical and neuroanatomical pathways by which the immune system and the central nervous systems communicate. Through defining these communication networks, it is possible to better understand the diseases that result when these pathways are interrupted. Such understanding is leading not only to the scientific community's acceptance of the concept of wholeness of mind and body, but to the development of novel approaches to treat illnesses which result when such communication networks are disturbed. There are many levels and mechanisms by which the immune and central nervous system communicate, and interruptions or perturbations of each can alter the severity, course and susceptibility to, and resistance to inflammatory, autoimmune, and infectious diseases. The immune system signals the central nervous system at multiple levels and through many mechanisms, depending on the route of administration, dose and specific cytokine involved. Cytokines can signal the brain via systemic vascular routes, by crossing the blood brain barrier at leaky points (the circumventricular organs), or by specific active transport uptake mechanisms. One of the most important mechanisms by which cytokines signal the brain is through activation of second messenger synthesizing enzymes and resultant production of second messengers, such as the nitric oxide synthase (NOS)/nitric oxide and the cyclooxygenase/prostaglandin system.