Awareness Training Program Research Articles

“But it’s truly aggravating and depressing”: Voicing counter-expectancy in US–Philippines service interactions

Intercultural competence is essential in a globalized business environment, where successful cross-border transactions rely on effective cross-cultural communication. Interactions between US customers and Filipino customer service representatives (CSR) in call centers are one example where intercultural competence is required. This study examines the use of counter-expectancy expressions in call center complaint calls by American consumers and Filipino CSRs in the insurance sector. This study used a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) framework to examine the various linguistic realizations used in the dialogues, with a focus on appraisal theory. To further explore the connection between the use of business language, cultural norms, and the growth of intercultural competence, this study also considered Hofstede's cultural distinctions, as well as Hall's high-context and low-context cultures. Using a mixed approach, the present study examined 20 authentic audio recordings of complex insurance complaint calls (approximately four hours in length and containing 39,440 words). These spoken data were transcribed and analyzed for linguistic characteristics that indicated concessive expressions, for example, connectives such as “but” and “however”, and adjuncts such as “just” and “only”. The findings of this study have implications for language and cultural awareness training programs, and ultimately for enhancing intercultural communication skills in professional settings.

A knowledge retention strategy for professional nurses in South Africa

This paper explores the existing knowledge retention strategies for professional nurses at Philadelphia hospital, in South Africa, located in one of the previously disadvantaged district municipalities in the country and it develops a strategy for retaining nurses. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopted a qualitative research approach and a case-study design. Semi-structured interviews were used to solicit in-depth understanding of the current knowledge retention practices. Out of the 90 professional nurses at Philadelphia hospital, 20 were purposively interviewed to a point of saturation. Data was analysed thematically. Findings: A knowledge retention strategy was developed. It calls for a knowledge retention policy; awareness training programmes; reward systems for effectively encouraging professional nurses to participate in knowledge retention practices; programmes for recovering lost knowledge and conducting knowledge audits. The strategy contributes to the existing body of knowledge-on-knowledge retention in the health care sector. The article is part of the findings from the authors master's dissertation. Conclusion: The loss of critical nursing knowledge remains a challenge in South Africa and to the rest of the globe, as highly skilled and experienced nurses migrate from place to place in search of greener pastures, hence this has affected patient care. Although the country has engaged in several efforts such as educating and training nurses, its knowledge retention strategies have not been prioritised in the country. Limitations: This paper focuses on knowledge retention practices in the nursing profession, which is only one part of the health sector in the former disadvantaged province. It is a qualitative study performed in one out of the nine provinces in South Africa. There is a dire need for a quantitative study, which will explore knowledge retention amongst nurses in the country and the health sector as a whole

Problems and Suggestions under Extent of Adoption of Recommended Mushroom Production Technology by Mushroom Growers of Jabalpur District (M. P.), India

Mushroom production technology offers a promising avenue for income generation and sustainable agriculture. However, the extent of adoption of recommended mushroom production technology by mushroom growers in Jabalpur District, Madhya Pradesh, remains a matter of concern. This study aimed to identify the key problems hindering the widespread adoption of recommended practices and propose suitable suggestions to overcome these challenges. The researches involved conducting surveys and interviews with mushroom growers in Jabalpur District to assess their current practices and level of technology adoption. The study revealed several critical issues, including limited awareness and knowledge about modern mushroom cultivation techniques, inadequate access to training and extension services, and the lack of financial resources for adopting advanced technologies. Additionally, the absence of supportive policies and market linkages posed significant barriers for mushroom growers.To address these challenges, several practical recommendations were put forth. First, targeted awareness campaigns and training programs should be organized to educate mushroom growers about the benefits of adopting recommended practices. Secondly, government agencies and agricultural institutions should enhance extension services and provide hands-on technical support to mushroom growers. Moreover, financial institutions should introduce specific loan schemes and subsidies to facilitate the adoption of modern technologies. Strengthening market linkages through farmer-producer organizations and value-chain development initiatives will enable mushroom growers to access better markets and improve their income prospects.Overall, this study sheds light on the obstacles faced by mushroom growers in Jabalpur District concerning the adoption of recommended mushroom production technology. The suggested interventions offer practical solutions to enhance technology uptake and promote sustainable mushroom cultivation practices. Implementing these recommendations can potentially lead to increased productivity, income diversification, and improved livelihoods for mushroom growers in the region.

Evaluation of awareness and performance towards COVID-related disinfectant use among the university communities in Lebanon.

The fast spread of COVID-19 reinforced the daily use of disinfectants around the world. However, the awareness gap of disinfectant use could lead to health risks during the prevention of the pandemic. This study aims to assess the level of awareness and performance towards COVID-related disinfectant use among various university communities (student, staff, and faculty) in Lebanon. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and June 2022 among 925 participants (males and females aged between 18 and 64 years old) from academic settings in Lebanese universities using convenience sampling. An online validated survey (score-based questionnaire) of personal disinfectants' utilization was conducted to evaluate the awareness and performance levels using SPSS (version 21). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to check significant differences in awareness and performance levels among gender, age, provinces, educational level, university status, and field of study. Friedman test was used to test for significant differences in performance level questions pre-and post-COVID-19. The Spearman correlation test was used to determine the correlation between the awareness and performance of the respondents regarding the use of disinfectants. It was found that the majority of the respondents showed a weak level of awareness (70.8%) while their performance (61.9%) was moderate. Spearman's correlation analysis concluded a weak correlation between the awareness and performance levels (p < 0.01). The Mann-Whitney test indicated that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in awareness and performance levels between males and females. Another notable variable was the educational level of the respondents (p < 0.05) with postgraduate degrees holders recording higher mean scores of awareness than the ones with undergraduate and high school degrees as per Kruskal-Wallis test. Significant differences were shown in awareness scores among the age groups and in performance scores among the field of study (p < 0.05). The study findings highlighted the necessity of awareness campaigns and training programs addressing the technical handling of disinfectants among the communities in Lebanon. Lebanese governmental authorities (Ministry of Public Health,MoPH, and Ministry of Education and Higher Education, MEHE), and the healthcare professionals and public health researchers in Lebanon may utilize this new evidence to initiate public health interventions as a part of the United Nations (UN) sustainability goal of wellbeing (Sustainable Development Goal 3, SDG 3).

Cyber Hygiene Methodology for Raising Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Awareness in Health Care Organizations: Concept Study.

Cyber threats are increasing across all business sectors, with health care being a prominent domain. In response to the ever-increasing threats, health care organizations (HOs) are enhancing the technical measures with the use of cybersecurity controls and other advanced solutions for further protection. Despite the need for technical controls, humans are evidently the weakest link in the cybersecurity posture of HOs. This suggests that addressing the human aspects of cybersecurity is a key step toward managing cyber-physical risks. In practice, HOs are required to apply general cybersecurity and data privacy guidelines that focus on human factors. However, there is limited literature on the methodologies and procedures that can assist in successfully mapping these guidelines to specific controls (interventions), including awareness activities and training programs, with a measurable impact on personnel. To this end, tools and structured methodologies for assisting higher management in selecting the minimum number of required controls that will be most effective on the health care workforce are highly desirable. This study aimed to introduce a cyber hygiene (CH) methodology that uses a unique survey-based risk assessment approach for raising the cybersecurity and data privacy awareness of different employee groups in HOs. The main objective was to identify the most effective strategy for managing cybersecurity and data privacy risks and recommend targeted human-centric controls that are tailored to organization-specific needs. The CH methodology relied on a cross-sectional, exploratory survey study followed by a proposed risk-based survey data analysis approach. First, survey data were collected from 4 different employee groups across 3 European HOs, covering 7 categories of cybersecurity and data privacy risks. Next, survey data were transcribed and fitted into a proposed risk-based approach matrix that translated risk levels to strategies for managing the risks. A list of human-centric controls and implementation levels was created. These controls were associated with risk categories, mapped to risk strategies for managing the risks related to all employee groups. Our mapping empowered the computation and subsequent recommendation of subsets of human-centric controls to implement the identified strategy for managing the overall risk of the HOs. An indicative example demonstrated the application of the CH methodology in a simple scenario. Finally, by applying the CH methodology in the health care sector, we obtained results in the form of risk markings; identified strategies to manage the risks; and recommended controls for each of the 3 HOs, each employee group, and each risk category. The proposed CH methodology improves the CH perception and behavior of personnel in the health care sector and provides risk strategies together with a list of recommended human-centric controls for managing a wide range of cybersecurity and data privacy risks related to health care employees.

Evaluation of public awareness and performance toward the safe use of household disinfectants-cleaners to prevent COVID-19 in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Disinfection is one of the most effective hygienic practices that would limit the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) through deactivating the coronavirus on contaminated skin, supplies, and surfaces. However, the type and concentration of disinfectants should be carefully selected to avoid damaging surfaces and to limit the side effects of these chemicals on household members and users. The aim of this study is to assess the public levels of awareness and performance concerning the safe use of household cleaning products and disinfectants during the spread of COVID-19 in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2021 among 750 residents of Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafrah, and Al-Ain regions. A google survey was distributed electronically for the online recruitment of the general population. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine whether significant differences exist in the levels of awareness and performance with regard to gender, region, education level, and diagnosis with COVID-19. Spearman correlation was used to test if any correlation existed between levels of awareness and performance. Kruskal-Wallis test was also used to check if significant differences exist in the mean score of performance with respect to irritation-to-poisoning symptoms. The study population recorded a lower mean score of awareness (5.37 out of 12) than performance (11.75 out of 16). The majority of the study population claimed a minimum of one irritation-to-poisoning symptom during the handling of household cleaners and disinfectants. Significant differences exist in the awareness and performance mean scores among various educational levels (P < 0.001). The level of awareness was statistically significant with regard to infection with SARS-CoV-2 (P < 0.05). Also, the level of performance was significantly different between males and females (P < 0.001). Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the mean score of performance is statistically significant with all the studied irritation-to poisoning symptoms (P < 0.05). Awareness campaigns and training programs are recommended to address the safe use of household cleaning products and disinfectants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Cultural Influences on Information Security

Humans are by far the weakest link in the information security chain. Many in the information security industry advocate for a technical solution to this problem. Unfortunately, technology does not hold the answer to solving the human problem. Instead, it is important to better understand the problem and find new ways of training individuals, so they have a better security mindset and make better security minded decisions. The security challenges associated with human factors have been widely studied in previous literature and different research groups. Prior research has shown that both human behavioural factors and social media usage factors can be used to better assess a person’s susceptibility to cybercrime. We know that humans are multi-faceted beings who are swayed by many factors. In addition to behavioural factors and social media factors, humans are predisposed by cultural influences. This paper begins the process of understanding how culture influences a person's ability to make positive cybersecurity decisions in a world that is full of data being thrown at them. The end goal of this research is to use culture, along with behaviour and social media usage as new metrics in measuring a person’s susceptibility to cybercrime. This information can then be used by information security practitioners and researchers to better prepare individuals to defend themselves from cyber threats. This paper is the start of the research process into how culture impacts a person’s susceptibility to cybercrime. It shows the significance of identifying what specific aspects of culture impact how someone makes a decision. This can help mitigate social engineering attacks by better understanding the influencing factors which control an end user. The authors will continue their work on this project to develop new Information Awareness (IA) training programmes that work to modify an individual's behaviour, while taking into consideration their behaviours, social media usage and culture.

Smart home cybersecurity awareness and behavioral incentives

PurposeSmart-home security involves multilayered security challenges related to smart-home devices, networks, mobile applications, cloud servers and users. However, very few studies focus on smart-home users. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the potential interests of adult smart-home users in cybersecurity awareness training and nonfinancial rewards that may encourage them to adopt sound cybersecurity practices.Design/methodology/approachA total of 423 smart-home users between the ages of 25 and 64 completed a survey questionnaire for this study, with 224 participants from Japan and 199 from the UK.FindingsCultural factors considerably influence adult smart-home users’ attitudes toward cybersecurity. Specifically, cultural differences impact their willingness to participate in cybersecurity awareness training, their views on the importance of cybersecurity training for children and senior citizens and their preference for nonfinancial rewards as an incentive for good cybersecurity behavior. These results highlight the need to consider cultural differences and their potential impact when developing and implementing cybersecurity programs that target smart-home users.Practical implicationsThis research has two main implications. First, it provides insights for information security professionals on the importance of designing cost-effective and time-efficient cybersecurity awareness training programs for smart-home users. Second, the findings may assist governments in establishing nonfinancial incentives to encourage greater uptake of cybersecurity practices among smart-home users.Originality/valueThe paper investigates whether adult smart-home users are willing to spend time and money to engage in cybersecurity awareness training and to encourage their children and elderly parents to participate in training, as well. In addition, the paper examines incentives, especially nonfinancial rewards, that may motivate adult smart-home users to adopt cybersecurity behaviors at home. Furthermore, the paper analyses demographic differences among smart-home users in Japan and the UK.

Impact of Ethical Leadership Practices on Teachers’ Psychological Safety and Performance: A Case of Primary School Heads in Karachi - Pakistan

This study investigated the level of effective ethical leadership practices of primary school heads from the perspective of teachers serving in Karachi schools. It also compared the effective ethical leadership practiced by primary school head from the perspective of teachers serving in Karachi schools in terms of their various demographics including gender, academic qualification, professional qualification, and locality of their schools. Using a quantitative exploratory method, it targeted the primary schools in each district of Karachi to approach the teachers currently serving in the respective primary schools. The findings of the study revealed that teachers perceive the effective ethical leadership practiced by primary school heads. However, this perception of teachers changed frequently based on their different demographic characteristics that led the study to infer a potential biasness displayed by the primary school heads while practicing their leadership. The study recommends awareness sessions and training programs for primary school heads to avoid their potential biasness.

Development and Pilot Testing of the Disability Awareness Training and Education Program Among Community-Based Group Fitness Instructors.

Lack of disability awareness of fitness professionals is a well-established barrier to exercise participation among people with disabilities that is likely related to the lack of disability awareness training for group fitness instructors. The purposes of this study were to develop, implement, and evaluate a disability awareness training for group fitness instructors. A 90-min video training and resource manual were developed. We recruited 10 group fitness instructors from one recreation center to participate. Participants completed baseline, posttraining, and 2-month follow-up testing on survey-based outcomes including disability attitudes, confidence in exercise adaptations, and training satisfaction. Participants' confidence to adapt fitness classes was significantly improved; however, disability attitudes were high in the pretest and not significantly different posttraining. Semistructured interviews were conducted posttraining and revealed three themes: Formal disability training is needed, Managing inclusive class dynamics, and Training suggestions and satisfaction. This training demonstrated a feasible intervention for increasing disability awareness among community-based group fitness instructors.

Study on Awareness and Use of e-Resources Among the Students in Academic and Research Work

The use of e-resources has become increasingly important in higher education, and this study aims to investigate the level of awareness and use of e-resources among students in agriculture universities of Uttar Pradesh for academic and research work. The study was conducted in 2022, using a structured questionnaire distributed through online Google Forms. A total of 240 responses were received, and data were analyzed to determine the extent of awareness and usage of e-resources among students. The fi ndings revealed that the majority of the students (58.75%) had a medium level of awareness, followed by 21.67% with high awareness and 19.58% with low awareness. The study found no appreciable diff erence in the understanding of e-resources among students at the chosen agriculture universities, indicating the need for increased awareness campaigns and training programs. The results also showed that 89.58% of students associated with medium to high levels of e-resources use in the study area, demonstrating the potential benefi ts of these resources for academic and research work. The variables such as age, annual income, ICT competence, and fathers' education were found to have a signifi cant association with the extent of e-resources use among students, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve access and usage. This study provides useful insights for educators and policymakers to improve the awareness and use of e-resources among students in agriculture universities of Uttar Pradesh.

Racial Disparities in the Construction Domain: A Systematic Literature Review of the U.S. Educational and Workforce Domain

Trends in the construction domain, educational enrollment, student graduation, student industry employment, and workforce retention demonstrate that minorities—Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans—are often excluded, segregated, or ignored in this domain. A systematic literature review (N = 68) was conducted to investigate the causes and effects of racial disparities produced by systemic racism in the educational and workforce domains of construction. Particularly, this paper focuses on exploring how racial disparities in construction impact minorities, the current state of the racial divide, the practices that perpetuate racial inequities, and the strategies currently used to prevent, in a sustainable manner, such practices. The results of this systematic literature search revealed that exclusionary practices and ideologies cause an underrepresentation of minorities in construction that directly affects employment and industry representation in the United States. Previous studies show that systemic racism in construction has been supported by meritocracy and colorblindness ideologies, creating an unwelcoming environment where racial minorities have difficulties identifying with the construction domain. Furthermore, systemic racism affects students after graduation from construction programs, as industry trends showcase issues with minorities joining or staying in the field. Although racial disparities caused by systemic racism are an existing issue in the education and workforce domains of construction, there are a rising number of publications that strive to understand how to sustainably increase diversity, equity, and the inclusion of racial minorities. An increasing number of available tools, such as anti-bias and awareness training programs, are being used as a sustainable practice in construction education and in the construction industry to mitigate the effects of systemic racism. Ultimately, this paper’s contribution centers on describing the “who”, “how”, and “what” regarding the effect of racial disparities in the construction domain, which reduce the number of minority professionals coming into and staying in the industry.

Reporting Antimicrobial-Related Adverse Drug Events in Jordan: An Analysis from the VigiBase Database

This study aims to assess the reporting of antimicrobial-related adverse drug events (ADEs) in Jordan between 2003 and 2022. Data regarding the antimicrobial-related ADEs were extracted from the WHO's global database (VigiBase) by the Rational Drug Use and Pharmacovigilance Department at the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA). A total of 279 Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) were recorded. The number of ICSRs increased from 2019 onwards (219 out of 279 cases). This increase in the reported ADEs was influenced by the actions of the JFDA, including the introduction of electronic reporting forms, updating the national pharmacovigilance guidelines, which encouraged adverse drug reactions reporting, the implementation of the AMR-national action plan, the encouragement to report due to COVID-19 vaccine, and the continuous awareness campaigns and training programs. Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders (n = 105; 19.48%) were the most reported antimicrobial-related ADEs. The highest number of ADEs was reported for tetracyclines (n = 101; 18.74%) followed by fluoroquinolones (n = 54; 10.02%), third-generation cephalosporines (n = 48; 8.9%), and carbapenems (n = 42; 7.79%). From the top 10 consumed antibiotics, the number of ADEs in patients who consumed Watch group antibiotics (97 ADEs) was higher than those who consumed Access group antibiotics (28 ADEs). The findings highlight the need to monitor and rationalize the use of Watch antibiotics. Enhanced reporting of antimicrobial-related adverse drug reactions is needed to inform antimicrobial stewardship and improve the pharmacovigilance system in Jordan.

Impact of Educational Intervention on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Pharmacovigilance Among Nurses at a Tertiary Care Public Hospital.

Nursing students and employees remain the first point of contact in case a patient develops an adverse drug reaction in hospital settings. Thus, it is important for nurses to understand the importance of pharmacovigilance activity and implement the same in their practice. They can also contribute to drug safety by reducing medication errors and adverse drug reaction reporting. After ethics approval, an observational questionnaire-based study was conducted in 2017 that involved nursing students and nursing employees (N=390) to assess their baseline knowledge, attitude, and practice toward pharmacovigilance. Participants who consented were enrolled and a pre-training survey was conducted. Pharmacovigilance sensitization/ training sessions were conducted in the same year after getting their baseline data. Three years later in 2021, the same questionnaire was distributed to a subset of nursing students and employees (N=299) to analyze any change in their knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the pharmacovigilance activity as a posttest. Pre and post sensitization session questionnaire-based survey data was analyzed to confirm the long-term impact of conducting such pharmacovigilance awareness training. The nurses' overall performance before and after training in each of the domains of knowledge, attitude and practice were 17.53%, 72.86%, 39.69% in the pretest group, respectively, and post test scores were 30.77%, OR-3.04, p=0.0 (Knowledge), 85.92%, OR-0.14, p=0.0 (Attitude) and 37.21%, OR-0.08, p=0.08 (Practice) in the corresponding domain. Overall, there was a declining trend in the practice domain of the nurses response between the pre-test and post intervention groups however this decline was not statistically significant (p=0.08). Pharmacovigilance awareness training and sensitization programs had an impact on the knowledge and attitude of nurses but there is a need to ensure that it is implemented in clinical practice.

Using Simulation-Based Learning with Standardized Patients (SP) in an Implicit Bias Mitigation Clinician Training Program.

To describe the development and refinement of an implicit bias recognition and management training program for clinical trainees. In the context of an NIH-funded clinical trial to address healthcare disparities in hypertension management, research and education faculty at an academic medical center used a participatory action research approach to engage local community members to develop and refine a "knowledge, awareness, and skill-building" bias recognition and mitigation program. The program targeted medical residents and Doctor of Nursing Practice students. The content of the two-session training included: didactics about healthcare disparities, racism and implicit bias; implicit association test (IAT) administration to raise awareness of personal implicit bias; skill building for bias-mitigating communication; and case scenarios for skill practice in simulation-based encounters with standardized patients (SPs) from the local community. The initial trial year enrolled n = 65 interprofessional participants. Community partners and SPs who engaged throughout the design and implementation process reported overall positive experiences, but SPs expressed need for greater faculty support during in-person debriefings following simulation encounters to balance power dynamics. Initial year trainee participants reported discomfort with intensive sequencing of in-person didactics, IATs, and SP simulations in each of the two training sessions. In response, authors refined the training program to separate didactic sessions from IAT administration and SP simulations, and to increase safe space, and trainee and SP empowerment. The final program includes more interactive discussions focused on identity, race and ethnicity, and strategies to address local health system challenges related to structural racism. It is possible to develop and implement a bias awareness and mitigation skills training program that uses simulation-based learning with SPs, and to engage with local community members to tailor the content to address the experience of local patient populations. Further research is needed to measure the success and impact of replicating this approach elsewhere.

Malware victimisation and organisational survival: A multi-method exploration of emerging market

The internet has gained widespread acceptance globally since its inception. However, the escalating threats associated with this acceptance are alarming, as cyber fraudsters continually imitate and execute grievous attacks on corporate entities. While much is known about the various dimensions of malware attacks and defense (Sharmeen et al., 2019), little attention has been given to how malware affects the socio-economic survival of organizations in Nigeria, particularly in Cross River State. This article aims to bridge this knowledge gap by presenting empirical evidence on how malware victimization impacts organizational survival in the study area. Through the use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews, a sample of 1,074 research participants, including bank staff, industrial workers, and telecommunication staff, was selected from Cross River State using a multi-stage sampling technique. The findings reveal a significant increase in malware victimization among corporate organizations in Cross River State, resulting in severe consequences for their socio-economic development. To mitigate these risks, the study recommends that organizations strengthen their network security, implement comprehensive cybersecurity awareness training programs for employees, adopt advanced detection and response technologies, and employ mobile security solutions or business internet traffic security measures to ensure their safety.

Mandatory Gamified Security Awareness Training Impacts on Texas Public Middle School Students: A Qualitative Study

Aim/Purpose. The problem statement in the proposed study focuses on that, despite the growing recognition that teenagers need to undergo security awareness training, little is known about the impacts security training experts believe implementing a mandatory gamified security awareness training curriculum in public middle schools will have on the long-term security behavior of students in Texas. Background. This study was guided by the research question: What are the impacts security training experts believe implementing a mandatory gamified security aware-ness training curriculum in public middle schools will have on the long-term security behaviors of students in Texas? The study gathers opinions from experts on the impacts of security awareness training on students. Methodology. Our research used semi-structured interviews with twelve experts chosen through the use of purposive sampling. The population for the study consisted of experts in the fields of security awareness training for and teaching middle school-aged children. Candidates were recruited through the Cyber-Texas Foundation and snowball sampling techniques. Contribution. The research contributed to the body of knowledge by using interviews to explore the impacts of security awareness training on middle school students based on the opinions and views of the teachers and instructors who work with middle school students. Findings. The findings of this study demonstrate that middle school is an ideal time to provide cybersecurity training and will impact student behaviors by making them more conscious of cyber threats and preparing them to be more tech-savvy professionals. The research also showed that well-designed cybersecurity games with real-world application combined with traditional teaching techniques can help students develop positive habits. The research also suggests that teachers possess the skills to teach cybersecurity classes and the classes can be integrated into the current school day without the need for any significant changes to existing daily schedules. Recommendations for Practitioners. A well-design gamification-based curriculum implemented in Texas Middle Schools, combined with traditional teaching techniques and repeated over an extended time period, will impact students’ behaviors by making them more able to recognize and respond to cyber risks and will transform them into more secure and tech-savvy members of society. Recommendations for Researchers. The research shows middle school instructors and technology experts believe the implementation of a security awareness training program in middle schools is both possible and practical, while also beneficial to the students. The recommendation is to encourage researchers to explore ways to build curricula and games capable of appealing to students and implementing the instruction into school programs. Impact on Society. Demonstrating that training provided in middle school will make lasting impacts and improvements to student behaviors benefits children and their families in the short-term and workplaces in the long-term. The development of a more security-conscious workforce can reduce the significant number of data breaches and cyber attacks resulting from the poor security habits of companies’ users. Future Research. Future research that will add significant value to the body of knowledge includes testing the effectiveness of habit-shaping games to determine whether existing long-term games maintain student interest. Qualitative studies could interview parents of teenagers using habit-shaping games to determine the effectiveness of the applications. Another qualitative study could interview teachers to determine how teachers’ ages affect their comfort level teaching technology classes. Both studies could provide valuable insights into how to implement security awareness training in schools.

Designing Scenarios for In-Organization Training Using the CyberCIEGE Game

Abstract Cyber security awareness training needs to be personalized to address the policies and requirements of a particular organization, although many of the concepts in this training practice are universal. The main reason for the failure of training programs is that the users do not think about applying security concepts. Therefore, the study aims to design scenarios for in-organization training using CyberCEIGE. In this context, CyberCIEGE is considered a flexible and highly interactive video game that is a security awareness tool. It is responsible for supporting organizational training objectives in an engaging security adventure in the presence of typical users. This game has shown success in utilizing information assurance education. The present study indicates that CyberCIEGE is effective in basic information awareness training programs for security purposes, such as the balance between corporate convenience and individual privacy.

Determinants of Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in Rainfed Agriculture: A Case Study in Pothohar Region, Pakistan

Of the total thirteen rain-fed districts in the Pothohar region, Punjab province of Pakistan, four (Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock) are completely rain-fed. Erratic rainfall, moisture, soil degradation, soil erosion and droughts are prominent issues in the Pothohar region, augmenting the dire need for soil and water conservation.; to explore the determinants of the adoption of soil and water conservation practices, this study was conducted in Rawalpindi district because it receives maximum rainfall; which is most of the time lost due to absence of sufficient storage reservoirs exuberating the soil erosion and natural resource degradation. A total of 381 respondents participated in the study respondents were interviewed face-to-face on a structured, validated and reliable questionnaire. The Chi-square test of statistics and a binary logistic model were applied to the collected data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results demonstrated a statistically significant (P0.05) association between age, farm size, farming experience, and annual income, with awareness and adoption of soil and water conservation practices. Both awareness and adoption of conservation practices were insignificant (P0.05) with the educational level of respondents. Regression analysis confirmed that awareness and adoption of conservation measures were influenced significantly by the predictors' lack of motivation, reliance on off-farming income sources, and inadequate demonstrations. This study complements the adoption of soil and water conservation technologies in the environment of the Pothohar region. To meet this objective, institutional services need to be mainstreamed. Public sector agricultural extension should emphasize awareness campaigns, advisory services, and training programs for farmers and the establishment of demonstration plots specifying the adoption of soil and water conservation techniques.

Implementation of implicit bias awareness and action training in a pharmacy residency program.

To implement an implicit bias awareness and action seminar program for the University of Utah Health pharmacy residency program and measure knowledge, awareness, and comfort around race-related topics. An implicit bias awareness training program was implemented with a pre- and post-training survey to measure knowledge, comfort, and confidence around understanding and addressing biases. Fifty-one residents and preceptors participated in the implicit bias training, and 47 (92.2%) consented to take the survey. Twenty pharmacy residents and 27 preceptors attended at least 1 of the 4 training modules and completed the pre- and/or post-training survey. Eighteen of 20 residents (90.0%) and 19 of 27 (70.4%) preceptors completed the pretraining survey (37 total), while 11 of 20 residents (55.0%) and 10 of 27 (37.0%) preceptors completed the post-training survey (21 total). On the post-training survey, more correct answers were obtained for knowledge-based questions and a higher number of responses of strongly agree or agree was observed when assessing participants' comfort and confidence in addressing personal biases, bringing marginalized people into a conversation, addressing biased situations, and intervening when bias is observed. After training, higher scores were attained on the survey for overall comfort and confidence in addressing personal biases and identifying and acting on witnessed biases.